《Return of the Runebound Professor》


 Chapter 1: Even in death

    chapter 1: even in death


    death, noah vines found, was not what he had been expecting. he¡¯d never considered himself a particularly religious man, but he¡¯d always thought there was something that came after.


    he was pleased to discover that there was indeed something.


    he was less pleased to discover that the something involved waiting in a line. a very, very long line. to make matters worse, he had absolutely no idea what he was waiting for. there hadn¡¯t been any introduction. he even would have settled for an onboarding video.


    instead, he found himself standing behind another man, as naked as the day he was born, slowly wandering toward something. the only thing that existed was boredom. there was nothing around them but more lines of people, winding through empty space and standing on faint, translucent paths of energy. time passed ¨C at least, noah felt like time was passing. he didn¡¯t have any way to tell for sure.


    several times, he thought about talking to someone. each time, he decided against it. it just didn¡¯t feel right. perhaps that came with being dead. it did give him a little time to self-reflect, though.


    unfortunately, what he reflected on didn¡¯t make him feel particularly great. he would have loved to arrive at the afterlife ¨C whatever it was ¨C with a little bit more to be proud of. thousands of successful students, or perhaps a loving wife and kids.


    he hadn¡¯t quite made it that far. noah had a grand total of four years of teaching under his belt, along with a useless university degree that had barely gotten him the job ¨C the same job that had forced his fellow teachers to give up their sick days so he could afford the hospital bills.


    god ¨C gods, however many or whatever type there are, i hope those kids have a good start to their life. they deserve it.


    the line inched along. time stretched. it passed, but by how much noah was unsure. hundreds of years. thousands. he wasn¡¯t sure anymore. the only thing that really kept him company was his own voice, echoing within the silent confines of his mind.


    he just stood, occasionally taking a step whenever the soul in front of him moved.


    the world changed.0v3l.b11n.


    noah wasn¡¯t sure exactly when it had happened. but, one moment he was standing in line floating in infinite nothingness, and the next his feet were on solid ground. the lines all converged on a single point, where a tall woman towered above them all. behind her was a huge lake full of glimmering silver water.


    unlike everyone else, she wore clothes. beautiful silk hung from her body and danced around her like streamers, but nothing on or beside her could compare to the woman herself. she was perfect to such a degree that the only emotion that noah felt was fear. without a doubt, she was not human.


    one by one, the people in the lines stepped up to her. they paused for a minute, as if in silent conversation. then they continued, walking into the lake dipping their hands into it. they raised the silver liquid to their lips and vanished, transforming into streaks of white light.


    the line continued on. before noah could even truly process it, he was standing before the beautiful woman. time froze around him as they locked eyes.


    ¡°noah vines,¡± she said, as if reading from some invisible prompt. ¡°died at the age of twenty-six. you were an influential figure for eighty four of your pupils. many prayers have been sent up for you. a life well lived.¡±


    ¡°i ¨C are you god?¡± noah asked, speaking for the first time since he¡¯d died and instantly cursing himself for it.


    ¡°i am renewal, one of the many goddesses of reincarnation,¡± she replied, looking slightly bored at the question. ¡°you have been chosen to be reincarnated in a higher plane. drink from this well of the waters of life and, in losing the memories of your current life, continue unto your next. a suitable body will soon be born for you.¡±


    ¡°wait, i won¡¯t remember anything? nothing at all?¡±


    renewal opened her mouth to respond. then time snapped back into motion. thousands of streaks of black light carved through the nothingness like a shower of falling stars. noah stared up at them in awe, his mouth hanging askew.


    the first star hit, falling into a line of people just a short distance away from noah. it obliterated them and smashed through the floor, sending huge chunks of it spiraling away into nothingness.


    a massive rumble shook the ground as more of the stars fell, each one tearing the serene scene into smithereens. renewal raised her hands. a beautiful pink flower bloomed in the air before her, moments before a lance of black energy slammed into it.


    it crushed the flower and narrowly missed renewal as she spun out of the way. more of the stars continued to rain down all around noah, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to move. all he could do was watch as they tore through the other souls surrounding him, ripping them to shreds or sending them plummeting into nothingness.


    a deep, grating howl echoed through the air. renewal staggered as a jagged black spear erupted from her shoulder. cracks formed in the air around her and a gurgling mass seeped out from within it, pouring onto the ground like sludge.


    screaming faces rose up within it, as if they were straining to escape the bubbling goop. it rose up, forming into the blobby shape of a man. he ripped the spear free of renewal.


    ¡°i finally found you, renewal,¡± the man said, his whispery voice laden with a mocking tone. ¡°my beautiful flower.¡±


    renewal¡¯s face didn¡¯t budge. she thrust a hand toward the man. a beam of brilliant energy erupted from her palm, searing into him. a thousand voices screamed in pain and he clutched his chest. black liquid poured down his body and into the pool of silver water, tainting it.


    a shudder ran through him at the thought of the terrifying creature that had attacked renewal. whatever it was, he never wanted to see it again. but, possibly worse, someone had been inhabiting this body before his... arrival.


    ¡°did i just murder someone? or did i just watch them get murdered and take advantage of it?¡± noah asked himself, swallowing nervously. he crawled over to the gourd the man had drunk from and picked it up.


    a small piece of parchment was tied to its lip with tweed. to noah¡¯s surprise, he could read the words on it perfectly, despite knowing full well that they weren¡¯t english.


    thanks for everything, magus vermil. i hope this healing potion helps you out.


    evidently, some of the man¡¯s memories were still bouncing around in his head. that might have explained the throbbing headache. something sharp poked into his chest. noah reached up, pulling a small metal badge with the words magus vermil carved into it from a slot in his jacket. he tucked it into his pant pockets with a grimace.


    judging by the man¡¯s expression moments before he¡¯d died, noah was pretty sure that this potion had done more than just heal him. from the looks of things, it actually did more to kill him.


    whoever this guy was, he had some enemies.


    ¡°tough luck, man,¡± noah muttered. ¡°the line isn¡¯t too bad when you get used to it, though. hope things go better for you next time around.¡±


    he gave it a hesitant sniff. the gourd smelled like honey and cinnamon. noah carefully set the gourd back on the ground, making sure not to spill any of its contents on himself. just because it didn¡¯t seem to be affecting him anymore didn¡¯t mean it wouldn¡¯t work again if he got more of it on himself.


    ¡°well, this certainly isn¡¯t anything like monkeys on earth,¡± noah said, studying one of the dead monkeys. now that he had an actual pair of eyes to look through, he was even more certain. the dead monkey¡¯s eyes were bloodshot and its fur was so matted that it could have been armor. there was no word to describe it other than monster.


    he pushed himself off the ground, standing on shaky legs. strangely, noah felt no panic or fear. he¡¯d spent more than enough time coming to terms with his life when he was waiting in line for the afterlife.


    if gods existed, it wasn¡¯t hard to extrapolate that monsters did as well. more importantly ¨C something had seriously injured the previous owner of noah¡¯s body, and he wasn¡¯t sure if it was still around.


    an image of a towering, furry mass flickered through noah¡¯s mind. he paused, trying to bring it back, but the memory was already gone ¨C and it certainly wasn¡¯t one of his.


    ¡°what the hell was that?¡± noah muttered, rubbing his eyes. ¡°is that what gored this vermil guy before i got around to him? i hope not. i don¡¯t want to be anywhere near that thing.¡±


    a shadow passed over noah¡¯s head. he stared down at it, as it eclipsed him, passing far into the campsite. his lips pressed thin. ¡°ah. of course. it¡¯s behind me.¡±


    he turned around and came face to face with the fattest, ugliest monkey he¡¯d ever seen. the monster towered nearly twice his height and had long, gangly arms that ended in disproportionately long clawed hands.


    its eyes were small and beady, and fangs jutted out of its mouth in every which direction. if someone had taken a rabid orangutang and shoved a bunch of extra teeth into its mouth before driving its face into the wall half a dozen times, then it probably would have been this thing¡¯s mother.


    ¡°hello there,¡± noah said, lowering his gaze as he desperately tried to dig through his old memories of earth to recall what to do when one came face to face with a predator. avoid smiling. don¡¯t make eye contact. give a firm handshake and talk with confidence.


    wait, that last one might be for an interview. linkedin articles didn¡¯t prepare me for this. i don¡¯t think ¨C


    the monkey screeched. its awful voice tore through noah¡¯s ears like a rusty saw. he clapped his hands over his head and spun, sprinting away as fast as his legs could carry him.


    screw the rules. those are for bears, not the goddamn sasquatch¡¯s hillbilly son.


    heavy thumps behind him marked the monkey as it charged after him, but noah didn¡¯t dare waste the time to glance back at it. he was fairly sure it was gaining on him, but the jagged trees surrounding the clearing could slow it slightly.


    out of the corner of his eye, noah spotted a massive gangly claw hurtling toward his head, jagged claws glistening in the light of the setting sun. panic flooded through him. his body moved of its own volition. his hands rose into the air and white lines danced in the air before him, forming a strange pattern.


    a streak of wind ripped out from his palms. it bit into the monkey¡¯s paw, carving a deep cut into it, and pulling a pained screech from the monster¡¯s lips. noah stumbled as energy rushed out of him. he stared at his hands in disbelief, overwhelmed for a moment.


    ¡°i just did magic. i can do¨C¡±


    four huge claws slammed into his head as the monkey swung its other hand at him, carving down through his body and cutting the rest of noah¡¯s sentence as short as his life.


    it was his first death on this new world ¨C but it would be far from his last.

 Chapter 2&3: Civil

    chapter 2&3: civil


    screaming in agony, noah¡¯s soul split apart from his body. the desecrated corpse pitched to the ground, its top half cut into ribbons. he stared down at it, the pain fading now that he no longer had a body with which to feel.


    ¡°well, shit,¡± noah said. ¡°that was fast.¡±


    invisible energy tugged at his chest, pulling him away from the world. noah sighed.


    oh well. so long as there are other places to revive, i already know what¡¯s going to happen. what¡¯s a few thousand more years of waiting?


    something wrapped around his throat. noah¡¯s ghostly eyes bulged and he choked ¨C something he hadn¡¯t thought actually possible for a spirit. a black ribbon materialized around his neck, leading back off into the clearing.


    the force pulling him away from the world vanished as the black ribbon yanked him back down to the world. pain erupted throughout him once more and his eyes snapped open, drawing in a ragged gasp and clutching a hand to his thundering heart. he was in a body once more.


    his head slammed like an entire orchestra had been trapped within it. noah groaned in pain, unable to even move from his spot. it was several minutes before he gathered the energy to push himself upright.


    there was no sign of his clothes. he was completely naked. noah staggered upright. a heavy fog hung around his mind, even though the pain started to recede. he was in the same clearing.


    the gourd of poison still sat on the ground where he¡¯d left it. in the all too close distance, noah could hear crunching noises from the direction of where he¡¯d run. swallowing heavily, noah crept up to the pool of water and peered inside it.


    the face of the man whose body he¡¯d stolen looked back at him. he¡¯d kept it, somehow. unfortunately, the clothes didn¡¯t seem to be part of the package deal.


    ¡°i came back to life?¡± noah whispered to himself. he touched his face, just to make sure it was there. a roar split the forest behind noah and he paled, launching himself into the lake. he swam down as deep as he could go and latched onto a stone at the bottom, holding onto it for dear life.


    he wasn¡¯t sure how long he waited there. time had lost most of its meaning during his stay in the afterlife. noah didn¡¯t dare release the rock until his lungs burned so much that he could hardly feel them and shadows danced before his eyes.


    his body barely managed to propel him back up to the surface of the lake. he gasped for air, slumping over the edge as his lungs desperately pulled oxygen in. suppressing a groan, noah rolled over and glanced around.


    the clearing was empty. his head still felt like mincemeat, but it was better to feel it than to actually become mincemeat...again. noah pulled himself the rest of the way onto dry land and pushed himself upright.


    he glanced at his hands, then held them up before him. the image of the strange pattern that had appeared before them felt etched into his mind. he tried to picture it forming before him, but the fog surrounding his head grew thicker. a spike of pain ran down his spine and noah dropped his hands, grimacing.


    a cold breeze rustled by him. he shivered and tilted his head to the side, listening as hard as he could. he couldn¡¯t hear the monkey anymore. that didn¡¯t mean it wasn¡¯t still there ¨C he hadn¡¯t forgotten how silent it could be when it wanted to be.


    pants or not dying? which one is more important?


    noah crept into the burnt woods. he hadn¡¯t made it far in his previous escape attempt. he spotted the bottom half of his corpse lying in the tussled dirt between several trees. there was no sign of his upper body or the monkey.


    he crept up to his former legs and quickly tugged his pants and belt off. noah pulled them on, grimacing at the still-warm blood covering them. a small book clipped to the belt thumped against his side as he pulled it on. as soon as his legs were through the holes, noah shuffled off into the trees, tying his belt with numbed, fumbling fingers as he walked.


    despite his best ¨C and largely ineffective ¨C efforts to be stealthy, noah winced at every dry branch that cracked beneath his feet. he threw glances over his shoulders every few feet, jumping at the slightest winds.


    he didn¡¯t allow himself to calm down until he¡¯d been walking for so long that the sky started to darken and night fell. noah slumped against a scorched tree and slumped down.


    ¡°this is not how i saw my afterlife going,¡± noah said to himself in a low whisper. he shivered as a cold wind dragged its chilly fingers across his bare chest. the fog covering his mind had only just started to peel away a few minutes ago.


    inventory. i need to take inventory. see what i have.


    he dug through his pockets. they were empty.


    right. a book, a badge, and some torn up pants. that¡¯s it. not bad considering i didn¡¯t even have a body yesterday.


    noah unclipped the book from his pants and flipped it open. detailed notes drawn in tight, flowing handwriting covered many of its pages, each of which was dedicated to a single, complicated pattern similar to the one he¡¯d drawn in the air a few hours ago.


    a rune.


    the words drifted to his mind of their own volition. noah frowned. runes certainly felt like the right way to describe the feature, but he was quite certain the thought wasn¡¯t his own. he¡¯d retained a lot of his previous body¡¯s memories, but it didn¡¯t seem like he could access them consciously.


    at least i can read.


    noah flipped through the pages, searching for the rune he¡¯d envisioned while fighting the monkey. his efforts were rewarded by an old page near the very back of the book. it was covered with dozens of sketches of plants and animals that he didn¡¯t recognize, along with descriptions of each one.


    ¡°wind rune,¡± noah read, tracing the pattern with a finger. he raised his hand from the book, picturing the rune in his mind. a thin blade of wind leapt from his palm and carved deep into the brittle trunk of the tree in front of him. a faint blanket of weariness fell over his shoulders.


    noah scrambled to his feet, eyes darting around to see if anything had heard him. he stood still for several seconds. nothing came. he crept over to the tree, inspecting his handiwork. the magic had carved a deep cut into the rough bark.


    he envisioned the rune again, this time pointing his palm at the ground. another blade of wind leapt forth and bit into the earth. the weariness grew stronger, but the fog didn¡¯t encroach on his mind again.


    okay. brain fog comes from dying. no magic when foggy. conclusion: don¡¯t die.


    noah looked up at the night sky. bright stars twinkled far above, glowing with faint golden light. despite his situation, he let a small breath of awe slip out from between his lips. it was beautiful. nothing like the dull, smog-muted stars that he could make out through his apartment window back on earth.


    he looked back down at his book, determination etching itself into his features.


    ¡°i need to get to civilization.¡±


    noah froze, basking in the feeling for a few seconds before it faded away. he glanced around, checking to see if there were any other monkeys in the area. when he found that there weren¡¯t, he wasn¡¯t sure if he was relieved or disappointed.


    somehow, killing the monkeys seems to sate me. magic, i guess. when i get out of this stupid forest, the first thing i¡¯m going to do is sit down and figure out how all of this works.


    before he moved on, noah¡¯s eye caught on the monster¡¯s long claws. he paused a moment, then knelt beside the monkey. he gingerly picked up one of its hands, holding a claw like a knife and working out one of the claws on its other hands.


    it was bloody, grisly work that ended with him covering a good portion of himself and the monkey with rancid blood, but he finally managed to hack it free after several agonizing minutes of constantly glancing over his shoulders to make sure nothing was gaining on him.


    the claw came out with a finger length piece of bone attached to its end, which suited noah just fine. he tested its weight in his hand, then nodded to himself. he¡¯d handled more than a few knives in his previous life ¨C and every single one of them was for cooking, not stabbing people. still, the claw felt hefty and sharp enough. he set back off through the forest, leaving the corpse in his wake.


    ***


    the monkey was back. noah pressed his back to a large tree stump, struggling to control his terrified breathing. the huge, lanky monster that had killed him just seconds after his arrival in the burnt forest was somehow right in front of him, and he was pretty sure it had been looking in his direction.


    everything had been going so well.


    well, i suppose nothing at all was happening other than walking. nothing is better than something, though. i¡¯m going to count that as well.


    it didn¡¯t particularly matter what he counted as well. what did matter was the slow, uncomfortably heavy breathing of the massive ape as it slowly grew closer. the beast took deep, ragged breaths, as if savoring the scent of his fear.


    noah¡¯s eyes darted around and he searched for any place to hide or trap the creature. running wasn¡¯t an option. he¡¯d already gathered that much. and, worse, he¡¯d brought the gourd with him. he¡¯d yet to determine just how long it took to revive. if the monkey was still around when he came back...


    a shudder ran down noah¡¯s spine. he could end up getting killed over and over again ¨C forever. dying now wasn¡¯t an option.


    he did a quick mental check of what he had to work with. a gourd. his book. a pair of pants. a monkey¡¯s claw. he barely suppressed an amused snort that would have given his position away immediately.


    i¡¯d almost wish for a monkey¡¯s paw over a claw at this point.


    an excited hoot echoed through the dry forest. noah flinched, but nothing happened. for whatever reason the monkey hadn¡¯t done anything yet. it was close, though. he could smell the stench of its matted fur, like a mixture of sickly sweet earth and week old feces.


    noah¡¯s grip tightened around the claw in his hand. he stilled his breathing even further.


    okay. on the count of three.


    three.


    two.


    noah sprinted out from behind the tree, bringing a blade of wind to his fingertips. the monkey jerked upright, standing just a few trees away from him. it spun in his direction, opening its mouth in a shriek.


    the wind blade carved into its chest, splattering thick blood across the ground. noah charged the monster and it reared back. in the back of his mind, noah noted the move. it was the same one he¡¯d been killed with.


    he dove to the side, predicting the monster¡¯s strike. its claws ripped through the air where he¡¯d been standing and he rolled to his feet, lunging forward and driving his makeshift knife into the monkey¡¯s chest.


    the padded fur was far harder to penetrate than he¡¯d expected. his claw bit deep, but not deep enough. noah cursed, trying to disengage, but he heard the next strike coming before he saw it.


    he threw himself to the ground, but it was too late. thick claws raked across his back, tearing apart flesh and snapping bone. noah screamed in pain. he grabbed the gourd from his side, throwing it into the trees with the last of his strength.


    a heavy foot crashed down on his head an instant later, tearing his body free of his soul. noah snarled as his ghostly form was tossed into the air, ties to flesh severed. the monkey grabbed his corpse and lifted it into the air, sniffing curiously at it.


    energy gathered around noah¡¯s neck, tugging him into the forest. toward the gourd. a tiny grin flickered across his lips, but it was equal parts nervous. if the revival process took any real amount of time, the monkey might just find him before he was alive again. the only way to know was to find out. he was yanked forward, hurtling past several trees before he slammed back into existence.


    noah snapped into being, stiffening to keep the pained groan from escaping his lips. every part of his brain thumped in protest, and nausea passed over him with such strength that he nearly threw up over himself.


    instead, noah rolled to his feet. through squinted eyes, he could just barely see the back of the large monkey chewing on something. noah was pretty sure it was one of his arms. he clenched his fists, trying to call on his magic.


    all that responded was a deep, throbbing pain. noah gritted his teeth and padded forward, moving as silently as he could as he approached the monster. his dagger laid at its side, discarded.


    he didn¡¯t give himself time to think. he couldn¡¯t afford it. noah sprinted, scooping the blade off the ground and spinning toward the monster in all his naked glory. its eyes widened and it screeched, tossing his arm aside and lunging for him.


    another attack noah recognized ¨C this time, the one that had literally just killed him. he rolled backward, narrowly avoiding the massive claws as they carved through the air above him. it reared back, lifting its paws above its head.


    noah lunged, driving his knife into the open wound on its chest. he twisted the blade, then threw himself to the side just in time to avoid the monkey¡¯s overhead slash. as soon as its hands hit the ground, he lunged forward and threw all of his weight into the dagger.


    something crunched as noah¡¯s shoulder slammed into the monster¡¯s enormous ribcage. bone gave way and the dagger punched deeper, driving into the monkey¡¯s heart. it shuddered, and noah locked eyes with it for an instant.


    he bared his teeth in a primal snarl, fury and determination swirling in his eyes. all that met them was terror.


    the monkey pitched back and crashed to the ground, blood pouring from the deep wound in its chest and flowing down its fur to pool in the ground around it. noah took a shaky step back, his head still pounding furiously.


    energy filled his body, rushing through his limbs like a cold river ¨C more than what he¡¯d gained from killing the smaller monkeys. much more. it did nothing to assuage his furious headache, unfortunately.


    on autopilot, he staggered over to what remained of his corpse and pulled his pants off. he tugged them on, then trudged into the woods to retrieve his gourd. he looped it into his belt, then headed back over to the monkey.


    he pulled the claw from the monster¡¯s chest, shaking the blood from it. noah looked down at his tormentor, his lips pressed thin. part of him almost felt bad for it. that part was very, very small. after all the time he¡¯d spent dead, noah had absolutely no desire to try it again. if monkeys had an afterlife, he hoped that its wait would be extra-long.

 Chapter 4: Arbitage

    chapter 4: arbitage


    noah flopped down against a tree. he couldn¡¯t remember what time of day it was, and his head hurt too much to look up at the sky to find the answer. he squeezed his eyes shut and massaged his temples, trying to push some of the pain away while he recovered.


    he wasn¡¯t sure how much time passed as he sat there, but a distant noise reached his ears. noah blinked, letting his eyes crack open. his head was still thundering in pain, but he could have sworn ¨C


    ¡°...somewhere here.¡±


    holy shit, people.


    noah scrambled to his feet and yelled as loud as he could. ¡°help! over here!¡±


    a moment passed and he strained to hear if anyone had picked up his calls.


    ¡°hello? please, i¡¯m lost! i need help!¡±


    two men floated into view above the trees, each standing on a long piece of ornate metal. both wore sleek black robes with hoods that cast their faces in shadow, even from the angle he was at. noah stared up at them, his eyes wide.


    ¡°gods, what are you doing?¡± one of the men asked as they lowered, touching down in the clearing across from him. ¡°what happened to you?¡±


    noah opened his mouth then froze.


    i can¡¯t tell them anything. i don¡¯t know what vermil was doing here. i don¡¯t even know who he is.


    ¡°i... i¡¯m injured,¡± noah said lamely. ¡°i got hit on the head pretty hard by some giant monkey, and my memories are all screwed up. i don¡¯t know where i am or how i got here. all i know is that my name is vermil.¡±


    the men exchanged a glance as noah pulled the small metal badge out of his pocket and held it out. one of them pulled his hood back, revealing a grizzled salt and pepper beard. he took the badge from noah and studied it.


    ¡°he¡¯s a teacher at arbitage,¡± he said, glancing back at his partner. ¡°must have been quite some monkey. was it the hellreaver?¡±


    ¡°of course it wasn¡¯t,¡± the other man said with a scoff. ¡°he¡¯s alive and not scorched to a crisp. was probably one of the maulers. do you really think he¡¯d be walking around if he ran into that flaming demon? let me guess. was it a big ugly bastard, about this high?¡±


    he held his hand up above his head. noah frowned.


    ¡°no. it was about twice that high.¡±


    ¡°slasher,¡± the bearded man said, grimacing. ¡°tough buggers. i can see how that might have done some damage. you don¡¯t look cut up, though. didn¡¯t you have any healing potions?¡±


    noah grimaced and patted his waistband. ¡°i don¡¯t remember. all i¡¯ve got is the badge on my uniform and my book. look, can you get me back to... arbitage, was it? i¡¯m sure they can help me. i might collapse if i have to stand much longer, though.¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ll take you. it¡¯s not too far,¡± the man said with a nod. ¡°it¡¯s an ill omen if slashers are getting strong enough to beat teachers. not a good sign at all. come stand on the back of my board. i¡¯m fredrick.¡±


    ¡°thank you.¡± noah staggered over, still barely able to believe his luck, and stepped onto the metal plate. he steadied himself on the man¡¯s shoulders as it shimmered and lifted into the air.


    ¡°hold on,¡± fredrick said. ¡°and at least warn me if you think you¡¯re going to fall off. i don¡¯t want to have to deal with explaining that one of arbitage¡¯s teachers leapt to his death while i was ferrying him around.¡±


    noah grunted his assent. fredrick¡¯s partner floated into the air as well, and then they were off, rocketing through the sky just above the burnt treetops. noah clutched frederick¡¯s shoulders for dear life, squeezing his eyes shut to keep his already throbbing head from imploding.


    his consciousness fluttered in and out, and it took everything he had to keep his hold on frederick. noah wasn¡¯t sure how long they hurtled through the air, but it felt like it couldn¡¯t have been more than a few seconds.


    someone nudged him, and he realized that the howling winds had stopped. he slowly let his eyes open, grimacing at the sudden bright light that pierced into his skull. noah squinted, raising a hand to block out the sun.


    they¡¯d landed on the grass before a tall, ornate stone building. large pillars rose along the sides of the buildings. statues of monsters clung to them, as if trying to claw them apart during their climb toward the top.


    the letter ¡®t¡¯ was emblazed upon each of the pillars in shimmering gold, each one roughly the size of noah¡¯s head. noah squinted at it.


    actually, i don¡¯t think that¡¯s the literal letter t as much as the closest translation to english. egh. this is just making my head hurt even more.


    ¡°you¡¯ll be in good hands,¡± frederick said. noah glanced around for any sign of frederick¡¯s partner, but the other man had somehow vanished without him noticing.


    ¡°that¡¯s quite all right. i¡¯ll let the headmaster know you were injured. i can lead you to your room for the time being, so you can get some rest,¡± richard offered.


    ¡°that would be great. thank you.¡±


    richard just nodded in response. he headed back toward the ornate building, and noah followed after him.


    the halls were a vague blur to him, and noah wasn¡¯t exactly sure where in the building they went. he recalled walking up several stairwells and traveling through halls lit only by the light outside, but everything melded together in his addled mind.


    they finally came to a stop before a plain stone door with a keyhole in its center. a metal plaque to its side read magus vermil. richard sent noah an expectant look.


    ¡°key?¡± richard asked.


    noah stared blankly at him. richard sighed.


    ¡°override it is, then.¡± he pressed his hand to the door and thin lines of white energy stretched out along it, illuminating a pattern hidden within the rock. the door clicked and swung open smoothly.


    ¡°i¡¯ll have someone sent to check on you soon,¡± richard promised. ¡°i suggest you remain here until then. perhaps some of your memories will be jogged.¡±


    noah nodded absentmindedly and stepped inside. a small frown flickered across his lips. the room was a complete mess. piles of papers covered a large wooden desk and had fallen to the floor around it. a metal key sat on top of the desk beside an unlit candle.


    this is probably for the door. why did vermil leave it behind?


    the bed was messy and unmade, and the window behind it was covered with grime and dust. a small door in the side of the room led into a bathroom, which wasn¡¯t in much better shape.


    there was a soft thud as richard wordlessly closed the door behind noah. he glanced over his shoulder.


    something tells me he doesn¡¯t like me much.


    noah pushed the haze and pain to the side. he walked up to the desk and leafed through the papers, trying to see if there was anything that could be of any use.


    ¡°skinwalker group spotted in the area. be wary of colleagues or students that you recognize that speak or move in an odd manner, especially those that have been missing for more than three weeks,¡± noah read aloud. he tossed the paper to the side.


    he leafed through a few more, then paused as something caught his eye.


    ¡°what the hell is this?¡± noah asked, picking one of the papers up. it had been a while since he¡¯d seen something of its like, but he¡¯d filled out more than enough of them in the past to recognize the key features. it was an extension request for some sort of assignment.


    a signature had been scribbled across the bottom, along with an extra line. noah¡¯s mouth dropped open in disgust as he read it.


    meet me in my room an hour after class if you want the extension. wear something cute.


    magus vermil


    noah looked back over the note, desperately hoping he¡¯d misread something, and this was meant for the man¡¯s lover. there was no such luck. without a doubt, this note had been submitted by a student. it even had their year number beside their name.


    ¡°shit. the last bloke in this body was a creep. no wonder someone killed him.¡± disgust washed over noah¡¯s face. he leafed through more of the papers and some of the blood drained from his face. ¡°wait. he was a teacher. am i supposed to teach people magic? i don¡¯t even know how to use it myself.¡±


    noah ruffled through the rest of the papers, desperately trying to find out if there was any semblance of order to them. unfortunately, vermil must have taken some degree of pride in the complete mess that was his room.


    half of the papers were ruined by water stains ¨C at least, noah hoped it was water ¨C and the others were either outdated, worthless, or just made absolutely no sense. he did his best to organize them, filtering out the most useless papers of the lot and stacking them by the door.


    before he realized it, nearly two hours had passed. his headache finally receded somewhat, though some of the fog remained. the fruits of noah¡¯s work was a fairly clean wooden desk and somewhat dusted floor. noah sat down in the chair across from the desk and chewed his thumb.


    ¡°okay,¡± noah said to himself, rocking back slightly in his chair. ¡°i can work with this. i¡¯m good at teaching. it¡¯s not like i ever had all that much time to prepare myself on subjects back on earth. there¡¯s got to be some sort of reference packet, right?¡±


    the back of his hand brushed against the book hanging from his belt. he unhooked the book and flipped it open. his head throbbed again and noah pressed his hand to his temple. he lowered into his chair, studying the pages.


    maybe, if he could make some real sense of its contents, he could pass his memory loss off and avoid detection.

 Chapter 5: A plan

    chapter 5: a plan


    a sharp rap on the door broke noah from his research. he dropped his book and dove to the ground in preparation for a crazed monkey to come swinging at him. it took him several moments to realize that he wasn¡¯t in the forest anymore.


    ¡°hello?¡± noah asked, slowly standing back up and grabbing his book on the way up.


    ¡°vermil! i heard you were back,¡± a deep male voice called. ¡°what happened out there?¡±


    ¡°i took a pretty bad hit,¡± noah replied. ¡°sorry. i¡¯ve got a little memory loss. i¡¯m not feeling too well right now, but i¡¯m sure i¡¯ll be good again soon.¡±


    ¡°idiot,¡± the man on the other side of the door said with a chuckle. ¡°can¡¯t say i didn¡¯t warn you.¡±


    ¡°i wouldn¡¯t know. i don¡¯t remember.¡±


    ¡°just how bad is that memory loss, vermil? you¡¯ve got a class in a few hours. if it¡¯s serious enough that you can¡¯t teach it, we¡¯re going to need to find someone to take over.¡±


    ¡°that sounds like a gr¨C¡±


    ¡°and we¡¯ll send for a mage who can really take a look at what happened and see if we can get that damage repaired. the linwicks are going to be furious if they find out you got seriously injured and didn¡¯t get proper treatment. i''m heading back to report later today and will be gone for a few months, so i can''t cover for you.¡±


    noah paled. he wasn¡¯t sure who the linwicks were, but the absolute last thing he needed was a mage taking a closer look at him and finding out that he wasn¡¯t vermil at all.


    ¡°i actually don¡¯t think there¡¯s any need for that,¡± noah said, trying to force a casual tone into his voice. ¡°i can handle myself. it¡¯s just a little bit of memory loss. details and the like, but i¡¯ve still got the important stuff. when¡¯s my class again?¡±


    ¡°gods, has it been that long since you actually taught? building g, room 100. you¡¯ve got an hour until it starts.¡±


    ¡°right. thanks. i¡¯ll be there.¡±


    ¡°make sure,¡± the man rumbled.


    an hour. okay. it¡¯s been so long since time mattered to me in the slightest, but that¡¯s not too long. not too short either, though.


    the man¡¯s heavy footsteps echoed away and noah let out a sigh of relief. he leaned against the wall and ran a hand through his long hair, bunching his hands up in it as he slid down into a seated position.


    runes let you cast magic. already knew that.people can have more than one rune, since vermil had a whole bunch of them in his book. i am unsure as to if there is a limit to how many you can have.there are probably variations in the runes. i¡¯m unsure as to how this actually changes their function, if it does at all. vermil placed more importance on the complicated looking runes, though. that probably means they¡¯re better somehow.


    ¡°i wish i had a coin to flip,¡± noah muttered.


    he chose a direction at random and strode off through the halls. to his delight, after turning down several corridors, he came across a small metal board hanging from the wall. it had a miniature map of the building he was in, including a small gemstone that presumably marked where he currently was. above the map, printed in what noah was starting to suspect to be the common language of this world, was the letter t.


    there were a dozen other buildings, all labeled with letters. a small key at the bottom of the map identified the meaning of each one and, the more noah read, the less it sounded like a school and the more it seemed like a fortress.


    distributed throughout the multitude of normal school buildings was an armory, a transport cannon, drill fields, and a multitude of other locations that he didn¡¯t recognize.


    i wonder if every letter has an equivalent to english, or if i¡¯m just somehow translating everything to the closest thing to it. i bet it¡¯s the latter, since human brains are fantastic at making things up to adapt to new visual information.


    after memorizing the map, noah set off once more. even with the path in mind, the building was surprisingly difficult to navigate. he¡¯d never considered himself to have either a good or a bad directional sense, but whoever had built this building clearly hadn¡¯t been a fan of straight paths.


    he finally reached an exit after several minutes of walking and more than a few mistaken turns that ended in dead ends. noah stepped through it and into the beautiful garden, letting out a relieved sigh.


    his nose twitched as a myriad of sugary, warm scents entered his nostrils. it was like a bakery that had been mashed with the essence of every fruit in the world and condensed down into a single smell.


    he ran his tongue along his lips.


    food. i want to eat something.


    he took a step toward the garden, then paused. food could wait. he was pretty sure his hour was going to run out fairly soon ¨C or had that already happened? noah pursed his lips, then shrugged. he was probably fine.


    noah started down the path, keeping close to the building¡¯s wall to avoid getting lost in the thick garden. especially from ground level, some parts of it were so thick that they might as well have been a forest.


    through no small amount of luck, the path he¡¯d chosen led straight up to a large stone circle in the ground. at its center was an obsidian pillar, bearing yet another map. it depicted an eagle¡¯s eye view of dozens of buildings, along with another small red gemstone just above a building marked t.


    his eyes darted around the map before landing on his target ¨C the g building. it was just two buildings behind him, opposite the garden. noah studied the path for a few more moments to make sure he wouldn¡¯t get lost, then set off.


    just around twenty minutes later, he found himself standing in front of a stout stone building. heavy vines wound around it like the embrace of a kraken and the wooden entry doors were worn and weathered by years of exposure to the elements. one of them hung slightly askew, and the other was heavily rotted. in the stone just above them protruded the letter g. the top half of the letter was chipped away, but he could just barely make out the pale area where it had once been.


    ¡°looks like they had just as big of a budget as i did,¡± noah grumbled, tugging on the door. it ground open, scraping across the ground. once it was large enough for him to fit through, he squeezed inside.this chapter was first shared on the n??v€l?1n platform.

 Chapter 6: A lesson

    chapter 6: a lesson


    building g was dark. the only light came through dirty windows that sporadically lined its walls. thick layers of dust sat on the windowsills. noah rubbed his nose with the back of a sleeve and headed down the hall.


    fortunately, the designer of this building didn¡¯t seem to have had a vendetta against the world. there was only a single path, and it wound in a square spiral, slowly winding toward the center.


    less fortunately, but somewhat predictably, the room numbering started at 1. by the time that noah had made it to the nineties, there was absolutely no light left to go by. he walked in the complete darkness, using the wall to guide him. whenever his fingertips brushed over wood rather than stone, he mentally counted up by one.


    there were spots where torches had once sat, but every single one of them was unlit. noah was contemplating turning back and trying to find a light source when his outstretched left hand hit stone.


    he felt around, blindly reaching for the wall. they brushed against brittle wood. he was at a dead end, directly across from a door.


    ¡°one hundred.¡± noah pushed on the door, and it creaked open. a tiny sliver of light descended from the ceiling in the center of the class, where a hole in the ceiling let the sun slip through.


    there was just enough light for him to make out the shadowed classroom. old wooden chairs littered the ground, most of them either damaged or completely unusable. a chalkboard hung from the end of the room behind a rotted podium, badly askew.


    several long desks sat in the center of the room, covered with a heavy layer of dust. noah ran a finger across one of the desks, then sighed. he made his way up to the podium, nearly tripping over discarded wood several times, and turned to face his empty classroom.


    ¡°something tells me my attendance isn¡¯t very high,¡± noah said to himself. he drummed his fingers on the podium, then ducked and searched around for chalk. beyond broken wood and metal, the ground was unhelpful. noah sighed. ¡°well, at least i¡¯ve got a room. i¡¯ve worked with worse before.¡±


    noah scooted a desk over to the thin streamer of light entering the room. he sat down and pulled his book out, flipping through the pages and trying to make sense of the scribbles.


    and so, he waited.


    and waited.


    a foot scuffed against stone. warm orange light spilled through the doorway a few seconds before a young woman walked into the room. her hair was the clearest shade of blue that noah had ever seen, and her eyes matched. a small ball of flame floated above her hand, lighting the way.


    she froze, locking eyes with him.


    ¡°what are you doing here?¡± she asked.


    ¡°i believe i am here to teach class,¡± noah replied, his eyes locked on the flickering orb of fire.


    the girl squinted at him. ¡°vermil?¡±


    ¡°no, i ¨C oh. yeah. that¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°who are you talking to, isabel?¡± a muscular blonde boy nudged her out of the way and stepped through the doorway. he froze as well, his eyes going wide as he spotted noah. ¡°whoa.¡±


    ¡°what?¡± noah demanded, looking down at his clothes. ¡°do i have dirt on my lapel or something?¡±


    ¡°i never seen him show up for class,¡± isabel muttered.


    you can¡¯t be serious. these are my students? i was expecting children! they¡¯re practically my age.


    ¡°technically, he didn¡¯t,¡± the boy said. ¡°class was supposed to start forty minutes ago.¡±


    noah paled. ¡°ah. better late than never, eh?¡±


    ¡°not really,¡± isabel said, crossing her arms in front of her chest. ¡°what¡¯s gotten into you? come on, todd. let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    they turned.


    ¡°sit down,¡± noah barked, calling on a voice that he¡¯d often had to fall back on whenever his classes got too rowdy back on earth. isabel and todd spun back toward him, their eyes going wide.


    ¡°what?¡± todd asked.


    ¡°i have your time for the next hour and twenty minutes,¡± noah said. ¡°sit. down. you¡¯re welcome to leave anyway, but then i¡¯ll be reporting your absence to the school.¡±


    they both paled and, glaring in his direction, they pulled out two of the dusty desks and sat down.


    good. i was hoping the school would probably have some sort of punishment for students skipping out class. these two aren¡¯t going anywhere until i figure out exactly how magic works.


    ¡°go on,¡± todd said, resting his chin in his palm. ¡°i¡¯ve never seen you so motivated before. what are you going to teach us about? that time you seduced a girl five years younger than you?¡±


    noah cleared his throat. ¡°no.¡±


    ¡°she was one of your students, wasn¡¯t she?¡± isabel asked with a smirk. ¡°that¡¯s bold, really. i can¡¯t believe the school didn¡¯t can you for that.¡±


    ¡°i,¡± noah said, raising his voice just enough to keep them from interrupting him again, ¡°will be talking about runes.¡±


    ¡°bold,¡± todd said. ¡°that¡¯s new.¡±


    noah paced over to the chalkboard and tapped his finger against it. he turned back to face his students. ¡°what is a rune?¡±


    both todd and isabel burst into laughter.


    ¡°you can¡¯t be serious,¡± isabel said, tearing up from how hard she was laughing.


    noah just cocked an eyebrow. he waited a few seconds to let them get it out of their systems, then tapped the board again. ¡°if it¡¯s so simple, then answer the question.¡±


    ¡°what, are we children now? a rune allows us to gather energy and use magic.¡±


    good to know.


    ¡°and you, isabel?¡±


    ¡°what do you want? todd already told you what it is.¡±


    ¡°i see.¡±


    ¡°he¡¯s lost it,¡± todd muttered.


    ¡°i see that neither of you have any idea what you¡¯re doing,¡± noah continued. he rapped hard on the chalkboard and it fell from its hinges, crashing to the ground behind him. both students flinched. noah did his best not to look surprised.


    he glanced over his shoulder, his eyes lighting up as he spotted a piece of chalk that had escaped his attention. noah grabbed the chalk and put the board back up. ¡°you have just given me the most worthless definition possible. i did not ask you what a rune does. i asked you what it is.¡±

 Chapter 7: Fun

    chapter 7: fun


    isabel opened her mouth, then closed it again. she exchanged a confused glance with todd.


    ¡°what do you mean?¡± isabel asked, a tiny amount of the defiance in her voice draining away.


    ¡°you know what a rune does,¡± noah said. ¡°i gather everyone can tell me the definition that you just gave. but what is a rune? we cannot truly utilize a tool until we understand exactly how it works.¡±


    take that. i might not know what the hell a rune actually is, but i sure as hell do know that nearly nobody actually understands how things work at their basic level.


    ¡°i... don¡¯t really know,¡± todd admitted reluctantly.


    ¡°neither do i,¡± isabel said. ¡°does that matter?¡±


    noah grinned. ¡°a good question, isabel. let¡¯s talk about magic as a whole for a moment. what can magic do?¡±


    ¡°anything,¡± isabel replied.


    noah cocked an eyebrow. ¡°anything? there isn¡¯t a single limit to it?¡±


    seriously?


    ¡°well, it can¡¯t bring back dead people,¡± todd said. ¡°at least, i¡¯ve always heard that.¡±


    ¡°fantastic,¡± noah said, nodding. ¡°so it cannot do anything. it has limits.¡±


    and it most certainly can bring back dead people.


    ¡°i guess,¡± isabel said. ¡°so what?¡±


    ¡°well, if something has a single limit, would you not think it has more?¡±


    ¡°even if it does, how does that matter?¡±


    ¡°because if you don¡¯t know what you can¡¯t do, then you don¡¯t truly know what you can do,¡± noah said. he tapped his chalk on the board to emphasize his point. ¡°and the beginning of understanding stems from knowing the most basic building blocks of what you are working with. so, answer your own question ¨C why does knowing what a rune is matter?¡±


    ¡°so we know what we¡¯re capable of,¡± todd said slowly. ¡°but nobody knows what runes really are. you can¡¯t be implying that you do.¡±


    good to know. runes are still subjects of research.


    ¡°anyone who says they know exactly how something works is either a liar or delusional. there is always something more to learn,¡± noah said. he flipped his book open and picked a page at random, sketching the rune from it onto the chalkboard.


    when he turned back to his students, they were both leaning forward in their chairs, their eyes as wide as saucers.


    ¡°i ¨C is that your rune?¡± isabel stammered. ¡°you just... drew it?¡±


    ¡°it is a rune,¡± noah allowed carefully, trying to figure out what exactly he had just done. ¡°and it was in my book.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re just letting us look at it? for free?¡± todd asked, his mouth hanging askew.


    ¡°the job of a teacher is to inform his students, is it not?¡±


    ¡°someone must have hit him on the head,¡± isabel whispered, but the room was so quiet that noah still heard her perfectly fine.


    ¡°no whispering in my class,¡± noah said instinctively. he had no idea how long it had been since he¡¯d last taught, but evidently some things had stuck around. ¡°and yes, i was hit on the head.¡±


    isabel jerked back to her seat. ¡°sorry.¡±


    there¡¯s a little respect. that¡¯s more like it.


    ¡°now,¡± noah said, tapping his rune. ¡°what is this?¡±


    ¡°a lesser one fire rune,¡± todd said, still staring at it in awe.


    runes have ranks too? noted.


    ¡°ah, i see. so i can cast magic with this right now?¡±


    ¡°of course you can¡¯t,¡± isabel said. ¡°you just sketched it. you didn¡¯t imbue it.¡±


    ¡°but you just told me it was a fire rune, and a rune is simply the ability to cast magic. if this cannot cast magic, then how is it a rune?¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re just nitpicking,¡± todd said, shaking his head. ¡°if you¡¯d imbued it into the board, then you¡¯d be binding it to yourself. that¡¯s casting magic.¡±


    ¡°so runes exist to imbue things.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s obviously not true. you can also cast magic through them,¡± todd said, but some of the confidence in his voice had drained away.


    ¡°ah. imbuing and casting magic are different, then.¡±


    ¡°well, yeah,¡± todd said.n??v€l--?1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.


    so i¡¯ve got five wind and two ash. the wind runes aren¡¯t very good, but the ash ones seem to be. i wonder if i can upgrade or change the wind runes. god, there¡¯s just so many things i need to find out. what if ¨C


    noah staggered as a wave of force slammed into his chest and constricted around his heart. primal fear welled up in his throat and his hands shot up to his throat as an invisible force tightened around it.


    in the air above him, black lines infused with faint purple light slithered across the sky. they formed into one final rune, hundreds of times larger than the other seven. the sheer force of its presence threatened to crush noah beneath its weight, but he gritted his teeth and refused to let himself fall.


    the rune finished drawing itself, and its meaning slipped into noah¡¯s mind as he instinctively translated it.


    sunder.


    a tremor ran down noah¡¯s spine, almost as if the rune was glad that he¡¯d recognized it. the overwhelming force pulled back, but the enormous rune remained in the air above him. more than anything else, it reminded him of the monster that had attacked the waters of life and renewal.


    i wonder if that¡¯s the reason i keep getting new bodies when i die.


    noah swallowed. he peeled his eyes away from the massive rune above him. a few tiny specks of light at the edges of the darkness around him caught his eye. noah mentally willed himself toward them.


    small portions of what he assumed to be his mind had chipped and broken away, revealing an empty white void. a faint buzzing noise filled noah¡¯s mind as he grew closer. he stopped, squinting at the strange scene. they filled him with a sense of wrongness, like something that should have been there was missing.


    as he watched, a single speck of darkness reappeared at the edge of one of the white chips, sealing over a miniscule portion of it. he let out a faint sigh. whatever the damage was, it was healing ¨C just very, very slowly.


    noah peeled his eyes away. he wasn¡¯t sure how much time had passed, and it would be awkward if he was zoned out through the rest of class. the darkness faded, and he opened his eyes to find himself standing in the classroom once again. his students both stared at him with rapt attention.


    ¡°ah, i¡¯m sorry. i got caught up,¡± noah said, gathering himself and straightening his lapel. ¡°how did your experiences go?¡±


    ¡°it just felt like looking at my runes,¡± isabel said, glancing at todd. he nodded.


    ¡°yeah. but you ¨C ah, never mind,¡± todd muttered.


    ¡°that¡¯s quite all right. please continue to ponder on your runes in your free time before next class,¡± noah said, slipping back into his teacher voice. ¡°now, one last question for today. while we¡¯re on the topic of runes, let¡¯s discuss why having good ones is so important. we can only have seven per level, yes?¡±


    both students nodded.


    ¡°so, what happens when we go up to the next rank?¡± noah asked, watching their expressions carefully to make sure he¡¯d read the situation correctly. when neither of them looked overly confused, he gave himself a mental pat on the back.


    ¡°you combine all seven of your runes into a single one,¡± todd said slowly, choosing each word with care. ¡°or you try to, i guess. if you succeed, you get to become the next rank and can start making runes of that rank from scratch. that¡¯s how you go from general runes like fire or wind to specialized ones.¡±


    ¡°but if the combination doesn¡¯t work, your runes can shatter,¡± isabel added. ¡°then you¡¯ll be permanently crippled until you can fix them, which can take years. it¡¯s why combinations that actually work are guarded so closely.¡±


    i see.


    ¡°so, let¡¯s summarize what we know,¡± noah said. ¡°runes are kind of like buckets. the energy we fill them with is like water. lesser runes are smaller buckets than great ones. when we get all seven buckets full, we can merge them into one better bucket. sound about right?¡±


    isabel and todd both nodded slowly.


    ¡°so,¡± noah asked. ¡°is that everything runes are?¡±


    both isabel and todd narrowed their eyes and didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°good,¡± noah said with a grin. he raised a finger. ¡°we don¡¯t need to answer that yet. we¡¯ve had a great discussion so far, and i don¡¯t want to overload anybody. let¡¯s call class here for today. when we reconvene, we¡¯ll resume our discussion.¡±


    todd and isabel both blinked. isabel squinted at noah like he¡¯d grown an ear from his forehead.


    ¡°okay,¡± she said, drawing the word out. ¡°just how hard did you get injured? you¡¯re nothing like what you were.¡±


    noah cleared his throat. ¡°that¡¯s hardly relevant. i think i quite like myself right now.¡±


    ¡°yeah, me too,¡± todd said under his breath. ¡°you almost seem respectable.¡±


    noah shot him a sharp glare, and todd just shrugged in response. todd and isabel rose from their desks and headed toward the door.


    ¡°oh, one last thing,¡± noah said before they left. they both turned back to him. ¡°when¡¯s our next class? i can¡¯t remember.¡±


    isabel let out a snort of laughter. ¡°are you sure you aren¡¯t a skinwalker that killed vermil and stole his body?¡±


    noah cleared his throat. ¡°i got checked by richard when i got back to campus. you can speak with him if you¡¯re worried.¡±


    ¡°as if a skinwalker would spend time teaching class. they can barely string a sentence together,¡± todd said, rolling his eyes.


    ¡°class is in 2 days, at the same time as today,¡± isabel said with a shake of her head. ¡°and i think i will be doing that.¡±


    ¡°right. thanks,¡± noah said. ¡°see you then. on time. don¡¯t be late. i won¡¯t be either.¡±


    she studied noah for a moment, then gave him a small nod. she and todd left the room. noah waited for several seconds, then leaned on the podium and ran a hand through his hair as he mentally reviewed everything he¡¯d learned.


    there¡¯s so much to consider. so many options. i need to know more.


    a grin stretched across noah¡¯s lips and he rubbed his hands together despite himself.


    oh man, i¡¯m excited. magic, huh? this is going to be fun.

 Chapter 8: Moxie

    chapter 8: moxie


    there were a lot of places that noah wanted to visit, but he elected to return to his room. before he started wandering around and exploring this new world, he was determined to get a better grasp of exactly what he could do.


    todd and isabel had said that people only got seven runes per level, but noah had eight. something told him that the massive sunder rune was most certainly not normal. drawing any attention to it would have been stupid, so he¡¯d have to find a different way to learn about it.


    once noah got back, he sat down on his bed and pulled out vermil¡¯s book, flipping through it until he found the ash rune again. like he¡¯d thought, it was a rank 1 greater rune. he found the wind runes next.


    ¡°why did vermil choose to make a bunch of crappy wind runes instead of good ones?¡± noah asked himself. ¡°it sounds like he came from a pretty good background, so shouldn¡¯t he have had access to whatever it is that people need to make better runes?¡±


    noah chewed his lower lip in thought. back when he¡¯d fought the monkeys, he¡¯d felt energized after killing them. he hadn¡¯t paid it much attention at the time, but the energy had felt similar to what had struck him when he¡¯d looked at the runes in his mind. that must have been what todd had meant about getting energy from killing monsters.


    he closed his eyes and reached into himself again, descending into the darkness of his mind. with a rush, runes sprung up all around him. their energy slammed into his psyche once more, but he was ready this time.


    noah pointedly avoided looking up at the enormous rune he knew was floating above him, instead studying the wind runes before him. as he focused on them, he realized that even though they were all the same rune, they felt slightly different.


    three of them shimmered with the exact same intensity of light, but the other two felt emptier. the light coming from them was a few shades lighter, and the pressure they emitted wasn¡¯t as strong.


    still, the three that felt full didn¡¯t show any signs of evolving or getting stronger. noah turned to the ash runes. now that he was looking for it, he could almost instantly tell that both of them were nearly empty.


    despite that, they felt dozens of times stronger than the filled wind ones. noah nodded and let his consciousness pull back, returning to the real world.


    ¡°okay,¡± he said to himself. ¡°killing monsters is one way to get more energy in my runes. lesser runes are easier to fill, but they¡¯re weaker. that means, if i want to get stronger, i need to get rid of all my lesser runes if possible. then i need to fill up my runes with energy and figure out how to combine them ¨C and also find out if wind and ash is actually a useful combination.¡±


    noah grinned. it was nice to have a goal beyond ¡®avoid getting killed¡¯. there was still far too much that he didn¡¯t know, but at least he could start to make out a path through the trees. he leaned back and his hand brushed against the gourd at his waist.


    the smile flickered and faded.


    ¡°shit,¡± noah muttered. ¡°i completely forgot someone tried to murder this dude by giving him a poisoned healing potion. that probably meant that they¡¯ll give it another run when they realized the potion didn¡¯t do its job.


    he sat, staring at the wall and pondering, for a total of five seconds. then he shrugged and hopped to his feet.


    ¡°i¡¯ll deal with that when it comes. i couldn¡¯t even begin to figure out how many enemies vermil had, so for now, the best strategy will just be to keep an eye on anyone trying to offer me snacks. until then... it¡¯s time for some science experiments.¡±


    noah extended his hand, picturing the ash rune in his mind. gray lines traced through the air above his palm, interweaving and twisting together to form a complicated pattern in the air before him.


    wind magic i get. you cut things up. maybe fly around. but what am i supposed to do with ash? blow dust at people? actually, for that matter, how does magic work at all? i get that runes give access to it, but can i literally do anything i want within its domain?


    noah stood and strode out of the room without a second glance. he headed through the halls of the t building and out into the evening air. the sun was well on its way to dipping below the horizon, but there was still more than enough light to see by.


    he made his way back to the map of arbitage¡¯s campus and searched through it. within a few minutes, his efforts were rewarded and he spotted the library. it was nearly at the center of the school¡¯s campus, several buildings away from where he currently was.


    ¡°no time to waste,¡± noah said to himself, setting off along the road toward it.


    tall, intricate buildings lined the road alongside him. many of them sported massive statues or detailed carvings along or emerging from their walls. students and teachers became more numerous on the streets, heading from building to building and clogging the roads up as they stopped to talk.


    noah plastered a confident, slightly irritated look on his face that he¡¯d learned from years of trying to push through hallways. he kept his gaze firmly fixed in the direction he was going and walked at a brisk stride.


    people stepped out of his way, clearing a path through the campus. even though noah knew it was ridiculous, every single time someone seemed to give him anything more than idle glance, the back of his neck prickled.


    despite his reservations, noah drew up to the library uncontested. the massive building blocked out the sun completely, standing easily six stories tall. it had an enormous, sloped roof supported by plain stone columns.


    a wide staircase led up to dozens of small doors lining its entrance. students and teachers alike poured in and out of the building. noah blended into the crowd, walking up the stairs and through the doors.


    the inside of the library smelled like paper and lilac. he¡¯d expected such a large building to be musty, but it was surprisingly refreshing. before him, rows upon rows of bookshelves stretched into the distance.


    on either side of the entrance were two long counters. what he presumed to be librarians sat behind the counter. many people headed past them and into the library proper, but a large number of students had gathered near the counters, making long lines for most of the librarians.


    there was a section at the very end of one of the counters where the lines were much shorter, and many of the librarians weren¡¯t helping anyone. several men and women in robes identical to noah¡¯s stood in the area. a sign hung from above it, identifying it as a teacher only zone.


    ah, teacher privileges. i wonder if we get free coffee here, or if administration wasted that budget on the football team and are making us pay for it. either way, no lines. perfect.


    ¡°hello,¡± noah said, walking up to a short, male librarian with a large bald spot and receding hairline in the teacher section. ¡°i¡¯m looking for some reference books.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯d be happy to help,¡± the librarian said with a professional smile. ¡°what kind of references?¡±


    ¡°something basic on runes,¡± noah said, watching the librarian¡¯s expression carefully to make sure nothing he said seemed ludicrous. ¡°intro level, specifically on combinations or modifying the runes someone has.¡±


    the librarian raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth to answer, but a sharp burst of laughter from behind them interrupted him. noah turned as a ginger haired woman roughly his age lowered her hand from her mouth, still grinning. three gold bars glistened on the left shoulder of her uniform.


    she had features that noah had never seen on earth. her skin was like smooth, waxy bark and her eyes had a crescent curve to them. she was beautiful, but in a haunting manner that immediately set noah¡¯s hair on end. a metal plate, matching the one vermil had carried, had the name magus moxie inscribed on it.


    and, judging by the cold twinkle in her eyes, noah got the feeling that she didn¡¯t like him at all.

 Chapter 9: Not for free

    chapter 9: not for free


    ¡°you can¡¯t be serious, vermil. the linwick family has fallen farther than i thought if this is what you¡¯re resorting to. do you really think arbitage is just going to give out rune combinations for free to a rank 1?¡±


    noah¡¯s eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms, registering distaste in the woman¡¯s voice instantly. whoever moxie was, she didn¡¯t like him.


    ¡°using linwick resources for something as unimportant as this would be a waste,¡± noah said, throwing on his best poker face. ¡°why would i need their time when i have all the references i need here?¡±


    moxie blinked, caught off guard for a moment. she recovered quickly, leaning against the counter and raising an eyebrow and smirking.


    ¡°that¡¯s a new take from you. still stupid, but i guess even you¡¯re not stupid enough to keep banging your head against wall for too long. i don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to have any luck finding useful combinations in the library when you¡¯re at your rank, but who knows. maybe you¡¯ll find a new way to blow girl¡¯s skirts up.¡±


    good god, i hate this dude. would it have been that difficult to be semi-decent? no wonder everyone hates me. what am i even supposed to say to that?


    ¡°an old hobby in poor taste,¡± noah said. ¡°i am seeking better pastimes.¡±


    for the second time, moxie blinked. she squinted at noah, then glanced at some of the other teachers in the area almost as if checking to make sure they¡¯d heard the same thing. she rolled her eyes and pushed away from the counter.


    ¡°nobody¡¯s stupid enough to buy that, baby linwick. you¡¯re a disgrace to your family.¡±


    she strode away. noah cleared his throat and shot a glance at the librarian. ¡°so... about those books?¡±


    ¡°right here, sir,¡± the librarian said, extending his hand. energy sparked between his fingertips and gathered into a small point before his palm. it expanded, forming into a spinning disk of green and yellow light. he reached into it, then pulled out two thin volumes and placed them on the desk before noah. ¡°i¡¯m afraid this is all you have access to at your current rank.¡±


    ¡°thank you,¡± noah said, picking the books up with an appreciative nod. he tucked them under his arm. ¡°how long do i have to return them?¡±


    ¡°you may keep them until someone requests for their return,¡± the librarian replied. ¡°those particular copies are not in high demand. i suspect you will be quite all right.¡±


    noah thanked him again and headed out of the library, doing his best to ignore the gazes piercing into his back from the other teachers.


    was that the person that tried to kill me? why do i have so many blasted enemies? and i seriously need to find some information about the linwicks.


    ***


    the trip back to his room went smoothly, and noah spent the next day hunched over the books. to his mild annoyance, moxie had been right. the information they had in them really was scarce.


    if he¡¯d been literally anyone else, noah suspected they would have been entirely useless. however, to him, the miniscule amounts of information within their pages was like water in a desert.


    even though the books were quite short, noah went through them several times each, just to make sure he hadn¡¯t missed anything important. by the time he finally peeled his eyes away and looked out the window, evening had fallen.


    soft, bluish purple light washed over the buildings outside and illuminated the plants in a ghostly glow. noah blinked several times, then rubbed his eyes and rocked back in his chair. he grabbed the paper he¡¯d been taking notes on and pulled it closer.


    his quill scratched against the paper as he modified them with what he¡¯d learned.


    runes both store and let you cast magic.people can have seven runes. once they¡¯re all filled with energy, you can try to combine them. the resulting combined rune has the strength of all the other ones, so combining crappy runes gets a crappy evolved one. failing to combine runes is bad. don¡¯t fail. ways to fail: impossible combination, insufficient strength, rodents (?), lack of willpower.once you combine your runes, you go to the next rank and can form runes of that rank without having to start over from the previous one. unknown as to how many total ranks there are.there are definitely variations in the runes. runes are ranked low and high quality. there are significant differences between ranks in basically every aspect.the actual combinations for runes that work are closely guarded. people will probably get angry at me if i go around asking them about them.you can voluntarily release runes, but you don¡¯t get all the energy you spent on them back.


    noah set his quill down and studied the fruits of his labor. it wasn¡¯t really that much of an improvement on what he¡¯d known already, but it was still vital. at least he knew he could get rid of the low level wind runes and replace them with something stronger.


    okay. the to-do list grows ever longer. in the short term, i need to focus on just getting strong enough to keep myself alive and figuring out who the hell the linwicks are. i don¡¯t think i¡¯m going to have as much trouble with the class as i feared, but the other professors are an entirely different issue.


    ¡°i don¡¯t suppose you could explain what happened here?¡± noah asked, ignoring her question. ¡°who is this?¡±


    moxie stared at noah like he was an idiot. ¡°are you an idiot?¡±


    ¡°just hypothetically, let¡¯s assume that i am. just for the time being, mind you.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s a skinwalker,¡± moxie said, like that was the most logical answer in the world. she saw the blank stare on noah¡¯s face and rolled her eyes. ¡°you didn¡¯t read the warning that got sent out, did you?¡±


    noah glanced at the pile of papers in the corner of the room. now that moxie mentioned it, he did vaguely recall seeing something about that, but when it was mixed in with all the other garbage that vermil had stored, it was pretty difficult to realize what was actually relevant.


    ¡°ah. right.¡±


    ¡°how did you know to kill it if you didn¡¯t even realize this was a skinwalker?¡± moxie demanded.


    ¡°well, it kind of slipped and killed itself,¡± noah said, stepping back so moxie could see the pile of strewn papers on the ground. she blinked heavily, then rubbed her forehead.


    ¡°ah. you¡¯re lucky the stupid thing was already terrified.¡±


    ¡°i suppose i am,¡± noah said. he rose to his feet, then looked back at his door. a small frown crossed his lips. a key jutted out of it. he pulled it out and held it up. ¡°how¡¯d a skinwalker get this?¡±


    moxie looked to the side and her cheeks flashed with embarrassment. ¡°it might have gotten a slight jump on me.¡±


    noah¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°it tricked you and got inside your room, didn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°i had it under control! it was a very convincing skinwalker, but i figured out what was going on,¡± moxie snapped, grabbing the key from noah¡¯s hand.


    ¡°it nearly killed me.¡±


    ¡°it was already wounded. if a crippled skinwalker killed you, you¡¯d have deserved it,¡± moxie said sharply. she nudged the corpse with a foot, then pointed a finger at it. a beam of purple light leapt forth, swallowing the body.


    it vanished along with the blood, leaving the floor completely bare. noah tried not to look too impressed with the display of magic, but he was pretty sure a flicker of surprise crossed his face before he could stop it.


    ¡°if it was a skinwalker, doesn¡¯t that mean it stole someone¡¯s body?¡± noah asked.


    moxie looked at him out of the corner of her eye. ¡°yes. it wasn¡¯t someone that had any powerful runes, though. probably a maid.¡±


    noah¡¯s face fell. ¡°was there any way she could have lived?¡±


    ¡°no. she was already dead,¡± moxie said flatly. ¡°how do you not know this? skinwalkers can only take over the bodies of people who have died. do you even recall a single thing you learned in school?¡±


    noah didn¡¯t respond. they stood in silence for a moment. moxie cleared her throat.


    ¡°maybe we could keep this between us,¡± moxie suggested, glancing over her shoulder at the empty hall behind them.


    noah tilted his head to the side. then a tiny grin flickered across his lips.


    ¡°not for free.¡±

 Chapter 10: Questions and answers

    chapter 10: questions and answers


    moxie pressed her lips together and furrowed her brows in a scowl. ¡°you¡¯re disgusting.¡±


    ¡°what? i just want to ask some questions about runes. i¡¯m the one that killed the skinwalker, anyway. isn¡¯t there a reward or something for doing that? you¡¯re going to make me give it up.¡±


    moxie fell silent for a moment. ¡°what kind of questions?¡±


    ¡°not sure, haven¡¯t figured them out yet. i might have gotten hit on the head pretty hard a bit ago, and there are some gaps in my memory.¡±


    moxie¡¯s eyes narrowed even further. ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°hey, i¡¯m the one that gets to ask questions, not you. how about ten minutes of your time tomorrow? you come to my room and answer any question i ask, and i¡¯ll pretend the skinwalker thing never happened.¡±


    ¡°absolutely not. i¡¯m not just going to give you all my knowledge of rune combinations.¡±


    noah rolled his eyes. ¡°fine. nothing will be specifically about your runes.¡±


    ¡°what? what¡¯s the point of it, then?¡±


    ¡°none of your concern. deal or no?¡±


    moxie pursed her lips. ¡°deal.¡±n??v€l--?1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.


    ¡°lovely. see you tomorrow.¡± noah stepped back inside his room and closed the door with a thud. he twisted the lock shut and pressed a hand to his chest, trying to still his thundering heart.


    holy shit. why are there bloody skinwalkers running around the school? shouldn¡¯t it be safe here? what¡¯s going on?


    noah heard moxie¡¯s footsteps leaving the hall. he waited for a few more seconds before pushing away from the door. he stared at the handle.


    do all other teachers have keys to people¡¯s doors? i need an extra lock. it didn¡¯t look like moxie recognized the gourd when we first met, so i don¡¯t think she¡¯s the one that tried to kill me, but she could always be a good actor.


    noah unhooked his gourd and walked into the bathroom. he knelt, opening a large cabinet below the sink, and slipped it inside. the cabinet would be just big enough for him to fit into if he curled up. that was better than just coming back to life in the middle of the room if someone stabbed him in his sleep.


    he trudged back to his bed and flopped into it. the night was already well underway, but he was determined to get at least a little sleep on a comfy surface before something else interrupted him.


    within seconds, he was snoring.


    ***


    noah awoke to the sound of knocking. he blinked wearily, rolling over to bury his face in the soft pillow of his bed. awareness followed a moment later and he pushed himself out of bed with a curse, grabbing the same coat he¡¯d worn the previous day and throwing it over his shoulders as he stumbled over to the door, wiping his eyes.


    as he extended a hand for the handle, noah paused. his eyes narrowed and he knelt, squinting through the crack at the bottom of the door. the shoes on the other side were ¨C well, women¡¯s shoes.


    i¡¯m not sure what i was expecting to find, actually. maybe skinwalkers all really enjoy a particular type of sandal.


    ¡°who is it?¡± noah called, standing back up.


    ¡°who do you think it is, imbecile?¡±


    ¡°ah. hello, moxie,¡± noah said, opening the door. he sent a pointed glance at the pile of papers at its base. ¡°avoid my expertly set up traps on the way in, if you would.¡±


    moxie gave him a flat stare as she entered the room. ¡°you have ten minutes to ask questions. after that, there¡¯s no debt between us.¡±


    ¡°fantastic,¡± noah said. he pushed the door shut behind moxie and grabbed the chair from his desk, spinning it around and sitting to face the other teacher. he made no move to offer her a seat ¨C he got the feeling the motion would only offend moxie.


    ¡°well?¡± moxie asked. ¡°your time has started.¡±


    ¡°question one: why are there monsters in the school? shouldn¡¯t it be safe here?¡±


    moxie squinted at noah, as if trying to tell if he were joking or not. when it became clear that he wasn¡¯t making fun of her, she shook her head. ¡°it¡¯s safer here, not safe. the skinwalkers are a new issue, but it¡¯s not that uncommon for monsters to make their way on to campus grounds. they want our runes just as much as we want theirs.¡±


    ¡°you mean the energy we get from killing them.¡±


    moxie rolled her eyes. ¡°yes. the power stored within runes goes both ways. it wouldn¡¯t really make sense otherwise, would it?¡±


    a small line stood in line at the base of the cannon when noah arrived. one by one, a worker directed them up the stairwell. noah fell in line behind the others. the line moved quickly, and he was at the front within a few minutes.


    ¡°head on up,¡± the worker said, pushing a strand of black hair out of her face and yawning with boredom. ¡°the operator is ready for you.¡±


    ¡°thanks,¡± noah said, starting up the stairwell. he slowed slightly as he ascended, getting his second view of the campus from above ¨C and his first view of it when he wasn¡¯t half dead. arbitage was beautiful.


    massive trees, dozens of times thicker than anything he¡¯d ever seen on earth, reached into the sky and dotted the campus. their huge branches stretched over and through buildings, casting shade with multicolored leaves.


    winding paths ran throughout the campus, almost in an artistic pattern. as noah stared at it, he realized the paths strongly resembled the flowing lines of runes.


    ¡°keep it moving, please!¡± the worker called up at him from below.


    noah cleared his throat and tore his gaze away, hurrying up the rest of the stairs. he entered the lift, which was really just a metal grate cube, and the chains suspending it rattled to life.


    it clunked up, quickly accelerating in speed, before finally rattling to a stop within the top of the tower. there was a large hole in the wall where the turret of the cannon connected to the room, and noah could see the sky through it in the distance. papers and maps hung from every wall, and a flickering lantern hanging from the ceiling illuminated a wizened man sat behind a wooden desk and hunched over a book the thickness of noah¡¯s forearm.


    noah stepped out of the lift and it rattled down behind him. a trapdoor fell shut on the section of the floor it had come through with a loud bang, jerking the old man away from his book.


    ¡°ah, professor,¡± he said, brushing out his white beard to reveal a nametag that read tim. ¡°where can i send you today?¡±


    it only took one look at the man and the surroundings to tell that the man probably loved his job. the corner of noah¡¯s lips quirked slightly.


    perfect.


    ¡°it¡¯s been a while since i¡¯ve used anything like this,¡± noah said conversationally. ¡°how exactly does it work? i¡¯m fascinated.¡±


    as he¡¯d guessed, tim¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°ah, you must be new to arbitage. this is the travel anywhere in no time tower. it¡¯s the fastest way to get yourself transported to anywhere in the area surrounding arbitage.¡±


    ¡°i see,¡± noah said, glancing at the turret barrel. ¡°forgive my asking, but is it safe?¡±


    ¡°far safer than any other option,¡± tim said, jutting his chest out and thrusting a thumb into it. ¡°i¡¯ve traveled with it hundreds of times, and haven¡¯t had a single issue once. don¡¯t know anyone that has, actually. really, it¡¯s marked on the map as a cannon, but it¡¯s much more of a slingshot.¡±


    ¡°oh?¡± noah asked. ¡°how so?¡±


    tim stepped out from behind the desk and walked over to the entrance of the turret, patting the wall bedside it like one would a pet. ¡°this baby marks down your signature before it blasts your body into the astral plane and sends you to wherever you¡¯re going. then, after exactly twenty four hours have passed, it yanks you back. no chance of getting lost or anything.¡±


    ¡°that... sounds very safe,¡± noah lied. ¡°but only twenty four hours?¡±


    tim nodded. ¡°yeah, it¡¯s a bit of a drawback for if you¡¯re trying to do anything long term. i wouldn¡¯t recommend it for excursions or long hunts, but it¡¯s great if you¡¯re just checking an area out for a class or simply looking for one specific thing. much faster than flying out and back.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s a fair point.¡±


    ¡°as much as i¡¯d love to talk, we do have a bit of a line below,¡± tim said. ¡°where are you headed?¡±


    noah scanned the maps on the walls, coming to a stop on a section of burnt looking trees several blocks away from arbitage. he swallowed. nothing was going to get accomplished sitting around, though.


    he pointed at the map. ¡°could you send me here?¡±


    ¡°the scorched acres? sure thing,¡± tim replied. he raised a hand and energy poured from his palm and into the tower. the turret rumbled, then rotated to point several degrees lower and a bit to the right. ¡°just slide yourself into the tube and i¡¯ll get you going.¡±


    ¡°anything else i should know?¡± noah asked, approaching the turret and examining it suspiciously.


    ¡°nope. get in there! you¡¯ll love it.¡±


    noah wasn¡¯t quite so sure, but he needed to do something. if he just sat around reading books and trying to figure out everything that was going on, he¡¯d be locked up for years ¨C and he was getting the feeling that he didn¡¯t have that much time to lose. noah climbed into the turret and laid flat on his back against the cold metal.


    ¡°what now?¡±


    ¡°you squeeze,¡± tim said with a wry chuckle.


    there was loud whirr.


    the world exploded.

 Chapter 11: Travel Anywhere In No Time

    chapter 11: travel anywhere in no time


    everything around noah vanished as heavy blue tones enveloped him and the tower fell away from him, leaving him floating in space. every part of his body felt like it was getting pulled in a different direction.


    he gritted his teeth, instinctively trying to retract every part of himself. surprisingly, it seemed to work. the feeling faded, leaving only churning blue energy flying around him. for a moment, it almost resembled what happened when noah died.


    then the blue light vanished. dry dirt pressed against noah¡¯s cheek. the ends of his fingers and toes tingled, but the feeling quickly faded away. he opened his eyes and rolled to his feet.


    scorched trees poked up all around him. a wave of panic rose in noah¡¯s chest, but he crushed it and pushed himself upright, grimacing at the cracking twigs beneath his feet.


    i¡¯ve got nothing to fear. pain is temporary, and the cannon thing will bring me back by tomorrow. that means i¡¯ve got twenty four hours to practice whatever i want to, without having to worry about someone showing up.


    noah turned in a circle to get his bearings, ready to throw himself to the side at the first sign of a monkey. all that greeted him were rows on rows of blackened, spindly trees. an involuntary shudder ran down his spine at the sight of them again.


    he gritted his teeth and pushed the feeling away. death held no power over him anymore. even if his magical connection to the gourd wasn¡¯t actually permanent, he¡¯d seen the afterlife. presuming that renewal wasn¡¯t the only goddess of reincarnation, there was always another chance.


    no, it wasn¡¯t death that scared noah. it was inactivity. the mere idea of sitting around in line for hundreds or thousands of years again filled him with such distaste that he couldn¡¯t put it into words.


    i¡¯m not going back there. renewal was at least evenly matched against whatever that monster was. if i can get that strong, i¡¯ll never have to worry about having to wait around forever again ¨C and that starts with fixing this godawful foundation that vermil slapped together.


    noah hopped up, grabbing a low hanging branch of a tree and pulling himself up with an undignified grunt and more than a little difficulty. he bounced a few times to make sure the branch would hold his weight, then leaned back against the trunk and turned his attention inward toward his mind and the runes waiting for him within it.


    a pool of black bloomed before his vision, swallowing him and taking his senses away from the faint breeze and the smell of ash in the forest. seven glowing runes shimmered to life around noah, floating in the expanse of darkness like torchlights.


    pressure bore down on him, vibrating and warping the air like heatwaves around him. instinctively, noah knew that the force should have crushed him, but instead it caused nothing more than mild discomfort.


    noah focused on the least filled of his five wind runes. there was no doubt in noah¡¯s mind that he had to replace it ¨C but with what, he wasn¡¯t certain. vermil¡¯s book had had quite a few runes in it, and many of them were greater.


    that made his decision to use five weak runes rather than some of the better ones even more peculiar. noah would have loved to ask vermil what he¡¯d been thinking, but that wasn¡¯t a possibility. aside from the vague memories that had been popping to the surface and helping him read, there didn¡¯t seem to be much of vermil left.


    and, judging by what everyone thought of him, noah got the feeling that might not have been a very bad thing. he extended his palm and the weakest of the wind runes floated through the air.


    static energy danced across noah¡¯s palm and tickled his fingertips as his hand came in contact with it. the rune pulsed with a strange heartbeat that sent its magic rushing through noah¡¯s body and back into it.


    he drew in a slow breath and let it out, focusing on the connection between the palm of his hand and the rune. the book he¡¯d taken from the library had been far from exhaustive, but even it had had enough information for this.


    ¡°sound is basically just vibrating particles, and it¡¯s invisible to the naked eye. you can also do some pretty significant damage by vibrating things at really high rates,¡± noah mused. ¡°either vermil was an idiot that dismissed this too early, or they don¡¯t know how sound waves work here. if i combine vibration with better wind runes, i could probably make sound. i¡¯m not sure where the ash runes fit in, but they¡¯re my strongest ones at the moment, so i should keep them around until everything else is completely full.¡±


    he chuckled to himself. vermil unfortunately didn¡¯t have any greater wind runes in his book, but noah didn¡¯t mind. he was certain he could either figure out how to make one or trade one of the other runes vermil had discovered for it. for now, the vibration runes were the way to go.


    vibration will be the primary part of how my magic works, so i think i should try to get three of those. then i can upgrade two wind runes and keep the two ash ones. that seems like a reasonable guess ¨C or at least a starting point.


    he studied the rune on the book, then set it down and sank back into his mind space. the stark lack of his seventh rune greeted him, an empty, unlit void waiting direction. noah pictured the vibration rune from the book, pressing his lips together as he struggled to recall every single detail of the complex drawing.


    nothing happened.


    noah pursed his lips. he opened his eyes, then looked down at the book again. he picked it up, running a finger down the rune. a faint tingle met his skin.


    ah. there¡¯s magic in the actual rune itself. let¡¯s try this again.


    he closed his eyes once more and repeated the process. this time, glowing white lines traced through the darkness, slowly winding around each other and forming into the image that he¡¯d envisioned. noah waited until the lines stopped moving, then let his concentration drop.


    the rune melted away and disintegrated within moments. noah ground his teeth and hopped back into the real world, scanning over the book again before returning to his mental space and giving it a second shot.


    that attempt went largely the same. noah gave it several more tries, returning to his spot in the tree to double check the rune in the book. it was one thing to look at it, but perfectly recreating the rune was surprisingly difficult.


    noah wasn¡¯t sure what try he was on when something finally changed. the shimmering lights were sharper this time ¨C more defined and confident. as he released his direction over the magic, the rune thrummed.


    energy prickled along noah¡¯s skin, racing along his entire body. he shuddered in distaste as it zipped around his eyeballs and through his skull. it coursed down his spine and he gagged, but the sensation had already faded.


    noah scrunched his nose in distaste. his annoyance was quickly replaced with a smug smile. floating in the air before him was the vibration rune. it was completely useless and empty at the moment, but he¡¯d done it.


    he¡¯d made a rune.


    the dark expanse fell away and noah opened his eyes to the scorched forest, laughing. he held his hand out, picturing the rune. it appeared above his palm, so dull that he could barely see it in the daylight. noah let the rune fade away and tucked his book back into its holster.


    ¡°only thing to do now is get some energy and figure out just what i can do.¡± noah swung his leg over the branch and dropped to the ground. dry wood cracked beneath the balls of his feet and he straightened up, brushing his clothes off.


    now, to find some monkeys. it¡¯s time to get a little revenge.

 Chapter 12: Quid Pro Pro

    chapter 12: quid pro pro


    finding monkeys proved fairly easy. that didn¡¯t come as much of a surprise, as noah had practically been drowning in the mangy monsters when he¡¯d first been shunted into vermil¡¯s body.


    after just a few minutes of creeping through the trees, he spotted a red-furred monkey hunched over the blood splattered carcass of another monkey, savagely tearing into it and ripping large chunks of flesh free.


    it shoveled them into its mouth, letting out an incredibly uncomfortable combination of moans and grunts as it fed. noah didn¡¯t even bother to hide his disgust. he stopped in his tracks, keeping a few trees between him and the distracted monster, and channeled one of his wind runes.


    an arc of energy swirled between his fingertips and leapt out, scything past trees and connecting cleanly with the back of the monkey¡¯s neck.


    the monster pitched forward and fell prone on top of its meal, the stump of its neck pumping blood out onto the ground. a rush of energy slithered through noah¡¯s veins and up his spine.


    noah immediately brought forth his vibration rune. it flickered, indistinguishable from what it had looked like before. if killing the monkey had done anything to make it grow in strength, he couldn¡¯t see the results.


    ¡°lovely. i sure hope these things aren¡¯t endangered, because i think i¡¯m going to be killing quite a few of them.¡± noah closed his palm.


    no matter how many he had to kill, at least it was better than sitting around and doing nothing. that was one thing he¡¯d never do again. better to try and fail than to be stuck wasting even more time.


    he knelt by the dead monkey and used one of its hands to saw at a claw. a few minutes later, he ripped it free with a grunt. noah wiped the blood off on the monster¡¯s thick hair and hefted his makeshift dagger, nodding to himself.


    it was time to hunt.


    five more monkeys met similar fates and fell to noah¡¯s wind runes. he was tempted to test out ash, but wind felt like a much better tool for his current opponents.


    if it ain¡¯t broke, don¡¯t fix it.


    hours ticked by as he stalked the denizens of the forest, and the sun trekked through the sky, making for the horizon. noah¡¯s streak of good luck finally came to an end as he reached a small clearing in the burnt trees shortly after midday.


    something had ripped the trees in the area apart and thrown them all to one side, leaving jagged stumps protruding from the ground everywhere. four small monkeys sat in a semicircle around a huge one that noah recognized all to well from its enormous claws and butt-ugly face.


    a slasher. the same monster that had killed him several times shortly after his arrival. a mixture of fear and anger mixed in his chest and noah instinctively ducked behind a tree, pressing his side to the brittle bark.


    he waited a moment before peeking out again. the monsters didn¡¯t seem to have noticed him. the slasher just stood before its smaller fellows, grunting unintelligibly and occasionally waving its hands around.


    are they intelligent? that¡¯s an unsettling thought. might take a moment to get over that.


    okay, i¡¯m over it. bastards went for me first. enjoy waiting in line, assholes.


    noah flexed his fingers. he unhooked the gourd from his waist and padded back in the way he¡¯d come for a minute, hiding the gourd at the base of a large tree before returning to the clearing.


    numbness crept along his body. he tried to stand, but his legs wouldn¡¯t work properly. he slipped in the growing pool of his and the monster¡¯s blood on the scorched ground and fell back with a groan.


    with a feeble, shaking hand, noah grabbed his makeshift dagger. he dragged himself back across the ground with it, pushing himself against a tree to prop himself up. every breath came shallower than the last, but noah kept his dagger raised before him.


    ¡°one more,¡± noah wheezed. ¡°come on.¡±


    seconds ticked by and noah¡¯s hand dipped. the world grew darker and his vision narrowed to a pinpoint. strength left noah¡¯s limbs. his last action was to toss his dagger as hard as he could ¨C which, at this point, was just half a dozen feet away from him.


    a tiny flicker of motion in the edge of his fading eyes was the last thing he saw before he slipped off.


    noah¡¯s soul peeled away from the body, lifting into the air. he stared down at the bloodied corpse beneath him and scrunched his nose. the final monkey was behind a tree, staring warily at his body.


    ¡°well, not a bad run by any means. a definite improvement over the previous one. and ¨C oh, goddamn it. please stop that. don¡¯t eat my face, that¡¯s disgusting.¡±


    the monkey couldn¡¯t hear him. and, even if it could, noah suspected that his request would have fallen on deaf ears.


    greyish black energy wound around his neck. noah didn¡¯t even blink as it yanked him away.


    an instant later, he sat up with a ragged gasp. his head pounded with a violent headache, and the gourd rested on the ground beside him. noah pushed himself upright using the trunk of the tree, leaving his gourd on the ground.


    he instinctively tried to call on his magic, but it was for naught. the runes were completely inaccessible for him, and judging by previous experience, they¡¯d remain that way for several hours.


    noah massaged his temple and trudged into the forest in the direction of his corpse. even if he didn¡¯t have magic, he needed to get his clothes back or he¡¯d be returning to arbitage with everything on display.


    he repressed a pained chuckle.


    that¡¯s one way to get fired.


    several minutes later, noah stopped walking. loud crunches came from where he¡¯d died, and he didn¡¯t need to use much imagination to know what they were. noah crept forward, watching the ground to make sure he didn¡¯t step on anything too loud.


    luckily, the monkey seemed distracted with what it likely assumed to be the prize of its patience. it was hunched over his body, letting out faint hoots as it ripped him apart. noah¡¯s dagger rested on the ground where he¡¯d thrown it.


    moving as quietly as he could, noah walked up to the dagger. he scooped it off the ground and the monkey paused, looking up from its meal as its ears finally picked up on the noise.


    it was too late. noah plunged the blade into its ear, twisting it savagely before ripping it out and slamming it into the base of the monster¡¯s skull. the sharp claw bit through the dense hair and the flesh beneath it.


    the monkey slumped, dead before it even got a glance at him. noah shoved it to the side and grabbed his clothes from his corpse, doing his best not to look at his now mangled face. he ignored the blood soaking into his shirt and pants as he pulled them on and turned, heading away without a second glance.


    he collected his gourd, still fighting the violent headache pounding in his skull, and climbed into a tree to wait for his magic to return. despite the pain rippling through his body and the fog in his mind, noah¡¯s heart thumped with excitement. he was starting to really enjoy this.

 Chapter 13: Sunder

    chapter 13: sunder


    the rest of the day and night passed, surprisingly without incident. noah remained seated in his tree, watching the moon trek through the sky. monkeys hollered in the distance, their cries echoing through the barren forest and distorting with the wind.


    none of them found him. noah wasn¡¯t sure if it was because they were intentionally avoiding his location after the slaughter, or if he¡¯d just gotten lucky. either way, the sun rose all the same the following morning.


    the fog in his head had only just started to show signs of abating when an electric current danced across his skin, running down his spine and spreading throughout his body. before noah could even start to wonder what was causing the sensation, a sudden force jerked at the nape of his neck.


    the world blurred and took on a vibrant shade of blue as he was shunted backward and sent hurtling through space. noah instinctively tried to let out a startled gasp, but he couldn¡¯t even do that. his entire body rebelled against him, and all he could do was sit and watch as the blue currents swirled past him.


    with a violent thud, noah slammed down inside a metal tube, sliding to the floor and landing with a grunt. he staggered as his feet hit cold ground and he braced himself against the wall, drawing in a deep breath. tim raised a hand in greeting, but his smile fell away as he saw the state of noah¡¯s blood-covered clothing.


    ¡°by the gods, man,¡± tim exclaimed. ¡°are you alright?¡±


    noah grimaced and pushed off the wall, shaking his head. the fog in his head still hadn¡¯t completely left, and his mouth felt gummy as he spoke. ¡°i¡¯m uninjured.¡±


    tim¡¯s expression relaxed, but his eyes remained incredulous. he shook his head in disbelief. ¡°looks like you went through quite a few healing potions with all the wounds you¡¯re sporting.¡±


    noah grunted. ¡°yeah, something like that. sorry. forgot i was going to get yanked back this quickly.¡±


    tim waved his hand dismissively and gestured to the elevator in the center of the room. ¡°happens to all of us. it¡¯s a bit sudden, and i don¡¯t recall you coming by much before. once you use the system a few more times, you should get used to it.¡±


    ¡°good to know.¡± noah stepped onto the small lift in the center of the room and tim shut the grate behind him.


    ¡°you might want to rest for a little while,¡± tim said. ¡°you look like shit.¡±


    noah gave the man a small grin. ¡°thanks.¡±


    ¡°anytime.¡±


    tim stepped back and the lift rattled down, chains lowering it into the open air. the metal trapdoor shut above noah with a crash and he winced as the sound pierced his ears. it probably wasn¡¯t all that loud, but with his head throbbing after his death, it was like a gunshot set off right beside his head.


    the lift lowered noah down to the stairwell and he stepped off, keeping his eyes low as he strode past the small line waiting to use the travel system and headed for his room. by the time he reached it, his head was almost back to the point where he could think properly.


    noah tried calling on his runes again to no avail. he sighed and stripped out of his ruined clothes, taking a shower and swapping into a new set of clothes before sitting down on his bed. even though getting killed had technically cleaned off all the dirt he¡¯d picked up fighting, his ruined clothes were filthy enough to warrant getting cleaned again.


    next time, i¡¯m bringing a spare set. i wonder how much they cost, because i get the feeling i¡¯m going to be running through the rest of my wardrobe pretty quickly.


    noah propped his pillow against the wall and leaned back on it, crossing his arms behind his head. his skull throbbed and he grimaced, massaging his temple. he¡¯d yet to measure the exact amount of time it took him to recover from a death, but the pain was already starting to abate, so he suspected it wouldn¡¯t be much longer. he closed his eyes and let himself relax, waiting until his magic returned.


    ***


    just a little over an hour later, the last of the fog lifted away. noah felt the headache abate and opened his eyes again. he covered a yawn and sat upright, immediately sending for his runes. this time, nothing stood in his way and he slipped into his mental space without issue.


    seven runes shimmered to life in the darkness, floating patiently in a circle around him. noah immediately looked to the new vibration rune. it sat where one of his old wind runes had been, shimmering with faint gray energy.


    noah took a step toward it and a faint resistance pushed back on him, as if he were striding into a soft wind. a grin stretched across his face. his efforts the previous day hadn¡¯t been wasted. the other runes had all grown slightly stronger as well. it wasn¡¯t a massive difference, but it was noticeable.


    noah suppressed a maniacal laugh. if moxie knew about this, she¡¯d rip her hair out. what need did he have for his stuffy fake family¡¯s rune combinations when he could research them indefinitely on his own?


    he had to test this. noah extended a tendril of thought toward the sunder rune. a brilliant blast of energy slammed into him, throwing him from his mental space and knocking him to the ground.


    every single part of his body trembled like he¡¯d taken a dip into an electrical current. he tried to move, but it felt like every single one of his nerves had fried. for the second time, all noah could do was lay there and stare. the ceiling swirled above him as his eyes unfocused. time ticked by. if noah hadn¡¯t been so used to sitting around and doing nothing from his stay in the afterlife, it would have been infuriating.


    it was nearly an hour before any sensation returned to him. noah¡¯s toes wiggled, followed by his fingers and the rest of his body. he slowly sat up, rubbing the back of his head with a grimace. at least he didn¡¯t have a headache this time.


    okay, got it. no fiddling with the master rune yet. there¡¯s way too much power in it. i need to be way stronger to even try to handle it. still, when it comes time to combine my runes ¨C this is incredible. if i understood moxie right, i need to keep this power completely secret. combinations are the key to forming a unique form of magic, and i can test them as many times as i want.


    but, for now, even if i can¡¯t mess with sunder...


    noah summoned the vibration rune to his palm and studied it. the wind rune had been easy enough to use, but the ash rune still stubbornly refused to do just about anything.


    he chewed his lower lip in thought, then touched a finger to his pillow. a faint tremble ran through it. noah raised an eyebrow and drew on more of the rune¡¯s power. the pillow flopped around as if someone were throttling it.


    a few seconds later, the energy stored within the rune dried up. it vanished and the pillow ceased its motion, falling back to his bed and lying still.


    ¡°not the most intimidating thing i¡¯ve ever done, but at least it works,¡± noah mused. ¡°and i think i¡¯ve had enough excitement for today anyway. so if the wind and vibration runes both work perfectly, then i¡¯ve got to be using the ash rune wrong somehow.¡±


    noah called on the ash energy and felt it rise up in response. he tried picturing a small cloud of ash rising up from his hand, but it once again stubbornly refused to respond. noah pursed his lips and glanced around the room.


    his eyes landed on a half-melted candle at the edge of his desk. he strode over to it, grabbing a firestarter beside it and lighting the candle. noah took a paper from the pile of trash that vermil had left behind and, after reading it to make sure it wasn¡¯t important, set the paper over the flame.


    the fire quickly took hold, burning a small hole and blackening the paper around it. the flame continued to spread and the hole expanded, its edges glowing cherry red as more of the paper was consumed. noah let a little over a quarter of it burn away before he smothered the smoldering paper out with his palm.


    the flame stung for a moment and gave in, fading away and leaving him with the brittle results of his experiment. noah shook his hand off and crushed the edge of the paper, letting the soot crumble into a small pile on his desk.


    straightening his back, noah pushed the candle out of the way and called on his ash rune. he turned his attention to the pile on his desk. the ash shifted, swirling up into the air and forming into a swirling sphere.


    a grin stretched across noah¡¯s face and he splayed his fingers out. the ash twisted between them like a snake, slithering down his palm and forming into a small bird. it fluttered around noah¡¯s head, then nosedived into the desk and exploded into a small puff of smokey ash.


    ¡°aha,¡± noah said, unable to hide his pleasure as he rubbed his hands together. he directed the ash back into a small pile, then organized it into several lines. it responded to his thoughts without delay, forming the exact image he pictured in his head. ¡°so that¡¯s how it works. i can¡¯t create ash, but i can control it.¡±


    noah flicked his fingers and the ash leapt from his desk, forming into a crescent moon and shooting into the candle. it pattered against the wax, failing to cut through it. noah pulled the ash back into a pile and pursed his lips.


    ¡°so it¡¯s still just ash, even when i¡¯m controlling it,¡± noah mused. ¡°why doesn¡¯t it cut like the wind did?¡±


    he put the ash through a few more tests, but as far as he could tell, it was just ash. noah sat in thought for a few moments, trying to figure out why his wind rune was able to cut and do real damage while what should have been a more powerful ash rune almost felt lackluster. the answer struck him a few moments later and he grimaced at the realization.


    it¡¯s the amount of energy stored in them. that¡¯s why vermil kept a bunch of weak wind runes around instead of using all the more powerful ones he had in his book. it was easier to just use the weak wind runes than building up to really using the powerful ones.


    noah rubbed his forehead, mentally thanking himself for not making the impulsive decision to get rid of all his wind runes at once. if he had, there wouldn¡¯t have been any way for him to reliably kill the monsters in the scorched acres.


    ¡°well, at least i found out sooner rather than later,¡± noah said to himself. he released his hold on his magic and snuffed the candle out. the sun was already well into the sky, and if he recalled correctly, he still had a class to teach today, and he was pretty sure it wouldn¡¯t be too long until it started.


    it would be nice to actually show up before it started this time around.

 Chapter 14: Terrible professor

    chapter 14: terrible professor


    noah tucked his gourd away in its hiding place beneath the sink and headed out of his room, making for his room in building g. he reached it just before midday and stepped into the dusty room.


    it was empty, which didn¡¯t surprise him much. time was still a bit of a rough concept to him, but noah was pretty certain there was still some time left until the class was meant to start. considering his students had barely even bothered to show up last time, he didn¡¯t get the feeling that they planned on getting here early.


    that was fine with him. he still wasn¡¯t sure exactly what he was meant to be teaching them. there hadn¡¯t been a lesson plan in all the papers that vermil had kept around on his desk, but the exam that moxie had mentioned very likely had something to do with it.


    noah settled down to wait. he watched the sun crawl across the sky through the dirty window, his eyes tracing the rays of light as they danced through the dim room. he flipped through vermil¡¯s book, mostly just to take a cursory glance at the other runes in it and see if he¡¯d missed anything too important.


    feet scuffed against stone. noah looked up, closing his book with a snap as isabel stepped into the classroom. she looked mildly surprised to see him sitting in front of the chalkboard.


    todd followed her in, covering a yawn. he flopped down at a desk in the back of the class without saying a word.


    ¡°welcome back,¡± noah said, rising to his feet. ¡°i forgot to ask this last time around, but why are there only two of you?¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± isabel asked.


    ¡°shouldn¡¯t i have more students?¡±


    ¡°do you not remember?¡±


    ¡°just humor me.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s just us,¡± isabel said with a shrug. ¡°nobody else got saddled with you. we¡¯re just unlucky.¡±


    small class sizes. more like a mentorship or an apprenticeship than a proper professor, but i had some friends in higher academia that only taught classes of a few kids. i think. it''s been so long i can hardly remember.


    ¡°well, that¡¯s lovely,¡± noah said with a sigh. ¡°we¡¯ll get around to them when the time comes, i suppose. how did the homework i assigned you go?¡±


    ¡°didn¡¯t do it,¡± todd said promptly. ¡°it doesn¡¯t matter in the end. magic is magic, who cares how it works?¡±


    noah just looked to isabel.


    she cleared her throat. ¡°i thought about it. a bit.¡±


    ¡°and?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t know,¡± isabel admitted. ¡°i couldn¡¯t really think of what runes really are beyond what we already discussed. they¡¯re... just runes. can¡¯t you just say?¡±


    ¡°nope,¡± noah replied, stretching his hands over his head. ¡°i don¡¯t know either.¡±


    isabel and todd stared at him.


    ¡°what?¡± noah asked. ¡°i told you already. if it was easy, then we¡¯d have the answer. i don¡¯t think most mages you run into are going to have that answer. it¡¯s something we have to determine for ourselves.¡±


    ¡°then what was the point of wasting our time by telling us to think about it?¡± isabel demanded, crossing her arms.


    ¡°it was to make you think,¡± noah replied. ¡°we¡¯re going to move on to a slightly different topic today. are you aware of what happens in a month?¡±


    both todd and isabel paled a few shades and glanced away, avoiding his gaze. todd looked down at his hands, suddenly finding them the most fascinating things he¡¯d seen in years.


    ¡°yes,¡± isabel said. ¡°the test, right?¡±


    ¡°the test,¡± noah confirmed with a nod.


    isabel grimaced and looked out the window, avoiding noah¡¯s gaze. ¡°please don¡¯t do this. i don¡¯t care what you¡¯re planning, but i don¡¯t want to die. if you want to start becoming a good teacher, start with the next class. we¡¯re already screwed. don¡¯t get us killed as well.¡±


    noah drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. he couldn¡¯t deny that isabel¡¯s suggestion was tempting. he had more than enough on his plate already. surviving while making sure nobody figured out his true identity wasn¡¯t exactly a simple task.


    ignoring his class and letting them cheat their way through everything until they were someone else¡¯s problem would certainly lighten his load, and it was clearly what vermil had been doing for quite some time.


    i won¡¯t fail my students. i don¡¯t care if they aren¡¯t even technically mine ¨C vermil screwed these kids over, and i¡¯m going to make that right. it¡¯s my duty as a teacher.


    ¡°no.¡± noah shook his head. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, but i¡¯m not going to do that. i apologize that you had to deal with my incompetent teaching in the past, but there will be no more of that. i won¡¯t be letting you leave this class without the proper abilities to defend yourselves in the future.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re going to get us killed,¡± todd said flatly.


    ¡°i swear on my life that i won¡¯t.¡± noah pressed a hand to his chest. ¡°i¡¯ll die buying you time to escape the monster if need be. once they get a kill, they focus on eating it instead of attacking other threats.¡±


    at least, i¡¯m pretty sure they do. the monkey seemed pretty distracted eating my corpse.


    neither todd nor isabel looked all too convinced by his proclamation.


    ¡°how about this. show me what you can do right now, and i¡¯ll do the same,¡± noah proposed, raising his arms out to his sides, palms up. ¡°i¡¯ll be as honest as possible, and you¡¯ll do the same. if i truly don¡¯t think you can defeat the slashers, i¡¯ll let you cheat your way through the exam, and you won¡¯t even have to pay me that bribe. but, if i¡¯m right, you train with me and we pass the exam normally.¡±


    ¡°we can¡¯t beat them,¡± isabel said without an ounce of doubt in her voice. ¡°it¡¯s not like i¡¯ve sat around doing nothing. i¡¯ve trained. i¡¯ve practiced. i know my limits, professor vermil. i can¡¯t kill a slasher.¡±


    ¡°first, there are two of you,¡± noah said. ¡°and second, we¡¯ve still got a month until the exam. that¡¯s more than enough time to practice. let¡¯s take things one step at a time. we¡¯ll go test out how strong the two of you are. for one month, you¡¯ll do what i say and train together with me. when the month is up, if we decide you can¡¯t do the test, then i cheat for you. otherwise, you do it. wouldn¡¯t you rather learn something from the class than waste your time?¡±


    isabel sat silently for a few moments. she and todd exchanged a glance. todd shook his head slightly, but isabel clenched her hands at her side.


    ¡°what if he¡¯s right?¡± she whispered.


    ¡°it¡¯s stupid,¡± todd replied, equally as soft. ¡°some other teacher probably figured out what he¡¯s doing and he¡¯s trying to save his own ass.¡±


    ¡°i am not,¡± noah put in.


    they both ignored him.


    ¡°but what if he¡¯s serious? we¡¯re shafted in our next year if we don¡¯t get him again,¡± isabel muttered. ¡°we really don¡¯t have a choice, and he¡¯s right. i don¡¯t want to be a worthless mage forever. eventually, we have to get stronger.¡±


    todd let out a heavy sigh. he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, glaring at isabel. ¡°you¡¯ve already made up your mind.¡±


    ¡°only if you agree with me.¡±


    ¡°fine,¡± todd said. he rolled his eyes and looked back to noah. ¡°you got one month before the exam, man. if we aren¡¯t convinced, we¡¯re out.¡±


    noah grinned. ¡°fantastic. that¡¯s all i needed. you¡¯re in as well, isabel?¡±


    isabel nodded. ¡°against my better judgement. don¡¯t get too excited. you¡¯re still a terrible professor, and we all know it.¡±


    noah waved his hand dismissively and gestured for them to stand. ¡°we¡¯ll see about that. is there somewhere good for you two to show me what you can do?¡±


    isabel and todd both rolled their eyes.


    ¡°the training grounds, i guess,¡± isabel said. the mention of the training grounds took the stress from her spine, and she straightened up as confidence welled up in her expression. noah raised an eyebrow, but he didn¡¯t address it. ¡°seriously, how much have you forgotten?¡±


    ¡°this isn¡¯t about me,¡± noah replied. ¡°to the training grounds! it¡¯s a field trip. isn¡¯t that fun?¡±


    ¡°no,¡± todd and isabel chorused but, despite their sarcasm, they rose from their seats and joined noah as he headed out of the classroom.

 Chapter 15: Cheating deals

    chapter 15: cheating deals


    the training grounds were a long, uncomfortably silent trip across campus. luckily, noah didn¡¯t spot anyone that recognized him on the way over, but that didn¡¯t stop him from keeping his head as low as possible.??v€l?1n.


    with all the enemies that vermil had made, the last thing noah needed was to get into a pissing contest with some powerful mage that would inevitably challenge him to a duel and end up sparking off an increasingly annoying series of events.


    okay, that might be a bit far, but i read a lot of fantasy books back on earth. besides, if they¡¯ve got a sparring area, it¡¯s not unrealistic for people to posture and show off by using it.


    ¡°here it is,¡± isabel said, coming to a stop before a wide sandy amphitheater. two rows of seats ringed the large area, which was sectioned off into fifty or sixty smaller squares. almost all of the seats were empty, aside from a few students lounging around and eating.


    the walls of the amphitheater had ladders all along them, allowing easy access to the training arenas below. many of them were already in use. noah prepared to duck as one student hurled a ball of flame at another and missed, but the spell struck an invisible barrier at the edge of their arena and dispersed with a ripple.


    noah suppressed the temptation to ask questions. he followed todd and isabel down the ladders and onto the sand, where the two of them walked up to a sectioned off bench at the edge of the entire arena.


    a large pile of metal tokens shaped like shields and roughly the size of noah¡¯s palm sat in a large pile that threatened to tip over at the slightest wind. both students grabbed a badge and affixed it to their lapel. ripples of blue energy washed over their bodies, fading away as soon as quickly as they had come.


    noah mirrored their motion. the energy tingled as it raced across his skin. he shuddered, then poked himself in the arm. a tiny ripple of force interfered with the motion, stopping his finger from making contact with his skin.


    a deep fwoomp erupted from the arena where the two students had been fighting. one of them slammed against the invisible wall and grunted as the air was knocked from his lungs. his body lit up with a brilliant orange hue and the shield token pinned to his chest started to let out a high-pitched whine.


    ¡°gods damn it,¡± the boy cursed, slapping the shield. the whine receded along with the glow, and his sparring partner helped him to his feet with a snicker.


    ¡°well?¡± isabel demanded.


    noah dragged his gaze away from the other two students and cleared his throat. ¡°well what? i told you to show me what you were capable of, didn¡¯t i?¡±


    ¡°you want us to spar you?¡± there was a note of eagerness in isabel¡¯s voice that gave noah immediate pause before he answered. part of him was tempted to say yes, as the shield badges clearly interfered with damage and protected the wearer, but isabel was far too excited.


    actually, aren¡¯t they probably stronger than me right now? we¡¯re around the same age, and vermil had a bunch of shitty runes. i still have no clue what todd and isabel have, and they probably have combat experience on top of that. i¡¯m going to lose all their respect if isbael ends up cleaning the floor with my face.


    ¡°not today, i¡¯m afraid. maybe you can work your way up to that. no, you¡¯ll be sparring each other.¡±


    ¡°figures,¡± todd muttered.


    ¡°what was that?¡± noah¡¯s features sharpened and he looked down the bridge of his nose at todd, who glanced away to avoid meeting his gaze.


    ¡°nothing.¡±


    ¡°then get to it,¡± noah said, stepping back to give them more room. the fighting rings were each about ten by ten feet, but he had no idea what kind of magic either of his students used.


    isabel and todd moved to stand on either end of the arena. todd lowered into a fighting stance and held his hands out to his sides. he raised them into the air, clawing his fingers as though pulling them through the water.


    ripples of energy followed the motion, and two orbs of flame sputtered to life in todd¡¯s palms. they raced to cover his hands, turning into flaming gauntlets.


    wait, how did he just generate fire? i was under the impression runes needed something to work with. you can¡¯t just make it from nothing, right?


    noah studied todd intensely. when he looked closer, he realized that todd had an obsidian bracelet on each of his wrists that had previously been hidden by his clothes. the fire todd was creating seemed to originate from them in incredibly thin streams before reaching his hands.


    that¡¯s interesting. he¡¯s got something that generates the fire for him. maybe a basic flint and steel that¡¯s somehow activated by his runes? interesting. that¡¯s clever.


    unimpressed, isabel gently placed her hand against her chest. blue light lit beneath isabel¡¯s fingertips and she wrapped her hand around a translucent hilt and pulled a long, slender sword free from within her chest. she flicked it to the side, then stood with her side to todd, looking down her blade at him in a duelist¡¯s stance.


    ¡°you still think it can be done?¡± isabel raised an eyebrow. ¡°i¡¯m not convinced you¡¯ve ever seen a slasher. they¡¯re fast. faster than me.¡±


    ¡°and they don¡¯t have magic,¡± noah pointed out. he paused for a moment, then tilted his head slightly to the left. ¡°right?¡±


    ¡°is that a trick question?¡± todd asked.


    noah didn¡¯t reply. he just mirrored isabel¡¯s expression, raising his eyebrow and giving them a small smile. todd rolled his eyes.


    ¡°they don¡¯t have magic. they¡¯re not the hellreaver. not even this cursed school would send second year students after a great monster.¡±


    noah clapped his hands together. isabel and todd both started, then glared at him.


    ¡°then you¡¯ve got the advantage. here¡¯s the deal. for the next five days, i want you and isabel to practice as hard as you can against each other. do everything you can to get stronger.¡±


    ¡°like we aren¡¯t already doing that already,¡± todd muttered. ¡°thanks for the sage advice.¡±


    ¡°meanwhile, i am going to go prepare a lesson plan,¡± noah continued, completely ignoring todd¡¯s complaints. ¡°you¡¯ll have two days to rest after your five of practice. then i¡¯m going to take us all on a quick trip to the scorched acres, and we¡¯re going to train against the monsters there.¡±


    todd added his shield plate to the pile and squinted at noah. ¡°you¡¯re serious? your solution to us not wanting to get killed is to... go get us killed earlier?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m a professor. don¡¯t you think i can handle myself?¡±


    ¡°no,¡± todd and isabel said at the same time.


    ¡°bah. i¡¯ll bring the head of one of them back with me as proof, then. how¡¯s that?¡±


    the two students exchanged a glance, momentarily at a loss for words. noah beckoned encouragingly. finally, isabel sighed and gave him a curt nod.


    ¡°fine, but we hide and don¡¯t press any further if things look bad. i¡¯m not dying for you to prove a point.¡±


    ¡°deal.¡± noah extended a hand. isabel stared at it, wrinkling her upper lip in distaste. noah wiggled the hand. sighing, isabel reached out and took it. they shook and noah turned to todd. he did the same, muttering in annoyance under his breath.


    ¡°happy?¡± isabel asked.


    ¡°not yet, but we¡¯re getting there. enjoy your week. don¡¯t skip out on practice, and you know where to find me if you need advice.¡±


    ¡°what kind of advice could we possibly get from you?¡± todd asked. ¡°the only thing you¡¯ve really done is ask us questions that you don¡¯t even know the answer to yourself.¡±


    noah shrugged in response. he raised his hand in farewell and strode away from the arena, leaving todd and isabel staring at his back in befuddlement. all things considered, he was pretty pleased with how the day had gone. now he just had to make sure he could actually uphold his promise ¨C but first, the discussion about the hellreaver had gotten his attention.


    the monster also had a master rune, just like what he suspected sunder was. if he could find more information on it, even just a little, maybe it would help answer some more questions about his own magic.


    noah was loathe to spend any more time in the library than he needed, though. after all the years of waiting in line, every part of him longed to do literally anything else now that he had the beginnings of a baseline for what he could do.


    instead of giving in, noah trudged over to the library and found a librarian, conveying his request to a librarian. unfortunately ¨C or somewhat fortunately, according to noah¡¯s heart rather than his brain ¨C the only informational book about the hellreaver ape had been checked out.


    with that in mind, noah set off toward the transport cannon. there was no good reason to wait any longer if the library wasn¡¯t going to be of any immediate help, and he was secretly glad for it.


    no library meant more things to do and less standing around.


    he had some more monkeys to hunt.

 Chapter 16: Second chances

    chapter 16: second chances


    noah appeared in the scorched acres with a pop. he¡¯d headed back to tim and his cannon after leaving the arena, only stopping at his room to grab his gourd and a spare set of clothes which now hung at his side in a small travel pouch that was slung over his shoulder.


    shaking the last vestiges of confusion from the teleportation off, noah shook his head and scanned the area for monkeys. he could hear them hollering in the distance, but there didn¡¯t look to be anything in the immediate area.


    noah tossed the bag holding his clothes into a tree. it missed spectacularly, flopping back to the ground a few paces to his side. noah glanced over his shoulder, glad that nobody had seen that happen, then grabbed his bag and chucked it into the air.


    this time, his throw was more accurate and the strap hooked on a protruding branch. he nodded to himself and mentally marked the spot before heading into the forest in the direction of the calls.


    his goal was twofold. first, and most importantly, he needed to get stronger. he had four more wind runes to replace, and all of his new runes would have to be filled with energy. he didn¡¯t dare risk replacing another rune until his vibration rune was at least slightly useful, though.


    second, he needed to figure how to help todd and isabel each defeat a slasher ¨C preferably without getting ripped in half in the process. noah paused as the hoots grew closer, rubbing his chin.


    there would be time for more thinking later. noah placed his gourd in the shadow of a tree and called on his magic before creeping forward.


    a group of four smaller monkeys sat in conference around a pile of bloody scraps, grabbing and scratching at each other to try to get the biggest piece. noah wasted no time in sending a blade of wind into the nearest one.


    he got a second spell off before the first connected, and two of the monkeys crumpled to the ground, dead, before the others even realized he was there. the remaining two screamed in fury and spun toward him, their beady eyes burning with hatred.


    blood still dripped from their mouths as they charged at him. their high pitched screeching dug into noah¡¯s ears, but he didn¡¯t let it distract him as he fired another wind blade off and threw himself to the side.


    the unlucky monkey slammed into the tree behind noah with a crunch, its throat slit. blood and spittle flying from its lips, the final monster snagged a branch and redirected its motion, throwing itself at noah.


    it was considerably faster than him ¨C but he knew where it was going. noah reared back and swung his fist with all the might he could muster, charging it with power from his vibration rune.


    his knuckles connected with the monkey¡¯s flat nose. bone crunched and it slammed into the ground, tremors rippling through its body. noah brought his foot down on the monster¡¯s head before it could lunge at him again, killing it. he shook his hand off, only pausing to shudder as a wave of energy flooded into him.


    not bad at all. they¡¯re really starting to get predictable. these things just charge in a straight line at me. actually, the slashers kind of did the same thing too. that¡¯s kind of odd. shouldn¡¯t there be a little more variance in their behavior?


    noah wiped his knuckles off on the dirt, getting as much of the monkey¡¯s blood off them before he continued. killing off the small monsters wasn¡¯t bad, but he got more energy from the slashers, and fighting them was basically killing two birds with one stone.


    he didn¡¯t have to search long. the scorched acres were absolutely riddled with monsters, and he soon found a slasher digging at a tree that had somehow drawn its ire. the massive, long-armed monkey was just as ugly as all the others had been.


    several times, he ran into the monkeys so quickly that he used up the reserves in his main wind rune and had to fall back to the second or third ones, but he always took a break to recover his energy after getting that far.


    the last thing he wanted to do was ruin his clothes because he¡¯d run out of strong wind magic and have no way to fight back against the monsters effectively.


    time passed, and the day quickly turned to night. noah continued his hunt, bolstered by the refreshing energy that greeted him after every kill. he was already remarkably bad at keeping time after his years spent in the afterlife, and this wasn¡¯t helping in the slightest.


    noah grew more confident with every fight, which only pushed him to fight harder and seek out more foes. it was an addictive cycle, especially when he didn¡¯t have to deal with the agony of wounds.


    that was, of course, when noah¡¯s luck ran out. he had just finished the last stragglers in a group of small monkeys off when he spotted a monkey staring at him from behind a tree ¨C though the word monkey was starting to feel more and more like a stretch.


    its eyes were comically large, bulging out of its head like those of a frog. two curling fangs jutted out from its lower jaw, and its knuckles dragged along the ground behind it as the creature stepped toward noah, its tongue lolling out from its mouth.


    ¡°you¡¯re one ugly bastard,¡± noah muttered. this monkey didn¡¯t even have any claws that he could see. it would have been fairly close to human had it not been for its impressively ugly face and long arms.


    noah readied a wind blade and took aim at its throat. he fired the spell ¨C and the monkey ducked. it grabbed a rock from the ground and, with a furious holler, lobbed it at noah.


    the rock streaked through the air like a bullet and slammed into noah¡¯s forehead. he crumpled to the ground, and his soul launched out of the corpse before it could even hit the ground.


    noah stared down at his body as the wide-eyed monster loped up to it and slapped him in the face a few times before ripping him open like a ripe banana. noah gagged.


    ¡°goddamn it.¡± he embraced the rope of energy that tightened around his neck.


    and that¡¯s a good reminder to me. i¡¯ll take it as a lesson. that¡¯s how easily todd and isabel are going to get killed if i don¡¯t properly prepare them. i can¡¯t treat this like a game. they don''t have second chances like i do.


    then he was flying, trees flitting through him as his soul was dragged back to the gourd. his body reformed around him and noah sat upright with a groan, massaging his forehead and grimacing as sharp, burnt sticks poked into his naked backside. a violent headache pounded in his skull, worse than many of the ones he¡¯d had before. noah pushed himself upright, still cradling his head, and grabbed his gourd.


    ¡°that was humiliating. damn,¡± noah muttered, leaning against the tree and looking up into the sky. night was already starting to fall away, and the morning sun had started to peek over the edge of the horizon. ¡°i¡¯m going to kill that thing the next time i¡¯m here.¡±


    noah waited for a few hours, then trudged over to where his corpse should have been. his entire top half was missing along with one of his legs, but the monkey had tossed his torn up clothes to the side in a wet, bloody pile.


    grumbling in pain, noah grabbed his grimoire and wiped it off. it must have been enchanted somehow, because the blood came off remarkably easy. he located his daggers and scooped them up as well. clutching the book in front of his legs, noah made the walk of shame over to his spare clothes.


    he¡¯d ventured deeper into the woods than he¡¯d thought, but mercifully managed to reach and change into them just a little under thirty minutes before he was pulled back to arbitage, headache and all.

 Chapter 17: Somethings

    chapter 17: somethings


    ¡°hullo!¡± tim called cheerfully as noah¡¯s body slammed into the iron cage, rattling his throbbing brain in his skull and sending spikes of agony coursing through him. ¡°i see your clothes survived the trip this time.¡±


    if only you knew.


    noah grunted in agreement, unable to muster the energy to give a better response. he gave tim a weak smile, just to make sure the man wasn¡¯t too offended by his sudden lack of interest in communication, then stepped onto the lift.


    his head thumped its anger at his death the entire way back to his room, intensifying with every loud noise or bright light. by the time he finally stumbled into the room, it felt like he¡¯d had a migraine for at least a month.


    cursing under his breath, noah stumbled into his bed and buried his head under his pillow, muting the faint chirps of the birds and distant conversation from below his window. he screwed his eyes shut and focused on the rhythm of his heartbeat, using it like a lifeline to try and pull himself out of the pain.


    it didn¡¯t work too well, but he couldn¡¯t think of anything better to do. noah remained there for several hours until the pain finally started to abate and he was able to take grasp of his facilities once again.


    noah slipped out of bed and took a detour to his bathroom to splash cold water on his face. he ran his hands through his hair and sighed, leaning on the sink and resting his head against the mirror.


    ¡°idiot. you let yourself get too cocky.¡± he pressed his lips together and pushed back. there was no point promising himself that he¡¯d avoid it in the future. it had been a painful reminder, but his advantage had been hammered back into his head.


    the monsters were deadly, but he had infinite chances to fight them. nobody else did, which might have been why the students didn¡¯t realize how simple it was to defeat the slashers. if that went for everything...


    a tiny grin tugged at noah¡¯s lips, but it wasn¡¯t quite enough to pull him out of his annoyance. he shook his head and closed his eyes, reaching into his mind to check on the progress of his runes.


    they greeted him like an old friend, the seven glimmering patterns blinking to life in the darkness around him. pressure from the sunder rune above noah bore down on him, but he pointedly avoided looking up at it.


    there was just too much to deal with, and he didn¡¯t dare fiddle with the massive rune any further until he at least had a rudimentary grasp of his normal ones. noah¡¯s eyes caught on the edge of the darkness in his mental space.


    bright patches of white void were appearing as a small section dark energy crumbled away. noah approached it with a nervous frown, watching as a tiny fragment of black vanished into the white nothingness.


    it wasn¡¯t in the same spot that the previous damage had been in, but it was close. for that matter, a portion of the previous damage had healed over again, but it still hadn¡¯t completely patched over.


    ¡°so that¡¯s it. i take some form of soul or mental damage whenever i die,¡± noah realized. ¡°not permanent, from the looks of things.¡±


    he let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°thank god. there¡¯s a limit. that means it¡¯s not completely out of my control. anything with no real limit is just limited by something you don¡¯t understand, and the price for this one doesn¡¯t seem too bad. still... i want to know why i come back to life, and why it¡¯s at the gourd. did that demon curse me? did it also have a gourd that it just carried around? damn. too many questions.¡±


    noah watched the tiny pieces of white void, but they weren¡¯t getting any larger. he was fairly certain that they were what was causing his headache as well. the fragmentation of his mind or soul ¨C whichever he was currently in ¨C couldn¡¯t have been painless.


    judging from the rate of healing on the previous damage, noah was fairly certain that it took a few days to patch up a single death. as long as he kept himself from kicking the bucket more than that, he was pretty sure everything would be fine. it couldn¡¯t have been healthy to die more than once every few days anyway.


    noah returned to the center of his mindspace and approached the vibration rune. it let out a gentle hum as he approached. the rune was brighter than it had been before, and noah could feel the energy within it.


    there was more without a doubt, though he still couldn¡¯t tell exactly how much. noah¡¯s other runes had all gained some energy as well, the full wind runes notwithstanding. he smiled in satisfaction.


    making progress felt good. much better than the godawful rat race of being a teacher on earth.


    a faint pang of longing echoed through noah¡¯s chest. he didn¡¯t miss the administration or the awful pay in the slightest, but his students had been one of the few memories that had actually kept him company during his long wait in the line.


    he was sure they¡¯d probably all forgotten him and were long dead by now, but that didn¡¯t change things in the slightest. noah¡¯s hands clenched. it didn¡¯t matter whether he was on earth or whatever planet this was.


    any students of his were going to have the best shot at life that they could.


    noah opened his eyes to the bathroom and turned away from the sink, heading back to the main room. he needed to ¨C


    unfortunately, whatever he was missing didn¡¯t seem to be in the now-organized piles of paper before him. noah pursed his lips. there were all too many things that he couldn¡¯t quite put a finger on, and that wasn¡¯t even mentioning whoever had tried to kill him.


    noah stood from the desk. the questions would still be waiting for him when he got back, but there were more monkeys to train against. if he wanted to make sure he could demonstrate everything to his students, his form would have to be immaculate.


    and i need to find that bastard that chucked the rock at me and send him to wait in a line for a few centuries. i wonder how many different kinds of monkeys there are in the forest. actually, for that matter, why aren¡¯t there other monsters? monkeys can¡¯t possibly make up an entire ecosystem.


    noah grabbed a spare set of clothes from his dwindling supplies and swept out of his room, locking the door firmly behind him before striding down the hall and heading for tim¡¯s tower. the more he thought about things, the more questions he got. perhaps the older man would answer a few things while he got the cannon prepared.


    before long, noah had reached the tower. after a short wait in line, the lift rattled him up to the dome at the top and tim greeted him with a wide grin.


    ¡°hullo there. you¡¯ve been using the travel anywhere in no time system quite a bit now. it¡¯s damn useful, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°it is,¡± noah agreed. ¡°i¡¯ve been doing a lot of preparation for the exams next month at scorched acres.¡±


    ¡°dedicated bloke, you are. you giving the monkeys the good ole one-two?¡±


    ¡°doing my best to,¡± noah said with a chuckle.


    ¡°at least someone is,¡± tim said, rolling his eyes. ¡°same place, then?¡±


    ¡°yeah, same place. what do you mean by that, though? don¡¯t the other professors go there a lot as well, especially as the test gets closer?¡± noah asked.


    tim let out a snort. ¡°certainly not with me, but i¡¯ve ferried a few students to it. most of the time people don¡¯t really go down there.¡±


    ¡°i see.¡±


    ¡°it ain¡¯t just that the monkeys, you know,¡± tim said with a panicked wave. ¡°there¡¯s also that great beastie in the area. the hellreaver.¡±


    ¡°expand on that?¡± noah asked tentatively.


    ¡°you know, the great monster,¡± tim said, holding his hands out to his sides, then frowning as if disappointed by his inability to properly show how large the monster was. ¡°the giant ape thing. nobody wants to run into that.¡±


    ¡°and we still have the test in the forest?¡±


    tim shrugged. ¡°it doesn¡¯t go after students. not enough magic in ¡®em. also, the thing is usually asleep. as long as you don¡¯t go too close to it, you¡¯re fine.¡±


    noah opened his mouth, then closed it. if that was really the case, it wasn¡¯t exactly a terrible idea. powerful animals on earth were usually pretty territorial as well, so if the hellreaver kept other strong monsters away, it might have actually been beneficial.


    might have been. he wasn¡¯t convinced.


    ¡°interesting. i never thought about it like that.¡±


    there was a loud clunk as the cannon aligned itself. tim gave noah an expectant look, and noah climbed into the tube.


    ¡°say, do you know why the forest is just full of monkeys and nothing else?¡± noah asked before tim could fire him off.


    ¡°we corralled them there a few years back. it¡¯s how the forest got scorched. nothing else can survive, and they just eat each other,¡± tim replied with a chuckle. ¡°you really are new, aren¡¯t you? it was huge news a few years ago.¡±


    ¡°good to know,¡± noah said. ¡°thanks, tim. see you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°tomorrow,¡± tim agreed, tipping an imaginary hat to noah. energy swirled and prickled at noah¡¯s skin before enveloping his body. the world snapped into shades of blue and noah was launched into the ether and sent hurtling toward the scorched acres.

 Chapter 18: Training

    chapter 18: training


    over the course of the rest of the week, noah died four times. each one was to the gangly, bug-eyed monkeys that he¡¯d dubbed chuckers. they all lived deeper into the forest than the slashers and small monkeys, and each death was disappointing at best. he got farther in every fight, but the monsters were just so much faster than everything else he¡¯d fought. with that on top of their penchant for hurling rocks, they made deadly enemies.


    several times, even when he wasn¡¯t at the scorched acres, noah could have sworn that he saw the cursed monsters lurking in the shadows of his room and watching him from beyond the window.


    the visions didn¡¯t seem to have any rhyme or reason to them, and noah had absolutely no idea what to do about them. as such, he did a technique he¡¯d mastered back on earth, when his school had cut off his health insurance: he ignored the problem and convinced himself that it would sort itself out on its own.


    by the end of the week, noah managed to claim victory over the chuckers a single time. that didn¡¯t bother him in the slightest. every single fight, noah gained more understanding of the monsters. he lasted a few seconds longer and did more damage. each fight was a learning opportunity and nothing more. after all, he didn¡¯t need to win every fight. he didn¡¯t even need to win most of them.


    he just needed to win one.


    when the first chucker had finally fallen before him, noah couldn¡¯t bring himself to do anything but laugh. the monster had given him more energy than even the slashers had, though not by a huge margin.


    there would have been a time where noah might have considered waiting for an even fight because of honor or some other equally misguided notion, but that was before he¡¯d been brained by a rock a few too many times in a row. the only thing he cared about now was learning more about how the monsters fought before he went down.


    more than anything else, noah had come to one conclusion. magic was incredible. as far as he could tell, the runes could control anything directly related to them, limited only by his creativity. the more difficult his desires were to replicate, the more energy they took.


    but, even as he grew stronger, noah found himself lacking. more often than not, noah¡¯s death was a direct result of his inability to make his body move the way he needed it to. magic was great, but not tripping over a log and falling face first into a monster¡¯s claws was a pretty useful advantage as well.


    he¡¯d never considered himself clumsy, but there was a difference between avoiding protruding doorframes while walking through his house and not tripping over a dozen protruding roots at ankle level while trying to keep his organs from getting aired out.


    despite his trouble with the chuckers, noah hammered the method of fighting slashers down to a fine science. the once threatening monsters were now little more than cumbersome bags of energy, their movements so predictable that noah could practically tell what they were going to do before they thought of it themselves.


    when the day to regroup with isabel and todd came around, noah was satisfied with his progress. all of his runes had grown considerably in strength, and even without direct training, noah could feel his body responding better to his mental commands. perhaps it was just his soul getting used to piloting the meat-sack around, or perhaps it was just experience. either way, it was working.


    he set out that morning, arriving in his classroom wearing his second to last set of teacher¡¯s robes. the rest had been sacrificed at the altar of ugly monkeys.


    to his delight, both todd and isabel were already there. noah¡¯s grin faded a moment later. todd and isabel were already there.


    ¡°crud. am i late again?¡±


    ¡°no,¡± isabel said, spinning a small dagger between her fingers idly. ¡°we just wanted to get this over with and didn¡¯t have anything better to do. i¡¯m not seeing any monkey heads in your hands.¡±


    ¡°i settled on a claw.¡±


    noah tossed the slasher¡¯s claw onto the table in front of him. isabel¡¯s eyes traced it through the air, widening imperceptibly before she got control over her features again. she stepped around the desk and picked it up, squinting.


    ¡°you could have bought this from someone. i¡¯ve seen them for sale. that¡¯s why we agreed on the slasher¡¯s head.¡±


    noah rolled his eyes. ¡°there¡¯s still blood on it. it¡¯s fresh.¡±


    ¡°could have bought it fresh,¡± todd said.


    ¡°well, i didn¡¯t want to lug a bloody head around, so a claw is what you get.¡± noah crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. ¡°i¡¯ll admit i did promise to get a head, but i really don¡¯t have that many pairs of clothes to ruin. you¡¯ll just have to take my word that i really did get that claw myself.¡±


    neither of his students looked particularly convinced, but that was fine. they didn¡¯t look unconvinced either. noah would settle for that. he¡¯d set things straight soon enough.


    ¡°i don¡¯t suppose you¡¯ll decide that this was a bad idea and cancel it?¡± isabel tried.


    ¡°nope.¡± noah cheerfully clapped his hands together. ¡°enough about me. how has training been? make any progress?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s been a week, man.¡± todd rolled his eyes. ¡°how quickly do you think things are going to change? nothing will suddenly happen in just a few days.¡±


    ¡°not with that attitude. what about you, isabel?¡±??v€l?1n.


    ¡°i won every match against todd.¡±


    ¡°because your magic works better in confined spaces. it¡¯s in your favor,¡± todd complained, crossing his arms. ¡°the arenas don¡¯t represent real life at all.¡±


    ¡°would you prefer to spar without the aid of the shield badges?¡± isabel raised an eyebrow. ¡°i¡¯m sure you¡¯d fare much better when i actually run you through with my sword. you¡¯d just die even faster in a so-called real fight.¡±


    ¡°not if i cooked you first.¡±


    ¡°of course it does. it¡¯s the hardest part,¡± todd muttered. ¡°by the time i finish making one, i¡¯m usually completely spent. then it goes down in a single attack and it all ends up being a complete waste of energy. you see the problem here? we¡¯re not ready for this.¡±


    ¡°have you considered just not making a shield?¡±


    todd gave noah a flat stare. ¡°seriously? and what, die if we get hit?¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t get hit.¡±


    isabel¡¯s eyes snapped open. todd and noah both closed their mouths and turned to watch isabel. she drew her sword from her chest and stalked toward the monkey, crouching to try and make herself a smaller target. small sticks crunched beneath her feet with every step. noah grimaced.


    with the smaller monkeys, it was better to just kill them quickly. isabel¡¯s approach was so slow that he was pretty sure it was going to end up waking up before she reached it. he gathered a blade of wind in his hand, watching the monster closely.


    sure enough, the monkey¡¯s eyes snapped open. it dropped from the tree, spinning toward isabel and bearing its yellowed fangs as it let out a screech. she thrust her sword at the monster, but she didn¡¯t commit to the strike.


    instead of running the monster through, isabel¡¯s sword barely scratched its shoulder before she flinched back. the monkey hollered and lunged at her, forcing isabel to backpedal. she displayed none of the speed and confidence that noah had seen during her fight with todd in the arena.


    isabel dove to the side, barely avoiding the monster¡¯s claws, and scrambled back on all fours. screeching its victory, the monkey leapt for isabel¡¯s throat. she screamed ¨C and blood splattered across her face as noah¡¯s wind blade caught the monster in the neck, killing it instantly. the monster collapsed on top of her legs. noah stalked over to her and grabbed the monkey¡¯s body, throwing it off isabel.


    she stared at the dead monster with wide eyes, breathing heavily. isabel swallowed and slowly stood back up, unable to tear her eyes away from the monkey¡¯s corpse. the sheen covering her skin flickered and faded away.


    ¡°good attempt,¡± noah said. ¡°but... what was that, isabel? you¡¯re better than what you just showed. i know you can perform more than what we just saw. your moves in the arena were incredible!¡±


    ¡°are you kidding? it nearly killed me!¡±


    ¡°you had no confidence in your abilities,¡± noah corrected. ¡°you would have killed it with no difficulty if you¡¯d actually gone at it the same way you went at todd.¡±


    ¡°or it would have killed me faster.¡± isabel¡¯s voice was higher pitched than normal, and her eyes were wild as she thrust a finger in the dead monkey¡¯s direction. ¡°look how fast it was! if it got two attacks off, my shield might have shattered and i¡¯d be dead.¡±


    ¡°not if you¡¯d killed it first, though.¡±


    isabel just shook her head. she wiped the blood from her face and shuddered. ¡°yeah, right. can you just give this up? it¡¯s easy to stand back and sling magic from afar, but you¡¯re not the one staring the monster down. i don¡¯t use wind magic.¡±


    ¡°and you feel the same?¡± noah asked todd.


    todd nodded empathetically. ¡°we¡¯re just going to get ourselves killed doing this. i can¡¯t afford a powerful shield artifact like the kids from rich families. i¡¯ve got to make one in the field myself, just like isabel. once we save up enough for a real shield, then maybe we can train. but you¡¯re just fooling yourself if you think we¡¯re like you.¡±


    ¡°like me?¡± noah blinked. ¡°you think i¡¯ve got some fancy shield protecting me?¡±


    ¡°of course you do,¡± isabel snapped, turning her accusatory gaze toward noah. ¡°you¡¯re from the linwick family. no matter what bullshit you spew, we¡¯re not in the same position. we don¡¯t have your advantages ¨C which you somehow blew hard enough to still be a terrible teacher.¡±


    noah pulled his cloak off and tossed it to the ground. his shirt followed it down, and the cold wind bit at his bare chest. noah turned in a circle so they could see his entire upper body.


    ¡°i don¡¯t have a shield.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯ve just got it in your pants,¡± todd said.


    noah raised an eyebrow. ¡°you want me to take them off too?¡±


    ¡°please don¡¯t,¡± isabel said quickly, but her face had gone paler than it had been before. ¡°but why in the world did you come here without your shield? are you an idiot? what if the monkeys try to kill us?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s... kind of their whole thing,¡± noah replied in a baffled tone. ¡°what are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°you could have fought them with the shield! now they¡¯ll just kill us if they show up,¡± todd hissed. he thrust a finger into noah¡¯s chest. ¡°are you trying to get us all killed?¡±


    noah batted todd¡¯s hand away. ¡°you thought this would be safer because i¡¯d have some shield that would let me act like some form of living wall to the monsters?¡±


    ¡°obviously,¡± todd snapped. ¡°there¡¯s no way you would put yourself in a dangerous position, but you¡¯ve clearly completely lost your mind.¡±


    a howl echoed through the forest, and all three of them snapped their mouths shut. sticks cracked and a large, clawed hand wrapped around a tree across from them, crushing it with a crack. a slasher stepped into view, its flat nose flaring. isabel and todd stared at noah with wide, terrified eyes.


    ¡°we¡¯re going to die,¡± isabel whispered.

 Chapter 19: Schooled

    chapter 19: schooled


    ¡°should we run?¡± todd asked, keeping himself extremely still in what was likely the vain hope that the monster hadn¡¯t noticed them yet.


    ¡°don¡¯t bother. slashers are much faster than humans,¡± noah said. ¡°both of you, please watch closely. i don¡¯t know who taught you up until this point, but they¡¯ve completely failed in their role.¡±


    ¡°it was you,¡± todd muttered, but noah was already walking toward the slasher.


    the monkey¡¯s beady eyes fixed on him. a globule of drool rolled down the side of its mouth and dripped onto its chest. it let out a furious screech and charged, smashing through a thin tree and reaching out to grab noah.


    he ducked, letting its hands fly harmlessly over his head, then glanced back at his students. isabel and todd had both pressed their backs to the trees. their faces were masks of horror. it was clear that neither expected him to survive the fight, and there was no way they¡¯d actually be paying attention to anything he said.


    noah sighed. the monkey raised its hands into the air and brought them down for him. dodging the attack, noah slammed his fist into the monkey¡¯s side and unleashed his vibration rune.


    it screeched in pain, staggering back as a wave rocked through its body, vibrating it so violently that its teeth cracked together. noah saw the opportunity to send a wind blade into its throat and kill the monster, but he intentionally didn¡¯t take it.


    a roar echoed through the dry forest and the slasher whipped a massive, clawed hand at noah¡¯s chest. he rolled toward the monster, allowing the strike to pass harmlessly overhead, then slammed his fist into its chest, vibrating it again.


    the slasher stumbled into the tree behind it, cracking its trunk and sending it smashing to the ground. noah sent a wind blade into the monster¡¯s chest and it screamed, clawing at the wound and piercing him with a furious, dull-eyed stare.


    ¡°come on, then,¡± noah said, beckoning the monkey on with a confident smile.


    huge claws carved through the air for his neck. noah leaned back and the wind from the slasher¡¯s strikes ruffled his hair. noah straightened back up and sent another blade of wind into the monster, this time taking it in the neck.


    its scream turned into a gurgling gag and noah put it out of its misery with one final wind blade. he looked back at isabel and todd, taking a single step to the side just before the slasher crashed down, falling where he¡¯d been standing. energy poured into him from the slasher, but he didn¡¯t let it show on his face.


    two awed stares met his eyes. sheer disbelief mixed with shock on isabel and todd¡¯s faces. noah couldn¡¯t deny feeling just a little bit smug at their expressions. after all the times the slashers had killed him, it felt nice to the hunter.


    ¡°see? you don¡¯t need a shield if you don¡¯t get hit.¡± noah rejoined them and grabbed his clothes from the ground. he pulled his shirt back on and threw the jacket over it, straightening the lapels.


    ¡°how?¡± isabel asked. ¡°you really didn¡¯t use a shield?¡±


    ¡°i believe i already confirmed that. did you see any colorful magic on my skin?¡±


    ¡°no, but...¡±


    ¡°no shield,¡± noah said firmly. ¡°i¡¯m not saying shields are bad, but if casting one is crippling you to the point where you literally can¡¯t fight anymore, then it¡¯s only holding you back.¡±


    ¡°aren¡¯t you scared you¡¯ll get hurt?¡± todd asked. ¡°what if you die?¡±


    ¡°strike with confidence but not recklessness,¡± noah replied. ¡°despite my words, i don¡¯t exactly have any healing supplies. i¡¯m confident i can protect you from most things, but i can¡¯t do anything if you¡¯re acting dumb. the small monkeys will sprint straight at you without any regard for their safety, and they¡¯re really not all that fast. you should be able to kill it with a strong attack to the head. just stand your ground and don¡¯t panic.¡±


    todd nodded his understanding. noah held a hand up for silence, listening to the sounds of the distant monkey calls in the woods before setting off again. a few minutes later, he spotted their next target.


    a monster was hunched over near the base of a tree, gnawing on what looked like a legbone. idly, noah wondered if it was one of his. he¡¯d certainly left more than a few lying around the forest in the past few days. that particular thought made him grimace.


    i have to start cleaning up my bodies or someone¡¯s going to notice something.


    ¡°you¡¯re up,¡± noah whispered. ¡°and don¡¯t waste all that energy on your shield. the monkey will be on you before you can finish putting the stupid thing together.¡±


    todd gave a terse nod. flames sputtered to life around his clenched fists and the monkey¡¯s head jerked up. its dark eyes latched onto todd and it let out a loud shriek, lobbing its bone onto the ground and pulling itself to its feet with a tree branch.


    isabel¡¯s knuckles turned white as she grabbed onto the hilt of her sword. noah put a hand on todd¡¯s shoulder and pushed him forward gently.


    ¡°straight ahead. don¡¯t flinch. you mentioned having a ranged attack when talking with isabel. use it before it gets within arm¡¯s reach of you, or i¡¯m going to intervene.¡±


    todd grunted his understanding, not taking his eyes off the monster. the monkey bared its teeth and hooted, launching itself from the tree branch and charging them. todd lifted his hands and drew in a deep breath, taking aim.


    it reminded noah of his first fatal wind blade. a small smile crossed his lips as todd roared and thrust his hands forward, sending a lance of orange flame into the charging monkey. the spell enveloped the monster¡¯s head.


    in an instant, the flame leapt across the monkey¡¯s entire body, lighting up on its greasy hair. it let out a screech of pain, giving up on the charge and desperately batting at itself to no avail.


    the fire spread with terrifying speed, consuming the monkey within mere seconds. it crumpled to the ground, charred to a blackened crisp. isabel and todd stared at it. noah clapped todd on the back.


    ¡°there you go,¡± noah said. ¡°was that so difficult?¡±


    ¡°why didn¡¯t it dodge?¡± todd muttered.


    ¡°because it¡¯s stupid, and i bet that strategy probably works on a lot of people. nobody¡¯s natural response to getting charged by a terrifying monster is to stand their ground,¡± noah said. ¡°that¡¯s the benefit of knowing your opponent.¡±


    isabel¡¯s gaze lowered. noah flicked her in the shoulder.


    ¡°don¡¯t feel bad about failing your first time around. you fight in much closer range, and you didn¡¯t have any reason to believe in me yet, nor did you have the advice i gave todd. life isn¡¯t a single run, you know. you¡¯ve got more chances. get it on the next one.¡±


    isabel raised her eyes and nodded. ¡°yeah. you¡¯re right. can we go find another monkey?¡±


    ¡°you took the words right out of my mouth. let¡¯s go, kids. we¡¯ve got some training to do.¡±


    this time, neither of them corrected him.

 Chapter 20: Conviction

    chapter 20: conviction


    ¡°now!¡± noah roared.


    isabel thrust her sword at the monkey hurtling toward her. its lips were peeled back in a furious snarl and its claws outstretched, reaching to claw her to shreds. isabel¡¯s sword was longer.


    its tip slid clean into the monster¡¯s head, impaling it like a gristly, overcooked shish kabob. a very smelly one. that particular thought made noah grimace. perhaps it was wiser not to relate the disgusting monkeys to food items, especially ones that he liked.


    luckily, the monkey had no such worries. it was busy being dead. its arms swung by its sides from the momentum of its jump, but no life remained within its eyes. isabel flicked her sword and the monster slid off, thumping against a tree before sliding to the ground.


    ¡°i did it!¡± isabel exclaimed, spinning to look back at noah and mistakenly splattering some of the blood from her sword. todd lurched back to avoid it and glared at her, but isabel ignored him.


    ¡°so you did,¡± noah said, taking care not to let the relief show on his face. the monster had been much closer to isabel than he would have liked, but there was no real other way he knew to train her. she was a close range fighter, after all. ¡°brilliant job. and look at that, no running in terror of a monster half your size.¡±


    isabel nudged the monster¡¯s body with her foot. she let the sword shimmer and fade away. ¡°that was the most terrifying thing i¡¯ve ever done in my life.¡±


    ¡°we all have to start somewhere,¡± noah said. ¡°good job. much better than having to rely on a shield that barely even works, eh? if you keep this up, by the time you actually get around to buying some real shields instead of making them yourselves, you¡¯ll be in the practice of fighting without them. that will do you a lot of good, especially if everyone else was thinking the same way you were.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s assuming we don¡¯t die first,¡± todd said. it was a joke, but the underlying note of concern was evident in his voice.


    ¡°you¡¯re right,¡± noah agreed. ¡°that¡¯s assuming you don¡¯t die. nobody said getting strong would be easy. if i were you, any spare money i had sitting around would go into healing potions.¡±


    ¡°is that what you spend all the money the linwicks give you on?¡± isabel asked.


    noah frowned.


    do i get a stipend? i actually have no idea, actually. what if they¡¯ve been giving vermil things? hell, what if they¡¯re the ones that set him up with the poisoned healing potion? egh. too many damn things to think about.


    ¡°yes,¡± noah said. ¡°though they don¡¯t give me as much as you seem to think. don¡¯t forget, i¡¯m a failure. an embarrassment to the linwick family. isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    isabel and todd both tore their gazes away from his, looking at the ground in shame.


    ¡°you might be a little more competent than we thought you were,¡± isabel admitted, rubbing the back of her neck. ¡°you really didn¡¯t help your image, though. why didn¡¯t you just act like this all the time? you¡¯d still have been fairly incompetent at runes, but people would have respected your combat ability.¡±


    ah, yes. the whole rank thing and combining my runes. i¡¯m working on it, isabel. and it would be wrong to make you and todd feel too bad about insulting me. i¡¯m pretty sure a lot of what you knew about vermil was correct.


    ¡°i had a bit of an awakening. we can¡¯t all be lazy sloths forever.¡± noah clapped his hands together and his students jerked their eyes back to look at him. ¡°now isn¡¯t the time for this. we have quite some time left to practice, and i¡¯m not wasting any of it. our goal for today will be to hunt more small monkeys and build your confidence. if you haven¡¯t each killed five of them by the time we get pulled back to arbitage, i¡¯m giving you extra homework.¡±


    isabel and todd grimaced. noah smiled to himself and continued into the forest with them close on his heels, each scanning the trees as they passed in search of prey.


    for most of that day and through the night, everything passed completely according to noah¡¯s plans. it took time, but todd and isabel were slowly gaining confidence in their abilities. considering they were, at least in his eyes, more than competent, noah felt like all he¡¯d really done was reach the starting point they should have been at already.


    still, he couldn¡¯t help but feel pleased with himself and his students. even though neither of them looked forward to the fights, they weren¡¯t terrified of fighting without their shields anymore.


    todd had the definite advantage between the two. his ranged attacks and the monkey¡¯s penchant for charging to their death in a straight line made the entire exercise one of confidence rather than actual skill, and he performed perfectly.


    isabel was considerably more cautious, and for good reason. noah watched every fight she took intently, a wind blade waiting to let slip at his fingertips every second the monkeys still drew breath.


    ¡°i told you to run!¡± noah roared. pain tore through his body and the darkness bloomed at the edges of his vision, threatening to usher him into the abyss.


    it would have been sweet relief.


    it would have meant that his students would be the next to die, and they wouldn¡¯t be coming back.


    noah gritted his teeth and shoved the abyss to the side. he grabbed his gourd and travel bag, and threw both to the side, boosting the toss with all the wind magic he could muster and sending them hurtling through the trees. bones ground and popped in his chest at the sharp movement. he hadn¡¯t thought it was even possible for the pain to get worse, but he was proven wrong.


    his vision blurred and noah caught himself on a tree, clutching onto it for dear life. the sound of isabel and todd¡¯s panicked retreat faded in his ears, but he wasn¡¯t sure if it was because he was losing consciousness or that they were getting farther away.


    the chucker loped closer. its eyes latched onto noah. cracked lips peeled back in a victorious, hungry grin. the chucker readied a second stone.


    if i die now, i won¡¯t have magic to kill this bastard. isabel and todd won¡¯t be able to survive it.


    noah matched the hideous monkey¡¯s snarl and reached desperately for his runes.


    the chucker launched the stone. it blurred through the air, moving so fast that he couldn¡¯t even trace it. the monster was close enough to him that, even if he could have seen the attack, there was no way for him to dodge it in time given his injuries.


    noah¡¯s magic responded to his call, but it wasn¡¯t wind that came forth. the cracked trees around them groaned as all the scorched, blackened wood was forcibly ripped away. clouds of swirling ash snapped into solid black spikes in an instant before noah, erupting before him like a bolt of jagged lightning.


    the spell tore through the ground and the stone vanished within it. a flicker of what might have been surprise passed through the chucker¡¯s enormous eyes before the spikes of ash tore through it.


    ash slammed into the trees behind the monster, tearing through several of them before the magic finally lost its steam and came to a stop. noah¡¯s chest popped as he drew in a ragged breath, staring at the thick, spiked structure of ash that had ravaged the ground before him.


    then he pitched forward, the last vestiges of strength in his body spent. one of the jagged spikes went clean through his head, killing him instantly.


    noah¡¯s soul ripped free of his body just as the ash structure fell apart, dumping his corpse unceremoniously to the ground. even dead, noah could have sworn that adrenaline was still pumping through his veins.


    before he could have too much time to think, noah felt the siren call of the gourd envelop him. a noose tightened around his neck and a powerful yank sent him hurtling through the trees.


    noah slammed into his body unceremoniously. he groaned, instinctively wincing as he drew breath. through the violent headache, it took him a moment to remember that his chest wasn¡¯t in half a dozen pieces anymore.


    he drew in a ragged gasp of air and forced his eyes open. the blackened dirt stuck to his skin like glue, but he could barely gather the energy to care. noah gritted his teeth and forced himself to sit upright.


    luckily, his bag and book had fallen close to his gourd. he grabbed it, fishing the spare set of clothes out and throwing them on. despite his best efforts, it took several minutes of fighting his own body to get outfitted.


    noah pressed his lips together tightly and dragged his rebellious feet back toward the scene of his death.


    his throw had been better than he¡¯d expected. it took several more minutes for noah to trace his steps back, but he eventually spotted the dead chucker sprawled beside several shattered trees, its body ripped to shreds.


    he stepped over the monster, unable to even bring his gaze up, and stumbled over to his body.


    to where his body should have been.


    noah blinked. he forced himself to lift his head, then slowly turned in a circle. all that met his eyes were trees. there was no sign of his corpse.

 Chapter 21: Loan

    chapter 21: loan


    noah scoured the ground as best as he could through the pulses of dizziness that ravaged his mind. bodies didn¡¯t just up and vanish. and, if they¡¯d somehow managed to eat his corpse in the minutes he¡¯d been gone, then there should have been blood all over the ground. for that matter, he¡¯d never seen the monkeys drag his corpses anywhere and, even if they had, there should have been some form of trail in the dirt.


    there was no sign of either. a tiny blur of beige caught noah¡¯s eye and he staggered over to it, kneeling and picking up one of the claws that he¡¯d ripped free of a slasher. noah picked it up and straightened, checking around the nearby trees.


    nothing. his body was just... gone.


    did a skinwalker take it? or did my body just get kidnapped by some monkey?


    noah groaned and rubbed his forehead. it was too difficult to put thoughts together right now. sunlight pierced into his skull, digging in like little jagged knives and forcing him to shield his eyes with a hand. it wouldn¡¯t be too long before they were pulled back to arbitage. noah couldn¡¯t remember the exact time they¡¯d left anymore, but he was fairly certain it was close to a day ago.


    he froze.


    shit. where are todd and isabel?


    noah swore under his breath and, after taking a few moments more than he would have liked to orient himself, stumbled in the direction that they¡¯d gone. the fog filling his mind had nearly made him completely forget that he wasn¡¯t alone.


    are they alive? did they see what happened? maybe they grabbed my body and are currently mourning me? damn, that would be awkward.


    he forced his rebelling body to accelerate, nearly tripping over the protruding roots of a tree. noah barely managed to catch himself on a branch before he fell. it creaked dangerously and he shoved away from it, following the outlines of todd and isabel¡¯s tracks in the packed dirt.


    the world wobbled and twisted around noah like he was looking at it through the mirrors of a funhouse in a circus. trees swirled at the edges of his vision in a mocking dance, snapping still the moment he looked in their direction. several times, he could have sworn something was watching him from behind, but there was nothing whenever he turned to check.


    damn it. of all the times to get myself killed, this was probably the worst.


    noah raised his vision from the burnt ground directly before his feet ¨C nearly tripping over them in the process. a monkey corpse lay sprawled on the ground before him, scorched and smoldering.


    he raised his gaze up the tree behind it. todd and isabel sat in its branches. their eyes widened in shock as they spotted noah, and relief flooded through him.


    ¡°professor! you¡¯re alive!¡± isabel¡¯s face shone with shock and relief. her words caught in her throat for a moment. ¡°i heard the rock hit you and¨C¡±


    ¡°and yet here i stand,¡± noah said, struggling to find words through the haze enveloping him. he shook his head in a futile attempt to shake the fog away. ¡°never mind that. what happened after you ran?¡±


    ¡°we didn¡¯t turn back, just like you told us to. a monkey saw us running and gave chase, so i fried it,¡± todd said. he didn¡¯t bother hiding the pride in his voice, and noah gave him an approving nod after taking a second to process his words.


    ¡°well done. literally.¡± noah chuckled and immediately regretted the action as it sent waves of pain rocking through his head. he gritted his teeth and pressed a palm to his temple.


    ¡°are you okay?¡± isabel slipped from the branches of the trees to the ground beside noah. todd dropped down right after her.


    ¡°i¡¯ll live. chuckers are a little too strong for me to deal with casually, as you saw.¡±


    ¡°how¡¯d you live through getting hit like that without a shield?¡± todd asked. ¡°i heard the crunch. there¡¯s no way you should be walking around right now.¡±


    noah opened his mouth, desperately trying to think of a good excuse, but his mind refused to comply with his pleas.


    ¡°he¡¯s got a healing potion, idiot,¡± isabel said, pointing at the gourd hanging from noah¡¯s waist. ¡°what did you think? he even told us to buy some earlier. it would be stupid if he didn¡¯t follow his own advice.¡±


    you are now officially my favorite student.


    ¡°good deduction. you¡¯ll have to excuse me, though. fighting that thing took a lot of energy, and i¡¯m pretty much spent. consider our lesson for today complete. just keep an eye out for more monsters until we get yanked back to arbitage.¡±


    isabel and todd nodded, their expressions turning serious. they squinted into the trees, searching for signs of monsters that noah desperately hoped weren¡¯t there. meanwhile, he leaned against a tree and slid down to a seated position.


    the next hour ticked by in stressful silence. nobody said anything, which noah was grateful for. his headache didn¡¯t abate, but the silence at least made it slightly more tolerable. an odd mixture of curiosity, satisfaction, and pain mixed in his mind, and all he could do was sit along for the ride.


    when a familiar tug pulled at noah, the only thing left in him was relief. isabel and todd both cried out in surprise, but their calls were lost as the three of them were ripped away from the scorched acres and summoned back to arbitage.


    noah slammed into the metal of the transport cannon¡¯s tube, sliding out of it and onto the ground with a grunt. he barely managed to keep the presence of mind to roll out of the way before isabel and todd followed him in, collapsing in a pile of curses and limbs.


    ¡°i hope your trip went well,¡± tim said with a cheerful smile. ¡°i see your clothes survived this time as well.¡±


    ¡°you really seem to have a grudge against me,¡± noah said. ¡°would you be more receptive to letting me in if i were a skinwalker? you seem to have a soft spot for those.¡±


    moxie¡¯s cheeks reddened in embarrassment and anger. ¡°not the best way to convince someone to help you.¡±


    ¡°but it¡¯s a great way to annoy you, and i¡¯m not leaving until you answer my question.¡±


    moxie ground her teeth together. she let go of the door and crossed her arms. ¡°this is why everyone hates you, vermil. what do you want?¡±


    ¡°where¡¯s my money?¡±


    ¡°what? i don¡¯t owe you shit.¡±


    ¡°not you. my money. like, the money that actually belongs to me,¡± noah said. moxie¡¯s stare remained flat. ¡°my pay. you know? the thing we receive in exchange for goods and services?¡±


    ¡°i know what money is,¡± moxie snapped. ¡°did you seriously blow through your monthly pay already?¡±


    ¡°well, it¡¯s more that i can¡¯t seem to figure out where it is. you remember those slight memory loss issues i told you about, right? i can¡¯t find any money in my room.¡±


    if there¡¯s any sort of bank in the area, moxie will probably call me an idiot for not trying to use it.


    ¡°you lost your money,¡± moxie said flatly. ¡°or you spent all of it. and now you¡¯re trying to make excuses as to where it went.¡±


    no mention of a bank. good thing i didn¡¯t bring it up, then. i guess people just keep their coin sitting around in their rooms, which begs the question ¨C why didn¡¯t vermil have anything? wasn¡¯t he supposed to be rich?


    ¡°yup. you got me. while we¡¯re on the topic, i¡¯ve also managed to destroy all of my clothes. do you know where i can get more made?¡±


    moxie stared at him. when it became clear that noah was serious, she ran a hand through her hair and let out a heavy sigh.


    ¡°how incompetent can you be?¡±


    ¡°do you want a demonstration?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll pass. what do you want from me, vermil? you¡¯ll get paid again at the start of the month, which is in a week.¡±


    ¡°how about a loan?¡± noah offered.


    ¡°you can¡¯t be serious. you¡¯re asking me for money? really?¡±


    ¡°a loan. i¡¯ll give it back.¡±


    moxie glared at him. ¡°and you ask me? of every single person you could have approached, you come to me?¡±


    noah looked to either side, then shrugged. ¡°i guess. you¡¯re just that trustworthy. i¡¯m too scummy to get anyone else to speak to me. only you¡¯ve shown me such pity, and i must beg to take advantage of it one more time. your kind, giving reputation precedes you. besides, you¡¯re strong enough to beat the money out of me at the start of the month if i don¡¯t pay you back.¡±


    moxie rolled her eyes. ¡°please stop. i¡¯m going to throw up if i hear any more compliments come out of your greasy mouth. fine. i¡¯ll give you enough to get by if you promise to leave immediately and not bother me again. deal?¡±


    aha. the good ¡®ole ego stroke. never fails to succeed.


    ¡°deal,¡± noah said, extending a hand.


    moxie stared at it distastefully, then turned and slammed the door in his face. it reopened a few seconds later and she tossed a small leather bag at noah. he snagged it and moxie made a shooing motion.


    ¡°get lost. you got what you wanted.¡±


    ¡°thanks,¡± noah said with a cheerful grin. he turned on his heel and strode away, whistling to himself. back on earth, he¡¯d never had enough money to do anything more than shop at secondhand stores and even that was a rare treat.


    now, he couldn¡¯t even think on what he actually needed the money for. no, things were different here. killing monsters gave sustenance through their energy, and he¡¯d discovered a free teacher mess hall a few days ago, between his trips to the scorched acres.


    that meant he could spend money on whatever he wanted to ¨C and right now, noah needed some new clothes.

 Chapter 22: Silvertide

    chapter 22: silvertide


    noah strolled down the campus streets, walking without a deadline or pressing goal for the first time since his arrival. it wasn¡¯t like the clothes were going to all run out of the shop before he got there, after all.


    he savored the brief respite, enjoying the smells of freshly baked bread and savory meat rising up from the street vendor carts that dotted the corners of some roads. students gathered around them and sat on tables lining the road, talking and eating cheerfully.


    it was peaceful. a stark contrast to the blood and ash that had been his life for the last few days, and the infinite nothingness that he¡¯d wasted hundreds or thousands of years in. he smiled to himself.


    he joined the line at a vendor selling meat pies and fished a coin out of the pouch that moxie had given him. it was golden, with a silver trim along its edge. one face of the coin was engraved with arbitage¡¯s silhouette, and the other had a rising or setting sun ¨C noah couldn¡¯t tell which.


    the line shrank quickly and he soon arrived at the front. noah held the coin out to the portly vendor and gave the man his best grin. ¡°one pie, please.¡±


    he wasn¡¯t sure how much money the coins were worth, but if the man looked offended at the offer, noah had quite a few more to add to his pay. luckily, the merchant took the coin without a word. he dug into his apron and pulled out nine pure silver coins that were a little smaller than the gold one, dumping them into noah¡¯s outstretched palm before sliding a pie over to him.


    ¡°much appreciated,¡± noah said, sweeping the silver coins into his pouch and snagging his pie from the table. the merchant grunted, not even gracing him with a response. noah took no offense to that ¨C he hadn¡¯t seen the merchant speak to anyone in line ahead of him either.


    he¡¯d gotten quite a few coins in exchange for what he¡¯d paid, which meant moxie had given him a significant amount of money. noah jingled the pouch thoughtfully. for someone that didn¡¯t like him, she was helping more than he¡¯d expected.


    how much do i get paid? i promised to pay her back completely, but if she gave me more than i earn and i spent all of it... maybe it¡¯s best to figure out exactly how much all of this is worth before i use too much. i got nine coins back, so it¡¯s probably a safe bet to assume the pie cost one silver.


    how much money is food worth again? i can¡¯t remember. i feel like one set of clothes is probably worth... twenty meals, maybe? that seems like a good trade. and if i get paid monthly, i¡¯d expect to earn enough food to eat three times a day at minimum.


    that adds up to ninety silver or around nine gold, assuming months are the same length here as they were on earth. moxie gave around twenty coins... so more than the absolute bare minimum i¡¯d expect per month.


    much more money than i¡¯d need to last a few days. that¡¯s fishy. i¡¯m going to have to make sure to spend as little of it as possible.


    noah wandered through arbitage¡¯s busy streets, content to enjoy listening in on passing conversations and appreciate the well-kept flowers and trees lining the sides of the roads. eventually, his wandering led him to the shopping district.


    after peering through the windows of several stores, noah found what he was looking for. a small bell attached to the door jingled as he entered a shop. rows upon rows of mannequins greeted him, arranged in neat lines along the right side of the room.


    there was a large mirror along the entire back wall, and several lanterns hung from the ceiling beside it, completely illuminating the wall. at the left side of the store were several doors and a counter, behind which sat a short woman hunched over a bright red garment.


    a tall student stood across from her on the other side of the counter. he had the broadest shoulders noah had ever seen and stood two heads taller than him. his hair was short and his features sharp.


    the seamstress flinched as tyler spun toward noah, his wide mouth pressing thin in anger. tyler raised his hands and bared his teeth in a snarl.


    ¡°don¡¯t make me toss you out of the¨C¡±


    noah didn¡¯t hear the rest of his sentence. as tyler¡¯s large hands rose into the air, the only thing that he could picture before him was the towering bulky form of a slasher, its hands lifted to split him in two.


    noah shifted his weight and drove his palm forward. energy sparked against his fingertips as he sent a powerful vibration out of his palm and into the slasher¡¯s chest, striking before it could finish the blow. a brilliant red hue flared around the monster and a shield bloomed to life around it. he ¨C


    the slasher was gone.


    tyler stared up at him from where he¡¯d fallen on the ground, his hands raised defensively before his face and his shield burning with desperate light, cracks spiderwebbing throughout it. his eyes were wide in terror.


    ¡°i ¨C what?¡± noah spun, searching for the slasher. it was gone. he turned back to tyler, but any questions he might have had died on his lips.


    the door to the shop slammed open. a gray haired man strode inside, a blood red coat rippling around his shoulders. streaks of white hair interwove with gray in his beard, and the weathered lines on his face marked his age well into the fifties. the light from tyler¡¯s shield reflected off the man¡¯s right leg, which was a construct of pure silver engraved with runework.


    ¡°i leave you alone for one hour,¡± the man said, his voice calm but deadly, ¡°and you break your shield already. inside arbitage no less.¡±


    noah squinted at them in confusion. the throbbing pain in the back of his head pulled back completely. there was no slasher. he¡¯d just attacked a student and, if it hadn¡¯t been for the shield, noah would have killed him.


    ¡°he rocked me, professor silvertide,¡± tyler said, his eyes still wide. ¡°no hesitation at all. one second, he was just standing there. the next, i swear he was trying to rip my throat out.¡±


    ¡°i¨C¡± noah started.


    ¡°idiot.¡±


    noah and tyler both stared at the elderly man, baffled for completely opposite reasons.


    ¡°he¡¯s seen combat. look at his eyes, you imbecile,¡± silvertide growled. ¡°i¡¯ve told you not to make threatening moves toward soldiers. you¡¯re lucky he showed restraint, or you might have gotten killed before i got here. anyone that fights monsters doesn¡¯t have the liberty to determine if you¡¯re friend or foe before making a move.¡±


    wait, what?

 Chapter 23: Solutions

    chapter 23: solutions


    silvertide grabbed tyler by the back of his shirt and yanked the boy to his feet without an ounce of effort.


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry,¡± noah said, shame tightening around his chest. ¡°i have no idea what got into me. i¡¯ve been killing too many slashers of late, and ¨C forget it. there¡¯s no excuse. are you injured?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m fine.¡± tyler swallowed heavily as silvertide pierced him with a razor sharp look. ¡°but... how¡¯d you do that?¡±


    ¡°do what?¡± noah asked, still struggling to understand what was going on. ¡°i promise it wasn¡¯t intentional. i don¡¯t make a habit of attacking students.¡±


    ¡°this oaf does resemble a slasher, doesn¡¯t he?¡± silvertide asked with a wry smile. ¡°you¡¯ve done no wrong, soldier. stand down. nobody can be blamed for reacting defensively to protect themselves, and the boy is unhurt. no harm has been done.¡±


    what is going on? how are they shrugging this off like it¡¯s nothing?


    noah¡¯s mouth worked for a moment as he searched for the right words to say, but none came to him. silvertide¡¯s gaze flicked down to the pile of clothes on the floor beside noah, and noah realized he must have dropped them at some point.


    ¡°those aren¡¯t the clothes of a soldier.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m actually a teacher,¡± noah said, clearing his throat. ¡°i¡¯m no ¨C ah, professor vermil.¡±


    silvertide froze. he peered down the bridge of his nose at noah, who matched his gaze with a confused frown.


    ¡°you¡¯re a professor?¡± silvertide asked. ¡°vermil? you?¡±


    ¡°yes,¡± noah replied, scooping his clothes off the ground. he grabbed his coat and slung it back around his shoulders, tapping the nametag on his chest. ¡°as i said, i vastly overacted.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve thought about killing my idiot apprentice more times than you have, i promise.¡± silvertide waved his hand dismissively. he opened his mouth, then pursed his lips and thought better of it, shaking his head. ¡°curious. professor vermil. what class do you teach?¡±


    it took noah a moment to remember his classroom. ¡°g100.¡±


    ¡°i see. apologize to vermil, tyler.¡±


    tyler immediately dropped into a deep bow, keeping his eyes firmly affixed to the floor as if afraid to meet noah¡¯s eyes. ¡°i¡¯m very sorry for the trouble, professor vermil.¡±


    what kind of backward ass interaction is this? why am i the one getting apologized to?


    ¡°no harm done at all. i¡¯m sorry about your shield.¡±


    ¡°it served its purpose.¡± silvertide tapped a finger against his leg, making a hollow, ringing note as his fingernail struck the metal. ¡°please, don¡¯t allow your day to be interrupted by my fool apprentice. were you trying to purchase something?¡±


    ¡°i think the seamstress was busy,¡± noah said, glancing at the woman. she was watching them, even more terror in her eyes than there had been before. noah repressed a sigh. somehow, he was pretty sure he¡¯d made the situation about ten times worse.


    ¡°there¡¯s a customer in the store. the project she is working on is not so important that she should ignore you. if it were, she should have closed the store until it was complete.¡±


    the seamstress nodded empathetically.


    then it twitched.


    it was an eye, and it was looking straight at him.


    noah drew in a startled breath and fell back onto his ass, scrambling away from the void. his heart hammered in his chest and he tripped over himself stumbling back to his feet. he dared another look into the white, but it was blank once more. he pressed a hand to his chest and let out a slow breath.


    ¡°what the hell?¡± noah muttered. ¡°there is absolutely no way that was supposed to be there. shit. it was only as big as the cracks, though. that confirms it. the visions are due to the soul damage i¡¯m taking. either it¡¯s linking me to whatever that thing was, or it¡¯s making it easier to access my mind, or something like that. i need to stop dying for a while until this damage heals up a bit more.¡±


    he gathered himself and, after spending a few more moments to examine his runes and build his confidence, sent himself back to the real world. noah¡¯s eyes opened. his room was empty, devoid of any visions to haunt him. noah trudged over to his bed and fell into it.


    i¡¯ll take the rest of the day off and try to relax. then it¡¯s back to killing monkeys. i¡¯ll need to be more aware these next few days to make sure a chucker doesn¡¯t get the jump on us again. as long as i see them coming, i¡¯m pretty confident i can avoid getting killed. at the rate of healing i had before, this whole thing should blow over in a few days.


    ***


    the day passed without incident and, before noah knew it, the sun had set and risen once more. he awoke to the warm sunlight filtering through the window and onto his face, warming it.


    noah rolled out of bed with little complaint, only pausing to scan the room for any signs of illusionary monkeys. for an instant, he could have sworn he spotted the beady black eyes of a small monkey watching him from behind the bathroom door, but it was gone when he blinked. noah returned to his mindspace to check on the healing process of the wounds in it. the white void had shrunk slightly, but it was still there.


    there was nothing to be done about it, so noah headed out of his room to go find his students. they had monkeys to kill.


    and kill they did.


    over the course of the next week, both todd and isabel showed remarkable improvements fighting against the small monkeys. no more chuckers interrupted their training sessions, and noah handled any slashers that had the misfortune to stumble into their path.


    with every passing day, his students grew more confident and grew in strength. todd¡¯s fire burned hotter and isabel¡¯s sword glowed brighter. their movements adapted to those of the monsters¡¯, and they were soon dispatching them without any fear and with increased speed.


    even with their improvements, neither was at noah¡¯s level of understanding. there was a stark difference between becoming comfortable enough to consistently defeat the monkeys and knowing their movements so intimately that every move they could make had already passed through noah¡¯s mind before it had hit theirs.


    whenever noah wasn¡¯t teaching them in the scorched acres, he was there himself, throwing everything he had against any monkey bold enough to step into his path. the scales in his fights against the chuckers steadily tipped.


    despite his best efforts, he still ended up dying one more time when two chuckers came at him at once. he managed to take them both down, but took a killing blow in the process. luckily, he''d healed enough by then that the visions didn''t seem to return. by the end of the week, noah was confident that he¡¯d figured out every single movement they had. and, as far as he could tell, he was right. the last time he had died to them was halfway through the week, and he¡¯d killed dozens of them since then without taking a single blow in return.


    on the morning of the seventh day that week, noah took a break from the constant fighting to check in on his own progress. floating within his mindspace, noah was more than satisfied.


    the glow coming off both his ash runes had intensified significantly since the start of the week. he could instinctively tell that they weren¡¯t full yet, but the pressure coming off them had more than doubled.


    he was certain that the rate they¡¯d been getting brighter at had slightly reduced, but that made complete sense to him.


    the laws of energy haven¡¯t changed. i¡¯m basically storing magical energy in runes, which act as a vessel to contain it. so, logically, they act like a balloon of sorts. it¡¯s easy to fill runes when they¡¯re empty, but the closer they get to being full, the more resistance there is.


    his lesser wind runes had long since filled themselves, and the vibration rune seemed to be just a bit over a quarter full. considering he¡¯d been working at it for less than a month, noah was beyond pleased.


    it was time to start the next stage of his plans for both him and his students.

 Chapter 24: Resources

    chapter 24: resources


    noah headed out to his classroom. the shadows occasionally slithered at the edges of his vision, but it was much better than it had been in the previous days. they were almost completely gone. there had been no incidents since he¡¯d run into tyler and silvertide.


    isabel and todd were already there when noah arrived. they sat in the front row, using the light of a small ball of fire above todd¡¯s finger to study the pages of a book. both glanced up as noah entered.


    ¡°am i late again?¡± noah asked.


    ¡°only a few minutes.¡± todd closed the book and rose with an excited grin. ¡°is it time to go hunting again?¡±


    ¡°not today,¡± noah replied.


    ¡°what? why?¡± isabel asked, taken aback. ¡°my runes have been filling so quickly these past few days. i might have most of them completely full by the time the test comes around.¡±


    ¡°first off, tell me something. do you see the other teachers sending their students to the scorched acres to slaughter a bunch of tiny monkeys?¡±


    ¡°no,¡± todd admitted. he crossed his arms. ¡°there isn¡¯t enough magic in the monkeys to be worth killing them so much, but how does that matter? lesser runes don¡¯t take nearly as much energy to fill as greater ones do.¡±


    that confirmed a suspicion that had been tugging at the back of noah¡¯s mind for the past week. the rate that his students had improved at was indeed high ¨C and matched up with the fast rate of growth related with weaker runes that filled faster.


    they were great for short term strength, but noah could feel firsthand the enormous difference in strength between his greater ash rune and the lesser wind ones. his students had only been killing the small monkeys, but they¡¯d nearly matched his growth ¨C which meant they were either fighting more on the side or were about to run out of potential.


    ¡°what rank are your runes?¡± noah asked.


    todd and isabel¡¯s eyes narrowed. a mixture of shame and anger mixed in their faces, answering noah¡¯s question before either of them could speak.


    ¡°why¡¯s it matter?¡± todd crossed his arms. ¡°that¡¯s got nothing to do with the exam. just because we don¡¯t have¨C¡±


    ¡°you¡¯ve misunderstood me. that wasn¡¯t a rhetorical question, but you don¡¯t need to answer. i already know. you¡¯ve got lesser runes.¡±


    ¡°what of it?¡± isabel snapped. ¡°not all of us get lucky enough for our parents to give us high quality ones, and forget buying them. our best option is to combine a weaker rank 2 rune, try to save up money, and then suffer through the soul damage of removing something so heavily bound to us and hope that nothing is permanent. getting greater rank 1 runes is too expensive.¡±


    ¡°if you combine lesser runes, you end up with a lesser combination. keeping it means your potential is damaged. removing it means there¡¯s a chance of permanently damaging your soul and ¨C once again ¨C your potential because removing a rune you used energy to combine is a no-no.¡±


    ¡°so what? do you think we don¡¯t know that?¡± isabel asked, pressing her hands against the desk and leaning forward. ¡°what are we supposed to do? if i could hit rank 2 or three, then start saving money to copy down one greater rune from there, i¡¯ll be better off than most of the people i know. that glimpse of a greater fire rune you gave us is more than most ever see, and it¡¯s still nowhere near enough to really learn it. even if it¡¯s just rank 1, it¡¯s completely inaccessible to most people.¡±


    ¡°we can¡¯t all get the resources of a noble house,¡± todd added, looking away and failing to hide his disappointment. ¡°let¡¯s just keep practicing. at least that¡¯s something i can control.¡±


    ¡°wrong,¡± noah said.


    they stared at him.


    ¡°what?¡± todd asked.


    ¡°no buts,¡± noah said. ¡°how is this any different from other students having their teachers provide them with shields?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s usually their families that pay for those.¡±


    ¡°semantics.¡± noah waved his hand dismissively. ¡°listen. you want to know why i¡¯m doing this? it¡¯s so you don¡¯t just pass this test, but the ones after it as well. the way you perform reflects on me. if you need to find out my selfish motive, use that. now, no more questions. there will be time for those later. let¡¯s let todd concentrate. when he¡¯s done, you¡¯re up.¡±


    isabel looked like she wanted to argue, but she just inclined her head and sat back, studying noah as if trying to figure out what his angle was.


    time ticked by. after having to restart several times because of mistakes, todd finally pushed the book over to isabel, a huge grin on his face.


    isabel leafed through the book for a few minutes, then settled on a greater stone rune. she took a little less time than todd did, but looked every bit as focused and concentrated.


    by the time both of them were done, the sun had already started making its way below the horizon. class had run over by several hours, but none of them mentioned it. noah simply tucked his book back into its holster.


    ¡°congratulations, both of you,¡± noah said as they walked into the hall. ¡°we¡¯re just about done fighting the small monkeys. once you have a new rune to fill, we¡¯ll be transitioning to fighting slashers as a team.¡±


    ¡°already?¡± isabel asked. ¡°are you sure we can handle them?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll be there for a reason.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s why you chose now to give us these,¡± todd realized, looking down at the paper nestled against his chest. ¡°you wanted us comfortable with our normal runes but to also have something more important to fill with the energy that slashers have.¡±


    ¡°ding.¡±


    todd chewed his lower lip. isabel shot him a glance and he shook his head, dismissing whatever thought that had been running through his head before it could come out of his lips. they stepped out of the building and into the evening light. noah raised a hand, blocking the sun from his eyes.


    ¡°we¡¯ll meet again in two days. if you can, i suggest buying a healing potion. slashers aren¡¯t quite as easy to fight as the small monkeys, but i¡¯m confident you can both do it. i¡¯ll also be watching, ready to intercede the moment it looks like something is going to go south.¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ll be there,¡± todd promised. he hustled off, and noah and isabel watched him go.


    ¡°what are you waiting for?¡± noah asked.


    ¡°nothing.¡± isabel shook her head, then strode away. a smile crossed noah¡¯s face and he turned, heading back toward the teacher¡¯s quarters.


    good. i¡¯ve got absolutely no use for all the runes in this book, so i don¡¯t have any reason to just keep them to myself. now i can focus on getting stronger without worrying about the kids being crippled before they ever get a chance to stretch their wings.


    tomorrow morning, at least according to moxie, he was going to get paid. he¡¯d return moxie¡¯s borrowed money to her, then go shopping for something other than clothes. in particular, he still remembered the two men rescuing him on flying swords. if he could get his hands on one of those, traveling through the scorched acres would be far more efficient. he was already having to walk pretty far every time he went there alone, so some form of improved transport was long overdue.


    there was a lot he still wanted to do, but much of it wasn¡¯t anything short term. for now, noah determined that he¡¯d focus on making sure todd and isabel passed the exam while getting himself as strong as possible.


    once the exam was over, he¡¯d make a list of everything he¡¯d only just started to scratch the surface on. even though it was still just early evening, noah hopped into bed and rolled over, letting sleep take him.

 Chapter 25: Flying sword

    chapter 25: flying sword


    noah woke to a faint click. he sprung from his bed, wind swirling to his fingertips and his hands raising defensively in front of him before his eyes had even fully opened. the door stood slightly ajar, and a wide-eyed girl several heads shorter than him stood on the other side, her face pale. she had long black hair that nearly touched the ground and dull yellow eyes.


    the girl quickly raised her hands and backed up, leaving a small, brown paper wrapped package on the ground before him.


    ¡°please don¡¯t attack!¡±


    noah lowered his hands, confusion marring with his pumping adrenaline. ¡°what? what are you doing? how did you open my door?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m delivering your mail,¡± the girl stammered, pointing at the package on the ground. ¡°i¡¯m sorry! you had it listed that couriers could enter your room to deposit any packages! i¡¯ll be sure to update things immediately. i¡¯m sorry, i¡¯m sorry. please don¡¯t hit me!¡±


    noah let his hands drop and dismissed the magic. ¡°crap. i¡¯m sorry. i won¡¯t attack you, i swear. i just had a small bout of amnesia and forgot about mail. ah ¨C is there another way to receive mail in the future? maybe you could knock?¡±


    the girl swallowed and gave him a jerky nod. ¡°i can knock.¡±


    ¡°that would be best,¡± noah said, making his voice as soft as possible. ¡°i¡¯m sorry for scaring you. i¡¯ve been fighting monsters a bit too much as of late, and it¡¯s made me jumpy. do you take tips?¡±


    the girl blinked in surprise. ¡°tips?¡±


    noah grabbed the pouch of money that moxie had given him from his bedside and fished several silver coins out of it. he held them out to the trembling girl. she eyed his hand for a moment, then slowly extended hers and let noah drop the coins into her palms.


    ¡°why?¡±


    ¡°because you didn¡¯t deserve to get the daylight scared out of you. i promise it won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    the girl swallowed again, then straightened up. ¡°i wasn¡¯t scared.¡±


    sure you weren¡¯t. and i wasn¡¯t about to blast you like one of the monkeys in the scorched acres. at least it wasn¡¯t a vision this time. my soul must must be healing.


    ¡°i¡¯m sure you weren¡¯t, but it would make me feel better if you took it. think of this as a bribe,¡± noah said, hiding a laugh. ¡°i¡¯m no ¨C ah, magus vermil. you wouldn¡¯t want to make me feel bad, would you?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m courier tibbs, but everyone calls me amy.¡± she gave him a small smile, then nodded. ¡°thank you, magus vermil.¡±


    noah walked up to the door, moving slowly to avoid startling amy, and picked the package up. her eyes tracked his movement and noah raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°is there anything else i need to do? i may have forgotten. amnesia and all that.¡±


    ¡°no, that¡¯s it,¡± amy said with a shake of her head. she paused for a few moments. ¡°you don¡¯t seem like a weirdo.¡±


    noah choked. ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°the other couriers said that you were one, so they gave me your route. i bet they¡¯ll feel real stupid when i show them this!¡± amy held the coins up with a victorious grin. she glanced over her shoulder, then quickly stuffed the coins into a pocket in her overalls.


    ¡°maybe you shouldn¡¯t show them. if they sent you to meet someone bad, wouldn¡¯t they be mad that they didn¡¯t get paid?¡±


    amy blinked. ¡°oh. i didn¡¯t think ¡®bout that.¡±


    ¡°maybe keep the money to yourself,¡± noah suggested, trying to pretend that his reputation hadn¡¯t somehow preceded him with literal children. if even they knew vermil was strange, there might really be no saving face with the general public of the school. ¡°and if they cause you any problems, you come tell me. that money¡¯s yours, okay?¡±


    amy beamed and nodded, their initial altercation completely forgotten. ¡°okay! thanks, mista vermil!¡±


    she bounced down the hall and vanished around a corner. noah shook his head and shut the door behind her. he hooked a finger into the package and tore it open, revealing a small pile of golden coins.


    noah counted them out and his eyes narrowed. there were ten. moxie had given him twice that. if he¡¯d gone through everything, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to pay her back. there was always the possibility she was rich and had no idea how much money he earned, but noah wasn¡¯t so sure that was the case.


    was she trying to get me into her debt?


    noah shrugged to himself. it was irrelevant now. he tucked the coins into his pocket and threw his cloak on, taking a moment to fruitlessly try to tame his curly hair before giving up and striding over to find moxie.


    ¡°how about something that costs less than five gold?¡±


    if glares could kill, noah would have dropped dead on the spot. he matched the man¡¯s look without flinching. no matter how irritated bilbur could look, it was nothing compared to the fury that the beady eyes of a slasher held.


    bilbur broke their standoff first and glanced down. ¡°i¡¯ve got some beaters. nothing great, and it might not fly too hot, but it¡¯ll fly. two gold.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s exactly what i¡¯m looking for.¡± noah rubbed his hands together. ¡°let me get one of those. wait, if you''ve got cheaper swords, what about shields?¡±


    bilbur pierced noah with a flat glare. "the cheapest one i''ve got is four hundred gold, and it''s failed more times than it''s worked. it''s for testing."


    "right. nevermind. back to the swords, then. two gold, you said?"


    ¡°aye. you sure?¡± bilbur asked. ¡°when i say they don¡¯t fly well, i mean it. i¡¯d sell you one in a heartbeat, but i¡¯m not giving you a refund if you don¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°they won¡¯t cut out on me mid-flight, will they?¡±


    ¡°no, nothing like that. more like it¡¯ll jerk around. have a bit of an attitude. that kind of thing. it¡¯ll get the job done, but it just won¡¯t be a fun ride.¡±


    noah shrugged. he could deal with that. if the sword wasn¡¯t malfunctioning, as long as it got him around the forest faster, it would be a valuable investment. ¡°that¡¯s fine. i¡¯ll take one.¡±


    bilbur tossed the sword he¡¯d been polishing into a pile of scrap metal. it landed with a screech and a crash, and noah winced. he could practically hear all the work bilbur had put into the sword go up in an instant.


    entirely unbothered, bilbur slid down the ladder on the back of his towering stool and stormed across the ground up to a pile of rusted weapons. he dug through it, tossing them to the side until he spotted one that caught his fancy.


    the sword in question was nearly more rust than metal. it was a solid copper color, with a plain blade and pommel. it didn¡¯t even have a hilt. noah gave it a suspicious glance.


    ¡°you¡¯re sure that¡¯ll fly?¡±


    ¡°if you throw it¨C¡±


    noah¡¯s glare silenced bilbur before he could finish the sentence. bilbur cleared his throat.


    ¡°yeah. it¡¯ll fly. not great, but it¡¯ll fly. two gold. imprinting runes isn¡¯t easy, twig.¡±


    noah pulled two gold coins out and held them out to bilbur. bilbur grinned and snatched them, then offered up the sword in response. noah carefully took the blade, holding it before him like a torch.


    ¡°is there a sheath that comes with this?¡±


    ¡°no.¡±


    ¡°ah.¡± noah grimaced. ¡°how do i use it?¡±


    bilbur, who was halfway back up the ladder to his stool, squinted through the bars at noah.


    ¡°seriously? you can¡¯t use a flying sword?¡±


    ¡°just humor me.¡±


    ¡°you stand on it. and, assuming you were smart enough to have a wind rune or something else that enables flight, you imagine flying.¡± bilbur spoke as if his answer were the most logical thing in the world. ¡°any more questions? want me to show you how to tie your shoes?¡±


    ¡°let¡¯s put a rain check in that. pleasure doing business with you,¡± noah said. he raised a hand in farewell and got a rude gesture involving a middle finger in response.


    it¡¯s good to see some traditions have somehow manifested themselves on both earth and whatever this new planet is. some things never change.


    noah exited the shop and stepped out into the street. the sun was still barely starting its trek through the sky. tim would already be at his usual spot, of course. he¡¯d been there every time noah had come to use the transport cannon.


    i¡¯ve still got some money. should i buy something else that¡¯ll be useful, or save up? then again, i don¡¯t even know what i actually need. potions are a waste for me, as are shields. guess there¡¯s no point spending money without knowing what i need, though.


    his path decided, noah set off to find tim, excitement bubbling in his chest. it was time to practice - and to kill monkeys.

 Chapter 25.5: Moxies Lesson

    chapter 25.5: moxie''s lesson


    ¡°does my door have a sign on it somewhere asking you to stop by?¡± moxie asked, squinting at noah from the tiny crack she¡¯d opened her door by. ¡°what do you want?¡±


    ¡°not all that much. i was just thinking about ways i could improve,¡± noah drawled. ¡°and you¡¯re the most exemplary example of a teacher i know.¡±


    ¡°more like i¡¯m the only other teacher that¡¯s willing to speak to you, and that patience is already running thin. just tell me what you want.¡±


    noah shrugged. ¡°fine. i want to shadow your class.¡±


    moxie blinked. she studied him for a moment, then opened the door a little more. ¡°why?¡±


    ¡°so i can learn what you do,¡± noah replied. ¡°i¡¯ve been slacking for too long. if i¡¯m going to do right by my students, i need to catch up on a lot of stuff including the proper way to instruct them.¡±


    and, more importantly, i can learn more about what i¡¯m supposed to be teaching. fighting is clearly part of it, but is it everything?


    moxie didn¡¯t respond for a few moments. then she sighed. ¡°i suppose i can¡¯t refuse a request like that. if you¡¯re hoping to get your hands on any of our runes or combinations, you¡¯re going to be sorely disappointed. today¡¯s lesson is pretty boring. it¡¯s not going to matter all that much for your own students.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s totally fine with me. it¡¯s about the style.¡±


    so we don¡¯t teach the same things? is arbitage even a school if the curriculum isn¡¯t standardized? it feels more like a pure research institute that just happens to assign professors to students. actually, that¡¯s literally just a shitty college with too much research money. it¡¯s the same damn thing.


    ¡°just don¡¯t be disruptive,¡± moxie ordered, stepping back and out of view for a moment. she reemerged with a bag slung over her shoulder. ¡°and don¡¯t interact with my student, emily. i won¡¯t have you bothering her.¡±


    ¡°i won¡¯t say a word to her,¡± noah promised.


    moxie shook her head. ¡°whatever. you¡¯re already here, so we might as well go.¡±


    she stepped out, locking the room behind her before setting off down the hall. noah jogged to catch up with her. moxie didn¡¯t seem to be in a particularly talkative mood, so they remained silent throughout their walk.


    noah wasn¡¯t sure if he was surprised or not to find that moxie didn¡¯t take him to the g building. instead, they walked up to a large marble, open topped building that was labeled with an a. it was considerably closer to the teacher¡¯s lodgings than noah¡¯s normal classroom was, and far better kept.


    he tried not to marvel too much at the beautiful, polished steps and the large, carved doors as they entered the room. moxie moved quickly, heading down the large hall that the doors led into. dozens of doors lined its sides, and the hall branched off into several smaller ones.


    moxie took the first turn, continuing down the smaller hall before arriving at an unmarked room. she opened the door and stepped in, letting it swing shut and forcing noah to catch it before it smacked him in the face.


    ¡°oh, wow,¡± noah said, his eyes widening as he entered the room. it wasn¡¯t very large, with only six chairs arranged before a chalkboard, but the size hardly mattered. every chair was padded, and light streamed into the room through a huge window that covered one of the walls. it was far, far better than the entirety of the g building put together.


    ¡°what?¡± moxie asked, glancing back at him.


    ¡°nothing. just appreciating your room.¡±


    moxie shook her head again. she pointed to the chair farthest from her. ¡°just sit and don¡¯t bother me. i need to prepare my notes. i was going to do this back in my room, but i¡¯ll do it here instead.¡±


    noah nodded, sitting down in the chair. it sank in slightly under his weight. somehow, it was even more comfortable than it had looked. noah leaned his chin in his hand, looking around the small but clean room as moxie dug some papers out of her bag and arranged them on the lacquered wooden podium.


    the light streaming into the room somehow grew even brighter as the sun rose further. before noah knew it, almost an hour had passed. moxie had long since finished her arrangements and was leaning against the board, staring out through the window in silent thought, when the door creaked.


    a short girl with long, silver hair and petite features stepped into the room. her eyes lit up as she saw moxie standing by the board, but she paused as she spotted noah. recalling his promise to moxie, noah just inclined his head slightly.


    ¡°don¡¯t mind him, emily,¡± moxie said promptly. ¡°he¡¯s... sitting in. just for one class.¡±


    ¡°okay,¡± emily replied, making her way over to the chair on the opposite side of the row and sitting down. ¡°are we going to be doing runework again?¡±n??v€l--?1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.


    ¡°not today. don¡¯t think i forgot about you failing that written test so quickly.¡±


    emily¡¯s face paled. ¡°but that was just boring stuff! none of it actually¨C¡±


    moxie smiled. ¡°good. let¡¯s move on to the next question, then. you¨C¡±


    ¡°what about the second half of the first one?¡± noah asked.


    moxie and emily looked at him.


    ¡°you mentioned there were two key things, but only went over one of them.¡±


    moxie blinked, then reddened ever so slightly. ¡°right. the other aspect is the differences in humans. not in talent, but in access.¡±


    ¡°people that already have good rune combinations to build off and those without, right?¡± emily asked. ¡°because if you don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing, the chance of eventually failing one of your combinations and seriously setting yourself back are really high.¡±


    so nobles versus non-nobles.


    ¡°correct,¡± moxie said. ¡°there are runes that aren¡¯t restricted in circulation, but most greater runes and high quality combinations are closely guarded by the families that discover them. while this doesn¡¯t make it impossible for less fortunate mages to get powerful, it does make it harder. never underestimate an opponent, but keep the differences in your situations in mind. someone with imperfect rune combinations will run out of energy quicker than you, and if you¡¯re both using the same type of magic, you¡¯ll be able to cut them off of their powers easier because your rune puts off more pressure than theirs.¡±


    emily nodded her understanding. moxie turned back to the paper on the desk.


    ¡°the next question on the exam was the proper channel to request a new rune combination through,¡± moxie said. ¡°you left it blank.¡±


    ¡°i can just ask mom dad.¡±


    moxie sighed. ¡°yes, but that can¡¯t be your actual answer. there are still ways that these things have to be done, emily.¡±


    emily scrunched her nose. ¡°can we go to the next question?¡±


    to noah¡¯s surprise, moxie obliged. the rest of the questions on the exam weren¡¯t of all that much interest to him, though he did listen in case there was any important information. most of them were just about the proper people to speak to when emily wanted something or another, but just about every one of emily¡¯s answers had been asking her parents.


    still, noah had gained some vital information from the conversation that he hadn¡¯t even been planning on earning.


    arbitage really wasn¡¯t just about fighting. moxie was trying to prepare emily for court more than she was trying to teach the girl how to fight. it didn¡¯t look like the lesson was that foreign to emily, so it was clearly something they¡¯d covered before.


    emily was clearly part of a noble family, and she didn¡¯t have any worry about the cost of runes in the slightest. considering how little care she put into the questions moxie asked about actually getting runes, it either meant that her family was filthy rich or the runes weren¡¯t actually very restricted for nobility.


    noah didn¡¯t have any good ways to press on the subject further yet, but that was fine with him. at the moment, the most important thing he could teach isabel and todd was still fighting. but, after this exam finished, he¡¯d really need to find out how he could round their education out. if they needed to learn about anything like what moxie was talking about, he wasn¡¯t going to be of any use.


    the class ended without any more information of interest, and emily darted out the door after waving goodbye to moxie.


    ¡°why are you still here?¡± moxie asked, packing her papers up.


    ¡°just thinking,¡± noah replied. ¡°thanks for letting me sit in. it was enlightening.¡±


    ¡°really?¡± moxie asked, glancing at him in surprise.


    ah, shit. i¡¯m supposed to be part of a pretty big noble family.


    ¡°just a different perspective on things.¡± noah shrugged, rising to his feet and heading over to the door. he opened it and paused, glancing back at moxie. ¡°it was nice.¡±


    ¡°glad to be of help, then,¡± moxie said.


    noah stepped out, letting the door swing shut behind him, and headed down the hall. the day was still fairly young, and there was time to get more accomplished before it was out.


    i¡¯ve still got some money. should i buy something else that¡¯ll be useful or save up? then again, i don¡¯t even know what i actually need. potions are a waste for me, as are shields. guess there¡¯s no point spending money without knowing what i need.


    his path decided, noah set off to find tim, excitement bubbling in his chest. it was time to have some fun.

 Chapter 26: Shankey

    chapter 26: shankey


    less than an hour later, noah was in the scorched acres once more. he drew in a deep breath, the familiar scent of ash and dirt filling his nostrils, and let it out slowly. in a strange way, he had started to appreciate the forest.


    not the monkeys, though. those evil bastards deserve everything that happens to them.


    noah examined the rusted flying sword. part of him suspected that bilbur had scammed him with a completely mundane weapon rather than a magical one. it certainly didn¡¯t look magical. it wasn¡¯t worth testing earlier, though. the last thing noah needed was to fly himself into a wall in front of everyone else.


    the scorched acres were nice and empty. a perfect place to practice flying around ¨C and if he ran into anything, nobody would be there to see it. noah placed the sword on the ground and stepped on top of it.


    he stood there for a moment. nothing happened. gathering a small amount of energy from a wind rune, he sent it down through his feet and into the sword. a dull hum emitted from it.


    noah flailed his hands as the sword abruptly jerked up from the ground. his balance was a little more on his forward foot than he¡¯d expected, and the sword leaned forward with him. as soon as the tip pointed toward the ground, the sword lurched forward. it slipped out from beneath his feet and buried itself in the trunk of a tree with a loud crack. he managed to land on his feet, avoiding a painful fall, and glared at the sword.


    well, at least it works.


    he stalked up to the tree and wrapped his hands around the sword¡¯s handle, yanking on it with all his might. it ripped free of the tree and he staggered back with a curse. noah tossed the sword back onto the ground and lowered his center of gravity before activating it again.


    this time, he focused on maintaining his balance as evenly as possible. the sword hummed once more and raised a foot into the air. it wobbled beneath noah¡¯s feet, but didn¡¯t go flying free.


    a grin crossed noah¡¯s face. he let himself lean forward ever so slightly. the sword shuddered beneath him. for an instant, noah feared it would zip off, but he managed to keep his footing as it shot forward.


    his hoot of excitement was short lived. the sword ¨C along with him ¨C crashed into a tree with a loud crunch. noah fell to the ground, landing hard on his back. he cursed, cradling his nose and rolling to his feet.


    he grabbed the sword and ripped it out of the second tree, sending a pointed glare at it before tossing it to the ground and stepping on once again. a now familiar thrum emerged from the blade and it lifted into the air.


    noah leaned forward, this time keeping his eyes ahead of him. the blade shot off, whistling past a tree. he leaned to the side and it jerked to follow his motion ¨C putting him right in the path of another tree. noah¡¯s eyes widened and he quickly shifted to the other direction, overcorrecting and nearly driving face first into a large, burnt trunk.


    he threw himself off the sword. it slammed into the tree and he rolled, rising to his feet beside the tree and the still-quivering blade embedded within it. noah let out a slow breath and brushed the dirt off his clothes before pulling the sword out.


    ¡°well, at least it¡¯s simple in concept.¡± noah tossed the sword back to the ground. ¡°and kind of fun, provided i can stay on the thing for more than a few seconds at a time. let¡¯s see how high this thing can go.¡±


    ***


    several hours and an embarrassing assortment of bruises later, noah found himself hurtling over the treetops, the wind whipping his hair and a massive grin on his face. he repressed the urge to let out a holler as he tore across the sky, moving so fast that the air stung his eyes.


    noah zipped around in a tight circle, nearly giving himself vertigo as the sword jerked downward and sent him hurtling at the ground. he dove off, rolling to his feet and thrusting his hands into the air like an acrobat.


    noah turned and sauntered back to where the blade protruded from the dirt. he plucked it free and smiled.


    ¡°i have no idea what that merchant was talking about. this is too fun. who would want any other kind of flying sword? you¡¯ve got to be at least twice as fast as the ones that the blokes who rescued me were using.¡±


    i¡¯m talking to my sword. is that a symptom of insanity? bah. i don¡¯t care.


    noah set the blade back onto the ground and boarded it. he was far from a master at using it, but he was confident it would suffice for his purposes now. it was time to go deeper into the forest.


    ¡°come on, then,¡± noah said, beckoning to the shankey. ¡°let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got.¡±


    the monster snarled, spittle flying from its lips and splattering across the ground. it obliged noah, charging at him. noah hopped back and the monster matched his movement, lunging to bite at him.


    noah sent a pulse of wind out from his palms. it slammed into the shankey and sent it rolling across the ground. the monster flipped to its feet and charged noah again, not missing a beat.


    fast recovery and good reflexes. better than anything i¡¯ve fought yet. no apparent ways to do serious damage other than its teeth, though.


    noah sent a blade of wind at the monster¡¯s arm. it twisted, avoiding the spell. it kicked dirt at noah, forcing him to raise his hand defensively to avoid getting blinded. noah threw himself back. he heard a loud crack as the shankey grabbed a tree and ripped it out of the ground with its bare hands, snarling in fury.


    strong. short temper, too.


    ¡°what are you going to do with that?¡± noah taunted. ¡°swing it?¡±


    the shankey swung it.


    it smashed clean through the tree that noah had expected to block the strike. noah¡¯s eyes widened and he dropped to the ground. the tree hurtled over his head before crunching into another tree.


    noah rolled to the side and shot back to his feet. by the time he was upright, the shankey was upon him. it was fast, but it didn¡¯t expect noah to charge it as well. its eyes flashed with surprise as noah lunged, driving his fist into its furry chest.


    the punch did little against its thick fur. noah could have sworn he saw amusement flare in the monster¡¯s face an instant before he unleashed his vibration rune. a violent shudder tore through the shankey¡¯s body, shaking its head so hard that its teeth cracked together.


    noah fired a wind blade into the monster¡¯s neck. it bit deep into the fur, but it failed to cut through. he cursed and set off a blast of wind between himself and the shankey as it snapped forward, trying to bite his neck.


    the wind sent him tumbling back and pushed the shankey several feet away. noah sprung back to his feet and called on ash. several jagged spikes formed in the ground before him, jutting up into the shankey¡¯s path as it sprinted at him.


    it vaulted over the first, grabbing onto a low-hanging tree branch and swinging for noah, screeching in victory. noah recognized the expression on his face. he¡¯d let it show on his a few too many times.


    a victorious grin.


    noah flicked his hand. ash blew up from the spikes, forming into another one directly in the shankey¡¯s path. it jerked its head back, trying to avoid being impaled, but it was in the air and had no way to dodge.


    the spike punched clean through one of its eyes and the monster¡¯s body swung forward, carried by its own momentum. it went limp and hung in the air, suspended by the spike. noah sent another blade of wind into its throat, leaving a deep cut. he narrowed his eyes and shot one final cut, this time separating its head from its body.


    it crashed to the ground. noah released his ash magic as well, letting the shankey¡¯s head thud down beside its body. a rush of energy enveloped noah. he shuddered. it was far more than any of the other monsters he¡¯d fought, and he could see why.


    it was faster and smarter than the other monsters i¡¯ve fought. that must have been a mauler. i think slashers are probably stronger, but they don¡¯t seem to know how to use their strength.


    i think this is the first time i¡¯ve defeated an enemy without dying to it first, though. not bad. not bad at all.


    noah only gave himself a few moments to feel satisfied before he shook himself out of it. he¡¯d died a few too many times from getting too smug. he wasn¡¯t the hunter in this forest. not yet.


    he set off, leaving the blood-splattered clearing behind. the day was still young, and there were more monsters to hunt. he was certain that there was more to the mauler¡¯s fighting style to learn, and he was determined to discover everything he could before the day was out.

 Chapter 27: Progress

    chapter 27: progress


    noah encountered five more maulers before his twenty four hours were up. that didn¡¯t stop him from liberating them of their teeth like a vengeful reverse-dentist. they all went into his travel bag and rattled around like a bunch of spare coins which, if noah was lucky, he hoped they would become.


    each of the maulers proved fairly competent in their fights, but none managed to ever land a hit on him. they were indeed cleverer than the other monkeys he¡¯d fought, but they felt... lacking.


    if noah had to place it, he would have decided that the maulers lacked anything unique. they didn¡¯t have the massive size of the slashers, the deadly aim of the chuckers, or even the sheer stupid boldness of the small monkeys. they were right in the middle on many things, and while he was confident they¡¯d be a significant threat to his students, he¡¯d already seen just about all of what they could do.


    by the time the day ended, noah hadn¡¯t been hit a single time ¨C by monkeys. the trees, on the other hand, were considerably less kind. his flying sword threw him into them about ten times, and he was covered by smarting bruises that were quickly turning black by the time the sun started rising in the sky again.


    for an instant, noah considered finding a monster and intentionally losing the fight. it would take care of the bruises, after all. an instant after the thought passed through his head, noah¡¯s eyes narrowed and he vehemently shoved it away.


    i will not let myself die for such a worthless reason. learning how to fight is one thing, but death just to treat some bruises is too far. i¡¯m doing all of this to make sure i never have to die a true death, not for convenience. i refuse to let myself get so lost.


    he was still standing there, scolding himself, when he felt a yank at the back of his neck. noah let the world flash by him, more than used to the sensation by now. blue lights swirled and sparkled within his body as the world shimmered.


    with a loud thud, he was tossed down into the transport cannon. noah slid out of the tube and landed on the ground with a grunt. brushing his clothes off, he rose to his feet and inclined his head to tim.


    ¡°thanks,¡± noah said.


    ¡°anytime. i think you use my service more than almost anyone else,¡± tim said with a chuckle. ¡°it¡¯s too bad it¡¯s free, or you¡¯d be singlehandedly keeping me in business.¡±


    ¡°be glad it¡¯s free, because i couldn¡¯t afford to keep anyone in business.¡±


    they both chuckled.


    ¡°well, thanks for using travel anywhere in no time,¡± tim said. ¡°it still helps the numbers look good and lets me keep my job. see you tomorrow.¡±


    noah nodded absently. he stepped onto the lift in the center of the room and tim waved farewell. the cage rattled beneath noah and lowered, taking him down to the stairs below. it reached them with a thud and noah stepped out, starting toward the ground.


    he paused halfway down, tilting his head to the side. ¡°travel anywhere in no time. taint. seriously?¡±


    noah resisted the urge to turn around and walk back up to tim. he just shook his head, rolling his eyes before resuming his trek to his room.


    ***


    the next day, noah met isabel and todd in their classroom. he¡¯d tucked his flying sword into his belt, but neither of them mentioned it. they both looked like they were about to burst keeping their mouths shut, but noah held a hand up to forestall anything they were about to say. without wasting any time, they all set off and used the transport cannon to travel to the scorched acres. once they¡¯d all arrived, noah cocked an eyebrow.


    ¡°okay, now we can talk. so? ready?¡±


    ¡°more than.¡± todd beamed. his smile faded a little. ¡°the greater fire rune is completely empty, though. i¡¯m weaker than i was before, technically.¡±


    ¡°same,¡± isabel said. she patted a small gourd hanging from her hip. ¡°a healing potion too.¡±


    ¡°oh, right,¡± todd said. ¡°i¡¯ve got one of those too. they¡¯re so expensive, though. i wasted like two weeks of pay on it.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯ll be worth it when it keeps your guts from spilling out,¡± isabel said.


    ¡°quite right,¡± noah said with a nod. he patted his own gourd. after all, it had technically been a healing potion. a poisoned one, but still a healing potion. ¡°i¡¯ve got mine as well. don¡¯t go anywhere without it. either way, it¡¯s time to get started. there¡¯s a slasher waiting to meet you both.¡±


    ¡°shouldn¡¯t we kill some of the small monkeys before we move on to slashers?¡± todd nervously shifted from foot to foot. ¡°i mean, we¡¯ve only got six runes to work with right now.¡±


    noah cocked an eyebrow. ¡°how long do you think the fight is going to go? you shouldn¡¯t need to use up more than two runes, even if they¡¯re lesser ones. you¡¯ve done something seriously wrong if you get all the way to six.¡±


    isabel swallowed. for a moment, noah expected her to add something to aid todd¡¯s request for an extension, but she just shook her head.??v€l?1n.


    ¡°i think vermil is right. i want to pass the test, and we¡¯ve seen all the moves that the slashers do already. i think we can do this.¡±


    ¡°good attempt,¡± noah said, trying not to let his words show how hard his heart was beating. energy rushed into his body, and he noticed that both isabel and todd paused for a moment to draw in a sharp breath at the same time that he felt the power from the kill flood him.


    we must all get energy since we worked together. i wonder what regulates that. is it how much damage we did? now isn¡¯t the time to ask, but i¡¯ll have to look into that.


    ¡°now, don¡¯t forget that slashers can do more than one attack in a row. any enemy can. you aren¡¯t taking turns here. slashers aren¡¯t the fastest monkeys in the forest, but they¡¯re still faster than you are. make sure it¡¯s put itself in a position where it can¡¯t attack you when you make a move.¡±


    isabel swallowed and nodded. ¡°i ¨C yeah. thanks.¡±


    ¡°now, what can we improve on?¡± noah asked, clapping his hands together. ¡°both of you.¡±


    ¡°i was too hasty and got cocky after i dodged its first few attacks.¡± isabel reddened slightly in embarrassment.


    if you knew what i did the first time i cast magic, you wouldn¡¯t be nearly that embarrassed.


    ¡°i wasn¡¯t distracting it enough,¡± todd said. ¡°my magic didn¡¯t have enough power behind it, so it wasn¡¯t able to get through the slasher¡¯s defenses as well as the smaller monkeys. if i had more energy, it would have burned alive.¡±


    ¡°correct, but the way you say that makes me think you believe the only solution is to use your greater rune, right?¡±


    todd tilted his head to the side. ¡°i mean, yeah. how else would i do it?¡±


    noah called on his ash magic. the spikes holding the slasher up collapsed, dropping the corpse on the ground as a cloud of soot floated over to him and formed into a tube. noah held it up in front of todd.


    ¡°do you have a water skin?¡±


    todd blinked, then nodded. he pulled a small flask out and handed it to noah.


    ¡°thank you. let¡¯s do a quick demonstration. i¡¯m going to blow into this tube,¡± noah said. ¡°my breath represents the amount of energy your rune has. i will not be changing how hard i blow.¡±


    noah put the tube in his mouth, grimacing at the ashy taste, then poured the water into it and blew. it trickled out of the end, somewhat unimpressively, and splattered onto the ground. todd stared at him like he¡¯d lost his mind.


    ¡°now, i¡¯m not going to change anything about how hard i blow, but i¡¯m going to narrow the tube,¡± noah said. the inner diameter of ash shrunk, turning into a thin straw. he poured some water into his mouth then put the tube in before blowing.


    a thin jet of water arced out of the tube. todd¡¯s brows furrowed and noah took the ash from his mouth, licking his lips in distaste. he handed todd¡¯s water flask back and smiled. ¡°pressure is force divided by area. the force is constant and you want the pressure to go up, so what do you do?¡±


    ¡°area has to go down,¡± todd said, a flicker of understanding appearing in his eyes. ¡°and area is the size of my flames?¡±


    noah grinned.


    ¡°you¡¯re saying that if i focus my fire from large blasts into smaller attacks, it¡¯ll do more?¡±


    noah shrugged. he crouched and pried the claws off the slasher, tucking them into his back before straightening. noah offered some to todd and isabel, but they both shook their heads. he shrugged. ¡°i¡¯m not sure if it¡¯ll do more, but logically, that¡¯s the result i¡¯d assume. you¡¯re expending a lot of energy making big blasts, but they don¡¯t seem to have as much strength as you¡¯d want. so, if you were to make them more concentrated, i¡¯d assume that they¡¯d do more damage too.¡±


    todd pointed a finger at a tree. a ball of flame formed at his hand, then condensed into a pinpoint. it leapt forth and slammed into the ashy wood, burning several inches into it in an instant.


    ¡°shit,¡± todd muttered. ¡°you¡¯re right. i don¡¯t think one of my fireballs would have done that. not yet.¡±


    ¡°how didn¡¯t you think of that before?¡± isabel demanded, then looked back to noah. ¡°what about me? do i get a secret too?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve seen people do that before, so it¡¯s not really a secret,¡± todd said with a frown. ¡°but i never really thought about it to be honest. i didn¡¯t realize why they did it.¡±


    ¡°i still want something.¡±


    ¡°what happened to thinking of it on your own?¡± todd glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes, an excited grin on his face. isabel ignored him.


    ¡°nothing as interesting as todd,¡± noah admitted, rubbing the back of his head. ¡°but try to aim for vital areas when you attack. with slashers, you already know what they''re going to do, so there''s no need to try to injure them before taking them out. it''s much more efficient to just go for a killing blow when they give you an opportunity. that''s much easier said than done, though - so i¡¯ll tell you what will help. practice. so... shall we go find another slasher?¡±

 Chapter 28: The Second Slasher

    chapter 28: the second slasher


    it was todd who spotted the next slasher. he pointed it out with an urgent thrust of a finger through the trees. the slasher in question was leaning against a tree, its eyes closed and its chest rising in slow, heavy breaths.


    noah gave todd an approving nod, then gestured for them to go after it. after all, no part of the exam said that they had to defeat a slasher that was awake. besides, the energy they¡¯d gain for their new runes would still be useful. there was no reason to make things more difficult than they had to be.


    isabel drew her sword and glanced at todd. he gathered a small sphere of flame above his hand and they crept forward. noah watched their approach, magic bubbling at his fingertips. unlike the previous monster, they were upwind this time.


    noah was fairly certain that it would wake up before they grew close enough to strike, but warning them would reduce the effectiveness of the lesson. just because the slasher was sleeping didn¡¯t mean it was harmless.


    sure enough, the monster¡¯s eyes snapped open. todd and isabel both jumped as it launched itself to its feet and let out a furious roar, its eyes latching onto them instantly. todd thrust his hand forward and fired a thin stream of flame out, but the movement had been too panicked and inaccurate. it shot past the slasher¡¯s shoulder and burned a hole through the tree behind it.


    the slasher charged. isabel raised her sword and lowered her stance, moving to stand in front of todd and draw its attention. the tactic worked, and the slasher bore down on her. it slashed out at her with a hand and she dropped to the ground, rolling in the direction of the strike and lunging up to drive her sword into its knee.


    magic flared as the blade punched through the slasher¡¯s fur. it roared in fury and lifted its hands to bring them down on top of isabel. she yanked on her sword, but it didn¡¯t budge. isabel cursed and released the blade, allowing it to dematerialize.


    throw yourself between its legs. that would be the fastest way to get to safety.


    isabel jumped back instead. noah pressed his lips together. he didn¡¯t blame isabel for trying to keep her distance. it was instinct. unfortunately, that instinct meant that the slasher didn¡¯t have to turn to follow isabel, so it still had its eyes on both her and todd.


    another stream of fire erupted from todd¡¯s fingers, but the slasher ducked under it. it lunged for isabel. if its leg hadn¡¯t been injured, it might have reached her.


    instead, it stumbled slightly as it put weight on the injured limb. that bought isabel just enough time to scramble backward, narrowly avoiding its grasping claws. the slasher crashed to the ground with a scream of pain.


    todd fired another thin stream of flame. this time, it caught the slasher in the back of the neck. it screamed in pain, thrashing and raising a hand to try and block the fire. rancid, sickly smoke rose up from the wound.


    ¡°isabel! go!¡± todd yelled, stepping forward and keeping the stream of fire trained on the monster to keep its hands occupied. isabel nodded and darted over to the slasher¡¯s back.


    her blade shimmered back to life in her hand. the slasher struggled even harder as she approached, nearly catching isabel in the chest with a threshing leg. noah shifted forward, moments from intervening, then let out a relieved sigh when he saw the attack miss.


    noah dismissed his students until the day after next, then returned to his room. he did find it mildly amusing that, after arriving in an entirely new world, he spent all his time either in a burnt down forest or shut inside a tiny box, but there was too much to do.


    once things settled down and he and his students weren¡¯t in immediate danger, noah promised himself that he¡¯d actually spend some time exploring the world. there had to be more to it than ugly monkeys.


    noah cast his attention inward, checking on his runes. they were filling at a steady rate, though it had slowed down a little. his vibration rune was finally about where his ash runes had been when he¡¯d first gotten them, and maybe even a little farther.


    as for the ash runes themselves, they were brimming with strength. they¡¯d still grown from when he¡¯d seen them last, and noah instinctively knew that there was more room for them to improve, but they were likely just a week or so of continued growth away from being full.


    to noah¡¯s delight, when he went to check on the white particles of damage at the edges of his mind, he found that a significant portion of it had healed. there were several fist sized holes left, but he was recovering.


    now that i think about it, it¡¯s been a bit since i¡¯ve hallucinated a monkey as well. that almost certainly proves that they were related. good to know for the future. if that¡¯s what happens when i¡¯m just a little injured, i don¡¯t want to think about the consequences of dying hundreds of times. i might actually go insane for a while.


    with a blink, noah brought himself back into his room. he stretched his arms over his head and yawned, then shook himself out. the past few days had been surprisingly tiring, but focusing on his students had been a great way to keep himself distracted.


    now that he was more comfortable with their progress, his thoughts drifted back to his own situation. the linwick family. combining his runes. the giant sunder rune floating above his mind space that he refused to look up at until he knew more about. the poisoned healing potion. moxie.


    noah groaned and ran a hand through his hair.


    ¡°too much damn intrigue. i always flipped to the end of mystery novels to figure out who the bad guy was,¡± noah grumbled, unhooking his gourd and tossing it from hand to hand. ¡°i suppose i could go read about the linwicks in the library. i bet there¡¯s some information there, and i should really try to figure more out about my supposed family.¡±


    or... i could go test my vibration rune out in the scorched acres. it¡¯s gotten a lot stronger, and all i¡¯ve used it for thus far is shaking the hell out of monkeys. it definitely does more than that.


    noah crossed his arms and thought for a few moments. two very viable options to do before his next meeting with his students.


    he did have a pretty good understanding of what his wind and ash runes could do, so it wasn¡¯t like he couldn¡¯t defend himself with his magic. all the monkeys he¡¯d run into thus far in the scorched acres weren¡¯t a threat. that did make one of the two options considerably lower priority.


    then again, magic was fun.


    ¡°good argument, me. magic it is,¡± noah said with a cackle. he rubbed his hands together and strode back to find tim for the second time that day. learning about the linwicks could wait until he got back.

 Chapter 29: The first encounter

    chapter 29: the first encounter


    ¡°you sure come here a lot,¡± tim drawled as noah stepped out of the lift and raised his hand in greeting.


    ¡°it¡¯s faster than flying myself. safer too.¡± noah said.


    ¡°not arguing with that. i guess it¡¯s not my place to ask, but i¡¯ve never seen a professor spend as much time in the scorched acres as you do. is there something going on?¡±


    noah walked up to the turret and leaned against the wall, looking back at tim. ¡°not really. just training. there are a lot of monsters there, you know.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯d reckon so. just... that¡¯s a whole lot of training.¡±


    ¡°is that not the point?¡±


    tim tugged on his beard and frowned. ¡°yeah, i guess it is. just makes me wonder why the other professors rarely use my services. i¡¯d have thought that at least one more would be doing what you are.¡±


    noah shrugged. ¡°i¡¯m sure we¡¯ve all got our own methods and strategies. as long as we get results, right?¡±


    it was tim¡¯s turn to shrug. ¡°suppose so. same as always?¡±


    ¡°actually, i was wondering if you could lower the time i¡¯m out? maybe... twelve hours, if that¡¯s possible? i just want to test some things out and it probably won¡¯t take an entire day.¡±


    ¡°sure, i could do that for you.¡± tim replied. ¡°twelve hours it is. all ready?¡±


    ¡°thanks.¡± noah climbed inside the turret. it shuddered as tim adjusted his target.


    ¡°have a safe trip!¡± tim called.


    noah didn¡¯t get a chance to respond. energy erupted and the cannon fired, blasting him into a world of swirling blue. noah was so used to the sensation that he barely even noticed any discomfort. he just enjoyed the twisting shades of blue as they whipped past him.n??v€l--?1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.


    and then, before he knew it, noah was in the scorched acres. he blinked, somewhat surprised to find the world in more than one color again, then shook his head. pulling his flying sword from its spot in his belt, he tossed it onto the ground and stepped on.


    it jerked forward, nearly ramming noah into a tree before he adjusted its direction at the last second and directed himself into the sky. he burst past the blackened canopy and righted himself, squinting as wind whipped past his face.


    the forest passed quickly beneath him. noah flew for several minutes, making sure he would be deep enough into the trees so that he wouldn¡¯t mistakenly run into someone else that might have visited from arbitage at an inopportune time, then shot back down to make a rough landing on the dirt, tripping over his own feet as the sword jerked to a halt and nearly face planting into a tree.


    noah managed to catch himself at the last second, using a small blast of wind to halt his momentum. he let out a slow breath, shaking his head and picking his sword back up. the part of the forest he¡¯d landed in looked identical to just about every other part of it, but it seemed empty.


    it was warm, bordering on hot. noah adjusted his suit, unbuttoning the front. he tilted his head to the side and listened intently for a few seconds. all that greeted him was silence. a monkey howled far in the distance, barely audible over the wind.


    nothing imminent, then. that obviously doesn¡¯t mean much, since they aren¡¯t always making noise, but at least there aren¡¯t any monsters fighting each other near me.


    noah focused on his vibration rune. its power gathered, waiting for command. noah paused a moment, just enjoying the feeling of energy pumping through his veins and pulsing at his fingertips.


    ¡°what¡¯s the best way to go about this?¡± noah murmured to himself. ¡°it vibrates monsters and people well enough. i guess the next step is the ground?¡±


    ¡°what in the hells is that?¡± noah murmured. for an instant, he considered flying over to it, but the thought was banished.


    that¡¯s got to either be a monster i haven¡¯t seen yet or another mage, and i don¡¯t want them to see me flying around ¨C not to mention i¡¯ll lose my flying sword if i get killed by something while i¡¯m carrying it around.


    noah dropped back below the trees and dismounted the sword. the fire was only a few minutes of walking away, by his judgment. he climbed a large tree and jabbed the flying sword into the trunk, hanging his gourd and book from the blade¡¯s handle before hopping back to the ground.


    he landed with a grunt and wiped the growing sheen of sweat from his forehead before setting off in the direction of the fire.


    gradually, the sound of crackling flame reached his ears. just like he¡¯d predicted, the flaming circle was just a two minute walk from where he¡¯d been training. he quickly spotted the yellowish-orange glow of the fire through the blackened tree trunks.


    noah approached it cautiously, moving slowly and as quietly as he could. the fire wasn¡¯t so loud that it completely muted his movements, but it went a long way in covering most of them.


    the heat intensified the closer noah got. he stripped his jacket, tucking it under an arm as he arrived directly before the fire. it was as if an invisible circle had been drawn around the flaming trees.


    glowing ash popped and floated through the air, but the moment it grew far enough away from the ring of fire, it dropped to the ground. there were thin gaps between the trees and flame, but the flame shifted so often that it was impossible to get a good look of what rested beyond them.


    noah stood in silence at the edge of the trees for nearly a minute, watching intently. nothing emerged or changed. the fire just continued to roar, oblivious to his presence. the back of his shirt was already soaked through and his pants were well on their way to follow. occasionally, a large chunk of the flaming wall completely vanished. before noah could get a good look through it, the flames burst forth once again.


    he chewed his lower lip and tried to squint through a gap in the flame again. in the periodic and seemingly random absences of fire, noah could just barely make out a large, bulky form within the ring.


    noah pulled his coat back over his shoulders. there was only one way to investigate it any further. noah wasn¡¯t about to let a chance to train against a more powerful monster go to waste just because of a little heat.


    okay. a lot of heat.


    the adventurers that rescued me mentioned the hellreaver. this certainly seems like it might fit the bill.


    he backed several steps up, then sprinted forward, aiming for one of the periodic gaps in the fire. noah tucked his head down and threw himself through the trees, protecting his face with his hands as best as he could. scorching heat licked at his skin and singed his hair. some of the ashes latched onto his coat, sparking into flame, and he smelt his hair singe and smolder. he hit the packed dirt in a painful roll.


    noah quickly shrugged out of the coat, throwing it onto the ground even as the fire started to crawl across it, and batted out the small fires that had tried to take root in his hair. noah sat up, still batting out some stubborn motes that stung his skin. he froze.


    sitting across from him, towering at nearly two stories tall, was an enormous monkey. its fur was pitch black and covered with roaring flames that showed absolutely no signs of hurting it. its massive, clawed hands were crossed over a rough, nearly spherical belly. the fire wreathed the monster¡¯s face, where four bleached fangs jutted out from its mouth, each as long as a spear and disproportionately large, even for a creature of its size. the monster¡¯s breath rose and fell in slow, steady shudders. its eyes were closed. it was asleep.


    noah swallowed, keeping as still as possible.


    well, i knew it was big.


    deep in noah¡¯s mind, something rumbled. the massive rune that floated above all the others came alive in response to the creature sitting across from him. and, with absolute certainty, noah knew that his guess had been correct.


    the hellreaver.


    a rattling breath filled the hellreaver¡¯s chest. its nose twitched.


    oh shit. my hair got burnt.


    two bloodshot eyes snapped open, instantly fixing on noah. seething hatred and hunger filled their depths. worse, noah realized that this wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d seen those eyes. they were the very same as the one that had peered through the specks of white void in his mental space.

 Chapter 30: Shields are for chumps

    chapter 30: shields are for chumps


    an earthshaking roar ripped from the hellreaver¡¯s mouth with such intensity that the flames encircling them rippled. it lumbered to its feet, rolling its shoulders. saliva dripped from its mouth, sizzling as it splattered against the dirt.


    noah sent a blade of wind whistling for its throat. the hellreaver shifted a hand, blocking the spell. if it did any damage, noah couldn¡¯t tell. it looked like the blade had just vanished into its dark fur.


    ¡°come on, then,¡± noah growled, preparing wind magic to throw himself to safety if the hellreaver was faster than he expected. it reared back and noah tensed his legs. if he dodged too early, the monster would have time to adjust its attack.


    the hellreaver lifted its hands into the air and lunged forward. noah empowered his dive with a surge of wind magic, sending himself flying across the clearing. he¡¯d recognized the attack ¨C it was the exact same one that the slashers had used. he hit the ground in a roll, but something was wrong.


    he hadn¡¯t heard the sound of the hellreaver¡¯s fists hitting the ground. his momentary triumph vanished like a candle in a rainstorm and he looked up. the hellreaver¡¯s eyes glinted with intelligence that he had completely missed.


    the hellreaver¡¯s hands had never fallen. its cheeks billowed and a wave of molten flame washed out toward noah. noah grabbed at his wind magic, desperately forming it into a barrier in hopes of deflecting the attack.


    it blew away, completely swamped by the intensity of the hellreaver¡¯s magic. for an instant, noah locked eyes with the monster. its face was crinkled in a terrifyingly human-like expression of amusement.


    then the fire washed over him, and his world was agony.


    mercifully, it didn¡¯t last long. the intense heat melted noah¡¯s body away and his fried nerves gave out long before his throat could. a few moments later, his consciousness snapped and his soul peeled away from the charred husk of his body.


    noah lifted into the air and the hellreaver let the deluge of flame sputter out. it peered down at his corpse and huffed, lowering itself back down and leaning against the flaming trees. noah ground his teeth together.


    1 ¨C 0, you fat beachball shaped bastard. i¡¯m going to kill you, mark my words.


    noah willed his soul upward, flitting past the burning trees and far above the forest. he spun, searching for arbitage¡¯s distant shadow until he spotted it. a tug pulled at his neck, but noah resisted it. to his surprise, it actually worked. he held himself in place for just a few moments longer, which he used to memorize the location of the forest that the hellreaver lived in.


    the pull on his neck erupted in magnitude, blowing his defenses apart. noah whipped back down into the forest and slammed into his new body like he¡¯d been shot from a cannonball. he bolted upright, slamming his head into the hilt of his sword with enough force to make it ring like a gong.


    noah rolled out of the tree, swearing, and fell flat on his face with a loud thud. he stayed there for several seconds, the memory of his flesh melting and bubbling away still vivid in his mind.


    a headache violently mocked his defeat. noah¡¯s hands clenched, digging through the hard dirt. it bit under his fingernails and against the soft flesh of his palm, but that only made him squeeze harder.


    ¡°our business isn¡¯t done yet,¡± noah swore, shoving himself upright and pushing through the headache to clamber back up into the tree, one tedious movement at a time. every single one sent pangs of exhaustion and shooting pains throughout his body, but he ignored them until he was back next to his gourd. ¡°count your days, hellreaver. for all the times your little monster lackeys have killed me, i¡¯m going to wear your hide as a belt.¡±


    ***


    noah¡¯s conviction was the only thing that kept him aware over the next few hours. the pain his body suffered after death never seemed to lessen, nor was his body adapting to it. he didn¡¯t even manage to gather the energy to pull his spare set of clothes out from his bag until an hour after his revival.


    i suppose that¡¯s probably because i get a new body every single time i go kaputz. can¡¯t adapt to something if the body¡¯s never experienced it before.


    regardless of the reason, all noah could do was sit in his tree and fume. the hours spun by and, by the time the pain had finally started to abate, the world was going blue.


    noah slid back into arbitage, his behind banging against the metal turret as he arrived. he grimaced, just barely starting to regain the ability to have rational thoughts, and slipped to the floor.


    ¡°welcome back!¡± tim said. ¡°how did it go? get that training in?¡±


    ¡°i ¨C yeah, i suppose so. i hate those monkeys more than i can put into words.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve heard they¡¯re tough buggers,¡± tim said, shaking his head in sympathy. ¡°you got a grudge against them or something? is that why you¡¯re always out in the scorched acres?¡±


    ¡°something like that. the scorched acres aren¡¯t even that far from arbitage. surely someone else is fighting them?¡±


    ¡°probably soldiers. mages tend to go for monsters with the fancy runes, you know? so they can take ¡®em.¡±


    ¡°do something about it. even if you¡¯ve got enough magic to break my shield, it¡¯ll summon my mentor and he¡¯ll snap your pathetic back like a twig.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s fine,¡± isabel muttered. ¡°professor, don¡¯t get yourself¨C¡±


    ¡°not now, isabel.¡± noah held the boy¡¯s gaze, unblinking. ¡°i do believe this student has just asked me for tutelage. as such, i am obligated to shove his head so far up his ass that he never sees daylight again.¡±


    the boy bared his teeth in a dangerous grin. ¡°big words for a rank 1. your magic literally can¡¯t even break my shield. don¡¯t you realize what these sigils represent?¡±


    noah gathered a blade of wind above his palm. he reared back and the obnoxious kid lowered his stance with a confident smile. it was clear that he had complete and utter faith in his shield.


    and, as such, noah took a page out of the hellreaver¡¯s book. he lunged forward, letting his magic dissipate in the air behind him, and drove his fist into the boy¡¯s nose with all the force that he could muster.


    it broke with an audible crunch and the boy tumbled across the ground, slamming into a shelf behind him. a book that had been teetering at the edge slipped off, falling on his head with a thunk.


    ¡°nice shield,¡± noah said, striding over to stand above the bully.


    the boy glared at him through teary, disbelieving eyes. ¡°i camb¡¯t belib you ¡®jus did tha. do you know who i¨C¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m going to stop you right there,¡± noah said, squatting in front of the kid and baring his teeth in a cold smile. ¡°see, i¡¯ve got no idea who you are. that means i can pass this whole thing off as a misunderstanding. but, if you tell me, i¡¯m just going to kill you and get rid of the problem. capiche?¡±


    terrified eyes stared back at him.


    ¡°this is the part where you run,¡± noah advised.


    the boy took his advice. he scrambled to his feet, still clutching the book to his chest, and sprinted in the opposite direction as fast as his legs would take him. the tension drained out of noah¡¯s spine and he shook his head in disgust, turning to isabel.


    ¡°are you okay?¡±


    isabel swallowed heavily. the look in her eyes was something that he¡¯d never seen in her, a mixture of admiration, surprise, and fear.


    ¡°you¡¯re crazy,¡± she muttered.


    noah extended a hand. isabel took it and he pulled her to her feet.


    ¡°i believe i was just doing my duty as your professor. you can¡¯t tell me that arbitage encourages bullies. besides, the kid asked me for a lesson. what, am i supposed to say no? anything in the pursuit of knowledge.¡± noah pressed a hand to his chest and deepened his voice, staring off into the distance as if he were giving a speech.


    isabel let out a snort of laughter. she turned, wiping a tear from her face that noah pretended not to see.


    ¡°you¡¯re definitely crazy. thank you, though. but... why were you tailing me?¡±


    ¡°tailing you?¡± noah blinked. ¡°i wasn¡¯t. i came to read up on some stuff.¡±


    isabel cocked an eyebrow. ¡°really? here? in this exact aisle?¡±


    ¡°the one over, actually. i just wanted to do a little light reading. catch up on family. the usual.¡±


    isabel swallowed heavily. ¡°oh.¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s with that expression?¡±


    isabel looked in the direction the bully had run off in. ¡°i thought you were joking about not recognizing him. that was edward linwick, and he just ran off with the book on the linwick family.¡±


    ¡°oh,¡± noah said, crossing his arms and chewing his lower lip. ¡°okay, yeah. oh seems apt here.¡±

 Chapter 31: Poisoned

    chapter 31: poisoned


    ¡°how can you possibly have such a lackluster reaction to hearing that you just assaulted someone from the linwick family? you¡¯re not immune to their rules just because you¡¯re part of them! if anything, they¡¯ll enforce them more strictly, won¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°technically, i had no idea who it was that i was punching.¡± noah held a finger up. ¡°and he quite literally asked me to teach him. he was taught. i don¡¯t see what i did wrong.¡±


    isabel gave him a flat stare. ¡°you realize there¡¯s no way that anybody is going to believe that, right?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll figure something out.¡± noah shrugged. ¡°what did you want me to do? sit around and watch him assault you? it¡¯s literally my job description to protect you from monsters.¡±


    actually, i¡¯ve got no clue what my job description is, but that seems like a reasonable enough conclusion. can¡¯t exactly train people to fight monsters if you just toss ¡®em out and hope for the best.


    ¡°you¡¯re going to argue that edward was a monster? that might just dig the hole even deeper.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll be fine. i¡¯m honestly more bothered about losing that book. did you happen to see if there was a second?¡±


    ¡°why would someone make two copies of a lineage? it¡¯s not like this is a linwick stronghold.¡± isabel shook her head and glanced over her shoulder like she was expecting to find an army of linwick men behind her with torches and pitchforks. ¡°it¡¯s still arbitage¡¯s property, though. linwick or not, he¡¯s going to need to return it eventually.¡±


    noah pursed his lips. ¡°ah. in that case, do you care to tell me why you were trying to look my family up?¡±


    isabel averted her gaze. ¡°because of the exam. a bunch of noble houses came to watch their students do the exam. i overheard that the linwicks were one of them, so i went to the library to find out who they were.¡±


    ¡°wait, you¡¯re telling me you just found out edward was a linwick a few minutes before i did? you sounded so affronted when i smacked him, like he was some minor celebrity or something.¡±


    ¡°what? i have no idea who he is. i just saw his name and picture in the lineage book. i thought you¡¯d know him because he was in your family.¡±


    ¡°do you know everyone in your family?¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    ¡°oh. well, i don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°evidently,¡± isabel grumbled. ¡°you shouldn¡¯t have stuck your neck out for me like that. there was no reason to.¡±


    noah crossed his arms and gave isabel a sharp look. ¡°are we going to get stuck in a loop here? i¡¯ve already told you, it¡¯s my job.¡±


    isabel raised her hands in surrender, turning her face to hide the smile that flickered across her lips. ¡°okay, okay. thank you.¡±


    ¡°there we go. you¡¯re welcome. now, i think it might be a good idea to get out of here before anyone shows up looking for us. just because i don¡¯t think i did anything wrong doesn¡¯t mean others would agree, and i¡¯d much rather deal with them on my terms rather than theirs.¡±n??v€l-b1n was the first platform to present this chapter.


    noah and isabel beat a hasty retreat from the library. it was just as deserted outside as it had been before, and there was no sign of edward when they emerged into the daylight once more.


    ¡°where the heck is everyone anyway?¡± noah asked.


    ¡°they¡¯re all sucking up to the noble houses, trying to get in,¡± isabel replied, a bitter note in her voice.


    ¡°ah. that would explain a lot, actually. why aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°my family is blacklisted.¡± isabel¡¯s eyes were cold, as if challenging noah to press the question. he took the hint and let the subject drop.


    ¡°do you have somewhere safe you can go?¡±


    ¡°yeah. i¡¯m not the one they¡¯re going to be mad at,¡± isabel said. she paused for a moment. ¡°i hope. you should still be more concerned about yourself.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m a big boy. i¡¯ll be fine.¡± noah gave her a dismissive wave. ¡°shoo. i¡¯m not meant to be teaching class today, remember? i expect to see you tomorrow at our normal time in the classroom. don¡¯t be late.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re the one that¡¯s always late!¡±


    noah strode away, raising his hand in farewell. as soon as isabel was out of sight, he grabbed his flying sword and jumped onto it, tearing across the streets for his room. despite his words, he had absolutely no idea how seriously the linwicks would take the affront, especially since he no longer had a good way to learn about them.


    that left just one option. hopefully, she was still home.


    ***


    ¡°seriously?¡± moxie demanded, crossing her arms and glaring at noah. ¡°i¡¯m going to complain about harassment at this point. what do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve never been gladder to see you at home,¡± noah said. he glanced over his shoulder, then waved his fingers at her. ¡°let me in.¡±


    moxie rubbed the bridge of her nose. ¡°you know what? go ahead. try to punch me. i won¡¯t fight back.¡±


    noah stood up and walked around the chair. moxie watched him, her expression unreadable but her body motionless. it didn¡¯t take a genius to realize she was trying to make a point, but noah obliged her.


    he jabbed at moxie¡¯s face. a vine whipped out from one of her pockets, smacking his wrist to the side with just enough force to smart. noah shook his hand off.


    ¡°ouch. i thought you said you weren¡¯t fighting back?¡±


    ¡°i wasn¡¯t. that¡¯s not even intentional,¡± moxie said. ¡°my shield protects against mundane attacks too. all of them do, to varying degrees. edward has a rank 2 shield, so his should have blocked a mere punch without any problem. it does take a little attention to activate the defensive functions, but unless you sucker punched him, there¡¯s no way you would have landed the blow.¡±


    noah rubbed his chin. ¡°well, i told him i was coming. i can demonstrate exactly what i did, if you think that would help.¡±


    ¡°go ahead.¡± moxie cocked an eyebrow.


    noah summoned his wind magic, forming a swirling blade above his palm. he reared back and launched his hand forward, releasing the magic an instant before tucking his hand in and transitioning his motion to his other fist.


    moxie¡¯s eyes widened in shock. her vine shifted an instant too late to block the blow and she leaned back, narrowly avoiding the strike. she straightened back out, staring at noah in disbelief. ¡°what did you just do?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s a feint. not really that groundbreaking. why do you look so impressed?¡±


    moxie shook her head. ¡°no. that¡¯s not just a feint. i can¡¯t describe it, but... gah, i can¡¯t describe it. it was like every single part of you was focused on that spell, and i was too. your fist just came out of nowhere. you didn¡¯t change your stance at all.¡±


    ¡°you mean i would have hit you if you weren¡¯t ready for it?¡±


    moxie ground her teeth together and inclined her head slightly. she stepped away from the bed and walked into her bathroom, coming back with a white ceramic pitcher of water and a matching cup. she poured herself a drink and drained it in one go.


    ¡°yes, you would have. what¡¯s up with you, vermil? i know what you can do. i sparred you after¨C¡± moxie¡¯s face wrinkled in distaste. ¡°you know. i crushed you, and you didn¡¯t show a single sign of any skill. now you¡¯re getting into fights in your students¡¯ sake.¡±


    ¡°a blow to the head can do wonderful things to a person. you should try it sometime.¡±


    ¡°did you just come here to make wisecrack remarks, or did you want my help?¡±


    ¡°sorry,¡± noah said. ¡°i swear it¡¯s not normally this bad. something about you makes me want to be a smartass. and i¡¯m more hoping you could tell me if i need to start preparing for a bunch of angry idiots to attack me for disciplining their child.¡±


    moxie let out a snort of laughter. ¡°you¡¯re not going to get murdered by your own family. you haven¡¯t betrayed them. they¡¯re definitely going to try to make you pay, though. if i were edward¡¯s teacher, i¡¯d challenge you to something and try to humiliate you. nobody saw edward get beat up other than your student, so it probably won¡¯t be too bad.¡±


    ah. it¡¯s a good thing i haven¡¯t betrayed them. heh. better make sure they never find out about me sharing those runes. greedy pricks.


    ¡°ah, that¡¯s good to hear,¡± noah said, letting out a relieved sigh. ¡°i can handle that. you made it sound like the situation was way worse than it was.¡±


    ¡°i was hoping to be able to participate. it would have been the highlight of my week.¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s stopping you?¡±


    moxie¡¯s features hardened. ¡°you were helping your student. like a real teacher, not the pathetic worm i thought i knew. i can¡¯t side against you in this situation, no matter how much i¡¯d love to.¡±


    noah blinked. moxie was regarding him with something close to respect. it wasn¡¯t quite there, but it was the least annoyed expression he¡¯d ever seen her direct at him.


    ¡°thanks, i guess. does this mean we¡¯re friends now?¡±


    ¡°maybe that hit to the head really did do you a favor,¡± moxie said. ¡°but don¡¯t get any ideas. we aren¡¯t friends, vermil. i don¡¯t like you, even if you made one slightly respectable decision out of a thousand disgusting ones.¡±


    ¡°fair enough.¡± noah shrugged. his hand brushed against the gourd at his side and he paused for a moment. she raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°what is it?¡±


    ¡°i was just trying to remember something.¡± noah patted the gourd. ¡°you... didn¡¯t happen to give this to me, did you? i¡¯ve been carrying it around as my good luck charm, but i can¡¯t remember where i got it.¡±


    ¡°if you think for an instant that i would ever give you any sort of gift, especially a healing potion, you are sorely mistaken. trust me, if i was going to give you a potion, it would be poisoned.¡±


    noah stared at moxie for an instant, then laughed. she just shook her head.


    ¡°now get out of my room. i¡¯ve told you what you wanted to hear, and i might actually die of shame if anyone found out i¡¯m speaking to you without putting your head through a wall first.¡±


    ¡°thanks for the help, then. be seeing you.¡±


    that just about confirms it. i don¡¯t think moxie was the one that tried to poison me. so... who was?

 Chapter 32: Predictable

    chapter 32: predictable


    noah laid low the rest of the day. he kept his gourd hidden in his bathroom and sat on his bed facing the door, ready to draw on his magic to defend himself at a moment¡¯s notice. even though he¡¯d stopped seeing visions of monkeys as of the last few days, the added stress didn¡¯t help and he twitched every time people walked past the door outside.


    surprisingly, nothing ever happened. the day came and went, and night arrived. once the sun set, noah quickly lost patience with sitting around waiting for something to happen and went to sleep.


    what¡¯s the worst that could happen? i get assassinated? psh. if they give me a few weeks i¡¯ll end up killing myself a dozen times trying to take down the hellreaver.


    the night passed, and noah was even more surprised to wake the following morning, his rest completely unbothered by the events of the previous day. he laid in bed for a few moments, then grunted and rolled out.


    ¡°maybe that brat¡¯s teacher didn¡¯t like him all that much more than i did,¡± noah said, chuckling to himself as he pulled his coat on.


    there were still a few hours until it would officially be time for class. he sat down at his desk and grabbed a notebook, spending the time jotting down all his observations on magic and its uses so far so he could reference them in the future.


    after all, it¡¯s not like anyone can actually read anything i write here. i¡¯m probably the only person in the world who speaks english. even if other people here came from earth, their memories would have been wiped. i¡¯ve got a perfect cypher.


    noah put his quill away when the sun started to shine aggressively through his window, its position in the sky reminding him that he still had some students to get to. noah blew on his papers to dry the ink out faster, then pushed his chair back and headed out of his room.


    he poked his head out the door cautiously, but nobody was waiting for him in the halls. noah moved at a brisk pace, leaving the teacher¡¯s housing and cutting across campus toward building g.


    like the previous day, this area of the campus was deserted. everyone was probably still trying to suck up to the noble houses and get themselves a spot. noah suppressed a laugh. he wasn¡¯t sure if it was good or bad timing, but at least it probably meant that the nobles had better things to do than deal with him.


    when noah arrived at his room, isabel and todd were already waiting for him.


    ¡°dude, you punched edward?¡± todd asked, his eyes glittering in amusement. ¡°i never realized you were that cold with it. rock on!¡±??v€l?1n.


    okay, that lingo cannot be correct. is that vermil¡¯s body automatically translating this world¡¯s lingo into something i would understand? weird. todd is now forever going to be a surfer dude in my head, and i doubt he¡¯s ever even seen the ocean.


    ¡°he asked for it. literally,¡± noah said. ¡°now, no wasting time. we¡¯ve got less than two weeks until the exam, and i expect you to both be able to handle a slasher entirely on your own when that time comes around.¡±


    the fact that both isabel and todd both just watched noah instead of making a disbelieving scoff filled him with pride. they were getting more confident in their abilities. there was no doubt in his mind that they¡¯d pass the exam when it came around, so long as they kept improving at their current rate.


    they left the classroom and made their way over to tim. noah kept an eye out for anyone he didn¡¯t recognize that didn¡¯t look too pleased to see him, but the path was as clear as it had been the previous day.


    tim greeted noah with a small nod as they arrived. his nose was buried in one of the many books on his desk, and he barely even glanced up from it as the lift rattled to a stop, letting them all off.


    ¡°same as usual, please,¡± noah said.


    ¡°sure, sure.¡± tim waved his hand dismissively. he poked his head over the top of his book. ¡°i already knew you were coming. you always do. it¡¯s honestly pretty predictable.¡±


    ¡°highlight of your day, eh?¡± noah asked with a chuckle.


    tim let out a loud laugh. ¡°indeed. everything is already set up, master linwick. i hope you and your students find the trip very informational!¡±


    noah¡¯s grin flickered. he locked eyes with tim. there wasn¡¯t a single speck of the amusement that he¡¯d come to associate the tower operator with in his eyes. he was deadly serious.


    the hair on the back of noah¡¯s neck stood on end.


    tim said i was predictable. i don¡¯t think he was joking. is someone here?


    ¡°are you getting in?¡± isabel asked.


    ¡°i¡¯m not betting against anyone this confident,¡± noah said with a chuckle. ¡°lead the way, then. if you¡¯re that confident, then i want to see it.¡±


    todd shrugged. he crept off in the direction that he¡¯d indicated. noah and isabel followed closely behind him.


    he was right. just like todd had said, a little under a hundred yards away, a small monkey hung from a tree, sleeping. todd shot a victorious smirk back at them. noah gestured at the monster and flicked his fingers.


    a beam of fire shot from todd¡¯s hands, burning straight into the back of the monster¡¯s neck and killing it instantly. it collapsed to the ground with a soft thump.


    ¡°how¡¯d you know?¡± isabel demanded.


    todd preened, puffing his chest out. ¡°i can¡¯t go around sharing my deepest secrets with you, isabel. that costs money, you know.¡±


    isabel glared at todd. ¡°come on. seriously?¡±


    ¡°fine, fine. i was thinking about how vermil showed how using our magic creatively was more effective, you know? one of my runes is a heat rune. it¡¯s pretty close to fire, but technically weaker since i can¡¯t actually do things with fire itself, just temperature. i thought it was pretty worthless, but people are warm, right? so are monkeys.¡±


    ¡°you used the heat rune to see locations that were hotter or colder than others,¡± noah realized. ¡°so you can see things that put off too much or too little heat much farther than your normal eyes could.¡±


    ¡°exactly.¡± todd rubbed his hands together. ¡°well, it¡¯s more feel than see, but pretty much. i know how much heat there is and the general area its coming from, so i can figure out what i¡¯m ¡®looking¡¯ at. pretty impressive, no?¡±


    ¡°it is,¡± noah said enthusiastically. ¡°brilliant job!¡±


    and great timing, too. were you reading my mind or something? that means nobody was watching us here, or you would have noticed them.


    ¡°you know what else this means?¡± todd asked.


    ¡°you¡¯ve burned out your compliments,¡± isabel warned. ¡°you aren¡¯t getting any more.¡±


    ¡°it means i can start practicing hunting on my own. i¡¯ll know if there are slashers, so i can avoid them and focus on fighting monsters i can handle alone.¡±


    noah and isael both blinked.


    ¡°are you sure?¡± isabel asked nervously. ¡°i mean, it¡¯s one thing if the professor is here, but...¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ve got two weeks.¡± todd¡¯s smile faded. ¡°and it was you who told me we needed to work harder yesterday, isabel. and that was after you beat me in a sparring match. not other way around. i¡¯ve got a healing potion. if i stay fairly close, it¡¯s a good way for both of us to train at the same time.¡±


    ¡°it is,¡± noah allowed. isabel spun toward him, but noah held a hand up. ¡°but let¡¯s save it for later in the day. we should focus on hunting slashers first, okay? once we¡¯ve done that, you can do some solo hunting. i¡¯ve got a flying sword, so if things go wrong, you can call out and i¡¯ll be there in a few seconds.¡±


    todd and isabel both reluctantly nodded.


    ¡°great,¡± noah said. ¡°so, todd ¨C you¡¯ve just elected yourself as our tracker. see any slashers nearby?¡±


    todd scrunched his nose in annoyance. ¡°i made a mistake by telling you about this, didn¡¯t i?¡±


    ¡°let¡¯s call it a learning opportunity.¡± noah grinned. ¡°go on, then.¡±


    ¡°this way,¡± todd grumbled raising a hand and pointing to their east. ¡°i feel like a bloodhound.¡±


    ¡°look like one too,¡± isabel said, punching todd in the arm and snickering as they set off.

 Chapter 33: Magus Vermil

    chapter 33: magus vermil


    six slashers met their ends that day. isabel and todd both did brilliantly, impressing noah even further. it had only been a few days since they¡¯d started fighting the larger monsters, but both had adapted brilliantly, even without the threat of constant death that had pushed noah.


    he only had to step in twice, and one of the times turned out to be unnecessary, as isabel had avoided the attack that he¡¯d thought would hit her. noah was almost completely confident that she and todd would be able to handle a slasher if they worked together, even without his supervision.


    even if they had to fight alone, he suspected that they¡¯d still come out on top ¨C but it wasn¡¯t quite something he wanted to test yet. there was still time to practice before the exam, and he wasn¡¯t about to lose a student because he got impatient.


    in between every slasher fight, all three of them spent time training their magic. by the time that the sixth slasher went down, it was already well into the night. luckily, the energy from killing the slashers was more than enough to cure their weariness.


    ¡°all right,¡± noah said. ¡°great job, both of you. seriously. todd, if you want to go out and hunt on your own, i think i¡¯m comfortable with it. we¡¯ve gotten some good training in today. just don¡¯t go too far, and don¡¯t be afraid to call out if you need help. i¡¯ll stay with isabel for now.¡±


    todd pumped a hand in the air. ¡°yes! sounds good, teacherman. see you after i¡¯ve stomped a dozen more of these hairy buggers!¡±


    isabel watched todd leave with a nervous frown. noah put a hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°don¡¯t worry. he¡¯s going to be fine. so are you.¡±


    ¡°i know.¡± isabel let out a sigh. ¡°logically, i know. it doesn¡¯t help, though. what if he slips or something goes wrong?¡±


    ¡°i won¡¯t lie and say that¡¯s not possible. but a bird can never fly if it doesn¡¯t leave the nest. i want to do everything i can to teach both of you properly, but if i baby you, your growth will be stunted. i am completely confident that both you and todd can handle the small monkeys ¨C and todd can actually see the slashers coming. even if one gets the jump on him, he¡¯s grown a lot. he¡¯ll hold his own until i get there to help.¡±


    ¡°that doesn¡¯t make me worry less.¡±


    ¡°then let¡¯s distract you with some training. getting some extra solo energy will help fill your runes up anyway. there should be some monkeys to hunt in the immediate vicinity.¡±


    isabel nodded reluctantly, and they set off.


    ***


    half a dozen small monkeys fell to isabel¡¯s sword over the next few hours. after every fight, noah pointed out any mistakes she¡¯d made ¨C though there were fewer with every fight, if any at all.


    the few that she did make were almost certainly because her attention was still on todd¡¯s safety, but none were significant enough to do anything more than scare her back into paying attention.


    ¡°you¡¯ll have to get used to it, you know,¡± noah said as isabel dispatched the monkey she¡¯d been fighting, flicking her sword to free it of blood and sliding it back into her heart.


    ¡°get used to what?¡±


    ¡°fighting while you¡¯re worried about someone.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not that worried. i just don¡¯t want my classmate to get killed. i forgot about it once he left. it¡¯s hardly my problem.¡±


    ¡°more like annoying,¡± isabel muttered.


    noah stopped walking, holding a hand up to keep isabel from passing him. she froze, following his gaze to a furry form hunched over between the trees. a chucker. noah¡¯s eyes narrowed and he held a hand to his lips, grabbing isabel firmly by the shoulder and pushing her behind a tree.


    they were still downwind of the monster, but it was odd that it hadn¡¯t noticed them while they spoke. from what noah had seen, the chuckers were some of the most perceptive monkeys in the forest.


    he summoned the ash from the trees around the crouching chucker. trees creaked in protest as clouds of swirling soot ripped off their branches and solidified into a spike, slamming straight through the chucker¡¯s back and into the forest ground beneath it. the monster flopped, its limbs bouncing around without direction. it didn¡¯t react in the slightest to the blow. noah frowned.


    ¡°stay there,¡± noah said, advancing on the monkey. he drew up alongside it and nudged the monster in the side with his foot. it didn¡¯t flinch. noah hooked his foot under the monster¡¯s taut ribcage and flipped it over.


    a curse slipped out of noah¡¯s mouth and he stepped back despite himself. the chucker¡¯s face had been completely ripped off. there was just ragged meat and bone, still wet with blood but not soaking.


    noah had died more times than he could count, but the sight still made bile churn in his throat. he grimaced and glanced around the trees to see if anything else was watching them, but all he found was burnt wood and wind.


    ¡°what is it?¡± isabel poked her head out from behind her hiding spot.


    ¡°something got here before we did,¡± noah replied, squatting beside the monster and studying it closer. ¡°i wouldn¡¯t try to get a look unless you want nightmares.¡±


    whatever had killed the chucker had managed to avoid hitting any vital organs ¨C or anything other than its face, really. noah¡¯s brow furrowed. there weren¡¯t any wounds other than its missing face.


    what kind of predator rips something¡¯s face off and then leaves it lying around?


    ¡°one that kills for sport,¡± noah answered his own question. he rose to his feet. ¡°we need to go get todd. i don¡¯t like unknown variables.¡±


    ¡°do you think he¡¯s alright?¡± isabel asked nervously. she followed noah¡¯s advice and averted her eyes from the monster, not getting a good look at what had happened to it. ¡°what if he got ambushed?¡±


    ¡°relax. he wouldn¡¯t have gone down quietly,¡± noah replied. ¡°we know the direction he went, and i¡¯ve been keeping track of the sounds of his fights while you were practicing. let¡¯s go.¡±


    noah set off at a brisk pace and isabel matched it, her face creased with concern. they moved quickly through the forest as noah retraced his steps. noah hadn¡¯t lied to isabel ¨C he was confident that todd would have at least made noise if something had surprised him, and he¡¯d been keeping close tabs on the boy.


    sure enough, after another minute of walking, noah heard todd¡¯s victory cheer followed by a thump as something crashed to the ground. isabel heard it as well and let out a relieved sigh.


    ¡°told you,¡± noah said with a chuckle.


    they stepped through the trees into a clearing, where todd stood before a dead monkey, a confident smile on his face. the smile slipped away, turning into a baffled stare as he locked eyes with noah.


    it only took noah an instant to understand why.


    standing beside todd, a rapidly fading grin on his face, was a man wearing a professor¡¯s jacket with a little metal tag that read magus vermil at their chest ¨C and he looked identical to noah.

 Chapter 34: My body

    chapter 34: my body


    noah¡¯s mind spun at a mile a minute. he locked eyes with the other version of him. it was like looking into a three dimensional mirror. every single thing about him was the same ¨C except he didn¡¯t have the grimoire or gourd.


    for several seconds, nobody said a word. they just stared at each other. scenarios flashed through noah¡¯s mind as he desperately tried to figure out what was going on. the memory of a single paper flickered through his mind and, all of a sudden, everything clicked into place.


    skinwalker. that¡¯s what happened to my body that went missing a few weeks back. i was right.


    ¡°what in the hells?¡± todd asked, looking from noah to the fake standing beside him. ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°professor?¡± isabel asked, pulling her sword from her chest. ¡°i¡¯d like to know the same question.¡±


    neither noah nor his copy responded. they were locked in a standoff, each watching the other with trepidation, waiting to see what they would do. for some reason, the copy of noah looked just as surprised and nervous as he felt.


    if i tell them this is a skinwalker, then i have to explain how it got my body. that means my secret is completely out. i can¡¯t let that happen.


    a thought struck noah. it was so absurd that he nearly burst into laughter on the spot, but the situation was too serious for him to let his guard down. todd was right next to the skinwalker, and noah wasn¡¯t certain how fast it was.


    noah cleared his throat and smiled. ¡°ah! that¡¯s a little embarrassing.¡±


    everyone stared at him.


    ¡°what are you talking about?¡± isabel asked, her voice edged with fear.


    ¡°this is actually a special project i¡¯ve been working on,¡± noah said through a forced smile. ¡°i¡¯ve got a somewhat unique combination of runes, see. didn¡¯t you wonder why i was so confident leaving todd on his own?¡±


    god, i really, really hope that skinwalkers are intelligent.


    he strode toward the skinwalker confidently, keeping his eyes locked with it, an unspoken warning emanating from him. noah drew up alongside his clone and threw his arm around its shoulder.


    ¡°this is my clone.¡±


    todd and isabel stared at them. a slow, uncomfortable grin passed over the skinwalker¡¯s face and it gave them a thumbs up.


    ¡°oops! i didn¡¯t want to tell you and spoil things,¡± not-noah said. ¡°i was going to run off before the other me got back so you wouldn¡¯t suspect anything. my bad.¡±


    ¡°you can¡¯t be serious,¡± isabel said. her sword lowered slightly. ¡°you cloned yourself? is that even possible?¡±


    ¡°that is so cool,¡± todd said, his eyes wide in admiration. ¡°can you show me how to do that?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m afraid not,¡± noah replied, not letting his vice grip on the skinwalker lessen. if it made even the slightest aggressive move, he¡¯d rip its body to shreds with his vibration rune. even if it killed him, the secret would be ruined at that point anyway.


    ¡°so which one is the real you?¡± isabel asked.


    ¡°me,¡± noah and not-noah replied at the exact same time.


    noah¡¯s grip on the skinwalker tightened and he let a little magic seep out of his fingers.


    ¡°we don¡¯t need to eat humans!¡± the skinwalker said hurriedly as noah started to gather magic once more.


    noah tilted his head to the side. ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°we can survive on other things. what if we worked together?¡± the skinwalker offered with a weak smile. ¡°i can just eat normal meat.¡±


    ¡°if you don¡¯t need to eat humans, why the hell do you hunt them? wouldn¡¯t it be easier to go after pigs or something?¡±


    ¡°they taste better.¡±


    noah gave his own corpse a flat stare. ¡°that¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°a lot better. you wouldn¡¯t know unless you tried it.¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t even start. i will kill you.¡±


    a wave of anger passed across the skinwalker¡¯s features, but it smothered them. ¡°i don¡¯t want to die. if giving up human flesh is what it takes, then i¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°and what¡¯s to stop you from just waltzing off with my body the moment i turn around?¡± noah asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°that puts me right back into the fire ¨C and to be honest, i¡¯ve got so many enemies that you¡¯ll probably end up getting assassinated by someone before you even manage to do something bad. that could be pretty funny, actually.¡±


    ¡°what?¡± the skinwalker blinked, then shook its head in a remarkably human motion. ¡°i ¨C ah, i can change my form. the body is just a way to hunt since it¡¯s easier to get closer to people when they think they know you. i can change my appearance to something else.¡±


    ¡°...and then run off and kill a bunch of people? not associated with me anymore, sure, but that still results in the death of innocents. you aren¡¯t making much of a case for yourself.¡±


    the skinwalker wrung its hands together. it glanced in either direction, as if contemplating running, but just let out a sigh.


    ¡°damn my luck. first i get stuck in a burnt up forest with nothing but a bunch of monkeys for ten years. a bunch of delicious humans parade right past me every year, but i can¡¯t go for any of them because they¡¯re swarmed with professors. then, when i get the perfect body to finally start gathering some runes and getting stronger, it turns out to be someone with the ability to come back from the dead. i could rip your throat out so easily right now, but it just ends ¨C¡±


    ¡°with you dead,¡± noah finished. ¡°bummer.¡±


    ¡°tell me about it,¡± the skinwalker complained. ¡°if you were a powerful mage, it would be one thing. but this just isn¡¯t fair. it doesn¡¯t even matter if i manage to kill you.¡±


    ¡°life isn¡¯t fair. and i¡¯m afraid i¡¯m only licensed to teach, not to provide therapy.¡±


    ¡°i won¡¯t go down without a fight,¡± the skinwalker warned, flexing its fingers.


    ¡°it won¡¯t matter,¡± noah replied dispassionately. ¡°and if you kill me, i come back and kill you. death is a currency, and you won¡¯t cost much.¡±


    ¡°can¡¯t you be a little amiable?¡± the skinwalker demanded. ¡°you literally can¡¯t die! take a risk. the rest of us don¡¯t get that many chances. i don¡¯t want to go into the great beyond.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s not that bad,¡± noah replied instinctively. ¡°lots of waiting, mostly.¡±


    ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°never mind.¡± noah shook his head. ¡°you haven¡¯t given me anything else to work with. i don¡¯t mind gambling my own life, but not anyone else¡¯s. it won¡¯t be long until i¡¯m pulled back to arbitage. if you can think of any way to convince me, do it quickly. otherwise, i won¡¯t be leaving while you still have my body.¡±

 Chapter 35: Rune Oath

    chapter 35: rune oath


    the skinwalker swallowed. its eyes darted around, searching the sky for a solution that wasn¡¯t there. noah tapped his hand on his thigh, watching the sun in the sky above them. he and isabel had been hunting and practicing for several hours, so it wouldn¡¯t be long until they were pulled back to arbitage ¨C and he still needed to warn his students that there might be people waiting for them on the other end.


    ¡°time¡¯s running out,¡± noah said. ¡°for what it¡¯s worth ¨C and i feel very odd saying this to a bloodthirsty cannibal ¨C i¡¯m sorry. you almost seem amicable.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not a cannibal. i¡¯m not human.¡±


    ¡°i ¨C okay, fair. still a monster, though.¡±


    ¡°are you any better? you¡¯re slaughtering these monkeys in droves.¡±


    ¡°they did it to me first.¡±


    the skinwalker went silent for a moment. ¡°okay, that¡¯s a fair point too. but i don¡¯t want to die. it¡¯s not fair.¡±


    ¡°maybe you¡¯ll get a better roll in the next life.¡±


    ash gathered at noah¡¯s fingertips. the skinwalker¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°i¡¯ll swear on my runes!¡±


    it was noah¡¯s turn to look confused. ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°my runes. i¡¯ll swear on them that i won¡¯t betray you. that¡¯s enough, right?¡±


    ¡°why would i trust a promise?¡±


    ¡°not a promise,¡± the skinwalker snapped. ¡°if i break it, my runes will all shatter. just because i¡¯m a monster doesn¡¯t mean i don¡¯t need them, you know. humans always think they¡¯re so great, but literally everyone can combine runes. you¡¯re just too arrogant to give a shit about what other races do.¡±


    what the hell is a promise on your runes? nobody told me about that. then again, i barely know anything yet.


    ¡°you¡¯re saying if you make a promise bound by your runes, you¡¯ll be held to it?¡± noah asked.


    ¡°are you an idiot? it¡¯s a rune oath. of course it¡¯s binding.¡±


    ¡°then we¡¯ll test it,¡± noah said. ¡°i swear on my runes that, if you do not do exactly as i tell you to in the next minute, i will kill you.¡±n??v€l-b1n was the first platform to present this chapter.


    a cold spike jabbed into noah¡¯s back. it turned into an electric current that ran through his body and tingled at his fingertips.


    ¡°would you look at that,¡± noah said. it had certainly done something, and judging by how confused the skinwalker had been when he didn¡¯t recognize the rune oath, it was probably real. ¡°it worked. swear an oath, then ¨C and make sure it covers everything. if it doesn¡¯t, i¡¯m not giving you a second chance.¡±


    the skinwalker ground its teeth. ¡°on my runes, i swear that i will refrain from killing any humans that do not attack me first. i will work together with the original owner of this body until we reach an agreement to break this oath. during this time, i will attempt to further both of our interests. in exchange, you will aid me in gathering runes. i will also keep the secret of your revivals. is that suitable?¡±


    noah considered the monster¡¯s oath, running through it in his head to see if it had left any loopholes. it hadn¡¯t exactly promised subservience, but he couldn¡¯t blame it for that. a life lived for another was no life at all. as far as noah could tell, the offer was fair. if it wasn¡¯t going to indiscriminately kill people, could he really judge that it was deserving of death?


    ¡°yes,¡± noah said.


    the tension vanished from the skinwalker¡¯s shoulders and it let out a relieved sigh.


    ¡°if you¡¯re sure,¡± todd said. he squinted up through the treetops at the rising sun. ¡°are you sure that we¡¯re about to get pulled back, though?¡±


    noah nodded. ¡°yeah. it should be any second now.¡±


    ***


    two hours of sitting around awkwardly later, noah felt his body fall apart into blue particles. his sigh of relief was lost in the wind as the taint ¨C noah still shuddered every time he thought of the transport cannon¡¯s actual name ¨C yanked him through space back toward the tower.


    well, they can¡¯t blame me for being off about the time. part of learning is finding out that your teacher is awful at figuring out what time of day it is.


    noah moved his hands to protect his head a moment before they thumped against metal as he arrived in the tube. he slid out of the turret and rolled to his feet, drawing on his magic, but the only other person in the tower was tim.


    isabel and todd arrived in rapid succession after noah, and isabel barely managed to scramble away before todd landed on top of her. they clambered to their feet and glanced around nervously.


    huh. maybe i read tim wrong?


    ¡°welcome back, master linwick,¡± tim said, stressing the last word of the sentence.


    definitely didn¡¯t read him wrong.


    ¡°another fantastic trip. thank you, tim.¡± noah tapped his chin with a finger. ¡°you know, i was wondering something. the taint can send people anywhere within a certain range of campus, right?¡±


    tim frowned but nodded. ¡°yes, it can.¡±


    ¡°my two students here didn¡¯t believe me when i said that.¡± noah put a hand on isabel and todd¡¯s shoulders. ¡°they don¡¯t think the campus counts as part of that area. do you think you could give them a demonstration and send them to somewhere on campus? like... i don¡¯t know, maybe the dining hall?¡±


    ¡°what?¡± todd asked. ¡°why would¨C¡±


    isabel elbowed him in the side. todd sputtered and glared at her.


    tim blinked. a flicker of a smile passed over his wrinkled features. ¡°yes, i think i could do that. would you like to join them?¡±


    ¡°no, i believe i may have some business to take care of,¡± noah replied. ¡°just the two of them.¡±


    ¡°are you sure?¡± isabel asked.


    ¡°no backing out of it now. shouldn¡¯t have argued so much.¡±


    the turret shuddered as tim rotated it. it thudded to a halt in its new direction and tim gave them a thumbs up. ¡°all ready and targeted at the dining hall. at your leisure. i¡¯ve got it set for an hour and a half.¡±


    isabel gave one last look at noah as he stepped onto the lift in the center of the room. noah raised a hand, then nodded to tim. the platform shuddered and chains clanked as it lowered, taking him down to the stairwell below.


    those too were empty, and noah was starting to second guess himself again when he stepped to the ground and looked up.


    a middle-aged man with a sharp beard and neatly kept hair stood before him, a cold glint in his grey eyes. his uniform had four golden bands running along its shoulders. beside him stood edward, boasting a grin so smug that noah nearly gave him a second teaching experience on the spot.


    to his surprise, the two of them weren¡¯t alone. moxie leaned against a building just beside them, watching through half-lidded eyes with a lazy grin.

 Chapter 36: Confrontation

    chapter 36: confrontation


    ¡°vermil linwick,¡± the middle-aged man said, his voice as coarse as sandpaper. ¡°i hear you have had an altercation with my apprentice.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m afraid i¡¯ve got no idea what you¡¯re talking about. an altercation implies there were two equal parties. what happened was that edward requested a lesson and i provided it.¡±


    ¡°a lesson that involved striking my apprentice in the face?¡±


    ¡°he specifically requested it. i obliged his request.¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t play games with me, vermil,¡± the man spat. ¡°you aren¡¯t even part of the main branch. you¡¯ve let your ego run unchecked for far too long if you think you can hit edward and bluff your way out of it.¡±


    ¡°see, this is a problem,¡± noah said. ¡°you know my name, but i don¡¯t know yours. you appear to have forgotten to wear your nametag.¡±


    ¡°you don¡¯t know who magus allen is?¡± edward asked. ¡°you really must be hiding under a rock to ignore the rest of the world. did getting surpassed by everyone else in the family hurt that bad?¡±


    ¡°about as much as your nose did, i¡¯d presume.¡±


    ¡°i see what you were talking about, edward,¡± allen said, adjusting the cuffs on his sleeves. ¡°vermil has sprouted an ego that far eclipses the dirt foundations of his position.¡±


    noah¡¯s smile fell away. ¡°i¡¯m afraid i¡¯ve lost my patience with your apprentice, magus allen. he was actively insulting one of my students. normally, i¡¯d leave such arguments to them for resolution, but he went to strike my student when she was not fighting back. i find that unacceptable, so i intervened.¡±


    allen¡¯s scowl flattened. his gaze shifted down to edward, whose smug smile froze solid.


    ¡°he¡¯s lying, professor. we were just talking.¡±


    ¡°and my fist just happened to be in the space where your nose was. i had no idea you¡¯d walk into it, especially with a shield. it¡¯s depressing, really.¡±


    ¡°vermil!¡± allen snapped. ¡°control your tongue. and edward, we will speak of this. extensively. for the time being, vermil has still brought affront to you and, through you, me. it was not your place to discipline my disciple, vermil.¡±


    noah rolled his shoulders. ¡°i didn¡¯t realize you were going to stop him from hitting isabel. or were you going to bow and ask her forgiveness had i not intervened? the way i see it, i¡¯ve saved you the humiliation of having to apologize to a girl beneath your station.¡±


    allen¡¯s eyes narrowed. he studied noah closely for several moments. edward gaped at him.


    ¡°professor, you can¡¯t possibly mean to just forget this. he punched me in the nose! it broke!¡±


    allen pressed his lips together so tightly that they turned white. ¡°i am now left with a sour taste in my mouth, but the family rules are very clear. an affront to edward¡¯s honor cannot be ignored. it was not your place to intervene.¡±


    noah curled his lip in distaste. ¡°let¡¯s get on with it then. what do you want?¡±


    ¡°a duel!¡± edward exclaimed.


    noah¡¯s kept his face identical as he called on his magic, drawing on all the energy his vibration rune had to offer. the moment allen made a threatening move toward him, he prepared to unleash the entirety of the spell into the man.


    he doubted that would stop the professor, but he didn¡¯t expect it to. all it had to do was distract the man for long enough for noah to run him through with his flying sword.


    ¡°very well,¡± allen said, shaking his head. ¡°i agree to your terms.¡±


    ¡°lovely. it was wonderful catching up with you,¡± noah said. ¡°if you don¡¯t mind, i¡¯ve got a lot to accomplish. are we done here?¡±


    allen put a firm hand on edward¡¯s shoulder and gave noah a curt nod. ¡°we¡¯re done.¡±


    they strode off. noah watched them leave, then let out a slow sigh and closed his eyes. only once they were out of sight did he allow himself to release the energy he¡¯d gathered from the vibration rune.


    when he opened his eyes again, noah jumped. moxie was standing in front of him.


    ¡°god, woman. make a little noise when you sneak up on me.¡±


    ¡°scared, vermil?¡±


    ¡°i nearly blasted you into a bunch of quivering little bits.¡±


    moxie snorted. ¡°right. because you walk around channeling your runes¨C¡± moxie trailed off, noticing noah¡¯s expression. ¡°you were channeling your runes?¡±


    noah shrugged. ¡°it looked like he might have been planning to challenge me to a duel.¡±


    ¡°and you thought you could defeat a rank 4 professor? did you not see the stripes on his jacket?¡± moxie asked, aghast.


    ¡°sure i saw them, and no, i didn¡¯t think i could defeat him normally. that¡¯s why i was going to attack the moment he started the duel.¡±


    ¡°your magic wouldn¡¯t have broken his shield.¡±


    noah patted the hilt of his flying sword. ¡°i know, but this might have.¡±


    ¡°you were going to stab him?¡±


    ¡°...yes?¡±


    moxie burst into laughter. ¡°that¡¯s a good one. something¡¯s seriously wrong with you, vermil. there¡¯s no way you were always this funny. you might have been tolerable before if you were.¡±


    ¡°was that a compliment i just heard? or are my ears simply failing me?¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t get too ahead of yourself,¡± moxie said. she turned on her heel. ¡°well, thanks for the show. i didn¡¯t expect you to actually go and try to make a fool of both yourself and your students, though. that¡¯ll be fun to watch.¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ll see,¡± noah replied, smiling softly as moxie strutted away.


    did you really just come all the way here to watch me and allen meet? you could have at least brought some popcorn to share.


    i really wish i got my hands on that damn book before the snot-nosed brat took it. maybe i¡¯ll steal it off him during the exam.


    noah chuckled to himself and took off, heading for his rooms. he had some more thoughts on magic to work through before the day was over, and he needed to make sure to get a good night of rest before he went back to the scorched acres the following day to meet his new skinwalker ally.

 Chapter 37: Everything

    chapter 37: everything


    noah returned to his room without any further incidents. he locked the door behind him and slipped out of his coat, tossing it into his closet before sliding into his desk and grabbing his notes.


    the rest of the day flew by as he scratched away, jotting down his observations and plans for the future. once everything boiled down, noah had two main goals directly related to his runes.


    first, he wanted to replace the rest of the lesser wind runes with greater ones. he was confident that isabel would be able to outperform edward during the exam, but it wouldn¡¯t be right to take the rune that she earned herself. thus, he needed to find a way to get his hands on a greater wind rune on his own.


    second, once he got his runes replaced, he needed to fill them completely and finally get around to combining them. he had no idea if his current plan of having two ash, two wind, and three vibration runes would actually allow him to combine them into something functional, but sunder made it so that he didn¡¯t have to worry about an invalid combination at all. at worst, it would just be a waste of time as he got energy for a new rune.


    he could deal with that once he actually got the right runes set up, since he still needed to replace one more wind rune and upgrade the other two. noah jotted down some ideas for how the ratios might affect the combinations, but in the end, he was just guessing.


    i¡¯d love to get an example of a combination someone else has done. that would help a lot. until then, i¡¯ll just focus on filling my current runes up. something tells me the hellreaver has a lot of energy if it¡¯s got a master rune. i want to replace my wind runes before i kill it so i don¡¯t waste any energy on a useless rune.


    noah remained at his desk through the rest of the day, but he got little more accomplished. he found himself zoning off, sometimes for several hours at a time. even after several weeks alive again, it was easy for him to just drift off whenever he wasn¡¯t actually doing something.


    the night came and noah went to bed when he realized that no more light was coming through his dirty window ¨C he still needed to clean it, but didn¡¯t quite care enough to get around to doing it.


    and, no more than a few hours into it, noah jerked awake in his bed in cold sweat. his chest felt tight, like steel bands were constricting around it. a massive eye stared down at him from the ceiling, burning with malice.


    he¡¯d recognize it anywhere at this point ¨C the hellreaver.


    it¡¯s just a vision. ignore it and it¡¯ll go away.


    a second passed. two. the bands around his chest tightened. noah hissed in pain, calling on his runes instinctively as he tried to push back against the invisible force. to his surprise, it seemed to work. the vision of the eye above him started to fade and the bands lessened. noah gritted his teeth and pushed back as hard as he could.


    there was one final squeeze, and then the vision flashed with fury and vanished. noah sat upright, gasping for air. it took him several moments to gather himself again.


    that wasn¡¯t a vision. the hellreaver realized i¡¯m alive. shit. this isn¡¯t good. can it just do that whenever?


    how does it even have access to my mind? did all that soul damage somehow form a link between us, or is it all the monkeys i¡¯ve killed? damn. doesn¡¯t matter. there¡¯s nothing i can even do about it now. the exam is too soon. i¡¯ll just have to manage.


    the hellreaver didn¡¯t try anything again that night, but noah slept poorly. none of the other visions had actually affected him, and this time around, he hadn¡¯t even had severe soul damage.


    the hellreaver is screwing with me.


    when the sun rose the following morning, noah was already out his door. instead of setting a course for tim, noah stopped by the markets to buy the cheapest set of clothes he could find. they resembled his normal outfit, but with considerably less flair and quality and had been clearly made for training rather than teaching. he managed to get a deal for a set that only cost a single silver, which he happily took before turning and walking in the opposite direction until he was in the large, open gardens near the t building.


    he stepped onto his flying sword and took to the skies, nearly performing a surprise trimming on a tree that rudely decided to place itself between him and the open air. noah jerked out of the way moments before he cut through it, and then he was off.


    wind whipped past noah¡¯s ears and he squinted to protect his eyes as he rose higher. before long, he could see arbitage sprawling beneath him. he wasn¡¯t the only person flying around on a sword, but he was certainly the fastest.


    several dozen other people also flew around the campus beneath noah, but they were all moving at much more controlled speeds. noah suspected that moving at a reasonable pace was probably far more ideal when you had to worry about small things like surviving the landing or mowing down bystanders.


    the skinwalker let out a dramatic sigh. it stripped out of noah¡¯s clothes and changed into the new ones. noah had to admit ¨C the skinwalker really did get every single part of his body correct.


    ¡°what kind of body do you want me to take on?¡±


    ¡°as long as it¡¯s within reason, i really don¡¯t care,¡± noah said. ¡°it¡¯s your body. and do you have a name? if we¡¯re going to be working together, i¡¯d rather think of you as more than just a skinwalker.¡±


    the skinwalker blinked. its face was unreadable as they stood, watching each other.


    ¡°what?¡± noah asked.


    ¡°nothing,¡± the skinwalker replied. ¡°i do not have a name. we are solitary by nature. typically, i would take on the name of the person who i had consumed. when someone dies, the most repeated memories are burned into their bodies and we consume them. names are one of those memories.¡±


    ¡°yeah, just like language,¡± noah said with a knowing nod. ¡°and really strong trauma or feelings.¡±


    the skinwalker stared at noah. ¡°how do you know that?¡±


    ¡°i reckon i¡¯ve gone through more bodies than you have,¡± noah replied, dismissing the subject with a wave of his hand. ¡°they¡¯re just all mine.¡±


    technically mine. sorry, vermil. you should have been less of a prick.


    ¡°you regain your own memories? how would that even work?¡±


    ¡°let¡¯s not address it,¡± noah said. he wasn¡¯t about to explain every bit of how he¡¯d arrived in this world. ¡°you still need a name. do you want to make one, or should i?¡±


    the skinwalker considered his question for a second. ¡°i like trees.¡±


    ¡°okay,¡± noah said, drawing the word out.


    ¡°i would like to be called tree.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s... not a very human name,¡± noah hedged. ¡°what about a specific tree? that could be a bit easier to make unique.¡±


    ¡°leaves. leaves are more unique, and they are part of trees.¡±


    noah cleared his throat. ¡°what about lee? like the first half of leaves.¡±


    the skinwalker nodded. ¡°lee. that will work. i¡¯m going to change my body now. if any monsters come, i¡¯d appreciate if you keep them away. we aren¡¯t very strong while we¡¯re shifting forms.¡±


    noah nodded and the skinwalker hunched over, pressing its hands to its face. a series of loud cracks rang out within its body and its back bulged, bubbling and churning. noah suppressed a gag. lee¡¯s hair straightened and extended down past his shoulders.


    there was a sharp snap, followed by a relieved sigh. lee stood back up and arched back with a yawn.


    one thing was for certain. lee hadn¡¯t been lying. the skinwalker hadn¡¯t changed its appearance just a little. it had changed everything.

 Chapter 38: Teacher

    chapter 38: teacher


    lee¡¯s face was softer, the hard lines of noah¡¯s chin turned curved. lee¡¯s formerly dark eyes were now a light blue. his ¨C or her, noah wasn¡¯t sure anymore ¨C lips had filled out and her eyebrows had thinned.


    ¡°what do you think?¡± lee asked, lifting the ratty shirt and peering down into it. ¡°huh. that¡¯s fun.¡±


    noah rubbed his forehead. ¡°you¡¯ve somehow made things even more confusing for me. i didn¡¯t think i¡¯d be asking this, but do skinwalkers have gender? if you can just change shape at will...¡±


    ¡°we merge. two skinwalkers rip off half their bodies and squish ¡®em together to form a new one. then they reform their bodies. i¡¯ve heard it¡¯s not a particularly enjoyable process. i don¡¯t know if skinwalkers have actual genders, but i can¡¯t say i was a huge fan of your body. this one seems nicer.¡±


    that¡¯s... odd. i could have sworn skinwalkers need the body of the person to transform into them, but lee¡¯s just changing shape at will.


    ¡°i am going to choose not to take that as an insult,¡± noah decided. ¡°and suit yourself. if you¡¯re done, we need to discuss a few things.¡±


    ¡°do i get to buy clothes after?¡±


    ¡°you need money to buy clothes.¡±


    lee stared at noah with wide, hopeful eyes. he grimaced. ¡°stop that.¡±


    ¡°stop what?¡±


    ¡°the eye thing.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m just looking at you.¡±


    ¡°you look like a puppy begging for a scrap. i¡¯m basically broke, you know.¡±


    lee scrunched her nose in distaste, letting her features return to normal. ¡°figures. what if we kill someone and take their money?¡±


    noah¡¯s eyes narrowed. lee held her hands up.


    ¡°hey, it was just a suggestion. don¡¯t act as if you haven¡¯t done worse.¡±


    noah sighed and shook his head. he paused as a thought struck him.


    does she have memories of vermil? that could be incredibly useful. skinwalkers get memories from their bodies, right?


    ¡°say, do you happen to have any useful memories?¡± noah asked casually. ¡°ones that would help you blend in.¡±


    lee gave him a disappointed shake of her head. ¡°no. skinwalkers get those from the remnants of the soul that¡¯s left in the body, and you didn¡¯t leave anything behind. just a sack of meat.¡±


    lovely. i should have guessed.


    ¡°so, about killing people for money. if you¡¯ve done worse...¡±


    ¡°lucky me.¡± noah brushed the dirt out of his hair and gave lee a once over before nodding. ¡°okay, yeah. i think people would buy that, especially if you give any demonstrations. i could use some lessons myself, to be honest.¡±


    lee¡¯s grin turned predatory. ¡°i¡¯d be more than happy to demonstrate. i wouldn¡¯t even have to be too careful, right? you can¡¯t die.¡±


    ¡°i can die, just not permanently,¡± noah corrected. ¡°and i certainly don¡¯t enjoy the experience. no using me as a punching bag.¡±


    ¡°not even a little?¡±


    ¡°only as much as needed to help me improve my hand to hand combat skills. if i judge that you¡¯re a good teacher, i¡¯ll pay you some of the money i earn. you can use that to buy what you want. how¡¯s that sound?¡±


    lee rubbed her chin, then shrugged. ¡°deal. it¡¯s still punching you, so it¡¯ll be fun. what about your students?¡±


    ¡°if i judge you capable of working with others without putting them at risk, then yes, them as well. if not...¡± noah trailed off, leaving the statement open ended. lee nodded her understanding.


    ¡°can we go to arbitage now, then?¡±


    ¡°not quite yet. there¡¯s one more thing. in about a week and a half, there¡¯s going to be an exam. a bunch of professors are going to come to the scorched acres with their students and hunt slashers.¡±


    ¡°yeah, i know what it is. always made me hungry.¡±


    ¡°well, i have an inkling that someone might try to interfere with my students ¨C particularly isabel, the girl. i want you to remain here and keep yourself hidden up until the test. watch over isabel and stop anyone that tries to interfere with her ¨C but don¡¯t help her pass. can you do that?¡±


    ¡°you mean i have to sit around for another two weeks doing nothing?¡±


    ¡°not two weeks. it¡¯s less. and you¡¯ve been doing nothing for a while, haven¡¯t you? here ¨C i¡¯ll take you shopping after the exam as a reward. no promises on buying things out of my budget, but keep it reasonable and we can get you some human things. deal?¡±


    lee scrunched her nose in annoyance, then gave a curt nod. ¡°deal. if the professors catch me during the exam, i expect you to back me up. i don¡¯t want to get killed for nothing.¡±


    ¡°i will,¡± noah promised. ¡°you¡¯ll see me and my students several more times before the exam. try not to show yourself unless something is important. i want to keep the surprises to a minimum in the near future.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll stick to the shadows. i¡¯m good at that,¡± lee promised. ¡°see you in two weeks.¡±


    ¡°less,¡± noah corrected, drawing his flying sword and tossing it to the ground. lee just rolled her eyes and stepped into the shade beneath a large tree.


    noah couldn¡¯t help but notice that she was very apt at coming off as human. if he didn¡¯t know better, he would have assumed lee was just any other woman he ran into on the streets ¨C and a charismatic one at that.


    is that because they¡¯re adapted to blend in with human society?


    noah shuddered. if people had noticed that there was a skinwalker problem, just how many of them could be lurking about that nobody had discovered yet? he didn¡¯t want to think too deeply about that. some things were better off left unanswered.


    the flying sword shifted as he turned his attention to it, sending wind magic into the blade. he lifted off the ground and took off, heading back in the direction of arbitage.


    there was still a lot to do before the exam, and he didn¡¯t have time to waste sitting around here when he could be sitting around somewhere on campus instead.

 Chapter 39: On Ships and Battle

    chapter 39: on ships and battle


    the rest of the time leading up to the exam flitted by, but not in the way noah had expected. every single night, the vision of the hellreaver¡¯s eye ripped noah from his sleep. he wasn¡¯t one that felt he needed a lot of sleep, but it was starting to get to him. sometimes, when he looked into the vision of the eye, he could actually feel the hellreaver¡¯s amusement radiating out of it.


    by the time he got the vision pushed away and could breathe properly again, his heart was thudding and adrenaline coursed in his veins. it was starting to escalate far more than just an annoyance. the hatred noah had for the monster grew with every night, but there was nothing he could do about it ¨C yet.


    unfortunately, the hellreaver wasn¡¯t content with simply striking at night, and noah found out exactly how petty the monster could be while he trained with his students in the scorched acres.


    the first vision struck noah during the day, while he was demonstrating some ways to dodge slasher attacks. the eye ripped out of the darkness in the forest with such force that noah nearly yelped in surprise. his momentary hesitation nearly got him cut in half, but he managed to throw himself to the side and shatter the vision.


    noah dispatched the slasher immediately with a spike of ash, then spent the next several minutes telling isabel and todd that there was nothing to worry about and he¡¯d just tripped on a protruding root.


    neither of his students had seen the eye, nor did they seem to be affected by it in any way. that confirmed the hellreaver was targeting noah specifically. and, throughout the rest of their training, it continued to periodically try to catch noah off guard whenever he was demonstrating anything.


    it made everything considerably harder and noah nearly got killed a multitude of times, only managing to survive by his honed instincts against slashers.


    luckily, unlike him, his students were making fantastic progress. every meeting, both of them improved by leaps and bounds. they¡¯d gotten used to the slashers¡¯ moves, just like noah had ¨C although it had taken them considerably longer. he didn¡¯t blame them. death was a very good motivator.


    noah also spent some gold on buying a collection of considerably less expensive clothes that he could go through while he was training. he wasn¡¯t sure how the thought hadn¡¯t struck him before, but buying some plain suits was less than half the price of a proper outfit and worked just as well while he was in the forest.


    several days before the exam, both todd and isabel were capable of handling slashers entirely on their own ¨C and noah was so weary and worn down by the hellreaver that he was a step away from stalking over to it that very day to kill the monster or die trying. most likely, the latter.


    even with the hellreaver¡¯s constant interference, noah was pleased with both of his students. part of him had been worried that isabel¡¯s performance was going to suffer because of the threat of losing to edward, but he couldn¡¯t have been more wrong. if anything, she threw herself at the slashers with even more gusto, pressing to push herself to her limits.


    todd kept pace with her, his superior range giving him a large advantage against the slashers. even though he couldn¡¯t kill the monsters in a single blow, he was ending many of the fights before they even started.


    and, most important of all, noah no longer had to step in at all. in the end, the most important thing was that they survived the exam, and noah was now certain that they¡¯d have absolutely no difficulties doing so.


    he¡¯d yet to see a single other professor or student practicing in the scorched acres, which confused him to no end, but he wasn¡¯t about to question it. noah had come to enjoy their relative privacy within the blackened trees and had no desire to share it with anyone else.


    while noah replaced one more of his lesser wind runes with a greater vibration rune as well.


    all the monsters they¡¯d killed had filled all his wind and ash runes, and his lone vibration rune was rapidly growing close to full as well. replacing one of the lesser wind runes didn¡¯t do much to reduce his strength, but it made sure that he didn¡¯t waste any power from killing monsters ¨C and he wasn¡¯t entirely sure what would happen if he filled all his runes.


    nobody had said that they¡¯d combine the moment they were all full, but noah wasn¡¯t willing to risk it, even with the powers of sunder. he hadn¡¯t tried touching it since his first attempt, but the last thing he wanted was to find out he still couldn¡¯t use its powers and end up with a worthless combination. thus, he focused on practicing his magic and terrorizing the monkeys of the forest. if they had any sort of local legends, noah suspected his face now belonged to the bogeyman that the monkeys used as a threat against misbehaving children.


    before long, the day of the exam was upon them. he slept poorly that night as well, visions of the hellreaver¡¯s eye ripping him awake twice. when the morning finally came, he was grateful.


    but, to noah¡¯s surprise, before he could leave his room, there was a sharp knock at his door. he glanced over his shoulder at it, still midway through pulling his coat on, and frowned.


    noah tugged at his pants, adjusting his belt and awkwardly shuffling over to the door while throwing the rest of his outfit on. by the time he reached it, he¡¯d managed to weasel his way into everything and was trying to tame the unruly mess that was his hair.


    ¡°who is it?¡± noah asked, shifting a few papers into the doorway with his foot as he grabbed the door handle.


    hey, the paper trap worked once already. if it ain¡¯t broke, don¡¯t fix it.


    ¡°how many people actually speak with you?¡± moxie¡¯s voice came from the other side.


    noah blinked. he unlocked the door and pulled it open, nudging the papers away. moxie raised an eyebrow, following the motion.


    ¡°what do i owe the pleasure?¡± noah asked, throwing a glance out the window to make sure he hadn¡¯t somehow slept too late. the sun had yet to even rise over the campus, and it was still dark out.


    moxie stepped past noah, practically shoving him out of the way as she entered his room. noah went to call on his ash magic, then realized he didn¡¯t actually have any ash to work with and summoned vibration instead.


    ¡°what are you doing here?¡± noah asked, closing the door with his foot. if moxie was about to attack him, he preferred not to have any witnesses. it would make things a lot more difficult to explain.


    moxie leaned against noah¡¯s bed and let her eyes roam over the room. her scowl deepened.


    ¡°what magic is it that you¡¯ve got readied, vermil?¡±


    ¡°why do you ask?¡± noah countered. ¡°it would be hypocritical of me to complain about you showing up at my room, but i don¡¯t recall quizzing you on what you were doing in your spare time.¡±


    moxie grunted. ¡°sure. just on everything else.¡±


    ¡°if i recall correctly, we had a deal. also, while you''re here, how''d you know that allen and edward would show up at the transport cannon?¡±


    ¡°i keep tabs on allen for my own reasons. when i found out he was going after you, i thought i''d have some fun and tag along. and we did have a deal,¡± moxie agreed. ¡°yet one of the many things i¡¯ve never seen you do since before about a month ago. before then, you would have just tried to demand what you wanted. granted, even you weren¡¯t stupid enough to try and demand things from me after the first time you tried that shit, but this is something else.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry, i¡¯m afraid i have absolutely no idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± noah said, giving her an awkward smile and rubbing the back of his head ¨C taking absolute care to make sure not a speck of his actual thoughts came through the carefully crafted mask on his face.


    ¡°cut the crap, vermil. i¡¯ll list it out if you¡¯re going to make me. after years of stagnation, your magic grows strong enough for you to break a rank 2 shield. you¡¯re speaking to others with respect and some actual intelligence rather than being a greasy slimeball. you started showing up to your classes. your students actually respect you ¨C and you¡¯re putting your own comfort at risk to protect them.¡±


    ¡°i told you that i had a head injury. those can change a man, you know. completely twist his personality.¡±


    ¡°change, sure. but you aren¡¯t changed,¡± moxie said, narrowing her eyes. ¡°you aren¡¯t vermil at all.¡±


    noah burst into laughter. ¡°oh, man. if i¡¯m not vermil, then who am i?¡±??v€l?1n.


    ¡°you know what?¡± moxie rose to her feet. noah¡¯s laughter stopped and he readied himself to dive out of the way of a spell. moxie caught the change in his posture and cocked an eyebrow. ¡°i don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry?¡± noah asked. ¡°you can¡¯t just accuse¨C¡±


    moxie blurred. she slammed into noah, pinning him against the wall. he instantly released the vibration magic into her, but a bright green sheen flared around her body and his magic dissipated into it.


    ¡°and so decisive. you actually tried to use that spell on me. vermil never would have had the balls to do that. vermil also would have remembered that i¡¯m a rank 3. i beat that into him.¡±


    ¡°i¨C¡±


    ¡°what?¡± moxie asked, blinking.


    ¡°we¡¯re dealing with a bunch of powerful assholes. of course they¡¯re going to get pissy if things don¡¯t go their way. i¡¯ve already taken steps to ensure isabel¡¯s exam isn¡¯t tampered with.¡±


    moxie stared at noah. ¡°you knew about her background?¡±


    well, i mostly got worried because i thought edward was an asshole. i didn¡¯t realize that blacklisted thing was this big of a deal. all¡¯s well that ends well, though.


    noah just shrugged.


    ¡°and you really think you can stop what they¡¯ve got prepared?¡±


    ¡°how much would they prepare? she¡¯s a rank 1.¡±


    ¡°so are you,¡± moxie pointed out.


    ¡°good. they¡¯ll underestimate us. is that all you came here to tell me?¡±


    moxie inclined her head.


    ¡°then thank you,¡± noah said. moxie glanced up at him in surprise. ¡°i might have had an idea already, but i appreciate you caring enough to warn me. especially when you hate me.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t hate you,¡± moxie said, pushing away from the bed. ¡°you aren¡¯t vermil. come on. the constant questions about completely obvious things. the complete lack of knowledge on topics that even a child would have known ¨C there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that you aren¡¯t vermil. just let me hear you confirm it. if you really aren¡¯t him, i have no reason to hate you. maybe i can even help you.¡±


    noah studied her face closely for several seconds. even though it had been thousands of years ago, he¡¯d always prided himself on his ability to tell when a parent or student was trying to bullshit him. he was certain of two things. first, moxie was sincere. and second, she really hated vermil.


    ¡°let me tell you something,¡± noah said. ¡°picture a ship for me.¡±


    moxie frowned. ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°just play along.¡±


    ¡°fine. i¡¯m thinking of a ship.¡±


    ¡°now imagine that ship goes out on an adventure. its crew fights some pirates. there¡¯s a storm. the navigator is drunk and they sail into a rock. piece by piece, they have to repair parts of that ship and replace old, damaged wood with new planks.¡±


    ¡°okay?¡± moxie asked, squinting at him. ¡°i don¡¯t see how this matters in the slightest.¡±


    ¡°over the course of many years, this keeps happening,¡± noah continued, ignoring moxie¡¯s complaint. ¡°the sails are torn and swapped out. the wheel falls apart and so on ¨C until, one day, every single part of that ship has been replaced. and, finally, that ship sails back into port. is it still the same ship?¡±


    ¡°of course it¨C¡± moxie¡¯s sentence died before it could pass through her lips. her brow furrowed and she tilted her head to the side. ¡°i¡¯m not sure. it¡¯s got the same name.¡±


    ¡°so it does. but is it the same ship?¡±


    moxie studied noah. a smile slowly started to stretch across her lips. ¡°no. i don¡¯t think it is.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s something many people debate. but i think i have to agree with you,¡± noah said. ¡°it shares the same name, but it has been changed, utterly and thoroughly.¡±


    moxie didn¡¯t respond for several moments. ¡°i¡¯ve got some questions about the ship. just to make sure i actually understand the lesson you¡¯re sharing here. i think my student would enjoy it.¡±


    ¡°go ahead,¡± noah said with a wry smile.


    ¡°what if the old parts of the ship were all saved? sure, they were damaged, but couldn¡¯t they be put together and remade into that very same ship that originally left the port?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s an interesting question,¡± noah allowed. ¡°i think that it would be the same ship, yes. however, finding those pieces would be quite impossible. they were all destroyed, after all.¡±


    moxie let a small smile pass over her features. ¡°that¡¯s a very interesting story, vermil. thank you for sharing it with me. i¡¯ve never seen you in such a light, but i¡¯m glad for your students. you aren¡¯t the ship you once were.¡±


    ¡°i have decided to always seek the light of self-improvement. it¡¯s been an arduous journey, but i do my best.¡±


    moxie smirked. ¡°maybe it¡¯s time that you finally repaired that reputation of yours. especially since it belongs to the old ship, not the new one. if you don¡¯t mind, i think i¡¯d like to hear more of your newfound wisdom ¨C you aren¡¯t the man i once knew.¡±


    ¡°i might be willing to exchange information. it won¡¯t be cheap, though.¡±


    ¡°i guessed as much, but i¡¯m much more willing to give a deal to you than¨C¡±


    a knock on the door interrupted moxie. noah frowned. nobody ever swung by his room, and now there were two people in less than an hour. he grabbed his sword and held it behind his back, walking up to the door and opening it before moxie could speak.


    richard¡¯s bored gaze met noah¡¯s eyes. the healer looked every bit as disgruntled and annoyed to see him as he had the first time noah had arrived to arbitage.


    ¡°i¡¯m here to collect you for today¡¯s exam,¡± richard drawled. he opened his mouth to say something else, then trailed off as he looked past noah and into his room ¨C where moxie stood beside his bed, her clothes badly ruffled from their fight.


    ¡°i¡¯m over here,¡± noah said curtly.


    richard choked, then cleared his throat, disbelief clouding his eyes. ¡°i ¨C uh, right. report to the transport cannon within the hour.¡±


    ¡°sounds good,¡± noah said. ¡°anything else?¡±


    richard tore his eyes away from moxie and swallowed. ¡°no.¡±


    noah shut the door in his face.


    ¡°whoops,¡± noah said, turning back to moxie. ¡°i don¡¯t suppose he knows how to keep his mouth shut?¡±


    moxie let out a groan. ¡°he¡¯s the biggest loudmouth on campus.¡±


    ¡°ah, lovely. well, at least i won¡¯t be fixing my reputation too much.¡±

 Chapter 40: The Exam begins

    chapter 40: the exam begins


    when noah and moxie arrived at the base of the transport cannon, a dozen other teachers and three times that many students had already congregated in the area. noah quickly spotted isabel and todd standing to the side of the group and approached them.


    todd raised a hand in greeting. then he saw moxie beside noah and his eyes widened. he elbowed isabel and she whipped her head around to look in their direction.


    ¡°oh crap. are we in trouble?¡± todd asked.


    isabel returned the elbow and he hopped away with a yelp, batting isabel¡¯s hand away.


    ¡°you two ready?¡± noah asked with a grin, ignoring todd¡¯s rhetorical question.


    they both nodded.


    ¡°we didn¡¯t practice yesterday or the day before so we could rest a little bit before the fight. both of us are good to go.¡± isabel said with a smile that wasn¡¯t as confident as her words.


    ¡°don¡¯t stress things too hard. just do what you¡¯ve been doing. this is going to be a piece of cake.¡±


    ¡°what does cake have to do with it?¡± todd asked.


    ¡°i ¨C uh, never mind. old saying. you youngsters wouldn¡¯t get it. it¡¯ll be easy is what i meant.¡±


    todd crossed his arms in front of his chest. ¡°come on. you¡¯re literally a year older than me at most. maybe two. i¡¯ll accept kids, but youngsters is a bit much.¡±


    noah rolled his eyes. ¡°you¡¯ll live, todd. and i¡¯ll stop treating you like a kid once you stop acting like one.¡±


    isabel chuckled and todd sent her a mock glare. she shook her head and gave noah an appreciative smile.


    ¡°i¡¯m not worried about passing the test. that¡¯ll be easy.¡±


    ¡°easy?¡± moxie asked, speaking up for the first time. isabel and todd sent nervous glances at her.


    ¡°don¡¯t intimidate my students, moxie.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not intimidating them, but shouldn¡¯t you be making sure they don¡¯t get overconfident? defeating a slasher isn¡¯t a simple task. this is a culmination of everything they¡¯ve learned this far. there¡¯s a reason it¡¯s one of the most difficult tests in the second year.¡±


    noah just shrugged. ¡°i¡¯ve seen what they¡¯re capable of. a slasher isn¡¯t going to be a problem.¡±


    moxie stepped closer to noah and lowered her voice. ¡°if you¡¯re planning to kill the slashers for them, you really shouldn¡¯t have challenged allen to anything. he¡¯s going to be watching you like a hawk to make sure you don¡¯t interfere.¡±


    ¡°cheat? i¡¯d never do something like that.¡±


    isabel and todd exchanged an embarrassed glance. moxie shook her head in befuddlement.


    ¡°you actually think you¡¯re going to win the challenge against edward?¡±


    ¡°you think they¡¯re going to move that quickly?¡± allen asked with a scoff. ¡°you¡¯re all talk, vermil.¡±


    noah turned his back on allen and gave todd and isabel an encouraging smile. ¡°get to it, kids. no changes to anything we¡¯ve been practicing. and make sure to stick close for the first fight. it¡¯ll be more entertaining for me that way.¡±


    the group set off into the forest, moving at a brisk pace. they passed several other groups watching as students squared off against slashers to varying degrees of success. noah winced as he watched a boy fail to read a slasher¡¯s attack and dodge in the wrong direction.


    he flashed with golden energy as a wall of magic formed between him and the monster. it¡¯s claws scraped against the shield and he scrambled back before climbing to his feet. noah repressed his frown.


    if that had been isabel or todd, they would have died. those shields are really useful, especially when you know you¡¯re about to get hit or against magic. the school should really be providing them for everyone.


    ¡°problem, vermil?¡± allen asked. ¡°regretting your bold words?¡±


    ¡°no, i was just a little bored,¡± noah replied. ¡°i wonder how much your student is going to use that shield of his as a crutch. can he even fight without it?¡±


    ¡°he has no need to fight without it. he is a valued member of the linwick family. unlike you.¡±


    noah didn¡¯t grace allen with a response. a howl echoed through the trees in front of him, and a second one answered it. todd and isabel quickly glanced at each other, then lowered into fighting stances. isabel drew her sword and todd¡¯s arms erupted in flame.


    edward looked back at allen, who gave the boy a nod. water poured out of edward¡¯s gourd and swirled around his body like a snake. a second later, a slasher burst out of the trees, its nostrils flared and eyes fixed on todd, the closest person to it.


    todd stepped forward, readying a beam of flame, but edward sprinted in front of him. he slashed his hand downward and the water followed the motion, carving a bloody furrow through the slasher¡¯s chest. it roared in pain, hurt but not severely injured.


    ¡°that was mine!¡± todd exclaimed.


    ¡°should have been faster,¡± edward replied. the slasher swung a hand at edward, who didn¡¯t even bother dodging it. it slammed against his cloak, which glittered with golden light and stopped the blow in its tracks.


    with a yell, edward thrust his hand forward. the water carved into the slasher¡¯s dense fur once more. and, once again, he failed to achieve a fatal blow. if anything, he¡¯d just made the slasher even angrier. it lunged at edward, but it was like watching a truck drive into a reinforced pole. as long as edward expected his attacks, the shield was able to block them.


    at least, to a degree. from what i understand of shields blocking physical attacks, they have to actually use a physical manner to block a physical attack, like moxie¡¯s vines. so the thread must be magically reinforcing itself before he gets hit. great for body shots, but useless for head shots.


    as if it had heard his thoughts, the slasher whipped its hand for edward¡¯s head. this time, the boy flinched backward. it wasn¡¯t enough. one of the claws nearly carved into his neck before threads spun free of his extravagant robes, catching the claw and yanking it to the side.


    ¡°very impressive,¡± noah said.


    ¡°as i said,¡± allen said with a smug smile. ¡°he is a valued member of the linwick¨C¡±


    ¡°not him. the shield.¡±


    allen glowered at noah, but before he could respond, a tree shattered into fragments as a slasher charged through it. it skidded to a stop across from them and bared its teeth, letting out a furious howl. noah smiled.


    ¡°todd, this one¡¯s all you. edward¡¯s a little preoccupied tickling his opponent to death right now, so please make your fight a little more elegant.¡±


    ¡°with pleasure,¡± todd replied, cracking his knuckles.

 Chapter 41: Cheating?

    chapter 41: cheating?


    todd placed his hands together, cupping a marble of flame between them. he stretched them apart and the flame swirled, condensing into a spinning red ball. it streaked away, catching the slasher in the eye as it roared.


    the slasher¡¯s roar turned into a scream of pain. instead of staggering away or processing the pain, it charged. todd stood his ground, watching the monster with careful eyes. it reared back with both hands and lunged.


    noah¡¯s chest clenched despite all the training they¡¯d gone through. todd dove forward, sliding under the monkey¡¯s arms and springing to his feet behind it, sending a beam straight into the back of the monster¡¯s neck.


    the magic seared deep into the monkey¡¯s fur, burning a hole out the other side, beneath its chin. surprise flickered in the dim eyes of the slasher, but it wasn¡¯t down yet. it spun, lashing at todd with one claw.


    todd dropped to the ground, letting the attack pass over him, then fired one last bolt of fire into its other eye. the magic carved through the rest of its brain and the slasher staggered before pitching to the ground and lying still.


    ¡°yes!¡± noah crowed, pumping a hand in the air. ¡°that¡¯s how you do it!¡±


    edward nearly missed his own slasher¡¯s attack as it leapt at him and brought both of its hands down toward his head. allen barked out a warning and edward reacted just in time, just barely managing to summon his shield to protect him before the slasher crushed him.


    ¡°keep it up,¡± noah told todd. ¡°no reason to stop now. congratulations on passing, though. we¡¯ll have a pizza party when we get back.¡±


    ¡°hold on!¡± allen barked. ¡°if they leave together, they could cheat. one stays with us or another professor.¡±


    noah¡¯s eyes narrowed. there weren¡¯t any other professors in the immediate area and allen knew it.


    ¡°go, todd. isabel, you can wait for the next slasher that shows up. allen seems to think you¡¯re going to need help fighting these.¡±


    todd gave noah a sharp nod and jogged off into the forest. noah turned back to allen and crossed his arms. a crash shook the forest as edward narrowly avoided getting crushed.


    ¡°we aren¡¯t going to wait around for much longer,¡± noah said. ¡°can he wrap things up?¡±


    ¡°enough of the commentary,¡± allen snarled. ¡°edward, enough playing around. kill the slasher.¡±


    edward gritted his teeth, and noah repressed a smile. he couldn¡¯t even be bothered to repress his amusement. he didn¡¯t want the kid dead, of course. it was wrong to wish for the failure of others. he was still a teacher, after all. it was best if everyone succeeded and ¨C


    ah, screw that. i didn¡¯t spend thousands of years dead to pretend like i cared about bullies. i hope you fail, you little brat. that¡¯d teach you to talk shit. n??v€l-b1n was the first platform to present this chapter.


    to noah¡¯s mild disappointment, he didn¡¯t get his wish. edward¡¯s shield blocked yet another attack and he unleashed his water, carving the slasher in half. he doubled over, breathing heavily and catching his breath.


    ¡°wow,¡± noah said, his tone as dry as scorched acres. ¡°very impressive. talking about edward this time, by the way. not the shield.¡±


    ¡°can i get the next one?¡± isabel asked, shifting from foot to foot.


    ¡°sure you can. it looks like eddy needs some time to catch his breath.¡±


    ¡°my name isn¡¯t eddy,¡± edward snarled, pushing himself upright. ¡°and i am perfectly fine.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re wheezing like my grandma, except i think she¡¯d have whooped your ass six ways to sunday and still have looked to be in better shape,¡± noah said curtly. ¡°don¡¯t get yourself killed to prove a point. how many slashers could she possibly kill while you recover?¡±


    edward glanced to allen, who gave a curt nod.


    ¡°we¡¯ll stay here while he rests,¡± allen said.


    ¡°sure. isabel and i will go find a monkey, then.¡±


    ¡°no. as stated, you need to remain with me so that i can confirm if she actually defeats the monsters on her own.¡±


    noah¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°and how long does edward need to rest?¡±


    ¡°there¡¯s no hellreaver,¡± allen snapped. ¡°stop running.¡±


    ¡°what was that, then?¡± edward asked. ¡°it was massive!¡±


    ¡°it was my fellow teacher¡¯s inability to control his own magic. there was nobody else in the area.¡±


    whoops, he figured that out fast. was i that obvious? oh well, it worked once.


    ¡°edward looks to be in fine shape to me, especially if he was able to run like that,¡± noah said, walking up beside them with isabel. ¡°and i¡¯m sure that his runes aren¡¯t so weak that he¡¯s already used them all up. i think we can resume looking for a slasher now, yes? otherwise, i¡¯d have to assume you¡¯re intentionally interfering with the exam.¡±


    allen squared his jaw. ¡°yes. we may.¡±


    it wasn¡¯t hard. before long, they spotted another slasher resting against a tree, its eyes closed. they were downwind of it, so it was unlikely that it had smelled them either. edward¡¯s eyes lit up and he summoned his water.


    isabel didn¡¯t even wait for edward to attack. she launched herself forward. edward saw her sprint past him and narrowed his eyes, thrusting his hand forward and sending the stream of deadly water shooting straight at her back.


    noah lunged, but he wasn¡¯t anywhere close enough to stop the magic. he opened his mouth to call out a warning, knowing it would arrive too late.


    a blur shot from the trees, moving faster than noah¡¯s eyes could track. isabel shifted to the side and stumbled, driving her sword into the tree above the slasher instead of the monster¡¯s head. the stream of water arced past her, passing through where she¡¯d been standing and punching a hole into the ground just before the slasher.


    noah¡¯s heart slammed in his chest. no part of him had expected anyone to actually try to attack isabel directly. interfering with the exam was one thing. but cold blooded murder ¨C fury bubbled in his chest, but he bound it down.


    he hadn¡¯t seen what had saved isabel, but he knew who it had been. noah gave a nod to the trees, hoping that lee would see it. he owed the skinwalker a lot of new clothes.


    ¡°what the hell do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± noah snarled, stalking toward edward. allen shifted, placing himself between him and the boy.


    ¡°he missed. your student jumped in front of his attack.¡±


    ¡°if edward¡¯s so incompetent that he can¡¯t even aim in the direction of the monster, then he¡¯s no mage,¡± noah ground out, his hands trembling from the force of will it took to restrain himself.


    ¡°he is a second year student and already at your rank. he will be a greater mage than you ever were.¡±


    noah spat on the ground. ¡°i suppose i can¡¯t expect anything more than this from a pathetic excuse of a worm in human flesh.¡±


    ¡°watch your words,¡± allen warned. ¡°teacher or not, you are intentionally being inflammatory. i will not permit any more of this. apologize to him.¡±


    ¡°you want to see an apology?¡± noah asked. the trees behind him cracked as he ripped the ash away from them and formed a swirling ball above his hand. allen lowered his stance, something like satisfaction burning in his eyes.


    then noah punched him. a loud crack echoed through the woods as noah¡¯s fist connected with the man¡¯s chin, snapping his head back. allen staggered backward and braced himself against a tree, holding his jaw and staring at noah with disbelief in his eyes.


    ¡°i wasn¡¯t talking about edward,¡± noah said, cracking his neck. there was a roar from behind them, but it sputtered and stopped a moment later. everyone turned to see isabel pull her blade from the slasher¡¯s throat and flick the blood from it.


    noah grinned. ¡°ah. would you look at that? one ¨C one.¡±


    allen rubbed his chin, still staring at noah like he¡¯d suddenly started chanting in a foreign language. ¡°i ¨C you¨C¡±


    ¡°you okay there?¡± noah asked. ¡°i¡¯m really sorry about that. there was a fly. a really big one. your chin just happened to jump in the way of my fist as i went to squish it. can¡¯t blame me for that, can you?¡±


    allen swallowed his rage and rolled his neck. ¡°come, edward. we have more slashers to kill. are you prepared?¡±


    ¡°of course i am.¡± edward watched noah with a mixture of awe and hatred. noah smirked.


    ¡°good job on passing, isabel. that was an easy kill, though. looks like we¡¯re about to find some more, so let¡¯s get going.¡±


    isabel grinned and nodded.

 Chapter 42: Results

    chapter 42: results


    they found the next slasher just a minute later. edward readied his water to cut it down, but isabel drove her shoulder into his back as she sprinted past him, knocking him sprawling to the ground. by the time edward got back to his feet, isabel had already dodged the slasher¡¯s initial attack and separated its head from its neck.


    ¡°ooh, bummer,¡± noah said with false sympathy. ¡°it¡¯s too bad your shield doesn¡¯t block people from bumping into you on accident. if only you were able to do things without it, maybe you¡¯d have been a little more aware of your surroundings.¡±


    ¡°keep moving,¡± allen snarled, no longer even bothering to hide his fury.


    ¡°by the way, that¡¯s two-one,¡± noah said cheerfully. ¡°what runes do you have in your book? just wondering.¡±


    allen didn¡¯t even bother responding.


    todd found them shortly thereafter, breathing heavily. he held up four ears, two in each hand, as he skidded to a stop before them.


    ¡°got two more slashers,¡± he said proudly. ¡°and another one is on my tail. isabel?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve got this,¡± edward snarled, shoving past todd.


    todd caught isabel¡¯s eye and jerked his head to their left. something blurred between the trees. isabel frowned in confusion, then understanding hit her and she turned, backing up as if to let edward fight the slasher without interruption.


    ¡°where is it?¡± edward demanded, squinting through the trees.


    isabel turned and ran toward the direction of the blur. a slasher roared, ripping its claws through the air to cut her from head to toe. isabel skipped to the side, avoiding the attack, and drove her sword through its throat.


    ¡°three-one,¡± noah said.


    ¡°where¡¯s the slasher that was chasing you?¡± edward asked, looking from isabel to todd in befuddlement and anger.


    ¡°sorry. i must have gotten it mixed up with something else.¡± todd smiled sheepishly. ¡°whoopsie.¡±


    edward snarled and stomped the ground. he stormed into the forest without waiting for anyone to say anything else, and they all ran to keep up with him.


    over the course of the remainder of the exam, they ran into seven slashers that weren¡¯t already fighting other teams. evidently, allen¡¯s willingness to steal kills was limited to only isabel and todd, because he never sent edward after them.


    the first of the slashers went down to a well-placed beam of condensed fire right between its eyes, crumpling moments before edward¡¯s water got to it.


    the second and third died to allen, who killed the monsters before isabel or todd could reach them, claiming that they were about to unfairly fight edward. noah had no idea what that was supposed to mean, but he was beyond caring.


    the fourth edward actually managed to kill, but only because it had already been badly injured ¨C probably by another student who had failed the exam.


    as for the fifth, sixth, and seventh, all went to isabel. she killed one while edward was fighting the other slasher, and stole the other two right out from under his nose by executing them in the middle of their fight with edward.


    ¡°the rules don¡¯t say anything about how you get the kill,¡± noah pointed out when allen confronted him. ¡°and it¡¯s not like you or i helped them fight. are you really implying that edward would stoop so low as to help isabel? of course not. thus, she earned those entirely on her own merit.¡±


    allen had nothing to say to that, and so all he could do was seethe in fury. and, just like that, the three hours of the exam came to an end. the transport cannon grabbed all of them and they fell into particles, pulled back to arbitage.


    as noah¡¯s body flew through the blue ether, a rogue thought struck him.


    i really hope they somehow stagger our arrivals, because there¡¯s no way they can get everyone out of that tower in time to make room for us. it¡¯ll end up looking like an overstuffed can of tuna.


    luckily, noah¡¯s fears were unfounded. instead of returning within the tower, he found himself reforming on the ground outside it. other professors and students popped out all around him, many of them falling as they arrived.


    it looked to have kept the general groups together, because isabel and todd were right beside noah ¨C unfortunately, that meant that allen and edward appeared next to them as well.


    ¡°congratulations to all of you who passed.¡± tenfort¡¯s voice echoed above them as the proctor took to the air on his flying sword. ¡°there were only a few reported incidents this time around, and only four severe injuries. none were due to monsters that did not belong in the exam. instructors, please ensure that you report the results of the exam before the week is over. students, for those of you that passed, keep up the hard work. this exam was the hardest one you¡¯ve had so far, but don¡¯t get lax. things don¡¯t get any easier.¡±


    tenfort didn¡¯t even bother addressing the students that had failed. he did a loop over their heads and shot off, heading toward the center of campus. noah watched him leave, then lowered his gaze as the crowd parted and moxie walked toward them, trailed by a short girl with long, silver hair. moxie frowned, slowing as she drew close.


    ¡°wrong.¡± noah crossed his arms. ¡°if you¡¯re teaching your students to fight monsters, you train them by having them fight monsters. and that¡¯s exactly what we¡¯ve been doing for the past few weeks.¡±


    moxie¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°you¡¯ve been bringing your students to the scorched acres? we¡¯re not training to be soldiers, vermil. this is arbitage. but... i didn¡¯t see either of them with a shield. even with them it wouldn¡¯t have been safe, and i find it unlikely that they can form their own shields yet.¡±


    ¡°if we had the funds, i¡¯d love to outfit them with shields.¡± noah said. ¡°after they learned how to fight without them, of course. if you want to be good at something, you do it yourself. shields look like a fantastic tool, don¡¯t get me wrong. but if your entire fighting style revolves around an item rather than your actual abilities, i think you¡¯re a pretty poor fighter.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s ridiculous,¡± moxie¡¯s student finally spoke up. ¡°you made them fight slashers without a shield? what if they got hit? they could get killed on the spot. it¡¯s stupid to fight without a shield.¡±


    ¡°death is an excellent motivator. i never said i was a safe teacher,¡± noah said with a cold smile. ¡°i¡¯m just an effective one. and, as it turns out, when you lead by example, people learn. i know every single movement the slashers make like the back of my hand. i understand them perfectly. when they can¡¯t surprise me, what is there to fear?¡±


    moxie stared at noah. ¡°how many slashers have you killed? the sheer amount of them you¡¯d have to go through to understand them that well...¡±


    ¡°lost count. hundreds. maybe more,¡± noah replied with a shrug. ¡°it¡¯s literally the only thing i¡¯ve done for the past month.¡±


    ¡°every single day?¡±


    ¡°every other day. i alternated between teaching and hunting, but i spent a good amount of time hunting them before i ever started teaching.¡±


    ¡°how¡¯d you have time to live like that? if you¡¯re telling the truth, then you¡¯d have had to spend nearly all of your waking moments in the scorched acres.¡±


    noah just arced an eyebrow. moxie let out a huff of air.


    ¡°you¡¯re insane.¡±


    ¡°do you know what the difference between an idiot and an innovator is?¡± noah asked.


    moxie shook her head.


    ¡°an innovator succeeds. teaching is all about the pursuit of finding the best way to instruct your students. and, for this exam, my methods worked. i¡¯d call that a successful plan. congratulations on passing your exam, though.¡±


    moxie¡¯s student blinked. ¡°i didn¡¯t say that i passed.¡±


    ¡°moxie¡¯s your teacher. i figured you did. i¡¯ve got some things to handle, though. planning a celebration for my students and all that. there¡¯s got to be a pizza place somewhere around here. every good campus has one.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m going to ask what in the world you¡¯re talking about, but i¡¯ve got a question,¡± moxie said. ¡°allen looked furious. more than i would have expected him to, honestly. what happened?¡±


    noah rubbed his chin. ¡°i punched him. on accident, mind you.¡±


    moxie¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°you¡¯re kidding. that wasn¡¯t the wisest move.¡±


    ¡°he had it coming. i¡¯m not the best at holding back. honestly, i¡¯m a bit surprised he didn¡¯t go at me for that. i half expected to get into a brawl.¡±


    ¡°vermil. allen is a rank 4. if he just attacked you, it doesn¡¯t matter what you did, arbitage would come down on him. your punch shouldn¡¯t be much worse than a bug bite for him. you better expect him to be bringing that up with the linwick family, though. you¡¯re going to pay for that. the only reason he didn¡¯t react more is because he¡¯s biding his time.¡±


    ¡°that does make a little more sense. i was wondering why he just took it. well, he had it coming. bastard was trying to cheat.¡± noah went to leave, then paused. ¡°say, moxie, who should i report the results of this exam to? i haven¡¯t seen any administrators around recently.¡±


    moxie grimaced. ¡°yeah. they¡¯re a bit hard to get a hold of. you should be able to report it in the a building.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re the best,¡± noah said with a wide grin.


    moxie just shook her head. ¡°just get out of here.¡±


    noah raised a hand in farewell and headed away from the dispersing crowd.


    ¡°are you going to hold a celebration too?¡± noah heard moxie¡¯s student ask. he suppressed a laugh. he could practically feel moxie¡¯s glare burning into the back of his neck as he stepped onto the main road and made for the main square of arbitage. hopefully, pizza both existed and wasn¡¯t too expensive. he wasn¡¯t exactly swimming in money.

 Chapter 43: Deals

    chapter 43: deals


    noah¡¯s trip to the a building was so fast that it was hardly even worth remembering. after locating it on a map, noah determined that the a building was actually a small hut with a piece of paper and a quill and ink next to a message box.


    several other professors that noah recognized from the exam were gathered around it. noah peeked over one of their shoulders to see what they were writing. it was plainer than he¡¯d expected ¨C just the names of their students, together with either pass or fail.


    well, easy is good. it¡¯s still hard to think completely straight right now. i need a full night of sleep, damn it. i hate the hellreaver so much.


    when noah¡¯s turn in line came, he quickly jotted down both isabel and todd¡¯s success, then deposited the paper in the box. then he was on his way.


    as it turned out, there actually was a pizza restaurant. noah wasn¡¯t sure if that made sense or not. on one hand, every campus he¡¯d ever taught on had pizza somewhere in the near vicinity. it was either on the campus itself or on the street corner right next to it. on the other hand, it was pizza in an entirely different world. granted, they just called it tomato pie, but it was the same thing.


    does this mean that pizza is a common denominator? wherever there are humans, they¡¯ll invent pizza regardless of the level of technology or the presence of magic? i wish i could have done my thesis on this.


    noah was pleased to discover that the pizza wasn¡¯t out of his budget. he ordered two of them, for two silver each, and asked the chef to make them on the morning of the following day. beyond pleased with himself, noah headed home with a smug grin plastered across his face.


    now that the exam was over, pathways opened up before him into the future. each one tempted him in its own way, splitting his attention. he still needed to figure out what to do about the linwick family, but he was also needed to find a way to replace his lesser wind runes so he could start combining them.


    then there was his master rune. he wasn¡¯t sure if he could handle it yet, but he wanted to get a handle over it before he actually combined anything. and none of that had even gotten to the hellreaver, though that would have to wait until he confirmed his control over sunder.


    noah ran his hands through his hair and let out an excited huff. it had been too long since he¡¯d had literally anything to look forward to, and now there were so many things on his plate that he was fairly certain he was going to start forgetting them.


    still lost in thought, noah turned the corner in the hall leading up to his room and nearly ran straight into moxie. he ground to a halt just in time, stumbling over his own feet.


    ¡°smooth,¡± moxie said.


    ¡°i wasn¡¯t expecting someone to try to bowl me over the moment i got back to my room. what are you doing here?¡±


    moxie raised an eyebrow. ¡°you really think i¡¯m going to leave our conversation from this morning off at that? you agreed to trade some answers, so here i am.¡±


    noah scrunched his nose and stepped past moxie, sliding his key into the lock and opening his door. ¡°impatient, aren¡¯t you? shouldn¡¯t you be planning your student¡¯s party or something?¡±


    ¡°already did that,¡± moxie said, striding past noah and claiming his chair before he could even enter the room. ¡°i told her we¡¯d be attending your party.¡±


    noah shook his head, stepping in after her and closing the door behind them. ¡°lazy.¡±


    ¡°innovative,¡± moxie corrected with a snicker.


    noah headed over to his bed and pulled his coat off. he tossed it into the corner of his closet and sat down, stretching his arms over his head and yawning.


    ¡°okay, fine. we¡¯ll play ball. trade question for question. you want to go first? i need to think about what i¡¯m going to ask about.¡±


    moxie blinked, as if she hadn¡¯t expected noah to agree to her request so quickly. she frowned and rubbed her chin. several times, she opened her mouth and then closed it again, reconsidering.


    ¡°you don¡¯t have to be so careful with your first question,¡± noah said. ¡°if i don¡¯t like it, i just won¡¯t answer.¡±


    ¡°fine. why¡¯d you choose to... remake yourself?¡±


    ¡°i told you. self-improvement. my turn. do you know a way i could get information about the linwick family other than the book in the library? that brat edward took the book and now i can¡¯t research them at all.¡±


    ¡°hold on, that hardly answered my question.¡±


    ¡°you should have been more specific.¡± noah grinned. ¡°you can try again after you answer mine.¡±


    moxie huffed in annoyance. ¡°he¡¯s got some time before he has to return it, so if you¡¯re in a rush, you¡¯ll have to get another copy. there should be another one of those books in all of the bastions, as well as any city that the linwicks have influence over, which is quite a few. you could send for one of those pretty easily.¡±


    moxie nodded slowly.


    ¡°back to the linwick question, then,¡± noah suggested.


    ¡°they¡¯re powerful. not the strongest noble family in the arbalest empire, but they¡¯re up in the top ten. not a group that anyone would willingly want to cross.¡±


    and i finally have a name for the place i¡¯m in. arbalest empire. very medieval. i guess it¡¯s a monarchy, then. and maybe i shouldn¡¯t have pissed allen off that much, but i refuse to let that prick push isabel or todd around. i can¡¯t imagine the entire family are all pricks... right?


    ¡°i see,¡± noah said. ¡°what¡¯s your next question?¡±


    moxie shifted in her chair, thinking for a few moments before she spoke again. ¡°were you serious about how you trained? you¡¯ve been fighting slashers nonstop without a shield?¡±


    ¡°yes. it was dangerous, but once i figured out how they fight, it became very good practice ¨C not to mention that all the energy my runes get for killing them is very helpful.¡±


    moxie shook her head. ¡°it¡¯s just very strange. taking so much risk when most people could just save up for a while and buy a shield... you¡¯re crazy. what if you mess up and die? you¡¯re acting more like a soldier than a professor. if isabel or todd had noble backing, their families would be out for blood.¡±


    noah shrugged. ¡°then i suppose it¡¯s a good thing they aren¡¯t. they needed an option, and this is the only one i could think of that would let them catch up to edward and where i presume all the other students are.¡±


    ¡°somehow, it¡¯s working, but shouldn¡¯t you cut it off while you¡¯re ahead? you¡¯re going to get yourself ¨C or worse, your students ¨C killed.¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t worry about that. i meant it when i said there¡¯s absolutely no way a slasher could ever kill me. if you¡¯d fought them as many times as i have, you¡¯d know it as well. how do you train your student? do you just spar with her and help her kill monsters?¡±


    ¡°pretty much,¡± moxie admitted. ¡°that¡¯s what everyone does. some sparring, some tips while they train on their own, and then beat monsters until they¡¯re weak and let her finish them off. add that in with normal training and it¡¯s much safer and more reliable, even if it isn¡¯t as fast. these kids ¨C most of them, at least ¨C are nobles. they¡¯ve got their whole future ahead of them. they don¡¯t want to have to risk their life when they have no reason to. time isn¡¯t exactly an issue.¡±


    ¡°that seems like it wouldn¡¯t teach them much in the way of fighting monsters practically. what if your student gets hit? i understand prioritizing safety, but it almost seems like you¡¯re taking it too safe.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s what a shield is for.¡±


    ¡°and if she gets surprised? using the shield like a crutch will inevitably fail one day. better to be able to fight without it and have the shield as a backup, no?¡±


    moxie¡¯s gaze fell downward. she fell silent, staring at her hands.


    ¡°my turn,¡± noah said after giving her a little time to process his words. ¡°just how rare are greater wind runes? i need one.¡±


    moxie frowned, still clearly not fully done digesting noah¡¯s warning. ¡°greater runes are very expensive. easily a few hundred gold, depending on how commonly the rune is used in combinations. wind is one of the most popular because of its ability to fly, so you¡¯d probably be looking at around five hundred gold or more.¡±


    ¡°shit. that¡¯s a lot. what about finding it from a monster?¡±


    ¡°you¡¯d have to go somewhere with monsters that used wind runes. there¡¯s a list of that somewhere. i could help you find it. i need a wind rune myself for the combination i¡¯m currently working on.¡±


    noah¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°that would be great.¡±


    ¡°but not for free,¡± moxie said, her eyes sparkling with mischief. ¡°i want something in return.¡±


    noah tilted his head to the side. ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°i want to shadow your class with emily. you took two students that hadn¡¯t done any work since the start of this year ¨C ones that had absolutely no prospects and no right to even stand on the same footing as edward ¨C and crushed him completely. that means you¡¯re either lying to me, or i¡¯m doing my job wrong.¡±


    noah rubbed his chin. ¡°that¡¯s fine with me. i¡¯ll make the educated guess that emily is your student. i don¡¯t mind adding the two of you to the roster for a little while.¡±


    ¡°so i¡¯ll find you that book on the linwicks as well as a location to look for a greater wind rune and a method to get it. in return, you let us tag along for a while. deal?¡±


    ¡°deal.¡± noah extended his hand, and moxie clasped it.

 Chapter 44: Oh, you.

    chapter 44: oh, you.


    moxie left shortly after their conversation to dredge up the information she¡¯d promised noah, who realized that the day was finally still for the first time since he¡¯d woken up. he stood in the center of his room, suddenly unsure of what to do.


    he couldn¡¯t hunt the hellreaver until he upgraded his wind runes, nor could he read up on the linwicks. but, the longer he left the hellreaver alive, the more likely he would end up getting killed at a bad time. the sleep deprivation was also starting to get to him. luckily, there wasn¡¯t any class today as the exam had just finished, but he refused to sit around and do nothing.


    noah walked to stand by the window and rubbed his chin in thought. he wasn¡¯t sure how long he stood there, but when he finally snapped out of his trance, the sun had shifted significantly through the sky. noah cursed under his breath.


    ¡°i have to stop doing that,¡± he said, shaking his head and turning from the window. ¡°no point wasting more time. i¡¯m not actually going to defeat the hellreaver the next time i go for it, so i might as well give it another run. evil bastard. maybe i¡¯ll actually manage to get a good blow in this time. besides, i need to visit the forest to collect lee anyway. might as well do two things at once.¡±


    noah swapped into his cheap clothes and grabbed his flying sword before heading out of his room. a short walk later, he¡¯d swung by tim and gotten himself launched off to the scorched acres for the second time that day, but this time with a one hour timer on it.


    as soon as noah¡¯s feet landed in the burnt forest, he tossed his sword down and stepped onto it. he threaded wind magic into the blade and it roared forth. noah pulled back, having gotten somewhat used to its erratic movement, and hurtled into the treetops.


    he flew in a circle to orient himself, then set off in the direction that he recalled the hellreaver last being in. arbitage shrunk behind noah as he skimmed over the treetops, his eyes sweeping them for any signs of fire.


    it took a little longer than he¡¯d expected considering the hellreaver was surrounded by a literal giant circle of fire, but the identical forest stretching beneath him didn¡¯t help his orientation.


    after thirty minutes of flying zigzags, noah¡¯s eyes finally caught on the smoldering orange that he was searching for. he abruptly turned toward it and shot above the trees, only descending once he was just a short distance away from it.


    noah hopped off his sword a moment before it slammed into the ground and landed in a roll. he rose back to his feet, yanking the blade from the packed dirt with a single motion, and stepped up to the roaring ring of fire.


    the heat buffeted his face and made his entire body tingle uncomfortably, as if he¡¯d stepped out into the path of the sun itself. he raised a hand to try and ward off some of the heat and glanced around.


    there weren¡¯t any other monkeys in the area. with their fur, noah couldn¡¯t blame them. they probably would have gotten heatstroke in a minute at most. at least that meant he probably wasn¡¯t going to get ambushed.


    i¡¯m not sure if i want to sacrifice another perfectly good pair of clothes to the fire, though ¨C even if they¡¯re the cheap ones. especially when i know i¡¯m unlikely to win this particular fight. i just need to learn more about how the hellreaver fights.


    noah tried to squint through the gaps in the fire, but he couldn¡¯t see any more than he could the previous time. he resisted the urge to heave a sigh. there was only one option that he could think of, and he didn¡¯t like it.


    reluctantly, noah stripped out of all his clothes. he wrapped them around his gourd and placed everything in a tree branch, grimacing as he felt the fire immediately start to give his pale skin a sunburn.


    at least i¡¯m not cold.


    noah buried his flying sword in the trunk of the tree and swallowed heavily. the last time he¡¯d jumped through the fire, his uniform had taken the brunt of the flame and kept it from singing him too badly.


    is a crappy set of clothes really worth torching myself over?


    noah stood there in all his glory for exactly three seconds before he came to a decision.


    yes, it absolutely is. money is money.


    gritting his teeth, noah took two steps back before sprinting at one of the gaps in the fire as fast as he could. he squeezed his eyes shut and dove forward, curling into a ball to try and minimize the area of his body that the fire touched.


    hot licks of agony caressed his skin, and noah hissed in pain as he hit the ground and instantly put pressure on the burns. he rolled to his feet, suppressing the powerful urge to curse or cry out in pain.


    his back, arms, and knees felt like they¡¯d been charbroiled. the burn wasn¡¯t severe, but it wasn¡¯t light either. luckily, his face and... other frontal bits had been spared. noah shook himself off, taking a slow breath and forcing himself to push the pain to the side.


    it was considerably easier to ignore the agony when he was well aware it was going to end very shortly. he¡¯d gotten lucky, as he was downwind of the giant ape and his toasty arrival had somehow failed to wake it from its slumber. noah wasted no time in calling on the ash surrounding them, ripping it from the cracked trees with a loud crack.


    the magic swirled around his hands in a cloud of dark smoke and shot forth, forming into a dozen jagged spikes just as the ape¡¯s eyes snapped open at the sound. it lurched to its feet and batted the spikes away with its hand, shattering them.


    ¡°poorly.¡±


    ¡°i could have guessed that myself,¡± lee said dryly. she poked at noah¡¯s shirt beneath his coat. ¡°you¡¯ve got this on inside-out.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s a new fashion.¡±


    ¡°sure,¡± lee said with a smirk. ¡°you all here? you don¡¯t look that great.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m fine,¡± noah replied with a grimace. he hadn¡¯t expected the skinwalker to find him that quickly. ¡°how¡¯d you find me? i thought we¡¯d meet at the normal spot.¡±


    ¡°took me a bit since you zipped off right after arriving,¡± lee replied with a scowl. ¡°i wish you¡¯d waited for me to show up. i¡¯d have loved to see you fighting the hellreaver. i bet that would have been fun.¡±


    need to be more careful. got lucky lee wasn¡¯t here when i revived. idiot. think more. just so hard to string thoughts together with the exhaustion. if i don¡¯t take care of the hellreaver soon, it¡¯s going to blow my cover one way or another.


    ¡°i¡¯m sure you¡¯d have liked that,¡± noah said with a forced chuckle. ¡°you did good with the exam.¡±


    lee grinned. ¡°i did, didn¡¯t i? i even shifted back to your form to get todd to work with me. i¡¯ve got no idea who that kid and the old guy were, but pissing them off was hilarious. can we do that more?¡±


    ¡°no promises.¡± noah grimaced, then shook his head. ¡°probably, though. i owe you clothes.¡±


    lee¡¯s grin stretched even wider. ¡°yes! do i get to pick?¡±


    ¡°within re- rea- ah, normal stuff. yes.¡± noah rubbed his temple, trying to push the headache away. ¡°not today, though. i¡¯m about to go back to arbitage.¡±


    ¡°seriously?¡± lee asked. ¡°you really came here just to get your ass handed to you by the hellreaver?¡±


    noah cleared his throat.


    ¡°do you like it or something?¡±


    ¡°what? no.¡±


    ¡°could have fooled me,¡± lee muttered. ¡°fine. do i have to wait out here until you get back?¡±


    noah shrugged. ¡°no. can you just walk into arbitage?¡±


    lee nodded. ¡°can¡¯t see why not. i wouldn¡¯t know what to do, though. i¡¯ve never been in a big city.¡±


    ¡°school, not a city. you can just come to my room,¡± noah said through a frown. ¡°don¡¯t get too caught up with anyone, though. just go straight there. building t. it¡¯s got my name ¨C no ¨C ah, vermil. magus vermil.¡±


    noah couldn¡¯t tell why, but the headache felt more violent than it normally was. he shook his head, pushing the pain back. it would only be for a few more hours, and it was a poor idea to show weakness in front of a predator ¨C even one he was allied with.


    ¡°i can do that.¡± lee rubbed her hands together. ¡°okay. i¡¯ll find you in your room once you disappear.¡±


    ¡°we can shop tomorrow,¡± noah said. then he leaned back against a tree. ¡°i¡¯m just going to relax now.¡±


    ¡°whatever you want,¡± lee replied with a dismissive wave. ¡°i¡¯ve got a long run ahead of me. be seeing you.¡±


    then she was gone, a blur vanishing through the trees. noah grimaced and leaned his head against the rough bark, waiting until the transport cannon called him back.

 Chapter 45: To Sunder

    chapter 45: to sunder


    noah barely even realized he¡¯d been pulled back to arbitage until he felt metal thump against his back. he groaned and slid out of the turret, staggering to his feet. tim sent him a worried glance.


    ¡°you good there?¡±


    ¡°been better. got bonked pretty good. i¡¯ll live.¡±


    ¡°if you¡¯re sure.¡± tim gave noah a concerned frown.


    noah stumbled onto the lift and gave tim a curt nod before it rattled away, lowering him to the ground. he didn¡¯t remember much of his walk back home, but somehow, he made it. after several failed tries to shove an uncooperative key into its keyhole, noah finally got his door open and lurched inside.


    he locked the door behind him and flopped face first onto his bed, letting a pained groan into his pillow.


    seconds ticked by, agonizingly slow. at some point, they stretched into minutes and the minutes to hours. noah kept his head in the darkness of his pillow, waiting the pain out. it finally started to lessen deep into the night, only completely fading away a while after that. noah wasn¡¯t exactly sure how long it had been. his sense for time was already bad, and it was worse when he couldn¡¯t even think.


    noah shifted and wiped his eyes with a grimace. he blinked carefully, making sure the headache had actually completely vanished before he dared to swing his legs over the edge of the bed and sit upright.


    i could have sworn that headache was worse than the other ones. what was that all about?


    noah plunged into his mindspace, and darkness swallowed his room. runes flickered to life around him, and the sunder rune rumbled above his head. noah ignored it and cast his gaze out to the edges of his vision.


    a large chunk of white burned in the darkness, far larger than any of the other soul wounds he¡¯d taken. noah¡¯s eyes widened and he approached it warily. much of the soul damage he¡¯d taken previously had healed over, though he still had damage from the deaths to the hellreaver ¨C but this was new. it wasn¡¯t as bad as it had been when he¡¯d started seeing hallucinations of the normal monkeys everywhere, but it was far from great.


    why did i take so much damage? what happened differently? i don¡¯t get it.


    noah ran through the fight in his mind, trying to see if something out of place had happened that set it apart from the first time he¡¯d fought the hellreaver. the only thing that came to mind was that, the first time, his body had been burnt to cinders and there was nothing left, while the second the hellreaver had eaten him.


    even as the words mentally rose to his head, noah cursed. ¡°that bastard stole energy from my soul by eating me, didn¡¯t it? if monsters get energy from kills too, it wouldn¡¯t make sense for them not to get energy from me when i died. i¡¯ve never lost any progress in my runes, which means it¡¯s got to come from my soul.¡±


    that¡¯s... an uncomfortable realization, actually. does that mean i¡¯m basically stealing monster¡¯s souls to get stronger?


    eh. i¡¯m over it. shouldn¡¯t have tried to kill me. still, i want my damn soul back, hellreaver. and i also need to make sure you don¡¯t get any more snacks the next time we fight.


    noah let himself slip back into the real world. to his room, where lee was sitting in his chair, rocked back on two of its legs and balanced precariously. she raised a hand.


    ¡°hullo.¡±


    noah blinked. he rubbed his eyes, then bolted to his feet when lee was still there. ¡°what? how did you get in here?¡±


    ¡°through the door. under it, more accurately.¡±


    noah looked at the door. it was still locked, and the key was in his pocket. the gap at the bottom of the door couldn¡¯t been more than half an inch tall.


    ¡°you fit through that?¡±


    lee held a hand up. her fingers flattened and extended, turning paper thin and flopping around. she raised an eyebrow and her hand returned to normal. noah¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    ¡°can all skinwalkers do that?¡±


    lee shrugged. ¡°no clue. i can, though. does it matter?¡±


    ¡°do you know anything about master runes?¡± noah asked as he stood in front of the mirror, trying to untangle his long hair. lee peered curiously over his shoulder. she grabbed the top of her head and stretched it out until it was twice as long, then stuck her tongue out.


    noah shuddered, and lee let her head snap back to its normal shape. ¡°this is the best thing in your room. it¡¯s like a perfectly still lake. i love it.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s a mirror,¡± noah said wearily. ¡°master runes?¡±


    ¡°right. you mean the hellreaver¡¯s?¡± lee¡¯s eyes rotated around in her head and she lengthened her legs until she was taller than noah. ¡°you look short from up here.¡±


    ¡°no, you¡¯re just tall. are you sure you¡¯re twenty?¡±


    lee shrank back down and faked a yawn. ¡°i don¡¯t know much about the hellreaver. anything with a brain stays away from it. it¡¯s always got that ring of fire following it around, though i¡¯ve seen it disappear before.¡±


    ¡°the monkey?¡±


    ¡°no. the ring.¡±


    noah rubbed his chin. ¡°it takes the ring of fire down? why? i noticed it left gaps in the fire big enough to jump through, but i didn¡¯t think it was intentional.¡±


    lee shrugged. ¡°i don¡¯t know. maybe as an invitation for things stupid enough to try to fight it, so you can deliver it a piping hot meal in its bed? i¡¯ve seen it happen pretty often, though. always from a safe distance, mind you. i don¡¯t have a death wish.¡±


    ...that¡¯s exactly what i¡¯ve been doing, isn¡¯t it? is the hellreaver literally using this link to my soul to do the equivalent of place a delivery order on a take out meal?


    ¡°and other monsters stay away from it as well? was it mages, then?¡±


    lee shrugged once more. ¡°maybe? i don¡¯t think so, though. never saw anyone near it when the fire went down. then again, i¡¯m not sticking around it all the time. it¡¯s not a very comfortable area.¡±


    noah finished messing with his hair and stepped back with a small frown. ¡°the stupid thing is almost always sleeping from what i¡¯ve seen. if it¡¯s not fighting, why is it taking down the ring? maybe because it ran out of energy in the rune? but if it¡¯s got the ring running while it¡¯s asleep, that doesn¡¯t seem right.¡±


    ¡°probably its passive effect. that would let it happen when it¡¯s not paying attention.¡±


    noah paused. ¡°passive?¡±


    yeah. one of the main differences between normal lesser and greater runes and master runes,¡± lee corrected. ¡°at least, kind of. everyone wants one for themselves at some point, and they¡¯re one of the few runes that work on literally everything. kill a monster with a master rune, now it¡¯s yours. that¡¯s how it works. it¡¯s a much easier dream than getting a bunch of really powerful normally combined runes, since there are a lot of master runes sitting around that are more weird than powerful, while getting strong combined runes is almost impossible for the average person. they¡¯re also completely unique, though they range in power a lot. unique doesn¡¯t always mean strong. some master runes are borderline worthless, while others are obscenely strong.¡±


    ¡°and?¡± noah gestured for lee to continue.


    ¡°well, master runes aren¡¯t just fancy runes. that¡¯s why they¡¯ve got master in the name. they¡¯re the pinnacle of whatever concept they are, but they¡¯re so powerful that things usually wrap back around and they get an inverse effect. when i asked my donators, they said that the inverse effect was called a passive.¡±


    noah drummed his fingers on the sink. the back of his neck prickled as one more piece slipped into the ever growing puzzle. ¡°that¡¯s it!¡±


    lee flinched at the sudden sound. noah spun toward her, his eyes lighting up. she took a step back.


    ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s what i was missing. the hellreaver¡¯s master rune is something to do with fire. fire going out seems like a logical passive.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s... what i just said,¡± lee said slowly. ¡°you repeated what i said, but more excited.¡±


    yes, because you solved the biggest question i¡¯ve had since arriving on this world. sunder means to split apart. the opposite of sunder is to bind. that¡¯s why i keep coming back to life. i¡¯m bound to the gourd that killed vermil.


    noah couldn¡¯t resist the urge to laugh. he doubled over, his body heaving as he laughed even harder, all while lee watched him with an increasingly concerned expression.

 Chapter 46: Meetings

    chapter 46: meetings


    it was nearly a minute before noah finally got control of himself again. lee had backed all the way out of the bathroom and had her back pressed to the wall. the hair on her body stuck up unnaturally, like she was a hedgehog.


    noah wiped the hysterical mirth from his eyes and shook his head, straightening up and letting out a slow sigh, barely pushing down the urge to start laughing again.


    the demon didn¡¯t somehow bind me to this body. i¡¯m not cursed, and the power doesn¡¯t even belong to someone else anymore. it¡¯s all my master rune.


    ¡°sorry about that. you just gave me the answer to something i¡¯ve been thinking about for a long time. i grew up in a place with very little information about runes.¡± noah looked into the mirror and grimaced. his small fit had made his eyes completely red. ¡°oh well.¡±


    lee watched him through narrow eyes.


    ¡°what? why are you looking at me like that? i was just laughing.¡±


    ¡°it was... unsettling,¡± lee replied. ¡°you didn¡¯t smell right.¡±


    ¡°smell? you were sniffing me while i was laughing? and you have the audacity to be judgmental?¡±


    ¡°most humans are prey. you already smelled off,¡± lee said, pressing her lips together as she searched for the right words. ¡°a mixture of confidence and vulnerability. it didn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    noah shook his head. ¡°never mind. i already promised not to poke too deeply into your passings as long as you keep your end of the deal up. you might want to get control of your hair, though. you look like a pencil.¡±


    lee flicked her head to the side and her hair, which had still been standing straight up, pointed at the ceiling, flopped down around her shoulders. she fluffed it out. ¡°hair is always difficult to make properly.¡±


    ¡°noted. maybe we¡¯ll get you a hat,¡± noah said. he headed over to his desk and grabbed his notes, arranging them before him as he sat down. noah picked his quill up and quickly started to write, filling in the gaps he¡¯d left behind.


    ¡°what¡¯s that?¡± lee asked.


    ¡°notes.¡±


    ¡°you write in code? you didn¡¯t strike me as the type.¡±


    noah paused to dip his quill in the ink well. he glanced up at lee. ¡°what¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    lee didn¡¯t respond. noah shook his head and went back to writing. he¡¯d never quite gotten used to rushing his work after coming out of the afterlife, so he was still writing by the time the sun started to rise.


    ¡°how much longer are you going to do that?¡± lee asked with a groan. ¡°come on. i¡¯m bored.¡±


    noah set his quill back in its spot and blew on the papers before laying them out on his desk to let them properly dry. he stretched his arms over his head and yawned. ¡°i¡¯m done. we¡¯re going to need to make a stop before we go shopping.¡±


    ¡°oh?¡±


    ¡°there¡¯s someone i need to introduce you to. before i start passing you off as a teacher, i¡¯m going to need to make sure that doesn¡¯t somehow get me into trouble. if we want things to work safely, i¡¯ll need to share your secret with her. otherwise, i don¡¯t think i can pull this off.¡±


    lee pursed her lips, then nodded.


    noah pushed back from the chair and rose to his feet. lee trailed after him as he headed out the door, only pausing to lock it behind them. they made their way down the hall and up to moxie¡¯s room, where noah rapped on the door several times.


    it was silent. he peered out the window in the hallway. the sun was already rising. well, he could see a little bit of its orange hue just poking over the horizon.


    that counts as rising, right?


    there was a loud thump from within moxie¡¯s room. noah turned back to her door as it creaked open, revealing a very messy-haired and more than mildly displeased moxie.


    ¡°what?¡± moxie asked irritably. ¡°did something happen?¡±


    ¡°something like that,¡± noah replied. ¡°if you¡¯re going to be shadowing my classes, this is going to affect you as well. i need some rules clarified. did i show up too early?¡±


    ¡°this was your backup plan for the exam?¡±


    ¡°worked like a charm.¡±


    moxie ran a hand through her hair. it looked like she couldn¡¯t tell if she was supposed to be surprised, impressed, or disappointed. in the end, she managed a little bit of all three.


    ¡°okay. right. you¡¯re sure you swore a rune oath?¡±


    lee and noah nodded.


    ¡°no more eating humans for me,¡± lee promised. ¡°only large animals that won¡¯t be noticed when they go missing.¡±


    moxie cocked an eyebrow. noah cleared his throat.


    ¡°it¡¯s a work in progress. she¡¯s on our side, though.¡±


    moxie considered noah for a moment, then gave him a small nod. ¡°if you say so. i can see why you woke me up so early, though. you need to find a way to hide her?¡±


    ¡°no. i¡¯m going to have lee help teach my class.¡±


    moxie turned without a word, walking over to a shelf and pulling a crystal bottle full of a dark liquid down. she grabbed a glass and poured herself a cup, then tipped it back and drank the whole thing in one shot. a shudder ran down her back and she opened her eyes again, all traces of sleepiness gone.


    ¡°can it count as day drinking if the sun isn¡¯t up yet?¡± noah asked.


    ¡°this isn¡¯t alcohol.¡± moxie wiped her lips with the back of her hand. ¡°though i¡¯m kind of wishing it was. it¡¯s a potion to help me wake up. i¡¯m not dealing with this half asleep. now, say that again. you want the skinwalker to teach your students?¡±


    ¡°she¡¯s very talented at physical combat. that¡¯s just as important to fighting as magic is.¡±


    moxie frowned. ¡°why?¡±


    ¡°what do you mean, why? dodging attacks seems pretty damn important to me. and i¡¯d like to point out that just about every victory i¡¯ve had over other mages has involved my fist and their nose meeting in a very wet, messy kiss.¡±


    moxie stepped into her closet and pulled the door closed behind her.


    ¡°you might have a point there. there are a few mages that consider physical prowess an important part of growing their control over their runes, but most of us tend to gravitate toward just getting more powerful runes to work with. a punch isn¡¯t going to do you much good when someone can bring a mountain down on top of you.¡±


    ¡°depends how hard i can punch.¡± noah kept a straight face for a moment, then laughed. ¡°i¡¯ll be honest, a lot of what i¡¯ve seen from other mages has been arrogance and airs of superiority. maybe when i¡¯m strong enough to kill things with a glance it won¡¯t matter how fast i can do a hundred crunches, but especially for students that aren¡¯t using shields, it¡¯s vital that they learn how to fight without getting hit.¡±


    and i¡¯d like to get a bit better at it as well. either that or i start carrying a bomb around to blow myself up and keep any monkeys from eating me after i die.


    ¡°interesting,¡± moxie said. ¡°but you¡¯ve got a point. somehow, you¡¯ve shocked me enough that i forgot you¡¯re teaching them to fight naked. fine. what exactly do you need my help with?¡±


    ¡°mostly arbitage itself. am i going to get in trouble for introducing someone that isn¡¯t an official teacher to the students?¡±


    moxie rubbed her neck. ¡°if your students were part of noble families, probably. but... as it stands, for an issue to rise up, someone in your class would need to place a complaint. and i don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to happen. arbitage doesn¡¯t care what happens to todd or isabel either. you should be good to go.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s simultaneously depressing and great news,¡± noah said. ¡°great. one more question. how invested are you in working with me?¡±


    ¡°working is a bit of a stretch. a temporary partnership¨C¡± moxie started, then sighed and shook her head. ¡°never mind. i¡¯m too curious at this point. what do you want?¡±


    ¡°i promised lee i¡¯d take her shopping for clothes. she¡¯s been looking forward to that. unfortunately, i find myself unaware of where to go for that kind of thing. care to save us some time?¡±


    ¡°i want to see everything. i¡¯ve only heard stories,¡± lee said. ¡°you call them skinwalkers, but you also walk around wearing other animal¡¯s skins. let¡¯s start with that.¡±


    ¡°yeah, i know some places that are probably unfortunate enough to be open already.¡± moxie poured herself another shot of her potion and downed it. she put the bottle back on the shelf before snorting and muttering to herself under her breath. ¡°shopping with a skinwalker. who would have thought.¡±

 Chapter 47: Smashing

    chapter 47: smashing


    as it turned out, finding a pair of new clothes for lee was far easier than noah had expected. the walk over to the store took a little over ten minutes, which was considerably longer than the three seconds it took lee to point at the first thing she saw ¨C a plain looking set of tanned leather armor.


    ¡°that one.¡±


    ¡°what?¡± noah asked.


    ¡°i want that.¡±


    ¡°you realize i can only afford a single thing, right? i¡¯m not getting you a whole wardrobe.¡±


    ¡°just that is fine,¡± lee said.


    noah shrugged and caught the shopkeeper¡¯s attention. he wasn¡¯t particularly worried about if it would fit lee. she could always just change sizes until it did. the armor was cheaper than his own uniform, coming in at only five silver. in total, it took under a minute between walking into the store and walking out.


    ¡°well,¡± moxie said. ¡°that was fast.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure what i expected,¡± noah agreed. ¡°i want to know why armor is cheaper than our uniforms, though. what¡¯s up with that?¡±


    ¡°because the material in the uniform is expensive. most people don¡¯t need to buy more than a few sets and rarely need to replace them. maybe because they actually remember to use their shields.¡±


    ¡°there¡¯s no forgetting involved,¡± noah grumbled as they headed back down the road and away from the shopping district. noah waited to speak again until they were a good distance away from any passersby. ¡°i¡¯m going to start thinking on what we¡¯re going to cover after the party today. lee, i don¡¯t know if you want to hang around or roam, but make sure you don¡¯t get waylaid anywhere. you don¡¯t want anyone to figure out who you are.¡±


    lee gave him a thumbs up. ¡°that would require me standing still long enough to get scanned. i saw some nice trees. i bet they¡¯re comfortable to lay in. i¡¯m going over there.¡±


    ¡°shouldn¡¯t i show you where we¡¯re going to be first?¡±


    lee shook her head. ¡°i know what you smell like. i¡¯ll find you.¡±


    she flitted off before noah could respond, darting down the road and hopping a fence. noah and moxie watched her leave.


    ¡°she¡¯s not just any skinwalker,¡± moxie said. ¡°she transformed into you so easily ¨C that isn¡¯t normal. she¡¯s something more.¡±


    about that...


    ¡°i¡¯ve gathered that much. i¡¯m going to give her the benefit of the doubt right now, especially since she¡¯s bound with the rune oath. i think she really does just want to relax.¡±


    ¡°i suppose it¡¯s possible. i¡¯ve never heard of a skinwalker this intelligent. normally, they just pretend to be the person whose body they¡¯ve taken and keep at it until they get killed. she seems just as intelligent as we are.¡±


    ¡°every day, i learn new things. once you get used to constantly being in a state of learning, finding things that are out of place doesn¡¯t bother you as much.¡± noah said. ¡°i trust her to follow her word.¡±


    ¡°then that¡¯ll have to be enough. what are your plans after this class? the next exam isn¡¯t in the scorched acres.¡±


    ¡°is there a list of these exams somewhere?¡± noah asked. ¡°i never found one of those. must have gotten misplaced.¡±


    moxie rolled her eyes. ¡°i¡¯m sure. i¡¯ll make a copy of mine. the next exam is in four months. it¡¯s the team survival test.¡±


    they reached building g. moxie¡¯s nose wrinkled in distaste, but she followed noah into its dark corridors.


    ¡°that¡¯s self-explanatory. i take it they¡¯ve just got to camp out for a few days?¡±


    ¡°yep. they haven¡¯t decided where it¡¯ll take place, but it¡¯s usually an area that has a high monster population. if you interfere with anything your students do, it¡¯ll count as a failure. nothing new there.¡±


    ¡°so i¡¯ll have to make sure they know how to get food, water, and shelter in addition to defending themselves. that shouldn¡¯t be too much of a task. how long does the test last?¡±


    he picked them up and headed straight back to the classroom, knowing that he¡¯d end up getting distracted for far too long if he let anything catch his attention. as he walked, the side of his neck prickled.


    noah glanced to the side. in the shadow of a large tree, he spotted lee. her eyes widened as they made eye contact and she frowned, jogging to catch up with him.


    ¡°did you smell me?¡±


    ¡°my nose isn¡¯t anywhere near good enough to smell you from far away,¡± noah replied. ¡°and, if i could smell you from all the way down the road, we¡¯d have a very serious issue.¡±


    ¡°then how did you know i was there?¡±


    noah shrugged. ¡°i didn¡¯t know you were there, but it felt right to look in that direction. maybe you were staring too hard at me or something and my subconscious somehow picked up on it.¡±


    maybe i¡¯ve gotten better at noticing when things are watching me after all the fights in the scorched acres? it¡¯s like evolution, but it¡¯s only me. neat. i want to test that further in the future. maybe i should challenge lee to a game of hide and seek after this.


    they made it back to the classroom and noah set the two large pies down on the counter. they¡¯d come on metal platters that he¡¯d had to assure the chef he¡¯d return when everything was done. the pies smelled divine, and he had to remind himself several times that the party wasn¡¯t for him.


    ¡°you look like you haven¡¯t eaten anything in months. please don¡¯t start drooling,¡± moxie said.


    ¡°you know, i haven¡¯t done much eating now that i think about it,¡± noah admitted, tearing his gaze away from the food. ¡°i¡¯ve just been living off the energy from killing the monkeys in the scorched acres on most days.¡±


    moxie¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°...is that bad?¡±


    ¡°how many of them are you killing?¡± moxie demanded. ¡°i¡¯ve heard people who focus on drawing energy from the environment and into their runes can sustain themselves, but they sit still and don¡¯t move for days on end. you¡¯re surviving just from rune energy?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve killed a lot of monkeys. and it¡¯s not just killing them. i¡¯ve gone to the mess hall a few times. once. maybe. i can¡¯t really remember much of the experience. it wasn¡¯t great.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s why only students use it,¡± moxie said, shaking her head.


    ¡°can you go back to that drawing energy from the environment part?¡± noah asked. ¡°you mean like meditating?¡±


    moxie eyed him. ¡°no. it¡¯s not meditation. that¡¯s clearing your mind, and drawing energy in is a very dedicated task. i don¡¯t know if i¡¯m the person to talk on it. i don¡¯t bother, there are much easier and more effective ways to grow in strength.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve done it,¡± lee put in. ¡°it¡¯s boring. eating things is much more fun.¡±


    noah didn¡¯t get a chance to press any further on the topic. footsteps echoed down the halls. they all fell silent as isabel and todd entered the room. their eyes widened as they spotted moxie beside noah and took in the refurbished room.


    todd opened his mouth, then sent a pointed glance at moxie and closed it.


    ¡°there¡¯s nothing to be concerned about.¡± noah waved to the pizza behind him. ¡°help yourselves, please. moxie, is emily coming?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll have to go collect her. it shouldn¡¯t take long,¡± moxie replied. ¡°i¡¯ll be back soon. save me a slice.¡±


    she slipped past the students and headed into the hall. once the sound of her footsteps had faded, isabel raised an eyebrow at noah.


    ¡°what?¡± noah demanded. ¡°don¡¯t give me that look.¡±


    ¡°she¡¯s scary,¡± todd said, walking up and claiming a slice of pizza. ¡°thanks for the food, teacherman. and for the... well, you know.¡±


    ¡°everything so far,¡± isabel finished. ¡°well, most of everything. wait, not that either. the last month. especially the last month.¡±


    noah laughed and shook his head. ¡°just eat, would you? you both earned this. after today, we¡¯re hitting the road running again. our goal isn¡¯t for you to just pass these exams. you¡¯re going to smash them.¡±

 Chapter 48: Stretching

    chapter 48: stretching


    noah was glad that the pizzas had turned out to be larger than he¡¯d expected. moxie returned with emily a little over ten minutes after the other professor had set out. in that time, they¡¯d only manage to go through a little over half of one of the massive pizzas.


    it had tasted every bit as good as noah had hoped, but he¡¯d been struck with the very unfortunate realization that he¡¯d forgotten food tended to go best when you had something to drink together with it.


    so, when moxie walked into the room beside emily carrying several waterskins, his eyes lit up in delight.


    ¡°you brought drinks!¡±


    moxie just sighed and shook her head, tossing two of them to todd and isabel. she handed the last one to noah.


    ¡°thanks,¡± noah said. he nodded to emily. ¡°congratulations on passing your exam. nice to formally meet you. help yourself to some food.¡±


    the next thirty minutes went without much of anything other than eating. between the five of them, they had eaten everything other than a bit less than a quarter of the last pizza. it was the first memorable meal that noah could recall having in a very, very long time.


    ¡°are we going to do this after every exam we pass?¡± todd asked, slumping back in his chair. he wiped some tomato sauce from his mouth and grinned. ¡°i don¡¯t think i¡¯m going to fail a single one if you do.¡±


    ¡°i think i can agree to that,¡± noah replied. ¡°let¡¯s focus on getting there first, shall we?¡±


    ¡°deal,¡± todd said. he glanced at moxie out of the corner of his eye and straightened up slightly. ¡°uh... not that i¡¯ve got a problem with it or anything, but why is magus moxie here?¡±


    ¡°why does she get the honorific when i¡¯m just teacherman?¡± noah complained. ¡°and moxie is going to be shadowing my class with emily for a little while.¡±


    emily¡¯s eyes widened and she shot a look at her teacher. ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°he¡¯s got some interesting methods,¡± moxie said with a shrug. ¡°i think a little variation would do you well. i might have overlooked some things.¡±


    ¡°he makes his students fight monsters without shields!¡± emily exclaimed. ¡°i don¡¯t want to get killed.¡±


    todd and isabel exchanged a smug glance.


    ¡°we¡¯re done with monkeys for the time being, actually,¡± noah said with a reassuring smile. ¡°that was mostly just for this exam. now that it¡¯s over, we¡¯re going to be moving on.¡±


    emily let out a relieved sigh. ¡°oh. that¡¯s good.¡±


    moxie looked considerably less convinced. ¡°when you say that, do you mean you¡¯re done with the shieldless training? or do you mean it¡¯s getting worse?¡±


    ¡°worse. definitely worse,¡± noah said, his grin turning predatory. he clapped todd on the shoulder. ¡°my students here are determined to shoot for the top, you see. that¡¯s the only way they get pizza parties. it¡¯s a good motivator, right?¡±


    ¡°why do you keep calling it pizza?¡± moxie asked. ¡°i¡¯ve never heard that word before.¡±


    ¡°come on,¡± noah muttered, the wind falling from his sails. ¡°that was supposed to be a cool moment. you were supposed to be impressed.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll be impressed when i see results.¡±


    ¡°what are we going to be doing?¡± isabel asked. ¡°are we going to be training in a different area now?¡±


    ¡°at some point, yes. but there¡¯s something more important that we¡¯re going to start with,¡± noah said. ¡°and it¡¯s something that i need to work on just as much as you do. we¡¯re going to be splitting our classes from here on out in half. every other one will be taught by a different professor.¡±


    everyone turned toward moxie, but she shook her head. ¡°not me.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s me!¡±


    lee sprung up from behind the desk she¡¯d been napping at. isabel, todd, and emily all flinched, nearly jumping out of their desks.


    ¡°the shade here is so nice. very comfortable.¡±


    todd looked from noah to lee. then he exchanged a knowing look with isabel. they both just leaned back in their chairs, content to see what was going on. emily looked considerably less convinced.


    ¡°i don¡¯t mean to cause any offense... but is this a joke?¡± emily asked, looking to moxie in befuddlement. ¡°i get wanting to see what vermil is doing, but that can¡¯t possibly be a professor. she¡¯s not even in a uniform.¡±


    ¡°sure i am,¡± lee replied. ¡°i¡¯m wearing armor. that¡¯s a uniform.¡±


    ¡°no, it isn¡¯t. uniforms are things a lot of people wear. do you see anyone else wearing armor?¡±


    ¡°i have to agree with the students. i was under the impression you¡¯re going to be teaching us something, but speed like that can¡¯t be taught.¡±


    ¡°come at me again,¡± lee said, ignoring moxie¡¯s observation. ¡°i¡¯ll move slower this time.¡±


    moxie rolled her shoulders. this time, she didn¡¯t wait for lee to give her an okay. she lunged forward. lee stepped around moxie, dodging the attack easily. moxie twisted, whipping her leg toward lee¡¯s chest in a spinning kick.


    lee arched backward and let the kick whistle past her nose. she sprung back to her feet and took a step toward moxie, who immediately hopped back defensively ¨C but lee didn¡¯t even try to attack. she just closed the distance, forcing moxie to jump back again.


    moxie tried to sweep lee¡¯s legs out from under her again, but lee jumped forward and grabbed onto moxie¡¯s shoulders. she lifted herself up into a handstand on the professor, then spun her legs violently.


    the force of the move spun moxie in a circle, and lee pushed her away, dropping to the ground behind moxie and hooking her foot out. moxie¡¯s leg caught on it and she tripped, hitting the ground in a roll.


    she staggered upright, but the round was already over.


    ¡°how can you move like that?¡± todd asked in awe. ¡°you¡¯re so...¡±


    ¡°smooth,¡± isabel finished. ¡°and bouncy.¡±


    ¡°because i¡¯m cheating!¡± lee exclaimed before doubling over in laughter.


    ¡°you were using magic?¡± moxie asked, lowering her fighting stance and frowning.


    ¡°nope. at least, not in the way you¡¯re thinking.¡±


    ¡°so how are you doing that?¡± todd asked. ¡°there aren¡¯t that many ways to use magic. either you cast it actively, or you¨C¡±


    ¡°imbue something.¡± emily¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°you imbued yourself?¡±


    ¡°point to silver hair!¡± lee exclaimed. ¡°yes. i¡¯ve been imbuing my own body ever since i was young. it¡¯s taken a good portion of my magical reserves which does make it so i¡¯ve got less to work with when casting magic, but i think the results speak for themselves.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s a common technique at higher ranks, but doing it as a rank 1 is almost unheard of,¡± moxie said, crossing her arms. ¡°i¡¯ve done it myself and find it very effective ¨C though not effective as yours seem to be ¨C but is it really viable for rank 1 students? i was rank 2 before i dared attempting it. also, imbuements draw energy from their original runes. they''re much more effective when you''ve got higher rank runes with bigger capacities. is it wise to restrict them now?¡±


    lee waggled a hand from side to side. ¡°with how many monsters they kill, their max rune capacity will be filled back up in no time, and i think the drawback is more than worth it. there¡¯s more to fighting than just magic. what do you think the most important trait for a warrior to have is?¡±


    i didn¡¯t think we¡¯d actually start the lesson today. whoops. i hope nobody throws up. no point wasting good time, though. good job, lee!


    ¡°strength?¡± todd guessed.


    ¡°wrong,¡± lee replied without missing a beat. ¡°bad answer. do better.¡±


    aaaand ruined. damn it, lee.


    noah sent lee a sharp glare.


    ¡°uh... i¡¯m sure you can do better,¡± lee corrected, clearing her throat. ¡°anyone else?¡±


    it was emily and isabel¡¯s turn to look at each other. neither of them said anything.


    ¡°intelligence,¡± noah offered.


    ¡°that¡¯s a very good one too, but not the one i wanted you to say, so also wrong. the answer is flexibility. having control of your body is what lets you make sure you avoid enemy attacks and land your own. it doesn¡¯t matter how hard you can swing a hammer when you can never land a blow.¡±


    ¡°what about the intelligence part? if you outsmart someone, they lose the fight before it starts,¡± emily said.


    ¡°i am going to ignore that sentence,¡± lee said with a frown. ¡°mostly because i¡¯m not actually a very good teacher. i¡¯m sure vermil or moxie could give you a good, well thought out answer that explained things better. i¡¯m just good at hitting things, so that¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do.¡±


    ¡°we¡¯re going to start now?¡± isabel asked.


    lee nodded. ¡°yep! it¡¯s going to be fun. for the next hour, we¡¯re all going to get started with the routine that you¡¯re going to begin doing every day.¡±


    ¡°what is it? a special technique?¡± todd asked.


    ¡°stretching,¡± lee replied with an evil grin. ¡°i hope you¡¯ve got good pain tolerance.¡±

 Chapter 49: Windscorned Plains

    chapter 49: windscorned plains


    noah quickly discovered that, while he did have an unsurprisingly high pain tolerance, he wasn¡¯t flexible in the slightest. he was about as stiff as a board in the desert. todd and moxie weren¡¯t in much better spots. isabel and emily were considerably better off, but their victory was short lived as lee immediately doubled the intensity of their stretches, pushing them harder than noah would have dared.


    he wasn¡¯t sure if it was because lee just didn¡¯t understand or care about the ways the human body was actually supposed to bend, but she consistently managed to press them into positions that were just a step beyond what noah thought possible before stopping.


    lee ran them through a dozen different stretches, swapping to a new one whenever they were all unable to go any further. she kept at it for several hours, cycling back to the first set of stretches when she apparently ran out.


    when the time for class to finally end, noah¡¯s entire body felt like one long, overcooked noodle. he was simultaneously sore everywhere and also the most relaxed he¡¯d been since he¡¯d gotten into a body again.


    ¡°this feels weird,¡± todd said, dangling his arms at his sides. ¡°i feel light. and sore. mostly sore.¡±


    ¡°do the full rotation of stretches when you wake up,¡± lee instructed. ¡°if you go at it with this intensity and duration, you¡¯ll make progress very quickly.¡±


    ¡°assuming we don¡¯t seriously tear something first,¡± emily said.


    ¡°that¡¯s what healing potions are for,¡± lee replied. ¡°you¡¯re going to need to do this on your own time, though. i¡¯m not going to spend entire classes on stretching any more. we¡¯ll still stretch at the start, but we¡¯ll be focusing on imbuing and fighting.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll make sure not to eat anytime before class from here on out,¡± todd declared. he shook a leg off and shuddered. ¡°ugh, that¡¯s tingly. i still don¡¯t know if i like it or not.¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t be a baby,¡± isabel said. ¡°thanks for the class, lee.¡±


    ¡°likewise,¡± moxie said. ¡°that was educational. i can¡¯t say i enjoyed it, but it highlighted just how much i¡¯ve been neglecting some aspects of my training. and well done bringing her in for help, vermil. she seems very capable.¡±


    that¡¯s probably the most approval moxie¡¯s going to give a skinwalker. can¡¯t ask for more than that.


    ¡°i knew she¡¯d be a valuable addition to the class. on some personal business, have you had any luck with the location of other thing we were looking for?¡±


    moxie inclined her head. ¡°we can talk once the students leave. you¡¯re dismissed, emily. i¡¯ll see you day after tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°in our normal room?¡± emily asked hopefully.


    ¡°no.¡±


    emily sighed. ¡°this one, then. thanks for the class, professors.¡±


    she trudged off. isabel and todd waved before heading off as well. lee watched them go with a thoughtful expression on her face.


    ¡°well done, lee,¡± noah said. ¡°you¡¯re a natural. mostly. just avoid the insults and you¡¯ll be a pretty solid teacher.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve never taught anyone before,¡± lee mused. ¡°it¡¯s kind of like bullying, but they appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°that is definitely the wrong attitude,¡± noah said. ¡°we¡¯ll call it a work in progress. so, moxie, about that request...¡±


    ¡°yes, i found where it is,¡± moxie said. ¡°is there a rush?¡±


    ¡°any time i¡¯m waiting around is time i¡¯m not getting stronger. so, yes. not a major one, but there¡¯s still a rush.¡±


    moxie reached into a pocket and pulled out a folded piece of parchment. she held it out to noah. he reached for it, but moxie pulled her hand back before he could grab the paper. noah tilted his head to the side.


    ¡°i can¡¯t go today,¡± moxie said.


    whelp. i really hope nobody checks this. i should probably try to get a new greater fire rune sometime soon. maybe i¡¯ll get one from the hellreaver ape?


    ¡°make those catchpapers last,¡± moxie said, unaware of noah¡¯s dilemma. ¡°if those aren¡¯t enough, come back and let me know. and please, don¡¯t lose them. even if you only get lesser wind runes, they could be worth a good amount of coin. we¡¯ll split the money we earn from selling those, but don¡¯t expect too much.¡±


    ¡°fair enough,¡± noah said with a shrug. he tucked the papers into his pocket. ¡°i¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    ¡°good,¡± moxie replied. ¡°see you day after tomorrow, then.¡±


    moxie headed out of the room. noah watched her leave, a small frown creasing his face. lee peered at it from where she¡¯d been standing, silent.


    ¡°you planning to come along?¡± noah asked.


    ¡°no,¡± lee replied. ¡°i don¡¯t really have any desire to wander around fighting things right now. i¡¯d much rather relax. don¡¯t get killed. or do. i guess it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    noah rolled his eyes. ¡°just don¡¯t get caught.¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t worry. i¡¯ll hang around moxie to make sure i¡¯ve got backup if something goes wrong.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not so sure she¡¯d appreciate that.¡±


    ¡°who said she¡¯d know?¡± lee snickered and slipped into the hallway, vanishing without a sound and leaving noah alone. he unfolded the first slip of paper that moxie had given him. it had a rough map of a large, cliffy area. labeled at the top of the page as windscorned plateau, it looked like she¡¯d torn the parchment straight from a book.


    noah added the paper to the growing collection taking form in his pockets and left the room as well, making for the transport cannon. there was still a lot of good time left in the day, and he saw no reason to delay any further.


    ***


    ¡°scorched acres?¡± tim asked, looking up from his desk as the lift rattled to a halt and let noah off.


    ¡°surprisingly, not today,¡± noah replied.


    ¡°finally done with ¡®em, eh?¡±


    ¡°not quite. i¡¯ve still got some business there, but it¡¯s been put on hold for a little while,¡± noah said with a chuckle. ¡°i¡¯m on an errand in the windscorned plateau. i don¡¯t suppose that¡¯s in range of the taint?¡±


    ¡°let¡¯s stick to calling it the travel anywhere in no time or transport cannon,¡± tim muttered. ¡°i wasn¡¯t the one that chose the name. it¡¯s a curse.¡±


    ¡°transport cannon it is.¡±


    ¡°then yes, the transport cannon can get you there. how long are you looking to stay?¡±


    ¡°this one might be longer. let¡¯s do a full day.¡±


    ¡°sure thing,¡± tim grinned at noah. the tower shifted as the turret rotated around, moving to point at a steeper angle. ¡°whenever you¡¯re ready. have a safe trip.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t know if i can promise safe. let¡¯s go profitable instead. can¡¯t go wrong with profitable.¡± noah entered the turret and laid down on the cold metal. his head thunked a little harder against it than he¡¯d planned and he frowned. ¡°i don¡¯t suppose you¡¯ve got any plans of getting some padding in this thing? i think it¡¯s done more damage to me than some monsters.¡±


    ¡°messes with the imbued magic,¡± tim said apologetically. after a moment, he snickered. ¡°also, it¡¯s funny.¡±


    noah¡¯s response was lost in an explosion of blue light as his body was blasted into particles and sent hurtling through the ether toward the windscorned plateau.

 Chapter 50: Fluffant

    chapter 50: fluffant


    noah slammed into the ground ¨C and bounced. he flailed his hands as he was launched nearly a foot back into the air. shifting his momentum, noah managed to land in an awkward roll.


    he rose to his feet, spinning to see if he¡¯d mistakenly popped out on top of some unfortunate creature. instead, he found himself looking at a large, blue petaled flower. it was, for lack of a better word, plump.


    the flower had a stubby grey stem and its petals were dotted with bright orange, like someone had flicked a paintbrush on top of it. a pulse of blue energy ran along the ground and up its stem, bright enough to light the roots up even beneath the dirt.n??v€l--?1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.


    noah stared at it in wonder. one part of him wanted to take a giant bite out of the plant, but the other part screamed that it was almost certainly poisonous and having to waste twelve hours with a pounding headache was not worth the feeling of eating the tastiest looking flower he¡¯d ever seen.


    probably not.


    noah shook his head and tore his gaze away from the plant. unlike the scorched acres, he could see everything around him, and it was flat. more of the blue flowers were dotted across the landscape.


    towering cliffs rose up on two sides of his landing area. noah could just barely see their tops, where several more of the blue flowers were growing. aside from that, he couldn¡¯t see much of anything else.


    the nearest edge without a cliff was only a minute of walking away. noah approached it, slowing as he reached the edge, and peered down. far below him was another large, flat plateau. it was surrounded by several other plateaus of varying height. some rose far above his current position, and some were so low that he couldn¡¯t even make any details out of them.


    slow, shambling forms trudged between the flowers on one of the platforms beneath noah. he couldn¡¯t make out much of them from where they stood, but they walked on four legs and had long, spindly trunks. their bodies were made of what looked to be thick, fluffy grey wool. the monsters would occasionally stop beside a flower and stick their trunk inside it.


    ¡°whoa,¡± noah breathed. ¡°i wonder how bouncy those flowers are.¡±


    no. don¡¯t even think about it. i¡¯m not going to jump off a cliff and hope i bounce off a flower instead of splattering like an idiot.


    he pulled the flying sword out and set it gently on the ground. the dirt was slightly wet and spongy to the touch, almost like what he would have thought a cloud felt like when he was still a kid.


    noah pressed on it again, smiling to himself, then stepped onto his sword. once his business here was done, he¡¯d come back and just bounce around a little. the sword hummed to life beneath him and noah shot away, making a sharp arc through the air before shooting down for the populated plateau.


    wind whipped past his face and stung his eyes. noah leaned back, keeping himself from driving the sword point first into the ground, and made a wide circle around the monsters, keeping a healthy distance from them.


    not one of them even glanced in his direction. at least, noah didn¡¯t think they did. it was difficult to tell at the speed he was going at. he aimed at a flower and pulled the energy from his sword, launching himself straight into it and grabbing the hilt of the blade as he fell.


    the flower absorbed the shock of his landing, folding in around him like a cocoon before launching him back out. noah couldn¡¯t restrain his laughter as he flew through the air and landed on his feet, taking several steps to keep from pitching over.


    that has absolutely no right being that fun.


    he glanced at the nearest of the monsters. it really did look like a shorter, fluffier elephant. two puffy ears hung low on either side of its head, and it rooted around the stamen of one of the blue flowers. there was no sign of its eyes or mouth behind the thick layer of soft, gray fur.


    it also didn¡¯t seem to care in the slightest about noah¡¯s springy arrival. he glanced over his shoulder to see if any of the other monsters had taken interest, but they were all busy either lounging around or otherwise ignoring him.


    it carried on for several more feet before skidding to a stop and spinning to face him again. whipping its trunk in fury, the fluffant trumpeted once more. it charged him again. noah faced the monster, then launched himself into the air a moment before it reached him.


    he flew over the monster¡¯s head and shot back down with another burst of wind magic, hitting the ground with a grunt and sprinting for his sword. behind him, he heard the fluffant roar in anger and skid to a stop, spinning toward him.


    they charge fast, but it takes them a second or so to stop and turn around.


    noah lunged for his sword, jumping onto it with both feet and sending a pulse of wind into it. the blade shot forward, yanking him away from the path of the fluffant¡¯s charge just in time.


    he shot into the air and flew in a tight circle above the fluffant. it thrashed its trunk around in fury, but it didn¡¯t seem to have any way to get noah when he was in the air. his heart pounded violently in his chest.


    holy shit. i don¡¯t feel bad about killing you in the slightest anymore. once i figure out how to kill you, that is.


    noah studied the monster as best as he could at the speed he was going at. it was tracking his motion, turning in circles and roaring at him every few seconds.


    did it detect my usage of magic? it takes more energy to activate the sword than it does to keep it going, and i had it basically deactivated by the time i landed. it doesn¡¯t look like my wind magic did much to hurt it either. with no ash... that leaves just vibration ¨C which isn¡¯t going to do anything against something that fluffy unless i can actually get close to it.


    noah pressed his lips together. the monster continued to rotate in circles, following his motion. it started to slow slightly, its steps becoming more unsteady. the monster stumbled over its own leg before catching itself.


    wait. is it getting itself dizzy?


    noah flew in another two circles around the monster. sure enough, it was steadily getting queasy. he resisted the urge to laugh. at this rate, it would knock itself out for him. noah adjusted his angle, lengthening the circle.


    even if it''s dizzy, i need a way to kill it. and, unfortunately, i think i¡¯ve got an idea.


    noah finished the loop and accelerated toward the fluffant. the monster¡¯s eyes locked onto him as he approached, and it pointed its trunk toward him, staggering drunkenly. noah didn¡¯t slow. he didn¡¯t even veer.


    he leapt off the flying sword, tucking himself into a roll as he hit the ground. the blade continued onward, driving itself straight into the fluffant¡¯s forehead. the monster¡¯s trumpeting call was silenced instantly by a wet thunk.


    it staggered, then crashed to the ground. noah staggered upright, slightly bruised but unhurt. he was more than a little dizzy himself from the constant loops in the air. he staggered over to the dead fluffant and pulled his sword out of its head with a squelch.


    he stared at the bloody blade, then shook his head. ¡°you¡¯ve ruined my perception of cute things forever.¡±


    even though the monster had fallen, noah didn¡¯t feel any energy enter him. moxie had warned him about it, but he¡¯d gotten so used to the sensation that it felt odd. he reached into his pockets to check on the catchpaper and see if the fluffant had been carrying the greater rune he was seeking.


    then he froze.


    every single fluffant on the plateau was staring in his direction, beady read eyes locked onto him and needle teeth bared in ghastly scowls. noah swallowed.


    ¡°oh, shit.¡±

 Chapter 51: Experiments

    chapter 51: experiments


    noah threw his flying sword to the ground and jumped onto it, sending wind energy into the blade and taking to the skies. below him, fluffants trumpeted in rage, stampeding after him. he angled straight up, pulling away from the plateau and heading back up to the one he¡¯d arrived on.


    the monsters didn¡¯t seem to have any way to attack him from range, so all they could do was trumpet in anger and watch their prey escape.


    cresting the cliff, noah landed on the moist ground and stumbled off his sword. he wiped the sweat from his brow and glanced over the edge. the monsters were still looking up in his direction, though many of them had lost interest and returned to grazing.


    noah shook his head and walked away from the cliff. he reached into his pocket and pulled out the catchpapers that moxie had given him, leafing through them. they were all blank. he let out a heavy sigh and returned them.


    ¡°great. that was a complete waste. i guess i did learn that giant fluffy things are indeed too good to be true and are actually beady-eyed geese in cloud form. seems like they¡¯ve got either a horde mentality or really like the scent of blood. creepy bastards.¡±


    and they look like they¡¯re resistant to wind on top of everything. vibration is possibly the least useful tool against them as i can¡¯t even get close to their bodies with all that fluff, which only leaves ash ¨C of which i have none. good job, noah. maybe remember to bring something along that lets you use your strongest runes next time.


    noah took a deep breath and let it out slowly. he was starting to get really frustrated ¨C a lot more than he should have been. the lack of sleep and constant stress from the hellreaver¡¯s mental attack was really getting to him, but losing his cool wasn¡¯t going to help.


    one step at a time.


    he slowly turned around and edged back over to the cliff, looking down at the fluffants below. they¡¯d completely forgotten him once he got completely out of sight.


    but they weren¡¯t the only ones that had forgotten something.


    i haven¡¯t used my master rune at all. it¡¯s been a good bit since i last tried accessing its power, and i feel a lot stronger now. i wonder if i¡¯d be able to use any of sunder¡¯s abilities yet.


    noah sat down, crossing his legs, and sent himself into his mental space. his runes bloomed in the darkness around him, all nearly full aside from his newest vibration rune, which was now just a little over a quarter full.


    above him loomed sunder. its intimidating form crackled with dark energy, looking down on him like the scarred eye of a giant. sensing his intention, the massive rune lowered. force pressed down on noah¡¯s body, but he¡¯d gotten used to it by now.


    as used to it as one could, that was. it still felt like the world itself was grinding down on noah¡¯s shoulders and trying to drive him into the ground. but, despite the pressure, it also felt like that very power that was oppressing him could be turned and called forth once he figured out how to handle it.


    noah extended a single finger, pressing back against the rune¡¯s energy. he moved slowly, trying to see if he could draw any power from sunder without actually touching it. unfortunately, nothing came.


    guess i¡¯m going to have to make contact if i want to try it this way. the only other way would be to try channeling it outside of my mental space, and i feel like testing it here and potentially giving myself some soul damage is better than testing it outside and giving myself both soul damage and blowing myself up at the same time.


    okay, i guess that wouldn¡¯t actually be that different. unless calling the master rune and dying while using it somehow interfered with its passive effect. hm. i better be careful about that, actually. it¡¯s not an unrealistic bet to assume that opposites cancel each other out.


    noah drew in a breath and let it out slowly. he was stalling for time. steeling his nerves, noah pushed the rest of the way up to the rune and let his finger brush across it. what felt like a distilled bolt of lightning erupted from the rune and slammed into him, coursing through his hand and into his chest.


    as soon as he got close, the monster finished its meal and lumbered away to another flower. noah¡¯s eye twitched. he forced himself after it, his brow furrowed in concentration and annoyance.


    he extended a hand, reaching for the monster¡¯s fluffy side. noah didn¡¯t want to risk the master rune only giving it a haircut instead of killing it, so he wanted to make contact with its body.


    his hand pressed through the fluff and kept going. the fluffant didn¡¯t seem to care. noah kept reaching deeper, struggling to keep his arm straight as the increased force pressing on him fought to make him drop it.


    finally, noah felt his hand connect with something hard. the fluffant stiffened instantly. noah didn¡¯t wait to see what it would do. he released the magic, letting it flood out from his fingertips and into the monster.


    a wave of exhaustion passed over him. every single one of his runes sputtered, unable to properly resist the energy from sunder as it coursed through his body. an instant passed and noah blinked in surprise. it didn¡¯t hurt.


    huh. i¡¯ve gotten so used to agony when things go wrong that it¡¯s a bit weird to ¨C


    all over his body, spikes of pain erupted within noah. bruises formed beneath his skin as blood welled all over him and the strength flooded from noah¡¯s limbs. he staggered, coughing blood up onto the ground before him.


    goddamn it. there it is.


    before him, the fluffant crashed to the ground, split perfectly in two. noah got a perfect look at the monster¡¯s innards for a second before blood realized that it was no longer contained within the monster and started to flow. a moment of victory was all noah got before he doubled over, hacking more blood onto the ground. energy rushed into his body, but not nearly enough to replace what he¡¯d lost.


    shit. i think i just cut myself in a dozen important places internally. that can¡¯t be good for my health.


    a dozen loud, trumpeting calls rose into the air. noah raised his head, watching the fluffants all turn toward him, their eyes blaring red. he grimaced, ignoring the pained pulses that tore through his body as he lurched toward his flying sword.


    his runes were nearly completely drained, but he¡¯d gotten a little energy back from the kill. not nearly enough for any of them to recover enough to be of significant use, but it would be enough.


    noah¡¯s left arm refused to cooperate with his mind ¨C something important must have gotten severed. he didn¡¯t have time to worry about it. he grabbed the sword with his other hand, hissing in pain as he reared back and hurled the blade, sending what little wind magic he could scrounge up into it.


    the flying sword shot off toward the plateau. unfortunately, his aim hadn¡¯t been the best. instead of sailing on top and landing safely, the blade buried itself in the cliffside about twenty feet below the edge.


    noah didn¡¯t get a chance to be disappointed in his aim. a fluffant slammed into him from behind, ripping his soul free of his body as he died instantly. his body flailed as it rolled across the ground before sliding to a stop beside a flower.


    ¡°well, at least it works,¡± noah said, crossing his translucent arms. one of the fluffants reached down, hooking noah¡¯s body with its trunk and pulling it toward its mouth. noah sighed.


    ¡°lovely. take me back now, if you would? i don¡¯t need to see this. i¡¯m ready for my extra-bad headache.¡±


    almost as if it heard him, a band of energy tightened around noah¡¯s throat. he shot away, hurtling up toward the gourd waiting for him at the top of the cliff together with his promised headache.

 Chapter 52: Smokin

    chapter 52: smokin


    noah spent the next twelve or so hours sitting next to the field of blue flowers and cradling his head as a violent headache rocked his body. the increased damage from getting eaten was bad, but the soul damage wasn¡¯t quite back to where it had been before ¨C not yet, at least.


    in his hazy state, he occasionally caught a glimpse of winged monsters flying through the sky overhead and lumbering forms on the distant plateaus. they were too far to get a good look at, but it was clear that the windscorned plateau had a slightly more diverse ecosystem of monsters than the scorched acres did.


    noah couldn¡¯t help but notice that, despite the visions still being there at night, the hellreaver hadn¡¯t struck during the day again ¨C unless he was attempting to take a rest by napping. the only link he could put together was that he wasn¡¯t fighting monsters in the scorched acres. the hellreaver must have only been able to figure out when he was fighting if he was going up against the creatures it controlled. otherwise, it clearly didn¡¯t care enough to bother him unless he was trying to sleep. noah was forced to gain most of his rest from the energy that he got from killing monsters, but there was only so long that could last before he actually went insane.


    is the hellreaver really this petty? god, i hate that thing.


    when the pain relented and the fog lifted from his mind, he trudged over to the edge of the cliff and peered down. his sword was still wedged in the wall, far out of reach. noah rubbed his chin.


    no way am i leaving that behind. it cost too much gold and i¡¯m still not getting paid for a little while ¨C there¡¯s about a week until the next month. waste not want not.


    noah wasn¡¯t confident the small amount of energy in his wind runes would be enough to pull the sword up to him, and he still had no ash to work with. that would be rectified as soon as he got back to arbitage.


    ¡°i wonder how precise i can make my vibrations,¡± noah mused. he sat down on the ground and focused on a small patch of the ground, touching it with his hand sending a pulse of magic into it. the dirt trembled in response.


    noah narrowed his attention to a single rock, his brow furrowing slightly. he tapped it with the tip of his finger and the stone shuddered. noah nodded to himself, then sent another wave of magic into the ground.


    dirt trembled, piling up in a small ring and forming a crater in its center. over the course of the next few hours. he swept the dirt away, then repeated the experiment, this time making the hole deeper and thinner.


    over the course of the next few hours, noah continued to hone his fine control of the vibration runes. he used their magic until it ran out, then paused to let it recover before repeating the process once more.


    he wasn¡¯t sure of the exact amount of time that had passed, but the sun dipped and rose once again over the horizon by the time he was confident with his modifications. noah stood, ignoring the protests his knees and joints gave him after hours of sitting still, and rolled his neck.


    ¡°if this doesn¡¯t work, i¡¯ll just come back for the sword later and hope nobody has claimed or eaten it.¡± noah approached the edge of the cliff and looked down, locating the blade.


    noah knelt several feet away from the edge of the cliff and placed his hand against the ground. he¡¯d found that his fine control was still far better when he sent magic through his hands rather than any other part of his body.


    whether that was due to a mental block or some other reason, noah wasn¡¯t quite yet sure. it was yet another thing to look into on an ever growing list. he gathered the magic from his full vibration rune and sharpened it in his mind before sending it down in a spike.


    the ground groaned. noah took several steps back, quickly distancing himself from the cliff. dirt cascaded to the plateau below as the earth split apart in a thin line, peeling away to form a very rough, slanted path down to his sword.


    noah grinned at his handiwork. he¡¯d left the ground behind him completely scarred with similarly shaped, crisscrossing fault lines. noah stepped into the thin gap, pressing his hands against the dirt on either side of him to make sure he didn¡¯t slip and loose his footing on the moist soil, and made his way downward.


    he drew up to his sword, wedged into cliff wall just below his foot. noah slowly lowered, keeping his weight on his heels. he stretched his hand out and snagged the hilt of the blade. grinning, he gave it a slight tug.


    it didn¡¯t budge. it was stuck. noah¡¯s eyes narrowed. he pulled harder ¨C and the dirt beneath his feet slipped, sending him over the edge of the cliff. noah grabbed onto the hilt of his blade, ripping it free of as he fell.


    squeezing himself into a ball, noah brought the sword to his feet and sent a pulse of wind magic into it. the blade hummed to life and his knees shuddered, absorbing the shock as the sword launched him forward.


    he zipped in a circle, then flew back up to the top of the plateau he¡¯d been standing on and landed in a running jog. noah wiped the sweat from his forehead with a grin, turning and picking his sword back up.


    ¡°not too shabby. could have been a bit more elegant, but we¡¯ll count it.¡± noah tucked his blade away and gave himself a satisfied nod. all things considered, it hadn¡¯t been a completely wasted trip. he¡¯d killed two fluffants and improved his control over both the vibration runes and sunder. that was a good day.


    unfortunately, he hadn¡¯t managed to fill any of the catchpapers, but noah was confident that would come with time ¨C and with getting a way to actually use ash here. for the rest of the time until the transport cannon called him back to arbitage, noah just sat and waited, watching the clouds float across the sky.


    ***


    noah¡¯s back thudded against the metal turret of the transport cannon and he slid out of the turret, catching himself on the lip before he fell to the ground. he straightened and tim gave him a friendly wave.


    ¡°looks like you didn¡¯t get yourself torched this time,¡± tim said. ¡°get some good training in?¡±


    ¡°not exactly,¡± noah admitted. ¡°i¡¯m still happy with my progress, though. small steps, you know?¡±


    that¡¯s genius. but lighting a wick inside a lantern ¨C not to mention carrying a lantern around everywhere ¨C seems like a bit of a bother.


    tissa read the look on noah¡¯s face before he could even say anything. she gave him a knowing smile and returned the lantern to its spot on the wall before picking up a small leather bundle and walking back over to him.


    she unwrapped the bundle, revealing a finely carved wooden pipe and a small bag. she removed the bag from the bundle and loosened its drawstrings, revealing a small gray bunch of grass growing from dirt at the bottom of the bag.


    ¡°flashgrass,¡± tissa explained. ¡°it¡¯s a similar imbuement to the lantern, and it regrows quite quickly. unfortunately, it burns slower. makes a ridiculous amount of smoke and ash, though.¡±


    ¡°smoking isn¡¯t good for you,¡± noah started automatically, launching back into a lecture he¡¯d given dozens of students back on earth before he could catch himself. he cleared his throat and shook his head as tissa raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°old habit. sorry.¡±


    ¡°smoking doesn¡¯t matter if you can control the ash and keep it from entering your lungs,¡± tissa said dryly. ¡°i wouldn¡¯t recommend inhaling flashgrass smoke. it¡¯ll probably burn your lungs out. but, if you¡¯ve got a sufficient grasp over your ash rune, you should be more than capable of gathering it before it enters your lungs and just directing it out.


    noah considered the bundle. it was considerably more portable than the lantern and it would leave both of his hands completely free. tissa had a point, but it wouldn¡¯t be of much use unless he could actually light the flashgrass.


    i don¡¯t have a heat or fire rune... but i do have vibration. can i vibrate something fast enough to get it to ignite?


    ¡°could i test something out?¡± noah asked.


    tissa¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°break the merchandise, buy the merchandise.¡±


    ¡°how much is it?¡±


    ¡°one gold. the imbuement isn¡¯t too expensive since it¡¯s on the weaker side.¡±


    cheap my ass. guess it¡¯s still magical.


    ¡°fine,¡± noah said.


    tissa handed the grass over to noah. he snapped a blade of grass off from the bundle and held it between his fingers. his brow furrowed as he gathered vibration magic. it took quite a bit of vibration to get something to actually go up in flames ¨C unfortunately, he had no clue exactly how much.


    noah released the magic into the blade of grass. it shuddered, then violently tore itself to shreds and fell down like sad confetti around his feet. tissa cocked an eyebrow and noah scrunched his nose in annoyance. he thought for a moment, then pulled out two blades of grass.


    what if i do it more like starting a fire in wood?


    noah held the blades together and gave it a second shot. a low pitched whine came out from between his fingertips as the blades trilled against each other. a tiny wisp of smoke rose up from one of them as the other disintegrated.


    the smoke petered out a moment later.


    ¡°you don¡¯t last too long, honey. you might want to work on that.¡±


    noah looked down the bridge of his nose at her. ¡°i saw smoke. it counts.¡±


    ¡°if that¡¯s what you want to tell yourself.¡± she chuckled. ¡°interesting way to start fire. you buying?¡±


    ¡°might as well,¡± noah said, shaking his head.


    i am about to set a very bad example for my students. i never bought the ¡®i¡¯m not actually inhaling, mr. vines¡¯ argument, but now i¡¯m about to be the one using it. how the tables turn. this will have to do until i can figure out a better way to generate ash and smoke.


    he dug one of his few coins out and handed it over to tissa. she wrapped the bundle back up and handed it over to noah.


    ¡°pleasure doing business with you. i hope you figure out how to get a spark up.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll certainly do my best.¡±

 Chapter 53: Not as fun

    chapter 53: not as fun


    noah returned to his room at a brisk pace, still all too aware of the eyes trailing him on the way back. instead of heading inside, he made a detour and stopped at moxie¡¯s door, rapping several times to get her attention. he waited for a few minutes, but there was no response.


    she must be out doing something. damn.


    giving up, noah headed back to his own room. when he opened the door, lee was already sitting on his bed, reading one of the books he¡¯d borrowed from the library. she looked up as noah closed the door behind him.


    ¡°made yourself comfortable, i see,¡± noah said.


    lee set the book aside and set up. ¡°it¡¯s nice. much nicer than the forest. you humans are lucky.¡±


    ¡°in many ways,¡± noah agreed. ¡°have you noticed anything strange happening on campus? i just got back and i¡¯m suddenly getting a bunch of people staring at me.¡±


    lee rubbed the back of her head and furrowed her brow in thought. ¡°i¡¯ve kind of been avoiding interacting too closely with anyone. i don¡¯t know enough about arbitage to blend in properly if anyone digs too deep.¡±


    ¡°probably for the best.¡± noah pulled his chair out and sat down with a frown. he set the leather wrapped pipe and flashgrass down on his desk, then leaned his chin on his palm, drumming his fingers on his cheek.


    ¡°do you think we¡¯re in danger?¡± lee asked. ¡°if the entire school comes down on us, we won¡¯t be able to get away.¡±


    ¡°not immediate danger,¡± noah replied. ¡°nobody actually approached me. how long have you been in this room?¡±


    ¡°most of the day.¡±


    ¡°did anyone knock?¡±


    ¡°no.¡±


    ¡°then it¡¯s very unlikely we¡¯re in direct danger. someone would have tried to come find me if that was the case. perhaps isabel and todd¡¯s performance on the exam was significant enough to garner attention, or it¡¯s something to do with edward. i¡¯m not sure. moxie wasn¡¯t home so i couldn¡¯t ask her.¡±


    ¡°she¡¯s teaching right now. she and emily went somewhere.¡±


    noah glanced over at lee. ¡°you saw?¡±


    ¡°i watched them leave out the window. i thought about following them, but it¡¯s much more fun to just lounge around in the shade.¡±


    ¡°ah.¡± noah turned his attention back to the desk. chances were that this was probably somehow the fault of magus allen or edward. allen had been pretty furious after the loss, but noah had imagined he would have tried to keep things as down low as possible, not start spreading rumors around.


    he pulled the pipe out of its wrapping and sat it on the table. the best solution would be to ask todd and isabel what happened during their class tomorrow. until then, he had a pipe to figure out how to light properly.


    noah plucked two strands of flashgrass out of the bag and concentrated on vibrating them against each other. once more, they went up in a single puff of smoke and left no fire behind. noah¡¯s eyes narrowed and he leaned in closer, preparing to start testing.


    noah blinked. ¡°wait. you¡¯re expecting to get killed?¡±


    ¡°expecting isn¡¯t the right word. i don¡¯t want to die.¡± todd crossed his arms. ¡°on that first day, sure, i was really excited. but we spoke after it, you know. i don¡¯t want to just waste away with a bunch of lesser runes and never progress. this is the best chance i¡¯ve gotten, and it¡¯s the same for isabel. might as well take it, you know? and hey, if i survive, i¡¯ll be strong. maybe i¡¯ll be able to become a soldier.¡±


    ¡°you feel the same?¡± noah asked.


    isabel shrugged. ¡°i was already blacklisted from the noble houses. it¡¯s not like i¡¯m getting other options. most merchants won¡¯t even sell to me anyway.¡±


    okay, now i really want to know what happened there. the urge to avoid prying too deeply into my students lives is going to drive me insane. now isn¡¯t the time, though. not yet.


    ¡°i see,¡± noah said with a frown. as much as he hated to admit it, they had a point. no matter how confident he was at fighting the monsters, it really did only take one mistake. isabel and todd had a single healing potion each, and they likely couldn¡¯t afford more. death had lost so much of its meaning to noah that he¡¯d let his attitude toward it stretch farther than he¡¯d thought.


    i need to find a way to protect them better. i¡¯ve been letting my willingness to throw my own lives away seep into them.


    ¡°for now, that won¡¯t be a concern as we¡¯ll be training with lee,¡± noah said. ¡°nobody is going to die from that.¡±


    probably.


    ¡°sure,¡± isabel said. ¡°but don¡¯t start giving up on us now. you can¡¯t dangle a chance to change our lives in front of us and then pull it away because you don¡¯t want us to get killed. the school can replace us. they don¡¯t care that much. we aren¡¯t part of noble houses. either you help us or we do it on our own.¡±


    ¡°yeah, we¡¯ll steal your strategy,¡± todd said with a grin. ¡°but probably do it worse.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not giving up on anyone.¡± noah pressed his hands against the podium and leaned forward. ¡°perish the thought. i¡¯m just going to figure out a way to do things that is maybe just a little less suicidal.¡±


    ¡°not sure how you¡¯re going to do that,¡± isabel said.


    ¡°don¡¯t worry about it for now. we¡¯ve got other things to focus on.¡±


    ¡°like me,¡± lee said, dropping from the ceiling and landing on a table behind todd. all three of them flinched, and noah nearly had a blade of wind formed in his hand by the time he stopped himself. he quickly let the magic drain away, relieved that nobody had noticed it.


    lee hopped down from the table and yawned. ¡°did everyone do their stretches this morning?¡±


    oops.


    ¡°we¡¯ll find out,¡± lee said, slipping past todd to walk up beside noah. ¡°magus moxie and emily are heading over, they¡¯ll join us a little later. i ran into them on the way over here. for now, there¡¯s no point wasting good time. outside, everyone. it¡¯s time to get to work.¡±


    ¡°why¡¯d you come through the ceiling?¡± todd asked, staring at lee as they all followed her out of the building. ¡°the door is perfectly good, you know.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s not nearly as fun.¡±

 Chapter 54: Methods

    chapter 54: methods


    noah regretted not stretching. lee didn¡¯t seem concerned with making sure that human bodies could actually move in the same way that hers could. by the time her class was finished, he could barely stand on his own two feet. moxie and emily did show up about halfway through it, but he was so caught up trying to keep with lee¡¯s every increasing demands for flexibility that he didn¡¯t even have a chance to greet them.


    lee finally dismissed the class for noah, leaving everyone lying on the ground in varying stages of pain. noah shook his limbs off in a futile attempt to get some feeling back in them and caught moxie¡¯s attention as she stood.


    ¡°say, have you heard any rumors?¡± noah asked. ¡°about the exam.¡±


    ¡°you mean your escapades with magus allen?¡± moxie asked with a wry smile. ¡°yes. they¡¯re quite amusing. people are saying you defeated him in a test of magic.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s... technically true. but that¡¯s also definitely not giving anyone the right idea,¡± noah said with a frown. ¡°i don¡¯t suppose you¡¯ve met magus allen recently?¡±


    ¡°why would i associate with him?¡± moxie asked. ¡°he hates my guts. not nearly as much as he hates you, though. i¡¯ve heard he¡¯s got edward locked in a room, forcing him to copy runes for hours on end. he¡¯s pissed.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s not a very constructive way to get a student to improve.¡±


    ¡°feel free to tell him that, but he might try to smash your face through a wall. if you do, please let me know. i¡¯d pay good money to watch that.¡±


    ¡°how much?¡±


    ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°never mind,¡± noah said, clearing his throat. ¡°i thought you didn¡¯t hate me anymore.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯ve still got an annoying face.¡± moxie shrugged. ¡°a girl¡¯s got to have some hobbies.¡±


    ¡°hobbies should not include watching your friends smash through walls.¡±


    ¡°says the whackjob that fights monsters without a shield.¡± moxie crossed her arms. ¡°which was the main reason i shadowed your class, by the way. i¡¯m still waiting for that.¡±


    noah winced. ¡°yeah. i¡¯m sorry. there has been so much happening as of late that i haven¡¯t been able to properly teach the class. i owe an apology to my students as well. i¡¯ve been... distracted. badly. i¡¯m hoping to have it dealt with very soon, and i¡¯ll make it up to you once i have. i¡¯m also working on getting those greater wind runes ¨C you didn¡¯t tell me the monsters in the windscorned plateau were fluffy.¡±


    moxie stared at noah. ¡°why would i need to tell you that? you could have found out yourself if you just went to the library and checked a dossier on the area.¡±


    noah gave moxie a blank look. her eyes narrowed.


    ¡°you just went to an area you don¡¯t know without reading up about it at all?¡±


    ¡°i really hate waiting around,¡± noah admitted. ¡°it sounded a lot more interesting to just go and... do things. reading is great, don¡¯t get me wrong. but true learning is experienced by doing.¡±


    and i really don¡¯t want to sit around if i can avoid it. i can¡¯t afford to sit around anyway. i need to kill the hellreaver before it drives me to insanity or i trip up from the lack of sleep. i¡¯ve done far too much of that. i¡¯ll save the books for the really important things ¨C like learning about the linwick family.


    moxie read his face before he could even speak.


    ¡°i haven¡¯t gotten the book yet.¡±


    ¡°how¡¯d you know i was going to ask?¡±


    ¡°it wasn¡¯t a very difficult guess. i¡¯ll probably have it in a week. you could always try to ask allen to get it from edward for you.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s just slow because we don¡¯t have access to any of the resources to speed it up that noble families do,¡± isabel said, a bitter edge to her words. ¡°it¡¯s not easy to distill a bunch of monster parts down into some super soup that makes your runes absorb energy faster.¡±


    runes absorb energy from the environment passively? moxie did mention something about that, but i thought it was something you had to do on purpose. i suppose it doesn¡¯t change anything about my strategy, but that¡¯s interesting to know.


    maybe i could augment their training by trying to get some of these monster parts? i definitely kill enough of them. i¡¯ll have to look into it without coming off as too clueless to isabel and todd. i¡¯d also imagine you need stronger monsters for that to be effective.


    ¡°hey, if it works and you think it¡¯s worth your time, then do it.¡± noah shrugged. he paused for a moment. ¡°but, while you¡¯re at it, could you keep your ears to the ground? let me know if those rumors are getting too out of hand.¡±


    isabel gave noah a grim nod. ¡°i¡¯ll pay attention. i don¡¯t want to find magus allen waiting at my door one morning. that would probably go very poorly for me.¡±


    ¡°he¡¯s a professor,¡± noah said, sounding more confident than he felt. ¡°i¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t resort to anything that vile. maybe leave something on the handle when you sleep just in case, though. a little caution never hurt anyone.¡±


    isabel snorted. ¡°i¡¯m used to sleeping with one eye open. i¡¯ll be fine. it¡¯s todd you should be worried about.¡±


    ¡°hey, i¡¯m not the one that crushed edward in the exam. that was you.¡±


    the two of them devolved into an argument with surprising speed. noah watched them for a few moments, a small smile on his face, then headed off to find tim. it was time to get back to hunting fluffants ¨C his greater wind rune was waiting for him.


    ***


    just like that, two weeks passed. the rumors never did amount to anything more than just that, but noah never saw magus allen or edward again in that time. amy also swung by to deliver his pay of ten gold for the month, which noah stashed away. his time was all spent split between classes with lee and hunting fluffants in the windscorned plateau.


    the pipe continued to give him trouble ¨C though he continued to practice trying to light the strands of grass aflame every day. but, instead of wasting time until the pipe was working, noah dropped by the scorched acres to collect a large bag of ash. he took to carrying it around while fighting the fluffants, and put it to enormous use against the monsters, cutting them down with little difficulty.


    he did avoid using sunder again, as even though he could now handle it for a few moments, the damage it tended to do was usually just as much against him as it was against his opponent. for the time being, he was satisfied to know he was getting closer to being able to truly use it.


    when he wasn¡¯t fighting fluffants or in class, noah finally forced himself back to the library to both return the previous books he¡¯d taken and check some new ones out. he finally confirmed that there were far more ways to grow the strength of his runes than he¡¯d initially thought, though killing monsters was still by far the most efficient way.


    the method that todd and isabel had spoken of was barely even a method in the way that they used it. runes, like muscles, grew stronger with usage by drawing energy from the body. it was at such a low rate that it was nearly unnoticeable for greater runes, but when augmented by parts from dead monsters, users could improve at significant rates without ever putting themselves at risk.


    there were also a variety of other strengthening methods that involved intentionally drawing energy from the environment while meditating, copying down runes, contemplating the benefits of one¡¯s runes ¨C the list went on. nobody seemed able to agree on how many variations of improvement there were, but none of them matched up to absorbing energy from other runes directly.


    unfortunately, the only way to properly absorb the energy from another rune was to take it from the owner. it wasn¡¯t like the monsters could understand noah even if he asked politely for their runes, though.


    noah also checked out the dossier on the windscorched plateau. it identified the fluffants as flower sappers ¨C information that he promptly wiped from his mind. his name was far superior.


    he¡¯d gotten fairly good at fighting the fluffants in the past two weeks, but he couldn¡¯t help but notice that they had far more variation in how they fought than the monkeys did. some were aggressive, and others would try to rip clods of dirt up and throw them at him, to essentially zero effect beyond maybe the slight satisfaction of pelting someone in the face.


    almost no two of the monsters fought exactly the same, though. when noah checked the dossier, one of his earlier theories was confirmed as well. there wasn¡¯t any record of a master rune wielding monster in the area, which explained why the fluffants seemed more unique. they weren¡¯t part of a hivemind.


    noah filed the information away. his methods would be far less effective if he brought isabel and todd to the windscorned plateau. it was best to continue in the forest or find another location governed by a monster wielding a master rune when the time came.


    to his delight, noah managed to fill several of the papers during his hunts in the windscorned plateau. three, to be precise. but, less fortunately, they were all lesser runes. but, as noah stood back and watched the last of the group of fluffants he¡¯d just killed that day fall to the ground, the papers in his pocket trembled.


    that felt like a lot of energy.


    noah pulled the papers out. three lesser wind runes stared up at him, but he leafed past them. swirling blue lines greeted him on the paper and a huge grin stretched across his lips.


    ¡°greater rune. about damn time!¡± noah crowed, laughing in delight. ¡°your days are up, hellreaver ape. once i learn this, i¡¯m coming for you. my days of torture are about to end.¡±

 Chapter 55: Its time

    chapter 55: it''s time


    noah returned to arbitage and nearly sprinted back to his room. he¡¯d promised moxie one of the greater runes he got, but he¡¯d never said it would be the first.


    sorry. i really hate waiting, moxie. and hey, maybe i¡¯ll get lucky and the rune will survive me learning it. i didn¡¯t destroy the vibration rune, after all. perhaps i¡¯m just good at this.


    once noah got home, he slipped inside and sat down at his desk. lee wasn¡¯t home ¨C she¡¯d taken to roaming the campus more often, but there hadn¡¯t been any problems thus far, so noah didn¡¯t see an issue.


    noah set the catchpaper bearing the greater wind rune out on the table and grinned, a trill of excitement running down his spine. it was the first rune he¡¯d technically earned himself, though moxie had technically given him the tool he¡¯d used to gather it.


    he made himself slow down and studied the rune for several minutes, memorizing the lines and curves of the flowing sigil. noah inspected it, closing his eyes and imagining the rune in his mind before checking the paper to see if he¡¯d gotten it correctly.


    after a dozen attempts, noah finally closed his eyes and slipped into his mental space. his seven runes materialized in the air as a dark cover washed over his surroundings. noah approached his two lesser wind runes.


    ¡°you¡¯ve done me well. thanks for getting this far,¡± noah said. he lifted his hand, preparing to shatter one of them, but something gave him pause.


    when he¡¯d seen the vision sunder had given him, the spear wielding man had literally cut runes apart and taken one directly. if he¡¯d understood the books he¡¯d read correctly, energy could be drawn out of a complete rune, but nobody could take energy from their own runes.l--b1n.


    what would happen if i sunder a rune instead of just breaking it normally? would i be able to harvest any of the energy left over? i¡¯ve already called its power, and i know i can handle it for a moment as long as i only use it once.


    noah considered his rune for several minutes, debating with himself. finally, he nodded. he raised a hand above his head. sunder lowered above him, the massive energy stored within the rune making the hair on his body stand on end.


    it brushed against the back of his fingers and energy poured into noah, flooding into every nook and cranny in his body. he stiffened, the veins going black beneath his skin as a wave of force slammed down on him.


    all of noah¡¯s runes lit, burning energy as he drew on them to keep a hold of sunder. gritting his teeth, noah reached out toward the lesser wind rune. not daring to hold sunder¡¯s power any longer than he had to, he released it.


    a black line traced down through the lesser wind rune. a trilling chime rang out through noah¡¯s mind and a spike of pain pierced his chest. he staggered, grimacing but unwilling to let his eyes turn away from the rune.


    cracks spiderwebbed through the wind rune. instead of splitting perfectly in half like everything else he¡¯d sundered, the rune shattered. fragments floated in the air, spinning aimlessly as they dissipated.


    noah tried to will them toward him. a little under half of the particles fluttered toward noah¡¯s hand, sputtering and burning as it tried to remain lit. the rest faded into the yawning mouth of the endless darkness and vanished.


    lines materialized in the darkness as noah recalled the greater wind rune, moving as quickly as he dared to try and keep the energy he¡¯d managed to save. burning blue carved through the sky before him as noah drew the rune out. whether it was the ability to remember things that he¡¯d gained after his death on earth or simply some aspect of runes themselves, noah was able to recreate it on his first try.


    a brilliant thrum ripped out from the rune, washing across his skin and filling his mind. the empty rune snapped into place, dull and empty but full of potential. the energy from the lesser rune rushed into the greater, filling it a little under a quarter of it. noah¡¯s eyes snapped open and he drew in a sharp breath.


    ¡°damn,¡± noah breathed, straightening as the pain receded with his missing rune. ¡°well, that answers one thing. i can¡¯t split apart basic runes, but i can kind of snatch some of the energy from the lesser rune as it fades away.¡±


    the temporary drawback of losing the lesser rune wouldn¡¯t impact him much, and now he had something that would hopefully fill a large amount of energy when he killed the hellreaver ape. there was also still a good bit of energy left to use in the rune, so he wasn¡¯t worried about running out on his flying sword ¨C which meant he could try to form the second greater rune as well.


    to noah¡¯s delight, the rune was still on the catchpaper when he checked it after his first attempt. he readied himself and returned to his mindspace, holding the catchpaper tightly in his hands. he broke the second and last lesser wind rune, gathering the fragments that it left behind and forming them into another great rune. it snapped into place and noah stepped back, smiling to himself.


    it does look like i can only keep energy when it¡¯s from the same kind of rune, but i suppose that makes sense. maybe there¡¯s some conversion process that happens between runes of different energy types that makes it more efficient to keep things in the same style of energy.


    chewing his lip, noah just shook his head. ¡°i¡¯ll catch up with you and the kids. don¡¯t slow the class down for me. maybe just fill me in after hours. i¡¯ll still be on campus and in my room, just less frequently than before for a little while. if anything goes wrong, find me.¡±


    lee shrugged. ¡°if you¡¯re sure. i¡¯m sure moxie will help as well. i think i¡¯ve got an inkling of what you¡¯re trying to do.¡±


    ¡°and?¡±


    ¡°good luck. i won¡¯t miss it. i don¡¯t think you can do it, though.¡±


    noah grunted. they walked in silence for a few minutes. lee gave noah a small nod when they reached the transport cannon building. she broke away, heading back toward noah¡¯s room while he continued onward.


    he ascended the steps and took the lift up to tim, who was sitting with his back turned, staring out a dirty window at the campus below.


    the old man turned as the lift rattled to a stop and let noah off. a smile crossed his wrinkled features. ¡°ah, vermil! i haven¡¯t seen your students in a while, lad. have they graduated?¡±


    ¡°nothing like that,¡± noah said with a laugh. ¡°they¡¯re just doing some physical training right now. it¡¯s good to keep your body in shape, you know?¡±


    tim nodded sagely. ¡°ah, yes. i used to be quite the fan of that sort of thing in my younger days. you wouldn¡¯t know by looking at me now, would you? i¡¯m all skin and bones.¡±


    he let out a snorting laugh, flexing a thin arm to demonstrate.


    ¡°i¡¯m sure it¡¯s still there, you¡¯ve just got to get back into it.¡±


    ¡°maybe. maybe,¡± tim said, shaking his head and patting the table. ¡°not sure if my old bones could handle it anymore. well, let¡¯s get you on your way, lad. windscorned plateau?¡±


    ¡°actually, i¡¯m headed back to the scorched acres this time.¡±


    ¡°why does it seem like you swap it every time i ask?¡± tim asked with a chortle. the tower rumbled as it rotated and the turret lined itself up with its new destination. ¡°how long?¡±


    ¡°let¡¯s do two hours. this one won¡¯t be long.¡±


    tim raised an eyebrow but nodded. ¡°it¡¯s set up for you. good luck out there.¡±


    ¡°thanks, tim. i¡¯ll see you soon.¡±


    noah stepped over to the turret and climbed into it. it hummed and then he was gone, a blue streak screaming across the sky.


    moments later, noah slammed down in the scorched acres. his knees bent with the landing, and he straightened back up while rolling his neck.


    his soul was almost completely healed, and he¡¯d avoided dying in the recent days. his runes were upgraded and ready to be filled. he could use sunder, if just for a moment. everything was ready.


    it was time to kill the hellreaver ape.

 Chapter 56: Tricks

    chapter 56: tricks


    noah used his greater wind rune to power his flying sword as he searched for the hellreaver ape¡¯s ring of fire. excitement, weariness, and hatred mixed in his stomach. he hadn¡¯t hated anything more than the hellreaver ¨C ever, as far as he could remember. after thirty minutes of flying around, he spotted the ring of smoke curling into the air and landed beside it.


    his greater rune, despite currently holding less energy than the lesser one did, had taken him the entire way over and still had some to spare. it was refilling much slower than the former, but the improvement was impressively significant.


    noah gathered his belongings and set them all up in a tree a fair distance away ¨C far enough that the hellreaver¡¯s flame ring wasn¡¯t even in sight. he considered the catchpaper for a moment. then he picked one of the sheets up and tucked it into his pants. the risk of the master rune somehow interfering with his own if he absorbed it was too great for him to take. as much as he wanted the energy from the monster, he could always spend a few weeks killing other monkeys until he had enough to rank up.


    steadying himself, noah turned toward the direction of the ring of fire and headed over to it, arriving after a few minutes of walking. he shook his hands off, shifting from foot to foot to make sure the blood was properly flowing, then charged forward. the flames sputtered in and out, and noah dove through one of the gaps as soon as it appeared.


    heat seared him from every angle and he hit the dry ground in a roll, shooting straight to his feet and already pulling ash from the environment. a black spike ripped free from the trees and lanced toward the hellreaver.


    the monster¡¯s eyes snapped open and it whipped an arm up, blocking the attack. noah¡¯s ash spike pierced into its skin, drawing blood. snarling with rage, the monster clambered to its feet. its eyes locked with noah¡¯s and it paused for a moment. pure, smug hatred radiated off the monster. it knew what it had been doing, there was no doubt in noah¡¯s mind.


    it didn¡¯t seem to care that noah could come back to life. it just enjoyed tormenting him.


    noah shot himself into the air with a burst of wind to avoid a wild swing, then launched himself back down as the hellreaver breathed a sheet of fire toward him. ash swirled from the spike in the large monster¡¯s arm, slithering up toward its neck and sharpening into a point.


    the hellreaver roared and a wave of fire washed over its body, burning with such intensity that noah was momentarily blinded. he instinctively threw himself to the side, and a violent thud behind him showed he¡¯d done the right thing.


    noah forced his eyes open, squinting through the dots floating in his vision. the hellreaver¡¯s body was still completely alight, but it had somehow gotten hot enough to burn his ash away.


    he staggered away, boosting himself with a burst of wind as flame washed toward him. noah quickly dodged back as the hellreaver¡¯s fist smashed down directly before him, passing so close that the wind from the blow buffeted his hair back.


    a furious roar ripped through the scorched acres and the hellreaver beat its chest, hatred burning in its eyes. noah took the momentary opportunity to gather more ash and send it flying at the hellreaver¡¯s back.


    the spike carved along the ape¡¯s shoulder as it shifted its weight to avoid the attack. it stomped the ground and noah nearly lost his footing as a tremor ran through the earth.


    that¡¯s my move. you can¡¯t do that!


    he launched himself into the air as the hellreaver lunged forward, grabbing at him with both hands. noah just barely cleared the monster and it slid for a few feet beneath him. one of its hands passed through the ring of fire and slammed into a stump of a charred tree beyond it, shattering it with a crash.


    the hellreaver rolled over, nearly batting noah out of the air as he dropped back down with its other hand, and lurched upright. noah landed back on the ground, stumbling slightly at the hard impact, then ripped more ash from the air and sent a dozen spikes whipping for the hellreaver¡¯s face.


    it crossed its arms before it and the spikes slammed into the hellreaver, biting deep through its fur and into its flesh. dark blood seeped from the wounds and the hellreaver ripped the spikes out with a snarl.


    the ring of flame surrounding them surged in intensity. heat licked at noah¡¯s back and he formed a barrier of ash behind him. fire roared as it splashed against his shield. the hellreaver reared back and kicked at noah, but he dove forward and rolled past the monster¡¯s foot.


    he came up, sending another barrage of spikes into the beast¡¯s side. blood splattered and it staggered, howling in pain. determination etched across noah¡¯s face, he dashed forward, calling on his vibration rune.


    noah leapt, empowering his jump with wind, and shot for the hellreaver¡¯s shoulder, angling himself so that it could only try to block with its already injured arm. the monster instead dodged to the side, moving with more agility than noah thought it still had.


    he stopped his flight with a blast of wind and dropped to the ground. noah unleashed the vibration energy he¡¯d gathered into the floor rather than the hellreaver. a tremor shook the forest, ripping a gap open in line with the hellreaver¡¯s foot. the monster stumbled, slipping into it for a moment before it could catch its balance. noah sent two blades of wind shooting for its throat, a grin starting to cross over his lips.


    gotcha.


    noah sprinted forward, calling on all the vibration energy he could muster. the monster¡¯s fur was too dense for him to be confident of a killing blow with wind, and it still had a chance of blocking his ash magic with its arms.


    but vibration was a different kind of attack. if he touched the monster, there wouldn¡¯t be any blocking anything. noah lunged, extending his hand for the hellreaver as it struggled to rise. malice burned in the monster¡¯s eyes, catching his as he approached.


    the fire all around them sputtered. then it vanished. the flames covering the hellreaver blinked out instantly and it threw itself back, whipping dirt at noah and pelting him with small stones as it avoided his hand.


    noah turned to give chase, preparing to boost himself with the wind rune to catch the monster. he drew a breath ¨C or at least, he tried to. as noah tried to inhale, nothing entered his lungs.


    his wind rune failed to activate. noah could still feel the energy in it, but it stubbornly refused to do so much as budge. he tried to breath even harder, but his lungs failed to gather anything.


    lee hunched over the corpse and noah turned away. he wasn¡¯t particularly interested in watching lee eat his body. something about that just felt wrong on multiple levels. there were a few loud crunches, followed by a satisfied sigh. noah turned back as lee wiped her mouth and offered noah the blank piece of catchpaper he¡¯d had in his pocket.


    ¡°here.¡±


    noah took it from her, then glanced around. ¡°where are my clothes?¡±


    ¡°ate ¡®em. i¡¯ve got a strong stomach. i hope you didn¡¯t want those.¡±


    noah sighed and shook his head. ¡°better this way. saves me from trying to find out how to clean them from a gallon of blood.¡±


    his head pulsated and he rubbed at it with a sigh. fog still blocked his mind from magic, which was almost more annoying than the actual headache.


    ¡°so, what now?¡± lee asked.


    noah leaned against a tree and gave her a shrug. ¡°you trying to get me to say something? like i should stop?¡±


    ¡°nah. i¡¯m having fun, so i don¡¯t care much what you do. i just don¡¯t want you getting your students killed or deciding to wander off without me. i¡¯d have to leave arbitage if you did.¡±


    noah grunted. ¡°i guess a selfish motivation is as good as any. i can¡¯t say i¡¯m any better. what do you think i should do? there are too many powerful players, and i¡¯m already drawing their attention. if i¡¯m not strong enough to hold my own, things could go very poorly for all of us.¡±


    ¡°do what you do. i eat people. i don¡¯t think i¡¯m the moral advice you¡¯re looking for. ask moxie, if you trust her enough. it¡¯s clear you care about those kids just as much as you care about... whatever it is that motivates you. i¡¯m just making sure you aren¡¯t losing your mind.¡±


    ¡°i appreciate it,¡± noah said. ¡°i think i can get the hellreaver the next time around.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s what you said this time. maybe you are losing your mind.¡±


    ¡°it had a trick.¡±


    ¡°what if it has more?¡±


    noah scrunched his nose. ¡°then i¡¯ll get it the time after that.¡±


    ¡°the scary thing is that i believe you,¡± lee said. ¡°you¡¯re like a cockroach, but you get stronger every time someone kills you. kind of scary, honestly.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure getting called scary by something that just ate my corpse in front of me is reassuring.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯ s a compliment.¡±


    noah grunted. ¡°thanks.¡±


    lee shrugged. ¡°just keep leaving me corpses. it¡¯s a good replacement for eating other people. you¡¯d be really popular with skinwalkers. infinite snacks.¡±


    ¡°the moment you start looking at me like nothing more than an infinite food source, we¡¯re going to have problems. and i don¡¯t plan on making deals with any other skinwalkers.¡±


    ¡°good,¡± lee said. ¡°you don¡¯t die too often, so there wouldn¡¯t be enough food for both of us ¨C and i hate sharing. i¡¯ll stop by the hellreaver¡¯s area after class for as long as you insist on doing this. who knows, maybe you¡¯ll actually succeed.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll turn my attention to other things if this goes on longer than a week,¡± noah promised. ¡°at that point, there are better ways to spend my time.¡±


    ¡°a week of good food. not bad. i¡¯ll take it,¡± lee said with a wry grin. ¡°i¡¯m going to get pulled back to arbitage soon. i asked tim to only send me over for an hour, and it took me a bit to find you. i¡¯m gonna go run around until it happens. the only thing that i don¡¯t like about cities is that i can¡¯t move at full speed.¡±


    ¡°have fun,¡± noah said, raising a hand in farewell as lee slipped into the trees and vanished. then he sat down and waited, running back over the fight in his mind to identify all the spots he¡¯d gone wrong in.


    the mistakes wouldn¡¯t happen again. eventually, the hellreaver would run out of surprises. then it would fall, and noah would have his revenge on the scorched acres ¨C and his sanity back.

 Chapter 57: Grudge Match

    chapter 57: grudge match


    three days.


    three tries.


    three deaths.


    noah challenged the hellreaver every day after discovering its ability to control the air. he¡¯d had to spend some coin on buying some new clothes once again, which had gotten him a strange look from the seamstress.


    every time noah arrived to fight the hellreaver ape, he found it lying in the same spot, uninjured. he¡¯d managed to do some significant damage to the monster his first time around, but all of it was completely gone the next time he arrived.


    he could swear he felt himself losing his mind in real time. the visions continued, plaguing his night so badly that sometimes he even saw them in his waking moments, when the hellreaver wasn¡¯t even trying to bother him. noah hunted monsters and took naps in his best attempt to stay sane, but there was only so long he could avoid proper sleep ¨C and the hellreaver¡¯s constant interference with any fights in the scorched acres made things even more problematic.


    noah scoured the library for any information on the monster, but there was borderline nothing beyond its possession of a master rune ¨C and the books didn¡¯t even state which one it was.


    as such, he simply determined that he¡¯d have to defeat the monster while they were both at full strength rather than whittling it down. and that was what he tried to do. every time he challenged it, he tried to come up with a new strategy that would give him an upper hand.


    the first, he just held his breath when the hellreaver ripped the air away. it let him last a little longer than before, but with the complete loss of his access to his wind runes, noah had no good way to avoid the monster¡¯s attacks and fell quickly.


    he did, however, confirm that while the hellreaver was sucking up the airflow, it also made itself unable to use any fire. that was a fairly logical conclusion, but it relieved him, nonetheless. it meant he only had to deal with the monster¡¯s physical prowess when it sucked up all the air, canceling the powers of his wind runes.


    unfortunately, the hellreaver ape certainly recognized noah just as much as he recognized it. the monster had started to predict his own attacks and had wised up to the power of noah¡¯s vibration rune, refusing to let him get into range for a devastating blow.


    that had led to noah¡¯s next attempt, where he¡¯d tried to sneak up on the monster and kill it before it could even wake up by attacking from far above it from the safety of his flying sword. he¡¯d hoped that the monster had a range on its abilities, and by staying far above, he¡¯d be outside of it.


    that was the day that noah discovered that, if the hellreaver had a range on its powers, a few hundred feet was within it. he also discovered that his flying sword was quite useless when he couldn¡¯t feed wind magic into it.


    he also discovered what it felt like to impale himself on a brittle tree after falling for several long, shameful seconds. lee had laughed for nearly five minutes upon finding noah staring up at his corpse doing its best impression of a bloody christmas ornament.


    luckily, he¡¯d managed to find his flying sword with a little help from lee. when noah returned the third day, he had a new plan. he¡¯d gone through several, actually, but many of the ideas had gotten dismissed before they could come into fruition.


    one of them had involved selling his collection of monster parts to buy enough magical items to just lob things at the monster until it died. that one had been tempting, but noah decided against it, telling himself that wasting so much money was pointless when he could keep it for a rainy day.


    noah simply just didn¡¯t want to admit that he needed the help of magical items to defeat his foe. their fight had gotten more personal with every day, and the thought of needing a crutch to win irritated him.


    it also didn¡¯t help that he still really wanted to spend all the money on something really nice rather than using it now. he hadn¡¯t given up his dream of a big shopping day, and the only thing he was okay with dying in this forest was himself, not his dream ¨C no matter how shallow it was.


    a variety of other strategies raced through his head. some involved trying to bring other monsters into the fight to distract the hellreaver or otherwise shift the flow of the battle. noah scrapped that, as there was a good chance that the monsters just grouped up on him.


    instead, a platform of ash materialized before him and he stumbled onto it. the ash ferried him forward, building momentum before launching him into the air toward the monster.


    eyes widening, the hellreaver stepped out of the way. noah¡¯s trajectory would take it well past the monster, leaving him open as he passed it by. both he and the hellreaver knew it. the monster started to turn, lifting a foot to crush him into paste when he landed.


    a grim smile crossed noah¡¯s lips. it was only for a flicker of an instant, but the monster was paying attention to where he would be, not where he was. ash spiked out of the ground before noah in a thin pillar.


    he grabbed onto it as hard as he could. pain spiked down noah¡¯s arm as he jerked to a sudden stop. there was a loud pop and something shifted where it shouldn¡¯t have, but noah forced himself to ignore it. he spun around the pole once, holding on for dear life with numbing fingers, then flung himself at the hellreaver¡¯s side.


    the monster realized that he¡¯d changed his path of attack an instant too late. it bared its teeth and a vision of its massive eye ripped open before noah, burning into his soul.


    evidently, the hellreaver had saved one final trick. it had yet to actually use the visions in their fights, clearly hoping to catch noah off guard with it ¨C but it had miscalculated one thing. noah was beyond the point of feeling fear. he had been for a while.


    noah launched right through the eye, ignoring it completely. the hellreaver spun, trying to duck out of the way, but noah was already upon it. he drove his hand into the side of the hellreaver¡¯s neck and unleashed the pent up power of sunder.


    energy flooded through his fingertips in an instant, pouring into the hellreaver¡¯s body. it opened its mouth to roar in defiance as noah slammed into the ground with a pained grunt. agony shot through his shoulder and he rolled to a stop against a rock.


    darkness encroached on the edges of noah¡¯s vision, but he forced his eyes open to look up at the hellreaver. it had a foot raised, prepared to crush him, but it had frozen. a trickle of blood ran down its lip.


    the fur on the hellreaver ape¡¯s neck shifted in the breeze. a black line traced across its neck. then it burst into flames. the monster pitched forward, its head rolling off its body as it fell. noah¡¯s eyes widened and he reached for his wind runes.


    he wasn¡¯t fast enough.


    the hellreaver¡¯s body crashed down on top of noah. a momentary flash of pain flooded his body before his soul was launched out, leaving him floating above the dead hellreaver as it set his squashed corpse alight.


    goddamn it. that¡¯s not how that was supposed to go. i still won, though. damn you and your maddening visions. damn you and your monsters constantly killing me. i hope you rot.


    a sudden rush of energy flooded into noah. he stiffened, his eyes widening in shock. that wasn¡¯t just a little energy. it was a lot. more than enough to fill both of his greater wind runes and top off his second greater vibration rune.


    well, at least that answers the question of whether it¡¯s the soul or the body that gets stronger for a fact. that was definitely enough for me to get to the next rank.


    as a grin stretched across noah¡¯s features, the hellreaver¡¯s body shuddered. red lines flashed through the air above its still smoldering back, drawing a pattern in the air. it wasn¡¯t a rune that noah recognized, though. it didn¡¯t even look like a rune.


    a shrill shriek split the forest as a beam of light erupted from the hellreaver¡¯s back, tearing up into the sky and piercing through the clouds. noah¡¯s grin vanished.


    oh, shit.


    energy bound noah¡¯s neck and he was yanked away, denied the chance to even think anything else.

 Chapter 58: Neir

    chapter 58: neir


    lee watched from the treeline, staring up at the burning beam of light in horror. a thrum washed through the scorched clearing. a swirling disk of white energy carved itself into the air on the edge of the treeline.


    she pressed her lips together and burst into motion, charging for the still-burning hellreaver¡¯s corpse. somehow, vermil had actually managed to kill the damn monster. she hadn¡¯t thought he¡¯d pull it off for a second, but now they had bigger problems.


    lee drove her shoulder into the hellreaver¡¯s body, shoving it up. fire licked across her body, burning her skin. vermil¡¯s corpse laid beneath the monster, already burnt beyond recognition.


    she didn¡¯t have time to eat the body. the energy washing off the portal forming across from her was like a blaring signal to her mind. she grabbed vermil¡¯s jacket and ripped the nameplate out of the stitching, hissing in pain as the metal seared her fingers.


    lee let the hellreaver crash back down and turned, sprinting for the treeline as quickly as she could. behind her, the portal finished forming and opened with a sharp snap. as soon as lee was back into the trees, she slammed to a stop and shoved the metal nameplate into the ground to let it cool.


    she risked a glance over her shoulder, squinting through the trees.


    a tall, bald man stepped out of the portal. he had a long scar that ran vertically along his face and through his right eye. he wore an arbitage uniform ¨C with five stripes.


    behind him, a second, older man stepped out of the portal as well. a white beard framed his face and he leaned heavily on a rugged stone staff with a yellow gem affixed at its top. like the first man, his robes also marked him as rank 5.


    ¡°what in damnation happened?¡± the bald man asked, striding toward the hellreaver.


    lee swallowed heavily. the urge to bolt away filled her body, but she instead called on her runes, slipping into the darkness and obscuring herself from detection. it was easy to be fast or stealthy, but not both.


    judging by the dangerously high ranks the two men had, lee didn¡¯t doubt for an instant that they could catch her if she ran. that left only one option, so all she could do was wait and watch while praying they didn¡¯t look closely enough to spot her through her rune.


    the older man pointed his staff at the hellreaver and it lifted into the air as if it weighed nothing, revealing the charred corpse beneath it. the two men walked up to it, deep frowns on their faces.


    ¡°someone tried to kill the hellreaver ape,¡± the bald man said.


    ¡°succeeded,¡± the older one put in. ¡°and then got himself killed right after.¡±


    ¡°then we¡¯re fine. the master rune¨C¡±


    ¡°isn¡¯t here,¡± the old man finished, his eyes glinting in fury. ¡°this one died, but he must have not been working alone. someone has taken the hellreaver¡¯s master rune. report back to the headmaster immediately.¡±


    the bald man spun and strode back into the portal, leaving the other alone in the clearing.


    floating the corpse of the hellreaver to the side, the older man studied vermil¡¯s body. his lips pressed thin, evidently noticing the lack of a nameplate on the robes. they¡¯d been badly burnt, but still clearly were from arbitage. vermil had luckily been wearing his cheaper uniform during the fight, so at least they weren''t clearly from a teacher.


    ¡°infiltration,¡± the old mage growled. ¡°or perhaps stolen robes. dead fools. why would someone act against arbitage? troublesome indeed.¡±


    he leaned heavily on his staff, rubbing his chin with a deep frown. lee barely dared to even breathe. then, finally, the man let the hellreaver¡¯s body thud to the ground. vermil¡¯s burnt corpse lifted into the air and floated over to the man, who turned and strode back into the portal.


    it snapped shut behind him. lee didn¡¯t budge. she kept herself hidden in the darkness, not even risking so much as to move her eyes. her efforts weren¡¯t in vain. the portal whirred back to life and the old man emerged from behind it, clicking his tongue in annoyance.


    ¡°damn. i was hoping some idiot would run for it. they couldn¡¯t have gotten far by foot in this time, and i didn¡¯t pick up any usage of magic while we were arriving,¡± the old man mused. ¡°they must have already teleported away. a powerful opponent, then. damn it all.¡±


    he strode through the portal for a second time. there was a sharp pop and his body vanished. lee remained still, watching as the portal slowly sealed itself shut. then she waited fifteen more minutes.


    nothing changed. lee finally let herself shift, peeling away from the darkness and carefully scooping the now-cooled nameplate from the ground with burnt fingers. she tucked it into the pocket of her pants and padded away.


    ***


    noah didn¡¯t budge after coming back to life. even as pain rocked his head, all he did was sit frozen. the hellreaver had set some sort of beacon off the moment it had died, and that almost certainly meant that someone would be arriving much faster than he could get away.


    tim shrugged. ¡°their students like them.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m sure they do,¡± neir said through a snort. his posture relaxed significantly and he rolled his eyes. ¡°right. and physical combat? really? what, are you going to punch rune magic away?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s good for your health,¡± noah said meekly.


    neir let out a heavy sigh. ¡°get out of my face. you aren¡¯t even old enough to be a professor, kid. don¡¯t go anywhere. you¡¯re still a suspect, and we¡¯ll be following up with you once the investigator arrives. any attempts to flee the premises of arbitage will be treated as an admission of guilt and dealt with accordingly.¡±


    noah started to nod and turned toward the lift. neir clapped him on the shoulder before he could leave. noah stiffened, turning to look back at him.


    ¡°one last thing,¡± neir said. ¡°you said you were training. did you notice anything odd happening while you were practicing?¡±


    there was a hidden edge to neir¡¯s words that nearly went unnoticed by noah due to his headache. luckily, he¡¯d spent so much time berating himself in the past hours that he¡¯d already thought of his answer to that question.


    ¡°yeah,¡± noah said, nodding and trying not to show how much the movement hurt. ¡°the slashers suddenly got harder to read. i nearly got myself killed twice. had to use my healing potion. it was like they were going insane. do you know what happened? will i still be able to train here? i don¡¯t know if my students can handle things if they stay like that.¡±


    ¡°no more questions,¡± neir said. ¡°leave. i need my focus for anyone else that arrives.¡±


    noah didn¡¯t make neir say it twice. he silently stepped onto the lift and let it lower him to the ground, where he made a beeline to his room. noah didn¡¯t let himself relax until he was inside and had his door slammed shut behind him.


    he flopped onto his bed, cursing under his breath.


    ¡°damn it all. i¡¯m a fool.¡±


    ¡°if you wanted someone to insult you, you could have just asked,¡± lee said, slipping out from noah¡¯s bathroom and nearly making him jump a foot in the air. ¡°i would have done it for free.¡±


    ¡°lee!¡± noah exclaimed. he winced as a spike of pain shot through his head. ¡°did you see?¡±


    ¡°what part?¡± lee asked with a smirk. ¡°the one where you got yourself squished by the hellreaver? or the part where it set off a massive alarm?¡±


    noah groaned and pulled at his hair as he sank back into his bed. ¡°this is bad. they¡¯re going to find my corpse.¡±


    ¡°they already did,¡± lee said. ¡°burnt to a crisp.¡±


    ¡°it had my nametag on¨C¡±


    a piece of metal clinked on the ground in front of noah. he squinted down at it. his eyes widened and he glanced back up at lee.


    ¡°how?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve got my ways,¡± lee replied with a shrug. ¡°they aren¡¯t going to be able to identify you from that, but they know the master rune is missing. it wasn¡¯t on your body, so they think some big group worked together to kill the monster.¡±


    noah chewed his lower lip. ¡°i stuck my dick in a beehive, didn¡¯t i?¡±


    ¡°and swung it around,¡± lee agreed with a nod. ¡°this ought to be fun. did you at least manage to get the master rune?¡±


    noah blinked. he hadn¡¯t even had a chance to check yet, but his headache was severely interfering with his ability to think. he swallowed heavily. ¡°i¡¯ll check tomorrow morning. i need to sleep. can you let me know if...¡±


    ¡°something happens,¡± lee finished. ¡°yeah. you owe me.¡±


    ¡°i know.¡±

 Chapter 59: Old friends

    chapter 59: old friends


    noah¡¯s dreams were plagued with visions of the hellreaver, and it was laughing. the monster seemed to be mocking him, even in death. he couldn¡¯t even do anything against it. the damn thing was probably waiting in a line somewhere.


    despite the dreams, noah slept uninterrupted for the first time in what felt like ages. it wasn¡¯t anywhere near a good rest, but it was better than what he¡¯d been getting.


    his eyes snapped open and he drew in a sharp breath, breaking out of his sleep and bolting upright. noah¡¯s forehead was covered in a thin sheet of sweat and his entire body felt hot. he grimaced and let out a slow breath.


    ¡°nothing happened,¡± lee said from above him.


    noah looked up, only slightly surprised to see lee splayed out across the ceiling, somehow holding onto it with just her fingers and toes. she dropped down, landing in a handstand before flipping to her feet.


    ¡°except for you,¡± noah said dryly. ¡°why the ceiling?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s comfortable. most people don¡¯t look up when they try to get inside places looking for something.¡±


    noah grimaced. ¡°i¡¯m going to look up every single time i go anywhere from here on out.¡±


    he peered out the window. the sun was rising over the silhouette of arbitage. he¡¯d slept through the day and night.


    ¡°i tried to wake you up, but you were completely out of it.¡±


    ¡°as long as nothing happened, it¡¯s fine. what about class?¡±


    ¡°taught it as normal. moxie thinks you¡¯re an idiot.¡±


    ¡°you told her what happened?¡±


    ¡°no. she thinks that normally. i just figured i¡¯d remind you.¡±


    noah snorted. he slipped out of bed and entered his bathroom, splashing cold water on his face from the sink and pulling his hair back. his entire body still felt uncomfortably warm.


    after all the shit i¡¯m about to go through for this, i better see if i actually got anything worthwhile out of killing the hellreaver aside from ridding myself of its accursed visions.


    ¡°give me one moment, please.¡± noah closed his eyes and plunged into his mindspace.


    runes spawned around the awaiting darkness. every single one of them was completely full. despite himself, a grin crossed noah¡¯s face. he was just about ready to advance to rank 2. he could use sunder¡¯s ability once now, which would hopefully work just as well on a rank 2 rune as it did on the hellreaver.


    the scene above noah, however, was different. when he raised his eyes to check on sunder, the master rune wasn¡¯t where it should have been. instead, it floated to the side, floating in a gentle circle above him. and, directly opposite to it, was a new rune.


    combustion.


    ¡°well, i¡¯ll be damned,¡± noah said, staring up at the second master rune. ¡°that explains a lot. the passive effect must be something that stops reactions. considering it¡¯s specific to fire, maybe it stops the reaction of oxygen with anything else. that would explain why i couldn¡¯t use my own wind magic. or is it all air?¡±


    noah studied the combustion rune. he wasn¡¯t sure how exactly it was different than fire. while the energy bearing down on him from it was far stronger than any of the greater runes he had, it was vastly less than what came off sunder.


    are there differences in how strong different master runes are? both of them look completely full, so it¡¯s not that. i suppose there must be. maybe there are ranks within master runes? if only the damn people here weren¡¯t so stingy with their information.


    noah released his mental space and stepped back into the real world. the power from the combustion rune almost felt manageable. he raised a hand. it would be a shame not to test what it could do, if just for a little.


    he paused, then took his gourd and brought it into the bathroom, closing the door behind him when he walked back into his bedroom. there was no point taking any risks. lee watched him with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°you might want to back up,¡± noah suggested. ¡°i don¡¯t know what this is going to do.¡±


    ¡°is it smart to do that inside your own room?¡±


    ¡°better to do it here where nobody is watching.¡±


    lee shrugged and slid under his bed, poking her head out to watch. noah mentally reached out to the new master rune. power rushed through his body in response. his throat tightened and his skin warmed even further.


    a wisp of smoke rose up from noah¡¯s palm. only taking the smallest amount of the energy offered by the combustion rune, noah snapped his fingers. a spark flashed above his hand with a whoosh, coiling up into a small tongue of flame before fading away.


    ¡°no! she¡¯s a teacher.¡±


    ¡°and i¡¯m your mother.¡±


    ¡°are you?¡±


    ¡°no, idiot.¡±


    they stared at each other. the large man¡¯s eyes drifted back to lee, who met his gaze. he grunted.


    ¡°damn. she¡¯s actually not a student?¡±


    ¡°no, she isn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°well, good job, i guess. now get her out. we need to talk.¡±


    noah frowned. he wasn¡¯t sure if getting rid of lee was a good idea when he was facing off against someone the size of ¨C whoever this was. on the other hand, insisting she stay would probably set the man¡¯s alarms off even more.


    ¡°i¡¯ll see you around,¡± lee said, solving the problem for noah. she gave him a knowing look before stepping past the man and heading out the door. he watched her leave, then grunted.


    ¡°nice.¡±


    she¡¯d eat you alive, man. literally.


    ¡°so... what¡¯s the reason for the social visit?¡± noah asked, leaning against the wall and trying to look as relaxed as possible.


    ¡°can¡¯t a man just drop by to check on his wayward friend? you¡¯re acting odd, vermil.¡±


    noah pressed his lips together. he had absolutely no idea how he was supposed to work his way around this man. vermil was clearly someone he knew and was friendly with, so there was probably no way to actually skirt the subject without getting caught.


    ¡°i¡¯ve got to admit something,¡± noah said, rubbing the back of his head and letting out a heavy sigh. ¡°you remember that whole thing i mentioned about having memory loss?¡±


    the man¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°not particularly, but sure. what about it?¡±


    ¡°well, it¡¯s pretty bad. i don¡¯t remember who you are.¡±


    the man burst into laughter. ¡°oh, that¡¯s a good one. great way to do it. gets you a lot of time off work too, i bet. can¡¯t teach if you¡¯ve got issues, but if they fire you for skipping out, then you can argue that they didn¡¯t properly accommodate your medical needs. clever, vermil. very clever.¡±


    noah stared at him. the man wiped the mirth from his eyes, still snickering. he cleared his throat and gave noah a mock salute.


    ¡°right. i won¡¯t blow your cover, then. it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you again, vermil. my name is brayden, your elder brother.¡± he extended a hand.


    noah reached out and took it, half expecting his hand to get crushed in brayden¡¯s massive mitts.


    ¡°thank you. it¡¯s a pleasure to re-meet you,¡± noah said. brayden released his hand, leaving it surprisingly uncrushed, and noah let it drop back to his side. ¡°so, why are you here?¡±


    brayden shook his head. he glanced back at the door, then let out a sigh. a wave of purple energy coiled off his body, washing over the entire room before noah could even react. it filled the gaps beneath the door and covered the window as it flowed.


    noah nearly lunged to unleash a blast of vibration into brayden, but he caught himself at the last moment. the larger man didn¡¯t look like he was about to start fighting. he looked bored.


    ¡°there,¡± brayden said. ¡°not like anyone would ever bother trying to spy on you, but you know how father is about things like this. rules and all that.¡±


    ¡°right,¡± noah said slowly. ¡°well, in the spirit of that, care to share why you¡¯re actually here?¡±


    brayden rolled his eyes. ¡°damn, you¡¯re cautious. more than normal. nobody¡¯s going to break through my shield, vermil. you can drop the act. doesn¡¯t it get tedious?¡±


    noah stared at brayden.


    brayden groaned. ¡°fine. whatever. don¡¯t trust me. that¡¯s why you got picked for this, i guess. i¡¯m here to ask you why in the damned plains you aren¡¯t dead yet, vermil. you had a job to do, and the family is starting to wonder what¡¯s going on.¡±

 Chapter 60: Rune Oaths

    chapter 60: rune oaths


    noah stared at brayden. there wasn¡¯t a single speck of the former amusement in the man¡¯s voice. he was deadly serious, but it didn¡¯t sound like he was making a threat either. it was more like a statement of fact and surprise, as if vermil logically should have known and agreed that he was in the wrong for still being alive.


    gears whirred in noah¡¯s mind as he tried to figure out what was going on. brayden seemed to think that he was putting on some sort of act with the amnesia. that could work in his favor ¨C but it didn¡¯t answer any of the questions it brought up. above the dozens that churned, one rose above all.


    just who was vermil?


    ¡°you going to say anything? i¡¯m here to help, you know,¡± brayden crossed his arms. he glanced at the grimoire on noah¡¯s desk and walked past him, picking it up and leafing through it before noah could raise a hand.


    ¡°i¡¯ve been working.¡±


    ¡°evidently. but doing the wrong thing. father wants to know what the delay is, vermil. we¡¯ve got a schedule to keep. everything was lined up, you know. you were so confident everything would work, so he said that we could trust you. are you really letting him down?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m afraid i¡¯ve got no idea what you¡¯re talking about. i have important things to do, you know.¡± noah waggled his eyebrows in the direction of the door.


    i have no idea what we¡¯re talking about, but speaking in vague, bullshit phrases that sound creepy will probably line up with vermil, at least for a little.


    brayden groaned. he snapped the book shut and set it back down on the desk. ¡°hells, man. please, enough of that. i don¡¯t care how dedicated you are to the cause. it¡¯s creepy. why can¡¯t you trust me? the shield is good.¡±


    noah crossed his arms. brayden massaged his forehead.


    ¡°i need answers, vermil. there¡¯s nobody watching us. we¡¯re safe.¡±


    silence was all that greeted brayden. noah simply raised an eyebrow and walked past brayden, plucking the book from the desk and sliding it into his holster. the less the man got to look at it, the better.


    ¡°fine,¡± brayden snapped. ¡°if you¡¯re so convinced that arbitage is dangerous, i won¡¯t make you talk. how about i talk, and you just listen? that way you can have plausible deniability.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve got no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°sure, sure,¡± brayden said, waving a hand. he opened his mouth, then grimaced. ¡°i don¡¯t know how i¡¯m supposed to ask you any questions if you won¡¯t answer them. that¡¯s kind of the whole point of this, you know.¡±


    ¡°that doesn¡¯t seem like my problem.¡±


    ¡°it will be,¡± brayden growled. ¡°damn it. okay, fine. can you at least tell me if everything is going correctly? i need something. father really splurged to make sure you were the one chosen for this, vermil. all those damn runes you needed.¡±


    when in doubt, tell people what they want to hear.


    ¡°everything is going well for me,¡± noah said.


    the tension drained out of brayden¡¯s shoulders and he let out a relieved sigh. ¡°good. i was worried that something may had happened when i heard you were still alive. i mean, the hellreaver getting killed made sense ¨C that¡¯s why i came back, after all. but when i heard you were still strolling around and were actually one of the suspects for killing it, i damn near blew my cover.¡±


    ¡°right,¡± noah said with a knowing nod, despite knowing absolutely nothing at all. brayden opened his mouth to ask something else when a dull thud echoed from noah¡¯s door. he¡¯d never been more thankful to hear someone knocking.


    brayden¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°who¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°could be a lot of people. we should probably....¡± noah gestured vaguely to the purple shield covering his room. brayden grimaced and nodded. he flicked his fingers and the shield peeled away, shooting back into his body and fading from view.


    brayden shifted to the side knocking into noah¡¯s chair to make room for him to step by. noah walked over to the door.


    ¡°who is it?¡± noah asked, more to put on airs for brayden than to actually find out.


    and if it is someone that actually knows what i did, i need to be ready.


    ¡°who do you think, idiot?¡± moxie¡¯s voice came from the other side of the door. ¡°let me in. this isn¡¯t the time to screw around.¡±


    brayden¡¯s eyes widened and he mouthed her words to himself, a frown crossing his features.


    ¡°i literally just said that,¡± brayden muttered under his breath. ¡°who¡¯s at the door, vermil?¡±


    noah ignored him and pulled the door open. moxie stepped past him immediately, then froze as she locked eyes with brayden. the large man shifted instantly, his gaze going cold and a purple blade forming in his hand.


    moxie dropped into a fighting stance and vines whipped out around her feet as a green shimmer from her shield covered her.


    ¡°whoa!¡± noah exclaimed, stepping in between them. ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°he was about to attack me,¡± moxie said.


    ¡°she¡¯s a torrin,¡± brayden said flatly. ¡°what the hell is a torrin doing at your room? she¡¯s clearly trying to interfere.¡±


    ¡°what?¡±


    noah stepped past moxie and peered out the keyhole of the door to see if anyone was standing outside. he couldn¡¯t see anyone, but that didn¡¯t set his nerves any less on ease. noah straightened back up and stepped close to moxie, leaning in to whisper as quietly as he could into her ear.


    ¡°i killed the hellreaver.¡±


    moxie choked. ¡°what?¡±


    noah stepped back. ¡°you heard me.¡±


    she stared at him in disbelief. ¡°you can¡¯t be serious. how?¡±


    ¡°sheer dumb perseverance and a little bit of cheating.¡±


    moxie rubbed her forehead. ¡°i ¨C wow. okay. i did not expect that. arbitage is going to be looking for whoever did that, but the hellreaver was provided to the school by the linwick family. they¡¯re one of the school¡¯s biggest sponsors. that guy in your room was one of the investigators. does he know?¡±


    ¡°nope.¡±


    a quick, nervous laugh slipped out of moxie¡¯s lips. ¡°that¡¯s terrifyingly hilarious. you can¡¯t tell anyone else. you know that, right? and don¡¯t worry about people listening in. lee is making sure we¡¯re alone.¡±


    noah let out a relieved sigh. ¡°yeah. i know.¡±


    ¡°you need to make absolutely sure you stay on the investigator¡¯s good side, then,¡± moxie warned. ¡°it looked like he was friendly with you and didn¡¯t suspect anything. if that¡¯s the case, this might blow over. did you leave anything identifiable behind? nobody is going to believe a rank 1 took out the hellreaver without help.¡±


    ¡°the running theory seems to be that a group worked together,¡± noah said, pursing his lips.


    moxie raised an eyebrow. ¡°did a group work together?¡±


    considering lee helped me, the answer is technically yes.


    ¡°i won¡¯t say a group didn¡¯t,¡± noah hedged.


    moxie¡¯s nose scrunched in annoyance, but she nodded her understanding. ¡°good. the less anyone knows, the better. i won¡¯t even ask why you did something like this. the look on your face tells me you¡¯re wondering the same thing yourself.¡±


    if only the hellreaver was the only thing i was confused about. what in the world is up with my family and vermil? i need to figure out what was supposed to be going on over there before someone other than moxie catches onto me.


    ¡°i have. that pretty much sums up everything i can share at the moment. complete the oath."


    moxie shook her head. "i won''t be sharing anything you just said, nor do i have plans to try to get you in a difficult situation. i''d like to think i''m better than that, and you aren''t the person i knew."


    she put more emphasis on the last sentence than she needed to. noah just nodded.


    "thank you.¡±


    ¡°no problem,¡± moxie replied. she turned back to the table and plucked the three lesser rune bearing catchpapers from it. turning back to noah, she pulled out a fresh piece of catchpaper.


    ¡°for me to go hunt for another greater rune?¡± noah guessed.


    ¡°no. you¡¯re going to imbue this. you might get killed or taken away during this whole debacle with the hellreaver. then where will i be? i need my rune. and i¡¯m taking the lesser runes as payment for giving you the catchpaper. i¡¯ll split the profit i make from selling them with you if you survive this.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s fair enough,¡± noah admitted. ¡°but i ¨C uh...¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t know how to imbue,¡± moxie said dryly. ¡°figures. imbuing a rune isn¡¯t too difficult if you aren¡¯t trying to actually make it do something. it¡¯s much easier with catchpaper, as it naturally absorbs rune energy. just call on the rune and let its form appear at your hand. then press it into whatever you¡¯re imbuing and imagine cutting some of the rune¡¯s energy away, using it to tie it to the surface. don¡¯t use too little, or you risk wasting the energy and doing nothing.¡±


    ¡°i do remember you mentioning that at one point.¡±


    noah took the paper from moxie and held it out before him. he¡¯d been so obsessed with killing the hellreaver to stop the visions that he hadn¡¯t fulfilled his promise to her, and moxie had a very good point. things could go south very quickly now, and then she¡¯d be left with less than what she started with.


    he gathered energy from his greater wind rune and let it manifest in his hand. the flowing lines shimmered through the air between his fingertips, and noah pressed it onto the catchpaper.


    it was easier to think about separating energy away from the rune than it was to actually do it. the rune didn¡¯t want to let go of its power. it was like trying to scoop water with a slotted spoon.


    but, eventually, noah managed to catch a portion of it. pressing his lips together, he willed the energy away from his rune, severing it. he instantly felt the well of overall capacity in the rune reduce, draining away in to the imbuement.


    the paper sizzled as a greater wind rune burned itself in, a perfect replica of the one in his mind. moxie plucked the paper from noah¡¯s hands and studied it before giving him an approving nod.


    ¡°you used more energy than you needed to, but that¡¯s no loss for me. and get that look off your face, the rune isn¡¯t permanently weakened. you just need to kill a few monsters to fill it back up.¡±


    ¡°glad to be of help,¡± noah said, shaking his head. ¡°now that i¡¯ve done that, i¡¯m afraid i still need your help ¨C urgently. do you have that book on the linwicks?¡± noah asked. ¡°i¡¯m starting to think i might be wrapped up in a little more than i initially thought.¡±

 Chapter 61: Real answers

    chapter 61: real answers


    ¡°i¡¯ve got it. i can get it after this, but you can¡¯t just say that and stop.¡± moxie gestured for noah to continue. ¡°what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure how much i can say,¡± noah admitted. ¡°there¡¯s a lot, but when i spoke to brayden, he seemed to have been expecting the hellreaver¡¯s death. he wasn¡¯t surprised that it died. the thing that he was surprised at is that i was alive.¡±


    ¡°what? why?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t know,¡± noah replied, shaking his head helplessly. ¡°the strangest part was that he didn¡¯t seem to have any ill feelings against me at all. he just thought i was supposed to be dead and was confused as to why i wasn¡¯t.¡±


    moxie¡¯s gaze drifted down to the gourd at noah¡¯s hip. ¡°do you think...¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure. it¡¯s certainly possible, but the note that came with it didn¡¯t look like it came from him. it was a little... girlier, i guess. brayden probably wouldn¡¯t have given me a note at all. i¡¯m still missing something.¡±


    ¡°well, that¡¯s not good. if he expected you dead, isn¡¯t there a chance someone tries to assassinate you?¡± moxie asked. ¡°forget the hellreaver ape, someone from your own family might be out for your blood. especially with what happened with edward and allen.¡±


    noah grimaced. ¡°yeah. you don¡¯t have to remind me. there¡¯s no way to know anything for sure yet. it¡¯s all just speculation.¡±


    ¡°so what are you going to do?¡±


    noah didn¡¯t respond immediately. he rubbed his chin, staring out the window in thought. then he shook his head and turned back to moxie. ¡°play it by ear for now. nothing else i can do. i didn¡¯t get the feeling that brayden would try to kill me, and i¡¯m certain he¡¯s going to try to talk to me again.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t envy your position. the book is in my room. i was waiting until you got back to give it to you,¡± moxie said. she went to stand, then paused halfway up. a strange look passed through her eyes and she lowered her voice. ¡°i have a question.¡±


    ¡°i have an answer,¡± noah replied promptly. moxie glared at him and noah cleared his throat. ¡°sorry. force of habit from long ago. what is it?¡±


    ¡°you... have it, right? the master rune.¡±


    ¡°depends is that question still part of the oath? it¡¯s within the time limit, but you¡¯ve already finished it.¡±


    moxie pursed her lips.


    ¡°damn. i really don¡¯t want to make a second oath. one is going to be a pain enough. i¡¯m pretty sure this would fall under it, though. here ¨C just don¡¯t answer that. i know you¡¯ve got the rune because you killed the hellreaver, which means i got that information while under oath.¡±


    ¡°logical,¡± noah said. ¡°so what was your question related to it?¡±


    ¡°how does it feel? i¡¯ve heard stories, but...¡±


    moxie trailed off and looked at noah expectantly. he frowned, trying to find the right words.


    ¡°it¡¯s terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. they¡¯re nothing like normal runes. i can¡¯t control it properly at all, though i really haven¡¯t had much time to practice. every time i use its energy, i¡¯m a little worried that i¡¯ll end up blowing myself up instead of my enemy.¡±


    he turned his attention down to the book she¡¯d left behind. sitting down on the desk, noah flipped the cover open, revealing a long list of names and affiliations. he drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly.


    then he started to read.


    ***


    the book was boring. noah didn¡¯t have any other way to describe it. the whole thing was just one giant list of names and descriptions, along with associations of who was directly related to who and their roles in the linwick family.


    there wasn¡¯t even any information on the runes that the members of the linwick family used. that didn¡¯t surprise noah too much, given how guarded that kind of information was, but he¡¯d still been hoping for more than this.


    he did manage to go through and memorize the people that seemed to be the most relevant to his immediate situation, though. noah managed to find brayden and himself on the same page.


    according to the book, they were twin brothers. noah wasn¡¯t sure how the same woman had popped out brayden¡¯s near seven foot form and tried to pass it off as related to vermil, but he wasn¡¯t about to start arguing with a piece of paper.


    not yet, at least.


    their family tree linked them to a man named father. named, not titled. he didn''t have any other names in the book, so either he''d been born father, which would have been amusing at best, or he''d taken the title up and had his previous name wiped.


    curiously, noah couldn¡¯t find any information linking father to literally anyone else in their family. there were dozens of elder members, and many of whom noah suspected simply had to be dead by how far back the list went, but none of them showed any association with father or his small branch.


    ¡°damn it,¡± noah muttered, leafing back and forth through the book in attempt to find out what was missing. ¡°someone is screwing with me. what¡¯s going on here? nothing makes sense.¡±


    and the more i think about it, the weirder it gets. brayden says i was supposed to die, and vermil was apparently in on it. that means vermil should have wanted to die ¨C but he was drinking a healing potion! so he didn¡¯t want to die at all.


    does that mean he was going to double cross brayden so he could live? did the family know that he would do that and poison him intentionally? or is the poison from a third party? and none of that answers the questions of why vermil needed so many runes or what he was hoping to accomplish with his death in the first place.


    i just want to fiddle with my runes and test out combinations. magic is fun. this is stupid.


    noah let out a heavy sigh and closed the book. the sun was already starting to set outside. he¡¯d spent the better part of the day locked up in his room, studying and memorizing everything he could about the vermil family ¨C even the tiny, badly drawn pictures of everyone.


    now, there was only one thing left that he could think of.


    i need to be on the offensive. if i wait around for brayden to poke at things, my story is going to fall apart like 1 ply school toilet paper after budget cuts. no, i have to keep him on the backpedal without giving too much away.


    he rose to his feet, stretching his hands over his head and arching his back. then noah set his jaw and strode out the door, grabbing his coin pouch on the way.


    hopefully, brayden was thirsty. there was one way he knew was better than any other to butter up a supervisor. unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t cheap.


    it was time to get some real answers.

 Chapter 62: Drinks with friends

    chapter 62: drinks with friends


    by the time noah was out of the t building, he had a plan. unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t a huge fan of it ¨C but he couldn¡¯t think of any other good ways to get information in a short period of time.l--b1n.


    lee fell in step with noah as he headed out toward the market. he barely even noticed her approach until she was already beside him. they didn¡¯t speak for several minutes.


    ¡°well?¡± lee asked. ¡°you¡¯ve got a look on your face.¡±


    ¡°everyone has looks on their face.¡±


    ¡°and yours is dumber than usual.¡±


    ¡°thank you,¡± noah said dryly. they turned onto a main street, walking past a group of students. once they¡¯d passed, noah scratched the back of his neck. "thanks for getting moxie. you saved my ass."


    "no problem," lee replied. "i knew you needed some help getting brayden out of there, so i told moxie it was urgent. i take it that it worked?"


    ¡°yeah, but i¡¯m going to need your help again. well, your help would make things easier.¡±


    ¡°need someone killed?¡±


    ¡°what? no.¡± noah glared at lee and she snickered. he paused for a moment, then pursed his lips. ¡°actually, i might. it depends how things go. but first, how good are you at finding people?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s not exactly part of my skillset, but if you mean brayden, it probably won¡¯t be too hard. he shakes the ground when he walks.¡±


    ¡°good. i need to get him back to my room.¡± they drew up to the market and noah stopped at the front of a large tavern, peering through the window. it was fairly empty, but there were still a fair number of patrons in it. ¡°do you think you could find him? he knows you¡¯re with me, so he¡¯ll probably listen. just tell him i want to meet with him to celebrate his arrival, but make sure he doesn¡¯t stick with you.¡±


    lee shrugged. ¡°shouldn¡¯t be an issue. i can probably find him within the hour.¡±


    ¡°fantastic. once you do, i¡¯d appreciate if you could hide in my bathroom. i¡¯m going to need your help, and i¡¯d prefer that he doesn¡¯t know you¡¯re there.¡±


    she raised an eyebrow but nodded, setting off. noah turned and walked into the tavern, making straight for the counter at the back next to the kitchen door. the bartender looked up at him and gave a polite nod. he adjusted his glasses and set down the mug he was polishing.


    ¡°what can i get you?¡±


    ¡°a barrel of the strongest drink you have,¡± noah replied. ¡°preferably one that doesn¡¯t taste like acid. easy to down. that kind of thing.¡±


    the bartender tilted his head to the side. ¡°planning a party?¡±


    ¡°something like that.¡± noah nodded. ¡°i, uh, don¡¯t have a lot of gold for this. so let¡¯s lean more toward the strong side than the tasty one.¡±


    ¡°and just how much do you have to work with? i¡¯m not typically in the business of reselling my stock, but i¡¯m not opposed.¡±


    ¡°how about five gold?¡±


    ¡°eight.¡±


    noah winced. ¡°will it be strong?¡±


    ¡°and it¡¯ll taste more than a step beyond passable. my own personal stock. it¡¯s good stuff, i can promise you that. aged for a year and flavored with a special combination of spices that i won¡¯t be sharing. you¡¯ll like it, assuming you don¡¯t black out too soon to remember drinking it.¡±


    a grin stretched over noah¡¯s features and he reached into his coin pouch, pulling out the requested coins. ¡°that sounds exactly like what i¡¯m looking for. i don¡¯t suppose you can include a way to move it and two mugs as well? call it a seller¡¯s fee.¡±


    the bartender studied noah for a moment, then inclined his head. ¡°very well. two mugs, and my assistant will help you move it anywhere on campus within an hour from here. is that acceptable?¡±


    noah grunted. brayden was right about that. he wasn¡¯t a huge fan of wasting an entire month¡¯s salary, but some things had to be done.


    ¡°how has work been treating you, then?¡± noah asked. ¡°better than it¡¯s been treating me, i hope.¡±


    brayden let out a bark of laughter. he drained the mug and poured himself another one. ¡°i think that¡¯s a given. it¡¯s been good, vermil. better than normal. things are going well. it¡¯s a shame the hellreaver died, but it isn¡¯t the only monster with a master rune. it¡¯ll take a few months to get a replacement captured and it¡¯ll cost a good bit of coin, but nothing we can¡¯t afford.¡±


    noah nodded sagely, nursing his drink. he didn¡¯t dare avoid drinking from it entirely ¨C despite brayden¡¯s actions and words, his eyes were sharp. it was too likely that he¡¯d notice that something was amiss if he didn¡¯t drink as well.


    ¡°i don¡¯t see why you¡¯ve got to be worried about any of this,¡± brayden said with a shake of his head. he poured the entirety of the mug down his gullet once more. the man was like a living alcohol disposal machine. he glanced over at noah as he poured another drink. ¡°by the time it actually gets around to affecting anything, you won¡¯t have to worry about the fallout.¡±


    ¡°yeah, i know. just curiosity, really.¡±


    ¡°you always were.¡±


    they drank for a little over twenty minutes, exchanging idle words and jokes. noah worked his way through a cup and was forced to pour himself a second. he could already feel the effects of the alcohol creeping into his system, slowing his thoughts and actions.


    ¡°i never did have your drive,¡± brayden said, breaking the silence. his smile flickered for a moment. he wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve and set the mug down on the ground. ¡°getting stronger is great, but i don¡¯t understand how you weren¡¯t at least a little scared.¡±


    ¡°i never said i wasn¡¯t.¡± noah poured brayden another drink. brayden accepted it with a nod. his cheeks had gotten flushed, but he was still far from completely drunk.


    they both worked through their drinks. noah was well and truly drunk now, even though he¡¯d drank less than half of what the other man had. vermil¡¯s body was just too small in comparison.


    if i wait much longer, i might end up being too drunk to actually do what i need to.


    ¡°it just must be nice to trust your abilities that much. i wouldn¡¯t have had the balls,¡± brayden said with a heavy sigh as he refilled his mug. ¡°still don¡¯t. don¡¯t take it the wrong way, but i¡¯m glad it¡¯s you and not me. there¡¯s no way i wouldn¡¯t screw this up. even if you¡¯re delayed, i know you¡¯ll be able to handle this. i¡¯m looking forward for when you rejoin us and stop this worthless teaching job.¡±


    noah blinked heavily. it was getting harder to think through the fog building in his mind, but hadn¡¯t brayden said he was supposed to die? how was anyone supposed to do things after they¡¯d died?


    he gritted his teeth and raised the mug to his lips. then he lowered it slightly, hiccupping. ¡°i gotta go. one moment.¡±


    brayden took a long drink from his mug and snorted. ¡°lightweight. you better not pass out on me.¡±


    ¡°i won¡¯t,¡± noah said. his words slurred as they came out of his mouth. he staggered upright, struggling to keep his balance as he stumbled over to the bathroom. noah nearly missed the handle on the way in, catching himself a moment before he smacked his face into the door.


    brayden burst into laughter behind noah as he swore, fumbling before managing to turn it and step inside. noah quickly closed the door behind him, his head spinning as he grabbed the counter to catch his balance.


    lee raised an eyebrow from him within the bathtub.


    she really likes doing that. the eyebrow thing.


    noah shook his head. he was getting distracted already. fumbling, noah shrugged out of his jacket. he slung it over the sink, then pulled his shirt off as well. lee tilted her head to the side curiously as noah pulled the rest of his clothes off.


    he grabbed the dagger from the sink and staggered into the bath. lee stepped out of the way to let him in. noah tightened his grip on the dagger and gave her a pointed look. lee nodded.


    noah steadied himself. his thoughts were swimming so hard that he nearly forgot what he came there to do in the first place.


    bit harder than i thought this would be. no matter. i need to be able to think.


    it¡¯s just one. a good price to pay for information.


    he raised the dagger and ripped it across his throat.

 Chapter 63: Brothers

    chapter 63: brothers


    it wasn¡¯t the fastest death noah had ever had. in fact, it was considerably slower than he¡¯d been hoping. he doubled over, resisting the urge to clutch at his searing throat as blood poured out of it. noah fought the urge to desperately draw breath, worried that the gasping would alert brayden that something was wrong.


    his life coursed out of his body and into the drain. noah¡¯s heart thumped violently. knowing what would happen didn¡¯t make dying that much easier when he was still actively doing it ¨C and especially when it didn¡¯t happen quickly.


    when noah¡¯s soul finally peeled out of his body, he was relieved. he floated up and lee grabbed his corpse by the shoulder before it could thud against the ground. she paused, glancing around.


    noah waited for a moment, and when the pull of sunder¡¯s magic started to call him, he immediately gave in. his soul flitted down, a new body materializing as he jerked upright, stifling his gasp as he drew in air once more.


    noah¡¯s head thumped against the edge of the counter as he stood up and he swore.


    ¡°you all good in there?¡± brayden¡¯s voice called from the other side of the door, a slur to it.


    ¡°fine,¡± noah called back, nursing his forehead as he pulled himself upright. lee tilted her head to the side and looked down at the corpse. noah gave her a nod, then turned around to grab his clothes and pull them on. he didn¡¯t recall her being the quietest eater, so it was probably a good idea to keep brayden distracted.


    once he was fully clothed, noah slipped out of the bathroom. his head thumped, both from hitting it and from the headache that came with death, but it was probably the mildest pain he¡¯d ever felt from a death. unfortunately, that didn¡¯t stop the fog from creeping in and sealing off his magic.


    interesting. i killed myself, and i guess that means the energy didn¡¯t go to someone else so i took less soul damage. that¡¯s very good to know. might be useful in the future. then again, killing myself was not a pleasant experience in the slightest. not something i want to repeat a lot.


    noah kept his face from showing the pain as he poured himself another drink. all the alcohol was gone from his body, so he had a fresh start. even with that, had brayden not already been fairly drunk, noah probably would have still gotten drunk under had brayden still been paying attention to how much he was drinking.


    instead, he was able to just touch the mug to his lips and tip it back, only drinking miniscule amounts at a time. brayden continued to go through the barrel like it was water. the large man had sprawled out at some point, abandoning his cross-legged position to stretch his legs.


    he leaned back on one hand, using the other to drink. dull crunches came from the bathroom as lee ate noah¡¯s body, but brayden didn¡¯t notice. his cheeks were flushed a ruddy red and his eyes had started to gloss over. if he went for much longer, noah was pretty sure that he¡¯d just end up keeling over.


    ¡°it¡¯s difficult for me too, you know,¡± noah said.


    brayden blinked heavily at him. ¡°huh?¡±


    ¡°having to do all of this on my own. you said you wouldn¡¯t be able to do it. i hope i haven¡¯t given you the impression that i felt the same way. it¡¯s difficult not to doubt myself.¡±


    brayden¡¯s brow furrowed and he shifted to get a better look at noah. he set the mug down so he could support himself with both hands.


    ¡°really?¡± brayden asked. ¡°you?¡±


    noah nodded, sending a dull flicker of pain bouncing around his head in the process. he leaned back as well, mirroring brayden¡¯s position. ¡°i try not to show it. it¡¯s not... right. you know?¡±


    ¡°father wouldn¡¯t have approved,¡± brayden said with a slow nod. ¡°i never knew. you were so confident.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s easy to be confident when you don¡¯t think about the consequences of your actions,¡± noah said, his gaze tightening. ¡°maybe i didn¡¯t quite realize that yet. i¡¯ve just been getting through things by squeezing my eyes shut and running as hard as i can, hoping that the road will just lay itself out in front of me.¡±n??v€l--?1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.


    ¡°i hear you, brother. never realized you felt that way too.¡± brayden hiccupped and chuckled. ¡°who wouldn¡¯t feel like that? i¡¯m an idiot for not realizing you¡¯re just like me earlier. that¡¯s why we¡¯re doing this.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s fine. you said it yourself. nobody is listening to us here.¡±


    although they definitely heard that all the way to the g building. brayden would be a great choir singer. maybe the whole choir.


    ¡°i can¡¯t blame him for anything. he¡¯s just trying to improve life for both of us,¡± noah said.


    at least, i hope he is. getting into the main branch is clearly important, and brayden clearly respects his dad enough to care deeply about him, even if he¡¯s pissed about whatever it is that vermil was supposed to be doing.


    ¡°i know,¡± brayden said into his palms. ¡°but nobody¡¯s ever managed to do this successfully before. what if you weren¡¯t right about your offerings or properly preparing your body? you could just end up dead for real instead of in hiding. how would your life really be worth some ranking?¡±


    in hiding? what is this ¨C


    oh.


    i¡¯m an idiot. he didn¡¯t mean vermil was actually supposed to die. he was supposed to fake his death somehow. how did i manage not to consider that? why would i just assume that vermil was actually trying to get himself killed? i¡¯m a moron.


    ¡°or what if the part after the summoning went wrong?¡± brayden continued. ¡°it¡¯s not easy to kill yourself. if you messed it up, you could die.¡±


    okay, you know what? i¡¯m confused again. was vermil supposed to die or not? i shouldn¡¯t have gotten brayden this drunk. damn it. i¡¯ve got no idea if he¡¯s just talking out of his ass at this point.


    ¡°well, instead of dying, i could just choose to live,¡± noah suggested. ¡°everyone knows that you can¡¯t die if you tell death ¡®no¡¯. it needs your consent.¡±


    brayden burst into laughter. noah was pretty sure his joke hadn¡¯t been that funny, but brayden brayed like he was the greatest comedian on the planet. wiping the tears of mirth from his face, brayden shook his head. he nearly lost himself to another bout of laughter before he managed to wrestle control of his emotions again.


    ¡°i didn¡¯t think about that. good point.¡± brayden snickered, then let out a long sigh in an attempt to keep himself from laughing again. ¡°you¡¯re right. you¡¯re confident this will be okay, right?¡±


    ¡°of course.¡±


    ¡°i knew it,¡± brayden said with a goofy smile. ¡°even if you¡¯re scared, you¡¯re the one comforting me. you should consider treating other people like this more. they¡¯d like you more.¡±


    ¡°it was an¨C¡±


    ¡°come on,¡± brayden sniffled. ¡°we both call it an act, but is it one when you¡¯re like this ninety eight percent of the time? maybe even a hundred and one percent. this is the first time i¡¯ve seen you like this since we were kids.¡±


    noah¡¯s smile flickered. ¡°i¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°i get it. it¡¯s not easy. you have to keep people away. the demon would use any connections you had to influence you if it found any. i just wish it didn¡¯t have to be this way.¡± brayden yawned, then rubbed his eyes. ¡°do you mind if i sleep here? i¡¯m sure you don¡¯t. thanks for the drinks, brother.¡±


    he laid back and closed his eyes as noah gaped down at him. within moments, brayden¡¯s chest rose and fell with heavy snores that threatened to shake the room out of its foundations. and despite that, all noah did was stare.


    did he just say demon?

 Chapter 64: Lee

    chapter 64: lee


    brayden snored away, completely oblivious to the expression on noah¡¯s face. he splayed out across the floor, managing to take up nearly half of the ground in the room. noah slowly stood, careful to avoid bothering brayden ¨C not that he suspected he could, even if he started dancing aggressively on his face.


    vermil was trying to summon a demon. were they going to make it somehow influence this election for their father, or did they have motives beyond that? it really sounds like vermil was either meant to fake his death or possibly die to bring the demon into this world. i¡¯m still not sure on which brayden actually meant ¨C but that could be why my soul ended up seeking his body.


    i bet vermil was in that forest because he was trying to summon the demon, then. it¡¯s pretty secluded and there isn¡¯t much of anything in the area. other teachers seem to only go there for the exams ¨C but why not choose somewhere even farther away?


    noah walked up to his door and reached for the handle. he needed some air to think, and there wasn¡¯t going to be any rest getting accomplished with bradley shaking the room with every breath. his hand paused as it touched the metal.


    what if vermil succeeded?


    the back of noah''s spine prickled. when he¡¯d first heard the word demon, his mind had instantly gone to the monster that had attacked renewal at the waters of life ¨C but that hardly made any sense.


    there was no way that vermil, no matter what his true goals or motivation was, could have been strong enough to summon a monster like that. it was much more likely he¡¯d tried to summon something comparatively powerful.


    and, if he had, but noah had killed him upon arrival before he could do anything else, then the demon could still be strolling around in the scorched acres. noah¡¯s jaw tightened and he pulled the door open, throwing a glance back at bradley.


    or worse, it could be in arbitage.


    he stepped out of the door, coming face to face with lee.


    ¡°well?¡± lee asked. ¡°did it work?¡±


    ¡°it answered some questions,¡± noah replied softly. ¡°and added many others. let¡¯s walk.¡±


    lee¡¯s features stilled. she nodded, following noah out of the t building. they headed out into the garden, following the thinning dirt path through the multicolored foliage. it was empty, aside from the gentle rustle of leaves and crunch of dry foliage beneath their feet.


    ¡°you¡¯re not a skinwalker,¡± noah said.


    lee jerked her head up to look at noah. ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°am i wrong?¡±


    it was several moments before lee responded. ¡°no.¡±


    ¡°why¡¯d you lie?¡±


    ¡°because it¡¯s easier for you to assume than it is for me to correct it. you thought i was a skinwalker from the day we first met, so there was no reason to try to change your mind. it would have just made things harder.¡±


    ¡°what are you, then?¡±


    lee¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°a demon. lesser, to be exact.¡±


    noah stopped beside a bush covered with beautiful red flowers. ¡°what was the point of pretending to be a skinwalker? i don¡¯t get it. you could have just told me. i wouldn¡¯t have¨C¡±


    i wouldn¡¯t have even known the difference. can¡¯t say that.


    ¡°i wouldn¡¯t have cared,¡± noah finished. ¡°but you hid information from me. you already knew the answers to half the questions i was asking brayden, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°and you know what i am. kind of,¡± noah said with a shrug. ¡°i might be missing some context here, but i¡¯m not exactly sure why i should care about you being a demon rather than a skinwalker. i could just be biased here, but i¡¯m pretty sure that skinwalkers are the ones that make it a habit of wearing people¡¯s corpses ¨C even if you¡¯ve picked up on their hobby.¡±


    lee let out a snort of laughter, then wiped her nose and stared at noah with a mixture of hope and disbelief. ¡°are you serious?¡±


    ¡°you haven¡¯t really given me a reason to doubt you. i don¡¯t have a lot of allies here, especially ones that know anything about me,¡± noah said. ¡°i don¡¯t appreciate getting lied to, but i can¡¯t pretend like i¡¯m not doing the same, so it would be hypocritical of me to be angry.¡±


    ¡°so you aren¡¯t going to try to banish me?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯d banish that little prick edward over you if i could.¡±


    lee laughed again. ¡°you¡¯re an idiot.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m well aware. i might understand your situation more than you¡¯d think,¡± noah said with a slight smile. ¡°if you don¡¯t give us any reason to be enemies, i don¡¯t see why we need to be. really, now we¡¯re just on even ground. you know some of my secrets, and i know some of yours.¡±


    ¡°does this mean you¡¯ll tell me who you really are?¡± lee asked.


    noah snorted. ¡°no. don¡¯t get ahead of yourself.¡±


    lee scrunched her nose. noah rose to his feet and held his hand out. lee studied it for a moment, then slowly reached out to let noah pull her back to her feet.


    ¡°this means you aren¡¯t bound by that oath at all, right?¡± noah asked.


    lee glanced to the side. ¡°i¡¯m not. i specified vermil¡¯s original body to avoid fulfilling yours, but your command to leave the scorched acres still affected my original contract since it was still technically part of him speaking. do you want me to¨C¡±


    ¡°no. you¡¯ve gone this far without betraying my trust. i¡¯ll extend the same to you.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re going to trust a demon?¡±


    ¡°you¡¯ve been trusting a body-stealing idiot.¡±


    ¡°okay, that¡¯s a good point.¡±


    they walked in silence for a minute, heading deeper into the garden, both equally lost in their own thoughts.


    ¡°i¡¯ve still got one question,¡± noah said. ¡°why did vermil try to summon you? what did he want you to do about this election thing?¡±


    ¡°oh. he wasn¡¯t trying to summon me.¡±


    ¡°what?¡± noah stopped walking and lee looked over her shoulder at him.


    ¡°he was trying to summon a different demon. i just managed to slip through the opening in the process. it¡¯s passing through the portal that starts the binding process, you know.¡±


    ¡°lee,¡± noah said, his voice taut. ¡°what happened with the other demon?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure. i ran away as soon as i arrived, but it was pretty powerful,¡± lee replied. ¡°as soon as i saw it start to arrive, i hid to make sure it wouldn¡¯t kill me.¡±


    goddamn it.

 Chapter 65: Demon

    chapter 65: demon


    ¡°lee.¡± noah¡¯s words were measured. ¡°is there another demon running around? a potentially very powerful one that vermil summoned specifically to cause some sort of significant change in the social power of his family?¡±


    ¡°yup.¡±


    ¡°please elaborate more than just yup. that¡¯s a massive problem.¡±


    ¡°why?¡± lee asked, tilting her head to the side. ¡°it¡¯s stuck in the scorched acres.¡±


    ¡°it was a lot stronger than you, right?¡±


    lee nodded.


    ¡°and you never saw it in the scorched acres.¡±


    ¡°no,¡± lee allowed, a small frown crossing her features. ¡°now that you mention it, i didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°and you managed to get out of the contract with vermil on a technicality,¡± noah continued. ¡°which means it wasn¡¯t that sound. sure, he didn¡¯t prepare for something to sprint through, but the point stands. if you were a lot more powerful than you currently are, do you think you¡¯d be able to get out of that contract?¡±


    lee swallowed heavily. ¡°oh. yeah. i almost certainly would have, especially if vermil hadn¡¯t gotten a chance to properly bind the demon he summoned.¡±


    ¡°could you elaborate on binding?¡±


    ¡°yeah. it works for anyone, but it¡¯s commonly used on demons since we have difficulty projecting our runes outside our bodies like humans do. since we¡¯re partially magical ourselves, our bodies resist magic. that also means that, if we can¡¯t draw on our magic, we¡¯re much weaker. weaker than a human.¡±


    ¡°interesting,¡± noah said, a frown crossing his face. ¡°and how do you bind something?¡±


    ¡°by reversing the energy coming from their runes. it¡¯s difficult since you need to know exactly what runes your target has, and demons guard that very closely. the most common way humans figure it out is by constantly establishing contact for very brief periods of time, then matching up the energy they can detect with¨C¡±


    ¡°a bunch of runes that they¡¯re carrying around,¡± noah muttered, his skin prickling.


    vermil¡¯s book.


    he¡¯d asked for dozens of runes to figure out which ones the demon was using. ¡°and demons just let them do that?¡±


    lee waggled a hand in the air and grimaced. ¡°not happily, but we also know it¡¯s our best way out of the damned plains. a lot of demons tolerate it and intentionally try to give humans the wrong idea about their runes. if you try to bind something and get one of the runes wrong...¡±


    ¡°they can use that rune,¡± noah finished. ¡°vermil screwed up. he got the rune combination wrong. the demon escaped and killed him, and it¡¯s safe to assume it¡¯s probably roaming around. it could probably be anywhere. tell me ¨C are demons usually as happy as you are about getting out of the damned plains?¡±


    lee cleared her throat and looked down in shame. ¡°some of them are bitter about being stuck there. which tends to get people to send them back, which makes them even more bitter.¡±


    ¡°so older ones are usually...¡±


    ¡°worse, yeah.¡±


    ¡°let me guess. the older they are, the stronger they are?¡±


    ¡°yep.¡±


    ¡°so we¡¯ve got a likely very old, incredibly powerful demon strolling around somewhere, and it¡¯s got a grudge against humans,¡± noah concluded. ¡°that sound about right?¡±


    ¡°yep.¡±


    ¡°on a scale of ranks, where would you put something like that? like a rank 4, or...¡±


    ¡°5 probably. it¡¯s hard to tell when the power gets that high up there and completely eclipses my own.¡±


    noah cursed under his breath. this time, the severity of the situation impressed itself on lee as well. she chewed her lower lip.


    ¡°well,¡± lee hedged. ¡°it¡¯s not like it¡¯s attacked the area yet. it could be killing people somewhere else. or it could have run off to find somewhere safer to terrorize.¡±


    ¡°you and lee are both major ones, but since lee isn¡¯t part of the school, it¡¯s just you. nobody else used the transport cannon to get there, though there were a number of adventurers and other travelers close enough to the area to be considered a suspect as well. there¡¯s also the possibility that someone teleported out. so sure, they aren¡¯t thinking you did it right now, but that doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯ll let you waltz off.¡±


    ¡°what if i went with one of the investigators?¡±


    moxie opened her mouth. then she slowly closed it. ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°brayden is my brother. what if i head home on a field trip? there¡¯s something important that i need to do there. for all of our safety. he¡¯d accompany me, and that would mean the school has no reason to suspect or worry about anything.¡±


    ¡°but why would you ever possibly want to go to the linwick estate?¡± moxie glanced over noah¡¯s shoulder and around her room, checking to see if they¡¯d somehow been followed. she gave him a worried look.


    ¡°nobody is there,¡± noah promised. ¡°lee is watching to be safe.¡±


    ¡°then why?¡± moxie asked. ¡°what if someone... you know? the chances of someone really recognizing vermil are much higher at his home estate than they would be here, where he barely interacted with anyone in a positive enough manner to be remembered.¡±


    ¡°first, just let me know if it¡¯s possible. i don¡¯t want to get my hopes up any further before i know for sure.¡±


    ¡°i suppose it could be,¡± moxie allowed, rubbing her chin. ¡°especially if brayden goes with you. considering the linwicks paid for the hellreaver ape to be brought here in the first place, nobody would think they¡¯d go light on you, even if you¡¯re part of the family. i just don¡¯t see what you¡¯d accomplish, though. and what about your students?¡±


    noah chewed his lower lip.


    what¡¯s more dangerous? staying here, where there might be a demon lurking and waiting to start slaughtering people? or bringing them to the linwick estate after i let them learn runes from our book?


    ¡°follow up question.¡± noah raised a finger. ¡°let¡¯s say someone got their hands on another noble house¡¯s greater runes and learned them. would anyone be able to tell?¡±


    moxie let out a long-suffering sigh. ¡°if you managed to find runes just lying around somewhere, throw them out. they¡¯re almost certainly fakes.¡±


    ¡°assume they aren¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°if you know for sure they aren¡¯t, then it would be very difficult to trace anything. runes are often slightly different from each other, so there¡¯s a chance that you might have learned a very specific rune that the noble family intentionally kept secret, but as long as you don¡¯t go showing anyone the exact rune you¡¯re using, you¡¯re fine.¡±


    ¡°okay, great.¡± noah rubbed his hands together. ¡°i¡¯ve got one more question. if i reported that a super-powerful demon was sitting, likely near school grounds, and planning to kill a lot of people, would anyone believe me?¡±


    ¡°not a chance in all the hells.¡±


    ¡°and if you reported it?¡±


    ¡°equally as likely. the higher ranking mages would have noticed any monster that powerful. why are you asking this, vermil? it¡¯s not a very comforting line of questioning.¡±


    ¡°because there is one.¡±


    moxie pressed her lips together tightly. ¡°i¡¯d ask if you were serious, but i¡¯d hope you wouldn¡¯t lie about something like this.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not lying.¡±


    ¡°then either the stronger mages have taken care of it, or its strong enough to hide itself from them. arbitage won¡¯t listen to either of us. i don¡¯t suppose you¡¯ve got someone more credible you can pull from?¡±


    ¡°afraid not.¡±


    ¡°shit,¡± moxie said.


    ¡°and that leads me to my second question. what¡¯s more dangerous ¨C the linwicks, or the demon?¡±


    ¡°if you aren¡¯t lying, then it¡¯s the demon,¡± moxie said immediately. ¡°for the rest of us, that is. for you ¨C the linwicks. without a doubt.¡±


    ¡°that,¡± noah said, holding up a finger. ¡°is only if they think that i am vermil.¡±


    ¡°what are you talking about, vermil?¡±


    ¡°not vermil,¡± noah corrected, allowing the coldest grin he could manage to stretch across his lips. ¡°as far as the linwicks are about to be concerned, i¡¯m the demon.¡±

 Chapter 66: Oaths

    chapter 66: oaths


    moxie opened her mouth. then she closed it. a pensive look passed over her face as she realized what noah was implying.


    ¡°you¡¯re going to pretend that the summoning went exactly as it was supposed to, and that the demon is actually trapped inside you?¡±


    ¡°exactly. that would account for the missing memories and give me a perfect position to hide and wait out this whole debacle while i figure out what the linwicks were actually up to and just how much threat this demon will actually pose.¡±


    ¡°and what about when they test you? there¡¯s no way they¡¯ll just take your word for it.¡± moxie crossed your arms. ¡°they¡¯ll test you. how are you planning to pass off as a demon that powerful?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve got some ideas on that,¡± noah replied. ¡°i¡¯ll need to do a little research on demons to make sure i properly understand how they work and what they act like, but i think i could pull it off.¡±


    moxie chewed her lower lip. ¡°if there¡¯s really a powerful demon here, getting away is a good idea, and now would be the best time to do it since there are still a few months until the next exam. if brayden agreed and you really did manage to pull a fast one over the linwicks, then you might be onto something. but what about your students?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll have to speak with them. i haven¡¯t been doing my job ever since the exam. i¡¯ve got some makeup to do. a lot of it. i¡¯m going to tell them everything i just told you. they need to be able to make an informed decision themselves.¡±


    ¡°i see,¡± moxie said. ¡°well, it sounds like you¡¯ve actually put a little thought into this. it¡¯s not the best plan, but if you really do manage to keep your cover, it isn¡¯t terrible. i might have to take emily somewhere as well. i don¡¯t want to be around when a high rank demon attacks. even with equivalently strong mages, there¡¯s going to be a lot of damage.¡±


    ¡°you could come with us,¡± noah offered. ¡°i promised to let you shadow my training, but then i didn¡¯t do anything since then. there will be a lot of opportunities for that at the linwick estate.¡±


    a bark of laughter slipped out of moxie¡¯s mouth. ¡°seriously? did you forget who i am? i¡¯m a torrin, vermil. if i showed up at the linwick¡¯s estate, even with you, i¡¯d probably get killed in my sleep. there¡¯s no way i can go there, and i wouldn¡¯t send emily there either.¡±


    noah winced. he had forgotten. ¡°oh. right.¡±


    ¡°we might join for the first portion of the trip, though,¡± moxie mused. ¡°i¡¯ve been meaning to get her some more practical survival experience. as long as we break away before we get too close to the linwicks, everything should be fine.¡±


    ¡°trip?¡± noah asked. ¡°they used a portal to send brayden here. i thought they¡¯d let us use that again.¡±


    ¡°brayden got a portal because it was an urgent matter. magic like that needs a specialized, high rank mage. there¡¯s no way they¡¯d waste time and energy making a portal back for you. it¡¯s going to be a week or two of normal travel.¡±


    ¡°ah. i suppose brayden would know the way back, then,¡± noah said. ¡°i¡¯ll just have to convince him this is the right call. i don¡¯t think that should be too hard. you¡¯ll join us, then? assuming isabel and todd agree to go.¡±


    ¡°if you can convince brayden that it¡¯s a good idea to let us come for the first part of the journey. if you¡¯re finally ready to get your ass in gear and show me what i was originally waiting for, then i¡¯ll come. just don¡¯t get your hopes up too much ¨C i don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to be able to convince brayden.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll focus on isabel and todd first,¡± noah said. ¡°i think he¡¯ll be more than pliable. i¡¯m going to go find them before it¡¯s too late today.¡±


    moxie shrugged. ¡°you know where to find me. don¡¯t get killed by a demon on the way out.¡±


    noah rolled his eyes and headed out of moxie¡¯s room, closing the door behind him before starting down the hall toward the exit of the t building. when he stepped outside, lee was already waiting for him, leaning against the wall.


    ¡°did you find what you needed?¡±


    ¡°yeah. did you overhear?¡±


    ¡°i did. i¡¯ve got very good hearing. good senses in general.¡±


    ¡°i gathered, based on how you kept smelling things that shouldn¡¯t actually have any smell. i¡¯m not sure how you watch over things from outside, but i¡¯ll just trust that it works. do those senses of yours happen to know where isabel and todd are? they¡¯re next on the list of people to speak with.¡±


    ¡°i can find them. i memorized their scents,¡± lee said.


    on a list of things that i wouldn¡¯t want to be caught dead ever saying, that would be pretty close to the top.


    ¡°fantastic. could you get them and tell them to come meet me in our classroom? it¡¯s better than my room, considering brayden is still sleeping in there. it won¡¯t take long.¡±


    lee nodded and blurred, sprinting off faster than noah¡¯s eyes could track. he shook his head in disbelief.


    she¡¯s supposed to be rank 1?


    now that noah thought about it, they¡¯d never really addressed her rank after the demon revelation had come out. there was a very good chance that lee had told him she was a rank 1 to keep his guard down when he¡¯d originally thought she was a skinwalker.


    i¡¯d put her more like a rank 2 or 3, i think. she was able to fight moxie, but moxie also wasn¡¯t using magic, which is the majority of her strength. not a very good reference to judge things off.


    noah shook his head. it didn¡¯t particularly matter at the moment. he had more important things to worry about. when lee got back, he¡¯d just ask her.


    he headed over to his room in building g, following the winding hallway that he¡¯d now grown somewhat familiar with until he stepped through the doorway into the room. the desks were still aligned from when moxie had fixed them, but the light filtering in through the roof was dim due to clouds obscuring the lowering sun.


    noah walked over to stand by the podium.


    and then he did one of his least favorite things in the world.


    he waited.


    ***


    lee didn¡¯t make noah wait long. she walked into the classroom just twenty minutes later, joined by isabel and todd. both of the students had confused expressions on their faces.


    ¡°is this an extra class or something?¡± isabel asked. ¡°things are going crazy right now. i¡¯m not sure this is the best time to do it. someone killed the hellreaver ape.¡±


    ¡°so i¡¯ve heard,¡± noah said. he cleared his throat and tapped a finger on the podium. ¡°this won¡¯t take too long. i just wanted to discuss something with you.¡±


    ¡°no comment,¡± noah replied.


    ¡°that¡¯s badass,¡± todd said with a huge grin. ¡°were you always this awesome?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure awesome is the right word here.¡± isabel shook her head. ¡°this is some pretty dangerous information, professor. why did you share it with us without using a rune oath?¡±


    ¡°maybe he thinks we¡¯re going to get killed,¡± todd said. ¡°could be possible, especially with a rank 5 demon strolling around.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s not that,¡± noah said with a sigh. ¡°i was thinking about rune oaths ¨C actually, this might as well be our lesson for today. i haven¡¯t been a great teacher these past few weeks, so it¡¯s time i get started again.¡±


    ¡°a lesson about rune oaths?¡± todd asked. he scrunched his nose. ¡°what about you just tell us how you killed the hellreaver? that sounds a lot more fun.¡±


    ¡°another time,¡± noah replied. ¡°you can start, though. tell me what a rune oath is.¡±


    ¡°unbreakable promise,¡± todd said promptly. ¡°one that screws both people over if one of the two dies. it can shatter your runes or even kill you.¡±


    ¡°right,¡± noah said with a nod. ¡°let¡¯s focus on the first half. unbreakable is a really bold word, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯d say it¡¯s pretty accurate.¡± isabel crossed her arms and leaned forward, her brow darkening. ¡°i¡¯ve seen how they work. i¡¯ve seen what they do.¡±


    there¡¯s a can of worms behind those words.


    ¡°i¡¯m not arguing that they work,¡± noah said, raising a hand. ¡°rather, i¡¯m arguing how they work. let¡¯s make a hypothetical. you and i are mortal enemies. we¡¯ve been trying to kill each other for years. we¡¯re tired. we want out of the fight ¨C but neither of us trust each other.¡±


    ¡°sure,¡± isabel said with a shrug. ¡°i see where you¡¯re going. so we make a rune oath to stop fighting each other.¡±


    ¡°great,¡± noah said. ¡°tell me what oath you¡¯d swear.¡±


    isabel thought for a few moments. beside her, todd¡¯s brow furrowed in concentration as well.


    ¡°something simple, maybe? like ¨C i promise not to harm you as long as you do the same toward me,¡± todd offered.


    noah hid a smile. this was a far cry from their first lesson, where both isabel and todd had been barely willing to cooperate with him, much less actively volunteering information without him prompting them.


    ¡°no,¡± isabel said, shaking her head before noah could even speak. ¡°that leaves way too much up for interpretation. harm is too subjective of a word. what if i reached a higher rank than professor vermil? i could do something to him that i don¡¯t consider harmful and possibly slip past the rune oath¡¯s restrictions. as long as he survived, i wouldn¡¯t get any backlash.¡±


    ¡°damn. good point,¡± todd said, pursing his lips. ¡°what would you do, then?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯d have to really think on it,¡± isabel admitted. ¡°i can¡¯t come up with a single oath that could possibly encompass everything this quickly.¡±


    ¡°and therein lies the problem, at least for me,¡± noah said. ¡°i¡¯m not saying that rune oaths don¡¯t work. but i¡¯m not a contract expert. the more general i make the terms of the oath, the less it actually binds you. and the more specific i get, the more loopholes i leave. if i extensively studied rune oaths, i¡¯m sure i could figure out a way to write one that was borderline unbreakable by all but another expert.¡±


    ¡°there are people that do that,¡± todd provided. ¡°they aren¡¯t cheap, though.¡±


    figures. lawyers exist here too, i guess.


    ¡°as i said, they¡¯ve got a place,¡± noah said with a nod. ¡°i had moxie swear a rune oath just a little while ago.¡±


    ¡°so why not us?¡± todd asked.


    ¡°because you¡¯re my students,¡± noah replied. ¡°moxie has her own commitments to her family and the school. if she didn¡¯t swear a rune oath, there are probably people that could have forced her to answer the question. this way, she has an excuse to avoid it. granted, if she really tries, i have no doubt she could find a way to slip around it. but the two of you didn¡¯t ask to be dragged into this. moxie¡¯s family will protect her if things go poorly ¨C but you don¡¯t have that, do you?¡±


    isabel and todd both looked to the side.


    ¡°you didn¡¯t make us swear an oath because you want us to have a way to wash our hands of you if someone figures it out?¡± isabel asked.


    ¡°yes. if someone tries to force information out of you, just give it to them. nobody can do that to moxie, but from everything i¡¯ve seen, they won¡¯t have such scruples with you. you are not responsible for my failures. i¡¯m your teacher. the burden is on me.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not telling anyone shit. that¡¯s not how i do things.¡± todd said, crossing his arms. he paused for a moment. ¡°okay, normally it is. but not this time.¡±


    ¡°me neither,¡± isabel said. ¡°i¡¯m not helping any nobles. good riddance to the hellreaver.¡±


    ¡°i certainly won¡¯t complain, but don¡¯t put yourselves in any extra danger,¡± noah said. ¡°and you might not want to be too happy the hellreaver is gone. it was what was keeping the monkeys in a state where we could train easily against them. i¡¯m afraid i¡¯ve messed up our practice grounds.¡±


    ¡°we can just go somewhere else,¡± todd said.


    ¡°yeah.¡± isabel nodded. ¡°we have to start fighting monsters that think for themselves eventually.¡±


    ¡°i agree,¡± noah said. ¡°but keeping the training wheels on can¡¯t hurt. either way, we¡¯ll figure something out. there are other places with great monsters. for now, though, i need the two of you to think on what you want to do in regard to the trip.¡±


    ¡°we will,¡± isabel promised. ¡°tomorrow morning, next to the transport cannon.¡±


    ¡°tomorrow morning,¡± noah confirmed. ¡°take this seriously, todd. i see that look in your eyes.¡±


    todd cleared his throat. ¡°yeah, we will.¡±


    ¡°i always do,¡± isabel said.


    ¡°good,¡± noah said. he bid them farewell and left the classroom. there was still a lot he had to prepare for, no matter what decision his students made.

 Chapter 67: Mix and match

    chapter 67: mix and match


    ¡°i¡¯ve been meaning to ask,¡± noah said as he and lee headed back toward his room after dismissing the students. he lowered his voice. ¡°are you really just a rank 1?¡±


    lee sent him a shifty gaze that noah was starting to get familiar with. she turned her eyes away and cleared her throat aggressively.


    ¡°i¡¯m not mad,¡± noah grumbled. ¡°i just want to know how much stronger you are than you implied.¡±


    ¡°rank 3,¡± lee admitted. ¡°rank 1s of de ¨C ah, my kind, don¡¯t last very long. either you get stronger quickly or you die.¡±


    noah nodded his understanding. they walked in silence for a few minutes.


    ¡°what did you teach while i was out?¡± noah finally asked. ¡°i¡¯ve been lax on my stretches ¨C again ¨C but i¡¯m sure you¡¯ve covered more than that.¡±


    ¡°basics of imbuement,¡± lee replied, clearly relieved to break the silence with a new topic. ¡°moxie and emily already knew all of it, but it was new for isabel and todd. at least, it should have been from what they said.¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s that mean?¡± noah asked, pausing as they grew closer to the t building.


    lee¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°oh yeah, you weren¡¯t there. todd already knew how to imbue.¡±


    ¡°huh? why? did he study?¡±


    ¡°no! get this. he was doing it on accident,¡± lee said with a snicker. ¡°can you imagine that? he was mistakenly doing body imbuement. he¡¯s a natural at it. didn¡¯t even realize what he was doing until i pointed it out.¡±


    noah blinked in surprise. ¡°seriously? that¡¯s great to hear. but what was he¨C¡±


    noah trailed off, realization washing over him. ¡°damn. that explains a lot. he was imbuing his eyes to use his heat rune, wasn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°yep! not the most advanced application, but imbuing a body part tends to make it better at whatever the aspect of the magic you¡¯re imbuing it with. so, with heat, they got better at sensing heat. i suppose they might have also gotten really hot as well, but that¡¯s why intention is important when imbuing anything that¡¯s actually meant to do something.¡±


    ¡°interesting,¡± noah mused. ¡°any idea why todd was so good at it?¡±


    ¡°none. he clammed up when i started asking questions, and i didn¡¯t really care too much. it¡¯s much more fun to just practice. isabel wasn¡¯t too bad at it herself. we just practiced some basic body imbuements and got into a little sparring. i didn¡¯t even know it was possible to do temporary, on the spot imbuements like what todd was doing. haven¡¯t been able to replicate them myself yet.¡±


    they reached the entrance of the t building and headed inside. noah glanced over at lee as they headed up the stairwell.


    ¡°you¡¯ll have to catch me up on this stuff before our next class.¡±


    ¡°it shouldn¡¯t be too hard. i don¡¯t have to worry you accidentally killing yourself with overdraw. that¡¯ll shave off a lot of testing time.¡±


    noah repressed a grimace. ¡°lovely.¡±


    arriving at the door, noah could hear brayden¡¯s snores even before he unlocked it. he and lee silently stepped inside.


    ¡°what now?¡± lee whispered. ¡°i don¡¯t know about you, but i¡¯m not sleeping in here.¡±


    ¡°i never said anything about sleep. he¡¯s going to be out until tomorrow at the earliest,¡± noah replied. he walked over to his desk and scooped up his quill, ink bottle, and a pile of papers. sliding his flying sword into his belt, he crept back out.


    ¡°hunting again?¡± lee asked once he¡¯d closed the door.


    noah chuckled. ¡°considering i¡¯m still a suspect, that¡¯s probably a monumentally stupid idea. i won¡¯t deny it¡¯s tempting, though. it¡¯s been too long since i filled my runes. i had to spend a bit of energy making moxie a greater wind rune, but just a few kills should get that taken care of.¡±


    ¡°so what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°theorycrafting.¡± noah held the papers up in front of him. ¡°how much do you know about rune combinations? it¡¯s got to be at least a good bit since you¡¯re rank 3.¡±


    ¡°i know some. i wasn¡¯t lying about having runes that humans don¡¯t, though. i¡¯m not sure how relevant my information will be to you.¡±


    ¡°well, then you can just keep me company. i¡¯m going to go to the library and see what i can dig up on combinations. there¡¯s nearly nothing there, but i¡¯m sure there¡¯s got to be at least a tidbit of information. in the meantime, do you think you could compile some information on demons? i need to know a lot about them.¡±


    ¡°the library? really? you?¡±


    ¡°hey, i¡¯ve used it before. just because i don¡¯t like sitting still much as of late doesn¡¯t mean i¡¯m incapable of it,¡± noah muttered. ¡°you have no idea how much i¡¯d rather just go punch things and use magic. luckily, learning new magic is interesting.¡±


    and i can¡¯t afford to just keep making decisions based on what¡¯s fun.


    ¡°miracles do happen,¡± lee said. ¡°but you¡¯re right, i doubt you¡¯ll find much there.¡±


    noah glared at her. ¡°aren¡¯t you supposed to be encouraging me?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m relaxing. that was one of the things i wanted to do as part of the contract ¨C the one that isn¡¯t technically enforced.¡±


    ¡°do all of your runes have three word names?¡±


    lee shook her head. ¡°no. my shift runes don¡¯t. they¡¯re called true shift runes. all greater.¡±


    ¡°do they only have shift runes as components?¡±


    ¡°no. there¡¯s also an absorption rune in the mix.¡±


    noah nodded thoughtfully. two runes in the mix likely made a more focused result, but that would also limit the functionality of the rune. ideally, he¡¯d be able to find a combination that covered a wide spread of things without being so complicated that it would be impossible to combine in the future, but that was a reach.


    he jotted down his current runes on the paper.


    wind


    wind


    ash


    ash


    vibration


    vibration


    vibration


    noah tapped his quill on the paper.


    ¡°intention matters when you imbue things. i assume it also matters when you combine runes?¡±


    lee nodded. ¡°yes, but you can only work with what you¡¯ve got.¡±


    ¡°logically.¡±


    if i left these alone, i bet they¡¯d just end up becoming something like flowing ash. or shaking ash. something like that. the ash is indeed interesting, but i¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s the exact combination i want.


    sunder will let me test out a bunch of combinations, but if i have to refill my runes every single time i swap them out, this will take forever. not to mention i¡¯ll waste all the energy i¡¯ve gathered on ¨C


    wait.


    normally, people only use a small amount of energy to imbue their rune on something. that lowers the capacity of the rune until it¡¯s filled back up to its max capacity again, like chopping off the top of a bucket and gluing it back on.


    but... they also can¡¯t split apart runes after combining them.


    ¡°lee?¡±


    ¡°what now? i¡¯m getting to the good part.¡±


    ¡°how much of a rune can you imbue?¡±


    ¡°as much as you want, i guess,¡± lee replied. ¡°but only an idiot would imbue too much of their rune at once. you can¡¯t control it if you fully imbue it, so it¡¯s basically useless unless you¡¯re trying to give it to someone. why?¡±


    because, if i keep a giant collection of runes that i¡¯ve completely filled, i can mix and match them. i can use sunder to then split them apart and store them by completely imbuing them in the paper, removing them from my mind while i test other combinations.


    if someone else tried to do this, it would be all over the moment they combined their runes, as then they wouldn¡¯t be able to ever take them apart again so there¡¯d be no point to it ¨C but that¡¯s not the case for me. i can just keep testing combinations until i find the perfect one. i can find the perfect combinations for every single rune i make.


    noah swallowed as a tingle ran down his spine and up his arms. the scope of the idea was terrifying. it would mean eventually walking around with a veritable armory of full runes. if anyone found out, he¡¯d have an enormous target painted on his back.


    then again, that¡¯s already true for just about everything associated with me. if i can pull this off, i could be more powerful than any other mage my level. i¡¯d be able to swap my runes to anything i needed and save the old ones by imbuing them entirely into something.


    that also means i don¡¯t have to be as careful with my first combination, so long as it actually works. and, even if it doesn¡¯t, i know sunder can split it apart.


    ¡°you¡¯re drooling,¡± lee said, looking at him from over the top of her book.


    noah wiped his mouth and his cheeks turned red. ¡°sorry. i got really excited.¡±


    ¡°about what?¡±


    ¡°something stupid,¡± noah replied, struggling to contain his excitement as he set the books back down. ¡°i need to get a little more energy for my runes. care to help? it¡¯s about time i reached rank 2.¡±

 Chapter 68: Combined at last

    chapter 68: combined at last


    despite his excitement, noah stopped before he and lee just walked off the campus. he was still a suspect. if they saw him leaving, there was no way he¡¯d be able to play it off.


    he could always try to use the transport cannon, but the less anyone thought about him, the better. and, as such, that was how noah found himself standing in the garden as the moon rose overhead, waiting for lee and saddled with a new promise.


    i don¡¯t see how collecting a few monsters for me to kill is equivalent to ten gold to use for shopping. that¡¯s such a scam. a whole month of salary in exchange for a few measly monsters. lee is just taking advantage of how impatient i am, that brat.


    noah, of course, didn¡¯t entertain the thought of simply waiting until they were on the road to find some monsters to kill. there was only so much sitting around he was willing to do and, considering brayden was currently making his room uninhabitable, this was as good a time as any to finally make some progress on his runes.


    he still did have to wait for lee to get back, though.


    mercifully, lee didn¡¯t take long. perhaps the thought of all the things she could spend noah¡¯s ten gold on motivated her, because she returned less than ten minutes later, dragging several... things.


    noah stared at the battered tarp bags lee had slung over her shoulder, like some perverse, twisted santa claus. one of them twitched. it had been far too little time for her to get to the scorched acres and back.


    ¡°lee,¡± noah said slowly. ¡°i told you to get me monsters. what do you have in there?¡±


    ¡°monsters,¡± lee replied cheerfully. ¡°go on. stab them.¡±


    ¡°i am going to open this bag. if there¡¯s a human inside it¨C¡±


    ¡°they¡¯re skinwalkers.¡± lee rolled her eyes. ¡°they smell different. it was pretty easy to spot them, especially because they were lurking in alleys hoping someone would be stupid enough to walk past them. it was easy to steal a few bags and ¡®nap them. go on. stabbing time.¡±


    noah pressed his lips together. he wasn¡¯t quite sure how perverse lee¡¯s humor was. there was the very mild possibility that she¡¯d actually grabbed a bunch of random people and stuffed them into the bags.


    he used his rusty flying sword to cut a hole in one of the bags. they were already bloodied, so it wasn¡¯t like lee was about to be returning them anytime soon. a furious eye stared out of it at noah ¨C centered in the middle of someone¡¯s chin.


    noah stabbed it. energy slithered into his body, all pouring into his greater wind rune since the rest of them were already full. he grimaced in distaste.


    ¡°right. it¡¯s a skinwalker. why was its eye there, though? not very convincing.¡±


    ¡°if you bounce them around hard enough, they can forget what they¡¯re supposed to look like.¡± lee shrugged. ¡°i wasn¡¯t particularly gentle. that would have meant taking longer, and you aren¡¯t a very patient person. go on, then. there¡¯s another.¡±


    noah shook his head and stabbed it. a moment later, he superstitiously wiggled the sword around in the bag to take a glance at what it was he¡¯d just run through. he quickly looked away. when lee said they could get a little scrambled, she meant it. the skinwalker¡¯s face looked like it was stuck in a washing machine.


    energy rushed into his body again. his rune hummed within him and he let out a satisfied sigh as he felt the power coming off each of them finally equalize once more. they were all full once again.


    ¡°told you,¡± lee said.


    ¡°they had more energy than most of the monkeys i killed,¡± noah observed. ¡°they didn¡¯t put up much of a fight, though. i almost feel bad.¡±


    ¡°you paid ten gold for an express service. you got an express service. now you¡¯re complaining about it.¡±


    ¡°okay, okay. sorry. i hope express service includes taking care of the corpses.¡±


    ¡°of course it does,¡± lee said, affronted. ¡°what sort of business do you take me for?¡±


    noah didn¡¯t grace her with a reply. lee gathered the dead monsters up and zipped away, presumably to eat the bodies and somehow dispose of the bags. hopefully, they didn¡¯t get found by anybody who was particularly prone to fainting.


    he smiled to himself as he felt the power of his runes shifting within his soul. they were ready. it almost felt like they were asking him to combine them, and noah wanted to oblige. he nearly did it at that very spot, but he forced himself to wait until lee returned.


    he went to stand and nearly headbutted lee in the stomach. she grabbed him before he could and noah grunted in surprise.


    ¡°what the hell?¡±


    ¡°relax. you just let a ton of energy seep into your body. combining runes makes a reaction that releases power, so you¡¯re stronger and faster than normal for a few minutes until your soul absorbs everything,¡± lee said. ¡°how full was your rune? the more synergized the runes you combine are, the more max capacity you¡¯ll have compared to what you initially had.¡±


    ¡°about fifty percent,¡± noah said, blinking as lee helped him sit back down.


    ¡°if there¡¯s a perfect combination, then i¡¯ve heard that your rune can be as low as ten percent full because of how much the capacity has grown,¡± lee said. ¡°fifty percent is pretty decent. all that excess energy will help expand your soul and then dissipate. just sit for a bit. what rune did you get?¡±


    ¡°pyroclastic resonance.¡±


    ¡°fancy name,¡± lee observed. ¡°might be difficult to combine. are you just going to focus into it?¡±


    ¡°i think i¡¯ll figure something out,¡± noah said with a wry smile. even if the combination wasn¡¯t perfect, he was beyond excited. the next step was already waiting for him to take it. ¡°i need to do something. do you have a piece of paper or something on you? i need to imbue a rune.¡±


    lee blinked in surprise. ¡°it¡¯s a bit early. i wouldn¡¯t imbue anything quite yet. wait until you¡¯ve filled it at least a bit.¡±


    noah opened his mouth. then he slowly closed it. telling lee why he wanted the paper would technically also give away exactly what sunder did. he chewed his lower lip, then nodded.


    that isn¡¯t something i can share. sorry, lee.


    ¡°right. i got ahead of myself,¡± noah said sheepishly. ¡°do you know if i can still form rank 1 runes? or do i have to somehow go straight to rank 2?¡±


    ¡°nothing would stop you from making rank 1 runes again, but it would just be a waste of energy in many cases,¡± lee said with a frown. ¡°your soul absorbed the excess energy from the combination, so it¡¯ll be able to handle you forming a rank 2 rune directly. the increase in your soul¡¯s size is enough to let you hold another rank 1 rune, so you could combine another set of seven rank 1 runes into a new rank 2 rune, but starting from scratch again would be a lot of work. and that extra rune won¡¯t be useable since your body can only handle using seven at once, so it¡¯s just sitting there until you combine it.¡±


    ah. that explains it. so every time i combine runes, it¡¯ll make my soul grow a little larger and give me more room to house a bit more, eventually allowing me to get another set of seven rank 1 runes. that way i can continue to combine runes rather than having to imbue the existing ones onto paper to make space. convenient.


    ¡°would that mean i could technically combine eight runes?¡± noah asked.


    lee shook her head. ¡°not unless you want to blow your combination up. only seven. never more, never less. nothing else will work. i have no clue why, but that¡¯s just how it is.¡±


    ¡°i see. so, aside from making it normally, i could just find a rank 2 rune in nature, on a monster, or buy it from someone?¡±


    lee nodded. ¡°yes. you could also get rid of your current rank 2 rune if it didn¡¯t work right or the combination was very poor. your soul can handle rank 2 runes now, so you don¡¯t really need that initial combination, but it¡¯s a big loss if you give it up. that¡¯s a lot of wasted energy, not to mention the soul damage that you probably took if your combination failed that badly.¡±


    ¡°makes sense. back up a moment. i want to test this thing out,¡± noah said. he waggled his fingers, then held a hand out. lee quickly put some distance between herself and him. noah paused for long enough to make sure she wouldn¡¯t mistakenly get caught up in anything, then called on the magic of his new rune.


    it flowed instantly, and noah whistled softly. his lips tingled as magic poured out from between them and the air around his head warmed. the note sounded off ¨C more haunting than it should have been.


    ¡°impressive,¡± lee said sarcastically. ¡°that was the spookiest whistle i¡¯ve ever heard. i hope your magic leans more toward the pyroclastic side than the resonant one.¡±


    noah ignored her. he called on combustion, just drawing a small droplet of the master rune¡¯s strength, then snapped his fingers. a spark of flame rolled up from his fingers and noah whistled once more.


    the flame lunged, following the call of his voice. it whipped around his head like a flaming bullet, the whistle elongating into a shrill, screaming note as the fire accelerated. then it vanished, burning away and leaving a grinning noah sitting before a wide-eyed lee.


    ¡°that was... a good bit cooler,¡± lee admitted.


    noah¡¯s smile widened. he was going to have a lot of fun with this.

 Chapter 69: Heh

    chapter 69: heh


    ¡°lee?¡±


    ¡°what?¡± lee asked, raising her head up from the small mound of leaves she¡¯d piled on top of herself. it had been an hour and a half since noah had combined his runes, and while he¡¯d been playing around with his new magic, lee had tried to make herself a cocoon of dried leaves. it wasn¡¯t working too well.


    ¡°i¡¯ve got another question. just how hard is it to find a perfectly combined rune?¡±


    ¡°a good number of powerful demons had them from what i¡¯ve heard, but in terms of people i actually met ¨C not many. i¡¯ve only got one myself, and i found it ¨C i¡¯ve got no clue what actually went into it. i¡¯d say it¡¯s probably really hard, especially up here.¡±


    noah nodded thoughtfully. that lined up with his own suspicions as well, and made him lean even harder toward building a massive library of runes to mix and match. if he found a perfectly combined rune ¨C great. he wasn¡¯t going to rely on luck, though.


    ¡°one more question, then. how much would it cost for you to get me one more skinwalker? it¡¯s a service to the university, after all. these things are dangerous.¡±


    lee let out a long suffering sigh. ¡°you suck. do you see my blanket? do you see what you did to it?¡±


    ¡°one gold.¡±


    ¡°ten.¡±


    ¡°absolutely not. that¡¯s an entire month¡¯s pay.¡±


    ¡°won¡¯t the school pay you more now that you¡¯re a rank 2?¡±


    noah paused. ¡°probably. but i¡¯m not paying you 10 gold for what amounts to about ten minutes of work for you. three gold.¡±


    ¡°three gold isn¡¯t enough to buy anything.¡±


    ¡°are you kidding? that¡¯s three of my fancy uniforms. that¡¯s enough to buy so much!¡±


    lee pushed herself out of the pile of leaves and flicked one of them from her hair. ¡°wait, really? i thought a meal was one gold.¡±


    ¡°one silver,¡± noah said, aghast.


    ¡°oh. whoops. i mixed up gold and silver.¡±


    noah¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°you¡¯re telling me you would have gotten those monsters for ten silver?¡±


    ¡°one gold it is!¡± lee zipped off before noah could say anything else. he drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. somehow, it felt like he¡¯d just gotten scammed by a child.


    he rubbed his forehead. either way, he¡¯d gotten what he needed. lee was out of the area for a little while. noah took the grimoire from his side and flipped it open, flapping through the pages until he arrived at a blank one near the end of the book.


    there weren¡¯t many blank pages left, but he¡¯d only need one for his purposes right now. noah grinned to himself, closing his eyes and slipping into his mindspace. it felt a little odd to only see a single rune appear from the darkness, but he was about to rectify that.


    sunder lowered, shifting down to hang directly above noah as he approached the greater pyroclastic resonance rune. at least, he assumed it would still be called a greater rune, considering every rune that had gone into it had been greater.


    he swallowed heavily, pausing for a moment. a flicker of indecision ran through his body. if sunder didn¡¯t actually work exactly how he thought it would, all his progress would be gone and he¡¯d be back to square zero ¨C or worse, left with a damaged rank 2 rune stuck in his soul.


    noah¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    i¡¯m not second guessing myself. i saw the vision. i know how sunder works. i¡¯ve seen it work on monsters. i know it can do this. intention and power is all that matters.


    he reached up and touched sunder. energy sparked, pouring through the back of his hand and into his body. his veins darkened, but to noah¡¯s surprise, the intensity of the pressure was slightly better than it had been the last time he¡¯d called on sunder. it was still overwhelming, but not quite nearly as bad as it had been.


    ¡°i never said i felt bad. we¡¯re doing them a favor. maybe they¡¯ll come back as something less evil.¡±


    ¡°who knows? could be that death is just the end,¡± lee said with a shrug. ¡°i guess you wouldn¡¯t care, given that you seem to be immortal.¡±


    ¡°no, death is¨C¡±


    noah broke off, then shook his head. ¡°eh. we¡¯ll find out when we get there. thanks for the help.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯d say it was no problem, but it was really about one gold worth of a problem. why¡¯d you need another one so soon though?¡±


    ¡°wanted to test out gaining energy in my rank 2 rune.¡± noah stole a page from her book and shrugged. ¡°are you complaining? it¡¯s a free gold.¡±


    ¡°fair enough. i¡¯m going back to sleep, then. don¡¯t make me mess my leaf blanket up unless something is actually wrong.¡±


    ¡°one more thing ¨C could you think about what it means to be a demon and try to summarize it? i¡¯m going to need to learn how they act if i¡¯m going to pass off as one.¡±


    lee snorted. ¡°that¡¯s easy. how do humans act?¡±


    ¡°well, i guess it depends on the ¨C ah.¡±


    ¡°yup. they¡¯re all different, but a lot of us tend to be pretty arrogant. if i had to choose a defining trait, i¡¯d go with that.¡±


    ¡°well, maybe think on typical traits and stuff like that? just something i can work with.¡±


    ¡°sure. i¡¯ll see what i can come up with.¡±


    ¡°thanks.¡± noah sank back into his mental space as lee got to work reburying herself.


    as soon as he arrived, noah gathered his energy and enveloped the seven rank 1 runes, bringing them together. they merged easily, sliding together without any issue. there wasn¡¯t even the resistance he¡¯d felt the first time he combined them, and he soon found himself standing before a pyroclastic resonance rune, fifty percent of the way full.


    weird. why was it so easy this time? i didn¡¯t even feel the energy go off. is it because my soul already adapted to housing rank 2 runes? fascinating. it¡¯s like a balloon, then. it got stretched out from the initial combination, but was still stretched after i sundered it. i bet i¡¯ll get some more growth when i form another rank 2 rune, then.


    either that, or i¡¯ll have to wait for rank 3. depends on how much each one makes the proverbial balloon stretch. yet another thing to look into. damn. at this rate, i¡¯ll forget my list of things i want to research before i manage to get around to solving them.


    noah let his eyes open and dismissed his mental space. there was still one last thing to do before he¡¯d be satisfied for the night. he glanced down to lee, who was now a small mound in the ground.


    shaking his head with mild amusement, noah took out his grimoire and flipped over to the greater wind rune he¡¯d imbued in it. placing his finger on the page, noah pictured the rune in his mind.


    and then, he drew.


    energy coursed from the book and into noah¡¯s body, forming into a brand new rank 1 greater wind rune in his mind. noah¡¯s lips stretched into a wide grin as he felt the rune awaiting his command. he glanced down at the book, but the rune was still there. he¡¯d managed to avoid draining all of the energy.


    perfect. maybe i¡¯ll be able to salvage the page.


    this is incredible. once this wind rune is full, i¡¯ll replace one of the ash runes and see if that¡¯s the perfect combination.


    noah resisted the urge to let out an evil laugh. he¡¯d never been one for them, but he felt like the world was opening up before him. had lee not been trying to sleep right next to him, noah might have actually let it slip.


    instead, he sat down on the ground and leaned against the light purple trunk of a large tree. it wasn¡¯t the most comfortable place he¡¯d ever slept, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to care.


    tomorrow, he was going to put his new rune to use. he almost felt bad for whatever monster happened to be in his way.


    almost.

 Chapter 70: Discovery

    chapter 70: discovery


    noah¡¯s sleep was interrupted by a hand violently shaking his shoulder. his eyes snapped open and a blade of wind swirled to life at his fingertips as he jumped back, preparing to dive out of the way of a slasher. moxie yanked her hand back, vines whipping around her defensively.


    ¡°whoa! relax,¡± moxie said.


    noah blinked. he let his magic fade away, slowly lowering his hands. ¡°moxie? why are you here?¡±


    ¡°because i was looking for you, idiot. you weren¡¯t in your room.¡±


    ¡°brayden was snoring too loudly.¡±


    ¡°i could tell. he slept through me breaking in,¡± moxie said, her lips pursing. the vines slithered back into her clothes and she shook her head. ¡°it doesn¡¯t matter. i figured something out. i¡¯m glad i caught you alone. you¡¯re in danger.¡±


    ¡°actually, i¡¯m not¨C¡±


    ¡°lee isn¡¯t a skinwalker,¡± moxie said, cutting noah off. ¡°i was thinking about what you told me. i¡¯ve been studying skinwalkers. at first, i thought she was either a very powerful one or a new breed. we know so little about the monster species that it was possible, but after what we talked about yesterday, i realized i was too focused in. maybe i¡¯m the idiot.¡±


    ¡°moxie¨C¡±


    ¡°not now,¡± moxie snapped. ¡°just listen. i don¡¯t know how i didn¡¯t catch this sooner. that demon threat you were worried about ¨C it¡¯s not hiding out and lurking. it¡¯s in plain sight. lee is the demon.¡±


    moxie stared at noah, waiting for him to react. he just rubbed the back of his head.


    ¡°is that a bad thing?¡±


    moxie blinked. then she drew a deep breath and let it out in a violent huff. ¡°yes. skinwalkers are motivated by hunger, as far as we¡¯re aware. demons aren¡¯t. there¡¯s very, very little known about demons, but we know one thing ¨C they¡¯re incredibly dangerous. they seek out suffering. i could possibly believe that a skinwalker could be convinced to lie low, but not a demon. it¡¯s more likely that she¡¯s just biding her time, waiting for the proper moment.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t really think that¡¯s the case. i don¡¯t know a lot about demons, but even if lee is one, aren¡¯t there different kinds or something? she¡¯s not like that. you¡¯ve spent a good amount of time with her. you know that.¡±


    ¡°demons are one of the most dangerous monsters that have been discovered since the long night. you¡¯ve got no idea what you¡¯re talking about if you think there¡¯s the slightest possibility that a demon would ever be benevolent. they are literally born with runes that can only gain power through causing suffering.¡±


    ¡°wait. there are runes that can get strength through things other than just normal energy?¡±


    ¡°yes, there ¨C damn it, vermil. not now. focus. where is lee? we need to find a higher ranked teacher and take her down before she starts killing people. she¡¯s the threat you were so worried about, and she¡¯s probably just hiding her rank. i don¡¯t know what her end game is, but it doesn¡¯t matter. if we don¡¯t act now, i don¡¯t want to think about how much damage she could cause.¡±


    noah opened his mouth, then paused.


    how do i know lee wasn¡¯t actually the literal demon that vermil was trying to summon? she says she just slipped through, but i don¡¯t have a way to know that for sure. i could try to make her swear a rune oath, but if moxie is right, then i doubt she¡¯s going to ¨C


    no.


    she wasn¡¯t lying. i refuse to believe it. moxie¡¯s fears aren¡¯t unjustified, but lee isn¡¯t like that.


    ¡°i don¡¯t think you¡¯re correct,¡± noah said. ¡°i won¡¯t try to pretend i understand much about demons, but i know lee. she¡¯s not some scheming monster that¡¯s just waiting to strike when my guard is down. you said yourself that not a lot is known about demons, right? maybe she¡¯s different. it¡¯s not fair to treat her like that when we have no reason to believe it.¡±


    ¡°she¡¯s a demon.¡±


    ¡°and i¡¯m vermil.¡±


    moxie clenched her hands. ¡°something tells me you don¡¯t have any idea how serious this is. stop being idealistic for a moment. ignore your emotions and think logically, you idiot. i also liked lee. but we need to put the students first. she¡¯s a threat.¡±


    the plume of smoke rising up from noah¡¯s pipe erupted, turning into a writhing snake of flame. ash intermixed with the fire, roiling like a black sea within it.


    vines whipped out for noah. he shot himself out of the way with a burst of wind, leaving a trail of glittering black and red smoke behind him. it whipped down, burning through several of moxie¡¯s vines.


    the acrid smoke stung noah¡¯s throat and his eyes watered, but he grabbed all of it before it could enter his lungs and forced it away. he exhaled, blowing a thick cloud of the smoke out toward moxie. then, as it passed by his lips, he ignited it with combustion.


    a sheet of roiling fire washed out in a roar. moxie¡¯s eyes widened and she thrust her hands toward it. her body flashed green as her shield lit up, blocking the attack. at the same time, the plants all around noah rustled to life.


    he ducked under a flower as it whipped past his head, then narrowly avoided a huge tree branch as it creaked down, trying to impale him.


    damn. this is the absolute worst spot for me to try to fight moxie. there¡¯s going to be too much damage if i let this go on for more than a few seconds. this fight can¡¯t drag out.


    the last of the flames faded away, revealing moxie had enveloped herself in a leafy cocoon. noah¡¯s magic had scorched it, but her plants had somehow avoided catching fire. the cocoon unfurled and moxie stepped out, her face cold.


    ¡°you hit rank 2,¡± moxie said.


    noah drew in another deep breath, catching the smoke and allowing it to curl out from his lips. this was going to have to be fast. moxie was too smart to let the fight run long, and she was still stronger than he was.


    he blew, causing the cloud to stretch out before him and carrying it even further with his pyroclastic resonance rune. then he let out a sharp whistle. the fire cloud lurched forward, expanding like a blanket toward her even as noah combusted it. moxie whipped vines forward, attacking him and blocking the explosion at the same time. she was already starting to adapt, but noah had no plans of letting her figure any more out.


    as soon as the fire blocked him from her vision, he dropped to the ground and, using the cover of the flame as a shield, darted forward. moxie spotted him quickly and went to redirect her magic. plants grabbed at noah¡¯s feet, nearly tripping him up.


    he directed the cloud of smoke between them and ignited it. moxie flinched back as the fire erupted, and she raised her hands defensively to keep it from reaching her. noah called on combustion once more, but he didn¡¯t summon any flame.


    instead, he canceled it, turning the air inert. the ash went out instantly, starved of any way to ignite, and noah threw himself through the cloud. he slammed into moxie, driving his shoulder into her stomach and knocking her to the ground.


    the breath was knocked from her lungs with a woosh, and her eyes widened as she tried and failed to draw a breath. noah grabbed her in a bear hug, not letting her escape.


    ¡°enough of this. i could detonate my magic right now. would your shield save you? just listen to me, damn it.¡±


    moxie pressed her lips together, not willing to waste air on responding. despite that, her plants swayed at the ready, refraining from attacking for the time being. noah¡¯s lungs started to burn from lack of oxygen, but he was in a better spot than moxie was.


    ¡°if lee wanted you dead, she would have fought. even though this is to protect her, she isn¡¯t doing anything.¡±


    ¡°what?¡± moxie asked.


    noah released combustion and air rushed back into their lungs. he jerked his chin toward the pile of leaves.


    ¡°lee. come out.¡±


    they rustled, and lee¡¯s head poked out of the pile. her eyes were slightly redder than normal. moxie stiffened in noah¡¯s grasp.


    ¡°if she was this self-centered monster that you think all demons are, don¡¯t you think she would have helped me fight you?¡± noah demanded. ¡°you were threatening to get her killed.¡±


    ¡°i ¨C i don¡¯t understand,¡± moxie muttered. ¡°is this a plan? just to trick me?¡±


    ¡°how could it be? you¡¯re the one that came to find me,¡± noah replied.


    lee sniffled. she turned and shot off in a blur, vanishing into the garden. moxie stared at where the demon had been standing. then she slumped in noah¡¯s arms, and the garden was silent once more.

 Chapter 71: Betrayal

    chapter 71: betrayal


    noah released moxie, rolling to the side and rising to his feet.


    ¡°you¡¯re smart, moxie. but how do you know that the information you have on demons is correct? has lee ever given you a reason to doubt her?¡±


    moxie didn¡¯t stand.


    ¡°i don¡¯t know. but what if you¡¯re wrong?¡±


    ¡°then lee kills us. i¡¯d rather be wrong and be the idiot that trusted my friends than the monster that turned against them because they were told to. when you die, it won¡¯t matter anymore. you¡¯ll have to live with your decisions, not your fears. and, if you live on fear, that¡¯s all that you¡¯ll have left to keep you company.¡±


    moxie didn¡¯t respond immediately. she slowly sat up, still looking at where lee had been.


    ¡°we weren¡¯t friends. co-workers, at best.¡±


    noah shrugged. ¡°if that¡¯s what lets you sleep at night.¡±


    ¡°we only knew each other for a little while!¡±


    ¡°time is such a weird thing,¡± noah said with a frown. ¡°i don¡¯t see the obsession with it. short, long, whatever. what matters is how you spend it, not how long you have. and, in the long run, you don¡¯t have all that long anyway.¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± moxie asked, finally looking up at noah. ¡°what¡¯s gotten into you?¡±


    ¡°forget it,¡± noah said with a sigh. ¡°if you try to attack me again, i don¡¯t think i¡¯m going to be able to win.¡±


    not without using sunder, and that means one of us isn¡¯t walking out of here alive.


    ¡°you¡¯re saying you won¡¯t try to stop me if i go after her?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m saying you¡¯ll win. i¡¯ve already told you my stance.¡±


    ¡°why do you care so much?¡± moxie asked. ¡°why go through the risk? it doesn¡¯t make sense. you¡¯re putting yourself on the line for someone you aren¡¯t even responsible for.¡±


    ¡°is it responsibility, or is it avoiding the responsibility by just assuming the worst to skirt the problem?¡± noah asked. ¡°i¡¯m not saying you should blindly trust every demon. that would be stupid. but you haven¡¯t even tried talking to lee to find out more. you¡¯re just jumping to conclusions.¡±


    moxie sat upright. she flicked some flecks of ash from her shoulder, then rose to her feet, pulling her gaze away from noah and toward the direction that lee had gone. her hands clenched.


    noah remained silent as moxie stood there. he¡¯d already said his piece. there wasn¡¯t anything else he could say that would change her mind.


    ¡°how do you know you¡¯re right?¡± moxie finally asked. ¡°what if you trust the wrong person?¡±


    noah shrugged. ¡°then you die. i already told you. but... dying is one moment. living is every single other one. focus on all the moments you actually live through, not the single one at the end. if you decide that trusting lee is the wrong decision, then decide that. but make sure you actually believe it.¡±


    moxie swallowed. ¡°i need to think.¡±


    ¡°then think. i¡¯m sure lee didn¡¯t value your opinion of her at all. she definitely didn¡¯t care that one of the few people she¡¯s met thought she was a bloodthirsty monster that was just trying to manipulate them for their own selfish gains.¡±


    ¡°damn it, vermil. what do you want from me? i have a duty.¡±


    ¡°i never said you didn¡¯t,¡± noah said. ¡°i¡¯m a terrible professor. we¡¯ve established this already. why do you care about what some evil monster like me thinks anyway? seems odd. i¡¯m sure some people would think your trust of me is nearly as bad as trusting lee.¡±


    moxie¡¯s fists clenched and she looked away. vines slithered at her feet, whipping in anger as she withdrew them and pushed the rest of the garden back to its original state. some of the plants had been burnt and damaged from the fight, but she shifted those parts farther away from the path to hide them.


    ¡°i¡¯ll hear her out,¡± moxie said. ¡°take me to her.¡±


    ¡°nope.¡±


    ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t know where she is, moxie. there¡¯s no conspiracy or grand plan here. she just ran off because you hurt her feelings. if you want to do something about that, then go find her yourself. i don¡¯t belong in that conversation. if you think she¡¯s just some monster, then go find those other professors and hunt her down. i¡¯ll be sitting here.¡±


    ¡°doing what?¡±


    ¡°waiting,¡± noah replied. ¡°to see if you¡¯re an idiot or not.¡±


    moxie sent one last look at noah, then turned and strode off. noah lowered to the ground, crossing his legs as he sat and pressing his palms against his knees. a minute passed. he let out a heavy sigh and massaged his forehead.


    ¡°damn. that could have gone better.¡±


    ¡°she hates me.¡±


    lee stepped out of the bush behind noah. he looked over his shoulder at her, but didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°see? that¡¯s how people are supposed to respond,¡± lee said, nodding in moxie¡¯s direction and flopping down beside him. ¡°she¡¯s probably going to go find professors to hunt me.¡±


    ¡°maybe,¡± noah allowed. ¡°do you think they could catch you?¡±


    ¡°depends. not if they¡¯re rank 3. but if there are rank 4 professors... probably.¡±


    ¡°i see. i think moxie was just scared. she¡¯s trying to protect her student and isn¡¯t thinking rationally. or maybe she¡¯s trying to think too rationally and isn¡¯t considering her own experiences in comparison to what she¡¯s been told.¡±


    ¡°does it matter?¡± lee asked. ¡°she¡¯s still going to try to kill me. i¡¯m going to leave, and now you might as well.¡±


    noah shrugged. ¡°what i told her about you goes for me as well. we¡¯ve already established that i¡¯m an idiot.¡±


    lee snorted, then sniffled again. noah didn¡¯t look back at her. there wasn¡¯t much privacy outside, but it was better than nothing.


    ¡°you can¡¯t just sit here if you want to find out,¡± noah said. ¡°she did go looking, you know.¡±


    ¡°so what?¡±


    ¡°so nothing. it¡¯s up to you in the end. you¡¯re the person that moxie needs to apologize to, and if you don¡¯t want an apology, that¡¯s up to you. but if you want an apology, you¡¯re going to need to let her give it to you.¡±


    ¡°and if she¡¯s just going to find professors to kill me?¡±


    ¡°maybe she is. i don¡¯t know,¡± noah replied, rubbing his chin. ¡°i suppose the logical thing to do would be to get out of here just in case. avoid the risk. maybe you could rejoin the kids and i if we end up deciding to leave the school. or you could be an idiot. i¡¯m always partial to the latter option.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t have friends.¡±


    ¡°why not?¡± lee asked. ¡°friends help each other. it¡¯s nice. do you want to be a demon? because that¡¯s what i used to hear other demons say when they turned on each other, breaking their alliances for just a little more power. you sound just like them. what¡¯s wrong with trying to trust people? isn¡¯t it better to be betrayed than to be alone?¡±


    moxie¡¯s hands lowered to her sides. despite herself, a quick burst of bitter laughter slipped out of her lips. ¡°spoken like someone who¡¯s never been betrayed.¡±


    lee stared at moxie silently.


    moxie¡¯s heart twisted.


    damn it.


    ¡°you really thought i was your friend?¡± moxie asked.


    lee didn¡¯t respond.


    moxie¡¯s eyes prickled. she blinked in surprise, raising a hand to her face. it was wet.


    ¡°then you really can¡¯t trust me,¡± moxie said. ¡°don¡¯t you see what i¡¯m saying? if you feel that i betrayed you, there¡¯s no way you could possibly¨C¡±


    ¡°i still trust you,¡± lee said. ¡°i still want to be friends.¡±


    ¡°how?¡± moxie demanded.


    a small smile flickered across lee¡¯s face. ¡°maybe i¡¯m just a bit of an idiot.¡±


    moxie stared at her. she felt like her mind was trying to split itself in half. no option felt like it was the right one. no matter what she did, the alternative could come back. she could fail.


    she could fail again.


    her chest tightened and her stomach flipped. moxie¡¯s hands clenched at her sides.


    it isn¡¯t just my life i¡¯m betting. but she could have made a move already. i was so panicked about there being a demon. but what if ¨C


    i¡¯m just going in circles. this is pointless.


    i don¡¯t want to live like this.


    moxie slowly raised her gaze again. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, lee. i... i may have misjudged you.¡±


    lee blinked in surprise. ¡°you want to be friends?¡±


    ¡°isn¡¯t that what you wanted?¡±


    ¡°yes, but i didn¡¯t think you¡¯d actually do it.¡±


    moxie stared at lee. ¡°you came here fully expecting that i would betray you? again?¡±


    ¡°it would technically just be once, since you¡¯d just be sticking to the first betrayal. but, yes. i don¡¯t want to be alone anymore.¡±


    i know what i¡¯m supposed to do. emily¡¯s safety is the only priority. i shouldn¡¯t risk it, even if i believe lee.


    but... the torrin family doesn¡¯t know. this is a decision i can actually make for myself, one where they don¡¯t have a knife to my back. when was the last time i could actually do that?


    ¡°if you aren¡¯t planning to hunt me down, i can offer you a rune oath,¡± lee offered. ¡°then again, if you are planning to kill me and you make one of those, it¡¯s not going to go too well for you when the oath rips your runes up as i die.¡±


    noah¡¯s words echoed irritatingly at the back of moxie¡¯s head.


    am i going to be an idiot or not? if i accept the rune oath, that would help ensure emily wasn¡¯t at risk ¨C but it would show that i don¡¯t actually trust lee in the slightest. i know what the torrins would do.


    but, if i accept the oath and lee does find a way to wiggle out of it, i won¡¯t be able to safely fight against her because i¡¯ll cripple my own runes if she dies. i¡¯m not an expert on rune oaths either ¨C i couldn¡¯t make one that was really effective on the spot.


    even if i could... maybe, just this one time, i can trust someone because i choose to, not because the family told me i had to, even if it isn¡¯t the right move. it¡¯s not just lee i¡¯m putting my faith in here. it¡¯s vermil.


    ¡°i don¡¯t need a rune oath,¡± moxie said, clenching her fists by her sides. ¡°and that clearly goes both ways, just like you said. i want to believe you, lee. but i need to protect emily as well. just promise me that you really don¡¯t have any plans to ever hurt emily or any of the other students. a normal promise. not a rune oath.¡±


    lee inclined her head. ¡°i promise.¡±


    they were silent for a few moments. moxie blinked a few times in rapid succession and glanced over her shoulder, clearing her throat.


    ¡°is that it? i haven¡¯t done this before.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t know,¡± lee muttered. ¡°neither have i.¡±


    ¡°it doesn¡¯t feel like enough.¡± moxie bit her lower lip. ¡°vermil was right. i didn¡¯t actually use what i knew of you when i made the judgement. i just listened to some vague warnings in an old book without putting any thought into it. this was wrong, even if my suspicions were right.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s okay. i forgave you already.¡±


    ¡°that easily?¡± moxie demanded. ¡°but how do you know that i¡¯m not¨C¡±


    lee took a step toward moxie. then she reared back and punched her in the face. moxie swore, stumbling back and raising a hand to her stinging cheek. the blow hadn¡¯t been anywhere near the strength that lee could have used ¨C she knew from the training session¡¯s they¡¯d had.


    ¡°there,¡± lee said. ¡°is that better?¡±


    somehow, yes.


    moxie rubbed her cheek, working her jaw. ¡°i suppose i deserved that.¡±


    ¡°usually, demons solve their problems by trying to beat each other to death. i never really liked the idea all that much as i prefer being alive, but i suppose there¡¯s an appeal to a good punch.¡±


    a small smile crossed moxie¡¯s lips. ¡°i suppose there is.¡±


    ¡°should we head back before vermil starts wondering if we¡¯re killing each other?¡± lee asked.


    moxie nodded. ¡°that might be a good idea, yes.¡±

 Chapter 72: Chat

    chapter 72: chat


    noah busied himself by playing with his rune. he¡¯d already lit the flashgrass on fire, so there was no reason to waste the smoke. from what he could tell, he still had good control over ash, likely due to the pyroclastic aspect of the rank 2 rune.


    however, his control over wind with it was nearly nonexistent. his only remaining wind magic was from the greater wind rune. he made a few low pitched, trilling notes by whistling, then warped them. the air heated around him as he played with the sound they made, as dissonant as it was.


    definitely vibration in that. i wonder if it works just as well as a vibration rune, though.


    noah pressed his hand to the ground and sent a small pulse of energy out into it. the dirt beneath him whumped, bouncing up in a circle around him like water on the surface of a submerged speaker. noah grinned and raised his hand.


    good. i¡¯ve still got access to most of my magic, then. i¡¯ll have to figure out what else i can actually do by combining the ash and sound, then.


    noah wasn¡¯t sure how much time had passed, but he looked up, tearing away from his thoughts as he heard the sound of leaves crunching around the edge of a nearby shrub. lee and moxie stepped out from behind it. moxie¡¯s face had a bright red imprint of a fist on it.


    ¡°i see you¡¯ve come to an agreement.¡±


    ¡°not really,¡± moxie said.


    ¡°yep,¡± lee said.


    they glanced at each other.


    moxie chewed her lip. ¡°i¡¯m still thinking stuff over, but i may have been acting a little too rashly. i heard lee out.¡±


    ¡°ah. good,¡± noah said. he rose to his feet, brushing the dirt off his pants. ¡°i was starting to get bored. i¡¯m glad to hear that we¡¯ve gotten things fixed up. it¡¯s about time i go find my students and see what their thoughts are.¡±


    ¡°do they know?¡± moxie asked as noah turned to head out of the garden.


    he paused and glanced back at her. ¡°they don¡¯t know a lot of things. that¡¯s why they¡¯re students. it is my job to evaluate challenges and make sure that they only face what they¡¯re ready to handle. so long as they don¡¯t go trying to kill anyone they shouldn¡¯t be, i reckon everything will be fine ¨C up until the linwick estate, at least. that still needs some thinking.¡±


    moxie cleared her throat. ¡°i already spoke to emily about things and she¡¯s more than willing to get some more training in, especially since you promised to give a proper demonstration of those aggressive training techniques you use.¡±


    ¡°good to hear. in that case, i¡¯m heading out.¡±


    ¡°i can find brayden and make sure you meet him before he wanders off somewhere,¡± lee offered.


    ¡°that would be greatly appreciated,¡± noah said. ¡°thank you. and don¡¯t forget compiling that info about demons i asked you for.¡±


    lee just nodded. she hopped, grabbing onto a low hanging branch, and swung herself over the tall shrubbery, vanishing behind it. moxie¡¯s eyes traced her through the air.


    ¡°not having second thoughts, i hope.¡±


    ¡°no,¡± moxie replied, walking with noah as he headed out of the garden. ¡°nothing like that. at least, not about lee.¡±


    noah raised an eyebrow, but moxie didn¡¯t expand on her words. she looked lost in thought as they emerged onto a cobbled path and continued onward toward the g building. they walked in silence for a few moments before noah broke it with a question that had been building ever since he¡¯d combined his runes.


    ¡°why does the first rune combination matter so much?¡±


    ¡°of course not. i don¡¯t think i¡¯d last very long in a fight against him,¡± noah said with a laugh. ¡°no, i¡¯ve got other methods. i can be very convincing. moxie, could you and the kids meet me at the base of the transport cannon once you¡¯ve gathered emily? i¡¯m going to branch off to meet lee.¡±


    moxie shrugged. ¡°that¡¯s no problem with me. just try not to piss off anyone too important.¡±


    ¡°no promises,¡± noah muttered.


    ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°nothing.¡±


    ***


    brayden and lee were both in noah¡¯s room when he got back. lee had perched herself on top of a stack of papers that she¡¯d moved on top of his desk, and brayden was sitting on the barrel of rum that noah had bought the previous night. once noah arrived, lee hopped down and slipped out the door behind him, pulling it shut.


    ¡°you took your sweet time,¡± brayden said through a yawn. ¡°i¡¯ve got work to do, vermil. last night was nice, but i can¡¯t slack off all day.¡±


    ¡°of course. i understand. i only asked you to speak with me again because this is about work.¡±


    brayden tilted his head to the side. ¡°about work? the hellreaver?¡±


    ¡°related to it,¡± noah said. he glanced over his shoulder. brayden took the hint and summoned his shield, sending purple light washing over the room.


    ¡°you can speak freely,¡± brayden said. ¡°what is it? do you know something?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯d say it¡¯s more than just something,¡± noah replied. ¡°you asked me what i was doing. if everything was going according to plan.¡±


    brayden nodded slowly, not sure where noah¡¯s angle was. ¡°yes. father was impatient. there¡¯s only so much time we have to work with. but you assured me there was nothing to worry about.¡±


    ¡°there isn¡¯t,¡± noah said. ¡°because there¡¯s nothing left to do. you¡¯ll have to forgive me ¨C i¡¯ve been very careful, and i had to make sure that everything was properly aligned before i told you anything more.¡±


    ¡°anything more about what? either you¡¯ve done it or you haven¡¯t. you ¨C wait.¡± brayden¡¯s eyes narrowed. he took a step back, then studied noah¡¯s face closely. ¡°what are you saying, vermil?¡±


    ¡°what do you think?¡± noah asked. ¡°you know me better than most, brayden.¡±


    brayden glanced down at the barrel beneath him. his gaze sharpened as he looked back up at noah. ¡°were you celebrating more than just my arrival?¡±


    ¡°i was,¡± noah said with a wry smile. ¡°i was drinking to success ¨C both of our success. yours, for discovering who killed the hellreaver. mine, for accomplishing the task that i set out so long ago to do.¡±


    brayden¡¯s eyes went wide. he slowly raised to his feet, watching noah in disbelief. ¡°you mean... you¡¯ve had it? this entire time?¡±


    ¡°it took longer to find a balance with it than i thought. housing something this powerful inside your body isn¡¯t easy,¡± noah said. ¡°i wasn¡¯t lying about that amnesia when you went off to our estate. but now we¡¯ve come to an agreement.¡±


    brayden swallowed heavily. ¡°i don¡¯t believe it. it¡¯s over?¡±


    ¡°no, brayden,¡± noah said. ¡°it¡¯s only getting started. i need you take me back to father. it¡¯s time we had a chat.¡±

 Chapter 73: Smush

    chapter 73: smush


    the rest of that conversation didn¡¯t take long. brayden had bolted to his feet, excitement and trepidation intermixing in his features, firing off a series of rapid questions. before noah could even try to think about answering them, brayden said that he needed to prepare for the trip and promised to meet at the transport cannon at noah¡¯s suggestion. then he vanished out the door, leaving noah staring at his receding back.


    ¡°well,¡± lee said, slipping into the room. ¡°that went quickly.¡±


    ¡°easier than i thought it would be,¡± noah admitted. ¡°it sounds like everything is lined up.¡±


    ¡°except for my shopping,¡± lee said. ¡°you owe me a lot of that.¡±


    ¡°so i do,¡± noah agreed. he fished in his bag and pulled out a gold coin. he was already running short for the month, but it wasn¡¯t like one gold was going to buy anything lifechanging. noah handed it to her. ¡°i¡¯ll get the rest when i get paid. i might be selling some monster parts when we get to the linwick estate. moxie said they won¡¯t go for much here.¡±l--b1n.


    lee took the coin happily, and noah set about stuffing his travel bag full of everything in the room that looked like he might need it. a quill, a pot of ink, several sheafs of paper, and all the spare clothes he could fit.


    ¡°do you need anything?¡±


    ¡°me?¡± lee asked. ¡°no.¡±


    ¡°what about that demon info, then?¡±


    ¡°honestly, i couldn¡¯t think of a ton,¡± lee admitted. ¡°most of the strong ones were assholes. they¡¯d never admit that something scares them, even if it does, and they¡¯re incredibly arrogant. they¡¯re also usually more than happy to break contracts whenever they can if you give them room to.¡±


    ¡°who would have thought,¡± noah said with a dry smile.


    lee cleared her throat. ¡°aside from that, they were all pretty different, and i didn¡¯t really know any of them that well. no different than you and some random human.¡±


    ¡°then i suppose we¡¯re good. let¡¯s head to the transport cannon and meet up with the others.¡±


    ***


    todd and isabel were already there when noah and lee arrived. they¡¯d claimed a bench together with emily, but there was no sign of moxie.


    ¡°where¡¯s moxie?¡± noah asked, coming to a stop beside the students. lee crouched next to the bench and picked up todd¡¯s bag, shuffling through it.


    todd raised a finger, then lowered it as he decided against questioning lee. isabel gave him an approving nod, and noah suppressed a laugh.


    ¡°she¡¯s still getting some things for the journey,¡± emily said. she shouldered her own pack ¨C which noah couldn¡¯t help but notice looked considerably more comfortable than the ones isabel and todd had ¨C and leaned forward. ¡°i¡¯ve never managed to convince her to let me out of arbitage, no matter what the situation was. how¡¯d you manage it?¡±


    ¡°bribes.¡±


    ¡°what?¡± emily¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°you found something she wants? impossible. tell me.¡±


    what¡¯s that supposed to mean? she¡¯s not that much of a sourpuss.


    ¡°i was joking,¡± noah admitted. ¡°i just convinced her it would be the best choice we could make for the time being. besides, there¡¯s that survival exam coming up pretty soon. a month and a bit, i think. this is good experience.¡±


    emily¡¯s face fell. ¡°blast. i was really hoping there was something that would actually work to bribe her with. she¡¯s just too damn rich.¡±


    rich?


    is that why moxie gave me so much money when i asked for a loan for a few days? whoops. maybe read into that a bit too much.


    ¡°it¡¯s mushy.¡±


    ¡°because you squeezed it,¡± todd muttered. emily snickered.


    well, that¡¯s one way to defuse a situation. i¡¯m not sure if that was intentional or not, but well done.


    ¡°well, that¡¯s that,¡± noah said before emily and todd could get back into things. ¡°are you all ready? brayden is going to be finding us shortly, and then we can get going.¡±


    moxie nodded. ¡°i just had to collect some things for the trip. i¡¯m ready. is he going to meet us here?¡±


    ¡°he said he¡¯d find me,¡± noah replied. ¡°i don¡¯t suppose anyone brought a deck of cards?¡±


    ***


    nobody had. luckily, the argument didn¡¯t restart now that moxie had arrived, so they all just sat around awkwardly instead. noah spent the time leafing through his grimoire, scanning the runes and pondering what rune he¡¯d try to make after he perfected pyroclastic resonance.


    they didn¡¯t have to wait too much longer. before the sun could make its way too far in the sky, noah heard the telltale thuds of brayden¡¯s approach. it really was impressive ¨C he couldn¡¯t tell if the large man was intentionally loud, or if he just couldn¡¯t help himself. it sounded like a herd of stampeding elephants had all been overlaid into a single spot.


    noah snapped his book shut and turned as brayden came to a stop beside them. he carried an enormous leather bag over one shoulder, and the sun glinted off the hilt of his uncomfortably large sword.


    ¡°vermil!¡± brayden said, clapping him on the shoulder. ¡°i¡¯ve got everything all settled out. this will be an enjoyable trip.¡±


    his gaze raised to the rest of the group.


    ¡°hello,¡± lee said, waggling her fingers at him.


    brayden inclined his head to her, then looked at everyone else. ¡°and the others. of course. you wouldn¡¯t want to abandon your duties as a teacher, even during a personal errand.¡±


    he didn¡¯t sound too convinced about it. his eyes fell on moxie and his face tightened.


    ¡°why are you coming?¡±


    ¡°we¡¯re working together on a joint exercise right now,¡± noah replied smoothly. ¡°moxie and i have very different areas of expertise, so we decided it would be best to intermix our knowledge to make sure our students got the best we could offer.¡±


    ¡°right,¡± brayden said slowly. ¡°how magnanimous of you.¡±


    ¡°we won¡¯t be following you all the way to the linwick estate,¡± moxie said. ¡°is there a problem with that?¡±


    ¡°none at all,¡± brayden replied. ¡°so long as you can protect yourself. more is always better on the roads.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m glad to hear you think so,¡± noah said. ¡°shall we go, then?¡±


    ¡°in a moment,¡± brayden replied. ¡°i¡¯m still waiting on the last two people to show up.¡±


    ¡°there are others?¡± noah asked, tilting his head to the side. ¡°who?¡±


    brayden glanced over his shoulder, then raised a hand in greeting. noah followed his gaze and his stomach clenched in distaste.


    walking down the road toward them were magus allen and edward, both carrying travel packs.


    goddamn it.

 Chapter 74: Setting out

    chapter 74: setting out


    the expressions on allen and edward¡¯s faces soured just as fast as noah¡¯s did. they ground to a halt, looking from him to brayden.


    ¡°why are they here?¡± allen asked, his tone clipped.


    brayden looked from allen to noah, blinking in surprise at the tension between the two groups. ¡°vermil is reporting back with me, and he didn¡¯t want to leave his students behind. i figured we could take care of two problems at once.¡±


    ¡°you know, i¡¯m with allen on this one,¡± noah said. ¡°perhaps it would be best if we left these two particular groups separated. magus allen and i don¡¯t see eye to eye on everything, and i suspect we¡¯d have some difficulty on this trip.¡±


    ¡°i vehemently agree,¡± allen said, crossing his arms. ¡°the idea of sharing travel accommodations with this man for any longer than i absolutely need to is abhorrent. his attitude may rub off on edward ¨C and isn¡¯t he under investigation?¡±


    ¡°yes. by me. and good to hear about your complaints,¡± brayden said. ¡°i don¡¯t care about them. i¡¯m not doing this trip twice. we don¡¯t have the luxury of using a portal, unless you want to go find someone to make it for us and have the coin to spend for their time and energy. of course, you¡¯re welcome to go on your own.¡±


    allen pursed his lips, then shook his head. ¡°very well. so long as magus vermil keeps his distance, we will do the same.¡±


    ¡°i can work with that,¡± noah said.


    hm. i wonder why magus and edward need to get to the linwick estate. i¡¯ll have to keep an eye on that. maybe there will be something useful.


    ¡°is there anyone else coming?¡± lee asked. ¡°at this rate, we might as well pick arbitage up and drag the rest of the school along with us.¡±


    to noah¡¯s surprise, brayden snorted in amusement.


    ¡°no. this is everyone,¡± brayden said. ¡°more than i expected, but vermil does have a way of surprising me. this¡¯ll be a one and a half week trip. maybe a bit less if things go well, but they never do. let¡¯s get it moving. the less time we waste, the faster i can get back to things that are actually relevant. i don¡¯t have a wind rune, so i won¡¯t be flying around anywhere. this will be a fully walked trip. have any complaints ¨C feel free to go on your own.¡±


    nobody said anything.


    ¡°do i need a tent?¡± noah broke the silence. ¡°or will there be enough lodgings on the way?¡±


    ¡°i never use one,¡± brayden replied with a shrug. ¡°it¡¯ll be fine. it¡¯s not the weather that¡¯ll we¡¯ll have to be worrying about.¡±


    and, with that, they were off. noah and moxie exchanged a glance as they fell in step, their group staying a ways ahead of allen and edward, who sullenly stayed behind the party. brayden¡¯s long legs set his pace at such a rate that lee and isabel had to power walk to keep up with him, and noah wasn¡¯t doing much better off.


    they crossed campus, heading through the market square and past a section of buildings that noah had never been in before. he kept himself from craning his neck around too much.


    once we get back, i¡¯m going to take a little time to actually explore the area. i keep telling myself that, but i haven¡¯t really had a chance to just sit and get to know the world yet. maybe i¡¯ll have the opportunity to do that at the linwick estate.


    the odd group made good time, but arbitage was massive. after two hours of walking, they¡¯d only just left the main buildings of the campus behind. it was another three hours before they finally broke away from the last vestiges of the campus. the paved path turned to a wide dirt road, and the number of travelers passing by them steadily decreased.


    throughout the entire day, edward and allen never grew close to them. they kept back, whispering to each other in hushed words. noah was perfectly happy with that, although he couldn¡¯t deny being somewhat curious as to what they were talking about.


    he considered trying to use his pyroclastic resonance rune to try to pick up the vibrations from their voices, but he still hadn¡¯t had nearly enough time to figure out how the rune worked to try anything like that.


    and that would also probably require body imbuing, the lessons on which i unfortunately missed because of the hellreaver blasting my mind with psychological warfare. stupid monkey. i¡¯ll get lee to fill me in tonight.


    once they¡¯d completely broken away from arbitage, what greeted them were long, sweeping plains of grassy hills. the grass was a deep, ruddy yellow and orange that almost reminded noah of the scorched acres, but it wasn¡¯t actually dead.


    dotted throughout the grass were stout bushes with long, bright red flowers sprouting all over them. they rippled easily in the wind like miniature fires, and many of them were concentrated around the path that they were on.


    the bushes leaned toward them as they passed, brushing against their skin. noah stepped to the side, avoiding one of the grasping flowers.


    ¡°nice to see you caring about something other than ¨C well, you know,¡± brayden said, turning away and starting to wander off. ¡°you needed a break after all that work you¡¯ve been doing.¡±


    ¡°so, body imbuement?¡± noah prompted lee. ¡°is it similar to normal imbuement?¡±


    ¡°it is,¡± lee said with a nod. ¡°but it¡¯s harder than imbuing a lot of normal materials because you¡¯re working with organics that you actually care about. you¡¯re going to want to start just by using a very small amount of energy to trace your rune on the chosen body part. then, every day, you retrace it. that¡¯ll steadily build up your body¡¯s relationship with the imbued part instead of a sudden transition that does a lot of damage to your system.¡±


    noah nodded his understanding. ¡°that makes sense. it¡¯s a long term modification rather than just a sudden change. clever.¡±


    ¡°i had a good teacher,¡± lee said, her eyes darkening.


    ¡°you did?¡± moxie asked, walking up to join them. ¡°i thought¨C¡±


    ¡°failure,¡± lee finished. ¡°i blew my limbs off a few times.¡±


    emily winced from behind moxie.


    ¡°that¡¯s a lot of healing potions. was your family very wealthy?¡±


    lee blinked, then giggled. ¡°rich in strength. how has your imbuing been going?¡±


    emily screwed her face up and crossed her arms. ¡°badly. i can¡¯t get my nature rune to bind with my stomach. it just keeps fading away.¡±


    ¡°use a little more energy,¡± lee advised. ¡°that¡¯s the imbuement that moxie has, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°it is,¡± moxie allowed. ¡°but my rune was rank 2 when i imbued it. more energy to work with. i didn¡¯t use your technique, though. i just did it in one go. had some potions on standby in case i messed up.¡±


    ¡°did you?¡± emily asked.


    moxie winced. ¡°yes. a lot.¡±


    ¡°body imbuement is difficult,¡± allen said, speaking to moxie directly for the first time since they¡¯d left arbitage. ¡°attempting it with rank 1 runes is dangerous. why are you taking these risks with your student? vermil, i understand. his pupils are not of worthy cloth. it doesn¡¯t matter if they¡¯re injured.¡±


    noah¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    is he trying to bait me? moxie mentioned that he might have been biding his time to get back at me, but there¡¯s no way brayden would side against me... right?


    gah, i hate this prick. i¡¯ll just wait. now isn¡¯t the time.


    ¡°don¡¯t talk about my students like that,¡± noah said curtly. ¡°they achieved results on the last exam, and that¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    allen grunted. he ducked into the small shelter that isabel had built him and turned his back on the rest of the group.


    ¡°sour old man,¡± moxie muttered under her breath, drawing a snicker out of lee.


    edward glared at her, but he didn¡¯t dare speak out against moxie.


    ¡°don¡¯t be too hard on him,¡± brayden said. ¡°father went to school together with allen, even though father hit rank 4 well before he did. allen typically means well, even if he isn¡¯t the best about showing it through words.¡±


    brayden traced his hand through the air again. the ring on his finger twinkled. this time, he reached into the rift and pulled out a large wooden box. brayden popped the top off, revealing an assortment of meat and cheeses.


    ¡°shall we eat?¡± brayden asked, setting the box down. ¡°actually, i don¡¯t care if you join me. i¡¯m eating, though. anyone else is welcome to as well.¡±

 Chapter 75: Cold night

    chapter 75: cold night


    dinner went quickly ¨C though it was one of the few times that noah had actually eaten instead of sustaining himself off monsters in recent memory. it was strange ¨C he¡¯d thought that he¡¯d value the taste of food more than many other things after spending so much time dead. instead, after the first meal or two, it had lost a lot of its call to him. it was just another way to survive.


    that didn¡¯t stop him from stuffing his portion of meat and cheese into his mouth happily. isabel erected several more stone tents in the time it took them to all finish eating and start preparing for the night ¨C seven, to be precise.


    once food was done, brayden clapped his hands on his knees and rose to his feet. ¡°i¡¯ll take first watch. moxie will take second. allen will take third. vermil will take fourth. good?¡±


    they all nodded. and, with that signal, everyone headed off to bed. noah stepped into the small hut that isabel had made. he was tempted to slip right back out into the night, but that was a poor idea. he couldn¡¯t risk someone seeing him leaving. waiting too long wouldn¡¯t be optimal, as then he¡¯d have less time to find out what monsters were in the area and figure out how to fight them.


    i¡¯ll wait for brayden and moxie to swap shifts. that should be the best time for me to sneak out.


    and so, noah settled down. he had some time to kill, and it was as good at time as any to practice some body imbuement now that lee had given him the rundown.


    ***


    brayden stretched his arms over his head and yawned. he glanced up at the moon, which was now well along its track through the sky, and rose to his feet. brushing dirt off his backside, he thumped over to moxie¡¯s stone tent.


    he wasn¡¯t particularly silent, but the dirt helped muffle his steps far better than stone. he rapped his knuckles against the stone. moxie stepped out an instant later, ducking through the dark opening.


    ¡°that was fast,¡± moxie muttered.


    brayden shrugged. ¡°they always seem fast to the sleeping and long to the waiting. there shouldn¡¯t be much trouble, if any at all. even a torrin should be able to handle this.¡±


    a tiny grin flickered across his face, making it impossible to tell if he was trying to insult her or was just playing around. brayden turned and headed off to his own tent, which was over twice the size of the others.


    moxie watched him leave. a vine slipped from the cuff of a sleeve and curled around her palm. she absentmindedly stroked it with a finger, like one would pet a snake. the fire had burned down to dull cinders, and a thin pillar of smoke curled into the blueish purple sky.


    a breeze, just enough to bring goosebumps up on her skin, swept through the camp. moxie walked up to the firepit and looked into the embers. the night was quiet. almost too ¨C


    a rumble shook the camp. she sent a glance back at brayden¡¯s tent. he was snoring. loudly.


    moxie¡¯s eye twitched. she paused for a moment, waiting to see if anyone would wake up. nobody did.


    well, at least he was fast.


    moxie¡¯s hands tightened into fists. she knelt and the vine pushed itself into the ground, pulling away from her as moxie stood back up. the vine grew in size, rising until it stood taller than the tents. its tip curled into the shape of an eye.


    that¡¯ll do for a few minutes. that¡¯s all i need.


    turning, moxie strode away from the camp. the open plains weren¡¯t the best for hiding, but they were sloping enough that after just a few minutes of walking, she¡¯d completely lost sight of it behind one of the other hills.


    moxie¡¯s eyes swept across the red grass, now dulled by the moonlight, and landed on a large bush. she approached it, trepidation building in her chest, and knelt on the ground beside it. pulling a small seed out of her pocket, moxie pressed it into the dirt.


    even as she leaned back, a small crack came from beneath the ground. soil churned and rose as a form pushed out from it. within moments, an old woman had risen from the ground. she leaned heavily on a wood staff that was only slightly less wizened than she was, and her thinning white hair was pulled into a bun behind her head.


    despite her age, the woman¡¯s eyes were full of with intelligence ¨C and a warning of danger. she looked around, adjusting her grip on the staff, and grimaced.


    ¡°what is this location, moxie? such ugly surroundings.¡±


    ¡°we¡¯re on a trip, magus evergreen,¡± moxie replied, bowing her head slightly.


    evergreen pursed her lips. she walked in a circle around moxie, forcing her to turn to keep her eyes on the older woman. ¡°then i suppose you are doing at least part of your job.¡±


    moxie remained silent, waiting for evergreen to speak again.


    ¡°you didn¡¯t finish answering the question. what of this strange linwick that you encountered? will he be pliable to our plans? or is this just a dalliance ¨C another way for you to try and skirt your duties?¡±


    ¡°i would never dream of acting against the torrin family¡¯s will.¡±


    ¡°fast response. very practiced,¡± evergreen said with an approving nod. ¡°good. then all goes well with him?¡±


    ¡°i am... unsure how useful he will be,¡± moxie said, choosing her words carefully. ¡°i may have overestimated the strangeness i told you of. he is still a linwick, i had just avoided him for so long that he managed to start improving himself in that time.¡±


    evergreen¡¯s lips pursed in annoyance. ¡°disappointing. you made it sound like he trusted you enough for us to manipulate him. are you certain there is no further path here?¡±


    ¡°none,¡± moxie said firmly. ¡°he is the same person i always knew, just with a cover of respect. he may share something of relevance about the linwick family in time, but he is not worth us putting any extra attention to.¡±


    ¡°and what of the hellreaver?¡±


    ¡°i am unsure,¡± moxie replied. she used every single strand of training that the torrin¡¯s had inadvertently given her over the years to make sure her face remained as straight as possible. ¡°there are several under investigation.¡±


    ¡°who?¡±


    ¡°i do not know all of them,¡± moxie admitted.


    ¡°but you know at least some,¡± evergreen said.


    moxie¡¯s fingers twitched at her sides. ¡°vermil was under suspicion.¡±


    ¡°fascinating. one of their own, and a rank 1 at that? how could that be?¡±


    moxie just shrugged. after a moment, evergreen yawned and glanced at her fingertips. they¡¯d started to blacken, like the ends of a rotting plant.


    ¡°we run out of time. is there anything else that you need to inform me of today?¡±


    ¡°nothing right now,¡± moxie said.


    ¡°you shall continue doing what you have been, then. i am not convinced that the connection to this linwick is not an angle we can use. you were so confident before. pursue it. i expect to see results, magus moxie. we do not keep you around for mediocrity.¡±


    ¡°understood, magus evergreen.¡±


    ¡°good. continue on your path then. if emily has requested this, then you shall continue to do as she asks. ensure she does not come to harm though, moxie. i trust i do not have to tell you what will happen if she does.¡±


    ¡°and what of her own feelings?¡± moxie asked, a spark of rebellion igniting an instant before she could crush it out. ¡°what will she think when she learns of all this, and that her teacher never had any choice in the matter?¡±


    evergreen¡¯s lips twisted into a cold smile. ¡°that¡¯s hardly your concern. watch that flame inside you, girl. it¡¯s not healthy for plants to be near such heat. they¡¯re likely to burn.¡±


    black wrinkles spread across evergreen¡¯s skin, quickly covering her entire body. it deepened, expanding to her clothes and hair. then the elderly woman fell away, blowing into thin scraps that dissipated in the air. the root cage peeled away from moxie and slithered back underground, leaving her alone in the darkness.


    moxie¡¯s hands clenched at her sides as she looked at the dirt before her. she bit her lip so hard that the taste of copper filled her mouth. then she rose, brushing the dirt from her pants, and headed back to the camp. for some reason, the night felt colder than it had been when she¡¯d left.

 Chapter 76: Bushes

    chapter 76: bushes


    brayden¡¯s snores covered noah¡¯s steps as he padded out of the camp. as soon as he¡¯d heard the large man fall asleep, noah had slipped out of his tent and crept away. he¡¯d caught a glimpse of moxie beside the firepit before he left, but she still looked half asleep and hadn¡¯t noticed his departure.


    noah continued for a few minutes, cresting hills until the camp was behind him. the cool night prickled against his skin and made his chest yearn for ¨C well, something. he wasn¡¯t exactly sure what.


    the hills around him were fairly empty. there were bushes, grass, and the wind. normally, that would have been perfect. however, noah was currently in the business of trying to find a monster to annoy, and there was a very stark lack of monsters in the area.


    he jogged, keeping to a straight line to try and make sure his trip back to the camp would be as easy as possible. of course, he¡¯d memorized the way, but that didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t get lost.


    noah continued for a little under half an hour, finding nothing but more and more bushes. brayden had made it sound like there would be a large number of big monsters roaming around at night, but as far as he could tell, he was alone.


    or, more likely, i can¡¯t see them. nighttime predators are often stealth hunters, right? more birds, maybe?


    the sky was empty, devoid of everything but the moon and some wispy gray clouds. noah squinted, trying to tell if something was somehow blending into the night, but he found nothing in the air.


    okay, maybe no birds here. underground, then. i¡¯ve been walking for quite a while and haven¡¯t found anything, though. i wish i could have left my gourd back at the camp so i could be a little less careful, but the risk of someone finding it while i was out is just too high.


    noah knelt, studying the grass at his feet. aside from its color, it really did just look like normal grass. he chewed his lower lip.


    if i were a monster hiding underground, what would make me want to come out? i suppose predators usually don¡¯t expect prey to be strolling around casually. it¡¯s possible they¡¯re avoiding me because they don¡¯t know how strong i am. that means i need to sniff one of them out.


    noah¡¯s gaze landed on one of the bushes that dotted the landscape. they supposedly drew runic energy out of passersby. that meant they had energy themselves ¨C and typically, whenever there was a resource to harvest, there was something there to leech off it.


    he approached the bush carefully. it was a good bit larger than the ones that had been along the path near arbitage. noah walked in a circle around it, keeping his magic ready to jump aside at the first sign of trouble. he pushed some flashgrass into his pipe, though he didn¡¯t light it yet.


    noah completed the circle and crossed his arms. it was a bush, and now he felt like an idiot. the flowers were all closed for the night, and they didn¡¯t even lean toward him when he passed by. noah nudged one of them.


    the bush rippled, leaning away from him. noah suppressed a laugh. he poked the bush again, then shook his head.


    if these are the monsters in the area, i don¡¯t think i¡¯m going to be able to get all that much training in for the kids. but... if they feed off energy, there has to be something in the area that actually has said energy. where is it?


    noah prodded the bush again. once more, it leaned away from him. a small frown crossed noah¡¯s face.


    what good does pulling away do a bush? it¡¯s not like it can go anywhere.


    the back of noah¡¯s neck prickled. he couldn¡¯t place exactly what it was, but all the fights he¡¯d been in over the course of the last few weeks had trained a sense that he couldn¡¯t exactly place. it wasn¡¯t one of the normal five senses as much as a combination of all of them ¨C and it was telling noah that something was wrong.


    he ignited the flashgrass in his pipe and spun, searching for the threat. it wasn¡¯t the mole, as the monster was still sitting beside the bush. he tensed his muscles, waiting for something to jump out of the ground.


    instead, it came from the sky.


    a streak of black flashed through the night, moving so quickly that noah barely even saw it. it slammed into the mole, which let out a shrill shriek of terror and fury. as the two collided, noah got a glimpse of the fast-moving form.


    it resembled a vulture, but its body was pitch black and sleek. its talons were long and curved. they left deep gashes across the mole¡¯s back as the two monsters struggled, but it was clear that the bird had a huge advantage.


    even though it wasn¡¯t quite as large as the mole, the bird shredded the other monster within moments. it whipped its large, pointed beak down into the mole¡¯s head, killing it with a hollow thud.


    filthy little thief. that was my kill.


    the bird ruffled its feathers, hopping onto the dead mole¡¯s back and staring at noah down the bridge of its beak. it looked to be sizing him up, but something was giving it pause. after a moment, noah realized that it was the light coming from his pipe.


    ¡°scared of fire?¡± noah wondered aloud, igniting the smoke. a flash of flame rose up into the air, and he let out a low hum. it swirled around his head, then shot for the bird.


    it squawked and fluttered back, lifting into the air to avoid the magic. its ascent wasn¡¯t particularly graceful or fast, but the moment it was in the sky, noah nearly lost sight of it. the bird blended into the darkness so perfectly that it might not have even been there without the bright grass to contrast against it.


    noah snapped his fingers and ignited the smoke around him once more. several streams of flaming ash shot out toward the monster, lighting the area up. it screeched, pulling away once more and taking higher to the sky.


    even though he knew where it was, noah could barely spot the monster. he whipped a blade of wind at it and the bird tried to dodge to the side, but it wasn¡¯t fast enough. it carved across its chest, cutting through thick feathers and sending several fluttering to the ground.


    that was evidently far too great of an insult for the bird to ignore. it dropped like a rock, shooting straight for noah. a series of sparks went off around him as he ignited the flashgrass, sending it streaking straight into the bird.


    it flew straight into the expanding cloud of superheated ash and screeched in pain as the smoldering motes enveloped it, catching on its feathers and setting it alight. the bird flapped desperately, trying to get away, but noah had no intentions of wasting free energy.


    he touched the cloud of smoke that still hung between him and the bird and poured energy into it. a deep thrum echoed through the night, traveling along the motes of ash and into the bird¡¯s body. it shuddered violently, its beak clacking against itself. the ash solidified an instant later, turning into a sharp spike of embers and ash. noah drove it forward, into the back of the bird¡¯s skull.


    an instant later, energy rushed into his body. the bird crumpled to the ground and noah smiled. it had about as much energy as the maulers did. not exactly the most dangerous enemy he¡¯d fought, but their camouflage made them considerably more of a threat than most of the enemies in the scorched acres.


    our target for training will be the moles, then. in the early hours of the day, the birds won¡¯t be anywhere near as dangerous. now, let¡¯s see. i need to find some more moles to practice on before i go making any claims... i¡¯m going to need more bushes. a lot more bushes.

 Chapter 77: Odd

    chapter 77: odd


    noah practiced throughout the rest of the night, all the way up until just before it would be around time for his watch. he was faster than he had been in the scorched acres, though he had to take more frequent breaks to recover the energy in his wind rune as it was no longer full.


    easily two or three dozen of the moles fell to noah¡¯s hand under the dull moonlight. he liberated them of their teeth ¨C he wasn¡¯t sure what else on them would be worth much, and the idea of carrying a bag of eyeballs or other organs around just didn¡¯t sit right. they¡¯d all be mush by the time he got them to the linwick estate.


    when the morning started to approach once again, noah was o very confident in his abilities to handle the moles. he¡¯d spent the majority of his time sitting around and goading the monsters into attacking, trying to determine just how dangerous they were.


    to noah¡¯s delight, he suspected there was likely a great monster somewhere in the area. the moles, while definitely not quite as one-minded as the monkeys, definitely acted the same. they wouldn¡¯t show up until he started messing with one of the bushes, after which they would arrive and attempt to protect it.


    a small part of noah almost felt bad for what he was doing. the moles weren¡¯t aggressive, and they had no interest in him the moment they left the bushes alone. unfortunately, they gave fairly good energy and noah wasn¡¯t about to risk trying to use his training method if there was any chance the monsters would act irrationally.


    besides, he was only killing them. there were worse things in life.


    noah made his way back to the camp in the very, very early hours of the morning. as he crested a hill in the direction of the camp, his stride slowed as he spotted lee at its bottom, stuffing the remains of a monster into her mouth.


    she glanced up at him, then waggled her fingers in greeting and swallowed. letting out a loud burp, lee skipped up to him.


    ¡°good meal tonight. thanks,¡± lee said.


    ¡°have you been following me this entire time?¡±


    ¡°yup. watching you toast that bird was fun. the feathers didn¡¯t taste too great, though.¡±


    noah opened his mouth, then shook his head. ¡°you¡¯re telling me that the monkeys did taste good?¡±


    ¡°better than the bird. it was too boney.¡±


    ¡°well, thank you. i suppose that¡¯ll save me from explaining what i was doing if anyone sees a corpse of a monster lying around, though i didn¡¯t think i¡¯d get any real questions about it anyway. it¡¯s not like these ones are protected.¡±


    lee arched an eyebrow. ¡°what, couldn¡¯t find any great monsters to kill?¡±


    noah cleared his throat. ¡°look, that wasn¡¯t my fault. it started things.¡±


    ¡°did it?¡±


    ¡°depends if you count monkey attacks as part of its own will. if you do, then yes.¡±


    ¡°whatever helps you sleep at night. when you aren¡¯t hunting monsters, that is.¡±


    noah shook his head and chuckled. ¡°let¡¯s get back to camp before someone starts wondering where we went.¡±l--b1n.


    ¡°you¡¯re the leader,¡± lee said with a shrug. ¡°do you think todd and isabel can handle fighting the brown tubes?¡±


    ¡°the moles?¡± noah asked. ¡°i think they should have no trouble with it, but i¡¯ll probably have to enlist your help to make sure nothing goes wrong. now that i combined my runes, i don¡¯t have a great way to act defensively with my ash. i think the manner to fighting the moles is straight forward, though. we¡¯ll start slow and see how things go.¡±


    lee nodded, and they made the rest of the trip back to the camp in silence. the pillar of smoke rising up from the campfire had doubled in intensity. someone must have restarted the fire at some point throughout the night.


    when they drew near, lee gestured for noah to step closer to her. she pressed a hand to his shoulder and a ripple of dark energy washed over both of them.


    noah glanced down at his hands, surprised to find that he could barely make them out even though he knew exactly where they were. he only knew lee¡¯s location because he could still feel her hand.


    they crept into the camp, keeping as far from allen, who was on watch, as possible. lee dropped noah off at his tent, then broke contact with him. his body rippled and swam back into view.


    damn. that camouflage is powerful. no wonder lee¡¯s able to sneak around the way she does.


    noah didn¡¯t think he had all that much time left before allen would come ¡®wake¡¯ him up for his watch, but after the whole debacle with the hellreaver, he was reluctant to waste even a single moment.


    getting energy from killing monsters was great, but nothing truly replaced sleeping. he leaned against the side of the hut and closed his eyes, letting himself slip into oblivion.


    allen woke noah up some time later for his watch by rapping on the side of the hut and glaring at noah until he rose. without a word, the rank 4 mage swept back into his own lodgings.


    the night passes silently, even if it was a bit chilly. noah scanned the air for more traces of the dark birds, trying to see if there was any way to pick them up. at first, he had absolutely no success. but, as the sun started to creep its way up from the horizon, he caught flickers of shadow flitting through the sky.


    ¡°god, lee. can¡¯t you make a little noise?¡±


    ¡°no. it¡¯s more fun this way,¡± lee replied. she glanced over noah¡¯s shoulder at moxie. ¡°did she seem to be acting a little odd to you?¡±


    ¡°a bit,¡± noah said with a slight nod. ¡°is she still uncomfortable about... you know?¡±


    lee shrugged. ¡°maybe. i don¡¯t know. i¡¯ve been trying to give her a little room to think. that¡¯s what you¡¯re supposed to do when you make someone mad, right?¡±


    ¡°i am not the person to ask for relationship advice,¡± noah said. ¡°life is too short to worry about it. just do what makes you happy and doesn¡¯t screw over too many people. now, i¡¯m going to go get todd and isabel. do you want to wake emily up?¡±


    ¡°sure,¡± lee replied.


    they split off, heading to the appropriate stone tents. before noah could even reach his, todd stepped out, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. he stretched his arms over his head and yawned, then rolled his neck.


    ¡°sup, teacherman.¡±


    noah rolled his eyes. ¡°you look very relaxed. sleep well?¡±


    ¡°like a baby. i can¡¯t say dirt is my favorite mattress, but i¡¯ve slept on worse. i saw you talking with lee. does that mean we have a class?¡±


    ¡°indeed we do. and, speaking of lee ¨C she¡¯s taught you imbuement, right?¡±


    ¡°yeah. apparently, i¡¯ve been doing some body imbuement without even realizing it. makes sense in a roundabout sort of way.¡± todd chuckled.


    ¡°really? why?¡±


    todd¡¯s smile faded. ¡°maybe later, prof. it doesn¡¯t really matter anyway. just some stuff from the past.¡±


    ¡°sure. i¡¯ve got something for the present anyway.¡± noah pulled his grimoire out and flipped to the back, where there were still a few open pages. he tapped the it with one finger. ¡°think you can imbue this?¡±


    todd blinked, then grinned. ¡°ah. yeah, i can do that. give me a moment.¡±


    he took the book from noah and headed into his tent. at the same time, isabel walked out of it. her eyes flicked down to the book, then over to noah.


    ¡°good morning, professor. are we going to get to hunt again today?¡±


    ¡°yeah, we are,¡± noah said. ¡°eager?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s been a bit since i got to put more energy into my runes, so yes. i¡¯d also like to get some materials from them. i¡¯ve heard the linwick estate is pretty big, so there¡¯s probably a nice market there. some spending money would be useful.¡± the tone in isabel¡¯s voice and the way her gaze had followed todd when he¡¯d walked into the tent with noah¡¯s grimoire made it very clear that she didn¡¯t mean she wanted money to spend on trinkets.


    already looking to get your hands on some new runes, eh? good. keep that drive up, isabel.


    ¡°then we¡¯ll make sure you can get some good practice in this morning. i¡¯ll save the proper explanation for when everyone is back,¡± noah said, rubbing his hands together. ¡°we just have to wait for¨C¡±


    todd strode out of the tent, a smug grin on his face, and held the grimoire out to noah. he took it, flipping to the rune in surprise. todd couldn¡¯t have taken more than ten or twenty seconds to get it imbued.


    ¡°that was fast,¡± noah said.


    ¡°he¡¯s a natural at it,¡± isabel said, rolling her eyes. ¡°don¡¯t give him too many compliments or his head will inflate.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re just mad that i¡¯m better than you at something for once.¡± todd snickered.


    isabel glared at him. ¡°i am not.¡±


    ¡°sure sounds like you are.¡±


    isabel let out a huff. ¡°professor, when can we get to the training? i want to wipe that smirk off todd¡¯s face.¡±


    ¡°once emily and moxie get back,¡± noah replied. ¡°maybe start with some stretching. i¡¯m still doing that myself.¡±


    none of them were about to argue with that, so they all walked over to an open space in the grass and continued stretching while they waited for moxie and lee to show up with emily.

 Chapter 78: Get to it

    chapter 78: get to it


    it took a few minutes, but the entire group had soon gathered once again. edward and allen woke as well, but they retreated to the far end of the camp. that suited noah just fine. the less he had to interact with either of them, the better it would be.


    brayden watched them all stretch with a furrowed brow, but he didn¡¯t say anything. once they¡¯d all finished, they prepared to head out of camp to find some monsters. the sun was still just barely poking over the horizon, so there would be at least an hour until it was proper daylight.


    more than enough time to practice against a few snufflers. i¡¯ll admit, whoever names things managed to get a good one this time around. snuffler. heh.


    ¡°you hunting?¡± brayden asked.


    ¡°yeah. we¡¯re just going to be doing a quick lesson before we head off. i trust that¡¯s okay?¡± noah asked.


    ¡°fine with me,¡± brayden said. ¡°yell if something goes wrong and you need help.¡±


    ¡°will do.¡±


    they headed off and, thankfully, allen and edward stayed behind. there was no need for secrecy this time around, so noah took them over to a bush that was only a short walk away from the camp.


    ¡°where¡¯s the monster?¡± todd asked, glancing around as noah came to a stop before the bush. ¡°you can¡¯t tell me we¡¯re about to beat up a plant.¡±


    ¡°the plant is involved, but it isn¡¯t our main goal,¡± noah replied. ¡°the snufflers are. before we get started ¨C let¡¯s briefly discuss them. they¡¯re blind, but can feel tremors in the ground with pretty high accuracy. snufflers aren¡¯t the fastest monsters i¡¯ve seen, but they¡¯re not particularly smart either. kind of a mix between the small monkeys and the slashers, but without the claws.¡±


    ¡°that doesn¡¯t sound too dangerous,¡± todd said. ¡°we can just stay ahead of them then, right? what about their moves?¡±


    ¡°a little more varied than what we¡¯re used to,¡± noah admitted. ¡°but varied in a different way. the only thing i¡¯ve seen them do so far is bite, but it¡¯s not in any specific manner or pattern that i¡¯ve found yet. that means your goal won¡¯t just be to predict an exact movement but to keep distance between yourself and its mouth.¡±


    ¡°that means isabel¡¯s at a disadvantage,¡± todd said, glancing at isabel.


    ¡°i¡¯ll just go last.¡± isabel chewed her lower lip in thought. ¡°i¡¯ll need to see how you all fight them, but i¡¯ve got some ideas.¡±


    ¡°are they smart?¡± todd asked.


    ¡°no. and, more importantly, they only care about protecting these.¡± noah nodded in the direction of the bush behind him. ¡°they basically don¡¯t care about anything else. i don¡¯t think snufflers should be much of a challenge for anyone, but it¡¯s a good point to get started ¨C especially since i took a bit of an unintended break.¡±


    ¡°can i go first?¡± todd asked, rubbing his hands together. ¡°i want to test out some of the body imbuements i¡¯ve been working on.¡±


    ¡°sure. after i demonstrate, though. there¡¯s no point taking unnecessary risk. everyone back up, please. we don¡¯t want the snuffler getting distracted and going for the wrong person.¡±


    they all took several steps back. noah waited until there was enough distance between all the spectators and the bush, then walked up and prodded one of the flowers. it flinched back, curling in on itself. noah pulled his pipe out of his pocket and packed some flashgrass into it, combusting it and placing it between his teeth.


    the ground behind noah let out a telltale crack. noah turned as a snuffler burst from the ground, letting out a warning hiss.


    todd immediately burst into laughter. ¡°that thing looks stupid.¡±


    it kind of does.


    ¡°stupid won¡¯t stop it from ripping your face off if you aren¡¯t careful,¡± noah said. he scuffled a foot on the ground. the snuffler lunged at him and noah dodged to the side. its jaws snapping through the air where he¡¯d been a moment before, but it redirected itself the moment it hit the ground.


    noah had discovered that the snufflers, while not very creative, were very persistent. as long as he was in the vicinity of the bush, it would continue chasing after him until one of them was dead.


    ¡°i should have asked this before, but how¡¯s its hearing?¡± todd called.


    the snuffler took a step in his direction, its mouth opening and letting out a low, warning hiss.


    ¡°not the best,¡± noah called back. ¡°but not the worst either.¡±


    todd formed another ball of fire in his hand. then a grin stretched across his lips and he dismissed it, deliberately raising a foot and scuffing the dirt. the monster lunged at him with a high pitched snarl. todd bounded back, taking far higher to the air than noah would have expected from a mere jump.


    the snuffler skidded to a stop before it could stampede over its own bush and blindly swung its head, trying to locate todd. the moment his feet hit the ground, the monster charged him again.


    a thin beam of heat leapt from between todd¡¯s fingertips, catching the snuffler in the shoulder. it burned a deep hole into the monster, eliciting a screech of pain, but it didn¡¯t stop its charge.


    todd vaulted to the side again. once more, he moved nearly twice the distance that noah felt a normal jump should have been able to carry him. skidding across the dirt, todd spun toward the snuffler and fired another two beams of flame.


    the first one barely missed the snuffler¡¯s head, scorching the monster¡¯s hair but failing to do any lasting damage. the second caught it right in the side of its head. almost immediately, the smell of burnt hair and cooked, rancid meat filled the air.


    ¡°ha!¡± todd crowed, pumping a flaming hand in the air. ¡°how¡¯d you like that?¡±


    ¡°you could have killed it much earlier,¡± emily said, crossing her hands. ¡°mediocre performance at best. you were just showing off.¡±


    ¡°i was not.¡± todd crossed his arms. ¡°it¡¯s called practicing. just because i can catch it off guard doesn¡¯t mean i should. this is training for other monsters. stronger ones. if i waste it, then i get the real practice against something that kills me in one blow.¡±


    damn straight.


    ¡°good job, todd,¡± noah said. ¡°that was very well done. isabel was right that you probably could have waited a moment longer, but why don¡¯t you share exactly what you did so we can all learn from it?¡±


    todd shrugged. ¡°i imbued my eyes with a heat rune to see where the snuffler was beneath the ground. they¡¯re about ten to fifteen feet down, by the way. it moved a lot faster than i thought it would, though. came at an angle toward me instead of going straight up, so i wasn¡¯t ready to catch it quite on time. that made me miss the first spell.¡±


    ¡°what about the enhanced jumps?¡± moxie asked. ¡°more body imbuement?¡±


    todd¡¯s grin grew wider. ¡°yeah. both of my legs are imbued with a fire rune. it¡¯s not the most comfortable, so i see why you were saying its better to wait until you have rank 2 runes. my legs get really, really hot when i use the imbuements. if they were a little more optimized for energy rather than just pure fire, it would be a lot better. still, it works.¡±


    ¡°you did great,¡± lee said, giving todd a thumbs-up. ¡°should have punched it a little, though.¡±


    ¡°maybe next time,¡± todd said. ¡°isabel, you next?¡±


    ¡°how about emily goes?¡± isabel suggested. ¡°judging by the look she¡¯s giving you, i think she wants a chance to demonstrate her own abilities.¡±


    ¡°i absolutely do,¡± emily said, cracking her knuckles. ¡°i¡¯m going to beat your¨C¡±


    ¡°emily!¡± moxie snapped. ¡°speak as appropriate for a torrin.¡±


    emily scrunched her nose in annoyance. ¡°yeah, yeah. whatever. let¡¯s do this. these things are easy. i¡¯ll show you how it¡¯s done, todd.¡±


    ah, a little rivalry. always good for making sure everyone pushes each other harder. perfect.


    ¡°well,¡± noah drawled, gesturing to another bush a short way from them, ¡°there¡¯s no shortage of bushes, and we¡¯ve still got some time before the sun is properly up. let¡¯s get to it, shall we?¡±

 Chapter 79: In the cover of the night

    chapter 79: in the cover of the night


    the group relocated to the next bush, staying back to giving emily room to fight. noah had yet to see her actually using her magic yet, and he couldn¡¯t deny his interest to see what moxie¡¯s student could do. there was a small, slightly over-competitive part of him that wanted his own students to be more impressive than she was.


    that¡¯s pretty petty of me, i have to admit. i never said i wasn¡¯t petty, though. best of luck though, emily. i don¡¯t want you to do bad ¨C i just want todd and isabel to do better.


    noah glanced at moxie, only to find that she was sending him the same, slightly guilty look that he was giving her. they both cleared their throats and looked away, realizing they¡¯d basically had the exact line of thought running.


    emily tapped a band on her wrist and a shield washed over her skin, glittering with blue light. both isabel and todd pursed their lips. noah couldn¡¯t blame them.


    no matter what he said, having access to a shield was a massive advantage, especially if it wasn¡¯t used as a crutch. they could push themselves harder and try riskier moves with one. unfortunately, noah couldn¡¯t afford them ¨C and that meant his students could either.


    ¡°good luck,¡± isabel said, smoothing her features out.


    ¡°thanks,¡± emily replied, not turning her attention away from the bush. she flicked one of the flowers and it leaned back, sending out its call to the snuffler below. the monster pushed its way out of the ground and emily wasted no time in calling her magic.


    frost washed across her hands, and traveled outward, solidifying into the limbs of a large bow. an arrow materialized in its string, stretching out from her pale fingers, and she pulled back on the string.


    the arrow blurred forward, turning into a white streak and slamming into the snuffler¡¯s shoulder. the monster lurched toward emily, stumbling on its injured shoulder, and snapped at her.


    she skipped back, backpedaling to keep distance between herself and the monster. if it hadn¡¯t been injured, noah was pretty sure it would have caught emily. however, that wasn¡¯t the case. it was injured, and emily stayed ahead of it without any difficulty.


    drawing back on her bowstring, another arrow materialized from the air and she launched it into the snuffler¡¯s chest.


    ¡°she has both water and ice runes,¡± moxie said, more than a little pride in her voice. ¡°she gathers the water in the air, then condenses it into ice.¡±


    ¡°impressive,¡± noah said. ¡°no body imbuements?¡±


    ¡°not yet,¡± moxie said with a shake of her head. ¡°i¡¯ll give it to todd, he¡¯s a natural. i don¡¯t think i picked them up that fast myself, and i had great tutors.¡±


    ¡°hey!¡± lee exclaimed, glaring at moxie. ¡°what¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°midway through the last class you taught, you got distracted by a butterfly.¡±


    ¡°it flew in front of me. that¡¯s just asking to get eaten. are you telling me you wouldn¡¯t have done the exact same thing?¡±


    moxie, wisely, chose not to answer that particular question. there were some arguments that couldn¡¯t be won, and then there were some that shouldn¡¯t even be started. this was one of the latter.


    meanwhile, emily was having absolutely no difficulty handling the snuffler. every arrow she struck the monster with slowed it even further, and she eventually put one between its eyes, putting it down.


    impressive display of accuracy. they¡¯re perfectly spaced. she could have killed it with the first shot if she¡¯d wanted to. but... that also wasn¡¯t really the point of this exercise. i suppose this might have been a little too easy for her. she¡¯s had a good teacher for quite a while, after all.


    ¡°good job,¡± noah said, giving a polite clap. ¡°very beautifully executed.¡±


    ¡°agreed,¡± moxie added. ¡°you could have kept a little farther ahead of it, though. have you been working on your body imbuements?¡±


    emily¡¯s smile flickered and she cleared her throat. her ice bow faded away into mist and she brushed her hands, walking back to join them.


    i wonder what she¡¯s doing. the plants didn¡¯t seem to be that dangerous up here. back in the damned plains, there were a few that were basically just bait that some monsters used to lure fools close so they could eat them, but i didn¡¯t notice any signs of that here.


    isabel nudged the plant again. the ground beneath her feet shuddered. lee tensed, dropping into a fighting stance and raising to the balls of her feet. isabel jumped back, and the ground a few body lengths away from her split apart.


    a ridiculous, tubular monster clambered out from beneath the ground, its long nose bouncing as it took rapid, deep sniffs of the air. lee nearly burst into laughter on the spot, but she managed to suppress it.


    distracting isabel now would be really bad. i¡¯ll save the laugh up for when i can actually get away with it.


    isabel swallowed heavily. then she charged. the moment her foot hit the ground, the tube shaped monster bolted in her direction. isabel raised her shield and slammed it into the ground, bracing against it with her full body.


    blue light glittered along the stone an instant before the monster slammed into it with a loud crack. isabel skidded across the ground, stumbling and nearly losing her balance. she caught herself and slammed the shield down again, barely managing to get it braced before the monster was upon her again.


    this time, isabel managed to hold strong. a tremor ran down her arms and she hissed in pain. even as the monster reared back to dart at isabel again, she shifted and thrust her sword out, catching it across the face.


    the monster hissed in pain, but that did little to give it pause. it slammed itself into her shield again. and again. each time, its sharp teeth scraped across the stone. isabel flinched back with every blow, her muscles trembling as she tried to hold the much larger creature¡¯s strength back.


    then, after several nerve wracking strikes, isabel spotted an opportunity as the monster backed up to bite at her again. she lunged forward, lowering her shield and driving all her weight into the sword.


    it slammed into the monster¡¯s eye, biting deep and killing it instantly. it crumpled to the ground at her feet. isabel bent over, dropping her shield and sword to brace her arms against her knees and gasp for air. she slowly took control of herself again and picked her weapons up, setting back off.


    lee glanced back at the monster, then followed after isabel.


    over the course of the next few hours, isabel sought out half a dozen more of the monsters. on the next one, she encased her legs in stone as well. the one after that, she formed a chest plate.


    each time she fought one of the monsters, isabel added an extra piece of armor. each one flickered with strands of blue light that wound throughout it. lee couldn¡¯t help but be impressed. for someone with no body imbuements, isabel was carrying around an enormous amount of weight.


    every fight that isabel took, she pushed herself harder. she pressed the limits of what she could do, trying to find the balance of how much she had to defend and attack. isabel replaced her sword with a glowing spear, giving her the reach to jab at the monsters from behind the spear, but occasionally opted to drop the shield entirely to try and get a more powerful blow by two handing the weapon.


    lee could see isabel steadily losing energy, even with the refreshers that she should have gotten from killing the monsters. she didn¡¯t have many runes yet, and the amount of magic she had to be using to keep the whole set of armor up was probably enormous.


    a flicker in the air caught lee¡¯s attention after isabel managed to take down another of the strange monsters. a dark form flew in circles high above. lee¡¯s eyes narrowed, and her vision shifted.


    it was a monster. a fairly large one ¨C and it was eyeing isabel. lee glanced at the girl, but she was still recovering from her last fight.


    the bird dove.


    lee blurred. she launched off the ground, slamming into the bird. claws erupted from her fingertips and she dug them into the monster¡¯s neck, ripping its head clean off. lee¡¯s momentum carried her through the air in a shadowy blur, bringing the two halves of the dead bird with her.


    she hit the ground in a deceptively soft landing. opening her mouth impossibly wide, lee shoved the entirety of the bird down her gullet. she grimaced in distaste, then turned back toward isabel.


    the girl was so exhausted from the fights that night that she hadn¡¯t even heard what had happened. lee shook her head in a mixture of amusement and respect.


    one by one, the stone pieces of armor that isabel had collected crumbled and fell away from her. she took several more deep breaths, then straightened. isabel sheathed the spear within her heart, then turned and headed back in the direction of the camp.


    lee followed behind her, stopping by each monster to devour its remains. luckily, no more birds caught sight of isabel and the rest of the trip went uninterrupted. by the time it was over, it was already starting to near morning.


    turning on her heel, lee set out to figure out where noah was. she suspected that he¡¯d probably left a bunch of monsters lying around in his wake, and she was still hungry.

 Chapter 80: Rooting them out

    chapter 80: rooting them out


    ¡°whenever you¡¯re ready,¡± noah said.


    isabel pressed a hand to her chest, drawing a slender blue sword of energy out from within her heart. she flicked the blade, lowering into a fighting stance as she approached the bush and nudged it with her foot.


    lee tilted her head to the side, a pensive frown on her face. noah didn¡¯t have any time to ask her what the source of the confusion was, though. a snuffler rushed out from the ground, spraying dirt into the air with the force of its arrival.


    its snout instantly moved to point at isabel as she dashed in its direction, not even waiting for the monster to finish clambering out of the dirt to attack. isabel was fast, but it didn¡¯t look like she¡¯d managed to get any body imbuements working yet ¨C which made the snuffler faster.n??v€l--?1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.


    isabel dodged to the side as the snuffler lashed out with its mouth, trying to bite down on her. she¡¯d moved a little earlier than noah would have. while that made the dodge safer, it also gave her less time to counterattack before her feet hit the ground again and alerted the snuffler of where she¡¯d landed.


    twisting her body, isabel brought her sword down toward the snuffler¡¯s neck. the blade bit deep into its flesh and it thrashed instantly, lunging for her. she let the blade dissolve instantly, jumping back to avoid the initial attack and buying herself enough time to reform the sword.


    the snuffler charged after isabel. it snapped at her heels, growing closer with every dodge she made. noah watched every move, his back tense and hands clenched at his sides. isabel was playing it a lot closer than he¡¯d like.


    yeah, i know i¡¯m being hypocritical. but we had much more practice against the monkeys before she started fighting this dangerously. this is her first slasher. damn. i¡¯m a terrible influence.


    isabel vaulted backward in an impressive display of acrobatics, narrowly avoiding getting chomped on the arm. as soon as she landed on the ground, she burst forward. the snuffler, which had expected isabel to be standing in the spot she¡¯d landed, didn¡¯t even realize she¡¯d moved toward it instead of away from it until isabel¡¯s sword was buried in its eye.


    she wrenched herself upward, using the sword like a lever to fling herself into the air and over the monster. as soon as she was above its head, isabel spun and dissolved the sword, forming a new one and plunging it into the monster¡¯s other eye.


    the snuffler crashed to the ground, skidding a foot before coming to a stop. isabel hopped down, allowing her blue sword to fade away, and let out a slow breath.


    ¡°what?¡± isabel asked, noticing the looks they were giving her.


    ¡°that was a bit... risky,¡± todd hedged, in the style of someone who had tried and failed to convince her of something before. ¡°clean kill, though.¡±


    ¡°aside from the first move,¡± emily said. ¡°also, you fight like you have a death wish.¡±


    ¡°borderline suicidal,¡± moxie agreed. ¡°effective, though. you¡¯re going to be a menace once you get those body imbuements working properly.¡±


    noah noted that lee still looked confused at isabel¡¯s performance. he would have understood both impressed or worried ¨C but not confused. nothing about it had been particularly confusing.


    odd.


    the ground thudded behind noah. he spun, half expecting a snuffler, but found brayden instead. noah lowered his hands and shook his head.


    ¡°you are too big. has anyone told you that? i thought there was a monster coming up on me.¡±


    brayden smirked. ¡°and that¡¯s just how i like it. time to get moving. we¡¯re going to be wasting daylight soon.¡±


    ¡°root fiend,¡± brayden muttered, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword. ¡°damn big one. something woke it up.¡±


    ¡°we¡¯re nowhere near it!¡± edward exclaimed from the back of the group. ¡°how could we have possibly woken that big creature up? can you defeat it?¡±


    ¡°yes, but i can¡¯t protect you at the same time,¡± brayden replied. ¡°that¡¯s got to be a rank 3. biggest root fiend i¡¯ve ever seen.¡±


    ¡°moxie and i can cover the kids,¡± noah offered. brayden shook his head.


    ¡°no, you can¡¯t. it attacks through the ground just as easily as above it. unless you¡¯re a rank 4 or already have experience fighting one of these, you¡¯re not going to be able to hold all of its attacks back. they¡¯re fairly stupid monsters, though. as long as we don¡¯t move, it shouldn¡¯t come for us.¡±


    ¡°i thought you said something got its attention,¡± edward said tersely. ¡°doesn¡¯t that mean it¡¯s already coming for us?¡±


    ¡°something. not us,¡± brayden corrected. ¡°just don¡¯t move.¡±


    a bassy roar ripped out from the root fiend. it ripped another huge portion of the hill away, revealing a jagged, wooden face with two glowing red eyes and teeth made of sharpened bark. each tooth was several times bigger than brayden, and they were so large that they forced the monster¡¯s into a permanently open position.


    something shot up from the ground, flying at the monster¡¯s face. it hurtled through the sky with incredible speed, glowing with brilliant energy that could have only been runes. another roar split the clear day. the root fiend swung its arm in a huge, sweeping arc.


    the glowing dot flitted to the side, avoiding the strike effortlessly. it slammed to a halt, revealing the form of a heavily armored man floating in the air, his hands outstretched before him and swirling energy gathering at the head of a huge hammer in his hands.


    he reared back, growing so bright that he was nearly a miniature star ¨C and the root fiend batted him out of the sky like an annoying pest. noah¡¯s eyes widened. the man had been shot straight toward them.


    noah reached for his magic, wanting to send a powerful gust of wind into the man before he could collide with the ground. moxie and brayden both stepped forward, calling on their own magic.


    none of them were fast enough.


    the man spun midair. he slammed feet-first into the ground like a human meteor. wisps of white and gold smoke rose off his heavily battered armor as the man rose, brushing his arm off like he¡¯d taken a slight tumble rather than been sent hurtling into the ground from several stories up.


    ¡°my apologies. i did not expect to see travelers here,¡± the man said. he gave them a sharp salute. behind him, the root fiend roared in rage. it took a step toward them, shaking the ground with its enormous weight.


    a beam of red light shot up from somewhere behind the hills, catching the monster in the side. it screamed in pain and twisted its huge body, searching for the source. the man before them didn¡¯t seem to even notice.


    ¡°i hope i haven¡¯t inconvenienced your trip too much,¡± he continued. ¡°please remain here for a few minutes until we have this handled. we¡¯re rooting out root fiends in the area if you¡¯ll pardon my pun. my partner and i didn¡¯t quite do our due diligence to make sure there wasn¡¯t anyone in the immediate zone before starting the fight with this one.¡±


    ¡°you intentionally attacked that thing?¡± edward asked, aghast. the root fiend let out another pained roar as a second beam of red light caught it in the side, scorching its wooden body. the monster reared back and drove its hand into the hillside with a brilliant crash, shaking the ground beneath all their feet.


    the monster straightened, turning its gaze straight toward them. its red eyes burned with malicious fury.


    ¡°of course i did,¡± the man said, turning back to look at the huge monster. ¡°it¡¯s my duty. allow me to introduce myself. my name is gavin, soldier of the arbalest empire. now, please excuse me. my partner needs a little assistance.¡±

 Chapter 81: Gavin

    chapter 81: gavin


    gavin adjusted his grip on his hammer. noah¡¯s eyes caught on the inscriptions covering the shaft of the weapon. they weren¡¯t exactly runes ¨C at least, he couldn¡¯t see where one ended and the other started.


    there was certainly something, though. long, jagged lines ran all along it, interweaving and mixing in patterns. the rest of gavin¡¯s armor was similarly decorated. if it was just an artistic statement, it was very extensive.


    gavin¡¯s hammer hummed. a faint whine filled the air and he knelt, his greaves lighting up with a faint golden energy. the ground beneath gavin shattered as he launched into the air, ascending to the skies in a streak of energy.


    the root fiend reached out to grab gavin. he flitted out of the way, just moving enough to avoid getting hit without wasting any extra time. gavin shot up to the root fiend¡¯s head and reared back.


    a shockwave rippled out of the back of his hammer. it flashed forward, leaving a streak of light in its wake, and smashed into the root fiend¡¯s head with a massive explosion. the sound of shattering wood split the day as the enormous monster stumbled back, a large chunk of its jaw demolished.


    gavin¡¯s hammer seemed to jump in his hands. he flew after the root fiend, avoiding its attempts to bat him out of the air, and readied another strike. a furious roar ripped free of the root fiend¡¯s mouth and spikey growths erupted all over its body.


    one of them caught gavin straight in the stomach. noah heard isabel and todd both draw in sharp breaths, and he couldn¡¯t deny the flash of concern that passed through him as well. it was for naught.


    gavin¡¯s armor glittered with black light and he was thrown back ¨C but his armor didn¡¯t break. he spun, aiming a hand behind him. a ring of red, shimmering sigils appeared behind him and he jerked to a halt.


    the soldier drove his hammer into the center of the circle. electric maroon light surged into the head of the weapon and it bulged. fragments of stone rose away from it, vibrating with the intensity of the magic filling the hammer. pieces fell away, only to be grabbed by tendrils of red light and yanked back into place. its head seemed to be in a constant state of splitting apart and reforming itself.


    even from where noah stood, he could feel the pressure washing off the hammer in gavin¡¯s hands. his hair raised as if a current of static electricity was washing over him.


    it¡¯s like he¡¯s got a miniature star trapped in that thing. what rank do you have to be to do something like that?


    the root fiend let out a furious roar and swept a hand for gavin. a beam of red energy shot up from behind the hills, catching the monster¡¯s hand before it could complete its path and knocking it back. the root fiend stumbled, clutching the smoking hole in its wrist and shaking the ground with its steps.


    behind gavin, the red circle faded away, fully drawn into his hammer. he lit up with golden energy once more and blurred toward the root fiend. zipping past its attempt to strike him, gavin arrived beside the monster¡¯s head and swung.


    his hammer connected with it, letting off a sound like a pealing bell. a brilliant red flash lit up the sky, followed by an explosion that had such force that it made noah¡¯s teeth rattle in his head.


    an enormous chunk of the root fiend¡¯s head vaporized, turned to cinders and ash instantly. the monster flew backward, slamming into a hill with a loud crash. noah stumbled as the ground quaked beneath his feet.


    ¡°gods, that¡¯s insane,¡± todd breathed. ¡°can you imagine being able to do that? that root fiend barely managed to take two blows from him before going down.¡±


    the monster twitched. noah¡¯s eyes widened. evidently, the root fiend must have heard todd¡¯s dismissal of it, because it wasn¡¯t down for the count. lurching upright, the monster pushed itself back to its feet.


    roots wound up from the site of the huge wound in its head, knitting itself back together. within moments, the massive monster was whole once more. it reared its head back and let out a furious roar.


    then it lifted both of its hands and aimed at gavin. the man tossed his hammer behind him, where it floated patiently in the air, and crossed his arms before himself. his armor shimmered, then unfurled around him like a flower blooming for the first time.


    disks of metal whipped around gavin¡¯s hands. golden light traced across them as they merged into a large, circular shield covered with sigils similar to the ones that had been on his hammer.


    noah squinted, trying to make out any runes on them, but everything seemed like nonsensical squiggles. either the runes were somehow blocked from his vision, or they were in a language that vermil hadn¡¯t known.


    huge wooden spikes erupted from the root fiend¡¯s palm, hurtling through the air and smashing into the barrier gavin had erected. they shattered against the glowing metal like the world¡¯s largest, loudest hailstorm.


    as soon as the barrage stopped and the root fiend lowered its hands, letting out a cry of fury at its lack of ability to harm the soldier. gavin reached back, even as his armor reformed around him like flowing water, and grabbed the shaft of his hammer.


    he gave it a violent twist. the head of the hammer shuddered, then shattered apart in a burst of red light. tendrils of crackling red energy shot from the shaft, latching onto the pieces of metal and pulling them back.


    they formed into the long, pointed tip of a javelin. energy sparked and swirled around gavin as he took aim. his hand lit with golden light that poured into the weapon, coursing through the interweaving designs within it.


    with a roar, he let the javelin loose. it streaked through the air, slamming clean into the root fiend¡¯s head. wood erupted, folding in on itself as the javelin passed clean through the monster, piercing through it and slamming into the hills beyond.


    gavin was far from done. he extended his hand, curling his fingers. runic energy lit up all over his armor once more, and an arc of red light sparked between his gauntleted fingertips.


    ¡°might as well call me your battery at this point. you nearly drained all the magic out of my runes. you barely even used any of your own power.¡±


    ¡°my magic isn¡¯t really suited for this kind of encounter,¡± gavin said. ¡°besides, this is hardly the place. i¡¯ll cover your dinner or something.¡±


    jess grinned, and noah got the feeling she¡¯d gotten exactly what she¡¯d wanted from the start.


    ¡°great. i¡¯ll be choosing the place.¡±


    ¡°yeah, yeah.¡± gavin grimaced and turned to the group. ¡°again, i¡¯m sorry for interrupting all of your travels. we¡¯ll have this root fiend cleaned up and out of the way shortly. you¡¯re free to continue on as you will.¡±


    ¡°how many imbued weapons do you have?¡± todd asked eagerly, completely ignoring gavin¡¯s polite suggestion to get moving.


    noah didn¡¯t say anything, as he¡¯d been wondering the exact same thing.


    ¡°i¡¯ve imbued every piece of his armor and have more imbuements than i can count on that weapon of his,¡± jess said, a note of pride in her voice. ¡°all optimized to draw as much energy out of the environment and as little out of me ¨C not that gavin ever manages to keep from draining my runes. you have any interest in becoming an imbuer?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m going to be a soldier,¡± todd said firmly. ¡°but i know imbuers work very closely with soldiers.¡±


    jess smirked. ¡°i wanted to be a soldier too, but i¡¯ve found it much more relaxing to have someone else do all the fighting while i get to do the fun stuff with rune research. gavin might get to have the fancy stuff, but¨C¡±


    ¡°i couldn¡¯t do any of it without jess,¡± gavin finished. ¡°not the really fancy stuff, at least. that¡¯s too intricate to do on the spot. i remember pretty much standing in the exact same spot you are right now, son. keep your studies up. being a soldier isn¡¯t easy, but it¡¯s rewarding.¡±


    ¡°and dangerous,¡± edward said under his breath. ¡°i¡¯ll stick to just doing stuff the normal way.¡±


    if gavin overheard him, he didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°we¡¯ve got more ground to cover today, so we¡¯ll have to be on our way,¡± gavin said. ¡°best wishes to all of you. take care on the road. come on, jess. let¡¯s¨C¡±


    a rumble shook the ground beneath their feet. before noah could even finish processing it, a second vibration followed up the first one immediately afterword. two hills near them let out a series of pops and rips as they tore free of the ground, unfurling into large root fiends, both slightly shorter than the one gavin had just killed but nowhere near any less intimidating.


    ¡°oh, shit,¡± gavin breathed. ¡°jess, get them out. they must have woken up from the fight.¡±


    ¡°i can¡¯t,¡± jess replied through gritted teeth. ¡°i¡¯m nearly out of energy. a long range portal like that is beyond me right now. i just wasted a bunch portaling over here to save time.¡±


    the root fiends roared in unison, their burning eyes turning to land straight on the group. noah reached down to his pipe and packed some flashgrass into it. beside him, both moxie and brayden gathered their magic. a chill prickled into noah¡¯s back, marking allen¡¯s powers as he readied them as well.


    ¡°what rank are you lot?¡± gavin asked.


    ¡°we have two rank 4s, a 3, and a 2. the students aren¡¯t prepared for this,¡± moxie said. ¡°we¡¯ll distract one of them if you can get the other.¡±


    ¡°understood. just focus on holding it off,¡± gavin said, slamming his helm back over his head and readying his weapon. ¡°we¡¯ll handle ours and get to you immediately afterward.¡±


    smoke poured out of noah¡¯s pipe as he ignited the flashgrass.


    ¡°stay back,¡± noah warned the students as he and the other professors eyed the approaching root fiend. ¡°whatever you do, don¡¯t engage it. even if we¡¯re having trouble. understood?¡±


    ¡°but what about¨C¡± isabel started.


    ¡°no,¡± noah said flatly. ¡°no matter what, you stay out. if you get a chance, run. just don¡¯t draw the monster¡¯s attention to yourselves.¡±


    he didn¡¯t get time to wring a confirmation from them. the nearest root fiend let out a thundering screech and took a step toward them, its mouth parting in a woody grimace. noah summoned his magic and combusted the smoke coming from his pipe.


    then he and the other professors charged.

 Chapter 82: Smoking kills

    chapter 82: smoking kills


    purple energy spilled from brayden¡¯s hands, covering the ground before them and solidifying into a dull, crystalline structure. it stretched out across the ground, quickly covering the surrounding red grass all around them.


    ¡°this¡¯ll keep the roots from breaking through beneath us,¡± brayden said. ¡°watch out for roots that come over the sides and don¡¯t step off unless you don¡¯t value your life.¡±


    a sudden series of loud cracks beneath their feet proved brayden¡¯s words. noah could just barely make out several roots bunch and splatter against the shield beneath their feet, failing to break through it.


    the more i see brayden use that shield, the more i realize i should get my hands on one as soon as i can. they¡¯re clearly more than just basic defensive tools.


    ¡°i¡¯ll slow its feet,¡± allen said, frost gathering around his feet as he ran beside moxie. ¡°moxie, focus on restricting its movements. you should be able to control it to some degree, right?¡±


    ¡°i can try,¡± moxie replied. ¡°it¡¯s still a monster, not a plant. but i can probably bind it up.¡±


    ¡°then do it,¡± allen said. ¡°brayden, can you handle finishing it off, or should i?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll focus on keeping us alive,¡± brayden replied. ¡°if things are looking bad, then i¡¯ll step in ¨C but our defenses go down the moment i stop concentrating on them.¡±


    the root fiend¡¯s roar shook the air. it lifted a foot, bringing it down hard on the purple sheen that brayden had covered the ground with. a loud clang echoed out and brayden¡¯s lips thinned, but his magic didn¡¯t falter.


    allen accelerated, growing half an inch in height. noah nearly missed a step and fell flat on his face. ice had formed into skates on allen¡¯s feet, and he was literally sliding across the ground ¨C and with more speed and confidence than any olympic skater that noah had ever seen.


    do a pirouette! i¡¯ll give you extra style points if you land it while killing the root fiend.


    smoke trailed behind noah, slithering at his back as he gathered enough to work with. the biggest drawback of the pipe was its lack of ability to generate a lot of ash immediately, as he had to wait for it to kick up and give him enough to work with.


    it didn¡¯t look like it was going to matter much for this fight. the root fiend was so huge that, even though they were sprinting at it, noah was pretty sure it would be at least a minute before he reached the monster.


    allen was another story. the rank 4 professor peeled away from the rest of them quickly, ice frosting the ground beneath his skates as he continued to accelerate. his arms took on a white sheen as two massive axes formed in his hands.


    a ramp of ice formed before allen and he launched into the air, hurtling toward the root fiend. the monster spotted his approach and swung an arm in his direction, roaring a challenge. a pillar of ice erupted from the ground to allen¡¯s side, piercing up to rise beside him neigh-instantly.


    allen slammed an axe into the pillar, redirecting himself and releasing the weapon. the root fiend¡¯s hand demolished both his pillar and the axe, and allen slammed into its chest. he drove his axe into the monster, then reared back.


    ice condensed into another axe. he drove it into the root fiend¡¯s chest, then ripped the first axe free. using the weapons like ice picks, he started to ascend the monster¡¯s chest. noah resisted the urge to slow and stare in awe.


    he¡¯s a prick, but a capable one. noted.


    noah grabbed his flying sword and threw it to the ground. with the root fiend¡¯s attention on allen, he was more than willing to get closer. it jerked to life and he launched forward, shooting past moxie and nearly splattering himself on the monster in the process.


    his flaming ash hurtled behind noah like the tail of a dragon, desperately trying to catch up to him. his whistle was lost to the wind, but its effect weren¡¯t. the fire instantly swirled and shot for the root fiend¡¯s head, striking it between the eyes.


    noah risked a glance back down at the ground. ripples of energy were washing across the shield that brayden had put on the ground, and most of them were concentrated around the students.


    the root fiend was barraging the shield with attacks, trying to break through it. brayden¡¯s face was taut with concentration. despite his words and disinterested attitude toward the students, he was holding the defenses firm.


    ¡°brayden is protecting the kids. he isn¡¯t going to be able to fight without putting them at risk.¡±


    ¡°then shut up and wait,¡± allen snarled. ¡°there¡¯s nothing else i can do against this. my domain isn¡¯t going to be useful against anything like this. it¡¯s too damn big. i¡¯m not a damned soldier, i¡¯m a professor.¡±


    domain? what the hell is that?


    the root fiend roared again. vines tore away as it ripped itself completely free of moxie¡¯s hold. more vines reached out, trying to rebind it. the monster reached up toward noah with one of its enormous hands, blocking the sun out and casting a shadow over both him and allen.


    ¡°i¡¯ve got an idea!¡± noah yelled. ¡°keep it off me!¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not your servant,¡± allen roared back, but a wave of ice shot past noah¡¯s back and slammed into the root fiend¡¯s hand, shoving it to the side just enough to force it to miss.


    a white chain materialized in allen¡¯s hands, ending in a long, jagged point. allen slammed the chain into the root fiend¡¯s neck, driving it deeper with a powerful blow before grabbing the other end of it and jumping over the monster¡¯s side.


    his skates scraped against bark as he accelerated, leaving a trail of ice behind him. allen skated down the root fiend¡¯s arm, going in increasingly tight circles around it and binding the monster with the chain.


    allen jumped free, swinging back to the monster¡¯s chest. the chain creaked behind him, tightening and pulling the root fiend¡¯s hand into a scrunched position. ice groaned as it tried to keep the monster contained.


    noah summoned all the ash he¡¯d gathered since he¡¯d lit his pipe, gathering the huge cloud of molten smoke. then he sent it flitting through the opening of the root fiend¡¯s mouth. he continued to pour smoke into the monster, drawing it from the flashgrass the instant it emerged.


    his pipe sputtered as he drained the imbued grass of its energy, but noah didn¡¯t dare cut corners. with the amount of smoke he was about to use up, he wasn¡¯t going to get another shot anytime soon.


    the root fiend roared in fury. allen¡¯s ice chains shattered, but vines rose up from its own body to take their place. the root fiend stumbled as moxie¡¯s vines wound between its feet and crawled up its side, worming their way into its body.


    this should be enough smoke.


    noah reached out, touching a thin strand of smoke that connected him to the huge mass of it churning within the root fiend¡¯s body. he drew every last speck of energy within his pyroclastic resonance rune, and he felt the magic thrumming in his body like the beat of a drum.


    ¡°smoking kills, kids,¡± noah muttered to himself. then he called combustion.


    a flash leapt down the thin trail and into the root fiend¡¯s mouth. for an instant, there was silence.


    the root fiend¡¯s eyes bulged as a massive explosion rocked its insides. the roots beneath noah ripped and tore apart, flinging from his spot on its head. a tongue of fire ripped free of the monster¡¯s shoulder.


    a second one burst from its mouth. within an instant, a dozen spots on the root fiend¡¯s body erupted in flame. its head cracked as a huge ball of fire rolled out of its mouth, ripping huge chunks of it apart.


    the root fiend crumpled, falling inward on itself as the fire consumed it from the inside. flame spread throughout its dry body, overwhelming its regeneration. the monster¡¯s screams were quickly swallowed by the roar of the fire, leaving noah plummeting toward the ground in silence.

 Chapter 83: Teacherman

    chapter 83: teacherman


    noah slowed his fall with a powerful gust of wind, trying to keep himself from turning into a pancake the moment he reached the ground. a group of vines rose up, curling into a disk beneath him. noah slammed into them, knocking all the air from his lungs. he groaned at the force of the impact, but it was better than having every bone in his body turned to mush. the vines dropped him into moxie¡¯s arms.


    she set him on the ground, keeping a hand on his shoulder to steady him. he appreciated the gesture as his entire body felt like had been wrung dry from the amount of magic he¡¯d just burned through.


    ¡°thanks,¡± noah said, brushing some of the soot off his clothes and staring up at the growing pyre before them. once its regenerative properties had gotten overwhelmed, the creature had gone up like a pile of hay. ¡°do you think it¨C¡±


    a shudder rocked noah¡¯s body as energy poured into him. it filled his greater wind rune instantly and flooded into his rank 2 rune, giving it at least twenty percent more of its capacity before sputtering out.


    noah drew a sharp breath and clutched his chest.


    ¡°are you okay?¡± moxie asked worriedly.


    ¡°yeah. just ¨C just a lot of energy,¡± noah managed, staring at the root fiend in awe.


    what a rush. no wonder people go after powerful monsters like this. it wasn¡¯t even a great monster and it gave me this much energy.


    noah shook his head and looked toward the other root fiend. his heart skipped a beat. it stood tall, its eyes blank and empty. sprouting from the center of its chest was a huge golden blade, still smoking with energy. the roots around the wound had peeled back in a desperate attempt to avoid the burning energy, but it was to no avail.


    the magic sputtered out, and the purple shield running along the ground slithered away as it returned back to brayden.


    gavin and jess both sprinted up to the group, slowing as they saw that the other root fiend was dead and everyone else was still alive. gavin¡¯s eyes caught on the smoking remains of the root fiend and he let out a slow whistle.


    ¡°who did that?¡±


    ¡°he did,¡± jess said, bracing her hands against her knees and taking a few short gasps of air before pointing at noah. ¡°i saw him jump off the root fiend¡¯s head like a suicidal maniac a moment before it blew up.¡±


    ¡°damned plains,¡± emily breathed, staring at noah with undisguised shock. ¡°how did you do that?¡±


    ¡°lots of smoke and an enclosed space,¡± noah replied. ¡°explosions cause expansion, so i realized that if i pumped it full of enough gas and then lit it up... boom. anti-smoking advertisement.¡±


    everyone stared at noah.


    ¡°did he get hit on the head?¡± gavin asked.


    ¡°vermil is always like this,¡± moxie replied, but even she looked impressed.


    brayden studied noah, his expression unreadable. beside him, allen and edward both stared in disbelief. noah couldn¡¯t help a tiny smirk from flickering across his lips.


    ¡°you... who are you?¡± allen finally managed. ¡°you aren¡¯t a rank 2.¡±


    ¡°sure i am,¡± noah replied. ¡°as i said, it was just an application of some basic physics ¨C if you can even call it that. basic logic, maybe? nothing that anyone else couldn¡¯t figure out. i just happened to have the proper skillset to capitalize on it.¡±


    allen stared at noah down the bridge of his nose, as if trying to mesh the man standing before him with the one that had clocked him in the chin during the exam in the scorched acres. noah could practically see the gears turning in the older professor¡¯s head.


    ¡°are you playing at some sort of game?¡± edward asked. ¡°why do you act so incompetent when you can do... that?¡±l--b1n.


    edward gestured vaguely at the smoldering remains of the monster behind them.


    ¡°i don¡¯t know about him, but i¡¯d do it just to see that look on your face,¡± todd said with a smirk. ¡°when are you going to show us how to do that, teacherman? you¡¯ve been holding out.¡±


    gavin¡¯s gaze crawled across noah so closely that he suppressed a shudder. it felt like the soldier was trying to dissect him with just his gaze.


    ¡°have you had any soldier training?¡± jess asked. ¡°you fight like one. i was watching.¡±


    ¡°fear is a tool,¡± lee said, answering for noah. ¡°it lets you know when you need to run. some enemies can¡¯t be defeated. but at the same time, too much of it holds you back. understanding your abilities will let you determine when you should flee and when you shouldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°so he just understands what he can do very well?¡±


    ¡°something like that,¡± noah said. ¡°a lot of training in the field builds confidence and experience. i also knew i had some good backup. i wouldn¡¯t have ran at that thing like an idiot if moxie and allen hadn¡¯t been backing me up, or if i hadn¡¯t known that brayden had you all protected.¡±


    well, i would have if i was alone, that wasn¡¯t really the question.


    ¡°magus moxie and allen aren¡¯t trained to fight, though,¡± emily said.


    noah repressed a laugh.


    sounds like somebody hasn¡¯t seen moxie when she¡¯s mad. or when she¡¯s trying to convince me she¡¯s an ally.


    ¡°they looked pretty effective to me,¡± noah said dryly.


    ¡°that¡¯s different. you¡¯re professors. of course they¡¯re very talented at magic, that¡¯s their job. but they aren¡¯t soldiers. their job is research and studying, not fighting.¡±


    moxie¡¯s eyes flicked away and something passed across her face. her face was back to normal so quickly that noah barely even noticed it.


    was that... shame? embarrassment? odd.


    ¡°you did see allen, right?¡± noah asked, sending a glance over his shoulder. ¡°not to compliment the guy ¨C his head is big enough as it is ¨C but he was skating circles around the root fiend. that doesn¡¯t look like something all that easy to accomplish.¡±


    emily cleared her throat. ¡°allen is the head of the trick skating club on campus. he¡¯s shown me a few tricks.¡±


    noah nearly missed a step. ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°he¡¯s the skating instructor,¡± emily repeated. ¡°a really good one. i¡¯ve been in his after school class for about a year now. he does a lot of tricks like that. it¡¯s part of the show.¡±


    ¡°huh. well, that¡¯s not something i would have guessed. i guess we all have to have hobbies,¡± noah said.


    ¡°exactly,¡± emily said. ¡°which is why i want to know what yours is. how¡¯d you fight like that?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s because all he does is fight,¡± todd said, walking up beside emily. ¡°he has no other hobbies. he¡¯s a soldier in a professor¡¯s clothes. the teacherman.¡±


    todd put extra emphasis on the last word, making noah¡¯s nickname sound like an off-brand superhero from a failing franchise.


    how did he even come up with that?


    ¡°please don¡¯t spread that around,¡± noah said with a defeated sigh. ¡°but todd is right. i¡¯m afraid my knowledge in all areas other than punching things really hard and making them blow up is sorely lacking. i trained todd and isabel for it by having them fight monsters over and over, remember? that translates. it doesn¡¯t help them do much other than kill monsters, though. i¡¯m lucky moxie has partnered with me, to be honest. i¡¯m going to be needing her expertise for literally every part of this other than killing.¡±


    ¡°killing monsters is all that matters,¡± todd said. ¡°kill monster, get energy. upgrade runes. kill bigger monster. easy.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re an idiot,¡± emily said, snorting with laughter. ¡°he¡¯s right. you really do need a proper teacher if you think that¡¯s all there is to runes.¡±


    todd and emily glared at each other.


    ah, lovely. all is back to being as it should.


    as they continued walking, noah couldn¡¯t help but notice that the rest of the group had fallen silent, all seemingly lost in their own thoughts. lee seemed to be watching isabel, who was continuing to send glances over her shoulder at the remains of the root fiends receding behind them.


    moxie just looked straight up sick, though she was fairly good at hiding it, and brayden seemed... pensive, for lack of a better word. noah repressed a sigh. something was clearly up with everyone, but he had no idea what it was.


    i¡¯ll have to pull moxie aside soon. i also need to figure out what a domain is. allen seemed to treat it like it was important. tonight should be good. the more i learn, the more i realize i have absolutely no idea just how deep all of this goes.

 Chapter 84: Domains

    chapter 84: domains


    they didn¡¯t need to camp out that night. as the evening started to fall, the wooden walls of a village appeared over the hills. shingled roofs of both wood and stone houses poked over its walls, and several small pillars of smoke rose up from chimneys within it.


    the faint scent of cooking meat and spice hung in the air, just enough to make everyone salivate. not a single word was said between any of them as they accelerated, making toward the town.


    there weren¡¯t any guards at the open gate, and the motley group strode inside without difficulty. packed dirt paths ran down the road, trodden down by years of movement to form roads.


    the majority of the town was clustered at its center, while the living areas were scattered along the town¡¯s edges. noah could hear the sound of avid conversation coming from deeper into town.


    as they headed deeper, it became clear that almost everyone had congregated around two large, two story buildings near the town center. neither of them had any identifying signs, but it was clear by the tables past their windows and the smell of food coming within them that they were inns.


    ¡°the stars are nice,¡± brayden said, striding up to the door and ducking down as he pushed it open, letting golden light from inside wash out onto the evening shadows, ¡°but i¡¯d much prefer a real bed.¡±


    isabel and todd both glanced at each other uneasily. before noah could speak up, a frown flickered across brayden¡¯s features.


    ¡°i¡¯ll pay, since i¡¯m the one suggesting it,¡± brayden said. ¡°it¡¯ll go on the linwicks¡¯ tab anyway.¡±


    with that, he strode inside and thumped into the tavern. noah and the others followed brayden in. every single eye in the tavern turned toward them as brayden¡¯s imposing form lumbered over to the counter and slapped a gold coin down on the counter. it looked puny in his fingers.


    ¡°rooms for all of us,¡± brayden rumbled. ¡°meals as well.¡±


    the barkeep, a diminutive woman with graying brown hair and a pudgy face, swallowed and took the coin carefully. she reached to give him change, but brayden shook his head.


    ¡°put the extra money in the food. i don¡¯t need your coin.¡±


    brayden turned toward the tables, then paused. brayden reached up and traced a purple line through the air with a finger. everyone in the tavern stiffened, but brayden just reached inside it and pulled out ten more gold.


    he stacked it on the counter.


    ¡°i ¨C it¡¯s not this expensive to stay for the night,¡± the barkeep stammered. ¡°you don¡¯t have to¨C¡±


    brayden turned and lumbered away, his eyes on an empty table with four chairs around it near the corner of the room. people shuffled their chairs out of his way as he passed, craning their necks to watch him pass.


    he stopped at the side of the table and studied one of the chairs. it looked like a doll toy in comparison to him. brayden grabbed a nearby table and pulled it over, then sat down on top of it. the wood creaked dangerously underneath his weight.


    ¡°that¡¯s what the extra gold was for, i think,¡± noah said.


    the barkeep swallowed and nodded, carefully taking the gold and shuffling off into the back. noah and the others walked over to the table, and brayden gestured for them to sit down. nobody budged.


    brayden bared his teeth. ¡°sit down.¡±


    isabel and todd were the first to move, taking two of the chairs on one side of the table. brayden pointed at edward, then tapped the table. swallowing, the linwick boy took his seat. allen sat down across from him.


    ¡°i¡¯m not sitting on the table,¡± noah said. ¡°i¡¯m pretty sure it would break if we put any more weight on it.


    brayden snorted. ¡°it¡¯ll break anyway. sit somewhere else, then. i¡¯ll babysit the children. i¡¯m sure you¡¯d like a break at this point.¡±


    allen didn¡¯t look too pleased to be included in the group of children, but he just shook his head and didn¡¯t say anything. noah shrugged. he wasn¡¯t exactly frothing at the mouth to spend time with allen yet.


    noah walked over to a table a short distance away and flopped into one of the chairs. lee and moxie sat down beside him. he couldn¡¯t help but notice that the tavern was still silent, as it had been ever since brayden entered.


    noah lowered his voice and leaned close to her ear. ¡°i¡¯ve got another question. the hell is a domain?¡±


    moxie snagged a roll of bread herself and cut it open, slathering some butter on its inside with a knife. she lowered her voice to match noah¡¯s volume. ¡°do you know how to do literally anything other than fight?¡±


    ¡°do you want an honest answer to that?¡±


    moxie sighed. ¡°domains are the reason that there¡¯s such a big power discrepancy between rank 3 and 4. the gap.¡±


    noah nodded knowingly. ¡°ah, yes. the gap. of course.¡±


    ¡°domains are the manifestation of your runic magic around you. they let you keep other people¡¯s magic from getting inside your body unless they can overpower it, and also let you summon magic without having some form of physical contact with the space you¡¯re trying to bring it into as long as it¡¯s within your domain.¡±


    damn, that¡¯s significant, especially if the range of this domain is large. that could be a huge boost in power.


    ¡°and that¡¯s not even the only benefit you get from reaching the mid ranks,¡± moxie continued. ¡°the lengthened longevity is a real nice benefit as well.¡±


    the what? you get to live longer when you reach rank 4? the one thing that i¡¯m still actually worried might take me for good is old age. either that or i end up in a revival loop of dying and waking up constantly because i¡¯m so old that all my organs shut down on me. i can avoid that by getting to the next rank?


    ¡°two hundred and fifty years,¡± lee put in. ¡°that¡¯s how much more you get at rank 4. for us, at least.¡±


    ¡°for us as well,¡± moxie said with a nod. ¡°and then more with every rank after that. the headmaster is rank 6, and i¡¯ve heard he¡¯s over seven hundred years old.¡±


    holy shit. goodbye, death. i¡¯m going to live forever. take your lines and shove them up your ass.


    noah popped the bread roll into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. moxie specified that rank 4 was the entrance to the mid ranks, which implied that ranks 1 through 3 were low, and there was probably a set of them that were classified as high above that.


    ¡°7 through 9,¡± lee said, reading noah¡¯s lips before he could even bring the question out. he cleared his throat.


    ¡°the high ranks. i know.¡±


    ¡°right,¡± moxie drawled. ¡°good for you.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure if i¡¯ll ever even reach rank 4,¡± lee said with a small frown. ¡°my runes aren¡¯t really that well combined. surviving the ascent through rank 4 ¨C it¡¯s not common for my kind. we don¡¯t usually have the liberty to make sure our combinations work well due to the... competition. usually, the force of the ascent ends up ripping us to shreds. i guess that¡¯s what makes the ones that survive so strong.¡±


    ¡°is that why you¡¯re still rank 3?¡± noah asked, slowly pulling more puzzle pieces together.


    there¡¯s some form of bottleneck that separates these rank groupings. presumably, passing the bottleneck is also what lets people¡¯s souls expand enough to get the domain.


    moxie grimaced. ¡°you don¡¯t have to put it that bluntly. i¡¯m... having difficulty determining what my strategy is going to be for my rank up, and i can¡¯t really afford any combinations. guesswork is a terrible idea when your entire future is at stake, so i¡¯m just sitting on it for now.¡±


    i could fix that for you. all of it.


    but... that would involve revealing sunder¡¯s power. i can help both of them ¨C but this isn¡¯t the time to reveal sunder. especially not before we get to the linwick estate, with all this other shit happening. i will do it, though. i need my allies powerful. they¡¯ve both been stuck for a little while, though. there¡¯s no need to jump the gun.


    ¡°your family doesn¡¯t provide you a rune combination?¡± noah asked, frowning. ¡°i thought that was kind of the point of noble families.¡±


    moxie¡¯s features hardened. ¡°no. they don¡¯t.¡±


    that was clearly the end of that particular conversation. noah glanced at the other table, but they¡¯d all gotten their food and were furiously eating to avoid drawing brayden¡¯s ire. no more than a few seconds later, the waitress arrived at their table and deposited three bowls of stew before them. she darted away the moment the food was out of her hands.


    lots to think about, but no point rushing it. for now, i¡¯ve already got enough to focus on improving. i want to figure out what other rank 2 runes i can get my hands on and push my pyroclastic resonance rune farther. i know it can do more than what i¡¯ve seen, especially with the resonance aspect. but for now... food.

 Chapter 85: History Lessons

    chapter 85: history lessons


    the rest of dinner passed by quickly. brayden had clearly paid far more than the inn had expected, because the waitress came around with an individual key for all of them. it didn¡¯t take long before everyone had gone up a thin set of stairs at the back of the tavern to retire to their rooms for the night.


    noah was pleased to find that, while plain, the bed in his room was more than comfortable ¨C and it was certainly an improvement over the ground. before going to bed, he spent an hour on body imbuement. he was leaning heavily toward testing out combustion, but the master rune just didn¡¯t seem to work the same way others did. even though he could tell it had an energy capacity, when noah tried to imbue it, the rune stubbornly resisted. he didn¡¯t want to risk pulling too much of its power and end up mistakenly permanently imbuing himself when he still didn¡¯t know if they would stick around through death, so noah ended up spending more of his time fiddling with the master rune than actually imbuing it. eventually, when it started to get really late, he headed to bed.


    the night passed in a flash and, before he knew it, the sun was crawling through the lone window in the room.


    by the time noah rolled out of bed and headed down the stairwell back into the tavern below, several others were already there. brayden stood beside a table, next to lee and moxie who were sat at it. he¡¯d opted not to even bother using a table as a chair.


    ¡°morning,¡± noah said, walking up to join them. ¡°are we setting off?¡±


    ¡°soon,¡± brayden replied. ¡°i want to restock. i typically travel alone, so i¡¯m running out of supplies at a rate faster than what i¡¯d prefer. the innkeeper is already out getting what i asked for, so i¡¯m just going to hang around a little.¡±


    ¡°good opportunity to explore the town,¡± moxie offered. ¡°it¡¯s been a while since i¡¯ve been outside of arbitage in any capacity other than work. there might be something interesting.¡±


    ¡°in this little rundown hole?¡± brayden cocked an eyebrow, then shrugged. ¡°help yourself, torrin.¡±


    i¡¯ve never actually gotten a chance to do anything outside of arbitage other than kill monsters. i¡¯d love to see what a normal town is like.


    ¡°i¡¯ll check it out as well,¡± noah said. ¡°lee, you coming?¡±


    ¡°nah. sounds like a lot of effort,¡± lee replied, covering a yawn and draping her arms over the back of her chair. ¡°i¡¯ll stay here and sleep.¡±


    brayden just nodded. he still looked a little more absentminded than noah recalled him being when they¡¯d first met, as if he were lost within his own head.


    ¡°i¡¯ll keep an eye on everyone else. don¡¯t wander off for too long. we leave in an hour,¡± brayden warned.


    moxie and noah both nodded. moxie rose from the table and pushed her chair in before heading out of the tavern, noah on her heels. the town looked a lot more welcoming in the daylight, though it was much more tightly packed than he¡¯d grown used to after spending months in arbitage.


    ¡°where are we headed?¡± noah asked. ¡°is there a market square or something?¡±


    ¡°there should be a street of merchants somewhere,¡± moxie replied. ¡°this town is pretty small, so i¡¯m not sure how big the market will be, but you never know where you¡¯ll find a hidden gem.¡±


    they strolled through the city streets, moving at a brisk but comfortable pace. several passersby made a double take when they spotted moxie¡¯s uniform, but nobody bothered them. if anything, people made extra effort to avoid getting in their path.


    unless moxie herself has been here before and has a reputation, then arbitagehas quite the reputation. or is it just the rank on her uniform that has the reputation?


    noah drank in the sights of the town as they walked. the majority of the traffic around them ¨C as little as it was ¨C was on foot, though there were a few people walking around with hand-drawn carts.


    the town itself strongly resembled what he would have imagined a medieval one would have looked like, though it didn¡¯t smell nearly as bad as he would have suspected such a place would have had he been asked back on earth.


    it didn¡¯t take him and moxie long to locate the market area. it was only a street behind where their tavern had been, and already had inviting smells rising from within it. several multicolored cloths crisscrossed through the air above it, providing shade to the variety of wooden carts that had been arranged along the street. not all the carts had anyone sitting at them, but all of them had their wares laid out.


    moxie let out a heavy sigh. she paused by a cart selling fruit pies, nearly causing noah to bowl in to her. moxie dug a few silver coins out of her pocket and bought two pies from the vendor, then headed over to a bench in a gap between the carts.


    she sat down and noah took the spot beside her.


    ¡°lots of reasons,¡± moxie finally said before taking a bite out of the pie. she chewed for a moments before speaking again. ¡°power is the biggest one, but fear plays a big part into it as well. the arbalest empire is isolated, and we like it that way.¡±


    ¡°elaborate?¡± noah asked.


    moxie took another bite out of her pie. ¡°the headmaster is a rank 6. he¡¯s the most powerful mage i know of. the leaders of most noble houses are around rank 5 or 6, and i don¡¯t know anyone that¡¯s a higher rank. not locally, at least.¡±


    empire means there¡¯s an emperor or empress, doesn¡¯t it? what about them?


    ¡°there¡¯s no emperor,¡± moxie said, reading noah¡¯s features like a book. ¡°not anymore. i¡¯m not going to give you an entire history lesson, you lazy bum. go read a book about this.¡±


    noah grimaced. ¡°what about an abridged version?¡±


    ¡°the arbalest empire was the site of an enormous war a while ago, before i was born. a bunch of mages got killed in the fight ¨C that¡¯s kind of how wars work ¨C but the casualties were too high for either side, and they still had other enemies. they agreed to stay out of the area, giving the weaker mages a chance to grow in strength without getting crushed just by being a bit too close to a rank 7¡¯s runes or something.¡±


    ¡°i see,¡± noah said slowly. ¡°but what does that have to do with not wanting people to learn runes? are they worried that somebody will reach rank 7 and start blowing stuff up?¡±


    moxie snorted. ¡°no. they¡¯re worried that someone else will reach rank 7. every family is desperately trying to figure out how to hit the highest ranks possible, but combinations get incredibly complicated once you get that high up. but, if enough people get a chance to fiddle around, eventually someone will get it right. they don¡¯t want that risk.¡±


    ¡°why not just combine a bunch of the same kind of rune if they¡¯re that set on getting someone to rank 7?¡±


    ¡°have you ever seen what happens to someone that only has a single type of rune?¡±


    ¡°nope.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s not pretty,¡± moxie said. ¡°especially not at the higher ranks. runic power needs balance. too much of one type without anything to hold it back and your body won¡¯t survive the experience.¡±


    ah. like how my other runes pushed back on sunder and let me use its power. so if they¡¯d all been mini sunder runes, i wouldn¡¯t have been able to resist it at all? that¡¯s concerning, but it does explain a lot.


    moxie stuffed the rest of the pie into her mouth, then took a bite out of the next one. she wiped her mouth and let out a short laugh.


    ¡°i say all that, but i know there have been rank 7s in recent years. it¡¯s just that nobody wants to admit it, and the rank 7s usually get out of here as soon as they can. when you¡¯re that powerful, why bother being beholden to a bunch of idiots? just do what you want and leave.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯d imagine that there¡¯s also the fear of what would happen if a bunch of powerful people started popping up in here, right?¡± noah guessed. ¡°i mean, if the strong folk are still out there, and they see new strong ones in the empire, what¡¯s to stop them from coming back in?¡±


    ¡°that as well,¡± moxie agreed. she polished off the rest of her pie and brushed her hands off. ¡°well, decent little market, but nothing really caught my eye. unless you want to waste some coin gambling on runes, i¡¯m done here.¡±


    ¡°not today,¡± noah said with a chuckle. ¡°thanks for the history lesson. let¡¯s go meet back up with brayden and the others.¡±

 Chapter 86: Imbuements

    chapter 86: imbuements


    ¡°you said you did your body imbuements a different way than how lee did them, right?¡± noah asked as he and moxie made their way back toward the tavern.


    ¡°all at once,¡± moxie said with a nod. ¡°never thought about trying to do it in layers before, which is a bit stupid of me i suppose. it makes sense. gradual change is always better than a sudden one.¡±


    ¡°i missed the classes where lee started teaching body imbuement, but did todd follow your method?¡± noah asked. ¡°he was using it a while ago, but somehow by accident. is there some way to test out a body imbuement or otherwise make sure you don¡¯t get a bad one?¡±


    moxie thought for a moment. ¡°that¡¯s a good question, actually. i never really thought about it because i was more focused on the others, since todd wasn¡¯t having any difficulties. i can¡¯t think of any way to really do a body imbuement quickly or temporarily. you can always remove them, but your body isn¡¯t catchpaper. it¡¯s not going to be a fun experience.¡±


    ¡°so you can definitely remove the imbuements if they don¡¯t work?¡± noah asked.


    moxie nodded. ¡°most people remove them when they reach the next rank. no point keeping a weaker imbuement. it hurts, but as long as you aren¡¯t doing it constantly, you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    good to know. no reason to keep holding off on my own imbuements much longer, then. just need to figure out exactly what i¡¯m going to go for.


    ¡°interesting. maybe todd¡¯s stumbled into something different, then. either that or he¡¯s just a natural at imbuing himself and got really lucky with an imbuement that doesn¡¯t suck.¡±


    they reached the tavern a minute later, stepping through the doors to the sight of the rest of their group gathered around one of the tables. brayden was in the process of pushing several large bundles of cloth into a glowing rift in the air before him.


    he shoved the final one through and the purple rend sealed up. brayden brushed his hands off, turning as he spotted noah and moxie out of the corner of his eye.


    ¡°good timing,¡± brayden said. ¡°i¡¯m all packed up. shall we? i¡¯m eager to get back on the road.¡±


    ***


    throughout that day, noah¡¯s thoughts remained on his body imbuements and runes. he barely even noticed the hills going by as they walked. if something happened, he was sure somebody would get his attention.


    the biggest point of body imbuements would be to help make up for my shortcomings. ideally, i¡¯d like something to make me a bit harder to kill. the problem is, i don¡¯t see how pyroclastic resonance is going to do much in the way of protecting. l--b1n.


    noah idly called on the rune as they walked, feeling the magic as it coursed through his fingertips. he wished he could take out his journal and write down his thoughts, but that would have been pretty difficult to do while they were walking.


    instead, he just let his thoughts drift. the rune had demonstrated that it could do everything with ash that a normal ash rune could, and it also had control over a degree of flame.


    noah hummed to himself, pulling a tiny tendril of ash out from his bag and swirling it across his knuckles. a flicker of a frown crossed over noah¡¯s face.


    i want a way to use this in my body imbuement. what benefits could it give me, preferably ones that help me stay alive?


    noah tapped his fingers together, generating a silent but steady rhythm. he focused on it, calling on the pyroclastic resonance rune and channeling it into his fingertips. nothing changed, but he could feel his fingers warm slightly.


    intent. need to figure out exactly what i¡¯m going for. it might be a bit of a stretch, but could i somehow generate ash from the vibrations, rather than just controlling them? having a way to actively make it rather than carrying around a tool to do it could be beneficial. that does kind of go against the whole premise of not being able to generate something from nothing, though. maybe an energy transfer of some sort would work.


    he continued to tap his fingers together, not fully paying attention to his own hands as much as his thoughts. a spike of pain suddenly shot through noah¡¯s fingers and he yelped, shaking his hand off and sending an accusatory glare at it.


    ¡°that¡¯s a good point. i need to find a way to¨C¡± noah cut off midway through his sentence. he tilted his head to the side. ¡°huh.¡±


    ¡°what?¡± lee asked.


    ¡°why do you think the hellreaver always had a fire around it?¡± noah asked. ¡°that¡¯s the rune¡¯s active ability, so it should have been something it would have to intentionally do. but it was doing it while it was asleep. how? and more importantly, why?¡±


    ¡°i... i¡¯m not sure,¡± lee admitted. ¡°that¡¯s a good point. what are you thinking? you think imbuing the rune completely will let you somehow use its powers?¡±


    ¡°i know the spot you imbue it is what matters.¡± noah chewed his lower lip. ¡°what if you imbue your soul? the runes are already there, and it¡¯s a real thing that we can tangibly see. why wouldn¡¯t we be able to imbue that?¡±


    lee¡¯s mouth worked. ¡°i have no idea. i never thought of that. you think that¡¯s what the hellreaver did?¡±


    ¡°only one way to find out,¡± noah replied. ¡°keep watch over my body, please.¡±


    then he closed his eyes and slipped into his mental space.


    darkness bloomed all around him, and his runes shimmered to life. his soul was largely undamaged, as it had been a good bit of time since he¡¯d taken a lot of serious death. if there was ever a time to fiddle around with his soul, now felt like it.


    still, noah paused. his body was arguably the safest thing to mess with. when he died, his soul was what stuck around. if his suspicion was wrong, there was a chance of damaging himself permanently.


    i can¡¯t think what else the hellreaver possibly could have imbued, though. it had the rune constantly going off. the only way that would happen is if it was an imbuement, and it would have lost control of the rune if it had imbued it on its body. this is the only possibility.


    i¡¯m confident that i¡¯m correct. the logic adds up. i just need to have the exact right intent when i imbue this, or i¡¯m going to end up with my own ring of fire following me around. if i limit the amount of combustion¡¯s power i¡¯m drawing and leave the rest in my soul, then i should be able to regulate it.


    noah steeled his thoughts. as if sensing his intentions, the runes shifted around him. combustion lowered, floating down toward his outstretched hand. noah looked around, then settled at a spot near his feet.


    it was as good as any other. all of it was his soul, after all. he extended a mental tendril, calling on combustion¡¯s power, and started to gather it.


    master runes were all or nothing. there wouldn¡¯t be any layering involved. more importantly, noah didn¡¯t even have to run all of the rune¡¯s power through his body ¨C he was pretty sure that would end up burning him alive.


    all i have to do is move it. it¡¯s already in my soul, after all. if i can just permanently combine the two, i shouldn¡¯t even need to handle all the strength at once. then, as long as my intent is to keep the power i draw from it limited, i should be able to handle it.


    noah took a deep breath. then he pulled at combustion¡¯s power, directing it into his soul. the master rune resisted at first, but noah wasn¡¯t trying to draw it into his real body. he was just moving it.


    go into my lungs and leave through my breath unless otherwise directed. let the me use my breath to control your powers. keep the amount of energy that passively flows out so low that it doesn¡¯t actually have enough to combust. i don¡¯t need to set myself on fire randomly. only have enough flowing to establish access to the reservoir, and leave the rest in the soul.


    the rune stretched out like a piece of taffy, reaching out toward the spot in his mindspace that he was directing it toward. redoubling his focus on his goal, noah pulled harder.


    a loud twang echoed through his mind. the rune sprung, shooting from its spot in the sky and into the ground, condensing into a smaller version of itself that was roughly the size of noah¡¯s body.


    instantly, a wave of heat rolled over him. noah tensed, then opened his eyes. he let out a slow breath, grimacing as a very, very uncomfortably hot breath washed out of his mouth. it was just a few steps below scalding ¨C but it was bearable.


    he¡¯d done it.

 Chapter 87: Combo

    chapter 87: combo


    ¡°vermil?¡± lee asked, taking a cautious step back. ¡°you look... red.¡±


    noah looked down at his hands. his entire body felt warm. in the back of his mind, he could feel a steady flow of energy traveling throughout his body and through his veins. it was most concentrated in his lungs, just like he¡¯d been aiming for.


    less to his taste was the color of his skin, which had turned several shades pinker from the newfound heat running through him. he looked like a cooking shrimp.


    pressing his lips together, noah pushed back on the power, trying to stem the flow a little more. it took conscious effort, but the stream stemmed and noah felt himself cool. he let out a slow breath. it wasn¡¯t quite as hot as the first one had been.


    ¡°it worked,¡± noah said, a huge grin breaking out across his face. ¡°i knew it. you can imbue your soul.¡±


    and, upon the occasion i ever really need the rune gone, i can probably just cut it out of my soul with sunder. it might not be fun, but i¡¯ve recovered from soul damage before. i also don¡¯t think the body imbuement is perfect. it feels a bit separate from my lungs, and even though i feel the runic magic in them, they feel... not great, i guess. probably because of how quickly i did the imbuement. i¡¯ll have to fix that soon.


    ¡°not something anyone would do with a rune that they can grow out of,¡± lee mused. ¡°but a master rune... well, there¡¯s not much information on them. you might have stumbled onto something?¡±


    ¡°might have?¡± noah asked, gaping at lee. ¡°look at this!¡±


    he raised his fingers to his lips, pressing them together and resonating them. it didn¡¯t take much to make them burn, forming a tiny wisp of smoke. noah shook his hand off and inhaled quickly, swallowing the smoke. then he allowed the flow of energy in his breath to increase and blew as hard as he could.


    there was a woosh as the smoke ignited. a tongue of fire burst from his mouth, searing into the ground.


    ¡°so you can breathe fire now, but you have to set yourself on fire in the first place to do it,¡± lee said. she didn¡¯t sound too impressed.


    ¡°it¡¯s not just that. i¡¯ve got combustion and pyroclastic resonance working perfectly together.¡±


    lee stared at him. then she waggled a hand back and forth in the air, giving him another shrug.


    ¡°you don¡¯t understand, but i¡¯ll just show you,¡± noah said, grinning. he opened his mouth, then paused. ¡°actually, i don¡¯t know how loud this will be. do you think you could get my flying sword?¡±


    lee grimaced. ¡°i don¡¯t want to wait that long, i¡¯m impatient. just hold on.¡±


    ¡°hold on to wh¨C¡±


    lee grabbed noah, slinging him over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. then they were gone, the ground blurring beneath her feet. noah clutched onto lee¡¯s back, desperate to keep from falling and turning into a skid mark on the ground.


    and that¡¯s only a slight exaggeration.


    lee didn¡¯t seem to tire, running at the exact same speed for nearly ten minutes. by the time she finally slid to a stop, noah¡¯s stomach was in his throat. he flopped down to the grass and let out an explosive breath.


    ¡°you¡¯re insane.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m impatient, and it¡¯s getting worse by the second,¡± lee said. she gestured impatiently. ¡°come on. we¡¯re far from the camp. show. i wanna see.¡±


    noah clambered back to his feet, shaking his head and getting his wits back about him. ¡°fine. watch.¡±


    he drew in a deep breath, and he felt the combustion rune shift in accordance to his will. instead of igniting, the flow of the air around them froze. lee¡¯s eyes widened as she tried to breath in and found that the air no longer worked in her lungs.


    noah released his breath, letting the air back to normal.


    ¡°i figured out how the hellreaver did everything,¡± noah said. ¡°the flow of its breath is what matters. that¡¯s what made it able to control things so easily and without pause. i think it was using fire runes in addition to combustion, which is why it always had fire around. it must have been pulling in embers from the ring of fire it always had and using those as fuel to breath fire. but i don¡¯t need a permanent flame ring. my pyroclastic resonance rune can vibrate things until they burn, and then i can combust that smoke.¡±


    a flash sparked, racing down the thin stream and up to the snuffler. there was a flash, followed by a roar of flame as the monster exploded in hundreds of little detonations. chunks of its furry flesh splattered across the ground, catching flame as the rune continued to drain power. noah had to make a conscious effort to restrain it before the flame could spread any further. he could feel the energy in his pyroclastic resonance rune drain at an alarming rate. even though he¡¯d only used on the body imbuement, it had taken nearly half the power in the entire rune just to do that.


    lee and noah stared at the smoldering corpse.


    ¡°i almost feel bad for it,¡± lee said. ¡°that was brutal. and cool. you gonna put that fire out so i can eat?¡±


    noah inhaled and the fire sputtered out, vanishing. lee grinned and grabbed the monster, shoving it into her mouth with a slew of incredibly unsettling crunching sounds. noah glanced away until she was finished.


    ¡°that¡¯s pretty effective,¡± lee said. ¡°more like an explosion than just fire.¡±


    ¡°i condensed the smoke and shoved it into small spaces. i also tried using a lot more energy from combustion than i normally do,¡± noah said, swallowing heavily. ¡°apparently, it can do more than just ignite a fire. it can make the actual combustion a lot more aggressive.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s a lot of words for saying you¡¯ve got an explosion rune.¡±


    noah couldn¡¯t argue with that. combustion was devastatingly effective, especially when combined with ash or, presumably, anything that could expand rapidly. the ability came at a hefty cost, as keeping it safely contained and making sure he didn¡¯t blow himself up drew a huge amount of energy from his runes, but it was clearly worth the effort.


    ¡°so... again?¡± lee asked.


    ¡°yeah,¡± noah said, flexing his fingers. ¡°again. i¡¯ve got a lot more to practice before the sun comes up. i just need to let the energy in my runes recover first.¡±


    that night was not a good one for the snufflers. noah¡¯s new method of applying combustion was far more effective than he¡¯d dared to hope. he did genuinely start to feel pretty bad for the poor snufflers, as few of them even realized what was happening before they were turned into meat fountains. several of the dark-feathered bird monsters tried their luck as well, but lee pointed them out far before they could strike and each one met a fiery, explosive end.


    it was great practice, though. the energy from killing the monsters was steadily filling his runes, and he presumed the local bushes likely appreciated his efforts in clearing out their predators.


    at least, i think they¡¯re feeding on the bushes. as long as they are, i can fancy myself a protecter of the bushes. if they¡¯re not, i¡¯m just committing genocide against a bunch of innocent furry monsters that are just trying to hang out underground and protect their favorite bushes.


    when noah voiced his thoughts to lee, she stared at him in befuddlement.


    ¡°if they didn¡¯t want to die, they should have been stronger,¡± lee said with a shrug.


    not exactly the attitude i want to foster with my students there, lee.


    noah decided to ask brayden about the snufflers the following day. perhaps he¡¯d know a little more about the monsters and if noah was doing too much damage to the local environment during his practice.


    he and lee returned to the camp shortly afterward, and that involved another uncomfortable ride over lee''s shoulder. they slipped past moxie¡¯s watch with the power of lee¡¯s runes when they got back. the rest of the night passed easily, and the following morning¡¯s training went just as smoothly.


    all the students continued to improve, wasting less energy with their movements and defeating the snufflers in increasingly fast times. a competition had sparked between isabel, todd, and emily, and noah encouraged it.


    but, between the three of them, isabel had grabbed the lead by its reigns and held tightly onto it. no matter how hard todd and emily tried, it just felt like isabel had fought a dozen times more enemies than they had.


    that seemed to cause emily no end of frustration while simultaneously filling todd with smug pride. even though he wasn¡¯t the one winning, he took it as such. that sentiment was echoed in their imbuement practice with lee that morning, as he¡¯d pulled so far ahead of both isabel and emily that he might as well have been teaching the class.


    as they all returned to the camp to prepare to set off for the day, todd drew up alongside noah.


    ¡°you¡¯re doing great.¡± noah clapped todd on the shoulder. ¡°keep it up, todd. you¡¯re blowing it out of the park with your work on body imbuements. i actually had a quick question about how you do your body imbuements.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s good timing,¡± todd said. ¡°i¡¯ve got a question as well.¡±


    ¡°ha. you can go first then,¡± noah said, waving for todd to continue. ¡°i¡¯ll go second.¡±


    todd glanced from side to side, then lowered his voice. ¡°okay. why do you have so much heat coming off you? it feels like you should be on fire.¡±

 Chapter 88: Sunderin time

    chapter 88: sunderin time


    ¡°ah, yes. that,¡± noah said, clearing his throat. ¡°i was working on some body imbuement.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯ve got a fire rune?¡± todd asked, blinking.


    ¡°not exactly, but my rank 2 rune has some heat aspects. hot ash, you know?¡±


    ¡°huh,¡± todd said, rubbing his chin. ¡°well, it certainly doesn¡¯t look very comfortable. i was really careful to limit the power of my body imbuements that used heat or fire runes to make sure i didn¡¯t overheat. you might want to tone yours down a little.¡±


    he sounds so confident talking about this stuff, and it doesn¡¯t even come off as overconfident. it¡¯s more like he¡¯s just stating facts. did todd really only just learn about body imbuements?


    ¡°i¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± noah said. ¡°you know a lot about body imbuements, todd. is lee really that great of a teacher?¡±


    todd¡¯s gaze shifted, and it was his turn to look uncomfortable. the expression only lasted for a few moments, but it was enough time for noah to catch it.


    ¡°yeah. it just came to me, i guess. makes sense, you know? like when you do something and you know you¡¯re just great at it. but what was that question you wanted to ask me?¡±


    hm.


    ¡°i was going to ask about how you did your body imbuement on your eyes,¡± noah said, rubbing his chin. ¡°it had to be something temporary or fast to apply, right? since you didn¡¯t actually know how to do body imbuements yet.¡±


    todd gave him a one-shouldered shrug and responded immediately, his eyes shifting away from noah once more. ¡°honestly, it was a bit of a mistake. i just envisioned the rune overlaid over my eyes. i¡¯ve since properly imbued them to rectify all the issues that doing it like that could cause. it¡¯s not something that i¡¯d try to replicate, it was probably really dangerous and i got lucky that it worked right.¡±


    that was a really fast response. flat tone, too. did he rehearse it? now might not be the right time to push the matter. we¡¯re too close to camp.


    ¡°gotcha. figured it was worth asking.¡± noah chuckled. ¡°no need to worry about it, then.¡±


    the rest of their walk to the camp was silent, and the group set off once again with brayden at the lead shortly afterward.


    most of the day passed much as the others had. they traveled through long, sloping hills, continuing to follow the dirt path. the grass grew shorter and darkened to a ruddier, burnt orange color. there were fewer snuffler bushes the deeper they traveled, though they seemed to get progressively larger and less kept.


    as the evening grew closer, a sharp wind picked up, carrying with it a strong chill that did little to effect noah. a blanket of clouds crawled in front of the sun, turning what remained of the daylight into muted shades.


    ¡°we¡¯ll be stopping earlier today,¡± brayden announced. ¡°we¡¯re getting closer to the deadlands, and i¡¯d prefer to get through it in one day. sleeping there isn¡¯t ideal when i have all of you to protect. no training tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°why not?¡± lee asked. ¡°we aren¡¯t in this deadlands place yet, are we?¡±


    brayden grunted. ¡°getting through the deadlands will take basically all day, but we should be able to make it if we keep a good pace. that hour will mean the difference between getting out of it in the evening and getting out after nightfall.¡±


    ¡°what kind of monsters can we expect in the deadlands?¡± emily asked while noah was still trying to figure out a way to ask that very same question without coming off as an idiot.


    ¡°dead ones,¡± brayden replied, a flicker of a smirk playing across his lips. ¡°unfortunately, the type that won¡¯t stay dead. most of them aren¡¯t too problematic, but there are a few that are a bit faster than i¡¯d prefer. nothing that¡¯s a threat to me, but it¡¯s a different story for you lot.¡±


    ¡°i can handle myself, thank you very much,¡± allen said, crossing his arms. ¡°don¡¯t group me in with the rest of this lot.¡±


    ¡°allen, you know i¡¯ve got no issue with your capabilities, but we both know you haven¡¯t been in a real fight in years before that root fiend attack,¡± brayden said, looking down the bridge of his large nose at allen. ¡°the family sent you to arbitage because of your exceptional research and dedication, not because of your spry limbs or powerful magic. you¡¯re a good rank 4. be happy with that. nobody should try to be someone they aren¡¯t.¡±


    they¡¯re not going to hold together. guess that¡¯s what happens when you don¡¯t have enough energy. but, when i saw the vision of sunder being used, it looked like he chose one rune out of all the others. there¡¯s a chance it they were all full already, but if all the runes are pulling magic from the same rank 2 source...


    noah willed the energy to focus on one of his old greater wind runes, disregarding the others. almost instantly, he felt the flow of magic in his mindspace shift. the greater wind rune he was concentrating on brightened, the cracks covering it starting to fade. at the same time, all of the other runes quickly started to deteriorate.


    yes!


    there was a loud snap. the other six runes shattered, their energy fading into the ether and leaving noah with a half full greater wind rune for his efforts. it floated next to the mostly filled greater wind rune he¡¯d had before sundering pyroclastic resonance.


    perfect. i can focus the energy from a rune i sunder into one of its components, keeping that one at the cost of the others. i think it¡¯s still better to sunder a full rune so i can keep all seven, but this is still very useful. now i just need to fully fill one of my greater wind runes, then imbue the other one and claim the pyroclastic resonance rune i put in my grimoire.


    noah willed energy out of the half full wind rune and into the other, much like a combination. to his delight, the magic flowed freely, and a few moments later, he had a completely full greater wind rune.


    he quickly opened his eyes, leaving his mindspace and looking down at his grimoire. the page bearing the pyroclastic resonance rune was burning at an alarming rate ¨C the smoldering edges had nearly reached the rune itself.


    noah quickly flipped the page and slammed his hand into the book, shoving the partially filled greater wind rune into it in the fastest imbuement he¡¯d ever done. not even waiting to see how it went, noah flipped the page back and pressed his hand to the pyroclastic resonance rune, drinking it in greedily and entering his mindspace to properly form it.


    energy flooded noah¡¯s body as the rune poured in through his hand. he knew it well enough to easily form the image in his mind. energy flooded through the complicated set of lines, burning so brightly that he had to advert his eyes for a moment.


    then, with a brilliant flash, the rune snapped into being. a small amount of its energy had burned away in the process, likely due to the catchpaper¡¯s failure, but there was still over fifty percent of it.


    a relieved grin stretched across noah¡¯s face and he flopped to the ground in the darkness of his mind, letting out a slightly hysterical laugh.


    it worked. ha! and, on top of that, it looks like i didn¡¯t suffer any soul damage from sundering the rune. probably because i undid the combination rather than removing it.


    now all i have to do is sunder this, swap one of the ash runes for the full wind rune, and re-combine it. i¡¯ve gotten this far, and i¡¯ve still got a good bit of energy to hold sunder¡¯s pressure back.


    let¡¯s do this.


    despite his words, noah waited a few moments for his hands to stop trembling from the mixture of excitement and anxiety running through him. when he got complete control of himself again, he clambered to his feet and called on sunder.


    he knew exactly what he needed to do ¨C and he did it.


    sunder flooded through noah¡¯s veins. he reached out, carving pyroclastic resonance in twain for the second time that day.


    energy flashed. seven runes peeled out from within it, each one completely full. noah flicked his fingers, pushing one of the ash runes out of the way and calling the wind over in its place.


    three vibration. three wind. one ash. his new combination waited eagerly for him to bring it together, and noah wasn¡¯t one to keep others standing around.


    he brought his hands together, gathering the energy swirling in the runes and pressing it into one. a vision of what he wanted was so clear in his mind that it might as well have already been reality.


    lines carved through the darkness, each one drawn exactly as noah had envisioned it. after getting to use the rune and see how it interacted with combustion, he understood it far better than when he¡¯d first formed it. and, from the energy, pyroclastic resonance bloomed forth once more ¨C but, this time, it was more.


    the pressure coming off the rune was uniform, and the light in it was dim. after all, it was only ten percent full.


    he¡¯d formed a perfect rune.

 Chapter 89: Paleworm

    chapter 89: paleworm


    energy from the rune¡¯s combination poured out and into noah¡¯s soul, expanding it even further. it wasn¡¯t nearly as much expansion as he¡¯d gotten from when he¡¯d first combined a rank 2 rune, but it was still noticeable.


    probably from the increased pressure that comes from a perfect rank 2 rune as compared to an imperfect one.


    noah let out a slow breath and let his eyes open, greeting the cold breeze of the outside world with a smile on his face ¨C one that quickly faded as he realized just how cold it was. he wrapped his arms around himself and shivered. the body imbuement from his previous rune had burned away while he was upgrading the rune, which meant he was no longer generating heat.


    he headed back toward camp, gathering the energy from his newly improved pyroclastic resonance rune and starting to imbue it in his lungs again as he walked. it was just a repeat of the previous time he¡¯d done it, but there was no need to rush things too much, and he didn¡¯t want to mistakenly damage anything in the process of the imbuement.


    noah returned before moxie¡¯s watch had ended, a good bit earlier than he typically came back to camp. lee was nowhere to be seen ¨C she tended to do her own thing for the first portion of the night, though noah wasn¡¯t exactly sure what that thing was.


    it wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d be able to find her, even if he wanted to. lee¡¯s hiding abilities were just too good.


    unfortunately, that meant he was going to have to get back into camp on his own. moxie stood guard, a vine curled around her feet and rising up to give her something to lean on. noah crept around to the backside of the camp, trying to make as little noise as possible, but there really wasn¡¯t a lot to hide behind.


    he only made it a few steps toward his tent before a vine curled out of the ground at his feet, snagging his foot. noah cursed, yanking himself free and turning, only to find moxie standing before him, lowering her hands from a fighting stance with a frown.


    ¡°what are you doing? i heard something shuffling around and thought there was someone sneaking around the camp,¡± moxie said in a whisper.


    ¡°i was going to the bathroom,¡± noah replied. ¡°i didn¡¯t want to wake anyone up.¡±


    ¡°why creep back in? you could have just walked, you know.¡±


    ¡°what, did you want me to announce it to the world?¡±


    moxie rolled her eyes. ¡°whatever. just go back to bed and try to act slightly less suspicious if you¡¯re going to leave. i nearly attacked you.¡±


    noah gave her a mock salute and slipped back into his stone tent. he still wasn¡¯t done for the night, though. there were two more things he wanted to do.


    the first was fairly easy ¨C noah opened his book back up and imbued the extra greater ash rune he had sitting around within its pages. noah flipped back to the page bearing the greater wind rune and entered his mindspace, drawing the rune into himself. it was only about sixty percent full after he¡¯d used it to fill up the wind rune he¡¯d combined into pyroclastic resonance, but now he¡¯d be able to use his flying sword again.


    noah then gathered his belongings and sat against the wall, closing his eyes and focusing on his body imbuement efforts once again.


    when weariness started to seep into his mind, noah took a break for the rest of the night to sleep. he didn¡¯t want to mistakenly mess something up because he was too tired to picture a line properly.


    ***


    brayden was true to his word. the following morning, before noah¡¯s watch was even over, brayden woke all the others and they departed almost immediately, not wasting a single second. nobody looked particularly pleased about that particular development, as brayden had gotten started before the sun could even start rising above the horizon.


    the landscape darkened, even as the sun rose. dark orange grass turned gray a dull yellow, and the bushes dotting the landscape were replaced by dry, woody bunches that didn¡¯t have a single spark of life within them.


    a strange, earthen scent rose from the ground. it was a mixture of compost and musty foliage that, while noah couldn¡¯t say was disgusting, it certainly wasn¡¯t enjoyable. he scrunched his nose, searching for the source of the smell, but couldn¡¯t find anything that could have been causing it.


    the sun poked out from the clouds after several hours of walking, but even its rays were muted and duller than they should have been and the world was cast in shades of gray. even the air felt heavy and oppressive.


    that didn¡¯t make for great conversation. they walked in silence, just focusing on walking fast enough to keep up with brayden¡¯s aggressive pace. the sun trekked through the sky, but the mood never shifted.


    ¡°allen!¡± moxie screamed. ¡°do something!¡±


    allen, spurred out of his shock, ran forward and thrust his palm against the worm¡¯s body. ice washed out from his palm, digging into the monster¡¯s body. it was the exact same move he¡¯d used against the slashers and the root fiend to significant success.


    this time, however, the worm lurched and pulled back, rising into the air and forcing allen to jump back. his ice cracked and fell away, failing to find purchase on the monster¡¯s body. another ominous hiss rattled out of its chest and it reared back, preparing to strike at them again.


    ¡°what do i do?¡± lee asked urgently from beside noah. ¡°i can¡¯t¨C¡±


    a loud crack split the air. the worm froze. its body trembled and it abruptly thrashed its head to the side, letting out a screech. all of them took a step back. isabel stumbled as the ground beneath her cracked.


    noah scrambled to his feet and dove, driving his shoulder into isabel and taking them both to the ground. isabel grunted in surprise, but noah didn¡¯t have time to check on her. he spun, gathering all the smoke he¡¯d prepared ¨C but nothing emerged.


    isabel scrambled back on all fours, then pushed to her feet. she stared at the bulge in the ground warily.


    ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± edward asked, his eyes flicking around desperately. ¡°what was that?¡±


    another spot in the ground bulged. three more followed after it in rapid succession. the worm suddenly went stiff. it pitched forward. moxie¡¯s vines thrust upward, slamming into the worm and throwing it to the side so it didn¡¯t land on top of them.


    the monster hit the ground with a loud crash. all of them stared at it, breathing heavily as adrenaline coursed through their veins.


    ¡°what in the damned plains happened?¡± moxie asked.


    the ground trembled. they all jumped back, readying their magic. a purple line carved across the ground, and brayden¡¯s large hand shot out it. he grabbed onto the dirt and pulled himself out of the energy, covered in white dust and dripping blue ichor.


    brayden pulled his other hand out, driving his sword into the ground. there were three large, pulsating masses of sickly purple flesh speared on the large blade. blue liquid trickled from them, splattering to the ground as brayden clambered free.


    ¡°brayden!¡± isabel exclaimed. ¡°i thought you died.¡±


    brayden let out a bark of laughter. he wiped some of the grime from his face and raised his sword, shaking blobs from his sword and into the purple rift before him. once they fell through, it closed with a snap.


    ¡°i¡¯m not killed that easily. i got caught by surprise, but the fastest way to kill a paleworm is to stab its hearts. once i was inside it and realized what happened, i just kept going deeper until i found what i was looking for. were there any injuries? i was hoping it would be too preoccupied with me to put up any real fight.¡±


    oh, shit. it wasn¡¯t even trying to attack us specifically. it was just thrashing around and trying to get rid of brayden. just how strong is he?


    ¡°none,¡± noah said, shaking his head in disbelief. he snuffed out his flashgrass and put his pipe away, not even having gotten a chance to use it.


    ¡°badass,¡± todd muttered under his breath.


    brayden wasn¡¯t looking in his direction, but noah could tell he overheard the comment by the flicker of a smirk that played over his face.


    ¡°allen, make yourself useful and freeze me, would you?¡± brayden asked, flicking some of the ichor from his hand with a grimace.


    allen¡¯s brow crinkled with distaste, but he stepped up and sent a wave of ice into brayden¡¯s body. it washed over the man, covering him in a thin layer of white frost. brayden shook his head, then violently brushed himself off, peeling the ice away with a satisfying crackle. it took a lot of the dirt and grime with it, leaving him mostly clean again.


    ¡°as i said, the deadlands aren¡¯t a particularly enjoyable trip,¡± brayden said with a grimace. ¡°shall we continue? we¡¯ve still got a lot of ground to cover if we want to get out of here by nightfall.¡±

 Chapter 90: Linwick Estate

    chapter 90: linwick estate


    to all of their relief, there were no monster attacks that day. either they just got lucky, or the other denizens of the deadlands had seen what happened to the paleworm and were actually smart enough to not risk trying their chances.


    whatever the reason was, as night fell, they left the dry grass and sickly smells behind, stepping out onto a plain field. it was far flatter than the area near arbitage was, with little in the form of anything.


    it was actually fairly impressive just how flat the area really was. noah could practically see the horizon itself stretching out around them with absolutely nothing to block it. they traveled for a few hours in the cover of the night, walking by the light of the moon, before brayden brought them to a halt and they set up camp.


    that night passed quietly, and noah spent all of it focused on his body imbuements once more.


    the following morning, they were off. if anything, brayden seemed to increase his pace now that they were out of the deadlands. the rest of them struggled to keep up with the large man, forcing him to irritably slow down multiple times to let them catch him.


    in that manner, several days passed. noah wasn¡¯t sure if there were actually any monsters of note in the flat grasslands, but he certainly didn¡¯t spot any. he tried hunting around for them a few times at night, in between re-layering his body imbuements, but all of his efforts turned up nothing but grass.


    he wasn¡¯t actually sure if he liked the new area more or less than the old ones. while the travel was far easier than it had been, now he didn¡¯t have much to train either himself or his students again.


    of course, that gave him more than enough time to perfect his body imbuement. by the end of that week, noah had pyroclastic resonance imbued on his lungs once more ¨C and in a much neater fashion.


    several tests proved that, while he still used enormous amounts of magic when using the combined strength of pyroclastic resonance and combustion, the magic was considerably more efficient than it had been. better yet, the imbuement didn¡¯t feel nearly as shoddy as his first one had been. his lungs and the imbued rune had meshed as one, and he could have sworn that they felt stronger and more resilient, even though he couldn¡¯t actually explain how he knew that.


    but, with no monsters to hunt, noah just joined lee in her morning classes. they sparred against each other rather than monsters, not using any magic to avoid injuries. unfortunately, that did mean that their training sessions were a mixture of stretching and getting suplexed by lee whenever the opportunity arose.


    when the end of the grasslands finally showed itself on the ninth day of travel, noah was relieved. the dirt path became cobbled, forking and heading in multiple different directions. thin rows of trees stretched out in the distance, all standing tall but far apart from each other.


    noah wouldn¡¯t have admitted it to anyone, but it had been so long since he¡¯d actually gotten a chance to do something other than stretch or spar that he was starting to get antsy.


    he wasn¡¯t the only one that looked relieved to see the end to the grasslands, though. throughout their trip, isabel had progressively been looking more and more tired. she¡¯d formed small bags under her eyes and often lagged behind the others, blinking herself awake when she realized she was nearly all the way back with edward and allen.


    noah had been nursing his suspicions that she was probably practicing or training at some point during the night, and several times he¡¯d headed out trying to spot her. while he found her tent empty several times, not once did he actually manage to find isabel.


    after confirming with brayden that the area was truly devoid of any monsters of relevance, noah didn¡¯t press the issue. isabel had every right to push herself to become stronger, and he wasn¡¯t going to stand in her way. she¡¯d talk to him about it when the time was right.


    when they reached the beginning of the cobbled path and the true end of the grasslands, moxie stopped walking at the fork. noah paused, turning back to look at her.


    ¡°is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°this is as far as emily and i will be going,¡± moxie said.


    brayden gave a small, slightly approving nod. he really hadn¡¯t spoken to moxie or emily during their travel, but his distaste for her seemed to have slightly lessened throughout the course of their trip. considering the torrins and the linwicks supposedly hated each other, noah was pretty happy with any progress they made.


    ¡°wise decision,¡± brayden said. ¡°even if you¡¯re not half-bad for a torrin, it isn¡¯t a good idea for either of you to be showing up on linwick property. nothing good would come of it.¡±


    ¡°where are you going to go, then?¡± noah asked, trying not to let his disappointment show on his face. he was well aware moxie was probably making the right decision, even from what little he knew about the linwicks, but losing one of his two allies ¨C and one of the only people in this world he considered a friend ¨C was still a bit of a letdown.


    ¡°we¡¯ll train for the survival exam,¡± moxie replied with a small grin. ¡°honestly, i¡¯m pretty sure this trip was already pretty good training for that, but emily needs to get some time out in the woods on her own. there are some in the area that¡¯ll serve as a good practice run.¡±


    ¡°only because you¡¯re actively doing everything you can to run our legs into the ground,¡± edward said, taking the moment to catch his breath. ¡°why do you walk so fast?¡±


    ¡°edward,¡± allen snapped. ¡°respect.¡±


    ¡°because i have long legs. you should have considered having longer ones yourself,¡± brayden replied. then he set back off, and noah could have sworn brayden was walking even faster than he had been moments before.


    a few hours and a lot of uncomfortable fast walking later, brayden finally slowed his pace once more. they drew up to a massive gateway manned by two heavily armored men. twisting, sharp lines ran along the shafts of the spears in their hands and covered their armor.


    i bet they¡¯re soldiers. they both remind me of gavin, and his weapon had similar patterns. i¡¯d be willing to put money on those lines being some way to disguise the runes that were imbued onto the weapons.


    ¡°brayden,¡± one of the soldiers said, tapping the butt of his spear on the ground in salute. ¡°welcome back. you returned faster than expected. did something go awry?¡±


    ¡°something like that. i¡¯ve got news, and it was important enough to make a quick return. could you note down that we¡¯ve got some travelers passing through with me and vermil?¡± brayden gestured back to isabel and todd.


    the guard nodded. ¡°names?¡±


    ¡°isabel.¡±


    ¡°todd.¡±


    ¡°lee.¡±


    ¡°thanks. i¡¯ll deliver the news now.¡±


    ¡°one more thing,¡± brayden said, raising his hand as the guard turned to leave.


    ¡°what is it?¡±


    ¡°please find my father and let him know that vermil is coming. tell him it¡¯s urgent.¡±


    wait, what? that¡¯s way too fast.


    ¡°should i settle in or something first?¡± noah asked, aware of how weak his own argument was before the words even came out of his mouth.


    brayden glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. ¡°don¡¯t start doing this shit again, vermil. there¡¯s nothing to be cautious of here. you don¡¯t have to prepare anything for this. just relax for once, man. we¡¯re in the linwick estate.¡±


    the guard gave brayden a salute and strode off. noah watched him leave, a pit building in his stomach.


    ¡°allen, i assume you can handle yourself,¡± brayden said.


    ¡°i can. thank you for the escort.¡± allen strode past them, herding edward past them and into the city.


    brayden looked down at isabel and todd. ¡°the three of you, follow me. i¡¯ll get you settled in. as for you, vermil, we¡¯ll have time to talk more later. you¡¯ve got a report to give father.¡±

 Chapter 91: The meeting draws near

    chapter 91: the meeting draws near


    brayden didn¡¯t give noah the chance to even try to protest any more. he took isabel, lee, and todd by the shoulders, looping his massive arms around them.


    ¡°lee, hold on,¡± noah said, pulling his travel bag and gourd from his belt and handing them to her. ¡°could you take these? i don¡¯t want to have to carry them around. i¡¯ll pick them up soon. put them somewhere safe and out of the way.¡±


    lee blinked, then nodded, taking both from noah.


    ¡°come on,¡± brayden said, pulling them all away.


    noah was left standing around like an idiot beside the one remaining guard.


    ¡°do... you need help?¡± the guard asked, squinting at noah. ¡°it¡¯s been a while since you¡¯ve been home. i have to admit, i barely even recognized you, vermil. how long has it been? two years? three?¡±


    ¡°something like that,¡± noah said with a noncommittal nod. ¡°i¡¯ve had my nose buried in the books for a while. barely remember anything about this place. it¡¯s funny how quickly you forget home, you know?¡±


    ¡°tell me about it,¡± the guard said with a knowing nod. ¡°i got sent out to the reddened marsh a year ago and spent a month there. a month doesn¡¯t sound like much until a dozen bloodflies are trying to fly up your ass. i swear i¡¯ve been jumping at bugs ever since. hate the bastards.¡±


    what does that have to do with home?


    ¡°it¡¯s a bit of a nightmare for me,¡± the guard continued, rubbing the back of his head and letting out a chuckle. ¡°my daughter loves bugs. she keeps bringing the cursed things home and showing them to me. i can¡¯t bring myself to tell her to stop, though. they make her so happy. when i first got stationed in the marshes, the thought of her was the only thing that kept me from offing myself.¡±


    aaaand now i feel like a prick. at least he¡¯s really talkative. i could probably ¨C


    ¡°and then, after two weeks, i damn near forgot it.¡± the guard¡¯s brow darkened and his knuckles tightened around the shaft of his spear. ¡°can you believe that? forgetting the face of your own daughter. that marsh did things to me. when i got back, i swore to myself that i¡¯d never let myself forget her face again ¨C even if she keeps bringing me blasted bugs.¡±


    forget feeling like a prick. i am a prick. this poor bastard.


    ¡°what matters is that you¡¯re here for her now,¡± noah said, clapping the guard on the shoulder. ¡°and you¡¯re a better man than i. i probably would have tried to convince her to pick up a new hobby and hoped that she found something slightly less bug affiliated.¡±


    the guard chuckled. ¡°the thought has tempted me many times. you¡¯re a parent as well?¡±


    ¡°afraid not,¡± noah replied. ¡°a teacher, though. that¡¯s what i¡¯ve been doing at arbitage.¡±


    well, among killing a ridiculous amount of monkeys, murdering the linwick¡¯s gift to the school, collaborating with the enemies of the linwick house, and summoning a demon. just the little things, you know?


    ¡°how is it?¡±


    ¡°what, teaching?¡±


    ¡°no. arbitage.¡± the guard glanced from side to side, then lowered his voice. ¡°you seem like you care. it¡¯s hard to find someone of a like mind, and i¡¯m worried, you know?¡±


    ¡°worried about what?¡± noah asked, matching the man¡¯s tone.


    ¡°well, you know. arbitage is the closest of the bastions, but i¡¯ve heard just about everyone there is a noble. i¡¯m clearly not, considering i¡¯m working the gate. there are rumors that the teachers don¡¯t care as much about the non-noble kids, but you don¡¯t seem like that kind of person to me.¡±


    you have no idea.


    frederick tapped the butt of his spear on the ground and shook his head. ¡°i should hope not! she¡¯s still six.¡±


    six? isn¡¯t it a bit early to be thinking about what college she¡¯s going to?


    ¡°maybe the colleges will change a lot before she gets around to going to school,¡± noah said. ¡°who knows. try to find me again when you¡¯re about to send her out. maybe things will be better.¡±


    frederick grinned. he pressed a hand to his chest. ¡°i knew we were kindred spirits. thank you. if you need anything during your stay in the city, please feel free to seek me out. all the guards know where i live, so it won¡¯t be hard to find.¡±


    should i ask why? now i really want to know.


    noah didn¡¯t get a chance to ask. as he opened his mouth, he saw brayden striding back out of the streets and heading toward him at his patented brisk pace. noah took a step back from frederick.


    ¡°looks like it¡¯s time for me to get going. thanks again, frederick.¡±


    ¡°take care,¡± frederick said, raising a hand in salute. ¡°and feel free to bring your students by my house for dinner some day before you leave. my wife always makes too much.¡±


    ¡°thanks.¡± noah grinned. ¡°i¡¯m sure they¡¯d like that. if we get a chance, i¡¯ll take you up on it.¡±


    he headed into the city, walking up to stand before brayden.


    ¡°what are you doing?¡± brayden asked. ¡°you need to go meet father already.¡±


    he things vermil is paranoid about everything. i can use that to my advantage


    ¡°just putting some feelers out to make sure the city hasn¡¯t changed much since i left,¡± noah replied. ¡°you never know who¡¯s listening.¡±


    brayden pressed his lips together. he glanced over his shoulder, then started off down the road. noah fell in step beside him.


    ¡°i keep telling you that there¡¯s nothing to be worried about, but if it makes you feel better, then i suppose you can go ahead.¡±


    ¡°are you sure about that?¡± noah cocked an eyebrow. ¡°sounds to me like things are shifting.¡±


    brayden didn¡¯t respond, and noah took the opportunity to get a better look around the city. it looked just about like a normal city would have, with rows of stone houses lining the road. he wasn¡¯t sure what he¡¯d been expecting.


    ¡°you might be right,¡± brayden admitted. ¡°it will be best for all of us if you get this over with quickly, but good luck convincing father of that. maybe you¡¯ll succeed where i failed.¡±


    they walked in silence for a few moments. they took a turn down a large, busy road, but brayden¡¯s bulk made everyone in their path quickly move out of the way. after just a few more minutes of walking, they came to a stop near the gates of a considerably wealthier district of the city.


    the houses within it were made of marble and polished stone rather than just brick, and another guard stood near the gate. brayden didn¡¯t even need to say anything. as soon as the guard saw him, the man pushed the gate open to let them inside.


    ¡°not the most relaxed atmosphere,¡± noah observed once they¡¯d passed him.


    ¡°yeah, yeah,¡± brayden said. ¡°it¡¯s fine. none of this is our concern.¡±


    they came to a stop before a large mansion on the side of the road. a tall ring of multicolored, thorny shrubbery rose up before it, walling off a large garden. white brick made up a pathway through the garden, leading up to the imposing wooden door. it stood open, allowing access into a red-carpeted hall.


    ¡°we¡¯re here,¡± brayden said. ¡°let¡¯s go. i don¡¯t care what your reasons are. if you keep father waiting after all this time, he¡¯s going to be furious.¡±

 Chapter 92: The Real Game

    chapter 92: the real game


    noah and brayden headed down the path and into the mansion. their steps echoed ominously through the tall-ceilinged rooms and noah fought the urge to glance around like a complete moron.


    it was possibly the richest place he¡¯d ever set foot in. just the rug beneath his dirty shoes alone felt like it cost more than his entire year¡¯s salary as a rank 1 professor. beautiful statues sat on pedestals along the walkway, interspaced between doors all along the walls.


    the carpet led up to a large stairwell that went both up and down and distant music came from above them. noah¡¯s ears instantly perked up. it sounded vaguely classical, but with a bossier twist. it had been so long since he¡¯d heard actual music that ¨C


    ¡°vermil,¡± brayden snapped. ¡°are you okay?¡±


    ¡°what?¡± noah asked, blinking.


    ¡°i asked if you¡¯re ready,¡± brayden said. ¡°you know how father is.¡±


    no, i don¡¯t.


    ¡°not really,¡± noah admitted. ¡°but do i have a choice?¡±


    brayden grimaced. ¡°just fill him in. he¡¯s possibly even more paranoid than you are, but i know he¡¯ll listen to you. he always has. if it¡¯ll help, call for me. i doubt he¡¯s going to suddenly start caring about what i¡¯ve got to say now, but you never know.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯ve already helped a lot,¡± noah said after a moment, craning his neck back to make eye contact with brayden. ¡°i would have been in a good bit of trouble without you. in case i haven¡¯t said it before ¨C thank you.¡±


    brayden grunted. ¡°don¡¯t make it weird. just go down and talk to him already. and get that look off your face. i made sure that everyone else got a nice room to lounge around in. they¡¯re going to be living it up while we actually put the work in.¡±


    ¡°thanks,¡± noah said. ¡°he¡¯s just waiting down the stairs, then?¡±


    ¡°like he always is,¡± brayden said, shaking his head. ¡°stop stalling. go.¡±


    whelp. here we go, i suppose. time to go back to lesson number 1.


    noah headed over to the stairwell, still straining his ears to listen in on the music above, then reluctantly started to head down. the stairs wound around in circles, bringing him deeper into the mansion until the music was a distant memory.


    they set him off in a thin hallway. it was dimly lit by two lanterns that housed flickering purple flames within them on either side, and a row of doors ran up to a larger one at the end of the hall.


    it didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out where father was probably waiting. noah steeled himself and walked down the hallway.


    i wish some of these doors were open. i want to see what they¡¯ve got down here. who puts their super-special office in a basement anyway? is his mom running the house? maybe she got fed up with seeing him and banished him to the basement.


    noah arrived before the large door. he pursed his lips, then raised a hand and rapped against it. the knocks echoed through the silence. then, slowly, the door ground open entirely on its own.


    dramatic. let me guess, he¡¯s going to have a cat in his lap and some overpriced wine on the table? probably a giant chair for himself as well. can¡¯t go wrong with those.


    noah stepped inside, bracing himself for the worst.


    instead, he found a plainly decorated office. a nice but undecorated wooden desk sat in the center of the room, beside several bookshelves full of an assortment of small items. there was a small, cushioned chair set up for visitors to use before the table.


    across from it sat a man that didn¡¯t look a day over forty. his face was tanned from the sun and his clothes weren¡¯t much nicer than what noah wore. if noah had run into the man on the street, he would have assumed he was just headed to work. and yet, despite his appearance, something about father set his hair on end.


    ¡°trust? you?¡± noah burst into laughter. ¡°what a concept. a man such as you does not know the meaning of the word. what need do the strong have for trust? our power is our trust. i came here because i was interested in the type of man that send me his son as sacrifice. why would i care if you trust me?¡±


    ¡°an uncontrolled weapon can harm its wielder just as easily as their target,¡± father said, taking a step back and swallowing heavily. ¡°stay away from me. if you make any aggressive moves, i¨C¡±


    ¡°control is an illusion,¡± noah said. ¡°come, now. drop the act, father. you were prepared for this. i pose you no risk in this room. why pretend? speak to me as an equal, or i will determine that you are prey.¡±


    father closed his open mouth, pressing his lips together. the fear vanished from his face as if it had never been there.


    ¡°very well, demon. you are correct. you cannot hurt me here. if you knew this, then why did you come?¡±


    ¡°i did not lie. i am interested,¡± noah replied with a shrug. ¡°you spent such effort to find me. it would have been rude not to visit.¡±


    ¡°and how do i know that you do not simply seek my head? i should purge you on the spot.¡±


    noah burst into laughter. ¡°please, feel free. i don¡¯t care about this body. your son was too weak to contain my power. i have hundreds of clones that i have split my strength between. killing this form is no more trimming my hair.¡±


    ¡°show me,¡± father said.


    noah smirked. ¡°why? you are still operating under the illusion that i have come to do your bidding. your son failed. he did not bind me to his will. his body is mine to do with as i please. if you wish for my aid, you must treat with me yourself.¡±


    ¡°only a fool treats with demons.¡±


    ¡°and a wise man has someone else do it for him,¡± noah said with a wide grin. ¡°a wiser man would have chosen someone outside of his family, though. how much damage do you think i could do if i decide you¡¯ve wasted my time? how many bodies would i be willing to cut in exchange for a break in the tedium?¡±


    to noah¡¯s surprise, father smiled. he turned his back on noah, reaching into his bookshelf and pulling out a bottle of wine. father set it on the desk, then pulled two crystal glasses out from a shelf within it.


    ¡°enough posturing,¡± father said, pouring the wine into the glasses. ¡°there is another man that treats with demons.¡±


    ¡°and what would he be?¡±


    ¡°one with the strength to meet with them on equal terms,¡± father replied, pushing one of the glasses over to noah. ¡°my son did not fail. he was a gift.¡±


    noah picked the glass up and studied it. ¡°a poor one.¡±


    ¡°the runes were not to your liking?¡±


    ¡°he attempted to bind me. he failed.¡±


    ¡°surely you would have expected as much. it would have been an insult to your power had we not attempted it,¡± father said, taking a slow sip from his glass. ¡°it is your turn to cease the games. you came here to speak with me. let us both drop the pretenses and do just that. sit.¡±


    noah pulled the chair out and sat down across from father. he took the glass, raising it to his lips and taking a slow sip.


    now we both push to see how much the other one knows and what we can get from each other. i can¡¯t show the slightest sign of weakness or he might realize that i¡¯m not actually a demon.


    the real game begins here.

 Chapter 93: Haircut

    chapter 93: haircut


    nearly a minute passed before either noah or father spoke again. the two of them sat, sipping their drinks and watching each other quietly. noah¡¯s throat and chest tingled. the alcohol was nothing like what he¡¯d had before. it was simultaneously hot and cold, and it tasted vaguely of mangoes. he wouldn¡¯t have said it was his favorite beverage, but it was certainly interesting.


    he was more than comfortable with the silence. there were a great many things that noah was too impatient to wait for ¨C but this wasn¡¯t one of them.


    if father was going to try to make him uncomfortable with the silence, he was going to have to wait a good bit longer. several hundred years longer.


    sure enough, father finally broke their silent battle with a slow, satisfied sigh.


    ¡°it is good, is it not?¡±


    ¡°what is?¡± noah asked.


    father looked mildly offended at the question. he raised his empty wine glass, then poured himself another cup. ¡°the wine.¡±


    ¡°food has lost most of its appeal to me,¡± noah replied with a shrug. ¡°it is sustenance. i prefer to feed off killing. it¡¯s more efficient and lets me fill my runes faster. i abhor wasting time, and most meals tend to be just that.¡±


    father pursed his lips. ¡°we are of different cloth. i find meals to be a moment in which great power can be seized. political power, not that of runes. when men¡¯s stomachs are full and their minds satisfied, they are most willing to give me what i wish.¡±


    ¡°and i find that most of what i want can be achieved by killing what stands in my way.¡±


    ¡°not as cunning as one would expect of a demon.¡±


    ¡°let me ask you something,¡± noah said, setting his glass down and crossing one of his legs over the other as he lounged back in the chair. ¡°have you ever had an ant problem in your kitchen? small little bugs, all getting into your food and ruining it.¡±


    ¡°that would be a problem for my servants to deal with,¡± father replied. ¡°but i trust it has happened. imbuements that are not upkept are prone to failure, especially on large buildings. it is likely that bugs have gotten into the house before.¡±??v€l?1n.


    ¡°and how do you think your servants purge those bugs?¡± noah asked.


    ¡°poison, or some other equivalent manner.¡±


    ¡°why did they not attempt to outwit them? surely that would have been wiser. what if the ants had outmaneuvered your servants and tricked them?¡±


    father¡¯s brow furrowed in anger, though his eyes remained just as dead as they had been. ¡°you imply that humans are nothing more than ants to you?¡±


    noah let out a heavy sigh.


    ¡°you are still posturing. am i wrong? what could you possibly do to me that could inconvenience me any more than an ant could?¡±


    ¡°i could kill you.¡±


    noah tilted his head to the side, copying the movement that father had made just a minute before. ¡°no, you couldn¡¯t. i already told you this. you cannot kill me. i will tell you what you can do. you can cut my hair. the loss of this form will not bother me in the slightest.¡±


    ¡°a likely story,¡± father said, leaning back in his chair and swishing the wine in his glass around, looking as nonchalant as if he was talking to a mere servant bringing him the daily news. ¡°everyone would wish others to believe that they are immortal to keep them from making moves. it is a rudimentary trick. you are a powerful demon, yes. but an archdemon you are not.¡±


    noah¡¯s lips peeled apart in a toothy smile.


    father snorted. ¡°vermil could not have summoned such a creature.¡±


    noah studied his fingernails. ¡°vermil is dead. i told you that he died in the attempt ¨C an attempt that opened a portal to your plane of existence.¡±


    father shifted ever so slightly in his seat. it was subtle, but he wasn¡¯t just ignoring the words noah was saying. he was considering them. anyone who was suitably paranoid would, of course. if there was even a slight chance that noah was telling the truth, dismissing it could be disastrous.


    ¡°an archdemon walking around in a form such as yours?¡±


    ¡°do you know what your problem is? you¡¯re too focused on trying to figure out where i¡¯m lying rather than what i¡¯m offering,¡± noah said, shaking his head. ¡°and, worse yet, you have failed to offer me anything that would garner my interest. why should i prove anything when you have nothing to offer?¡±


    ¡°those who come asking must be the ones to provide proof,¡± father countered. ¡°you came to me. give me a reason to not only believe that you are who you say you are, but also one to prove that you are not simply planning to betray me at the nearest opportunity.¡±


    noah tapped his fingers on his empty glass. ¡°i can answer the first one, but not the second.¡±


    ¡°because you cannot prove it?¡±


    ¡°because i will not parlay with ants.¡±


    ¡°my hunger was not directed toward your fruits and cheeses,¡± noah said with a cold smile. ¡°i find the challenge to be the most interesting part. i do not believe you have anything of interest to offer me in the realm of meals.¡±


    both of them fell silent. noah expected it would take quite some time to find lee and bring her over, but he couldn¡¯t have been more wrong. after just barely over ten minutes, the guard¡¯s footsteps echoed down the hall through the open doorway and he emerged with lee and brayden in tow.


    ¡°you were not instructed to bring brayden,¡± father said. his voice was soft, but it had an edge of cold steel to it.


    ¡°yes, he was,¡± noah said, matching father¡¯s gaze. the old man¡¯s dead eyes burned into his, filled by years of scheming. but, compared to the vast, all-consuming nothingness of the afterlife, they were nothing.


    father flicked his fingers at lee. ¡°speak, then.¡±


    noah stepped out into the hall and turned to brayden. ¡°please make your sound shield around us. it is for the good of the family.¡±


    brayden glanced at father, who inclined his head. extending a hand, purple energy washed forth from brayden and formed a cube around noah and lee. noah waited until it had taken complete shape around them before speaking.


    ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± lee asked. ¡°the old guy is way older than he looks, by the way.¡±


    ¡°i know,¡± noah said. he stepped close to lee, lowering his voice as much as he could. ¡°where did you put my belongings?¡±


    ¡°stuffed ¡®em in a closet like you always do.¡±


    ¡°is it empty?¡±


    ¡°yes. i got my own room, and it¡¯s in there.¡±


    noah nodded. ¡°turn into me and act like an aloof asshole. don¡¯t give any answers to anything he asks. i¡¯ll be back shortly. we¡¯re playing a game with father ¨C a similar one to what we played already.¡±


    lee¡¯s eyes widened as she registered what noah was saying. then a grin played across his lips. ¡°ooh. i see. dangerous. could be fun.¡±


    her body rippled. lee pressed her hands to her face and hunched over. her skin bubbled, shifting in tone as her body expanded. clothes tore at the seams as she enlarged, forming into a perfect copy of noah and straightening back up.


    brayden¡¯s eyes bulged and he looked from noah to lee in shock. noah gestured for him to lower the purple shield, which he did.


    ¡°you may leave,¡± father told brayden, not taking his eyes off lee.


    brayden opened his mouth, then snapped it shut and nodded. he strode back into the hall, passing by lee and noah as they walked back into the room. the door ground shut behind them.


    ¡°there are many ways to replicate a body,¡± father said. ¡°this is hardly proof.¡±


    ¡°this perfectly?¡± lee asked, glancing down at her torn up clothes. ¡°you¡¯ll be paying for these, by the way.¡±


    father¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°the quality of the copy is not the question. it is the validity of your claim.¡±


    ¡°i thought you might think as much,¡± noah said. he let out an exaggerated sigh. ¡°there will be a time when you regret this decision, but i knew you would make it nonetheless. as such, we will have to ensure you get the most value out of it possible.¡±


    ¡°what are you blathering about?¡± father asked.


    noah approached father. ¡°stand.¡±


    ¡°a threat?¡±


    ¡°on the contrary. do you have a dagger? one of your own collection, please. let us not leave room for trickery.¡±


    father blinked, then rose to his feet. he walked over to one of the shelves, pulling a plain but beautiful dagger from one of them, and headed back to stand before vermil.


    ¡°will this suffice for your show?¡±


    noah reached down and took father¡¯s hand, guiding it up to his throat. he locked eyes with the man. ¡°just like hair.¡±


    to his credit ¨C or perhaps discredit ¨C father didn¡¯t hesitate for an instant. he ripped the smooth blade across noah¡¯s throat, leaving a line of cold heat behind. the wound was deeper than noah had expected. father really hadn¡¯t held back in the slightest. blood poured out of his neck and father stepped back, examining his handiwork.


    noah grabbed father by the shoulders. perhaps it was surprise, but father didn¡¯t try to yank away. noah¡¯s blood poured down his neck and seeped into his clothes. a cold, flat grin stretched across noah¡¯s lips, even as he felt the world starting to go dark around him.


    ¡°i¡¯ll be seeing you soon, father.¡±

 Chapter 94: Spider

    chapter 94: spider


    vermil¡¯s hands slipped away from father¡¯s shoulders and his corpse pitched forward, crashing to the stone floor and lying still. blood pooled, running through the grooves in the floor and staining father¡¯s shoes.


    no matter. the floor has imbuements to help clean the blood away.


    father knelt beside the corpse, grabbing the body by its hair and studying the wound closely. there was no heartbeat. he pressed his hand to the body, checking several locations.


    if it¡¯s a copy of a corpse, it¡¯s a good one. there are a lot of monsters that can replicate human appearance, but very few that can keep it after they die.


    father pulled sharply on vermil¡¯s hair. the body dragged along the ground, leaving a streak behind it. he shook his head and rose back to his feet.


    not a skinwalker. would have deformed.


    ¡°you,¡± father said, looking up to the second vermil standing in the room. ¡°wait outside the room. we will speak again once your proof has arrived.¡±


    vermil shrugged. father sent a mental command to the door and it ground open. vermil stepped through it and the door closed behind him. father¡¯s shoulders tensed for the few moments that the door was open, but he let them fall slightly once the door was shut and he felt the full protection of the room kick back on.


    there were only so many imbuements one could have to keep his enemies from entering, and most of them only truly worked in full strength when the entire circuit around the room was complete.


    father stepped over vermil¡¯s body and approached his desk. he picked up the bottle of wine and carefully put the cork back in, setting it back on his shelf. father flicked his sleeve, dislodging a small pouch that had been hidden within it and catching it in his palm before it could hit the ground.


    he dug a fingernail into the thin fabric, cutting the waxy cloth and lifting it to his mouth. a trickle of blue liquid ran out of it and onto his tongue. energy churned in father¡¯s body as he swallowed.


    the antidote was far from the most pleasant thing he¡¯d ever ingested, but there weren¡¯t many substances that could truly suppress the alcohol he¡¯d been drinking. it had taken him years to build up a resistance to it, and it wasn¡¯t even effective against humans.


    father¡¯s stomach clenched, but his features didn¡¯t show even the slightest amount of discomfort. he sent a glance at the half-empty bottle.


    i¡¯ll be glad to avoid having to buy this again. it cost ten thousand gold per bottle, and the damn poison only lasts a month after being made. for something that¡¯s meant to rip an intruding soul out of a body, i suppose that¡¯s a good price.


    on second thought, i could always run into another person that i suspect of possession. can¡¯t take the risk. i¡¯ll have another bottle purchased by tomorrow.


    father crossed his arms behind his back and looked down at vermil¡¯s corpse. it had been three years since he¡¯d last seen the boy. he looked... scruffy. dark bags under the eyes, long hair ¨C but he was unmistakable.


    his body was, at least. from the moment vermil had stepped into the room, father had known it wasn¡¯t vermil in his office. not only had he failed to say their password, but the gait at which he walked was completely different as well.


    boy¡¯s dead. no matter. he wasn¡¯t going to survive summoning a demon of that strength. he was dedicated, but nowhere near as competent as he believed. not a major loss. he did his job and died, just as he should have.


    it will remain to see if he succeeded, though. if that was a mere possession, the poison would have ripped the monster free of the boy¡¯s body at best or shredded its soul at worst. that means the creature i¡¯m speaking with is truly part of that body.


    a demon is indeed the most likely conclusion, then. but an archdemon? hm. i should think not. not once did he actually say he was an archdemon. he just implied it. probably means he suspects i can tell if he¡¯s lying or not, so he¡¯s leaning toward half truths to keep deniability.


    father drew on his runes and sent a mental command to the room around him. steam hissed from a dozen hidden vents along the floor, letting out a thin layer of fog. it rolled across the ground, washing over vermil¡¯s corpse.


    blood evaporated at its touch, staining the smoke red. an instant later, there was another hiss. a strong suction drew all the reddened mist out of the room, to a set of vials where it would be distilled so father could study it further later ¨C though he suspected he already knew what he would find.


    the blood will be that of a normal human body. i am quite certain that this is a demon, likely around rank 4. it was arrogant, but not overly so. the fact it didn¡¯t push back too hard when i got aggressive but still held its ground means that it isn¡¯t trying to get into a pointless fight with something it views as a threat, but it¡¯s still hungry or bored enough to hear me out.


    father grabbed vermil¡¯s corpse and pulled it up. he sent a pulse of runic energy through his hand and into the body, turning it stiff as ice. he propped it up next to his desk and smoothed its clothes out.


    there are more tests i should perform to ensure that this is a demon, but all signs point to it. well done, vermil. i will continue to apply mild pressure and determine just how powerful it is.


    when the demon returns, it will make a show of asking for payment for its death. i will put up mediocre resistance before giving in ¨C the initial information it asked for will cost me nothing. then i shall determine exactly what its true nature is. the demon is hiding something, of course. all things do. it is only a matter of time until i discover what it is.


    ***


    noah¡¯s eyes snapped open. the jolt of life ran through his new body, joined by a dull, throbbing headache. as before, when he was the one to strike the killing blow against himself, the pain from his death was considerably less.


    ¡°i will have them arrange to meet you. in the meantime, i will gather my resources and prepare for our true discussion,¡± father said. ¡°brayden will show you to a room where you can stay in the mansion.¡±


    ¡°no,¡± noah said with a sharp shake of his head. ¡°i will maintain my reputation as it has been. it benefits me to be seen as the fool that vermil set himself up as. keep relations between us strained to the eyes of an outsider.¡±


    an approving smile flickered across father¡¯s lips. ¡°very well. you will return to your students, then. are they also clones?¡±


    ¡°would i tell you if they were?¡±


    ¡°i could always find out. cutting hair, yes?¡±


    he¡¯s testing to see how much i care about them. i have to be really careful here.


    noah gave a one-shouldered shrug. ¡°if you¡¯re willing to pay what i charge. my last death was a gift. the children serve roles that will further my own ambitions. if you cut those threads short, then i will expect to be recompensed for all the difficulties you cause. are you really willing to pay that much for the sake of pointless curiosity?¡±


    ¡°a fair argument. then, in return, you will avoid meddling in my own affairs. if you can set such rules, i think it only equal that you offer the same as you request.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re going to have to be a little more specific on what you want me to avoid. i don¡¯t make it a habit of agreeing to things that i don¡¯t fully understand,¡± noah said. ¡°care to elaborate?¡±


    ¡°i can arrange for that. i¡¯m looking forward to our partnership, demon. what name do you go by?¡±


    i¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s a trick question. lee didn¡¯t have a name when she arrived.


    ¡°i haven¡¯t had a need for one thus far.¡±


    father¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change in the slightest, so it was impossible to tell if the question was actually meant to have been a trap or not.


    ¡°perhaps spider would be apt after your example with webs,¡± father suggested. ¡°until you decide on a better name.¡±


    ¡°spider it is, then,¡± noah agreed. ¡°one more thing ¨C brayden.¡±


    ¡°he is a problem?¡± father tilted his head to the side.


    ¡°no, but he is unaware of what happened to vermil. he will not approve.¡±


    i¡¯m going to have to do something with brayden, somehow. if father knows how much brayden actually cared about vermil, it¡¯s possible he¡¯ll try to spin things in a way that turns brayden against me. but, father should also realize that brayden will probably blame him for vermil¡¯s death if it gets out, so he¡¯ll almost certainly agree to this.


    ¡°that would prudent,¡± father said with a nod. ¡°we will not speak of it, then. have brayden take you to your housing with your students, then. we will speak again stoon. i will send someone to give the information you have asked for tonight.¡±


    the door rumbled open behind noah and lee, allowing access into the hall.


    that went about as well as it could have. tonight, i¡¯ll finally be able to answer some questions about the world. just one thing left.


    ¡°do you plan to keep that as a souvenir?¡± noah asked, nodding to his body.


    ¡°did you want your cut hair back?¡±


    ¡°energy is energy,¡± noah replied with a shrug.


    ¡°help yourself. i did tidy it up for you, after all. it would be a shame to waste a good body.¡±


    lee stepped forward, grabbing noah¡¯s body. her mouth cracked as it opened wide. noah held eye contact with father as she devoured him whole, crunching his bones in her mouth as she swallowed.


    ¡°until we speak again,¡± noah said, inclining his head slightly. he and lee turned toward the door.


    ¡°until then,¡± father agreed, completely unperturbed by the scene he¡¯d just witnessed. ¡°i am very much looking forward to seeing what we can do together, spider.¡±

 Chapter 95: Janice

    chapter 95: janice


    as soon as noah and lee stepped out of the room, the door slammed shut behind them. lee¡¯s body rippled and she shrank back down, returning to her normal appearance. she pulled at her torn clothes and frowned. luckily, noah wasn¡¯t all that much larger than she was, but they¡¯d still ripped slightly at the seams.


    ¡°what is happening?¡± brayden demanded, looking from noah to lee. ¡°i feel like i¡¯m having visions. are you lee? is lee¨C¡±


    ¡°lee is lee, especially when others are concerned,¡± noah said, cutting brayden off.


    how am i supposed to tell you that your brother is dead? i can¡¯t keep this act up forever. eventually, i¡¯m going to slip up and you might genuinely be the only person in existence that would even care.


    ¡°then...¡± brayden gestured vaguely in their direction. ¡°an illusion? shapeshifting of some sort?¡±


    ¡°you tell me. not many have this many puzzle pieces,¡± noah said. ¡°you know why i was at arbitage and what we were working toward.¡±


    brayden slowly closed his mouth, looking at lee with a growing frown. he glanced back to noah. ¡°it¡¯s her, isn¡¯t it? she¡¯s the... you know.¡±


    the demon? not the one you¡¯re thinking of.


    ¡°not my place to say,¡± noah said with a shrug. ¡°ask father if you really want to know, but lee¡¯s on my side.¡±


    the question still remains to be seen if my side will line up with yours, though. i can¡¯t imagine father wanted to summon a demon for any savory activities. suppose i¡¯ll find out when he tells me what he wants.


    ¡°does it matter?¡± lee asked. ¡°nothing has changed.¡±


    ¡°no, i suppose it hasn¡¯t,¡± brayden said, scratching his chin. ¡°you sure you can¡¯t just say what¡¯s going on? i¡¯m so confused.¡±


    ¡°maybe after everything has settled down,¡± noah suggested. ¡°until then, father said you¡¯d take us back to our lodgings. i¡¯m pretty exhausted after that talk, so i¡¯d love to settle in for the rest of the day.¡±


    brayden blinked, then nodded. he gestured for them to follow after him as he headed up the stairs. ¡°of course. sorry, i forgot how things can be. i haven¡¯t spoken much to father as of late, but i know what you mean. follow me. there should still be a room in the mansion for you.¡±


    ¡°actually, i¡¯ll be staying with lee, todd, and isabel,¡± noah said. ¡°i¡¯ve still got my teaching duties to uphold, you know.¡±


    ¡°right. it¡¯s so easy to slip back into role as an enforcer for the linwicks that i forget you¡¯ve got your own roles now,¡± brayden said with a chuckle. they headed out of the mansion and set off along the street, passing by a group of armored guards. ¡°so how long will you be staying?¡±


    ¡°not sure yet,¡± noah replied. ¡°i¡¯m still just planning on two weeks, but we¡¯ve still got some time until the survival exam. we¡¯re going to have to get a little outside practice in before then, and i don¡¯t want to be away from arbitage for too long. i just want to make sure¨C¡±


    ¡°everything is good with father.¡± brayden nodded. ¡°yeah. i don¡¯t know how much free time i¡¯m going to have while i¡¯m here, but maybe you can loosen up now that your guard doesn¡¯t have to be quite so high.¡±


    noah just cocked an eyebrow. brayden rolled his eyes.


    ¡°fine, fine. keep the stick up your ass. just make sure you get a little rest. if you don¡¯t, father is going to bleed you dry.¡±


    brayden¡¯s words sounded like they came from experience, and noah didn¡¯t doubt him for a second. the three of them arrived at the house that noah had just slipped out of a few minutes before.


    ¡°here we are,¡± brayden said. ¡°lee¡¯s in the top room. isabel and todd are on the lower floor. there are some extra rooms, so you can take your pick. i¡¯ll try to carve some time out for dinner, but i¡¯ve got no idea what father¡¯s plans are. he¡¯s going to want to give me my orders for my next task, and i do still have to figure out a coverup for the hellreaver. maybe we¡¯ll just get a replacement monster sent over and brush over the whole thing. not sure if arbitage will take that as an answer, though.¡±


    brayden trailed off, rubbing his chin. he blinked and shook his head, suddenly remembering that noah and lee were still standing there.


    ¡°no need to wait on me,¡± brayden said, shaking his head. he raised his hand in farewell and strode off down the street, turning a corner and vanishing from sight ¨C though noah could still hear brayden¡¯s heavy steps for a few seconds after losing sight of him.


    ¡°how did i do?¡± lee asked, walking up to the door. ¡°i tried to avoid saying too much.¡±


    ¡°perfectly,¡± noah replied as they walked inside. he bit back a frown as a thought struck him.


    just how extensive is father¡¯s paranoia going to be? is it possible he¡¯s got some form of listening devices in our rooms? how freely can any of us even talk? i¡¯ll have to make sure to use words that don¡¯t actually bring any suspicion on the off chance that he can hear me.


    ¡°your true form was definitely intimidating. we¡¯ll have to get you some new clothes, though.¡±


    lee nodded. ¡°i¡¯m sure the old guy will pay for it. he smells like money. what do we do in the meantime, though? more practice?¡±


    ¡°among other things,¡± noah said with a nod. he glanced around the expensive interior of the house. there was a closed door across from them and a stairwell to their left that led up to the top floor where lee¡¯s room was. across from the stairwell was a large dining room and a kitchen. presumably, isabel and todd¡¯s room was the one beyond the door.


    the absolute best defense i have is when i¡¯m talking to someone that i would logically hide my demonic nature from. as long as i¡¯m around isabel and todd, i can act normally. even if father can overhear me, it won¡¯t matter.


    ¡°what other things? are we going to check out the new city? if you are, i¡¯ll have to determine if sitting around and doing nothing is more interesting than seeing new stuff.¡±


    ¡°not today,¡± noah replied. ¡°we¡¯ve been traveling a lot and it¡¯ll be nice to take a page out of your book and just do nothing for a little.¡±


    and that¡¯ll give me time to recover from dying and get my magic back.


    ¡°great!¡± lee said, darting up the stairs. noah followed after her at a considerably slower pace. even though his headache was far better than the normal ones, it was still a far cry from comfortable. at least it was bearable.


    the second floor of the house had several rooms scattered along the hall, and noah didn¡¯t particularly care which one got. after a detour into lee¡¯s room to raid her closet and reclaim his belongings, he took the room across from her and flopped into the posh bed, not even bothering to take his clothes off.


    noah crossed his arms behind his head and closed his eyes, letting himself sink into his thoughts. if father held his word, he¡¯d be sending someone that night for noah to ply with questions and not have to worry about setting off any alarms.


    that wouldn¡¯t do him much good if he couldn¡¯t actually figure out what questions to ask, and that was exactly what he planned to prepare over the course of the next few hours.


    ***


    a knock broke noah out of his thoughts. it took a second one for him to roll out of bed. he blinked, squinting out the window into the setting sunlight. somehow, hours had slipped away.


    noah approached his door and opened it. a woman ¨C probably about twenty five, if he had to guess ¨C with long black hair and wide, circular glasses stood before him, a large book clutched to her chest.


    she swallowed heavily when noah¡¯s gaze fell on her.


    ¡°i ¨C father sent me here,¡± she said, speaking so softly that noah could barely hear her. ¡°is now a bad time?¡±


    ¡°no, no. i just got a little distracted,¡± noah replied. he sent a glance over his shoulder. ¡°is there somewhere we should move to? i¡¯m afraid i haven¡¯t had much chance to look around the house yet, but there seems to only be one chair in my room.¡±


    ¡°it is a rank 2,¡± janice said with a nod. ¡°a fascinating specimen.¡±


    sounds like someone hasn¡¯t gotten the memo yet. whoops.


    ¡°there is variance in every human and monster¡¯s soul,¡± janice continued, setting her book down on the table. ¡°some people are born with larger souls. some are born with weaker ones. combining runes increases the pressure pushing on the seams of your soul and makes it stronger, but it¡¯s a multiplicative effect. if you have a large soul, you¡¯ll recover from soul damage faster and be able to handle more of any runes you imbue in it. there are ways to expand the soul, of course. i¡¯m researching several of them right now.¡±


    ¡°how long would it normally take someone to recover from soul damage?¡± noah asked, managing to squeeze a sentence into janet¡¯s excited speech.


    she paused for a moment. ¡°an average person would take about a month to heal from a small cut to their soul.¡±


    holy shit. if i¡¯m picturing a cut as a small chunk of my soul getting ripped out, then i heal at least four or five times faster than average.


    ¡°have you figured out what sets the size of a soul during your research?¡± noah asked, leaning forward eagerly.


    ¡°a variety of factors. the location you¡¯re born in seems to have some effect on it. the children of highly ranked people also seem to have considerably larger souls ¨C we believe this is because the pressure they¡¯ve been exposed to forces their own soul to adapt in its formative stages. the soul that a child is born with is what sets their path off, though we can do a lot to change and improve it.¡±


    now i¡¯m really curious. is my soul considerably larger than it should be because of the whole demon-tainted waters of life? or is it because i swallowed vermil¡¯s soul ¨C or sunder itself? damn. i can¡¯t ask literally any of these questions, but this information is already fantastic.


    ¡°fascinating,¡± noah said. he drummed his fingers on the table. ¡°let¡¯s pull back to the master runes, then. what were those main benefits, assuming you properly bound a master rune to your soul?¡±


    ¡°access and functionality,¡± janice replied immediately. ¡°imbuing a rune is the absolute fastest way to access its power, and burning it into your soul is no exception. normally, you have to take a moment to call the energy of your runes from within you and channel it. imbuing the rune into your soul makes that transition seamless.¡±


    that must be why soldiers are better at fighting monsters. they¡¯ve got a bunch of imbued weapons and armor, and a split second matters a lot when fighting really powerful creatures. but even so, i¡¯m pretty sure i can call on my runes pretty quickly. surely that¡¯s a point of diminishing return.


    ¡°the biggest benefit isn¡¯t the ability to use it faster, though,¡± janet said before noah could ask anything else. ¡°it¡¯s the ability to use it simultaneously. normally, you can only control a single rune at a time. however, imbuements are different. they¡¯re essentially pre-prepared. normally, that limits their function. however, runes imbued on the soul can still respond to your desires. that¡¯s what makes master runes so effective. it¡¯s the ability to use them in conjunction with your other runes.¡±


    i ¨C well, shit. i think i stumbled across that with my whole dragon-breathing thing and didn¡¯t even realize. that... explains a lot, actually, especially about the hellreaver and how it stopped me from using my magic. if it also had wind runes, i bet it was literally just overpowering my own wind runes and then stopping me from breathing with combustion at the same time. two different abilities, not one.


    ¡°and how many master runes could someone have at once?¡± noah asked. ¡°is there a limit?¡±


    ¡°i suppose that would depend on the size of their soul,¡± janice said, scratching her chin in thought. ¡°i¡¯ve heard of people with three, but never more than that. it¡¯s not really beneficial to stack up too many master runes. everyone is always hunting after them and once you reach higher ranks, it¡¯s unlikely that you¡¯ll both find and be able to keep a lot of master runes that can actually help you.¡±


    ¡°makes sense,¡± noah said. he thought for a moment, reshuffling his questions to figure out what angle he should take next. asking about master runes wouldn¡¯t be too strange, but hyperfixating on them probably would be.


    noah spent the next few minutes asking janice a variety of questions about the linwicks, tossing in a few random ones about the world as a whole. he¡¯d already gathered a good amount of information about both, but he wanted to make sure that his line of questioning would be in line with something like a demon¡¯s interests.


    it wasn¡¯t too hard, considering noah was pretty sure he knew a good bit less than what a demon normally would have. janice¡¯s voice grew noticeably quieter the farther the conversation drew from runes.


    noah tested it, asking a few more general rune-related questions just to see her visibly perk up. he repressed a laugh. at least she knew what she liked. as they spoke, another thought struck noah.


    before, he¡¯d had to be careful about offering runes to todd and isabel because there was a chance that the linwicks would have found out. but now, circumstances were different. he didn¡¯t have any reason to tiptoe around the subject, and he planned to take full advantage of it.


    ¡°did father say if you could share any actual runes with me?¡± noah asked.


    janice¡¯s expression dimmed and she nodded. ¡°yes. he was very strict on what i¡¯m allowed to offer. no matter what you say or provide me with, i cannot give you anything more than what is in this book.¡±


    she pushed the book she¡¯d been carrying over to noah. he blinked as he picked it up. it was pretty heavy ¨C a lot heavier than he¡¯d expected it to be. noah flipped it open, thumbing through the pages. there were dozens of runes within it, and all of them were greater runes.


    ¡°what¡¯s the cost?¡± noah asked. ¡°or was this included with the information?¡±


    ¡°you can¡¯t keep the book, but you are permitted to learn two runes from it.¡±


    noah flipped back and forth through it. all the runes were only rank 1, and while he was working on figuring out what the next runes he¡¯d be combining would be, he still wasn¡¯t sure on the exact runes he¡¯d need.


    on top of that, noah couldn¡¯t help but notice that the runes in the book overlapped perfectly with the ones in his grimoire.


    wonder if that¡¯s just the standard book they hand out or if he¡¯s reminding me that he already has suspicions about the runes i use?


    ¡°is there a time limit?¡±


    ¡°he¡¯ll be taking the book back tonight.¡±


    figures. that¡¯s pretty clever. he¡¯s trying to bait me into taking runes that are relevant to my abilities because that would show him what some of my powers are. lee said you can bind a demon if you know each of its runes, and taking rank 1 runes from this would be a dead giveaway ¨C especially if i was actually a demon.


    ¡°did he say what i could do with them?¡± noah asked, looking back up at janice.


    janice frowned and shook her head. ¡°no. they were gifts, to do with as you please. i do not believe he directly addressed what you were permitted to use your own runes for.¡±


    ¡°and i don¡¯t suppose he¡¯s included any combinations i can have?¡±


    janice swallowed. ¡°no, he hasn¡¯t.¡±


    she looks terrified. does she expect me to rip her head off because she didn¡¯t give me what i want?


    actually, that might be exactly what she expects. maybe father told her i was a demon... but what would he have gained from that? he doesn¡¯t strike me as someone who does things arbitrarily.


    noah shrugged. ¡°fine with me. i don¡¯t need them.¡±


    ¡°the runes?¡±


    ¡°the combinations,¡± noah replied, a grin crossing his lips. ¡°but, as a matter of fact, i won¡¯t be needing those runes myself either. since they¡¯re mine to do with as i please ¨C isabel, todd! please come out here.¡±


    janice flinched as noah raised his voice, then looked over her shoulder as the door to their room opened and the two students poked their heads out.


    ¡°is everything okay?¡± isabel asked, watching janice warily.


    ¡°more than,¡± noah replied. he tapped the book with a finger. ¡°the two of you have just been gifted the opportunity to each learn a rune from this book by father himself.¡±

 Chapter 96: Fathers gift

    chapter 96: father''s gift


    noah had a lot of questions. unfortunately, the list of questions he was willing to let be reported back to father was considerably shorter than he would have liked. he pried janice about the torrins for a little longer, but she didn¡¯t know any specifics about the family beyond their strained relations with the linwicks.


    he was tempted to press more about basic runes to make sure he really understood them, but the questions would be too odd, even for a demon. luckily, there was something that even lee hadn¡¯t known much about, which meant it was likely safe territory.


    ¡°tell me about master runes,¡± noah said. ¡°and not just the basic information that everyone has. i want to know details. why are they the way they are? how come there¡¯s only one of each? we can start with those.¡±


    ¡°nobody knows exactly why master runes are completely unique,¡± janice replied, a tiny amount of confidence starting to trickle into her voice, bringing it a few inches closer to actually being audible. ¡°there are a lot of theories, though. the leading one is that they are aspects of the universe made manifest.¡±


    why does that make them completely unique? and how come they function so differently to normal runes when you imbue them?


    noah frowned and elected not to say anything in response. none of the questions he could ask sounded particularly intelligent, and people tended to keep talking if you kept silent. janice shifted uncomfortably.


    ¡°we aren¡¯t sure why master runes are unique, so i can¡¯t properly answer that question, but the manifest aspect theory lends credence to why they always exist. you can¡¯t destroy part of the universe.¡±


    seems like a slightly weak argument, but i can bite for now. i honestly care a lot more about why they can¡¯t be imbued the same way normal runes can. when i tried to imbue combustion, it wouldn¡¯t work unless i used the whole thing.


    ¡°does that have something to do with why you can¡¯t imbue parts of them?¡± noah asked.


    janice nodded. ¡°yes. master runes cannot be split apart. they don¡¯t grow weaker or stronger ¨C though their users are often unable to harness the master rune¡¯s true strength due to their own limitations. master runes are perfect constants. you cannot change or modify them.¡±


    okay, i¡¯m actually starting to see the universe bit then. if they¡¯re always the same, they¡¯re basically like laws. not sure why or how they¡¯d get into a rune in the first place, but that¡¯s a bit too philosophical for a discussion where i need practical answers.


    ¡°that unchangeable aspect makes them difficult to imbue, right?¡± noah asked, choosing his words carefully.


    if other people haven¡¯t figured out you can imbue a master rune in your soul and keep control over it, then i¡¯m not going to be the one that gives it away. it seems like a conclusion someone probably would have come to already, but janice needs to confirm that for me.


    ¡°it does,¡± janice said with a nod. ¡°there is only a single manner in which a master rune can be imbued, and it involves binding it to your soul. this is what all great monsters have done. this sort of imbuement provides a series of significant benefits that are not immediately apparent, but the drawbacks are extensive.¡±


    and that answers that.


    ¡°expand on that?¡±


    ¡°well, imbuing a rune on your soul is very strenuous,¡± janice said. she was talking confidently now, and at a tone that was just as loud as noah¡¯s. the more she spoke about runes, the more outgoing she seemed to become. ¡°overdrawing its powers would inflict soul damage. the imbuement itself could also inflict soul damage if it was done improperly ¨C and that¡¯s assuming your soul is large enough to hold the master rune in the first place. typically, only rank 3 mages have souls large enough to handle bearing a master rune.¡±


    ¡°oh? what about the great monsters? ones such as the hellreaver ¨C that wasn¡¯t a rank 3 monster, was it?¡±


    ¡°it is a rank 2,¡± janice said with a nod. ¡°a fascinating specimen.¡±


    sounds like someone hasn¡¯t gotten the memo yet. whoops.


    she pushed the book she¡¯d been carrying over to noah. he blinked as he picked it up. it was pretty heavy ¨C a lot heavier than he¡¯d expected it to be. noah flipped it open, thumbing through the pages. there were dozens of runes within it, and all of them were greater runes.


    ¡°what¡¯s the cost?¡± noah asked. ¡°or was this included with the information?¡±


    ¡°you can¡¯t keep the book, but you are permitted to learn two runes from it.¡±


    noah flipped back and forth through it. all the runes were only rank 1, and while he was working on figuring out what the next runes he¡¯d be combining would be, he still wasn¡¯t sure on the exact runes he¡¯d need.


    on top of that, noah couldn¡¯t help but notice that the runes in the book overlapped perfectly with the ones in his grimoire.


    wonder if that¡¯s just the standard book they hand out or if he¡¯s reminding me that he already has suspicions about the runes i use?


    ¡°is there a time limit?¡±


    ¡°he¡¯ll be taking the book back tonight.¡±


    figures. that¡¯s pretty clever. he¡¯s trying to bait me into taking runes that are relevant to my abilities because that would show him what some of my powers are. lee said you can bind a demon if you know each of its runes, and taking rank 1 runes from this would be a dead giveaway ¨C especially if i was actually a demon.


    ¡°did he say what i could do with them?¡± noah asked, looking back up at janice.


    janice frowned and shook her head. ¡°no. they were gifts, to do with as you please. i do not believe he directly addressed what you were permitted to use your own runes for.¡±


    ¡°and i don¡¯t suppose he¡¯s included any combinations i can have?¡±


    janice swallowed. ¡°no, he hasn¡¯t.¡±


    she looks terrified. does she expect me to rip her head off because she didn¡¯t give me what i want?


    actually, that might be exactly what she expects. maybe father told her i was a demon... but what would he have gained from that? he doesn¡¯t strike me as someone who does things arbitrarily.


    noah shrugged. ¡°fine with me. i don¡¯t need them.¡±


    ¡°the runes?¡±


    ¡°the combinations,¡± noah replied, a grin crossing his lips. ¡°but, as a matter of fact, i won¡¯t be needing those runes myself either. since they¡¯re mine to do with as i please ¨C isabel, todd! please come out here.¡±


    janice flinched as noah raised his voice, then looked over her shoulder as the door to their room opened and the two students poked their heads out.


    ¡°is everything okay?¡± isabel asked, watching janice warily.


    ¡°more than,¡± noah replied. he tapped the book with a finger. ¡°the two of you have just been gifted the opportunity to each learn a rune from this book by father himself.¡±

 Chapter 97: On the hunt

    chapter 97: on the hunt


    ¡°seriously?¡± todd asked, his eyes lighting up.


    ¡°father didn¡¯t put any limits on what i could do with them, did he?¡± noah asked janice.


    she shook her head. ¡°no, he didn¡¯t. the two runes are yours to do with as you please.¡±


    ¡°you are actually the best teacher to have ever lived,¡± todd declared, striding up to the table with a huge grin. he picked the book up and flipped through its pages, scanning the runes within it. ¡°let it be known that my loyalty can be bought.¡±


    ¡°you only get two runes,¡± janice reminded noah. she quailed under his gaze as he looked to her. ¡°just letting you know. if they take your runes, you won¡¯t get any.¡±


    noah chuckled. ¡°yes, i gathered as much. i have no need of these runes. they aren¡¯t rare enough to garner my interest.¡±


    and refusing to take them is going to keep father on edge. at the very least, it¡¯ll let him know that i¡¯m well aware he¡¯s trying to wring information out of me. i do actually need to figure out what my next rank 2 rune will be, though. maybe i¡¯ll visit the markets in the city and sell all the monster parts i¡¯ve been collecting so i can buy a rune or some catchpaper for myself.


    todd looked up from the book and handed it over to isabel.


    ¡°thanks, teacherman,¡± todd said. ¡°i wish you¡¯d come along earlier. we could have used your help.¡±??v€l?1n.


    isabel shot todd a glance and he cleared his throat, giving noah an embarrassed grin. she shook her head and looked back down at it, her brow furrowed in concentration. a few minutes later, she closed her eyes and placed her hand on one of the pages.


    when they opened again, noah caught a glance of the page ¨C the rune on it was still undamaged.


    an armor rune? i was under the impression that isabel was trying to be an agile fighter with that thin sword of hers, but now she¡¯s chosen two stone runes and an armor one. interesting. i think i¡¯m missing something.


    ¡°thank you,¡± isabel said, closing the book before anyone else could see what rune she¡¯d chosen. she handed it back to noah. ¡°todd¡¯s right. this is incredible. you¡¯re spoiling us.¡±


    ¡°pay it back by succeeding.¡± noah passed the book over to janice, who let out a small, relieved sigh once it was back in her hands.


    would father have punished her had i tried to take more runes? or was she worried about having to try to stop me from doing it? she¡¯s on edge, one way or another.


    ¡°that¡¯s all for now,¡± noah said, nodding to his students. ¡°i didn¡¯t mean to interrupt you. i¡¯ve still got to speak with janice a little more, so don¡¯t let me keep you.¡±


    they nodded and headed back to their room, pulling the door shut behind them. once they¡¯d left, noah turned back to janice and splayed his hands out on the table.


    ¡°right then. let¡¯s get back to the questions, shall we? there are still a few hours of daylight left, and i¡¯d like to make sure i don¡¯t keep you too far past nightfall.¡±


    ***


    ¡°you know,¡± todd said, keeping his voice to a low whisper as isabel shut the door behind them, ¡°i think i might be in love with another person.¡±


    isabel rolled her eyes. ¡°you¡¯re an idiot.¡±


    ¡°two greater runes, isabel! two!¡±


    ¡°keep your voice down,¡± isabel said, walking over to their window and peering through it. ¡°we don¡¯t want to interrupt what he¡¯s doing. there¡¯s clearly some political maneuvering going on out there.¡±


    todd scrunched his nose and sat down on the bed. ¡°hate that stuff. too much effort for me.¡±


    ¡°so did my father,¡± isabel said, her brow darkening.


    todd winced. ¡°sorry.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m just being angsty. i¡¯ve got nothing to complain about,¡± isabel said, turning away and sitting down next to todd. ¡°i¡¯m just a little scared to hope again. i¡¯m expecting him to abandon us at any moment.¡±


    ¡°even if he did, he¡¯s done more for us than any other professor has. i¡¯d say we got a pretty damn good deal if he cut his losses after giving us two free greater runes.¡±


    isabel glared at todd and he laughed, ruffling her hair. isabel sighed, not bothering to even try and stop him. she made sure to turn her head slightly to make sure todd didn¡¯t see the slight smile on her own face.


    ¡°at this point, you¡¯ve got to be thinking about your rank 2 rune, right?¡± todd asked, leaning back and propping himself up on his forearms.


    ¡°i already know what i¡¯m going for.¡±


    ¡°all might be a bit of an exaggeration,¡± isabel said. she sent a glance back at the house. ¡°let¡¯s go.¡±


    they turned ¨C but not toward the street. both of them headed into the shadow of the alley, slipping between the house and the wall behind it and keeping to the darkness as they headed deeper into the city.


    ¡°you think they were listening to us?¡± todd asked.


    ¡°no clue,¡± isabel replied. ¡°did you really want to take the risk, though?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s only a risk if something happens. is the asshole we¡¯re looking for here?¡±


    ¡°yeah. i found his name in the lineage book before edward stole it from me,¡± isabel replied, her eyes growing cold. ¡°he¡¯s close to the main branch, so he should be here.¡±


    ¡°i know you¡¯ve got a greater rune partially filled, but i don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to stand much chance as we currently are, even if we get the jump on him,¡± todd warned, moving quickly to keep up with isabel. ¡°don¡¯t do anything stupid, isa. it¡¯s not worth it.¡±


    ¡°i know,¡± isabel snapped.


    todd frowned and isabel paused, looking back at him. ¡°sorry. i ¨C i just need to see. i have to know how strong we need to get to kill him.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m with you either way,¡± todd said. ¡°if it was a month or two ago, i would have been all for taking him out now.¡±


    ¡°i know,¡± isabel said, a flicker of a smile passing over her lips. ¡°because you were basically begging to start going after them.¡±


    ¡°well, that was before we had any chance of getting strong enough to actually deal with them the proper way,¡± todd said. ¡°things are different now, and i don¡¯t want to get professor vermil in trouble. i want to kill the bastards, but i want to do it once i¡¯m strong enough to kill them in the daylight.¡±


    ¡°as do i. i just need to see his face so i remember what i¡¯m working toward.¡± isabel¡¯s fists clenched at her sides. ¡°i won¡¯t make you come with me, though. you¡¯re right. it¡¯s a risk. i just need to see.¡±


    ¡°you know i¡¯m coming with you,¡± todd said. ¡°just make sure it¡¯s only looking. we can¡¯t handle him yet.¡±


    ¡°i know,¡± isabel said.


    the two of them continued through the alleys for a few more minutes, only stepping out into the main streets after they¡¯d put a good bit of distance between themselves and the house.


    ¡°we can¡¯t leave the area or a guard won¡¯t let us back in,¡± todd said under his breath, just loud enough for isabel to hear him.


    ¡°that¡¯s fine. he should be in this area anyway. he¡¯s not main branch,¡± isabel replied, pausing to glance at a tall wooden street sign before turning and heading down the road. todd hurried to keep up with her.


    ¡°how do you even know where he lives?¡± todd asked. ¡°the book didn¡¯t have that stuff.¡±


    ¡°i know where all of them live,¡± isabel replied, her eyes cold. ¡°i wasn¡¯t checking the book to make sure he lived here. i was checking it to make sure nobody had killed him before i got the chance.¡±


    they turned down another street, passing a row of beautiful houses. several of them had guards posted around the entrances, but the majority were unwatched. evidently, the linwicks weren¡¯t particularly concerned with trying to attack them inside their own city.


    isabel came to a stop near a patch of vibrant yellow shrubbery ringing one of the houses. todd grimaced at the plants.


    ¡°man, those are hideous.¡±


    ¡°this is his house,¡± isabel said, nodding up to a small crest at the top of the building. ¡°see the stars with the line running through them? that¡¯s his line¡¯s symbol.¡±


    ¡°huh. didn¡¯t realize that was a thing,¡± todd admitted. ¡°did vermil¡¯s family have one of those?¡±


    ¡°no. it¡¯s too gaudy, and he¡¯s under a mage called father. he¡¯s ruthless, but not flashy at all. he also wasn¡¯t involved.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s good. it would have been a bit awkward if we had to kill his dad,¡± todd said, peering at the mansion. ¡°i don¡¯t suppose this is enough of a look for you?¡±


    isabel swallowed heavily. ¡°do you think he¡¯s home?¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re the one that did all the stalking,¡± todd replied. ¡°i have no idea. it¡¯s your call, isabel.¡±


    ¡°let¡¯s wait a little in the street,¡± isabel said, turning away from the house. ¡°there¡¯s a bench over there. maybe he¡¯ll come out and we¡¯ll get a glimpse of him.¡±


    todd nodded, trying and failing to not show his relief. the two walked up to the bench and sat down. isabel¡¯s hand tightened around the metal bar at her side so tightly that her knuckles turned white.


    ¡°dayton linwick,¡± isabel muttered, the words like rancid poison as they passed through her lips. ¡°i don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll be today, but you¡¯re going to pay for what you did to our families.¡±

 Chapter 98: Far from over

    chapter 98: far from over


    ¡°isabel, i don¡¯t think he¡¯s coming.¡± todd said. it had been nearly three hours since they¡¯d arrived at dayton¡¯s mansion, and they¡¯d been sitting at the bench ever since. isabel ground her teeth together.


    ¡°what if he shows up after we leave? i need to know how strong he¡¯s gotten. i won¡¯t just let this go.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s not letting anything go,¡± todd said. ¡°it¡¯s just taking calculated risks. we¡¯ve been here a while. you¡¯ve gone this long without actually doing anything. just wait a bit longer and¨C¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s the problem,¡± isabel hissed. ¡°i¡¯ve done nothing! it¡¯s been years. i have to make progress. do something, somewhere.¡±


    ¡°you are making progress. you¡¯re getting stronger. look at me, isabel. you know things are off when i¡¯m the voice of reason. i know it¡¯s difficult to be so close, but the physical proximity isn¡¯t going to get us any closer to actually killing the bastard. it¡¯s just a risk.¡±


    isabel clenched her fists and looked down at the cobbled road. ¡°i know.¡±


    ¡°you were hoping you¡¯d get an opportunity or something because we¡¯d be at the linwick estate, weren¡¯t you?¡± todd asked gently.


    ¡°i know it¡¯s stupid.¡± isabel looked away. ¡°i thought maybe i¡¯d be able to use surprise to my advantage. if he hadn¡¯t reached rank 4 yet, then there¡¯s a good chance it would have worked.¡±


    ¡°and then what?¡± todd asked. ¡°you¡¯d be dead, and there¡¯d be more of them still wandering around.¡±


    isabel let out a heavy sigh. ¡°yeah. i know. you¡¯re right. sorry. this was a waste of time.¡±


    ¡°just go back to being the one that makes the smart decisions, please,¡± todd said, rising to his feet and helping isabel up. ¡°i don¡¯t like being the smart one. it¡¯s too stressful.¡±


    ¡°giving yourself a bit too much credit there,¡± isabel said with a slight smile. ¡°you did follow me here, after all. it would have been smarter to stay back.¡±


    ¡°there are limits,¡± todd grumbled. ¡°let¡¯s go.¡±


    isabel nodded. she sent one last glance back at dayton¡¯s mansion as they turned to leave ¨C and froze.


    ¡°todd,¡± isabel hissed.


    ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°look.¡±


    the door was open. a tall man had stepped out into the night, lit from the back by yellow light within the house. long blonde hair framed a sharp, thin face with a hawklike nose. a thin scar ran along the man¡¯s chin, just barely visible in the night. he wore clothes made of a vibrant blue cloth and interwoven with flowing gold designs ¨C imbued, no doubt.


    ¡°that¡¯s him,¡± isabel whispered. ¡°i recognize his nose.¡±


    ¡°good. let¡¯s go,¡± todd said, grabbing isabel¡¯s hand. she dragged her feet, looking over her shoulder at dayton.


    ¡°what if¨C¡±


    ¡°no,¡± todd hissed. ¡°snap out of it, isabel. come on.¡±


    she shook her head and forced her gaze away from dayton. ¡°right. sorry. i just¨C¡±


    ¡°doesn¡¯t matter,¡± todd said. ¡°let¡¯s just get out of here.¡±


    isabel¡¯s eyes remained directed over her shoulder, back at dayton as they strode away, and then he was blocked from her sight by the gaudy bushes surrounding his house. even as they left, she kept looking in the house¡¯s direction and letting todd lead her.


    it was silent, aside from the sound of their fast-paced footfalls echoing through the thin streets. they¡¯d only made it a street down before todd suddenly skidded to a stop. isabel stumbled, turning her head to look straight ahead again.


    matching that up with the kind-natured man that had been teaching them for the past month felt difficult at best. it was like he was a different person. after they¡¯d been walking for a few minutes, vermil came to an abrupt stop.


    ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± todd whispered. ¡°how¡¯d you know we were there? i can¡¯t believe you just killed that guard.¡±


    ¡°i followed you when you left the house. i was just watching to see how things would go. i didn¡¯t think anyone would have problems with you sitting and doing nothing, but i saw someone in the mansion spot you and head out to get the guards. i distracted them for a while, but you ended up getting caught as you left. unfortunate timing.¡±


    ¡°you were following us?¡± todd asked, blinking. ¡°how? you were talking to janice.¡±


    vermil turned and raised an eyebrow. isabel¡¯s eyes flicked down to his waist ¨C there was no gourd or book. he didn¡¯t have his travel bag either.


    ¡°you¡¯re his clone,¡± isabel muttered. ¡°you aren¡¯t vermil.¡±


    ¡°that was fast,¡± vermil said, raising a bloody finger to his lips. ¡°between us, yeah? vermil doesn¡¯t need all his secrets getting out.¡±


    ¡°thank you,¡± isabel said, swallowing heavily and glancing over her shoulder. ¡°if you hadn¡¯t showed up...¡±


    ¡°stupid decision,¡± vermil said with a nod. ¡°i don¡¯t know what you were doing, but that was damn stupid. you¡¯ve clearly got a grudge against whoever lives in that mansion. letting him know that you¡¯re going for him is probably the dumbest thing you could have done. he¡¯s a rank 5.¡±


    ¡°rank 5?¡± isabel asked, her eyes bulging. ¡°he was stuck at rank 3 for years. how did he suddenly get so much stronger?¡±


    ¡°doesn¡¯t matter,¡± vermil replied. ¡°you aren¡¯t anywhere strong enough to go after him. what were you hoping to accomplish?¡±


    isabel pressed her lips together. ¡°i was hoping to see¨C¡±


    ¡°no you weren¡¯t. if you¡¯ve got such a strong grudge that you¡¯d take a risk like this, you remember exactly what he looks like. you were hoping he¡¯d see you. you want him scared that you¡¯re coming after him.¡±


    isabel opened her mouth, then closed it again. she turned her eyes away as todd sent her a small frown.


    ¡°you aren¡¯t strong enough for this sort of game yet.¡± vermil¡¯s clone shook his head. ¡°it isn¡¯t going to make you feel any better. just kill the bastard when you¡¯re strong enough. all the revenge games will only end up getting you killed as well.¡±


    isabel nodded mutely.


    ¡°get back to the house,¡± vermil said. ¡°it¡¯s just around the corner. the real vermil hasn¡¯t noticed you¡¯re missing yet. he¡¯s too busy terrifying the woman that father sent over to answer his questions. and seriously ¨C don¡¯t try this again. you¡¯ll be lucky if dayton doesn¡¯t try to put feelers out and figure out what was going on, especially after what happened to his guards.¡±


    ¡°there was only one, though,¡± todd said.


    vermil¡¯s clone stared at him.


    todd swallowed. ¡°right. thank you.¡±


    ¡°just don¡¯t do it again until you¡¯re actually ready to deal with the consequences.¡±


    todd pulled isabel away, heading down the alley and toward the window that they¡¯d left open. once they¡¯d left, vermil turned away and hunched over. a shudder wracked his body as it shifted, warping and shrinking.


    lee looked at her now-too long clothes and sighed. she quickly pulled a spare set of clothes out from where she¡¯d stuffed them into the back of the oversized shirt and stripped out of vermil¡¯s training robes, swapping them for her normal ones.


    ¡°it¡¯s a little odd that he had guards that were so on edge, though,¡± lee muttered to herself as she folded vermil¡¯s clothes up. ¡°it was like they were actually waiting for someone suspicious. something¡¯s going on over there.¡±


    she glanced in the direction that todd and isabel had headed. despite what lee had said, she¡¯d overheard just about everything the two had said. after all, she¡¯d been following just a few feet behind them, cloaked by the power of her runes, ever since they¡¯d left the house.


    ¡°i should probably let vermil know what¡¯s going on,¡± lee mused. ¡°but i don¡¯t actually have any useful information yet. i¡¯ve already caused a little chaos tonight, so i might as well take advantage of it. there¡¯s a demon loose in the city, after all.¡±


    lee snickered to herself and turned away from the house, heading back in the direction of dayton¡¯s mansion. the night was still far from over.

 Chapter 99: Music

    chapter 99: music


    noah went to his room that night with a head stuffed completely full of new information. despite his promise to janice, he¡¯d kept her nearly three hours after the moon had risen into the sky, grilling her on a variety of information ¨C only about three quarters of which he actually cared about.


    his questions ranged from prying for information about runes to the linwicks to what humans did for fun and when their flesh was the softest. hopefully, that would throw father off enough to keep him from actually figuring out what noah was really looking into.


    of course, he¡¯s going to realize i¡¯m going to be trying to throw him off, so some of those questions should get ignored specifically for that reason. hopefully, a few of the actual questions i had will get tossed out with the stupid ones. no way to know for sure yet. all i can do is wait and see.


    noah let out a slow sigh and sat down at the padded chair before the desk. he pulled out the sheaf of notes he¡¯d taken to carrying around and located a quill and some ink. noah started to write, putting down the most important pieces of information he¡¯d gathered.


    the torrin family really hates the linwicks. moxie might get in trouble if people know we¡¯re friends.the torrins are supposedly cruel. need to confirm this with someone that isn¡¯t a linwick, considering i think we might be a bit biased.master runes are most powerful when imbued and working in conjunction with other runes.this principle works for normal imbued runes as well, but pulling out a rune imbued on your soul causes damage. since ranking up means you upgrade your runes, most people don¡¯t do it. the damage would be bad for most people, but just a mild inconvenience for me.master runes are unique, but they¡¯re not completely uncommon, especially amongst stronger mages. father almost certainly has one, as does anyone else higher up in the linwick or any other noble family.the linwicks are a powerful family, but they¡¯re probably not the strongest in the kingdom. janice was pretty wishy-washy about who that was. i need to do more research. it¡¯s probably not the torrins either, and i didn¡¯t recognize any of the other names she mentioned. will have to visit a library and actually figure that out so i know who to avoid pissing off.the linwicks aren¡¯t exactly all friends with each other. already gathered that much, but father is at odds with several powerful branches in the linwick family. janice was too scared to answer who in particular. i suspect father will answer this one soon.father¡¯s name is literally father. weirdo. the book said that too, but it was a title or something. janice was adamant that father was his only name. at least it isn¡¯t daddy.


    noah leaned back and let out a small sigh, returning the quill to its resting spot and wiping some of the ink he¡¯d dripped on the table away with the back of a sleeve. the jacket was black anyway. a little extra wouldn¡¯t hurt it.


    i hate all this political shit. i just want to learn more magic and teach my students. and become immortal. that would be nice too.


    hm. i think i¡¯ve put in my hours doing real work today. i think that means i can spend some time thinking about my runes without worrying about slacking off. a little fun, a little work. that¡¯s the strategy.


    noah headed to bed and laid down on top of it, propping a pillow up and crossing his hands behind his neck to get comfortable.


    let¡¯s see... i¡¯d like to make some music at some point. after hearing whatever it was that father had playing, i¡¯m jealous. pyroclastic resonance will help with that, but it¡¯s not quite enough to really do anything on its own. i need something to resonate. maybe something with earth, so i could make drums? or more wind, for wind instruments?


    damn. so many options.


    a smile crept across noah¡¯s lips as he descended into his thoughts, letting all the possibilities of the future dance before him to the sound of distant music that was still just barely beyond his grasp.


    something slammed into noah¡¯s stomach. he grunted, bolting upright as all the air was knocked from his lungs and something tackled him. noah threw himself to the side, calling on pyroclastic resonance and shooting to his feet, preparing to blast whatever had attacked him ¨C only to find lee¡¯s face staring at him.


    ¡°lee?¡± noah asked, staring in disbelief. ¡°what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°sorry,¡± lee said. ¡°i got a little too excited flinging myself through the window.¡±


    noah lowered his hands and shook his head. ¡°what the hell were you doing?¡±


    ¡°flinging myself through the window, i told you.¡±


    ¡°why?¡±


    ¡°i was running and didn¡¯t want anyone to see where i went,¡± lee replied. ¡°and i¡¯d already done a few laps around the other houses, so i didn¡¯t want to keep running around.¡±


    noah walked over to the window and closed it, pulling the curtains shut before turning back to lee, who had claimed a spot in the center of his bed.


    ¡°hold on. maybe we shouldn¡¯t talk too freely. there could be ways for father to listen in on us here.¡±


    lee shook her head and tapped her nose. ¡°no, it¡¯s fine. i checked the room. runes have a certain scent to them. there¡¯s nothing here that i didn¡¯t already destroy.¡±


    ¡°i mean now, sure. but why would i stop them? having a reason to get more powerful is a very good motivator.¡±


    noah shuffled through his papers, putting them into order before tucking them back into his bag. ¡°so were you running from guards when you flung yourself through my window?¡±


    lee nodded. ¡°yup. i wanted to see what would happen if i turned into one of them and tried to breach the gatehouse and figure out what they had in there.¡±


    ¡°and?¡±


    ¡°turns out, they have runes that detect when someone that isn¡¯t a guard enters. they found me. we had a bit of a chase. i got away. they were only rank 3s.¡±


    ¡°good to know there are ways to detect you, even if you aren¡¯t a skinwalker,¡± noah said. ¡°try to keep things a bit low for the rest of the night though, okay? we want father on edge, not furious. i can¡¯t imagine he¡¯s going to be very appreciative of your efforts.¡±


    lee gave noah a mock salute. ¡°no more murdering. tonight.¡±


    noah shook his head. ¡°that rune oath really didn¡¯t bind you in the slightest, did it?¡±


    ¡°nope.¡± lee paused for a moment. ¡°did you want me to¨C¡±


    ¡°no,¡± noah replied. ¡°i don¡¯t really care if you kill people that have it coming, to be honest. maybe that¡¯s callous, but i just don¡¯t care. they shouldn¡¯t have set themselves against us if they didn¡¯t want to die. dying isn¡¯t so bad, anyway. just boring.¡±


    his voice trailed off with his thoughts, and noah yawned.


    ¡°what do you mean?¡± lee asked.


    ¡°never mind,¡± noah said, shaking his head. ¡°thanks for keeping an eye on isabel and todd while i was slacking off. i didn¡¯t think they¡¯d try sneaking out. can you keep that up?¡±


    ¡°no problem.¡±


    ¡°great. i¡¯d be pretty screwed without you. having to handle this with just one body would be nearly impossible.¡±


    ¡°thanks. it¡¯s pretty fun actually getting to do things that matter. much better than just killing things to survive. if i can¡¯t do anything else tonight, i¡¯m just going to go sleep. i don¡¯t think isabel and todd will try anything else today.¡±


    ¡°likewise,¡± noah said. ¡°be ready for tomorrow. i get the feeling that father is going to send someone at an annoying time to speak with me. i¡¯m not sure what their goals will be yet, but keep your guard up and, if possible, make sure he doesn¡¯t get anywhere close to todd or isabel.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll keep an eye out,¡± lee promised. she slipped out the door, closing it behind her with a soft click. noah sat in silence for a few moments, then let out a slow sigh. he¡¯d been doing a good bit of that lately, but it felt appropriate.


    am i being too cold? i feel like i should have been more affected by lee telling me she basically baited a bunch of people into getting themselves killed trying to attack her, but it barely registers.


    i suppose that knowing that they¡¯ll get another chance to be less shit of a person the next time around doesn¡¯t help there. hopefully the line goes longer for them than it did for me, but i wouldn¡¯t hold any hopes out.


    noah shook his head and headed to bed. he wasn¡¯t going to get anything else useful accomplished that night, and he wanted to be completely ready for whoever father sent to speak with him when the time came the next morning ¨C or whenever father decided to send them over.

 Chapter 100

    chapter 100


    noah slept poorly that night. even though he¡¯d resolved to try to get good rest for the following morning, he couldn¡¯t get his mind to calm. it bounced infuriatingly from thinking about what he was going to do about isabel and todd¡¯s situation to trying to figure out what the next rune he¡¯d form would be.


    and, as such, noah gave up on sleep entirely after about four hours of lying around and staring at the ceiling. noah snagged his grimoire and slipped it into his belt. he took a page out of lee¡¯s book and slipped out of his room through the window, pulling himself up onto the roof of the house and silently walking over to look down at the front door below him.


    he sat down, leaning against a raised wall, and rubbed his eyes. a yawn slipped from between his lips, but he ignored it. noah pulled his grimoire back out, flipping through its pages. there were a good number of runes within it, but he wasn¡¯t sure if he wanted to make his next rank 2 rune from a combination that father could predict.


    i think i should start by narrowing down exactly what i want. it all comes down to the first medium i want to try to work with. earth or wind, i think. it should be something that works well initially with pyroclastic resonance as well.


    that makes me lean toward earth. some percussion to add to the symphony. i need to be careful to avoid getting too specific, though. if i do, combining things into a rank 3 rune is going to be a huge pain.


    noah wasn¡¯t sure how long he sat on the roof, musing over his runes, but by the time he finally turned his attention back to the real word, the sun had started to rise over the rooftops of the linwick estate.


    the early morning was a mixture of dull purples and pinks, casting the gray streets in a rosy hue. noah enjoyed the view for a few moments before some movement in the streets caught his eyes.


    people had been milling about for a little while already, but most of them looked to be laborers preparing for the day. however, the man that drew his attention stuck out like a sore thumb. while everyone else had a purpose and was either carrying something around or heading down the street with purpose, he was strolling.


    the man wore light metal and leather armor, and though noah couldn¡¯t tell at the distance he was at, he suspected the armor was imbued. noah trailed the man¡¯s progress as he headed down the street and approached his house.


    stopping before the door, the man adjusted his collar and tilted his head to the side. he stood there for a moment in silence. sunlight reflected off an earing that hung close to his right ear.


    noah squinted.


    he¡¯s not wearing any other jewlery. i wonder what the chances are of that being the equivalent of a communication device right out of a spy movie? surely that would be too obvious.


    noah crept down the roof, trying to get a better look at the man below. he was still standing still. it really did look like he was listening to something. finally, he raised a hand to knock on the door.


    a grin crossed noah¡¯s lips and he slipped over the edge of the roof, using a small gust of wind right below he hit the ground and alighting directly behind the man.


    ¡°hello,¡± noah said, even as the man spun toward him in surprise.


    ¡°father sent me,¡± the man said, quickly recovering his decorum. ¡°he¡¯s waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°speaking to me himself? i thought he¡¯d be sending someone.¡±


    ¡°to get you. the issue you plan to discuss is too significant to allow others to overhear it.¡±


    ¡°fair enough,¡± noah said, yawning. it wasn¡¯t a fake ¨C he really hadn¡¯t gotten all that much sleep that night. ¡°same place as yesterday?¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    ¡°much appreciated. have a safe trip back,¡± noah said, setting off along the road. there was no need to wait any longer, after all. he suspected lee had probably either watched or overheard the conversation, so he didn¡¯t have to worry about isabel and todd wondering what was going on.


    ***


    the door to father¡¯s study opened as soon as noah set foot on the bottom floor of the house.


    well, that¡¯s one way to show you knew i was coming.


    noah entered the room, ignoring the door as it rumbled shut behind him, and inclined his head to father. the man sat in his chair, exactly how he had the previous day ¨C if noah didn¡¯t know better, he would have assumed that absolutely no time had passed since their last meeting.


    ¡°sit,¡± father said. ¡°you had a busy night. you must be tired.¡±


    ¡°i think bored would be more accurate,¡± noah said, pulling the chair out and lowering himself into it. ¡°i hope you have something suitably interesting for me. the information i got was... lackluster.¡±


    father gave noah a slight smile. ¡°yes, janice was quite on edge. she wasn¡¯t expecting the direction you took the line of questioning. a demon interested in politics?¡±


    ¡°why would we not be? no better way to start a war than through them.¡±


    ¡°what do you want?¡± father asked.


    ¡°you gave me worthless runes,¡± noah said flatly.


    ¡°you are complaining about a gift. bad form, spider.¡±


    ¡°never said i was one for decorum,¡± noah said. he tapped his wine glass. ¡°more.¡±


    this time, surprise did flicker through father¡¯s features ¨C though it still didn¡¯t enter his eyes. noah was certain of it. the man didn¡¯t let it stall him for long, though. he leaned forward and poured noah another glass.


    ¡°you wish for better runes, then?¡±


    ¡°let¡¯s be honest each other for one sentence, father. i want runes, but i don¡¯t want you to know which ones i take. you want me to kill a man, but you don¡¯t want it tied back to you.¡±


    father gestured for noah to continue. he made no moves to pour himself any more of the wine. noah took a sip from it, mostly to see father¡¯s reaction. the older man had steeled himself once more, though, and noah received nothing from his body language.


    ¡°i will take dayton¡¯s runes,¡± noah said. ¡°all of them.¡±


    father¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°he is the head of his branch. his grimoire is worth far more than his life.¡±


    ¡°is it worth his death?¡±


    father¡¯s lips quirked up. ¡°not all of it. you may take a quarter.¡±


    ¡°three quarters.¡±


    ¡°one quarter and no more.¡±


    ¡°half, and i don¡¯t kill the rest of his house in the process.¡±


    father tilted his head to the side. ¡°what makes you think i care in the slightest about the rest of his house?¡±


    ¡°your actions follow the path of improving the linwick family. you spoke of it as a tree, but no gardener wants his tree to die. even if dayton is a fool, there are good men and women working under him. am i wrong in guessing that you plan to take them under your wing?¡±


    father watched noah silently for several seconds. then he let a slight smile creep across his features.


    ¡°very astute, spider. it seems we both have trees we are cultivating. perhaps, in both of our interests, we shall avoid salting the ground.¡±


    a flicker of anger welled in noah¡¯s chest, but he quelled it.


    fair play after what i said, but he¡¯s still threatening isabel and todd. if i accept this immediately, it¡¯ll be too obvious i care. he¡¯s played his hand, but my cards are still partially hidden.


    ¡°half of the grimoire,¡± noah said, crossing his arms. ¡°trees can be replanted, but mine is much younger than yours.¡±


    ¡°three-eighths.¡±


    noah smiled. ¡°one last thing, then. do you need him dead?¡±


    ¡°that is the entire point of this.¡±


    ¡°is it?¡± noah asked. ¡°you need his branch to fall. is a coward not worse than a dead martyr?¡±


    father burst into laughter. ¡°if you could make him show his true colors and flee while denouncing the linwick name, then i will give you half of his grimoire, provided he doesn¡¯t take it with him.¡±


    noah extended his hand. ¡°then it sounds like we have a deal. i will have him dead or fleeing within the week.¡±


    father grasped it, and they shook. noah reached down, grabbing the glass of wine and draining the entire thing while keeping his eyes locked with father¡¯s until the door opened behind him, then turned and strode out of the room.

 Chapter 101: Father

    chapter 101: father


    father watched the demon¡¯s back as it headed out the door. only once the door had closed again did he look at the empty glass of alcohol on the table. he pulled the antidote out of his sleeve and poured it into his mouth, then stood and examined the glass.


    no signs that he somehow poured it out. i watched closer this time. he definitely drank it.


    there was a knock on the door. father flicked his fingers, opening it without looking up. he already knew who was waiting.


    ¡°father,¡± janice said, stepping inside and bowing her head low. a tremble ran beneath her words, well hidden but completely apparent to him. the door shut behind janice and she flinched.


    ¡°you are certain you followed him home yesterday?¡± father asked.


    ¡°yes,¡± janice said.


    ¡°and he did not throw up or otherwise do anything to show he was in discomfort?¡±


    ¡°nothing,¡± janice promised. ¡°i was invisible. he did not know i was there, i am certain. the imbuements in their house were destroyed, though.¡±


    father grunted. ¡°i had gathered as much would happen. it would have been odd if they hadn¡¯t been. did he drink anything out of the ordinary?¡±


    ¡°no,¡± janice replied, pausing to gather her courage. ¡°the only belongings he has are his grimoire, a travel bag, and a gourd. he didn¡¯t drink from the gourd.¡±


    father walked back to his chair and sat down, still studying the empty glass. ¡°very well. leave.¡±


    the door ground open and janice practically sprinted out backwards, bowing to father until he was out of sight. father just shook his head and closed the door.


    is he just posturing? even for a demon, drinking this much soulrend poison would do a lot of damage. it might be less effective when used against something within its own body, but poison is poison. his soul should be hemorrhaged without the antidote unless it was genuinely the size of an archdemon¡¯s, or at least close to one.


    father pursed his lips. there was one thing he knew for certain. the demon that vermil had been originally meant to summon was a powerful creature, but nothing he¡¯d read about it had implied the monster was remotely smart ¨C and certainly not clever enough to be playing the games that spider was.


    the question remains of who exactly spider is. a demon, perhaps. an extra one that slipped out through the portal, taking advantage of vermil¡¯s focus on a different target to kill him and take his body. or was the information i had about the demon completely wrong? there is too little information about them.


    his finger twitched slightly.


    i do not like this. there are too many shifting variables. for now, i will observe. dayton is an irrelevant target. if he is playing at his own angle, then it will come clean shortly ¨C assuming he survives this encounter. dayton is not nearly as incompetent as i made him out to be.


    ***


    noah headed back to the house, but he didn¡¯t stay for long. he only spent a few seconds to grab his bag and gourd before turning and heading straight back out. before he did anything else, there was still something that he¡¯d been waiting to do for quite some time.witness the debut of this chapter, unveiled through n?o?v€l--b1n.


    i want to sell all the monster parts i¡¯ve been collecting.


    setting off at a brisk pace, noah scoured the streets of the linwick estate for the market. it didn¡¯t take him long to find it. after just a few minutes of searching, noah heard the sounds of heated haggling and the calls of merchants mixed in with the tantalizing smell of baked bread and greasy meat.


    i don¡¯t know why every single market square always smells so... unique, but it¡¯s good. almost makes me want to stop and spend money on food. almost.


    noah located the street with his eyes shortly after his other senses picked it up. it strongly resembled the market in arbitage, but there were far more street vendors. there were all sorts of things for sale, but noah was on a mission.


    he walked along the street, ignoring the vendors as they called out for his attention. his eyes scoured over their stalls, and before long, he found what he was looking for. a barrel chested man sat on a large crate before a wooden stall stuffed full of baskets bearing assorted monster parts.


    large jars of eyes hung from the roof of the cart, suspended with fraying rope. every sort of claw and tooth jutted out of straw boxes and there were dozens of different kinds of hides on display.


    the merchant smiled as noah approached, rising from his seat and raising his hands in greeting.


    ¡°if you look for monster bath ingredients, then you have come to the right place,¡± the merchant said in a booming voice. several other merchants in the area glared at him, and he sheepishly lowered his voice. ¡°my name is jaden. how can i help you, my good man?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m actually looking to sell,¡± noah said, taking his bag out. ¡°i¡¯ve collected some stuff from monsters. interested in taking a look?¡±


    jaden pulled out a small basket and held it out to noah. ¡°let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got. then i¡¯ll tell you if i care about any of it. don¡¯t get your hopes up, though. unless you¡¯ve got any interesting monsters, the prices aren¡¯t going to be too great.¡±


    noah dug through his travel bag, pulling out all the pieces of monsters he¡¯d been storing up over the past weeks. claws, teeth from just about everything he¡¯d killed, several makeshift daggers from slashers, everything went into the basket. jaden¡¯s eye twitched as he stared at the growing pile.


    i wonder what i should spend my money on. a hundred gold... that¡¯s enough for an imbued item. my flying sword works great, though. i should really try to get my hands on some shields. a hundred gold won¡¯t be enough for that, so it might just be best to save it for now. wait for me, shopping spree. i¡¯m coming for you.


    noah arrived at the house, stepping through the door to find isabel and todd sitting across from lee and eating breakfast ¨C or was it lunch? it was one of the two. the table was piled high with various breads and a large bowl of delicious smelling stew sat at its center. noah¡¯s stomach rumbled.


    i keep forgetting to eat.


    ¡°joining us?¡± lee asked with a wry grin. ¡°they delivered food!¡±


    and you actually ate it? are you trying to get poisoned?


    ¡°it¡¯s not poisoned,¡± lee said. ¡°i would have smelled it.¡±


    ¡°one day, we¡¯re going to have a talk about that nose of yours,¡± noah said. he pulled a chair out and grabbed himself a bowl, spooning some of the stew into it.


    isabel and todd were uncharacteristically quiet. noah raised an eyebrow at lee, who just shrugged.


    ¡°did someone dropkick you both when you got out of bed today?¡± noah asked.


    todd blinked. ¡°no. we... you know. your clone told you, right?¡±


    ¡°of course they did,¡± noah said with a chuckle. ¡°i¡¯m not keeping secrets from myself.¡±


    ¡°so...¡± isabel trailed off and shrugged. ¡°you know.¡±


    ¡°yeah. so what?¡± noah asked. ¡°don¡¯t get me wrong. that was a damn stupid move to do, and you¡¯re lucky it didn¡¯t go worse. but sitting around sulking isn¡¯t going to accomplish anything. i mean, is that what you did when you showed up to arbitage and got a shit teacher? just sat around and did nothing?¡±


    ¡°kind of,¡± todd muttered.


    ¡°a little bit,¡± isabel agreed, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly.


    ¡°it¡¯s easy to lounge around in sorrow ¨C or worse, boredom,¡± noah said. ¡°don¡¯t. take every opportunity you have to act. not in a stupid way. leave that to me. but why sit around bummed out when you can be getting stronger and working on achieving your goal? you¡¯re just letting that goalpost get farther and farther away from you.¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s a goalpost?¡± todd asked.


    ¡°target. whatever,¡± noah said, waving his hand. ¡°do you think dayton is sitting around and doing nothing? he¡¯s probably got his fat ass in a magical bubble bath of monster juice and is getting more powerful just by existing. why are you sitting around like whipped dogs? get stronger.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re not mad at us?¡± isabel asked.


    ¡°if you knew half the stupid shit i¡¯ve done, you¡¯d probably be mad at me. getting mad doesn¡¯t do anything unless you let the anger motivate you. anger isn¡¯t a useful emotion if it¡¯s doing anything other than driving your progress. why would i waste effort being angry at you when i can help you get stronger instead?¡±


    ¡°so... you don¡¯t care that we¡¯re trying to kill nobles?¡± isabel lowered her voice.


    ¡°why would i give a shit? just don¡¯t kill anyone that doesn¡¯t deserve it.¡± noah shrugged. ¡°death comes for us all. it¡¯ll come for you too, especially if you¡¯re a damned idiot about how you go about this. as your teacher, it¡¯s my job to help you reach your aspirations. i¡¯d honestly hope your goals are a lot bigger than just killing a bunch of assholes, but it¡¯s not my position to tell you what you should strive for ¨C i¡¯m just here to help you reach it.¡±


    todd and isabel exchanged a glance, their disappointment turning more inquisitive.


    ¡°i... haven¡¯t really thought about what we¡¯d do after all this,¡± todd said with a frown. ¡°didn¡¯t think we¡¯d even get this far, honestly. figured we¡¯d be dead by now.¡±


    ¡°todd!¡± isabel exclaimed. ¡°seriously?¡±


    he shrugged. ¡°having fun is one thing, but i¡¯m not a complete idiot. two blacklisted kids versus some of the strongest mages in the kingdom. odds aren¡¯t exactly in our favor.¡±


    isabel glanced to the side, her shoulders slumping. ¡°yeah.¡±


    ¡°not with that attitude they aren¡¯t,¡± noah said. he lifted his bowl of soup to his lips, draining the entire thing in one go and nearly choking on a chunk of meat. he swallowed, clearing his throat and hoping nobody had noticed. ¡°finish up eating. it¡¯s time for some training.¡±


    ¡°here?¡± todd asked. ¡°now?¡±


    ¡°what, did you think this was a vacation?¡± noah gave them a cold smile. ¡°moxie isn¡¯t here to help cover the survival stuff, so we¡¯ll have to use my strategy ¨C get strong enough to beat the shit out of everything around you. not the most efficient manner of doing things, but it¡¯s quite effective. let¡¯s get to it, shall we?¡±

 Chapter 102: Practice

    chapter 102: practice


    as it turned out, their lodgings had a large, grassy backyard. it was sealed off by high stone walls from prying eyes on the street, though people in the nearby mansions probably could have looked into it if they were sufficiently motivated.


    ¡°whoa,¡± todd said, looking around the yard in surprise. ¡°so much space. and they¡¯re doing absolutely nothing with it.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s hardly true,¡± noah said, walking up beside him. ¡°they¡¯ve given us a perfect training area.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure that was what they had in mind for the area,¡± isabel said. ¡°it seems like a pretty good place to practice, though. i wish they had shields. that would make it a lot easier to train without worrying about someone getting hurt.¡±


    i¡¯d be willing to bet that father has more than enough shields to hand out if he wanted to, but asking him for them isn¡¯t going to end well, no matter how i go about it. the less care i actually show toward todd and isabel while he¡¯s watching, the better.


    ¡°that¡¯s fine,¡± noah said. ¡°you won¡¯t be sparring each other. like isabel said, that would be dangerous.¡±


    ¡°who are we sparring, then? lee?¡±


    lee started to grin.


    noah cleared his throat. ¡°no. that would probably end in you flying through one of the walls. you¡¯ll be sparring me.¡±


    lee¡¯s grin fell away. ¡°spoilsport.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m pretty sure you can still get hurt,¡± isabel said, giving him a doubtful frown. ¡°are you sure?¡±


    ¡°you¡¯d have to hit me to hurt me,¡± noah replied. ¡°especially for you ¨C can¡¯t you blunt your weapons?¡±


    ¡°i guess so, yeah. what about todd?¡±


    ¡°let me worry about that,¡± noah said. ¡°just treat me like a monster and try not to actually kill me. lee, do you think you could act as referee? you¡¯re a lot faster than the rest of us, so maybe try to pull me out of the way if it looks like i¡¯m about to get cooked.¡±


    or, more importantly, if i manage to get myself killed. i¡¯ve got a pretty good excuse about why i¡¯ve got multiple bodies. even if i die in front of them, i can just say it was a clone. that said, i do need to put my gourd somewhere. if i come back to life, i don¡¯t want to do it in front of them.


    ¡°sure,¡± lee said. ¡°no promises, though. i¡¯m fast, but i¡¯m not faster than everything.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s fine with me,¡± noah said. ¡°i¡¯m not particularly concerned about getting injured.¡±


    ¡°so... do we just attack you or something?¡± todd asked.


    ¡°hold on,¡± noah said. ¡°i want to change into my training clothes. i¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    he strode back into the house and up to his room, tossing his belongings into his closet and changing into his cheap training clothes. closing the closet door behind him, noah headed back to rejoin the others.


    ¡°right then,¡± noah said as he stepped back out onto the grass. ¡°who wants to go first?¡±


    ¡°i will,¡± isabel said. ¡°at least that way i¡¯ll get a chance to do something before todd sets something on fire and ruins the whole exercise.¡±


    ¡°hey!¡± todd exclaimed. ¡°i¡¯ve only done that once.¡±


    ¡°when was that?¡± noah asked.


    ¡°before you,¡± todd replied, clearing his throat. ¡°it was when we were younger. we wanted to practice our magic. it didn¡¯t work out too well.¡±


    the daylight shut out as the stone sheets slammed together above him, sealing him inside. noah pursed his lips. it would have been easy enough to break free with sunder, but that would have been an absolutely terrible idea.


    instead, he slammed both of his palms against one of the walls. a violent tremor shook the stone as he forced it to resonate. the stone crumbled to dust and noah leapt free. isabel jumped at him, trying to catch noah in the legs with her sword.


    he leapt, then redirected his motion with a burst of wind. noah¡¯s foot slammed down on the blade, knocking it from isabel¡¯s hands. she let it dematerialize to avoid going down together with it, but noah¡¯s other leg swept around and hooked her. he spun, throwing isabel to the ground.


    she hit the grass with a grunt.


    ¡°you¡¯re dead,¡± noah declared. ¡°i could have done the same thing to you that i did to the stone wall you made. damn good showing, though. really well done.¡±


    isabel, who had been halfway through standing aback up, flopped back to the ground. she let out a defeated sigh. noah trudged over to her, flicking the mud from his pants.


    ¡°don¡¯t look so put out. that was an incredible performance.¡±


    ¡°i could have done better,¡± isabel said, her words taut. ¡°i didn¡¯t even land a single blow on you.¡±


    ¡°you forced me to use my rank 2 rune.¡± noah knelt beside her. ¡°i¡¯d say that¡¯s pretty impressive. don¡¯t lament what you couldn¡¯t do. spend your attention on what you did well and spend your energy figuring out how you can do better.¡±


    ¡°if you were faster, you could have caught him a few times,¡± lee put in. ¡°maybe a speed-based body imbuement would be beneficial for you?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t have anything that helps with speed yet,¡± isabel said, sitting up. ¡°just defense.¡±


    ¡°vermil¡¯s runes are especially bad for anyone trying to use armor,¡± lee said. ¡°so don¡¯t judge your failure too harshly off of that. who knows what would have happened if we had actual shields to work with so you didn¡¯t have to worry about killing each other on accident.¡±


    ¡°you had some great strategies, too,¡± todd said, giving isabel a big grin. ¡°would have got me for sure.¡±


    isabel shook her head, but the corner of her lip quirked up slightly. her mood wasn¡¯t quite as bad as it had been right after the loss. ¡°thanks.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure if this was intentional, but were you holding back any of your speed?¡± noah asked. ¡°it felt like you could go faster. i thought you were trying to save that for a burst after i got complacent, but it never happened.¡±


    ¡°a bit of it, but not that much. i didn¡¯t get a chance.¡±


    ¡°it was a really good idea,¡± noah said. ¡°but don¡¯t hold your cards to chest too long. having a secret advantage is very powerful, but if you never use it, the fight will be over before you get a chance to.¡±


    he extended a hand. isabel took it, and noah pulled her back to her feet. she headed back over to the sidelines, joining todd and lee.


    ¡°any thoughts from you?¡± noah asked lee.


    ¡°be faster.¡±


    ¡°thanks,¡± isabel said dryly. ¡°anything else?¡±


    ¡°try to win the next one. it¡¯ll feel better.¡±


    isabel couldn¡¯t stop the snort of laughter from slipping out. she just shook her head and flicked todd in the side.


    ¡°you next. i¡¯m not sure if i¡¯m hoping that you do better or worse than i did.¡±


    ¡°thanks, i think,¡± todd said, rolling his shoulders as he walked up to join noah in the center of the yard. ¡°ready, teacherman?¡±


    ¡°whenever you are.¡±

 Chapter 103: Todd V. Noah

    chapter 103: todd v. noah


    todd paused, then backed a few steps up. ¡°you mind if i start over here?¡±


    noah shrugged. ¡°it¡¯s not a sanctioned fight or anything. if you think that¡¯ll help you perform better, then i¡¯m not going to stop you. you should figure out the best way to use your powers to start with. we can work on using them in less optimal ones later.¡±


    todd started to nod, but he stopped when he saw noah pulling out his pipe and stuffing some flashgrass into it.


    ¡°what are you doing?¡± todd asked.


    ¡°filling my pipe. i¡¯m going to need smoke for this.¡±


    ¡°why do you fight back against me when you didn¡¯t fight back against isabel?¡± todd sent isabel a smug glance. ¡°is it because you think i¡¯m more of a threat?¡±


    noah chuckled and touched his finger to the grass, lighting it with a spark. he set the pipe between his teeth. ¡°whenever you¡¯re ready, todd.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re sure about this?¡± todd confirmed. ¡°i can use fire?¡±


    ¡°try not to kill me, but yes.¡±


    todd didn¡¯t need to be told twice. he pressed his hands together, rubbing the bracelets on his wrist against each other. with a shout, he pulled his hands apart and thrust them toward noah. a spark erupted, turning into a beam of molten fire and launching for noah¡¯s chest.


    noah didn¡¯t have a lot of smoke gathered yet, but he didn¡¯t need a lot. he shifted it into the path of the flame, dropping down just in case his theory wasn¡¯t correct. it would have been pretty awkward if he went down from the first attack.


    the instant todd¡¯s fire touched the smoke, it combusted with a roar. noah grabbed hold of it with pyroclastic resonance, ripping the fire from the air and pulling it into the shape of a snake. he let the extra heat dissipate and whistled, causing the flaming smoke to swirl around his hand.


    i knew it. it¡¯s just like the hellreaver using what must have been a wind rune to stop me from using my own wind runes.. pyroclastic resonance has some degree of control over heat, and because my runes are stronger than todd¡¯s, i can overwhelm his own magic ¨C at least to a degree.


    ¡°what in the damned plains?¡± todd asked, looking down at his hands and then back up at noah. ¡°did you just steal my fire?¡±


    ¡°repurposed it,¡± noah corrected. the flaming wisps swirled around him and he directed them into the air, allowing them to dissipate. ¡°i hope you¡¯ve got more than that, todd.¡±


    todd bared his teeth in a grin. ¡°let¡¯s find out.¡±


    he charged noah, thrusting his hands out by his sides. two sparks lit by his bracers, swirling out into small spheres of flame. todd sent them out one after the other in two concentrated beams.


    noah sent the smoke rising from his pipe into the fire¡¯s path, allowing it to ignite and once again stealing the energy from todd¡¯s magic for his own purposes. he felt his pyroclastic resonance rune strain slightly as he dragged the power out of todd¡¯s magic. for whatever reason, it was harder the second time around.


    ¡°seriously?¡± todd complained, sending a kick for noah¡¯s chest.


    noah skipped back, and todd¡¯s fists both erupted in flames. he lunged forward, forcing noah to set off a blast of wind between them. todd stumbled backward, flailing his hands to keep his balance.


    todd glanced down at his hands, then grinned. the fire covering them doubled in intensity, traveling up his arms and curling off his back. he lowered his head and barreled toward noah.


    i can¡¯t steal the fire on his hands unless i can touch it with my own magic. he figured that out as well. nice, todd.


    noah resisted the urge to shake the ground beneath todd¡¯s feet. he hadn¡¯t directly attacked isabel with the vibration aspects of pyroclastic resonance, and he¡¯d already whipped out a new technique against todd. it would have felt unfair if he¡¯d used another.


    instead, noah dashed to meet todd. a flicker of surprise passed through the boy¡¯s eyes ¨C after watching his fight with isabel, todd hadn¡¯t expected noah to take the offensive.


    noah¡¯s leg whipped out, and todd dodged to the side to avoid taking a foot to the chest. fire roared from his hands, washing toward noah in a wave. it was remarkably similar to some of the moves the hellreaver had used on noah, but far less effective.


    he grabbed the magic with his own, directing it into the air, only to find todd¡¯s fist hurtling at him. todd had used the flame as a cover for his movements. noah leaned back, letting the fist whistle past his nose, then stuck his leg out.


    todd stumbled over his leg, cursing as he fell to the ground. he threw himself into a roll, scorching the grass as his hands pressed against it, and came up with his fists raised.


    todd¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°yes! ha! i¡¯m the best!¡±


    ¡°you went down like ten seconds later,¡± isabel said, rolling her eyes. ¡°don¡¯t get too ahead of yourself. if i had body imbuements, then i¡¯d be able to take him on twice as good as you.¡±


    ¡°actually, it wasn¡¯t body imbuements that todd got me with, though those are a huge benefit.¡± noah crossed his arms. ¡°this brings up a pretty good point, actually. isabel, why do you only use close range attacks? i don¡¯t know what rune you¡¯re using to make your blue weapons, but i know you could be lobbing stones or something.¡±


    ¡°lobbing stones?¡± isabel repeated incredulously. ¡°that doesn¡¯t sound intimidating at all.¡±


    noah looked down the bridge of his nose at her. ¡°is that really the reason you aren¡¯t trying to fight at a range at all? todd is doing both, and ¨C no offense todd, you¡¯re doing incredible ¨C but i also saw you handily defeat todd when you sparred.¡±


    isabel¡¯s lips pressed thin and her eyes shifted away from noah¡¯s. ¡°i just haven¡¯t really tried it. i¡¯m not used to it.¡±


    ¡°but you¡¯re trying to learn how to do body imbuements. life is about learning and improving,¡± noah said. ¡°that doesn¡¯t seem like the whole story.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s¨C¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s because she wants to fight the same way her dad did,¡± todd said, cutting isabel off.


    isabel shot todd a betrayed glare and he shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°come on, isa. after all this, i feel like it¡¯s fine to admit. how¡¯s he supposed to help you if you don¡¯t give him information to work with? it¡¯s not like i¡¯m any different.¡±


    ¡°i didn¡¯t see you telling the professor you¡¯re emulating anyone.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s because my dad¡¯s fighting style actually works for me,¡± todd snapped. ¡°you beat my ass whenever you actually fight on your own.¡±


    ¡°yeah, well¨C¡±


    ¡°guys,¡± noah said, raising a hand. ¡°stop. care to tell me what you¡¯re talking about before we devolve any further?¡±


    isabel let her shoulders drop. ¡°fine. i want to fight the same way my dad did. he was a soldier, and a really good one. he didn¡¯t used any ranged techniques.¡±


    ¡°why not?¡± noah asked with a small frown. ¡°was there some sort of benefit to only using close range stuff?¡±


    ¡°no,¡± todd said.


    ¡°yes,¡± isabel said.


    they glared at each other. isabel sighed.


    ¡°not really. he just didn¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°interesting,¡± noah said. ¡°well, i won¡¯t tell you how to fight.¡±


    isabel blinked. ¡°really?¡±


    ¡°doesn¡¯t mean you aren¡¯t holding yourself back, but i already told you that i¡¯m here to try to help you achieve your goals. if those are your goals, then who am i to stand in your way? but i would have assumed your father would want you to more than just copy his style. he¡¯d want you to surpass it.¡±


    isabel opened her mouth, then paused as she considered noah¡¯s words.


    ¡°not like i knew the guy, though,¡± noah said with a shrug. ¡°either way, you both did great today. i think you¡¯ve got a good amount to think on, and i¡¯ve got some training of my own i need to get in.¡±


    ¡°do i get to teach as well?¡± lee asked. ¡°i haven¡¯t taught recently. please?¡±


    noah looked from her to his students. then he scrunched his nose in defeat. ¡°whelp. guess we¡¯re not done yet. go on, lee. you¡¯re up.¡±

 Chapter 104: Advice

    chapter 104: advice


    two hours later, everyone trudged out of the grassy yard, leaving it matted and ruined behind them. lee had, as usual, started things with a particularly painful few minutes of stretching. noah had been slipping the stretches into his routine whenever he remembered to, but it felt like lee knew he was skipping out every once and a while and had decided to fit all those missing sessions into a few minutes by intensifying it by a dozen times.


    after that, she¡¯d sparred all of them, barring the use of any magic but body imbuements. that, of course, meant they all got grass stains on their asses. todd performed the best out of all of them, as noah¡¯s current body imbuement didn¡¯t do anything other than reinforce his lungs to protect them from his pyroclastic resonance rune.


    ¡°where are you headed?¡± lee asked as noah shook his limbs out and trudged dirt through the house. isabel and todd both quickly broke away from them, heading for the room before lee could think up any other training exercises.


    ¡°to get started with the work that father wants me to do,¡± noah replied.


    ¡°sounds fun,¡± lee said, rubbing her hands together. ¡°i¡¯m coming.¡±


    ¡°no. not this time, lee.¡±


    lee blinked. ¡°what? why? did i do something wrong?¡±


    noah headed up the stairs, then headed into his room. lee followed at his heels as he tossed his belongings into his closet and closed the door before turning to look back at her. ¡°not at all. i don¡¯t want you to get hurt.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m pretty sure i¡¯m still stronger than you,¡± lee said, crossing her arms with a scowl.


    ¡°maybe,¡± noah agreed. ¡°but that¡¯s not the point. don¡¯t you remember the conversation we had back in the scorched acres?¡±


    ¡°we had a lot of those.¡±


    ¡°the one about valuing life.¡±


    ¡°somehow, i think we might have had a few of those too.¡±


    noah sighed. ¡°my life is expendable. yours is not.¡±


    lee lowered her gaze and her frown deepened. ¡°so you think you can take on a rank 5 entirely on your own? you¡¯re impulsive, but that seems a few steps beyond stupid. incompetent or not, he¡¯s still three entire ranks above you. you¡¯re going to get squished. hellreaver all over again.¡±


    ¡°if i recall correctly, i killed the hellreaver.¡±


    ¡°and nearly got yourself screwed in the process. you still might. that¡¯s not finished biting you on the ass yet. they¡¯ve got your corpse, you know. i doubt the investigation is already done.¡±


    ¡°i know,¡± noah said. ¡°but this is different.¡±


    ¡°how?¡±


    ¡°i have a reason for doing it,¡± noah replied. ¡°and it isn¡¯t my own survival. why do you think we came here?¡±


    ¡°to avoid the terrifying demon that¡¯s probably roaming around arbitage somewhere, looking to find vermil and rip him up when it figures out that you¡¯re still alive.¡±


    ¡°except we¡¯re going back in two weeks. add in a little extra time to train with moxie, but we¡¯ll be back in arbitage in a month or two at the most. the survival exam comes after that. we¡¯ll be in the area, and so will the demon.¡±


    lee arched an eyebrow. ¡°and?¡±


    ¡°i came here to figure out how to kill the demon,¡± noah said. ¡°anyone who¡¯s summoning one of them is going to know how to destroy one. i wasn¡¯t certain when we first left, but i am now. father would never take a risk like that without some sort of failsafe. i need to figure out what that is, and that means either forcing his hand to make him use it or getting him to give it to me if it can be learned or purchased.¡±


    ¡°good luck with that. he didn¡¯t seem like the most giving type.¡±


    ¡°no, i don¡¯t think he is,¡± noah said, heading back down the stairs. ¡°but if i give him what he needs, i think he¡¯ll play ball. either that, or i find a way to steal it. either way, it starts with dealing with dayton.¡±


    ¡°which you still can¡¯t kill.¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t worry,¡± noah said with a wry smile. ¡°i can be very persuasive.¡±


    noah took a small bunch of flashgrass out of its bag, pausing to check how much of it was left. he hadn¡¯t had a chance to kill many monsters recently, and the imbued grass was suffering from it. it was less than a quarter full. noah grimaced.


    ¡°could you hold onto this for me? i forgot to put it away when i was in my room and i¡¯m too lazy to go up the stairs again.¡±


    ¡°sure,¡± lee said, taking the bag from him and sniffing at it. she scrunched her nose in distaste. ¡°gross. doesn¡¯t smell very edible.¡±


    noah let out a burst of laughter. ¡°that¡¯s cute. do you really think father would register the assassin he hired to kill you? that would be extraordinarily stupid.¡±


    dayton opened his mouth, then frowned.


    wait, that actually stumped him? i was just trying to buy time. there are probably a dozen reasons why he¡¯d register an assassin he hired, even if just to argue that no idiot would register their assassin.


    ¡°why are you here, then?¡± dayton asked with a frown. ¡°i thought you were coming to try to kill me.¡±


    ¡°do you even see how strong i am?¡± noah asked. ¡°you can feel the strength from my runes or something, no?¡±


    ¡°well, yes.¡±


    ¡°and?¡±


    ¡°rank 3 at most.¡±


    noah stared at him. ¡°so you thought the assassin was a rank 3 that just... waltzed up to your front door after killing a bunch of your guards?¡±


    ¡°well, why else would you come here? to bask in my glory?¡±


    the way dayton worded the last sentence gave noah the very strong inclination to believe that dayton thought that might be a genuine reason why someone would seek him out.


    ¡°no.¡±


    ¡°then my patience runs thin,¡± dayton said, pushing back from his desk. ¡°i had hoped you were coming to give me some entertainment, but it seems like you¡¯re just here to die.¡±


    ¡°i haven¡¯t done a single thing to give you any reason to think i¡¯m trying to kill you or make you think killing me is a good idea.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t like you. that¡¯s reason enough. the linwicks have gotten soft. all this politics. all this reliance on other families and treading carefully.¡± dayton spat on the ground. ¡°weak cowards. if we¡¯re to regain our former strength, we can¡¯t keep wasting resources playing around and talking. we need action, and that starts with following our hearts ¨C and mine says that you can¡¯t be trusted.¡±


    i¡¯m not sure if i should be impressed or incredibly disappointed. he¡¯s a savant moron. got the absolute right conclusion in the dumbest way he possibly could have.


    noah let out a heavy sigh. he combusted the flashgrass behind his back, controlling the smoke to keep it around his feet and out of dayton¡¯s vision. he used more energy than normal, burning it at a rapid rate. ¡°well, i¡¯m disappointed to hear that. i was hoping we could have a chat before things started to deteriorate for you.¡±


    ¡°for me?¡± dayton asked incredulously. ¡°you think you can do literally anything to hurt me? you, a rank 3?¡±


    crackles of black energy swirled across dayton¡¯s fingertips and arced between his hands. a cold smile crossed his face as he drew on his runes, forming a swirling ball of dark lighting in the air.


    ¡°two pieces of advice,¡± noah said with a cold smile. the last of the flashgrass burned away, leaving him with a significant amount of smoke to work with.


    ¡°oh?¡± dayton arched an eyebrow and gave noah a smug, confident look that made noah want to put a fist through his teeth.


    ¡°one ¨C things aren¡¯t as you seem to think. i¡¯m not even who you seem to think i am,¡± noah said.


    ¡°the next sentence will be your last words. chose them well.¡±


    ¡°two ¨C don¡¯t wear combustible clothing.¡±


    noah drew in a deep breath and all the smoke he¡¯d gathered streamed into his mouth and into his lungs. his grin grew wider as he combusted it within his lungs ¨C the very lungs that were reinforced by pyroclastic resonance.


    heat erupted within his chest as the flame combusted and gas filled his lungs, trying to find a way to escape. it only took an instant, but that was enough for the pressure to multiply the force of his magic by several times over. it forced its way out from between his lips ¨C but that wasn¡¯t fast enough to contain the rapidly expanding flames.


    noah exploded in a ball of fire that washed forward, rolling over dayton. dayton threw his hands up in surprise, but the magic hit an invisible barrier in a small sphere around him, vanishing before it could get close. the rest of the room wasn¡¯t as lucky. fire scorched anything that could burn in the room, blackening and burning it.


    the flames faded away a few seconds later, leaving dayton staring in shock at the smoldering remains of noah¡¯s corpse. he floated above them in his soul form, observing the damage he¡¯d done. the tiles directly beneath his feet had been warped and dayton¡¯s desk was badly burnt ¨C parts of it were still aflame. his shelves hadn¡¯t fared much better.


    ¡°what in the damned plains?¡± dayton breathed.


    see you tomorrow, dayton. i can¡¯t wait to see the look on your face.


    noah felt a tug at his neck and gave himself to it, allowing sunder to yank him back toward his gourd in the closet. he was going to need his rest before he visited dayton again. something told noah that their next meeting would be interesting.

 Chapter 105: Wait

    chapter 105: wait


    noah¡¯s eyes snapped open in the darkness of his closet, a dull headache thumping in his temples. he reached down, snagging his travel bag and pulling out one of the few remaining sets of cheap training clothes he had left, and pulled it on through force of habit.


    he pushed the door open, squinting, and stepped out of the closet. noah left his belongings in the closet and walked over to his bed.


    that should do it. can¡¯t say it was particularly fun, but dayton is going to be confused out of his mind. lee¡¯s wandering around with my appearance in the markets, and that¡¯s the kind of place where news travels easily.


    the moment dayton puts out feelers to figure out why the hell father¡¯s guest blew himself up, he¡¯ll find out that i was supposedly in the market at the same time that i exploded. when i visit him next, i think he¡¯ll be a lot more willing to hear me out.


    noah grinned to himself and sat down, leaning against the headboard of the bed and closing his eyes. the headache was frustrating, but it was a small price to pay, especially since he had been the one to strike the killing blow against himself, so the soul damage was minimal.


    actually, it¡¯s been a bit since i¡¯ve checked my soul state. should probably get into the habit of looking at it when i get myself killed on a consistent basis, even if it isn¡¯t at the hands of monsters.


    i¡¯ll check once the headache is gone. for now... i¡¯ve got some great time to think about runes. earth is tempting, but i don¡¯t want just a pure earth rune. mixing it with vibration could help me get closer to the percussion i want, but that seems too close to the resonance aspect. it would be better to have complimenting aspects rather than the same ones.


    also, i can¡¯t be bothered to get every single rank 1 rune i need from scratch. i should try to find a rank 2 rune from father that has components of what i need, then sunder it and just use the ones i actually want. that¡¯ll throw him off my trail completely and save me a lot of effort. maybe i¡¯ll find something of interest when i¡¯m looking through them after i take care of dayton.


    noah let his thoughts drift off and the hours slipped by as he planned what runes he¡¯d use in the future. before he knew it, his headache had faded and the sun had set. noah blinked out of his reverie to the rumble of his stomach ¨C and the glint of lee¡¯s eyes looking at him from where she hung, suspended from the ceiling.


    ¡°god, lee,¡± noah said, flinching back. ¡°what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°hanging,¡± lee replied, dropping to land near the foot of his bed. ¡°it¡¯s relaxing. why¡¯d you have me wander around the market? throwing someone off the scent?¡±


    ¡°pretty much,¡± noah said with a nod. he covered a yawn and slid out of bed, peering out the window at the moonlit streets. ¡°anything interesting happen? i didn¡¯t realize the day already passed.¡±


    ¡°todd and isabel spent a lot of time training in the yard, but that¡¯s about it.¡±


    noah¡¯s stomach rumbled again and he turned around. lee held a loaf of bread out to him.


    ¡°want this?¡±


    ¡°oh, that sounds ¨C wait. where did that come from?¡±


    ¡°i was holding it.¡±


    ¡°why were you holding a loaf of bread?¡±


    ***


    dayton¡¯s mansion was as it had been the last time noah had been there. even in the night, the bushes surrounding it were hideous. yellow light shone from several of the windows, showing that there were at least some people still awake within it.


    noah and lee stood at the edge of the garden wall, hidden in the shadow of an alley. lee sent noah an inquisitive glance and raised an eyebrow. noah nodded to her, expecting lee to press her hand to his shoulder and turn him invisible.


    instead, lee grabbed noah and slung him over her shoulder. he muffled a curse as he felt lee¡¯s magic wash over both of them. noah couldn¡¯t even see her anymore. it was as if he was just floating in the air.


    he could certainly feel her, though. especially when her shoulder dug into his stomach as she jumped, bounding straight over the wall. wind whipped past noah¡¯s hair as they landed ¨C somehow without making a noise ¨C on the roof of dayton¡¯s mansion.


    lee paused for a moment, waiting to see if anyone had noticed them, but it was silent. she darted across the roof and noah clutched onto her back, thankful that nobody could see how he was getting ferried around.


    noah couldn¡¯t exactly see where they were going because he was facing the wrong way, but a flash of light washed over them as lee swung down from the roof and into an open window on the second floor, landing lightly on the carpeted ground and setting noah down and keeping a hand on his shoulder.


    he rose to his feet, rubbing his stomach, and glanced around. the halls were dark and empty. a few doors along them had light peeking out from their cracks, but they were few and far in between.


    noah took the lead, padding over to dayton¡¯s office door. the room was dark. he tried the handle, but it was locked. noah reached up to his head and yanked a hair free. he suppressed a curse at the flash of pain.


    he combusted it, and the hair went up in a quick flash. noah grabbed the smoke as it formed, pushing it into a small cloud and sending it into the keyhole. he forced it to fill the space and solidify as much as he could, then had his makeshift key twist.


    ash and smoke didn¡¯t exactly have a lot of substance, but the force of the magic holding it together did. there was a loud click from within the door. noah froze, and he felt lee stiffen. they both waited for a moment, but nobody emerged.


    ¡°this is it,¡± noah whispered softly. ¡°get back to safety.¡±


    lee paused for a moment. then he felt her remove her hand. noah shimmered back into vision. he didn¡¯t hear anything else. lee was nothing if not silent. after waiting a few more moments, noah pushed the door in.


    moonlight lit dayton¡¯s office from the window, casting it in a silvery hue. it was still scorched. that brought a flicker of a smirk to noah¡¯s lips. he stepped inside, closing the door behind himself and locking it.


    he watched the ground closely as he walked over to the desk. it was tempting to root through dayton¡¯s belongings, but noah resisted the urge. if literally anything had any sort of defensive mechanism or imbuement, it would go off and completely ruin the entire persona he was trying to set up.


    noah studied dayton¡¯s desk, not daring to touch anything. unfortunately, dayton hadn¡¯t just left his runes sitting around for noah to look at. the room was a burglar¡¯s wet dream ¨C and completely worthless to him for the time being. it wasn¡¯t like he planned to leave it alive, after all. carrying something out would have been impossible.


    no, what mattered right now wasn¡¯t wealth or riches. it was setting the stage properly for the show. noah glanced around the room one more time. he didn¡¯t hear anyone outside, so either they were incredibly slow at responding or dayton was so arrogant that he didn¡¯t have any alarms on his personal office.


    noah thought for a moment, then pulled his arm into his sleeve. he used the covered hand to pick up a golden goblet and set it on the windowsill. then he walked back over to the throne and sat down in it, crossing his legs and leaning back to rest his head against the padded back of the chair.


    now, all that was left to do was wait.

 Chapter 106: Meetings

    chapter 106: meetings


    it struck noah that he might have come just a little bit too early. he¡¯d really thought that dayton would have some form of defensive system set up around his office, or at least something that would have notified him when someone broke in.


    he idly passed the time by checking on his mindspace. it had been a while since he¡¯d looked at how much damage it had taken, but he was pleased with what he found. despite his recent deaths, the damage was less than it had been in a while. there were a few cracks where the white void spilled into the darkness, but it was mostly intact. the small amount of damage he did have was nothing to worry about. he dismissed it, not wanting to get caught while distracted.


    but, as noah sat there in the chair as the sun started to rise, washing through the window and over his increasingly bored features. noah¡¯s chin rested in his palm and he drummed his fingers on his jaw, having propped his feet up on the desk nearly three hours ago in an attempt to get more comfortable. he set another strand of hair aflame and swallowed the smoke, holding it within his lungs.


    despite the size of the throne, it was somehow completely awful to sit in. the cushion was too soft in all the wrong ways, making him sink into it and press into the hard backing. every second that passed made noah want to dig through dayton¡¯s office ¨C even if it was only to spite him.


    when the door finally clicked, announcing someone¡¯s arrival, noah was so lost in his own thoughts that he barely even noticed it. and so, when dayton stepped into his office, he found noah sitting in his chair, legs propped up on the desk and a bored expression on his face.


    dayton went white as a sheet. he jumped back, letting out a startled swear as black lightning erupted all around his palms. idly, noah wondered how he was generating the lighting. one of the basic laws of magic was that something couldn¡¯t come from nothing.


    maybe static electricity that he¡¯s gathered up? that could be it.


    ¡°come on, now,¡± noah said through a yawn. he raised a hand, gesturing for dayton to wait, then finished his yawn. ¡°we already saw how effective that was. are you really going to do this again?¡±


    ¡°you,¡± dayton hissed. he didn¡¯t blast noah, which was a good sign.


    ¡°me,¡± noah agreed. ¡°did you take my advice?¡±


    dayton¡¯s eyes flicked down to his clothes. he was still wearing the same garishly overpriced robes that he had been on the previous day.


    ¡°who are you?¡± dayton demanded, stepping into the room and slamming the door behind him. he locked it with a click. ¡°you aren¡¯t going anywhere until you give me answers.¡±


    noah burst into laughter. he swung his legs down and rose to his feet. ¡°is that so? i didn¡¯t realize i had your permission to be here. good to know i¡¯m still welcome ¨C but i think we¡¯re both aware there¡¯s absolutely nothing you can do to keep me anywhere.¡±


    dayton bared his teeth. ¡°you think you¡¯re so clever. who do you work for? trying to turn me against father, are you?¡±


    noah let a surprised look flicker across his face. ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s right,¡± dayton said, taking a step closer. ¡°you got too smug yesterday. overplayed your hand. i looked into father¡¯s worthless guests ¨C and the idiot whose body you¡¯re copying was in the markets yesterday when he was supposed to have been meeting with me.¡±


    noah didn¡¯t let his expression shift. he just stood there, watching dayton silently. dayton took that as confirmation of his words.


    ¡°it would have been clever if you weren¡¯t such an idiot,¡± dayton continued. ¡°unfortunately for you, it¡¯s too late for that. now i know. why don¡¯t you drop the disguise and tell me who you really are?¡±


    noah snorted. ¡°no. why would i do something like that?¡±


    black lighting crackled across dayton¡¯s knuckles again. noah tilted his head to the side.


    ¡°come on, now. for someone claiming to be the proper fit to lead the linwicks, you don¡¯t seem to understand the situation at all. do we need to repeat our conversation again at a later date? perhaps when you¡¯re in the shower, or during a dinner?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t care when you come for me,¡± dayton spat. ¡°i¡¯ll crush you like a bug, over and over.¡±


    ¡°and your people?¡± noah¡¯s grin stretched wider and he leaned forward, splaying his fingers across the table. ¡°you¡¯ve made a very sore mistake, dayton. you seem to think i care about this little feud you have going on. i don¡¯t. i¡¯m sure you¡¯re strong enough to keep me from catching you anytime soon ¨C but what about the rest of your manor? the linwicks under your protection?¡±


    ¡°an empty threat. they are replaceable. the strong will survive.¡±


    ¡°only to a degree. there are only so many of you, after all,¡± noah mused. ¡°dayton, of the empty house. that would certainly be an imposing title, wouldn¡¯t it? the strongest one under your roof, but only because all the others are dead.¡±


    ¡°no linwick would support wholesale slaughter of our people,¡± dayton growled. ¡°i¡¯m no fool. your threats have no power behind them.¡±


    noah shook his head. he picked up the golden chalice that he¡¯d set aside earlier and studied it, watching the sun reflect off the beautiful metal. he waited just long enough to make sure dayton¡¯s irritation had built even further before speaking again.


    ¡°you still don¡¯t seem to understand,¡± noah said. ¡°i¡¯ve already killed some of your men. what makes you think i wouldn¡¯t just keep doing it? you were so proud about figuring out my warning, dayton. why does it seem like you haven¡¯t gotten it at all?¡±


    dayton¡¯s features went still. he pointed an accusatory finger at noah. ¡°you ¨C you aren¡¯t a linwick at all. are you even working for one?¡±


    ¡°what? no. i¡¯m running out of clothes.¡±


    father tilted his head to the side. ¡°what? are you attempting to seduce him?¡±


    noah tried to channel lee¡¯s dry responses as best as he could.


    ¡°no. should i be?¡±


    father¡¯s face didn¡¯t even twitch. ¡°no.¡±


    ¡°well, that¡¯s good. i still need the clothes, though ¨C perfect copies of the ones i¡¯m wearing. my clones don¡¯t come pre-outfitted, you know. and i need them discretely. nobody can know they were commissioned. seven sets should be enough. actually, get me fourteen.¡±


    ¡°why do you need clothes?¡± father asked.


    ¡°because i want them,¡± noah replied flatly. ¡°you¡¯re getting a good deal because i¡¯m bored, father. are you really going to get hung up over something as unimportant as this? i told you. by the time the week is up, dayton will flee the linwick estate. these will aid me in that task.¡±


    father shook his head. ¡°fine. they will be delivered to your rooms with dinner tomorrow. is that acceptable?¡±


    noah smiled. he took another drink from the bottle. ¡°yes, i¡¯d say so. speaking of dinner ¨C brayden was meant to join us. why didn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°brayden is my pawn. he is busy.¡±


    ¡°well, unbusy him,¡± noah said, his features falling flat. ¡°i take promises i make very seriously, and we agreed to hold supper. thus, he will be joining us.¡±


    ¡°and if he doesn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°then he won¡¯t.¡± noah¡¯s voice grew softer. ¡°but that would be an odd reason to start complicating our relationship, father.¡±


    father grunted. ¡°so it would be. brayden is busy today. he will join you tomorrow.¡±


    noah smiled. ¡°fantastic. count the days, father. you¡¯ll have to prepare my reward once dayton is gone.¡±


    the door ground open behind noah. he took the dismissal, heading out of the room and making his way back for his house. noah drained the rest of the bottle, then tossed it into a wooden trash bin at the edge of the hall as he left.


    ***


    father watched the demon leave, a pensive look on his features.


    i cannot tell if he is playing games with me or not. brayden clearly still has a soft spot for vermil, so the demon obviously plans to exploit that somehow. brayden will tell me what happens between them, so the meeting is no loss to me.


    but the soulrend poison ¨C now he¡¯s playing games with me. finishing the bottle because it tastes good. bah.


    perhaps dayton may actually be in some trouble.


    father¡¯s finger twitched. janice scampered into the room a minute later, her back stiff as a board.


    ¡°yes, father?¡±


    ¡°bring me the tailor,¡± father said. ¡°tell him i have a rush order for some suits. emphasize our deal.¡±


    ¡°bring him here, father?¡± janice asked, her eyes widening slightly.


    ¡°did i misspeak, janice?¡±


    ¡°no, father. i¡¯ll bring him here.¡±


    ¡°good,¡± father said, sitting back in his chair and waving janice away. the frown on his face deepened.


    the demon has laid down a challenge. evidently, i am going to need a stronger poison.

 Chapter 107: Mastermind

    chapter 107: mastermind


    his business with father completed, noah headed to dayton¡¯s mansion. he strode straight up to the front door and rapped on it, then took a step back to wait. it opened a few seconds later, and the butler behind it paled slightly as he locked eyes with noah.


    ¡°dayton is expecting me,¡± noah said.


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure¨C¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t worry. i know the way,¡± noah said, stepping past the butler. the man gaped at him as he strode inside and headed up the stairs. the butler raised a hand, then thought better of it and slowly let it lower.


    noah arrived at dayton¡¯s office and knocked on the door. he tried the handle without waiting ¨C it was unlocked. smiling, noah opened it and stepped inside. dayton stood behind the desk, staring at him with a mixture of anger and just the slightest hint of discomfort. noah¡¯s grin grew wider as he shut the door behind him.


    ¡°hello, dayton. still expecting me?¡±


    ¡°what manner of creature are you?¡± dayton demanded.


    ¡°still asking the wrong questions.¡± noah walked up to the desk, passing by the blackened remains of the small chair and sitting down in dayton¡¯s throne. he leaned back and glanced up at the man, not letting the slightest amount of worry seep out. ¡°want to try again? when i tell you that i can do this as long as i want, i really do mean it. it¡¯s quite enjoyable.¡±


    dayton pounded a fist into the desk, shattering it. ¡°what do you want with me?¡±


    ¡°better question,¡± noah said. ¡°would you believe me if i said i was here to help?¡±


    ¡°not in the slightest.¡±


    ¡°well, perhaps you aren¡¯t a complete moron,¡± noah said. ¡°unfortunately, that¡¯s the exact reason i¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°you help by burning my office and breaking into my mansion?¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re alive, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    dayton¡¯s eye twitched. a crackle of black lightning arced across his knuckles, but it faded away as he took a slow breath, gathering himself. noah hid a smile. the futility of attacking him was starting to get to dayton.


    ¡°first you imply that you¡¯re here because one of my enemies hired you. now you say you¡¯re here to help. even if i was to hear you out, why would i listen to anything that comes out of your mouth?¡±


    ¡°you do realize that those statements aren¡¯t exclusive, right?¡±


    ¡°just tell me what you want,¡± dayton spat.


    ¡°to help, of course. you see, you¡¯re going to die.¡±


    ¡°just because i can¡¯t keep you dead doesn¡¯t mean¨C¡±


    ¡°i never said i was going to be the one to do it.¡±


    dayton paused. then, slowly, he leaned back against the wall. ¡°you¡¯ve come to warn me that something powerful enough to threaten a rank 5 is after my life? why? and why would i believe such a claim?¡±


    ¡°how many enemies have you made, dayton?¡±


    ¡°more than i could ever count,¡± dayton replied with a snort. ¡°the weak will always envy the strong. any linwicks who refuse to understand that the only real power is the one we grasp with our own fists and not that which we bargain for will soon come to learn. clearly, some of my opponents are scared. instead of challenging me directly, they attempt to intimidate me with you, turning me against my allies. i will not fall for such imbecilic tactics.¡±


    noah just watched dayton silently. dayton¡¯s lips pressed thin, and noah practically saw his eyes light up as a thought struck the man.


    ¡°wait. are you even hired by a linwick?¡±


    ¡°why would i tell you that?¡± noah asked.


    ¡°you said you came to help. that would be helping.¡±


    ¡°except you don¡¯t even trust me,¡± noah pointed out. ¡°how would that be helping?¡±


    ¡°i simply have to be rid of you,¡± noah replied with a shrug. ¡°by the end of the week, no trace of you is allowed to remain within the linwick estate.¡±


    dayton¡¯s eyes widened. he swallowed heavily. ¡°no. impossible. i haven¡¯t done anything to draw her attention yet. why would evergreen ask for such a contract? if she truly planned to eliminate me, she¡¯d need at least a rank 5¨C¡±


    he trailed off, then thrust an accusatory finger in noah¡¯s direction. ¡°you aren¡¯t a servant. you are the archdemon. are you just toying with me? why?¡±


    ¡°i already told you everything you need to know,¡± noah said softly. he rose from his chair and rolled his neck. the smoke swirled around his body, attaching to his neck and forming a long cloak. ¡°you¡¯re losing my attention, dayton.¡±


    ¡°what did she offer? i¡¯ll beat it!¡±


    ¡°my reward for eliminating you is the runes within your very own grimoire,¡± noah replied. ¡°a meagre offering, but an amusing one. the true reward was the act, not the payment.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s it? i can beat that!¡± dayton exclaimed. ¡°just give me time. a few weeks, and¨C¡±


    ¡°time is not a resource you can bargain with, i¡¯m afraid,¡± noah said. he ran a finger across the top of dayton¡¯s desk. ¡°you only have a few days left, after all.¡±


    dayton¡¯s eyes darted around the room. his fear of evergreen was so much that he¡¯d completely started to disregard the threats that noah could actually pose him ¨C and that played perfectly into noah¡¯s hand.


    he hadn¡¯t actually expected his plan to work this well, and had been originally planning to just torment dayton at random hours of the night to build up the illusion that he was just the herald of a stronger demon, but this worked far, far better. dayton was going to psyche himself out completely, and noah barely even had to fan the flames of his terror.


    ¡°you weren¡¯t even trying to attack me at all with those blasts of fire,¡± dayton muttered. he raised his hands, summoning crackling black lighting all around his body and in the air surrounding him. ¡°i should have known. the magic was too weak. you were just toying with me until the week ended. i won¡¯t die easily, demon.¡±


    ¡°i will,¡± noah replied. ¡°and then i¡¯ll be back. again. and again. and again. kill me again, dayton. feel free. make this more fun.¡±


    dayton¡¯s hands trembled in fury. noah couldn¡¯t help but feel that he was possibly the absolute worst enemy that dayton could have run into. no matter how strong dayton felt he was, there was no way for him to overcome noah. he could just keep coming back.


    ¡°wait,¡± dayton said. ¡°there¡¯s a loophole. i found it.¡±


    noah tilted his head to the side, pretending as if he didn¡¯t already know the exact loophole dayton was talking about. ¡°oh?¡±


    ¡°no trace of me is allowed to remain within the linwick estate,¡± dayton said. ¡°i can leave. if i leave the linwick estate, your contract is complete.¡±


    ¡°perhaps it is,¡± noah allowed. ¡°but why would i let you do that? i¡¯ve only been playing thus far, dayton. why would i let my prize leave?¡±


    ¡°what, the runes? i can give you the damn grimoire.¡± dayton bent, ripping a large section of his already ruined table away and pulling out a thick scroll. he slapped it on the table in front of noah. ¡°i don¡¯t need it anymore. i already combined my runes, and i can buy new ones later. i¡¯ll give it to you!¡±


    ¡°and what of the loss of entertainment? my time would be wasted if i leave this only with a bunch of pathetic runes.¡± noah tried not to look too interested in the scroll on the table before him, but it was difficult.


    ¡°if you¡¯re truly an archdemon, then i pose you no threat yet,¡± dayton said. ¡°i will grow stronger and challenge you. in the meantime, you would have an informant. i could give you information! other interesting news. trade the immediate entertainment for the promise of much more in the future.¡±


    noah paused, pretending to think over dayton¡¯s offer.


    it¡¯s almost certain to fall apart pretty quickly, but if i play my cards correctly, i can actually keep him thinking that i¡¯m just an archdemon screwing around and not actually trying. this could work to my advantage.


    ¡°you have until the end of the week,¡± noah said, picking the scroll up. ¡°count yourself lucky, dayton. and, when the day comes that you begin wondering if you made the right choice, lift your ear to the wind and hear for the screams that will come from arbitage. the contract i have there is going to be... considerably more enjoyable.¡±


    ¡°what of evergreen?¡± dayton asked, his shoulders slumping. ¡°will you¨C¡±


    ¡°what i do is my concern. keep your end of the bargain, and don¡¯t look at the shadows too closely, dayton. you might see me in them.¡±


    noah¡¯s smoke swirled around him, filling the room ¨C and he dove through the already broken window. it wasn¡¯t the smoothest of escapes, but he hadn¡¯t actually planned on dayton giving in this quickly and it was better than walking out the front door.


    something snagged the back of noah¡¯s shirt, and his hands vanished as he went invisible. he let out a startled grunt as he was thrown over a very familiar shoulder before he even hit the ground.


    ¡°lee?¡± noah hissed.


    ¡°cool speech,¡± lee¡¯s voice replied. ¡°very edgy. thought i¡¯d help you make a cool escape. sorry. i was listening in.¡±


    noah suppressed a sigh. ¡°thanks, i think. good timing. let¡¯s just get back home. i want to see what runes i just got out of dayton.¡±

 Chapter 108: Waiting

    chapter 108: waiting


    a sharp rap on father¡¯s door broke his concentration. his forehead creased in a frown as he looked up from the ancient scrolls on his desk, many of which outdated him by hundreds of years. moving slowly but deliberately, father rose from his desk and gestured, opening the door.


    he walked out to stand before the desk and janice entered the room. she paused as she spotted father standing, missing a step and nearly tripping over herself.


    ¡°father? is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°no. i am just stretching my legs. did that fool dayton finally come asking about the soulrend poison?¡±


    ¡°that was this morning, actually,¡± janice said, adjusting her glasses. ¡°you said it was a low priority task, so i didn¡¯t want to disturb your peace.¡±


    ¡°this is why i keep you around, janice,¡± father said. ¡°you know when to not waste my time. why are you here, then? i trust it is important.¡±


    janice gave him a jerky nod. ¡°yes, father. dayton has fled the city.¡±


    father wasn¡¯t often taken aback. it was a difficult thing to catch him off guard, and it was harder still to take him by such surprise that he actually let it show. but, this time, father¡¯s guard flickered. he paused, blinking in surprise.


    ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°it was confirmed by the guards at the gate,¡± janice said nervously. ¡°i double checked his mansion myself. he has left the linwick estate, and he did not say where he was going. it was reported that dayton was in a significant hurry as he departed.¡±


    father¡¯s spine tingled. he reached up to the shelf, pulling down a bottle of wine ¨C one of the few that he didn¡¯t actually have poisoned, and studied the label.


    the demon actually did it. how? i received a few reports of some minor explosions in his mansion, but nothing that should have actually scared dayton. the man is a battle maniac. he¡¯d only retreat if he knew he was completely outmatched in every single way or if the threat was so large that it was obviously not worth the fight, even to a fool like him.


    ¡°i see,¡± father said, turning to janice. ¡°do you have an important task scheduled for tonight?¡±


    janice shook her head. ¡°nothing that is pressing, father. most of my tasks involved dayton. unless you want me to follow him out of the city¨C¡±


    ¡°i have other spies for that. sending you would be a waste of your talents,¡± father said with a grunt. ¡°you will join brayden for dinner.¡±


    ¡°brayden? what information do you want me to acquire from brayden? i believe he would simply just tell you anything you might want to know. he fears you, but he respects your power.¡±


    ¡°brayden will be eating with the demon and his ilk,¡± father said. ¡°you will find out more about what happened.¡±


    janice paled, but she nodded without waiting. ¡°understood.¡±


    ¡°you will use any means necessary.¡± father turned toward janice, his face deadly serious. ¡°any that do not incriminate us or draw his ire. we should remain cordial for the time being. this demon is not what i originally thought it to be. i need to determine more about its motives and abilities.¡±


    ¡°i will do ask you ask, father,¡± janice said, inclining her head. ¡°but... is brayden going to be able to make it? he¡¯s currently in communication with the investigative team from arbitage about the hellreaver¡¯s death.¡±


    father¡¯s brow wrinkled. he extended a hand and one of his crystal goblets floated over to him. father poured the wine into the glass and took a slow sip from it. ¡°he should have been finished already. why is he still speaking with them?¡±


    ¡°they still believe that the hellreaver¡¯s death was an attack on the school, and are searching for the culprit ¨C or group of culprits. they have the corpse of one man, though it is burned beyond recognition.¡±


    ¡°the demon, no doubt. we already have a replacement great monster prepared. i¡¯ve had it ready for months. hasn¡¯t brayden told them yet?¡±


    ¡°he has, but they are equally concerned in figuring out who killed the hellreaver.¡±


    father grunted. ¡°i see. i could interfere in the situation, but i think it will be more interesting to see how the demon handles it. thank you, janice. please inform brayden that his attendance at this dinner is mandatory. if the investigators have any issues, then they may speak with me personally.¡±


    janice managed to turn a shade paler. she nodded, bowing her head as the door opened behind her. she scampered out of the room and the door rumbled shut behind her, leaving father alone once more.


    he set the wine bottle back on his shelf, finishing off the rest of the goblet before putting it away as well and returning to his desk.


    splayed out across it was the oldest and most accurate information on demons that father could find ¨C including the ways to best locate and kill them. the information was sparse and written by fools who had made up more than half of what they¡¯d written, but when they were compared against each other, the truth came out.


    father¡¯s lips pressed thin as he sat back down in his chair and leaned over his work. he would find out the demon¡¯s weakness before it left the linwick estate. no matter how clever it was, everything had a weak point. either janice would find it by searching for the cracks in the demon¡¯s persona, or he¡¯d discover it in the papers. eventually, he¡¯d figure out what it was. he always did.


    nothing to do about it now. can¡¯t look a gift horse in the mouth, even if the thing has rotten ass morning breath. guess i¡¯ll just carry the scroll around with me for now. i¡¯m not letting father nick it from under my nose under the guise of our deal. he should have been more specific with when i had to give him the grimoire.


    lee shot noah an odd look.


    ¡°what?¡± noah asked. ¡°is there something on my face?¡±


    ¡°no. you were just grinning in a weird way.¡±


    ¡°sorry. just thinking,¡± noah said, tucking the scroll under his arm. there were still a few hours before brayden was supposed to meet them for dinner, and noah didn¡¯t particularly want to deal with father quite yet either.


    also, i have no idea if dayton has actually left yet. i¡¯ll need to make sure he has before i go making any claims.


    ¡°i¡¯ve been meaning to get around to this for a while, but the time never felt right,¡± noah said, setting the scroll down on his bed. ¡°lee, do you know how to passively get more power in your runes?¡±


    ¡°yeah. do you not?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll give you one guess.¡±


    ¡°i feel like you¡¯re more of a demon than i am,¡± lee grumbled. she sat down on the bed, crossing her legs, and patted the space next to her. ¡°copy my movements.¡±


    noah sat as well.


    ¡°there are a few ways to get passive energy, but all the other stuff actually requires you to have things to work with. monster parts or the like. this is the only one that just draws energy out of your surroundings.¡±


    ¡°does that mean it would vary in usefulness based on what kind of energy is around you?¡±


    lee nodded and placed her hands palm facing up on her knees. ¡°exactly. you can always do it, but depending on the runes you¡¯ve got and where you are, it¡¯ll vary in how useful it is. the method is pretty simple. you just have to picture the rune you¡¯re filling in your mind, then draw it with your hands while letting its energy run through you. it¡¯ll call matching energy from the environment into it and fill at a very slow rate.¡±


    ¡°huh. that is simple. that¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°well, depending on how good you are at actually drawing your rune, it¡¯ll vary. and as i said, it¡¯s slow. but for when you don¡¯t have any other options, it doesn¡¯t hurt. just don¡¯t do it for too long without taking a break,¡± lee warned. ¡°it¡¯ll wear your body out pretty badly.¡±


    ¡°noted. thanks, lee.¡±


    lee just shook her head and hopped back to her feet. ¡°no problem. did you always just kill monsters for power, then?¡±


    the way she worded the question made it clear that she was talking about noah¡¯s life before he¡¯d taken vermil¡¯s body.


    ¡°it¡¯s pretty much always been monsters,¡± noah said. it wasn¡¯t technically wrong, but he was well aware he wasn¡¯t answering the question that lee was asking. ¡°in recent memory, at least.¡±


    lee nodded her understanding at the last sentence. ¡°i¡¯m going to go make sure todd and isabel haven¡¯t gotten into anything, then.¡±


    ¡°sounds good. i¡¯ll be here until dinner. can you get me if brayden shows up?¡±


    ¡°sure.¡± lee headed out the door, closing it behind her. noah set his scroll on his lap, then closed his eyes and envisioned pyroclastic resonance. once he had a firm image of it in his mind, he raised a finger and started to draw it in the air.


    it took several repetitions before he felt anything at all. but, slowly, the air around him started to warm. it was almost imperceptible, but as the minutes ticked by, he could feel a tiny trickle of energy running into his body and into the rune.


    noah wasn¡¯t sure how long he sat there, drawing the rune over and over again in the air before him. at some point, the warmth faded and inverted, turning into a faint chill. the chill intensified as the hours passed, growing sharp enough that he actually started to shiver.


    i must be pulling the heat out of the air. i wonder if that¡¯s literally heat energy, or if it¡¯s just the lack of energy in general turning the area cold.


    before he could think much more on it, the door creaked open. noah opened his eyes, blinking heavily to unstiffen his eyelids.


    ¡°brayden¡¯s here,¡± lee said. ¡°and the lady with the big book from last time showed up as well.¡±


    ¡°janice? interesting.¡± noah rolled his neck and rose from the bed, tucking his scroll under his arm. ¡°let¡¯s eat, then. would be a shame to keep them waiting.¡±

 Chapter 109: Job

    chapter 109: job


    noah took a moment to check on his mindspace before he stepped out of the room. he¡¯d gotten pretty fast at slipping into it, so it only took him an instant to check on the status of his pyroclastic resonance.


    what he found wasn¡¯t exactly what he¡¯d been hoping for. if he had to put it to numbers, the rune would have filled by less than a single percent. still, considering he was getting energy from basically doing nothing and in an area where he suspected there wasn¡¯t that much power that actually meshed with pyroclastic resonance, it wasn¡¯t complaint worthy.


    ¡°how¡¯d it go?¡± lee asked as noah opened his eyes again and followed her out of the room, still carrying the scroll.


    ¡°not the best, but for my first attempt, i¡¯m happy with it,¡± noah replied. ¡°do you know why janice is here, by the way? i wasn¡¯t expecting her.¡±


    ¡°no,¡± lee replied, shaking her head. ¡°she looks terrified, though.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m starting to think she always does.¡±


    they reached the bottom of the stairs and headed into the dining room. isabel and todd were already seated at the table across from janice. brayden sat as well. he had moved the chairs away and sat cross-legged ¨C yet, somehow, he was still just as tall as the others. a large assortment of food ranging from bread to cheese and freshly cooked meat was laid out on the table.


    ¡°vermil!¡± brayden said with a wide grin as noah stepped into the room. ¡°you look like you¡¯ve had better days.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve been hard at work.¡± noah pulled a chair out beside his students and sat down. lee claimed the spot beside him and promptly walked a hand toward the pile of bread. she snagged a loaf and pulled it over to herself.


    ¡°tell me about it,¡± brayden said with a heavy sigh. ¡°you caused a real shitstorm, vermil. investigators want blood.¡±


    noah¡¯s back stiffened, but he didn¡¯t let it show on his face. evidently, brayden trusted janice enough to share vital information in front of her ¨C but noah had never told brayden that todd and isabel were in on things as well. the surprised glance that the two of them shared told noah that they¡¯d caught it too.


    brayden¡¯s eyes widened a moment later. ¡°i ¨C uh, was talking about leaving while under investigation. nothing else.¡±


    he cleared his throat, then sent a sheepish look in noah¡¯s direction.


    forget all the plotting shit. i forgot how bad brayden was at lying. i can¡¯t say i¡¯m a fan of janice knowing any more than she needs to considering i know almost nothing about her, but i suppose it¡¯s too late for that now. father probably sent her to spy on me.


    ¡°it¡¯s fine,¡± noah said. lee offered him half of the bread she¡¯d grabbed, and noah took it absentmindedly. he paused, then glanced down at it. it wasn¡¯t the same piece ¨C it was a new loaf. she¡¯d already eaten the first one. noah looked back to their visitors. ¡°they already know.¡±


    ¡°ah. good,¡± brayden said with a relieved sigh. he grabbed three loaves of bread, crushing them into a ball with a single motion, and tossed the whole thing into his mouth. brayden chewed a single time and swallowed without even blinking. ¡°sorry about that. i told you there¡¯s a reason father keeps me off the really important tasks.¡±


    ¡°maybe better that way. they aren¡¯t nearly what they¡¯re worked up to be,¡± noah said. ¡°are... things going bad with the investigators?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t know if i¡¯d say bad, but they aren¡¯t dropping the matter. bastards are still hunting, even though we have a replacement.¡±


    ¡°t-they think someone attacked arbitage,¡± janice stammered. brayden glanced her out of the corner of his eye. he plucked a large piece of steak from a plate at the center of the table and popped it into his mouth ¨C bone and all.


    noah¡¯s eye twitched slightly as there was a crunch and brayden swallowed everything. he noticed noah¡¯s expression and chuckled. ¡°you need to get to rank 4 already, vermil. get some good body imbuements as well. no point wasting good nutrients.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s badass,¡± todd muttered. isabel glared at him, but a grin stretched across brayden¡¯s face.


    ¡°i can do that too!¡± lee exclaimed, grabbing a piece of meat and swallowing the entire thing without even chewing. the rest of the table stared at her, and she blinked.


    ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°it wasn¡¯t a contest, but consider me impressed,¡± brayden admitted. ¡°that was comparatively a lot bigger for you than it was for me.¡±


    ¡°oh. did you want it back?¡± lee reached for her mouth.


    ¡°no!¡± noah said quickly. ¡°they were impressed, not asking for the food back. it¡¯s all yours.¡±


    ¡°ah. good.¡±


    noah shook his head. ¡°we should probably get food before these too endless gullets mow through the rest of it.¡±


    brayden grimaced. he took another piece of meat and stuffed it into his mouth, plugging it.


    ¡°later,¡± noah promised. ¡°now isn¡¯t the time. and technically, i wasn¡¯t. it just... happened.¡±


    ¡°right. sounds like you¡¯re making a really interesting story a lot more boring,¡± todd said with a grin.


    noah took a piece of steak and plopped it on todd¡¯s plate. ¡°eat, you brat.¡±


    they all chuckled ¨C aside from janice, who gave a wavery smile and cleared her throat awkwardly ¨C and got back to eating.


    dinner was nice. noah was surprised to find that nothing actually went wrong over the rest of it. brayden seemed to be unwinding, and he was far more relaxed than he had been when they¡¯d been on the road.


    isabel and todd were both clearly on guard, but they¡¯d lowered their walls just a little. lee couldn¡¯t have cared less who was on the other side of the table. the only odd one out was janice.


    noah couldn¡¯t place why she¡¯d come. she stuck out like a sore thumb, and she barely even spoke unless any of them addressed her. there was always the chance she¡¯d just wanted company for dinner, but somehow noah suspected that wasn¡¯t the case. he didn¡¯t think father typically let his employees do anything without a reason.


    is she maybe dating brayden? that could be possible. then again, they¡¯re sitting like five chairs apart and haven¡¯t looked at each other a single time this meal. probably not, then. so why are you here, janice?


    dinner wrapped up a little under an hour later. brayden rose to his feet, patting his stomach and giving noah a nod.


    ¡°got lots of work to do. thanks for asking me over for the meal, brother. always nice to get a chance to eat janice¡¯s cooking.¡±


    ¡°you made this?¡± noah asked, blinking in surprise and looking at janice.


    she nodded, her cheeks reddening. ¡°yes. i¡¯m one of the chefs for the household.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re really damn good at cooking!¡± todd exclaimed.


    isabel nudged him in the side. ¡°more polite, todd. she¡¯s nobility, remember?¡±


    todd scrunched his nose at isabel. ¡°i meant what i said.¡±


    janice flashed them a quick smile. ¡°it¡¯s okay. i¡¯m nobility in name only. i¡¯m glad you enjoyed.¡±


    todd gave her a thumbs up and isabel just shook her head in despair.


    ¡°thanks for the meal,¡± isabel said. ¡°it really was fantastic.¡±


    ¡°agreed,¡± brayden rumbled. ¡°i¡¯m off. try not to get yourself in any trouble, okay?¡±


    ¡°no promises.¡± noah gave brayden an easygoing grin, ignoring the slight knot that twisted his stomach.


    how long can i pretend to be his brother? this feels wrong. out of everyone i¡¯ve pulled the wool over, brayden is the only one that¡¯s actually going to be emotionally affected by this. i don¡¯t know what he¡¯ll do if i tell him, and father might try to leverage it against me if things go poorly. i''ll need to think on a way to make sure that doesn''t happen.


    brayden ducked out of the door and headed out, oblivious to noah¡¯s inner dilemma. isabel and todd both retreated to their room as well and, before noah knew it, he and lee had been left alone with janice.


    ¡°thanks again for the meal,¡± noah said. he picked up the bottle janice had delivered and his scroll. ¡°and for the gift as well.¡±


    ¡°that was from father, not me. i just delivered it.¡±


    noah shrugged. ¡°and i appreciate it.¡±


    janice gave him a weak smile. ¡°it¡¯s just my job. have a good night.¡±


    she turned, making for the door. as her foot started to cross the threshold, janice paused and glanced back over her shoulder at noah. she pointed at the scroll under his arm. ¡°if you don¡¯t mind my asking ¨C what is that?¡±

 Chapter 110: Cataclysm

    chapter 110: cataclysm


    ¡°what, this?¡± noah asked, glancing at the scroll. ¡°just a few imbued runes i¡¯m lugging around. testing some stuff out. why?¡±


    ¡°it was putting off a good amount of runic force,¡± janice replied, a flicker of interest flashing in her eyes ¨C just like it always did whenever noah got her speaking about runes. ¡°rank 4 runes at least. with that energy, maybe even a rank 5 unless you have a whole lot of rank 4 ones in there. i just wanted to check if you knew what you had.¡±


    just how much power is it putting off? you know what ¨C i bet dayton kept the scroll in his desk because it probably had some imbuement that blocked people from sensing it easily. i can¡¯t feel anything at all, so i guess it¡¯s something that comes at or above rank 3. either way, this isn¡¯t good. is evergreen going to be able to notice if i¡¯m lugging this around?


    ¡°yup, well aware,¡± noah replied casually. ¡°nothing all that interesting, to be honest. i didn¡¯t realize it was leaking energy. how bad is it?¡±


    ¡°not that bad. i didn¡¯t notice until you came downstairs,¡± janice replied, eyeing the scroll as if she was trying to strip it apart with her eyes. ¡°what kind of runes are in it?¡±


    ¡°just this and that. nothing that father wouldn¡¯t have.¡±


    won¡¯t have.


    janice blinked at the mention of father¡¯s name. she cleared her throat and shook her head. ¡°ah, yes. of course. my apologies. i get a little too distracted when the subject of runes comes up sometimes. i should get home.¡±


    she gave them a slight bow, then scurried out the door, closing it behind her. noah and lee exchanged a glance.


    ¡°that was weird,¡± lee said.


    ¡°tell me about it,¡± noah muttered. he hefted the scroll. ¡°i might need to do something about this. is there a way to limit the runic force coming off an imbued object? i¡¯d rather not be strolling around with a beacon.¡±


    ¡°i have no idea,¡± lee replied. ¡°i never imbued anything that wasn¡¯t my own body. i know how, but never really did that much of it. anything you don¡¯t have as part of you in the damned plains is liable to get taken ¨C and, to be honest, even things that are actually part of you are free reign if anyone is strong enough to take it.¡±


    noah winced. the more lee spoke about the damned plains, the more he understood why she had wanted to escape. he sighed and started up the stairs to his room. lee trailed behind him, and he shut the door behind them once they arrived. tossing the scroll onto the bed, noah unfurled it once more.


    ¡°well, i¡¯ve got absolutely no idea how to keep people from noticing this, but according to janice, it should be fine if it¡¯s not too close to anyone. were you able to sense anything off about it?¡±


    lee shook her head. ¡°no. just looked like a scroll.¡±


    ¡°then it¡¯s at least a rank 4 ability or some special rune. do you think janice is rank 4?¡±


    ¡°i suppose it¡¯s possible. it¡¯s pretty hard to tell how strong someone is when they¡¯re containing their runic force. the really powerful archdemons couldn¡¯t contain it and it felt like you were getting crushed just by standing next to them, but anyone around rank 4 or 5 was indistinguishable when they weren¡¯t trying to show off.¡±


    ¡°noted,¡± noah said, looking back down at the scroll. ¡°then i have to assume that there¡¯s a good chance father would be able to sense the scroll as well. i need to work pretty quickly if i want to get away with anything before janice reports it to him.¡±


    ¡°you think she knows what it is?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to be that hard of a guess,¡± noah said, scanning over the runes. when sunder had given him a vision, he¡¯d seen it cut the runes straight out of a monster. unfortunately, the monster hadn¡¯t survived the experience. if he used sunder on the scroll, he was pretty sure it would end up cut to bits.


    there was no way to absorb a rank 3 rune himself, and lee needed expensive catchpaper to imbue the rune. that meant he basically had no way to get the rank 3 and 4 runes off the grimoire in the near future.


    i think the strategy is to focus on getting all the rank 2 and 3 runes now, then have father give me the higher rank runes as my portion of the grimoire when it¡¯s time to split it up. also...


    ¡°this isn¡¯t really dayton¡¯s,¡± noah said, tapping the green part of the scroll. ¡°he stole this. thus, it isn¡¯t part of our agreement.¡±


    drawing a rank 2 rune that he wasn¡¯t familiar with was harder than noah had expected. it took him half a dozen tries to get it right. but, as he stepped back after the last try, inspecting the rune, he felt energy course into his body. it lit a dull brown, and noah felt his soul shift as the new rune started to press on it. the rune


    it wasn¡¯t quite as much as when he¡¯d combined his runes into pyroclastic resonance, though. noah frowned slightly, inspecting the rune. it was about fifteen percent full, so while it was a very well formed rune, it wasn¡¯t quite perfect. the pressure coming off the rune wasn¡¯t much less than what had come off his pyroclastic resonance rune when he¡¯d first formed it, so it would almost certainly split into seven whole rank 1 runes instead of losing energy and fading away.


    is it because it isn¡¯t as linked with me as the other rune was? i filled all those runes myself, while this one is from somebody else. or is it because i didn¡¯t combine it with my own soul? well, if it¡¯s the latter...


    noah opened his eyes. he flipped his grimoire open and pressed his hand to it, imbuing the entirety of his greater wind rune on its pages. then noah closed his eyes once more and drew sunder¡¯s power as his mindspace formed around him once more.


    he stepped toward the rune and extended a finger, releasing the master rune¡¯s energy into earthen cataclysm. noah had gotten better at drawing on its power quickly, though it still took him a few seconds to gather it.


    a black line arced through earthen cataclysm. the rune shuddered, shattering into swirling energy. seven rank 1 runes bloomed within the light, floating out before noah.


    there were four earth runes and three vibration runes. the last time noah had sundered a whole rune, he¡¯d moved as fast as he could. this time, he took a few moments to allow the runes to settle in his mindspace. they floated out, six of them settling down in a ring around him. one of the newly formed rank 1 earth runes stayed within the darkness, floating at the edge of his soul.


    lee did mention i can only access seven runes at a time. it¡¯s still there, but i just can¡¯t seem to feel it. makes sense, i guess. all i need is to be able to combine it, so it¡¯s fine if i can¡¯t directly access it.


    based off the energy coming off all the rank 1 runes, noah could tell that they were all greater runes.


    well, i suppose that¡¯s what one should expect from someone that had dayton this scared. this rune isn¡¯t bad at all. i guess i¡¯m not the only one that thought shaking the earth was cool. now, let¡¯s test if combining the rune myself really makes much of a difference or not.


    noah gathered his focus and drew the seven runes back together. he already had an idea of what he wanted, but his vision of the rune was likely not quite what evergreen had initially pictured. cataclysm sounded like a rune that would affect large areas, while he was much more interested in focused, small area control.


    something similar to what i was doing with my vibration runes, but with a more fine control. i want some damn percussion.


    energy swirled around noah¡¯s mindspace, rushing to flood into the seven runes as they started to merge. his hands trembled and pressure started to emanate from within the glowing light.


    then, with a pop, everything snapped together. a deep brown rune emerged and the glow faded away, leaving noah staring at the new rank 2 rune he¡¯d just formed.


    focal quake.


    huh. i completely changed the rune¡¯s name. intention really does modify how a rune combines.


    noah walked in a circle around the rune. to his delight, it was only ten percent full. another perfect rune.


    a large part of it is because her rune was already almost perfect, i bet. since my intent was really clear and i¡¯ve got a lot of experience working with vibration already, it came together pretty easily.


    noah let his eyes open, unable to hide the smug grin on his face as he looked back up at lee, who was watching him curiously.


    ¡°did it work?¡± lee asked.


    ¡°yeah. i¡¯ve got a new rank 2 rune, and i think it¡¯ll fit me really well. i¡¯m excited to test it,¡± noah replied, placing his hand on his grimoire and taking a moment to pull the greater wind rune back into his mind.


    he looked down at evergreen¡¯s catchpaper ¨C it was still mostly intact, aside from a small corner that sunder had carved off when he¡¯d cut away earthen cataclysm. a slow grin stretched across his face and he tapped the paper. ¡°this stuff is pretty high quality, isn¡¯t it? it¡¯s already holding rank 3 and 4 runes. now that there¡¯s more space, how do you feel about transferring one of dayton¡¯s runes to this?¡±


    lee matched noah¡¯s grin. ¡°i think i can do that.¡±

 Glossary Chapter: Runes & Imbuement

    glossary chapter: runes & imbuement


    i''ve seen a bunch of questions on this, and i know how easy it is for information to get lost in webnovels, especially when you''re reading multiple things, so i''m going to compile information that''s directly taken from the book about runes, imbuements, and combinations/soul growth. hopefully this helps clarify a lot of things! i will say that this information is *only* taken directly from the book, so it''s not theorycrafting or anything, it''s just quotes straight out of older chapters.


    from chapter 67:


    i think those are the two most popular questions that should hopefully be answered with lines straight from the text.


    cheers!

 Chapter 111: Mushy

    chapter 111: mushy


    just about ten minutes later, the deed was done. it took lee and noah a few minutes to decide on which of the runes they actually wanted to transfer over. part of noah wanted to try to take the strongest rank 4 rune he could find, but he didn¡¯t actually know how sundering such a powerful rune would work.


    there was a possibility the rune would split into all its rank 1 components, but was more likely it would just split into seven rank 3 runes instead. if that happened, noah wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d be able to sunder the runes again before they dissipated. it would have been one thing if the rune was in his mental space ¨C but it wasn¡¯t. it was going to be on a piece of paper. and, unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have a way to get the rank 4 rune into his mental space safely. it would probably be quite a while before he was strong enough to handle one.


    as such, they ended up choosing a rank 3 rune that caught noah¡¯s eye by the name of bleak howling maelstrom. he was pretty sure it wasn¡¯t the strongest of the ones in the set, but it was the one that looked like it would be of the most use to him in the near future.


    ¡°this rune feels... a little weak,¡± lee said after she¡¯d transported it onto evergreen¡¯s catchpaper. ¡°not very well made. it must have a lot of lesser runes in it or was just poorly combined. are you sure you want this one?¡±


    noah nodded. ¡°honestly, i already suspected it was on the weaker side. i initially thought that rank 2 runes have two words in their name on average, rank 3 runes have 3, etcetera. but now, i think that was just more coincidence than correlation. i think that powerful runes just have fewer words in their name. it¡¯s just really difficult to condense a rune down into a single word when you start getting higher up in the ladder, so they end up with longer names.¡±


    lee gave the runes a thoughtful look. ¡°that¡¯s an interesting observation. it makes sense to me. i honestly never really spent that much time researching runes. didn¡¯t have the option to. i just took what i could get. i guess that means my cursed concealing shadow runes aren¡¯t really that good.¡±


    i could probably fix them. is it safe to tell lee about that, though? even though i don¡¯t think she¡¯d betray me, we¡¯re basically in enemy territory right now. it¡¯s the worst possible time to go about doing this. but i need to make sure lee doesn¡¯t combine the runes again. if this messes up her foundation, it¡¯ll weaken her in the future.


    ¡°there are fixes for everything,¡± noah said. ¡°don¡¯t worry. we¡¯ll figure something out. are you close to reaching rank 4?¡±


    lee waggled a hand in the air. ¡°not really. i¡¯m on my way there, but rank 3 runes take a really long time to fill up when you aren¡¯t hunting powerful monsters or meditating in an area that really, really fits the kind of energy you need. why?¡±


    ¡°just curious,¡± noah replied. he tapped the scroll. ¡°are any of these of use to you?¡±


    lee shook her head. ¡°not the rank 3 ones. they¡¯re all too flashy. they don¡¯t fit the way i fight. some of the rank 4s are a little bit better, but they¡¯re pretty much all lightning or wind based. i can¡¯t use them yet anyway, though.¡±


    noah rolled both dayton¡¯s grimoire and evergreen¡¯s scrolls back up. the green catchpaper was luckily small enough that he could slide the roll into his bag, but dayton¡¯s grimoire was still much too large. he settled for just propping the roll up against his bed.


    ¡°that¡¯s unfortunate. a lot of these are going to be great for moxie, though. i wonder if she¡¯s got all seven of her rune slots filled.¡±


    lee glanced at noah out of the corners of her eyes. ¡°the ones in evergreen¡¯s scroll?¡±


    ¡°yeah.¡±


    ¡°the same evergreen that¡¯s part of the torrin family? that moxie is part of?¡±


    noah pursed his lips. ¡°i don¡¯t think moxie would tell her.¡±


    ¡°she might not have a choice,¡± lee pointed out.


    ¡°then we¡¯ll just pull the runes off before handing them to her,¡± noah said. ¡°maybe moxie will be able to tell us how to hide the fact that they¡¯re from evergreen. that¡¯ll be good to know for todd, since he still... you know.¡±


    still technically has an illicit rune.


    lee yawned. ¡°too much work today. are you going to try the drink father sent you? i want to taste it.¡±


    ¡°he was a badass,¡± todd said, his eyes sparkling with admiration.


    ¡°he got himself killed,¡± isabel snapped. ¡°they tried to bribe him and become his friends, but he saw through that. he didn¡¯t want to give the stupid master rune over. then they tried threats, but he was convinced the rune would pave the path to a better life for our entire house, and he ignored them too. after all, he was also a rank 4. he thought he could defend himself until he got stronger. he was expecting a fight, but instead they poisoned him by putting something into the sheets of his bed.¡±


    noah¡¯s lips pressed thin. he could see just why isabel hated the nobles so much.


    ¡°so that¡¯s that,¡± isabel said with a shrug. ¡°my mom ended up dying as well, since she was a rank 3 and couldn¡¯t resist the poison either. the nobles showed up to claim the master rune, but it was gone.¡±


    ¡°they blamed my dad for it,¡± todd put in, his usual cheer gone and his eyes crestfallen. ¡°before anyone could even try to talk to them, they killed my parents and just about everyone in my house.¡±


    ¡°what happened to the rune?¡± lee asked.


    isabel shrugged. ¡°nobody ever found it. one of the piece of shit nobles probably stole it for themselves, then used our families as a coverup.¡±


    ¡°how¡¯d the two of you survive, then?¡± noah asked. ¡°are they still hunting you?¡±


    ¡°no. not everyone got killed,¡± isabel said. ¡°the other noble houses eventually stepped in to pretend like they were keeping order. they sided with the bigger houses, of course. all of the survivors from our families were blacklisted because they claimed my dad stole what was rightfully his, and they wanted to make an example out of us. now what¡¯s left of our families don¡¯t even have surnames anymore. speaking the surname of a blacklisted family is punishable by death. the end.¡±


    isabel¡¯s hands were clenched so tightly that her knuckles had gone white. todd put a hand on her leg and nudged her gently with his shoulder. she forced out a slow breath and shook her head.


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry. it still gets me very worked up and it shouldn¡¯t. that was years ago. i should have gotten over it by now.¡±


    ¡°there¡¯s nothing to apologize for,¡± noah said. ¡°your anger is completely justifiable. just don¡¯t let it consume you. let it drive you instead.¡±


    isabel gave him a weak smile. ¡°i¡¯ve been working on it. i just miss my dad. he was so convinced that he had to do things the proper way. he thought the other nobles had honor. if he¡¯d just never reported finding that rune, none of this ever would have happened. my family ¨C todd¡¯s family would still be alive.¡±


    ¡°sounds like he was a good man,¡± noah said. he searched for words for a moment. most of what he had to say about death was probably just about as far from comforting as it could possibly get.


    what am i supposed to say? hopefully his line wasn¡¯t too long and he didn¡¯t get blasted to soul-bits by a terrifying spear wielding demon? i guess renewal did say that she was a single goddess of reincarnation rather than the only one, so he probably wasn¡¯t even in that line.


    ¡°dayton was one of the people who was after your dad?¡± lee asked.


    ¡°yeah. one of the most entitled ones. he kept challenging dad to fights, but because dayton was just a rank 3 at the time, dad never accepted. if any of the rank 4 nobles had challenged him directly, he would have fought. but of course, they never did. they had to resort to poison.¡±


    ¡°scumbags,¡± noah muttered. ¡°scumbags and cowards.¡±


    isabel pushed back from the table and rose to her feet. ¡°let¡¯s go train. i want to hit something.¡±


    she quickly strode out of the dining room, heading out the door that led to the yard. todd followed after her, shooting an apologetic glance at noah and lee as he passed.


    ¡°she tries to be really cool and collected, but isabel cared a lot about her family. cares. she still does. it¡¯s very hard for her to keep her walls up when it comes to our parents. try not to hold it against her.¡±


    ¡°we¡¯d never do something like that,¡± noah said. ¡°let¡¯s go get that training in, then. i think i might have some good for you when it¡¯s over.¡±

 Chapter 112: Innovation

    chapter 112: innovation


    ¡°ready?¡± noah asked, looking over at isabel from where he stood in the yard across from her. isabel gave him a sharp nod.


    ¡°yeah. same rules as yesterday?¡±


    ¡°same rules,¡± noah confirmed.


    the ground erupted beneath isabel as she launched forward. every time her feet hit the dirt, a ripple of energy passed through the ground as it boosted her forward. as she grew closer, noah drew on the power of his newest rank 2 rune.


    it wasn¡¯t all that different from vibration in function, and he¡¯d spent enough time trying to cause minor earthquakes with the vibration runes that he already had a pretty good idea of how it would function.


    just to play things safe, noah used far less energy than he normally would have. the runic magic flowed into the ground through his feet. he directed it out and toward isabel noah braced himself for the ground to tremble beneath him, but all that he felt was a faint vibration beneath his feet as the magic shot off.


    at the same time, as isabel¡¯s foot landed on the dirt and it started to propel her forward, her eyes widened. a thump ran through the earth and the ground beneath her feet shuddered. isabel stumbled, losing her footing.


    she started to fall and threw herself into a roll, rising back to her feet and hopping a step back, watching noah warily.


    ¡°what was that?¡±


    ¡°just a little obstacle,¡± noah replied, trying not to look impressed by his own magic.


    that certainly lived up to its name. it barely made anything along the path shake, but it had a pretty significant effect once it reached the location i sent it to. not exactly just casting it at range, but it¡¯s pretty close to it. not a bad sound, either. pretty solid. could use a bit more depth, but progress is progress.


    ¡°you messed with my control of the stone,¡± isabel said, squinting at noah. ¡°you have some sort of stone or ground rune?¡±


    noah just grinned in response. he sent another pulse through the ground and isabel swore, diving to the side as the matted grass beneath her feet ripped apart under the pulsations of a contained earthquake.


    she dashed at noah, pressing a hand to her heart and pulling a glowing blue blade free. a pillar of rock erupted before her and she jumped off it, launching herself for noah.


    keeping herself off the ground so i can¡¯t shake her feet out from under her. smart, but i¡¯ve still got wind.


    noah flicked his hand, sending an empowered gust of wind into isabel and throwing her back to the ground. she hit it with a grunt, landing just under ten feet away from noah. the dirt near her hand trembled and a pillar of earth erupted, hurtling for noah¡¯s chest.


    he twisted to the side, striking the pillar with the side of his arm and sending a tremor down its length. the pillar crumbled to dust and fell away. by the time the last of it had crumbled, isabel was back on her feet once again. she stared at noah, bouncing from foot to foot.


    noah gave her a few seconds to try to process the new information and develop a new strategy. she wouldn¡¯t learn anything if he just constantly went at her after revealing a new ability ¨C at least, not yet. she¡¯d get there.


    isabel¡¯s gaze focused as she decided on something. she stomped the ground and a wall of stone erupted before her. it raced out, blocking off noah and just over half of the yard. noah raised an eyebrow and gathered more energy from focal quake. he sent it into the wall, tearing several large chunks of it away with the powerful tremors.


    smart move to wall off a large area and buy herself some more time, but that must have taken quite a bit of energy. risky, but definitely a worthwhile trade off. what¡¯s she doing, though?


    noah approached the remains of the wall to check where isabel had run off to. a small frown flickered across his face as he grew closer. the air felt a little too hot. he slowed, his guard raised as he glanced over the top of the wall at where lee and todd had been watching.


    lee was there ¨C but todd wasn¡¯t. noah threw himself back as several rays of flame erupted from behind the wall, carving through the crumbling stone and narrowly missing noah. before noah could even try to tear down the rest of the wall, isabel burst through it.


    todd dashed out behind her and sent several more beams of flame at noah, forcing him to dodge to the side. noah sent another tremor for isabel, but she predicted it and jumped, avoiding the tremors.


    ¡°it was a step in the right direction. don¡¯t feel bad about your performances, you both did pretty damn well,¡± noah said. ¡°just focus on where you can improve. if you¡¯re going to work together, don¡¯t just be two different people fighting at the same time. you did a little synchronizing of your attacks, but you could definitely do more. and once you get the advantage, press it harder.¡±


    noah paused for a few moments, thinking over the fight and trying to figure out what other advice he could give. isabel was still mostly using close range techniques, but she¡¯d tried to hit him with a pillar of stone. that was an improvement, even if it hadn¡¯t quite worked.


    ¡°todd, you might need some more variety in your moves,¡± noah said. ¡°there has to be more that fire can do. try to mix things up a bit more and i think you¡¯ll be a lot more effective.¡±


    todd nodded and pursed his lips. ¡°yeah. i¡¯m thinking on it. just nothing useful yet.¡±


    ¡°and isabel, are you using all your runes?¡± noah asked. she¡¯d taken an armor rune from father¡¯s book, but he hadn¡¯t actually seen isabel put it to much use yet.


    isabel grimaced. ¡°i¡¯m working on it.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s all i can ask. lee, any thoughts on your end?¡±


    ¡°they could try being faster.¡±


    very helpful.


    ¡°noted,¡± todd said with a chuckle.


    ¡°well, that wasn¡¯t a bad match,¡± noah said. ¡°next time, fight on your own, though. we can add a duo match in after the solo trainings so you can practice together as well. but, change of topic.¡±


    isabel and todd looked to him, noticing the change in his tone.


    ¡°to what?¡± isabel asked.


    ¡°dayton,¡± noah replied. ¡°i¡¯m sure you¡¯re going to hear about this fairly soon, but dayton either has already or will likely soon be leaving the linwick estate.¡±


    isabel¡¯s eyes widened and todd did a double take.


    ¡°what? do you mean¨C¡± isabel started.


    ¡°i¡¯m telling you specifically so you don¡¯t decide to go after him or the like,¡± noah said. ¡°i just wanted you to hear it here first rather than from someone associated with father. honestly, dayton¡¯s an idiot. he might get himself killed before you get around to him. but, if he doesn¡¯t, wait until you¡¯re ready to handle him.¡±


    isabel chewed her lower lip, but gave noah a curt nod. she unclenched her hands and let out a huff. ¡°that might take years.¡±


    ¡°better years and succeed than going now and failing,¡± todd said. ¡°but... why¡¯d dayton go on the run?¡±


    noah chuckled. ¡°let¡¯s wait to see what the official story is first. then i¡¯ll fill you in on the actual one. but, for the time being, i¡¯ve got some work i need to get done. lee, do you want to¨C¡±


    ¡°strech!¡± lee exclaimed. ¡°and then hand to hand sparring. let¡¯s go.¡±


    noah grinned and headed back into the house, leaving lee with isabel and todd. he wanted to get some more time in working on his runes before father came knocking, and he suspected time was short.


    unfortunately, noah didn¡¯t have any way to know quite how short it would actually be.

 Chapter 113: Neck wide open

    chapter 113: neck wide open


    ¡°you called me, father?¡± janice asked as the door to father¡¯s office shut behind her.


    ¡°yes. report on your dinner yesterday.¡± father indicated the chair across from him.


    janice hesitantly walked over and sat down, swallowing heavily before she spoke again. ¡°he has a scroll with several rank 4 runes on it. i suspect it is dayton¡¯s grimoire.¡±


    father nodded. ¡°logically. we never put a time limit on when he had to turn it in. the demon seemed pleased with his success?¡±


    ¡°yes, father. he was uncomfortable when i pressed on what it might be. i believe he thinks he has outmaneuvered you.¡±


    father chuckled. ¡°he¡¯s welcome to the grimoire. i have no need for that fool dayton¡¯s runes. did he give anything else away? does he still believe that i have more in store for him?¡±


    janice shook her head. ¡°no, father. and i am unaware. he did not speak of anything you assigned him. his focus seemed to be on the scroll.¡±


    ¡°then he¡¯s unaware that he¡¯s already accomplished the main goal i needed him for,¡± father said with a wry smile. ¡°demon or not, he¡¯s just like every other human. give them something to look for and they¡¯ll leave their neck wide open as they stare at the sky.¡±


    ¡°what would you have me do now?¡± janice asked.


    father grunted. ¡°begin by spreading the news of dayton¡¯s retreat. his cowardice will be a powerful lever for someone whose entire platform ran on strength. what a waste of resources. his parents were fools. after they were accepted to the main branch, they should have cut ties with the idiot instead of pampering him with supplies and dragging him up to rank 5. with this, it will be easy to undermine him. bring the members of his family into ours and remove the rest discretely. by the time he returns to the linwick estate, there will be nothing left to save.¡±


    ¡°and what of our other plans?¡± janice asked.


    ¡°with dayton out of the way, we should have little opposition from the rest of the linwick family,¡± father said, a smile stretching across his weathered face. ¡°all goes according to plan. soon, we will be the only remaining option to be chosen to join the main branch.¡±


    janice inclined her head. it had been a very long time since she¡¯d last heard father actually excited about anything, and the emotion scared her more than just about any other one he could have shown.


    she remained silent, waiting for father to give her the next set of orders.


    ¡°we will need to handle the demon,¡± father said, turning back to his desk and looking out at the scrolls covering it. ¡°i would have liked to get much more out of him, but this one is too clever. it would be too great of a risk to continue our relationship.¡±


    ¡°would you like me to do it?¡±


    ¡°absolutely not,¡± father replied sternly. ¡°you will ensure that not the slightest trace of discord arises between you and the demon¡¯s party. this must be discreet. the demon must not be killed publicly. it must vanish. there can be no connection between us and it.¡±


    ¡°i could¨C¡±


    ¡°allow me to worry about the other noble families,¡± father said. ¡°your purpose is to execute my commands. the benefits exceed the drawbacks, and this will be another piece of leverage should we come to need it.¡±


    ¡°i understand.¡±


    ¡°good. then go,¡± father said. the door ground open behind janice. ¡°begin your tasks. we have much to accomplish. oh ¨C bring the demon the clothes he requested once they are completed. he should have something nice to wear to his grave.¡±


    ***


    noah was having a fantastic time locked up in his room reading, though he¡¯d never admit it to anyone. father seemed to have completely forgotten about him, and there was only so much training he could do every day.


    the first few days after getting dayton¡¯s grimoire, he¡¯d been expecting a knock on the door at any point. noah had been certain that father would realize he¡¯d kept the grimoire and dayton hadn¡¯t brought it with him when he¡¯d ran, but the knock never came.


    noah wasn¡¯t going to complain. he spent the morning training with isabel, todd, and lee, then the rest of the day poring over the runes within the scroll. he didn¡¯t want to waste a single second and risk losing anything useful.


    in his spare time, when he wasn¡¯t training or reading, noah meditated to fill his runes. it was slow, but progress was progress. and, just like that, a week passed. the sparring lessons were starting to make fantastic progress and he could feel both isabel and todd getting better at fighting ¨C not just alone, but together as well.


    and, in the hours that noah spent pouring over the runes, he realized something horrifying about himself. he was actually having fun researching. despite his initial hatred of doing literally anything that involved sitting still and studying, he¡¯d slowly realized that trying to learn was fun.


    of course, that did mean that he¡¯d gotten himself into significant amounts of trouble for what now amounted to absolutely no reason. he pushed that particular fact to the back of his mind.


    technically, i¡¯m having fun learning about runes, not just learning. if the library actually had books on runes, then i¡¯d be reading those. totally. i wouldn¡¯t have just run out and tried to wing everything ¨C oh, who am i kidding. i¡¯m an idiot.


    that particular revelation had stayed within noah¡¯s mind, precisely where it belonged. and, just like that, time ground on. the dreaded moment where father showed up to take noah¡¯s hard-earned runes from him never came, and the week stretched on into the next.


    noah¡¯s research wasn¡¯t just theoretical. after he finished cataloguing all the runes in dayton¡¯s grimoire ¨C he set about finalizing his plans for reaching rank 3. he¡¯d jotted all his notes down in english on a dozen pieces of paper, brainstorming until he¡¯d condensed everything down into just a few points.


    i need a new form of wind magic at rank 2. the rank 3 rune ¨C bleak howling maelstrom ¨C will be perfect for my purposes, as there should be a rank 2 wind component of some sort in it.sundering bleak howling maelstrom might result in losing 6 of the 7 rank 2 runes. i can try to absorb multiple rank 2 runes, but i don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll work. even if i can absorb multiple, there¡¯s a flaw somewhere in them, so i¡¯ll need to figure out where the flaw is and repair it. luckily, i have a fair number of other runes that contain wind aspects.


    noah finalized his guidelines just a few days into his research, but he spent considerably more time cataloguing the potentially useful runes and preparing himself. but, finally, on the fifth day of the second week, he was prepared.


    after their training was done for the day, noah locked himself in his room and got to work. he started by imbuing his greater wind rune within his grimoire to make extra room in his soul. noah was hopeful he wouldn¡¯t have to split the bleak howling maelstrom all the way back down to its rank 1 components, but he didn¡¯t know where the flaw in its composition was.


    noah laid all three of his grimoires out ¨C dayton¡¯s, evergreen¡¯s, and vermil¡¯s ¨C on the bed. there was a good amount of space on dayton¡¯s scroll and a few spare pages in his own book to work with when he needed to imbue anything. noah took a deep breath, gathering himself, then placed his hand on the rank 3 rune. it sparked against his touch, warning him that there was too much energy stored within it for his soul to contain.


    a determined look took hold of noah¡¯s face and he called on sunder¡¯s powers. his veins turned a dark greyish black as the master rune¡¯s power filled him. moving carefully, noah tore off the portion of the paper that the bleak howling maelstrom was drawn upon.


    nothing happened. he touched it again, then yanked his hand back as the rune sparked. it was still intact.


    ¡°right,¡± noah breathed, placing his hand on the rune once more and allowing sunder¡¯s power to flow out of his hand and into the catchpaper. ¡°let¡¯s get this started.¡±

 Chapter 114: Ominous

    chapter 114: ominous


    a black line carved through the center of the catchpaper, cleaving the bleak howling maelstrom rune in two. for an instant, nothing happened. the hair on the back of noah¡¯s neck prickled.


    he drew in a sharp breath as energy sprouted from within the paper. it expanded rapidly, swirling out into the air before him. his skin tingled and arcs of runic magic danced across his flesh. noah could feel the runes within himself shudder as they pushed back against the pressure coming off from the paper.


    light blossomed so brightly that noah had to squint. one by one, seven runes lifted into the air, floating before him. he suppressed the urge to cheer in victory. it had worked the exact same way it had worked in the vision that sunder had given him, but noah had absolutely no idea how long the runes would stick around and wait for him to work with them. he focused intently on the runes, memorizing them as quickly as he could.


    three howling maelstrom runes, three darkened night runes, and one broken gale rune. screw the darkened night crap. that¡¯s probably what threw this off in the first place, but i don¡¯t know if that¡¯s the only issue.


    noah started with the howling maelstrom runes, memorizing them as quickly as he could without making mistakes. once he was confident he had a strong picture of the rune in his mind, he touched the first of the howling maelstrom runes and closed his eyes.


    energy coursed through his hand, even as he looked out into his mindspace. noah quickly drew the rune from his memory, but the first attempt failed and the rune shattered, unable to take shape. he gritted his teeth and tried again, moving slightly slower.


    this time, there was a sharp buzz. the new rune snapped to life before him, its long, sweeping strokes and surprisingly simple ¨C at least for a rank 2 rune ¨C design shimmering with light. it was a little bit less than seventy percent full.


    that meant that the rest of the runes probably weren¡¯t going to be very stable and would soon fade away. noah quickly opened his eyes and nearly swore. they were fading at alarming rates, their energy dissipating into the air.


    noah quickly moved his hand to the next howling maelstrom rune and closed his eyes once more. this one was easy to gather, as he¡¯d already obtained the design. it snapped to life within his mindspace, just under fifty percent full. but, even though it was simple, it had cost him several precious seconds.


    returning to the real world, noah turned his attention to the broken gale rune. the other howling maelstrom rune was tempting, but even the tiny amount of time it would take him to absorb the rune could mean that there wouldn¡¯t be anything left of the other runes. he already had two howling maelstrom runes, so he turned his attention to the lone broken gale rune.


    noah studied the sharp, twisting lines that made up the shifting rune before him. it faded with every second he spent, but he didn¡¯t dare rush. something told noah he¡¯d only have time for one more attempt before there was nothing left to work with.


    finally, he closed his eyes and touched the rune. he let his finger move with firm, precise movements, refusing to rush and risk making a mistake. noah didn¡¯t have time for mistakes.


    he didn¡¯t let himself think about how long it was taking, or how much energy would be left to harvest ¨C assuming there was any at all. noah simply just drew. his finger traced the final line and he pulled back, watching the rune warily.


    there was a pop, and a tiny ripple of pressure washed over him. a huge grin stretched across noah¡¯s face and he let out a relieved sigh, allowing his hand to drop. floating in the air before him was a broken gale rune that sat at just over five percent full. he¡¯d barely made it in time.


    noah¡¯s relief lasted about as long as his sigh. as soon as the tension started to leave his shoulders, a strange feeling gathered in his chest. it was a squeezing sensation, like something was pressing in on him from every direction and trying to crush his chest.


    ¡°oh, shit,¡± noah muttered, grimacing as the pressure around him started to build. ¡°i just added three runes to my soul in rapid succession. is that going to¨C¡±


    a wave of pain slammed into noah. he let out a strangled gasp that turned into a string of curses as his body shuddered. energy slammed at the edges of his mind, and all of his runes burned with energy as they pushed against each other, their pressure forcing his soul to expand.


    wind whipped. noah had just envisioned a blade of wind, but the rune had a mind of its own. a churning swirl of air materialized in his palm, spinning like a top for a few moments. the rune lived up to its name a moment later, as a keening howl started to emerge from within the wind.


    noah flicked his hand and sent the magic flying. it landed on the ground, ripping a small trail through the loose dirt before dissipating.


    okay, it really likes that whole maelstrom aspect. it didn¡¯t really want to just make a normal blade of wind. i guess that¡¯s the drawback of getting more specific. it¡¯s pretty damn loud, though. if i get varying sizes of these, i wonder if i could make a whole wind instrument section ¨C a literal one.


    noah chuckled to himself. the miniature tornado hadn¡¯t sounded even slightly good, so he was pretty sure a whole orchestra of them was about as horrendous of a noise as he was going to get. but, with a little tweaking, he was certain he could turn anything into music.


    ¡°did it go well?¡± lee¡¯s voice came from the house.


    noah turned as lee headed out of the door. she glanced at the scrolls that noah had left leaning against the building, then back to him. ¡°judging by the look on your face, i think it did.¡±


    ¡°really damn well,¡± noah replied. ¡°there were some great runes that fit me very well. i¡¯ve got five total runes now. six, if you count my rank 1.¡±


    ¡°only two more rank 2 runes, then. are you going to try to combine the rank 1?¡±


    ¡°not sure yet,¡± noah replied. ¡°i¡¯m going to need to settle in with these a bit first.¡±


    and i¡¯ll have to repair the absolute travesty that is this gale rune ¨C or rip it up for components. poor, crippled thing.


    ¡°are you going to... you know.¡±


    noah followed lee¡¯s gaze back to his scrolls. he scrunched his nose in annoyance and strode over to them, picking everything back up.


    ¡°not until i absolutely have to. he¡¯s got to have noticed they¡¯re missing by now, but since he hasn¡¯t said anything, i¡¯m not going to mention it either. i¡¯ll give it to jancie before we leave ¨C dayton¡¯s, at least. i don¡¯t want to be a liar, especially if he can somehow use that against us. but this technically isn¡¯t lying.¡±


    lee shrugged. ¡°whatever you think is best. i was just wondering if janice would stop feeding us if you kept it.¡±


    ¡°we¡¯re only here for ¨C what, two more days?¡± noah asked. ¡°you¡¯ll live.¡±


    ¡°actually, no. that¡¯s why i came to get you. brayden is here, and he wants to leave early.¡±


    ¡°huh? why?¡±


    ¡°something happened,¡± lee replied. ¡°he wouldn¡¯t say what, but apparently he thinks the roads are going to get dangerous really soon. todd and isabel are both already packing. brayden said we¡¯re going to leave tomorrow morning at first light.¡±

 Chapter 115: Departure

    chapter 115: departure


    noah hurried into the house after lee, nearly running straight into brayden as they stepped inside. lee expertly squished to the side, sliding past him and leaving noah to skid to a stop before he barreled into the larger man.


    ¡°brayden!¡± noah exclaimed, shifting the scroll in his grip. ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°ill omens,¡± brayden replied with a grunt. he was dressed to travel, his sword slung over his back ¨C even though they supposedly weren¡¯t leaving until the following morning. ¡°janice gave me some reports of pretty high ranking monsters on the road back, and it looks like there might be more soon.¡±??v€l?1n.


    ¡°what? i thought the area should be safe because we¡¯re in linwick territory.¡±


    ¡°monsters don¡¯t exactly listen to rules, you know,¡± brayden said with a bassy chuckle. ¡°they occasionally migrate. it¡¯s starting to get colder, although it¡¯s a lot earlier than i would have expected.¡±


    ¡°what kind of monsters?¡± lee asked from behind brayden. he craned his neck back to look at her.


    ¡°not sure. janice just had reports of attacks, and that means it¡¯s only going to get a lot worse. i wasn¡¯t quite able to get the investigative committee to agree that you¡¯re clear from suspicion, vermil. they don¡¯t want you staying here too long because there¡¯s a chance something could happen.¡±


    ¡°something could happen?¡± noah repeated. ¡°like what? do they think i¡¯m going to make a run for it?¡±


    brayden chuckled again. ¡°more like they think you¡¯re going to get assassinated because you saw something you didn¡¯t. i don¡¯t really know. they¡¯re being a bit tight on the detail since we¡¯re family, but the replacement great monster is smoothing things over a lot. you might get a bit of shit when you get back to arbitage, but as long as you keep your nose down and don¡¯t do anything else too stupid ¨C and as long as they don¡¯t get any more info ¨C you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°so as long as nobody spills anything,¡± lee concluded.


    ¡°which is exactly why i won¡¯t be staying in arbitage for any longer than absolutely necessary. as soon as i¡¯ve dropped you off, i¡¯ll be setting off to look for signs of a group meddling with the hellreaver.¡± brayden shook his head and let out a huff. ¡°what a waste of time. as if anyone would bother attacking any of the bastions. they¡¯re just bored and want something to do. doesn¡¯t matter now. all of you make sure to sleep well. i don¡¯t know how long the roads will be.¡±


    ¡°what about moxie?¡± noah asked.


    ¡°already handled. sent a runner to warn her and have her meet us at the edge of the deadlands,¡± brayden replied. ¡°one of the guards volunteered. frederick.¡±


    noah recalled the kindly guard that had spoken to him when he¡¯d first arrived at the linwick estate. he¡¯d never actually gotten a chance to visit the man for dinner. he¡¯d gotten a bit too wrapped up with the runes.


    ¡°he¡¯s a nice bloke,¡± noah said.


    brayden nodded in agreement. ¡°it¡¯s unfortunate he never developed the taste for fighting. he¡¯s a nice guy, but he¡¯ll never make it much beyond his current station.¡±


    i hope he finds something he can do that lets him visit his daughter more often.


    ¡°and do isabel and todd already know?¡±


    ¡°they¡¯re already asleep. i caught them training in the middle of the night yesterday, so we ended up having a makeshift class,¡± lee said.


    noah chuckled. ¡°i¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s responsible or not, but thanks for filling in for me when i get distracted.¡±


    lee shrugged. ¡°it¡¯s fun.¡±


    ¡°they already returned a week ago,¡± brayden said, squeezing himself through the door and out into the crisp early morning air. the rest of them followed him out. if it wasn¡¯t for the warmth of combustion, noah was pretty sure the air would have prickled against his skin. instead, it was just pleasant.


    the sun had yet to even start considering its ascent through the sky, and the city was only lit by the faint flickers of yellow light from lanterns lining the streets. a shadow hung over everything, casting it in a peaceful feeling. even though it was chilly, there were no clouds and the sky was clear and starry above them.


    brayden wasn¡¯t one to sit around and appreciate the weather. he set off at a brisk pace that noah had almost forgotten, forcing the rest of them to jog to keep up with him.


    it didn¡¯t take them long to trek through the city and exit through the same gate they¡¯d come through. a guard standing watch gave them a silent nod, but the early morning was clearly too much for him to bother with conversation.


    the aggressive pace that brayden set wasn¡¯t the easiest to keep up with, but noah was pleased to find that he was doing far better than he had on the way over. he wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of the extra energy his body would have been absorbing from all the new runes he¡¯d formed, or if it was because of all the training they were doing.


    probably a mixture of both.


    noah threw a glance back at the linwick estate as it receded in the distance behind them. he¡¯d expected... more. exactly what, he couldn¡¯t place. father had just given him the grimoire for enough time to noah to pick through it, figuring out exactly which runes would be the most useful for him and even taking a few of them.


    i know the grimoire probably wasn¡¯t worth too much to him, but it¡¯s... odd.


    there was nothing to be done about it, though. the hours started to drag on and the sun rose over the horizon. the grassy plains turned a faint golden as it rose into the sky. brayden, if anything, increased his pace.


    they continued at the same rate for almost six hours before brayden finally raised a hand, coming to a stop. there was still a good bit of light out, as the day hadn¡¯t even moved into the afternoon yet. they all slowed beside him, grateful for the chance to rest. well, most of them were. noah was pretty sure lee could have run a few laps around them and still not have been winded.


    ¡°are we camping already?¡± todd asked with a confused look around them. he wiped some of the sweat from his brow. ¡°is it because there might be monsters roaming around so its less safe at night?¡±


    ¡°no.¡± brayden shook his head, then paused. ¡°well, yes. but that isn¡¯t why we paused.¡±


    ¡°what is?¡± isabel asked.


    brayden jerked his chin in the direction they were headed. ¡°i¡¯m sensing some fairly powerful runes up ahead. something pretty strong.¡±


    ¡°maybe we should take another path?¡± lee suggested.


    ¡°it¡¯s in the general direction we¡¯re heading. there¡¯s no way to path around it if i don¡¯t know exactly where it is,¡± brayden replied. ¡°i¡¯m going to go find it. i don¡¯t think it¡¯s too strong for me to handle on my own, but i won¡¯t be able to take care of it while the four of you are with me. i can¡¯t waste energy protecting you and fight at the same time.¡±


    ¡°you sure you can do it alone?¡± noah asked. ¡°lee and i are both¨C¡±


    ¡°alone,¡± brayden said with a grunt. ¡°i¡¯m not an easy man to kill. don¡¯t worry. you¡¯ll hear if i¡¯m in trouble. run back for the linwick estate if things go really wrong, but i don¡¯t think the threat is that significant. just wait here a few hours until i get back.¡±


    noah and the others nodded reluctantly, and brayden jogged off, leaving them standing in the afternoon light. as brayden ran, his body shimmered with purple light. a portal snapped open before him and he stepped into it, vanishing.


    not a single one of them noticed the hooded man that stood on a slight hill behind them, somehow completely hidden from vision despite standing in plain sight. but, if they had, they would have seen a string of silver prayer beads hanging from his clasped hands and swaying in the wind. the beads shimmered with a faint glow that coiled around his body like golden mist.


    ¡°the report was correct,¡± the man breathed, his words lost to the wind before any could hear them. ¡°i have located the demon. grant me protection as i cleanse it from this realm.¡±

 Chapter 116: Purge

    chapter 116: purge


    ¡°did brayden just teleport?¡± isabel asked. ¡°i thought he said that was too difficult.¡±


    ¡°maybe it was much shorter range or only works for a single person?¡± noah suggested. ¡°we can ask him when he gets back. i had no idea he could do that.¡±


    ¡°i want to learn how to teleport,¡± todd said, shifting into a fighting stance and throwing a punch at the air. ¡°talk about an awesome fighting style. that would be so useful.¡±


    ¡°only if you can find the right runes for that,¡± isabel said with a snort. ¡°i bet he¡¯s got some really rare combinations. you could try asking him, but i doubt he¡¯ll say much. not everyone...¡±


    isabel trailed off, letting the sentence hang. she didn¡¯t need to finish it. the rest of them all knew what she was thinking.


    not everybody just goes around handing out runes that they¡¯re supposed to keep secret. i¡¯d imagine i could probably figure out how to get some teleportation runes of some kind for todd, though.


    noah¡¯s thoughts were interrupted as he spotted lee squinting over their shoulders at something. he turned, looking in the same direction, but there was nothing there.


    ¡°lee?¡± noah asked. isabel and todd both turned toward her as she glanced at noah.


    ¡°yeah?¡±


    ¡°i just thought you might have seen something. you were squinting really intently.¡±


    lee frowned and shook her head. ¡°i thought i saw something, but it must have just been my imagination.¡±


    noah started to nod, but before he could, a strange scent reached his nose. it was vibrant and sweet, like rain on a fresh spring day, but a dozen times stronger than it should have been. lee noticed it at the exact same time, her eyes narrowing.


    an instant later, a shadow flickered in the corner of noah¡¯s vision. he spun toward it. a man stood on the road before them, a dark cloak covering most of his body. the hood had been pulled back, revealing a square-jawed face with greying stubble covering his head. the man had a string of large, silver prayer beads clasped between his hands. a beautiful golden band glittered on one of his wrists.


    ¡°greetings,¡± the man said, inclining his head. his words were soft, unfitting for the sharp lines that made up his face. isabel and todd both jumped back in surprise.


    ¡°who are you?¡± noah asked, taking a step forward.


    ¡°my name is johan, rank 3 inquisitor. please, do not fear. i am here to help.¡±


    ¡°help what?¡± noah asked, pulling isabel and todd back to stand beside him. ¡°we¡¯re quite all right, thank you very much.¡±


    ¡°do not be alarmed, but my compatriots and i have detected the presence of a demon amongst you. it is possible that you do not even realize you are housing the demon.¡±


    the back of noah¡¯s spine prickled.


    ¡°what? i assure you, there¡¯s nothing like that. we¡¯ve all been together for a while. you must have followed the wrong group.¡±


    johan shook his head. he ran his thumb along one of the sliver prayer beads, and a dull hum emerged from it. the sound set noah¡¯s hair on end. out of the corner of his eye, he saw lee grit her teeth.


    ¡°do not fear. i have manners to force the demon out.¡±


    ¡°you heard what our professor said,¡± todd growled, taking a step forward. ¡°we don¡¯t¨C¡±


    a band of golden light unraveled from yohan¡¯s beads, flitting through the air and snapping around todd¡¯s mouth before he could finish his sentence. todd¡¯s eyes widened and he let out a muffled cry.


    ¡°two reactions,¡± johan mused. ¡°one possessed and the other fully present? you will both have to be purged.¡±


    fury swelled in noah as he saw lee press her hand to her face, her eyes suddenly glassy. whatever johan was doing, it was devastatingly effective against her.


    noah called deeply on his new howling maelstrom rune, gathering as much of the energy within it as he dared to handle at once and then a little more. he thrust it out into the air, letting the rune¡¯s magic take its own form.


    a violent, screeching gale ripped out from noah¡¯s hands, tearing across the ground in a swirling pillar of malevolent white wind. it ripped through the dirt and slammed into johan. his golden barrier cracked and he skidded back, his eyes widening with shock as the spell bit at him.


    noah charged, calling to all the ash that still floated around in the air and sharpening it into a heated spike. he whistled, whipping it into the crack in the shield with all the force he could muster. there was a brilliant crash as johan¡¯s glowing orb shattered. the spike of ash continued forward and struck johan in the side ¨C where his skin flashed golden.


    he has another goddamn shield?


    a palm of gold light shot from johan¡¯s hand. noah threw himself to the side, but he wasn¡¯t fast enough to completely avoid it. it caught him in the leg, whipping him to the side and sending him hurtling into the glowing barrier around them once more.


    noah grunted in pain as all the air was knocked from his lungs, but he righted himself with a burst of wind before he could fall.


    johan wasn¡¯t going to go down to his normal magic. he needed to use sunder ¨C and, to do that, he was going to have to get close. noah darted forward, using focal quake to try and knock johan off balance.


    this time, the inquisitor was ready. he jumped into the air and traced a glowing line before him with a finger. a beam of light shot out, and noah barely managed to roll to the side in time to dodge it.


    johan held his beads forth, and another brilliant chime rang out. noah staggered, a spike of agony piercing into his head. behind him, lee cried out in pain.


    ¡°you should have never left the damned plains, demon,¡± johan said, walking toward noah. ¡°your kind are not welcome.¡±


    noah let out a low hum, calling the hot smoke that floated around johan. a dozen small spikes shot out, shattering harmlessly as they struck his shield.


    ¡°you¡¯re a crazy bastard,¡± noah snarled, sprinting at johan. the inquisitor shot a palm of energy for noah, but he vaulted into the air with a burst of wind and let the magic pass beneath him harmlessly.


    noah landed directly in front of johan and thrust his hand forward. the prayer beads suddenly flashed with light. there was a brilliant explosion and noah was launched backward like a rocket.


    for the third time, he slammed into the glowing dome. he coughed, his head spinning so violently that he couldn¡¯t even call on his magic in time to stop himself from falling.


    he hit the ground hard, landing beside isabel. groaning in pain, noah tried to rise to his feet, but he staggered as a wave of dizziness enveloped him.


    johan approached, forming a glowing lance in the air above his head. isabel dashed forward, running to stand in front of noah. todd finally managed to rip the glowing band off his mouth and sprinted to join her.


    ¡°stop!¡± isabel yelled. ¡°he¡¯s not a demon! stop this!¡±


    ¡°he is.¡± johan¡¯s thumb ran over the prayer beads once more, and a chime shook the air. noah screamed as the sound ripped into his head ¨C but not as loudly as lee, who crumpled to the ground beside him and curling into a ball as tremors shook her body.


    fury and panic wrapped around noah¡¯s heart like a vice. he desperately pushed himself, trying to rise ¨C but his limbs wouldn¡¯t respond. it wasn¡¯t just from the injuries. johan¡¯s magic was doing something to his body.


    ¡°step aside,¡± johan commanded. ¡°the demons must be purged. i would prefer not to kill innocents, but i will take no risks. this is for the good of all.¡±


    isabel pressed her hand to her chest. when she pulled it away, a brilliant blue spear burned in her hand. the ground shifted at her feet as stone raced up her legs, encasing her entire body in a suit of armor. todd¡¯s hands erupted in flames and he lowered into a fighting stance beside isabel.


    ¡°i see,¡± johan raised a hand, grabbing the golden lance, and shifted into a light-footed stance. ¡°you are too far gone to be saved. the demon¡¯s influence will be purged ¨C starting with the two of you.¡±

 Chapter 117: Problems

    chapter 117: problems


    brayden stepped out of the portal and it snapped shut behind him with a faint hiss. a short man stood in the center of the paved path, long black robes ending just slightly above his feet. his hood was pulled back, revealing a clean shaven head and a sharp, pointed face. his robes hung low on his arms, draping and obscuring his hands.


    ¡°who are you?¡± brayden asked, drawing his sword and letting it rest on the ground.


    ¡°inquisitor inaros,¡± the man replied. he spread his arms, but brayden still couldn¡¯t see the man¡¯s hands within his robes. ¡°you need not draw your blade unless you are a demon.¡±


    brayden¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°an inquisitor? what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°my job,¡± the inquisitor replied primely. he reached into one of his sleeves and pulled out a long string of prayer beads, somehow all without actually revealing any part of his hands. the beads just hung from the darkness within them.


    brayden grunted, keeping his face as flat as he could manage. ¡°go ahead. why were you leaking runic energy like that? i thought you were a monster.¡±


    inaros approached brayden, lifting the beads slightly. brayden just watched them with a dour, skeptical expression. it was several moments before the inquisitor spoke again.


    ¡°a challenge. some demons are drawn to them,¡± inaros replied, lowering the beads. ¡°you are clean. you may continue on your way.¡±


    he stepped past brayden, starting down the road. brayden¡¯s hand fell on the man¡¯s shoulder. inaros turned slowly, looking back at brayden.


    ¡°yes?¡±


    ¡°you never answered my question,¡± brayden rumbled. ¡°there are a lot of places for an inquisitor to be, but the linwick estate?¡±


    ¡°we received a report of demonic activity in the area,¡± inaros replied with an easygoing smile. ¡°clearly, nothing that has affected you. fear not. you have nothing to fear from me. despite what the rumors may suggest, inquisitors do not seek needless death. we work to protect the common man from the terrors of the damned plains.¡±


    brayden¡¯s expression tightened. he shifted his stance. ¡°don¡¯t inquisitors typically travel in pairs?¡±


    ¡°indeed we do. you¡¯re well versed in our work,¡± inaros said with a chuckle. the runic energy pouring off the man intensified and brayden lifted his hand, grimacing as the pressure washing off inaros pushed him a step back. ¡°my partner is currently investigating the rest of your group. nothing to concern yourself with.¡±


    rank 4 at the minimum. he¡¯s got a domain. and, more importantly, vermil isn¡¯t going to pass their checkup.


    brayden rolled his neck and plastered a smile across his face. he¡¯d never been very good at lying, but if there was ever a time to start, this was it. brayden extended a hand. as he reached out, brayden released his own domain. his domain expanded, an invisible sphere of power enveloping him. it negated the power pushing out from inaros and allowed him to approach.


    rank 4 for sure, then. a rank 5 would be able to overwhelm my domain, and i don¡¯t see any traces of a physical manifestation of his powers that would come with a rank 5 domain.


    ¡°i¡¯ve always been a huge fan of your line of work. i never thought i¡¯d get to meet an inquisitor as strong as yourself in person,¡± brayden said. ¡°would you be willing to tell me a little more about your organization?¡±


    inaros paused, then turned back to face brayden. he reached out with a sleeve-covered hand and took brayden¡¯s hand, giving it a shake. ¡°i suppose i could spare¨C¡±


    brayden¡¯s blade blurred. it slammed into the ground as inaros threw his weight to the side. brayden kept his grip on the man¡¯s hand, but inaros managed to completely twist his body, wrenching his arm out of the socket in order to avoid the strike.


    anger creased brayden¡¯s brow. he bared his teeth and drove his sword into the ground, leaving it buried in the dirt and stepping forward. he reached out, digging his hands into the air like it was made of pudding, and yanked.


    a flicker of surprised danced across inaros¡¯ face a moment before he suddenly found himself hurtling straight toward brayden. a massive fist whipped out, slamming into inaros¡¯ face with the force of a runaway train.


    the inquisitor slammed into the ground so hard that he bounced, blood splattering from his mouth. hissing in fury, the miasma snake snapped at brayden¡¯s neck. brayden flickered, disappearing and reforming behind inaros as the man started to rise.


    his foot slammed into the inquisitor¡¯s back, but this time, inaros was ready. a wave of miasma erupted from his body and forced brayden to teleport backward. inaros rose to his feet, rubbing his cheek and drawing in a ragged breath.


    he wiped the blood from his nose and spat on the dirt. ¡°a good blow. i didn¡¯t expect that from someone in a backwater place like this.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll show you backwater when i leave you floating face down in a lake,¡± brayden growled.


    ¡°we¡¯ll see about that,¡± inaros replied. he extended his hands and miasma poured out from his sleeves, gathering into two massive wings. they curled around his body and the snake slithered back to him, slipping into one of his sleeves and taking the place of a hand. another snake curled out of the other sleeve, hissing in conjunction with the first.


    the miasma didn¡¯t stop there. it kept pouring out of inaros, until it towered like a tidal wave behind him, blocking out the sun.


    brayden¡¯s eyes narrowed, and inaros smiled.


    ¡°what are you waiting for?¡± inaros asked. ¡°time runs out for your friends, and i know you cannot fight two inquisitors at once.¡±


    brayden blinked, vanishing. inaros roared with laughter, bringing the wave of miasma crashing down on top of himself. wherever the black mist rolled across the ground, grass rotted and withered away.


    a sphere of clean air carved through the miasma directly above inaros¡¯ head as brayden appeared from a portal above the man, his domain burning away the miasma before it could touch him.


    he kicked at inaros, but the inquisitor leaned out of the way. one of his wings whipped around, reaching for brayden. it hissed as it passed into brayden¡¯s domain, but it didn¡¯t stop. brayden¡¯s eyes widened and he vanished again. a portal dumped him out at the edge of the pool of miasma, out of harm¡¯s way.


    ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± inaros asked, turning to face brayden again. ¡°done already? unfortunate. i suppose it¡¯s my turn, then.¡±


    his wings swelled as he flapped them downward, launching himself toward brayden with blinding speed. brayden vanished, landing on the other side of the pool of miasma. a trickle of sweat beaded up on his forehead and rolled down. inaros turned, his massive wings flapping once more.


    brayden teleported out of the way once more, reappearing behind his sword. he staggered as he arrived, the strain on his runes starting to intensify.


    teleporting takes too much damn energy, and short distances like this are the most i can do. i won¡¯t be able to get to the others in time at this rate.


    ¡°worrying about the demon?¡± inaros asked. ¡°you won¡¯t have to for much longer. space runes chew up quite a bit of energy. last i heard, there wasn¡¯t a combination for them that was perfectly efficient. how much energy do they have left? enough for a few more spells, perhaps?¡±


    brayden gritted his teeth, not answering the other man.


    this might be a problem.

 Chapter 118: Agony

    chapter 118: agony


    johan lunged, but todd moved faster. reddened by the body imbuements coursing within him, todd lunged forward and fired a bolt of flame out of his hands. johan didn¡¯t even try to dodge it. it struck him and flared against his golden shield, vanishing without leaving a trace of harm.


    a pillar of rock shot up, striking johan¡¯s javelin in the shaft and knocking it upward. it whistled past isabel as she stepped forward, thrusting her own spear for the inquisitor. johan leaned back, vaulting out of the way even as todd fired two more blasts of fire after him.


    noah groaned, fighting against johan¡¯s magic. he felt the influence of whatever johan had done to him starting to slough off, but it was agonizingly slow. beside him, lee twitched in pain, unresponsive.


    a blast of golden energy shout out of johan¡¯s hand, heading straight for todd. isabel lunged, putting herself between the magic and todd. noah¡¯s eyes widened in horror, but streaks of blue light shot through her armor. the wave of energy slammed into her shield and vanished within it.


    isabel let out a battle cry and lunged forward, thrusting her spear at johan. the inquisitor¡¯s foot sank into the ground as isabel liquified it beneath his feet. he thrust a hand toward isabel, and a palm of golden energy ripped forth.


    it struck her shield ¨C and vanished once again. surprise flickered in his eyes. the strike had cost him precious instants that he needed to dodge, and even though he leaned back, isabel¡¯s spear scraped his side.


    instead of bouncing right off like todd¡¯s magic, it gouged a bloody furrow across him. johan leapt back, then thrust both of his hands forward. a massive wave of gold erupted from his body, picking both isabel and todd up and throwing them back.


    todd twisted midair, then threw himself into a roll as he hit the ground. isabel hit the glowing dome surrounding them and cried out, staggering and jabbing the spear into the ground to keep from falling.


    ¡°what manner of rune do you use?¡± johan demanded, pressing a hand to his side. ¡°demonspawn!¡±


    todd sent two bolts of flame at johan¡¯s face. he ducked out of the way and snarled in fury. ¡°stupid child. have you not realized how worthless your attacks are?¡±


    a thick wave of flame washed out of todd¡¯s hands, rolling across the ground and enveloping johan. noah ground his teeth, forcing his body to push itself upright. he didn¡¯t know how isabel was hurting johan, but todd¡¯s magic wasn¡¯t going to help him against johan.


    johan stepped out of the wall of fire, completely unharmed. his eyes flicked to noah and he reached for his prayer beads. isabel reared back and hurled her spear at him. johan jumped to the side to avoid the attack, but the spear vanished as soon as he moved, reappearing in isabel¡¯s hands.


    she launched it at him again, forcing johan to dodge once more. noah bit down on his inner cheek until the taste of blood exploded in his mouth. the dizzy reverie that had been binding him finally dispelled and he drew in a sharp breath.


    the relief didn¡¯t last long. despite isabel¡¯s attempts to stop him, johan managed to activate the prayer beads once more. a chime ripped through the air and slammed into noah with such force that it felt like a physical strike.


    he stumbled, only managing to stay standing through sheer will. behind him, lee didn¡¯t even react. noah didn¡¯t know if she was even still conscious. his arms trembled in fury. never had he been so useless since arriving in this world.


    johan noticed that noah hadn¡¯t fallen, but isabel and todd were upon him again. todd reared back, but instead of the flame that noah had expected, a torrent of water whipped out of todd¡¯s clothes.


    noah caught a glimpse of several water skins that he¡¯d somehow hidden beneath his shirt and inside his bag, each of them drained of their contents. the water swirled around him, then slithered toward johan.


    noah roared, forcing his body forward ¨C and was met with a wall of magical energy as the prayer beads rang out once more. he stumbled, but didn¡¯t fall. johan¡¯s eyes narrowed and he skipped back, activating the beads once more.


    another blast struck noah¡¯s body. he fell to one knee, his chest and head pulsing with violent tremors of pain. the beads felt like they were getting less effective, but they were still more than enough to keep noah down and prevent him from gathering his magic. every chime did something to severely disrupt noah¡¯s access to his mindspace and runes. he couldn¡¯t even call on combustion, and it was imbued in his soul.


    as johan stalked toward noah, raising his spear, todd forced himself upright and raced over to isabel. he skidded to a stop beside her, breathing heavily as he fumbled at her belt and pulled out the healing potion they¡¯d each taken to carrying around. he ripped the cork off and shoved it into her mouth, tilting the potion back.


    ¡°attention on me, demon,¡± johan snarled. he reared back and thrust the javelin for noah¡¯s heart.


    something blurred between them. the protective dome shuddered as lee slammed into it. she leaned heavily against the glowing energy, her arms and legs trembling with exertion. she hadn¡¯t even been able to gather the control to actually attack, but she¡¯d stalled johan for just an instant longer. blood trickled down from her ears, eyes, and nose, but she¡¯d somehow managed to force herself upright once more.


    johan snarled in fury. he thrust a hand at lee and a golden palm slammed into her, smashing her into the wall of the dome. she crumpled, falling limp on the ground.


    ¡°damned cockroaches,¡± johan spat, spinning back toward noah, barely paying attention as todd sprinted at his back, his hands igniting in flame. johan didn¡¯t even look back. his hand shot out and he caught todd by the throat.


    noah forced himself upright and lunged ¨C catching a knee to the face for the attempt. blood splattered as noah¡¯s nose broke and he was thrown onto his back. darkness flashed at the edges of his vision, threatening to consume it.


    stop moving now and everyone dies. move, damn it!


    noah forced himself up, just in time to see johan snap todd¡¯s neck with a violent twist. something glinted in the air as a golden bracelet that had been on johan¡¯s wrist slipped from todd¡¯s fingers and fell to the ground.


    ¡°no!¡± noah screamed, throwing himself forward.


    johan¡¯s baleful gaze flicked to him and he thrust his spear, driving it straight into noah¡¯s heart.


    noah choked, reaching desperately for the healing potion on todd¡¯s waist and pushing himself farther along the spear. johan shoved noah down, ripping the spear out of his chest. todd lips twitched as he tried to breathe, but he''d been paralyzed - not that it would matter in a few seconds.


    blood poured from the fatal wound in noah¡¯s chest. noah desperately tried to force his limbs to move, but there was no energy left within them. he screamed in his mind, digging for even a single scrap of magic, but his life flitted away from him.


    the world around him started to grow muted, but he could hear the distant sound of isabel screaming.


    noah¡¯s hand fell back to the ground, splatting in the wet mud.


    he breathed one final, agonizing breath.


    and then he died.witness the debut of this chapter, unveiled through n?o?v€l--b1n.

 Chapter 119: Fallout

    chapter 119: fallout


    noah¡¯s soul rose up from his body, all the pain vanishing as soon as he left it. johan flicked the blood from his spear as isabel sprinted to todd¡¯s side, falling to her knees beside him and completely ignoring the inquisitor as she lunged for the healing potion at todd¡¯s waist.


    ¡°no! let me back!¡± noah screamed, struggling against the sunder¡¯s pull. there was absolutely nothing he could do but watch the cruel movie play out before him. the moment he was drawn back to the gourd by sunder, he¡¯d be completely unable to use his magic.


    johan lifted the spear, taking aim at isabel¡¯s back.


    ¡°stop!¡± noah yelled desperately. ¡°don¡¯t!¡±


    for an instant, johan paused. a flicker of sadness and disappointment passed through his eyes. noah swung a fist at the man, but his hand just passed through johan¡¯s head harmlessly. he didn¡¯t care if the inquisitor felt bad about killing his students.


    damn all the afterlife bullshit. i don¡¯t care if there¡¯s another life for them. they deserve to live this one!??v€l?1n.


    johan¡¯s features hardened. he reared back.


    noah roared in fury. he reached out, grabbing sunder with all the force he could muster. the master rune¡¯s power flooded into his soul, filling his entire body with unspeakable agony. he could feel himself coming apart at the seams, but he didn¡¯t care.


    binding. bind me. just give me one second!


    ink spilled within the glow of his soul, spreading throughout him. the pull of the gourd faltered. black lines whipped out of noah¡¯s body from where it lay on the ground, reaching out like hundreds of tentacles and pulling at noah¡¯s soul.


    they wound around it, and then they yanked.


    noah¡¯s eyes snapped open. he thrust himself forward, even as johan started to drive the spear downward, and drove his hand into the man¡¯s back. the immense might of sunder¡¯s magic tore out of his palm and flooded into johan. the world seemed to freeze. darkness bloomed in the sky above them. johan looked up, his eyes going as wide as saucers.


    a black spear fell from the air above him, moving so quickly that noah could barely track it. it crashed down like the judgmental hand of god, carving the inquisitor from head to toe with a single black flash. as soon as its tip hit the ground, the spear vanished as if it had never been there.


    noah stood, blood dripping from the hole in his chest, and staring through the gap between the two perfectly severed halves of johan. the instant of stillness shattered, and johan¡¯s body fell in either direction, splatting to the ground as his magic dissipated and the dome around them fell.


    a flicker of a smile passed over noah¡¯s lips. he felt a familiar tug on his soul. this time, he didn¡¯t try to resist. his body pitched forward, falling to the ground as the life he had stolen back was torn free once again.


    and then noah knew no more.


    ***


    isabel¡¯s fingers trembled as she poured the healing potion between todd¡¯s lips. for a few moments, nothing happened. then todd¡¯s finger twitched. his adam¡¯s apple bobbed as he swallowed, she burst into tears. isabel leaned forward, hugging todd desperately to her chest as she cried.


    ¡°i¡¯m okay,¡± todd rasped, clutching her closer. for several seconds, neither of them spoke. they just sat there, pain and grief racking their bodies. todd pushed himself upright, then let out a pained gasp and clutched at his neck, dropping back to the ground.


    ¡°todd!¡±


    todd groaned, tilting his head to the side, his chest thumping. he slowly pushed himself upright, his head still slightly askew.


    ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± isabel stammered. ¡°did the potion work?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t know,¡± todd muttered. he tilted his head back, then swore and swayed in place. isabel grabbed him before he could fall. ¡°t-thanks. it felt like my neck got snapped again. it doesn¡¯t matter. i¡¯m alive. i can take some residual pain.¡±


    it was pretty clear that the damage was far more than just residual pain. if a healing potion didn¡¯t take care of something, then it wasn¡¯t going anywhere. not for a long time, at least.


    something twitched near the edge of where the dome had been. isabel jerked, her red eyes going wide as lee staggered to her feet. she staggered over to join the two of them, exhaustion covering her features.


    ¡°lee! you¡¯re alive!¡± isabel exclaimed, tears streaming down her cheeks. ¡°i thought¨C¡±


    ¡°i did too,¡± lee replied, breathing heavily. she looked down at vermil and the inquisitor¡¯s dead bodies. ¡°but... where¡¯s vermil?¡±


    isabel¡¯s face crumpled and she started to cry even harder, pressing her forehead against todd¡¯s chest as if to hide from the world. lee blinked in confusion, looking around the grassy plains.


    ¡°i... i don¡¯t understand,¡± lee muttered.


    ¡°he died saving us,¡± todd said, his voice trembling. ¡°i don¡¯t even know how he managed to do that. the bastard had one more rune that he was hiding from us, i guess.¡±


    ¡°but... where is he? he can¡¯t. he can¡¯t die.¡±


    lee looked around desperately, her eyes watering. noah¡¯s belongings lay where he had tossed them.


    motes of black light swirled around the gourd that vermil always carried, pouring out of its top in a slow stream. the light formed into a mound of black strands that pulled themselves together with tedious efficiency, moving inch by inch as they wound into a recognizable shape.


    ¡°isabel,¡± todd breathed, shaking her gently.


    isabel raised her gaze. then she froze.


    skin bloomed from the darkness as vermil¡¯s body took form. the last of the black strands wound themselves into place and the gourd sealed itself once more. a lattice of cracked, spiderwebbing black energy covered vermil¡¯s naked body, pulsating weakly as it faded away.


    ¡°what is this?¡± brayden asked, his voice breaking as he took a step forward. a weak breath filled vermil¡¯s lungs and his chest rose faintly, though his eyes remained closed.


    ¡°i told you!¡± lee cried, throwing herself forward and onto him with a relieved sob. ¡°he¡¯s alive!¡±


    ***


    someone pounded desperately on father¡¯s door. he lifted his gaze from the scroll of runes on his desk, his lips pressing thin. father rose to his feet and walked over to his dresser, picking up a bottle of wine and pouring a glass.


    he set it down on the desk, then returned to his chair and leaned back with a flick of his hand. the door ground open, and a bedraggled inquisitor stumbled in. his eyes were bloodshot and his clothes were torn to shreds. dozens of deep cuts covered his body that had only started to heal ¨C the result of multiple fatal injuries that were still in the process of recovering from a powerful healing potion.


    the door ground shut behind the inquisitor.


    ¡°you look ill, my good man,¡± father said, gesturing to the chair across from him. ¡°please, sit. was the demon a difficult target? i did not believe a rank 2 would cause you any difficulty.¡±


    ¡°damn the demon. it was weak enough that my imbuements could force it out of hiding,¡± the inquisitor replied, coughing into his fist. he staggered over to the chair and dropped into it, letting out a rattling wheeze. ¡°it was the big man traveling with him that nearly took me down.¡±


    father¡¯s face didn¡¯t even twitch. ¡°forgive me prying after such a harrowing experience, but how did you find this place? i was under the impression that the calls were secret.¡±


    ¡°i needed a place to rest,¡± the inquisitor replied, bracing his hands against his knees and grimacing. ¡°they are secret, but the inquisitors know where it originated from in case you were in direct danger. fear not. my prayer beads would have warned me if there was a demonic presence here. you are safe.¡±


    ¡°of course,¡± father said, bowing his head slightly. ¡°i was unaware that the marbles had such a property. fascinating.¡±


    ¡°it is one of our closest guarded secrets. i should not have said. i will need your aid. my fellow inquisitor is still back fighting the demon. if that monster of a man finds him, i fear he may fall.¡±


    ¡°we will move to aid him post haste,¡± father promised. ¡°but you are in no shape to fight.¡±


    ¡°i will do what i must.¡± the inquisitor drew a rattling breath and let it out slowly. ¡°do you have a potion? i need to heal these injuries, but i used the rest of mine in a fight.¡±


    ¡°please,¡± father said, gesturing to the cup of wine on the table. ¡°i always keep a drought ready for the worst occasions.¡±


    the inquisitor let out a relieved sigh and grabbed the goblet, tipping it back into his mouth and drinking greedily. he set the goblet down and shook his head, gripping the armrests of the chair tightly.


    ¡°i feel better already. thank you. we were not prepared for such a threat. i did not know warriors like that existed at his rank. the demon¡¯s allies are powerful indeed. i¨C¡±


    the inquisitor trailed off. a frown crossed his features. he swallowed, then blinked. his hands shot up to his throat, clutching at it as blood bubbled up from between his lips and started to pour down his chin.


    father watched silently as the inquisitor thrashed, desperately gasping for breath but only choking on blood instead. his struggles lasted less than a minute before he crumpled to the ground, dead.


    ¡°and, for once, the poison works as it¡¯s meant to,¡± father said, rising to his feet. ¡°my apologies, inquisitor. it was a tragedy to hear that you fell fighting the demon. if brayden survived your attack, then he has already killed your compatriot ¨C and i can¡¯t have any loose ends.¡±


    the door opened and janice stepped inside, not even blinking at the body on the floor.


    ¡°the inquisitors met an unfortunate end at the hands of a demon,¡± father said. ¡°please retrieve any other summoning marbles that we had for the inquisitors and properly store them so that they are never broken.¡±


    ¡°yes, father.¡± janice turned to leave.


    ¡°and, janice?¡±


    janice looked back at him.


    ¡°why was brayden fighting together with vermil? i believe i gave you very strict instructions to tell him to stay out of it.¡±


    ¡°i did, father. i warned him that there would be trouble on the road, and that he should wait several days to make sure everything was properly prepared before leaving, and that he should ensure he does not interfere in anything that happens. he departed earlier than he was meant to.¡±


    father¡¯s eyebrow¡¯s knit together. ¡°i see. when brayden returns, discover exactly what the miscommunication was. i would have preferred to call on higher ranked hunters, but there was no way to call for a rank 5 without drawing too much attention to ourselves. they should have been sufficient, but even i did not account for brayden¡¯s interference. i suppose we shall see how the dice roll. there are always other options, and we must determine our next course of action.¡±

 Chapter 120: Into the dark

    chapter 120: into the dark


    despite his miraculous return to the land of the living, noah¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t open. lee prodded at him for several minutes before brayden pulled her away, still staring at noah like he was an apparition.


    ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± todd asked. ¡°there aren¡¯t any runes that can do this.¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t care,¡± brayden rumbled in response. he knelt beside noah, gently raising one of his eyelids with a single finger. ¡°he¡¯s alive. unconscious, though.¡±


    ¡°should we wake him up?¡± isabel asked.


    ¡°i think we should start by putting some clothes on him,¡± brayden replied.


    ¡°he¡¯s got spares in his bag,¡± lee said, reaching over and pulling out a bundle of cloth. she tore it open with a finger and a pile of clothes fell out onto the ground. she grabbed a set and stuffed the rest into his bag.


    brayden¡¯s brow furrowed and took the set of training clothes from lee, pinching it between two fingers. he looked down at the extras all sticking out of the bag. ¡°why does he have so many sets of clothes? that seems a bit excessive.¡±


    isabel swallowed, wiping the tears from her face with the back of a sleeve. her eyes flicked from the clothes to noah and widened slightly. ¡°this isn¡¯t the first time this has happened.¡±


    lee froze, then sent isabel a guilty look.


    ¡°that¡¯s why you were saying he couldn¡¯t die,¡± isabel said. ¡°you weren¡¯t in denial. you literally don¡¯t think he can die.¡±


    lee snatched the clothes back from brayden, then started to tug them onto noah¡¯s limp body. ¡°i didn¡¯t say that.¡±


    ¡°yes, you definitely did,¡± todd said, joining isabel in frowning.


    ¡°nope.¡±


    ¡°lee¨C¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve got no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡± lee managed to get noah¡¯s pants all the way up and slipped his arms into his shirt. ¡°you must have been hearing things.¡±


    ¡°i was not,¡± isabel insisted. ¡°come on. what¡¯s going on, lee? i thought he died! were you just going to¨C¡±


    ¡°he did!¡± lee snapped. she blinked, then shook her head. ¡°he did die.¡±


    ¡°he doesn¡¯t look very dead to me,¡± brayden said.


    lee pointed at the corpse lying beside the dead inquisitor. ¡°how dead does that look to you?¡±


    brayden blanched. ¡°what are you saying, then?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m saying that you didn¡¯t see anything happen,¡± lee said. she got noah¡¯s jacket on, then stood up and walked over to the body lying where brayden had dropped it.


    ¡°it¡¯s not just vermil,¡± isabel muttered. ¡°they were hunting a demon. vermil said there was one somewhere back in arbitage ¨C but it¡¯s not there anymore, is it?¡±


    ¡°what are you talking about?¡± todd asked, glancing from isabel to lee. the meaning of isabel¡¯s words suddenly struck him and he stiffened. ¡°you? no. both of you? you¡¯re both demons? that¡¯s why the prayer beads were working on you?¡±


    lee didn¡¯t respond. she knelt, grabbing noah¡¯s body. her jaw cracked. all the others stiffened as she opened her mouth impossibly wide, stuffing the entire corpse into her mouth in a single move. there was a series of loud crunches as she straightened and turned back to them.


    ¡°can¡¯t leave that lying around,¡± lee said softly. ¡°it could get him in trouble. are you going to tell people?¡±


    ¡°hello?¡± noah asked.


    his words vanished into the darkness, but they came with the small mercy of actually letting him hear anything other than the endless silence surrounding him. noah raised a hand to his face, running it down the beginnings of the stubble on his chin.


    wherever i am, i haven¡¯t had a chance to shave in a while.


    the thought made a snort of amusement slip out. he rubbed his eyes and let out a sigh, stretching his arms out. noah couldn¡¯t quite remember what had happened or how he¡¯d arrived in this realm of emptiness.


    snippets of memory danced through his mind like images trying to chase after each other and reform a full movie. a flash of the linwick estate, father¡¯s placid features, isabel and todd¡¯s training, lee chowing down on a butterfly.


    the images flowed faster the longer he concentrated on him. noah¡¯s brow furrowed. another memory struck him.


    a man in a robe, carrying beads that rang with agonizing pain.


    he drew in a sharp breath, trying to pull back, but the dam had been broken and the memories flowed faster still. every single trace of the fight replayed itself in his mind in excruciating detail, going right up until he was shunted out of his body.


    ¡°what happened?¡± noah muttered to himself. a flash of panic shot through him. ¡°wait. there was another inquisitor.¡±


    he turned, trying to find literally anything that could help him, but the infinite black provided no more information than it had before. noah reached for his runes, but nothing met him. attempts to sink into his mental space proved equally futile, even though there wasn¡¯t any fog in his mind.


    ¡°what the hell? where am i?¡±


    there was, somewhat predictably, no response.


    there wouldn¡¯t be one for quite some time.


    noah was no stranger to waiting. it was one of the things he hated most. and, unfortunately, it was precisely the only thing he currently found himself capable of doing. no matter what he tried, he couldn¡¯t move from his suspended position in the air. he couldn¡¯t see. he couldn¡¯t call on his runes.


    all he could do was wait.


    and so, he did.


    time certainly passed, noah was certain of that. by his best guess, it was somewhere between a few days and a week or two, though he lost count and drifted off several times, forcing him to guess how much he¡¯d missed.


    but, as the time dragged on, something finally changed. a tiny pinprick of white appeared at the edge of the darkness. it took noah more time than he would have cared to admit to notice it. he must have been staring in its direction in a vague trance for hours before a tiny portion of his brain finally kicked back into gear.


    noah willed himself toward the light and he flew across the darkness, arriving before it. he squinted, but he couldn¡¯t see anything through the mote. it was just brilliant white. noah reached up toward it, seeing his hand for the first time since he¡¯d arrived in the dark.


    he pressed against the white. the darkness resisted him, but noah dug deeper into the tiny crack, trying to pull it wider. a little more light spilled out as noah managed to dig the hole open a little more.


    noah dug and tore at the hole, suddenly filled with desperation. he kicked and ripped, slamming his entire body against the darkness in an attempt to pull more of the light in. slowly, the hole grew larger.


    he still couldn¡¯t see anything but pure, unadulterated white behind it, but noah was past caring. his efforts managed to force the crack wide enough for him to fit both hands into. noah grabbed it by the edges, letting out a roar as he pulled with all his might.


    every single muscle that he could bring to bear tensed as he pulled. the hole started to widen. light washed down over noah, forcing him to squint. a line carved through the darkness above him, tearing in line with the hole as he pulled harder and harder.


    he was almost through. he just needed a little more. noah called on the dredges of his strength, pulling every last bit of effort he had left to give, and yanked. the sound like a ripping curtain tore through the empty dark.


    brilliant white light washed down on noah, completely bathing him in its embrace and banishing every last trace of the shadow. he drew in a startled, gasping breath as the world dropped out from beneath him.


    noah¡¯s eyes snapped open and he bolted into a seated position, propping himself up with his arms as his heart thundered in his chest. a headache gripped the edges of his temples and his entire body felt like it was made out of dead wood ¨C but he was awake once more.

 Chapter 121: Rest

    chapter 121: rest


    noah took a moment to gather himself. he was sitting in a bed, but the last thing he could remember was dying. the room around him was strikingly green, and the bed¡¯s covers were made from surprisingly soft intertwining vines.


    when did i get moved? how did i get here?


    the burst of energy that had shaken noah awake evaded him as the adrenaline started to fade. a wave of weakness passed over his body and he groaned, flopping onto his back. even though the headache was faint, it felt like a thick layer of familiar fog had once again set in, obscuring his thoughts and making it difficult to reason.


    i swear i recognize where i am, but i can¡¯t remember where it is. am i back in the linwick estate?


    noah bit his inner cheek. his head pulsed faintly and he cast his thoughts inward, not really expecting to be allowed into his mental space. to noah¡¯s surprise, the familiar darkness bloomed around him, runes dotting it all around him.


    but not all was as he had left it. thick cracks of white void ran all throughout the ground and up along the walls of his soul like a massive glowing spiderweb. they pulsated faintly with energy, small glowing motes rising out of them.


    ¡°oh, shit,¡± noah muttered, stepping over one of the cracks. he knelt, peering into the void. mercifully, nothing stared back out at him, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that his soul had been shoved into a metaphorical blender and set to puree. ¡°that¡¯s not good.¡±


    noah inspected his runes, but they were the same as they¡¯d always been. there didn¡¯t seem to be any less energy in them than before ¨C on the contrary, they¡¯d all grown, probably from the energy he¡¯d gained killing the inquisitor.


    he blinked and opened his eyes in the bed once more. noah¡¯s hands felt like sticks of lead at his sides. in the few seconds he¡¯d been awake, he¡¯d managed to burn through almost all the remaining strength in his body.


    with a grunt, he forced a finger to curl and drew on a little bit of combustion¡¯s power. a tiny spark popped from his fingertip, failing to combust anything and curling away.


    no impact to my actual magic, then. just a shreddified soul. bad, but could definitely be worse. i should probably be prepared for hallucinations, though. more monkeys? or am i going to get plagued by visions of some ugly ass inquisitor?


    the door creaked. noah tried to muster the strength to sit but failed. he settled for glancing in its direction, and he finally remembered whose room he was in.


    moxie stepped inside, carrying a plate of food. she closed the door behind her, not paying much attention as she walked over to the desk and set the plate down. moxie turned toward noah, then froze.


    ¡°vermil?¡±


    ¡°hello,¡± noah replied, mustering a weak grin. ¡°i appear to be in your bed.¡±


    ¡°damned plains,¡± moxie said, letting out a relieved laugh as she sat down in her chair, running a hand through her hair. ¡°i was starting to think you weren¡¯t going to wake up.¡±


    ¡°same here,¡± noah said. his fingers twitched and his lips pursed in annoyance. ¡°what the hell happened to me? wait, forget that. how are todd and isabel? and lee? are they okay? what about br¨C¡±


    ¡°they¡¯re all fine,¡± moxie said, raising a hand to stall off any more questions. ¡°slow down. do you have any memory loss? what¡¯s the last thing you remember?¡±


    dying.


    noah didn¡¯t respond for a few moments. ¡°where are todd and isabel? how do i know you¡¯re not just telling me that to keep me from panicking?¡±


    moxie snorted. ¡°relax, vermil. you killed the inquisitor, and brayden said the other one ran off. lee is fine as well. everyone made it out okay ¨C other than you.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯d say i look pretty good.¡±


    all he got in return for that was a raised eyebrow. moxie took a piece of bread off the platter and held it out to him. noah stared at it. his stomach rumbled, and he tried to reach out to grab it. his arm didn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°looking great,¡± moxie said dryly. ¡°you sound hungry.¡±


    ¡°now you¡¯re just tormenting me.¡±


    moxie flicked a hand and a vine slithered out from her robes, winding around noah¡¯s shoulders and squeezing gently. before he could ask what she was doing, it pulled him upright and pushed him back into a seated position.


    then she stuck the bread into noah¡¯s mouth. he took a bite out of it, grateful that he actually still had the energy to chew and swallow.


    ¡°thanks,¡± noah said. ¡°do you happen to know what happened to me? and why am i in your room? your bed is very comfy, by the way.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m glad you enjoy it. it wasn¡¯t purchased with plans to share, but brayden insisted that your own room wasn¡¯t safe.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s not all that different from when you¡¯d show up at my door at random hours,¡± moxie replied with a half-chuckle. ¡°and lee volunteered to do it first, but about three quarters of the things she brought in for you to eat weren¡¯t actually edible.¡±


    noah cleared his throat. ¡°yeah. she¡¯s got an interesting palate.¡±


    ¡°corpses.¡±


    ¡°yup.¡±


    they fell silent for a few moments. for once, noah found himself at a remarkable loss for words. moxie had done much, much more than what she¡¯d needed to, and he had absolutely no idea why. there wasn¡¯t really any combination of words that he could think of that would appropriately allow him to express himself or any questions he had.


    ¡°why?¡± noah finally asked.


    ¡°why what?¡±


    ¡°everything,¡± noah replied. ¡°you didn¡¯t have to do this.¡±


    moxie didn¡¯t reply immediately. she took another loaf of bread ¨C she¡¯d gotten quite a few of those, noah noted ¨C and took a bite out of it. ¡°i don¡¯t know. i guess i didn¡¯t really have a good reason. i just wanted to. it was that or leave you to lee¡¯s care. and, as well as she meant, i don¡¯t think you would have survived that.¡±


    noah snorted. ¡°well, thank you. i owe you.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯ve already said that,¡± moxie said. she nodded to the edge of the bed, but noah couldn¡¯t see what was there. ¡°i¡¯ve got all your stuff there as well. all safe from someone stealing it, since i¡¯m pretty sure brayden thinks assassins might come after you.¡±


    ¡°doesn¡¯t that mean you¡¯re in danger too?¡±


    ¡°i can defend myself. you¡¯re in bigger danger than i am until you can move again.¡±


    ¡°fair. well, whatever you do, don¡¯t drink anything out of the bottle in my bag. the fancy one full of wine.¡±


    moxie tilted her head to the side. ¡°why?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s probably poison.¡±


    ¡°what in the damned plains were you doing at the linwick estate?¡±


    ¡°trying to find answers that i never got. stuff related to lee ¨C and me. turns out, my dad¡¯s a real piece of shit.¡±


    a smile flickered across moxie¡¯s face, vanishing as quickly as it had come. ¡°tell me about it. by the way, i¡¯ve let lee take over emily, todd, and isabel¡¯s classes for the past few days. we¡¯ve got a lot of catching up to do before the survival exam.¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ve still got time. we¡¯ll figure something out,¡± noah said.


    and it sounds like the demon that vermil originally summoned still hasn¡¯t done anything. what¡¯s it waiting for? i don¡¯t understand. the more i learn, the less i actually get.


    a yawn slipped out of noah¡¯s mouth before he realized it. moxie chuckled at his surprised expression.


    ¡°looks like your body¡¯s telling you its time to sleep again. try to keep it shorter than three weeks this time, okay?¡±


    ¡°no promises, but i¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    a vine snaked out, grabbing noah by the foot and pulling him back down. moxie caught his head before he could drop the last foot, then lowered him to the bed and snorted.


    ¡°you¡¯re like a sentient plank of wood.¡±


    ¡°thank you,¡± noah said. ¡°i¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re enjoying my acting abilities. i think i make a very convincing plank.¡±


    moxie just shook her head and stood back up. ¡°try not to let yourself get killed in my bed, please. it was expensive.¡±


    ¡°noted,¡± noah said, his eyes fluttering. now that his head was on a pillow again, he could feel the call of sleep beckoning to him. ¡°i¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    as exhaustion took him away, noah¡¯s last waking thought was that moxie¡¯s bed really was quite comfortable.

 Chapter 122: The Void

    chapter 122: the void


    the next two days passed by in a blur to noah. he flitted in and out of consciousness, slowly regaining energy but still largely unable to move more than a few steps. he spent most of his time checking on his mindspace, trying to see if the damage was healing, but something was different.


    unlike his previous soul wounds, the massive cracks running throughout the darkness weren¡¯t showing any signs of patching. they were just as bad as they¡¯d been two days ago, and something told noah that they weren¡¯t going to improve on their own in any reasonable amount of time.


    mercifully, he wasn¡¯t getting hammered with any visions. that did, at least, answer one more question for him. the initial images he¡¯d seen of the monkeys had been somehow directed and not just an effect of constant death.


    he¡¯d known that the hellreaver had been attacking him with the visions of its eye, but this was the first confirmation that the other visions were also directly tied to it. noah made a mental note to ask brayden if he knew about the hellreaver¡¯s runes ¨C maybe it had something that gave more access to his soul.


    well, either that or it¡¯s because it ate me. hm. if i eat the smaller monsters that a great monster is connected to, would i be able to do the same thing? or if i eat the great monster, would i get to do anything to the smaller ones? now there¡¯s an idea. one i can test once i actually get out of this damn bed. this very comfortable, soft, damn bed.


    noah paced around the confines of his soul, as it was the only place he could actually move his body for more than a few seconds at a time without collapsing. the more time he spent there, the more he became convinced that something about the damage to his soul felt... off.


    ¡°what¡¯s up with this stuff?¡± noah asked, sitting at the edge of one of the large cracks and bringing the back of his hand closer to the void within. it passed through the nothingness like it was ¨C well, nothing.


    noah¡¯s brow furrowed and he chewed his lower lip. even though there wasn¡¯t anything in the void, something about it felt familiar. it was like meeting an old acquaintance after years apart. even though his subconscious felt a vague sense of remembrance toward it, he couldn¡¯t place what it was for the life of him.


    the muted sound of the door opening pulled noah from his mindspace, and he opened his eyes as moxie walked into the room with a plate bearing two small pies.


    ¡°vermil,¡± moxie said. ¡°still alive?¡±


    ¡°barely,¡± noah replied with a chuckle. he gritted his teeth, pushing himself upright with aching arms. ¡°at least i can sit on my own now.¡±


    ¡°among other things,¡± moxie said with a shake of her head. she set the plate down on her desk. ¡°what did you do to yourself?¡±


    ¡°do you really want to know the answer to that?¡±


    moxie¡¯s features turned serious and she fell silent for several seconds. ¡°i¡¯m surprised to say that i¡¯m not sure. nobody likes being kept in the dark, but the reactions everyone else gave me when i asked spoke volumes. lee told me it was even more important than her secret, and i might not be the best person to spill your soul to.¡±


    noah blinked. ¡°what? why? not that keeping certain things close to chest doesn¡¯t make things safer for all of us, but why wouldn¡¯t you be worth confiding in?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve got my own ties,¡± moxie said, her face unreadable. she turned her chair to face noah and sat down in it with a huff. ¡°more than enough for me to see where you¡¯re coming from. we¡¯ve all got secrets, and some that belong to me aren¡¯t always mine to keep.¡±


    something to do with her family, based on how she reacted to the news about father.


    ¡°that sounds ominous,¡± noah said. ¡°how bad are we talking here?¡±


    ¡°nothing you can do anything about,¡± moxie replied with a snort. ¡°especially not right now. what are you going to do, roll aggressively in their direction?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯d probably be pretty scared if someone rolled at me.¡±


    ¡°sure,¡± moxie said, rolling her eyes. she picked up one of the pies and handed it to noah. ¡°can you eat?¡±


    he forced a hand up, taking the pie from her, and brought it to his mouth. the small motion was nearly enough to drain his arm completely of energy, but he still managed to get it down. moxie took the rest of the pastry from him and set it back on the table.


    with that, noah sank back into his mindspace. as the white cracks sprawled across the darkness and his runes materialized around him, noah once again felt the familiar sensation envelop him.


    ¡°it¡¯s odd,¡± noah said to himself as he walked up to one of the cracks and knelt beside it. ¡°i¡¯d think there would be something uncomfortable about this. i mean, the whole bedridden bit is awful, but the void doesn¡¯t feel... bad.¡±


    nobody answered him. noah sat back and crossed his legs, leaning his chin in the palm of his hand. and there he sat.


    as he relaxed, the strange sensation grew more prominent. whenever his attention turned toward it, it vanished. but, when he relaxed and just let himself simply exist, it returned. it was a gentle embrace, with just enough chill to keep him aware.


    almost like a running river. but... kind of boring, honestly. i wish something ¨C


    noah¡¯s thoughts ground to a halt. he finally realized what the sensation reminded him of. he shot to his feet, his skin prickling as he turned his gaze away from the void, searching his mindspace intently.


    the sensation wasn¡¯t coming from the soul wounds at all. it was coming from his entire soul, and it was the very same feeling that one of the goddesses of rebirth, renewal, had given him.


    and, of course, the instant noah actively tried to reach out for it, the energy fled from him like a school of terrified fish. he let out an exasperated huff and forced himself to sit back down, closing his eyes and slowing his breathing.


    slowly, the feeling returned. noah kept his eyes closed and reached out to it, like he would a rune. now that he knew what it was, the sensation came easier. his body felt like it had been submerged in a gentle river on a summer day.


    can i use it to repair the soul wounds?


    noah let his eyes drift open. he tried to grasp the energy and direct it into the cracks riddling his soul, but it slipped out of his grasp. sitting in it didn¡¯t seem to do anything to the cracks either.


    noah¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°i don¡¯t understand. why is this energy here? it¡¯s not part of my runes. i don¡¯t think it¡¯s part of my soul either. it feels foreign, but like it belongs at the same time. i need to research.¡±


    his eyes closed once more. there was still a good amount of time before moxie got back, and he didn¡¯t plan to waste it.


    the next few hours passed quickly. noah spent them all seated in the same position, trying to coax the energy into himself and direct it elsewhere. the first part of that challenge proved to be surprisingly easy.


    with every attempt, noah felt the river respond to him more easily. it was only a matter of time before it came almost instantly at his call. unfortunately, actually doing anything with it proved to be far more difficult.


    noah tried begging. he tried suggesting. he stuck his hand into the void and hoped that just proximity would be enough ¨C nothing worked. for all he knew, this was literally just another vision and it was just in his mind.


    he refused to entertain that particular thought.


    but, as the hours passed, noah became more and more confident that, at least in its current form, the energy was completely inaccessible to him. he had absolutely no way to control it ¨C which meant he had to change his strategy.


    after a few more hours of pointless tests, noah let himself open his eyes in the real world once more. there was only one thing he could think of that might let him actually access the energy, but he didn¡¯t have any idea how he was possibly supposed to go about doing it ¨C but he knew where to start.


    when moxie came back that evening, carrying a plate of fruits and cheeses for dinner, noah was already sitting and waiting for her.


    ¡°what happened?¡± moxie asked, pausing and glancing around. she set the plate down and closed the door behind her. ¡°you look serious. is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve got an important question,¡± noah replied. ¡°how do runes form in nature?¡±

 Chapter 123: Old Dog, Old Tricks

    chapter 123: old dog, old tricks


    moxie let out an amused huff. ¡°do i look like a theologist to you?¡±


    ¡°that depends on what theologists are supposed to look like,¡± noah replied, giving moxie a once-over.


    ¡°you¡¯re such an idiot,¡± moxie said. she snagged a piece of cheese from the plate and popped it into her mouth. her nose scrunched in distaste. ¡°bah. i hate this kind. and to answer your question, there¡¯s a lot of different theories on it. it¡¯s one of the main reasons the bastions exist in the first place.¡±


    ¡°research institutes, right?¡±


    ¡°well, not originally, but that¡¯s what they are now,¡± moxie said, offering the plate to noah. he gathered the energy to take a grape for himself.


    ¡°i don¡¯t suppose you want to expand on that?¡±


    ¡°and now i suppose i look like a historian.¡± moxie took another piece of cheese. ¡°the bastions were built during the long night, in order to give the arbalest kingdom a few final places to fortify against some of the most powerful great monsters we¡¯ve ever seen. you know how there isn¡¯t anyone here over rank 6, right?¡±


    noah nodded. moxie held out a piece of cheese and he took it. he had to admit she was right ¨C it wasn¡¯t the best tasting cheese he¡¯d ever had. it was a few too many steps close to the taste of mold and old socks.


    ¡°well, the great monsters were rank 7. the distance between rank 6 and rank 7 is much harder to bridge than the one between rank 3 and 4. apparently, you gain rune force at rank 7.¡±


    she saw the blank look in noah¡¯s eyes and let out an annoyed huff.


    ¡°not runic force, because i already know you¡¯re thinking that. rune force. the ability to manifest your rune just through sheer power. every rank after rank 3 gives a significant boost to your powers. rank 4 gives you a domain, which is an area under your control directly around your body that interferes with other people¡¯s magic. rank 5 lets you manifest your rune¡¯s energy on its own within your domain.¡±


    noah¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°oh. like summoning a fireball instead of having to use something to make the spark.¡±


    ¡°yes.¡± moxie nodded. ¡°at rank 6, your soul enters your domain and gives it a unique effect that changes from person to person. and, at rank 7, you can summon the literal pressure of your runes, like you¡¯ve got your own gravitational force around you. anyway ¨C the great monsters were supposedly rank 7s, and they had a chokehold over all the monsters in the kingdom. humanity was getting slaughtered, so they retreated to four bastions and reinforced them as best as they could.¡±


    ¡°i suppose it worked.¡±


    ¡°evidently. somehow, even without rank 7s, humanity managed to weather the greater monsters. but after that, we already had these massive, fortified cities and people didn¡¯t want to have to move again.¡±


    ¡°so they became schools.¡±


    ¡°among other things. initially, they were just places to live. but with the concentrated talent from all over the kingdom, it was inevitable. people started pooling resources and studying together, trying to learn more about runes. the noble houses started funding the research, keeping it for themselves to make their ranks grow stronger.¡±


    ¡°sounds about right,¡± noah said. he paused for a moment. ¡°so... did they figure anything useful out?¡±


    ¡°how would i know?¡± moxie asked with a snort. ¡°i¡¯m not exactly high up in my family. if they did, i wouldn¡¯t know. but the basic stuff is fairly commonly known. runes form from energy.¡±


    noah resisted the urge to make a snarky remark. considering runes were literally energy, saying that they formed from it was about the same as saying chickens formed from eggs.


    ¡°concentrated energy,¡± moxie added, noting the pained look on noah¡¯s face. ¡°areas where a specific thing happens a lot, or happens in great intensity. then that creates areas that draw specific monsters, since they¡¯re more in tune with their runes than humans are. the monsters reproduce in that area, giving birth to children that are even more strongly steeped in that kind of energy.¡±


    ¡°i see,¡± noah said thoughtfully. ¡°but... does anyone know how they actually form? is it just natural?¡±


    ¡°there are a ton of different arguments i¡¯ve heard for it, but none that really stuck with me. natural formation is a pretty popular one. i¡¯ve heard that there needs to be some sort of incident that actually sparks the energy, allowing it to combine. another theory i¡¯ve heard is the energy eventually just flowing into an area that lets it pool for long enough, and the shape it takes ends up being the rune.¡±


    ¡°thanks again,¡± noah said.


    moxie just shook her head and waved him farewell before she left the room. a flicker of confusion passed over his face.


    i wonder where she sleeps for the night considering i¡¯ve stolen her bed. i¡¯ll ask her tomorrow. for now, i¡¯ve got some more work to do.


    noah closed his eyes and slipped into his mindspace. he was greeted by the familiar darkness split apart by the considerably less welcome jagged cracks of white void. and, together with everything else came the sensation of the river.


    he rose to his feet and stepped over one of the cracks, walking in a slow circle just to give himself something to do. ¡°i can feel that there¡¯s energy here. i don¡¯t know what it is, but if i can pull it into a rune, then maybe i can heal my soul. but i have no idea how i¡¯m supposed to coax it into anything. i can¡¯t move the energy around since it¡¯s not in a rune, and it doesn¡¯t seem to be doing anything on its own right now.¡±


    no answer arose from his mindspace. noah paced in circles for longer than he cared to admit, just trying to figure out what he could possibly do to get the energy to move. it wasn¡¯t like there was much else he was capable of at the moment.


    finally, noah came to a stop before one of the larger cracks in his soul. it didn¡¯t seem to matter where he stood ¨C the river of calming energy felt like it permeated his entire soul evenly, without favoring any area over the other.


    ¡°screw natural formation,¡± noah decided. ¡°if that¡¯s the case, then i can¡¯t do anything about it. i have to try something else. let¡¯s see... i don¡¯t see any gods or demons to ask for help, so that¡¯s off the list. that leaves some form of incident?¡±


    noah¡¯s face twitched as an idea struck him. he let out a heavy sigh, already trying to move past it, but the idea had already taken a bit too much of a hold in him to dismiss it now. after fighting with himself for a few moments, noah let his eyes open back in the real world.


    ¡°goddamn it,¡± noah muttered. ¡°this is a terrible idea. absolutely no reason to do this.¡±


    unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t anyone there to talk him out of it. muttering under his breath, noah carefully swung his legs out of moxie¡¯s bed. he paused before he stood up.


    there¡¯s a decent amount of merit behind this idea, but it¡¯s still stupid as hell. i could always just sit around and wait, hoping something changes.


    but... it really doesn¡¯t look like it will. my soul isn¡¯t healing. even though my body¡¯s getting better, having this much damage is going to severely impede me in the long run. it affects rune combinations, and everything seems based off my soul. letting it sit like this is a recipe for disaster.


    despite all that, he sat at the edge of moxie¡¯s bed for almost another hour, desperately trying to think of any other options that he could try. nothing came to him. noah huffed and stood, bracing himself against the wall as a wave of dizziness washed over him.


    when it passed, he slowly knelt and hooked his bag from the ground, slinging the gourd over his shoulder and fishing through his belongings until he found the key to his room. he slung the bag over his shoulder and trudged his way along the wall toward the door.


    if i¡¯m going to do this, i won¡¯t do it in moxie¡¯s room. i refuse.


    he staggered his way over to the door, pulling it open and slipping out. noah headed back down the hall and up to his room, where it took him several tries to get the key into the lock. when it finally clicked open, he breathed a sigh of relief.


    the energy was quickly draining out of his body. if noah was going to do this, he needed to be fast. he stepped into his room, leaning heavily on the doorknob as he pulled the door shut behind him, and then did his best zombie impression as he forced himself into the bathroom.


    noah¡¯s bag slipped from his shoulder and thudded to the bathroom floor. he knelt, his head spinning as he dug through it and pulled out his makeshift slasher claw dagger. noah crawled over to the shower, not even able to gather the energy to stand back up again.


    ¡°why is it,¡± noah asked, breathing heavily and looking up at the ceiling, ¡°that the universe seems to keep making me do this?¡±


    a tiny voice inside noah¡¯s head reminded him that he was the one choosing to do everything, and it was pretty unfair to blame the universe for his decisions. he crushed that little voice, grinding it out.


    if i want to comfort myself by blaming the cosmos for my penchant for killing myself, then i damn well will. now, let¡¯s get this over with. inciting event, here we come.


    noah lifted the dagger for the second time in this particular bathroom, pausing for just an instant. then he ripped it across his throat.

 Chapter 124: Cosmos

    chapter 124: cosmos


    noah died.


    even though that was exactly what he¡¯d been planning on, he couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly exasperated. this was the second time he¡¯d died inside his own bathroom, and twice was already the beginnings of a habit.


    of all the things one could make a habit of, noah was pretty sure that this was just about as close to the bottom of the list as possible. his soul peeled out of his body as the life left it and he rose to float in the air above his corpse.


    noah didn¡¯t waste a second. as soon as he was in his soul form, he closed his eyes and concentrated. if his runes were tied directly to his soul rather than his body, then logically it would be easier than ever to access them ¨C and, more importantly, to access the energy that had built up around him.


    a grin tugged at his lips as he felt the world around him turn colder and his soul was plunged into a flowing stream of energy. he¡¯d been correct. the energy was far stronger and easier to access once he was dead.


    bindings started to form around noah¡¯s neck, pulling him back toward the gourd, but he pressed back against them and focused all of his attention on the mysterious energy. it flooded his soul, swirling within him.


    to noah¡¯s surprise, motes of gentle light started to drift within his ghostly form. the shock cost him a precious second, and he quickly gathered himself once more. sunder would only permit his resistance for so long, and he wasn¡¯t going to kill himself twice in the same day if he could avoid it.


    come on. this should trigger the magic, right? it¡¯s got something to flow into. this state should be the perfect scenario for it to form a rune.


    noah pulled on the energy even harder. it continued to fill his soul, the glowing motes turning into streams and the streams into rushing rivers. the pull of sunder grew stronger, tightening around his neck like a noose. noah gritted his teeth and drank even deeper from the energy.


    he was holding more than he ever had before. whether he¡¯d actually manage to find a way to form a rune or not, noah was unsure ¨C but he did know one thing. he had far more of the glittering energy within him than he ever had before.


    there were no signs of the energy draining up, so noah continued to pull on it. light poured into his soul, filling his ears with the sound of rushing water and making his teeth chatter with all the energy he was trapping within his body.


    noah¡¯s throat tightened as the invisible rope of sunder intensified. he started to choke, but he didn¡¯t let go of the energy. he dragged more and more of it into himself, even as sunder started to yank him away.


    glittering light flew from noah¡¯s soul as he shot through the air, still desperately sucking up magic even as he slammed back to the ground.


    his eyes snapped open and noah jerked upright. every single ounce of the energy he¡¯d gathered had vanished, but his curse died on his lips as he realized that he hadn¡¯t woken back up in the real world.


    noah sat within his mindspace, white cracks running out all around him ¨C but the cracks weren¡¯t what had his attention. noah¡¯s eyes were fixed on the violently trembling mass of pink and white force that pulsated in the air before him.


    a perfectly serene sea of black. the cracks in his soul had vanished completely. there wasn¡¯t a single trace of any soul damage anywhere to be seen. all of his runes floated in their proper places, shimmering down on him as if amused at his delayed reaction.


    noah didn¡¯t waste a second. his eyes snapped back open in the real world and he shot to his feet. he flexed a hand, then made a few experimental jumps. a huge grin stretched across his face and he started to laugh.


    his energy was back. it didn¡¯t feel like his entire body had been put through a trash compressor anymore.


    no, it¡¯s not just that. i don¡¯t just feel right. i feel better.


    every ounce of noah was full of calm, reserved power. it was like he¡¯d just woken up from a long, perfect night of rest in the world¡¯s most comfortable bed. his grin grew even wider as he stretched his arms above his head, reveling in the ability to move freely of his own volition once more.


    ¡°this feels incredible,¡± noah breathed, stretching down and touching his toes. he bounced back to his feet, giggling like a schoolgirl as he strolled back into his room. ¡°i even feel more flexible than i was before. and¨C¡±


    noah tilted his head to the side. there was no pain. he glanced over his shoulder. his corpse was still lying in his bathroom. it wasn¡¯t a hallucination. he¡¯d died and come back to life, but he didn¡¯t have a headache.


    ¡°oh, yeah,¡± noah said, rubbing his hands together. ¡°i think i might be onto something.¡±


    ***


    deep within the cosmos, beyond the reach of all mortal beings and suspended within a sea of infinite black broken only by brilliant pathways of glowing gold, stood the goddess renewal beside the waters of life.


    an endless ocean of waiting souls covered the swirling golden paths, leading out into the great beyond. not even renewal knew how far they went or where they originated.


    renewal¡¯s head tilted imperceptibly to the side as the gentle smile on her face faltered. she raised a hand, and all the motion surrounding the waters of life suddenly slammed to a halt. all the waiting souls froze as renewal temporarily removed herself from the flow of time.


    her brow, beautiful and alien, furrowed. something was... off. something had brushed across her power. its strength was so insignificant that it was barely worth mentioning ¨C but worth mentioning it still was.


    it was a very, very rare occurrence for something outside the endless oblivion to catch her attention. she was only willing to spend a few instants of her time upon a task like this, but those would be enough. renewal cast her senses out across the cosmos, following the flow of the source that had established contact with her.


    no matter how weak or unimportant the source of the disturbance had been, a spark of curiosity had been lit within renewal.


    for, when one called on the powers of the divine, the divine peered back.

 Chapter 125: Repose

    chapter 125: repose


    the church of repose was in chaos. white robed men scrambled around the courtyard like children, desperately trying to provide some semblance of order and entirely unaware that they were only adding to the confusion.


    several hundred mats had been laid out within the church¡¯s main hall, bathed in the multicolored light streaming through the beautiful stained glass windows that made up the entire ceiling and of the massive building.


    the mats all surrounded an enormous stone dais. surrounded by intricately carved marble pillars and majestic murals along the walls, the dais stood in stark, plain solitude. it was a simple ring of stone with a pillar perched above it.


    and yet, despite its simplicity, it was the subject of every single man and woman¡¯s attention. the cardinals and archbishops raced around it, moving faster than they had in hundreds of years as they rushed to prepare everything.


    men who had spent centuries in service to the church and hadn¡¯t done an ounce of physical work in decades worked together with the barest of laborers as they rushed to make sure that all would be perfect.


    and, amidst all the chaos, bishop ferdinand sat on his mat and waited. he¡¯d been one of the lucky few to have been close enough when the first calls had gone out, and had managed to secure a spot near the base of the dais before all the higher ranking members of the church could arrive.


    he¡¯d half expected to be told to leave, despite the church¡¯s rules of equality, but was delighted to find that not a single person even tried to take his spot. ferdinand¡¯s appreciation of the great church of repose grew to even greater heights as he watched an archbishop take the mat behind him, not even thinking about trying to move him.


    over the course of the next few minutes, more and more members poured into the enormous room. they sprinted to the first mats they could find and practically dove onto them to claim their spots.


    it didn¡¯t take long before every single mat was full, but that didn¡¯t stop anyone. they filled the edges of the room, standing along the walls or kneeling on the empty spaces on the ground.


    it hadn¡¯t even been thirty minutes since the call had gone out, but the church was already packed full. the enormous, several dozen foot tall doors slammed shut, sending a booming echo throughout the church and silencing all the nervous, excited mutters that had been running through it.


    the room¡¯s motion ground to a halt together with the doors. if it hadn¡¯t been for the church¡¯s rules against the usage of runes within its walls, ferdinand was confident that things would have been considerably less efficient.


    instead, they all waited in rapt attention. bishops and cardinals sat side by side, their eyes wide and hearts thundering akin. an announcement like this happened only once in a lifetime, and the chance to hear it firsthand was a rarity that they could boast about for centuries to come.


    the dais trembled. ferdinand¡¯s skin prickled, and the feeling in the room shifted. all the glowing lights shining through the stained glass windows started to shift. rosy reds and vibrant greens melded together. the blues and oranges joined as well.


    all the colors merged together, turning into a single, brilliant white. the light gathered of its own accord, moving to illuminate the dais and casting the rest of church into darkness. the silence was so acute that ferdinand could hear the blood pumping through his body. he didn¡¯t even dare to swallow.


    from the brilliant beam of light falling down on the dais, a form appeared. flawless alabaster skin and flowing white robes, trimmed with gentle coral accents emerged from the beam.


    the light faded away, revealing the rest of the form of a tall woman standing upon it. her face was covered with a glittering veil, and her robes hung so low from her arms that they were nearly at her feet.


    a ring of gently sparkling pink gemstones floated behind her, interlocking patterns of complex runes weaving throughout them. seven runes burned within the circle, so powerful that ferdinand couldn¡¯t even comprehend them. even at the distance she was at, ferdinand¡¯s shoulders trembled and his back creaked. the energy radiating off the woman was so great that he could barely withstand it.


    unmistakable runic energy filled the room all around them ¨C the power of the great goddess. the longer ferdinand stared, the more the form of a rune seemed to take shape behind the woman. it was so tangible that he could almost feel it, but even the slightest attempt to draw on the rune¡¯s power could end in only one way ¨C instant death.


    a single man at the front row rose to his feet. unlike everyone else, he seemed largely unaffected by the incredible pressure emanating off the woman. ferdinand recognized him, even though he could only see the back of the man¡¯s head.


    rune force filled the air all around them. even though they¡¯d all taken steps to hide their runes from view, their energy manifested itself with such intensity that it would have ground a lesser being into paste simply by being in their presence.


    ¡°where is he?¡± a large man growled. he was over three times taller than the rest of them and had to sit hunched, his shoulders touching the ceiling and his head bowed low, just to avoid destroying the ceiling. the ratty cloak he wore hung loose and draped over his features, just barely managing to conceal them. ¡°we have been waiting for hours.¡±


    ¡°he¡¯s never on time,¡± a short woman said from beside him. she wore the same clothes as he did. a massive axe leaned against her side, more appropriately sized for the man that had spoken first.


    the brazier crackled before anyone else could speak. all of them froze, turning toward it as the flames crackled and rose into the air. from within them, a foot clad in black armor emerged.


    a man stepped out of the flame, his entire body covered in heavy plate. the armor was so dark that it seemed to suck the light from the room, and he bore a jagged spear in one of his hands.


    ¡°you¡¯re late, prophet¡± the huge man said, putting extra stress on the last word like it was a curse more than a blessing.


    ¡°i was preoccupied,¡± the armored figure replied. ¡°it is difficult to understand the vibrations of the cosmos. i invite you to try, should you so desire.¡±


    ¡°ignore him,¡± a female voice said from the other side of the room, where a woman sat so deeply in the shadows that she was almost invisible. ¡°just tell us why you called us here. i trust it¡¯s important, because i didn¡¯t agree to being a dog at your beck and call.¡±


    the prophet let out a laugh. ¡°important? we shall see. i have received communication from the master.¡±


    all of them stiffened.


    ¡°what is it?¡± the short woman asked. ¡°the last time, you called us together to say the master was going to court someone. complete waste of time.¡±


    ¡°i may have misinterpreted his words,¡± the prophet admitted. ¡°that was not him speaking directly to me ¨C but this was.¡±


    ¡°directly?¡± the large man nearly choked. ¡°tell us already, you rotting shit.¡±


    ¡°one that walks this world has drawn his attention. we are to find and collect them,¡± the prophet replied. ¡°this is of utmost importance. we will all be greatly rewarded if we succeed. i trust you all understand?¡±


    silence washed over them. the prophet turned to the woman who sat in the shadows.


    ¡°is that important enough for you?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll put a collar on and start barking,¡± she replied.


    ¡°i don¡¯t care what you do. just find the one that has drawn the master¡¯s attention,¡± the prophet said. ¡°go. and try not to destroy too many things in the process. we don¡¯t need to start another war yet.¡±


    they all inclined their heads. each of the six figures sitting around the fire vanished. the prophet turned and stepped back into the flames, disappearing into their depths. behind him, the fire sputtered and burned away, dying out and leaving only faint wisps of smoke behind.

 Chapter 126: Rumors

    chapter 126: rumors


    noah glanced down at his corpse, which was lying in a pool of blood on the floor of his shower. the clothes were well and truly soaked, but it wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d had the energy to take them off before. they were an acceptable casualty, but he still needed to do something about the corpse.


    lee wasn¡¯t there because she¡¯d taken the kids off to practice survival skills. noah had known that he relied on her a lot for body cleanup, but he didn¡¯t realize quite just how useful she was until he stood there staring at the corpse with no easy to way to get rid of it in sight.


    noah couldn¡¯t deny he was tempted to try forming the rune a second time, but he wasn¡¯t that stupid. he was missing something. everything had felt like it would work when the rune was forming, and he had absolutely no idea what had triggered its failure. it was worth further investigation, but until he had something else to work with, he¡¯d just be pushing his luck. noah looked back at his corpse.


    ¡°i suppose i¡¯ll just have to make sure nobody comes in here for the time being,¡± noah decided with a sigh. he padded over to his belongings and pulled out a change of clothes, slipping into them before slinging his bag and gourd back over his shoulder.


    every movement felt smooth. noah couldn¡¯t get over how much better his body felt after his attempt at creating a rune. he resisted the urge to let out a giggle.


    a goddamn giggle. am i a little kid that just got a letter from his secret admirer? damn. this feels too good, though. everything is just so... fresh.


    noah shook his head before he let himself sink too deeply into self-satisfaction. there was far too much to accomplish now that he could move around properly again. he walked into his room proper and scanned it for the first time.


    noah pursed his lips, trying to see if anything was out of place. it looked pretty much just like he¡¯d left it. there wasn¡¯t anything shifted or moved around that immediately caught his eye. noah reached into his bag and pulled out the bottle father had given him, setting it on his desk.


    no point carrying around what is almost certainly poison. the chances of it somehow getting into something or on someone that i don¡¯t want it to are way too high. i¡¯ll just leave it here for now.


    noah gave one last glance, not finding anything, before heading out the door. he locked his room behind him before returning to moxie¡¯s. she still wasn¡¯t back, which wasn¡¯t a surprise ¨C it hadn¡¯t been that long since she¡¯d left.


    i really need to do something to thank both moxie and lee. i think the answer is clear. lee has seen just about everything about my powers, and she¡¯s already put herself at risk more times than i can count helping me. it¡¯s time to fix her runes. things are getting too dangerous to not get her stronger, and it¡¯s the same for moxie. they¡¯re giving me a lot and i¡¯m not giving enough back in return. this will even the scores. but, that said, moxie¡¯s basically told me that she isn¡¯t in full control of what she¡¯s allowed to do. someone might need to be taken care of before i can reveal any amount of sunder¡¯s abilities to her.


    but first, i¡¯m going to need to figure out exactly what they actually want their runes to be. moxie said she was going to be busy until tomorrow morning.


    noah looked out the window. the sun was down, but it wasn¡¯t very close to rising again. there had to be at least a few hours before sunrise. he scrunched his nose and sat down on her bed, pulling out evergreen¡¯s scroll and unfurling it along the bed.


    there were a lot of runes in it that he was pretty sure would be perfect for moxie. it probably wasn¡¯t the best idea to tell her that he had evergreen¡¯s scroll, though. the knowledge could get her into trouble.


    maybe i¡¯ll get lee to remove one of the runes and put it onto a piece of paper so she¡¯s got plausible deniability. i can¡¯t wait to see moxie¡¯s expression when she shows up tomorrow to see me sitting up right, not a care in the world.


    as much as noah hated waiting, that particular thought was enough to get him motivated. he grinned to himself, rolling the scroll back up and returning it to his bag before positioning himself on the bed to wait.


    not wanting to just completely waste the time, noah spent the next few hours brainstorming what he¡¯d do with the broken gale rune. it wasn¡¯t going to be of any use to him in its current form, and he did have a few other runes to fiddle with.


    i don¡¯t want her to walk in on me while i¡¯m fiddling with runes, so i¡¯ll save it for a bit later. i¡¯m not in any rush to fix the gale rune, but i need to get it useful before i go hunting again or any energy that goes into it will be wasted.


    just like that, several hours passed. noah continued to send glances out the window as the sun poked over the horizon and breached the buildings of arbitage to shine onto his back. it continued to inch upward, but there was no sign of moxie.


    at first, noah didn¡¯t think much of it. but as the time continued to wear on, he started to frown. his memories of the brief stint in bed weren¡¯t the clearest, but he vividly remembered her showing up pretty much at the same time every day. she hadn¡¯t been late once from what he could recall.


    ¡°everything was prepared,¡± the woman continued. ¡°we let that dayton steal one of evergreen¡¯s scrolls ¨C a fairly good one, mind you ¨C just to make sure he would get strong enough to reach rank 5. all you had to do was leverage the idiot¡¯s trust of you and get inside the estate to monitor the situation. was that so difficult?¡±


    ¡°i told you already,¡± moxie said, steel in her voice. ¡°he isn¡¯t of any use to us. i told magus evergreen this as well.¡±


    you were talking about me to your family? well, i do suppose there had to be some reason you were tolerating me at the start, but how far does that go? i thought we were becoming friends. especially as of late.


    ¡°and you received your orders. they were to drop emily off with one of the main branch members and go to the linwick estate regardless. evergreen is confident that the connection would have been enough.¡±


    ¡°magus evergreen was wrong,¡± moxie said. ¡°there¡¯s absolutely nothing interesting about him. i originally thought there was some leverage we could use, but i already reported that i was incorrect. his family doesn¡¯t care about him. he has no real strength or competence. the only people that like him are his students.¡±


    ¡°then why did you maintain contact?¡±


    it took moxie an instant longer to respond.


    ¡°to ensure that my new suspicions were correct. they were. i¡¯m telling you now. turn your attention elsewhere.¡±


    is moxie trying to cover for me now? is she selling me out or not? actually, from what it sounds like, she tried to sell me out before but changed her mind at some point. moxie...


    a loud slap echoed through the garden hedges.


    ¡°you forget your place in this family,¡± the other woman snapped. ¡°you hold no worth. you exist only to execute evergreen¡¯s orders and ensure emily is protected. that is it. you do not have opinions. we do not care about what you think. evergreen thinks. i think. you are a tool. you report. you act. do you understand?¡±


    even if the words themselves hadn¡¯t been as rude as they were, the tone in the woman¡¯s voice was so toxic that a wave of anger rolled down noah¡¯s spine. noah expected to hear a loud crash as moxie crushed whoever she was talking to into a fine paste with her plants.


    ¡°yes, ma¡¯am,¡± moxie said. ¡°i¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t care about your apologies. just do your damn job. because of your incompetence, dayton has run off and a large portion of his family has been taken in by father. do you understand how bad it will be if he gets taken into the main branch, you stupid creature? evergreen will blame me!¡±


    another slap rang out through the clearing. noah¡¯s brow tightened in anger. his lips pressed thin and his hands clenched at his sides. logically, the smartest move would have been to walk away and never let either of them know what he¡¯d overheard until he had another plan.


    all noah could envision was the last week. all the time and effort moxie had spent taking care of him. and even before that ¨C all the information she¡¯d given him, the advice and warnings. whatever she¡¯d originally been planning, there was no doubt in noah¡¯s mind she was trying to cover for him.


    any proper plans would have required some patience to execute in a precise, well thought out manner.


    unfortunately, noah was never the most patient person. something deep in his soul unfurled, a furious hunger burning within it and urging him forward.


    he stepped around the edge of the hedges, his eyes as cold as ice. he pulled his pipe put, sliding a small tuft of flashgrass into it.


    ¡°i hope i¡¯m not interrupting anything too important,¡± noah said, placing the pipe in his mouth. ¡°if you¡¯re going to talk about someone, it¡¯s not polite to do it behind their back.¡±

 Chapter 127: Apologise

    chapter 127: apologise


    moxie spun toward noah, her features clad in shock. she still had a red mark on the side of her cheek, and she stared at him in disbelief.


    ¡°vermil?¡±


    noah¡¯s attention was on the other woman. a foot taller than moxie, she also wore green and grey clothing, though they didn¡¯t seem to be of arbitage make. she had long, vibrant red hair and a face that would have been pretty if noah didn¡¯t want to put his fist between her eyes so badly.


    ¡°vermil?¡± the woman repeated, her arrogant green eyes flicking from moxie to noah. ¡°this? you brought him here? just how incompetent can you be?¡±


    the rage that was swirling in his chest was bordering on unnatural, a spark that had been lit into a roaring forest fire. if he¡¯d been in a better position, noah would have tried to figure out why he was so furious. instead, all he could do was press onward.


    ¡°i was just taking a stroll through the garden,¡± noah replied. ¡°you¡¯re the idiot holding an important conversation in open air. you seem to like the word incompetent, which seems ironic to me. sounds like the upper management of the torrin family are the incompetent ones.¡±


    moxie looked like a cornered cat. she pressed her back to the hedge, disbelief and shock mixing in her face as she struggled to form words.


    ¡°but... how? you were¨C¡±


    ¡°i got better,¡± noah replied, not taking his eyes off the other woman. ¡°how about it, miss? care to introduce yourself to me now that we¡¯re face to face?¡±


    ¡°you may refer to me as miss contessa, rank 2 from the torrin family, working for the main branch. feel free to beg me to not deal with this problem my fool of a servant has caused.¡±


    aha. just a rank 2. then i should outmatch her. no need to hold back. and... working for the main branch? that¡¯s a funny way to say you technically aren¡¯t part of the main branch.


    noah scrunched his nose. ¡°i fail to see how your own inability to properly execute on a plan is moxie¡¯s fault. there are backup plans for a reason, genius. why¡¯d you stack all your cards on someone who¡¯s already busy protecting emily?¡±


    contessa¡¯s eyes narrowed in anger and she took a step forward. ¡°what do you know of emily, cretin?¡±


    noah gave her an award-winning smile. ¡°i know she¡¯s currently with my partner, training for the survival exam. but, as much as i¡¯d love to continue this conversation, you¡¯re going to have to apologize.¡±


    ¡°apologize? are you delusional?¡±


    ¡°you hit moxie,¡± noah said.


    ¡°vermil, stop,¡± moxie said. ¡°this isn¡¯t¨C¡±


    ¡°shut up,¡± contessa said. moxie¡¯s teeth clicked as she closed her mouth. contessa pierced noah with her cold eyes. ¡°please, linwick scum. continue. tell me what i have to do.¡±


    ¡°you hit her,¡± noah said, drawing a deep breath from the pipe as he ignited the flashgrass. he blew a stream of smoke out into the air above them. ¡°twice. so, if you want to keep talking, apologize.¡±


    contessa smirked. ¡°you must have forgotten the differences between the linwick and the torrin family. look around you. is there anyone to save you? any allies to stop me from killing you here and now, after everything you just overheard? the only reason you still exist is because i need to determine the exact extent of the damage that my idiot servant has allowed to happen under her supervision.¡±


    noah sucked on his teeth, keeping the bubbling anger in his chest from showing on his face. ¡°that¡¯s the worst apology i¡¯ve ever heard. let¡¯s try this again.¡±


    moxie spotted noah draw in a deep breath. she immediately did the same, clearly having remembered exactly what happened the last time they¡¯d fought. combustion¡¯s power flared within noah¡¯s soul as its passive effect activated.


    contessa, who had been midway through preparing to say something ¨C choked on her own words. her eyes widened and she clutched her throat as all the air in her lungs froze, turning inert.


    ¡°what is this?¡± contessa asked.


    noah just raised an eyebrow.


    noah flinched as moxie touched him on the shoulder again. he ground his teeth together. something was going on with his thoughts, but this wasn¡¯t the time to address it.


    ¡°much better,¡± noah said, lifting his foot. ¡°maybe we can talk like respectable humans now. how does that sound?¡±


    contessa stared at him in terror.


    ¡°i asked you a question,¡± noah said, another jolt of fury roiling through his chest. he clamped down on it, refusing to let the anger control his actions again.


    ¡°better.¡± contessa edged away from him.


    ¡°if you try to leave, i¡¯m going to kill you,¡± noah said with a heavy sigh. ¡°you said it yourself. we have a problem. that¡¯s on me, i admit. i probably should have done this a little more privately. i apologize. see? look how easy that was.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re insane.¡±


    ¡°what was it you said? ah ¨C the only reason you still exist is because i need to determine the exact extent of the damage that my actions have caused. i changed it a bit, but i think the meaning remains the same. so why don¡¯t you tell me why i shouldn¡¯t kill you, contessa?¡±


    ¡°vermil, you need to stop,¡± moxie said. ¡°i don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but¨C¡±


    ¡°do you see this?¡± noah asked, looking down at contessa. ¡°your servant is trying so hard to keep your incompetent ass alive. why don¡¯t you help her out a bit? i¡¯d hate to disappoint her.¡±


    ¡°what do you want?¡± contessa asked. ¡°are you working with moxie for some plot? it won¡¯t work. if you kill me, the torrin family will know. you¡¯ll never get away with it.¡±


    if moxie is really in this bad of a spot with her family, then i can¡¯t actually let any of the blame go on her.


    ¡°you seem to seriously be misunderstanding the situation,¡± noah said with a shake of his head. ¡°moxie has nothing to do with this. we¡¯re acquaintances, but i feel some appreciation toward her for assistance she¡¯s given me. i take my debts very seriously, you see.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re just a rank 1 linwick. what do you know about any of that?¡±


    so she cut off information about me sometime before we left. a while ago, then.


    noah arched an eyebrow. ¡°do i look like a rank 1 to you? we must have gotten off on the wrong foot, cont. can i call you cont? it¡¯s easier on the tongue.¡±


    contessa swallowed heavily. ¡°yes.¡±


    ¡°lovely. i knew you¡¯d be amicable. sit up, cont. i¡¯m going to give you a secret. in return, you¡¯re going to give me a rune oath. how¡¯s that sound?¡±


    contessa blinked, and noah knew why. offering a rune oath was akin to promising her that she would be allowed to leave alive.


    ¡°i ¨C what is it?¡± contessa stammered.


    ¡°simple. you¡¯ll swear that if evergreen ever discovers any part of what i am about to tell you ¨C including swearing this rune oath, regardless of how she finds out, you will immediately find an isolated location and kill yourself.¡±


    ¡°what? but...¡±


    noah smiled. ¡°the backlash i¡¯ll suffer from your death is so insignificant that i couldn¡¯t care less if you die or not. it¡¯s all up to you. moxie isn¡¯t going to interfere. not because she doesn¡¯t want to, but because she can¡¯t. there¡¯s absolutely nothing she can do to me. make the choice. either i kill you right now, or you buy yourself a chance to survive.¡±


    contessa ground her teeth, then let her shoulders slump. ¡°i swear on my runes that, if evergreen ever discovers any single part of what you tell me ¨C including swearing this rune oath, regardless of how she discovers it, i will immediately find an isolated location and kill myself.¡±


    ¡°accepted,¡± noah said as ice raced down his spine, signifying the rune oath had taken place. ¡°here¡¯s the information you just bought. i¡¯m not vermil. i¡¯m the demon that killed him.¡±

 Chapter 128: Noah

    chapter 128: noah


    moxie and contessa stared at noah in disbelief, though contessa was considerably more shocked than moxie was.


    ¡°surprise,¡± noah said, holding his hands out to his sides. ¡°the linwicks didn¡¯t expect it either. dayton tried to fight back. i broke him.¡±


    ¡°you,¡± contessa muttered. ¡°you¡¯re the reason why the plan failed?¡±


    ¡°no.¡± noah shook his head. ¡°you are, if you had all your hopes pinned on a bumbling idiot who didn¡¯t deserve his rank. and the scheme with evergreen¡¯s scroll ¨C amusing at best. power is worthless without skill behind it. you actually thought that would work? any of it?¡±


    contessa slowly rose to her feet. ¡°i don¡¯t understand. why did you interfere? what could you possibly get out of any of this?¡±


    ¡°same reason i killed the hellreaver,¡± noah replied with a shrug. ¡°i wanted to.¡±


    realization flashed in contessa¡¯s eyes. ¡°that was you as well? of course. a demon is strolling around arbitage and nobody even knows.¡±


    noah¡¯s hand shot forward. contessa yelped in terror, but she wasn¡¯t fast enough to avoid noah¡¯s as he grabbed her arm and pulled her closer. smoke swirled around his hands as he reached forward and pressed a finger to the back of her neck, allowing the smoke to heat ¨C though not nearly enough to actually cause any damage.


    he shoved her back and contessa stumbled, clutching her neck.


    ¡°what did you do?¡± she demanded.


    ¡°just some insurance,¡± noah replied. ¡°i didn¡¯t bother making your rune oath very exclusive, so i implanted a little bit of heated ash within your head. at any point, if i decide you¡¯ve pissed me off enough to care, i¡¯ll ignite it and burn out your brain stem. it¡¯ll only take an instant. fun, right? after all, you might have been thinking that you could break the rune oath and just suffer severe damage to your runes. maybe your family would fix it in exchange for the information. i just handled that temptation for you.¡±


    contessa just stared at him, raw fear playing across her features. ¡°i won¡¯t tell anyone. i swear.¡±


    ¡°good. then perhaps we can work together,¡± noah said with a smile. ¡°i may even be convinced to remove it, should you manage to keep from getting on my nerves too much. ¡°now, my temper is already short. let¡¯s get to the point so i can get on with my day. why did you want the linwicks destabilized? and keep in mind i couldn¡¯t care less about them. motivate me and i might actually be willing to help your goals.¡±


    the faintest spark of hope lit in contessa¡¯s eyes ¨C which was exactly what noah had been aiming for. threats were one thing, but giving her a path out where they could both accomplish their goals would make sure she was focused on that instead of betraying him.


    ¡°because that was the task evergreen gave me,¡± contessa said. some of the confidence returned to her voice. ¡°the linwicks and the torrins have been¨C¡±


    ¡°summarize it, please. i don¡¯t need your life story. i don¡¯t care about what mortals do. you¡¯ll all be dead in a few hundred years anyway. doesn¡¯t matter to me. it¡¯s all the same.¡±


    contessa bit her words off and nodded. ¡°my task is to ensure that father¡¯s family is not brought into the linwick main branch.¡±


    ¡°why?¡±


    ¡°evergreen thinks he¡¯s a threat and will try to attack us. we wanted to make the first move to ensure he won¡¯t be allowed to get the power he seeks.¡±


    ¡°i see,¡± noah said. ¡°unfortunately for you, that situation may be out of your hands. go report to whoever it is you report to. tell them you failed.¡±


    contessa started to nod. noah grabbed her by the chin, pulling her eyes up to meet his. ¡°you failed, understand? not moxie. you. a swordsman blames not his sword when his guard drops. moxie is still useful to me.¡±


    noah released her and contessa gave him a jerky nod.


    ¡°good,¡± noah said. he paused for a moment, then tilted his head to the side in the same manner that father had. ¡°how did someone like you get to be in charge, anyway?


    ¡°i work for the main branch. i¡¯m not good at fighting,¡± contessa said, noticing the derision in noah¡¯s eyes. ¡°i¡¯m not a soldier.¡±


    there¡¯s a difference between not being good at fighting and trying to tickle your opponent to death.


    ¡°unfortunate,¡± noah said, not even trying to pretend like he meant it. ¡°well then, cont. i trust you¡¯re high up enough in the family to avoid getting your head chopped off for this?¡±


    contessa nodded again, not even daring to speak.


    ¡°that¡¯s grand to hear. then we¡¯ll be able to enjoy a fruitful working relationship. go figure out what your next plan is, then tell moxie. she is now your handler. if you fail to report to me within a month, i¡¯m killing you. sound good?¡±


    contessa gave him one more nod.


    ¡°then you¡¯re free to go.¡±


    relief washed over contessa¡¯s face. she turned to leave. noah grabbed her by the shoulder and she flinched, looking back at him.


    ¡°one last thing,¡± noah said with a small smile. ¡°don¡¯t forget that if moxie decides she doesn¡¯t like working with you anymore, all she¡¯s got to do is whisper into evergreen¡¯s ear. your death isn¡¯t going to matter to me, even with the rune oath, and working directly with her might be more efficient. just keep that in mind, yeah?¡±


    he released contessa and she practically sprinted away. noah turned to moxie. they stared at each other for several seconds. noah cleared his throat.


    ¡°you forgot to bring breakfast.¡±0v3l.bin.


    moxie didn¡¯t even respond. she just stared.


    ¡°just because something worked doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s good,¡± noah replied, crossing his own arms. ¡°why were you letting her treat you like that?¡±


    ¡°because i didn¡¯t have a choice,¡± moxie replied. ¡°that¡¯s how things are.¡±


    ¡°well, i fixed it.¡±


    moxie snorted. she rocked back in her chair and turned her gaze to the ceiling. ¡°yeah. you make a really convincing demon.¡±


    a wry grin stretched across noah¡¯s face. ¡°you¡¯ve got no idea. now father isn¡¯t the only one that thinks i¡¯m a demon. i suppose i just had a lot of practice. this... did help you, right?¡±


    moxie touched a hand to her face, where the imprint of contessa¡¯s hand was just starting to fade away. ¡°i guess we¡¯ll see. to be totally honest, i¡¯m not sure if it possibly could have gotten any worse. what¡¯s your goal here, vermil? your real goal.¡±


    ¡°i already told it to you. i want to help my students. i just suppose that expanded to cover you and lee as well.¡±


    ¡°why? what do you get out of it?¡±


    ¡°because i want to. that¡¯s all the justification i ever need to do anything.¡±


    a laugh slipped out of moxie¡¯s lips. ¡°that must be nice. it sounds so freeing.¡±


    ¡°was contessa your main contact?¡± noah asked, shifting his position to look at moxie better.


    she nodded. ¡°i speak to evergreen every month or two, but most of the day to day stuff is her.¡±


    ¡°so you should be a lot freer now, right? contessa can¡¯t control you anymore.¡±


    moxie bit her lower lip. ¡°yeah. i guess so. i¡¯m not sure it¡¯s processed yet. i can¡¯t believe it, but i think i¡¯m a little more surprised by whatever the hell happened to you than what you did to contessa.¡±


    noah examined his hands. ¡°you mean the whole recovery thing? it was incredible. i figured out a way to heal myself.¡±


    ¡°how?¡± moxie asked. ¡°people don¡¯t just miraculously heal after being bedridden like that.¡±


    noah sat fully upright, grinning. ¡°i discovered how to make a rune. at least, the first step to it. i managed to form a rune that healed my soul and my body all in one go. it did shatter right after, but the deed was done.¡±


    moxie stared at him. ¡°you what? actually ¨C stop. can we stick to one lifechanging revelation at a time? i¡¯m still not over the fact that you may or may not be a demon and that you just humiliated my overseer from the main branch of my family.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re welcome,¡± noah said. ¡°you can buy me dinner later as a thank you. with your money, not mine.¡±


    moxie snorted. ¡°we¡¯ll see. i¡¯m pretty sure taking care of you while you were unconscious should count for something. is there anything else that you¡¯re about to tell me that is going to completely screw with everything i know, or can i actually try to process things for a minute?¡±


    noah cleared his throat. moxie started to smile, but it fell away when she realized he wasn¡¯t joking. her eye twitched.


    ¡°is it immediately relevant?¡±


    not unless you walk into my bathroom.


    ¡°depends where you¡¯re standing.¡±


    ¡°then it can wait,¡± moxie said, running her hands through her hair. ¡°i need to think, vermil. i guess that isn¡¯t even your name, is it?¡±


    noah shook his head.


    ¡°can you tell me what it actually is?¡±


    ¡°noah.¡±


    moxie gave him a slow nod. ¡°thank you. for everything today, i guess ¨C but not for what you¡¯ve inevitably started. this is going to be a shitshow.¡±


    ¡°maybe we meet up again once you¡¯ve processed everything?¡± noah suggested, starting to rise to his feet. ¡°i¡¯ve got some questions for you as well, now that i don¡¯t need to hide everything anymore.¡±


    ¡°just... stay,¡± moxie said, nodding at the bed. ¡°if you leave, i might trick myself into thinking this was a hallucination.¡±


    noah shrugged. he sat back down on the bed and leaned against the wall. moxie was clearly just barely managing to hold everything together. this wasn¡¯t even slightly how he¡¯d planned to tell her about any of his major secrets, though there was something to be said for ripping the bandage off all at once.


    and, while we sit, i have to find out what was up with those temper bursts. did it have something to do with that rune i tried to form? or is it something else?


    the two of them sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts and troubles.


    all things considered, the day could have gone a lot worse.

 Chapter 129: Evergreen

    chapter 129: evergreen


    noah let his eyes close and sank into his mindspace. if there was anything messing with his emotions, it probably originated there. he spent several minutes pacing around it, examining every rune and searching the ground to see if there was any remaining damage or abnormality.


    there was nothing. as far as noah could tell, his soul was pristine and flawless once more. it was just pure, perfect darkness broken only by the light coming from the floating runes around him.


    ¡°this makes no sense,¡± noah said with a frown. ¡°did the shattering rune somehow release energy that affected my emotions? that didn¡¯t happen when i combined my other runes ¨C and that energy didn¡¯t feel like it was associated with anger at all. it was peaceful.¡±


    he sat down, crossing his arms and furrowing his brow in thought. there had to be some reason for the anger. it had been so intense that it felt beyond something natural ¨C but the memory of contessa striking moxie made his teeth grind in fury.


    was i just angry because i heard moxie getting hurt?


    noah sat in contemplation for a while longer. it had been a long time since he¡¯d last had to sit and analyze his feelings, and when he finished, he wasn¡¯t particularly pleased to find that he hadn¡¯t made any significant progress.


    there was no doubt in his mind that he had been furious at moxie¡¯s abuse ¨C but whether the anger was entirely natural or not, he had no idea. he wasn¡¯t even sure why he was so mad about it.


    moxie can take care of herself. she doesn¡¯t need me getting mad for her.


    noah let out a grunt and pushed himself back to his feet and started walking. talking about things out loud and pacing in circles did always tend to help make things click better. ¡°i can¡¯t tell what the hell happened. even when the kids were in danger i didn¡¯t feel anger like this. it was different. still deep fury, but a different sensation. it didn¡¯t feel... hungry. hungry is a good word.¡±


    he fell silent for a little while, digging to see if he could find anything. he didn¡¯t.


    ¡°right. this is useless,¡± noah said with a sigh. he mentally relaxed, reaching out to the energy that he¡¯d tried to form a rune from. it responded, filling his body with the sensation of cool, flowing water.0v3l.bin.


    ¡°it¡¯s got something to do with the rune, i¡¯m pretty sure. what exactly, i have no idea. and it doesn¡¯t look like i¡¯m going to find out doing this. i shouldn¡¯t just keep moxie waiting, though. i¡¯ve already spent a good bit of time sitting around. she might be wondering what¡¯s going on.¡±


    noah let his eyes open, leaving his mindspace. he still sat in moxie¡¯s bed, but she wasn¡¯t in the chair in front of him anymore. at some point, she¡¯d moved to the bed and was lying near where he sat against the wall, her eyes closed and chest moving with slow breaths.


    a quick glance out the window showed that noah had spent a considerably longer time than he¡¯d thought in meditation. the sun had already made steady progress through the sky ¨C it had to have been at least a few hours.


    one of moxie¡¯s legs had cut off noah¡¯s escape from the bed if he wanted to get out without waking her up. he hid a small chuckle. evidently, she¡¯d gotten fed up with having to sleep in the bushes.


    he relaxed and shifted slightly to get a little more comfortable. if she was asleep, that meant he still had more time to fiddle with his runes. he let his eyes close once more and sank back into his mindspace.


    ***


    several hours later, noah had given the entirety of his mindspace a second check over. it found nothing new, but it did confirm without a doubt that it was entirely unharmed. his runes were in good shape as well, so it wasn¡¯t anything to do with them.


    noah resisted the urge to mess more with the strange energy surrounding his soul. he¡¯d save it for when moxie wasn¡¯t lying right next to him. the last thing he wanted to do was mistakenly blow himself up.


    but, moxie¡¯s presence did remind him of one thing. now that his secret was out to her as well as the rest of his friends, there was little reason not to fix her runes. he just had to make sure evergreen didn¡¯t have a way to force the information from moxie first.


    moxie hasn¡¯t actually told me what runes she¡¯s got. i suppose i should ask her when she wakes up, but i¡¯d feel bad doing it now. she looked so peaceful, and the moment she gets back up, i¡¯m going to drop another few bombshells on her.


    should i wait longer? that feels unfair, and none of us are in a particularly safe spot right now. we need to be at max strength to prepare for the worst case scenario.


    his mind set, noah opened his eyes. the light coming through the window had already dimmed, going from a bright white to a dimming orange as the sun set below the horizon. noah went to lift a hand to rub his eyes but paused. something was holding it down.


    moxie pursed her lips, then shook her head. ¡°no. she won¡¯t swear a rune oath with me. she doesn¡¯t want to risk all the damage she¡¯d take if i died, and because i¡¯m expendable in her eyes, the chances of my death are pretty high. evergreen hasn¡¯t made me swear a rune oath to a liaison either, because she knows i¡¯ve got nowhere to turn and don¡¯t know enough to actually do any damage to the family. i understand if you don¡¯t want to say more, though. after i basically sold you out¨C¡±


    ¡°you sold vermil out,¡± noah corrected. ¡°and you stopped long before you did harm. i trust you.¡±


    moxie¡¯s cheeks reddened again and she looked away. noah took a moment to study her.


    if i tell her about sunder, it¡¯s the same as trusting her with not just one of my lives, but all of them. moxie¡¯s been trying to cover for me for a while, though. even if she did sell vermil out, she didn¡¯t sell noah out.


    ¡°you¡¯re sure you want to know?¡± noah asked. ¡°you can¡¯t unlearn this.¡±


    moxie didn¡¯t respond immediately. she took several seconds to think before finally giving him a small nod.


    ¡°yes. if you¡¯re willing to tell me.¡±


    ¡°then i need to ask another question. are your runes all perfect?¡±


    moxie blinked, then burst into laughter. ¡°you think my family would give me only perfect rune combinations and risk me getting stronger than any of their proper precious main branch members? i¡¯m employed by the main branch, just like contessa. that¡¯s a far cry from truly being part of it, even if emily doesn¡¯t realize exactly what that means. no. i did manage to get three perfect rank 2 runes, but the other four were just good. as for my rank 3 runes, none of them are perfect.¡±


    noah nodded slowly. ¡°i can fix them.¡±


    ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°your runes,¡± noah replied. ¡°if you give me enough time and runes to work with, i can make every single one of them perfect.¡±


    moxie started to laugh. ¡°that¡¯s a good one. you sound so serious that i almost believed it. unless you mean you¡¯re going to pull all my runes out and cripple me with soul damage, nobody can fix runes after they¡¯ve formed. if you could, you¡¯d have every noble house knocking on your door, either trying to kidnap you or make you marry their daughters. as many as needed to get you tied to them.¡±


    noah just arched an eyebrow. moxie¡¯s laughter faltered. then her smile vanished.


    ¡°you¡¯re serious.¡±


    ¡°deadly.¡±


    ¡°and you¡¯re sure you aren¡¯t delusional?¡±


    ¡°quite.¡±


    ¡°damned plains,¡± moxie breathed. ¡°do you have any idea how serious this is? you have to. that¡¯s why you didn¡¯t say it. you have the potential to reach rank 7 ¨C no. rank 9. if you can ensure every rune you have is perfect, you can make the ideal combination. you¡¯re completely sure about this?¡±


    ¡°absolutely,¡± noah replied. ¡°and that¡¯s not it. i also have this.¡±


    he reached into his bag, pulling out evergreen¡¯s scroll and handing it to moxie. she took the scroll and started to unfurl it, then froze as she spotted the first rune. moxie swallowed heavily.


    ¡°do you know what this is, noah?¡±


    noah grinned. ¡°want some new runes?¡±

 Chapter 130: Everything

    chapter 130: everything


    moxie stared at the green scroll before her like it was made of solid gold. she raised her gaze to noah. ¡°you didn¡¯t answer the question. do you¨C¡±


    ¡°evergreen¡¯s scroll,¡± noah said with a chuckle. ¡°she was so careless as to lose it. unfortunate for her. fortunate for me. there are a bunch of plant based runes on there. i bet a lot of them would be useful to you, right? like the bleeding forest or thorned vine swarm ¨C both of those were rank 3s.¡±


    moxie swallowed. desire and fear played together in her eyes. ¡°i ¨C i can¡¯t. even if i dared to take one of these, do you know how much they¡¯re worth?¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t care,¡± noah replied. ¡°never cared much about money. and it¡¯s not like i can actually sell them. people can tell where the runes are from, and if i go around selling these as a linwick, someone¡¯s probably going to suspect something¡¯s up, right?¡±


    moxie gave him a slow nod. ¡°yeah, that¡¯s true. it¡¯s difficult to tell the origin of runes, but there are talented mages that can scan your runes when you use them and figure out where they originate. but, if they¡¯re on a piece of paper, it¡¯s easier. selling them would probably be hard if you didn¡¯t go through official channels or have someone that trusts you to sell to.¡±


    ¡°so...¡±


    moxie bit her lower lip. ¡°i would have to give up one of my other runes, but some of these are definitely better than mine. they aren¡¯t exactly in line with what i was planning to do, though.¡±


    ¡°i can fix that as well.¡±


    moxie¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°what, can you just magically transform runes into exactly what you want them to be?¡±


    ¡°something like that, just with a lot more effort.¡±


    ¡°is there anything you can¡¯t do?¡±


    stay dead, i guess.


    moxie saw noah pause and let out a huff. ¡°don¡¯t even answer that. i take it back. let me focus on this for a few moments. i thought you¡¯d gotten the biggest stuff out of the way and were just hamming it up. can i really have one of these?¡±


    ¡°as many as you want. they¡¯re useless to me,¡± noah replied. he paused and tilted his head to the side. ¡°okay, not useless. but i¡¯d rather they get used now than sit around doing nothing. i should warn you that i¡¯m not going to be too useful on rank 3 runes unless you¡¯re willing to lose a lot of progress. not yet, at least.¡±


    ¡°you... that¡¯s how you¡¯re doing it? you can¡¯t control rank 3 runes because you¡¯re rank 2, right? then that means you¡¯re somehow breaking runes down into their smaller components?¡±


    wow, she put that together really quickly. i thought it would have taken at least a bit more information to put the puzzle together.


    noah nodded. ¡°yes.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not even going to ask how,¡± moxie said, looking back down at the scroll. she lasted about a second before she looked back up at him. ¡°okay. i¡¯m going to ask how. can i do it too?¡±


    ¡°no,¡± noah replied with a shake of his head. ¡°it¡¯s something only i can do, i¡¯m afraid.¡±


    ¡°might be better that way,¡± moxie said with a relieved sigh. ¡°now i really will just leave it there. i think i¡¯ve got a pretty good guess as to what¡¯s letting you do it if you¡¯re the only one that can ¨C and you need to be absolutely sure nobody ever finds out. that¡¯s the kind of thing people kill for.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re the first person i¡¯ve told.¡±


    moxie paused. ¡°not even lee?¡±


    ¡°she knows other things that i haven¡¯t gotten around to telling you yet, but not this. i¡¯m going to tell her when she and the kids get back. she¡¯s earned that much.¡±


    moxie gave noah a small smile. ¡°thank you for trusting me. i swear i won¡¯t let you down. can i really¨C¡±


    ¡°and you?¡± moxie raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°they seem to think i¡¯m a demon.¡±


    ¡°so you say you¡¯re a demon. the inquisitors think you¡¯re a demon. but...¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not,¡± noah finished with a nod. ¡°i¡¯m glad you get it.¡±


    moxie shook her head and laughed. ¡°whatever you are, calling the inquisitors is definitely a terrible idea. they aren¡¯t known for taking half measures.¡±


    ¡°which means we¡¯re going to need a new way to kill the rank 5 demon,¡± noah concluded. ¡°then again, it¡¯s been quite a while. maybe it just left.¡±


    moxie gave him a flat stare. ¡°are you usually that lucky?¡±


    noah rubbed his chin. ¡°depends on your definition of luck.¡±


    ¡°well, until you know for sure the demon is gone, i¡¯d continue acting as if it¡¯s an immediate threat. we¡¯ll just focus on doing the survival training away from the school for as long as possible. the final location of the actual exam hasn¡¯t been decided yet, so as long as it isn¡¯t too close to arbitage, it¡¯ll probably be fine.¡±


    ¡°sounds good to me. do you know when they get back?¡± noah asked.


    ¡°tomorr¨C¡± moxie cut herself off. ¡°wait, no. today. i got distracted with everything that happened. lee said she¡¯d back sometime today, so it shouldn¡¯t be too much longer.¡±


    noah hopped to his feet as well. ¡°they... aren¡¯t going to check my room, are they?¡±


    ¡°lee probably will. why?¡± moxie asked. ¡°we¡¯ve been checking on it periodically to make sure it¡¯s safe. why?¡±


    ¡°there might be something in there,¡± noah replied, clearing his throat.


    ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°a corpse.¡±


    moxie¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°i¡¯m sorry? you killed someone?¡±


    before noah could respond, the door clicked. noah and moxie both tensed, realizing they¡¯d forgotten to lock it behind them. it swung open, revealing lee¡¯s irritated face.


    ¡°vermil,¡± lee said, striding inside and thrusting an accusatory finger in his face. ¡°you have a problem. are you capable of keeping yourself from doing something stupid for longer than a week at a time? you were bedridden when we left!¡±


    ¡°it was for a good cause,¡± noah said. ¡°i healed myself!¡±


    lee glanced at moxie, clearly not wanting to say too much on accident.


    ¡°it¡¯s fine,¡± noah said. ¡°she knows just about everything now.¡±


    ¡°about time,¡± lee said with a huff. ¡°now she can scold you for leaving your corpses everywhere. can¡¯t you at least wait until i¡¯m back? you nearly traumatized isabel and todd again! it¡¯s a good thing i made them wait outside when i checked your room.¡±


    ¡°for leaving what?¡± moxie demanded.


    ¡°okay, now she knows everything.¡± noah gave them a sheepish grin.

 Chapter 131: Reunion

    chapter 131: reunion


    ¡°you can¡¯t just say that and leave it there,¡± moxie said, crossing her arms. ¡°explain.¡±


    ¡°i think lee pretty much summarized it already,¡± noah said as he rubbed the back of his head. ¡°i come back to life after i die.¡±


    moxie¡¯s eye twitched.


    ¡°oops,¡± lee said, shifting her feet uncomfortably. ¡°i thought that was what you meant when you said that you¡¯d told her everything. sorry.¡±


    ¡°i was getting to it. it¡¯s fine,¡± noah replied.


    ¡°it most certainly is not,¡± moxie said. ¡°how is that even possible? you aren¡¯t a rank 9. only the gods are immortal. or are you claiming that¨C¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not a god,¡± noah said with a chuckle. ¡°and i¡¯m not immortal. i just come back to life after i die. there¡¯s a difference. immortal people just don¡¯t die. invulnerable people can¡¯t get hurt. i can do both ¨C i just don¡¯t stay that way.¡±


    ¡°right,¡± moxie said, giving him a dry stare. ¡°and you just... what, magically get a new body?¡±


    ¡°yup.¡±


    ¡°and you leave the old one behind?¡±


    noah nodded.


    ¡°so how does the new one form?¡±


    ¡°magic.¡±


    moxie glared at noah. ¡°that¡¯s not how it works. you don¡¯t get something from nothing. that¡¯s in the realm of rune force, and that¡¯s still just manifesting the powers of your rune without having something to kick them off. you can¡¯t just magically pop out a new body.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll be honest, there¡¯s a whole lot i don¡¯t understand,¡± noah admitted. ¡°the exact manner in which i got a new body wasn¡¯t really as much as a mystery to me as the part where i came back to life, and there isn¡¯t really much information about this kind of stuff. it¡¯s not something i can research, you know.¡±


    ¡°okay, that¡¯s a fair point,¡± moxie admitted, but she didn¡¯t look like she liked any of the words leaving her mouth. ¡°i¡¯m half tempted to test this claim of yours out right here.¡±


    ¡°please don¡¯t,¡± lee¡¯s features drooped. ¡°the last time he died, it took forever for him to come back. i don¡¯t want vermil to die. i think his powers might be going away.¡±


    noah chuckled and ruffled lee¡¯s hair. ¡°i¡¯m fine, lee. my powers aren¡¯t going to go away. i¡¯m not going anywhere. i just took a lot of soul damage. it made reforming really slow, i think.¡±


    ¡°but soul damage takes forever to fix!¡± lee exclaimed. ¡°it could take you years to properly recover!¡±


    ¡°try three weeks.¡± noah couldn¡¯t keep the smug grin from crossing his features. ¡°i found a way to completely repair my soul. it... might not be sustainable, but there¡¯s potential. either way, i¡¯m totally fine now and not in any risk. i can go back to getting myself killed as much as i want.¡±


    ¡°to me, it sounds like you want me to kill you,¡± moxie said suspiciously. ¡°are you a masochist?¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re sure you¡¯re okay?¡± lee asked, ignoring moxie and staring up at noah. ¡°you aren¡¯t lying?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m fine, i promise.¡±


    moxie let out a huff. she sat down in her chair and shook her head. ¡°is there anything else you want to tell me? i feel like i¡¯m going to have a heart attack at any moment, and unless you can pass that revival magic of yours over, i¡¯m not going to be coming back from it.¡±


    ¡°no. nothing related to my runes or abilities, at least. the only other stuff is more personal,¡± noah said, a heavy weight lifting off his chest. he hadn¡¯t realized quite how heavily hiding just about every part of the truth behind his powers had been weighing on him, but it felt nice to have people he could trust ¨C though he wasn¡¯t quite finished yet. ¡°lee, i know you¡¯ve probably gathered a lot of this, but there¡¯s a little more about me that i think you deserve to know.¡±


    as if moxie could read the look on noah¡¯s face, she narrowed her eyes and poked him in the chest.


    ¡°don¡¯t say a word about what happened today in the garden.¡±


    lee¡¯s eyebrows shot up and a knowing grin stretched across her lips. ¡°oh? what happened in the garden?¡±


    ¡°stop that,¡± noah said curtly. ¡°i just threatened to kill someone.¡±


    lee¡¯s mouth dropped open. ¡°without me?¡±


    ¡°focus, please,¡± moxie said, snapping her fingers as if they were a pair of children. ¡°the kids are waiting outside. what are we telling them?¡±


    ¡°well, isabel and todd already know that i come back to life,¡± noah said. ¡°and they haven¡¯t combined any runes yet. i think i¡¯ll eventually tell them, but moxie¡¯s right ¨C knowing about what i can do with runes will only put them at more risk. it¡¯s not right to tell them yet.¡±


    lee and moxie nodded.


    ¡°i¡¯ll let them in, then,¡± moxie said. she stepped past noah and pulled the door open. almost instantly, isabel and todd started pelting her with questions.


    ¡°where¡¯s professor vermil?¡± isabel demanded. ¡°is he okay? why won¡¯t you let us see him?¡±


    ¡°why¡¯d lee run in?¡± todd asked. ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°calm down,¡± moxie said, moving back so they could see into the room. ¡°vermil is fine. he¡¯s fully recovered. there¡¯s nothing to worry about, but why don¡¯t you just come inside so you can see for yourselves?¡±


    isabel and todd pushed inside. their eyes lit up as they spotted noah standing of his own volition beside lee. emily followed them inside, not quite as excited but still looking relieved.


    ¡°professor!¡± isabel exclaimed. she paused, gathering herself and quickly wiping most of the relief from her face. ¡°i thought you were bedridden.¡±


    ¡°i survived,¡± noah said with a wry smile. ¡°i¡¯m sorry for making you worry. i¡¯ve been told i was out of it for a while.¡±


    todd nodded empathetically and winced, pressing a hand to his neck and letting out a slight grunt of pain. ¡°brayden carried you like a bag of potatoes all the way back. he fought monsters with one hand. it was incredible. i¡¯m glad you¡¯re still alive, professor. i¡¯d hate if we had to find a new teacher.¡±


    ¡°i do tend to prefer myself alive as well,¡± noah said. ¡°is your neck okay, todd?¡±


    todd¡¯s lips pressed thin and he shrugged, letting a smile cross his features. ¡°better than being snapped, yeah. not perfect though. it still feels a bit off, especially when i make sharp motions. i didn¡¯t exactly have the highest quality healing potion, and there can be side effects sometimes. i survived, right?¡±


    a failure on my part. he shouldn¡¯t have been injured at all.


    ¡°we¡¯ll figure something out,¡± noah promised. ¡°did brayden say anything else about what happened? where is he now?¡±


    ¡°he just left right after dropping you off,¡± isabel said. she wrung her hands together, then caught herself and lowered them back to her sides.


    she really does try to put on a calm front, but i think she¡¯s too scared to show that she cares again. after losing her family to a bunch of bastards, i can¡¯t blame her. it¡¯s probably her coping mechanism. i wish i knew more psychology so i could actually help her.


    noah realized that he hadn¡¯t responded and had been standing silently for a few moments. he let a worried frown cross his face. ¡°i hope he¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°he¡¯s a badass,¡± todd said confidently. ¡°he¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    ¡°hold on. we¡¯re going too fast,¡± emily said, squinting at noah. ¡°how are you moving around already? did moxie get something from our family to heal you? i know it wasn¡¯t your family ¨C brayden said we shouldn¡¯t trust them. why aren¡¯t you still bedbound?¡±

 Chapter 132: Food

    chapter 132: food


    ¡°well,¡± noah said, taking a long pause before speaking again. ¡°i just got better.¡±


    ¡°what?¡± emily glared at him, scrunching her nose in annoyance. ¡°that¡¯s not an answer! she did give you something, didn¡¯t she? did you break a torrin rule, moxie?¡±


    ¡°time does a lot too. i was out for three weeks after all. moxie did help a lot, though.¡±


    ¡°how? i want to know!¡±


    i think she cares a whole lot less about following her family rules than hearing a cool story about how moxie saved my ass.


    ¡°when you¡¯re older,¡± moxie said with all the experience of either a teacher or an older sister ¨C and maybe something in between the two. ¡°what matters is that he¡¯s no longer hogging my bed.¡±


    emily¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°he was sleeping here?¡±


    ¡°where else did you think he¡¯d be?¡± todd asked, shifting to look at emily with a frown.


    ¡°i thought she put him back at night! you can¡¯t have a man over in your room,¡± emily stammered. ¡°that¡¯s family rules! i¨C¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not main branch,¡± moxie said with a laugh. ¡°and, even if i was, i¡¯m older than you are.¡±


    ¡°not by that much!¡±


    ¡°i can have a man in my room,¡± isabel said, waggling her eyebrows in emily¡¯s direction. ¡°maybe families are a little overrated.¡±


    ¡°you only say that because you¡¯ve only seen the linwicks, and they probably tried to kill magus vermil,¡± emily said, crossing her arms. ¡°next time you should visit my family. they¡¯re way better.¡±


    noah caught the flicker of emotion that passed through moxie¡¯s eyes, but she banished it before anyone else could see. moxie sent him a warning glance, but noah didn¡¯t need it. it wasn¡¯t his place to tell emily the truth about the situation that moxie was in. moxie would tell her when she was ready.


    ¡°maybe enough about me,¡± noah said gently. ¡°i¡¯ve been worried about all of you as well, you know. we can talk more about me later. i haven¡¯t been able to do much from my bed other than think, and i want to know how the practice for the survival exam is going.¡±


    isabel¡¯s stomach rumbled. loudly. all of them paused and turned to look at her, and isabel¡¯s cheeks and ears lit up a bright red. she looked like a christmas ornament.


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry. i haven¡¯t eaten recently.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s because lee can¡¯t cook to save her life,¡± todd said with a snicker.


    ¡°what? my food is perfectly fine!¡± lee exclaimed. ¡°what¡¯s wrong with it?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m with them. i saw you chewing on a tree branch yesterday,¡± emily said.


    ¡°have you ever tried one?¡±


    ¡°of course i haven¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°then you don¡¯t know if it tastes good,¡± lee proclaimed. ¡°investigation is the essence of learning.¡±


    she paused, then glanced at noah. ¡°how was that? it sounded very inspirational in my head.¡±


    ¡°considerably more inspirational before you asked me how inspirational it was,¡± noah said with a roll of his eyes. ¡°i¡¯ll be honest, i¡¯m getting a little hungry myself. moxie, is there somewhere good to get food on campus?¡±


    moxie nodded. ¡°i¡¯ll pay for everyone today. i think you¡¯ve all earned it. there¡¯s a nice restaurant near the center of campus called randiddlen¡¯s. the name is stupid, but they¡¯ve got some pretty good food. i went there when i reached rank 3. i think you¡¯ll all like it.¡±


    ***


    ¡°whoa,¡± todd breathed, trying and failing to not look like a fish out of water as he craned his neck. noah felt like he was in the exact same boat.


    ¡°because the flower sappers looked really tasty looking,¡± lee said with a knowing grin. she tapped her finger on the table, as if that perfectly explained everything. ¡°survival means getting the most important things for survival.¡±


    very eloquent.


    ¡°food and power,¡± isabel explained. ¡°that¡¯s what you need to survive.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s food, water, and shelter,¡± noah said.


    ¡°killing monsters gives two of those things already,¡± lee said. ¡°but food is good for feeling good. and you can¡¯t fight well if you don¡¯t feel good. and who needs shelter?¡±


    ¡°what if it rains?¡± moxie asked.


    lee stared at her. ¡°then it rains? it happens. just pretend you aren¡¯t wet.¡±


    oh boy. i think i can see exactly how their training went.


    ¡°what exactly did all of you do?¡± noah asked carefully, trying to keep a grin from forming on his face.


    ¡°killed a whole lot of flower sappers,¡± isabel said.


    ¡°then isabel made us stone tents and we camped out,¡± todd added. ¡°it was fun. a nice change of pace. the flowers are poisonous, by the way. in case you were wondering.¡±


    ¡°i tested them,¡± lee proclaimed. ¡°to make sure they wouldn¡¯t get poisoned.¡±


    ¡°right,¡± noah said. he picked his menu back up and skimmed over it. ¡°that¡¯s good. did you happen to train any other survival skills?¡±


    ¡°lee pretended to be a monster and chased us around for a bit,¡± emily said. ¡°at random hours of the night, so we were ready to fight wherever and whenever.¡±


    isabel and todd both stared at her.


    ¡°what?¡± todd asked.


    emily frowned. ¡°why do you look so confused? she said she did it to each of us individually so we¡¯d be ready in case we got separated.¡±


    lee quickly picked up her menu and buried her nose in it. ¡°what are you going to order, vermil? moxie¡¯s paying, right?¡±


    emily glowered at lee while isabel and todd both struggled to contain their snickers. moxie just shook her head and let out an amused snort.


    ¡°you¡¯re all idiots,¡± moxie decided. ¡°but it sounds like it was effective, at least.¡±


    and probably really good for keeping their mind off things. especially if isabel and todd were worried about me. i¡¯m starting to think lee might be a genius at this kind of thing.


    with that, they all fell silent for a few moments as they scanned through the menus. noah tapped on a few more options to check out what they were, but that first steak he¡¯d seen still had his attention.


    he couldn¡¯t remember the last time he¡¯d had a good steak. his dinners on earth had consisted of instant noodles, frozen vegetables, and stale bread from the half-price store. then, after his death, there just hadn¡¯t been much draw in food.


    at least, he hadn¡¯t thought there was. the steak was staring him straight in the eye and calling his name. there wasn¡¯t a price on the menu, which made his instincts scream that it was time to stand up and leave the restaurant, but moxie had said she¡¯d pay. since he didn¡¯t know how much anything cost...


    it¡¯s now or never. i¡¯m getting the steak.


    the others soon came to their own decisions as well, lowering the menus. eventually, they¡¯d all set them down. lee continued to stare down the bridge of her nose at the menu as if threatening it to form another image, but it was wise enough to keep itself inert.


    the silence was broken by emily.


    ¡°training with lee was really fun, but are you going to train us now that vermil isn¡¯t in your bed anymore?¡± emily asked hopefully.


    and, of course, it was at that exact moment that the waiter decided to walk up to their table.

 Chapter 133: Plans

    chapter 133: plans


    after a very embarrassing few moments of silence, they all placed their orders and the waiter beat a hasty retreat, taking the menus with him. emily, deprived of anything to hide behind, suddenly found the table fascinating.


    they said little until their dinner arrived just a few short minutes later. noah wasn¡¯t sure how they¡¯d manage to get all the food ready so fast, but it smelled good enough that he didn¡¯t ask. he couldn¡¯t help but notice that lee had opted to order the giant cube of unidentifiable meat topped with neon pink sauce.


    it was just as disturbing in real life as it had been in the image. moxie watched it with an equally doubtful stare as it was set down on the table before lee, who stared at it like it was about to try to start fighting back.


    ¡°put your knife down, lee,¡± noah said. ¡°and please don¡¯t¨C¡±


    lee stabbed the cube like she was wielding a sword. she paused, then slowly released the knife¡¯s handle, leaving it wobbling in the cube. isabel looked away, trying to hide a laugh. todd didn¡¯t even bother.


    ¡°it was tempting. sorry,¡± lee said.


    ¡°we really need to work on impulse control,¡± noah said. the waiter didn¡¯t look nearly as amused as he set the rest of their food down and quickly made an escape before lee turned her attention toward him instead of the meat.


    ¡°sounds boring,¡± lee said.


    ¡°so... what are we going to be learning now?¡± emily asked, grateful for the change of topics. she¡¯d elected to order what resembled a large, jiggling flan topped with fruits and berries.


    ¡°still survival,¡± noah said. ¡°moxie¡¯s going to teach. unfortunately, my talents lie more in the killing things aspect than the anything else aspects. i don¡¯t think i¡¯m the best advice for this particular exam.¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ve got time,¡± moxie said, cutting into the meat pie she¡¯d ordered. noah recalled her bringing some meat pies to him while he¡¯d been bedridden ¨C she seemed to like them quite a bit. ¡°we can worry about exactly what and how we¡¯ll be preparing after dinner. for now, eat. and don¡¯t play with your food.¡±


    that last statement was directed toward lee, who was flicking the end of the knife with a finger and watching as it bounced in the cube. the whole thing was far too gelatinous for noah¡¯s tastes. it looked closer to isabel¡¯s flan than it did to a real piece of meat.


    everyone dug in. no matter what lee¡¯s food looked like, noah¡¯s steak tasted incredible. he mowed through it within just a few minutes, devouring the entire thing and resisting the urge to lick the plate. it had been so long since he¡¯d had a meal this good that he¡¯d forgotten how it felt.


    lee didn¡¯t have any problems finishing off her food either. she actually managed to restrain herself to using her utensils and ate everything properly. noah took his eyes off her for just long enough to check on the others, pleased to find that everyone seemed to be enjoying their food.


    and, by the time his eyes were back on lee, she¡¯d taken a bite out of her fork. they locked eyes as lee crunched the metal between her teeth, then swallowed. noah glanced back at moxie, but she hadn¡¯t noticed yet.


    lee slowly set the fork back down by the plate and covered it with her napkin. noah pointedly looked away.


    as if the waiter had sensed the lull in their eating, he appeared beside the table. ¡°would you like me to charge this to your account, miss torrin?¡±


    ¡°yes,¡± moxie said with a nod. ¡°thank you.¡±


    the waiter just nodded. ¡°thank you for dining with us. please return in the future.¡±


    he walked off, as stiff as a board. lee leaned over to whisper into noah¡¯s ear. ¡°do you think he saw me eat the fork?¡±


    ¡°yes!¡±


    ¡°good,¡± moxie said. ¡°then go get some sleep. all of you.¡±


    ¡°what?¡± isabel frowned. ¡°it¡¯s not that late yet.¡±


    ¡°i know. vermil and i have some work we have to get accomplished today, and if all goes well, you¡¯ll all be waking up very early tomorrow to head out with us.¡±


    all of the students eyes lit up. emily practically darted off, muttering under her breath about getting ready for a long trip. isabel and todd looked a little more reluctant to leave, but they headed off as well.


    soon, the only ones that were still standing there were moxie, lee, and noah. they set off toward the t building. noah started to go in, but moxie caught his arm and shook her head.


    ¡°what?¡± noah asked.


    ¡°i wasn¡¯t joking about having other things to do.¡±


    noah pursed his lips in thought. it took him a few moments to realize what moxie was probably referring to.


    ¡°oh, shit. i¡¯m still a suspect for killing the hellreaver, aren¡¯t i?¡± noah asked. ¡°i forgot about that.¡±


    ¡°of course you did,¡± moxie said with a dry laugh. ¡°but, if you have any plans of leaving arbitage without getting someone showing up to hammer you into paste, we¡¯re going to need permission for you to leave. brayden isn¡¯t around to bail you out again, you know.¡±


    noah grimaced. ¡°yeah. i know. who do we talk to, though? don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s the a building again. something tells me that if we try do anything through that, it¡¯ll take them ten business years to respond.¡±


    ¡°it probably would take far too long if we tried to do it that way,¡± moxie agreed. ¡°but we don¡¯t have to do that. there are still other investigators in the area. if we speak with one of them, i bet you¡¯ll be able to get them to give you a pass. after all, given our family names, i doubt they¡¯re going to think you¡¯re on the run.¡±


    ¡°oh, that¡¯s a good point. there was a guy i spoke with right after i got out of the transport cannon. neir, i think his name was. he didn¡¯t seem too convinced that i had anything to do with the hellreaver¡¯s death, so if i told him what was going on, i bet he wouldn¡¯t care much if we left.¡±


    ¡°great,¡± moxie said with a nod. ¡°let¡¯s go find him, then. as long as he isn¡¯t out actually doing something, he¡¯ll probably be in the office.¡±


    ¡°you said that last word weird.¡±


    ¡°capital o,¡± moxie said. ¡°it¡¯s what the a building should be. most of the management for the school is there, and anyone of any real importance would probably at least frequent it. it¡¯s a good spot to start looking. and, even if we can¡¯t find neir, you can always just tell a different investigator.¡±


    ¡°sounds boring,¡± lee said. ¡°i¡¯m going to go nap. i¡¯ll see you later tonight,¡± lee said, raising her hand in farewell and setting off.


    noah followed moxie and headed back toward the center of campus toward the office building. he¡¯d never had particularly enjoyable experiences with the administration of the school he¡¯d worked in back on earth, but maybe this time things would go better.


    they definitely will. right?

 Chapter 134: The Office

    chapter 134: the office


    ¡°i¡¯ve changed my mind,¡± noah declared. ¡°let¡¯s just see what happens if i walk out of arbitage. we can talk to them when they come to kill me.¡±


    ¡°absolutely not,¡± moxie said, grabbing noah by the shoulder with one hand before he could rise from his chair and pushing him back down into it.


    they¡¯d arrived at the office just a little over two hours ago. it was surprisingly plain ¨C by arbitage¡¯s standards, at least. the building was made from plain but well kept white stone and stood several stories high, standing out like a sore thumb in a sea of other, far more extravagant ones.


    however, any fascination noah could have possibly even considered having with it had dried up like a droplet of water in the desert as soon as they¡¯d stepped inside to find a secretary sitting at a large counter, eating what must have been a six course meal.


    there were twelve other chairs around her, and every single one of them was empty, meaning she was the only one to talk to. and, as soon as the two of them had stepped up to the counter, she¡¯d raised a finger to tell them to wait.


    noah had expected that she¡¯d just needed time to finish chewing. what she¡¯d actually meant was that she wasn¡¯t going to speak with them until she¡¯d finished off the rest of her food, and she clearly wasn¡¯t in any rush.


    they¡¯d sat there for an hour until, finally, the woman finished her meal. noah ¨C whose eye had been twitching in irritation the entire wait ¨C let out a sigh of relief as she rose, but it turned into a strangled curse as she strode off.


    it was an hour before she returned. the secretary looked mildly surprised to find the two of them still waiting there. as if the very idea of helping them gave her physical pain, she¡¯d ushered them into a tiny room.


    it only had two chairs and a desk, and the chairs were squeezed so tightly together that they might as well have been a couch.


    a minute later, a stack of papers as tall as noah¡¯s forearm had been plopped on the desk and the secretary had vanished once more, ignoring the noah and moxie¡¯s questions and only pausing to slap a quill and ink jar down beside the papers before closing the door behind her.


    ¡°if you don¡¯t fill this crap out, then we might genuinely have some serious trouble,¡± moxie said, but even she looked exasperated. ¡°just do it. the faster its done, the faster we can leave.¡±


    noah shook the first paper in the pile at her. ¡°how are these even slightly relevant? they¡¯re asking me the length of my forearm. why would i know that? i¡¯ll show them the length of my middle finger instead.¡±


    ¡°they aren¡¯t that stupid. you¡¯re just being a complainer.¡± moxie snagged the paper from his hands. her eyebrows crept up on her forehead and she slowly set the paper back down. ¡°okay. i thought you were joking.¡±


    they stared at each other. the irritation wasn¡¯t helped by the tiny room around them, devoid of any decoration or even windows. it was just white walls.


    ¡°you sure you wouldn¡¯t rather risk someone trying to kill me?¡±


    ¡°tempting,¡± moxie admitted. ¡°but no.¡±


    noah sighed. ¡°how long does my forearm look to you?¡±


    ***


    it took another two hours to fill out all the papers. they asked a variety of, as far as noah could tell, entirely useless questions that ranged from random factoids about himself to a literal sudoku puzzle.


    when they finally finished, the two of them practically sprinted out of the room to find the secretary ¨C only to realize she was eating dinner. noah¡¯s runes trembled in his soul as the incredible urge to grab a plate of rice from the table and pelt it into her face beckoned to him.


    ¡°we¡¯re done,¡± moxie said, giving the bowl of rice a very long look.


    the secretary held a finger up. the plate of rice tempted noah even harder. he took a step forward.


    by some stroke of luck, a door down the hall opened and a man headed out. he paused as he spotted noah clutching the papers to his chest with one hand, then frowned.


    ¡°what are you doing? we¡¯re closed for the day.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve been here for hours filling this crap out,¡± noah said. ¡°the least you could do was let me talk to the person i came here to see.¡±


    the man looked down the bridge of his nose at noah and adjusted a pair of round glasses that were perched on his long nose. ¡°it takes a good amount of time to read through your introductory papers, you know.¡±


    ¡°well, it took time to write the damn things,¡± noah replied. ¡°and it¡¯s not even dark outside yet. what time do you close?¡±


    he approached the door and, after exchanging a glance with moxie, rapped on it. several seconds passed. there was a thud followed by a click a second later. the door opened, revealing a room covered with papers strewn around in every direction.


    neir stepped out from behind it, his face taut in annoyance. his brow scrunched as he looked down at noah.


    ¡°who are you?¡±


    ¡°vermil linwick. we spoke briefly at the transport cannon,¡± noah said with a frown. ¡°about the hellreaver thing?¡±


    neir tilted his head to the side, pursing his lips in thought. his eyes lit faintly and he nodded with a snort. ¡°oh, right. the rank 1 professor. what do you want? have something useful for the case?¡±


    ¡°not useful, but we¡¯ve got an exam coming up pretty soon,¡± noah said as he rubbed the back of his head. ¡°you said i couldn¡¯t leave the campus. brayden took me out to our estate for a while, but now that i¡¯m back, we figured it was probably a good idea to let you know before i did anything.¡±


    neir grunted. ¡°right. where are you going?¡±


    noah glanced at moxie.


    ¡°we haven¡¯t figured it out yet,¡± moxie replied. ¡°but i¡¯m a member of the torrin family and he¡¯s part of the linwicks ¨C we¡¯ve both got reputable families. we aren¡¯t going to run away.¡±


    ¡°i see,¡± neir said. he heaved a sigh. ¡°i was hoping you had something useful. all we¡¯ve got to work off is a corpse. pain in the bloody ass.¡±


    blake cleared his throat from behind them. ¡°keep the details between us maybe, neir? low rank or not, we shouldn¡¯t be leaking information.¡±


    neir grunted. ¡°like these two are going to do anything. they came to tell me he was going on a trip. you really think it¡¯s part of some big plot?¡±


    ¡°it will be if you keep treating everyone that comes in like an idiot,¡± blake said with a shake of his head. ¡°stop being so arrogant, neir.¡±


    ¡°hardly matters. not like they can fight me, even if it was a plot,¡± neir said through a yawn. ¡°they¡¯re weak.¡±


    ¡°so we can go?¡± moxie pressed. ¡°if you don¡¯t think we¡¯re a threat, then it shouldn¡¯t be any issue at all. you¡¯ll be able to track vermil down if you need him for something ¨C not that he¡¯s actually capable of doing anything on his own. why do you think i¡¯m the one teaching his class for him?¡±


    ¡°hey!¡± noah exclaimed as both neir and blake started to snicker.


    ¡°just get out of here,¡± neir said with a shake of his head. ¡°and don¡¯t be long for longer than a month, or i¡¯m going to assume that you¡¯re on the run ¨C and i will find you. incompetent or not, we¡¯ll be watching you.¡±


    noah and moxie grinned.


    ¡°thanks,¡± moxie said, turning to leave. as noah turned to follow her, neir caught him by the shoulder.


    noah glanced back at him.


    ¡°when¡¯d you hit rank 2, by the way?¡± neir asked.


    ¡°just recently, while i was at the linwick estate,¡± noah replied, keeping his words even. ¡°decided it was time to start working on myself a little more. i didn¡¯t realize it was that noticeable.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯ve got more pressure coming off you than you did before,¡± neir replied with a grunt. ¡°no matter. try not to get yourself killed, or i¡¯ll have even less suspects to claim i¡¯m watching.¡±


    moxie and noah nodded, then left the house. only once they were a few minutes away did noah let out a relieved sigh.


    ¡°that was stressful. and it also took a grand total of about five minutes. i hate the office.¡±


    ¡°can¡¯t say i disagree,¡± moxie muttered. ¡°let¡¯s just be thankful that all we did was waste time. all things considered that could have gone worse. we should find lee and figure out where we¡¯re going to go to train.¡±


    ¡°sounds good to me,¡± noah said, sending one last glance over his shoulder before he turned back and followed moxie back to the t building. hopefully, that would be where things were left to lie with the investigators. after all, the linwicks were providing a replacement soon, and noah was hopeful that the entire problem would soon blow over.

 Chapter 135: Gift

    chapter 135: gift


    ¡°we need to figure out where we¡¯re going to train,¡± moxie said, sitting down on her bed. noah flopped down beside her. she sent him an annoyed look, but didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°and you¡¯re asking me?¡± noah looked up at her and raised an eyebrow. ¡°that¡¯s concerning. did you hit your head?¡±n??v€lrapture marked the initial hosting of this chapter on n?o?v€l??n.


    moxie rolled her eyes. ¡°what, did you think i was just going to do all the work? and you aren¡¯t a complete idiot. you were in the windscorned plateau. do you think it¡¯s an appropriate spot to train against monsters for the students?¡±


    noah blinked. he¡¯d seen several different monsters in the area, but the most populous had been the fluffants. considering their unsettling herd mentality, the chances of drawing the attention of too many was a little too high. they¡¯d end up wiping out entire plateaus of the monsters every time they trained ¨C which was probably what lee had done.


    ¡°probably not,¡± noah said. ¡°they¡¯ve gotten some practice against the fluffants anyway. it might be best to train in a new area. we don¡¯t know anything about where the survival exam will take place, do we?¡±


    ¡°that would defeat the purpose. it¡¯s meant to be a surprise so they can prove that they can survive, even in unfamiliar territory.¡±


    noah rubbed his chin and stretched his arms out behind him. moxie¡¯s bed was unfairly comfortable. he wasn¡¯t sure what she¡¯d done to make it so soft, but was a dozen times better than his own room.


    ¡°could we just go to every single location that they might choose? or maybe tim would know? he¡¯s been manning the transport cannon for quite some time, so i bet he¡¯ll remember where they¡¯ve gone for previous exams.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s not a terrible idea, but there are a lot of locations. if we spent a few days in each one, we might be able to cover a lot of ground. and even if we did find out where the exam was, i¡¯m not sure just straight up telling emily and the others about it is the best move,¡± moxie said with a shake of her head. ¡°the point of this is for them to learn, not just pass.¡±


    noah winced. ¡°yeah. that¡¯s a good point. i might have gotten a bit hyper fixated with that last exam.¡±


    ¡°i couldn¡¯t tell,¡± moxie said dryly. ¡°the best thing we can do is train in a few areas that are representative of what they might encounter, but not perfect.¡±


    ¡°do you already have some in mind?¡±


    ¡°rough ideas. nothing too laid out yet, but there¡¯s an area called the vibrant woods. it¡¯s woody and there are a lot of good locations to scavenge for food and water other than just killing monsters ¨C most of which aren¡¯t all that strong. there¡¯s a great monster in the area as well.¡±


    noah nodded thoughtfully, which was harder to do than it sounded while laying on the bed. ¡°that¡¯s a good starting point. how much time do you think we¡¯ll have to stay in each area? we could probably split the time between your survival training and some monster hunting.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s what i was thinking as well,¡± moxie said. ¡°you¡¯re not opposed to it, then?¡±


    ¡°nope.¡±


    ¡°great. then that¡¯s what we¡¯ll do. i¡¯m going to get the dossiers for a few potential areas tomorrow morning, then. i was going to do it tonight, but we wasted so much time in the office that the library is going to end up closing soon. meet me early tomorrow, before the sun rises.¡±


    ¡°sounds good. oh, before i go, i had a quick question. you were met by a guard called frederick before brayden met up with you, right?¡±


    moxie thought for a second, then gave him a nod. ¡°yeah. he was very talkative.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s him,¡± noah said. ¡°he¡¯s okay?¡±


    ¡°as far as i¡¯m aware. he just dropped by and then left once he¡¯d passed the information along.¡±


    ¡°good,¡± noah said with a relieved sigh. ¡°i was a little worried. until tomorrow, then.¡± noah pushed himself upright and out of bed. he went for the door, placing his hand on the handle.


    ¡°noah,¡± moxie said.


    noah paused, his hand on the handle, and glanced back at her. it sounded strange to hear his actual name used in a proper conversation rather than just in his head.


    ¡°not yet. going to touch bases again with moxie tomorrow morning to try to figure out exactly where we¡¯ll go. she mentioned a place called the vibrant woods. doesn¡¯t really sound all that dangerous just from the name, which probably means it¡¯s awful.¡±


    lee shrugged. ¡°names don¡¯t mean much to me. i don¡¯t know all that much about the topography of stuff up here.¡±


    ¡°that makes two of us,¡± noah said with a chuckle. ¡°i¡¯m glad you popped up, though. there was something i wanted to let you know, but i didn¡¯t get a chance to do it yet.¡±


    lee tilted her head to the side curiously. ¡°oh? another secret?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s exactly a secret, but it felt about right, as i just told moxie. my name isn¡¯t really vermil. it¡¯s noah.¡±


    ¡°oh,¡± lee said. she didn¡¯t say anything else for a few moments, then let out a small huff. ¡°it fits you better than vermil. vermil is slimy.¡±


    ¡°thanks, i think,¡± noah replied with a laugh. ¡°just felt like something i should mention. obviously don¡¯t use it when we¡¯re in public. only you and moxie know right now.¡±


    ¡°i still wonder what you are,¡± lee said as noah started to get into bed. ¡°did you tell moxie that?¡±


    ¡°a human,¡± noah replied. ¡°that¡¯s it.¡±


    lee sent him a doubtful glance. ¡°guess not.¡±


    ¡°what? i¡¯m perfectly human. what¡¯s wrong with me?¡±


    ¡°whatever helps you sleep at night.¡± lee scrunched her nose. she padded over to his desk and eyed the new bottles on his shelf. ¡°what are these?¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t touch those,¡± noah said quickly as lee reached for them. she yanked her hand back. noah hurried to add, ¡°they¡¯re from father. probably demon poison of some sort.¡±


    ¡°oh,¡± lee said, her eyes widening. ¡°they smelled good. maybe that¡¯s part of why. why are you keeping it? for the rank 5 demon?¡±


    ¡°maybe,¡± noah replied. ¡°never know when you¡¯ll need to poison someone. they could come in use, you know?¡±


    ¡°right,¡± lee said, letting her hand drop and shaking her head. her nose twitched. ¡°they really do smell good, though.¡±


    ¡°please don¡¯t try them and end up getting yourself killed,¡± noah said. ¡°i still owe you some clothes. it would be a shame if you died before you got to shop.¡±


    ¡°that,¡± lee said, putting a finger to her chin, ¡°is a very good point. i shall ignore the smell.¡±


    for now. i¡¯m going to have to put those in a lee-proof safe or something, or they won¡¯t last for long. it¡¯ll do for tonight, though.


    noah laid back in bed with a yawn, pulling the covers over himself and slipping out of the rest of his clothes. lee opened his closet door and stepped inside. noah spotted a small bundle of clothes that she¡¯d arranged into a makeshift nest inside it.


    ¡°uh... do you want me to buy you a small bed or something?¡± noah asked.


    ¡°nah. these are fine,¡± lee replied before pulling the door shut.


    noah stared at it for a moment, then shook his head. he closed his eyes and shifted, getting more comfortable. soon, sleep started to beckon him off into its embrace.


    the last thing noah heard before he slipped into a deep, much needed slumber was lee¡¯s voice as she mumbled through the door.


    ¡°if you¡¯re just a human, you really don¡¯t smell much like one.¡±

 Chapter 136: Sunrise

    chapter 136: sunrise


    noah woke the following morning to moxie knocking at his door. the sun had still yet to rise, and the night still didn¡¯t show any signs of waning. by the time he¡¯d rolled out of bed and was just a little over halfway through pulling his clothes on, lee had already let her in. noah glanced over at moxie as he pulled a coat on and tried to comb his hair with his hands.


    ¡°when you said early, i didn¡¯t think you meant this early,¡± noah said through a yawn. he rubbed his eyes. ¡°is the library even open?¡±


    ¡°i already dropped by it,¡± moxie said, pulling out her bag and setting several books onto the desk. ¡°i read through a few spots and i think i¡¯ve got a good idea of where we should go. the vibrant woods should be a great starting point, and we can follow them up with the red barrens. after that, we can gauge how things are going and make the decision for where we¡¯re going to go next.¡±


    ¡°wasn¡¯t figuring all that out the whole point of us meeting?¡±


    moxie rubbed the back of her head. it was difficult to tell in the darkness, but noah was pretty sure she blushed. ¡°i got over-eager, and the library opens early.¡±


    ¡°well, i¡¯m not going to complain about having less work,¡± noah said. he picked up the first of the books and flipped through it. it looked like a summary of the areas around arbitage, with small notes on each of the locations. while it wasn¡¯t particularly extensive, it was a good overview.


    noah spotted the scorched acres on one of the pages and paused to scan over it.


    an area inhabited by a variety of bipedal monsters under the influence of a great monster. the area was cultivated as a training ground by arbitage and is not safe for rank 1s or below. while there is accessible water in some lakes, the location is acrid and inhospitable. the glossary contains a list of all known monster species in this area.


    noah cleared his throat and closed the book, setting it back on the table. lee plucked another one from the pile and held it up before her face, sniffing at it.


    ¡°it¡¯s probably too early to get the kids,¡± noah said, glancing out the window as if to remind himself of the time. ¡°not that i actually know where they live.¡±


    ¡°yeah. i was originally not planning to get them until an hour or two after sunrise,¡± moxie admitted with a frown. ¡°sorry. i probably shouldn¡¯t have woken you up. you could have slept for a while longer.¡±


    noah shrugged. ¡°eh, it¡¯s fine. is there anything to do on arbitage this early? i haven¡¯t really gotten a chance to get around the school too much. it¡¯s always been rushing from one place to the other.¡±


    ¡°there¡¯s a good place in the bushes,¡± lee provided, setting the book down, evidently finding it unworthy of her attention. ¡°you can stick your leg out and trip people as they walk by, then pull it back before they spot you.¡±


    ¡°is that what you¡¯ve been spending your time doing?¡± noah asked.


    ¡°nobody¡¯s going to be walking around this early,¡± moxie added.


    ¡°oh. good point,¡± lee said, rubbing her chin. ¡°okay, i¡¯m out of ideas. i¡¯m going back to bed. wake me up before you go anywhere, ¡®kay?¡±


    ¡°will do,¡± noah said. ¡°where are¨C¡±


    lee slipped into noah¡¯s bed and pulled the covers over her head, turning into a lump under the sheets. noah and moxie exchanged a look. moxie collected the books back into her bag and they stepped into the hall.


    ¡°so... any suggestions?¡± noah drawled as he closed the door behind him.


    ¡°where are we?¡± noah asked. ¡°it doesn¡¯t even feel like part of arbitage.¡±


    ¡°this was the old horticulture building,¡± moxie replied, not looking back at him as she started up the stairs. she took each step carefully, putting her feet down in deliberate motions ¨C practiced ones.


    she¡¯s been here before.


    noah matched her steps, holding onto the rough wall for balance. they made their way up, passing the second and third floors without stopping. a cold breeze brushed through noah¡¯s hair as they passed by a large crack in the curved stairwell leading out into the open air.


    ¡°come on,¡± moxie said, looking over her shoulder at noah. ¡°if we¡¯re slow, you¡¯re going to miss the sunrise.¡±


    noah blinked, then hurried to keep up with her, nearly slipping in the process. he grabbed onto the wall and quickly righted himself before moxie could turn back again, giving her a sheepish grin.


    moxie just shook her head and continued up. the rest of the stairwell made no further attempts on noah¡¯s life, and the two of them reached the top a minute later. a cold breeze blew noah¡¯s hair back as he stepped out. the floor he¡¯d stepped out onto could hardly even be called that.


    three walls still rose around on either side and behind him, but the fourth wall had crumbled away. a large pile of thick green vines was curled in the corner of the room like a nest. just over the horizon, faint rays of orange light started to poke out and light up the clouds.


    moxie hopped over the crumbling wall, landing on an outcropping of stone right below. she sat down, letting her legs swing in the open air. noah padded over to look over the edge of the wall, then carefully lowered himself to sit on the ledge beside her.


    ¡°and you said you didn¡¯t know anywhere,¡± noah said, leaning back against the wall as the wind nipped at his face. rays of golden orange crept further into the clouds, illuminating them with their light.


    ¡°it¡¯s not a spot,¡± moxie muttered. ¡°it¡¯s just an old ruin.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯d call it a spot.¡±


    ¡°well, it isn¡¯t,¡± moxie said with a huff. ¡°it¡¯s just an old windy building that nobody comes to. the damn thing will probably end up getting blown down in a few years anyway.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s nice,¡± noah said after a moment. ¡°and the wind is refreshing. who would have thought you had a secret location like this stashed away. i bet todd and isabel would be jealous.¡±


    the top of the sun peeked out from behind a cloud like the yolk of a perfectly orange egg.


    ¡°noah?¡±


    ¡°yeah?¡±


    ¡°just shut up and watch the sunrise.¡±


    ¡°right.¡±

 Chapter 137: Revin

    chapter 137: revin


    revin leaned back, letting out a loud yawn as he stretched his arms over his head. the sun had risen once again, sliding out from behind the cover of the clouds and pouring over the grassy field to illuminate the pointed rock he sat on.


    it had taken him quite some time to find this particular rock. he was picky about this sort of thing. rocks all had their own personality. some were fat and lazy, suitable only for skipping through a river.


    others were craggy and chaotic. those were good for breaking and not much else. but some ¨C like the one he was currently perched upon, was sharp and pointed. it jutted out of the ground at an angle, much like the tooth of some long forgotten monster.


    and rocks like these ¨C they were cool.


    the grass below revin swayed as a breeze brushed through it. it was cold, but he didn¡¯t let it show on his features. that was the wrong kind of cool. revin yawned again. he¡¯d been sitting around for quite some time now. it was starting to get boring, and the sun was already almost up.


    if nothing had happened by now, then it was just about time to ¨C


    several bullets of wind shot at revin from the shadows of a nearby rock. they were almost completely invisible just a step away from soundless ¨C the perfect attack of an assassin.


    they would have been more effective if he hadn¡¯t heard heavy breathing in the direction they¡¯d come from a moment before the spell went off. revin¡¯s body flickered, collapsing into a pool of shadow that raced down the rock and reformed at its base.


    the shadows formed into a scythe, rising up from the ground. revin grabbed it, spinning the weapon and driving its butt into the ground with a cocky grin.


    ¡°is that all?¡± revin asked. ¡°pathetic attempt, really. you¡¯re going to need a lot more than that if you¡¯re planning to try to land a single blow on me, much less actually take me down.¡±


    a swirl of wind shot at revin from all sides, a dozen separate wind blades all collapsing toward him at the same instant. the grin on revin¡¯s face didn¡¯t even flicker as he sank down, leaving his scythe behind.


    the blades of wind carved through the shadow weapon, splitting it into several pieces. but, even as they started to fall, revin rose back up beside them. the pieces of the scythe slithered back together and flew into his hand.


    revin spun the weapon, shifting his stance, then raised a hand toward an outcropping of rocks before him. they were all round, with a few craggy ones scattered throughout their midst. his brow furrowed.


    ¡°poor hiding place.¡±


    a thick crescent moon of wind, easily twice as tall as revin, carved across the ground toward him. it had appeared from nowhere, but revin didn¡¯t need to see things to hunt them. he took a step forward, then launched himself into the air.


    his long jacket fluttered in the air behind him as revin spun. his scythe flashed, reflecting the light of the glowing sun as he descended toward a small spot between the rocks. a moment before he hit, the area shimmered and a slightly pudgy boy dove out of the way.


    a thin shield of flowing wind surrounded him as he hit the rocks with a grunt, rolling to the side an instant before revin¡¯s scythe carved through the stone behind him.


    ¡°what are you doing?¡± revin asked as the boy scrambled to his feet and sprinted away, flicking blades of air magic back at him.


    revin danced through the spells, flowing like a stalk in the wind and rapidly gaining on the retreating boy. the shadows around the boy¡¯s feet reached up to grab his legs, but he threw himself to the side and toward a ray of sunlight that had broken past the darkness of one of the rocks.


    rolling to his feet, the boy spun back toward revin and flicked his hands through the air, making a dramatic sweeping motion with both of them. blades of wind shot toward revin, forcing him to vault backward to avoid getting cut.


    revin¡¯s jump carried him through the air and he alighted on top of a rock, freezing as he landed. it was always imperative to strike a pose after an impressive escape.


    another blade of wind whistled through the air. this one churned a bright white, not even trying to blend in or hide its presence. revin leapt into the air, easily avoiding the spell ¨C and nearly flying straight into the path of the second, much harder to see bolt of magic.


    laughing, revin stretched his hand out. a tendril of shadow shot out of the ground and he grabbed it, yanking himself to the ground. he hit it in a roll, springing to his feet and extending his hand. his scythe shot into it and he bounded toward the boy.


    revin leaned back as another wind crescent passed by his head harmlessly. he whipped his scythe out, hooking it out and around the boy¡¯s neck as he turned to run. revin gave it a sharp tug and the blade of the scythe turned into a blunt hook, jerking him to a stop harmlessly.


    the boy slumped in defeat, letting his hands drop as he let out a groan.


    ¡°you¡¯re always starving,¡± revin said, reaching down to clasp james¡¯s hand. as soon as their fingers touched, a grin flickered across james¡¯s features. it was so fast that revin nearly missed it, but it was just enough.


    he leaned back, yanking james to his feet in the process, and a lance of wind shot past his nose, carving several hairs from his head. revin looked back down at james.


    ¡°missed me. good try though, champ. if you keep at it for another thousand years, you might land a blow,¡± revin said, flicking a strand of his own hair back. his finger touched his forehead and he paused, lowering his hand to see a tiny trail of blood on it.


    james let a massive grin stretch across his face. ¡°what¡¯s wrong, prof? getting old? did i just see a rank 3 get hit by a rank 1? that¡¯s pretty embarrassing. your reflexes must be giving out as you go senile.¡±


    revin rubbed his fingers together, then grunted. ¡°well, i¡¯ll be damned. i guess even someone as useless as you can do something right when they try hard enough. not bad. not bad at all. you were almost cool.¡±


    ¡°screw that,¡± james said. he thrust a finger into revin¡¯s chest. ¡°this means you¡¯re paying for breakfast, pops.¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t call me pops,¡± revin said. ¡°i¡¯m not that old.¡±


    ¡°you literally are my dad. you are that old.¡±


    ¡°i am not! i am your godfather. there is a very distinct difference between that and father. one implies being old. the other implies being cool. do you see?¡±


    ¡°no.¡±


    ¡°well, you will,¡± revin said. he let out a huff and shook his head. the sun had completely come out from behind the clouds and was shining down on them, illuminating the rocky field in a wave of morning light. a thoughtful expression crossed revin¡¯s face.


    ¡°what? you¡¯ve got a weird look on your face,¡± james said. ¡°i won fair and square. you said a fight was never over until it was over.¡±


    ¡°did i?¡±


    ¡°we argued about it for like ten minutes.¡± james glared at revin. ¡°remember? i said that made absolutely no sense. of course something isn¡¯t over until it¡¯s over. that¡¯s exactly how it works. it¡¯s nonsense.¡±


    ¡°ah yes, i do remember that. you lost the argument.¡±


    ¡°you attacked me.¡±


    ¡°and that fight did not end until it was over. thus, a victory in my favor.¡±


    ¡°whatever, grandpa. don¡¯t try to stiff me on breakfast. i won, fair and square.¡±


    ¡°i suppose you did,¡± revin allowed with a chuckle. he tapped a finger on his chin in thought, then started walking back toward arbitage, beckoning for james to follow after him. ¡°and i¡¯m nothing if not a man of my word. i¡¯ll get breakfast. and, after that...¡±


    he trailed off, and james frowned.


    ¡°don¡¯t pause ominously like that. i already told you it¡¯s creepy.¡±


    ¡°it adds effect. i was just thinking that you¡¯re not doing too shabby at all in these fights. it might be time to start pushing you a bit harder.¡±


    james stopped walking. ¡°you mean...¡±


    nice pause, kid. learned from the best.


    ¡°we¡¯ve already done all the boring theory stuff for the exam. it might be time to start prepping you more seriously for it,¡± revin said, casting a glance over his shoulder. ¡°after breakfast, pack your travel bag. we¡¯re going to the vibrant woods.¡±

 Chapter 138: Lost in thought

    chapter 138: lost in thought


    ¡°...and then, once we¡¯re finished in the red barrens, we can wrap up the last stretch of training in graybarrow,¡± moxie finished, looking over noah¡¯s shoulder at the paper in his hands. she¡¯d sketched out a rough lesson plan on it, depicting several different areas that they¡¯d be travelling through. the paper was covered with scribbles and crossed out thoughts that had been added over the past hour of discussion.


    ¡°i think that looks good,¡± noah said with a nod as he gave the paper one final scan.n??v€lrapture marked the initial hosting of this chapter on n?o?v€l??n.


    they¡¯d been working on it ever since the sun had fully risen. moxie had done a great job cataloguing all the potential monsters in the areas they¡¯d be going through to make sure nothing would be too far out of their students¡¯ capabilities while making sure the challenges would still push them.


    the only problem was that there were too many places to go. noah had known that the area around arbitage had a lot of locations around it, but he hadn¡¯t realized quite how many there were until moxie listed them out.


    there were dozens, each with unique biomes and sets of monsters. many of them had been intentionally cultivated by arbitage for training and research purposes ¨C such as the scorched plains ¨C while others were naturally occurring.


    of the naturally occurring locations, there were two general kinds. the first was the one that arbitage had either cleared themselves or had hired adventurers and soldiers to clear out. the second was an area that had monsters or dangerous entities strong enough to make them entirely unsafe and strictly prohibited for safety reasons.


    moxie had picked out a long list of training areas. they were a mix of the arbitage established locations and the safer natural ones, of course ¨C but there were just far too many to visit all of them and spend a substantial amount of time in each one.


    as such, the duty had fallen to noah to help her trim down their trip plans. by the time they¡¯d finished, what laid out on the paper before them was neat and concise.


    vibrant woodsfocus on basic survival techniques and strategies in the first half of the day, then train fighting and runes in the last half. gradually ease the kids into everything rather than just dropping them off the deep end. red barrensbegin stepping back from survival training and have the students take over more. see where they¡¯re lacking and focus on improvement, but continue overseeing combat and rune training. graybarrowlet the students completely take over and plan all of what they¡¯re doing. only step in if absolutely necessary.


    ¡°you think just three places will be enough?¡± moxie asked.


    noah nodded. ¡°yeah. it should be better this way. going to a lot of different areas would obviously get them more exposure, but i don¡¯t think they¡¯d get the chance to really learn as much if we were traveling constantly. it¡¯s better to put them in more realistic survival scenarios, especially toward the end.¡±


    moxie nodded. she shuffled her papers around, pulling three out from the pile on her lap and positioning them on top. they were summaries of the dossiers on each location, including basic information on the monsters and environment.


    they had no plans of giving the information to the students. discovering the abilities of the monsters they were up against was an important part of learning to survive in the wild. noah had scanned through the papers himself, but there hadn¡¯t been anything particularly interesting that had caught his eye.


    the vibrant woods had the largest variety of monsters out of all the areas, many of them strongly resembling animals that lived in the jungle back on earth. there were also two great monsters in the area. the first was the conductor boa, a monster with some form of electric master rune. it was naturally occurring in the area, unlike the hellreaver. the other great monster was named the starhawk.


    between the two of them, noah was pretty sure the starhawk was a bigger threat. the book had little information on the monster, but it had mentioned that it was some sort of bird ¨C noah had guessed that much ¨C but it was blindingly fast.


    luckily, the starhawk was also reported to only target other monsters. arbitage had apparently introduced the bird at some point to help control the population within the vibrant woods, and it had been marked as a training location for students by the school.


    as for the other two locations ¨C they had the dossiers for them already, and noah had just given them cursory checks. both were marked as training locations for students by the school, and the lists of monsters didn¡¯t have anything too concerning within them.


    noah looked out over the grass before them, watching the sunlight break through the morning clouds and dance over the ground. it was oddly peaceful. there was just something about the mornings ¨C even though it had been morning for several hours now ¨C that just felt right.


    he leaned against the stone wall, enjoying the breeze rustling through his hair, and looked up at lee¡¯s face floating in the amber clouds.


    noah blinked.


    lee grinned down at him.


    ¡°hullo.¡±


    moxie let out a curse, nearly jumping out of her skin. by some stroke of magic, she managed to actually remain seated and didn¡¯t mistakenly fling herself over the ledge. lee swung her body down from the ledge she¡¯d been hanging from like a bat, dropping to the ground behind them.


    ¡°only theory,¡± moxie replied with a thoughtful expression. ¡°i didn¡¯t think you were paying attention during those lessons, though.¡±


    ¡°i always pay attention!¡± emily exclaimed. todd and isabel both snickered, and she shot a glance at them when they weren¡¯t looking.


    ah. she¡¯s trying to show off. well, maybe she picked up a bit more than what it looks like. only one way to see.


    ¡°shall we?¡± moxie asked.


    ¡°yeah,¡± noah said with a grin. ¡°let¡¯s get this started.¡±


    ***


    neir strolled through the streets of arbitage, chewing on a leftover toothpick from a food stall that had been selling meat skewers. it had been weeks since he¡¯d started on the case with the hellreaver, and he hadn¡¯t found a single damn shred of evidence anywhere.


    it wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d expected the case would be cut and dry. any group that was bold enough to take on arbitage would have put extensive planning and thought into their moves. but... to leave nothing more than a charred corpse in their wake was something entirely new.


    whoever i¡¯m up against is some sort of tactical genius. probably a very highly ranked mage, 5 at the lowest. maybe even someone as strong as the headmaster at rank 6. but, if they were that powerful, why would they even bother with the hellreaver, knowing the linwicks would replace it?


    gah. this makes no sense. there weren¡¯t even any runes on the corpse. how do you rip the runes out of someone that perfectly? i didn¡¯t even think that was possible ¨C it was like the body was dead for years rather than seconds.


    or was it all a ruse in the first place? maybe the corpse really was old, and it was just put there to mislead us entirely. but the clothes were new. maybe the corpse was old and the clothes were put onto it?


    the toothpick snapped in neir¡¯s mouth. he grabbed the piece that fell, then pulled the other half out of his mouth with a sigh. neir stuck both of them into his pocket, shaking his head. the whole damn case was cursed. his two main suspects were a pair of idiot rank 1 and 2 mages, neither of which had any reason to kill the hellreaver.


    one of them was even part of the linwick family, and the other seemed attached to him at the hip.


    if they¡¯d been planning something, why make it so obvious?


    neir was so lost in thought that he nearly walked straight into someone on the road. he froze as they entered the edges of his domain, jerking his eyes up as his mind brushed against something that sent a tremor down the back of his spine and froze his blood.


    a gray haired man in a blood red coat stood before him. the man¡¯s salt and pepper hair framed his weathered face, and he slightly favored his right leg, which was a construct of pure silver engraved with flowing runes ¨C none of which were recognizable to neir because of the expert imbuement process the leg had gone through.


    ¡°silvertide?¡± neir asked, his eyes going wide.


    ¡°fancy that,¡± silvertide said, a smile playing across his lips. ¡°i didn¡¯t think i¡¯d be running into an old student while they were throwing a temper tantrum, but i should have known. it feels like every time i see you, you look like you ate something sour.¡±


    ¡°leave it to an old man to misremember things.¡± neir scoffed. ¡°there was a rank 5 monster attacking a town the last time we met. i¡¯d say that¡¯s reason enough to look sour.¡±


    ¡°there¡¯s a difference between being serious and an irritable little brat. what¡¯s got your back screwed up, neir?¡±


    neir let out a huff. ¡°i¡¯m stumped on an investigation. someone killed the hellreaver, and i don¡¯t know who or why.¡±


    ¡°oh?¡± silvertide raised a bushy eyebrow. ¡°now that sounds like fun. why don¡¯t you tell me a little more?¡±

 Chapter 139: Ugly

    chapter 139: ugly


    the trip to the vibrant woods only took four days. noah could have made it far faster if he used his flying sword ¨C which hadn¡¯t gotten a ton of usage as of recent weeks, but that would have required everyone else to get one as well, but that would have required both buying them and learning how to use them, not to mention isabel and todd didn¡¯t have any wind runes.


    he could have asked moxie to fund things, but in the end they all decided a normal trip would be fastest. it went without trouble and after a fairly quiet yet fast paced trip, the group found themselves at their destination.


    the vibrant woods lived up to their name. trees in every shade of the rainbow rose up before them. many of them didn¡¯t even resemble trees in shape, their trunks twisting and winding around each other like some strange painting. with moxie at the lead, they all headed in and just walked, simply absorbing the environment.


    no two trees looked the same, and finding similar ones wasn¡¯t easy either. if anything, it felt like noah had stepped into a particularly creative child¡¯s painting. the forest smelled like earth and maple syrup with just a dash of fresh grass tossed in.


    despite the strange shape of the woods, they weren¡¯t nearly as densely packed as noah had been expecting. there was more than enough room to see through the trees and a good amount of sunlight came through the branches above, illuminating the area well. although there were several tight clusters of trees around them, nothing was so dense that it would impede movement.


    ¡°wow,¡± todd breathed, turning in a slow circle as he took the forest in. ¡°this place is beautiful.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s just a forest,¡± emily muttered. ¡°i¡¯ve seen better.¡±


    noah was on todd¡¯s side. a small bunch of blue mushrooms caught his eye beneath a pile of colorful leaves. they glowed with a gentle green hue, and he resisted the urge to poke them. if there was ever anything poisonous, then it was definitely the mushrooms.


    ¡°what kind of monsters should we expect here?¡± isabel asked, keeping her stance light.


    ¡°that¡¯s something you¡¯ll be determining yourself,¡± moxie replied. ¡°it¡¯s part of the survival training.¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t worry, though,¡± noah added. ¡°we¡¯re going to be here to make sure nothing goes poorly. we aren¡¯t dropping you off the deep end.¡±0v3l.bin.


    ¡°you aren¡¯t supposed to tell them that,¡± moxie said, leaning in to whisper into noah¡¯s ear with an irritated frown. ¡°it¡¯ll make them try less.¡±


    ¡°bah. give them some credit. they aren¡¯t lazy,¡± noah said. then he noted the relieved expression on emily¡¯s face and cleared his throat. ¡°they probably aren¡¯t lazy.¡±


    moxie rolled her eyes. noah spotted lee inching toward the colorful mushrooms and grabbed her by the back of her shirt a moment before she pounced, pulling her back over to their side.


    ¡°don¡¯t eat the colorful mushrooms.¡±


    ¡°why?¡±


    ¡°because they¡¯re probably poisonous.¡±


    ¡°not to me.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re supposed to be setting an example,¡± noah said. ¡°you¡¯re a professor, lee. what are the kids going to think if you go around eating random colorful things that are clearly unsafe to eat?¡±


    ¡°for all the things i think i¡¯d listen to lee about, i don¡¯t think food is one of them.¡± todd said as he took a careful step away from the mushrooms. ¡°she¡¯s got other talents.¡±


    isabel laughed. emily looked from her to todd, and a quick frown passed over her face. it was gone before noah could even properly register it, but a glance at moxie showed that she¡¯d noticed it as well.


    ¡°there¡¯s no reason to waste time standing around, so we should set off and find a place to start,¡± moxie said, choosing a direction and starting into the forest. the rest of them followed after her.


    while they walked, noah and lee both kept their heads on a swivel, searching for any signs of monsters. noah suspected moxie was doing the same thing, but she was a lot better at multitasking.


    ¡°what¡¯s the first thing we should be doing, assuming we¡¯re going to be staying in the area for two weeks?¡± moxie asked.


    ¡°let¡¯s follow it,¡± isabel said. ¡°like you said, if we¡¯re in an area that a stronger creature has control over and we defeat the creature, then we¡¯ll probably be relatively safe.¡±


    emily, who had been about to say something, let her mouth close and pressed her lips together. when moxie looked to emily to get her thoughts, emily just shrugged. noah¡¯s brow furrowed.


    is she feeling left out because of how close todd and isabel are? or maybe she was hoping to show off a little more, but isn¡¯t getting the chance. it feels like she¡¯s not part of the group, even though i¡¯m sure they¡¯re not doing it intentionally. if i mention anything now, it¡¯ll just make things worse. i should keep an eye on it and step in if nothing changes, though.


    ¡°then it looks like we¡¯ve found our course of action.¡± moxie gestured for them to move. ¡°take over. let¡¯s see how you do.¡±


    they set off, following the trail of footprints. even though the students were at the lead, noah and moxie both had their runes close at hand in case something dove to ambush them. lee was equally as prepared if not more ¨C noah was pretty sure nothing was going to sneak up on lee with her nose.


    minutes stretched on. the group didn¡¯t have too much difficulty tailing the footprints because of how deep they were, but they remained as quiet as possible to avoid drawing too much attention to themselves.


    luckily, the environment in the vibrant woods was comfortable. the worst of the sun¡¯s heat was absorbed by the shade of the trees, and a faint breeze running through them was more than enough to keep them cool during the hike.


    as they passed by a tree whose branches arced overhead like a pathway, a green blur snapped down from above them. the only sound it made was a faint rustling hiss. isabel and todd reacted instantly, spinning toward the source of the noise. a churning blade of wind shot from noah¡¯s fingertips and vines whipped out from around moxie¡¯s feet, but lee was faster.


    she shot forward, slamming into the blur and ripping it in half with her bare hands before noah¡¯s spell could even finish leaving his fingertips. the blade of wind arced past her, carving into the trunk of the tree and ripping a deep gouge through it.


    lee dropped to the ground, holding two halves of a snake with bark-like skin. gray blood dripped from its inside to the forest floor.


    ¡°got it,¡± lee said with a grin. ¡°can i eat this?¡±


    noah lowered his hands and chuckled. ¡°good job.¡±


    isabel and todd both lowered their hands. emily¡¯s frown deepened and she turned away from them, her hand running over the shield bracelet on her wrist. she¡¯d been the only one that hadn¡¯t responded in time.


    ¡°keep moving,¡± moxie said, not leaving them time to stand around. ¡°we¡¯ve got a monster to track, don¡¯t we?¡±


    the students all nodded and turned back to the trail, setting off once more. they continued through the forest, this time keeping a closer eye on the branches above them.


    a little less than half an hour passed when they all came to a stop at the edge of a large clearing, taking cover behind a bundle of interlocked trees. a big nest of tree limbs had been arranged in the center of the clearing like a spiky barricade.


    sitting in the center of the nest was a large brown and blue monster. it roughly resembled a penguin that had gotten stuck in a blender, with thick, jagged feathers jutting out in every direction.


    it was facing away from them, but noah could still see its long, curved beak. the monster stood a little taller than two times his height, and it looked focused on something inside the nest.


    ¡°that¡¯s a big ass bird,¡± todd whispered. ¡°can we handle it?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s for you to figure out,¡± moxie said in a hushed whisper. ¡°just remember that talking or sitting around too long could result in getting spotted. learn to make quick but informed decisions.¡±


    ¡°we should¨C¡± emily started.


    ¡°we can handle it,¡± isabel said firmly, her fingers twitching at her side. ¡°let¡¯s go, todd.¡±


    emily closed her mouth, irritation passing over her features, and shook her head. ¡°fine. whatever.¡±


    the three of them stepped out into the clearing. the monster¡¯s head instantly jerked up and it spun toward them, its beak opening to reveal rows upon rows of jagged teeth as it let out a screech of challenge.


    here we go. let¡¯s see how they handle this ugly bastard.

 Chapter 140: Traumatize

    chapter 140: traumatize


    todd called on his runes. his body started to turn a pinkish-red as his body imbuements activated. his bracelets sparked and a swirling mote of fire formed in each of his hands.


    ¡°it looks like it¡¯s got thick feathers. they¡¯re probably going to be a good defense,¡± todd said as the monster watched them warily. despite its cry, it hadn¡¯t actually moved from the spot it was standing in. ¡°isabel, try to keep its attention. i¡¯ll aim for its eyes.¡±


    stone slithered up from the ground, running up isabel¡¯s legs and forming armor around her body. she pressed a hand to her chest and drew out her spear, grabbing it with one hand and reaching down with the other.


    a flat rock rose up from beneath the ground forming into a shield around her arm. cracks of blue light broke through her armor as she lifted the shield with a grunt, holding it out before her.


    emily¡¯s ice bow materialized in her hands and she reached for an arrow, starting to draw the string back. todd sent his bolt of fire streaking off toward the beakfoot. it flinched back, avoiding the spell and opening its mouth in another screech.


    the monster leapt from its nest, crashing to the ground before them and charging. emily¡¯s eyes widened and she prepared to dodge, but isabel didn¡¯t let the monster finish its charge. she met it, bracing her shield against the ground.


    rock flowed up behind her, forming supports and bracing the wall of stone. noah kept his magic ready, but he needn¡¯t have worried. the beakfoot slammed into isabel, sending a tremor down her defenses but failing to smash through them. isabel thrust her spear at the monster and it bit deep into its stomach.


    the beakfoot screamed in pain, and todd hit it straight in the mouth with a beam of fire. its cry cut off, the beakfoot hissed in pain and staggered back, flapping its wings in pain. a pillar of stone erupted from the ground beneath isabel, shattering against the monster¡¯s beak and knocking it back.


    emily reached down to draw an arrow and took aim, but isabel was between her and the monster. she pressed her lips together and ran toward the side, trying to get a better angle on it. the beakfoot spotted her movement and spun toward her, abandoning isabel as it charged at emily.


    the monster moved with surprising speed on the ground. moxie and noah both tensed, getting ready to intervene. even though emily had a shield while the others didn¡¯t, the beakfoot was a big opponent and it wasn¡¯t using any runic magic.


    todd¡¯s legs pumped and steam rose from his body as he sprinted for the beakfoot. he leapt into the air, his bracelets sparking and his fists erupting in flames. he brought his hands down together, like he was spiking a volleyball, and into the back of the beakfoot¡¯s head.


    the blow connected with a loud crack. the beakfoot pitched forward, crashing to the ground. todd tried to right himself in the air, but he suddenly stiffened. he hit the ground in an awkward roll, coming to a stop against a tree amidst a string of curses.


    todd pushed himself upright, the flames covering his hands sputtering out as he pressed a hand to his neck with a pained grimace. isabel sent him a worried glance.


    ¡°i¡¯m fine,¡± todd snapped. ¡°focus on the monster.¡±


    isabel nodded. she turned back to the beakfoot as it pushed itself upright, the back of its head smoking. emily drew her arrow back for the third time, taking aim at the monster and letting it fire off.


    the beakfoot lurched to the side, avoiding the arrow. it lunged toward emily, baring its teeth in an attempt to bite at her. emily jumped back, going for another arrow, but she didn¡¯t get a chance to draw it.


    the ground beneath isabel pushed her forward like she was surfing across a wave of rock, and she drove herself into the large monster¡¯s side. with the extra speed and weight of her rock armor, she had enough force to throw the large bird to the ground. it squawked in displeasure, batting its wings at isabel, but she pressed down on it with her shield.


    emily¡¯s arrow froze at her fingertips as she tried to take aim, but it was impossible to get a good shot with isabel and the monster so close together. isabel pulled back and jabbed her spear into the monster, inflicting another wound near its stomach.


    screeching in pain and fury, the beakfoot drove its namesake into isabel. her shield cracked and she was thrown back. she hit the ground with a pained grunt, but pillars of stone pushed her back upright.


    her armor is too unwieldy for her to stand up on her own, so she uses the stone to do it for her. smart.


    ¡°you¡¯re more than that,¡± noah said. ¡°but i think her problem is more than that too, if i¡¯m being honest. you¡¯re right ¨C she isn¡¯t clicking with them well. if we force them to be friends or work together, that¡¯ll just make things worse. working as a team is important, but it stems from being able to find common ground. isabel and todd aren''t doing much better there either.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t think i¡¯m the best person to give advice about making friends or working together,¡± moxie said with a disappointed expression. ¡°i don¡¯t know how to help her.¡±


    ¡°for now, we shouldn¡¯t do anything. the more we interfere, the more artificial anything will feel. hopefully this training is a good opportunity for that, though.¡±


    moxie nodded. ¡°yeah. i¡¯m just worried. emily isn¡¯t used to working in groups, and she certainly isn¡¯t used to getting shown up. the torrin family made sure she was well treated whenever she went home. this is a really stark shift for her.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t get the point of that,¡± noah said, shaking his head. ¡°if she¡¯s main branch, shouldn¡¯t they want to make sure she¡¯s strong enough to defend herself? there¡¯s no point in pampering her.¡±


    moxie just shrugged in response. ¡°i wish i knew, but they didn¡¯t give me much leeway with what i was allowed to do. i suppose they wanted to make sure she didn¡¯t get hurt.¡±


    they both looked back at emily, who was standing on side of the beakfoot opposite to the other three, her shoulders slightly hunched as she watched lee tear it apart.


    ¡°do you think this is my fault?¡± moxie asked. ¡°maybe i should have tried to get her to work with more students, even if the torrin family said otherwise. i¡¯ve held her back.¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t beat yourself up about it,¡± noah replied. ¡°we saw her fighting against the snufflers. emily is talented. she just doesn¡¯t know how to work with other people yet, but we¡¯ve got a lot of time to work on that. i¡¯m sure we¡¯ll figure something out. besides, isabel and todd need to learn how to play nice with people that aren¡¯t each other.¡±


    ¡°yeah,¡± moxie muttered, looking back at emily with a sad expression. ¡°i hope so. i don¡¯t want her to end up like how i was.¡±


    ¡°you still only have two friends.¡± noah flicked moxie in the shoulder and gave her a wry grin. ¡°you¡¯ve got a ways to go yourself, mrs. i don¡¯t have any friends.¡±


    moxie reddened. ¡°shut up.¡±


    all the students suddenly started to yell in anger as lee mistakenly ripped the throat of the beakfoot out, spraying blood everywhere. lee looked up, her face painted red, and grinned sheepishly at everyone as they scrambled to get away from her.


    ¡°well,¡± noah drawled, ¡°traumatic events have a way of making people bond. and, with lee around, i think we¡¯ll probably get the kids their fair share of that.¡±


    ¡°your plan is to traumatize them into becoming friends?¡±


    ¡°it worked for us, didn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°i almost feel sorry for them,¡± moxie muttered. ¡°you¡¯re sure we shouldn¡¯t just interfere right now and tell them to change things up? if we straight up told them, it might fix the issue.¡±


    ¡°or it¡¯ll end up isolating emily further,¡± noah said. ¡°we¡¯ll do that if we have to, but let¡¯s give them a chance to work things out themselves. you can¡¯t force anyone to be friends, but you sure can put them in a situation where it helps. but yeah, if that doesn¡¯t work, then we¡¯re mandating some friendship.¡±


    moxie shrugged and gave him a nod. ¡°if that¡¯s what you think, then we¡¯ll go with it. you¡¯ve got more experience there than i do.¡±


    noah nodded idly, hoping that he was right. one way or another, he was sure of one thing. this was going to be an interesting few weeks.

 Chapter 141: Alone

    chapter 141: alone


    after lee finished brutalizing the body of the monster, isabel set about preparing the clearing. she erected six stone cones in the center of the clearing, leaving openings to peer out of to make sure nothing could sneak up on them too easily.


    isabel then formed a pit in the center of the camp. meanwhile, todd and emily gathered dry sticks of wood from the ground and piled them into the pit. todd burned away the grass in the immediate area around their soon to be campfire to make sure it wouldn¡¯t mistakenly spread.


    a little under half an hour later, they had everything prepared. the three students stood around, staring at each other.


    ¡°well?¡± moxie asked.


    ¡°what do we do now?¡± isabel asked. ¡°we¡¯ve got a camp.¡±


    ¡°what do you think?¡± moxie raised an eyebrow. ¡°you¡¯re going to be here for a while. are you happy with what you¡¯ve currently got?¡±


    todd dug through his travel bag. ¡°i¡¯ve got some beef jerky, cheese, some changes of clothes, and water. not much in the shape of anything to sleep on. maybe we should get some moss to make beds?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s a good idea,¡± isabel agreed. ¡°but if we go into the forest, we¡¯re also losing the relative safety of our camp. i don¡¯t know how big the big bird thing¡¯s territory is.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s exactly what we should find out,¡± emily said. ¡°we need to figure out what the potential enemies that could come up on us are.¡±


    moxie nodded in approval. ¡°we¡¯ll shadow whatever you do, but vermil and i won¡¯t give any suggestions unless you need them. keep it up, emily. can you lead them for now and try to impart the lessons i gave you to them? it¡¯ll be good for all of you.¡±


    emily pressed her lips together, but sighed and shrugged her shoulders. ¡°fine. come with me.¡±


    the students set off into the forest, and the three teachers headed after them. as they walked, lee jogged to join noah ¨C still covered in blood from head to toe.


    ¡°i¡¯m going to go scout the area and see what we¡¯re up against,¡± lee said. ¡°please don¡¯t kill the great monster before i get back.¡±


    ¡°i have no plans of killing any more great monsters that arbitage set up for training,¡± noah said, looking sheepish. ¡°don¡¯t look at me like that. i¡¯m not stupid.¡±


    ¡°whatever you say,¡± lee said. she didn¡¯t look convinced. lee stepped into the shadows of a tree and faded from view.


    emily hadn¡¯t waited around while they were talking, so noah and moxie hurried to catch back up with their students before they could get too far away. instead of walking straight away from the camp, emily took them in large circles around it, slowly increasing the diameter of their loops to make sure they didn¡¯t check the same area too many times.


    it wasn¡¯t the fastest way to cover ground, but it did result in getting a pretty good understanding of the general surroundings. all of them were on their guards as they walked, and emily held her frost bow readied by her side, her eyes sweeping the forest.


    a snake whipped at them from the bushes. both noah and moxie prepared to act, but an ice arrow sprouted from its head before it could finish its strike. the monster flipped through the air and thumped into a tree, sliding down to the dirt below.


    emily didn¡¯t even stop moving. isabel and todd exchanged an impressed glance ¨C and promptly just followed after her instead of saying anything. noah¡¯s eye twitched.


    goddamn it. compliment her. that was a great shot. what¡¯s up with you lot?


    ¡°good shot, emily,¡± noah said after waiting a few more moments, hoping one of the others would speak first. ¡°that was some impressive reaction time.¡±


    ¡°i saw it out of the corner of my eye,¡± emily replied in a flat tone. ¡°i just didn¡¯t shoot until it moved.¡±


    ¡°why didn¡¯t you say something?¡± todd asked with a frown. ¡°we could have¨C¡±


    ¡°because i didn¡¯t need help.¡±


    i think we¡¯re somehow managing to regress. what¡¯s going on? i don¡¯t understand at all. moxie is right. they were getting along fine during the trip.


    todd shrugged, and isabel didn¡¯t say anything. the group just continued in their ever-growing loops. after a little under an hour, they¡¯d cleared the majority of the area around the camp.


    there were several other snakes. three fell to emily¡¯s bow, two went down to todd shooting bolts of flame, and isabel managed to spear one that had hidden in a large bush. not a single time did the two groups help each other.


    emily leaned against her stone house and crossed her arms, shivering as a cold wind blew past her. she considered moving closer to the campfire, but that also would have involved getting closer to the opening in the tent, where isabel and todd would probably just be sitting together by their own little fire, whispering under their breath and huddling for warmth.


    a pang of longing and disappointment bit at emily¡¯s heart, but she crushed it ruthlessly. the torrin family didn¡¯t have room for weakness ¨C especially not in the main branch. it didn¡¯t matter what anyone else did.


    moxie was right. friends didn¡¯t matter. she was strong enough on her own ¨C and it wasn¡¯t like isabel or todd even wanted to be friends with her. they were happy enough on their own.


    i don¡¯t belong here.


    emily¡¯s musings were rudely interrupted as a massive crash shook the clearing. one of the stone tents to her side collapsed as a brown-furred gorilla stumbled into the clearing, two massive fangs jutting out of its mouth. the monster stood almost three times emily¡¯s height, and its body was pure muscle. its massive hands dragged on the ground behind it, eyes wild.


    ¡°monster!¡± emily screamed, her bow materializing in her hands as she pulled the moisture out of the air and froze it into shape. her eyes darted around for the professors, but they were nowhere to be seen.


    isabel and todd dashed out of their tent.


    ¡°what happened?¡± isabel called back, stone erupting to cover her in armor. ¡°i thought you were on watch!¡±


    ¡°it came out of nowhere,¡± emily replied, firing an arrow at the monster¡¯s head. the gorilla jerked its head back, avoiding the spell, and turned its furious eyes toward her as it let out a howl.


    ¡°wait!¡± isabel yelled, her armor still forming around her. ¡°i¡¯m not ready¨C¡±


    todd tackled isabel to the side ¨C an impressive feat while she was partially encased in stone, and they narrowly avoided getting trampled by the gorilla as it charged emily.


    emily¡¯s eyes narrowed and she darted to the side, throwing herself forward at the last moment and landing in a roll as the gorilla¡¯s fist whistled past her. she shot back to her feet, an arrow forming in her bow, and fired at the monster.


    she was close enough that it didn¡¯t have time to dodge, but that also meant that getting a shot at a good spot was considerably more difficult. the ice arrow thunked into the gorilla¡¯s arm and it let out a furious roar, spinning to face her again.


    i can handle this on my own.


    ¡°get out of here,¡± emily yelled, firing another arrow at the gorilla and darting away as it lumbered after her. ¡°find where the professors are! they¡¯re missing.¡±


    ¡°they¡¯re missing?¡± isabel asked. ¡°why? what happened?¡±


    ¡°does it matter?¡± todd sent a bolt of fire into the gorilla¡¯s back, singing it heavily. the gorilla snared in fury, missing a step and glancing over at him. todd swallowed. ¡°oh, shit.¡±


    isabel shoved todd out of the way. her shield finally materialized in her hand and she raised it to take the blow ¨C but she didn¡¯t have time to reinforce her position, and the gorilla¡¯s fist sent her flying.


    isabel slammed into the stone tent, crashing through it and skidding a foot across the ground with a groan to land beside emily.


    ¡°what are you doing?¡± emily demanded, firing two more arrows at the back of the gorilla¡¯s head. the first shattered against the monster¡¯s thick skull, and the second whistled by harmlessly as it spun toward them and charged.


    ¡°what are you doing?¡± isabel shot back, pushing herself upright with a grunt. ¡°stop drawing its attention! let it focus on me!¡±


    ¡°that would work if you could actually keep its focus,¡± emily snapped, firing another arrow and dashing away as the gorilla charged.


    ¡°you aren¡¯t giving me a chance to!¡± isabel braced her shield against the ground, and pillars of stone erupted to reinforce her position.


    the gorilla¡¯s fist whipped down, slamming into isabel. her supports shattered and she skidded back, digging her feet into the ground and slowing herself. she slammed into emily, and both of them tumbled to the ground.


    a roar echoed through the forest as the two girls untangled themselves. todd fired bolts of flame at the gorilla¡¯s face, but the gorilla ignored his ineffective attacks as it lumbered toward emily and isabel. the muscles beneath its skin rippled and it flexed its fingers. electricity crackled across its body, sizzling the ground beneath its feet.


    ¡°where in the damned plains are the professors?¡± isabel asked, scrambling backward together with emily. emily paused to shoot an arrow. the gorilla¡¯s hand whipped out, grabbing the arrow and shattering it in its grip. a chill ran down emily¡¯s back and she swallowed, a sliver of fear worming its way into her.


    i don¡¯t think i can handle this on my own.

 Chapter 142: Professors

    chapter 142: professors


    isabel thrust her hands upward, and a wall of stone erupted from the ground at her feet. it slammed into the monkey¡¯s chin, shattering against it and completely failing to do anything other than irritate the monster.


    it smashed the stone to pieces with a massive fist, lumbering straight through it and letting out another roar. isabel shoved herself to her feet and grabbed emily, throwing her to safety before forming a thick wall of stone before her shield.


    the gorilla¡¯s fist crashed through the stone, sending arcs of electricity shooting off and into the ground, then continued on into isabel¡¯s shield. once again, the supports isabel had erected were smashed to pieces and she was sent tumbling until she slammed into a tree.


    ¡°isabel!¡± todd yelled. a thick torrent of flame washed out of his hands and over the gorilla¡¯s back. it roared in fury and spun toward todd. emily rushed to ready another arrow, cursing.


    if i just had more time, i could get a stronger attack in. but, if i wait, then todd is going to get squished. he can¡¯t take a hit like isabel can.


    even as isabel struggled back to her feet, emily sent three arrows streaking through the air. they thudded into the back of the gorilla¡¯s head one after the other. it stumbled forward, but each of them just shattered against its skull instead of penetrating.


    the gorilla turned back toward emily, and the electricity crackling across its skin intensified. emily¡¯s eyes widened.


    it¡¯s got a ranged attack.


    she didn¡¯t have time to react on her newfound knowledge. a torrent of electric power shot out of the monkey¡¯s palms, searing across the ground and heading straight for emily, far faster than she could react.


    isabel blurred, throwing herself into the path of the lightning and catching it on her shield. she let out a defiant yell as the power crackled off her body, blackening her shield and coursing down her armor into the ground.


    ¡°thanks,¡± emily said.


    another blast of fire shot into the back of the gorilla¡¯s head. it spun toward todd.


    ¡°stop doing that!¡± emily and isabel yelled at the same time.


    todd¡¯s feet thumped across the ground as he poured power into his body imbuements. he dove out of the way as a bolt of lightning slammed into the ground where he¡¯d been standing, narrowly avoiding getting fried.


    he hit the ground in a roll, grunting in pain as he skidded to a stop near isabel.


    ¡°i was trying to keep its attention off you,¡± todd said through gritted teeth. ¡°but my magic just doesn¡¯t do enough damage against this thing, and my body imbuements aren¡¯t going to help me here.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s my job to keep its attention,¡± isabel barked. ¡°let me do it! don¡¯t put yourself in danger like that.¡±


    she¡¯s right. todd is still clearly still injured on top of that. he¡¯s going to get himself killed.


    ¡°you can¡¯t be the only one that keeps its attention,¡± emily said. ¡°you can¡¯t withstand multiple attacks from it.¡±


    ¡°what else are we supposed to do?¡± isabel demanded. the gorilla sent another bolt of lighting at them and isabel raised her shield, letting it slam against her. she grunted in pain, but her armor took the brunt of the blow and sent the energy coursing into the ground. ¡°you can¡¯t take a hit from it at all. just trust me!¡±


    emily opened her mouth. then she closed it. if the gorilla did manage to land a blow on her, it would probably shatter her shield at best. and, even if she managed to weather the first strike, the second one would turn her to paste.


    ¡°can ¨C can you hold its attention? if i don¡¯t attack?¡± emily asked.


    isabel jerked her head in a nod. ¡°for a little while, but we don¡¯t have any way to defeat it. you both need to run while i distract it.¡±


    ¡°no,¡± todd said.


    ¡°no,¡± emily said. ¡°i can kill it, but i need time to gather enough runic energy to kill it. it¡¯ll take me time.¡±


    ¡°are you sure?¡± isabel asked.


    ¡°yeah,¡± todd said through gritted teeth from beside her. ¡°sorry about dropping you.¡±


    ¡°better than getting electrocuted.¡±


    ¡°true enough,¡± todd agreed. he raised his voice and called out, ¡°isabel! are you okay?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m fine,¡± isabel replied. emily pushed herself into a seated position to watch as isabel walked toward them, her stone armor melting off her body. she had several bruises on her arms, but was otherwise unharmed. ¡°are you really just a rank 1?¡±


    ¡°me?¡± emily asked. ¡°yeah.¡±


    ¡°how did you do so much damage with just one spell?¡± isabel asked, flopping down beside them and gingerly poking at one of her bruised arms.


    ¡°i put all the energy of one of my ice runes into it,¡± emily replied. ¡°it takes too long to use that attack normally, though. it¡¯s completely useless, so i never bother with it.¡±


    ¡°didn¡¯t look useless to me,¡± todd muttered. ¡°i wish i could do that.¡±


    ¡°well, i wish i could do body imbuements. they don¡¯t work at all for me,¡± emily replied, pursing her lips. ¡°if i could, maybe i¡¯d be fast enough to outrun monsters myself. we just got lucky.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure if i¡¯d call you blowing its head off luck,¡± isabel said with a curt laugh. ¡°i wish i had that much destructive power too, you know. i¡¯ll settle for being able to take some blows, though.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re pretty damn good at that,¡± emily admitted. she paused, half expecting moxie to show up and admonish her for her language, but there was still no sign of any of the professors.


    ¡°you can say that again,¡± todd said with a grin. isabel rolled her eyes and extended a hand to todd, pulling him to his feet.


    emily started to stand, but paused when she saw isabel hold her hand out.


    ¡°what?¡± isabel asked, noticing emily¡¯s look.


    ¡°nothing,¡± emily replied, accepting the hand and letting isabel pull her upright. ¡°thanks.¡±


    ¡°no problem,¡± isabel replied. ¡°i had no idea you could do anything like that. i was probably getting in your way during the other fight today, wasn¡¯t i?¡±


    emily glanced to the side. ¡°i don¡¯t know. i guess. it was hard to get a good shot in because the beakfoot wasn¡¯t as large as the gorilla was. i probably wouldn¡¯t have been much use in that kind of fight when other people are involved.¡±


    ¡°you would have been if isabel had given you space to attack,¡± todd said. ¡°my attacks aren¡¯t easier to hit than yours are, and i have no trouble positioning myself to use them because isabel is conscious of my position.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s not like i didn¡¯t know where emily was,¡± isabel muttered. ¡°i was just trying to keep myself between the monster and her.¡±


    ¡°what? why?¡± emily asked. ¡°i¡¯m not helpless, you know. i would have been fine. i did just as good as you against the snufflers.¡±


    ¡°yeah. sorry,¡± isabel said. ¡°i¡¯m just used to fighting together with todd. i¡¯ve never worked together with someone else like this before, so it didn¡¯t really cross my mind. i¡¯ll be more mindful of it next time.¡±


    ¡°maybe we can all practice together so we can work better together next time?¡± todd suggested.


    ¡°next time?¡± emily blinked. ¡°what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°we¡¯re working together for the survival exam, aren¡¯t we? and we¡¯re going to be out here in the wilderness for a while. what if another one of the gorillas shows up?¡±


    ¡°oh. yeah,¡± emily said, taking a moment to respond before a flicker of a smile crossed her lips. ¡°i guess that¡¯s probably a good idea. just don¡¯t get in my way too much.¡±


    ¡°i was about to say the same thing to you,¡± isabel replied, her eyes creasing in a slight smile that quickly fell away. ¡°but... more importantly, where are the professors?¡±

 Chapter 143: Warmup

    chapter 143: warmup


    ¡°well,¡± noah said from the cover of the trees, a large grin on his face, ¡°i think that worked.¡±


    ¡°you destroyed our camp,¡± moxie said flatly.


    ¡°technically, the gorilla did that. if you really want to point fingers, then i think it¡¯s lee¡¯s fault.¡±


    ¡°hey!¡± lee exclaimed, materializing from the shadows beside them. ¡°you told me to do it. it¡¯s your fault. do you even realize how hard it was to find a monster that big and then turn it invisible while we dragged it all the way to the camp?¡±


    ¡°yes. i helped you drag it, but you¡¯re the one that turned it invisible and held it in place while we waited for the kids to work things out,¡± noah said. he gave lee a thumbs up. ¡°that¡¯s pretty useful, by the way. i didn¡¯t know you could make monsters freeze like that.¡±


    ¡°most things balk when they realize they¡¯re against something strong. half the reason it took me so long to get the monster was i had to find one that froze up instead of running away when i released my demonic presence.¡±


    ¡°well, either way, it worked.¡± moxie smiled and nodded in the direction of the camp, where the students were standing in a small circle, speaking. ¡°i guess this means you were right, noah.¡±


    ¡°i told you. traumatic events are great for bonding. they should make it a mandatory part of every school¡¯s curriculum.¡±


    ¡°let¡¯s not,¡± moxie said. she paused for a moment. ¡°do you think this¡¯ll actually last, though? todd and isabel are really close. even if they all know they need to work together, it won¡¯t mean emily won¡¯t feel left out.¡±


    noah shrugged in response. ¡°it¡¯s hard to say. i¡¯d love it if they all became good friends, but at least they¡¯ve learned to work together a little bit more. only time will tell the rest. and, like you said, you can¡¯t make friends for people. it remains to be seen how the three will act once the adrenaline wears off.¡±


    moxie looked at noah out of the corner of her eye. ¡°what¡¯s that mean?¡±


    ¡°it means that, if they don¡¯t learn, we¡¯re in a great place to find more traumatic events. they¡¯ll learn eventually.¡±


    moxie nearly laughed, then choked it off and glared at noah. ¡°you know, you fluctuate so aggressively between genius and absolute moron that i wonder how you manage to function.¡±


    noah chuckled. ¡°if you ever find out, let me know. i think we should probably head back, though. i think the kids are about to start searching for us.¡±


    the three professors stepped out of the forest, and noah raised his hand in greeting, waving to draw attention.


    ¡°hey all!¡± noah called. all three of the students spun toward them, shock playing across their faces.


    ¡°vermil!¡± isabel exclaimed. ¡°what happened? where were you? we got attacked!¡±


    the two groups met in the center of the clearing, and noah looked over at the huge corpse of the gorilla lying on the ground in the center of their camp. he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.


    ¡°huh. so you did.¡±


    ¡°that didn¡¯t answer anything,¡± todd said, glaring at him. ¡°what happened? was there another monster or something?¡±


    ¡°actually, i got lost trying to use the bathroom. moxie came to find me, but she got lost as well, so lee had to come find both of us. it was pretty scary. glad everything worked out over here, though.¡±


    all three of them stared at noah, and todd¡¯s eye twitched. moxie let out a heavy sigh, and lee just grinned.


    ¡°the gorilla fell on the fire,¡± todd said. ¡°i¡¯m not making it again. emily, you¡¯re welcome to come join isabel and i in our tent. we¡¯ll have a fire in there, so the prof can¡¯t accidentally get lost and stumble into it.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll expand the tent,¡± isabel said with a nod. as one, the three students turned and stormed off.


    noah watched them leave, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.


    noah glanced down at lee, and she shook her head to indicate that there weren¡¯t any strong monsters in the area. he wasn¡¯t about to tell the kids that, though. it was better to practice being cautious than getting used to being lazy.


    ¡°i¡¯ll walk out and see if i can draw it out. it could be hiding somewhere outside the clearing,¡± isabel said. ¡°emily, can you¨C¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll cover you,¡± emily said with a nod. ¡°it¡¯ll be faster if i keep an eye on the left side of the clearing and todd watches the right.¡±


    ¡°on it,¡± todd said, sparking his bracelets and pulling two swirling balls of tightly condensed flame into the air right above his palms. emily held her arrow at the ready as isabel stepped into the clearing.


    she made her way deeper into it, arriving at the center safely. todd and emily stepped out, slowly walking to join isabel to make sure they¡¯d still be close enough to respond in time if anything happened.


    the three made their way around the clearing, checking the trees, before finally returning to join the professors.


    ¡°there isn¡¯t anything in the clearing,¡± isabel said.


    ¡°great. looks like another good spot for a camp then,¡± noah said. ¡°let¡¯s do another walkaround to make sure the area is safe.¡±


    they all repeated the process they¡¯d done the previous day, walking circles around the camp until they were confident that the immediate area didn¡¯t house anything too dangerous. once they¡¯d finished, the group returned to the clearing.


    ¡°good spot,¡± noah said approvingly. ¡°should be nice and comfy.¡±


    ¡°only if you don¡¯t lure a monster into it again. i still want to know why you did that.¡± isabel crossed her arms.


    ¡°yeah,¡± emily said. ¡°i do too.¡±


    todd nodded in agreement, but he looked a bit less confident than the other two. ¡°i think it might just be because his brain is a bit messed up. sorry, teacherman. all the weird stuff about you can¡¯t be good for your mental health.¡±


    noah grunted. ¡°fair point. and i¡¯m sure the three of you will figure out why we did it ¨C if we did it, rather ¨C if you put your heads together and think enough. i¡¯m certainly not answering that one, though.¡±


    ¡°anyone that chooses to voluntarily fight without a shield is definitely a bit insane,¡± emily muttered.


    ¡°it¡¯s not that bad, once you get used to it,¡± isabel said. she cleared her throat. ¡°i think i¡¯d definitely like to get one at some point, though. vermil is a lot better at it than either todd or i could ever hope to get.¡±


    good way to dodge the question. though, now that i think about it, emily is the only one in the group that doesn¡¯t know i can come back to life. i kind of feel bad about that, but i don¡¯t know her as well as moxie does. maybe i¡¯ll tell her one day, but it¡¯s not relevant today ¨C and it doesn¡¯t matter if she doesn¡¯t like me when she does find out.


    isabel turned and headed back into the clearing, setting about erecting several more stone tents for them. noah grinned as he saw her make one of them considerably larger, leaving room for emily to join her and todd.


    todd and emily both set out to collect some sticks, then piled it up in the center of the camp.


    ¡°so, what now?¡± todd asked.


    ¡°now we get back to actually training.¡± moxie took a step forward to draw their attention to her. ¡°i don¡¯t know what kind of situations arbitage will put you in during the survival exam. it could be raining, or there could be a swarm of monsters in the area ¨C or maybe they¡¯ll make you fight the other teams. it¡¯s impossible to predict. they change it every year, from what i¡¯ve heard.¡±


    ¡°how are we supposed to train for that?¡± isabel tilted her head to the side.


    ¡°by getting ready to deal with anything,¡± moxie replied with a cold smile. ¡°last night might have been vermil¨C¡±


    ¡°hey! don¡¯t rat me out!¡±


    ¡°¨Cbut that¡¯s just a taste of what we¡¯re going to be doing over the next few weeks,¡± moxie continued, completely ignoring him. ¡°yesterday was just a warmup. today, we get things stared properly.¡±

 Chapter 144: Quickly

    chapter 144: quickly


    noah hadn¡¯t been exactly sure what moxie meant when she said things were just getting started. he¡¯d been of the opinion that the gorilla was a pretty good way to train, but he¡¯d been on a completely different wavelength than moxie.


    while he was trying to think of larger monsters to put the kids up against, moxie decided to go in the opposite direction. instead of getting fancy, she went back to the basics. and, as noah watched the students sprinting in circles around the camp, he had to admit that it looked like it was working.


    none of them had been in particularly bad shape by any means, but there was only so much they could do. it had been nearly thirty minutes since they¡¯d started running, and moxie didn¡¯t show any signs of letting them stop.


    whenever one of them started to slow, a nearby tree would reach out and smack them in the back with just enough force to push them forward without actually stinging. noah had lost count of the number of laps they¡¯d run, but the exertion was taking a heavy toll on them.


    all three were panting for air, their shirts soaked through with sweat and their limbs trembling with every step. lee sprinted past them, cackling. she¡¯d been running with the group since they¡¯d started, but she still didn¡¯t show a single sign of getting tired or even starting to sweat.


    ¡°just how long are you going to make them do that?¡± noah asked moxie as he watched the three exhausted students stagger past. they were barely going faster than a jog at this point, but he couldn¡¯t blame them.


    ¡°not much longer,¡± moxie replied, keeping a close eye on them. ¡°i want to push them to their absolute limit, and that starts with draining all the excess energy they have. survival isn¡¯t about getting through the easy parts ¨C it¡¯s about making it through the hard ones. the best way to simulate that is to start by getting them exhausted.¡±


    ¡°this is just the start?¡± noah asked, aghast. ¡°they look like they¡¯re about to collapse.¡±


    ¡°this is how the torrins trained me,¡± moxie said dispassionately. ¡°and they¡¯re all strong-willed. they¡¯ll make it. runes provide a lot of energy, and they¡¯re all already well on their way to reaching rank 2, right?¡±


    ¡°i suppose that¡¯s true,¡± noah admitted. ¡°just looks... rough.¡±


    ¡°like your method of training wasn¡¯t.¡± moxie snorted and glanced at him out of the corners of her eyes. ¡°between being exhausted and forcing people to fight monsters without shields, i¡¯d say you¡¯re the more barbaric one.¡±


    ¡°it was effective.¡±


    moxie raised an eyebrow. noah cleared his throat.


    ¡°right. point taken. so, what next?¡±


    they both watched as the kids staggered through another lap around the camp, barely managing to keep their weary bodies moving. moxie wasn¡¯t even pressing anyone on with the trees anymore ¨C there just wasn¡¯t any extra energy left for them to draw on.


    ¡°stop!¡± moxie called out. almost instantly, all three students crumpled to the ground. they rolled to their backs, gasping desperately for air as moxie and noah approached them. lee sprinted past the group on another lap.


    ¡°that was torture,¡± todd said between gasps for air. ¡°i think i see my dad in the sky.¡±


    ¡°shut up,¡± isabel rasped, not looking to be in much better shape. ¡°you¡¯ll live.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s the attitude,¡± moxie said with an approving nod. she gave them a minute to catch a little bit of their breath, waiting just long enough that they could actually pay attention to her words before continuing. ¡°now, i want you to gather all the energy in all of your runes and use all of it up. i don¡¯t care how, but do it as quickly as possible.¡±


    ¡°are we done?¡± todd asked.


    moxie burst into laughter. ¡°not at all. we¡¯re ready to start.¡±


    todd couldn¡¯t even gather the breath to say anything else. he just stared up at her, his chest still rising and falling with heavy gasps, then sent a desperate glance toward noah. noah shrugged helplessly.


    ¡°sorry, todd. you¡¯re in moxie¡¯s clutches now. i can¡¯t do anything to help you.¡±


    moxie gave noah a rude gesture, not even looking back at him. ¡°right. everyone get up.¡±


    isabel gritted her teeth and slowly forced herself upright. her legs trembled beneath her as she rose, clearly using every single ounce of strength she had left just to stand. then, to noah¡¯s surprise, isabel held her hands out to todd and emily, helping both of them up.


    good shit, isabel.


    ¡°i¡¯m going to give you a scenario,¡± moxie said, unblinking. ¡°you¡¯ve been fighting monsters for the past few days, but they¡¯ve been far stronger than you expected. all of you are running low on supplies, and you haven¡¯t been able to defeat enough enemies to regain your energy properly.¡±


    lee sprinted past them as she completed another lap. moxie paused for a moment, nearly laughing, before continuing.


    ¡°there is also a monster that is actively seeking you. it has below average intelligence, but is powerful enough to kill any of you. if you were in good shape, you might have a chance against it, but as you currently are, it¡¯s impossible.¡±


    ¡°so what in the damned plains are we supposed to do?¡± todd asked.


    ¡°survive,¡± moxie replied with a wry smile. ¡°i¡¯ll be nice for the first exercise. you¡¯ve got five minutes to plan and recover just a little bit of your energy. this exercise will last until tomorrow morning. if you are all caught, you fail.¡±


    ¡°what happens if we fail?¡± isabel asked.


    moxie¡¯s features thinned. ¡°don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°can you tell us anything else?¡± emily asked, leaning on a tree for support. ¡°do we know what kind of monster is after us? does it have any weaknesses?¡±


    ¡°you don¡¯t know its capabilities, but you know it relies heavily on sight and sound to locate you.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s a scenario that we¡¯re not supposed to win,¡± isabel said. ¡°we¡¯re supposed to find a way to wait it out until we regain enough strength to fight the monster, right?¡±


    moxie shrugged. ¡°time¡¯s ticking. it¡¯s up to you. trap it, escape it, kill it, it doesn¡¯t matter. just survive. i¡¯ll head into the forest while you all plan. when i come back out, the exercise is on.¡±


    ¡°wait,¡± todd said, swallowing. ¡°you mean...¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m the monster,¡± moxie replied with a smile. she turned and headed into the woods, only pausing to glance over her shoulder and call out one last thing to them. ¡°get to thinking. if i were you, i¡¯d really want to take steps to make sure you don¡¯t fail too quickly.¡±no?vel binz was the first platform to present this chapter.

 Chapter 145: Not dead yet

    chapter 145: not dead yet


    ¡°what are the chances she goes easy on us?¡± todd asked, staring at moxie¡¯s back as she vanished through the trees.


    lee sprinted past them in another lap, buffeting the three with wind as she went by.


    ¡°zero,¡± emily said with a shudder. ¡°we¡¯re dead. she never goes easy.¡±


    ¡°she wouldn¡¯t give us a challenge we had no chance of passing, would she?¡± isabel asked.


    ¡°i feel like she totally would,¡± todd said. he grimaced and rubbed at his aching legs, trying to work some of the pain out of them unsuccessfully. ¡°i bet she¡¯d enjoy it.¡±


    ¡°moxie just wants to push us,¡± emily defended, but she didn¡¯t sound too sure about her own words.


    ¡°we need a plan,¡± isabel said. ¡°how much energy do your runes have back?¡±


    ¡°not nearly enough,¡± todd replied. he sent his mind inward, gently checking on his runes. his grimace grew deeper and he let out a huff. ¡°almost nothing, actually. i¡¯ve replaced most of my lesser runes already, and everything is pretty much completely spent. if we get into a fight anytime in the next hour, i¡¯m dead.¡±


    ¡°same here,¡± emily said. ¡°i don¡¯t even have any lesser runes. i never thought i¡¯d say this, but maybe it would have been useful to have one or two, just for the short term benefits of having them pull their energy back faster.¡±


    ¡°we could try to hide somewhere and focus on restoring our energy,¡± isabel offered. ¡°or maybe we could hunt some monsters in the few minutes we have before moxie comes looking for us?¡±


    lee sprinted past them again.


    ¡°no way we kill them fast enough,¡± todd said with a shake of his head. ¡°we¡¯d need something easy to kill with a lot of energy, which is an oxymoron.¡±


    ¡°so it¡¯s hiding or running, then,¡± emily concluded. she glanced around the clearing and chewed her lower lip. ¡°can we hide underground with isabel¡¯s powers, maybe?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t have the strength to do that right now. it¡¯ll be at least a few minutes before i have the energy to move that much earth ¨Cprobably close to ten or fifteen. it would be cutting things really close.¡±


    ¡°we could run,¡± todd offered. both emily and isabel glared at him.


    ¡°like we¡¯d get far doing that,¡± emily muttered. ¡°i can barely walk.¡±


    ¡°well, what are we supposed to do?¡± todd asked.


    lee sprinted by them once more. if anything, she was increasing her pace. all three of them paused for a moment as they watched her complete another lap around the camp.


    ¡°maybe we could convince lee to carry us away?¡± isabel wondered.


    emily shook her head. ¡°no. moxie would definitely consider that cheating. we should probably assume that we¡¯re on our own. speaking of which, where¡¯d your professor go?¡±


    there was no sign of vermil anywhere in the clearing. he¡¯d somehow snuck away while they were distracted with moxie and lee. todd snorted.


    ¡°well, he¡¯s certainly not going to be helping us either. don¡¯t we have any options other than hiding or running?¡±


    as he pressed deeper into the forest, todd kept a rough count of the time under his breath. he was pretty sure he lost count a few times, but he was almost too tired to care. he just kept moving, dragging his feet through the dirt.


    man, it would be hilarious if moxie ended up just following the other two anyway. i might just show up to find that she¡¯s defeated them and turn into the hypothetical monster¡¯s lunch because i¡¯m completely spent from all of this.


    todd suppressed a snicker. he didn¡¯t have the energy to waste on laughter. he just kept trudging on. his runes slowly refilled, but nowhere near as fast as he would have liked. when he finally reached his count of six minutes, there was still very little power to work with in each of his runes.


    at least there hadn¡¯t been any monsters in his direct path. todd let out a sigh, then turned toward the direction that isabel and emily had set off in. he gathered his energy and sent it into the body imbuements in his legs. they warmed as power started to pump through them.


    todd lowered his stance, wincing as his body groaned in exhaustion, then launched himself at the nearest tree. he grabbed onto a low hanging branch with a grunt, then clambered onto it over the course of the next few seconds.


    cursing under his breath, todd pulled himself up to the next branch. his neck twinged as he twisted it at an awkward angle, nearly causing him to lose his grip and plummet to the ground. todd managed to grab the tree at the last moment, keeping himself still until the pain passed.


    he carefully rose to his feet, then jumped to the nearest tree. his empowered legs, as weary as they were, still had enough power to easily carry him into it. he slapped into the trunk with a meaty smack, clutching onto the rough bark.


    ¡°they owe me for this,¡± todd muttered under his breath as he took a step and jumped toward the next tree.


    in that manner, he cut across the forest in the direction ¨C at least, he hoped it was the direction ¨C that emily and isabel had gone in. the process was a lot more difficult than he¡¯d expected. if he¡¯d had all his energy, it wouldn¡¯t have been too bad, but todd had discounted just how difficult it was to move around when he was completely and utterly drained.


    hopping through the treetops like a monkey with a severe brain injury, todd scanned the forest ground in search of any human forms. minutes ticked by. he wasn¡¯t sure exactly how much time had passed, but it was definitely more than ten minutes. moxie would already be on the hunt.


    and then todd spotted a flicker of heat at the edge of his vision. a grin crossed his face as he focused in on it, pausing to squint. two female forms sat on the ground level of the forest, just a little over a dozen trees away from him.


    thank the gods. i don¡¯t think i would have made it much ¨C


    a branch snapped on the ground not too far away from todd. he jerked his head back, sending a lance of pain through his neck in the process. another form was striding through the forest, heading straight toward him.


    moxie.


    damn it. i was too slow. but, if i really rush, then i might be able to make it to the hole in time for isabel to seal it over. there¡¯s an equal chance that i just lead moxie straight to them, though. she¡¯s following my trail right now, not them.


    todd didn¡¯t have much time to decide. he bit his lower lip, then swore under his breath as he came to a decision. moxie was nearly below him now. it would just be a few seconds. todd swung his legs over the branch and dropped, landing on the ground directly in front of her with a grunt.


    moxie came to a stop, watching him with a flat expression. ¡°that was fast, todd. not even a minute.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not dead yet,¡± todd said, increasing the amount of energy flowing into his legs as he lowered his aching body into a fighting stance.


    i just need to buy more time for isabel and emily while letting them know i got caught. that¡¯ll give them more time to finish the hiding spot and warn them that moxie is near.


    ¡°you will be,¡± moxie said. a vine whipped out from behind her, shooting for todd¡¯s leg. his body imbuements burned as he lunged to the side, blurring out of the way. another vine shot out for him, but todd activated the imbuements in his arms and vaulted off the ground, throwing himself at moxie.


    she shifted to the side, and todd flew past her harmlessly. he hit the ground in a grunt and rolled to a stop, shoving himself back to his feet and striking his bracelets against each other. he barely had energy to work with, but he still managed to form a small ball of flame in his hands.


    ¡°not dead yet,¡± todd repeated, panting.


    a smile crossed moxie¡¯s face and vines rose up around her like the heads of a hydra. ¡°let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got left, then. i¡¯m not going to go easy on you.¡±

 Chapter 146: Progress

    chapter 146: progress


    moxie hadn¡¯t been lying.


    todd had hoped that he might have been able to buy at least a few more seconds, or maybe even a minute if he managed to stay ahead of moxie and avoid her attacks. what he didn¡¯t expect was for a vine to wrap around from behind him and strike him in the back, all while he was still focused on the ones at moxie¡¯s sides.


    he was thrown to the ground with a pained grunt, a bruise already forming on his back. todd threw himself to the side as several more vines slammed down where he¡¯d been a moment before, trying to pin him to the dirt.


    todd tried to rise, but even with the extra speed from his body imbuements, moxie was faster. several vines wrapped around his legs and jerked them out from under him, lifting him into the air. todd dangled from them, looking at moxie from his upside-down position.


    ¡°dead,¡± moxie said.


    todd¡¯s pants slid back, revealing the two metal bracelets on his ankles. they sparked, and two streams of concentrated fire shot out, searing through the vines and using up the last of the energy in one of his already faltering fire runes.


    he dropped to the ground, hitting it in a roll, and drew on another fire rune to push his body imbuements to the limit. todd lunged out of the way, avoiding another vine that scythed toward him by jumping over it, and sprinted behind a tree.


    that, unfortunately, was as far as his attempt got him. todd ran face first into a tree branch that suddenly shifted to get in his path. he fell back to the ground, grabbing his smarting forehead and groaning in pain. moxie walked out, stopping above him as vines bound both his arms and legs tightly.


    ¡°not a bad attempt,¡± moxie said, inclining her head slightly. ¡°but, as i said, you¡¯re already dead. it doesn¡¯t count.¡±


    ¡°how can you control trees that you aren¡¯t touching?¡± todd asked. ¡°you aren¡¯t rank 4, are you?¡±


    moxie smirked. ¡°no, i¡¯m not. why don¡¯t you think on that? you¡¯ll have some time to reflect on where you went wrong while you dangle. i¡¯ve got to go find¨C¡±


    moxie¡¯s head snapped to the side and an ice arrow whipped past her, slamming into the trunk of the tree behind her. her eyes narrowed and the vines lifted todd into the air, binding him tighter.


    emily stepped out of the forest, another arrow nocked in her bow. moxie let out a heavy sigh.


    ¡°i think you might have missed the point of this assignment, emily. you were supposed to survive for more than a few minutes, you know. it doesn¡¯t end until tonight.¡±


    emily released the arrow. vines shot out from within moxie¡¯s sleeves, forming a barrier before her and blocking the arrow. as they lowered, isabel charged out of the trees to moxie¡¯s side, rearing back and hurling a dim blue spear.


    moxie leaned back, avoiding the spear. emily started to draw back another arrow, but moxie didn¡¯t give them time to release another round of attacks. vines erupted from around moxie, shooting out across the ground.


    a stone ramp pulled itself out of the ground before isabel, but moxie¡¯s vines burrowed clean through it and grabbed her by the ankles. isabel let out a yelp as she was yanked off her feet and lifted into the air to dangle beside todd.


    emily didn¡¯t fare any better. she managed to avoid the first of the vines, but there were dozens. they wound around her, shattering the bow in her grasp as they formed into a cocoon.


    shaking her head, moxie brought all three of the students to hang before her, turning todd back right side up in the process. she crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow.


    ¡°that was horrible,¡± moxie said. ¡°did you understand absolutely none of the assignment?¡±


    ¡°you were both supposed to hide!¡± todd exclaimed. ¡°what are you doing?¡±


    isabel and emily both looked to the side, not meeting his or moxie¡¯s eyes. after a few moments of embarrassing silence, isabel spoke.


    ¡°we heard you get captured, so we came to help.¡±


    ¡°isabel insisted on it,¡± emily said quickly.


    ¡°no, i didn¡¯t. you did.¡±


    ¡°i feel sorry for whatever runs into her,¡± moxie said. she gestured to the camp. ¡°relax. spend some time sitting around and recuperating. reflect on what you did wrong and what you did right, and see if you can think of a better strategy for the future. just be aware that not every exercise is going to be the same, so don¡¯t hyperfocus on one thing. you¡¯ve got a few hours to yourselves.¡±


    todd and the others didn¡¯t need to be told twice. they all flopped to the ground where they stood, not willing to waste the chance to finally catch their breath. even though they had only been training for a short while, it was the most tired that todd had felt in years.


    every single one of his muscles ached, his neck hurt, and there was a stitch in his side. the stark lack of energy in his runes felt like he was missing a part of himself, and the sting of their complete and utter defeat at moxie¡¯s hands hurt more than he cared to admit.


    moxie headed off into the forest, leaving them alone in the camp ¨C at least, todd suspected they were alone. he didn¡¯t see vermil sitting around anywhere, but he was too tired to spend any energy actually looking for him.


    it was several minutes before emily finally broke the silence.


    ¡°sorry,¡± emily said, not lifting her eyes from the ground. ¡°i wasn¡¯t good enough.¡±


    ¡°it wasn¡¯t your fault,¡± todd replied idly. ¡°moxie was right. if i¡¯d just kept my distance, i could have bought you way more time.¡±


    ¡°except we showed up too late for it to matter,¡± isabel pointed out. ¡°but todd is right ¨C it wasn¡¯t just you, emily. we all messed up. you aren¡¯t that much stronger or more powerful than we are, so it¡¯s not fair for you to take all the blame.¡±


    emily drew idly on the ground with a finger, lost in thought for a few moments. eventually, she raised her head again and looked to todd. an internal battle played across her face for a few moments before one side finally won and she let out a small sigh.


    ¡°could... you help me with something?¡±


    ¡°me?¡± todd asked, blinking. ¡°with what?¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re really good at body imbuements, but i can¡¯t get mine to work at all,¡± emily said. ¡°can you show me what you did for yours?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve got that issue as well,¡± isabel admitted. a note of pride entered her voice. ¡°todd¡¯s a genius at them, though. he¡¯s already got one of each of his limbs and eyes.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s just a lot of practice,¡± todd said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.


    ¡°how much? we only learned how to do them recently,¡± emily said with a frown.


    it took todd several moments to respond. he exchanged a long glance with isabel before letting out a small laugh. ¡°i didn¡¯t. i¡¯ve known for a long time. i just didn¡¯t mention it. my dad taught me about imbuement when i was really young.¡±


    ¡°seriously?¡± emily leaned forward. ¡°so you¡¯re like an expert or something? why would you hide that?¡±


    ¡°just bad memories,¡± todd said. he shook his head. ¡°i can try to help, but i wasn¡¯t able to do much for isabel. i don¡¯t know if i¡¯m a very good teacher.¡±


    ¡°anything is better than where i am right now, and lee isn¡¯t here to help right now,¡± emily said. ¡°you¡¯re really willing help?¡±


    ¡°why wouldn¡¯t i be?¡±


    ¡°i ¨C yeah, i guess that¡¯s a fair point. so, where do we start?¡±


    ¡°well, why don¡¯t we begin with you showing me how you¡¯d imbue a rune on this rock?¡± todd asked, picking up a smooth stone from the ground beside him and tossing it to emily. ¡°i¡¯ll see if i can figure out the problem by watching you work.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll do the same,¡± isabel said, grabbing a rock for herself.


    emily grinned and nodded, pushing a strand of hair out of her face as she leaned forward and got to work. todd hadn¡¯t thought any of them would have much strength after moxie¡¯s training, but he was surprised to find that even he was feeling just a little motivated.


    maybe we can actually get moxie next time around.this chapter was first shared on the n??v€l?1n platform.

 Chapter 147: Aflame

    chapter 147: aflame


    while moxie was busy beating the shit out of his students, noah was wrapped up in some of his own work. he¡¯d retreated to the top of a nearby tree to avoid getting bothered too much, and had been hard at work for the past few hours.


    even though he¡¯d recently gotten several new runes courtesy of evergreen and the torrin¡¯s failed plan to use dayton against father, he still hadn¡¯t properly had the time to get about using them.no?vel binz was the first platform to present this chapter.


    there were a variety of things he still needed to practice and improve on with focal quake and howling maelstrom, and that wasn¡¯t even getting to all the work he¡¯d have to do to fix the broken gale rune.


    but, before he got around to any of that, there was one thing that he still wanted to do. when noah had gotten his hands on a vibration rune for the first time, he¡¯d tried to see if he could sense vibrations to detect people or monsters in the area.


    that had gone poorly, as he¡¯d had no idea about how magic worked. there wasn¡¯t a way for him to actively achieve any sort of feedback effect like that until he had a domain, as that would likely allow him to sense vibrations when they were within its range.


    however, a domain wasn¡¯t the only way to go about picking up information. todd¡¯s strategy of using a body imbuement on his eyes to detect heat was exactly the kind of thing that noah had been trying to do ¨C he just hadn¡¯t known how to go about it.


    he couldn¡¯t go about it the same way that todd had, though. imbuing his eyes wouldn¡¯t do him all that much good. he had two runes with vibration in them ¨C pyroclastic resonance and focal quake. between the two of them, the latter definitely lent itself more toward noah¡¯s purpose than the former.


    and so, that was exactly how noah found himself dozens of feet in the air, perched upon a tree with his shoes on the ground far below him and the wind blowing across his bare feet. he¡¯d been there for the better part of the day, and the sun was already starting to set.


    instead of spending several weeks to imbue them, he¡¯d just condensed everything into the day. but, even though he¡¯d done the work fairly quickly, he¡¯d taken care to make sure that every thin inscription of the focal quake rune was perfect.


    noah wiggled his toes. his feet tingled, but the imbuements within them felt solid. he grinned to himself as he hopped down from the tree, catching himself with a powerful burst of wind before he hit the ground and gently alighting on the grass.


    it felt... odd to walk with bare feet again, but given the amount of clothes he went through, any article that he could do away with while fighting would probably save him a significant amount of money in the long run.


    noah drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. he turned his focus inward. when he¡¯d made the body imbuements, he¡¯d made sure not to pour too much power into them. they had less than five percent of the energy he¡¯d already had within focal quake, but he was pretty sure that would be more than enough for his purposes.


    the runes on his feet activated. almost instantly, a myriad of information slammed into noah in the form of a million sudden, incredibly uncomfortable vibrations. he stiffened, letting out a curse and hopping from one foot to the other.


    ¡°way too much power,¡± noah muttered, releasing and toning down his magic. ¡°i want to pick up on larger vibrations, not every single time an ant farts.¡±


    he let power flow through his feet once more. this time, it was much more manageable ¨C though he still wasn¡¯t exactly sure what was happening. it initially felt like the ground was just trembling beneath him, and for a moment, noah feared that his imbuement had been a complete waste.


    but, as he stood there, absorbing the information, his mind started to differentiate between the vibrations. it was difficult for him to conceptualize exactly what exactly the feeling reminded him of, but it was like an entirely new sense that he¡¯d finally discovered after years of going without.


    even though the vibrations he was picking up were running through his feet, noah almost felt as if he could see them in the air, just barely beyond the visible spectrum.


    that must be how my brain deals with trying to conceptualize what is essentially a sixth sense. fascinating. but... i wonder if i can actually get any useful information out of this.


    noah stood still, content to simply feel. he focused on separating the tremors tickling the bottoms of his feet, trying to figure out where each one came from.


    ¡°yeah,¡± lee said with a nod. ¡°i took the watch because moxie wore them down so much that they were dozing off while standing. there was no way they¡¯d be able to pull off an effective watch in that state.¡±


    ¡°i can imagine.¡± noah chuckled. he paused, a frown flitting across his face as he suddenly became of a tree as it creaked in a particularly large gust of wind. the information from his new body imbuements was a bit overwhelming, especially during a conversation. he cut the power flowing to it and shook his head to clear it. ¡°what did they end up doing?¡±


    ¡°after moxie chased them around and beat them up, they all worked on body imbuements for a while.¡±


    ¡°like teacher, like student. that¡¯s cute.¡±


    lee scrunched her nose. ¡°i don¡¯t know how well that ended up going for them, but moxie only gave them an hour or two before she put them through a bunch of training exercises and scenarios. she¡¯s got a really diverse range of magic, you know. it¡¯s really fun to watch.¡±


    ¡°oh?¡± noah blinked. ¡°what do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°like one of her training scenarios was a horde of small, weak monsters that are dangerous because of their number.¡± lee held her hands out to show just how many monsters there had been in the scenario. ¡°so she made a bunch of vines all move individually and attack like a horde. it was really fun to watch.¡±


    ¡°huh. sounds like i missed out.¡±


    ¡°you did. todd did the best. fire works really well against vines, but they go right through stones. emily did pretty good too.¡±


    ¡°they worked together?¡±


    ¡°the rest of the exercises today were individual, but they¡¯re talking.¡±


    ¡°good,¡± noah said with a smile. ¡°then all is going to plan. that¡¯s very good to hear. how much time is left in your watch?¡±


    ¡°a few hours. i¡¯m going to wake moxie up halfway through the night to take over.¡±


    ¡°just get me instead,¡± noah said. ¡°i¡¯ve been sitting around doing nothing all day while she worked. she needs the rest for tomorrow.¡±


    lee shrugged. ¡°sure.¡±


    noah nodded to her, then headed over to one of the stone tents and ducked inside. he lowered himself to the ground, slightly increasing his draw on his combustion rune to make himself warmer against the chill of the night, and laid down to get some rest, crossing his arms behind his head and looking up at the ceiling.


    it was peaceful. even with all the threats on the horizon, he felt comfortable. his students were learning and growing stronger. moxie and lee were getting along. everything would work out, one way or another.


    the gentle rustle of leaves in the wind lulled him to a peaceful sleep.


    but, just a few hours deeper into the vibrant woods and within a large clearing not all that dissimilar from the one noah currently slept in, that sense of peace couldn¡¯t have possibly been any farther from achievable.


    for, unlike noah¡¯s clearing, this one was currently aflame.

 Chapter 148: Clearings

    chapter 148: clearings


    ¡°help!¡± james screamed, his legs pumping as hard as they could as a flaming beakfoot charged after him, its eyes wide in pain and anger. despite his situation, james could sympathize with the monster.


    after all, he was pretty sure he would have been in a similar situation. typically, beakfoots didn¡¯t tend to enjoy being on fire. they didn¡¯t have any runic magic that let them do that, at least as far as james was aware.


    no, this particular beakfoot was on fire because revin had set it on fire ¨C along with just about everything else in the clearing.


    ¡°revin! do something!¡±


    james bounded over a flaming log, stumbling and nearly falling flat on his face as he landed. luckily, he managed to keep his feet out from beneath him. the beakfoot simply charged through the log, shattering it with a powerful foot as it continued to chase him, screeching in pain.


    ¡°do something other than run!¡± revin yelled from the safety of a tree far above the clearing, where he¡¯d perched himself upon a branch and stood, one hand holding onto the branch while he leaned out, his scythe braced against his side.


    ¡°do something other than pretend you look cool,¡± james screamed back. a snake ¨C also on fire ¨C snapped at him as he stepped on its tail. james flicked a blade of wind into the monster¡¯s head, killing it before the blow could connect, then threw himself to the side. his runes warmed comfortingly as energy flowed into them, but james didn¡¯t have the time to appreciate the sensation.


    the beakfoot stampeded past him and charged into a tree with a thundering crash. the tree pitched forward, forcing james to throw himself out of the way once more, and put the poor beakfoot out of its misery. he got another nice rush of energy from the kill, but it didn¡¯t make the rest of the monsters surrounding him any less furious.


    james scrambled upright, panting heavily as his eyes darted around the flames rising up around him. the screams of monsters rose up into the air all around him, joining the crackling of the flame as it consumed the forest.


    the moment of respite was shattered as a arcfist practically flew into the clearing. the huge, gorillaesque monster reared back, beatings its fists against its massive chest as arcs of electricity leapt off it, scoring into the ground and sizzling as they burned through a nearby fallen tree.


    it let out a furious roar, its eyes locking onto james.


    ¡°shit,¡± james muttered. he spun, sprinting toward revin¡¯s tree as fast as his legs could carry him. the air at the back of his neck crackled as it charged, and james launched himself into the air with a blast of wind. a bolt of lightning screamed past him, turning the dirt to glass beneath his feet.


    james hit the ground with a grunt, not even daring to look over his shoulder. he didn¡¯t need to. the thump of its massive feet behind him was all he needed to hear.


    ¡°what are you doing?¡± revin called down. ¡°fight the monster! this is training! what are you doing, learning how to run like a little baby?¡±


    ¡°babies don¡¯t run!¡± james screamed back, diving behind the tree. the arcfist had no such requirements. it crashed right through the tree in its mad rage. james set off a large blast of wind, launching himself to the side to avoid another bolt of lightning, then grabbed onto the light surrounding him and twisted.


    james vanished as he went invisible ¨C or rather, as the light bent around him. he didn¡¯t stop moving, though. he silently crept to the side, pausing as the tree that revin had been sitting on smashed to the ground with a loud crash.


    the arcfist beat its chest, its furious eyes sweeping the clearing in search of where james had gone. when it found nothing, it slammed its fists into the ground. a shower of lightning bolts rained off the monster, slamming into the dirt where james had been standing just a few moments before.


    his teeth chattered from the force of the magic landing around him, and all the hairs on his body stood on end. even though he¡¯d read about arcfists before, he¡¯d never had the misfortune to have to train against one.


    james swept the clearing with his eyes, trying to figure out what had happened to revin. there was no doubt in his mind that his professor was probably posing somewhere ¨C


    there.n??v€l-b1n was the first platform to present this chapter.


    revin stood upon another tree, silhouetted against the moon with his scythe over his shoulder. james made his way over to the tree and dropped his cloak, killing a snake with a blast of energy before it even noticed his presence.


    ¡°survival training is about not getting killed! i¡¯m still alive, aren¡¯t i?¡±


    revin snorted and crossed his arms irritably. behind them, a tree creaked as the fire overtook its base. it pitched to the side and crashed to the ground with a loud bang. revin didn¡¯t even flinch.


    ¡°in the most boring and uninteresting way possible, yes. but think about how much stronger you¡¯d be if you hadn¡¯t been running.¡±


    ¡°dead. the word you¡¯re looking for is that i would be dead,¡± james said. ¡°is this how you trained when you were my age?¡±


    ¡°no. when i was your age, i sought out the most powerful monsters i could find and challenged them to single combat. i lost many times, but eventually i grew strong enough to survive and best them.¡±


    james groaned. ¡°you¡¯re so full of it. what, did the monsters just let you leave after you lost to them? your story is full of holes and you didn¡¯t even give me the long version this time. can¡¯t you at least try to pretend you aren¡¯t lying?¡±


    revin turned away from james and let out a huff. ¡°you¡¯ll learn one day. i have no need to lie to exaggerate my impressive feats. i am a very capable man.¡±


    ¡°right.¡± james looked around the burning clearing. it was finally starting to quiet down, though it was still a complete scene of chaos. ¡°capable. that¡¯s the word i¡¯d use.¡±


    ¡°you know, snark isn¡¯t really cool unless i¡¯m the one doing it,¡± revin decided. ¡°it takes a certain style, and you don¡¯t have it. maybe one day. keep practicing.¡±


    ¡°maybe you could just focus on teaching me instead of trying to get me killed?¡± james pleaded.


    ¡°hm. i¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    james¡¯ eyes widened. that was the first time that revin had ever actually agreed to ¨C


    ¡°i¡¯ve thought about it,¡± revin said. ¡°no. that¡¯s boring.¡±


    james sighed. ¡°of course. you know, you stiffed me out of breakfast even though i won our challenge. the least you could do is let me get a single night of rest properly.¡±


    revin¡¯s eyes lit up. a beakfoot that had managed to survive all the carnage of the clearing stepped out from behind a smoldering log, its eyes latching on to james. revin¡¯s scythe sailed through the air, embedding itself in the monster¡¯s head and killing it instantly.


    ¡°if that was the case, you should have just told me immediately,¡± revin said cheerfully, walking over his scythe and pulling it out of the monster¡¯s head. ¡°come on, then. let¡¯s go find somewhere nice to camp out.¡±


    james jogged to keep up with revin. ¡°did... you do all of this just to get me to agree to let you off the hook for paying for my breakfast?¡±


    ¡°what you seriously think i¡¯d go that far?¡± revin looked down at james, hurt and betrayal in his expression.


    ¡°yes.¡±


    ¡°ah. well, you¡¯re damn right,¡± revin said with a cackle. his scythe arced out, carving a snake in two as it bit at him from the branches of a tree.


    james shuddered again. there was something seriously wrong with his professor.

 Chapter 149: Hungry

    chapter 149: hungry


    moxie was training the students again. noah had offered to help, but she¡¯d refused ¨C and noah was grateful for it. his mind had been on his runes ever since the previous night. now that he¡¯d gotten his new body imbuement, it felt like he¡¯d pushed down a domino in a long line that he¡¯d been setting up for weeks.


    i really want to reach rank 3. moxie and lee are both there already. even though my master runes help bridge and even overcome the gap, i¡¯ve been rank 2 for a while now ¨C and once i hit rank 3, i can help both of them fix their runes.


    up until this point, i¡¯ve just been collecting runes, but i need to actually sit down and do some real thinking about exactly what my rank 3 rune will be.


    noah headed out of the camp while moxie set about making the students use up all their energy again, nodding to lee as he walked into the trees. he quickly made his way over to his spot from the previous day, using the new body imbuements on his feet to sense the vibrations of the life around him as he walked.


    once he reached the tree and launched himself up to sit in its branches, noah leaned against the trunk and rested his chin in his palm as he thought. there were so many different paths that he could try to focus his runes on that the possibilities almost felt overwhelming.


    i¡¯ve been really focused on the details up until now, but i need to take a step back and really look at the big picture. i have the unique ability to customize every single rune i have, so i should really be thinking more about where i¡¯m going. at the moment for rank 2 runes, i¡¯ve got two howling maelstrom runes, a focal quake rune, a pyroclastic resonance rune, and a broken gale rune. in addition, i¡¯ve also got a rank 1 greater wind rune in my soul and a rank 1 greater ash rune in my grimoire.


    then there¡¯s the two master runes. sunder is pretty much independent of all my other runes, so i don¡¯t need to take that directly into account. combustion... it¡¯s powerful, but i shouldn¡¯t build myself around it. that¡¯s too short-sighted. if it works out, great. if not, i can always find more runes.


    noah drummed his fingers on his chin. that wasn¡¯t even everything he had to work with. there was still the strange energy that had gathered around his soul. he was confident that he could somehow form it into a rune, but he just wasn¡¯t quite there yet. whatever it was, though, it would be powerful. he was sure of that.


    another thing i can¡¯t plan on. for now, i¡¯ll focus on my actual runes. i¡¯ve got a good spread of different kinds of magic with fire and ash from pyroclastic resonance, wind from howling maelstrom, and a mixture of earth and vibration from focal quake.


    that... isn¡¯t exactly what i was aiming for from the start. i¡¯ve got quite the spread that can make sound, but i need to make sure i can effectively fight with my rank 3 rune. this isn¡¯t just about me anymore. i need to be powerful enough to protect everyone.


    noah sat in thought, his legs swinging from the branch as a breeze rustled through his hair and the sun trekked through the sky. there were two main directions he could take his runes in. the first would be focusing in on a single type of magic, such as vibration, and really pushing deeper into it.


    the other would be a more general approach that somehow bound everything he had ¨C or would get ¨C together and improved upon it. the latter idea appealed to noah much more, but it had one gaping hole.


    i have no idea what connects all of these things without making them weaker in combat. i can¡¯t just make a music rune out of this or something. that could end up weakening my offensive capabilities.


    something wet fell on noah¡¯s cheek. he blinked, looking up and realizing that a bank of heavy gray clouds had rolled in at some point, blocking out the sun and casting the forest into shadow.


    raindrops started to fall, pattering against his face. noah shifted to try to get a bit better shelter under a branch overhead, then sat still and watched the rain.


    you know, i basically already have most of the elements, just in destructive manners. the only basic one i¡¯m missing is water. i wonder what the equivalent of water would be? maybe flood? that would be pretty cool, and water magic is one of the few that you can use almost anywhere because of the moisture in the air.


    noah paused. an errant thought had gotten stuck in the back of his head. it felt like a little bit of a stretch, but if he was going for destructive power, it seemed to line up perfectly with the path he was already heading toward.


    what if my rank 3 rune had something to do with natural disasters? i¡¯ve already got volcanoes, earthquakes, and maelstroms. something like flood or tsunami or the like would fit this perfectly. gale wouldn¡¯t be that useful, but i could save it for later.


    but, as he reached out for it, the energy vanished. noah¡¯s runes warmed as power slipped in, filling them slightly.


    ¡°damn,¡± noah said, straightening his back. ¡°that didn¡¯t quite work, but i feel like i was almost there.¡±


    he rubbed his chin, then shrugged. his runes were stronger now. he could handle sunder¡¯s effects for longer, and that meant he had quite a few more tries to go through. it was time to find some more monsters to practice on.


    the day blurred by. over a dozen monsters, ranging from snakes to arcfists ¨C the gorilla monster that they¡¯d lured to push the kids to work together ¨C fell to sunder. noah hunted them relentlessly, either by sound or through the vibrations running through the forest floor.


    at first, noah had little luck actually pulling the runes out of their bodies. he had to take several breaks throughout the day to let all his runes, which had been drained holding back sunder, recharge.


    but, as time went on, the feeling grew closer and closer to the surface. noah could feel the energy right before it left the monsters¡¯ bodies. if he could just manage to snag it before it entered his own, he was confident he could pull the runes out.


    night had already fallen, but noah wasn¡¯t ready to be done yet. yet another snake had caught his attention as it crawled across the forest floor. and, this time, noah was determined to get results.


    sunder¡¯s power coursing through his veins, noah shot forward and slapped his hand against the snake. a black line carved through it. noah tensed, waiting for the familiar sensation of energy rising up from the snake¡¯s body.


    his fingers tingled.


    now!


    noah called on sunder¡¯s strength once more and swept his hand through the air where the energy was. it shimmered, and noah held his breath.


    then, in the darkness of the night, light bloomed. runes swirled into the air before noah, each one glittering with faint energy. no energy entered his body. the runes just floated before him, ripe for the picking.


    noah couldn¡¯t help himself. he started to laugh.


    he¡¯d sundered the monster¡¯s soul.


    ***


    in the shadow of a tree in the distance, two yellow eyes gleamed in the darkness. they were the eyes of a predator ¨C one awoken from its long slumber by a deluge of rain that had flooded its deep, underground burrow.


    they watched noah as he looked down on the runes floating before him, and they were hungry.


    so, very hungry.

 Chapter 150: Trouble

    chapter 150: trouble


    noah brushed his fingers across the snake¡¯s runes with a delighted smile. all seven of them were identical. but, curiously, he didn¡¯t understand what any of them were. it was the first time that vermil¡¯s ability to read runes had failed him.


    i wonder if these are runes unique to monsters. it¡¯s either that or just ones vermil hasn¡¯t seen before, but i¡¯ve never had difficulty understanding runes before, so it¡¯s probably the first scenario. lee said there were some runes that only monsters have. i¡¯m tempted to try to absorb one of them, but i don¡¯t know what that would do to me. the important thing here is i know that i can sunder the runes out of a soul. i should be smart here. no point potentially injuring myself over a weak rune.


    instead of trying to absorb any of the runes, noah just spent several moments memorizing their shape as best as he could. they weren¡¯t too complicated, and he was soon pretty confident that he¡¯d gotten it down fairly closely. once he¡¯d gotten it down, he quickly sketched the rune on a sheaf of paper with his quill and ink. it wasn¡¯t particularly neat, but it worked.


    i¡¯ll show lee and moxie when i get back to camp, and then they can tell me their thoughts. it¡¯s not like there¡¯s a lack of snakes to kill in the area. i bet moxie will be proud that i didn¡¯t just jump into things.


    but there was one more thing noah wanted to try. much of sunder¡¯s function was still a mystery to him, but he¡¯d been learning a lot about the master rune as of late, and there was still something important he hadn¡¯t fully investigated.


    when he died to a monster, his soul took damage but his runes were unaffected. however, when he killed monsters, noah drew their energy and filled all of his runes. that led him to conclude that the soul¡¯s energy itself was what filled runes.


    furthermore, it looked like when something died, the energy from its runes probably either merged or transferred into its departing soul, and some portion of that went to the killer. either way, it was clear that not all the energy was transferred.


    so, either the conversion from rune to soul energy is really bad, or not all the energy is captured. when i sunder something like this, though, i have access to all the runes directly. i want to know if i can somehow force that transition and draw the energy straight out of the runes. i already know i can take energy from two matching runes and transfer it between them, but can i yank it out of a different rune?


    noah reached out to the runes with his mind, trying to pull on them. he prodded and poked, even going as far as to cut at them again with sunder to try and split the runes farther. to his disappointment, nothing worked. the rune he re-sundered simply shattered, its power fading away.


    the rest of the runes started to dissipate as well. before long, they were gone. noah scrunched his nose in annoyance. that had answered a few questions, even if it hadn¡¯t quite been the answers he¡¯d been hoping for.


    whatever process that turns the runes into general energy isn¡¯t replicable by me ¨C not right now, at least. and, sundering the soul completely halts that transfer. so i have to choose between yoinking something¡¯s runes or getting its power. first world problems, i guess.


    in the end, i can¡¯t complain. i¡¯m not in a rush to get power. i¡¯m much more interested in runes. my goal is to build a big grimoire that i can use to put powerful runes together, not just to speedrun getting to rank 3. it¡¯s about quality here, not quantity.


    noah turned back toward camp. it was pretty late. he¡¯d spent more time out than he¡¯d expected to, and the others would probably be starting to wonder where he was. noah kept his body imbuements active as he walked. there was still a lot he could practice with picking up vibrations, and he didn¡¯t want to waste ¨C


    something rippled at the back of his mind¡¯s eye. noah missed a step. it had been so fast that he¡¯d barely even picked up the vibration as it reached his feet. but, even as fast as it had been, it was unmistakable.


    the hell was that?


    another ripple passed through the ground, this time on the other side of noah¡¯s mental circle. he spun toward it, but only found darkness lurking within the trees. noah¡¯s hair stood on end and he flexed his fingers, reaching for his runes and turning in a slow circle.


    it probably would have been smarter to pretend like i didn¡¯t notice whatever that was, but it¡¯s too late for that now. i already hesitated. but... where is it?


    another step rippled, this time just a few trees away to his side. noah leapt back spinning to face it, but the ripples had vanished before he¡¯d even finished moving.


    ¡°if you¡¯re human, i suggest you stop,¡± noah called, listening intently to the vibrations through his feet.


    the image of a large, padded foot landing on the ground behind noah formed in his mind. he spun, sending a churning bolt of wind scoring through the air. it slammed into a tree, tearing through the wood with a loud crack.


    there was nothing there.


    noah gritted his teeth. he couldn¡¯t head back to the camp if something was chasing after him. it would put the kids in danger. he¡¯d have to take care of it here ¨C but it was patient. a lot more patient than he was.


    gathering himself, noah scoured the forest floor to try and spot where the creature had gone. his mental image of the world around him was blank. seconds turned to minutes. nothing happened.


    noah thrust his hands forward, sending a wall of violent, twisting wind toward the jaguar. its yellow eyes flashed and it suddenly vanished, sinking into the ground and disappearing from noah¡¯s senses.


    he spun, expecting it to attack from the back again. instead, the jaguar appeared exactly where it had been standing a moment before and lunged. it slammed into noah, knocking him to the ground and lunging forward to rip at his throat.


    noah released a powerful vibration into the beast¡¯s paws from his shoulders. it screamed in pain and leapt back instead of going for the kill. noah rolled back to his feet, his eyes narrow. its thick fur seemed to be doing a lot to keep the vibrations from penetrating deep into its body, but it clearly still felt them.


    ¡°how¡¯d you like that?¡± noah asked. ¡°come on. i can do a lot worse. take a bite out of me and see what happens.¡±


    to noah¡¯s surprise, it wasn¡¯t the jaguar that made the next move. it wasn¡¯t him, either. it was the trees.


    vines shot out from the darkness, reaching for the jaguar. several of them wound around its limbs, jerking them taut. moxie stepped out from the shade of a tree, her brow furrowed in concentration.


    ¡°what in the damned plains is this, noah? what are you fighting so close to camp?¡±


    ¡°moxie!¡± noah exclaimed, even as he drew on a howling maelstrom rune and formed a spike of wind, launching it at the jaguar. ¡°kill it, now!¡±


    the monster vanished, slipping through moxie¡¯s vines and slipping into the ground. the vines tightened on air and noah¡¯s spell passed harmlessly by where it had been caught, drilling into a tree.


    noah gathered more magic as his tremorsense picked up a footfall to his side. the jaguar appeared directly before him, swiping with a paw. for an instant, noah locked eyes with the monster.


    then it vanished.


    ¡°moxie!¡± noah yelled. ¡°behind you!¡±


    the jaguar rose from the shadows to moxie¡¯s side. she clapped her hands together and vines erupted in a thick sheet before her, crashing down over the jaguar. a flicker of relief shot through noah, but it was short lived.


    the vines split apart as a blade of dark water carved them apart and slammed into moxie. she stumbled, her shield flashing a brilliant green as it activated, and the jaguar vanished. noah lunged, but he wasn¡¯t fast enough to reach her.


    reforming at moxie¡¯s side, the jaguar swiped a claw for moxie¡¯s back. she didn¡¯t have the benefit of noah¡¯s tremorsense to warn her of its approach, but moxie was still well trained. her shield solidified, a dense layer of vines forming between her and the monster¡¯s claws a moment before they struck.


    the jaguar¡¯s claws slowed as carved through the vines, and moxie was thrown to the ground. she rolled with the blow, jumping to her feet as noah launched a wind blade at the monster. it vanished, reforming several feet away and arching its back in a hiss. noah rushed over to moxie as she staggered, cursing under her breath.


    ¡°are you okay?¡± noah kept his eyes locked on the jaguar.


    ¡°it managed to get me. what the hell is that?¡± moxie hissed.


    ¡°no damn idea. we should be able to take it together, though,¡± noah said. ¡°it can jump into shadows or something. keep your back to mine. are you badly injured?¡±


    ¡°pained, but i¡¯ll live,¡± moxie replied. ¡°just watch the cat.¡±


    the jaguar¡¯s eyes remained on them for several seconds. then, to noah¡¯s surprise, it turned and slunk away into the woods. noah stared at it in shock. moxie let out a pained grunt as she reached down to her travel bag, grabbing a potion and tipping it into her mouth.


    they stood in silence for several minutes. the jaguar didn¡¯t return.


    ¡°did... it just realize the same thing that we did?¡± noah asked, a chill running down his spine.


    ¡°yeah. i think it did,¡± moxie replied grimly. ¡°this might be trouble. a lot of it.¡±

 Chapter 151: Games

    chapter 151: games


    ¡°we need to get back to camp quickly,¡± noah said, though they were already running back toward it before he¡¯d even finished speaking. ¡°i can¡¯t believe it just went right through your shield.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s at least a rank 3,¡± moxie said with a grimace. she increased her pace, pulling ahead of noah, and he winced at what he saw. the back of her shirt was ripped to shreds, cut apart by the panther¡¯s large claws.


    if it had managed to do that much damage to her through a shield, then it had some serious destructive power. moxie had made it sound the like the wound hadn¡¯t been that bad, but it had clearly been pretty deep judging by the amount of blood on her back.


    ¡°how did you even hear i was fighting?¡± noah asked, speeding up to match moxie¡¯s strides.


    ¡°you weren¡¯t that far from the camp, and i figured i¡¯d come find you before something inevitably went wrong. clearly, i had the right idea. lee¡¯s still with the others, so they¡¯re protected.¡±


    they ran out of the tree line, arriving at the edge of the clearing a minute later. lee stood near the campfire beside the students, who sat around it in a triangle. there was no sign of the panther. noah let out a relieved sigh, slowing to a stop together with moxie.


    ¡°what happened?¡± todd asked. ¡°you look worried.¡±


    ¡°there¡¯s been a chance of plans,¡± noah said. ¡°we ran into a monster that¡¯s a lot stronger than it should have been.¡±


    ¡°we need to leave the forest,¡± moxie said with a nod. she paused for a moment to scan the surroundings, but clearly found no more than noah had. ¡°immediately. we¡¯ll head elsewhere to continue our training.¡±


    isabel shot to her feet without more than half a second of hesitation, joining them in looking. ¡°i¡¯m ready. what did you run into? is it a great monster?¡±


    todd and emily both rose as well, worried expressions crossing their features. everyone squinted into the darkness and lee tilted her head to the side, sniffing the air before shaking her head.


    ¡°i don¡¯t smell it.¡±


    ¡°it was a ways away from camp,¡± noah said, pausing to concentrate on his tremorsense. there was nothing of relevance near them, but that didn¡¯t mean the jaguar wasn¡¯t close. ¡°a few minutes. and no, i don¡¯t think it was a great monster. it was intelligent, though. looked like a jaguar, but much larger and with way too many teeth.¡±


    ¡°it can jump through shadows,¡± moxie added. ¡°it backed away when we ganged up on it, but it¡¯s strong. if it was just vermil, lee, and i, we could handle it. but the three of you aren¡¯t ready for this. stay close together and be prepared. we¡¯re leaving immediately.¡±


    the students fell into a close formation and they all set a brisk pace out of the camp. noah didn¡¯t remember what the fastest way out of the vibrant woods was, but moxie took the lead without hesitation.


    maybe she somehow knows more about where we are because of her runes? i wonder if she can speak to plants.


    noah shook his head. now wasn¡¯t the time for him to start wondering about arbitrary things. he turned his attention toward his tremorsense, feeling the vibrations in the dirt beneath his feet.


    ¡°damned plains,¡± emily breathed, looking at moxie¡¯s back for the first time since they¡¯d returned. ¡°moxie, your shirt!¡±


    ¡°its claws went through my shield,¡± moxie said, not looking back. ¡°it¡¯s a rank 3 monster. i¡¯m quite certain it is, at least. i don¡¯t think it had a domain or it would have done a lot more damage to vermil and i.¡±


    ¡°just focus on your surroundings,¡± noah said. ¡°and if you see anything, call out. it¡¯s fast. really fast.¡±


    she let out a startled yelp as her bow shattered and noah leapt to his feet, but once again, the jaguar vanished before he could even try to counterattack. moxie rushed over to emily.


    ¡°i¡¯m fine,¡± emily said, sucking in a breath and patting her stomach as if to reassure herself. ¡°it... just slapped me. did you injure it in the fight or something?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s strong enough to pound you into paste if it wanted to,¡± moxie said curtly, vines curling at her feet and rising into the air around her, waiting for the next attack. ¡°that¡¯s not the case. is it playing with us?¡±


    ¡°no,¡± noah said, a chill running down his spine as he finally realized what was going on. ¡°it¡¯s not playing with us, and it isn¡¯t injured. not seriously, at least.¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s going on, then?¡± lee demanded. ¡°i can¡¯t smell it at all!¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s making a threat.¡± noah¡¯s fists clenched at his sides. the jaguar had first attacked him after he¡¯d sundered a snake. the monster might not have known exactly what the rune did, but it might have figured out he had a great rune. ¡°i think it¡¯s telling us that it¡¯ll kill the students if we try to leave.¡±


    ¡°what? why?¡± isabel demanded. ¡°what kind of monster does that?¡±


    ¡°one that realized it couldn¡¯t win a fight against both me and moxie at the same time,¡± noah said, clenching his fists. ¡°and one intelligent enough to recognize that, if it kills you, it loses its bargaining chip.¡±


    ¡°then what does it want?¡± todd asked. ¡°if it knows it can¡¯t beat you working together, then why even bother with this? it can¡¯t win!¡±


    ¡°not against all of us,¡± noah agreed, becoming more sure of his words the more he spoke. ¡°but we don¡¯t have a way to keep it from killing any of you.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s trying to make you and moxie fight it one by one,¡± isabel muttered, realization sparking in her eyes. she frowned and glanced at emily, taking a moment to choose her words. ¡°can you defeat it?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure,¡± noah replied. ¡°i was barely holding my own before moxie came to bail me out, but i didn¡¯t play all my cards either. but... i¡¯m not so sure we¡¯re going to have a choice here.¡±


    ¡°we could just try to run for it,¡± lee suggested, but noah shook his head.


    ¡°you can¡¯t smell it, and i can¡¯t warn you fast enough. the kids are in danger. i¡¯ve got to try to fight it while you escape.¡±


    ¡°how are you supposed to beat something like that, though?¡± emily demanded. ¡°you¡¯re just a rank 2! if it hurt moxie, then you stand no chance.¡±


    ¡°as long as it¡¯s preoccupied with me, it doesn¡¯t matter. the rest of you can leave,¡± noah said, his features going flat. he pulled his travel bag and gourd off, tossing them to lee. ¡°go. i¡¯ll catch up with you.¡±


    a low growl echoed from the forest. they all froze.


    ¡°i... don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to let us just stroll away,¡± todd said.


    noah swore under his breath.


    can the it understand the common tongue? just how smart is this thing? even if the others try to leave after i start fighting, it could just run back and attack them. moxie herself should be safe as long as she¡¯s paired with lee and vice versa, but the only way to keep the students safe is by doing what it wants.


    ¡°right. stay here,¡± noah said, rolling his shoulders. ¡°we¡¯re at the disadvantage, so i¡¯ve got no choice. if it wants to play, then i¡¯ll play.¡±

 Chapter 152: Payment

    chapter 152: payment


    noah left the others behind, walking deeper into the forest. his tremorsense stretched out, feeling for the jaguar, but there was no sign of the monster yet. but, even though noah couldn¡¯t directly feel it, the hair on the back of his neck still stuck on end.


    he didn¡¯t need his senses to know the monster was watching him. his subconscious could tell. it was the preservation instincts of many ancestors passed ¨C the ones that warned them to run when something too dangerous to fight was approaching.


    instead, noah walked voluntarily out to meet it. without moxie or lee, he was at a significant disadvantage against the monster. it was blindingly fast and had runes strong enough to put even moxie on the backpedal, and it was likely a rank above him.


    it might have seen sunder, but it shouldn¡¯t know about combustion or pyroclastic resonance. given how clever it is, those will probably be the best way for me to put it on the backpedal. and, worst comes to worst, it¡¯s not like death is the end.


    dying would give everything away to emily as well, though ¨C not to mention the jaguar might be intelligent enough to take advantage of that. no, i can¡¯t afford to die here.


    noah came to a stop and held his hands out. he¡¯d walked for nearly five minutes now, and he didn¡¯t want to be so far away from the others that he couldn¡¯t make it back if the panther decided to turn and attack them.


    ¡°well?¡± noah called. ¡°you called me out here, didn¡¯t you? what¡¯s wrong? too scared to attack now that you¡¯ve stacked the cards in your favor?¡±


    a low growl came from behind the trees. noah kept the smile from crossing his features. the jaguar was certainly clever, but it had also just confirmed two things beyond a shadow of a doubt.


    the first, and one he¡¯d already had very good reason to suspect, was that it could understand him. there was always a chance it had just been picking up on body language or tone back when he¡¯d been speaking with the others, but this was just an insult.


    the second was that the jaguar was still cautious of him. noah stood still, feeling the area out with his tremorsense and waiting patiently. he could still feel the jaguar¡¯s eyes boring into him.


    ¡°you¡¯ve chosen poor prey,¡± noah said casually as he took his pipe out of a pocket. he¡¯d refilled his supplies of flashgrass slightly through the monsters he¡¯d killed, so he pinched a bunch off and packed it in before placing the pipe between his teeth. ¡°if you kill me, then the others have no reason to stay any longer. we aren¡¯t going to all let ourselves get killed, you know.¡±


    if it¡¯s a monster, i¡¯d bet it¡¯s pretty selfish. i doubt it¡¯ll think that all three of us would let ourselves get killed for the sake of other people ¨C though i¡¯m pretty sure lee would snap this things neck if she could get her hands on it.


    the shadows shifted around noah, growing longer. another growl came from the trees, on the other side this time. noah didn¡¯t even bother turning toward it. there was no point trying to follow the jaguar directly ¨C it would just be wasting energy, and that was exactly what it wanted.


    noah¡¯s tremorsense picked up a flicker of movement. he twisted his body, igniting the flashgrass in his pipe with a spark from his finger, and leaned back to avoid the jaguar¡¯s paw as it swept over his head.


    another paw shot for noah¡¯s chest. he fell back, landing in a roll and violently shaking the ground where he¡¯d been standing. the jaguar stumbled and sank into a shadow before noah could follow up on the attack.


    ¡°guess you only care about me, huh?¡± noah asked, letting out a puff of smoke. ¡°i feel bad about this, but i¡¯m afraid i only see you as a friend. my romantic interests lie elsewhere. besides, you¡¯re a big toothy cat-thing. i¡¯m a human. we could never be.¡±


    the jaguar shot out of the shadows, its yellow eyes transfixed on noah¡¯s neck. two whips of water swirled off its back, shooting for his body. noah launched himself to the side with a blast of wind.


    an instant before the jaguar touched down, a spark leapt from his fingertip. it caught on the smoke trailing away from him, racing up the thin path and into the cloud above them. there was a roar as it ignited, followed by a whoosh as the air was all sucked into the ignition.


    a brilliant flash of flame lit the forest up for just a moment, but a moment was all noah needed. after all, just like all forms of magic, the jaguar couldn¡¯t actually create anything ¨C not at rank 3.


    and, as the light flooded through the clearing, for just the very few moments that it took for the jaguar to alight on the forest floor, there were no shadows. its limbs, which had been prepared to simply slip into nothing, met unexpected resistance and the jaguar pitched forward, its head cracking against the ground as it flipped, landing on its back with a surprised yowl.


    it would have been incredibly amusing if the monster hadn¡¯t been so deadly. instead of appreciating the sight, noah was focused on drawing out the powers of sunder. even as the light started to fade and shadows crept back, grey spiderwebbed out through his veins.


    noah lunged. the jaguar¡¯s body slipped as it tried to sink into the ground, but it was just an instant to slow. his palm slammed against the back of the monster¡¯s rough fur. a black line carved through the air, and blood sprayed as a deep wound split down the monster¡¯s belly.


    it didn¡¯t cut it completely?


    the jaguar let out a pained hiss, slipping into a shadow. it emerged just at the edge of the tree line, panting heavily as blood poured from the savage ¨C but not fatal ¨C wound.


    i only had an instant to grab sunder¡¯s power, so i got way less than i would have liked, but that should have been enough.


    the jaguar shifted, and noah tensed. he didn¡¯t have time to wonder why he¡¯d failed to kill the jaguar. he had to deal with it now, before it could do any more damage. his eye twitched as his tremorsense picked a footfall up from just a short distance to the jaguar¡¯s right.


    noah drew on the remaining smoke, combusting it and letting out a whistle. the flaming bolt shot from the jaguar, winding to the left and heading for its feet, forcing the jaguar to hop in the opposite direction to avoid getting struck.


    it stumbled as it landed, then started to slip into the shadows. a pair of razor-sharp clawed hands reached out from the shadows behind the jaguar, wrapping around its neck and ripping across its throat.


    the jaguar didn¡¯t even get a chance to be surprised. it stumbled, then collapsed to the ground, blood pooling beside it.


    lee stepped out from the shadows where noah had sensed her, blood dripping from her clawed fingers. she shook her hands off and her fingers returned to normal.


    ¡°got it,¡± lee said with a grin. ¡°i figured, if i couldn¡¯t sense it, then there was probably a good chance that it couldn¡¯t sense me either.¡±


    ¡°that logic is... flawed,¡± noah said, jogging up to stand beside the jaguar. ¡°but i¡¯ll take it. i sensed you there and pushed it in your direction. good timing. but, for now, give me a moment.¡±


    ¡°a moment? what, are you sad it¡¯s dead?¡±


    ¡°sad? no,¡± noah shook his head, then drew on sunder¡¯s power once again. ¡°there¡¯s a price for challenging someone to a game and losing, you know. i¡¯m getting my payment.¡±

 Chapter 153: Collision course

    chapter 153: collision course


    energy coiled off the fallen jaguar, tingling as it brushed against noah¡¯s fingertips. he only had one chance at this, but he¡¯d gotten quite a bit of practice in on the other monsters in the forest. there wasn¡¯t any time to second guess himself. the jaguar¡¯s runes were too valuable to waste.


    now.


    noah unleashed sunder, and a black line carved through the air before him. lee watched over his shoulder, the confused expression on her face slowly shifting to surprise as seven runes lifted up from the jaguar¡¯s body, materializing in the air.


    ¡°get my travel bag. move as fast as you can,¡± noah said, every ounce of his concentration on the seven runes before him. lee didn¡¯t hesitate for an instant. she vanished, kicking up dirt in a small cloud with the force of her departure.


    he kept his eyes on the spoils of their fight. of the runes, noah could understand three of them.


    umbral body ¨C rank 3


    umbral body ¨C rank 3


    jagged weeping storm ¨C rank 3


    the other four runes were all similar to the ones that the snake had possessed, unreadable to noah. but, even if they were useless, the runes that he¡¯d brought forth were more than worth the effort.


    lee returned a moment later, skidding to a stop beside noah with his bag and gourd clutched in her hands.


    ¡°take the catchpaper out,¡± noah said, but even as he spoke, a crushing realization struck him. for him to transfer the rune to the catchpaper, he¡¯d actually have to absorb it for a moment. he had no way to draw in a rank 3 rune. it would be too much for a rank 2 soul.


    ¡°those are rank 3 runes,¡± lee breathed, undisguised hunger in her eyes. ¡°how did you¨C¡±


    ¡°later,¡± noah said. ¡°i need to figure out how to get these into catchpaper for you. if i cut them again, the others will vanish. at least, i think they will.¡±


    ¡°for me?¡± lee blinked in surprise. ¡°really?¡±


    ¡°they won¡¯t be for anyone if we don¡¯t figure out a way to get them to you,¡± noah said, cursing to himself. he could always just split one of the umbral body runes, but that wouldn¡¯t help lee nearly as much ¨C and he wanted the jagged weeping storm rune for himself.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re sure i can have them?¡± lee repeated.


    ¡°yes, but as i said, it won¡¯t¨C¡±


    a ripple of energy stung noah¡¯s fingertips. he flinched, jerking his head over to look at lee as she let out a pained whimper and staggered.


    ¡°lee?¡±


    lee doubled over, coughing. blood splattered on the ground and dripped from the corners of her eyes. before noah could even act, she drew in a ragged breath and straightened back out. her entire body lit with a gentle glow, but lee didn¡¯t seem to care. she reached out for one of the umbral body runes and pressed her hand against it.


    arcs of black energy crackled down her palm. blood continued to trickle down lee¡¯s face, but her features creased in concentration. in an impressive few seconds, the rune vanished. lee gritted her teeth and hesitated for a moment.


    her features set and she turned her gaze to the other rune. another shudder shook her body and lee doubled over once more, throwing up blood all over the ground before her. lee hacked and sputtered, gasping for air as she desperately slammed her hand against the other rune.


    it vanished with a pop. she¡¯d absorbed it so quickly that noah had barely even realized she took it until it was gone.


    ¡°there,¡± lee said through a ragged breath. ¡°i ¨C i got them.¡±


    ¡°are you¨C¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m fine. just do what you need to,¡± lee snapped.


    noah didn¡¯t waste time arguing. the energy from the jaguar was starting to dissipate, and now that lee had snagged the two runes best suited for her, he had no reason to hold back an instant longer. he called on sunder once more and, with a touch, carved the jagged weeping storm rune in twain.


    it split apart with a crack. seven rank 2 runes swirled out from within it, the energy around them slowly fading as the jaguar¡¯s spent life energy slowly slipped back into the ether.


    weeping storm ¨C rank 2


    ¡°no,¡± noah replied. ¡°but it wasn¡¯t long, either. a few seconds.¡±


    ¡°then it probably wasn¡¯t the lynchpin rune.¡± moxie breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°by lynchpin, i assume you mean the rune that lee used to reach the next rank?¡±


    moxie nodded. ¡°yes. especially in higher ranks, the one you¡¯re most closely bound to is the one that you first formed. so, when you bind it into another rune, the resulting rune is even more closely wrapped up with your soul. if she ripped out two normally combined runes, it¡¯ll be bad, but nowhere near as bad as if she¡¯d pulled out the lynchpin.¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s that mean for lee?¡± todd asked nervously. ¡°is she going to be okay?¡±


    ¡°lee isn¡¯t stupid,¡± moxie said. ¡°she wouldn¡¯t have done it if she hadn¡¯t calculated the risks, but the rune she took must have been really damn good. i had no idea lee was talented enough to draw a rune out of something as she killed it, though. that¡¯s a high level technique.¡±


    technically, i have no idea if she was. it was sunder that did that.


    ¡°so she¡¯ll be fine?¡± noah asked.


    moxie just shook her head. ¡°i don¡¯t know. she¡¯s not waking up anytime soon, though ¨C but she¡¯ll survive.¡±


    noah let out a slow sigh. lee had made the decision to tear her runes out herself, and moxie was right. she wouldn¡¯t have done that for no reason. he just hoped the payoff would be worth it.


    ¡°the jaguar is dead, then?¡± moxie asked.


    noah nodded. ¡°lee ambushed it while i kept it distracted.¡±


    ¡°gave it a taste of its own medicine. good,¡± isabel said, but she looked more worried about lee than relieved that the monster was dead. she glanced back to moxie. ¡°you¡¯re sure lee will be fine?¡±


    ¡°just trust her,¡± moxie said. ¡°do you really think lee would seriously injure herself if the reward wasn¡¯t worth it?¡±


    ¡°makes me wonder what kind of rune the jaguar had.¡± todd watched lee intently. ¡°i hope she can show us when she wakes up again. how long will it be? a day?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not exactly trained in healing,¡± moxie replied. ¡°but no, not a day.¡±


    ¡°a few hours?¡± isabel guessed.


    ¡°wrong direction. try half a week or so,¡± moxie said with a shake of her head. ¡°soul damage bad enough to actually stress lee¡¯s body this much isn¡¯t going to go away that quickly.¡±


    ¡°half a week?¡± emily¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°are you sure we can¡¯t give her the healing potion?¡±


    ¡°it won¡¯t do anything. save it for when it¡¯ll be useful,¡± moxie said firmly. she put a hand over emily¡¯s, guiding the potion back into the girl¡¯s bag. ¡°for now, we should leave.¡±


    ¡°is it safe to move lee around right now?¡± isabel asked.


    ¡°and why? the jaguar is dead now, isn¡¯t it?¡± todd added. ¡°isn¡¯t it safe again?¡±


    ¡°she¡¯ll be fine,¡± moxie replied. ¡°and if a monster like this just randomly showed up, that means its possible that others are in the area too. i suspect the rain we got was what lured it out, and i don¡¯t want to be around to see what else crawled out. let¡¯s avoid any surprise variables while all of you are still so early on in the learning.¡±


    noah nodded, carefully shifting lee to lean her against his shoulder. blood stained his uniform, but he didn¡¯t particularly mind. it was already ruined. as he moved lee, isabel spotted the cut running along his chest.


    ¡°professor! you¡¯re wounded too!¡±


    ¡°just a minor one,¡± noah said with a shake of his head. ¡°not worth treating.¡±


    ¡°that doesn¡¯t look minor,¡± emily said, spotting it herself. ¡°i thought that blood was lee¡¯s at first. are you okay?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll be fine,¡± noah said with a shake of his head. ¡°let¡¯s just get moving. i¡¯ll be a lot worse off if another damn panther comes for us.¡±


    emily didn¡¯t look too convinced, but isabel and todd exchanged a knowing glance. the group set off, moving at a slightly slower pace so noah wouldn¡¯t have to justle lee too much, entirely unaware that they were headed straight toward the scorched remains of a clearing that had been burnt to the ground the previous night.

 Chapter 154: Dragged

    chapter 154: dragged


    ¡°damned plains, what happened here?¡± emily asked, staring at the blackened trees in shock. monsters littered the ground in the clearing, their bodies carved apart and badly burned. the dirt was covered by furrows and ripped to shreds, and fallen trees laid all around it.


    the group had arrived at the clearing minutes ago and had been standing at its edge ever since, trying to figure out what could have caused so much damage.


    ¡°a great monster?¡± todd guessed, his eyes darting around the clearing. he stood at ready, prepared to summon his magic at a moment¡¯s notice.


    ¡°the great monsters in the vibrant woods don¡¯t have any fire affinities,¡± moxie said with a shake of her head. she glanced back at lee, who was still limp against noah¡¯s chest, and pursed her lips. ¡°then again, the rain pulled out one powerful monster. it¡¯s always possible it can bring others.¡±


    ¡°would a monster just leave all these corpses lying around, though?¡± noah asked. ¡°in my experience, they tend to like eating the things they kill.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯d agree,¡± moxie said with a nod. ¡°which means this was either a human or a monster that takes pleasure in killing more than just getting stronger.¡±


    all of their expressions darkened.


    ¡°let¡¯s skirt the clearing,¡± noah suggested. ¡°i don¡¯t think now is the time to be looking for more fights.¡±


    ¡°agreed,¡± moxie said.


    the group walked along the clearing¡¯s edge, keeping to the trees. they all kept their guards up, and noah continued to watch the forest with his tremorsense, but aside from the occasional snake or other unimportant monster hiding within the woods, there was nothing.


    minutes passed as they continued deeper into the forest. even as the students¡¯ guard started to lower, noah¡¯s only rose. after the jaguar, he refused to let anything else get the jump on him so easily.


    the tremorsense was proving to be far more valuable than he¡¯d initially expected. even though it couldn¡¯t get information about anything in the air, knowing that he could feel the immediate area around them did a lot to ease his worries.


    but it still had one other significant drawback aside from its inability to see things that weren¡¯t touching the ground ¨C namely, its 20 foot range.


    todd, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t nearly so limited.


    ¡°trees straight ahead of us,¡± todd hissed, freezing in place and striking his bracelets together, bringing forth a swirling orb of fire above his palm. ¡°forty feet out, roughly, heading toward us from the north.¡±


    noah and moxie both tensed, preparing to move, but emily didn¡¯t even bother waiting to see what was coming. an ice bow materialized in her hands and she pulled back on its string, forming an arrow.


    ¡°how high?¡±


    ¡°about twenty feet off the ground.¡±


    emily adjusted her angle, then released. the blue bolt of ice streaked through the air, vanishing through the trees. before it had even finished flying, isabel was encased in stone armor. she stepped forward, a shield rising up and forming at her side, and both todd and emily moved to take cover behind her.


    despite himself, noah couldn¡¯t help but being slightly impressed. the difference between now and when they¡¯d arrived in the forest was so stark that it was almost palpable.


    damn, moxie. it¡¯s been a few days, but you¡¯ve already got them working as a team.


    there was a surprised grunt from the forest, and a dark form tumbled out of the trees. moxie thrust her hands forward and roots erupted from the ground, shooting up toward it. the form twirled, and a flash of dark light carved through moxie¡¯s magic.


    it was only then that noah realized that the form wasn¡¯t another jaguar ¨C or any sort of monster, for that matter. it was a man.


    the man straightened, his black, tattered robes fluttering around him as he flourished a jagged scythe. the robes rose up to his neck and jutted out at a sharp angle. they looked how noah would have imagined dracula¡¯s clothes would have if they¡¯d been chewed on by a pack of rabid dogs for a few hours.


    but, as dark as his clothes were, he¡¯d taken no efforts to hide the bright orange hair on the top of his head.the roots of this story extend from novell bi?n origin.


    ¡°what in the damned plains?¡± moxie asked. ¡°a person?¡±


    ¡°talk about rude,¡± the man said, tapping the butt of his scythe on the ground. ¡°you shot me before i could even introduce myself.¡±


    emily elbowed todd in the back.


    ¡°how was i supposed to know? he just looked like a blob,¡± todd muttered, reddening in embarrassment. ¡°humans don¡¯t normally look that condensed. all his heat is in his chest and nowhere else.¡±


    noah cleared his throat. ¡°we should probably mention that there was also some carnage pretty close by. looks like a large fight happened in a clearing. i don¡¯t suppose you know anything about that?¡±


    james¡¯ face instantly darkened. revin clapped him on the shoulder and gave noah a curt nod.


    ¡°ah, yes. we were training.¡±


    ¡°you were the ones that burned the clearing down?¡± moxie asked.


    ¡°well, no. that was the monsters. i only set a few of them on fire,¡± revin replied, rubbing his chin. ¡°but then they ran around and spread the flame, and that ended up burning things a bit more than i had initially intended. my idiot student barely killed any of them.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s because you lured a bunch of strong monsters over to me at once! how is a rank 1 supposed to fight that many monsters on their own?¡±


    revin shook his head in disappointment. ¡°you¡¯ll get there one day, james. losing fights and then complaining about it is the farthest from cool that you could possibly get.¡±


    ¡°you only put me in that fight to avoid having to pay off your bet.¡±


    ¡°semantics,¡± revin declared, flicking his tattered robes with a flourish. he glanced back at noah¡¯s group, seemingly remembering that they were still there. ¡°ah. you must have all been preparing for the survival exams coming up, yes?¡±


    ¡°we were training,¡± moxie said, offering up no more information.


    ¡°as were we,¡± revin said. ¡°and, speaking of training, we still have much to accomplish. come, james. there may be more rank 3 monsters to practice against.¡±


    revin clapped james on the shoulder and dragged him into the forest. james sent them all a desperate glance before he disappeared into the darkness together with his professor. a moment of silence passed.


    ¡°he¡¯s definitely going to die,¡± todd said.


    ¡°yep,¡± isabel agreed. ¡°his professor is insane.¡±


    they both looked back at noah.


    ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°nothing,¡± isabel replied. ¡°we should get moving again while they distract any other monsters in the area. even if that professor is insane, he said he tore up the clearing. he¡¯s probably pretty strong.¡±


    moxie nodded. ¡°the faster we get out of here, the better. it¡¯s interesting that we ran into someone else practicing in the vibrant woods, though. they¡¯re not that popular of an area.¡±


    they set off once more.


    ***


    behind them, cloaked in the darkness, stood revin, his hand over james¡¯ mouth. once the group grew far enough away, revin released james.


    ¡°what was that for?¡± james demanded.


    ¡°keeping you quiet,¡± revin replied, heading in the direction that the group had left in. ¡°come on.¡±


    ¡°come on where?¡± james hissed, jogging to catch up with revin. ¡°what are we doing?¡±


    ¡°following them, of course. they seemed interesting. two of them had ways to detect our presence, and their students attacked without hesitation. it was pretty cool.¡±


    james¡¯ eyes narrowed. ¡°you¡¯re following them because you think they¡¯re cool? one of the professors was carrying a dead body around!¡±


    ¡°precisely. and she wasn¡¯t dead, just unconscious,¡± revin replied. ¡°now move faster. if you fall out of my shadows, the boy will see you and you¡¯ll get an ice arrow through your head. you don¡¯t want that, do you?¡±


    james suppressed a sigh, not bothering to offer up any further contest. when revin set his mind on something, it was completely impossible to change it. all james could do was follow and hope that the professor didn¡¯t get them both into too much trouble this time around.


    sometimes, at night, james could still smell the ash and hear the screams from the last time revin had dragged them into something they shouldn¡¯t have been in.

 Chapter 155: Conviction

    chapter 155: conviction


    they faced no further threats on their trip out of the vibrant woods. by the time night had fallen on them, the group had made its way out of the colorful forest and out into a grassy plain beyond it, quickly finding the main path.


    ¡°we should get a little farther before we set up camp,¡± moxie said, sending a glance over her shoulder at the woods behind them. ¡°i don¡¯t want to risk something coming out, especially while we¡¯re down a fighter.¡±


    lee still laid limp in noah¡¯s arms, though he could still feel her breathing. at least the damage didn¡¯t seem to be getting any worse, but he knew firsthand just how bad soul damage could be.


    i wonder just how much soul damage she took. i never got enough to get a physical injury from it, but those visions were pretty bad. it did seem like they had a lot more to do with the hellreaver somehow accessing that weakness in my soul than just being injured, though.


    maybe i can somehow heal lee¡¯s soul in a similar manner to how i healed mine?


    noah remained lost in thought as they continued along the road. he nearly didn¡¯t realize they¡¯d all stopped at a campsite until he¡¯d stepped past the rest of the group and had to spin on his heel to rejoin them.


    isabel was already setting up stone tents. they no longer had a bunch of trees to access for firewood, but todd formed a small flame in the center of the camp and held it there for warmth. it didn¡¯t do much, but noah wasn¡¯t particularly concerned with being cold anymore.


    ¡°how¡¯s lee?¡± moxie asked, walking up to noah, a worried frown on her lips.


    ¡°unconscious,¡± noah replied, shifting her gently. ¡°she doesn¡¯t seem to be changing much in one direction or the other. i guess that¡¯s probably a good thing for the time being. were you serious about her being out for days?¡±


    moxie chewed her lower lip and nodded. ¡°it¡¯s not like i¡¯m an expert on soul damage. i haven¡¯t experienced much of it myself. there¡¯s a reason it¡¯s such a thing to avoid, you know. the cures for it are all either incredibly rare or expensive ¨C and usually both.¡±


    not all of them.


    ¡°how bad are we talking?¡±


    ¡°thousands of gold if you want anything effective. probably tens of thousands, honestly. you¡¯d need a connection that would actually be willing to sell to you as well. anything that deals with restoring the soul is in very high demand, so you¡¯ll be vying against a bunch of powerful mages.¡±


    noah grunted. moxie mistook his action for disappointment and raised her hands. ¡°don¡¯t worry. it¡¯s not all that bad. maybe demons heal from soul damage faster than humans do. like we said, lee¡¯s not dumb. she wouldn¡¯t take such a big risk if it wasn¡¯t for a reason.¡±


    the ground trembled as isabel pulled out another stone tent from within it. she was getting faster at using her runes. what had previously taken her almost half an hour to gather the energy to do was now only taking minutes.


    ¡°i might be able to heal lee¡¯s soul damage,¡± noah said. ¡°i healed my own.¡±


    moxie¡¯s eyes widened and she glanced back at the students before lowering her voice. ¡°you¡¯re serious? you can heal soul damage? for other people?¡±


    ¡°well, i¡¯m not totally sure,¡± noah admitted. ¡°i healed my own soul damage, though. if i could have just formed the damn rune, i bet i could heal lee as well.¡±


    ¡°i remember you mentioning that, but i think it somehow managed to slip through the cracks of all the other lifechanging things you mentioned,¡± moxie muttered. ¡°didn¡¯t it fail, though?¡±


    moxie smirked and shook her head. ¡°you¡¯d know more if you just read a few more books.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m working on it, okay? i read the dossiers. that¡¯s more than i normally do.¡±


    ¡°do you want a medal?¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    moxie rolled her eyes and nodded back in the direction of the students, changing the topic. ¡°there¡¯s a lot more we can still cover with them, but i¡¯m going to be spending a little time going over theory again. i don¡¯t think isabel or todd ever got the opportunity to learn it.¡±


    ¡°probably a good idea,¡± noah admitted. ¡°you don¡¯t think they¡¯ll need the extra practical experience?¡±


    ¡°i think they¡¯re going to get it one way or another, so i might as well try to round it out a bit,¡± moxie replied. ¡°i¡¯ll probably ask you to handle some of the physical training. i hate to admit it, but you¡¯re better at fighting than i am.¡±


    constant life or death battles are a great way to increase your combat abilities really quickly. you should give it a try sometime. the worst that can happen is that you die.


    ¡°i don¡¯t think the methods i used for myself are going to be particularly applicable for anyone else,¡± noah said with a knowing look. ¡°but if we¡¯re going to be doing any training in the style that i taught isabel and todd back in the scorched acres, we¡¯ll need a great monster. does the red barrens¨C¡±


    ¡°yes,¡± moxie said. ¡°the sandray. it¡¯s a huge, flat monster with a big stinger that swims beneath the sand in the red barrens. it wasn¡¯t placed there by arbitage, but it¡¯s too big to actually hurt and usually doesn¡¯t bother anyone. many of the monsters in the area should be under its influence, though.¡±


    ¡°perfect. i¡¯ll train against them while you do the theory stuff with the kids to save time,¡± noah said. ¡°i should be able to get a good grasp of what they can do in a day or two.¡±


    moxie nodded, but she didn¡¯t look completely convinced. ¡°i have to ask ¨C doesn¡¯t this method only work against individual monsters? the moment they come up against something that doesn¡¯t have a set fighting style, they¡¯ll lose a lot of what they¡¯ve learned.¡±


    ¡°some of it,¡± noah agreed. ¡°but i wouldn¡¯t say they lose it. they¡¯ll just have to adapt more, and they¡¯re already doing that. the purpose of my training is to push them to understand how their enemies fight. the better they understand it, the more they¡¯ll eventually be able to put the pieces together. human minds learn by finding relation between things. as long as they¡¯ve fought enough enemies with varying fighting styles and are clever in their future fights, then they¡¯ll be able to adapt.¡±


    moxie inclined her head. ¡°true enough. i¡¯ll take the first watch, then. you¡¯re probably tired from carrying lee around all day. if anything happens, i¡¯ll wake you.¡±


    ¡°sounds good,¡± noah said. ¡°thanks.¡±


    moxie just nodded. noah walked over to the group of stone tents and ducked into one of them, kneeling on the ground. two bunches of soft vines pushed up from the ground in the tent, forming into two beds.


    noah glanced over his shoulder as moxie walked past, joining the kids at the fire. a small smile crossed his face and he gently laid lee down on one of the beds before claiming the other for himself.


    he had a lot of work to do that night, and he¡¯d need all his energy to actually focus on it. for now, the best thing to do was actually take moxie up on her offer. noah laid back on the vines, surprised to find them far more comfortable than he¡¯d expected. they weren¡¯t quite a mattress, but they weren¡¯t far.


    noah let his eyes close. he wasn¡¯t sure how things would turn out the next day, but he was sure of one thing ¨C he was going to find a way to make sure lee¡¯s damage wasn¡¯t permanent, even if that meant forming a rune that nobody had ever made before.

 Chapter 156: Stalkers

    chapter 156: stalkers


    before noah knew it, moxie was kneeling by his side, shaking him awake. his eyes snapped open and he nearly called on his magic before he spotted her face in the darkness and let himself relax.


    ¡°my watch?¡± noah whispered.


    moxie nodded. ¡°i¡¯ll keep an eye on lee. it¡¯s been quiet, so i doubt you¡¯re going to have any trouble. i¡¯m also pretty sure isabel left in the middle of the night to train. she¡¯s not as sneaky as she thinks she is.¡±no?vel binz was the first platform to present this chapter.


    noah¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°is that safe?¡±


    ¡°emily went with her. they¡¯ll be fine, they didn¡¯t go in the direction of the forest and they¡¯re capable enough to make decisions for themselves,¡± moxie replied. ¡°keep an ear primed just in case, though.¡±


    ¡°will do,¡± noah said. he wiped the sleep from his eyes and rolled to his feet, snagging his belongings and throwing them on as he stood.


    moxie took the bed of vines he¡¯d been sleeping on, laying out on it as noah headed outside. the moon hung overhead, casting faint silver light over the grassy plains and illuminating the vibrant woods in the distance. he activated his tremorsense, more to get into the habit of it than any other reason.


    wind rustled noah¡¯s clothes, but the night chill wasn¡¯t uncomfortable with combustion heating him from within. it just prickled slightly at his exposed skin and eyes. noah walked a slow circle around the camp, waking himself up properly.


    his thoughts drifted back to what he¡¯d been thinking on before he¡¯d gone to sleep. the energy in his mindspace could heal soul damage, but he just didn¡¯t have a way to get it into lee yet.


    practicing without any further guidance would just involve killing himself over and over ¨C not something he was opposed to, but leaving a string of corpses around probably wasn¡¯t the greatest idea without lee to eat them.


    on top of that, they were still traveling. if noah let himself die and they got attacked, moxie would be the only one that could fight.


    i can¡¯t afford to die right now just to test theories. i might be able to negate the damage by forming the rune partially again, but i might have a limited amount of tries to form the rune. the energy might not sit around in my soul forever, so wasting it is a bad idea. i need a more educated approach.


    noah reached into his bag and pulled out dayton¡¯s grimoire. there were a variety of reasons why he might have failed to form the rune that had healed him, but one of them was just the chance that his soul didn¡¯t have the room to contain it.


    reaching rank 3 might help, even if it doesn¡¯t fix everything. it certainly can¡¯t hurt. at the moment, i already have seven runes, but i¡¯ve got duplicates. if i¡¯m going for some sort of natural disaster rank 3 rune, dayton did have a lot of lightning based ones. adding one of those into the mix could help balance everything out.


    noah dug a piece of paper and his quill out of his bag. whenever it came time to actually plan things out, he couldn¡¯t help but just write them in english. nobody could understand it, and putting thoughts to paper always seemed to help him think much more than just running them through his head.


    he jotted down his current runes. howling maelstrom and weeping storm both had equal amounts of pressure coming off them, so he knew both of the runes were perfect, even if he planned to eventually tweak weeping storm¡¯s combination or intent.


    (perfect) pyroclastic resonance - rank 2


    (perfect) focal quake - rank 2


    (perfect) howling maelstrom ¨C rank 2


    (perfect) howling maelstrom ¨C rank 2


    (perfect) weeping storm ¨C rank 2


    (greater) wind ¨C rank 1


    there were a total of 5 rank 2 runes in addition to his single rank 1 that he still had sitting around, and two of them were howling maelstrom runes. if he was going to go for a proper natural disaster angle, he had two possible angles.


    the first would be to double down on his current runes by making some duplicates. the second would be to find three more rank 2 runes that would fit into the mix, then remove one of his howling maelstrom runes.


    noah chewed his lower lip in thought. even if he took a lightning based rune from dayton, he¡¯d still be missing two more.


    stretching myself too thin might end up being a poor idea, and a lot of natural disasters would be somewhat similar. both a landslide and an earthquake are earth-based, but an avalanche rune seems too specific to be worth getting.


    the angle might actually be to get that extra lightning rune, then have duplicates to fill in the gaps and rely on intent to finalize everything. if that doesn¡¯t work, i can try taking the rune apart again and i¡¯ll figure out what¡¯s wrong with it. either way, it¡¯ll get me to rank 3. that means i can try forming that soul-healing rune again.


    revin grunted. ¡°right, right. forgot that people need to sleep.¡±


    can¡¯t say i haven¡¯t done that before, but it starts getting to you if you haven¡¯t been able to kill anything and gather energy in replacement of sleep.


    ¡°is there another reason you¡¯re here?¡± noah asked. he had absolutely no idea what revin¡¯s goals were, but the man clearly wanted something.


    ¡°i mostly just wanted to talk with you,¡± revin replied. ¡°you caught my attention. something about your runes feels off.¡±


    ¡°oh? anything in particular?¡± noah kept a straight face, not letting any of his emotion slip through.


    ¡°just cool, i suppose,¡± revin said with a shrug. ¡°mystery is nice too, though. i¡¯ve always enjoyed a good mystery. maybe it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t tell me, actually. that would make things a lot more interesting. your students are in their second year, right?¡±


    ¡°yeah. why?¡±


    ¡°then we¡¯ll be seeing each other at the survival exam,¡± revin said with a smile. ¡°james is in their year.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s... great,¡± noah said, squinting at revin.


    ¡°we¡¯ll talk again soon,¡± revin said. ¡°it¡¯s nice to meet someone else that¡¯s holding their rank back. if i¡¯d known there was another, i would have sought you out earlier. you don¡¯t have a domain yet, but the pressure coming off your runes is pretty significant. perhaps you¡¯re holding back from reaching rank 4 to get more practice with formations?¡±


    holding my rank back? formations? i can¡¯t tell if this guy is completely off his rocker or if he¡¯s just speaking about things i haven¡¯t heard about yet. dayton was a rank 5, and he thought i was just a normal rank 3. can revin somehow feel my master runes?


    ¡°what do you mean by that?¡± noah asked conversationally, not willing to let the potential information slip through his fingers. ¡°i¡¯m not doing anything special.¡±


    revin snorted. ¡°playing coy isn¡¯t really all that interesting. it¡¯s much cooler to show off how impressive you are ¨C but i get it. formations get so much shit from incompetent fools, but the sooner you get started on learning them, the more powerful they are.¡±


    ¡°of course,¡± noah said. ¡°i love formations.¡±


    what the hell is a formation?


    ¡°thought as much. we¡¯ll have to match our strengths at some point in the near future,¡± revin said with a wry smile. ¡°you can¡¯t hide your talents from me. you¡¯ll have to get better at lying if you want to pretend we aren¡¯t on the same path. i¡¯ve read you like a book.¡±


    maybe if the book was upside down and in a language you don¡¯t understand.


    ¡°i¡¯ll work on that.¡±


    ¡°good,¡± revin said. ¡°i¡¯ll be stalking you, then.¡±


    ¡°could you¨C¡±


    revin vanished, disappearing both from sight and noah¡¯s senses.


    ¡°¨Cnot,¡± noah finished, dropping his hand with a sigh.


    just what i needed. someone even more mentally deranged than i am.


    noah waited for a few moments, pouring extra energy into his tremorsense to try to pick up where revin had gone to, but there was no sign of the strange professor. the man had completely vanished. with a sigh, noah shook his head.


    i¡¯ll tell moxie about it in the morning. maybe she¡¯ll be able to make sense of some of what that nutter is talking about. no matter how strange revin is, he¡¯s clearly fairly strong ¨C or strong enough to fool my tremorsense, and not even the jaguar could do that.


    with revin gone, though, noah was hopeful that the rest of the night would go quietly and he¡¯d have some time to focus on his runes before morning came.


    he should have known better.

 Chapter 157: Architecture

    chapter 157: architecture


    noah got a grand total of ten minutes to himself before his tremorsense picked up movement in the camp. he raised his head from dayton¡¯s grimoire, rolling it back up as he turned.


    todd ducked out of his tent, then froze when he saw noah staring straight at him. noah raised an eyebrow and todd sighed, walking over and turning a palm up. his bracelet sparked and a small ball of fire flickered to life above his palm.


    ¡°does anyone in this camp actually use the night to sleep?¡± noah asked.


    a smile flickered across todd¡¯s face. ¡°i guess not. i thought i¡¯d be able to slip past you like the others.¡±


    ¡°i just took watch. blame moxie for that, not me. if you¡¯re here though, you might as well sit. i don¡¯t think you¡¯ve got any plans of sleeping anytime soon.¡±


    todd sat down next to noah, keeping his ball of flame close for warmth. for some reason, he wasn¡¯t using his body imbuements to heat himself. ¡°can you blame us? any time we aren¡¯t practicing is time that we¡¯re losing.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure i¡¯d look at it exactly like that. you need rest to properly function.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯ve told us that exact thing in slightly different words.¡±


    noah grunted. ¡°not everything you¡¯ve heard me say, especially a lot of what i said at first, is entirely accurate. i¡¯m not a genius, todd. i¡¯m far from it. my worldviews are just as fallible as everyone else¡¯s. always use your own head, even for instructions that i give you.¡±


    ¡°so you mean all that talk about death not mattering wasn¡¯t actually something i should have listened to?¡± todd raised an eyebrow, then laughed as noah grimaced.


    ¡°i wasn¡¯t in the best state of mind. i can confirm that if i were you, i would very much do everything i could to avoid dying.¡±


    ¡°i didn¡¯t have any plans of just letting myself die.¡± todd rubbed the side of his neck, then let out a sigh. ¡°didn¡¯t think i could. i mean, sure, it¡¯s a possibility while training ¨C especially in the way we were doing it ¨C but you were so confident. isabel was too. so was i, really. never really considered i might actually die.¡±


    noah looked over to todd. ¡°inquisitor changed your mind?¡±


    ¡°not changed my mind so much as reminded me,¡± todd replied. ¡°woke me up. it didn¡¯t change isabel, though. that¡¯s the difference between me and her, you know? she already accepted that we might get killed. she¡¯s always been training as if that¡¯s the case.¡±


    noah tilted his head but remained silent. todd clearly just needed to get the words off his chest, and it wasn¡¯t time for noah to put in his own thoughts yet.


    ¡°i was going to try to focus in more, but...¡± todd shook his head and shrugged. the motion made him wince as he aggravated his injured neck, but he quickly shook it off. ¡°i¡¯m just falling farther and farther behind. i¡¯m holding isabel back.¡±


    noah pulled his bag open and slipped dayton¡¯s scroll into it. he shifted his position to be able to look at todd better.


    ¡°doesn¡¯t seem that way to me. you were pretty damn useful in the fight against the lightning gorilla. emily wouldn¡¯t have been able to charge her rune up enough to do any real damage to it if you hadn¡¯t helped.¡±


    todd pursed his lips. ¡°yeah, i guess. but... i don¡¯t know. that just wasn¡¯t really ¨C it didn¡¯t feel impactful. sure, i ran around with her. but she could have replaced that with a bunch of other things. back in the linwick estate, i was able to spar with you and i was actually doing about as well as isabel. but, now, i bet i¡¯ve regressed so far that she¡¯s completely eclipsed me.¡±


    ¡°because of your neck?¡±


    todd nodded. ¡°i can¡¯t move as fast as i used to. every time i make a sharp change in stance, i feel it. it¡¯s not something you can ignore either. it¡¯s like a spasm that runs down my entire body. how am i supposed to keep up with isabel if i can¡¯t even dodge an attack?¡±


    noah didn¡¯t reply for several moments. if he had a good answer for todd, then he would have said it already. the one thing he refused to do was offer up pointless condolences or assurances. they¡¯d do absolutely nothing but provide false hope that would only break todd¡¯s spirit even further if he couldn¡¯t pull through.


    if i¡¯d been stronger, then this wouldn¡¯t have happened. this is about todd, though. not me. apologizing to him doesn¡¯t help him. it just makes things about me.


    todd¡¯s brow furrowed, but he didn¡¯t respond immediately. he mulled over noah¡¯s words for a minute, then gave him a small nod.


    ¡°that might be a good point. i don¡¯t know what else i¡¯d do, though.¡±


    ¡°if it was easy, you¡¯d have done it already. figuring out there¡¯s a problem is half the battle, though. i¡¯ll try to think on it as well. we¡¯ve got a lot of time left to train before the survival exam.¡±


    ¡°right,¡± todd said, his features setting. ¡°yeah. you¡¯re right. there¡¯s got to be another way i¡¯m just not considering. i¡¯ll work until i figure out what it is.¡±


    ¡°well, maybe get a little sleep first,¡± noah suggested. ¡°you need your wits about you if you¡¯re going to be trying to figure out a new fighting style.¡±


    todd grimaced and gave noah a small nod. he pushed himself back to his feet and wiped the dirt off the back of his pants. ¡°can¡¯t argue with that, i guess. thanks, teacherman.¡±


    ¡°no problem,¡± noah replied. ¡°i don¡¯t think i¡¯ve really done all that much yet, but i¡¯m glad it was helpful.¡±


    todd turned back toward his tent when a thought struck noah and he cleared his throat. todd glanced back at him, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°yeah?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve actually got an off topic question. you know a lot more about imbuements than you¡¯ve let on, right?¡±


    todd¡¯s stance shifted and he gave a slight shrug. ¡°i know some about them, yeah. why?¡±


    ¡°have you ever heard of something called a formation?¡± noah kept his voice low just in case revin was still standing around close enough to listen in to them. he didn¡¯t know just how good the strange man¡¯s stealth abilities were, but he didn¡¯t want to press his luck. ¡°i was thinking it might be similar to imbuements.¡±


    todd blinked, then smirked. ¡°yeah, i know about them. are you trying to get into architecture or something?¡±


    ¡°elaborate.¡±


    ¡°formations are really complicated ways to string runes together,¡± todd said, rubbing the side of his neck and laughing. ¡°they¡¯re occasionally used for really, really complicated imbuements. an individual imbuement can only do so much, right? so a formation is basically a circle that connects a bunch of runes or imbuements together, controlling them for a specific task.¡±


    ¡°that seems pretty damn useful. why did you laugh?¡±


    ¡°because they¡¯re way more effort than they¡¯re worth. almost nobody uses them anymore. you need to spend a ton of work making a formation ¨C every single one is different ¨C and it only works for a specific purpose. and, even if you manage to get a good formation, they take a while to activate. on top of all that, the moment you go up a rank, the formation becomes useless.¡±


    noah scrunched his nose. ¡°i see. but they allow you to actually use multiple runes at once?¡±


    ¡°yeah, and you can give more specific instructions. some of the really high level imbuers use them,¡± todd admitted. ¡°that¡¯s how you get the really powerful artifacts with intelligence. but at our level, it¡¯s just a massive time sink. my dad never got around to learning formations beyond a cursory glance and he was one of the best imbuers in the kingdom. thus, most of the usage for formations is just copying the steps to make a generic house. saves a lot of time. i know they¡¯ve got some uses in combat applications, but i really don¡¯t know those.¡±


    ¡°that makes a lot of sense,¡± noah said with a nod. ¡°thank you. that gives me a lot to think about.¡±


    todd gave him a slight nod, then headed back into his tent. noah tapped his finger on his knee, then turned back to face away from camp.


    revin didn¡¯t strike me as the type of guy to enjoy architecture. he definitely looked like a battle junkie. so why would he be messing with formations if that¡¯s all they can do? i¡¯ll have to ask moxie tomorrow to get more information.


    luckily, there isn¡¯t a library anywhere near us. i don¡¯t even have to think up an excuse as to why i¡¯m not visiting it. if moxie can¡¯t help me figure it out, though, i suppose i¡¯ll actually have to swing by and do some reading.

 Chapter 158: Starving

    chapter 158: starving


    noah spent the rest of his watch with his attention split in so many different directions that he ended up paying attention to none of it. his own runes were a priority, but now formations and todd¡¯s issue had gotten tossed into the mix.


    todd¡¯s problem wouldn¡¯t even be a problem if we were rich. we could just buy the healing he needs, or i could just go get a shield that was so strong that he doesn¡¯t need to dodge at all. unfortunately, neither of those are an option.


    alas, no answers arose. the moon swept through the sky and headed toward the horizon as the sun rose opposite to it. isabel and emily had returned to the camp several hours ago, but noah had pretended not to notice them.


    moxie came out of the tent just a few minutes after the sun rose, her ginger hair sticking out in just about every direction as she desperately tried to tame it back. she noticed noah watching her and narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°nothing,¡± noah replied. ¡°how¡¯s lee?¡±


    moxie shook her head. ¡°the same. hopefully we¡¯ll see some change before the day is out, but nothing so far.¡±


    noah chewed his inner cheek. ¡°hopefully. i guess all we can do right now is wait and see.¡±


    he covered a yawn, then squinted as the sun poked out from behind a cloud and stung his eyes. some shuffles from the other tent marked their students rolling awake. a minute later, todd stepped out, chewing on a strip of jerky.


    isabel and emily followed him out, both looking equally disheveled.


    noah collected lee, carefully slinging her over his shoulder as everyone started to prepare to leave. after taking a few more minutes to properly wake up, isabel returned their stone housing back to the ground and the group set off once more, headed toward the red barren.


    noah kept pace with moxie and the kids trailed behind them in a group, speaking and occasionally laughing in low tones.


    ¡°moxie, have you ever heard of formations?¡±


    moxie glanced over at him, blinking. ¡°i know of them, but it¡¯s been a while since i¡¯ve heard them mentioned. why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°i was just wondering¨C¡±


    ¡°if they were useful for combat?¡± moxie finished with a grin. ¡°yeah. i went through that stage as well.¡±


    ¡°does that mean they aren¡¯t?¡±


    she shook her head. ¡°no, i didn¡¯t say that. it¡¯s more that they¡¯re really damn frustrating. i¡¯m probably not the best teacher for this, but formations are a way to get multiple runes to work together at the same time, circumventing the limits your body has. normally, you can only use a single rune at once. with formations, you fill a pattern with energy from your runes one at a time, then activate everything at once, which simulates using multiple runes at once. it lets you pull off really powerful effects.¡±


    ¡°that seems pretty damn useful.¡±


    ¡°it is,¡± moxie said with a nod. ¡°the problem is, formations are completely different for each rune combination. it¡¯s kind of like learning a language to get the runes to communicate with each other, but each rune speaks its own, unique language. so it¡¯s not just one language, it¡¯s a new one for each rune, and then you¡¯ve got to integrate the languages so the runes can actually work together.¡±


    noah grunted. ¡°yeah, todd said it was a huge pain. and the formations aren¡¯t useful once you rank up since you make them with specific runes in mind, and then ranking up replaces ¡®em, right?¡±


    ¡°yep. it takes a special kind of person to try to learn formations.¡±


    ¡°a talented one?¡±


    moxie looked at him out of the corner of her eyes. ¡°a masochist. most people that do formations spend months figuring them out, then even longer perfecting them, and one formation only does a single thing. they¡¯re unique to the person using them as well, so you¡¯ve got to figure everything out from scratch.¡±


    noah pursed his lips in disappointment. ¡°oh. i see. i can see the problem, then.¡±


    ¡°then get used to using it in environments that aren¡¯t optimal,¡± moxie said with a wry smile. ¡°i¡¯m not going to tell you much about the red barrens. this is still survival training, after all. but i will say that you won¡¯t have to worry too much about water as long as you aren¡¯t dumb. just focus on what we¡¯ve been practicing.¡±


    the students nodded, and isabel set about erecting camp. while they worked, moxie handed noah a sheaf of papers. a glance revealed them to be the dossier for the red barrens. he grinned.


    ¡°thanks. do you have a plan for what we¡¯ll be doing yet?¡±


    ¡°the day will mostly be training against anything we run into. i¡¯ll leave that bit up to you,¡± moxie said, sliding up beside him and flipping a page of the dossier back to reveal a short list of monsters, each with rough sketches. a grin slipped across her face as noah carefully shifted lee to one arm so he could use the other to take the papers.


    what was that about?


    noah scanned the papers and grimaced, moxie¡¯s smile forgotten. the first of the monsters was a scorpion aptly named a stinger. its description said it was usually around four or five feet tall, but its bulbous, shiny body and fat namesake stinger made it somehow more intimidating than most of the other things he¡¯d fought.


    beside it was a much more reasonable lizard creature. it had a frilled neck and long, unwieldy talons on its front feet. according to its description, the monster was called a frill, and it typically traveled in small packs.


    once again, whoever goes around naming these things proves to be supremely dull with their choice of names. then again, it¡¯s not like we did that differently on earth. half the latin names were literally just descriptions.


    the other two monsters on the page were the sandray, which was the great monster of the area, and a ray, which appeared to just be a much smaller version of the sandray. if it wasn¡¯t for the text informing noah that normal rays were about seven feet long, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to tell them apart from the sandray.


    ¡°which of these do you think is controlled by the sandray?¡± noah asked. moxie shot him an amused look and he hurried to add, ¡°aside from the rays. in the scorched acres, the hellreaver had influence over all the monkeys. is it the same here?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure,¡± moxie admitted, giving him a grin and clapping him on the shoulder. ¡°that¡¯s your job to figure out. it¡¯s not like you¡¯ll be at any risk, right? who better to scout things out and make sure they are as they should be?¡±


    ah, shit. now she¡¯s realized i¡¯m disposable.


    the glint in moxie¡¯s eye sharpened as her grin grew wider. ¡°what? is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°no,¡± noah grumbled, scrunching his nose and shaking his head. he adjusted his grip on lee ¨C his arms were exhausted from carrying her all day, but it didn¡¯t feel right to just plop her down in the dirt. ¡°nothing at all. i¡¯ll take a look tonight and see what i can dig up, but you¡¯re going to have to look after lee. she was twitching around a little, so i think she might wake up soon.¡±


    moxie started to laugh. noah stared at her, baffled.


    ¡°what?¡±


    moxie just laughed harder.


    lee shifted again, and a sudden thought struck noah. he tossed the papers onto the ground and pulled lee back from his shoulder, holding her out before him like a cat. she stared back at him, her eyes wide open and an impossibly smug smile on her face.


    noah¡¯s eye twitched, and he suppressed the relief that flooded through him. if he laughed, then he got the feeling that lee would never walk around on her own again.


    ¡°how long have you been awake?¡± noah demanded.


    ¡°just a little while,¡± lee said sheepishly.


    ¡°how long?¡±


    ¡°nearly two,¡± moxie started, then doubled over laughing again. noah gave her a few moments to recover herself as moxie wiped the mirth from her eyes. ¡°two hours. do you have any idea how hard it was to keep from cracking for this long? she was winking at me while we were walking!¡±


    noah let out a heavy sigh. ¡°did the kids know too?¡±


    ¡°they¡¯re much better at keeping things under wraps than moxie is,¡± lee declared. ¡°i taught them well. so... when¡¯s dinner? i¡¯m starving.¡±

 Chapter 159: Waiting

    chapter 159: waiting


    after getting some food to lee, noah and moxie sat down with her near the edge of the camp. noah couldn¡¯t keep himself annoyed for too long in face of the relief that lee was awake again.


    ¡°are you going to tell me what happened?¡± noah demanded after lee had finished devouring her third strip of jerky.


    lee¡¯s cheeks reddened and she glanced to the side, suddenly finding the grass really interesting. ¡°i... might have gotten a little ambitious. sorry.¡±


    ¡°please give me more to work with than that,¡± noah said wearily. ¡°are you okay?¡±


    after a short pause, lee waggled a hand in the air. she took another bite of jerky, chewing for a few moments before speaking again. ¡°i¡¯m sure you already gathered that i ripped some runes out of my soul to make room for the ones from the jaguar.¡±


    ¡°yeah, and you proceeded to collapse right after.¡±


    ¡°i thought i could handle removing two. the runes were both close to full and had enough pressure coming off them that i just couldn¡¯t resist. it¡¯s really difficult to get runes like that, and i was hoping that if my soul had a little damage already, adding some more wouldn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    noah¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°that¡¯s not how it works at all. the more soul damage you have, the worse it is. even if you would have been fine with a little, doubling it could do serious damage.¡±


    ¡°yeah, i know. i just couldn¡¯t help myself,¡± lee admitted. she plucked at the grass by her feet. ¡°i still think it was worth it. filling rank 3 runes takes forever, and getting two runes of this quality were worth the damage i took. i probably saved myself half a year of effort.¡±


    ¡°are you sure?¡± noah asked, concern flitting across his face.


    lee nodded. ¡°i definitely took a good hit, but don¡¯t forget what i am. our bodies are more closely tied to our souls and runes than humans are. i¡¯ll recover faster than most humans would from soul damage. it¡¯ll be annoying for a month or two, but nothing compared to how long it would have taken to properly fill both of those runes. i¡¯m sorry for putting so much burden on you, though. if i¡¯d known i was going to pass out, i would have warned you.¡±


    noah shook his head and let out a sigh. ¡°it¡¯s fine, lee. i did tell you to take the runes. i forgot how dangerous it normally is to remove runes from your soul.¡±


    ¡°well, it was only that bad because of how closely my kind are tied to their runes. i didn¡¯t replace my lynchpin rune,¡± lee said. she grimaced. ¡°if i had, i¡¯d probably still be unconscious.¡±


    ¡°was it worth it, at least?¡± moxie asked.


    ¡°well, i got carried around for a few days, so i¡¯d say yes.¡±


    ¡°not that.¡± moxie rolled her eyes. ¡°the runes. you just ripped a part of your soul out for them. were they worth the price?¡±


    ¡°absolutely. compared to the kluged together runes i had before, these are incredible. i¡¯m not sure what the combination was, so that might be a bit of a problem when i try to combine them and lack some understanding of how they work, but i can deal with that when i come to it. do you know how difficult it is to get a rune that lets you actually merge with your element rather than just control it?¡±


    moxie rocked back and let out a slow whistle. ¡°i thought that might have been some effect unique to the jaguar. you can replicate it?¡±


    ¡°umbral body is really close to a perfect rune, and the jaguar really knew what it was doing. the intent behind how this works must have been razor thin. it¡¯s an incredible rune,¡± lee said, a smile flitting across her face. ¡°i couldn¡¯t have asked for a better rune.¡±


    ¡°well, i¡¯m glad that it worked out in the end,¡± noah said. ¡°do you know how your soul damage is going to affect you? should we be making sure you stay out of fights?¡±


    ¡°i might be really low on energy for quite a while.¡±


    noah¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°when you say low on energy¨C¡±


    ¡°i probably won¡¯t be able to walk all day.¡±


    ¡°well, it¡¯s a good thing you¡¯ve got a personal aide to carry you around,¡± moxie said, sending noah a wry glance. ¡°will you be fine in fights, though?¡±


    ¡°as long as they don¡¯t go on too long, i should be.¡±


    noah let out a huff. ¡°don¡¯t make a habit of it. i¡¯m not in the business of ferrying around lazy bums.¡±


    ¡°hey! you dangled incredible rank 3 runes in front of my nose,¡± lee protested, pointing an accusatory finger at noah. ¡°you couldn¡¯t possibly expect me to have any self-control there.¡±


    ¡°sure it is.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t think this is going to go anywhere,¡± noah said, closing his book and putting it back into his bag. ¡°lee, i¡¯d like to do some experiments. you mentioned a few runes when we first met that were unique to your, ah, kind. could you draw one of them?¡±


    lee shrugged and took a sheet of paper out of noah¡¯s bag, rooting around until she found the quill and ink vial. she set them on the grass, pressing it down to smooth out her working surface, and started to draw.


    a few minutes later, she flipped the paper around to present an unintelligible mess of squiggles. moxie leaned over to peer at it, then scrunched her nose.


    ¡°well, that¡¯s useless.¡±


    ¡°quite,¡± noah agreed. lee lowered the paper with a frown.


    ¡°what? it¡¯s perfectly legible.¡±


    ¡°not to us,¡± noah said, chewing his lower lip. ¡°odd. i really want to know what would happen if i tried to add a rune that i can¡¯t read into my soul. would it give me the attributes of a monster?¡±


    ¡°more like you¡¯ll explode,¡± moxie said, crossing her arms. she paused for a moment. ¡°would you survive your soul exploding?¡±


    ¡°i can¡¯t imagine i would. but what if it was just my body?¡±


    moxie opened her mouth, then closed it with a snap. ¡°maybe we should put a pin in that. it would be a huge pain if you actually managed to properly kill yourself and stayed dead.¡±


    it¡¯s such a pleasure to have friends that really care. killing myself is totally fine as long as i don¡¯t stay dead, though. it¡¯s how i¡¯ve solved just about every problem i¡¯ve had since getting here.


    noah and moxie let lee finish her dinner without bothering her too much more, only speaking to fill her in on the rest of what she¡¯d missed and where they were currently headed. despite lee¡¯s enthusiasm, it quickly became apparent that her energy was just as low as she¡¯d warned.


    lee¡¯s eyelids started to droop just a few minutes after she¡¯d finished eating, and she nearly flopped flat on her face before moxie caught her by the shoulder. lee let out a massive yawn, revealing a row of surprisingly sharp teeth before shaking her head like a dog.


    ¡°i might need to get some sleep,¡± lee said, rubbing her eyes. ¡°could you¨C¡±


    lee flopped forward onto the grass and promptly started to snore. noah and moxie glanced at each other.


    ¡°did she snore before?¡± moxie asked.


    ¡°no,¡± noah replied, glaring at lee. ¡°nor does she snore now. not if she wants to get carried back to the tent, at least.¡±


    lee suddenly stopped snoring.


    ¡°you could tell she was faking it?¡± moxie mouthed.


    noah just shrugged.


    it was a pretty safe bet. little brat.


    ¡°i¡¯ll go put her to bed,¡± noah said, pushing himself to his feet with a grunt. he slung lee over his shoulder, taking care not to shake her around too heavily. ¡°after that, i think i¡¯ll investigate the red barrens and get a better look at the monsters we¡¯re up against. will you be okay?¡±


    moxie nodded. ¡°i¡¯ll set up some protection around the camp just in case. don¡¯t be gone too long if you can avoid it.¡±


    ¡°will do,¡± noah promised, turning and heading over to one of isabel¡¯s stone tents. todd caught his eye, then grinned as he looked from noah to lee.


    noah just shook his head and ducked inside. he laid lee down on the ground, then took his belongings off and set them by her side before heading back out.


    it was time to get to hunting. and, after that, he was going to take some time to actually get a rune out of dayton¡¯s grimoire. rank 3 was sitting just around the corner for him, and he didn¡¯t plan to make it wait too long.

 Chapter 160: Testing

    chapter 160: testing


    noah trekked through the red sands. dunes had already obscured his vision of the camp in the dead grass behind him. the night had a sharp chill to it, only staved off by the heat of combustion within him.


    of all the things that noah had expected to be a problem, he hadn¡¯t even considered walking. the dunes shifted beneath his feet with every step, and his feet sank deep into the fine sand if he didn¡¯t move them quickly.


    it wasn¡¯t quite quicksand, but it felt like he might sink into the ground if he stood still for enough time. the unsteady ground made it difficult to keep a good pace up, and noah was soon sweating.


    this is way more annoying than i had expected it would be. maybe i could vibrate the ground beneath my feet so that it doesn¡¯t just keep giving way beneath my feet? if i cancel out the shift that comes from my weight moving the sand, i could functionally keep it still for a moment longer and make moving easier.


    noah used focal quake to send a pulse of energy into the sand. he used just enough power to vibrate the sand directly beneath him, not wanting to mistakenly shake apart a dune and cause a small avalanche.


    a small tremor ran up noah¡¯s leg as he felt the particles of sand tremble beneath him. it wasn¡¯t exactly a pleasant feeling, but his foot didn¡¯t sink into the ground. he repeated the process with his next step.


    certainly better than nothing, but this would be much better as an imbuement that passively worked with a little power rather than having to intentionally activate it every time. imbued shoes that did this would be perfect. it takes a good bit of concentration and energy to keep this going manually.


    he¡¯d yet to find a monster in the darkness, which meant one of two things. either they were all hiding, or one was going to ambush him the moment his guard dropped.


    screw walking. i¡¯ll just fly around and seek a monster out myself.


    noah drew his flying sword from where it rested at his side. it had been a while since he¡¯d used it, but the desert was the perfect time to pull it out once more. he released focal quake to call on howling maelstrom¡¯s magic in its place. he launched himself into the air, kicking up a large cloud of sand beneath him, and got the sword out beneath him. it shot forward as he sent his magic into the blade, and noah shot off across the desert.


    he kept near the dunes, not wanting to fly so high that he completely missed a target. the wind whipped through noah¡¯s hair and sand whirled beneath him as the sword shot above it. noah took care to keep the sword moving as slowly as it would allow, but that wasn¡¯t saying much.


    it only seemed to have two settings - fast and neck-breakingly fast. noah had almost forgotten how much the flying sword seemed to enjoy running him into things until he barely missed a large dune, leaning back with all his weight at the last moment as the sword abruptly changed its path.


    a black hump in the sand beneath noah caught his attention. it was so fast that he¡¯d already passed over it by the time his mind registered it, and he was forced to turn his sword around in a tight circle to find it again.


    after a few moments of searching, noah spotted the lump again. he zipped down to the sand, jumping off the sword and rolling through the sand. he sent a vibration into the ground to keep it steady for an extra moment as he rose to his feet, then grabbed his sword as it started to sink into the dune.


    the black lump hadn¡¯t moved. it sat at the top of the dune, glistening faintly in the moonlight. noah squinted at it, then activated his tremorsense. almost immediately, his senses were assaulted by all the sand shifting in the wind.


    shit. i didn¡¯t even think about how much more vibration there would be in a desert. the sand has so much more noise than the dirt and trees did. i need to tone down the sensitivity a little.


    noah reduced the power running into the body imbuements and his shoulders relaxed as the stream of information dropped down to a much more manageable level. tremorsense immediately picked up on the curved form buried in the sand.


    it was a scorpion. the monster shifted with every movement in the sand, keeping its position at the top of the dune. even though noah couldn¡¯t make out its exact shape, the bulbous body and stinger were clear enough in his mind¡¯s eye that he could tell exactly what it was.


    the stinger lunged at noah, barely even acknowledging the wound. he dodged its tail, then drew on more power and swiped his hand down. a thick blade of wind carved through the air. the stinger¡¯s carapace shattered as the magic ripped it apart, splitting the monster right down the middle.


    it collapsed on the ground, legs still twitching. energy rushed into noah and he let out a satisfied sigh. even though the monster hadn¡¯t put up much of a fight, it had a good amount of energy in it.


    that¡¯s one. now i need to find a frill and a ray to see if they¡¯re also controlled by the sandray.


    noah set off along the dune, this time sticking to walking. if there had been one monster, he was probably deep enough into the red barrens to find others. as he walked, noah took the time to finally take a look at weeping storm¡¯s powers. he¡¯d been so caught up with other work recently that he hadn¡¯t even had time to test it out.


    water looks like it might be one of the more powerful runes. emily¡¯s ice runes can pull water right out of the air to make her bow. that¡¯s a damn useful ability.


    noah extended a hand and channeled weeping storm. the energy coursed through him and he called to the moisture in the air above his hand. droplets started to condense, forming into a whirling sphere of water above his palm.


    it took a little more energy than he¡¯d expected to pull the water from the air, but he was in the middle of a desert, so it didn¡¯t surprise him too much. noah directed the water to fly into the air, then jerked his hand down. it burst into droplets of water, pattering on the sand around him.


    he attempted to gather the water once more, but most of it was out of his reach as it had sunk so deeply into the sand that his magic was no longer able to easily access it. it was much faster to just draw more moisture out of the air again than try to recollect the water.


    interesting. pyroclastic resonance was better at keeping control of the ash than weeping storm can control water. i bet it¡¯s because of the resonance aspect still being active in the former, while weeping storm is literally just water. pyroclastic resonance is still actively controlling the ash while weeping storm just sends it out.


    noah sent another blade of water out, but this time focused on keeping control over it. he was able to gather a portion of the water back, but a significant amount just continued onward and splattered against the sand once its momentum faded.


    benefits and drawbacks for every rune, i guess. interesting. weeping storm clearly has more association with just water, while pyroclastic resonance is both ash and vibration. i bet weeping storm will be much easier to combine, but that came at a slight loss in direct control. i think i¡¯ll take it apart with sunder and take a closer look at it before i fall asleep tonight.


    noah continued through the desert as he mused, calling on more water and testing just what he could do with it. weeping storm proved incredibly responsive, at least for his initial commands. he was able to summon shapes without difficulty, and as long as the water was still touching his body, he was able to control it completely.


    logically, that led him to try forming a tentacle. he kept it connected to his shoulder, then poured more water into it to see just how large it could get. the end result was a tendril about five feet long, swirling and twisting with magic.


    the tendril moved perfectly in accordance to noah¡¯s thoughts, but it drew magic at an alarming rate and splitting his attention to both moving the water and walking proved surprisingly difficult.


    noah let it splash back to the ground, ideas of how he could use the new rune swirling through his head.


    i¡¯ll test it out more against some more monsters. it¡¯s been too long since i took a little while to just go hunting.


    noah turned his attention to his tremorsense as a movement caught his attention. a grin edged across his face as he felt something crawling in the ground near him, just on the other side of the dune.


    his desire had been granted. a lizard-like shape was buried in the sand beside him, just waiting to let him test his magic out - and noah wasn¡¯t one to keep anyone waiting.

 Chapter 161: Hunting

    chapter 161: hunting


    the frill burst from the sand, its jaw open wide and a row of thin, rounded teeth yawned open beneath noah. noah launched himself into the air with a blast of wind and the frill¡¯s jaws snapped shut with a loud snap, failing to find purchase on their target.


    noah landed in the sand to the side of the frill as it clawed its way out from the desert. the monster had long, webbed fingers that ended in sharp points. bluish gray skin covered with scales covered its body, turning to a blood red around the large frills near its neck. the lizard¡¯s eyes were sharp and black, with tiny pools of grey in their centers. they bulged out of the frill¡¯s head like those of a frog. most of noah¡¯s attention remained on its mouth, which had been drastically under-represented in the sketch.


    the frill¡¯s teeth were so long and numerous that they were more like hair. it couldn¡¯t even completely close its mouth, so it was locked into a permanent snarl. rearing back on its hind legs, the frill sprinted straight at noah.


    if it hadn¡¯t been so garish, noah would have burst into laughter. instead, he skipped back, nearly losing his footing on the sand and using a blast of wind to fly to safety as the frill snapped at him.


    damn, this is annoying. it¡¯s so difficult to keep my feet out from under me when the sand is constantly shifting around. the webbing around the frill¡¯s feet really lets it move pretty fast, though. it¡¯s basically swimming through the sand.


    by the time noah had landed, the frill was shuffling aggressively toward him once more. unfortunately for its intimidation factor, it strongly resembled a man whose pants had dropped around his ankles and had just remembered that his pot on the stove was about to boil over.


    that didn¡¯t make it any less dangerous, though. noah skipped back once more as the frill snapped at him. noah pursed his lips as the lizard continued to hop and skitter in his direction, managing to keep up with his rune empowered movements but failing to actually get close enough to land a blow.


    the frill was more grotesque than anything else, but there was one thing missing that kept noah from letting his guard down. the dossier had stated that frills traveled in packs, but there was still only¨Cno?vel binz was the first platform to present this chapter.


    noah¡¯s tremorsense screamed a warning just as his feet landed on the sand. he sent a powerful blast of wind down, flying to safety right as two frills shot out from where he¡¯d been standing. somehow, they¡¯d been lying perfectly still throughout the fight and had gone undetected until the last moment.


    as noah landed, his tremorsense went off once more. a fourth frill shot out, sailing through the air and flailing its stubby legs as its jaws snapped shut on air. noah gathered water from the air, then compressed it into a thin stream.


    the water carved into the back of the frill¡¯s neck, severing its head and killing it instantly. energy entered his body, but he didn¡¯t waste time appreciating it.


    get pressure washed, you little shit. i don¡¯t need all of you alive to figure out how you work. one or two will do.


    noah darted across the sand, sending pulses of vibration out of his feet as he ran. the other three frills darted after him, all jumping into the sand and swimming beneath its surface. noah prepared to fire a blade of wind into the ground, but paused.


    it might be better to see how they fight as a group to make sure it won¡¯t be too much for the kids.


    pressing his lips thin, noah released his attack and instead stood his ground. it wasn¡¯t hard to predict what the frills would try next.


    noah prodded at the monster. it was rubbery, without any real defining features. his nose scrunched in annoyance. its tail was too long and slender to even bother trying to take. he couldn¡¯t even find teeth or eyes. it was just a flying pancake with a stinger.


    the desert was silent. noah let out a heavy sigh and scanned the air. he was going to need to find another ray to practice against, but it didn¡¯t look like there was anything in the area. he¡¯d gotten lucky with the first one.


    shaking his head, noah grabbed his flying sword and hopped onto it. he wasn¡¯t sure why he hadn¡¯t spotted any rays the last time he¡¯d been on his sword, but now that he knew the odd creatures flew around rather than swam in the sand, he was confident he¡¯d find a new one.


    ***


    noah had no idea why the rays were so rare, but part of him suspected it was because they were dumb enough to get killed by a mild distraction. it had been an hour, and he¡¯d still yet to find any more rays.


    if you¡¯re that bad at recovering from a surprise, you shouldn¡¯t be flying around.


    something flitted through the air behind noah. instinct saved him as he lunged to the side, tumbling off his flying sword. luckily, he¡¯d still been near the tops of the dunes, so he only fell a little over a dozen feet. he slowed his plummet with a short blast of wind, landing with a painful roll instead of splatting into the sand. his sword shot off, burying itself in a dune behind him.


    noah rolled to the side cursing under his breath at the karmic justice he¡¯d just been dealt, and looked up as a ray shot straight for him. noah threw himself to the side as the monster¡¯s stinger bit into the sand where he¡¯d been moments before. it flapped its wings ¨C if he could even call them wings ¨C and then took back into the air.


    scrambling to his feet and letting out an irritated breath, noah watched the ray make a circle around his head before diving at him again.


    this time, noah was ready for it. instead of cutting the monster in two, he skipped out of the way and the ray shot past him. it slapped into the dune ¨C sliding into the sand and vanishing within it easily.


    an instant later, it slipped free and shot straight at him once again. noah fell back, letting its stinger pass over his head, and then shot back to his feet. the ray was completely soundless as it swung back and made another swoop at him.


    it didn¡¯t take noah long to figure out the ray¡¯s attack pattern. he wasn¡¯t even sure if he could call it a pattern. the ray was, without a doubt, the least intelligent of the monsters he¡¯d fought so far. it just flew straight at him, tried to stab him with its tail, then swam around for another pass.


    looks like its main strength is its silence and ability to travel through both the sand and the sky. not particularly fast or dangerous aside from that, though.


    noah let the monster take a few more passes at him. when it didn¡¯t reveal anything else, he carved the ray in two with a stream of water. the halves of the monster splatted to the ground. even as energy entered noah¡¯s body, he set off in the direction his sword had shot off in. it wasn¡¯t too heavy, so it would probably still be poking out of the sand somewhere.


    that¡¯s all the information i need right now. this is a good place to train. time to get back to camp. i did my job, and now it¡¯s time for moxie to help me out in return. it¡¯s about time i get one of those lightning runes from dayton¡¯s grimoire.

 Chapter 162: Worth

    chapter 162: worth


    noah found his sword after a few minutes of irritated searching. without any further delay, he hopped onto it and flew off in the direction he¡¯d come. noah let his eyes roam over the landscape beneath him as he flew, searching to see if he could spot any more monsters.


    he caught several flickers of black buried in the sand, marking stingers beneath the dune¡¯s surface, but the rest of the night seemed fairly empty. it looked like the majority of the monsters in the red barrens were ambush predators ¨C or they were asleep.


    but they can¡¯t all be ambush predators. something has to actually get ambushed. if literally everything just waits around and hides for something unlucky enough to walk near it, then none of them will ever get to eat.


    i suppose the rays are technically exposed when they¡¯re flying, but they¡¯re so hard to find that i can¡¯t imagine they¡¯re the basis of the whole food chain. there¡¯s got to be something else i¡¯m missing.


    noah¡¯s mind remained in his thoughts as he flew, only keeping enough attention on his surroundings to make sure he didn¡¯t get ambushed by a ray.


    but, as the wind whipped through his hair and stung his squinted eyes, a distant flicker of light caught noah¡¯s attention. he barely even realized he¡¯d spotted it until after his head turned in its direction.


    noah¡¯s brow furrowed. a dull orange glow came from between two dunes, just barely bright enough to be spotted in the night. at the speed his sword was going, noah didn¡¯t have a lot of time to make a decision ¨C but he didn¡¯t need much.


    he quickly shifted his weight, turning in a sharp circle and zipping off toward the source of the light. instead of flying straight over it, noah descended and hopped down on a nearby dune, rolling to a stop and rising to his feet in a smooth motion.


    it took him an extra few moments to relocate his sword, which had sailed past his landing position and impaled the dune in front of him all the way up to its hilt. noah tugged the sword out and crept up the dune, moving as silently as possible as he approached the glow.


    noah activated his tremorsense as he moved, feeling to see if anything was in the area. he picked up on a blobby form on the other side of the dune, near where the glow was coming from, but it wasn¡¯t moving enough for him to get a good understanding of what it was.


    it certainly didn¡¯t resemble any of the monsters he¡¯d seen so far, though. noah¡¯s brow furrowed as he crested the dune, keeping howling maelstrom at the ready in case he needed to dodge quickly.no?vel binz was the first platform to present this chapter.


    noah suppressed a surprised breath. at the base of the dune was a massive brown tarantula. it laid on its back, its legs curled up in the air before it. the spider was at least six feet tall, even scrunched up into a little ball. lines of molten energy ran along its body like rivers of lava, their glow dimming even as noah watched.


    a deep furrow had been carved through the center of the tarantula, and grayish ichor spilled out from its body, staining the red sand around it. noah froze, feeling with his tremor sense, but all he could pick up was the sand shifting around the dead spider. there weren¡¯t any traces of anything else in the area.


    what the hell is that? it certainly wasn¡¯t in the list of monsters for the area ¨C and judging by the wound on its body, neither was whatever killed this thing. the fire looks like its part of the spider¡¯s body, which means it had some fire runes in it. probably pretty strong judging by its size as well.


    nothing i fought could have killed it. i suppose it could have been the sandray, but that thing is supposed to be massive, and this wound is comparatively normal. that dossier isn¡¯t accurate.


    it didn¡¯t have the panther from the vibrant woods in it either. it¡¯s really looking like there are standard monsters in an area, then some others that are either undiscovered or just show up. maybe it¡¯s got something to do with how their runes combine? lee mentioned that monsters are much more physically tied to their runes. i wonder if a stinger could have mutated into this spider thing if it combined a specific combination of runes.


    ¡°how in the world would you do that?¡± moxie asked, blinking. ¡°you hit rank 2 pretty recently. have you been spending every single night hunting or something?¡±


    noah shook his head. ¡°don¡¯t forget we have a stalker. now isn¡¯t the place for me to be sharing my secrets, but it would be in the exact same way that i said i could help with both your and lee¡¯s rune issues.¡±


    i could just sunder a bunch of rank 3 runes from dayton¡¯s grimoire to get full rank 2 runes and kludge them into a rank 3 rune. i¡¯d probably only be able to get a few rank 2 runes out of each rank 3, though. i¡¯d be wasting a lot to make what would almost certainly be an imperfect rank 3 combination, and i need to keep every single rune i can for the future ¨C and for helping fix lee and moxie¡¯s combinations.


    no, what i need to do is hit rank 3 properly with my natural disaster plan. that should give me a good rank 3 rune without wasting anything. after that, i¡¯ll try to form that weird healing rune again and hopefully cure lee¡¯s soul damage with it.


    moxie¡¯s eyes widened with understanding and she nodded. ¡°understood. what do you need, then? i assume you¡¯ve got a plan of some sort.¡±


    noah grinned. he held a finger up and headed to his tent, creeping inside to avoid waking lee up and grabbing his belongings. he walked back to moxie and patted the travel bag. ¡°can we go into your stone tent? i don¡¯t want anyone overhearing.¡±


    moxie nodded. ¡°the vines will keep watch. figuratively.¡±


    they both ducked into the stone coverings. noah sat down at the wall and moxie dropped beside him. he pulled dayton¡¯s grimoire out of his bag and unfurled it. moxie couldn¡¯t sense the scroll because she was still a rank 3, but her eyes widened as she looked over it.


    ¡°shit,¡± moxie breathed. ¡°you have another one? i see what you meant. do you have any idea how much this is worth?¡±


    ¡°i have no plans to sell it,¡± noah replied. ¡°but i do need your help. while i don¡¯t want to waste a ton of runes accelerating my growth, i don¡¯t want to spend a ton of time sitting around while lee is in pain. a few shortcuts are in order ¨C but i need your help.¡±


    moxie tilted her head to the side in confusion. ¡°me? how?¡±


    ¡°i need one of these runes moved off the catchpaper.¡± noah pointed to one of the rank 3 runes by the name of coursing black lightning. ¡°i can¡¯t work with it while it¡¯s still on the catchpaper, but i can¡¯t move it myself.¡±


    moxie blinked, then nodded. ¡°i see. you want me to move it for you. i¡¯m going to need something to imbue it onto, though. i¡¯m not a good enough imbuer to just slap this onto a rock or something, i¡¯ll end up losing the majority of its energy.¡±


    noah pulled open his own grimoire and flipped to one of the empty pages at the back. ¡°this won¡¯t be able to hold the rune for long, but it should be enough for my purposes. can you do it?¡±


    ¡°yeah, i can do it. i¡¯ll have to shift a few things around, but as long as i don¡¯t need to hold onto it for too long, i can do it.¡±


    noah¡¯s grin stretched wider. ¡°perfect. shall we?¡±

 Chapter 163: History

    chapter 163: history


    alister¡¯s fingers twitched for the first time in years. his still eyes ground open and he drew a long, deep breath. all throughout his body, lines of energy lit. his runes hummed as power surged within them, filling every single aspect of his flesh and soul.


    the last of his seven runes slid together, melding into a single, rank 7 rune. after nearly a hundred years of intense focus, he¡¯d finally done it. the air around him trembled as power poured out of the newly formed rune.


    consuming flame of the bloodied lord.


    alister¡¯s thoughts barely even dared to dwell upon his new rune. the power coming out of it was astronomical. far more than he¡¯d ever thought possible. far more than anyone had thought possible.


    he could feel the rune just waiting for his call, and he obliged it. the cave around alister shattered as alister called on the pure pressure emanating off the rune, manifesting his rune force for the first time.


    cracks raced through the ground and the mountain trembled above him. unregulated power pumped in his veins. the very air trembled in his presence, quailing under the immense strength of the rank 7 rune¡¯s true power.


    with just a single thought, alister could tell that he could bring the full strength of his pressure down on a single location, crushing any lesser being with nothing more than a look. he started to laugh, his vocal chords thrumming with inverted energy.


    ¡°and i was told it was impossible,¡± alister rasped to himself, bracing his hands against his bare knees as his laughter echoed through the darkness. ¡°nobody can reach rank 7. it hasn¡¯t happened since the arbalest empire was established. bah. idiots that cower to habit and their own fears.¡±


    alister rose to his feet. he could practically feel life thrumming within every single fiber of his body. when he¡¯d gone into meditation to focus on his runes, he hadn¡¯t been far from death. there had been about a hundred and fifty years left in his longevity, by his estimation.


    now, alister couldn¡¯t even tell where the limit was. at least ten times that if not more. alister¡¯s bones cracked and popped as he rolled his shoulders, just taking a few moments to bathe in his newfound strength.


    there wasn¡¯t a single being within the arbalest empire that could even get near to holding a candle to his strength now. he extended a hand and his rune¡¯s pressure slammed into the stone before him, obliterating it into dust so fine that it was barely even visible.


    i am a god. the noble houses will quail before me. no living being ¨C


    ¡°whoa there, bud. you¡¯re leaking off a whole bunch of rune force. want to keep it in your pants, maybe?¡±


    alister spun. a woman leaned against the wall in the shadows of the cave behind him, her form obscured by a heavy black cloak. despite the enormous amount of power pouring from alister¡¯s rune, she was completely unperturbed.


    ¡°who are you?¡± alister demanded, raising a hand into the air. black-tinged fire swirled to life above his palm, summoned from nothing but pure energy. it lit the cave in a brilliant red hue.no?vel binz was the first platform to present this chapter.


    the woman was tall, several inches taller than alister was ¨C and he didn¡¯t consider himself short by any means. she reached up, pulling her deep hood back. the woman¡¯s lips were black, her eyes a matching void. her skin was so pale that it was almost pure white, and she wore a spiked black collar around her neck.


    ¡°who in the damned plains are you?¡± alister repeated. he directed his rune force toward the woman, trying to crush her, but her expression didn¡¯t even budge. it was as if he wasn¡¯t even there.


    what is this? how? i am rank 7! the greatest being in the history of the arbalest empire since it was established!


    ¡°i don¡¯t understand. what¡¯s the point of removing us from the empire?¡± alister demanded.


    ¡°no rank 7s are permitted within the arbalest empire. it¡¯s just the rule. i owe you no more explanation than that.¡±


    ¡°how is that¨C¡±


    garina sighed and pressed her fingers to the bridge of her nose. ¡°nope. stop. i don¡¯t care about your questions. i¡¯m not your mom. i didn¡¯t waste time coming to this backwater shithole because i wanted to speak with you. i¡¯m just doing my job. if you want to ask questions, then you can find someone who cares. get your ass moving and leave the empire. just head straight in any direction as fast as you can go. don¡¯t stop to speak. don¡¯t stop to eat. you don¡¯t need to. you¡¯ll be out soon enough, and then someone will explain things properly.¡±


    alister¡¯s teeth ground together. ¡°i am no dog, woman. at least tell me why! it makes no sense!¡±


    ¡°fine. powers far greater than you decided that constantly letting all the new talent kill each other was a huge waste, so we sectioned off a little area where the kiddies can play. once you get to a point where you aren¡¯t a complete waste, it¡¯s time to move on so you don¡¯t squish the playground on accident. how¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°who?¡± alister asked. ¡°are you telling me¨C¡±


    alister¡¯s sentence ended in a loud crash as rune force slammed down on his shoulders, driving him face first into the ground. he sank nearly a foot into the stone, until he was nearly level with it.


    garina nudged the top of his head with her shoe. ¡°i¡¯m bored with you. shut up. consider the message passed along. you¡¯ve got a week to get out of the arbalest empire. no stops. no chats. try anything, i¡¯ll kill you. and trust me, i¡¯ll know. for your sake, pray we don¡¯t meet again. i¡¯ve already wasted too much time on you.¡±


    she paused for a moment, then lifted her foot off alister. ¡°say, have you heard anything about someone who couldn¡¯t stay dead?¡±


    alister grunted through a mouthful of stone.


    ¡°no? unfortunate,¡± garina said. ¡°don¡¯t eat dirt for too long. i wasn¡¯t joking about you not wanting to meet me again. i¡¯ll rip your spine out through your ass.¡±


    then she was gone. there was no shift of power or even the slightest change in the energy in the cave. one second garina was there, and the second it was as if she¡¯d never existed. alister staggered to his feet, spitting stone onto the ground and gasping for air.


    his heart raced in his chest like a runaway horse. garina¡¯s strength didn¡¯t just eclipse him. she wasn¡¯t even human. she¡¯d talked to him as if he were a child ¨C or a mangy dog. and, based on the immense difference in their strength, she might have been right.


    alister ground his teeth. his arrogance sputtered beneath the smothering blanket of his fear. he hadn¡¯t lived this long by being a complete fool. garina could have killed him with a blink.


    there was no option but to do exactly as she commanded. alister drew in his rune force, binding his strength tightly within his body to hide it as best as he could, then brushed himself off and launched off, driving through the stone like a fish through water.


    in a blink, he shot out of the mountain and took to the sky, flying as fast as his rune could move him. under no circumstance did he plan to stop moving until the arbalest empire was a fading memory in the distance.


    alister would never return to the arbalest empire, just like nearly every other man and woman that had reached rank 7 before him.

 Chapter 164: Sunderin time

    chapter 164: sunderin time


    a thick wall of vines filled the stone tent, blocking off the entrance and interweaving so tightly with each other that it was impossible to see through them. moxie sat on the ground before them, noah¡¯s grimoire on her lap and dayton¡¯s scroll before her.


    she¡¯d erected the vines to make sure that there was no chance revin could peek inside and watch what they were doing. neither of them knew what manner of magic he used to obscure himself, but they didn¡¯t want to take any chances.


    ¡°okay. i¡¯m going to do it,¡± moxie warned. ¡°this paper isn¡¯t going to hold a rank 3 rune for long, though. you¡¯ll have to move fast.¡±


    noah nodded his understanding. ¡°i know. it¡¯s unfortunate that i¡¯m going to end up wasting a few runes. i would have preferred to do things a bit slower, but i can¡¯t risk staying at rank 2 indefinitely. i need to make sure i¡¯m strong enough to protect isabel and todd.¡±


    ¡°you really think they¡¯re in that much danger?¡± moxie asked.


    ¡°with dayton still running around and all the other shit we¡¯re caught up in?¡± noah arched an eyebrow. ¡°it¡¯s a matter of when, not if. they¡¯re headed toward trouble, and it¡¯s my job to make sure that they¡¯re protected until they¡¯re prepared to face it head on.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s still ludicrous that you can even reach rank 3 this quickly,¡± moxie grumbled. ¡°you better make sure evergreen never finds out about the scroll you took. she¡¯s not an opponent we can fight right now ¨C even if you hit rank 3.¡±


    ¡°then i¡¯ll just get stronger,¡± noah said. ¡°let¡¯s do this. time¡¯s slipping away.¡±


    moxie nodded. she pressed her hand to the coursing black lightning rune, closing her eyes in concentration and drawing in a slow breath. as she let it out, an arc of energy shot across her fingertips.


    moxie¡¯s brow furrowed. several seconds passed in silence. the catchpaper crackled at her palm and, with a hissing pop, the rune vanished from it. moxie quickly moved her hand to noah¡¯s grimoire.


    her teeth gritted and the paper furled at the edges. an instant later, the rank 3 rune slammed into place on the paper, sparking with power. lightning raced across the paper, hissing as the beige white started to blacken and burn.


    noah grabbed the book from moxie as she opened her eyes. he drew on sunder. the master rune¡¯s energy coursed through his body, turning his veins black as it raced to fill him. noah could feel moxie¡¯s gaze burning into him as she watched on, but now wasn¡¯t the time to let himself get distracted.


    he¡¯d already told her what sunder did. she was just seeing it. it wasn¡¯t all that different. noah sliced his hand through the air, carving through both the page in his grimoire and the rune within it. a streak of black light followed his hands path.


    the coursing black lightning rune shattered. power swirled out of the severed paper, rising up into the air before noah. seven runes spiraled out of the churning mist vortex, materializing. moxie watched over noah¡¯s shoulder in awe.


    black lightning


    black lightning


    black lightning


    black lightning


    coursing bolt


    coursing bolt


    coursing bolt


    noah scanned the runes. the energy around them had already started to fade. it was clear that the coursing black lightning rune hadn¡¯t been fully imbued but had only had a sliver of its strength, so noah would only be able to harvest a single rune properly from it.


    i have no idea what the difference between black lightning and coursing bolt is when we¡¯re talking about functionality, but black lightning certainly sounds a lot cooler. am i going to make my decision purely based off that?


    yes. yes, i am.


    noah committed every last flowing stroke and jagged arc of the nearest black lightning rune to his mind. it was much more aggressively shaped than most of the other runes he had, but the sharp lines were so distinct that they felt easier to remember.


    after a few moments, noah pressed his hand to the rune and closed his eyes, sinking into his mindspace. he wasted no time in raising his hand and starting to draw. his finger traced through the air at a rapid pace as he recreated the black lighting rune, drawing its power in through his physical body and pushing it into his soul.


    the hair on noah¡¯s arm stood on end, and the smell of ozone filled the air. with a flash, streaks of purplish-black light ripped through the air, manifesting into a new rune. pressure washed out of it, pressing back on noah even as all his other runes hummed to life, pushing back.


    after a second, noah¡¯s mindspace calmed back down. he felt his soul shift as it expanded from the extra pressure pushing out on it, and a smile crossed noah¡¯s lips.


    i¡¯m starting to get pretty good at the whole rune-forming thing.


    he walked in a circle around the rune, feeling out the pressure coming off it. the rune was completely full, which was fantastic ¨C but, to his disappointment ¨C it had less pressure than the weeping storm and howling maelstrom runes. both of them were full runes as well, which meant black lightning wasn¡¯t a perfect rune.


    fine with me. i don¡¯t know what black lightning is anyway, but that¡¯s not what i need. that leaves me with two rank 2 runes that i want to fiddle with. this one and weeping storm. all i need to do is find¨C


    noah paused as a thought struck him. a grin stretched across his face and he slipped out of his mindspace, grabbing his grimoire and flipping over to where broken gale sat. the rune had been sitting there, useless, for quite a while. it was about time he did something with it.


    placing his hand on the rune, noah closed his eyes and sank back into his mindspace. it was a minor matter to pull the weak rune back into his space, and within a few seconds, broken gale floated in the air before noah, lighting with energy as if taking its first breath after years of being trapped within¨C


    noah cut it in half with sunder.the roots of this story extend from novell bi?n origin.


    a black line flashed through broken gale, carving the rune straight down the center. it shattered, releasing seven rank 1 runes into the air around it. the rune had considerable amounts of energy within it, even though it had been far from well made, so all the rank 1 runes that took form were full, much to noah¡¯s delight.


    gale


    gale


    gale


    gale


    gale


    shadow


    shadow


    noah¡¯s eye twitched slightly. no wonder the rank 2 combination had been terrible. had this been the rune dayton had formed as a child, while he was still in his edgy phase? the intent with the rune¡¯s formation had clearly been wrong, as shadow hadn¡¯t even popped up in the final combination.


    now that i think about it, is black lightning even any better?


    there was no point wasting time worrying about that. gale was perfect for what noah needed. it only took him a moment to confirm that, even though the combination had been terrible, all of the rank 1 runes were actually greater runes.


    typical spoiled kid, then. had everything he needed to succeed and still managed to stick his foot in his ass.


    gale would be perfect for his needs here. wind still remained as noah¡¯s favorite element because of its incredible maneuverability, and both the runes he wanted to fix could benefit from a little diversity in them.


    all but one of the rank 1 runes faded into the darkness of noah¡¯s soul. there was enough room to house all of them, but the moment he split apart any of his other rank 2 runes, there was a good chance that he¡¯d be out of space.


    trilling monsoon shimmered, growing in strength until it was around twenty percent full. noah finally let his hands drop, weariness starting to set in heavily on him. his whole body felt like it had gotten run over by a steam roller.


    there were still two shadow runes and a greater wind rune sitting around in his mind, waiting their turn patiently, but it wouldn¡¯t come today. with a weary smile, noah cast his eyes around his mindspace to take everything in.


    pyroclastic resonance isn¡¯t too far from being full. a few really big monsters or a bunch more small ones and it should be there. i wonder if i can kill enough monsters in the red barrens to fill it ¨C and the new runes ¨C up. i do also need just one more rune to hit the final one.


    noah¡¯s eyes flicked to pyroclastic resonance. he knew the rune was perfect, and he¡¯d yet to figure out if there was another rune that would properly fit into his natural disaster plan. it wasn¡¯t a bad idea to just duplicate pyroclastic resonance and use it as the final rune.


    i¡¯m exhausted, but i might as well finish things up while i¡¯m here. if i find a more fitting final rune, i can swap it out.


    noah called pyroclastic resonance forth, pushing himself to go just a little farther. he pressed a hand to the energy churning within the rune, then raised his other hand and started to draw. instead of imbuing it into a piece of catchpaper and then drawing it back into himself, noah drew directly from the rune as he drew with his other hand.


    he drew a little under twenty percent of the energy stored within pyroclastic resonance out, letting the familiar power travel through his body and burn at his fingertip. noah was so familiar with his rune that the process felt like second nature.


    a seventh ¨C and, for the time being, final ¨C rune shimmered to life in noah¡¯s mindspace. noah¡¯s soul expanded once more, but the amount it shifted by was far less than it had when he¡¯d formed the deafening thunderstorm rune.


    that must be because i didn¡¯t add in a new type of energy. i¡¯ve already got one pyroclastic resonance rune, so my soul isn¡¯t as affected by the formation of a new one. fascinating. i bet that¡¯s a big part of the reason that people only forming a single type of rune have difficulty progressing past a certain point. even if we ignore the fact that the runes don¡¯t press against each other since their energy is of the same type, that lack of unique energy in their soul doesn¡¯t push it to get big enough.


    noah took a few steps back and released his hold on both pyroclastic resonance runes.


    a burning excitement lit within noah¡¯s chest as he watched the rank 2 runes circle him.


    moxie¡¯s been waiting a while. shouldn¡¯t keep her for too long.


    noah let his eyes open back in the real world. moxie still sat where he¡¯d left her, watching him with a pensive expression.


    ¡°did it work?¡± moxie asked.


    in response, noah held one of his hands palm up. he called deafening thunderstorm, then paused for a moment. he needed something to actually generate the lightning in the first place. noah dug through the old lessons he¡¯d gotten in school ¨C there weren¡¯t exactly any balloons around, but he only needed an initial spark.


    noah¡¯s eyes lit up and he started to aggressively rub his hair. moxie stared at him, baffled and more than a little concerned.


    ¡°noah? are you¨C¡±


    an arc of bright yellow lightning crackled to life at noah¡¯s fingertips, nearly zapping him in the head before he pulled his hand away. noah grinned as he lowered his hand, a tiny bolt zipping from side to side in his palm.


    ¡°it worked.¡±


    ***


    brayden sighed.


    the last few weeks had been miserable. he¡¯d expected father to be furious upon his return ¨C it hadn¡¯t been hard to figure out who had called in inquisitors, after all. there was only one person that had known what vermil¡¯s task had been other than him, and it had been father.


    brayden hadspent countless nights digging through his mind, trying to remember if he¡¯d mistakenly slipped up and shared information that he shouldn¡¯t have, but he¡¯d taken even more care than normal to make sure he didn¡¯t spill his brother¡¯s secret.


    no. it was father. he turned against vermil. i had my suspicions, but this is irrefutable proof. he tried to kill vermil to tie up loose ends.


    but, to brayden¡¯s surprise, father had barely even had a reaction when brayden had brought him the report of the inquisitor¡¯s death. the patriarch of their family branch had simply shrugged, then directed brayden on to his next mission.


    in the weeks that followed, brayden had been waiting for a stiletto in his back. it never came. but, the further brayden got along on his latest job, the more he wished that father had just gotten everything over with.


    he¡¯d been running around, delivering messages in between dealing with the other inquisitors and doing his best to keep them off vermil¡¯s back. of all the messages that brayden had delivered, there was no doubt in his mind that today¡¯s would be the most aggravating.


    it had been over three hours since he¡¯d arrived at the mansion. it was just a few blocks away from father¡¯s, but the area couldn¡¯t have been more different. the mansion was easily three times the size of father¡¯s, and it was positively teeming with guards.


    every single stone lining the ground was imbued, and the doorman had closed the door in brayden¡¯s face the moment he¡¯d started speaking.


    main branch pricks. father is definitely torturing me on purpose. what a complete and utter waste of my ¨C


    the door swung open, revealing a young woman. her sleek blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail and she wore purple leather armor covered with inscriptions. brayden was pretty sure her armor cost as much as his entire outfit and then some.


    a smile was plastered across her lips, but it didn¡¯t even come close to reaching her ruby colored eyes.


    ¡°brayden,¡± the woman said, pushing a strand of hair out of her face and pursing her lips in mock annoyance. ¡°i got out of secluded meditation no more than a day ago. how is it that father already knows?¡±


    ¡°he has his ways,¡± brayden replied, holding the letter he¡¯d been given out. ¡°this is for you, karina.¡±


    karina made no moves to take the letter. ¡°why¡¯d he send you?¡±


    ¡°is there something wrong with me?¡± brayden tilted his head to the side.


    ¡°no, no. i was just wondering why vermil wasn¡¯t delivering it.¡± karina¡¯s smile widened. ¡°he wouldn¡¯t happen to be incapacitated, would he?¡±


    brayden kept his face flat. he wasn¡¯t the best at lying, but he¡¯d gotten pretty good at hiding his emotions when dealing with father. it was a necessary trick of the trade if one wanted to avoid getting their throat slit.


    ¡°he¡¯s doing quite well, last i spoke with him,¡± brayden said. he waved the letter slightly. karina just let out a huff.


    ¡°unfortunate. i suppose you¡¯re rather displeased about that. father always did like him more than you. well, come in.¡±


    brayden ground his teeth and dropped his arm. vermil had perhaps been a little too thorough in his work to ensure his alienation, but there was nothing to be done about it now. karina turned and headed into the house. she paused as brayden stepped inside, glancing over her shoulder at him.


    ¡°did you meet vermil recently?¡±


    ¡°yes,¡± brayden rumbled. the less he spoke, the less likely it was that he¡¯d mistakenly let something slip.


    ¡°do you happen to know if he got the little thank-you gift i sent him?¡±


    ¡°no. i don¡¯t keep track of my brother¡¯s activities. ask him yourself.¡±


    karina shrugged a shoulder and turned back, beckoning for brayden to follow her. ¡°ah. no matter, then. there¡¯s always next time. you¡¯ll have to fill me in on what¡¯s been happening these past few months. you aren¡¯t busy, are you?¡±


    brayden¡¯s eye twitched. refusing a main branch member wasn¡¯t something one did if they wanted to keep their standing in the family ¨C and it certainly wasn¡¯t something that father would be pleased about if and when word got to him. ¡°no. i am not.¡±


    ¡°lovely,¡± karina said. she flicked her fingers and the mansion door slammed shut behind them. ¡°we have so much to talk about.¡±

 Chapter 165: (not) Sorry

    chapter 165: (not) sorry


    when the following morning came, noah and moxie went to get lee. the rest had passed quietly, but both of them were eager to hear her take on the fire tarantula that noah had seen on his way out of the red barrens.


    ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± lee asked wearily, blinking awake as they poked their heads into the stone tent. she squinted at them, scrunching her nose. ¡°is it morning?¡±


    ¡°how are you holding up?¡± noah asked.


    lee pushed herself upright and stretched her arms above her head, arching her back and yawning like a cat. ¡°i¡¯m awake. unfortunately.¡±


    ¡°i mean the soul damage.¡±


    ¡°oh. that. it was worth it, i told you.¡±


    noah couldn¡¯t help but notice that lee hadn¡¯t really answered his question, but if she didn¡¯t want to talk about it, then there wasn¡¯t anything he could do to force her. he¡¯d just focus on what he could deal with.


    ¡°in that case, you mind helping out with something that¡¯s been confusing moxie and i?¡±


    lee blinked. ¡°sure. what is it?¡±


    ¡°i scouted out the red barrens yesterday,¡± noah said, nodding over his shoulder in the direction of the burgundy desert. ¡°while i was out there, i saw a monster that wasn¡¯t on the dossier. it was this big spider thing with some sort of fire or heat affinity. something had already killed it, but the wound didn¡¯t look like it fit the abilities of any of the other monsters in the area. do you have any idea why that might be?¡±


    lee rubbed the back of her head. ¡°huh. i don¡¯t know a whole lot about the world up here, but i did think it was a bit strange that the scorched acres had a bunch of the exact same kind of monster. it¡¯s not like all demons are the same.¡±


    ¡°i was thinking it might be due to what you mentioned about monsters and their physical connections to runes,¡± noah said. ¡°is it possible that something in the desert combined its runes in a unique way that made it mutate?¡±


    ¡°oh, yeah. that¡¯s really common,¡± lee said with a nod. ¡°i don¡¯t know if i¡¯d use the word mutate, as that implies it changed in a way that isn¡¯t typical. at least in the damned plains, a lot of things were pretty much unique. i guess there were more common rune combinations that get passed along, so a lot of monsters choose to use those over trying their own, but it¡¯s just like humans. different approaches to everything.¡±


    moxie nodded her understanding. ¡°that makes a lot of sense. i never really gave it a lot of thought, but i bet the bastions put a lot of work into trimming the populations of monsters near them to make sure that nothing unexpectedly powerful emerges. they hire a lot of soldiers and adventurers for that.¡±


    noah paused as an old memory in the back of his mind was tickled. when he¡¯d first arrived in the arbalest empire, he¡¯d been rescued by two men that had called themselves adventurers.


    ¡°shit,¡± noah said. ¡°i think you¡¯re right, moxie. there were some guys flying around the scorched acres a while ago that called themselves adventurers. i bet that¡¯s what they were doing. what¡¯s the difference between soldiers and adventurers, though?¡±


    ¡°soldiers have funding and political power,¡± moxie said. ¡°they often work for one of the noble houses, but if they don¡¯t, they band together in official groups. most of the time, they¡¯ve got a lot of proof of their ability, either through powerful imbued weapons or through references. anyone can be an adventurer. it¡¯s just a mage that goes around offering their services in exchange for money. they usually aren¡¯t too capable, but there are some notable exceptions.¡±


    ¡°i see,¡± noah said. ¡°that clears a lot of things up, then. we¡¯re far enough away from arbitage that the monster populations aren¡¯t as prim and proper, so we¡¯re seeing more variance in them. so... what do we do? continue on? are the kids ready for this?¡±0v3l.b11n.


    they all fell silent in thought for a few minutes. to noah¡¯s surprise, it was neither him nor moxie that broke their thoughts. it was lee.


    ¡°i think it¡¯s a disservice to baby them,¡± lee said. ¡°isabel, todd, and emily were working really hard in the vibrant woods. between the three of us, we should be able to keep the most dangerous monsters back. but... even if we can¡¯t, life is risk. they¡¯re not babies, noah. let them spread their wings.¡±


    noah blinked, taken aback.


    have i been overprotective? they can¡¯t come back to life if they die, though. keeping people alive isn¡¯t being over¨C


    ¡°just because people aren¡¯t immortal doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re fragile,¡± lee said gently, reading noah¡¯s thoughts like an open book. ¡°it¡¯s good to give them curated experiences through training, but you saw when they grew the most ¨C it was when they were forced to fight something stronger than what they had expected. growth comes from difficulty. that¡¯s why demons are so strong.¡±


    ¡°no need to waste energy when i¡¯ve got a ride already.¡±


    the others all laughed. noah shook his head, unable to keep a chuckle from his own lips, then nodded to moxie. ¡°it¡¯s your show, moxie. anything you want them to do before we get started fighting?¡±


    moxie turned to their students. ¡°why don¡¯t one of you three tell me? you¡¯ve arrived at a new, inhospitable location. what are our first steps?¡±


    ¡°figure out what we¡¯re up against,¡± todd said. ¡°but we¡¯ve already done that.¡±


    noah tilted his head to the side. ¡°you have?¡±


    ¡°scouting means using all resources at your disposal,¡± isabel said with a flicker of a smile. ¡°i hope this doesn¡¯t count as cheating, but we read the dossier moxie had.¡±


    moxie blinked. ¡°what? when?¡±


    ¡°this morning.¡±


    moxie pulled her bag off her shoulder and dug through it. she pulled out a piece of paper, sending isabel a confused look. ¡°it¡¯s still here. how did you manage to read it and put it back without me noticing?¡±


    noah opened his mouth, then tilted his head to the side. he slowly turned to look at lee, who averted her gaze and started trying ¨C and failing ¨C to whistle.


    ¡°bribery works wonders,¡± emily put in. ¡°you should try it sometime, moxie. lee¡¯s a lot easier to buy off than you are, though. it only took two strips of jerky.¡±


    moxie sighed. ¡°seriously? you convinced lee to sneak into my room and both steal and return the dossier? you¡¯re supposed to be injured, lee!¡±


    ¡°the injured need sustenance,¡± lee declared. ¡°also, i was bored. it was an awful move, though. i had to fake being asleep for so long after i woke up.¡±


    noah rolled his eyes, but he couldn¡¯t help but being a little impressed. lee¡¯s new stealth was seriously impressive. ¡°i think we can let that one slide this time in respect to the creativity, but i¡¯d suggest new strategies in the future.¡±


    moxie nodded in agreement. she stuffed the paper back into her bag and shifted it on her hip, gesturing for todd to keep talking. ¡°what¡¯s next, then? you already know the monsters and a general description of the area.¡±


    ¡°scouting them,¡± todd said, exchanging a glance with the girls to get their agreement before continuing. ¡°we need to see what they¡¯re capable of, then find a defensible area.¡±


    moxie grinned. ¡°get on with it, then. we¡¯ll follow behind.¡±


    isabel took the lead of the party, todd and emily keeping close behind her as they set off into the desert. noah kept his tremorsense active, sweeping the area for threats. moxie matched his stride and leaned in, lowering her voice.


    ¡°can you do some wider loops around the camp and make sure we don¡¯t run into too many enemies at once? pushing them is good, but we don¡¯t want to overwhelm them too quickly. i can handle lee.¡±


    ¡°works for me,¡± noah said with a nod, plucking lee from his shoulders and passing her to moxie. lee quickly re-attached to moxie¡¯s back, not perturbed by the shift in her vehicle in the slightest. ¡°i need to kill some things anyway. call out if you need help.¡±


    ¡°will do. come back soon, though. it¡¯ll be useful to have your expertise when they¡¯re actually fighting the monsters.¡±


    noah gave her a thumbs up, then drew his flying sword and hopped onto it. sand kicked up around him as he shot off, tearing across the desert to scan the immediate surroundings. this would be good. he needed to test out his new runes, and killing a few monsters would also help him fill them up. noah almost felt sorry for anything he ran across.


    almost, but not quite.

 Chapter 166: Tasty

    chapter 166: tasty


    noah didn¡¯t fly for too long. he didn¡¯t need to get too far from the group, and flying would stop him from using his tremorsense. a dark form at the top of a dune caught his eye. noah changed his angle, dropping to the sand a few dunes away from it and activating his tremorsense.


    noah didn¡¯t need to get any closer ¨C it was a stinger, and a normal one from what he could tell. he was at a good range to start walking, and so he set off.


    in the distance, whenever he crested a dune, noah could occasionally catch glimpses of moxie, lee, and the students¡¯ forms. they were close enough that he could get to them within a few seconds of using the flying sword.


    sand shifted beneath noah¡¯s feet as he trudged, sending his senses into the earth as he walked. it wasn¡¯t particularly exciting, but it did give him a little time to think. noah¡¯s mind drifted back to his runes.


    he dug through his travel bag and pulled out a sheet of paper, balancing it in the crook of his arm on top of his grimoire. it would be too difficult to get his quill and continue walking, but he had a new rune to test out.


    noah touched a finger to the edge of the paper and drew the slightest amount of power from deafening thunderstorm. a tiny crackle rose from the paper as noah signed a little dot into it. he lifted his finger, then grinned and lowered it again.


    lightning burned a tiny line into the paper as he dragged his finger down. it wasn¡¯t the cleanest, but it was more than functional as a writing tool if he didn¡¯t mind being a little sloppy. either way, it was good practice.


    with all the changes that noah had just made to his rank 2 runes, it was a good time for him to catalogue everything he had before he inevitably forgot about something important.


    active rank 2 runes:


    pyroclastic resonance (perfect)


    pyroclastic resonance (perfect)


    focal quake (perfect)


    howling maelstrom (perfect)


    howling maelstrom (perfect)


    trilling monsoon (perfect)


    deafening thunderstorm (perfect)


    there was absolutely no reason that noah had to designate all of them as perfect, as it was somewhat redundant, but he couldn¡¯t deny more than a little egotistical pleasure in seeing how far he¡¯d taken vermil¡¯s initially lacking runes.


    beyond the rank 2 runes, though, there were the new rank 1s he¡¯d gained in the process of stitching everything back together.


    rank 1 runes passively in my soul:


    greater shadow


    greater shadow0v3l.b11n.


    greater wind


    lightning was unlikely to travel too deep into the earth on its own. but, the frills were ¨C unfortunately for them ¨C fairly close to the surface. his magic slammed into one of them, and noah¡¯s tremorsense showed it splattering and falling still.


    noah cursed as he realized that the sand beneath his foot was molten hot. he hopped back, grimacing in pain. a moment later, energy slithered into noah from the dead monster. the sand around him trembled as the other three frills shot up, bursting from the sand all around him and leaping for his throat.


    the air around noah crackled. he let deafening thunderstorm rip free. the smell of ozone filled the air as faint streaks of white and yellow arced across his body, then erupted free in a burst of magic.


    screaming hisses rose up and noah shifted to the side, letting the three dead monsters tumble, slamming to the sand and sliding to stops. the smell of burnt flesh mixed with the ozone, and noah¡¯s hair stuck on end. energy sank into his body and he scrunched his nose.


    that was a lot more effective than i thought it would be. i did use the majority of the energy in my deafening thunderstorm rune, though. won¡¯t be doing that again for a bit, but damn it was sick. todd would have loved it.


    noah brushed a few specs of sand from his shoulders, then gave the frills a cursory glance. they¡¯d been fried pretty thoroughly, to the point where he was pretty sure their fangs weren¡¯t going to be of much worth anymore.


    with a shake of his head, noah set back off into the desert to continue his patrols. he sent a glance over to check on the others. they were moving once more, and noah didn¡¯t see any sign of the stinger.


    they must have taken care of it already. nice.


    as noah walked, he turned more of his attention toward his tremorsense. it had been incredibly useful, both in the vibrant woods and now in the red barrens, but the trees in the woods had actually worked in their favor ¨C aside from when the jaguar had attacked. their cover had meant that having just twenty feet of tremorsense was more than enough to spot most things coming, and noah didn¡¯t need to sense much farther out.


    but, in the desert, where he was starting to realize that just about everything lived belowground rather than above it, twenty feet of senses weren¡¯t quite what he needed. his senses needed to be able to sweep over a larger area, or he¡¯d never be able to actually scout properly.


    noah¡¯s lips pursed in annoyance. there was only so much he could modify his body imbuement. it had already been made, and there were limitations of strength. adding more power to it would just increase the sensitivity, completely overwhelming his mind with information and making it useless.


    this is probably where a proper imbuement or a formation would really come in handy. having something that could more accurately control the energy would be a gamechanger. then again, formations supposedly take months. a normal imbuement, though... might be worth looking into.


    even as he thought, noah didn¡¯t stop walking and letting his mind travel through the desert sands in search of anything that could catch his interest. the sounds of another fight rose from where moxie¡¯s group walked.


    another stinger had attacked, but judging by the flashes of ice shooting through the desert, it looked like it was emily¡¯s turn to try her luck. that probably meant todd was next. noah¡¯s face darkened. he¡¯d promised todd to help find a way to improve his situation ¨C he just had no idea how to actually fix things.


    i wonder if those monster bath things could help. at the very least, i can find something big and kill it, selling its parts for a bunch of money.


    noah¡¯s tremorsense picked up on a stinger in a dune a short distance from him. his fingers twitched and he shot himself forward with a blast of wind, releasing the rune and calling on trilling monsoon in its place.


    the desert air was far from humid, but noah still pulled enough water from it to form a small swirling vortex above his palm. he shot it out in a tight stream. it struck the stinger, which was buried less than an inch below the dune in hopes of catching something unaware, and drilled a hole straight into its back.


    sand erupted into the air as the stinger burst free, clicking furiously. its tail whipped in the air above it as noah landed on the ground. before it could even rush him, noah thrust a hand toward the monster.


    a churning spike of wind slammed into the stinger¡¯s face. chitin shattered as the magic drilled into the monster¡¯s body, ripping its brain apart. the stinger collapsed, sliding down the side of the dune, and energy slipped into noah¡¯s body.


    that was a nice stress reliever, but that wasn¡¯t particularly difficult. i know there are some stronger monsters somewhere in the desert, and i want to find them. i should probably wait until night for that, though. my new runes are amazing, but i need to test them out against a real threat to see how good they actually are.


    a glance back at moxie and the others showed that they¡¯d stopped moving. it looked like they¡¯d decided they were deep enough into the desert to stop and start setting up camp, which worked fine for noah.


    he needed to take a little time to rest and let his newer runes gather some more energy. then, once the kids were situated, he¡¯d set back out and find something actually worth killing. after he¡¯d seen the dead fire tarantula, there was no doubt in noah¡¯s mind that the red barrens were more than they initially appeared.

 Chapter 167: Necessary

    chapter 167: necessary


    ¡°is this really necessary?¡± james asked, the exasperation clear in his tone. he and revin stood in a cloak of darkness on a dune, overlooking the other students from arbitage while they set up their camp. they¡¯d been there for the better part of the hour, just... standing.


    ¡°of course it is,¡± revin snapped. ¡°this is a vital part of our training.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m pretty sure that you¡¯re just a pervert.¡±


    ¡°pervert?¡± revin spun toward james, throwing his hands up in the air. ¡°have you never heard of scouting out the opponent? there¡¯s nothing perverted about it. besides, they¡¯ve got to be doing something to make me a pervert. all i see is them setting up camp.¡±


    ¡°i think the pervert part is more on the one watching than the one doing,¡± james said with a shake of his head. despite his annoyance, james was more confused than anything else.


    revin was strange. the professor was egotistical, rude, borderline insane, and unbelievably lame ¨C but he wasn¡¯t stupid. not this stupid, at least. for some reason, revin was seriously interested in the group, and that probably meant that james was missing something.


    not that i¡¯ll ever admit it. this asshole doesn¡¯t need any more things to laugh at me about.


    ¡°you¡¯re wondering what the point of all this is, aren¡¯t you?¡± revin asked.


    james glanced at him out of the corner of his eyes. ¡°i didn¡¯t say that.¡±


    ¡°you were thinking it.¡±


    ¡°stop with the weird mind-reading crap. do you have a rune for it or something?¡±


    ¡°no. you¡¯re just very easy to read,¡± revin replied. ¡°and the reason that i am watching them is before you.¡±


    revin thrust a finger down at the camp. even though revin had twisted the darkness around to cloak them from view, james still winced. every time revin made a sudden motion, james felt like someone would spot them.


    he followed the finger down to the camp, where revin was pointing at ¨C well, it was difficult to tell. he¡¯d just pointed in the general direction of the camp.


    ¡°could you just use your words?¡± james asked. ¡°i¡¯ve got no clue what you¡¯re pointing at.¡±


    revin let out a heavy sigh and shook his head in disappointment. ¡°the students, james. don¡¯t you notice anything about them?¡±


    ¡°...no? i swear, if you¡¯re about to say something creepy, i¡¯ll rat you out to them myself.¡±


    ¡°i would never. none of them are nearly cool enough to catch my eye, and i think i prefer older women myself,¡± revin said. he rubbed his chin, tilting his head to the side. ¡°you know¨C¡±the roots of this story extend from novell bi?n origin.


    ¡°do not tell me whatever you¡¯re about to,¡± james warned. ¡°just get to the damn point, professor.¡±


    ¡°the short girl with silver hair is a noble.¡±


    james¡¯ eye twitched. ¡°as is nearly everyone that goes to arbitage.¡±


    ¡°exactly,¡± revin said. ¡°but the other two aren¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°are you going somewhere with this? i won¡¯t even ask how you¡¯ve managed to figure out that the silver-haired one is a noble.¡±


    ¡°she¡¯s wearing a fancy shield bracelet. i recognize its make ¨C torrin family. the torrin family are rather elitist, you know,¡± revin said, tapping a finger on his wrist. ¡°all their main branch members have silver hair. not because they get it or dye it, mind you. it¡¯s just because they like to keep their main branch pure. helps them make sure the kids will be talented, or some shit like that. never bought it myself, but hardly matters. there¡¯s only a single girl from the torrin family main branch that¡¯s your age.¡±


    james stared at revin. ¡°you say that like you expect me to have memorized everyone in their family.¡±


    ¡°emily torrin,¡± revin said. ¡°heir to the main branch, and in line to control the family once her old folks up and kick the bucket in a few hundred years.¡±


    ¡°lovely,¡± james said. ¡°and that matters how, exactly?¡±


    ¡°the other two don¡¯t have shields at all,¡± revin continued, unperturbed. ¡°they aren¡¯t nobles. curious, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°yeah. my professor is a psychopath, though. i don¡¯t know why he¡¯s decided to cause your group problems. again, i¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    ¡°stop apologizing,¡± emily said. her eyes ¨C a grayish silver, just like the color of her hair ¨C bored into james. ¡°are you going to try anything?¡±


    ¡°what? no! i have absolutely no idea what revin was thinking,¡± james said. ¡°we were just supposed to be training. i don¡¯t know what he¡¯s after.¡±


    the ground rumbled. the back of james¡¯ neck prickled and he threw himself toward emily, increasing his speed with a concentrated blast of wind beneath his feet. isabel lunged, but james was faster than she was.


    emily¡¯s eyes widened and she yelped as james slammed her to the ground. a loud crack split the air as a spike of sand screamed past where emily had been standing and slammed into one of the stone tents, shattering it.


    ¡°sorry!¡± james exclaimed, rolling off emily quickly before any of the other students could attack him. ¡°there was¨C¡±


    ¡°we saw the spike,¡± todd interrupted, his eyes scanning the sand. ¡°how did you see it coming, and where did it even come from? i can¡¯t tell where anything is in this desert. it¡¯s too hot.¡±


    ¡°lots of time around revin gives you a pretty good danger sense,¡± james replied, launching back to his feet. a pillar of stone rose up beneath emily, pushing her upright as well. emily glanced at james, then inclined her head.


    ¡°thanks.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s kind of my fault it happened in the first place,¡± james replied, swallowing and turning in a circle. ¡°i have no idea what attacked, though.¡±


    the sand rumbled again. the top of a dune bulged, sending red particles cascading down. isabel took a step forward, moving to stand before all of them.


    ¡°i think we¡¯re about to find out. get ready. there¡¯s a third one of these things, and the professors are all occupied.¡±


    ***


    noah launched himself to the side as a barrage of spikes arced toward him, slamming into the sand like gunfire. the dunes trembled as a huge, clawed hand ripped out from within them. a massive, crablike creature burst out from beneath the ground, mandibles clicking in a hissing roar.


    the monster¡¯s back was covered with long, tubular protrusions that made it easy to tell where the spikes had been coming from. it had two enormous claws, each nearly the size of several horses.


    sand twisted and swirled around the crab¡¯s legs as it scuttled across the desert toward noah. he ran to the side again, narrowly avoiding one of its claws as it crashed down, and threw his flying sword down.


    noah shot into the air, sparing a second to glance back at the camp. what he saw didn¡¯t make him feel great.


    there were two more crabs. moxie and lee stood against one of them a short distance away from the camp. it was a little smaller than the one that noah had cut off. the third and smallest by far had somehow reached the camp, and the students were squaring off against it together with another form.


    it took noah a second glance to realize that the extra person was james. he didn¡¯t see any signs of revin anywhere, but noah doubted the strange man was far.


    the hell is going on? there¡¯s no way this is a coincidence. james is standing with my students, though. did revin abandon him? wouldn¡¯t surprise me.


    the crab¡¯s back whumped and a spike whistled through the air behind noah, missing him. he turned back to the monster, glaring at it.


    i knew there was way more to this desert than i thought, but what even is this? it¡¯s got some sort of sand rune for sure, and the pure force behind the spikes its shooting is pretty scary. this isn¡¯t a weak monster.


    the crab raised its back legs, aiming its back toward noah. a barrage of sand bolts shot out and noah swore, leaning forward into a tight dive. he dove off his sword, sliding beneath the crab and aiming his palm up.


    a bolt of lightning ripped out of noah¡¯s palm and slammed into the creature¡¯s underbelly. there was a loud crack and the bottom of its white shell blackened, but his magic didn¡¯t penetrate its defenses.


    noah shot himself forward with a blast of wind as the crab dropped, smashing its heavy body to the ground in an attempt to squish him. the monster spun toward him, chittering. noah¡¯s eyes narrowed and he called on his magic.


    this isn¡¯t going to be a fast fight. i hope moxie and the others hold up until i can kill this thing.


    spikes of sand shot down toward noah. he thrust a palm up, blasting the attacks away with a violent, churning gale, then sprinted toward the crab, calling more magic to bear. even in spite of the literally looming threat, noah couldn¡¯t help but feel just a little curious.


    i¡¯ve always wondered what crab tastes like.

 Chapter 168: Wring

    chapter 168: wring


    a blast of wind launched noah into the air. he sailed past one of the crabs large claws as it snapped shut behind him. the huge tubes on its back fired a barrage of sand toward noah, and he redirected himself with another powerful gust of wind.


    noah landed on the monster¡¯s back with a grunt, rolling to a stop. its shell was jagged and as hard as rock, digging into his clothes and pulling at them as he rose to his feet. the crab spun, trying to throw noah free as it reached up for him.


    water gathered around noah¡¯s hands. he continued to run across the crab¡¯s back, ducking under a claw as it swept over his head and dragging the growing blob of water through the air behind him.


    as he prepared to send the energy drilling into the crab¡¯s tough shell, sand started to pour out from the cannons covering the monster¡¯s back. it formed into a cloud in the air, and noah only had an instant to react. he sprinted to the side and dove off the crab. the cloud of sand exploded outward, turning into jagged blades of sand that shot after him.


    noah spun midair and the water he¡¯d gathered around him spread out, forming into a shield an instant before the sand pelted into it. he¡¯d managed to pack enough runic energy into the magic to withstand the barrage, but only had a few seconds to drop it and catch himself with a burst of wind before he hit the ground.


    he stumbled as he landed on the dune, then took off sprinting. the crab raced after him, jabbing down at his back with its huge legs. noah zipped and weaved from side to side, boosting his movements with bursts of wind as he furiously thought.


    it doesn¡¯t seem like it can control the actual sand around us, just the stuff that comes from its body. that¡¯s good, but i still need more time to actually find a way to get through its shell. sunder could do it no problem, but i can¡¯t use sunder while revin is in the area. it¡¯s too risky, especially for something this large. revin is almost certainly watching us.


    noah spun, then launched himself into the air. he pulled more moisture out from his surroundings, then whipped it forward in a swirling spike. the magic slammed into the crab¡¯s shell with a loud crack, boring a thin hole into it.


    sand pelted down toward noah. he swore, throwing himself to the side and shooting straight to his feet as soon as he landed. the ground trembled beneath him as the crab stormed after him, even more furious than it had been before.


    there¡¯s a hole now. that¡¯s the first step.


    noah shot himself into the air, redirecting midway through his flight to avoid one of the crab¡¯s claws, then landed in a sprint on its back. he dashed without stopping, running behind the slanted cannon-tubes even as sand started to pour out from them again. digging furiously in his bag, noah pulled out his pipe and a tuft of flashgrass.


    there wasn¡¯t really anything to burn in the desert other than his own hair, and he didn¡¯t really want to turn himself into a living torch if he could avoid it. if the crab hadn¡¯t been as hard as a rock, he would have considered trying to set it alight instead.


    it¡¯s too bad the crab isn¡¯t smaller. i literally can¡¯t even try to suffocate it with combustion because of how big the damn thing is. it definitely has more lung capacity than i do. actually, would all crabs? they¡¯re basically the ultimate lifeforms or something, aren¡¯t they? can they hold their breath longer than ¨C


    a whip of sand arced past noah as he threw himself to the side. it pattered against the crab¡¯s shell, not even cutting into it. noah stuffed the pipe into his mouth and combusted the flashgrass.


    smoke rose up from noah¡¯s pipe in a trail behind him as he continued to run along the crab¡¯s back. he dodged out of the way of another blast of sand, but there was a large cloud starting to amass over his head.


    the claw was a vice grip, but it wasn¡¯t trying to crush noah. it was just bringing him down to the crab¡¯s mouth, where it could eat him.


    lovely. much better.


    noah¡¯s head was still spinning violently, but the crab had stopped moving. he let out one last whistle and the cloud of smoke shot out, finally finding its target and pouring into the hole. all that remained was a thin stream that reached out toward him, extending in an almost gentle manner.


    he couldn¡¯t see the top of the monster¡¯s shell anymore. his entire vision was the twitching, grinding mandibles of the massive crab as it moved him toward its mouth. hot breath washed out over noah. it smelled like rotting carrion.


    the smoke touched noah¡¯s hand.


    he combusted it.


    a flash of orange arced down the smoke, burning it away as it zipped down the stream and vanished over the top of the crab. noah called on howling maelstrom, drawing deeply from the rune. something told him that¨C


    a brilliant explosion shook the desert, cutting noah¡¯s thoughts off even as he formed a thick wall of air between himself and the crab¡¯s body. the crab detonated like a bomb had gone off inside it. shards of chitin slammed into noah¡¯s air wall, only slowed for an instant before continuing toward him.


    that instant was enough. its claw loosened and noah set off a huge blast of wind, launching himself as high into the air as he could get. a ball of fire rolled up from the crab¡¯s body, the heat washing over him, and the pieces of the monster rained through the sky all around noah.


    energy poured into noah like a coursing river. he drew in a ragged breath of surprise, nearly forgetting that he was still plummeting through the air toward the sand below. reality snapped back a few moments before he joined the crab in becoming a splatter on the desert dunes, and he set off a small blast of wind to throw himself forward and into a roll instead of falling flat on his face.


    noah staggered to his feet, his heart slamming in his chest. adrenaline pumped through his body. pieces of the crab were still raining down around him, though all the largest ones had already fallen.


    the smell of cooked meat filled the air. it had a slight smokey twist to it that noah wasn¡¯t ashamed to admit made his mouth water slightly, but there were still two more of the crab monsters to deal with. he wiped the sweat from his brow and scanned the ground for his flying sword.


    luckily, he hadn¡¯t dropped it too far from the fight. the hilt of the blade stuck out of a dune, glistening in the light. noah ran over to it, pulling the rusty weapon free, and threw it to the ground. he was tempted to grab a piece of the smoking meat from the ground, but it still wasn¡¯t anywhere near properly cooked. they¡¯d have time to eat it after the rest of the monsters were dead.


    a loud crash echoed through the desert from the other side of the camp, where moxie was fighting. noah jumped onto his flying sword and it shot into the air, peeling away from the smoldering remains of the monster, hoping that nobody had been seriously injured.


    when i get my hands on revin, i¡¯m going to wring that idiot¡¯s neck.

 Chapter 169: Discovery

    chapter 169: discovery


    it wasn¡¯t difficult to spot what had caused the loud noise. noah nearly fell off his sword as he caught his first look at how moxie¡¯s fight had gone. the crab she¡¯d been fighting against was a little smaller than the one he¡¯d been up against, but it took him a moment to register it.


    the crab had been ripped apart. thick brown vines rose up from the sand beneath it, winding through large cracks in its plating. they¡¯d forced themselves in through the crab¡¯s mouth and shattered its shell, ripping it apart and suspending the crab in the air, split apart into multiple pieces like some grotesque art show.


    i guess the crack i heard was moxie¡¯s vines literally ripping its shell apart from the inside out. i¡¯m never telling moxie this, but she¡¯s actually terrifying.


    it looked like the students had won their fight as well. the four of them stood in front of the somehow simultaneously frozen and smoldering remains of a relatively smaller, horse sized crab. it was pierced by several sharp stones and covered with deep scars that wept gray blood.


    noah jumped off his sword, landing on the sand behind them with a grunt. they all turned toward him, flinching at his arrival. james summoned a blade of wind to his hands before he realized who had arrived and let it dissipate.


    ¡°anyone injured?¡± noah asked, casting his tremorsense out once more in case there were any other monsters in the area. he found nothing.


    ¡°no,¡± emily said with a shake of her head. ¡°we were able to handle it with the four of us.¡±


    ¡°good. moxie handled things on her end as well.¡± noah¡¯s gaze turned to james, and the boy turned his eyes away, taking a step back.


    ¡°i¡¯m pretty sure revin called these,¡± james said. ¡°i¡¯m sorry. i¡¯d say he didn¡¯t mean to cause you trouble, but i¡¯m pretty sure he did.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯d gathered as much,¡± noah said. ¡°where is he?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t know. he shoved me out and then dipped. do you have room for another student? i¡¯d like to transfer professors.¡±


    james didn¡¯t sound like he was joking. noah couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for the boy. it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine how embarrassed he probably was, and nothing had even gone wrong. if something had ¨C


    noah¡¯s expression darkened. if revin¡¯s games had gotten someone killed or seriously hurt, he¡¯d be finding out if arbitage had any rules against professors killing each other.


    ¡°does he do this often?¡± emily asked with a note of sympathy in her voice.


    ¡°yes,¡± james heaved a sigh. ¡°he¡¯s a no-good psychopath of a¨C¡±


    a hand slipped out of the air behind james, wrapping around his mouth. revin appeared from thin air, a wry smile on his face and his scythe hanging loosely at his side. james let out a muffled curse.


    ¡°bad mouthing your professor isn¡¯t cool,¡± revin said, taking his hand off james¡¯ mouth.


    ¡°neither is trying to get your student killed!¡± james snapped. ¡°what¡¯s your problem? what if someone got hurt?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m of mind to ask the same question.¡± noah¡¯s eyes were narrow, and he kept his magic at the ready. ¡°what the hell is your problem?¡±


    ¡°oh, please.¡± revin rolled his eyes. ¡°nobody was in any danger. these monsters never posed you any real challenge.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not talking about me,¡± noah growled. ¡°i¡¯m talking about the students. you had something to do with these powerful monsters showing up, didn¡¯t you? what if one of them got past me or moxie?¡±


    ¡°they weren¡¯t too hard to fight,¡± isabel said, glancing down at the smoldering monster at their feet. ¡°with the four of us, at least, we handled it pretty well.¡±


    ¡°it wouldn¡¯t have gone as well if one of the huge ones had come after you,¡± noah said. ¡°but i suppose life is going to be far from predictable, so good job. at least it looks like james isn¡¯t quite as insane as his teacher.¡±


    ¡°for now,¡± todd said with a chuckle. ¡°i don¡¯t know if the poor guy is going to be able to hold up too long with someone like that. i¡¯ve spoken with revin twice and i already want to punch him in the face.¡±


    ¡°tell me about it,¡± noah said. ¡°that¡¯s always been my preferred method of solving problems.¡±


    ¡°we know,¡± moxie said, looking at noah out of the corners of her eyes. ¡°but, unless anyone has objections, i think we should continue our preparation for the upcoming exams. unique monsters or not, we can¡¯t spend all our time running.¡±


    ¡°i agree,¡± noah said. ¡°but... shall we start by eating? it would be a shame to leave all this free crab lying around for scavengers after we did all the hard work.¡±


    ***


    they ate, and it was every bit as good as noah had been expecting. he gathered up all the pieces of the crabs that he could fit into his bag ¨C and then filling moxie¡¯s bag with them as well.


    that night, they kept an extra tight watch, but like noah had suspected, revin didn¡¯t return. isabel and emily ended up sneaking out, but noah and moxie both pretended not to notice.


    when the following morning dawned, they fell into a schedule once more. but, this time, it didn¡¯t get interrupted.


    days slipped by as the students trained, going through a variety of different test scenarios and games. moxie occasionally split them into teams or made them fight against herself or noah. when noah took over, they trained against the monsters, pushing themselves to their limits of their powers. they all improved, but noah could see the gap between the girls and todd growing with every day. the injury to todd¡¯s neck continued to interfere with his fighting, even though his control over his runes was improving.


    at night, after noah and moxie finished going over the day with the students, todd would retreat to the solace of his stone tent. isabel and emily spent a lot of time by the campfire, talking about their plans for how they would improve the previous day, but noah could tell they were intentionally giving todd his space.


    their time in the red barrens came to an end and the group set off toward graybarrow, but their schedule never changed. todd continued to remain within the confines of his tent whenever he could.


    deep bags formed under todd¡¯s eyes, but noah didn¡¯t interfere. he¡¯d still yet to come to any ideas on how he¡¯d help todd solve the issue of his neck, but todd was clearly working on something. if he wanted help, then he¡¯d ask for it. keeping the boy from working would only make things worse.


    noah¡¯s goal to fill his runes in the red barrens wasn¡¯t quite met, but he killed more monsters than he could count before they left and along the way to graybarrow. by the time two weeks had passed, he¡¯d hunted so much through the nights that he suspected monster parents likely used his name as a threat when they put their children to bed.


    his efforts had pushed his runes up in strength significantly, and all of them were full aside from his second pyroclastic resonance and the trilling monsoon runes, both of which were over eighty percent of the way there.


    todd took up isabel and emily¡¯s strategy of sneaking off in the middle of the night. noah didn¡¯t know if he¡¯d given up on whatever he¡¯d been practicing in his tent or if he¡¯d succeeded, but todd didn¡¯t say and he didn¡¯t ask.


    the irony of having an entire camp that almost nobody actually used to sleep wasn¡¯t lost on noah, but considering he was one of the people using many ¨C though not all ¨C of his rest hours to hunt monsters, he didn¡¯t have much room to talk.


    the time until the survival exam continued to run out. just a few days after they¡¯d arrived at graybarrow, todd pulled moxie and noah to the side early in the morning. he requested to be released from training for the next few days as he worked on something. they¡¯d been surprised, but had accepted.


    three days passed. todd didn¡¯t leave his tent once. the rest of them continued their training, but the camp was thick with tension. isabel was clearly concerned and even emily looked worried, but there was nothing they could do but wait.


    and, finally, on the night of the third day, todd emerged at dinnertime. isabel had nearly dropped her strip of jerky into the flames when he¡¯d stepped out of the tent. he was thinner than noah had ever seen him, but there was a glint in his eye that had been missing ever since his neck had been injured.


    ¡°i figured it out,¡± todd said, a weary grin playing across his lips. ¡°i need to spar with someone.¡±

 Chapter 170: Solution

    chapter 170: solution


    they all stared at todd. he blinked, his smile flickering. ¡°what? why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    ¡°we haven¡¯t seen you for three days, and you want to spar?¡± emily asked. ¡°shouldn¡¯t you get some rest or eat or something?¡±


    ¡°forget that,¡± todd said irritably. ¡°i had food in my bags. i want to train.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not¨C¡± isabel started, clearly concerned for his health, but noah raised a hand to stop her.


    i know how he feels. waiting is the worst feeling. he¡¯s felt like he can¡¯t do anything for a while, and watching the gap grow between him and the girls was probably agony. todd can rest once he gets his catharsis. but... what did he do?


    ¡°it¡¯s fine,¡± noah said. ¡°do you guys have enough energy to spar with todd?¡±


    ¡°i can do it!¡± lee volunteered. she¡¯d been getting less sleepy over the recent days, but she¡¯d yet to return to her former strength.


    ¡°absolutely not,¡± moxie said. ¡°i think we all know how that would go. if todd wants practice, then it should be against another student before jumping up to us.¡±


    ¡°yeah,¡± isabel said, sending todd a worried glance. ¡°if you¡¯re sure about this, todd, then i¡¯ve got enough.¡±


    todd grinned and nodded. they all walked to the edge of the camp. todd and isabel headed out a little farther, stopping several paces away from each other. isabel rolled her shoulders and lowered into a fighting stance.


    ¡°are you ready?¡±


    ¡°actually, if you could give me a moment. it takes a bit,¡± todd admitted sheepishly.


    ¡°that¡¯s fine. don¡¯t push yourself.¡± isabel lowered her arms, straightening. she joined the rest of them in watching todd curiously as he drew long, deep breaths, closing his eyes in concentration.


    as todd exhaled, a fine white mist billowed from his mouth. he shifted his stance, stiffening as frost crept over his arms. stone slithered up todd¡¯s legs like snakes, wrapping up his torso and forming casts around his arms.


    he must have gotten an ice rune from emily. the stone is from isabel. but... how is that going to deal with his neck?


    todd let out another puff of frozen mist from between his lips. he gave isabel a curt nod. ¡°okay. it takes a while, but i¡¯m ready. i can¡¯t do this for long, so let¡¯s go.¡±


    isabel¡¯s armor rose up her body, encasing her within a few seconds. her shield formed at her arm and cracks of blue light arced throughout it, glowing with bright energy. compared to todd, her armor looked a dozen times more effective and imposing.


    ¡°are you sure?¡± isabel asked as she drew a sword from her chest.


    todd lunged, driving one of his encased fists for isabel¡¯s shield. she shifted her stance, knocking the blow away. todd stumbled and noah winced, expecting the sharp movement to trigger his neck.


    instead, todd spun with the blow and thrust his other hand for isabel. the ground shifted and she dodged backward, avoiding the blow. noah¡¯s eyes widened as todd bounded after her, moving so quickly that he blurred.


    isabel stomped the ground and a large stone wall erupted before her, cutting todd¡¯s path off. before, noah suspected that todd would have tried to turn to avoid the wall, which would have likely caused his neck to flare up.


    this time, todd did neither. he reared back and drove his fist into the wall, shattering it with a loud crash. isabel raised her shield as todd slammed his other fist into her shield with the force of a freight train, driving her several feet back through the dirt.


    ¡°what happened? how¡¯s he doing that?¡± emily asked in disbelief. ¡°he¡¯s moving normally!¡±


    isabel had clearly gathered the same realization. she brought her sword down for todd, starting to fight back properly. todd twisted his body, slamming the side of an encased hand against the blade and knocking it to the side.


    the weapon flickered, vanishing from isabel¡¯s hand. it reformed and she brought the flat of it down toward todd¡¯s head.


    it should have been a proper finishing blow that would have marked her win in the duel.


    ¡°it¡¯s the rest of your body i¡¯m concerned about, todd.¡±


    ¡°there rest of his body wasn¡¯t frozen,¡± noah said as he finally realized part of what todd¡¯s strategy had been. it wasn¡¯t all that different from what he¡¯d done with pyroclastic resonance and combustion. ¡°you imbued your goddamn nerve?¡±


    ¡°yeah,¡± todd said with a grin. ¡°the smallest body imbuement i¡¯ve ever done.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s impossible,¡± emily said, crossing her arms. ¡°nobody can imbue things that small.¡±


    ¡°my dad could. so i worked at it until i could as well.¡±


    ¡°in the span of a few days?¡± emily demanded. ¡°how?¡±


    ¡°well, i¡¯ve been working on it for years,¡± todd admitted. ¡°but the idea came right after you gave me the ice rune in the red barrens, so i started working even harder on it. i made some progress recently and locked myself up for a few days to make sure i could do it perfectly. small imbuements like this are really, really hard.¡±


    ¡°i think small is an understatement,¡± moxie murmured, shaking her head in disbelief. ¡°that might be the most impressive imbuement i¡¯ve ever heard of, and it was done by a rank 1.¡±


    ¡°my dad knew what he was doing.¡± there was more than a little passion in todd¡¯s voice, but it was mixed with loss and anger ¨C not at moxie, but at the people that had taken his father from him. ¡°and i imbued the muscles around the nerve with a heat rune. that way, i can keep it cold enough to suppress the pain but avoid freezing it or the surrounding areas off. as long as i¡¯ve got energy, i can maintain a balance.¡±


    ¡°so you had two body imbuements running at once,¡± lee concluded, but todd shook his head.


    ¡°no. four. i also had to chill my body separately from my nerve. that¡¯s how i can withstand the heat coming from the explosions my gauntlets make when i hit something.¡±


    ¡°steam?¡± moxie guessed, her eyes lighting up. ¡°your fourth imbuement was something that draws water out into your hands?¡±


    ¡°the back of my hands,¡± todd said with a small nod. ¡°i got the idea from vermil when he blew up the root fiend. lots of pressure inside an enclosed space makes it go boom.¡±


    ¡°but how do you manage the other kinds of magic?¡± emily asked. ¡°you were using stone and fire simultaneously.¡±


    ¡°actually, i just formed my gauntlets from stone and then left them there,¡± todd said. ¡°i wasn¡¯t actually using any stone magic unless i was reforming the gauntlets. the only magic i was actually actively using was fire to mix with the water.¡±


    isabel shook her head, awe sparkling in her eyes. ¡°that¡¯s incredible. no wonder your runes ran out so quickly. those imbuements had to be draining a lot of energy.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯ve got no idea. imbuements this specific are really inefficient,¡± todd agreed. ¡°i had so many more ideas of what i wanted to do, but this turned out to actually be the easiest due to how passive everything was. building up the pressure doesn¡¯t take attention, just time.¡±


    emily looked like she wanted to compliment todd, but she couldn¡¯t seem to find the proper words. she settled for giving him a nod. ¡°that¡¯s not bad.¡±


    you¡¯ll get there one day, emily.


    ¡°i think that¡¯s an understatement,¡± noah said with a slow whistle. ¡°this is innovation.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s not permanent,¡± todd admitted, his gaze falling. ¡°i wanted to find a way to fight better at range to back up isabel, but all the ideas took up too much energy. even with just the imbuements for my neck running, i¡¯ll use up most of my power within thirty seconds. it¡¯ll be better when i hit rank 2, but even then i¡¯ll only have three or four minutes, and that doesn¡¯t even address the fact that i¡¯m now a melee fighter, and we¡¯ve already got one of those.¡±


    ¡°i think you¡¯ve done more than enough to be proud of yourself right now,¡± moxie said gently. ¡°don¡¯t belittle yourself when you¡¯re improving. if you figured out a way to solve your most important problem, then i¡¯m sure you can fix the relatively minor issue of a new set of magic to work with.¡±


    ¡°yeah,¡± todd said. isabel reached down and helped him to his feet carefully. he yawned, and lee mirrored him.


    ¡°bedtime,¡± lee declared. ¡°we can spar tomorrow and see just what you can do, todd.¡±


    todd cleared his throat. ¡°i¡¯d rather live, thanks.¡±


    they all laughed and turned back to the camp, heading to get some rest with renewed energy in their steps. even though the survival exam was rapidly approaching, with todd¡¯s new imbuements, the light was shining at the end of the tunnel.

 Chapter 171: Ragged

    chapter 171: ragged


    contessa couldn¡¯t remember the last time she¡¯d been run this ragged. she was pretty sure that was because it had never happened before. her hair hung flat around her face, the careful coils ruined by sweat from the sweltering sun. the back of her shirt was soaked through and her legs ached.


    ever since the sun had risen that day, she¡¯d been running around arbitage¡¯s campus, trying to find moxie. there had been no sign of her in her room and emily was also nowhere to be found.


    none of the teachers contessa pulled aside had any idea about where she was. she¡¯d been forced to visit the office ¨C where the waiting room was closed for renovations. the secretary had made contessa wait outside while she finished her meal. that had taken four hours. every time it looked like the food was about to run out, another worker showed up for just long enough to deliver an extra set of plates and leave again.


    contessa¡¯s eye had been twitching so much that she¡¯d started to worry it might get stuck in a permanent squint. of all the places that her torrin influence extended, the office wasn¡¯t one of them.


    arbitage ruled itself with funding from all of the noble families, which meant it was functionally a neutral ground. anyone that worked directly for the school was untouchable. and so contessa waited, ignoring the stares of the students and faculty that passed her.


    but, when she finally got inside, contessa didn¡¯t even last a minute. the secretary heard her request out and promptly shook her head.


    ¡°oh, you should have said. magus moxie came by not all that long ago. she went to speak with the enforcers. i don¡¯t know what happened after that.¡±


    contessa¡¯s teeth ground. her hands clenched at her sides and she drew a deep breath, letting it slowly. ¡°and where are the enforcers?¡±


    ¡°building right across from us.¡±


    contessa just barely managed to overwhelm the urge to put her foot through a wall. she turned and stormed out of the office, trying to slam the door behind her. even that small measure of satisfaction was taken from her as runes along the bottom of the door activated, automatically slowing it.


    the door closed silently, leaving contessa standing outside once more. her face had taken several steps toward a remarkable rendition of a tomato, but after all this time, she finally had a lead.


    a quick trip took her up to the door of the enforcer building. contessa raised her hand and rapped on the door. no more than a second later, it swung open. she jumped, surprised that something had actually moved quickly for once. a short man arched an eyebrow at her, then frowned.


    ¡°did you fall in a lake?¡±


    ¡°i did not,¡± contessa snapped. ¡°i am here from the torrin family on official business.¡±


    the man¡¯s nose scrunched and he tilted his head to the side. clearly, contessa¡¯s current appearance wasn¡¯t doing much to convince him. contessa pressed her lips together and counted to five in her head before letting out a huff.


    ¡°well, come inside, i guess,¡± the man said, stepping back. ¡°i¡¯m blake.¡±


    contessa followed him in, and blake closed the door behind her. blake saw her eyes flick to a chair at the back of the room and he cleared his throat.


    ¡°please don¡¯t. you¡¯ll soak the wood and ruin it.¡±


    ¡°i was told that a mage by the name of moxie came through here earlier,¡± contessa said, grasping onto her composure with the last strands of strength that she had left. ¡°i need to speak with her urgently. do you know where she is?¡±


    ¡°moxie? i think someone like that passed through. she left arbitage campus for a month.¡±


    ¡°a month?¡± contessa exclaimed. ¡°where? i need to speak with her today.¡±


    ¡°keep your voice down,¡± blake said irritably. ¡°we got people working here, you know. she spoke with neir, but he¡¯s busy right now.¡±


    ¡°he¡¯ll make time for the torrin family. this order comes directly from evergreen.¡± contessa crossed her arms in front of her chest. ¡°even if you aren¡¯t beholden to our family, the torrins have contributed significantly to arbitage. ignoring us will not go well.¡±


    ¡°no,¡± neir said. ¡°we¡¯re busy. go find some torrin professors to boss around if you want help. we aren¡¯t beholden to you. get out.¡±


    contessa didn¡¯t get a chance to protest. blake pushed her out the door, then slammed it behind her. contessa stood outside the house, staring at the road in disbelief. her hands clenched at her sides and she stormed off.


    if they won¡¯t help me, then i¡¯ll just track moxie down on my own. i¡¯ve done it before. how far could she have gone?


    ***


    noah stood atop one of the long, gently sloping hills of graybarrow. the largely flat landscape was only broken by seemingly random bumps that stuck out of the ground like pimples.


    it wouldn¡¯t be long until it was time to head back to arbitage, and he was determined to hit rank 3 before they went back. noah had taken to hunting the most common kind of monster in the graybarrows at night ¨C a large, horse sized goat creature. it had long, curling horns and uncomfortably gangly legs that always felt like they¡¯d give out from beneath the monster but never did.


    the dossier had identified the goat monsters as bleaters, which fit in with the entirely uninspired naming scheme that was common to the dossiers. noah did have to admit that the name fit them well, though.


    all throughout the night, the bleaters ghastly screams filled the air. they sounded eerily human, and more than unsettling enough to make noah feel much better about his slaughter of them.


    he¡¯d checked a few of their runes with sunder, but none of them had held any interest for him. their raw energy was far more useful, and that was what he was after. but noah was interested in doing more than just mindlessly killing the bleaters.


    they had a decent amount of energy, but it was still taking a while to fill his runes. he¡¯d found that his runes grew the most whenever he killed a unique monster. the crab that revin had summoned back in the red barrens had given noah a substantial amount of strength.


    and so, noah hopped onto his flying sword and set off on his hunt. graybarrow was just as far from arbitage as the red barrens were, and he was confident that there were variant monsters waiting for him to harvest somewhere.


    moxie was keeping watch over camp, and he had several hours until he needed to get back. tonight, noah felt optimistic. something told him he¡¯d get lucky. wind nipped at his squinted eyes as the dark, uninspiring plains passed beneath him.


    noah wound around a tall hill, spotting several bleaters perched on it. he didn¡¯t even bother fighting them. the monsters called up at him, but noah just let the howl of the wind drown them out.


    a strangely shaped hill caught noah¡¯s eye. it looked like something had split it roughly down the center, and it stood open like the maw of the earth. the hill was covered by a layer of thick brown grass that looked completely out of place in the stark gray landscape. even stranger was the surprising lack of sound in the area around it.


    i left my gourd back in camp just in case i found something really strong, but it¡¯s really quiet in this area. there¡¯s a bleater at the top of one of those halves, though. i wonder why it¡¯s silent ¨C not that i¡¯m complaining.


    noah flew closer, squinting at the bleater while making sure to stay far away enough to keep from being noticed. a grin crossed his face as he got a better look at the monster. it had streaks of dull red running through its grey fur, and a large horn protruded from its head.


    i knew there¡¯d be a variant here somewhere.


    noah angled his flying sword down, dropping from the sky and impaling his sword into the half of the hill across from the variant bleater. he took several steps to keep himself from falling, then dug his sword out of the ground and slipped it into his belt.


    the hill was a bit steeper than it had looked from the air, but noah still climbed up to peer over it at the bleater on the other side, preparing to draw his magic.


    to noah¡¯s surprise, it was gone. he was certain he¡¯d seen the monster at the top of the hill, but there was no sign of it anymore. noah¡¯s eyes narrowed and he shot himself into the air with a burst of wind.


    a horn erupted from the ground beneath him and the bleater burst free from the dirt, its gangly legs scrabbling to find purchase as it pulled itself out of the ground. the crazed monster had moved fast enough to literally throw itself through the hillside.


    noah landed across from it, a ball of churning wind spinning to life above one hand as a grin stretched across his lips.


    ¡°come on then,¡± noah said, beckoning the monster on. ¡°let¡¯s do this.¡±

 Chapter 172: Test

    chapter 172: test


    noah leapt into the air, sailing over the mutated bleater as it dashed beneath him. its hooves slammed into the dirt, leaving behind smoldering impressions on the ground as it passed. twisting his body, noah launched the orb of churning wind he¡¯d formed at the creature¡¯s back.


    it missed, striking the ground and digging a furrow through it. the bleater was so fast that noah¡¯s magic couldn¡¯t keep up with it. letting out a braying laugh, the monster turned back to face noah and charged once again, aiming its horn for his chest.


    noah leapt again. using focal quake was tempting, but something told him that the bleater was incredibly unlikely to lose its footing. the monster had incredible balance for how long its legs were.


    must have some balancing springs in there somewhere.


    wind whipped past noah as the monster passed beneath him harmlessly once more. it was fast, but noah had fought other fast monsters before. and, more importantly, many of them seemed to have a very similar weakness.0v3l.b11n.


    noah gathered static energy, then pulled his fingers apart, an arc of lightning forming between them. it leapt from his hand as the bleater began to turn.


    the spell struck the monster in the side, knocking it from its feet and splitting the air with a loud crack. smoke rose up from the bleater¡¯s body as it tumbled across the ground, limbs flailing around it.


    the things that run really fast in a straight line tend to be pretty bad at turning.


    noah pulled water from the air, gathering it in a blade before himself and sending it scything out. the bleater leapt to its feet, lunging out of the way, but its speed was reserved for charging, not getting its ungainly body off the ground.


    water carved across the monster¡¯s hind legs, severing them in a single slice. it screamed in pain and lunged at noah, trying to impale him through the chest ¨C but it met a wall of violent air instead.


    the magic jerked its head to the side and noah thrust a hand forward, sending a spinning drill of water straight into its neck. it carved through the bleater and burst out the other side of its body, the spray painted red. the bleater¡¯s furious cry turned into a choking sputter.


    noah combusted some of the grass at his feet, drawing the smoke that rose up into a sharp blade. he flicked it forward, and the bleater¡¯s cries were abruptly silenced. the monster crumpled, its head severed from its body.


    only when energy trickled into noah¡¯s body did he allow himself to relax. the variant bleater hadn¡¯t been the strongest monster he¡¯d fought against by any means, even though it was definitely stronger than the other bleaters.


    but, even as easily as it had gone down, the bleater had given him a significant amount of energy for his runes.


    i guess variants might not always be deadly, but they¡¯re still much better to hunt than the normal monsters. and damn, i¡¯m getting kind of good at this.


    noah walked up to the bleater¡¯s head and picked it up. he severed the horn with a slice of water, studying it in the moonlight. rivers of faint red energy ran within it, pulsating faintly. a grin stretched across noah¡¯s face.


    ooh, this is going to be expensive. i can feel it in my bones. kind of looks like a unicorn horn. maybe i can sell it for more if nobody figures out that it¡¯s actually from an ugly ass goat.


    contessa¡¯s brow furrowed. she¡¯d thought knew everyone in the torrin family¡¯s main branch, but she didn¡¯t recognize whoever this woman was. ¡°i don¡¯t think i recognize you. who are you?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s to be expected. my name is bria. mom tried to make sure i kept things low. i¡¯m not really interested in doing any of the boring stuff that the main branch typically does,¡± the girl said with a yawn. ¡°look, you¡¯re taking way too long with this. you were supposed to report back already.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m working on it,¡± contessa said, a flicker of anger passing through her eyes. she restrained it. bria¡¯s silver hair was more than enough to give her pause. as much as contessa enjoyed claiming that she was part of the torrin main branch, she was well aware that she was technically only just working for them.


    the only true members of the main branch had silver hair ¨C and the inverse went as well. anyone without silver hair wasn¡¯t part of the main branch. whoever bria was, she was highly ranked.


    ¡°well, you aren¡¯t working very well. i¡¯m here to supervise,¡± bria said. she rolled her eyes in annoyance. ¡°i¡¯m supposed to be training for that stupid survival exam right now, though. maybe you¡¯ve done me a favor. i was so bored.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re a student?¡± contessa asked, blinking in surprise.


    bria smirked. she touched a hand to her hair and it flickered, turning pitch black. ¡°thought the only one the torrins sent was emily, didn¡¯t you? i told you, i¡¯m staying under wraps.¡±


    ¡°i see,¡± contessa said, not seeing at all.


    ¡°i was told that moxie is traveling with some people that aren¡¯t part of the torrin family,¡± bria said. something in her gaze shifted, turning predatory as a smile pulled at the corners of her lips. ¡°that true?¡±


    yeah. she¡¯s traveling with a goddamn demon.


    ¡°yes,¡± contessa said, swallowing heavily. ¡°just another professor and his students.¡±


    ¡°a linwick, right?¡±


    contessa nodded.


    bria¡¯s grin grew wider. ¡°now that sounds interesting. i¡¯ve been dying to have a little fun. mom told me that the linwick was pretty unimportant in his family, and that his students were both blacklisted. is that also correct?¡±


    is she asking this just to test me?


    ¡°i believe it is.¡±


    ¡°then nobody should care if anything happens to them.¡± bria took a water skin from a travel bag at her side and drank from it, letting the water spill down her chin and drip onto the sand below. she ignored contessa¡¯s longing gaze and tossed the skin back into her bag. ¡°come on then, old lady. take me to them.¡±

 Chapter 173: Disaster

    chapter 173: disaster


    as soon as noah returned to camp, he made a beeline back to his tent. lee lay curled up in a ball on a bed of vines. a second bed was across from her. noah made his way over to it quietly, sitting down and closing his eyes.


    he slipped into his mindspace and the black void of his soul swallowed the night. noah¡¯s runes sparked to life, swirling around him. each one glimmered with power, just waiting for him to call upon it.


    noah¡¯s chest felt tight with excitement. even though it had only been a few months since he¡¯d arrived in the arbalest empire, he was already getting close to catching up with moxie and lee.


    but it was still too early to celebrate. he needed to combine his runes first. fortunately, noah still knew exactly what he wanted to make. drawing in a deep breath and letting it out slowly to still his nerves, noah called out to his runes.


    pressure shifted in his soul as he brought them together. noah¡¯s heart thumped and the very foundations of his soul trembled as the seven runes grew closer, pressing against each other with increased force the nearer they drew.


    noah focused his intent, picturing all the forms that a natural disaster could take. even though his memories of earth were fuzzy, there had been more than enough videos of them on the news.


    energy roared in noah¡¯s ears. his clothes billowed around him. noah set his jaw and clenched his teeth as the pressure bearing down on him intensified. his runes inched closer together, their outer edges starting to overlap.


    the roar reached a crescendo, completely drowning out everything but noah¡¯s thoughts. there was a loud click. seven became one, and a brilliant blast of invisible force erupted in the center of noah¡¯s soul. a bright flash of white light momentarily blinded noah.


    he blinked furiously, squinting through the dots floating in his vision. a single rune floated in the vast emptiness. it was made up of a mixture of jagged circles and interlocking polygons that twisted before noah¡¯s eyes.


    natural disaster.


    noah felt energy pump in his body from all the excess power that the combination had created. he couldn¡¯t physically see the size of his soul, but he could tell that it had grown once again.


    but, to noah¡¯s slight disappointment, the rank 3 rune wasn¡¯t perfect. it was twenty five percent full, a full fifteen percent off what it could have been.


    if i had to guess, i¡¯d say its my duplicate runes. i can probably find some better ones later to really fix this up. for a first attempt, though, twenty five percent is really good. i can¡¯t imagine how hard it would be for normal people to constantly create perfect runes without the help of sunder.


    even though the rune wasn¡¯t perfect, noah was still thrilled. he could feel the power radiating off it. he glanced up at sunder, pleased to find that the pressure coming off the enormous master rune felt like it had reduced ever so slightly once more. the new rank 3 rune was pressing back against it just a bit more than the rank 2s had, which meant more of sunder¡¯s power would be his to command.


    noah¡¯s senses brushed across the cold rivers of energy that still resided within his soul. renewal¡¯s power was still there, deeply intertwined into him from his constant deaths and revivals.


    is rank 3 enough to let me form the rune now? or do i still need more? there¡¯s only one way to find out, and that involves killing myself. mildly annoying.


    noah let his eyes drift open. the temperature in the tent had fallen by several degrees as the night entered its deepest stage, and his body throbbed, mostly around his feet and chest. lee had somehow rotated along the ground and had curled up at his side, likely trying to take advantage of the warmth that the imbued combustion rune instilled him with.


    lee¡¯s face looked peaceful in her sleep, but a flicker of pain occasionally danced across it. the damage to her soul was clearly bothering her a lot more than she¡¯d admitted to them. shifting his weight, noah rose to his feet. lee grumbled in her sleep as he stepped out of the tent.


    the moon hung low in the sky, and even though noah was well aware his sense of time was worse than abysmal, he was pretty sure it was just about his time to take watch. making moxie keep it for too much longer would be unfair.


    noah found moxie standing at the edge of the camp, leaning on a thick vine that curled out of the ground. she glanced over at him as he approached, raising an eyebrow and tilting her head slightly to the side.


    ¡°you came back in a hurry. something happen?¡±


    noah nodded.


    ¡°well, i was doing it because skinwalkers have a similar physiology to humans when they¡¯re transformed. they¡¯ve got some major differences, of course, but their souls actually shift together with their bodies. humans don¡¯t have that level of control over their souls, but if we did, then healing serious soul damage wounds would become far less of a major issue.¡±


    ¡°interesting. is that why you were chasing that skinwalker when it tried to get into my room?¡±


    moxie cleared her throat. ¡°yeah. i managed to make it follow me into my room and i was hoping i could lock it down, but it managed to slip my vines when i went to restrain it.¡±


    ¡°how were you planning on studying its soul?¡±


    ¡°there are ways you can enter something else¡¯s soul,¡± moxie said. ¡°they aren¡¯t easy, but i have a few potions that help with it. i was planning to knock the skinwalker out and then poke around its soul to see what made it different from a human one.¡±


    ¡°i see. you know, if people could easily heal from soul damage, then rune oaths would become pretty survivable, wouldn¡¯t they?¡±


    moxie¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°to a degree, yes. your runes would still get shattered no matter where they were, but you might be able to grab the pieces and pull them back together fast enough if your soul wasn¡¯t ripped to shreds at the same time.¡±


    looks like moxie¡¯s interest in souls might be more than just purely academic. i wonder if she¡¯s got a rune oath to a person in the torrin family that she¡¯s trying to find a way to break. probably shouldn¡¯t ask, as even if she does, there¡¯s no way she¡¯d be allowed to admit it. i¡¯ll just try to find a way to help her indirectly.


    ¡°well, once the survival exam is over, i wouldn¡¯t mind if you wanted to take a look at my soul,¡± noah said. ¡°maybe you could help me make sense of it as well. there¡¯s a lot about it that has me pretty confused.¡±


    moxie blinked. ¡°you mean that?¡±


    ¡°sure. why wouldn¡¯t i?¡±


    ¡°people don¡¯t usually want to bare their souls voluntarily, you know. they¡¯re your most vulnerable location.¡±


    ¡°eh. if you¡¯ve studied souls, then you¡¯ll probably be able to help me figure out what the hell is up with mine. something¡¯s certainly off with it.¡±


    ¡°well, i won¡¯t make you ask twice.¡± moxie¡¯s smile turned to a yawn and she glanced up at the sky. ¡°i¡¯m going to head to bed.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll cover watch,¡± noah said, giving her a thumbs up.


    moxie bid him goodnight, then made her way to the stone tent where lee was still sleeping and ducked inside. noah rolled his neck and started to walk around the camp. he instinctively reached for tremorsense, only to find that the imbuement had vanished with his arrival at rank 3.


    i¡¯ll have to replace that once i get a good grasp of my new rune.


    the night slipped away, and before noah knew it, the sun started to rise over they gray landscape. just as it poked over the tops of the clouds and started to warm noah¡¯s back, he spotted a lone figure trudging across the sloping hills and heading in their direction.


    it was a woman. her red hair stood in stark contrast to the dull ground, hanging limp around her face like the corpse of a scraggly dead animal. noah¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    contessa.

 Chapter 174: Decision

    chapter 174: decision


    noah didn¡¯t wait for contessa to reach the camp. he strode over to moxie¡¯s tent, rapping several times on the stone. as soon as he heard her shift, he turned and headed toward contessa.


    i don¡¯t know what contessa is doing here, but i want moxie and lee awake before she arrives. there could be someone else traveling with her.


    noah stepped onto his flying sword, ripping into the air and closing the distance between contessa and the camp in seconds. he jumped off, driving his heels into the ground and sending up a spray of gray dirt as he arrived.


    the flying sword embedded itself in the ground right between contessa¡¯s feet with a thud, vibrating from the force of its impact. contessa stared at noah with flat, exhausted eyes. her hair was frizzy stuck out in every direction, and her clothes were covered with dirt and cuts.


    as much as noah disliked her, the woman was in a sorry state. she looked like she was a strong breeze away from falling over. that wasn¡¯t to say that noah was particularly bothered by her wellbeing, though.


    contessa swallowed. she opened her mouth, then coughed into a fist. noah¡¯s brow furrowed and he pulled out his water skin, throwing it to her. contessa grabbed it, not even stopping to check what was inside the skin before twisting the top off and drinking greedily from it.


    she drained the entire thing within a few seconds, not even stopping to breath. letting out a relieved gasp, contessa lowered it from her lips and put the top back on. she swallowed, then handed it back to noah.


    ¡°thank you.¡±


    noah grunted. ¡°it wasn¡¯t a favor. when i told you to report to me, i didn¡¯t mean to track me down in the middle of while i was doing something. you could have waited at arbitage.¡±


    ¡°you aren¡¯t the only one i report to,¡± contessa said, fear flickering in her eyes. ¡°evergreen can kill me just as well as you can.¡±


    noah inclined his head. ¡°fair enough. then you¡¯re here because of evergreen?¡±


    contessa gave noah a jerky nod. ¡°i ¨C i need to speak with moxie. i have orders for her.¡±


    ¡°which you¡¯ll be sharing with me, i trust?¡± a cold smile passed over noah¡¯s features. contessa shuddered and nodded.


    ¡°evergreen has ordered moxie to be prepared for interference during the survival exam. she suspects that the linwick family will attempt to kill or kidnap emily before the survival exam.¡±


    noah tilted his head to the side. father hadn¡¯t shown even the slightest amount of interest in the torrins when they¡¯d spoke. it was entirely possible that father had simply hidden his plans, but noah could have sworn that father¡¯s goals were entirely in getting his family into the main branch.


    another linwick, then? or maybe the main branch of the family themselves?


    ¡°so what are her orders?¡± noah asked.


    contessa swallowed. ¡°to discreetly eliminate any people that the linwicks may use to access emily before the exam. her performance as a teacher will also be evaluated during the survival exam. if emily fails to reach expectations, she will be replaced.¡±


    noah didn¡¯t let any of his emotions show on his face. something told him that getting replaced by the torrin family didn¡¯t mean a severance package. it probably meant getting taken out to the shed.


    and that first part ¨C evergreen is referring to me, isabel, and todd. there¡¯s absolutely no reason for her to believe we¡¯re trying to kill emily. this isn¡¯t the linwicks pulling anything at all, is it? evergreen is trying to test moxie¡¯s loyalty.


    ¡°there¡¯s also another torrin family member with me,¡± contessa said. she wrung her hands together nervously. ¡°a student at arbitage that i¡¯ve never met. her name is bria. she¡¯s strong. way stronger than a student should be. she has silver hair and eyes, so she¡¯s main branch. she¡¯s on the shorter side, but a little taller than emily. she¡¯s defeated multiple monsters just using a plain steel sword. i don¡¯t know where she¡¯s from or who her teacher is.¡±


    that¡¯s certainly a lot of information. more than i¡¯d expect from someone who was only sharing information reluctantly. something tells me that contessa really, really doesn¡¯t like bria.


    ¡°and where is she?¡± noah asked.


    contessa¡¯s face darkened. ¡°at aribtage. she¡¯s been using the transport cannon to pop in and check on me every day, but she only stays for an hour or two before getting pulled back. she just tells me what direction to go in and calculates how far i¡¯ll get. she should be showing up in the general area pretty soon.¡±


    ah. that explains a lot, then. she¡¯s been showing up, nice and refreshed, while making contessa trudge around like a slave. hah. serves her right. another torrin family member, though... that¡¯s probably not good. none of this is good.


    ¡°i see,¡± noah said. ¡°does bria know anything about me?¡±


    ¡°nothing important.¡±


    ¡°good,¡± noah said, pulling his flying sword from the ground and stepping on. he paused before sending any magic into it. ¡°keep it that way. is bria likely to attack on sight? is she supposed to be helping moxie on this assignment?¡±


    contessa shook her head. ¡°i have no idea. i don¡¯t know anything about her or what she actually wants, but she¡¯s definitely a threat.¡±


    ¡°i guess it¡¯s different for people i actually care about. i don¡¯t want any of you to die. but other people?¡± noah scratched his cheek, then shrugged. ¡°they¡¯ll live. well, they won¡¯t. you know what i mean.¡±


    ¡°no, i really don¡¯t,¡± lee muttered. ¡°but it¡¯s okay. i don¡¯t need to.¡±


    her hand shot into noah¡¯s travel bag, snagging a piece of jerky. lee darted off before noah could grab it back, running to join moxie and the students where they¡¯d gathered by isabel¡¯s tent.


    noah shook his head, then beckoned for contessa to walk into the camp. if bria showed up while contessa was terrified, she¡¯d realize something was wrong.


    ¡°act normally,¡± noah instructed when contessa reached him. ¡°you can treat me the way you¡¯d normally treat a random weak linwick. i don¡¯t need to set her guard on edge.¡±


    ¡°okay.¡± contessa nodded nervously, then tried to mold her face into a cold mask.


    damn, she¡¯s shit at this. i¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯d faint if i yelled boo at her. she¡¯s almost as bad at acting as brayden is.


    huh. brayden. i wonder how he¡¯s doing. i hope he¡¯s alright.


    noah shook his head and headed over to join the others. he didn¡¯t have the luxury to let his mind drift right now. contessa wasn¡¯t a threat, but bria certainly could be.


    ¡°...so, what are we supposed to do?¡± todd finished asking moxie. ¡°just pretend like we have no idea who she is?¡±


    ¡°exactly,¡± moxie said with a nod. ¡°you¡¯ve never heard of her before today, so that shouldn¡¯t be too hard to keep up. just be very cautious. until we know more about what¡¯s going on, assume she may be actively looking to kill you.¡±


    ¡°if she attacks, can we fight with lethal force?¡± isabel asked.


    emily shot her a wide-eyed look. ¡°isabel! she¡¯s a main branch member! we can¡¯t¨C¡±


    ¡°if she tries to kill me, i¡¯m not going to spare her because her mom is rich,¡± isabel said flatly. ¡°it¡¯s not like the noble families could care any less about me and todd. we¡¯re already blacklisted, remember?¡±


    emily swallowed, pulling back slightly before nodding. ¡°i ¨C yeah. sorry. i wasn¡¯t thinking.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s fine.¡± todd flicked isabel on the shoulder. ¡°don¡¯t be so melodramatic. i¡¯m sure it won¡¯t come down to anything that bad. she¡¯s a student as well. maybe we can make friends with her.¡±


    ¡°okay, now you might be getting a bit optimistic,¡± emily muttered.


    is that jealousy? cute.


    todd caught sight of noah and contessa approaching them. he nodded in greeting.


    ¡°yo, teacherman.¡±


    ¡°very eloquent, todd,¡± noah said. ¡°we won¡¯t be changing any of our current objectives, but you should probably keep your runes ready, if you catch my drift.¡±


    todd nodded his understanding. with how short his runes could function at a time, it would be bad if bria decided to attack after todd had spent all the energy he had.


    they all set about their normal routine, preparing for the day. contessa stood awkwardly to the side, and moxie made absolutely no move to include her. lee tossed her a strip of jerky, but that was the extent of the interaction that any of them had with her.


    the sun continued to rise through the sky. a little over an hour had passed, and noah continued to keep watch over the surroundings of the camp while moxie got started on the day¡¯s training ¨C even though it was clear that nobody was actually fully into it.


    as the time ticked by, noah pondered on his thoughts. with the direction things were going, there was a good chance that he¡¯d come into direct conflict with the torrin family ¨C starting with bria.


    she was supposedly just a student. someone no older than isabel or todd. she might not have a choice in the matter, or she could have been tricked into her position. noah didn¡¯t know, but he likely wouldn¡¯t get the chance to properly find everything out about her.


    a flash of silver caught noah¡¯s eye. he turned, looking to one of the protruding hills as a woman popped out above it, landing on top of the hill gracefully. she turned and, even though she was still too far for noah to make out her expression, he could tell that their eyes had locked.


    and, in that moment, noah made his decision.


    i don¡¯t care who she is or what the circumstances are. she¡¯s no different than an inquisitor. if someone tries to hurt my students ¨C i¡¯ll kill them.

 Chapter 175: Pain

    chapter 175: pain


    noah placed his pipe in his mouth and packed a small tuft of flashgrass into it, drawing a deep breath and letting the cloud of smoke curl into the air above his head as he watched bria head in the direction of their camp.


    todd and isabel joined noah in watching bria. the girl certainly wasn¡¯t in any rush. she was just strolling across the hills. her hair was strikingly similar to emily¡¯s, though it had been tied into a ponytail behind her head to keep it from her eyes.


    ¡°you know, a considerable amount of the ominous energy is gone when she has to walk like five minutes to get to our camp,¡± todd said, rubbing the bridge of his nose.


    ¡°can we just leave?¡± isabel asked. ¡°it would be funny if she showed up and we were all gone.¡±


    ¡°it would be,¡± noah agreed. ¡°but i don¡¯t know if that would get moxie in trouble. we probably have to deal with it. you¡¯ve already gotten the lecture, so i won¡¯t waste time repeating anything. just keep your guard up.¡±


    bria reached the bottom of the flat hill they¡¯d set up camp on and raised a hand to block out the sun as she peered up at noah, squinting. she¡¯d clearly spotted him before, so something told noah that the motion was more show than anything else.


    nobody spoke until bria came to a stop before them.


    ¡°well, this isn¡¯t the greeting i was expecting,¡± bria said, putting a hand on her hip. ¡°did contessa already make it? i would have hoped she¡¯d pass along that i was coming. don¡¯t tell me she got eaten by something.¡±


    ¡°oh no, she¡¯s here,¡± noah said, blowing out another puff of smoke. ¡°but, i think the better question is why ¨C and that goes for both of you.¡±


    ¡°did anyone ever tell you that smoking wasn¡¯t good for your health?¡± bria asked, scrunching her nose in distaste and completely ignoring noah¡¯s question. ¡°what kind of professor promotes something like that?¡±


    ¡°oh? i¡¯m glad to know that people hold me in such esteem that they¡¯d find value in copying anything i do. my own students are smart enough to know better, and i¡¯m not particularly concerned with what others do. they aren¡¯t my responsibility.¡±


    ¡°just what i¡¯d expect from a linwick,¡± bria said through an arrogant smirk. ¡°vermil, right? your reputation precedes you.¡±


    ¡°unfortunately, i can¡¯t say the same for you,¡± noah said. ¡°i have no idea who you are.¡±


    bria blinked. ¡°contessa didn¡¯t introduce me?¡±


    noah laughed and shook his head, taking the pipe from between his teeth and letting the smoke curl up around his face. ¡°why would i care about what contessa has to say? i have no interest in the torrin family. i¡¯m only traveling with moxie because we happen to have complimenting skillsets. it makes for good training, but that doesn¡¯t mean i care about anything your family has to say.¡±


    bria tilted her head to the side. ¡°i see. well, go fetch contessa for me. we need to speak.¡±


    ¡°fetch?¡± noah raised an eyebrow. ¡°do it yourself. isabel, todd, go get started with training. i¡¯ll join you shortly.¡±


    noah¡¯s students nodded and trotted off in the other direction. noah saw a flicker of annoyance pass through bria¡¯s expression. she clearly wasn¡¯t used to being dismissed. whether she was undercover or not, she certainly hadn¡¯t been exposed to many people that pushed back against her requests.


    moxie and contessa walked out from behind one of the stone tents, joining noah and bria. both of their faces were almost completely unreadable, but for entirely different reasons. moxie had a perfect poker face, while contessa just looked so tired that all other emotions or thoughts had no spot to take purchase.


    ¡°where¡¯s emily?¡± bria asked.


    ¡°training with isabel and todd,¡± moxie replied. ¡°who are you?¡±


    bria¡¯s expression tightened. ¡°contessa, i believe i told you to introduce me.¡±


    ¡°i did,¡± contessa said.


    ¡°but that doesn¡¯t mean i know anything about you,¡± moxie said. ¡°i¡¯ve never heard of anyone in the torrin family by your name.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll gladly explain in a moment,¡± bria said. she jerked her chin in noah¡¯s direction. ¡°but, first, contessa gave you your orders.¡±


    ¡°stop playing around,¡± bria snapped. ¡°i don¡¯t know what you¡¯re playing at, but there¡¯s no reason to keep me from training with emily and the others. it¡¯s a perfectly reasonable request. i¡¯m sure we could come to some sort of agreement that made up for any inconvenience i caused you.¡±


    bria¡¯s eyes fluttered, and it took everything in noah¡¯s power not to gag.


    the hell is she trying to get out of this? i¡¯m completely certain that she plans on killing me because of that earlier comment, but what¡¯s with the game?


    noah glanced at moxie out of the corner of his eye, hoping that she might understand more of what was happening, but moxie¡¯s face was an unreadable mask. as noah looked back down at bria, he spotted a shift in her eyes.


    aha. that¡¯s what¡¯s up. it¡¯s not about me ¨C it¡¯s about moxie. she¡¯s trying to figure out where her weak spots are, and i guess she¡¯s assuming that i must be one of them because she lets me around emily. idiot. as if moxie would care about a child flirting with me.


    ¡°please?¡± bria asked, putting a hand on noah¡¯s chest.


    moxie¡¯s eye twitched.


    what?


    ¡°ah, well you put things that way,¡± noah said, picking her wrist up between two fingers and flicking it to the side. he wasn¡¯t sure if bria had noticed moxie¡¯s momentary lapse, but he didn¡¯t plan to let her capitalize on it if she did. ¡°i¡¯m afraid i have to refuse. i prefer teaching attractive students.¡±


    bria¡¯s smile froze on her lips. ¡°what did you say?¡±


    ¡°well, you know,¡± noah said, gesturing with his pipe. ¡°students that don¡¯t look like they were thrown against a wall as a child. i have standards, you know.¡±


    ¡°no, i don¡¯t know,¡± bria said, her lips pressing so thin that they turned white. ¡°please, explain.¡±


    ¡°sheesh, you¡¯re dense,¡± noah said, blowing out a puff of smoke and sighing. ¡°you¡¯re ugly. your eyes are like dead fish scales and your breath smells like shit. also, the silver hair doesn¡¯t work on you at all. i¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s receding, while we¡¯re at that. i just don¡¯t have any interest in wasting my efforts on someone with as little potential as you.¡±


    noah leaned back as a blade flashed through the air, his eyes widening slightly as he watched several strands of his own hair flutter to the ground. he¡¯d been expecting the attack, but the speed that it had come with was incredible.


    ¡°forget this,¡± bria hissed, spinning the plain steel sword in her hand. her expression had completely changed, going from cutesy to a step away from a raving lunatic within instants. ¡°i¡¯m just killing you now, you greasy piece of shit. how dare you talk down to me when you¡¯re just a rank 1? i¡¯ll rip your innards out and feed them to you before i choke you to death with your own intestine.¡±


    noah had no idea where the sword had come from, but he wasn¡¯t particularly concerned with it. on any other day, he wouldn¡¯t have minded testing his skills against bria, but he¡¯d just gotten to rank 3. he didn¡¯t know how it worked yet ¨C and so noah took the easy way out.


    he took the pipe from his lips and drew in a deep breath, locking eyes with bria and baring his lips in a sleazy smile. then he called on combustion and froze the air in bria¡¯s lungs. it took her a moment to realize what happened, and noah used that moment to drive his fist into her wrist, sending the sword spinning.


    bria stumbled, but she hadn¡¯t been prepared for the sudden loss of breathable air. she lunged at noah in an attempt to throw him off balance, her body still moving with impressive speed.


    even though noah dodged, she managed to snag his leg. she grabbed her fallen sword with her other hand, whipping it toward noah ¨C but there was a very significant problem with holding onto someone while trying to stab them, and that was that you couldn¡¯t dodge very well.


    noah¡¯s knee snapped out, driving into bria¡¯s nose and breaking it. to her credit, she didn¡¯t let go, and she drove her sword for his chest. noah dropped to the ground, losing his pipe in the process. bria¡¯s sword scraped across his chest, drawing a line of blood but failing to inflict a serious wound.


    he spun to the side, driving his other foot into bria¡¯s stomach and knocking even more air from it. she coughed, rolling across the ground and slamming to a stop against a stone tent. noah stood back up, brushing himself off.


    bria clawed at her throat, desperately trying to draw a breath. she locked eyes with noah as he walked up to his pipe, placing it back into his mouth. he kicked the sword out of bria¡¯s hands and looked down at her.


    i¡¯m pretty sure this is the point where i warn her off and say that she better stay the hell away from my students, but i really can¡¯t be bothered.


    noah kicked bria¡¯s sword up off the ground and grabbed it, spinning the blade around. then he thrust it down for her neck. bria¡¯s eyes widened. her hand clenched, and the sound of shattering glass filled the air.


    her body disappeared in a stream of green light, vanishing into the sky. noah¡¯s brow furrowed and he released combustion, looking up at where bria had vanished.


    ¡°well, damn.¡± noah tossed the sword to the ground. ¡°that¡¯s going to be a pain.¡±

 Chapter 176: Final Favor

    chapter 176: final favor


    a flash of green light lit up an expensively decorated room. a pile of purple leather armor was arranged neatly on the bed, and the walls were covered with various forms of weaponry. bria fell to the ground with a strangled gasp, landing flat on her face. she took several ragged breaths, rolling over and staring up at the stone ceiling as her chest rose and fell desperately.


    she¡¯d wasted the powerful imbued marble her mother had given her. it had been meant for if she got in a fight with a rank 4 or 5 member of another family, not for vermil. but vermil¡¯s face floated in her mind¡¯s eye, the ice-cold look in his eyes sending a shiver down her spine.


    there hadn¡¯t been an instant of hesitation. he had been planning to kill her on the spot, and his expression had been like he was just dealing with chores rather than taking a life. bria took several more breaths to calm herself.


    is it possible he saw through me? no. i refuse to believe my disguise was that weak. if contessa believed me, then there¡¯s absolutely no way that vermil broke through it. but...


    bria shuddered again as vermil¡¯s empty, calculating eyes flickered before her mind once more. that hadn¡¯t been an act. if bria hadn¡¯t activated the marble, she¡¯d have been dead.


    that means he was completely willing to execute a torrin main branch member in front of two other torrins. that¡¯s an act of war. was he planning to kill them as well? or are they on his side? i don¡¯t understand this at all. moxie was supposed to be subservient to contessa, but contessa was scared out of her mind the entire trip. i ¨C


    bria froze as a terrifying thought struck her.


    it wasn¡¯t moxie she was scared of.


    gods above. what in the damned plains is going on with vermil? that isn¡¯t the creature i knew. did he succeed at whatever father had him doing in arbitage?


    bria slowly pushed herself upright. her heart was still slamming in her chest. she couldn¡¯t remember the last time she¡¯d come so close to death. after one more deep breath, she pressed a hand to her forehead.


    a ripple washed through her skin. her hair turned from silver to blonde, and the flat silver in her eyes shifted to a brilliant red. bria¡¯s sharp features melted away, replaced by karina¡¯s natural, softer face.


    even if i had my runes restrained to make sure nobody noticed a rank 3 with seven nearly full runes is strolling around pretending to be a student, there¡¯s no way vermil should have been able to fight me that easily. he¡¯s never been in a real fight, but it was like he already knew i was going to attack.


    that level of reaction speed is what i¡¯d expect from a soldier or someone that¡¯s been fighting for their life for years, not that perverted coward. father had something to do with this.


    karina stripped out of her clothes, tossing them to the side of her room. she stormed over to her bed, pulling on the clothing and armor she¡¯d left behind on it. a few minutes later, she strode out of her room, nearly bowling over a servant in the process.


    the man stammered apologies, but karina didn¡¯t respond. he was beneath her notice, and she only had one thing on her mind.


    karina strode out of her family¡¯s mansion, stepping onto the streets of the linwick estate, and set a course toward father¡¯s property. the conniving bastard would know something about this, and then he could answer for his son¡¯s nearly successful attempt on her life.


    ***


    ¡°he was too slow to run you through?¡± father asked, swirling a goblet of wine in one hand while he ran the other through the fur of some strange, black furred creature. karina couldn¡¯t tell its face from its ass. she wasn¡¯t even entirely convinced it was alive.


    ¡°that¡¯s what you got from this?¡± karina demanded. ¡°your son tried to kill me, father.¡±


    ¡°you were disguised.¡± father took a slow sip from his wine. he let out a satisfied sigh, then held the goblet out. ¡°would you like a drink?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯d rather not get poisoned, thank you.¡±


    father grunted. ¡°poison has been remarkably ineffective as of late. tell me, karina. why are you here?¡±


    ¡°did you listen to none of what i just told you?¡±


    ¡°of course i listened. all information is important,¡± father said. he set the goblet down on the table and tilted his head to the side. his flat, expressionless eyes sent a shiver down karina¡¯s back. they were eerily similar to vermil¡¯s. ¡°but, in respect for your mother, i will speak plainly with you. you are competition, karina. why should i care if you die?¡±n??v€l--?1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.


    ¡°you can¡¯t.¡±


    karina blinked. ¡°i can¡¯t kill vermil? is that care i hear in your voice, father?¡±


    ¡°you misunderstand. you lack the ability to kill vermil. he has grown greatly while you wasted away, locked within your rooms. i have already tried.¡±


    karina stared at father in disbelief. he¡¯d admitted that he¡¯d failed. in all the years that karina had known father, not once had he ever admitted to failure. she hadn¡¯t even though it was possible for him to fail.


    ¡°you couldn¡¯t kill vermil?¡±


    ¡°i suspect i could, but the actions that would require would completely reveal my hand,¡± father said with a shrug. ¡°and we have come to an agreement. vermil has done his part for me. for the time being, i have no reason to interfere with anything he does.¡±


    ice swallowed karina¡¯s veins. father had a truce. with vermil. the person that she was supposed to replace after their marriage.


    ¡°i don¡¯t understand. why are you telling me this?¡± karina asked, rising from her chair. ¡°none of this makes sense.¡±


    ¡°because there is nothing you can do,¡± father replied. he paused for a moment, and a flicker of a frown passed over his features. ¡°and, perhaps, i have some degree of respect for you. you were a talented child. i would have had use for your talents.¡±


    ¡°stop that,¡± karina snarled.


    ¡°stop what?¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re talking about me like i¡¯ve already died.¡±


    ¡°to me, you have. this is simply my last gift to someone that might have been a useful daughter,¡± father said.


    karina¡¯s fists clenched at her sides. there was a possibility that father was playing her, but if he wasn¡¯t...


    ¡°i ¨C i can tell the others. the other linwicks,¡± karina said. ¡°i¡¯ll tell them that vermil succeeded at whatever he was doing, and about your plans. if you don¡¯t help¨C¡±


    ¡°you can¡¯t. the rune oath will stop you,¡± father said with a wry smile. ¡°yes, it will kill the officiant, but there¡¯s a reason he was paid well to accept the oath. no, karina. there is nothing you can do to hurt me.¡±


    ¡°what about vermil, then?¡± karina asked, desperately trying to find something she could work with. ¡°if you suddenly think he¡¯s useful, isn¡¯t it going to alienate him against you if you make him marry me?¡±


    father tilted his head to the side. ¡°i will not push for the marriage, but he will discover it eventually. you have already told me that he tried to kill you once. if he doesn¡¯t kill you before you marry, then he will kill you shortly afterward.¡±


    the door to father¡¯s chamber ground open. karina spun, but nobody was there.


    ¡°you can¡¯t do this,¡± karina said. ¡°just annul it!¡±


    ¡°no,¡± father replied. ¡°you will do this last task for me, whether you wish to or not. in the unlikely event that vermil doesn¡¯t kill you, then he will have to ask a favor from me to annul the marriage. i will not give that up so easily.¡±


    father raised a hand and a wall of force wrapped around karina, throwing her out of the room. she landed outside it with a grunt, rolling over and pushing to her feet.


    ¡°goodbye, karina,¡± father said.


    the door slammed shut.

 Chapter 177: Skill Issue

    chapter 177: skill issue


    no more than a minute after karina left the room, the door opened. janice stepped inside and sat down across from father as the door shut again behind her. for several moments, neither of them spoke.


    then, to janice¡¯s surprise, father sighed. he rubbed the bridge of his nose with two fingers and poured himself a glass of wine. setting the bottle down on the desk before him, father drained the entire goblet in one fell swoop.


    ¡°pieces are moving, janice,¡± father said. he looked up at the ceiling, letting his fingers run along the smooth wood of his table. ¡°and not even i can predict where all of them will land.¡±


    janice chose to remain quiet. this was a side of father that she¡¯d rarely seen before, and she was pretty sure she didn¡¯t like it. it wasn¡¯t exactly emotion ¨C janice wasn¡¯t sure if father even had that ¨C but he sounded pensive. thoughtful.


    as if he was considering that things might not actually go his way.


    ¡°is there something you would have me do?¡± janice asked, realizing that father wasn¡¯t planning on saying anything else until she spoke. ¡°should i interfere with karina? it¡¯s likely that she will attempt something drastic after your words.¡±


    ¡°if she actually manages to kill vermil, then i will do nothing but thank her,¡± father said with a shake of his head. ¡°no, her path is cut from ours. we no longer need her branch¡¯s strength. all has gone as i wished it to, and we will join the main branch within a month.¡±


    ¡°then what concerns you?¡±


    ¡°there are too many things changing,¡± father replied. ¡°more than there should be. vermil ¨C or rather, the demon puppeting his body ¨C i don¡¯t know what he seeks. i have no doubt he suspects that i was the one that ordered the inquisitors after him, and yet he has done nothing.¡±


    ¡°not very demon-like,¡± janice said with a nod. ¡°i have confirmed that he is at arbitage. he and a woman from the torrin family went on a trip to train their students.¡±


    ¡°just like real teachers.¡± father tapped a finger on his empty goblet. ¡°i do not understand him, and that is cause for concern. anything that i cannot understand is something that can surprise me.¡±


    ¡°it looks like he¡¯s not interested in what we do. maybe he plans to leave us alone if we do the same to him? the inquisitors don¡¯t have any trail left of him ¨C i¡¯ve already taken care of the search party that they sent out to determine what happened to the original two that came for vermil, so he has no reason to maintain his anger toward us.¡±


    father gave janice a slight shrug in response. ¡°for now, yes. but relying on the good will of others is a poor plan. vermil is not the only one, though. i did not lie to karina. she would have been a useful member of the family. it is a shame that she will be wasted.¡±


    ¡°there¡¯s always a chance that she comes to an agreement with vermil,¡± janice pointed out, shifting uncomfortably in her chair. ¡°considering the manner in which he dealt with us, there¡¯s a good chance that he¡¯ll find a way to work things out with her.¡±


    ¡°it is possible,¡± father agreed. ¡°but that will leave her compromised. she will no longer be trustworthy. karina¡¯s usefulness to us is gone. if she survives, at best, she will be a neutral party. at worst, she will be an enemy. and she is not the only one.¡±


    janice watched father silently, her expression unreadable.


    ¡°brayden grows even more distant than he once was, and though he obeys my orders, i suspect his interests are no longer fully aligned with the family.¡±


    janice said nothing.


    ¡°do you have no thoughts on this?¡± father asked.


    ¡°no, father. i do not.¡±


    ¡°and if i were to ask you to investigate brayden?¡± father asked. ¡°to determine if he is starting to take actions that benefit him rather than our family?¡±


    ¡°i would investigate, father.¡±


    father smiled. he poured himself another glass of wine. ¡°you are the greatest among my children, even if you are not born of my blood. your loyalty will be rewarded in time, janice. i have much to think over. go.¡±


    ¡°do you have any orders for me?¡±


    ¡°keep to your current duties,¡± father said. he paused for a moment, then took a sip from his glass. ¡°and look into brayden. i do not believe he has turned against us, but one may never be too cautious.¡±


    ¡°yes, father.¡±


    ***


    ¡°nobody does,¡± lee said, giving contessa a sympathetic pat on the back.


    ¡°enough teasing,¡± moxie said with a shake of her head. ¡°it¡¯s a waste of good time. contessa will do her job. if she betrays us ¨C then lee can have her fun.¡±


    ¡°fine,¡± lee muttered reluctantly. contessa let out a relieved sigh, sending a grateful look to moxie. noah suppressed a grin.


    look how quickly the tables have turned. you were abusing her less than a month ago, and now moxie is the only thing that¡¯s keeping you from getting eaten alive.


    a few minutes later, contessa had been sent on her way. everyone gathered at the camp, and after noah filled the students in on what had happened, they prepared to get back to training.


    ¡°i¡¯ll handle today,¡± moxie said. ¡°considering what you showed me this morning, i¡¯m getting the feeling that you¡¯re practically frothing at the mouth to test your new magic out.¡±


    ¡°got me there,¡± noah admitted. ¡°will all be fine?¡±


    ¡°lee will be with me,¡± moxie said. ¡°and i don¡¯t think either contessa or bria are coming back any time soon. we¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°great,¡± noah said with a grin. he rubbed his hands together and drew his flying sword, tossing it to the dirt. ¡°i¡¯ll see you all in a few hours. don¡¯t slack off, kids.¡±


    ¡°have we ever slacked off?¡± isabel asked.


    ¡°it¡¯s a figure of speech, and it makes me sound cool,¡± noah replied. he sent a pulse of magic into his sword and it bucked, launching off the ground and carrying him into the sky. noah scanned the ground beneath him as he flew through the air, searching for some bleaters to test his magic against.


    there were likely some other monsters in the area as well, but he knew bleaters pretty well and didn¡¯t want to end up getting killed because he couldn¡¯t work his new rune properly yet.


    actually, for that matter, it would probably be smarter to test what i can do before i try to fight.


    noah landed on the top of a nearby hill, stumbling as he tripped over a large rock and catching himself before he fell on his face. sending a glare back at his sword, noah plodded over and returned it to its place on his belt.


    the surrounding area was empty of monsters from what he could see, and it was far enough away from the camp that he was confident he wouldn¡¯t cause the others any trouble if he started a fight.


    noah reached into his soul, drawing power from natural disaster. it felt... thicker than the magic from his rank 2 runes, for lack of a better word. he took a few moments to let his body get used to the magic.


    unlike all his previous runes, natural disaster covered much more than just a single element or individual type of magic like water or ash. it was much closer to a concept.


    deciding to keep things simple, noah went with a water angle. he reached into the air with his senses, trying to draw the water from it.


    it came, but much slower than it had when he¡¯d been using trilling monsoon. what normally would have taken him a second actually took nearly thirty. noah¡¯s brow furrowed.


    did i somehow get weaker with this combination?


    he gathered the water he¡¯d pulled from the air and pushed his intent into it. and, to his surprise, the rune resisted. instead of forming into a spinning drill of water like he¡¯d imagined, natural disaster¡¯s magic actually pushed back against him.


    that didn¡¯t stop the magic from flowing out of his body, though.


    noah¡¯s eyes widened as he felt the rune pull more energy than he¡¯d originally planned to use. the sphere of water churning above noah¡¯s palm exploded outward, turning into a thick black cloud above his head.


    the air around noah crackled. his eyes widened and he flung himself to the side as a bolt of lightning crashed down from the cloud, slamming into the dirt where he¡¯d been standing with a loud crack.


    noah spun toward the cloud, his eyes wide, as it dissipated. the lightning bolt hadn¡¯t been massive, but it had more than enough energy to pack a serious punch. as the smoke rose up from the ground before noah, a grin flickered across his face.


    got a bit of an attitude, huh? i can work with that. let¡¯s see just how far i can push this, though. if i can summon thunderclouds with that much energy ¨C if i really pour all my magic into a spell, what can i do?


    noah pressed his palms together and drew deeply on natural disaster, reveling in the power that filled every part of his body.


    let¡¯s find out.

 Chapter 178: Sulk

    chapter 178: sulk


    judging exactly how much energy to use from natural disaster was surprisingly difficult. the rune had the combined strength of seven rank 2 runes, but it was still functionally only twenty five percent full.


    that meant that even the smallest spells would come out considerably more power ¨C and noah currently had a little under half of the power within his rune gathering in the air before his hands.


    noah¡¯s palms tingled as energy crackled between them, a storming black cloud condensed into a small sphere. he could feel a mixture of water, lightning, and wind magic swirling within the magic, pressing against noah¡¯s control and trying to break free.


    his hands trembled slightly, but he rejected the idea of trying to pull any more power into the spell. he¡¯d brought his gourd with him, and the chances of mistakenly blowing himself were going from zero to double digits.


    i wonder what this will do. another lightning cloud?


    noah thrust his hands forward, pushing the magic away from himself. the tight swirl of smokey black cloud erupted like a striking dragon, expanding into a roaring pillar. hissing lightning tore free from the unraveling darkness, arcing across the ground as it shot out, striking the side of the hill.


    it detonated with a loud crash. blades of wind and arcs of lightning scored into the hill as noah¡¯s magic sank into it, ripping dirt and stone apart while blackening its surroundings and boring a large crater into the ground.n??v€l--?1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.


    the thick smell of ozone filled the air. a few arcs of lightning crackled through the air as the cloud dissipated, leaving the ground beneath it somehow both burnt and damp. noah approached the damage, studying the crater curiously.


    well, that was something. if the rune can do this while it¡¯s barely guided, i wonder what i can make it do when i¡¯m exerting more will over it.


    also, it¡¯s interesting that the lightning energy is almost generating itself. i know that¡¯s not the case ¨C the basis came from water, and wind is already in the air. it must be taking the static electricity from the clothes against my body. so, hypothetically, it won¡¯t work if i decide to run around fighting naked.


    noah drew more energy out, this time focusing on the earth. he¡¯d seen water, lightning, and wind, but nothing from earth, vibration, or ash. there was always a possibility they¡¯d been significantly reduced in the combination, but earthquakes felt too integral to natural disasters for that to happen.


    the energy poured out of noah¡¯s feet and into the ground faster than he¡¯d expected. a loud crack split the air and the hill shuddered. the dirt ripped apart in a thin line, stones jutting up in two lines of jagged spikes and leaving a hole about six feet deep before him. the ground bucked and the scar in the dirt slammed shut, the jagged stones shattering against each other with the force of their collision.


    even though the line had sealed itself, noah could still see the rubble covered remains of where it had formed. he let out a slow whistle. there had been a lot of force when the ground had slammed back shut ¨C more than enough to crush most things to paste.


    okay. that¡¯s pretty damn cool. i bet revin would be jealous if he saw that.


    noah took a few moments to get a feel of his rune as it regenerated. he¡¯d used a pretty significant portion of its magic with just a few spells, but it still had some juice in it. there was so much he still needed to test that there was no way he¡¯d be able to run through everything in just a few minutes, and it felt like it would be a little over an hour before the rune was back up to its current maximum capacity.


    i suppose i¡¯ll have to restrain myself and be happy with what i¡¯ve found so far. i don¡¯t want to waste everything i¡¯ve got and be left with a few measly rank 1 runes to rely on. i should really figure out how to replace my tremorsense. i really hope it¡¯s still possible with my new rune.


    noah reached for his flying sword. if he¡¯d still had tremorsense, he would have felt something rising up from the ground beneath him. instead, he only had an instant to react as he felt the dirt beneath his feet start to buckle.


    he threw himself to the side, hitting the ground in an awkward roll. dirt exploded behind noah and he shot to his feet, throwing his gourd and bags down the hill as he turned toward where he¡¯d been standing.


    a clawed hand covered in sleek white fur braced against the ground as a long, ferret-like creature slithered free from the ground. it was as white as snow, covered with thin streaks of black that ran from its thin, pointed face down to a flat tail that ended in a blade. the ferret was a little over seven feet tall, but was easily six times as long. it was one of the largest things he¡¯d ever seen, outsized by only the root fiends.


    the monster was strangely unsullied by the dirt that it had emerged from. two thin eyes focused on noah and it opened its mouth, revealing several long, pointed teeth as it let out a threatening chitter.


    ¡°the hell are you?¡± noah asked, lowering into a fighting stance and calling on natural disaster.


    frozen mist


    unfortunately, the other six of them were unreadable. they were monster runes of some sort, and noah still didn¡¯t want to risk taking one of those into his own soul without much more testing.


    noah wasn¡¯t one to waste a perfectly good rune, though. he extended a hand, closing his eyes as he pressed his hand to the chilly rune and drew it into his mindspace. a grin crossed his lips and he let out a slow breath.


    it was a rank 2 rune. it wasn¡¯t perfect, but it felt good. a few tweaks would probably fix it right up, and there were a multitude of ways he felt like ice or cold could fit into his natural disaster rune.


    snowstorm, maybe? that could work.


    noah opened his eyes again, then took a moment to study the dead monster. it really was huge, but there wasn¡¯t anything immediately obvious to take from it. after a few moments, noah tugged out a few of its teeth and put them into his pocket.


    ¡°i wish i could skin you,¡± noah said. ¡°you¡¯d make a great fur coat.¡±


    actually, i could totally skin this thing. i don¡¯t need all of it, right? i mean, i¡¯ve never skinned something, but it couldn¡¯t be that hard. i¡¯m going to need my sword.


    noah set off, retrieving his bag and gourd before heading over the hill to re-locate his sword. he found it a few minutes later, then returned to the dead monster to set about skinning it.


    a little over three hours later, noah returned to the camp dragging several matted strips of fur along the ground behind him. his arms were covered in his blood and his face was etched in a scowl.


    ¡°what in the damned plains happened to you?¡± moxie asked, staring at the huge pelts noah was dragging.


    ¡°don¡¯t ask,¡± noah replied with a sigh, dropping the pelts on the ground with a loud thud. they were surprisingly heavy. ¡°and i never want to skin something again. that was way harder than i thought it would be.¡±


    ¡°what did these even come from?¡± moxie asked as lee meandered over toward them, eyeing the pelts hungrily.


    ¡°a rat. a long one,¡± noah replied. ¡°had some ice magic, but waited too long to use it. guess it doesn¡¯t want its prey too crunchy when it eats them.¡±


    ¡°this doesn¡¯t look very edible,¡± lee said. ¡°you left all the good parts behind.¡±


    ¡°they¡¯re for clothes,¡± noah said wearily.


    ¡°if they¡¯re for clothes, shouldn¡¯t there be less blood on them? they¡¯re going to get ruined.¡±


    ¡°i am no longer taking questions at this time,¡± noah declared. he shuffled off into his tent, then poked his head back out a moment later. ¡°need any help training the kids, or can i sulk?¡±


    ¡°they¡¯re just practicing against some bleaters. you¡¯re fine,¡± moxie said.


    ¡°good.¡±


    noah went to sulk.

 Chapter 179: Typical Solution

    chapter 179: typical solution


    noah let himself pout for about five minutes. then he got bored. it was difficult to sit around doing nothing for too long when there was still so much that he could actually do ¨C and now that he was a rank 3, there was one particular thing that called to him more than any of the others.


    as he sat there, drumming his fingers on his chin and thinking, lee¡¯s head popped out from the side of his opening to his tent, nearly scaring the life out of him.


    ¡°whatcha doing?¡± lee asked.


    ¡°god,¡± noah said, shaking his head. ¡°i really need to fix tremorsense. you scared the life out of me. i was contemplating killing myself.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s not a good thing,¡± lee said with a frown. ¡°why?¡±


    ¡°i was bored.¡±


    ¡°you have serious problems,¡± lee said, stepping into the tent. ¡°if you¡¯re that bored, just go kill or eat something. it always does the trick for me.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m sure it does.¡± noah rolled his eyes. ¡°and i wasn¡¯t just contemplating it because i wanted something to do. i¡¯m not that lost. it would be helpful.¡±


    ¡°helpful for what?¡±


    noah opened his mouth, then paused.


    would lee feel bad if i told her that i¡¯d be doing it to try to find a way to cure her soul damage? she¡¯s pretty laid back, but i know she¡¯s a lot more insightful than she lets on. it might make her unhappy.


    ¡°working on a new rune,¡± noah said, settling on a course.


    lee raised an eyebrow. ¡°you mean you dying somehow helps you with your runes? that¡¯s weird. guess i haven¡¯t tried it, but it seems a little counterintuitive.¡±


    ¡°can¡¯t say i recommend it for anyone else. i¡¯m honestly not sure if it works, but it¡¯s not really the worst drawback, you know? just a mild annoyance.¡±


    ¡°right,¡± lee said, squinting at noah. ¡°death. mild annoyance. i wish i had your powers. i¡¯d be the strongest demon in the world. not even archdemons think of death as inconsequential.¡±


    ¡°what would you do differently?¡± noah sent lee a curious look. ¡°if you had my powers. would anything change?¡±


    lee blinked, then rubbed her nose. ¡°no. probably not. i like lazing around. if i wanted to become that strong, it would be a lot of work, and that seems like a real bother.¡±


    noah chuckled. ¡°i thought so.¡±


    they fell silent for a few moments.


    ¡°i think i¡¯m going to do it,¡± noah said.


    lee rolled her eyes. ¡°can¡¯t say i¡¯m surprised. i¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s your solution to at least half of your problems, if not more.¡±


    ¡°if it ain¡¯t broke, don¡¯t fix it,¡± noah said with a shrug. ¡°it¡¯s worked so far. can you eat my body after the new one forms?¡±


    ¡°sure. i haven¡¯t had breakfast yet.¡±


    ¡°really?¡±


    ¡°no. i was lying, but it¡¯s never a bad time for breakfast.¡±


    something was there.


    noah couldn¡¯t tell what it was. he couldn¡¯t tell how he knew ¨C but he did. his skin prickled and he swallowed heavily. even the formation of the rune had paused, waiting for something.


    why do you seek this rune?


    the thought wasn¡¯t noah¡¯s. it was like a force of nature, crashing into his mindspace and obliterating his mental defenses. there was no malice in the word, but it held such might that he could barely even stand in its presence.


    ¡°to cure my friend¡¯s soul damage,¡± noah replied. he turned in a circle, trying to find the source of the voice.


    an instant passed.


    this reason is not sufficient. you do not deserve this rune.


    there was a loud twang. noah¡¯s soul shuddered as everything suddenly sped back up. sunder¡¯s pull on him redoubled, and the brushstrokes forming in the air started to tremble. energy started to flow out of them ¨C but this time, instead of sinking into his soulspace, it was vanishing. something was sucking it up.


    shit, shit, shit.


    noah didn¡¯t have much time to react. if the energy vanished from his soul, then he wasn¡¯t going to get a second chance to form the rune. whatever had spoken to him was going to take it back, and he¡¯d be damned if he let that happen.


    sunder, come to me.


    the master rune spun in the air above noah, dropping like a rock. he reached up with one hand, touching the rune¡¯s trembling surface. noah¡¯s veins turned jet black and he thrust his other hand forward, gritting his teeth.


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry, but i need this power,¡± noah snarled. ¡°get out of my soul!¡±


    the dark ground trembled. a black spear carved through the air, plummeting from the sky and slamming straight into the center of the half-formed, pearl colored rune.


    a yelp echoed through noah¡¯s mindspace. the oppressive presence suddenly vanished. noah didn¡¯t waste an instant. he released sunder, then enveloped the new rune with his mind and focused intently.


    i need this, but if that exact intent was somebody else¡¯s rune... i¡¯ll just change it a little bit.


    noah gritted his teeth, pressing his intent down on the rune. another brushstroke melted the dark. stroke by stroke, the runic energy painted through noah¡¯s mindspace, completing the rune he¡¯d started to form.


    sunder¡¯s grip around noah¡¯s throat was so tight that he couldn¡¯t even breath, but he held his position. he just needed ¨C


    a brilliant chime shattered the silence. the pink energy detonated in a hurricane of pink petals that blew out across noah¡¯s mindspace, leaving behind a brilliant, pearl colored rune in their wake.


    as noah laid eyes upon the rune, his soul trembled. it lifted, rising past the natural disaster rune. it came to a stop beside sunder, glittering in its pearlescent glory.


    oh, shit.


    ¡°something tells me she¡¯s not going to be very happy about this,¡± noah muttered as he stared up at the rune. ¡°good to know she survived the creepy monster attacking her, though. maybe she¡¯ll accept a handwritten apology?¡±


    sunder lashed out, grabbing him in the moment of distraction. he hardly even cared. his mind was still fixated on the new rune as it tried to process just how much trouble he¡¯d just gotten himself into.


    his last thought before he was slammed back into his body in the real world was the rune¡¯s name.


    fragment of renewal.

 Chapter 180: Somethings Wrong

    chapter 180: something''s wrong


    noah¡¯s eyes snapped open to find lee¡¯s face about an inch away from his. he drew in a sharp breath, expecting to be greeted by a painful headache, but was pleasantly surprised to find that there was nothing.


    the rune had done the same thing the first time he¡¯d tried to form it, but noah had no idea if it would work a second time. his body didn¡¯t feel nearly as energized as it had after his previous attempt, though.


    lee let out a relieved sigh, then poked noah in the chest.


    ¡°say something.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m alive,¡± noah said. ¡°sorry to make you worry.¡±


    lee scrunched her nose, then leaned back. ¡°was it worth it? is killing yourself the secret to making runes?¡±


    ¡°i ¨C yeah. i think it is. it worked.¡±


    lee blinked. ¡°what? you¡¯re serious?¡±


    ¡°yes. i formed the rune,¡± noah said. he paused for a moment, then grimaced. ¡°i think it might have been a bad idea, though.¡±


    ¡°what? why! you formed a rune! that¡¯s incredible!¡± lee exclaimed, grabbing noah by the shoulders. ¡°how¡¯d you do it? i¡¯ve never met someone that made their own rune!¡±


    ¡°i kind of just did what moxie told me to,¡± noah admitted, rubbing the back of his head. ¡°actually, i did exactly that. gather a bunch of energy, then give it a kick and focus on forming it into a rune. it kind of did itself. i tried once at rank 2, but it failed. worked this time. not totally sure why, but i¡¯ll take it.¡±


    not sure i want to take the side-effect of what is almost certainly a pissed-off goddess, though. renewal is at least a rank 9. if that was her voice in my head... i think she could literally kill me with a thought.


    i better put together a fruit platter and polish up my begging skills.


    or i could go find the shadow bloke that attacked her. that might work better.


    ¡°noah?¡±


    noah blinked. ¡°sorry, what?¡±


    ¡°i asked what the rune does. is something wrong?¡±0v3l.b11n.


    ¡°yeah,¡± noah muttered. ¡°something¡¯s wrong.¡±


    ***


    renewal couldn¡¯t remember the last time she¡¯d been so excited. she¡¯d restrained herself, of course, but the order to her agents on the world that the mortal had reincarnated into had gone out the very same day.


    someone who had the strength to actually begin comprehending her... even if they were just a mortal, it would be a fascinating conversation. it was an idle curiosity, but it would be a good way to break the tedium. there was no real concern, as a mortal that weak had no manner of actually forming comprehension on the true powers that bridged life and death.


    the cycle could only be understood after one was steeped within it ¨C when they had gone through death and rebirth over and over, coming to a true understanding of what it meant, not only to live, but also to die.


    renewal had taken on her name when she had reached rank 10, after her soul had soaked within the waters of life for years. there were gods that had gathered their enlightenment far faster, but they were prodigies.


    there were a variety of ways in which divine runes formed, and one of those ways was to take the power from another divine rune, then twist it into something entirely new. it was the exact way that renewal had formed her own rune.


    it was simply impossible for a mortal, even one with a slight scrap of invaluable inspiration, to ever ¨C


    he figured it out in less than a year.


    renewal had nearly choked in surprise when she felt a tiny sliver of her power carve off from her. she¡¯d followed it back into the mortal¡¯s soul, of course. as interesting as he was, renewal had absolutely no plans of letting him take a portion of her strength. there were ways things were meant to be done.


    if he was a budding god, then it would have been another thing. having another god in her debt would have been quite entertaining. but giving the power to a mortal was akin to giving a dog a mansion.


    she¡¯d had her fun, and that was that. besides, the other gods would have never let renewal live it down if they found out a mortal had quite literally stolen some power from her, miniscule amount or not.


    but, somehow, she¡¯d failed to stop the mortal.


    renewal stared at her left hand. a tiny cut ran along the tip of her finger. she¡¯d gone to take the energy back ¨C and she¡¯d been surprised enough that her concentration had faltered and she¡¯d lost track of the mortal.


    it hadn¡¯t just been renewal that the mortal had earned an understanding of. he possessed decras¡¯ strength as well.


    this is... not ideal. if i put more effort into finding him, then other gods will notice. we¡¯re not meant to meddle with the small worlds too much. i wish i were alive back before all those rules were established and the universe was actually interesting.


    renewal let out a slow sigh and pursed her lips. she wanted to speak with the mortal even more now than she had before. it shouldn¡¯t have been possible to learn this much about the concept of reincarnation in the few months he¡¯d been alive.


    no, by all means, something was strange. renewal was missing a key piece that had let a mere mortal make so much progress that he¡¯d actually stolen a portion of her runic power.


    perhaps this mild distraction will actually serve as a way to push myself to grow further. the chances of a mortal actually discovering something that even the gods do not know of are so tiny that they may as well be nonexistent, but they aren¡¯t actually zero.


    and, if he did find something...


    i¡¯m going to need it. i just hope i find him before anyone else does.

 Chapter 181: Good job

    chapter 181: good job


    ¡°a goddess is going to try to kill us?¡± lee asked in a hushed whisper.


    ¡°possibly,¡± noah said, scratching at the side of his face. ¡°i suppose she had a chance to do that when she was in my soul and she didn¡¯t, but she certainly isn¡¯t happy.¡±


    ¡°you need to get some food for her,¡± lee suggested. ¡°when she shows up and you feed her, maybe she won¡¯t kill the rest of us.¡±0v3l.b11n.


    ¡°i don¡¯t think she¡¯d kill the rest of you. just me.¡±


    ¡°do you really think a god would notice if they killed a few extra mortals?¡±


    noah¡¯s expression darkened. the memory of renewal¡¯s voice slamming into his soul was still ingrained into his memory. she could definitely kill all of them with little more than just a flick of her hand, and lee was right ¨C renewal might not even notice if she killed a few other mortals in the process.


    ¡°i¡¯ll keep an eye out for some god¨Csized snacks,¡± noah said. ¡°i think this is probably one of those problems that all i can really do is ignore it. it¡¯s not like i¡¯m going to be able to fight a goddess if she comes hunting for me, so i¡¯ll just focus on other things until something new comes up that changes the situation.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s a lot of words to say that you¡¯re going to pretend like it never happened and hope the goddess forgets you exist.¡±


    ¡°yup,¡± noah agreed. ¡°i got this rune, though. might as well try using it. shall we?¡±


    ¡°you still haven¡¯t said exactly what it does,¡± lee said, furrowing her brow. ¡°what¡¯s it for?¡±


    ¡°you,¡± noah replied.


    lee blinked. ¡°you want to attack me?¡±


    ¡°no,¡± noah said with a laugh. ¡°it¡¯s not a fighting rune. it¡¯s for healing. this is the way i healed all the soul damage i had after the fight with the inquisitors. i needed it for myself because of how much damage i take when i die, but it¡¯s got the added bonus of possibly giving me a way to help you too.¡±


    lee¡¯s eyes narrowed and she studied noah intently. ¡°you didn¡¯t go through all this trouble and danger just to get that for me, right? it just happens to also help?¡±


    ¡°yep. exactly. purely self-motivated,¡± noah lied.


    ¡°okay!¡± lee said cheerfully. ¡°i¡¯m just lucky. i can¡¯t complain about that. how does it work?¡±


    wow, she didn¡¯t even doubt me for a second. makes me feel a bit bad about lying, but she¡¯d definitely feel terrible if she knew that i did this specifically to cure her. it¡¯s a good thing i¡¯m not as bad at lying as brayden is or she totally would have figured it out.


    ¡°just sit down. i¡¯m going to try to push the energy into you,¡± noah said. ¡°hopefully that¡¯s enough.¡±


    lee turned to face one of the walls and flopped down, sitting cross legged with her back to noah. he sat down behind her and put his hands on lee¡¯s back, closing his eyes and reaching into his soul to call on renewal¡¯s rune.


    he was so concentrated that he didn¡¯t even notice how stiff lee¡¯s shoulders were. she¡¯d also chosen her position well ¨C it completely hid her face from him. even though noah¡¯s eyes were closed, he might have noticed her wiping her nose with the back of her hand and blinking furiously to keep herself from letting her eyes water up too much.


    of course, noah noticed none of that. he was too focused on his new rune. the pearly, flowing lines of the fragment of renewal as it floated in his mindspace. he still wasn¡¯t sure exactly what the fragment part meant.


    it¡¯s not like it¡¯s possible to have part of a master rune. that was really well established. you can¡¯t split them up. so... what is this? it doesn¡¯t seem to be implying that it¡¯s imperfect ¨C just incomplete. that¡¯s a really important difference.


    noah pursed his lips, studying it intently. the rune lowered down toward him, and the pressure bearing down on noah and his normal runes started to ramp up. noah gritted his teeth as the ground of his mindspace started to shake.


    the new rune was easily just as strong as sunder. it felt like the weight of the world was bearing down on him, trying to grind him to a paste. luckily, this wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d shouldered a massive rune.


    noah was used to it ¨C or at least, as used to it as he could get. he raised a hand, letting it brush against the gentle surface of the rune. cold rivers of energy poured into his body and he drew in a sharp gasp.


    ¡°noah?¡± there was a dangerous note to moxie¡¯s voice, like she wasn¡¯t sure if she should be baffled, awed, horrified, or a mixture all three. ¡°i don¡¯t suppose you¡¯re going to expand on that?¡±


    ¡°that kind of summarized it, actually,¡± noah said. ¡°and it¡¯s not just a normal rune. i think it¡¯s a master rune. a weird one.¡±


    moxie drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, pressing her hands to her cheeks and dragging them down slowly. she shifted her position, laying down beside noah and staring up at the top of the stone tent.


    ¡°moxie?¡± noah asked. ¡°you okay?¡±


    ¡°does the goddess know you stole her rune? i¡¯m not even going to bother asking how you managed to get your hands on it in the first place.¡±


    ¡°...yeah.¡±


    ¡°okay.¡±


    they were silent for several moments.


    ¡°just okay?¡± noah asked. ¡°i was kind of expecting a more panicked response.¡±


    ¡°i think my panic receptors are fried,¡± moxie muttered. ¡°i¡¯m just numb now. we¡¯re probably all going to die.¡±


    ¡°if she was going to kill noah, she probably already would have. let¡¯s just ignore the problem and pretend it¡¯s not there,¡± lee said, lifting her head and shamelessly stealing noah¡¯s strategy.


    ¡°did you happen to find a rune that erases memories as well?¡± moxie asked. ¡°i think i might be happier not knowing that a goddess might be trying to hunt us all down right now.¡±


    lee released noah for a moment, but only for long enough for an arm and a leg to stretch out, looping around moxie. before moxie could respond, lee yanked them all together, drawing surprised grunts out of both noah and moxie.


    ¡°you are squeezing the life out of me,¡± noah wheezed.


    ¡°it¡¯s okay. you can heal it with your new rune,¡± lee said.


    ¡°no, i can¡¯t. that only heals soul damage. i think.¡±


    ¡°then you can die. it¡¯s not that big of a deal.¡±


    ¡°what about me?¡± moxie demanded, trying to wiggle free. ¡°what¡¯s gotten into you, lee?¡±


    lee snickered. she finally released them, hopping to her feet. ¡°i¡¯m just so full of energy now. i¡¯ve been feeling exhausted for so long because of that soul damage that i¡¯ve got a bunch of time to make up on now! i¡¯m gonna go bother the students. see ya!¡±


    she zipped out of the tent, still laughing to herself. noah and moxie sat up, rubbing their arms. lee¡¯s grip really was merciless, and she¡¯d definitely been holding back. noah suspected that she might have actually broken their bones if she hadn¡¯t been.


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure what to say beyond good job,¡± moxie said, looking out the tent in the direction lee had gone.


    noah blinked. ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°you rushed to rank 3 to make that rune, didn¡¯t you? lee was suffering, even though she was hiding it. i guess it¡¯s her fault for taking so much soul damage, but i can¡¯t blame her. it¡¯s not often you get the chance to get stronger. i¡¯m glad she¡¯s back to normal, even if i suspect we might all be about to suffer a little bit for it.¡±


    ¡°especially our food supplies,¡± noah agreed. ¡°and the students. we better go check on them before lee does too much damage.¡±


    they both shuddered and strode out of the tent to catch up to lee, thoughts of their other problems temporarily pushed aside in the face of the much more immediate threat of death-by-stretching.

 Chapter 182: Threats

    chapter 182: threats


    the rest of their time in graybarrow passed quickly and without any major incident. with the survival exam rapidly approaching, all of them focused wholeheartedly on training ¨C in their own ways.


    noah tried using the fragment of renewal on todd the next day, but to his disappointment, it failed to do anything other than make him feel more energetic. there was still so much that he had to learn about the new rune ¨C there was a good possibility that he simply hadn¡¯t figured out how to use it properly yet. he still wasn¡¯t sure what its passive was, so there was a good bit of work he¡¯d have ahead of him.


    todd wasn¡¯t too bothered by the failure. he¡¯d just promised to keep things about the new rune secret and gotten back to training with emily and isabel. lee joined in more fervently than ever, resulting in more than a few nights where everyone went to bed so sore that they could barely move.


    noah spent most of his time practicing with sunder and hunting monsters to fill in his runes, filling natural disaster further. he kept an eye out for any runes that he could use to improve the rank 3 rune, but he didn¡¯t find any more interesting ones and ended up focusing mostly on getting more runic energy.


    now that he was rank 3, noah could actually help lee and moxie fix their runes ¨C but there were two things he needed to do first. most importantly, he had yet to find a way to actually cut out the runes of something without killing it. moxie had mentioned a potion that let someone into another person¡¯s soul, which was promising. but, before he could do that, they needed to get new runes to actually replace the bad ones with.


    noah had a decent amount of runes between his, dayton, and evergreen¡¯s grimoires, but he¡¯d need to work with lee and moxie to find runes that would actually fit them before he went around cutting things up.


    so, for the time being, the best thing he could do was to continue practicing ¨C and that was what noah did, up until their time in graybarrow finally came to an end and the group set off to arbitage.


    their return went quietly. they got back late in the evening, and moxie set off to report their arrival to neir. noah had half expected something to have gone wrong or contessa to be waiting for them on their arrival, but no such thing happened.


    instead, the students broke away, heading back to their apartments. noah and lee went back to their room, more tired than either of them cared to admit from the trip. they spent a few minutes scouring it to make sure father hadn¡¯t sent someone to leave an unpleasant surprise, but found nothing out of place. moxie swung by shortly afterward to report that neir had just shrugged when she¡¯d reported their return.


    with that, the day came to an end.


    ***


    time passed. over the following weeks, everyone continued their training. noah spent some time in the scorched acres and windscorned plateau killing monsters to gather more energy for his runes.


    both noah and moxie were confident that all three of their students were more than prepared. as the exam grew closer, the training ended to give all of them some time to relax and prepare without overworking themselves.


    the final two weeks leading up to the exam passed with noah not seeing isabel, todd, or emily a single time. lee went to check on them once or twice, confirming that they were perfectly fine and that there was nothing to worry about.


    that was enough for noah, who was largely preoccupied with trying to figure out if he could get the fragment of renewal to do anything else. to his mild disappointment, he was unable to coax any new forms of magic out of it. however, he did learn more about exactly how it worked.


    of course, that came through killing himself to test out how quickly it would heal his soul, and found that it worked for him exactly the same way that it had for lee. instead of an instant healing, the white void was pulled shut over the course of a day by strands of pearlescent light.


    unfortunately, noah also discovered that the rune seemed to go dormant after he used its strength. no matter how little energy he used from it, the fragment of renewal would go to sleep for around a day at a time after he called on its strength.


    noah also confirmed that the rune didn¡¯t just completely heal his soul ¨C not in it¡¯s current form, at least. it worked just like sunder in that he could only handle a portion of its power, and that corresponded to a portion of healing.


    he¡¯d yet to be seriously wounded enough as to where that would be relevant, but if noah ended up with massive soul damage, he suspected it would still take some time for him to go through and fix every part of it. in the future, when he could handle more of the rune¡¯s power, he was hopeful that that limitation would fade away.


    it would have been nice if noah had more time to explore the extent of his new rune, but before any of them knew it, the day of the exam was finally upon them. in an eerie case of de?ja? vu, noah woke up early that morning to a knock on his door.


    rolling out of bed and pulling his jacket on, noah rubbed the sleep from his eyes. there was no sign of lee anywhere. there was always the chance she¡¯d gotten stuck outside and was too lazy to come back in through the window, but considering what had happened the previous exam day, noah suspected that it was probably moxie at the door.


    the knocking continued. noah let out a heavy sigh as he adjusted his clothes and walked up, twisting the handle and pulling it open.


    ¡°is something wrong, mox¨C¡±


    noah trailed off. the girl standing before him had red hair just like moxie, but it definitely wasn¡¯t her. she stood half a foot shorter and wore a plain white and green uniform without a nametag. her neck was craned slightly back, letting her gray eyes lock with noah¡¯s as a polite smile passed over her features.


    eline¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°i also know that your students are isabel and todd ¨C both of whom have been blacklisted. that means nobody cares what happens to them. if you keep playing coy with me, then i¡¯ll leave ¨C and i¡¯ll make sure that neither of them survive today¡¯s exam.¡±


    a moment of silence passed. noah adjusted his lapel, then let out a slow sigh. ¡°fine. i¡¯ll play ball. who sent you, and what do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s what i thought,¡± eline said with a grin. ¡°as far as you¡¯re concerned, i¡¯m just a student from the torrin family that¡¯s visiting to test her skills in the survival exam. i want you to tell me every single thing that¡¯s happened between you and moxie since you started working together.¡±


    contessa¡¯s warning was correct, then. eline is here to figure out if moxie has failed in her duties. but... they couldn¡¯t have just sent a kid to do this. does she have an accomplice?


    ¡°that¡¯s a long story,¡± noah said, rubbing the back of his head with an embarrassed chuckle. ¡°aren¡¯t you a bit young to be poking around things like this on your own?¡±


    eline¡¯s grin vanished. ¡°why does everyone say that! i don¡¯t need my tutor to do every single thing for me! i¡¯ve got you dead to rights. maybe think about your own position, huh? you¡¯re the one that¡¯s cornered here.¡±


    ¡°does your mentor even know you¡¯re here?¡± noah asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°i don¡¯t need permission for everything i do,¡± eline snapped. ¡°i figured this out myself, you know. just because i¡¯m young doesn¡¯t mean i don¡¯t know what i¡¯m doing. if you keep this up, i¡¯ll just go take things up with isabel and todd instead. i¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be a lot more helpful when they¡¯re reminded that nobody cares if they live or die.¡±


    that¡¯s a no, then. sounds like she¡¯s alone.


    ¡°you really sure you want to do this?¡± noah asked, rubbing his chin and letting out a sigh. ¡°threatening the lives of other people isn¡¯t something you should do lightly.¡±


    ¡°like i care about them,¡± eline said with a snort. ¡°they¡¯re blacklisted. now answer my damn¨C¡±


    noah¡¯s fist slammed into eline¡¯s stomach. she doubled over in a sputtering cough and his hand shot down to her wrist, ripping the bracelet off and throwing it to the floor. noah thrust his hand toward his bag, yanking the entire thing into the air with a powerful gust of wind ¨C one that was so strong that he nearly struck himself in the head with the bag instead of catching it.


    he pulled his dagger out from within it. eline started to rise and noah¡¯s foot slammed into her chest, throwing her to the ground. he spun the dagger in his hand, turning the tip down. killing her with a blade would be a lot faster and less messy than blasting her with natural disaster.


    noah¡¯s blade plunged down. vines erupted from eline¡¯s body, forming into a thick carapace around her chest. the dagger slammed into it, burying deep into the foliage ¨C but it wasn¡¯t long enough to reach its target.


    energy sparked at noah¡¯s fingertips as he combusted the vines. fire roared across them, quickly blackening the magical defense and burning it away. eline desperately scrambled away from noah, grabbing for a necklace beneath her shirt.


    noah grabbed the smoke filling the air from the burnt vines, turning it into a molten spike. he sent it forward with a thought, driving the point down toward eline¡¯s heart. there was a sound like shattering glass and a flash of green light enveloped eline¡¯s body right as the spell hit her.


    the light shattered along with the energy from noah¡¯s spell, and fragments of a metal necklace tumbled down from eline¡¯s grip, tinkling as they hit the ground.


    ¡°wait! stop!¡± eline wheezed. she scrambled back, thumping against the base of the bed.


    ¡°shouldn¡¯t have threatened my students and told me nobody knew where you were,¡± noah said dispassionately, forming another spike from the ash in the air.


    eline¡¯s body rippled. her hair turned blonde and her eyes went from gray to a brilliant ruby as she raised her hands defensively. ¡°please! it¡¯s me, vermil!¡±


    noah froze the spike a moment before it drove into the woman. the way she¡¯d spoken implied that he was supposed to recognize who she was, but he had absolutely no recollection of her.


    bria? but i didn¡¯t know who she was either.


    ¡°and who are you supposed to be?¡±


    eline stared at noah in disbelief. ¡°it¡¯s me. karina. did you seriously forget what your fiance?e looks like?¡±

 Chapter 183: Fair

    chapter 183: fair


    noah stared down at eline-karina-bria. he wasn¡¯t really sure which one was the real name, if any of them were. part of him was just tempted to kill her and be done with it. she¡¯d threatened his students.


    but, if she wasn¡¯t who she¡¯d claimed to be, that meant there was a possibility that somebody did know where she was. noah¡¯s brow furrowed and his hands clenched.


    ¡°what a pain in the ass,¡± noah said. ¡°right. why are you here?¡±


    ¡°is it wrong for me to want to see my fiance??¡±


    ¡°okay, i¡¯m going to kill you now.¡±


    ¡°stop! what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± karina demanded, pressing her back against the bottom of the bed. ¡°have you gone insane? you were never like this.¡±


    ¡°tell me who sent you,¡± noah said. ¡°you¡¯re wearing my patience very thin. if you don¡¯t give me a reason to leave you alive, then this conversation is over. you threatened my students.¡±


    ¡°i thought you¡¯d try to answer eline¡¯s questions and then try to sleep with her or something,¡± karina stammered. ¡°father was right.¡±


    noah¡¯s eyes sharpened. his hand shot down and he grabbed her by the collar, pulling karina up. ¡°you¡¯re working for father?¡±


    ¡°no! no, i¡¯m not!¡±


    ¡°then answer my damn questions,¡± noah snarled. ¡°who sent you?¡±


    ¡°nobody! i came myself! i just spoke with father before he left ¨C and he basically said i was going to die. he¡¯s already written me off.¡±


    ah. that makes things easier.


    ¡°no ¨C ah, vermil?¡±


    noah paused, glancing over his shoulder. lee stood in the door, holding a large squirrel by the scruff of its neck. karina¡¯s eyes flicked to lee and a mask of terror washed over her features.


    ¡°please, help me! this professor went insane and dragged me into his room. he¡¯s going to do terrible things!¡±


    karina shot noah a smug look as lee stepped inside. that look vanished as lee closed the door behind her and flopped down across from them, sitting cross legged and watching intently.


    ¡°don¡¯t let me stop you,¡± lee said, shoving the entire squirrel into her mouth and swallowing it in a single gulp. ¡°i¡¯ve never seen this before. i should have brought more snacks. i didn¡¯t realize you liked blondes.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m probably just going to kill her,¡± noah said. ¡°and she¡¯s not my type.¡±


    karina¡¯s eye twitched. her body rippled, shifting back into eline¡¯s form. ¡°how could i not be your type? i¡¯m your damn fiance?e! i can literally be anyone!¡±


    ¡°oh, i can do that too,¡± lee said, transforming into karina¡¯s blonde-haired form. karina stared at her in disbelief.


    ¡°you replaced me?¡± karina demanded.


    ¡°i have no idea who you are,¡± noah said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. this was quickly going askew. ¡°nor do i care. i¡¯ve wasted enough time on this already. what does father have to do with this? is he going to do something during the survival exam?¡±


    ¡°no. i told you, i came on my own. father has nothing to do with it. he¡¯s not planning anything for the exam, as far as i¡¯m aware.¡±


    ¡°then what was the point of this? why are you threatening my students?¡± noah asked, his eyes narrow. ¡°what¡¯s the point of pretending to be a torrin family member ¨C twice, now? what are you playing at?¡±


    ¡°nothing that i haven¡¯t done before,¡± karina muttered. ¡°it¡¯s much easier than approaching as myself. people are a lot easier to control when they¡¯re off guard.¡±


    ¡°that did little to answer my question. i want your motives, not your reasoning,¡± noah said. ¡°your usefulness is running out very quickly ¨C actually, i¡¯m not sure if you were ever useful in the first place. you¡¯ve caused trouble for me twice now.¡±


    ¡°why do i need a motive to speak to my fiance??¡±


    ¡°you haven¡¯t given up on that angle already? i¡¯m not your¨C¡±


    ¡°yes, you are,¡± karina insisted. ¡°no matter how hard you deny it, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that father arranged our marriage when we were kids. if you¡¯re going to play dumb, then i¡¯ll do the same. i¡¯m from the ashwood branch of the linwick family. you know, father¡¯s allies?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s the problem,¡± noah replied with a shrug. ¡°i¡¯m not seeing any reason to keep you around. you¡¯re a threat. you¡¯ve attacked us twice now, and killing you would actually solve a problem. i¡¯ve got no plans to get married to you.¡±


    karina¡¯s eyes clouded as she thought furiously. her eyes lit up and she shot noah a triumphant look. ¡°you don¡¯t have the support of any linwick branches right now. father said he¡¯s on equal footing with you and isn¡¯t interested in pursuing the fight at the moment, but that means he¡¯s also not helping you. if you work with me, then you¡¯ll have my resources.¡±


    now that could actually be useful.


    ¡°what kind of resources?¡± noah asked. ¡°you have runes we could use?¡±


    karina blanched. ¡°no. my parents didn¡¯t give me access to anything beyond the runes that i already have, but you¡¯re discounting what we can do. look at how much information i¡¯ve gotten already. don¡¯t discount political strength and information. i could get you information about the torrins, or get you into places that you wouldn¡¯t normally be able to access on your own.¡±


    noah tilted his head to the side. ¡°like what?¡±


    ¡°noble parties and secret events.¡±


    noah¡¯s lips turned down in a grimace. ¡°really? that¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t discount them. that¡¯s where all the deals and big exchanges happen. auctions for rare runes, information about great monsters or new locations of interest, everything. you can get all sorts of information from them.¡±


    that... might actually be really useful. one of the things that all of us lack right now the most is information.


    ¡°keep talking,¡± noah said.


    ¡°there might even be a way to get your students un-blacklisted,¡± karina continued. ¡°i could look into it and see if we could convince the people that signed the blacklist to remove their signatures. that would reinstate isabel and todd as nobles with all the rights that come with it.¡±


    noah nodded thoughtfully. ¡°okay, i¡¯ll bite. i¡¯m interested. but you¡¯ve still yet to give me a reason to trust you.¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t you care for me at all?¡± karina asked, her eyes watering. ¡°we¡¯ve had some arguments, but pretending not to know me is cold. can¡¯t you drop the act?¡±


    ¡°no. i don¡¯t care one way or another if you live or die, and right now, killing you seems like it¡¯ll be considerably less of a headache.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re literally carrying my gift on your waist!¡± karina thrust a finger at the gourd hanging from noah¡¯s hip. ¡°you wouldn¡¯t carry that around if you didn¡¯t remember me, would you? it¡¯ll save you one day.¡±


    noah looked down at the gourd. then he looked back up at karina. they were silent for a moment. then noah burst into laughter.


    ¡°you?¡± noah asked, catching his breath as karina stared at him in shock. ¡°you gave me this?¡±


    ¡°i ¨C yes. what¡¯s wrong with that?¡±


    noah shook his head, wiping the mirth from his eyes. ¡°you know what ¨C you¡¯re right. you helped me more than you ever could have imagined. this poisoned healing potion was probably the best gift you could have given.¡±


    karina froze. ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°i already drank it,¡± noah said with a chuckle. ¡°alright, karina. here¡¯s how things are going to work. you¡¯ll swear a rune oath to do everything you just told me about, in addition to protecting my students with your life. in exchange, i won¡¯t kill you for the time being. how¡¯s that sound?¡±


    i can always just kill her anyway if i need to. even if my soul is damaged and my runes break, i can just fix everything with the fragment of renewal and then put the runes back together. it doesn¡¯t hurt me at all beyond a minor inconvenience.


    karina nodded. ¡°fine. but you¡¯ll agree to find a way to break the marriage, right? i need a way out too.¡±


    noah shrugged. ¡°i¡¯ll look into it, but i won¡¯t be paying father any favors. it won¡¯t be part of the oath either, so you¡¯ll just have to trust me. we¡¯ll put a time limit on things ¨C let¡¯s say a month. for one month, you¡¯ll do everything in your power to protect isabel and todd while also following my orders exactly. you will not attempt to share any information about me, moxie, isabel, emily, todd, or lee with anybody at any point and in any way. in return, i leave you alive.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s not really a fair rune oath. you could do literally anything you wanted and i¡¯d have to follow it.¡±


    noah shrugged. ¡°you attacked me twice. it¡¯s this or die now. i don¡¯t trust you at all. prove yourself if you want something from me.¡±


    karina gritted her teeth, and noah saw a flicker of what he suspected to be her true personality show through. unfortunately for karina, they both knew that noah had all the cards. she wasn¡¯t dumb enough to try to fight him again here, especially with a second mage of unknown strength backing him up.


    ¡°fine,¡± karina snapped. ¡°on my runes, i swear to agree to all the terms you just stated.¡±


    a sliver of ice ran down noah¡¯s back as he felt the rune oath take hold. it wasn¡¯t perfect, but it was more than enough for the time being. he hadn¡¯t let on how serious it was to him, but karina had confirmed that moxie and his students were in danger.


    ¡°looking forward to working with you,¡± noah said with a cold smile. ¡°now, why don¡¯t we start with you telling me everything you know about garrick and eline? i need to figure out if we have to kill some people before the exam starts.¡±

 Chapter 184: Confusion

    chapter 184: confusion


    ¡°i know almost nothing about garrick,¡± karina admitted, her face pale. it looked like she thought that noah would kill her just for not being able to fully answer his question ¨C he supposed that probably wasn¡¯t an unreasonable assumption, given how he¡¯d threatened her.


    it¡¯s not like i actually want to go around murdering people for fun, but you started this. if you start a game, you better be ready to play it through to completion.


    ¡°say what you do know,¡± noah said.


    ¡°he¡¯s an assassin, like i mentioned before. garrick is from the main branch, so he¡¯s got silver hair and eyes. he¡¯s got a scar on his lip and is supposed to be a very quiet person. i don¡¯t know what kind of runes he¡¯s got, but i believe he¡¯s a rank 4. he¡¯s not the most dangerous person the torrin family has, but he¡¯s still very effective according to the information i¡¯ve found.¡±


    ¡°has he already killed anyone important?¡± noah asked.


    karina shrugged. ¡°i don¡¯t know exactly what his targets have been before, but i know the torrin family keeps using him. that¡¯s got to mean something.¡±


    noah nodded thoughtfully. ¡°what about eline?¡±


    ¡°i tried to copy her personality pretty closely, though i probably didn¡¯t get it right on,¡± karina said reluctantly. ¡°she¡¯s a pretty typical torrin girl. a little cocky, not used to things not going her way. slightly sheltered from the real world. she¡¯s also not happy about the fact that she can¡¯t get a boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°not having friends is sad,¡± lee said with an understanding nod. she was still in karina¡¯s original form ¨C and, judging by the way karina¡¯s eye twitched, noah got the feeling that she wasn¡¯t a fan of other people with her shapeshifting ability.


    ¡°not just friends,¡± karina said with a snort. ¡°she¡¯s got a lot of those. a lot of people, both in and outside the torrin family, want to be friends with her. i¡¯ve been observing her for a while. she¡¯s got an extensive information network despite her age, but she¡¯s not really close to any of them. eline has been pretty vocal to everyone traveling with her that she wants a boyfriend, but she can¡¯t get one. it¡¯s pathetic.¡±0v3l.b11n.


    why do i feel like this information is getting skewed by your own personal opinions?


    lee tilted her head to the side, her forehead creasing in deep thought.


    ¡°and what is eline capable of?¡± noah asked. ¡°you said she¡¯d be the threat to isabel and todd.¡±


    karina nodded. ¡°she¡¯s a whiny brat, but she¡¯s also a capable fighter. she¡¯s been trained by garrick for years and is set to take his position when she gets old enough. for a rank 1, she isn¡¯t bad.¡±


    noah rubbed his chin. the problem could technically be alleviated if he just killed eline, but murdering someone he didn¡¯t know just on the suspicion that they¡¯d try to attack his students was too far, even for him.


    she hasn¡¯t tried to do anything yet. karina might believe what she¡¯s saying, but i¡¯m not an executioner. killing a child just because it makes things easier is too much ¨C until she actually acts against me, i won¡¯t do that.


    for that matter, evergreen is going to be here. if i get into a direct confrontation with either garrick or eline, things could go south very quickly. i¡¯m not the only one involved here. a fight could put moxie in a really bad spot.


    ¡°understood,¡± noah said. ¡°that¡¯s all i need from you right now. go get ready for the exam. find a way to make sure todd and isabel are safe, but do not interfere with their exam. i don¡¯t want anyone to go around claiming they cheated their way through or something.¡±


    karina nodded. she shakily rose to her feet. her eyes didn¡¯t leave noah for an instant. he was pretty sure that, if he suddenly moved toward karina, she¡¯d run screaming.


    ¡°well, she clearly doesn¡¯t like me at all,¡± noah said. ¡°and yet, when she heard that i didn¡¯t like her back, she immediately got defensive and tried to show how she was worthy. if karina was happy with herself, then she wouldn¡¯t have cared at all about my opinion. it should have actually made her happy, because it would mean i¡¯m more willing to cancel our supposed marriage.¡±


    lee pondered for a few moments, then nodded. ¡°i get it. so she was trying to prove that she was someone that you should like?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s my guess. i don¡¯t think it matters one way or another. i have no interest in getting to know her any more than we have to. she¡¯s dangerous, but it sounds like she was originally engaged to the real vermil. i can¡¯t really blame her for trying to kill him ¨C but i can for threatening isabel and todd.¡±


    ¡°yeah,¡± lee said. she was silent for another few moments. ¡°does changing shapes mean that we aren¡¯t happy?¡±


    ¡°what? i wouldn¡¯t say that,¡± noah said with a surprised blink. ¡°i mean, not unless you¡¯re changing shapes because you¡¯re trying to make someone else happy. as long as you aren¡¯t drawing undue attention to yourself that could get the rest of us in trouble, you should just be who you want to.¡±


    ¡°how do i know that i¡¯m who i want to be?¡±


    okay, we¡¯re getting well beyond my level of philosophical ability. i had a lot of time to think about life when i was dead, but this isn¡¯t anywhere near my expertise.


    ¡°i don¡¯t think anyone can answer that other than you,¡± noah said after a moment. ¡°it¡¯s probably harder for someone that¡¯s always been able to shapeshift, but my best guess would be the form that you revert to when you¡¯re comfortable.¡±


    lee¡¯s body rippled. karina¡¯s features vanished as lee¡¯s normal ones replaced them. she looked out the window at the horizon, where the sun was just barely starting to rise, casting an orange hue over arbitage¡¯s campus.


    ¡°that¡¯s this form, then.¡±


    ¡°is it the one you used back in the damned plains?¡±


    lee waggled a hand back and forth. ¡°it¡¯s very close, although i usually had larger teeth and claws or the like as well. it¡¯s the form i first took when i was born. but it¡¯s also the one i took after...¡±


    noah raised an eyebrow as lee trailed off, then shook her head. ¡°do you think it¡¯s fine?¡±


    ¡°if you like it, of course it is,¡± noah said with a laugh. ¡°my own opinions on it shouldn¡¯t even matter. i¡¯m not going to like you less based on what form you¡¯re in. shifting shapes is just part of what you are, isn¡¯t it? in the end, you¡¯re still lee.¡±


    ¡°so you don¡¯t like blondes? that sucks for karina.¡±


    noah choked. ¡°how was that what you got out of this?¡±


    lee snickered. ¡°we should probably go meet up with moxie and the others so we can all get ready for the exam.¡±


    ¡°good idea,¡± noah agreed, shaking his head and letting out a laugh. he glanced down at the bracelet that karina had left on the floor. he tilted his head to the side, then scooped it up and deposited it in a pocket. ¡°let¡¯s go.¡±


    he strode out the door, completely oblivious to the look on lee¡¯s face as she studied his back. she touched her face, pausing for a moment before she wiped the expression away and hurried to catch up to him, closing the door behind her.

 Chapter 185: Incident

    chapter 185: incident


    when noah and lee reached moxie¡¯s room, they found that they weren¡¯t the first to make it. the door was open. emily, isabel, and todd were all gathered in it already. moxie finished up giving the group some last tips for the exam as noah and lee arrived outside, then nodded in greeting to them.


    ¡°everyone¡¯s waking up early today,¡± moxie said. ¡°i was going to get all of you, but clearly those plans aren¡¯t going into execution.¡±


    ¡°we didn¡¯t want to risk being late or not finding each other, and we¡¯ve been training together for the past few weeks anyway,¡± emily said with a shrug. ¡°besides, we all got breakfast together, so there wasn¡¯t any reason not to just head over here after that was done.¡±


    ¡°you don¡¯t have to defend it.¡± noah chuckled. ¡°everyone ready for this?¡±


    ¡°completely,¡± isabel said, setting her jaw and giving him a confident but determined look. ¡°after all the practice we¡¯ve put into this, i know we can do it.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s the attitude,¡± noah said with an approving nod. he could see isabel¡¯s feelings mirrored in todd and emily¡¯s eyes.


    yep. they¡¯ve got this in the bag. i just have to make sure that nobody interferes with their exam. so long as they don¡¯t, the kids are going to blow through this no problem. after everything we did training, i can¡¯t imagine there¡¯s any way the school would put their precious nobles in a situation more risky than what we¡¯ve been doing.


    noah reached into his pocket and pulled out the bracelet that he¡¯d taken from karina. he held it out to moxie, who took it with a surprised glance.


    ¡°is this a shield?¡± noah asked.


    moxie studied it, then slid the bracelet onto her wrist. she closed her eyes and a ripple of green energy washed over her body. moxie pulled the bracelet off and nodded. ¡°yeah. rank 2 one. pretty decent, honestly. you bought it?¡±


    ¡°nope. generous donation,¡± noah replied. ¡°isabel, todd, you know each other the best. which of you would get the most use out of this? sorry emily ¨C i don¡¯t mean to exclude you, but you¡¯ve already got a shield.¡±


    ¡°of course,¡± emily said with a snort. ¡°why would i take offense to that?¡±


    you totally would have before we all went on our trip. i¡¯m being too harsh, i guess.


    isabel and todd exchanged a glance. noah was greatly pleased to see that they didn¡¯t just immediately point at each other. some time ago, that almost certainly would have been what they did.


    he didn¡¯t fault them for caring about one another, but now they were actually using their heads and thinking rather than just selflessly trying to be nice. that was the type of approach that would ensure they¡¯d come out ahead.


    ¡°i think it¡¯s probably best on todd,¡± isabel said after a few moments. ¡°my stone armor already does a lot to protect me, and if it¡¯s gone down, i¡¯m probably out of the fight anyway. a shield won¡¯t help me that much. todd is still a lot more exposed when fighting.¡±


    todd pressed his lips together, then nodded. ¡°yeah. i think isabel is right.¡±


    ¡°brilliant.¡± noah tossed the bracelet to todd, who caught it and slid it onto his wrist. he ran a finger over the golden band, then looked back to noah.


    ¡°who cared enough about us to donate this?¡±


    ¡°let¡¯s just say the donation wasn¡¯t entirely voluntary,¡± noah said with a chuckle. ¡°come on. i don¡¯t know when the exam gets started, but i think getting there early is probably a good idea. i don¡¯t want to run into some sort of unexpected delay.¡±


    ¡°i was thinking the same thing,¡± moxie said. she grabbed her travel bag from her desk and slung it over her shoulder. the group set off, heading down the halls of the t building and making for the transport cannon.


    moxie lowered her voice, stepping closer to noah as they walked to whisper to him. ¡°so where¡¯d the shield come from?¡±


    ¡°that crazy chick ¨C bria? she¡¯s actually from the linwick family,¡± noah replied in the same tone. ¡°she showed up again, this time posing as someone else from your family called eline. heard of her?¡±


    the four students gathered, speaking in hushed tones as they brought each other up to speed on all the knowledge they had ¨C which wasn¡¯t all that much, as nobody had told noah or moxie where their exam would even take place yet.


    time ticked on, and the sun slowly passed through the sky. several other groups of students and their professors arrived, gathering in small bunches and avoiding the others. most of the groups were of three to four students, but noah did spot a few that were just one or two.


    as they stood around watching the other teams arrive, a plain looking girl with short black hair and a grey uniform caught noah¡¯s eye. she inclined her head slightly and her eyes flickered from brown to ruby for an instant before she turned away.


    looks like karina is ready. i wonder where evergreen and her group are, though. is eline working on her own or does she have an entire team that she plans to work with?


    wait. is she ¨C


    moxie stiffened at noah¡¯s side. at the same time, lee¡¯s eyes suddenly snapped from a squirrel she¡¯d been watching in a distant tree to a group approaching them. noah followed her gaze, his guard already raising just from their reactions.


    an old woman walked at its head, her white hair pulled neatly up into a bun at the top of her head. the faintest streaks of silver still shimmered within it, though age had claimed most of its luster. a green robe fluttered around her feet, and gnarled wood pads sat on her shoulders.


    she held a gnarled wooden staff in one hand and walked with a slight limp, but her silver eyes watched all of them with such intensity that the hair on noah¡¯s back stood on end. at her left was a plain looking man with a scar across his lip. he looked to be in his mid-thirties, with silver hair and eyes. there was no doubt that it was garrick. but, while evergreen was focused on moxie, noah felt garrick¡¯s gaze boring into his head.


    on the woman¡¯s other side was a young woman that noah immediately recognized. eline. both she and the man wore matching brown leather armor. and that meant that the woman between them was ¨C


    ¡°magus evergreen,¡± moxie said, her words stiff and excessively polite. ¡°i¡¯m honored that you came all this way yourself.¡±


    ¡°i couldn¡¯t miss emily¡¯s final exam this year,¡± evergreen said with a flat smile. it reminded noah a lot of father, but there was a distinct difference. while father¡¯s features were literally devoid of emotion, evergreen just controlled hers incredibly well. the difference was subtle, but significant. evergreen¡¯s eyes shifted from moxie to noah.


    ¡°a pleasure to meet you, magus evergreen,¡± noah said, inclining his head without taking his eyes off her. ¡°my name is vermil.¡±


    ¡°so i have heard. i cannot say that i approve of your choice in partnership for emily, magus moxie,¡± evergreen said flatly. she put a hand on eline¡¯s shoulder. ¡°eline would be a much more suitable candidate for this exam.¡±


    ¡°thank you for your consideration, but i am confident that emily is more than capable enough to handle herself with the current lineup,¡± moxie said. ¡°she has been working very hard and has experience working with these students.¡±


    ¡°i didn¡¯t ask your opinion,¡± evergreen said flatly. ¡°emily, come¨C¡±


    ¡°no thank you,¡± emily said.


    evergreen and moxie both froze.


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry?¡± evergreen asked.


    ¡°i like my current team,¡± emily said. ¡°they¡¯re my friends. i¡¯d like to stay with them.¡±


    evergreen recovered almost instantly. as if emily¡¯s request hadn¡¯t bothered her in the slightest, she simply shrugged. ¡°i see. well, if you insist, then i will not stop you. it is your decision to make, emily. just remember that not all roads are equal. some lead to mountain peaks, and others to the underworld.¡±


    garrick leaned forward and whispered something into evergreen¡¯s ear. evergreen paused, then took a step back, her grip tightening around her staff.


    ¡°you keep vile company, magus moxie.¡±


    moxie blinked. ¡°magus vermil has been incredibly helpful in training emily. i know he is a linwick, but¨C¡±


    ¡°forget linwick,¡± evergreen said coldly. ¡°garrick has detected demonic energy around us. there is a demon in our midst.¡±

 Chapter 186: Bet

    chapter 186: bet


    you¡¯ve got to be kidding me. again? does everyone walk around with a damn demon-detector?


    noah shifted, his mind spinning into overdrive. lee hadn¡¯t reacted to evergreen¡¯s proclamation, but if someone had a way to sense demons, then there was a good chance that they were about to face a repeat of what had happened with the inquisitors.


    the best move would be to act before they could. there was no way he could kill evergreen, but garrick was the one that noticed him. if he could distract the man until lee escaped, then things could be handled more discreetly later.


    ¡°a demon? in the middle of arbitage?¡± noah asked, his eyes going wide in apparent shock. ¡°are you serious?¡±


    garrick¡¯s stance shifted and he drew a pair of long, jagged daggers from his belt. the air around him rippled ¨C and then he was gone.


    noah stiffened, spinning toward lee, but garrick wasn¡¯t there. there was a loud crack behind him and noah spun once more, only to see garrick slam to the ground. revin stood above him, a wry smile on his face.


    rolling back, garrick shot to his feet and lowered into a fighting stance. he watched revin warily.


    ¡°well, isn¡¯t that uncomfortable,¡± revin said with a laugh. ¡°i didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be traveling with an inquisitor, magus evergreen.¡±


    garrick vanished again. revin let out a heavy sigh. he reached out, his scythe dematerializing from where it was jammed into the ground and reforming in his hands. revin whipped the blade out, hooking it into the air to his side and yanking it down.


    the air bent around its blade and garrick was yanked down. revin had flattened the edge of the blade to keep it from cutting the man¡¯s throat, but the mercy ended with his knee as it drove up into garrick¡¯s nose, breaking it with a loud crack.


    garrick didn¡¯t even flinch. he thrust both of his daggers forward, driving them straight into revin¡¯s chest ¨C or rather, straight through it. his entire body passed through revin and he stumbled.n??v€l--?1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.


    ¡°slow,¡± revin drawled, hooking his scythe out and yanking garrick¡¯s feet out from under him. garrick fell, turning it into a roll and rising to his feet once more. a ripple of silver energy enveloped garrick¡¯s daggers and he faded once more.


    shadow burst from revin¡¯s chest as a dagger plunged into it. a second one carved through his head, but revin¡¯s body just molded around the blows. revin reached back, grabbing the air and driving his fist down.


    eline let out a startled gasp as garrick slammed to the ground with a grunt, ripped out of his invisibility once more.


    ¡°as fun as this is, i think we should probably stop,¡± revin said. he brought his foot down on garrick¡¯s wrist as the man tried to lift his dagger. ¡°there has unfortunately been a slight misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°you claim that you are not a demon, and that garrick¡¯s assessment was wrong?¡± evergreen asked, not looking particularly concerned for her compatriot¡¯s wellbeing.


    ¡°correct,¡± revin said.


    ¡°garrick¡¯s instincts have never been wrong before. you will not be able to bargain your way out of this.¡±


    ¡°well, he¡¯s not entirely wrong,¡± revin said. garrick vanished from beneath him, then reformed beside evergreen. he flexed his hand, then grabbed his nose and yanked it back into place with a pop. the blood running from his nose stemmed up as if the wound had never been there.


    ¡°entirely?¡± evergreen asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°there is in fact demonic energy present,¡± revin allowed. ¡°but i am not a demon. your good ¨C if slightly incompetent ¨C man has stumbled across my eye.¡±


    for the first time, noah noticed something in evergreen¡¯s expression change. ¡°your eye?¡±


    ¡°quite so. killed a demon some time ago, back in my younger days,¡± revin said, tapping his right eyebrow. ¡°damn thing took my eye out, though. so i took something to replace it. occasionally sets off inquisitors, but i can assure you that i am no demon.¡±


    garrick took a step forward. evergreen raised her hand, stopping him. eline stared at her in shock.


    ¡°can you prove it?¡± evergreen asked.


    ¡°gladly, if he has the capability to sense small shifts in energy,¡± revin replied. ¡°it¡¯s not like he can hurt me, so i¡¯d be more than willing to let him examine me. i¡¯d prefer an examination from a woman, though. i don¡¯t suppose you¡¯ve got one of those around?¡±


    ¡°good thing we are, then. so, what¡¯s it going to be? gonna let the girl lose a bet, or are you going to cover her ass?¡±


    ¡°eline is perfectly capable of making decisions for herself,¡± evergreen said, her eyes cold. noah almost felt bad for eline. evergreen hadn¡¯t even glanced back at the girl ¨C her eyes were focused on revin.


    she doesn¡¯t care what happens to eline at all. win or lose the bet, i think evergreen actually ends up learning more about revin either way. i¡¯m not so sure making any sort of bet with her is a good idea.


    ¡°i¡¯ll do it,¡± eline said glaring at revin. ¡°what are the terms?¡±


    revin rubbed his chin. ¡°let¡¯s see. you don¡¯t have a team, do you?¡±


    ¡°no, i don¡¯t. i won¡¯t need one.¡±


    ¡°good, good,¡± revin said. ¡°let¡¯s just keep things simple, then. pass the survival exam. if you do and james doesn¡¯t, you win. if he does and you don¡¯t, he wins. if you both do, then it¡¯s a tie. you said he¡¯s pathetic and you don¡¯t think much of his team, so this should be an easy win for you, right?¡±


    eline shrugged. ¡°fine. what do i get if i win?¡±


    ¡°what do you want?


    eline thought for a few moments. evidently, she hadn¡¯t expected revin to turn the question around on her. noah grimaced. judging by how eline had been looking to evergreen for approval, he got the feeling that he knew what she was going to pick.


    ¡°your eye,¡± eline said with a cold smile. ¡°you have to give it to evergreen if i win.¡±


    satisfaction flickered in evergreen¡¯s eyes for just an instant, but it never reached her features.


    ¡°oh, that¡¯s a steep price.¡± revin clicked his tongue and shook his head.


    ¡°so you¡¯re going to back out of it like a coward?¡±


    ¡°i never said anything of the sort. i just feel like you should be willing to pay something just as steep in return. for my eye ¨C well, considering evergreen herself was interested in it, i¡¯d say it costs a pretty hefty sum of gold, wouldn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°ten thousand gold?¡± eline offered.


    ¡°what a joke. ten thousand? absolutely not,¡± revin said with a snort. ¡°that¡¯s an amusingly low amount. do you think gold can buy true power at that price? no. i¡¯d say a hundred thousand, perhaps.¡±


    ¡°we have that,¡± evergreen said. ¡°it can be arranged.¡±


    ¡°no, i don¡¯t think so.¡± revin shook his head. ¡°this is a bet between me and eline, isn¡¯t it? can¡¯t have you interfering. eline doesn¡¯t have a hundred thousand gold, does she?¡±


    ¡°of course i don¡¯t,¡± eline said. ¡°what do you want, then? you¡¯ve clearly got an angle.¡±


    ¡°well, if you want me to be blunt, then i will be. you possess nothing worth what you ask for, so if you lose i will simply take the greatest offering you can give ¨C your life.¡±


    that¡¯s cold. he¡¯s going to kill her if she loses? that¡¯s going a step too far, isn¡¯t it? she¡¯s just a kid trying to show off and get her family head¡¯s attention.


    eline stood like a wet cat, her hands clenched at her sides. revin had perfectly trapped her in. the benefit of winning would be a massive boost to her standing with the torrin family, but the cost of defeat was ultimate. and, if she refused the bet, then evergreen certainly wasn¡¯t going to be seeing her in any favorable light.


    ¡°deal,¡± eline said, pressing her lips together. ¡°get ready to hand that eye over.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t think i will, but good luck,¡± revin said, chuckling. ¡°you¡¯re going to need it.¡±


    revin vanished into a wisp of shadow, curling up into the air and leaving no trace of his passing. the rest of them all stared at where he¡¯d been standing, silence ruling the air for just a few short moments.


    well, shit. just what we needed. even more things riding on this exam. at least it¡¯s going to be interesting.

 Chapter 187: Few hours

    chapter 187: few hours


    magus evergreen didn¡¯t let revin¡¯s disappearance bother her long. while james was busy trying to sink into his shoes and vanish, she shifted her attention back to moxie and tapped her staff on the ground.


    ¡°do you know that man, magus moxie? he was not in your reports.¡±


    ¡°he briefly caused us difficulty during training, but it was between reports. i do not have any further relation to him,¡± moxie said.


    ¡°and you?¡± evergreen¡¯s gaze flicked to noah.


    ¡°nope. his student is basically his polar opposite, so we don¡¯t have any issue with him working together with ours,¡± noah said with a shrug. revin had reinforced one incredibly important thing for him ¨C arbitage was a true neutral ground. if evergreen hadn¡¯t crushed revin on the spot for his impudence, then she definitely wasn¡¯t going to do anything if he spoke a little more freely. ¡°also, we¡¯re pulling a fair bit of attention with all the stunts we¡¯ve been pulling off.¡±


    eline looked over her shoulder. many of the other groups were staring in their direction, but they quickly averted their gazes before evergreen could catch any of them watching. evergreen shook her head.


    ¡°the weak will always gawk. eline, go begin your preparations. you already know the cost of failure, so i have no need to say anything further. emily, i would suggest that you and your team do the same. it will not be long before the exam starts ¨C and i wish to speak with magus moxie alone.¡±


    eline and garrick turned and left without even an instant of hesitation. emily¡¯s brow furrowed and she looked to moxie, who gave her a smile and nodded.


    ¡°good luck, in case we don¡¯t get to talk again before the exam,¡± noah said. ¡°i know you¡¯re all going to do great. just keep at what we¡¯ve been practicing.¡±


    ¡°we will,¡± isabel said with a sharp nod. ¡°don¡¯t do anything crazy while we¡¯re gone, please.¡±


    the four of them headed off into the crowd, leaving noah, lee, and moxie alone with evergreen. evergreen waited until all the students were well out of earshot before she spoke again.


    ¡°when i said alone, i meant without the two of you as well.¡±


    and leave moxie alone with you? absolutely not. the chances of you snapping her neck in a back alley are way too high. even with that flat expression of yours, you¡¯re nothing compared to father. i can tell you¡¯re seething at moxie letting emily associate with those you view as lesser.


    i need to keep evergreen¡¯s attention for long enough that she doesn¡¯t even remember that moxie is of interest until the test is complete and we find out how things have gone.


    ¡°are you sure?¡± noah asked, tilting his head to the side and mirroring father as best as he could. ¡°i¡¯d imagine we have much to discuss, magus evergreen. if we part ways now, we might not run into each other again any time soon, and then i¡¯d never get a chance to properly return this.¡±


    he reached into his bag and pulled out evergreen¡¯s scroll. noah loathed taking it out here, but now that he had confirmation that arbitage was a complete neutral ground, this was the perfect time to do it.


    i need something that will get her focus on me. besides, i suspect she would have spotted it pretty soon, even if she hasn¡¯t yet. evergreen was probably just waiting to see if i¡¯d pull it out, so this probably won¡¯t even surprise ¨C


    evergreen¡¯s eyes bulged.


    ¡°she has,¡± moxie said.


    ¡°i¡¯m of some mind to say that you¡¯ve already failed in your teachings because of the company you keep,¡± evergreen said, pointing the top of her staff at moxie. ¡°their ineptitude will rub off on emily. she may grow lax.¡±


    ¡°if emily is that easily corrupted, then she is no true torrin,¡± moxie said firmly. she held evergreen¡¯s gaze for several moments. a wry smile crossed evergreen¡¯s features and the old woman inclined her head.


    ¡°you are correct, which is why i will stay my hand for the time being. but let it be known ¨C i will not be pleased with mere success. emily must excel during this exam. if she does not, you will have failed.¡±


    ¡°then there will be no problems,¡± lee said, speaking up for the first time. ¡°emily has been trying really hard in training, and compared to the other students i¡¯ve seen, they¡¯re going to come out on top.¡±


    ¡°so long as nobody cheats,¡± noah added, watching evergreen¡¯s expression carefully. evergreen didn¡¯t give him the slightest hint of a reaction. she simply shrugged.


    ¡°cheating is only cheating if it is caught. emily will face challenges in life. if you are so blind as to believe that things always go as you wish, then emily has been led astray.¡±


    noah pressed his lips together. the urge to give evergreen a snarky response was strong, but this was one person he absolutely couldn¡¯t risk offending. she was just too powerful. father was a known evil, but evergreen was a complete loose cannon, and she had too much power over moxie¡¯s life to risk playing with.


    it¡¯s a bit odd that evergreen didn¡¯t notice her scroll when janice did it without any trouble, though. nothing to do but wait and see if i can figure out why, though. i can hardly up and ask her.


    ¡°i am certain you will find the exam¡¯s results satisfactory,¡± noah said. he paused for a second, then continued. ¡°does it not bother you that her success will mean eline¡¯s death, though?¡±


    evergreen tapped her fingers on her staff. ¡°eline is not part of the main branch. she is free to make her own decisions. if she acquits herself well in this exam and wins, then emily has truly been failed. if she does not, then i will be pleased with emily¡¯s performance and have nothing to be disappointed in. the weak must occasionally be culled in the pursuit of strength.¡±


    something tells me you¡¯d get along really well with father if you didn¡¯t hate each other¡¯s guts. say, you want me to set you up on a mystery date? you¡¯d love him. old and soulless, just like you. i¡¯d even provide some fancy wine.


    ¡°it will not be long until the exam begins,¡± evergreen said, pulling noah from his thoughts. ¡°since you have purchased my time, vermil, come with magus moxie and i. we shall observe the exam together.¡±


    wait, we can observe the exam? i thought we¡¯d have to sit around waiting to find out how it went.


    noah didn¡¯t have anyone to voice his question to. revealing that much in front of evergreen seemed like a remarkably bad idea, so he just fell in alongside moxie and lee as they followed after evergreen.


    in the distance, he saw a lanky man rise up into the air, standing aboard a flying sword. his robes fluttered in the air around him, and a serious expression was plastered across his sharp featured face.


    that¡¯s magus tenfort, the proctor who oversaw the previous exam.


    ¡°as you all should know, my name is magus tenfort. i¡¯ll be overseeing this exam once again. since this is the survival exam, teachers will not be allowed to accompany their charges,¡± tenfort¡¯s voice boomed. ¡°students, enter the transport cannon with your groups. i will meet you at our destination.¡±


    and, just like that, the exam had begun.

 Chapter 188: Rooting around

    chapter 188: rooting around


    evergreen brought the group to a large limestone building near the center of campus, but just far enough into it that noah had never seen it before. he¡¯d yet to have a chance to truly explore the entirety of arbitage ¨C though, even if he wanted to, finding out where every single thing was probably would have taken him months of dedicated work. the school was the size of a city, and even that might have been an understatement.


    a guard stood at the door of the building. he gave them a cursory glance as they arrived, but stepped to the side, clearly recognizing evergreen. they stepped inside and were greeted by a single, square room. a dozen beautifully carved marble doors ran along the walls.


    the floor of the building was tiled with smooth quartz, and there was only a single story. there wasn¡¯t any form of other decoration in the main room. it was completely empty aside from the doors.


    evergreen walked straight up to the door directly across from the entrance, and the rest of them followed her. before they even reached the door, it swung open soundlessly to grant entry into a smaller room.


    several soft, leather chairs were arranged around a large stone cube that floated ominously in the small room¡¯s center. noah resisted the urge to throw himself into one of them. lee had no such inhibitions and sprung into one of the chairs, vanishing for a moment as it sank beneath her.


    evergreen didn¡¯t seem to care. she just walked up to one of the other chairs and lowered herself into it. noah sat down beside lee, and moxie took the seat beside him. to his delight, the chair was as comfortable as it had looked. the door shut soundlessly behind them, and the room was plunged into darkness.


    it only lasted for a moment. warm yellow lights blinked to life along the floor, illuminating their room in a soft glow. the lights ran up one of the walls, illuminating two doors that noah hadn¡¯t noticed before. it reminded noah of the lighting in a movie theatre shortly before the show started.


    ¡°we can observe the exam from here,¡± evergreen said, leaning her staff against the table. ¡°it will likely be one of the shorter ones in recent years, but it still might go for some time. since you¡¯ve insisted on getting more involved in my affairs, vermil, i trust you¡¯ll have no objections.¡±??v€l-b!n.


    ¡°of course not,¡± noah replied easily. ¡°i¡¯m honored that you¡¯d share your viewing room with me.¡±


    where the hell are we supposed to watch, though?


    ¡°you paid for it with that scroll,¡± evergreen replied. ¡°and i¡¯m certain that this will be most enlightening.¡±


    noah repressed a shudder. he didn¡¯t like the tone of evergreen¡¯s voice, but having her focus on him was much better than if it was on moxie. he¡¯d handled father, and from what noah could tell, father was much more devious than evergreen.


    then again, he hadn¡¯t spent more than a few minutes talking with father at any point. noah kept his face placid as he looked around the room, desperately hoping something would break the awkward silence so he wouldn¡¯t have to keep talking to evergreen.


    his prayers were answered. the floating stone cube suddenly let out a hum. a line of light ascended from the ground, connecting to its base before washing out across its features in a bloom of color. a field of thick white took form, followed by sparsely scattered trees and a dim sun hanging behind a bed of clouds.


    and, standing in the center of the image, was tenfort. all around him, students popped out and appeared in the snow.


    ¡°observe two groups,¡± evergreen said, her voice raised and clear.


    the cube let out a hum.


    ¡°group one, eline. group two, emily,¡± evergreen continued.


    the screens on each side of the cube split, blurring as they shifted. on the left, an image of eline appeared. she stood, her arms crossed and alone, staring up at tenfort as he stood atop his flying sword.


    ¡°how do we prove that we defeated them?¡±


    ¡°the monsters will disappear once they receive critical damage,¡± tenfort replied. ¡°when they do, they¡¯ll drop a small token. hold onto that. it¡¯ll be your proof that you defeated the monster. i should mention that the tokens are individual ¨C if you¡¯re a group of four and you show up with three tokens, then the three with the tokens pass and the one without fails.¡±


    all the proof is just having a token? then that means defeating the monsters isn¡¯t the requirement at all ¨C having the tokens is. you could just attack another group or try to steal from them. there¡¯s no way arbitage overlooked that on accident. they¡¯re saying we¡¯re all enemies, and the structure is such that groups will turn on themselves if they can¡¯t get enough tokens.


    isabel exchanged a glance with todd, who inclined his head slightly to show that he¡¯d caught on to the same thing that she had.


    ¡°you guys caught that too, right?¡± emily asked in a low whisper.


    ¡°yeah,¡± isabel replied, matching emily¡¯s tone. ¡°the monsters aren¡¯t going to be the only things we have to worry about. honestly, they¡¯ll probably be the easiest part.¡±


    dull chatter rose in the snowy clearing as the other groups all whispered to each other. isabel doubted that tenfort¡¯s implication had gone past any of them. within a few seconds, everyone knew what the exam¡¯s true threat was ¨C each other.


    ¡°right then,¡± tenfort said. ¡°that¡¯s about it. you¡¯ll be here for seven days. you¡¯ve got until then to procure your tokens and then survive for long enough to turn them back in when the transport cannon pulls you back. pretty simple. is everyone ready?¡±


    he was once again greeted by silence. tenfort heaved a sigh.


    ¡°it¡¯s like talking to a crowd of ghosts. please link hands with your team members. do not let go until i¡¯m finished. once i am, you may consider the exam started.¡±


    isabel took emily and todd¡¯s hands, and they linked up with james. a second later, tenfort lifted his arms into the air. a loud gale filled the air and a swirling ball of wind erupted around them.


    none of them got a chance to react. the ball of wind jerked, somehow staying solid beneath their feet. it swirled so violently that it was impossible to see through the wall of magic, but isabel could tell it was moving them somewhere.


    todd yelled something, but isabel couldn¡¯t hear it over the howl of the wind. she just shook her head and focused on keeping a firm grip on todd and emily¡¯s hands. she wasn¡¯t sure what would happen if they let go, but she didn¡¯t want to find out.


    their surprise trip ended as quickly as it had started. the ball vanished in a whoosh, and they all dropped onto the snow. tenfort had deposited them on the side of a mountain, beside a small patch of thin trees.


    below them, isabel could see a sheet of endless white stretching out in every direction. it was broken by spotty forests and several other mountains scattered throughout it. the wind around them intensified. it was stronger up here than it had been in the flat area that they¡¯d arrived in.


    isabel pressed herself against todd, greedily stealing the warmth from his heat runes. it helped staved off the chill, but did little for the sharp wind.


    ¡°we should start by scouting out an area and setting up a temporary camp,¡± todd suggested. ¡°i don¡¯t think the side of a mountain is a great spot for that. it¡¯s too exposed. let¡¯s go look for a place to plan.¡±


    the trees around them creaked. isabel¡¯s brow furrowed. before she could say anything, they pulled free of the ground. snow sloughed down as a wooden form rose from the ground before them. it looked just like the root fiends that the professors had fought on the trip to the linwick estate, but only twice their height instead of being as tall as a mountain.


    isabel pulled from the ground, drawing stone up and encasing her body in it. evidently, they weren¡¯t going to get a chance to plan yet. the root fiend let out a creaky roar, two ice blue eyes lighting in its head as it looked down at the group.


    then it attacked.

 Chapter 189: Enjoyable Time

    chapter 189: enjoyable time


    noah watched the cube with rapt attention. he¡¯d thought that the students had been taught pretty well. they¡¯d been holding their own, especially during the last parts of their training.


    but now, as he stared at the eviscerated corpse of the root fiend, he couldn¡¯t help but feel like he¡¯d missed something.


    the monster had lasted about five seconds after its grand reveal before the kids descended on it like a pack of rabid rats ¨C rats with devastating magic. isabel had tackled the monster, driving it straight into a spike of stone that jutted up from the ground behind it.


    meanwhile, emily already had an arrow charging in her ice bow. isabel rolled out of the way an instant before emily fired, sending the arrow straight into its chest and ripping a hole through its body.


    the root fiend screamed in pain ¨C also demonstrating the cube¡¯s very impressive sound system ¨C just in time for todd to dart past emily. he¡¯d formed armor around one of his hands. with a battle cry, todd drove his fist into the root fiend¡¯s chest, even as it started to heal from the wound emily had left.


    with a thwump, todd¡¯s fist exploded. he leapt back as a ball of fire roiled out of the root fiend¡¯s mouth. if it hadn¡¯t tried to seal its wound over, the damage likely would have been far less severe. but, with nowhere to go, the flame was forced to expand throughout the root fiend¡¯s body instead of rushing out.


    wood splintered and shattered. the root fiend pitched back, crashing to the snow as the light in its eyes went out. the four students stared at it, barely even breathing heavily. james hadn¡¯t even gotten a chance to do anything.


    ¡°well, shit,¡± james said. ¡°how long have you been working together exactly?¡±


    ¡°just a few weeks,¡± emily replied, flicking a strand of hair away from her face. her attempt to avoid looking smug crashed and burned. ¡°i think we¡¯ve still got some room to grow, though.¡±


    ¡°are you kidding?¡± todd asked, rubbing his neck with a grimace before wiping the pain from his features. ¡°that was badass. if revin was here, i bet he¡¯d be salivating. we should probably keep moving, though. that made a lot of noise and someone might come to check it out.¡±


    ¡°hold on,¡± isabel said. ¡°the root fiend might drop a token, right?¡±


    they all paused for a few moments, watching it silently.


    ¡°don¡¯t think this one had a token,¡± james said.


    ¡°doesn¡¯t look like it,¡± isabel agreed. ¡°let¡¯s go, then. maybe there¡¯s a cave we can use. if not, i¡¯ll set up tents.¡±


    they all set off, trudging through the heavy snow. the cube ¨C or whoever was controlling it ¨C had some dramatic sense, because it let them leave the frame before it suddenly sped to catch back up with them.


    ¡°interesting,¡± evergreen mused, leaning back in her chair. ¡°acceptable teamwork.¡±


    ¡°acceptable? i¡¯d say it¡¯s a bit more than that.¡± noah sent a small frown evergreen¡¯s way. ¡°they worked like a real team. if you think that¡¯s just acceptable, then you should have seen them when they first got started. none of them knew how to work with other people.¡±


    evergreen tapped a finger on her chair, her eyes still on the screen. ¡°emily had no such difficulties. she is¨C¡±


    noah burst into laughter. evergreen¡¯s lips thinned and she turned to look at him. ¡°is something i said amusing, magus vemril?¡±


    ¡°yeah,¡± noah said. ¡°but i¡¯m going to piss you off if i say it. even though you can¡¯t do anything in arbitage, i don¡¯t really want to worry about having to kill all the assassins you send after me.¡±


    evergreen studied noah for several seconds, just long enough for the silence to grow uncomfortable. ¡°that¡¯s an odd way to phrase things. you¡¯re more worried about having to kill my assassins than the risk of dying yourself? arrogant.¡±


    a tiny spark of flame lit in the base of noah¡¯s throat.


    it erupted.


    smoke poured out of the vines, gathering on the ground before noah. swirls of fire flashed within it, gathering into a humanoid form in the span of seconds. it started hunched over, but straightened as features started to solidify on it.


    a cloud gray jacket, trimmed with dancing flames. ash-colored hands, burning from deep within with dull orange light. they ended in thin, pointed fingers that adjusted the top lapel of the jacket as the rest of a man came into being.


    his legs were bent in the wrong direction, his knee joints reversed. a lone, curled horn of a deep blood red color curled out of the side of his head, tiny motes of ash falling down from it as the last of his body solidified.


    ¡°finally,¡± the demon breathed, a tiny tongue of flame curling out from his mouth. ¡°do you have any idea how long i was trapped in there?¡±


    evergreen¡¯s eyes widened in shock and she leapt to her feet, grabbing for her staff. the demon spun, slicing his hand down through the air. a blade of ash ripped out, slamming the staff from evergreen¡¯s grip.


    it flew across the room and slammed into the wall. evergreen whipped a hand forward, sending a vine to reach for it, but the demon moved faster than noah¡¯s eyes could track. one moment, it was standing before noah. the next, it had appeared behind evergreen, wrapping its hands around her head.


    it yanked back, slamming her head into the seat of the chair with a crack. she crumpled like a puppet with its strings cut. the demon looked mildly surprised at how easily she¡¯d gone down. it glanced from evergreen to her staff, and a knowing smirk passed across its features.


    evergreen¡¯s bindings slipped away, returning control of noah¡¯s body to him. lee urgently tugged at his sleeve.


    ¡°we need to go. right now.¡± lee¡¯s voice trembled in terror.


    the demon turned back toward them, the smile on its face growing wider.


    ¡°nonsense. we only just got to meet face to face, after all. i couldn¡¯t possibly allow you to leave.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s a lie,¡± lee whispered. ¡°we¡¯ve met before.¡±


    ¡°oh, i wasn¡¯t concerned about you,¡± the demon said with a bassy chuckle. ¡°i remember you, little impling.¡±


    ¡°you know this thing?¡± moxie asked, swallowing heavily. her eyes flicked from the monster to evergreen, who still laid in a crumpled heap on her chair. the demon had knocked out a rank 6 mage in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°of course she does. she followed me out into the mortal plane after the original owner of that body summoned me,¡± the demon said, nodding to noah. ¡°imagine my pleasure when the moron failed to properly bind me.¡±


    the demon¡¯s face darkened and it took a step toward them, raising a thin finger and pointing at noah¡¯s chest. ¡°and imagine my fury when you arrived. when your cursed rune shredded my body and soul to pieces, just to use as fuel to bind you to this plane. can you even comprehend the agony of that? to be fragmented and scattered throughout another being¡¯s soul, unable to do anything but observe as they bumble through everything? i thought i would be doomed to that agony for eternity.¡±


    noah¡¯s spine froze as he finally put the last pieces of what he¡¯d been missing together.


    ¡°i healed your soul when i healed mine, didn¡¯t i?¡±


    ¡°so you did. and then it was only a matter of pushing you until you got angry enough to actually give me a moment to slip free,¡± the demon said, his smile stretching across his face until it was unnaturally wide ¨C rows of long, pointed teeth ran from one of his ears to the other, each glistening in the dim light. ¡°months i have waited, noah. i¡¯m going to enjoy this.¡±

 Chapter 190: Primal

    chapter 190: primal


    ¡°hold on there,¡± noah said, raising his hands defensively. the longer he kept the demon talking, the more time he¡¯d have to actually figure a way to get out of this mess. ¡°shouldn¡¯t you be grateful or something? it¡¯s not like i chose to do anything to you. that was the moron who originally had this body and, as you¡¯re aware, he¡¯s dead. i¡¯m a victim too.¡±


    ¡°a victim that has been very much enjoying all the extra room in his soul that he stole from me,¡± the demon growled. ¡°what, did you think your soul was naturally that large? you consumed mine! i can¡¯t even begin to think about how much damage you¡¯ve done. hundreds of years of work, ripped away and consumed by a novice that doesn¡¯t even know what runes are.¡±


    well, that explains that. i was wondering why my soul was so large. today really is one of answers.


    ¡°the same novice that healed you,¡± noah pointed out. ¡°there¡¯s no reason for us to be enemies, is there? it¡¯s not like i had any way to know that you were in my mind.¡±


    the demon¡¯s eyes narrowed and it took a step toward noah, running a glowing tongue along its sharp teeth. ¡°i don¡¯t care if you knew or not. i¡¯m not going to sit around and suffer months of torture in exchange for nothing. i¡¯ll be taking back what you took from me ¨C and with debt.¡±


    noah reached for his runes while they spoke. despite what he said, he didn¡¯t have any delusions that the demon was going to work together with him or become friends. he was pretty sure that only one of them was going to be leaving this room ¨C and judging by how quickly evergreen had gotten taken out, the scales weren¡¯t tipped in his favor.


    but, to noah¡¯s surprise, his mind brushed across something else. there was a ripple ¨C a wrinkle ¨C in his soul. it was subtle, but stuck out more than enough to catch his attention. it vaguely reminded him of a hangnail.


    the hell is this?


    noah sent a mental tendril into it. he felt his soul shift, and noah¡¯s heart dropped into his stomach at the chilling sensation that raced throughout his entire body. at the same time, the demon drew in a sharp gasp.


    ¡°what are you doing?¡± the demon hissed. noah saw it tense ¨C if it actually moved, there wouldn¡¯t be time for him to try anything else. it was fast. faster than noah¡¯s eyes, but not as fast as his thoughts.


    he yanked on the strange wrinkle. the demon let out a furious scream, stumbling mid dash. its hands flailed and it tripped over noah¡¯s chair crashing to the ground with a series of curses.


    it rolled to the side, leaping back upright.


    noah wrapped his mind even further around the wrinkle, isolating it and giving it another sharp tug. the demon let out a furious scream and motes of flame tore away from its body, flowing back into noah¡¯s mouth before he could stop them.


    ¡°wait. stop!¡± the demon snarled. ¡°stop. don¡¯t.¡±


    heat still tingled in noah¡¯s throat, but it didn¡¯t feel like the fire had hurt him. he wrapped his mind even more around the wrinkle.


    ¡°why?¡± noah asked. ¡°you were about to kill me. we¡¯re enemies, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°you rip that thread free and your whole soul will unravel, sending me with it into oblivion. don¡¯t kill us both, you damned fool.¡±


    noah raised an eyebrow. he glanced at lee out of the corner of one eye. ¡°is that a thing?¡±


    lee swallowed heavily, hiding partially behind noah to avoid making eye contact with the demon. ¡°i don¡¯t know. maybe? i¡¯ve never heard of something like this happening before.¡±


    ¡°moxie?¡±


    ¡°no idea,¡± moxie said. she edged closer to evergreen, then thought better off it and took a step back. her eyes were locked on the staff lying on the ground on the far side of the room. ¡°it¡¯s possible, but unlikely. i feel like you would have noticed if your soul was so abnormally large to the point where you could be mistakenly housing a rank 5 demon. i know it¡¯s large, but was it that big?¡±


    noah cleared his throat. ¡°let¡¯s put some specifics on that. how big is big?¡±


    ¡°how quickly do you normally heal from soul damage?¡±


    ¡°if i don¡¯t do anything? a few days.¡±


    ¡°a few¨C¡± moxie choked, tearing her eyes away from the staff and looking at noah in disbelief. ¡°days? what kind of monster are you?¡±


    ¡°one that was leeching off my soul,¡± the demon said. it shifted and noah wrapped his mind around the strand, giving it a gentle tug. it let out a curse and dropped to the ground, raising its hands into the air. ¡°stop that, you crazed bastard. we¡¯ll both slip into oblivion. you understand that, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°why should i trust you?¡± noah asked. ¡°for all i know, cutting this might just pull you out of my soul and leave me with everything. it¡¯s not like you¡¯ve got anybody that can vouch for you, and you were about an instant from ripping my throat out. how¡¯s that any different?¡±


    ¡°what do you even want?¡± noah asked. ¡°didn¡¯t you think this might happen when you came out? did you really just do this without any plan?¡±


    it was the demon¡¯s turn to look flustered. it cleared its throat. ¡°you don¡¯t get properly furious very often, and i was getting impatient.¡±


    noah¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°you called me dumb, but you¡¯re the one that just completely blew his cover like an idiot. it looks like we¡¯re at a complete impasse, but i¡¯m a lot more willing to kill myself than you are.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s very established. no need to remind us, we¡¯re all aware of your suicidal tendencies,¡± the demon said bitterly. ¡°fine. a rune oath, then.¡±


    there was a flicker in the demon¡¯s eyes, and a flicker of thought brushed against noah¡¯s mind. it was satisfaction ¨C but it wasn¡¯t his own. this was what the demon had been planning to do from the very start.


    ¡°stop that,¡± the demon hissed. ¡°don¡¯t probe my thoughts.¡±


    ¡°why not?¡± noah challenged. he tried to draw on the feeling further, pushing into the demon¡¯s head. ¡°you were doing it to me, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    there was a pop and the connection between them cut, leaving noah unable to feel anything more of the demon¡¯s mind.


    ¡°no rune oath,¡± noah said flatly. ¡°not when that was what you were aiming for from the start.¡±


    ¡°so, what? we just sit here until something comes along and kills both of us? brilliant plan.¡± the demon crossed its arms and raised a black eyebrow.


    ¡°no,¡± noah replied with a cold smile. ¡°you¡¯ve said it yourself. i¡¯m willing to die. you aren¡¯t. that means i hold all the cards. what we¡¯re going to do is sit here until you give up and go back into my head ¨C and then you stay there until we figure out a solution for all this.¡±


    ¡°you expect me to just... give up?¡± the demon demanded. it flickered, rising to its feet, and noah gave the wrinkle in his soul a warning tug. the demon cursed and took a step back. ¡°i will not go back to being an idle passenger. i refuse.¡±


    ¡°if i let you free, you¡¯re just going to slaughter people.¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re not even going to deny it?¡±


    ¡°why would i? i¡¯ve been so bored. you are an utterly boring mortal. if you partook in at least a few more primal desires, then maybe i¡¯d at least have something to enjoy. but no. all you do is sit around, fight, or fiddle with your damn runes. you barely remember to eat. you don¡¯t laze around. you don¡¯t act on lust. you barely even murder anyone. live a little, you boring little shit.¡±


    ¡°the afterlife has a way of wringing most of that out of you,¡± noah said flatly. ¡°get back in my head. this isn¡¯t a bargain. it¡¯s not a deal. it¡¯s a threat. i¡¯ve got bigger problems than you to deal with.¡±


    ¡°you are sorely mistaken about that,¡± the demon said. it paused for a moment, then ground its teeth together. ¡°will you at least be a little more interesting? i can sate myself and sit around if you do something, but i might actually choose to die if you keep at things like this.¡±


    ¡°like what? i¡¯m not going to go murder a bunch of people for no reason. aren¡¯t monsters enough?¡±


    ¡°killing to get stronger is boring. kill for the thrill of the hunt. revel in the slaughter.¡±


    ¡°no.¡±


    the demon sighed, then nodded at moxie and lee. ¡°what about having¨C¡±


    ¡°i am going to kill both of us.¡±


    ¡°damned plains,¡± the demon swore. ¡°alright. for now, i¡¯ll play by your rules. but don¡¯t take my surrender as a loss. you¡¯re ready today, but if you don¡¯t find a solution for this or figure out a way to keep me entertained, then you won¡¯t be able to kill yourself fast enough to keep me from taking your beloved friends with us. i will take something from you, noah vines. i already have, even if you haven¡¯t found it yet. the longer you push me to the side, the more i am going to take. best find a way to solve this issue soon ¨C or there won¡¯t be anything left to take.¡±


    the demon exploded into a pillar of ash and flame, swirling through the air and pouring into noah¡¯s mouth before he could react. it vanished an instant later, and he drew in a ragged breath.


    lee and moxie stared at him in concern.


    ¡°i¡¯m fine,¡± noah said, swallowing. somehow, he hadn¡¯t gotten burned by the demon¡¯s passing. that didn¡¯t particularly reassure him, though. evergreen stirred in her chair, letting out a low groan.


    ¡°i think we¡¯ve got more imminent problems to deal with.¡±

 Chapter 191: Entertaining

    chapter 191: entertaining


    ¡°should we kill her?¡± lee asked, watching evergreen warily. ¡°we aren¡¯t going to get another chance to do it if she wakes up. i can get rid of the evidence.¡±


    ¡°if evergreen dies, none of us are going to leave arbitage alive,¡± moxie said. ¡°it wasn¡¯t hidden that we left with her, and playing noah¡¯s low rank card isn¡¯t going to work anymore when people realize he¡¯s already at rank 3 after being a rank 1 just a few months ago. even if we somehow pulled the wool over the enforcers¡¯ eyes, the torrin family would kill all of us. there¡¯s no question.¡±


    ¡°what do we do, then?¡± lee frowned and looked away from evergreen. ¡°she saw way too much. we can¡¯t let that much information slip. i¡¯d suggest trying to force her into an oath, but if evergreen wakes up, i¡¯m pretty sure she can kill all of us.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not so sure,¡± noah said. something about evergreen was off. for a rank 6 mage, she was surprisingly not great at picking things up. there should have been no way that evergreen missed her scroll in his bag in the first place.


    janice had picked it up easily, and she hadn¡¯t even been searching for it. there was no doubt that evergreen was stronger than janice, so her failure to notice something that obvious grew odder the longer noah thought about it.


    if it had been just that, he might have been willing to pass it off as evergreen not paying attention. but then she¡¯d gotten taken out in the blink of an eye by a demon that was a rank below her.


    i know demons are strong, but is the strength disparity really that high? evergreen didn¡¯t even get a chance to fight back. i would have thought the fight would be much closer than that. something is off here.


    ¡°moxie, have you seen evergreen fight anyone before?¡±


    moxie blinked, then shook her head. ¡°no. why?¡±


    ¡°didn¡¯t she go down way too easy for a rank 6? the demon is supposed to be a rank 5 or the like. how could that be strong enough to completely defeat evergreen?¡±


    moxie opened her mouth, then paused for a few moments before letting it close, a confused expression passing over her features. she looked back to evergreen, brow furrowed. ¡°you¡¯re right. that is odd. the demon was really fast, but at rank 6, you should have enough magical energy in your body to protect you from a blow like that ¨C not to mention your domain.¡±


    ¡°do you think it¡¯s an imposter?¡± lee asked. ¡°if it is, we should eat her.¡±


    ¡°i think you¡¯re just hungry,¡± noah said.


    ¡°possibly.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s not an imposter,¡± moxie said with a firm shake of her head. ¡°not one that¡¯s working against the torrins, at least. evergreen knew too much ¨C and considering how perceptive garrick seemed to be, i highly doubt that a fake evergreen would have slipped past his nose.¡±


    ¡°not unless the evergreen that showed up here was never meant to be the real one in the first place,¡± noah said softly. ¡°family heads are pretty busy, aren¡¯t they? i was honestly surprised that evergreen was coming herself. i can¡¯t see father ever doing that, and evergreen doesn¡¯t seem like some paragon of love.¡±


    ¡°she isn¡¯t,¡± moxie agreed. she walked up to evergreen and peered down at the old woman¡¯s unconscious form, still not risking touching her. ¡°but she¡¯s very capable. more than capable enough to avoid a situation like this. i think you might be right. this may not be the real evergreen, but if it isn¡¯t, evergreen still sent them.¡±


    ¡°then who is it, and can i eat them?¡± lee asked.


    ¡°possibly,¡± noah replied. he joined moxie beside evergreen. ¡°did you notice that she seemed really focused on her staff? do you think¨C¡±


    grabbing the old woman by the shoulder, noah pushed her back down. he felt a little bad in doing what was essentially bullying an elderly person, but nothing he¡¯d ever heard about evergreen gave him any sympathy for the woman.


    ¡°i don¡¯t think so,¡± noah said. ¡°who are you?¡±


    ¡°what? are you a moron? i¡¯m evergreen. get your filthy hands off me, linwick.¡±


    noah¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°i¡¯m afraid i have reason to suspect that you are pretending to be magus evergreen for some nefarious purpose. as such, it is my duty as a professor of arbitage to ensure that you are who you claim to be.¡±


    ¡°what proof do you need beyond who i came with and my strength?¡± evergreen snapped, glaring at him with her silver-grey eyes. ¡°you have exactly one second to remove your hand from my shoulder before i sprout vines from every single pore in your body.¡±


    ¡°such a thing would certainly prove you are who you say you are,¡± noah said, a cold smile passing over his features. ¡°that would be within your bounds, i think. go ahead, magus evergreen. prove that you are who you say you are.¡±


    evergreen¡¯s eyes burned into noah¡¯s. nothing happened. his smile grew wider.


    ¡°unfortunate. moxie, i don¡¯t think this is magus evergreen. would you restrain her for me?¡±


    vines curled out from moxie¡¯s clothes, binding tightly around evergreen and pulling her down into her chair. her eyes smoldered with fury as she glared at them. ¡°idiots. you¡¯re making a mistake. i am evergreen.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s clearly a lie,¡± noah pointed out. he shook his head and nodded to the staff lying on the ground. ¡°you don¡¯t have any magic without that staff, do you? evergreen is a rank 6 mage, but you¡¯re weaker than a rank 1. i think you should shift your moves here a little ¨C instead of worrying about trying to trick us into thinking you¡¯re evergreen, you should be figuring out how to make us keep you alive. impersonating a powerful mage is grounds for death, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    evergreen pressed her lips together so tightly that they turned white. then she let out a slow hiss. ¡°magus moxie, remove the linwick from this room. this information is confidential.¡±


    ¡°no.¡± moxie shook her head. ¡°i don¡¯t have any way to know for sure that you¡¯re actually who you claim to be, and i need to ensure that any information you may have stolen from the torrin family doesn¡¯t get out. that means not taking any risks. as such, unless you have a way to prove that you are evergreen or work directly for her, i will have to assume that you are a threat.¡±


    evergreen¡¯s eyes shot back to the staff. ¡°give me my staff. i can prove¨C¡±


    ¡°not happening,¡± noah interrupted. ¡°your staff is clearly the source of the magic you were using. we aren¡¯t stupid. who are you, and what are your goals?¡±


    ¡°i will tell you nothing,¡± evergreen snarled. she jerked against her bonds, failing to move even an inch, then turned her glare toward moxie. ¡°you will bleed for this, moxie. throwing your lot in with a demon. pathetic. garrick will come for me and kill all of you.¡±


    noah and moxie exchanged a glance, both resisting the urge to look at lee. then they burst into laughter.


    yeah. there¡¯s no way this is evergreen. and that means i don¡¯t have to tiptoe around at all.


    ¡°i think you misunderstand your situation severely,¡± noah said, rubbing his chin. he took evergreen¡¯s face in his hands, forcing her to look into his eyes. ¡°this exam lasts for a week, and we¡¯re in a lovely room where nobody is going to disturb us. that means we¡¯ve got seven days to figure out exactly who you are and what your goals are.¡±


    ¡°insolent fool. you will get nothing. i will not spill the torrin family secrets to a demon.¡±


    ¡°still playing that angle, huh?¡± noah shook his head. ¡°no matter. what was it you said? ah, right ¨C i have it on good word that the exam this year will be very entertaining. settle in, magus evergreen. i¡¯ll do my best to make sure everything lives up to those words.¡±

 Chapter 192: Deal?

    chapter 192: deal?


    while noah, moxie, and lee tried to figure out what they were going to do with the presumably fake evergreen, the survival exam ground on. had noah been paying attention to the screen, he would have seen five root fiends descend upon isabel¡¯s freshly built shelter just moments after it had gone up.


    to the students¡¯ retrospect, it certainly seemed more than a little suspicious. it was supposed to be a survival exam, but monsters were coming out of nowhere specifically to attack them in the middle of a budding snowstorm.


    unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t any time to ask the root fiends questions. the group made it about a dozen paces before it was ripped to shreds by a colorful mixture of magic. their corpses were then subsequently dragged over to the shelter and used to build a wall that helped block out the wind.


    the storm intensified, beating down on their shelter. it held strong. for some reason, monsters continued to show up, even through the thick blanket of snow. all of them fell, and by the time noah had torn his attention away from evergreen for long enough to check up on everyone, he found that they¡¯d built a tiny fort from wooden bodies.


    in the meantime, noah had still yet to figure out how to get even a single speck of information from the fake evergreen. she had stubbornly resisted every single threat and offer he¡¯d made. it was like trying to wring water from a brick.


    to the old woman¡¯s great misfortune, however, was that noah wasn¡¯t in any huge rush. the survival exam was set to go on for several more days, and he didn¡¯t need to make any impulsive decisions right now.


    and that was how evergreen found herself bound to her chair, her mouth covered to keep her from complaining or screaming too loudly and her ears plugged with vines, while noah, moxie, and lee tossed ideas around.


    ¡°so eating her is off the table?¡± lee asked.


    ¡°not entirely, but probably a last place resort,¡± noah suggested diplomatically. ¡°we need to find out what evergreen was doing sending a fake. i think we can all pretty much agree that, given how much she knows about the torrin family, this is probably an intentional clone. we obviously can¡¯t let on that we believe that, though.¡±


    ¡°maybe evergreen was just lazy?¡± lee offered.


    ¡°she didn¡¯t have any obligation to come here in the first place.¡± moxie frowned and snuck a glance at the bound evergreen. ¡°it really doesn¡¯t make sense. this seems like a pointless risk. evergreen could have ignored this exam entirely. she hasn¡¯t shown up to any of the earlier ones.¡±


    ¡°some sort of political move, maybe?¡± noah suggested, tapping a finger on his knee. ¡°i can¡¯t imagine what it would be, though. she brought us to a secluded room after showing herself to the general public for all of a few minutes. that¡¯s hardly going to do anything, is it?¡±


    ¡°i can¡¯t imagine it would,¡± moxie agreed. she shrugged helplessly. ¡°i¡¯m resisting the urge to beat it out of the clone. you¡¯re a terrible influence, you know.¡±


    ¡°i have not once suggested beating evergreen¡¯s secrets out of her.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯ve been thinking it, though.¡±


    ¡°how would you know that?¡±


    ¡°are you not?¡±


    ¡°no, i totally am,¡± noah admitted. ¡°but i didn¡¯t say it out loud. what, can you read minds as well now?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s just easy to tell what you¡¯re thinking sometimes,¡± moxie replied with a smirk. it fell away when she remembered the situation they were stuck in.


    noah snuck a glance at the cube. eline was currently buried under a large snowdrift. she¡¯d dove into it to avoid the gaze of a large bird with sharp, metallic feathers as it flew overhead and had yet to emerge.


    ¡°more than enough to last us through the week.¡±


    ¡°great. then i¡¯m going to settle in and relax for a bit. evergreen isn¡¯t playing ball, so she can stew for the rest of the day. why don¡¯t we just watch the exam?¡±


    moxie shook her head, but it was clear that she didn¡¯t have any better suggestions when she flopped back into her chair and craned her neck back to look at the image on the cube.


    time ticked by. even though it had been noah¡¯s suggestion, he quickly found himself growing bored. the exam wasn¡¯t exactly the most riveting thing to watch ¨C why evergreen had wanted to rent out a room to observe it was beyond him.


    after the initial monster attacks, little had happened. eline eventually emerged from her snowdrift and started trudging through the field of white, her hands raised to try to keep the snowstorm from her eyes. isabel and her group just remained in their mini fort, completely unbothered by the weather.


    noah¡¯s attention quickly drifted off. without anything to do about evergreen and with the exam going well for the students, the only problems he had left to focus on for the time being were his own.


    he sank into his mindspace, hoping to check on the wrinkle in his soul and possibly find out if the demon had actually been telling the truth about their connection or not. the darkness of his soul swam out, swallowing the room as noah¡¯s runes glittered to life all around him.


    to his dismay, the wrinkle became immediately apparent. a winding spiral of reddish-black energy burned in the very center of his soul. tiny flecks of ash swirled above it, occasionally glowing molten.


    the ash swirled, gathering into a humanoid form. with a pop, the demon formed, sitting cross-legged upon the spiral with a bored expression on its face.


    ¡°well, hello. you came to visit much faster than i¡¯d expected.¡±


    ¡°what are you doing here?¡± noah demanded, his eyes narrow. he warily glanced at his runes, but they all looked correct. nothing had changed other than the demon¡¯s presence.


    ¡°did you not hear a single word i said when we were talking?¡±


    ¡°i know you claim to be integrated with my soul, but you were never here before,¡± noah pointed out. ¡°and, to be frank, i¡¯d like to keep things that way.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m sure you would,¡± the demon said with a wry laugh. ¡°unfortunately for you, i finally manifested enough power to carve out a little spot for myself. no, i¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t just be forgetting about me so easily. i¡¯m here to stay until something changes.¡±


    ¡°thrilling,¡± noah said, not letting his face show just how concerning the demon¡¯s words were. ¡°you¡¯re just here to annoy me, then?¡±


    ¡°trust me, if i had literally any other option, i¡¯d take it,¡± the demon said. it yawned, then rose to its feet. ¡°but, now that we¡¯re here, there¡¯s no point wasting an opportunity. i¡¯m bored, noah. and, as much as i despise you ¨C i¡¯m fascinated with your story. i¡¯ve only caught flashes of the biggest parts from your memory, but i want more. entertain me.¡±


    he kind of sounds like lee, if lee were a raging asshole.


    ¡°and why would i do that?¡± noah asked. ¡°i¡¯m here to get rid of you, not make you want to stay.¡±


    ¡°do you have a way to get rid of me?¡± the demon raised an eyebrow.


    noah sighed. ¡°no. that doesn¡¯t mean i¡¯m just going to do what you ask, though.¡±


    ¡°of course not. nothing in life is free.¡± a grin stretched across the demon¡¯s face and it held its hands out. ¡°care to make a deal with the devil, noah vines?¡±

 Chapter 193: Good questions

    chapter 193: good questions


    ¡°no.¡±


    the demon¡¯s eyes twitched. ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°why would i ever make a deal with you?¡± noah scoffed. ¡°you¡¯ve literally told me that you¡¯re actively trying to kill me. i have absolutely no reason to trust you enough to make a deal. it¡¯s pretty apparent you can¡¯t do anything to me from within my mindspace. if you could, you would have done it already.¡±


    ¡°bah,¡± the demon spat. ¡°you are a terrible bore. fine. how about a game from your own memories, then? quid pro pro.¡±


    ¡°trading questions? that brings back memories,¡± noah said. a grin flitted across his face and he shrugged. ¡°how do i know that you¡¯ll tell the truth, though?¡±


    ¡°you¡¯ve already felt my mind.¡± the demon tapped its head with a finger. a strange sensation washed over noah as he felt the demon¡¯s thoughts brush against his own. ¡°if we open our minds to each other when we answer questions, it¡¯ll be impossible to lie.¡±


    ¡°i see,¡± noah said. ¡°and what do you stand to gain from this?¡±


    ¡°is that your first question?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s the preliminary one if you want me to even consider doing this.¡±


    the demon sighed. ¡°the same thing you do. i¡¯m bored, and you have something that interests me within your mind. if i can break the tedium of being trapped within your boring body in any way, then i¡¯ll take it. how¡¯s that?¡±


    noah could tell that the demon wasn¡¯t lying. he could feel the demon¡¯s thoughts with every word, and they resonated with them. that didn¡¯t mean it was telling the whole truth, though. it was possible to leave off information without actually telling a mistruth.


    ¡°that¡¯s right,¡± the demon said with a chuckle. ¡°it¡¯s on you to figure out questions that will actually get you the answers you want. fun game, right?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll ask my question first,¡± noah said. ¡°what¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°why do you get to start?¡±


    ¡°because it¡¯s my damn mind. answer the question.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not giving you my true name,¡± the demon said with a shake of its head. ¡°i¡¯m not an idiot, vines. you aren¡¯t banishing me. i¡¯d rather die than get sent back to the damned plains.¡±


    ¡°then what the hell do i call you? i can¡¯t just keep thinking of you as a demon. it¡¯ll tarnish my opinion of the entire race.¡±


    ¡°you may refer to me as azel.¡±


    noah grimaced. ¡°that¡¯s it? i kind of expected the name to be... longer. i guess lee ended up with a short name too, but i chose that for her.¡±


    ¡°at least i¡¯m not named after a plant. my turn to ask a question. what is earth?¡±


    ¡°another planet. one without magic of any sort,¡± noah said, quashing the temptation to reply another word for dirt. he didn¡¯t like azel, but there was always the possibly that he could get some useful information out of their game. there was no reason to squander the opportunity.


    and, on top of that, a small part of noah didn¡¯t disagree with azel. he really was bored, and this was as good a way to kill time as any.


    ¡°back to me. do you know how we can take care of the fake evergreen in a way that doesn¡¯t get me, moxie, or lee in trouble?¡±


    ¡°not yet. maybe something will come to me.¡±


    ¡°some use you are.¡±


    ¡°i didn¡¯t say i had all the answers.¡± azel shrugged. ¡°your fault for asking a stupid question. how did you keep your memories of earth? everything before you died is a little spotty, but the entirety of the time you spent dead is a blank void. i can¡¯t see anything that happened during it, and i want to know why.¡±


    ¡°no clue.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not answering this.¡±


    ¡°you know,¡± azel ran a finger down the side of his face and gave noah a toothy smile. ¡°anger isn¡¯t the only emotion i can influence.¡±


    noah¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°don¡¯t you dare.¡±


    ¡°new game time.¡± azel clapped his hands together. ¡°or rather, i¡¯m amending the rules. we¡¯re playing with favors now. fail to answer a question, you owe the other person a favor.¡±


    ¡°there¡¯s absolutely no way i¡¯m agreeing to that.¡±


    ¡°is it getting hot in here, or is it just me?¡± azel fanned his face, his grin growing even wider. ¡°this is a threat, vines. play the game. if you do, i¡¯ll promise to leave that particular feeling off the table. how¡¯s that sound? i¡¯ll even throw in a little bait. i know how you can get out of your little situation with evergreen.¡±


    a moment passed. noah let out an exasperated sigh ¡°fine. i¡¯ll play. is that really going to be your question, though?¡±


    ¡°yep. there¡¯s not much to do in here but this, you know. how come you aren¡¯t having some fun?¡±


    ¡°because i¡¯ve got bigger things to deal with, and we don¡¯t need something like that getting in the way right now.¡±


    ¡°well that¡¯s a boring answer. no spice whatsoever.¡±


    ¡°spice? seriously? there¡¯s no way demons use that word like that.¡±


    ¡°i stole some lingo from your memories ¨C and that counts as a question, by the way.¡±


    noah cursed under his breath.


    ¡°so you aren¡¯t just being oblivious on purpose?¡± azel asked. ¡°curious. in that case, you wouldn¡¯t mind if i went after lee, would you? she¡¯s cute. a little weak, but hey ¨C we both know you can fix that.¡±


    ¡°absolutely not. stay the hell away from my friends.¡±


    azel wrapped his arms around his shoulder and faked a shiver. ¡°ooh, the fangs came out. protective, aren¡¯t you? i approve. how far would you go to protect them, though? you¡¯ve already killed.¡±


    noah¡¯s lips pressed thin. ¡°that was your question. how do i deal with evergreen?¡±


    ¡°break the staff at the end of the exam. the construct will shatter, as it¡¯s drawing strength from the caster through the staff. when it shatters, all the information its gathered will go with it. at that point, it¡¯s a simple matter of deciphering the runes on the staff to reform the construct. it¡¯ll be missing a bit of memory, but the sooner you do it, the less likely that anyone will notice.¡±


    that¡¯s... surprisingly simple, actually. except for the fact that i have no damn idea how to work the staff.


    ¡°my turn,¡± azel said with a wry smile. the demon knew exactly what he¡¯d done. if noah wanted to get the answer of how to use evergreen¡¯s staff, he was going to have to get through at least one more of azel¡¯s questions. ¡°between moxie and lee, which do you like more?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s a terrible question.¡±


    ¡°and that¡¯s a terrible answer. which one? i could see an argument for either,¡± azel mused, tapping his chin. ¡°lee¡¯s cute. really knows how to shift a somber mood into a happy one. pretty clever too. but there¡¯s a real solid case for moxie as well. she took care of you for a week. you couldn¡¯t see, but i did. girl was really worried about you. she¡¯s pretty as well. i like the hair and the confident attitude. real go-getter. can¡¯t go wrong either way, i say.¡±


    ¡°i want to know what your problem is,¡± noah growled. ¡°what does my love life have to do with anything?¡±


    ¡°if it doesn¡¯t matter, then the answer should be easy,¡± azel said with a smirk. ¡°just choose one and answer. if you had to chose between saving one or the other, which would it be?¡±


    ¡°both.¡± noah gave azel a flat stare, holding the demon¡¯s gaze without flinching. ¡°i value my friends equally. i don¡¯t know what you¡¯re playing at, but i¡¯m willing to bet you would have said something like oh, sweet. i¡¯ll just try to go after the other one, then about whoever i didn¡¯t choose.¡±


    azel put his hands together in a silent clap. ¡°good deduction, vines. i told you that you had the mind of a demon. you think just like us. what¡¯s your question, then? i¡¯ve got a lot more, and you won¡¯t be able to skirt all of them so easily.¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s your goal here?¡± noah asked. evergreen was important, but he also got the sneaking suspicion that azel didn¡¯t actually know how to work evergreen¡¯s staff. there was no logical reason to assume he did ¨C azel hadn¡¯t had a chance to look at it yet, and considering he was stuck sharing his head with the monster, it was a good idea to figure out what azel¡¯s endgame was. ¡°why are you asking me about this? i don¡¯t believe that it¡¯s just because you¡¯re bored.¡±


    ¡°ah,¡± azel said with a low chuckle. ¡°now you¡¯re getting to the good questions.¡±

 Chapter 194: Knock

    chapter 194: knock


    ¡°demons,¡± azel said, raising a finger into the air, ¡°are not like humans.¡±


    ¡°gee. enlightening,¡± noah grumbled. azel ignored him and continued speaking, adopting a lecturing tone that noah had used many times himself while teaching a class.


    ¡°we feed differently. we grow differently. we live differently. in short, we are better than humans.¡±


    ¡°certainly have bigger egos.¡±


    ¡°among other things,¡± azel agreed. ¡°lee already told you that demons are more closely bonded with their runes than humans are, which is why she was hit so hard when she ripped two of them out.¡±


    noah nodded, gesturing for azel to get on with it. the less time he spent here, the better. there was something about the demon that set noah¡¯s hair on end. even though he was fairly conversational, a portion of noah that was buried deep down within his chest screamed that azel was a predator.


    no matter how smooth azel talked ¨C not that the demon was particularly likeable ¨C he was still actively trying to kill noah.


    ¡°what lee didn¡¯t say is that there¡¯s a lot more to it than that. we don¡¯t eat the same way humans do. we can, of course, but it¡¯s more like a hobby than a real source of sustenance. what we truly survive on is emotion.¡±


    ¡°what, are you trying to convince me that lee is going to turn into a monster or something?¡±


    ¡°on the contrary. emotion is a wonderful thing. sure, there are a few real nasty ones like hatred that are just thrilling to play with, but not every demon consumes and controls the same types of emotion. take me, for example. my favorite emotions are anger and lust. they pair wonderfully together, i should mention. a clouded mind is an easy one to control.¡±


    lee didn¡¯t really mention that at all, but i¡¯ve never seen her trying to get any specific sort of emotion out of anyone. she¡¯s just... lee. i find it hard to see a hidden motive behind anything she¡¯s done. azel is full of shit.


    ¡°i like that look in your eyes, but you¡¯ve misunderstood me,¡± azel said. ¡°i¡¯m not going to correct you, though. it¡¯ll be much more enjoyable to watch you figure it out on your own. lee is stunted. her runes have seriously restricted her ¨C especially those shift runes.¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s wrong with her shift runes? i thought they were pretty good,¡± noah said.


    azel sent noah a withering glare. ¡°for someone that claims to care about his friends, you don¡¯t know much about them. but, either way, shift runes are almost pointless for a demon. we can already bend the way others see us. changing shapes is just an unnecessary add-on. lee could do everything she already does without them, meaning those runes are wasted.¡±


    noah leaned back. he could still read azel¡¯s mind, so he knew that the demon wasn¡¯t lying. but that meant lee really did have a lot of worthless runes. she¡¯d said that she got her runes from her parents, but that had also been when she¡¯d been pretending to be a skinwalker.


    ¡°are you getting at something with this?¡± noah asked.


    ¡°if you want more information, then you¡¯re going to have to pay for it. i don¡¯t give things out for free. i¡¯ll just leave you with this. once those runes of hers are fixed, there will be changes.¡±


    ¡°changes?¡± noah asked, his eyes narrow.


    ¡°you¡¯ll find out.¡± azel waved his hands and the cottage vanished, replaced by the empty void of noah¡¯s soul once more. he grinned, but it didn¡¯t reach his eyes. ¡°good job avoiding the question about evergreen¡¯s staff. i have no idea how it works, but i¡¯m sure you¡¯ll work something out. do try and keep things interesting for me, vines. you care so much about your friends. i love it. that means there¡¯s so much more to take.¡±


    annoying bloody demon. i can¡¯t afford to waste time thinking about stuff like this.


    ¡°it¡¯s nothing.¡± noah waved his hand dismissively. ¡°don¡¯t worry about it. and i¡¯m stuck with him in my head until i figure out some way to deal with things, so it¡¯s better to learn more about the enemy. either way, he said that the evergreen we¡¯re seeing is a construct. it¡¯s not a real person. she¡¯s powered through the staff. if we kill her and then use the staff, we should hypothetically be able to make a new construct that doesn¡¯t have the memories she¡¯s picked up.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re sure he told you the truth?¡± lee asked.


    noah nodded. ¡°i could read his mind while we were speaking. it was the truth. the problem is that i have no idea how to work evergreen¡¯s staff, and i don¡¯t know any imbuers that could help us.¡±


    ¡°fiddling with the staff on our own would be an exceptionally bad idea,¡± moxie warned. she paused to glance up at a fight playing out on the cube, then continued. ¡°evergreen or not ¨C this is definitely her staff. it¡¯ll be trapped and incredibly dangerous to try to activate, much less use.¡±


    ¡°right. and, if this is a construct, then we probably can¡¯t force it to tell us how the staff works,¡± noah said with a sigh. ¡°which means we have a strategy but no way to actually execute on it. any ideas?¡±


    both moxie and lee shook their heads silently. evergreen¡¯s construct glared at them from her chair, but nobody paid her any attention. moxie just waved her hand and covered her eyes once more.


    the relative silence was broken only by the sounds of fighting coming from the cube and an incessant knocking.


    a moment passed and noah¡¯s brow furrowed.


    knocking?


    ¡°does anybody else hear that?¡±


    ¡°hear what?¡± lee asked.


    ¡°the knocking.¡±


    they all fell silent for a second. sure enough, there was a frantic knocking noise coming from the other side of the door. the three exchanged a panicked glance.


    ¡°shit,¡± moxie muttered. ¡°so much for people not wanting to bother evergreen.¡±


    noah rose to his feet, calling on his runes as he approached the door. no matter who it was, if he couldn¡¯t get them to leave, then he had to make sure that they didn¡¯t see evergreen. if they did, that would be the end.


    ¡°hello?¡± a faint, familiar voice called from the other side of the door. ¡°i¡¯ve been knocking for like two minutes! let me in! you¡¯re ruining my cool entrance!¡±


    it only took noah an instant to realize who the voice belonged to. he turned back to the others, not sure if he should feel relieved or even more unsettled.


    ¡°what?¡± moxie asked in a hushed tone. ¡°who is it?¡±


    noah sighed. ¡°revin.¡±

 Chapter 195: Revincident

    chapter 195: revincident


    ¡°what is revin doing here?¡± moxie asked. ¡°get rid of him!¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t know if that¡¯s going to work,¡± noah replied. ¡°he¡¯s... persistent, if you haven¡¯t noticed.¡±


    a shadow started to poke out the bottom of the door. noah batted at it with his shoe, but it continued to push into the room. his foot just went straight through it.


    ¡°hello?¡± revin¡¯s voice called from within the shadow. ¡°it¡¯s not cool to ignore people, you know.¡±n??v€l--?1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.


    ¡°we were busy,¡± noah snapped. ¡°don¡¯t¨C¡±


    revin rose up from the ground, his tattered cloak swirling around him as he flourished. ¡°i have arrived!¡±


    ¡°come in,¡± noah finished.


    ¡°whoops,¡± revin said. he turned, then raised his eyebrows as he spotted evergreen in the corner of the room. ¡°whewh. didn¡¯t see that coming. old people are kinky. definitely didn¡¯t need to see that, though. i¡¯m not forgetting it anytime soon.¡±


    noah wasn¡¯t sure if he should reach for his runes and try to fight revin or just cry in despair. the man was practically a force of nature.


    ¡°what do you want?¡± noah asked with a defeated sigh.


    ¡°my all-seeing eye told me that you were in need of a genius,¡± revin replied, slicking his hair back and giving them what he likely thought was a badass grin. ¡°as such, i have arrived. i have to say, though ¨C not interested in whatever it is that you¡¯re doing to the old lady. not my style. i¡¯m young, wild, and free. no bindings.¡±


    ¡°please. stop talking,¡± noah begged. ¡°you are actively making this worse for all of us. and evergreen isn¡¯t¨C¡±


    actually, this monumental dumbass might actually think that evergreen is actually into this and isn¡¯t restrained against her will. maybe i shouldn¡¯t go about changing that. if we had to fight revin, i¡¯m not so sure we¡¯d actually win.


    noah locked eyes with moxie. a mutual feeling of shame passed between them, followed by a synchronized defeated sigh.


    ¡°don¡¯t tell anybody about evergreen¡¯s weird habits, please,¡± moxie said. ¡°it would go very poorly for the torrin family if people found out ¨C and no matter how strong you think you are, you aren¡¯t going to survive the whole family coming down on your head.¡±


    ¡°no problems there,¡± revin promised, giving them a thumbs up. ¡°i might judge, but i won¡¯t share. that wouldn¡¯t be cool. i really hope the reason you needed me wasn¡¯t because she¡¯s into voyeurism, though. that¡¯s a step too far.¡±


    noah took a moment to steady himself. revin had a miraculous talent for making the situation worse with every single sentence that came out of his mouth. it was starting to go beyond the level of bad and into the one of impressive.


    ¡°that¡¯s not what our problem is,¡± noah said. ¡°actually, if you could ignore her, that would be best for everybody involved.¡±


    ¡°you should have said that earlier,¡± revin said. ¡°done. she¡¯s ignored.¡±


    ¡°you think it¡¯s a bad idea to let him hang onto evergreen¡¯s staff?¡± lee asked. ¡°it¡¯s a weapon that¡¯s meant to simulate powers of a rank 6. i feel like that¡¯s going to get abused in the wrong hands.¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t make me think about it, please,¡± moxie begged. ¡°maybe we can just blame everything on him if things go poorly. i bet people would actually believe us.¡±


    noah burst into laughter. ¡°there¡¯s a thought. if things come to it, then maybe revin will have saved us by sticking his nose so far into the crime scene that he ends up becoming the primary suspect.¡±


    ¡°nothing we can do about it now,¡± lee said with a shrug. she set the cake down on the table and held two squished handfuls of it out to noah and moxie. moxie sent a vine out, pulling the cake from lee¡¯s hand and tossing it into her mouth.


    might as well.


    noah took the cake from lee as well, trying not to laugh. she¡¯d mushed it into a ball, but cake wasn¡¯t exactly the most cohesive food in the first place, so it could have been worse. it still tasted good when he ate it, but he couldn¡¯t shake azel¡¯s words as he chewed.


    what emotion does lee need?


    ***


    the next two days passed quietly, though noah suspected he gained five pounds from all the sweets they ate. he wasn¡¯t a huge fan of sweet food, but lee kept handing it to them and neither he nor moxie had the heart to refuse. besides, it belonged to evergreen, and noah took more than a small measure of petty satisfaction in spending her money.


    for better or for worse, revin had not returned since the first day of his arrival. there hadn¡¯t been much to do but watch the survival exam and eat. as with the first day, the students were doing great.


    several more waves of monsters had attacked their growing fortress, but none of them had managed to get through. james, true to his promise, had found a way to blend seamlessly in with the others. all of them were doing fantastic ¨C but there was a problem that became more apparent with every passing day.


    ¡°they haven¡¯t gotten a single token,¡± noah said with a deep frown.


    ¡°and look how many monsters have gone after them,¡± moxie added, her tone troubled. ¡°that isn¡¯t normal. they¡¯re getting targeted, and someone¡¯s making sure that monsters that have tokens don¡¯t go anywhere near them. someone is cheating.¡±


    ¡°figures,¡± noah growled, pushing up from his chair and pacing around the room in irritation. ¡°i guess we should have expected that. but what can we do about it? would complaining even solve anything?¡±


    ¡°no.¡± moxie shook her head and clenched her fists at her sides. ¡°the complaint for emily would go through evergreen, who i suspect is probably involved in this whole thing. and unfortunately, i don¡¯t think isabel or todd are going to be heard out. james might have a little pull, but knowing what we know of revin...¡±


    ¡°yeah. probably not,¡± noah agreed. he sat back in his chair and leaned back, furiously tapping his fingers on his knee. ¡°damn. this is ridiculous. if it keeps up, there¡¯s no way they¡¯ll be able to leave their fort. it¡¯s a great strategy, but it doesn¡¯t account for having to find a useless mcguffin. isn¡¯t anyone going to point out how shameless this shit is? arbitage can¡¯t be that corrupt.¡±


    ¡°i think the problem this time might be emily,¡± moxie said with a sad sigh. ¡°or rather, evergreen. she¡¯ll just claim she was pushing her protegee to work harder to prove she deserves her spot as eventual head of the torrin family. everyone will think that¡¯s very honorable of her.¡±


    ¡°would she really go that far just to make eline win the bet?¡± lee tilted her head to the side and stuffed another handful of cake into her mouth. despite having eaten the most out of all of them, she didn¡¯t look even slightly different ¨C nor had she slowed down in her war against all confectionary.


    ¡°no,¡± moxie said. ¡°that¡¯s what¡¯s confusing me. there¡¯s no way evergreen would intentionally screw emily over this hard. it¡¯s one thing to prove that i¡¯ve failed in my duty, but this is going too far. something else is going on.¡±

 Chapter 196: Stepping around

    chapter 196: stepping around


    despite revin¡¯s promise, he didn¡¯t return on the third day. noah and moxie were both so focused on trying to brainstorm what evergreen¡¯s plans might have been that they barely even noticed.


    lee spent most of the time eating and occasionally tossing in a suggestion, but the majority of them either involved just trying to kill their way out of the problem or forcing evergreen to eat food until she gave in and started answering questions.


    that was tempting, but noah wasn¡¯t so sure evergreen¡¯s construct was going to give in to torture via food. regardless, he wasn¡¯t really looking to get started down that particular route. if he was going to force information out of somebody, there were a lot less disturbing ways to do it.


    most of the ones that come to mind involve killing myself in one way or another, though. i might really need to do something about that.


    ¡°i just don¡¯t get it,¡± moxie said, leaning back and running her hands through her hair with a groan. they¡¯d been thinking for the majority of the day, sustained on snacks from evergreen¡¯s cupboard, and had yet to gather a single possible reason why evergreen would be sabotaging emily¡¯s exam ¨C or at least, a reason that made sense.


    ¡°we could always try asking the fake evergreen,¡± lee said, pointing at the bound construct with a cinnamon-coated breadstick. ¡°she¡¯s got some of evergreen¡¯s memories, so she definitely has to know at least something about what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s not a bad idea,¡± moxie admitted. ¡°but i don¡¯t know if she¡¯s ever going to speak. if noah¡¯s pet demon is correct, i don¡¯t think a construct is going to give the slightest amount of care about what we do to it. i¡¯m not even sure it¡¯s got feelings beyond what evergreen wants it to feel.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure i¡¯d call azel my pet. more like a parasite. the construct is clearly running on its own though,¡± noah pointed out, pursing his lips and scratching the side of his nose. ¡°surely evergreen put in some sort of failsafe to make sure that the construct didn¡¯t give anything too important away though, right?¡±


    ¡°only one way to find out,¡± moxie said grimly. ¡°i¡¯d say we¡¯re well past the point of trying to find a different way to do things. are we certain the construct doesn¡¯t have some sort of emergency signal that¡¯ll go off if it dies?¡±


    ¡°like the hellreaver?¡± noah asked, wincing. ¡°i certainly hope not. maybe we should arrange for a little extra deniability. lee, do you think you could take on evergreen¡¯s appearance and walk out of the room, letting some people see you before finding somewhere private to escape?¡±


    ¡°sure,¡± lee said. she stuffed the last of her breadstick into her mouth, swallowing without even chewing once, and wiped her hands off on the bottom of her shirt. a ripple passed over her skin and she shifted, her chape morphing into that of evergreen¡¯s.


    ¡°convincing,¡± moxie said with an approving nod. ¡°you¡¯re not going to have the staff, though. hopefully nobody notices that, because it¡¯ll be a bit suspicious. evergreen usually has it on her.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll be fast,¡± lee said with a grin. it looked rather unsettling coming from evergreen¡¯s wrinkled, normally disapproving face. ¡°nobody can pull me aside and ask questions if they don¡¯t get a chance to actually talk to me.¡±


    she slipped out of the room and pulled the door shut behind her. noah and moxie watched the door for a moment.


    ¡°i don¡¯t think lee should have much trouble. it¡¯s unlikely that anyone really strong is going to be looking around specifically for evergreen. considering how evergreen had a whole room prepared specifically for this, i¡¯d imagine that other people are probably doing something similar.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s probably true,¡± moxie said with a nod. ¡°i¡¯ll release evergreen¡¯s construct now, then.¡±


    the vines holding evergreen¡¯s eyes and mouth shut pulled back. evergreen was still glaring at them. that was fairly impressive, since it had been at a day since moxie had last uncovered her. if anything, it just proved their theory that she was a construct even more. no human could just permanently stare, no matter how pissed they were.


    ¡°you¡¯ve been stewing there for a while. more willing to speak to us now?¡± noah asked, but he didn¡¯t expect evergreen¡¯s construct would be any more willing to speak to him now than she had been before. if she was a lifeless robot, then it wouldn¡¯t matter how long he kept her tied up. she¡¯d be the same every single time.


    ¡°the torrins will kill both of you,¡± evergreen spat. ¡°once they hear of what has happened here¨C¡±


    ¡°they won¡¯t,¡± noah interceded. ¡°we¡¯ve gone over this already. we don¡¯t have any way to know you are who you say you are. it¡¯s clear you aren¡¯t the real evergreen. you aren¡¯t human at all. it¡¯s unfortunate, you know. if you had any way to communicate with whoever you¡¯re working for, i¡¯m sure they¡¯d have shown up by now already ¨C unless they already wrote you off.¡±


    ¡°i am magus evergreen, idiot. i always have been. free me this instant.¡±


    broken record much?


    ¡°too bad you¡¯ll never be able to report all the information you¡¯ve gathered,¡± noah said, tapping his chin and tilting his head to the side. ¡°i¡¯d be willing to bet you need your staff for that. whoever you work for is never going to know what we¡¯ve learned here. too bad for them. it¡¯s been pretty important.¡±


    evergreen¡¯s eyes flickered, and noah kept a grin from touching his lips. if he had wanted to make a construct to gather information, the most important thing he could imagine ordering it to do would be to ensure that it delivered everything it learned, no matter what the cost was. that was its entire purpose, after all.


    and, since evergreen¡¯s construct had learned that there was a rank 5 demon just sitting in his head, noah was pretty sure that the construct had learned enough to desperately want to report back to evergreen. if it had any weaknesses in its logic, then they¡¯d probably lie in her desperation to finish the report.


    what he didn¡¯t expect was for evergreen to give him one last look, then suddenly stop moving as if she¡¯d frozen solid. her eyes went glassy and her entire body stiffened. noah poked her. evergreen¡¯s body didn¡¯t feel any different. she¡¯d just shut down.


    ¡°oh, i already did,¡± revin said. ¡°that was the first thing i worked out. i just wanted to wait until you asked if it was possible first. feels better.¡±


    noah let out a sigh. ¡°i can¡¯t tell if i hate you or love you. should i ask why you¡¯re helping us, or am i going to regret it?¡±


    revin tilted his head to the side. ¡°you¡¯d probably regret it.¡±


    ¡°great. i¡¯m not going to, then. want to commit some crimes and plumb through her head to figure out what the real evergreen was thinking?¡±


    ¡°trust me when i say that i would nothing more,¡± revin replied, flourishing the staff and pointing it at evergreen¡¯s clone with a maniacal grin. ¡°behold the efforts of my labor. it might take some time to get her to answer the big questions, though. give it patience. she¡¯ll likely resist at first, and we may need to try to find ways to word questions to get actual answers.¡±


    the tip of the staff shuddered. lines of dull green light shot down its length, burning with a faint glow. evergreen¡¯s body twitched. matching lines covered her form, crisscrossing over her skin. her eyes lit the same green and her head snapped toward revin.


    ¡°go ahead,¡± revin whispered. ¡°ask something. just don¡¯t be disappointed if the first question gets ignored or skipped.¡±


    ¡°what are evergreen¡¯s true motives with the survival exam?¡± noah asked.


    ¡°i am unaware,¡± the construct replied in a wooden tone.


    ¡°warned you,¡± revin said.


    ¡°hold on,¡± moxie stepped up beside them. ¡°emily or her team are being targeted in this exam, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    ¡°she just said she was unaware.¡± noah frowned, but even as he spoke, he realized the flaw in his question. moxie pointed it out an instant later.


    ¡°no, she said she was unaware of evergreen¡¯s motives.¡± moxie turned back to the construct. ¡°are you working for magus evergreen?¡±


    ¡°i am not.¡±


    ¡°plausible deniability,¡± revin said with a knowing nod. ¡°clever. she can claim she had nothing to do with this.¡±


    ¡°who are you working for?¡± noah tried.


    evergreen stared at him. she didn¡¯t say a word.


    ¡°don¡¯t think that one¡¯s going through. we could go through a list of everybody we know, but i suspect that wouldn¡¯t work either,¡± moxie said with a sigh. ¡°what was the purpose of sabotaging emily and the others?¡±


    ¡°to draw evergreen¡¯s attention to the events unfolding at arbitage and distract her.¡±


    the back of noah¡¯s neck prickled.


    i¡¯m starting to think that this construct may not be from the torrin family at all.


    ¡°distract her from what?¡±


    the construct¡¯s face twitched. it opened its mouth, but something was different. the wooden expression vanished, replaced by a cold, calculating look in its eyes. moxie noticed it as well, and she flicked her hand. a vine whipped around evergreen¡¯s head, covering her vision as the construct spoke once more.


    ¡°that would be none of your concern. this is most interesting. i wasn¡¯t expecting someone to meddle with this part. who are you?¡±


    ah, shit. i think we might have stepped into something we shouldn¡¯t have.

 Chapter 197:

    chapter 197:


    ¡°the better question,¡± noah said, keeping his magic at the ready to call on in an instant if he needed it, ¡°is who are you?¡±


    evergreen¡¯s construct snorted. it pushed against the vines, trying to turn and get a look at him, but moxie¡¯s magic held strong. ¡°i¡¯d be more than willing to have a chat. if you managed to take out the construct, you¡¯ve clearly got some degree of skill. perhaps our goals might align.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not opposed to finding out. start talking,¡± noah said.


    ¡°uncover my eyes. i won¡¯t be saying anything to a person i can¡¯t even see. it¡¯s basic respect to look your verbal opponent in the eye.¡±


    yeah, that¡¯s not happening. if you want to see again, that probably means you didn¡¯t catch what all of us looked like. if i¡¯m lucky, you didn¡¯t catch what any of us look like at all.


    ¡°i¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to be keeping things like this,¡± noah said. ¡°it shouldn¡¯t impede our discussion, though. i have no love for the torrin family. if you tell me who you are, then i¡¯d love to show up in person and have a proper talk with you.¡±


    evergreen¡¯s construct chuckled. ¡°that¡¯s an interesting offer. i refuse. i can give you a location, though. neutral ground. we both show up and talk under our own power. how¡¯s that sound?¡±


    ¡°depends,¡± noah replied, thinking furiously as he tried to figure out what the mystery presence¡¯s goal actually was. he highly doubted it actually cared about him taking out evergreen¡¯s construct. ¡°i¡¯d be willing to talk if you tell me a bit about what¡¯s going on with the exam.¡±


    ¡°why would i do something like that? i¡¯m not going to give you information for free, my dear friend. now, if we were to meet in person, i could be persuaded to be much more benevolent.¡±


    moxie pressed her lips together, but remained quiet. noah didn¡¯t need to read her thoughts to know that they were thinking the same thing.


    this person is bad news. there¡¯s absolutely no way i¡¯m going to meet them anywhere.


    so far, it looked as if whoever had taken over evergreen¡¯s body didn¡¯t know that there were other people in the room, so they¡¯d probably covered her eyes in time. either that or they were just pretending not to know that anyone else was there ¨C but noah wasn¡¯t sure that would have served any purpose.


    damn it. i can¡¯t actually press for specifics about the exam because it would reveal what students i¡¯m interested in. but, if i take the angle of being interested in what happens to the torrins rather than students in general...


    ¡°if the attacks on the torrin family are just a distraction, then you must be after something else,¡± noah said. ¡°an artifact in the torrin¡¯s possession, maybe? i never viewed evergreen as a very caring person, though. if you were planning to get her attention, then you¡¯ll probably have to do quite a bit more than just throw a few worthless monsters around.¡±


    evergreen¡¯s construct smiled. ¡°of course. little emily is doing a surprisingly decent job at holding out. i¡¯ll have to send her my appreciation, but i have absolutely no plans of sharing anything more in this manner of communication. are you quite certain that you won¡¯t meet me somewhere?¡±


    ¡°where would you want to meet?¡± noah asked, stalling for time more than anything else.


    ¡°let¡¯s see ¨C you¡¯ve got to be in arbitage. how about¨C¡±


    there was a loud crack. noah flinched back as revin brought the staff down on evergreen¡¯s head, caving it in. her entire body rippled like a pond that had a rock thrown into it. then with a pop, the construct shattered into dozens of green, glowing shards that faded away into the air.


    noah stared at revin in shock. ¡°what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°saving you from making a mistake,¡± revin replied, lowering the staff.


    ¡°the hell does that mean? i wasn¡¯t actually going to meet the person. i just wanted to keep them talking until they let something more useful slip.¡±


    ¡°trust me. it was a bad idea,¡± revin said.


    ¡°do you know something that we don¡¯t?¡± moxie asked.


    ¡°i always know more than i let on.¡±


    noah and moxie both squinted at revin.


    ¡°was that just an attempt to sound cool?¡± noah asked suspiciously.


    moxie nodded. ¡°revin, you should probably leave as soon as you make her again.¡±


    ¡°probably for the best,¡± revin agreed. ¡°i really don¡¯t want to spend more time around the old woman than i have to. i¡¯ll be watching james win the bet from elsewhere. we¡¯ll talk again.¡±


    he used the staff to create evergreen¡¯s clone once again, then set it down on the ground behind her. revin turned into a pillar of shadow and sank into the ground, slipping out from under the door and vanishing just as evergreen¡¯s eyes snapped open.


    she looked around in confusion, then spotted the staff on the floor and grabbed it, looking from noah to moxie with a guarded expression.


    ¡°you okay, magus evergreen?¡± noah asked. ¡°you were staring off into space for a few moments.¡±


    evergreen shook her head. ¡°i¡¯m perfectly fine. i don¡¯t need a linwick asking after my health. what are you doing in my room?¡±


    ¡°you invited me to watch the exam with you and magus moxie,¡± noah replied. he pointed up to the cube, where emily and the others were currently fighting their way through a swarm of root fiends.


    the other screen showed eline sitting at the base of a tree, hugging a bag of tokens to her chest. she¡¯d easily gathered more than ten, so she¡¯d more than passed the exam so long as she didn¡¯t get killed or lose the tokens before it ended.


    ¡°i ¨C right. of course.¡± evergreen¡¯s brow furrowed and she sat back in her chair. the construct did a great job of hiding its thoughts, but noah could see her trying to figure out where things had left off. if the construct had been human, noah suspected it would have probably wondered more about the missing time.


    instead, evergreen just looked up to the screen and fell silent. noah and moxie exchanged a glance before doing the same. none of them had been paying much attention to the events of the exam as of late, but it looked like not much had changed.


    there were only a few days left before it was over, and none of the team had gotten a token. noah had also yet to see any signs of karina, but there was nothing he could do other than watch how things unfolded.


    once this thing is over ¨C


    something prodded noah in the leg. he suppressed a swear and glanced down. a tendril of shadow slithered back into the ground before a small booklet popped out of the ground, bouncing against noah¡¯s shin.


    he glanced at evergreen, but she wasn¡¯t paying him any attention. noah knelt down and grabbed the book, flipping it over to look at the cover.


    formations for morons, by revin the all-seeing


    noah nearly let a laugh slip out but caught himself at the last second. revin, despite his absolutely insane personality, seemed like a pretty decent person. he slipped the book into his jacket and prepared to settle in and watch the exam.


    no sooner than he had started to relax did a furious knock echo through the room. noah jumped to his feet.


    ¡°that¡¯s probably lee,¡± noah said quickly as he walked over to get the door. ¡°she went out to get some food.¡±


    he pulled the door open. sure enough, lee stood on the other side, in her normal form. she opened her mouth and noah quickly clapped a hand over it. he shifted his body to the side and nodded to evergreen.


    lee¡¯s eyes widened and she nodded her understanding. noah released her and ruffled her hair, just in case evergreen had noticed his sudden motion. he didn¡¯t need the construct to get suspicious of anything again. getting the staff away from her would likely prove to be difficult.


    ¡°get your food?¡± noah asked, closing the door behind her.


    ¡°yep,¡± lee replied with a cheerful grin. ¡°how¡¯s isabel¡¯s group doing?¡±


    ¡°same as they have been,¡± noah said, shaking his head and heading back over to his chair together with lee. they both sat down and looked up at the screen, each doing their best to not look too suspicious.


    when noah was certain that evergreen wasn¡¯t watching, he glanced at lee and arched an eyebrow. she gave him a thumbs up.


    well, we¡¯ve got an excuse if she ends up dead for good. otherwise, that¡¯ll be what we use to pretend she got mind controlled or something. it could help shift the blame for her missing memories if or when anyone comes digging for that.


    noah leaned back, turning his attention to the cube and chewing his lower lip in thought.


    if someone¡¯s sending a bunch of extra monsters after the kids, how are they going to pass the exam? they¡¯re going to need to figure out some way to get through the horde and locate four token bearing enemies. things are looking pretty bad if nothing changes in the next few days. i guess all i can do is wait and see, though. a lot can change in a few days.

 Chapter 198: Wot

    chapter 198: wot


    two more days passed exactly as the previous two had. isabel¡¯s team carved through the hordes of monsters attacking them with surprising efficiency, but if anything, that only made noah even more worried.


    if someone was trying to screw with the exam, they could have easily sent something stronger after emily. instead, they were sending monsters that were a threat, but weak enough for the four students to handle as long as they remained within the fort they¡¯d constructed.


    they¡¯re trying to keep the kids in the same spot. but what¡¯s the point? just to wear them out until the exam ends? even if they lose, they¡¯ll have put on a pretty damn impressive performance. i just don¡¯t get it.


    the monsters didn¡¯t care if noah understood their motivations or not, though. they just kept going. meanwhile, eline was steadily gathering tokens by stealing them from the other contestants. she hadn¡¯t been successful with every single one of her targets, though.


    she¡¯d gone after edward, who noah hadn¡¯t seen since they¡¯d arrived at the linwick estate, but he¡¯d erected a huge shield around himself that eline was unable to break through. after a few failed attacks, eline had sprinted off in search of a new target.


    initially, noah had been confused as to what eline was aiming for. but, as the days had passed, the scope of her plans became much more apparent.


    there were a limited number of token-bearing monsters. every token that eline collected was another student that didn¡¯t pass the exam ¨C and it was working, as far as noah could tell. fewer teams had tokens when eline stole their bags, and there were certainly going to be less available for isabel¡¯s group if they ever broke free of the monsters sieging them.


    ¡°this is completely unfair,¡± lee said, glaring at the screen. ¡°it¡¯s blatant cheating!¡±


    ¡°survival is not always fair,¡± evergreen said emotionlessly. ¡°some will always have it harder than others. emily should be able to persevere, even in the face of adversity. if she can¡¯t, then she has not been trained as a proper heir.¡±


    grouchy old bat.


    ¡°i think there¡¯s a difference between survival and an active force clearly trying to screw you over,¡± noah said, crossing his arms. ¡°lee is right. this is blatant. how many teams are even going to pass with eline stealing all the tokens?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t care.¡± evergreen shrugged. ¡°if anyone is unable to pass, then the only person they can blame is themselves. i have no sympathy for weakness.¡±


    noah glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. despite her words, evergreen¡¯s eyes were focused on the screen. he wasn¡¯t sure if she wanted to see emily pass or fail, but there was no doubt in his mind that she wanted something. evergreen was far from uninvested in the results of the exam.


    ¡°didn¡¯t we already see that tree?¡± lee asked, pointing up at the cube. noah followed her finger to the image of eline as she pressed through the snow. the storm had lessened, but it was still falling around all the students.


    ¡°which one?¡± noah asked. ¡°i¡¯ll be honest, they kind of all look the same to me.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not seeing it either,¡± moxie admitted.


    ¡°no, we definitely just saw it,¡± lee insisted. ¡°it¡¯s one of the trees that isabel and the others passed while they were heading up the side of the mountain to set up their camp.¡±


    noah sent lee an impressed glance. ¡°you memorized that? from just a glance?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s a tree,¡± lee replied, as if that should have made everything obvious. even evergreen gave lee a doubtful look, but she didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°it does sound like eline¡¯s getting closer to fighting,¡± noah said, tilting his head to the side. ¡°lee might be right. she¡¯s pulling up on our students.¡±


    ¡°why would she bother doing that?¡± lee shook her head in confusion. ¡°they don¡¯t have any tokens. eline is just wasting her time with them. all she has to do to win at this point is sit around and survive.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re assuming she was in on the sabotage,¡± noah said, a small smile passing across his face. ¡°but if she had no idea and thought things were playing fairly, then finding emily¡¯s group and stealing their tokens is absolutely the right move to do.¡±


    ¡°so she¡¯s basically putting her chances of victory at risk because she¡¯s making the smart move.¡± moxie chuckled and eyed noah. ¡°that sounds like the exact opposite of what you would normally do.¡±??v€l-b!n.


    the bald man scratched the side of his head. ¡°so prickly. one of life¡¯s great duties is to be kind to those you meet.¡±


    ¡°if you do not leave, then i will assume that you are a threat and act accordingly,¡± tenfort warned. ¡°you will not be told again. depart this area. i am a rank 6 mage, and i will exert the full force of my strength against you.¡±


    ¡°please don¡¯t,¡± the bald man said wearily. ¡°i¡¯m just passing through. when you say bastions, you mean cities, right?¡±


    ¡°i mean bastions,¡± tenfort said flatly. he held a hand out and metal slithered down his arm, forming into a curved blade. ¡°you are out of warnings. i don¡¯t know what your goals are, but i told you the consequences of ignoring me.¡±


    tenfort blurred. metal swirled in his wake, carving through the air toward the bald man. there was a brilliant flash of pink light and tenfort shot back, streamers of pink smoke curling up from his arm.


    he righted himself, staring at the bald man in disbelief.


    ¡°as i said, we got off on the wrong foot. i understand you¡¯re doing some... important, ritual, perhaps? i don¡¯t know. i¡¯m just looking for the nearest large city. i have some questions to ask.¡±


    ¡°who are you?¡± tenfort demanded. he shook his arm off, but the pink smoke remained on it. there was no sign of his sword, and when tenfort raised his hand again, nothing happened. ¡°what did you do? this is impossible.¡±


    ¡°bah. backwater empires,¡± the bald man said, massaging his brow. ¡°this is why you were locked up, you savage. does that badge on your cloak imply that you¡¯re a rank 6 mage?¡±


    ¡°what else would it¨C¡±


    the bald man snapped his fingers. tenfort vanished, launched through the sky like a pink comet. noah didn¡¯t even see what had happened. one moment, tenfort had been there. the next, he was gone.


    ¡°what in the damned plains?¡± moxie breathed. ¡°tenfort is one of the strongest enforcers in arbitage. whoever that is has to be at least a rank 6, then.¡±


    ¡°we need to get the kids out of there,¡± noah said. ¡°evergreen, how can we get them?¡±


    evergreen didn¡¯t get a chance to respond before tenfort flashed through the air, shooting back from where he¡¯d been thrown. he slammed into the bald man, driving a glowing sword straight into the man¡¯s chest.


    blood sprayed from the wound and the two of them plummeted from the sky, crashing into the ground below. the snow around their landing area exploded up all around them, obscuring them for an instant.


    no more than a second later, tenfort and the bald man shot back out of the snow. the bald man had tenfort by the collar, and a brilliant ring of pink light shimmered around them. it didn¡¯t look like tenfort had been wounded, but his body was stiff as ice.


    ¡°you¡¯ve got a degree of strength, but i¡¯m not here to fight,¡± the bald man said, shaking tenfort slightly. ¡°my name is ferdinand. i have come on behalf of the great church of repose. once you answer me, i¡¯ll be on my way. i have no desire to harm any of you.¡±


    the pink ring around them shattered, and tenfort regained control of his body.


    ¡°i don¡¯t know any of what you¡¯re talking about,¡± tenfort growled. ¡°what do you want?¡±


    ¡°i have come to¨C¡±


    the rest of ferdinand¡¯s sentence was lost to the wind. black energy rippled through the air where he¡¯d been standing as he shot off, blurring through the sky. a distant mountain peak at the edge of the screen exploded, leveled in less than an instant.


    for the briefest second, noah saw a woman flying in the air where ferdinand had been, black magic curling away from her fist. then she was gone.


    ¡°what in the damned plains was that?¡± todd asked, his bewildered voice coming from the screen and voicing every single one of their thoughts.

 Chapter 199: When?

    chapter 199: when?


    for several seconds, nobody spoke. tenfort floated where he¡¯d been left in the air, staring in the direction of the rubble that had once been a mountain. todd and isabel exchanged glances, then looked to emily.


    a similar scene played out in evergreen¡¯s viewing room. even evergreen¡¯s construct looked completely baffled.


    ¡°did two fighting rank 6 mages just stumble across the exam?¡± lee asked.


    ¡°i think so,¡± noah said, blinking. ¡°it sounded like the first guy was here for something, though. weird coincidence.¡±


    ¡°does this mean the exam will be canceled?¡± moxie asked with a concerned look.


    ¡°they may end the exam in its current state. it¡¯s already been going for several days,¡± evergreen said.


    noah¡¯s hands clenched at his sides. if the exam ended now, then isabel, emily, and todd would all fail. james presumably would too, unless he¡¯d managed to get his hands on a token while he was invisible.


    eline was so close to them, but if they didn¡¯t know she had the tokens, then it wasn¡¯t going to do them any good. luckily, it looked like isabel had come to the same conclusion.


    ¡°todd,¡± isabel whispered, the screen still picking her voice up clearly, ¡°this is pretty bad. the exam might get called if people that strong are in the area.¡±


    ¡°shit,¡± todd muttered. ¡°we still don¡¯t have any¨C¡±


    ¡°which means now is our chance,¡± emily interrupted. ¡°everyone¡¯s distracted, and tenfort can¡¯t just have the cannon reactivate to pull us back early. they¡¯ll have to pull everyone, and that should take at least a little bit. if we can find a group of students or some monsters, we¡¯ve still got a chance to snag tokens before everything goes to shit.¡±


    ¡°great. where?¡± todd asked. ¡°has james come back yet?¡±


    the air behind todd rippled. he spun as james appeared behind him, wiping some snow from his forehead and flicking it to the ground. todd suppressed a curse.


    ¡°can¡¯t you make at least a little noise, man? you scared the shit out of me.¡±


    ¡°literally?¡± james asked.


    ¡°what? no.¡±


    ¡°good. that¡¯s happened to me a few times. revin does the same thing, but he always says i¡¯m too loud.¡±


    ¡°not sure i¡¯d go around admitting that,¡± todd said with a curt laugh. ¡°and revin is delusional, i didn¡¯t hear a thing. did you see¨C¡±


    ¡°yes. and yes, i found something.¡±


    ¡°really?¡± emily asked, her eyes going wide. ¡°where?¡±


    ¡°there¡¯s a girl heading in our direction. she¡¯s got a giant bag slung over her shoulder, and it¡¯s stuffed full of something. i have no idea what, but it was pretty bulky and she looked confident. it¡¯s possible she¡¯s collected a bunch of tokens.¡±


    ¡°seriously?¡± emily grabbed james by the shoulders. ¡°where? what direction?¡±


    ¡°from the really patchy trees,¡± james said, slightly flustered from how close emily was. he looked like he couldn¡¯t decide between trying to throw her arms away and hide or just sitting there and accepting it. ¡°she¡¯s not doing a good job of hiding at all. you should see her pretty soon.¡±


    good shit, james. but... eline wasn¡¯t coming from the trees.


    noah glanced over to tenfort¡¯s screen, but the proctor was still staring at the rubble of the mountain in disbelief, trying to figure out what had happened. based on how easily ferdinand had defeated tenfort, noah suspected tenfort wasn¡¯t in any rush to get close to the mages. it was probably only a matter of a few seconds before he made his final decision.


    ¡°they can¡¯t,¡± isabel said, a cold smile on her face. she reached into the bag and pulled out four tokens. two tendrils of stone wound out of the ground and snagged eline¡¯s feet, taking advantage of her shock to bind her in place.


    ¡°we aren¡¯t rank 1 anymore.¡± todd smirked. ¡°that would be lame, wouldn¡¯t it? could you imagine?¡±


    eline tugged at her feet, then bared her teeth. ¡°if you think i¡¯m just going to¨C¡±


    todd¡¯s fist slammed into her stomach again and eline doubled over, the air knocked from her lungs. his second blow caught her in the head and she crumpled to the ground, unconscious.


    ¡°don¡¯t monologue while you¡¯re trapped,¡± todd told eline¡¯s body. ¡°that¡¯s just bad form, really. honestly though, rank 2 is such a significant improvement from rank 1. i feel so much stronger. didn¡¯t feel it when i was practicing against you guys.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s because we were also rank 2,¡± isabel said dryly. a small frown passed her features. ¡°if she loses the bet, doesn¡¯t that mean revin kills her?¡±


    noah blinked.


    rank 2? when did all of you hit rank 2? sneaky little buggers. they didn¡¯t even tell me.


    ¡°maybe we should leave her a token?¡± todd offered, nodding down to eline.


    james appeared beside him, and todd let out a slew of curses.


    ¡°don¡¯t do that,¡± james said, his face deadly serious. ¡°revin will take it really, really poorly if you interfere with his plans. she lost. she doesn¡¯t deserve the tokens. besides, going unconscious is basically a loss.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not so sure i want her blood on my hands. defeating someone in a competition is different from killing them,¡± emily said.


    ¡°revin won¡¯t kill her. probably.¡±


    ¡°are you sure?¡± emily asked.


    james hesitated for a moment before nodding. ¡°it¡¯ll be fine. the other girl left, by the way. hightailed it the moment eline went down.¡±


    ¡°weird.¡± isabel frowned, then shrugged. ¡°no weirder than half the other things we¡¯ve dealt with, though.¡±


    todd¡¯s rock armor fell away and he pressed a hand to his neck, letting out a slow hiss through clenched teeth. ¡°you think we should be worried about the mage screwing with tenfort?¡±


    ¡°why bother?¡± emily asked with a laugh. ¡°either he kills us or he doesn¡¯t. there¡¯s nothing we can do about it.¡±


    the others nodded. noah leaned back, rubbing his eyes and staring at the screen.


    ¡°that¡¯s your fault, you know,¡± moxie said. ¡°the lackadaisical view toward life, that is. they should be terrified.¡±


    ¡°they¡¯re effective. being frozen in place helps nobody.¡± noah¡¯s hands were clenched so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. ¡°but when is that idiot proctor going to get the kids out of there? they¡¯re going to get killed in the crossfire.¡±


    ¡°maybe tenfort has something to do with the attack that launched ferdinand away?¡± moxie offered. ¡°he hasn¡¯t moved for a while, so maybe things are under control.¡±


    noah blinked. that was a possibility. tenfort had been still for almost a minute now, just staring in the direction of the ruined mountain. there was a good chance that he was somehow associated with whatever had attacked ferdinand.


    ¡°yeah, you must be right. i can¡¯t imagine what else he¡¯d be doing.¡±


    but... seriously, when did the kids hit rank 2?

 Chapter 200: Panic

    chapter 200: panic


    tenfort, rank 6 mage and the strongest enforcer in arbitage, was panicking. he¡¯d been a rank 6 for forty-three years, and had just managed to form two rank 6 runes ¨C three less than the headmaster, but still more than enough to put him on even footing with some of the most powerful mages in the arbalest empire.


    he could even stand against some of the strongest family heads ¨C but, against ferdinand, he¡¯d felt like he was a fly fighting a giant. whoever the man was, he was at least as strong as the headmaster.


    shit. if i was alone, i¡¯d get out of here and never come back, but i won¡¯t abandon the students. the transport cannon doesn¡¯t have any way for us to reset the timing on the recall, so we¡¯re stuck here for the next few days. i won¡¯t leave, but i just don¡¯t know if there¡¯s going to be much i can to do defend anyone against a monster like that ¨C much less the woman that attacked him.


    tenfort squinted at the rubble of the former mountain, trying to figure out if he could make anything out within it, but there was nothing. the two mages were there somewhere, but he had no idea where.


    and, as long as he could avoid it, tenfort had absolutely no plans of trying to find out. he vastly preferred himself alive.


    tenfort pressed a hand to his collar, pushing in on a small button. it shattered, and a streak of energy flashed out of it. he was pretty certain that someone had already observed the strange mages, but he wasn¡¯t going to take any risks. the rest of the enforcers would be called to the exam grounds as soon as they felt the distress signal ¨C if they weren¡¯t already on their way.


    shaking his head, tenfort drew a deep breath and steadied himself before raising his voice, amplifying it so that it could be heard anywhere within the testing grounds.


    ¡°students, the exam is over. take cover immediately. if you are found fighting from this point onward against any other students, you will be expelled. instructors will be coming to aid you shortly.¡±


    ***


    ¡°i¡¯m honored,¡± ferdinand said, waving a cloud of dust away from his face. gentle swirls of pink energy surrounded his body like a school of fish. the woman standing across from him watched silently, her dark robes rippling in the wind.


    he knew who she was ¨C though, if ferdinand were entirely honest with himself, he wasn¡¯t feeling honored in the slightest. the woman standing across form him was well known to the church of repose ¨C garina, one of the apostles. he¡¯d seen drawings of her more than enough times to recognize her, but seeing the woman in true was different. the only difference between the images he¡¯d seen and the true woman was a spiked collar around her neck.


    her impossibly pale skin stuck out in stark contrast to her clothing. if ferdinand didn¡¯t know better, he would have assumed that she were already dead. the only color on her face were her blood red lips, which were pressed together in displeasure.


    ¡°and i don¡¯t even know who you are,¡± garina said. she spat on the ground. ¡°i know your make, though. church of repose. what are you doing here? you know the laws just as well as any other.¡±


    ¡°my passings are none of your concern,¡± ferdinand said, brushing some dust from his shoulders and straightening his white robes. ¡°i could ask you the same, for that matter. i¡¯m rank 6. by the laws, i am still allowed entry. you, on the other hand, are not.¡±


    ¡°i enforce the law,¡± garina said, her face unflinching. ¡°don¡¯t try to quote it to me. i was there when it was written.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m well aware of how old you are,¡± ferdinand said. garina¡¯s eyes narrowed in annoyance at the jab, and he repressed a grin. the church of repose did not encourage self-indulgence, and he was pretty sure garina would kill him if he smiled.


    ¡°then i suggest you leave before i send you back to your church in pieces.¡±


    ¡°i break no laws by being here. even if you bend it for yourself, you can¡¯t break it for others. by what manner am i being expelled?¡±


    ¡°following you.¡±


    ¡°why?¡±


    ¡°because i can. this empire is my territory, and you¡¯re encroaching on it,¡± garina replied with a wry smile. ¡°if you haven¡¯t broken any laws yet, then all i have to do is wait until you do. something tells me it won¡¯t take long. i hope you weren¡¯t planning on playing along until the last moment, then grabbing whatever you came here for and running with it to escape my judgment.¡±


    ferdinand swallowed. that had pretty much been his plan to the dot.


    ¡°surely you wouldn¡¯t waste so much time¨C¡±


    ¡°oh, i absolutely would. i love wasting time.¡± garina bared her teeth in a smile that made it impossible to tell if she was telling the truth or being sarcastic. either way, it looked like she wanted to rip ferdinand¡¯s throat out with her suspiciously sharp canines.


    she had him in a corner. if he refused, then garina would be able to easily justify her suspicion of him, and ferdinand suspected he wouldn¡¯t leave the arbalest empire alive. but, if she came along, then it would be impossible to do anything without her figuring out his true goals.


    bah. it hardly matters. there¡¯s no way that the person the goddess is searching for is in this horrid backwater empire. i¡¯m sure one of my brothers or sisters will find them, and then i¡¯ll be able to leave once i get the news. i just have to tolerate this she-demon tailing me until she gets bored.


    in the end, i just need to make sure she doesn¡¯t figure out what we¡¯re searching for.


    ¡°i... would be thrilled to have you along,¡± ferdinand said with a weak smile.


    ¡°so, where to? harassing weak mages again?¡±


    ¡°certainly not. they already told me what i needed,¡± ferdinand lied. ¡°i think i¡¯ll investigate the woods.¡±


    ¡°the woods.¡± garina gave him a flat stare.


    ¡°yes. they look very nice. you¡¯re certain you want to accompany me?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve always wanted to have a picnic. i hope you packed sandwiches.¡±


    ferdinand, in fact, had two sandwiches he¡¯d prepared that morning tucked into his travel supplies. he swear the bag got heavier as garina¡¯s eyes landed on it, but he dismissed the thought. she¡¯d just made a lucky guess. he refused to give her the satisfaction of putting him off guard.


    he set off, heading in the opposite direction of the rank 6 mage. with every step ferdinand took, he could feel garina¡¯s cold breath on the back of his neck.


    this might be the worst assignment i¡¯ve ever gotten.

 Chapter 201: Life

    chapter 201: life


    the survival exam wrapped up quickly. everyone who had a token passed, and those who didn¡¯t failed. it wasn¡¯t exactly fair, but few things were. whoever had been trying to sabotage emily¡¯s team had either given up on their attempts or had succeeded in their goals, because no more hordes of monsters showed up.


    eline was extracted by an instructor, and noah didn¡¯t get any further looks at karina either. he¡¯d have to do something about her, but that was a problem for later.


    maybe she¡¯ll just forget i exist. it¡¯s not like i need father¡¯s permission to marry anyone, so i really don¡¯t give a shit about what he wants. father and i have a truce anyway. i doubt he¡¯ll blow it over this.


    ¡°so? how did emily perform?¡± lee asked, making a remarkable smug cat impression as she looked at evergreen through squinted eyes. ¡°she won, and even with a siege of monsters trying to defeat her every second of the exam.¡±


    ¡°only up until the rank 6 mages showed up,¡± evergreen said, but there was a note of begrudging respect in her voice. ¡°she did acceptably.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯ve got no complaints, then?¡± lee pressed.


    evergreen turned her gray eyes onto lee. ¡°no. i do not.¡±


    ¡°maybe you should have some compliments instead,¡± noah suggested. he knew he was pushing it a little, but the way that the torrin family treated moxie had been grinding on his nerves for some time now. demon influence or not, they needed to learn some respect for people that worked under them. ¡°considering you were going to literally kill moxie if she failed, i feel like there should be some reward for her success, no?¡±


    evergreen¡¯s lips pressed thin and she interlaced her fingers, raising an eyebrow. ¡°you are the most presumptuous weakling that i have ever met. you act as if you are my equal, but your strength is like that of a small bug compared to mine.¡±


    like a cockroach, to be exact.


    ¡°that doesn¡¯t make me any less correct.¡± noah shrugged. ¡°i¡¯m not telling you how to run your family, magus evergreen. but, in my experience, when one rules with only a stick and no honey, then they¡¯ll eventually find themselves facing down someone with a bigger stick ¨C and there won¡¯t be anyone that¡¯s willing to help you. not every problem can be dealt with through fear and punishment.¡±


    ¡°and what would you have me do? award someone for ¨C what, completing the job that was already required of them?¡± sarcasm dripped from evergreen¡¯s words.


    ¡°that sounds like a brilliant idea!¡± noah beamed at evergreen. ¡°i was going to suggest just saying ¡®thank you¡¯, but a monetary reward would be a great idea. how much are you going to give moxie, and do i get some of it as well because i helped train emily?¡±


    evergreen ground her teeth. ¡°i was exaggerating. i will do no such thing. if i reward every single cog that turns when it is meant to, then the entire system will grind to a halt. moxie has accomplished her task. there is no need for anything else. she is satisfied¨C¡±


    ¡°actually,¡± moxie said, looking somewhat surprised to be speaking, ¡°i¡¯d like some time off. i¡¯ve been tutoring emily nonstop for years. first before arbitage, and now at it. i haven¡¯t had any time to work on myself properly in a long time.¡±


    evergreen studied moxie for several seconds. her lips pursed and she let out a sigh.


    ¡°very well. your continued growth is required in order to continue training emily. you will be given the break months off. is that acceptable?¡±


    ¡°perfectly,¡± moxie replied. she hid her smile, but noah knew her well enough to recognize the flash of satisfaction in her eyes. ¡°thank you for your kindness.¡±


    evergreen grunted. she pushed herself to her feet with the aid of her staff and, shaking her head, walked over to the door. ¡°come. we must greet emily upon her return.¡±


    ¡°i wouldn¡¯t dream of missing it,¡± noah said, falling in behind evergreen alongside moxie and lee.


    the three retraced the steps they¡¯d taken a few days ago ago, heading back to the transport cannon as the students started to arrive from within it, heading down the stairs at the cannon¡¯s base and settling in around the courtyard.


    ¡°we¡¯ll figure out what was going on,¡± moxie promised, stepping in for noah since he was clearly distracted. she clapped emily on the shoulder and gave her a firm nod. ¡°you did well. all of you did.¡±


    ¡°acceptable,¡± evergreen corrected. ¡°do not inflate their egos.¡±


    ¡°there¡¯s nothing wrong with showing approval for a good performance,¡± moxie replied. emily looked from her to evergreen, her eyebrows raising slightly. then she grinned.


    ¡°thanks, moxie. i¡¯ll make sure to keep on top of things.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m sure you will,¡± evergreen said. her hard exterior crumbled for a moment, and noah saw a flash of approval in her eyes. no matter what evergreen said, she did care for emily ¨C at least a little.


    out of the corner of his eye, noah spotted garrick and eline approaching them. eline¡¯s face was as pale as a sheet of paper. she looked like she¡¯d seen a ghost. for a moment, noah was confused.


    then he remembered revin¡¯s bet with evergreen.


    oh, shit. evergreen forgot the bet, didn¡¯t she? that doesn¡¯t mean it doesn¡¯t apply, though. garrick and eline still think it¡¯s in place, and something tells me that revin isn¡¯t going to just let it go. eline probably thinks she¡¯s about to get killed.


    ¡°you failed the exam,¡± evergreen said, her voice flat.


    ¡°they ¨C they were rank two!¡± eline exclaimed, thrusting an accusatory finger in emily¡¯s direction. ¡°that isn¡¯t fair! and ¨C and that other girl! she helped them!¡±


    ¡°you failed,¡± evergreen repeated. she shook her head. ¡°failure is always the fault of the one who failed. there are no excuses. there are no exceptions. if you were defeated, then you did not properly prepare. that is all there is too it.¡±


    to eline, evergreen is basically saying she deserves to die. ouch. oh well. i¡¯m sure revin won¡¯t actually kill her. probably. he¡¯s not even here. maybe he ¨C


    evergreen¡¯s shadow rippled. the old woman glanced down as a bubble of darkness burst within it and revin¡¯s staff cleaved out, hooking into the ground. he pulled himself out, spinning his scythe and leaning it over his shoulder as he gave them a wry grin.


    ¡°anyone thinking of me?¡±


    god, that¡¯s uncanny.


    ¡°revin,¡± garrick said, his harsh voice almost sounding concerned. ¡°we¨C¡±


    ¡°had a deal,¡± revin finished, his grin widening. ¡°isn¡¯t that right, evergreen?¡±


    evergreen glanced from revin to eline. her brow creased in confusion, but there wasn¡¯t any surprise on eline or garrick¡¯s faces.


    ¡°if you made a deal, then it is between you. i couldn¡¯t care less,¡± evergreen said flatly.


    ¡°in that case ¨C elaine, was it?¡±


    ¡°eline.¡±


    ¡°elion. as discussed, i have come for your life.¡±

 Chapter 202: That sucks

    chapter 202: that sucks


    ¡°you can¡¯t mean to kill a child,¡± garrick said, stepping between revin and eline.


    ¡°it¡¯s none of your concern what i do with elon, is it?¡± revin asked. he tilted his head to the side, then tapped the ground with the butt of his scythe. ¡°get over here, girl. as discussed, your life is forfeit.¡±


    eline stared at him, not moving an inch. she swallowed heavily, then inched further behind garrick. revin pursed his lips.


    ¡°only a monster would seek to kill someone over something as meaningless as¨C¡± garrick started, but revin cut him off.


    ¡°you made the bet. you wanted something important from me, and i was kind enough to accept in exchange for something important from you,¡± revin said, his voice darkening. he clicked his tongue in disappointment. ¡°everyone¡¯s always so willing to put their life on the line until push comes to shove and the reaper comes knocking at your door.¡±


    evergreen¡¯s brow furrowed even further. noah could practically feel her digging through her memories as she tried to figure out when garrick and eline had made any sort of bet with revin. for a moment, noah thought she would intercede to help.


    then she turned and walked away, her staff thumping against the ground punctuating every step. noah¡¯s eyes widened slightly.


    goddamn. she really is a cold bitch. not even a second of hesitation. eline¡¯s life wasn¡¯t even worth the time for evergreen to get around to asking why it was at risk.


    garrick gritted his teeth. his hands clenched at his sides. then his gaze went cold and his hands opened. he turned on his heel and strode after evergreen, leaving eline staring at his back in shock. she opened her mouth, then swallowed heavily.


    looks like it runs in the torrin family.


    noah glanced at moxie, who still had her hand on emily¡¯s shoulder.


    most of the torrin family, that is. moxie is an exception. with some luck, she¡¯ll save emily from becoming like evergreen. sucks for eline, though.


    oh well. she¡¯ll live. figuratively, not literally.


    ¡°is he actually going to kill her?¡± isabel whispered urgently to noah. ¡°you need to stop him!¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not so sure i can,¡± noah muttered. ¡°just wait. if he actually tries to do something, we¡¯ll intercede. i wouldn¡¯t try to ever read revin¡¯s actions, though. he¡¯s a force of chaos, not logic.¡±


    revin glanced over his shoulder, catching noah¡¯s eye and sending him a smirk before looking back to the stricken eline.


    how the hell did he hear that? the more i know this guy, the more i start to think he might actually have some sort of information gathering magic. maybe that all-seeing eye thing isn¡¯t bullshit at all.


    ¡°well, that sucks,¡± revin said. ¡°looks like the mentors that you were willing to lay your life down for have abandoned you completely and utterly, without more than a few words of complaint.¡±


    eline¡¯s hands clenched at her sides. ¡°they ¨C they¡¯ll come back.¡±


    ¡°no, they won¡¯t,¡± revin said. he tapped a finger on his staff. ¡°they already left. took them all of five seconds to give up on you. even i thought they¡¯d put up more of a fight than that.¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s the point of this?¡± eline demanded, glaring at revin. she thrust her neck out. ¡°just do it already! i won¡¯t sit here and be mocked. kill me, if you dare. see what happens when the torrin house¨C¡±


    ¡°doesn¡¯t even lose a single wink of sleep?¡± revin raised an eyebrow. ¡°look at them, girl. they aren¡¯t even watching your execution. they don¡¯t care. at all.¡±


    eline¡¯s eyes flicked to evergreen, and then to garrick. revin was right. noah saw the last vestiges of hope crumble away in eline¡¯s eyes. nobody was coming to help her. she¡¯d been left to deal with the consequences of a bet ¨C one that she had admittedly agreed to, but not one that her mentors ever should have allowed her to take.


    several seconds of silence passed.


    ¡°whelp. that¡¯s that,¡± revin said. he hefted his scythe. ¡°we¡¯re done here, i think.¡±


    eline didn¡¯t even respond. in a blink, revin spun his scythe so that the butt was resting against eline¡¯s neck. she let out a startled gasp as a tendril of shadow shot out from the hilt, winding around her neck. it tightened, turning into a tightly linked chain of darkness. it looked like a piece of obsidian jewelry.


    james let out a groan. ¡°i knew this was coming.¡±


    ¡°what did you do?¡± eline asked, touching her neck. ¡°what is this?¡±


    ¡°proof,¡± revin replied. ¡°your life is mine.¡±


    ¡°he did the same shit to me,¡± james said, rubbing the bridge of his nose and letting out a weary sigh.


    ¡°you... aren¡¯t going to kill me?¡± eline asked in befuddlement.


    ¡°you¡¯re going to wish he did,¡± james muttered.


    ¡°of course i¡¯m not.¡± revin let out a bark of laughter. ¡°why would i kill someone as weak as you? there¡¯s absolutely no fun in that at all. no, ellie. i¡¯m not going to kill you.¡±


    ¡°eline.¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t bother,¡± james said. ¡°he¡¯ll be doing this for a while.¡±


    wait, just stone? what was the blue energy you¡¯ve been using, and why didn¡¯t you use it during the exam? with how highly you were valuing your father¡¯s magic... hm. i think i might know where that master rune the noble families were looking for went.


    i¡¯m not letting either of them keep anything other than a perfect rune, but i think it might actually be better to let them get some training and practice at rank 2 before i go and force them back down to rank 1 and have them re-combine things. if they know i¡¯m just going to fix their mistakes, it¡¯ll make them sloppy. we¡¯ll deal with repairing their runes at the end of vacation. it¡¯ll be a good way to kick the school year off.


    ¡°not like you need to hear it, but i¡¯m proud of all of you. you¡¯ve done really well getting this far, and it¡¯s been almost entirely due to the hard work you¡¯ve been putting in.¡±


    ¡°does this mean we get another pizza party?¡± lee asked eagerly.


    ¡°actually, we were going to go get dinner,¡± todd said, exchanging a glance with the other students.


    lee opened her mouth, then glanced at noah and closed it.


    ¡°well, don¡¯t let me get in your way,¡± noah said. ¡°i¡¯m your teacher, not your father. enjoy yourselves. it¡¯s important to take a few moments to appreciate how far you¡¯ve come so you have something to keep you going when things get hard again.¡±


    isabel gave noah a thoughtful look, then inclined her head. ¡°yeah. are you going to be on campus for much longer?¡±


    noah tilted his head to the side. ¡°why wouldn¡¯t i be?¡±


    ¡°the survival exam was the final exam this year,¡± moxie said. ¡°you never bothered reading a schedule, did you?¡±


    noah cleared his throat sheepishly. ¡°i... forgot?¡±


    ¡°right,¡± moxie drawled. ¡°well, i¡¯ll remind you. the students are all dismissed for two months. usually, this is when they go back to their families to learn about business and improve relationships with other families, but...¡±


    ¡°not happening for us,¡± todd finished. ¡°isabel and i are going to go train on our own.¡±


    ¡°just train?¡± noah asked, sending todd a pointed glance.


    it was todd¡¯s turn to clear his throat. ¡°we won¡¯t do anything too dangerous, i promise.¡±


    ¡°well, just make it back alive. i¡¯d prefer not to have to find new students. i rather like my current ones,¡± noah said. a thought struck him and he sent a worried glance at moxie. ¡°our students stay the same, right?¡±


    ¡°of course they do,¡± moxie said with a snort. ¡°you¡¯re a mentor. why would they swap them midway through their education? it¡¯s not like someone else hates their kids enough to land them with you. emily, this is probably a good time to tell you that i¡¯ll actually be taking a vacation this summer myself. it¡¯s the first one i¡¯ve gotten in years, so i hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°really? you¡¯re finally taking a break? i was worried you never would. i¡¯m glad.¡±


    moxie blinked. that clearly hadn¡¯t been the reaction she¡¯d been expecting. ¡°i ¨C yeah. i am.¡±


    ¡°i was planning to follow you around until school started so i could get ahead on my training,¡± emily admitted, glancing to the side. her eyes brightened and she shrugged. ¡°it¡¯s okay, though. i¡¯ll figure something else out.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll be training as well,¡± james said, clearing his throat. ¡°you could join me, if you wanted to. you don¡¯t have to if you don¡¯t want¨C¡±


    ¡°that works!¡± emily grinned. ¡°i¡¯ll do that.¡±


    smooth.


    ¡°dinner time,¡± todd proclaimed. ¡°let¡¯s go. see you, old folks.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not that much older than you are,¡± moxie snapped, but she joined noah and lee in waving farewell as the students headed away.


    ¡°i¡¯m hungry,¡± lee said with a sad sigh. ¡°i wanted to join their dinner as well.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s fine. we¡¯ll get dinner ourselves,¡± noah said. ¡°you want to join, moxie?¡±


    ¡°i figured that was implied. let¡¯s drop off the results of the exam and go,¡± moxie said. ¡°we can figure out what we¡¯re doing for vacation while we¡¯re at it.¡±


    ¡°we?¡± noah asked, blinking.


    moxie raised an eyebrow. ¡°were you planning on leaving me out?¡±


    ¡°of course not,¡± noah said. ¡°i just didn¡¯t¨C¡±


    ¡°noah?¡± moxie glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes while lee snickered beside her.


    ¡°yeah?¡±


    ¡°shut up. you¡¯re digging the hole deeper.¡±


    ¡°right.¡±

 Chapter 203: Meld

    chapter 203: meld


    ¡°i am hungry,¡± lee declared as they walked through the market district of arbitage.


    ¡°that,¡± moxie said, glancing at lee out of the corners of her eyes, ¡°is why we are getting food. i don¡¯t typically just wander around looking for food only to stare at it.¡±


    ¡°really? i do it all the time.¡±


    ¡°you do?¡± noah raised an eyebrow. ¡°i¡¯m not surprised about the hungry part, but i¡¯ve never seen you actually hold back from eating something that you wanted to.¡±


    lee shot noah a pointed look. he thought for an instant, then realized that he¡¯d yet to actually see something that lee couldn¡¯t eat. noah had had just thought that, just because lee could eat just about anything, that didn¡¯t mean she actually enjoyed it.


    might have been wrong about that one. she¡¯s definitely eyeing that food vendor¡¯s cart ¨C the literal cart.


    ¡°maybe we should just get something fast,¡± noah suggested. ¡°i¡¯ve been eating evergreen¡¯s fancy crap for a week now. i wouldn¡¯t mind just sitting down and eating a normal meal.¡±


    ¡°like what?¡± moxie asked as they came to a stop at the side of the street, moving to get out of the way of passersby. ¡°i was thinking something substantial.¡±


    noah scanned the vendors around them. there was no shortage of food, but his eyes quickly caught on a man with a variety of pies displayed on his cart. they ranged in shape and size, with a surprising amount of variety in their color. it looked like he¡¯d distilled a rainbow into pie-form.


    i know moxie loves pies, and i don¡¯t think lee could care less about what we end up eating as long as we eat something.


    ¡°what about those?¡± noah asked, pointing to the pie vendor. moxie¡¯s eyes lit up, but she quickly got her expression back under control and gave a small shrug.


    ¡°are you sure? they¡¯re a little... plain, don¡¯t you think? i thought we¡¯d want to do something more celebratory because everyone passed the exam.¡±


    ¡°nothing wrong with that,¡± noah replied. ¡°plain can be good, and i think i want pie right now. what about you, lee?¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t care. just put food in my mouth.¡±


    noah suppressed a laugh and the three of them walked up to the cart, much to the vendor¡¯s delight. a few minutes later, they headed off with a small pile of pies in each of their hands.


    they¡¯d initially only planned to buy one or two each, but one thing had led to another and lee¡¯s insistence to try out every single flavor managed to win the other two over. when they all made it back to the teacher¡¯s lodgings and got to moxie¡¯s room, noah was more than slightly surprised that they¡¯d managed to make it without dropping anything.


    the three of them deposited their haul on moxie¡¯s desk, balancing everything precariously on it. by the time noah stepped back to admire his handiwork, he couldn¡¯t help but notice that lee¡¯s pile was considerably shorter than his and moxie¡¯s.


    they both glared at her.


    ¡°what?¡± lee asked, wiping some blueberry filling from the side of her mouth. ¡°i tripped on the way up the stairs and some of the pies fell into my mouth. there was nothing i could have done. you wouldn¡¯t want pies that i slobbered on, would you?¡±


    moxie¡¯s response was to quickly snag a pie for herself and sit down on the floor. that seemed like a wise move, so noah did the same. lee two-handed a pair of them and ended up just shoving both into her mouth at once.


    it was a little concerning to watch her head stretch to accommodate the pies ¨C especially when she didn¡¯t remove them from the tiny metal platters they came on ¨C but noah had seen lee eat enough corpses to be more than used to it.


    the three ate in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the food and the distinct lack of sour old women glaring in their general direction for the first time in a week. once everything had been polished off, they all leaned back and let a few satisfied moments pass.


    ¡°that was good,¡± moxie said, a small smile on her face. ¡°even if lee ate the vast majority of the food.¡±


    ¡°now works.¡±


    pulling her grimoire out, moxie opened it to a blank page and sat it on her lap. she dug her thumb into the cork at the top of the vial, then popped it off and placed the vial against her lips. moxie tilted it back and downed her half in one go. she handed the half-full vial over to noah.


    there was a smaller cork on the top half of the vial that had kept the rest of the potion from pouring out. noah pulled it out, then lifted it to his mouth and drank. a faint tingle ran down the back of his throat. the potion tasted vaguely like grass and copper.


    a gentle buzzing sensation picked up in the back of his head. noah swayed, his brow furrowing as his surroundings turned fuzzy. moxie laid down beside him, and noah quickly copied her before he collapsed.


    i¡¯d probably end up hitting my head and dying. as amusing as that would be, i¡¯d rather not waste the potion.


    those were noah¡¯s last thoughts before he felt his mind lurch abruptly. moxie¡¯s room vanished from around him, and there were several seconds of nothing but darkness.


    then, with a lurching pop, color bloomed once more. thick, colorful trees rose up all around noah as he found himself standing in a beautiful, sunlit clearing. moxie sat across from him, but her arbitage uniform had been replaced by a plain green shirt and brown pants.


    ¡°this is... odd,¡± noah said, glancing around.


    moxie frowned. ¡°you don¡¯t like it?¡±


    ¡°nothing like that. your mindspace is just really different from mine,¡± noah said quickly. ¡°it¡¯s very beautiful ¨C but where are your runes?¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ll have to pull them out. the soul naturally forms defenses when something that isn¡¯t meant to be here arrives. i tried to resist it, but i¡¯m nowhere near strong enough to have complete control over my subconscious.¡±


    noah rubbed his chin. he couldn¡¯t see the edges of moxie¡¯s mindspace, but the foliage around them was so dense that it could have been a few feet away and he wouldn¡¯t have known. either way, it really was quite beautiful. there was something about it that made him feel at peace, even though noah couldn¡¯t place what it was.


    ¡°is your soul always like this, then? just with runes in addition to the trees?¡±


    ¡°yeah.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s nice,¡± noah said. ¡°somewhere i¡¯d enjoy spending a lot of time, if i could get away with it. normally, nature is busy trying to kill me.¡±


    moxie laughed. ¡°yeah, it can do that sometimes. what¡¯s your soul like, then? typically, it becomes what you truly love. hopefully you aren¡¯t in a classroom.¡±


    noah¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°i ¨C really?¡±


    moxie nodded, but her smile faded when she saw the expression on noah¡¯s face. ¡°yes. why? what¡¯s your soul like?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s just empty. a big black void with nothing but runes,¡± noah said. he shook his head. ¡°now isn¡¯t the time for that. we¡¯re on a timer, and i don¡¯t want to waste the money you spent on the potion. how are we meant to find your runes? the faster i get you modified, the faster i can go back to sitting around in your mind and enjoying the view.¡±


    i¡¯d suggest starting by taking a little tour.


    noah spun, the blood in his veins running cold as azel¡¯s well-dressed form materialized behind him. tiny motes of red ash drifted away from his eyes as a cocky smile passed over his face.


    ¡°what the hell are you doing here?¡± noah demanded, taking a step back and reaching for his runes.


    ¡°come now, noah.¡± azel shook his head in mock disappointment. a hungry grin passed over his lips. ¡°our souls are bonded. anywhere your happy little soul goes, i follow. don¡¯t look at me like that. this will be fun. just the three of us, spending a little quality time together. what could possibly go wrong?¡±

 Chapter 204: Questions

    chapter 204: questions


    ¡°not much, i¡¯d imagine,¡± moxie said, not looking even slightly taken aback. she just crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. ¡°you¡¯re in my soul, demon. the mind meld potion isn¡¯t dangerous for the first person who drinks it ¨C it¡¯s dangerous for the second. do you really think i forgot you were bound with noah? i wouldn¡¯t have let either of you in here if i thought there was a chance of a fully powered demon just strolling into my mind.¡±


    azel¡¯s grin didn¡¯t flicker for an instant, but he tilted his head to the side. ¡°that¡¯s quite some confidence. even if this isn¡¯t my soul, do you really think i can¡¯t do anything?¡±


    moxie gave azel a flat stare. she snapped her fingers and his suit vanished, replaced by an ill-fitting pink dress covered with hand-drawn flowers. azel looked down at himself, then pursed his lips. ¡°could you make the dress a bit shorter? i prefer to have a bit to jog the imagination, if you catch my drift.¡±


    the forest around moxie writhed, betraying her annoyance as she sent a flat stare at the dmeon. ¡°go back to noah¡¯s body. there¡¯s absolutely nothing you can do here. i¡¯m in complete control.¡±


    the dirt beneath azel¡¯s feet bulged and he staggered as vines wound out from it, wrapping around his legs and binding them in place. azel pulled at his feet, but they were stuck fast. he let out a sigh.


    ¡°i thought you might have forgotten or assumed that it would have only pulled a single soul in, not both. this is rather annoying.¡±


    ¡°even if i had, you literally announced your presence,¡± moxie pointed out. ¡°and who would possibly forget that there was a demon bound with noah¡¯s soul? that¡¯s quite the assumption.¡±


    noah and azel exchanged a glance. azel opened his mouth, but moxie snorted.


    ¡°don¡¯t say noah. i¡¯m more than aware of what he¡¯s like. too many things on his mind to deal with, so a few of the other ones get pushed to the side. that¡¯s you, demon. an extra annoyance ¨C and not one that i care to spend any more time with. return, or sit here in boredom.¡±


    ¡°what if there was a third option?¡± azel asked, his lips splitting apart into a small smile. his body rippled like a disturbed lake and he shifted, passing straight through the bindings around his feet and coming to stand beside noah.


    moxie¡¯s eyes widened and she took a step back. ¡°that¡¯s not possible.¡±


    ¡°you humans know so little about the soul.¡± azel shook his head in mock disappointment. ¡°you got the core parts right, though. i¡¯ll admit it. i can¡¯t do anything to you. this is indeed your soul, and my magic has very little power here. me, on the other hand ¨C i¡¯m my own being. well, i suppose i¡¯m mostly my own being. either way, you¡¯ve got no control over my actual body.¡±


    a vine sliced out from the treeline, carving straight into azel¡¯s neck and severing his head. the demon¡¯s hand shot out, grabbing his head as it fell. before blood could even start to pour from the wound, azel stuck his head back on. he worked his lips, then scrunched his nose and gave moxie another smile.


    ¡°you really are quite decisive, but that won¡¯t change anything,¡± azel said. he held a hand up, and the center of his palm shifted, transforming into the face of a clock. ¡°are you sure you want to keep playing with me? i don¡¯t mind, but you¡¯ve only got an hour on that mind meld potion, and that¡¯s assuming it works the whole time. tick tock, moxie.¡±


    moxie pressed her lips together, then let out a heavy sigh. ¡°well, i can¡¯t say i didn¡¯t think something like this would happen. it¡¯s damn annoying, though. let¡¯s go look for my runes.¡±


    she set off into the forest, and noah jogged to catch up with her. azel followed behind them, but to noah¡¯s surprise, he kept enough distance so that he wasn¡¯t right up alongside them.


    ¡°i didn¡¯t think that¨C¡± noah started.


    ¡°i know,¡± moxie said, giving him a wry smile. ¡°it¡¯s fine. i think i¡¯ve spent enough time around you to have a pretty decent grasp on how you think. you tend to focus on one problem at a time and push all the others to the side. your current problem was me, so the demon got forgotten.¡±


    noah opened his mouth, then cleared his throat. he hadn¡¯t even really thought about that himself, but now that moxie mentioned it, it was obvious.


    i guess it¡¯s easier to pick up on things about other people, but damn. it almost feels like she knows me better than i know myself.


    ¡°i don¡¯t suppose you actually have a way to deal with him?¡± noah asked, nodding over his shoulder at azel, who was currently enraptured by a colorful, flower-covered vine.


    ¡°unfortunately not. he¡¯s a rank 5 demon, noah. there isn¡¯t a whole lot i can do. and even if i could, there¡¯s a good chance that would hurt you as well. your souls are definitely bound, and i don¡¯t want to kill you together with him.¡±


    ¡°it was based off the first rune i formed,¡± moxie muttered under her breath. ¡°and i hadn¡¯t been outside in a long time. i had really wanted to see some flowers. the final was supposed to be a plant growth rune, but the bad rune i had ruined the whole thing. i really should have ripped the bad rank 1 rune out at the start and dealt with the damage, but i couldn¡¯t risk the setback.¡±


    ¡°that makes sense,¡± noah said with a nod. ¡°and you started when you were a kid, so i think we can give you a pass. honestly, wouldn¡¯t it be better to really just have runes that you love rather than ones that you think are strong?¡±


    moxie looked at him out of the corners of her eyes. ¡°not all of us are immortal, noah.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s not what i meant. magic is magic, you know? it¡¯s not like having a flower made out of poisonous blades or something like that is going to be any less deadly than a vine. it¡¯s just different. so, if you consider that, then i think you¡¯d go farther pursuing what you really love rather than just doing what you think will make you the strongest. you might find that the two are one and the same.¡±


    moxie was silent for a few moments. ¡°that¡¯s only true when you don¡¯t have to worry about a terrible combination.¡±


    ¡°luckily, from here on out, you don¡¯t,¡± noah said, flicking moxie in the shoulder. ¡°i hope you¡¯ve got some runes in your grimoire that will let you shift these into something you really want. there¡¯s no point for me to do this if you end up with another bottleneck at the next rank because you can¡¯t find the right intent for your next combination.¡±


    ¡°yeah,¡± moxie said, her voice softer than it had been. ¡°i guess you¡¯re right. and i should have some runes that will work. it¡¯ll be a change of plans, but intent is the biggest portion of this.¡±


    no sooner than when she had finished speaking, the forest around them trembled. noah tensed as the trees peeled back, forming a small clearing. a rune shimmered to life before them, glowing with gentle green energy.


    writhing vine


    power washed out from the rune with enough force to push noah back a step. he didn¡¯t have any full rank 3 runes himself, but it was still a good bit weaker than the fragment of renewal and sunder. it was roughly the same intensity as combustion.


    ¡°well, would you look at that,¡± noah said. ¡°found it.¡±


    ¡°you think?¡± moxie rolled her eyes. ¡°okay. what do you need to do?¡±


    ¡°touch it. then you¡¯ll have to get ready to work pretty quick. it¡¯ll fall apart into the rank 2 runes that make it up, and you¡¯ll need to work pretty quickly to bring in your new runes, imbue the unused ones into your grimoire, and then combine them. the faster you work, the more energy you¡¯ll be able to save from the original writing vine rune.¡±


    ¡°understood,¡± moxie said. she drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. ¡°i¡¯m ready when you are. i¡¯ll give you access to your runes.¡±


    noah nodded, then took a step toward the rune. he called on sunder, feeling its cold ice flow through his veins. reaching out, noah placed his hands on the rank 3 rune.


    and then he vanished.


    moxie froze, staring at where he¡¯d been standing in shock. a stick crunched behind her as azel stepped out of the forest, his hands crossed behind his back and a soft smile on his infernal features.


    ¡°i hope you don¡¯t mind,¡± azel said, coming to a stop across from her. ¡°i wanted to speak with you alone. noah is going to be occupied for a little while, so i thought now would be a good time.¡±


    moxie¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°what did you do? why did noah vanish?¡±


    ¡°same soul, remember?¡± azel asked, his lips curling upward. ¡°if he¡¯s got access to his runes, then so do i. oh, don¡¯t worry ¨C he won¡¯t have any idea that we¡¯re talking. he won¡¯t even realize any time has passed.¡±


    moxie pressed her lips together. ¡°what do you want?¡±


    azel¡¯s grin grew wider. ¡°i think the more accurate question should be: what do you want?¡±

 Chapter 205: Trust

    chapter 205: trust


    ¡°scrap the riddles.¡± moxie crossed her arms in front of her chest. ¡°just tell me what you want. there¡¯s only one demon that i trust ¨C and it isn¡¯t you.¡±


    ¡°trusting a demon is indeed risky business,¡± azel said with a chuckle. ¡°little lee. such an interesting specimen. i¡¯ve never seen a demon like her before. but this has nothing to do with lee. i¡¯m here about you, moxie.¡±


    ¡°if that had come from literally anyone else, i might have been flattered.¡± moxie¡¯s gaze was unflinching. ¡°say what you want and put us back. i¡¯m assuming you¡¯ve formed some form of sub-space within my mind, but it won¡¯t last forever. anything that doesn¡¯t belong will eventually erode, and you don¡¯t have access to your runes anymore. i can just wait you out.¡±


    ¡°you could,¡± azel agreed. he gave her an impressed nod. ¡°you¡¯re actually more knowledgeable about the soul than i would have expected. most of your kind don¡¯t show it anywhere near the proper amount of respect.¡±


    moxie shrugged. ¡°it was a special interest for me. still is. but you¡¯re the one on a time crunch, azel. speak or don¡¯t ¨C in the end i don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°please, call me adam.¡±


    ¡°no.¡±


    azel sighed. ¡°difficult crowd, i tell you. i know you well, moxie. don¡¯t forget, every single one of our dear noah¡¯s memories is also my own. you¡¯ve built great walls around yourself, and for good reason. they protect you. that cold, determined exterior is a shield from your true feelings.¡±


    ¡°what are you getting at?¡± moxie asked. ¡°memories or not, i couldn¡¯t care less about your opinions. you have to realize that we¡¯ll find a way to rip you out of noah¡¯s soul soon enough, and then you¡¯ll be gone.¡±


    azel scratched his chin. ¡°yes, i¡¯ve considered the possibility. then again, the moment our souls come free, you¡¯ll have a rank 5 demon to contend with. do you really think that¡¯s a fight you¡¯ll win?¡±


    moxie rolled her eyes. ¡°do you think we should have won any of the major fights we¡¯ve taken? and yet, here we stand. i¡¯d say we¡¯ll take our chances.¡±


    azel¡¯s expression flickered. for a mere instant, moxie caught a flicker of what might have actually been worry in his smoldering eyes. then it was gone, replaced by his infuriating smile.


    ¡°perhaps. we shall see when the day comes.¡± azel shrugged. ¡°but we have gone off track. as i said, this is about you. what do you want, moxie.¡±


    ¡°i want you to leave my head.¡±


    ¡°think more general,¡± azel said, completely nonplussed. ¡°forget me for a moment. we¡¯re talking about your life as a whole. your desires. your goals. the future, moxie.¡±


    ¡°a lot of things, but nothing that i have any plans of sharing with you.¡±


    azel pursed his lips. he extended his hands to his sides. ¡°what if we made a deal, then? you agree to answer my questions. i¡¯ll let you and noah alone for the rest of your work today afterward. otherwise, i¡¯ll be pulling you back into one of these little chats every single time noah calls on sunder.¡±


    moxie opened her mouth, then closed it again. azel raised an eyebrow. a second passed, and moxie let out an exasperated sigh.


    ¡°fine. i¡¯ll answer your questions, but nothing that can put myself or anyone i care about at risk. how¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°acceptable,¡± azel replied. he extended a hand, and a faint swirl of smoke rose up from his palm. ¡°i have no plans of doing that today. believe it or not, i¡¯m actually trying to help you.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t.¡± moxie stared doubtfully at the hand.


    ¡°shake,¡± azel said, his smile growing. ¡°it¡¯s a deal, moxie. if you want me to hold my side of the bargain, then you will have to hold yours.¡±


    ¡°three questions. no more.¡±


    ¡°very well.¡± azel waggled his hand.


    moxie extended her hand and clasped azel¡¯s. as soon as they shook, she pulled back. azel didn¡¯t seem to care.


    ¡°do you need me to chop these up into rank 1s, or will rank 2 modifications be enough?¡±


    moxie shook head and ran up to join him.


    ¡°two is perfect for this one,¡± moxie replied. she extended her hands and the runes flowed to her. noah took a few steps back as she started to work. several of them vanished as moxie imbued them onto the grimoire that laid next to her in the real world.


    more runes popped into her soul, taking form around her body. noah watched in rapt attention. he¡¯d done the same thing quite a few times, but watching someone else do it was strangely mesmerizing.


    also, moxie was still a good bit faster than he was at her soul control. within just a few seconds, moxie had replaced nearly half the runes. she¡¯d had quite a few full ones sitting around in her grimoire, so she must have been preparing for this ever since he¡¯d mentioned it.


    did that mean she was also going out and hunting monsters to fill those? okay ¨C literally nobody actually used our camp while we were training. we all just pretended to use it. well, unless she had some full runes sitting around. i¡¯d guess a mixture of the two.


    he didn¡¯t get to watch for long. no more than thirty seconds passed before moxie clapped her hands together. the seven runes shuddered, then slammed back together in a single, smooth motion.


    it wasn¡¯t like noah¡¯s combinations where he slowly slotted everything in until they clicked. it was more like moxie hadn¡¯t given them a choice. seven became one in a single instant.


    a loud pop went off in noah¡¯s ears as the pressure shifted. light green energy swirled around moxie, pouring into the new rune. she let her hands drop and took a step back, letting out a relieved breath.


    the new rune exuded considerably more pressure than the previous one did, and it was only about half full. while a good portion of the energy had likely been lost in conversion, noah could tell that it was of much better quality than the previous one.


    uncontrolled uprooted forest


    ¡°i think it worked,¡± noah said.


    moxie reached up, gently brushing the rune with the back of her hand. ¡°i don¡¯t believe it. i know you said it was possible, but... this is it. it¡¯s not quite perfect, but compared to what i had before¨C¡±


    ¡°oh. let¡¯s just do it again, then,¡± noah said.


    ¡°seriously?¡±


    ¡°yeah. do you know what you did wrong? don¡¯t want to waste your gathered energy for no reason.¡±


    moxie thought for a few moments, then nodded. ¡°yeah, i do. i screwed up my intent at the last second. i think i was still stuck between what you were talking about and what i¡¯ve been taught. can you really re-split it that easily?¡±


    noah just grinned. ¡°get ready.¡±


    he stepped up and pressed his hand to the rune. sunder¡¯s power flowed through his veins and a line carved through it for the second time, splitting the newly formed rank 3 rune apart.


    moxie wasted no time. as soon as the seven rank 2 runes emerged, she grabbed them and slammed everything back together. barely any magic even had a chance to slip out before a new rune ripped itself into existence ¨C but, even though almost all the previous power had been saved, this one was almost ten percent less full than the previous attempt.


    uprooted forest


    noah grinned. ¡°that looks like a perfect rune to me.¡±


    moxie stared up at the new rune in silence. then she turned, throwing her arms around noah and pulling him into a tight hug. he stiffened out of surprise for an instant, then regained control of his body and wrapped his arms around moxie.


    she quickly let go, clearing her throat and taking a step back. ¡°sorry. i let my emotions get ahead of me. i¡¯ve never formed a perfect rune on my own. i didn¡¯t realize how different it was. i feel incredible.¡±


    noah just grinned and gestured out to the forest around them. ¡°well, we¡¯ve got a few more to work through, and there¡¯s no time like today. shall we get back to it?¡±

 Chapter 206: Bisnis

    chapter 206: bisnis


    it only took noah a little over half an hour to replace the rest of moxie¡¯s runes, and most of that time was just hunting the runes down in the forest of moxie¡¯s mind. the writhing vine runes all became uprooted forests, and she changed her cracked flowering seed into a blooming earth, getting it perfect on her first try.


    moxie didn¡¯t even have to say anything ¨C noah could feel the happiness radiating off her like it never had before. he¡¯d never seen this much of her guard down, though he suspected it would probably come back up by the time they returned to the real world.


    ¡°i never thought i¡¯d have seven perfect runes,¡± moxie said after she¡¯d replaced her final rune. she and noah stood back in the center of the clearing, and her newly reformed runes all floated in the air above them.


    ¡°you¡¯ve back down to around half full on all of them again, though,¡± noah said. ¡°you¡¯ll have to do some hunting to fill those back up.¡±


    moxie shot him a look out of the corner of her eyes. ¡°luckily, i think i know someone that¡¯s probably going to spend most of his vacation killing monsters.¡±


    noah grinned. ¡°guilty.¡±


    ¡°what makes you think i meant you? i was talking about lee.¡±


    they both burst into laughter. moxie shook her head, and the smile faded away as her features turned serious again.


    ¡°this means a lot to me, noah. most of these runes were given to me by the torrin family, and they felt like just one more thing binding me to them. i know i¡¯m not actually free, but i feel free.¡±


    ¡°you will be one day,¡± noah promised. ¡°if evergreen is anything like father, which i suspect she is, then we can bargain with her. and, if we can¡¯t, we¡¯ll just kill her.¡±


    moxie rolled her eyes. ¡°you say things like that as if the real evergreen isn¡¯t a rank 6. we¡¯re not killing her anytime soon. it¡¯s fine, though. i wasn¡¯t telling you this to ask you to solve every one of my problems, noah. i was saying it because i appreciate what you¡¯ve already done.¡±


    noah opened his mouth, then shut it and settled for simply nodding. a faint tingle pulled at the back of his mind. moxie noticed the shift in his expression.


    ¡°feeling the potion start to wear out?¡±


    ¡°yeah, i think so,¡± noah said as the tingle intensified, turning into a dull buzz. ¡°hasn¡¯t it only been a bit more than half an hour, though? i thought it was meant to last for an hour.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s probably something to do with your screwed up soul,¡± moxie said with a laugh. ¡°it¡¯s fine. we got what we needed, so nothing to complain about. keep that in mind when you¡¯re working on lee¡¯s soul, though.¡±


    ¡°i will. see you out in the real world, then.¡±


    ¡°yeah.¡± moxie nodded, but there was a slight reluctance to her words.


    noah didn¡¯t get time to dwell on it. the sensation assaulting his mind intensified. the ground vanished beneath his feet and there was a sudden, sharp falling sensation. he drew in a sharp breath and there was a flash of darkness. his eyes snapped open, and he found the ceiling of moxie¡¯s room ceiling above him once more.


    he sat up, rubbing his eyes as the last vestiges of the potion wore off on him and the buzzing faded away completely. lee was perched on top of moxie¡¯s chair, holding a book upside-down and slowly flipping through the pages, her brow furrowed and lips pursed in concentration.


    ¡°oh, you¡¯re back. i didn¡¯t realize,¡± lee said, lowering the book and closing it delicately. ¡°i was busy.¡±


    noah raised an eyebrow. ¡°you read upside-down?¡±


    lee looked down at the book, then turned it over. ¡°nope. your head must still be a little messed up from the effects of the potion. it was right-side up.¡±


    ¡°sure,¡± noah drawled, resisting the urge to laugh. ¡°well, moxie¡¯s runes are all fixed up.¡±


    ¡°really?¡± lee asked, her eyes shimmering. ¡°i didn¡¯t think it would actually work that easily. normally, something goes wrong midway through anything you do.¡±


    moxie let out a snort as she sat up beside noah. ¡°that¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°it most certainly is not,¡± noah protested. he thought for a moment, then cleared his throat. ¡°i¡¯ll admit that i do have a penchant for somehow making situations i¡¯m involved in worse before they get better, but that doesn¡¯t happen every time.¡±


    ¡°so nothing went wrong?¡± lee asked.


    ¡°so why is karina here and how did you know she would be?¡± moxie asked.


    ¡°wait, you knew i was here and you still made me wait?¡± karina¡¯s eye twitched and her hands flexed at her sides.


    noah gave her a flat stare. ¡°i think we¡¯ve discussed what i think of you before, karina. the only reason you¡¯re still alive is because you promised that you¡¯d be more useful breathing than not ¨C you aren¡¯t going to try to change my opinion on that, are you?¡±


    karina¡¯s face paled and she shook her head. ¡°no.¡±


    ¡°good,¡± noah said. ¡°i assume you¡¯re here for something ¨C and, coincidentally, so am i. you can go first. what do you want?¡±


    ¡°how do you know¨C¡±


    ¡°why else would you be at my door?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m your fiance?e! it¡¯s perfectly reasonable for me to be at your door.¡±


    ¡°you have a fiance?e?¡± moxie asked, her eyes going wide. they widened a moment later as a new thought struck her. ¡°from how long ago? was it¨C¡±


    ¡°before we met, yes.¡± noah rubbed the bridge of his nose. ¡°karina. i think you might have misunderstood something. i said that i¡¯d look into getting you out of this by speaking with father at some point, but that doesn¡¯t mean that i¡¯ll just be going along with it if he says no. don¡¯t call me your fiance?e. i¡¯m not. this is a business relationship and nothing more. so tell me ¨C what do you want?¡±


    karina¡¯s shoulders slumped and she sighed. ¡°i did what i promised, didn¡¯t i? i helped your students pass without actually cheating. they did everything on their own. i just revealed eline¡¯s position.¡±


    ¡°you did,¡± noah said with a nod. ¡°and?¡±


    ¡°well, i can¡¯t go back to the linwick estate right now. it¡¯s not exactly safe for me.¡±


    noah¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°why not? father shouldn¡¯t want to kill you. he¡¯s trying to use the whole fiance?e issue to annoy me.¡±


    ¡°you can¡¯t know, and i have a fair number of enemies, you know. it won¡¯t be long before father reveals that our relations are cut and people come for me. you won¡¯t be able to get anything else out of me if i end up dead.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re asking for protection?¡±


    ¡°no, just a place to stay for a little while.¡±


    is that it? or are you hoping you can change my mind about something if we¡¯re together for long enough? but... her offer to help us get into noble auctions and get rare runes is really tempting. i¡¯d rather she not die right now. no way am i sleeping in the same room with her, though.


    ¡°you could stay in my room for a bit,¡± moxie offered. ¡°then karina can use yours.¡±


    ¡°that works,¡± noah said with a nod, giving moxie a grateful look, completely ignoring the aghast stare karina sent him.


    ¡°i heard some students talking about a sleepover.¡± lee rubbed her chin thoughtfully. ¡°is this a sleepover? with food and talking in the middle of the night?¡±


    noah snorted. ¡°i suppose so.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m coming, then!¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re just going to leave me in your room? alone?¡± karina asked.


    ¡°yes. you¡¯re welcome. also ¨C touch anything that you aren¡¯t supposed to and i¡¯ll kill you.¡±


    karina let out a heavy sigh. ¡°thanks.¡±


    ¡°no problem,¡± noah replied. ¡°and, now that i¡¯ve done you a favor, it¡¯s your turn. i need high quality catchpaper, and i think you¡¯ve probably got a way i can get some.¡±

 Chapter 207: Reunion

    chapter 207: reunion


    ¡°i could get some catchpaper, yes. i¡¯m not doing it for free, though,¡± karina said.


    ¡°is stealing my room and potentially bringing assassins to my doorstep not enough?¡± noah asked. ¡°you said you¡¯ve got enemies. that means there¡¯s a chance we have to fight against other parts of the linwick family and potentially involve ourselves in your issues.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s just protecting your self-interests,¡± karina pointed out. ¡°if i¡¯m dead, i can¡¯t get you into any auctions and you get nothing useful out of me.¡±


    noah scrunched his nose. karina wasn¡¯t wrong, but he didn¡¯t like her. no matter what she said, the woman was manipulative and had tried to kill him twice already. the only person that was allowed to kill him was himself.


    ¡°what do you want?¡± noah asked. ¡°and choose carefully. if i need to, i can just gather the money and buy catchpaper myself.¡±


    ¡°i want you to promise to break our courtship,¡± karina said. ¡°and i want you to do it soon. your previous promise was basically just that you¡¯d let me live and that you might look into it ¨C i want you to swear that you¡¯ll actually break the courtship ¨C and in a way that doesn¡¯t end with me dead.¡±


    noah tapped his fingers on the side of his leg. getting something from father was risky. the farther away he was from father, the safer things felt. waltzing straight up to him and asking to annul whatever deal had been struck to marry vermil to karina was likely a fast track to getting himself wrapped up in another one of father¡¯s schemes.


    i¡¯ve already got too much on my plate. i need to finalize the modifications to natural disaster, figure out who was screwing with the exam, discover who controlled evergreen¡¯s construct and determine what their goals were, learn formations, replace lee¡¯s runes, and deal with the damn demon in my head. and on top of that, i need to help moxie get out from under the torrin¡¯s thumbs and make sure todd and isabel keep learning and growing.


    with any luck, i can knock out a lot of those things over what looks to be arbitage¡¯s summer break ¨C but adding another confrontation with father to the list is the last thing i want to do right now.


    ¡°i don¡¯t think i can promise that,¡± noah said, shaking his head. ¡°i¡¯m not in a position where i want to butt heads with father again. there are too many drawbacks for a reward that isn¡¯t worth more than a few hundred gold.¡±


    ¡°but¨C¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t get the wrong idea. it isn¡¯t that i enjoy torturing you by keeping you stuck like this, but there is way too much i need to do. approaching father means that i¡¯ll almost certainly end up getting pulled into a plot that i want nothing to do with. i¡¯d imagine he knew i¡¯d react like this, which is why he passed the problem onto you.¡±


    karina gritted her teeth and nodded. ¡°he did. i can¡¯t just leave things as they are, though. as long as we¡¯re betrothed, father has power over me. the moment i make any moves, he can step in and claim that i was acting on his behest, since i¡¯m part of his family branch in all but name. my hands are tied until everything is broken off.¡±


    ¡°have you considered just relaxing and letting up on the politics? you could focus on getting stronger and improving your runes until the time eventually came that i could get around to dealing with this. it¡¯s not like i want to be betrothed to you.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve already wasted a year because of you,¡± karina snapped. ¡°i don¡¯t want to lose even more time. my rivals are all pulling ahead, and where i should have emerged to join father, he instead betrayed me and now my only avenue is to find a way to get out of this whole mess.¡±


    noah held his hands out helplessly. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, but i won¡¯t risk things as they are.¡±


    ¡°what if i increased the reward?¡± karina asked desperately. she swallowed, as if regretting her words.


    ¡°no. they¡¯re about three days of travel to the north. they¡¯re at the base of a small mountain called whiterock. there¡¯s a small village its base that¡¯s easy to find.¡±


    ¡°then i¡¯ll meet you there in a month,¡± noah said.


    karina nodded. she paused and, for a moment, it looked like she was about to ask a question. then she thought better of it and strode out the door, slamming it shut behind her. lee let out a huff.


    ¡°she doesn¡¯t seem very happy.¡±


    ¡°you don¡¯t say,¡± noah said wryly. ¡°all things considered, i think that about as well as it could have. breaking the engagement is the best thing that both of us can do, though. if it was easier, i¡¯d just do it now.¡±


    ¡°just be careful dealing with father,¡± moxie warned. ¡°although i suppose i don¡¯t have to tell you that.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll keep my guard up. we¡¯ve gotten really sidetracked, though. what do we want to do during the break? there¡¯s a pretty big laundry list of stuff to accomplish.¡±


    ¡°we should start by getting lee¡¯s runes fixed, which means we need money. after that...¡± moxie shrugged, then gestured vaguely around herself. ¡°i don¡¯t know. maybe we can just work on getting stronger until we meet karina.¡±


    ¡°that works for me, although i¡¯d also like to try to figure out what the hell was happening during the exam,¡± noah said, chewing his lower lip. his brow furrowed and he shook his head. ¡°honestly, it just doesn¡¯t make sense. when edward and allen were trying to sabotage the kids, it made sense. but it didn¡¯t feel like they had anything to do with this one.¡±


    ¡°they¡¯ve been avoiding just about everyone, from what i¡¯ve heard. you never know, but i agree. i don¡¯t think they were responsible for this. i don¡¯t even know where to start on finding out who was, though.¡±


    several silent seconds passed as the three all pondered the exam, all trying to figure out if they could spot any connections. the only ones that came to noah were evergreen¡¯s imposter and the rank 6 mages that had started fighting in the middle of the exam, but neither of them had any link to isabel and todd.


    worrying about the rank 6s is probably a lost cause. tenfort didn¡¯t know who the bald guy was, so i suspect nobody does. whatever they were doing, it didn¡¯t seem like it was related to the kids. damn. i¡¯ve got absolutely no leads.


    and, as the three of them sat there in deep concentration, there was a firm knock on the door. noah nearly jumped at the sound, and he exchanged a glance with moxie. lee rose to her feet and stretched her arms over her head.


    ¡°you think that¡¯s karina?¡± lee asked. ¡°maybe she found something.¡±


    ¡°didn¡¯t sound like her,¡± noah said, rubbing his eyes and walking over to the door. he put a hand on the handle, pausing for a moment and raising his voice. ¡°who is it?¡±


    ¡°just an old man,¡± a vaguely familiar voice replied. noah couldn¡¯t place quite who it was. ¡°could we have a brief chat?¡±


    noah thought for a moment, but there wasn¡¯t any reason why he wouldn¡¯t open the door, especially with how poorly things were going at the moment. he pulled the door open and a salt-and-pepper haired man stepped into view, his red coat draped over his shoulders. the smile lines on his expression wrinkled as his right leg, made of a brilliant silver and covered with intricate imbuements, hit the ground.


    ¡°we meet again, magus vermil,¡± silvertide said. ¡°i was hoping you might be able to answer some questions for me.¡±

 Chapter 208: Silvertide

    chapter 208: silvertide


    ¡°i¡¯m actually busy at the moment,¡± noah said.


    silvertide peered over his shoulder at moxie and raised an eyebrow. ¡°so i see. but i think your company would much prefer if i came in.¡±


    noah looked back and nearly choked in surprise. moxie¡¯s eyes were wide open, sparking with admiration.


    who the hell is this guy?


    ¡°damned plains,¡± moxie breathed. ¡°silvertide is at your door. no ¨C vermil, what¡¯s going on? you know silvertide? and you didn¡¯t tell me?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure know is the right word for it,¡± noah said, rubbing the back of his neck. he repressed a sigh. he couldn¡¯t think of any good reasons to tell silvertide to kick rocks, and with the way moxie was looking at him, it probably wouldn¡¯t hurt to talk for a little.


    noah stepped back, opening the door, and silvertide strode inside. his eye roamed over noah¡¯s room without even the slightest ounce of shame. there was absolutely no change in silvertide¡¯s expression, so if he found whatever he was looking for, he didn¡¯t let it on.


    ¡°we ran into each other a while back,¡± silvertide said with an easygoing chuckle. ¡°he nearly killed my idiot apprentice.¡±


    moxie¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°ah. of course.¡±


    ¡°you don¡¯t sound particularly surprised.¡± silvertide raised an eyebrow. ¡°is magus vermil often doing such things?¡±


    ¡°no. i trust him with my own students,¡± moxie said, shaking her head and throwing off whatever surprise she¡¯d had from silvertide¡¯s arrival. ¡°i mean no offense, but if he attacked your pupil, they probably deserved it.¡±


    silvertide threw his head back and let out a bark of laughter. ¡°oh, he likely did. vermil scared the daylight out of him. kid hasn¡¯t stopped training ever since. he¡¯s terrified you¡¯ll come hunting him down for some reason.¡±


    noah cleared his throat uncomfortably. ¡°sorry about that. i was¨C¡±


    ¡°dealing with what many soldiers do,¡± silvertide said, cutting noah off. he pulled out noah¡¯s chair and sat down in it before glancing up at noah and tapping the chair with a finger ¡°do you mind if i sit?¡±


    you¡¯re meant to ask that before you sit.


    ¡°no, feel free.¡±


    ¡°splendid. please, introduce me to the two lovely women you¡¯ve got in your room,¡± silvertide said. ¡°that bright red hair ¨C from the torrin family? one of the side branches, i suppose?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s moxie,¡± noah said. he nodded to lee, who was perched on the edge of his bed, watching silvertide through squinted eyes. ¡°and that¡¯s lee.¡±


    silvertide extended a hand and clasped moxie¡¯s, shaking once before turning toward lee.


    ¡°she looks a little... young,¡± silvertide said slowly. ¡°a student?¡±


    ¡°assistant teacher,¡± noah corrected.


    ¡°i see,¡± silvertide said. he held his hand out. lee stared at it disdainfully. her nose scrunched and she made no move to shake. after a moment, silvertide pulled his hand back. ¡°thrilling to meet you, lee.¡±


    ¡°yep. can you leave now?¡±


    lee prepared to lunge. noah immediately knew that, if lee tried to attack silvertide, she wouldn¡¯t survive the experience. her gaze was completely focused on the man¡¯s neck, though. she wasn¡¯t watching his eyes for him to give her an unspoken warning.


    ¡°stop,¡± noah barked. lee froze, just instants from striking out. she shifted back, her eyes transfixed on silvertide, who didn¡¯t even glance back in her direction. ¡°if you¡¯re so certain i did this, why haven¡¯t you told arbitage?¡±


    ¡°because i don¡¯t care about arbitage,¡± silvertide said with a chuckle. ¡°i care about the students and mages within it, but the linwicks replaced the hellreaver. the culprit hardly matters when their family were the ones to patch up the damage. no, i want to know why.¡±


    i could try to keep denying, but silvertide has me on the ropes. shit.


    noah snuck a glance at moxie. she was as stiff as a board. silvertide was very strong, then. the chances of them overwhelming him, even if they wanted to, were probably incredibly low.


    ¡°same reason you did, i¡¯d imagine.¡± noah sighed and let his shoulders slump. ¡°it was trying to kill me.¡±


    silvertide smiled. ¡°of course it was. the why comes before the hellreaver got into your mind. what was the reason you killed that many of its monsters?¡±


    ¡°training,¡± noah replied. ¡°i needed to learn how they fought perfectly so i could teach my students. things went a bit too far and it started getting into my head ¨C and then one thing led to another. it was me or the hellreaver.¡±


    silvertide nodded thoughtfully. ¡°you mean that. the monster¡¯s master rune wasn¡¯t your purpose at any point, then?¡±


    ¡°a benefit, but not one i was aiming for. i was just trying to live.¡±


    ¡°are you going to tell anyone?¡± lee asked.


    ¡°if i said yes, i suspect you and moxie would likely try to kill me.¡± silvertide rubbed his beard, not even slightly concerned by the situation. ¡°alas, i have a thing for loyalty, and it¡¯s rare that i see anyone willing to throw their lives away for what they know to be certain death.¡±


    silvertide sent a pointed glance at moxie¡¯s vine, letting her know that he was onto everything she was doing. moxie held his gaze, unflinching.


    ¡°what was the purpose of this?¡± noah asked. ¡°it doesn¡¯t accomplish anything.¡±


    ¡°ah, but it does,¡± silvertide said. ¡°i have judged your character. the trust of your companions speaks for it already ¨C though i already had my suspicions. i spoke to your students before coming here.¡±


    noah¡¯s back stiffened and his eyes went flat. ¡°what did you do?¡±


    ¡°absolutely nothing,¡± silvertide replied, aghast. ¡°i would never harm a child without cause. on the contrary, they¡¯re the reason i¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°isabel and todd wouldn¡¯t have said anything,¡± lee said firmly. ¡°you¡¯re lying.¡±


    ¡°ah ¨C i had changed the subject. i wasn¡¯t talking about the hellreaver anymore,¡± silvertide said. he leaned forward, bracing his hands on his knees and looking noah in the eyes. ¡°i came because of their unique situations. i was a friend of their families, you see.¡±


    ¡°you knew isabel¡¯s parents?¡± lee asked. her eyes narrowed. ¡°why¡¯d you leave them alone for so long, then? some friend.¡±


    for the first time in their conversation, silvertide¡¯s confident look fell and shame washed over his features. ¡°a failing that lies entirely on my shoulders. i got caught up in a series of very difficult jobs that were not suitable for children to join. and that leads me to my arrival at arbitage some time ago.¡±


    ¡°you came to check on isabel and todd?¡± moxie asked.


    ¡°no,¡± silvertide replied. ¡°i came to remove them from the worthless politics of arbitage and take them under my tutelage.¡±

 Chapter 209: Tough Talks

    chapter 209: tough talks


    ¡°you¡¯re going to take isabel and todd away?¡± lee asked, her expression crumpling.


    ¡°i was going to,¡± silvertide said with a frown. ¡°they refused my offer. said they liked their current teacher well enough. guess they never really did know me, i very rarely visited and i suppose i wasn¡¯t a topic of conversation in the family, but i was still surprised. that¡¯s why i came. just doing my due diligence and making sure that they chose you of their own volition.¡±


    noah wasn¡¯t sure what to say. he still didn¡¯t exactly know who silvertide was, but the man was strong and well known. isabel and todd probably could have gotten some incredible tutelage from him ¨C better than anything noah could have done with his limited knowledge and resources.


    ¡°that expression on your face is exactly what i felt,¡± silvertide said, a tiny note of petulance entering his voice. he shook his head and chuckled. ¡°unfortunately, my feelings weren¡¯t part of the conversation. i should mention that they did accept my offer for training during the vacation, but i won¡¯t be keeping them.¡±


    wait. if he¡¯s actually this well known, he¡¯s got to be rich, right?


    ¡°if you¡¯re training todd, then maybe you can help him in a more important way. i¡¯d imagine you¡¯ve got access to some powerful resources. todd got some bad nerve damage a little while back and it doesn¡¯t look like it can be fixed without a very expensive procedure. is there something you could do about that?¡±


    silvertide¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°was it in his neck? that would explain his stance, actually. but... a healing potion didn¡¯t fix it? it should have.¡±


    ¡°the healing potion didn¡¯t properly heal him,¡± moxie said.


    ¡°any wound severe enough for a healing potion to fail to take is incredibly serious. and for it to be nerve damage in that location¨C¡± silvertide¡¯s features grew stormy and his eyes went cold. the temperature in the room dropped several degrees and the hair on the back of noah¡¯s neck stood on end. ¡°who broke his neck?¡±


    ¡°nobody you can take revenge on,¡± noah said. ¡°he¡¯s already dead. i killed him.¡±


    the room returned to its former feeling and noah¡¯s chair creaked as silvertide released his iron grip on it. he¡¯d left small grooves in the wood. his grip was so strong that he¡¯d nearly squished it between his fingers.


    ¡°i see,¡± silvertide said. ¡°i will look into this and see what i am capable of doing. severe damage like that, in a location as integral as the neck, is not always a solution that is so simple as money.¡±


    ¡°if there¡¯s anything you can do to help todd at all, it could change everything for him. he¡¯s been working double just to keep up with isabel, and i haven¡¯t been able to figure out any ways to help him beyond earning enough money to find a way to cure him.¡±


    silvertide grunted. ¡°how was his neck broken in the first place? that isn¡¯t a training injury.¡±


    now that¡¯s a minefield of a question.


    ¡°assassins,¡± noah said finally. ¡°ones going for me, not him. we were on the road and got attacked unexpectedly.¡±


    ¡°and the one who sent them?¡±


    ¡°alive, but no longer trying to kill me, as far as i know. he¡¯s too powerful for me to go after directly right now, but he¡¯ll get what¡¯s coming to him.¡±


    silvertide rubbed his brow and shook his head. ¡°politics. it¡¯s always politics. this is why i became a soldier. the reason this damn kingdom can¡¯t keep a rank 7 is probably because we¡¯re all killing each other for scraps of power. i won¡¯t press on this matter ¨C not yet, at least. it isn¡¯t my place.¡±


    that¡¯s... surprisingly understanding, actually. i fully expected him to try to figure out who sent the assassins and get furious at me for putting todd in harm¡¯s way.


    heaving a sigh, silvertide raised from the chair and adjusted his cloak. ¡°i¡¯ve spent enough time terrorizing your room. i¡¯ll be leaving with isabel and todd tomorrow, and we¡¯ll be out for exactly two months. they¡¯ve reached rank 2 already, which speaks volumes for your training style, as i suspect it wasn¡¯t through monster baths that they grew strong. i will be focusing on other things, so don¡¯t fear. they will return alive. i will not allow harm to befall them.¡±


    ¡°no. it¡¯s different,¡± moxie said. she thought for a few moments, then rubbed the back of her neck. ¡°romantic love and platonic love are both love. some people see it differently, but i¡¯d say romantic love is something you feel toward a single person that you find... attractive, i guess. romantically.¡±


    lee gave moxie a deadpan stare. ¡°that didn¡¯t really define anything.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m trying, okay?¡± moxie chewed the insides of her cheeks. ¡°i never thought i¡¯d be giving this talk to a demon. it¡¯s when you like someone more than anyone else, to a level where you¡¯d follow them anywhere and they¡¯d do the same for you.¡±


    ¡°so it¡¯s like super friendship?¡±


    moxie laughed. ¡°no, i wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s greater or worse than friendship. it¡¯s different. i... oh, gods. okay. romantic love typically also involves wanting to get really close to someone. physically. i don¡¯t know how demons procreate, but¨C¡±


    ¡°there¡¯s usually a fight, and then¨C¡±


    ¡°nope!¡± moxie held her hands up. ¡°sorry, that¡¯s definitely not something i need to learn today. maybe not how demons do it, then. just imagine someone that you find so attractive that you want to spend all your time around them because you like looking at them. something like that.¡±


    lee stared off into the distance for several seconds, then slowly nodded. ¡°okay. so what is plate love?¡±


    ¡°platonic. it¡¯s the love you have for your friends,¡± moxie explained. ¡°it¡¯s the feeling of anger you get when someone you care about is threatened. the happiness you feel when they succeed. it¡¯s different than romantic love, but it¡¯s no better or worse.¡±


    lee¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°oh! i love you, then.¡±


    there was a short pause as moxie desperately tried to figure out what lee meant by that particular line, but lee saved her from having to think too hard.


    ¡°i also love noah. and isabel. and todd. emily too. am i allowed to love that many people?¡±


    moxie burst into laughter. ¡°yeah, i think that¡¯s fine. there¡¯s no limit to how many friends you can have. they¡¯re like family that you can choose.¡±


    lee opened her mouth, then closed it again, confusion passing back over her features. ¡°families also love each other?¡±


    the smile fell away from moxie¡¯s face. ¡°now i¡¯m definitely the wrong person to answer that question. sometimes, it¡¯s better to choose the people you love. being born to someone doesn¡¯t mean they love you.¡±


    ¡°oh.¡±


    they were both silent for a few seconds. moxie tried not to look too satisfied. she¡¯d somehow actually managed to answer lee¡¯s questions without butchering something. lee looked at moxie out of the corner of her eyes.


    ¡°moxie?¡±


    ¡°yeah?¡±


    ¡°can you feel romantic love toward food?¡±


    moxie sighed.

 Chapter 210: Friendly

    chapter 210: friendly


    ¡°i¡¯ve never much enjoyed this,¡± silvertide said as they reached the stairs at the end of the hall. noah drew up beside him.


    ¡°enjoyed what?¡± noah asked.


    ¡°stairs,¡± silvertide replied. he patted what noah presumed to be his namesake. the silver leg shimmered even in the faint light of the t building. if it hadn¡¯t been attached to his body, it could have been a work of art in a museum. the intricate carvings caught the light, twisting scattering it back across the floor.


    ¡°is it hard for you to walk down stairs?¡±


    ¡°no.¡± silvertide gave noah a wry smile and strode down the stairs, taking two of them at a time. noah hurried to catch up with him at the bottom before he got left behind. ¡°in spite of what people assume, i am far from crippled. my leg is far from the weakest part of my body.¡±


    ¡°then¨C¡±


    ¡°i am not the only one who lost a leg, and not everyone was fortunate enough to find a replacement as well made as mine.¡±


    they reached the end of the t building and stepped out onto the path, heading out toward the garden. silvertide paused by one of the multicolored rose bushes and leaned in, inhaling deeply. he let out a satisfied sigh. ¡°the gardens are far nicer than any building.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve got mixed feelings toward them. i keep ending up having really important conversations here.¡± noah caught silvertide¡¯s stance shift, and the old man cleared his throat.


    ¡°ah. that¡¯s unfortunate. i fear i may be about to add to that count.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯d gathered as much. might as well get it over with. as long as you aren¡¯t about to proclaim that you¡¯re actually part of the linwick family and have come to marry me, i think i¡¯ll live.¡±


    silvertide chuckled and shook his head. he sniffed the flower again, a small smile flickering across his features. ¡°you¡¯re safe from that, i can assure you.¡±


    they fell silent for a few seconds. noah raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°i¡¯ll admit that i¡¯m not the most patient person in the world. was there something you wanted to say?¡±


    silvertide turned away from the roses to properly face noah. ¡°my mind occasionally wanders in my old age, so i hope you¡¯ll forgive me. i have a piece of information that you very much want, but i need to know that you can receive it.¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s that meant to mean?¡± noah¡¯s brow furrowed in confusion. ¡°like you want me to prove that i¡¯m safe to trust or not going to betray you?¡±


    ¡°nothing of the sort. your character has already been tested. it¡¯s a far more practical thing i seek to test. this sort of information is dangerous, magus vermil. learning it will inevitably put you on a path in which you will come into conflict.¡±


    it was noah¡¯s turn to laugh. he waved away silvertide¡¯s surprised look. he¡¯d probably meant to impress the importance of what he was about to share with noah, but it had been so long since noah hadn¡¯t been fighting someone or another that the weight of silvertide¡¯s words was lost on him. ¡°i¡¯m sorry. it¡¯s been a long day. i¡¯m not trying to disrespect your caution, but i¡¯d take risk over ignorance.¡±


    ¡°most would say the same, but few actually know what that means,¡± silvertide said. he rolled his shoulders and a small smile pulled at one side of his mouth. ¡°i am afraid words aren¡¯t sufficient for this. you will have to prove that you are capable of defending yourself. if you can¡¯t, then telling you will only cause trouble.¡±


    noah tensed, expecting an attack at any second. nothing came. silvertide just watched him quietly, observing his reaction.


    ¡°that¡¯s usually the part where i expect you to attack.¡±


    ¡°you haven¡¯t agreed to anything yet. if you don¡¯t want to know, then i won¡¯t.¡±


    if this is the level of the threat i¡¯m going to get into if i actually get the information silvertide is offering... i can¡¯t defeat it. not yet. sunder¡¯s powers were already limited against the jaguar monster because i wasn¡¯t strong enough to channel it properly. even at rank 3, if i¡¯m up against someone like this, i suspect i wouldn¡¯t be able to trust sunder to kill them instantly.


    i can¡¯t win this fight. if i didn¡¯t care about revealing sunder¡¯s powers, i might try some more aggressive moves and get myself killed until i found a gap in how silvertide fights... but that¡¯s obviously not going to work.


    ¡°i see,¡± noah said, lowering his hands and taking a step back. ¡°i can¡¯t win this. i was thinking i could count it as a victory if i landed a blow on you, but i don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to happen. not without us tearing the garden down ¨C and probably not even then.¡±


    silvertide smiled. ¡°you pass.¡±


    ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°your strength can always change,¡± silvertide said, uncrossing his hands and walking over to noah. ¡°you can get stronger. the circumstances of a fight can favor you, or you may have powerful allies. but what does not change is your approach. when faced with an insurmountable threat, people act differently. you were bold enough to try fighting me, but didn¡¯t beat yourself against the rocks when you realized you were outmatched.¡±


    ¡°you were just trying to see if i¡¯d back off from a threat if i realized i couldn¡¯t win?¡±


    ¡°you¡¯d be surprised how many people would continue until they were defeated, convinced that all that matters in life is will. understanding your situation and yourself is just as important as training,¡± silvertide said, a wry smile passing over his features.


    i¡¯m not so sure i¡¯d say that i¡¯m typically the type to take things slowly.


    ¡°perseverance isn¡¯t the same thing as idiocy,¡± silvertide said, as if he¡¯d read noah¡¯s thoughts. ¡°i recognize that look in your eyes, vermil. i¡¯ve had it before. i don¡¯t know you, but i know i¡¯ve done some stupid shit in my life. the difference is knowing when you¡¯re well and truly outmatched versus when you still have a chance.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s a meaningful lesson,¡± noah said, genuinely meaning his words. ¡°thank you.¡±


    ¡°i am always pleased to be of service. however, you have earned yourself the information you seek ¨C should you still want it.¡±


    ¡°i do.¡±


    ¡°very well. i was watching the exam this year very closely. there were a multitude of concerning events.¡±


    ¡°i noticed that as well,¡± noah said with a nod. ¡°i got lucky enough to get invited to a viewing room with evergreen.¡±


    ¡°evergreen? i¡¯d hardly call that lucky.¡± silvertide chuckled, but his expression quickly grew serious once more. ¡°then i¡¯m certain you noticed the interference happening for isabel and todd¡¯s team and the appearance of the rank 6 mage.¡±


    ¡°two rank 6 mages, right?¡±


    silvertide¡¯s brow furrowed and he didn¡¯t respond for several moments. ¡°likely. i am unsure. one of them was much stronger than the other. that isn¡¯t the concern, though. nobody has been able to find any trace of them, and i suspect that they¡¯ve left. whatever their purpose was ¨C it doesn¡¯t matter. the issue is that, when they showed up, i was momentarily distracted. and, in that time, whoever was controlling the monsters to attack isabel and todd managed to slip away.¡±


    ¡°so someone was controlling them?¡±


    ¡°yes. but in a very odd manner. it was like they were aiming more to distract than to actually kill. that is a small fact, but paired with the type of magic that was being used, i have come to a conclusion. the person that was interfering with the exam is a skilled mind rune user from the herron family by the name of calo.¡±


    ¡°the herrons are one of the largest noble families, aren¡¯t they? i was pretty sure that this was either someone trying to bully isabel and todd because of their blacklisted status or targeting emily because of the torrin family. why would the herrons care about either of those things?¡±


    ¡°because neither of those were their goal,¡± silvertide replied. ¡°i suspect they have figured out that isabel still bears her late father¡¯s supposedly missing master rune.¡±

 Chapter 211: Story

    chapter 211: story


    noah wished that he could have looked surprised, but if anything, silvertide¡¯s words were only confirmation of something that had been hard not to suspect, at least a little bit. when isabel had formed her stone armor while they were training, it had blue streaks of light running throughout it.


    those certainly weren¡¯t part of her stone rune, and noah was well aware that isabel hadn¡¯t learned how to imbue anything like that. silvertide noticed noah¡¯s rather lackluster response to his revelation and raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°you already knew?¡±


    ¡°i suspected,¡± noah replied with a shrug. ¡°it wasn¡¯t any of my business, though. i didn¡¯t want to push where my nose didn¡¯t belong. looks like she¡¯s done a good job of keeping things under wraps so far.¡±


    silvertide nodded, and a wave of sadness passed through his eyes. ¡°yes, she has. it¡¯s a damn outrage that she has to hide it at all, though. that rune was her heritage from a father that should still be alive. the fact that they¡¯ve nearly taken both from her ¨C if i could do anything, i would. unfortunately, i¡¯m just one soldier.¡±


    ¡°do you know why the nobles are after the rune so badly?¡± noah asked. ¡°i don¡¯t need to know what it is, but there¡¯s got to be a reason they want this so much. unless my understanding is wrong, there are quite a few master runes. some are rare, but their main draw is that they¡¯re unique.¡±


    ¡°correct. the majority of master runes are fairly unimportant beyond the fact that they are unique, but isabel¡¯s is not one of those. her master rune is... powerful. she¡¯s yet to fully learn how to use it. it will not be easy, but i will attempt to aid her in that matter during our training.¡±


    that¡¯s enough for me, then. nothing i didn¡¯t know, but at least i have a face to the name of who was messing with the kids during the exam. for that matter... should i tell silvertide about the bloke that took over evergreen¡¯s construct?


    noah watched silvertide silently for several seconds. he was loathe to trust anyone too quickly, but silvertide had done nothing but be open with him. the powerful mage seemed to have isabel and todd¡¯s best interests at the forefront of his mind.


    in the end, this is evergreen¡¯s problem, not mine. it won¡¯t get me in any trouble if i go around sharing it so long as silvertide doesn¡¯t just up and tell the world that i¡¯m the one who warned him.


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure if this is related to the monster attack during the exam, but something else happened.¡±


    silvertide gestured for noah to continue, a mixture of interest and concern on his weathered features.


    ¡°during the time i spent with magus evergreen, i discovered that she wasn¡¯t actually who she claimed to be. evergreen was a construct.¡±


    a sharp bark of laughter slipped from silvertide¡¯s mouth. ¡°she¡¯s getting careless if she let a rank 2 figure that out.¡±


    ¡°rank 3, actually,¡± noah corrected absently. ¡°but that wasn¡¯t the problem. the problem was that we ¨C lee, moxie, and i ¨C figured out that someone had intercepted her construct at some point and had essentially mind-controlled it. i don¡¯t know what their goal was, but they knew that the exam was being meddled with. it sounded like they had a part in it as well, but the meddling wasn¡¯t their actual goal. they knew emily as well.¡±


    ¡°someone was able to take control of evergreen¡¯s construct? that is concerning. did you manage to get any more information out of them?¡±


    ¡°unfortunately not. another professor by the name of revin killed the construct while the person controlling it was trying to set up a meeting with us. i wasn¡¯t planning to meet them, but i was hoping to get some more information.¡±


    silvertide¡¯s brow furrowed and he rubbed his chin, lost deep in thought. he shook himself out of it when the silence started to become uncomfortable. ¡°i will look into this. i¡¯m sure i don¡¯t need to warn you of this, but make sure no mention of this goes to evergreen. she is dangerous. i am not familiar with revin, but he made the right decision to kill the construct quickly. someone who was controlling it may have been able to track its location with sufficient energy or time. do you trust revin?¡±


    noah nearly laughed. ¡°not at all, but... i think his goals might align with mine. maybe. he¡¯s very difficult to read, and i think he might be insane.¡±


    ¡°ah. i¡¯ve met men like that.¡± silvertide gave noah a knowing smile. ¡°usually soldiers, not professors. constant battle tends to unhinge the minds of even the most collected individuals. i would suggest keeping what you shared with me close to chest, then. i will ensure isabel and todd¡¯s safety, so please take some time to prepare yourself for what is to come. you will need the rest.¡±


    more like the training. the idea of sitting around and doing nothing still feels about as enjoyable as sticking pins under my fingernails.


    ¡°thank you,¡± noah said, starting to turn back toward the t building.


    ¡°you said people that love each other share things with each other.¡±


    there was a long pause. then moxie let out a sigh.


    ¡°not everyone is as open as you are, lee. it¡¯s difficult. there are a lot of things that i want to say, but many of them just aren¡¯t good ideas. sometimes, i¡¯m jealous of your complete lack of inhibitions.¡±


    ¡°you should be. it makes life more fun.¡±


    i think i¡¯ve been standing outside the door long enough to be a certified weirdo. time to go in.


    noah turned the handle, pausing for an instant longer to make sure they heard him before pushing the door open and stepping inside. lee was lying at the base of his bed, looking up at moxie who sat on top of it.


    ¡°is everything okay?¡± moxie asked, jerking her gaze up to him and looking ever so slightly flustered.


    ¡°yeah,¡± noah said with a nod. he shut the door behind himself. ¡°silvertide seems like a great guy. he told me some information about what might have happened to the kids during the exam. some person from the herron family called calo.¡±


    moxie pursed her lips, then shook her head. ¡°never heard of him, but that¡¯s good to keep in mind in case we ever run into them. did he say why calo would be interfering?¡±


    ¡°a personal matter regarding isabel¡¯s runes,¡± noah said. moxie¡¯s eyes widened slightly and she nodded her understanding.


    ¡°do we need to kill calo?¡± lee asked.


    noah laughed. ¡°i¡¯m not so sure it¡¯ll be that easy. if he¡¯s high up in the herron family, then i¡¯d imagine he¡¯ll be somewhat difficult to get to. for now, nothing changes. we play things by ear and focus on getting stronger. i know karina promised us a way to get infinite catchpaper ¨C and i still want that ¨C but in the meantime, we should go to the market tomorrow. i¡¯ll sell some of the monster bits i¡¯ve collected to get some extra catchpaper for you to use, lee. pairing that with dayton and evergreen¡¯s grimoires should be enough to let you gather some runes to replace your current ones.¡±


    ¡°okay!¡± lee said cheerfully. ¡°i¡¯m going to go run around and chase something small. moxie said the thrill of the hunt was similar to love. bye!¡±


    she pulled the window open and squirmed through it, dropping out of sight a moment later. noah¡¯s gaze drifted from the window to moxie, whose cheeks were starting to turn red.


    ¡°i think my conversation might have been harder than yours,¡± moxie said, rubbing the bridge of her nose and trying to get herself back under control. ¡°silvertide is a legend, you know.¡±


    that¡¯s definitely an attempt to change the subject, but i¡¯ll show mercy.


    ¡°i could tell,¡± noah said. ¡°you know, i nearly killed his apprentice on accident.¡±


    moxie latched onto the lifeline, jumping to her feet. ¡°right! you mentioned that. you can¡¯t just say that in passing, you know. tell me what happened. all of it.¡±


    ¡°maybe we should head back to your room?¡± noah suggested. ¡°we promised karina she could use this one, and i imagine she¡¯ll come back when she remembers that bit.¡±


    ¡°oh. right.¡±


    they headed out the door. noah grabbed his belongings as they made their way back toward moxie¡¯s room. once they got back, moxie pointed to her chair and sat down in her bed, watching noah with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°well,¡± noah started. ¡°it¡¯s not actually a very short story, but it began with a bunch of really damn annoying hallucinations.¡±

 Chapter 212: Lists

    chapter 212: lists


    ¡°you¡¯re kidding me,¡± moxie said, shaking her head in disbelief once noah finished the retelling of his first meeting with silvertide. ¡°you¡¯ve got a talent for this, you know.¡±


    ¡°hey, it was hardly my fault. it¡¯s because i got so connected to the monkeys that the hellreaver managed to worm its way into my mind after i died to it. how was i supposed to know something like that would happen?¡±


    moxie just rolled her eyes. it had been a few minutes since they¡¯d gotten back to her room, and she¡¯d been shuffling through papers on her desk throughout the entirety of noah¡¯s story. she had a remarkable ability to do two things at the same time that completely baffled noah.


    whenever i try to split my focus between two things, i end up ruining both.


    that problem seemed to be his alone. moxie finished arranging a pile of papers and books, then leafed through a few of them.


    ¡°what do you have over there?¡± noah asked. ¡°plans for where we¡¯ll go over the summer?¡±


    ¡°ideas for it. i¡¯ve specifically ruled out any locations with great monsters, by the way.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s probably for the best,¡± noah admitted. ¡°do you actually have a plan beyond finding a bunch of strong monsters and killing them?¡±


    moxie shot him a withering stare. ¡°that¡¯s what i¡¯m working on. as you¡¯ve already said, we have more than just one goal. here, you can help. help me figure out exactly what we need to accomplish. we¡¯ve only got two and a half months to work with.¡±


    vines wound out from moxie¡¯s sleeves, forming into a green chair at her side. noah shrugged and sat down, grabbing a quill and a blank sheet of paper from her desk. he raised the quill, then paused.


    ¡°is there a reason that the break is two and a half months? that¡¯s awful coincidental.¡±


    ¡°two months are spent in training, usually at home with your family. preparations for taking over the business, learning politics, whatever it is that they¡¯re focusing on. the last half month is to destress and prepare yourself for the next year.¡±


    ¡°huh. interesting,¡± noah said.


    guess it¡¯s just a coincidence that their summer breaks are basically the same length as the ones on earth. i used to always feel like two or three months were nowhere near long enough.


    noah tapped the quill with his pointer finger as he studied the paper, trying to pull his thoughts back together. so many things had been piling up that it took him longer than he cared to admit to actually remember all of them. he put the tip of the quill to the paper and started to write.


    hellreaver


    todd¡¯s injury ¨C silvertide is hopefully taking care of this one, but we should still keep our eyes out.


    isabel¡¯s runes & the herron family.


    isabel & todd¡¯s vendetta against the nobles, including dayton ¨C who is still out there somewhere, as far as i¡¯m aware. he¡¯s probably waiting for me to pop up at some point.


    contessa ¨C mostly handled and no longer an opponent, but need to ensure she doesn¡¯t swap sides or try betraying us.


    karina ¨C not sure what to do here. need to somehow get father to break off the engagement or i will have to handle her in some other manner.


    fix lee¡¯s runes


    ¡°so i¡¯ve gathered.¡± moxie rolled her eyes. ¡°there are a few different locations that i think could work, but it¡¯ll take me a bit to figure them out.¡±


    ¡°want help?¡±


    moxie shook her head. ¡°i just wanted to make sure our goals were in the same vein. we just want a location where lee can find some runes that fit her and where we can both push ourselves and grow stronger. you don¡¯t have to do any more.¡±


    the paper in noah¡¯s hands would have sagged in shame had it been alive. noah just shrugged, folding it up and sliding it into a pocket. he got the feeling that he¡¯d remember a few more things to add to it in the near future.


    ¡°if you¡¯re sure,¡± noah said. he glanced around the room, then frowned. ¡°should i have brought some sheets from my room? i don¡¯t have anywhere to sleep.¡±


    ¡°just use the bed. i can make a hammock from vines pretty easily.¡±


    noah wasn¡¯t going to argue with that. moxie¡¯s bed was comfortable ¨C something about the vines she was using made it much softer than his own bed, which made absolutely no sense to him.


    vines shouldn¡¯t be softer than cotton.


    hopping onto moxie¡¯s bed, noah let out a satisfied sigh. he slipped out of his jacket and hung it at the foot of the bed as he slid beneath the covers. noah set his gourd and travel bag against the back wall, then looked back to moxie. ¡°you¡¯re sure you don¡¯t need¨C¡±


    ¡°go to sleep. this won¡¯t take me long, and it¡¯ll be faster if i can just read quietly.¡± a vine slithered out from the bottom of moxie¡¯s pants, traversing the room and rising up to the window, where it pulled the shutters closed. it smacked noah lightly on the forehead as she retracted it, but she wasn¡¯t looking in his direction so he had no way to know if it had been intentional or not.


    some sleep sounds great, though. i won¡¯t make moxie argue with me about it.


    noah closed his eyes, letting himself sink into the bed. he drew in a deep breath, preparing to push his thoughts away and let rest take him. a weight settled in on his chest. at first, it just felt like it was slightly harder to breathe.


    but, after a second, it became very apparent that the weight wasn¡¯t just in his head. noah¡¯s eyes snapped open. a large, catlike creature had curled up on top of him. it was about the size of a large toddler, with long fluffy hair. the cute expression on its features was ruined by the smooth, reddish spines jutting out from its gray fur. glimmering purple runes flickered in and out of existence along its body, pulsating with every thump of noah¡¯s heart.


    what the hell is this?


    noah opened his mouth ¨C and the cat vanished. the weight disappeared from his chest as if nothing had been there. he shot a glance at moxie, but she was hunched over the desk, not looking in his direction. she hadn¡¯t seen anything.


    an involuntary twitch took a hold of noah¡¯s right eye. he pushed himself upright and grabbed the note he¡¯d written, stalking over to the desk beside moxie. she glanced at him in surprise as he snagged a quill for himself and wrote one more line on the paper.


    figure out what the hell the creepy cat thing was.


    noah folded the paper back up and stalked back to bed, not saying a word. if he addressed anything verbally, that just made it real. the cat ¨C and whatever extra problem the stupid thing wanted to add to his ever-growing list ¨C could wait until tomorrow.


    ¡°goodnight,¡± noah said, lying back in moxie¡¯s bed.


    ¡°goodnight,¡± moxie replied, a note of amusement in her voice. ¡°is everything okay?¡±


    ¡°yep. just remembered another thing i have to deal with.¡±


    noah closed his eyes once more, then paused for a second before opening them again. there was no cat. he shook his head, grumbling under his breath, and let himself start to relax.


    neither he nor moxie noticed the glimmering red eyes watching him from the darkness at the base of the bed, just beside his gourd, as he drifted off to sleep.

 Chapter 213: Good fight

    chapter 213: good fight


    when noah woke up the following morning, moxie was already awake. he would have suspected that she¡¯d worked through the night if there wasn¡¯t a vine hammock dangling in the center of the room. it looked like the hammock had been claimed, though, as lee was curled up in its center.


    yawning, noah resisted the urge to remain in bed and sat up. he wiped at his eyes and nodded to moxie, who took a stack of papers and slid it into her travel bag.


    ¡°you weren¡¯t up all night, right?¡± noah was pretty sure she looked rested, but he felt like he had to ask, even if it was only for his own sake.


    ¡°of course not. i got up an hour ago,¡± moxie replied. ¡°when lee came flying through the window.¡±


    ¡°as a bird or something?¡±


    ¡°no, she literally dove through the window. i have no idea how you slept through it.¡±


    i suppose that¡¯s a good thing. there was a time when i woke up ready to start blasting because of the hellreaver¡¯s influence. sleeping through lee-events is going to be vital if i want to maintain my sanity and get rest.


    ¡°i¡¯m a man of many talents.¡±


    moxie snorted. ¡°i¡¯d say you¡¯re a man that¡¯s really good at a few things and utter shit at the others.¡±


    ¡°fair point,¡± noah allowed. he swung his legs out of bed and hooked his travel bag with a foot, pulling it over and taking out a change of clothes. he pulled the jacket on and looked back to moxie. ¡°figure out where we¡¯re going, then?¡±


    ¡°yeah. i hunted through a bunch of locations, but i decided that we had to balance travel distance with a good location. since we¡¯ve got a month until we need to meet up with your lovely fiance?e at whiterock, so i used that as our return point. given that, i think we can try going to dawnforge.¡±


    noah stared at moxie blankly, but she didn¡¯t look particularly surprised by that. she just walked over to the hammock and gently picked lee up, shaking her out slightly. lee unfurled, her nose scrunching as she glared at moxie.


    ¡°what was that for?¡±


    ¡°you weren¡¯t actually asleep, and the hammock is in the middle of the room.¡±


    ¡°what? how did you know?¡±


    ¡°your eyes were open.¡±


    ¡°oh.¡±


    moxie touched the hammock and the vines curled back, unweaving from each other and sliding down the walls and across the floor until they vanished into her pant leg. ¡°dawnforge is a large adventurer city, noah. it¡¯s nowhere near the size of any bastions, but it was one of the first cities built after the long night. it¡¯s in the middle of an area heavily populated by monsters, and a lot of merchants travel there to both sell and buy rare equipment and material.¡±


    ¡°that does sound like it would fit our purposes pretty well,¡± noah said with a nod. ¡°how long is the trip?¡±


    ¡°on foot? too long.¡± moxie picked her travel bag up off the desk and slung it over her shoulder. ¡°luckily, you¡¯ve got a flying sword. on that, it should just be a few days. i¡¯ve already gathered some supplies for us in case we can¡¯t kill enough monsters on the way.¡±


    well, i can¡¯t deny that it¡¯s kind of nice not having to put any thought into where we go. saves a lot of effort for what would probably end up being a worse result.


    ¡°works for me,¡± noah said. ¡°i didn¡¯t know you could use a flying sword, though. you have wind magic?¡±


    moxie arched an eyebrow. ¡°no. that¡¯s what you¡¯ll be for. lee can transform into something small and hitch a ride, and i¡¯ll just hold onto you. your sword is fairly large.¡±


    ***


    by some miracle, the week of travel actually went completely without any major issues. they landed every night, where moxie set up a small camp using her vines to form tents, and then set off the following morning.


    noah fell asleep nearly instantly every single time they touched down. the flight took a lot more mental energy from him than he had expected, even though there was enough power in natural disaster to keep the sword flying through the entire day without any difficulties.


    on the seventh day, noah caught his first look at dawnforge. the city was certainly smaller than arbitage, but it looked as if nobody had reminded its builders that they could make buildings in any direction other than up.


    dawnforge was a city of skyscrapers. huge, towering pillars scraped through the clouds, interconnected by walkways built between them. the walls of the city themselves must have been almost sixty feet tall and were made of burnished silver.


    several huge roads ran in and out of the city, and they were covered with foot and cart traffic alike. there must have been hundreds of other people flying out of the city as well. as for the ones flying in ¨C they landed on the roads well before they reached the city walls.


    but, above all else, noah¡¯s eye was drawn to the huge tower in the center of the city. a glimmering disk of golden energy swirled at its top, illuminating the entire city in its vibrant glow.


    ¡°i guess i figured out where the city got the first part of its name,¡± noah said wryly.


    ¡°both parts, actually,¡± moxie corrected. ¡°that¡¯s actually the top of an enormous forge that stretches out below the city ¨C or so i¡¯ve heard, at least. you should set us down here, though. we don¡¯t want to get too close to the city yet.¡±


    noah didn¡¯t have to be told twice. he angled the flying sword down, aiming for a large, rocky hill. moxie, already more than used to their landings, looped her arms around noah¡¯s neck and lifted her feet into the air. he jumped at the last second, impaling the sword in the ground, and took several running steps to keep from faceplanting.


    ¡°nice,¡± moxie said as she released him, dropping back to the ground. ¡°your sword definitely wants to kill us, though.¡±


    ¡°tell me about it,¡± noah said dryly. he walked over the uneven rocks to his sword, pulling it from the ground and securing it to his side. ¡°why didn¡¯t we want to get closer to the city, though?¡±


    ¡°no point going in before we get some monsters. we need something to sell, and there isn¡¯t going to be anything worth all that much when we¡¯re right on top of the city. out here, i¡¯m certain we can find some interesting opponents.¡±


    the top of noah¡¯s bag shifted as lee poked her head out, still in crow-form. she pushed the top of the bag away, then dragged her clothes out and dropped them onto the ground. noah and moxie averted their eyes as the bird shifted, expanding and changing back into lee¡¯s normal form.


    ¡°that was fun,¡± lee said once she¡¯d pulled her clothes back on. ¡°i should be a crow more often. riding around in your bag is way easier than walking.¡±


    ¡°i am not becoming a glorified chair,¡± noah said, sending lee a mock glare. ¡°speaking of, i was going to ask. you basically only ever transform into other people. can¡¯t you turn into anything? like the crow, for example. why don¡¯t you do that more?¡±


    ¡°oh, you mean with some super powerful monster or something?¡±


    ¡°that was admittedly where i was leading with this, yes.¡±


    ¡°i have to eat whatever i transform into,¡± lee said. ¡°or, more accurately, i have to eat something with a similar composition. humans are pretty much all the same, since i¡¯m only changing physical appearance. but with anything else, i¡¯ve got to eat it to figure out its composition.¡±


    ¡°that makes sense,¡± noah said with a nod. then he paused. ¡°you ate a crow?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve eaten a lot of things.¡±


    ¡°might not want to take that line of questioning any further,¡± moxie suggested.


    ¡°i¡¯ll take that advice,¡± noah said. he turned, looking out over the rocky hills surrounding them. there were dozens of holes that led underground, and when he listened closely enough, he could hear the faint noises coming out from within them. there were definitely a lot of monsters in the area ¨C or rather, below it. ¡°shall we get started, then? it¡¯s been too long since i¡¯ve been in a good fight.¡±

 Chapter 214: Smile

    chapter 214: smile


    ¡°so... are we jumping into the holes?¡± lee asked.


    that¡¯s actually a good question. i¡¯m not so sure jumping straight into the monster dens is the wisest move.


    noah sent a glance in moxie¡¯s direction. ¡°i don¡¯t suppose you have a strategy for this? i had an imbuement that let me sense vibrations in the ground, but i lost it when i upgraded my runes and i¡¯ve still yet to figure out a way to replace it.¡±


    ¡°that would have been useful. and yes, i¡¯ve got a few ideas on how to get monsters out. the most tempting one would be to just use your magic to fill the caves with smoke, but that would probably end up summoning something bigger than we can handle. we don¡¯t want to summon every monster in the area.¡±


    ¡°so what do we do, then?¡± lee asked.


    in response, moxie held a hand out. a long vine wound out from her sleeve, curling on the ground at her feet. its pointed tip rose up, and moxie pulled a large piece of dried meat from her travel bag. she handed it to the vine, which wound around it twice and then slithered into the hole.


    ¡°you¡¯re going fishing?¡± noah asked, bursting into laughter. ¡°i have to admit that, of all the things i thought you¡¯d do, this wasn¡¯t one of them.¡±


    ¡°hey, it works. i¡¯ve seen other people do the exact same thing. you just have to hope that the thing that bites is worth the effort. it¡¯s called baiting, and there¡¯s actually a yearly competition for it in dawnforge. it¡¯s quite a sport.¡±


    ¡°i didn¡¯t take you for a fishing connoisseur,¡± noah said, raising his hands apologetically. ¡°how do they judge the winner? by the size of the monster they pull up?¡±


    ¡°by how strong the monster is, and if the baiter actually survives the encounter. you lose a few points if you get killed.¡±


    noah opened his mouth, then closed it again. moxie sounded completely serious. his eyes narrowed and he studied her for a second. ¡°do dead people win a lot?¡±


    ¡°it happens occasionally. like last year, and three years before that.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re... you¡¯re actually into this, aren¡¯t you?¡± noah asked, realizing that moxie wasn¡¯t actually tugging his leg.


    ¡°yeah. it¡¯s interesting,¡± moxie replied with a shrug. ¡°i didn¡¯t get much option to get entertainment, and the torrins often came to dawnforge to see if anything interesting had shown up on the markets. i occasionally got to go with them.¡±


    ¡°huh. you¡¯re basically an expert on the city, then?¡±


    ¡°i wouldn¡¯t go that far, but i¡¯ve been around it a little.¡± moxie gave the vine a slight tug, closing her eyes in concentration. she wound it around her wrist a few times to make sure her hold was good, then let her grip slack. the vine continued to wind deeper into the hole.


    lee eyed the vine, and noah could see the temptation to give it a tug herself flash through her eyes. she glanced up, first looking to moxie and then noah. the mischievous look on her face faded and she crossed her arms behind her back.


    didn¡¯t expect that. i kind of wanted to see what would happen, to be honest. not telling either of them that, though.


    a tiny flicker of purplish-red light flickered within the hole, making noah do a double take. he¡¯d seen that particular color before, but as he tried to figure out where, moxie clamped down on the vine and gave it a sharp tug. it vine didn¡¯t budge. she opened her mouth to speak, likely to voice confusion, but she didn¡¯t get a chance.


    the vine snapped taut in an instant, yanking moxie off her feet. the ground around the hole crumbled in an instant as a roar echoed out from beneath them, even as moxie hurtled toward the hole.


    ¡°thanks,¡± noah said, shaking his leg off and glaring into the shadows. ¡°that thing is fast.¡±


    ¡°yeah. i noticed,¡± moxie said, looking out in the other direction. noah could feel the tension in her body through the stiffness of her back. ¡°we need to get out of here. this is a terrible spot to fight.¡±


    ¡°we can try to just get on my sword and fly away. the ceiling didn¡¯t look too thick, so i could probably blow it up with a strong enough blast.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s the best strategy. i think we¡¯re in some form of magical darkness. just don¡¯t let your¨C¡±


    the ground beneath them bucked. noah grabbed onto moxie and launched both of them into the air with a blast of violent air. no sooner than they¡¯d left the floor did it bend inward on itself like the maw of a bloody, pustule covered giant, splattering and crunching as it closed.


    noah launched them to the side with another blast of wind, dragging the embers rising from his pipe along with them. they were the only light he had to go from, and didn¡¯t want to lose it.


    it was tempting to just start combusting everything around them, but noah was willing to bet that burning any of the rancid, black sludge was going to generate the worst biological weapon in history.


    the ground squelched beneath noah and moxie as they landed, tiny embers flickering around them like fireflies. noah grabbed his sword, then hesitated before he threw it onto the ground. a warning was buzzing in the back of his mind.


    moxie yanked noah to the side a moment before the ground beneath his feet erupted. a spike-covered vine weeping grey liquid writhed out from the ground, whistling over both of their heads as they ducked to avoid it.


    droplets of black sludge splattered across both of them, and noah gagged. he went to throw the sword down again ¨C and once again, he froze at the last instant. a speck of the black liquid had fallen on the blade, and it had eroded a hole straight through the metal.


    holy shit. if i toss the sword down, it¡¯s going to be melted into sludge.


    ¡°hold on,¡± noah hissed. ¡°i can¡¯t put the sword down on the ground. this shit melts through metal. hold onto my back. i¡¯m going to launch us into the air and mount it there.¡±


    moxie didn¡¯t even spend the time to respond. she leapt onto noah, wrapping her arms around his neck. as soon as she was on, noah called on natural disaster once more. a powerful burst of wind detonated at his feet, throwing them both into the air.


    the embers scattered from the force of the wind, then raced up to follow after them at noah¡¯s command. he slapped his sword against his feet and it hummed to life. the energy within the blade felt weaker than it normally was ¨C more subdued.


    now wasn¡¯t the time to look into it, though. noah leaned forward, shooting toward the ceiling as the embers caught back up with them.


    as they grew closer, a violent chill set into noah¡¯s bones. he couldn¡¯t place where it was coming from, but the feeling intensified at an incredible rate until it felt like he was about to freeze solid.


    to noah¡¯s horror, he realized that the feeling wasn¡¯t just that. they were slowing down. the sword was crawling through the air, barely moving faster than a casual stroll. sludge had splattered across the blade, and it was quickly starting to rot away.


    something in the shadows shifted.


    a pair of sickly purple eyes looked into his from the darkness. a breeze washed past noah. one by one, each of his embers snuffed out. in seconds, the only light left was the faint, dying glow from the flashgrass in his pipe.


    a row of curved, shimmering teeth stretched into a smile at the very edge of the shadows, just close enough to catch the light. just far enough that whatever they belonged to knew he could see it.


    then his pipe sputtered and went out, and there was only darkness.

 Chapter 215: I am

    chapter 215: i am


    there were a few ways noah could see things playing out in the pitch black, his sword struggling desperately to keep itself in flight. not a single one of them was going to turn out well. if they couldn¡¯t see what they were fighting, then they couldn¡¯t defend against it.


    and, even if moxie hadn¡¯t been together with him, noah¡¯s gourd was at his hip. if he died here, it wasn¡¯t going to be any different from anyone else dying. he¡¯d just come back right next to the monster and get killed once again.


    looks like i¡¯ll just have to change the circumstances.


    noah called on combustion. he couldn¡¯t see anything, but he didn¡¯t need to. he extended his will, trying to alight literally anything within the area around them.


    ¡°hold your breath!¡± noah hissed to moxie. if she heard, she didn¡¯t waste any extra air answering him. there was no time to confirm ¨C even if noah¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t pick anything out, his master rune could.


    there was a loud woosh as a spark ignited on some of the residual smoke from his pipe that was still touching his skin. the flame raced down the trail, illuminating the smoke like an outline for an instant as it went in every direction it could.


    one of those directions happened to connect with a rotted vine hanging from one of the walls. it caught. there was a loud whomp as the fire roared like a starving beast. if noah hadn¡¯t known better, he would have thought he¡¯d just set a field of dry grass aflame.


    within instants, half of the room was aflame. sickly black smoke poured into the air all around them as the fire intensified, and whatever magic had been holding noah¡¯s flying sword snapped.


    instead of taking off, they dropped. noah kicked the blade away from himself and set off a blast of wind, cushioning their fall and pushing them over to a hill in the sea of writhing, decayed muck.


    he landed with a grunt, stumbling on the slick surface beneath his boots. noah used natural disaster to push the smoke away from them, gritting his teeth as he squinted through the flickering light in search of the creature.


    ¡°you can probably breathe for now,¡± noah said, amending his earlier suggestion. ¡°as long as i keep the smoke away from us, at least. i¡¯ll have to stop if i swap the rune i¡¯m using, though.¡±


    moxie released him and took a step back. ¡°what in the damned plains are we up against? i¡¯ve never seen anything like this. also, look at the ceiling.¡±


    noah turned his eyes upward. a heavy bed of rotted vines covered it. there must have been at least three or four layers of thick plant growth, each one as thick as noah¡¯s chest.


    ¡°that might not be so easy to get through,¡± noah muttered. ¡°how did it happen so silently? and where the hell is the creepy smiling thing?¡±


    he and moxie both scanned the room again. noah could feel his heart hammering in his chest so loudly that it almost competed with the roar of the fire around them. there was no sign of the monster he¡¯d gotten a glimpse of before the lights had gone out.


    some of the light in the room vanished as a large portion of the flames were suddenly snuffed out near the far wall. noah and moxie spun toward it, nearly slipping in the process. in the time it took them to turn, another section of flame vanished behind them.


    ¡°it¡¯s either really fast, or it¡¯s got a lot of range to it¡¯s magic,¡± moxie warned. ¡°what happened to your sword?¡±


    ¡°dead,¡± noah replied tersely, his fingers flexing as he searched for a target to fight. anything would be better than just scanning the darkness, waiting for his opponent to make the next move. it was like the jaguar fight all over again, but this time he didn¡¯t have tremorsense. ¡°i think it got decayed by the sludge. can you destroy or move the vines on the ceiling?¡±


    ¡°no. they don¡¯t even count as vines anymore. they¡¯ve been changed.¡±


    ¡°lovely,¡± noah muttered. another batch of fire vanished. even as more smoke poured into the room from all the burning dead plants, the flames lighting it were going out one by one. that said, noah did have a huge amount of smoke to work with.


    i don¡¯ t know what it¡¯ll do to anyone that breathes it in, but at this point, i¡¯m not going to use myself as a test subject. i¡¯d rather avoid slinging it around too long. best to just get the hell out of here and seal it in.


    ¡°new idea,¡± noah said. the light illuminating his face faded once more as more fire went out, but he ignored it. he called on sunder, reaching for the reassuring, cold energy of the master rune.


    his teeth ground as he tried to channel the rune properly. after a few moments, a large section of dirt and stone pushed out of the ground and slid over to the hole, covering it.


    several seconds of silence passed. noah straightened, wiping the sweat from his brow and bracing his hands against his knees. ¡°well, shit. did you get any energy from killing a monster?¡±


    moxie shook her head. ¡°nothing. it¡¯s still alive.¡±


    they looked at each other.


    ¡°you want to go back down there?¡±


    ¡°do you?¡± moxie raised an eyebrow.


    it¡¯s got something to do with sunder ¨C or does sunder have something to do with it? either way, the monster managed to survive an explosion that would have killed a huge root fiend a dozen times over. i¡¯m not so sure this is a fight we want to pick now that we¡¯ve managed to escape.


    but, more importantly, not all was as it should have been on the surface. noah¡¯s brow furrowed as he spun in a circle. there was something very important missing.


    ¡°where¡¯s lee? i thought she was up here.¡±


    moxie cursed. ¡°you¡¯re kidding. she didn¡¯t fall in with us, did she?¡±


    ¡°no, she didn¡¯t. she was still watching, and we definitely would have heard her if she dropped down,¡± noah said. his eyes caught on an indent on the ground that wasn¡¯t too far from where they¡¯d been standing before moxie had gotten yanked into the underground cavern. it looked like the claw of a large creature had cut through the ground. ¡°what is that?¡±


    moxie looked down at it. her lips pursed and she looked up, scanning the ground for something. she spotted it and jogged a few steps, stopping beside a similar impression. ¡°some sort of claw marks.¡±


    there¡¯s no way some big ass creature strolled up here in broad daylight and managed to snag lee while she wasn¡¯t paying attention. we weren¡¯t below the ground that long. she wouldn¡¯t have gone down that easily.


    a thought struck noah. he looked up ¨C and saw a huge black bird hurtling down toward them. two huge, clawed feet poked out beneath it, and its neck hung at an odd angle. atop the bird was lee, riding it straight into the ground like a crazed train conductor.


    ¡°holy shit,¡± noah muttered. moxie followed his gaze. the bird wasn¡¯t slowing at all, though. noah and moxie jumped to the side as one. as noah dodged, he also drew on natural disaster and sent a wave of wind out.


    lee leapt off the bird¡¯s back ¨C right into the cushion noah had formed. it wasn¡¯t exactly soft due to the nature of natural disaster, but the churning energy slowed lee¡¯s fall by enough to let her land safely.


    the bird, on the other hand, crashed into the ground and splattered everywhere, spraying black goop in a wide circle around its landing zone ¨C the same goop that had been dripping from all the plants in the cavern beneath them.


    ¡°oh! you¡¯re back,¡± lee said. ¡°did you manage to fish up a good monster? this bird grabbed me right after you fell in. it stopped fighting all of a sudden a few seconds ago, though.¡±


    right after i blew up the cavern.


    ¡°goddamn it,¡± noah muttered. ¡°this is definitely going on my paper. something¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°you think dawnforge is under attack by some weird shit?¡± moxie asked.


    ¡°no,¡± noah replied grimly. ¡°i think i am.¡±

 Chapter 216: Cat

    chapter 216: cat


    ¡°you might have forgotten, but the one that got yanked into the hole was me,¡± moxie pointed out. ¡°why do you think that the monster was after you?¡±


    ¡°right before you got yanked, i saw a flicker of this reddish-purple light somewhere in the hole,¡± noah replied, watching the patch of earth that he¡¯d dragged over the hole warily to make sure that it didn¡¯t shift. when nothing moved, he continued. ¡°and, when i was falling asleep before we left arbitage, i saw that same color on a cat-looking thing.¡±


    moxie¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°cat looking thing? you didn¡¯t mention anything about it.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll be honest, i kind of forgot about it. it vanished when i blinked, and i kind of suspected that it was azel screwing with me or the like. evidently, that isn¡¯t the case. that didn¡¯t seem like him.¡±


    ¡°you should really try to mention things like this before something happens.¡± moxie crossed her arms.


    ¡°you¡¯re probably right.¡± noah rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. ¡°i foolishly assumed that the cat wasn¡¯t going to be trying to kill anyone. i suppose that was my first mistake. everything is trying to kill us.¡±


    ¡°almost everything,¡± moxie corrected. ¡°unfortunately, i have absolutely no idea what the cat might have been. i¡¯ve never heard of a monster that looks like a cat with red energy. can you describe it more?¡±


    ¡°there were some spikes on it. that¡¯s where the energy was coming from. aside from that... it was cute, i guess?¡±??v€l?1n.


    ¡°no idea what it was,¡± moxie said with a shrug. she glanced to lee. ¡°what about you?¡±


    ¡°never heard of it,¡± lee said. ¡°did it look edible?¡±


    ¡°considering it was covered in spikes, probably not.¡±


    lee grimaced. she nudged the body of the splattered bird beside them with her foot. ¡°so you weren¡¯t fighting these?¡±


    noah shook his head and knelt beside the bird. he was loathe to touch it, but it only took a brief observation to realize that the black goop seeping from its mangled corpse was uncomfortably similar to what had been covering the plants in the cavern beneath them.


    ¡°same rot,¡± noah observed, rising back to his feet and dusting his hands off on the sides of his coat. ¡°they¡¯re definitely related, although the time of the attack probably implied that anyway. also, the monster isn¡¯t trying to attack again.¡±


    moxie heaved a sigh and rubbed the bridge of her nose. ¡°which means it¡¯s probably intelligent and an ambush predator, meaning we¡¯ve got another jaguar situation.¡±


    ¡°well, this one is slightly different. we knew what we were up against with the jaguar. we also knew its motives ¨C eating us,¡± noah said helpfully. ¡°aside from the fact that this monster is also likely cat shaped, i¡¯ve got no damn idea what it¡¯s capable of.¡±


    ¡°even better.¡± moxie¡¯s words dripped with sarcasm. the three stood in silence for a few seconds.


    ¡°so... more hunting?¡± lee asked hopefully.


    ¡°might as well,¡± moxie replied. ¡°we¡¯ve got a ways back to the city now that noah¡¯s sword got turned to mush. we might have to take the long way around and hope that we see some more enemies above ground, though. i¡¯m not too eager to get dragged back underground. i think it might be wise to slightly adjust our plan, though. let¡¯s head toward the city and hunt along the way, but get some lodgings and stay within it rather than just collecting all our kills outside first.¡±


    ¡°why? there¡¯s probably more food in the city, though. i like that idea.¡±


    ¡°dawnforge has protection against powerful monsters. i¡¯m not sure what¡¯s hunting noah, but it¡¯ll have more trouble getting to any of us when we¡¯re inside the city.¡±


    and, with that, they set out once more. the sun traced through the sky overhead, passing above them and continuing on its journey toward the horizon. the later in the day it grew, the hotter it became.


    ¡°what do you mean?¡± moxie asked. ¡°i¡¯m sure there¡¯s a way you could find a way to work both in.¡±


    ¡°probably,¡± lee agreed. ¡°but that would also mean i would have to split my intention between them, at least for that first rune. that would probably mean that i wouldn¡¯t form anything perfect.¡±


    ¡°which one are you leaning toward, then?¡± noah asked. ¡°it sounds like you¡¯ve already got a lot of shift, so if that¡¯s the direction¨C¡±


    ¡°shadow. shifting was a way to keep myself alive in the damned plains. it let me stay out of the eye of anything too powerful. but, now that i¡¯m here, aside from a few specific situations, i don¡¯t¡¯ think i actually need it as badly. it¡¯s still useful, and i¡¯ll probably always keep some runes related to it, but i think it would be better to focus on shadow. maybe i¡¯ll keep a single shift rune in the combination, but not more than that.¡±


    noah reached into his bag and pulled dayton¡¯s grimoire back out of it, tossing the scroll to lee. she caught it, then gave noah a confused glance.


    ¡°look through that whenever you get time,¡± noah said. ¡°figure out what runes you think might have components that are useful to you and try to make a list of what kind of rune you want to make. once you figure that out, we can get you a few of those.¡±


    lee beamed at noah and nodded, clutching the scroll to her chest. ¡°okay!¡±


    i can¡¯t believe i didn¡¯t think of that earlier. dayton¡¯s grimoire also has a bit of free space on it, so we can store some pretty solid runes on that if we happen to run into any before i can buy some good catchpaper.


    ¡°what¡¯s that expression on your face?¡± moxie asked noah, slowing her walk to a stop.


    he was so distracted that he nearly bowled into her. managing to stop at the last second, noah coughed into his fist and shook his head.


    ¡°sorry. i was just thinking about how my attention has been getting pulled in so many different directions that i can¡¯t focus on anything. i feel like i should have been able to solve half of these issues if i could just stop and handle one at a time.¡±


    ¡°maybe just do that, then?¡± moxie suggested. ¡°what¡¯s the rush, noah? half of these problems aren¡¯t yours. they¡¯re ours. i ¨C and i¡¯m sure lee as well ¨C we both appreciate how much you¡¯re trying to help us, but neither of us will die if you can¡¯t get us perfect runes by tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°i know, i know. i just keep swapping from one thing to another,¡± noah said wearily.


    ¡°well, what¡¯s the first thing you need to work on? i¡¯ll help you keep on track,¡± moxie said.


    ¡°probably finishing my ice-based rank 2 rune,¡± noah said, sending her an appreciative smile. ¡°i need to find another one, since i¡¯ve currently got something called frozen mist, and it¡¯s not great. if i find another rank 2 ice rune, i think i could merge the two and make one that i like.¡±


    ¡°okay. easy. we just keep our eyes peeled for¨C¡±


    a flash of reddish purple danced across the rocks to noah¡¯s left and vanished beneath the ground. moxie clearly saw it too, because she leapt back, raising her hands defensively. noah and lee both dropped into fighting stances as they all searched for the energy.


    ¡°i think your cat is back,¡± moxie whispered.


    there was a loud crack. pebbles trembled all around them as the ground started to rumble. a mound formed a dozen paces away from them, bulging upwards. stone and dirt tumbled away as a jagged white and grey hand burst from the ground, slamming into the earth. its claws dug deep through the stone as the ropey, blueish muscles running along the arm connected to it bulged.


    a gangly monster pulled itself out from the ground. dirt crumbled away from its body. it was humanoid, but impossibly gaunt. large, ovular holes riddled its body. the monster¡¯s face looked like someone had put it into a blender.


    one eye was on its forehead, and the other seemed to be where its ear was meant to be. a crooked, spine-filled mouth sat askew on one cheek, just beside another hole. the monster arched its back, letting out an ear-piercing wail.


    ¡°that,¡± lee said, taking a step back. ¡°does not look like a cat.¡±

 Chapter 217: Perfectionist

    chapter 217: perfectionist


    a thick vine erupted from the ground beneath moxie, whipping out and slamming into the monster¡¯s side. given how thin it was, noah fully expected that to be the end of the fight. the monster should have been sent flying like a baseball.


    instead, the vine was carved straight in two. the severed half slammed to the ground behind the monster, rolling to a stop against a large rock. one of the lanky creature¡¯s arms had frozen over, turning into a solid blade of ice.


    that¡¯s some reaction time. and talk about coincidence. we were just talking about finding a monster with an ice-based rune... but this seems a little too convenient, doesn¡¯t it? we literally hadn¡¯t even finished the conversation.


    the monster¡¯s let out another wail and a wave of icy spikes erupted from its back. the monster staggered, dropping to all fours as the ice grew further, glistening in the setting sun. its claws dug through the ground, slicing it as easily as butter.


    ¡°okay, it looks a bit more like a cat now,¡± lee said.


    the monster charged. noah drew energy from natural disaster. he hadn¡¯t had a lot of time to gather power, but he¡¯d had enough to unleash a wave of electrically charged wind straight into the creature¡¯s face.


    a loud crack split the air as noah¡¯s magic slammed into it head-on, throwing it back several feet. it skidded across the ground, catching itself and charging once more.


    another vine ripped from the ground and slammed into the monster¡¯s side. this time, it wasn¡¯t fast enough to block the attack. it tumbled, leaving a deep furrow through the earth, but flipped back to its feet and caught itself, completely unharmed.


    ¡°that¡¯s one tough bastard,¡± moxie said.


    noah drew moisture from the air, gathering it into a spinning drill in his hand. he thrust it forward as the monster charged them again. energy poured into the water, and it continued to gather moisture as it shot out.


    the bolt grew into a powerful torrent. it blasted the ice monster off its feet, sending it flying backward. unfortunately, noah quickly lost control of the magic as it grew far enough, so his strike did nothing but push the creature farther away from them.


    he was pretty sure that the force behind the blow should have been more than enough to crush most humans, but the ice monster looked no worse for the wear.


    ¡°tough bastard indeed,¡± noah said, grabbing his pipe and ripping a large tuft of flashgrass out from its spot in his bag. he combusted the grass as he stuffed it into his pipe.


    might need some fire for this fight, but that¡¯s assuming this thing can even melt.


    letting out another loud wail, the monster charged them once more. lee flashed forward, claws extending from one of her hands. a clear note rang out as the monster ducked, baring its icy, spike-covered back to lee. her strike rang out against the ice, cracking several of the spikes.


    she vaulted backward as the monster lunged at her, its malformed mouth narrowly missing her leg. lee hopped to the side as the monster leapt at her once more, swiping with one of its deadly claws.


    ¡°stall it,¡± noah said, drawing in a deep breath. ¡°i need to build up more heated smoke.¡±


    my dragon breath attack would work great right now. sure is too bad i don¡¯t have the blasted imbuements for it at the moment. doesn¡¯t look like i can stuff this thing full of smoke either ¨C it¡¯s too thin and gangly, with too many holes. this is just going to be a hot ash angle.


    moxie thrust her hands forward. four vines burst from the ground, extending toward the monster like the tendrils of an eldritch monster. the first two were carved apart instantly, and the creature leapt over the third ¨C but the fourth found its mark.


    it wound around the monster¡¯s legs, yanking them taut. a furious wail slipped out of the monster¡¯s mouth as moxie yanked it into the air, dangling it like a pin?ata. heated ash continued to rise into the air around noah as he focused on gathering it as he drew deeply on natural disaster.


    heat washed out from the black and orange smoke flowing around him, growing rapidly in intensity. the monster lashed out, twisting its body to sever moxie¡¯s last vine. it dropped to the ground and charged immediately ¨C but those few seconds had been enough.


    ¡°probably would,¡± moxie agreed. ¡°i¡¯m not carrying any parts of that thing around, though. you¡¯re welcome to all the profit if you carry it.¡±


    ¡°me neither,¡± lee added, pinching her nose.


    ¡°well, i¡¯m not going to bring the whole thing with me. just a few choice pieces,¡± noah said, flexing his fingers. moxie hadn¡¯t exactly ever wanted for money, and lee just mooched off noah¡¯s.


    but, even though his time on earth was relatively short in comparison to how long he¡¯d spent dead, it was far more vibrant. all his years in the afterlife had blended together, but he could still remember the gnawing pain in his stomach after eating a single cup of instant noodles as his only meal for an entire day.


    noah pulled sunder¡¯s power to his fingertips once more. he couldn¡¯t be bothered actually digging around in it with his dagger. the monster¡¯s body was tough, and he didn¡¯t feel like spending an hour working.


    ¡°let¡¯s see what i can get,¡± noah said.


    then he got to work.


    ***


    just about ten minutes later, noah was done and they¡¯d set off once more. a tarp bag that moxie had generously donated to noah hung at his side, stuffed to the brim with monster parts. noah hadn¡¯t discriminated much ¨C they were so close to the city that he¡¯d decided that it was time to go with a quantity over quality approach.


    they set up for the night an hour later, with the walls of the city looming close in the not-so-distance. they¡¯d reach it somewhere around noon of the following day if they kept their pace.


    while moxie set up tents for all of them, noah wasted no time in sinking into his mindspace to check on the new rune he¡¯d stolen.


    glistening ice floated between frozen mist and a greater wind rune, opposite to natural disaster. and, just from a glance, noah could tell that the rune was well made. it wasn¡¯t perfect, but it was strong.


    he opened his eyes once more.


    even though moxie had set up three tents, they all ended up piling into just one. lee wiggled her legs into the ceiling and hung upside down, dayton¡¯s scroll splayed out in her hands as she read through it. noah and moxie sat beneath her, both lost in their own thoughts.


    ¡°are you going to try to make those changes to natural disaster tonight?¡± moxie asked.


    ¡°i probably should, but¨C¡±


    ¡°just do it,¡± moxie said. ¡°one thing at a time, remember? as long as you¡¯ve got the parts to work with, you might as well get it handled. don¡¯t try to do everything at once.¡±


    noah opened his mouth, then closed it with a nod. ¡°right. yeah, i¡¯ll do that.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll keep watch,¡± moxie promised. ¡°if something happens, i¡¯ll let you know. don¡¯t worry.¡±


    noah nodded. he pulled his original grimoire into his lap and flipped through it, stopping on a basic ice rune before he let himself sink back into his mindspace, welcoming the darkness as it swallowed everything. runes blinked up all around him, and pressure from both sunder and the fragment of renewal bore down on him.


    he pushed everything to the side, bringing frozen mist closer to himself. the first step would be to take the rank 2 rune apart and see what it was made of. then he¡¯d borrow dayton¡¯s grimoire from lee and deal with figuring out how to make the perfect rank 2 rune from all the components he had.


    let¡¯s get to it, then. by tomorrow morning, as long as all goes to plan, my rank 3 rune will finally be perfected.

 Chapter 218: Crunchy

    chapter 218: crunchy


    noah sundered frozen mist and its seven rank 1 components materialized in the air before him.


    mist


    mist


    mist


    ice


    ice


    ice


    ice


    there wasn¡¯t much surprise lying in wait among them for noah. if he¡¯d had to guess what runes had been in frozen mist, this was probably exactly what he would have gone with. evidently, that hadn¡¯t been enough to make a perfect rune.


    after a brief inspection, noah decided there were probably two reasons for that. the first was that the mist runes were lesser runes. they were far less intricate than the other rank 1 runes he¡¯d seen, and they held considerably less power.


    the ice runes, on the other hand, were definitely greater runes. there wasn¡¯t anything special or bad about them ¨C they were just runes. that suited noah just fine, though. he moved quickly, gathering the filled ice runes and slotting them into his own mind.


    he spent an instant opening his eyes in the real world to flip to some empty pages at the back of his grimoire ¨C the last few he still had ¨C and closed his eyes again, imbuing the mist runes in their entirety on the paper.


    the whole process only took a little over a few seconds. but, when it was done, noah was now the proud owner of four ice runes. that put the total number of runes, not counting master runes, in his soul at nine.


    natural disaste


    glistening ice


    greater wind


    greater shadow


    greater shadow


    ice


    ice


    ice


    ice


    two of the ice runes was shaded over and hung in the recess of noah¡¯s mind, while the rest of them floated in the light. the two shadow runes did draw noah¡¯s attention, but more for lee¡¯s sake than his own.


    he¡¯d had them floating around ever since he¡¯d ripped apart dayton¡¯s runes to finish making natural disaster. they weren¡¯t of any use to him at the moment, but spending catchpaper on them felt like a waste.


    they¡¯re still full shadow runes, though. could be very useful for helping lee make... well, whatever it is that she decides on making. for now, i¡¯ll just hold onto them. i have more than enough space in my soul for a few useless runes.


    noah opened his eyes again, returning to the real world and closing the grimoire in his lap. ¡°lee, could i borrow dayton¡¯s grimoire for a moment? i need to have a spot to do some emergency imbuements while i modify my rune.¡±


    that won¡¯t do. that won¡¯t do at all. i¡¯m confident the runes are fine, so it must be my intent. i don¡¯t really know all that much about blizzards, i guess. luckily, it doesn¡¯t matter. i¡¯ve got more than enough energy left to try again.


    he ripped the newly formed rune apart with sunder before it could even finish properly forming, then smashed the runes back together so quickly that, if they¡¯d had any self-awareness, they probably wouldn¡¯t have even had a chance to realize what was happening.


    unfortunately, that attempt didn¡¯t yield much better results. fortunately, noah didn¡¯t care. imperfect runes were not the threat to him that they were to anyone else. they were just a mild annoyance that could be brute forced through ¨C and that was exactly what he did.


    three attempted combinations later, a new rank 2 rune floated before noah. it was a frosty white tinged with just the faintest hints of blue, and the energy washing off it was so cold that noah shivered. that did nothing to wipe the smug grin from his face.


    freezing blizzard


    ¡°yeah,¡± noah said, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he took in the rune, which was only ten percent full. ¡°that¡¯s a perfect rune.¡±


    he didn¡¯t spend too much time admiring his work. the magic left over from glistening ice had already reduced by more than half, but there was still a lot left floating around in his soul. it wasn¡¯t the exact same type of magic that freezing blizzard had, but it was definitely close, and that meant there was no point to sit around and letting it go to waste.


    noah gathered the white cloud with his mind, then shoved it into freezing blizzard. the rank 2 rune shivered as the magic changed forms, forcing its way into it. a large portion of it was lost in conversion, but the difference between a rank 3 rune that had already been partially filled and a rank 2 rune was enormous.


    even with the bad energy conversion, freezing blizzard was completely full by the time noah was down to his last dregs of energy from glimmering ice.


    he was tempted to flop down and sigh in relief, but there was still one more step to do. noah turned to the rapidly fading remaining runes that made up glimmering ice and quickly pulled them properly into his mindspace.


    the true ice runes weren¡¯t too hard to form after all his work with freezing blizzard, and the second gentle snow was equally as easy. noah also managed to get a single reflective water rune before the last of the energy dissipated and every other rune that he hadn¡¯t had a chance to materialize vanished from his mind.


    the powder and mist runes that had been left over from his surgery faded away as well, but noah couldn¡¯t have been more pleased with his results. freezing blizzard was both full and perfect, and he had several roughly half full rank 2 runes to use in the future. after all the dust had settled, he¡¯d been left with nine runes.


    natural disaster ¨C rank 3


    freezing blizzard ¨C rank 2


    greater shadow ¨C rank 1


    greater shadow ¨C rank 1


    true ice ¨C rank 2


    true ice ¨C rank 2


    gentle snow ¨C rank 2


    reflective water ¨C rank 2


    ice ¨C rank 1


    the last two of the runes were enveloped by shadows at the edges of noah¡¯s mind, and he still didn¡¯t feel like his soul was anywhere near overflowing. his entire body felt energized from all the magic he¡¯d just inadvertently absorbed, but his work for the night still wasn¡¯t done.


    the back of noah¡¯s neck tingled as he reached out to sunder¡¯s powers. he¡¯d been using it a lot tonight, but he was confident he could still call on its power a few more times before he wouldn¡¯t be able to handle its strength any longer.


    there was one more step that he still needed to take.


    noah called natural disaster to float beside freezing blizzard. for a moment, he paused to take a breather. then his brow set and he pressed his palm to natural disaster¡¯s magically charged surface.


    and then he sundered it.

 Chapter 219: Onwards

    chapter 219: onwards


    power slammed into noah like a tidal wave, but it was still nothing in comparison to sunder or the fragment of renewal. seven familiar runes took form in the churning magic of what had once been natural disaster.


    pyroclastic resonance


    pyroclastic resonance


    focal quake


    howling maelstrom


    howling maelstrom


    trilling monsoon


    deafening thunderstorm


    noah waved his hand, moving one of the pyroclastic resonance runes to the side and replacing it with freezing blizzard. for an instant, he paused to consider his runes. as far as he knew, diversifying his rune this much by having six unique things going into it was likely to make the rank 3 rune powerful, but it would make further growth down the line much, much harder.


    i can deal with harder. i need to be stronger. so long as i have sunder, i have no limits. difficulties can be surpassed.


    noah raised his hands, then brought them together. the seven runes ground against each other as noah¡¯s mind forced them together, causing the lines that made them up to interlock and overlap.


    magic enveloped noah¡¯s body, coursing through his veins and lighting his eyes up. his hands trembled as pressure pushed back at him, but he resisted it. inch by inch, the runes pressed closer to each other until they had all overlapped over a single area.


    noah closed his eyes as a brilliant flash filled his soul. he staggered as the pressure that had been building up suddenly multiplied, nearly throwing him off his feet. noah skidded backward, squinting through the dots floating in his sight at the new rune that floated before him. without even looking, he gathered all the residual energy and forced it back into the rune to make sure he lost as little as possible. only once the energy had all been spent did noah allow himself to actually take a step back and examine his handiwork.


    natural disaster


    a flicker of disappointment passed over noah¡¯s features. it looked as if nothing had changed. he took a step toward it, examining the rune closely. and, almost immediately, noah realized that he was wrong.


    something had changed. even though the rune had the same name, it wasn¡¯t the same. his mind was automatically translating the rune into english, but the physical shape was different. the lines that had previously been jagged and sharp were now smoother and more perfected, as if they¡¯d been polished and looked over by a careful eye. natural disaster¡¯s name hadn¡¯t changed, but its composition and appearance had.


    interesting. it was like it was just written in sloppy handwriting before, and now it¡¯s clearer. i wonder just how much effect that has on its actual power.


    remaking natural disaster had actually reduced how full it was, taking it from around forty-five percent down to about thirty. noah was fairly certain that the majority of that energy loss had come from destroying and recombining the rune, though.


    ¡°will do.¡± lee buried her nose in the scroll.


    ¡°i can take watch for now,¡± moxie said. ¡°sleep, then tell me if anything interesting happened later?¡±


    that worked just fine for noah.


    ***


    the following morning came quickly. moxie woke noah several hours later for his watch, but the night was silent and nothing of interest happened. the sun soon rose over the horizon, pulling lee and moxie out of the tent to join noah outside it.


    lee rifled through noah¡¯s bag while moxie rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.


    ¡°so?¡± moxie asked. ¡°i take it by your grin last night that you managed to accomplish what you were aiming for?¡±


    ¡°i did,¡± noah confirmed. he pulled a folded paper out of his pocket and lee handed him his quill, continuing to dig through his bag. noah accepted the quill without missing a beat. ¡°i can finally get to repairing my imbuements. and i can also do this.¡±


    with a flourish of his quill, noah crossed out a line in his paper of ¡®shit to deal with¡¯.


    improve my own runes to make sure natural disaster is completely perfect. adding something snow-based should help balance it a little better.


    he paused for a moment, searching for a line about his own imbuements, before realizing he¡¯d forgotten to add that part in. he quickly added an extra task at the bottom.


    fix my imbuements.


    lee let out a victorious huff as she finally located what she was searching for ¨C a strip of jerky that noah had hidden for himself at the bottom of his bag. she stuffed it into her mouth and pulled the flap over the now-disorganized bag, patting it once.


    ¡°shall we get back to hunting?¡± moxie asked. she sent a pointed look at the bag of ice monster parts that still rested on the ground near the entrance of their tent. ¡°we should try to reach dawnforge by today so nothing in there rots. i know the heart can be worth a lot, but i don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to smell very good after two days.¡±


    ¡°just think of the money,¡± noah advised, slinging the bag over his shoulder and giving moxie a nod. ¡°i¡¯m ready. let¡¯s go. think you can find some more... normal monsters for us to fight against?¡±


    ¡°probably.¡± moxie sounded a little less confident than she had the previous day. ¡°as long as we don¡¯t get any more interference from whatever seems to be after you, then i can find some more normal enemies. i think i¡¯ll refrain from tying my vine too tightly around myself, though.¡±


    ¡°that might be a good idea,¡± noah agreed sagely.


    moxie took their tent down, sending the vines retreating back into the earth, and then they all set off in the direction of dawnforge.

 Chapter 220: Spiders

    chapter 220: spiders


    moxie''s words proved to be a challenge to the universe.


    somehow, the group had gone from being completely unable to find anything other than goop-creatures to being swarmed with monsters. none of them were particularly powerful, so the fights went considerably better than the previous ones.


    lee had so much pent-up energy that she ended up ending the majority of the fights before they could even get properly underway. she snapped the neck of a creature that resembled a rock golem before it had even finished pulling itself out of the ground, which was just plain disrespectful, and punted more than a dozen small stone spiders so hard that they disappeared over the hills.


    noah had reminded lee that they still wanted to loot the monsters to sell their parts after that particular event, so lee had pulled back ¨C only for moxie to step in. somehow, she was actually even more brutal than lee was.


    as a vine wound around the leg of another craggy rock monster and lifted it into the air, noah raised his hands to summon a blast of wind and finish it off. instead, moxie¡¯s vine whipped it straight back down. there was a loud crack as the golem¡¯s head hit the hill, but she wasn¡¯t finished.


    like a toddler flinging around a toy in a tantrum, moxie¡¯s vine raised and slammed the poor monster in every direction, bashing it to pieces until all that was left was a crumbling leg. noah cleared his throat as moxie shot him a glance.


    ¡°what?¡± moxie asked.


    ¡°nothing, nothing. you aren¡¯t mad at me, are you?¡±


    ¡°why would i be mad at you?¡±


    ¡°no reason. just making sure.¡±


    moxie rolled her eyes. the vine tossed the crumbling leg to the ground before them and slithered back beneath the rock. moxie knelt, picking the leg up. ¡°here. loot.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t think anyone wants to buy the foot of some weird rock thing.¡±


    ¡°you never know. maybe a collector will like it.¡± moxie pushed the leg into noah¡¯s already bulging pack. he opened his mouth, then closed it. she was trying to help. probably. it was equally as likely that she was making fun of him ¨C and now that he thought about it, it was far more likely that she was making fun of him.


    after what she¡¯d done to the rock monster, though, noah decided that lugging a leg around just on the off chance that someone did want to buy it probably wasn¡¯t the worst. money was money, after all.


    ¡°are you going to fight at all?¡± lee asked, tugging on the side of noah¡¯s shirt. ¡°you¡¯ve just been watching today.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve been concentrating on my imbuements,¡± noah admitted. ¡°i know i¡¯ve been mooching a bit off you two, but i feel like i¡¯m close. i just want to figure out how to recreate the tremorsense i had.¡±


    ¡°why do you need to recreate it?¡± lee asked.


    ¡°because it was useful?¡±


    ¡°no. i mean why not just use the same rune?¡±


    noah¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°i reached rank 3. i don¡¯t have focal quake anymore, so i can¡¯t use the same rune.¡±


    lee stared at noah. ¡°can¡¯t you chop runes up or something? just re-form focal quake and use it until you find a way to do the imbuement with your rank 3 rune.¡±


    a second of silence passed. noah¡¯s eye twitched and he sucked on the insides of his cheeks. moxie let out a snort of laughter.


    ¡°got too caught up in the details and it slipped your mind, didn¡¯t it?¡±


    her vine wound around the rocky mound and sank into an opening on its back that noah had missed. moxie¡¯s brow creased in concentration and several seconds passed in terse silence. then, gently, the vine rose back up. suspended at its end was a small green sac the size of a child¡¯s palm. it was covered in a very faint layer of frost. the vine brought the sac over to moxie¡¯s hands and deposited it gently.


    ¡°well,¡± noah said. ¡°and we didn¡¯t even kill¨C¡±


    a rush of energy entered his body. he stiffened for a moment in surprise, then cleared his throat. ¡°okay, never mind. it¡¯s dead now.¡±


    and that felt damn good too. adding freezing blizzard to natural disaster was definitely the right move. ice is powerful, especially when your opponent just sits around and lets you freeze them solid. natural disaster also feels a lot easier to call on now. not stronger... just smoother.


    ¡°they don¡¯t usually survive the sac getting removed. i can¡¯t imagine getting frozen solid is going to be great for its health either,¡± moxie said sagely. ¡°that was really damn effective, though. good job. i don¡¯t think i¡¯ve ever seen such a successful extraction.¡±


    ¡°did you see a lot of other extractions?¡± lee asked. ¡°how often did you come here?¡±


    ¡°not that many,¡± moxie admitted sheepishly. ¡°only like... three. and almost all of them failed. maybe that¡¯s because nobody was trying to freeze the spiders solid. it was just some family members, not trained professionals or anything. we didn¡¯t really need the money, so it was sport and fun more than actually going for success.¡±


    ¡°makes sense,¡± noah said. ¡°we should definitely get to dawnforge as soon as possible now, though. we¡¯re basically walking around with a little bomb.¡±


    ¡°we¡¯re only an hour or two away,¡± moxie said, nodding to the city. ¡°and i was about to suggest the same. let¡¯s get to it. i have to admit that i¡¯m curious to see how much money we¡¯ve made.¡±


    ***


    as moxie had predicted, they reached one of dawnforge¡¯s gates a little over an hour later. the sun had just reached its apogee in the sky, shining down straight on top of them and doing away with the shadows.


    despite how huge the entrance was, there was still somehow a small line on the road leading up to it. they stepped into it behind a team of heavily armored men and women, waiting patiently as the line slowly moved along.


    half an hour later, they¡¯d finally reached the front. the gate was manned by a dozen guards, all armored in shimmering metal armor covered with swirling imbuements. they strongly resembled what gavin, the soldier that had helped fight against the massive root fiends, wore.


    and that probably means they¡¯re roughly as strong as he was. that¡¯s simultaneously relieving and concerning. if people this powerful are guarding the gates, how strong are the other folks in the city?


    ¡°adventurers?¡± one of the guards asked as they approached. he wore a helm that matched his silver armor, but a small tuft of black hair poked out from beneath it. his green eyes sparkled in mild amusement.


    ¡°for the time being,¡± moxie said, stepping forward to keep their attention on her. ¡°we¡¯ve been hunting some monsters outside the city.¡±


    ¡°i could tell,¡± the guard said, his eyes drifting to the bag at noah¡¯s side. a grin flickered across his face. ¡°looks like you had some success. have you been to dawnforge before?¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    ¡°fantastic. spares me from listing the rules off. waste of damned time, really. name?¡±


    ¡°moxie torrin.¡±


    the guard didn¡¯t even flinch at moxie¡¯s last name. he just nodded, then beckoned them through. ¡°you¡¯re responsible for your companions. you know the deal.¡±


    ¡°i do. thanks,¡± moxie said, nodding to the guard.


    and, just like that, they passed through the gate and entered dawnforge.

 Chapter 221: Haggle

    chapter 221: haggle


    towering buildings rose up all along the main street, casting the white cobble in shade even though the sun was nearly directly overhead. dawnforge was the closest thing to a city on earth that noah had seen since he¡¯d gotten to arbitage.


    everything was dense and tightly packed together, and even the shortest structures around them were at least three stories. it felt like the architects had gotten fed up with the size of the city and had just decided to build straight upward instead of expanding in any other direction.


    of course, according to moxie, there was a massive forge somewhere beneath the city, so it wasn¡¯t like they could have built downward if they wanted to.


    the streets were densely packed with an interesting mixture of people. the vast majority of them looked to be adventurers ¨C grizzled, confident, and bearing their weapons openly. many of them had imbuements covering their armor, and more than a few had splatters of blood or recent battle damage on their gear.


    the remainder of the passersby felt like they¡¯d fit in better in a posh castle or a room far beneath the earth. they either carried no weapon or carried a dagger so small that it probably wasn¡¯t going to do much more than slice bread.


    neither group seemed to pay the other much mind, and everyone moved at a hurried pace toward whatever it was that they were doing. the streets themselves weren¡¯t completely packed full, but they were too busy to stop and stare for too long ¨C which was exactly what lee kept trying to do.


    ¡°don¡¯t stop in the middle of the street, lee,¡± moxie said, grabbing lee by the sleeve of her shirt and pulling her along as she ground to a halt to eye a man pulling a huge cart of fish along the road.


    ¡°i was just thinking about helping him.¡±


    ¡°by eating the fish to lighten his load?¡± noah asked with an amused raise of his eyebrow.


    ¡°how¡¯d you know?¡±


    ¡°maybe he got revin¡¯s all-seeing eye,¡± moxie joked. the three of them continued down the street, moxie at the lead. she seemed to have a plan as to where they were headed, and noah was more than content to let her lead while he just took in the city around him. ¡°we can stop to look around the city some other time, lee. there¡¯s no rush. it isn¡¯t going anywhere.¡±


    ¡°i always wondered about that, actually. why are your cities still?¡± lee asked.


    noah tore his gaze away from a skyscraper made entirely of polished stone to look down at lee. ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°you know. cities should be able to move if there¡¯s a really big threat.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure what your definition of a city is, but they generally don¡¯t tend to move too much,¡± moxie said. ¡°is it different in... well, you know. where you came from?¡±


    lee nodded. ¡°they aren¡¯t exactly cities. most of us generally don¡¯t live that well together, but there are occasionally reasons why we¡¯d trade or otherwise gather. they¡¯re very lightly enforced neutral grounds where gatherings are slightly less deadly than normal. they move around.¡±


    ¡°how?¡± noah asked.


    ¡°with their legs,¡± lee replied, as if that were the most obvious answer in the world.


    noah opened his mouth, then closed it. if he started quizzing lee on exactly what the damned plains was like and why her cities had legs, then someone would overhear their discussion and that would probably lead nowhere good.


    ¡°you¡¯ll have to tell me more about that later,¡± noah said.


    before he could say anything else, moxie stopped by a large, four story building. its stone walls supported a large wooden roof that jutted out in every direction around it. if they¡¯d actually needed any extra shade, it would have been great. carved wooden stilts propped parts of the building up, and it was hard to tell if they were there for decoration or function. noah sincerely hoped they were the former because they didn¡¯t exactly inspire confidence in the building¡¯s structural integrity.


    ¡°here,¡± moxie said, stepping off the road and walking up to the open doorway. ¡°i nearly missed it. it¡¯s been a while since i last visited.¡±


    ¡°you have brought quite the haul,¡± thaddius said with a wide smile. ¡°i can see why you had fears ¨C but much of this will only be usable in specific circumstances, and only to the right people. i will have difficulty selling it for a high price.¡±


    ¡°before you start the haggling, i also have this.¡± moxie took out the poison sac from the spider noah had frozen and set it gently on the table before thaddius. the merchant¡¯s eyes flicked down to it, and noah saw a flash of greed within them.


    ¡°one more thing, actually,¡± noah said, reaching into his own bag and pulling out the faint glowing horn. he¡¯d been carrying it around a while, and it certainly felt like something that would earn at least a little bit of coin.


    thaddius barely even looked up as noah set it on the table. his eyes were fixed on the poison sac.


    ¡°was it properly removed?¡±


    ¡°yes. frozen too.¡±


    ¡°for preservation? wise,¡± thaddius murmured.


    not exactly planned, but i¡¯ll take credit for it.


    ¡°so?¡± moxie pressed. ¡°how much? and keep in mind you aren¡¯t the only merchant my family knows, thaddius. you get one offer. make sure it¡¯s good.¡±


    noah caught lee staring at one of the monster hearts with a hungry look in her eyes and shot her a quick glance. lee scrunched her nose at him in annoyance but took a step back from the table.


    thaddius carefully picked the poison sac up off the table with his tongs, closing one eye and squinting at it with the other. the tip of his tongue poked out of his mouth as he turned the sac left and right before setting it gently on the table.


    ¡°decent,¡± thaddius allowed. he looked to noah¡¯s horn and a small frown flickered across his wide features. ¡°but what is this you¡¯ve placed here, friend? i don¡¯t recognize it.¡±


    ¡°took it off a bleater. it was an annoying little bastard. i figured it¡¯s got to be worth a fair bit because its horn is still shining. even if nothing else, it¡¯ll make a pretty mantlepiece.¡±


    ¡°so it would,¡± thaddius murmured. he studied the horn for a few more seconds. ¡°was this from a mutated monster?¡±


    ¡°it was. i assume that drives up its price?¡±


    thaddius grimaced. ¡°perhaps. not all mutations are good. some simply serve no purpose or can even be detrimental. i¡¯d not pay extra for a bad part.¡±


    ¡°this isn¡¯t a bad part though, is it?¡±


    the merchant shot a glance at moxie, then cleared his throat. ¡°quite the diverse spread you¡¯ve brought before me, little torrin. however, i¡¯m afraid i have an objection.¡±


    ¡°oh?¡± moxie raised an eyebrow. ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°you said i only get one offer. that simply cannot be. i am a merchant.¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s that meant to mean?¡±


    ¡°i must follow my nature.¡± a predatory grin stretched across thaddius¡¯ face as he held his arms out, as if reaching to envelop them in a hug. ¡°it is time for us to haggle.¡±

 Chapter 222: Books

    chapter 222: books


    ¡°haggling depends on your starting offer,¡± moxie said, not missing a beat. ¡°open strong or we find a different merchant.¡±


    ¡°would you really rob my family¨C¡±


    ¡°sons or daughters?¡± moxie asked, cutting thaddius off.


    the merchant blinked. ¡°daughters. beautiful little girls, but every day is a struggle to put food¨C¡±


    ¡°how old?¡±


    thaddius¡¯ brow furrowed in confusion. ¡°nine and ten, respectively.¡±


    ¡°adopted?¡±


    ¡°no, sired myself. i¡¯m not quite sure i understand¨C¡±


    ¡°you had no wife or children when i was last here,¡± moxie said, flashing a cold smile to thaddius. ¡°and that was less than nine years ago. unless you¡¯ve developed a way to bend time itself, you don¡¯t have any kids.¡±


    thaddius was still for several moments. then he cursed under his breath. ¡°i forgot we spoke of that the last time you were here. who remembers such an unimportant detail?¡±


    ¡°family is important,¡± moxie replied. ¡°now give us the offer already.¡±


    ¡°bah. gold is important. family can be bought ¨C and for you, i will offer two thousand three hundred gold.¡±


    noah¡¯s eyes nearly bulged out of his head. two thousand. he¡¯d still yet to register with arbitage to get his new pay as a rank 3, wanting to avoid all the excess attention he¡¯d draw from ranking up twice so quickly, but that was still... well, magnitudes above anything he¡¯d ever had. it was a ludicrous amount.


    ¡°too low,¡± moxie said immediately. ¡°three thousand five hundred.¡±


    ¡°three thousand?¡± thaddius slammed a clenched fist into his table, making it shudder. ¡°do you wish to strip the clothes from my back and spank me raw?¡±


    they stared at him silently for several seconds. thaddius cleared his throat and adjusted the collar of his shirt.


    ¡°figure of speech. are you trying to run me dry? cruel indeed ¨C no good merchant would give you a hair over two thousand three hundred, i tell you that. but, since i am giving you the benefits of a friend, i will settle for two thousand five hundred.¡±


    moxie crossed her arms and pierced thaddius with a glare. noah had been subject to that particular disdainful look before, but it had been quite a while. he still remembered feeling it the first time he¡¯d ever met moxie, and it wasn¡¯t a pleasant feeling. she had the disgusted stink-eye down to a science. thaddius held her gaze without blinking. it was like watching an unstoppable force strike an immovable object.


    ¡°twenty-seven hundred,¡± moxie said.


    ¡°twenty-five is already a fantastic price. you are delusional if you want any¨C¡±


    ¡°twenty-five hundred for everything other than the horn,¡± moxie said, slapping a hand on the table. ¡°the horn we auction, and you get ten percent for arranging the sale.¡±


    thaddius tilted his head to the side. ¡°the horn? why would i care¨C¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s the only thing that you showed more than a few passing seconds of interest for aside from the poison sac, and you had to inspect that to make sure it hadn¡¯t burst. that means you want it, so it¡¯s worth a lot.¡±


    thaddius interlaced his fingers and let out a patronizing chuckle. ¡°ah, moxie. you are an optimistic girl. this horn is worth nothing. nobody will buy it in an auction. i will give you twenty-six for the entire lot. how¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°nope. you definitely want the horn. three thousand for everything other than the horn and i let you keep ten percent of the auction price.¡±


    thaddius pushed back from his chair and rose to his full height, standing easily two feet above moxie. he thrust an accusatory finger in her direction. ¡°you¡¯re going the wrong way. you¡¯re meant to haggle the price down, not up. are you trying to make fun of me?¡±


    ¡°the next offer is going to be three thousand five hundred.¡±


    ¡°bah. your horn isn¡¯t worth that much anyway. no other merchant will give it a second of thought. it is just a colorful little bone. who would pay any significant amount of money for that? ludicrous.¡±


    ¡°noah, can you start collecting everything back up?¡± moxie asked, not taking her eyes off thaddius. ¡°we¡¯re going elsewhere.¡±


    bethany ¨C assistant innkeeper


    ¡°welcome to the stirring sprawl,¡± bethany said, looking up at them with a polite smile. ¡°are you looking to get rooms?¡±


    ¡°yes please,¡± moxie said. ¡°a week to start, i think. how much per night?¡±


    ¡°seven silver for a large room, four for a small one.¡±


    ¡°does that come with food?¡± lee asked, eyeing the dining room. ¡°i see people eating.¡±


    ¡°breakfast for everyone staying in the room. lunch and dinner are on you lot, though.¡±


    ¡°a large room will work,¡± moxie said, setting a single gold on the table. bethany plucked it and the coin vanished into a pocket in her apron.


    bethany pulled a key out and handed it to moxie. ¡°room 415. fourth floor.¡±


    ¡°thanks,¡± noah said. he and lee hurried to keep up with moxie as she strode up the stairwell.


    their room turned out to be a little larger than noah had expected. it had two big beds on either side of a huge window overlooking the city. faded purple curtains hung open on either side of the window, and a desk had been situated just beneath it to catch the light as best as possible. a small basket of fruit had been set out on the top of the desk.


    ¡°huh,¡± noah said with an approving nod. ¡°i¡¯m not sure what i was expecting, but this is actually pretty nice.¡±


    lee made a beeline for the desk and grabbed a purple fruit. it resembled a banana, but was far larger and its skin had a woody texture. lee raised it to her mouth and bit straight through it with a loud crunch.


    ¡°if that had been me, my teeth would have all shattered,¡± moxie said, watching lee with a mixture of jealousy and awe.


    ¡°it¡¯s tashty,¡± lee said through a mouth full of crunching wood and fruit pulp. she held it out to moxie. ¡°want some?¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re meant to peel those,¡± moxie said. ¡°it¡¯ll probably break my jaw if i bite into that.¡±


    lee¡¯s grip tightened around the banana, shattering its hard shell with a loud crack ¨C and mushing its insides in the process. she held her hand out to moxie. moxie opened her mouth, raising a finger. then she closed it and instead reached out, taking some of the mush. ¡°thank you.¡±


    ¡°welcome,¡± lee replied with a cheerful smile. she stuffed the rest of the fruit into her mouth, crunching twice more before swallowing and turning her gaze to the rest of the fruit basket.


    ¡°so, what now?¡± noah asked. ¡°do we have something we need to do? setup for¨C¡±


    ¡°we relax, noah,¡± moxie said, putting a hand on his shoulder to stop him. ¡°don¡¯t you already have enough on your plate? stop looking for more. there¡¯s a lot of time to get around to doing work and explore later.¡±


    noah winced. moxie, as usual, had a point. there was time, and as tempting as looking around the city was, it would almost certainly result in more things on his endless to-do list.


    ¡°you¡¯re right,¡± noah said, sitting down on one of the beds. it wasn¡¯t the softest bed he¡¯d been on, but it was still nothing to complain about. he pulled his list out of a pocket and unfolded it, reading over everything he¡¯d written down.


    ¡°going to try to actually cross a few tasks off before starting a new one?¡± moxie sent him an amused grin.


    ¡°well, i can¡¯t do much about a good number of these yet,¡± noah grumbled. he pulled the primer on formations that revin had given him out. ¡°but for the ones i can do - yeah, i am. starting with this thing. i¡¯ve been meaning to take a look at it.¡±


    ¡°good luck,¡± moxie said. ¡°formations are brutal.¡±


    noah flipped the small book open, skipping the first few pages to jump right into the meat of the content.


    and then he froze.


    ¡°you okay?¡± moxie asked, the worry in her voice evident. ¡°did revin do something to the book?¡±


    noah didn¡¯t respond. he barely even registered her words. sitting before him, in the book of what revin called formations, was something he hadn¡¯t seen in thousands of years.


    it was a musical score.

 Chapter 223: Marketing

    chapter 223: marketing


    noah stared at the staves drawn out on the page before him, various symbols drawn within the lines in the place of musical notes. closer inspection did reveal further separation from what he had seen on earth. the runes were interconnected by a variety of new lines he didn¡¯t recognize, but the basis of the drawing was still there.


    he flipped the page, revealing a second score. still blinking in disbelief, noah turned back to the first one. in the time since he¡¯d arrived in arbitage, he hadn¡¯t seen much in the way of music. noah hadn¡¯t expected to find it here, though.


    ¡°noah!¡± moxie grabbed noah¡¯s shoulders abruptly enough to startle him into nearly dropping the book. he managed to catch it and glance up at her.


    ¡°sorry, what?¡±


    ¡°i asked if you were okay. i was worried revin trapped the book or something.¡±


    ¡°oh ¨C no. i¡¯m fine. but look at this!¡± noah thrust the page in front of moxie¡¯s nose. she raised a hand, slowly pushing it down and giving him a confused look.


    ¡°it¡¯s a formation.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s a musical score!¡±


    moxie gave noah a blank look.


    ¡°you can¡¯t mean to say you don¡¯t have music here. i heard some being played when i was in father¡¯s house back in the linwick estate.¡±


    ¡°of course we have music,¡± moxie said, staring at noah in befuddlement. ¡°formations are personal, remember? they depend on the exact runes you have and all that. there are some people that try to use rhythm or music to help make everything flow easier. you¡¯d have to be able to perfectly perform a unique song tailored for every single formation. it might seem easier than just drawing a circle, but i promise it isn¡¯t.¡±


    moxie took the book from noah. she flipped through it, stopping at a page near its center before turning it back toward him. a small, complex circle of interconnected lines housed three runes within it. there were paragraphs and paragraphs explaining what every single line did.


    ¡°this looks a lot more like the stuff i¡¯ve seen before. the book probably just opened with the music because it¡¯s a tempting way to get people enticed. it¡¯s a marketing tactic, noah. trust me ¨C everyone that ever gave runes a thought has tried really getting into music, rhythm, or some other form to express the runes. you can¡¯t really force it, though. unlike runes, if you want to use music for formations, you actually have to be good at it. it¡¯s equal parts natural talent and practice.¡±


    noah flipped through the pages in the book. just like moxie had said, only the first few had the musical scores, and the rest of them were chock full of detailed information on runecraft, formations, and properly balancing the intricate lines that went into the rune circles to ensure that nothing blew up when the formation activated.


    ¡°i know this, though,¡± noah muttered. it had been years, but he¡¯d never fully lost the longing for music. even though he¡¯d temporarily given up on adding music to his runes in leu of making sure he was powerful enough to eventually pursue it in the future, the desire was still there.


    ¡°know formations?¡± moxie¡¯s brow furrowed in confusion. ¡°how?¡±


    ¡°no, not formations.¡± noah tapped a finger on the musical score. ¡°this. music. it was my life. there are a few new symbols that i don¡¯t recognize, but there was a time where i taught this.¡±


    ¡°you taught formations?¡± moxie asked in disbelief.


    ¡°no. i told you. i taught music.¡±


    ¡°they¡¯re the same thing.¡±


    noah opened his mouth, then paused. realization finally passed over him, and it came with annoyance so strong that he nearly turned around and slammed his forehead into the wall like a petulant child.


    ¡°look, i didn¡¯t name it. that was what it was called. do you want the story or not?¡±


    ¡°sorry, sorry.¡± moxie raised her hands. ¡°please.¡±


    ¡°as i said, i came from earth. we didn¡¯t have any magic or runes. we had a hell of a lot of other things, but now is not the time to get into all of that. i barely understood how the majority of it worked, to be honest. the only thing i really cared about was music. i grew up with parents that were both musicians, and i wanted to become one as well.¡±


    ¡°musicians... as a job?¡± moxie blinked in confusion. ¡°i don¡¯t know if i follow. how did they earn money?¡±


    ¡°by playing music. it¡¯s not easy to get good enough to make a living off it, and they were far from rich, but they were talented enough to make it work.¡±


    ¡°i can¡¯t imagine that would work well here. anyone who was playing or singing anything beyond something basic that you might find in a tavern in public would be presumed to be trying to prepare a formation and it¡¯s likely that someone would attack them to preserve the peace. there¡¯s obviously a range to that, so small things aren¡¯t a big concern, but there¡¯s a lot of stigma around it. formations can do a lot of damage if they manage to take form. that long preparation time is their biggest weakness.¡±


    i haven¡¯t really gone to many inns. i should definitely try to figure out what kind of music is common here. even if it¡¯s not particularly detailed, anything is better than nothing.


    ¡°that¡¯s because this world has its ass on backwards,¡± noah said. he poked moxie in the stomach. ¡°let me finish.¡±


    ¡°sorry,¡± moxie said sheepishly. ¡°i¡¯m still caught up on the music part.¡±


    ¡°which is what i¡¯m getting to. i started learning to play the violin when i was six. i wasn¡¯t terribly good at it, but i got better. i went to school for music, and then went on to teach violin all over ¨C everywhere, really. i loved it more than anything else. sharing music with kids that wanted to learn... it was everything to me. nothing compared to watching that spark light up in their eyes when they finally got the handle of a difficult song or felt the violin sing in their arms for the first time.¡±


    noah trailed off, ancient memories rising up from the dredges of his mind like bubbles through a thick swamp.


    several moments of silence passed before it became clear that noah had gotten distracted and moxie spoke again. ¡°i¡¯m struggling to follow some of this. you said you didn¡¯t have runes. did someone ban them?¡±


    ¡°they didn¡¯t exist. there was no magic at all.¡±


    ¡°then how are you here? you¡¯re right ¨C that can¡¯t be anywhere near us. i thought everything had runes. they interconnect the universe.¡±


    ¡°i died,¡± noah said with a wry smile. ¡°i guess that was the interconnected part.¡±


    ¡°i thought you couldn¡¯t die. what could have possibly killed you?¡±


    ¡°technically, i can still die. i just don¡¯t stay dead. but that was before. i was just a normal, powerless human back then. long story short, i kicked the bucket, then ended up in the afterlife. a few thousand years later, i popped out over here and stole vermil¡¯s body after he got himself killed chugging a bottle of poison.¡±


    moxie looked like she was trying to burn a hole through noah¡¯s forehead with her eyes. her mouth was slightly askew from everything noah had just revealed. he didn¡¯t say anything more, waiting a little while to let his words sink in.


    ¡°gods,¡± moxie muttered. ¡°i always thought you were some sort of powerful mage whose body got destroyed.¡±


    ¡°well, now you know. you¡¯re the first person i¡¯ve told the entire story to. lee will probably be the second, and i¡¯m not sure if there¡¯ll be a third.¡±


    ¡°it explains so much about you,¡± moxie said, shaking her head and letting out a laugh that shattered the tension. ¡°no wonder you knew so little about everything. i¡¯m going to need some time to really process this. it¡¯s too ridiculous to be a lie, and i don¡¯t think you¡¯d make something like this up ¨C but it¡¯s still a lot. don¡¯t worry about that, though. what about your music? do you remember anything more about it? if you do...¡±


    ¡°yeah,¡± noah said, giving moxie a firm nod. ¡°half of what kept me sane in the endless blur of the afterlife was imagining music. i don¡¯t know what i¡¯ve still got with me, but there¡¯s only one way to find out. i¡¯m going to need to get a violin.¡±

 Chapter 224: Arnold

    chapter 224: arnold


    moxie raised an eyebrow. ¡°noah, did you filter out half of what i told you? small musical instruments aren¡¯t going to be all that difficult to get, but a violin? that¡¯s for serious music. you aren¡¯t going to find something like that just being sold for cheap. it¡¯ll be thousands of gold at the minimum if you want it to be good.¡±


    the wind left noah¡¯s sails abruptly, and he swore under his breath. running a hand through his hair, noah shook his head. ¡°damn it. i guess i was getting ahead of myself. what about something similar, then? i¡¯m sure it wouldn¡¯t be all that hard to adapt. what kind of instruments would be less commonly perceived to be for a formation and thus cheaper?¡±


    moxie thought for a few moments. ¡°maybe a banjo? i¡¯ll be honest, i don¡¯t know enough about this to really give a good answer. formations were far from my expertise. these questions would be better directed at todd.¡±


    ¡°unfortunately, todd isn¡¯t here.¡± noah looked back down at the book in his hands, then snapped it shut and let out a small sigh that didn¡¯t come close to conveying his disappointment. ¡°we¡¯ll circle back to this. formations are interesting, but they aren¡¯t the only thing i can work on. i don¡¯t want to get my hopes up for no reason, so i¡¯ll just focus on fixing my imbuements for the time being. but i should ask ¨C can i even buy a violin? or would doing that end up getting me on some sort of list?¡±


    moxie waggled her hand back and forth in the air. ¡°there are definitely noble families that keep someone around specifically for their ability to play music. the problem is that not a lot of people would be making instruments like that, so purchasing it will be difficult to do without being spotted.¡±


    ¡°figured. no matter, then. imbuements it is.¡±


    that wasn¡¯t the most thrilling conclusion, but spending time pining after something that he hadn¡¯t had for a few thousand years wasn¡¯t going to change anything. waiting just a bit longer wouldn¡¯t kill him. it was more important to focus on the problems that he could actually solve than the ones that he couldn¡¯t.


    there were still several good hours left in the day, and noah had no plans of wasting any of them.


    ¡°i¡¯ll be in my mindspace working to see if i can figure out a way to fix my imbuements,¡± noah declared, leaning against the back wall and closing his eyes. ¡°let me know if anything important happens.¡±


    ***


    the moon hung in the sky, a silver eye peering down on the shadowed dawnforge. even in night, the orb at the large tower in the center of the city burned with a soft radiance, almost like a star that had fallen from the sky.


    it was several hours into the night, and a cold breeze slithered through the tight alleyways of the city, dancing across moxie¡¯s skin. she pulled her cloak tighter as she increased her pace, striding with purpose and keeping to the shadows as much as she could.


    she came to a stop before a small, rundown storefront at the base of a several story building. cracks ran through the bricks and the wooden door was nearly rotted off, but faint candlelight burned behind the dirt-covered windows.


    this wasn¡¯t the first spot that moxie had stopped by that night, but judging by the light just barely managing to slip out the crack at the bottom of the doorway, she was hopeful that this was the place that she¡¯d been searching for.


    moxie raised her hand, pushing the door open with a loud creak. the light was so weak that, instead of spilling out into the street, it almost felt as if the night pushed intothe room before her.


    a single desk sat in the center of a pile of scrap. pieces of polished wood and metal littered the ground, arranged in a strange pattern that would make sense only to the eyes of a madman.


    sitting hunched over the desk, a pair of long, thin implements held daintily in massive, gauntleted hands, was a seven-foot-tall man. his body rippled with sheer muscle and a thick mat of braided hair hung from his head, wrapping all the way around in a long, black beard.


    he glanced up at moxie as she stepped inside, pausing the work on a wooden box the size of a small dog that sat on the table before him. his eyes lowered to the insignia on moxie¡¯s breast and he slowly lowered his implements, straightening his back.


    ¡°the store is closed.¡±


    ¡°i have a brief question,¡± moxie said. ¡°it won¡¯t take that much of your time.¡±


    ¡°do you not understand what closed means?¡±


    ¡°your door was open.¡±


    ¡°it never closes.¡±


    ¡°then i can¡¯t be remiss in assuming that you aren¡¯t closed.¡±


    the large man pursed his thick lips, then shook his head. he gestured impatiently at moxie. ¡°spill it, then. what do you want? if you insist on asking, then ask. the sooner you do, the sooner i can tell you that i can¡¯t help you.¡±


    arnold arched an eyebrow. ¡°yes, yes. i already told you that the oath was still in effect. the nobles don¡¯t exactly let lone adventurers learn their secrets without one. you¡¯re planning to betray the torrins by raising a formation master for another house, then?¡±


    ¡°what? no. it¡¯s not for that. well, you aren¡¯t completely wrong, but the rest is none of your concern. i¡¯m not betraying the torrins. it¡¯s for someone that really wants to use the violin for music. the formations are just a bonus.¡±


    arnold studied moxie¡¯s expression closely, an inscrutable look on his face. ¡°i¡¯ve never heard that argument before, but the oath isn¡¯t burning, so you aren¡¯t lying. never heard of someone that wants a violin just to play music with the damn thing, though. they¡¯ll get run through for playing it in public.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s hardly your concern. can you make the violin or not? i¡¯m willing to pay two thousand gold. i¡¯d imagine that¡¯s nowhere near as much as we paid you for evergreen¡¯s staff, but this is a lot simpler, isn¡¯t it? there shouldn¡¯t need to be nearly as many imbuements.¡±


    ¡°two thousand?¡± the corner of arnold¡¯s lip quirked up in amusement. ¡°well, the project actually seems somewhat interesting. i¡¯m quite fed up with all people asking me for weapons and armor.¡±


    moxie¡¯s shoulders relaxed. ¡°then¨C¡±


    ¡°i can¡¯t help you.¡±


    ¡°what? why? you just said you could!¡±


    ¡°no. i said it was interesting, and that i can¡¯t help you. not won¡¯t. can¡¯t.¡±


    arnold braced one of his arms against the table and pressed the other down on the top of his metal gauntlet. with a grimace and a soft pop, he pulled his arm free from it. he was missing his hand from the wrist down. all that remained was a heavily scarred nub.


    ¡°part of the payment that the torrins gave me for evergreen¡¯s staff,¡± arnold said, his voice tight with fury. ¡°made sure i couldn¡¯t make an equivalent weapon for anyone else. i included a lot of things in our contract, but i foolishly forgot to include anything about leaving me uninjured.¡±


    moxie¡¯s chest clenched as she stared at arnold¡¯s hand. judging by the gauntlet on his other arm, he¡¯d lost more than just one hand. bile built in her throat and she pressed her lips together, clenching her hands at her sides.


    i hate evergreen. she did this ¨C i know it. that vile, rancid old woman.


    ¡°don¡¯t apologize. if you try to say anything about it, i¡¯ll kick you out here and now,¡± arnold warned, thrusting his arm back into the gauntlet. ¡°i don¡¯t want any useless apologies. i¡¯m well aware that you weren¡¯t the reason this happened, so even if i did want an apology, it would mean nothing coming from you. it won¡¯t fix the damage that your people did to my arms. ten thousand gold for a powerful healing potion would, but i can¡¯t make anything nearly worth that in my current state.¡±


    moxie nearly apologized anyway before she stopped herself. the look in arnold¡¯s eyes told her that he was serious.


    but... with his talents, even without his hands, couldn¡¯t he have asked someone for a loan? he could have made that money back easily. there¡¯s no way i can ask right now, though. not without getting kicked out of here.


    ¡°i see,¡± moxie finally said. ¡°you were working on something, though. is there no way you could still help with the violin? i could find another craftsman in the city, but there was a reason i¡¯ve been searching for you. none of the others compare.¡±


    ¡°so evergreen agreed,¡± arnold said with a cold laugh. ¡°unless you were to be my hands, then no. there is nothing.¡±


    ¡°be your hands?¡±


    ¡°a figure of speech.¡± arnold shook his head. ¡°disregard it.¡±


    ¡°you just mean do what you order me to, right?¡± moxie asked. ¡°help you craft it by taking care of the small details while you handle the larger ones?¡±


    arnold sighed. ¡°do you have any experience crafting and imbuing objects?¡±


    ¡°no, but as i said, i¡¯ve got two thousand gold. that goes a long way toward ten thousand.¡±


    arnold didn¡¯t respond for several seconds. then, with a sigh, he stepped around the table and approached moxie.


    ¡°you are determined. tell me about the person for whom you wish to make this violin.¡±

 Chapter 225: Creation

    chapter 225: creation


    ¡°is that really necessary?¡± moxie asked, choosing her words carefully as she gauged arnold¡¯s expression. the burly craftsman¡¯s features were completely unreadable.


    ¡°yes.¡±


    moxie sighed and shrugged. ¡°fine. what about him?¡±


    ¡°name.¡±


    ¡°how does that¨C¡±


    ¡°evergreen put up with my questions when she wanted a staff,¡± arnold said, not letting moxie finish. ¡°if you want me to help you, then you¡¯ll do the same. now answer the question. it¡¯s protected under the oath, as is everything else we discuss. if that isn¡¯t enough, then you can leave.¡±


    moxie chewed her lower lip.


    technically, i could say vermil. it wouldn¡¯t be wrong, but it definitely wouldn¡¯t be right either. i¡¯m not sure why arnold needs his name, but if it¡¯s for some sort of imbuement, then it might be more effective if it was noah¡¯s real name.


    his name isn¡¯t mine to share, though.


    ¡°i don¡¯t know if i¡¯m at liberty to tell you his name,¡± moxie said after a few more seconds of internal debate. ¡°it was shared with me in confidence, and even though your oath exists, that doesn¡¯t justify me sharing the secret.¡±


    arnold¡¯s eyebrows raised and a flicker of approval passed over his features. it vanished as quickly as it had come and he inclined his head in the barest gesture of acknowledgement. ¡°very well. your lack of answer tells me just as much as giving me a name would have. it will be dealt with when the time comes. is this violin for an experienced user, then?¡±


    ¡°very,¡± moxie said with a nod.


    ¡°do they travel often, or will it be a showpiece?¡±


    ¡°function over everything else,¡± moxie said immediately. ¡°durable as well, please. we don¡¯t live a peaceful life, and if possible, i¡¯d prefer that the violin be able to survive damage.¡±


    ¡°what kind of magic does he wield?¡±


    moxie paused again. the questions were right on the line of uncomfortably personal, to the point where it probably wouldn¡¯t be that much of an issue if she actually told arnold anything, but it still felt like giving away secrets that weren¡¯t hers to trade.


    ¡°nature based,¡± moxie said after a few moments. ¡°but not just earth. all forms of nature.¡±


    ¡°vague.¡±


    ¡°another secret that isn¡¯t mine to share. perhaps i should have just brought him with me. that would have been a lot wiser and more effective.¡±


    ¡°perhaps,¡± arnold agreed. he lowered himself back into his chair and raised an eyebrow. ¡°so, why didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°he was really busy, and it¡¯s likely that he would have objected to spending this much money on himself when we could use it for other purposes. i believe that this is worth it, though. i know your craftsmanship.¡±


    arnold chuckled. ¡°a surprise, perhaps?¡±


    moxie glanced to the side. ¡°i never said that.¡±


    ¡°no, you didn¡¯t.¡± arnold¡¯s gauntlet tapped against the table in thought. ¡°does he sing? or does he only play?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure. i¡¯ve never seen him sing, though.¡±


    ¡°last question, then. why are you getting this for him?¡±


    moxie¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°formations are powerful. that should be reason enough, shouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°you said that this was for passion more than formations, and i know that you did not lie. this is not for power.¡±


    ¡°does it really matter?¡±


    ¡°yes.¡± arnold¡¯s gaze pierced into moxie¡¯s eyes, unblinking and unflinching. ¡°every single aspect will matter. i have no hands. i cannot make something as detailed as what we seek. you will have to aid me, but you cannot do everything. we will need to work together. and, to do that, i must understand your purpose for making this instrument.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s a gift.¡±


    ¡°from whom?¡±


    moxie picked the vial back up, uncorking it once again, and a thin vine slipped out from her robe. it dipped into the pot, then ran along the groove, coming back up to gather more whenever it ran low.


    by the time it was done, the top of the vine had melted away. arnold pressed the strip of golden wood into the groove, and the sizzling that rose up from it told moxie that the two pieces had bonded.


    as soon as the sizzling stopped, arnold moved the piece to the side of the table and grabbed some of the other wood he¡¯d carved away. carving this one took him nearly an hour, but moxie didn¡¯t dare saying anything. she barely understood what they were doing, but she imagined it would make sense once it was all finished. the look of concentration on arnold¡¯s face was so intense that it felt as if his eyes could cut through steel.


    by the time he was done, he had the face of a violin formed in his hands. arnold set it to the side and picked up a block of the obsidian-colored wood. he tossed it to moxie. ¡°you know what to do.¡±


    ¡°hold it still?¡±


    ¡°very good.¡±


    arnold pressed his fingers against the wood, and a dull whine rose up from it. moving with calculated precision, arnold started to cut a thin strip away. he rotated the block in moxie¡¯s hands, continuing to carve until he had turned the entire thing into a long, flat wooden noodle. arnold knelt and grabbed a large metal apparatus, setting it on the table. he pressed a hand against it, and a dull orange glow started to fill the room as it heated.


    ¡°push the strip against the curved part,¡± arnold ordered, handing moxie the piece he¡¯d just cut. ¡°and be ready to glue.¡±


    moxie swallowed, then nodded. the instructions were starting to get a little more difficult to follow, but it didn¡¯t sound like anything needed to be too precise yet. she obeyed his instructions, pulling the hard wood against the metal with a sizzle. to her surprise, it showed no signs of burning.


    arnold took her hands, pressing against them and forming the wooden strip into shape. he moved quickly, shifting and having her press different parts of the wood against the hot metal. within seconds, he¡¯d perfectly formed an outline of the violin faces he had lying on the sides of the table.


    ¡°this will be the ribs of the violin,¡± arnold said, setting the outline down.


    how is he doing this so effortlessly? i thought he¡¯d need some sort of guide or mold. eyeballing everything is insane.


    ¡°glue,¡± arnold ordered, pointing to a spot on the back face of the violin. moxie dabbed a tiny amount of the foul smelling substance onto the wood, and arnold pressed a thin strip of wood into place on it. they repeated the process several more times before taking the ribs and, after putting some glue along the edges of the violin and onto the thin pieces they¡¯d just added, glued the ribs onto the back face.


    arnold then took a long, slightly curved piece of wood that he¡¯d set aside before and snapped his fingers. moxie dabbed some glue onto it, and arnold glued it onto the center of the violin¡¯s underside.


    when the sizzling ended, they glued the face of the violin on. no sooner than they had done that did arnold turn and stride away, muttering under his breath. he rifled through the shelves once more before returning with a cylindrical piece of the black wood.


    ¡°hold this and concentrate,¡± arnold said, thrusting it into moxie¡¯s hands.


    ¡°concentrate? on what?¡±


    ¡°on him,¡± arnold replied. ¡°whatever you picture this violin to be for him. just concentrate on it. do not get distracted. normally, i would do this part myself. it is the most important one ¨C but i do not know him, and he is not here. you will do it instead.¡±


    moxie took the wood from him.


    ¡°this will take some time. ten minutes, at least. do not let your mind wander. are you prepared?¡±


    it was a moment before moxie replied. ¡°yes. i¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°closing your eyes will help,¡± arnold suggested.


    moxie took his advice, clearing her mind and focusing only on the piece of wood in her hands and noah. the excitement in his eyes when he¡¯d talked about music, and the disappointment he¡¯d felt about losing his past life. every single piece of longing that had hung in the air in his words ¨C everything swam back through moxie¡¯s mind.


    the vision grew sharper than it should have been, almost as if she were really experiencing the conversation all over. a faint, tingling sensation ran down moxie¡¯s limbs and out her fingertips, but she ignored it.


    she wasn¡¯t sure how long she spent concentrating, but someone grabbed her shoulder. moxie¡¯s eyes snapped open to realize that she was no longer holding anything. she staggered as a sudden wave of weariness washed over her, but moxie¡¯s mind barely even registered it. she opened her mouth, but arnold spoke first.


    ¡°relax,¡± arnold said, noting the worry in her eyes. ¡°you got deeper than i had expected. you did well.¡±


    moxie let out a relieved breath. ¡°i thought something went wrong. what was that?¡±


    ¡°an old imbuement technique,¡± arnold replied with a one-shouldered shrug. ¡°some people are more adept at it than others. evidently, you have some experience. you sank into a deeply concentrated state for much longer than you needed to.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve never heard of anything like that. why does it feel like my runes are drained?¡±


    a flicker of a smile passed over arnold¡¯s features. ¡°you were kind enough to provide much of the energy i needed. your runes are likely completely used up, but they did their job. you¡¯ll recover soon enough. a little energy is a small price to pay for something like this.¡±


    ¡°the violin is safe, then?¡±


    arnold chuckled. ¡°yes. i ¨C we, i suppose ¨C finished it an hour ago. would you like to come take a look at our creation?¡±

 Chapter 226: Be here

    chapter 226: be here


    ¡°it¡¯s done?¡± moxie asked. she shook the last of the confusion from her trance off. ¡°when? i swear we just made a few pieces, not the whole thing.¡±


    ¡°i handled the rest of the instrument¡¯s creation while you rested.¡± arnold rolled his neck and gathered the scrap wood remaining on the table into a pile, bringing it over to one of his shelves to set aside. ¡°i already had some of the materials for the remaining steps prepared. parts of a project from long ago that i suspected i would never finish.¡±


    ¡°then yes, i¡¯d like to see the violin. where is it?¡±


    arnold stepped past moxie and walked out the open door into the dirty main room of the shop ¨C the wall splitting them had been opened at some point while moxie had been distracted. she followed after him and arnold waved a hand, closing the wall behind her with a thud.


    he must have some form of imbuements in the shop that let him control that. that¡¯s an effective way to get around missing hands.


    moxie¡¯s eyes caught on a plain, lacquered wooden box that sat on the top of arnold¡¯s table. it was a dark, smooth wood with rounded corners and a slide-off top. even though it wasn¡¯t decorated in any way, it possessed a silent opulence.


    ¡°my work,¡± arnold said, approaching the box and resting a hand gently on top of it. ¡°the box, that is. i¡¯ll include it in your bill.¡±


    moxie swallowed and nodded. the box was beautiful, but it wasn¡¯t the box that she was interested in ¨C it was what the box held. arnold¡¯s lips curled into a confident grin and he slid the top of the box back.


    soft, blue velvet pillows padded the box¡¯s interior. nestled within them was a violin made of wood as dark as obsidian. thin trimmings of gold ran along its edges and swirled across its face like dancing lights, glittering in the faint light.


    the head of the violin was carved to resemble a flowing wave, and seven glistening golden strings ran along its face. even the knobs at the top of the violin¡¯s head were trimmed and accented with gold.


    it was, without a doubt, the most beautiful musical instrument that moxie had ever seen. that was slightly less of a compliment than it should have been as moxie hadn¡¯t seen all that many in her life, but she was certain that, even if she had, it would have been the greatest. it looked like it belonged behind a plane of glass ¨C only to be looked at, and never to be played.


    ¡°i know what you¡¯re thinking,¡± arnold said, resting a hand on the side of the box. ¡°you asked for a violin that was durable.¡±


    ¡°the thought did cross my mind. you did incredible work, but i¡¯m not sure this would survive very long in a fight. i¡¯d be scared to play it in fear of a scratch, much less take it anywhere.¡±


    arnold nodded. he reached into his pocket, pulling free a large knife. to moxie¡¯s horror, he brought it down, point first, right into the center of the violin¡¯s face. it connected with a sickening thud. arnold raised the blade, holding it point up. it had bent.


    the violin was completely unmarred.


    he reached down, hooking his finger into a small latch at the side of the box and pulling it open. it slid out to reveal a long, beautifully carved bow. the threads running along it were made of the same material as the ones on the violin.


    ¡°everything is the same on this,¡± arnold said. ¡°just warn him to be careful. these are wicked sharp. they¡¯re imbued to ensure that they never snap, but the bow doesn¡¯t have a will like the violin does. it¡¯ll cut right through his fingers.¡±


    moxie started to nod, then paused. ¡°a will?¡±


    ¡°just like evergreen¡¯s staff. you don¡¯t make imbued items of this quality without putting a part of yourself into them. the violin won¡¯t let its owner injure itself, but the bow is different. it¡¯s a tool. just make sure he doesn¡¯t end up like me.¡± arnold raised one of his hands, letting out a dry laugh. ¡°though it would certainly be ironic.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    arnold slid the latch closed and returned the lid to the top of the box. he pushed it across the table to moxie. she stared at it, almost scared to pick up the box even with all she¡¯d learned about the violin¡¯s durability.


    ¡°is two thousand gold even enough for this? i feel like i didn¡¯t pay for anything of this degree.¡±


    ¡°did you have more?¡±


    ¡°not much. some.¡±


    ¡°then i¡¯ll be honest,¡± arnold said, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. ¡°i am a craftsman. to make an instrument like the one before you is the reason i live. i need the money, but i saw how much you wanted this. i felt it. the coin will come eventually. a few thousand gold isn¡¯t going to make that much of a difference. and, to be honest, you never could have truly afforded a piece from me. your ears would bleed if you knew how much evergreen paid me for that staff.¡±


    ¡°but i thought you only needed ten thousand¨C¡±


    ¡°ten thousand more. do you really think a man of my talent wouldn¡¯t have been able to find someone that would pay him ten thousand gold in exchange for a few custom pieces?¡± arnold let out a bark of laughter. ¡°i¡¯ve paid more than i care to remember fixing all the damage your family did. the last few thousand gold will take me little effort to acquire. you got lucky that i was still in the city. i¡¯ve already taken down the rest of my workshops. in a month or two, my hands will be returned and i¡¯ll be gone. that violin was an opportunity to make something that i wanted to make, not something i needed to make.¡±


    moxie looked from arnold to the violin, then slowly nodded. ¡°i see. thank you. i know the person that you made this for will cherish it greatly. and, even though it wasn¡¯t my fault, i¡¯m sorry that my family did this to you.¡±


    ¡°i didn¡¯t make it,¡± arnold corrected. ¡°we did. and your condolences are appreciated, even if they¡¯re close to an apology. if you want to properly thank me, then all you have to do is deliver this violin to its fated owner.¡±


    ¡°i will.¡±


    ¡°good.¡± arnold clapped moxie on the shoulder. ¡°now take the box and get out of my shop. and don¡¯t come back ¨C i won¡¯t be here.¡±

 Chapter 227: Violin

    chapter 227: violin


    noah made some progress on reforming his body imbuements over the course of the night. natural disaster was, by nature, a varied rune. it had a lot of aspects to it, and calling on just a single one of them with a single rune wasn¡¯t ideal.


    there was always the option of reforming some rank 2 runes for the imbuements, but he much preferred to find a way to make natural disaster work. a stronger rune meant stronger imbuements, and rank 3 was a significant improvement over rank 2.


    however, through some experimenting that noah never would have considered if he didn¡¯t know that he could just rip the imbuement free and kill himself if worst came to worst, he determined that, while it wasn¡¯t possible to completely ignore all the excess parts of natural disaster that he wasn¡¯t trying to use, it was possible twist the way in which it was used so that almost no energy went to the unnecessary parts.


    instead of just focusing purely on picking up vibrations, noah used each kind of energy that had gone into natural disaster to try and search for vibrations in their own forms. he then throttled the flow of energy entering everything other than the part of natural disaster that was focused on the earth until it was only a hair¡¯s width above zero.


    that made it so that, functionally, noah¡¯s feet were imbued to detect vibrations in the earth ¨C and, to an incredibly small degree, the fire, snow, water, wind, and lightning. he wasn¡¯t particularly slow about the process of imbuing it, but he¡¯d done it before and wasn¡¯t concerned with doing any damage to his body.


    forming that rune had taken the better part of the night, but noah stretched it a step further. he imbued a similar rune on his eardrums, but changed the focus from earth to vibrations in the wind. noah kept that particular imbuement fairly low power, not wanting to blow his ears out the moment some idiot fell down a flight of stairs.


    only a minute or two after noah had finished his final checkups of his imbuements, the door clicked. his eyes opened and he blinked the sleep away from them. his joints ached from sitting still for so long, and based by the faintest traces of light entering through the window, it was incredibly early morning.


    the door swung open and moxie poked her head inside. she looked uncharacteristically nervous, her eyes flicking to noah and away from him quickly.


    ¡°moxie?¡± noah shifted, rising to his feet. ¡°did something happen? you didn¡¯t get attacked or something, did you?¡±


    ¡°no, nothing like that. everything is fine.¡± moxie quickly shook her head, but she still hadn¡¯t fully stepped out from behind the door.


    noah paused, then raised a confused eyebrow. ¡°so... why are you hiding behind the door?¡±


    moxie cleared her throat. she pushed the door open with her shoulder and stepped inside cradling a polished wooden box in her arms carefully, as if it might break at any moment. using her heel, moxie pushed the door shut behind her.


    they stared at each other for a second.


    ¡°are you going to make me ask what¡¯s in the incredibly suspicious box?¡± noah asked. ¡°it looks expensive.¡±


    ¡°not particularly. for what it is, the price was pretty good.¡±


    ¡°then why are you holding it like that? you¡¯re making me curious now,¡± noah said. ¡°what is it?¡±


    moxie held the box out. noah took it from her carefully. the way she was handling it made him feel like it was either worth a lot more than it looked or it was a slight nudge from exploding and killing both of them.


    ¡°do you want me to¨C¡±


    ¡°just open it.¡±


    she didn¡¯t have to tell him twice. noah set the box down on his bed to make sure he didn¡¯t mistakenly drop it, then ran his hands along the smooth wood. it was so well crafted that it looked like a single solid piece, and it took him a moment to realize that the top could actually slide off.


    it let out a soft click and came away in one smooth motion. it was a good thing that noah had set the box on the bed. resting atop the blue velvet pillows within the box was the most beautiful violin that noah had ever laid eyes on.


    whorls of gold danced across its matte black wood, which was so dark that it was practically obsidian. the gilding was beautiful, but delicate enough to avoid being extravagant. noah stared down at it, his eyes failing to properly communicate the magnitude of what he saw to his brain.


    his mouth worked, but no words came to his lips. he reached out for the violin, then paused and glanced back at moxie.


    ¡°is¨C¡±


    moxie rolled her eyes. ¡°just put your hand on the back and figure out what he¡¯s done. once you¡¯ve bonded with it, you can play.¡±


    lifting the violin, noah turned it over gently in his hands. there was a small circle on its back, covered by carvings of ring of tiny thorns. noah rested his palm against the back of the violin.


    moxie hadn¡¯t said exactly how he was supposed to bond with it, but as soon as his hand was upon the wood, a cold tingle ran down his arm and into his spine. a foreign presence pressed against his mind.


    the presence wasn¡¯t exactly alive ¨C but it wasn¡¯t inert, either. flickers of emotion mixed with images flashed through noah¡¯s mind. the warmth of flame and the bitter stench of glue. heavy metal gauntlets, carving the violin¡¯s body from a block of wood. smaller hands, far more delicate, aiding him and pressing it together.


    and, deeply imbued into every single aspect of the violin, was something else. it was more than just a desire to be played. the violin warmed in noah¡¯s hands, pulsing with the faintest of heartbeats. a warm, comforting feeling enveloped noah.


    for an instant, he could feel every single part of the violin as if it was part of his own body. he could tell where the parts had come from and what they had once been. in that moment, noah knew arnold. he felt the man¡¯s passion for his craft, and his desire to make every piece he made the greatest it could be.


    but arnold was, to noah¡¯s bafflement, just a tiny part of the violin. the violin acknowledged him as the lead craftsman, but he was not its creator. that title belonged to moxie.


    the violin was positively thrumming with the energy and feeling she had poured into it while it had been made. for whatever reason, moxie hadn¡¯t told him that she¡¯d been part of the violin¡¯s creation, but it wasn¡¯t keeping that particular secret even remotely hidden.


    as the moment passed and the violin¡¯s presence started to retreat from noah¡¯s mind, he was left with one lingering feeling ¨C and it wasn¡¯t his own. it was the deep care that had gone into the violin, born not just for it, but for him. it was beyond the love of any acquaintance or friend.


    the last traces of the visions faded away, though noah still felt a faint link to the violin humming in the back of his mind. even though the violin¡¯s presence had receded, there was still a sense of peace in its passing. his eyes raised, meeting moxie¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°you made this,¡± noah said. ¡°arnold just helped.¡±


    ¡°he did most of the work. i just¨C¡±


    ¡°no.¡± noah shook his head. ¡°the violin remembered being made, and it showed me. arnold just guided everything and put the final parts together. the violin¡¯s heart is from you. you made this. i felt it.¡±


    and i felt your feelings as well.


    moxie was silent for a few moments. ¡°i didn¡¯t realize it could do anything like that. what else does it have in there?¡±


    is this even okay? i¡¯m thousands of years older than moxie is.


    for an instant, azel stirred within noah¡¯s mind.


    most of that time didn¡¯t pass in any true way. your mind would have withered away if it had. it¡¯s been compressed and compartmentalized. logically, you know that time has passed, but much of what you remember is condensed suffering. for all intents and purposes, you¡¯re not much older than moxie.


    for once, azel didn¡¯t seem smug or confident. even the demon seemed respectful in the face of what the violin had shown noah ¨C or, more likely, azel was currently feasting on all the emotion that was swirling through noah¡¯s heart.


    the years of loneliness in the afterlife, accompanied by nothing but the fading sounds of his own thoughts. his failure to ever make any meaningful relationships on earth, and the isolation he would have had on arbitage had he not run into moxie and the others.


    noah paused, using the remainder of the feeling the violin had filled him with to strip away all his mental justifications and arguments, peering into his true desires for just an instant.


    ¡°did it show you something?¡± moxie asked, the worry taking form in her voice even in spite of her best efforts to hide it.


    ¡°yes,¡± noah replied, raising his eyes back to meet moxie¡¯s. ¡°this.¡±


    then he leaned forward and kissed her.l1tlagoon witnessed the first publication of this chapter on n??v€l--b1n.

 Chapter 228: Conversation

    chapter 228: conversation


    the violin ended up sitting in its bed of velvet pillows for the next few minutes. noah had taken extreme care to make sure that he set it down safely, even with moxie¡¯s assurances that it would survive more than he would.


    but, there was only so long that noah could ignore it, even with the developments it had wrought. moxie seemed equally eager to have him use it, so they ended up standing side by side at the bed, looking down at the violin together.


    ¡°you don¡¯t even know everything about me yet,¡± noah said. ¡°are you sure¨C¡±


    ¡°nobody knows everything about anyone else. i know enough of what matters, and you can fill me in on the rest later. you felt the violin, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    noah¡¯s neck flushed and he cleared his throat. ¡°yes. i did.¡±


    ¡°then that should be enough.¡±


    as much as he wanted to take that at face value, noah made himself step back. he put his hands on moxie¡¯s shoulders and looked into her eyes. ¡°you¡¯re certain? there¡¯s a lot of things i¡¯m caught up in. you know most of them now, but this isn¡¯t exactly safe.¡±


    moxie matched his gaze. ¡°and i¡¯m stuck working for evergreen against my will. we¡¯ve both got our problems, but that doesn¡¯t change anything in my eyes. i¡¯d initially planned to wait until i eventually got out from under evergreen¡¯s thumb before letting myself risk living for myself, but i can¡¯t do that anymore. i¡¯m more than aware of all the shit we¡¯ve both got to deal with, but waiting for everything to be perfect just isn¡¯t going to happen.¡±


    ¡°you also know this isn¡¯t technically me, right?¡± noah gestured to himself. ¡°it¡¯s vermil.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t care about what¡¯s on the outside. what made vermil repulsive was his personality, not his appearance. besides, you¡¯ve put on some muscle anyway.¡± moxie gave him a wry grin, then flicked him in the chest. ¡°i can make decisions for myself, noah. i¡¯m not stumbling into this like some starry-eyed child. i wasn¡¯t exactly planning to act on it yet, but the cat¡¯s out of the bag. stop trying to stuff it back in.¡±


    noah laughed and pulled moxie into a hug. he¡¯d done his due diligence. as long as moxie was fine with it, then he was as well.


    ¡°i just wanted to make sure,¡± noah said. the excited tingles in his stomach made him feel like a teenager in school, which wasn¡¯t a sensation he thought he¡¯d ever be feeling again. ¡°you said that the violin has imbuements, right? what are they?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t know. arnold said they¡¯d eventually show themselves. i imagine you¡¯ll figure them out as you play it. and, speaking of that, are you going to try? i want to hear.¡±


    ¡°let me practice just a bit first. i¡¯ve never used an instrument like this,¡± noah admitted. he released moxie, somewhat reluctantly, then looked to the violin. ¡°it¡¯s got seven strings, and i¡¯m used to four. i can¡¯t wait to see how much more i can do with it, but i want the first performance to be something i can be proud of.¡±


    ¡°if that¡¯s how you¡¯d prefer it, then i won¡¯t argue,¡± moxie said. ¡°just don¡¯t make me wait too long.¡±


    ¡°i think some of my impatience has rubbed off on you.¡±


    ¡°more than that, i think,¡± moxie arched an eyebrow, her eyes flashing in amusement. ¡°just make sure i get to hear the violin before we get back to arbitage, okay?¡±


    ¡°i will,¡± noah promised. his gaze felt like it was split in two. half of him wanted to look at moxie, while the other half was trying to stare at the violin. he ended up just positioning himself better so he could look at them both ¨C a move which moxie noticed, judging by the smug grin she was giving him.


    she certainly knows how to give a gift. i¡¯m going to have to figure out what to get her in return.


    ¡°i should give fair warning that i¡¯ve never dated anyone before.,¡± moxie said, her cheeks reddening slightly. noah blinked in surprise and moxie narrowed her eyes, her cheeks slightly flushed. ¡°what? that¡¯s what we¡¯re doing, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°it definitely is,¡± noah said hurriedly. ¡°i guess that makes sense. to be honest, i haven¡¯t either.¡±


    it was moxie¡¯s turn to stare. ¡°aren¡¯t you functionally centuries old?¡±


    ¡°nobody was dating in the afterlife,¡± noah said irritably. ¡°don¡¯t look at me like that. all my memories of it got bundled up and squished, and i was just as tied up on my previous planet as you are here.¡±


    ¡°fair enough.¡± moxie inclined her head. then she pulled her eyes away from noah to look around the room. ¡°by the way, where¡¯s lee? she isn¡¯t here, is she?¡±


    i certainly hope she wasn¡¯t. that would be awkward.


    noah looked around, then shook his head. ¡°she must have headed out at some point in the night. she does that pretty frequently. i imagine she¡¯ll be back soon. the sun isn¡¯t that far from rising.¡±


    ¡°we should go get some breakfast when she does,¡± moxie suggested. ¡°and make sure she knows that the violin isn¡¯t edible.¡±


    ¡°i suppose you could say that.¡± tillian flicked his cloak back and struck a pose. ¡°hungry for justice.¡±


    lee gave him a blank stare. tillian cleared his throat and lowered his hands, returning to a normal position. ¡°right. that didn¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°jerky?¡± lee held out a strip.


    tillian took the meat from lee and gave her an appreciative nod. ¡°thank you. i was feeling rather peckish, actually. i¡¯ve been having a bit too much sugar and a bit too little real food.¡±


    with a flourish, tillian pulled the toothpick out of his mouth. there was a small ball at the end of it that looked to be made of some form of harden sugar. lee eyed it.


    ¡°did you happen to see someone running past here a few seconds ago?¡± tillian asked as he took a bite out of the jerky. ¡°i¡¯m after a criminal.¡±


    ¡°oh. was he bad?¡± lee asked. ¡°he gave me this.¡±


    ¡°the jerky?¡±


    ¡°yeah.¡±


    tillian blinked in surprise. ¡°he didn¡¯t strike me as the type to particularly enjoy sharing. maybe there was some good in him.¡±


    lee nodded in agreement. ¡°he gave me the whole bag!¡±


    ¡°and then you gave me a piece as well. very generous of you,¡± tillian said. he reached into a pocket and pulled out another toothpick. this one was wrapped with a thin layer of waxy paper at the top. ¡°would you like one?¡±


    ¡°what is it?¡±


    ¡°candy. you make it by melting down sugar and mixing it with some fruit oil. it¡¯s a little sour. i quite like it.¡±


    it doesn¡¯t smell like food.


    ¡°why doesn¡¯t it have any smell?¡±


    tillian tilted his head to the side. then his eyes lit up and he chuckled. ¡°you must have an interesting set of runes. i¡¯ve got a few that help keep me hidden. it¡¯s hard to sneak up on evildoers when they know i¡¯m coming, and smell is one of the things i hide. i promise that this is just a normal piece of candy. completely safe and completely delicious.¡±


    he held the candy out. lee took it from him. as soon as the candy left his hands, its scent burst into existence. it was sweet, with a hint of lemon. lee tucked it into a pocket to save it for later. she still had a fair amount of jerky to go through.


    ¡°you don¡¯t need any help, do you?¡± tillian asked. ¡°it¡¯s a little late for a girl to be out at night. dawnforge is a good city, but it¡¯s not that safe to be out alone, especially in this part of town.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m fine,¡± lee replied with a grin. ¡°i just wanted to get some food. now that i have it, i¡¯ll head back home.¡±


    ¡°are you sure? your home isn¡¯t in the direction i came from, is it?¡±


    ¡°nope. it¡¯s back there.¡± lee nodded over her shoulder. ¡°why? what¡¯s back there? something fun?¡±


    ¡°no. nothing fun,¡± tillian said sternly. ¡°dangerous things. nothing for a girl like you to be running into this late at night. are you quite certain that you don¡¯t need an escort?¡±


    ¡°nope! i¡¯m fast. weren¡¯t you chasing after a bad person, though? they¡¯re getting away.¡±


    ¡°ah, right. eh. i¡¯ll catch up to him,¡± tillian said, waving a hand dismissively. ¡°it was a pleasure to meet you, lee. take care on your way back, and thanks for the food.¡±


    ¡°you too! and thanks for the candy. i¡¯ll eat it later.¡±


    lee gave tillian a cheerful wave and strode back into the darkness. the sun was already starting to rise over the rooftops, and it was about time for her to get home and have breakfast with noah and moxie.

 Chapter 229: Music

    chapter 229: music


    noah and moxie were still wondering where lee had gone off to when she climbed up through the window.


    ¡°i¡¯m back!¡± lee dropped into the room and pulled the window shut behind her. she looked form noah to moxie, and then down to the violin resting in the wooden box on the bed. ¡°what¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°welcome back,¡± noah said. ¡°this is a violin. it is not edible.¡±


    lee scrunched her nose in disappointment. ¡°oh. well, i want to eat. the jerky in this city isn¡¯t as good as the one that you guys carry around.¡±


    noah decided not to ask lee where she¡¯d gotten jerky from. chances were, he was better off not knowing.


    ¡°as a matter of fact, we were thinking it was about time for breakfast,¡± noah said, casting his gaze out the window to the rising sun. ¡°i¡¯m sure we can go find something nice.¡±


    ¡°not too nice, though,¡± moxie added, reddening. ¡°we aren¡¯t exactly as rich as we were yesterday. we¡¯ve still got a few hundred gold to work with, but it might be wiser to save it for when we really need it ¨C at least until we get our hands on a job that pays better.¡±


    ¡°food is food. we can eat the fancy stuff later,¡± lee said with a shrug.


    the three set off, leaving the inn and heading out into the streets of dawnforge.


    ¡°how have you been doing on your runes?¡± noah asked lee as they walked. ¡°i know we can¡¯t quite go about fixing everything yet, but have you figured out the path you¡¯re going to want to take?¡±


    ¡°yeah. i found a few runes that¡¯ll probably work, but i think i¡¯m still missing some,¡± lee said. ¡°i bet we can get those somewhere in the area, though.¡±


    ¡°dawnforge has an extensive market. i¡¯m sure we can buy or trade for any runes we really need as long as we have enough gold and they aren¡¯t really rare,¡± moxie said. ¡°i can probably use my noble standing to get us access to them.¡±


    ¡°getting some new runes would be pretty solid,¡± noah mused. ¡°both for lee and for the rest of us. and i guess you just need energy, moxie.¡±


    moxie nodded. ¡°the whole point of coming to dawnforge was to get access to some adventurer jobs, so it would be a shame to not actually go through with that. we can look into it later today.¡±


    they came to a stop just a short way down the street, at a small breakfast joint that was already starting to fill tables. warm, inviting scents wafted from the kitchen, bearing notes of fresh bread, greasy bacon, and maple syrup. none of them even said a word ¨C they all just exchanged a silent glance and then turned, heading straight into the restaurant.


    the meal came and went quickly, and noah didn¡¯t regret the few coins they spent on it in the slightest. moxie¡¯s suggestion to save money had quickly gone out the window once they got a taste of the food, but not a single one of them was complaining as they headed back to the inn.


    ¡°can we do that again?¡± lee asked, running her tongue along her lips as she rubbed her stomach. ¡°i don¡¯t know what muffins are, but i want to hunt more of them.¡±


    ¡°you don¡¯t hunt muffins. you bake them,¡± moxie said.


    instead, he managed to filter through all the data flooding into his mind, pushing the ripples passing through him into vague images. blobs representing moxie and lee appeared on the stairwell, but they were badly warped by all the other noise entering the picture from the rest of the city.


    he couldn¡¯t even start to make out the people at the bottom of the tavern. they were all just one shifting, roaring blob. unlike his previous tremorsense, the new imbuements picked up all the vibrations traveling through the air.


    the imbuement she had on his feet weren¡¯t of much use, as they were all standing on wood rather than earth.


    still, noah was pleased with the results of what he found. there was still some work to do in getting his imbuements fully back up and running, but they were starting to get closer to where he needed them to be again.


    grinning to himself, noah deactivated his imbuements and stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. there would be time to do further work with the imbuements later. for now, they could wait. he had something far more important to do.


    he made a beeline to his bed, then lifted the violin from its box. he only spent a minute marveling at its beauty before he carefully lifted the bow from its special slot in the box. he braced the violin between his collarbone and his shoulder, letting his chin rest on the smooth wood.


    noah¡¯s hand felt unsteady as he raised the bow. it fit perfectly in his hand, and it was without a doubt far superior to any instrument that he¡¯d ever held before. playing inadequate music on such a piece of art almost felt like it would disgrace him.


    but, as soon as he rested the bow against the strings of the violin, he felt a sense of calm wash over him. it didn¡¯t mute out his worries, nor did it make him forget them. it was a comforting embrace.


    the violin didn¡¯t care what he played on it. it didn¡¯t care if the music was good, or if it was the most horrendous music to ever grace the world. all it wanted was to be played.


    a tiny smile passed over noah¡¯s features. he drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, letting his eyes close as the tension drained from his shoulders. he adjusted his stance, calling on memories that were so old that he¡¯d nearly forgotten them entirely, and started to play.


    even a fool could have said that the violin possessed the voice of an angel. every individual note rang out perfectly, echoing through the room around noah. he could feel the energy thrumming within the instrument, rejoicing with the opportunity to sing for the first time.


    noah didn¡¯t play any song in particular. he simply played one note at a time, trying to ease back into a passion that he hadn¡¯t truly touched in thousands of years. it was an instrument meant for a true master. but, if he were honest with himself, the music was horrible. no matter how good the violin was, it could only sing as well as he could play ¨C and he was out of practice.


    but, with each trip that his bow took across the violin¡¯s strings, noah¡¯s smile grew. memories flooded through him, and his stance adjusted subtly as more and more of his experience started to return.


    the notes grew more harmonious, and even though the three new strings were completely foreign to him, he could feel that the violin was striving to help him. the strings shifted as the knobs turned on their own volition. the violin tuned itself as he played, changing to fit him perfectly.


    noah doubted the song would have impressed anyone else. even though the music wasn¡¯t as bad as it had been a short while ago, it wasn¡¯t anywhere near anything that he could consider incredible.


    but there wasn¡¯t anyone else in the room. it was just noah and his violin, and with every note that he played, the two understood each other just a little bit more.


    the song he played was not a song that anyone but he would have appreciated. it was a promise, born of mutual understanding. understanding that, while the music today was nothing but a seed that had been planted, it would eventually shoot up and grow into a mighty tree.


    and, today, noah was more than happy to enjoy the company of the seed as it started to sprout, poking out over the ground and spreading its metaphorical leaves. even though moxie wasn¡¯t physically there with him, he could feel the personality and energy she¡¯d poured into the violin enveloping him in its warm embrace.


    music was a journey, and as far as first steps went, he wouldn¡¯t have traded this one for anything.

 Chapter 230: Pronunciation

    chapter 230: pronunciation


    it was only after noah lifted the bow away from his violin that he remembered that playing music wasn¡¯t the wisest thing to do when someone could hear him. he froze for a few seconds, listening intently to see if he could pick anything up.


    noah activated the imbuement on his ears, filtering out the loudest noises and scrunching his nose in concentration as he tried to pick up any words. unfortunately, the imbuement still wasn¡¯t accurate enough. there was just too much noise interfering ¨C but, as the time ticked by, it didn¡¯t seem like anyone was coming for him.


    sounds like the room was muted enough and i wasn¡¯t playing that loud. good. that would have been really awkward. if i only got to play one song before some asshole showed up and tried to take my violin, i¡¯d be so pissed.


    noah looked down at the violin, and a small smile flitted across his face. he couldn¡¯t wait to spend more time practicing with it, but it really was a bloody stupid idea to keep pushing his luck here.


    even still, the idea of setting the violin back into its box felt... distasteful. he didn¡¯t want to let go of it. after a moment, noah realized that the hesitation wasn¡¯t coming from him ¨C it was coming from the violin.


    ¡°i can¡¯t just carry you around in public,¡± noah told the instrument.


    the violin shimmered in his hands. a black, thorny appendage snaked out from within it at a lightning-fast speed, shooting out before noah could react. it wound around his wrist, digging into his flesh and drawing blood.


    noah cursed in pain, but it was done before he could react. the violin shimmered, then vanished. the bow disappeared from his other hand, and a faint burning sensation enveloped noah¡¯s arm.


    he yanked his sleeve back, revealing a black tattoo on the inside of his forearm depicting the violin and its bow in perfect detail. noah could still feel faint energy coming off the tattoo, but it was muted.


    ¡°would you look at that,¡± noah muttered. ¡°and moxie said that the bow wasn¡¯t magical. not so sure about that. damn convenient, though.¡±


    noah let his sleeve fall back. he took the box¡¯s cover off the bed and slid it back on before regarding the whole box. it wasn¡¯t going to be serving much more purpose anymore, but it was still a nice box.


    ¡°you¡¯ll be useful for something,¡± noah declared.


    maybe i could use it for a return gift to moxie? that could be good. i¡¯ve still got those pelts from the snow ferret thing. i could make her a dress from those.


    even as the thought passed through his head, noah grimaced.


    who am i kidding? moxie doesn¡¯t want a dress. well, maybe she does. but i want to give her something she can actually use, not something pretty. something imbued. that¡¯s going to be expensive, though. it¡¯ll cost money, and probably a lot of it.


    i¡¯m not sure i can justify spending even more of the coin we earn from our jobs on a gift after moxie just spent so much on my own gift, so i should probably earn it myself.


    maybe i should try to hunt a few more monsters or something?


    noah rubbed his chin. he walked over to the window and peered down at the shaded city below. as he took the city in, a flicker of purplish-red energy caught his eye in the alleys between two buildings.


    a familiar looking cat sat, glittering red spines running across its back and twin antlers sprouting from its head. for an instant, the two of them locked eyes. then it stood, licking a paw before turning and padding into the darkness.


    ah, shit. that¡¯s probably not good.


    ***


    ¡°moxie?¡± lee stuffed the remains of the meat pie that moxie had bought her into her mouth, then wiped her lips with the back of a sleeve.


    ¡°yes?¡±


    ¡°why do you smell like noah?¡±


    moxie choked, nearly spitting up part of her pie. she coughed into her fist, her cheeks reddening before she shook her head and cleared her throat. ¡°what do you mean? we¡¯ve been traveling together a while, so maybe¨C¡±


    ¡°you never smelled like that much like him before,¡± lee said, sending moxie a suspicious look. she reached out and prodded moxie in the side. moxie yelped and hopped back.


    ¡°what was that for?¡±


    ¡°i was checking if noah figured out how to shapeshift.¡±


    ¡°by poking me?¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    ¡°would that really even reveal a shapeshifter?¡±


    ¡°okay! can we go now?¡±


    ¡°didn¡¯t you want to get baking supplies and see if we could use an oven somewhere?¡±


    ¡°i was thinking about it, but then i realized something.¡±


    moxie raised an eyebrow. ¡°oh?¡±


    ¡°i can just get a bunch of money and buy an oven.¡±


    ¡°you realize that ovens are giant stone bricks, right?¡±


    ¡°yep.¡±


    ¡°and you realize you¡¯d have to carry a huge oven around everywhere you went until we got back to arbitage? i don¡¯t think they¡¯re really meant to be portable.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s fine. i¡¯m sure i¡¯ll find somewhere to put it.¡±


    moxie was fairly sure that lee would do nothing of the sort ¨C but fairly sure wasn¡¯t anywhere near the level of confidence that she needed to say that lee wouldn¡¯t do something. if there was even the slightest, most miniscule possibility that it could happen, then there was always a chance that lee would do it.


    ¡°right,¡± moxie said slowly. ¡°so you want to go look at that stuff later?¡±


    ¡°yeah. let¡¯s just go back and hang out with noah. sitting around here and getting stared at isn¡¯t any fun.¡±


    moxie started to nod, then froze. she turned, sending a casual glance over the room as if she were just considering what job she was going to take. moxie lowered her voice. ¡°getting stared at? by whom? i don¡¯t see anyone watching us. point them out, but don¡¯t be¨C¡±


    ¡°the shadowy guy in the corner,¡± lee proclaimed, thrusting a finger out and not making even the slightest effort to hide it.


    ¡°overt about it,¡± moxie finished through a sigh.


    the deed was already done. moxie¡¯s eyes landed on a thin figure sitting in the back of the tavern, hunched over a mug of ale. they were still mid-flinch from getting pointed out by lee, and a few people at other tables followed lee¡¯s gesture as well.


    well, that¡¯s one way to let someone know we¡¯re aware of them, i guess. not the way i would have chosen to do it, though.


    ¡°i¡¯m sure they were just looking at the quest board,¡± moxie said diplomatically.


    lee sent moxie a look that told her exactly what lee thought of that excuse.


    ¡°let¡¯s ignore them for now. we don¡¯t want to get into trouble in the middle of the adventurer¡¯s inn,¡± moxie said, lowering her tone and putting a hand on lee¡¯s shoulder to push her toward the door.


    ¡°why?¡± lee asked. ¡°are we going to get banned or something if we fight?¡±


    ¡°what? no. they wouldn¡¯t ban us for defending ourselves if someone tried something. it would just be a hassle dealing with all the other crap around it,¡± moxie said once they¡¯d slipped out the door and back into the streets. ¡°i¡¯d rather not draw extra attention. if anyone tries something, i¡¯d rather they do it in a dark alley where it¡¯s easier to get rid of their body.¡±


    ¡°oooh,¡± lee said, her eyes lighting up in understanding. ¡°makes sense. i wonder why they were looking at us, though.¡±


    ¡°who knows,¡± moxie replied with a shrug. ¡°maybe he recognized that i was a torrin. it doesn¡¯t matter. let¡¯s just group back up with noah. i¡¯m feeling a bit jittery, and nothing will take care of that like killing a few monsters.¡±


    ¡°what if he follows us out of the city and brings a group of friends?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯d say you might have a slightly overactive imagination. but, if he did that, then that just makes things easier for us, doesn¡¯t it? nobody that hides like that is going to be that strong, so if a bunch of them show up ¨C well, we get a whole bunch of loot and you get some food. win-win, right?¡±


    ¡°good point. i hope they try to kill us,¡± lee said, glancing over her shoulder. ¡°do you think i should go taunt him?¡±


    ¡°let¡¯s just stick to getting back to noah,¡± moxie suggested. ¡°if they¡¯re stupid enough to try something like that, then they won¡¯t need any help from you. and, if not, no reason to kill someone innocent. maybe he was just looking at us.¡±


    lee scrunched her nose. ¡°maybe it¡¯s because you smell like noah.¡±


    moxie let out a long-suffering sigh.


    here we go again.

 Chapter 231: Olive

    chapter 231: olive


    noah was still standing by the window when lee and moxie got back. he turned as the door opened and they stepped inside.


    ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± moxie asked, reading his expression immediately.


    ¡°i saw the weird cat thing that was sitting on my chest back in arbitage,¡± noah replied. ¡°it was in the alley down there.¡±


    ¡°where?¡± moxie asked, walking up and peering through the window.


    ¡°it¡¯s gone now. it left a bit ago. i was debating chasing after it, but i restrained myself.¡±


    moxie started to nod, then paused and took a step back to examine noah¡¯s face.


    ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°just didn¡¯t expect to hear that you actually thought something through before going through with it. good job.¡±


    ¡°why do you sound so impressed? i¡¯m not a complete idiot. that was the same energy that showed up when we fought the weird sludge-monster underground.¡±


    moxie grunted. ¡°nobody is saying that you didn¡¯t make the right decision ¨C i¡¯m just surprised you did. your approach is typically start swinging first and thinking later. for a moment, i was wondering if you were someone else and the real noah had gotten kidnapped.¡±


    ¡°if you were wondering that, then you probably shouldn¡¯t have said it out loud. now i know.¡±


    ¡°lee would have immediately noticed if that was the case.¡± moxie rolled her eyes, then handed a piece of dry parchment to noah. ¡°here. we got some jobs while we were out. it looks like they aren¡¯t all that far from each other either, so we can do them both in one go.¡±


    noah read over the paper.


    ¡°hunting molesters?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s what i said!¡± lee exclaimed.


    ¡°molsters. mo-el-sters,¡± moxie enunciated. ¡°they¡¯re big ass rats with giant claws and squished faces.¡±


    ¡°odd. more mole monsters, huh?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s what i said!¡± lee added.


    moxie just rolled her eyes.


    noah chuckled and gave the job back to moxie. ¡°works for me. sounds like we¡¯ll be doing the world a favor.¡±


    ¡°the other job is punching rocks,¡± lee said.


    ¡°killing some rock monsters that were getting aggressive and pushing a bit too close to the city,¡± moxie explained. ¡°although that might not be all we have to deal with.¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s that mean?¡±


    ¡°we ran into someone that lee said was watching us while we were getting the jobs,¡± moxie said, folding the paper up and sliding it into a pocket. ¡°it might have just been nothing, but there¡¯s a possibility someone scoped us out and has decided that we¡¯re easy targets.¡±


    ¡°interesting,¡± noah pursed his lips. ¡°they seem strong?¡±


    ¡°not in any obvious way. if they were, i doubt they¡¯d be sitting around in the shadows of an inn and waiting to find easy targets to rob. who knows, though. he could have just been looking at me. maybe he saw the torrin sigil on my clothes.¡±


    can¡¯t blame him.


    the thought passed through noah¡¯s head before he¡¯d even realized it. and, by the time he had, azel¡¯s laughter was already echoing through his mind. noah shut the demon out, keeping his expression neutral.


    ¡°what?¡± moxie arched an eyebrow.


    ¡°nothing,¡± noah replied, clearing his throat. ¡°nothing. just thinking. we¡¯ll just keep an eye out in case someone shows up and tries to mug us, i guess. is there anything else we should try to prepare, or is the job close enough that we can just head over there today?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s a bit of a travel from the city by foot, but we¡¯ve still got a good bit of gold. your last flying sword got melted, but with how much time it saves, it¡¯s probably a good investment for us to get another.¡±


    damn. that merchant in arbitage really cut me a good deal, even if the sword was rusted to all hell.


    olive spotted the sour look on noah¡¯s expression and cleared his throat, misunderstanding the reason for it entirely.


    ¡°that¡¯s not to say i can¡¯t work with a lower budget, of course. are you flexible on the hundred gold limit? i might have something for two hundred.¡±


    ¡°i assume it isn¡¯t this?¡± noah asked, holding the sword in his hands up. ¡°it¡¯s very nice, by the way.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m afraid not,¡± olive agreed with a laugh. he took the sword back from noah and returned it to its spot on the wall before taking down another one from the far end of the collection.


    the second sword was a little thinner than the previous one had been, but the quality on it looked nearly as good. it was plain, and there were a few scuff marks near the hilt, but it still looked very high quality.


    ¡°this is two hundred?¡± noah asked, trying not to sound too surprised.


    ¡°it¡¯s not the fastest one i have, nor is it the most responsive or deadly. not much of a statement piece either, but it¡¯ll get the job done.¡± olive didn¡¯t bother hiding the pride in his voice. ¡°cheap but effective.¡±


    ¡°for two hundred?¡± moxie asked.


    olive started to nod, but midway through, he let out a strangled squawk and held a hand out. noah and moxie both spun just in time to see lee wrap a single hand around the hilt of the massive axe and lift it from the wall.


    she glanced over at them, holding the axe out at a full arm¡¯s length before her. ¡°how do i look?¡±


    ¡°damned plains, you¡¯re strong,¡± olive said, his eyes wide.


    ¡°i know.¡±


    ¡°lee, maybe put that back before something gets broken,¡± moxie suggested. ¡°we can¡¯t afford to replace some of the stuff in this store.¡±


    ¡°how much is that, though? out of curiosity,¡± noah added, lowering his voice.


    olive ignored both of them. he walked over to lee, stopping several paces away and raising his hands, forming a square and peering through it. lee reluctantly went to put the axe back on the wall.


    ¡°no! stop,¡± olive said, grabbing the hilt and pushing it gently back toward lee. ¡°hold that out again.¡±


    lee lifted the axe.


    ¡°move it back a bit.¡±


    olive guided her grip on the axe, adjusting her stance a little more before taking a step back.


    ¡°why am i doing this?¡± lee asked.


    ¡°i want to paint you. you¡¯d look marvelous on my wall.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t really like the feeling of wet stuff on my body. no thanks.¡±


    ¡°i ¨C what? not paint on you. paint a picture of you,¡± olive said. ¡°can i?¡±


    ¡°do i get to keep the axe?¡±


    olive choked. ¡°that¡¯s an eight hundred gold weapon.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m an eight hundred gold paintee.¡±


    ¡°five hundred gold for the sword and the axe if she lets you paint her?¡± moxie offered.


    olive glanced back at moxie, then over to lee. he considered the offer for a few seconds, then gave them a sharp nod. ¡°fine. you¡¯re going to have to stand still for a little while, though. i can tell that this is going to be perfect. a cute little girl, wielding an axe like that? hah. i never would have thought.¡±


    ¡°can you paint me chopping something with this?¡± lee asked, looking up at the axe. ¡°it would be cooler. make sure to have lots of blood flying everywhere too.¡±


    noah suppressed a laugh.


    i¡¯m not so sure olive knows what he¡¯s getting into.

 Chapter 232: Model

    chapter 232: model


    as it turned out, noah was completely wrong. it wasn¡¯t olive that had no idea what he was getting into ¨C it was the rest of them. no sooner than they had agreed to his terms did he dart into the back of his shop.


    olive re-emerged a minute later, a huge pile of folded clothes stacked high in his arms. he set it down in front of lee, whose eyes lit up with delight. there was everything from tight leather suits to beautiful, frilled ballgowns within it.


    ¡°is this for me?¡± lee asked.


    ¡°to model in,¡± olive confirmed, rubbing his hands together. ¡°choose the one you like the most.¡±


    ¡°do i get to keep it?¡±


    olive¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°no.¡±


    lee harrumphed, but didn¡¯t argue any further. she dug through the pile, rifling through the clothes and tossing the ones she didn¡¯t like over her shoulder. while she looked through them, olive headed into the back once more and returned with another pile.


    noah and moxie exchanged a glance.


    ¡°this might take a while,¡± moxie muttered under her breath.


    ¡°but look how happy lee is. i think it¡¯s a worthwhile wait.¡±


    moxie¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°you? being patient?¡±


    ¡°look, i¡¯m working on it, okay? besides, this won¡¯t take too long. i¡¯ll just study my book.¡± noah pulled the book on formations out and started to read through it, mostly to prove his point.


    moxie snickered, but said nothing. her prediction did end up being quite accurate, as about an hour later, lee had still yet to decide on an outfit. olive had brought out four more stacks in the meantime, but he didn¡¯t look even slightly annoyed at all the delay. he simply went back and got yet another pile of clothes.


    ¡°how many clothes do you think he¡¯s got back there?¡± noah whispered. he¡¯d been watching lee with his peripheral vision for the latter half of the hour.


    ¡°don¡¯t want to know,¡± moxie replied. ¡°i feel like imbuing might be his side hobby, not his real passion.¡±


    fortunately for all of them, lee finally ended up spotting something she liked after another hour of searching. it was a plain pink dress that went down to the knees, with slight frills running around its cuffs and collar.


    ¡°this is a nightgown,¡± olive said.


    ¡°it¡¯s nice. i like the color.¡±


    olive shrugged. ¡°then we will go with it.¡±


    he snapped his fingers and the clothes strewn across the floors all jerked, flying past him in a wave and shooting through the door into the back of the shop. he noted the surprised looks that everyone gave him and chuckled.


    ¡°all my work is imbued. that includes the clothes.¡±


    ¡°you make the clothes?¡± noah asked.


    ¡°i make almost everything in this store.¡± olive clapped his hands together. ¡°now, the easy part is out of the way. what was your name again, lass?¡±


    ¡°what happened in there?¡± noah asked, not sure if he wanted to know the answer.


    ¡°i posed! olive painted me a smaller version so i could have it as well,¡± lee said with a huge grin. she held the painting out so noah could see it.


    odd methods or not, it was impossible to say that olive wasn¡¯t talented. the painting was incredible, to the point where noah almost thought it was a photograph. it showed lee, clad in her pink dress, with her axe embedded in a pumpkin. orange flesh flew through the air all around her, and lee sported a huge, joyful smile.


    ¡°wow,¡± moxie said. ¡°that¡¯s... actually really nice.¡±


    ¡°what was the screaming?¡± noah asked.


    ¡°the pumpkin.¡±


    what kind of pumpkin screams?


    ¡°pumpkins don¡¯t normally scream,¡± moxie said slowly.


    ¡°olive was making screaming noises so it felt more realistic. he was roleplaying as the pumpkin.¡±


    that... somehow doesn¡¯t clear anything up in the slightest. why would a pumpkin scream? you know what? i don¡¯t want to know.


    ¡°well, moxie is right. the painting is lovely,¡± noah said. ¡°we should probably pay olive and get moving, though. no point wasting good sunlight.¡±


    ¡°already have all the money counted out,¡± moxie said, holding out a pouch. olive¡¯s head poked out of the back and he stuck his hand out, gesturing for moxie to toss it. she did, and olive snagged it out of the air.


    ¡°brilliant! come again any time,¡± olive said. ¡°lee should consider a career in modeling. i am confident that she would be able to make it up there with some of the greats. i¡¯ve never had such a passionate model. normally, they end up trying to run away by the two-hour mark.¡±


    that might be because you¡¯re roleplaying a screaming pumpkin.


    ¡°okay! thanks!¡± lee said, waving to olive. she turned back to noah and moxie. ¡°we should go now, right? don¡¯t want to waste too much time sitting around.¡±


    might be a bit late for that. oh well. lee¡¯s happy. a few hours isn¡¯t that big of a deal.


    after a short round of farewells, they headed out of the store. noah hung his new flying sword from his belt, adjusting it as they made their way back into the city. it was far busier now than it had been in the morning. the streets bustled with passersby, but moxie seemed to know where she was heading. she cut through the crowd like a knife. noah and lee had to increase their pace to keep up with her.


    moxie led them through winding streets that seemed to weave back and forth on themselves. noah was well and truly lost after just a few minutes, but somehow moxie brought them up to one of dawnforge¡¯s gates without ever stopping to catch her bearings.


    ¡°why didn¡¯t we just fly out on the sword?¡± lee asked as they approached it.


    ¡°because you¡¯re not allowed to just start flying around inside the city,¡± moxie replied. ¡°things would get way too chaotic if you could. flying is reserved entirely for dawnforge¡¯s guards and upper class. the rest of us have to walk outside the normal way, then fly after we¡¯re outside the city. there are actually a few launch spots inside dawnforge we could have used, but they were farther than the exit.¡±


    ¡°fair enough,¡± noah said. they passed through the gates easily ¨C the guards were far more concerned with people entering than exiting ¨C and continued on. once they¡¯d put a few minutes between them and the city, moxie finally slowed to a stop.


    ¡°okay. we¡¯re far enough now. shall we?¡±


    noah drew his new flying sword and tossed it down. ¡°yeah. i¡¯m looking forward to testing this thing out. let¡¯s see if we can still manage to wrap everything up before nightfall, shall we?¡±

 Chapter 233: Bargain

    chapter 233: bargain


    ezwad skidded to a stop as he watched the flying sword take off, taking his target with it. his eye twitched. xael strode up beside him.


    ¡°you damn idiot,¡± ezwad said, slapping xael on the back of his bald head. ¡°how did they slip past you?¡±


    ¡°they slipped past you, not me. i needed some rest so i took a nap, you bumbling asshole. you was the one ¡®supposed to be watching.¡±


    ¡°i was asleep! i¡¯d been watching for the past few hours. i told you i was taking a break.¡± ezwad thrust a finger into xael¡¯s chest. ¡°you can¡¯t just take a nap and not tell me!¡±


    ¡°i did tell you.¡±


    ezwad¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°did you wake me up before you told me?¡±


    xael crossed his arms and glared at the other assassin. ¡°no. why would i bother doing something like that? you¡¯re the one meant to have eyes on the back of his head. ready for any scenario. prepared for every opponent. master of the shadows, bringer of death. that¡¯s what you told the boss, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ezwad smacked xael again. ¡°moron. i was just trying to get into his good graces so i could get closer to his daughter. everyone talks themselves up a bit.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s more than a bit! i knew you didn¡¯t have eyes on the back of your head. i¡¯ve never seen them.¡±


    ¡°you actually believed ¨C oh, forget it. where in the damned plains did the target head off to?¡±


    ¡°that way,¡± xael replied, pointing into the distance. ¡°i¡¯ve still got her tracked, but she¡¯s moving awful fast. do you have a flying sword?¡±


    ¡°of course i don¡¯t. i don¡¯t have wind magic, moron. do you think i just magically got it since our last job a week ago?¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re the moron, moron.¡±


    the assassins glared at each other. ezwad spat on the ground and jerked his thumb over his shoulder in the direction that xael had indicated.


    ¡°let¡¯s get on with it, then. we know what jobs they picked up, so all we have to do is catch them while they¡¯re distracted. stop talking and get your ass in gear, xael.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re talking too,¡± xael pointed out.


    ezwad slapped him over the back of the head again.


    ***


    wind howled through noah¡¯s hair and nipped at his squinted eyes. olive had been right ¨C the new flying sword was indeed of good make. it was perfectly responsive, and lacked all the imperfections that his old, rusted one had.


    for anyone else, that would have made it perfect. unfortunately for noah, he¡¯d gotten rather used to the aggressive, sharp moves that the previous flying sword had required. as a result, his flight pattern had somehow gotten even more erratic.


    ¡°stop over adjusting so much!¡± moxie yelled. she was pressed against his back, her arms wrapped tightly around his chest. it would have been considerably more romantic if it wasn¡¯t so likely that she would go flying off at any moment ¨C and if they didn¡¯t have a massive, double bladed axe pinned between them.


    ¡°i¡¯m trying!¡± noah yelled back. ¡°it¡¯s too responsive! i need a shittier sword!¡±


    ¡°you¡¯ll get used to it! just figure it out before you fly us into the ground!¡±


    lee, who had taken the form of a small crow, poked her head out of noah¡¯s travel bag and let out a caw that the wind stole away. at least one of them seemed to be enjoying herself.


    look at you two. locked in a tight embrace. absolutely riveting. you should have her stand in front of you next time. can you get rid of the damn axe, though? it¡¯s getting in the way of the fun.


    okay. two of us are enjoying ourselves, if you can count azel as someone that i actually consider a living being.


    i take offense to that.


    i don¡¯t care. shut up or i¡¯ll tell moxie how much you like this and she won¡¯t so much as look at me for a month. i waited thousands of years in a line, azel. i can wait a little while longer to be a petty piece of shit to a leech stuck in my mind. moxie and i both have a lot of work we need to do. it¡¯s entirely reasonable for us to focus on our work for a while longer.


    that gave moxie a moment of pause. ¡°maybe avoid using them for now.¡±


    noah nodded. ¡°that¡¯s what i was thinking as well. and there¡¯s no limit as to how many of these things we can kill, right?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯d imagine there¡¯s a limit to how much we¡¯ll get paid, but nothing beyond that. the job is four hundred gold for getting ten of them, and i don¡¯t know if the person who placed it will pay more for extras. we could always sell the parts on our own, then.¡±


    ¡°in that case, how about we race?¡±


    ¡°race to what?¡± lee asked, her attention immediately caught.


    ¡°we can only bring so much back, and there¡¯s no point massacring them beyond getting some energy. let¡¯s go until we¡¯ve killed a total of thirty of them. whoever kills the most of that thirty wins.¡±


    ¡°what do they win?¡± lee eyed the ground and adjusted her grip on her axe.


    ¡°winner gets to choose where we get dinner, so long as the price is reasonable,¡± moxie suggested, a grin passing over her features.


    ¡°deal!¡± lee exclaimed. she swung in a circle, then waved her axe over her head. ¡°bring out the molesters.¡±


    ¡°mol- oh, forget it,¡± moxie grumbled. the ground beneath their feet trembled faintly. ¡°i¡¯m working on it. give me a second and get ready to fight. they¡¯ll probably come out in a small group.¡±


    noah activated the body imbuements on his feet, sending his senses deep into the earth. a wave of information slammed into him, and he spent a moment adjusting the sensitivity of the imbuement.


    a huge smile split noah¡¯s lips as his senses picked up on four forms clawing their way through the ground beneath them, about thirty feet down. the modified imbuements were working perfectly.


    they¡¯ll probably have the same issues that the wind-based ones in my ears do when we¡¯re in the city because of all the things that would cause tremors, but out here in the wild, this is perfect. my range even got bigger.


    ¡°four molesters, coming in hot,¡± noah said. ¡°two are going for moxie. one is going for lee, and the other one is already latched onto¨C¡±


    moxie yanked her hand back, ripping the vine out of the ground in a spray of earth. it flew into the air, carrying a large, furry creature with it. the monster was the size of a large dog, with long, flat teeth and massively oversized claws.


    it only had a moment to let out a furious squeal before moxie¡¯s vine whipped out, carving through it¡¯s neck in a clean blow. the dead monster splatted to the ground and the vine wound around moxie, curling behind her like a snake, poised to strike.


    ¡°one to me,¡± moxie said, sending a smirk at noah. ¡°and just so you know, if i win, you¡¯re cooking dinner.¡±


    ¡°wait, what? that¡¯s not fair.¡±


    moxie¡¯s grin just grew wider. two more molsters burst from the ground beside moxie. her vine shot out for them, killing one. as it went for the other, a bolt of thunder leapt from noah¡¯s hands with a loud roar. it slammed into the monster, sending it hurling across the ground. it slammed into a rock and fell still, charred and smoking.


    energy slipped into noah and he returned moxie¡¯s grin.


    ¡°your lead is closing.¡±


    ¡°doesn¡¯t matter so long as i¡¯m still in the lead. i¡¯ll have to figure out what i¡¯m going to make you cook.¡±


    ¡°keep dreaming. you should figure out what you¡¯re cooking instead,¡± noah said.


    while they spoke, lee swung her axe down. the molster that had been going for her didn¡¯t even get a chance to burst free of the earth. her axe bit through stone like butter, killing the monster instantly.


    noah¡¯s tremorsense picked up on several more of the monsters burrowing toward the three of them. he drew on natural disaster and sent a pulse into the ground at his feet. immediately, two of the molsters changed direction and made for him.


    ¡°to thirty,¡± noah called, calling more of natural disaster¡¯s power to his fingertips. he could always just kill the monsters underground, but that might end up damaging their parts. it would be much easier to take them out once they were in open air.


    more molsters burst free of the ground. noah could feel even more of them swimming through the earth beneath them.


    the competition was on in full swing, and none of them planned to lose.

 Chapter 234: Gentle

    chapter 234: gentle


    ¡°you sent who to investigate them?¡±


    the cloaked man shrank back from the voice in the shadows, the back of his neck prickling.


    ¡°e-ezwad and zael. it was just some slink in an alley. i hardly thought that we would need anything more.¡±


    the temperature in the dark room dropped sharply. the cloaked man¡¯s next breath came out in a puff of frigid white air, but he didn¡¯t dare wrap his arms around himself to conserve his warmth. he stood as still as a statue, not even risking swallowing.


    a flash of heat tore the frost away, and with it came a flicker of light as candles lit all around the room. the light washed out, just barely illuminating an elderly man that sat in an old wooden chair at the back of the room.


    his features were tanned from years of work under the sunlight, and his face covered with smile wrinkles. his hands rested on the top of a plain wooden walking stick, and his clothes looked like something that could have been found on a beggar at the side of the street.


    he was, by every single measure of the eye, entirely unimpressive.


    ¡°i apologize. this is my fault,¡± the man said, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers and letting out a soft sigh. ¡°i was overly caught up with my own tasks and did not consider things from your point of view, halden.¡±


    he knows my name. shit. shit. shit.


    ¡°i¨C¡±


    the elderly man raised a finger to his lips, his eyes crinkling as he smiled and gently hushed halden.


    ¡°it¡¯s okay, my dear lad. if anything, i must beg your forgiveness. i have caused you stress.¡±


    ¡°n-no. you haven¡¯t done anything like that, magus gentil. there is absolutely nothing to apologize for.¡±


    ¡°no, i am afraid i have gravely wronged you.¡± gentil shook his head, then let out a heavy sigh. ¡°your men ¨C ezwad and xael, was it?¡±


    ¡°yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°when did they leave?¡±


    ¡°last night, as soon as we got the information on the target.¡±


    ¡°you will not see them again.¡± gentil spoke as if he were mourning the loss of a beloved ¨C but something about his tone was wrong. it was sadness, but not one with reverence to human life. it felt more like he was informing a child that he¡¯d just taken their dog out to the back of the building and killed it for pissing on an expensive rug.


    ¡°i ¨C what? why? have they offended you, magus gentil?¡±


    ¡°nothing of the sort. your adventurer company has been lovely to work with. unfortunately, due to my negligence, you seem to be under the belief that those lads can handle the threat you¡¯ve sent them after. they are going to die.¡±


    halden opened his mouth, then closed it again. he swallowed. ezwad and xael had been with him for four years. the two were idiots, but they were good at their jobs ¨C and their constant bickering always tended up to light any room that they were in.


    damn it all. this was meant to be a simple job. i should have known it paid too fucking well.


    ¡°who amongst my men passed the information of this job to you?¡± gentil asked, his tone so soft that he might have been speaking to a newborn.


    a hand of ice enveloped halden¡¯s heart, but it was mixed with the sweet taste of relief. gentil¡¯s focus wasn¡¯t on him ¨C or his men. it was on his own people.


    that only makes sense. if gentil really did have some information about the target that his people didn¡¯t share with ours, then it isn¡¯t our fault. thank all the gods that might be listening ¨C and also the ones that aren¡¯t.


    halden couldn¡¯t even bring himself to get angry at that news. at the moment, the only thing on his mind was that gentil somehow knew ¨C not just about his family, but also about their close issues.


    ¡°that is... disconcerting to hear, magus gentil.¡±


    ¡°indeed. they are vile people,¡± gentil said, shaking his head in disappointment. ¡°thus, i will feel no loss in aiding you. your wife¡¯s competition will be no more.¡±


    he¡¯s entrenching himself in my life to make sure that i¡¯m tied with him forever, and there¡¯s absolutely nothing i can do about it.


    there were a variety of things that halden wanted to say to that. to plead with gentil to stay out of his personal matters. to curse himself and the man that had convinced him to take the well-paying contract.


    but, in the end, he settled on a pair of two simple words. the only ones he could picture himself leaving the room alive after speaking.


    ¡°thank you.¡±


    ¡°of course. i live to serve,¡± gentil said. he patted halden on the back, then nodded to the door in the back of the room. ¡°the second life i grant is your own. i will send someone to speak with you soon.¡±


    halden¡¯s saliva tasted like bile. ¡°i will look forward to it, magus gentil. will it be lenk?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m afraid not. lenk will be deep in self-reflection for the foreseeable future,¡± gentil said with a sad shake of his head. ¡°you may leave, halden.¡±


    halden raced out of the room like a mouse who had just barely escaped the paws of a cat. he ran as fast as his feet could carry him, but nothing shook the feeling of gentil¡¯s kind, forgiving eyes following after him.


    ***


    an assistant stepped into the candlelit room after halden left, carrying a young, short-haired cat in his arms. he handed it wordlessly to gentil, never raising his eyes high enough to meet the older man¡¯s eyes.


    gentil took the cat into his arms, stroking a hand across its head gently. it let out a purr, pressing its head back against his hand. gentil drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. ¡°thank you, lad. you appear to have left the door open. would you get it for me?¡±


    the assistant inclined his head and turned toward the door. as soon as his back was to gentil, everything about his demeanor changed. wild, sheer hatred burned in gentil¡¯s eyes as his lips twisted into a malicious snarl. muscles bulged across his wiry body and his teeth ground in fury.


    ¡°damnable, incompetent idiots,¡± gentil snarled, every word trembling with hostility so intense that the air around him trembled. the cat squirmed in his hands, but it couldn¡¯t break free. ¡°it was so simple. all you had to do was watch the targets. now i¡¯m going to have to tell wizen that emily¡¯s mentor and her little murderer of a friend are going to be expecting him. idiots!¡±


    gentil¡¯s tone grew louder until he was screaming, spittle flying from his lips. a loud snap echoed through the room. the cat dropped to the ground, its head crushed. like a switch had been flipped, the fury vanished from gentil¡¯s face, replaced by a deep, profound sadness.


    the assistant closed the door.


    ¡°thank you, lad,¡± gentil said. ¡°please forgive my outburst. i have had a very poor day. a good friend of mine is going to find out that i¡¯ve completely and utterly butchered his request. i will have to ask his forgiveness, but i must ask yours first. you should not have been subjected to my anger. will you forgive me?¡±


    the assistant didn¡¯t respond. gentil didn¡¯t expect him to ¨C the man¡¯s tongue had been removed long ago. for him, a lack of an answer was the equivalent to saying yes.


    ¡°please send for someone to clean this unfortunate accident up.¡±


    the assistant reached out, opening the door once more.


    ¡°oh. lad, one more thing?¡±


    the assistant turned back to him.


    a flicker of fury lit behind gentil¡¯s eyes once more, and his lips parted ever so slightly to reveal his teeth. ¡°bring me lenk.¡±

 Chapter 235: Cat-astrophe

    chapter 235: cat-astrophe


    ¡°i win!¡± lee exclaimed.


    ¡°no, you don¡¯t,¡± noah and moxie chorused.


    ¡°yes i do. i got eleven kills.¡± lee puffed her chest out and beat a fist against it. ¡°you¡¯re just mad that you have to cook for me. i want a seven-course meal, by the way.¡±


    when did this go from choosing where we go to get food to cooking for the victor?


    ¡°the last molster you killed was number thirty-one,¡± moxie said, crossing her arms. ¡°it doesn¡¯t count. we agreed to stop at thirty.¡±


    lee paused, mentally counting in her head as she turned in a circle, looking at the carnage that surrounded them. the molsters hadn¡¯t had a good time of things. their corpses littered the ground all around, cut to pieces and fried.


    ¡°oh.¡± lee scrunched her nose in annoyance. ¡°well, that sucks.¡±


    ¡°unless i counted wrong, we all killed ten before we reached the limit. any extra kills after that don¡¯t count,¡± noah said, rubbing the bridge of his nose and sighing. ¡°maybe we should have picked a number that didn¡¯t let us tie.¡±


    ¡°that might have been a wise decision,¡± moxie agreed. ¡°oh well. i guess we¡¯ll have to cook something together.¡±


    noah glanced at moxie out of the corner of his eye. she sounded slightly too satisfied with that conclusion. almost as if she¡¯d gotten what she was aiming for the entire time. moxie spotted his look and flashed him a smug grin.


    eh. can¡¯t say i¡¯m dissatisfied with that.


    ¡°we¡¯ll have to lug all these things back to dawnforge first. let¡¯s start taking them apart,¡± noah said, nodding to the bodies surrounding them while continuing to use his tremorsense on the ground beneath them.


    it looked like the molsters had figured out that they weren¡¯t worth challenging after losing well over thirty of their members, as he couldn¡¯t sense any more vibrations near them. the monsters hadn¡¯t put up much of a fight, but they did have a decent amount of energy. natural disaster had filled by one or two percent, which was pretty significant. of course, it got harder to fill the closer to full the rune was, but for the tiny amount of work he¡¯d put in, noah had reaped solid results.


    lee¡¯s axe flashed in the rising moonlight as she brought it down on one of the molsters, severing its claws from its body with a thunk. she lifted it effortlessly, and its bloodied blades flashed ominously.


    noah suppressed a shiver. there weren¡¯t many things that he¡¯d seen after arriving at arbitage that gave him much pause, but the effortless way that lee swung the axe around was unsettling.


    he¡¯d seen firsthand how the weapon was an instrument of death. lee had carved through every molster that got close to her in a blur of steel. if it hadn¡¯t been for noah¡¯s ability to sense where the molsters were going to come out of the ground, he was certain that lee would have won their challenge. she was just too fast.


    what made the weapon somehow even more terrifying was the fact that lee had absolutely no idea how to properly wield it. she swung it around like a toy rather than an axe with real weight to it. and, because of that, she had absolutely no fighting style. it was impossible to predict how she¡¯d swing or attack next.


    even if it isn¡¯t magic, i¡¯m glad she¡¯s on our side. lee¡¯s speed paired with her strength is seriously unsettling. i can see why people in this world are scared of demons. if it hadn¡¯t been for the inquisitor¡¯s stupid power that somehow blasted lee and i, she probably would have killed the guy in a few seconds flat.


    lee¡¯s axe thunked as she cut through the body of another molster. she hummed to herself as she worked, striding over to the next monster and bringing the axe down once more.


    moxie slid up next to noah and nudged him gently with a shoulder. ¡°you okay?¡±


    ¡°yeah. just got distracted,¡± noah said, shaking his head and giving her a smile. ¡°lee¡¯s pretty intimidating with that big ass axe.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s legs are short and stubby. if it was actually that fast, i¡¯m pretty sure it would have killed all of us by now.¡± noah¡¯s voice was terse. he scanned the ground with his tremorsense, trying to pick up on the cat.


    everything was calm. there were no traces of it anywhere. it had gone underground outside the range of his abilities, so he didn¡¯t know if he even could sense it. the cat seemed closer to an apparition than a physical being. if moxie and lee couldn¡¯t see it, he would have suspected that he was hallucinating again.


    ¡°did it leave?¡± lee whispered.


    noah¡¯s tremorsense picked up a shift in the ground. his brow furrowed and he focused in, tuning his body imbuement to try to pick up on the motion. noah¡¯s sharpened concentration and focus was the only thing that let him spot the miniscule shift in the darkness near a large grey crystal at the very edges of his tremorsense.


    a small blur of black flitted toward lee, moving as fast as an arrow. noah¡¯s hand shot out. the blur slammed into him and he let out a pained snarl. the energy faded away, revealing a dagger embedded in his palm.


    moxie and lee spun toward the source of the attack. the darkness rippled, revealing two men. one of them was bald and covered with scars. he held a jagged bronze sword at his side in a casual position, as if he were out on a stroll rather than assaulting strangers under the cover of the night.


    the other looked plain. he snapped his fingers and the dagger vanished from noah¡¯s palm and reappeared in his hand. blood poured from noah¡¯s wound and he gritted his teeth, repressing the pain.


    ¡°nasty fast reaction speed,¡± the dagger-wielding man said, rolling his neck. ¡°won¡¯t save you and the murderous brat, though.¡±


    a faint flicker of a familiar red-purple energy danced across the ground behind the men as the cat slipped out from the ground behind them. it licked its paw, its dark eyes catching noah¡¯s. he could swear that the little monster had a smug expression on its face.


    ¡°it¡¯s with them!¡± lee hissed. ¡°how long have they been chasing after us?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure, but i intend to find out,¡± noah replied, his eyes cold. he drew on natural disaster, calling its power to rush through his body like a raging sea. he prepared to attack.


    he never got a chance.


    his senses went white as his tremorsense was obliterated by an enormous amount of information slamming into him within the span of an instant. noah staggered, a hand shooting to his head reflexively.


    the ground shattered. a massive, spine covered paw the size of a warhorse rose up behind the two men and swung down, straight at the glowing cat. it sent him one last look, then yawned and vanished.


    unfortunately for the two men, they had no such luck. there was a splattering crunch, and the two of them were flattened before they even got a chance to turn around.


    another paw burst from the ground, and what resembled a rabid rat mixed with a porcupine clambered out from beneath the ground, dirt sloughing off its grey body. thick, pointed spines jutted out in every direction, rippling with faint gray energy. its mouth frothed with white foam, and its eyes were a deep, ruddy red.


    it let out a furious screech, splattering saliva across the ground before it. the liquid sizzled, burning through the ground.


    ¡°noah?¡± lee whispered.


    ¡°yeah?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t think the cat was with them.¡±


    the rabid monster screamed once more.


    then it charged.

 Chapter 236: Rat

    chapter 236: rat


    noah didn¡¯t wait to see how strong the monster was up close. he released all the energy he¡¯d gathered from natural disaster already, which was a healthy twenty or thirty percent of its full energy.


    all that power shot into the ground beneath his feet and traveled out, kicking up dirt in a straight line toward the charging monster. a line of jagged stone spikes erupted from the ground, ripping up into the massive rat¡¯s stomach. it sprinted through them, digging the points even deeper into itself.


    the monster hardly seemed to notice the wounds. noah¡¯s eyes widened as the stone shattered and it continued its charge. its back bristled, spines whipping around to point straight at them.


    a vine whipped around his leg and yanked him out of the way. moxie grabbed onto it, lifting herself to safety as well. lee dashed toward the monster, blurring as she leapt into the air and brought her axe down on its back.


    the blade clanged against its spines with a loud, echoing ring. she dropped back to the ground and hopped out of the way as a spine shot out of the monster¡¯s back, slamming into the ground where she¡¯d been standing like a javelin.


    ¡°thanks,¡± noah grunted as moxie¡¯s vine deposited him on the ground beside her. ¡°what the hell is that?¡±


    ¡°no idea. don¡¯t use sunder at full power. we already know there are other strong monsters beneath the ground. they might be close enough to feel sunder if it puts out immense amounts of energy. we could end up with another revin situation.¡± moxie spun and raced toward the rat, flicking her hand toward the ground. an instant later, reddish brown thorned vines burst from the ground beneath her like a wave, roiling and twisting.


    they shot out as moxie brought a hand down, slamming into the monster. noah only got an instant to see the blood spray as they ground along any exposed flesh the large rat had. then it was gone, buried in a sea of thorns.


    ¡°holy shit,¡± noah muttered, staring at the large ball. ¡°that¡¯s terrifying.¡±


    ¡°thanks.¡± moxie flashed noah a weary grin. ¡°it¡¯s the rune you gave me, bleeding forest. takes a lot of energy, but i¡¯d say it¡¯s pretty effective.¡±


    noah started to nod, but a loud crunch split the air. they all spun back toward the vines as they writhed. a large swathe of them were ripped away. the rat let out a furious screech from within them.


    vines ripped and fell away as the monster spun, severing moxie¡¯s energy and breaking free of it. blood mixed with its frothing saliva as it vibrated in fury.


    ¡°shit,¡± moxie muttered, taking a step back. ¡°i can¡¯t do that again. i haven¡¯t filled the rune enough yet.¡±


    there was absolutely no way that the rat-porcupine could understand what moxie had said, but it definitely knew who had attacked it. it stampeded toward her, moving at a blur. lee flashed, meeting its charge and swinging her axe.


    the monster¡¯s body rippled, and a wave of spines got in the way of her axe once more. even though lee was faster than it, it had far less it actually needed to move to protect itself, and the axe rang against the spines harmlessly.


    noah thrust his hands forward. the air crackled, and a bolt of thick yellow lightning roared from his palms. he couldn¡¯t even see the monster¡¯s face because of how fast it was moving, but that didn¡¯t matter. he knew where it was going.


    lightning scorched the ground and screamed past moxie, slamming into the charging monster and sending it staggering from its charge. smoke rose from its face and it shook itself off furiously, whipping its head toward noah.


    god, this thing is a tough bastard to crack. we¡¯ve hit it with multiple huge attacks already, and it looks like we haven¡¯t gotten anything more than superficial flesh wounds.


    ¡°i might need to use sunder for this,¡± noah yelled. ¡°i don¡¯t think we can crack it open normally.¡±


    ¡°you might be right,¡± moxie agreed grimly.


    lee vanished in a blur, slamming into the monster. it retreated into its spines, but the force of her blow still sent it sliding back a step. lee lifted her axe and brought it down again, keeping the monster from emerging from its defenses.


    ¡°can you flip it over?¡± noah asked. ¡°i don¡¯t know what rank that thing is, but there¡¯s a chance sunder won¡¯t kill it if it has to cut through something that hard.¡±


    ¡°can you use any of them?¡±


    lee scrunched her nose, then shook her head. ¡°i probably could, but they don¡¯t fit me. i prefer being fast, and all of these are just things that make it harder to hurt. most of them make you pretty slow as well.¡±


    noah¡¯s lips pursed. after all the work they¡¯d done, he was loathe to completely waste the runes, but he still had absolutely no idea what would happen if he pulled a monster rune into a human soul.


    you¡¯ll live, idiot. did you forget who you share your soul with? you¡¯ve already got monster runes in here.


    oh, shit. i didn¡¯t even think about that.


    just take a rune and get out of here before you get us eaten. i do not enjoy dying. please don¡¯t take too many, though. you¡¯ve seen what my runes can do to you. the effect will much stronger if it¡¯s actually in your own soul. i recommend grabbing one of these and sticking it onto a piece of catchpaper immediately.


    noah didn¡¯t question azel any further. their connection told him that azel was being honest ¨C at least about the part of wanting to leave quickly. noah highly doubted any of the runes before him would help azel, so it wouldn¡¯t hurt to grab one of them briefly.


    ¡°can you tell me what these are?¡± noah asked, holding onto the energy to keep it from fading away.


    ¡°six chitinous spine armor along with a frothing rabies rune.¡± lee pointed the runes out in order. ¡°all about the same strength, rank 3 runes.¡±


    there wasn¡¯t an actual word for rabies in the language of the arbalest empire, but noah¡¯s mind automatically translated it to english for him ¨C and that was more than enough to make sure that he didn¡¯t even consider touching that last rune.


    he pulled evergreen¡¯s scroll out, opening it to one of the blank spaces. closing his eyes, noah pressed his hand against one of the chitinous spine armor runes, drawing it out in his mindspace. a few minutes and several tries later, the deed was done.


    the monster rune was really different from the normal ones he was used to. the entire structure of it felt wilder and less constrained, with more random pieces and odd shapes. now wasn¡¯t the time to worry about that, though.


    noah didn¡¯t want to find out exactly what changes having a chitinous spine armor rune would do to his body. as soon as the rune took form, he slammed it down onto the green catchpaper.


    by the time he had finished and opened his eyes, the other six runes had already evaporated. noah let out a relieved sigh. he¡¯d gotten what he wanted ¨C or most of it, rather.


    ¡°okay. we¡¯re good. thanks for the save, moxie.¡± noah said, rolling evergreen¡¯s scroll back up and returning it to his bag.


    the vine lowered noah back to the ground beside moxie, and lee hopped down beside them. noah took a minute to carve a few of the huge monster¡¯s quills away with natural disaster. it felt more like he was sawing them off, and it became clear that it would take an hour to get every single piece. considering how large the quills were, they wouldn¡¯t be able to bring them back anyway.


    moxie sent a vine out, tying some the quills to lee¡¯s axe for easier transportation. noah gave her an appreciative nod.


    ¡°you know,¡± noah said, taking his flying sword out and setting it on the ground. ¡°i never realized you were forming vines by using seeds.¡±


    ¡°seriously?¡± moxie asked. ¡°that¡¯s what you got from this fight?¡±


    noah grinned back at her, and lee handed noah her axe. as soon as he took it, she shrank down, forming into a small crow. noah scooped her clothes off the ground and squished them into his travel bag, leaving just enough space for lee to squeeze in next to the blunt sides of all the claws he had.


    ¡°ladies first,¡± noah said, gesturing to the flying sword. ¡°we should probably follow your suggestion and get out of here. i¡¯m not in any shape to handle another big fight ¨C or that cat.¡±


    moxie gave him a patented eyebrow-arch, then smirked and stepped onto the sword. noah got on behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist to hold her steady. he sent a pulse of energy into the sword, and then they were off.

 Chapter 237: Two steps

    chapter 237: two steps


    moxie wrapped noah¡¯s hand tightly with a cloth as they flew, binding the seeping dagger wound as best as she could. luckily, they were high up enough in the air to keep any sudden movements from flinging them into the ground.


    they flew for an hour before they touched down on top of a large hill. this landing went a little better than the previous one, though noah still managed to drive the sword deep into the ground. he gave lee her clothes back and worked on tugging the blade out while lee shifted back and changed.


    ¡°i figured we should probably talk normally before we get back to dawnforge,¡± noah said, finally yanking the sword free with a grunt. ¡°lee can¡¯t exactly speak while she¡¯s in bird form and it can be hard to hear you over the wind, moxie.¡±


    ¡°i was going to suggest we do this as well,¡± moxie said. ¡°lee, were either of the men that you saw the same as the one in the inn?¡±


    ¡°yeah,¡± lee replied, wiping some blood from the blade of her axe and examined the quills that moxie had tied to it for a moment before looking up to them. ¡°they didn¡¯t put up much of a fight.¡±


    ¡°through their no fault of ours,¡± noah said. ¡°correct me if i¡¯m wrong, but i¡¯m pretty sure the cat killed them.¡±


    ¡°it really did look that way,¡± moxie agreed. ¡°it lured the monster to them, then sat there looking mildly annoyed until it killed them.¡±


    ¡°so it¡¯s an ally?¡± lee asked.


    they both glanced at lee.


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure.¡± noah chewed his lower lip, then shrugged. ¡°every time it¡¯s shown up, it¡¯s brought monsters with it. i¡¯m a little hesitant to jump over to saying the cat¡¯s on our side when it nearly got moxie and i killed.¡±


    ¡°it seems more like a loose cannon that really likes luring monsters over to people,¡± moxie grumbled. ¡°maybe it just doesn¡¯t care which people.¡±


    ¡°how¡¯s it luring monsters in the first place?¡± noah asked. ¡°revin did the same thing, and you said that using powerful runes could lure strong monsters, but how¡¯s that work? i didn¡¯t get a chance to ask in the heat of the moment.¡±


    ¡°same way we smell tasty food,¡± moxie replied. ¡°if you let off a ton of runic energy, it can drift farther out and monsters with sufficient strength can pick it up. the more energy you let out, the stronger the scent. it really never travels all that far, but we¡¯re in an area with a lot of monsters underground and a bunch of holes connecting them to the surface. it¡¯s not very likely that one of them would have sensed something, but i didn¡¯t want to risk the possibility.¡±


    ¡°that makes sense, but that doesn¡¯t explain how the cat is doing it. i take it that the powerful monsters wouldn¡¯t care much about small amounts of runic energy, right?¡±


    ¡°probably not, no.¡±


    ¡°then how is the cat attracting these things? does that mean it¡¯s got a rune that¡¯s at least as strong as sunder or natural disaster releasing the full brunt of its force at once?¡±


    ¡°maybe it¡¯s just really convincing,¡± lee offered.


    noah and moxie both glanced at her.


    ¡°what?¡± lee asked. ¡°every time i see the cat, i want to grab it. maybe the monsters feel the same way.¡±


    ¡°not going to dismiss that, just because of occam¡¯s razor, but i think that might be reaching for straws,¡± noah said.


    ¡°occam¡¯s razor?¡± moxie tilted her head to the side.


    ¡°ah, it¡¯s a principle that basically says that the simplest solution is often the correct one. i feel like it¡¯s more realistic for the stupid cat to somehow just be interesting enough that the monsters follow after it than for the cat to be strolling around with the equivalent of a powerful master rune.¡±


    ¡°okay. i think it sounds more like you mugged him,¡± moxie said. ¡°it feels like a deserved mugging, but generally people that give you food after you stab them are not your friend, nor are things all good between you.¡±


    lee¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°seriously? he had a grudge? for a little stabbing? what an asshole. he did it first.¡±


    ¡°people can be very hypocritical.¡± noah patted lee on the shoulder. ¡°so i suppose now we¡¯ve got a motive. a gang of thugs probably got pissed off at you because you stabbed one of their folks.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s dumb. they attacked me first.¡±


    ¡°nobody said they were good people,¡± noah said. ¡°it¡¯s fine. nothing for you to beat yourself up about. if anything, i think you should probably be a little more careful with who you accept food from. generally, i¡¯d avoid getting it from suspicious people in dark alleyways.¡±


    ¡°what should we do about this, then?¡± moxie asked. ¡°if it was a gang, then there are probably more members. i¡¯d imagine they¡¯ll figure out that two more of their members are dead.¡±


    ¡°we move first, of course,¡± noah said, his eyes darkening. ¡°if they sent people after us because lee stabbed someone, then they¡¯re not going to be happy that two more of their members are dead. somehow, i don¡¯t think pointing out that it was technically the cat that killed those assholes is going to make much of a difference in their eyes.¡±


    ¡°if anything, we¡¯d be doing the city a favor,¡± moxie agreed. ¡°scum. they go around attacking people, then get pissed off when someone returns the favor.¡±


    ¡°how does dawnforge feel about vigilantes?¡± noah asked.


    moxie waggled a hand in the air. ¡°let¡¯s avoid getting caught. the guards aren¡¯t going to care if a bunch of murderers get what¡¯s coming to them. we should just make sure we¡¯re actually killing the right people. it would be pretty bad if we got the wrong ones on accident.¡±


    ¡°should be easy enough. they know what lee looks like,¡± noah said. ¡°all we have to do is waltz up. if they recognize lee and attack, we can fight back without any worry.¡±


    ¡°that sounds fun,¡± lee said. ¡°can we sell all this stuff first, though? i don¡¯t want the pokey things tied to my axe while i use it.¡±


    noah nodded. ¡°yeah. we¡¯ll handle those idiots in the morning. i assume you can sniff them out?¡±


    lee¡¯s eyes twinkled. ¡°who do you think i am?¡±


    ¡°fair enough. let¡¯s get on it again, then. i want to see how much money we can get for all of this. one thing at a time. step one: sell crap and turn in the job. step two: kill thugs. nice and straightforward.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m glad to see you took my advice to heart,¡± moxie said with a wry smile.


    ¡°what can i say? you¡¯re very convincing.¡±


    lee nodded in agreement, then paused. ¡°what¡¯s step three?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure. i haven¡¯t figured that part out yet,¡± noah replied. ¡°some stupid shit will probably end up happening and interrupting me, so planning that far ahead seems like a stupid idea. we¡¯ll play it by ear after step two.¡±


    moxie sighed. ¡°well, two steps is better than none, i guess.¡±


    ¡°hey! two steps is a perfectly good length. that¡¯s one more than i normally like to think about.¡± noah tossed his flying sword to the ground.


    moxie arched an eyebrow at him as she stepped onto it. lee handed noah her axe, then morphed into a bird. noah caught her clothes as they fell, stuffing them into his travel bag and making a small nest for lee to sit on.


    he stepped onto the sword behind moxie, sending a pulse of magic into the blade. then they were off once more, hurtling through the night toward dawnforge.

 Chapter 238: Vacation

    chapter 238: vacation


    ¡°magus gentil, the group you¡¯ve asked me to keep an eye on are back in dawnforge,¡± the assistant said, his eyes cast to the ground. ¡°they returned less than ten minutes ago. i tailed them back to an inn, and it appears that they plan to stay the night there.¡±


    gentil beamed at his assistant. ¡°splendid, my lad. absolutely splendid. you¡¯ve done a marvelous job.¡±


    ¡°thank you, magus gentil. what would you have us do next? they appear to move erratically, so if we don¡¯t keep a constant watch on their whereabouts, it is likely they will leave again.¡±


    ¡°so it is,¡± gentil agreed, leaning back and rubbing his chin. he shook his head and let out a small chuckle. ¡°this has grown into such a kerfuffle, hasn¡¯t it? i must be getting old. am i showing wrinkles?¡±


    ¡°yes, magus gentil.¡±


    ¡°ah. of course i am. keep your distance from those three, but don¡¯t let them out of your sight. no other guards, and do not engage them under any circumstance. we must observe until father responds.¡±


    ¡°it will be done. and if they spot me?¡±


    ¡°ensure they don¡¯t.¡± gentil¡¯s features went flat. ¡°those poor mercenaries already spilled our hand, and lenk is still paying the price for their failure. we cannot give away any more. this is a passing interest that could gain us favor with father, not our main goal. if the time comes, you will choose to abandon this mission before you allow yourself to be discovered. i trust that a treasured family member such as yourself would never fail me to such a degree. you will remain hidden, won¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°yes, magus gentil.¡±


    the assistant slipped into the darkness, leaving gentil alone in the flickering candlelight.


    ***


    ¡°whatcha doing?¡± moxie asked, stepping into the room and closing the door behind her.


    noah lowered the book of formations that revin had given him. moxie¡¯s hair was still damp from a bath, and she carried a towel made of vines over her shoulder. noah wasn¡¯t convinced that vines were a particularly effective cloth, but he didn¡¯t mention it. if moxie could use magic, he was sure she could find some type of vine that absorbed water better than normal.


    ¡°light reading on formations,¡± noah replied. ¡°this is surprisingly insightful. i totally thought it was going to be a bunch of garbage.¡±


    ¡°because revin gave it to you?¡±


    ¡°how¡¯d you guess?¡±


    they both chuckled. moxie glanced around the room, then tilted her head to the side. ¡°where¡¯d lee go? don¡¯t tell me she¡¯s looking for food again.¡±


    ¡°i asked her the same thing when she left, but lee said she wanted to scout the city to see if she could smell the people that attacked her.¡±


    ¡°is that really wise?¡± moxie¡¯s brow creased with worry and she approached the window, peering through it to see if she could spot lee. ¡°we just had assassins come after us. it¡¯s probably not safe for her to stroll around on her own.¡±


    he carefully pulled the flap back, revealing lee in her crow form. she must have sneaked into it at some point in the night. lee peered up at him, clacking her beak once. noah tried to suppress a laugh, but it was still enough movement for moxie¡¯s eyes to drift open.


    she straightened, rubbing her cheek and glancing from noah to lee.


    ¡°well,¡± moxie said, coughing into her fist. ¡°looks like all of us are here. i guess we should go ahead and get everything turned in, right?¡±


    ¡°no point wasting good time,¡± noah agreed. ¡°ready, lee?¡±


    she clacked her beak again.


    as far as noah could tell, that was about as close as he was going to get as resounding agreement from lee in her current form. he was pretty sure that crows were capable of mimicking some level of human speech, and was willing to bet that lee was only avoiding speaking because she found it amusing, but there was no reason to ruin her fun.


    noah and moxie stood up. they managed to take one step toward the door before another clack emerged from the depths of noah¡¯s cloak. both of them paused mid-step, then looked to lee.


    ¡°what?¡± noah asked.


    lee fluttered out of his coat and flew around his head, landing on top of it and pecking him lightly. noah swore, nearly batting her away before he stopped himself.


    ¡°what was that for?¡±


    lee hopped to the ground, then turned to send a pointed look at him with her avian eyes. a chill pricked at noah¡¯s back as lee extended her wings and mimed stretching.


    ¡°oh, come on. we¡¯re on vacation.¡±


    lee¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t change in the slightest.


    ¡°i suppose it¡¯s a good idea to stay in shape,¡± moxie said with a defeated laugh. she sat down and started to stretch her legs out. ¡°and limbering up is probably a good idea. we¡¯re going after the idiots that attacked us after we finish selling all our stuff, so we might as well make sure we don¡¯t get a cramp mid-fight.¡±


    noah flopped to the ground before lee and joined moxie. ¡°did you at least manage to figure out where they¡¯re hiding, lee? it¡¯ll be a lot easier to do this if we don¡¯t have to scour the city for them.¡±


    lee bobbed her head.


    ¡°good. after we get everything sold, we¡¯ll prepare through the day and pay them a visit at sunset. how¡¯s that sound?¡±


    lee clacked her beak. even though she wasn¡¯t using any words, noah could tell what she meant without a shadow of a doubt.


    finish stretching first.

 Chapter 239: Tacky

    chapter 239: tacky


    stretching went surprisingly well. turning in the job and selling everything they¡¯d gathered went even better. once everything was said and done, they got paid the promised four hundred gold and set off once more.


    moxie took them back to thaddius, the merchant that they¡¯d visited when they¡¯d first reached dawnforge. he¡¯d been delighted to see them ¨C right up until they started haggling. throughout the entire conversation, thaddius pretended as if they were actively dropkicking cats through his windows.


    he only let up when he and moxie shook on a final price for everything they¡¯d brought in ¨C the extra molster claws went for another hundred gold, and the hardened quills of the rabid rat-monster thing had been a solid extra two hundred.


    in just the span of a day, they¡¯d earned seven hundred gold. to the noah of a few months ago, that amount of money seemed ridiculous. now, even though he hadn¡¯t actually told arbitage he¡¯d reached rank 3, he was making hundreds of gold in a single day.


    ¡°that¡¯s about three hundred for all of us and a hundred left over. we¡¯re not rich in the noble sense of the word, but we¡¯ve got some money if we want to spend it,¡± moxie said as they left thaddius¡¯ shop. the merchant had promised them that he had some interested buyers and would have an auction in the coming day or two, so there would be even more money coming soon. is there anything we need?¡±


    something for you. lee got a new axe, i got a violin, but i still don¡¯t know what moxie would want. using the pelt is a decent option, but i don¡¯t even know what imbuements to put on it.


    ¡°food,¡± lee said. she¡¯d turned back into her human form before they¡¯d left their inn room, likely so she could eat more. ¡°clothes. not necessarily in that order.¡±


    ¡°what about you?¡± moxie asked noah.


    he shrugged. ¡°i¡¯m good with whatever. i think i¡¯ve already gotten more than what i planned to from dawnforge. i¡¯d be happy without anything else. the only other thought i have is collecting money to try and save up for a way to heal todd, but it looks like silvertide has that handled. we could always save up for some runes or catchpaper, but the catchpaper will probably be handled with karina¡¯s catacombs, and if we want to go out and buy runes, we¡¯d need to find a noble trader and then get rank 2 or 3 ones, which would be pretty damn expensive. it¡¯ll probably be easier to just get the runes ourselves at that point. actually, on that matter, i do need to try to get my hands on a few more basic runes for¨C¡±


    ¡°noah!¡±


    noah blinked, looking to moxie.


    ¡°one thing at a time, remember?¡±


    ¡°ah. right. fell off the wagon.¡± noah cleared his throat sheepishly. ¡°one thing. yeah. damn. i thought i fixed that already. let¡¯s just go get some food or something.¡±


    ¡°as long as you¡¯re aware of it,¡± moxie said, shaking her head with a wry smile. ¡°and you can¡¯t expect to completely change the way you do everything that quickly. that¡¯s not taking things one step at a time, is it?¡±


    ¡°i heard food,¡± lee said, disregarding the rest of the conversation entirely. she pointed down the street and gave them an excited grin. ¡°i smell something good that way. i bet you¡¯ll like it, moxie.¡±


    ¡°meat pies?¡± noah guessed.


    lee gave him a wide-eyed stare. ¡°when did you get a good nose? i thought you were scent deaf.¡±


    ¡°anyone is scent deaf compared to you.¡± noah rolled his eyes. ¡°maybe i can read minds now.¡±


    lee scrunched her nose, then gave him an expectant look. ¡°what am i thinking of?¡±


    ¡°food. meat pies, presumably.¡±


    ¡°how¡¯d you learn how to do that?¡± lee¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°or did you always know how to read minds? that would explain a lot, actually.¡±


    ¡°he can¡¯t read minds,¡± moxie said, flicking noah in the shoulder. ¡°you¡¯re just kind of obvious, lee.¡±


    ¡°oh yeah? i know what you¡¯re thinking about right now.¡±


    moxie crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow. ¡°do tell.¡±


    ¡°meat pies.¡±


    moxie opened her mouth, then scrunched her nose in annoyance and sent him a mock glare. ¡°okay, but that was low hanging fruit. not fair in the slightest.¡±


    they all laughed and headed into the city, letting lee lead them toward the meat pies. no matter how distasteful the end of the day was going to be, noah didn¡¯t see any reason not to enjoy himself for the time being.


    after all, this was just taking things one step at a time.


    ***


    lee nodded. ¡°yeah. the smell is a lot stronger here. it¡¯s not just the food.¡±


    whelp. that¡¯s enough for me. she¡¯s serious.


    noah straightened back out and turned back to the counter. he activated the body imbuements in his feet and ears, but neither was able to pick up any useful information. the floor was wood, which invalidated the first imbuement, and the city was still too busy around him for the air imbuement to give him good information. however, he did pick up a slight amount of motion in the ground beneath them. that didn¡¯t mean anything beyond that the area had a cellar, but it was still information.


    ¡°sorry about that,¡± noah said. ¡°just had to ask her opinion on something. i was wondering if i could get yours as well.¡±


    the portly baker laughed and nodded. ¡°of course. i¡¯d be thrilled to help.¡±


    ¡°you ever stab anyone?¡± noah asked, rubbing the back of his neck.


    ¡°i ¨C what? i¡¯m sorry?¡±


    ¡°stab someone,¡± noah said, miming thrusting a blade. ¡°you know. innocent people walking in dark alleyways.¡±


    ¡°no. i can¡¯t say that i have, sir. what¡¯s the point of asking such a question?¡±


    ¡°what about your friends?¡± noah asked, ignoring the baker¡¯s shocked expression. ¡°they stab anyone? because i¡¯ve got it on pretty good word that they have. i¡¯m holding off here, bud. were you just the front, or are you actually part of the operation?¡±


    ¡°i have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡± the baker¡¯s eyes darkened and he thrust a wide finger toward the door. ¡°i think i¡¯m going to have to ask you to leave, though. you¡¯re not welcome here.¡±


    noah heaved a sigh.


    ¡°you¡¯re making this a huge pain in the ass, you know? can¡¯t we just be straight with each other for a few seconds? it would be so much simpler. save us both the heartache.¡±


    ¡°get out of my shop.¡±


    noah glanced at lee.


    ¡°just how much does he smell like them?¡±


    ¡°incredibly similar,¡± lee said in a whisper. ¡°they¡¯ve spent time together, and i smell blood on the knife at his side.¡±


    ¡°interesting,¡± noah said. ¡°i¡¯ll be hair out of a moment, then. i just have one really quick question. do you sell meat pies?¡±


    ¡°no, we don¡¯t.¡± the baker watched noah with his lips pressed thin, one hand resting on the hilt of his knife and the other thrust toward the door. ¡°leave.¡±


    noah drank power from natural disaster. the baker clearly wasn¡¯t a powerful mage, because his expression didn¡¯t even flicker as the energy coursed through noah¡¯s body and gathered within him.


    this boils down to if i trust lee¡¯s nose or not ¨C and that¡¯s another way of saying i need to decide if i trust lee or not.


    i already know the answer to that question.


    a pillar of lightning roared from noah¡¯s hands. the baker¡¯s eyes widened for an instant. a blue shield flashed to life around him as the magic approached, but it shattered like a piece of glass and the magic slammed home.


    it picked the baker off his feet and slammed him into the wall with a loud crash. he crumpled to the ground, smoking and scorched ¨C dead before he even hit the wall. noah strode forward and hopped over the counter.


    he put his foot on the knife¡¯s hilt and slid it free of the sheathe. flecks of blood were splattered on the handle of a stiletto ¨C not a baking knife by any stretch of the imagination.


    ¡°right then,¡± noah said, his eyes stormy. he walked into the back room of the shop, lee and moxie close behind him. barrels of flour and other baking ingredients were stacked high along the walls, but noah didn¡¯t care about that. it only took him a few moments to locate a trapdoor on the ground, partially covered by a heavy sack of flour. more magic poured into his hands, gathering around his body in crackling arcs. ¡°let¡¯s throw out some trash.¡±


    moxie shot noah a sidelong look.


    ¡°what? too tacky?¡±


    ¡°way too tacky.¡±


    ¡°whatever. let¡¯s kill these pricks.¡±

 Chapter 240: Black flowers

    chapter 240: black flowers


    ¡°ah, father. i was wondering when you¡¯d get back to me,¡± gentil said, a huge smile stretching across his features. a flickering purple portal shimmered before him. just beyond it, father sat at his desk, his eyes as flat as ever.


    father took a slow sip from the goblet in his hand. not a single part of his expression or body language was readable, even to gentil. the man was truly a master of hiding what he was feeling.


    ¡°i am not at your beck and call, gentil ¨C and neither are my family members. why have you been bothering janice?¡±


    ¡°because i¡¯ve got one of your own in my city,¡± gentil replied. a loud crash followed by a muted explosion echoed through the stone above him, and gentil paused for a moment before speaking again. ¡°he¡¯s currently slaughtering some poor, innocent lambs. you should have taught him manners.¡±


    ¡°one of mine?¡± father¡¯s head tilted to the side. ¡°trust me, gentil. if i had decided to wage war against you, you would not have known until your corpse hung from a noose. i have no interest in the middling criminal underground your master has built in dawnforge.¡±


    the smile vanished from gentil¡¯s face. he leapt to his feet and brought his fist down on the seat of his chair, shattering it with a furious snarl. ¡°i have no master! i built this! me!¡±


    father¡¯s emotionless eyes met gentil¡¯s.


    ¡°did you call me to throw a tantrum, gentil? you remind me of dayton, except he¡¯s easier to manage. say what you want or i will leave.¡±


    gentil¡¯s fury vanished in a blink. he straightened his lapel and shook his head ruefully. ¡°always so cold, father. you¡¯ll never have any friends with that sort of attitude. and whatever you tell me, you¡¯re still lying. my information network might not be as extensive as yours, but i know your direct line.¡±


    ¡°brayden?¡± father raised an eyebrow. ¡°if he is attacking you, then it¡¯s your fault. i ordered him to do nothing of the sort. he shouldn¡¯t even be in dawnforge.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s not brayden,¡± gentil said. ¡°it¡¯s vermil. he¡¯s traveling with two points of interest to me.¡±


    father paused for a moment. even though his face didn¡¯t change in the slightest, gentil could tell that he¡¯d finally caught the old man¡¯s attention.


    ¡°points of attention? yours, or wizen¡¯s?¡±


    gentil¡¯s lips pressed together and his fists tightened at his side. he drew a trembling breath, his teeth grinding together so tightly that they could have crushed steel. another explosion echoed out above him, but he ignored it.


    ¡°our desires are, for the time being, one and the same.¡±


    father didn¡¯t say anything. he didn¡¯t need to. gentil¡¯s fingers twitched.


    ¡°i see,¡± father said. ¡°and who would these points of interest be?¡±


    ¡°the first is a woman by the name of moxie. a low-level member of the torrin family, but the mentor and bodyguard of emily torrin. the second is of interest to me specifically ¨C a short girl that ran one of my men through. i need to teach her some manners.¡±


    father tapped a finger on his desk. ¡°i see. and why have you called me?¡±


    ¡°i felt it appropriate to inform you that i am going to be disciplining one of your family. i did not want to bring up bad blood between us, father. there is no reason for men such as us to come into conflict over something as simple as this, is there?¡±


    ¡°ah. i had thought you might be defecting from wizen and were going to offer the torrin to me.¡± father rubbed his chin, then drew another long sip from his goblet. a new explosion shook the room around gentil. father set the goblet down and waved a hand dismissively. ¡°i don¡¯t care what vermil does to you. if you can kill him, then please feel free. he works separately from my family, so nothing he does is at my behest.¡±


    gentil blinked. of all the responses he¡¯d been expecting from father, that had been the last. father was known to use his family members, but giving gentil a full pass to deal with vermil took off a lot of restrictions. he wouldn¡¯t have to actually leave the fool alive to send back to father and avoid a war.


    the torrin is wizen¡¯s problem, but she¡¯s the only one he wants. being able to kill the other two makes things so much easier.


    ¡°thank you, father. that¡¯s very kind of you,¡± gentil said with a smile. ¡°it was a pleasure seeing you again. we should do this more frequently. perhaps we could aid each other in the future. i believe we both have much to offer.¡±


    father¡¯s expression remained unchanging. he finished off the rest of his goblet and then set it down on the table. ¡°it is good that you see the world in such a golden light, gentil. tell me, is wizen still in dawnforge?¡±


    ¡°leave some for me!¡± lee complained. ¡°i¡¯m the one that got attacked, you know! i should be allowed to have fun!¡±


    ¡°you can get the next one,¡± noah said, stepping into the door that had just opened and peering down the hall. now that they were beneath the ground and standing on stone, his tremorsense was marginally useful once more ¨C and it was telling him that four people were running up a set of stairs just around the corner. ¡°next four, actually. they¡¯ll be here in a moment.¡±


    ¡°mine!¡± lee dashed forward, hefting her axe like a spear. if anyone else had tried to do the same move, it probably would have ended in disaster. the weapon was just too heavy to hold out like that ¨C but lee wasn¡¯t anyone else.


    there were a series of wet thunks followed by pained screams that were all quickly cut off. moxie grimaced as she and noah continued down the hall, finding the four men that noah had sensed all split apart and lying in a growing pool of blood at the top of the stairs.


    lee was nowhere to be seen, but a man¡¯s terrified scream a few seconds later told them that she was at the bottom of the stairs.


    isn¡¯t that cute? our little demon, all grown up.


    shut up. they had this coming.


    i never said they didn¡¯t, noah. most people have it coming. we just enjoy paying back what they owe.


    noah didn¡¯t bother gracing azel with a response. the demon wasn¡¯t worth getting into an argument with, and getting distracted while they were storming a base of murderous bakers was a fast track to getting himself ¨C or worse, someone that he actually cared about ¨C killed.


    the clang of metal on metal echoed through the halls and noah accelerated, sliding down the stairs and running into the next room. moxie dashed after him, and the two emerged in a large, circular room a few moments later.


    lee stood at its center, surrounded by several bleeding men. across from her was a man with two long, jagged daggers in his hands. his body was covered by a tattered cloak, but his eyes were two faint gray lights beneath his hood. lee¡¯s body blurred as she swung her axe ¨C and, to noah¡¯s shock, the man caught it on the edge of his blade.


    the two weapons clashed with a loud shriek, but the man didn¡¯t even budge from his spot. he flicked his hand, tossing lee¡¯s strike to the side, and then drove the other dagger at her neck with blinding speed.


    lee vanished, sinking into the ground and reappearing behind the man. she lunged, swinging her axe ¨C and jerked to a halt as the man¡¯s other dagger whipped for her face, matching her speed perfectly. lee dropped, sinking into the ground an instant before the blade bit home.


    she reappeared beside noah and moxie, her eyes narrow. ¡°he¡¯s fast.¡±


    the gray light burning within the man¡¯s hood flickered. ¡°which of you is the torrin?¡±


    ¡°the one with the badge on her chest, idiot,¡± moxie said, a vine whipping out from the darkness at the man.


    he twisted to the side and his daggers flashed, severing the plant before it could reach him. with the same movement, he spun out of the way to avoid the bolt of lighting that tore from noah¡¯s palms. it lit the room up with a brief flash before slamming into the wall behind the man.


    ¡°perfect,¡± the man said, a flicker of a smile illuminated by his glowing gray eyes within his good. ¡°then i don¡¯t have to worry about holding back against the rest of you.¡±


    he vanished. noah¡¯s tremorsense screamed a warning and he dove out of the way. a dagger carved through the air where he¡¯d been standing, moving fast enough to snag on the back of noah¡¯s robes and cut a thin line across them. he hit the ground in a roll, then spun to face the dagger-wielding man.


    shit. this guy¡¯s really goddamn fast, and we don¡¯t have time to play around with him long. every passing second means more time for these pricks to gather their forces.


    moxie¡¯s vines swam through the air and the man jumped back, avoiding them easily.


    ¡°no- ah, vermil?¡± moxie¡¯s voice was terse. ¡°might want to handle this one quickly.¡±


    ¡°i was thinking the same thing.¡±


    ¡°cute,¡± the man said with a low chuckle. ¡°unfortunately, i¡¯m not a fan of quick, so i¡¯m going to have to decline. i prefer to make the fights more interesting.¡±


    he vanished, leaving the three of them standing in the darkness. noah¡¯s blood thumped in his ears as adrenaline coursed through his body. he focused intently on his tremorsense, but it couldn¡¯t pick up anything. that didn¡¯t change the fact that he knew the man was still somewhere in the room, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.


    yeah. this might be a bit of a problem.

 Chapter 241: Stigman

    chapter 241: stigman


    ¡°you just going to hide forever?¡± noah called, his tremorsense honed to try and pick up the slightest movement. whatever the dagger-wielding man had done, he was completely invisible to noah.


    ¡°prey is always easier to hunt when they¡¯re off guard.¡± the man¡¯s voice came from the darkness, but noah couldn¡¯t place where it had come from.


    ¡°that or you¡¯re scared to actually fight us,¡± noah replied. if he couldn¡¯t find the man, then he could always try to bait him out by pissing him off. generally, pissing people off tended to work pretty well for him. ¡°what¡¯s a big strong group of criminals like this doing trying to kill girls, anyway? don¡¯t you have standards?¡±


    laughter echoed throughout the room. noah¡¯s hands tightened at his sides. it really sounded like he was hearing the man in every single direction. there was no way to tell where he was, and the longer they wasted, the more time the other criminals would have to gather and join together.


    we could always just push forward, but that leaves this prick at our back. that¡¯s a godawful idea.


    ¡°you got a name or something?¡± noah asked, cracking his neck. ¡°thinking of you as ¡®dagger wielding edge lord¡¯ is getting on my nerves. seriously, what is it with you people and acting like middle schoolers that got turned down by their crush?¡±


    ¡°what in the damned plains are you talking about?¡±


    noah sighed. ¡°nevermind. just give me your name, asshole.¡±


    the air behind noah flashed. lee shoved him out of the way as a dagger flashed past him and struck the floor, skittering through the darkness and sliding out of view. noah spun toward the source of the attack, but there was nothing. his tremorsense hadn¡¯t even picked up on the dagger until it was already flying.


    ¡°my name is stigman. and you were a fool to come here, linwick. if you¡¯re having difficulties fighting me, then you¡¯ll never leave here alive. i¡¯m far from the strongest of gentil¡¯s assistants. the girl isn¡¯t going to save you forever.¡±


    who the hell is gentil? sounds like an asshole, though. also, this just about confirms it. stigman is just trying to waste our time here. if he was actually fighting, there¡¯s no way he wouldn¡¯t have attacked by now. what¡¯s his angle?


    ¡°your name is stinkman?¡± lee asked. her brow furrowed. ¡°that¡¯s a stupid name.¡±


    ¡°stigman, not stinkman,¡± the shadows spat, a note of genuine annoyance in them.


    it was moxie¡¯s turn to get shoved to the side. she stumbled, and a dagger carved straight past her, drawing a thin line of blood across her arm. noah unleashed a blade of wind in the direction of the attack, but he could tell by stigman¡¯s echoing laughter that the attack hadn¡¯t hit.the roots of this story extend from novell bi?n origin.


    how the hell is this bastard doing that? he¡¯s fast, but the real problem is this stealth. i can¡¯t figure out how he¡¯s hiding himself from me. if i could just touch him, i could use sunder and that would be that. the problem is touching him, though.


    ¡°for someone with an overwhelming advantage of perfect stealth, you¡¯re a shit aim,¡± noah called out. ¡°that¡¯s two misses¨C¡±


    this time, his tremorsense picked up on a blade flitting for his neck. noah dropped to the ground, spinning toward the source of the attack. even as fast as he¡¯d reacted, he still felt the dagger pass straight over his head, only missing him by millimeters.


    his chuckle echoed through the room as he started to fade ¨C only to cut off with a startled gag as his body was abruptly jerked into the air. noah could just barely see a long, ropey vine that had descended from the ceiling in the cover of the dark.


    it had wound around stigman¡¯s neck and drawn taut, starting to strangle him. his feet kicked as he clawed desperately at the vine, but his daggers clanged off its surface like it was steel rather than plant.


    whatever curses he had left to sling at them never made it out of his throat. noah watched in a mixture of disgust and awe as the vine continued to tighten, suffocating stigman and stifling him completely.


    the vine yanked up abruptly, and a sharp crack echoed out. stigman slumped, falling silent. lee grabbed her axe from the ground and strode over to him, swinging it. the bottom half of the man¡¯s body splattered to the ground.


    ¡°just in case,¡± lee said, nudging his corpse with her foot. ¡°he was harder to hurt than i expected.¡±


    ¡°you don¡¯t say,¡± noah agreed. ¡°what were you doing back in the middle of the fight, lee? it looked like you were shifting, but i don¡¯t see any change.¡±


    ¡°i was modifying my nose to smell him better. he smelled so similar to everyone else here that it was hard to tell them apart. i got it, though.¡±


    ¡°gathered that bit,¡± noah said with a dry laugh. ¡°i was trying to figure out if there was a way i could get close enough to touch him. that didn¡¯t look like it was going to be possible, and my next best idea was to start blowing up huge portions of the room until something landed. your method was much more effective.¡±


    ¡°the solution to all our problems can¡¯t be blowing them away with overwhelming force,¡± moxie said, kneeling beside stigman¡¯s body and rifling through his pockets. ¡°that¡¯s just the solution to most of them.¡±


    noah snorted. moxie¡¯s vine dropped stigman¡¯s upper body to the ground beside lee and receded, slithering back into her pant leg. he considered trying to sunder stigman to take his runes, but because noah hadn¡¯t even gotten a chance to land a hit on him, none of the energy from his death was visible ¨C and that meant there was no soul for him to see and sunder.


    can¡¯t sunder something if i don¡¯t know where it is. oh well. i think there will be more than enough people down here to donate their runes. next time, i won¡¯t let myself sit around and watch. as long as i land even one blow, i¡¯ll be able to use sunder after our opponent dies. in any case, it might be smart to keep sunder hidden for these smaller fights. i don¡¯t know if we¡¯re being watched, and i don¡¯t want to give away my best move.


    ¡°i¡¯ve never seen you use that vine before,¡± noah observed as moxie stood back up.


    ¡°i just pumped a disgusting amount of energy into it. nothing special, but it works really well for a surprise attack. lee had so much of his attention that i was pretty sure i¡¯d get him on the first try. if i wasn¡¯t, it could have been a huge waste.¡± moxie shrugged. ¡°and stigman didn¡¯t have anything on him. just daggers and his cloak. given how easily he went down once we caught him, he was a rank 3.¡±


    ¡°seemed a little strong for a rank 3,¡± lee said with a small frown. ¡°we should probably keep moving, though. we spent more time than we should have with this guy.¡±


    moxie nodded. ¡°it sounds like we¡¯ve got bigger threats waiting for us. not sure why they¡¯re coming one by one instead of just doing it all at once, but that might have been the reason why they sent this idiot to stall us.¡±


    ¡°think we should turn back?¡± noah asked.


    moxie shook her head. ¡°nothing has given us a reason to believe they¡¯ve got someone much stronger than stigman. we¡¯re doing the city a favor, and i¡¯m not eager to leave people like this running around when we can purge the rest of them in one fell swoop.¡±


    ¡°agreed.¡± noah called on natural disaster, then started toward the door at the far end of the room. ¡°let¡¯s get moving, then. there¡¯s a lot more to clean up before the night is over.¡±

 Chapter 242: Bryorn

    chapter 242: bryorn


    a sword hissed through the dark, headed straight for noah¡¯s throat. a vine shot out from behind him, grabbing the hand holding the sword¡¯s blade and ripping its wielder out from where they hid behind a wall.


    the man got just enough time to get a scream off before moxie slammed him into a wall, silencing him forever.


    noah felt straw crunch beneath his feet. he glanced down, then smirked as he called on combustion. a spark leapt from his foot, catching on the dry straw and combusting it with a whoomp.


    flame raced through the room, casting the large area in warm, orange light. he immediately spotted six people hiding around the barrels and crates scattered throughout the room as they were taken aback by the sudden light.


    six became five before noah could blink. lee¡¯s axe crashed through a barrel and a man alike, severing the two of them in a single blow. noah stepped into the fire, calling the embers around him like a cloak with natural disaster.


    ¡°you can¡¯t do that!¡± one of the men screamed, scrambling toward the door at the far end of the room. ¡°that¡¯s what we¨C¡±


    the rest of his sentence was lost in a pillar of hot ember and flame. it burned with such intensity that it scorched the cobbled wall behind him black. noah let the flames flicker and fade away, then shook his hands off.


    left them too close to the fire. whoops.


    wind swirled through the room. two women ran toward noah, their movements blurred by swirls of white energy. they swung their swords in a coordinated attack that would have been quite effective if moxie hadn¡¯t grabbed one of them by the leg with a vine and ripped her into the air, whipping the poor woman around and slamming her into her compatriot with enough force to shatter bone.


    the two of them tumbled across the ground in a heap of limbs before smashing into a pile of barrels that toppled down on top of them with a loud crash. noah winced despite himself. the remaining people in the room turned and sprinted away, diving through the door at the far end like it was a matter of life and death ¨C which, noah supposed, it was.


    ¡°i was expecting more after the last room,¡± noah said, pushing the flames away from them as he stepped into the center of the room. ¡°it kind of feels like we¡¯re bullying them now.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯ve got a disgustingly strong rank 3 rune,¡± moxie said, eyeing noah through squinted eyes. ¡°or have you forgotten? compared to you, even if these idiots also had rank 3 runes, they wouldn¡¯t stand a chance ¨C and that¡¯s not counting me or lee.¡±


    that¡¯s a good point. natural disaster is a completely perfect rank 3 rune. i¡¯d imagine that¡¯s probably pretty dang rare, especially with how much the noble families control the flow of runes. of course, i wouldn¡¯t be all that surprised if a noble family was somehow involved in all this, but i bet they¡¯re not handing out their best runes to thugs.


    ¡°careful,¡± moxie said. noah looked at her in surprise, and moxie tapped a finger on her cheek. ¡°you were looking a little... evil, i guess.¡±


    noah blinked. azel¡¯s laughter echoed through his head as it faded away before noah could even push him back. noah¡¯s lips pressed thin and he gave moxie an appreciative nod. ¡°thanks. asshole was starting to try to fiddle with things again.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯d imagine he will whenever we¡¯re in an intense fight,¡± moxie said. she waved toward the open door, where the screams of the two escapees were still echoing through the halls. if there were more bandits, they certainly knew the trio was coming. ¡°we should keep moving, though. i¡¯m starting to wonder just how deep this place goes. at least we know we definitely aren¡¯t blowing up some poor bakery.¡±


    how deep... i wonder that myself, actually. do they have a network throughout all of dawnforge? if they do, we¡¯re completely screwed. there¡¯s no way we¡¯ll ever get all of them.


    noah drew a deep breath and adjusted his tremorsense, trying to tune out all the excess vibrations passing through his heels. there was an enormous amount of information coming from the city, but they¡¯d already gotten pretty deep underground.


    and, the deeper they got, the more muted all the people above became and the easier it was to start feeling out the underbelly of dawnforge. noah¡¯s lips parted in a grin as his tremorsense latched onto a new set of information and streamed it into his mind.


    ¡°we don¡¯t have to, actually.¡±the roots of this story extend from novell bi?n origin.


    ¡°what do you mean?¡± moxie frowned. ¡°you want to give up after we¡¯ve come this far? there are more people. there¡¯s no way they¡¯ll let us off after killing off a bunch of their kind. this is like an infection. rip the whole thing out or it¡¯ll regrow.¡±


    ¡°oh, i¡¯m not giving up,¡± noah said, drinking deeply from natural disaster¡¯s reserves. the floor trembled beneath his feet as the magic churned within him, growing in strength. ¡°i¡¯m just taking a shortcut. hold on, okay?¡±


    moxie and lee latched onto noah without asking another question. an instant later, noah unleashed the power he¡¯d gathered. the room screamed around them as the ground tore itself apart, a huge crevice splitting through the stone.


    there might have been a few screams from some of the criminals that had been unlucky enough to get caught beneath noah¡¯s attack, but that might have just been his mind making things up. dark stone flitted past them as they plummeted, falling deep into the earth.


    a loud clang echoed through the room as lee¡¯s axe bounced of bryorn¡¯s helm, cutting his speech off. the axe clattered to the ground and lee lowered her hand sheepishly. she¡¯d tossed it across the room to hit bryorn.


    ¡°let me finish!¡± bryorn screamed, thrusting the sword toward lee. a bolt of lightning leapt from its tip, and lee leapt to the side to avoid getting fried. two more bolts followed the first, but lee managed to weave out of the way of both of them.


    moxie¡¯s vines tore across the ground, reaching for bryorn. he threw his head back, letting out another furious scream. a wave of electric energy ripped across the ground, blackening and killing moxie¡¯s vines.


    calling on natural disaster and unleashing his own wave of lightning, noah stepped in front of moxie and lee. the two walls of magic slammed into each other at the center of the room, cracking and popping furiously.


    noah¡¯s magic won. it shoved through bryorn¡¯s, coursing toward the armored man like a river. he thrust his hands forward, and the lighting leapt up from the ground, coursing into his gauntlet and vanishing.


    the sword in his hand lit even brighter.


    ¡°that¡¯s an annoying bit of magic,¡± noah said. ¡°how are you stealing my energy? your rune is clearly weaker than mine.¡±


    ¡°you expect me to answer that?¡± bryorn snorted. ¡°i¡¯ll never tell you, vile murderer.¡±


    ¡°you can¡¯t call us murderers right after sending assassins after lee,¡± noah said, snapping his fingers. the ground beneath his feet cracked, and a wave of spikes erupted in a line between him and bryorn. they shattered against his armor but shoved him back into the wall with a grunt.


    ¡°she deserved death for what she did,¡± bryorn snarled. he smashed through the spikes and stepped forward, whipping a bolt of lightning at noah.


    noah pulled a wall of stone up before himself, and the bolt sank into it harmlessly. he shattered the rock with a roar, sending it flying forward in a barrage of large spikes. they smashed against bryorn with a series of loud clangs, but none of them even seemed to so much as dent his armor.


    bryorn threw his head back and let out another roar ¨C he was clearly fond of those. energy roared across his body, forming into a crackling yellow cape. a plume sprouted from the top of his helm, and the smell of ozone filled the air.


    ¡°you think he practiced that?¡± lee whispered.


    ¡°probably.¡± noah scrunched his nose. ¡°i don¡¯t suppose you¡¯ve got a way to kill this asshole?¡±


    lee shook her head. ¡°not a special one. smack him until something breaks?¡±


    noah glanced to moxie, who shook her head as well. noah sighed.


    looks like this one might be annoying. he sounds like an idiot, but we haven¡¯t even scratched him. this guy is actually a real fighter.


    byrorn pointed his blade at noah¡¯s throat. ¡°come, then. you will fall at my hand.¡±


    ¡°you really should have found a different career path,¡± noah said, drawing energy from natural disaster¡¯s dwindling reserves. ¡°your talents are wasted. you¡¯d be much better off in a theatre troupe.¡±


    it¡¯s fine if i¡¯m getting low. killing this guy should give me a good bit more to work with. i¡¯d just like to avoid using sunder unless i absolutely have to.


    ¡°your mockery will end with your death,¡± bryorn roared, charging at noah. he thrust his sword, sending a wave of violent lightning ripping outward.


    ¡°no, it won¡¯t.¡± noah thrust his hands into the air, ripping a huge wall of stone up from the ground. their magic collided in the center of the room with a brilliant explosion. energy roared past noah¡¯s face and a flash of light momentarily blinded him.


    bryorn let out a slew of dignified curses from the other end of the room. he hadn¡¯t gone down to the attack, but that wasn¡¯t fine. it wasn¡¯t meant to kill him ¨C it was meant to buy noah a few seconds.


    noah drew power from natural disaster and a chill set in around his hands. if he couldn¡¯t break through byron¡¯s defenses as they were, then he¡¯d just have to make them easier to shatter.

 Chapter 243: Toys

    chapter 243: toys


    the wall shattered and noah dashed forward, using the rain of stones as cover.


    i can¡¯t waste time with this idiot. tremorsense told me there were only a few rooms with people in them this deep, and that means the head of this den is somewhere nearby. i need to finish this guy off and go get the boss before he runs off.


    bryorn spun toward noah, spotting him immediately. evidently, the stones flying around him hadn¡¯t been enough to keep him hidden. that was fine, though. noah had never been one for stealth.


    he clapped his hands together, then released a violent gale of freezing wind from his palms. ice washed across the ground and crusted over byron¡¯s armor, turning it from a shimmering silver to a whiteish blue within seconds.


    bryorn¡¯s movements ground to a halt and he snarled in fury. ¡°what have you done to me, fiend?¡±


    noah lowered his hands. that had worked better than he¡¯d been expecting. he took a step toward bryorn ¨C and threw himself back as the ice shattered and bryorn lunged forward. his sword crackled past noah¡¯s back, singing his clothing.


    he hit the ground and rolled to the side, blasting himself back with a surge of wind before lightning rained down on where he¡¯d been. noah leapt to his feet and skidded back, stopping against a wall and gritting his teeth.


    ¡°you read me,¡± bryorn said, spinning the sword in his hand. ¡°you have a degree of skill. killed many innocents before, you vile man?¡±


    this larping prick is actually pretty damn good.


    ¡°i don¡¯t think you fully realize who you¡¯re working for,¡± noah said. he reached down to his pack and pulled his pipe out, placing it between his teeth and packing some flashgrass into it. he combusted the grass, drawing in a deep breath and letting a puff of smoke out into the air.


    ¡°of course you smoke,¡± bryorn said. ¡°vile through and through. have you corrupted the good women traveling with you? that must be it. they are enslaved. fear not, lasses. i will free you of this demon¡¯s influence.¡±


    every word that comes out of this moron¡¯s mouth makes me want to fry him even more. why couldn¡¯t he have been one of the weak guys?


    noah stepped forward. he was starting to run out of ideas, but he still had one trick that had yet to let him down yet. as smoke gathered around him, noah prepared to engage bryorn once more.


    he didn¡¯t get a chance.


    moxie sprinted past him, red vines cracking up from beneath the stone and wrapping around bryorn¡¯s legs. he let out a startled curse.


    ¡°the enslaved witch is entangling me! you¡¯ll not hold me down, wench!¡±


    moxie¡¯s vines tightened around bryorn¡¯s armor, but they couldn¡¯t break through it. that didn¡¯t stop her. she snarled in anger and yanked her hand back. the vines yanked one of bryron¡¯s legs, spinning him like a top.


    he let out a startled cry, then pitched back and crashed to the ground with a loud bang. moxie¡¯s vines wormed along his armor, their thorns clicking against the metal as they tried to find a crease.


    a wave of electricity ripped out of bryorn¡¯s body. vines shot up around moxie, blocking the magic and getting fried in the process. then she reared back and kicked bryorn in the helm, striking it with her heel instead of the top of her foot to avoid breaking a bone.


    what sounded like a bell rang out. bryorn let out a slew of curses. moxie kicked him again.


    ¡°stop that!¡± bryron yelled.


    ¡°this guy is seriously pissing me off,¡± moxie said. ¡°n ¨C vermil, take his helmet off.¡±


    i thought i was the one fighting him.


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure how to,¡± noah said, walking up beside moxie. he raised a wall of stone as another blast of lightning ripped out of bryorn, blocking the magic.


    ¡°there is nothing that can be done. fear not, wench. deep within the recesses of your mind, i know you scream for freedom from this vile man. i will rescue you.¡±


    ¡°i could drop him into the ground and seal it over him,¡± noah offered.


    ¡°no,¡± moxie said, cracking her knuckles. ¡°i want this one.¡±


    ¡°absolutely not. i would never forgive myself if i hurt someone that did not need hurting.¡± the old man sounded so sincere that noah almost believed him. ¡°but i am being impolite. i must introduce myself. my name is gentil.¡±


    ¡°i wish i could say it was a pleasure. i take it that you already know who we are?¡±


    gentil¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°a wonderful guess! yes, i do. you are vermil linwick. your companion is moxie torrin, and the girl with the lovely axe is from neither family. how did you know?¡±


    because it¡¯s always the weird bastards that randomly have all the information than they shouldn¡¯t. it¡¯s not like we¡¯ve been hiding our identities that much, though.


    ¡°well, moxie¡¯s wearing a badge, and i imagine some word has spread through some channel or another.¡± noah shrugged. ¡°you seem like a pretty reasonable guy, though. what¡¯s the point of doing all this?¡±


    ¡°your friend murdered one of my men in cold blood.¡± gentil shook his head, clicking his tongue in admonishment. ¡°that is not an insult i take lightly. their lives are not hers to take. it was a great tragedy. he will be missed and remembered.¡±


    if he¡¯s missed, why didn¡¯t you use his name instead of just calling him ¡®he¡¯?


    ¡°he stabbed me first,¡± lee put in. ¡°i just wanted some food.¡±


    to noah¡¯s surprise, gentil¡¯s expression flashed with surprise. ¡°he did what?¡±


    ¡°he stabbed me,¡± lee repeated. ¡°tried to, at least. so i stabbed him back with his own dagger. it wasn¡¯t that hard, though. i didn¡¯t think i killed him.¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ve also killed about... ten or twenty of your people so far?¡± noah said, scratching the side of his head. ¡°that¡¯s kind of on you, though. we wouldn¡¯t be here if you weren¡¯t going around trying to stab people in dark alleyways.¡±


    gentil¡¯s brow creased in anger. he turned toward the impossibly still man in the corner of the room.


    ¡°is this true?¡±


    there was no response. gentil turned back to face noah, his hands tightening around the armrests of his chair.


    ¡°a horrible tragedy. it seems that we may have come into conflict entirely due to what i am learning to be a very flawed information system. will you forgive me?¡±


    this guy is seriously off his rocker. i don¡¯t believe this apology for an instant. we just killed a bunch of his people on top of that. does he not care about them at all?


    ¡°well, i¡¯d say we¡¯re even because of...¡± noah nodded over his shoulder. ¡°you know. all the people you had in the way.¡±


    ¡°ah, yes. i hope they provided sufficient entertainment, miss torrin.¡±


    ¡°they didn¡¯t. i hated them,¡± moxie said, her voice flat.


    gentil looked like he¡¯d been physically struck. his face fell. ¡°oh. i see. i had hoped you would have been entertained. i ensured that every room would pose a slightly increasing challenge so you could have an exciting trip down.¡±


    you intentionally spaced your people out so we¡¯d mow through them one group at a time? holy shit. are these people or toys?


    ¡°why moxie specifically?¡± noah asked, almost not wanting to know the answer but too curious to stop now.


    ¡°you see, our initial meeting may have been pure chance, but i actually have an appointment with miss torrin,¡± gentil said, straightening back up in his chair. his expression returned to the kind smile in a blink of an instant ¨C far too fast for any real emotional change. ¡°she has some people that are very interested in meeting with her.¡±


    ¡°and if i don¡¯t want to meet them?¡±


    ¡°then that would make them very sad,¡± gentil said, the smile fading away from his face. ¡°and i hate disappointing people. i am afraid i must insist.¡±


    ¡°then i must decline,¡± moxie said. ¡°now what?¡±


    ¡°looks like we¡¯ve struck an impasse,¡± noah drawled, starting to draw energy from natural disaster. ¡°anyone ever teach you that no means no?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll have to ask for your forgiveness in the afterlife,¡± gentil said, flicking his fingers. ¡°you did take the lives of a few of my men. that should equal the balances for your own, yes? alexandra, assistant, go. remove the intruders from our home ¨C and make sure you leave miss torrin alive.¡±

 Chapter 244: Angry

    chapter 244: angry


    the girl - who noah presumed to be alexandra - blurred into motion. she sprinted toward him without a flicker of hesitation as soon as the last word of gentil¡¯s command left her mouth, bringing her sword up to slash it across his throat.


    something about killing a girl that was basically the age of one of his students didn¡¯t sit right with noah, but he wasn¡¯t about to sit around and let her cut him open. he released natural disaster¡¯s power in an orb of violent wind.


    it slammed into alexandra¡¯s stomach and picked her off her feet, spinning her around once as if she were in a tornado before hurling her into the wall. she slammed into it and dropped to the ground, rubble clattering down around her.


    her expression didn¡¯t change in the slightest. alexandra landed on her feet, then sprinted at him again.


    ¡°i¡¯ll get the quiet guy,¡± lee yelled, sprinting past noah and raising her axe. moxie looked from lee to noah.


    ¡°help lee,¡± noah said. ¡°don¡¯t get caught.¡±


    ¡°thanks. hadn¡¯t figured that part out myself,¡± moxie said dryly, running to join lee. gentil didn¡¯t budge from his spot in his chair. as tempting as it was for noah to blast him with a bolt of lightning, if gentil was going to just sit the fight out, he wouldn¡¯t complain. that just swung things in their favor ¨C and, ideally, they¡¯d still have the old bastard alive to question once all the dust had settled.


    alexandra swung her sword at noah. he leaned to the side, avoiding the blow easily. she wasn¡¯t slow, but she was far from as fast as the other opponents he¡¯d gone up against.


    which lends the question of why this crazed old guy is keeping her around.


    a loud crash rang out, and noah glanced at lee and moxie out of the corner of his eye. the two of them were locked in a violent dance with the silent man, and it looked like he was holding them at bay.


    compared to him, this chick isn¡¯t even a distraction. what¡¯s up with this?


    noah swept his leg out, taking the girl¡¯s feet out from under her. she hit the ground and noah kicked her sword out of her hand. ¡°stay down. i¡¯d rather not kill a kid.¡±


    if alexandra heard him, she gave no acknowledgement of it. there wasn¡¯t any recognition or thought on her face. she pushed away from noah and grabbed her sword, rising to her feet once more.


    alexandra¡¯s sword cut through the air again. noah slipped to the side, then raised his hand in the other direction, aiming for the hooded man. he released a bolt of lightning that streaked across the room, catching him in the chest.


    the magic slammed the man into the wall, and lee took advantage of the moment of distraction to swing her axe for his head. he ducked impossibly fast, avoiding the blow and lunging for lee, forcing her to hop back to avoid getting run though with a dagger.


    damn. he¡¯s just as fast as that stigman guy, but without all the stupid edgy quips.


    noah turned his attention back to alexandra, tilting his head back to avoid her sword and throwing her back with a blast of wind.


    ¡°what¡¯s up with the girl?¡± noah called to gentil. ¡°you didn¡¯t seem like the type of person to send children to battle.¡±


    he¡¯s insane, so maybe i can play to his delusions or something.


    gentil chuckled. ¡°oh, alexandra is far more than a girl. she¡¯s just a little reluctant to fight. isn¡¯t that right, alexandra?¡±


    ¡°you dare?¡± gentil screamed, spittle flying from his mouth. ¡°you strike me? the one who has shown you mercy? i refrained from entering the fight! i granted you a chance to believe you might survive! you ungrateful, unappreciative, twisted¨C¡±


    another bolt of lightning slammed into gentil, cutting his raving short. his shield erupted with light as he was thrown back into a wall, shattering even more candles.


    holy shit, that shield of his is powerful. it¡¯s barely even flickered with all the attacks i¡¯ve sank into it.


    ¡°stop monologuing, asshole,¡± noah snarled. ¡°let the kid go before i cut your head off.¡±


    alexandra slashed at noah again. he jumped back, nearly tripping over some of the candles on the ground. he managed to keep his footing and narrowly avoided the attack, but alexandra followed it up with another.


    noah wasn¡¯t as lucky with the second attack. one of the candles set his pant leg on fire. the moment of distraction was brief, but it was enough for alexandra to close the distance between them.


    she lunged. noah twisted, but he could tell that the blow would still strike his chest in a nasty wound. an instant before it connected, the blade slammed to a halt. alexandra¡¯s limbs trembled in exertion.


    noah regained his balance and put distance between himself and the girl just as her moment of resistance was shattered. she lunged at him again, but noah hurled her back with a blast of wind.


    if i kill gentil, the control he has over this poor girl should vanish. i can¡¯t waste time fighting her. she¡¯s too fast to reliably defeat without actually killing her, and i¡¯m not doing that unless it¡¯s my last resort.


    noah¡¯s gaze flicked to gentil. it didn¡¯t take a genius to read what his thoughts were. gentil¡¯s mouth curled upward in a hate-filled smile, the contrast to his expression from just seconds ago so stark that it almost felt impossible that the face belonged to the same person.


    ¡°this is a rank 5 shield,¡± gentil said, beckoning noah onward. ¡°your magic is nothing more than a mild inconvenience to it. you and alexandra disgust me both ¨C refusing to take responsibility for your vile actions and believing yourselves in the right. i will fix you, magus linwick. and, only once you have seen the error of your ways, i will kill you.¡±


    noah let out a roar, drawing a huge portion of natural disaster¡¯s remaining powers and sprinting toward gentil. electricity arced through the air as it gathered around his body, too great to contain.


    gentil stood still, his vile eyes tracing noah with an air of smugness so thick that noah could practically taste it.


    it pissed him off. energy crackled off noah as he leapt into the air, rearing back to release all the magic he¡¯d gathered. gentil didn¡¯t budge. he knew noah¡¯s magic wouldn¡¯t even make a dent in his defenses.


    just from the short conversation noah had with gentil, he could tell the old man genuinely seemed to believe that he was in the right. he was unbelievably arrogant, and that meant that he felt untouchable. and, whenever someone was confident that they couldn''t be touched - that was when they were the easiest to strike.


    noah released all the magic he¡¯d gathered ¨C not toward gentil, but behind his arm. a massive roar filled the room as wind accelerated noah, letting him move at speeds even faster than lee could for the briefest instant.


    his fist literally screamed through the air and slammed into gentil¡¯s nose, passing straight through his shield. there was a sharp burst of pain as the bones in noah¡¯s hand shattered, but it didn¡¯t do anything to dull the satisfaction that flooded him as he watched gentil tumble across the ground and slam into a wall with such force that it shattered behind him.


    noah spun as he hit the ground, barely managing to keep his balance.


    fucking shield abusing assholes. never remember that shields only work for magical attacks automatically, and you¡¯ve got to use the physical part to block a physical blow. rot in hell, gentil. the line was made for people like you.


    the pile of rubble that gentil had fallen in twitched. the grin vanished from noah¡¯s face as gentil staggered to his feet. blood poured down his face, and his nose had been struck so hard that it had literally flattened, but gentil was somehow still alive ¨C and the hatred in his eyes was burning so brightly that they were literally glowing red.

 Chapter 245: Her.

    chapter 245: her.


    ¡°your whole peaceful monk shtick seems to be suffering,¡± noah said through gritted teeth. his entire arm pulsed in pain and he was pretty sure the fragments of his broken knuckles were digging into his flesh from within, but he didn¡¯t exactly have time to deal with that problem at the moment.


    alexandra was still coming at him with her sword, and each blow was passing dangerously close to connecting. the only thing that had been saving noah was her occasional pauses and jerks as she attempted to wrest control of her body back from whatever gentil had done to her.


    the sounds of lee and moxie¡¯s fight still rang out from the dark corner of the room and, if anything, they¡¯d actually intensified. their opponent was holding them both off at once, and it didn¡¯t sound like he was doing too badly.


    this is less than ideal.


    gentil¡¯s lips worked like he was trying to say something, but he couldn¡¯t even muster words through the anger. veins in his neck bulged and the air around him wavered like a mirage as magic poured out of his body.the roots of this story extend from novell bi?n origin.


    he doubled over, raking his hands across his back. his fingers tore through his clothes and ripped into his skin, leaving bloody furrows in their wake. gentil staggered, letting out a furious scream as his head raised again, the red light now filling his eyes completely.


    ¡°damn, man. temper tantrums should be left for when you¡¯re a toddler. aren¡¯t you a bit too old for this?¡± noah asked, raising his good hand. gentil¡¯s shield bracelet was on his left arm. as long as it remained there, noah didn¡¯t want to risk using sunder and giving away his most powerful weapon.


    alexandra¡¯s sword bit into noah¡¯s shoulder. he snarled and launched her away with another blast of wind, throwing her through the door with a loud crash. there wasn¡¯t any room to keep the girl at bay and fight gentil at the same time. getting her out of the way would also leave room for him to use sunder without worrying about leaving any witnesses.


    besides, she¡¯s really tough. i¡¯ve still yet to actually leave a scratch on her, so i¡¯m sure getting smashed through a few more things isn¡¯t going to cause her any long-term issues ¨C if she survives today, that is. i¡¯m not too thrilled about her chances.


    ¡°you will pay penance,¡± gentil spat, thrusting a blood-covered hand toward noah. the air before gentil shifted and noah dove, just barely moving out of the way in time to avoid four translucent claws that sliced the wall behind him apart into neat sections.


    ¡°the hell kind of magic is that?¡± noah asked, staggering to his feet and pushing through the pain pulsing through his hand. ¡°not a very kind thing to do. shouldn¡¯t we be trying to talk this out?¡±


    ¡°be silent!¡± gentil screamed, lurching toward noah. he moved in a drunken stagger that was deceptively fast, closing the ground between them in a second and lunging for noah.


    noah stepped past gentil, avoiding another bloody claw and sweeping the man¡¯s legs out from under him ¨C or rather, trying to. it was like hitting a brick wall. noah swore and jumped back, setting off a blast of wind magic between them.


    gentil¡¯s shield flashed to life, but noah wasn¡¯t trying to hurt him. the wind threw noah back, and he skidded across the ground several feet away, having bought himself a little space. out of the corner of his eye, he saw alexandra step out from behind the door, her sword still aflame.


    rocks rained from the ceiling, clattering all around the room. huge vines writhed from where moxie and lee were fighting, but the clash of metal showed no signs of letting up. it didn¡¯t sound like anyone was in any position to help noah.


    ¡°you will¨C¡± gentil started, but he was cut off as noah grabbed the flames from the candles around them and sent them forward in a wall of roaring fire, enveloping him.


    gentil¡¯s shield lit, keeping the magic from touching him. even though noah couldn¡¯t see gentil through the torrent of fire, he could see the glow of the man¡¯s shield as he advanced toward noah, pushing through the flame like it were a mild breeze.


    ¡°moxie!¡± noah yelled. ¡°are you handling things?¡±


    ¡°we¡¯re fine!¡± moxie yelled back a second later. ¡°this is a tough bastard, but we¡¯re holding him down.


    gentil bit down on his arm like a rabid dog, but noah flashed a cold smile through the pain cutting through his body.


    ¡°i¡¯d say i¡¯d see you in hell, but they won¡¯t let me stick around,¡± noah spat. the tip of his finger ¨C the one belonging to a hand that was currently shoved into gentil¡¯s mouth ¨C sparked as noah called on combustion.


    gentil¡¯s eyes bulged. he desperately tried to pull back, but it was too late. flame raced down, following the trail into the condensed ball of smoke roiling within gentil¡¯s lungs. the last thing noah¡¯s eyes were graced with was the look of terror on gentil¡¯s face.


    ***


    a huge explosion rocked the room, swallowing both noah and gentil in a ball of flame that shattered every single piece of melted wax around them. the resulting shockwave put out every other candle in the room, which was momentarily lit with blinding light from the fireball.


    the flame rolled across the ceiling as ash rained down. two charred, brittle corpses, both ripped completely to pieces and warped forever beyond recognition, cracked as they hit the ground, falling apart almost instantly.


    for an instant, the cloaked man fighting moxie and lee froze, staring in disbelief at his dead master. that instant was enough. moxie¡¯s vines whipped out, finally managing to grab his arms and yank them taut.


    lee¡¯s axe whistled through the air and slammed into his neck. it thunked, biting several inches before grinding to a halt against impossibly tough skin. lee didn¡¯t seem particularly concerned with that, though. she just reared back and swung it again.


    the man struggled furiously, trying to pull himself free, but the blood-red vines were as strong as iron. no matter how hard he struggled, they held firm.


    about fifteen chops later, his head finally rolled off and thudded to the ground. the vines holding him up receded, and the nameless man¡¯s body was dumped to the ground beside his head.


    moxie spun toward where noah and gentil¡¯s fight had ended, sprinting over to it. lee ran up beside her, her eyes passing over the remains of the bodies.


    ¡°good,¡± lee said with a sigh of relief. ¡°he¡¯s definitely gone.¡±


    moxie nodded, though she looked a lot less relieved than lee. she swallowed, the adrenaline still making her heart slam in her chest. ¡°yeah. i don¡¯t know if i¡¯ll ever get used to that. damned plains. this guy was a monster.¡±


    ¡°he had some weird magic,¡± lee said. ¡°not a rank 4, though. he didn¡¯t have a domain.¡±


    ¡°rank 3,¡± moxie said with a nod, letting out a slow breath to try to steady herself. ¡°but one that was jumped up with higher rank magic. i don¡¯t know how much we¡¯ve got until the rest of this evil bastard¡¯s people show up. lee, you can smell magic, right?¡±


    lee nodded.


    ¡°can you look for anything with a magical scent and try to collect it?¡± moxie asked. ¡°i¡¯ve got something to deal with.¡±


    ¡°okay,¡± lee said with a nod. ¡°what is it?¡±


    moxie turned her gaze toward alexandra, who leaned against the doorframe, her face covered in ash and flaming sword held loosely in her hand.


    ¡°her.¡±

 Chapter 246: Out of here

    chapter 246: out of here


    ¡°where is he?¡± alexandra rasped, nearly doubling into a coughing fit. it sounded like she hadn¡¯t spoken in months.


    ¡°who?¡± moxie watched alexandra carefully. even though she was young, moxie had seen just how fast alexandra could move ¨C and that had been when she was being forced to fight by gentil, not moving on her own volition. ¡°do you mean gentil?¡±


    ¡°yes. where is gentil?¡±


    ¡°dead,¡± moxie replied, nodding to the charred corpses lying between them amid a field of shattered, melted wax. ¡°right in front of you.¡±


    alexandra wiped some of the soot from her face with her free hand, making no move to extinguish the flames smoldering along her blade. she stumbled forward, but every step she took grew more stable until she stood above gentil¡¯s remains.


    for several seconds, neither of them spoke. the only sound in the room was the smoldering flames that noah¡¯s explosion had left behind and the rustle in the back as lee shuffled the room in search of magical items.


    ¡°impossible,¡± alexandra said. she wet her lips, then shook her head. ¡°i don¡¯t believe it.¡±


    ¡°the remains of his shield aren¡¯t that far from your feet. one half of it, at least. no clue where the rest of it went.¡± moxie pointed to a warped scrap of metal on the ground, half buried in a pile of wax, where it had landed after the explosion.


    alexandra crouched, supporting herself with the sword as she reached down and pulled the broken band from the hot wax. she swallowed, then let her hand lower and lifted her eyes back to moxie.


    ¡°who are you?¡±


    ¡°does it matter?¡± moxie asked. ¡°and i think a better question would be who you are.¡±


    and what are you doing here in the first place? i think noah assumed you were here against your will, but it¡¯s equally as likely that you were a member of gentil¡¯s gang that just did something to piss him off. if that¡¯s the case, young or not, you¡¯re no better than the rest of the trash we¡¯ve cleaned up today.


    ¡°alexandra.¡±


    ¡°you know, i guessed that much,¡± moxie said, trying to restrain her sarcasm and failing miserably. ¡°maybe answer that with a little extra context? how¡¯d you get here, alexandra? why did gentil have you mind controlled?¡±


    ¡°not mind controlled, and not gentil.¡± alexandra shook her head and grimaced, rubbing at a spot just above her right ear. ¡°it was a body imbuement that took over the signals my brain sent my body. i was aware of everything i did. my mind was there, but i couldn¡¯t control anything.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s vile ¨C but it doesn¡¯t answer the rest of my question. i can imagine you¡¯re exhausted, but i need to know. and what do you mean by it wasn¡¯t gentil?¡±


    ¡°gentil wasn¡¯t the one that put the imbuement on me. it was wizen,¡± alexandra said, anger tightening her brow. ¡°wizen placed the imbuement, then tied it to gentil so he could control me. the imbuement broken when gentil died.¡±


    ¡°wizen?¡± moxie asked.


    i think this might go a bit deeper than just a bunch of thugs. is that the one that gentil was working with that wanted to capture me for some reason?


    ¡°gentil¡¯s master, even though the old bastard would rip the throat out of anyone who said it out loud. gentil just ran a section of the criminal underground in dawnforge. wizen was the one that coordinated everything else. he¡¯s the one that gentil mentioned wanted to see you.¡±


    ¡°keep going,¡± moxie said. ¡°who is he?¡±


    ¡°no idea,¡± alexandra replied. the fire running along her blade finally flickered out, but she still made no move to sheathe it. ¡°my memories of him are completely scrambled. i can¡¯t remember a thing about him other than that he¡¯s the one that imbued me.¡±


    that¡¯s just fantastic. we¡¯ve got some sort of mage that can mess with people¡¯s minds, and they¡¯re really good at it.


    a loud crash shook the room as lee pulled down a wax-covered bookshelf. it exploded into fragments when it hit the ground. moxie and alexandra spun toward lee, who gave them a sheepish look.


    moxie heaved a sigh. ¡°do you have anywhere to go?¡±


    coughing, alexandra nodded. ¡°yes. i have a room in the city. i don¡¯t think gentil would have done anything to get rid of it. not like i¡¯m going to stay here, though. i¡¯m getting out of dawnforge.¡±


    ¡°and what will you do?¡± moxie raised an eyebrow. ¡°join another group of murderers because they pay better than the competition? become an assassin in true?¡±


    alexandra¡¯s cheeks reddened in shame. ¡°no. i swear i won¡¯t. i¡¯m going to find a teacher so i can get stronger. i¡¯ll apprentice under them. then, when i¡¯m strong enough, i¡¯m going to find wizen and kill him.¡±


    should i point out that alexandra is technically saying she¡¯s going to go kill people? i don¡¯t think the joke would fly too well at the moment. she¡¯s barely holding things together as it is, and i¡¯m terrible at counseling people. i wish noah was here.


    ¡°just don¡¯t screw it this time around.¡± moxie rubbed the bridge of her nose. ¡°and you might want to wait around a little longer. the remainder of gentil¡¯s gang is still up there somewhere, and it might not be safe. you can leave together with us.¡±


    moxie nodded to lee, who was in the process of examining a curved black dagger. alexandra followed moxie¡¯s gaze, then nodded. she leaned against the wall, clearly too exhausted to muster up much more than a weak, ¡°thank you.¡±


    now that the adrenaline was starting to leave, moxie couldn¡¯t help but feel exhausted herself. gentil¡¯s assistant hadn¡¯t used any overt magic, but he was one of the strongest people that moxie had fought in years.


    his incredible speed and strength had been augmented by a deadly battle sense. even going all out and together with lee, moxie had barely managed to keep herself from getting cut in half.


    why was someone that talented just sitting around at rank 3 and working for gentil? it makes no sense. and why does wizen care about me? is he somehow related to the torrins or linwicks, or is this something entirely new? i ¨C


    damn it. noah, look what you did to me. i¡¯m starting to think like you.


    moxie drew in a deep breath and let it out in a huff. ¡°lee, find anything useful?¡±


    ¡°mostly this,¡± lee called back, waving the dagger around. ¡°there were also a bunch of gemstones in one of the cabinets that i think they were trying to hide. i bet there¡¯s some more gold if we go rifle through the rest of this place.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s it? odd. do you know what that is?¡± moxie asked alexandra, but the girl was shaking her head before moxie finished speaking.


    ¡°no. i¡¯ve never seen it before. gentil made a big payment for something pretty recently though. that¡¯s probably why he didn¡¯t have much gold. he owed wizen a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°unfortunate, but i¡¯d imagine gemstones will still go for a good price when we sell them. where¡¯d you find the dagger, lee?¡±


    ¡°it was in one of the books, covered by wax,¡± lee said, holding out the book in question. ¡°smells funny. everything else here was normal, though.¡±


    moxie shrugged. ¡°bring it along with us, then. let¡¯s get out of here before the guards crack down on us, though. i really don¡¯t want to have to explain anything.¡±


    lee joined moxie, and alexandra sheathed her sword.


    ¡°how many people are left blocking our escape?¡± alexandra asked. ¡°gentil¡¯s gang was pretty big. if you didn¡¯t take them all out on the way in...¡±


    ¡°i doubt they¡¯ll all be willing to die for a boss that¡¯s already dead,¡± moxie said, then glanced at alexandra. ¡°unless they¡¯re mind controlled as well?¡±


    ¡°if they were, the control would have been broken.¡±


    ¡°then there¡¯s nothing to worry about,¡± moxie said. ¡°just leave your sword in its sheath. i don¡¯t need your help, and i¡¯m going to assume that you¡¯re trying to betray us if you draw it. understood?¡±


    alexandra nodded.


    ¡°good. stick close, then. let¡¯s get out of here.¡±

 Chapter 247: Barb

    chapter 247: barb


    janice stepped out of a swirling purple portal and into a graveyard. the portal snapped shut behind her. she shot a glance over her shoulder, a flicker of irritation through her mind. it never reached her features, which remained perfectly restrained.


    couldn¡¯t he have left the portal open so i could go back through it instead of having to spend a bunch of gold convincing one of dawnforge¡¯s mages to send me back to the linwick estate?


    of course, janice didn¡¯t voice her annoyance out loud. even though father probably would have actually done something about it, bringing any issues to him was generally a poor idea. it was much safer to just handle things herself.


    the smell of moss and faint flowers greeted janice as she turned, taking in the quaint cemetery around her. many of the marble headstones were overrun, but the plot directly before her was clean and untouched by foliage. there was only a single thing written on its face.


    gentil. taken from this world far too late.


    janice reached into her pocket and pulled out the wooden box that father had given her. the plot had already been filled in ¨C father evidently didn¡¯t expect there to be enough of gentil¡¯s body left over to actually bury.


    she knelt, placing the box on the dirt and opening it to reveal the delicate black flower within. it glistened in the dim light, sending a shiver down janice¡¯s spine. this wasn¡¯t the first time she¡¯d delivered this particular flower, and it never ended well.


    it wasn¡¯t a gesture meant for the deceased. it was one meant for the living, and the living rarely took kindly to threats.


    ¡°father moves fast. i see old age has done little to warm his frozen heart.¡±


    janice stiffened, rising back to her feet and turning around. a middle-aged woman stood behind janice, her hands behind her back and a small, amused smile on her lips. the woman¡¯s hair hung around her face in a bob, and was slightly rotund. a flour-covered apron covered her front.


    standing nearly a head shorter than janice, the woman couldn¡¯t have possibly looked less intimidating if she¡¯d wanted to. but, despite that, the back of janice¡¯s neck prickled violently. there were many things she did for father, but one of the foremost ones was sensing magic ¨C and the woman was brimming with it.


    ¡°father changes when he sees fit to,¡± janice said. she looked down at the grave. ¡°do you happen to be an acquaintance of magus gentil?¡±


    ¡°i met him once or twice, but no more. we simply had a mutual contact.¡± the woman shook her head, then sent a pointed glance down at the black flower. ¡°one that¡¯s going to be rather displeased with this gesture.¡±


    ¡°it is not my concern with how others view father¡¯s actions. i am simply the messenger.¡±


    ¡°yes, yes,¡± the woman said. ¡°don¡¯t worry your little backside. i¡¯m not going to kill the messenger. can¡¯t say father wouldn¡¯t do the same, though.¡±


    janice didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°not much of a talkative one, eh?¡± the woman shrugged. ¡°up to you. don¡¯t you think you¡¯re acting a little preemptively, though? gentil isn¡¯t dead. his targets are a group of rank 3s. he¡¯s more than strong enough ¨C even if he does have more than a dozen screw loose ¨C to handle them. perhaps father is starting to overplay his hand, eh?¡±


    ¡°if father has decided that gentil is dead, then he is dead.¡± janice looked back to the flower. ¡°you¡¯re one of wizen¡¯s men, then?¡±


    ¡°one of wizen¡¯s women, thank you very much.¡± the woman laughed, but janice wasn¡¯t certain what the joke was meant to be. ¡°i¡¯d tell you to keep the dirty thoughts from your mind, but i suspect there¡¯s no point. you don¡¯t seem like much fun.¡±


    a rumble shook the ground beneath them, so faint that janice would have passed it off as a minor earthquake if she hadn¡¯t been actively listening. it was incredibly faint, but she could feel magic twisting through the ground far beneath their feet.


    father chose a gravesite so close to gentil¡¯s actual living quarters. if it were anyone else, i¡¯d say it was a coincidence. with him, it obviously wasn¡¯t. he wanted wizen¡¯s people to know he was responsible for this ¨C even though he wasn¡¯t. at least, i don¡¯t think he was. it¡¯s hard to tell with him.


    barb tilted her head to the side. she reached up to her neck and pulled out a small necklace studded with six emeralds. five of them glittered with dark, nearly black energy. the sixth was dull and empty. ¡°ah. well. i suppose i should retract my earlier statement, shouldn¡¯t i? gentil appears to have died.¡±


    it sounded like barb was discussing the weather rather than someone¡¯s death.


    given what i know of gentil, i¡¯m not really all that surprised. he was a terrible bastard. the world is better without him in it. does wizen truly care this little, though? gentil was one of his pawns.


    ¡°what are you thinking, janice? i can¡¯t read that expression of yours at all.¡±


    ¡°i was wondering how wizen would take gentil¡¯s death.¡±


    ¡°in stride, i suppose. men die in war. it happens. there¡¯s no reason to feel anything at all. he¡¯ll simply move on. typically, that would involve handling the people that struck out against him ¨C but i cannot predict how he will move forward when the killers are from father.¡±


    ¡°i trust the letter that father wrote will solve any confusion that may arise.¡±


    ¡°i suppose we shall have to see. is there anything else?¡± barb asked. ¡°i imagine wizen is going to be looking forward to hearing from me quite soon. he¡¯ll have a right fun time figuring out what to do after gentil went and got himself killed. what do you think ¨C should i go back now, or should i wait a bit and make him squirm?¡±


    ¡°i would not suggest a course of action to you. it could end poorly if you displease wizen, though.¡±


    ¡°oh, posh. wizen isn¡¯t like your father, dear. he¡¯s quite a reasonable fellow. and, speaking of which ¨C i hope father doesn¡¯t have any deigns on dawnforge. wizen will not be giving his hold up on it so easily.¡±


    janice just looked back to the flower at their feet. ¡°father did not tell me what his plans for dawnforge were, but i would not dally in delivering the information that father sent. though i don¡¯t believe it will matter one way or another.¡±


    barb knelt and picked the box with the flower in it up gently, closing the lid and sliding it into a pocket before glancing back at janice. ¡°and why is that?¡±


    ¡°because, whatever you do, father has already likely predicted it. there¡¯s only one person that has taken him by surprise in over seventy years.¡±


    ¡°a new one?¡± barb blinked. ¡°who?¡±


    ¡°the same one that just killed gentil.¡± janice inclined her head. ¡°thank you for the meal. i will be on my way.¡±


    with that, she turned and strode out of the graveyard. barb watched her depart, a pensive expression on her face. then the older woman headed out in the opposite direction. gentil¡¯s grave was left barren and in the shadows, already forgotten.


    it would remain that way, untouched and forgotten, until the elements wore the name from its face and crumbled the polished marble away.

 Chapter 248: Mental Chat

    chapter 248: mental chat


    noah jerked upright, drawing in a strangled gasp as his soul slammed back into place in the cramped closet. he grabbed his gourd, lurching to his feet as he dug through his bag in search of his clothes.


    good thing i brought all those spares father had made for me along. it would have been awkward if i had to go on a shopping run while naked ¨C or roll up wearing moxie¡¯s clothes.


    a headache thumped in noah¡¯s temples, but it wasn¡¯t the worst he¡¯d had. since he¡¯d technically been the one to deal himself the finishing blow, he hadn¡¯t taken too much soul damage ¨C but he was still blocked from his magic for the next twelve hours or so.


    the last thing he¡¯d seen in his soul form before getting ripped away was gentil¡¯s charred corpse falling to the ground and his assistant getting finished off by lee and moxie.


    everything should be handled. can¡¯t say that killing myself isn¡¯t a damn effective tactic, though.


    it¡¯s effective. it¡¯s also stupid. can¡¯t you find literally any other finishing move?


    there¡¯s nothing wrong with it. shouldn¡¯t you be happy that i just killed a bunch of people? that¡¯s what you want, isn¡¯t it?


    azel grunted.


    yes. among other things. death is... not comfortable, though. i do not understand why you put yourself ¨C and more importantly, me ¨C through it. do you realize that i went without such sensations for hundreds of years, only to experience it dozens of times over after getting saddled with you?


    i¡¯d argue that i¡¯m the one that got saddled with you, not the other way around.


    noah tugged his shirt on, then realized he¡¯d pulled it on backwards. he pulled his arms back in and rotated the shirt around, fixing it.


    semantics. i am a demon, well on his way toward the peak of my power. and i am stuck in your worthless soul, all because of that damn rune of yours.


    do you want me to throw you a pity party or something? if you weren¡¯t a raging asshole, maybe i¡¯d try to find a way to actually help you.


    and if you weren¡¯t a moron, you wouldn¡¯t reveal such weakness. what if i simply pretended to be kind?


    noah snorted. he walked up to the window and peered out of it, hoping to see moxie and lee heading along the streets soon.


    i¡¯m more than aware you quite literally can¡¯t control yourself. demons are a lot of things, but you aren¡¯t subtle. if you were, you wouldn¡¯t have blown your cover back with evergreen. revealing yourself was also what let me find that little thread of my soul that you¡¯re bound to. if you didn¡¯t do that, i might not have found you.


    azel harrumphed, and noah resisted the urge to shake his head. it was easy to get complacent with azel. sure, the demon did have a complete one-track mind, but it was also more than capable of pushing and nudging noah to act in ways he didn¡¯t want to.


    he¡¯d experienced it multiple times already, and some of the fury that had burned in noah¡¯s chest during the fight against gentil had doubtlessly been from azel as well. the moment he forgot just how dangerous azel was would be when he slipped up.


    speaking of slipping up, what is your goal? you haven¡¯t come out of my body since that one time. what do you want? other than getting away from me.


    quite literally that and nothing more, though i admit that i¡¯ve been enjoying things when you go around slaughtering people. if you do that more often, i could be convinced to stick around longer.


    that is absolutely the last thing i want. 0v3l.bin.


    ¡°not a bad idea. if we can¡¯t figure out what it is before the end of summer, that¡¯s not a bad idea,¡± moxie said.


    ¡°we could always test it,¡± lee offered.


    ¡°that sounds like a good way to get ourselves blown up,¡± noah said with a laugh that he immediately regretted as a twinge of pain shot through his head. moxie sent him a concerned glance, but he waved it away. ¡°don¡¯t worry about me. it¡¯s just the effects of my little stint. it¡¯ll be gone by tomorrow.¡±


    moxie nodded. ¡°lee, do you want to hold onto the dagger or have me do it? i¡¯ve got a bag we can stuff it into. if you¡¯re holding it, make sure you don¡¯t stab anyone. i don¡¯t know what that dagger does and i don¡¯t want to find out the hard way.¡±


    ¡°you can have it,¡± lee said, holding the dagger out handle first. moxie took it carefully and slid it into her travel bag, wrapping it with a spare shirt to make sure the blade didn¡¯t cut anything on accident. ¡°can i keep the gemstones? they¡¯re pretty.¡±


    ¡°as long as you don¡¯t eat them,¡± moxie replied, only half joking. ¡°we¡¯ll sell them at some point soon.¡±


    ¡°kay!¡± lee flopped onto one of the beds at the far side of the room, immediately ruining its fairly clean sheets by smearing blood and sweat across them. moxie and noah exchanged a glance, but neither of them said anything.


    the damage was already done, so there was no point keeping lee from getting a little relaxation in. lee grabbed one end of the blanket and rolled over, wrapping herself up and promptly falling asleep.


    ¡°wow,¡± moxie said, looking on in disbelief. ¡°that was really fast.¡±


    ¡°she must be spent. i haven¡¯t seen her fight for that long at once before. she normally ends her fights pretty quickly. i guess running around that fast for an extended time tires you out. who would have guessed?¡±


    moxie rolled her eyes. ¡°very funny. i¡¯m surprised you¡¯re not exhausted yourself.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m a bit tired, but i think being tired is more of a body thing than a soul thing and... well, the body that was tired is currently charbroiled a few hundred feet beneath the ground. but look!¡±


    noah pulled his sleeve back, proudly showing off the violin¡¯s imbuement. ¡°still there!¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s a relief. i admit that i was a little worried that it might have gotten lost when you died, but i guess you do get to keep your other body imbuements, so there wasn¡¯t that much to be concerned about.¡±


    ¡°yeah,¡± noah said, his tone thoughtful. ¡°i had a talk with azel when i got back that went in an interesting direction. he said that our bodies and our souls are connected, just like they are for monsters. it¡¯s just that we have something in between that makes the connection less apparent, or something like that.¡±


    ¡°interesting. what brought that up?¡±


    ¡°talking about imbuements. it isn¡¯t exactly something that¡¯s immediately relevant, but azel put a lot of emphasis on it. he¡¯s not really one to be helpful for free, so i think it¡¯s probably pretty important. no clue why, though.¡±


    ¡°same here. just something to keep in mind, i guess.¡± moxie stretched her arms above her head and yawned. ¡°i¡¯m going to go take a shower and go to bed now, though. lee had the right idea.¡±


    noah nodded absently. ¡°yeah. i¡¯ll hold down the fort.¡±


    moxie headed to the shower, and noah sat down on the unoccupied bed in the room. he adjusted one of the pillows and leaned back against the wall, his brow furrowed as he reviewed everything that had happened that day, trying to piece together some semblance of a plan for tomorrow.


    despite his claim of not being tired, it took a grand total of a minute before he drifted off, swallowed by the comforting oblivion of sleep.

 Chapter 249: Space Runes

    chapter 249: space runes


    noah awoke famished the following morning. his stomach grumbled and he sat up, surprised to find that he¡¯d somehow shifted through the night and gone from leaning against the wall to lying in bed.


    lee and moxie were ¨C unsurprisingly ¨C already awake. they sat on the ground in the center of the room, a metal platter covered with bread, butter, eggs, a variety of greasy meats, and fruit between them.


    ¡°that smells good,¡± noah said, sliding from the bed straight to the ground beside them without even taking a single step. ¡°and convenient location, too. i¡¯m starving.¡±


    moxie and lee both sent noah a surprised look as he grabbed a piece of bread, stuffing several pieces of sausage into it before stuffing the whole thing into his mouth in a technique that he¡¯d seen lee pull off more than a few times.


    ¡°what?¡± noah asked through a full mouth. his voice was muffled from all the food, but he was pretty sure they got the idea.


    ¡°nothing,¡± moxie replied, taking a bite out of an apple she had in one of her hands. ¡°i just haven¡¯t seen you actually excited to eat in ¨C ever, really.¡±


    ¡°i was excited when you bought all of us that fancy dinner.¡±


    ¡°that was also really expensive. anyone would be excited about eating expensive food,¡± moxie said.


    ¡°i¡¯m excited about all food,¡± lee said.


    ¡°a fact of which i¡¯m greatly familiar with,¡± moxie said. ¡°noah, on the other hand, forgets to eat unless we remind him.¡±


    ¡°maybe i was just hungry after getting blown up.¡± noah finally swallowed, then claimed an orange and started to peel it. ¡°did i miss anything?¡±


    ¡°no. we just woke up.¡±


    ¡°you just woke up,¡± lee corrected, pointing a banana at moxie before biting off half of it ¨C skin and all. ¡°i, on the other hand, have been awake for hours. i looked around the city.¡±


    moxie raised a finger, then clearly thought better and lowered it. there were some things that just weren¡¯t worth bringing up. lee had yet to get indigestion from any of the other things she¡¯d eaten, so noah suspected a little banana peel wasn¡¯t going to hurt her.


    ¡°i hope that doesn¡¯t mean you stabbed someone else,¡± noah said with a chuckle.


    ¡°not this time. just did some wandering. dawnforge is pretty at night. i refrained from getting any snacks to avoid making someone mad.¡±


    ¡°might be for the best.¡± moxie gave an approving nod. ¡°we should keep the major incidents down to a one per week basis whenever possible.¡±


    ¡°one a week? that¡¯s a high ask.¡± noah polished his orange off, then took another sausage and popped it into his mouth. he glanced around the room. ¡°is there water¨C¡±


    moxie handed him a waterskin, which he took gratefully. he drank several gulps before lowering it.


    ¡°so the city isn¡¯t up in arms or anything?¡± noah asked, handing the skin back to moxie. ¡°we did just blow up a bakery. and then some.¡±


    ¡°doesn¡¯t look like it. there aren¡¯t guards crawling everywhere, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking. i¡¯m sure people are looking into the bakery now, but i suspect that they found the whole underground tunnel system and are more concerned with dealing with any remaining criminals than anything else.¡±


    ¡°is it going to be a problem if we stick around?¡±


    moxie shook her head. ¡°now that we know for a fact that gentil was a criminal? not at all. even if the guards do come after us, it¡¯ll be for information rather than suspicion. dawnforge is an adventurer city. they¡¯re not going to get mad at us for rooting out assassins.¡±


    ¡°great. in that case, what¡¯s the plan?¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re the one with the giant list of things you want to do,¡± moxie said with a wry smile. ¡°you tell me.¡±


    if this is how expensive powerful runes are in the normal market, i don¡¯t even want to think how high auction prices will push. if we have karina take us to one, then we¡¯re going to need to make sure we¡¯ve actually got enough money to buy something.


    ¡°how about the gems we showed you?¡± moxie asked. ¡°what¡¯ll you pay for those?¡±


    ¡°they¡¯re quite nice. i¡¯d be willing to give you a thousand five hundred, but i¡¯ll be honest with you. you could probably get more in a different city. there are so many rock monsters near dawnforge that the price of gems here isn¡¯t as high as it is in other locations.¡±


    ¡°you? being honest?¡± moxie¡¯s eyebrows rose.


    ¡°don¡¯t get used to it,¡± thaddius said dryly.


    ¡°what about worse versions of the runes?¡± noah asked after a moment of thought. ¡°poorly constructed rank 3 or 4 runes with space runes in them?¡±


    ¡°ten to fifteen thousand, i¡¯d guess.¡± thaddius rubbed his chin. ¡°i¡¯d have to find someone selling one, though. you have to remember that i¡¯m not exactly licensed to sell runes. good luck finding a vendor that is, though. unless you¡¯re there on house business or show up slinging coin, they won¡¯t even waste their time with you.¡±


    ¡°isn¡¯t selling runes illegally really dangerous?¡±


    ¡°oh, sure. but i said technically. i¡¯ve done dealings with nobles before, and as long as i don¡¯t go around sticking my nose out too far, they can¡¯t be bothered to deal with me. it ain¡¯t making the runes cheaper for you either way, though.¡±


    noah scrunched his nose. he was pretty sure they could rack up a lot of money if they spent all two weeks hunting monsters incessantly, but that would only buy lee a single one of the runes she needed.


    he could bring the price down by buying a bunch of bad runes and re-combining them, but that would still take a fair bit of time and money. it was really looking like finding the rune organically would just be the easiest and fastest option.


    i wonder if we could find brayden and convince him to imbue a bit of one of his runes.


    ¡°i¡¯m afraid you¡¯re shit out of luck, unless your luck isn¡¯t shit.¡± thaddius let out a booming laugh.


    ¡°what¡¯s that meant to mean?¡± moxie asked, her brow furrowed.


    ¡°ah, just making a joke about the casino. they have real nice runes as prizes for a variety of things, but you¡¯d be better off saving your money and working up to the runes normally.¡±


    ¡°prizes?¡± lee¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°they give runes?¡±


    ¡°that is a very oversimplified way of sayin¡¯ they dangle runes to get all your coin,¡± thaddius corrected. ¡°if i¡¯m a crook, then the casinos are monsters. nobody ever walks out of there feeling happy. just because there¡¯s a miniscule chance that you win a game and get a good rune doesn¡¯t mean¨C¡±


    ¡°you get to win runes and play games? i want to do it.¡± lee turned her eyes toward noah. ¡°can we do it?¡±


    oh boy. this can only end well. i suppose lee does have the three hundred gold from the split. losing it isn¡¯t going to be that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things.


    noah glanced at moxie, who shrugged and passed the decision off onto him.


    ¡°i suppose it can¡¯t hurt to take a look,¡± noah allowed. ¡°do you know where they are, moxie?¡±


    thaddius let out a long-suffering sigh as moxie nodded.


    ¡°you¡¯re just wasting your gold,¡± thaddius called after them as they stepped out of the shop.


    ¡°just don¡¯t forget about the auction,¡± moxie replied, looking over her shoulder at the merchant. ¡°you better sell that horn soon ¨C and remember you owe us ninety percent of the sale.¡±


    with that, they left the shop and headed out in the street, making for the casino.

 Chapter 250: Casino

    chapter 250: casino


    noah was impressed.


    they¡¯d found the casino fairly easily, and it was strikingly similar to what he¡¯d seen of them on earth. a brightly lit, colorful building with a variety of different ways to gamble and far too much food and alcohol.


    it had taken lee a grand total of three minutes to run through all three hundred of her gold. noah had watched in shock from the chair beside lee as she repeatedly tried her luck at a card game ¨C and repeatedly lost in spectacular fashion.


    he did try to gently stop lee a few times, but it was pointless. as soon as she lost her fist round, it was a death vendetta. noah still had yet to actually figure out the rules of the game, and was still midway through trying to pick everything up when lee announced that she¡¯d spent the entirety of her gold.


    that should have been the end of it. noah had already started berating himself for letting lee waste her money at a casino ¨C she still knew so little about the world that it felt like he¡¯d basically let a child gamble.


    but, as noah went to pull lee away, her fortunes shifted. that shift came in the form of a half-drunk noble who ordered a massive platter of food and promptly threw up before he could even start on it.


    a waiter had gone to throw it out because of how much space it took up on the table when lee stopped him.


    ¡°i could eat that in less than a minute,¡± lee said, eyeing the tower of greasy meat and bread.


    one of the other men at the table let out a snort. ¡°a little thing like you? not a fart¡¯s chance in a hurricane, kid. i¡¯d sooner believe you¡¯ll win a hand of king¡¯s gambit than you could finish that, much less eat all of it in less than a minute.¡±


    lee arched an eyebrow. ¡°wanna bet?¡±


    ¡°do you even have any more gold?¡± a rounding, middle aged woman asked. ¡°you said you only had three hundred when you sat down, and you¡¯ve already lost all that.¡±


    lee sent a look to noah. ¡°please?¡±


    this is going to be the easiest money we¡¯ve ever made.


    ¡°i don¡¯t know,¡± noah hedged, glancing to the side. ¡°i¡¯m not so sure it¡¯s a good idea. that¡¯s a really big platter of food.¡±


    ¡°i can do it!¡±


    ¡°hear that?¡± the man asked, plucking at his moustache as the rest of the table laughed. ¡°she can do it. how about putting up fifty gold?¡±


    ¡°fifty?¡± noah turned his nose up. ¡°that¡¯s hardly worth it. it won¡¯t even cover the cleanup if she pops after trying to eat all that.¡±


    the table burst into laughter again, and the mustached man pulled a bag of gold from his belt and slapped it on the table while the dealer looked on in growing annoyance at the delay in his game.


    ¡°five hundred. how¡¯s that?¡±


    i don¡¯t have five hundred gold that i want to spare... but i don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to be a problem for very long.


    ¡°deal!¡± lee exclaimed.


    ¡°not asking you, pipsqueak. i¡¯m asking the scruffy guy.¡±


    ¡°you sure you can do this?¡± noah asked reluctantly, chewing his lip to try and really sell it.


    ¡°yeah!¡±


    ¡°fine,¡± noah said. ¡°five hundred gold. she¡¯s got a minute.¡±


    ¡°starts when she takes the first bite. go on, kid. no rush. if you need to wait a bit to digest the last meal you ate, i won¡¯t¨C¡±


    lee grabbed the plate and pulled it closer to herself. squishing the food into paste, she started shoveling it into her mouth, not even pausing to breathe.


    it took her a grand total of ten seconds to polish the entire thing off.


    moxie grunted. ¡°yeah. let¡¯s just find lee and get out of here before something happens.¡±


    ***


    they got banned from the casino.


    noah wished he could say he was surprised, but after the three of them got shoved out and had the front door slammed on them, all he could do was shake his head. lee gave him and moxie a sheepish grin.


    ¡°sorry.¡±


    she¡¯d been remarkably effective at evading their pursuit ¨C which could have been passed off as coincidence, but noah knew lee more than well enough to understand that she definitely smelled them coming and had been keeping distance on purpose to avoid getting pulled out of her fun.


    noah had just barely manage to see her win about three more bets, all food related, before promptly losing all her money every single time ¨C and always zipping back off right before he or moxie could catch her.


    the casino probably would have been completely fine with lee feeding them more money, but that all ended when one of her bets pointed out that they¡¯d agreed that lee could eat everything on the table, not just the food.


    they¡¯d probably thought it was a clever way to get out of paying lee out. they certainly hadn¡¯t expected lee to grab all the betting chips on the table and start shoveling them into her mouth ¨C along with the cards, silverware, and a woman¡¯s hat.


    ¡°it¡¯s fine,¡± noah said, rubbing his brow. ¡°we didn¡¯t get fined at least. getting kicked out and banned isn¡¯t the worst result that could have happened. in the end, we¡¯re only down a little gold. it¡¯s not a big deal.¡±


    i¡¯m just glad they didn¡¯t fine us. getting away with a ban is actually a pretty lucky break.


    ¡°so when can we go back?¡± lee asked.


    ¡°never. we¡¯re banned.¡±


    ¡°oh. that¡¯s fine. gambling is lame. it¡¯s just a bunch of old people taking your money and getting pissed off when you eat their food.¡± lee stuck her nose into the air as they headed down the street.


    ¡°it¡¯s not a great habit to pick up,¡± noah said. ¡°maybe it¡¯s for the best you didn¡¯t love it.¡±


    ¡°i wanted to get enough money to get a cool rune,¡± lee said with a disappointed frown. ¡°they¡¯re a bunch of cheaters. i never got my payout for eating all the stuff on that table.¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ll just ask brayden to imbue a bit of his rune and pay him for his troubles. it¡¯s way more effective than screwing around in there.¡± noah ruffled lee¡¯s hair. ¡°forget that stuff. you know, we¡¯ve still got that one job that we never got around to doing. the one with the rock golems.¡±


    ¡°oh, yeah. i forgot about that because of the creepy old guy,¡± lee said. ¡°do you think rock monsters have space runes?¡±


    ¡°probably not,¡± noah said. ¡°but they do have money, and we can¡¯t get banned from beating up a bunch of rocks. if we want to get a rune from brayden, we should be able to pay him for his troubles.¡±


    and i need to get some more money to buy moxie something. she really seemed to want one of those stuffed animals. i never thought she liked cute things like that, and i¡¯m not sure one of those will replace an actual gift, but maybe i could get her a cloak or something and put it on a stuffed animal when i give it to her.


    would that be too much? eh. either way, i need money. i¡¯ll figure the rest out later.


    ¡°okay!¡± lee gave him a grin, her annoyance at the casino completely forgotten. ¡°let¡¯s go do that, then.¡±


    ¡°you good with it as well?¡± noah asked moxie.


    ¡°yeah. i did just waste more gold than i care to admit, so replenishing can¡¯t hurt. getting some more energy for my runes will be nice as well. every step toward rank 4 is a step in the right direction.¡±


    noah nodded, and the three of them set off toward the edge of the city.


    all things considered, noah could tell that moxie and lee had enjoyed themselves, even if it wasn¡¯t an experience that was going to get repeated anytime soon.


    i suppose paying a few hundred gold to relax after mopping the floor up with that disgusting bastard gentil isn¡¯t really a big waste. it¡¯s nice to take things a bit easier every once and a while.


    a thought struck noah and he hid a grimace.


    i just hope that cat doesn¡¯t pop up and cause trouble while we¡¯re dealing with the rock monsters.

 Chapter 251: Long time

    chapter 251: long time


    they reached the area that the rock monsters inhabited after a short trip. noah managed a fairly decent landing with his flying sword at the top of a hill. he and moxie stepped off as lee fluttered out of his bag.


    after returning her clothes to her, noah looked around the hill. like the majority of the area around dawnforge, it was rough and craggy. holes were scattered throughout the ground and rough stone formations jutted out at random.


    some of the protruding rocks were as tall as buildings and cast long shadows beneath them, giving the area a starkly unwelcoming appearance. noah instinctively activated his tremorsense, feeling for any vibrations in the ground near them.


    ¡°where are they?¡± noah asked. ¡°blending in with the rocks, maybe?¡±


    ¡°probably,¡± moxie said with a nod. ¡°we didn¡¯t make too much noise landing, so we might need to root some of them up.¡±


    ¡°using a bunch of power won¡¯t just call them over?¡±


    ¡°probably not.¡± moxie knelt by a hole and sent a vine winding into it ¨C though noah noted that moxie very pointedly did not grab onto the vine. if anything yanked on it, the vine was going into the ground without her. ¡°rock monsters are pretty common, and they¡¯re not all that powerful. they¡¯d probably run off if you started throwing around huge amounts of energy.¡±


    ¡°and then we¡¯d get a giga-rock monster instead!¡± lee said, thrusting her axe into the air and swiping it as if to chop off something¡¯s head. ¡°i bet the gems in that would sell for more money.¡±


    ¡°we¡¯re delivering the gems for the job, not keeping them.¡± moxie¡¯s vine slithered back up her sleeve and she stood up, brushing her knees off. ¡°gems is honestly a bit of a stretch. most rock monsters near dawnforge have been hunted so often that their parts aren¡¯t worth that much. it¡¯s more like shiny pieces of glass.¡±


    ¡°oh.¡± lee¡¯s face fell. ¡°do you think they taste good, then?¡±


    ¡°they probably taste like rocks.¡±


    lee eyed a stone on the ground, a contemplative expression on her face. moxie walked over to another hole and sent her vine writhing into it once more.


    ¡°i don¡¯t imagine rocks taste great,¡± noah said as lee went to pick one up.


    ¡°why? have you tried one?¡±


    ¡°well... no. but i¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯ll just taste like a rock.¡±


    ¡°and you don¡¯t know what that tastes like.¡±


    ¡°i ¨C fine. eat a rock.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t want to anymore.¡±


    noah wasn¡¯t sure if he was supposed to laugh or let out a defeated sigh, but he spotted the twinkle of amusement in lee¡¯s eyes. she was screwing with him. noah shook his head.


    a few distant cracks emerged from the hole moxie was beside. she straightened, taking a few preemptive steps back.


    ¡°i think i got one.¡±


    ¡°what exactly does that vine do?¡± noah asked, watching the hole expectantly. ¡°like... why does it make monsters come out? energy or something?¡±


    ¡°no. i tickle them until they get annoyed and come out to stop me.¡±


    ¡°you tick¨C¡±


    a hand burst from the hole, and the ground around it bulged. they all took a few steps back as a craggy stone creature pulled itself out from beneath the ground, pebbles and dirt sloughing off its body as it straightened.the roots of this story extend from novell bi?n origin.


    the monster¡¯s weight was overbearingly in its upper body. it was somewhat humanoid. its arms and chest were sharp and jagged, while its legs were bent out in odd directions beneath it and didn¡¯t look like they served much purpose other than balance.


    instead of a head, it had more of a rough bump with a few jagged stones around a hole that noah suspected to be its mouth. two glittering red stones at the top of the bump marked its eyes.


    ¡°there¡¯s a great monster in the area that¡¯s influencing them. pretty sure it¡¯s beneath dawnforge,¡± moxie said.


    ¡°beneath? that doesn¡¯t seem wise. considering how much stronger great monsters are, i¡¯m picturing a hill-sized rock monster right now. maybe a small mountain.¡±


    ¡°small mountain, according to the rumors. and it¡¯s not just lying around. it¡¯s bound.¡±


    a rock monster traveling through the ground had its attack interrupted by natural disaster forcibly slamming the stones around it together. noah split the ground open a moment later, plucking the gemstone eyes from the rubble.


    ¡°that¡¯s kind of screwed up. they¡¯ve got the great monster chained up? aren¡¯t great monsters more intelligent than normal monsters? i don¡¯t feel bad about killing these rock monsters, but if they were actually sapient...¡±


    ¡°i never said i approved of it, but is this coming from the same person that relentlessly tried to kill the hellreaver?¡± moxie teased.


    ¡°that¡¯s different. it was using me as a food delivery service. the hellreaver deserved what was coming to it.¡±


    ¡°yeah!¡± lee crowed. ¡°and i also got lots of snacks out of that as well. i liked the hellreaver.¡±


    noah shot a look at lee, who grinned sheepishly.


    ¡°seriously?¡±


    ¡°well, you weren¡¯t using your bodies. i was helping!¡±


    noah just shook his head. he turned his attention to his tremorsense, trying to see if any more rock monsters had been drawn into the fight, but he couldn¡¯t pick up on any more. he opened his mouth, then paused as something flitted by at the top of a nearby hill.


    something red.


    oh, come on. this happens every time we go out now. it¡¯s not even a surprise anymore. can¡¯t you at least try to make things a little more interesting, if only so i don¡¯t have to deal with random crap every single time i go outside?


    the cat wreathed with reddish-purple energy, the spikes running across its body shimmering with every movement as it raced toward them, didn¡¯t seem to care about noah¡¯s internal complaints.


    ¡°oh, you¡¯ve got to be kidding me,¡± moxie said, turning to follow noah¡¯s gaze. ¡°again?¡±


    ¡°at least it¡¯s alo¨C¡± lee started.


    a huge, stone spider the size of a building skittered over the top of the hill behind the cat, its spiney legs blurring across the ground as it raced in pursuit. noah sent a glance at lee out of the corner of his eye.


    ¡°alone,¡± lee finished.


    noah rolled his shoulders and called on natural disaster. ¡°get ready for a fight. that thing looks pretty tough.¡±


    moxie stepped up beside noah, vines writhing around her feet and rising up like a sea of snakes at her side. lee readied her axe, and the three of them waited to meet the charging spider.


    they never got a chance to strike.


    a flash of purple lit the sky for a brief instant. the spider stumbled, its legs getting caught up on each other as they curled inward, and its body rolled to a stop at the bottom of the hill that noah and the others stood on.


    yowling in apparent amusement, the cat dove into a hole and vanished. noah barely noticed ¨C he wasn¡¯t paying any more attention to it.


    his eyes were fixed on the man who had just appeared behind the spider, a massive sword slung over his equally massive body.


    it was someone that noah hadn¡¯t seen in quite some time ¨C and someone that he was surprised to find he¡¯d actually been looking forward to meeting again.


    brayden.

 Chapter 252: Haunting

    chapter 252: haunting


    ¡°vermil!¡± brayden exclaimed. ¡°what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°i was about to ask you the exact same question,¡± noah said, letting out a disbelieving laugh. ¡°i¡¯m glad you¡¯re doing well. why are you in dawnforge?¡±


    ¡°business for father,¡± brayden replied, sheathing his sword and hiking up the hill toward them. he clapped noah on the shoulder when he arrived, nearly sending him straight through the ground with the force of the friendly gesture. ¡°i came because he thought janice might have some difficulty with the locals. what are you doing here yourself?¡±


    ¡°summer vacation,¡± noah replied, nodding to moxie and lee. ¡°we came out to get some relaxation and work on our runes.¡±


    ¡°how did escorting janice turn into hunting spiders?¡± lee asked.


    ¡°some damn cat monster stole my lunch,¡± brayden said, rubbing the back of his head. ¡°janice made it for me, so i didn¡¯t want to let it go. i chased the stupid thing out here, and then a bunch of huge spiders started popping up as soon as i got close to the cat. i had to finish them off to make sure random passersby didn¡¯t get attacked. that was the last of them.¡±


    that... no way. we were just talking about how we needed to find brayden to hopefully get a rune from him. now he just randomly pops up? there¡¯s something going on with this cat.


    noah¡¯s brow furrowed in concentration. the cat had first shown up in arbitage. it hadn¡¯t really done anything there other than sit on his chest.


    then its energy had appeared with the creepy frost monster ¨C right when noah had decided he needed to get his hands on an ice-based rune. it had popped up again when they¡¯d gotten attacked by the strange, goopy vine thing, then had appeared just in time to squish the would-be assassins.


    now it had appeared with brayden.


    holy shit. i think lee was right. the cat is actually trying to help us. or maybe it¡¯s just messing with us? i¡¯m not sure what the goop monster thing was about, but the rest of the times we¡¯ve met it, we¡¯ve actually benefited.


    ¡°is something wrong?¡± brayden asked.


    ¡°sorry. i got lost in thought.¡± noah copied brayden¡¯s greeting and clapped the large man on the shoulder ¨C or at least, he did his best to. it felt like he was a child asking a parent to pick him up because of brayden¡¯s height, but the thought was there. ¡°how have you been?¡±


    ¡°busy,¡± brayden grimaced. ¡°father has been making a lot of movements. i haven¡¯t seen him this active in a long time.¡±


    ¡°anything that we should be concerned about?¡± moxie asked.


    brayden glanced at her. ¡°you, perhaps. the torrins have been a thorn in father¡¯s side for a long time ¨C he and evergreen go way back. even though father isn¡¯t the head of the linwick family, he still has more than enough unsettled trouble with evergreen. it¡¯s a good thing he¡¯s not the head, or things would be much worse.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s... concerning,¡± noah said. ¡°do you think he¡¯s planning something big?¡±


    ¡°he¡¯s always planning something big. i don¡¯t think he plans to plunge into all out war, though. the other noble houses wouldn¡¯t allow it. never mind that, though,¡± brayden said with a shake of his head. ¡°i¡¯ve been on business for far too long. it¡¯s good to see you all again. even you, torrin.¡±


    noah actually returned the sentiment. of all the people he¡¯d interacted with outside his immediate circle, brayden was one of the few that wasn¡¯t a raging asshole in one way or another.


    ¡°we were actually hoping to meet you!¡± lee said. ¡°can you imbue a little bit of one of your runes? i want to learn space magic. i can pay you with snacks!¡±


    ¡°hold on, lee,¡± noah said, laughing. ¡°let the work wait for a moment.¡±


    noah¡¯s smile faltered.


    brayden still believes that i¡¯m vermil. sure, he almost certainly thinks that the demon vermil summoned is, at least to some degree, bouncing around, but he probably still thinks that i¡¯m actually vermil at heart.


    ¡°you look displeased,¡± brayden said, his large face furrowing. ¡°did something happen?¡±


    i don¡¯t think i can ask brayden for something when i¡¯m masquerading as his brother. if he was an asshole then i wouldn¡¯t think twice about it, but he¡¯s done nothing but help us.


    ¡°vermil?¡± brayden grabbed noah¡¯s shoulders. ¡°what is it? did father do something already?¡±


    i¡¯m not vermil, damn it. it¡¯s such a damn stupid thing to tell him, but i can¡¯t keep lying to this poor guy. he deserves better.


    noah wasn¡¯t sure what to say to that. any words that came out of his mouth felt like they would just be cheap ¨C condolences from the man that had been deceiving brayden since the start.


    what made him feel even worse was that noah would have done it all again. no matter how he felt, survival had taken priority.


    ¡°i won¡¯t tell father. i¡¯ll keep this to myself,¡± brayden said finally. ¡°he was the one that killed vermil. him and karina. and maybe vermil deserved it.¡±


    noah opened his mouth, but brayden continued before he could speak.


    ¡°but i don¡¯t care. they killed my brother. they¨C¡± brayden cut his words off and drew another ragged breath, his brow tightening. ¡°damn it. i hate this family. who are you, really?¡±


    ¡°my real name is noah.¡±


    brayden nodded. he took a step back, then placed a hand on the hilt of his sword. for a moment, noah thought that he was going to draw it. instead, a glimmer of purple energy enveloped brayden¡¯s body.


    then he vanished with a pop. there was no goodbye. no anger, no sadness. just... nothing. noah stared at the spot where brayden had been standing. technically, the conversation had gone well.


    brayden had promised not to tell anybody the truth. but, despite that, noah almost felt sick.


    ¡°i think it was for the best,¡± moxie said.


    ¡°aren¡¯t you supposed to point out how stupid it was to share that?¡± noah asked. ¡°we might have just made another enemy.¡±


    ¡°i think there are times when being honest can be worth the damage it does. for what it¡¯s worth, i think you did the right thing. if someone had replaced emily, i¡¯d want to know.¡±


    noah grunted. ¡°yeah. i suppose so.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s better to get rid of false hope,¡± lee said, her tone more serious than it had been in a long time. ¡°even if vermil was a terrible guy, letting brayden mourn for his brother is the right thing to do.¡±


    noah let out a curt, sarcastic laugh. ¡°yeah. i guess so.¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ll just make money and get a space rune some other way. i think i¡¯d rather have one that feels like i deserve it,¡± lee said. ¡°let¡¯s go turn this job in and get dinner.¡±


    ¡°did we get enough monsters?¡± noah asked.


    moxie paused for a moment, then grimaced. ¡°no. i don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°do you think the two of you could go get the rest?¡± noah asked. ¡°if you don¡¯t mind, i¡¯d like to sit for a bit and think.¡±


    moxie and lee both nodded, and noah sat down on a rock.


    ¡°yeah, that¡¯s fine,¡± moxie said. she nudged noah with the tip of her shoe. ¡°don¡¯t do something dumb, okay?¡±


    ¡°i won¡¯t,¡± noah promised. ¡°already did that, i think.¡±


    moxie gave him a small smile. she and lee turned and jogged off in search of more rock monsters. noah waited until they¡¯d put some distance between themselves and him, then pulled his sleeve back.


    he ran his fingers along the imbuement of his violin on his forearm. the air condensed and the instrument materialized in his hands. noah placed the bow against the strings and pulled it across, in a long, slow note.


    almost as if it could sense his desires, the sound that emerged was quiet ¨C loud enough for only him to hear. the bow danced as noah started to play, his emotions turning into song. he lost track of time as the music spilled forth.


    noah was so concentrated on the act of playing itself that he barely even noticed the music that he created.


    but, if he¡¯d been paying attention, he would have realized that, for the first time since he¡¯d gotten the violin, its haunting song sounded just the way he wanted it to.

 Chapter 253: Cat

    chapter 253: cat


    at some point during noah¡¯s song, his eyes had closed. when he finally finished playing and let them open once more, he found the cat sitting before him. it was the closest the little monster had gotten to him since arbitage.


    red spines glittered all along its back, emerging like spikes of blood in its snowy fur. the horns sprouting from its head, made of the same glowing red energy as the spikes, were really more like the antlers of a deer.


    noah lowered the violin, and the cat directed an annoyed glance up at him. its were pitch black pools, each containing a pair of glowing pupils.


    ¡°how long have you been sitting there?¡±


    the cat, as cats tended to do, did not respond. it licked its paw, then padded in a circle around noah before settling back down in the exact same spot that it had been sitting in before.


    ¡°should i be worried about a monster jumping up beneath me or something?¡± noah asked, casting his tremorsense out preemptively. he found nothing ¨C the ground seemed to be devoid of any major life.


    that question got him an annoyed look. the cat let out a small whuff of air that definitely could have been construed as a sigh if it had been human.


    ¡°it¡¯s kind of hard to tell what your goals are when you keep showing up with a monster on your heels. part of me feels like you¡¯re trying to help us, and the other part feels like you¡¯re just enjoying watching us fight things.¡±


    the cat extended a paw and poked at one of noah¡¯s feet. if he didn¡¯t know better, noah might have been convinced to believe that the creature before him was just a very odd-looking housecat.


    ¡°not going to give me anything, huh?¡± noah asked. ¡°can¡¯t you at least tell me if you¡¯re friend or foe?¡±


    the cat sneezed.


    noah let the violin and bow vanish from his hands and return to the imbuement on his forearm. he reached into his bag and rifled through it, pulling out a strip of jerky and his eternally growing to-do sheet. noah tossed the jerky down to the cat, which caught it in its mouth and swallowed the entire thing in one bite, not even bothering to chew.


    house cat my ass.


    ¡°see, i¡¯m trying to fill this out,¡± noah said, tapping his finger on the paper. ¡°and you¡¯re on here as one of the things i need to deal with. i¡¯d like to cross you off, if that¡¯s possible. whether i do that in a fight or agreeing to some sort of friendship is up to you. you¡¯ve already helped us a few times. if it weren¡¯t for that goop monster that pulled moxie underground, i¡¯d already assume you were on our side. i want confirmation, though. i know you¡¯re smarter than you¡¯re letting on.¡±


    the cat looked up at noah. he sighed.


    ¡°come on. you¡¯ve clearly understood my conversations with moxie and lee. you¡¯ve brought us monsters with the exact runes i need ¨C and then you dragged brayden over when we were looking for him. give me something to work with.¡±


    the cat pawed at the list in noah¡¯s hand, slapping it to the ground. noah¡¯s eye twitched. he reached down to grab it before it could get torn, but froze as he saw a tiny wisp of smoke curl into the air.


    with a flick, the cat pulled its claw across one of the lines on his paper, then stepped back. noah picked it up, his eyebrows creeping up on his forehead as he saw what it had just crossed out.


    cat - figure out what the weird cat thing was and determine a way to get rid of it.


    by the time noah looked back up from the paper, the cat was gone. he stared at the spot where it had been standing for a few seconds, then let out a soft chuckle and rolled the paper back up, returning it to his bag.


    i suppose that¡¯s about as much of an answer as i¡¯m going to get at the moment.


    he stood and brushed the dirt off the back of his pants, spotting lee and moxie heading over the hills in his direction, their bags bulging with gems.


    ¡°be seeing you, then,¡± noah said quietly to the air around him. ¡°maybe give a bit of warning next time you drop by, huh?¡±


    ¡°poking around. and this is just your soul. nothing special. i just made a few tweaks to make it feel more homely,¡± azel replied. he waved a hand and the bookshelves vanished. the ropes blinked out of existence and the chair disappeared from beneath noah, dumping him onto the ground as the dark expanse of his soul stretched out around them.


    cracks of white light shimmered at the edge of his mindspace, the damage left over from his recent death.


    ¡°is this better?¡± azel asked. ¡°nice and boring.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure better is the right word.¡± noah picked himself off the ground, watching azel warily. ¡°poking around is hardly a sufficient answer when it¡¯s my soul you¡¯re screwing with. what did you do?¡±


    ¡°haven¡¯t you noticed? it should have been pretty apparent by now.¡±


    noah started to shake his head, then paused. his eyes narrowed. ¡°you¡¯re making me hungry? what purpose is that possibly going to serve?¡±


    azel burst into laughter. ¡°what? no. i mean ¨C i suppose that¡¯s part of it, but more a symptom rather than the goal. you can do better than that, noah.¡±


    noah stared at azel. neither of them spoke for several seconds. the demon¡¯s smug grin faded away.


    ¡°you¡¯re not going to make me say it. that takes all the fun out of things.¡±


    noah remained silent.


    azel¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°guess, at least. the symptoms have been getting more intense over the past few days. surely you¡¯ve figured something out.¡±


    ¡°i know you¡¯ve been preoccupied, but i¡¯ve been a little busy as of late. i don¡¯t have the time ¨C or the desire ¨C to play your games. especially when i don¡¯t have anything to gain. tell me what you screwed with.¡±


    azel crossed his arms. ¡°no.¡±


    i don¡¯t feel all that different. azel said he¡¯d take something from me, but... nothing feels like its missing. playing along is exactly what he wants, though. i¡¯m not giving him anything to work with.


    ¡°you do realize that i will not hesitate to kill both of us, right?¡± noah asked. ¡°if i suspect for even an instant that you¡¯re going to do something that will put lee or moxie at threat¨C¡±


    ¡°oh, relax for a minute.¡± azel threw his hands up into the air. ¡°you¡¯d think you were the demon with the way you act. killing yourself as a solution to every single problem. don¡¯t you want to play around a little?¡±


    ¡°no. i want the people i care about to be safe.¡±


    ¡°enough that you¡¯ll send yourself back into that line you hated so much?¡±


    ¡°want to find out?¡±


    the two stared at each other, locked in a wordless battle. finally, azel heaved a sigh.


    ¡°trust me, i¡¯m more than aware of how much of an insane fool you are. i¡¯m not trying to get myself ripped apart in oblivion. despite what you think, if my mind gets wiped after i die, that still seems like a true death to me.¡±


    noah shrugged. ¡°then tell me what you¡¯re doing. you clearly want to.¡±


    ¡°fine, you boring cretin. i¡¯ve just been going around and pulling a few knots free. it turns out that the mortal mind isn¡¯t meant to remember the infinity of the great beyond, and you locked a few things up while you were up there. ever since i woke up, i¡¯ve been unraveling those defenses. isn¡¯t that fun? i¡¯ve been learning so much about you.¡±

 Chapter 254: Tapestry

    chapter 254: tapestry


    ¡°what, are you trying to drive me insane by reminding me of things my brain censored out?¡± noah asked, more baffled than anything else. ¡°what¡¯s the point of doing all that just to look through my memories? you¡¯re not getting any freer if i go nuts.¡±


    ¡°not looking through ¨C and you¡¯re already, as you would put it, nuts,¡± azel corrected, raising a finger into the air. ¡°you¡¯re right. i already saw your memories ¨C the ones that take place on earth or in the arbalest empire, that is. but i¡¯m not talking about memories. i¡¯m talking about emotions.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯ve been... looking at my emotions?¡±


    ¡°releasing them, more accurately. your mind muted huge aspects of yourself as a survival mechanism. your desire to eat. your feelings toward life ¨C both your own and other¡¯s. a dozen others, all core parts of human life. every single little thing that you should have loved was stuffed away and sealed, so that their call just a faint whisper.¡±


    ¡°i never felt like i wasn¡¯t feeling what i should be.¡±


    ¡°of course not. you don¡¯t know what¡¯s missing when you don¡¯t have it.¡±


    noah¡¯s brow furrowed, but the pieces of what azel was saying finally slid into place and understanding washed over his features.


    ¡°have you influenced how i feel about¨C¡±


    ¡°not in the slightest.¡± azel¡¯s grin grew wider. ¡°that¡¯s all you. i just opened a few things up so you could actually feel them again. aren¡¯t emotions wonderful?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t understand what you get out of this.¡± noah pointedly ignored azel¡¯s question. ¡°and how do i know you¡¯re telling the truth?¡±


    ¡°because you¡¯d have done a whole lot more by now if i was actually messing with your true feelings rather than moment to moment nudges.¡± azel crossed his arms in front of his chest. ¡°seriously. even with me setting everything back up how it should be, you still refuse to act like a normal human. but at least you¡¯re on the track to being less like some soulless monster. i can¡¯t say i¡¯ve loved all the emotions you¡¯ve handed me as of late, but anything is better than nothing.¡±


    noah opened his mouth, then frowned. ¡°you feed off of what i feel. that¡¯s why you¡¯re doing this.¡±


    ¡°ding! very good, vines. even after the nudges i gave you, your emotions were so muted that i was starving to death. now, why don¡¯t you say thank you?¡±


    ¡°not going to happen.¡±


    azel glared at noah. ¡°ungrateful. do you realize how long you would have been stuck the way you were if i didn¡¯t start pulling this tapestry of mental scars apart?¡±


    ¡°i never asked for you to change anything. how am i to know you won¡¯t make things worse, azel? my emotions are mine. i don¡¯t want you touching shit in my head and changing how i feel.¡±


    ¡°not once have i ever changed how you feel. i¡¯ve only exaggerated things. you do all the rest for me.¡±


    noah paused for a moment, then tilted his head to the side. at least as far as he knew, azel wasn¡¯t lying about that. every time azel¡¯s influence had come in, it had only exacerbated his anger, not generated it from scratch.


    if azel has the power to mess with my emotions like that, why hasn¡¯t he done more? it¡¯s not because he respects me, that¡¯s for sure.


    ¡°you can¡¯t consume emotions that you create, can you?¡± noah realized. ¡°that would just be a self-sufficient cycle. that¡¯s not possible. you need them to come from someone else.¡±the roots of this story extend from novell bi?n origin.


    azel¡¯s smile slipped away.


    ¡°you weren¡¯t sleeping.¡±


    moxie opened her mouth, then paused. then she prodded noah in the stomach, causing him to double over with a surprised huff. ¡°what was that for?¡±


    ¡°my brain wasn¡¯t fully running yet. i¡¯m not above using cheap tactics to win, though.¡±


    noah rolled his eyes. he was midway through searching for a response when a tiny patch of beige caught his eye. there was a piece of paper on the ground, just on the inside of their door. moxie caught the change in his expression and followed his gaze.


    ¡°what¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°i hope it¡¯s not more work.¡± moxie sat up and brushed her hair out of her face. ¡°for once, i¡¯d like to actually have nothing happening. is that too much to ask?¡±


    ¡°yes,¡± noah said, trying to keep a straight face and failing miserably. moxie flicked him as he slid out of the bed, padding over to the piece of paper. noah knelt beside it. there were two small puncture holes at the top of the paper, which turned out to be a letter. noah was fairly sure someone had just delivered it to the wrong room, but that didn¡¯t stop him from reading it.


    i¡¯ve had some time to think over what we spoke about yesterday. not as much as i would have liked, as we¡¯re leaving dawnforge today, but time enough.


    i am unsure how i should feel about this. i miss my brother, but it struck me that i have not had meaningful interaction with him ever since father got him properly started on that fool¡¯s quest.


    when we met after your little incident with the hellreaver, i was delighted. i thought vermil had finally overgrown his issues and become something of a respectable ¨C if odd ¨C man.


    father always focused on vermil more than me ¨C something which i am ashamed to be thankful for. i won¡¯t claim that vermil would have grown to be a perfectly respectable man if he¡¯d been left alone, but we¡¯ll never know for sure. father ensured that vermil would be who he needed him to be.


    i had thought that vermil had finally broken just a little bit of father¡¯s influence over him. over the past few months, i felt like i had gotten my brother back. but it strikes me that it was not him that i spoke with ¨C it was you.


    it is an odd feeling to realize that you were not speaking to the person who you thought you were. however, that does not change the facts. vermil is dead, killed by father¡¯s actions. karina helped, but she is as much a victim of father as vermil was.


    i believe i have started to ramble. i wrote this letter to say that we are not brothers. you are not who you claimed to be. i understand why you did what you did, but the love i had for who vermil could have been was reserved for him alone. he was family.


    but you ¨C i think, after some time, we could be friends.


    p. s.


    i gave your cat this letter. i hope the damn thing delivers it. it was batting things off my shelves for an hour while i wrote this.


    the letter wasn¡¯t signed, but it didn¡¯t need to be. at some point while he was reading it, noah had sat down. he stared down at it, emotion roiling in his stomach ¨C which ones, he still wasn¡¯t sure.


    moxie walked up and leaned against him, peering down at the letter over his shoulder. she remained silent, but noah appreciated her presence nonetheless. he turned the letter over to see if anything else was written on it, then froze.


    it wasn¡¯t mere paper that he held ¨C it was catchpaper. and, shimmering with energy on its other side, was a space rune.

 Chapter 255: New Rune

    chapter 255: new rune


    ¡°well, damn,¡± moxie breathed. ¡°talk about extending the hand of friendship.¡±


    noah could barely believe it himself. he wasn¡¯t sure if he was happier about the letter or the gift ¨C but the answer to that question came to him in just a moment.


    it was the letter, and by a wide margin. allies were worth a thousand times what any normal rune could ever be. noah straightened up and glanced over at lee¡¯s bed ¨C only to find her hanging from the ceiling.


    noah wasn¡¯t even slightly surprised. ¡°i see you¡¯re awake, lee.¡±


    ¡°i smelled something interesting. is there something good for me on that catchpaper?¡±


    ¡°how¡¯d you know? you can¡¯t tell me you can smell runes.¡±


    ¡°i smelled brayden.¡± lee dropped to the ground and held her hands out. noah handed her the paper and her eyes lit up. ¡°wow. i didn¡¯t think he liked us anymore.¡±


    ¡°people can be complex,¡± moxie said.


    ¡°can we go say thank you?¡±


    ¡°maybe a bit later. i think brayden needs some space right now,¡± noah said. ¡°he also said that he¡¯s headed out of dawnforge, so we probably won¡¯t be running into him here. we can figure out an appropriate way to thank him for when we next meet, though.¡±


    ¡°food.¡± lee straightened her arms and peered at the space rune, desire in her eyes. she forced her hands down and looked to noah. ¡°what do we do with the rune?¡±


    ¡°all yours. once you fill it up enough, you can make some duplicates and we¡¯ll go from there,¡± noah said, then grabbed lee by the shoulder. ¡°and please, don¡¯t rip your runes out again.¡±


    ¡°why not? you can heal me again, right?¡±


    noah opened his mouth, then closed it again. he could. things had been moving so quickly as of late that he hadn¡¯t figured out what the fragment of renewal¡¯s passive was, but that didn¡¯t change its normal functions.


    i sure do wish it gave me a little tutorial like sunder did, though. that was convenient. i suppose renewal probably isn¡¯t too happy about me yoinking her rune. i should really figure out what to do about that as well... eventually. i doubt i¡¯m finding anything of worth to a god in the near future, so keeping my nose out of her business might be the wisest course of action.


    ¡°i guess we could do that,¡± noah allowed reluctantly. ¡°i don¡¯t like the idea of you hurting yourself, though.¡±


    ¡°well, we¡¯ve only got one of those cool potions that moxie bought, so you¡¯ll have to fix all my runes at once with sunder. no point doing that now, is there? i should just fill this one up, make the duplicates, and only have you split things up once the new space runes are filled up.¡±


    ¡°fair enough. as far as people go, i¡¯m probably the last one to go around telling you not to hurt yourself too badly ¨C just make sure you don¡¯t kill yourself. i don¡¯t think my rune¡¯s powers go that far.¡±


    ¡°i won¡¯t! one second. i¡¯m going to absorb this.¡± lee gave him a mock salute, then closed her eyes and put her hand on the surface of the rune on the catchpaper.


    despite himself, noah held his breath as lee¡¯s features creased with concentration. a second passed. for a moment, noah thought that lee might have actually managed to absorb the rune without hurting herself.


    a crackle of energy raced up lee¡¯s fingertips as the space rune vanished from the paper. lee drew in a sharp breath and staggered. moxie caught her as she slumped, blood trickling down from her nose at an alarming rate.


    noah immediately stepped forward and drew on the fragment of renewal¡¯s power, sending the refreshing energy out from his body and into lee. the pain on her face lessened almost instantly as she let out a soft sigh, her eyes fluttering back open.


    ¡°you okay?¡± noah asked.


    lee¡¯s tongue snaked out and licked the blood off her face. ¡°yeah. thanks. that wasn¡¯t too bad. the damage is healing really fast. should be great pretty soon.¡±


    a goal in mind, noah headed out of the room and made for olive¡¯s store. the imbuer felt like a good spot to start his hunt.


    ***


    ¡°i make weapons. blades that can withstand intense battle and ferry their owners to the other side in one piece,¡± olive said, crossing his arms and staring at noah in befuddlement.


    ¡°yeah, we went over that part.¡±


    ¡°and you want me to make a... stuffed bear?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s called a teddy bear.¡± noah held his hands out in front of his chest, palms facing toward each other. ¡°and not just any teddy bear. i want a fluffy one about this big.¡±


    ¡°that,¡± olive said, pushing noah¡¯s hands down with two fingers, ¡°is not the point. i am a renowned imbuer in the city of dawnforge. you want me to make a child¡¯s toy.¡±


    ¡°bah. you made all those costumes in your back.¡± noah crossed his arms and met olive¡¯s gaze. ¡°you can¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re above making a gift for someone. how is this that different? or is it that you don¡¯t think you¡¯re capable of doing it?¡±


    ¡°i recognize your attempts to goad me into agreeing.¡±


    noah shrugged. ¡°well, you aren¡¯t the only imbuer in town. i¡¯m sure i can find someone else that can do it ¨C maybe they¡¯ll make another one and put it out in front of their shop to show how much better they are at making their customers happy than you are.¡±


    olive grabbed noah¡¯s arm as he turned to leave the store. noah looked back to olive, who glared at him.


    ¡°just because i recognize you¡¯re attempts does not mean i am immune to them.¡± olive let go of noah and snapped his fingers impatiently. ¡°tell me the rest of the details on your little gift, and then we will decide a price for this little side project.¡±


    ¡°oh, i want more than just the bear.¡± noah reached into his bag and pulled out the bundle of soft, white fur that he¡¯d been carrying around for quite some time now. the snow ferret¡¯s pelt had been sitting around, waiting for him to put it to good use. ¡°i¡¯ve got this, and i¡¯m trying to get something made that would go well with the teddy bear.¡±


    ¡°i could give the bear a cloak.¡±


    ¡°cute, but i was more thinking an imbued item,¡± noah said. ¡°for the woman that was with me the last time i was in the store. something protective, maybe?¡±


    ¡°there are many imbuements that could fulfill that request. let me see the material.¡± olive held his hands out and noah deposited the pelt in the man¡¯s hands.


    olive ran his hands along the fur, his expression unreadable. after almost two minutes of silent inspection, he looked back up at noah.


    ¡°this is quite the high-quality piece. it doesn¡¯t boast any significant properties on its own, but the feel is positively divine. i might actually be able to make something quite interesting with this.¡±


    ¡°so you¡¯ll help me?¡± noah¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°once we agree on a price. one... teddy bear, and a cloak with defensive properties. you will provide this fur for me to work with, and i will acquire all other materials needed.¡±


    ¡°yep. sounds good to me. how much? i¡¯ll go kill some monsters and scrounge up the coin once i know how much you want for it.¡±


    olive burst into laughter. ¡°oh no, my dear friend. we aren¡¯t anywhere near done. this is a gift, is it not? you can¡¯t just give me general information like that and then leave. it comes from your heart, not mine. i simply provide the hands to forge this.¡±


    noah blinked. ¡°what¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°it means you¡¯re coming into the workshop,¡± olive said, beckoning for noah to follow him before striding through the door at the back of the room. he poked his head out a moment later, a flicker of irritation playing across his features. ¡°what are you waiting for? come in. we have much to discuss.¡±

 Chapter 256: Brilliant

    chapter 256: brilliant


    after an uneventful return to dawnforge, noah turned his job and a little under half of the teeth he¡¯d collected to the adventurer¡¯s guild, collecting on his seven hundred gold. the person who had placed the job had hidden their name ¨C rather wisely ¨C so noah just had to settle for handing everything to one of the inn workers and leaving in an annoyed huff.


    he then headed straight over to thaddius to sell the rest of the teeth he¡¯d collected. the large merchant bared his teeth in greeting as noah walked inside.


    ¡°welcome back,¡± thaddius said, splaying his hands out on top of his table and leaning back. ¡°what brings you here today? did you muster up the coin to buy a space rune?¡±


    ¡°afraid not.¡± noah dumped the remaining wylf teeth on the table, then pushed the pile closer to thaddius. ¡°i want to sell these. some idiot placed a job that grossly underestimated how many monsters would be there.¡±


    thaddius let out a booming laugh and plucked one of the teeth, holding it between two fingers as he squinted to get a closer look. he turned it over, then nodded. ¡°decent. not particularly rare, but not garbage either. this all of them?¡±


    noah nodded.


    ¡°i¡¯ll buy the lot for one eighty.¡±


    ¡°three hundred,¡± noah countered.


    ¡°three ¨C three hundred?¡± thaddius¡¯ eyes bulged and he shot upright, slapping his palms on the countertop. ¡°are you insane? they¡¯re teeth, not gold!¡±


    ¡°they¡¯re parts that came from monsters with poison runes. it doesn¡¯t take a genius to figure out those are probably going to be pretty useful in weapons or something. hell, i bet you¡¯d make a good amount selling them to someone who focuses on potions. anything poisonous feels like it tends to have multiple uses.¡±


    ¡°they¡¯re not imbued. they¡¯re just teeth. any poison attributes that linger are going to be weak at best. you¡¯re trying to run me for my money. i¡¯ll do two hundred.¡±


    ¡°two fifty, and only because i¡¯ve got better things to do than haggle for an hour. i¡¯m pretty sure i could get better for them if i went to a potion maker or the like, so just take the damn deal already.¡±


    ¡°two fifty it is,¡± thaddius said with a wry grin, pulling out several stacks of coins and counting them off by tens before pushing everything over to noah. ¡°there you go. your friend is a much better haggler than you are, by the way.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m aware,¡± noah replied as he stuffed the gold into his bag. ¡°i don¡¯t have the patience for it. speaking of money, though, how¡¯s that auction going?¡±


    ¡°slower than i had hoped, but only because there are a couple collectors interested. they¡¯re fighting with each other, which is good for us. you and i will be making a good amount of money very soon, friend.¡±


    ¡°good to hear. how soon, exactly?¡±


    ¡°i will put an end to discussions by tomorrow night if they have not decided by then, but i suspect things will be done earlier,¡± thaddius said with a shrug. he scooped the teeth off the desk and into a box that he tucked under the counter. ¡°is there anything else i can do for you?¡±


    ¡°i had a question, actually. do you know if there are any protected great monsters near dawnforge?¡±


    ¡°protected? no. only the bastions do that,¡± thaddius said with a shake of his head. ¡°anything actually in the city is obviously off limits, but outside it ¨C that¡¯s free game. just don¡¯t get yourself killed picking a fight with something you can¡¯t handle.¡±


    ¡°noted,¡± noah said, inclining his head. he bid the merchant farewell and headed out of the shop, making for olive¡¯s store. it had been over six hours since he¡¯d left, probably bordering on seven. olive had claimed to work fast, and noah was hopeful that the imbuer hadn¡¯t been exaggerating.


    when noah got to olive¡¯s shopfront, there was no light in the main room. noah peered through the window, confused. there was still a faint yellow glow coming from the back room, which was promising.


    noah tried the door and was surprised to find that it swung open easily. he¡¯d been half expecting that it would be locked considering the store looked like it had closed for the day. noah headed inside, shutting the door behind himself.


    the majority of the cloak was made from the white fur that noah had brought olive. thin silver thread trimmed the cuffs and collar. they wound throughout the entire piece, shimmering faintly beneath the fur when looked at from just the right angle.


    olive handed noah the cloak, and he was surprised to find how light it was. despite the thick fur, it felt like he was holding something the weight of silk.


    while the quality of the piece was clear, it wasn¡¯t extravagant. it never would have been a casual-wear piece on earth, but in the arbalest empire, it fit right in. olive grinned at the expression on noah¡¯s face.


    ¡°you approve?¡±


    ¡°it looks fantastic. i was worried it would be a bit gaudy, but this is everything i could have wanted you did a great job.¡±


    ¡°of course i did.¡± olive shot noah an annoyed look. ¡°i am very good at what i do. now, we haven¡¯t gotten to the imbuements yet. i included the most obvious ones, of course. self-repair, mild protection against most attacks, all the like. it¡¯ll draw energy from your surroundings and siphon off a little bit from any kills you take to keep itself running, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it dying out.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s convenient. it¡¯ll work indefinitely, then?¡±


    ¡°as long as you don¡¯t manage to completely destroy the entire thing in the blink of an eye and keep it topped up with energy, yes. that¡¯s hardly the interesting part, though. i¡¯ve also added a few extra imbuements. that cat had some real interesting properties, so i plucked a bit of its fur and wove strands of it into the cloak.¡±


    noah started to nod, then froze. ¡°you what?¡±


    ¡°while it was messing with the stuffed animal. it was pretty distracted, so i just took some. the cat was a slippery bugger when it was moving around, slipping in and out of walls. i don¡¯t know what runes it had, but i figured i could work some of that into the cloak. besides, the cat was very furry. i doubt it even noticed.¡±


    ¡°somehow, i find that hard to believe, but continue. what did its fur do?¡±


    ¡°i am not entirely sure,¡± olive admitted. ¡°you wanted a gift, and so i did my best to keep my own influence out of the last imbuement. i¡¯d imagine it¡¯ll have some similar properties to that cat of yours, but it¡¯ll need to gather some energy before the full functions of the imbuements are revealed.¡±


    ¡°well, damn. that¡¯s pretty impressive,¡± noah said, studying the cloak closer. olive held his hands out and noah returned it to the imbuer, who wrapped the cloak back up in the velvet cloth.


    ¡°i am well aware. i am quite proud of it,¡± olive said. ¡°your cat seemed quite insistent on helping out with this project, and judging by the fact that it hasn¡¯t come back to mess with me since i finished, i imagine it approves as well.¡±


    ¡°i certainly hope so. i owe you another nine hundred gold, right?¡±


    olive nodded, and noah handed over the rest of the payment for the job. olive tossed it onto his desk, then put the plush on top of the velvet and wrapped the whole thing in a layer of soft cloth.


    ¡°pleasure doing business with you,¡± olive said, handing noah the bundle.


    ¡°likewise,¡± noah replied. ¡°thanks again. you did a brilliant job.¡±


    ¡°so you have said. on with you, then.¡±


    noah departed the imbuer¡¯s shop and headed back for the inn, his chest unexpectedly tight. he hadn¡¯t expected to be quite so nervous about giving someone a gift. on his way back, his eye caught on a vendor selling pies at the side of the road.


    he swung by, buying half a dozen of them ¨C most of which were for lee ¨C and then continued his trek toward the room.


    i¡¯m not sure why the cat was messing with things, but i¡¯d like to think everything still turned out nice. maybe i¡¯ll ask the thing the next time i see it.


    i just hope moxie likes this.

 Chapter 257: Wylf

    chapter 257: wylf


    after an uneventful return to dawnforge, noah turned his job and a little under half of the teeth he¡¯d collected to the adventurer¡¯s guild, collecting on his seven hundred gold. the person who had placed the job had hidden their name ¨C rather wisely ¨C so noah just had to settle for handing everything to one of the inn workers and leaving in an annoyed huff.


    he then headed straight over to thaddius to sell the rest of the teeth he¡¯d collected. the large merchant bared his teeth in greeting as noah walked inside.


    ¡°welcome back,¡± thaddius said, splaying his hands out on top of his table and leaning back. ¡°what brings you here today? did you muster up the coin to buy a space rune?¡±


    ¡°afraid not.¡± noah dumped the remaining wylf teeth on the table, then pushed the pile closer to thaddius. ¡°i want to sell these. some idiot placed a job that grossly underestimated how many monsters would be there.¡±


    thaddius let out a booming laugh and plucked one of the teeth, holding it between two fingers as he squinted to get a closer look. he turned it over, then nodded. ¡°decent. not particularly rare, but not garbage either. this all of them?¡±


    noah nodded.


    ¡°i¡¯ll buy the lot for one eighty.¡±


    ¡°three hundred,¡± noah countered.


    ¡°three ¨C three hundred?¡± thaddius¡¯ eyes bulged and he shot upright, slapping his palms on the countertop. ¡°are you insane? they¡¯re teeth, not gold!¡±


    ¡°they¡¯re parts that came from monsters with poison runes. it doesn¡¯t take a genius to figure out those are probably going to be pretty useful in weapons or something. hell, i bet you¡¯d make a good amount selling them to someone who focuses on potions. anything poisonous feels like it tends to have multiple uses.¡±


    ¡°they¡¯re not imbued. they¡¯re just teeth. any poison attributes that linger are going to be weak at best. you¡¯re trying to run me for my money. i¡¯ll do two hundred.¡±


    ¡°two fifty, and only because i¡¯ve got better things to do than haggle for an hour. i¡¯m pretty sure i could get better for them if i went to a potion maker or the like, so just take the damn deal already.¡±


    ¡°two fifty it is,¡± thaddius said with a wry grin, pulling out several stacks of coins and counting them off by tens before pushing everything over to noah. ¡°there you go. your friend is a much better haggler than you are, by the way.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m aware,¡± noah replied as he stuffed the gold into his bag. ¡°i don¡¯t have the patience for it. speaking of money, though, how¡¯s that auction going?¡±


    ¡°slower than i had hoped, but only because there are a couple collectors interested. they¡¯re fighting with each other, which is good for us. you and i will be making a good amount of money very soon, friend.¡±


    ¡°good to hear. how soon, exactly?¡±


    ¡°i will put an end to discussions by tomorrow night if they have not decided by then, but i suspect things will be done earlier,¡± thaddius said with a shrug. he scooped the teeth off the desk and into a box that he tucked under the counter. ¡°is there anything else i can do for you?¡±


    ¡°i had a question, actually. do you know if there are any protected great monsters near dawnforge?¡±


    ¡°protected? no. only the bastions do that,¡± thaddius said with a shake of his head. ¡°anything actually in the city is obviously off limits, but outside it ¨C that¡¯s free game. just don¡¯t get yourself killed picking a fight with something you can¡¯t handle.¡±


    ¡°noted,¡± noah said, inclining his head. he bid the merchant farewell and headed out of the shop, making for olive¡¯s store. it had been over six hours since he¡¯d left, probably bordering on seven. olive had claimed to work fast, and noah was hopeful that the imbuer hadn¡¯t been exaggerating.


    when noah got to olive¡¯s shopfront, there was no light in the main room. noah peered through the window, confused. there was still a faint yellow glow coming from the back room, which was promising.


    noah tried the door and was surprised to find that it swung open easily. he¡¯d been half expecting that it would be locked considering the store looked like it had closed for the day. noah headed inside, shutting the door behind himself.


    the majority of the cloak was made from the white fur that noah had brought olive. thin silver thread trimmed the cuffs and collar. they wound throughout the entire piece, shimmering faintly beneath the fur when looked at from just the right angle.


    olive handed noah the cloak, and he was surprised to find how light it was. despite the thick fur, it felt like he was holding something the weight of silk.


    while the quality of the piece was clear, it wasn¡¯t extravagant. it never would have been a casual-wear piece on earth, but in the arbalest empire, it fit right in. olive grinned at the expression on noah¡¯s face.


    ¡°you approve?¡±


    ¡°it looks fantastic. i was worried it would be a bit gaudy, but this is everything i could have wanted you did a great job.¡±


    ¡°of course i did.¡± olive shot noah an annoyed look. ¡°i am very good at what i do. now, we haven¡¯t gotten to the imbuements yet. i included the most obvious ones, of course. self-repair, mild protection against most attacks, all the like. it¡¯ll draw energy from your surroundings and siphon off a little bit from any kills you take to keep itself running, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it dying out.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s convenient. it¡¯ll work indefinitely, then?¡±


    ¡°as long as you don¡¯t manage to completely destroy the entire thing in the blink of an eye and keep it topped up with energy, yes. that¡¯s hardly the interesting part, though. i¡¯ve also added a few extra imbuements. that cat had some real interesting properties, so i plucked a bit of its fur and wove strands of it into the cloak.¡±


    noah started to nod, then froze. ¡°you what?¡±


    ¡°while it was messing with the stuffed animal. it was pretty distracted, so i just took some. the cat was a slippery bugger when it was moving around, slipping in and out of walls. i don¡¯t know what runes it had, but i figured i could work some of that into the cloak. besides, the cat was very furry. i doubt it even noticed.¡±


    ¡°somehow, i find that hard to believe, but continue. what did its fur do?¡±


    ¡°i am not entirely sure,¡± olive admitted. ¡°you wanted a gift, and so i did my best to keep my own influence out of the last imbuement. i¡¯d imagine it¡¯ll have some similar properties to that cat of yours, but it¡¯ll need to gather some energy before the full functions of the imbuements are revealed.¡±


    ¡°well, damn. that¡¯s pretty impressive,¡± noah said, studying the cloak closer. olive held his hands out and noah returned it to the imbuer, who wrapped the cloak back up in the velvet cloth.


    ¡°i am well aware. i am quite proud of it,¡± olive said. ¡°your cat seemed quite insistent on helping out with this project, and judging by the fact that it hasn¡¯t come back to mess with me since i finished, i imagine it approves as well.¡±


    ¡°i certainly hope so. i owe you another nine hundred gold, right?¡±


    olive nodded, and noah handed over the rest of the payment for the job. olive tossed it onto his desk, then put the plush on top of the velvet and wrapped the whole thing in a layer of soft cloth.


    ¡°pleasure doing business with you,¡± olive said, handing noah the bundle.


    ¡°likewise,¡± noah replied. ¡°thanks again. you did a brilliant job.¡±


    ¡°so you have said. on with you, then.¡±


    noah departed the imbuer¡¯s shop and headed back for the inn, his chest unexpectedly tight. he hadn¡¯t expected to be quite so nervous about giving someone a gift. on his way back, his eye caught on a vendor selling pies at the side of the road.


    he swung by, buying half a dozen of them ¨C most of which were for lee ¨C and then continued his trek toward the room.


    i¡¯m not sure why the cat was messing with things, but i¡¯d like to think everything still turned out nice. maybe i¡¯ll ask the thing the next time i see it.


    i just hope moxie likes this.

 Chapter 258: Gift

    chapter 258: gift


    ¡°you sure know how to bore a girl,¡± garina said, covering a yawn with the back of her hand. she leaned against a large tree, taking solace from the scorching sun in its shade.


    across from her, ferdinand sat on a blanket he¡¯d laid out, a large basket laid out before him. ferdinand pointedly ignored the pale woman as he pulled a flask of water out from the basket and took a long swig from it.


    ¡°seriously,¡± garina continued. ¡°it¡¯s been weeks, and all you¡¯ve done is walk around in the forest. the only time you¡¯ve gone into civilization is to buy ingredients, but you won¡¯t even spend money on anything that actually tastes good. what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m afraid i don¡¯t see the problem,¡± ferdinand said evenly, lowering the waterskin and capping it once more. he set it by his side and took out one of the sandwiches he¡¯d made that morning, starting to unwrap it. ¡°i have done nothing wrong. i am following the rules perfectly.¡±


    garina threw her hands up and let out an exasperated huff. ¡°i heard what you were asking the baby rank 6, you bald little brat. i know you¡¯re looking for someone. you can¡¯t possibly expect to find him in the middle of nowhere, though.¡±


    ¡°great things are often found in the least likely places. i have no way to know for sure where i will find the one i seek.¡±


    garina¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°come on. you¡¯re not going to find him in the middle of nowhere. what¡¯s your angle? you¡¯re wasting both of our time, you little shit.¡±


    ferdinand took a bite out of his sandwich and chewed slowly. it didn¡¯t matter what garina said to goad him into admitting anything ¨C his lips were sealed. if anyone from the church of repose asked, then he was undergoing great suffering and restraining himself from giving away the holy mission.


    but, in the sanctum of his own mind, ferdinand was surprised to find that he was having fun. it had been so long since he¡¯d left the church to do anything other than work. traveling through the forests was actually quite nice, and he was in absolutely no rush to do anything else.


    whoever the person that the goddess sought would have to wait. there was no way for him to safely complete his mission as long as garina was stalking him, so the only option available was to enjoy the moment.


    truly a tragedy. alas, if only i could return to my task, but i cannot. i will be forced to enjoy this wonderful day and avoid giving away my true purposes.


    ¡°get that smug look off your face!¡± garina flopped down on the blanket across from ferdinand and crossed her arms. ¡°you do realize i could rip you limb from limb in the span of a second, right? your church probably wouldn¡¯t even notice that you went missing.¡±


    ¡°probably,¡± ferdinand agreed, taking another bite from his sandwich. ¡°that¡¯s the same threat you¡¯ve given me every day we¡¯ve traveled together. you could just leave, you know. i¡¯ve broken no rules. there¡¯s no reason to follow me around.¡±


    ¡°aside from the fact that you plan to break them.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s rather unfair to put words into my mouth.¡±


    ¡°oh, shut up.¡± garina rubbed the bridge of her nose. ¡°you¡¯re insufferable. i¡¯ve never been disrespected this much by a pathetic rank 6.¡±


    ¡°forgive me. i mean absolutely no disrespect.¡± ferdinand genuinely meant his words. a large part of him was surprised that garina had actually refrained from killing him. he¡¯d fully expected to be dead by this point, but the rumors about her almost seemed wrong.


    the woman was irritable and brash, but she¡¯d yet to actually lay a hand on him. she just followed ferdinand around complaining and threatening him. there was no doubt in his mind that garina would kill him in a split second the moment he broke any of the rules, but he¡¯d yet to do that ¨C and, so long as she stuck around, his vacation remained in place.


    i may have lost my mind, using one of the deadliest mages i¡¯ve ever heard of to waste time picnicking in the forests, but great sacrifices must be made in the line of duty.


    ¡°sandwich?¡± ferdinand offered, taking out another paper-wrapped package from his basket. ¡°made it myself.¡±


    ¡°i know you did. i watched you. if you aren¡¯t going to go do what your damn church sent you here to do, why don¡¯t you just go back?¡±


    ¡°i would never return with my purposes unfulfilled. it is against my nature. i will see things through, even if they come at the cost of incredible suffering.¡±


    ¡°is that what you call picnics in the forest?¡±


    ferdinand just held the sandwich out. he¡¯d long since stopped caring if garina killed him ¨C the day she decided that she was done toying around with him was the end. there was nothing he could do about it, so there was simply no reason to be concerned.


    glaring, garina grabbed the sandwich from ferdinand¡¯s hands. she opened it and took an angry bite out of it, swallowing without even bothering to chew.


    all things considered, it wasn¡¯t the worst picnic that ferdinand had been on.


    ¡°it¡¯s surprisingly cute,¡± moxie said, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. ¡°i guess we¡¯ve decided the cat is on our side?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t know what i¡¯ve decided, but i think that¡¯s the conclusion the cat has come to.¡±


    moxie laughed and squished the stuffed animal. ¡°this is great. i¡¯ve never had anything like this.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s not it,¡± noah said, clearing his throat. ¡°there¡¯s something else in there.¡±


    blinking in surprise, moxie looked back down at the package. she pushed some of the cloth out of the way and pulled the cloak out, her eyes going wide. she tossed the wrapping to the side, still holding onto the stuffed cat with one hand, and held the cloak out before her.


    ¡°this is for me? why?¡±


    ¡°well, you got me the violin,¡± noah said, clearing his throat. ¡°i wanted to get you something too. olive did all the hard work, i just gave him a few suggestions.¡±


    ¡°you just... got it for me?¡± moxie pulled her gaze away from the cloak and looked at noah. ¡°no reason?¡±


    ¡°did i need one?¡±


    moxie pulled the cloak over her shoulders and examined her reflection in the mirror. ¡°this is beautiful. how¡¯d you know it would fit me?¡±


    ¡°i imagine we¡¯ll have to thank olive for that. it¡¯s got some imbuements as well to keep it in good shape. it¡¯ll draw some energy from the monsters you kill to keep itself powered, but not much. there¡¯s also apparently some of the darn cat¡¯s fur in there. i don¡¯t know the full extent of what those imbuements will do, but olive seemed to be think they¡¯re good.¡±


    ¡°so we¡¯re matching, then? you don¡¯t know what all the violin¡¯s imbuements are, and the same goes for my cloak?¡±


    ¡°yeah, i guess so. i guess we can thank the cat for helping out there.¡±


    moxie ran her hands along the cloak again. ¡°is it really okay for me to have this? it feels so nice.¡±


    ¡°are you kidding me? you got me a violin! i feel like i definitely got the better end of this exchange. honestly, i wish i could have gotten you something nicer, but i wasn¡¯t sure¨C¡±


    the rest of noah¡¯s sentence vanished in a surprised grunt as moxie hugged him tightly, practically squeezing the air out of his lungs. the stuffed cat¡¯s eyes bulged slightly as she squished it between them.


    ¡°this is perfect. i¡¯ve never really worn anything other than the clothes that the torrin family gave me. i just didn¡¯t see a reason to spend money on something like that, but this is one of the best gifts anyone has ever gotten for me. the stuffed cat too. it¡¯s very¨C well, you.¡±


    noah let out a relieved sigh that he didn¡¯t know he¡¯d been holding. ¡°i¡¯m glad you like it.¡±


    ¡°it looks good,¡± lee confirmed through a mouthful of pie. ¡°i like my gift more, though. nice and edible.¡±


    they all burst into laughter. moxie released noah, then put a hand on his shoulder and pulled lightly. noah lowered, confused, and moxie pressed her lips against his cheek.


    ¡°thank you, noah.¡±


    lee polished off another pie, then stretched her arms over her head in a yawn. ¡°what are we going to do tomorrow? i want a more interesting fight. the monsters we fought today sucked. can we get more pies?¡±


    noah wasn¡¯t sure if he welcomed the change of topic or not, but he took it regardless.


    ¡°actually, i had some thoughts about that as well,¡± noah said, trying not to look too flustered. judging by moxie¡¯s smug expression, it wasn¡¯t working.


    ¡°what are they?¡± lee asked eagerly.


    ¡°i was thinking we might hunt a great monster.¡±

 Chapter 259: Tillian

    chapter 259: tillian


    ¡°a great monster? near dawnforge?¡± noah could practically hear the warning in moxie¡¯s voice. ¡°are you sure¨C¡±


    ¡°i checked with thaddius. he said that it wasn¡¯t under protection or anything. at least according to him, there aren¡¯t any protected monsters outside of the city.¡±


    ¡°and you happened to stumble upon one?¡± moxie sent noah a suspicious look. ¡°nothing else? there isn¡¯t something happening?¡±


    ¡°nothing like that. i just went to a forest to the south of the city hunting some sand wylves,¡± noah explained. ¡°i wanted to make a little money and it looked pretty easy. they fought in a pretty similar pattern, which is indicative of a great monster. so, i figure we could head on over there and clear out the monster. get ourselves an easy master rune.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not so sure we¡¯re going to find the fight that easy,¡± moxie said, but some of her caution had receded. ¡°not every great monster is the same as the hellreaver, noah. don¡¯t forget that the hellreaver was a relatively weak monster overall. this new one could easily be a rank 3 or 4 great monster ¨C and that might be a bit much for us to handle.¡±


    noah paused, then cleared his throat. ¡°that... is actually a good point. i wasn¡¯t really thinking about that. i just kind of figured that¨C¡±


    ¡°you could throw yourself against it until you won?¡± moxie arched an eyebrow.


    ¡°yeah.¡±


    ¡°i figured.¡± moxie shook her head, laughing. ¡°i¡¯m not against it. getting our hands on a master rune could be pretty convenient. lots of uses for one, even if it just boils down to us selling it.¡±


    ¡°we could send noah in first,¡± lee offered. ¡°he can figure out how strong it is. if it¡¯s within reason, we can fight it. otherwise, we pull back.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s a great idea,¡± noah said enthusiastically.


    moxie crossed her arms in front of her chest. ¡°of course you like it. it results in you dying. i do have to agree that it seems like a relatively good move, and we do need something to do. i¡¯m not against it, i suppose. we¡¯ll just have to take things slowly and make sure we don¡¯t stumble into a monster way beyond what we can deal with.¡±


    ¡°yes!¡± lee exclaimed, pumping a fist in the air. the motion knocked one of the pies from her lap and she shot forward, her neck extending as she chomped the entire thing out of the air, swallowing it in one bite. noah and moxie stared at lee as her neck retracted. she returned their gazes. ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°nothing,¡± noah said, clearing his throat into a fist. ¡°it¡¯s settled, then. we¡¯ll fly over tomorrow morning and check out the great monster. i¡¯ll go first and test things out, and as long as the fight looks reasonable, we can all take it. sounds good?¡±


    moxie and lee nodded. lee stuffed the last of her pies into her mouth, polishing them all off before sucking the crumbs off the bed and sliding beneath the covers in one smooth motion.


    it was actually somewhat impressive.


    ¡°okay. let¡¯s sleep now so the morning comes sooner. i want to fight stuff,¡± lee said from beneath the protection of her sheets. ¡°can you turn the lights off already?¡±


    noah took another bite out of his own meat pie, as it was still only half-finished, then walked over to the window and pulled the curtains shut. ¡°i don¡¯t know if i¡¯ll ever get used to how quickly you¨C¡±


    a loud snore came out from lee¡¯s bed. moxie snickered and carefully took the cloak off her shoulders, hanging it over the foot of the bed before sitting down on it.


    ¡°i¡¯m jealous,¡± noah muttered, finishing the rest of his dinner before joining moxie. he pulled his jacket off and tossed it onto the ground, taking a clean one from his bag and hanging it beside moxie¡¯s new coat.


    moxie leaned against noah, winding her fingers through his as he settled down.


    ¡°thanks for the cloak ¨C and the stuffed cat,¡± moxie said, whispering into noah¡¯s ear to avoid waking lee up. ¡°i know i already said it, but it was really thoughtful of you. i appreciate it.¡±


    noah nudged her with his shoulder. ¡°as if they could ever compare to the violin. i¡¯m not sure anything can.¡±


    ¡°a song can,¡± moxie said, sending him a wry look. she laid back, pulling noah down beside her.


    ¡°i¡¯m working on it. i want it to be¨C¡±


    ¡°that, i will not be doing. not yet, at least,¡± tillian said with a shake of his head. ¡°i did not say i was not your enemy, miss. i just said i wasn¡¯t working for wizen.¡±


    ¡°gentil, then?¡± alexandra¡¯s knuckles turned white as she tightened her grip on the sword. it wasn¡¯t like the blade was going to do her much good against tillian, but there was always a chance that he slipped up and she got a lucky strike.


    ¡°that swine? no. not him, either. i¡¯d die before i worked for gentil. on the contrary. i¡¯m killing gentil¡¯s men, not aiding them. which brings me to you. originally, i¡¯d planned to cut your throat in an alley and leave it at that.¡±


    the casual manner with which tillian spoke sent a shiver running down alexandra¡¯s spine. he spoke about killing like it was a boring job rather than a fight for life and death.


    ¡°then what¡¯s the point of all this?¡±


    ¡°i was hoping you could tell me,¡± tillian replied. ¡°you¡¯re one of gentil¡¯s assassins, but you left together with the ones that killed him. i overheard parts of your conversation, and it¡¯s clear that they knew who you were. so... why did they spare you?¡±


    ¡°if you think i¡¯ll tell you anything about them, then you¡¯re wrong. they gave me my freedom back. i¡¯ll die a free woman before i spill anything on them.¡±


    tillian tilted his head to the side. ¡°you do realize that is very much a possibility. i¡¯m asking for information here, not for you to kill someone. refusing to cooperate with me isn¡¯t the safest decision.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not telling you shit.¡±


    a few seconds of silence passed. then tillian let out a curt laugh. he tapped one of his swords and the hilt split open. the blood covering the room peeled away from the walls, slithering into the weapon¡¯s hilt like a red sea. it snapped shut once every ounce of blood had vanished within its depths.


    ¡°fortunate for me,¡± tillian said with a relieved sigh. ¡°it would have been a shame to kill you. it seems that you¡¯ve set your mind, so i trust this means you won¡¯t be throwing your lot in with the likes of gentil again.¡±


    ¡°he¡¯s dead.¡± alexandra¡¯s voice was flat. ¡°and you¡¯re right. i won¡¯t ever make that mistake again.¡±


    ¡°good. that¡¯s one less body on my hands,¡± tillian said. ¡°it was a pleasure speaking with you, then. i¡¯ll be on my way.¡±


    ¡°wait, what?¡± alexandra stared at tillian. ¡°that¡¯s it? you break into my home, question me, and then just... leave?¡±


    ¡°yes ma¡¯am. sums it up about right,¡± tillian said with a nod. ¡°you don¡¯t seem to be in need of killing, and wizen¡¯s men are still out there, even if gentil¡¯s gang has collapsed.¡±


    alexandra shook her head. ¡°no. you can¡¯t just do that. you know something about wizen, don¡¯t you? you said you were hunting his men.¡±


    tillian shrugged. ¡°i¡¯ve been a thorn in his side for a while, yes. that no longer has anything to do with you, though.¡±


    he reached for the door handle and alexandra stuck her foot in front of the frame, keeping the door shut.


    ¡°yes it does. it¡¯s my fault that i was stupid enough to get suckered by gentil, but i¡¯ve got nothing left because of that. if you¡¯re hunting wizen, then i want to help.¡±


    ¡°you?¡± tillian took a step back and crossed his arms. ¡°i don¡¯t mean to belittle you, but you¡¯re ¨C what, a rank 2? you¡¯d just get yourself killed.¡±


    ¡°that isn¡¯t saying no,¡± alexandra pointed out. ¡°i don¡¯t care if i die. i just want revenge.¡±


    ¡°a dark path. one you¡¯re unlikely to come out on top of.¡±


    ¡°i already said i don¡¯t care. if you¡¯ve got literally any way for me to get back at wizen, i¡¯ll take it. i¡¯ll do whatever i need to.¡±


    ¡°you can¡¯t even take a single strike from me. what makes you think you can handle wizen?¡± tillian asked, already shaking his head. ¡°you¡¯ll just waste your life. i came here to find out if you¡¯d changed your path, and you have. i¡¯m no teacher. i can¡¯t help you. if you want to get revenge against wizen, just live a good life.¡±


    with that, tillian vanished. alexandra felt a rush of wind pass her and the door thunked loudly, but he¡¯d moved so fast that she didn¡¯t even notice the door open or close. she was left staring out the window into the night, standing in a room that couldn¡¯t have felt any less like home.

 Chapter 260: Joy

    chapter 260: joy


    lee and moxie left early the following morning to get breakfast ¨C at least, that was what the note they¡¯d left noah said. he¡¯d woken up just a little while after sunrise, but somehow that still wasn¡¯t early enough to catch them.


    he didn¡¯t particularly mind, though. the alone time gave him an opportunity to practice more with his violin and read through revin¡¯s book on formations. as music started to come more and more naturally to him once again, noah was starting to see the methods in which it could work in formations.


    it was far from a sure thing ¨C the book didn¡¯t go too deeply into music, as the majority of people just preferred to make them with magical circles. even though it was more tedious, the process was more reliable than music, where a single mistimed note could send everything crashing down on the player¡¯s head.no?vel binz was the first platform to present this chapter.


    the actual concept for formations was surprisingly simple. it boiled down to coaxing magic out of one rune at a time, then pinning it in place while energy from the other runes gathered.


    that was much easier said than done, as people couldn¡¯t actually draw on multiple runes at once. noah tried it ¨C and found that he wasn¡¯t exempt from that rule. as soon as he swapped from one rune to the other, the energy he¡¯d gathered from the first one faded away.


    formations were a way to keep that magic in place. it could be done with music, by imbuing the very song with the power from the runes, or through precisely made magical circles that perfectly housed the magical energy without letting it leak out or twist its purpose.


    music is certainly easier to get into, but it¡¯s also more dangerous. if you spend the time making a magic circle, then you know exactly what to do to make it work correctly every single time. you could carry it around and just have the formation on call ¨C even if it takes much, much longer to get it to work properly.


    with song, it doesn¡¯t matter how well you know it. screw up one note and fail to recover or redirect the magic in time... boom. no more formation ¨C and no more mage.


    at some point while noah read the book, the cat arrived at his bedside. it pawed at his arm, but he ignored it. now that he could tell the monster wasn¡¯t actively screwing with them, he was more willing to let it hang around.


    besides, it had helped make the gift for moxie. as reluctant as noah was to owe favors to anything, the cat had done him a favor. he idly fed it a strip of jerky, not taking his eyes from his reading.


    the cat batted noah on the nose.


    he let out a curse, sitting straight upright. sunlight filtered through the window and onto noah¡¯s face. he blinked at the sudden warmth, lowering the formations book. he¡¯d completely lost track of time ¨C it had been nearly three or four hours since he¡¯d woken up.


    wait. where the hell are lee and moxie? there¡¯s no way getting breakfast takes this long. damn it. how¡¯d i zone out so badly?


    noah lowered the book, his brow furrowing as he slipped out of bed and grabbed his jacket, pulling it on. the cat vanished in a puff of smoke just as a knock echoed against the door. he pulled it open.


    ¡°finally. what took you guys so...¡± noah trailed off, the smile falling from his face. it was lee and moxie, but they weren¡¯t alone. contessa stood beside them, and all of their expressions were grim.


    ¡°we need to talk,¡± moxie said, stepping past noah and into the room. noah¡¯s stomach dropped. not once in life had anything good ever followed up that line.


    ¡°contessa¡¯s here?¡± noah asked, stepping back and letting them in. ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡±


    contessa looked like she wanted to sink into the ground. her skin was pale and her lips nearly white because all the blood had drained from her face. the only person whose expression he could read was lee, and she was alternating between looking panicked and furious.


    ¡°evergreen sent me,¡± contessa said. she stopped to swallow. ¡°she¡¯s recalling moxie.¡±


    ¡°the hell does that mean?¡±


    ¡°it means she¡¯s decided that i¡¯m too much of a liability to keep around,¡± moxie said. her voice trembled and her hands clenched at her sides. ¡°i can¡¯t say i didn¡¯t see it coming. honestly, if anything, i¡¯m just surprised it took this long.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m going to need some clarification here.¡± noah¡¯s chest clenched at the expression on her face ¨C something was seriously wrong. ¡°can someone tell me what in the world is going on?¡±


    ¡°evergreen has decided that moxie is no longer needed to teach emily,¡± contessa moved her eyes to look at anything but noah. ¡°she¡¯s ordered her to return home immediately. i¡¯m sorry.¡±


    a snort of laughter slipped out of moxie¡¯s lips before she could stop herself. ¡°i¡¯ll miss you, noah. i¡¯m not sure if i should be worried about how quickly you read me, but i hope evergreen isn¡¯t that perceptive. there really isn¡¯t another choice, though. this isn¡¯t something you can just throw yourself against. if i rebel against a direct order from evergreen, the consequences are going to be tremendous. even if i somehow shatter the rune oaths and escape, i¡¯ll be on the run until i die. that¡¯s not how i want to live. and don¡¯t even think about offering to join me. you¡¯ve got students. you are not to abandon them.¡±


    ¡°as if i¡¯d do that,¡± noah said, crossing his arms. ¡°but i think you¡¯ve given up too damn quickly.¡±


    ¡°quickly?¡± a flash of anger crossed over moxie¡¯s features. ¡°quickly? we¡¯ve spent nearly five hours trying to figure this shit out, noah. contessa knows what¡¯s going to happen to her when this all goes down. she¡¯s the closest to evergreen out of all of us. she would know if there was literally any way out of this ¨C but the only one where anyone other than me ends this alive is with evergreen dead. and nobody has any chance of doing that but me.¡±


    ¡°as if you¡¯ll be able to kill her. she¡¯s a rank 6. you¡¯ll die for nothing.¡±


    ¡°at least i¡¯ll go out on my own terms. you helped me get my independence back ¨C and, if by some miracle evergreen lets me live, then that¡¯ll be gone. no. i won¡¯t let that happen, and i won¡¯t let anyone else die with me. there¡¯s nothing you can do against evergreen, noah. not the real one.¡±


    ¡°so what? am i supposed to just sit here and watch you kill yourself?¡± noah demanded. ¡°after everything, you¡¯re just giving up?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not giving up!¡± moxie screamed, pounding a fist into the wall. she drew a ragged breath and pressed her lips together before continuing. ¡°i¡¯m doing the only damn thing i still can, noah. even if azel decided he was going to go all out to help, evergreen would crush all of us.¡±


    they were silent for a few moments.


    moxie put her hand on his shoulder, her expression softening. ¡°i just don¡¯t want this all to be in vain, noah. will you tell emily what happened? evergreen will try to blame it on someone, but emily trusts you.¡±


    noah held her gaze for several seconds, his stomach so tight that it felt like it would rip. just last night they¡¯d been talking about going out and enjoying the summer, taking on great monsters and traveling together. and now... this.


    ¡°no.¡±


    moxie blinked. ¡°i ¨C what?¡±


    ¡°i said, no.¡±


    ¡°idiot. if you try to kill evergreen, she¡¯ll crush you. you stand no chance against her.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t need to,¡± noah replied. ¡°you¡¯re damn smart, moxie. smarter than me. but you¡¯re too focused on doing one thing at a time.¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    noah drew a deep breath, reaching within himself. he wasn¡¯t sure exactly what it was he was looking for, but he knew it was there somewhere.


    he wasn¡¯t sure if he found it, but the air swirled before him. the cat emerged before him, spiraling out from a mote of red. it looked up, matching his gaze with its own dark, hungry eyes.


    ¡°you can go just about anywhere you want, can¡¯t you?¡± noah asked.


    the cat didn¡¯t respond, but he knew it understood him.


    ¡°you think this can kill evergreen?¡± moxie asked in disbelief. ¡°you¡¯re grasping at straws, noah. i don¡¯t want this either, but don¡¯t do this to yourself.¡±


    noah ignored her. moxie was great at dealing with one problem at a time. that was good, for the most part. but noah had way more than one issue that he had to deal with, and when one had enough problems, then when one rose up that he couldn¡¯t deal with, all he had to do was add another one in and change the issue entirely.


    ¡°i want you to go find father,¡± noah told the cat, kneeling beside it. ¡°find him, and tell him that i want to talk.¡±

 Chapter 261: Bargain

    chapter 261: bargain


    the cat vanished in a puff.


    ¡°what are you doing?¡± moxie demanded. ¡°father? seriously? he¡¯s not going to help! if anything, he¡¯ll just end up dragging you down with me. don¡¯t do this, noah.¡±


    ¡°moxie? with all due respect, shut up. you¡¯ve made your decision, but i haven¡¯t made mine. there aren¡¯t many people i care about in this world, and you¡¯re one of them. i¡¯ll be damned if i let you stroll off to the line just because some withered old bag is power tripping.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t want you to die either,¡± lee said softly, speaking up for the first time since they¡¯d gotten back to the room. ¡°i was trying to think of ways to kill evergreen before you got there, but i couldn¡¯t find any.¡±


    moxie ran her hands through her hair. ¡°is that why you were so quiet?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s hard to think when i¡¯m talking. normally, i just hit things and they die. i can¡¯t do that to evergreen, though. it¡¯s really frustrating. i was thinking maybe we could kill a ton of monsters on the way over and get to rank 6 to beat her, but...¡±


    ¡°no way you could do that in time,¡± moxie said, shaking her head. ¡°i don¡¯t want to leave you either, but you can¡¯t win every game.¡±


    ¡°you can if you don¡¯t play by the rules,¡± noah said flatly. ¡°i¡¯m not budging on this, i¡¯m afraid. contessa, i¡¯m going to have to ask you to leave the room.¡±the roots of this story extend from novell bi?n origin.


    contessa blinked. ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°get out. i know this isn¡¯t your fault, but you¡¯ve already heard more than you need to. stand outside in the hall or go get breakfast or something. i don¡¯t care. just leave. you¡¯ve delivered evergreen¡¯s message, so you should be good. oh, and don¡¯t go too far. i¡¯m sure you¡¯ve guessed this already, but if moxie dies, i¡¯m killing you.¡±


    moxie shot noah a look. ¡°noah, it¡¯s not her fault. i have every reason not to like her, but¨C¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t care. i¡¯m mad, moxie.¡±


    noah wasn¡¯t just mad. he was furious. in the back of his mind, azel watched quietly. he wasn¡¯t interfering with the rage this time ¨C it all came from him. contessa took one look at noah¡¯s face, then turned on her heel and strode out of the room, slamming the door in her rush to get out.


    ¡°i thought about father as well,¡± moxie said softly. ¡°please don¡¯t do something you¡¯ll regret, noah. father¡¯s possibly one of the few people that could actually stand against evergreen, but there¡¯s no way in the world he¡¯d do that for a torrin ¨C not without a massive cost. i won¡¯t keep living if it means you have to sacrifice yourself. a favor of this magnitude isn¡¯t going to be worth the price you pay.¡±


    ¡°who said anything about favors?¡± noah asked.


    before moxie could respond, a crackle of energy ran through the room. they all stepped back as a purple line split through the air and peeled open. energy shimmered, forming colors and shapes.


    father¡¯s office materialized on the other side of the portal. as always, father sat in his chair, his dead eyes boring into noah as he leaned back in his chair, taking the scene in.


    ¡°vermil,¡± father said. ¡°i was wondering when you¡¯d call on me. this wasn¡¯t the manner that i expected it, but i can¡¯t say it wasn¡¯t effective.¡±


    noah didn¡¯t know what father was talking about, but he didn¡¯t particularly care either.


    ¡°good to know. we need to talk.¡±


    father beckoned noah to enter the portal. ¡°i thought as much. karina will be thrilled to¨C¡±


    ¡°this isn¡¯t about her.¡±


    father paused, then tilted his head to the side. ¡°it isn¡¯t?¡±


    i wonder if he¡¯s bullshitting me or not. with father, it¡¯s impossible to tell.


    ¡°no,¡± noah said. ¡°it isn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°well then. enter. we will not speak where others can listen in.¡±


    ¡°stay here,¡± noah said. ¡°i¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    ¡°no way. if you¡¯re going to bargain with father, then i¡¯m coming with you. what¡¯s the worst that can happen?¡± moxie asked, piercing noah with a glare.


    ¡°fine.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m coming too,¡± lee said.


    the three of them strode through the portal. father snapped his fingers and it slammed shut behind them, leaving them in his office.


    he shook his head. ¡°if she dies, father, we will never be allies.¡±


    father grunted. ¡°so be it. allies are temporary. i trust you will do enough damage to evergreen, even without my intervention. you will fail, of course, but it will aid me nonetheless. was that all we had to speak about? do you care for karina in the slightest?¡±


    noah burst into laughter. ¡°you can¡¯t think that has any leverage over me with that. she tried to kill me multiple times already. what happens to her happens. maybe you should look into that frozen heart of yours and figure out if you ever cared for your daughter-in-law.¡±


    ¡°is that all?¡± father asked evenly.


    ¡°yes. send us back.¡±


    father took another sip from his glass, then waved his hand. noah and lee both vanished, reappearing in their room beside moxie once more. before noah even had a chance to take his bearings, moxie grabbed him.


    ¡°tell me you didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°i didn¡¯t,¡± noah said.


    moxie looked to lee, who shook her head.


    ¡°father offered. he said no.¡±


    moxie breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°good. it would have been a waste. thank you for trying, noah, lee ¨C but don¡¯t throw your lives away for this. i made my peace with this a long time ago. i¡¯ve always known the torrin family wouldn¡¯t keep me around forever. this is faster than i had hoped, but we can¡¯t control life. i was really looking forward to that great monster hunt, though. it would have been fun.¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ll have to get around to it later,¡± noah said.


    moxie eyed noah. ¡°noah, please. don¡¯t¨C¡±


    ¡°how far is evergreen?¡± noah asked, cutting moxie off.


    ¡°with a flying sword, a week, probably.¡±


    ¡°then we¡¯ve got a week to figure something out. you have to head over pretty much immediately, right?¡±


    moxie let out an exasperated huff. ¡°why won¡¯t you get this through your thick head? i don¡¯t want you dying with me!¡±


    ¡°and i don¡¯t want you dying without me.¡± noah crossed his arms in front of his chest and met moxie¡¯s glare. ¡°i¡¯m not giving you an option, moxie. it¡¯s your life, sure, but my life is mine. and, if i choose to go with you to evergreen, then that¡¯s my choice to make.¡±


    ¡°me too,¡± lee added, giving moxie a sharp nod. ¡°we¡¯re coming. then we¡¯ll rip evergreen up like salad.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re both going to die. are you just going to abandon isabel and todd?¡± moxie demanded. ¡°you¡¯d do that to them?¡±


    ¡°no, of course not. i just won¡¯t die.¡±


    that earned noah a withering glare from moxie. ¡°and how do you plan to do that?¡±


    noah didn¡¯t respond immediately. it was hard to believe he¡¯d been so carefree just a few minutes ago. everything had felt like it was going to work out. the summer should have been theirs to enjoy. this wasn¡¯t how it was meant to go.


    his gaze drifted across the floor to the book of formations that he¡¯d left lying on the ground. noah¡¯s eyes tightened as he walked over and picked it up.


    and this isn¡¯t how it will go.


    ¡°i¡¯ve never been able to solve every single one of my problems on my own. i¡¯ve had help every single step of the way. lee covered for me with the hellreaver. you taught me everything i know about this world, and the kids helped ground me,¡± noah said, sliding the book into his pack. ¡°nothing has ever been just me. this won¡¯t be just you. if you think about it, a whole uninterrupted week is a hell of a lot longer than what we¡¯ve gotten to deal with most of the other shit that has happened.¡±


    ¡°exactly,¡± lee said, mirroring noah¡¯s stance and crossing her arms. ¡°i love you. i love noah ¨C you¡¯re my family. and if anyone tries to take that from us, i¡¯ll kill them or die trying.¡±


    ¡°well said. we¡¯re in this together,¡± noah said. ¡°we¡¯ll win ¨C because we have to.¡±


    moxie stared at them, her eyes watering. she turned away, wiping her face with the back of a sleeve and drawing a shaky breath. neither noah nor lee said anything, giving moxie a moment of privacy.


    when she turned back to them, her expression was steady. her eyes were a little red, but there was a sense of relief in her features that she¡¯d clearly been hiding for their sake.


    ¡°fine, you idiots. i don¡¯t think i¡¯m going to get rid of you, and i don¡¯t want to spend the last week of my life arguing.¡±


    ¡°brilliant,¡± noah said, his lips stretching into a flat smile. ¡°then let¡¯s get to figuring out how to defeat a rank 6 mage, shall we?¡±

 Chapter 262: Promise

    chapter 262: promise


    an hour later, lee went down to get contessa. they¡¯d all forgotten about her in the brainstorming session that had followed noah¡¯s declaration ¨C but, at least thus far, no solution had arisen.


    contessa looked like she¡¯d swallowed a bundle of bees when lee prodded her into the room and closed the door behind them. noah chewed his lip, drumming his fingers furiously on his knee as he thought.


    he glanced at contessa as she shifted uncomfortably and pressed herself against the wall, trying to keep their gazes anywhere but on her.


    ¡°what?¡± noah asked.


    ¡°i ¨C nothing. nothing.¡± contessa stammered, swallowing.


    ¡°i¡¯m not going to kill you yet,¡± noah said. ¡°you didn¡¯t have anything to do with the orders. you just delivered them, right?¡±


    contessa nodded hurriedly. ¡°yes.¡±


    ¡°then you aren¡¯t the problem right now. do you know why we asked lee to bring you back, though?¡±


    contessa didn¡¯t reply. she watched noah warily, like he was a snake that would strike at any moment.


    ¡°it¡¯s because you¡¯re going to have to make a choice. we¡¯re going to do everything in our power to kill or force evergreen to admit defeat. if she knows that you were working with us, she¡¯ll kill you. but, if you don¡¯t work with us, then i¡¯ll kill you.¡±


    the expression on contessa¡¯s face told noah that she was already all too well aware of what he spoke.


    ¡°i¡¯m sure you¡¯re probably going to say you¡¯ll work with us no matter what your actual goals are,¡± noah said, raising a hand. ¡°that would be the logical move that gives you the highest chance of survival ¨C at least in the short term. i just want you to remember something.¡±


    noah rose to his feet as some of the fury that was bubbling just beneath the surface of his mind rose forth. azel¡¯s laughter echoed through noah¡¯s mind as flame smoldered at his back and coiled down his back in the form of a rippling cloak. the demon was enjoying this, but for the moment, noah didn¡¯t care. it worked for his purposes.


    ¡°the worst that evergreen can do is kill you once,¡± noah said, his eyes locking with contessa¡¯s. ¡°but if you betray us, then i¡¯ll be waiting for you on your trip to the next life ¨C and i¡¯ll make sure you never make it there. do you understand?¡±


    the flames vanished and, a moment later, contessa gave him a jerky nod. the delay was good ¨C it meant that she¡¯d actually considered the full extent of what noah was threatening. of course, he didn¡¯t actually have any way to interfere with her afterlife as far as he knew, but that knowledge wouldn¡¯t hurt contessa.


    i need her more scared of me than she is of evergreen.


    ¡°i¡¯ll help you,¡± contessa said. ¡°it¡¯s not like i have much of a choice. evergreen would kill me if she knew what i¡¯ve done already, much less if i try to do anything more. it doesn¡¯t matter now, so you¡¯re my best chance to live.¡±


    ¡°good. then tell me if there¡¯s anything that could possibly help us. does evergreen have weaknesses? habits?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t have a flying sword,¡± contessa said.


    ¡°then i suggest you get one,¡± noah said. he tilted his head to the side. ¡°assuming you have to return to evergreen, that is. if you can¡¯t think of any ways to help us, i won¡¯t drag you there with us.¡±


    contessa¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°you won¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°why should i? you aren¡¯t going to betray us.¡± noah raised an eyebrow, his eyes burning into contessa¡¯s. ¡°you¡¯d gain nothing from it. so, if you want to sit around on the sidelines and just pray that we find a way to win, you¡¯re welcome to.¡±


    relief shone in contessa¡¯s eyes. not too much, but enough. the moment faded quickly, replaced by exhausted understanding. contessa and noah both knew it ¨C she wasn¡¯t getting set free. she would be dead either way if they failed.


    ¡°i¡¯ll stay behind, then,¡± contessa said. ¡°i¡¯d rather spend my last week alive on my own, drunk out of my mind.¡±


    ¡°there¡¯s nothing at all that you can think of that could help us before you leave?¡± lee asked, eyeing contessa closely. ¡°your life could depend on it as much as moxie¡¯s.¡±


    contessa let out a bitter laugh. ¡°as if evergreen would ever give me leverage over her. i¡¯m a step above moxie in the house¡¯s social ladder, but we¡¯re both just unimportant side branch members in the end. i¡¯ve got nothing.¡±


    noah shrugged. ¡°then go get drunk.¡±


    contessa darted out of the room. lee shut the door behind her, then looked back to noah.


    ¡°is it a good idea to let her wander around?¡±


    ¡°i meant what i said.¡± noah went back to drumming his fingers on his thigh. ¡°she really doesn¡¯t have any options but to hope we win. contessa is self-centered. she doesn¡¯t care about the torrins. she just wants to live, and so she won¡¯t do anything that will endanger that.¡±


    ¡°agreed on that front,¡± moxie said. she stood up, holding the stuffed cat close to her chest, then drew a slow breath before speaking. ¡°i guess we should get moving, then. we aren¡¯t figuring anything out here.¡±


    ¡°no, we aren¡¯t,¡± noah agreed.


    he picked up his flying sword as lee¡¯s body rippled and shifted. her clothes fell away as she fluttered out in her crow form, landing beside noah¡¯s travel bag. he slung it over his shoulder, then opened the top for lee to nest in.


    once she was settled and moxie had gathered her own belongings, throwing the cloak noah had gotten her over her shoulders and sticking the stuffed animal into her own bag, the three of them set off.


    they made good time through the city, soon making their way out of it and traveling until they were far enough for noah to use the flying sword. he set it down on the ground before them. for a moment, noah and moxie stood silently on the barren hills.


    ¡°i didn¡¯t want it to end like this,¡± moxie said, her voice so soft that noah could barely hear it. she stepped onto the flying sword, her hands clenched at her sides. ¡°i wanted to spend the rest of the summer with you and lee.¡±


    ¡°you will,¡± noah said as he walked onto the sword behind her, wrapping his arms around her stomach and pulling her close. ¡°i promise.¡±

 Chapter 263: Mine

    chapter 263: mine


    there was one week of travel between them and the torrins. and, at least for the next three days, not a second of it went to waste. with no burgeoning ideas on ways to defeat evergreen, noah, moxie, and lee spent every second of their time training.


    lee and moxie meditated during the flights, gathering all the power that they could for their runes. meanwhile, noah reviewed formations in his mind. that didn¡¯t make for the smoothest ride, but since there wasn¡¯t exactly anything to run into as long as they were high up enough in the sky, it didn¡¯t matter.


    when they landed, lee would immediately set out and try to gather all the monsters she could. a good number of them never made it back, having died at her hand long before she returned. the groups that she did bring back fell to moxie and noah, feeding into their runes one small increment at a time.


    noah saw the cat pop up several times in their fights, bringing more monsters with it. he strongly suspected that it had been helping lee gather monsters from the start. the sheer amounts of enemies she¡¯d managed to kite back to the camp were too high for it to just be a coincidence.


    it was a stroke of luck, but it wasn¡¯t one that noah was going to complain about. the cat just had a natural ability to draw monsters to itself ¨C a talent that he would never have thought he¡¯d be grateful for.


    but, as his natural disaster rune inched closer and closer to being completely full, he appreciated it more with every passing second. lee and moxie¡¯s runes were growing at equal rates and, while noah was tempted to use sunder on some of their kills to harvest runes, he avoided it.


    right now, they didn¡¯t need more runes. they needed as much power as they could possibly gather in a short period of time. they trained through large portions of the night, completely skipping sleep in exchange for the energy that came from their kills.


    the last time noah had done anything of the like was when he¡¯d first arrived in the scorched acres ¨C but this time, he had people with him. it wasn¡¯t enjoyable by any means, but it was tolerable.


    whenever they weren¡¯t training, they were brainstorming ways to find a chink in evergreen¡¯s armor. unfortunately, that was going far worse than their practice. while lee had already made significant progress filling her space runes and both noah and moxie were well on their way to filling their rank 3 runes, none of them had gotten a single idea as to how evergreen could be outmaneuvered.


    ¡°what if we asked silvertide for help?¡± lee asked through a mouthful of jerky. the campfire that they all sat around illuminated the uncharacteristically serious expression on her face.


    ¡°no time,¡± noah said. ¡°and, even if we had more time, i don¡¯t think he¡¯d help us. he¡¯s aiding the kids out of the kindness of his heart. not us. going up against the entirety of a massive noble house is too much to ask. he has no stake in this fight.¡±


    ¡°another noble family, maybe?¡± moxie chewed her lower lip, then shook her head to dismiss her own idea before anyone else could even answer. ¡°no, that won¡¯t work. the linwicks were the most likely ones to want to fight the torrins. father isn¡¯t going to help without taking more than we¡¯re willing to give.¡±


    noah pulled a blade of grass from the ground. ¡°is there really nothing that she cares about other than the torrins? something we can use as leverage?¡±


    ¡°evergreen isn¡¯t as clever as father is, but her defenses are ironclad. she hasn¡¯t lived this long by being stupid, and she¡¯s a real rank 6. getting her staff away from her would definitely weaken her, but it wouldn¡¯t be by enough for us to get anywhere close to fighting her.¡±no?vel binz was the first platform to present this chapter.


    ¡°what if azel helped?¡± lee asked.


    ¡°he¡¯s a rank 5.¡± noah pulled another blade of grass up, then crushed it between his fingers with a grimace. ¡°we¡¯re assuming that we actually all make it right up to evergreen. but, even if we do, she¡¯s been a rank 6 for some time now. if we had two or three azels then maybe things would be different. she¡¯d probably be able to defeat azel ¨C or at least, hold him off for long enough for backup to arrive.¡±


    ¡°which won¡¯t be long,¡± moxie added. ¡°the torrins value evergreen. she¡¯s pushy and often doesn¡¯t do what the lower ranked family heads want, but she¡¯s strong enough to warrant protection if she was ever in a situation where she might actually be in trouble. without her, the other noble families might make a move.¡±


    the fire crackled between them, a faint breeze passing through their camp and bringing its flames higher. noah¡¯s stomach churned. with every day that passed, they grew closer to moxie¡¯s death. the trip was already halfway done, and they were no closer to finding a way to defeat evergreen than they had been when they left.


    lee made no move to take the offered meal. ¡°because my soul normally isn¡¯t on fire. we don¡¯t like you, azel. go away.¡±


    azel chortled. ¡°we? that¡¯s an odd way for a demon to be thinking, lee. there is no we. there is only i. why do you care about some mortals? i admit that noah is certainly interesting, but¨C¡±


    the rest of azel¡¯s sentence was lost as lee put her fist through azel¡¯s face. his head popped like a grape, fire splattering across the ground as his body pitched back. before it could hit the ground, fire rushed out from the ring and into azel, reforming his head.


    he rubbed his jaw. ¡°aggressive.¡±


    ¡°get out of my head. they¡¯re my family. nothing you ever say can change that. no matter what you try to convince me with, it won¡¯t work. you¡¯re just scared about dying yourself.¡±


    azel¡¯s eyes darkened, the smoldering red turning a deep burgundy. ¡°why go with them, lee? there are other mortals. you can find¨C¡±


    ¡°i won¡¯t! they¡¯re mine.¡± the flames around them fluttered as a wave of shadow washed out from lee, smothering them. azel hissed as his body dimmed significantly. the turkey leg vanished from his hands, disappearing in a puff of ash.


    ¡°why?¡± azel demanded. ¡°they won¡¯t win this, lee. noah might live, but you aren¡¯t immortal. you¡¯ll die, just as sure as moxie will.¡±


    ¡°why do you care?¡± lee countered. ¡°it¡¯s my life, azel. you¡¯re pathetic. maybe i would have turned out like you if i got stuck in the damned plains for a hundred more years, but i didn¡¯t. i¡¯m not going to be like that.¡±


    ¡°so you¡¯ll just throw your life away?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s not throwing it away. it¡¯s using it to do something i care about. maybe you¡¯d know the meaning of that if you could do anything but think about yourself,¡± lee spat. the fire surrounding the clearing faded even further, the last flames smothered out and turning to wispy ash.


    a sea of shadow swirled around the two demons, growing in intensity. azel¡¯s form grew translucent, and lee¡¯s runes materialized in the darkness. their pressure bore down on azel, pushing him out from lee¡¯s soul.


    ¡°idiot,¡± azel snarled. ¡°do you not realize i am trying to save your life? as a fellow demon, i don¡¯t want to see you squandered so pointlessly. i¡¯m not being selfish. you are. we could do so much¨C¡±


    ¡°get out,¡± lee hissed. ¡°you aren¡¯t a fellow to me in anything. we¡¯re going to beat evergreen. and then, after we defeat her, we¡¯re going to rip you out of noah¡¯s soul and kill you too. maybe you should be more worried about getting out of noah and saving your own life. stop screwing with us.¡±


    azel bared his teeth. the shadows pressing in on him faltered as flames enveloped his body. ¡°you are nothing but a foolish child. our kind live for the long game, lee. you¡¯re going to burn your future for a woman that doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s my future to burn. i told you to get out!¡±


    a roar ripped out of azel¡¯s mouth, but the flames enveloping were snuffed out. he vanished, thrust out of lee¡¯s mindspace. she slammed her mental doors shut on him and her world was plunged back into darkness ¨C darkness that was anything but peaceful.


    lee¡¯s hands clenched and she drew a deep breath to steady herself.


    i won¡¯t let them die. not moxie. not noah. nobody can take them from me. they¡¯re mine.

 Chapter 264: Lees Runes

    chapter 264: lee''s runes


    when the sun rose the next morning, lee and noah drank the mind meld potion. lee took it first, dayton¡¯s scroll unfurled on her lap and the runes she wanted already picked out.


    noah wasn¡¯t sure what he¡¯d been expecting to find in lee¡¯s mind. part of him had expected everything to be made out of food or candy. instead, what greeted him was darkness. much akin to his own mindspace, lee¡¯s runes floated in a sea of black.


    it only took him a second to realize that their minds weren¡¯t exactly the same, though. while noah¡¯s mindspace was just black nothingness, lee¡¯s was made out of twisting shadow. the darkness squirmed at the edges of noah¡¯s vision as if quailing away from his sight. it wrapped and enveloped her runes, intertwining everything together like the web of a spider.


    lee watched noah intently as he got his bearings.


    ¡°much easier to find your runes than it was to find moxie¡¯s,¡± noah said, ducking under a strand of dark energy.


    ¡°you don¡¯t think it¡¯s unsettling?¡± lee asked. ¡°it¡¯s so... dark. azel told me that moxie¡¯s mindspace was really vibrant and pretty.¡±


    ¡°you like the dark, don¡¯t you?¡± noah shrugged. ¡°it¡¯s meant to be a reflection of you. my mindspace is just pitch black. at least yours has something more than that. but when the hell were you talking to azel?¡±


    ¡°every once and a while. he showed up at night sometimes, but never bothered me much.¡± lee¡¯s brow darkened. ¡°until yesterday. he pissed me off yesterday.¡±


    ¡°what did he do?¡± noah¡¯s lips pressed thin and he glanced over his shoulder. azel was probably listening in to their conversation somewhere.


    ¡°told me to leave. i told him to get lost, and he did.¡±


    noah grunted. ¡°asshole. good. don¡¯t listen to what that prick has to say, lee.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t. we only have thirty minutes to fix my runes, right? we should start.¡±


    ¡°agreed. which rune do you want to begin with? you said you wanted to keep two shift runes, two umbral body runes, and then add in three space based runes, right? the shift and umbral body runes are already here, but we need to make some rank 3 space runes, since the one brayden gave us is a rank 1. we aren¡¯t concerned with waste anymore, so take all the energy you need from dayton and evergreen¡¯s runes, assuming you know where you¡¯re going with it.¡±


    ¡°i do.¡± lee gave noah a confident nod. ¡°i don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible to get perfect space runes, and since we don¡¯t have that many of them, i decided to keep to my current theme. i want to combine shadow and space. dayton really liked that kind of rune, so it works well.¡±


    ¡°yeah, tell me about it. let¡¯s do it, then. you want to draw in a rank 4 runes and i¡¯ll cut them apart before they can do too much damage? we¡¯ll then do some surgery and take them apart down to their base components one by one, then rebuild them with the new space runes. you have enough space runes filled up for that?¡±


    in response, lee raised her hands. the darkness around them rippled and inky strands bubbled up, peeling back to reveal runes within them. the strands didn¡¯t fully release the runes, so they were still partially buried within it.


    she¡¯d filled a lot more space runes than she¡¯d initially let on. six of them just barely poked out of her soul ¨C presumably because they weren¡¯t active, as she already had all the main seven rune slots in her soul filled with rank 3 runes.


    ¡°hey, are your runes all kind of wound up in your mindspace because of how they affect you more as a demon?¡± noah asked.


    ¡°yeah. that¡¯s why it¡¯s so difficult to get rid of them. it¡¯s like messing with my own body,¡± lee said. she hesitated for a moment then gave noah a firm nod. ¡°it hurts, but you can fix it. i need to be stronger. i¡¯m going to start by fully imbuing two of my true shift runes. can you then split my shadow rune? we can bring in dayton¡¯s runes after that.¡±


    lee¡¯s expression was pure determination. she knew how painful this was going to be, and she wasn¡¯t intimidated in the slightest. it would have been disrespectful for noah to do anything but everything in his power to help her. with the fragment of renewal, at least the pain would only be temporary.


    ¡°understood. i¡¯m ready when you are then, lee.¡±


    lee drew in a deep breath and let it out, extending her hands to the true shift runes. two of the four shifted through the darkness, coming to sit before lee. she grit her teeth, then reached out to touch them.


    then lee got to work.


    it was gruesome, to say the least. noah felt like was watching someone quite literally rip themselves apart. lee¡¯s method of removing the runes from her soul was anything but elegant. she tore both of them out of her mindspace in one fell swoop, leaving a weeping grey wound in their place.


    the shadows holding the runes in ripped with a loud screech. even as lee¡¯s eyes closed and she focused on fully imbuing the runes into the catchpaper, blood started to pour down her face from her nose and eyes.


    noah couldn¡¯t draw on the fragment of renewal yet. he had one use a day, and he had to save it until she had finished her work, or the soul damage would remain.


    lee gritted her teeth and flicked a hand, causing the shadow rune to slide over to her. shewiped the blood from her face, then looked up at noah.


    ¡°sunder it.¡±


    ¡°are you sure you don¡¯t need to pause for¨C¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m fine. sunder it.¡±


    noah nodded. he drew on the freezing cold energy of sunder. his veins turned black as the master rune¡¯s power stormed within him. noah sent the deadly energy flooding out and into lee¡¯s shadow rune.


    it was so dark in lee¡¯s soul that he barely even saw sunder¡¯s magic go off, but the brilliant crack followed by the shadow rune splitting itself apart was impossible to miss.


    seven rank 2 runes split apart from within the rank 3 rune. while noah spotted several shadow runes within them, there were others that he couldn¡¯t understand at all.


    ¡°are you okay?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m fine,¡± lee waved him away, her voice slurring from pain and exhaustion. her eyes were transfixed on the rune azel had left behind. noah couldn¡¯t understand its meaning, but it didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out he¡¯d left behind a demon rune ¨C and one that felt quite strong.


    ¡°do you trust this thing?¡± noah asked. ¡°was azel right? you can¡¯t kill yourself for temporary power, lee.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t know,¡± lee muttered. ¡°i didn¡¯t have anyone to teach me, but... i think he might have been right. we¡¯re wasting energy with every second we waste. split this rune apart.¡±


    ¡°are you sure?¡± noah asked doubtfully. ¡°azel might have some form of ulterior motive.¡±


    ¡°runes are runes. this one wasn¡¯t exactly what i had planned, but he felt right. i think we should listen, and we don¡¯t have time to think that much about it. we¡¯re wasting energy.¡±


    noah chewed his lower lip. in the end, it was lee¡¯s decision to make. he was far from an expert on runes, but he was pretty sure there wasn¡¯t such a thing as a trapped rune, and azel had said that they weren¡¯t part of a deal. azel had no way to hold it over their heads, but it just didn¡¯t make sense.


    why would he give lee a rune for free?


    ¡°let¡¯s just do it,¡± lee insisted. ¡°come on. we¡¯re losing too much energy.¡±


    ¡°if you¡¯re sure.¡±


    worst case, i cut them right back out of lee¡¯s soul and we replace things later.


    ¡°i am.¡±


    noah didn¡¯t waste any more time. he called on sunder once more, carving through the rune that azel had left behind. it split apart, seven runes spiraling forth from the light that bloomed within it.


    lee didn¡¯t even wait for sunder to finish. while noah was splitting apart azel¡¯s rune, she had already pulled in one of dayton¡¯s runes ¨C nightshrouded electric storm, a rank 4. noah matched her speed, carving it apart with sunder as well.


    then he stood back, watching with trepidation as lee got to work. she pulled runes through the air, sending them over to noah for him to sunder and then pulling them back without wasting an instant.


    energy stormed around them. it was the most excess power that noah had ever felt just lying around ¨C he didn¡¯t want to think about how much power was getting wasted, but lee was moving at such a speed that it was far better than it could have been.


    together, they broke the rank 4 rune down all the way to its rank 1 and 2 components before lee melded them back together. the work was taking a significant toll on lee, but there was no choice but to push forward.


    the thirty-minute duration of the mind meld potion felt like hours, but finally, it ended. with just a few minutes to spare, lee slammed the last of her runes together. she lost her footing and noah caught her before she could fall.


    he drew on the fragment of renewal, sending the healing energy coursing through her body. lee stiffened at his touch, then let out a sigh relief.


    they both looked out at the seven runes interwoven into lee¡¯s mindspace. two shift runes and two umbral body runes from before sat just behind three new runes, none of which noah could understand.


    exhaustion racked noah. he¡¯d had to cut the runes apart several times after lee had formed them, but neither of them had been willing to stop until the runes were perfect. and, even though noah had no idea what the demon runes did, he could tell that they¡¯d achieved that goal.


    the runes weren¡¯t full, but there had been so much energy to work with that they weren¡¯t far from it either. lee was probably almost ready to push for rank 4, provided she had a plan for how to combine her new runes.


    grey scars littered lee¡¯s mindspace, but they were slowly pulling themselves back together as the fragment of renewal worked to repair her body and soul alike.


    ¡°we did it,¡± lee muttered, a smile flitting across her lips. ¡°perfect runes. all of them.¡±


    ¡°it was all you,¡± noah said. ¡°i just did a little groundwork. how are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re healing me. i¡¯ll be fine.¡± lee¡¯s voice was heavy with weariness. ¡°thank you. you might have to carry me a bit. i¡¯ll be fine again in a day.¡±


    ¡°no problem,¡± noah promised. a faint buzzing started to build in the back of his ears, marking the end of the mind meld¡¯s duration. ¡°what runes did you end up making, by the way? i can¡¯t read demon runes.¡±


    ¡°smoldering warp,¡± lee replied with a smug grin. ¡°they aren¡¯t a full space rune, but i can¡¯t wait to see what they do. they¡¯re going to be strong. i know it.¡±


    noah believed her. he still wasn¡¯t sure what azel¡¯s angle was, but at the moment, they didn¡¯t have time to question it. every single edge they could get against evergreen was one they had to take.


    ¡°we¡¯re going to win.¡± lee¡¯s eyes sharpened as she caught noah¡¯s gaze. ¡°we¡¯ll beat evergreen.¡±


    ¡°damn right we will,¡± noah agreed. the buzzing intensified and he carefully set lee down on her own feet. the world started to spin around him. ¡°see you on the outside, lee. the potion¡¯s ending.¡±


    we aren¡¯t deluding ourselves. every step we take is one closer to finding a way to defeat evergreen. no matter how bad things look, i ¨C we ¨C will find a way.


    darkness rose up, swallowing noah. as lee¡¯s mindspace faded away, she gave him a grin. she genuinely meant her words. and, even though noah didn¡¯t have the slightest idea how they¡¯d pull it off, he believed them too.

 Chapter 265: See you shortly

    chapter 265: see you shortly


    when noah sat up, the last dregs of the mind meld potion wearing off, moxie had a strange expression on her face. she looked to be balancing on the precipice of enlighten and frustration, teetering back and forth but somehow managing to keep her spot right in the center.


    ¡°moxie?¡± noah asked, rubbing his eyes.


    she blinked, then shook her head. ¡°did things work out for lee?¡±


    ¡°yeah,¡± noah said, though he paused a second before answering. ¡°azel showed up. he... gave lee his runes, for some reason.¡±


    ¡°he what?¡±


    ¡°yeah, that¡¯s what i said.¡± noah shook his head and shrugged. ¡°he said it was a favor because he needed lee alive. i¡¯m not sure what he was playing at, but he said something about how, as a demon, lee needed to keep a certain amount of demon runes.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve never heard of anything like that, but we don¡¯t know all that much about monster runes.¡± moxie rubbed the side of her neck in thought. ¡°it¡¯s possible he¡¯s telling the truth. i guess that would make a certain amount of sense. demons feed off emotion, and that¡¯s got to come from somewhere. it¡¯s only logical that it would be tied to a rune.¡±


    moxie had come to the exact same conclusion that noah had, though he was pretty sure she¡¯d come to it nearly twice as fast as he did. that likely had something to do with the fact that moxie had been actively researching skinwalkers before they¡¯d started spending time together, so she knew more about monsters than the average person.


    ¡°as long as it checks out for you as well.¡± noah stood up and brushed the dirt off his pants. he looked down at lee, whose eyes were closed in what he hoped to be peaceful slumber. ¡°lee should be fine soon. she said we might need to carry her for today, but she¡¯ll be back up and good soon after.¡±


    ¡°good,¡± moxie said. ¡°i was worried, especially after how things went last time.¡±


    her lips parted, then closed again as she looked away. noah¡¯s brow furrowed. moxie wasn¡¯t saying something.


    ¡°moxie? what¡¯s going on?¡±no?vel binz was the first platform to present this chapter.


    ¡°what? nothing. just thinking about the future.¡±


    ¡°no, that definitely wasn¡¯t it. you¡¯re thinking of something.¡± noah arched an eyebrow, doing a spectacular impression of moxie¡¯s signature look. ¡°come on with it. what is it?¡±


    moxie let out a mixture between a laugh and a sigh. ¡°fine, fine. i was thinking a lot tonight.¡±


    ¡°and?¡±


    ¡°i... i think i might have figured out something that might work against evergreen.¡±


    noah nearly tripped over his own feet. ¡°what? what is it?¡±


    ¡°not yet,¡± moxie said. ¡°it would depend a ton on lee, and i don¡¯t want to tell you before she knows everything. there would be too much pressure on her to say yes.¡±


    ¡°i wouldn¡¯t do something like that to her,¡± noah said, hurt.


    ¡°i know. but ¨C and this isn¡¯t a bad thing ¨C you¡¯re a really bad liar. not as bad as brayden, but not by much better. when you¡¯re putting on an act, you¡¯re great. but lee¡¯s going to read you like a book. i was hoping i could just mention it when she was awake.¡±


    ¡°sorry,¡± noah said, not meaning it in the slightest. ¡°so are you going to tell me now?¡±


    ¡°no. be patient.¡±


    noah heaved a sigh. ¡°that¡¯s just cold.¡±


    moxie shook her head in response. ¡°let¡¯s just get a move on. we don¡¯t have time to waste. the less evergreen suspects, the better.¡±


    pulling out his flying sword, noah tossed it to the ground. they both glanced down at lee.


    ¡°it¡¯s too bad she didn¡¯t turn into a bird first.¡± moxie scrunched her nose. ¡°at least she¡¯s tiny. we¡¯ll just keep a good hold on her.¡±


    noah carefully picked lee up, then positioned her between himself and moxie. moxie tied lee down with several vines and they all got onto the flying sword. it was far from the most graceful setup, but it worked.


    ***


    several days later, noah and moxie approached the front gates of a large city ¨C blancwood, by the name embossed on huge panels of wood along the walls. the torrin family¡¯s home ground was exactly like noah had expected it to be. towering wooden buildings rose up like the treehouse of a child¡¯s dreams.


    it was a fortress, intricately detailed and interwoven with the huge forest that stood around and within the city. even large parts of the walls were made from interlocking trees, their trunks pressed together so tightly that they were just a single mass.


    the latter half of their journey had been somehow even more stressful than the first. noah lost count of how many pages he re-read and the monsters the three of them had killed, getting every last scrap of energy prepared.


    rest had become something of a foreign concept, but now that they stood at the precipice, noah wished more than anything that they¡¯d had just a little more time. moxie sent him a knowing glance, then turned her gaze back to the city entrance as they drew to a stop before a guard clad in wooden plate armor.


    despite its make, the swirling imbuements covering the armor and the man¡¯s weapon told noah that nothing about the guard was ceremonial. the man was probably more than capable of putting up quite a fight.


    ¡°business?¡± the guard asked, his posture that of a practiced warrior at ease.


    ¡°reporting to magus evergreen,¡± moxie replied. ¡°i¡¯ve come with an escort.¡±


    ¡°names?¡±


    ¡°moxie torrin. vermil linwick.¡± moxie answered the question easily, without an instant of hesitation.


    the guard¡¯s stance shifted, his eyes narrowing as he prepared to draw his weapon. ¡°linwick? what is a linwick doing here?¡±


    ¡°he¡¯s here on behalf of the linwick family to offer evergreen something that he retrieved.¡±


    noah reached down for his bag, then froze as the guard¡¯s sword flashed from its sheath and landed at his neck, just a slight twitch away from slitting his throat open.


    ¡°move slowly,¡± the guard ordered.


    doing his best sloth impression, noah pulled his bag open with two fingers, avoiding any sudden movements. he pulled evergreen¡¯s scroll out an inch at a time, then held it out so the guard could see. ¡°if you could, tell her that this is from dayton.¡±


    ¡°noted. this will be reported,¡± the guard said, gesturing for noah to put the scroll away. another guard turned and jogged away. ¡°remain put. do not make any sudden moves, linwick. peace or not, we will execute you if we have any reason to believe you are hostile.¡±


    ¡°trust me. no hostility here,¡± noah promised. out of the corner of his eye, he watched a crow sail through the air above the torrin gate, flying above the wall and disappearing into the maze of buildings behind it.


    he and moxie exchanged a look but said nothing.


    minutes passed. ten, twenty. adrenaline swirled in noah¡¯s stomach, making it a fight to keep his expression even. finally, the guard that had left returned and gave them a curt nod.


    ¡°evergreen said she¡¯s expecting moxie. the linwick is a surprise, but she wants to speak with them both.¡±


    the first guard inclined his head, then stepped to the side, granting them entrance into blancwood. ¡°pass, then.¡±


    ¡°follow me,¡± the other guard said, turning and setting off down the flower-trimmed street. noah and moxie accelerated to keep pace with him.


    as they walked, noah couldn¡¯t help but admire the city around them. even though they were walking to what could have been moxie¡¯s end, blancwood was a beautiful intermixture of nature and mankind.


    the air smelled like fresh pine and honey, and no two buildings were the same. the paths seemed more like trails through the forest than proper city roads. they wound back and forth through the trees and buildings, many of which were one and the same.


    their walk ended at the front of a large mansion. its walls were made of a deep purple bark that looked like it cost more than its weight in gold. the very mansion seemed to be alive, leaves jutting out from it and stretching out to gather the sunlight.


    somehow, the entire house was just one massive, alien tree. noah suppressed his awe as the guard knocked on the front door and it swung open to reveal a dour-faced butler with dull orange hair. he wore a grey suit and stood with his hands crossed behind his back.


    ¡°magus moxie,¡± the butler said, his voice completely devoid of anything that could have been considered emotion. ¡°come inside.¡±


    after trading one more look, noah and moxie stepped into evergreen¡¯s manor. the butler closed the door behind them with an air of finality.


    ¡°magus evergreen is occupied at the moment,¡± the butler said. ¡°please follow me. she will see you shortly.¡±

 Chapter 266: Rinella

    chapter 266: rinella


    ¡°help! there¡¯s a pervert thief! stop him!¡± the seamstress sprinted out the door, a pair of scissors raised in her hand like a weapon. she skidded to a stop as the subject of her pursuit ¨C a stark naked, lanky man with bright red hair ¨C dashed into an alleyway.


    several stunned seconds passed before a burly merchant stepped away from his vegetable cart and nodded in the direction that the man had run off in. ¡°that guy?¡±


    ¡°yeah, him! he stole almost a hundred gold worth of clothing!¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll get him, miss viya. don¡¯t you worry. there¡¯s nowhere to go in that alley. it¡¯s a dead end. go get the guards.¡± he cracked his knuckles and stepped into the darkness in pursuit of the thief.


    the seamstress did as the merchant had suggested, turning and running off to find a guard.


    lee watched from the top of the roof as she pulled her new clothes on, suppressing a snicker as the large merchant reached the end of the alleyway and found nothing waiting for him. he turned in a circle, baffled, but there was nothing to be found.


    nobody would have expected the tall man could move far, far faster than he let on ¨C and they certainly didn¡¯t expect him to climb the trees and transform into a woman. lee rolled her shoulders, testing out the feel of her new robe.


    what¡¯s the big deal with being naked, anyway? clothes are just armor. people make it so weird.


    lee leapt over to the next building over, then dropped to the ground and stepped out into the street. she strode straight past the seamstress and the guard that accompanied her as they ran back to the burglarized shop.


    by the time the seamstress realized that the clothes on lee¡¯s body looked strikingly familiar and turned around, lee was gone.


    she wove through the dark alleys, moxie¡¯s instructions still ringing loud in her mind. time was of the essence. there wasn¡¯t any room for mistakes or delays. if the plan was going to work out, noah and moxie needed her to succeed.


    the gourd hanging from her waist felt like a thousand-pound rock. noah had tossed it into an alley that she¡¯d been waiting in as he and moxie had passed on their way toward evergreen. lee swallowed. noah¡¯s life was quite literally strapped to her side. she didn¡¯t know what would happen if it got damaged, and she had absolutely no plans of finding out.


    lee used the buildings as reference, searching out one in particular ¨C a tall mansion at the south side of the city. it didn¡¯t take her long to find it and set a course, her speed allowing her to arrive in just minutes.


    the mansion¡¯s beautiful mahogany exterior barely even drew her attention for more than a second. the front entrance was grand, two expertly carved doors barring off the manor¡¯s interior. there were several guards stationed at it, and none of them looked like slackers. a tall fence ringed the mansion, leaving the only entrance as the path to the front.


    lee sank into a shadow, rising back up on the other side of the fence and beside a window. her nose twitched as she examined it. the points of her fingers sharpened and lee hopped, digging her claws into the wood and scaling up the side of the manor toward the second floor, where a window was open.


    she drew up alongside it, then examined the window. delicate imbuements were concealed in the swirling border around the glass. lee didn¡¯t know what most of them did, but it didn¡¯t take a genius to guess. if the windows were broken, people would know.


    thus, lee didn¡¯t break the window. she just cut a hole out of the wood beside it with a sharpened claw. her hand sliced through the wall easily and she pulled a small chunk free, squeezing herself through and popping out into a green-carpeted hallway.


    she pulled the chunk of wood back into place behind her, then stood up and brushed herself off before setting off down the hall, her hair turning a pure silver as she walked. lee passed a servant, but they took one glance at her hair and turned away, not saying anything.


    lee came up to a fork in the hall and stopped to sniff the air before taking the right path. she continued deeper into the mansion, moving with purpose. there were a lot of scents in the mansion, but one was stronger than all the others ¨C the scent of power.


    the skin on her face rippled and turned to brown bark as a wooden mask formed, covering her features. two horns curled up at its sides. aside from holes for her to see and breath through, it was featureless.


    her nose led her up to a large wooden door. just behind it was the source of the scent that she¡¯d been following. a silver-haired guard leaned against the wall beside it, a halberd braced against his shoulder.


    unlike the servant, his eyes narrowed and he straightened when he saw lee.


    ¡°name and purpose?¡± the guard demanded. ¡°i was unaware we had visitors.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m here to speak with magus rinella.¡±


    ¡°who are you?¡± the guard repeated, lowering the halberd. ¡°take off the mask.¡±


    ¡°moxie? evergreen¡¯s lapdog?¡± rinella¡¯s brow furrowed. a flicker of interest flashed across her features and she flicked her hand. ¡°everyone out.¡±


    ¡°magus rinella, please!¡± the old man that lee had pushed over stood, holding his hands out, palms up. ¡°we still haven¡¯t finished discussing¨C¡±


    one of the guards grabbed the man by the back of his shirt, then dragged him out. the others fell in behind them, not even uttering a single word of dissent. they obeyed rinella¡¯s orders perfectly.


    behind them, the wood from the damaged door slid across the ground and rose up, sliding back into place until the hole was completely gone. rinella leaned forward. ¡°there. now we are alone. speak, intruder, and pray that your message was actually worth my time. if not, you will regret it.¡±


    ¡°there¡¯s an archdemon in blancwood.¡±


    rinella froze. ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°there¡¯s an archdemon,¡± lee repeated. ¡°he¡¯s taken the form of a man from the linwick family. moxie is bringing him to an audience with evergreen tonight.¡±


    rinella¡¯s eyes darted along lee¡¯s face, but there was nothing to read. the mask made her completely expressionless.


    ¡°what a fool thing to report to me,¡± rinella said. ¡°evergreen is the head of the torrin family. why would i not interfere immediately?¡±


    ¡°because you¡¯ve been waiting for a moment to overthrow evergreen for years. even though you¡¯re not quite rank 6, you¡¯re nearly there. the archdemon won¡¯t be killing evergreen himself. the contract was only enough for aid, not for it to finish the job.¡±


    rinella leaned back. her hands tightened on the armrests of her throne and she pressed her lips thin. ¡°an archdemon could not kill evergreen if it didn¡¯t use its full strength.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re right, but moxie didn¡¯t have much leeway in the deal she made. that¡¯s her problem to deal with. what matters for you is that evergreen will be weakened.¡±


    ¡°evergreen would never let a demon within such close proximity to her. she would know immediately.¡±


    smoldering ash swam through the air at lee¡¯s shoulders and formed into a flowing cloak. energy swirled at her arms and rinella expression froze in place.


    ¡°are you sure?¡± lee asked, tilting her head to the side. her voice deepened and her tone turned sultry. ¡°you didn¡¯t, rinella. why would she?¡±


    just as quickly as the flame had appeared, it vanished. rinella watched lee warily, a spike of wood twisting at her feet like a viper poised to strike.


    ¡°who are you?¡± rinella asked. ¡°what¡¯s your goal here?¡±


    ¡°that hardly matters. the choice is yours, magus.¡± lee¡¯s voice returned to normal. ¡°i don¡¯t care one way or another what you do. this is all just part of the deal. take advantage of it or not. if moxie fails, it¡¯s no skin off my back. the deal has been struck. it¡¯s up to you on if you want to capitalize on it.¡±


    lee slipped into a shadow, sliding beneath the door and rising up on the hall on the other side amidst the guards. before they could react, she sank into another shadow, reappearing once more beside a window and using it to jump to another shadow outside.


    then she was gone, the mansion receding at her back.


    thanks for the help, azel. it was really convincing.


    don¡¯t get used to it. you repeatedly do everything in your power to get yourself killed, and i am not a babysitter.


    you need to learn how to be appreciative. that¡¯s no way to respond to a thank you.


    azel¡¯s irritation faded away as lee felt his presence depart, returning to noah and leaving her alone once more. she stopped at the top of a building to scan the city before spotting her next target ¨C another, smaller mansion at the opposite corner of her city.


    lee blurred, slipping from shadow to shadow in a dash across blancwood. the first part of her job had gone well, but there were still more pieces that had to be laid before her work was done.

 Chapter 267: Confrontation

    chapter 267: confrontation


    an hour later, vermil linwick limped up to the torrin family¡¯s guardhouse. he bled from several lacerations on his arms and face, and a large bruise was forming beneath one of his eyes.


    every breath he took was labored, but still he pushed on. he barely managed to drag himself up to the guard standing by entrance before crumpling to the ground. the guard grabbed him, steadying vermil.


    ¡°what in the damned plains happened to you?¡± the guard turned vermil over, pressing a hand to his neck.


    ¡°i¡¯m fine,¡± vermil wheezed. ¡°i ¨C i bring news. news of a grave threat to magus evergreen.¡±


    ¡°what?¡± the guard pulled vermil to his feet. ¡°who are you?¡±


    ¡°vermil linwick. i know you don¡¯t trust my family, but this is urgent.¡± vermil coughed into his fist, blood splattering across it. ¡°i¡¯m with moxie torrin, and she¡¯s been deceived. there¡¯s a rebellion being staged. please, let me speak to someone in charge.¡±


    the guard wasn¡¯t in the best of positions. a member of their family¡¯s greatest enemy was inches away from bleeding out before him, but his claim wasn¡¯t one that could be ignored. no matter how untrustworthy vermil was...


    ¡°come inside,¡± the guard said, spinning and throwing the doors open. he slung vermil¡¯s arm over his shoulder and practically dragged the bleeding man into the guardhouse, calling out for help as he entered. ¡°captain idan! urgent news! we¡¯ve got a really serious report coming in from a linwick. should we hear it out?¡±


    guards poked their heads out of their rooms in confusion, and a grizzled man with a white beard and bald head stepped out from his office, clad in plain civilian clothing.


    ¡°a linwick? why is there a linwick in the city?¡±


    ¡°they were let in, sir,¡± another guard piped up. ¡°i was on shift when he was let in. he¡¯s in the ledger. together with¨C¡±


    ¡°moxie torrin,¡± vermil interrupted, coughing again. blood dripped from his wounds onto the ground of the guardroom. ¡°please, this is urgent. i need to see the captain.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re looking at him,¡± the large man said. ¡°spit it out. what happened? pick a fight you shouldn¡¯t have? you shouldn¡¯t have come to blancwood if you didn¡¯t¨C¡±


    ¡°evergreen is in danger.¡± vermil wheezed. ¡°listen to me you idiots. i was abducted while waiting for an audience with magus evergreen. i saw a perfect clone of me standing in my spot as something pulled me through a portal of some sort before beating the life out of me. i overheard them speaking before i passed out. there¡¯s a plot to kill evergreen!¡±


    within an instant, the entire room had gone from mildly interested to deadly serious. the captain flicked his hand and the guards burst into motion, moving to don their armor and weapons.


    even if the threat was an empty one, preparing for the worst was part of their job, and every second was precious if vermil¡¯s accusations were true.


    ¡°them? who is them?¡± captain idan demanded.


    ¡°i ¨C i¡¯m not sure. i think someone said something about a woman called... rinna? rinessa? i could barely stay conscious through the beating.¡±


    ¡°rinella?¡± a guard asked.


    ¡°yes! that was her name.¡±


    ¡°hold on. there¡¯s no way rinella would betray magus evergreen,¡± one of the guards said. ¡°i don¡¯t believe this. we¡¯re speaking to a linwick, captain. this could be some sort of plot.¡±


    ¡°what more do you want?¡± vermil demanded. he doubled over, coughing blood onto his fist. ¡°i overheard something about her leaving to take advantage of the archdemon. that must be who they replaced me with.¡±


    ¡°gerald, report to rinella¡¯s estate immediately,¡± the captain ordered, pulling his chest plate on and fastening it in place. ¡°maximum speed. locate rinella. you have three minutes. everyone else, prepare for a battle. do not make any actions until gerald returns.¡±


    a guard gave the captain a sharp salute and blurred as wind enveloped his body and he shot out of the room at an impressive speed. he wasn¡¯t quite as fast as lee was, but he¡¯d have given her a decent run for her money.


    ¡°i never encouraged her to do anything like that. she made that decision on her own, and she didn¡¯t disobey you, magus evergreen. she is young. emily just wants some independence. she¡¯s fiercely loyal to you.¡±


    ¡°orders are not to be questioned.¡± evergreen rose from her chair, her gaze thunderous. ¡°not by her. and certainly not by you. you have failed, magus moxie. you corrupt emily, both on your own and with your poor choice in companionship.¡±


    her eyes flicked to noah.


    ¡°magus evergreen, i¨C¡±


    ¡°be silent,¡± evergreen snapped. ¡°even now, you display how far your judgement has fallen. you brought a linwick here?¡±


    ¡°you let me in,¡± noah pointed out. ¡°she brought me here because i have something for you.¡±


    ¡°yes. i can sense the scroll in your bag,¡± evergreen growled. ¡°the one that the linwicks stole from me.¡±


    ¡°and the one that i have come to return,¡± noah said, pulling the scroll free and laying it at her feet. ¡°all i ask in return is moxie¡¯s life. she has always greatly valued her family, magus. i personally couldn¡¯t care less about you, but there¡¯s no reason to waste such a dedicated worker. this¨C¡±


    wood cracked, winding up around noah and snapping over his mouth before he could finish his sentence. he grunted, struggling to free himself, but he was bound in place.


    ¡°you are a fool. you will not leave here alive.¡± evergreen stepped down from her throne, her staff tapping against the ground as she walked toward them. a tendril of wood pulled the scroll from the ground where it had fallen and set it down on evergreen¡¯s throne.


    she stopped to stand before moxie, and the two of them were silent for several seconds.


    ¡°i won¡¯t beg,¡± moxie said, her voice stiff.


    ¡°i know. you are a torrin,¡± evergreen said, a slight smile crossing her lips. ¡°you knew what waited for you. the price for failure must be paid. at least you will die as one of us rather than a pathetic worm fleeing for its life.¡±


    anger churned in noah¡¯s chest. he felt it run through his limbs and wrap around his heart, and he did nothing to stop it. evergreen looked to be done with her gloating.


    it was time.


    come on then, asshole. let¡¯s feed you some emotions.


    my powers are not yours to command, vines. free food, on the other hand, i will not decline.


    the wood binding noah in place started to smolder as the temperature around him rose rapidly. evergreen¡¯s eyes snapped over to noah as fire enveloped his body with a roar, ripping through her magic in a flash.


    noah stumbled free and drew in a ragged breath, raising his hands and forming two large spikes of superheated ash in the air above him.


    ¡°i won¡¯t go down so easily, evergreen,¡± noah snarled. fire and ash swirled at his feet, turning into a violent vortex. ¡°spit in the face of my gift, will you? i came in peace!¡±


    evergreen laughed. ¡°petulant child. you ¨C a mage that has not even reached rank 4 ¨C dares to raise a hand against me? come, then. i was going to give you a clean death, but i oblige your request and rip you to shreds, keeping you alive until every last nerve in your body has been frayed.¡±


    noah roared and thrust his hands forward. all the magic that had gathered around his body surged toward evergreen in a red and black wave. evergreen didn¡¯t even budge. the attack drew close to her and parted, rushing past a large sphere that surrounded her body harmlessly.


    ¡°attempting to attack me without a domain of your own. idiot. just like a linwick.¡± evergreen scoffed and raised her staff. ¡°are you done? if so, it is my turn.¡±


    the flecks of ember that had passed by evergreen gathered behind her. azel materialized, his suit crisp and eyes smoldering with fire as a hungry smile crossed his lips. ¡°no, magus evergreen. i believe it is mine.¡±

 Chapter 268: Death

    chapter 268: death


    evergreen spun, her shield twisting to life around her in the form of wooden vines reaching to cover her body. energy hissed and popped in the air between them as their domains clashed, but azel didn¡¯t wait to let evergreen¡¯s magic inevitably overpower him and chose to take a page out of noah¡¯s book. even though he was a rank below her, his fist still shattered the wood that rose up to protect her and drove into her stomach.


    a loud crack echoed through the room and evergreen flew back, spinning midair to land on her feet even as a bracelet on her wrist crumbled to dust. she skidded across the ground and thrust her staff forward.


    the entire room came alive. wood rushed out for azel from every direction, jagged points shooting for his throat. the demon vanished in a puff of flame, appearing before evergreen and swinging another fist at her face.


    this time, evergreen was prepared. a brilliant explosion of magic enveloped her body, throwing azel back and into a wall.


    ¡°i am disappointed,¡± evergreen snarled, stalking toward azel. ¡°you attempt to betray me, magus moxie? you bring a demon to my house?¡±


    moxie didn¡¯t respond. her brow was furrowed with concentration and her hands stretched out in an attempt to wrest even some control of the room around them away from evergreen.


    as far as noah could tell, it wasn¡¯t working. evergreen was just too powerful, and they were using the same kind of magic. luckily for them, evergreen didn¡¯t have time to deal with him and moxie yet.


    azel might have been a rank 5, but he was a powerful one. the demon flashed toward evergreen and she was forced to bring her magic to bear defensively, forming dozens of wooden walls in azel¡¯s path.


    he dashed around them and lunged for evergreen, only to catch a spike of wood into the chest. it had moved so quickly that noah hadn¡¯t even seen the magic appear.


    azel coughed and vanished, reappearing behind evergreen. he lunged at her, the wound on his chest weeping flame, but was forced to dodge out of the way as a wooden blade carved through the air where he¡¯d nearly passed.


    ¡°pathetic,¡± evergreen hissed. ¡°you will suffer. all of you. was father behind this? did that old fool¨C¡±


    a torrent of flame poured from azel¡¯s hands, washing over evergreen. it pressed against her domain, smoldering and popping but failing to penetrate the defensive aura surrounding her. loud cracks split the room as evergreen ripped wood up, but noah didn¡¯t have any more time to be distracted by the fight.


    azel wasn¡¯t going to last against evergreen forever, and he was already losing a lot of ground. it was now or never. while evergreen was distracted, he had to breach her defenses. but, even with sunder, there was no way for a rank 3 to even come close to harming a rank 6.


    after all, sunder was constrained by his meagre rank. he needed to draw more of it than he had ever drawn before ¨C more than his body could ever possibly handle. he needed somewhere to store the magic, something that could contain it until he¡¯d managed to channel enough.


    noah¡¯s violin materialized in his hands and he placed the bow against the strings. the sounds of battle rang out all around him, a cacophonous, chaotic roar. fragments of wood and fire ripped the room to pieces all around him. he drew a deep breath, pushing everything away. there was no room for distraction.


    and then he started to play. every night since moxie had voiced her plan, he¡¯d practiced this song, the violin muting the sound so only noah could hear it.


    but, this time, the music didn¡¯t hide itself. a loud, clean note echoed through the destruction, cutting it like a knife. there was no room for errors or hesitation. the moment evergreen figured out what they were doing, it was over. and so, noah played.


    music poured from his fingertips as his song intensified, the notes enveloping him as they picked up in volume. noah¡¯s hands moved faster as he sank deeper into the song, accelerating until they were a blur.


    runic energy poured out around him. crackling power joined his song, weaving itself into a circle above his head. power from natural disaster seeped into the building formation, building a cage ¨C a way to contain the power of sunder for longer than his body ever could.


    despite everything happening around him, noah¡¯s lip quirked up in a subconscious smile. the song he wove intensified, the glorious notes ringing out. the destruction seemed to silence itself in awe of the performance.


    all that remained was his music. it had to be perfect ¨C the greatest performance he had ever put on. not a single note could falter or be out of line, for the slightest mistake would mean the formation would crumble.


    that wouldn¡¯t happen, though. he¡¯d practiced it dozens of times. the song was ready. azel would distract evergreen until it was readied, and then noah would take advantage of evergreen¡¯s distraction to unleash sunder upon her. he would land a single empowered blow that, while unlikely to kill her, would weaken the woman enough for the next stage of their plan. it was going to work.


    evergreen stopped before moxie, who slumped before her, defeated.


    ¡°it was beautiful,¡± moxie murmured.


    ¡°what¡¯s that?¡± evergreen placed the blade of her sword at moxie¡¯s neck.


    ¡°the song.¡± moxie raised her gaze, but it wasn¡¯t to meet evergreen¡¯s eyes. she looked into the air above noah¡¯s body. ¡°it was beautiful.¡±


    she¡¯s saying goodbye.


    a flicker of reddish purple danced behind evergreen. a cat materialized behind her, its dark eyes looking straight up at noah¡¯s soul.


    please. do something! anything!


    the cat didn¡¯t budge. it wasn¡¯t going to act.


    a sob caught in noah¡¯s throat. energy from his formation poured out. within a few seconds, all of it would be gone.


    the desperation built within him as he called out to every single one of his runes. natural disaster was completely tied up in his crumbling formation. sunder would only delay evergreen, not change the result.


    he needed ¨C


    noah¡¯s eyes caught on the cat, finally understanding one final missing piece of its puzzle. he¡¯d thought that it had helped them every time it had showed up ¨C except for one, but that wasn¡¯t true.


    the cat hadn¡¯t just been helping them. it had been showing him what it could do.


    evergreen raised her sword.


    with a roar, noah drew on sunder. thick black ropes swirled up from his body and latched onto his soul, dragging it back to the world of the living. strands of black whipped out, grabbing onto his severed limb and head. they were dragged back into place as noah bolted upright, agony greeting him once more.


    he leapt to his feet and evergreen spun, even as his violin re-materialized in his hands. her sword cut straight through his chest, slicing him in half. even as the upper part of his body pitched back, black strands shot out and yanked his halves back together.


    ¡°what manner of magic is this?¡± evergreen demanded, her eyes widening in a brief instant of shock. it faded, even as noah placed the bow of his violin back on the strings. ¡°no matter. your song was impressive, but it¡¯s over. your formation is ruined.¡±


    her sword flicked out, and burrowed straight between noah¡¯s eyes. every fiber of his body screamed as sunder tried to pull him away, but noah refused to give in. his body stitched itself back together and he locked eyes with evergreen, pulling the bow across the violin.


    ¡°the song isn¡¯t over,¡± noah growled. ¡°that was just the caesura.¡±


    the final note to his performance rang out, summoning the last rune of the formation. it wasn¡¯t sunder that he chose, but the fragment of renewal. a roar filled noah¡¯s ears as the shattered magic circle above him erupted, one last plunge of energy driving into it.


    evergreen¡¯s sword plunged into noah¡¯s chest and roots wove out from the wound, ripping his body to dozens of pieces. this time, he couldn¡¯t resist any longer. his soul was ripped free once again and he floated up, helpless to do any more.


    ¡°damnable cockroach,¡± evergreen snarled. she started to turn toward moxie, then froze as her eyes locked on a swirling magic that twisted above his head. the formation hadn¡¯t vanished. it was complete.

 Chapter 269: Plot

    chapter 269: plot


    evergreen¡¯s eyes widened and she raised her arms before her a moment before a flash of sunder¡¯s black power carved through the air. instead of cutting through evergreen, it cut through her domain. a wave of pink smoke poured out of the formation, the majority of it evaporating the instant it grew near evergreen. but, in that brief instant of surprise, through that tiny crack, a miniscule amount of the smoke managed to make it to her. evergreen snapped out of her surprise and thrust her hands away from her. a wave of pure magic erupted from her body, ripping the smoke apart and destroying noah¡¯s formation.


    it was too late. a tiny portion of evergreen¡¯s armor bubbled. the wood darkened and parts of it cracked, turning a dry, yellowish black. a small portion of it at her chest rotted away ¨C nowhere near enough to actually hurt her or even significantly weaken her defenses, but enough to surprise her for just a moment.


    and, for the duration of that single instant of shock, evergreen¡¯s guard fell. a flash of green leapt from the darkness at the corner of the room, plunging straight through her armor and into her chest. evergreen drew a shocked breath and stumbled, her hand clutching at the huge spike protruding from her.


    a middled aged woman with silver hair stepped out from the darkness, a cold smile on her features. ¡°magus evergreen. what a shame.¡±


    ¡°rinella,¡± evergreen wheezed. ¡°you traitorous fool.¡±


    ¡°me? no. you were killed by the machinations of a mere rank 3 that smuggled an archdemon under your nose.¡± rinella replied with sad shake of her head. ¡°it¡¯s fortunate that i arrived in time to dispatch her and save the rest of the torrin family. who knows what would have happened had i not been present.¡±


    noah struggled with everything in his power to remain in place, but sunder would be denied no longer. the call of his gourd ripped him away from evergreen¡¯s estate and the world faded to black.


    ***


    evergreen was dying. moxie could tell it, and evergreen could too. the spike had gone straight into her heart and there was no chance that rinella would let her leave and get a healing potion.


    ¡°you drive the torrin family to ruin.¡± evergreen¡¯s words were pushed from her lips. her armor sloughed off her in sheets, rotted to the core.


    ¡°perhaps you should have made less enemies,¡± rinella countered, watching from a safe distance. even though she¡¯d won the fight, evergreen wasn¡¯t dead yet ¨C and as long as she still drew breath, she was a threat.


    even the slightest slipup could give evergreen a chance to take rinella down with her, and rinella clearly didn¡¯t plan to offer that opportunity up.


    the bindings of moxie¡¯s rune oaths tightened around her soul. she¡¯d been riding the line of what they permitted her to do for the entire fight ¨C blocking evergreen¡¯s attacks was already pushing the limits. her own attacks were so weak that they barely counted, and the only reason her oaths hadn¡¯t already shattered was because ¨C for some reason ¨C evergreen had never told her to stand down.


    she let me keep my runes purely to make sure i knew how thoroughly i had lost.


    moxie tugged at her hand discreetly, trying to free herself from the spike of wood that she was impaled on. evergreen¡¯s time was running out, and she¡¯d doubtlessly figured out that rinella planned to just stand around and watch her die.


    that means that any moment now¨C


    evergreen burst into motion. she slammed her staff to the ground and a wave of foliage ripped across the floor, accompanied by the massive cacophony of crunching wood. a wave of destructive energy rolled across the ground with terrifying speed, picking up like a violent storm.


    rinella crossed her hands before herself defensively. vines erupted all around her, twisting up to form a thick barrier moments before evergreen¡¯s attack slammed into her with the force of a vengeful hurricane.


    the rank 5 mage¡¯s shield shattered in an instant and rinella vanished beneath the devastating attack. moxie¡¯s face went pale at the torrent of destruction that carved through the room as the storm of leaves and wood ripped evergreen¡¯s estate to shreds, passing through the wall of the house and bursting out into the city, leaving a furrow of destruction in its wake.


    that¡¯s the real force of a rank 6 mage, and evergreen only has a single rank 6 rune. she was holding back through this entire fight to avoid destroying her house... and now she¡¯s weakened. what could she have done if she¡¯d been taking us seriously?


    evergreen let out a croaking laugh, her lips twisted in vengeful fury. she turned toward moxie and stumbled, falling to her knees. hatred burned in her eyes as she lifted a hand, calling the wood around moxie to her command ¨C and froze in place as a loud thunk rang out. evergreen¡¯s eyes glazed and she pitched forward, crashing to the ground. a thorn the size of a forearm protruded from the back of evergreen¡¯s head.


    rinella dragged herself out of the ruined pit that evergreen had formed. her clothes and body were shredded to pieces, the shield bracelets on her wrist both cracked. blood poured down her face and matted her hair, but a savage grin was plastered across her face.


    ¡°traitor!¡± idan thrust his sword. the ground beneath rinella ripped open and she stumbled, grasping for a shield that was no longer there. a pointed wooden growth shot up from beneath her, running through one of her eyes and bursting out the back of her skull.


    rinella¡¯s body went still. she¡¯d already been severely weakened by her fight with evergreen, and idan wasn¡¯t the captain of the guard for no reason. blood dripped from her skull, pooling at the ruined ground of evergreen¡¯s estate.


    several guards ran to the edge of the hole to check on the one that had fallen, but the injured man had already started to climb back up. his armor was heavily damaged, but he¡¯d survived the blow.


    ¡°i can¡¯t believe it. a plot of this magnitude, right under my nose,¡± idan breathed, staring down at rinella. his knuckles tightened around the hilt of his sword and he slammed it into his sheath, snarling out a curse. he thrust a finger toward moxie. ¡°tell me what happened. now. do not leave anything out.¡±


    ¡°you saw most of it, captain. i came with vermil to speak with evergreen.¡± moxie winced as a jolt of pain ran down her hand, which was still impaled on the wooden spike. ¡°i don¡¯t know what happened, but vermil attacked her out of nowhere. rinella started calling out commands and vermil was following them. then evergreen killed him and rinella killed evergreen, but now vermil is right beside you. i¨C¡±


    moxie choked and sniffled, tears dripping down her face. ¡°i don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on.¡±


    idan brought his foot down on the wood, shattering the spike. moxie¡¯s hand dropped to her side and she bit back a pained yelp.


    a guard approached them, holding out a plain gourd. idan took it, popping the top off and yanking the remainder of the spike out of moxie¡¯s hand. she nearly convulsed at the violent agony that tore into her and greedily took the potion from idan, downing it in one go.


    her wounds immediately started to stitch themselves back together. she sank back, breath still coming in terrified, ragged gasps.


    ¡°calm yourself,¡± idan growled. ¡°count yourself lucky. i never thought i¡¯d say it, but your linwick friend did well. he was kidnapped, likely by some form of shadow magic. these incompetent fools failed to kill him and he reported everything to me.¡±


    idan¡¯s eyes flicked to noah. ¡°and you ¨C you were meant to remain in the guardhouse. i suppose it hardly matters now.¡±


    ¡°so... rinella really betrayed all of us?¡± moxie asked.


    ¡°it must have been more than her.¡± idan¡¯s features were stormy. ¡°this is a dark day. we will need to speak further, but the city must be locked down. where are your lodgings?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t have any right now. we were only visiting because evergreen summoned us to speak about emily.¡±


    idan¡¯s features softened for an instant. ¡°she isn¡¯t here, then?¡±


    ¡°no. she¡¯s on vacation.¡±


    ¡°good. i¡¯d hate for her to have to see this.¡± idan shook his head and heaved the exhausted sigh of a man that knew he had many sleepless nights of work coming up for him. ¡°you¡¯ll report to the guest housing, then. tell them i sent you. you are not to leave until i come for you. is that understood?¡±


    ¡°what about¨C¡±


    ¡°the linwick goes with you. you¡¯re still responsible for him. if it wasn¡¯t for him, rinella may have been able to do considerably more damage before we stopped her. this is a disaster, but it could have been a catastrophe,¡± idan said. he didn¡¯t spit the word linwick with quite as much hatred as he once had. there was something else there ¨C the faintest note of grudging respect for an enemy that could have done nothing and watched the chaos unfold, but instead acted for the greater good of all.


    moxie gave idan a jerky nod. she drew a deep breath, flexing her injured hand. the wound on her palm had mostly sealed up, but it still stung something fierce. she pushed herself upright and a guard stepped forward, helping her up.


    ¡°gerald, escort them,¡± idan ordered. ¡°all else, fan out. lock the city down. nobody leaves ¨C i don¡¯t care who they are. gather every branch leader. we get to the bottom of this corruption and carve it free.¡±


    the guard slung one of moxie¡¯s arms over his shoulder and helped her limp over to noah. he gave noah a slight nod, then led the two of them out of the ravaged, blood-splattered remains of the evergreen estate.

 Chapter 270: Passive

    chapter 270: passive


    noah remembered little of the trip back to their room or the rest of the day. it was a vague blur of pain and agony as what felt like rusty razors tore into his mind. he vaguely recalled collapsing at some point on the walk back, but even that was a blur.


    colors and thoughts melted together into a kaleidoscope. seconds felt like hours and he repeatedly reached for the comforting energy from the fragment of renewal, only to find vast emptiness waiting for him.


    the rune was spent. it stubbornly refused to give him even the slightest reprieve from the pain.


    time ground on, though noah was barely aware of it. all he could do was repeatedly grasp at straws in his mindspace, begging the fragment of renewal to grant him relief from the pain.


    and, finally, it did. as soon as the first flickers of energy responded to noah¡¯s mental grasp, he nearly sobbed in relief. the cool rivers of power slithered through his body and wound into his ravaged, shattered mindscape.


    precious peace nipped at the pain. the rune worked agonizingly slow, taking its time with the repairs. if anything, that almost made the pain worse. noah¡¯s brain had practically shut itself off in the pain, but as he healed, his thoughts returned.


    but the fragment of renewal did its job. his ragged breathing slowed and control of his body returned. noah became aware of something soft against his back and a cool, wet presence on his face.


    groaning, noah reached up, removing the damp towel that had been laid across his eyes and forehead. he sat up, blinking furiously as light assaulted his unadjusted eyes. his entire body still throbbed something fierce, but the pain was receding with every passing second.


    a chair scraped back, hitting the back of the bed with a thud.


    ¡°vermil!¡± moxie stumbled in her haste to enter noah¡¯s field of vision, nearly tripping before she caught herself.


    ¡°i¡¯m fine,¡± noah said. his words came out thick and gummy, like he hadn¡¯t spoken for weeks. he wiped the sleep from his eyes and blinked furiously.


    they were in a small, plain room with a single bed and a desk. a window at the far end overlooked a courtyard below them, and the walls were plain gray stone.


    ¡°what happened?¡± noah asked.


    ¡°evergreen is dead.¡±


    a laugh nearly slipped out of noah¡¯s mouth before he caught himself. moxie had referred to him as vermil rather than noah. he glanced around the room suspiciously.


    are we being watched?


    ¡°we¡¯re fine,¡± moxie said. ¡°just force of habit. lee¡¯s watching over the room to make sure nobody goes snooping around. we can speak normally.¡±


    noah breathed a relieved sigh and nodded. ¡°it... it worked, then?¡±


    ¡°yeah.¡± moxie only spoke a single word, but it carried with it years of pent up fear and frustration, all finally put to rest. ¡°it¡¯s been nearly a week since evergreen died. the entire city of blancwood has been in lockdown ¨C and that includes us.¡±


    ¡°what happened after i went down?¡±


    ¡°not much concerning us. the captain of the guard idan launched a massive investigation into corruption. a good number of people fled the city, some of them fairly high up in the torrin family. i¡¯ve been through more than enough interrogations for a lifetime, but there wasn¡¯t a whole lot i can say. after all, i¡¯m only a rank 3.¡±


    noah snorted. ¡°you mean there was actually some sort of rebellion planned?¡±


    moxie was still for a few moments before she finally nodded. ¡°yeah. i guess. it¡¯s honestly a little hard to process everything right now.¡±


    they both fell silent for several minutes. the fragment of renewal continued its work in noah¡¯s body, removing the last vestiges of the pain. he could still feel it knitting together some of the holes in his mindspace, but his body was back to where it needed to be.


    noah superstitiously checked on his violin tattoo, but it was still there.


    ¡°by the way, what happened at the end of the fight?¡± moxie asked. ¡°i thought everything was over when azel went down so early and your song got interrupted. how did you manage to salvage it?¡±


    ¡°i changed the song,¡± noah replied, rubbing the back of his neck. ¡°that¡¯s the whole benefit of using music for formations. it¡¯s all in flux until everything is complete. if i¡¯d used a magic circle, it would have collapsed.¡±


    ¡°i did gather that much, but i¡¯ve never seen the magic that you used.¡± moxie chewed her lower lip, her brow furrowing. ¡°well, i have. but not from you.¡±


    ¡°it was the cat. turns out, death¡¯s door hanging askew is a great way to help you connect those last few threads.¡±


    moxie squinted at noah. ¡°you put the cat in the formation?¡±


    he chuckled. ¡°no. i don¡¯t know why yet, but the cat was telling me the fragment of renewal¡¯s powers. its passive is rot. that¡¯s what i swapped sunder out for. sunder had no chance of cutting through both evergreen and her defenses, and i was kind of already using it. i already had sunder as part of the formation to try and cut through evergreen¡¯s domain so the main rune could reach her, but i knew it wouldn¡¯t be enough on its own.¡±


    ¡°and the whole... body-stitching thing was sunder?¡±


    ¡°yeah. i didn¡¯t know it could do that either. i guess it does make sense, though. we got lucky. everything could have gone wrong in so many different ways.¡±


    ¡°yeah. what matters is it didn¡¯t, though. you gave rinella the opportunity we needed. that was a damn well timed revelation, though.¡± moxie paused, then narrowed her eyes and flicked noah in the nose.


    he yelped in surprise. ¡°what was that for?¡±


    ¡°preemptive measures. you are not going to go around intentionally getting yourself a hair¡¯s width away from death just to figure out new things about your runes.¡±


    ¡°what? i¡¯d never do something like that.¡± noah cleared his throat.


    besides, it wasn¡¯t my impending death that pushed me so hard. it was yours.


    ¡°right,¡± moxie drawled. ¡°either way, we aren¡¯t going anywhere for a few more days. lee has to be bored out of her mind, but we need to follow idan¡¯s orders for just a little longer, and that means staying here for the time being.¡±


    ¡°i can think of worse punishments.¡±


    ¡°as can i, but i can also think of ways to improve the situation. how¡¯s your recovery going?¡±


    ¡°decent enough. why?¡±


    moxie placed a hand on noah¡¯s arm, tapping his tattoo. ¡°your performance got interrupted right at the end. i know your violin can control its volume, so how about an encore?¡±


    noah smiled and summoned the violin to his hands. ¡°i think that can be arranged.¡±

 Chapter 271: Eggs

    chapter 271: eggs


    wine pooled on the desk before father. it seeped into the papers, ruining them, but he made no attempt to save any of his documents. janice stood frozen in place, unaccustomed to the expression on father¡¯s face.


    it was shock.


    ¡°impossible. he was not anywhere strong enough to deal with evergreen,¡± father said, speaking far slower than he normally did as if words were suddenly evading him.


    janice picked up the goblet and righted it before taking a handkerchief from her belt and trying to dab up some of the spilled wine. the small piece of cloth quickly grew soaked, doing little to rescue anything on the desk.


    ¡°we don¡¯t have confirmed reports that evergreen is dead yet,¡± janice said. ¡°just that there was a scuffle at her house and she hasn¡¯t been seen since.¡±


    ¡°she would not have allowed rumors like this to spread if she were still alive,¡± father replied, dismissing janice with a firm shake of his head. his features returned to his normal empty, expressionless mask. ¡°evergreen is almost certainly dead. rinella as well.¡±


    ¡°but... that would imply that vermil somehow managed to kill not only evergreen, but rinella as well. i thought we ruled out the possibility of him being an archdemon,¡± janice protested. she wrung her handkerchief out and tried to dab up more of the wine. ¡°he barely managed to defeat dayton. there¡¯s no way he could take out evergreen.¡±


    ¡°you were the one to deliver the information, janice.¡±


    ¡°it is not my place to analyze what i learn, father. i simply deliver it to you.¡±


    ¡°it is your place to deliver me objective information, but there are times when i value your opinion as well. what do you believe?¡±


    janice swallowed. ¡°i don¡¯t know how, father, but i believe that vermil likely did kill evergreen. i wasn¡¯t here when he visited you, but you said he was desperate. he should have begged for your help to save moxie¡¯s life.¡±


    ¡°he practically did. not the actions of a demon, are they? imagine that. a demon debasing themselves for the sake of a mortal.¡±


    ¡°whatever he is, he killed two of the strongest members of the torrin household, father. and, as far as i can tell, he killed them purely because they threatened moxie. he didn¡¯t care about the power. that kind of dedication is dangerous. i fear we may need to reconsider some of our moves.¡±


    ¡°that... may be a possibility. i have repeatedly made miscalculations when it comes to vermil.¡± father fell silent for nearly a minute. he paid no attention to janice¡¯s attempts to continue cleaning the table. ¡°tell me, janice. how do you think evergreen fell?¡±


    janice set her soaked handkerchief down and started searching around the room for a better cloth to wipe things off with. ¡°i am unsure, father. our information was incredibly limited. the torrins did a good job of locking down the city, and i wasn¡¯t there myself. everything is secondhand.¡±


    ¡°guess, janice.¡±


    ¡°perhaps he had a powerful artifact, or he simply wore her down through repeated attacks?¡± janice knelt beside a chest and rifled through it.


    father pressed his lips together. ¡°poor guesses. is that truly the best you can do?¡±


    giving up on finding a usable rag, janice pulled off her overshirt and used it to collect as much of the remaining wine as possible. it was impossible to tell if he actually appreciated her efforts or not, but she continued nonetheless.


    ¡°perhaps he managed to distract evergreen and physically removed her shields? she was a rank 6 mage. that should have been enough to stop any magic that he could ever throw unless vermil is considerably more powerful than we originally thought.¡±


    father shook his head. ¡°you have much to learn, janice. there were two casualties. rinella and evergreen, both dead. vermil found a way to pit them against each other.¡±


    ¡°rinella would never be able to defeat evergreen, though. even if she came together with the other torrin branch leaders, evergreen would have come out ahead. there¡¯s no way they could move without evergreen finding out via her spies.¡±


    ¡°which is why vermil didn¡¯t bring all of them. he brought one. if he was able to distract or weaken evergreen, rinella may have gotten a lucky blow. evergreen is powerful, but rinella was a high-level rank 5. that is i suspect what happened.¡±


    eline drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. her fingers twitched at her sides, and revin hid a smile. she¡¯d gotten a lot better at controlling her temper over the past few weeks. granted, he¡¯d set up camp next to a small horde of vampiric rat monsters and had taken to siccing them on her whenever she lost her temper, but the improvement was probably just a coincidence.


    ¡°what news?¡± eline ground out.


    ¡°oh, you didn¡¯t hear? rinella died,¡± revin said, taking another bite of the eggs. ¡°these are quite good. have you been practicing?¡±


    eline was so surprised by the news that her eye forgot to twitch in annoyance. ¡°rinella died? no way. was it a linwick attack or something? are we at war?¡±


    ¡°oh, no. nothing of the sort. idan killed her.¡±


    ¡°idan? the captain of the guard? why?¡±


    revin shrugged. he took another bite of his eggs, chewing for just long enough to start ticking off eline before he continued. ¡°whole bunch of reasons, probably. i¡¯d suspect the main one would be that she killed evergreen.¡±


    eline instinctively started to nod, then froze in place. ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°oh yes, she¡¯s dead too. it was quite the fight,¡± revin said. ¡°interesting, isn¡¯t it? i didn¡¯t think she¡¯d be kicking the bucket anytime soon, the old hag.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re lying.¡± eline took a step back. ¡°evergreen is one of the strongest mages in the arbalest empire. there¡¯s no way she died.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯d take you to see her body, but i¡¯m banned from blancwood.¡±


    eline didn¡¯t even blink at that statement. even just a few weeks with revin had been more than enough to teach her not to ask questions that she didn¡¯t absolutely need an answer to.


    ¡°i don¡¯t believe you.¡± eline crossed her arms.


    ¡°fine with me. we¡¯ve got training in three hours. do what you want until then.¡±


    ¡°wait, that¡¯s it? you aren¡¯t going to tell me more?¡±


    ¡°nah. maybe i¡¯ll say something if you land a blow on me.¡±


    eline opened her mouth, then snapped it closed. she spun and stormed out of the room, likely to plan a way that she could draw blood from revin. he wasn¡¯t particularly concerned. eline had a long ways to go before she would get anywhere near touching him ¨C but he was fine with that. at least some of the torrin influence had been washed away. by the end of summer, there was a good chance eline would actually be something of a decent human being.


    and she¡¯ll be quite the chef at that. convenient overlap there.


    james had been entertaining, but the boy had started to make his own way in the world. revin couldn¡¯t haunt him forever ¨C it got stale after a while. eline was a great replacement.


    revin picked up the plate of eggs and popped it into his mouth ¨C plate and all. he bit down, a flash of jagged teeth shimmering between his lips as the ceramic shattered and he swallowed, running his tongue along his lips and letting out an amused chuckle.


    this is going to cause so much chaos. i can already taste it.


    the expression on evergreen¡¯s face was still etched into revin¡¯s mind. the entire fight had been fantastic, but the ending ¨C he wouldn¡¯t be forgetting it anytime soon, even if it was just the opening act of a play that he hoped would run for quite some time.


    delicious. absolutely delicious. well done, noah.

 Chapter 271.5: Interlude

    chapter 271.5: interlude


    captain idan stood at parade rest in a clean, well-kept room. wooden statues carved with detail so intricate that they almost felt human surrounded him, their flat gaze boring into his skin. at the center of the room was a wooden desk made from a tree sprouting from the floor.


    a young man sat at the desk, fingers interlaced. his silver hair was pulled back into a bun and his dark, nearly black eyes were locked with idan¡¯s. the features of his face were sharp and polished, much like the statues surrounding them. a flicker of unease passed through idan.


    the man before him was magus exal, one of the family heads. the youngest torrin to reach rank 5 in years, and he¡¯d done it ¨C at least as far as everyone knew ¨C entirely without help. he was one of the most reclusive mages in the torrin family, rarely leaving his room for any purpose.


    idan had seen the flat face exal wore a dozen times before on a dozen different mages. it wasn¡¯t anywhere near as good as evergreen¡¯s had been, but there was something about the young man that set idan¡¯s hair on end.


    ¡°captain,¡± exal said, his voice smooth. ¡°it is with great distress that i greet you today.¡±


    you don¡¯t seem very distressed.


    ¡°i deeply wish we could have met under better circumstances.¡± idan inclined his head respectfully. ¡°the torrin family thanks you for your service and for taking the mantle of family head. i will be at your service for the foreseeable future.¡±


    ¡°indeed. i trust that you have much to fill me in on with regard to the state of our family.¡± exal drummed his fingers on the table and leaned forward. ¡°but, before that, we have matters to deal with. i have picked up rumor of the circumstances of evergreen¡¯s death, but i would hear from the man who witnessed it.¡±


    ¡°magus rinella struck her down. my guards are working to reveal all who were involved in the plot. she died whilst meeting magus moxie and magus vermil, who is from the linwick estate.¡±


    ¡°a linwick was involved and he still lives?¡±


    ¡°vermil was the reason we were able to intervene before rinella could do even more damage. i was as baffled as you are, magus exal, but his warning is the only reason half of blancwood city is not up in flames.¡±


    exal¡¯s lack of experience revealed itself as he blinked in surprise, taken aback. the young man was a talented mage, but he was new to the political stage. idal suppressed a wince.


    he will take much training before we allow him to meet with any other families. they will rip him apart in his current state.


    exal tilted his head to the side. ¡°removing vermil would be likely to cause trouble with the linwicks, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°it would, especially considering how many people have already spread the rumor that he was a large reason that we were able to stop this disaster before it could fully unfold ¨C not to mention he came to deliver evergreen a gift. we would find it very difficult to claim he was causing trouble without the use of a mage with a mind rune to confirm details.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s not like we could reasonably hold vermil for that long. it seems apparent he was acting quite honestly.¡±


    i¡¯m sure you¡¯d love to believe that, though i can¡¯t disagree there. he did seem to be genuine.


    exal rested his chin in a palm. ¡°and what of moxie¡¯s role in all of this? is there anything beyond her getting caught up in the crossfire?¡±


    ¡°she failed to notice that vermil had been replaced by a clone and was nearly killed alongside her. there is little more information i have in regard to her role.¡±


    ¡°i see. in that case, i believe the answer to this is clear. moxie was negligent, but not malicious. the runes that the torrin family has given her are to be shattered, but there will be no further punishment. it will be up to her to redeem herself. vermil is to leave the city ¨C unharmed. that should wrap things up nicely.¡±


    a scapegoat for the last of the trouble before sweeping everything under the rug and taking control. ruthless. effective, though. i imagined as much.


    idan saluted. ¡°yes, magus exal. i will deliver the news and remove them from the city. then, once this has been wrapped up, we must meet again. there is much to discuss.¡±


    exal inclined his head once more, dismissing the captain. idan turned on his heel and strode out of the room, his thoughts conflicted. evergreen had been powerful, but her brash personality had only commanded respect through fear.


    without her, the torrins would be considerably weaker. but, without her, there was a chance that they could start making inroads with former enemies. exal was as power hungry as all the other nobles idan had met, but he had chosen to let the linwick leave.


    perhaps this may be for the best, but only time will tell if a more malleable leader will be a blessing or ruin to our family.


    i¡¯m not looking forward to telling moxie of this news. she was a decent enough lass. wasting her potential for a political play is a shame.


    if only my apologies actually meant anything.

 Chapter 272: Outplayed

    chapter 272: outplayed


    noah was starting to get antsy. it had been almost a week since evergreen¡¯s death, but they were still locked inside their room. lee had only been able to swing by for brief moments to chat and relax before heading back out to keep watch over them, so he suspected that she wasn¡¯t doing much better.


    he understood taking a lot of time to pick out the new leader of the torrin household, but he had absolutely no desire to sit around stuck in enemy territory indefinitely. there were still too many things to do, and the longer they sat around, the more worried he became that someone had figured out their plan.


    but, mercifully, a change from the norm finally arrived when lee fluttered up to the window in her crow form, tapping several times on it with her beak to warn noah and moxie that someone was coming. she took off right as someone rapped several times on the door.


    ¡°come in,¡± moxie called, exchanging a look with noah. it had been difficult for both of them to really relax properly when they were still just a short walk away from where they¡¯d killed one of the strongest mages in the torrin household.


    the door opened and idan stepped inside. he had deep bags under his eyes and his shoulders were slumped with the weight of endless work. noah could have sworn the man had lost a few pounds since they¡¯d last met.


    ¡°my apologies for keeping you waiting so long,¡± idan said, closing the door behind him and letting out an exhausted sigh. ¡°things have been... hectic. there has been much discussion about the events that led up to evergreen¡¯s death.¡±


    neither moxie nor noah spoke. there was no reason to ¨C the less they said, the less chance there was that they gave something away on accident.


    ¡°i¡¯m sure you¡¯re distraught about evergreen. i know she and you were close,¡± idan continued. noah wasn¡¯t sure if he was intentionally being an asshole or was completely oblivious, but he nearly choked at idan¡¯s words.


    he managed to keep his expression under control and idan mercifully missed his slip-up, as his attention was fixed entirely on moxie.


    ¡°she had a strong hand in my upbringing,¡± moxie allowed. ¡°her absence will be very strongly felt, by both myself and emily. i suspect emily may take it even harder than i. it will be a difficult time for all of us.¡±


    wow. that was a really impressive way for moxie to say she¡¯s thrilled that evergreen is dead without ever getting near a lie that she could get caught in. she¡¯s good at this.


    ¡°i can imagine.¡± idan tapped his fingers on the side of his leg. ¡°even though you were a primary witness, we left you here for quite some time. i hope the accommodations weren¡¯t too unhospitable.¡±


    ¡°they were fine, but i think we¡¯d both really appreciate if you could tell us what¡¯s going on. what will happen to the torrin family?¡± moxie asked.


    ¡°the torrin family will be fine, lass. evergreen¡¯s loss ¨C as you said ¨C will be very strongly felt, but we are not without allies, and our own power still stands strong. it is likely that exal will be taking over the family in evergreen¡¯s stead.¡±


    ¡°what about the linwicks?¡± noah asked. ¡°is there going to be¨C¡±


    ¡°they do not appear to be planning any form of attack.¡± idan¡¯s eyes roamed over noah, his expression unreadable. ¡°that does not mean that all is calm, but i do not forsee war.¡±


    noah breathed a sigh of relief, and he genuinely meant it. death was one thing, but plunging the empire into a war was at the very bottom of his to-do list. it would have been far too inconvenient.


    ¡°that¡¯s good,¡± noah said.


    ¡°it is,¡± idan agreed. ¡°and i bring more good news. you will both be allowed to leave shortly.¡±


    ¡°thank the gods. i was starting to think we might be stuck in here forever,¡± moxie said. ¡°i need to tell emily about what happened. i¡¯d rather she hear it from me than through rumor. speaking of emily, do you know what the plan will be for her? or for me, on that matter?¡±


    idan didn¡¯t reply for several seconds. his lips pressed thin and his stance shifted in discomfort. ¡°i am unsure of the specifics, but the torrin family will not abandon one of their own.¡±


    yeah, so long as they¡¯re from your main branch.


    ¡°she¡¯ll remain in line for leadership of the family?¡±


    idan blinked. ¡°in that case, i may be able to leave you with some. my orders were only to shatter the runes that are built off the ones that the torrin family provided you. any runes you¡¯ve gathered yourself i can spare.¡±


    ¡°lovely. i can be partially crippled instead of completely crippled.¡±


    noah winced at the sheer fury and betrayal in moxie¡¯s voice, and idan looked ashamed to be standing before her.


    ¡°there is nothing more i can do.¡±


    ¡°then get it over with already,¡± moxie spat bitterly.


    idan pulled a small ring from his pocket and slipped it over one of his fingers. as soon as it was on his hand, it lit with a faint white glow. energy swirled around his fingertips, and noah could feel the runes in his mindspace inexplicably drawn toward the ring.


    it was an imbued item of some sort, and a powerful one. idan took a step toward moxie, who held his gaze without blinking. idan reached out and pressed his hand against moxie¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°allow me entry,¡± idan said. ¡°this will not work without your cooperation, but you know the alternative.¡±


    moxie¡¯s jaw clenched, but she gave idan a slight nod. no more than a second later, a loud crack split the air and she doubled over, a burst of light erupting from her back. runic energy swirled through the room around them, crackling in displeasure. idan held his position, his eyes closed in concentration.


    several more cracks echoed through the room, each one filling the air with even more power. moxie wheezed in pain, her fists clenching so tightly that blood started to drip from her palms.


    the bark body imbuements that lined her skin faded as the runes they were based on shattered.


    finally, idan stepped back. noah lunged forward and caught moxie before she could fall flat on her face. she coughed again, spitting blood onto the floor.


    ¡°is that all?¡± noah asked, his eyes cold as he looked up to glare at idan. ¡°or are you going to try to do that to me as well?¡±


    idan pulled the ring off and slid it into his pocket. ¡°we have no desire to start a war with the linwicks. you will not be touched... for now. that is your reward for giving us enough warning to keep this tragedy from extending further. i suggest you both leave the torrin estate immediately. you are no longer required to remain in this room.¡±


    ¡°gee, thanks. mind if she stops coughing up blood before we leave?¡±


    ¡°you¡¯ve got spirit, for a linwick. trust me, be thankful that this was all that happened. i¡¯m not happy, but at least she¡¯s alive.¡± idan didn¡¯t sound nearly so certain of the words he spoke.


    he paused for a moment, shame still apparent on his features. then he straightened, the emotion fading from his face, and strode out the door, closing it behind him.


    noah didn¡¯t waste an instant. as soon as idan was gone, he drew on the fragment of renewal, sending the healing power into moxie¡¯s body. he had no idea if it would let her completely salvage the situation, but patching the soul damage would let moxie try to gather as much of the power back and reform her runes before too much of it faded.


    moxie¡¯s body relaxed in noah¡¯s arms as she got to work, and the excess energy shimmering around them quickly started to fade. noah didn¡¯t dare budge until moxie finally let out a groan.


    her eyes drifted open and she sat up with noah¡¯s help, wiping some of the blood from her lips.


    ¡°well?¡± noah asked nervously.


    ¡°i definitely lost some of my energy, but that wasn¡¯t anything we weren¡¯t expecting,¡± moxie said, the corner of her lip quirking up in a smile. ¡°my rune oaths are shattered. they went with my runes. i¡¯m down two of the seven, but all of them are mine. no more donations from the torrins, at least as far as they¡¯re aware.¡±


    a relieved smile crossed over noah¡¯s face. ¡°i wasn¡¯t fully sure it would work.¡±


    ¡°neither was i, but this was a small price to pay.¡± moxie slowly stood up, then shook her head and looked out the window. ¡°i think it¡¯s time we get moving. i don¡¯t think i want to see blancwood again for a long, long time.¡±

 Chapter 273: Perfect

    chapter 273: perfect


    throughout the entire walk on their way out of blancwood, noah couldn¡¯t help but shake the feeling that they were being watched. he resisted the urge to turn and look over his shoulder every few steps.


    moxie walked robotically, her mind clearly not with her body. she nearly walked straight into several passersby, only saved by noah pulling her out of the way at the last moment. her dazed state wasn¡¯t entirely unsurprising after what she¡¯d just gone through, but noah was still surprised.


    a crow hopped from building to building, fluttering to keep pace with them without getting too close. noah suspected that lee was bursting at the seams to turn back to her normal form and speak with them again. she¡¯d been stuck acting like a guard for a week, so she probably wanted to put the city behind her.


    noah felt the same way. the torrin family had a beautiful city, but it was tainted to his eyes. the sooner they left it behind, the better.


    somehow, they reached the city gates without being stopped. the guards barely even gave noah or moxie a second glance as they walked out and into the grassy field surrounding it. not one to question his luck, they continued on.


    noah lost track of lee at some point. she popped up a minute later, in her human form, covered in a ratty cloak and dragging her axe behind her. it was covered in dirt ¨C evidently, she¡¯d buried it somewhere, at some point. she dropped it beside noah and turned back to a bird. she burrowed into noah¡¯s travel bag as he and moxie got onto his flying sword, securing lee¡¯s axe between them. then, without a word, they took to the skies.


    he flew for an hour before the urge to talk more properly took over him and he brought them down at the bottom of a valley. no sooner than the sword had touched the ground did lee spring from his bag, morphing out of her crow-form midair.


    ¡°finally!¡± lee exclaimed, rifling through noah¡¯s bag and pulling her clothes out. ¡°that took forever!¡±


    ¡°sorry, lee,¡± moxie said. she blinked, then shook her head to bring herself back into the present. ¡°are you okay?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m fine. i was just so bored,¡± lee complained. ¡°when you said i¡¯d be in danger, i thought it was going to be fun danger, not danger of dying from doing nothing.¡±


    ¡°is that a real problem for you?¡± noah asked.


    lee squinted up at noah. ¡°yes. now i¡¯ll need to do twice the fun things just to make up for all the boredom i just had to deal with.¡±


    ¡°you did a great job, though. my plan would have fallen apart completely without you,¡± moxie said, ruffling lee¡¯s hair with a smile. lee beamed up at her.


    ¡°that part wasn¡¯t bad. did you see the look on rinella¡¯s face when the guards showed up? it was hilarious. tricking people is great.!¡±


    uh oh. that¡¯s not a good habit to develop.


    ¡°only ones that deserve it,¡± moxie said gently. ¡°you¡¯re quite good at it, though. thank you for all the help you did ¨C and for keeping watch over our room while i was recovering.¡±


    lee shrugged. ¡°it was easy. the watching part, at least. i did want to attack that asshole that broke your runes, but i held myself back.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s probably for the best. he was just doing his job, and i doubt we would have won that fight if you¡¯d attacked.¡± moxie paused for a moment, discomfort passing over her features as she pressed a hand against the side of her head.


    ¡°are you okay?¡± lee asked, beating noah to the question.


    moxie nodded. ¡°it¡¯s over, now. all of it. i won¡¯t have to worry about the torrins controlling me again.¡±


    ¡°what about the damage from having your runes shattered?¡± noah pressed. ¡°you look like you¡¯ve got a headache. that¡¯s soul damage, isn¡¯t it? is the fragment of renewal not healing you?¡±


    ¡°no, no. it is.¡± moxie raised her hands and laughed. ¡°the headache is self-inflicted. i¡¯ve been thinking really hard trying to figure something out. i didn¡¯t want to mention it back in blancwood in case someone overheard while we were leaving, but when my runes were shattered, i didn¡¯t fix them properly. i was in such a rush that i put some of them together differently than i had the first time around.¡±


    it was difficult. as soon as the magic passed through him, noah was nearly pulled out of the darkness. it was like trying to look in two directions at once ¨C but he held firm, keeping himself locked in his mindspace to observe his rune and taking note of how much pressure was coming off natural disaster.


    then he released the magic, and reached out once more, trying to form a ball of wind in his palm in the real world. the rune shimmered in response to his call, providing energy.


    it was so subtle that noah barely noticed it, but now that he was actively looking, it couldn¡¯t slip by. the pressure in his soul shifted as he changed what energy he was calling on. noah¡¯s skin prickled as goosebumps raced across it.


    i was fucking right.


    he ripped himself back into the real world. ¡°i knew it!¡±


    ¡°what?¡± moxie demanded. ¡°what did you figure out?¡±


    ¡°my rune isn¡¯t perfect. it¡¯s perfect in its resting condition,¡± noah said, running his hands through his hair. ¡°when i called on two different types of energy within it, i felt the pressure in my soul change. if the rune was really perfect, it would always put out the same amount of energy no matter what part of its power i drew on.¡±


    moxie opened her mouth, but no words came out. her eyes widened a moment before she closed them, throwing herself into her own mindspace. a second later, they snapped back open, her lips remaining parted in shock.


    ¡°damned plains,¡± moxie breathed. ¡°you¡¯re right. the pressure changes. it¡¯s so subtle that i barely even noticed it because of all my other runes.¡±


    noah nodded so quickly that his hair whipped around his head. ¡°the noble families have to know about this, right?¡±


    ¡°i... i¡¯m not sure,¡± moxie said slowly. ¡°i remade one of the runes the torrin family gave me perfectly ¨C it was the one i tested. it had the same issue. i... i don¡¯t think they know about this, noah. the runes the torrins give out to their own people are supposed to actually be perfect.¡±


    ¡°then this is it, isn¡¯t it?¡± noah¡¯s spine tingled. ¡°this is why people have been having so much trouble reaching higher ranks. their foundational runes ¨C even the ones they think are perfect ¨C aren¡¯t actually perfect at all.¡±


    ¡°whoa,¡± lee murmured, her eyes closed. ¡°i just checked my own runes. you¡¯re right.¡±


    moxie started to pace back and forth in front of them. ¡°that means everything we know is wrong. all the noble families are guarding rune combinations that might not even actually be perfect. for most of them, fixing those flaws would be basically impossible. ripping a rank 5 or 6 rune out of someone¡¯s soul is going to kill them.¡±


    ¡°nothing¡¯s stopping us, though,¡± noah pointed out.


    ¡°it makes so much sense,¡± moxie muttered, barely even hearing him. ¡°that¡¯s why nobody was reaching rank 7. if you need genuinely perfect combinations, not just ones that look perfect, and nobody has noticed yet... the chances of mistakenly making all seven of your runes genuinely without flaw is almost zero. almost nobody would do it.¡±


    ¡°do you really think nobody knows about it, though?¡± lee asked. ¡°it seems so obvious.¡±


    ¡°i never thought about it once,¡± moxie said. ¡°it is obvious, but noble families have been using the same combinations for years. that¡¯s why they¡¯re so protected. sure, there¡¯s a ton of research going into new combinations, but the core ones are the ones that the family heads keep close to heart. if they didn¡¯t know about this, then they¡¯d never pass the max rank their combinations could handle.¡±


    they all fell silent for several seconds.


    ¡°there¡¯s no way to confirm if this is right with a noble without giving it away to them,¡± moxie said as she wrung her hands together. her eyes landed on noah. ¡°but we can test it ourselves. we might be the only ones that can. i can¡¯t even imagine how hard it is to make a truly perfect combination.¡±


    ¡°i think we¡¯ll find out,¡± noah said, an excited grin starting to pull across his lips. ¡°i get the feeling i know what we¡¯ll be doing over the rest of summer. we¡¯re going to need a hell of a lot of runes ¨C which means we¡¯re going to need to get our hands on that catchpaper artifact that karina has.¡±


    moxie and lee exchanged a glance, then both nodded as one.

 Chapter 274: Surgery

    chapter 274: surgery


    noah sat cross-legged in the grass, a piece of paper and his quill in his hands. he was surrounded by a miniature scene of carnage. frost covered small sections of the ground, just beside large holes and still-smoldering ash.


    a droplet of water swirled around noah¡¯s hand and shot into the dirt, digging a furrow through it. noah paused for a moment, then opened his eyes and jotted another observation down on the paper.


    ¡°how¡¯s it going?¡± moxie asked, walking up to stand at the edge of his little circle. after their previous conversation, they¡¯d set back off on the flying sword for a few more hours before settling in for the night.


    of course, noah wasn¡¯t planning to do very much sleeping.


    ¡°depends on what your definition of going is,¡± noah replied, tapping the quill against the side of his chin. ¡°i¡¯ve tested every single individual kind of energy that i put into natural disaster. about a dozen times, just to make sure my readings were accurate. i¡¯d have liked to test them more, but i¡¯ll run out of energy at that rate.¡±


    ¡°and?¡± moxie squatted beside him. ¡°balance is off?¡±


    ¡°oh yeah. it¡¯s really off.¡± noah¡¯s nose scrunched in annoyance. ¡°at first, i thought it wasn¡¯t too bad. i figured swapping out the extra howling cyclone rune i had would fix most things.¡±


    ¡°i take it that isn¡¯t the case?¡±


    noah shook his head and tapped a finger on his observations. ¡°honestly, i¡¯m not sure. at first, that did seem right. any attempts to use the powers that were based off howling cyclone had about twice the pressure. but... when i intensified the power draw a little, the numbers changed and skewed even harder.¡±


    ¡°couldn¡¯t that just be because too much of it is leaning toward howling cyclone?¡±


    ¡°a big part of it could be, yeah.¡± noah nodded, then flipped through the pages of data he¡¯d collected. ¡°that¡¯ll be the first change i make. it¡¯s unfortunate we had to give up evergreen¡¯s scroll, but between my own grimoire and the one i took from dayton, there should be enough runes for me to put together another rune to replace howling cyclone. but before i do that ¨C¡±


    ¡°you need to confirm your rank 2 runes are actually perfect, huh?¡±


    noah nodded. ¡°exactly. that¡¯s what i¡¯m going to be doing next. i don¡¯t want to get too ahead of myself fiddling with the rank 3 when i still need to fix the rank 2.¡±


    ¡°well, i¡¯ll keep watch until lee gets back. she wandered off a bit ago. let me know if you figure out anything interesting, but don¡¯t take too long. i want to fiddle around myself, now.¡±


    ¡°will do.¡± noah closed his eyes once more, plunging back into his mindspace. he still had a pyroclastic resonance rune that he¡¯d taken out of natural disaster that he could work with.


    the rune in question floated through his mindspace to hover before him. noah studied it, a small smile playing across his lips. it felt like so long ago that he¡¯d first formed pyroclastic resonance¨C and now he was right back to studying it once more.


    as with natural disaster, pyroclastic resonance felt perfect upon noah¡¯s initial probe. it had the right amount of energy, but he wasn¡¯t even sure if that right amount was actually the max.


    noah¡¯s eyes landed on a rune in his book.


    sand.


    sandstorm, perhaps? that¡¯s as good a disaster as any. let¡¯s do it. four sand, three wind.


    he was about to waste a good bit of energy, but it would save an equal amount of time. and time, in noah¡¯s eyes, was still far more valuable than anything else at the moment.


    it¡¯s totally not because i¡¯m impatient.


    his search through the dwindling runes on dayton¡¯s scroll revealed a rank 3 nightstorm rune, which was probably some mixture of dark and wind, which worked just fine for noah. the energy from that would be enough, even with the losses from conversion, to build himself a new rank 2 rune.


    noah put his hands on both scrolls, then closed his eyes and sank back into his mindspace to get to work. he pulled the sand rune and the nightstorm rune into his mindspace, wasting no time in sundering nightstorm. excess energy swirled out from the rune, along with three dark night runes and four violent gale runes. noah took all the excess energy and directed it into the sand rune.


    the amount of energy he had to spend filling the sand rune made him wince. the conversion rate from the dark and wind energy to sand was atrocious, but it was still a rank 1 rune, which was nothing in comparison.


    it quickly filled and noah split apart three times, forming a total of four sand runes. he drew even more energy from the dwindling reserves of the rank 3 rune, depleting them and resorting to draining the dark night runes entirely as well.


    as soon as the sand runes were finished, noah carved the violent gale runes apart, taking three wind runes and using the rest of the energy remaining to pull the whole thing into one, singular, cutting sandstorm rune.


    the entire process had once felt nearly impossible to do with such efficiency, but this time, noah pulled it off in less than a minute. he stood before his new rune, a droplet of sweat running down his forehead.


    ten percent full. right on, baby. first try. and why the hell do i sweat in my own mind? that¡¯s completely unfair.


    his mind ignored him, and noah was too preoccupied taking a look at his new rune to complain any longer. he walked around it, testing the pressure it put off. to his delight ¨C and partial confusion ¨C the rune did genuinely feel perfect.


    noah took a step back and crossed his arms. ¡°that can¡¯t just be a coincidence. there¡¯s no way i mistakenly found the only existing way in the universe to form a churning sandstorm rune on the first try, so there has to be multiple ways to get to it. so, logically, the mistake in natural disaster is how the runes are interacting.¡±


    he took a moment to catch his breath and energy. electricity still pumped in his veins from all the power he¡¯d just been working with, but noah wasn¡¯t anywhere near done. he refused to end the night until he¡¯d made at least a little progress in figuring out where he¡¯d gone wrong.


    the secrets were so close that he could practically taste them ¨C and noah was hungry.


    ¡°right,¡± noah said, interlocking his fingers and stretching them out. he cracked his neck, then beckoned natural disaster over to him. it floated to hover beside the newly created churning sandstorm rune. ¡°time to perform some surgery.¡±

 Chapter 275: Hunt

    chapter 275: hunt


    the surgery, as noah put it, went smoothly. he¡¯d gotten used to carving his runes apart with sunder, and he knew natural disaster pretty well at this point. the entire replacement process only ended up taking a minute.


    he split the rank 3 rune, plucked the extra howling cyclone from within the swirling energy and shoved churning sandstorm into the mix. then, before the energy that had poured out in the process of cutting natural disaster could even start to dissipate, noah pushed everything back together.


    there were a few minor intent adjustments he had to make in the repair-process, but they were small enough that noah only spent a second or two on the modifications. when he was finished, he found a newly formed natural disaster rune floating before him, having only lost a small portion of the energy that had been initially in it.


    damn. i¡¯m getting pretty good at this.


    noah walked in a circle around the rune, confirming that the pressure coming off it was even at all points ¨C at least, it was while it was in its resting mode.


    it was. that lent even more credence to his theory. just like moxie, he¡¯d replaced a rune in something that should have been perfect, but the result was still perfect. noah rubbed his chin, studying the rune.


    interesting. there aren¡¯t actually any changes in natural disaster¡¯s composition. it looks just about the same, even though i¡¯ve modified one of the runes inside it. does that mean that the constituent runes making it up don¡¯t actually matter as much as we initially thought, or is this just the way that natural disaster is written in the runic language, regardless of what goes into it?


    noah drew some energy from the rune as he thought, starting by forming a ball of wind in his hands back in the real world. the pressure in his mind shifted subtly and noah let the magic fade, swapping to water.


    now that i¡¯ve got seven runes, surely that would mean it¡¯s more balanced, right? so this should ¨C


    the pressure changed. noah¡¯s brow furrowed. it definitely wasn¡¯t the same amount of power that had been drawn when he¡¯d used wind. he released the magic and swapped to earth, only to find the pressure shift once again.


    ¡°damn. i¡¯m missing something.¡± noah released the rune and chewed his lower lip, crossing his arms and taking a few steps back and examining natural disaster from a different angle. ¡°i guess it could be the specific runes i put together? but that wouldn¡¯t make any sense. why would rank 3 runes act differently than rank 2 ones? logically, they should follow the same set of rules. so what am i missing?¡±


    the answer wasn¡¯t coming. not yet, at least. noah remained there for a few more seconds, then shook his head with a sigh. smashing his head against the wall until the bricks broke was an effective tactic when he was fighting monsters, but it wasn¡¯t so great for solving problems.


    he pulled himself out of his mindspace and opened his eyes, blinking at the sudden light. moxie and lee both stood beside a campfire in the making, piling wood onto it. lee glanced over at noah and brushed her hands off on her shirt.


    ¡°did you figure it out? you¡¯ve been sitting there forever.¡±


    ¡°unfortunately not,¡± noah said, uncrossing his legs and standing up with a groan. he¡¯d been sitting for far too long. ¡°i modified natural disaster, thinking that the duplicate rune was the problem, but there are still pressure mismatches.¡±


    moxie looked up at the sky, which was just starting to darken with nightfall. then she shrugged. ¡°well, no point forcing it. we¡¯ve made it this far without figuring out the answer.¡±


    ¡°yeah, but¨C¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ll figure it out eventually,¡± moxie said, cutting noah off. ¡°maybe relax for a bit. i¡¯ve always found that the solutions tend to come when i stop looking for them. why don¡¯t you cross some of the stuff off your paper? i¡¯d like to think we¡¯ve solved at least a few of those issues.¡±


    noah scrunched his nose. moxie had a point, even if it was annoying. stopping felt like giving up, but shifting gears would probably be beneficial.


    ¡°fine. you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°i know.¡±


    noah rolled his eyes and rifled through his bag, pulling out the crumpled to-do list. a small grin flickered across his face as his eyes ran along it. moxie was right ¨C they really had ended up solving a fair number of the tasks on it.


    he took great pleasure in going through the list, drawing a line through everything that he no longer had to worry about.


    hellreaver


    todd¡¯s injury ¨C silvertide is hopefully taking care of this one, but we should still keep our eyes out.


    isabel¡¯s runes & the herron family.


    isabel & todd¡¯s vendetta against the nobles, including dayton ¨C who is still out there somewhere, as far as i¡¯m aware. he¡¯s probably waiting for me to pop up at some point.


    contessa ¨C mostly handled and no longer an opponent, but need to ensure she doesn¡¯t swap sides or try betraying us.


    karina ¨C not sure what to do here. need to somehow get father to break off the engagement or i will have to handle her in some other manner.


    fix lee¡¯s runes


    improve my own runes to make sure natural disaster is completely perfect. adding something snow-based should help balance it a little better.


    find the new issue with natural disaster and fix it.


    torrin family ¨C just about the whole family is a problem, really.


    ¡°not really,¡± moxie admitted. ¡°i can¡¯t chop my runes apart and test things like you can, so all i can do is guess. but i noticed something when i was fiddling with the runes i do have. some of them seem closer to perfect than others.¡±


    ¡°oh?¡± noah gave her his full attention, shaking off the last of his absentmindedness. ¡°which ones? and do you know why?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve got five runes left ¨C one bleeding forest, two uprooted forest, and two blooming earth. all of them are rank 3, but for some reason, uprooted forest feels the closest to perfect out of all of them. i don¡¯t know why. bleeding forest was right behind uprooted forest, and blooming earth was at the bottom.¡±


    ¡°isn¡¯t your lynchpin rune one of the blooming earth ones? that¡¯s what you stuck that initial cracked flowering seed one into, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    moxie nodded. ¡°yeah. i don¡¯t know why there¡¯s any discrepancy between them. it¡¯s also worth noting that both blooming earth and both uprooted forest runes feel identical.¡±


    noah ran a hand through his hair. there were so many pieces of information lying around. there had to be something he could work with. ¡°that¡¯s definitely useful. we just have to figure out how.¡±


    ¡°maybe it¡¯s because of the rune itself?¡± lee offered. ¡°i tested some of my own runes as well. the ones that felt the best were actually my true shift runes. the runes that azel gave me had the same issue that you guys have, by the way.¡±


    huh. so you¡¯ve got the same problem we have, don¡¯t you, azel?


    azel didn¡¯t reply. he¡¯d been awful quiet since the fight with the evergreens, and noah had absolutely no problem with that. unfortunately, he could still feel the wrinkle in his soul that marked azel¡¯s presence.


    the demon hadn¡¯t left ¨C he just wasn¡¯t talking.


    ¡°interesting,¡± noah said, shaking himself from his thoughts. ¡°true shift runes barely have any variance in them, though, so that kind of makes sense. the problem with that is they¡¯ll fall apart if you try to combine too many of them in the future.¡±


    ¡°what if it¡¯s something to do with intent as well?¡± moxie asked. ¡°sure, true shift runes are a bunch of shift runes, but the intent is pretty direct for them as well. less things going into the mix.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s true. they¡¯re also pretty straightforward. shift. there¡¯s not a whole lot of ways you can interpret that, so it¡¯s easier to accomplish exactly what you want. it¡¯s focused and not trying to branch out too far.¡±


    moxie started to nod, then froze. ¡°wait. noah.¡±


    ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t you think that could be it?¡±


    noah gave her a baffled look. ¡°what could be it? what did i say?¡±


    ¡°shift runes are focused,¡± moxie repeated. ¡°they don¡¯t try to do too much. what if they¡¯re good ¨C not just because all the parts of the true shift rune are the same ¨C but because it¡¯s not trying to do too much?¡±


    noah blinked. a second passed as he thought through his own words. a prickle ran down his spine.


    they made sense.


    how did i not realize this before? isn¡¯t this basically a really similar issue to what master runes face? the amount of control i have over sunder goes up with every rank i gain. that means that runes ¨C obviously ¨C get more control the stronger they are.


    but what happens if you try to form an overcomplicated rune early on? it¡¯s not like there¡¯s a rule against it, but how could someone¡¯s rank 3 true fire rune ever match up to a natural disaster rune of the same rank?


    one is simple in scope, and the other is massive. and yet, you can get both at rank 3. that wouldn¡¯t make any sense ¨C unless natural disaster is reaching too far and it can¡¯t control the energy i¡¯m trying to bring in.


    it would appear perfect ¨C right up until i actually use energy and it can¡¯t actually handle it.


    ¡°holy shit,¡± noah murmured. ¡°moxie, you¡¯re a genius.¡±


    ¡°you figured it out, not me. i just repeated what you said. you think that¡¯s it, then?¡±


    noah was already nodding, and he started speaking before moxie had even finished her own sentence. he grabbed her shoulders in excitement. ¡°it makes perfect sense. it¡¯s just like sunder. we can¡¯t control all the energy in the runes because we went too far with what we wanted. we need to balance power with realistic levels of control to build up a solid foundation.¡±


    ¡°yes!¡± lee exclaimed, jumping up and pulling them both into a hug. ¡°i have no idea what you just said, but it sounds exciting!¡±


    they all burst into laughter. noah ruffled moxie¡¯s hair.


    ¡°i need to test this,¡± noah said after they all stepped back. he rubbed his hands together in anticipation.


    ¡°i don¡¯t have any mind meld potion left over, or i¡¯d ask you to do it on me,¡± moxie said. ¡°do you have enough runes to test it on yourself?¡±


    noah scrunched his nose. ¡°tehcnically, yes. it would involve completely butchering the runes we still have, though. as much as it pains me, i think we should gather them normally. we¡¯ve still got a few days until we make it to whiterock.¡±


    ¡°does this mean we get to fight more things?¡± lee asked. ¡°because the squirrels really didn¡¯t put up too much opposition.


    ¡°yeah.¡± noah cracked his fingers and grinned. ¡°it means we get to hunt.¡±

 Chapter 276: No promises

    chapter 276: no promises


    throughout the rest of their trip to whiterock, they hunted. every time noah landed the flying sword, lee immediately darted off to find any monsters in the area. while she picked up anything unfortunate enough to get in her path, noah used the immense and awe-inspiring power of his master runes as a cheap fishing lure.


    he sent energy worming into the ground and area around them in small sections at a time, calling out any monsters greedy enough to try to challenge them. he took care not to release too much power to avoid calling down something that was too strong for them to handle, and for the most part, it worked.


    several times, noah caught a glimpse of the red-horned cat through the branches of a tree or hiding behind a rock, but it vanished as soon as he turned his attention toward it. at this point, while he was confident the cat was on their side, he had absolutely no idea what its goals were.


    it was clearly more than just a way for the fragment of renewal to show him its abilities. that may have been one of its tasks, but the cat was still around after that had been completed. and, more than just around ¨C it was bait that worked far better than any of noah¡¯s magic.


    every time the cat arrived, it brought with it a monster. sometimes, it brought multiple. but, whatever its goals were, it was helping.no?vel binz was the first platform to present this chapter.


    either that, or it really enjoys watching us fight and doesn¡¯t want its entertainment to end too quickly. probably helping, though.


    noah and moxie had just finished off a fat, red-skinned toad that had sprung out from beneath the earth just moments before. the toad would have been cute ¨C in an ugly way ¨C if it hadn¡¯t been five feet tall and probably somewhere around three hundred pounds of pure muscle. the fact that its tongue melted clean through anything it touched didn¡¯t help either.


    the frog was nothing compared to the things that the trio had gone up against in recent times, though. it went down without landing a single blow on any of them, falling to a blade of wind from natural disaster.


    bringing his hand through the air, noah sundered the toad¡¯s soul as it started to gather above its body. six of the runes that flowed forth were unreadable, but the final one was a melting poison rune. not something that would be immediately useful, but it would still be a waste to leave it behind.


    noah gathered the rune, forming it in his soul before depositing it onto dayton¡¯s catchpaper. the once majestic scroll was starting to get run-down from all the use noah had put it through, and he suspected that it wasn¡¯t long for this world.


    it¡¯ll work until we get that artifact from karina. we should only be a day or two out by now, so i can transfer all the runes from this once we can replace it.


    ¡°do you have a name for it?¡± lee asked.


    noah glanced away from the scroll, rolling it up. ¡°name for what?¡±


    ¡°the cat.¡± lee nodded to a nearby tree. there wasn¡¯t anything there, but he didn¡¯t doubt for a second that the cat had been sitting around up until he¡¯d looked.


    ¡°oh. not really. i was just calling it the cat.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s sticking around, though. it needs a name.¡±


    ¡°does it? it¡¯s just a cat.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m with lee on this one,¡± moxie said. ¡°i can¡¯t just keep thinking of it as the cat. what if there¡¯s another cat?¡±


    ¡°this one has horns.¡±


    ¡°well, i¡¯m not calling it the horny cat.¡± moxie scrunched her nose at the smell wafting off the frog ¨C it really was quite rancid ¨C and moved to stand upwind of it. ¡°and we¡¯ve got a plushie of it. it¡¯s part of the team.¡±


    ¡°it may or may not be enjoying watching us fight for our lives,¡± noah pointed out, but he knew that he was being nitpicky. sure, the cat did like getting them into fights, but it had never brought anything that was too strong for them to deal with.


    ¡°seems reasonable to me. why not use some of these, then? bucking furious earth could fit if you take it apart.¡±


    ¡°no point,¡± noah replied. ¡°they¡¯re more for future purposes, in case we didn¡¯t figure things out correctly. i¡¯m just going to split power off natural disaster and then carve that apart to form seven sets of its filled rank 2 components. that way, i can combine them all in one fell swoop.¡±


    ¡°what was the point of getting all these, then?¡±


    ¡°for the future ¨C and in case we need to replace actual runes rather than just how we¡¯re combining them. just because we figured out one more aspect of how all this stuff works doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯ve cracked the code.¡±


    ¡°fair point,¡± moxie admitted. ¡°i could probably look to do something like that as soon as i can buy a mind meld potion. i lost some power and runes back in blancwood, but they were basically full before we left arbitage. with all the fighting we¡¯ve been doing, i¡¯m not all that far from filling them back up.¡±


    ¡°same for me,¡± lee put in, her words slightly garbled through a mouthful of ¨C something. she¡¯d slipped away at some point during noah and moxie¡¯s conversation and was now chewing on a suspiciously shaped green leg. lee noticed the looks the two professors sent her and shoved the rest of her nighttime snack into her mouth, swallowing without chewing. ¡°my runes are full. i¡¯m just waiting to combine them. i don¡¯t know if the whole gap between rank 3 and 4 will matter, and i don¡¯t want to find out.¡±


    huh. that¡¯s actually a good point. i haven¡¯t sundered a rank 4 rune when it was connected to anyone. is the big disparity in power between rank 3 and 4 going to be a major problem? it¡¯s definitely worth considering.


    ¡°that¡¯s a really good catch, lee,¡± noah said. ¡°i think you should stick to that. when we make it to whiterock, karina can show us somewhere we can get mind meld potions. you and moxie are closer, so we can test out some of our theories when we get there. if that doesn¡¯t work ¨C well, we¡¯ve got some runes to mess with here, and it won¡¯t be all that hard to get more.¡±


    ¡°more hunting. never going to complain about that.¡± lee licked her lips. ¡°especially when the targets taste good.¡±


    ¡°everything tastes good to you.¡± noah yawned and rolled the scroll back up. he slid it into his pack and he tapped his forearm, bringing his violin shimmering to life.


    ¡°what¡¯s that for?¡± lee asked, glancing around. ¡°are we going to get attacked?¡±


    ¡°nope. just practice. what better time to work on music and formations than when we¡¯re out in the wild?¡± noah rested the bow against the strings of the violin, adjusting his stance. ¡°as of now, i only have one real formation, and that¡¯s just to supercharge sunder. i want to work on making more of them on the fly.¡±


    lee and moxie exchanged a glance. moxie snagged noah¡¯s bag and lee picked up his gourd. then, as one, they both took a few steps back. noah¡¯s brow furrowed.


    ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re going to blow yourself up,¡± moxie said.


    ¡°what? no. you¡¯ve got no faith. i thought you liked my music!¡±


    ¡°i do. but you¡¯re going to be trying to make formations on the fly, right? as useful as that sounds, i¡¯m also pretty sure it¡¯s going to inevitably end in something going boom. we¡¯re lucky you got away with it against evergreen, but counting on that happening again is tempting fate.¡±


    noah scrunched his nose and lowered the bow slightly. ¡°bah. i¡¯ll be careful. i¡¯m only going to be putting natural disaster into it, so there aren¡¯t too many ways it can go wrong. it would be different if i tried to slot more runes in.¡±


    ¡°right,¡± moxie said. she and lee took cover behind the stump of one of the trees near the camp. ¡°we¡¯ll be enjoying the music from here, then. and if you can, please try not to blow yourself up. i don¡¯t like watching you die.¡±


    ¡°noted.¡± noah placed the bow back against the violin and closed his eyes, pulling it across the strings and starting to play.


    no promises, though.

 Chapter 277: Whiterock

    chapter 277: whiterock


    noah kept his promise.


    at least, he kept it for about ten minutes.


    then he blew himself up.


    everything had been going pretty well ¨C he¡¯d just started by practicing the basics. using song to create a formation worked by basically trapping the magic within the song itself, and the most important part was making sure that the energy couldn¡¯t escape too early. it had to circulate, growing in power until the formation was completed.


    noah spent several minutes practicing purely just making those defensive notes, forming the container that he¡¯d used to hold sunder. but, unfortunately, the container had to be custom made for every different kind of rune or purpose. there was no one-size fits all.


    he¡¯d already managed to form one that could hold sunder, but the whole purpose of formations was to allow him to do things that he couldn¡¯t normally do, which meant he had to keep pushing.


    as tempted as he was to try out the song he¡¯d placed the fragment of renewal¡¯s energy into, even he wasn¡¯t quite that bold. messing around with master runes while he was still learning was an act of desperation, and one he wouldn¡¯t be testing his luck with any further until he understood formations better.


    instead, he stuck natural disaster in. it was meant to be a pretty simple formation ¨C one that would form a drill of wind and drive into the ground beside him, digging for as deep as he could make it go.


    the start of the song was simple enough ¨C long, harmonious notes with sudden shifts in pacing that were meant to encapsulate the ever-changing feeling of wind. he was just starting to get into the song when he realized that something wasn¡¯t quite right.


    his skin was tingling. all the power that had been slowly trickling out of natural disaster and into the music wasn¡¯t quite where it should have been. instead of being contained within the notes, it was swirling around them.


    huh. was the music not complex enough to contain the energy? or did i just not visualize everything correctly?


    ah, wait. i¡¯ve got it. i was too focused on the wind aspect. even though i only want wind from natural disaster, the rune still has all the other kinds of energy. i can¡¯t just ignore that.


    ¡°noah?¡± moxie said, a note of concern on her voice. ¡°you¡¯re shimmering.¡±


    ¡°yep. don¡¯t worry.¡± noah adjusted his song, shifting into a more robust version that should have accounted for his mistake in intent and pulled the energy back together. ¡°i¡¯ve got it under¨C¡±


    the formation shattered. noah¡¯s eyes had just enough time to widen. the energy contained within the formation was released with a roar in a swirling blast of jagged wind blades centered directly on top of him.


    noah¡¯s soul was thrown from his body within a split second. the magic killed him so quickly that it actually took him a moment to realize that his hands were no longer playing a violin. he looked down at himself, then back at the ball of wind wind as it dissipated, leaving behind a fine bloody mist.


    ¡°well, shit.¡±


    sunder wrapped around noah¡¯s neck. he didn¡¯t resist it. a moment later, he jerked upright at moxie and lee¡¯s feet, drawing in a sharp breath as a headache jabbed its icy fingers into his skull.


    lee dropped a change of clothes on top of his head.


    ¡°thanks,¡± noah said through a grimace. ¡°that was unfortunate.¡±


    moxie just sighed. ¡°i can¡¯t say i didn¡¯t see it coming. what went wrong? your formation didn¡¯t do anything like that when it broke at blancwood.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s because it didn¡¯t actually break.¡± noah wished he could call on the fragment of renewal, but no matter how useful its healing properties were ¨C he couldn¡¯t access them until after his powers came back.


    ¡°you¡¯re telling me you died and the formation didn¡¯t break?¡±


    ¡°yeah. it was much better constructed because i spent so much time preparing it,¡± noah replied, rubbing the back of his neck. the headache wasn¡¯t the worst he¡¯d had, but it had been a while since he¡¯d been subjected to one and he hadn¡¯t missed the experience. ¡°and i also understood sunder really well. so, when i went down, i had a few seconds to try to pull everything back together because of how tightly the song held all the magic.¡±


    ¡°why¡¯d you screw up this time, then?¡± lee asked, her eyes flicking to the small hole noah had left behind.


    ¡°probably a few reasons. i was a bit too rushed and i didn¡¯t properly encapsulate all the energy are likely the main ones, though.¡±


    ladders and bridges connected the various spherical rooms, and noah wasn¡¯t quite sure if each cluster was a single house with a bunch of rooms or multiple individual houses. they did vary significantly in size, but their shape was always the same.


    lee stopped at the front of a building made of a single, large boulder. it was roughly the size of a normal house, but with entryways carved every few feet along it. the warm glow of a fire flickered within and several stone tables were distributed throughout a waiting area. all the chairs were made from matching stone, though there were fur pillows on them to make the seating experience more comfortable.


    a woman stood behind a counter by the fire with her back to them, turning a rotisserie chicken rotating on a spit. she was clad in a warm fur cloak and armor, and two swords hung at her sides. it only took one look to tell that they weren¡¯t just for decoration.


    clearly not a stranger to fighting.


    ¡°can i eat that?¡± lee asked, pointing at the chicken.


    ¡°depends on if you¡¯ve got coin,¡± the woman replied as she turned around, a corner of her mouth turning up in amusement. she paused as she spotted them, then frowned. ¡°gods, girl. you¡¯re thin as a twig. what¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°lee.¡±


    ¡°nice to meet you,¡± noah said. ¡°i¡¯m¨C¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m claire,¡± the woman said, cutting noah off and holding up a finger. she poked the chicken with a bare hand, then carved off a leg and handed it to lee. ¡°get some meat on your bones. goodness. are they starving you to death?¡±


    lee took the food eagerly. ¡°thanks!¡±


    ¡°how much?¡± moxie asked, reaching into her bag.


    ¡°shush. i¡¯m watching her eat. it¡¯s a bit hot, though. you might have to give it a second to cool down.¡±


    right. lovely. we found a weird one.


    lee threw the whole chicken leg into her mouth and bit down, shattering the bone with a crunch. she chewed and swallowed, licking her lips. ¡°spicy. can i have more?¡±


    ¡°well, i¡¯ll be. haven¡¯t seen someone do that before.¡± claire finally turned her eyes away from lee, looking to noah. ¡°you can speak now. didn¡¯t mean to be rude, but i hate getting interrupted when i¡¯m feeding someone. it¡¯s a sacred act.¡±


    ¡°right, fair enough. how much do we owe you for that?¡±


    lee started rooting around in moxie¡¯s bag.


    ¡°on the house. you look like travelers, and gods know we don¡¯t get enough of those,¡± claire said. she chuckled as lee found a strip of jerky. ¡°lass reminds me of my granddaughter. always hungry.¡±


    ¡°we are,¡± noah said. ¡°and she is. could we get some food as well? also, we¡¯re looking for another traveler. would you know where they might be?¡±


    ¡°probably the guest houses. they¡¯re at the edge of town closest to the mountain. we don¡¯t have an inn because there aren¡¯t nearly enough people that come through.¡± claire cut a piece of chicken off for noah and handed it to him.


    he took it, then cleared his throat and glanced at moxie. ¡°two, please. one for her as well.¡±


    ¡°there¡¯s another one of you?¡± claire turned, then blinked in apparent surprise. ¡°oh! so there is. and what a lovely cloak. sorry, lass. let¡¯s get some food in you as well. why don¡¯t the three of you find a table? i¡¯ll whip something more up for you if you¡¯ve got any interesting news. it gets dreadfully boring here.¡±


    she handed moxie a piece of chicken and the three of them sat down while claire scurried about behind her counter. noah was pleasantly surprised to find that the chairs were actually quite comfortable. he took a bite of the chicken she¡¯d made and his eyes lit up. it wasn¡¯t just good. it was fantastic.


    within just a minute or so, she¡¯d procured a large brick of clay from near the edge of the fire and brought it over to their table, plonking it down in the center of the stone. before any of them could say anything, claire brought the hilt of her sword down on the top of the cray, cracking it and revealing a beautifully seasoned piece of meat. a tantalizing scent of spice and honey wafted up from the dish and noah¡¯s stomach rumbled.


    claire then grabbed a chair and sat down beside them, rubbing her hands together. ¡°i changed my mind. eat first. we can chat after.¡±


    none of them were about to argue with that, so they dug in without reservation.

 Chapter 278: Karina

    chapter 278: karina


    ¡°well?¡± claire asked, the smug grin on her features showing she already knew the answer to her question before she even asked it. ¡°how is everything?¡±


    ¡°delicious,¡± noah replied through a mouthful of ¨C well, he wasn¡¯t sure what the meat was from, but it was fantastic, nonetheless. ¡°what is this?¡±


    ¡°mountain elk, soaked in honey and seasoned with my special blend. it¡¯s my specialty.¡±


    ¡°do you have more?¡± lee asked, staring despondently at the scraps left on the table. they¡¯d mowed through everything claire had set down in just a few minutes. noah was actually on lee¡¯s side ¨C he could have eaten another two servings if given the chance.


    claire let out a bark of laughter. ¡°i¡¯ve got to save some for everyone else, lass. food isn¡¯t the easiest resource to get a hold of out here. it¡¯s time for you lot to pay up, though. tell me about what¡¯s been happening.¡±


    ¡°anything in particular?¡± moxie asked. ¡°we¡¯ve been... a little caught up as of late.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll quite literally take anything. just make it exciting.¡±


    noah and moxie exchanged a glance. they didn¡¯t have any shortage of interesting stories, but if they left out the stories that could get them into trouble, that number dropped considerably.


    after a moment, noah launched into a retelling of the hellreaver¡¯s death ¨C leaving out all the parts that he¡¯d actually been involved in. claire pried them with dozens of questions about arbitage itself, delighted to find out that they were actually professors.


    they had no trouble answering those, and none of them were deep enough to put them at risk, so it was a small price to pay for the meal they¡¯d just had. about thirty minutes later, claire was finally satisfied.


    ¡°fascinating. i¡¯ve never had professors come through here,¡± claire said with a shake of her head. ¡°it sounds quite fun to live in a busy city like that. you reckon my cooking would hold up over there?¡±


    ¡°easily,¡± noah said. ¡°this was some of the greatest food i¡¯ve had in a long time.¡±


    moxie nodded in agreement. ¡°you¡¯d have no trouble at all. why? thinking about expanding?¡±


    ¡°the thought has crossed my mind. it would be great to have a larger audience,¡± claire mused as she drummed her fingers on the table. ¡°but enough about me. you were looking for someone here, and i¡¯ve got to start getting ready to serve the lunch crowd.¡±


    noah knew a polite dismissal when he heard one. he pushed his chair back and stood. ¡°we¡¯ll be on our way, then. it was a pleasure speaking with you. are you sure you don¡¯t want any pay for the meal?¡±


    claire shook her head. ¡°no need. the stories were pay enough. swing back by at some point if you¡¯re still in the area. i¡¯d love to talk more, especially about what kind of restaurants are in the area.¡±


    they all bid her farewell and claire returned to her kitchen as they headed back out. the wind greeted them as they stepped out, but its sting felt far weaker now that they¡¯d filled their stomachs.


    ¡°i wonder what karina¡¯s been up to. you think she¡¯s gotten any news while she¡¯s been here?¡± noah asked as they headed in the direction of the mountain to find the guest houses.


    ¡°probably not,¡± moxie said. ¡°ranged communication is pretty difficult, and i don¡¯t think she was high up enough in your family to get something like that. i¡¯d imagine she¡¯s in the dark. let¡¯s just keep our eyes open. no matter what she says, i¡¯m not so sure we can trust her.¡±


    ¡°oh trust me,¡± noah said, his eyes darkening. ¡°i don¡¯t. for her sake, i hope she¡¯s playing by the rules we¡¯ve set.¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t you have to get her out of the contract for this to go through?¡± lee asked. ¡°how are you going to convince father?¡±


    ¡°haven¡¯t figured that bit out yet, but i¡¯d imagine we can leverage knowing something he doesn¡¯t. he¡¯s got to be at least a little worried about how evergreen got killed, so we might be able to leverage that.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re going to tell him what happened?¡± moxie pursed her lips. ¡°that might not be a wise idea.¡±


    ¡°i never said that. we can definitely poke around the issue and figure out how much he wants. if we can misdirect him, then all the better. if not, then we¡¯ll figure something else out. i¡¯m sure he wants something from me. if it¡¯s worth less than the artifact is, then it¡¯ll be worth it.¡±


    ¡°if you¡¯re sure. just be careful. father isn¡¯t someone we should be playing games with. we don¡¯t need to be butting heads with yet another powerful mage this soon.¡±


    ¡°i think we¡¯ll take a look around first. it¡¯s a little too early to give in after spending all this time traveling here.¡±


    ¡°did you not hear what i said? the frost wight is going to be the weakest line of defense. there¡¯s no way¨C¡±


    ¡°your job was to guide us to the artifact,¡± noah said. ¡°not fight. we¡¯ll handle that.¡±


    karina pressed her lips together. ¡°i¡¯m not getting myself killed for this.¡±


    ¡°it was your idea in the first place.¡±


    ¡°that was before i saw what they had in there. i¡¯d rather be stuck in a bad contract than dead. you do realize i¡¯m a rank 3, right? i barely escaped with my life, and i¡¯ve been rank 3 for much longer than you.¡±


    ¡°have you forgotten that i¡¯ve beaten you in every fight we had?¡±


    karina¡¯s lips pressed together. ¡°not by that much. i¡¯m not killing myself for this.¡±


    ¡°this is going in circles,¡± moxie said, stepping between them. ¡°if we deal with the monster, you guide us. if we can¡¯t, then we¡¯re dead and it¡¯s hardly a problem. how¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°fine.¡± karina shrugged. ¡°that¡¯s one way to get me out of my contract, so i won¡¯t object. and, if you get yourselves killed, i¡¯m free nonetheless.¡±


    honestly, fair enough. can¡¯t fault her for that. i¡¯d imagine she¡¯s not too pleased about losing a foot. she¡¯s trapped between a rock and a hard place. if she hadn¡¯t tried killing isabel and todd, i might be feeling bad right about now.


    ¡°how much would a potion to cure your foot be?¡± noah asked.


    karina studied him with squinted eyes. ¡°something that can regenerate a limb without having said limb to reattach? probably eight or nine thousand gold. more if you can¡¯t find a good vendor. that¡¯s in the range of a full-heal potion.¡±


    probably the potion that could heal todd, then. yikes.


    ¡°can you afford it?¡±


    karina¡¯s lips pressed thin. ¡°no. i don¡¯t have the resources i used to have. i can pull money from my family¡¯s treasury in small amounts, but i won¡¯t be able to get away taking out that much. it¡¯s none of your concern, though. i¡¯ll be fine. i can earn money as soon as i get out from under father¡¯s thumb.¡±


    ¡°fair enough.¡± noah shrugged. ¡°as long as you show us where that book is, we¡¯ll count the deal as valid. i¡¯ll look into finding out how to get father to break things off. in the meantime, we¡¯ll deal with the frost wight. assuming we do, you¡¯ll guide us through the catacombs. if we can¡¯t ¨C well, your problems are solved, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°works for me.¡± karina rubbed the bridge of her nose and let out a weary sigh. ¡°is there anything else, then?¡±


    ¡°not right now. i take it you¡¯ll be here?¡±


    she sent him a glare. ¡°where do you think i¡¯m going? i¡¯ve got one working leg.¡±


    hey, you¡¯ve got a whole other one. and you aren¡¯t missing the whole leg, just a foot.


    noah wisely opted not to mention that. karina was far from his favorite person, but she didn¡¯t deserve that. she was already suffering enough.


    ¡°we¡¯ll be around, then. do you know if this village has a market of any value? we need to buy some potions.¡±


    karina gave him a one-shouldered shrug. ¡°there¡¯s an alchemist. i¡¯d imagine she has the basics. i only talked briefly with her about a potion, though. she didn¡¯t have what i needed. her shop is the one near the middle of the village with the carving of the bottle on the outside.¡±


    that wasn¡¯t particularly awe-inspiring, but it was the best with what they had to go off. bidding a slightly awkward farewell to karina, the trio set back out into the cold to find the alchemist and, hopefully, some mind meld potions.

 Chapter 279: Run it back

    chapter 279: run it back


    ferdinand awoke to find that he was alone. that was rather odd, as he¡¯d gotten so used to finding garina staring him down at every moment of the day. he blinked, a frown crossing his lips as he glanced around the forest clearing.no?vel binz was the first platform to present this chapter.


    a joke, perhaps? it would be just like her to disappear and wait for me to let my guard down before popping up and scaring the life out of me.


    garina didn¡¯t pop out, though. minutes passed, and there was still no sign of her. there weren¡¯t any signs of a fight around his camp ¨C not that anything in the arbalest empire had a chance of defeating her ¨C so he had absolutely no idea where she¡¯d went.


    is it possible she finally gave up on following me around?


    ferdinand was surprised to find that he wasn¡¯t sure if he was happy or sad about that. he took one of the sandwiches he¡¯d prepared the previous night out of his bag and took a bite out of it, chewing with a pensive expression on his face. by the time he¡¯d finished eating, there was still no sign of her.


    i suppose she really did leave. i suppose that means i¡¯ve got to get back on with things. odd. i didn¡¯t expect to feel quite this disappointed.


    he stretched his arms over his head, then rubbed the back of his neck and turned ¨C only to find garina standing an inch away from him, a wry grin on her features. ferdinand leapt a foot into the air, letting out a slew of curses.


    ¡°damn it all! what was that for?¡± ferdinand demanded. ¡°do you get joy out of causing me problems?¡±


    ¡°yes,¡± garina replied without an instant of hesitation. ¡°it¡¯s hilarious. it wasn¡¯t about you this time, though. life goes on, you know. i¡¯ve got responsibilities beyond tailing your bald ass around.¡±


    ferdinand touched his head, then scowled. ¡°i¡¯m not the one that asked you to stalk me. what job involves waiting to scare my soul out?¡±


    ¡°gods, you¡¯re yappy. don¡¯t you have something to do other than complain?¡± garina said, but her tone didn¡¯t have all that much annoyance in it. the difference was subtle, but ferdinand had been around her for long enough to start recognizing when she was actually angry versus when she was just playing around.


    who would have thought. i can read the tone and body language of the most unhinged apostle. i¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s something to celebrate or be ashamed of.


    ¡°it was simply curiosity. with all the time you spend following me around, i had started to think you didn¡¯t have any other duties.¡±


    ¡°another rank 7 popped up. they had to be informed of where they stood on the food chain. i¡¯m aware that i¡¯m a thrilling presence to be around, but i didn¡¯t realize you¡¯d gotten so attached that you couldn¡¯t last half an hour without me.¡±


    ¡°there was a rank 7 in the area?¡± ferdinand¡¯s brow furrowed and he ignored garina¡¯s verbal jab. ¡°i didn¡¯t feel them.¡±


    ¡°depends on your definition of area. she just awakened on the other side of the empire.¡±


    ¡°you felt a rank 7 from across the empire? how powerful is your runic energy?¡±


    garina gave him a wry smile. ¡°stronger than yours. asking for a taste? i¡¯ll let you feel it as a favor, if you want.¡±


    ¡°please don¡¯t,¡± ferdinand said with a shudder. ¡°if you can sense people at that range, i suspect being exposed to your full strength would squash me like a bug.¡±


    ¡°at least you know your place. got any sandwiches?¡±


    ¡°i ate them.¡± ferdinand was surprised to see that garina actually looked somewhat offended.


    ¡°both? even mine?¡±


    moxie laughed. ¡°i¡¯ll be honest, i forgot as well. we¡¯re fine. thaddius sent a letter to blancwood. it showed up while you were still passed out. all our earnings were sent to arbitage and are being held safely. he¡¯s a swindler, but he isn¡¯t a cheat. once a deal goes through, he¡¯ll hold true to it.¡±


    noah breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°ah. good. i¡¯d imagine it sold for a pretty fair sum, so it would have been a shame if we¡¯d lost it.¡±


    ¡°forget the money. who¡¯s getting their runes changed first?¡± lee asked. luckily, there wasn¡¯t anyone around to overhear their conversation. the streets were fairly empty and a powerful wind had picked up around them, drowning out their voices even if there had been someone close enough to overhear.


    ¡°probably moxie,¡± noah said after a moment. ¡°i think she¡¯s already got a lot of overlapping forest or earth runes. shifting those around seems a bit easier than figuring out the optimal changes to make to yours, especially considering you¡¯ve got the demon runes.¡±


    ¡°makes sense.¡± lee nodded. ¡°it might be a bit weird to modify the demon runes anyway, and i might be missing some runes to combine with. we could keep taking them from dayton¡¯s scroll, but we¡¯ve been doing a lot of that lately.¡±


    noah didn¡¯t need to look at the shabby scroll to be reminded of that. it was definitely on its last legs. they were so close to getting their hands on the endless catchpaper artifact that he didn¡¯t want to risk destroying the remaining runes on the scroll by using up the last of its resilience and burning it away.


    ¡°agreed. we should leave the scroll be for the time being. at least until we can pull the runes off it and stick them somewhere better. as for moxie ¨C do you think we can just commandeer one of the empty guest houses to use?¡±


    ¡°only one way to find out,¡± lee said.


    they arrived back at the guest houses a few minutes later. lee turned her nose to the sky, then shrugged. ¡°they¡¯re all empty, aside from the one karina is in.¡±


    ¡°perfect,¡± noah said. ¡°this shouldn¡¯t take too long, so i don¡¯t imagine anyone will mind. we¡¯ll need somewhere to stay anyways. better to ask for forgiveness than permission, eh?¡±


    lee tilted her head to the side. ¡°i like that saying.¡±


    a cold tingle ran down noah¡¯s spine as he got the feeling that he¡¯d just made a bit of a mistake. he brushed it away and cleared his throat, pushing on one of the doors. it swung open easily, allowing them entry to a plain room that was identical to karina¡¯s.


    ¡°i¡¯ll keep watch,¡± lee said, staying outside while noah and moxie walked in.


    ¡°thanks. we¡¯ll have your runes fixed up as soon as possible ¨C probably right after we get the artifact,¡± noah promised.


    ¡°fixed up for the second time,¡± lee corrected with a snicker. she closed the door on them.


    ¡°ready?¡± moxie asked.


    ¡°no time like the present. do you already know what you¡¯re going to be doing with your runes? i imagine i probably should have asked first, but¨C¡±


    ¡°yeah.¡± moxie nodded. ¡°i was thinking about it more. i don¡¯t want to get so close that the runes completely overlap, but i don¡¯t want to go so far that i end up in the same spot i am right now. i¡¯m thinking something like sowed earth and sprouting plant. pretty general, but they¡¯ve got overlap and aren¡¯t too high reaching.¡±


    ¡°seems reasonable to me. only one way to find out just how reasonable, though.¡±


    moxie popped the cork off one of their mind meld potions and tipped it back, draining half before handing the remainder to noah. while he drank it, she laid down on the ground. noah laid down beside her, the buzz of the potion already starting to take effect.


    the buzz intensified, and then the world went dark as noah was pulled away, his soul yanked into moxie¡¯s so they could ¨C for the second time, now ¨C fix her runes.


    but, this time, noah was determined to make sure their changes were the right ones. by the time he left her soul, she was going to have at least one fully perfect rank 3 rune.

 Chapter 280: Enough time

    chapter 280: enough time


    fortunately, moxie¡¯s runes weren¡¯t in hiding when noah arrived in her soul. the dense forest was as he remembered it, but all five of her remaining runes were waiting for their arrival.


    bleeding forest


    uprooted forest


    uprooted forest


    blooming earth


    blooming earth


    none of them were full anymore, but they weren¡¯t far from it. moxie had done a good job of salvaging her power after her runes had been broken. she and noah both superstitiously glanced around, each expecting azel to make an appearance, but nobody showed up.


    ¡°right,¡± noah said, clearing his throat. ¡°shall we get started?¡±


    ¡°yeah. can you sunder one blooming earth and one uprooted forest?¡± moxie asked. ¡°i don¡¯t think the rank 2 runes will need any modification, but it might take me a few tries to find the right way to approach this.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve got a pretty good grasp of sunder now, so that won¡¯t be a problem. take your time ¨C just remember that we¡¯ve only got thirty minutes to work with, although we can always buy another mind meld potion if we need to.¡±


    ¡°thirty minutes should be more than enough.¡± moxie extended a hand and blooming earth moved through the air, arriving before them.


    noah drew on sunder¡¯s power. a moment later, his veins turned jet black. cold power flooded through his body, and he was pleased to note that it was taking less and less time to summon sunder¡¯s powers. after he reached rank 4, he suspected it would become fast enough that he could reliably use it in fights without worrying about waiting for a perfect opportunity.


    he reached out and touched the blooming earth rune, unleashing sunder into it. a dark line cleaved through it, allowing energy and rank 2 runes to spill out. noah stepped back, turning to uprooted forest as it floated up beside him.


    calling on sunder once more, noah carved it apart. the air around him trembled and vibrated with power. he moved to the side as moxie hurried to gather the energy flooding her soul. noah remained quiet as the forest writhed around him, not wanting to distract moxie any further.


    she gathered the power flowing through her mindspace, pulling it to her palms and calling the rank 2 runes to herself, muttering under her breath as she tested out different combinations for just instants before dismissing them and replacing a rune.


    after a few tries, moxie pressed her palms together. seven runes pressed together, drawing up the power floating around her soul like a vacuum. a bright flash lit up her mindspace as the runes merged together, forming into a rank 3.


    a small shockwave of pressure washed out over noah, buffeting his hair back. he raised a hand, squinting through the light as it started to fade. a newly formed rune floated before moxie, about halfway full.


    trembling sowed earth


    and, unfortunately, it only took noah one look to tell that this wasn¡¯t the rune she wanted. before he could even say anything, moxie shook her head.


    ¡°kill it.¡±


    noah obeyed, sending sunder¡¯s power forth once more. the rune shattered apart, and moxie got back to work once more. just seconds later, she¡¯d salvaged all the energy she could and pushed the runes together once again.


    this time, noah closed his eyes in time to avoid the flash. when he opened them again, a new rune floated before moxie.


    sowed earth


    moxie took more time with the last rune than she did with the first two. she spent almost a minute holding the energy around her, just bringing different rank 2 runes together before dismissing them and calling replacements in their wake.


    finally, after almost two minutes, she pulled everything together. and, of course, that ended up happening right as he blinked, so he had the fortune of opening his eyes at the very instant the runes merged, blasting his retinas with a surge of light.


    he swore and blinked furiously to dismiss the dots floating before his eyes. a new rune ¨C ten percent full ¨C floated before moxie, amid a sea of discarded rank 2 runes.


    bloodletting plant


    moxie gathered the last pieces and merged them into a cracked bloody earth rune. noah had learned his lesson by that point and was looking in the other direction. he only looked back when moxie released the hold she had on her runes, letting them return to their normal positions.


    her work had spent a good amount of the energy she¡¯d gathered. she still had five runes, but two of them were horribly formed and functionally useless. but, of the three remaining, all were around fifty percent full.


    and, most importantly, they were truly perfect.


    ¡°well?¡± noah broke the moment of silence without an instant of hesitation. ¡°come on. what changed?¡±


    ¡°it was almost entirely what you figured out. limiting the scope but keeping it fairly general was the biggest change, but i noticed that it still didn¡¯t feel perfect. the last little bit was realizing that you can¡¯t just have a single intent.¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s that mean?¡± noah frowned. ¡°like you should have multiple intents for your rune?¡±


    ¡°no. your rune is made up of seven other runes, right? well, you¡¯ve got to account for the intent that each of those runes had as well. that was the final piece. think about it. there are lots of ways to make an earth rune. you can get it from different locations, and they even look different. intent is the reason they¡¯re like that.¡±


    noah¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°that¡¯s it. the subtle differences in runes with the same name are because they¡¯re meant to do slightly different things, even though they¡¯ve got the same name. brilliant.¡±


    ¡°i know.¡± moxie flashed him a satisfied grin. ¡°after that clicked, i just realized i had to make sure the intent of the rank 2 runes all worked together. i had to replace a few of the rank 2s that didn¡¯t fit, but i found ones that synergized. then ¨C boom. truly perfect rune.¡±


    they fell silent, looking out at the runes. even though they were just rank 3 runes, noah couldn¡¯t keep the sense of immense satisfaction from welling up inside himself. he didn¡¯t know how much of the information they¡¯d just figured out was already known to noble families that was just keeping it secret, but he didn¡¯t care.


    we¡¯re well on our way. with this, we¡¯ll be able to reach rank 4 pretty damn soon. maybe even before summer is out. those assholes can keep their secrets. we don¡¯t need them. and if they don¡¯t actually know this, then even better. we¡¯ve got the advantage that we need.


    ¡°you look smug,¡± moxie said, prodding noah in the side. ¡°i¡¯m the one that made the runes, you know.¡±


    ¡°no gratitude at all,¡± noah complained. ¡°what am i, a portable rune reconfiguration tool?¡±


    moxie leaned in, giving him a sudden kiss before pulling back and laughing at the expression on his face. ¡°how¡¯s that for gratitude?¡±


    ¡°acceptable,¡± noah replied after a moment, touching the side of his face.


    ¡°that¡¯s it?¡± moxie crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow. ¡°i¡¯ve never been one to strive for mediocrity.¡±


    ¡°well, if i¡¯m not mistaken, there should still be a good bit of time before the potion¡¯s duration wears off.¡±


    ¡°that should be enough time.¡± moxie grinned.


    it was.the roots of this story extend from novell bi?n origin.

 Chapter 281: Chat

    chapter 281: chat


    lee sat on the curved top of the guest house, her legs stretched out before her as she watched the clouds move through the sky. it was chilly, but she wasn¡¯t cold. a faint smoldering energy burned within her soul, seeping out into her body and keeping the chill at bay.


    an ember swirled at lee¡¯s side, expanding out into azel¡¯s suited form with a small puff of smoke. ¡°fancy finding you here. you must be bored.¡±


    ¡°not really,¡± lee replied, not looking in azel¡¯s direction. there was currently a pie-shaped cloud floating overhead, and it was considerably more interesting than the other demon at the time.


    azel didn¡¯t seem perturbed by her dismissal. ¡°you¡¯re fine with this, then? sitting around on watch while they have fun?¡±


    lee shrugged. ¡°i have fun too. it¡¯s selfish to demand attention all the time. i¡¯ll get my turn to get my runes modified soon. i still need to figure out what i¡¯m going to do to fix them. again.¡±


    ¡°selfish?¡± azel was aghast. ¡°are you a demon, girl? selfish? of course you are!¡±


    ¡°nah.¡±


    ¡°i ¨C what?¡±


    ¡°nah.¡±


    ¡°you can¡¯t just say nah. you are a demon.¡± azel¡¯s eyes narrowed and he scooted along the roof to sit in front of lee, who rotated around to look the other direction.


    ¡°being a demon doesn¡¯t mean i have to be a dick,¡± lee said. ¡°you¡¯re the reason moxie thought all demons were evil.¡±


    ¡°evil is a term that the weak use to describe someone that does not behoove themselves to cowardly beliefs. we are not evil. we are powerful.¡±


    ¡°you are. you don¡¯t get to decide what i am,¡± lee corrected. ¡°i¡¯m lee.¡±


    a small puff of smoke rose up from azel¡¯s smoldering features. he pressed his lips together and shook his head. ¡°you are deluded. somewhere, you lost your way as a demon. why do you allow them to treat you like this?¡±


    ¡°like what?¡± lee cocked her head to the side.0v3l.b11n.


    ¡°see? this is the problem! you can¡¯t even tell what¡¯s wrong!¡±


    ¡°neither can you. you¡¯re just trying to annoy me. annoying things is my job, and i like it that way.¡±


    azel ran his hands through his hair. ¡°noah and moxie are flirting in her mindspace, i¡¯m sure of it. and you¡¯re fine with just sitting here?¡±


    ¡°yep. why wouldn¡¯t i be?¡±


    azel stared at her. ¡°are you dense?¡±


    ¡°only when i want to be. why would i care if they smell like each other? i like them.¡±


    for once, azel seemed to be at a loss for words ¨C at least, he was for a few seconds. he quickly recovered himself and sent lee a smug look. ¡°because you aren¡¯t there with them.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s fine. i¡¯ll be there later. they need time alone just as much as everyone else does.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re kidding me. you¡¯re okay with giving noah away like this? you love him! you said it yourself.¡±


    ¡°as if you could stand against me.¡± azel let out a bassy chuckle. ¡°i¡¯d rip you to shreds.¡±


    ¡°me, sure. me and moxie, maybe. me, moxie, and noah, less likely. and if we had silvertide and revin as well? who knows. we¡¯ve got friends, azel. you¡¯re alone. you don¡¯t have to be, though. if you didn¡¯t constantly choose to be a dick, you could have friends too.¡±


    ¡°you understand nothing. everything that comes out of your mouth is tainted by the folly of youth that should be reserved for stupid humans, not demons.¡±


    ¡°and everything that you say seems like you¡¯re scared,¡± lee countered. ¡°why are you here, azel? i¡¯ve never heard anything about demons trying to help each other out. i¡¯m not stupid. i can tell you want something. you¡¯d have better luck just asking me for it than all this roundabout stuff.¡±


    ¡°even if i did, it would be pointless. you¡¯re lost,¡± azel spat. ¡°no demon left in you at all. giving you my runes was a waste.¡±


    ¡°does that mean you¡¯ll give up on whatever this is?¡±


    azel sent lee a cold smile. ¡°no. you¡¯ll come to see the truth soon enough. we¡¯re demons. moxie was right about one thing ¨C we are the same. you¡¯re just like me.¡±


    ¡°you know, the more you say that, the less i believe you.¡± lee stood up as well. even though she stood more than a head shorter than azel, she matched his gaze without flinching. ¡°you came to talk to me because noah and moxie made you feel how you¡¯re saying i should, didn¡¯t they? you¡¯re lonely.¡±


    ¡°lonely?¡± azel cackled. ¡°me? a rank 5 demon, lonely? on the contrary. i long for solitude more than anything else. i have been subjected to this... vile company for far too long.¡±


    ¡°right,¡± lee drawled. ¡°i don¡¯t believe you. i think you wanted to talk to someone and were fed up with getting told to screw off, so you came here. but, you don¡¯t know how to just talk to someone normally, so you tried to rile me up and get emotions out of me. isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ¡°you are wrong. completely and utterly wrong.¡±


    ¡°you say that, but i know how it feels to be hungry. i¡¯m usually hungry.¡± lee¡¯s stomach rumbled, proving her point. ¡°but you can¡¯t feel love toward food. it tastes good, but you can¡¯t love it, because it can¡¯t love you back.¡±


    azel gave her a blank stare, baffled. ¡°what is that meant to mean?¡±


    ¡°figure it out yourself,¡± lee replied. ¡°but if you keep trying to get us to hate each other ¨C well, first, it won¡¯t work. but if you¡¯re the demon you claim to be that only looks out for himself and nobody else, then you should realize that you¡¯re going to stay unhappy if you don¡¯t change.¡±


    azel smoldered. his entire body shimmered in a haze of heat, but it didn¡¯t expand far enough to reach lee. it was nothing but showmanship. she was pretty sure azel physically wasn¡¯t even there with her ¨C her runes were running hot.


    he¡¯s using the runes he gave me to form a basic connection. not enough to do anything but talk. it would be pretty easy to just cut them off and force him away, but then he¡¯d go bother noah and moxie.


    azel didn¡¯t respond. his body burnt away, turning into smoke and fading into the air. lee watched the space where he¡¯d been for a few moments, then returned her attention to the clouds passing by above.


    she felt bad for azel. she¡¯d been on the damned plains for around twenty years. he¡¯d been on them for hundreds. the idea of being trapped in the hellscape for that long, without friends or anyone to speak to, filled her with dread.


    i wonder if i¡¯d be just like him if i¡¯d been there for all that time. i just wish he¡¯d stop trying to manipulate everyone. if he keeps this up, we¡¯re going to have to find a way to kill him.


    lee sat back down at the roof and returned her gaze to the sky, trying to see if she could spot any more shapes floating within them. but, to her annoyance, the clouds had pulled back during her conversation with azel. all that remained was clear sky.


    letting out a sigh, lee tapped her fingers against her chin. it wouldn¡¯t be long until moxie and noah finished up working on the runes. hopefully, they¡¯d be successful. but, even if they weren¡¯t, lee refused to let azel dampen her mood.


    a sudden weight settled down on lee¡¯s lap. she looked down in surprise to find that mascot had somehow completely evaded both her eyes and nose to curl up on top of her. the cat¡¯s red antlers shimmered with energy as it let out a low purr.


    lee stared at mascot for a few seconds, then repressed a snicker. the cat looked up at her, as if to ask what¡¯s so funny?


    ¡°i was looking at clouds that kind of look like things,¡± lee said. ¡°but you¡¯re a thing that kind of looks like a cloud.¡±


    mascot sniffed. the cat curled up, entirely unamused by lee¡¯s joke. there wasn¡¯t going to be any more moving now, so all she could do was wait. fortunately, that had been her plan anyway.

 Chapter 282: Frost Wight

    chapter 282: frost wight


    noah woke up beside moxie, the mind meld potion¡¯s effects expired ¨C much to his disappointment. he sat upright, wiping his eyes and grimacing at a slight crick in his back. the floor wasn¡¯t a particularly comfortable medium to lie down on.


    even as moxie started to sit as well, lee poked her head through the door. she had several pieces of jerky sticking out of one hand that she used to wave a greeting. ¡°did it work?¡±


    ¡°perfectly,¡± moxie confirmed as she stood. ¡°we¡¯ve figured it all out.¡±


    the next few minutes were spent filling lee in on all the observations they¡¯d made on the proper method to perfect a rune. noah was practically beside himself with excitement.


    i want to get to rank 4. the more i know about what i need to do, the more i just want to get it over with so i can keep moving. as soon as we get our hands on this book, i¡¯m going to go hunt or buy the runes i need.


    ¡°i need more runes before we fix anything,¡± lee said, rubbing her chin. ¡°i don¡¯t want to have to fix things a bunch of times because it¡¯s going to hurt, so if we could do it all at once, that would be the best. noah is going to go collect runes after we get the artifact thing, so i can get them when he does.¡±


    ¡°how¡¯d you know?¡± noah asked. ¡°did i say that already? i can¡¯t remember.¡±


    ¡°me neither.¡± lee took a bite out of several pieces of jerky at the same time. ¡°but i figured that was what you were going to do either way. good job for not running off to do it immediately.¡±


    moxie nodded in agreement. ¡°you¡¯re getting better.¡±


    ¡°hey! i wouldn¡¯t do that. this is unfair. you¡¯re teaming up on me.¡±


    that earned him one of moxie¡¯s patented arched eyebrows. then she rolled her eyes. ¡°okay, it was a bit of an exaggeration, but you can¡¯t tell me the thought wouldn¡¯t have crossed if all this had happened a month or two ago.¡±


    noah thought for a moment. ¡°okay, i probably would have. if the artifact was a more pressing issue then i¡¯d say that you were spouting slander, but none of us are going to die if we can¡¯t get our hands on it.¡±


    ¡°except for karina,¡± lee put in.


    ¡°she¡¯s not dying,¡± moxie said.


    ¡°probably wishes she was, though. she smells depressed.¡±


    ¡°not that i disagree with you, but i am baffled by your nose every day,¡± noah said. ¡°how does someone smell depressed?¡±


    lee shrugged. ¡°she does. it wasn¡¯t there the last time we met her, so she¡¯s probably sadder about her leg than she¡¯s letting on.¡±


    i suspect it¡¯s probably more that she¡¯s realizing she can¡¯t save herself. she¡¯s waiting for mercy from either me or father, and neither of us are planning to give it to her. when there¡¯s nothing you can do to control your own situation... i can¡¯t blame her at all. 0v3l.b11n.


    moxie caught the slight frown on noah¡¯s face. ¡°are you concerned about her?¡±


    he waggled a hand in the air. ¡°honestly? it¡¯s hard to answer that. i don¡¯t like karina. she¡¯s not trustworthy, and she¡¯s proven multiple times that the only person she looks out for is herself. but... i can¡¯t help but sympathize at least a bit with her situation.¡±


    ¡°then maybe the best move would be to rectify it. don¡¯t have to like her to fix things,¡± moxie said. ¡°we¡¯ll keep a close eye on her to make sure the fixing doesn¡¯t result with a knife in any of our backs.¡±


    ¡°couldn¡¯t agree more,¡± noah said. he stretched his arms above his head, then cracked his neck and gave them a nod. ¡°i¡¯m going to go talk with father. after that, we should grab karina and head over to the catacombs to get that artifact.¡±


    ¡°we should probably go talk to karina, then,¡± moxie said as she made for the exit of the room. ¡°the less father sees us, the better. he might already be thinking about how to leverage me, considering what happened the last time we met with him.¡±


    noah grimaced. ¡°yeah. it isn¡¯t a risk i regret taking, but it might cause some trouble. i think i can handle father, though. he¡¯s going to want to know what happened to evergreen far more than he¡¯ll care about you.¡±


    ¡°just be careful,¡± moxie said. she and lee headed out of the room, closing the door behind them and leaving noah alone. as soon as they had left, he sent out a mental call to the white-furred cat.


    there was no response. he still wasn¡¯t exactly sure how to summon the cat ¨C or if it could even be summoned. it had come when he¡¯d called before, but that might have just been because it was lurking around.


    noah cleared his throat. ¡°er... are you around? i need your help.¡±


    still, he received nothing in response. noah¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°come on. you¡¯ve been following me around for a while. you can¡¯t tell me that you suddenly left now.¡±


    ¡°personality, mostly. let¡¯s cut the banter, though. you¡¯re busy. i¡¯m busy. time to make a decision, father. are you going to keep picking small, worthless fights with me? this isn¡¯t some major favor. it won¡¯t cost you anything.¡±


    ¡°is that what you think?¡± father took a sip of wine before setting his goblet down on the desk. ¡°you are incorrect.¡±


    ¡°how so?¡±


    ¡°karina is worthless to me. you are correct on that front,¡± father said. he stood, walking around the side of his desk and stopping directly before the portal, his hands crossed behind his back. ¡°but, while we have made great progress, our branch is not yet part of the main branch. all the pieces are lined up with dayton¡¯s failure, but i still gain political power from the linking of karina¡¯s branch and mine through you.¡±


    noah rolled his eyes. ¡°as if you need that leverage. does anyone really stand in your way?¡±


    ¡°no,¡± father said. ¡°they do not. you are correct. i do not need this advantage, but why would i give it up for nothing?¡±


    noah chewed his inner cheek. father, to his annoyance, actually had a point. from his perspective, there really wasn¡¯t any benefit in letting karina out of anything.


    ¡°i think you¡¯re coming at this from the wrong perspective,¡± noah said. ¡°you don¡¯t want to lose the implied power of being tied to karina¡¯s branch, right?¡±


    father didn¡¯t respond. that was the equivalent of a resounding yes from him.


    ¡°then i think you should be more concerned about the fallout of what will happen when her branch finds her body ripped to shreds and scattered through the linwick estate.¡±


    father tilted his head to the side. ¡°you threaten to murder her?¡±


    ¡°not just that,¡± noah said. ¡°everyone will know. it doesn¡¯t matter if you tell everyone i did it. nobody would believe that i would do anything against your will. that¡¯s the problem with being as infamous as you are. it¡¯s ludicrous to believe that i¡¯d act on my own. all of father¡¯s family follow his orders perfectly.¡±


    father pursed his lips. then, to noah¡¯s shock, they pulled apart in the faintest hint of a smile. it was fake, of course, but even a fake smile looked unsettling on father¡¯s face. ¡°very well.¡±


    noah blinked. ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°i will release karina. you have made a good point. the effort to keep her would be greater than what it would take to release her. i am not an unreasonable man, so consider your request granted.¡±


    just like that?


    ¡°i would say one thing in return, though.¡±


    of course.


    father reached into his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. he flicked it, sending the paper flying through the portal and to the ground at noah¡¯s feet.


    ¡°i haven¡¯t agreed to anything,¡± noah said.


    ¡°this isn¡¯t a request,¡± father said. ¡°you will not send your beast to infiltrate my room again. i have not fought against it because these conversations have benefitted me, but i will permit it no longer. if you wish to speak with me again, you will use the proper channels.¡±


    noah looked down at the paper, then inclined his head. ¡°fair enough.¡±


    father said nothing more. the portal snapped shut.


    i really expected him to ask how mascot was getting into his room, but i guess that would have put him at too much of a verbal disadvantage. can¡¯t complain about how that turned out, though.


    noah picked the slip of paper up and unfolded it. it had a complex imbuement on it. there wasn¡¯t any power coming off the paper, so it was dormant. noah presumed it would let him send father a mental ping of some sort.


    he slipped the piece of paper into his bag.


    ¡°as far as things could have gone, that wasn¡¯t bad,¡± noah mused as he pulled the guest house door open and headed out to get the others. ¡°not bad at all.¡±


    now, to kill that frost wight and get my artifact.

 Chapter 283: Deeper

    chapter 283: deeper


    noah found everyone in karina¡¯s room. karina had retreated to the back of the room and was sitting on the bed, her knees pulled against her chest. lee and moxie sat on the floor in front of her.


    ¡°so you can¡¯t bake without fire?¡± lee asked.


    ¡°no. you need an oven. we¡¯ve gone over this,¡± moxie said. ¡°and no, you can¡¯t just set something on fire to bake it. that doesn¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°why not? a few seconds of being super hot should be the same as an hour of being less hot. it doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    moxie looked up at noah, who was standing by the open door with an amused expression on his face. ¡°ah. good timing.¡±


    ¡°you don¡¯t know how to bake, do you?¡± lee asked. ¡°i never got a chance to try it.¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ll get you an oven when we get back to arbitage,¡± noah promised. ¡°karina looks traumatized. what happened?¡±


    ¡°nothing,¡± karina muttered. ¡°i¡¯m just sitting here. don¡¯t involve me in anything else. i just want to be left alone.¡±


    noah walked up to her bed. ¡°after we¡¯ve got the artifact, you¡¯re welcome to sit around as much as you want. but, until then, you owe me. we aren¡¯t going to make you fight anything. you¡¯ll just be directing us.¡±


    ¡°sure, sure. whatever.¡± karina slid over to the edge of the bed and pushed herself upright, wobbling unsteadily and catching herself on the wall. noah took a step back to avoid getting in her way. ¡°we¡¯re going now?¡±


    ¡°hold on,¡± noah said. moxie and lee both sent him a surprised glance.


    ¡°what? change your mind?¡± karina asked.


    ¡°no. we need to talk, though.¡±


    karina gave him a bitter smirk and crossed her arms ¨C which nearly cost her balance. she fumbled and caught herself against the wall before she could fall. ¡°decided that you don¡¯t want to beg father, huh? can¡¯t say i¡¯m surprised. just get out of here and leave me alone.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re free,¡± noah said flatly.


    karina stared at him, her smirk faltering. ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°i told you. you¡¯re free. i spoke with father a few minutes ago. he¡¯s released you. the engagement is ended.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re lying. you¡¯ve got no reason to help me yet. my end of the deal isn¡¯t finished.¡±


    ¡°i do have a reason.¡± noah nodded to moxie. ¡°i¡¯m dating her, not you. i¡¯d rather not have a random engagement over my head. i¡¯m not the kind of guy that likes two women at once.¡±


    ¡°why tell me now?¡± karina asked suspiciously. ¡°shouldn¡¯t you have waited until after we got the artifact?¡±


    ¡°probably,¡± noah admitted. ¡°but i was fed up with this shit. holding the engagement over you was rubbing me the wrong way. it wasn¡¯t any better than what the damn noble families do, so i ended it. don¡¯t get me wrong, i still expect you to finish your end of the deal, but you¡¯ll be doing it under your own volition.¡±


    karina was silent for several seconds. then she started to laugh. noah took a step back, a mixture of mildly concerned and surprised as karina¡¯s laughter intensified, turning into a borderline deranged, wheezing cackle.


    it took her almost a minute to get control of herself again. karina straightened back up, wiping tears of bitter mirth from her eyes. ¡°all this time of trying to get out of this shitty engagement, and you just broke it because it was making you feel mean?¡±


    ¡°yeah, pretty much.¡±


    ¡°no. it stopped right at the entrance, and it didn¡¯t actually attack until i¡¯d walked in a bit. i¡¯m pretty sure it was hibernating or something, though. it¡¯s awake now.¡±


    ¡°probably bound to remain within the catacombs,¡± moxie mused. ¡°better to be ready, though. i¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°as am i,¡± noah said.


    ¡°me too,¡± lee added.


    karina nodded and limped forward, leaning against the wall. she drew a thin dagger from her side, bringing it across the pad of her thumb. blood welled up and she pressed her hand to the stone, dragging it down.


    a faint rumble ran through the mountain. karina sheathed her dagger and used her pole to limp out of the way, putting a good amount of distance between herself and them. snow sloughed down, piling up at the base of the mountain¡¯s base.


    the smear of blood that karina had left on the stone rippled and sank into the stone like it had been absorbed by a sponge. lines of dull pink light lit up within the stone, tracing out the shape of a wide door.


    hidden imbuements illuminated on the rock face. they had been perfectly concealed within the craggy rock and beneath the snow. the rumbling intensified as the door slid downward, sinking into the ground and revealing a passageway leading into the mountain.


    it was much larger than noah had expected. when karina had mentioned a catacomb, he¡¯d been picturing tight, dark corridors filled with musty spiderwebs and skeletons. instead, he was greeted by a wide, marble-paved hallway ¨C big enough for all of them to walk through side by side without being pressed for space.


    the hall was dark, but not pitch black. the light reflected off the marble, giving them view of the hall for the first dozen paces.


    ¡°that... is not what i was expecting,¡± moxie said, squinting into the darkness. ¡°i don¡¯t see a monster.¡±


    ¡°it must have gone back into hiding.¡± karina inched forward. ¡°i didn¡¯t see anything when i first walked in either. it attacked me when i turned the corner up ahead.¡±


    ¡°how big was it?¡± noah asked.


    ¡°it took up practically the entire corridor. there¡¯s no way to run past it, if that¡¯s what you were thinking.¡±


    they studied the entrance for several more seconds.


    ¡°can we go in?¡± lee asked. ¡°i¡¯m bored.¡±


    ¡°fair enough,¡± noah said. ¡°i¡¯ll take the lead and check things out. everyone else, stand back until i finish up.¡±


    ¡°are you sure you aren¡¯t overestimating yourself?¡± karina asked. ¡°this is a powerful rank 3 monster.¡±


    ¡°only one way to find out,¡± noah said with a wry grin. he unhooked the gourd from his waist and handed it to moxie. her eyes widened slightly and she took it from him carefully. noah stepped into the catacombs.


    the sound of his step echoed out and the wind abruptly cut off as if someone had flipped a switch. he glanced over his shoulder, half to make sure that the door hadn¡¯t closed behind him.


    ¡°don¡¯t look at us,¡± karina hissed. ¡°if you¡¯re going to do this, at least pay attention to the monster.¡±


    ¡°you said it was just down this corridor?¡± noah asked, unconcerned. he combusted the flashgrass and smoke started to curl up from his pipe. he placed it between his teeth. the light coming from the flame was minimal, but it still helped brighten the catacombs.


    ¡°yes. it showed up the instant i turned the corner. i barely had any time to respond to it.¡±


    ¡°sounds good,¡± noah said. he turned, pushing more power into his flashgrass to make it burn a little faster. at the moment, he needed the light from its embers more than he needed efficiency. he gathered the red and black cloud that was curling up from his pipe and sent it forward to illuminate his path.


    then he walked into the catacombs.the roots of this story extend from novell bi?n origin.

 Chapter 284: Not Frost Wight

    chapter 284: not frost wight


    the hair on the back of noah¡¯s neck stood on end. his footfalls echoed through the catacombs, breaking the deathly silence. even with the faint light from his pipe, the darkness was intense.


    it wasn¡¯t the dark that unsettled him, though. noah couldn¡¯t quite place his finger on what it was, but it felt wrong. the air was stale and heavy, and even though it wasn¡¯t as cold as it had been outside, his breath came out in white puffs.


    the scent of ¨C well, noah couldn¡¯t place what the scent was. it was earthly, but at the same time, it couldn¡¯t have been anything natural. a mixture of moss and something sickly sweet, all covered by old, dank, dust.


    noah arrived at the edge of the hall, right before where it took a sharp turn to the right. he paused, standing on the balls of his feet and keeping natural disaster¡¯s power at his fingertips.


    karina said the monster was right beyond this bend. i don¡¯t hear anything. it really seems like i¡¯m the only one in here. i feel like i would have heard if some big creature was sitting right in front of me. is it small? or is it just really fast?


    there was only one way to find out. noah burst forward, dashing around the corner. he skidded across the ground, a cloud of molten ash swirling around him, and nearly lost his footing. he¡¯d fully expected to see something down the hall sprinting toward him.


    he hadn¡¯t expected it to be standing directly in front of him, as still as ice.


    the frost wight was huge. limbs jutted out of its body indiscriminately, many of them ending in icy points. it stood, hunched, head looming far above noah. there was a general humanoid form to it, but it was difficult to make out through all the pieces jutting out. its legs were buried in a sea of other feet and hands, all locked perfectly still.


    a beard of glistening icicles hung from the monster¡¯s disturbingly human face. its eyes were two dull pools of red, and its mouth an empty black hole ringed by jagged spikes of dirty, brown ice.


    noah¡¯s burst of motion proved the be the only thing that gave him time to both get a good glance at the frost wight and avoid a swift return trip to his gourd. the monster lurched, one of its many hands whipping out.


    a scythe of ice carved across the ground, screeching against marble and shattering on one of the walls. noah unleashed natural disaster, sending all his heated ash forward in a drill. it slammed into the unnaturally still monster¡¯s body, grinding against its armor with a roar.


    noah was forced to dodge back as the wight surged forward, its many limbs all sending out individual blasts of ice. a furious howl escaped its mouth as it bore down on him. noah drove his foot into the ground, releasing his smoke for just long enough to erect a wall of rock.


    ice pummeled it, and noah dove out of the way as the wight bore down on his wall, shattering it without an ounce of effort. ice flashed through the air like bullets, crashing down all around noah. several pieces cut into his body, leaving painful but non-lethal wounds.


    he rolled to the side and shot up, slamming another drill of heated ash into the monster. it staggered, letting out another scream, but not even that stopped the barrage of ice. noah dove around the corner, and a wave of frost followed after him.


    the wight slammed against the wall, sending a rumble through the ground. it barely even stopped, its many feet skittering to maintain purchase on the ground as it ran after him. the monster was so wide that it took up nearly the entire corridor.


    nearly.0v3l.b11n.


    noah lunged ¨C forward. he used natural disaster to rip a plate of stone from the ground at an angle. he dove under it, sliding through the small corridor he¡¯d just made. the frost wight shattered the stone with a heavy foot and let out a roar of anger.


    hah. try turning around now, you fat bastard. you can only look in one direction. should have chosen a monster that actually fits inside the catacombs, linwicks.


    that was fine. noah didn¡¯t need much. he formed a spike of cold water and solidified it into a thick icicle with a wide base. the spike shot out, driving straight into the center of the weakened armor plate.


    it pierced through with a thunk, driving into the frost wight¡¯s body ¨C but not by nearly enough. noah wasn¡¯t done yet, though. even as the spike had pierced the monster, he¡¯d already called on his power again.


    using more of natural disaster¡¯s power than he would have cared to admit, noah formed a hammer of water and frost in his hands. he reared back and, with a roar, swung it with all his might. an additional burst of wind from natural disaster behind the hammer¡¯s head accelerated it even further.


    it slammed into the spike¡¯s base with a loud crash. the frost wight was too heavy to stumble back ¨C and so the spike was sent even deeper into its chest, piercing through it with an ear-grating screech.


    it stumbled, the spikes of ice sloughing away as a pained wail ripped from its lips. and, in the moment where its guard was down, noah drew on sunder and let his spike of ice dissolve. greyish blue blood poured down the open wound in the frost wight¡¯s chest. noah¡¯s veins turned black and he lunged, slapping his hand into the wight¡¯s armor, right in the hole he¡¯d just made.


    a flash of black carved through the monster. it let out one final pained scream before sunder ripped through it. the master rune¡¯s power traveled through the open wound and through the inside of the wight¡¯s body, splitting it apart from within.


    it crashed to the ground before noah, cold blood pouring out from within it. noah could feel the frost wight¡¯s soul started to gather above its body, but he had absolutely no intention of letting that energy go to waste.


    he called on sunder once more, carving through the power right as it started to move. magic pulsated and gathered, forming into four runes. two of them were unreadable, but the others were far more promising.


    iceborn barrier


    piercing icicle growth


    both of the runes were rank 3, and it didn¡¯t take even a second of deliberation for noah to start memorizing their appearance. as soon as he had, he pressed his hands against the runes and closed his eyes, pulling them into his mindspace.


    a minute later, his eyes opened once more. neither of the runes had been perfect ¨C nor had they been anywhere near full ¨C but two extra rank 3 runes to work with wasn¡¯t something he was about to decline.


    he let out a slow breath, his stinging wounds bringing themselves back to his attention. his clothes had basically been ruined by the fight and by the blood seeping into them, but he¡¯d won a fight against a rank 3 monster and hadn¡¯t even died in the process.


    not bad. not bad at all.


    noah adjusted his jacket as best as he could, then headed back down the corridor. the others all stood at its end, concerned expressions on their faces. moxie let out a breath of relief when she saw noah emerge. lee just gave him a small nod, not even slightly surprised by his victory.


    ¡°the frost wight is dead,¡± noah said.


    ¡°you killed it?¡± karina¡¯s eyes were wide in disbelief. ¡°you? how?¡±


    ¡°i am a man of many talents,¡± noah said, trying not to sound as smug as he felt. adrenaline was still pumping through his veins. the fight had been intense ¨C and, now that it was over, noah was prepared to admit that it had actually been a little fun. ¡°now, shall we get going? there¡¯s an artifact with my name on it waiting for me.¡±

 Chapter 285:

    chapter 285:


    karina squinted at noah for a few seconds, as if she were trying to decide if the linwicks had all come together to collectively play a prank on her. then her eyes flicked down to her missing foot and her lips pressed thin.


    ¡°right. let¡¯s go, then. just remember that it¡¯s nearly certain that there are other protections in the catacomb. it won¡¯t just be the frost wight.¡±


    ¡°that would be odd,¡± noah agreed as they headed into the catacombs. they turned the corner and came to a stop before the mutilated body of the frost wight. karina stared at it.


    ¡°what did you do to it?¡±


    ¡°killed it.¡±


    ¡°how?¡± karina demanded. ¡°what kind of magic can do this?¡±


    ¡°really good wind blade,¡± noah said without an instant of hesitation. ¡°it¡¯s quite effective if you know where to cut.¡±


    the still-frozen armor of the frost wight shimmered on the ground where it had fallen. karina knelt unsteadily, leaning against the wall to support herself as she touched the dead monster. ¡°this armor is nearly as thick as my forearm. you cut through that?¡±


    ¡°evidently.¡±


    karina pushed herself back up with a grimace. ¡°i¡¯m a failure of a rank 3.¡±


    whoopsie. i don¡¯t think she needed self-esteem issues on top of everything else. maybe she¡¯ll think more before being a manipulative, backstabbing prick to people in the future.


    ¡°i told you. i¡¯m special.¡±


    ¡°and now i¡¯m starting to believe it,¡± karina said as she wiped her features clean and gave noah an inquisitive look. ¡°you keep pulling out surprises. if this is how you do everything, then i think i can see how you¡¯ve managed to stand toe-to-toe with father and live to tell the tale.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure i¡¯d say i was quite toe-to-toe.¡± noah rubbed the back of his head and grimaced. ¡°more like i¡¯ve scraped by. don¡¯t start spreading rumors that i¡¯m actively fighting him or we¡¯ll all be dead.¡±


    ¡°trust me, i know.¡± karina¡¯s face darkened. ¡°he only keeps you around for as long as you¡¯re useful.¡±


    ¡°you know, speaking of father...¡± noah dug into his pocket and took out the slip of paper father had given him. he held it out so the others could see it. ¡°do you recognize this?¡±


    karina peered closer at the paper. her eyebrows rose. ¡°yes. it¡¯s a space rune that¡¯s linked to one in father¡¯s possession that gives someone a direct line to him. he¡¯s given me them before ¨C very rarely, though.¡±


    ¡°nothing else?¡± noah asked. ¡°it doesn¡¯t give him some way to spy on us or something?¡±


    ¡°not that i know of, but i wouldn¡¯t put it past him,¡± karina admitted. ¡°it¡¯s just a direct link to one of father¡¯s runes. it basically lets you send him a mental message saying you want to speak, and i don¡¯t think it does anything else. a lot of people use them, sometimes as a way to check up on each other. if father died, the rune would burn up.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve heard of those. could i see it?¡± moxie held her hand out and noah gave her the paper. she studied it for a few moments, then shook her head. ¡°karina¡¯s guess is as good as mine. it does look similar to what i¡¯ve seen, but i was never given one myself. lee?¡±


    lee sniffed the paper. ¡°i could eat it.¡±


    ¡°best not,¡± noah said, taking it back from moxie before lee decided to follow through with her offer. ¡°it¡¯s not like father isn¡¯t going to figure out what¡¯s going on. if this is actually a way for him to spy, then i think he should understand the consequences of interfering.¡±


    karina stopped walking and squinted at noah. ¡°consequences? do you have leverage over him?¡±


    noah chuckled. ¡°more like i¡¯m incredibly annoying and he can¡¯t be bothered to deal with me. besides, if he wanted anything in the catacombs, he would have already taken it. i don¡¯t think he¡¯s trying to spy on me in such an obvious manner. it isn¡¯t worth it.¡±


    because if he is spying on me, then i¡¯m going to find out if mascot can carry gifts whenever he teleports around. and, if mascot can, then father is going to every piece of shit that i can find or buy. we¡¯ll see how he likes his fancy office when it smells like death warmed over.


    ¡°you¡¯re thinking of a bad idea,¡± moxie said. they all continued on, walking past the body of the frost wight and continuing deeper into the catacombs.


    noah threw his hands up. ¡°how can you always tell?¡±


    karina was shaking her head before noah finished talking. ¡°you¡¯ll never get the artifact out on your own. it¡¯s definitely protected. we¡¯ll have to remove the imbuements, and if you do it wrong, you¡¯ll definitely trigger a trap.¡±


    ¡°you didn¡¯t mention anything like that before.¡±


    karina stared at him like he was an idiot. ¡°what, did you think everything was just lying around? i¡¯ve spent weeks studying containment imbuements so i could remove it. the only reason i¡¯m half confident this can be done is that i doubt the artifact has a good one. either way, unless you¡¯re a master imbuer or happened to have studied this yourself, you aren¡¯t going to take it out on your own.¡±


    ¡°fair enough. you¡¯re with me, then. lee, moxie, do you want to head out?¡±


    ¡°i think it¡¯s better we stick around. if you guys get attacked, you¡¯ll need help,¡± moxie said. she sent a pointed glance at karina. ¡°even if you can protect yourself, you won¡¯t be able to cover for her as well.¡±


    damn. that¡¯s a good point. i don¡¯t really want to risk it, but we promised to protect her.


    ¡°right. you two stand out here, then,¡± noah said. ¡°come inside if you hear fighting, but having too many people stuck in a tight corridor is a recipe for disaster. karina, follow behind me.¡±


    karina nodded her understanding. noah sent his glowing ash cloud into the hall, but it was just a dark, stone pathway that led even deeper into the earth. there was nothing to see. he stepped into the doorway carefully, half expecting something to come flying out of the darkness.


    nothing came, and so he walked in deeper. karina trailed several feet behind. before long, the path curved to the side and noah could no longer hear or see moxie and lee. his and karina¡¯s footsteps echoed down the tunnel as they descended.


    finally, the tunnel came to an end in a rectangular room. a coffin rested on an elevated stone slab in the center of the room, and shelves ran along the sides of the room, built into the stone.


    half a dozen stone and old wooden boxes sat on the shelves. they were a variety of shapes and sizes, all covered in a layer of dust. karina walked up beside noah and squinted into the room.


    ¡°can we go in?¡± noah asked.


    ¡°i think so.¡±


    she didn¡¯t sound particularly confident, but noah couldn¡¯t think of anything he could do other than just test things out. he carefully edged into the room. silence was all that greeted him. karina followed after him, taking care to avoid touching anything.


    ¡°where¡¯s the artifact?¡± noah asked. ¡°in the coffin?¡±


    and i wonder if there¡¯s anything valuable in those small little boxes. they look like a good spot to store gold and jewels.


    ¡°probably. it could also be in one of the smaller boxes on the shelves, but if i had to guess, those are traps for stupid tomb robbers.¡±


    ah. they¡¯re traps for me. tempting, even still. i wonder if it¡¯s an indiana jones kind of thing, where it triggers the moment i pick up a box. if not... can i just take the boxes out without opening them?


    ¡°don¡¯t do anything,¡± karina said. she limped up to the coffin in the center of the room and knelt beside it, studying the plain carvings covering the stone. after a few moments, she pulled her dagger out and started to scratch at them.


    ¡°that¡¯s your way to take out the imbuements? vandalism?¡±


    ¡°be quiet while i work,¡± karina said irritably.


    noah shrugged and obliged. a minute later, karina straightened back up. she tapped the coffin with her staff. when nothing happened, she braced her staff against the coffin¡¯s lid and shoved.


    a grinding noise filled the small room as the lid slid back. before noah could catch it, the large chunk of stone slid over the edge and crashed to the ground with a resounding bang. he stiffened, drawing on natural disaster, but all that arose was a cloud of smoke.


    ¡°the imbuement is off,¡± karina said, waving the smoke away. ¡°i cut the power to it. and, before you ask, if i¡¯d messed with the wrong line, it could have exploded in our faces.¡±


    ¡°good job,¡± noah said. he peered over the edge of the coffin. a skeleton laid within it, any clothes they¡¯d been wearing long since rotted away. its hands were wrapped around a massive book on its chest. the book must have been four and a half feet tall and was easily three feet wide. it practically filled the entire coffin.


    ¡°that¡¯s one big ass book,¡± noah breathed.


    ¡°that,¡± karina said, a smug expression flashing across her features, ¡°is your artifact.¡±

 Chapter 286: On Books and Skeletons

    chapter 286: on books and skeletons


    ¡°it¡¯s a bit... larger than i¡¯d imagined,¡± noah said. ¡°i can see why the linwicks didn¡¯t care that much about this. it¡¯s a bloody shield, not a book.¡±


    ¡°are you complaining about extra catchpaper?¡± karina sent him an annoyed look. ¡°this is an artifact. and the size isn¡¯t the reason they stopped using it.¡±


    ¡°what is?¡±


    ¡°i... well, i don¡¯t know,¡± karina admitted. ¡°but the book is problematic. that¡¯s all i could find. i suppose it could have been the size, but that feels like a bit of a stretch.¡±


    ¡°well, only one way to find out. can i pick it up?¡±


    karina examined the edges of the coffin. she walked in a circle around it, then shrugged. ¡°i think so? i don¡¯t see anything connecting the book to any hidden imbued traps. it¡¯s... probably fine.¡±


    ¡°you don¡¯t sound very confident.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not,¡± karina said tersely. ¡°i might get blown up at any second, and you aren¡¯t helping. but at least i¡¯ll die my own woman, without father hanging his sword over my head.¡±


    noah shrugged. he tapped one of the skeletons bony fingers. when it didn¡¯t respond, he pulled the hand to the side. it wasn¡¯t particularly hard. skeletons weren¡¯t great at resisting much of anything ¨C if it had wanted to try something, it would have had to do it back when it was still alive.


    just to be safe, noah brought his fist down on the skeleton¡¯s skull. karina flinched back at the loud crack. noah shook his hand off to get rid of the dust covering it.


    ¡°what was that for?¡± karina demanded.


    ¡°it¡¯s a skeleton in a creepy crypt. it¡¯s definitely going to come alive when i touch the book,¡± noah said.


    ¡°i told you that there weren¡¯t any imbuements left on it. probably.¡±


    ¡°the probably is the part i was pre-reacting to.¡± noah pulled the skeletons other hand away, then touched the book with a single finger. when nothing happened, he picked it up. despite its size, the book was actually surprisingly light.


    he lifted it out of the tomb and held it out before him. the motion shifted the skeleton, and noah spun toward it ¨C only to find that the book actually had a long strap on it. a strap that had caught right on the skeleton¡¯s spine.


    noah ducked as he mistakenly yanked the skeleton from its resting place, using the strap of the book to slingshot it across the room. it crashed into the wall and crumbled to pieces, sending a puff of bone dust up into the air.


    karina stared at him as he straightened back up, brushing himself off.


    ¡°what?¡± noah asked. ¡°evasive maneuvers.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s beyond me how you¡¯re the one that managed to make father agree to anything,¡± karina muttered. ¡°at least you¡¯ve made sure the skeleton isn¡¯t going to be attacking anyone.¡±the roots of this story extend from novell bi?n origin.


    ¡°all part of my plan.¡± noah held the book out before him. he was tempted to open it. had it been the noah of a few months ago, he would have. instead, he slung it over his shoulder and let it rest on his back. ¡°i¡¯ll wait to screw with this thing until we get out of here. we don¡¯t need more things to deal with.¡±


    ¡°good idea,¡± karina said, starting back out into the path. noah stepped after her, still half expecting the catacombs to come down on top of them.


    no such thing happened, and they made their way back up to lee and moxie without any trouble. as they stepped out into the main hall, lee¡¯s eyes went wide.


    ¡°that¡¯s a big book.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s what i said.¡± noah chuckled, though he kept his voice low. it didn¡¯t feel like a good idea to make too much noise. ¡°it wasn¡¯t too hard to get thanks to karina, though. did anything happen up here?¡±


    moxie shook her head. ¡°nothing. we heard some noise coming from the hall, though. for a moment, i thought you¡¯d gotten into a fight.¡±


    ¡°nothing like that. i just accidentally flung a skeleton across the room.¡±


    ¡°accidentally?¡± moxie arched an eyebrow.


    that was the easy answer ¨C but it wasn¡¯t the smart one. if he could just figure out what the best artifacts were in the cave, he¡¯d have the best chance of making this worthwhile.


    i just hope moxie and lee put some distance between themselves and karina. i really don¡¯t want to revive next to her if things go wrong.


    heaving a sigh, noah made his decision. it was a bit of a stupid move, but it was a calculated one. even with the risk of setting off a trap, the book¡¯s information was just too useful. he¡¯d just have to be fast. and, if he wasn¡¯t, the worst that could happen was death.


    noah crept toward the dais, scanning the ground for imbuements. there didn¡¯t seem to be any, but they could have easily been only below the book.


    he drew up alongside it, then made the plunge and set a hand on the front page, flipping the book open. a faint tingle ran down his fingers and a buzzing filled his ears. noah froze, but nothing else happened.


    he¡¯d come this far, so noah turned the page and read the foreword.


    the records of the deceased contains the name of every linwick that has lived and died. this book exists to ensure that the records of our family remain in perpetuity. the artifacts housed within these catacombs are catalogued within these pages.


    it is of utmost importance that no record of this book exists. if you were able to open this book, then you are of linwick blood. the imbuements woven into the threads of the paper will strike down any who do not possess the bloodline of our family, but the book is only truly safe so long as none are aware of it.


    to speak of the records of deceased aloud is to commit grave affront to the entire family. ensure that its secrets live and die only within its pages and your mind.


    noah swallowed. he was suddenly glad that he¡¯d sent everyone else away. if lee or moxie had touched the book, it strongly implied that they would have just dropped dead on the spot.


    that explained why there was so little defense around it. in the eyes of whoever had left it here, the book was the defense.


    i wonder how many people from the linwick family actually know this thing exists. it looks ancient... and you can¡¯t keep a secret when a lot of people know about it.


    noah flipped through the pages. they were plain, bearing only people¡¯s names, a brief description of them including their status as alive or dead, and occasionally, the location that they had been buried in.


    he continued thumbing through the pages, scanning over each of them. he was mostly just skimming in search of the people that had died in the whiterock catacombs. he found several of them, taking note of their artifacts.


    the book appeared to be in order of birthdate. a bout of curiosity struck noah and he flipped past a large chunk of the book. it thunked as he pushed over to the latest pages, flipping through pages in search of himself.


    it took him a while, but he found it.


    vermil linwick. deceased.


    ¡°well, shit,¡± noah muttered. ¡°that¡¯s not ideal. it¡¯s definitely magical, though.¡±


    the temptation to rip the page out was strong, but he was pretty sure that the book was some form of artifact if it was magically updating itself. he was actually pretty sure the best thing he could do was leave the book entirely alone.


    he flipped the page idly. if he was here, then brayden probably was too.


    brayden linwick. living.


    sure enough, brayden was right beside him. noah only spent a moment looking at brayden¡¯s page before the blood in his veins froze as he caught sight of the page beside brayden¡¯s.


    father linwick. deceased.


    noah slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out the paper that father had given him. it was pristine. he was still alive ¨C which meant, according to karina, that the person who had given it to him was still alive.


    it didn¡¯t make sense for the book to be wrong, though. and that meant that ¨C the person that had given noah the paper that currently sat in his pocket...


    ...wasn¡¯t father at all.


    ¡°what the fuck?¡± noah whispered.

 Chapter 287: Rocks

    chapter 287: rocks


    noah stood at the book for several minutes, just staring at the page. no matter how he looked at it, the contents within it made no sense. he¡¯d met with father enough times to be completely confident that he¡¯d been interacting with the same man every time.


    beside that ¨C father was far too paranoid to get killed. noah refused to believe he¡¯d died. that could only mean that he¡¯d never actually known the real father at all, and the person he¡¯d been interacting with was a fake.


    but why? and how?


    the answers to those questions didn¡¯t come. the hair on the back of noah¡¯s neck stuck out on end. he was pretty sure he¡¯d just found something that he definitely shouldn¡¯t have. if someone had really killed father and taken his place, they were both strong enough to defeat a rank 6 mage and likely determined to keep that secret very hidden.


    if anyone found out he¡¯d seen it...


    noah grimaced. he carefully closed the book. revealing it to the linwick family would mean revealing himself as well. he lifted a hand off the cover of the book. instantly, a high-pitched whine picked up from within its pages as energy erupted all around it.


    he slammed his hand back down. the whine faded, then disappeared as the energy sank back into it.


    ¡°you¡¯re shitting me,¡± noah muttered. he didn¡¯t know what the noise had meant, but it wasn¡¯t hard to guess it was some sort of alarm or summons ¨C one that appeared to only go off when he released the book.


    oh, goddamn it. this is a trap for people within the linwick family, not people outside it. anyone that isn¡¯t a linwick gets blasted for touching the book, and i¡¯d assume that any linwicks that try to read it without permission ¨C like me ¨C open the stupid thing wrong and have to sit around like an idiot until you give in and take your hand off, summoning someone.


    it seems like it¡¯s meant to be a punishment where you sit around and think about your dumbass actions, but if someone finds me here... i¡¯m definitely getting more than a scolding when they look in the book and see that i¡¯m meant to be dead.


    that meant only one thing.


    noah dug his brain for a better idea, but nothing came to mind. heaving a sigh, he gathered natural disaster¡¯s energy. then he lifted the book off the stone.


    as soon as it left the table, a groan echoed through the catacombs. noah didn¡¯t wait around to see why. he sprinted for the doorway, unleashing a blast of wind to accelerate himself. the door started to rumble shut, but he flew through it an instant before a door slammed shut behind him with a resounding crash.


    the rumbling didn¡¯t stop, and noah didn¡¯t plan to see what else his actions had caused. he clutched the book to his chest as he bounded across the floor, skidding around corners and nearly flattening his face against the walls in the process.


    what moron builds a catacomb to store things in and then destroys it when a single book gets stolen? you¡¯ve just ruined everything else in the process!


    all around him, dirt and rock rained down. the ground cracked and bucked beneath him, knocking him off balance. noah released a burst of wind as he fell, turning his fall into a clumsy flip. he landed on his feet and continued sprinting.


    the walls groaned. noah dove as a huge stone crashed down in the middle of the hall, nearly squashing him. he hit the ground with a grunt, launching himself back upright and charging onward.


    the shaking continued to intensify. every step he took threatened to send him crashing to the ground, but with natural disaster to aid him, he was just barely able to keep himself moving. but, with every step he took, the damage intensified.


    huge chunks of the ground crumbled away, falling into a growing chasm beneath him. it wasn¡¯t just in the area around him ¨C the whole catacomb was falling in on itself. noah launched himself into the air, using huge bursts of wind to jump from piece to piece of the collapsing underground pathway.


    a rock struck him on the shoulder with enough force to pop his arm out of its socket. noah grit his teeth in pain and stumbled, nearly falling straight into a hole that opened up before him.


    he twisted at the last second, grabbing his shoulder and shoving it back into place as he bit back a scream of pain. unleashing another blast of wind, noah threw himself forward just as another boulder obliterated the ground where he¡¯d been standing.


    his feet beat against the ground as he moved faster than he¡¯d ever moved on foot before, ducking and dipping through the corridors. natural disaster was starting to run out of energy, and the gaps in the ground were growing larger and more frequent.


    a massive section of the wall crumbled in on itself before noah, blocking the path off. without even stopping, he grabbed at sunder and ripped power from the master rune, driving it into the stone.


    the rocks split apart and noah burst through them in a shower of rubble, stumbling for a moment as he landed on the other side but quickly resuming his desperate dash. all the dust filling the air was making it difficult to see where he was going, and he was running half on instinct. he couldn¡¯t risk stopping for even a second.


    ¡°what in the damned plains?¡± moxie squinted at the page, baffled. ¡°that makes no sense. he got killed? how? by whom?¡±


    noah closed the book and pulled the paper out of his pocket. ¡°he¡¯s not dead.¡±


    ¡°oh, shit.¡± moxie paled. ¡°someone took his place.¡±


    ¡°like you and vermil,¡± lee observed. she kept a good distance from the book and squinted at it suspiciously. ¡°you¡¯re really alike.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s true.¡± noah chuckled despite the severity of the situation. ¡°i don¡¯t know if we should do anything with this thing yet ¨C or ever ¨C but i think you can see why i took it.¡±


    moxie nodded. ¡°the catacombs are gone, then?¡±


    ¡°i think so. they¡¯re buried in rubble. i barely made it out alive.¡±


    ¡°i could tell,¡± moxie said dryly. ¡°it¡¯s a good thing you didn¡¯t get squished right at the entrance. digging the book out would have been a real problem.¡±


    ¡°lucky me. where¡¯s karina?¡±


    ¡°already left town,¡± lee said. ¡°she left as soon as we got back.¡±


    ¡°good for her,¡± noah said. ¡°with any luck, she¡¯s learned her lesson. i honestly started feeling bad for her at the end, there.¡±


    ¡°we can worry about her later,¡± moxie said, sending a pointed glance at the book in noah¡¯s hands. ¡°if that can really kill us with a touch, i¡¯d love if we could get it covered up somehow.¡±


    that was a strikingly good idea. lee pulled one of noah¡¯s spare sets of clothes out and threw him the jacket. he wrapped it around the book, then stood back and stared at it. it was still huge ¨C hardly something he could carry around easily.


    ¡°maybe i should just swing it at people,¡± noah mused. ¡°decent weapon, no?¡±


    moxie snorted. ¡°just keep it away from me.¡±


    ¡°for now, maybe we should just figure out what the actual artifact we got does?¡± lee suggested. ¡°i want to open it.¡±


    noah looked over to the other book. for all intents and purposes, they¡¯d just had the world¡¯s most exciting trip to a library.


    who enters an ancient crypt and comes out with two damn books instead of a cool sword or something? damn. how the mighty have fallen.


    ¡°i want to open it too,¡± noah admitted, adjusting his grip on the bulky ledger and tucking it under his arm. it was still in contact with him, so it seemed fine with how things were. ¡°we¡¯ll figure out where to store the death-book later. there should be infinite catchpaper in this thing. shall we find out if karina scammed us?¡±


    lee and moxie both backed up to the edge of the room. noah frowned.


    ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°just making sure we can get out of here if you blow yourself up using it,¡± moxie said, only half joking. ¡°try not to do that, though.¡±


    ¡°no promises.¡± noah walked up to the large book and knelt beside it. he wasn¡¯t sure how to test it except for the most obvious way. ¡°ready?¡±


    lee and moxie both nodded.


    noah opened the book.

 Chapter 288: Snacks

    chapter 288: snacks


    a torrent of energy raced up noah¡¯s arms. almost instantly, he felt his runes shudder in response. he yanked his hand back, slamming the book shut. the feeling vanished, though his fingers continued to tingle.


    ¡°what happened?¡± moxie asked.


    ¡°it was trying to use my runes,¡± noah replied, shaking his hand off and frowning. his runes hadn¡¯t been damaged, so the book had only managed to drain some of their current energy, not their total capacity. still, he didn¡¯t like the idea of anything taking his power without consent.


    i guess the artifact is probably old enough that it hasn¡¯t gotten power in a long time, though. if i want to figure out what it does, i¡¯m going to have to give it something. the records of the deceased had a brief description of it, but that just amounted to ¡®stores runes, but badly¡¯. not particularly useful.


    noah sighed. ¡°i¡¯m going to try again.¡±


    he opened the book once more. energy immediately started to flow out of his runes indiscriminately, pouring into the book¡¯s pages. he readied himself to pull his hand back in case it started to draw more energy than he had to give.


    but, as noah sat there with his hand on the artifact, a foreign presence pressed against his mind. it wasn¡¯t exactly intelligent ¨C at least, he didn¡¯t think it was. it was more like a gnawing hunger, one that he could just barely tell wasn¡¯t his own.


    the hunger wasn¡¯t for food, nor was it for drink. it was for runes. strangely, the draw of energy leaving noah lessened, giving him conflicting messages.


    does it want more energy or not?the roots of this story extend from novell bi?n origin.


    another impression of the hunger greeted him, this one stronger than the last. the book flipped a page back and forth, as if beckoning noah to act. he looked at the page, then realized what it was asking.


    it wants me to imbue a rune.


    ¡°moxie, could i have my grimoire?¡± noah asked.


    moxie tossed him the book and he snagged it from the air with his free hand, keeping the other one on the artifact. it wasn¡¯t particularly easy considering he was also holding the ledger against his hip like a large, unwieldy baby, but he managed it. noah lowered his hand, flipping through the pages to find a rune he didn¡¯t mind giving up.


    in the instant that noah loosened his grip slightly on the book to turn the page with his hand, the artifact lurched. a tongue of paper shot out from its center, snaking around noah¡¯s grimoire and yanking it out of his hands.


    ¡°hey!¡± noah grabbed for the grimoire, but it was too late. the book snapped shut around it with a loud thud. he tugged at the artifact¡¯s cover, but it remained firmly shut. ¡°let go of my damn book, you piece of shit.¡±


    noah pulled even harder on the artifact cover. it popped open, revealing a bunch of empty pages ¨C and no grimoire. noah¡¯s eye twitched while lee snickered behind him.


    ¡°you¡¯re kidding me,¡± noah said. he flipped the artifact¡¯s pages, but there was nothing on them. and, of his grimoire, there was no sign. it had been completely consumed. the artifact fluttered as if pleased with itself.


    faint golden lines wound along the leather cover, burning away buildup from years of collecting dust and grime. noah yanked his hand as he felt the artifact shift beneath his touch. a moment later, it snapped closed. the leather shimmered and turned a light brown, and an eye traced itself onto the book¡¯s front cover.


    the leather rippled and warped around the eye, turning from a flat drawing into a bulging protrusion ¨C and then it snapped open. a glowing yellow orb materialized within the leather, darting as it looked around the room.


    and, once again, a sense of gnawing hunger pressed against noah¡¯s mind.


    ¡°no.¡± noah glared. ¡°give me my grimoire back. you just ate like fifty rank one runes.¡±


    the eye snapped over to him. it had no features to express emotion with, but noah could swear the book was glaring at him. with a creak, the book opened itself ¨C revealing a glimmering vibration rune ¨C the very same one that he¡¯d had in his grimoire.


    ¡°ah! you do have them.¡± noah gestured impatiently. ¡°give ¡®em back. i was going to give you some of my runes, not all of them.


    the book closed itself. noah¡¯s eye twitched as the artifact met his gaze, then sent another feeling of hunger at his mind.


    ¡°i¡¯m not feeding you the rest of my runes.¡±


    ¡°are you going to do that with all my runes? if so, what use are you?¡±


    the feeling of hunger pressed against his mind again, but gentler this time. instead of asking for food, it felt like the artifact was trying to communicate. that wasn¡¯t very easy when the only emotion it could get across was hunger, but noah had spent enough time around lee to have at least a little experience in that department.


    ¡°if i keep you fed with runes, you won¡¯t?¡±


    the pages fluttered in what noah hoped was an affirmative motion.


    ¡°and how often do you need energy?¡± noah crossed his arms. ¡°if you¡¯re eating the majority of the stuff i get, this isn¡¯t going to work at all. forget infinite catchpaper ¨C i don¡¯t have infinite runes.¡±


    he received another mental nudge of hunger, this one far fainter than the earlier ones.


    i¡¯m going to really hope that means the book doesn¡¯t get hungry too often and it¡¯s sated for the time being. if it does... well, that¡¯s not the worst price to pay for what is functionally infinite storage.


    ¡°fine,¡± noah said wearily. ¡°i¡¯ll keep you fed as long as you warn me when you¡¯re going to eat something. i don¡¯t want to lose important runes because you got hungry. deal?¡±


    that drew an affirmative flutter from the artifact. noah wasn¡¯t sure if he wanted to laugh or cry. for the price he¡¯d just paid for this book, he hoped it was worthwhile.


    ¡°great. you¡¯re my grimoire from here on out, then. looking forward to... feeding you, i guess.¡±


    noah carefully reached out to pick the book up. it felt heavier than it had before, but it was still remarkably light. as unwieldy as it was, he was still able to lift it with one hand. just holding it in front of him blocked his view, so he thought better of it and leaned the book against the bed.


    ¡°well,¡± noah said, brushing his hand off against his shirt and straightening back up. ¡°that¡¯s handled.¡±


    ¡°how¡¯d you lift it so easily?¡± moxie walked over to his new grimoire. ¡°it looks so heavy.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s light, actually. i don¡¯t know how. magic, i guess.¡±


    moxie tugged at the grimoire, but it didn¡¯t even budge. its eye flicked over to moxie, curling up at the edges as if it were smirking.


    ¡°well. that¡¯s convenient,¡± noah said.


    moxie pulled at the cover, but it remained firmly shut. ¡°quite. a book that only you can open or move. not bad at all.¡±


    noah nodded in agreement. ¡°now all we need to do is figure out what to do with the damn book of death. i don¡¯t think i can walk around with it forever.¡±


    ¡°maybe find a hiding place?¡± lee suggested, trying her own hand at lifting the grimoire to no luck. ¡°we could get an imbuement that could block out its signal if we find an imbuer that can study it.¡±


    ¡°not a bad idea.¡± noah chewed his lower lip. ¡°maybe we could¨C¡±


    a tongue of paper whipped out from noah¡¯s grimoire, snagging the entire bundle and yanking it from his grip. it whistled through the air, its shrill scream kicking up for less than half a second before it vanished into the grimoire¡¯s pages with a thump.


    the screaming cut off abruptly.


    all three of them stared at the artifact. noah looked from his empty hands to the book, which opened up to reveal that it was once again empty. a line of text scrawled across the page.


    vermil linwick. deceased.


    ¡°huh,¡± noah said, a grin pulling across his lips. the grimoire wasn¡¯t limited to eating runes. it could eat books too ¨C and it kept the information within them in its own pages. ¡°now that ¨C that is interesting.¡±

 Chapter 289: Mice

    chapter 289: mice


    ¡°it isn¡¯t going to eat anything else, is it?¡± lee asked, edging away from the grimoire. ¡°i don¡¯t want to share.¡±


    ¡°i get the feeling it probably only wants books and runes, but i don¡¯t think i¡¯d bet on it,¡± noah said. he was still half-waiting for a beam of light or an alarm to erupt, but it was silent. whatever the artifact had done, the records of the deceased was gone.


    ¡°the real question should be if the imbuements remained behind,¡± moxie said. ¡°i suppose they couldn¡¯t be there in their normal state. is your grimoire going to set off an alarm if you touch it and then let go?¡±


    ¡°no clue. care to give an answer that one?¡± noah asked, turning to match the book¡¯s eye. that was an odd notion in its own. he¡¯d never thought that a book would be reading him.


    unfortunately, his efforts were not rewarded. his new grimoire blinked, then closed its eye. the leather rippled as its features faded away, turning into a drawing rather than a three-dimensional body part.


    while that did make the book a little less creepy, it didn¡¯t help answer any questions. noah glared and nudged it with his shoe. the book¡¯s cover rippled and the eye reformed, looking up at him.


    ¡°you can sleep after you give me some answers,¡± noah said. ¡°after all the stuff i just fed you, i¡¯d say i deserve them. do you still have the imbuements of the book you ate?¡±


    ¡°evidently not. you just touched it,¡± lee pointed out.


    ah, crud.


    ¡°okay, scratch that. do you have them in your possession? or are they just gone?¡±


    the book flipped open and noah was forced to jump back to avoid getting smacked by its large cover. pages flipped past before landing on a completely blank one. then it slammed shut once more.


    ¡°i think that¡¯s a no,¡± lee said helpfully.


    ¡°you don¡¯t say,¡± noah said dryly. ¡°i guess they got snacked on. so it only keeps writing and actual runes, not imbuements.¡±


    ¡°still quite useful, though that does depend on it not eating anything you¡¯ve left in its pages,¡± moxie said. noah couldn¡¯t help but notice that she was keeping a good bit of distance between herself and the artifact. ¡°i guess the only way we¡¯ll find out is by testing it. if this is the kind of thing the linwicks had in their catacombs, it makes me wonder what else there was.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s probably in the book somewhere,¡± noah said. ¡°the records of the damned had information about some of the artifacts. we can always poke our noses around later. i do have a question, though.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t think we¡¯re the right crowd to answer anything about the linwicks.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s not about the linwicks. not directly, at least. i was just thinking ¨C father is a rank 6, and he¡¯s not even part of the main branch. that means the family head of the linwicks is also a rank 6, unless there¡¯s some weird political stuff going on. and, if father couldn¡¯t get into the main branch, then there have to be other rank 6s in the linwick family that outrank him.¡±


    moxie nodded slowly. ¡°all logical, yes.¡±


    ¡°then what was up with the torrins? the other branch leaders were rank 5s, not rank 6. how in the world was father relegated to a side branch when he¡¯s strong enough to butt heads with evergreen, the head of the torrin family? i thought the linwicks and torrins were meant to be pretty evenly matched.¡±


    marble slabs rose from the darkness, forming into a pathway. jalen stepped inside and the door slammed shut behind him as he headed into the darkness. the echo of his steps somehow managed to sound out, even through the cacophony surrounding him.


    by the time he had made it to the catacomb proper, it was perfectly pristine. all had restored to how it had been just a few hours ago ¨C even as far as the layer of dust that covered everything.


    jalen¡¯s senses brushed across the halls as he strode deeper, briefly checking the status of the artifacts stored within them. it had been some time since the main defenses of the catacomb had gone off, but they had done their job.


    there was only so much a mage could do against an entire mountain falling down on their head, after all. they really only had two options ¨C stay and get crushed, or flee with their prize and hope they made it out before they were crushed. destroying the entire catacomb made it much easier to deal with the incompetent intruders that didn¡¯t deserve to make it out, and it wasn¡¯t like any of the artifacts would get damaged by something as mundane as falling rock.


    quite the elegant solution, if i say so myself. the only problem is cleaning up the pasted idiots.


    a few linwick brats occasionally managed to make away with one of the lesser artifacts that they¡¯d read about in a book, of course. jalen shook his head as he walked. nobody ever stopped to wonder why the linwick family would leave records of their artifacts sitting around for any fool to find them.


    a little mouse bit the cheese in the trap. all that remains to be seen is if the mouse that triggered this collapse is lucky, talented, or dead. i wonder if they had good taste in what they took.


    jalen snorted as his senses discovered the artifact that had gone missing. a moody book of catchpaper with a dour personality and an intense hunger for power ¨C hardly a worthwhile target.


    they did manage to remove the book without triggering the alarm, though. i would have been more impressed if they¡¯d been smart enough to leave things at that. unsurprising. it was a lucky mouse, then. those eventually get cocky enough to think themselves talented ¨C and then they become dead mice.


    arriving at the final door at the end of the hall, jalen stepped inside. it wouldn¡¯t be the first time he¡¯d wiped the crushed remains of a linwick brat from the inside of his catacomb.


    number seven this year, was it? or is this eight?


    it was all the same. the latest generation of his family filled jalen with a single emotion ¨C disappointment. there was no hunger. there was no drive or determination to become powerful on their own. it was pathetic. a group of coddled children that believed they had earned what their parents had gifted to them.


    and, as usual, the lucky mouse ignored the warning and tried to pry for secrets. they set off the book¡¯s alarm once ¨C i suppose they never let go of it, even as they died. somewhat respectable, if stupid. i wonder which branch raised the latest fool.


    jalen stepped inside, looking to the dais that the records of the deceased sat on ¨C and froze. the book was missing. there was no sign of anyone¡¯s pulverized body anywhere in the room, and the rest of the catacombs were empty.


    it couldn¡¯t have been a high rank mage. the catacombs told me they were rank 4 at most, and they would have been marked if they weren¡¯t a linwick. the door wasn¡¯t forced open, either. but... the alarm hasn¡¯t gone off again.


    jalen stood there for several seconds. then, slowly, a grin tugged at the corners of his lips and he started to laugh.


    they ran out of the catacomb without letting go of the book. what, did they think this was a library?


    ¡°this might actually be interesting,¡± jalen mused. he turned and strode out of the catacombs. there weren¡¯t a lot of reasons to steal the records of the deceased. despite what it claimed, the book wasn¡¯t particularly valuable. most of the other noble families already had a good understanding of everyone within the linwick family, and the same went in the other direction.


    the records of the deceased was, more than anything, an open challenge. it didn¡¯t have the strength to kill a rodent, much less a mage. it was just a tracker and a test to see if someone was worth jalen¡¯s attention. someone wanted him paying attention to them ¨C and they¡¯d succeeded in catching his eye.


    consider me intrigued, little mouse. how long can you keep that book close to chest? i look forward to meeting you the next time you slip up. perhaps the latest generation of linwicks has someone of interest after all.

 Chapter 290: Jalen

    chapter 290: jalen


    the next few days passed in a happy blur. weights were lifting off noah¡¯s shoulders like they¡¯d all decided to take flight. he had his artifact. karina was out of his hair. evergreen had been dealt with. he, moxie, and lee could finally relax ¨C and that was exactly what they did.


    granted, their idea of relaxation might have been just slightly different from the norm, but it wasn¡¯t like relaxing was a competition. for some people, it was kicking back at a beach with a cool drink and enjoying the sun as the waves lapped against the sand.


    for others, it was tearing through monsters and splattering blood across the dirt, pressing their abilities to their absolute limits as they rejoiced in their newfound freedom. sure, one of the two outlets might have been a bit messy.


    getting sand out from a shoe was always a pain in the ass.


    regardless of their chosen method of relaxation, noah continued to make good progress with his research. in the mornings, he would spend some time researching and testing formations ¨C considerably more careful now than he had been before. he¡¯d then spend a few hours hunting monsters with lee and moxie. and, when night rolled around, he would play his violin for lee and moxie.


    every day, the cycle repeated. all the monsters noah killed were promptly harvested of their runes, which were donated to his grimoire. it ate every rune he offered up greedily. noah was pretty sure it would have eaten runes he didn¡¯t offer it if he hadn¡¯t kept it so well fed.


    all the power he was feeding the artifact did mean his natural disaster rune wasn¡¯t getting much extra energy. sundering the monsters converted all the power he would have gotten into their runes ¨C and those seemed to be vanishing into the black hole that was his artifact.


    it didn¡¯t bother noah much. he needed the runes far more than he needed energy in natural disaster. his goal was to completely remake it, so most of the energy stored within it was likely to convert poorly.


    granted, all of that relied on his artifact actually giving him some of the runes he fed it back, but he was pretty sure that it would cooperate when the time came. he¡¯d been very strict about which runes it could eat and which it couldn¡¯t.


    at least, he hoped he had been. no matter how he framed it, he was still talking to a semi-sapient book, not a real living creature.


    after a little over a week of travel, noah¡¯s flying sword set them down on the side of a heavily forested mountain. they¡¯d finally arrived. even though they¡¯d been hunting for the last week, noah rubbed his hands together and failed to conceal an eager grin.


    ¡°you look excited,¡± moxie said as she got off the flying sword. lee fluttered out from noah¡¯s bag and he held her clothes up, turning away as she transformed back to her human form and dressed herself.


    ¡°i¡¯ve been looking forward to this,¡± noah admitted. the vines that had been holding lee¡¯s axe to him pulled back and he handed it to her. ¡°there¡¯s a great monster just sitting around here, waiting for us to come after it. and, this time, nobody is going to get pissed off about it. isn¡¯t that great?¡±


    moxie shook her head and laughed. ¡°as much as i don¡¯t love your strategy of killing yourself to brute force things, i think i¡¯ll be letting you handle the first fight against it yourself. we don¡¯t know how strong the great monster is, so it could either be a complete pushover or well beyond our capabilities.¡±


    ¡°only one way to find out.¡± noah grinned. ¡°and, even if it¡¯s stronger than expected... things have a way of working themselves out when you smack your head against the wall hard enough.¡±


    ¡°that,¡± moxie said, pointing a finger at noah, ¡°is not the lesson we¡¯re going to be giving our students.¡±


    noah grimaced. ¡°fine, fine.¡±


    ¡°but when it¡¯s just us...¡± moxie trailed, off, then shrugged. ¡°well, you¡¯re an adult. it¡¯s your choice.¡±


    ¡°go kill yourself!¡± lee gave noah a huge grin and a thumbs up. ¡°we¡¯ll be cheering you on. just remember that if it¡¯s not too strong, i want in.¡±


    that¡¯s got to be the first time anyone¡¯s told me to kill myself and genuinely meant well by it.


    ¡°well, we¡¯ve got to find it first,¡± noah said. ¡°and there are a whole bunch of monsters waiting around in the area that we can fight in the process.¡±


    lee cracked her neck. ¡°i know. i can already smell them. i can¡¯t wait. this is the best vacation ever. aside from the casino. and evergreen. and karina. and¨C¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s not that. it¡¯s more that none of them are going to admit to doing anything wrong. there are easily twenty-five people that fit your criteria that were close enough to be suspects. i spoke to some of their branches and was unable to discern anything of use, but others outright refused to give information for free.¡±


    ¡°refused?¡± jalen snorted, but a dangerous glint flashed through his eyes. ¡°they refused me?¡±


    the attendant took a step back and swallowed nervously. ¡°technically, they cited an old family rule stating one could not take something in exchange for nothing, even when in the position of power.¡±


    that gave jalen a moment of pause. he didn¡¯t care much for any of the linwick family rules and barely remembered them himself, but if someone was quoting them, then they were almost certainly of an older generation.


    ¡°they wanted to bargain?¡±


    ¡°they did. they said they had information on one of the suspects.¡±


    ¡°which one?¡±


    ¡°a woman by the name of karina. she¡¯s been out of the city for some time now and has yet to return. her estate was actually reclaimed by the family just a few days ago.¡±


    ¡°reclaimed? why?¡±


    ¡°she was the only remaining descendant of her family branch. both of her parents were inducted into the main branch, but they were killed to the north of the empire whilst hunting a monster. their wills stated to spend all their remaining coffers on their funerals, and there was nothing left to pay tax on their lot.¡±


    for several moments, jalen could do nothing but stare at his attendant. then he burst into laughter.


    ¡°what vile little creatures. why were they allowed into the main branch?¡±


    ¡°they were capable mages, magus jalen.¡±


    jalen rolled his eyes. ¡°evidently not. they¡¯re dead. karina... tell me more about her. i trust you gathered more information?¡±


    ¡°i did, magus. she is in her early twenties and is a rank 3 mage. she has not achieved anything of significant importance and has been in secluded up until just a month or two ago. her only strong ties are with father¡¯s family branch. they had good relations last i know. karina was betrothed to vermil, the youngest of father¡¯s sons.¡±


    ¡°father... wasn¡¯t he making a bid to get his entire branch elevated to the main branch?¡± jalen asked. ¡°i believe i was unfortunate enough to be subjected to some rumors of it.¡±


    ¡°he was, magus. it is incredibly likely he will succeed. all his competitors have stepped away. his branch is small but competent, and he has made significant improvements to the living quality of all those who have pledged themselves to him.¡±


    ¡°let me guess. father is the one offering up information?¡±


    ¡°he is, magus. would you like to meet him?¡±


    ¡°not a chance.¡± jalen cackled at the surprised expression on his attendant¡¯s face. ¡°i don¡¯t know father, and i don¡¯t care to. i¡¯ve met his type. he plans to use my meeting with him to demonstrate that he has my backing, even if we fail to come to an agreement. i have no need of his information. i already have everything i need.¡±


    the attendant inclined his head. ¡°of course, magus jalen. is there anything else i can do for you?¡±


    ¡°yes. tell everyone that¡¯s sent me a letter that i won¡¯t be responding,¡± jalen said. he stood up and brushed his backside off ¨C it had been so long since he¡¯d sat in his office chair that there was dust on it. dust that had now migrated onto his nice pants. ¡°i¡¯m going to find this karina and have a little chat with her. put out feelers in case she manages to slip my notice ¨C let it be known that the family head wishes to speak with karina.¡±

 Chapter 291: Ill omens

    chapter 291: ill omens


    noah¡¯s grimoire was eating well. he¡¯d fed it eighteen poison runes already ¨C most lesser, some greater. the sand wylves probably already had rumors going around about him ¨C but he suspected that if there were rumors about him, then there were nightmares of lee and moxie.


    while he¡¯d been focused on using sunder to gather some runes to feed his artifact, moxie had been putting her all into pushing herself to her absolute limit. she was down several runes, so noah had expected her to be a bit weaker than she¡¯d been before, even if her new ones were truly perfect.


    he couldn¡¯t have been more wrong. moxie¡¯s control over the foliage around them had intensified by what felt like a factor of two. plants she touched instinctively moved, seemingly picking up her desires before she could even act on them.


    none of the wylves could get anywhere close to her. lee, of course, had taken that as a challenge. she¡¯d carved a bloody path through wylf and tree alike, leaving the forest torn to bits in her wake.


    in comparison, noah¡¯s meticulously gathered eighteen runes almost felt disappointing. he stared at the writhing vines at moxie¡¯s feet as they flicked the last few monsters from the pack that had attacked her to the ground, their corpses ripped to pieces.


    ¡°what?¡± moxie looked down at her hands, then wiped her face with the back of a hand. ¡°do i have blood on me or something?¡±


    ¡°no, no. that¡¯s mostly on the ground. and the plants. and just about everything else, for that matter. i was just looking at you.¡±


    ¡°creep.¡± moxie smirked and flicked her hands, releasing her control of the plants around her. they slithered back up her pant legs and sleeves.


    a wylf sailed over their heads, letting out a terrified yowl before it slammed into a tree with a loud crash, shattering the wood. it crumpled to the ground and the trunk fell atop it, crushing the monster.


    lee yelled something in the distance, but noah couldn¡¯t quite make out what she¡¯d said. the small demon sprinted out from the forest and skidded to a stop, completely covered in blood. a huge, excited grin covered her face and she held her massive axe over a single shoulder. noah and moxie both stared at her.


    ¡°what? do i have something on my face?¡±


    ¡°just a bit,¡± noah said. ¡°you don¡¯t need any of these things¡¯ runes, do you? all the ones i¡¯ve seen have been poison, but i was wondering if their monster runes would be of use.¡±


    lee shook her head. ¡°nah. i could probably use ¡®em, but they don¡¯t fit my intent. maybe some of the other monsters in the forest will fit better.¡±


    ¡°are there even others?¡± moxie asked. ¡°we¡¯ve been fighting for an hour now, and i haven¡¯t seen anything other than the wylves.¡±


    ¡°oh, right. that¡¯s what i was going to say,¡± lee said. she thrust a thumb over her shoulder in the direction of the forest she¡¯d just come out of.


    there was a loud crack. noah and moxie both dropped into fighting stances as a tree behind lee shattered. a large wylf bounded into their clearing, easily two times larger than the other monsters they¡¯d been fighting.


    ¡°i found this,¡± lee said. ¡°can we keep it?¡±the roots of this story extend from novell bi?n origin.


    its fur was a dull yellowish-brown, and swirling sand enveloped its entire body as if there was a small hurricane centered directly on top of it. the monster yowled and lunged forward, aiming for lee¡¯s neck.


    she brought the flat of her axe around and down onto the top of the monster¡¯s head. it connected with a resounding clang and the large wylf staggered, stunned for an instant.


    ¡°lee, that¡¯s a monster that is actively trying to kill you,¡± noah said.


    is that the great monster? no, probably not. it¡¯s just a bit bigger than the wylves. maybe something equivalent to a slasher from the scorched acres? but... i thought those were put there on purpose to be controlled by the hellreaver. isn¡¯t this great monster supposed to be naturally occurring?


    ¡°i remembered a few things from school science classes, okay? i wasn¡¯t always so adverse to studying.¡±


    ¡°you learned about combat techniques like this in your school? what others did you get taught?¡± lee asked.


    ¡°oh, it wasn¡¯t a combat technique,¡± noah said with a laugh. ¡°it was like science class. in my world, our schooling wasn¡¯t on how to fight. it was about... mostly learning, actually. i liked music the most, but i had a few basic science classes back when.¡±


    ¡°you say that, but this is a pretty interesting observation,¡± moxie said. ¡°do you think you could try to remember more of what you learned in any of your classes?¡±


    noah rubbed the back of his head and tried to wade through ages of memory in search of his dimming life on earth. ¡°i could try, yeah. i honestly just got a little bit of a flashback. most of my schooling had to do with music.¡±


    ¡°with formations.¡± moxie¡¯s eyebrow crept up her forehead. ¡°one of the most dangerous ways to fight with runes. maybe some of the principles could be useful for us ¨C or the students. it would be a worthwhile lesson, at the least.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯ve got a point,¡± noah admitted, warming to the idea almost immediately. he liked teaching, but he hadn¡¯t thought he¡¯d ever be teaching music again. but... why couldn¡¯t he? ¡°more than that, actually. that¡¯s brilliant. i can teach music again!¡±


    ¡°among other things,¡± moxie said with a wry smile. ¡°how about we go find this great monster and then put together a lesson plan for the beginning of the next year once we¡¯ve handled it?¡±


    ¡°we should include stretching,¡± lee said. ¡°and more punching things. i don¡¯t know if silvertide has made sure isabel and todd kept their physiques up to standard, so we might have to make up for lost time.¡±


    ¡°that would be wise,¡± noah agreed. ¡°good plan, moxie. maybe we can even try to get some runes to use as rewards for when they figure things out. having something to work toward is always a lot more effective than a threat.¡±


    the wylf at their feet yawned. it blinked, its nose twitching as it slowly woke from its unconsciousness. for a moment, they all stared at it. then it let out a furious roar and lunged, sand gathering and surging around it ¨C


    lee¡¯s axe slammed down on its head, sending it flopping limply to the ground once more.


    ¡°okay, it¡¯s not quite tamed yet,¡± lee said, clearing her throat. ¡°soon, though. i¡¯ll get through it eventually. then todd and isabel can spar with it!¡±


    noah tried to suppress a laugh. ¡°well, we can try to keep it around while we look for the great monster. if you can get it tamed before we leave the forest, then we can keep it. deal?¡±


    ¡°okay!¡± lee prodded the monster. ¡°did you hear that? just have to play nice and you can play more. it¡¯ll be fun.¡±


    if it wasn¡¯t a bloodthirsty monster trying to kill us, i¡¯d probably feel bad.


    ¡°what direction did it come from?¡± noah asked, nodding to the wylf. ¡°it was stronger than the other wylfs, so it¡¯s probably a good indication of where the great monster is.¡±


    ¡°over there.¡± lee pointed into the forest. ¡°i think there were some other big dogs too, but they weren¡¯t as fun as this one was.¡±


    ¡°great. let¡¯s go, then. i¡¯d like to try to find the great monster sometime today,¡± noah said.


    lee reached down and picked the huge wylf up by the scruff of its neck, dragging the monster¡¯s body through the dirt behind her as the lot set off. noah sent a pitiable look back at the poor thing.


    scratch that. i definitely feel bad for it. somehow, i don¡¯t think lee¡¯s new friend is going to survive for very long.

 Chapter 292: Friendly

    chapter 292: friendly


    sure enough, a few minutes after passing through a scene straight from a wylf horror movie, they ran into yet even more wylfs. noah managed to pick them up with his tremorsense before they got too close and held his hand up to stop everyone.


    the monsters were lurking in the trees ahead, and based on the limited information his imbuements could give him, they were fairly large. not quite the size of the one lee was still dragging around, but still considerably bigger than the other wylfs.


    ¡°over there,¡± noah said, nodding to the trees. lee had already sniffed them out before he finished speaking and was already in a fighting stance ¨C though she¡¯d yet to release her grip on the unconscious monster.


    ¡°how many?¡± moxie asked.


    ¡°four. they¡¯re larger than the other wylfs we¡¯ve fought.¡± the forms of the monsters in noah¡¯s mind shifted as they started to approach. ¡°i think they¡¯ve heard us talking. get ready.¡±


    moxie waved a hand and vines rose up from the ground around her. howls rose up into the forest as the monsters accelerated. the first of them burst from the trees, moving fast enough that its red eyes seemed to leave a trail through the air behind it.


    with a swift stomp, noah sent a wave of energy into the ground. it ruptured, spikes of jagged earth ripping up in a path before him. they slammed into the wolf with a loud screech and it threw itself to the side, hopping as it hit the ground.


    for a moment, its movement slowed enough for noah to get a good look at it. it definitely resembled a wylf, but its body was covered in dark green scale rather than fur. two fangs jutted out of the front of its mouth, and its tail was short and stubby. the stone spikes had shattered some of the armor on its chest, but hadn¡¯t left a serious wound. it let out a howl and sprinted at noah again.


    three more of the armored wylfes burst out from the trees in a charge. moxie¡¯s vines whipped out for the one nearest to her. it dodged out of the way and bit down on the vine with a snarl ¨C a fatal mistake.


    the vine cracked like a whip and launched the monster into the air. its howl faded into the distance as it tumbled head over heel, flying past the trees and vanishing from sight. lee bounded forward, a wylf in one hand and her axe in the other, and brought both weapons crashing down on the nearest monster¡¯s head.


    noah didn¡¯t have time to consider the ethical issues of killing one monster with the body of another. the wylf he¡¯d been fighting closed the distance between them and lunged, baring a mouth of jagged fangs as it leapt to rip out his throat.


    he dropped to the ground, just barely managing to avoid the monster¡¯s deadly claws as they passed overhead.


    no matter how much they vaguely resemble wolves, these aren¡¯t wolves. they¡¯re monsters, and they¡¯re actively trying to kill us. i don¡¯t think they¡¯ve got any mental capacity anyway ¨C they¡¯re being controlled by the great monster.


    noah rose back up, electricity crackling across his fingertips as he gathered energy from natural disaster. the armored wylf hit the ground and spun to face him, letting out a roar as it lunged once more. particles of sand gathered around its body ¨C not nearly as many as the mutated wylf had commanded, but still enough to form spikes in the air.the roots of this story extend from novell bi?n origin.


    he caught a glimpse of a droplet of poison on the tip of one of the monster¡¯s fangs a moment before he released the gathering power. a violent drill of electricity and wind howled from his hands in a miniature, targeted storm.


    it ripped across the ground and struck the wylf straight in its open mouth. the monster barely had a chance to let out a surprised roar before the magic ripped through it apart from within.


    hopping to the side, noah let the dead monster ragdoll to a stop before him. energy from its soul started to gather above it, and he sliced through it with sunder. of the runes that appeared, only two weren¡¯t monster runes. both of them were at rank 2


    striking sand


    weeping poison


    both of the runes were at rank 2 and, though they didn¡¯t feel perfect, they didn¡¯t feel bad either. noah harvested the two of them and placed them in his grimoire ¨C with any luck, they¡¯d still be around in a day.


    he could have sworn that the grimore was steadily getting nicer, but the changes were gradual enough that it was hard to put a finger on how much had changed. still, noah was quite certain that its leather hadn¡¯t felt nearly as velvety as it did now when he¡¯d first fed it.


    ¡°that... would actually be pretty funny,¡± moxie said with a laugh. ¡°most students graduate at rank 2. if the three of them hit rank 3 before they¡¯re even in their final year, it would create quite the stir. noah, you¡¯d definitely better rank up and report it to the school before that, then. it¡¯ll be embarrassing to have students of a higher rank than you are.¡±


    noah scrunched his nose in annoyance. ¡°yeah, yeah. you¡¯re saying that like it¡¯s meant to be easy to reach rank 4. i still need to fix up my rank 3 rune.¡±


    ¡°must suck.¡± moxie flashed him a grin, then gave lee an appreciative nod. ¡°and i like that strategy, lee. i think i¡¯ll focus on trying to figure out what monsters have runes that can help each of the students. we can put together a plan of how to get them to rank 3 as efficiently as possible.¡±


    ¡°just after i fix up their rank 2 runes,¡± noah said. ¡°that works. you can focus on that and i¡¯ll look into putting together a lesson plan on music ¨C i don¡¯t think i really understand formations enough to teach it yet, but teaching is the best way to learn.¡±


    ¡°and i¡¯ll punch them motivationally,¡± lee said, holding a fist up. ¡°i¡¯m good at that.¡±


    lee lowered her hand and paused, sniffing the air. ¡°i¡¯m going to go catch that wylf again. it stopped running.¡±


    a faint shiver ran down noah¡¯s spine.


    she let it run because she had such a good grasp of its smell that it can¡¯t escape her, and she just didn¡¯t want to stop talking to us for long enough to catch it yet. sometimes, it¡¯s easy to forget how terrifying lee¡¯s nose is.


    ¡°oh, hold on.¡± lee¡¯s brow furrowed, but the confusion quickly gave way to a grin. ¡°it¡¯s coming back!¡±


    ¡°it is?¡± noah tried to keep the disbelief from his voice.


    did she give it stockholm syndrome?


    a thud echoed through the forest. noah froze, just in time to hear what sounded like hundreds of loud, echoing cracks. a dull roar was making its way through the trees, mowing through them with reckless abandon ¨C and heading directly in their direction.


    ¡°lee?¡± noah asked carefully, drawing on natural disaster and turning to face the source of the approaching noise. ¡°are you sure it¡¯s your wylf coming?¡±


    ¡°yeah, i smell it.¡± lee took a few steps back from the trees and raised her axe. moxie placed her hand on a tree, taking control of it and scattering seeds across the ground at her feet.


    a moment later, lee¡¯s wylf burst free from the tree line, skidding to a stop before her. its eyes were wide, burning with hatred ¨C and possibly fear.


    ¡°see?¡± lee said. ¡°it¡¯s back!¡±


    the trees just behind the wylf shattered. the head of a huge snake pushed through them, each of its eyes as large as noah¡¯s entire body. it was covered with glimmering green scales, strikingly similar to the ones on the armored wylves. streams of sand slithered across its body like bands. a blood-red tongue flicked out, tasting the air as it let out a threatening hiss, rising up to cast a shadow over all of them.


    ¡°i think your wylf came back with reinforcements.¡± noah¡¯s runes hummed, but he hardly needed them to. it didn¡¯t look very much like the wylves, but there was no doubt in his mind.


    ¡°oh, huh. yeah, that might be the great monster,¡± lee mused. ¡°do you think it¡¯s friendly?¡±


    the snake roared. noah had never heard a snake roar before ¨C he hadn¡¯t thought it was possible. but, when something was as big as a building, even a loud hiss counted as a roar.


    ¡°no,¡± noah replied. ¡°i don¡¯t.¡±

 Chapter 293: Wars

    chapter 293: wars


    still under the shadow of the great monster, the wylf dashed for lee. its eyes held the promise of revenge as it leapt into the air. jaws aimed at her neck opened wide ¨C and then, with a crash that shook the ground beneath noah¡¯s feet so violently that it actually bounced him a foot into the air ¨C the wylf vanished beneath a wall of scales.


    the snake had brought its enormous head down, obliterating the trees, along with everything else in its path. lee had barely managed to fling herself to safety, and stood with wide eyes just beside the great monster.


    ¡°my pet! you killed it!¡± lee¡¯s grip tightened on her axe and she raised it to charge ¨C only to be yanked back by a vine. lee yelped in surprise as she was pulled through the air and over to moxie.


    ¡°nope,¡± moxie said, her voice terse with a mixture of shock and worry. ¡°you¡¯re not charging this thing until we figure out what it can do.¡±


    poor wylf. maybe it managed to get out of the way in time? if so, i hope for its sake that it ran.


    ¡°i¡¯ll take it from here,¡± noah said, yanking his belongings off and throwing them to moxie. only after he¡¯d thrown his grimoire did he remember how heavy it was to others. he turned to call out a warning, but one of moxie¡¯s vines managed to grab it with no trouble.


    huh. either her vines are stronger than i thought, or the grimoire can choose when to be heavy or not.


    a vine grabbed noah¡¯s ankle and yanked him into the air with enough speed to make the wind sting his eyes. it just barely managed to take him out of the path of a ray of purple poison that melted through half a dozen trees behind him.


    he dropped back to the ground as the vine released him. ¡°thanks, moxie.¡±


    ¡°just fight the damn thing and try not to get yourself killed,¡± moxie yelled. she sprinted out of the clearing, dragging lee along with her. lee glared daggers at the great monster the entire way out, but the snake made no move to pursue them.


    one of its large eyes was locked on noah, and the corners of its massive lips curled back in what was unmistakably a smile. its tongue flicked out again. cracks rose up as it slithered forward, rising up to block out the sun and look down at noah.


    there was intelligence in expression ¨C and hunger. noah bared his teeth and called on natural disaster. ¡°you¡¯re a big bastard, aren¡¯t you? i wonder what your master rune is.¡±


    in response, the snake brought its body crashing down. noah unleashed a blast of wind, sending himself hurtling out of the way. he had to stop himself with another burst before he crashed straight through a tree. but, even at the speed he was moving at, he barely kept himself from getting crushed.


    damn. it¡¯s not like the snake is that fast, but it¡¯s so damn big that it almost doesn¡¯t matter. where was this thing hiding?


    the snake¡¯s tongue whipped out to taste the air ¨C and noah. he dropped from the sky, using another burst of wind to avoid getting hit. even though the rest of the snake wasn¡¯t technically that fast, its tongue was an exception.


    letting out a hiss that almost sounded like a snicker, the enormous monster¡¯s head shot forward, mouth opening to swallow noah whole. he sent a blast of lightning coursing into the monster¡¯s gullet, but that didn¡¯t even slow it slightly.


    another, well timed burst of wind threw noah far into the air. the snake¡¯s jaws slammed shut below him with a loud crash and he spun to look down. the snake was already rising up, its eyes swiveled to look up at him.


    noah gathered more power from natural disaster and thrust his hands downward. a churning drill of wind howled free, ripping through the air and slamming straight into the monster¡¯s eye.


    noah plummeted toward the snake¡¯s back. it twisted in an attempt to bite at him again, but he accelerated with another burst of wind and shot past its jaws. sunder¡¯s power coursed through him, turning his veins black with icy rivers of energy.


    he slammed down, scales cracking beneath his heels. pain arced up his legs from the force of his impact, but noah ignored it. he released sunder¡¯s power, sending it coursing into the snake¡¯s body with a roar.


    a streak of black light carved across the monster¡¯s flesh. the snake writhed and let out a furious hiss, launching noah off and sending him tumbling through the air. he slammed into a tree and let out a pained grunt.


    the great monster writhed as sunder¡¯s power worked through it. he could see the large gap in the scales where he¡¯d carved through the monster¡¯s defenses. but, to noah¡¯s surprise ¨C there was no blood. there was nothing. it was like he¡¯d cut through a rock.


    what the hell? it¡¯s entire body is made out of some solid, unliving material? that¡¯s insane. how are we supposed to kill something like that?


    noah pushed himself away from the tree and set off a blast of wind, throwing himself into the air and avoiding another one of the great monster¡¯s earth-shaking strikes. he squinted down at the wound he¡¯d left on its back, but it was difficult to get a good look at anything while he was jumping around.


    i need to get closer again.


    with another burst of wind from the dwindling reserves of natural disaster, noah threw himself back toward the snake. he ducked under a spike that shot out from the monster¡¯s hide and slammed against its body just beside the cut.


    pulling himself up, noah twisted to avoid a spike. instead of driving into his heart, it slammed into his shoulder. he snarled, ignoring the pain as he leaned forward to get a better look at what sunder had done ¨C only to find that the massive cut was already starting to seal.


    sand was slithering out, connecting the pieces of the snake¡¯s body and pulling them back together. the process was fast, and the repairs were almost completely finished already. another spike slammed into noah¡¯s chest, but this time he didn¡¯t care.


    i don¡¯t think i hit the snake at all, did i? it¡¯s hiding somewhere. all this bulk is just armor, no different than the stuff lee¡¯s modified wylf was using.


    a third spike bit home, driving into his heart. it lifted him away from the great monster¡¯s body and suspended him in the air. noah let out a pained laugh. sunder wasn¡¯t going to be of much use against an enemy like this at all ¨C not when he didn¡¯t know what he needed to cut.


    he wouldn¡¯t need sunder, though.


    ¡°figured you out,¡± noah said, coughing up blood. ¡°i¡¯m looking forward to our next fight.¡±


    a final spike shot out of the snake¡¯s body, driving through noah¡¯s head and killing him instantly. his soul peeled out of his body and floated up. the snake coiled up, hissing in irritation. it crushed noah¡¯s body beneath itself ¨C which was quite fine with him. it was far better to be crushed than to be eaten.


    i¡¯m looking forward to claiming your master rune. that¡¯s a nasty power you¡¯ve got there, but it doesn¡¯t do nearly as much when i know exactly how it works. i just have to figure out a way to get at your real body ¨C which is probably hidden away in all that armor you¡¯ve got.


    sunder tugged at noah and he let it take him away, leaving the massive snake to slither back into the forest. he¡¯d let it enjoy the feeling of victory for a little longer. it was only fair. the great monster had won the battle, but noah didn¡¯t deal in battles.


    he dealt in wars.

 Chapter 294: Come along

    chapter 294: come along


    noah¡¯s soul found his gourd and he materialized minutes later, flopping to the forest floor. luckily, lee and moxie had noticed his revival and had stopped running to set the gourd down, saving him from returning to life and mid-step.


    ¡°that was slower than i expected, if i¡¯m being honest,¡± moxie said.


    noah sat up, pressing his hand to his forehead and grimacing. the headache was worse than most of the ones he¡¯d had of late ¨C for once, his killer had been someone other than himself. he¡¯d almost forgotten how annoying the soul damage from getting killed by another creature was.


    at least it didn¡¯t eat my body before i came back, or this would be even worse.


    ¡°did you win the fight?¡± lee asked.


    ¡°unfortunately not,¡± noah replied. moxie handed him his clothes and he tugged them on, suppressing the headache as best as he could. ¡°but i found out how to win the next one.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s within reason to challenge, then?¡± moxie helped noah into his jacket and to his feet. ¡°do we need to keep running?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t smell it coming in our direction.¡± lee turned her nose to the air to confirm her words before returning her attention to them. ¡°yeah, it¡¯s not following us. we¡¯d probably hear it if it was.¡±


    ¡°maybe not. i don¡¯t believe the snake was actually anywhere near the size we believed it to be.¡±


    ¡°it was an illusion?¡± moxie blinked. ¡°that¡¯s odd. it looked pretty real.¡±


    ¡°no, not an illusion. i managed to land a pretty good blow on it with sunder, and i didn¡¯t even get through all of its armor. i think the whole snake is basically one giant earth construct, and the real monster is hidden somewhere inside it. i suppose it could technically be outside it as well, but either way, there¡¯s something going on there.¡±


    ¡°it did smell a bit more muted than i expected it to,¡± lee mused, rubbing her chin and pausing to think for a moment. ¡°i thought it was because the whole place smelled foresty, but maybe it was just concealed in a bunch of dirt.¡±


    ¡°how fast is it?¡± moxie asked.


    ¡°within reason. it¡¯s huge, but i could match its speed without too much trouble. lee would have no trouble at all, although i don¡¯t think she¡¯d be able to do much damage to it.¡±


    ¡°i could run inside its mouth.¡± lee patted the hilt of her axe. ¡°then i can just swing this around until i hit the real thing.¡±


    ¡°probably not the best idea. it can control its entire body,¡± noah said with a shake of his head. ¡°i got stabbed by spikes that came out of its scales, and it could turn them to quicksand as well. i would avoid getting anywhere near it.¡±


    ¡°you don¡¯t want to fight it anymore?¡± lee¡¯s face fell. ¡°it squished my pet. i want to kill it.¡±


    ¡°oh, we¡¯re definitely killing it.¡± noah threw a glance over his shoulder, his brow tightening as another pang of pain rippled through his mind. ¡°we just have to approach it a little differently. we need to get past all that armor covering the real monster.¡±


    ¡°sunder it again?¡± lee offered.


    ¡°it could take a while. sunder targets a single thing, and i have absolutely no idea how big the snake is. if its just hiding in the tail or something, it could take forever to actually land a blow. the fragment of renewal might be much more efficient.¡±


    ¡°you didn¡¯t try it?¡± moxie asked.


    ¡°i¡¯ve only got one shot with it a day, remember? i didn¡¯t want to waste it. my headache will clear up in around twelve hours, so i¡¯d rather just go right back after the great monster as soon as it clears up instead of waiting for a whole day.¡±


    ¡°i forgot about that.¡± moxie rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. ¡°sorry. good thinking, then. but, based on what we saw the fragment of renewal do to evergreen, i think it would probably work really well against this thing.¡±


    ¡°agreed. i think i¡¯ve got a pretty good idea of how we can handle this thing in our next fight with it. it should actually be a pretty easy fight.¡±


    ¡°who are you?¡± karina demanded.


    ¡°what a coincidence. i was about to ask you the same thing.¡± the man adjusted his fine clothes, then arched an eyebrow. ¡°you wouldn¡¯t happen to be the owner of the mansion that stood here a little while ago, would you?¡±


    ¡°i am. what¡¯s it to you?¡± karina¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°what branch are you with?¡±


    ¡°none of them,¡± the man replied. ¡°i¡¯ve been waiting for you. i come bearing ill news, i fear.¡±


    ¡°about my house?¡± karina glanced back at the empty lot despite herself. ¡°what happened to it?¡±


    ¡°it was taken.¡±


    ¡°i gathered that much.¡± karina drew a deep breath, repressing the urge to explode in fury. an image of vermil¡¯s face flickered through her mind. the man reminded her of him. there was an air of danger about both of them ¨C and it was one she wanted absolutely nothing more to do with. angering him wouldn¡¯t help her. ¡°was it moved somewhere? i¡¯d really like to know what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°polite. interesting. not what the reports said.¡±


    asshole. i¡¯m going to shove my foot so far up your ass it comes out of your mouth.


    karina opened her mouth.


    ¡°your parents are dead.¡±


    she blinked. ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°both of them. died on a mission.¡± the man picked his nose, then yawned. ¡°their wills stated to use their entire fortunes on their funerals, so your house was foreclosed.¡±


    the world felt like it was falling apart around karina. ¡°what? are you serious? but¨C¡±


    ¡°the funerals happened a day or two ago. i can¡¯t quite remember,¡± the man continued. ¡°i spent the entire budget on myself and burned their corpses before sticking them in a plain grave.¡±


    ¡°who are you?¡± karina asked, anger starting to seep into her words. ¡°is this some kind of joke?¡±


    ¡°ah. i¡¯ve been rude again.¡± the man straightened his back and held a hand out, his dark eyes flashing with amusement that showed he didn¡¯t regret anything he¡¯d said. ¡°my name is jalen, head of the linwick family. sorry about your parents. i¡¯ve still got some of the cake i used their fortunes to buy in my office, if you¡¯d like to have some.¡±


    a ripple of energy passed out from jalen, slamming into karina. it wasn¡¯t an attack ¨C he¡¯d allowed the pressure from his runes to leak out for the briefest instant. she nearly crumpled under the enormous pressure that bore down on her, but she managed to remain standing. karina¡¯s blood ran cold.


    screw this. i don¡¯t care what happened. i¡¯ll sleep under a tree if it means i can be left alone.


    ¡°that¡¯s kind of you, but i¡¯m fine.¡± karina¡¯s throat felt like it was going to close up around her words. she¡¯d never seen the head of the linwicks before, but she didn¡¯t doubt jalen at all. he was easily the most powerful mage she¡¯d ever stood beside. ¡°i wouldn¡¯t want to trouble you.¡±


    jalen¡¯s smile grew wider. he took a step forward, somehow crossing nearly a dozen feet and arriving beside her in the blink of an eye. his hand fell on her shoulder in what should have been a comforting gesture ¨C it was anything but.


    ¡°ah, but i insist. it would be a shame not to share. the cake is to die for.¡± jalen tilted his head to the side. ¡°is that insensitive?¡±


    karina swallowed. ¡°no, magus jalen.¡±


    ¡°lovely. come along, then. we have much to talk about.¡±

 Chapter 295: Fascinated

    chapter 295: fascinated


    karina had little choice but to give jalen a terse nod. there was no attempting to resist or run from power as immense as jalen¡¯s. all she could do was play along and hope that he got bored and set her free.


    no sooner than she had finished nodding did a purple ripple pass through the air beside jalen. a portal stretched open, leading into an office. a weary, tired looking man stood within it, beside massive, teetering piles of paper that threatened to come crashing down with the slightest wind.


    jalen put a hand on karina¡¯s back and guided her into the portal. even though it didn¡¯t seem like he was forcing her to walk, it felt like the entire world was pushing her forward. jalen couldn¡¯t even be described as strong ¨C it was more like he was insurmountable.


    they stepped through the portal and it closed behind them. the weary man lowered his hand.


    ¡°is there anything else you need of me, magus jalen?¡±


    ¡°no, i don¡¯t believe there is. off with you.¡±


    bowing his head, the attendant stepped back into another portal as it opened up behind him. the portal closed and left karina alone in the room with jalen. the one thing keeping terror from enveloping karina completely was the fact that jalen had bothered bringing her anywhere.


    if he¡¯d wanted to kill her, she¡¯d already be dead. even if he¡¯d been lying about his position with the linwick family, a mage of his power could basically do whatever he pleased. he could have been a torrin ¨C it didn¡¯t matter. karina wasn¡¯t nearly important enough to start a war over.


    jalen pushed a stack of papers off the desk. it hit the ground with a crash and karina jumped a foot into the air in surprise. the papers fluttered down all around her as jalen sat back in his chair and leaned into it, kicking his feet up onto the desk.


    ¡°sorry. i think i actually ate all the cake,¡± jalen said. ¡°either that, or it was my assistant. i can¡¯t quite remember.¡±


    karina¡¯s stomach twisted and she gave what she hoped was a polite smile. it was definitely much more of a pained grimace, but her body refused to muster up anything better. ¡°i¡¯m actually not that hungry, so it¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°splendid. you aren¡¯t like what that attendant said you were meant to be like,¡± jalen said, rubbing his chin. ¡°do you happen to know his name?¡±


    ¡°i ¨C no. i don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°neither do i. too many names. they all start blurring together.¡± jalen rolled his eyes and laughed. ¡°it¡¯s hard to remember them after people keep dying. like little candles. you wouldn¡¯t name a candle, would you?¡±


    i think jalen is at least mildly insane.


    karina swallowed. ¡°no, probably not.¡±


    her eyes darted around the room in search of literally anything to look at other than the man in the chair, but there was precious little. examining any of the papers lying around might have drawn jalen¡¯s ire.


    if he¡¯s really the head of the family, then the information in this room is worth fortunes. more than i could ever imagine. is this a test? why does he care about me?


    ¡°i know what you must be thinking,¡± jalen said. ¡°you¡¯re wondering what has earned you the honor of meeting the head of your family.¡±


    honor is the last word i¡¯d choose for this nightmare.


    ¡°do you not believe i am who i claim?¡±the roots of this story extend from novell bi?n origin.


    shit, i took too long to respond.


    ¡°no, magus. i believe you.¡±


    ¡°no, you don¡¯t,¡± jalen said. ¡°that¡¯s to be expected. unlike the rest of this family, i have little care for our little political games. i¡¯ve done my best to keep my name and face out of any major attention. it¡¯s much more enjoyable to blend into the background. of course, all the branch leaders know who i am. would you like me to call one of them in? father, perhaps?¡±


    karina paled and she shook her head so quickly that she nearly gave herself whiplash. ¡°no, magus. i believe you.¡±


    ¡°splendid. then i will get right to business. i brought you here because of an artifact. a very particular one in the shape of a book ¨Ca book that i am now very baffled about. i was hoping you could enlighten me.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t think he realized how important the grimoire was either, magus jalen.¡±


    ¡°you don¡¯t think he realized?¡± jalen let out a bark of laughter. ¡°quite impossible. it was a clear challenge. do you know this vermil well?¡±


    no, i don¡¯t think i do.


    ¡°he was my fiance?e.¡±


    ¡°was?¡±


    ¡°we were able to break it off just a few days ago.¡±


    ¡°i see,¡± jalen mused. ¡°i can¡¯t say i miss the drama of youth. vermil is your age, i take it?¡±


    ¡°yes, he is.¡±


    his questions are turning toward vermil rather than me. i might actually be able to walk free at this rate.


    ¡°fascinating indeed. then i believe you may not know him nearly as well as you think. i do not care in the slightest about the grimoire. what i care about is the other artifact that he took from the catacombs. one that expressly warned people against its use. it had an imbuement on it that should be alerting me of its location, and yet it is not. would you know why that might be?¡±


    ¡°i have no idea,¡± karina said, inwardly cursing vermil. if he hadn¡¯t gone to look for more artifacts, jalen wouldn¡¯t have come for her.


    not like i wouldn¡¯t have done the same if i had the power to, though.


    ¡°i see. i had thought that your disposition seemed odd for a woman that had directly challenged her own family, and it seems i was right.¡± jalen crossed his arms and studied karina with an arched eyebrow. ¡°you were an accessory. very well. and what of vermil¡¯s location? do you know where he is?¡±


    ¡°i have no idea,¡± karina replied, relieved that she was being honest. she didn¡¯t feel any strong desire to protect vermil, but the less she had to do with him, the better.


    now that it¡¯s clear i had nothing to do with this, jalen should surely ¨C


    ¡°you¡¯ll be coming with me, then,¡± jalen said with a sigh.


    karina froze in place. ¡°me? how could i possibly do anything for you?¡±


    ¡°i only knew who you were because you walked right up to your former house, karina. i have no idea where vermil is or what he¡¯s doing. you know what he looks like. surely, you can see where i¡¯m leading with this.¡±


    ¡°magus, vermil will certainly go back to arbitage when the break ends. you could just wait for him there.¡±


    before karina had even finished speaking, jalen was already shaking his head. ¡°that would be as good as admitting defeat, lass. if i ¨C the head of the linwick family ¨C had to resort to cheap methods like that, then i would never live it down. no, i must find vermil and his artifact before he reveals himself to me of his own power.¡±


    is asking me to do it for you really that different? aren¡¯t you just kind of being lazy here? if this is some big challenge, shouldn¡¯t you do it yourself? why drag me into it?


    jalen took notice of the look on karina¡¯s face and chuckled, misinterpreting it entirely. ¡°you fear for vermil¡¯s safety? the emotions of youth. how amusing. fear not. i do not seek his head. on the contrary.¡±


    karina blinked. ¡°you aren¡¯t angry at him?¡±


    ¡°angry? oh, no. i¡¯m fascinated.¡± jalen¡¯s grin widened. ¡°it¡¯s been far too long since we had anyone of interest pop up in this miserable family. i wish to meet the person that dares challenge me, and you are going to take me to him ¨C aren¡¯t you?¡±


    somehow, i feel like garnering your interest is absolutely no better than earning your ire. at least you¡¯d kill an enemy quickly instead of playing with them.


    there wasn¡¯t any room for refusal in his voice. jalen wasn¡¯t asking karina a question. he was giving her a command. and so, all karina could do was swallow heavily and bow her head to the mysterious head of the linwick family.


    ¡°yes, magus jalen.¡±

 Chapter 296: Tension

    chapter 296: tension


    ¡°we shall begin immediately,¡± jalen said. ¡°and preferably before¨C¡±


    the door swung open and the unnamed attendant staggered in with a stack of papers. he set them down on the desk with a grunt and a thump, pausing to make sure the precarious tower wouldn¡¯t pitch over before taking a step back and clearing his throat.


    ¡°magus jalen. i didn¡¯t mean to interrupt, but when some of the family heads heard that you were back¨C¡±


    ¡°no.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry?¡±


    ¡°everything they¡¯ve asked for is rejected,¡± jalen said. ¡°and anything that they¡¯ve asked me not to approve is now approved, unless that would create more work for me in any way shape or form, in which case it goes back to being approved. i know for a fact i just told you i would not be doing anything.¡±


    ¡°but... you¡¯re our leader, magus. there are urgent events happening. we need your guidance. now more than ever.¡±


    ¡°no. what you need is to learn how to act on your own,¡± jalen said through a yawn. ¡°how long has it been since i last came by the linwick estate?¡±


    ¡°seventy-four years, magus.¡±


    ¡°and has the family fallen apart in the time that i¡¯ve been gone?¡±


    ¡°no, but times are different! enormous amounts of power are just waiting for us to claim it. there has never been a better time to solidify our position in the empire. the torrins are reeling, and¨C¡±


    ¡°remind me as to who they are?¡±


    the assistant stared at jalen. when it became clear that jalen wasn¡¯t joking, the assistant swallowed and powered on. ¡°the torrin family, magus. our greatest opponents.¡±


    ¡°ah, yes. i forgot about them. it¡¯s been a while since i¡¯ve met up with any of their mages.¡± jalen rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes glazing over as his mind drifted off in thought. nearly a minute passed before he continued talking as if nothing had happened. ¡°i liked their leader. he was an interesting bloke. far too interested in plants, but good conversation.¡±


    karina couldn¡¯t keep her mouth shut any longer. ¡°he? the leader of the torrin family is magus evergreen, a woman.¡±


    ¡°evergreen?¡± jalen chuckled. ¡°i remember her as well. clever woman. real nasty magic, and absolutely infuriating to fight. she¡¯s not the torrin family head, though. she couldn¡¯t hold a candle to avery.¡±


    karina risked a glance at the assistant, who mercifully looked just as confused as she felt.


    ¡°magus evergreen has been the leader of the torrin family for nearly a hundred and fifty years,¡± the assistant said carefully. ¡°i do not have any knowledge of a mage called avery.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s because he keeps his nose out of this crap.¡± jalen waved his hands irritably. ¡°just like anyone else with half a brain. you probably don¡¯t know who half the worthwhile mages in that family are. they aren¡¯t the ones wiggling around on the surface like a bunch of worms. evergreen was an exception. i wouldn¡¯t mind swinging by to visit with her.¡±


    that drew an uncomfortable cough from the assistant. ¡°i¡¯m afraid that isn¡¯t possible, magus. we recently received reports from our spies in blancwood that evergreen was killed.¡±


    karina¡¯s blood ran cold.


    evergreen is dead? who would have ¨C could have ¨C killed her? she was a rank 6 mage, and a pretty strong one at that. the only main enemies the torrins have is us. was it father?


    jalen¡¯s easygoing attitude faded away and he tilted his head slightly to the side. ¡°is she, now? how¡¯d that happen?¡±


    ¡°the exact details have been repressed well by the torrin family, but it is being blamed on an archdemon aiding magus rinella in an uprising. it appears the demon traveled with a member from the torrin family ¨C the bodyguard of magus evergreen¡¯s heir. she was actually traveling with a low-level member of our family that had stumbled across a piece of evergreen¡¯s scroll and had come to deliver it.¡±


    if karina¡¯s blood had been cold before, now it was ice. the person being described had to be moxie, which meant that the ¡°low level¡± member of the linwick family she was traveling with had been none other than vermil himself.


    ¡°evergreen died to an uprising?¡± jalen shook his head and let out a huff. ¡°what a disappointment. i never thought someone as tenacious as her would go down so easily. i suppose she got lazy in her old age.¡±


    ¡°you must understand now, right? the torrins are in shambles. they¡¯ve pinned the blame for evergreen¡¯s death on her heir¡¯s bodyguard and crippled her runes, but it¡¯s clear that they don¡¯t actually know who the real culprit was. rinella wasn¡¯t powerful enough to take out evergreen on her own. they are destabilized¨C¡±


    ¡°and i don¡¯t care,¡± jalen finished with a dismissive flick of his hand. he waved to the newest stack of paper. a wave of purple energy rippled at his fingertips, passing through the air and into the papers.


    wait. moxie¡¯s runes were crippled? she didn¡¯t seem weakened at all. are the torrins spreading false rumors?


    there was a soft pop as the stack collapsed in on itself, crumpling into a tiny ball before vanishing in a mote of black light. it was so sudden and silent that it felt like jalen had just flicked some dirt from his hands rather than ... well, whatever he¡¯d just done. there was no trace left of the paper.


    ¡°you will do as you have always done,¡± jalen said. ¡°there are more than enough capable mages in this family to deal with whatever it is you want me to deal with. have you truly become so pathetic that you can do nothing but bite at the heels of your great enemy? if they are weak and you wish to strike, then strike. if you cannot do that, then sit back and do nothing.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s all we are to you? game pieces?¡±


    ¡°yes,¡± jalen replied simply. ¡°and the majority of you are replaceable. do you know how many mages i¡¯ve seen hit rank 5 and die without a single, worthwhile moment in their life? countless. and so, when i see something interesting, i latch onto it like a starving man. it is a break from this tortured existence.¡±


    ¡°then it wouldn¡¯t cost you much to give me something in return for my help.¡±


    jalen smirked. ¡°you are correct. i could give you nearly anything you wanted at no cost to myself. and ¨C to be honest ¨C i likely would have. after i found vermil, i¡¯d have given you enough power to force you to rank 5 in the span of a month. i reward those that work for me.¡±


    a spike drove into karina¡¯s heart, and she fought to keep herself from crumpling to the ground in agony. jalen could just have easily been lying to her. he¡¯d already said he didn¡¯t care at all about anyone. anything he claimed could just be manipulation.


    at least, that¡¯s what i¡¯ll use to reassure myself in the afterlife.


    ¡°things have changed.¡± jalen reached out, grabbing karina¡¯s hair and pulling her straight. she matched his gaze, gritting her teeth.


    ¡°just finish me.¡±


    ¡°finish you? oh, no. i won¡¯t do that. my plans have changed.¡± power wormed into karina¡¯s skull and she screamed, a mixture of pain and terror shooting through her body.


    the agony raced past her chest and up and down her arms, burning her veins like magma. it passed by her chest and wrapped around her heart before continuing on into her legs ¨C and pooling in the stump that had once been her foot.


    flesh sizzled and popped. jalen released karina and she fell forward ¨C a foot falling on solid ground. she froze in place, the pain fading. where there should have been nothing, there was a black, swirling mass in the perfect shape of a foot.


    she could feel the stone beneath her toes, as if the foot were her own. disbelieving eyes raised to meet jalen¡¯s.


    ¡°what is this?¡± karina asked, her voice shaking.


    ¡°the change of plans,¡± jalen said. ¡°and your payment.¡±


    karina leaned on her new foot. it held weight, just like her normal one would have. and yet... it felt like more. there was power within it, foreign but familiar at the same time.


    ¡°why?¡±


    ¡°because you caught my attention.¡± jalen¡¯s smile crawled back across his face and a shiver ran down karina¡¯s spine. ¡°our deal has changed. you will not work for me.¡±


    struggling to keep the surprise from her features, karina blinked. ¡°i won¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°no. i hate wasting potential, and true power is only forged through struggle. giving you anything beyond what i have already done would be a disservice. this is the new deal, karina. i will not seek out vermil. you will. your goal will be to convince vermil to meet with me ¨C and to have him bring the book he stole. i will remain here, waiting for you to contact me.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s it,¡± jalen confirmed. ¡°i will demand nothing more from you. there will no longer be a time limit ¨C but, if vermil finds his way to me or is killed by someone before he visits me, then your life will be forfeit. acceptable?¡±


    ¡°is there an alternative?¡±


    jalen smirked. ¡°i can kill you now. you looked resolved to die, and i will oblige if you so request it.¡±


    ¡°all i have to do is convince vermil to bring the book and meet with you?¡± karina asked. ¡°you won¡¯t make me do anything? i can choose how to do it and you¡¯ll leave me alone after?¡±


    ¡°well, i won¡¯t promise that, but i won¡¯t seek you out intentionally. if we come into contact in some other way, then that¡¯s that. i won¡¯t guarantee your life. you never know ¨C you could always piss me off later. but, for today and as long as you do your part of the deal, i¡¯ll leave you alone,¡± jalen confirmed. ¡°i have better things to do. toys are most fun when they act on their own.¡±


    ¡°deal,¡± karina said. ¡°i¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°splendid. i¡¯d suggest you get started. do not return to the linwick estate without vermil ¨C and i would suggest moving with some haste.¡±


    karina started to nod, then paused. ¡°why? you don¡¯t want to wait?¡±


    ¡°oh, no. i have other interesting game pieces to play with,¡± jalen said. ¡°but i¡¯m awful at waiting, so i¡¯ll be playing with vermil whenever the opportunity arises. i¡¯d try to make sure you get to him before i do, or he may be dead by the time you arrive.¡±


    ¡°what? i thought you said you didn¡¯t want to kill him?¡±


    ¡°the rules of the game changed. before, it was me and you versus vermil, so it wouldn¡¯t have been fair to seek his death.¡± jalen¡¯s smile turned cold. ¡°now, it¡¯s the two of you against me. best get started, karina. i won¡¯t be acting myself, but don¡¯t let that lull you into complacency. and don¡¯t tell him about the exact details of our little deal here ¨C it¡¯ll make things less interesting. no game is fun without a little tension.¡±


    damned plains.

 Chapter 297: Vacation

    chapter 297: vacation


    silver moonlight shone down on the mountainside, illuminating the forest. noah and moxie crept behind lee as she led them through the foliage and toward their target. they¡¯d spent more than enough time figuring out their plan ¨C now it was time to act.


    noah held his violin and bow, prepared to start playing as soon as they came in contact with the great monster. one of the most glaring drawbacks of casting formations with music was quickly becoming evident.


    he couldn¡¯t prepare them beforehand. it was one thing to know what song he was going to play, and he was fairly certain it would work, but he¡¯d still have to actually play it. that meant moxie and lee would have to hold the snake off until he finished.


    ¡°we¡¯re close,¡± lee whispered. ¡°i smell it next to us.¡±


    they all came to a stop. wind whistled through the trees around them, rustling the branches and nipping at their exposed skin. noah strained his ears, trying to see if he could pick up any traces of the great monster.


    he couldn¡¯t. it just felt like they were standing in the middle of a sparse forest on a mountainside. the only things he could hear other than the wind and plants were the faint noises of insects hiding in the darkness.


    ¡°is it sleeping?¡± moxie¡¯s voice was a hushed whisper. ¡°how close are we?¡±


    ¡°close enough that we shouldn¡¯t get closer,¡± lee replied. ¡°if it¡¯s changing its shape, then we could get too close and get squished when it transforms. it¡¯s here somewhere.¡±


    she sniffed at the air again, then turned slightly to her left and squinted into the trees. noah followed lee¡¯s gaze, calling on his tremorsense to see if he could pick up anything out of the ordinary.


    there was a good amount of motion in the forest around them, but largely by small, inconsequential creatures. the environment was definitely a lot more diverse than the scorched acres had been, probably because it wasn¡¯t artificially created, but there was still no sign of anything that could have resembled a great monster.


    ¡°it¡¯s probably more than twenty feet away,¡± noah said. ¡°i don¡¯t feel¨C¡±


    a crunch echoed through the forest. a tree pitched forward and crashed to the ground like an executioner¡¯s axe, sending up a cloud of fragmented wood and dirt. several more trees followed it as a roaring hiss echoed through the dark forest.


    the head of a massive snake burst out above the treeline, its fangs flashing silver in the moonlight.


    ¡°found it,¡± lee said.


    ¡°thank you,¡± noah said dryly. ¡°so did i. let¡¯s go with the plan.¡±


    lee blurred into motion, bounding across the ground. the ground around moxie came alive with vines that burst from within it, rapidly growing in size. a shadow passed over all of them as the great monster brought its considerable bulk crashing down.


    ¡°i got it!¡± lee yelled. she launched herself into the air, rearing back and swinging her axe as she blurred. she slammed into the great monster like a bolt of lightning. a reverberating crash shook the forest as the force of her strike knocked the snake¡¯s head to the side ¨C not stopping the attack, but redirecting it.


    it slammed down through the trees, crushing them with a splintering crash. moxie raised her hands into the air and the vines beside her erupted forth, winding up beneath her feet to carry her like a wave.


    noah tore his attention away from the fight and laid his bow against the strings of his violin. the forest ground shuddered as the fight intensified, and the first note hummed out from the violin.


    his hand started to move faster, the lone note slipping into a song. his eyes closed in concentration as he sank completely into his work. power coursed through the music and swirled around his body, flooding into the formation. another crash shook the forest and a cloud of dust rolled past noah, pelting him with small fragments of sharp wood, but he didn¡¯t stop playing.


    ¡°i think it¡¯s got something to do with pushing the dirt away from me instead of calling it over,¡± moxie said after a moment of thought. ¡°i¡¯m not completely sure yet. i¡¯ll need to test it a bit more, but i believe that¡¯s how the snake was controlling its body to make those spikes. we¡¯ll see after i can mess with it a bit more.¡±


    ¡°huh. cool,¡± lee said. ¡°i¡¯m glad i didn¡¯t get it, then. running around with a bunch of armor would just slow me down.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not so sure it¡¯ll be all that useful for me either,¡± moxie admitted. ¡°you sure you don¡¯t want this, noah?¡±


    ¡°nah. not my style.¡±


    ¡°then we honestly might be best off trying to auction it off at some point. we¡¯d probably be able to get a pretty nice amount of money for a master rune ¨C enough to buy some other ones that are a lot more useful.¡±


    ¡°sounds good to me,¡± noah said. he nudged the dead great monster at their feet. ¡°we should skin this thing. i¡¯d imagine its fangs and scales will earn us some good coin as well.¡±


    lee raised her axe and sent a pointed look at the snake. ¡°i can do it.¡±


    ***


    she did it.


    noah was actually rather impressed ¨C he¡¯d fully expected lee to just hack the monster apart and pick up the broken pieces, but after one nasty chop to the head, she peeled its skin quite effectively. she then proceeded to rip its fangs out one by one before stuffing everything into noah¡¯s bag and sending him a smug look.


    ¡°that¡¯s what it gets.¡±


    i¡¯m not sure if i should be impressed or terrified.


    ¡°good job,¡± noah said, settling for the former. ¡°i¡¯d say this was a pretty worthwhile venture. i only died once.¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t push your luck,¡± moxie said. ¡°that was really quite effective, though. formations are terrifying. i¡¯m honestly a little anxious to see what you¡¯ll be able to do once you start making them with more than just one rune. that¡¯s where they really shine.¡±


    ¡°me too,¡± noah admitted. ¡°though i¡¯d need to find a way to balance them. since i¡¯m only drawing on the power of one rune at the moment and using the others just to support it, the only runes that could balance each other out in power are sunder and the fragment of renewal ¨C and i don¡¯t think combining their powers is going to do much for me.¡±


    ¡°they¡¯re kind of opposites,¡± lee mused. ¡°one is for killing things with a passive that saves them, and the other is for saving things with a passive that kills them.¡±


    ¡°tell me about it. i¡¯m irony incarnate,¡± noah grumbled. ¡°i really want to get around to fixing my rank 3 runes. how do we feel about hunting a few more wylves so i can get the rest of the sand runes i need before heading out to find or buy some more runes?¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ve got some time left in our vacation, so i¡¯ve got no objections.¡± moxie shrugged. ¡°besides, i still need to figure out exactly what i¡¯m going to be teaching when we get back. maybe i¡¯ll get inspired.¡±


    ¡°killing things is fun,¡± lee said. ¡°and i need to get some more runes myself, so that works for me.¡±


    noah drew his flying sword and tossed it to the ground. lee¡¯s body rippled as she turned to her crow form. she flew out from her clothes as they flopped to the ground where she¡¯d been standing. he put them into his travel bag and lee settled in on top as he stepped onto the flying sword.


    moxie got on in front of him and he sent a pulse of energy into the blade, activating it. then they were off. as moxie had said, there was still some time left before the school year started once more. they weren¡¯t going to waste a second of it.

 Chapter 298: Reunion

    chapter 298: reunion


    time passed quickly ¨C and enjoyably. at least, they were enjoyable for noah¡¯s team. the monsters that were unlucky enough to fall into their path probably would have considered the time far worse, had they still possessed bodies with which to think.


    over the last few weeks of the vacation, the group traveled around the areas surrounding dawnforge, hunting for runes and monster parts. they didn¡¯t encounter anything particularly dangerous and everyone made good progress in filling their runes with energy.


    noah managed secure all the rank 1 runes he¡¯d need to put together a new set of rank 2s that would eventually become a rank 3 sandstorm rune. he also gathered enough rank 1s to make all the water, earth, and wind based rank 2 runes.


    he steadily rotated through the new runes, filling them up before depositing them back into his grimoire. whenever he filled enough of them, he then combined them into their rank 2 versions ¨C up until the point where he was just about prepared to form their rank 3 disaster variants.


    unfortunately, they didn¡¯t find much in the way of shadow, lightning, or ice related runes. even though they still had a few strong runes left over from dayton¡¯s scroll that could be butchered, noah and lee both decided it would be better to hold off.


    all the monsters they¡¯d killed and sold had earned them a hefty profit, and they all had around ten thousand gold to spend by the end of their efforts. noah couldn¡¯t quite bring himself to spend the coin he¡¯d earned, recalling exactly how expensive a replacement potion to heal todd¡¯s injury would be.


    at the same time, he didn¡¯t want to spend the money on a potion now, as he had no idea if silvertide had already helped todd fix the issue. if he had, buying a potion would have been a massive waste.


    moxie and lee didn¡¯t spend their money either. moxie didn¡¯t have anything she wanted to use it on yet, and lee just couldn¡¯t make up her mind on if she wanted to buy clothes, weapons, or runes.


    they also held off on trying to trying to sell the master rune. there was always the chance that isabel could use it, and since they weren¡¯t desperately wanting for coin, there was no need to rush anything.


    either way, they were all more than pleased with the results of their work through the vacation. noah had continued to practice on both music and his formations, and he was growing steadily more comfortable with the new form of magic. he¡¯d only mistakenly blown himself up twice throughout the rest of the trip, which definitely deserved an award of some kind.


    in the time that noah practiced his music, moxie and lee had sat to the side of the camp ¨C far enough away from noah to avoid getting caught up in any errant explosions ¨C and planned their lesson plans for the coming semester.


    they were all quite looking forward to getting back to arbitage. with the drama and difficulties of the vacation behind them, it felt like a new start.


    and so, only a day of travel away from arbitage, noah found himself sitting next to lee and moxie beside their campfire. he leaned against his grimoire, which contained all the runes he¡¯d gathered over the past weeks.


    ¡°now that the vacation is almost over, it feels too short,¡± lee said. ¡°i want to run around and explore things more. but i also want to see todd and isabel again. emily too. why can¡¯t we just all leave and go travel around?¡±


    noah opened his mouth, then closed it again. arbitage was really more of a tutoring program than a real school. he couldn¡¯t actually think of any good reasons why they couldn¡¯t just wander off and do what they wanted until it was time for the exams.


    ¡°we don¡¯t know what¡¯ll crop up during the school year,¡± moxie said. ¡°besides, it¡¯s not like we can¡¯t travel. we can use the transport cannon.¡±


    ¡°oh, yeah. that¡¯s true.¡± lee yawned, then shrugged. ¡°as long as we don¡¯t go back to the scorched acres. they¡¯re boring now. we have to go somewhere more interesting.¡±


    he could have done the combination before he arrived, but he¡¯d been more focused on actually gathering and filling the runes than combining them. his formations had also been at the front of his mind, but now that they were back at arbitage, it was as good a time as any to finish putting everything together.


    noah, moxie, and lee arrived in front of his room. a frown shot across his lips as his tremorsense picked something up. there was motion on the other side of his door. noah immediately held a hand up, his thoughts of runes banished.


    he nodded toward the door. moxie and lee both lowered their stances as noah reached out and rested his hand on the doorknob. it was conveniently unlocked. he gathered natural disaster¡¯s power in case someone had sent an assassin to wait for him. there wasn¡¯t any shortage of possible candidates for that.


    father, gentil¡¯s master wizen, someone from the torrin family, or quite literally anyone they¡¯d run into in recent travels ¨C there was no shortage of people that would have been happy to see his head on a plate.


    noah pushed the door open, prepared to blast whoever was standing on the other side to kingdom come.


    sitting on his bed, frozen in shock, was contessa. beside her was karina, and standing near the desk, her shoulders hunched in shame, was alexandra, the girl that he¡¯d freed from gentil¡¯s grasp.


    ¡°what the hell is going on in here?¡± noah demanded. ¡°what are you doing in my room?¡±


    they all started speaking at once, consequently making everything they said completely indecipherable. noah threw a glance back at moxie and lee to see if they were as confused as he was.


    ¡°you did say contessa could stay in your room,¡± lee said.


    ¡°that was before we went to visit evergreen,¡± noah exclaimed. ¡°why is she here now?¡±


    contessa started talking even louder, which made karina and alexandra both increase their volume to try and be heard over one another. moxie started to snicker.


    ¡°stop!¡± noah threw his hands up and they all snapped their mouths closed. he thrust a finger at contessa. ¡°you. go first. why are you here?¡±


    ¡°you said i could stay in your room,¡± contessa said meekly. ¡°and i didn¡¯t have anywhere else to go. my employer is dead, and the family didn¡¯t have a use for one of evergreen¡¯s aides. you still... you know. my head.¡±


    what is she ¨C oh. i said i put some form of magical bomb in her brain or something, didn¡¯t i?


    noah pursed his lips. ¡°right. what about you, karina? i was under the impression that we¡¯d both completed our ends of the bargain.¡±


    ¡°i need to bring you back to the linwick estate.¡±


    ¡°no.¡± noah said. he turned to alexandra. ¡°and you?¡±


    ¡°arbitage was the only academy close enough for me to reach that didn¡¯t require a massive entrance fee, and they still ended up taking just about everything i had,¡± alexandra said, not meeting noah¡¯s gaze. ¡°they said i could choose from a few teachers, and i recognized your name. i was hoping you¡¯d be willing to teach me.¡±

 Chapter 299: A while

    chapter 299: a while


    noah worked his jaw in thought. ¡°someone is just going around and assigning me students? i didn¡¯t realize i could get more.¡±


    alexandra nodded, adjusting the sword at her side. at first, noah thought it might have been meant to be some sort of threat, but then he realized that it was just a nervous tick. ¡°i spoke to a woman at the administration building who gave me a list of the professors that could take on non-noble students that didn¡¯t bring funding for rune research. you were one of the only ones ¨C and most of the others were either missing or not taking on new students at all.¡±


    meaning that if i don¡¯t take her on, she might not be able to find a teacher at all.


    karina and contessa exchanged a glance, both realizing that their requests had been sidelined for the time being. they were both smart enough to bide their time and wait until noah finished with alexandra.


    ¡°what exactly is it you came here to learn?¡± noah asked. ¡°i¡¯ve still yet to actually figure out the purpose of arbitage, if i¡¯m being honest. i thought it was basically a babysitting program for noble kids with a side of some basic training.¡±


    ¡°it depends on the teacher,¡± moxie said, finally getting over her silent laughing fit behind him. ¡°generally, families send their students to a specific professor because they have experience in something that the student wants. the general exams are only to ensure baseline competence. but, for someone without the backing of a family...¡±


    she didn¡¯t have to finish the sentence. for someone without money, the school taught whatever their professor decided to teach. arbitage didn¡¯t care about you if you weren¡¯t funding them.


    ¡°you beat gentil,¡± alexandra said, clenching her fists at her sides. ¡°and you¡¯re a teacher, aren¡¯t you? so you can teach me.¡±


    ¡°i can¡¯t use a sword.¡±


    ¡°i can practice the sword on my own,¡± alexandra said, but she did take a moment to look down at the flying sword hanging at noah¡¯s side. ¡°i want to learn how to fight.¡±


    noah chewed his lower lip. taking on a new student wasn¡¯t something that should be done impulsively. he was basically promising to be responsible for her health and safety, not just teaching her.


    it didn¡¯t look like alexandra had much choice, though. if she¡¯d come to arbitage and had already paid to get accepted, she was desperate.


    ¡°you can come to some of my lessons,¡± noah said, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had started to build up in the room. ¡°if everything goes well and you mesh with my other students, then you can stay. if not, we¡¯ll have to figure something else out. i know the school accepted you already, but i¡¯ve already got a responsibility to them that i won¡¯t sacrifice. is that fine with you?¡±


    alexandra didn¡¯t respond immediately, which raised noah¡¯s appraisal of her on the spot. she was actually thinking things through ¨C even though there wasn¡¯t much room for her to bargain, it was still a good quality to have.


    ¡°yes. that works. thank you,¡± alexandra said. ¡°i promise i won¡¯t let you down.¡±


    ¡°just focus on yourself,¡± noah suggested. he looked back to karina and contessa. ¡°now would either of you care to explain why my room has transformed into a gathering hall?¡±


    ¡°i needed to find you.¡± karina nodded at contessa. ¡°when i came to your door, she was here. i thought she might have broken in, so i started interrogating her. it seemed like she was telling the truth, so i decided to wait with her until you got back.¡±


    ¡°alexandra showed up a little while ago, and i didn¡¯t think you¡¯d have wanted to send her away,¡± contessa said nervously. ¡°so i said she should stay.¡±


    that¡¯s... surprisingly not shitty of you.


    ¡°i see. and did you have any plans of what you¡¯d do when i got back?¡± noah asked. ¡°i said you could stay here when we still had business together, but that is concluded.¡±


    ¡°what else am i going to do?¡± contessa asked. ¡°i¡¯m not good enough of a mage to become an adventurer. my family won¡¯t employ me because evergreen had so much power that they¡¯re worried i¡¯ll try to sabotage them in her name, and no other family would hire me unless it¡¯s to be a spy.¡±


    ¡°have you considered just doing something other than being an adventurer or working for your family?¡± noah asked.


    or just getting better at fighting?


    ¡°what? no.¡± contessa stared at noah. ¡°why would i do that? i¡¯m a torrin.¡±


    ah. too proud to live a normal life, but not capable of actually earning a better one. at least she¡¯s being honest.


    ¡°i see. and why is this my concern?¡± noah asked. ¡°are you saying you want to actively work for me?¡±


    maybe i should have a chat with father and see who i¡¯m dealing with. devil you know, eh?


    ¡°all he made you do was come find me?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t think i can risk saying much more than that, but i swear that¡¯s all he said he wanted me to do. he was going to find you himself before i got myself caught up in the mix. if you ignore his summons, i have no idea what he¡¯ll do to you ¨C or me.¡±


    ¡°my students?¡± noah asked, his eyes narrowing.


    ¡°he didn¡¯t say anything about them. i... i don¡¯t think he¡¯d go after them. he¡¯s a bit insane, but he felt genuine in wanting to only speak with you.¡±


    ¡°what do you mean by not being able to risk more, then? if you really want to convince me to do anything, shouldn¡¯t you be sharing literally everything that happened?¡±


    ¡°for all intents, i have. that¡¯s everything that i¡¯m allowed to share, but i swear that it¡¯s all that really matters. i can tell you that there¡¯s another part, but it¡¯s got more to do with me than you.¡± karina glanced over her shoulder as if the head of the linwick family was going to sprout from beneath noah¡¯s bedsheets and drag her, kicking and screaming, to a pillowy death. ¡°can¡¯t you just trust me?¡±


    ¡°no.¡±


    ¡°no,¡± lee added. noah was pretty sure she¡¯d only said it because she was bored of getting left out of the conversation.


    ¡°but¨C¡±


    ¡°discussion over,¡± noah said, suddenly remembering that he¡¯d had this entire conversation in view of alexandra, who was looking at noah like he¡¯d just revealed himself to be the crime boss of a city. he adjusted his jacket and shook his head. ¡°if you want me to meet this guy, make it worth my while. and stay away from my students. you¡¯ve used up all your warnings.¡±


    assassins or not, i¡¯m not just going to waltz out of arbitage and deliver myself to the linwick estate. jalen is welcome to send assassins if he wants to. the worst they can do is kill me.


    the blood rushed from karina¡¯s face and she nodded her understanding.


    ¡°alexandra, do you have a room?¡± moxie asked. ¡°or anywhere at all to stay?¡±


    ¡°yes, i¡¯m in the student housing,¡± alexandra said. ¡°i haven¡¯t looked at my room yet, though. i came straight here.¡±


    ¡°go head back and get some rest,¡± moxie said. ¡°meet us by the transport cannon tomorrow morning at sunrise. that¡¯ll be our first lesson of the semester.¡±


    ¡°understood.¡± alexandra straightened and gave moxie a curt nod before darting out the door and practically sprinting down the hall.


    noah was torn between laughing and rubbing the bridge of his nose. he was pretty sure alexandra was getting the wrong idea about him and moxie, but it was probably a little late to go about fixing that now. he¡¯d have to wait until class.


    ¡°are we done here?¡± noah asked. ¡°because, if so, i¡¯d like to be left alone. i¡¯ve got some prep work to take care of before school starts up again.¡±


    karina looked like she wanted to argue, but she let out a heavy sigh and remained silent. that was more than enough for noah, who stepped out of the doorway and headed for toward moxie¡¯s room.


    in the room behind him, karina cleared her throat. ¡°so, you get to stay?¡±


    ¡°looks like it.¡±


    ¡°and vermil isn¡¯t going to be sleeping here?¡±


    ¡°gods, i hope not. he¡¯s terrifying.¡±


    ¡°good, good.¡±


    they were both silent for several seconds.


    ¡°say,¡± karina said, drawing the word out. ¡°do you think this room is big enough for two people? i might need somewhere to stay for a little while.¡±

 Chapter 300: Job offer

    chapter 300: job offer


    as soon as they were through the door of moxie¡¯s room, noah made a beeline for her bed. a vine shot out and wrapped around his chest, yanking him to a stop before he could flop down.


    noah shot a glance over his shoulder at moxie. ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°when¡¯s the last time you had a shower?¡± moxie asked. ¡°we¡¯ve been traveling for weeks. you are not getting on my bed in those dirty clothes.¡±


    ¡°to be fair, these are pretty clean. i blew my old clothes up.¡±


    ¡°shower.¡±


    noah grumbled and fished through his bag in search of a new change of clothes, only to find that he¡¯d actually managed to go through all of them. he cleared his throat. ¡°i appear to be out of wardrobe replacements.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s because you keep blowing them up,¡± moxie said. ¡°what, are you asking for my clothes? i don¡¯t think they¡¯d fit you very well.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve probably got something left in my room. i¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    he headed down the hall and back toward his room. when he got a chance the following morning, he¡¯d have to go place an order with the seamstress to get some more outfits made. not fully paying attention to his surroundings, noah reached his door and pulled it open.


    contessa sat cross-legged on his bed, petting a white ball of fur curled up in her lap. noah recognized mascot¡¯s glowing red horns immediately. contessa¡¯s head jerked up to meet his gaze. she had a small piece of jerky in her hand that was half eaten ¨C and, judging by the small pieces of food scattered across the top of his sheets, mascot had been the one enjoying it.


    either that or contessa is a really messy eater.


    ¡°i don¡¯t know where the monster came from,¡± contessa stammered. she made as if to stand up, then looked down at the cat and elected not to move. ¡°it sat down on my lap, and now i don¡¯t want to get up. i¡¯ll wash the bed, i¨C¡±


    ¡°forget it,¡± noah said, walking across the room to his dresser and digging through it. ¡°looks like he¡¯s taken a liking to you. don¡¯t piss him off. that cat has indirectly killed a few people.¡±


    ¡°this?¡± contessa paused mid-pet, which caused mascot to let out a threatening purr. she started to stroke his fur again and mascot fell silent. ¡°how? it seems so... innocent. and soft.¡±


    noah found a change of clothes and pulled it out, tucking them under an arm. ¡°well, hopefully he¡¯ll stay that way. i didn¡¯t realize you liked animals. not a plant person like the rest of your family?¡±


    ¡°not everyone in the torrin family is a plant mage,¡± contessa grumbled. ¡°and i was never good with them anyways. at least animals can think. there¡¯s nothing wrong with them.¡±


    ¡°hey, don¡¯t let me mess up your mood.¡± noah shrugged. ¡°like what you like, it¡¯s no concern of mine. a cat-sitting service for mascot when he¡¯s bored is pretty useful. it means he won¡¯t try to bring monsters to kill me while i¡¯m trying to relax.¡±


    ¡°has... he done that before?¡± contessa swallowed and sent another look at the contented cat in her lap.


    ¡°only a few times. i¡¯ve never seen him that calm before, though.¡±


    contessa nodded thoughtfully. it was one of the first times that noah had seen her genuinely caring about something other than her own life. he wasn¡¯t particularly worried about mascot¡¯s safety with her ¨C the small monster could break into father¡¯s office without a second thought, so a rank 2 mage definitely wasn¡¯t going to put him at any risk.


    ¡°moxie?¡±


    moxie glanced up, picking up on the tone of noah¡¯s voice. ¡°yeah?¡±


    ¡°is this really what you want to do?¡± noah gestured to her desk. ¡°teaching, that is. i know you feel responsibility toward emily, and that¡¯s important, but it¡¯s almost as if you¡¯re trying harder now than you were before, and that¡¯s saying a lot.¡±


    a second passed. moxie lowered her quill, returning it to its resting place and leaning back in her chair to look up at the ceiling. ¡°i don¡¯t know. at first, i thought i¡¯d just want to cut free once i was free of evergreen. then i got free, and i realized i didn¡¯t know what else i¡¯d want to do. it¡¯s a lot easier to just... not think about it, you know? if i throw myself at this as hard as i can, then there¡¯s less to worry about.¡±


    ¡°that doesn¡¯t seem like the healthiest way to cope with things. i¡¯m not sure if i¡¯m the best person to be harping on that, given my ideal solution for most of the problems i face,¡± noah said. ¡°i don¡¯t really have a good answer, but as i¡¯ve said before, i¡¯m sure emily wouldn¡¯t hold it against you if you wanted to stop.¡±


    ¡°i know that, but it doesn¡¯t really change anything. now that i¡¯m actually the one doing the teaching instead of worrying about evergreen over my shoulder, i guess it feels a bit different. i think.¡±


    ¡°teaching is fun. it¡¯s stretching and hitting your friends,¡± lee provided. ¡°and sometimes you learn stuff too.¡±


    i¡¯m not sure that¡¯s the definition of teaching i¡¯d want to go with.


    ¡°it¡¯s certainly better than a lot of other things. i have been having a bit of fun trying to figure out what i¡¯m going to spend time teaching now that i¡¯m the one that actually gets to decide what it¡¯ll be,¡± moxie said. ¡°this year is going to be interesting, especially with a new student. she¡¯s not exactly the standard.¡±


    ¡°far from it,¡± noah agreed. ¡°based on how strong she was when we fought, she¡¯s a rank 3.¡±


    ¡°i think some of that power came from wizen¡¯s control over her, but she¡¯s definitely at least a rank 2 if not more. well ahead of our current students ¨C or at least, ahead of where they were before we left for our vacation.¡±


    ¡°isn¡¯t that gonna mess the tests up?¡± lee asked. ¡°she¡¯s gonna stomp all the other students.¡±


    that brought a grin to noah¡¯s face. ¡°can you imagine her dropkicking edward? i haven¡¯t thought about that little brat since we went to the linwick estate for the first time. i¡¯d love to see the look on his face when he realizes that isabel and todd are rank 2 already.¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ll have to see. i don¡¯t think arbitage is going to let someone that much stronger than everyone else screw with the results of the exams, but who knows.¡± moxie picked her quill up and got back to work. ¡°noah, do you want to handle most of tomorrow¡¯s lesson? you might as well just introduce alexandra to your... unique form of fighting.¡±


    ¡°sure.¡± noah shrugged. ¡°you¡¯ll just have to keep alexandra distracted for a bit afterward while i¡¯m using sunder to help todd, isabel, and emily. i¡¯m not going to be sharing that around yet.¡±


    ¡°logically,¡± moxie said. ¡°that¡¯ll be fine. i¡¯ll just sic lee on her.¡±


    ¡°we could stretch,¡± lee said, a spark of glee flashing in her eyes. ¡°and then we could spar. it¡¯ll be fun.¡±


    for one of you.


    ¡°sounds like a plan,¡± noah said. he laid back down on the bed and yawned. ¡°okay. i think we¡¯ve dealt with just about everything we need to for today. i¡¯m going to make my new runes now. wake me up if anything important happens, okay?¡±


    ¡°will do,¡± lee promised.


    with that, noah grabbed his grimoire and opened the large book up in his lap. there were some new rank 3 runes waiting for him.

 Chapter 301: Shiv

    chapter 301: shiv


    the cold steel of sliv¡¯s dagger bit into his palm as his grip tightened around it. his heart pounded like a runaway horse in his chest and his entire body shook with excitement and tension.


    a few weeks ago, he¡¯d thought that his life was over. his runes hadn¡¯t been strong enough to pass any of the final exams for the linwick guard. he¡¯d lost in the majority of his fights. there had been nothing left. his future had been engulphed in flame, and all that remained was a short, brutal life of hunting monsters until one of them got the best of him.


    and then, in the darkest moment of his life, there had been light. an extended hand and a thin-lipped smile had lifted him, giving one more chance. another shot to prove himself. a target.


    the target that was currently seated just on the other side of the window from him, blissfully unaware of his presence. sliv¡¯s fingers trembled with exertion from holding onto the side of the building ¨C he¡¯d spent more time than he cared to admit crawling along it and following his target, waiting for the moment to strike.


    just drive the blade into the back of his neck before he even realizes i¡¯m here. he won¡¯t even have time to activate his shield, and i¡¯ll be gone before anyone knows what happened.


    just one kill.


    sliv¡¯s tongue ran along his lips. excitement pumped through his veins as he envisioned the future that was just a single stab away from him. a cushy, easy post at the linwick estate. he¡¯d never have to really work again.


    sliv caught a hold of himself before he got too distracted. he could celebrate once the target was done. the windows in arbitage had some basic imbuements that kept people like him from breaking them too easily, but his dagger was no simple tool.


    a tiny flicker of energy passed from sliv¡¯s palm and into the pommel of the blade. it let out the faintest of hums as it activated. the hungry grin on sliv¡¯s features stretched as he thrust the dagger for the window.


    there was a loud crack ¨C but it wasn¡¯t the window.


    he was falling. sliv¡¯s mind spun, sputtering and failing as he saw the sky opening up above him and the building pull away. his mouth opened, trying to muster noise as he mentally scrambled to figure out what had happened.


    a figure dropped from the air above him, their features obscured in the darkness. sliv never got a chance to make anything about them out. his head hit the ground with a loud crunch, and then there was nothing.


    ***


    karina dropped to the dirt beside the would-be assassin, the hammer in her hands melting away and turning into a bracelet on her wrist. she glanced over her shoulder to see if anyone had seen her, but they were on the less-populated side of the building and there was nothing but foliage around her.


    ¡°thank god he started with shitty assassins,¡± karina muttered, straightening back up and brushing her hands off as she gathered her breath. the man hadn¡¯t even noticed her coming. she had some basic stealth training, but nothing that would let her evade the notice of someone even slightly competent.


    i need to get rid of this guy before ¨C


    ¡°whatcha doing?¡±


    karina spun, guilt played out across her face so clearly that it might as well have been written in blood. lee stood across from her, leaning against a tree. karina was certain that she¡¯d seen the short girl in the room just a few seconds ago.


    her mouth worked, trying to come up with an explanation. ¡°i, ah¨C¡±


    ¡°another guy trying to kill vermil?¡± lee asked, walking up to the body and stretching her arms above her head. ¡°i smelled him, but he seemed so weak that i didn¡¯t even think it was worth doing anything. i didn¡¯t think he¡¯d try to stab the window. why didn¡¯t he just open it?¡±


    karian closed her mouth and swallowed. ¡°he was an assassin. after vermil. i told him. you heard. jalen is going to send people after vermil until he comes back to the linwick estate with me.¡±


    it was ten percent full, and there was no modifying word for it. the rune was simple ¨C it was focused. even though it had been exactly as noah had been planning, he couldn¡¯t keep the grin from crossing his lips. he called on the power of the rune without waiting, testing out the pressure it put out.


    to noah¡¯s delight, there was no change. the rank 3 rune¡¯s power was perfectly steady, even as he drew more and more from within it. noah released the power and let out a laugh.


    sure, it worked for moxie, but there was still a small part of me that thought it wouldn¡¯t do the same for me for some reason. also, this is interesting. i thought one-word names were reserved for master runes, but it looks like you can achieve them just by having the right intent and combination. that means that the length of the name really does just indicates the rune¡¯s focus, and having a shorter name means having a better rune. what the hell are master runes, then? sandstorm doesn¡¯t feel like one.


    the answer to that didn¡¯t come, but noah was too pleased to ruminate over it for long. he had more work to do.


    whelp. that¡¯s one down, six to go. i should take care of the easiest ones first.


    noah drew runes from within his grimoire like a starving man devouring a feast. his water based disaster came next, and it only took him a minute to copy his exact strategy for sandstorm to create a tsunami rune, made up of four water and three vibration runes.


    he¡¯d considered going with monsoon instead, but now that he was remaking his work, having both monsoon and cyclone felt like it was a little redundant. it was better to really spread himself out and focus on each individual element as much as possible while maintaining his disaster focus.


    after tsunami came cyclone. he formed it even faster than the previous ones due to his increased experience with wind, and it turned out exactly how he¡¯d wanted it to. cyclone was followed up by earthquake, which was a mixture of four earth and three vibration runes.


    one of his goals in the creation of his re-designed rank 3 runes was to increase the amount of vibration present in them. now that he could actually justify spending effort on music, vibration would be invaluable. tsunami and earthquake were both good spots for it, and the third would be in his remade lightning rune. he hadn¡¯t worked out exactly how he¡¯d do it yet, but he was certain it was possible.


    unfortunately, noah didn¡¯t quite have enough of the rank 2 vibration runes left over to make the rank 3, but he was confident he¡¯d be able to buy them soon enough.


    he finally let his hands lower, looking out over the four new runes that floated in his mindspace. sandstorm, tsunami, cyclone, and tectonic force. his final three would be fire, ice, and the lightning-vibration combination.


    ¡°not too far from rank 4,¡± noah mused to himself. ¡°after i buy the runes for the last few and get them made, i can just go hunting for a little while and rank up shortly afterward.¡±


    his entire soul pulsated with energy. he could feel it expanding to accommodate the pressure of his new runes. noah¡¯s fingers twitched involuntarily as his body absorbed some of the excess power.


    it felt odd to have made four rank 3 runes in the span of minutes ¨C almost as if he hadn¡¯t earned them, even though he¡¯d already put in all the work over the vacation and was now just reaping the rewards.


    noah¡¯s smile faded as a thought struck him.


    this is what nobles do, minus the part where i actually earned all the runes myself. they can just feed people fully filled runes and force them up to really high ranks. time and money basically aren¡¯t constraints to them.


    the only thing really holding them back is functional combinations. it doesn¡¯t matter how fast you can reach rank 5 if you can¡¯t get past it and can¡¯t use your runes properly. maybe isabel and todd were actually the lucky ones.


    noah took one last look at his runes. he wasn¡¯t rank 4 yet, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel proud. it would have been a little awkward if he¡¯d come back to arbitage no stronger than when he¡¯d left ¨C his formations notwithstanding, as he couldn¡¯t exactly show those off in public.


    as soon as class is over tomorrow, i¡¯m going to look into finding out where we can buy a bunch of runes for lee, the kids, and myself. maybe i¡¯ll register myself as a rank 3 as well. as funny as it would be to show up and jump straight from rank 2 to rank 4, i think that might cause a few issues.


    that¡¯s all a problem for tomorrow, though.


    for now, i¡¯m going to brag to lee and moxie.

 Chapter 302: Welcome

    chapter 302: welcome


    ¡°about time,¡± moxie said from where she sat on the bed beside noah.


    ¡°that¡¯s it? i made four rank 3 runes in like five minutes!¡± noah exclaimed. ¡°and the best you can say is about time?¡±


    moxie laughed and held her hands up in surrender. ¡°i mean, you did have those runes for a while. i was surprised you didn¡¯t just start making the rank 3s as they came.¡±


    ¡°i was focused on formations,¡± noah replied. ¡°and i still needed to make sure my intent for everything was perfect. i just need to buy a few runes to finish everything off ¨C both for myself and for lee. then i can get to rank 4.¡±


    ¡°if you get to rank 4 before me, i¡¯m going to be pissed,¡± moxie declared, smiling to show that she was only joking. the smile slipped away as her expression turned serious. ¡°you really need to register as a rank 3 mage, though. when you hit rank 4, people might start to notice. i suppose you could always act as if father was boosting your ranks because he got fed up with you being behind, but it could cause issues that you don¡¯t want.¡±


    ¡°yeah, i was already planning to do that,¡± noah said. ¡°after our class tomorrow, probably.¡±


    ¡°do we have to do anything about alexandra?¡± lee¡¯s voice came from the window, and noah nearly jumped out of his skin. he suddenly realized that lee had somehow disappeared from where she¡¯d been sitting.


    she hung upside down, her hair framing her head on the other side of the window. noah reached over and opened it, letting lee slide inside before closing it behind her.


    ¡°god, lee. you scared the life out of me,¡± noah said. ¡°and if you mean her runes, i don¡¯t see how it¡¯s our problem. arbitage let her in. i guess they don¡¯t have a strict limit on strength, but it¡¯d be really awkward if she¡¯s at or above my rank when i¡¯m the professor.¡±


    ¡°sounds good,¡± lee said. she hopped down from the bed and splayed out across the floor. ¡°i¡¯m bored.¡±


    ¡°have you figured out what you¡¯re going to need to fix all of your current ones so they¡¯re true perfect runes?¡±


    ¡°yeah. i just need to find them,¡± lee said through a yawn. ¡°can we go shopping soon? i don¡¯t know where to find shadow aligned monsters.¡±


    ¡°i need some more vibration runes as well, so i¡¯m definitely not against it. we can go after class,¡± noah said. ¡°besides, we¡¯ll know if we need money for a healing potion to fix todd¡¯s neck injury by then.¡±


    moxie and lee nodded. noah cast a glance out the window. there was still a fair amount of time left in the day ¨C and that meant more time to practice his formations. testing his newly made runes would have to wait until tomorrow. he didn¡¯t want to mistakenly destroy moxie¡¯s room.


    ***


    the rest of the day passed quickly and the next one dawned as it always did. as the sun rose above the tall buildings of arbitage, noah headed for the transport cannon with moxie. lee had gone ahead, having woken up several hours before them.


    she also had the added benefit of being able to sniff out where isabel, todd, and emily were. it struck noah that there was always a possibility that they hadn¡¯t actually shown up yet, but silvertide didn¡¯t strike him as the kind of man that was often late.


    sure enough, when he and moxie arrived at the base of the transport cannon, there was already a small group waiting for them. noah nearly missed a step. the students had gone through a pretty significant change since he¡¯d last seen them.


    todd was more muscular than he¡¯d been a few months ago, and he stood with the casual ease of a fighter. he¡¯d never been particularly stiff, but the difference between now and his previous posture was like night and day.


    isabel, like todd, had put on some muscle. she stood with just as much grace ¨C if not more ¨C and had her hair tied back into a ponytail. there was a long, thin scar running along the side of her cheek that looked like it had long since healed over.


    emily and james stood beside them, just across from lee. out of all of them, emily had changed the least. she was still unfortunately the shortest by a wide margin, and her long silver hair hung low at her back.


    she was locked in an excited conversation with james, who also looked largely the same as he had before the vacation. he still had the same, vacant-eyed expression that hid a rather intelligent mind.


    todd was the first to notice noah¡¯s approach. he paused mid-word, turning to look at him and raising a hand in greeting, a wide grin stretching across his face. noah noted that he didn¡¯t seem to have any issue with the sudden motion.


    ¡°teacherman!¡±


    the other students all turned toward noah and moxie as they came to a stop beside the small group.


    ¡°it¡¯s been a while since i¡¯ve heard that one,¡± noah said with a laugh. ¡°how have you all been? did silvertide treat you well? i don¡¯t see him anywhere. did he not come back to arbitage?¡±


    ¡°he was great,¡± todd said. ¡°way less crazy than you. richer, too.¡±


    ¡°she¡¯s over there,¡± lee said, nodding down the road. noah turned to look over his shoulder. sure enough, alexandra was heading down the path in their direction, her sword hanging at her side.


    she noticeably slowed when she realized they were all looking at her, then accelerated to avoid remaining the object of attention for too long. drawing up alongside noah and moxie, alexandra inclined her head slightly.


    ¡°sorry. i got lost.¡±


    ¡°no harm done. everyone, this is alexandra,¡± noah said. ¡°she¡¯s a new student.¡±


    ¡°a new student? you?¡± todd¡¯s eyebrows lifted and he crossed his arms. ¡°what, we aren¡¯t enough for you? don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve reverted to your old ways, teacherman.¡±


    isabel prodded todd in the side and he doubled over with a startled yelp.


    ¡°sorry about him,¡± isabel said, her words polite but flat. ¡°todd doesn¡¯t think before words come out of his mouth. did you choose professor vermil? or were you assigned to him?¡±


    ¡°i chose him,¡± alexandra said. ¡°he, lee, and moxie helped me out of an... uncomfortable situation. i just happened to see his name as one of the available professors teaching non-noble students here.¡±


    ¡°and you chose vermil?¡±


    ¡°she¡¯s not from arbitage,¡± noah said wearily. ¡°she doesn¡¯t know about my unfortunate reputation.¡±


    ¡°ah. that explains it,¡± emily said. ¡°i see she¡¯s a sword-wielder. or is that a flying sword?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s for combat,¡± alexandra said. ¡°i don¡¯t have wind magic.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯ll all get more than enough time to get to know each other soon enough,¡± noah said. ¡°try to be nice, please. i suggest you all spend some time getting to know each other at some point today.¡±


    ¡°so what are we going to be doing today, then?¡± isabel asked. ¡°scorched acres?¡±


    ¡°nah. i think you¡¯ve graduated from that for the time being,¡± noah said. ¡°and you¡¯d have an unfair advantage since you¡¯ve fought monsters from that location before. we¡¯ll be going somewhere new so you all start from the same spot. it¡¯ll be a better frame of reference for your abilities.¡±


    ¡°we¡¯re leaving arbitage?¡± alexandra asked, taken aback. ¡°i thought we would be sparring each other.¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ll get to that at some point, but i¡¯d much rather see you fighting at full strength,¡± noah said. he nodded toward the transport cannon. ¡°and this is a great way to do just that. we¡¯ll be going to the windscorned plateau. any questions before we get moving?¡±


    ¡°i didn¡¯t bring appropriate equipment for fighting monsters,¡± alexandra said with a frown. ¡°i¡¯d thought we wouldn¡¯t need it yet.¡±


    ¡°appropriate equipment?¡± noah frowned. ¡°like what? you¡¯ve got your sword and your runes.¡±


    ¡°a shield. gen ¨C ah, i didn¡¯t have one before. the unique imbuements i had made my body considerably more resilient than normal, but those are gone. my runes still make me harder to hurt, but they won¡¯t stop a direct attack by a sharp claw.¡±


    isabel, todd, and emily all exchanged a look of mutual understanding and started to laugh. alexandra frowned.


    ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s fine,¡± isabel said. ¡°we had the same reaction. you won¡¯t need a shield.¡±


    ¡°i won¡¯t? why not? i thought we were fighting monsters.¡±


    ¡°we are,¡± noah said. ¡°shields are a good tool, but if you¡¯re overly reliant on them, then they¡¯re a crutch. you won¡¯t be using one.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re serious?¡± alexandra asked. ¡°but...¡±


    ¡°welcome to the class,¡± todd said with a wry grin. ¡°you¡¯ll get used to it.¡±

 Chapter 303: If all your friends...

    chapter 303: if all your friends...


    with introductions complete, noah and moxie herded everyone up to the top of the transport cannon. tim was, as usual, sitting in his place, a tired expression on his face. he rose as they all emerged from the elevator and into his room.


    ¡°vermil!¡± tim raised a hand in greeting, a smile crawling across his weathered creatures. ¡°it¡¯s been some time, lad. how have you been?¡±


    ¡°busy,¡± noah said honestly. ¡°it¡¯s good to be back, though. getting things started again for the new school year.¡±


    ¡°with some new faces, i see,¡± tim said, his gaze dancing over the students. ¡°preparing for exams already?¡±


    ¡°not intentionally. i still don¡¯t know what exams are coming up,¡± noah admitted. ¡°i hear we¡¯re going to find out soon. just doing some exercises to get to know each other.¡±


    ¡°sharing fun facts?¡±


    ¡°something like that.¡± noah chuckled. ¡°do you think you could get us sent to the windscorned plateau for a day?¡±


    tim nodded and turned his attention to the controls on the wall. a faint rumble shook the room as he adjusted the transport cannon, lining it up with a new destination before nodding to the waiting tube. ¡°it¡¯s all set up for you, vermil.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll go first to make sure the area is clear,¡± moxie said, lying down in position. the transport cannon hummed to life and, with a whump, she vanished in a beam of blue energy. emily promptly walked over to lie where moxie had been.


    ¡°thank you. i should have asked this earlier, but how was your vacation?¡± noah asked as the transport cannon sent emily after her mentor.


    ¡°it was enjoyable. i spent most of it here, but there wasn¡¯t all that much to do, so i mostly watched the sunsets and sunrises,¡± tim said. he looked out a window and let out a soft sigh, a smile crossing his features. ¡°they¡¯re really quite beautiful here. if you ever get a chance to sit down and be still for a little while, i highly recommend it.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve done it once or twice,¡± noah said, thinking back to the ruins moxie had brought him to before they¡¯d left arbitage. ¡°and it was very nice, you¡¯re right.¡±


    the transport cannon hummed and emily vanished. one by one, the other students all got on and were launched as well. lee was the last of the group to use it, leaving noah and tim alone in the room.


    i remember promising that i¡¯d find a way to fix up tim¡¯s runes. it¡¯s not like i don¡¯t have the actual runes to do it now... but how am i meant to fix anything without revealing sunder¡¯s powers? do i knock him out and fix everything while he¡¯s unconscious or something? can you even use the mind meld potion if you¡¯re unconscious? maybe i should just leave a good rune somewhere where he can take it.


    that wouldn¡¯t really fix any of the issues of his other runes immediately, but he could try to shatter the bad ones and i could discretely find a way to use the fragment of renewal on him.


    ¡°is something amiss?¡± tim asked.


    noah shook his head, realizing he¡¯d been standing silently for a minute. ¡°no, sorry. i just got lost in memories.¡±


    ¡°thinking about the sunset?¡±


    ¡°yeah. it was a nice sunset.¡± noah laid down in the transport cannon¡¯s tube.


    ¡°have a fun trip,¡± tim said.


    noah didn¡¯t get a chance to reply. energy erupted within his body as the cannon activated, and then he was gone.


    ***


    the world slammed back into its proper shape and noah¡¯s feet alighted on soft grass. the windscored plateau was exactly as he remembered it. steep landmasses surrounded them ¨C some towering in the sky, and others far below.


    soft grass stretched across the ground, broken up by plump blue flowers. he was still completely convinced that the flowers were probably poisonous.


    the others all stood around noah, taking in the new sights. luckily, it didn¡¯t look like there were any monsters in the area that they¡¯d arrived in.


    isabel and emily were both kneeling beside one of the flowers, examining its petals.


    ¡°i was about to ask the same thing,¡± emily said.


    ¡°you¡¯re welcome to fight them however you want to,¡± noah said with a shrug. ¡°i want to see how far you¡¯ve come individually. if you think you can best show that at a range, then go ahead.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t have any way to fight at range,¡± alexandra said.


    ¡°you could always throw your sword,¡± todd offered.


    alexandra¡¯s eyebrows tightened and she sent him a flat look. ¡°i¡¯m not doing that.¡±


    ¡°as i said, you¡¯re welcome to fight however you want,¡± noah said, walking past the group toward the edge of their plateau. they all fell in behind him and noah peered over the edge down at the landmass below them.


    there were a fair number of fluffants milling about below ¨C fifteen, by noah¡¯s count. not a single one of the monsters had yet to pay them any attention. the drop was probably several hundred feet, so noah doubted the fluffants had any idea of their presence.


    ¡°range is one thing, but i don¡¯t think i can hit anything from up here,¡± todd said with a frown. ¡°my magic won¡¯t make it that far.¡±


    ¡°i might be able to hit something from here, but i¡¯m not sure the amount of energy it would take is worth the effort.¡± emily closed an eye and squinted down at the monsters. she shook her head. ¡°yeah, it would take way too much energy to get a good shot off. if they¡¯re resistant to magic, then they probably won¡¯t go down to an attack that¡¯s lost most of its power by the time it gets to them.¡±


    ¡°sounds like we¡¯re fighting in close range, then.¡± james rubbed his eyes. he looked half-asleep, which wasn¡¯t the most comforting state of mind when one was about to go fight monsters. ¡°i could get us down there if you want.¡±


    ¡°is that allowed?¡± alexandra asked, glancing to noah.


    noah shrugged in response. ¡°go ahead. i want to see your fighting abilities, not your terrain traversal abilities. i was going to offer to bring everyone down myself, but i didn¡¯t remember james had wind runes.¡±


    ¡°hold on,¡± isabel said, putting a hand on james¡¯ shoulder before he could step forward. ¡°the fluffants are going to get aggressive the moment we use magic near them. if we kill one, then we¡¯re going to have to fight all of them, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°what, should we kidnap them to fight one by one?¡± todd asked.


    ¡°i was more thinking sectioning parts of the plateau off,¡± isabel replied. ¡°if there are big rock walls in the way of the other monsters, we should be able to take one on one fights a lot easier.¡±


    that¡¯s a really good idea, actually. i was fully planning on just killing all the fluffants that weren¡¯t currently fighting someone. i¡¯m not worried about todd or isabel¡¯s fighting abilities since they¡¯ve both got armor. todd and emily also have shields, and alexandra is hard to hurt, so the only one who i really need to keep a close eye on is james.


    ¡°i like the thought, but do you have enough energy to actually maintain it? what if the fluffants try to break through the barrier?¡±


    ¡°then we can just kill them,¡± todd said. ¡°it should slow ¡®em down enough for us to take out the fluffant we¡¯re fighting, and that¡¯s what matters. the barrier doesn¡¯t have to stop anything. it just has to make sure we don¡¯t get overwhelmed too quickly.¡±


    ¡°fine with me.¡± james yawned. ¡°i¡¯m ready when you all are, then.¡±


    ¡°what do we do?¡± todd asked.


    ¡°jump,¡± james replied. ¡°together, that is. i¡¯ll slow our fall.¡±


    noah snuck a glance at alexandra, but she didn¡¯t seem perturbed by the suggestion. either she trusted the others enough to believe james¡¯ promise that they wouldn¡¯t splatter against the ground or she just wasn¡¯t worried. there was a good chance the fall wouldn¡¯t hurt her in the first place, but she had said that her body wasn¡¯t as resilient as it had been back in dawnforge.


    ¡°feel free to go whenever you¡¯re ready,¡± noah said, drawing on natural disaster to channel some of his own wind magic. he could have pulled it from one of his newer runes, but he hadn¡¯t had a chance to play with them yet and didn¡¯t want to mistakenly over or underestimate their power. ¡°i¡¯ll grab lee and moxie if you focus on the other students, james.¡±


    and i¡¯ll have enough ready to catch the kids too, in case you don¡¯t.


    james gave noah a nod.


    then, as one, the group stepped up to the edge of the cliff and jumped.

 Chapter 304: Skill check

    chapter 304: skill check


    noah¡¯s group landed just a few seconds before the students did. he¡¯d chosen a location as far away from the majority of the fluffants as possible to avoid mistakenly drawing the attention of too many, but that didn¡¯t stop the nearest few from noticing him.


    he gathered energy in natural disaster, ready to act the moment it was needed. even as he was calling on his magic, the students all dropped around him. james had spent more energy than noah had to slow their fall more, but noah didn¡¯t fault him for it. slow and safe was better than fast and dead.


    two fluffants made a beeline toward them, kicking up a small storm of dirt and grass as they accelerated. the monsters weren¡¯t going to wait around for them to get ready.


    ¡°i got one.¡± todd said, striding toward the charging fluffants. stone raced up from the ground, slithering around his arms and solidifying into armor. as before, the majority of the armor was concentrated around his arms, but todd also formed thick leg guards and gave himself some plating across his vital organs.


    he¡¯d clearly optimized his armor during the vacation.


    his teacher was silvertide, so i¡¯d imagine a soldier would know a lot about that sort of thing.


    ¡°isabel, you want to get the other?¡± todd asked, unperturbed by the charging monsters.


    ¡°already on it,¡± isabel replied. there was a loud crack as a chunks of stone ripped free of the dirt beneath her, swirling up in a pillar and slamming onto her body in rapid fire succession. it only took a little over a second for her to completely encase herself in armor.


    she pressed a hand to her chest and drew it outward. a shimmering blue sword formed in her grip and she dropped into a practiced fighting stance. noah couldn¡¯t help but notice that isabel had elected not to form a shield or infuse her stone armor with the blue magic.


    well, the blue energy is probably her master rune, so i can see why she wouldn¡¯t be using it when strangers are here. hm. if this is hindering her progress, i might need to figure something out so she can get practice fighting at full strength.


    there was no more time to think, though. the fluffants were upon todd and isabel. noah¡¯s fingers twitched at his side, power gathered to strike at the first moment.


    the first fluffant¡¯s heavy steps didn¡¯t slow in the slightest as it attempted to simply run straight through todd. he shifted his weight and jumped to the side. there was a muffled whump as the move sent him sliding almost a dozen feet, well out of the monster¡¯s reach. flames roiled up the sides of todd¡¯s armored feet.


    i think that was a controlled explosion at his feet. damn. he¡¯s come a long way from using explosive punches.


    the fluffant skidded to a stop and spun toward him again, trumpeting in fury as it geared up to charge once more. out of the corner of his eye, noah saw isabel engage the other one. she thrust a hand up, yanking a thick stone pillar at an angle. it slammed into the fluffant and sent it staggering off course.


    in the second that it was off guard, isabel ripped more power from her runes and sent it into the ground. a rumble shook the plateau. grass ripped and dirt bubbled back as a large wall shot up, forming a ring around the group and the two fluffants.


    that can¡¯t have been a low energy move. she¡¯s probably filled her runes a good bit as well, then. nice.


    todd¡¯s fluffant charged him once more, this time attempting to slam him with its trunk. once more, todd dodged, giving the monster a wide berth. a grin pulled at the corners of noah¡¯s mouth.


    he¡¯s scoping out its moves instead of charging in and potentially getting surprised. good shit, todd.


    isabel took a different approach. as soon as her stone wall had been erected, she turned back to her opponent. even as the fluffant¡¯s feet pounded the ground and it bore down on her, she flicked her free hand up.


    a thick, jagged spike ripped out of the ground straight in the fluffant¡¯s path. it drove into the monster¡¯s stomach and continued onward. it let out a scream of pain and fury, thrashing desperately.


    it was pointless. isabel¡¯s rock formation wasn¡¯t some small, dainty spike. it was practically a sharpened boulder ¨C far too wide and heavy to be broken quickly. isabel wasn¡¯t done, though.


    as soon as the fluffant¡¯s front legs were lifted off the ground, she sprinted around to its side and flicked her sword, sending it flying for the monster¡¯s head. its violent thrashing moved her target out of the way and the blade bit home into a shoulder instead, sizzling as it sliced through fur.


    isabel reared back and the sword reappeared in her hand in an instant. she flung it once again ¨C this time striking true. the blade whistled straight through the fluffant¡¯s ear and buried into its brain. as if its strings had been cut, the red-eyed creature crumpled on the spot.


    ¡°stop playing around,¡± isabel called to todd.


    ¡°bah. you just shot it,¡± todd said. ¡°that didn¡¯t show anything.¡±


    ¡°it shows i know how to fight a fluffant.¡±


    ¡°fair enough,¡± noah said with a laugh. ¡°and it also shows that you¡¯ve got a pretty good understanding of wind. you held that attack until it was at the perfect range. did you guess how far the fluffant would skid as well? it stopped right in front of you.¡±


    james rubbed the back of his head at the compliment. ¡°to be honest, i slowed it down a bit after i killed it so i wouldn¡¯t have to move.¡±


    revin is insane, but he¡¯s no slouch. james is acting as if he¡¯s lazy, but that wasn¡¯t easy to pull off.


    ¡°it was cool,¡± lee said, giving james a thumbs up.


    ¡°i¡¯ll go last if you want to go next,¡± alexandra offered emily, drumming her fingers on the hilt of her sword.


    emily shrugged. ¡°sure. this won¡¯t take long. i was mostly practicing ranged attacks over the vacation, so i don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to be very impressive.¡±


    a section of the wall dropped away, and emily soon caught the attention of another fluffant. she formed an ice bow in her hands as the fluffant approached, raising it to eye level in one smooth motion. magic gathered in her hands, creating a shimmering arrow.


    there wasn¡¯t an ounce of concern in her posture as she lined the shot up. emily let the ice arrow fly before the fluffant had even passed the border of the wall. it streaked out in a flash, slamming straight into the monster¡¯s skull and boring into it.


    whatever magic resistance it had did precious little against the frozen projectile. it slammed true and the fluffant collapsed, just barely sliding past the stone wall before coming to a stop.


    i¡¯m pretty sure emily timed that. she could have hit it earlier. there was also just enough energy in that arrow to take out the fluffant without going into overkill territory. simple ¨C but very well executed.


    not exactly a lot for me to work with there, though. whatever. they all fight differently, so i can¡¯t expect the ranged ones to get into melee when they¡¯re showing off their best moves.


    ¡°well done,¡± moxie said before noah could speak.


    ¡°thanks.¡± emily released her bow and smiled, exchanging a glance with james. ¡°it wasn¡¯t a very strong monster, though.¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ll get there, don¡¯t you worry,¡± noah said with a chuckle. ¡°for now ¨C alexandra, you¡¯re up.


    once again, isabel dropped a section of the wall. once again, a fluffant spotted them. alexandra drew her sword as the monster burst into a charge. noah wasn¡¯t sure who the fluffant was going for, as alexandra had yet to use magic, but she was in its way regardless.


    a small frown passed over noah¡¯s features. alexandra wasn¡¯t using any magic that he could tell. she was just holding her sword at her side, waiting for the monster to reach her. his nerves tightened as the fluffant approached and alexandra remained in the same spot, still not making a single move.


    she should be a good bit stronger than these things since she¡¯s either a rank 2 or a rank 3, but even i would still get crushed if i just stood in front of one. from what she said, she doesn¡¯t have a shield either. what is she doing?


    the fluffant was now directly upon her, and the time to think was over. noah nearly burst into motion, but he froze at the last second. there wasn¡¯t an ounce of concern in alexandra¡¯s features.


    alexandra brought the blade down. it slammed into the charging fluffant and it continued straight through her. noah¡¯s eyes widened.


    oh shit. did she just get ¨C


    the fluffant stumbled. alexandra was still standing where she had been, her sword held before her. the two halves of the monster pitched in opposite directions, splattering to the ground as she turned.


    alexandra flicked the blood from her sword and slid the blade into the sheath at her side. ¡°i did it.¡±

 Chapter 305: Challenge

    chapter 305: challenge


    ¡°damned plains, that was awesome!¡± todd exclaimed, his stone armor dropping away as he strode up to examine the dead fluffant. ¡°you carved it right in two!¡±


    alexandra shifted, wiping some of the fluffant¡¯s blood from her face and arms. ¡°all i did was kill it.¡±


    no, that was definitely pretty awesome. how¡¯d she just stand there while it charged at her? that¡¯s a lot of force to bear. even if her blade was perfectly sharp, the halves of the fluffant were still moving quickly and should have hit her. she pushed through them without budging. i didn¡¯t see alexandra use a shield or anything to reinforce herself, though.


    ¡°what kind of runes let you do that?¡± isabel asked, joining todd. ¡°or was that just pure swordplay? i never knew you could do something like that.¡±


    ¡°it wasn¡¯t just swordplay,¡± alexandra said. ¡°it was¨C¡±


    ¡°body runes.¡± todd interrupted, looking up at alexandra with a sparkle in his eyes. ¡°you use body runes, don¡¯t you?¡±


    alexandra blinked. ¡°you know them?¡±


    ¡°know them? they¡¯re badass!¡± todd exclaimed. ¡°body runes are awesome! i mean, they¡¯re a huge risk, but they¡¯re incredible!¡±


    noah nudged moxie and lowered his voice. ¡°the hell is a body rune?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s slang for when you completely imbue yourself with a rune to the point where it¡¯s part of you,¡± moxie replied in the same tone. ¡°basically, you¡¯ve got no energy left to pull from the rune because all of it has been imbued in your body. it goes a very long way at making you resilient, but at a steep cost.¡±


    ¡°that doesn¡¯t seem ideal. so you basically can¡¯t use magic, but you¡¯re super infused with it?¡±


    ¡°pretty much.¡± moxie nodded. ¡°it¡¯s not very common for that exact reason. some soldiers will have a single body rune, but most of the time it¡¯s better to leave at least something to work with. you can¡¯t remove body runes. as the name suggests, they get completely meshed with your body and they aren¡¯t even in your soul anymore ¨C though they still take up a spot.¡±


    hardcore. you¡¯ve got to be really committed to do that, then. and they also hard cap your growth. can¡¯t advance past your current rank if you¡¯ve got a body rune. that¡¯s dark.


    ¡°how¡¯d you know i used a body rune?¡± alexandra asked, studying todd as if seeing him for the first time.


    ¡°your body was hotter than it should have been, but i didn¡¯t see you using any magic. after that it was just a good guess. i used to know someone that used body runes as well, so i¡¯m a little familiar with them.¡±


    ¡°it was definitely an impressive kill,¡± noah said. ¡°i¡¯m surprised you were worried about a shield if that¡¯s how you fight.¡±


    ¡°i didn¡¯t know what we¡¯d be fighting, and i¡¯d rather be safe than sorry. i was only able to cut the fluffant in half because i redirected most of the force. if it had a way to block my attack instead of charging right into it, i would have gotten crushed.¡±


    i wonder what kind of rune she uses to do that. oddly enough, i remember her sword catching fire while we were fighting. i suppose that probably doesn¡¯t have anything to do with her body rune, so either it¡¯s an artifact or she was just using a different rune for that.


    ¡°hey, alexandra also called it a fluffant,¡± lee said. ¡°that¡¯s a majority. they¡¯re renamed.¡±


    emily and james rolled their eyes in unison.


    i wonder if emily learned that from moxie and then taught james, or if they¡¯re both just cut from the same cloth.


    ¡°what¡¯s next?¡± alexandra asked. ¡°is this all we¡¯re going to do today?¡±


    ¡°of course not,¡± noah said, tapping his chin in thought. ¡°i just wanted a general understanding of where everyone stood after the summer. it also gave me some time to see how things stood among all of you.¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s that meant to mean?¡± todd asked. ¡°don¡¯t tell me we¡¯re getting even more training about how to work with others. you¡¯re the one that said we had to do this solo!¡±


    ¡°not that, though it¡¯s far from off the table.¡± noah leaned in to whisper into moxie¡¯s ear. ¡°hey, i¡¯ve got a stupid idea.¡±


    ¡°now.¡± noah glanced over to lee. ¡°you feeling up to help out?¡±


    lee tilted her head to the side. ¡°me? yeah. i¡¯m just a bit hungry.¡±


    ¡°as expected, then. how do you feel about playing a game?¡±


    a mischievous spark lit in her eyes. ¡°what kind?¡±


    ¡°tag,¡± noah replied. ¡°for the next few hours, everyone other than moxie and i are going to be hunting you. their goal will be to land a hand on you ¨C and your job will be to avoid them. for now, you can¡¯t fight back. you can only run.¡±


    ¡°sounds fun. i¡¯m in.¡±


    ¡°great. the first to catch lee gets a point. everyone else loses.¡± noah clapped his hands together and grinned. ¡°good luck.¡±


    the dirt beneath lee erupted as she burst into motion, flashing toward the sheer rock face behind them and bounding into the air. she slammed into it, pausing for only an instant before racing straight up the wall and disappearing from view in seconds.


    ¡°you¡¯re kidding me,¡± emily said. ¡°we¡¯ll never catch her. she¡¯s too fast.¡±


    noah shrugged. ¡°that¡¯s your problem. do what you want ¨C we¡¯ll be in the windscorned plateau for the rest of the day, and you all lose if you don¡¯t catch her by the time we get pulled back.¡±


    emily opened her mouth, but she paused as alexandra sprinted away from the group, following in lee¡¯s footsteps. she jumped onto the rock face and started to climb it ¨C not moving nearly as fast as lee had, but still at a respectable pace.


    kind of what i expected. she¡¯s strong, and i doubt she¡¯s had anyone look out for her in recent memory if she was in with gentil¡¯s lot. you¡¯re never going to catch lee working on your own, though.


    todd and isabel turned to each other.


    ¡°do you want the rune?¡± todd asked.


    ¡°yeah, but i think you do too,¡± isabel replied. ¡°we can¡¯t both have it, but don¡¯t let me catch you going easy on me. good luck.¡±


    ¡°you too.¡± todd bent his legs and his armor reformed over his body. an explosion set off beneath his feet and he was off, racing in pursuit of the other two.


    james shimmered and vanished from view as he used his light magic to turn himself invisible. emily and isabel both took off as well, racing to catch up with everyone else. noah watched them leave, his arms crossed.


    ¡°should we be worried about them running into monsters?¡± moxie asked.


    ¡°nah. lee will keep an eye on them, and we just saw that all of ¡®em can easily handle the fluffants. i¡¯m confident they¡¯ll be fine ¨C and a little pressure is still needed to improve. but, just to be safe, we should probably follow after them. i don¡¯t want someone slipping up and getting killed.¡±


    he drew his flying sword and tossed it to the ground. moxie stepped onto it and noah got on behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. before he could send magic into the blade, moxie leaned back and turned to give him a quick kiss on the cheek.


    ¡°that was a pretty clever way to motivate them. you¡¯re planning to make them realize they can¡¯t do this on their own ¨C but since isabel and todd are in direct competition, they can¡¯t work together on this one. that means they¡¯ll have to form different partnerships if they want to win.¡±


    ¡°thanks,¡± noah said, giving her a gentle squeeze. ¡°and now i¡¯m going to need to figure out more interesting lesson plans if i get a kiss for the good ones.¡±


    moxie snorted. ¡°don¡¯t get used to it.¡±


    chuckling, noah sent magic into the sword. it hummed to life and they shot off the ground in hot pursuit of lee and the students.


    ¡°do you think any of them actually have a chance to catch lee?¡± moxie called over the wind as it whistled past their faces.


    ¡°probably not as things are, but that¡¯s the interesting part.¡± noah squinted down at the line of kids racing across the plateau below them. ¡°either they adapt and find a new way to approach this ¨C or they fail. either way, it¡¯ll help expose where they¡¯re all weak. and, more importantly, it¡¯ll be fun to watch.¡±

 Chapter 306: Plots and Snacks

    chapter 306: plots and snacks


    alexandra turned in a slow circle. sweat streaked her face and her chest rose and fell with quick breaths. she¡¯d been chasing lee for the better part of three hours, and she hadn¡¯t even stopped once.


    and, for all the effort she¡¯d put in, her reward had been a fat nothing. in fact, she was confident that lee was screwing with her. every time alexandra started to close any ground and catch up with the short girl, lee would just turn around, grin, and then vanish in a blur of sudden speed.


    she¡¯s definitely toying with me. how does she have so much energy and speed? i¡¯d understand her being this fast if she also had low stamina, but she somehow has both. what kind of runes does she have?


    alexandra¡¯s only consolation was that nobody else was doing much better. she was well ahead of pace of the other students, and even though todd¡¯s use of explosions to propel himself forward actually let him move in slightly faster bursts than she did for short periods of time, he ¨C unlike lee ¨C actually had a limited amount of energy to work with.


    he¡¯d fallen behind over an hour ago, unable to keep up with their speed. she¡¯d been pretty sure that she wouldn¡¯t see him again during the exercise, but alexandra slowed as she realized that todd was heading straight toward her.


    she glanced around her surroundings, then cursed under her breath. lee had turned around and led her straight back to the other students.


    ¡°yeah, we¡¯re definitely getting screwed with,¡± alexandra muttered.


    out of the corner of her eye, alexandra spotted emily jogging in their direction. the silver-haired girl slowed, likely coming to the exact same conclusion that alexandra just had. the three of them walked up to each other, all taking a moment to catch their breath.


    ¡°this is pathetic,¡± emily complained, wiping her forehead with the back of a sleeve. ¡°i wanted to come back and show off how strong i¡¯d gotten.¡±


    ¡°tell me about it,¡± todd said with a sigh. ¡°but it¡¯s not like any of us can actually catch lee. at least she isn¡¯t making us stretch.¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s wrong with stretching?¡± alexandra asked.


    emily and todd both sent a harrowing look in her direction.


    ¡°you¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡± todd flopped to the ground and stretched out on the grass with a groan. ¡°damn, i¡¯m sore. i don¡¯t know why i even bothered trying to chase after lee. it¡¯s not like any of us can catch her.¡±


    ¡°tell me about it.¡± emily sat down beside him and tugged at her hair. ¡°i don¡¯t even want the damn rune.¡±


    ¡°you don¡¯t?¡± alexandra looked at emily in surprise. ¡°why not?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s useless for me,¡± emily replied. ¡°my fighting style is all about range and mobility. i don¡¯t have the stamina or desire to suddenly start hunkering down and taking hits.¡±


    ¡°you could sell it, though.¡±


    emily frowned. ¡°i could, but why would i? todd and isabel can both actually use it. it would be better if they got it.¡±


    you say that, but you weren¡¯t exactly standing to the side so todd or isabel could win. is this some tactic to get us to drop our guard?


    ¡°then why are you chasing lee?¡±


    emily looked over her shoulder, then craned her neck back to stare up at the sky. ¡°i wanted to show moxie how much stronger i got over the summer. the problem is, everyone else got stronger too, so i¨C¡±


    ¡°kind of just feel like you¡¯re in the same spot as when you left.¡± todd sat up. ¡°same here. not the impressing moxie part ¨C she¡¯s not my type.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s not what i meant!¡± emily punched todd in the shoulder and he cackled.


    ¡°sorry, sorry. you¡¯re more into the sleepy looking ones, then?¡±


    emily¡¯s face went red. ¡°what are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°you spent all summer with james,¡± todd teased. ¡°and you seemed pretty close when we got back. i guess he¡¯s got all that trauma from dealing with revin. trying to fix him?¡±


    ¡°oh, shut up.¡± emily rolled her eyes.


    ¡°you aren¡¯t denying anything.¡±


    ¡°get your head out of the gutter, or isabel is going to show you up and get the point for herself.¡±


    ¡°food,¡± todd and emily said in unison.


    ***


    isabel was no closer to finding lee than when she¡¯d first set out. she hadn¡¯t bothered wasting her energy when it became clear that lee was actually going all out to avoid them, so she¡¯d slowed to a walk so she could try to formulate a plan.


    the most obvious way to get lee within touching range was food. she¡¯d tried setting some jerky out to catch lee¡¯s attention, but after sitting in place for nearly three hours with a pile of food before her, isabel hadn¡¯t made any progress.


    and, of course, in the brief second it took isabel to start to stand, lee flashed by her, grabbing the entire pile and disappearing before isabel could so much as say a word.


    ¡°damned plains,¡± isabel cursed. ¡°my food!¡±


    a laugh rose up from beside isabel. the air rippled and james appeared standing beside her. ¡°sorry. that was pretty funny.¡±


    ¡°were you standing here the whole time?¡± isabel asked, narrowing her eyes.


    ¡°no. just for about thirty minutes or so. i figured you¡¯d probably know a better way to get lee than just chasing after her pointlessly. it became clear pretty quickly that we weren¡¯t going to catch her.¡±


    ¡°fat load of good that did,¡± isabel complained. ¡°i thought i was being clever.¡±


    ¡°well, it almost worked. you just weren¡¯t fast enough to do anything when lee got here.¡±


    ¡°i hadn¡¯t figured that out,¡± isabel said dryly. ¡°are you hoping to sell the master rune if you get it?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t really want it.¡± james scratched the back of his neck. ¡°and even if i did, it would be a little weird if i won. i¡¯m not even really part of your class. i¡¯m just taking cover from revin.¡±


    a pang of sympathy ran through isabel, and she nodded her understanding. ¡°i don¡¯t think any of us would hold it against you if you won it. we¡¯ve all seen revin.¡±


    ¡°he¡¯s not terrible, but he¡¯s definitely got more than a few problems up here.¡± james tapped his head, then glanced over his shoulder ¨C probably to make sure revin wasn¡¯t going to pop up behind him. ¡°but no, i don¡¯t want the master rune at all. emily wants to win, though.¡±


    ¡°so you¡¯re planning to help her?¡±


    ¡°yeah.¡±


    ¡°then why are you here?¡±


    ¡°because emily wouldn¡¯t want me to help her directly.¡± james¡¯ cheeks reddened and he cleared his throat. ¡°i don¡¯t want to make it seem like i don¡¯t think she can do it herself, but she¡¯s been talking about showing moxie how much stronger she¡¯s gotten for practically all our vacation. this is a great way to do that.¡±


    ¡°so you want to help her but don¡¯t want her to know you¡¯re helping,¡± isabel concluded, hiding a grin. ¡°cute. what¡¯s that got to do with me, though?¡±


    ¡°emily is partnering up with todd and alexandra, so they might actually have a chance of catching up to lee.¡±


    isabel¡¯s brow furrowed in confusion. ¡°if that¡¯s the case, why are you here? shouldn¡¯t you be waiting invisible somewhere to try to help from the sidelines?¡±


    ¡°i think you misunderstood me.¡± james adjusted his shirt and tugged at his collar. ¡°i don¡¯t want to help emily catch lee. i want to help her show how far she¡¯s come ¨C and that means giving her good opponents to face so she can really prove herself. the best story is a comeback, not someone who keeps the lead the whole way.¡±


    ¡°you mean¨C¡±


    ¡°i want to make sure she loses the round,¡± james said with a nod. ¡°which means i want to help you win.¡±


    isabel burst into laughter. ¡°you¡¯re more like revin than you think.¡±


    ¡°egh.¡± james shuddered. ¡°never say that again. do you want my help or not?¡±


    ¡°sure,¡± isabel replied. ¡°how are we going to do this, though? i¡¯m out of food.¡±


    ¡°by getting something that takes lee a little more time to eat,¡± james replied, rubbing his hands together as a cold wind howled past them. he turned his gaze toward a plateau below them, where several fluffants grazed. ¡°why don¡¯t we start with those?¡±

 Chapter 307: Attempts

    chapter 307: attempts


    ¡°it looks like everyone came to the same conclusion,¡± moxie said. she and noah stood at the top of a tall plateau, overlooking the students below them. a dozen fluffants laid dead on the ground behind them, having made the poor decision of attacking after noticing the energy coming from noah¡¯s sword as they¡¯d landed. several more hours had passed since the exam had started, and it was now well into the night.


    ¡°it was kind of a freebie,¡± noah said. ¡°there¡¯s no other way to get lee to stick around for any period of time. hunting a bunch of fluffants and piling them up to force lee to stand still for just a few seconds is the best shot they¡¯re going to get.¡±


    and that was exactly what both groups were doing. they¡¯d set out on a hunt that probably would have broken at least a few laws on depopulation on earth, taking out every fluffant they could and dragging the bodies into piles in an attempt to create what was functionally an offering.


    ¡°i feel a bit bad for the fluffants,¡± moxie said, looking up at the sky. the sun had started to make its trek beneath the clouds and evening was approaching at a steady pace. it wouldn¡¯t be long before the darkness was properly upon them. ¡°and we might see some other monsters coming out soon. i¡¯m honestly surprised we haven¡¯t seen more since there isn¡¯t a great mosnter in the windscorned plateau.¡±


    ¡°i think i noticed a few bird monsters, but nothing in particular,¡± noah said. ¡°anything we should be concerned about?¡±


    ¡°those are skycutters. they¡¯re fast and large, but they aren¡¯t particularly dangerous. they eat the flowers, just like the fluffants. i suppose they could be a bit problematic if there were enough of them, but nothing that couldn¡¯t be handled.¡±


    noah nodded absently. lee had managed to keep everyone in the same general area, so their vantage point let them see both groups. todd¡¯s team had gathered quite a few more corpses than isabel¡¯s had due to alexandra¡¯s help.


    the rank 3 was, for lack of a better word, a menace. the fluffants had absolutely no chance against her, and she didn¡¯t seem to expend much energy fighting them. she carved straight through their ranks, only needing a single blow to take out a monster.


    it wasn¡¯t like the other students weren¡¯t effective in their work. alexandra was just far better.


    ¡°i guess that¡¯s what happens when you get trained to be an assassin and are good enough to keep gentil¡¯s attention,¡± noah mused as he watched alexandra finish off the last few fluffants in the herd.


    ¡°she¡¯s strong, but there isn¡¯t much variation in her fighting style,¡± moxie said. ¡°and she¡¯s not comfortable around others. only time will tell how much damage working for gentil actually did to her.¡±


    ¡°can you try to get a better understanding of what we can help her with while i¡¯m fixing the other students¡¯ runes later today?¡± noah asked. ¡°at some point, if she sticks with us and proves to be trustworthy, i¡¯ll fix hers as well. today is too early, though.¡±


    ¡°yeah, i think that¡¯s a secret you should be keeping very close to chest,¡± moxie said, her voice deadly serious. ¡°possibly more than your inability to die. if word of that comes out, the entire world is going to come down on us and there won¡¯t be anything we can do.¡±


    despite moxie¡¯s harrowing warning, noah¡¯s chest warmed. there hadn¡¯t been any hesitation at all when she¡¯d said we. even though he was pretty sure the right move in the worst case scenario would be for him to make it clear that he was on his own, moxie¡¯s unspoken promise that they were in it together was comforting.


    a small trail of smoke caught noah¡¯s eye. he looked over to todd¡¯s group as they set their pile of fluffants on fire.


    ¡°they¡¯re cooking them. that¡¯s one way to get lee¡¯s attention ¨C not that she isn¡¯t already watching,¡± noah said. ¡°she¡¯s probably bored out of her mind by now.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯d imagine so,¡± moxie agreed. ¡°she¡¯s probably going to take the bait if only to have fun. the real question is which team she¡¯ll go with first. i don¡¯t think she particularly cares about if her food is cooked or not.¡±


    as it turned out, they didn¡¯t have to wait long for the answer. even though todd¡¯s team had the larger pile, noah caught sight of lee ¨C or rather, he caught sight of the herd of fluffants that she mowed through.


    ¡°over there,¡± noah said, barely able to keep up with lee as she blurred across the plateaus in the direction of isabel and james. ¡°i think she¡¯s intentionally letting herself be seen. she¡¯s really into this, huh?¡±


    ¡°we should do it more often,¡± moxie muttered. ¡°let¡¯s get a better view so we can hear what¡¯s happening.¡±


    they both stepped onto noah¡¯s flying sword and zipped off toward the trap and the rapidly approaching would-be-trapee.


    ***


    ¡°i hear her coming.¡± james turned toward the edge of the plateau. get ready. i¡¯ll remain hidden until the right moment if we¡¯re going to have any chance of catching her.¡±


    isabel gave james a sharp nod, and the boy¡¯s body rippled as he bent the moonlight around himself and disappeared from sight. she walked toward the direction of the growing rumbling, standing between it and the pile of food.


    stone ripped away from the ground, slamming into place all over her body to form jagged armor. she left both of her hands open, keeping her knees bent in preparation to lunge at the first sign of motion.


    giddy laughter echoed across the empty plateau. an instant later, lee practically flew down from the edge of a cliff face above them, slamming to the ground. her eyes went right past isabel and locked onto the pile of bodies behind her.


    ¡°you got me snacks!¡± lee exclaimed. ¡°how kind!¡±


    that¡¯s right. all for you. all you have to do is let me tag you.


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure. it sounds like... crunching?¡± alexandra¡¯s brow furrowed. she turned toward the pile and nodded at it. ¡°from somewhere over there.¡±


    todd studied the pile. his imbued eyes were muddled by the heat coming from the monsters, but he didn¡¯t see anything odd about it. and, as hard as he tried, he couldn¡¯t hear anything.


    ¡°no,¡± todd said. ¡°nothing. are you sure you hear something?¡±


    ¡°yeah.¡± alexandra walked over to the pile, drawing her sword and poking at one of the corpses with it. todd walked up with her, though his attention was split three ways already. one part of him was watching for lee, the other was paying attention to the pile, and the third was on the stone beneath the ground.


    the pile shifted. todd flinched, taking a step back.


    ¡°okay. i saw that.¡±


    alexandra drove her sword into a fluffant and heaved it to the side. in an impressive feat of strength, she dragged the monster out of the way ¨C to reveal a very hollow interior to their pile.


    lee sat in the center of the offering, chewing on one of the fluffant¡¯s legs. she¡¯d already eaten almost everything inside, leaving only what was necessary to maintain structural integrity. beside her was a hole.


    ¡°you tunneled in?¡± todd asked, a mixture of awe and disbelief in his voice.


    ¡°don¡¯t just stand there. go!¡± alexandra snapped, darting for lee.


    she was fast, but lee was faster. before alexandra had even taken two steps, lee disappeared. todd felt a rush of wind at his back and he spun to see lee prancing past him, grabbing a fluffant¡¯s leg and ripping it off to take with her with one smooth motion.


    ¡°missed me!¡± lee called.


    ¡°now!¡± todd yelled, releasing the power he¡¯d been holding. the stone erupted, launching emily into the air. she held her bow, an arrow already knocked and fully charged. she¡¯d been holding it for the better part of ten minutes, which was no easy feat.


    even less easy was spotting lee in a split instant while she was getting launched into the air ¨C but emily managed it. twisting her body, she took aim and fired. the arrow streaked toward lee and todd lunged, setting off a pressure explosion within the armor at his feet.


    wind howled past him as he extended his hands, striving to brush even a single finger across lee.


    he wasn¡¯t fast enough. lee vaulted backward, landing on her hands and avoiding his grasp. emily¡¯s arrow slammed into the ground with a crack and ice raced out across the dirt, but even that couldn¡¯t reach lee as she pushed herself off her hands and landed on her feet.


    ¡°that was close,¡± lee said, skidding a foot back. emily landed back on the ground with a grunt, already starting to knock an arrow. lee gave them a wave. ¡°thanks for the food!¡±


    alexandra sprinted, her body blurring as she threw herself forward. emily released the arrow ¨C but lee was gone. the arrow whistled harmlessly through the air and alexandra¡¯s hands caught nothing.


    ¡°damn it.¡± todd let his hands drop.


    ¡°what was that?¡± alexandra demanded. ¡°how can she move like that?¡±


    emily¡¯s ice bow vanished and she let out a sigh. ¡°i don¡¯t know, but i suspect if you ask, the answer is going to be stretching. i wonder if isabel or james did any better than we did.¡±


    ¡°judging by the explosions we heard earlier? probably not,¡± todd grumbled, crossing his arms. ¡°this game was rigged against us from the start.¡±


    ¡°we might have been able to do something if it was all five of us working together,¡± emily said. ¡°but that would kind have defeated the whole point of the exercise.¡±


    ¡°is this how all your classes are?¡± alexandra asked, looking back at the pile of corpses.


    ¡°considering we didn¡¯t even come close to death this time, nah. i¡¯d say this one was tame,¡± todd said. his stomach rumbled. both emily and alexandra stared at him.


    ¡°are you seriously hungry right now?¡± emily asked.


    ¡°how¡¯s it my fault? we kept talking about food,¡± todd said defensively. ¡°anyone would get hungry.¡±


    hidden in the shadows at the far edge of the plateau, positioned on the other side of the pile of hot bodies so todd¡¯s heat vision couldn¡¯t make her out, lee nodded in agreement.

 Chapter 308: Potionmaxing

    chapter 308: potionmaxing


    their time in the windscorned plateau came to an end as the morning sun rose. both groups of students spent their last hours trying to come up with a new plan to lure lee to them, but in the end, none of them managed to come up with anything before the transport cannon summoned them back to arbitage.


    noah was the last to reappear in tim¡¯s room. he blinked the last remnants of the transportation away, wiping his eyes as he rose to his feet and took a look at the small crowd gathered around him.


    ¡°did you have a good trip?¡± tim asked.


    ¡°i¡¯d say it was educational.¡± noah chuckled at the glares that earned him from all the students. ¡°thanks again, tim.¡±


    ¡°any time,¡± tim replied. they all stepped onto the elevator and bid the elderly operator farewell as it shook and rattled, lowering them down to the lower floor.


    ¡°so nobody won?¡± todd asked.


    ¡°i didn¡¯t say that,¡± noah replied. ¡°how do you know isabel or james didn¡¯t win? i didn¡¯t see your groups meet up before we got pulled back.¡±


    ¡°because she¡¯s got the same look on her face that i think i¡¯ve got,¡± todd replied as the group headed down the stairs.


    ¡°ah. well, you¡¯d be right. you all lost.¡±


    ¡°how were we supposed to win?¡± alexandra asked, sending a look back at lee, who stuck her tongue out. ¡°lee¡¯s way too fast. is she seriously a rank 3?¡±


    ¡°that was for you to figure out.¡± they reached the bottom of the stairs and noah turned around, copying one of moxie¡¯s specialized arched-eyebrow expressions. ¡°did you really think earning a master rune would be easy?¡±


    that mollified all of them pretty quickly.


    ¡°was there actually a way to win?¡± isabel asked. ¡°it felt like we weren¡¯t even close.¡±


    ¡°there¡¯s always a way,¡± noah replied. ¡°why don¡¯t we talk about what went right and what went wrong? there were definitely some clever moves i saw.¡±


    ¡°baiting lee with food?¡± james said, not sounding all that sure of his own words.


    ¡°taking advantage of a weakness you know about.¡± noah nodded. ¡°sure, lee was playing into it a bit, but that was clever. both groups did that without much hesitation. what else?¡±


    ¡°grouping up,¡± todd said. ¡°we wasted a ton of time trying to catch lee on our own. we should have grouped up earlier, but grouping up at all when you implied this was a solo event was probably a good move.¡±


    ¡°that might have given you a chance to set up a better trap or plan things through better,¡± moxie put in. ¡°but yes, it was definitely a good move. you stood no chance alone against lee.¡±


    ¡°anything else?¡± noah asked. nobody spoke for a few seconds and he shrugged. ¡°okay. we¡¯ve already started, so keep going. tell me about about the things you did wrong.¡±


    ¡°i think we should have probably spent more time figuring out what we could do.¡± emily said, scrunching her nose. ¡°i knew todd¡¯s basic abilities, but alexandra actually got a bit close to lee. if i knew she was that fast, it might have been better to have her be the surprise attack rather than me.¡±


    ¡°knowing what your allies are capable of is definitely a big one.¡± noah gave emily an approving nod. ¡°you asked if there was a way you could have won. do you think there is?¡±


    ¡°me personally? i¡¯m not sure. but... i¡¯d imagine we might have had the best chance if all five of us were working together.¡±


    ¡°you most certainly would have,¡± noah agreed.


    ¡°but what¡¯s the point of that?¡± alexandra demanded. ¡°we were meant to be working against each other!¡±


    ¡°technically, i never said that. i just said only one person gets the point.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s basically the same thing.¡± alexandra frowned, crossing her arms. ¡°unless we could have split the point or something, there¡¯s no scenario where everyone is happy.¡±


    this was the first time that noah had seen isabel and todd¡¯s lodgings, and he had to admit that it felt a little odd.


    they hadn¡¯t spent much effort decorating. their room was plain, with just a single large bed in the center and a desk beside it beneath a window. they¡¯d split the closet on the other side of the bed between themselves, and their bathroom was plain but clean.


    ¡°so what is it?¡± emily asked, leaning against the wall. based on the casual way she stood, noah suspected this wasn¡¯t the first time she¡¯d been in here. clearly, they¡¯d been spending some time together on their own.


    good. the closer they are, the better.


    ¡°the two of you already know a good bit about my secrets,¡± noah said, nodding to isabel and todd. ¡°but not all of them.¡±


    ¡°we¡¯d gathered that,¡± isabel said. ¡°you¡¯re just going to be telling us about yourself?¡±


    ¡°you don¡¯t have to sound so disappointed.¡± noah chuckled and shook his head. ¡°but that¡¯s not why i brought you here, no.¡±


    ¡°i take it that the thing you have to discuss is so dangerous or important that the only way we can learn it is through speaking in our minds?¡± emily asked, her eyes lingering on the potions noah had bought on their way over. ¡°that seems a bit... excessive.¡±


    ¡°moxie is in support of it,¡± noah said simply.


    ¡°oh. in that case, sure,¡± emily said. ¡°why didn¡¯t you say that first?¡±


    noah resisted the urge to laugh. this was meant to be a serious matter.


    ¡°i want to impress on you how important it is that we never talk about any of this,¡± noah said, keeping his features firm. he reached up to the grimoire and took it off his back, setting the huge book against the wall.


    ¡°does it have something to do with that giant thing?¡± todd asked as he eyed the book. ¡°i was wondering what it was.¡±


    ¡°i thought it was a shield,¡± emily admitted. ¡°why do you have such a big book?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s my new grimoire.¡± noah patted the top of the book. ¡°and that¡¯s all i¡¯ll be saying for the time being. i¡¯m not going to make any of you swear a rune oath, but you¡¯ll need to promise me that you won¡¯t share anything you see or learn here with anyone ¨C under any circumstances.¡±


    ¡°why?¡± emily asked suspiciously. ¡°what is it about? you didn¡¯t say if this had to do with the grimoire or not.¡±


    ¡°nor will i, until you agree.¡± noah shrugged and gestured to the door. ¡°i won¡¯t force you to do anything, emily. that¡¯s why i haven¡¯t made you swear a rune oath. this is so important that i won¡¯t even say it out loud. we¡¯ll be using a mind meld potion to take things from here. if you aren¡¯t comfortable, then please feel free to leave. you can ask moxie about this and do it later if you¡¯d prefer.¡±


    emily glanced from noah to todd and isabel, chewing her upper lip. several seconds passed. noah caught isabel and todd exchange a look.


    ¡°i trust you,¡± isabel said simply, breaking the silence and holding noah¡¯s gaze. ¡°i promise to keep this all secret.¡±


    ¡°me too,¡± todd added. ¡°imagine that. i¡¯ll drink the potion if you want me to, if only because i¡¯m too interested to say no. i¡¯ll keep everything to myself.¡±


    emily let out a small huff and gave noah a nod. ¡°fine. i¡¯ll do it as well. i promise not to say anything.¡±


    ¡°thank you. i don¡¯t think any of you will regret this,¡± noah said. he took one of the mind meld potions and held it out to isabel. ¡°would you like to start?¡±


    isabel took the potion from him. she studied it for a moment, then popped the cork off.


    ¡°only drink your half,¡± noah advised. ¡°then give me the potion and lie down immediately so you don¡¯t fall over. this will take us about thirty minutes, so just go ahead and sit around until then. don¡¯t touch either of us until we wake up.¡±


    the other students nodded. isabel tipped the glass vial back, drinking half of its contents before quickly handing it out to noah. he took it from her and tilted it back, pouring the rest of the potion into his mouth.


    isabel laid down on the ground and noah propped himself up against the wall. a familiar buzzing sensation ate at the back of his mind as he opened his grimoire and rested his hand on the pages.


    then the feeling consumed him. the potion took hold and the world was plunged into darkness.??v€l-b!n.

 Chapter 309: Barren

    chapter 309: barren


    isabel¡¯s soul was a barren mountain. cold wind bit at noah¡¯s skin as his body formed upon a jagged rock. a single rank 2 stone rune floated in the empty sky, too far away to reach without plummeting off the edge of the steep mountain.


    but, even though there was only one rank 2 rune before him, pressure bore down on noah¡¯s shoulders like an anvil. it was a sensation he recognized well ¨C the presence of a master rune.


    he turned away from the edge of the mountain and looked up. brilliant, glowing blue energy made up a massive rune in the air at the peak of the mountain. it was calm, but the power stored within it was intense.


    soul. what a name for a rune. i think i can see why the noble families tore isabel¡¯s father apart to get their hands on this. i don¡¯t even want to think about what a soul master rune would be capable of doing. it feels pretty close to sunder¡¯s level of intensity, though i don¡¯t think it¡¯s quite there.


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry i couldn¡¯t tell you before,¡± isabel said. noah tore his gaze away from the master rune as he spotted isabel standing on the rocky path beside him.


    ¡°what, about the master rune?¡± noah asked.


    isabel nodded, her shoulders slumping. ¡°you¡¯ve shared so much with me and todd, but i couldn¡¯t afford telling you before. it was too dangerous. i¨C¡±


    noah burst into laughter. isabel froze, staring at him in confusion.


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry,¡± noah said, forcing himself back under control and clearing his throat. ¡°you haven¡¯t done anything wrong, isabel. i already knew you had this.¡±


    ¡°what? you did?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t mean to be rude, but i kind of figured it out after you infused your armor with the glowing blue energy that you use for your swords. you can only call on one rune at a time, remember?¡±


    isabel blinked, deflating like the sail of a boat headed straight into the wind. ¡°oh. i thought i kept it subtle enough that nobody would pick it up. a lot of people use stone or earth magic to make armor and then just leave it there. how did you know i wasn¡¯t doing that? i could have been alternating.¡±


    ¡°you could have been,¡± noah agreed. ¡°but i still suspected it, and silvertide did too. when he came to speak with me, after he determined that i was trustworthy, he mentioned his thoughts. it¡¯s fine, isabel. i don¡¯t fault you for not sharing the full extent of what you could do. this is a dangerous secret.¡±


    isabel was silent for several seconds. ¡°i guess i didn¡¯t do as good a job of hiding it as i should have. it was hard. i wanted to go all out when we practiced, but using the master rune was just so dangerous. but, if i didn¡¯t use it, i fell behind.¡±


    ¡°i already told you i don¡¯t fault you for it,¡± noah said. ¡°if you need private lessons with just you and todd or something like that, just let me or moxie know. we¡¯ll accommodate you. you shouldn¡¯t have to leave something like this untouched. but, out of curiosity, what does it actually do?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t know the full extent of its power,¡± isabel admitted. ¡°i can form its energy into shapes, like weapons or armor. they aren¡¯t really that powerful, but they¡¯re versatile. i think the passive is reinforcing my body and magic.¡±


    ¡°reinforcing ¨C ah. that¡¯s how you were lifting that huge shield and armor?¡±


    ¡°yeah. it made them lighter and me stronger. i suppose that means the opposite of the soul is the body. a bit odd, if you think about it.¡±


    ¡°and yet, i think i see it.¡± noah tilted his head to the side thoughtfully. ¡°regardless, that¡¯s a powerful master rune. i can tell from the pressure that it¡¯s no slouch. it doesn¡¯t seem right that you feel its offensive abilities aren¡¯t that good ¨C you might be missing something.¡±


    ¡°i probably am. i really haven¡¯t had much chance to really test it. i¡¯ve been too scared someone will realize what it is, so i¡¯ve been severely limiting my use of it to forms that could be explained by a normal rune. my sword resembles something an energy rune could make.¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ll look into it, but unfortunately, our time here is limited,¡± noah said. ¡°we¡¯ve only got thirty minutes.¡±


    ¡°to do what?¡± isabel asked.


    ¡°fantastic,¡± noah said. ¡°just focus. remember to work fast and draw on the excess energy floating around. take in as much of it as possible, but don¡¯t stress too much. even if it doesn¡¯t work the first time around, we can do it again.¡±


    isabel nodded. the determined look on her face told noah everything he needed to know. she was ready. he stepped up to the rune, reaching out as he called on sunder. noah¡¯s veins turned jet black as the icy power of the master rune flooded through his body.


    he placed his hand on the surface of the stone rune, feeling the power coursing within its lines.


    sunder surged from his palm, black energy carving straight through the rune in a flash. a loud crack split the still air as the rune shattered. from within it bloomed seven rank 1 runes, swirling out in a cloud of magical power.


    noah didn¡¯t even have to tell isabel to get started. she stepped forward without hesitation and he moved to the side, allowing her space so she could concentrate. isabel¡¯s eyes closed and she held her hands up, pressing her lips together.


    the runes barely had any time to enjoy their separation before she exerted her will upon them. with a shudder, seven became one once more. energy swirled around the center of the newly forming rune like a vortex.


    noah turned away a moment before a flash lit up isabel¡¯s mindspace. he looked back just in time to see her newly formed rune before the excess energy started to flood into it.


    ten percent full. well done, isabel. only needed one more shot at it.


    only when all the excess energy had been absorbed did isabel let her eyes open. she gazed at the new stone rune, her mouth hanging slightly askew.


    ¡°not bad,¡± noah said. ¡°second time¡¯s the charm, huh?¡±


    ¡°just like that?¡± isabel muttered. ¡°how can you treat it so lightly? i thought i¡¯d be stuck with a subpar rune for a long time. i can¡¯t even believe i¡¯m calling it subpar ¨C it was a good rune. most people have worse ones.¡±


    ¡°and now you¡¯ve got a better one.¡± noah shrugged. ¡°the world isn¡¯t fair, isabel. you and todd know that more than most. ergo, you might as well take advantage of it when you can. just remember my other warning as well. with a single-element rune like this you don¡¯t have to worry much about balancing energy. but, when you get up to combining multiple elements, you¡¯ll need to make sure the pressure it puts off is identical no matter how you¡¯re using it.¡±


    ¡°trust me, i won¡¯t forget,¡± isabel said. she swallowed. ¡°do you realize that you could probably earn hundreds of thousand gold for even a single usage of this? you could literally make the most powerful mages in the empire far stronger than they already are.¡±


    noah scrunched his nose in distaste. ¡°bleh. why would i do that? i don¡¯t need the money. i¡¯ve got enough right now, and the moment this power got out, i¡¯d never be a free man again. i think i much prefer helping myself and the people i care about.¡±


    ¡°i swear i¡¯ll never breath a word of this,¡± isabel promised. ¡°your secret dies with me.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯d much rather it live with you,¡± noah said idly. ¡°either way, whenever you combine a rune and you feel like it didn¡¯t turn out as good as you hoped, let me know. just don¡¯t do it too often or the mind meld potions will bankrupt me.¡±


    ¡°i promise¨C¡±


    noah took isabel by the shoulders and she blinked in surprise.


    ¡°relax,¡± noah said, keeping his tone gentle. ¡°you aren¡¯t in my debt. don¡¯t treat me any different than normal, please. just keep being how you were.¡±


    ¡°define what point in time you¡¯re referring to.¡± a small grin flickered across isabel¡¯s face. ¡°do you mean back when you first started being a real teacher?¡±


    ¡°maybe just go back to before summer,¡± noah suggested with a wince.


    isabel laughed. ¡°okay. fine. i think i can do that. but... thank you.¡±


    ¡°my pleasure.¡±

 Chapter 310:

    chapter 310:


    the rest of their time from the mind meld potion ran its time out and noah woke back in isabel and todd¡¯s room. he sat up, pushing his grimoire to the side and blinking to adjust to the new environment.


    ¡°so? what did vermil do?¡± emily asked before isabel had even finished sitting up herself.


    isabel didn¡¯t even reply. she just shook her head, still in partial disbelief about everything that had happened. her reaction was enough for todd to grab the next mind meld potion without a second of hesitation.


    ¡°let¡¯s do it. can we do it now?¡± todd asked eagerly. ¡°i almost never see isabel that speechless.¡±


    ¡°hey! i wanted to go next!¡±


    todd shot emily a smug look, then glanced at noah. ¡°so?¡±


    ¡°go ahead,¡± noah said with a chuckle. he tapped tapped his hand on the top of his grimoire. if he recalled correctly, todd¡¯s rank 2 rune was a little more complex than just a true stone rune, so there would probably be some rune-replacement involved in repairing it. fortunately it was just a rank 2, and he¡¯d gotten more than a few assorted runes over the vacation that would hopefully be of use.


    todd tipped half the potion back into his mouth and handed it over. noah drank the other half, keeping his hand on the grimoire as he leaned back against the wall and let himself fall into the familiar buzz of the mind meld potion¡¯s effects.


    he didn¡¯t have to wait long. magic enveloped him and the world vanished in a swirl of darkness. when vision returned to noah, he was standing on a craggy, barren landscape. wisps of steam curled up around his body and heat bore down on him, just hot enough to be a step beyond uncomfortable.


    todd stood directly before noah, his fingers tapping his thigh in impatience. ¡°i just want to let you know i¡¯ve got really high hopes, so i¡¯m gonna be disappointed if you don¡¯t basically shatter my worldview.¡±


    ¡°lucky me,¡± noah said dryly. he turned in a circle. todd had been busy ¨C he had several runes in his mindspace.


    there was a filled heat rune, two water runes, an ice rune, and a fire rune ¨C all at rank 1. noah also spotted todd¡¯s shattering blows rune floating away from the others. its center was made up of small, short strokes, all surrounded by longer and smoother ones at the edges. ¡°bring that rune over.¡±


    todd blinked but did as in structed, calling the rune to hover beside them. the pressure coming off it was definitely weaker than a perfect rune, but todd had mentioned that it hadn¡¯t been perfect before.


    ¡°i know it¡¯s not the best rune, but i did what i could with what i had to work with,¡± todd said, looking to the rune with a small frown. ¡°i think it turned out decent.¡±


    ¡°you did a good job,¡± noah said. ¡°this doesn¡¯t look like it was an easy rune to make. your intent would have had to be really good, and that¡¯s not accounting for the proper combinations either. there¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of.¡±


    ¡°yeah. thanks. what did we come here to talk about, though? i¡¯m going to die of impatience if you don¡¯t tell me.¡±


    ¡°that.¡± noah nodded to the rune. ¡°we¡¯re going to be fixing it.¡±


    ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°you know, i¡¯m pretty sure isabel said the exact same thing.¡± noah grinned and shook his head. ¡°maybe i¡¯m a narcissist, but i¡¯m never going to get tired of that reaction. here¡¯s the deal ¨C i can cut your rune apart back into its rank 1 components, and i¡¯ve got a grimoire with a bunch of runes for you to use if you need them at your side. we have thirty minutes to fix your rune until it¡¯s perfect.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re screwing with me.¡± todd took a step back and he lost some of his concentration, allowing the shattering blows rune to move back to its normal resting spot.


    ¡°nope. moxie and i also discovered that perfect runes aren¡¯t always actually perfect. a rune needs to exert equal amounts of pressure no matter how you use it. from what i can tell, the general public doesn¡¯t know that, and i don¡¯t think noble families do either.¡±


    todd¡¯s eyes bored into noah. for one of the first times since noah had met todd, the boy was speechless.


    ¡°damned plains,¡± todd breathed. ¡°you¡¯re not screwing with me at all. no wonder isabel looked like that.¡±


    to noah¡¯s surprise, the rune was fuller than he¡¯d expected it to be. it should have been fairly empty, but for some reason, it was well over halfway full.


    i never filled that rune. why does it have energy?


    todd didn¡¯t notice noah¡¯s confusion. he stared intently at shattering blows, his brow furrowed and lips pressed thin.


    did the grimoire somehow fill this? where would the energy come ¨C oh, shit. it put in some of the power that it took from the runes it ate, didn¡¯t it? maybe as a peace offering? either way, that¡¯s actually incredibly handy. i can have it chew up useless runes and distribute their energy for me without even lifting a finger.


    ¡°i¡¯m ready,¡± todd said, breaking noah¡¯s thoughts. ¡°so you just chop this up and i take the energy, fill up the fire rune, and then re-combine everything? and we keep doing that until it works?¡±


    ¡°exactly.¡±


    ¡°let¡¯s do it.¡±


    noah¡¯s veins turned jet black. he stepped forward and pressed his hand against shattering blows, letting sunder¡¯s power surge forth.


    then todd got to work.


    ***


    things did not go anywhere near as smooth as they had for isabel, but that was to be expected. there were a lot more moving pieces that went into todd¡¯s steam rune, and that made it a lot easier to mess up.


    fortunately for todd, he had quite a few tries to get things right. it took six separate re-combining attempts and more than a little cursing as he tried to figure out what was wrong with his intent, but in the end ¨C and just a few minutes before the mind meld potion¡¯s effects wore off, todd finally had a steam rune whose pressure remained perfectly constant.


    letting out a relieved sigh, todd flopped to the ground and released his runes. energy still crackled throughout his mindspace, but the job was done.


    ¡°how are we supposed to be able to figure this out on the first try? your magic is completely unfair,¡± todd said as he let out an exhausted sigh. ¡°thanks, teacherman. we need to make sure nobody ever finds out you can do this, or i don¡¯t think we¡¯ll see you again.¡±


    noah snorted. ¡°that would be nice, yes. make sure not to talk about this once we leave your mindspace, but if you ever combine a rune and need to modify it, let me know. i told isabel the same thing, but my plan is for all of you to have exclusively perfect runes.¡±


    ¡°and you don¡¯t want payment for this?¡±


    noah glared at todd. ¡°your payment is to absolutely destroy any exams you take this year.¡±


    ¡°i think i can do that,¡± todd said with a weary grin. it fell away as his features turned serious and he sat up, locking eyes with noah. ¡°and thank you. not just for this. isabel and i never had a teacher that actually cared this much about us. i won¡¯t let you down.¡±


    ¡°you don¡¯t have to worry about letting me down,¡± noah said. ¡°just put in your all and don¡¯t do anything too stupid.¡±


    ¡°how stupid we talking?¡±


    ¡°if you have to ask, then it¡¯s probably too stupid.¡±


    they both laughed, and a familiar tingle prickled noah¡¯s spine. todd noticed it too and gave him a short nod.


    ¡°times up, huh?¡±


    noah barely had time to nod before his soul was wrenched from todd¡¯s mind and sent flying back into his own body in the room outside.

 Chapter 311: Tact

    chapter 311: tact


    noah¡¯s eyes opened to find that todd wore the same expression that isabel had when her mind meld potion had worn off. he chuckled at the look the two of them exchanged, which only served to pique emily¡¯s interest even more.


    ¡°what in the damned plains is going on in there?¡± emily demanded. ¡°okay, i don¡¯t want to wait any longer. it¡¯s already been an hour. can i go now?¡±


    ¡°give me a second,¡± noah said, rubbing his eyes to try and completely wake himself up. it wasn¡¯t that the mind meld potions put him to sleep, but using two twice in a row and then using sunder so many times on todd had drawn a decent bit of his energy.


    the grimoire felt unusually warm against his palm. noah studied its open pages, but they were blank, as they usually were. it had definitely done something to the fire rune, but it had been beneficial so he couldn¡¯t really complain.


    odd. but not as odd as azel not making an appearance. i fully expected to have to explain him to at least someone, but he didn¡¯t pop out for either todd or isabel. it¡¯s really been a while since i¡¯ve heard form him.


    it wasn¡¯t like azel was gone ¨C noah could still feel the strand in his soul connecting him to the demon. the temptation to tug at it was strong, but he was pretty certain that azel had been truthful about not being able to flat out lie to him due to their connection. that meant the demon hadn¡¯t lied about the consequences of unraveling the strand being true death for both of them.


    not like i¡¯m going to complain that he isn¡¯t bothering me, but i¡¯m starting to wonder what the hell he¡¯s getting up to instead of bothering me.


    hey, azel. you there?


    for a while, there was no response. then the back of noah¡¯s mind prickled as a faint warmth spread throughout him and azel¡¯s voice echoed through his mind.


    unfortunately. what do you want, vines?


    i was bored and wondering what you were up to.


    noah nearly burst into laughter at the barrage of incredulous thought that struck him. evidently, azel wasn¡¯t much of a fan of people flipping his joke on him.


    what do you actually want? did you really call me purely to bother me? after i helped you with evergreen?


    no. i was wondering if you were doing something bad, if i¡¯m being honest. you¡¯ve been awful quiet recently.


    i have been eating well. i don¡¯t need to do anything for you to feed me, so why should i interfere?


    that was actually something of a good point, and noah paused for a moment to think about it. he¡¯d definitely been getting up to some fairly emotional things in recent times, so azel had more than enough food, but the idea of the demon not only knowing about restraint but showing it to this degree felt... off.


    you never struck me as someone who was content with their lot in life, no matter what it was.


    do you want me to be greedy? i can be.


    again, something in azel¡¯s threat felt wrong. it didn¡¯t have the weight that his words normally did ¨C as if he didn¡¯t want noah to call his bluff. that wasn¡¯t much of a bet to hedge, as noah had absolutely no plans of calling in more trouble and azel was well aware of it.


    do we really have to play games like this all the time?


    yes.


    noah sighed. he ignored the looks that the students sent him.


    at least tell me if whatever it is you¡¯re doing is going to put someone i care about in danger. i don¡¯t care if you¡¯re trying to cause me shit, but promise me that everyone else is being left out of it.


    azel was silent for a few seconds. then a small sigh echoed through noah¡¯s mind. he was probably searching for the right words that would let him answer the question without actually giving away too much by getting too close to the real truth.


    noah raised a hand. ¡°please don¡¯t finish that. i didn¡¯t word the sentence very aptly. i¡¯m well aware of the reputation i once had, but i think isabel and todd¡¯s trust should speak for me enough to justify at least a little bit of patience.¡±


    the snow beneath noah¡¯s feet bulged. a plain chair made of ice rose up beneath him. emily formed herself a much more comfortable looking one, complete with leaf padding. suppressing a laugh, noah sat down.


    emily was still the heir of a massive noble family, so it didn¡¯t surprise him that she was a bit bratty. and, even though the chair was ice, it wasn¡¯t as cold as it should have been.


    ¡°so?¡± emily asked. ¡°what is it, then? and if you do anything weird, i¡¯ll tell m¨C¡±


    ¡°moxie and i are dating.¡±


    emily choked. ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s not the thing i actually came here to talk about.¡± noah cleared his throat. ¡°but she trusts me, and i trust her. and come on ¨C you know she cares about you. she wouldn¡¯t leave you in the care of someone she didn¡¯t trust.¡±


    ¡°you are not skipping past that first part.¡± emily¡¯s eyes narrowed and she leaned forward. ¡°you¡¯re a linwick. a ratty one. how are you dating moxie? she¡¯s a valued member of¨C¡±


    ¡°is she?¡±


    emily shot to her feet, clenching her fists at her sides. ¡°what¡¯s that meant to mean? is she what?¡±


    ¡°is she really valued by your family?¡± noah asked, holding emily¡¯s gaze without flinching.


    ¡°of course she is! she¡¯s my teacher! magus evergreen chose her because of how much she trusted moxie. this just shows how little you know about her. why would she ever date someone like you?¡±


    sounds like she has no idea evergreen is dead. not good ¨C not to mention she seems to actually like evergreen. this might be a bit rough, but it needs to be done. sorry, moxie. i won¡¯t spill everything, but you two can¡¯t just keep avoiding this forever. the safest place to tell emily anything is inside her own mind.


    ¡°you know, i asked her the same question.¡± noah chuckled and stood up. the chairs would have to wait. ¡°and, to be honest, i don¡¯t know if this is even my place to tell you. moxie cares more about you than you realize. far, far more. really, it should be her talking to you about this.¡±


    ¡°about what?¡± emily demanded. magic swirled at her feet, kicking up the snow. ¡°you better watch what you say.¡±


    ¡°no. i don¡¯t think i will. i¡¯m not going to spill moxie¡¯s secrets ¨C those are for her to share. but i¡¯m going to give you an opportunity. you¡¯ve got two options here. first, this conversation ends right now and i do exactly what i did for isabel and todd. then you keep on as you were, and we never mention this talk at all.¡±


    ¡°and the other option?¡±


    ¡°i tell you the truth, and then you speak with moxie and find out just how much she¡¯s done for you.¡±


    emily matched noah¡¯s gaze. she forced her hands to unclench. ¡°i don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°then decide if you want to find out or not.¡±


    the chair behind noah scooted forward, knocking into the back of his knees and catching him as he fell back into it.


    ¡°talk,¡± emily said.


    the best way to do it is just to rip the band-aid off, right?


    ¡°evergreen was a massive piece of shit ¨C and now she¡¯s dead. moxie and i killed her.¡±

 Chapter 312: Emily

    chapter 312: emily


    emily¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of her head. ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°i trust you¡¯ll understand how important it is that this never leaves the safety of your mindspace,¡± noah said, ignoring the horrified expression on emily¡¯s face. ¡°if it ever gets out, moxie is dead.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t believe you,¡± emily¡¯s voice trembled slightly. ¡°it¡¯s impossible. evergreen is a rank 6, and she loved moxie. moxie loved her. they were really close. you¡¯re lying. why would she ever do that?¡±


    ¡°on my runes, i swear that everything i tell you while we remain in your mindspace is the truth and that i will not attempt to lie or twist the truth in any way. do you accept?¡±


    emily¡¯s eyes widened, but she didn¡¯t wait for long. ¡°yes. i do.¡±


    ice raced through noah¡¯s veins as he swore the rune oath. it gripped his spine like the hand of the reaper and he grimaced. emily stiffened as she felt the oath take effect.


    ¡°repeat it,¡± emily demanded, rising from her chair once more. ¡°say it again.¡±


    ¡°evergreen called moxie back to the torrin estate over vacation to kill her,¡± noah said. ¡°we went ¨C and we killed evergreen instead.¡±


    emily stared at noah intently, clearly waiting for the rune oath to come into effect and shatter his runes. a second passed. her face paled and her eyes widened.


    ¡°you killed my mother.¡±


    she was your mom? who the hell did it with ¨C you know what, i don¡¯t want to know.


    ¡°i¡¯m not the most compassionate person,¡± noah said slowly. ¡°but moxie was too worried about you to actually say this, so i¡¯m doing it myself. i¡¯d say i¡¯m sorry, but i¡¯m not. evergreen was a terrible person, and she had it coming.¡±


    emily¡¯s hands clenched. ice gathered around her fists, swirling furiously. noah matched her stare. he didn¡¯t know emily that well, but he¡¯d seen how she acted around moxie. between her and evergreen ¨C noah was pretty sure emily would choose moxie.


    pretty sure.


    it was a tense few seconds. the look in emily¡¯s eyes told him that she was very strongly considering trying to kill him then and there ¨C but that would have triggered the rune oath, shattering her own runes as well because of the bond. if she wanted to try anything, she¡¯d have to wait until the oath ended at the end of their time together in her mind.


    with a supreme force of will, emily let her hands drop. the hatred and anger were joined by new emotions. fear and confusion warred across her face. noah actually felt for her.


    she couldn¡¯t believe him, because believing him meant that her beloved mentor had killed her mother ¨C and that her mother had tried to kill her mentor first. noah suspected that it wasn¡¯t actually evergreen herself that emily mourned as much as the idea of who she could have been.


    ¡°why?¡± emily asked, struggling to find words. ¡°how?¡±


    ¡°the whole story isn¡¯t mine to share,¡± noah said. ¡°i¡¯m already robbing moxie of this discussion. what i can say is that moxie has always had evergreen¡¯s sword hanging above her neck. evergreen didn¡¯t approve of how you were acting like a living being instead of a puppet during the survival exam, so she decided that moxie had been teaching you badly.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re lying.¡± emily took a step back. ¡°why would she do that? she was fine with it.¡±


    ¡°no, she wasn¡¯t. she just didn¡¯t want to cause a fuss.¡± noah shrugged. ¡°i don¡¯t expect you to believe me right now, emily. even with the rune oath. you¡¯re probably trying to figure out how i¡¯m working around it or something, right?¡±


    ¡°yes, i am.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s up to you. i¡¯m giving you information, not telling you how to think. moxie was functionally a slave to your family for the majority of the time you¡¯ve known her, and she didn¡¯t want to tell you because she cares about you too much. she was worried about how it would affect you.¡±


    ¡°so why are you telling me, then?¡± emily stormed up to noah, craning her head back to glare into his eyes. ¡°what¡¯s your angle?¡±


    ¡°do you want the real answer to that?¡± noah asked. he raised a hand before emily could answer. ¡°think before you say anything else. i¡¯m offering you more information than i¡¯ve given anyone other than moxie for one reason alone ¨C i love moxie, and this is hurting her as much as it¡¯s hurting you.¡±


    ¡°why would i have to think before answering that?¡±


    ¡°because this information is dangerous. i¡¯ve killed to protect it, and i¡¯ll kill to protect it again,¡± noah said softly. ¡°ignorance is safety. you can take my words as they are and speak to moxie about the rest.¡±


    ¡°but you¡¯ll tell me something she won¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°yes, so long as not so much as a whisper of it ever leaves your lips.¡±


    ¡°why? why would you trust me with it? what kind of trick is this? a way to make me trust you?¡±


    noah gave her an emotionless smile. ¡°you have no choice but to trust me, emily. i¡¯m bound by rune oath. i already told you why i¡¯m offering this, and it¡¯s not for your sake. it¡¯s for moxie¡¯s. knowing the full truth will make things make more sense.¡±


    emily¡¯s gaze bore into noah¡¯s features, searching his face for anything she could use. she was clearly thinking through his offer rather than just blindly accepting it. finally, she swallowed and gave him a sharp nod. ¡°tell me. i want to know.¡±


    ¡°you asked why i was willing to tell you this, right?¡±


    emily nodded.


    ¡°it¡¯s because i don¡¯t care about your family,¡± noah said simply. ¡°i¡¯d kill every last torrin if i thought they pose a risk to moxie, and i wouldn¡¯t lose an instant of sleep about it.¡±


    ¡°of course you wouldn¡¯t,¡± emily spat. ¡°you¡¯re a linwick.¡±


    emily looked down at her feet, shame covering her face. ¡°i hate this, but it makes sense. i wondered why moxie never took breaks and was always there. i ¨C i thought she just really liked spending time with me. nobody else did, but i guess she just didn¡¯t have a choice.¡±


    ¡°did you listen to nothing i said?¡± noah snapped. emily¡¯s eyes shot up to meet his in surprise at the anger in his tone.


    ¡°i¨C¡±


    ¡°i just told you that moxie literally chose to stay with you than to find a way to escape. she knew her rune oaths would get broken regardless, but she would have done it for freedom if she didn¡¯t care about you.¡± noah cut emily off and strode up to her chair so she had no choice but to look at him. ¡°don¡¯t you dare start feeling pity ¨C moxie doesn¡¯t want it. she made her decisions. being trapped doesn¡¯t mean you aren¡¯t in control of yourself. there¡¯s always a choice.¡±


    ¡°but i never even noticed,¡± emily muttered. ¡°she was always around me. if anyone should have noticed, it should have been me. you figured it out in a few months, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°moxie was sheltering you on purpose. it was her decision to protect you from what evergreen was doing,¡± noah said. ¡°it was noble. unfortunately, i am not. the reason i¡¯m telling you all of this isn¡¯t so you can beat yourself up. it¡¯s so that you can know moxie as you really should. you¡¯ve both been caught in evergreen¡¯s strings for too long.¡±


    emily didn¡¯t respond to that. she probably needed some time to actually process everything he¡¯d just told her. unfortunately, time was not one of the resources they had much of at the moment.


    ¡°the mind meld potion won¡¯t last forever,¡± noah said. ¡°and, when it ends, you can¡¯t talk about anything i¡¯ve revealed about evergreen or myself. if you have more questions, i suggest you push through whatever emotions you¡¯re feeling and ask them.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t even know,¡± emily muttered, staring down at her hands. ¡°you¡¯re telling the truth.¡±


    ¡°kind of hard not to. i¡¯m bound by the oath until we leave your mind.¡±


    that got a snort of actual amusement from emily. ¡°you don¡¯t sound particularly sad about any of this.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not. i told you ¨C i don¡¯t care about the torrins. i care about my friends and i care about my students. that¡¯s it. you¡¯re included in that group, or we wouldn¡¯t be having this discussion. caring about someone doesn¡¯t mean being nice to them. it means doing the right thing.¡±


    emily sniffled. she drew a deep breath and let it out slowly, blinking furiously as her eyes watered. ¡°can ¨C can you just stay here for a moment?¡±


    noah nodded. emily stood and quickly walked off into the forest. she was losing time, but noah suspected that there was no point trying to push further until she had gathered her feelings. having her entire world turned on its head couldn¡¯t have been pleasant.


    he sat back down in the chair that emily had made for him.


    and then he waited.


    ten minutes passed. they¡¯d already spent around ten minutes speaking, so only a third of the potion¡¯s effects remained.


    snow crunched as emily stepped out of the forest. her eyes were red with tears ¨C noah was still somewhat surprised that physical changes like that happened in a mindspace, but it probably had more to do with how people subconsciously knew how their body should feel or react than a real effect.


    like how i get blinded by flashes of light when runes combine even though i don¡¯t technically have real eyes as a soul.


    ¡°i believe you,¡± emily said, sitting down across from him. ¡°but i¡¯m still going to talk to moxie.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯d expect as much.¡±


    there were several seconds of awkward silence where neither of them so much as looked at each other. finally, emily sighed.


    ¡°i guess i have to thank you.¡±


    ¡°for what?¡±


    ¡°for telling me this,¡± emily said. she wiped her face with the back of her sleeve again. ¡°please don¡¯t make me say it again, though. isabel and todd will make fun of me forever.¡±


    noah chuckled. ¡°fair enough. for what it¡¯s worth, i¡¯m sorry your mother was a massive piece of shit.¡±


    emily burst into laughter. tears started to stream down her eyes again and she hunched over, wiping her face furiously. ¡°you¡¯re such an asshole.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m aware.¡±


    it was another minute before emily got a hold of herself again. she sniffled, then took a steadying breath and matched his gaze again. ¡°is there anything else?¡±


    ¡°depends what you¡¯re asking about. there¡¯s always more, but we have one more thing i want to get accomplished before our time runs out.¡±


    ¡°please don¡¯t tell me moxie is dying or something.¡±


    ¡°what? no. moxie¡¯s fine. it¡¯s about your runes.¡±


    ¡°runes ¨C wait. you said you fixed moxie¡¯s runes after they were shattered. how?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s something else,¡± noah said. he turned to look at the runes floating around them. ¡°what¡¯s important now is your runes.¡±


    ¡°what about my runes?¡±


    ¡°fixing them, of course. we have about ten minutes to go through and turn all of these perfect.¡±

 Chapter 313: Find out

    chapter 313: find out


    perhaps it was because emily was already off her guard, but she took the news with remarkably little surprise. she accepted the existence of sunder easily, and it only took a minute for noah to explain the basics of what he and moxie had figured out about runes, their pressure, and how they should be combined to reach the optimal result.


    noah didn¡¯t have much in his grimoire that would actually be of help to emily as he was sorely lacking in ice-related runes, but that turned out not to be an issue. the rank 2 runes she had ¨C frost creation and frozen forest ¨C were fairly powerful and didn¡¯t seem to be far from their ideal versions. in fact, frost creation was almost there. when emily tested drawing on its power, the difference in pressure was subtle. unfortunately, it was there, nonetheless.


    as for frozen forest, the rune was a bit too general and its concept wasn¡¯t simple enough to be a perfect rune, but noah was pretty sure emily would be able to fix it just by tweaking her intent. it wasn¡¯t like they had much time to think on it at the moment. with just minutes left in the mind meld potion, the time to act was now.


    we can always just get another potion if need be, but i¡¯d rather save the money.


    ¡°ready?¡± noah asked.


    ¡°yeah. do it.¡± emily pulled frost creation close, which was the right move in noah¡¯s eyes. it was already close to being perfect, so it would be a good one to start with.


    cold rivers of energy rushed through noah¡¯s veins as sunder pumped through him. he approached frost creation, holding his hand out and brushing his fingertips across the rune¡¯s glistening, silvery blue surface.


    magic poured out, and a line of black split the rune in twain. it shattered, blue mist erupting from within it and pouring out into emily¡¯s mindspace. emily closed her eyes, concentration playing out across her features as seven rank 1 runes swirled out from the remains of frost creation.


    she was remarkably calm, almost as if she¡¯d done something similar before. in just thirty seconds, emily gathered the runes and pushed them back together, pouring the leaking energy straight back into them before much of it could dissipate.


    noah raised a hand just as a white flash lit up emily¡¯s mindspace. wind buffeted noah¡¯s hair and a chill nipped at his skin. when the light faded and he lowered his hand, the exact same rune floated before them.


    emily wasted no time in drawing power from the newly re-formed rune, testing out the pressure. whatever she¡¯d done had worked ¨C the rune felt perfectly even. she grinned and lowered her hand.


    ¡°i did it.¡±


    ¡°so you did. think you have another in you?¡± noah asked, looking to frozen forest. ¡°that one might be a bit more problematic, but if you just hone in your focus to plant or tree or the like rather than a whole forest, i think you should be able to get it perfected.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s worth a try,¡± emily agreed with a nod, extending a hand to call the other rune over to them. ¡°let¡¯s do it.¡±


    and, in the few minutes they had left, they did it.


    it did take three uses of sunder, but on her third attempt, emily finally managed to reform the frozen forest rune into a frozen tree, like noah had suggested. after emily spent a moment to test it, making sure the rune¡¯s pressure was even, she flopped down in a small pile of snow and let out a relieved breath.


    ¡°damned plains. i did it. that was so much harder than i thought it would be.¡±


    there were only one or two minutes before the mind meld¡¯s potion would run out ¨C or at least, noah was fairly sure how long was left. he still wasn¡¯t the best at keeping time of things.


    ¡°well done,¡± noah said with an approving nod. ¡°especially considering we spent the first three quarters of our time talking about other things.¡±


    ¡°other things. that feels like an understatement,¡± emily said, looking up into the false sky of her mindspace. ¡°by the way, you look really creepy when you use your power.¡±


    ¡°what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°your veins go black,¡± emily said, holding a hand out and making a face. ¡°it looks like you¡¯re rotting or something. it¡¯s creepy.¡±


    ¡°lovely to know. i¡¯m glad to hear.¡±


    a familiar tingle poked at the back of noah¡¯s head. evidently, he¡¯d screwed up his count ¨C but at least it hadn¡¯t been off by too much. the mind meld potion was about to wear off.


    ¡°we¡¯re out of time,¡± noah said. ¡°remember ¨C not a word of anything we talked about here. not about me, you, evergreen, or what we did to your runes. if you want to talk to moxie, and you should, i¡¯d suggest either getting a mind meld potion or asking lee to keep an eye out while you speak.¡±


    ¡°lee? why?¡±


    noah expected emily to glare at him, but instead a flash of pain flickered across her face and she looked to the side.


    ah, shit. probably struck a nerve with what she just learned about evergreen.


    ¡°not all nobles are bad,¡± noah said. ¡°look at moxie. and emily.¡±


    todd opened his mouth, then slowly closed it. ¡°yeah. you¡¯re right. sorry, emily. i was speaking without thinking.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°either way, they weren¡¯t nobles. and, either way, they¡¯re dead.¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ll try to reach out to her,¡± isabel said. ¡°maybe we can do a little sparring. she seems really competent, and having someone difficult to hurt is pretty beneficial when you¡¯re just practicing. it would be nice to have someone i can fight without holding back so much against.¡±


    ¡°hey!¡± todd exclaimed. ¡°i¡¯ve got armor!¡±


    ¡°armor that¡¯s more meant to protect you from your own magic than anything else.¡±


    ¡°okay, fair point.¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t even look at me,¡± emily said. ¡°i take one hit and i¡¯m down for the count.¡±


    ¡°maybe something to work on,¡± noah said. ¡°then again, if you don¡¯t get hit, it doesn¡¯t matter. i prefer the low defense, high offense strategy as well.¡±


    isabel and todd both sent a very pointed look at noah, clearly thinking back to the time they¡¯d seen him get killed and come back to life. not being able to stay dead was a pretty good motivator to not putting much attention to staying alive.


    ¡°you should probably look into ways to make sure you don¡¯t get hit, though,¡± noah amended with a sheepish chuckle.


    emily¡¯s eyebrows tightened as she looked from todd and isabel to noah. ¡°what did i miss?¡±


    ¡°more secrets,¡± noah said honestly. ¡°ones that weren¡¯t very relevant to the other things we spoke about. if you really want to know, you¡¯re welcome to buy a mind meld potion and ask. i¡¯m not promising i¡¯ll answer, though.¡±


    ¡°i can just... ask?¡±


    ¡°welcome to the fold.¡± noah shrugged. ¡°don¡¯t abuse your privileges. and remember, no talking about anything out loud.¡±


    ¡°man, now i really want to talk about it,¡± todd muttered. ¡°i wanna know what he told you, emily.¡±


    ¡°get a mind meld potion. i¡¯ll see you all next class,¡± noah said with a chuckle. with that, he turned and headed out of their room. as soon as he shut the door behind him, lee slipped out of a shadow and fell in step beside him.


    ¡°how¡¯d it go?¡± lee asked.


    ¡°pretty well, all things considered. any trouble?¡±


    lee shook her head. ¡°just a few inquisitive squirrels. they were taken care of. what are we doing now?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m going to go report that i¡¯ve hit rank 3, and then i think i¡¯d like to get some food. what do you think?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m starving. sounds like a great idea. how long will reporting your rank up take?¡±


    noah grimaced as he recalled his other experiences at the office. ¡°i suppose we¡¯ll find out.¡±

 Chapter 314: Pest

    chapter 314: pest


    a short walk later, the two of them arrived at the office. lee sniffed at the air as they approached the front doors, then licked her lips.


    ¡°i smell food.¡±


    ¡°you know what? i¡¯m not surprised.¡±


    in fact, i¡¯m rather counting on it.


    noah pulled the door open. to his mild amusement, the secretary sat at the desk as she always did. and, as there always seemed to be, a pile of food was set out before her. the secretary didn¡¯t acknowledge them as they stepped in.


    ¡°is this where we¡¯re getting food?¡± lee asked.


    ¡°no. i¡¯m still reporting my rank,¡± noah replied. he walked up to the desk and cleared his throat. as he expected, the secretary raised a single finger, not looking up from her meal. and, based on how much food was left, noah doubted she¡¯d be done anytime soon.


    perfect. now, just to make sure i¡¯ve got plausible deniability, i should wait a bit.


    noah leaned against the desk, tapping his foot on the ground as he let minutes pass. lee looked from him to the food, then slowly edged closer to the table. he pretended not to notice as one of lee¡¯s fingers slowly extended, slithering out like a small snake to snag a banana from where it rested at the base of a small pile of fruit.


    with the precision of a master thief, lee pulled the banana back to herself one inch at a time. she wound it past plates of smoked meats and steaming bread, weaving through a veritable minefield.


    the secretary¡¯s wholehearted focus on her meal proved to be more than enough cover for lee to liberate the banana from its fate ¨C only to stuff the whole thing into her mouth, skin and all.


    lee caught noah watching her and gave him a sheepish grin, the sides of the banana poking at either side of her mouth. she chewed once, then swallowed it whole, not making a single noise.


    her eyes drifted back to the table.


    i better do something before she actually gets caught.


    ¡°i¡¯m here to report my rank,¡± noah said. ¡°it changed.¡±


    the secretary raised a finger. she wiped greasy hands off on her shirt, then reached for a sandwich.


    ¡°i ¨C vermil linwick ¨C have reached rank 3. i just wanted to make sure it was known so arbitage could adjust their records and provide me with the appropriate pay.¡±


    lee slipped a cookie off the table. the secretary took a huge bite out of her admittedly delicious looking sandwich. she didn¡¯t once do so much as acknowledge noah¡¯s presence, which was just fine with him.


    ¡°well, that¡¯s that.¡± noah shrugged. ¡°shall we, lee?¡±


    lee grabbed another cookie, then followed after him as he walked out of the building. she threw a glance over her shoulder before eating both cookies in one bite. ¡°i don¡¯t think she heard you.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s fine. that was the plan.¡±


    ¡°you wanted to be ignored?¡±


    ¡°pretty much. think about it. my rank advancement is a little fast, and if i hit rank 4 soon, it¡¯s definitely going to raise questions. people would probably assume father is giving me a bunch of runes for some reason. but, if i can can say that i reported my ranks a while ago and nobody ever recorded them. the less concrete data there is, the harder it¡¯ll be to pin exactly when i hit anything.¡±


    ¡°does it matter that much?¡±


    ¡°no clue,¡± noah admitted. ¡°but i figure it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry. doing it this way gives me a way out that i can lean on if i really need it. i doubt i will, but you never know.¡±


    lee shrugged. ¡°we¡¯re getting food now, right?¡±


    noah¡¯s stomach rumbled again and he nodded. ¡°yeah. anything in particular you want? ah ¨C not squirrels. not anything that¡¯s still alive, please.¡±


    lee scrunched her nose. ¡°you can¡¯t knock it if you haven¡¯t tried it.¡±


    ¡°some things are better left untried. besides, if i start eating them, then wouldn¡¯t there be less for you?¡±


    ¡°oh. that¡¯s a good point. okay. what about that?¡± lee pointed at a food cart on the other side of the square, where a small line had built up before a man selling what noah was pretty sure were hot dogs.


    ***


    faint tingles of magic danced across aiden¡¯s fingertips as he watched his target from the cover of a large bush. it would only take a single bolt of concentrated wind between the man¡¯s eyes to kill him where he sat, but that almost felt too easy.


    jalen had been pretty insistent that his target was more than what met the eye. he probably had some form of shield that would protect him from a silent, ranged attack unless it was strong enough ¨C and a powerful attack drew attention.


    aiden watched the man happily take a bite of his meat stick, completely unaware of his presence. if he hadn¡¯t been on the job, he would have laughed.


    how is someone like this drawing the attention of the family head? he knows he¡¯s being hunted, but he sits out in the open like it¡¯s just any other day. does he have a really powerful shield that¡¯s beyond his rank?


    even if he does, that won¡¯t stop a physical attack unless he¡¯s ready for it.


    aiden¡¯s fists clenched. there was a chance that the man was ready for it, though. would anyone be stupid enough to just walk around in broad daylight when they knew they were being hunted?


    no. of course not. he must be so confident in his defenses that he doesn¡¯t even see us as a threat.


    the back of aiden¡¯s spine prickled. he released his grip on the magic, letting it fade back into his soul. his target wasn¡¯t oblivious. no wonder the previous assassin had died. he¡¯d fallen for the very trap laid before him.


    damned plains. i nearly died. if i attacked, i would have given my position away. yes, that¡¯s it. i doubt he knows i¡¯m actually here, so he wants to draw me out so i reveal my location and he can cut me down.


    that won¡¯t work. i¡¯ll reposition and strike when he doesn¡¯t actually expect it.


    aiden turned ¨C and nearly let out a startled scream. a student-aged girl with reddish black hair leaned against the tree directly behind him, an inscrutable expression on her face. somehow, she¡¯d managed to sneak up on him.


    ¡°damned plains, girl,¡± aiden cursed, keeping his voice low. ¡°what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°looking at you.¡±


    the answer was so straight forward that it caught aiden completely off guard.


    is she propositioning to me? guess i¡¯ve still got it.


    wait. no. i¡¯m on the job. jalen would have my head if i got distracted. i can deal with other matters once the target is dead.


    ¡°i¡¯m flattered, but i¡¯m afraid my current job is taking my full attention,¡± aiden said with an apologetic tilt of his head. ¡°i¡¯m currently investigating this garden for pests. i hope i didn¡¯t startle you, miss.¡±


    ¡°nope.¡±


    ¡°what a relief.¡± aiden gave her what he believed to be a winning smile. ¡°i¡¯d love to get to know you another time, though.¡±


    the girl stepped toward aiden.


    wow, she¡¯s forward.


    ¡°oh, not that.¡±


    aiden frowned. the back of his neck prickled and he resisted the urge to glance over his shoulder. ¡°not what?¡±


    ¡°i wasn¡¯t saying no to being startled. i meant you weren¡¯t looking for pests.¡±


    something cold pressed into the back of aiden¡¯s neck. confusion exploded through him as he tried to turn, but found that his body wasn¡¯t responding to his commands any longer. his legs buckled and he fell back, hitting the dirt with a thump.


    aiden couldn¡¯t feel anything. it was like his entire body had gone numb. something wet pressed into his back, and the sky swam above him. the girl¡¯s face wavered in the air above him, but he wasn¡¯t sure where it had come from.


    ¡°you can¡¯t be looking for the pest,¡± the girl said. her fingers elongated, sharpening into glistening points. ¡°you are the pest.¡±


    he tried to scream for help, but she slapped her other hand over his mouth, muffling his words. her palm tasted like blood. something deep in aiden¡¯s mind ¨C the part that wasn¡¯t erupting in panic ¨C told him that his body¡¯s failure to respond was because his spinal cord had been severed.


    aiden didn¡¯t have much time to process it. the girl brought her other hand down, and aiden knew no more.

 Chapter 315: Snacks

    chapter 315: snacks


    lee returned to the table a minute or two after she left. she sat down across from noah and licked her lips, her eyes darting to the half-eaten hot dog in it. noah laughed and held it out, letting lee snag her prize.


    ¡°everything okay?¡± noah asked. a thought struck him and he frowned. ¡°wait. were you eating the wildlife again?¡±


    ¡°no,¡± lee replied, drawing the word out and immediately looking completely and utterly guilty.


    ¡°liar,¡± noah laughed. ¡°aren¡¯t these enough? how much food can you possibly eat?¡±


    ¡°i got hungry. but how did you know?¡±


    ¡°your breath smelled a bit like blood.¡±


    lee paused, then sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. ¡°oh. yeah, i ate a bit. it wasn¡¯t that much.¡±


    ¡°not someone¡¯s cat, i hope.¡±


    ¡°just another squirrel.¡± lee shrugged. ¡°you said i could have them all.¡±


    i suppose i did say something like that. eh. it¡¯s not hurting anybody. i can¡¯t think of a single instance where anyone actually wanted the squirrel population to be uncontrolled. they breed like rabbits.


    ¡°fair enough.¡± noah finished off the rest of his hot dog and leaned back, enjoying the cold, fresh air against his skin. there wasn¡¯t anyone too close to them, so he was pretty sure they could talk freely so long as he didn¡¯t say anything too dangerous. ¡°i guess we should probably go shopping for runes soon, huh?¡±


    ¡°that would be nice.¡± lee chewed her lower lip for a second. ¡°i¡¯m a bit worried, though.¡±


    ¡°worried? why? you know i can just... well. you know.¡±


    ¡°yeah. i¡¯m more worried about the actual rune,¡± lee admitted. she looked down at the table and scratched the back of her hand. ¡°what if it changes me?¡±


    that¡¯s right. demons and monsters get directly affected by their runes since their body and souls are so closely intertwined.


    ¡°you¡¯re you,¡± noah said, putting his hand on top of lee¡¯s. ¡°no matter what your body changes to. besides, it¡¯s just your body, right? not your mind?¡±


    lee nodded, but it took her a moment to do so. ¡°yeah. i think so.¡±


    ¡°you aren¡¯t sure?¡±


    ¡°all i know is from what i heard back in the da ¨C uh, back home. and i really didn¡¯t put that much thought into it at the time. it was just getting stronger, and that was never a bad thing.¡±


    ¡°no matter what happens, it¡¯ll be fine,¡± noah promised. ¡°moxie and i will be there for you, and if the worst comes to worst, i¡¯ll just cut the rune up and we¡¯ll find a different way to do things.¡±


    ¡°what if i get changed so much that i don¡¯t want to let you do it?¡±


    ¡°then it¡¯s a good thing i¡¯ve got an infinite number of attempts to make sure i can. one of ¡®em will work.¡±


    lee grinned, her mood instantly shooting back to its normal state. ¡°okay! i¡¯ll hold you to that, though. i don¡¯t want to end up like the others i¡¯ve met. they¡¯re all assholes.¡±


    somehow, i feel like that might be a dig at you, azel.


    azel didn¡¯t respond ¨C not that noah was complaining. they sat in the park for a few more minutes, just enjoying the atmosphere. noah had fully planned to be eating for more than a minute, but the hot dogs hadn¡¯t lasted quite as long as he¡¯d expected.


    ¡°should we go find moxie and bring her some food?¡± noah asked. ¡°maybe we can go shopping afterward.¡±


    ¡°okay!¡± lee bounced to her feet and noah had to hurry to keep up with her as she shot out of the park and got back in line to get more hot dogs.


    at least she doesn¡¯t stay worried long. either that, or she¡¯s hiding it. from what i know of lee... she¡¯s probably hiding it.


    she was doing a good job of it, but not quite enough to completely trick noah. he knew her well enough to notice the slight droop in her hair. for anyone else, that would have just been the wind or a bad hair day.


    but for lee, whose entire body was completely under her control, it was pretty much the same as hunching her shoulders and kicking a rock down the street as she walked. but, fortunately, there was always a pretty surefire way to make lee feel at least a little better pretty quickly.


    noah bought another ten hot dogs when they reached the front of the line, feeding all but four of them to lee. and, sure enough, at least for the time being, it looked like the extra food had distracted her.


    i¡¯m going to need to have a talk with jalen. if his assassins are so sloppy that they¡¯re running into people other than me, then either he just doesn¡¯t respect arbitage¡¯s neutral ground or is an idiot. regardless of the reason, i can¡¯t let anyone get caught up in this.


    ¡°could you let me know the next time you run into an assassin?¡± noah asked. ¡°if possible, i¡¯d like to try to catch them alive so i can have a talk with them.¡±


    ¡°we can try,¡± contessa said. ¡°i¡¯m not going to kill myself trying to take them alive, if that¡¯s fine with you.¡±


    ¡°by all means. don¡¯t die for it, but just see what you can do,¡± noah said. he rubbed the bridge of his nose, then sighed. ¡°ask mascot for help if he¡¯s still hanging around you. i suspect he¡¯ll be more useful than you think.¡±


    ¡°the cat?¡± karina asked, staring at noah. ¡°how is a cat¨C¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t question it.¡± contessa put a hand on karina¡¯s shoulder and shook her head. ¡°you¡¯ll see.¡±


    karina frowned, then shrugged. ¡°okay, if you¡¯re sure. we really need to get rid of this body, though. i don¡¯t want to get caught lugging it around.¡±


    ¡°can i have it?¡± lee asked.


    ¡°what do you want with¨C¡±


    lee didn¡¯t wait for them to respond. she pulled the dagger out of the dead assassin and leaned over, grabbing the woman and devouring her in a single bite. karina and contessa both paled and averted their gazes as the sound of crunching bone filled the room.


    ¡°don¡¯t ask,¡± noah said, reading the question in contessa¡¯s eyes. ¡°in fact, i highly suggest you forget it. you¡¯re seeing this because lee thinks you¡¯re on our side. i don¡¯t recommend doing anything that would ever change her mind.¡±


    lee burped. ¡°can i have another hotdog?¡±


    ¡°no, these are for moxie. you¡¯ve eaten enough. if you have your way, you¡¯ll make me spend all my money before we can go shopping,¡± noah shook his head, only half joking. ¡°sorry for the interruption, ladies. let¡¯s go find moxie, lee.¡±


    as noah turned to leave the room, he remembered something that karina had mentioned some time ago, when they¡¯d first met. he looked back at his former fiance?e and she swallowed nervously.


    ¡°what?¡± karina asked.


    ¡°i just recalled you once spoke about an auction available only to you,¡± noah said. ¡°would that happen to have a better selection of runes than what we could find for sale normally?¡±


    ¡°yes, but the one i was talking about passed,¡± karina said. ¡°it was a few weeks ago.¡±


    ¡°when¡¯s the next one?¡±


    ¡°it should be another two weeks.¡±


    noah scrunched his nose in annoyance. it wasn¡¯t like two weeks was all that long, but he would have preferred something closer. he supposed they could always go shopping now and then hit the auction later, but it would have been nicer to do it in the other order.


    ¡°actually, there might be something.¡± contessa cleared her throat as they all looked to her. ¡°it¡¯s a noble auction, not a linwick estate specific one. they¡¯re long-running auctions, so new things show up and get sold every day for a week or two.¡±


    ¡°color me interested. when does it happen?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s already going on,¡± contessa replied. ¡°at least, it should be. i couldn¡¯t go this year because i don¡¯t have evergreen¡¯s backing anymore, but she used to always have me visit to see if there was anything of interest.¡±


    ¡°you need backing to get in?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s a noble auction, so yes. they won¡¯t just let anyone in.¡±


    noah¡¯s eyes drifted to karina. ¡°what about you?¡±


    ¡°i... could probably get in,¡± karina allowed. ¡°i didn¡¯t know there was an auction in arbitage, though.¡±


    ¡°evidently you weren¡¯t very high up in your family,¡± contessa said, a flicker of her former self emerging in a small smirk. it faded away as quickly as it had come and she looked to the side. ¡°not like i was either.¡±


    ¡°can you find out where the auction is being held? if karina can get us in, that would be pretty useful.¡±


    karina hesitated for a moment. noah got the feeling she was probably thinking something along the lines of what do i get for it, but she ended up settling for giving him a curt nod.


    ¡°thanks. much appreciated,¡± noah said. with that, he and lee headed out to find moxie before their hotdogs got cold.

 Chapter 316: Cowardice

    chapter 316: cowardice


    ¡°so, how did it go with alexandra?¡± noah leaned against the wall from moxie as she polished off the last of the surviving hot dogs.


    moxie waited to finish chewing and swallow before answering him. ¡°about as expected. i think our read on her was pretty accurate. she¡¯s uncomfortable but wants to be better and do better. i don¡¯t think we¡¯ll have any trouble with her. did everything work out on your side?¡±


    noah cleared his throat. ¡°you might have a chat with emily coming up in the near future, but yes. she, todd, and isabel have all been brought up to speed on what we know. their runes are good.¡±


    ¡°a talk?¡± moxie¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°what¡¯s that mean?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m sure she¡¯ll tell you when you speak. it wasn¡¯t too much. just bringing her up to speed a bit.¡± noah suddenly found moxie¡¯s window fascinating and directed the entirety of his attention toward it.


    moxie stood and walked up to noah so they were nose-to-nose. she prodded him in the stomach. ¡°what did you say?¡±


    ¡°i just encouraged her to have a chat with you,¡± noah said. moxie prodded him again and he let out a yelp. ¡°stop that!¡±


    ¡°you look way too shifty. tell me exactly what you said.¡±


    ¡°say, lee, are you still hungry?¡± noah ducked to the side, dodging out of the way before moxie could grab him. ¡°i¡¯m suddenly realizing i want food again.¡±


    ¡°yeah!¡± lee ran over to the door and pulled it open. ¡°let¡¯s go!¡±


    noah darted out ¨C only to have a very familiar yanking sensation grab onto his waist. for an instant, he thought he¡¯d somehow triggered sunder and his soul was getting pulled somewhere ¨C but that would have been his neck instead of his waist.


    it wasn¡¯t sunder. it was a vine. another vine shot out, whipping around noah¡¯s ankles and snapping them together. he let out a curse as moxie yanked him back over to her.


    ¡°lee, help!¡±


    ¡°i think i¡¯ll just go get food on my own,¡± lee said. ¡°have fun, though!¡±


    she closed the door.


    moxie¡¯s eyes glittered dangerously as she reeled noah in like a caught fish. ¡°spill, or i¡¯ll make you.¡±


    noah arched an eyebrow, but it was hard to look very intimidating from the ground. ¡°try me.¡±


    ***


    ¡°was that number four?¡± jalen scratched the underside of his chin. ¡°i lost count.¡±


    ¡°it was the seventh assassin, magus jalen.¡± the assistant tried to slide a stack of papers onto jalen¡¯s desk while he was distracted. jalen sent out a pulse of magic, destroying them before they could make their landing.


    ¡°seven? wow. that¡¯s a lot.¡± jalen picked at a bit of dirt that had gotten stuck under a fingernail, sticking his tongue out in concentration. ¡°how many more did i send?¡±


    ¡°good. leave. i have... important things to ponder.¡±


    the assistant bowed and scuttled out of jalen¡¯s room, closing the door behind him gently, as if to avoid scaring him. jalen massaged the bridge of his nose between two fingers and muttered a curse under his breath.


    ¡°absolutely pathetic. i¡¯d wonder if the other families have fallen this far as well, but i don¡¯t actually care enough to find out.¡± jalen walked over to his window and looked out it, watching the sun as it tracked through the sky.


    jalen wasn¡¯t sure how long he stood there. but, when he blinked, the evening was upon him. the old family head stepped away from the window, peeling his eyes from the sky. every passing day felt more and more like the same thing.


    it makes me wonder why i do this. there¡¯s so little left for me in this empire. i should just be done with it. and yet... these little blips of interest manage to keep me here. perhaps i just don¡¯t want to move on.


    regardless, i suppose i should stop flinging corpses at vermil. he should have gotten the message by now. the chances of him agreeing to meet me in the linwick estate are likely zero. at least, i hope they are.


    if he did, i¡¯d kill him on the spot for being such a coward. i¡¯m the one seeking him out, so he has the advantage. if he isn¡¯t a pushover, he¡¯ll send a demand that i come meet him instead.


    a snort of laughter escaped jalen before he could stop it. he shook his head, smiling to himself.


    what a splendid change of pace that would be. i need to stop getting my hopes up, or i¡¯m going to leave the boy as a bloody splatter on the dirt when he fails to live up to my expectations.


    ¡°assistant!¡±


    the door opened and jalen¡¯s assistant poked his head back in. jalen was pretty sure the man had literally been waiting outside the door to get called on, like a dog whose master didn¡¯t care all that much for it.


    ¡°yes, magus jalen?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve decided to wage war on the torrin family. would you go deliver the head of the nearest child to them so they know what¡¯s coming?¡±


    the assistant¡¯s face paled. he opened his mouth, and jalen called on the faintest traces of his runes. the amount of energy that leaked out wouldn¡¯t have done much more than slightly increase the pressure bearing down on a rank 2, but it was enough of a threat for the man to nod hurriedly.


    ¡°i will do as you ask, magus jalen.¡± the assistant turned, making to leave.


    why do i even bother? idiot didn¡¯t even ask why. the smallest threat to his safety and he¡¯s willing to plunge the empire into a war to save his own hide.


    ¡°stop!¡±


    the assistant turned back to jalen. ¡°yes, magus?¡±


    ¡°i changed my mind. go... i don¡¯t know. do whatever it is you normally do. just stop standing outside my door like some addled buffoon.¡±


    ¡°yes, magus jalen.¡± relief filled the assistant¡¯s words as he hurried away, closing the door. jalen listened to the man¡¯s footsteps as they pattered down the hall.


    idiot. i hope you do something fun soon, magus vermil. there are grave consequences for drawing my attention and then failing to hold it.

 Chapter 317: Cozy

    chapter 317: cozy


    ¡°i can¡¯t believe you told her,¡± moxie said, craning her head back to look at noah from her spot in his lap. ¡°i didn¡¯t want her to know all of that, you know. i could have said it myself if i did.¡±


    ¡°it was hurting both of you more than it was helping. there are some secrets worth keeping, but i don¡¯t think that was one of them. emily deserves to know you as you actually are.¡±


    moxie harrumphed and leaned back into him. ¡°says the person with more secrets than any of us.¡±


    ¡°hey, you know all of them now. if anything, all of those secrets just prove i know more about this than you do. i¡¯ve got experience. besides, didn¡¯t you feel like we got closer after i shared them with you?¡±


    moxie didn¡¯t respond for a few seconds. then she let out an annoyed sigh. ¡°yeah, i did. that doesn¡¯t mean i have to like it, though. you could have just told me i needed to talk to emily.¡±


    ¡°would you have?¡±


    moxie reached back and poked him in the side. ¡°i¡¯ve got you pinned. don¡¯t try me.¡±


    ¡°stop! i already surrendered,¡± noah said with a laugh. ¡°you¡¯re the one who asked. i know i probably shouldn¡¯t have told emily. it wasn¡¯t my place. i just didn¡¯t want to see both of you keep dancing around this forever. i tried to avoid the specifics as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°it was probably the right move,¡± moxie admitted. ¡°but that doesn¡¯t mean i have to like it. emily... didn¡¯t respond poorly, did she?¡±


    ¡°no. not to you, at least. i think she was more torn up about failing to realize what was going on. she definitely isn¡¯t going to be mourning evergreen¡¯s death too much.¡±


    ¡°good riddance,¡± moxie said under her breath. she paused as the door opened, and they both looked over as lee poked her head into the room.


    ¡°you were out for a while,¡± noah said. ¡°more squirrels?¡±


    ¡°nope. i was just wandering around.¡± lee stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. she walked over to the bed and hopped into it, leaning up against noah and moxie. ¡°everyone else is eating dinner together.¡±


    ¡°you mean the students?¡± noah asked.


    ¡°yeah. it looked tasty, so i tried some.¡±


    ¡°was it going well?¡± noah asked. ¡°alexandra is with them?¡±


    ¡°yeah. they went to a restaurant. they did look at me a little weird, though. i think they¡¯re getting rebellious. it was rude.¡±


    noah¡¯s brow furrowed. something about lee¡¯s voice told him she was very much waiting for him to ask why they¡¯d given her weird looks, and he wasn¡¯t one to resist obliging.


    ¡°what did you do?¡±


    ¡°nothing! i just ate some of their food.¡±


    ¡°how much?¡± moxie asked, repressing a laugh.


    ¡°just a nibble. i¡¯m not a savage. i tasted it after i brought it to them to make sure it was good. that¡¯s what you¡¯re meant to do to show it¡¯s good, right?¡±


    ¡°wait, you brought them their food? why? weren¡¯t you just eating with them?¡±


    ¡°no, that was too boring. i decided to be their waiter instead, so i shifted into the assassin that karina and contessa killed in your room. it was fun!¡±


    ¡°you ate some of their food while in the body of an assassin pretending to be a waiter at a restaurant?¡±


    ¡°wait, what happened to the waiter?¡± moxie asked.


    ¡°you can, but it can be seen as a sign of weakness.¡± contessa turned down a path going alongside the gardens. ¡°in general, it¡¯s a lot better to just match the way you¡¯re treated. just avoid doing anything that lets people identify you.¡±


    lee¡¯s body rippled. her clothes ripped at the seams as she enlarged, growing three feet taller and widening until she was both taller and more muscular than noah. her hair shortened and a small moustache appeared on her upper lip. karina stared at her in a mixture of awe and horror.


    ¡°what?¡± lee asked, looking down at herself. ¡°i¡¯m looking different.¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t grow any larger,¡± noah suggested. ¡°or move too suddenly. i don¡¯t know if there¡¯s an age limit on who¡¯s allowed to attend these things.¡±


    they came to a stop beside a small stone building at the end of the garden. it didn¡¯t look large enough for their group, much less an entire auction. contessa walked up and rapped her knuckles on the door in a short pattern.


    a moment later, the door ground open to reveal the small building¡¯s interior. it was completely dark and empty, with nothing but a stairwell in its center that led underground. noah tilted his head to the side.


    ¡°how big is this event that they¡¯ve got a whole secret passage building dedicated to it?¡±


    ¡°oh, it¡¯s not just for the event. they also do weddings.¡± contessa started down the stairs, then paused. ¡°i think they do birthdays too, but you¡¯ve got to be really rich for that.¡±


    ¡°noted,¡± noah said, and they all followed her into the darkness. behind them, the door rumbled shut.


    the stairs didn¡¯t go on for as long as noah had expected. they ended just a few minutes of walking later, leaving them in a circular room lit by warm torches. it was ringed by doors ¨C some open and some closed, and a large passage at the far side of the room presumably led into the auction proper.


    ¡°get changed in any of the rooms that have open doors,¡± contessa said, already heading toward one of the rooms. ¡°there are runed safes where you can put your belongings. don¡¯t take anything but your money, or it¡¯ll go poorly.¡±


    ¡°not sure i love that.¡± noah frowned. ¡°what if someone steals my shit?¡±


    ¡°they won¡¯t,¡± contessa promised. ¡°you lock the safe with energy from your runes, and it won¡¯t open again until you release it. if anyone tried to break in, you¡¯d have more than enough time to know ¨C and the whole of the auction would come down on them. that¡¯s why this thing is so exclusive.¡±


    noah scrunched his nose, then shrugged. it wasn¡¯t like anyone would be able to lift his grimoire in the first place ¨C and if they were dumb enough to try and steal his gourd, all he had to do was kill himself and he¡¯d pop out right beside them.


    he chose a room and headed inside. there were two sets of plain black robes hanging from the wall. one was fitted for a male, and the other for a female. beside them was a single white mask with the number 17 on it. noah changed into the male robes, and they adjusted size to match his form perfectly.


    huh. that¡¯s kind of nice.


    the far end of the changing room had a metal door hanging askew. beyond it was a safe roughly the size of a small changing closet. noah could have fit himself into it if he wanted to. he set his belongings down inside it, only holding onto his travel bag with the money in it, then studied the door for a moment.


    swirling imbuements covered its surface, hidden from identification but still clearly present. shrugging to himself, noah closed the door. as soon as it shut, he felt a tiny pull coming from where his hand met the door.


    i don¡¯t know how much information this thing gathers, so i¡¯m not going to let it use anything but my worst rune. i guess that¡¯s natural disaster since all my other runes don¡¯t have any flaws at all.


    noah fed a slight amount of power from natural disaster into the door. there was a whirr and a clunk as it locked, and the lines covering it lit up a dull white.


    i guess it looks secure enough.


    he grabbed the mask from the wall and lifted it to his face. there wasn¡¯t anything to hold it there, but it let out a faint hum as it touched his skin, attaching to it like a second skin. he could see through it perfectly, as if nothing was there.


    ¡°huh. that¡¯s neat,¡± noah said, stepping out of his changing room. karina, moxie, and lee were already waiting for him.


    the imbuements on the clothes were evidently more impressive than he¡¯d thought because they¡¯d grown to match lee¡¯s considerable new form.


    ¡°ready?¡± contessa asked.


    they all nodded.


    ¡°let¡¯s get moving, then. we want to get a good spot before the auction gets started.¡±

 Chapter 318: Talents

    chapter 318: talents


    the main corridor came to stop before a pair of already-open stone doors. they were carved from stone, and the swirling patterns running along them looked to be nothing more than decoration, but noah knew better.


    those are definitely hidden imbuements.


    contessa didn¡¯t stop to appreciate their surroundings. she stepped through the doors and started down into an amphitheater beyond it. there were twenty different viewing platforms, each with small walls and completely isolated from the others.


    pathways ran out of the amphitheater in every direction, leading to doors identical to the ones they¡¯d just come through. at the very center of the amphitheater was a large, raised dais.


    a man in pure white clothing with a black, featureless mask stood at the center of the dais, his hands crossed behind his back. he wasn¡¯t the only other person in the room, though. about three quarters of the viewing platforms were already occupied by groups of up to six people.


    all of the platforms had at least one person with the inversed clothing colors ¨C white, with a black mask ¨C standing in a corner. karina led them over to one of the unoccupied viewing platforms and they piled in, sitting down at an awaiting table. noah inclined his head in greeting to the masked woman in their room, but she didn¡¯t return the gesture.


    bah. it¡¯s going to be a bunch of stiff assholes here, isn¡¯t it?


    once they¡¯d all gotten onto the platform, the woman strode over to the back and closed the door behind them, locking it with a click. noah¡¯s scalp prickled as a low hum washed over all of them. he stiffened.


    ¡°don¡¯t worry,¡± contessa said, raising her hands. ¡°it¡¯s to make sure nobody can overhear us when we¡¯re talking. it¡¯s just a safety measure.¡±


    ¡°can we trust it?¡±


    contessa shrugged. ¡°i... think so? as far as i¡¯m aware it¡¯s trustworthy. there would be a lot of anger if anyone was somehow breaking through the imbuements or abusing them. that¡¯s the whole point of doing the auction like this. it ensures privacy.¡±


    ¡°just how arbitage ensures a neutral zone, huh?¡±


    contessa cleared her throat and looked out to the dais. ¡°yeah. either way, everything should be getting started really soon. we made it with just a bit of time to spare. there will be a few different rounds, categorized by what they¡¯re selling today.¡±


    ¡°do we know what they are?¡± moxie asked.


    contessa shook her head. ¡°no. they change, but i¡¯d assume some of it will be runes, some will be imbued items, and some will be information. i don¡¯t know what the rest will be ¨C probably monster parts or the like.¡±


    ¡°i didn¡¯t think about selling information at an auction, but i guess it makes sense.¡± noah paused, then glanced at moxie. ¡°you know, i completely forgot again, but did we ever get that letter from thaddius with our money?¡±


    ¡°oh, shit. i forgot to tell you.¡± moxie let out an embarrassed laugh. ¡°yeah, we got it. nine thousand gold.¡±


    they all settled down to wait, but they didn¡¯t have to wait long. just a few minutes after they finished speaking, the lights in the amphitheater blinked out, plunging everyone into darkness. an instant later, a silver glow lit around the dais, illuminating the man standing upon it.


    ¡°i¡¯d like to thank you all for joining us tonight,¡± the man said, pressing one hand to his chest and stretching the other out to his side as he lowered into a bow. ¡°for those of you who are returning ¨C the troupe greatly values your patronage. and, for those of you who are visiting for the first time, my name is rin. i will be the auctioneer for tonight.¡±


    rin raised, then crossed his arms behind his back in parade rest. another hum washed over noah¡¯s skin as beams of light erupted, illuminating all but five of the platforms.


    ¡°we have fifteen grand houses with us today,¡± rin continued. ¡°i beg your forgiveness, but i must reiterate our rules before we can enjoy ourselves. as always, the troupe strives to be as unintrusive as possible. our assistants are all thoroughly bound by rune oath ¨C not a word of what you say will leave their lips. in fact, they can¡¯t even hear you unless you touch them as part of the imbuements on their mask.¡±


    that¡¯s... intense. definitely a way to make sure that information doesn¡¯t leak, though. can¡¯t share what you can¡¯t hear. of course, that¡¯s assuming i actually believe this guy.


    ¡°should you wish to bid on any item that arrives, you may simply call out your offer. your troupe member is only present in the scenario that you have questions or need clarification on anything. please know that any attempts to threaten or otherwise harm a troupe member will result in expulsion from this auction and hefty fines that will be paid in blood.¡±


    don¡¯t screw with the employees. got it. hey, at least they care. better than the shitty school administration i had back on earth.


    ¡°finally, please be aware that while visiting your neighbors on their viewing platforms is permitted, any altercations involving runes are not. if someone requests you leave their platform, you are requested to comply as quickly as possible. interfering with another group¡¯s ability to place bids will be punished accordingly.¡±


    noah¡¯s brow furrowed behind his mask. the rules about interference felt... off. they could have easily said that everyone had to stay in the locations where they started, but instead allowed anyone to walk around as they wished.


    i suppose that lets you bargain or try to convince another house to give up on something without broadcasting your intentions to everyone else, but it also leaves a lot of opportunity to strongarm someone. you could easily go over to a competitor and threaten or otherwise try to figure out who they are to determine if you can afford to fight them or not.


    ¡°furthermore, collaboration in order to acquire an item is allowed, though it will require that you identify yourself to the group that you are working with. the troupe is not responsible for anything that happens in this occurrence,¡± rin said, his voice echoing through the room. there was no way it was naturally that loud ¨C it had to be magically enhanced. ¡°we guarantee that no information of yours will ever leak at fault of the troupe, but this guarantee only goes so far as you maintain your secrecy. we have a running promise ¨C if we fail to uphold any of our promises, your family will be accommodated with their choice of an item valued at a range of one million gold to four million gold.¡±


    noah nearly choked on his saliva. the amount of money the troupe was using as collateral was enough to buy so many runes that he didn¡¯t even know what he¡¯d do with them.


    i could probably boost myself and everyone else all the way up to rank six with that much money. what the hell are these people doing where they can throw it around? although... i guess money doesn¡¯t mean you can make a rune that doesn¡¯t suck. dayton is proof of that.


    ¡°with that, it¡¯s time to get our festivities underway,¡± rin proclaimed. he clapped his hands together once. ¡°the auction has begun!¡±


    a grin slowly stretched across noah¡¯s lips, though it was concealed by his mask. money or not ¨C the situation was more perfect than he ever could have asked for. nobody knew who anyone else was, so if a group believed they were bidding against someone that had more power than they did, they had to be careful to avoid offending them. while there was theoretically no way to retaliate outside of the auction, noah highly suspected some of the powerful houses would buy out every item someone else wanted purely just because they¡¯d been annoyed.


    the whole thing was one giant bluff competition. and, if there was one thing noah was good at, it was bullshitting.


    this is going to be fun. l1tlagoon witnessed the first publication of this chapter on n??v€l--b1n.

 Chapter 319: Mind Games

    chapter 319: mind games


    a glimmer of golden magic danced across rin¡¯s fingertips, flowing out to form a sphere above his head. he held his hands up and, with a theatrical flick, the sphere burst like a miniature firework.


    the light that exploded out of it gathered, changing color and shape to form into a large potion vial. it was full of a rippling blue liquid and corked with a wax seal. the potion swirled like a three dimensional model in the air above rin, and he waited several moments before speaking.


    ¡°we¡¯ll be starting with our miscellaneous offerings today,¡± rin declared. ¡°coming up first, starting at a mere one hundred gold, is a waterbreath potion from an amateur alchemist who wishes to remain anonymous. it functions for approximately one hour, though we were unable to guarantee this claim. it¡¯s a bit of a risk ¨C but for a hundred gold, it¡¯s a steal!¡±


    lee licked her lips. ¡°it¡¯s so blue. i bet it tastes like fruit.¡±


    ¡°it probably tastes like rotten fish,¡± moxie said with a shake of her head. ¡°and never buy potions from an amateur. that¡¯s a good way to turn your insides out. stick to people who have been doing it for a while.¡±


    ¡°one hundred,¡± a man standing on the platform across from them called.


    ¡°one hundred and five,¡± a woman called from the platform beside him no more than a second later.


    evidently, not everyone went by moxie¡¯s way of thinking. noah wasn¡¯t personally sold on the use of a water breathing, so he didn¡¯t really care who got the potion ¨C especially for a hundred gold. it might not have been much to the nobles, but it was still a hefty chunk of money to him.


    in the few seconds that noah had spent thinking, the price of the potion had already raised to two hundred gold. even though the two voices bidding on it were curt and professional, noah picked up more than a small degree of animosity between them. a small frown crossed over his lips.


    i don¡¯t know a ton about potions, but i feel like the price on this isn¡¯t going up because people actually want it. is this a dick measuring contest?


    ¡°i bet it¡¯s tasty. look how much they¡¯re fighting over it,¡± lee said, scrunching her nose. ¡°are you sure it¡¯s bad?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s just two families trying to prove that they¡¯re the bigger fish in the pond,¡± karina said with a shake of her head. ¡°i¡¯ve seen this at almost every auction i go to, especially the ones where your identities are hidden. the loser isn¡¯t the one that doesn¡¯t get the item, though.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s the one that gets stuck with it, huh?¡± noah chuckled. ¡°god, that¡¯s stupid. they¡¯re trying to show they¡¯ve got more money, but neither actually wants to end up with the piece of shit at the end, right?¡±


    ¡°yeah, but it also shows that you¡¯re willing to fight what you want,¡± contessa said, reaching up to scratch at the side of her neck. ¡°so it¡¯ll keep some families from bidding on things that you want when it¡¯s clear you plan to get it. there¡¯s a lot of nuance to this kind of thing.¡±


    ¡°so i can see,¡± noah said.


    i wonder how much i can screw with these people.


    ¡°sold for three hundred and fifty gold!¡± rin called. the image of the potion vanished with a pop, and noah looked back down to the stage just as the auctioneer formed another item with light ¨C this time, it was a flying sword.


    noah already had one of those, so he wasn¡¯t particularly interested in buying it. the sword started bidding at four hundred gold, and this time, three families got into the fight over it. the actual numbers they bid didn¡¯t matter too much to noah.


    he was more interested in watching how they acted with each other. it seemed like the majority of the bids were relatively small increases over each other ¨C likely to avoid accidentally scaring any of the other families off and mistakenly landing an unimportant item.


    several minutes passed, and rin auctioned off half a dozen other assorted items that had absolutely no interest to noah. none of them seemed particularly interesting, and the vast majority seemed to be made by amateurs.


    rising to his feet, noah walked up to their attendant and, after standing around awkwardly for a moment, put his hand on their arm.


    ¡°excuse me?¡± noah asked.


    ¡°how can i help you, sir?¡±


    ¡°i had a quick question about the items being offered,¡± noah said, ignoring the looks the rest of the group sent him. ¡°is there a reason they all appear to be... well, fairly unimportant?¡±


    ¡°there is, sir. many families bring the products that their young masters have made or found and set them up for auction. it¡¯s a way to introduce them to the business while letting them make an allowance. the troupe allows attending members to put any item up for auction.¡±


    ¡°any item?¡± noah raised an eyebrow.


    can i auction my dirty underwear?


    ¡°the troupe and all attending guests have a mutual understanding that nothing that is offered up will ever be substandard or a cause for concern, sir. if you happen to have anything you would like to auction stored in our safe lockers, please let me know.¡±


    ah. that¡¯s another way to say don¡¯t give us shit or we¡¯ll kick you out. fair enough. no underwear.


    ¡°noted. thank you,¡± noah said, taking his hand off the attendant and returning to his seat. in the time that he¡¯d been gone, rin had already moved on to sell another item and was now auctioning off what was supposedly an ancient dinner plate.


    yeah. rare because of how shockingly trash it is.


    the only response was silence. noah could practically feel scornful gazes boring into his back, but he didn¡¯t care. three thousand gold was a ridiculous amount, but it was a rank 4 rune. even if he lost most of the energy in it, it would be more than worth the cost when he split it up.


    ¡°well then. sold!¡± rin exclaimed. ¡°congratulations, member 17.¡±


    well, that was easy.


    ¡°where will it be?¡± noah asked contessa.


    ¡°they¡¯ll put it in your locker. but...¡± contessa thought better of whatever it was she¡¯d been about to say and shook her head. ¡°never mind.¡±


    another two runes went up for sale ¨C both rank 3s that were fairly well combined, but neither caught noah¡¯s attention. they both sold for around fifty thousand gold after lengthy bartering battles.


    but, finally, noah found what he was waiting for as rin called up a new rune.


    ¡°this one ought to draw your interest,¡± rin called. ¡°this is a rank 3 inferno rune. it is of borderline perfect quality, and bidding will start at ten thousand gold.¡±


    ¡°hey, do you guys mind if i borrow some money? i won¡¯t keep it,¡± noah said.


    moxie and lee both glanced at him, then nodded as one.


    ¡°i guess. is it really worth it for something like this, though?¡± moxie asked.


    ¡°you¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°ten thousand!¡± a woman¡¯s voice rang out.


    ¡°twenty thousand,¡± noah called.


    all that greeted him was silence. rin blinked in surprise, but he was a professional salesman and didn¡¯t let himself get caught off guard for long.


    ¡°twenty thousand! that¡¯s a high raise by 17. would anyone¨C¡±


    ¡°twenty-five thousand,¡± the man across from them called. noah could see him standing at the edge of his viewing platform, looking straight at him.


    noah raised a hand in greeting. then, without a trace of unease, he spoke again. ¡°thirty-five thousand.¡±


    ¡°what are you doing?¡± lee asked. ¡°do we really need that?¡±


    a few seconds ticked by. noah stood casually, making sure his posture didn¡¯t let on any of the stress that he felt. people were definitely watching them now.


    oh, shit. come on. don¡¯t bail out now. the other runes have sold for way more than ¨C


    ¡°forty thousand,¡± the man called. noah couldn¡¯t see his eyes, but he got the feeling the man was glaring daggers in his direction.


    rin looked back to noah. nobody else tried to place a bid, so it was just him and the other man. they¡¯d both raised the price by such a high number that it became pretty clear that butting in now would cause more trouble than it was worth.


    noah tapped his head, then sat back down. rin waited for a few more moments in hope that someone else would say something, but it never came.


    ¡°sold for forty thousand to number 28!¡± rin¡¯s voice echoed.


    ¡°what was that about?¡± contessa asked. ¡°if you don¡¯t mind me asking, that is. i don¡¯t mean to¨C¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s fine. i didn¡¯t want the rune.¡±


    ¡°you didn¡¯t? why did you bid thirty-five thousand gold on something you don¡¯t want?¡±


    ¡°because it looks like we¡¯re a big noble family,¡± moxie muttered, realization washing over her. ¡°we¡¯ve wasted three thousand gold on a worthless rune and then immediately jumped the price of the inferno rune. that made it look like we¡¯re rich, but vermil showed we were willing to play nice when 28 made it clear he really wanted the inferno rune.¡±


    ¡°and now, all we have to do is wait,¡± noah said, a smile spreading across his lips. ¡°this is just getting started.¡±

 Chapter 320: Take a look

    chapter 320: take a look


    two more runes sold without issue, but noah¡¯s prediction came to be true just a few minutes later, when there was a knock on their door.


    ¡°there we go. lee, do you think you could get that? you¡¯re the most intimidating out of all of us right now. ah, i guess we should make sure not to use names as well from here on out.¡±


    lee nodded. she rose to her feet, her current form towering far above all of them as she stomped over to the door and leaned down, pulling it open carefully to avoid damaging the handle.


    a woman stood on the other side, her arms crossed behind her back. her mask identified her with a small bird print rather than a number.


    ¡°i apologize for the intrusion,¡± the woman said, her voice smooth and syrupy. she didn¡¯t look taken aback by lee¡¯s size in the slightest. ¡°would you object to a brief discussion? i come representing number 14, in the platform to your left.¡±


    those are the ones that haven¡¯t bid on a single thing yet. interesting.


    ¡°i¡¯m always willing to entertain guests,¡± noah said, waving for her to come in. lee closed the door behind the woman. ¡°what can we do for you, bird?¡±


    if she objected to the nickname, she didn¡¯t show it. ¡°number 14 would like to inquire if there is a particular piece you are searching for in the auction today.¡±


    ¡°nothing in particular,¡± noah said with a one-shouldered shrug. ¡°we¡¯re simply perusing and taking whatever catches our interest.¡±


    something tells me that isn¡¯t the case for 14, though. they¡¯re worried i have enough money to compete with them on something they actually care about.


    noah was thankful for his mask, because he could barely hold back the devilish grin crossing his lips.


    ¡°ah. in that case, would you object to avoiding a particular object? number 14 greatly desires this object for himself, and he would be very displeased if we have to pay more than we need to for it.¡±


    she¡¯s avoiding mentioning the specific item in case i seem like i¡¯ll screw with them for no reason, and the way she worded things made it pretty clear she doesn¡¯t believe losing is actually possible ¨C they¡¯ve got a ridiculous amount of money, then. probably a massive family, then.


    ¡°a curious proposal,¡± noah said. ¡°is there anything i would get out of it? i have no desire to antagonize your group, but i¡¯m not going to sit around and pass up on something interesting.¡±


    ¡°we understand, and would obviously be willing to return the favor in kind. we will refrain from bidding on anything that you desire if you return the effort.¡±


    hm. they know something really important is going to go up for sale, and whatever it is, it¡¯s probably really good. there¡¯s absolutely no way i could afford something like that in the first place, even if we pool everything we have.


    but, if they¡¯re rich... well, they should be able to spare some money pretty easily.


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure i can agree to that quite yet. what if the object your group desires is identical to the one that catches my eye?¡± noah shook his head sadly. ¡°if you could tell me the item of interest, i would be honest and tell you truthfully if i will bid on it or not. my word.¡±


    ¡°i have procured the catchpaper,¡± bird said, holding it out to noah. ¡°we¡¯d be interested in taking a look at what you have to offer.¡±


    ¡°splendid,¡± noah said, inclining his head ever so slightly. number 14 didn¡¯t address him, and noah returned the favor. ¡°please give me some time to retrieve the rune.¡±


    lee closed the door.


    noah turned back to the attendant and put his hand on her arm. ¡°i¡¯d like that grimoire, please.¡±


    ¡°of course, sir. please step back.¡±


    noah obeyed her request and the attendant pressed her palms together. she stretched them apart, and a familiar crackle of purple energy arced between them. a portal stretched open in the room and noah¡¯s grimoire thumped to the ground before him.


    the troupe¡¯s attendants have space runes? these guys definitely aren¡¯t under-funded.


    he wasted no time in flipping the grimoire open setting the paper down beside it. selling the monster rune wasn¡¯t really much of a drawback to him ¨C he could easily get another one without too much difficulty, and he wasn¡¯t so sure he wanted to test it on himself.


    anything that messed with his soul was something that ¨C unlike death ¨C posed a real risk to him. fortunately, as long as he moved fast enough, having the chitinous spine armor rune in his mind for a few moments wouldn¡¯t be enough time to cause any changes.


    noah didn¡¯t care how dangerous the rune was if someone else was buying it. it was their responsibility to make sure it didn¡¯t turn them into some sort of warped monster-human hybrid. all he had to do was get it onto a piece of paper so he didn¡¯t have to reveal his very recognizable grimoire.


    ¡°give me the chitinous spine armor rune,¡± noah said. ¡°it was part of datyon¡¯s scroll. wait, shit. you didn¡¯t eat it, did you?¡±


    the book¡¯s pages fluttered. it shifted to the side of its own accord, sliding to touch the paper on the ground beside it. the scent of burning paper filled the air, and noah looked down in surprise.


    glowing lines were swirled across the piece of catchpaper as the chitinous spine armor rune drew itself onto it. tiny glowing embers rose up from the paper and faded into the air.


    the book can imbue runes on its own? i don¡¯t have to take them into myself first? holy shit. this thing is insane. it also begs the question... how intelligent is it?


    the imbuement finished and the book snapped shut.


    noah picked the paper with the monster rune up, then tapped the attendant on the shoulder. ¡°that will be all. thank you.¡±


    the attendant opened her portal once more and, after glancing through it to make sure the vault on the other side was his, noah pushed the book through. then he turned back to the door and nodded for lee to open it.


    ¡°thank you for your patience,¡± noah said, beckoning for bird and number 14 to step into their room and holding the paper out so they could see it. the smile on his face stretched even wider, until it probably had more resemblance to azel¡¯s smirk than he would have cared to admit. ¡°please, take a look.¡±

 Chapter 321: Money games

    chapter 321: money games


    bird took a step forward, but number 14 pushed past her. noah couldn¡¯t see his eyes, but he could tell from a glance that the man¡¯s gaze was solely fixed on the rune imbued into the catchpaper before him.


    it didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out what the man was thinking. he¡¯d probably been confused at first ¨C it wasn¡¯t like he could understand the rune, so it would have looked like a bunch of squiggles.


    he¡¯s going to think the rune is fake and will want to touch it to feel the power in it. that¡¯s the easiest way to verify it¡¯s got actual magic.


    sure enough, the man brought the back of his hand up to the catchpaper, brushing it across the rune. his arm stiffened and he pulled back, his masked face raising to look up at noah.


    ¡°what is this?¡±


    ¡°i told you. a monster rune,¡± noah said, not even bothering to hide the smugness in his tone. it fitted the role he wanted to play perfectly. ¡°it¡¯s rank 3.¡±


    ¡°that wasn¡¯t what i meant,¡± number 14 said. ¡°how is this possible? i can¡¯t read the rune. what does it do? where did you get it?¡±


    ¡°those are a lot of questions,¡± noah said smoothly. down on the stage behind noah¡¯s back, rin was calling out information about a new rune. noah paused for a moment to listen to the pitch, but it didn¡¯t catch his interest. ¡°i take it that means you¡¯re interested?¡±


    number 14 grunted. he crossed his arms and took a step back, gathering himself ¨C but it was too late. he¡¯d overplayed his hand, and they both knew it. shaking his head, number 14 let out a chuckle. ¡°yes. i¡¯m interested. i think that¡¯s plain enough. the question is not of my interest, though. it is of the quality of the goods for sale.¡±


    ¡°an object is only as valuable as someone¡¯s desire for it,¡± noah countered. ¡°and you aren¡¯t going to be finding something like this anywhere else.¡±


    ¡°which is precisely why i wish to know how you got it.¡±


    ¡°and that is the exact reason why i¡¯m sure you¡¯ll understand that i¡¯m not sharing such information,¡± noah said with a shrug. ¡°it was not easy for my group to procure this. i was unsure if i wished to sell it at all, to be frank.¡±


    ¡°and yet you do ¨C which means you can get more.¡±


    ¡°logically.¡± noah inclined his head, then waved the catchpaper. ¡°but for the time being, this is the only one on sale. it¡¯s a defensive rune called chitinous spine armor. a rank 3, as i previously mentioned.¡±


    ¡°you can read it?¡± there was even more surprise in number 14¡¯s voice.


    ¡°i am a man of many talents.¡±


    and reading this isn¡¯t one of them. that¡¯s all lee.


    number 14 didn¡¯t respond for several seconds. he studied the rune on the paper, as if trying to memorize it. noah was pretty sure that was a faux pas, as runes could be replicated if you knew how they looked and had enough of their matching energy to draw one, but he wasn¡¯t concerned.


    if number 14 wanted to steal the monster rune, he¡¯d need to find another one with matching energy. that wasn¡¯t a problem for stealing a fire rune or the like, since anyone with enough gold could buy a fire rune.


    good luck finding another monster rune that matches this one any time soon.


    ¡°okay,¡± number 14 admitted, his fingers twitching as if he wanted to take the paper from noah then and there. ¡°i am incredibly interested. i will not beat around the bush ¨C but i will also be forthright and say that, no matter how fascinating this rune is, it is a long-term investment and will likely provide me little in the near future. as a rank 3 with unknown quality, i would not be willing to overspend on it.¡±??v€l-b!n.


    bah. i get the feeling that you¡¯ve got so much money you don¡¯t know what to do with it. this is just damage control to save face after you spilled all the beans.


    ¡°i understand, but i obviously wouldn¡¯t be willing to part with something as rare and expensive as this for an inadequate amount. rank 3 or not, it¡¯s still completely unique and incredibly rare. you can get a master rune by hunting down a great monster. when¡¯s the last time you saw a monster rune, though?¡±


    number 14¡¯s fingers drummed on his thigh. bird shifted behind him. she was still scanning the room in search of anything identifiable, but nobody else was talking and they hadn¡¯t brought anything with them other than the clothes the troupe had provided. there was nothing to find.


    ¡°i suppose that would be acceptable,¡± noah said, delaying as long as he dared. ¡°your kindness is appreciated. in that case, we should get down to what you are willing to pay for this rune.¡±


    number 14 thought for a moment. the bids on the set of runes were slowing down, and it had started to approach one hundred thousand gold.


    ¡°i will give you one hundred and fifty thousand gold, minus the cost of the set that is about to sell,¡± number 14 said.


    noah damn near said yes on the spot. his heart clenched as he forced himself to freeze in place and put on the air of considering the offer.


    ¡°two hundred thousand.¡±


    ¡°one hundred and seventy-five, but you will promise me another such rune in the future at a reasonable price, should i request it.¡±


    ¡°how would that work? we are anonymous.¡±


    ¡°we are,¡± number 14 agreed. he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small leather patch. it had a small cross embossed on its front, and it was clearly made from a single piece without any seams or cuts. ¡°this will prove your identity to me. it is merely a unique piece of cloth with no runework or imbuements on it. all the power will be in your hands ¨C and i will take the risk to trust that you reach out as agreed upon.¡±


    ¡°and how will i find you, should i agree?¡±


    ¡°one from my family will demonstrate the powers of the rune i purchase today,¡± number 14 said. ¡°that will make it abundantly clear.¡±


    noah didn¡¯t dare delaying any longer. he simply took the patch from number 14, exchanging it for the monster rune. number 14 handed the catchpaper over to bird and extended his hand. noah clasped it, and they shook.


    ¡°a pleasure doing business with you,¡± number 14 said. ¡°i look forward to a very fruitful partnership. bird, would you acquire the set on sale before some bumbling fool makes away with it?¡±


    ¡°yes, sir,¡± bird said. she raised a hand to her temple. a moment later, a new bid echoed out through the dark amphitheater, this one coming from the platform right to their left.


    ¡°one hundred thousand.¡±


    there was a moment of silence. then a woman on the other side of the room started to speak.


    ¡°one hundred and¨C¡±


    ¡°one hundred and ten thousand,¡± the voice from the platform to their side echoed out once more, not even letting the other woman speak.


    the challenge was clear, and the price had gotten high enough that even the other nobles were hesitant to bring it any higher when someone wanted it that badly. the silence lasted for a few more seconds before rin clapped his hands.


    ¡°sold for one hundred and ten thousand to number 12!¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s my man,¡± number 14 said. ¡°it was a pleasure. the attendant on my platform will transfer the remaining sixty-five thousand gold and the set of runes to your vault in the form of a treasury note. i trust that is sufficient?¡±


    kind of like a check? works for me. i assume the troupe can cash it, so i can use that money to bid.


    ¡°it is.¡±


    ¡°then i wish you a good day. until we meet again.¡± number 14 raised a hand to his head in farewell, then strode out the door. bird hurried after him, only pausing to gently close the door behind them.


    moxie waited until they were gone to speak again. ¡°damned plains. what are you, a used flying swords salesman?¡±


    ¡°hey, don¡¯t complain. we¡¯ve got an extra sixty-five thousand gold to play with, and i fully plan to blow all of it on getting a few more runes for myself. i knew this was going to be fun.¡±

 Chapter 322: Hungry

    chapter 322: hungry


    several more runes went up for sale and consequently were purchased, ranging from a few thousand gold to well over three hundred thousand. noah tried to keep his eyes from boggling at the amounts of money that the nobles were throwing around, but it wasn¡¯t easy.


    and to think arbitage was paying me ten goddamn gold a month. god, they were scamming my ass.


    noah nudged moxie. ¡°any of the runes catching your eye?¡±


    she shook her head. ¡°it¡¯s not a good idea to take on a ton of new runes at once, and i just completely redid my runes. i¡¯m perfectly fine as i am. besides, i think you and lee need them more.¡±


    ¡°the ones that we just got should be enough for me,¡± lee said. she looked out to rin, then cleared her throat. ¡°do... i get the master rune?¡±


    ¡°sure. i don¡¯t need it, and it seems like it should fit you pretty well anyway,¡± noah said. ¡°in that case, i think i¡¯ll focus the rest of my purchases on me. i still need some more ice and fire runes. maybe a vibration one as well, although the stormprince¡¯s rune that i bought probably has that.¡±


    he didn¡¯t have to wait long. neither ice nor fire runes were particularly uncommon and noah had already established that he wanted a fire related rune when he¡¯d bid on the nearly perfect inferno rune that had gone up near the start of the auction.


    after a few more other runes were sold, an above-average scorching flame rune came up for sale at rank 3. it started at five thousand gold and quickly made its way up to ten before noah jumped the bidding price by ten thousand, up to twenty thousand. one more person gave an attempt at buying it by pushing it up to twenty-one, but noah immediately countered with a bid of twenty-five thousand.


    nobody tried bidding against him any further ¨C the rune just wasn¡¯t worth the risk, and so he won it without any further trouble. noah was pretty sure he¡¯d slightly overpaid for the rune, but it fit his purposes perfectly and he didn¡¯t want to hunt around for fire runes any longer.


    after several more uninteresting sales, noah¡¯s attention was once again piqued by a rune called towering frozen glacier. it was a rank 4 rune sitting at almost forty percent full upon creation, which put it ever so slightly on the upper end of average.


    that didn¡¯t stop people from bidding on it, though. evidently, even a middling rank 4 rune was of some use to weaker families. the price, which had started at twenty thousand, quickly rose up to thirty.


    ¡°forty thousand,¡± noah called.??v€l-b!n.


    an instant passed, but people weren¡¯t as willing to let go of this rune as a clearly sub-standard one. before long, a woman matched his bid.


    ¡°forty-one thousand.¡±


    ¡°forty-five thousand.¡±


    this time, the pause was longer. it was the third time that noah had basically brute forced his way into a purchase. even though the previous runes hadn¡¯t been all that expensive, the way he approached them was identical each time.


    ¡°fifty thousand,¡± the woman called, a slight trace of hesitation in her voice.


    noah glanced at moxie.


    ¡°do you mind if i¨C¡±


    ¡°go ahead.¡±


    ¡°fifty-five thousand,¡± noah countered, deeply hoping his bidding opponent wouldn¡¯t try to push the price any higher. he still had forty thousand gold left over from what number 14 had given him. with the addition of his own money and the money that they¡¯d gotten from selling the horn, that put him at just under sixty thousand. if they went any higher, he¡¯d have to start digging into lee and moxie¡¯s pockets to avoid getting outbidden.


    mercifully, nobody called out again. noah breathed a sigh of relief as rin clapped his hands together to signal the item had been sold. ¡°the towering frozen glacier rune goes to number 17!¡±


    ¡°there goes our money,¡± lee said sadly. ¡°it was nice being rich.¡±


    ¡°you still have ten thousand gold,¡± noah pointed out. ¡°don¡¯t let these stuffy pricks screw your scale of money up. it¡¯s not normal to spend this much at once ¨C but at the same time, what¡¯s the point of having money if we don¡¯t use it? with this, i should be able to reach rank 4 without any more delays.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s a nearly perfect rank 6 rune. that¡¯s incredible,¡± contessa breathed, leaning so far over the edge of their platform that noah was almost worried she¡¯d fall off. ¡°i can¡¯t believe someone¡¯s actually selling it. it could completely change the fate of a family.¡±


    ¡°two million,¡± number 14 thundered, his words carving through the din like a sword. noah¡¯s throat dried. he swallowed, his spine prickling. the leather patch that the noble had given him suddenly felt incredibly heavy in his pocket.


    who the hell did i do business with?


    a woman started to speak up.


    ¡°three million.¡± number 14¡¯s voice was like a massive wall rising up over all of them, not allowing even the slightest thought of passage beyond it. he was using the same strategy noah had, but on such an incredible level that it felt impossible to comprehend.


    ¡°do you think he wants a wife?¡± karina whispered.


    ¡°keep dreaming,¡± contessa muttered back.


    rin¡¯s fingers twitched on the stage, and noah suppressed a laugh. he wasn¡¯t sure if rin was more pleased that the rune was going to sell for that much, or if he was pissed that number 14 was cutting off the bidding before it could get any higher.


    silence ruled the amphitheater.


    ¡°is nobody else going to bid?¡± rin called. ¡°this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, my dear attendees. you may never get another opportunity to acquire a rune as incredible as this.¡±


    ¡°three million and¨C¡±


    ¡°four million.¡± number 14 didn¡¯t hesitate in the slightest. it felt like he was just playing with someone else¡¯s money instead of using his own.


    at least hear out what they¡¯re saying! you¡¯ve made your point already. aren¡¯t you just wasting money now?


    wasteful or not, it worked. nobody spoke up again. rin cleared his throat, clearly stalling for as long as possible. when it became abundantly clear that absolutely nobody was able to compete with number 14, he clapped his hands.


    ¡°sold! congratulations to number 14!¡±


    the lights flashed, then dimmed slightly as the rune floating above rin disappeared.


    ¡°right now! we¡¯ll be moving on to the next and final stage of today¡¯s auction,¡± rin said. ¡°i¡¯ve always found this one to be the most interesting. it¡¯s time for the information sale! need a question answered? for the right price, we¡¯ll handle it for you. just let your attendant know. in the meantime, we¡¯ll be putting up the verified information that you¡¯ve all sent us for auction. to open with, i¡¯ve got the location of an area that has a high population of rank 4 monsters that have a tendency toward wind based runes. the bidding price will start at five thousand gold.¡±


    noah sat down in his chair as bids started to echo across the dark room, still slightly numb from the amount of money that number 14 had been slinging around.


    ¡°he¡¯s got to be from one of the large families,¡± moxie said, her tone thoughtful. ¡°that could be really useful.¡±


    ¡°or dangerous,¡± noah said. ¡°but you¡¯re right. it¡¯ll be interesting to find out who he really is. he¡¯s evidently strong enough that he can share it without worrying about us finding out.¡±


    ¡°interesting indeed,¡± moxie muttered, looking out to the platform where number 14 stood. ¡°you think we could maybe try to use him to do something about jalen?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s a possibility. we¡¯ll find out soon enough, i guess.¡±


    ¡°so we will,¡± moxie agreed.


    ¡°do you think anyone is selling information on where the best food is in arbitage?¡± lee asked. ¡°i¡¯m hungry.¡±

 NEW STORY ANNOUNCEMENT

    new story announcement


    howdy all! i''m really thrilled to announce a project i''ve been working on for a while now is finally out!


    check out the blurb:the roots of this story extend from novell bi?n origin.


    after all, you are what you eat ¨C and arwin¡¯s diet just became legendary.


    the links to read the novel are above and below in the author notes!


    i should also mention i wrote this novel (as well as another one during november) while writing runebound - there will be no schedule changes for runebound. it will continue having daily uploads for the foreseeable future.


    cheers, and please consider checking out my new work to support me! every follower & honest rating/review do a ton to help out, and i really do think you guys will enjoy this story. see you guys tomorrow with a double upload as celebration for living forge''s release!

 Chapter 323: Too important

    chapter 323: too important


    the auction ground on. in the viewing platform just a few spots to the right of noah¡¯s group, a man and a woman sat at a table, listening with half an ear each as rin tried to convince the attendees to bid higher on some the location of a great monster.


    ¡°you know, i can¡¯t help but feel like this might be breaking a few rules,¡± the masked man said. he scratched at his mask, which had the number 29 on it.


    the woman, whose mask had a small star on it, snorted. ¡°there¡¯s no point of having rules if you don¡¯t break them.¡±


    ¡°but¨C¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s only fair. if i spend all this time making sure that everything stays as it should, then it should be perfectly fine for me to bend things a bit when i want to.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s a little hypocritical, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°do you want me to not be hypocritical?¡± the woman tilted her head to the side. ¡°i can arrange for that, but i don¡¯t think you¡¯d enjoy the results.¡±


    clearing his throat, the man adjusted his shirt. ¡°i don¡¯t believe i¡¯ve broken any rules. there¡¯s nothing for me to be concerned about.¡±


    the woman stood up and walked around the table, causing the man to stiffen. she put her hands on his shoulders and leaned forward so their faces were right beside each other. ¡°if that were true, would you be so concerned right now?¡±


    ¡°i say this with the most respect i can ¨C you¡¯re terrifying. i¡¯d be a fool not to be concerned in your presence even if i had never so much as thought of breaking a rule in my entire life.¡±


    ¡°aw, you think i¡¯m terrifying? thanks. i appreciate it.¡± the woman let out a laugh as she stepped away from the man, running a finger across the back of his neck before returning to her chair and leaning back, kicking both of her feet up onto the table. ¡°flattery isn¡¯t going to change anything, though. besides, this isn¡¯t hurting anyone.¡±


    ¡°no,¡± the man allowed, reaching up to touch the back of his neck. ¡°i suppose it isn¡¯t. but don¡¯t you think introducing such a powerful rank 6 rune to the area is... possibly less than ideal?¡±


    ¡°are you challenging my judgement?¡± the woman tilted her head to the side.


    ¡°in the most polite and respectful way that i can imagine ¨C yes. i don¡¯t think that¡¯s against the rules, but i¡¯d like to request you not kill me in case you decide it is.¡±


    the woman burst into laughter. ¡°you get more fun every day. first you admit you¡¯re scared of me, and then you have the guts to actually try and stand up to me for something as unimportant as this. i¡¯m glad i didn¡¯t pop your head like a grape when we first met. it would have been a complete waste.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m relieved to hear you think so highly of me. if i¡¯m being honest, i¡¯m more concerned about drawing unwanted attention than i am of your rule breaking.¡±


    ¡°this is my domain.¡± she reached up to her mask and pulled it away from her face. ¡°the others aren¡¯t going to care about something as unimportant as this. besides, i didn¡¯t do this for no reason. it had a purpose.¡±


    behind the mask was impossibly pale skin with lips curled up in a cocky smile. garina set her mask down on the table, then flicked her fingers. ¡°go on, ferdinand. take the stupid thing off.¡±


    ¡°they¡¯re meant to conceal our identities,¡± ferdinand said wearily, removing his own mask and setting it down beside garina¡¯s. ¡°i don¡¯t mean to antagonize you, but i am not optimistic that the other apostles would leave me alive.¡±


    ¡°oh relax. you¡¯re under my thumb. as long as you don¡¯t break any rules, they¡¯re not going to care in the slightest who you are. it¡¯s a moot point, though. they¡¯re not going to waste their time here when i¡¯m already searching the area for our target.¡± garina paused for a moment. her face scrunched in distaste. ¡°okay, one of them might be around somewhere, but he¡¯s probably not going to care about you at all.¡±


    ¡°when it comes to my life, i can¡¯t say that i love the idea of probably.¡±


    ¡°but you don¡¯t mind being under my thumb?¡± garina smirked at the scowl on ferdinand¡¯s face. ¡°relax. you¡¯re being a stick in the mud. do you really think i¡¯d have given away a rank 6 rune at this level for no reason?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure it¡¯s a wise idea to make any predictions about your actions.¡±


    ¡°oh, stuff it. i¡¯m trying to lure my prey out.¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ll be moving into some of the requests that your fellow attendees have placed with their attendants!¡± rin called. ¡°these will be ordered, as information requests are priced at flat rates rather than bids. let¡¯s get started with our very first one!¡±


    ¡°boring,¡± garina said, covering a yawn. ¡°i¡¯ve wasted enough time here. say, did you make any sandwiches? i¡¯m hungry.¡±


    ¡°no,¡± ferdinand said. ¡°you already ate them. both of them.¡±


    ¡°oh, right. why didn¡¯t you make more? you forgot to save one for yourself.¡±


    ¡°because the second one i made was meant for me,¡± ferdinand said, keeping his expression flat. ¡°if you want food, you¡¯ll have to¨C¡±


    ¡°our first information request is priced at one thousand gold! the request is simple ¨C the location of the greatest restaurant within arbitage grounds. if you believe you have a suitable answer, please contact your attendant. please be aware that, when possible, information will be verified.¡±


    ¡°who spends gold on something like that?¡± ferdinand asked. ¡°what an¨C¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s brilliant,¡± garina said. ¡°saves me the trouble of looking myself. why didn¡¯t i think of that?¡±


    ferdinand closed his mouth, thankful she¡¯d spoken before he finished his sentence. it was only a few seconds before rin spoke again.


    ¡°we¡¯ve got some answers, and our team has evaluated and chosen the one that they believe to be the most accurate! everyone with a matching answer was paid out an equal portion of the gold reward. our next request is for the location that has a high concentration of rank 3 or higher earth based monsters. the cap is fifteen thousand gold.¡±


    ¡°well, you¡¯ve got a few million gold you don¡¯t need now,¡± ferdinand observed as rin continued his sales pitches. ¡°you could always put the same request that the other person did.


    garina started to nod, but before she could move toward their attendant, someone cleared their throat loudly, interrupting rin mid speech. ferdinand¡¯s eyebrows raised as rin turned, the annoyance clear in his posture.


    a hulking figure stood at the edge of their viewing platform, barely contained by the clothes the troupe had given them.


    ¡°please keep noise¨C¡± rin started.


    ¡°this information isn¡¯t any good,¡± the figure called, their voice higher than ferdinand had expected. they were female.


    ¡°if you have issues¨C¡±


    ¡°you told me the restaurant¡¯s name was pillen¡¯s fishhouse, but you didn¡¯t say where it was!¡± the woman called, her voice echoing through the room with nearly as much intensity as rin¡¯s had.


    ¡°ma¡¯am, please turn the paper that your attendant gave you over,¡± rin said irritably. ¡°it¡¯s on the other side.¡±


    there was a moment of silence. ¡°oh. found it. thanks.¡±


    garina burst into laughter. ¡°i wish that announcer didn¡¯t have a mask on. what do you think his face looked like? that¡¯s great. getting his fancy auction interrupted because someone couldn¡¯t read a piece of paper... absolutely hilarious.¡±


    ¡°and, better yet, i suppose we¡¯ve found out where to get food,¡± ferdinand said. ¡°as did everyone else in the amphitheater.¡±


    ¡°which means we should leave now,¡± garina said. ¡°every other idiot will be wasting time in here until the auction ends, but you¡¯ve already pointed out that i¡¯ve completely wasted both my time and energy. let¡¯s go. the food at this place better be incredible, or i¡¯m going to burn it to the ground.¡±


    garina strode past ferdinand and hurried to catch up with her. he wasn¡¯t sure if she was joking or not, but he strongly hoped he wouldn¡¯t have to find out.


    besides, some food would be nice. i¡¯m starving. we haven¡¯t really spent much time in a town before now, though. i hope garina can behave herself and avoid destroying anything too important.

 Chapter 324: Pointy

    chapter 324: pointy


    rin¡¯s voice echoed out through the amphitheater, fading into the distance behind noah. the auction wasn¡¯t quite at a close yet, but he was out of gold, and nobody else had enough gold to afford any more purchases.


    it¡¯s a good idea to leave early, regardless of money. no matter what the troupe claims about safety and our identities being concealed, i¡¯d rather be out early than trying to maneuver my way around the other people leaving.


    the large double doors were still cracked open, so they were able to slip out of the amphitheater and set off down the hall leading back into the dressing room. lee led their party, her long strides taking her considerably farther than the rest of them. she kept turning corners, then pausing and twitching impatiently for the others to catch up.


    noah kept his senses peeled for anyone that might have been watching them, but at least as far as he was aware, there didn¡¯t seem to be any problems. they reached the dressing room and broke off into their respective rooms to retrieve their clothes and goods.


    as soon as noah¡¯s hand touched the imbued door, the energy within it shimmered and faded. the door swung open, revealing his belongings along with a few new additions. there was a bundle of catchpaper protected by two thin pieces of leather lying on the ground, just in front of his grimoire.


    and, poking out the top of the grimoire, was a tiny triangle of paper. noah¡¯s eyes narrowed. he shifted the bundle of paper to the side and picked his grimoire up. even as he flipped it open, the little triangle of paper vanished into its depths ¨C he could almost imagine a slurping noise as the book slurped what had likely been his runes up like a noodle.


    ¡°figures,¡± noah muttered, flipping the book open. its pages were blank, but he¡¯d expected that. ¡°i hope you didn¡¯t eat any of lee¡¯s runes. we¡¯re going to need those soon. actually, i¡¯m going to need mine soon as well. don¡¯t get too attached.¡±


    the book closed itself on his hand. noah cursed, yanking his hand free and shaking it off. it hadn¡¯t hurt so much as stung, but he still glared at the grimoire. the eye on its cover rippled, blinking up at him before fading back into the leather.


    ¡°brat.¡± noah changed into his normal clothes and gathered the rest of his belongings. when he was done, he flipped through the leather wrapped bundle of catchpaper. luckily, it looked that whoever had sold lee¡¯s runes had wrapped them for safety, and that had kept his grimoire from eating any more.


    noah tucked the bundle into his travel bag and slung his grimoire over his shoulder, striding back out into the main room. the others had all already finished and were waiting in a small group in the corner. lee had returned to her normal form and size.


    ¡°sorry. technical difficulties,¡± noah said. ¡°i¡¯ve got your runes, lee. do you want them now?¡±


    ¡°can you hold onto them until we can actually fix stuff?¡± lee asked. ¡°i¡¯m not very good at keeping things that aren¡¯t already inside my body. i lose them. or eat them.¡±


    ¡°consider it done. in that case, i want to¨C¡±


    ¡°get food!¡± lee exclaimed, thrusting a finger up. ¡°we¡¯re going to pillen¡¯s fishhouse. i paid a lot of gold for that information, so we can¡¯t waste it.¡±


    yeah. and then you shared it with literally everyone in the auction house before we could stop you. besides, i want to upgrade my runes...


    ¡°we can go some other¨C¡±


    lee¡¯s eyes bored into noah¡¯s, large and watery. her lip trembled ¨C and he could swear that her eyes were actually growing larger. lee was changing the shape of her face to better mimic the pleading eyes of a small, starving puppy.


    ¡°oh, goddamn it. fine,¡± noah grumbled.


    lee¡¯s face snapped back to normal and she beamed. ¡°great!¡±


    ¡°i think you just got played,¡± moxie said as they all followed lee up the stairs.


    ¡°the jokes on her. i don¡¯t have any money,¡± noah said with a grin. ¡°she¡¯s going to have to pay for my meal.¡±


    ¡°you know, didn¡¯t we have a bet about having to cook a meal that got interrupted by... well, a lot of shit?¡± moxie cast a glance in karina and contessa¡¯s direction, clearly not wanting to say too much in their presence.


    ¡°huh. yeah, we did,¡± noah said. ¡°as i recall, i¡¯m pretty sure we all lost. we should get around to doing that. it¡¯s been a while since i¡¯ve cooked anything, but it could be fun. just make sure lee isn¡¯t the one that chooses the ingredients when we get around to it.¡±


    they continued up the stairs, soon emerging from the small house and stepping back into the starry night.


    lee held up the piece of paper that she¡¯d bought at the auction, squinting at the back before lowering it and glancing around. she pointed down the path. ¡°that way.¡±


    ¡°do you still need our help?¡± karina asked, shifting her weight from foot to foot. ¡°because, if not, i¡¯d like to go to bed.¡±


    ¡°as would i,¡± contessa said. ¡°i need to get some food for mascot as well. i don¡¯t know if he¡¯s eaten today.¡±


    ¡°yeah, sure. thanks for your help getting us in, ladies.¡± noah started to nod, then paused. ¡°wait, mascot eats?¡±


    ¡°yeah. you didn¡¯t know?¡± contessa frowned. ¡°he eats a lot.¡±


    ¡°huh. i guess he always just hunted for food... or something? i didn¡¯t think he needed to eat.¡±


    ¡°thanks!¡± lee said. she strode through the room, slipping by waiters ¨C all of whom seemed to wear a splattered apron. noah wasn¡¯t sure if the blood was part of the uniform or if they all just liked brutally murdering the fish they worked with, but he decided not to ask.


    they approached the table. noah almost missed a step as he got a closer look at the two people at their table. the woman¡¯s skin was so pale that it was practically pure white, which only made her dark red, almost black lips stand out even sharper. long, black hair framed her face and hung low at her back. she had a spiked choker around her throat ¨C and the spikes looked like they were real. the woman¡¯s features were beautiful, but in the most unsettling way that noah could use the word. haunting might have been more accurate.


    the man across from her only made the woman stand out even more. if she was a freezing winter, then he was the warm summer. his face was plain and kind, clean shaven of any hair. while his cheeks weren¡¯t exactly round, they certainly weren¡¯t chiseled either.


    for a moment, noah felt like the man seemed familiar, but he couldn¡¯t place anything about him. lee sat down on the long bench beside the woman, not even bothering to introduce herself.


    ¡°what are you doing?¡± the woman asked, her eyes sharp as she turned to glare at lee.


    ¡°i am sitting. this is our table,¡± lee replied. she spotted a menu lying between the man and the woman and snagged it.


    ¡°what is a d¨C¡±


    ¡°garina, please,¡± the man said hurriedly, holding his hands up. ¡°this is a group restaurant. they seat people together. look at the other tables.¡±


    ¡°i did not ask to be seated next to others. you try my patience, ferd.¡±


    ¡°ferd? why are you ¨C ah, never mind. this is just how it works here. we could always go somewhere else if you¡¯d prefer?¡± the man offered, giving garina a placating smile. noah didn¡¯t miss the flicker of worry that passed through his expression.


    for a moment, garina didn¡¯t respond. her lips pressed thin and she shrugged. ¡°fine. if this is how it¡¯s done, then i suppose i would be remiss in being standoffish. what a pain.¡±


    nice lady.


    noah took the spot beside lee, and moxie sat down beside him. lee¡¯s eyes darted over to the menu between garina and ferd. noah was pretty sure that garina was studying it, but for some reason she hadn¡¯t picked it up.


    lee didn¡¯t notice ¨C or, more likely, she didn¡¯t care. she reached over, snagging the menu and bringing it over to herself. one of garina¡¯s eyes followed the menu¡¯s path. noah cleared his throat.


    ¡°nice to meet you. i¡¯m vermil. the little one is lee, and this is moxie.¡±


    ¡°a pleasure to make your acquaintance,¡± ferd said with an easygoing smile. ¡°garina and i are... traveling through the empire. we heard that this location was interesting, so we decided to make a stop. please excuse my companion¡¯s harsh tone. she means nothing by¨C¡±


    there was a thump, and ferd grunted. noah was pretty sure garina had just kicked him under the table. moxie sent noah an amused look, and he gave her a small shrug in response.


    looks like we got a table next to some weirdos. the guy seems nice enough at least. as long as we don¡¯t interact with them too much, it should be fine.


    ¡°so, what are you going to order?¡± ferd asked garina, clearly trying to keep her attention on him.


    ¡°there was a dish called the weeping sawtooth. it sounded fun, so i¡¯ll get that.¡±


    that sounds like a weapon.


    ¡°i was going to go with a plain sunfish. it seems like a good spot to start,¡± ferd said.


    ¡°nice and plain,¡± garina said, a small grin pulling at her lips. ¡°what a coincidence. just like you.¡±


    ¡°i am sure i will enjoy it regardless. appreciating the finer things in life is one of her greatest teachings. we must enjoy¨C¡±


    ¡°is she here?¡± garina asked, leaning forward and arching an eyebrow.


    ferd cleared his throat. ¡°no.¡±


    ¡°in that case, the only woman whose teachings you should be concerned about are mine.¡± garina gave him a grin ¨C and noah caught a flash of pointed, sharklike teeth.


    ah, fantastic. definitely weirdos. whatever. i don¡¯t care. it looks like they¡¯re occupied with each other, so as long as ¨C


    ¡°whoa,¡± lee said, staring straight at garina. ¡°your teeth are really pointy. how do you avoid biting your tongue?¡±


    goddamn it.

 Chapter 325: Spiky

    chapter 325: spiky


    ¡°my teeth?¡± garina blinked, tilting her head to the side. noah wasn¡¯t sure if she was completely baffled or an inch from losing her cool.


    ¡°yeah. mine are sharp too, see?¡± lee opened her mouth and pulled her cheek to the side to give garina a better look at her palate. ¡°but yours are way sharper. you¡¯ve got to bite your mouth all the time.¡±


    ¡°lee, don¡¯t bother her too much please,¡± noah said. ¡°she¡¯s trying to eat dinner, just like us.¡±


    ¡°you don¡¯t have pointy teeth. you don¡¯t understand,¡± lee said. ¡°i used to bite myself all the time until i made mine shorter, but hers are really big. like a monster¡¯s.¡±


    ferd shifted uncomfortably on the other side of the table. noah prepared to draw on his magic ¨C he didn¡¯t know what rank garina was, but he didn¡¯t want to find out.


    but to his surprise, instead of the fury that noah had expected, a grin passed over garina¡¯s lips. ¡°you like my teeth?¡±


    ¡°yeah,¡± lee said with a nod.


    ¡°they weren¡¯t easy to get,¡± garina said, pulling her own cheek to the side so lee could get a better look into her own mouth. she continued speaking with her hand in her mouth, muffling her words. ¡°i grew them myself, using materials i gathered from one of my greatest enemies. it took years of refining before they were worth using.¡±


    ¡°wow,¡± lee said. and then ¨C to noah¡¯s horror ¨C lee reached up and tugged at one of garina¡¯s teeth. ¡°they feel really strong. have you ever bit your tongue with them?¡±


    garina burst into laughter. luckily, lee removed her hand in time to avoid getting it chomped. noah and ferd exchanged a completely baffled look, and garina slapped lee on the back.


    ¡°i¡¯m very aware of my entire body,¡± garina said, speaking through her laughter. ¡°i haven¡¯t bit myself in a very, very long time. i¡¯ve bit a few other people, though. and i¡¯ve never had someone stick their hand in my mouth voluntarily, and that¡¯s saying a lot. there aren¡¯t many things i haven¡¯t experienced yet.¡±


    ¡°oh. well, you¡¯re welcome,¡± lee said.


    ¡°you¡¯re welcome?¡± garina, who had only just started to get herself under control, started to laugh again. ¡°look at the arrogance on this little thing! she¡¯s got more balls than the entirety of your church, ferd.¡±


    ferdinand¡¯s eye twitched, but the smile remained on his face. ¡°she does not know what we do. ignorance can be a shield.¡±


    ¡°i love it when you get scared,¡± garina said, flashing a deeply unsettling smile in ferd¡¯s direction. ¡°perhaps coming to this little backwater location was worth it after all. i don¡¯t get amusement like this often.¡±


    lee handed the menu over to noah, but at this point, he was more interested in the two others at their table than he was in ordering food. he gave it a quick glance, then picked out a dish at random and gave the menu to moxie.


    ¡°you said you were traveling through the area, right?¡± noah asked, hoping to steer the conversation away from garina¡¯s teeth. she seemed fine with it for the time being, but encouraging lee to poke at other people¡¯s teeth sounded like a great way to wake up one day with her hand in his mouth. ¡°what for?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m trying to find someone that stole something important,¡± garina replied, cracking her neck. a chill ran down noah¡¯s spine. he wasn¡¯t sure what it was about her, but his senses were not a fan of garina. she, for lack of a better word, scared him.


    ¡°what of you?¡± ferd asked. ¡°are you a local?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m a professor here,¡± noah said. he nodded to moxie. ¡°as is moxie. lee is an assistant professor.¡±


    ¡°she seems... young for a professor. all of you do,¡± ferd said. ¡°i mean no offense, of course.¡±


    ¡°who cares about how young they are?¡± garina asked. ¡°look at the little one. she¡¯s bold, and she actually respects the other two. that means they¡¯re stronger than she is.¡±


    ¡°not everyone you respect has to be stronger than you are,¡± ferd said.


    ¡°that¡¯s an excuse the weak give to justify their subservience,¡± garina said with a scoff. ¡°the weak respect the strong because they fear them. that¡¯s the way of the world. i could see passing fancy for someone weaker ¨C but if someone weak claims to respect someone strong for any reason other than their strength, it¡¯s a lie.¡±the roots of this story extend from novell bi?n origin.


    ¡°i don¡¯t think that¡¯s true,¡± lee said.


    garina looked at lee in disbelief ¨C likely trying to get over the cognitive whiplash. lee had gone from ready to fight to cheerful in a split instant. after a moment, she let out a huff.


    ¡°give me the weeping sawtooth,¡± garina said, still watching lee.


    the rest of the table put their orders in as well, and the waiter departed as quickly as he arrived. mercifully, neither lee nor garina said anything else. the table remained silent for several minutes, the tension surrounding everyone so dense that it could have been cut with a knife.


    their waiter emerged from the kitchen a short time later, bearing five plates in his arms in an impressive juggling act. he slid them across the table and departed in the same motion. the food looked and smelled delicious.


    well ¨C most of it did. noah and moxie both had some sort of breaded fish before them, and it was absolutely glistening with just the right amount of grease. it was served with a small, colorful salad and a speckled white sauce that looked remarkably similar to tartar sauce on earth.


    lee had received a massive pile of beautifully cooked fish, each one seasoned and prepared in a different way. across from her, ferd had a single, large fish. it looked tasty, but it was, as garina had pointed out, rather plain.


    the dish that noah¡¯s eyes were fixed on wasn¡¯t his or lee¡¯s or ferd¡¯s, though. it was garina¡¯s. it was a large, bulbous fish with spines jutting out of it in every direction. while its flesh looked cooked to perfection, there were so many spikes on the thing that it felt like it eating it would have been a massive chore.


    ¡°i think i prefer my plain fish,¡± ferd said, breaking their silence.


    garina glared at ferd. ¡°coward.¡±


    ¡°but a happy one,¡± ferd replied, cutting a slice of his meal away and taking a bite. his eyebrows rose as he chewed and swallowed. ¡°that¡¯s actually quite spectacular. some of the best cooking i¡¯ve had in a long time.¡±


    that was all it took for noah and moxie to dig in. the faster they ate, the sooner they could get lee away from garina without causing too much of a scene.


    and, on lee¡¯s part, she wasted absolutely no time in devouring the top three fish of her pile in rapid-fire succession. they vanished down her gullet in an impressive disappearing act.


    ¡°this is incredible,¡± lee said, licking her lips. she paused as she lifted the next small fish to her mouth, then held it out to noah. ¡°do you want to try?¡±


    ¡°sure,¡± noah said, taking it from her. lee handed another one to moxie, who gave her an appreciative nod as she claimed it.


    noah had to admit that lee must have won the waiter or the chef over, because her meal was definitely better than his, and that was saying quite a bit.


    ¡°you¡¯re right. that was delicious,¡± noah said. ¡°want some of mine?¡±


    he cut a piece of his fish off pre-emptively ¨C there were certain precautions that one had to take with lee when sharing food if one wanted to keep any for themselves.


    ¡°thanks!¡± lee tossed the piece into her mouth and paused for a moment. ¡°mine was better.¡±


    ¡°yeah,¡± noah admitted wryly. ¡°they¡¯re both great, though.¡±


    out of the corner of his eye, noah spotted garina poking at her fish. she was clearly trying to find the proper way to eat it. something about the scene almost made noah laugh. he was completely confident she was at least rank 5 if not considerably higher, so she definitely could have eaten the whole thing and not blinked an eye if she wanted to, but that probably wouldn¡¯t have been particularly enjoyable.


    for all that talk of being strong, it¡¯s nice to actually sit down and relax sometimes. hard to do that when your meal is actively fighting back. i guess that lives up to her ideals, though. having the power that lets you eat the spiky fish is more important than enjoying eating it, eh?


    ¡°your fish looks spiky,¡± lee said through a mouthful of fish.


    ¡°yes,¡± garina said curtly. ¡°it is.¡±


    lee pushed her own plate ¨C still piled high with fish ¨C over to garina. she then snagged the taller woman¡¯s plate and dragged it over to herself.


    ¡°there,¡± lee said. ¡°you look hungry, so you can have mine.¡±

 Chapter 326: Of Teeth and Sandwiches

    chapter 326: of teeth and sandwiches


    garina stared at lee in shock, but lee was far more preoccupied with the new meal she¡¯d claimed for herself. she studied the spiny fish for a few seconds, then raised the whole thing to her mouth and took a bite ¨C from the spines.


    loud cracking noises came from her mouth as she chewed. a moment later, she swallowed. ¡°mm. crunchy. that¡¯s good.¡±


    she didn¡¯t give garina any time to ask for her meal back. within just a few seconds, lee had mowed through the majority of the spikey fish, leaving garina with nothing but the food lee had given her.


    after one last glance at lee, garina snagged one of the much easier to eat fishes from lee¡¯s plate and popped the whole thing into her mouth. and, even in spite of her cold features, a look of delight spread across her features.


    ¡°this is actually pretty good,¡± garina allowed.


    disaster seemingly averted, everyone dug into their meals in full. lee, as usual, was the first to finish, but the others didn¡¯t take much longer. the food was fantastic, and before long, all of their plates had been polished clean.the roots of this story extend from novell bi?n origin.


    lee let out a curse and rubbed at her mouth.


    ¡°i bit my tongue,¡± lee said, scrunching her nose in annoyance. ¡°i don¡¯t get how you haven¡¯t bit yourself while we were talking. these teeth are too long.¡±


    ¡°did you... copy my teeth?¡± garina asked in disbelief.


    ¡°yeah. i told you they looked cool, didn¡¯t i?¡± lee asked, giving garina an open-mouthed smile. ¡°they¡¯re not very functional, though. why¡¯d you make them so big? was it just because they looked cool?¡±


    garina looked down to her own, empty plate, then cleared her throat. ¡°i¡¯d never make a decision for such a petty reason. my only concern is accomplishing my goals, not how i look while doing it.¡±


    lee shrugged. ¡°okay. thanks for the fish. it tasted good.¡±


    garina¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°i don¡¯t understand you at all.¡±


    ¡°thanks.¡±


    ¡°that wasn¡¯t a compliment,¡± garina said. ¡°your order was clearly better than mine. why did you swap our plates, then thank me for giving you the worse one?¡±


    ¡°because it looked like you didn¡¯t like the spikey thing and i knew i¡¯d like it just as much as the stuff i ordered, so more people would be happy if we swapped.¡±


    ¡°we have nothing between us. beyond that ¨C we¡¯re clearly directly opposed. your view of life is stupid and infantile. what¡¯s the point of doing something like that?¡± garina demanded. ¡°we have no reason to help each other.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t need a reason. it¡¯s fun to make people happy, and it¡¯s not like i got any sadder because of it.¡± lee shrugged. ¡°and you liked my fish more than yours, right? so i was right. thus, you were wrong, not me.¡±


    ¡°are you saying that my acceptance of your fish is equivalent to losing our argument?¡±


    ¡°yep.¡±


    ¡°that has absolutely nothing to do with it, though!¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re the one who took the fish,¡± lee said with a snicker. ¡°i didn¡¯t give it to you because i¡¯m scared of you. how do you justify that?¡±


    garina opened her mouth, then closed it as her brow furrowed in abject confusion. noah didn¡¯t blame her. half the time, he didn¡¯t understand lee either.


    the waiter returned to their table and everyone paid for their meals. the prices were high, but lee didn¡¯t even blink at having to pay for his food. everyone¡¯s food had run around fifty gold, which was obscenely expensive for a single meal ¨C but noah couldn¡¯t help but feel that it had been worth it.


    ¡°okay. nice meeting you,¡± lee said. ¡°i want to sleep now. can we go back?¡±


    ¡°sure,¡± noah said with a relieved laugh. it looked like they were somehow going to make it out of this without a fight. ¡°it¡¯s been a pleasure. i hope the two of you find the thing you¡¯re looking for.¡±


    ¡°another thing i took on. i do not disagree with the church of repose,¡± ferdinand replied, still not sure why he was giving garina as much information as he was. ¡°i think they do good in the world. they gave me powerful runes and have ensured that i do not want for much, so i have done my work dutifully, for the most part. on the other hand, lee actually believed what she said. i find that respectable.¡±


    ¡°so do you agree with her or not?¡± garina demanded. ¡°stop skirting the damn question.¡±


    ¡°she said a lot of things,¡± ferdinand said carefully. ¡°i did not agree with all of them, but i did with some. i think that power is a means to an end rather than an ultimate goal, and the pursuit of it is not fulfilling. i do not feel as strongly as she did about love, though. perhaps i would if i had established any meaningful connections within the church, but alas, that never happened.¡±


    garina leaned back, looking up into the night sky. ¡°you disagree that power is the only thing we need, then.¡±


    ¡°i do. i do not think power makes people respect you. it makes them fear you.¡±


    ¡°there¡¯s nothing wrong with being feared. it¡¯s no different than being awed, which is what the avatar of your church does.¡±


    ¡°it is,¡± ferdinand allowed. ¡°and i¡¯d imagine both paths are equally as lonesome.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re suddenly real philosophical. did you decide that you weren¡¯t scared of me anymore?¡±


    ¡°i think anyone that isn¡¯t scared of you is a fool,¡± ferdinand said with a dry laugh. ¡°but i have spent enough time in your presence to believe that you would not kill me for no reason. perhaps you will prove me wrong.¡±


    garina grunted. ferdinand snuck a glance at her out of the corner of his eye, and he was surprised to find that she was studying the ground, a small frown on her lips and her expression downcast.


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure if it means much, but i find your company rather enjoyable when you aren¡¯t trying to kill me,¡± ferdinand said. ¡°it would have been boring traveling alone.¡±


    garina looked up at him, a flash of surprise crossing her face before she snuffed it out. ¡°very funny. softening me up isn¡¯t going to work, though. i prefer it when my men are scared.¡±


    ¡°then i suspect you rarely have issue in that department.¡±


    ¡°flatterer,¡± garina said, rolling her eyes. her stomach rumbled, and she cleared her throat as ferdinand gave her an aghast look.


    ¡°you¡¯re still hungry?¡±


    ¡°got a problem with that?¡±


    ¡°no. it was just a question.¡± ferdinand reached into his bag and pulled out a wrapped package, revealing a sandwich within it. the sandwich had gotten rather squished, but it still looked mostly as it should. he held it out. ¡°here.¡±


    garina eyed the sandwich, then took it from his hands. ¡°you said you were out.¡±


    ¡°i lied.¡±


    ¡°do you have any more?¡± garina¡¯s tone made it clear that lying again was going to be disadvantageous for ferdinand¡¯s continued health.


    ¡°i¡¯m afraid not. that¡¯s it. i¡¯ll make more tomorrow.¡±


    garina grunted. she took a bite out of the sandwich, and the two sat in silence for a few more seconds. ferdinand busied himself studying the garden. it wasn¡¯t the most beautiful garden he¡¯d ever seen ¨C the church had a grand one that would have put anything in the arbalest empire to shame.


    no, the garden in front of him was fairly plain. in some ways, it was almost ugly. the vines were sharp and thorny, and there were far too few flowers. even the scents were weak ¨C and yet, it was still enjoyable.


    garina touched ferdinand on the shoulder, and he nearly leapt out of his skin in surprise. he looked down to find that she was holding out one half of his sandwich. blinking in disbelief, he took it.


    ¡°don¡¯t get used to it.¡± garina¡¯s eyes were firmly fixed on the garden before them. ¡°and make more next time.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±

 Chapter 327: Inevitable

    chapter 327: inevitable


    no sooner than noah stepped through the door of moxie¡¯s room did he dart for her bed, practically jumping into it. moxie just let out a defeated sigh as he pulled his grimoire open, flipping it to a blank page in preparation to start reworking his runes.


    ¡°let me know if something important happens,¡± noah said. ¡°i¡¯m probably going to be distracted for a little while.¡±


    ¡°will do,¡± lee promised, already ruffling through his travel bag in search of either food or her runes ¨C and noah suspected it was the former.


    the book evidently sensed noah¡¯s intentions, because the runes he¡¯d bought in the auction appeared on the pages before him. energy pulsed off the paper as noah brushed his hands along it, tingling against his skin. he took care to avoid directly touching the rank 4 runes yet ¨C they would give him a nasty sting, and he wanted to handle them with sunder immediately when the time came.


    the runes were complex, but he¡¯d gotten used to memorizing them. within a minute, he¡¯d committed the patterns to memory.


    moxie sat down beside noah as he closed his eyes and leaned back, leaving one of his hands on top of the grimoire. darkness bloomed as he slipped into his mindspace, and the familiar pressure of his runes greeted him.


    ¡°time to give you lot a makeover,¡± noah said, mostly to himself. it wasn¡¯t like his runes could hear him. at least, he strongly hoped they couldn¡¯t.


    it would have some deeply concerning results if they could.


    noah forced himself to pay attention to the actual task at hand. he¡¯d purchased three runes for himself in the auction ¨C the one from the stormprince elemental, a towering frozen glacier at rank 4, and a scorching flame at rank 3.


    at the moment, he needed three new disaster runes. he already knew what they¡¯d be ¨C thunderstorm, blizzard, and something related to fire. pyroclastic resonance had proved to be invaluable, but with the extra experience he had under his belt, it also felt limited.


    i¡¯m pretty sure the majority of the runes i need for thunderstorm will come from the stormprince elemental¡¯s rune, and same for blizzard. those are both rank 4 runes so they¡¯ll be more of a pain to do. that leaves me with the fire based one to start with.


    well, nothing screams a fire disaster like a volcano. that or lava, but i think lava is more of hot rock than an actual disaster. it¡¯s the volcano that causes it, so that¡¯s what i¡¯ll go with.


    noah sent a mental request to the grimoire, then raised a finger and started to draw. energy poured down his arm, turning to a glowing orange light at his fingertip. stroke by stroke, noah brought scorching flame into being within his mindspace.


    before long, a new rune was crackling beside his others. whoever had sold it hadn¡¯t been skimping ¨C the rune was over three quarters of the way full. something told noah it had probably been even more full before his grimoire had gotten its grubby mouth on it, but he didn¡¯t mind a little energy loss in exchange for how useful the artifact was.


    he gazed upon his new rank 3 rune, which had several glorious seconds of existence, standing proud beside its brethren, before sunder carved through it like an executioner¡¯s axe.


    power poured out of the shattered rune, and seven fire runes swirled away from its center in a wave of orange energy.


    the rank 2 runes were all pure fire runes, and it only took a moment to confirm that five of the seven were perfect.


    his soul was starting to feel the pressure of all the runes he had floating around in it, but it wasn¡¯t full quite yet ¨C and noah didn¡¯t plan to spend even a second wasting time looking at anything other than his task at hand.


    noah reformed the runes into blizzard, but the result that emerged was only fifteen percent full. he¡¯d been slightly distracted by the rush and his intent or combination hadn¡¯t been perfect. repressing a curse, noah sundered it once more. he swapped another one of the ice runes out for one of the extra wind runes he had, then reformed blizzard.


    this time, he was rewarded with a rune that was ten percent full. he didn¡¯t even have time to grin. there was too much power that was just fading away with every second that he let slip by.


    noah shoved the blizzard rune full of energy, shooting it all the way up to completely full before pouring the excess power into volcano.


    the conversion rate between the fire-based rune and the ice-based rune was so horrible that he barely managed to fill it before the last of the power faded away. for some reason, it seemed considerably harder to fill the higher ranked runes.


    are the runes actively resisting getting filled in the way i¡¯m doing it? that¡¯s interesting. i don¡¯t think it¡¯s a problem for right now, but it¡¯s definitely something i should mention to moxie. the more i understand about runes, the more i realize just how little everyone really knows about them ¨C myself included.


    difficulties or not, noah now had one more rank 3 rune in his soul, bringing him up to a total of six of the seven full rank 3s that he needed for natural disaster. the original, imperfect natural disaster took up the final active slot in his mind. he also had five rank 3 runes left over from towering freezing glacier filling up his mindspace ¨C not to mention the remains of the encroaching ice runes he¡¯d just ripped up. all of it went straight into his grimoire. he didn¡¯t have space to keep them sitting around when he still had one more rank 4 rune to draw in and chop apart.


    he then spent some time testing blizzard, making sure that it had been perfectly formed and didn¡¯t have any flaws that he¡¯d somehow missed. excitement built like water behind a dam as he realized that he¡¯d made yet another truly perfect rune.


    i can¡¯t keep calling them truly perfect. that¡¯s too much of a mouthful. flawless works better. i¡¯ve got six flawless runes. just one more until i can make my rank 4.


    his heart slammed in his chest, beating faster with every second that passed. the rate he was advancing at was nothing short of terrifying. it was exactly what the noble families did for their prized members, but he didn¡¯t have any of the errors that riddled the higher-ranked runes.


    and, beyond that, i actually understand how all of these runes work. even though i haven¡¯t used the rank 3s myself, i¡¯ve had versions of all of them and have fought with all the powers i¡¯m working with. that means my intent should be much stronger than most random nobles who are just fed runes.


    that didn¡¯t stop noah from suspecting that he¡¯d definitely need some time to acclimate to the rank 4 natural disaster when he formed it, but that was a problem for his future self to worry about.


    right now, he was only one more rune away from reaching the major milestone that many mages never surpassed. biting back a grin, noah sent his senses back out to his grimoire.


    no matter what happened, he was determined to make sure his eyes didn¡¯t open again until he¡¯d formed natural disaster as a rank 4 rune. for almost every other mage, rank 4 was a bottleneck.


    it was a challenge to strive for most of their lives to reach, and even when they made it, their foundations were weakened by sub-par runes.


    to noah, it wasn¡¯t a challenge.


    it was an inevitability.

 Chapter 328: King

    chapter 328: king


    an urgent knock rang out against the door. moxie pulled her eyes up from noah¡¯s grimoire, her brow furrowing.


    ¡°who wants something this late at night?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s karina,¡± lee said. she didn¡¯t even stop rooting through his bag. moxie had no idea what she was looking for, but lee had gone through the contents of the bag twice and still had nothing to show for it.


    moxie¡¯s nose scrunched in annoyance. the amount of energy noah had been going through was fascinating, and she¡¯d leeched more than a little of it as it slipped out of his body. normally, that would have been fairly rude, but she couldn¡¯t help herself.


    he was going through so much power that he was wasting enough to practically form a whole extra rune. liberating just a bit of that to fill up her own supplies, especially when it would be wasted otherwise, wasn¡¯t going to hurt anyone.


    ¡°what does she want now?¡± moxie asked, slipping out of bed and walking over to the door. ¡°is it just karina?¡±


    ¡°yeah,¡± lee said. ¡°she smells nervous.¡±


    there was another knock on the door. moxie pulled it open as karina raised her hand to knock a third time. karina flinched, then quickly took a step back and adjusted her shirt.


    ¡°what is it?¡± moxie asked. ¡°is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°yes,¡± karina said. her eyes darted around the room behind moxie. ¡°i¡¯m the first one here, right?¡±


    ¡°first one? what are you talking about? nobody else has shown up,¡± moxie said. something soft brushed her leg and she looked down to see mascot rubbing up against her.n?00v€l--?1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.


    ¡°no assassins?¡± karina asked.


    moxie threw a glance over her shoulder at the window, just to make sure nobody was staring through it at them. she shook her head. ¡°no. come in. what¡¯s going on?¡±


    karina hurried to obey, pulling the door shut behind her and locking it. she nervously adjusted her shirt again, then skittered over to the bed beside noah to pull the curtains shut.


    ¡°mascot did something,¡± karina said. ¡°i went to write a letter to jalen like vermil asked, but while i was making it, he grabbed the letter and stole it.¡±


    ¡°that sounds about right for him, actually,¡± moxie said, looking down at the white cat that was still doing its best to interlock itself between her feet so she tripped over it. ¡°why is that a concern? didn¡¯t he just ask to meet jalen somewhere neutral?¡±


    ¡°yes, and that¡¯s what i was writing,¡± karina said. a wave of energy emanated out from noah and crackled through the room, setting moxie¡¯s hair on end. she and karina both drew in sharp breaths.


    ¡°damned plains, what is he doing?¡± karina asked, staring at noah in disbelief, her fear forgotten.


    ¡°don¡¯t worry about it,¡± moxie said. ¡°what were you saying about jalen? what does he have to do with this? did he say he was going to send more assassins or something?¡±


    it took karina a moment to pull her eyes away from vermil. she shook her head, snapping out of the daze as the weight of the situation settled back in on her shoulders. karina reached into a pocket and pulled out a crumpled note.


    somehow, noah hadn¡¯t noticed jalen¡¯s approach. he was so wrapped up in his work that he didn¡¯t even twitch when jalen entered the room.


    ¡°karina,¡± jalen said, looking down at the prone woman, a displeased expression flickering across his room.


    ¡°i didn¡¯t mean for it to get sent,¡± karina wheezed, her hands trembling as she tried and failed to push herself upright. ¡°a cat stole it.¡±


    ¡°i presume that would be the same cat that took a shit on my paperwork when it arrived to give me your letter?¡± jalen asked, his lips pursed in distaste. ¡°it certainly sent quite the message.¡±


    ¡°i swear i didn¡¯t plan for it,¡± karina wheezed. ¡°please, just¨C¡±


    jalen clicked his tongue and shook his head. ¡°no excuses, karina. you sent the letter. i don¡¯t care how you sent it. regardless, it was pretty clear that you weren¡¯t the one that actually wanted to write it in the first place, though. you were just the pen ¨C the hand that wrote it was vermil, and you simply acted on his behest.¡±


    jalen¡¯s gaze flicked past lee and moxie as it rose to noah, who still sat on the bed, completely unaware of the rank 6 mage in their room. jalen¡¯s eyebrows tightened.


    ¡°who apparently does not even care enough that i have arrived to give me the time of day. i see he¡¯s put the artifact he stole to good use, but where in the damned plains is the other book?¡±


    moxie called on her runes, reinforcing herself against jalen¡¯s domain. she could still move within it, but the less information she gave away, the more chance she had to do... well, something.


    she exchanged a glance with lee, who inclined her head slightly. they were both able to move, but moxie couldn¡¯t see how they could possibly do anything against him, even if they were able to move.


    calling out to noah might just make jalen attack and kill him on the spot. that wasn¡¯t exactly a permanent drawback, but it wouldn¡¯t help the rest of them and noah still wouldn¡¯t be able to use magic for a while after his death.


    despair washed over moxie.


    shit. noah needs time to set up a formation ¨C and even if we had it, we can¡¯t go against jalen. this can¡¯t be it. there has to be something we can do!


    lee flicked her eyes toward the window. escape wasn¡¯t a bad idea, but moxie didn¡¯t believe for a second they could actually outrun jalen. she thought desperately, trying to think of literally any way to keep them all alive.


    ¡°we¡¯re on neutral ground,¡± karina stammered. ¡°magus jalen, you can¡¯t do anything here. it¡¯s not the same thing as assassins, and this wasn¡¯t the deal. i¨C¡±


    ¡°you called me here,¡± jalen reminded. ¡°and with the way you worded that message, i could hardly refuse. i¡¯m starting to get annoyed, though. it¡¯s quite rude to summon someone and then proceed to ignore them.¡±


    a crackle of purple energy ran along jalen¡¯s fingertips.


    pressure slammed into moxie for the second time ¨C but not from jalen. noah¡¯s eyes snapped open. the world seemed to slow down as energy swirled in the air around them. despite their situation, moxies¡¯ eyes widened in disbelief.


    noah had reached rank 4. the power rolling over her from his domain was immense ¨C far stronger than any rank 4¡¯s domain ever should have been. it wasn¡¯t anything compared to jalen¡¯s, but the fact that she could feel it at all while so close to the rank 6 mage should have been impossible.


    it only took noah an instant to take in the situation in the room around him. his eyes narrowed and he raised his eyes to match jalen¡¯s gaze.


    he snapped his grimoire shut and rose to his feet as his features tightened in anger ¨C not affected by jalen¡¯s domain in the slightest. ¡°who the hell are you, and what are you doing in our damn room?¡±

 Chapter 329: Rank 4

    chapter 329: rank 4


    a short while before jalen arrived, while noah was still within the confines of his mindspace, he stared at the final rank 3 rune before him.


    thunderstorm had been, surprisingly, one of the easiest runes to make. perhaps it was his affinity toward noise, or maybe it was just because he¡¯d been thinking about it a lot, but it ended up coming together on his first attempt.


    before making it, noah had finally sundered his original natural disaster. it felt odd to destroy the rune that had been with him for so long, but it no longer had a place in what he needed. still, noah couldn¡¯t help himself from breaking it down all the way to its rank 1 components to get a rank 1 vibration rune to fit into his new thunderstorm rune. once the surgery was done, noah deposited the rest of the rune¡¯s pieces into his grimoire and moved on to the penultimate step of his ascension to rank 4.l--b1n.


    the pieces of the stormprince elemental¡¯s rune hadn¡¯t been great, but the majority of the issue was in a horribly made rank 3 shattered lightning flash rune. after noah had discarded the faulty rune into his grimoire, it had been a relatively simple matter to take apart a few of the other rank 3 runes, finding and making the rank 2 vibration runes and lightning runes that he needed for thunderstorm.


    noah didn¡¯t want to think about the amount of energy he wasted in the making and filling of the final rune, but he was on a roll and didn¡¯t plan on stopping. the last dregs of energy swirled into thunderstorm, filling it completely. it floated back, joining the seven other runes swirling in noah¡¯s mindspace.


    sandstorm


    tsunami


    cyclone


    earthquake


    volcano


    blizzard


    thunderstorm


    pressure rolled off them, bearing down on noah from every direction. it wasn¡¯t an uncomfortable feeling. it felt like he was wrapped up tightly in a safe blanket of his own power.


    far above, sunder, the fragment of renewal, and combustion awaited him. their power was still on a completely different level. while combustion was only a little stronger than his new rank 3 runes, the other two master runes were like immense mountains that threatened to crush him beneath their weight.


    noah drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. every single one of his rank 3 runes was full. they were ready.


    he was ready.


    moxie said that reaching rank 4 was a bottleneck. i¡¯d imagine a large portion of that is going to be because imperfect runes only get more imperfect when they get combined together. but everything in my soul is flawless.


    at the very least, that should help. i guess there¡¯s only one way to find out for sure, though. and hey ¨C if it doesn¡¯t work, i can always sunder it and try again. there¡¯s no end of the road for my runes. there are only temporary inconveniences. no matter how badly i screw up, i can just rip everything apart and try again.


    noah raised his hands, calling all seven of his rank 3 runes to float before him. it almost felt sacrilegious to combine runes that he¡¯d literally never used in a fight, but he¡¯d used their powers.


    instead of knowing exactly all the things they could do, noah knew all the things that they lacked in. he knew the drawbacks of his magic and all the mistakes and misinterpretations he¡¯d made about runes.


    and, as far as he was concerned, nobody truly learned by doing everything right. failure was the essence of improvement. every single mistake had reinforced his understanding. it had changed and improved his intent.


    the runes shuddered as they drew close. energy crackled at their edges, hissing and popping as noah begun to bring them closer and closer together. the hair on his arms stood on end and his back prickled.


    noah¡¯s lips peeled back in a mixture of concentration and excitement as he pushed the runes even closer together. his intent was as clear as a cloudless day and as razor-sharp as a blade.


    static electricity gathered around noah¡¯s head and his hair rose of its own volition. his mindspace trembled beneath his feet, the cracks of white light blurring as he pushed even harder to bring the runes together.


    the trembling intensified into a full-on earthquake. magic pounded ¨C not just around noah, but within him as well. his veins felt like molten rock was pumping through them and jagged blades drove into his heart.


    noah was used to pain, though. his intent didn¡¯t falter. a wordless roar escaped his lips as he pushed even harder. compared to the infinite nothingness of the line that was oblivion, pain was nothing.


    ¡°i think the exact meaning of my words may have been warped in translation,¡± noah said, clearing his throat. ¡°but now that you¡¯re here ¨C could you stop sending assassins after me? it¡¯s kind of annoying.¡±


    ¡°annoying?¡± jalen let out a bark of laughter. ¡°i¡¯ll tell you what was annoying. finding enough idiots that were actually incompetent enough to waste on something like this. the linwicks have surprisingly few people that absolutely nobody cares about. everyone has at least one connection that makes disappearing them somewhat bothersome.¡±


    a ripple of power rolled out from jalen. everyone in the room stumbled and fell to the ground as the magic slammed them down, but as it hit the supercharged energy still surrounding noah, it dissipated harmlessly.


    jalen¡¯s brow twitched, and noah did his best to keep a straight face. he was certain jalen wasn¡¯t using anywhere near his full power, but he hadn¡¯t even flinched. that had to be at least somewhat surprising.


    at least, i think it should be. i don¡¯t know how much a rank 4 can normally stand up to a rank 6, but i¡¯d imagine the odds would be pretty stacked against me.


    ¡°let¡¯s cut through the bullshit,¡± jalen said. ¡°where are the records of the deceased, vermil? i want to know what you did with it.¡±


    yeah, that¡¯s not happening. that book is never seeing the light of day again.


    ¡°i¡¯ve got no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡± noah¡¯s voice was perfectly smooth and collected, trained by months of practicing his bullshitting skills at arbitage. ¡°if you mean the book i saw in the catacombs ¨C i didn¡¯t take it with me. it started screaming and i left it in the collapsed cave.¡±


    i can¡¯t even try to deny that i was in the catacombs. my grimoire is literally on my lap. but... add in a little truth in the lie, and boom. it feels a lot more reasonable.


    jalen¡¯s eyes bored into noah¡¯s. ¡°you... left it? do you think i¡¯m an idiot?¡±


    i certainly hope you are.


    ¡°of course not, magus jalen,¡± noah said. ¡°but i¡¯m not dumb enough to lug such a massive book with me when it was clearly a trap.¡±


    jalen looked down at the grimoire, which was easily twice as large as the records of the deceased had been. he looked back up to noah. the two of them stared at each other, straight-faced.


    ¡°you¡¯re awful cocky for a rank ¨C wait. rank 4?¡± jalen¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°you¡¯ve got a domain. you shouldn¡¯t be a rank 4.¡±


    whoops. talk about bad timing.


    ¡°i just reached it recently and haven¡¯t had a chance to report my advancement yet,¡± noah said.


    ¡°you¡¯re registered as a rank 2 with arbitage as of just a short while ago. i¡¯ve looked into you.¡± jalen¡¯s eyes narrowed into slits and he took a step forward, causing both moxie and lee to get pressed even further back by the pressure rolling off him. ¡°and ¨C bullshit. you didn¡¯t just hit rank 4. the amount of energy your domain has is indicative of at least four or five runes. how does a rank 2 go all the way up to halfway through rank 4 that quickly?¡±


    my flawless rune is that much stronger? or is he feeling all the extra power that came off my combination? maybe a mix of the two.


    it wasn¡¯t the time to celebrate how successful his combination had been, though. jalen¡¯s eyes promised trouble, and the situation was rapidly deteriorating.


    ¡°i reported my advancement to the office, but i don¡¯t think they recorded it. the secretary was eating. i¡¯ve just gotten a few lucky breaks as of late.¡±


    jalen didn¡¯t look like he was buying it. the power coming off him intensified even further, pushing against noah¡¯s newly made domain. he started to feel the world press down on his shoulders as the gravity increased, but noah held firm.


    he¡¯d met people like jalen before. men that only respected power, and all else was a sign of weakness. doing anything even remotely subservient would only make things worse for him. all he had to do was match jalen¡¯s energy and divert questions until an opportunity presented itself.


    and, of course, that was when a tiny white paw stepped out of thin air above jalen. it was followed by the rest of a cat, which promptly did what noah could only describe as a flying, drive-by hairball.


    mascot hacked a ball of unidentified matter up straight onto the top of jalen¡¯s head, then disappeared in another puff of smoke. the room stared in mute horror as the ball rolled off jalen¡¯s head and thudded to the floor.


    jalen¡¯s eye twitched.


    he snapped his fingers, and noah felt the true power of a rank 6 for the first time. evergreen had been nothing in comparison to the immense might that jalen wielded. all of them were slammed to the ground, only spared from getting squashed by jalen¡¯s restraint. a wave of purple energy ripped out from his hand, moving so quickly that noah only managed to pick up a flash of light before it swallowed him and the world vanished in spinning lights.

 Chapter 330: Games

    chapter 330: games


    noah found himself lying on wooden floor. he rolled over and shot to his feet, his heart slamming in his chest as he went to draw on natural disaster and prepare for a fight ¨C only to find jalen standing on the other side of a desk stacked high with paper, his hands crossed behind his back and eyes transfixed on noah.l--b1n.


    ¡°what did you do?¡± noah asked, stumbling over his words. the world felt off, as if he was in a spot where he shouldn¡¯t have been.


    ¡°i took us back to the linwick estate,¡± jalen replied. ¡°not on neutral ground anymore, are we? i believe that means i can do what i want.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m pretty sure kidnapping someone is against the spirit of neutral ground,¡± noah said. he kept his tone even, although it was definitely shakier than it had been a moment ago.


    brayden had talked about how difficult it was to do long range teleportations. jalen had done one so fast that he¡¯d barely even blinked, and he didn¡¯t even look slightly winded.


    ¡°you steal from the linwick family. you make light of my threats, then flaunt your neutral ground in my face as you send a letter to a man who has the power to snuff your life out like a worthless candle. and when given a chance to explain your actions ¨C you mock me?¡±


    noah¡¯s hand brushed across his side. his gourd wasn¡¯t there. if he died, he¡¯d return to arbitage.


    that might be for the best, because the only idea i¡¯ve still got left is to actually make an impression on jalen. he already knows i robbed the linwicks blind, but he doesn¡¯t actually seem like he wants to kill me or he¡¯d have already done it.


    ¡°i wouldn¡¯t say i¡¯m mocking you,¡± noah said, choosing his words carefully. ¡°you¡¯re the one that¡¯s been coming after me. all i¡¯ve done is try to avoid trouble and happen to be in possession of a cat that has a general distaste for authority figures.¡±


    ¡°you stole from the linwick estate!¡± jalen said, his voice raising as anger flared behind his eyes.


    ¡°yeah, well if you didn¡¯t want someone to steal your shit, you should have guarded it better,¡± noah snapped. ¡°what the hell is the point of having a catacombs that is so easily accessible with borderline no real defenses on anything? and good god ¨C why would you collapse the damn thing? you¡¯ve just gone and destroyed all your other shit. if there¡¯s anyone to be pissed at, it should be whoever built that shitty thing. you¡¯re blaming the mouse for eating a piece of cheese that the chef left out overnight.¡±


    as soon as noah closed his mouth, he realized that he might have said just a little too much. jalen¡¯s face had gone completely flat, his back stiff. noah matched jalen¡¯s gaze, baring his teeth in clear challenge.


    when he kills me, i¡¯ll claim i used some form of magic to duplicate my body and am actually far stronger than i appear. if it worked on father, it should work on jalen as well. this guy won¡¯t take no for an answer, so i¡¯ll have to play things differently. hopefully this keeps this guy distracted for long enough for me to get strong enough to find a new way to deal with him.


    jalen shifted, and noah prepared to get blasted to bits. he wasn¡¯t unused to dying by any stretch of the imagination, but it still wasn¡¯t a particularly pleasant experience.


    what he wasn¡¯t prepared for was a small huff to slip from jalen¡¯s nose. he blinked in surprise as jalen¡¯s stern expression twitched, then cracked. the head of the linwick family doubled over, roaring with laughter to the point where he was wheezing for air.


    ¡°unbelievable,¡± jalen said through his laughter. ¡°absolutely phenomenal. what a performance. like a cornered gerbil.¡±


    noah stared in disbelief as jalen fell back into crazed laughter, tears of mirth streaming down his face.


    he¡¯s completely insane.


    it was nearly a minute before jalen managed to gather himself. still chuckling, he wiped the tears from his face and shook his head before striding across the room. noah tensed as jalen reached him, but all the man did was slap a hand on his shoulder. ¡°the sheer audacity you have. this is what the family lacks.¡±


    ¡°i ¨C what?¡±


    jalen snorted, clearly just a tiny push away from doubling over in another fit of laughter. he managed to contain himself and turned back to the table, flicking his hand. a wave of purple energy rolled out, tearing through the papers and making them fold in on themselves before ripping them apart so thoroughly that nothing remained.


    ¡°sit,¡± jalen said, dropping into his chair and kicking his legs back onto the now-clean desk.


    completely baffled, noah walked over to the desk and pulled the chair out, sitting across from jalen.


    ¡°what, did you think i¡¯d kill you? why would i do that?¡± jalen chortled as a purple portal wound open before one of his hands and he reached inside, pulling out a sealed bottle and put it on the table. he procured two glasses, then set them down beside the bottle. ¡°you were right, after all.¡±


    ¡°i... was?¡±


    noah blinked. ¡°what is?¡±


    ¡°you didn¡¯t do what i said,¡± jalen said. ¡°if i¡¯d asked that coward in the doorway if he wanted anything, he would have said yes even if a single sip would have made him burst. but not only did you refuse, you actually asked me for something else. it isn¡¯t just you, either. the people in your room had just as much resilience, if not quite as much lip.¡±


    he reached into the air as he spoke, pulling out an identical bottle to the one sitting on the table, and set it down in front of noah. that was definitely a good sign. people didn¡¯t give gifts to people that they were about to kill.


    at least they generally don¡¯t. father might be an exception.


    ¡°i want to know why,¡± jalen said. ¡°were you dropped on your head as a child? do you lack fear?¡±


    ¡°i think i¡¯m just too tired to give a shit,¡± noah said honestly.


    jalen roared with laughter, rocking back and nearly falling off his chair. ¡°too tired to ¨C you can¡¯t be older than... what, a hundred?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m twenty-six,¡± noah said, guesstimating vermil¡¯s age.


    ¡°same thing.¡± jalen waved dismissively. he lowered himself safely and leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. ¡°it¡¯s been so long since i¡¯ve had a chance to speak with someone this plainly. not even the other family heads will do it. they¡¯re all so caught up in their worthless machinations that they forgot the reason for living is to have fun.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re welcome, i guess?¡±


    jalen cackled. he rose to his feet, shaking his head in mirth. ¡°this is too much. perhaps you have a death wish. either way, i don¡¯t care. i wouldn¡¯t waste a source of entertainment as good as this.¡±


    noah craned his neck to follow jalen as he walked across the room and grabbed a beautiful tapestry hanging on the wall, throwing it to the ground as if it were a used tissue paper to reveal a large, circular board colorful patterns on it.


    jalen grabbed a small box that hung beneath it, then walked over to noah and set it down on the table. it was full of metal darts. noah slowly looked back to jalen.


    ¡°what¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°darts,¡± jalen replied. ¡°want to play?¡±


    oh, what the hell. might as well.


    noah picked up one of the darts and reared back, flinging it at the circle. it hurtled through the air ¨C missing the board completely and slamming into the very expensive looking wall beside it.


    ¡°you¡¯re terrible,¡± jalen informed noah, grabbing a dart for himself. ¡°let me show you how a master does it.¡±


    he flung the dart, and it hit the wall beside where noah¡¯s dart had landed, missing just as badly as noah had.


    ¡°you don¡¯t seem to be much better.¡±


    ¡°do you know how long it¡¯s been since i last had a chance to play?¡± jalen asked, glaring at noah as he grabbed another dart. ¡°i¡¯ve forgotten more about darts than you¡¯ve ever known.¡±


    ¡°first person to land ten anywhere on the board wins?¡± noah suggested.


    ¡°you are going to suffer a humiliating defeat, vermil. prepare to suffer.¡± jalen threw the dart and it hit the rim of the board with a clang, clattering to the ground without sticking.


    ¡°damn it,¡± jalen said. ¡°that one didn¡¯t count. it was a warm-up throw.¡±


    noah couldn¡¯t keep himself from laughing. ¡°fine. let¡¯s play.¡±

 Chapter 331: Show me & A new book on Amazon!

    chapter 331: show me & a new book on amazon!


    ¡°what in the damned plains do we do?¡± karina asked, looking more exhausted than anything else as she stared at the space where noah and jalen had been. ¡°even if contessa comes back with an enforcer, it¡¯ll be too late.¡±


    moxie¡¯s eyes flicked across her room, landing on the gourd resting on her bed. she kept herself from breathing a sigh of relief.


    as long as that¡¯s here, noah is fine.


    ¡°nothing,¡± moxie replied. ¡°he¡¯ll be okay. we need to be more concerned with what comes next.¡±


    ¡°he¡¯ll be ¨C what? are you insane? that was jalen,¡± karina hissed. ¡°he¡¯s a rank 6. vermil isn¡¯t going to be able to fight him.¡±


    ¡°i think moxie is right,¡± lee said. she walked over to the door and pulled it open. ¡°just go back to bed. don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°but...¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s fine.¡± moxie shook her head. ¡°besides, there¡¯s quite literally nothing we can do. like you said, that¡¯s the head of the linwick family. he¡¯s way too powerful to try to fight against. all we can do is weather the storm.¡±


    and all i can do is get you out of my room so noah¡¯s body doesn¡¯t reform stark naked while you¡¯re staring at him. that would be pretty difficult to explain.


    ¡°aren¡¯t you concerned at all?¡± karina asked.


    ¡°no. he¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s okay. he¡¯ll be back soon,¡± lee said, giving karina a thumbs up. ¡°if you¡¯re worried about him, you can come by in the morning. not too early, though. i want to sleep in.¡±


    karina blinked, looking from lee to moxie in complete befuddlement. she opened her mouth, then closed it again and let out a sigh. ¡°i ¨C okay. i guess. it¡¯s not like there¡¯s anything we can do. we can¡¯t do anything against jalen. maybe ignoring the problem will solve it.¡±


    she turned woodenly, heading back to her temporary lodgings in noah¡¯s room. lee closed the door and turned to exchange a look with moxie. moxie¡¯s false bravado evaporated and she started to pace around the room, tugging at her hair.


    ¡°this is bad. how do we fight another rank 6? he¡¯s going to kill noah and then find out that noah doesn¡¯t stay dead, and then who knows what¡¯ll happen. damn it all. why can¡¯t the world just leave us alone?¡±


    ¡°sneak in again?¡± lee suggested. ¡°we could blow up his house.¡±


    ¡°we can¡¯t do that! jalen is ancient,¡± moxie said. she stopped by her table and stared at the papers on it, as if the solution was just hidden somewhere within them. unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t. ¡°he¡¯s not the same as evergreen. she was trying to make a point and was a family figurehead. the linwicks didn¡¯t do that, and you felt his domain. he¡¯s too strong. we can¡¯t fight him directly.¡±


    ¡°can we get some of the linwick family¡¯s enemies to somehow cause shit?¡±


    ¡°not an impossible solution,¡± moxie muttered. she chewed her lower lip. ¡°normally, that would be my family. the torrins are too busy right now, though. they won¡¯t get into a bunch of trouble right now. the situation is too precarious already.¡±


    ¡°what do we do, then?¡± lee asked worriedly. ¡°and where is noah? why¡¯s it taking so long?¡±


    moxie shook her head mutely. scenarios were flashing through her mind, each worse than the last, but she refused to entertain any of them. panicking would only make everything worse. all they could do for now was wait for noah to return.


    minutes ticked by. they stretched into an hour, and that stretched into two hour. the worry that moxie felt only grew the longer that noah was missing. death wasn¡¯t exactly a big threat for him, but getting captured or imprisoned was.


    ¡°i don¡¯t get it,¡± moxie said, her hands clenched at her sides. her eyes caught on the stuffed mascot that sat on the corner of her bed and she grabbed it, hugging the plushie to her chest. ¡°he couldn¡¯t have been captured, right? he can just blow himself up if he needs to.¡±


    lee took the bottle from her hands. ¡°did you want more of this?¡±


    ¡°i think i¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°thanks.¡± lee stuck the bottle ¨C the entire thing, glass and all ¨C down her mouth and bit down. glass cracked and shattered and she chewed a few times before swallowing. ¡°tasty. i like orange juice. it¡¯s crunchy. is jalen going to give you more the next time he shows up?¡±


    ¡°next time?¡± moxie looked up, glaring. ¡°he¡¯s coming back?¡±


    noah cleared his throat. ¡°i... may have agreed to meet him again next week.¡±


    ¡°make sure he brings more orange juice,¡± lee said. her eyes narrowed. ¡°and tell him that if he kidnaps you again, i¡¯m going to kill everyone in his family that isn¡¯t strong enough to stop me.¡±


    noah gave lee a quick hug. ¡°i¡¯m sorry i scared you. i¡¯ll be sure to pass the message along. if i had a way to get back and tell you what was happening earlier, i would have. this is definitely better than the alternative, though. jalen turned out to be a surprisingly decent guy.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s fine. he didn¡¯t smell too bad when he showed up, but he had you for so long that i thought he was trying to steal you,¡± lee said. her tone lightened back up as she shrugged. ¡°you¡¯re back now! it¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°do you think you could do me a favor?¡± noah asked.


    ¡°sure,¡± lee said. ¡°what is it?¡±


    ¡°i think i need to apologize to moxie more thoroughly. could you give us a little time?¡±


    ¡°kay,¡± lee said. ¡°i¡¯ll go tell karina and contessa that they don¡¯t have to worry about jalen anymore. unless he¡¯s still sending assassins?¡±


    ¡°he shouldn¡¯t be. probably,¡± noah said. he didn¡¯t sound too confident about it, but that was enough for lee. she waved goodbye, then slipped out the door.


    noah walked up to the bed and sat down beside moxie. he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her against his chest.


    ¡°i¡¯m just glad you¡¯re okay. i thought something had happened and you were unconscious or something,¡± moxie said into his chest, pressing herself against him.


    ¡°it definitely could have gone a lot worse,¡± noah said, his tone turning grim. ¡°i guess we finally got a stroke of luck after all the unlucky ones. jalen is crazy, but i don¡¯t actually think he¡¯s an enemy.¡±


    ¡°he better not be, considering you agreed to meet up with him again,¡± moxie grumbled. ¡°i¡¯m still pissed at him, even if he¡¯s not trying to kill you. couldn¡¯t he have just talked to us like a normal person without all the theatrics?¡±


    ¡°sorry,¡± noah said, giving moxie a squeeze.


    ¡°i know it isn¡¯t your fault. it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°oh?¡± noah pulled her chin up gently so that their eyes meet. ¡°that means i don¡¯t need to apologize, then?¡±


    a tiny grin pulled across moxie¡¯s lips. ¡°it depends what you had in mind.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯d have to show you.¡±


    ¡°go on, then,¡± moxie said. ¡°show me.¡±


    noah showed her, and moxie decided that she didn¡¯t ever want noah to apologize to her in any other way.

 Announcement - New Book!

    announcement - new book!


    howdy all! my romantasy novel is finally out! you can get it for free through kindle unlimited and check it out if you''re interested - also, if you''ve got friends or significant others that like romance... well, if you send them my way, i wouldn''t complain.


    i''ve always loved writing romance, as i''m sure you guys can tell, but i keep everything very restrained in progression fantasy since romance is obviously not the main point of these novels. but, that said, in november, i went and wrote a full 100k word romantasy novel. if you like the relationship between noah & moxie in runebound, you''ll love it.


    here''s a link to the novel & the blurb!


    blurb:


    to be a keeper was to dedicate one''s life - and heart - to protecting another. n?00v€l--?1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.


    if you like my brand of romance (largely wholesome/happy, with the stress being all the shit trying to kill the mcs) then you''ll love this. the novel does not contain any harem, love triangles, stupid misunderstandings, or many of the other agonizing tropes that i personally can''t stand.


    that said, i should clarify that this is a romantasy novel. it''s got 2 short spicy scenes. if you hate that stuff, be aware it''s there, even though i don''t think it''s too over the top and the majority of the novel is focused on other stuff.


    also, i am currently traveling and have absolutely no idea what time it is anywhere. the next runebound chapter will be out soon, and this''ll be the last time i mention the romantasy novel, so apologies for the non-book chapter. if keeper hits top 1000 on the kindle store, i might have some bonus chapters for us ;)

 Chapter 332: Cat moment

    chapter 332: cat moment


    ¡°did you really do nothing other than play games with jalen?¡± moxie asked, leaning against noah¡¯s side while he flipped through his grimoire.


    ¡°surprisingly, yes. after the initial shit which was basically just a dick measuring contest, we just played darts. i won.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m still finding it hard to believe that jalen didn¡¯t want anything else. he didn¡¯t fish for information or try to get you to reveal how you progressed so fast?¡±


    ¡°nope. after we started playing, the only thing he talked about was how much he hated the dart board for trying to avoid his darts. he said it was cursed. i don¡¯t think it was, though.¡±


    moxie shifted, turning so she could look directly at noah. ¡°wait. i was so caught up with your disappearance that i forgot. you were combining your runes, and jalen¡¯s domain barely affected you. did you manage to...¡±


    ¡°oh, shit. yeah, i did,¡± noah said, his eyes lighting up. ¡°i honestly didn¡¯t even remember why i was looking through my grimoire. i couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that i still needed to do something, but i think i forgot that i¡¯d already did the thing i was trying to do.¡±


    moxie grabbed noah¡¯s shoulders, delight in her eyes. ¡°you hit rank 4? that easily?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t know if i¡¯d say it was easy, but it wasn¡¯t anywhere near as hard as i was worried it would be. i tested everything out again too, it all seemed just about right. i think i¡¯m finally done reworking it.¡±


    moxie let out a breath and rocked back, shaking her head in disbelief. ¡°that¡¯s incredible. reaching rank 4 without the backing of a noble family, and doing it with completely perfect runes... your abilities are completely unfair.¡±


    ¡°hey, don¡¯t complain. you¡¯ll be using them too.¡±


    ¡°oh, trust me. i¡¯m not complaining. i¡¯m just in awe. you¡¯ve got a domain, then. can you feel it? what¡¯s it like?¡±


    noah¡¯s brow furrowed as he sought the words to properly share how the domain felt. the sensation wasn¡¯t as intense as it had been when he¡¯d first reached rank 4, but the area in a fairly large sphere around his body still felt like another limb ¨C but, at the same time, it didn¡¯t.


    he could feel it, but he couldn¡¯t actually move anything. it was just a general awareness and the faintest feeling of control.


    ¡°it¡¯s kind of like having a phantom limb that you can feel but can¡¯t move,¡± noah said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. ¡°but it¡¯s everywhere around you. kind of a warm and fuzzy feeling.¡±


    ¡°can you feel me? or just magic?¡±


    ¡°no, i can definitely feel your presence. it might be the magic inside you, though. i can¡¯t say for sure.¡±


    moxie dug through one of her pockets and pulled out a seed. she held it between two fingers and it cracked as she sent a tiny tendril of magic into it. all that emerged was ash, and noah felt a tickle at the back of his mind.


    ¡°it blocked my magic,¡± moxie said. ¡°whoa. no effort at all? you just instinctively did it?¡±


    ¡°yeah. i¡¯m going to have to figure out how to turn that off when i need to.¡± noah¡¯s forehead furrowed in concentration and he tried to picture his domain pulling back. something shifted, but he wasn¡¯t sure exactly what it was. ¡°can you try again?¡±


    moxie shrugged and took out another seed, repeating the process. this time, it sprouted without trouble and a vine curled around her fingers. it reached out toward noah, continuing until it reached the end of the area he¡¯d pulled back. a hiss rose up as the vine fizzled and the magic was destroyed.


    i won¡¯t give up my chance to ascend further through the godly realms because of one stupid little mortal. i should just forget all about him. no matter what power he stole or enlightenment he may have stumbled into, it¡¯ll all be worthless. it¡¯s beneath my attention.


    yeah. i should just focus on the important things. i¡¯ll pretend i never even saw him. in a few hundred years, he¡¯ll be nothing but a blip. in a thousand, he won¡¯t even register in my memory anymore.


    i ¨C


    a ripple of energy passed through the air beside renewal. she looked down as a tiny tuft of white fur trotted into her domain, red horns shimmering with faint energy. her eyes lit up and she knelt beside the cat.


    ¡°hello there, little avatar. you¡¯ve certainly taken your time.¡± renewal¡¯s body shrank as she drew her energy in, shrinking down to the size of a normal human. she scratched the cat¡¯s chin and it purred, arching up against her legs. ¡°come on, then. what did you find? where is he?¡±


    a flicker of judgement passed through the cat¡¯s eyes, and renewal¡¯s face heated.


    ¡°i know i just decided i didn¡¯t care anymore, but that was before you came back,¡± renewal said defensively. ¡°it¡¯s not my fault. forget that. i changed my mind. tell me everything.¡±


    the cat let out a low purr. that was it. no information arrived in renewal¡¯s mind. her brow creased in confusion.


    ¡°what are you doing?¡± a note of annoyance entered her words. ¡°that was a command, little avatar. i made you from my power, and i can unmake you just the same. show me what you found when you located the man who stole my energy.¡±


    the cat meowed, its face scrunching up. it hacked a hairball up on the ground, then licked at its paw. dark eyes watched renewal slyly.


    ¡°you¡¯ve always been an annoying little shit,¡± renewal growled. she scratched the cat¡¯s back. ¡°come on. give me the information. i only kept you around this long because of how useful your shenanigans are with the other gods. you are not turning them against me.¡±


    her avatar let out one more meow, then trotted away from her. it turned, looking at renewal over its shoulder. her frown deepened and she rose to her feet, extending a tendril of energy toward the cat. it was acting strangely.


    the little brat has been mischievous ever since i made it, but it¡¯s never disobeyed a direct command from me. what¡¯s going on here?


    renewal¡¯s energy reached the cat ¨C and brushed across it. her eyes widened in shock. her runes didn¡¯t match with the cat¡¯s anymore. it had changed. the runes that fueled the avatar had shifted enough that they were no longer hers.


    ¡°no,¡± renewal muttered. ¡°impossible. i made you. nobody could have corrupted your energy!¡±


    the cat let out another meow, and this time, renewal realized what it was. it hadn¡¯t visited to share information with her. no, it had come to say goodbye.


    ¡°who?¡± renewal demanded, although she was starting to get the feeling that she already knew the answer. the only person that could have possibly modified any aspect of her avatar would have had to be someone that had access to her runes.


    and, throughout all the cosmos, there was only a single person other than her in existence who had a rune that could have done such a thing.


    renewal watched as her avatar turned tail and slipped into one of the streams of energy that connected the universe, vanishing from the astral plane. it was doubtlessly returning to its new partner.


    ¡°you little shit,¡± renewal muttered, staring at the space where her cat had once stood. ¡°if you think i¡¯m letting you get away with this that easily, you¡¯re sorely mistaken. we¡¯re going to have a chat, even if i have to break a dozen rules to do it.¡±

 Chapter 333: Formation

    chapter 333: formation


    noah woke the following morning to moxie lying on top of him, her face on his chest. and, stacked on top of her like the head of a snowman, was mascot. he yawned, trying not to move too much and wake one of the two up on accident.


    that didn¡¯t stop him from sending a glare up at mascot, though.


    little shit. i still can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re actually on my side or if you just enjoy causing trouble in my general vicinity.


    moxie shifted and blinked, her eyes fluttering open. she started to move, but noah caught her before she could.


    ¡°you¡¯ve got a cat on top of you,¡± noah said in a low whisper. ¡°no moving allowed.¡±


    blinking as her consciousness streamed back, moxie tried to twist to get a better look at mascot without waking him up. she gave up on the idea and just laid her head back down with a huff. ¡°why¡¯d he decide to stack on us?¡±


    ¡°why does mascot do literally anything?¡± noah countered.


    ¡°fair point,¡± moxie said. ¡°what time is it?¡±


    noah glanced out the window. ¡°somewhere around the morning. maybe an hour or two past sunrise?¡±


    ¡°we need to get ready for class soon.¡±


    ¡°probably,¡± noah agreed. they were both silent for a few seconds. ¡°so... are you going to move?¡±


    ¡°no. there¡¯s a cat on me. are you going to teach about formations today?¡±


    they laid there for another ten minutes. noah was far from bothered by that development, but mascot was showing absolutely no signs of planning to wake up in the near future. and, as tempting as it was to keep lying right where they were, noah and moxie did have responsibilities to get to.


    fortunately for them ¨C and unfortunately for mascot ¨C they weren¡¯t alone in the room. out of the corner of his eye, noah just barely saw a flash of lee as she stood up, reaching for mascot.


    she plucked the cat from moxie¡¯s back, eliciting a surprised yowl as she clutched it to her chest. mascot hissed and batted at her nose before vanishing in a puff of smoke. lee stared at her hands in shock.


    ¡°i thought that was the plushie.¡±


    moxie pushed herself up and sat back on noah¡¯s legs, brushing the hair out of her face. ¡°that was either very lucky or very unlucky. it depends how much mascot takes offense to it.¡±


    i¡¯m still not sure if there¡¯s anything that should be done about mascot. actually, i don¡¯t know if there¡¯s anything that can be done about that cat. it basically just does whatever it wants. it¡¯s the oddest passive for a rune i¡¯ve ever heard of.


    ¡°i¡¯ll have some snacks for him,¡± lee said sheepishly. ¡°i wanted to check if you were still busy. we have to go to class soon.¡±


    ¡°so we were just thinking.¡± moxie slipped out of bed and changed into a new set of clothes. ¡°we aren¡¯t late, are we?¡±


    ¡°not yet.¡±


    noah got up at well, joining moxie in readying for the day. he brushed his hair back as best as he could, but quickly gave up on taming it. vermil¡¯s hair had always been fairly long, and despite what he¡¯d told father during their first ever meeting, he hadn¡¯t exactly had a haircut since arriving at arbitage.


    after the hasty preparations were done, the three of them set off for the transport cannon. they arrived a short while later to find that the students had all arrived well before they had.


    all five of them sat in a small circle at the base of the transport cannon, eating breakfast. it looked like they¡¯d been walking around for at least a little while since none of them had the telltale signs of a recent awakening.


    ¡°you¡¯re cutting it close today,¡± todd said through a mouthful of biscuit as the professors approached.


    ¡°there was a cat on me,¡± moxie said. ¡°a particularly irate one.¡±


    ¡°what will we be training today?¡± alexandra asked. ¡°another hunt trying to catch lee?¡±


    ¡°possibly. we¡¯ll be opening with something a little different,¡± noah said. the students all stood up, finishing off the last bits of their breakfast. he couldn¡¯t quite tell if they¡¯d all become friends overnight, but a lot of the awkward air from their previous class had evaporated.


    ¡°different? the last time we had a different class you baited a monster to chase after us,¡± todd said with a suspicious glare.


    ¡°that sounds like something revin would do.¡± james grimaced. ¡°the trick is to run the monster back toward him so he has to kill it.¡±


    ¡°he and moxie hid,¡± isabel said. ¡°we couldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°ah. smarter than revin, then.¡±


    ¡°you? you¡¯re a formation master?¡± alexandra asked, blinking in surprise. ¡°aren¡¯t you a rank 3?¡±


    rank 4, actually.


    ¡°and there¡¯s the problem. that¡¯s the big fallacy that everyone has arrived at,¡± noah said, thrusting a finger at alexandra. ¡°everyone says that formations only work for one set of runes, but that¡¯s wrong.¡±


    he held his hands out and his violin materialized in them. isabel and todd¡¯s eyes widened in shock, and emily¡¯s mouth dropped open. alexandra just watched him, a mixture of confusion and doubt on her features.


    ¡°no damn way,¡± todd said. ¡°you use music?¡±


    ¡°music isn¡¯t a trick to using formations. i¡¯m convinced it¡¯s actually the best way to do it, and this whole rune circle bit is bullshit.¡± noah paused for a moment, then corrected himself. ¡°well, maybe i should correct that. it¡¯s not just music. it¡¯s pattern.¡±


    ¡°explain.¡± todd leaned forward, his features unreadable. it did make a degree of sense ¨C his father had been an imbuer and todd had held the man in very high regard. there was a good chance that noah was insulting practices that todd¡¯s dad had done.


    ¡°i want you to think about your runes,¡± noah said. ¡°and i mean really think. this is something that i ruminated over for a long time, but why is it that runes hold power at all? what makes them special? i mean, seriously. why doesn¡¯t a random circle i draw on the ground turn into a rune?¡±


    nobody responded to that. it was a pretty ludicrous question, of course. noah could practically read their thoughts.


    they¡¯re just runes. that¡¯s how they work. who cares?


    ¡°well?¡± noah asked. ¡°that wasn¡¯t rhetorical. give it a shot.¡±


    ¡°because you need energy in the first place?¡± emily tried, starting to get a little more interested in the lesson. ¡°you can¡¯t just take it from nothing.¡±


    ¡°okay. let¡¯s say i¡¯ve got a filled rune. why can¡¯t i just stuff all that power into a circle i draw? why do i need to draw the same rune?¡±


    ¡°the rune is a representation of the energy it holds,¡± alexandra said. ¡°and energy can¡¯t change.¡±


    ¡°i like the first part of what you said.¡± noah gave alexandra an approving nod. ¡°a rune is a representation. let¡¯s hold onto that and touch the second half of your claim before wrapping back.¡±


    noah pressed his hand to the ground and called on natural disaster. he¡¯d yet to use the rune, but he was delighted to find that the energy flowed exactly how he wanted it to. a mound of dirt rose up beneath his palm, trembling as it was pressed in on itself by a miniature earthquake.


    he then took a small pebble and set it at the top of the mound. ¡°what would this be?¡±


    ¡°a rock,¡± james said.


    ¡°thank you, james. i¡¯m going to call it something else. this is potential,¡± noah said. he flicked the rock with his finger and it rolled down the hill, coming to a stop at the bottom. ¡°and i just used that potential.¡±


    ¡°what does this have to do with energy changing?¡± alexandra asked, her brow furrowed. the question wasn¡¯t meant to be inflammatory ¨C she was definitely trying to figure out what he was saying, but it hadn¡¯t quite clicked yet.


    ¡°i¡¯ll admit i¡¯m not an expert on this particular part, but there are basically two kinds of energy in this case,¡± noah said, picking the rock back up and returning it to the top of his hill. ¡°the first part is the potential. while the rock is at the top of the hill, it has the potential to roll down. that¡¯s the energy in your runes before you use it.¡±


    ¡°okay,¡± alexandra said with a small nod. ¡°that makes sense.¡±


    ¡°but what about when the rock is halfway down the hill?¡± noah moved the rock, holding it in place on the side of the mound. ¡°half of that potential energy is gone, right? did it just vanish?¡±


    alexandra nodded. noah could see the gears turning in her head as her brow furrowed. ¡°it¡¯s moving now.¡±


    ¡°exactly. the energy changed. instead of potential, what we now have is kinetic energy,¡± noah explained. ¡°the potential energy is turning to motion. thus, energy changes.¡±


    alexandra rocked back and nodded her understanding. ¡°okay. i¡¯m with you. in that case, what does it have to do with the patterns runes have? are you saying that they¡¯re potential energy before you use them, then kinetic energy while you use them?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t know if using runes would be kinetic energy, but the analogy is there, yes. let¡¯s pull in the other thing you said. the shape of a rune is a representation of what it is, right?¡±


    nobody said anything. they all watched him with either curiosity, confusion, or a combination of the two.


    ¡°well, my claim is that a rune¡¯s physical form is more than just a representation. it¡¯s a pattern that holds the energy. or, in other words, i think the natural state of runic energy is kinetic energy ¨C the rock in freefall. by drawing a rune out, we¡¯re holding the rock at the top of the hill.¡±


    he paused for a moment to let his thoughts sink in ¨C not just to the kids, but for himself as well. the more noah had practiced with formations, the more he¡¯d come to the conclusion he was saying now, but this was still the first time he¡¯d put it to actual words.


    ¡°that means that runes are basically just patterns,¡± todd muttered. the blood drained out of his face and his eyes went wide. ¡°gods. are you claiming that formations can use musical patterns to basically make a new rune?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s a new way to control the magic,¡± noah said with a smile. ¡°and that¡¯s what i want to try to take advantage of. understanding formations means understanding your runes better, and the same goes in the other direction. so, shall we get started?¡±

 Chapter 334: Music

    chapter 334: music


    ¡°music is an expression of emotion. it can be pretty much whatever you want it to be,¡± noah said, placing the bow of his violin against its strings. ¡°and making formations with it is the exact same principle. we make a pattern ¨C a song ¨C with music, and that holds the magic within it.¡±


    ¡°how?¡± alexandra asked. ¡°music isn¡¯t a tangible thing. how can you contain music with nothing more than sound?¡±


    ¡°not sound. pattern. as we discussed, runes are literally just patterns that hold energy. sure, they¡¯re more visual than music, but a pattern is a pattern. it doesn¡¯t matter what kind of pattern it is. that¡¯s my theory, at least.¡±


    ¡°wait,¡± isabel said. she shifted her position, having gone from mildly interested to completely transfixed. ¡°are you saying that we could make formations with methods that aren¡¯t music? if formations are just patterns, couldn¡¯t we do the same thing with a stick in the sand or body motions?¡±


    noah¡¯s grin expanded and he nodded. ¡°i¡¯ll admit that i haven¡¯t tested it yet, but if music works, i don¡¯t see why dancing wouldn¡¯t. what matters is the pattern. rune circles are functionally the same thing, but they¡¯re locked in stone. frankly, i think they¡¯re a crutch.¡±


    ¡°they¡¯re the main way formations are done, though,¡± james said. ¡°are you saying that everyone is fundamentally wrong about the way formations and runes work?¡±


    ¡°yes,¡± noah said. ¡°just because everyone does something in a certain way doesn¡¯t make it the right one. i have reason to believe that there¡¯s some very serious misinformation about how runes function. i¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s because the noble houses have spread it on purpose or some other reason, but just take my word for it.¡±


    ¡°you can¡¯t say that and not tell us what it is,¡± emily exclaimed. ¡°why does it sound like you¡¯re implying¨C¡±


    ¡°yes, i can.¡± noah cut emily off and chuckled at the annoyance on her face. ¡°we don¡¯t want to get too distracted from the original lesson, and trust me. this one is more important right now.¡±


    ¡°is this even something we can use, though?¡± todd asked reluctantly, clearly hoping noah would calm his worries. ¡°pattern or not, formations take years to master. you¡¯d have to teach us all music and then start showing us how to use it for formations after we learned. it would take forever.¡±


    ¡°good question, todd. if we were trying to learn rune circles, then yes. it would take forever. and, if i was trying to teach all of you music from scratch, it would take me years to accomplish it. that¡¯s why i won¡¯t just be teaching music. we¡¯re going to be focusing on finding the way that you see patterns.¡±


    ¡°doesn¡¯t everything need to be perfect to use formations?¡± isabel asked. ¡°if we make a mistake, it could blow up in our face. i don¡¯t mind some danger, but is there a way we can avoid that? i don¡¯t want to shatter my runes or kill myself.¡±


    noah could tell isabel was thinking back to their early training in the scorched acres, and he couldn¡¯t blame her. it was probably the farthest thing from safe that he could have done. while it had been effective, the training had also been pretty big risk.


    ¡°you won¡¯t be starting by trying to push magic into the patterns. you don¡¯t try to sprint before you know how to walk. we¡¯ll start by learning the patterns themselves and how we can use them, and then only put magic in once we¡¯re comfortable.¡± noah pulled the bow of his violin across the strings, drawing forth a long, beautiful note. everyone tensed, waiting for something to happen, but it didn¡¯t come. noah played a few more notes, not ashamed to say he was more than slightly amused by the concern on the kids¡¯ expressions.


    ¡°where¡¯s the formation?¡± todd asked.


    ¡°it¡¯s just music,¡± noah replied. ¡°there is no formation. that¡¯s what i¡¯m saying. i mean, think about it. you¡¯ve definitely done some form of pattern in your life before, but you didn¡¯t randomly blow up by triggering a formation on accident. just like everything else in magic, it takes intent.¡±


    he paused, waiting for them all to fully process his words. even moxie and lee were paying close attention to his words. it filled noah with a sense of satisfaction and pride that he hadn¡¯t felt in a long time. it felt good to be properly teaching a class again.n?00v€l--?1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.


    ¡°how do we start?¡± todd asked.


    ¡°by looking inward. think on what in life speaks to you that you can find pattern within. something that you¡¯d be comfortable really investing time into. it could be art, motion, nature, anything. feel free to talk amongst yourselves if you¡¯re struggling.¡±


    ¡°what about you, emily?¡±


    ¡°ice and frost. there are patterns in snowflakes. really clear ones, when you look closely enough.¡±


    noah nodded. they were pretty solid choices that he couldn¡¯t find any fault in. fire seemed to be the one with the most randomness in it, but nature in general tended to follow patterns of some sort.


    ¡°what about you, james?¡±


    ¡°i might go with music,¡± james said. ¡°i rather like humming.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s kind of lame,¡± emily said.


    james shrugged. ¡°it¡¯s easy.¡±


    somehow, that fits him perfectly. never thought about trying to hum a formation, but i can¡¯t see why it wouldn¡¯t work.


    ¡°okay. great. for the second half of this class, we¡¯re going to be doing one thing. you¡¯ll spend it in your mindspace, trying to envision and get closer to the pattern you want to follow. really think about how it works and just get to know it. don¡¯t worry about actually doing anything, and don¡¯t put any magic into it beyond maybe forming something like a small snowstorm or a ball of fire to study.¡±


    he didn¡¯t need to tell them twice. everyone sat more comfortably, closing their eyes to slip into their mindspaces. isabel and todd leaned against each other, and a small smile drifted across noah¡¯s lips at the sight.


    cute.


    he also couldn¡¯t help but notice that emily and james were sitting pretty close together, and their hands weren¡¯t too far from touching. it wasn¡¯t hard to read their body language ¨C the two had clearly gotten a lot closer over the summer.


    noah called on natural disaster and sent a miniscule tremor through the ground, bumping up the dirt beneath emily¡¯s hand to push it closer to james. both of them stiffened for an instant, but neither moved their hands back.


    moxie caught what he¡¯d done and arched an eyebrow, but he just shrugged in response.


    ¡°keep watch over us?¡± moxie asked. ¡°i¡¯m giving this a shot.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m gonna try it too,¡± lee said, sitting down beside noah. ¡°can i have some jerky to test with?¡±


    she didn¡¯t wait for a response before reaching up and snagging noah¡¯s rations from his bag.


    ¡°i¡¯ll keep an eye out,¡± noah promised. ¡°good luck, everyone. and remember, you aren¡¯t trying to force anything. there¡¯s nothing but you and your pattern. it¡¯s kind of like meditation, but not boring.¡±


    nobody replied. they were all already sinking into their mindspace. noah raised his gaze, looking out over the plateau to make sure no monsters would be able to take advantage of their distraction.


    this is more than just formations. it¡¯s about improving their fundamental understanding of magic as well. hell, i barely even know what i¡¯m talking about, but the more i try to learn so i can teach, the more i discover myself. i can¡¯t wait to see what we can all do in a few weeks.

 Chapter 335: Logic

    chapter 335: logic


    azel was waiting in lee¡¯s mindspace when she arrived in it. that wasn¡¯t all that unusual. he¡¯d taken to hanging around in it more in recent days, but that didn¡¯t stop her from sending him a suspicious look. azel was watching her with a pensive look in his eyes, his hands crossed behind his back and the flames that smoldered along his clothes contained to faint embers.


    ¡°what?¡± lee asked. ¡°why are you doing that?¡±


    ¡°doing what?¡± azel asked. ¡°i am just relaxing.¡±


    ¡°no, you¡¯re leering at me. are you going to try to convince me not to practice formations?¡±


    ¡°absolutely not.¡± azel shook his head, and something that might have actually been respect passed through his eyes. the emotion vanished so quickly that it might as well never have been there. a demon such as azel could not have respect for anyone that wasn¡¯t himself. ¡°vines has actually stumbled into something interesting. i think it¡¯s worth looking into, and i¡¯ll certainly be studying it myself.¡±


    ¡°right,¡± lee said. she stared at azel for a second, waiting for him to elaborate. when he didn¡¯t, she pressed on. ¡°so why are you standing here like that?¡±


    ¡°am i not allowed to? it¡¯s a free world.¡±


    ¡°no. you aren¡¯t. this is my soul, not the world.¡±


    ¡°ah, yes. i suppose it is.¡± azel picked at his fingernails, then curled the corner of his lip down in a grimace. ¡°alas, you¡¯ve got some of my runes in you, so there¡¯s at least a bit of my soul in here as well.¡±


    ¡°for now,¡± lee said. ¡°it¡¯ll fade away as my soul completely envelops your runes.¡±


    ¡°it will,¡± azel agreed. ¡°but until then, there isn¡¯t all that much you can do to keep me from spending time with you. is it really such a horrid concept?¡±


    ¡°depends on if you¡¯re trying to convince me to do things that i¡¯m not going to do. if you weren¡¯t such an asshole, then nobody would mind spending time around you.¡± lee crossed her arms and glared at azel. ¡°and don¡¯t try to pretend otherwise. you know noah and moxie wouldn¡¯t mind that you were a demon. their problem with you is you.¡±


    azel held his hands up defensively. ¡°yes, yes. unfortunately, i cannot change my nature. i am who i am. and so are you.¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s that meant to mean?¡±


    ¡°and, beyond that, what of the inquisition?¡± azel pressed. ¡°those pathetic fools and their holy runes only worked so effectively on you because your soul and body do not yet match. demons of rank 3 and below are easily detected and struck down, but once you begin reaching true union of body and soul in rank 4, you will not be such a liability. there is no way around it, lee.¡±


    ¡°well, i¡¯ll find one!¡± lee yelled, clenching her fists and baring her teeth. ¡°i won¡¯t become like you!¡±


    the two demons glared at each other. even though no magic was flying, tension filled the air like a thick syrup, twisting and winding through lee¡¯s mindspace.


    ¡°why are you doing this?¡± lee asked. ¡°why do you care so much? it¡¯s none of your damn business.¡±


    ¡°because i¡¯m bored,¡± azel growled. ¡°and i¡¯d rather help you than the damn mortal. he doesn¡¯t need my help.¡±


    something about his answer felt... lacking. lee couldn¡¯t place what it was, and she didn¡¯t really feel like trying to figure it out either.


    ¡°well, i don¡¯t want your help.¡±


    ¡°i didn¡¯t ask if you wanted it,¡± azel said. ¡°you are receiving it, nonetheless. you do realize that you can¡¯t have everything you want, right? if you want power, you have to be willing to change. if you don¡¯t want to change, then you will remain as you are and will eventually be left behind.¡±


    ¡°well, i want everything. i don¡¯t care about logic. it¡¯s stupid.¡±


    azel blinked. a snort of laughter escaped his lips and he shook his head. ¡°spoken like a fool. and spoken like a demon, i suppose. i can¡¯t fault you for that. but i will warn you ¨C there will be a time when you need power. and, if you continue to refuse it like you have been, the people you care about will die. noah may survive, but moxie is not as much of a roach as he is. isabel, todd, emily, and the others ¨C they are all fragile. you must be powerful enough to protect what is yours, or it is not yours. even if you do not push to rank 4 now, i suggest you start preparing to reach it as soon as possible. intentional weakness will destroy you.¡±


    with that, azel vanished in a puff of embers and black smoke. lee stared at the space where he¡¯d been standing, her shoulders slumping forward in defeat. no matter how infuriating the demon was, he actually had a point.


    i can¡¯t just stay like this. i need to get stronger, somehow. i don¡¯t want to become like azel, though. i don¡¯t want to be so consumed by the emotion i feed on that i become a terrible person.


    but... i suppose getting the rest of the runes i need to reach rank 4 and filling them up would be a good idea. i don¡¯t have to push ahead until it¡¯s time, but noah relies on me. if something shows up that he needs help fighting, i can¡¯t let him and the others down.


    lee¡¯s face creased with determination and she sat down, crossing her legs and bracing her palms on her knees. there were several forms of power, and one was the one that azel had just interrupted her in the process of pursuing.


    there would be time to figure out runes and her progression in the future. for now, she was going to focus on the thought of food. she needed to figure out formations and see if the power she sought could be achieved in a different way.

 Chapter 336: Stormwing

    chapter 336: stormwing


    noah stood as everyone delved into their mind spaces, playing a quiet song on his violin as he waited for them all to finish. there weren¡¯t any monsters in the area and he wasn¡¯t sure what else to do with his time.


    besides, it¡¯s nice to be able to just play for no purpose. having music and formations be tied together so closely is nice, but it¡¯s not the same as playing just for the sake of playing. i hope the others don¡¯t take too long, though. i¡¯m itching to test out natural disaster in its new form.


    unfortunately, there wouldn¡¯t be any testing until everyone was awake again. noah wasn¡¯t about to just leave them sitting around undefended in an area full of monsters. and so, he played.


    a little under an hour passed before moxie opened her eyes. she glanced over at noah, pausing to appreciate the music for a few seconds before she rose to her feet and brushed the dirt off her backside.


    ¡°any luck?¡± noah asked, pausing his song.


    ¡°i think so. it¡¯s definitely something i¡¯ll have to practice a lot of,¡± moxie said with a frown. ¡°guess i can see why you blew yourself up so many times doing this, even with your pattern practice.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s not like i like blowing up. if i¡¯m doing it, it¡¯s for a reason.¡±


    ¡°could have fooled me,¡± moxie said with a snicker.


    it wasn¡¯t long before the others started to wake as well. isabel and emily opened their eyes shortly after moxie did. alexandra was next, followed by todd and james. lee was the last of the group to stand back up.


    they all had pensive expressions on their faces that told noah his lesson had been at least marginally effective. he waited for another minute after everyone had stood just to make sure they were all back in the present.


    ¡°right,¡± noah said. ¡°did anything completely not work for anyone? i¡¯m assuming that isn¡¯t the case because of how long you spent in your mindspaces.¡±


    the students all exchanged glances, then shook their heads one by one.


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure i¡¯d say i was anywhere near good at it, but i get what i¡¯m meant to do and i was making progress,¡± todd said.


    ¡°same.¡± isabel flexed her hands as if she were holding a sword. ¡°i still don¡¯t really know how i can use magic in conjunction with this, but i can work on it.¡±


    nobody else added anything, so noah clapped his hands together. ¡°in that case, the first part of class today is over. no point lecturing forever or you¡¯ll get so bored with me that your brains will leak out of your ears. we¡¯ll be moving on to the next half.¡±


    ¡°getting points for the master rune?¡± todd asked eagerly. judging by the looks on the other students¡¯ faces, he¡¯d voiced all of their thoughts. noah chuckled. if everyone had been paying attention before, now they were laser focused on him.


    more power swirled into the air above noah, tiny wisps of black smoke twisting and swirling through the sky beneath the path of the sun. part of him was starting to suspect that the fishing strategy only worked when the monsters were underground when he heard a screech in the distance.


    out of the corner of his eye, noah saw a large shape moving through the air in his direction. it was a bird of some sort, but it looked more fluffy than feathered. it strongly resembled a storm cloud the size of a small house, but the two burning red motes in the center of its face and the jagged, black beak gave it away as a monster.


    there¡¯s my target. something that big is definitely at least a rank 2. maybe even a rank 3 or higher. i think i¡¯ll call it a stormwing. seems kind of cool. let¡¯s find out if it deserves the name.


    noah pulled back on sunder, lowering into a fighting stance as the stormwing let out another screech. its red eyes were fixed solely on noah, having located the source of power that had drawn it out of ¨C well, whatever it had been doing.


    natural disaster¡¯s magic flooded through noah¡¯s veins as he called upon it. a grin stretched across his lips at the tingle of magic and he rubbed his fingers together, generating the faintest amount of static electricity. that was enough to kickstart his magic.


    power poured into it, arcing between the fingers and coiling into a ball in his palm. noah thrust his hand forward and a peal of thunder split the sky. lightning screamed forth in a flash, slamming into the stormwing with a brilliant crash.


    the bird spun through the strike, squeaking in surprise and now thoroughly angered. it didn¡¯t look particularly hurt. it dove straight at him, and energy crackled at its own beak. idly, noah noted that using lightning against a monster that clearly had some form of storm or lightning runes to call on probably hadn¡¯t been the best idea.


    crackles of grey electricity enveloped the stormwing as it dove for him, aiming to run noah through with its beak. he spun out of the way, calling on natural disaster to gently boost his movements with wind.


    a gleeful laugh slipped out of noah¡¯s mouth at the ease at which his rune responded. it was almost as if he were just using a pure wind rune, though it was still just a little more work to filter the magic.


    the stormwing shot past him, dragging its feet through the soil and spinning to face noah. it charged at him like an ostrich, raising its wings above its head to loom over him. the smart move would have likely been to reposition, but noah wasn¡¯t feeling particularly smart at the moment.


    a bolt of lightning shot from the stormwing¡¯s beak ¨C and evaporated the instant it reached noah¡¯s domain. he didn¡¯t even have to dodge. the monster was rank 3 at most, and that meant it was doomed.


    wind gathered around his body and shoved him forward in a burst of motion. he let out a roar, bounding straight toward the stormwing. the monster faltered in surprise, clearly remembering the intensity of the magic he had been putting off, but it was too little and too late.


    noah released the wind and summoned a power he hadn¡¯t touched on in quite some time. tremors vibrated his fist as he filled it with vibration magic, poised to strike. noah vaulted into the air, rearing back. the air around his hand thrummed with might an instant before his fist collided with the monster¡¯s chest.


    there was a loud crack. all the magical pressure that noah had gathered surged force at once, rushing out of his fist and into the stormwing¡¯s head. a violent shudder raced through the bird¡¯s entire body before a series of muted snapping noises rang out from inside the monster.


    the stormwing didn¡¯t get a chance to scream in pain. its body shattered, bones ripped apart and internal organs shredded. it crumpled to the ground, small pieces of bone jutting out of it at odd angles.


    noah stared at the dead bird, then looked over to his hand and flexed his fingers. natural disaster waited within his soul, willing and eager to give more energy. he¡¯d used a decent amount of it, but nowhere near as much as he¡¯d thought.


    ¡°oh, yeah. i think i might be able to get used to this.¡± a slow grin crept across his face. ¡°but first, i think i need to do a little more testing.¡±

 Chapter 337: Searching

    chapter 337: searching


    ferdinand froze halfway through taking a bite out of his sandwich. energy tickled the back of his mind, just barely prickling against his senses. it wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d felt a usage of power large enough to draw his attention, but this was different.


    it was so faint that someone less trained may have construed it as irrelevant. but ferdinand, while not the most fervent member of his church, had not slouched. he knew the sensation of his goddess¡¯ power, and he knew the power of the apostles.


    the energy he felt now was, without doubt, reminiscent of garina¡¯s. his eyes shot over to hers, panicked thoughts flashing through his mind.


    i thought garina said that there wouldn¡¯t be any more of the apostles here. what is one doing putting out enough power for me to pick it up? they should be more than capable of hiding their energy usage, so whoever that was had to have used so much that they couldn¡¯t conceal it.


    but the emotion that ferdinand found on garina¡¯s features wasn¡¯t recognition. it was surprise and confusion. she didn¡¯t recognize the power any more than he did ¨C and now, the more that he thought about it, the more the power felt... off.


    it only took a brief instant for ferdinand and garina to come to the exact same conclusion. the power hadn¡¯t been used by anyone they knew. but, without a doubt, it was the power of the apostles.


    the hair on the back of ferdinand¡¯s neck stood on end. he couldn¡¯t bring himself to swallow the bite of the sandwich he¡¯d taken. the food tasted like it had turned to ash.


    that¡¯s it, isn¡¯t it? garina wasn¡¯t searching for somebody with renewal¡¯s powers. she was searching for someone with her demon god¡¯s powers ¨C or, perhaps, someone who was strong enough to steal from them both.


    but, if that¡¯s true...


    if it was true, then everything would end. their partnership, as tenuous as it was, would be over. the chances of two different people just happening to piss off two different gods at the exact same time and location was so unlikely that ferdinand dismissed it immediately.


    they were dealing with someone powerful enough to rob two gods, and they were trampling all over the rules by existing within the restricted zone. ferdinand couldn¡¯t bring himself to properly care about any of that, though.


    the moment he acknowledged the existence of the magic at the edges of his mind, he and garina would return to being enemies. she¡¯d know what he sought and would be unable to do anything but strike him down.


    he could always make an excuse to try to leave, but he doubted it would fly. and, even if it would, ferdinand found himself reluctant to even consider the idea. completing his mission ¨C if such a thing was even possible with an opponent such as this ¨C would mean that all would return to how it had been.


    even if garina didn¡¯t kill him, ferdinand would go back to the church of repose. he¡¯d never speak to garina again. the past few months would be nothing but a surprisingly pleasant memory in an endless sea of nothingness.


    ferdinand swallowed. he lowered his sandwich, staring down at it. he could feel garina¡¯s gaze boring into his forehead. she¡¯d finished her meal already, but he¡¯d made a second sandwich for her. it was sitting in his bag, waiting for when she declared that she was still hungry.


    there¡¯s always another path. life is not black and white. but... what is mine?


    ¡°is something wrong?¡± garina asked, her voice even. it was a measured question, one without the slight notes of genuine interest that had crept into their conversations in recent times. ferdinand might have been mistaken, but it almost felt like there was a faint undercurrent of fear within it.


    not fear of ferdinand, but fear of what his answer would be. he didn¡¯t respond for several seconds, not willing to let himself speak anything that he would regret. ferdinand scored his mind, trying to find a solution that didn¡¯t result in death or, worse, a return to the days of just a few weeks ago.


    and, in the midst of his search, ferdinand found an answer. a solution so simple that it was laughable. even the mere thought of it should have been ridiculous. it was the choice of a fool who cared nothing for their future.


    ¡°no,¡± ferdinand said, a small smile drifting across his face. ¡°i don¡¯t believe there is.¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t lie to me. i felt it as well, ferdinand. you need to leave, don¡¯t you?¡± garina asked. her shoulders were ever so slightly hunched forward, a position of disappointment that ferdinand suspected no other living being beyond the other apostles had ever seen. ¡°i ¨C i¡¯ll let you have a head start. if you¡¯re smart, you¡¯ll be out of the empire before the day is over. i can¡¯t bend the rules.¡±


    time slammed to a halt around renewal. or, more accurately, the time that the souls perceived slammed to a halt. decras wasn¡¯t anywhere near powerful enough to actually stop time but pulling a few measly souls to a spot where they couldn¡¯t feel its passing was well within his might.


    ¡°that¡¯s it?¡± renewal asked. ¡°you came by just a few months ago. i¡¯m going to start thinking you¡¯re clingy.¡±


    ¡°i am,¡± decras said, not a single shred of sarcasm in his voice. ¡°and i¡¯m here for the exact same reason. you¡¯re watching something interesting, and i¡¯ve always found it more fun to do such things with others.¡±


    renewal studied decras for some time. she hadn¡¯t truly run into many gods in her solitary role in the universe. he was one of the few that she did know, even if his attention tended to be fairly destructive.


    their last sparring match had been the reason that renewal was currently missing a tiny chunk of her power, but she took no small amount of satisfaction in knowing that decras was no better off.


    ¡°how are you going to apologize for causing my loss of power?¡± renewal demanded. ¡°do you have any idea¨C¡±


    decras held a hand out, and a small golden core materialized within it. energy crackled within it with enough intensity to catch even her attention. renewal¡¯s words died before they could leave her mouth.


    ¡°will this suffice? i¡¯ll have you know that we will be splitting it. i do not give donations.¡±


    ¡°you definitely know how to apologize,¡± renewal muttered. she flicked her hand and flowers twisted into a pink throne beneath her. she sat down beside decras and snapped her fingers, summoning the image of ferdinand and garina back to the air before them.


    ¡°cute,¡± decras said, squeezing the small marble into two separate halves and giving one to renewal.


    ¡°where did you even manage to get this?¡± renewal asked, staring at the half of the marble in her palm.


    ¡°there is great freedom in refusing to be beholden to the universe¡¯s will.¡±


    ¡°more like danger,¡± renewal said. ¡°it¡¯s a miracle you haven¡¯t been killed yet. if you¡¯d chosen a different goddess of reincarnation to screw with, your head may have been severed from your shoulders by now.¡±


    ¡°but i did not, and it has not,¡± decras said idly. ¡°are you asking me to stop?¡±


    renewal paused for a moment. then she let out a sigh and shook her head. ¡°no. i¡¯m not. it adds a bit of excitement to my life, and you¡¯re more interesting than the other reincarnation gods and goddesses.¡±


    decras grinned and stuck his tongue out, placing the marble on its tip before swallowing it. he drew in a deep breath and let it out with a satisfied grin. ¡°ah, raw energy never fails to satisfy. if you do not object to my company, you should not be so confrontational when i arrive. unless it¡¯s actually the sparring that you enjoy?¡±


    renewal reddened, and decras let out a burst of laughter.


    ¡°it is, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°just because my runes are those of life does not mean i don¡¯t enjoy a good match,¡± renewal said defensively. her lips pressed together. ¡°unfortunately, my fellows disagree.¡±


    ¡°then i shall be sure to bother you further in the future, no matter how much you request me to stop,¡± decras said. he nodded to the screen. ¡°now, you have much better eyes to the world than i do. what is happening? i am bored.¡±


    ¡°well,¡± renewal said, drawing the word out before letting out a laugh and shaking her head. ¡°i think your subordinate is flirting with mine.¡±

 Chapter 338: Interesting

    chapter 338: interesting


    a deep, echoing laugh slipped from decras¡¯ mouth. ¡°garina? your subordinate is going to die. i hope you weren¡¯t close to them.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t know much more than some of their names, and i¡¯ve only picked that up in passing,¡± renewal said. ¡°i just recognize the mimicry of my runes in his soul. you can¡¯t be telling me that you¡¯re actually interacting with your followers directly, decras. that¡¯s¨C¡±


    ¡°against the rules, yes,¡± decras yawned, then stretched his arms over his head. a black table rose up from the ground before him and he kicked his legs up on top of it. ¡°i believe we¡¯ve been over this particular part already. so long as you don¡¯t break the order of the universe too badly, nobody cares. life is nothing when lived entirely under the thumb of someone else.¡±


    renewal shook her head in a mixture of jealousy and exasperation. the rules existed for a reason, and both she and decras were nowhere near the peak of power in the universe. playing too much with fire was a great way to get burnt.


    ¡°you¡¯re going to get yourself killed, you know?¡±


    ¡°i highly doubt it. the high gods don¡¯t give a shit about what the rest of us do. if they did, don¡¯t you think they¡¯d have done something by now? i¡¯ve had my fingers on that particular little world for hundreds of years.¡±


    ¡°hundreds of ¨C what have you been doing?¡±


    ¡°training some disciples, mostly. unfortunately, most of them weren¡¯t worth the effort. no potential. but a few have potential ¨C such as garina. unfortunately, while she¡¯s got great potential, it¡¯s completely ruined by her personality. she¡¯s basically a dog with anger issues. shame, really. can¡¯t say she isn¡¯t fun to watch, though. it¡¯s a good thing you aren¡¯t attached to your people, because i don¡¯t think that bald one is going to live much longer.¡±


    renewal looked from decras to the image. they were both silent for a second.


    ¡°is this going to update? why are they just frozen there?¡± decras asked. ¡°you need to upgrade the speed of your magic.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s in real-time,¡± renewal said. ¡°they¡¯re actually just sitting.¡±


    decras¡¯ brow furrowed in confusion and he leaned forward, squinting at the image. garina was locked in place, still staring at ferdinand. then, slowly, she shifted her position to let her shoulder brush against his.


    renewal burst into laughter as garina leaned against ferdinand in full. the look on decras¡¯ face was of such abject shock and disbelief that renewal suspected it wouldn¡¯t leave her mind for thousands of years.


    ¡°impossible,¡± decras said. ¡°she doesn¡¯t even like me that much!¡±


    ¡°you¡¯ve actually met her?¡± the smile on renewal¡¯s lips faded.


    ¡°no, of course not. i¡¯m not so stupid as to manifest myself on a mortal world.¡± decras scoffed, then shook his head. ¡°but i¡¯ve occasionally projected some conversation to a few of them. it¡¯s a good way to kill some time.¡±


    ¡°they¡¯re actually strong enough to understand you? my followers barely manage to make out half the words i send them.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s because i actually picked mine out. you¡¯ve just got a gathering of rabble.¡± decras snorted. ¡°my men and women are those of quality. they have potential to reach our strength. well, some of them do. they¡¯re superior to yours in every way.¡±


    ¡°except for garina, who appears to be in love with one of mine,¡± renewal said dryly. ¡°unless you¡¯ve got another explanation for this? ferdinand is a whole rank below her, and it¡¯s a big one.¡±


    decras looked back to the image, then pursed his lips and sunk lower into his chair. ¡°perhaps it is an attempt to manipulate him.¡±


    ¡°which is a fancy way to say that you are a pervert that watches others while they don¡¯t know. what is this of a cat, though?¡±


    renewal opened her mouth to refute decras¡¯ first statement, then thought better of it and closed it again. there were some arguments that she wasn¡¯t going to win, and something told her that this was one of them.


    ¡°it was one of my avatars,¡± renewal said with a sigh. ¡°i sent it out to look into the mortal that stole my energy ¨C your fault, by the way ¨C and the little shit stole the cat.¡±


    decras threw his head back in laughter. ¡°he stole from you again?¡±


    ¡°yes,¡± renewal snapped. ¡°you don¡¯t have to rub it in, you know. i¡¯m more than aware of how humiliating it is.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re cute when you pout,¡± decras said. he pressed his palms together and stretched them apart. strands of black matter twisted between his fingertips, gathering into a bubbling mass in the air.


    the mass bulged outward, taking shape into a small black cat. it dropped to the ground, a faint yellow glow appearing behind its eyes as it came to life. the cat yowled, then arched up against decras¡¯ leg. he flicked a finger and it trotted over to renewal before curling up at her feet.


    ¡°there,¡± decras said. ¡°a new cat.¡±


    renewal looked down at the cat, then back up to decras.


    you can¡¯t just replace a cat, much less an avatar. it was a part of me. but... this was surprisingly sweet of decras. i haven¡¯t seen this side of him before. is he feeling sentimental about garina?


    ¡°i ¨C thank you, i suppose,¡± renewal said slowly, reaching down to scoop the cat into her arms. it purred and rubbed its head up against her chin. a small grin flickered across renewal¡¯s face. ¡°feisty.¡±


    ¡°most things about me are. of course, we can¡¯t just let the mortal get away with stealing from you twice.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m more than aware. as soon as my church finds him, he and i will be having a very extensive talk.¡±


    decras let out a snort of derision. ¡°as if those incompetent fools will find anyone. i had my own people looking for him as well, but it appears the two that were the closest have gotten entangled with each other instead of doing their jobs.¡±


    ¡°no interfering,¡± renewal warned.


    ¡°i won¡¯t.¡± decras raised his hands and laughed. ¡°but that doesn¡¯t mean things can be left as they are. perhaps a few nudges are in order. if a mortal wishes to play with us, then he should prove he deserves the power he has taken.¡±


    ¡°as much as i hate to admit it, i feel like he may have proven that by stealing it in the first place.¡±


    ¡°perhaps.¡± decras inclined his head. ¡°but that doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t have a little fun in the process, does it? i think we could add a little more excitement to this and watch how it all plays out. it could be enjoyable.¡±


    ¡°what are you thinking?¡± renewal asked.


    decras¡¯ smile grew as he told her. and, when he finished, renewal found a small grin starting to form on her own face.


    ¡°that,¡± renewal said, petting her new cat and already picturing the scene that decras had described, ¡°sounds like it could be interesting.¡±

 Chapter 339: Testing

    chapter 339: testing


    noah took down several more monsters over the course of the next few hours, trying to push natural disaster to its absolute limits. his efforts rewarded him with a small increase to the rune¡¯s overall strength, but an incredible increase to his confidence in his abilities.


    it was exactly what he¡¯d pictured the rune to be when he¡¯d first made it. unlike its previous form, natural disaster was now completely responsive, as if it were an extension of his body rather than a badly forged tool.


    and, even with all the elements to call on, he found himself heavily leaning on vibration and lightning. it had been some time since he¡¯d really had a chance to use vibration offensively, but it was just as devastating as he remembered it being.


    by the time it came to return to the others, he couldn¡¯t have been more pleased. he landed his flying sword beside the group while they were all sitting in a small circle, likely trying to work on their patterns.


    ¡°welcome back,¡± moxie said with a small nod. she was the only one that wasn¡¯t sitting; keeping watch over the others to make sure a monster didn¡¯t get the jump on them while they were distracted. ¡°how¡¯d it go with natural disaster?¡±


    ¡°perfectly,¡± noah replied with a huge smile. he rubbed his shoulder and let out a wistful sigh. ¡°i wish i¡¯d managed this earlier. it¡¯s not exactly that new, but it feels like everything finally clicked. i can use vibration again as well, which is great. i¡¯m going to need to re-make my imbuements again, but they should be much better now that i can combine vibration with air and earth more effectively.¡±


    moxie let out a slow whistle. ¡°so this completely confirms it then, right? we¡¯ve genuinely cracked the secret to making a perfect rune.¡±


    ¡°certainly seems like it,¡± noah agreed with a nod. ¡°you¡¯re next, by the way. how far away are you from rank 4?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll be actively pushing for it when we¡¯ve got free time. i need to get some new runes to replace the ones i¡¯ve lost and fill everything up, but lee and i will just go hunting together. i think we should be able to make it without too much time with the speed we kill monsters at. i¡¯ll value it, because this will likely be the last time we can brute force our way through getting enough energy to rank up.¡±


    ¡°yeah, i can imagine. i barely got anything in my rank 4 rune from the hunting i did today, and i¡¯m pretty sure that it would have given me a hefty chunk if i¡¯d been trying to fill up a rank 3. i don¡¯t even want to think about how much power we¡¯d need to reach rank 5.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯ll be more than we can get hunting monsters near arbitage. not if we want to make it anywhere anytime soon. there¡¯s a reason so few people make it past rank 3, much less 4 or above. that¡¯s a problem for later, though.¡± moxie brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and looked down at everyone seated near her. ¡°your class is going well, though.¡±


    ¡°not that i¡¯m even teaching it right now,¡± noah said with a chuckle. ¡°you and lee took over. i thought i¡¯d come back to everyone stretching.¡±


    ¡°lee decided to do more pattern practice after she finished up with all the stretching and physical workouts. i don¡¯t think anyone was complaining, though. we¡¯re all pretty excited about this. i¡¯m just a little concerned about how everyone will practice.¡±


    ¡°as long as they don¡¯t do anything when i¡¯m not there, it¡¯ll be fine. don¡¯t forget that i¡¯m rank 4 now. as long as they¡¯re in my domain, they can basically practice without any trouble at all. the magic won¡¯t be able to take form.¡±


    moxie slapped her forehead and let out a burst of laughter. ¡°how did i not remember that? i¡¯m an idiot. especially with your domain, it shouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem at all to keep their magic repressed. what about when they actually start doing the formations in real, though?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s a different scenario. i haven¡¯t fully figured it out yet, but i think the most important part will be getting used to formations. once they¡¯ve really understood their patterns and everything else down, only then can they add in real magic. it¡¯ll be safer for them than it has been for literally anyone else that has learned formations.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯ve put a lot of thought into this.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m... not sure what to think, actually. look. read it for yourself.¡± moxie held the paper out and noah took it, flipping it around to see the front. there, written in flowing gold, was what amounted to an invitation.


    moxie torrin, we have found the performance of your student(s) during the previous exam to be exemplary and would like to invite you and them to participate in the advanced curriculum this year. students in the advanced curriculum will be given access to unique opportunities and will be graded against their peers, with rewards going to the most deserving. should you wish to accept the invitation, please drop this note off in the office or with the enforcers before the dawn of the following week.


    ¡°the hell is this?¡± noah asked. ¡°there¡¯s an advanced track?¡±


    ¡°i didn¡¯t know it existed either,¡± moxie said. ¡°do you think it¡¯s real?¡±


    ¡°it certainly seems official, and it¡¯s not like they¡¯re asking for anything,¡± noah said, chewing his lower lip. he turned the paper over, but he wasn¡¯t even sure what he was searching for. it seemed perfectly legitimate. ¡°and the kids did do pretty damn good.¡±


    ¡°what do you think?¡±


    ¡°maybe i should see if i got one as well,¡± noah said. ¡°one second. i¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    he stepped out of moxie¡¯s room, heading back to his own. no more than a minute later, noah returned with a pair of papers in his hands. one was the white paper that talked about the exams they had that year, and the second was the gold-trimmed one with the exact same message that had been on moxie¡¯s.


    ¡°they actually invited isabel and todd? even though they aren¡¯t nobles?¡± moxie¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°that¡¯s... surprising, actually. maybe it doesn¡¯t speak well for me that my first thought was that arbitage would never do something good for people without money.¡±


    ¡°trust me, you weren¡¯t the only one to wonder,¡± noah muttered. he glanced between the papers again, then folded them back up and slipped both into the envelope they¡¯d come in. ¡°i think this is something we¡¯ll need to speak with the kids about. i don¡¯t want to make the decision for them one way or the other. i don¡¯t know what kind of opportunities the advanced track has, but i¡¯m far from an expert on this stuff. i¡¯ve just worked a few things out. if we could get any other forms of advantages, we should try to take them.¡±


    ¡°i agree. next class, then,¡± moxie said with a nod. ¡°do you have plans for the rest of today?¡±


    ¡°none in particular other than messing with natural disaster a bit more and continuing to work on formations.¡±


    ¡°in that case, do you think you could play your violin for me?¡± moxie reddened and glanced to the side. ¡°it helps me concentrate, and i want to try to work on figuring out my pattern for formations.¡±


    ¡°for you? always.¡± noah¡¯s violin materialized in his hands. ¡°it¡¯ll be a good opportunity to get some more formation practice in anyway. i want to work on swapping styles and songs on the fly. just let me know when you want me to stop or i might just keep at it.¡±


    ¡°i can think of worse fates.¡±


    noah laughed, then let the bow flow across the strings of his violin as he started to play. there was something else he wanted to test with formations now that natural disaster had reached rank 4, but it wasn¡¯t quite the time. for now, he was more than content just to play.


    the testing could come after everyone else was asleep.

 Chapter 340: Experiments

    chapter 340: experiments


    .r3c31b569db6143cfae70398ce3ebc413{ display: none; }


    noah played for an hour, until moxie¡¯s eyes had closed and she had retreated deep into her mindspace to completely focus on her pattern. only after noah was completely certain that she no longer heard anything he was playing did he allow himself to stop.


    he sat down on the floor in front of the bed, leaning back and crossing his arms behind his head. the ground wasn¡¯t particularly comfortable but he didn¡¯t want to distract moxie by lying down beside her while she was working.


    there was still some time until night fell, so he focused on repairing some much-needed body imbuements. now that natural disaster had far more elements of vibration within it, re-making his tremorsense runes in his feet and ears wasn¡¯t a daunting task.


    he worked through the day, slowly putting layer by layer of the imbuements down and keeping his intent as honed as a razor. noah was pretty sure he could have worked far faster, and he had done so in the past, but he didn¡¯t want to need to go back and re-do anything again.


    these imbuements were going to last all the way until he reached rank 5, so they were going to have to be the absolute best work he could do. hours slipped by and the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the room in shadows.


    it took noah a little time to notice that the day had left. when he was focused on something, time just seemed to slip through his fingers like grains of fine sand. he stood, shaking off the stiffness that came with lying on the ground.


    moxie had slumped against the wall, her chest rising and falling in gentle breaths. noah suppressed a laugh. she¡¯d fallen asleep. he gently scooped her into his arms and laid her down in the bed, taking care to make sure he didn¡¯t wake her on accident.


    pulling the covers over her, noah paused to make sure she was still asleep. it was tempting to get into bed with her, but he wasn¡¯t anywhere near done for the night. noah turned and slipped out of the room, heading for the garden.


    a calm night greeted him. stars twinkled overhead, the faint light of the moon illuminating the ground in greys. many of the flowers in the garden had closed themselves from the night, and the world felt muted and silent.


    noah made his way through the tall, twisting hedges until he was deep into their protective walls. it wasn¡¯t like the garden was a perfect hideaway, but he was pretty sure that barely anyone else visited it ¨C and it was pretty late, so the number that might have visited was even lower.


    it¡¯s too bad my imbuements aren¡¯t quite finished yet. they¡¯d be pretty useful here, but this is fine. as long as i¡¯m hidden away, i should be able to hear if anyone is coming and react in time.


    he sat down in a small nook made by a thorny rosebush with flowers the size of his head, pausing for a moment to smell the faint honey scent emanating off them before he summoned his violin and got back to work.the roots of this story extend from novell bi?n origin.


    patterns make up formations and runes alike. right now, there¡¯s nothing special about the actual patterns. i don¡¯t think that the type of pattern i use is relevant, but that should also mean that if there actually was something special about the pattern, it should hypothetically still work.


    so, if i was to make a musical formation with some form of magical music instead of normal music, that would still work. that would just give me an even more effective formation, right?


    of course, the alternative was that noah would blow himself up. considering the likelihood of that was considerably larger than zero, he¡¯d elected to save this particular idea until he was away from the others and couldn¡¯t kill anyone other than a few bugs.


    the second circle in the row lit, taking on the cyclone rune¡¯s shape. noah went to try to fill a third, but this time, the wall had turned into an impenetrable fortress. no matter how he tried to approach or get around it, the violin firmly resisted his attempts.


    ¡°two strings it is,¡± noah said, not discouraged in the slightest. he pulled the bow across the strings once more, letting just a little music slip out. the violin still repressed its sound so it couldn¡¯t travel far, but he wanted just enough to hear what he was doing.


    energy thrummed in the strings as he played, waiting for direction that noah was more than willing to give. his bow started to move faster. wind swirled around his hands and whipped at his hair as sparks of electricity danced from every note he played.


    noah continued to pour energy from natural disaster into his violin. while he couldn¡¯t fill it past two runes yet, he could replenish the runes that were already there with no difficulty ¨C so long as he still had energy to use, at least.


    the violin drank his magic hungrily, going through it far faster than he normally would have himself. but, in turn, the intensity of the power pouring off the instrument was intense. it was amplifying his magic.


    how, exactly, noah wasn¡¯t sure. there was only one way to find out. noah wasn¡¯t sure exactly what guided his movements. perhaps it was instinct, or perhaps it just felt right. as he swept his bow across the violin, he flicked his hand.


    responding to his will, the power swirling around him leapt forth. a bolt of lightning and a blade of wind leapt from the violin in unison, twisting around each other as they arced out and struck the ground with a loud crack. it blackened the dirt where it struck, setting a small pile of leaves on fire.


    noah cursed and ran over to stomp it out, but he couldn¡¯t wipe the grin from his face as he realized exactly what the violin was offering him. he could combine his magic, of course. that was nothing new.


    what was new was the way he had simultaneously cast two different spells. mages could only cast one kind of magic at a time, and they had to release their energy and re-draw on their runes if they wanted to swap.


    the violin was letting him use them both at the same time, so long as he could maintain a pattern that let him control them. noah couldn¡¯t keep himself from laughing.


    patterns really are everything, but this violin is incredible. i¡¯m sure i could replicate this with something else, but it wouldn¡¯t compare. moxie really did get me the greatest gift i¡¯ve ever gotten. i hope her cloak is half as useful. we still haven¡¯t figured out exactly what it does.


    noah made to start playing again, but paused before his bow could meet the strings. he wasn¡¯t certain, but it almost sounded like the leaves had crunched somewhere near him. dismissing his violin with a thought, noah brushed his hands off on his jacket and tilted his head to listen.


    a faint crunch broke the still night, followed by two more. noah lowered his stance, not quite preparing to fight but still making sure he could move quickly if he needed to. people generally didn¡¯t wander around at night aimlessly.


    i don¡¯t count, of course. i¡¯m different and unique.


    a silver leg stepped into view, followed by the travel clothes of a soldier. a salt and pepper beard just barely failed to hide the faint grin present on silvertide¡¯s face as he stepped into view.


    ¡°vermil,¡± silvertide said, coming to a stop and resting his hands on the top of his cane. ¡°it¡¯s a nice night, is it not? i was hoping we might run into each other again.¡±

 Chapter 341: Answers

    chapter 341: answers


    ¡°silvertide! i was under the impression you hadn¡¯t returned to arbitage yet,¡± noah said, raising a hand in greeting. silvertide certainly liked his dramatic entrances. it didn¡¯t seem like the elderly soldier ever chose a different way to arrive.


    ¡°i just got back recently. how are isabel and todd doing?¡±


    ¡°good. you took great care of them.¡± noah inclined his head in appreciation, thankful he¡¯d dismissed his violin before silvertide had showed up. as kind as silvertide seemed to be, noah had already shared a few too many secrets with him. ¡°and thank you for the help with todd¡¯s neck. i was saving up to buy a potion for him, but it looks like you already did the hard work.¡±


    silvertide chuckled. ¡°i¡¯d heard that you visited dawnforge, so i imagine you tried your hand at adventuring. and, if you did, you¡¯ve probably found that money is not hard to come by when you know how to earn it.¡±


    how¡¯d he hear that we went to dawnforge? that¡¯s a little concerning.


    ¡°it certainly paid better than being a professor,¡± noah said with a shrug. ¡°how¡¯d you hear about my travels, though? i didn¡¯t realize they were well known. there aren¡¯t rumors going around, are there?¡±


    ¡°nothing like that. i¡¯ve just been keeping an eye on your whereabouts for isabel and todd¡¯s sake. they wanted to know what you were up to, and when you live to my age, you build up a few connections.¡±


    that¡¯s a polite way to say you¡¯ve got an extensive information network.


    ¡°i suppose that makes sense. i don¡¯t imagine you found much interesting. we just went to dawnforge for a little while, then got wrapped up in a few unfortunate events. all ended well, though.¡±


    ¡°unfortunate events indeed,¡± silvertide said, a glitter in his eyes telling noah that the soldier didn¡¯t believe his words for a second. ¡°what brings you out so late at night?¡±


    ¡°presumably the same thing that brought you out. solitude. peace. the gardens are beautiful when there isn¡¯t anyone else around.¡±


    ¡°so they are,¡± silvertide agreed, craning his neck back to look up at the moon. neither of them spoke for several seconds.


    a thought struck noah and he reached into his pocket, pulling out the letter that had arrived at his room. he flipped it open and pulled out the gold-lettered piece of paper, showing it to silvertide. ¡°i know you¡¯re not a professor here, but do you know anything about this?¡±


    silvertide took the paper and glanced over it. an eyebrow inched upward and he handed it back. ¡°most impressive, but i can¡¯t say i¡¯m surprised. isabel and todd have made some incredible advancements, surpassing the average student at arbitage by wide margins. i¡¯m unsurprised they got an invitation.¡±


    ¡°this is real, then? not a trick?¡±


    ¡°you are a very suspicious man,¡± silvertide said with a low chuckle. ¡°that will serve you well. but yes, this is not a trick. the advanced track is something present in all four of the bastions. it¡¯s fairly selective, and everyone enrolled in it is... motivated.¡±


    ¡°motivated?¡± noah tilted his head to the side. ¡°the way you said that doesn¡¯t sound particularly reassuring. almost like it was a bad thing.¡±


    ¡°not a bad thing, but an intense one. it takes great skill, effort, and talent to become a truly powerful mage. the majority of the students ¨C and teachers ¨C at arbitage lack that motivation. they are here because it is safe, and because it provides an easy path forward in life. the teachers get paid to do babysitting with a little bit of extra effort, and the ones that are competent can research runes without worrying about fighting or killing monsters to get them. but, as with all things, there are outliers.¡±


    ¡°so the advanced track is made up of students and teachers that aren¡¯t content with how things are and want to get genuinely powerful,¡± noah concluded. ¡°that sounds like a good thing.¡±


    ¡°it is,¡± silvertide said. ¡°but the competition is intense, and nobles will be displeased to see isabel and todd standing at their level. it will be quite the amusing sight to behold, should you and your students enter the advanced track.¡±


    ¡°so that means you aren¡¯t against it, then?¡± noah asked, folding the paper back up and returning it to his pocket. ¡°i just want to make sure i don¡¯t put them in excessive danger. i¡¯m more than capable of teaching them everything they need about fighting.¡±


    ¡°that confidence is interesting, considering that on all official records, you¡¯re still a rank 2. they¡¯re technically not that much weaker than you are. or, at least, that would be true if you were actually the rank you claimed.¡±


    noah kept his face straight and gave silvertide a one-shouldered shrug. ¡°i tried telling the office i¡¯d advanced some time ago, but the attendant just ignored me. it¡¯s unfortunate, but the amount of money arbitage pays really wasn¡¯t worth the hassle.¡±


    ¡°no, it isn¡¯t,¡± silvertide agreed with a chuckle. ¡°but you are not just a rank 3. i can feel your domain ¨C and it is powerful. when did you reach rank 4, vermil?¡±


    ¡°i worked with an imbuer to make it,¡± noah said. ¡°we put a few bits from pretty rare monsters in there.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t suppose you remember what monsters?¡±


    ¡°afraid not. some of them were his, and some i didn¡¯t even know the name of,¡± noah said.


    ¡°i see,¡± silvertide said. he let his hand drop and took a step back, leaning on his cane once again. ¡°that is a kingly gift. i have never seen an item that can obscure your magical presence to such an intense degree. even now, as i am fully aware of it, i can sense nothing but the faint imbuements on the cloak itself.¡±


    moxie looked down at the cloak in surprise. ¡°i didn¡¯t realize it was so powerful.¡±


    ¡°there are many things we do not realize,¡± silvertide murmured. he shook his head and let out a sigh. ¡°the moon is getting a bit high. i did not plan to have any excitement tonight. i hope to see both of you in the advanced track.¡±


    ¡°wait, you¡¯re part of it?¡± noah asked.


    silvertide gave noah a small smile. ¡°i am not an arbitage enforcer, but i have worked with them before. i was planning on enrolling my fool apprentice in the program, and this only solidifies my plans. i think we have an interesting year ahead of us, magus vermil. i look forward to seeing what you do in the future.¡±


    he set off, the leaves crunching beneath his feet as walked past moxie and toward a turn in the leafy maze. silvertide paused at the edge, turning to look back at noah. ¡°and, vermil?¡±


    ¡°yeah?¡±


    ¡°you need a better lie for when you reached rank 4,¡± silvertide said. ¡°your domain is too powerful for only having reached it recently. if i didn¡¯t know better, i would have thought you were implying you only had a single rank 4 rune. and, if that were the case, i would be very interested indeed.¡±


    with that, silvertide strode off. a chill ran down noah¡¯s spine, and it wasn¡¯t because of the chill.


    ¡°what was that about?¡± moxie asked in concern, walking to stand beside noah. ¡°did he figure out you reached rank 4?¡±


    ¡°yeah,¡± noah said. he let a little more power seep out from the combustion rune imbued in his soul, warming his body to combat the deepening cold. ¡°and i think he was giving us a warning. it sounds like the advanced track could be interesting, though.¡±


    ¡°getting more training from silvertide would be incredible,¡± moxie said. ¡°if we have a chance to work together with him, we should. i think he¡¯s on our side.¡±


    ¡°i think so too,¡± noah said, and he was grateful for it. silvertide was far too perceptive for his tastes, but he couldn¡¯t help but like the man¡¯s forthrightness. it was a nice break from all the political scheming that surrounded the noble families.


    moxie nodded, then paused. she put a hand on noah¡¯s arm. ¡°you¡¯re warm.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s my imbuement. it was getting chilly, so i made it stronger. is it that noticeable?¡±


    in response, moxie leaned up against noah. ¡°no, but i¡¯m cold. walk me back to the room. i only came out here because i woke up and couldn¡¯t find where you were.¡±


    noah wrapped an arm around moxie¡¯s shoulder¡¯s and let out a soft laugh. ¡°i¡¯ll leave a note next time. sorry.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s fine. i knew where you¡¯d go.¡±


    ¡°maybe i¡¯m getting predictable. we should head back either way. we¡¯ve got a lot to do in the coming days.¡±


    ¡°yeah,¡± moxie agreed. she let out a large yawn. ¡°but that¡¯s a problem for then. right now, all i want to do is curl up and sleep. the bed is cold, so you¡¯re coming with me.¡±


    that was an idea that noah had absolutely no problems with. there would be time for testing his powers even further tomorrow. he¡¯d gotten enough answers for one day.

 Chapter 342: Snow

    chapter 342: snow


    the next morning, noah and moxie awoke to lee sitting on top of them. noah blinked the sleep out of his eyes, unentangling his limbs from moxie as he squinted.


    ¡°lee? what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°nothing. you were warm,¡± lee replied, sliding off. she raised her eyes to the window. ¡°and it got really cold outside. cold and white.¡±


    noah followed lee¡¯s gaze and his mouth dropped open. he scrambled out of bed, nearly tripping over his own feet as he ran over to get a better look. a plump layer of fluffy white snow blanketed everything in sight.


    lights poked out from beneath it, their glow muted in the early morning by the small flakes raining down everywhere. moxie got out of bed and walked up to stand behind noah.


    ¡°what is it?¡± moxie asked.


    ¡°snow!¡± noah exclaimed, his words muffled and nose pressed into the cold glass. if it hadn¡¯t been for combustion heating his body, he probably would have started shivering. ¡°it¡¯s beautiful. i¡¯ve never seen snow in person before.¡±


    moxie sent him a bemused glance. ¡°really?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve seen pictures of it, but never this much. it looks so comfortable.¡±


    ¡°it doesn¡¯t taste very good,¡± lee supplied. ¡°i tried eating some. it¡¯s just water. and other things.¡±


    noah scrunched his nose, then laughed. he started pulling on his clothes, still not taking his eyes off the window. ¡°i don¡¯t need to know what the other things are. i¡¯m not trying to spoil it for myself.¡±


    ¡°whatever it is, it¡¯s cold,¡± lee said. she scrunched her nose. ¡°and i am still hungry.¡±


    ¡°well, we can go get some food, then. i¡¯m feeling like something across campus. something kind of far.¡±


    noah was pretty sure moxie knew his only real goal was to walk through the snow, but she didn¡¯t say anything. she just sent him an amused grin and pulled her cloak on, fastening it around her shoulders.


    to noah¡¯s surprise, it was lee that hesitated.


    ¡°actually, there was something else i was hoping we could do first,¡± lee said. she edged toward noah¡¯s bag, peering inside it. ¡°could... you help me fix my runes today?¡±


    noah blinked. he¡¯d been wondering when lee would get around to it, but he¡¯d started to think that she was going to hold off for much longer. ¡°you¡¯re ready to do it?¡±


    ¡°yeah,¡± lee said. ¡°i don¡¯t want to wait anymore, and i¡¯ve already figured out all the changes i want to make. i think i know what i need as well. also, there¡¯s that master rune... if i can still have that, i¡¯d like to start getting used to it.¡±


    ¡°of course you can.¡± noah picked his bag up and ruffled through it, pulling out the folder bearing the catchpaper with lee¡¯s runes on it. he had to admit that he was mildly surprised his grimoire hadn¡¯t found a way to eat it yet, but small blessings were still blessings.


    all the runes were still where he¡¯d left them. the broken enveloping dark master rune, 2 moonlit shadow runes, and 3 light runes. all of them were at rank 4, aside from the master rune which was unranked.


    noah doubted the light runes would be of much use to lee, but the rest of them had function. he held the paper out so lee could inspect it.


    ¡°what are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°my demon runes are already good, but i¡¯ll need to rebalance them a little bit. i want to modify the umbral body runes i got from that cat monster. my shift runes need a little modification as well, but i think it should be pretty minimal. i think one moonlit shadow should be enough to fix everything.¡±


    ¡°okay,¡± noah said with a nod. ¡°this shouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem, then. to avoid putting extra stress on your body, i¡¯ll take the moonlit shadow rune in myself and chop it up inside my own soul. then i can just feed you the runes one by one and we won¡¯t have to rush.¡±n??v€l-b1n was the first platform to present this chapter.


    ¡°i was checking for azel. i half expected him to be here.¡±


    ¡°oh. he won¡¯t be,¡± lee said with complete confidence. ¡°he wants me to do this.¡±


    ¡°he wants ¨C wait. have you been speaking with him?¡±


    ¡°yeah,¡± lee said. ¡°he¡¯s been bugging me a lot recently, but he hasn¡¯t done anything bad. he just wants me to get stronger. i¡¯m sure he¡¯s got a motive, but i don¡¯t know what it is and i don¡¯t think it¡¯s an issue yet.¡±


    lovely. that explains where the firey asshole has been these last few weeks. it doesn¡¯t seem like lee is too bothered by him. maybe he¡¯s started to mellow out a bit.


    ¡°well, let me know if he ever starts bothering you too much,¡± noah said. ¡°we¡¯ll find a way to make him stop.¡±


    ¡°okay. for now, i just want to fix my runes.¡±


    her sudden determination to improve made noah hesitate for a moment. if azel had been speaking with her a lot, there was a pretty good chance he¡¯d influenced lee into pushing forward. but, on the other hand, improvement was important.


    if he¡¯d just motivated lee, azel had technically done her a favor. but, somehow, noah suspected that there was more to it than that. he studied her for a few seconds, then inclined his head. when it came down to it, he trusted lee.


    ¡°what rune do we start with?¡± lee asked. ¡°the master rune?¡±


    ¡°nah. we¡¯ll leave that alone for now.¡± noah shook his head. ¡°i¡¯ve got the pieces of the moonlit shadow rune waiting for you in my soul, so we¡¯ll start by fixing up your normal runes.¡±


    ¡°okay.¡±


    noah told lee all the runes that had come from moonlit shadow, then waited for a minute as she thought about them.


    ¡°i¡¯ll start with my demon runes actually,¡± lee said. she held a hand out and one of her demon runes pulled closer to them, the strands of darkness stretching as they tried to keep it bound in place. it smoldered with faint purplish-red intensity, still completely unreadable to noah. ¡°i¡¯ve got some space runes left that i can use to patch it, but i¡¯ll need you to sunder this so i can use them.¡±


    ¡°remember i can only use renewal¡¯s power once,¡± noah warned. ¡°so don¡¯t push yourself too hard. i don¡¯t want you collapsing on me. we can always come back and fix everything up later if we need to.¡±


    lee nodded, but noah could tell by the look in her eyes that she had absolutely no plans of holding back. he didn¡¯t blame her. if he¡¯d been in her shoes, he would have done the same. even though it was only a minor delay, noah understood impatience more than anyone else.


    he flexed his fingers and called on sunder. his veins turned jet black as power pumped through his body, rearing to be used. he didn¡¯t relish the pain he was about to cause lee, but it was the way things were ¨C and he wouldn¡¯t hold her back. if there was ever a way that he could find to sunder lee¡¯s runes without hurting her, he¡¯d figure out how to do it in a heartbeat. but, at the moment, there wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°just let me know when you¡¯re ready to begin.¡±


    ¡°yeah,¡± lee said. she swallowed, then set her jaw. ¡°let¡¯s make an order on what we work on to save time. i don¡¯t know how much i¡¯m going to be able to speak after we get started. after we do all three smoldering warps, let¡¯s do the umbral body runes and finish with the shift runes. i¡¯ll just point to the runes i need you to sunder. does that work?¡±


    ¡°it does.¡±


    lee pulled her first demon rune closer to noah. he gave it one last look, then extended a hand and laid his palm against its crackling surface. energy poured out of his hand and into the rune.


    a line of black energy streaked across the air, splitting the rune straight in half with a loud, shattering crash. energy poured out and lee gritted her teeth, staggering forward and pulling a space rune from the reaches of her mind closer.


    she got to work, racing against the clock before the pain or exhaustion took over. noah had never realized quite how infuriating it was to sit back and hope that his friends would succeed, but there was nothing else he could do.


    nothing but watch. nothing but wait until the next time she needed sunder¡¯s power.

 Chapter 343: Stench

    chapter 343: stench


    the stench of demon infused the ground. it wound into the dying grass and buried deep into the soil. even though there was no sign of the battle that had taken place here, rafael knew the smell all too well.


    ¡°this is where inaros and johan fought,¡± rafael mused, pressing a hand to the grass. he rubbed the dry soil between his fingers, then rose to his feet. anger swirled in his chest. this was where his men had died.


    pure incompetence is the only reason that the culprits still walk free. if i had been permitted to pursue immediately after they went missing, the demon responsible for this would already be flayed at my feet.


    by how much energy they let leak out, they have to be a low tier. rank 3, at the most. i find it hard to believe that inaros or johan would fall to something so pathetic. the demon has aid, then. either another demon, or someone else of a higher rank.


    the inquisitor rose to his feet, brushing the soil off on his beautifully decorated shirt. a sword hung at his side, its hilt sculpted into the form of the head of a dog. he barely even noticed the stain that it left behind. two men were dead because the inquisitor¡¯s guild was busy playing politics with the linwick family.


    ¡°power hungry fools,¡± rafael growled. he hadn¡¯t even been sanctioned to look into the deaths of his men, but they couldn¡¯t keep a rank 5 from taking the leave that he had stored up. it had been years since rafael could last remember taking a vacation.


    there had been no need for one. ripping the filth of demons from the mortal plain had always been reward enough. freeing the world from their wretched grip was his purpose for living.


    he had less than a month to track down the wretched being that had killed his men before the guild would recall him. and, as much as rafael hated the idea of leaving his targets alive, there were far greater threats known to them.n?00v€l--?1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.


    this was a personal vendetta. he knew that well. there were many demons to kill, and he was a rank 5 inquisitor. there were duties expected of him. duties that were far greater than his own desires.


    but, for the next month, those duties didn¡¯t matter.


    and i won¡¯t even need a month. a demon such as this will be unable to hide itself, and i suspect it will still be together with whatever force or alliance it used to strike down yohan and inaros.


    i will return to the inquisition with their corpses and have their bones formed into weapons to slay demons a generation from now.


    rafael¡¯s hand clenched around his rosary. the bone pearls, each crafted from the corpse of a different rank 4 demon, trembled at his touch. some small part of them remained, trapped within the polished bone. and, every time he forced his power through it, they screamed in agony. he¡¯d never been able to determine if he despised or loved the tool.


    the idea of turning back even a small amount of the suffering that the demons inflicted upon the world brought him delight, but relying on demons in any way disgusted him. unfortunately, without the bones, it was difficult to force the demons from hiding.


    nothing comes without sacrifice.


    rafael drew in a deep breath and let it out through clenched teeth. he drew a small dagger from his side and pulled it across his palm. blood welled up from the cut and rafael turned his hand to the ground, letting it drip onto the grass.


    the blood sizzled as rafael¡¯s energy worked into the ground, drawing out the dried blood beneath the earth. even though the trail was cold, blood carried knowledge for long after it was spilled.


    scents mixed in rafael¡¯s nostrils. his eyes closed as he filtered them apart, processing each piece and dismissing it before moving onto the next. blood magic was complicated, but it was the greatest tool in the arsenal of all the most powerful inquisitors.


    a flash of light lit lee¡¯s mindspace, and noah was momentarily blinded. he¡¯d been so focused on lee that he hadn¡¯t been ready for the flash. he squinted through the bright light, desperately hoping that they wouldn¡¯t need to remake the rune.


    he didn¡¯t think lee would be able to survive another modification at the moment, and they¡¯d need a new mind meld potion. and, as simple as that was, it felt like admitting defeat.


    the light faded, and a new rune became visible beyond it, the excess energy from the combination pouring back into it. a relieved grin crossed noah¡¯s face. a second remade shift floated, identical to the first. strands of black rose up from her soul, winding around the rune and pulling it in.


    he went to draw on the fragment of renewal, but lee wasn¡¯t done. she bit her lip so hard that blood dripped from it, joining the rivers running down her face. energy pulsed from the last rune as lee drew on it, testing her final creation to ensure it was flawless.


    the pressure didn¡¯t change.


    a tiny smile flickered across lee¡¯s lips and her hand dropped. she collapsed into noah¡¯s arms, her body going limp. he instantly ripped power from the fragment of renewal, letting the refreshing energy course out from his fingers and into lee¡¯s body.


    she let out a small, relieved breath. the jagged cracks running all throughout her soul started to seal over and cool, pink mist swirled behind her eyes. noah lowered her to the ground, sitting beside lee as he waited for the fragment of renewal¡¯s magic to do its work.


    lee was definitely awake, but she was so mentally exhausted that she couldn¡¯t even muster the energy to speak. noah didn¡¯t mind. he just sat beside her, looking out at her soul as it started to heal.


    minutes passed.


    ¡°i did it,¡± lee said, her words breaking the silence. she wiped some of the blood from her face with the back her hand, then pushed herself upright. ¡°i fixed all my runes.¡±


    ¡°damn right you did,¡± noah said, ruffling her hair. ¡°i don¡¯t know if anyone else could have had the willpower to push through it like that. but... maybe the next time we need to fix this many runes, we do it one at a time.¡±


    a small grin passed over lee¡¯s face and she nodded. ¡°okay. hopefully we don¡¯t have to do this again, though. they¡¯re all flawless now.¡±


    ¡°so they are.¡± they fell silent for a few more seconds. noah nodded in the direction of lee¡¯s new shift runes. ¡°why¡¯d you add shadow to your shift runes? couldn¡¯t you have just tried to make true shift runes?¡±


    ¡°i could have, but i¡¯ve been moving much more toward the stealth aspects than the shape changing ones,¡± lee said. ¡°this fits my soul better. i only needed to shift bodies so much because i was hiding, and i don¡¯t need to do that as much when i¡¯m with you guys.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m glad to hear that,¡± noah said with a small smile. many of lee¡¯s runes had lost a good portion of their energy in the conversion, but the power in the moonlit shadow rune that he¡¯d brought her had done a lot to make it up.


    its energy hadn¡¯t been too different from the energy that most of lee¡¯s runes needed, so many of her new rank 3s were still nearly full. it probably wouldn¡¯t take too long until she had enough energy to push to rank 4.


    that was a problem for a different time, though. noah had already seen his fair share of rune modification today ¨C lee deserved a break.


    they sat there in silence, watching the damage to lee¡¯s soul patch over, until the mind meld¡¯s effects finally wore off and they were whisked back into the real world to see what had passed in their absence.


    and, when they got back, there would be a master rune waiting for lee.

 Chapter 344: Bloody

    chapter 344: bloody


    noah¡¯s eyes opened to a concerned frown on moxie¡¯s face. she sat in front of them, a bloody cloth in her hand as she dabbed at lee¡¯s face. mercifully, lee¡¯s eyes fluttered open a moment after noah¡¯s did.


    moxie had clearly been ready for lee¡¯s rune modifications, because there were several other clothes sitting on the ground beside her, all completely stained through. lee blinked several times, pulling herself back into awareness.


    ¡°did it work?¡± moxie asked, lowering the cloth.


    ¡°yeah,¡± lee said through a yawn. she shifted and moxie moved back, watching lee with her hands out to catch the smaller woman in case she fell. ¡°i did it.¡±


    ¡°perhaps we should have done this in two sessions, but it¡¯s all repaired,¡± noah confirmed. he pulled out the final one of lee¡¯s runes ¨C the broken enveloping dark master rune, and held it out to lee. ¡°will taking this in cause trouble?¡±


    ¡°no,¡± lee replied, a grin crossing her lips. she wiped at her nose and took the paper from him, running a thumb across its surface. ¡°i¡¯ve never had a master rune before.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s broken,¡± noah pointed out. ¡°i assume that means it¡¯s weaker than it should be, and i suppose the multi-word name reinforces that. then again, it could just be the master rune is the peak of enveloping darkness and got broken. i still don¡¯t know all the rules of how they work yet, but there¡¯s clearly a degree of hierarchy between them.¡±n??v€l-b1n was the first platform to present this chapter.


    ¡°too many words.¡± lee put her hand on the paper and closed her eyes. moxie and noah both stiffened as lee¡¯s lips pressed thin and her forehead creased in concentration. a minute passed, and the paper fizzled.


    the rune on it burned away, taking the catchpaper with it. tiny wisps of ash drifted into the air as the last of it vanished and lee opened her eyes to watch the remains of the paper float off.


    moxie flicked a hand and a vine reached out, pulling her window open. catching her thoughts, noah sent a small breeze out to carry the embers away instead of letting them land on her very flammable room.


    ¡°huh,¡± lee said, looking down at her hands and flexing her fingers. ¡°that... isn¡¯t what i expected.¡±


    ¡°did it work?¡± noah asked.


    ¡°yeah. it¡¯s in there. feels really different than the rest of my runes. kind of like someone stacked an extra rune on top of them. i feel like i could remove it pretty easily if i wanted to.¡±


    ¡°maybe because it¡¯s not bonded to your soul as tightly as the other ones?¡± noah suggested.


    that¡¯s odd, though. i didn¡¯t notice anything like that with sunder or the fragment of renewal ¨C and i can¡¯t really remember much about how i felt after getting combustion. i was in a bit of a delirium, and now it¡¯s imbued into my soul.


    ¡°could be,¡± lee said with a shrug. she looked out the open window as a chilly breeze blew in through it, ruffling her hair. ¡°i want food now.¡±


    noah suppressed a laugh. no matter how much changed or how hard she worked, she was still hungry. and, now that she mentioned it again, food did actually sound pretty good to him.


    ¡°i wouldn¡¯t object to getting something to eat,¡± noah said.


    ¡°neither would i.¡± moxie already had her cloak on, so she was ready for the cold. noah dialed up the heat from combustion just a bit to fight off the increasing chill, then looked back to lee. ¡°before we head off ¨C you¡¯re sure everything is fine, lee? no adverse effects?¡±


    ¡°i feel normal,¡± lee confirmed. she rolled her neck, then licked her lips. ¡°just hungry.¡±


    ¡°in that case, you can lead and pick the place. you¡¯ve done enough work today to earn it.¡±


    lee didn¡¯t need to be told twice. she zipped out the door and the others had to run to catch back up with her.


    ***


    he landed, sending up a soft puff of snow and trudging over to the spot where they¡¯d watched the sun rise. noah drew in another deep breath and craned his neck back, looking into the sky.


    it was beautiful. it was ¨C


    a faint ripple nipped at the back of noah¡¯s mind. the newly finished imbuements in his ears picked up an abnormal shift in the air behind him. noah turned, picking up on a humanoid shape moving toward him before he could even see it.


    on the roof across from him stood a cloaked man. he wore heavy leathers from head to toe, and a mask concealed the part of his face visible beneath the hood. not a single part of his skin showed, and two swords were sheathed at his side.


    ¡°can i help you?¡± noah asked, squinting. ¡°i¡¯m kind of trying to have a moment here. maybe come back tomorrow?¡±


    the man didn¡¯t respond. he just reached down, drawing the blades and shifting into a fighting stance. something about his movements felt off, but noah couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on it.


    ¡°oh, come on,¡± noah said. ¡°look up, man. i¡¯m busy.¡±


    the man didn¡¯t say anything, but he aimed the blade of one sword at noah¡¯s heart in a clear refusal of his request. for some reason, he didn¡¯t seem to plan to attack until noah was ready.


    if i just ignore him, will he screw off?


    noah considered the thought for a moment, then dismissed it.


    ¡°what are you? another assassin?¡±


    the man didn¡¯t respond, but his stance tightened even further. it didn¡¯t look like he was going to wait around for noah to make a move for much longer. heaving a sigh, noah drew on natural disaster.


    ¡°can¡¯t i just have one day of peace? come on, then. you¡¯ve got to be the politest assassin i¡¯ve ever met, though. i appreciate the consideration.¡±


    wind whipped around the man¡¯s body, swirling into tight blades that enveloped his sword. he lunged, blurring into a streak of white wind as one of his blades shot for noah¡¯s neck.


    he was faster than noah expected, but not nearly fast enough to surprise him. noah vaulted back, releasing a blast of wind from his palms. it launched him into the air and sent the assassin skidding back against the roof.


    noah landed on the ground beneath the building, raising his hands. a blur streaked into the air as the assassin leapt off the roof and plummeted down for noah, swords aimed straight for his heart.


    power roared around noah as he took advantage of the snow surrounding him. thick streamers of snow erupted from the ground and shot out like tentacles. they slammed into the assassin, enveloping him in a ball of dense ice and snow with a loud crunch.


    the ball crashed to the ground with a thud. noah looked down at it, then scrunched his nose in annoyance.


    ¡°at least i got to test out blizzard. thanks, i guess.¡±


    a figure appeared in noah¡¯s mental map of the area around him. he groaned, turning to find the assassin standing at his side, completely unharmed. the man hadn¡¯t moved fast enough to avoid his attack ¨C which meant he hadn¡¯t moved at all.


    ¡°you¡¯ve got space magic?¡± noah asked, his eyes narrowing. ¡°has anyone told you that using space magic is cheap? the only one that gets a pass is brayden.¡±


    the assassin just pointed his sword at noah¡¯s heart again. noah lowered into a fighting stance once more, drawing deeply on natural disaster and letting a howling snowstorm start to pick up around him.


    this guy isn¡¯t going for killing blows. is he testing me? or is there something else he¡¯s looking for? either way, i might need to start taking this seriously. letting my guard down against someone with space magic is a stupendously bad idea. maybe this was what today needed. can¡¯t appreciate peace without war, or some poetic shit like that.


    ¡°right then,¡± noah called over the roar of his magic. ¡°you¡¯re clearly a little more competent than i¡¯d hoped. let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got.¡±

 Chapter 345: Ulya

    chapter 345: ulya


    the assassin blurred toward noah, who released the violent magic that he¡¯d been gathering. screaming whorls of snow and ice ripped across the ground, picking up the snow before it and forming into a miniature, horizontal avalanche.


    a pop of faint purple light was all the warning noah needed to know the assassin had avoided the attack. he didn¡¯t wait for the man to reappear before dragging magic from natural disaster once more.


    against an opponent that could teleport, there were two main methods to fight. the first was to try and get lucky with a fast enough attack and hope they were either to slow to avoid it or they teleported into its path by accident.


    the second was a little more interesting, but it wasn¡¯t time to use it yet. he¡¯d have to bide his time for just a bit longer.


    noah¡¯s neck prickled and his tremorsense picked up the assassin as he appeared in the snowdrift several paces behind him. noah twisted to the side, leaning his head until his ear touched his shoulder.


    the sword flicked over noah¡¯s neck and he spun around, whipping his leg up. the assassin vaulted back, avoiding the attack before, disappearing once more and reforming ten paces away from noah. his leg passed through the air where the assassin had been, just barely missing.


    ¡°is this really how we¡¯re going to do this?¡± noah asked, his eyes narrowing. ¡°what are you after?¡±


    he didn¡¯t get a response. the assassin disappeared in another blink of purple energy. noah drew in a deep breath, then gripped onto the wind around him with his magic and yanked.


    even as the assassin took form, he was pulled off his feet as a powerful gale pulled the snow, dirt, and everything else around them directly toward noah. the assassin contorted his body, just barely managing to avoid noah¡¯s hand as it passed over his head.


    he drove his foot into noah¡¯s stomach, sending him stumbling backward. an instant later, the man blinked and reappeared out of reach, his swords at the ready. he¡¯d already teleported several times, but it didn¡¯t look like he was getting tired yet. that seemed odd. brayden had talked about how difficult it was to constantly use space magic, and this man didn¡¯t seem stronger than brayden at all.


    on top of that, he¡¯s avoiding using magic inside my domain ¨C but he doesn¡¯t seem to have one of his own. that doesn¡¯t make any sense. he shouldn¡¯t be able to sense my domain at all if he¡¯s a rank 3.


    unless...


    ¡°you aren¡¯t human,¡± noah said, narrowing his eyes. ¡°you aren¡¯t even in control of yourself, are you?¡±


    the assassin didn¡¯t respond, and noah didn¡¯t expect them to. he¡¯d gotten a pretty good grasp of the situation now. the assassin hadn¡¯t been surprised or reacted to his domain because the person controlling them wasn¡¯t actually present.


    that means i was right to avoid using any of my strongest moves. revealing sunder or my violin to kill this guy would have been a waste. that said, if someone wants to play, i can play.


    noah¡¯s fist clenched as power gathered within it. the assassin sprinted at him again, blinking as soon as it drew close. noah considered using combustion to suck the air away, but he wasn¡¯t even convinced the assassin was breathing.


    instead, he let crackling electricity leap from one of his palms to the other. an orb of lightning started to grow between his hands, steadily growing more powerful. noah¡¯s hair stood on end.


    the assassin teleported as he grew close, reappearing at noah¡¯s side. noah hurled the ball of lighting. energy leapt off it, melting the snow instantly as it passed by it. as soon as he released the magic, noah drew more power from natural disaster.


    with the power contained within the lightning orb, noah knew for a fact that the assassin would teleport again instead of trying to dodge it. sure enough, the man blinked out in a flash of purple, reforming on noah¡¯s other side.


    the assassin lunged, entering noah¡¯s domain as he swung the swords for noah¡¯s neck. and, in that same moment, noah¡¯s fist whipped up. normally, trading one punch in exchange for two sword strikes would have been a pretty good trade for the one with the swords, but the assassin had already shown that he was prioritizing avoiding attacks from noah. sure enough, the man vaulted back, abandoning his attack ¨C but he was still inside noah¡¯s domain for a brief instant longer.


    noah released a blast of wind, throwing himself toward the assassin and keeping the other man trapped within his domain. it only went a few feet out of his body, but that was all the room that he needed.


    the assassin adapted to noah¡¯s strategy quickly, thrusting his swords to try and push him back. noah ripped the snow up around them, slamming the assassin¡¯s swords to the side. it was tempting to tank one of the sword strikes in exchange for landing a blow himself, but he didn¡¯t want to give away his regenerative properties either.


    as the assassin tried to raise his swords again, noah used natural disaster to rip a stone out of the ground, using the snow to hide it until it was too late for the assassin to use his impressive speed to dodge it.


    the rock struck his arm with a loud crunch, sending one of the swords spinning from his grip. as noah had expected, the man didn¡¯t even respond to the pain. he rolled to his feet, swinging his other sword to try and force noah back.


    a pained grimace passed over the woman¡¯s lips. ¡°you shattered a puppet that i spent two months building so badly that i no longer have even the slightest shred of control over it. why did you intentionally avoid doing serious damage to it at the start of the fight? you made it seem like...¡±


    noah¡¯s grin grew as realization set in on the woman.


    ¡°you baited me into committing to the fight, thinking you couldn¡¯t do severe damage, purely to destroy the puppet before i could ask you to stop?¡±


    ¡°let¡¯s just call it the price of screwing up my day,¡± noah said. ¡°i told you that i was having a moment, you know.¡±


    the woman walked past noah and knelt beside the shattered remains of her assassin, prodding it. she let out a groan and stood back up. ¡°has anyone ever told you that you¡¯re an asshole?¡±


    ¡°i could say the same to you. next time, if you want to test me, say it to my face. don¡¯t try this shit.¡±


    ¡°point taken, vermil.¡± the woman held her hand out. ¡°for what it¡¯s worth, you pass. my name is ulya.¡±


    ¡°i haven¡¯t decided if i want to join the advanced track yet.¡± noah took ulya¡¯s hand. ¡°i¡¯m surprised you aren¡¯t mad about the puppet.¡±


    ¡°mad? no, vermil. i am livid. you were supposed to be a rank 3. that puppet was meant to crush you, and you would have been judged on how long you fought against it. i did not expect... this.¡± she waved her hand around them, then sighed. ¡°you did give me quite the show, though. how many rank 4 runes do you have? three? four?¡±


    ¡°enough.¡±


    ulya¡¯s lips quirked up in a grin. ¡°secretive. i suppose i should have guessed. i look forward to seeing how your contributions hone the rest of us. it has been too long since we got new talent. especially talent as... abrasive as yourself.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure that was a compliment, and i haven¡¯t said i was joining the advanced track yet.¡±


    ¡°you will,¡± ulya said, not a shred of hesitation in her voice. ¡°you are too powerful not to. nobody gets to your level of strength while avoiding chances to improve. and you are correct; that was not a compliment. i just respect power enough to know when i have been thoroughly bested. my only request that you choose to humiliate someone else the next time someone chooses to try you.¡±


    ¡°why would i come after you again if you aren¡¯t screwing with me? i already smashed your puppet to little pieces, so there¡¯s no grudge.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m the newest teacher in the advanced track, so i was given the privilege of being the one to test you. it may happen again.¡±


    noah let out a snort of laughter. ¡°well, i suggest you either have a good throwaway puppet or respectfully decline the next time the opportunity comes up. but, now that you¡¯re here, i don¡¯t suppose you¡¯ll tell me how you had a puppet using magic?¡±


    and could you give me any insight into the clone evergreen had taken over? if this lady is a puppet user, maybe she can actually be of use.


    ¡°join the advanced track and i¡¯ll be willing to exchange information.¡± ulya knelt beside her puppet again, running a finger over a ring on her thumb. there was a faint pop and the body vanished in a streamer of purple energy, zipping into the ring. noah¡¯s eyes widened.


    the hell was that?


    ¡°until next time,¡± ulya said, her voice still slightly pained. she turned on her heel and set off, heading back into the snow. noah watched her leave, a thoughtful frown on his face.


    interesting. i can¡¯t say it didn¡¯t feel good kicking that puppet¡¯s shit in, though. i wonder how she¡¯d react if she knew i¡¯d only hit rank 4 a bit ago. either way, it got me a little bit of exercise.


    i almost wish it was stronger, though. if you¡¯re going to make me fight, you might as well make it worth my time. that was too easy.


    noah stuck his hands into his pockets and set back off toward the t building, whistling to himself.


    maybe the advanced track was a little more interesting than he¡¯d initially thought.

 Chapter 346: What youve got

    chapter 346: what you''ve got


    moxie and lee were back at the room when noah got back, and he wasted no time in telling them what had transpired while he¡¯d been trying to enjoy the weather. lee waited until noah had finished speaking to promptly fall back asleep in a ball on moxie¡¯s bed, not even remotely interested.


    ¡°it sounds like it could have gone worse,¡± moxie said, pursing her lips and crossing her arms in front of her chest. ¡°and you definitely made an impression on them. it sounds like ulya isn¡¯t going to be forgetting you anytime soon.¡±


    ¡°probably,¡± noah agreed. moxie handed him back his gourd and he returned it to its spot on his waist. ¡°either way, she seemed reasonable enough. i¡¯m surprised she had her puppet wait until i was ready to fight to do anything.¡±


    ¡°well, they aren¡¯t trying to kill you. it makes sense.¡±


    noah copied moxie¡¯s favorite gesture and arched an eyebrow, tilting his head to the side. ¡°do you have any idea how many people that weren¡¯t supposed to try to kill me have done just that? i¡¯m not particularly inclined to believe that the people that are meant to not kill me will actually refrain from attempting to kill me.¡±


    ¡°okay, fair enough,¡± moxie admitted. ¡°does this mean you¡¯re planning on joining?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m certainly interested, but i¡¯m not sure yet. i think it¡¯ll depend on what the students say,¡± noah said. ¡°it¡¯s their decision in the end. i¡¯m sure there would be a lot to learn in the advanced track, but if it causes more trouble than good by giving us too much unwanted attention, it might not be the wisest idea.¡±


    ¡°then i guess we¡¯ll find out tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°yeah.¡± noah nodded. ¡°how about you, though? any luck with your lesson plan?¡±


    ¡°i know i said i didn¡¯t want to just teach them so that they could pass exams, but considering both of the upcoming exams are fighting related, with the first being hunting and the second being a tournament, i think it would be a good idea for me to focus on combat and ways to defeat your opponents with more than just magic. you¡¯re definitely better than i am at the moment to moment parts of fighting, but i think i could have some interesting things to offer on fighting as a whole.¡±


    ¡°sounds like a good idea to me. i¡¯m focusing on my pattern lessons right now anyway, so having some extra fighting between you and lee should be more than enough to round everything out.¡±


    ¡°yeah. lee and i were actually discussing some potential lessons for after you finish up your normal lecture tomorrow,¡± moxie said, a spark of excitement lighting in her eyes. ¡°i think this should work really well.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m sure it will.¡± noah grinned, then glanced out the window at the soft snow still falling outside. there was still a good bit of time left in the day, but he¡¯d had enough excitement already.


    that worked out just fine. this was the perfect opportunity to think on his lesson plan for tomorrow to make sure they made the most of their time. he already had a few ideas brewing, and all of them promised to be interesting.


    ***


    it was still snowing when the next day dawned. noah, moxie, and lee arrived at the base of the transport cannon early in the morning, only to find the students had beaten them there once again.


    there was a nervous energy in the air that noah hadn¡¯t been expecting. isabel and todd were exchanging nervous glances with emily, and even james and alexandra looked on edge. a small frown flickered across his face as he trudged to a halt in the snowdrift.


    ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± noah asked, glancing around. ¡°why do you all look like you threw a ball through my window?¡±


    ¡°nothing,¡± isabel and todd answered hurriedly. alexandra and emily both added in empathetic nods, making noah even more certain that something had indeed gone wrong.


    for whatever reason, they didn¡¯t seem to want to tell him what, though. noah shrugged to himself. there would be time to quiz them shortly, but there was no point doing it while half of them were still freezing.


    ¡°let¡¯s go to the classroom for today¡¯s lesson,¡± noah said.


    ¡°then the question falls to you,¡± noah said. ¡°do you want to join?¡±


    ¡°why wouldn¡¯t we?¡± emily asked. ¡°more resources mean we can get stronger faster, and we¡¯ll have more people to train against. it¡¯s just objectively good!¡±


    ¡°unless the people don¡¯t want you there,¡± alexandra said, her voice soft. ¡°not everyone here is a noble.¡±


    emily¡¯s smile fell away. ¡°you don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to matter? the advanced track should be for people that care about runes and fighting, not just for nobles.¡±


    ¡°how many non-nobles do you see making it very far at arbitage?¡± todd asked. he shook his head before emily could answer and held a hand up. ¡°it doesn¡¯t actually matter. even if it¡¯s a risk, i think i¡¯d like to take it. any chance i can get to get stronger is one that¡¯s worthwhile.¡±


    ¡°even if i could get you the resources myself?¡± noah asked.


    the students fell silent for a few seconds, but noah could tell they¡¯d all come to an answer before anyone spoke again.


    ¡°yeah,¡± isabel said. ¡°even then. i want to prove that they screwed up by blacklisting us. if we crush all the nobles in the advanced track, there won¡¯t be any way to refute it.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re correct, but it¡¯s also going to put a lot of pressure on you,¡± noah warned. ¡°hitting rank 2 put you at the peak of all the students in the school, but i wouldn¡¯t be surprised if that wasn¡¯t the case in the advanced track. it could make things a lot harder.¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t care. if things are harder, we¡¯ll just do better.¡± todd crossed his arms, and alexandra nodded.


    ¡°i didn¡¯t come here because it was easy. i want to get stronger,¡± alexandra said. ¡°even if it carries the risk of failure.¡±


    ¡°personally, i¡¯d have loved to do absolutely nothing,¡± james put in. ¡°unfortunately, revin registered me already. i don¡¯t have a choice.¡±


    ¡°then it sounds like it¡¯s settled,¡± noah said, feeling a pang of sympathy for james. he was sure the boy would be fine, though. despite how much he claimed to be lazy, noah was pretty sure james hadn¡¯t gotten as competent as he had by doing nothing. it was probably more of a defense mechanism against revin. ¡°i¡¯ll deliver the letter to the office today and confirm that you¡¯re all entering the advanced track.¡±


    i¡¯m glad they decided to join. there¡¯s some risk in this, but it would be really interesting to see how big the difference is between the average researchers and students that don¡¯t care about anything related to getting stronger and the ones that are really dedicated to learning and growing.


    the students all exchanged excited glances, and noah gave them a few moments to let everything sink in before he started to speak again.


    ¡°don¡¯t let that distract you, though. you¡¯ve all still got to deal with me, and i believe we were having a competition on who could get the best understanding of their pattern before today,¡± noah said, tapping the chalkboard leaning against the wall behind him. ¡°did everyone manage to make progress?¡±


    he got a round of nods, though some were definitely a lot more hopeful than others. in particular, alexandra and isabel seemed particularly excited. noah grinned at their expressions and stretched his arms out at his sides.


    ¡°in that case, i think we should get started. who wants to go first? walk up to stand beside me and demonstrate what you¡¯ve learned with your pattern, but don¡¯t put any magic into it.¡±


    and, if you do accidentally put magic in somehow, my domain will smother it before anything can go wrong. it¡¯s like the perfect way to practice.


    ¡°can i start?¡± isabel asked.


    she was using swords as her pattern. hm. both isabel and alexandra had the same pattern, and they both looked pretty excited. i wonder if they practiced together. that would have been a good way to really refine their magic.


    noah beckoned isabel over. ¡°go ahead, isabel. let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got.¡±

 Chapter 347: Patterns

    chapter 347: patterns


    isabel walked up to the front of the classroom. she came to a stop several paces away from him, then pushed a few desks back so that she would have more room to move around. once she was satisfied, she turned back to him.


    ¡°i think my pattern is a little easier if i have something to practice against. it¡¯s awkward just swinging a sword at the air,¡± isabel said.


    ¡°i can do it,¡± alexandra volunteered, rising out of her chair. she and isabel looked to noah, who shrugged in response.


    ¡°go for it. whatever works the best to demonstrate your pattern is fine, but you¡¯ll probably need to get to the point where you can practice it alone at some point in the future. you won¡¯t always have a sparring partner. and remember ¨C no magic.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s fine,¡± isabel said. alexandra drew a sword from a second, smaller sheathe hanging at her side beside her normal one and held it out to isabel hilt-first. giving her an appreciative nod, isabel took the blade. she held it at her side, shifting into a fighting stance.


    alexandra drew her own sword and raised the weapon. noah was struck by just how different their stances were. alexandra stood on the balls of her feet, shifting her bodyweight like a palm tree in a strong breeze.


    on the other hand, isabel stood completely still and unmoving. from what noah knew, he was pretty sure that being light on your feet was a pretty important part of not getting injured, but the look on isabel¡¯s face told him she wasn¡¯t doing it for no reason.


    noah moved closer to them, making sure both were within his domain, then nodded to isabel.


    ¡°whenever you¡¯re ready, you can start. stop whenever alexandra calls out or whenever you finish your demonstration. please do your best to attack her sword and not her. i¡¯m confident in her abilities, but i¡¯d rather avoid an incident.¡±


    both of the girls nodded, then exchanged a glance that told noah this definitely wasn¡¯t the first time they¡¯d done this. a small grin crossed over his face as isabel drew in a deep breath and squared her stance, wrapping both of her hands around her sword.


    she raised the blade, and her whole body twisted as she swung it. a resounding clang rang out as she struck alexandra¡¯s sword. it scraped past alexandra harmlessly, carving through the air, but isabel didn¡¯t seem bothered.


    the sword lifted once more, this time coming from the other side. noah¡¯s eyes narrowed as he watched isabel start to rain blows down alexandra¡¯s sword. it took him a few moments, but there was something off about isabel¡¯s movements.


    at first, he¡¯d thought it was merely the fact that she was standing in such an odd stance, but that wasn¡¯t it. isabel¡¯s whole body seemed to be committing to every single blow, not even considering the possibility of missing.


    the feeling of confusion intensified as noah realized that alexandra seemed to be losing ground. she should have been naturally stronger than isabel because of her body runes constantly empowering her, even if she wasn¡¯t actively using them.


    but, despite that, isabel¡¯s strikes were actually having an impact. alexandra¡¯s features were tight in concentration. she was struggling to keep her sword up. every strike isabel sent forth seemed to have even more force than the last.


    the pattern started to take form. noah could see it ¨C a gradually building avalanche of blows, each one stronger than the last. isabel was purely using swordwork, but by using the momentum of each strike and steadily putting more and more of herself into every attack, she¡¯d effectively created a crescendo.


    isebel finally relented and the lines of concentration faded from her face as she let her hands lower. alexandra lowered her own sword, discreetly shaking her hands off.


    ¡°well?¡± isabel asked. ¡°did i do it?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯d certainly say so,¡± noah said with an approving nod. ¡°i could see what you were going for, even if i didn¡¯t understand it perfectly. can you describe the exact goals your pattern had?¡±


    ¡°i was trying to envision a landslide, and how all the small rocks falling started to build up into something bigger,¡± isabel explained, turning the sword around and handing it back to alexandra. ¡°i tried to do that with my sword. having every single blow lead up into and intensify the next one. i feel like that fits really well with my stone runes.¡±n??v€lrapture marked the initial hosting of this chapter on n?o?v€l??n.


    ¡°perfect theory. keep the practice up. you might want to work on doing that while letting yourself continue to move,¡± noah suggested. ¡°i saw a lot of potential there, but you don¡¯t want to be stuck standing in one spot during a fight. maybe your body could be one of those falling stones? i¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s the best suggestion, but try to make sure your pattern isn¡¯t something that puts you in an unfavorable position.¡±


    isabel nodded her understanding, and noah could already see more ideas flashing through her eyes. ¡°okay. thanks.¡±


    noah gave her a thumbs-up. ¡°keep up the good work. alexandra, since you¡¯re already standing, do you want to show your pattern off as well?¡±


    ¡°sure,¡± alexandra said. ¡°i don¡¯t need a partner.¡±


    well, i¡¯ll be damned. doing nothing is somehow a pattern as well. i wonder how long he can hold his breath, though.


    the answer to that was an impressive three minutes. james finally drew in a deep breath and clambered back to his feet, brushing his backside off. ¡°okay. i did it.¡±


    ¡°you didn¡¯t do anything!¡± emily exclaimed.


    ¡°actually, he did,¡± noah said, shaking his head in amusement. ¡°there¡¯s no way to get that degree of nothingness without intention. james actually has a pattern of doing nothing. honestly, pretty damn impressive.¡±


    ¡°i know.¡± james sat back down in his chair beside emily, then leaned back and yawned. ¡°you next, emily.¡±


    emily¡¯s cheeks reddened. ¡°i... uh, don¡¯t really have anything to show yet. i¡¯m working on it, but i haven¡¯t really figured the patterns in the ice out yet. i mean, i know they¡¯re there, but i haven¡¯t found out how to apply them to myself.¡±


    ¡°nothing wrong with that,¡± noah said. ¡°we¡¯re all going to move at our own pace. luckily for you, it is currently snowing. maybe try to spend some time around it and really try to feel how it affects you and how you can incorporate it into a pattern and your fighting style alike. james might be able to give you some guidance.¡±


    ¡°so i don¡¯t have to present?¡±


    ¡°not if you don¡¯t have anything to present yet,¡± noah said with a laugh. ¡°i¡¯m not going to make you stand up here and do nothing.¡±


    emily let out a relieved sigh. ¡°thanks.¡±


    ¡°that just leaves you then, todd,¡± noah said. ¡°have you made progress?¡±


    ¡°i have, but it¡¯s not really in the same way,¡± todd said. he stood up and approached noah, pulling a metal bracelet off his wrist and handing it to noah. ¡°i¡¯ve been trying to work my patterns into some imbuements i¡¯ve been testing.¡±


    ¡°interesting idea,¡± noah said. he took the bracelet and studied the designs covering its surface. it was covered with flowing lines that ebbed and flowed in a mesmerizing pattern. it took noah a moment to realize that the runes weren¡¯t actually concealed, and todd had actually just played with their sizes and shapes so much that they were difficult to spot.


    he wasn¡¯t actually sure if the imbuement would even work with how much todd had modified the runes, but he could see the understanding within the bracelet. todd had tried to capture the feeling of something burning away, and he¡¯d done it quite well.


    ¡°this is impressive,¡± noah said. ¡°does it work?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t know,¡± todd admitted. ¡°i haven¡¯t tested it. i don¡¯t think the quality of the imbuement is safe enough to test yet. i know i can do better.¡±


    noah nodded and handed the bracelet back to todd. ¡°i¡¯ll admit i don¡¯t know much about imbuements, but this is impressive. keep practicing, but you were smart to avoid testing it. wait until you¡¯ve got something you¡¯re confident in, and then we can test it together.¡±


    ¡°thanks,¡± todd said with a grin. he headed back to his chair and sat down.


    ¡°so who gets the points for today?¡± emily asked.


    noah thought for a moment, but the answer was pretty clear in his mind. ¡°you all clearly put in a lot of work, but alexandra understood her pattern the most. she gets three points, isabel gets two, and james gets one.¡±


    a flash of satisfaction lit in alexandra¡¯s eyes, but she didn¡¯t gloat. noah paused to see if anyone would protest at his rankings, but nobody did. they all just nodded, as if they¡¯d already predicted the answer noah would give before he spoke it.


    ¡°great,¡± noah said. ¡°again, great work everyone. for today, we¡¯ll continue working on those patterns. everyone will partner up and discuss what they¡¯re struggling with and you can all see how you can help each other. then, anyone who wants to test their pattern further can come stand next to me to make sure they don¡¯t accidentally let any magic seep in. any questions?¡±


    everyone shook their heads. none of them questioned why noah wanted them to stand right next to them, and he was fine with that. it would be a lot more amusing to reveal his domain at a more opportune time, and there wasn¡¯t any rush in letting anyone know about it yet.


    ¡°great. then let¡¯s get to it.¡±

 Chapter 348: Gero

    chapter 348: gero


    the rest of class went without further incident, and everyone set off in their own directions once it ended. alexandra politely refused an invitation to lunch from the other students, setting a course for her own room.


    i¡¯ve got too much to work on and i don¡¯t want to let my thoughts slip out of my head before i can get them worked out. it¡¯s just a change of mindset, but i feel like my swordsmanship improved tremendously in just a few days of practice. if i can keep working on patterns, i could make up for the body runes that¡¯ll hold me back when everyone else can keep getting stronger.


    she couldn¡¯t tell if she was impressed or terrified at vermil¡¯s abilities. she¡¯d seen firsthand what he could do back in dawnforge, and something told her that he¡¯d been holding back in the fight against gentil.


    something about him and the other professors felt... off. not necessarily in a bad way, but they didn¡¯t fit. at least the differences were obvious with lee ¨C she was just a bit odd, but it was easy to read her intentions.


    moxie was a bit harder to understand, but even she wasn¡¯t too far beyond the realm of comprehension. she cared deeply about emily and the other students, though she clearly didn¡¯t like showing it too much.


    but vermil was something else. he was considerably stronger than he appeared, but instead of flaunting his power or using it to claw his way up the ranks of his family, he was completely content sharing it with his students.


    he was content sharing it with her ¨C someone he¡¯d only run into because he was in the process of slaughtering the criminal group that she was part of. and it wasn¡¯t like the information he was sharing was common knowledge either.


    vermil was basically giving away secrets that people would kill for and asking for nothing in return but their own secrecy. it made absolutely no sense, but alexandra definitely wasn¡¯t going to complain.


    i¡¯ll make sure i live up to whatever it is that he wants from us. if this is what vermil is willing to share now, he definitely has even more hidden away for the future. i don¡¯t know what it is, but i¡¯ll do whatever he wants me to if it means i¡¯ll learn more.


    alexandra was so lost in her thoughts that she almost didn¡¯t realize that someone was standing in the path in front of her until she was nearly upon them. she jerked to a halt as she stepped into their shadow, looking up.


    a heavyset man with a large mouth and matching nose stood before her, his clothes marking him as a noble. he only had a few wisps of hair left on his head, but alexandra wouldn¡¯t have put him a day over thirty.


    ¡°i didn¡¯t scare you, did i?¡± the man asked, holding his hands up and giving alexandra an easygoing smile. it was made slightly less comforting by the width his mouth stretched to and the unnaturally wide molars behind his lips.


    her guard went up instantly. she¡¯d met more than enough dangerous people in her life to recognize when someone was more interested in her than they should have been ¨C and the way that the man¡¯s beady eyes were locked onto hers told alexandra that he hadn¡¯t been just standing around for no reason.


    ¡°no,¡± alexanda said, stepping to the side to walk past him. ¡°you didn¡¯t. excuse me.¡±


    she made to move past him, but skipped back as she felt the man shift. his smile lengthened as they stared each other down, and it struck alexandra that there wasn¡¯t anyone else in the area. her eyes narrowed.


    ¡°i¡¯d like to have a moment of your time, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± the large man said.


    ¡°you¡¯ve already taken a moment. now you¡¯re taking more.¡±


    ¡°i can be a bit greedy,¡± the man let out a greasy chuckle then held his hands out by his shoulders. ¡°you got me. i¡¯ll ask for more than a few moments, then. my name is gero.¡±


    there wasn¡¯t an obvious change, but the air around him seemed to grow more intense. alexandra shifted her hand to the pommel of her sword. even though she couldn¡¯t sense domains yet, something told her that the man before her was a higher rank than she was.


    ¡°what do you want?¡±


    ¡°that depends on your answer,¡± gero said. ¡°your professor ¨C magus vermil ¨C he recently received an invitation to enroll himself and his students in the advanced track.¡±


    alexandra kept her features flat, not willing to give any information away until she found out what gero¡¯s goals were. ¡°is that so?¡±


    alexandra abruptly shifted from her retreat to an attack. she sent a wave of runic power into her sword and the blade erupted in flame as she sent it snaking out to bite at gero¡¯s stomach. or, at least, it should have ignited.


    instead, as soon as the magic left her palm, it sputtered and dissipated as if it had never been there. alexandra suppressed a curse and ducked under a spinning kick. gero had a domain, and he was using it.


    how is a student supposed to fight against someone at a minimum of rank 4? even if he¡¯s clearly holding back, i can¡¯t use my magic at long ranges! i don¡¯t have the power for it.


    alexandra crouched, then threw herself back as hard as she could. gero¡¯s hand shot out, but he just barely missed grabbing her collar. she vaulted back, putting more space between them as she tried to reassess the fight.


    ¡°quick to respond to inconveniences,¡± gero observed as he strode toward her. ¡°but she has still yet to inflict any lasting damage or determine a functional strategy.¡±


    ¡°surviving is a strategy,¡± alexandra countered, but she could feel the stress starting to build. fighting someone at or above her level was one thing, but gero¡¯s domain was an entirely different problem.


    if he had a way to prevent her physical attacks from connecting and he had a way to keep her from using magic to empower them, there wasn¡¯t any way for her to actually win. her teeth grit and she sprinted at gero, spinning out of his grip and slashing at his shoulder.


    as soon as the first attack passed through him, she jabbed again, trying to catch him off guard. once more, her sword passed harmlessly through gero. his leg shot back, nearly colliding with her chest, but alexandra managed to lean back just far enough to avoid it. she spun to the side and hopped back again, dodging out of the way of another punch.


    there¡¯s no way i can damage him if i keep this up. i¡¯m eventually going to get hit, and if i don¡¯t land a single blow, there¡¯s no way they¡¯ll let me into the advanced track. i need to find a way to get around this.


    her arm tingled as a memory from just a few minutes ago surfaced. the formations they¡¯d been practicing. if she couldn¡¯t actually damage gero, perhaps she could impress him enough with her swordwork.


    it was a long shot, but it was the only thing that alexandra could come up with. summoning the state of peace that she¡¯d needed for the demonstration in class wasn¡¯t easy, but she¡¯d been in far worse situations before ¨C and, in the time that gentil had controlled her body, alexandra had gotten remarkably good at sinking into her own mind and tuning out the outside world.


    alexandra drew in a deep breath. gero¡¯s hand flicked past her head as she tilted it out of the way. she stepped to the side, avoiding a kick, exhaling and steadying her nerves.


    another punch flew at her stomach. alexandra stepped to the side. her sword rose, flitting out like a stinging insect. it brushed across gero¡¯s sleeve to no effect, but came back an instant later to strike at him from a different angle.


    gero lunged forward and alexandra nimbly hopped back. the world almost felt like it was slowing as her assault continued. each individual sword strike held little strength behind it, but they passed through gero¡¯s body with increasing speed.


    a flicker of confusion passed across gero¡¯s face, and for an instant, alexandra felt as if the tip of her sword caught on something. she didn¡¯t let herself get distracted for long enough to figure out what, though.


    her entire body was in complete concentration. there wasn¡¯t room for any distraction. all that mattered was the flow of her blade as it carved through the air. in the complete chaos of the aggressive, rapid attacks, there was order.


    there was a pattern ¨C and alexandra was wholeheartedly focused on it. her runes burned as she pushed her body to its limits, trying to drag every last drop of energy to push herself farther.


    and then the concentration snapped. she lost her spot in the intricate weave of movements and stumbled. the world snapped back to its normal speed and alexandra drew in a ragged breath, nearly dropping her sword as a wave of exhaustion slammed into her.


    shit! my runes are nearly empty! how did i drain them so quickly?


    alexandra tensed, preparing to dodge another attack, but it never came. she blinked in surprise. gero stood across from her, his head tilted to the side. if he¡¯d continued his commentary over her last assault, alexandra couldn¡¯t remember any of it.


    ¡°what are you doing?¡± alexandra rasped, taking the moment to draw in deep, ragged breaths. ¡°i¡¯m not done.¡±


    ¡°yes, you are,¡± gero replied. ¡°sheath your sword. this exam is complete.¡±

 Chapter 349: Spiky

    chapter 349: spiky


    disappointment gripped alexandra¡¯s chest at gero¡¯s words. her hands tightened around the hilt of her sword until her knuckles turned white. ¡°i can still fight.¡±


    ¡°you have demonstrated more than enough,¡± gero said, crossing his arms behind his back. ¡°leave. i look forward to seeing what you accomplish.¡±


    alexandra opened her mouth to protest, then pause. ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°you passed,¡± gero said with a low chuckle. ¡°there¡¯s nothing more that i¡¯m going to be able to pull from you without causing serious injury. you¡¯ve more than demonstrated your abilities, and you¡¯ll fit right in within the advanced program.¡±


    alexandra squinted at gero, trying to figure out if the whole thing was some sort of joke. she hadn¡¯t actually managed to do anything. it didn¡¯t seem like gero was joking, though. his face was dead serious.


    ¡°i ¨C okay. is that really it?¡±


    gero snorted. ¡°not everything in life is a trick. i told you what we were doing. we did it. you passed. end of story, girl. now on with you. i have better things to be doing than sitting around and chatting with a child.¡±


    a flicker of annoyance passed through alexandra at the dismissal, but she just shrugged and, after carefully stepping around gero just in case he attacked her again, continued on toward her rooms.


    she threw a few glances over her shoulder as she left, but gero just stood there with his back to her, any interest that he might have had at any point now long gone.


    huh. that was odd. i still have no idea how i passed, but i guess i¡¯ll take it. maybe he was impressed enough with my swordsmanship to decide i was worth keeping around? i¡¯ll have to ask vermil what he thinks the day after tomorrow when we have our next class.


    ***


    gero stared at his palm. blood welled from a cut that he¡¯d concealed, threatening to drip onto the ground. he glanced around, then pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wrapped the wound. a droplet of blood rolled off his palm and fell to the street as he worked.


    ¡°fascinating,¡± gero murmured. ¡°a mere rank 3, both ascended and crippled by her body runes, was able to cut me through my domain. she certainly didn¡¯t overpower my magic ¨C that would be ludicrous. and yet, there¡¯s no way a mere sword could have cut me. my matter runes would never have let such a thing happen. the only possible way she could have hurt me should have been by making space and getting out of my domain to use her magic from afar, but instead of adapting, she managed to brute force it.¡±


    the wound stung, but not nearly as much as the interest piqued him. gero couldn¡¯t remember the last time someone had managed to cut him with a mundane weapon. it had to have been years ¨C back when he was still a year one at arbitage.


    ¡°who are you, vermil linwick?¡± gero murmured. ¡°how is it that every single one of your students is so unique?¡±


    gero¡¯s body folded in on itself, transforming into a tiny sliver of energy and flitting away in a flash, leaving no trace of his passing behind but a single drop of blood on the ground.


    ***


    ¡°moxie?¡± lee asked.


    ¡°yeah?¡± moxie quickly pulled her attention away from the stuffed version of mascot sitting on her bed, reddening slightly at having been caught staring at it.


    ¡°someone¡¯s at the door,¡± lee said. ¡°and i don¡¯t recognize them. i was hoping it was noah, but he¡¯s still out getting dinner for us. this person smells different ¨C and they smell kind of strong. rank 4, i think.¡±


    moxie¡¯s brow creased and the blush vanished from her cheeks. she rose to her feet, glancing out the window to make sure there weren¡¯t any assassins waiting. even though jalen had supposedly made up with noah, she wasn¡¯t fully sold on it.


    he slashed a hand through the vine and dropped to the ground, spinning toward her as he rose to his feet. if he was blind, he had a fantastic sense of direction. moxie wasn¡¯t particularly interested in finding out just how good of a fighter he was, though.


    ¡°cocky,¡± will said, clicking his tongue in disapproval. ¡°but there¡¯s something to be said about being aggressive. it¡¯s certainly a strategy. just remember¨C¡±


    moxie¡¯s vine shot out again, widening as she pumped more magic into it. will ducked, narrowly avoiding the vine as it roared past his head ¨C but he wasn¡¯t ready for the floor beneath him to crack. vines ripped up all along it, writhing like the grasping hands of an undead horde as they rose up to grab at him.


    will scrambled to avoid the plants, but there was a seemingly endless supply. they pushed their way through cracks in the walls and squirmed from the ceiling, filling the entire hallway with grasping, thorned vines in the span of just a few seconds.


    moxie grit her teeth as she ripped power from her runes, but she didn¡¯t have any desire to enter a long fight with will. the faster it ended, the less time she¡¯d have to waste on him.


    will let out a startled curse as thorned vines wrapped around his limbs, yanking them in every direction. before he could so much as react, a set of blood-red vines rose up before him, their thorns glistening as the wound around his throat, threatening to squeeze shut at a moment¡¯s notice.


    ¡°is that demonstration sufficient?¡± moxie asked, not letting on how much the demonstration had exhausted her.


    will swallowed heavily. ¡°how did you do that? there¡¯s no way you should have been able to summon that much magic so quickly. aren¡¯t you a rank 3 that isn¡¯t even close to reaching rank 4?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure. it sounded like you knew everything about me,¡± moxie said dryly. the thorned vines tightened around will¡¯s throat. ¡°what do you think? am i too weak to join the advanced track?¡±


    ¡°you¡¯ll fit right in,¡± will squeaked.


    the vines unraveled, dropping will to the ground as they slithered back through cracks in the stone and receded out of view. will didn¡¯t even bother trying to look dignified ¨C it was far too late for that.


    he just beat a hasty retreat down the hallway. moxie shook her head, glancing around the rubble that now littered the ground. her brow furrowed as she used sowed earth to try and pull the stones back into their proper places.


    it was difficult, as the rune was far more targeted at dirt rather than stone, but stone was still a part of the earth. after about five minutes of work, she decided that she¡¯d done more than enough and headed back into her room.


    the vines within it still writhed, and moxie shook her head. only an idiot would come after a plant mage in their own domain and expect them not to be prepared to fight back. granted, she¡¯d learned a few lessons from evergreen¡¯s death and had taken a few extra measures in recent days in making sure that she¡¯d be able to fight back quickly against anyone trying to attack her in her own home, but that was will¡¯s fault for not figuring out.


    if they knew so much about me, then they should have been able to catch on. can¡¯t blame me for your incompetence, after all.


    moxie pulled the door shut, then looked down to lee, whose eyes were wide with delight.


    ¡°that was awesome!¡± lee exclaimed. ¡°the whole room just came to life and started moving! i didn¡¯t even have to do anything. i was going to stab him.¡±


    maybe i should have been a bit slower. that might have been fun ¨C but i really shouldn¡¯t encourage lee. he was arrogant, not deserving of death.


    moxie grinned and ruffled lee¡¯s hair. ¡°thanks. i just figured there was no reason to not have everything serve an extra purpose. vines can be comfortable when i want them to be, but it¡¯s not hard to hide some thorns beneath the surface.¡±


    lee started to nod, then paused and glanced back at moxie¡¯s bed. her eyes narrowed. ¡°is it spiky if i dig deep enough?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t suggest finding out.¡±

 Chapter 350: Disappointed

    chapter 350: disappointed


    moxie filled noah in on what had happened when he got back to the room. there wasn¡¯t much he could say ¨C it wasn¡¯t like will had actually managed to pull anything off ¨C so all they could do was sit down and enjoy their dinner together.


    but, even though there wasn¡¯t anything he planned to do yet, a small frown fixed itself on his lips. the advanced track was testing them. he couldn¡¯t say he was surprised, of course, but it rubbed him the wrong way.


    if the teachers in the advanced track hadn¡¯t been sure about the quality of their abilities, then they should have thought things through more before sending the invites. still, it wasn¡¯t entirely unreasonable to ensure that the people they were inviting were actually competent.


    at least, that was noah¡¯s view on it for right up until the end of the students¡¯ next class the day after the next. as everyone dispersed and he made to head back to his room with moxie, alexandra caught his eye. she was standing by her desk, making no move to leave.


    ¡°one moment,¡± noah said, stepping away from moxie and lee to walk over to her. moxie and lee both nodded and continued on, leaving noah and alexandra alone in the classroom. ¡°is something bothering you, alexandra? you¡¯ve been doing great with your patterns, if that was your question.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s one of them, but no.¡± alexandra shook her head, then glanced around the classroom one more time to make sure nobody else was there. ¡°i just wanted to talk to you about something.¡±


    ¡°well, i¡¯m here. hit me with it.¡±


    ¡°i got approached by a faculty member claiming to be part of the advanced track,¡± alexandra said. noah¡¯s smile fell away and his eyes narrowed.


    ¡°who? what did they want?¡±


    ¡°his name was gero, and he said he was there to test me and determine if i was strong enough to enter the advanced track.¡±


    ¡°he attacked you?¡± noah asked.


    ¡°he gave me a choice between leaving the advanced track and fighting him,¡± alexandra said. she chewed her lip in thought. ¡°i passed, i think, but it didn¡¯t make sense. i don¡¯t know why i passed, but he certainly wasn¡¯t going easy on me.¡±


    this is going too far. if you want to test me, that¡¯s fine. then they tested moxie when they thought she was crippled by sending someone who was meant to beat the shit out of her. that¡¯s one check against you. but if you want to test my students as well, you need to do it through me, not jump them on the roadside. it seems the advanced track might have overinflated egos if they¡¯re just going around throwing their weight like this.


    ¡°i see,¡± noah said, keeping his voice even. ¡°how difficult was the fight? was he just pressing to see your abilities?¡±


    ¡°it was hard to tell,¡± alexandra admitted. ¡°he said he was going to try to seriously hurt me and that it would be dangerous, or something like that. i can¡¯t remember his exact words.¡±


    ¡°i assume you¡¯re asking to find out if everyone else has been tested?¡± noah asked.


    ¡°yeah. i don¡¯t know if the others would have been able to pass,¡± alexandra said with a worried frown. ¡°i only made it because i¡¯m a rank 3 and had body runes that let me keep up with him. i mean, gero was obviously holding back because he¡¯s a rank 4, but he wasn¡¯t holding back completely.¡±


    ¡°understood,¡± noah said. ¡°i don¡¯t think any of the other students have gotten tested, but rest assured that it won¡¯t happen again. not in any unofficial manner, at least.¡±


    ¡°it won¡¯t?¡± alexandra blinked. ¡°i was going to ask if you¡¯d be willing to give us more combat training incorporating patterns so we could get ready for it. i figured this was how things were going to be now.¡±


    noah snorted and shook his head. ¡°we can definitely do that, but this is not how things are going to be. class is time for learning and practice. you need rest, and that time is when you¡¯re off class. if those idiots are going around attacking you after you¡¯ve already been to class, you¡¯ll be worried about saving your strength for them. trust me, i¡¯ll handle things.¡±


    ¡°okay. thanks,¡± alexandra said with a small nod of appreciation. ¡°i¡¯ll be off, then. i need to practice my pattern more today. i think i¡¯m really starting to get a hold of it.¡±


    ¡°so i can tell. you¡¯re still the farthest along out of the entire class,¡± noah said. he flashed her a grin and raised a hand in farewell. alexandra returned the gesture, then headed out of the class.


    as soon as she was gone, noah¡¯s smile fell away and anger crossed his features in its place. he stormed out of the g building and set a course straight for moxie¡¯s room. his mind spun in thought ¨C if the advanced track wanted to play games with him, then he was more than willing to play back. he just needed a few things. fortunately, moxie and lee were already there when he got back.


    moxie took one look at his face and her own eyes narrowed. ¡°what¡¯s wrong? what happened?¡±


    ¡°those advanced track pricks attacked alexandra,¡± noah said. ¡°their egos are the size of clouds if they think they can just go around terrorizing my students. i was already on the edge with what they were planning to do to you, but this is two times now. i¡¯m not giving them a third.¡±


    ¡°what the ¨C wait. you¡¯re doing something.¡±


    ¡°very apt,¡± noah said dryly. ¡°and i¡¯d like your help. by the way, where¡¯s isabel?¡±


    ¡°out for dinner with alexandra.¡± todd broke into a grin. ¡°you should have started with needing help. what can i do for you?¡±


    ¡°hopefully nothing too difficult. i need something imbued, and i couldn¡¯t think of anyone better to go to.¡±


    ¡°imbued?¡± todd blinked. ¡°yeah, i could probably help with that. what do you need?¡±


    noah smiled.


    ***


    a little over an hour later, noah and lee left the room. a stone mask rested on noah¡¯s face, obscuring it. he hadn¡¯t needed anything particularly fancy, but natural disaster wasn¡¯t suited to creation ¨C only destruction.


    todd had only needed a short while to form a mask out of the stone of his room¡¯s walls and shape it into a snarling visage, carving out holes for noah¡¯s eyes and imbuing it so that it would hold its shape. the mask had stone loops to hold it in place that probably should have been incredibly uncomfortable, but todd somehow imbued them to be just soft enough to not be a nuisance.


    todd had warned him that the mask wasn¡¯t a permanent imbuement and would only hold for about three hours before it fell apart and he ran out of energy, but three hours was more than enough time for noah to work with.


    lee took the lead as they left the dormitories, and noah kept his hood pulled low over his face to conceal the mask that was now covering it. they stuck to the side streets, staying out of attention in case anyone happened to see them passing by.


    some time later, the two of them arrived at the edge of a dark alleyway. across from them was a fairly nice house in a quiet neighborhood. it was stone and marble, with just enough quality to make it apparent that its owner was wealthy. lee nodded to the house.


    ¡°he¡¯s in there.¡±


    ¡°perfect,¡± noah said, his smile concealed by the cool stone against his face. ¡°thank you, lee. that¡¯s all for this part. can you go back to the t building and make sure to take a long trip through the market?¡±


    lee beamed at him with his own face, which was admittedly a strange experience that he still had yet to get used to. ¡°okay! have fun! he¡¯s in the room with the big window above head height.¡±


    she slipped back into the darkness, vanishing just a step away from noah. a small shiver ran down his back. lee was getting really good at slipping through the shadows. he didn¡¯t even know if she was there anymore.


    noah wiped those thoughts away. lee was on his side, and now wasn¡¯t the time to be thinking about her. he pulled his cloak lower and strode up to the side of the house, flexing his fingers as he considered the best way to do this.


    if i was lee, i¡¯d stealth in. that would be pretty scary ¨C but i¡¯m not lee. oh well. we¡¯ll be doing this the fun way, then.


    noah drew up to the house, letting natural disaster¡¯s power pulse through his veins as he lifted a hand and pressed it against the wall. a violent tremor ripped through the stone. there was a deafening crack followed by an explosion as the wall shattered.


    a scream rang out from within the room and noah stepped through the cloud of dust and falling rubble. on the other side of the room stood a blonde man, his eyes wide with terror and shock.


    ¡°what in the damned plains? who are you?¡± will demanded as noah strode toward him. noah¡¯s lips creased in a smile as he saw the man try to reach for his magic to no avail. he¡¯d already closed the distance between them, and will was within noah¡¯s domain with no way to resist it.


    ¡°you tell me,¡± noah said, letting his voice drop into a lower octave. he drew on his meeting with jalen, channeling the man¡¯s dangerous aura as best as he could into his words. ¡°you¡¯ve been the one fucking with the people i¡¯ve been teaching, will. you and the advanced track ¨C did you really think i¡¯d just sit around while you interfered with my work?¡±


    will took a step back, his eyes darting around the room. moxie had certainly been right about one thing ¨C the little prick wasn¡¯t actually blind.


    ¡°you¡¯re vermil?¡± will asked, aghast.


    noah let out a raspy laugh. ¡°no, will. did you really think he¡¯d just figured everything out on his own? even the most talented students need some guidance. no. i¡¯m not vermil. i¡¯m the one who taught him everything he knows. congratulations. you got my attention. i hope you¡¯re going to do something worthwhile with it, because the only thing i hatemore than having my time wasted is being disappointed.¡±

 Chapter 351: Sit

    chapter 351: sit


    will backed up against the wall, his eyes bulging and flicking around the room, searching for escape. the door was several steps to his left, and noah had no plans of letting him run out and lead him on a chase.


    snapping his fingers, noah sent another ripple through the earth. a jagged crack raced out across the ground, cutting will off from the room¡¯s exit, ripping the stone open and sending debris plummeting into the darkness.


    ¡°eyes on me,¡± noah said softly. he stepped past the rubble behind him, using a small gust of wind to keep the dust swirling around his body. the chances of will identifying him were low, but the more distracted the other man was, the easier everything would be.


    ¡°what do you want?¡± will stammered. ¡°i was just¨C¡±


    ¡°testing them,¡± noah finished. ¡°yes. i am aware of what you were doing. but what gives you the right to interfere? they weren¡¯t in the program yet, will. but that¡¯s in the past now, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    will nodded hurriedly. ¡°yes, exactly. we¨C¡±


    ¡°we don¡¯t need to hold grudges,¡± noah interjected. a crackle of electricity trailed across his fingertips, then vanished into the air with a hiss. ¡°there¡¯s nothing wrong with a little testing. it¡¯s only natural.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s how we see it as well. we meant no harm, but ensuring the quality of every student in the advanced track is vital for its success. that¡¯s how we can make sure we only put out the most competent students.¡±


    ¡°a logical solution,¡± noah said. he tilted his head to the side as if in thought, then tapped a finger on his mask. ¡°but, if you test those that enter ¨C who tests you?¡±


    will blinked in confusion. ¡°me? i¡¯m a member of the track already. they tested me when i was first invited, and i¨C¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t believe i was present for that,¡± noah said, not letting will finish his sentence. he wanted to keep the other man on the backfoot and avoid giving him a chance to start mustering any form of properly coherent thought, and it was working pretty effectively. to a normal rank 3, a powerful rank 4 mage wasn¡¯t all that different from a rank 6. they were both effectively insurmountable ¨C which meant will would have trouble placing his strength when he recounted it to anyone.


    ¡°you? no, i don¡¯t think¨C¡±


    ¡°no,¡± noah agreed. ¡°i wasn¡¯t. you¡¯re right. so how can i know how competent you are? as far as i can tell, you¡¯re nothing but a sniveling rank 3, barely able to stand in my presence. is there more to you than that?¡±


    will¡¯s face flickered, likely recalling noah¡¯s first threat about how little he liked being disappointed, and gave him a firm nod. his hands clutched at the wall, trying to claw through it to no avail.n??v€lrapture marked the initial hosting of this chapter on n?o?v€l??n.


    ¡°ah. you are. fantastic,¡± noah said. ¡°in that case, i¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t be opposed to letting me test you. after all, tests aren¡¯t any harm. they¡¯re just to ensure the quality of every student and faculty member participating in the advanced track.¡±


    this is pretty much the same offer you gave moxie, right? fight me until you can¡¯t fight any longer, or something like that? turn about is fair play.


    will winced. noah had completely wrapped his own words around him, and he knew it. there was no way for him to refuse without angering him. a second of silence passed as will desperately dug for a solution, but there wasn¡¯t one. the only thing he could do was swallow heavily.


    ¡°if you rely on a shield to fight, then you are a pathetic warrior,¡± noah growled. he extended a hand and a powerful blast of wind shoved will off the ground, sending him stumbling right into noah¡¯s grip.


    he gripped the man¡¯s shirt and lifted him into the air, the power from his runes coursing through his body like a raging river. it had been a long time, but noah could feel the tickle of azel¡¯s influence in the back of his mind.


    strangely, the demon felt weaker than he had been before ¨C or perhaps noah had gotten stronger. either way, the power azel had over him had drastically weakened, and noah was able to crush azel¡¯s desires out without too much effort. he was pretty sure


    will struggled in noah¡¯s grip. his feet kicked pointlessly and his arms pried at noah¡¯s arm, but it was completely ineffective. it felt like he was holding a runaway toddler, not a mage. noah was lucky he was wearing a mask, because the scorn and disbelief on his face likely would have driven a blade straight through will¡¯s heart on the spot.


    ¡°is this all you can do?¡± noah demanded. ¡°this pathetic excuse can boast about being in the advanced track?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m a researcher and an imbuer.¡± will wheezed. ¡°i don¡¯t ever need to fight without my magic.¡±


    ¡°then don¡¯t go throwing your weight around like you¡¯re anyone of interest. you¡¯re pathetic,¡± noah said, trying to picture exactly what jalen would have said if he were in his position. he was annoyed enough that it wasn¡¯t hard, and perhaps that should have been concerning.


    ¡°there are a lot of ways to be strong. i¡¯m not a warrior.¡± a glint passed through will¡¯s eyes as his gaze flicked past noah¡¯s shoulder. there was relief in his expression ¨C relief that shouldn¡¯t have been present. ¡°but she is.¡±


    noah didn¡¯t bother turning. he threw will back and dropped to the ground. a sword ripped through the air where his neck had been, letting out a keening wail in its wake. he set off a powerful blast of wind in the air above him, and was rewarded with a loud crash a moment later.


    noah rose, spinning toward the new threat. a man rose from the rubble of a new hole in will¡¯s wall, the cloak hanging ragged around his body and a long sword in his hand. his face was blank and expressionless ¨C not the features of a human, but a well-carved mask. noah nearly laughed as he spotted ulya on the street, her brow creased in concentration.


    ¡°decent attempt at a surprise attack,¡± noah said with a low chuckle. ¡°it¡¯s too bad your friend is a brainless idiot ¨C but it¡¯s not like that would have hurt me in the first place.¡±


    will scrambled to his feet across from noah, running back until he was out of the range of his domain. as soon as he was safe, glittering cubes of light sprung to life all around him.


    ¡°you¡¯re outnumbered,¡± ulya said. ¡°i don¡¯t know who you are, but i suggest you surrender now if you want to live.¡±


    ¡°outnumbered?¡± noah burst into laughter. ¡°no. you¡¯re just saving me time, ulya. i didn¡¯t realize you and will knew each other so well.¡±


    ¡°students?¡± ulya¡¯s expression flickered when she heard her name, her gaze moving to will. ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°forget it!¡± will yelled. a beam of light ripped from one of the cubes, slicing through the air toward noah. noah didn¡¯t bother waiting to see if the magic would make it through his domain ¨C considering it had originated outside it, there was a decent chance it would. he hadn¡¯t had enough time to test out the domain¡¯s full abilities, and now wasn¡¯t the time to do it.


    he dodged to the side, then slammed will into the wall with a powerful blast of wind. will slid down with a cough as dust rained around him.


    ¡°sit,¡± noah growled, turning back to ulya and her puppet. ¡°come on, then. i hope you prove more interesting than your friend.¡±

 Chapter 352: Not bad

    chapter 352: not bad


    despite noah¡¯s words, he didn¡¯t actually have anything against ulya. sure, she¡¯d technically tried to jump him, but nothing she¡¯d done particularly stuck out as rude. he had no desire to break yet another one of her puppets, and had been planning to track gero down after dealing with will.


    hell, i would have gone after gero first if i could have, but i had no idea about where he was. the only one i could track was will because lee knew what he smelled like. unfortunate for ulya ¨C i¡¯m not backing down now.


    the puppet lurched toward noah, its blade driving for his chest. he set off a blast of wind between them, throwing the puppet back across the ground. she clearly valued her puppets a lot, so unless he had no choice, noah preferred not to damage it too badly.


    will shifted, and noah turned to send him a look. he didn¡¯t even have to say anything. will hadn¡¯t been seriously injured yet, only slightly roughed up. in comparison to what he¡¯d threatened to do to moxie, it was nothing ¨C but noah was more than willing to rectify that if will tried to rejoin the fight.


    ulya¡¯s puppet dashed at noah, grabbing its sword with both hands and pulling it apart at an invisible seam to split it into two blades. it swung one at his head and the other at his midriff, trying to force him to choose one to dodge and get struck by the other.


    noah sent a wave of power into the ground, making it buck violently beneath the puppet and launching it into the air. the puppet shimmered and vanished as soon as it left the range of noah¡¯s domain.


    with the way ulya fights, she¡¯s going to try to send it at me from a different angle. there¡¯s no point getting wrapped up fighting her puppet, though. especially not if i¡¯m going to try avoid smashing the stupid thing to bits.


    noah launched himself forward ¨C and straight through the crumbling ruins. ulya¡¯s eyes widened in surprise when she realized that noah was headed right for her. her hands came up and a swirling mass of purple magic formed between her palms.


    it streaked over his head as he read her motions, predicting where the spell would go and dipping out of the way before it could strike him. it was pretty apparent that ulya wasn¡¯t used to fighting people herself, and she hadn¡¯t been expecting to fight someone tonight.


    noah slammed to a halt directly in front of her, using a small gust of wind to make sure he didn¡¯t accidentally plow her down. a tiny spark of magic had already started to re-form in her hands, but it sputtered as she stared into noah¡¯s mask.


    ¡°i wouldn¡¯t do that,¡± noah said, a note of warning in his voice. ¡°i know i told you to be entertaining, but it doesn¡¯t seem like you¡¯re prepared for a fight.¡±


    ulya swallowed and eyed noah warily, but she didn¡¯t step back. ¡°who are you?¡±


    ¡°someone your group annoyed,¡± noah replied. ¡°going around and threatening my students is an effective way to get on my bad side. as will and i discussed, some tests are entirely understandable. what i take offense to is the way you¡¯ve executed them.¡±


    ¡°tests?¡± ulya¡¯s brow furrowed in confusion. ¡°are you¨C¡±


    ¡°shit,¡± will said, staggering upright and clutching the back of his head. ¡°you gave moxie runes, didn¡¯t you? that¡¯s why she was so strong.¡±


    took him long enough to make the connection. he¡¯s technically not even wrong. about time, though.


    ¡°a fact she likely would have been more than willing to warn you of had you actually just asked what she was capable of instead of threatening to assault her to prove her incompetence,¡± noah drawled. ¡°you¡¯re fortunate she decided that you weren¡¯t worth the effort.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re going to go after him?¡± will asked nervously.


    ¡°did you hear nothing i just said? no, i¡¯m not. why would i waste my time? i¡¯ve already passed the message along. i don¡¯t need to do anything. if he tries something as stupid as threatening to kill one of vermil¡¯s students in a training exercise, then vermil will kill him himself.¡±


    ¡°he cares that much about his students?¡± ulya asked. ¡°you¡¯re referring to alexandra, right? gero is a pretty brutal teacher, but he¡¯s very effective.¡±


    ¡°perhaps, but vermil doesn¡¯t enjoy when other people threaten to kill his own. as far as he¡¯s concerned, the only person allowed to try to kill his students is him. he¡¯s rather territorial.¡±


    ulya looked like she couldn¡¯t tell if noah was joking or not. with his expression covered as it was by the mask, it was impossible to tell. either way, it got the point across. hunting gero down as well would have been a pain in the ass, and ulya had definitely gotten the message even if will hadn¡¯t.


    all in all, that¡¯s pretty much everything i wanted. cocky little shit got his own words tossed back to him without making me step too far over the line, people have a good explanation as to why moxie is strong again, the advanced track isn¡¯t going to try their stupid shit again unless they do it through me instead of trying to just go after my students, and the mysterious benefactor can disappear without a trace. the only thing i still need to do is establish a few hooks that i can pull on later.


    ¡°i¡¯ll keep your words in mind,¡± ulya said. ¡°and i¡¯ll ensure will and gero do as well. there are other tests throughout the advanced track, though. i assume from your comments that you want them involved, just in the proper way?¡±


    ¡°see? look at that. words work,¡± noah said. ¡°they¡¯re just considerably less fun than punching people. that¡¯s precisely what i want. if you want them in the advanced track, then treat them like everyone else. if you don¡¯t, then don¡¯t. i really don¡¯t care. there¡¯s nothing you have that i don¡¯t. i just don¡¯t want to deal with the fallout of vermil killing off another group of idiots. it gets tedious.¡±


    ulya started to nod, then paused when she registered what noah had just said. he¡¯d seeded more than enough questions in her mind to make sure that she¡¯d have a vested interest in learning more about him ¨C which meant that, when they next spoke, noah would have the upper hand in getting information.


    now i¡¯m satisfied. moxie would be proud. i didn¡¯t even have to kill myself.


    ¡°then i believe we¡¯re done,¡± noah said. ¡°keep this in mind for the next time you decide to twist your orders, will. you never know how strong someone is until the fight is over. a little respect goes a long way, but at least you gave me something to do tonight. i wouldn¡¯t suggest you draw my attention again.¡±


    with that, noah turned and strode down the street. it would have been better if he had a way to theatrically disappear or teleport away, but his only fast-departure move was blowing himself up. and, while that definitely would have left an impression, he wanted bragging rights that he¡¯d solved a problem and lived through it.


    ulya and will¡¯s stares bored into his back until he turned the corner and vanished into the darkness. noah was pretty certain that ulya would hold true to her word. he was less sure if she¡¯d tell the other advanced track teachers about the fake master cleaning up after vermil¡¯s messes, but something told him that she¡¯d likely give as little information away as possible.


    everything he¡¯d learned about this world told him that information was one of the most valuable resources, and the advanced track teachers were unlikely to treat it any differently. she and will would likely warn gero off whilst giving away as little as possible and trying to figure out what they¡¯d learned to their advantage.


    he suspected he¡¯d find out soon enough. with all the seeds he¡¯d just planted, it wouldn¡¯t be long before ulya showed up at his room, trying to fish for information about him ¨C and in turn, she¡¯d tell him everything he needed to know about the advanced track.


    noah grinned as his steps faded into the night.


    not bad. not bad at all.

 Chapter 353: Will

    chapter 353: will


    ulya didn¡¯t let out the breath lodged in her throat until the man¡¯s footsteps faded into the darkness. it wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d actually done anything that dangerous. his magic hadn¡¯t been that out of ordinary. sure, it had been fairly strong, but not by any degree greater than vermil¡¯s.


    there was something else about the man that screamed danger, and it wasn¡¯t any of his techniques or abilities. it was the way he carried himself, as if success was inevitable and there was absolutely nothing either she or will could have done against him.


    it was almost like he put so little importance on our abilities that we might as well have not even been fighting back. the only people that don¡¯t give even the slightest amount of respect to an opponent¡¯s abilities are the ones too stupid to realize they can die or the ones that know without a shadow of a doubt that they can¡¯t lose.


    ¡°damn that asshole,¡± will muttered, rubbing his arm and brushing the dust and rubble from his clothes. ¡°arrogant prick.¡±


    ¡°was he telling the truth?¡± ulya asked. ¡°did you really go after magus moxie like that? we¡¯re not meant to be making enemies here, will. what were you thinking?¡±


    ¡°you can¡¯t tell me you believed that guy. he clearly just had it out for me!¡± will exclaimed as he let his hand drop and sent an affronted glare at ulya. ¡°aren¡¯t you supposed to be on my side? we¡¯re working together!¡±


    ¡°and vermil will be soon as well. they all passed the tests,¡± ulya pointed out. ¡°i don¡¯t think that man was lying about vermil either. i fought him, and he¡¯s not the kind of person to hold punches. we don¡¯t need to be making enemies for no reason.¡±


    will scoffed and shook his head, turning back to his house. ¡°coward. if you want to bend over and kiss his shoes, that¡¯s your prerogative. i didn¡¯t do anything that odd. i was just testing them. that¡¯s all.¡±


    what in the damned plains is up with will? i swear he was never this argumentative before. he¡¯s always been a bit arrogant, but this is ridiculous. he never would have gotten into the advanced track if he always acted like this.


    ¡°is everything alright?¡± ulya asked. ¡°nothing odd happened, did it?¡±


    ¡°someone just broke into my house and tried to murder me,¡± will snapped. ¡°of course something happened!¡±


    he ducked to step through the hole in the wall, and a small frown crossed ulya¡¯s lips. there was a small green nub at the base of will¡¯s neck, just above his spine. she only saw it for an instant before he stepped out of sight.


    ¡°hold on,¡± ulya said, following after will. ¡°you¡¯ve got something on your back still. let me get it for you.¡±


    will, midway through shifting some stones off his desk, glanced over to ulya. ¡°yeah, i know. dust. and rock. a lot of it. did you miss the part where my wall got smashed in? or was it the part where i got thrown into the wall?¡±


    ¡°oh stop whining and turn around,¡± ulya said irritably. she stepped around will, pulling the collar of his shirt down with one hand.


    the green nub she¡¯d seen still stuck out of the back of will¡¯s neck ¨C not a piece of plant debris like she¡¯d originally thought, but thoroughly worked into the back of his neck. it wasn¡¯t stuck to him. it was inside him. the flesh around it had been twisted and sewn shut, but several small stitches had torn apart in the fight, allowing the green substance to push its way out.


    a spike of pain raced up her leg and ulya felt it get yanked out from beneath her. she cried out, throwing her hands in front of her a moment before she hit the ground. a vine had wound around her ankle.


    she grabbed it, ignoring the jagged thorns as they ripped into her palms as she tried to rip it free, but it felt like she was trying to cut iron. rocks scraped against ulya¡¯s legs and back as she was dragged back toward the teeming mass.


    ¡°help!¡± ulya screamed, kicking desperately at the vines. she tried to reach her runes, but every single one of them was still reeling from the damage and she could barely muster even the slightest amount of magic.


    the vines rose up above ulya, blocking out the moonlight and casting her into pitch darkness. she let out one last scream, drawing on the last of her magic in an attempt to do anything.


    there was a faint flicker of purple energy.


    the vines crashed down, and then there was only silence.


    ***


    wizen lowered his hand, the last of the magic fading from his construct. hidden within the whorls of swirling wood that made up a mask covering his face, his lips pursed.


    ¡°how displeasing.¡±


    he stood in the center of a dark cave, his hand resting on a massive dirt orb. five more of them surrounded him. each was easily seven feet tall and half as wide, sticking halfway out of the ground like the bulb of a flower waiting to sprout.


    one of them had shattered, its top completely destroyed. fragments of its shell laid on the ground around it.


    ¡°perhaps more than displeasing. what a waste of a perfectly good construct,¡± wizen said as he took his hand off the bulb. the flow of power that had been running out of it and into his body faded, and the plant runes contained within it faded back into dormancy. ¡°i took so much care to avoid blowing my cover, but i did promise you that i¡¯d show just how badly you¡¯d played your hand, didn¡¯t i? never let it be said that i don¡¯t keep my promises.¡±


    he crossed his arms behind his back and sighed. it wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d lost his only construct. there were more, and he¡¯d learned a fair amount from this one. it had done it¡¯s job.


    ¡°to think i lost it purely because that bumbling idiot smashed the fool¡¯s head into a wall and damaged the housing,¡± wizen said, a flicker of anger passing through his posture as his hands tightened at his sides. the anger faded as quickly as it had arrived and he shook his head, patting the dirt bulb with one hand.


    he could feel power roiling within it, desperately trying to find its way out from the cage he¡¯d built. a small smile stretched across his lips and he chuckled.


    ¡°is something wrong?¡± wizen asked the orb. ¡°this was our deal, was it not? a way to escape the games you were trapped in so you could focus on growing more powerful. a way in which you could truly comprehend the magic that you¡¯ve sought to master for all these years. do you not feel more in contact with the earth than you ever had before? soon, you will bloom into a beautiful flower. your runes will be consumed and made part of something far greater than you ever could have been.¡±


    more emotion roiled within the orb, causing the smile on wizen¡¯s lips to grow even wider. ¡°perhaps you are displeased that the woman you thought to have outplayed was actually the one that outplayed you. that seems to be happening a fair amount as of late. losing to a mere rank 3 as a rank 6. pathetic, really. i suppose it only makes sense. you were so determined to reach power that you have not earned that you lost your diligence. you fell at the hands of your own family, trying to avoid drawing too much magic and risk severing our connection. i suppose you succeeded ¨C you clung onto life and i brought you here, just as i said i would. and, just like i assured you, you were reborn. and now, just as you begged me, your new form will have power. it will be power. you just won¡¯t be the one to wield it, evergreen.¡±

 Chapter 354: Bad night

    chapter 354: bad night


    ulya¡¯s fist pounded against the door, her fist matching up with the throbbing headache gripping her skull. her breath came out in short gasps and her runes were completely drained to the point where her stomach had clenched itself into knots that felt like they never might unscrew.


    she raised her hand to knock again, but it swiped through the air as the door swung open.


    ¡°what in the damned plains do you want?¡± gero demanded. ¡°it¡¯s the middle of the¨C¡±


    the rest of his sentence faded into the darkness as he got a look at ulya¡¯s harried expression and damaged clothes. blood has soaked her leg where the thorns had grabbed her, and blood still dripped onto the ground at her feet.


    ¡°d-did anyone show up tonight?¡± ulya asked, bracing her hands against her knees and doubling over in attempt to catch her breath. she could barely even believe she was alive. by all means, she shouldn¡¯t have been.


    ¡°what happened to you? no, nobody showed up.¡±


    ¡°turn around,¡± ulya ordered.


    ¡°what? you¡¯re talking nonsense. what¡¯s going¨C¡±


    ¡°turn around, damn it!¡±


    gero blinked, then slowly turned to follow her directions. ulya grabbed a small dagger from her waist and poked at the back of his neck. the blade passed through it harmlessly and gero glanced over his shoulder at her.


    ¡°that¡¯s not going to do anything.¡±


    ¡°turn it off,¡± ulya snapped. ¡°now.¡±


    ¡°why?¡±


    ¡°just fucking do it,¡± ulya snarled, clutching the dagger before her. ¡°i¡¯ll explain after. i need to cut you. just a little.¡±


    ¡°if this request was coming from anyone else, i¡¯d think them insane.¡± gero turned away again. ¡°go ahead.¡±


    ulya¡¯s breath caught in her chest as she pressed the dagger to the back of gero¡¯s neck, drawing a thin line of blood. the lack of anything green nearly made her weep in relief. her hands dropped.


    ¡°satisfied? nell me what in the damned plains is going on,¡± gero demanded. ¡°were you attacked?¡±


    ¡°will is dead,¡± ulya said bluntly, pushing past gero and stumbling into his house. he closed the door behind her, a frown deepening on his features.


    ¡°at your hand? what did he do? that¡¯s an over-reaction, ulya. are you insane?¡±


    ¡°not my hand,¡± ulya snapped. ¡°he was killed. some form of powerful plant mage had turned his body into a puppet. completely replaced his innards with some disgusting plant magic. will got slammed into a wall and i noticed the plants inside him. barely made it out with my life.¡±


    ulya glanced around gero¡¯s living room for something to use as a bandage. she spotted a shirt lying discarded on the ground and limped over to it, ripping it into strips before gero could protest.


    ¡°probably,¡± ulya said as she started to wrap her leg. ¡°i just don¡¯t know why. do you have a healing potion, by the way?¡±


    ¡°no.¡±


    ¡°figures,¡± ulya muttered, grimacing as she tightened the makeshift bandages. ¡°what do we do? tell the others? confront vermil?¡±


    ¡°how do we know the plant mage and vermil¡¯s benefactor aren¡¯t working together?¡± gero asked. ¡°if someone was strong enough to catch you this badly off guard, we have to assume that they¡¯re probably controlling more puppets somewhere. vermil might be one.¡±


    that was a harrowing thought. ulya swallowed heavily, then finished tying her bandages off. she sank back into the seat with a groan. ¡°we should get enforcers on this.¡±


    ¡°we will,¡± gero said. ¡°silvertide is in the area, and he recently joined the advanced track as well. he¡¯d be a perfect resource.¡±


    ¡°shit, i nearly forgot,¡± ulya said. the tension in her shoulders didn¡¯t completely vanish, but it receded. ¡°what about vermil? if he isn¡¯t involved in this, he probably will be. the plant mage was pretty pissed that he got revealed because vermil¡¯s teacher went around beating will up.¡±


    ¡°did you get the feeling that this first mage ¨C the one that claimed to teach vermil ¨C was he powerful? would he be able to help us, assuming he wasn¡¯t working with our opponent?¡±


    ¡°probably,¡± ulya said after a moment of hesitation. ¡°he seemed reasonable. a little insane, but reasonable. he didn¡¯t ask for preferential treatment for vermil¡¯s group ¨C just that we not single them out.¡±


    ¡°then you should establish contact with vermil. test his group. find out if they¡¯re with the plant mages and see if you can convince the strong one to stick around. if someone¡¯s powering puppets with enough strength to give you this much trouble, their true form is going to be uncomfortably strong. rank 6 at the minimum, possibly with multiple runes. i hate puppet and construct users. annoying little bugs are impossible to root out.¡± gero paused, then glanced down at ulya. ¡°present company excluded.¡±


    ¡°thanks,¡± ulya muttered. she tested her weight on her leg again, then slowly rose to her feet. ¡°why do i have to be the one to interact with vermil?¡±


    ¡°you already met his mentor. we don¡¯t want it to seem like we¡¯re leaking information. also, you¡¯re down two of your puppets. you can¡¯t fight properly until they¡¯re fixed, so it makes no sense to have you hunting this plant bastard. i¡¯d direct your searches toward moxie ¨C she¡¯s a torrin, and plants are their domain.¡±


    ulya let out a sigh. her stomach was still clenched and her headache was only just starting to pull back, but the adrenaline was fading. ¡°okay. fine. you need to go check on will¡¯s corpse, though. i don¡¯t know what those vines are doing, but we need to make sure they don¡¯t spread.¡±


    ¡°i will. i¡¯ll get an enforcer while i¡¯m at it,¡± gero said. ¡°good job on surviving and delivering the message. first thing tomorrow morning ¨C find vermil and figure out what in the damned plains is going on. avoid bringing any other members of the advanced track into this. they may be similarly infected, and we can¡¯t give away our plans.¡±


    ulya grimaced. she didn¡¯t want to do anything other than sleep for the next week, but she settled for giving gero a nod. then she slumped back in his chair ¨C it was already bloodied, so there wasn¡¯t going to be any saving it ¨C and let an exhausted sleep take her.


    it was hard to tell how long ulya slept, but when she woke, she determined that it hadn¡¯t been enough. she let out a groan, squinting through the sunlight filtering down on her through a window.


    there was a loaf of bread out on the countertop that hadn¡¯t been there the previous night, but no sign of gero. ulya stood, wincing at the flicker of pain that ran down her injured leg, and walked over to the counter.


    ¡°who eats a bloody loaf of bread for breakfast?¡± ulya muttered, taking a bite out of it. gero¡¯s diet was about as much of a mystery as how his matter runes actually worked. ulya¡¯s leg throbbed again and she cursed under her breath, limping out the door to go buy a potion ¨C and possibly something a little stronger.


    if she was going to have to talk to vermil after the shitshow that was last night, ulya got the feeling that she might need it.

 Chapter 355: On it

    Chapter 355: On it


    Someone knocked on Moxies door, and Noah sent Moxie a smug look.


    Told you theyd show up, Noah said.


    I never doubted it, Moxie said through a yawn. But they really didnt waste a second. I thought theyd at least wait a day. This seems a little more sudden than I would have expected.


    Maybe they work fast, Noah said. He pulled his jacket on and adjusted the badge that Lee had returned to him after hed gotten back the previous night. Once he was certain he looked as presentable as possible, he walked over to the door and pulled it open.


    Ulya stood on the other side, and it looked like she hadnt slept a wink. There were dark bags under her eyes and she looked like a strong breeze would probably push her over. Noah blinked. He definitely hadnt gone that hard on her.


    Ulya. I wasnt expecting to see you again so soon, Noah lied. Or were you looking for Moxie?


    I was looking for you. Ulyas eyes flicked past Noah, taking in the room. Something flickered over her expression it was hard to tell exactly what the emotion was, but it could have been either discomfort or disgust. Either way, it definitely wasnt the reaction that Noah had been expecting.


    Whys that? Are there more tests or something? Noah asked innocently. Also, are you okay? It looks like you had a rough night.


    You have absolutely no idea, Ulya said. I was going to ask why there are two random women in your room, but Ive realized that I no longer actually care. They said I could find you here. We need to talk.


    Were doing that right now.


    Alone, Ulya said.


    I trust Moxie completely, Noah said, shaking his head. Unless youve got a really good reason as to why you cant say something in her presence, I dont see a reason to exclude her. Anything with relation to the advanced track is going to affect her as well.


    Ulyas lips pressed thin and her fingers twitched at her sides. The emotion passed across her features again, and this time Noah realized that it wasnt discomfort or disgust it was fear. And, not of him, but of Moxie.


    The hell?


    It wont take long. I need to speak with you first, Ulya insisted. She shifted her weight and glanced over her shoulders, then shook her head. I need to confirm something.


    Is she assuming that the fake mage that supposedly taught me didnt teach Moxie? That cant be it. I specified he taught both of us, and she definitely heard it. Whats going on here?


    Its fine. Ill go to the bathroom, Moxie said, stepping through the bathroom door and poking her head out. Just knock on the door when youre done.


    She closed it behind her, and Noah stepped to the side so Ulya could enter the room. Ulya hesitated for a second, then stepped inside. She tensed as Noah closed the door behind her, only increasing his confusion even further.


    Whats going on? Noah asked. Something feels off.


    Ulya drew a dagger from her side, but in a slow motion that made it clear she wasnt about to try to run him through. Even still, Noah nearly blasted her with a wave of power from Natural Disaster.


    You know, if youre going to pull a dagger on someone, theyll assume youre going to use it, Noah said dryly.


    The best play is to really lean into the semi-crazed person that half these powerful mages seem to be. It gives more credibility to any bullshit I need to spin in the future.


    About you? Not much. Just that he taught you, and that he would be displeased if we treated you unfairly. Ulyas eyes tracked Noahs expression carefully as she spoke. But Will is not okay.


    Shit, Im sorry to hear that, Noah said, hiding his bafflement. Hed barely roughed Will up hed gotten hit harder in sparring matches with Lee than what hed done to him.


    A ploy to make me feel bad, maybe?


    Me too, Ulya said. Will is dead.


    Noah nearly choked. What? How? Are you saying my teacher killed him?


    Seeing the genuine surprise in his expression, Ulya relaxed further. No. Will was apparently replaced by a plant mages puppet. After your teacher left, I noticed plants coming out of Wills neck. He tried to kill me nearly did.


    This is not at all how I thought this was going to go. Will was a construct? Does that mean he was a construct when he came after Moxie? The guy I attacked clearly knew what had happened, so it had to be the same one.


    Youre shitting me, Noah said. Have you told Arbitage yet? This sounds like something pretty serious, and way over my pay grade. Why have you come to me? You cant suspect my teacher is somehow related to this plant guy, do you?


    Hardly, Ulya said with a snort. If anything, your teacher is the only reason I lived. If I hadnt noticed the plants, I never would have been on guard. Then again, maybe he wouldnt have attacked me at all. Its a moot point now. And the Enforcers have been alerted already, but your teacher is clearly a fairly powerful mage. We wanted to see if hed be willing to help us.


    Noah didnt respond immediately. He was too busy processing all the information Ulya had just given him. She looked far too sincere to be lying and that meant that there probably really was a plant mage that had been puppeting Wills body.


    And, if that was true, theyd sent Will after Moxie. They were related somehow he couldnt afford to sit this one out, even if he wanted to. Anyone that came after them once was liable to try it again, especially since Noah had absolutely no idea what their goals were.


    Its not easy to get in contact with him, but if its interesting enough, its possible, Noah allowed. I can try. Is the way to test everyone just cutting the back of their necks?


    I dont know, Ulya admitted. Will wasnt bleeding he just had the plants, and the back of his neck is where I saw them first. Its a bet more than anything, but its all Ive got to go off.


    Well, if the entirety of Arbitage is looking for him, Im sure well root the guy out soon enough, even without my teachers help.


    Ulya shook her head. Unlikely. Do you have any idea how many serious threats arise in Arbitage and are snuffed out without being revealed to the general public? This is one of the Four Bastions, Vermil. Arbitage doesnt want people to think things go wrong, and theyll cover everything up all the way until its too big to be concealed.


    Youre saying were on our own? Noah asked in disbelief.


    Not on our own. The Enforcers will be on it, Ulya said. That includes a few members from the advanced track. My job was to test you to confirm that you hadnt somehow been replaced and then try to see if your teacher would be willing to lend us aid. A mage that can make a puppet as strong as Will is going to be a menace. Gero thinks he might be midway through Rank 6.


    Shit, Noah said, and he genuinely meant it. This wasnt the first time theyd dealt with clones, and this wasnt the first person that had been interested in Moxie in particular. The pieces were pulling together in a way he didnt like in the slightest.


    During the Survival Exam, Evergreens clone had been controlled by someone that theyd never determined the identity of but Revin had warned them off pursuing him any further. And then there had been Gentils master. Hed been interested in connecting with Moxie, but hed never said why and theyd never found out.


    I could just be pulling together unrelated assholes, but somehow I doubt it. I think the shit weve stirred is finally coming up to the surface.


    Wizen is making a move.

 Chapter 356: Cuts

    Chapter 356: Cuts


    Can I come out now? Moxie asked through the door of the bathroom, nearly startling Ulya out of her chair. Despite how it may appear, I dont actually enjoy sitting in here.


    Yeah, Noah said without waiting for a response from Ulya. When she shot him a look, he just raised an eyebrow in response. What? You cant think Moxie is the one doing these attacks. If you did, it would have been pretty dumb coming here on your own.


    I didnt say that, but shes a Torrin. The chances of the culprit being from her family are abnormally high.


    The door opened and Moxie stepped out of the bathroom. I was functionally exiled from the Torrins. If they had some murder strolling around Arbitage messing with shit, I can assure you that they wouldnt be very well disposed toward me.


    Ulyas features paled. You could overhear our conversation?


    Its a bathroom door, not a soundproof wall, Moxie said dryly. Though sometimes I certainly wish it was.


    Relax, Ulya, Noah said. Moxie is who she claims to be, and we havent been apart for anywhere near long enough for her to go around killing people and replacing them with puppets. I know all of her Runes as well none of them would allow them to do what you were describing to Will. On top of that, shes still just Rank 3. Theres no way she has the ability to do what youre claiming, even if she wanted to.


    That didnt seem to completely sate Ulya, but her shoulders relaxed slightly. I still want to test her.


    No, Noah said. I dont trust you enough to let you near Moxies neck with a dagger. If shes willing, I can do it myself.


    Moxie tilted her head to the side. Cant say Im a huge fan of it, but Ill try everything once. Well, most things. Dont use that against me.


    Im definitely using it against you.


    Moxie glared at Noah and pulled a dagger from her side. Noah took it and turned to Ulya. Is this going to be enough? Because if youre going to complain about it later, then Im not even going to bother. Were only doing this for your sake.


    Just make sure I can see the blood, Ulya said flatly. She rose to her feet, her fingers twitching at her sides. Noah wasnt sure if she could actually do anything without a puppet present, but there was no point pressing the issue.


    Moxie pulled her hair out of the way and Noah carefully pressed the dagger against the back of her neck, drawing a thin line across it with just enough pressure to draw a droplet of blood. He lowered the blade.


    Happy?


    No, Ulya said. But I suppose that will work for now. At least for the duration of our current conversation, Ill believe that neither of you have been taken over.


    Damn, shes suspicious. I can hardly doubt her given the circumstances, though. This is a pretty serious issue, and even knowing that its Wizen doesnt help me all that much. We never found out what he wanted, who he really was, or what he can do.


    You next, Noah said. Not that I actually think youre a puppet, but at this point its just a matter of pride.


    Ulya huffed and pulled her hair back, turning around and running a dagger along the back of her neck where there were already several other small cuts. It drew a line of blood. She turned back to them as she sheathed the dagger, expression flat.


    Whats the plan, then? Moxie asked, taking her own dagger back from Noah and sliding it into a sheath at her waist. Did you just come here to tell us that you need our teachers help?


    And yours, Ulya said. It seems like the person who killed Will has some degree of interest in you, Moxie. I dont know why, but its basically the only lead we have to go off. When the Enforcers get involved, well all need to work together.


    No. He wasnt actually a professor, Ulya said, looking slightly surprised at the change of topic. He was a researcher. A good one. We invited him because of how much hed deduced about Rune theory on his own.


    Do you think it was possible he was targeted? Moxie asked. Was he working on anything special?


    Im not sure. I think he was studying artifacts recently, but nothing that should have made him a target, Ulya admitted. We were friendly, but Will was pretty secretive with his work. I can speak with Gero and the other advanced track professors, but Im not sure how much information well get from any of them. Oh, speaking of which youre all in, if that wasnt already obvious. None of you failed the tests, and you pretty much all outperformed them.


    Thrilling, Noah said. Do we get anything upon entry?


    Theres a meeting tomorrow, Ulya replied. You can ask then. Normally, it would be a little more exciting than this. I dont suppose youd be able to get your teacher to show up?


    I was under the impression we were trying to keep things on the down low, Noah said, stretching his arms over his head. Hed been standing around for too long. He wanted to do something. This wasnt at all how hed pictured the morning going.


    The advanced track is not a cohesive unit, Ulya admitted reluctantly. A lot of us are how would you put it? At odds.


    Reassuring, Noah said.


    Its just how things are when you put a bunch of competent people in one room, Ulya said as she raised her hands in a defensive wave. Half of them think youre worthless and cheated your way up somehow, and I dont even want to get into what the others think. I was one of them, if Im being honest but you cant cheat your way through crushing one of my puppets like that. Right now, the only ones I can properly trust to not be the murderer are you two and Gero.


    Moxies eyes narrowed. Wait. Are you saying you think the person that killed Will might be another part of the advanced track?


    I dont know, but its possible, Ulya said. Thats why any support we could get is vital. If your teacher could show up and just attend, Ill cover for it. The sooner we can all meet, the better, Ulya said.


    Ill see what I can do, but no promises, Noah said. As Ive said, it can be difficult to get in contact with him.


    Ulya nodded, then let out a sigh. This is not how I pictured any of this going. For what its worth, Im sorry youve all gotten wrapped up in this. Getting into the advanced track should be something to celebrate.


    Weve dealt with worse, Moxie said with a dry laugh. Vermil can be a bit heartless, but he does have a point. Theres no point getting distracted by what you cant change. Just focus on what you can.


    Thanks, Ulya said, but she didnt seem too convinced. Sorry again about how rough the introduction to the program has been. With any luck, well be able to handle this easily and things can continue as normal. Im going to go get back to fixing my other puppets. They took quite the beating.


    She didnt wait for a response before slipping out the door. Her small puppet pulled it shut behind her with a gentle click, and Noah listened her footsteps fade down the hall before he spoke again.


    Well, that was something.


    I dont suppose you planned it? Moxie asked.


    Unfortunately not. I think our friend from the survival exam might be back, Noah said, starting to dig through his bag. I dont like it, but I think I know what the next steps are.


    Jalen? Moxie guessed.


    Probably worth trying, but I cant speak with Jalen until he shows up, and thats not for a bit longer. Theres another source of information that could be useful for this, Noah said. He pulled a folded slip of paper over, uncreasing it to reveal a Rune on its surface. Im going to speak with Father.

 Chapter 357: Moves

    Chapter 357: Moves


    Noah waited for Moxie to leave her room before he tried to contact Father though he made sure to remove his gourd and other belongings, stashing them out of sight. He did feel a little bad about forcing her out of her own room, but he couldnt exactly do it in his, and Moxie claimed to have some work she needed to handle anyway.


    Lee, who had been waiting at the door and likely listening in to the entirety of their conversation with Ulya whilst making sure nobody got too close and overheard anything that they shouldnt have, went with her.


    Once theyd left, Noah let his finger touch the faint Rune on the paper. He could feel distant power shimmering within it. Not enough to do much, which was likely intentional. Any form of Imbuement was a connection, and connections could always go in two ways.


    Either that or Father was cheap. As far as Noah was concerned, either was equally possible. No matter what it was, faint energy tingled in response to his fingertips. It receded quickly, but before Noah could even start to wonder if it was working, the energy returned.


    At first, it was nothing more than a growing hum. Then energy started to gather, burning at the edges of the paper. The power rapidly increased and Noah dropped it just as the entire slip ignited, going up in a puff of flame.


    A purple tinge flashed within the fire as it faded, ballooning out into a crackling portal of matching color. Arcs of energy popped along its edges, and shapes took form within it until Noah found himself looking into Fathers room.


    As usual, Father sat at his desk. A strange black creature that vaguely resembled a cat was curled beside Fathers interlaced fingers. It had been a while since Noah had last seen the small monster, but it looked about the same as it had before rotund and largely indescribable.


    Vermil, Father said, a faint trace of what might have been annoyance tinging his words as he unlocked his fingers and leaned back in the chair. It was difficult to tell how much of his action was genuine and how much was just another layer of acting that he was putting on. Im surprised. I didnt think youd actually use the contact form.


    If you didnt think Id use it, whyd you give it to me?


    I can hope, Father said dryly. That portal isnt going to remain open for long, and Im not giving you another contact unless you make this worth my time and energy.


    Have I ever reached out to you when it wasnt? Noah stepped through the portal and into Fathers office. The biggest thing hed learned from all his dealings of just about anyone of worth in any noble family was the importance of never backing down or showing any weakness.


    A part of me wonders if Father could somehow be under Wizens control. The Records of the Dead said that this isnt Father at all, so he could easily be a clone of some form. But that wouldnt make sense, as Father had a chance to get something from Moxie and didnt take it. Wizen seems more interested in the Torrin family than Father is.


    The portal snapped shut behind Noah. Not looking back, he pulled the chair in front of Fathers desk out and sat down.


    What is it this time? Father asked, tilting his head to the side. Killing another Rank 6 mage?


    I have no idea what youre talking about, Noah said without missing a beat. Evergreens death was a convenient tragedy.


    One that I regret not participating in. Im one of the few that is well aware that you are responsible for her death, Vermil. Id use the name we agreed upon, but Im wondering if giving you the respect may be a poor move for my prolonged health.


    Fathers words didnt fool Noah in the slightest. The flattery was a thin veil for Father to let him know he was more than aware of what Noah had been involved in, which wasnt really all that much of a surprise.


    Hed hardly tried to hide it when hed come to Father for aid before. Moxies life had been on the line. Fortunately for Noah, there would be absolutely no benefit for Father to reveal that hed done anything, because that would just end up lumping the blame on his own head. They were part of the same family branch, after all.v3l.B11n.


    I suspect your health will be just fine, Noah said. Did you finally get into the Main Branch like you wanted to?


    The corner of Fathers lip twitched a practiced, controlled movement that lasted for exactly a second before returning back to its normal position. Yes. You were invaluable, Spider.


    I lied. Father removed the cork from the top of the bottle and poured each of them half a glass. And you have my interest. How is it that you were able to determine the identity of Wizens clone?


    Aha. I actually have something Father doesnt. At least, I would have had something if Id done anything in particular. I just got lucky throwing the guy into a wall and Ulya happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Or perhaps it was the right place at the right time. That remains to be seen.


    Does this count as admitting that I have information you want?


    Yes, Father said, much to Noahs surprise. That wasnt the angle hed been expecting Father to take and, if anything, it concerned him. Hed been confident that Father would have danced around the topic, trying to pry information from Noah without revealing his own hand.


    Instead, hed laid his cards out on the table face up. And, where Father was concerned, Noah was pretty sure that wasnt even a viable move.


    If it seems like Father is being open, then I get the feeling we arent even playing the same game. Either that or Wizen is such a massive threat that Father isnt willing to screw around with him. Im not sure which option would be worse.


    You have yet to say how you located the clone.


    It attacked someone that was part of my plans, and I went after it, Noah replied with a shrug. A


    Torrin, Father finished.


    Yes. Your information network told you already?


    No, Father said. But I am aware of his interest in the Torrin Family.


    Care to share what it is?


    I have yet to figure out why he cares about them. Father shook his head and took a sip of his wine. It does not logically make sense. Wizen is a powerful Mind Mage. One strong enough that even I hesitate to directly challenge him. He has an obsession with the Torrin family and something they possess, but I do not know what it is.


    Noah couldnt tell what it was, but something poked at his mind. It wasnt like he knew Father anywhere near well enough to actually read the man, but something about his words felt off. For an instant, he felt a twinge of Azels presence flit through his mind. Then it was gone, and Noah had no time to linger on it without giving away more than he was willing to.


    Hold on. Ive heard Wizen is a Mind Rune user, Noah said, raising a finger as his brow furrowed. He paused to take a sip of the wine it wasnt mango flavored, much to his disappointment and then continued. But he was using plants to puppet the clone around. That seems pretty damn split up. Whats he going for with his Rank 7 Rune?


    Wizen is a difficult opponent to read, Father said noncommittally. He is not rational, and it makes him a very difficult opponent.


    So hes like literally every other powerful mage Ive met.


    I see the thoughts on your face, Father said dryly. He is not an idiot or a buffoon. Wizen is very much in control of himself, and he works toward a singular goal without hesitation. And yet, the actions he takes to get there are entirely irrational. It is like the flight of a bee, flitting from flower to flower without purpose and arriving at the hive all the same.


    Bees have purpose in their flights, though. I think I read back on earth that they can follow the same routes or something like that but I get what Father is saying.


    So you think some part of his plan involves making a move on Arbitage? Noah asked.


    Father drained the rest of his wine, then set the glass down on his table with a clink. I think he already has.

 Chapter 358: Rats

    Chapter 358: Rats


    Youre going to have to give me more than that to work with. Noah drained the last of his wine and set the empty glass to the side, interlacing his fingers and leaning forward. You know things about everyone. Whats the gap in his armor? I could find it myself, but it would save a lot of effort if you just told me.


    If he had a gap wide enough for me to take advantage of, I would have already done it. Father shook his head. There are mannerisms repeated mistakes that Wizen is prone to making, but none of them are significant enough to properly turn against him. He is arrogant, as all of power are. He is irrational, which works both for and against him. His people are loyal.


    Voluntarily? Noah asked. Or are they puppets?


    Wizen, despite the appearance he has put on thus far, is not a puppet master, Father warned Noah. Not in the literal sense of the word. Only recently have I seen him working with anything construct or puppet related, and just now am I hearing about plant related abilities. He is or at least, I believed him to be a Mind Mage.


    Did he get his hands on a bunch of Runes? That seems a little odd. Something isnt adding up here.


    When you say Mind Mage, what do you believe are the full extent of his powers that you do know of? Noah asked carefully. He didnt want to give away that he had basically no idea what a Mind Mage was actually capable of beyond possibly telling if someone was telling the truth or not and doing whatever it was that Wizen had done to Alexandra.


    His main ability has always been his ability to read his opponents plans. It is not proper mind reading, but it is very close to it. He can pick up on your intentions and react before you can adjust as long as youre within his domain, Father said. He poured himself another glass of wine and looked to Noah, who shrugged and nodded.


    What else? Noah asked while Father poured him a glass. That cant be all.


    He can forcibly take control of someones body if he has sufficient time by imbuing them with a portion of a Mind Rune, Father said, his features narrowing in distaste. It is not an effective strategy against an opponent who can fight back, and its very easy to tell who has been affected by it. The binding is very literal and those under his control can ignore commands not directly given. He uses it more to show his power than as a real weapon, though he can reinforce the bodies of people he imbues.


    So exactly what he did to Alexandra.


    How long would it take to do that?


    Days, at the minimum. Possibly weeks.


    It sounds like that particular power isnt going to be a direct issue, then. Not as far as protecting the others, at least. The most pressing matter is to figure out how to deal with his puppets and then I can work on the other crap later.


    Wizen can only mind read you when youre near him? Noah asked.


    Father nodded. Yes. And, last I was aware, the range of his domain was one hundred feet around him.


    I wonder what the chances are that Wizen is in Arbitage. Something tells me he isnt. If he was actually able to do all this mind magic crap, I dont see why hed resort to having plant clones strolling around. This is probably the same situation that Evergreens construct was in, so hes off somewhere else, probably nice and safe.


    Works for me, though. It means I should be able to focus. It doesnt matter how Wizen started getting puppets. What matters is finding a way to recognize them.


    Noah leaned back in his chair, idly going to take a sip from his glass before realizing that it was empty. He didnt know if Ulyas strategy of cutting the back of everyones necks was the best one to use. Theyd have to do it every single time anyone left their sight for more than a few seconds, which sounded like a huge pain if nothing else.


    Wizen is using plants to make his plants and can steal control of other peoples constructs. I dont think anyone other than Evergreen has a construct just strolling around casually, so I can focus on the plant shit.


    Seconds ticked by. Hed narrowed down the scope of the immediate problem, but it didnt change the fact that he had absolutely no idea how he could figure out if someone was made out of plants without just cutting them open.


    Noah could feel Fathers gaze boring into his skull, reminding him that this fight was far from just him and Father versus Wizen. It was a three-way battle, and Father was only a temporary ally if that. There was still a chance Father was going to double cross him somehow.


    Do you have anyone that uses puppets that you could bring in? Noah asked, deciding sitting silent any longer would show more concern than he was willing to reveal.


    Minutes passed. Noah studied the puppet, keeping his thoughts to himself. Father seemed content to do nothing but watch, which was just fine with Noah. He preferred to work in silence, but the silence didnt change the fact that he was finding precious few similarities he could actually rely on.


    Wizens plants had been supposedly able to infiltrate Wills body and completely control it, so shape and appearance were out the window. The faint amount of magic coming off the monkey wasnt particularly noteworthy in comparison to other mages either.


    There were a lot of things that would have caused similar effects, including just about any imbued item with more than a little power stored inside it. That didnt stop Noah, though. He continued to dig through his mind, searching for a solution as he walked circles around Ians puppet. The most obvious signs were the ones where hed have to look so closely that it would be obvious. He needed something he could pick up on in just instants.


    I wonder if my domain would be able to do anything. I havent fully tested its abilities yet, but I can feel the area covered by it a lot better than anywhere else. Maybe theres something internal I could pick up?


    Noah focused his senses on the area of his domain and the puppet within it. He could feel it sitting there, empty eye sockets staring into the wall. Streamers of magic tickled his senses, but they still didnt stand out any more than they should have.


    The puppet was just that. A puppet. It had absolutely nothing remarkable about it. Noahs fingers twitched in annoyance. He was so focused on his domain and the information filtering in from it that he realized he was amplifying just about everything in the room.


    He could feel the blood rushing through his own body and hear the gentle thump of Fathers heartbeat across the table a slow, steady rhythm that Noah suspected rarely ever changed.


    And then it struck him. The solution was so simple that Noah nearly scoffed at himself for even daring to think of it, but the more he thought, the more he realized that simple was exactly what they needed.


    The puppet was just a puppet. It was a mass of magic, flesh, and whatever else Ian had thrown into it but it wasnt a human. It wasnt alive, and it certainly didnt have a heart.


    Its not that easy to pick up on unless Im really amping my senses to the max and feeling for everything, but now that I know what Im looking for, its obvious.


    There was no noise from the puppet, and plants would be no different. If Wizen replaced someones body with a bunch of magic, then their heart would no longer be beating. All they had to do was look for people without a heartbeat and blood flow and theyd root Wizens clones out without any difficulty.


    Ah, Noah said. That helps.


    What does? Father asked, tilting his head to the side. Did you find what you were looking for?


    I did. And I didnt even have to break anything. Proud?


    This answer is so simple it makes me wonder why Father didnt think of it himself. Or did he already figure it out and just didnt tell me? Damn it. I can never tell with Father.


    That would depend on whether your solution works. Do not say it aloud, Father warned, raising a hand before Noah could say anything else. The fewer people know about what you have determined, the better myself included. Fewer people means there are fewer targets he can steal information from.


    Just how strong is Wizen if Father thinks he can breach his sanctum? Then again, Father is a paranoid bastard.


    Noted, Noah said. In that case, youve given me what I needed. Now that I know you wont be interfering, Ill return to Arbitage and deal with the remainder of this issue.


    Father nodded idly. Im sure you will. I will give aid. Any opportunity to inconvenience Wizen is too tempting to pass up on.


    You will? Noah tried not to sound too surprised. Who?


    Father lifted a hand, pressing his other palm to a rune circle on his desk. A hum filled the room and a purple swirl hummed to life behind Noah, twisting out into a portal as energy crackled at its edges.


    Someone talented in dealing with scurrying little rats, Father replied, the corners of his lips twitching. I will send Brayden.

 Chapter 359: The Hound

    Chapter 359: The Hound


    If Father had been looking for the exact set of words that would have made Noah happy, he found them. Noah nearly let a grin slip across his face before he caught it mid-formation, settling for a mildly uninteresting nod in its place.


    He should prove beneficial. I have one more question before I leave, then. Do you mind?


    Youd ask it whether I said yes or not, Father said wryly. Ask. I do not guarantee a response.


    What will Wizen do if I go around killing his clones? Unless hes obscenely powerful, he cant have all that many of them. So when they all get squished, Id imagine hell be mad. Is he going to lose it entirely?


    Youre asking if hell be baited into a stupid decision or revealing himself, yes? Father tilted his head to the side, considering the question. Its hard to say. Wizen is a man who often has many layers to his work. I respect him for it, but it makes him a rather difficult opponent. It would be ill advised to believe he will fold after you inconvenience him.


    I figured that was too much to ask, but it was worth a shot, Noah said. Thats actually everything, then. I dont suppose youve got anything else for me?


    Fathers response was to reach under the desk and pull out another slip of paper with a Rune on it, sliding it across the desk to Noah.


    Just to contact me should you find more information of any degree of interest. I am quite curious to see how you will end up doing against Wizen. Curious enough that I may be willing to lend more aid than normal, should the situation prove appropriate.


    Which is another way for you to say youll do more if it gets me into your debt and really screws either me or Wizen in the long term. I was wondering why Father was being so open with the information, but I think the answer is staring me right in the face.


    Father is pitting two people he wants taken out against each other. Even if he isnt working with Wizen directly, I cant assume he isnt feeding him any information. Thats why he stopped me from telling him what Im going to do. Son of a bitch.


    Is something amiss? Father asked.


    Nothing at all. There wasnt anything else, was there?


    There was not.


    Noah nodded and stepped through the portal. He didnt bother bidding Father farewell, and Father returned the favor. With a fizzling hiss and a pop, Noah found himself standing back in his room.


    I wonder if I should have asked to stick around in the Linwick Estate so I could try to find Jalen, but that might have been a bad idea. I dont think Father knows about my ties to Jalen yet, so I shouldnt overplay my hand.


    As the room took form around Noah, he spotted Moxie and Lee standing behind the shrinking portal, watching it warily. Neither of them relaxed until the portal had completely faded away.


    Well? Moxie asked. Howd it go?


    About as well as I expected. And, if Im willing to risk divine retribution for getting too cocky, I might even say it went better than I had been hoping for.


    Right then. Where exactly are you getting stuck? Noah asked.


    Mostly in keeping the pattern around after I start to picture it, Moxie said. Getting started isnt too difficult, but the moment I start trying to hold the pattern in place, I find that it slips away.


    Can you demonstrate? Noah asked. If I see what youre doing, I should be able to hopefully point you in the right direction.


    Moxie nodded, closing her eyes to concentrate, and they got to work.


    ***


    Rafael stood before the towering walls of the enormous Bastion, their shade blocking out the sun overhead. The Inquisitors hand tightened around his rosary as he drew in a deep breath, letting the myriad of scents in the air filter through his mind.


    He could feel it. The demon that had killed his men the one that bore the answers that he sought it was close. It was so close that he could almost feel it, but the musk of the city obscured his power.


    There were so many people, so many forms of magic churning and twisting, all striving to block his sight. To block him. They would not. Rafael had the scent, as muddled and faded as it was.


    Hed never had a demon scent this elusive before, and he didnt know what it meant but if anything, that only drove him even harder. Rafael let his free hand brush against the dog head carved into the hilt of his sword.


    Clear energy rang through him, pushing away the feelings of fear and confusion. It shoved back the concern of failure and magnitude of the task before him. All that remained was completing his duty. There was something of value here. Not just to him, but to the Inquisition.


    Whoever this demon was had done a great job of hiding themselves, and that meant figuring out how theyd done it would then unveil countless ways to discover other demons that lurked amongst humans.


    I cannot fail. The lives of countless people all rely on this singular hunt. The trail is faint, but it is there nonetheless.


    Running a thumb along the beads of his rosary, Rafael stepped into Arbitage. A tingle ran down his spine as he strode down the busy streets. There were powerful beings in Arbitage. Some of them might have been allies should he seek them out, but others most certainly would not have been.


    It didnt matter one way or the other. Rafael didnt dare risk the missions for something as paltry as fear. The demon couldnt have advanced much since its fight against Inaros and Johan, so it was unlikely it would be able to properly challenge him.


    The demons ally may be difficult, but demons are fickle creatures. The chances of the ally sticking around the demon this long after the initial fight is relatively low. I cant discount it, of course. I will strike quickly and end the fight before it can properly begin.


    His Runes churned within his chest, emanating pressure as they worked to track the demon. Blood magic was difficult to control and using it when there were so many competing sources of information all vying for his attention was even harder.


    The blood in the vial and all the years of skill under his belt were the only things that gave him a lifeline to hang onto. And, in the vortex of competing energy that sought to confuse his powers, a thin strand held firm. It was so faint that most Inquisitors would likely have lost it by now, but Rafael was not most inquisitors.


    He was the Hound, and the Hound followed until its duty was done.

 Chapter 360: Where to?

    Chapter 360: Where to?


    After an hour of practice on their patterns, Lee and Moxie both broke off to hunt monsters and work on filling their runes so they could reach Rank 4 as soon as possible. Lee was probably considerably closer to it than Moxie was, since all of her runes had already been completed and all she had to do was get the last of the energy to ready herself for advancement.


    Moxie had a bit more work, as she only had three flawless Runes made and would need to either duplicate them or gather more Runes to push the rest of the way through Rank 3. If not for the events at the Torrin Estate, shed have been equally matched to Lee if not already at Rank 4. Neither of them could complain about that, though those events had been the way that Moxie had finally broken free of Evergreens grasp.


    As far as both Noah and Moxie were concerned, it was a worthwhile trade. But unfortunately, that meant while Lee and Moxie were out hunting monsters, Noah didnt have a good excuse to join them.


    Sure, getting more power would have been a good idea, but there were more pressing matters he could still deal with. He needed more practice with using his violin to simulcast magic, and figuring out the lesson plan for tomorrow was important as well.


    So, while Lee and Moxie headed out to fight, Noah spent his time preparing. He didnt particularly mind it Moxie had been working hard for so long that she deserved some form of break from proper teaching, and hed missed being able to teach a class of students that were actually interested.


    There would always be more things to fight and kill, after all.


    Hours slipped by, and the day sank into night. Noah worked through the darkness, preparing both for the upcoming class and for the meeting with the other members of the advanced track that would be happening the following night.


    The muted song of his violin, its voice muffled so that nobody would hear it, just barely tickled at his ears. Power coursed through the instrument as he inserted and removed runes from within its strings, growing more and more used to operating it properly.


    Noah didnt stop working until it was well into the night. Just around the time when he was slipping into bed, the door to the room cracked open with a soft click. Noah, who had been midway through getting into bed, glanced over as Moxie crept in, likely trying to avoid waking him.


    They locked eyes and she snorted, stepping the rest of the way into the room and closing the door behind her.


    Why are you awake? Its the middle of the night.


    I was practicing, Noah replied with a grin. He covered a yawn as Moxie pulled her jacket off and hung it over the back of her chair. How did hunting go? Make good progress?


    Really good, Moxie confirmed, shaking her head and laughing quietly. Lee is an absolute monster. Its ridiculous that shes a Rank 3. Im pretty sure her Runes are already full with the way she fights. We must have killed nearly a hundred monsters.


    A hundred? This quickly? Noah let out a whistle. Thats pretty scary. Strong ones?


    Rank 2 and 3. We were in an area called the Ardent Desert. It wasnt really that much of a desert if Im being honest, but it still had a lot of monsters to fight. Definitely a little too advanced for most of the students.


    Was there a Great Monster in the area?


    Probably. They did have some patterns in how they fought, but Im not quite as good at picking them up as you are, Moxie replied, stepping through the bathroom door and poking her head back out. Give me a second. I need to freshen up before getting ready to sleep.


    Noah got the rest of the way into bed and propped the pillow up against the wall so he could sit at an angle. A few minutes later, Moxie returned to the main room, her hair wet. Noah pulled the covers to the side and she got into bed, scooting up to lean against his chest and pressing her wet hair to his chest, drawing out a curse.


    Damn, thats cold, Noah complained, dialing up the heat from Combustion internally.


    Youll live, Moxie said. The bedsheets pulled themselves up of their own volition and Moxie snuggled in, ensuring that her hair was scattered over Noah as much as possible before settling down. Did you need help figuring out what were doing in class tomorrow?


    Noah tried to move some of Moxies hair away from his face, before realizing it was a hopeless task and settling for wrapping his arms around her waist. I think I should be fine. Youve earned yourself a break from worrying about that stuff. Ill just be doing some combat training with patterns, seeing if the kids can use patterns while they spar. Alexandra sounds like she already pulled it off against Gero, so Id rather get that started before they do it on their own.


    Moxie let out a murmur of approval and rolled over so that her cheek was pressed against Noahs chest. She wrapped her arms around his back and let out a content sigh, speaking in a drowsy, satisfied tone. Thanks. Ill be caught up to Rank 4 soon enough, I promise.


    I know you will, Noah said. Thats a problem for tomorrow, though.


    Cant disagree there, but nobody can run like that forever, right? Noah pressed.


    When youve got nothing better to do with your life, it doesnt hurt. I just get enough sleep to get by. Meeting old friends and new people is just too exciting. Tim let out a cackle and let his hands fly across the controls of the transport cannon.


    The tube shuddered as it shifted, changing directions and locking into place. Tim gave Noah an encouraging wave.


    Its ready for you lot.


    Noah considered pressing the matter, but he decided to let it drop with a laugh. Pushing too hard would make it obvious. He had to find a way to help Tim without implicating himself, which was the very same problem hed had ever since first deciding he wanted to help Tim. Unfortunately, Noah still had no idea what the best way to go about doing it was but he made a mental commitment to find one before the first exam this year. Sounds good. Thanks, Tim. Be seeing you.


    Moxie laid down in the cannon and vanished in a blur of blue energy a few moments later. The rest of the students and Lee followed after her until only Noah and Tim remained in the room.


    After pausing for one more second, Noah laid back onto the cold metal as well.


    Have a good trip! Tim called from behind his desk. A moment later, energy slammed into Noah and his body was turned into a flash of blue light that went streaking across the sky in pursuit of the others.


    ***


    Tim watched the last traces of Vermils energy fade, then smiled and shook his head. The man was hardly fit to be a Linwick, but he and his group were a pleasant change of pace from the usual people that frequented the cannon.


    He leaned back in his chair, looking out one of the windows onto the campus below. Watching all the tiny people mill about it below was one of his favorite ways to let the days pass. It was a bittersweet feeling.


    Tim could remember the days when hed been one of the students below, hopes of becoming something great still fresh in his mind. Fate had other plans, though. All the money hed gathered was only just enough to pay his way into Arbirtage, and nowhere near enough to buy him the Runes he needed to advance.


    If hed been a bit better of a fighter, he could have become an adventurer. Unfortunately, the mere idea of hurting something made him grimace in distaste. Tim went to take a sip of his tea, but his hand missed the handle and he knocked the cup off the table.


    Tim cursed and lunged, grabbing the cup from the air before it could hit the ground. It lost the majority of its contents, but at least it didnt shatter. Tim leaned back with a small chuckle and set the cup back on the desk.


    Another reason why I couldnt be an adventurer, Tim muttered to himself. Clumsy as sin.


    He stood, moving to find a towel so he could clean up the floor, and froze in place. A man stood on the other side of the room, a cloak pulled low over his head. Tim hadnt heard the elevator activate, nor had he heard anyone arrive.


    Whoa there, Tim said, smiling in greeting. I didnt see you there. What can I do for you?


    Keep the cannon in its current location, the man replied. Send me after the people that just left.


    Tims smile slipped away. Im afraid that kind of thing is confidential. I cant be sending you after others unless youre a staff member. Do you have a badge?


    No, the man said. I dont need one. Is the cannon still pointed in the right direction?


    Tims eyes narrowed. I wont be answering that question. Is there somewhere in particular that youd like to go? If not, Im going to have to ask you to leave.


    For a second, the man didnt respond. Then he reached up to his hood, pulling it back. Im to ask one last time. Send me after them.


    Tims eyes went wide.


    A minute later, another streak of blue flashed through the morning air and the transport cannon was silent once more.

 Chapter 361: Eerie

    Chapter 361: Eerie


    As soon as everyone arrived at the Windscorned Plateau, they set off to find a more secluded location to train. Between Noah and James wind magic and Alexandra and Lees speed, they were all able to make good speed and came to a stop on a platform a few minutes away.


    Noah didnt waste any time once they got there. He wanted to see how far everyone had come, and he could tell by their expressions that they were just as eager to show it off. To nobodys surprise, Isabel and Alexandra both volunteered to go first.


    It only makes sense, so go ahead, Noah said with an encouraging nod. Both of you are still using patterns related to your swords, right?


    They nodded.


    Go for it, then. I know weve got a few healing potions unless they got used up but do your best not to actually cut each other. This is a demonstration, not a real match.


    I can blunt my weapon, Isababel said. And if I use my armor, Alexandras sword shouldnt be able to break through it unless shes really swinging with all her might.


    I wont, Alexandra promised, drawing her blade and holding it at her side. Im ready once you get your armor up.This creation is firmly rooted in the depths of N?v€l??n¡ï


    No magic, unfortunately, Noah said with a shake of his head, stopping Isabel before she could make her armor. He still didnt have enough control of his domain to actively keep it from suppressing her, and he needed them both within range in case they mistakenly put power into their patterns and risked blowing themselves up. Todd, can you lend Isabel the Shield? Its far from perfect, but as long as Alexandra keeps her speed under control and focuses on technique, it should be enough.


    Todd nodded, pulling the bracelet off his wrist. He handed it to Isabel and took a step back, giving the girls room to spar. The other students backed up as well. Alexandra drew her secondary sword and gave it to Isabel.


    Ready when you are, Alexandra said as she lowered into a fighting stance, her blade flitting to and fro in the air before her. Noah could already see her erratic pattern starting to take form. Alexandra had definitely been practicing her movements were sudden and jumpy, and yet there was still a sameness to them that kept them from being truly random.


    Isabel set her stance and wrapped both of her hands around the hilt of the blade. She drew in a deep breath. As she let it out, her posture changed. Noahs domain tingled there were faint amounts of magic trying to manifest in both of their patterns, but his domain was suppressing them.


    Ready, Isabel confirmed. Lets go.


    She took a step forward, bringing her borrowed sword down in a powerful, direct swing that had no signs of subtlety or subterfuge within it. Alexandras sword snapped out, slapping the blow to the side lightly as she ducked out of the way.


    Isabel spun, bringing her sword around in a loop and down for Alexandras shoulders. The other girl was forced to hop back to avoid the strike. She retaliated in a flash, her blade snaking out to nip at Isabels side.


    Instead of trying to dodge it, Isabel activated her shield. A dull glow enveloped her and the blade rang off the magic, not having been thrust with enough power to damage it. She continued her assault, every blow raining down with even more intensity as she advanced toward Alexandra.


    Fascinating. If this was a real fight, there would be no match. Alexandra would destroy Isabel completely purely just because of her speed and resilience, but because theyre only matching their patterns rather than their full abilities, they actually seem to be close to evenly matched.


    Alexandra definitely wasnt the only person practicing. Isabel has moved her pattern into her entire body rather than just her sword. It feels like shes literally become the avalanche but Alexandra is withstanding it without relying on her Body Runes.


    Shes dodging and poking at Isabels shield with what would likely be some pretty nasty cuts had she been putting more force behind them. Id say Alexandra is still a bit ahead of Isabel in patterns, but the gap is closing. Either way, theyre both doing incredible. Good shit, kids.


    Noah let the match continue for another minute before stepping in, using a small burst of wind to separate the two. They both turned to him, sweating and breathing heavily.


    Emily stood still for a few moments, then flowed forward. Even though James was sitting, she didnt look like she was going to take things easy on him. She spun, trying to hit him with a hook kick.


    James blurred, shifting just enough to the side to avoid the attack before returning to his previous location. Emily kept her momentum and drove a palm for his shoulder, already readying another attack even as the first one flew out.


    Once again, James weaved out of the way and let the blow just barely pass him by. Emilys next strike missed in the same manner. She didnt give in, though. A flurry of strikes flew out as Emily used her hands, elbows, feet, and just about every part of herself to attack.


    James was forced to vault to his feet as her efforts intensified, but he continued to move with the least amount of energy possible. A small grin flickered across Noahs face as he started to see their patterns fully take form.


    Emily was a snowstorm. A constant flurry of blows raining down from every direction with blinding intensity. Similar to Alexandra, none of them were particularly strong attacks, but there was a distinct difference in their fighting styles.


    Alexandras attacks were sudden and fast, but they were targeted. Every movement was intentional Emily had gone in the exact opposite direction and had done her best to perfectly embody the storm.


    Her assault came from every direction and every style. No single attack was of any real threat on its own, but when they piled together, he could see the potential within them. As for James if Noah had to find a word for his pattern, it wasnt just nothingness. It was laziness, and not even in a bad way.


    Hed found a way to put the absolute least amount of energy into every movement, optimizing his motion as much as possible. It wasnt actually all that different from the methods that Noah used to fight enemies he was familiar with.


    James is farther along than Emily is, but thats probably because hes been practicing being lazy his entire life. Emily is doing great for having not had a pattern during our last class.


    Noah let them fight for another minute. James didnt attack once, and Emily refused to let up her flurry of blows. When it became clear that neither had anything left to demonstrate, Noah split them up with another small blast of wind.


    Great job, both of you, Noah said. James, youre going to need to work some offense into your pattern. Purely using it for dodging is great, but you cant just leave it at that. Battles are won through fighting back, not backpedaling. And Emily opposite advice. Youve made some huge steps since last class, but youre focusing entirely on attack. You need to survive your fights, not just win them.


    Both of them nodded, and Noah looked to Lee and Moxie.


    Any thoughts from you two?


    You should stretch more, Lee advised Emily. If you want to really throw attacks that fast, flexibility will be helpful. Ill give you private lessons.


    Emilys face went white, but she gave Lee a nod. Thanks. I think.


    I dont know much about patterns, but I can see how much work youve been putting in, Moxie said to Emily, giving her a wide smile. Keep it up. At this rate, youre going to surpass me. James also has one of the more interesting styles of fighting Ive seen. I have to admit Im pretty interested to see where you both take things.


    Emily beamed, but before either she or James could say anything else, another voice spoke up from behind them.


    Id have to agree. That was fascinating.


    Everyone spun as the air wavered and shifted. A robed man appeared from within the distortion, his hood pulled back and a wry grin on his lips. Jalen raised a hand in greeting.


    What have you been teaching these little gremlins, Vermil? And why is it that their motions feel eerily similar to a Formation?

 Chapter 362:

    Chapter 362:


    Jalen! Noah exclaimed. What are you doing here? I didnt think we were going to meet for a few more days.


    We werent. I got bored, Jalen said. And that didnt answer my question. Whered a kid like you learn Formations well enough to start teaching them to other people? I know for a fact that there wasnt anything of the sort in the catacombs.


    Letting on just how much I know about Formations is a pretty bad idea. I dont dislike Jalen, but if he gets too suspicious about what I can do, he may start looking a little closer than Id prefer. But, if I dont give him a satisfying answer, I end up in the same spot.


    We arent working on Formations, Noah said, opting to go for the safest answer he could the truth. Part of it, at least. Were working on patterns. They arent exactly the same thing.


    Moxie and Lee nodded, but none of the students made any moves. They all watched Jalen warily, ready to burst into motion at an instants notice. Noah didnt blame them even though Jalen wasnt doing anything and his domain was suppressed, he could feel the danger practically enveloping the man.


    Jalen didnt miss the way theyd reacted. His gaze swept over everyone, lingering on each of the students.


    Are they not? I was unaware, Jalen said. Never had much interest in Formations myself. Lots of work and you usually get squished midway through trying to cast them. Why are you teaching kids about them?


    Theyre useful, Noah replied with a shrug. Knowledge never hurts. And, as I said, we arent exactly doing Formations. This is more about their coordination and understanding of their fighting styles.


    Curious, Jalen said slowly, his eyes twinkling faintly. I dont think Ive met other professors that employ similar methods. This wouldnt happen to be from the Torrin family, would it, Moxie?Dive into Stories, Embrace Enchantment: N?v¦ÅlB?n.


    Is that any of your concern? Emily asked, her eyes narrowing as she took a step forward. How is it any of your concern what they teach us?


    Jalen let out a chuckle. Feisty. I was only asking a question, lass. You should learn that anger can often be just as much of a declaration of guilt as any other emotion. If you cant control it, youre going to give away more than you want to.


    Maybe we should talk somewhere more private, Noah suggested, intervening before any of the students could draw any more of Jalens attention. He highly doubted Jalen would actually hurt any of them, but Jalens interest was possibly just as dangerous as his ire.


    Jalen shrugged. Perhaps.


    Moxie, can you take over for a bit? Noah asked. Just have them keep at it. Ill catch up with all of you shortly.


    She nodded, and Noah beckoned to Jalen before tossing his flying sword to the ground and taking off. He didnt have any concerns of the other man keeping up with him, so he flew several plateaus away before touching down once more.


    No sooner than Noah had stepped off his sword did Jalen materialize in the air beside him, a thoughtful expression on his face.


    What? Noah asked. And was there an actual reason you came to visit early? I cant have my students getting traumatized by the head of the Linwick Family staring them down.


    I was bored, I told you. I wanted to see how things were playing out in Arbitage, Jalen replied with a chuckle. And dont worry. Im not going to screw with the kids. Youve certainly got an interesting lot, though. Not a single one of them was scared of me. Why would that be?


    Maybe they just didnt know who you were. Its not like you broadcast your identity, Noah pointed out.


    That is true, Jalen allowed, tapping a finger on the side of his chin before shaking his head. But I dont think that was why. They werent scared because they seemed convinced they were safe.


    Noah blinked in surprise. Wait. You know about Dayton?


    Im not entirely removed from my familys affairs, despite how much I would like to be, Jalen said dryly. Even I occasionally hear things. And, speaking of which, its my turn for a question. What is your relationship with Father?


    Enemies, Noah said without a second of hesitation. Enemies who have recognized we both have bigger problems than each other and occasionally work together. I dont trust him in the slightest, and he offers me the same respect. Why do you ask?


    Should I tell him that Father isnt even who we think he is? The real Father is dead. What would I get out of sharing that information, though? I suspect the only Father I ever knew has been the fake, and Ive been benefiting from working with him. If Jalen decides to kill him, all Ive done is weaken myself.


    He was unusually interesting, Jalen replied. More intelligent than most of the other idiots vying to get into the Main Branch. Im pretty sure hes after something, but Ive yet to figure out what it is. Ive been having some fun watching him tug people around like toys, but hes no different than anyone else. Only concerned with control and power.


    At least it doesnt sound like Jalen has any plans of helping Father out. Good. The last thing I need is these two teaming up.


    Most people seem to be. Control and power tend to mean you can live comfortably, Noah pointed out. He glanced over his shoulder in the direction of where theyd come from. Id be more than willing to entertain you, but Ive got a pretty busy day today. I need to finish my lesson for my students and then let them know well be attending a meeting with the advanced track professors tonight that will probably be pretty interesting, actually.


    Oh? Jalen tilted his head to the side, a sparkle of interest flashing through his eyes. Why do you say that?


    Theres going to be a bit of a game afoot. I wont be showing up as myself, Noah said with a grin. If I boil it down, the whole thing is basically going to be a big dick measuring contest. Everyone will be trying to show off how strong they are. I imagine its going to go awry pretty quickly.


    That does sound interesting. A grin pulled across Jalens features. Perhaps Ill attend.


    Just dont blow my cover, Noah said. Entertainment is great, but this is about the kids, not me.


    Ill do nothing of the sort, I assure you. Its much more interesting to watch the dominos fall on their own volition and fall they will. Ill tail you for a bit longer. Im rather interested to see what else youre going to be teaching those students of yours. Just dont expect me to interfere if things go south.


    I dont, Noah said, stepping back onto his flying sword. By the way, whered you even come from? Did you just teleport right to us?


    I followed you through the transport cannon, Jalen replied. Interesting little place. Havent used transportation like that in some time.


    Tim sent you after us?


    Tim? Jalen laughed. Ah. Yes, I suppose so. He needed a little persuading.


    You didnt hurt him, did you? Noahs tone darkened, and Jalen didnt miss the shift in his stance.


    I dont go around assaulting people for fun, Jalen said through a derisive snort. The old man is fine. Im far more interested in these students of yours, Vermil. Im very curious to see what theyre capable of.


    Just dont go breaking anything, Noah warned. I like them in one piece, but Ive got some more I need to cover before the training for today is done.


    Me? Break something? Jalen flashed Noah a sharklike grin. Id never do anything of the sort.

 Chapter 363: In mind

    Chapter 363: In mind


    Noah and Jalen returned to find that Lee had taken over the class and had everyone stretching in positions that looked like they definitely shouldnt have been possible for any human to achieve without snapping a few tendons.


    Well, this is horrifying, Jalen observed. What are you doing to your students, Vermil?


    Dont look at me. This is all Lee.


    Were stretching, Lee filled in, turning her head a full one hundred and eighty degrees to look straight back at them like an owl. Thanks for the orange juice, by the way. Do you have more?


    Jalen nearly choked on his own saliva as he tried to suppress his laughter. No. I do not carry around bottles of orange juice.


    Oh. Lee frowned, then turned her head back but she rotated it the wrong way, finishing the full circle instead of following the path shed taken to look at them. You should.


    Jalen looked from Lee to Noah, then shook his head. Your criticism has been duly noted and ignored.


    Orange juice or not, some proper introductions are in order, Noah said.


    If thats an excuse to stop stretching, Im taking it, Todd said, unwrapping himself and clambering to his feet. He brushed the grass off his pants and shook himself off, as if trying to throw the memory of what hed just had to do to the side. Im Todd.


    This is


    Jalen. Just Jalen, Jalen said, cutting Noah off before he could even properly start his introduction. Noah caught himself as a small frown passed over his face.


    Jalen wants to hide the fact that hes the Linwick Family Head? I mean, I wont blow his cover, but I didnt think hed be concerned with keeping students from finding out who he is. Maybe he doesnt want to get stuck signing autographs or something. Hes got the wrong idea of who these kids are if he thinks theyll give a shit about the Linwick family, though.


    Pleasure, Isabel said, standing up along with everyone other than James. Her tone was considerably less friendly than Todds was, though not so far as to be rude. Shed raised her guard. Im Isabel, and the one whos pretending to sleep is James.


    Alexandra gave Jalen a small nod but made no move to introduce herself.


    And Im Emily, Emily finished, nudging James not-so-gently with the tip of her foot. He mumbled something under his breath and made absolutely no move to stand up. Emily let out an exhapserated sigh. Sorry. Hes unbelievably lazy.


    I can respect that, Jalen said with a smirk. Dont mind me. Vermil and I are just old friends. Very close. Practically attached at the hip. Please, continue with your lessons and pretend that Im not here.


    Youre laying it on way too thick. Weve played darts once.


    Right, Noah said, clearing his throat to get everyones attention back on him. He couldnt help but notice that Moxie hadnt said much to Jalen. She was probably still pretty pissed about how Jalen had functionally kidnapped him, and Noah didnt blame her. If hed been in her shoes, hed have been furious. Lets get back on with the lesson, shall we? Theres more to cover today, and Ive got an announcement for the end of class.


    Whyd you have to tell us now? Todd asked. Now I want to know the announcement. Are we getting a pizza party?


    Youll find out at the end of class.


    I think its a pizza party, Lee said.


    Its not a pizza party, Noah said. Now pair up with someone you didnt spar with yet. Were sparring again.


    ***


    Jalens face was externally flat, but his heart was beating harder in his chest than it had been the last time hed tried to ask a woman out to dinner and that had been just about three hundred years ago.


    The woman in question had promptly rejected him and had evidently been so motivated to escape his presence that she promptly vanished into secluded meditation to try and advance to Rank 7.


    Then shed vanished.


    For that matter, he hadnt really been all that excited at the time. But this this was excitement. It took every single fiber of self-control Jalen had to keep his expression under control. Vermil was teaching children Formations and somehow, he was actually succeeding.


    By the time hed mustered himself again, Lee had eaten not drank the entire bottle. She licked her lips and grinned at him. Thanks. I like the way it crunches.


    She headed back to the rest of the group and poked Todd in the back as she passed him, causing him to trip over his own feet and fall face first on the ground. Todd lunged forward and grabbed Lees ankle, pulling her down with him as the others all burst into laughter.


    Jalen was confident Lee could have avoided the attack if shed wanted to. Hed seen her glance down and notice Todds lunge. Her reaction speed was ridiculous for a Rank 3. Shed chosen to let Todd grab her, likely to motivate his studies.


    It wasnt just Lee something about Vermils entire group felt different. He couldnt quite place what it was, but it was more than just the Formations. They had power, yes, but there was more to it.


    What do you think? Jalen was pulled from his thoughts as Moxie walked up beside him, her arms crossed. He could feel the muted hostility from the woman, even though she was doing a fairly good job at concealing it.


    Shes mad that I took Vermil away to speak with him? Im still not sure why a Torrin cares so deeply for a Linwick. It makes absolutely no sense. If it had been someone from my generation, sure. Ive had my share of fun with the Torrins they can do some great stuff with those vines. But now? The families hate each other so much that I cant see how they even would have met.


    Its interesting, Jalen said, choosing his words carefully. Everything he told Moxie would doubtlessly go straight to Vermil, and he didnt want to sour the relationship. Vermil was more than just interesting. He was fascinating. I havent seen anything like this taught before.


    No, Moxie agreed. Its unique to Vermil. Wed like it to stay that way.


    Is a Rank 3 warning me off? When she knows who I am? Marvelous.


    Not a word will leave my mouth, Jalen promised, and he genuinely meant it. Something as rare as this could not be permitted to fall into the hands of the moronic noble families his own included. It would only be wasted. I am only here to observe, as I told Vermil.


    You arent helping with our little problem, then? Moxie asked, tilting her head to the side.


    A flower that cannot grow on its own will wither and die when abandoned.


    And all the hot air youre blowing up your own ass might come out your mouth, Moxie countered. People are going to get killed because some psychopath is obsessed with my family. You can do something about it.


    I could, but that would rob you of the experience of doing it yourself.


    And it could end in someone here dying.


    That would actually be quite the shame. I wont handle Vermils problems for him, though. It will stunt his growth.


    It may, Jalen allowed. Many people die. And you do realize that, if I directly interfere, the others of my generation will be liable to do the same? It could make the situation worse.


    Im not asking you to kill the asshole for us, Moxie said. But finding a little information shouldnt be impossible for you. Vermil might not care about letting you watch this class, but Im well aware just how valuable what youre seeing here is. Youre in his debt.


    Well, damn. Shes right.


    A smile flitted across Jalens lips. You might be one of the boldest Torrins Ive ever seen. Howd you meet Vermil?


    What does that have to do with anything?


    Answer the question if you want my help.


    Moxie pressed her lips together, then sighed. I insulted him in the library.


    Jalen cackled. Somehow, that doesnt surprise me in the slightest. Very well. I will look into this but nothing more. Satisfied?


    Moxie tilted her head to the side, then gave him a short nod. No, but itll do. Dont kidnap Vermil again. I dont care who you are. If youre going to pretend to be our ally, then act like it.


    And, in that moment, Jalen finally realized what feeling the group had been giving him. The amount of care they all showed for each other, and the ferocity that had no power to back it up other than will they werent just a random assortment of mages. They saw each other as a family.


    This is what we started the noble houses for.


    You know what? Jalen asked. Ill keep that in mind.

 Chapter 364: Heartbeat

    Chapter 364: Heartbeat


    The rest of class passed quickly, and the time for them to wrap things up soon came. Noah was pretty happy with how things had gone. Even with the wrench that Jalens appearance had thrown into his plans, it didnt seem like anything had gone awry.


    Jalen seemed generally interested in his students and didnt look like hed be messing with any of them, and he didnt even appear to suspect too much about his teaching methods or contents.


    Its definitely a good thing I toned things down. If I started going on about giving a Master Rune away or any of the slightly more detailed things I had planned, he might have picked something up.


    But, as things are now, it looks like hes pretty much just watching whats happening and isnt all that more interested than he would be in anything else.


    Noah gathered everyone up when there were just a few minutes left before the transport cannon was due to kick back on and draw them back to Arbitage.


    Are you finally going to tell us the announcement? Todd asked. Because Ive barely been able to concentrate. You cant just dangle something like that over a mans head. Its not right.


    Your complaints have been duly noted and ignored, Noah said without missing a beat. But yes, its time for the announcement. Its about the advanced track.


    Did our acceptances get rescinded? Alexandra asked. That wouldnt surprise me in the slightest.


    What? No.


    Did they decide to give us a bunch of Runes because of how cool we are? Todd asked.


    Also no.


    Theyre throwing us a pizza party? Moxie asked.


    No! Why Noah cut himself off and spun to look at Moxie, who wasnt even bothering to hide the grin on her face. Dont join them! You already know the bloody announcement!


    Well, get on with it then.


    Noah rolled his eyes. I was getting there, if youd stop throwing guesses out and give me a second to speak. Weve all been invited to meet the rest of the advanced track tonight. Something like a welcoming party.


    So they are throwing us a pizza party! Isabel pointed out.


    Its not a pizza oh, whatever, Noah grumbled, throwing his hands up in defeat. Either way, its exiting. You should all look forward to it. But, at the same time, dont forget where it is well be or who is there with us.


    Youre saying you think itll be another test of some sort? Alexandra asked, her brow furrowing.


    I dont know if itll expressly be a test, but you can assume that theyll be paying very close attention to all of us. Were all going to need to put on the appropriate behavior and ensure we make the right impression.


    Isnt the saying putting on our best behavior? Isabel asked, tilting her head to the side.


    Noah grinned. Yes.


    Yes, Ulya said curtly. Vermil turned and pulled his hair back so Ulya could make a small incision at the back of his neck. She let out a small breath and stepped back. Youre absolutely sure theyre safe?


    Yes. Theyre fine. Have you even met anyone since we last spoke? Or have you been hiding away?


    Does it matter?


    I suppose it doesnt, but you should be careful. You might end up getting yourself killed if youre so tired that you cant react properly.


    Your concern is appreciated, Ulya said, not sounding like she appreciated it in the slightest. She sheathed her dagger and jerked her chin over her shoulder. Lets go.


    They all followed her out of the building and along Arbitages streets.


    As they walked, Ulya fell in closer to Vermil and sent a glance over her shoulder at the hooded figures taking up the back of the party. I recognize your teacher. Whos the other one?


    His friend, Vermil replied.


    Ulyas eyebrows lifted ever so slightly. Equally as powerful?


    Yes, but hes not going to be doing anything to help. My teacher might not as well, but the other one is purely here just to observe.


    Hes trustworthy?


    I dare you to tell him he cant come. Hes a Rank 6, and a strong one.


    Ulya grimaced, then inclined her head. I was prepared for as much. Ill handle things, then. Stick close to me once were there. I havent been able to check anyone other than you lot and Gero, and I wont have seen Gero in the time it took me to come get you.


    Vermil just inclined his head, and the rest of the trip went quietly. After about thirty minutes of walking, theyd left the main grounds of the school behind and made their way deep into the city. Ulya brought them several alleyways, then up to an inconspicuous door in a plain stone wall.


    She pulled it open, revealing a well-lit stairwell leading underground, then started down without a second of hesitation. Everyone piled in behind her, the masked figures keeping their spots at the rear of the party and closing the door behind them after they entered.


    It only took a few more minutes to reach the bottom of the stairs, but the sound of muted chatter and clinking silverware heralded their trip down. About a dozen people sat in a large, circular room along a table that split the room nearly in half.


    The majority of the chairs at the table were empty, and everyone sitting at it sat in very clear groups. Even within the advanced track, it was pretty evident that not everyone was on the exact same page.


    As soon as people spotted the group enter, much of the conversation fell silent. Everyone turned toward them and a tall man sitting at the end of the table rose. He had a neatly trimmed grey beard and toned muscles covered by red velvet clothes emblazed with a golden heron.


    The man spread his hands out, a smile crossing over his lips in greeting. Ah. Ulya has returned with the newly accepted members of our program. Welcome, all. Please, sit. Get some food and enjoy. Well get to business shortly, but theres no need to cloud our enjoyment of the night too early.


    He seemed perfectly friendly, and the wide grin on his lips was earnest. Even though he was dressed in gaudy, expensive clothes, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes showed that he was often locked in a perpetual smile.


    There was just one slight problem.


    The man didnt have a heartbeat.

 Chapter 365: Spider

    Chapter 365: Spider


    Ulya felt like her eyes were about to pop out of her head. They ached something furious from constantly looking around, staring at anyone that seemed like they were getting too close for comfort.


    Every single shadow felt like it was just inches from jumping out to grab her, and she was pretty sure half of the feast on the table was moving. She could barely remember the last time shed gotten a proper night of sleep even though it had probably only been a day or two ago.


    The only person she knew was safe was Vermil. If she trusted his word, then the rest of his group was probably fine as well, but there was no way to know if hed actually tested all of them. The smug bastard barely even looked concerned about the whole situation.


    As soon as Godrick had told everyone to eat, hed promptly darted right over to the table, shoved Gero out of the way, and started shoveling food into his mouth.


    His students had done much of the same, though at least a few of them had been polite enough to spend a little time greeting Gero. Nobody else from the advanced track made any moves to introduce themselves yet a fact that Ulya was thankful for.


    The tension hanging in the room meant nobody was getting too close to her. She couldnt just go around cutting the back of everyones necks to test them. The others would have assumed she was insane at best.


    Ulya bit her lower lip, moving to put her back to the wall so she could observe the entire room. Before she could get far, Vermils mentor stepped into her path. Ulya paused as she felt his gaze fix on hers from behind the whorls of his wooden mask.


    Whos the big guy? the man asked, nodding over Ulyas shoulder to Godrick.


    Thats the second strongest member of the advanced track. His name is Godrick, and hes a Rank 5, Ulya replied, sending a glance toward Godrick. Hed sat back down at the head of the table and was happily eating away, chatting with Verrud, another one of the professors in the program. Why do you ask?


    Curiosity, the man said. The hooded man that had accompanied them walked up to join Ulya, glancing around the room and yawning in clear boredom.


    I hope youre going to make this more exciting soon.


    Exciting? I certainly hope not. Id kill for a nice, peaceful night of rest where Im not worried about a puppet ripping me apart from within.


    Well see, Vermils mentor said with a one-shouldered shrug. Id request that you avoid taking steps to remedy that yourself, though.


    Me? I would never, the hooded figure said, pressing a hand to his chest and letting out a chuckle. Ulya sent a faint tendril of magic out to feel how strong the man was, but it evaporated the literal instant she tried to manifest it.


    Why is Vermils mentor letting his domain seep out like this? Is he trying to piss everyone off?


    Sure enough, there were more than a few peeved looks being sent their way. Generally, it was polite to keep your domain under control unless one was in a combat situation. Letting it roll across the room without any attempt to even control it was a blatant challenge to every single member of the advanced track.


    Im not sure we were ever properly introduced, Ulya said, pushing down her apprehension. Puppets didnt have domains which meant, even if he was rude, the man was probably safe. You know my name, but I never found out yours. Is there something I can call you by?


    It was a moment before Vermils mentor responded. Spider.


    Spider? the hooded man asked through an amused snort. Thats cute.


    I didnt come up with it.


    Id certainly hope not. Id much rather be something more interesting. A butterfly, maybe. Oh! A hummingbird. Ever seen one of those? Fascinating creatures, really. Its unfortunate theyre so rare. Id imagine its because the stupid things hum so much that they probably accidentally set off Formations and blow themselves up.


    You mean through some form of sympathetic magic? Ulya considered Spiders words, then nodded slowly. That makes a lot of sense. Thats genius, actually. I wish we had an Inquisitor with us. Their blood magic excels at sympathetic purposes. Ive heard they can take out portions of bloodlines if theyre strong enough.


    Do our targets even have blood? Spider asked.


    Ulya opened her mouth, then closed it again. Oh. Yeah. Good point. I didnt think that through but there should still be some form of sympathetic magic that could work. I think youre onto something.


    Perhaps you should look into that, Spider suggested. Until then, just stay by Jays side. Hes an asshole, but hell probably keep you alive.


    That was possibly the least convincing thing that Spider could have said. Ulya caught a flash of a cold grin beneath Jays hood that didnt make her feel even slightly reassured. It looked more like Jay was hoping shed trip and faceplant on the table.


    A few cheers rose into the air as Vermil devoured another roast chicken along with the plate that it was on. Ulya stared in disbelief, then risked a glance at Spider. She still couldnt tell what the man was thinking, but she suspected he was one step from blowing steam out of his ears.


    Vermil is certainly making an impression. I didnt think hed be this much of a party animal, but I suppose some of the rumors going around campus about him were right. At least he hasnt made any moves toward the other female professors or their students. Maybe Moxie straightened him out?


    The commotion died down as footsteps echoed down the stairwell behind them. Everyone other than Vermil, who was occupied dragging another professors plate over to himself with two fingers, turned toward the stairwell.


    Metallic clicks accompanied every step, and it wasnt long before two people made their way down the stairs. A large, uncomfortable looking boy took the lead, his hands shoved deep into his pockets and his shoulders hunched.


    Behind him strode Silvertide, his leg glistening in the faint light with every step he took. Ulya shot a glance at Spider to see if hed reacted negatively to the new arrivals, but his stance hadnt shifted.


    That means hes probably not a clone, right? Who am I kidding if someone took out Silvertide, wed all be doomed. Thank whatever gods are listening. Having Silvertide here changes everything in our favor.


    Silvertide! Godrick exclaimed, raising a hand and beaming. We were all thrilled to hear you accepted the invitation to join us. That must be your apprentice with you Tyler, was it?


    Silvertide clapped Tyler on the shoulder. The boys back was as stiff as a rod, and his face was ghostly pale. We appreciate the invite. Im looking forward to seeing what you all have to offer.


    Ulyas brow furrowed as she watched Silvertide speak. Something about the demeanor of his apprentice was off. Everything shed heard about Silvertide said that he was a great teacher and a kind man.


    Sure, there was a chance it had been rumor, but Tyler looked terrified.


    Is Peter with you? Godrick asked when Silvertide and Tyler stepped off the stairs and into the room. He was meant to escort you here.


    Peter? Silvertide tilted his head to the side. His eyes lit with understanding and he nodded. Ah, Peter. That was the man that came to bring us to the advanced track meeting, was it?


    Yes, that was him.


    Im afraid not, Silvertide said with a frown. It would have been rather difficult for Peter to make it.


    Whys that? Godrick asked. He said hed be open. Did he give you a message? Everyone that wasnt currently out on a trip or otherwise tied up was meant to come to meet the new members today. He should have known that.


    He didnt give me a message, Silvertide said, tapping his staff on the ground. There was something brownish on its tip. Ulya squinted closer at it, then paled. It wasnt brown. It was dark green plant matter.


    I would have been quite impressed if Peter had said anything at all, Silvertide continued, his gaze cold. After all, Ive found that the dead typically dont speak and the person using magic to puppet his body certainly wasnt Peter. Would someone care to explain to me why your group sent a corpse to my apprentices door?This chapter was first shared on the N??v€l?1n platform.

 Chapter 366: Puppets

    Chapter 366: Puppets


    Noah wasnt sure if he wanted to burst into laughter or slap his forehead. Hed been so proud of his on-the-fly plan. He had a lead and, at least as far as he was aware, Godrick had absolutely no idea that Noah knew about his lack of a heartbeat.


    All hed have had to do would be get closer to Godrick during the party and then find a way to trace him back to the other clones. Ulyas mention of something called sympathetic magic sounded like it would have been promising as well.


    None of that was going to work out if Silvertide kicked down the door frothing at the lips. Granted, that would have been the exact strategy Noah would have used himself in nine out of ten other situations, but now that he was the one trying to do a little maneuvering, he felt self-righteous enough to ignore that particular fact.


    The entire room stared at Silvertide in a mixture of confusion, shock, and fear. Conversation had dropped to complete silence at least, from everyone aside from Vermil, who was quietly sliding food into his mouth and swallowing without chewing.


    You killed Peter? Godrick asked, his expression turning dark as his hands clenched at his sides.


    Me? No. He was dead before he ever showed up. The only thing I saw of Peter today was his corpse, Silvertide said. His eyes swept over the room, pausing for an instant as they passed over Vermil. They flicked over to Noah, then to Jalen.


    Was it an undead? another professor that Noah didnt know the name of asked. Or a Skinwalker?


    It shouldnt have been a Skinwalker. That problem vanished quite some time ago, Godrick said, his brow furrowing. He drew in a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. This is ill news. He was a good man.


    It only took a brief glance at Ulyas face to tell Noah that she didnt particularly agree. She didnt seem too distraught about Peters death but the stress had clearly taken a massive toll on her. Noah was pretty sure she was a strong breeze away from collapsing.


    Godrick doesnt seem to be taking the news of this too poorly. Wizen is obviously a good liar, though. Maybe hes planning to play the impartial card or the like to avoid getting suspicion on himself?


    Im sure he was, but weve got a bigger problem than the dead, Silvertide said, tapping his cane on the ground at his feet. Namely, the living. Ive always been liable to assume that trouble comes in more than one incident. I dont suppose anyone is aware of what may have happened? Unless this was an intentional test of some sort?


    Glances were passed around the room, but nobody spoke. It was pretty evident that Peter hadnt been meant to show up dead. And, even if he had, Noah suspected the advanced track professors werent about to say anything otherwise.


    Did you recall what kind of Runes were being used to puppet Peter? Godrick asked with a frown. That could help us narrow down who were dealing with.


    Several people turned toward Ulya. She held them, not giving any ground.


    Plant Runes of some sort. High Ranked ones, likely around five or six.


    The people that had turned to Ulya all looked away. Her abilities were evidently pretty well known, and she didnt have anything in the form of plant magic.


    I dont believe we have any Plant Magic users in the advanced track, Godrick said with a concerned frown. Perhaps thats a good thing. I would prefer to be against an external opponent rather than an internal one.


    No shit. Thats because youre the bloody opponent.


    Unless theyre working with one of us, Gero observed idly from where he sat at the table. We have no way to know. Who would send someone after Silvertide, though? Nobody here should be that stupid.


    Of that, everyone seemed to agree. Nods went around the room, but it didnt do anything to ease the tension surrounding them.


    Im not so sure Im willing to skip past the fact that nobody mentioned anything until now, the professor beside Godrick said, glaring at Gero. Why didnt you say anything? Maybe youre the one that killed him.


    Because it would have devolved into a slew of accusations just like that one, Verrud, Gero said, his tone dry. Im aware how difficult subtlety can be for you, but not everything needs to be handled with the grace of a stampeding monster horde.


    The entire room erupted in conversation as people started to take sides. It only managed to go on for a few seconds before a loud bang echoed out, silencing everyone. Godrick lifted his clenched fist from the table, his expression flat.


    Which is why we should shut up and hear what Silvertide has to say. He may be a new member of the advanced track, but I think everyone here is more than aware of just how capable he is. We will not devolve into argument like a group of unruly children.


    Nobody said another word, but Noahs confusion grew. Godrick had done exactly what a proper leader would have, but that didnt line up. He was the puppet. His goal should have been to take away from Silvertides legitimacy by trying to poke holes in his claims or otherwise distracting the other professors.


    Noah could have seen an argument for the whole thing being a huge ruse to lower their guard but that would have been unbelievably stupid. Silvertide had basically revealed he knew how to identify the puppets, so hed probably be able to find out that Godrick was fake.


    And, since Godrick had just said to listen to Silvertide, hed have no way to refuse or try to back out if Silvertide accused him of anything.


    Is Wizen dumber than we thought? Or am I just missing the angle hes playing at?


    Thank you, Godrick, Silvertide said. Fortunately for all of us, I am relatively adept in dealing with plant mages. This isnt the first time Ive dealt with one that used puppets, and I am capable of identifying their puppets without too much difficulty.


    The first thing we should do is clear the room, then, Verrud said, his beady eyes lighting up. Brilliant. Check us. Nobody make any sudden moves.


    Exactly my plan, Silvertide said. Remain where you are. Tyler, stay at the stairwell. If anyone tries to run past you well, let them. They wont make it far.


    Everyone remained locked in place while Silvertide started walking through the room, pausing as he passed by each individual person.


    I have to be missing something. Not knowing what it is that Wizen wants is completely throwing me for a loop here. I cant tell what his goals are with the advanced track or with Godrick and I dont know what the hell Silvertide is doing either.


    Silvertide is far from stupid. He wouldnt play his cards like this unless he had a really good reason to. Why blow our cover? I just dont get it.


    Silvertides expression held no answers in it. He made his way across the room, continuing on until he stood before Godrick. Noah reached for his Runes. One way or another, things were about to go south.


    Well? Verrud asked. What did you find?


    Theres a puppet in this room, Silvertide said, raising a finger. But it isnt a plant puppet. Its a metal one, and it appears to be unrelated to any plant magic.


    That would be mine, Ulya said, her voice strained. Are you sure there arent any other puppets?


    No, Silvertide said, stepping away from Godrick and shaking his head. There are not.


    Wait, what?

 Chapter 367: Silvertold

    Chapter 367: Silvertold


    Thats a relief, Godrick said, leaning back in his chair. He drummed his fingers on the table and tapped his foot on the ground. It means everyone in the room right now is safe but it doesnt give us a good solution to the problem.


    Which is for the best, Silvertide said.


    What? How is that good? Verrud asked, rising from his chair and crossing his arms behind his back. Even if you have a way to detect the puppets, the rest of us dont. Were also clearly getting targeted for some reason.


    Are you getting targeted, or is our opponent simply after stronger mages and you fit the bill? Silvertide queried, raising a finger into the air to forestall any further questions. Either way, it doesnt matter. As Im sure you all know, letting news about this out would cause panic and do nothing but make it harder to trace the roots of our target.


    We cant exactly sit around and do nothing, Gero said. He picked up a piece of chicken and took a large bite out of it bone and all before Vermil could mow through all the food around them. He continued to speak through a full mouth. Something has to be done.


    Something will be done, Silvertide said. But this is a job for a surgeon, not a swarm of blundering fools.


    Are you volunteering? Godrick asked.


    I am. I have extensive experience dealing with threats such as this. I should be able to deal with this threat with the aid of a small team.


    What do the rest of us do, then? a female professor with pure white hair asked. You cant expect us to sit around and do nothing while theres a murderer running lose on campus.


    Do you really do anything that different normally? Silvertide asked with a chuckle. Just continue as you were and keep your guard up. These are puppets, not mages at your rank. They dont have any information about the person beyond what they can study. If youre aware of your surroundings and put a little thought into your actions, nobody should be caught by surprise.


    A few murmurs passed through the room, but nobody spoke up immediately. Silvertide was acting as if the situation was little more than an inconvenience that had drawn his annoyance.


    Im pretty sure hes underplaying this a bit too much, and I still dont understand why he doesnt suspect Godrick. Id almost wonder if Silvertide himself was a clone, but he still had a heartbeat and he definitely recognized me. For now, I suppose I should just play along and see what hes aiming for.


    How long do you believe it would take you to handle this threat? If youre asking us all to stand down, theres only so long we can wait before it becomes unsustainable. Unless were up against an entire group of mages, I refuse to be terrorized by a single opponent, Godrick said. Im willing to let you try things your way, but only if it solves the problem quickly.


    I can have this handled in a week, Silvertide said with a dismissive shrug. And, so long as all of you actually use those heads youre so proud of, there shouldnt be any more deaths.


    A week? You can root out the mage in just a week? Godrick asked, raising an eyebrow. He shrugged, then gave Silvertide a sharp nod. Very well. I speak for all of us when I say youve got your week. I assume you wish us to maintain our normal activities?


    Yes. The less our opponent knows about what were doing, the better it will be, Silvertide confirmed. I can assure you that this threat will be completely dealt with within seven days.


    The other advanced track professors exchanged glances, but nobody spoke up. It looked like they were satisfied with going with whatever Godrick suggested for the time being, at least. Even though nobody was speaking, the tension in the room was evident.


    In that case, for the time being, we will resume as we were, Godrick said. He paused for a few moments to gather himself. I can honestly say that this is not how I saw today going. It is tragic to hear of Peters passing, but we will continue on as we always have.


    At least he didnt have any students, Gero said through a mouthful of food.


    Your disguise sucks, Jalen informed Noah. Mine is much better.


    You dont even have one. The only reason that hood does anything is because nobody knows what you look like in the first place.


    Anonymity is the greatest disguise and Ill have you know that at least a few people do know what I look like. I used to get around.


    Noah suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. It wasnt like anybody was going to be able to easily tell what he was doing with them while the mask was on. Im not opposed to helping, but why me?


    Because youre already wrapped up in it, Silvertide replied. Its a powerful plant mage. Do you know when the last time a powerful plant mage showed up that wasnt part of the Torrin family? Ive got no better place to start working, and I imagine youd be wherever Moxie ends up.


    Fair enough, Noah allowed. This was definitely Silvertide which made it even more confusing as to what his goals were. He glanced around to make sure nobody was too close, then lowered his voice. Why did you lie?


    Lie? Silvertide blinked. What are you talking about?


    About Godrick. You said there werent any other puppets in the room, but he doesnt have a heartbeat. Im pretty certain hes a puppet.


    Silvertide let out a bark of suppressed laughter. I can see how youd come to that conclusion. You arent technically wrong Godrick doesnt have a heartbeat. That isnt because hes a puppet, though. Its because he doesnt have a heart.


    Something tells me youre not being metaphorical.


    Godrick and I go back quite some time. His heart was destroyed out years ago in a really nasty fight, but he was fortunate enough to have a very talented Imbuer on his team. They managed to make an Imbued heart that keeps him kicking, and his body is so adapted to it that trying to heal the damage with a potion is pointless at this point.


    A flush of embarrassment reddened the back of Noahs neck. Of course hed run into the one person that somehow didnt have a heart and wasnt a puppet the moment hed come up with his new puppet-sensing technique.


    Well, thats awkward, Noah muttered. At least I didnt do anything yet.


    I would have come to the same conclusion if I was using heartbeats to sense puppets, Silvertide said with a grin. He clapped Noah on the shoulder. Dont beat yourself up about it. Fact of the matter is, you werent entirely wrong. Have you had a chance to scan the whole room yet?


    No. Ive been pretty focused on Godrick.


    Ah. Then youll be thrilled to know that there is, in fact, a puppet that I didnt mention. No point letting our opponent know that Im onto him, is there? Silvertides lips split apart into a cold grin.


    Noah was grateful for his mask, as it stopped anybody from noticing his eyes widen. He still nearly turned to scan the room before he caught himself. It would have been ironic if he gave himself and Silvertide away by acting like an idiot.


    Who?


    The woman with the white hair, Silvertide replied, not breaking eye contact with Noah. How do you feel about going on a little hunt tonight, after the party has worn down?

 Chapter 368: Off in pursuit

    Chapter 368: Off in pursuit


    The party if it could still be called that ground on. It was clear that the mood had been completely ruined, and most people stuck to their own areas, glancing furtively around the room as if Wizens clones could have been lurking anywhere in their midst. And, in their defense, they werent wrong.


    Moxie joined the fake Vermil and the rest of the students at the table, keeping an eye on them while giving Noah, Jalen, and Silvertide more room to speak in private without having such a big crowd that they grew attention.


    Godrick did his best to perform proper introductions for everyone, but with the evenings earlier revelations, it was clear that nobody was particularly interested. They already knew who Silvertide was, and Vermil had already plowed through nearly half of the available food on the table with no signs of stopping.


    As for the new students, it was pretty clear that nobody was going to be going around doing any proper introductions until the Wizen issue had been dealt with. After all, knowing more people just meant more opportunities for a clone to get closer.


    Noah sat with Silvertide and Jalen through the majority of the party, keeping an eye on the white-haired clone while they waited for her to take her leave. Ulya sat a few feet to their side, nervously fidgeting in her chair.


    So, are you going to properly introduce me to your hooded friend? Silvertide asked, sending a glance in Jalens direction. I dont believe I recognize him.


    Just a traveler, Jalen said with a dismissive shrug. Nobody of any interest, I can assure you.


    Would you find me odd if I didnt believe that for a fraction of a second? Silvertide let a wry smile cross his face and shrugged. No matter. I will not push, even if it causes my curiosity pain.


    Wise, Jalen said. Though Im starting to wish someone would. I was expecting a considerably more exciting night. Everything was laid out for a play, but it seems youve gone and shifted the pieces around.


    I prefer to work when the playing field is already stacked to my advantage, Silvertide said. I would be happy to accommodate you if I knew more of what your desires were.


    Jalen chuckled and tapped a finger to his head in a gesture of respect. A good attempt, but one that will yield no fruit. I believe I promised to avoid causing too much of a commotion today, so I will not be sharing anything about myself.


    Silvertide shrugged. Very well. Does anyone happen to know the name of tonights target? I must admit that I havent had time to properly research the backgrounds of everybody in the advanced track yet. I had planned to do it tonight, but that plan changed when a corpse showed up at my door.


    Mayreena, Ulya put in. They all turned to look at her and she shrunk in her seat. Sorry.The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))


    No need to apologize. If we wanted privacy then it would have been rather stupid to speak in your presence. As far as I can tell, youre in with Vermil, yes?


    Ulya averted her gaze to peer at Vermil, who was currently crushing a large fruit up in his hands to shove it, skin and all, into his mouth. She swallowed, then nodded. I suppose so. We have been working together.


    Then nothing here should be much of a surprise to you, Silvertide said. Im sorry for your loss, though.


    My loss?


    Mayreena. She is dead, Silvertide said.


    Oh. I wasnt particularly close to her. She was one of the professors that worked closely with Verrud, another researcher. Mayreena always kept to herself and was pretty standoffish, so while Im sad to hear she died, Im not personally affected.


    Or perhaps youre just too tired to register things properly, Silvertide observed. You could carry a corpse in those bags under your eyes.


    Could it be that sympathetic magic that Ulya mentioned? Im assuming it works by some form of correlation, kind of like Voodoo back on Earth. Do something to a representative and the magic carries on to the other pieces. I dont really know much more than that, but if Im right, that seems like a pretty reasonable strategy.


    Just defeating the puppet may be more difficult than you suspect, Ulya said. And the plant mage didnt seem like he valued the one that he attacked me with very much.


    Gero did inform me of some of your circumstances, Silvertide said, causing a small frown to pass over Noahs face. If Gero had spoken with Silvertide, then why had Silvertide pretended to not know who Ulya was?


    He could have been testing her, I suppose. Testing for what, though? Maybe Im reading too far into it, and he literally just forgot. Its hard to remember hes a powerful soldier sometimes. He might really just not remember.


    Do you know what happened? Ulya asked, leaning forward slightly, but disappointment passed over her features as Silvertide shook his head.


    Im afraid not. Nothing about our opponent has indicated he has any form of space magic, though. If youre a plant, then he is playing at an entirely different game than I believe. Regardless, your help will be useful, even if your puppets cant properly fight yet.


    Then Ill do what I can, Ulya said, swallowing in a clear attempt to keep her nerves under control.


    Before anyone else could speak, Mayreena rose from her spot at the table. The party had been slowing down for a while, and a few of the other professors and their students had already left.


    She started to make her way for the exit, and nobody other than the trio around Noah was watching her. Silvertide inclined his head slightly once Mayreena passed them. He stood up with a yawn.


    Id say its about time we get moving. Would be a shame to let her get away.


    Noah sent a glance back at Moxie and the others, his brow furrowing. As much as he wanted to follow Silvertide blindly, he wasnt keen on leaving his friends alone with the advanced track.


    He wasnt confident something wouldnt go wrong, and if he was nowhere near, hed have no way to know.


    You didnt have any plans of fighting anything tonight, right? Noah asked Jalen.


    Jalen shrugged. Not at the moment.


    Mind sticking around here and keeping an eye on them? Im not asking you to go to war for them, but I dont want some random Rank 5 or 6 just showing up and randomly killing everyone the moment I leave.


    Is that something that happens frequently enough that youre accounting for it? Jalen asked, tilting his head to the side just enough to let the light touch on the amused grin on his face.


    Now that you mention it yes.


    Jalen snorted. Fine. Dont expect much, but Ill make sure the fight is fair if nothing else.


    That was about as much as he could ever imagine getting the strange man to agree to, so Noah nodded in appreciation. He rose to his feet to stand beside Silvertide, and Ulya got up as well.


    Well be off, then, Silvertide said, his cane clicking at his side as Noah and Ulya followed him up the stairs, leaving the advanced track party behind in pursuit of Wizens puppet.

 Chapter 369: How many times?

    Chapter 369: How many times?


    As soon as the trio emerged from the doorway leading out into the streets, Silvertide was off. In the few seconds that had passed, Mayreena had already vanished from view, but that didnt seem to hinder Silvertide in the slightest.


    He set a brisk pace that forced Noah and Ulya to hover at something between a fast walk and a jog to keep up. They turned down several alleyways, keeping their movements relatively quiet in their pursuit.


    After just a few minutes, Noah caught a flash of white hair down the turn of an alley. It was only for an instant, but Silvertide clearly knew exactly where Mayreena was. Noah wasnt sure why they hadnt just sped up to catch her by now, but he suspected Silvertide probably knew what he was doing.


    Maybe hes hoping shell lead us back to the hive of puppets, or something like that. It feels like it would be monumentally stupid to just have every single puppet hanging out in the same spot after hours, though. Its not like theres an evil plant puppet nightclub that they all just kick back at.


    Fortunately for Noahs dwindling patience, they didnt have to wait much longer. After a few more turns and about a minute of pursuit, Silvertides pace finally slowed. They turned a corner, stepping out into an old town square that looked largely abandoned.


    They were well into the city at this point, and not the good part of it. The houses were old and unkept, their walls showing signs of age in the cracks that had started to build up along them. A faint moldy smell just barely drifted into Noahs nostrils even though he couldnt see any mold in the area.


    Mayreena stood at the other end of the square, beside an old fountain that didnt look like it had been used in a dozen years. Her arms hung straight at her sides as she stared at them, face as expressionless as the night sky above them.


    Well, isnt that an interesting coincidence? Silvertide asked, coming to a stop with a final click of his cane against the stone. I didnt think wed run into anyone on our nighttime stroll.


    You say that as if you havent been following me the whole way out of the party tonight, Mayreena said. What do you want?


    Ulya stiffened at Noahs side, her eyes darting left and right to peer into the shadows surrounding them.


    Us? Were just walking around, Silvertide said with a small shrug. And I would never do something as detestable as trail somebody out of a party. Damned Plains, lass. What kind of person do you think I am?


    Noah tried to feel if Mayreena had a heartbeat, but she was still too far for him to check. If they got a bit closer, shed be within the range of his tremorsense, though he would have preferred to have her within his domain to really get a perfect read.


    Then again, if shes a clone, something tells me I wont be getting anywhere near close enough to get her inside my domain.


    Is that so? Mayreena asked. Youll have to forgive me if I dont believe you. Perhaps you and your friends should direct your stroll in a different direction.


    There was a clear threat in her tone. It was a threat that Silvertide chose to completely and utterly ignore.


    Im afraid Ive never been a fan of changing my plans because someone else decided to be in the area, Silvertide said. He genuinely sounded apologetic about the inconvenience, which nearly made Noah bust out laughing. Perhaps you should have chosen a different path if youre uncomfortable with my presence. See, were not just strolling around for fun.


    Is that so? Mayreena asked. I couldnt have guessed.


    We were patrolling the streets for some rats, Silvertide continued. He tapped his cane against the cobblestone. And, as a matter of fact, weve been on the tail of one.


    I think we can cut the games now, Mayreena said with an annoyed sigh. She rolled her neck and massaged the bridge of her nose. Youre a real pain in the ass, Silvertide.


    Many dead men have told me such, but I tend not to listen.


    Simple? Mayreena asked with a laugh of disbelief. I know who you are, Silvertide. Do you really think Id come to challenge you without the strength to bring you down? Rejecting help now is a damn fool move to make.


    If that was true, why would you say anything? Silvertide countered. Never stop your opponent from making a mistake. Perhaps you arent as smart as you think you are.


    And you arent nearly as strong as you think you are.


    I suppose well have to find out, Silvertide said with a wry smile. Care to tell me your name before we fight? I have my suspicions, but it would be nice to have something to think of you as.


    You already know my name, Silvertide, Mayreena replied. The monsters at either side of her creaked, the wood on their faces snapping open to form jagged maws. Vines twisted down their arms, forming into menacing axes. Not that itll matter for long. Youre nothing but a Rank 5 soldier that had a few lucky breaks. The only thing I regret is that I wont be able to let anyone know that you fell at my hands. No matter. Your body will suit me well.


    The huge puppets surged forward. Noah prepared to draw on his magic, but Silvertide rapped him on the wrist with his cane, shooting him a sharp glare.


    I believe I told you that Id handle this, Silvertide said, apparently unconcerned about the monsters stampeding toward them. Every step they took made the cobblestone at their feet jump in terror.


    Im calling my puppets, Ulya said hurriedly, pressing her back to the wall. Theyll be here soon, and we can use them to buy time to run. I


    Ulyas sentence ended in a scream as one of the puppets leapt into the air, bringing its axe down toward the three of them, likely planning to kill all three with a single blow. Noah wasnt sure how Wizen planned to harvest any bodies if the squashed them all into paste, but he never got the chance to find out.


    Silvertides cane tapped against the stone. A grey blur flicked out, slamming into the massive axe and sending it careening to the side. Before the puppet could even land, a second blur slammed into its chest and threw it across the square.


    Wood cracked and shattered as the puppet rolled across the ground and slammed into a wall with a loud crash. The second puppet closed in on Silvertide, but it had no more chance to attack than the first did.


    Noah didnt even see what happened. One second, the puppet was bearing down on Silvertide. The second, it was tumbling back, its arm severed right above the elbow. Silvertides cane tapped against the stone as he advanced toward Mayreena at a leisurely pace.


    Holy shit. Is this guy seriously Rank 5?


    The puppets staggered back upright, and wood twisted out of their bodies to repair the damage theyd just taken. They launched themselves toward Silvertide in unison only to be cut down midair by a blur so fast that Noahs mind didnt even properly register the move until it had already finished.


    Silvertide continued forward, stepping right past the puppets. They struggled to rise and reach out for him, but every single time they moved, more blurs carved the monsters apart. Within seconds, theyd been reduced to a pile of wooden scrap.


    Is that all? Silvertide asked, sending a glance back at the puppets with a frown. He turned back to Mayreena. I was expecting more.


    The puppets exploded. Ulya called out a warning as twisting vines erupted from their bodies, wrapping around Silvertide in a split instant. They constricted and splattered to the ground, leaving Silvertide standing where he had been before, completely untouched.


    What Rune are you using? Mayreena asked, taking a step back. This is impossible. Youre a Rank 5.


    I sincerely hope youve got more than this, Silvertide said, a small smile creasing his face. I brought an audience, you know. It would be a shame if I made them leave the party for no reason.


    Im going to kill you, Mayreena growled, her body rippling. Vines erupted from her arm, wrapping around it and forming into a thin blade. And then Ill rip the Runes from your body and take them for myself.


    Do you have any idea how many times Ive heard that? Silvertide asked with a laugh, beckoning Mayreena onward. And do you know how many people who made that threat are still around? Youd best make your next attack count. You wont get a chance to make another one.

 Chapter 370: Intimate

    Chapter 370: Intimate


    Mayreena burst into laughter, the vines pushing out from beneath her skin undulating with her amusement. You cant be serious. That might be the cockiest thing Ive ever heard. Do you really think that cutting up two of my puppets is anywhere near enough to justify such arrogance?


    The ground shuddered, and Noahs neck prickled. Two looming forms stepped out of the darkness, vines writhing along their bodies. Wizen had brought out more puppets, and there was no way of knowing how many more he had in the area.


    I told you, Ulya said, her face so pale that it was a miracle she hadnt fainted yet. If you fight a puppet user on territory theyre ready for you on, everything is skewed in their favor. We have no idea how many puppets hes set up and had inactive, just waiting to swap in. We cant win this fight.


    Noah was starting to wonder if she was right. He didnt know how powerful Wizen, was, but he knew he was strong. If he had dozens of puppets just sitting around, they werent going to be able to win.


    Even if I can die and come back, Ulya and Silvertide cant. Retreating and finding someone that actually has a way to properly deal with Wizens puppets seems like it might be the smartest option here.


    Silvertide didnt seem like he agreed. Hed stopped in the center of the square, leaning on his cane with a slight expression of amusement on his face. The new puppets lumbered to stand beside Mayreena, casting long shadows in the moonlight.


    Well? Mayreena asked. You were talking big game, Silvertide. I believe you said that Id only have one more move. Id love to see how a mere Rank 5 is going to take out every single one of my puppets in a single blow.


    If were going to get stuck on technicalities, then I dont believe thats what I said at all, Silvertide said. He drummed his fingers on the top of his cane. I said youd only have time for one more move, not that Id kill all your puppets in one blow.


    Are those going to be your last words? Mayrenna brought her hand down and the puppets lurched into motion, advancing toward Silvertide. Snarky and utterly pointless. Disappointing.


    I do hate to hear that Ive failed to live up to expectations, Silvertide said, taking his hands off his cane and brushing them off on his coat. The cane remained in place where hed left it as he stepped to the side, rolling his neck.


    His leg shimmered. Ghostly threads rose from it, swirling in the air around him like the rings of Saturn, and a faint hum started up, quickly turning into a high-pitched keening. Noahs ears stung and he raised a hand to his head, grimacing.


    What the hell is the magic Silvertide uses? He doesnt seem concerned, but Im starting to wonder if its because hes just putting on a front. I should get ready to grab Ulya and make a run for it. Hes just so confident that I cant help but feel like hes going to win even if I have absolutely no idea how hes going to handle all these puppets before we run out of energy. Maybe he thinks Wizen is bluffing?


    Pieces of Silvertides leg pulled away, and the humming grew even louder. Both puppets bore down on him, roaring as the vines covering them shot out, drilling toward the old soldier. Noah went to run forward and help, but something stopped him.


    There wasnt even the slightest amount of concern in Silvertides stance. He was just standing there and a moment later, Noah found out why.


    The ribbons of grey that had been swirling around him erupted forth, carving out through the air in a myriad of slashes so fast that Noah was pretty sure he only picked up a tenth of them. The puppets were ripped to shreds in a split instant. They collapsed to the ground, diced into miniscule chunks.


    Mayreenas eyes narrowed. Cute, Silvertide. But I believe Im still standing.


    She shifted, then froze. Something about her movements felt off and Noah spotted what it was a moment later. Threads of silver had covered the entirety of the square, so thin that they were almost invisible.


    Hundreds of them had wound around Mayreena. She pulled at them with a bemused frown. The threads hardly seemed like they were properly restricting her, and it only took her a second to pull her hand free.


    Take control of? Ulyas brow furrowed in confusion. Then she blinked. Wait. What happened to my puppets? Theyre all


    Destroyed. It was Silvertides turn to look sheepish. My apologies. I needed more base points, and I needed them quickly. Taking over other puppets is fairly simple, but if I did it to our opponent, he would have figured out I was trying to check who was in the area. I stole your puppets to make sure there werent any innocents in the area and used them to locate where all of the other puppets were by expanding the locations my domain could sense.


    But how? Ulya demanded. You never even saw most of my puppets! You just asked if I had them!


    You called them to you when I asked about it. Any smart puppet user would only use a small amount of energy for a summoning like that, so it was easy enough to follow that energy back and overrule your commands in a subtle manner. Unfortunately, when I released my own puppet, the magic ripped all of yours to shreds. It was a necessary sacrifice to make sure I killed every one of our opponents tools at the same time.


    Whyd you even bother inviting me? Noah asked. You didnt need any help.


    No, but I certainly seemed less intimidating when I needed to drag along backup, didnt I? Silvertide cackled at the expression on Ulyas face, then slapped Noah on the shoulder. Come on. Ulya, Ill make sure you get reimbursed for the damage I did to your puppets.


    How many steps ahead was Silvertide this whole time? I cant tell if I should be offended I was literally brought in as the peanut gallery or impressed that he took out Wizens entire battalion of puppets with one attack. Moxie is going to be so jealous she wasnt here.


    What happens next, then? Ulya asked as they fell in behind Silvertide. That mage could come back, couldnt he?


    The hard part is getting the puppets here in the first place. Now that our plant mage friend has lost his army, hes going to have to go through a lot more work and recovery if he wants to try that plan again. I suspect hes smart enough to know that wont work considering how easily we crushed it this time. And, beyond that, I left him a little gift.


    You did? Noah asked, blinking. How?


    Sympathetic magic, Ulya murmured, realization setting in on her expression. You used his puppets to attack him? I thought you didnt know sympathetic magic!


    Did I say that? Silvertide said, tilting his head to the side. I must have lied.


    ***


    Wizen ground his teeth together, staring at the cracked bulb of dirt at his feet. Evergreens Essence leaked out of it, infused with rancid silver magic. The soldier had sent his power back down the line connecting Evergreen to the clones, and the results werent pretty.


    Several of her Runes had been shattered. If it hadnt been for Wizens own powers, her body and magic would have been destroyed completely. Wizen shook his head, then let out a laugh.


    Well played, Silvertide. I got cocky, and you made me pay for it. Thats one nasty Master Rune and using the corpse of the monster youre so famous for defeating as a mere puppet I cant even complain.


    Wizen set his hand on Evergreens bulb, sealing it over. There wasnt much left of her, but there was no reason to waste even a little power. If he could wring anything else from the old woman, he would.


    You can take this round, Wizen said, turning to the other bulbs in his room as a smile pulled across his lips. It was only the first game, after all. Puppets might not be right angle, but Im fortunate enough to have options. Perhaps its time I get more intimately involved. I can hardly stand back after such a firm blow to my face.

 Chapter 371: Jealous

    Chapter 371: Jealous


    I am unspeakably jealous of you, Moxie informed Noah, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair.


    Hed returned to her room just a few minutes ago and had been relieved to find that everyone had returned safely although that relief had faded slightly when hed realized that he had to tell Moxie that hed watched her hero show off his coolest move.


    I didnt know he was going to go and do something like that, Noah said defensively.


    I know, I know. That doesnt make me any less jealous, though. Its incredible that hes managed to keep that under wraps this whole time. I never would have thought he used puppets, but it makes so much sense. Thats why hes been punching above his weight class so much. Hes using the body of a powerful monster, and hes probably been reinforcing it with extra Imbuements and magic this whole time.


    He was certainly something, Noah admitted. He brought me and Ulya along specifically so we could make him look weaker and I was supposed to be pretending to be a Rank 6 powerhouse. What a badass.


    Stop talking him up, Moxie groaned, running her hands through her hair. Its just making things worse. I wish I was there.


    Sorry, Noah said with a cheeky grin. Maybe you can pretend to be the insanely strong mage next time so he drags you along instead.


    Moxie snorted. Yeah, right. Thatll be the time we get attacked by everyone and their grandmothers. Ill let you stick to that. But what happened after Silvertide killed the puppets? That cant be it, can it?


    Almost certainly not, Noah agreed. Im certain this is Wizen were up against. I dont think he could read any thoughts through his puppets, or he would have figured out what Silvertide was doing. Theres no way hes done, though. And, unfortunately, he didnt give us a scrap of information about what he actually wants.


    Lovely. I was kind of hoping hed just spout his plans to look cool before he tried to kill you.


    Me too, Noah admitted with a sigh. I tried, but he didnt bite. Hes not an idiot, unfortunately. Silvertide seemed to think it would be pretty hard for him to get his puppets back to Arbitage, though. He might have to come here himself.


    Moxie chewed her lip and leaned back on the rear legs of her chair, rocking back and forth in place as she thought. Then hes almost certainly going to go after Silvertide. After getting stomped that hard, hes got to be pissed.


    Given how arrogant he came off? Almost certainly. Noah nodded. I think it might be a bit before he pops up again. We should use that time to get stronger and focus the kids training. Right now, theyre the weak link and I dont want Wizen thinking theyre easy targets.


    Thats assuming he cares about them at all, but I agree, Moxie said. She let her chair return to its normal position before she could fall. Some of the other advanced track professors were discussing having training matches. It could be worthwhile matching up some of our students against theirs to see where they stand. The first one is next week.


    Seems like a good goal. More than enough time to try to push them to the next step with formations, Noah said.


    They were silent for a few moments, and Lee took that moment to speak up for the first time since Noah had gotten back, having been in a food coma.


    What did you end up doing with the bodies the puppets had taken? Lee asked from her spot on the edge of the bed. Shed mercifully returned back to her normal form, so Noah didnt have to look at himself when she spoke.


    Left them to Silvertide, Noah replied. I dont know what he did with them after that. Maybe he took them as proof? Either way, youve eaten more than enough for one night.


    Rafael was deeply concerned. Hed known that this task wasnt going to be simple. Killing demons rarely was but hed never expected his target to be this deeply entrenched. The demon wasnt just defended. Everything around them was a veritable fortress.


    It had been strange enough when the blood hed gathered had been more finnicky than it should have been. Instead of leading him right to the demon, it faded and swirled throughout Arbitage, as if it couldnt make up its mind as to where the demon had gone.


    If it had gone up a Rank, Rafael could have understood a degree of confusion. Demons changed considerably with every Rank they advanced but this was different. It was as if the demon couldnt determine if it existed or not.


    And, even in spite of that, hed tracked his foe. Hed followed its many trails through Arbitage. His efforts had finally led him to a group a group that was in with one of the most famous soldiers in the kingdom, Silvertide.


    It wasnt just Silvertide, either. The group, including several people that appeared to be mere students, also had the support of a man and a woman who had completely suppressed their power. And, if there was one thing that Rafael had learned in his time hunting demons, it was that anything without even the slightest amount of power had far more power than anyone else in the room.


    Rank 5 minimum, probably Rank 6. Ive never felt such a perfectly suppressed well, everything. I would have thought the hooded man wasnt even there if Id been looking less closely. The woman the same. I couldnt get a read of her.


    But which one was the actual demon? Was it the one shoveling food into his mouth like there was no tomorrow? Was it the woman or the masked man? Damn it.


    Hed chosen to remain hidden in the shadows of the meeting hed followed the group to, staying behind when Silvertide and the masked man had left. The chances of Silvertide being corrupted were low, so the others were far more likely to be his targets.


    But, to his annoyance, the night had ended without anything even slightly out of the ordinary aside from the man Vermil, if Rafael had caught his name correctly having a seemingly bottomless stomach.


    It could be him. Eating that much could be indicative of a demons unrestrained personality but he also seems to care a little too much about the people around him. He keeps glancing at the students to make sure theyre next to him, and with the discussion that was happening in here earlier, it makes sense.


    Demons dont care for others. Shit. Who is it?


    They couldnt have all been demons, and there was a very good chance that at least a few of them had no idea who they were traveling with. Rafael couldnt warn them either if they did know and were simply hiding it, then hed be giving himself away.


    Damn it. I could try approaching Vermil, but what if he made a deal with a demon to protect his students? That would make him an enemy, even if it was for a good cause.


    No matter how hard Rafael thought, he couldnt think of anything that would answer his questions. Nobody had given themselves away tonight, which meant it was ever more likely that his target was the masked man or, gods forbid, Silvertide himself.


    I dont have much time left. Ill have to observe them over the coming days. And, if nothing reveals itself, then I will be forced to try to isolate them as much as possible and confront them one by one.


    Rafael took his rosary in his hands and ran his thumb along the beads, forcing himself to take control over his fraying nerves. He was no stranger to great threats, and this demon was no different. No matter how extensive its support network may have been, it was a demon.


    And, once it was revealed, he would destroy it. There was no alternative. There were no other paths. Demons were a plague on this world, and they could not be allowed to exist.


    Before this week ends, the demon must die.

 Chapter 372: Too late

    Chapter 372: Too late


    The next morning, Noah woke up to Lee slipping in through the window. He blinked, locking eyes with her as she froze with one foot into the room, as if not moving would keep anyone from noticing her.


    Lee? Noah asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and sitting up. Moxie had somehow slipped out of bed without waking him up, and it didnt look like she was in the room.


    I was trying to be sneaky, Lee said, pulling the window open the rest of the way and dropping into the room. She shut it behind her and frowned back at it.


    Youre normally pretty good at that, Noah said. What happened?


    I was distracted, Lee said. Something about the party yesterday felt a bit weird, so I went back to investigate. I havent seen anything out of place, though.


    Weird? Noah asked. What part of it? Id say there were half a dozen different weird things all happening at once.


    Most of that was the normal weird. Lee shook her head, clearly searching for the right words. It was a smell. One that really didnt fit, and it wasnt the puppets I dont know why, but those didnt smell different. They just smelled like people.


    Concerning, but what was the other smell, then? Noah asked, fully waking up. He slid out of bed and got dressed, snagging his belongings. Something we should be worried about?


    Thats what I was trying to find out. It seemed a little familiar but at the same time, I couldnt place it at all. And, when I went back today to try and see if I could smell what it was, there was nothing there.


    Im not even going to waste time asking if youre sure it was there, then. Do you think it had anything to do with the puppets, even if it wasnt them? Maybe Wizen?


    I dont know. I dont think Ive interacted enough with Wizen or the puppets to place the smell, Lee admitted with a frown. She fell silent for a second, then shook her head. Never mind. For now, just be careful, I guess. I dont know what it was.


    Noted, Noah said. Do you know where Moxie went?


    Emily and Alexandra stopped by asking to do some extra training today, so she went to practice with them. I saw them leaving while I was headed out to see if I could smell the thing from yesterday.


    Noah nodded, adjusting his hair. He went for the door, then paused. Now that the meeting with the advanced track had passed, he wasnt actually sure what he wanted to do today. Originally, dealing with Wizens puppets would have taken that spot up but those were, courtesy of Silvertide, handled as well.


    Well, shit. Normally this would be a great time to bother Moxie, but shes doing teacher things. Thats honestly for the best, considering shes been trying to find a way to help more in recent classes. Does leave me in a bit of a pickle, though.


    Whelp, Formations it is then. Theres still a lot more I know I can get out of the violin, and I need to make sure Im as strong as possible in the near future. Getting better with Formations and the violin will be a lot more beneficial in the short term than getting some new Tier 4 Runes, but I should keep that in mind as well.


    That particular thought gave Noah pause. His first Rank 4 Rune had been pretty easy to figure out. It had just been an extension of his Rank 3 but he didnt have that privilege anymore. Even if he used a few Rank 4 Natural Disasters for his Rank 5 Rune, he still needed something else in the mix.


    What kind of magic would pair well with Natural Disaster? Noah mused to himself, letting his hand rest on the doorknob.


    Unnatural Disaster? Lee offered from behind him, snickering to herself.


    Noah went to roll his eyes, then caught himself as the idea fully registered. Natural Disaster was all nature-based magic. If he continued down the disaster route, adding magic that originated from areas beyond just environmental ones seemed pretty logical.


    That would be a great spot to work in some Space Runes or the like. Im not sure what Rank Id have to be to create a black hole, but Im pretty sure that would count as a disaster at some point, especially if it was right on top of some poor bastards head.


    Thats not a bad idea, Noah said with a grin. Thanks, Lee.


    It wasnt? Lee blinked, then cleared her throat. I mean, of course it wasnt. Im a genius.


    Got plans for today? Noah asked as he headed into the hall. Ill probably focus on some practice. I dont know how long well have before Wizen is back, but we should have at least a few days of being left alone if not more. Thatll be welcome Its been far too long since Ive gotten any proper free time. Are you close to hitting Rank 4 yet? It might be a good idea to try to push through the last bit and advance.


    Lees features clouded and she remained in the room, not following after him. Im almost there. Maybe Ill get there this week. Today, Ill probably just wander around. Maybe Ill follow after Moxie and the others.


    Lee nodded and sat down cross-legged beside Emily, content to bide her time and wait for the opportune moment to claim some of the girls jerky for herself. Figuring out how to defend food was a core element of training.


    Part of her was still concerned with the smell from yesterday, but it had been so faint and unreadable that it was almost certainly something to do with Wizens puppets. Silvertide had handled that, so there was nothing else to worry about for now. There would be time to worry about getting stronger later. Right now, she was content to sit with her friends.


    ***


    A footstep echoed through the room, pulling Tims gaze away from his favorite window. He hadnt even heard the elevator activate, but a man stood on the lift, his features concealed by a hood.


    For a moment, Tim wondered if Jalen had returned, but he quickly dismissed the thought. This man didnt have the same build his shoulders were broader and he was almost a foot shorter.


    I didnt hear you coming, Tim said with a smile, pushing back from the table and rising to his feet. Are you new to the transport cannon?


    Yes, the man replied in a gravelly tone. This is my first time. I dont often take use of Space magic imbuements. Theyre finnicky.


    They are, Tim agreed, his smile growing even larger. Thats why the transport cannon is so impressive. Its state of the art, and has some of the biggest improvements in travel efficiency that the world has seen. Care for a demonstration?


    No, the man barked as Tim reached for the controls. Tim froze, blinking in surprise.


    You dont?


    Not at the moment. Please step back, the man said. Something in his tone sent a frown crawling across Tims face.


    Im sorry? Why? Is something wrong?


    Nothing is wrong, the man said, his cloak flowing across the floor as he approached Tim. Just step away from the controls.


    Tims eyes narrowed. He considered himself a pretty good judge of character, and in nine times out of ten, when people showed up with their hoods on and murmured vague threats, they didnt tend to be anyone good.


    I dont think Ill be doing that, Tim said. If you have any complaints, feel free to take them to the Office.


    He reached for the reset lever and froze.


    Tims eyes couldnt even widen. His body wouldnt budge. It was as if every single part of it had completely rebelled against him. He couldnt so much as blink. The man stepped forward, studying the levers beside Tim.


    This one activates the cannon, yes?


    Tim didnt respond. It wasnt like he had a choice. He struggled as furiously as he could, trying to so much as wiggle a pinky toe, but his entire body was locked down.


    Theres no point trying to resist, the man said. Its blood magic, and youre in my domain. Without one of your own, its fruitless.


    He held a hand up, running his thumb over a bone rosary. A moment later, the man lowered it. You have nothing to fear from me. All youre going to do is pull that lever once Im on the transport cannon. Its still set to the same location, isnt it?


    Tim could do nothing but stare as the man walked across the room and laid back on the cannon. He felt his hand rise up of its own volition and wrap around the lever. It wasnt mind control Tim could literally feel the blood shifting in his body, forcing him to move his arm.


    That did nothing to change what happened. His hand pulled down. There was a flash, and the man disappeared, leaving Tim standing in an empty office. Control snapped back into his body and his face went pale as his blood started flowing properly again.


    The cannon isnt set up for any custom controls right now. I cant pull anyone back early. I need to find someone.


    Tim sprinted out from behind the counter, nearly tripping over his own feet as he ran into the lift and it started to lower, the rattle of the chains rising up all around him in a mocking cacophony.


    All he could do was pray hed be able to get help before it was too late.

 Chapter 374: The demons advance

    Chapter 374: The demon''s advance


    Lees throat clenched. Blood pumped in her ears. Rafaels advance toward Moxie spun in her eyes, every step seeming to come slower than the last. Color shifted as the world turned a faint rose, then slipped into black.


    Control snapped back to her body, but it wasnt in the real world. She stumbled forward, finding herself within the darkness of her mindspace. A bloom of flame swirled before her, revealing Azels form.


    Idiot, Azel snarled. I told you to run.Follow current novels at novelhall.com)


    Let me out! Lee grabbed Azel by his collar. I need to


    What? Azel shoved Lee to the ground. What are you going to do, you stupid girl? Your body is locked in place. You cant move. You cant even beg. All Ive done is buy you a few meagre moments. You can feel it, cant you?


    Lee didnt have to ask Azel what he was talking about. A burning heat swirled at the back of her neck, working its way slowly up toward her brain.


    What did you do?


    Im forcing your brain to run faster than it should be capable of, but theres only so long youre going to be able to handle this, Azel said, thrusting a finger into Lees forehead. Thats your brain stem heating. And, in a minute, youre going to go up like a candle.


    Then help me! Lee begged. Kill the Inquisitor!


    Azel let out a bark of laughter. Do you think me an attack dog, Lee? I dont have a body thanks to Vermil. All I am is energy, and Evergreen did a lot of damage to me. Its taken everything I have to shift the majority of my power to you, and youve been wasting it at every blasted opportunity.


    I


    No, Azel snapped. No more talking, Lee. Its my turn. Ive helped you at every turn. If you want to live, youre going to do what I say. Enough of this cowardice. Youve got enough energy in your Runes to advance to Rank 4, and thats what youre going to do. Thats the only way you survive this.


    If I advance, can I save Moxie?


    Save? You should focus on keeping yourself from dying. Reaching Rank 4 will let you keep Rafael from freezing you in place with his domain, but that wont let you fight him for more than a second or two. Hes a Rank 5, and a strong one. Ranking up will give you a chance to run.


    What about Moxie? Lee demanded. I cant


    You will! Azel roared, flame coiling off his shoulders and lighting the darkness before it was swallowed by the shadows once more. You are a demon. Beyond all else, we persevere. I do not know where you got this damn fool notion of sacrifice in your head, but the Damned Plains have no room for sentimental idiots. Rank up. Now. Otherwise, sit around and watch Moxies throat get slit and then die afterward yourself.


    If Im Rank 4, I have a fighting chance. It might be enough to catch Rafael off guard for even a second, and that could give me time to grab Moxie and make a run for it. Its my only choice. I dont have another one.


    Azel was saying shed save herself, but Lee wasnt so sure there would be anything of herself left to save after she reached Rank 4. Advancing and forming the Rank 4 Rune would very likely be the last time she was ever truly herself but if she could hold on for just long enough to get Moxie and the others away from Rafael


    Fine, Lee said, swallowing heavily. Lets do it. Will you help me?


    Azels smile was cold. What do you think Ive been waiting this whole time for? I will aid you. You know your emotion, I trust? This isnt going to work if you dont.


    Rafael blurred, and Moxies body slammed to a halt once again before she could take so much as a step. He reformed beside Moxie, his sword swinging and a red blur slammed into him. A loud crack echoed out as his chin shot up, blood spraying from his mouth. A second blow drove into his stomach and sent him tumbling across the ground.


    For the briefest instant, Moxie saw Lee but the woman that stood before her didnt look like Lee at all. Two jagged horns had ripped out of her forehead, curling up around her skull. Smoldering flame raced across them and throughout her hair, traveling down her arms and dancing across her knuckles.


    Her fingers had sharpened to black claws, and her teeth had grown from pointed to full on fangs. But, beyond all of it, there was a deep, desperate hunger burning behind her eyes. It was a hunger that Moxie recognized and it was more than just Lee.


    Azel.


    What is this? Rafael wheezed, staggering to his feet. The blood swirled around his body, forming into armor. He wasnt playing around anymore. Its impossible. A demon at Rank 4 cant have this much power. Not even with a rank up. What are you?


    Lee vanished in a puff of soot and flame, reappearing before Rafael and driving her claws for his throat. This time, Rafael wasnt caught off guard. He spun one of his swords, knocking Lees arm to the side but failing to cut her.


    He drove the other for Lees chest, but she vanished before the blow could connect. Reforming behind Rafael, Lee sent a brutal spinning kick for the side of his head. He spun out of the way, then let out a roar.


    The blood surrounding him erupted, driving out toward her in jagged points. Several of them carved into Lees flesh before she could disappear once more. Moxie tried to move, but Rafael had her within his domain once again.


    All she could do was watch through gritted teeth as Lee flashed and spun around Rafael, desperately trying to kill him. But, with every movement, Moxie could see Lees strength reducing. Shed used up the huge burst of power that had come with her rank advancement. Even though she still had far more strength than she should have, Rafael was taking control of the fight back.


    I will study you, Rafael hissed, driving a fist into Lees stomach and sending her flying back. She spun, landing on her feet and skidding across the dirt. Her fangs parted in a snarl and she flashed toward Rafael again only to be met with a blast of concentrated blood. Even as it sent her flying, one of Lees claws shot out. It caught on Rafaels jaw, ripping a deep furrow down across his neck.


    Lee hit the ground on her back, hissing in pain. She tumbled, bouncing once before managing to catch herself with her claws. Blood streaked her face and her chest rose and fell with desperate breaths.


    The blood pouring from Rafaels wound slowed. It should have been a borderline mortal wound, but the bastard was cheating he was literally keeping the blood in his body. Rafael reached up to his neck, then cursed.


    I made the right choice in coming, Rafael snarled, thrusting a hand into his pocket and pulling out a glass vial. A creature such as yourself must not be allowed to grow any further. I cant believe a newly made Rank 4 pushed me this far, but the fight ends here.


    Rafael clapped his hands together, shattering the vial. As he pulled his palms apart, his blood swirled together with whatever had been in the vial. Energy crackled at his palms and Moxies skin prickled, even from as far as she was.


    The energy between Rafaels palms seemed far too powerful for even a Rank 5. Lee recognized it as well, but she couldnt get close to the Inquisitor. Blood swirled around him, carving through the ground in a tornado of sanguine blades.


    You should feel honored, Rafael said, gritting his teeth as blood started to trickle from his eyes. Ive never had to use a bloodline curse on a demon before, but I refuse to let a creature such as yourself roam this plane. The damage could be irreparable if you continue to draw breath.


    Im going to consume you. Lees horns burned with dark flame. You wont take them from me. Nobody will.


    There wont be anything left of you to take from, Rafael replied. His teeth grit in concentration as he tried to contain the power swirling between his palms, but it was too much to handle. The ground shook beneath his feet and it looked like it was drawing every ounce of power he had just to keep from falling. Im not stupid enough to take any more chances.


    As if Ill let you hit me with that, Lee said with a bark of cold laughter that sounded completely uncharacteristic for her. You can barely aim. The moment you release that magic, you die.


    I know your emotion, Glutton. And I know how you feel about those who belong to you. Youre fast enough that Id never be able to land this on you anyway. But I dont need to land anything when youll do it for me. Rafael turned not toward Lee, but toward Moxie.


    He released the magic that had been gathering around him, sending an arrow of screaming blood carving through the air toward her with a howl of magical energy. And, for the second time that day, Moxie could do absolutely nothing but watch as death screamed her name.

 Chapter 375: The Worst Demon

    Chapter 375: The Worst Demon


    Rafaels magic was fast. Still, if it had been headed straight for Lee, she was confident that she could have dodged out of the way. But it wasnt headed toward her, and with the fuzzy swirl of her newly formed Rank 4 Rune pounding in her head, Lees thoughts were a muddled mess.


    There was only one thing that she still knew as a fact and that was Moxie wouldnt survive the powerful blood arrow screaming toward her. Lees skin prickled just from her proximity to it, and every single one of her senses screamed at her to turn tail and flee.


    She could feel Azel pulling at her body, desperately yelling something in the back of her mind, but Lee barely even registered him. His words were a droning hum, drowned out by the immense rush of incomprehensible thought and hunger.


    Out of the muddled mess, only a single thought managed to take form. And, amusingly enough, it was driven entirely by the sole emotion that Azel had been pushing her to embrace ever since theyd met.


    Shes mine. Nobody can have her.


    Lee blurred, slamming into Moxie and shoving her out of the way. Shed had plans to continue on, diving out of the way of the blood magic and letting it hurtle past both of them harmlessly, but she wasnt that much faster than Rafael.


    The bolt drove into Lees shoulder. She braced herself for a blast of pain or agony, but nothing happened. Instead, the magic vanished within her, disappearing as if it had never been there. Lee took several stumbling steps, catching herself as Moxie rolled across the ground before her, unable to stop herself while within Rafaels domain.


    Games over, Rafael said, letting his hands drop and bracing them against his knees with a pained laugh. I win.


    Lee tilted her head to the side. She looked down at her body, then back up at Rafael. The relief in the Inquisitors eyes flickered, then faded as his eyes widened. How are you still standing? I poured every ounce of power I have into that. You cant


    Heat blossomed in Lees chest. She doubled over as magic erupted from her body, roaring through the air in a current of crimson fire. The rest of Rafaels sentence was lost to the crackling flame as Azel snapped into existence beside Lee, embers rising off his black suit.


    No, Rafael breathed, taking a step back. His back hit the stone cliff, but his eyes never left Azels form. Two demons. But how


    Azel blurred. Fire streaked across the ground as he shot toward Rafael. Blood swirled up around the Inquisitor, starting to form into a shimmering barrier, but Azel crashed straight through it. His fist shattered Rafaels magic and he grabbed the Inquisitor by the hair, lifting the man into the air.


    A loud crack followed by a wet squelch ripped through the air. Rafaels arm spun to the side, splattering to the ground behind Azel. The rosary slipped from useless fingers and slid across the grass beside it.


    Well done, Inquisitor, Azel spat, hatred and fury bubbling from his words. You found me.


    Rafael opened his lips to say something, but Azel denied him the opportunity. The demons hand slammed into the Inquisitors face with a loud crunch. Fire erupted around the two of them, swirling up into the air before abruptly snapping out of existence.


    The Inquisitors body dropped to its knees, then pitched forward, a large hole running through his head. The body hit the ground with a wet squish and didnt move again. Not even a Blood Rune could save someone when their entire brain had been pulverized.Read latest chapters at novelhall.com Only


    Moxie scrambled to her feet, raising her hands defensively as Azel turned. His suit smoldered, the ends of his lapels starting to burn away. Lee squinted at him, the world fluctuating around her.


    The Rank 4 Rune was still shifting her body. She couldnt tell what was changing, but there was an undeniable sense of loss. Something that had once been there was gone, and more was fading with every passing second.


    Moxie was alive, though. The kids would be fine. The Inquisitor was dead. That was what shed wanted. It had been the trade she made. It had been inevitable. There was no way for a demon to advance beyond embodying their emotion.


    Lees face felt wet. She lifted a hand, wiping away a tear streaking down the side of her cheek. A frown crossed her lips as she stared at the water on her finger.


    Why am I crying?


    Azel stepped up to Lee, the ashes swirling off his body enveloping them like the setting night. Moxie yelled something, but Lee barely even noticed it. Moxie wasnt the only thing she needed.


    There was so much in the world. Shed never thought about it properly before but the world was beautiful. The plants were lush. The sky was vibrant and blue, and everything between it called her name.


    What is Gluttony to you? Azel shook Lee by the shoulders. Tell me!


    Its protecting what I love!


    Wrong! Azel hissed. It is loving the feeling of getting more. It is the endless hunger for more. That is what you should have but your stupid delusions were so strong that you twisted the damn emotion into some perverse human feeling. Something that we should not be corrupted by.


    I dont care about any of this, Lee said. The Rank 4 Rune was turning me into what youre talking about. So, if you take it, youll have what you want.


    Azels snarl slipped away, turning into a defeated laugh. I dont want it anymore, Lee. Your delusion ruined more than just your potential. It ruined my own.


    He reached down to his burning suit, pulling it to the side. Thick lines of red wound through his body, pulsing with sickly energy. They wound around his chest and up toward his neck, turning the skin around them a dull grey.


    What is that? Lee asked.


    You are such a little shit. Its the bloodline curse that you jumped in front of. The one that would have killed you instantly if it had connected.


    Lee stared in shock. You took the hit for me? Why?


    I dont know, Azel said, looking down at the magic carving through his body one inch at a time. I suppose I may not have been the demon I thought I was. My emotions are Lust and Hatred. I betrayed them. Perhaps this is an apt punishment.


    I still dont understand. What are you talking about? Lee said, squinting at Azel.


    Why do you think I let you live when you followed me through the portal in the Scorched Acres? Azel asked abruptly. Did you really think you snuck through without my knowledge?


    I thought you just didnt care.


    If only. No. I knew you were there, because I held the portal open for you, Azel said. His face twisted in a grimace as the blood magic winding around him reached his neck and started to crawl toward his chin. You were always a poor demon. I had hoped that entering the mortal plane would be the boost you needed.


    Lee stared at Azel in disbelief. What?


    When I realized just how worthless were, I decided to harvest your energy once I escaped Noahs body, Azel continued with a wry smile. At least, thats what I told myself. Thats how I justified giving you my own Runes. Its why I transferred myself into your soul, even though Noah could have been convinced to perfect my own Runes in exchange for leaving you alone. I suppose that excuse doesnt work anymore, does it? I cant take anything when Im dead.


    Why didnt you ever say anything? Lee demanded.


    Does it matter? Azel asked. He coughed, then ground his teeth. Not anymore. You are not the demon I wanted you to be and you never will be.


    Azel raised his hand, grabbing one of Lees horns. Then, with a sharp jerk, he snapped it. Lee let out a pained scream as agony raced through her body, but Azel held her in place with his other hand.


    Molten lines of pain ripped through her body, winding through her head. They wrapped around the Rank 4 Rune in her soul, digging into it like jagged knives.


    There. That wont last forever, Lee. Become more than just a mere demon, Azel said, a smile flickering across his lips despite the pain in his features. I want the legends of my daughter to travel so far that I still hear them. Itll give me something to think about in that line of Noahs.


    Wait. You cant just


    Odd, Azel breathed. The blood magic wound up his cheeks and he tilted his head to the side, his eyes staring straight past Lee. This isnt an emotion I recognize. It feels warm.


    Cracks raced through Azels face. His body collapsed, crumbling in on itself. The ash that had been swirling around them twisted into a pillar and dissipated with a gentle pop, leaving only Lee to greet the light as day returned.

 Chapter 376: Demons are...

    Chapter 376: Demons are...


    Lee! Moxie rushed over to the demons side. Are you okay? What happened? Wheres Azel?


    Lee stared at the spot where Azel had stood. The only thing that remained of him was a slightly scorched patch on the grass. She wasnt so sure she actually knew the answer to Moxies question.


    The power of her new Rune hummed in the back of her mind, restrained by the other demons last act. With every passing second, the Rune relinquished more of its grip on her. It had still changed her body, but it had been stopped before it could progress any farther.


    I dont even know what its name is, and I dont know if I want to. It feels like the more I learn about it, the stronger itll get.


    Lee? Moxie asked again, taking her gently by the shoulders. Are you with me? Did you get hurt?


    I Im fine, Lee managed. Her lips felt dry and parched and speaking hurt her throat. The vestiges of pain from Rafaels rosary still wound through her body, reminding her of just how close theyd all come to death. Numbness gripped her as her mind tried to piece together everything that had just happened. Everything that shed learned. Rafael is dead, right?


    Most certainly, Moxie said with a concerned expression. What happened to you, Lee? Did this all come from ranking up?


    Lee reached up to her head, running a finger along the horn that Azel had broken. It was rough to the touch and warmer than shed expected. They were a bad idea to keep out in public. It was basically an advertisement as to what she was.


    It should only take a moment to remove them.


    Her brow furrowed and nothing happened. Lee blinked, touching the horns again to make sure that she hadnt imagined it, but they were right where theyd been a second ago. Her brow creased even further in concentration as she focused on her skull.


    Almost reluctantly, the horns sank into her skull and vanished from sight. They were far from gone, though. Instead of sinking into her body and turning into mass that she could manipulate, Lee could still feel them waiting to burst free once more.


    How did you manage to defeat Rafael? Moxie asked. And what was with Azel? I thought he should be with Noah.Follow current novels at novelhall.com)


    Hes been with me recently, Lee replied. Azel helped me kill Rafael.


    I suppose that makes sense. I dont imagine he likes Inquisitors much. We got lucky. Again. Moxie let out a relieved sigh. Her skin was paler than usual, and Lee saw some of the stress she felt reflected in the other womans eyes. I get the feeling Azel is going to lord that over us for a long time.


    He isnt, Lee said. Her words caught in her throat, but she wasnt entirely sure why. She hadnt known Azel that well. Shed barely known him at all. Theyd spoken a few times, but hed always just encouraged her to do the exact opposite of the right thing.


    Why did he die for me?


    Are you sure? Moxie asked doubtfully. He doesnt seem like the type to


    Hes dead, Lee said. He died blocking the last attack from Rafael. It was really strong.


    Lee isnt an average demon, Moxie said. She walked over to Rafaels corpse and a vine twisted out of her pant leg, winding around the rosary laying by his severed hand. It picked the bone beads up and tucked them into Moxies bag. Emily is right, Alexandra. Lee wouldnt hurt any of us. Shes just trying to live. No different than a certain former criminal.


    Alexandras mouth clicked closed and she winced. She sent one last concerned look in Lees direction, then bit her lower lip and sighed. I find that hard to believe, but I suppose thats also a little hypocritical of me. Does this have anything to do with all the people that were dying?


    No, Lee said, finding her voice again. Its separate. Inquisitors have been after me for a long time. I thought theyd stopped, but I guess I thought wrong. The other issue is separate.


    And likely solved for the time being, Moxie added. Though we should keep that to ourselves until we figure out what the future holds. This could have gone really, really poorly. Were all lucky to be alive and that reminds me. I ordered both of you to run.


    Im not leaving you to die, Emily said, setting her jaw and matching Moxies gaze.


    I think Vermil would have killed me himself if I just ran off while you got killed, Alexandra added.


    He would not have, Moxie said. I dont want my students throwing their lives away for me. Thats not how this works.


    Then you should have been stronger, Alexandra said.


    Moxie blinked, then let out a burst of surprised laughter. It was a mixture of genuine amusement and relief from still being alive, all boiling up now that the threat was gone. Moxie quickly got a hold of herself and shook her head.


    You might have a point, but I dont want to hear it from you. Im working on it. Ive been delayed.


    Moxie held her hand out and vines twisted out from beneath the ground, binding Rafaels body and dragging him beneath the earth. They tilled the ground around him, making sure every single piece of land around where hed fallen had been drawn deep beneath the earth.


    Im not sure Im in the right state of mind to practice anything else right now, Emily said as she watched the last traces of Rafael vanish. She swallowed heavily, then stuck her hands into her pockets, hunching her shoulders. I want to go back to bed.


    Me too, Lee said. Im exhausted. Were stuck here until the transport cannon reactivates, though. I


    A flash of blue carved through the air. Lees eyes widened and she dropped into a fighting stance, all the exhaustion vanishing in an instant. Get out of here. Someone just used the transport cannon.


    Damned Plains, Moxie cursed, summoning vines from the ground to rise up around her as her eyes scanned the Windscorned Plateau for any sight of the new arrival. Another blasted Inquisitor?


    I dont know, Lee said, sniffing the air. The wind was against them, but she could still pick up the faintest traces of something familiar. Her eyes widened. Wait. Its


    A flash of purple split through the air and an enormous man stepped out, a sword of matching size rested on his shoulder. The sword was new, but Lee recognized the one bearing it immediately.


    I was told there was someone flinging around blood magic over here, Brayden said, turning in a circle. His gaze lingered on Alexandra for an instant longer than the others, but it was clear that she wasnt trying to fight back, so he dismissed her quickly and turned to Moxie. What in the Damned Plains happened?

 Chapter 377: Right on time

    Chapter 377: Right on time


    Lees shoulders slumped in relief and she flopped back to the grass, too tired to stay standing any longer. Brayden wasnt going to try to kill them. At least, she was pretty sure he wouldnt. Hed been pretty mad the last time theyd spoken, but hed also given her some Space Runes.


    Youre late, Moxie said, letting out an explosive sigh and letting the vines sink back into the ground around her. And I dont think my heart is going to be able to take another surprise today. Why are you here? And I swear, if you tell me someone important is dead, Im going to lose my shit.


    Why would someone important be dead? Brayden asked, baffled and still glancing around in search of the blood mage. The transport cannon operator ran me down while I was knocking on the door of Vermils room, yelling about some blood mage attacking you.


    Tims alive. Thats good. He smells nice. Did he really run all the way over to Noahs room to find Brayden, though? Thats a bit much, isnt it? There had to be someone strong closer. Im glad he got Brayden, though. He also smells good.


    Moxie studied Brayden for a few seconds, likely trying to figure out how much she could safely share with him. Lee wasnt so sure on the answer to that herself. Brayden liked them, and hed clearly rushed over to help, but telling him everything could be risky.


    He should already either know or very strongly suspect Im a demon, though. Noah called me in to the room with Father when we first met him, so its not a big reach to make that the Inquisition would be after me.


    It was the Inquisition, Lee said finally. There was no point trying to hide it from Brayden, considering hed probably piece everything together pretty soon.


    Was? Brayden asked, blinking. You managed to kill an Inquisitor with a domain? I was told they were probably a high Rank 4 or Rank 5. I dont feel a domain from either you or Moxie.


    We caught him off guard, Lee said. She didnt have a domain because she was a demon, not because she wasnt a Rank 4. And talking about Azel she couldnt quite bring herself to do it.


    Not yet.


    It wasnt like Azels existence would change anything for Brayden. All that mattered now was that Rafael had come for them and that theyd managed to defeat him. Everything else was just extra detail.


    This gives me a sense of familiarity that I really dont want to be feeling, Brayden said, drumming his fingers on his thigh. Wheres the Inquisitor?


    Buried about sixty feet beneath the dirt, Moxie replied. Along with everything that was around him. I dont know how they managed to track us all the way over here, but I didnt want to take any risks.


    Smart, Brayden said, lowering his sword and driving it into the ground. He crossed his arms over the hilt and leaned on it, letting out a sigh. They likely tracked you with blood magic. From what I heard, there was only one of them. Thats a bit odd, as Inquisitors usually travel in pairs.


    You think another one of those guys is going to show up? Emily asked, her eyes widening in terror.New novel chapters are published on


    Unlikely. They would have shown up by now, Brayden replied, not even looking back at her. His brow furrowed in deep thought, but he gave up after a few seconds and shook his head. Must have been an Inquisitor acting on their own volition. Maybe a friend of the ones that showed up the last time. Either way, if you really got rid of the blood, its unlikely theyll be able to track you this easily again. I didnt think theyd be tracking you at all. Father said hed handled it.


    Evidently not, Moxie said, her voice going cold. And we all nearly got killed because of it.


    Id offer to pass your complaints along to him, but I think we both know how that would go especially coming from a Torrin.


    Do you have a problem with Moxie? Emily asked, her eyes narrowing.


    Brayden let out a bark of laughter. He straightened up and pulled his sword from the ground. A ripple of purple passed over the blade and it vanished from his grip. Surprisingly, no. My broth ah, Vermil likes her. Thats enough to vouch for her character, even if she is a Torrin.


    Relax, Emily, Moxie said, walking over to the girl and putting a hand on her shoulder. Brayden did literally just come running to help us.


    He was late.


    The thought was there.


    Did you say that Vermil was your brother? Alexandra asked, squinting at Brayden. Lee didnt see what the confusion was. Noah and Brayden smelled pretty similar at first take. It was easy to tell them apart, of course, but the matching blood was there.


    Hands off, Renewal warned. I refuse to let your stupid acolytes destroy my only good source of entertainment in years.


    I thought you were only keeping the thief around to study his Runes once you caught him, Decras said with a wry smile.


    Oh, stuff it, Renewal muttered. I do what I want. Im a goddess.


    A very humble one, Decras said with a snort of laughter. You think the little demon will actually manage to repair her flawed Demon Rune? I dont know if her body would even be able to handle such a change.


    Renewal shrugged. Noah has both of our Runes. He has the power to do it, if the demon can live for long enough to survive the change. Why do you ask? Feeling threatened?


    Decras let out a low laugh. Theyve got a long way to go before they could come anywhere near threatening me. And I cant believe you bothered to actually remember any of their names. Theyre a bunch of mortals, Renewal.


    Weve been watching them for some time, Renewal said defensively. And that mortal stole more of your Rune than he stole of mine. Id think youd be smart enough to remember his name before he steals even more of your power from right under your nose.


    Decras narrowed his eyes. Well see about that. My little surprise should still be on the way. The Inquisitor was interesting, but I want to see what the thief can do, not just the demon girl.


    Your surprise isnt going to make it until theyre all two hundred at this rate, Renewal said, eating another chocolate. Cant you move faster?


    Youve gotten impatient, Decras said. Better work on that if you dont want to go insane.


    Bah. Its not impatience. Have you seen how fast theyre growing? By the time you actually get around to doing anything, theyll be ten times stronger than what you guessed they would be and the threat wont even bother them.


    Do you really think I didnt account for that? Decras rolled his eyes. Theyve got their hands full already. If my surprise showed up anytime soon, it would be too much for them to handle. Ive already accounted for their growth and the time itll take them to deal with that Rune Hoarder.


    Youre sure theyll beat him? Renewal raised an eyebrow. For his Rank, hes quite the menace. He might win, and then were going to lose everything. Im not going to watch him for fun. Hes just a scurrying rat dragging around something he stole.


    Is our own target really any different?


    Yes, Renewal looked away from the screen to glare at Decras. Hes actually comprehended what he took and improved upon it. Wizen is just a power-hungry man with a Rune too dangerous for him to handle properly.


    And now youre remembering the names of the unimportant roadblocks. Decras crossed his arms. Did you get hit on the head, Renewal? How much attention are you spending on these mortals?


    Oh, get over it. Youre doing the same thing, just making up your own names for everyone. If you ask me, thats even more effort just to pretend to be more mysterious than I am.


    Decras cleared his throat, immediately telling Renewal that shed been right on the money. Either way, I suspect well have quite the show. And, if not, Im sure well get our entertainment soon enough. The pieces are already moving, Renewal. Maybe you should focus on getting your Church closer to the scene. Right now, they couldnt be farther from actually finding the thief.


    And whose fault is that? Renewal asked. Your little temptress got in Ferdinands way.


    Id argue the opposite. Garina would have captured the little shit by now if the stupid baldy didnt get in her way and start waving those damn sandwiches around. I swear, when I next talk to her


    Interfere and Ill rip your throat out, Renewal growled. I want to see this play out.


    Youll try, Decras said with a wry smile. Relax, would you? Garina might not listen to me now, even if I asked her to do something. Shes always been rebellious. Well just let things play out and see what happens. Either way, I think well have more than enough entertainment for quite some time.


    Renewal couldnt help but agree.


    She hoped Noah would find a way to get out of the situation closing in around him in a way that would keep his companions alive. Shed never admit it to Decras, but she was actually starting to get somewhat invested.


    It would be a shame if Wizen killed them all.

 Chapter 378: Dont shake the cat

    Chapter 378: Don''t shake the cat


    Noah nearly blew himself up. All things considered, it had been quite some time since hed last mistakenly killed himself, so perhaps it had been a long time coming. But, even so, he was pretty happy with his streak of only dying when he wanted to.


    The only thing that saved him from splattering as his Formations shattered and released all their magic directly on top of him was the fact that hed been in the very final notes of the song hed been playing when the snap tore through his mind.


    Noah stumbled, a wave of shock slamming into him like a stormfront and turning his fingers stiff around the bow of his violin. His breath caught in his throat, the final note turning from melodious into a grating screech.


    The Formation hed been practicing slipped away and the violin vanished from Noahs hands as he braced himself against a wall while his mind reeled and spun. For a moment, he thought that Wizen himself had shown up and attacked him.


    But, as Noah forced himself to turn in a circle and search for his assailant, his search turned up nothing but an empty room. His thundering heartbeat started to slow as he took slow breaths, gathering himself.


    What the hell was that?


    Noah plunged into his mindspace, searching for what had happened. Natural Disaster, Sunder, and the Fragment of Renewal all greeted him with waves of pressure as he arrived, but nothing was off about any of them.


    His eyes scanned the darkness, trying to figure out what had happened. There was no way that snap had been his imagination. It had been too visceral, too intense. Even now, he felt like a portion of his mind was different. Empty, somehow.


    And then, finally, Noah realized what had changed. It wasnt that something had happened to him. It was that something had left. The thread that had connected him to Azel was gone. It had snapped, peeling away from his soul and leaving him alone in his mindspace.


    For several seconds, Noah stared in disbelief. He sent his senses out, trying to feel and see if Azel was somehow hiding elsewhere or playing a trick on him. Noah found nothing. His soul was entirely his own once more.


    A grin started to form on Noahs lips, but it died as quickly as it arrived. Being free of Azel was undoubtedly a good thing, but the demon wouldnt have severed their connection for no reason. It probably meant hed found a new host and that had disastrous consequences.


    Goddamn it. The last thing I need is Azel running around with someone else wreaking havoc on the school. Dont we have enough problems right now?


    Noah yanked himself out of his mindspace and returned to the real world. He grabbed his grimoire, slinging the large book over his shoulder before attaching the gourd to his hip and striding out of his room and nearly tripping over Mascot with his first step into the hall.


    Cursing, Noah grabbed onto the doorframe and managed to keep from falling flat on his face. He turned as Contessa ran down the hall, scooping Mascot up into her arms and sending Noah an apologetic look.


    Sorry. He teleported out again.


    Again? Noah asked, narrowing his eyes at the smug-looking cat. Mascot was definitely more rotund than Noah remembered him to be. What has the little shit been up to?


    Mostly just killing rats and the like, Contessa said. Hes been really relaxed as of late. I dont know why he suddenly ran out here.


    That seems like it might be an ill omen. Mascot seems to enjoy showing up whenever things are about to go poorly. Im not sure if thats because he likes helping or because he likes watching, but I suspect its probably a mixture of the two.


    Its fine, Noah said, shaking his head and closing the door behind him. Have you seen Moxie or any of the others?


    Just Karina, Contessa replied. Are you expecting someone?


    I dont think so, but you never know. Just let me know if any advanced track members show up at the door, okay?


    Advanced track? Contessas eyebrows rose, but she didnt press any further. Okay.


    Energy buzzed at Noahs back. He grabbed Mascot reflexively and the horned cat let out a surprised yowl as Noah spun toward the source of the energy, taking Mascot with him.


    Moxie shimmered to existence at the base of the cannons tube, her hair frazzled and expression weary. She blinked as she spotted Noah and Mascot.


    Noah? What are you


    The rest of Moxies sentence was lost in a yelp as Noah ran over to Moxie and scooped her into a tight hug. She let out a muffled grunt into his shoulder, unable to speak through his embrace.


    Mascot let out an affronted hiss and batted at the back of Noahs legs before sending everyone a smug look and stepping through a portal, vanishing.


    Wheres Lee? Noah asked, finally releasing Moxie and taking a step back, though he kept his hands on her shoulders just to make sure she was actually there. I


    Another crackle filled the air and Alexandra materialized at the base of the cannon, followed shortly thereafter by Emily.


    Shes safe, Moxie said, putting a hand on Noahs chest. How did you find out? Did Tim find you?


    Tim? No, hes bloody missing, Noah said, letting out a relieved breath. Ive been running all over campus trying to find out where you guys are. Wait what do you mean by find out?


    Someone attacked us, Emily said, lowering her voice and glancing around the transport cannon.


    Who? Where are they? Noah demanded.


    Dead, Moxie replied. Dont worry. None of us got injured.


    Wizen?


    No. It was the same group that attacked you some time back, Moxie said, giving Noah a pointed look. The one that has reason to dislike Lee.


    Youre kidding me, Noah said, his fists clenching at his sides. They found us? Wheres Lee?


    Maybe I should give you the full story, Moxie said gently. Lee will be here soon. She entered the transport cannon after us, remember? And Brayden is here as well.


    Brayden showed up?


    Father did say hed send Brayden, but that was to deal with the Wizen problem, not for goddamn Inquisitors. What the hell is going on?


    Yeah. Just after everything was done, Alexandra said. Moxie is right, Professor Vermil. Lee is safe.


    Noah drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to reign in his anger. Lee and Moxie were more than capable of defending themselves, but that didnt make him like hearing theyd been attacked any more.


    Maybe filling me in would be for the best, Noah said. But, before that, where is Azel? Did he have anything to do with the attack?


    No, Moxie said, a frown flickering across her lips. He didnt have anything to do with the attack, but hes probably the reason we survived it. He died protecting Lee.


    He what?

 Chapter 379: I promise

    Chapter 379: I promise


    Moxie convinced Noah to wait until Lee showed up for the full explanation of what had happened, keeping the students from sharing too much and only heightening his distress.


    He was pacing back and forth in a line like a trapped tiger when Lee appeared with a flash of blue at the base in the transport cannons tube a few minutes later but the Lee appeared wasnt the one that Noah recognized.


    It wasnt an external change. Sure, Lees eyes were slightly sunken and an aura of exhaustion wrapped her like a heavy cloak, but she still looked like Lee. That was where the resemblance ended.Follow current novels at novelhall.com)


    Noahs domain prickled as it washed over Lee, swirling around her body but failing to grow close to it. He couldnt quite put into words what the sensation was, but it almost felt like an air of hunger and desire encircled her entire body.


    She reached Rank 4. Did it change her that badly? I remember how worried she was about it. If I need to, Ill rip the Rune right back apart.


    Lee! Noah exclaimed, taking a step toward her. She flinched back and Noah froze in place, his features creasing with concern. What happened, Lee?


    Dont get close to me, Lee said. I Im different. Its not as bad as I thought it would be, but it will be.


    Bah, Noah said. Well see about that. You arent injured, right?


    Only small cuts, Lee said with a shake of her head. But


    Thats all that matters, Noah said, crushing the information his domain was sending him. He didnt care if Lee didnt feel the same as she used to. As long as Lees mind was intact and she was who she wanted to be, he refused to see her any differently.


    And, if her Runes were going to stand in their way, then theyd find a way to shatter them and reform everything until Lee was safe.


    Maybe I should take the kids and let you talk privately with Lee, Moxie said. I think she needs someone who will understand her situation a little more, and an audience is going to make it harder for her to speak.


    Hold on, Noah said with a frown. Are you sure its safe considering what just happened? How do we know there arent more?


    Moxie considered his question for a moment, then shrugged. We cant live in terror permanently, and Brayden said it was only the one. I trust him. Silvertide also said he handled Wizens clones, so we should be fine.


    Noah drummed his fingers against his thigh, but Moxie had a point. The threats should have been handled for the time being, at least. He couldnt follow everyone around permanently, and Arbitage was still technically a neutral ground.


    Lee and I should be the only ones at risk of any attacks from normal people, and Wizen has been sent packing for the time being.


    Youre right. Can you stay at the room after youre done, though? I know how you felt when Jalen kidnapped me, and I cant say its a particularly enjoyable feeling. I was really damn worried.


    Emily made a gagging noise. Could you do this somewhere you dont have company? Its gross.


    I was worried about you too, Noah told Emily.


    She snapped her mouth closed and looked to the side while Alexandra laughed.


    It didnt. Lee nodded. And he wasnt ready for me to attack again, so Azel and I killed him. But the reason I lived through the Bloodline Curse was becase Azel took the hit for me.


    Shit, Noah muttered, trying to figure out what had been running through the demons head. Azel had saved Lee, and it had killed him. Nothing else would have caused their connection to snap the way it had.


    Why would Azel do that for Lee, though? He could have retreated to my body.


    That isnt it, though, Lee said softly. My Demon Rune was too strong, and it nearly turned me into a real demon. Azel stopped it temporarily, at least. It was the last thing he did before he died.


    If Noah had been confused before, now he was completely baffled. Whoever Lee was describing didnt sound like Azel at all.


    Just like that? Why? Noah asked.


    Lee swallowed. Before he died, he talked to me. I he said he was my dad, Noah. And I think he was telling the truth.


    And, finally, the pieces clicked into place. Azel had known about Lee from the start. Hed always planned to leave Noahs mind and enter hers.


    I never thought Azel was the type to care about his offspring, though. I would have thought Lee would have just been another tool for him. What changed? Or did he play me from the start?


    It only took one look at Lees face to tell Noah that now wasnt the time to pry. He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.


    It sounds like Azel made his choice clear, Lee. He wanted you to live and it sounds we all owe him a thank you.


    Hes dead, Lee said, staring at her feet. Ill never get to find out anything that I wanted to. Hes just gone. It doesnt make sense.


    Hes not completely gone, Noah said. He gave you his Runes, Lee. Ill be honest. I dont know why he changed, and I didnt like the person he used to be. But it sounds like he died as someone better than what he was.


    It doesnt matter, Lee said bitterly. What good is it now? Hes dead.


    Noah let out a soft laugh. Death is just the beginning, Lee. Itll be millennia before the last traces of Azel are gone. We can still get you those answers.


    Lee blinked. What? How?


    Ive seen the afterlife, and my goals have always been to get strong enough to never fear it again, Noah said. Ill make it, and you will to. All of us will. Then well find Azel and get your answers.


    But what about my Demon Rune? Its going to consume me, Lee said. Its only a matter of time if you dont Sunder it. Azel said what he did wouldnt hold forever.


    Did you forget who I am? Noah asked. Well find a way to fix it. One way or another, well all make it. Youll see Azel again, and you arent going to lose yourself to your own Runes.


    Promise? Lee asked.


    Noah held her gaze. Yeah. I promise.

 Chapter 380: Dont eat the potion

    Chapter 380: Don''t eat the potion


    Was there anything else that happened while you and the others were out? Noah asked after giving Lee enough time to fully process their conversation. Or was that the extent of the damage?


    Thats it, Lee said. She hesitated for a second, then wrung her hands together. Should we break my runes now? So they cant hurt anyone?


    Do you feel like its going to overwhelm you?


    I dont think so, but I dont know. I dont know how long whatever Azel did will hold, though.


    Then well take a look at it as soon as we get home with a Mind Meld potion, Noah said. If it really looks like everything is going to fall apart, then Ill separate it on the spot and well figure out a different way for you to reach Rank 4.


    What if it looks like its going to hold, then breaks later? Lee asked. I could hurt someone.


    Possibly, Noah admitted. He wasnt going to deny it on the spot that would have just been plain stupid, not to mention dismissive of Lees feelings. But even Azel wasnt strolling around and randomly killing people. I mean, sure, he was stuck in my head, but he feeds on emotions, not murder. And his emotions were definitely more aggressive than yours, right?


    Lee nodded slowly. I yeah. I guess so.


    For that matter, did you figure out what your Emotion was? What is this Rank 4 Demon Rune you made?


    Lee rubbed the back of her neck, her cheeks reddening as she looked to the side. I dont know.


    What? How? Noah asked. You cant make a Rune without knowing what it is. Cant you just read it?


    I dont want to. The more I know about it, the stronger itll become.


    Im not sure I follow, Noah said. Your Rank 4 Rune should be made up of all the Rank 3s you put together, and you had to put them together with intent. How could you do that without knowing what Rune you were making?


    It doesnt work the same way for demons as it does for you, Lee explained, pausing as she searched to find the proper words. Were similar, initially. But the stronger we get, the more that changes. Think about it. You dont have Human Runes, do you? Theyre just Runes.


    Yeah, Noah allowed with a thoughtful frown. I suppose thats true. I didnt really think too much about it, but maybe I should have. You dont have domains either, right?


    Not the same way humans do. Lee nodded. At Rank 4, our runes and our bodies become much closer. Theyre two parts of the same whole. So, while humans keep their runes exactly as they are and combine them without interference, the Rank 3s that I had were more like fuel for the combination, not the only components.


    Your body played a part as well, Noah muttered, finally realizing what Lee was getting at. It was like an 8th rune?


    Something like that. It took the other runes and changed them into what fit me but how do you know what that is? How do I know what that is? I dont know what kind of rune fits me, and my body is just going to choose the one that lets me survive. That means its probably some kind of emotion, and obviously not a good one.New novel chapters are published on


    I could be talking out of my ass here, but that doesnt seem like the full story, Noah said after thinking for a few seconds. Everything I know about rune combinations tells me that they become what we tell them to be. Runes dont have minds of their own. Are Demon Runes different?


    No, I dont think so. But they can affect your mind. Its the same thing.


    Noahs pockets were lightened of more coins as Lee ate her way through all the vendors on the way back over to the T building. He still had no idea where she put all the weight, but he wasnt about to ask.


    The food seemed to bring Lee at least a little distraction, and he didnt want to bring her thoughts to anything possibly related to being a demon. They got back to the room and Lee opened the door for Noah, whose arms were full of meat pies that hed picked up for Moxie whilst following the wake of Lees tour de force.


    A tiny flicker of concern passed through Noah as the door opened and he didnt immediately see anyone, but a relieved sigh replaced the worry as he finally spotted Moxie at her desk, balancing on the back two legs of her chair.


    She hurried to stand as Noah and Lee entered the room, nearly knocking her chair down. A vine shot out, grabbing the chair at the last second and straightening it before sliding it back over to the desk.


    How are you doing, Lee? Moxie asked.


    Noahs gonna look at my Rune, Lee replied, sitting down at the base of the bed. But Im alive, and I think I should be fine.


    Moxie nodded, looking over to Noah. Her eyes caught on the pies in his arms. Are those


    For you, yes, Noah said. Its probably a stupid question considering youre just sitting here, but I have to ask the kids made it back okay?


    Yeah. Theyre both fine. Emily is a bit shaken up, but Alexandra was talking formations with her on the way back. That girl has been through a lot, Moxie said with a sigh. She shouldnt be so used to near-death situations.


    Arent you only a little older than her? Lee asked.


    Oh, I already get that from Emily. I dont need it from you, Moxie said with a mock glare. Just because I had to live through shit doesnt mean I want others to, you know?


    Noah laid the pies out on the table and handed the Mind Meld potion to Lee. She raised it to her mouth and Noah grabbed her wrist. Make sure to only drink half. No eating the glass.


    Oh. Right, Lee said, working the first wax seal off.


    Moxie walked up beside Noah and tapped him on the shoulder, a pie in her other hand. He glanced over to her just as she leaned in and pressed her lips to his.


    It was my turn to apologize for almost dying, Moxie pulled back and gave him a small grin. Thanks for the pies as well. And dont worry, Lee. Well figure something out with your runes.


    I know, Lee said, tipping the potion back and swallowing half of the shimmering liquid. She handed the bottle to Noah, who removed the second seal and sat down beside her.


    Keep watch to make sure no stupid shit happens? Noah asked.


    What else would I do? Moxie replied, rolling her eyes. Besides, Ive got a bunch of pies to keep me occupied. Ill be here. Good luck.


    Thanks, Noah said, tipping the potion back. But we wont need it. Lees determination is going to be more than enough.


    A familiar buzz enveloped his mind, and then the world was gone in a swirl of color.

 Chapter 381: Mix and match

    Chapter 381: Mix and match


    Lees mindspace was different than Noah remembered it. Inky darkness still surrounded him when he took form, strands of jet-black crisscrossing through the air around them. Where there had once been seven runes remained only a single Demon Rune. The rune was, as expected, completely unreadable to Noahs eyes. It looked like a child had been force-fed sugar and let loose with a growing crayon.


    Squiggles and lines twisted around each other, pulsating with faint energy. Even though the rune was a Rank 4 the same as Natural Disaster a faint sense of unease settled on Noahs shoulders.


    But, even if Noah could have read the Rune, he wouldnt have been able to see all of it. Thick bands of grey energy wrapped around it, faint motes of dull orange ember rising off them.


    Noah went to take a step and nearly tripped over his own feet. The ground felt softer and more pliable than he recalled, and he could feel his feet sinking ever so slightly into it. It took a little more effort than hed expected to raise a foot, and tiny strands of black snapped away from it.


    Its like putty. Odd.


    Lee barely even seemed to notice Noahs arrival. She stood beside him, staring up at the Demon Rune with wide eyes. The faint orange-red light washing off the Rune illuminated her face in a ruddy hue.


    You okay? Noah asked, squelching over to Lee.


    Yeah, Lee said after a moment, not even looking in Noahs direction. She reached up to her head, massaging her temple with a pained grimace. There it is.


    So I can tell, Noah said. He craned his neck back, squinting into the darkness in search for the Broken Enveloping Dark Master Rune. He couldnt seem to spot it, but that wasnt that much of a surprise. Lees mindspace was pitch black, and the pressure coming off the rune wasnt enough to give Noah much hesitation. His own Master Runes were considerably stronger, and it being broken probably wasnt doing anything to help its power.


    Maybe thats for the best. I want to figure out what I can do with a Broken Master Rune and maybe fix it at some point, but Lee doesnt need more things to deal with right now. Having it weakened should go a pretty long way for reducing its power and any potential problems but damn, it shouldnt be this hard to find. It was a bloody Master Rune.


    Lee? Noah asked.


    Yeah? Lee still didnt pull her eyes away from the glowing Rune.


    Wheres your Master Rune?


    Lee finally tore her eyes away and looked up. The frown on her lips deepened and she blinked, her features furrowing in confusion. After a second, she shook her head. I I have no idea. It vanished!


    She sounded as if she were half-drunk. As Lee turned back to look at her Rune again, Noah caught her by the shoulders and gently turned her so that her back was to it.


    Look at me, Noah said, tightening his grip slightly to keep Lees attention. Youre stronger than the Rune, Lee. Its part of you, not all of you. Take a deep breath and let it out slowly, then focus on me.


    Lee gave him a weak nod and did as he said. Her eyes sharpened faintly and she repeated the breath, shaking her head.


    Okay. Im here. Sorry. The rune is just so beautiful. I want to touch it but I dont want to touch it either. I dont know what will happen if I do, but I get the feeling it might get stronger and break Azels bonds.


    Noah was surprised to find that he felt a faint sense of regret at that, and not even because of what Lee had revealed. Hed always known that things were likely to end in a fight between him and Azel, but hed actually started relying on the demon.


    Unfortunately, regret wasnt going to change anything. Azel wasnt around to help, which meant Noah had to figure something out on his own. He couldnt read a Demon Rune, but that didnt mean he couldnt try to decipher it.


    Noah walked around the rune, chewing the insides of his cheeks as he thought. Every rune had a pattern. That was a fundamental of nature, and the core of what his studies had revealed to him. There was no reason that demons would be an exception, so there had to be a pattern in this one as well. It wasnt easy to find, but it had to be there.


    And, as Noah studied the rune, he occasionally found lines and swirls that felt like they were part of a pattern but the thread of logic vanished into squiggles the moment he started to follow it.


    The pattern just didnt make any sense. Noahs frustration grew as minutes ticked away. Lee had claimed that demons and humans were different, but he refused to believe that there was such a chasm between their races.


    Magic is magic. It might be different magic, just like music and rune circles are different ways to use Formations, but I refuse to believe that demons are just random worthless squiggles while humans have nice patterns in their Runes. Theres more to it.


    Noah completed another loop around the rune, then came to a stop before it again. He wasnt even sure how much time had passed now, but he still hadnt come any closer to understanding how the rune worked.


    Lee had been patiently waiting for him all this time, and he didnt want to come back to her with nothing more than a shrug and an empty promise that things would turn out all right. If he wanted to be able to tell her anything, he needed to understand.


    Come on. Theres a pattern in there. I know there is. I see the traces of one, but none of them go anywhere. Its almost as if


    Noahs thoughts ground to a halt and his eyes went wide. He walked back to the other side of the Rune, staring at it for a few seconds before making his way back over to the first side. He walked a few more circles around it, excitement building in his chest.


    I figured it out! Noah exclaimed.


    You did? Lee asked. What is it? What did you find? You can read the Demon Rune?


    No, not that, Noah said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. Possibly something more important, though. I know why you cant read your Rune.


    You do? Lees hands twitched at her sides as she fought to keep herself from turning around to face Noah. He took pity on her and walked back over so Lee could see him again.


    Yeah, Noah said. I thought it was weird that I couldnt find the pattern in it, you know? I mean, sure Demon Runes arent the same as normal ones, but there still has to be some form of pattern in them. Thats how magic works!


    Lee squinted at Noah. Please just tell me whats wrong with my Rune.


    Oh, right. Sorry. Theres nothing wrong with your Rune, Lee. At least, Im almost certain there isnt. The reason you cant figure out what the heck is going on with it is because you arent looking at a Demon Rune at all.


    What? Lee asked, frowning. How is that possible?


    Its the reason your Master Rune is missing, Noah said, shaking his head in disbelief. When I was studying your Rune, I realized that the reason I couldnt find a pattern was because there were two patterns overlaid on top of each other. You somehow merged your Demon Rune with the Master Rune, and Ive got no idea what it left you with.

 Chapter 382: Fine for now

    Chapter 382: Fine for now


    My Demon Rune ate my Master Rune? Lee asked. She glanced over her shoulder in surprise and locked in place. Noah carefully turned Lee so she wasnt looking at the rune anymore and she shook herself off like a wet dog. I really hate that. I cant get hypnotized every single time I look at it.


    Well find a way to deal with it soon enough, Noah promised. For now, Im almost certain thats what happened. The two patterns are overlayed.


    What does that mean, though? I didnt think Master Runes and Demon Runes were the same kind of Rune.


    I didnt either, Noah admitted. I dont actually know what this means. I suspect it probably has something to do with the fact that your Master Rune was broken. If it was whole, I dont think there would have been any way it could get absorbed, though I could obviously be wrong.


    Why would being broken make anything different?


    Its just a guess right now, but generally things want to be whole, Noah theorized. He didnt remember all that much of his high school science classes about atoms, but he did remember that the little dots around the ones in the center tended to try to fill the layers and would then become harder to separate or change. Its possible that the Broken Master Rune was basically an energy magnet. It was waiting for something to attach to in attempt to fix itself, and your Demon Rune ended up filling that slot.


    Why wouldnt it have tried to do something earlier, then? Lee asked with a frown.


    No idea, Noah admitted. Maybe because it was looking for a specific wavelength or amount of energy? Probably the former, because if it was just looking for energy, Id assume it would have sucked up your normal Runes.


    Huh, Lee said. They were silent for several seconds. Lee scratched the side of her head. Can you fix it?


    Probably, Noah said. But Im not sure if we want to yet.


    What do you mean?


    Its a Master Rune, even if its broken, Noah said. I dont know what happens if we use Sunder on that. I mean, it cant be viewed as a whole because its got broken in the name. So, if it gets chopped up, what state does it revert to? It cant be whole either that would be making something from nothing.


    I oh. Shit, Lee muttered under her breath. I could lose it?


    Or it could do something to your other Runes. I dont know, but I suspect the best way to go about dealing with something like this would be to preemptively get energy that the Master Rune can absorb again the moment it gets split apart.


    Lee nearly looked over her shoulder again, but she caught herself before she could turn all the way around. She shook her head and let out a huff. So what about dealing with the problem? It could be dangerous, right?


    Could be, Noah allowed. But more to you than to anyone else, I think. Remember how we had that talk about how demons tend to keep their magic within their bodies and arent as good at projecting it externally unless theyre really strong?


    Yeah.


    Yeah. Things are fine for now, Noah said, rolling his neck to get some of the stiffness out if it. Hed evidently chosen a bad position to sit in. It does look like Lees Demon Rune somehow absorbed her Master Rune, though.


    Moxie set the book down. What?


    Noah spent a few minutes describing everything that hed learned to her. By the end of it, all Moxie could do was shake her head and laugh.


    Ridiculous. Im glad youre fine though, Lee.


    Me too, Lee said, her stomach punctuating her words with a loud rumble. She cleared her throat. And I am also hungry.


    Noah snorted. At least that hasnt changed. Well go get some food, then. There are a few errands I want to run while were out anyway.


    What are they? Moxie asked, arching an eyebrow. I didnt realize you did anything other than practice or blow yourself up.


    Ouch. I dont think this was her intention, but now that I think about it, I dont think Ive taken Moxie on a proper date since we got together. Wizen might still be something we need to deal with, but I should really do something there at some point before we get so busy that I cant.


    I want to find Tim, Noah said. Maybe not today, but I want to fix his runes. Hes done too much for us to just sit around and do nothing in return.


    Moxie and Lee both nodded.


    I think hes trustworthy, Moxie said. Maybe dont tell him exactly how you do things, but I know youve got more than enough runes in that grimoire of yours to share. I have no idea where Tim went, though. He wasnt in the cannon.


    Lee said it smelled like he was safe, so Im thinking well find him back to work tomorrow, Noah said. If not, Ill have to hunt around. But theres another thing as well. I want to go find Silvertide.


    Wizen stuff? Moxie guessed.


    Yeah. I want to bring him up to speed on everything we know. I probably should have done it earlier, but Im so used to playing my cards close to chest that I didnt. Also, do you still have that dagger we took from Gentil?


    Moxie slipped out of bed and walked across the room to her shelf, taking out a small, cloth wrapped bundle after a minute of searching. Yeah. Its over here. Ive had it sitting around because it hasnt really been a priority, but I was researching it a bit ago to see if it might have anything to do with the clones. I couldnt find any plant-related magic in it.


    Thats fine. I want to show Silvertide, Noah said. I think its better to get more eyes on it. Even if he doesnt know anything, he can show the Enforcers. Wizen might be too big of a threat for us to try to keep information to ourselves.


    So long as were careful with who we share with, Moxie warned, handing Noah the bundle. Wizen already has his eye on us. We dont need even more of that attention. Right now, hes up against a whole lot more than just our group. No need to bring his focus in.


    Agreed, Noah said. He slid the wrapped dagger into his bag and stood up, stretching his arms over his head and shaking his stiff limbs off. Right. Shall we go get some food, then? After that, Im drafting Lees nose to help me find Silvertide.

 Chapter 383: Tea for your troubles

    Chapter 383: Tea for your troubles


    After lunch, Lee seemed to feel considerably better. Noah wasnt sure if she was just faking it for their sakes or not, but food did generally improve her mood. Moxie who had foolishly offered to pay for their meal ended up spending nearly fifty gold on Lees endless appetite.


    They drew a crowd large enough that Noah wished theyd charged a silver just for the show. If they had, he was pretty sure theyd have made their money back and then some. Once they all finished their food and headed off, it didnt take long for Lee to pick up on Silvertides scent and set off, guiding them toward the old soldier.


    I still have no idea how you can do this, Noah said as they walked. Arent there so many different scents in Arbitage? How can you track down Silvertides so easily, especially when we dont have anything for reference? If your nose is that strong, arent you constantly getting overwhelmed by information or something like that?


    If Im not careful, I can be, Lee said, coming to a stop at a junction in the street and sniffing at the air before turning to the left and continuing on. But its not really that bad once you get used to it. Some scents are stronger than others, and you can filter them out pretty easily once you get used to it.


    Which scents? Noah asked.


    Stronger ones.


    Noahs eye twitched before he realized that Lee didnt just mean scents that smelled more intense she meant stronger scents.


    Like from people that are more powerful?


    Yeah. Higher ranked people have more magic. Its easier to track, even if they havent been using it too much recently. Silvertide is basically a walking stick of magic because of his leg. Its impossible to miss him.


    Interesting, Noah said. What about Jalen?


    He smells strong too, but hes got some way to contain it, Lee said, pausing for a moment to think. Its weird. I know hes powerful, but his smell is covered by a blanket, I guess. Its hard to describe, but he conceals it somehow.


    Probably something to do with his Rank 6 domain, Moxie theorized. When you get that strong, you get really good control over your powers. Id be surprised if Jalen wasnt intentionally reining it in so people couldnt track him down as easily. Lee probably isnt the only person good at tracking others down.


    Lee came to a stop in front of a small restaurant with an open patio, then pointed at it. Silvertide is here.


    Huh. That was closer than I thought, Noah said. It only took him a moment to follow Lees finger over to a table near the edge of the patio, where Silvertide sat drinking from a ceramic cup.


    Their arrival hadnt been unnoticed. The elderly soldier raised the cup in greeting, a wry smile flickering across his lips. He took another sip as they walked up to join him.


    Id say its a coincidence seeing you here, but judging by the way the little one was sniffing the air, something tells me I may have been sought out, Silvertide said with a chuckle. Or was it the tea? This restaurant is quite good at it. Never quite figured out what leaves theyre using, and the bastards wont tell me. Ive been trying to steal it for years. Give it a shot every time I come to Arbitage, but they always manage to catch me.


    Were here for you, Noah admitted. Its about our plant mage problem. Ive got some more information on him. Is now a good time?


    Silvertide took another sip of his tea, then shrugged. Tell me, and then I will decide.


    That was enough of an agreement for Noah. He took the wrapped dagger out of his bag and set it on the table before Silvertide, who took yet another sip before finally setting his cup down with a slight frown.


    Curious, Silvertide said. He was silent for several seconds. Then he seemed to remember that he had perfectly good tea in front of him that might risk going from scalding hot to just merely warm if he didnt drink it, so he rectified the problem. And Moxie, you cant think of anything that may have drawn his attention?


    Nothing, Moxie said. I have no idea what the Torrins would have that hed want so badly, and even if I did, I dont see how hed accomplish anything by attacking Arbitage. Why wouldnt he go for Blancwood?


    My thoughts as well. The Torrins dont have a strong presence in Arbitage, so it doesnt make much sense if it was his end goal. Silvertide picked up his pot, going to pour more tea, only to find that it was empty. His nose scrunched in disappointment.


    Is there anyone you know that could help with the dagger? Maybe some of the other Enforcers? Noah asked.


    Yes. Neir may very well be of use here. Hes always enjoyed studying old Runes, Silvertide said. I didnt realize your group was so wrapped up with this problem, but I suppose I shouldnt be surprised. You seem to have a talent for it.


    Thanks, Noah said.


    That was not a compliment, Silvertide replied. He reached into his pocket in search of something, then paused. A grimace passed over his features for a second, then faded away. He brought his hands back to rest on top of the table and let out a sigh. If youd be willing, Id like you to accompany me to a meeting in three days time. You know enough about this that I believe the other Enforcers would benefit from speaking to you all.


    Noah shrugged. I think Id be fine with that, especially if it keeps Wizen out of our hair. As much as I want him dead, Ive also got a class to teach and a life to live. I dont care to spend it with my skin crawling because Wizen could be lurking in the shadows.


    Oh, trust me. I know what you mean, Silvertide said darkly. He pulled the top of the tea pot off and peered into it, reaching in and pulling out a small pinch of leaves to rub between his fingers in thought. This will be helpful. We havent had any good leads before, but the dagger changes things. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. Do you mind if I hold onto it for a short while?


    Noah glanced to Moxie, who shrugged.


    Sure. I dont want the stupid thing. Just let me know if you figure anything out.


    I will. Say, have you ever eaten at this restaurant before? Silvertide asked.


    No, I dont think so. Why? Noah asked.


    You really should. Their tea is fantastic. It can be a little expensive, though, Silvertide said. He brought the pinch of leaves toward his pocket, still nodding.


    The door to the restaurant flew open and an elderly woman skidded out, thrusting an accusatory finger toward Silvertide. No! Hands off the leaves, thief!


    Ill see you in a few days! Silvertide flew from his chair, vaulting over the patios railing and sprinting off, his cane clutched at his side. The old woman didnt even flinch. She sprinted after Silvertide, hurling curses as she gained on him. The two of them turned a corner down the street, then vanished though the old womans voice marked their position as they faded into the distance.


    A polite cough caught Noahs attention as he turned, still baffled, to find a neatly dressed waiter standing at their table.


    The tab for todays meal still hasnt been covered, he said. Silvertide said he knew you, and Im afraid I need someone to pay for the meal.


    Noahs eye twitched.

 Chapter 384: Old friends

    Chapter 384: Old friends


    Fortunately, the bill that Silvertide left them with was only a gold but still, for tea, that was a pretty ridiculous amount. Moxie had ended up covering the tab, but Noah suspected it was mostly so shed have an excuse to make him speak with her at some point in the future.


    For someone as rich as Silvertide, theres no way hed actually need to stiff anyone from a single gold. Old bastard was just screwing with us. Do we not know anyone that doesnt have a completely screwed up sense of humor?


    I want some tea, Lee said.


    Sure, but you cant eat the kettle, Noah said absently, only half paying attention.


    Oh. Never mind, then.


    Well, that was enlightening, Moxie said with something between a sigh and a laugh. At least Silvertide will show the dagger to the others. The Enforcers should have access to a lot more information than I do, so hopefully they figure out something useful.


    Itll be nice to have someone else do something for once, Noah agreed.


    To be fair, Im pretty sure weve gotten ourselves into most of the shit weve had to deal with, Moxie pointed out. Not that Im arguing. But what now? Do we just wait around and wait for news on the dagger to come back to us?


    That is exactly what I plan to do, Noah said, rising from the table. Wizen has a whole bunch of people on his ass now, and Ive got no desire to stick my nose further into his business until the time comes to deal with him. Weve got a group of students that still need training not to mention that competition were running.


    And patterns to practice, Lee added. I still need to work on mine.


    Isnt your pattern basically just eating? Moxie asked.


    Its valid. If you chew in the right way, its a pattern.


    Huh. I wonder if that pattern would actually have anything to do with Lees Demon Rune. If its actually Gluttony overlaid with the Broken Master Rune, then mastering the pattern of eating might actually be pretty beneficial. I dont know if encouraging Lee to eat any more than she already does is a good idea, though. She might end up popping.


    Patterns are patterns. Getting back on track isnt going to hurt anyone. Just dont eat too much, Noah said. I need to get some practice in myself. I still need to push my Formations farther, and I got interrupted the last time I tried to work on them. I imagine the advanced track will start doing things fairly soon as well.


    Probably, Moxie agreed with a nod. Especially since the puppets have been dealt with. I doubt theyre going to want to sit around and waste time when exams are already creeping up around the corner. I wouldnt be surprised if some of the professors were already practicing together.


    Well, well get around to that whenever it happens. Weve got our own training to handle, Noah said. But that can come tomorrow, after I find Tim and help him fix up his Runes. For today, I think the only thing I want to do is relax.


    And figure out what I can do for a date. I cant take Moxie out to a restaurant Lee would feel left out, and Im not sure shed actually understand the concept of a date if it involved food and didnt involve her. Are there movies on this world? Plays, I guess?


    That seems kind of lame.


    Is something wrong? Moxie asked. You look kind of troubled. Are you thinking about Wizen?


    No, Noah replied honestly. Dont get me wrong, its not that Im not concerned about dealing with that crazy bastard I just have other things I want to do. I cant afford to worry about all the powerful assholes weve somehow managed to piss off, since that number seems to grow every time I turn around.


    Thats probably because youre flipping them off as you turn, Moxie said with a wry smile. But I certainly wouldnt say no to a little relaxation before we really get into the swing of the year. A rest day sounds great, especially after well, you know.


    Yeah, Noah muttered. Same. Lets go home.


    ***


    If you want me to chop your hand off again that badly, you can just ask, Renewal said, not even looking over to Decras. Be honest with yourself and admit youre just jealous of Noah and Moxie. Their relationship is cute.


    Your brains must have gotten rattled loose over the years, Decras said, flopping back into his chair and rolling his eyes. Youre like a child playing with dolls. If you really care that much about them, you really shouldnt have let me send them that surprise.


    Its not going to be that big of a threat, is it? Renewal asked. He didnt respond. Renewal glanced at him out of the corners of her eyes. Decras? You just said it would be a challenge. How big of a challenge is this?


    Well, one of them might survive.


    Show me the damn creature you sent their way, Renewal snapped. I swear, if you kill Moxie and Lee in such a stupid way, I am going to be pissed. Whats the fun in watching Noah on his own?


    Decras reached out toward the screen and the image rippled. Noah and the other mortals vanished, replaced by a grassy field. A huge figure strode through it, a wicked double-bladed axe strapped to his back and a dark hood pulled low over his face.


    You sent one of your apostles? Renewal said, her voice raising in disbelief. I thought you said you were going to send a challenge that would give them a good gift if they managed to survive!


    I did! Decras said defensively. If they actually managed to beat him, think of the Runes theyd get!


    Hes Rank 7! Renewal exclaimed. Are you an idiot? Theyre going to die! Call him off!


    I cant, Decras said, rubbing the back of his head. The idiot isnt talented enough to hear my voice. I can only communicate to most of my apostles through their head. The rest of them are a little tone deaf and Garina is ignoring me. Cant you contact your bald churchgoer?


    He barely even follows me. Hes too busy flirting with your little temptress, Renewal snapped. She nearly rose out of her chair before she caught herself. It wasnt like she could actually interfere herself.


    Not without drawing the attention of the other gods and that was the absolute last thing she wanted to do. But, as she watched the screen, a frown crossed her lips.


    Wait. Why is he walking? Shouldnt he be at Arbitage already?


    I told him to go slowly so he wouldnt arrive too early, Decras said. Its not going to change anything. An extra day or two wont save them.


    Damn it, Renewal muttered. She glared at the screen, strongly considering splattering the apostle, consequences be damned. It had been so long since shed found something of interest that even the ridicule of the other gods felt like it wasnt as bad as losing the flower blossoming before her.


    The apostle skidded to a halt in the grass. Renewal let out a relieved sigh.


    You managed to get through to him?


    No, Decras said, confusion muddling his words. I didnt do anything. I


    A shadow stretched out across the ground before the apostle, and a scythe carved up from within it. From within it rose a man with a shit-eating grin plastered across his face.


    Hullo, the man said, slinging his scythe across his shoulders and draping his arms over it. Care to direct that murderous stride of yours somewhere else? Im conducting an experiment in that direction.


    Who is that, Decras? Renewal asked. Decras didnt respond. He was too busy staring at the screen.


    Revin, the apostle said, his voice a mixture of derision and poorly hidden unease. What are you doing here?


    Oh, come on now. Revins grin widened, revealing his pointed teeth. Thats no way to greet an old friend, is it?

 Chapter 385: We all get hungry

    Chapter 385: We all get hungry


    We are anything but friends, the large apostle spat. I dont know why youre here, Revin, but this is the only warning youre going to get. Leave.


    Anything? Revin arched an eyebrow. Dont tell me youre already ready for the next step. Im not sure I can see you as anything more than a friend, though. Im afraid Ill have to refuse.


    Out of my way, Revin.


    Oh, its just my luck that youre the one that comes bumbling along my way, Revin said with an exasperated sigh. Why couldnt it have been someone interesting? Hows Garina these days, Audren? She was always fun.


    She never recovered after the damage you did to her, Audren said. She had so much potential, and you ruined it by turning her into a nutjob, just like yourself. Step down. Im on a mission from the Master himself, and that means Im allowed to cut right through you if I need to.


    You? Revin exclaimed, taking a step back. Cut through me? Oh, no. I dont think thats very likely. How long has it been since we last saw each other, Audren?


    Not long enough.


    I wont disagree with that answer, but I believe youve skirted the question. If Im being honest, Ive forgotten myself. I dont tend to remember people that dont draw much of my interest, and the only reason you even got a spot in my memory is because of those lovely sounds your body makes when I slam it against walls. You could never beat me, Audren. Not then, and not now.


    You used to be a real threat, Audren said, reaching back to the large axe on his back. He hoisted it at his side, baring his teeth in challenge. But not anymore. You couldnt handle the power that the Master gave us. It broke your weak mind and burned what remained of it away like kindling.


    Revin glanced down at himself, then back up at Audren. Im right here, you know. If I burned away, would I really be standing around wasting a perfectly good day by speaking to a walking bag of rocks?


    You got your warnings, Audren snarled. His body blurred as six streamers of black smoke erupted from him, streaking out through the air. Revin brought his scythe down, carving the smoke apart before it could reach him.


    I really do hope youve learned to do more than that in the time since we last had the misfortune of meeting, Revin drawled, spinning the scythe and driving its butt into the ground. Because that was disappointing, Audren. I already dont expect much from you, but its been years since I left your group. If Im being honest, the costumes were a bit too much for me. I mean, come on. Dressing up in dark clothes and meeting in caves? How can you say Im the one thats insane when you manage to make the Church of Repose look legitimate?


    Audren wasnt goaded so easily, but the flurry of axe swings he unleashed on Revin had considerably more anger behind them than they needed. Every single strike whistled harmlessly past Revin as he stepped around, his lips pursed in disappointment.


    The others will thank me when I take your head. Audrens axe hummed with power as he lunged, narrowly missing Revin as the other man stepped out of the way again.


    The others will thank you when you take a bath, Revin replied. Or perhaps you just forgot to wash your costume. You know, if you want to be all secretive, shouldnt you meet in really plain clothes in a plain building? Nobody would ever suspect that. Now, a bunch of hooded mushroom eating idiots? Thats definitely a cult.


    Why are you here? Audren screamed. His axe split apart, dozens of afterimages carving through the air with keening howls. The grass all around them was carved to shreds and the earth collapsed, falling out from under the pressure of Audrens domain.


    Is that really all you can do? Revin asked with a wry smile. Or are you restricted? You cant use your full force, can you? Worried that Garina will come spank you if she realizes that a Rank 7 is strolling around in her domain?


    Garina is one of the Apostles, Audren snapped. Shes on my side, not yours.


    If youre so sure about that, why arent you using more power? Revin asked. Youve attacked me with nothing that a Rank 4 couldnt have done. As a matter of fact, I know a Rank 4 that could probably do it better. Maybe two.


    Something tells me that isnt true anymore. He doesnt seem to think much of you. Maybe he should join up with me. Renewal snickered.


    Hed rip your church apart from the inside, Decras said. And youre right. Revin is mad. Audren wasnt wrong about that.


    He doesnt seem mad. Just annoying. Driving your enemy up a wall in a fight is a perfectly valid strategy, Renewal observed. I wouldnt say its a respectable one, but its a strategy nonetheless.


    Does anything you see right now look even remotely sane to you? Decras asked.


    Renewal turned back to the screen. Audren was stumbling around, swinging his axe and shouting obscenities at nothing. Revin sat on a rock about a hundred feet away from him, his chin resting in his palm and a bored expression on his face.


    He hadnt moved once from that spot. Not once had Audren actually spoken to his real form, and the answer was the very same one that Revin had been pushing Audren to take. Revins domain was out and in full force.


    Invisible energy wove out from him in a huge globe, working into every single thing around him. Revin hadnt ever pulled his domain back. He was strolling around with it practically pouring out power at such an intense wavelength that a lesser mage wouldnt have even noticed it but Garina certainly should have.


    Garina is choosing to ignore him? Renewal asked, her eyebrows lifting. She made an exception?


    Its not that Garina chose to make an exception, Decras said. She didnt have a choice. Revin has long since twisted himself into something that he should not be. Just like Noah to you, Revin is my own experiment gone awry. One that may bear fruit one day, but for the time being, does nothing but annoy me.


    All of your Apostles have some of your energy, Renewal said with a shrug. Thats not really that much of a surprise.


    You dont understand. Decras shook his head. Yes, the Apostles have some of my power but Revin doesnt. Not anymore.


    Audrens eyes went wide. He doubled over, coughing violently and clutching at something invisible in his chest.


    Revin got rid of the magic you gave him? Renewal blinked in surprise. It was rare to find a mortal that would actually throw power away in exchange for freedom, but there was a lot to respect there. Thats actually quite interesting.


    Audren spun, running in the opposite direction as fast as he could without drawing enough power to pull Garinas attention.


    Revin didnt get rid of it, Decras said, as if the words were bitter in his mouth.


    Renewal pulled her eyes away from Audren, frowning. What are you talking about?


    The magic. He didnt get rid of it.


    What did he do, then?


    The annoying bastard consumed it.

 Chapter 386: Revin problems

    Chapter 386: Revin problems


    Revin slung his scythe back over his shoulder and sank into the shadow of the rock he stood beside, disappearing and leaving the grassy plain silent. Renewal struggled to keep a laugh from bursting out from her mouth.


    Decras?


    What? Decras asked irritably.


    Your Apostle kind of sucks. That was pathetic.


    Dont pretend like anyone from your church would be any better, Decras said with a grunt. He stole a chocolate from the bowl before Renewal could stop him. Damn it. I cant tell if I like watching Revin or get fed up with his constant interference.


    Dont you think we should be at least a little bit concerned that our experiments have found each other? Renewal asked, the smile fading from her face.


    Experiments? Dont group that little thief in with Revin, Decras said with a scoff. Hes not an experiment. He just stole some Runes.


    Right, Renewal said dryly. Well, whatever he is, hes working together with Revin.


    Doubt it. Revin doesnt work together with anyone. Not anymore. The thief just managed to catch his attention for a little while. I wouldnt concern yourself about it because thats not going to last long.


    You sound really certain of that, Renewal observed, waving her hand and dismissing the image as she turned to face Decras. What if it does?


    Bah. Itll be fine. What are you worried about? Decras asked, leaning forward and bracing his arms against his knees. Do you think theyre going to form a union or something?


    Renewal blinked. A union? You think theyll get married? They better not. Noah and Moxie go together too perfectly.


    What? No. Decras let out an exasperated sigh. The mortals of some other planets have unions where they all get together to try and get more rights for themselves against their masters. Forget it. Either way, Revin is just mildly interested. Even if it was more, theyre mortals. We dont have anything to fear.


    Im not sure fear would even be the right word, Renewal said. Im not scared of Noah. Even if he managed to ascend to godhood, I dont think hed actually be a threat. More like an ally. His goals will align with ours.


    Hold on, Decras said, his eyes widening as he matched Renewals posture. You think that hes going to make it to godhood? Someone from that shitty little planet? They understand absolutely nothing, and there are millions of people with more potential than average.


    He has our Runes.


    The Apostles have had my runes for centuries. Fat load of good its done most of them.


    Thats because you gave it, Renewal said. Noah took his, and hes changed them. Hes changed yours too.


    Just like Revin, Decras muttered, his eyes narrowing. Fine. Perhaps he makes it to godhood. Do you really think the first thing he did wouldnt be to come after the rest of the power hes taken? I say we kill him the instant he ascends.


    Renewal tilted her head to the side. Its hard to say. Hes certainly power hungry when the time comes, but his concern is more about his friends than it is about himself. I dont think hed go picking fights that they wont all survive. A new god isnt going to be able to defeat us.


    Youre only saying that because youre attached.


    If you truly wanted to kill him, youd have already done it yourself, Renewal pointed out. She crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow. Youve always skirted the rules, Decras. This wouldnt have been any different. You were secretly happy when Revin showed up, werent you? Youre having just as much fun with this as I am, even if youre too cocky to admit it.


    Your head is full of delusion and pink fluff.


    And yours wishes it was. Better to be honest and have fun than to keep being stuffy, Renewal said. Why do you think the other gods dont even so much as say hi to you? Theyd be friendlier if you stopped being such a dick.


    I have no need for worthless people. The majority of the other gods in our area of the universe barely scraped their ways to godhood and care for nothing but telling each other how great they are.


    Renewal cleared her throat. Decras wasnt exactly wrong. It was hard to believe how much more enjoyable his company was than that of the other gods, especially given how much of a prick he was.


    Okay, Ill give you that, Renewal said. But I still think that you could stay true to yourself without using fighting as your main excuse to see people.


    I suppose it cant hurt. Maybe Ill find whats wrong if I have to explain it to someone else.


    I can try, Alexandra said.


    Awesome! Thank you, Todd said, turning and heading back down the hall toward his rooms with Alexandra at his side. He pulled a bracelet out of his pocket as they walked, running a thumb along the runes carved into its surface. Ive been trying to figure out exactly what my pattern is, you know?


    Wait, you dont know? Alexandra asked, blinking in surprise as they reached the door and Todd pushed it open. How can you practice if you dont know your pattern?


    Well, thats the problem. Todd waved Alexandra over to Isabels chair, then sat down in his own and rocked onto its back legs. Your pattern is like a single thing, right?


    Im trying to embody the changing nature of wind.


    Right. A single thing. Im trying to improve my imbuing, Todd said, nodding to the band in his hands. But that cant just be embody fire or whatever. It needs to be a conceptual understanding. But how do you summarize understanding imbuements as a whole? I dont want to just figure out how to make better fire imbuements or the like I want to improve my imbuing overall but I cant just make my pattern being better.


    That is a problem, Alexandra admitted. I didnt really think about trying to expand a pattern to such a large concept. Are you certain its even possible?


    Im not sure. Vermil said it was promising, and he obviously knows what hes talking about. The problem is that he doesnt know imbuing that well. Of the group, Im the one that knows it the best.


    Todds tone made it clear that he wasnt bragging. He was just being completely honest. It felt a bit odd for a student to claim they were better than their teacher at anything, but everything about Vermils class was strange.


    Is it possible youre too deep? Alexandra asked after thinking for a few moments.


    Deep? What do you mean?


    Well, the more you know about a subject, the further you enter it, Alexandra said. She tapped the sword at her side. Like swordsmanship, for example. Its much more than just swinging a blade around. Its the mindset, the footwork, everything around you.


    Right, that makes sense. But what does that have to do with patterns or imbuing?


    Have you ever focused so hard on a problem that youve been stuck on for ages, but then someone who knows absolutely nothing about it walks over and gives you the answer almost by accident?


    Todds brow furrowed and he gave her a slow nod. Yeah. All the time, actually.


    Maybe its that. You could be trying to get so deep into imbuements that youre focusing on them instead of the pattern. Have you considered toning it back instead of pushing farther?


    Todd tapped his foot on the ground, chewing his lower lip. Huh. Thats a really good idea, actually. Easier said than done, but it gives me something to work with. Damn. Now I feel stupid.


    Having an outside perspective can help.


    True, Todd agreed. Is that why you were looking for Isabel? Maybe I can help in her place.


    I was going to try to spar with her.


    Ah. Well, I can do that.


    Alexandra gave Todd a doubtful look. You can use a sword?


    Barely. Im worse than she is. But why are you only fighting someone with a sword? Didnt you say your pattern was wind? That has nothing to do with your sword. Youre just using it as the way to express the wind.


    Alexandra blinked. Then her eye twitched. Todd burst into laughter.


    You did the same shit you just told me about, didnt you?


    Yes, Alexandra muttered, but she couldnt stay distracted for long with the building excitement. Todd was right, and now that she knew, it was so obvious that it was painful. Shed figured out how to embody wind with her sword, but her pattern had to be far more than just swordplay. In that case, Ill take you up on your offer. Can we spar hand to hand?


    With pleasure, Todd said with a grin. Lets go.

 Chapter 387: Fixed up

    Chapter 387: Fixed up


    Noah headed out of Moxies room early in the morning, adjusting his jacket and combing his hair out of the way as he headed down the hall. His grimoire was slung over a shoulder, and the large book thumped against his back with every step.


    Hed been slightly waylaid after hed woken up, but he was determined to find Tim and repair his runes before the day was over. The only question was if Tim would be back in the tower by the time he got there and if he was how Noah would be able to justify what he could do.


    I wish there was a way I could do this without revealing the existence of Sunder. Actually what happens if I knock him out while were in his soul space? Or, what if I knock him out before the Mind Melds potions take effect?


    That kind of feels like assault with extra steps, though. Damn. Maybe Tim will give me permission to bludgeon him with a heavy object. That would make it fine.


    Noah arrived at the base of the Transport Cannon a short while later. There was a small line built up at it, which was a good sign as to Tims whereabouts. After a few minutes of waiting in line, he found himself standing on the lift as it rattled up to the top floor.


    Tim sat at his desk, stroking his beard and reading a book as Noah arrived. He glanced up, the skin around his eyes crinkling as he smiled. Vermil! What brings you here? I dont see your students.


    Im here to see you, actually, Noah said. I heard about what happened yesterday.


    Tims smile faded and he nodded. Yes. It could have been a horrible thing. I was relieved to hear that they were all safe, but I heard that speaking about it was a bad idea. The person responsible may have had some dangerous ties.


    Yeah. Dont worry, thats not why Im here, Noah said. Not specifically, at least.


    Oh? Headed somewhere, then?


    Not that either, Noah said. He glanced through the window. The majority of the line had already gone through the transport cannon, but there were still a few more people waiting. Do you think youve got a little while? About half an hour or so?


    I suppose so, Tim said. Let me just handle the rest of the crowd and then Ill shut down for a little while.


    Thanks, Noah said, moving to stand in the corner of the room. The lift rattled back down, and Noah waited as Tim spent the next few minutes sending everyone off to a variety of different areas.


    Once hed finished and the line had dried up, Tim pulled a lever at the corner of his panel and pressed his hand against the desk. A small wave of energy ran throughout it, racing through imbuements. The lift rattled up, locking in place at the top floor.


    All closed up for the time being, Tim said, sitting back down. Im not sure how much Ill be able to help, but Id be glad to hear what I can do for you.


    Its more the other way around, Noah said. Some time ago, you told me about how you ended up here.


    Did I? Tim asked, rubbing the back of his neck. My memory isnt what it used to be, but I suppose I must have. What does that have to do with anything?


    Well, you mentioned that you landed this job because your Runes werent good enough to let you advance, right?


    Tim grunted. Yeah, but I havent been beat up about that for years. You learn to deal with your lot in life as you get older.


    Noah reached into his bag and pulled out a Mind Meld potion, setting it on the counter. Tim tilted his head to the side, studying the vial with a confused look. Is this alcohol? Its quite shimmery.


    Now I feel like Ive done something wrong. Tim laughed. Just tell me, would you? What is this about?


    Your runes.


    A flicker of shame passed over Tims features as he looked out at the poorly constructed runes circling them. Ah, yes. Theyre not much too look at, are they?


    No, Noah admitted honestly. But thats why Im here. I can help you fix them.


    Tim coughed into a fist, hiding a smile. Thats very kind of you, Vermil. Ive had the offer before, but I appreciate it every time. Unfortunately, I cant accept. No matter how much I would be thrilled to repair some of the damage my younger self did to me, its impossible. At my age, the soul damage would tear me apart.


    I can circumvent that, Noah said. I have a way to handle the soul damage, and I have Runes as well. Not an infinite supply, but I have a lot of the basic ones. Even though youll probably get sent back to Rank 1, I can give you another chance at this.


    Tim lowered his hand, narrowing his eyes in confusion. Im sorry? Youve found a potion thatll heal soul damage?


    Err something like that, Noah said. And a way to remove the runes from your soul without being too invasive. Its safe, so long as you actually want me to do it.


    This isnt a joke, is it? Tim asked.


    Not at all. Im completely serious. Just say the word. I dont know if Ill be able to handle everything at once, but I can do a lot of it.


    Just like that? Tim stared at Noah, letting his hands drop by his sides. How?


    I think we should probably focus more on if you want it or not, Noah said. The exact details are well, Id prefer to keep them as close to chest as possible. It wont be relevant to its effectiveness, though. Id be willing to show you with a single rune if youd feel safer that way.


    I no, I dont doubt you, Tim said hurriedly and shaking his head. I just well, its hard to believe. Youre claiming the impossible, Professor Vermil. Nobody can remove runes without soul damage. If youve gotten a potion that lets you do that, is it really wise to waste it on me? It would be worth millions. Maybe more. You could retire for the rest of your life and never worry about another thing.


    Sounds boring, Noah said. If I was going to sell it, I would have. Its up to you. Dont feel pressured if you arent comfortable with it, but the offer is there.


    Tim swallowed. Show me.


    What kind of Rune did you want? Noah asked. I may not have it, so Id have to go get my hands on it.


    Er an Earth Rune, perhaps? Tim asked hesitantly, still sounding like he couldnt tell if Noah was playing with him or not.


    Ah. That, I can do, Noah said. This had been a long time coming, and he was eager to get started. Ah could you turn around? The less you see, the better.


    Tim turned to face away from Noah. Is this fine?


    Perfect. Just stay there for a minute. He cracked his knuckles. Lets get you fixed up, shall we?

 Chapter 388: Busy man

    Chapter 388: Busy man


    Noah extended his senses to the grimoire pressed against his hand in the outside world, sending it a mental request for an Earth Rune. He knew hed gotten a fair number of them from all the monsters hed killed during vacation with Moxie and Lee, but he wanted to make sure the book hadnt decided to eat any of them before he started cutting anything of Tims up.


    Fortunately, the book responded, albeit reluctantly. Energy gathered at Noahs palm and he traced his hand through the air, forming a Rank 2 True Earth Rune in the air before him. It only took a few moments for him to create the relatively simple Rune.


    It was roughly half full, and though Noah couldnt remember the exact amount the rune had been filled when hed put it into the book, he was pretty sure it was less than what it had now though not by much.


    The book seemed to like taking the energy from the runes and distributing it amongst them. As to why, Noah still hadnt managed to find out. The artifact was clearly far more than just a storage item.


    Perhaps it just liked screwing with his runes, or maybe there was some purpose to what it did. For the moment, all that mattered is that he had the rune that Tim needed. Noah turned his attention to Tims existing runes.


    Tim already had an earth-based rune that hed pulled closer for Noah to work on while hed been drawing the True Earth Rune. The mere sight of Tims rune made Noah grimace. There was no word to describe it but horrendous.


    Shattered Craggy Earth Rank 2


    Part of Noah was surprised that the rune was even holding itself together. He wasnt sure hed seen such a poorly crafted rune before. Not all of Tims runes were this awful, though most werent much better, but this one seemed like a great spot to start the repairs to Tims soul.


    After one more glance to make sure that Tim wasnt watching, Noah called on Sunder. He didnt want to wait around with an extra Rune in Tims soul for long. With how weak his runes were, there was a good chance his soul wouldnt be able to safely contain an extra high-quality Rank 2 Rune without a lot of undue stress.


    Noah carved his hand downward, and a streak of black light carved down the center of Tims pathetic rune. It shattered instantly, a tiny sputter of wispy energy rising up from its remains. Seven Rank 1 Runes flew out from it its sputtering remains.


    The ground beneath Noahs feet bucked and he stumbled as a thick white crack split through the grass just a short distance from him, pouring glowing light into Tims soul. Behind him, Tim let out a wheeze of pain and stumbled, falling to his knees.


    Holy shit. His soul is so weak that even Sunders much more surgical removal still managed to damage it?


    Noah hurriedly released Sunder and summoned the Fragment of Renewal. The crack in the ground was massive far larger than anything Noah felt was remotely safe to let stick around.


    Gentle pink smoke poured out of his palms, infusing itself into the crack. The damage started to knit itself immediately. To Noahs relief, the weakness of Tims soul worked to his advantage instead of his detriment.


    Because of how little soul there was to heal, the Fragment of Renewal worked at a remarkable speed. It knitted around the damage, pulling the grassy field back together and sealing over the white light in just a few seconds.


    Now that the damage was averted, Noah turned to the seven Rank 1 Runes that had come out of the one hed just destroyed. They were still part of Tims soul, but they were going to cause trouble if he left them floating around Tim didnt have a large enough soul to store too many extra runes.Updated from


    Also, it might be wise to avoid letting him know exactly how I took his rune out. If he sees seven Rank 1s, he might be able to realize that Im not just changing runes, but Im splitting them apart.


    Noah extended his senses to the seven rank 1 runes. They shuddered at his mental touch. Their connection to him felt weak and feeble. Noah paused, a thought striking his head. The remains of the Fragment of Renewals energy were still twisting within Tims mind, leaving him room to do a little extra work.


    Finally, Tim nodded. I dont know if I can forget it completely, but I can assure you that not a word of anything that happened here will ever so much as grace my thoughts. It will be banished to the deepest recesses of my memory and I will die twice before I speak of it.


    Or live once, Noah offered. Im not doing all this shit so you can get yourself killed.


    Tim let out a laugh. I think I can do that, Professor Vermil. Are you


    Going to do the rest now? Noah finished. No. Id like to, but your soul is really fragile. It wouldnt be able to handle more modifications today. Well have to come back to it tomorrow, or on whatever day youve got some time.


    Id make time in the middle of the night if that was what it took, Tim said with a bark of laughter. Whenever you can slot me in will be perfect. Its not like I have a very busy schedule. Its just me and the transport cannon.


    Tomorrow, then, Noah said. Hed have to get another Mind Meld Potion, as he was keeping the extra one hed bought for Lee in case her Rune became too problematic and he had to Sunder it for her safety. Weve got a little more time before the potion wears off, so you might as well get used to your new Rune.


    Tim didnt need to be told twice. Energy curled around his hands as he called on the True Earth Rune, and Noah couldnt help but smile as he watched the old man play with the magic like a child that had just gotten a new toy.


    Its strange how much a Rank 2 Rune has changed for me. There would have been a time when getting one would have been an enormous change. Now, I can harvest them at will with almost no effort.


    I hope Tims future combinations are much better once I get him all fixed up. It would be a shame if he ends up having a bad Rank 3 combination. Ill talk to him a bit about combination theory after I replace all his runes so he can avoid that.


    If Noah was honest with himself, Tims situation sat poorly with him. The man was clearly hard working he basically never left the transport cannon and always kept it running. An attitude like that should have served him well in school.


    He was failed. His teachers should have ensured that he had the tools to succeed, but they didnt because he wasnt a noble. And, because he wasnt a noble, he wasnt able to get good runes either. Compound that with no guidance on combinations and its no wonder he got stuck at Rank 2.


    How many other people are like this? Its such an enormous waste. The noble houses are literally crippling everyone by suppressing information and runes just for the sake of keeping their power.


    Noah wasnt sure if there was anything he could do about it. Squaring up against every noble house sounded like a great way to get his students killed. And, if Noah was honest with himself, he didnt properly care about anyone other than the people close to him.


    Im not putting any of their lives at risk for someone I dont know. Its just not worth it. But, one day, it would be nice to find a way to help everyone that deserves it. Just not at the cost of anyones safety.


    Noah sat as Tim tested his new Rune, waiting out the rest of the Mind Meld potions time until he felt a buzz building in the back of his head.


    Thats time, Noah said, rising to his feet. As more of your runes get repaired, we should be able to fix them faster. Id say this should only take two or three more sessions.


    Thank you, Tim said. Ill make time whenever youre ready, but dont feel pressured. Im sure youre a busy man.


    Noah nodded, and the buzzing intensified. His soul slipped out of Tims and into a sea of darkness as it shot back toward its proper body.

 Chapter 389: Traumatize

    Chapter 389: Traumatize


    Like Noah had requested, Tim didnt mention a word of what had happened the moment they both awoke in the outside world. Noah rose to his feet and helped Tim up. The old man stared at his hand for a second, then finally nodded to Noah.


    That was all he had to say. Noah returned the nod and stepped onto the lift. The floor bucked beneath him and the chain rattled as the platform lowered. Light flickered in the room above him as Tim reactivated the transport cannon.


    Even after everything that happened, it didnt look like Tim had any plans of taking a break. Noah suppressed a laugh. The lift reached the top of the stairwell and he stepped out, heading for the T building.


    It felt like a large weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Hed been telling himself that hed fix Tims runes for nearly as long as hed been at Arbitage. It wasnt like he couldnt have done it before, but the risk had just been too significant.The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))


    The wait had likely helped Tim in the long run. Only recently had Noah gotten enough runes in his grimoire to really be able to hand them out. Before, hed have had to seek out the runes Tim wanted after confirming that Tim wanted help.


    Thats not to say Ive got an infinite number of runes. I still need to get more. A lot more. And not just for other people. Ive been at Rank 4 for a little bit now. Im starting to get pretty used to Natural Disaster.


    It should be just about time to figure out what I should get for my next Rank 4 Rune. Something that synergizes with it thats a no brainer. The problem is what. I still feel like working some space magic into whatever Im doing would be clever. Being able to teleport is insanely useful. Brayden showed me that much.


    Noah arrived at the entrance of the T building and paused at the steps. A frown crossed his lips and he tilted his head to the side.


    Huh. Speaking of Brayden, I wonder where he is. Didnt Lee say that he would be out last night? I guess he had other things to do than come straight to us. It would have been odd if he showed up in the middle of the night.


    Noah headed inside. He hadnt spoken to Brayden in person since hed revealed that he wasnt actually his brother. The fact that Brayden hadnt cut them off forever had been a huge surprise. He hadnt thought there was all that much he cared about in this world. That hadnt been true.


    Brayden had proven to be a true friend and losing him would have hurt. But now that he was somewhere in the area, Noah wasnt sure what to feel. They couldnt just pick things up the way they were.


    I suppose I could try to tell him the rest of the story. I think I can trust him enough for that. This is probably going to be awkward either way. Oh well. Nothing I can do about it but deal with things when the time comes.


    Moxie was alone in the room when Noah got back. She was hunched over her desk with a book open in one hand and a quill in the other. It scratched furiously against the paper as she copied something down. Noah closed the door behind him with a soft click to avoid distracting her.


    He craned his neck back to check the ceiling for Lee. The rafters were, however, devoid of demon. The open window was a strong indication that shed yet to return from her nightly adventures.


    Noah walked up behind Moxie and waited until the quill stopped leaning in to wrap his arms around her. She pressed her head against his.


    Howd things go with Tim? Moxie asked as she set the quill down in its holder.


    Really well. His soul is completely screwed, Noah said. I was only able to modify one rune before I had to use the Fragment of Renewal to keep him from splitting apart. That was the worst soul damage Ive seen from such a little change not counting Lee, that is.


    Her pattern is basically mounting pressure. I know its meant to be a landslide or the like, but it feels like shes steadily growing more and more aggressive as fights lengthen. It gave me a lot of insight into the plants I was trying to focus on. Instead of just plants, Ive been focusing on their growth. That seems to have gone a really long way.


    Noah considered her words for a moment. Growth seemed like a pretty solid pattern to focus on. It was definitely versatile. There were a lot of different ways he could see it being applied both in and out of a fight, and it meshed very well with her current Runes.


    That seems to suit you really well, Noah said. And what of Lee? Do you happen to know if shes been making progress?


    If you count eating things as progress, then yes.


    Noah snorted. Im assuming shes probably out terrorizing the local wildlife right now. If that includes eating it, then I assume it would technically count. You know, in some ways, Lee reminds me of James.


    Moxie squinted at Noah. How? I dont think I can think of a single similarity between them.


    Their patterns. James pattern is literally doing nothing. Lees is stuffing her face. Theyre both ridiculously outlandish and really feel like they shouldnt work. And they do. James has already demonstrated hes actually quite good at embodying his pattern. Lee well, I have full faith in her. I dont think shes ever failed to do anything she set out to.


    Okay, I see it now, Moxie admitted. To be honest, I think everyone in the class has really gotten a good handle over their abilities in recent days. And, especially after the fight in the Windscorned Plateau, I think everyone is eager to get stronger. Do you think the students are ready to move on to the next step?


    They very well might be. What about Emily? I remember she was having some trouble.


    That was the next thing I was going to mention, Moxie said with a wince. A note of disappointment intertwined with her words as she continued. She is. Shes made great progress, dont get me wrong, but shes really fighting to catch up with the others. I wanted to ask if you could privately tutor her sometime today so she doesnt fall too far behind. Id do it myself, but well, I dont really understand enough to.


    Are you sure Emily would want that? Noah asked. Were at a point where I think we both understand each other, but I still dont think Emily likes me much.


    Moxie snorted. Emily doesnt like anyone. Not externally, at least. Shes scared to show any feeling because of how the Torrins are. Connections are weakness when you arent strong enough to defend them. Trust me, she thinks rather well of you. If she didnt, shed be telling me how much she hated you every single time we met.


    Noted, Noah said with a laugh. In that case, I can try to find her today and see what I can do. Maybe you can handle the normal class while I do that?


    That would work, Moxie said with a smile. And, speaking of which, we should probably head out to meet the kids. Were probably late.


    Noah looked out the window and cursed. Oh, shit. I forgot. I hope they dont think class is canceled.


    Moxie grabbed the book with the paper that shed been working on and stuck it under her arm. Yeah. I know. Lets go. If I had to guess, Lee is probably distracting them right about now.


    That was a sobering thought. Lees distractions a tossup between mandatory stretching sessions or handing everyone half-eaten squirrels to snack on. They hurried out of the room and set off for the transport cannon to meet the kids before Lee could use the lack of supervision to traumatize anyone too badly.

 Chapter 390: Enlightening

    Chapter 390: Enlightening


    Lee was indeed with the students. It seemed that shed decided to attempt to further their practice of patterns through a demonstration of her own. That had spared them all of a session of stretching, though Noah suspected that the assortment of objects, both living and non, that Lee had shoved into her mouth were having considerably less fun.


    He and Moxie arrived just as Lee swallowed and somehow managed to make something around two or three pounds of food vanish down her gullet and disappear as if it had never been there. Todd gave her a hearty round of applause that drew looks from everyone else.


    What? Todd asked as he lowered his hands and glanced around at the attention he was getting. Id rather she eat other things than decide to see what something more intelligent tastes like.


    That might be one of the smartest things youve ever said.


    Good to see everyones having fun, Noah said. Everyone had been so focused on Lee that they hadnt even noticed him or Moxie. They turned toward him in varying states of surprise and Lee turned her gaze from a plump bird on the top of a nearby building. If the bird had any sort of guardian angel, Noah suspected that it had been the one hastening his steps.


    Funs certainly a word for it, Emily said as she covered a laugh and turned to make sure Todd couldnt see the flicker of a grin passing across her lips. Do you think I could learn that pattern? If I could eat that much and not puff up like a ball of dough, I think Id swap on the spot.


    Yeah! Lee said with a wide grin and a nod. You definitely could. Ill teach you.


    Im not so sure that particular pattern is going to work for anyone other than you, Noah said with a laugh. As usual, Lee had covered for his ass. Nobody had so much as noticed that he was late.


    Honestly, Lee is the absolute master of completely distracting people to the point where they dont even realize theyre being distracted.


    No, you can definitely do it, Lee told Emily with such confidence that Noah almost believed she knew what she was talking about. You just have to build up to it. Its like training your muscles. All you have to do is eat until you cant eat anymore and then have some more after that.


    That is not how you train your muscles, Noah said, though Lees words did give him quite an insight into why her stretching sessions were the way that they were. But I digress. Weve got some work to get to and, according to what Moxie has told me, youre all just about ready to move to the next step.


    Noah didnt say what the next step was he didnt know who was in the area, but speaking in terms that a normal teacher would use was going to make it pretty hard for anyone other than his students to figure out exactly what it was that he meant.New novel chapters are published on


    Everyones eyes other than Emilys, whose eyes flicked to the side and broke contact with Noahs as her face creased with a flash of concern lit up. It looked like Moxies warning had been right. Emily didnt feel like shed progressed her pattern enough to take it any further.


    No point making her suffer.


    But, before we get around to that, weve got some slightly more mundane things that well be working on, Noah said, starting toward the transport cannon. Everyone fell in line behind him and he continued to speak. Moxie and Lee are going to lead some sparring and combat practice.


    A round of grimaces passed over the students faces particularly those of Alexandra, James, and Todd. That was another one of Moxies theories proven correct. They were the farthest along in formations and likely wanted more.


    Well, James was probably disappointed because he was going to have to do actual work, but that was just James.


    Whoever shows the most improvement from the last time is going to get points in our competition, Moxie added, and all of a sudden, there wasnt a single person who looked even vaguely reluctant.


    Noahs smile fell away. Ah, right. Lovely.


    It was everyone elses turn to grin. Noah just sighed and shook his head. Emily, youre up first. Lets go see what you can do.


    A look of panic flashed across her face and she sent a discreet glance at Moxie, who gave her a small nod of reassurance. It didnt seem to do much. Emily swallowed and stepped away from the others. She walked over to join Noah and stood as stiff as a board by his side.


    Noah drew his flying sword from its spot at his waist and tossed it to the ground. He got onto it first and Emily, after a second of delay, stepped on behind him. She put her hands on his shoulders to keep her balance.


    Good luck. Call out if you need me for whatever reason, Noah said. He nodded up to the plateau above them. We wont be far. Just at the top of that.


    Sounds good, Moxie replied. She glanced at Lee. The demon was practically vibrating with excitement at her side. Heaving a sigh, Moxie sat down. Everyone else, find somewhere to sit. Im going to give Lee a little while to get the stretching out of her system before she pops. I dont want to hear any complaints. Just be glad Im having her do this first so we have an excuse to stop when we need to get to the rest of class.


    Noah activated the flying sword while the students moved to follow Moxies directions. Wind hummed through the air around his feet and it lifted into the air. He waited for a moment to make sure that Emily had a good hold of him before taking the sword up and over to the plateau above.


    He landed gently on the grass. A flicker of memory passed through his head at the thought of his old flying sword. As chaotic as it had been, landing it anywhere successfully had made him feel pretty accomplished.


    Magus Vermil, I Emily started.


    Magus Vermil? Noah asked, aghast. Why the hell are you being so formal? Id get professor, and Im certainly not asking you to call me Teacherman, but Magus? Relax, Emily. Moxie talked to me. Im not here to make you do something you arent comfortable with.


    The tension flooded out of Emilys shoulders and escaped her lips in a relieved sigh. Oh.


    Im here to help, you know, Noah said. I want all of you to succeed. If youre struggling with something, you can find me after class or something. Its not like you dont know where to look.


    Emily shifted from foot to foot. Her gaze moved to land anywhere other than where she could see Noah. I know. I just I dont know. I want to do it myself.


    Theres nothing wrong with that, but you cant brute force everything. Noah paused for a second and scrunched his nose. The moment the words came out of his lips was the moment that he was reminded that he had quite literally brute forced everything he knew. Actually, scratch that. I suppose you can brute force everything. Itll take way longer than asking for help, though. Why ignore resources when you have access to them?


    I yeah. I guess youre right, Emily admitted reluctantly. I just dont like it.


    Thats fine. For now, it doesnt matter. Just show me where you are and what youre having trouble with.


    Emily nodded. Okay.


    She closed her eyes and a look of concentration passed over her features. Noah crossed his arms and settled in to watch. He was confident that everyone had the ability to use a pattern. Emily was no exception. She was a bright, if slightly argumentative, student. That meant that the problem was probably something the others would run into at some point as well.


    This should be enlightening.

 Chapter 391: The Start of Formations

    Chapter 391: The Start of Formations


    I can attack you, right? Emily asked, pausing to crack an eye open.


    Feel free, Noah replied. Whatever lets you demonstrate your pattern the best.


    Emily closed her eye again and nodded. She took another second to steady herself and drew a deep breath in through her nose. Letting it out through her mouth, her eyes snapped open and she lunged forward.


    Noah shifted to the side, dodging out of the way of her punch as it whistled past his face. She whirled and sent a hook kick flying at his head. It went wide as Noah leaned back. More attacks followed it in rapid fire succession.


    Emily had definitely gotten down the chaotic aspects of a snowstorm. Feet, legs, and elbows mixed in a flurry of strikes. None of them connected. Part of that was because of Noahs own experience hed been in too many fights to get caught off guard by Emily, who was considerably less experienced.


    The frustration in Emilys features built as she pushed herself even harder. Attacks came faster. But, if anything, that only made the attack less effective. Emily was already avoiding targeted attacks because of her pattern, which seemed to embody the chaotic path of wind and snow in a storm.


    Getting mad only made her blows even less accurate and easier to avoid. Noah dipped and stepped around the attacks. He paid careful attention to Emilys movements and posture. The pattern she was using felt like it had potential. She just wasnt bringing that potential out fully.


    Noah caught Emilys wrist as it shot for his face, then spun her around. She let out a yelp and stumbled, nearly completely losing her balance in surprise. She frowned as Noah let her go.


    What is it? Emily asked. I wasnt done yet!Updated from


    Its fine, Emily. You were just going to exhaust yourself, and I think I already got a pretty good understanding of the problem, Noah said.


    Emily blinked. She let her hand drop and crossed her arms in front of her chest, the frustration clear in her features. What is it? Ive spent so much time trying to study the snow and ice. I mean, it wasnt like there was an actual storm to look at, but I made small ones to look at. Why wont it click for me?


    I dont know if Id say its not clicking, Noah replied. He held a finger up to forestall any more questions. From what he could see, the issue Emily was having had absolutely nothing to do with her understanding of her pattern.


    If anything, she seemed to be quite on top of it. Moxies fears that Emily was on the wrong track were mercifully wrong. The problem seemed to be that Emilys pattern was just so chaotic that it was difficult to be effective.


    She was wasting an enormous amount of energy and only a small portion of her attacks even had a chance of ever landing. It was basically a pattern that relied fully on overwhelming her opponent or getting a lucky strike in.


    And you can only overwhelm an opponent that youre evenly matched with or stronger than. Emily doesnt need an ability that lets her win fights she should be able to win on her own. The pattern should be an edge that pushes her ahead.


    What is it? Emily asked desperately, unable to contain herself any longer. Cant you tell me something? What am I doing wrong?


    Nothing, Noah replied. Thats why this is difficult.


    Nothing? Emily stared at him in befuddlement. Are you just trying to make me feel better or something? I can kind of match up against Isabel, but only just barely. Her pattern is so much better than mine. I have to be screwing something up.


    I think the issue is with the pattern itself, Noah said. He caught himself and coughed into a fist. Sorry, that was poorly worded. Its not that the pattern is bad or anything. Its that I think you might be using it wrong.


    What do you mean?


    Noah sat down on the grass and crossed his legs. After a second, Emily did the same. She stuck her arms out behind her and leaned back as she watched Noah with an expectant look.


    Im pretty confident she can find a way to make a pattern like this effective. She just needs to find a way to really optimize it. I dont know what that way is yet, but Id be shocked if she cant figure it out.


    How do I put magic into my pattern? Emily asked. Is that the next step? Can I do it now?


    Noah chuckled. I figured those questions were coming. Yes, you can but slowly. I want to stress something again to you. Using patterns normally is safe. Using them with magic is not. You could die if you do it without me present. Hell, you might even die if I am here. You need to be incredibly careful. Do you understand?


    Emily swallowed and nodded. Yeah. Thats kind of everything with runes though, isnt it? I cant get stronger if I dont put myself through risks to get more energy and better runes.


    Thats hardly true. Noble families routinely make Rank 5s that havent seen danger once in their life.


    And theyre horrible fighters, Emily said. She crossed her arms and locked eyes with Noah. Im not stupid. I know what goes on. I dont want to be some pampered brat that cant defend herself. Moxie wont always be around to watch over me. I want to be able to defend myself. And, to do that, I need to be strong.


    Noah nodded. He rose to his feet and held his hand out. Emily studied it for a second before reaching out and letting him pull her up to her feet.


    Then Ill do everything I can to help you fulfill that goal, Noah said. And I figured youd want as much, which is why I pulled you aside first. Before we get started adding magic to patterns, I need you to try to think on why.


    Why what?


    Why are we adding magic, Noah said. What is it that magic will do to your pattern? What do you want it to do? Think on how it will take the pattern and optimize it so that it can capitalize on its differences instead of suffering from them.


    Emily nodded sagely. Then she frowned. How?


    If I knew the answer to that, I would have told you already, Noah said with a laugh. That answer is entirely up to you. If it were me, Id probably try to find a way to use less energy on the attacks that didnt hit. I dont exactly know how Id do that, though.


    I think I see what youre getting at. If I use less energy, I can afford to miss all those attacks, right? So then Id be able to keep the current pattern. But how do you have an attack that doesnt use energy until you know its connected?


    Thats the hard part. Just keep thinking on that. Now that its in your mind, we can get started with the absolute basics. And remember no practicing this on your own.


    Or I die. I remember, Emily said.


    Good, Noah said with a nod. He paused and pursed his lips. The remembering part, not the dying one. Now, focus on your pattern again. Whenever youre ready, start it again. Then let a tiny amount of energy start flowing from your Rune and into your motions. Its going to be really slow, but dont try to push it at all, even if you feel resistance. Understood?


    Yeah.


    Emily lowered into a fighting stance and Noahs domain shifted around her. He still wasnt great at controlling it, but he pulled the aura away from Emily gently. He left a very thin layer of it around her to repress any power she used.


    She slowed her breathing and closed her eyes to center herself again. Then she burst into motion, trickles of magic tickling Noahs domain as they entered her movements. It was so subtle that anyone who hadnt been paying attention would have missed it but Noah was paying attention.


    Tiny motes of crystalline energy swirled off Emilys fists. It wasnt doing anything quite yet, but it wasnt clashing with her. Noahs lips parted in a grin. This was the first time his theory had been proven.


    Emily was channeling magic through her pattern. It might have been a miniscule amount of it, but shed done it. His student who had only been practicing for a short time had transformed her very motions into the beginnings of a Formation.

 Chapter 392: An Accident

    Chapter 392: An Accident


    The faint magic shimmering around Emily ebbed in and out of existence as it struggled to find any purchase in the outside world in the face of Noahs domain. Keeping it thin enough to let Emily use her power while also making sure it would snuff anything that might be too dangerous was proving to be considerably more difficult than Noah had expected. He needed to keep the invisible energy at the perfect level, and he just wasnt quite a master of manipulating it yet.


    But, even in spite of that, Emily continued pouring energy and effort into her pattern. Her strikes flew through the air aimed at nothing in particular, the howling gales of a snowstorm embodied within her. The air around Emily dropped just faintly enough in temperature to make Noahs skin prickle.


    He said nothing. Any words might have interrupted her focus and there was nothing that Noah needed to say. Emily was doing everything exactly how he wanted her to. Even though her magic-infused pattern was still relatively useless, the important part was that she was using it.


    Her hands finally dropped at her sides and she released the pattern, kneeling over to brace her hands against her knees and breathing heavily. After she caught her breath she looked up at Noah. Pushing the hair out of her face, she straightened.


    Did I do it? Emily asked.


    He released his domain and let it return to its normal form around both of them. Did you do it? You did fantastic!


    I did? Emily blinked. Seriously?


    You couldnt tell?


    Not really. A grin spread across Emilys lips. I mean, it felt a bit cold and I could tell I was doing something, but I didnt know if that something was the thing I was meant to be doing or if I was just floundering around.


    I would have stopped you if it was wrong. You did great.


    What exactly did I do?


    Noah coughed into his fist. Well, nothing. But, if were speaking strictly technically, you started making a Formation.


    Emily stared at Noah, her grin twitching. It fell away when it became clear that Noah was telling the truth. Emily looked down at her hands, then back to Noah, a befuddled frown on her face. What? That was a Formation? I used a Formation?


    The beginning of one, Noah corrected. If anything, you can think of that as the first step of laying the guidelines for a Formation.


    Dont you need to combine a bunch of runes for a Formation?


    Yes and no. You need to find a way to balance it. Just like the runes in your own soul. If youve got 7 identical runes in your soul, it can eventually cause an imbalance in pressure. This is a somewhat similar principle. You need a way to hold in the runes that you use in the formation. The pattern itself handles a good portion of that why do you think that is?


    Emily chewed the insides of her cheeks and tapped a foot on the ground as she thought. Is it something to do with what you were talking about regarding patterns and runes? Like patterns are kind of runes or something like that?


    Exactly, Noah said. At least, thats my running theory. Runes are just patterns that hold power. The patterns in a Formation can have a similar effect to having other Runes in opposition to balance out the pressure.


    So I can make a Formation with just one rune?


    You could make the housing with one rune. There wouldnt be much reason making a whole Formation with just one rune because the whole point of a Formation is to amplify the runes power or combine them with other runes. Ive frequently made Formations that are focused on maximizing the power of a single rune, but other runes go into the rest of the Formation in order to help its pattern contain the power running through it.


    Youre probably right about that, Emily said with a snort of laughter. Hes such a lazy idiot.


    Lazy, yes. Idiot, Im not so sure. Then again, I dont think Emily actually thinks that way either. The way she talks about James isnt the way youd speak about someone you dont like. You arent fooling anyone, kid.


    Noah stepped onto his flying sword and nodded to Emily. Lets head back down there and swap you out for someone else, shall we? And remember, dont tell anyone about what we covered. Not yet. I dont want someone getting overexcited and blowing themselves up by accident.


    The way you say that makes me think youve got firsthand experience with it, Emily said as she got on behind him and held onto his shoulders. Noah activated the flying sword and it lifted into the air.


    I do.


    The sword zipped into motion, taking them over the edge of the plateau before Emily could say anything else. Wind streaked past them in swirls that nipped at their eyes and hair. They flew in, touching down on the ground a short distance from the others. Isabel and James were both in a sparring match against Lee, and it didnt look like theyd yet to land a single blow on her.


    Isabels sword streaked through the air. Nothing but wind from its passing came close to Lee. James faded in and out of sight, using flashes of light in attempt to blind Lee, but she wasnt even fighting with her eyes open. The only thing she needed to know where they were was her sense of smell.


    Emily headed over to join the others and Noah approached Alexandra. He tapped her on the shoulder, then jerked his head toward the flying sword, not wanting to make noise that would distract anyone sparring.


    Alexandra didnt need to be told twice. She followed Noah back to the sword and, after he waved to Moxie, they took off and flew back up to the plateau that he and Emily had just been on.


    Well then, Noah said as he stepped off the sword and turned to Alexandra. As Im sure youve come to realize, youre probably the farthest along in patterns from everyone in the class. Youve taken to them really well.


    Thank you, Alexandra said simply. Practicing with the others has helped me a lot as well. Todd gave me some particularly insightful comments recently and Ive been working on incorporating them. I dont think Ive mastered my pattern just yet.


    I havent mastered my own pattern yet, Noah said with a laugh. Id be seriously concerned if you thought youd mastered anything already. Youre still leagues ahead of the others, which is not something I say to disparage them but to acknowledge all the effort youve put in yourself.


    Alexandra glanced over her shoulder and down the plateau at the class below. Her hand shifted to the hilt of her sword and she drummed her fingers against it. I am only ahead because I have no choice. Im a rank up on them, and yet I can feel them closing in. My Body Runes can only take me so far. I need to work harder. But no matter how hard I work, Ill eventually fall behind. I just want to delay that for as long as possible.


    I dont think now is the right time to tell her I can modify her runes. I trust Alexandra enough to repair the damage she did to herself at some point, but if she knows theres a way out, it might distract her from patterns. The last thing I want right now is any sources of distraction.


    Perhaps this is a bit scummy, but having all the extra motivation from thinking this is her only good option to get stronger cant hurt either. Its a very powerful driving force. Sorry, Alexandra. I wont be adjusting your thoughts there quite yet.


    Which is what were doing here, Noah said. I believe youre ready for the next step so long as youre comfortable with taking your patterns farther.


    Alexandra nodded. Im ready. But I have a question Id like to ask about the next step.


    Feel free. What is it?


    Is it inserting magical energy into your pattern?


    Yeah. Noah nodded. Good guess. Why do you ask?


    Because Ive been doing some thinking, Alexandra said, shifting from foot to foot and frowning uncomfortably. And I think I may have already done that by accident.

 Chapter 393: Forgot about that

    Chapter 393: Forgot about that


    You used magic in your pattern by accident? Noah repeated. Are you certain?


    It wasnt intentional, Alexandra said hurriedly. It happened while I was fighting Gero.


    Tell me more, Noah said with an encouraging gesture. It wasnt like stressing about things now would change anything. Alexandra wasnt dead, so either shed successfully added the magic to her pattern or shed misunderstood what happened.


    Gero had some form of magic that made it impossible to hit him with physical attacks, Alexandra said. My sword was going right through him and I thought I was going to lose. He had me inside his domain so I couldnt even use what little magic I do have. I tried to push myself harder, but it was clear he wanted me to try and make space to attack from range.


    Which you cant do, Noah said with a nod. Youre fully focused into close combat.


    Yeah. All I could do was try to hit him faster and hope that he couldnt actually ignore every single physical attack. While I was trying to push myself to do more, I felt magic slip out of my runes, and I think it went into my pattern. Im not completely certain. Gero ended the fight almost immediately afterward.


    Interesting.


    It wouldnt have been too much of a surprise for Alexandra to be correct. She was the farthest along with her pattern out of everyone and Noah had lost track of the amount of times that frustration and impatience had pushed him to try something he probably shouldnt have.


    The entire purpose of a pattern was to contain and use magic. If Alexandra had been drawing power without any intention, it was possible that it could have slipped into the pattern and empowered it.


    Is that bad? Alexandra asked and swallowed nervously. I havent done more damage to my body or anything, have I?


    No, nothing like that. If something went wrong, youd definitely know, Noah promised. Thats not to say it wasnt dangerous. What you did was the first step to casting a Formation. If it had gone wrong and youd screwed up your pattern, you could have seriously injured or killed yourself.


    I cast a Formation? Alexandra asked, completely glossing over the second half of Noahs words as her eyes went wide.


    He did his best to resist the urge to laugh. This was the time to be serious, and so much as chuckling would take the weight out of his words. The attempt was only partially successful and he couldnt keep a grin from tugging up one corner of his lips.


    You cast the beginnings of one, Noah said. Much like Emily did. The difference is that I wasnt there to oversee it. If you want to keep all your limbs where they currently are, I suggest you avoid doing that in the future. Only use Formations when Im present until I tell you that youre ready for it.


    I understand. Ill do my best.


    That wasnt a promise. Fair enough. She knows the risks, and shes been through some shit. I can respect that shes not committing to something she doesnt plan to do. Im her teacher, not her father. I just hope it doesnt get her killed.


    Good. Then well focus on trying to see just what it was you did in a more controlled environment. Noah extended his senses to his domain and peeled it back in the area around Alexandra, leaving only a thin layer of his mental presence behind. Whenever youre ready, go ahead and demonstrate your pattern. Let a tiny amount of magical energy seep into it as little as you can. The magic is going to flow slower than normal, but make sure to increase the amount you use very gradually.


    Alexandra drew her sword and lowered into a fighting stance. In stark contrast to Emily, it only took her an instant to slip into her pattern, the blade of her sword flitting out and spinning around her like the path of a distracted insect.


    It flicked and danced and spun around Alexandra in a mesmerizing dance. Noah couldnt help but marvel at the pattern. The tip of her sword seemed to have a life of its own. It changed speeds and accelerated seemingly at random.


    If I were fighting against her and had the same Rank as she did, Alexandra would be a terrifying opponent. I wouldnt be able to let her get close to me or Id definitely lose. I can barely track that sword. What a menace.


    Alexandra wasnt done. Noahs skull prickled as she started to draw on her magic. Energy rose off her as she pushed it into the pattern. Once again, there was very little hesitation in her moves.


    While Emily had started from almost nothing and gradually brought her energy up to a visible level, Alexandra ramped up her power almost immediately. Wisps of white wind gathered around the edge of her blade, just barely rising off the weapon. They raced down her body and traced her movements.Updated from


    Alexandra accelerated. Her blows zipped through the air with audible hums. Noah couldnt even see the tip of her blade anymore, just the streak it left in the air behind it. He kept a careful watch with his domain in case Alexandra drew too much power. It was tempting to turn his full attention to her movements, but he still had a responsibility to keep her as safe as he could.


    The energy pouring into Alexandras pattern intensified. Noahs eyes narrowed as the power contained in her movements started to grow. Shed gone beyond the bare minimum that hed suggested.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Then do what you just said you would and trust me, Noah said simply. You will not fall behind. I swear. The world is bigger than you think it is.


    Alexandra turned to meet his gaze and he held it. Several seconds passed before she pulled her eyes away and nodded. I okay. Fine. Im sorry for pushing so hard. I just dont want to become obsolete.


    Just trust me. Youll be fine. Noah took his hand off Alexandras shoulder and gave her a nudge. Now stop looking so put out. If we ignore the part where I interfered, you were doing absolutely fantastic. Your understanding of your pattern is incredible and youre using it perfectly.


    A small grin pulled across Alexandras lips. Thanks. I had an epiphany after training with Todd. He pointed out that the pattern has to be my whole body, not just my sword. You dont fight with just your sword, after all.


    Well, that makes me want to see just how far Todds pattern has come, Noah said with a wry grin. But for now, well stay focused on you. I wouldnt be surprised if you did use your pattern while fighting Gero. I wont order you around but be careful with doing that again. You saw how easily things can go awry.


    Alexandra nodded. Understood.


    Good. Your next task is going to be working on doing your pattern without magic while people try to interrupt you. Im sure the other students will be more than willing to help, and youll get a chance to get your revenge when it becomes their turn.


    Understood. When can I


    When Im there and tell you that you can, Noah said firmly. Unless youre literally about to die and have no other choice.


    Alexandra sighed. Okay.


    If you cant help yourself, then come find me after class and I can help you practice then.


    That lightened her expression. She gave him another nod. Okay. Thank you.


    No problem, Noah said. He turned to his flying sword and stepped onto it. I think thats all I had specifically planned for today, so lets head back to the others and see how theyre doing.


    Hold on, Alexandra said, her tone shifting.


    Noah glanced over his shoulder at her. What?


    You stopped my magic, Alexandra said, her eyes going wide as she thrust an accusatory finger at Noah. Youre a Rank 4!


    Noah snorted. Bit of a delayed reaction, wasnt it?


    I was focused! Alexanra exclaimed, her cheeks reddening. But when how? Are you getting fed runes or something?


    Or something. Youll see soon enough, Noah said.


    If I didnt know better, Id think you were the favorite child of the Linwick family, Alexandra muttered as she walked over to get onto the flying sword.


    How do you know Im not?


    I didnt think Alexandra knew all that much about my relationship with the Linwicks. Assuming theyre funding me wouldnt be that much of a stretch.


    I spoke to a few people when I came to Arbitage, Alexandra reminded Noah. They were pretty clear as to where you stood. Your reputation really sucks, Professor.


    Noah sighed.


    Right. Forgot about that.

 Chapter 394: A little risk

    Chapter 394: A little risk


    Noah returned Alexandra to the group and swapped her out for Todd before flying back up to what was becoming a familiar looking plateau.


    Youre pulling us up here to put magic into our patterns, right? Todd asked as soon as they landed.


    Yep. I guess the next step was kind of obvious, wasnt it? Noah asked with a laugh. Either way, Im curious to see what youve got considering your unique choice of pattern. Did you manage to figure anything out? I havent seen much of it since the first Imbuement you showed me.


    Kind of, Todd said. He took a metal bracelet off his wrist and held it out to Noah. Ive been working on something ever since I had a talk with Alexandra. Its not too far along yet, but I think its got promise.


    Noah took the bracelet from Todd and studied it. Thin, nearly invisible lines had been carved throughout it in a borderline unreadable swirl. Noah squinted. There was definitely intention to the lines, but it was hidden so well that he could barely make it out. It took him nearly five minutes just to find a single pattern within it.


    Really complex, Noah observed. He turned it over in his hands and shook his head, handing it back to Todd. Well, damn. I cant read this, Todd. Im sorry. Youre beyond me in imbuements.


    I thought I might be, Todd said with a laugh. There was a smug note in his tone, but Noah didnt blame him for it. Hed worked hard to get to the level that he had been, and Noah had barely studied imbuements beyond the basics so he could imbue himself. Thats fine. The main threat of a Formation is that you get distracted and the energy breaks free in an unexpected pattern, right?


    Yeah. It holds true for putting magic into patterns, since thats functionally creating a Formations earliest steps.


    The housing for the magic. Todd nodded.


    Noah didnt even bother to hide his surprise. Todd either really knew a lot about Formations or had managed to talk to Emily about what hed covered with her already. Noticing the expression on Noahs face, Todd grinned.


    I got a book on Formations and started studying it. I already knew a bit from my dad, so it was mostly just touching up, Todd explained. Its nothing compared to what youve been talking about, but theres still some interesting information in it. Most Formations were pretty targeted at Imbuers since their standard medium is in rune circles.


    That makes sense, Noah said. But it leads us to an important question. I cant help you the same way that I can anyone else. Your pattern is something youre working into your Imbuements, not any active abilities. I could be present whenever you activate items youve imbued, but


    Yeah. Its a bit pointless. Ive been Imbuing things for longer than you have, so you wont be able to figure out if its going wrong or not and your domain isnt going to be able to do anything against an imbued item. The magic is already in it and I doubt youre at a rank high enough to start overwhelming imbued objects.


    Noah started to nod, then froze. His eyes narrowed. Wait. How did you know I had a domain? Did someone go around telling others what Im doing up here? It was meant to be a surprise so you wouldnt overthink what youd be doing.


    Nah, it was just kind of easy to guess. Todd shrugged. I mean, why else would you insist that we not put any magic into our patterns unless you were with us? The only logical answer would be that youd already reached Rank 4 and had a way to stop the magic should something go wrong.


    Well, damn, Noah said with a huff. Does Isabel know too?


    Not yet. Todd flashed him a grin. I thought it would be funnier if she figures it out herself. And, since you didnt tell anybody, I get the feeling you had the same idea. I didnt want to spoil the fun.


    Good man. Noah clapped Todd on the shoulder. Ill be honest, I wish I could offer you more with regard to this. Is there anything you think Id be able to help with? Youre in a unique spot from the other students in that Im not really sure how much help I can give you. Your time might honestly be better spent sparring with Moxie or Lee.


    What about you? Todd asked.


    Its a miracle you survived Revin, Emily informed James.


    One of his eyes cracked open. You have no idea.


    Isabel shrugged and sheathed her sword. Ill get that match with James later. Its not like hell run away. I think that would be more effort than just fighting.


    Very true, James agreed sleepily. The path of least resistance is always the best one.


    I cant wait to see what his pattern does when its got magic in it. Will he just put himself to sleep? James is such an enigma. I dont understand how Revins student would end up like this. Theyre basically total opposites.


    Well, lets get you handled so you can get back to sparring, Noah said to Isabel. Ill be back for you soon, James.


    James murmured something that could have either been an acknowledgement or a curse. It was impossible to tell with him. Isabel shook her head, hiding a smile, and walked over to join him on the flying sword.


    It lifted into the air. For the fourth time that day, Noah flew over to and landed at the top of the plateau. The tiny trips were starting to feel a bit ridiculous at this point. It felt like getting into a car to drive one house down the street.


    Hows your pattern coming? I heard from Emily that it was pretty impressive, Noah said as he stepped off the sword.


    Ive been practicing a lot, Isabel said. She wasnt really one to brag about any of her accomplishments, but Noah could still hear the pride in her voice. Alexandra is better than I am, though.


    Weve all got our own unique problems and talents. Noah shrugged. Dont worry about comparing yourself to Alexandra. Dont forget shes also a Rank 3 and has a lot more experience fighting than you do. Besides, Ive seen you give her a pretty good run for her money with that pattern of yours.


    A small grin crossed over Isabels lips. Shes been a lot of help. But I want more from it. Were going to be putting magic into the pattern, right?


    Yep. Feeling ready for it?


    Do you even have to ask?


    Figured I would just in case, Noah said with a chuckle. Just a few ground rules. Put the magic in very slowly. Slower than you think you have to. Youll have some resistance while youre letting it flow, but dont overcorrect.


    I can do that.


    Also, no trying this without me around, Noah said firmly. I know Ive said this before, but patterns are just as dangerous as they are powerful. Im no stranger to how badly you want to grow strong. But you arent going anywhere if you kill or cripple yourself with this.


    I understand, Isabel said, giving Noah a firm nod. I learned my lesson back in the Linwick Estate, Professor.


    Noah gave her a smile. Good. Then lets do this. Begin your pattern and stay concentrated. I cant completely remove the risk from this. All I do is lower it.


    Thats fine, Isabel said, drawing her sword and holding it out before her. Im used to a little risk.

 Chapter 395: The power of laziness

    Chapter 395: The power of laziness


    Isabels sword crashed through the air. She shifted from blow to blow in a series of intensifying strikes. Magic trickled into her blade and swam in her movements, constrained just as Noah had requested.


    Every slash Isabel made came faster and stronger than the previous. Even though she was restraining the amount of power she was using, Noahs domain tingled as her body started to pull more magic.


    He didnt stop her. She was using a small enough amount that interfering here would have been pointless, and something told Noah that her pattern wasnt going to physically allow her to keep using the same amount of power the entire way through.


    Its entire purpose was to encapsulate a ramping avalanche. It started light and grew stronger with every attack until it overwhelmed her opponent or she ran out of energy to fight with.


    I cant let her get that deep into it, obviously, but shes still within the acceptable range of runic power where the risk is minimal as long as she maintains concentration.


    Noah shifted out of the way of the sword as it passed by his face. Her blows were starting to accelerate even more now. Aside from using wind magic to fling himself around, he didnt have any way to accelerate his reaction speed, and Isabels attacks were getting close enough to the point where he couldnt just mess around anymore.


    The magic prickling Noahs domain grew stronger still. Isabel was starting to approach the upper limits of what was safe. Her sword rose and fell again and again, a relentless march of ramping power and speed.


    If he hadnt spent so much time in other fights, he wasnt sure he would have been able to keep letting Isabel swing at him without some form of retaliation to slow her. But, even with the pattern empowering her attacks, Noah still had far more experience with close calls.


    The sword whistled past his nose, passing a hairs width from it. Isabel jaw clenched in concentration, but she didnt get time for another attack. Noah released his hold on his domain and let it swirl out in full force.


    Oppressive magic around Isabels body and crushed her pattern. Her eyes widened in surprise but, instead of getting caught off guard or stumbling, she finished her blow to avoid shattering the pattern.


    A grin passed over Noahs features. That was the level of concentration hed been speaking of. Even though the magic had randomly disappeared, Isabel knew her pattern so well that even such a jarring shift didnt make her drop it.


    Thats a really good sign for her mastering and using Formations in the future. Definitely at Alexandras level. Maybe even a bit better in a few ways. They both really felt like they understood their patterns perfectly, but Isabel was really one with the pattern.


    What happened? Isabel asked, pausing to catch her breath as she squinted at her sword. I was doing it! I could feel the pattern activating. Whered my magic go? I didnt run out.The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))


    I stopped it, Noah said with a chuckle. You were definitely doing great. One of the best today, actually.


    You stopped Isabels confusion shifted to shock. Then her eyes narrowed. Youre Rank 4.


    Surprise.


    How is it that you went from Rank 1 to Rank 4 so quickly? I know the Linwicks arent feeding you runes, Isabel said as she shook her head in disbelief. Are you going to teach us that too?


    If I ever find a way to, yes. For now, just be satisfied with knowing that your professor is badass.


    And very humble. Isabel let out a dry laugh and sheathed her sword. Is that the reason you were having us do this alone?


    Noah coughed into a fist. It may have been a portion of it. I didnt want you comparing yourselves to each other or getting distracted by how things went. I wasnt lying about how important the focus bit was. If you had an audience, things may have been different. A portion of you would be thinking about the others and how things were going.


    Not if you like your body in one piece, Noah said. Unless youve got someone with a domain that can shut your magic off the instant something goes wrong in your pattern, its far too risky.


    Well, damn. Isabel sighed, then gave him a nod. I cant say its that much of a surprise. Ill hold off on trying anything when we arent in class. I should still be fine to continue practicing my pattern, right?


    Yep. Theres still a good bit to work on there as well, dont you worry. You arent going to be sitting around and twiddling your thumbs as you wait for class. The next thing you should really focus on is what exactly your magic is bringing to the table when you infuse your pattern with it.


    Kind of like intention when combining Runes?


    Pretty much exactly that. You have to figure out what it is that the magic is actually helping you with. Sticking power into a pattern will make it stronger, but if you dont have direction, it might not be as useful as it could be.


    Isabel tilted her head to the side, nodding along with Noahs words. He gave her a few seconds to think before continuing.


    You dont have to come up with an answer now. Im still working on my own Pattern. I dont know if its something that you ever truly master. We just keep getting better.


    Can I see yours? Isabel asked. Maybe it would give me some inspiration. Its your violin, right?


    Music, actually, but the violin is the medium that I use. The pattern is the music itself. And Ive never been one to turn down a song request.


    The violin materialized in Noahs hands and he laid the bow against it. Energetic notes sprang forth as he slipped into a song. As tempting as it was to fully sink into the music, there were still more things he had to handle. Noah didnt let himself get carried off and only played for a few minutes before bringing it to a close.


    Helpful? Noah asked.


    Not as much as Id hoped, but it was really nice to listen to, Isabel admitted sheepishly. I think the pattern is so different from mine that its hard to draw inspiration. I logically know theres pattern in what you were doing, but I just couldnt see it.


    Noah dismissed the violin and clapped Isabel on the shoulder. Youll get there. Its equal parts practice and not blowing yourself up. One is harder than the other. You might get some more inspiration during our next class when were all practicing patterns together, but feel free to talk to the other students before then to get ideas. Just dont


    Do anything, Isabel finished with a smile. I know. I wont.


    Great, Noah said. Good job today, then. Unless youve got any more questions, we can head back and let you rejoin the others while I see where James stands.


    Nothing pressing. Im good to go, Isabel said. She hesitated for a second. I really want to see what James pattern does when hes got magic in it.


    Me too, Noah said with a laugh. But youre going to have to wait until next class or until he tells you. James and Lee have really interesting patterns. If they come into fruition well, only time will tell.


    Isabel nodded absently. Noah could tell her mind had already moved on to thinking on how she could improve her own pattern. He recognized the lost, distracted expression on her features from the one that had graced his own so many times.


    They got onto the flying sword and Noah waited for an extra second to make sure Isabel had actually remembered to hold onto him before activating it. They rose into the air and shot back off to rejoin the others.


    Only one more student left to test today. Out of everyone, you might be the biggest enigma. Revins student anybody that can survive getting taught by that guy is going to be interesting.


    Lets see just what that laziness of yours can accomplish, James.

 Chapter 396: Blackmail

    Chapter 396: Blackmail


    Noah and James stood at the top of the plateau.


    I was kind of hoping youd forget about me. James rubbed at the corners of his eyes and yawned. Would it count for my pattern if I just sat down and fell asleep?


    Somehow, I feel like I should have seen this coming.


    Only if youve found a way to control magic while youre asleep, Noah said dryly. And, if you have, please let me know how. I feel like that would be a revolutionary new technique.


    Why would I want to find a way to do more work? The whole point of sleeping is to do less, James said with a grimace.


    Noah crossed his arms and studied James. It was one thing to be lazy, but James was something else. The boy had seemed pretty eager to join his class at first, but the moment Noah had accepted him, hed gone from lazy to straight up slothful.


    But despite doing his best to sleep through just about anything he could, he was keeping up with all the other students. Something about that felt off. It didnt make sense to really want something, only to stop caring the moment you got it.


    There was no way James would be able to keep up with the others if he was actually putting in the amount of effort he was pretending to. There was only so far that natural talent could carry anyone.


    Not to mention I cant see Revin ever letting natural talent carry anyone anywhere. That doesnt strike me as his style. If he was training James, he almost certainly had a good reason for it.


    You ever planning to come clean? Noah asked.


    James blinked drowsily and tilted his head to the side. What do you mean?


    The whole lazy shtick, Noah said. Im sure youve got a reason for it, but Im not seeing what purpose its serving.


    I dont know what youre talking about. I just dont like doing extra work. Existing happily is more than enough for me.


    Which I have no problem with, but the last time you showed me your pattern, it was almost as developed as Isabel and Alexandras and theyve been practicing nonstop.


    Its just doing something Im good at. James waved a hand dismissively. Its quite literally nothing in every meaning of the phrase. Its logical that Id be good at a pattern Ive already spent so much time practicing.


    See, thats just not true. Noah shook his head. Because your pattern isnt just sitting around and being lazy. Its doing nothing. Theres a very distinct difference between those two things. One is just slacking off. The other takes intention.


    James lips pressed thin. His eyes narrowed and he let his head roll back to match Noahs gaze. Youre not going to let this drop?


    Dont you think I have a right to know when youre the one asking to be in my class? You arent an official student, but Ive let you stick around anyway. Im not asking you to spill your life secrets with me. But, if youre actively working to keep me from understanding what youre doing, I dont think Ill be able to help you all that much.


    James nose scrunched and he let out an annoyed sigh. I suppose thats fair enough. You arent wrong. Im not actually sleeping through class. Im just a pretty good actor.


    Then why? Whats the point?


    People dont pay attention to someone they dont think is a threat. You get overlooked.


    Do you really think the other students see you as a threat? Or are you referring to the competition for the Master Rune?


    James snorted and shook his head. Nah. The last thing Id want is a Master Rune like that. Id be fine with one that was a bit less flashy but definitely not the one youre giving out. Im sure its great and all, but it does the exact opposite of what I actually want to accomplish.New novel chapters are published on


    And that is?


    I love learning things, James said simply.


    James looked down at the grass in shame. I dont think


    Look, the love life of my students really isnt something I want to press too deeply into, but you morons literally spent an entire summer together. From what Ive seen, Emily barely tolerates anyone other than Moxie. The fact that shes still hanging out with you when youre putting on this front is probably a good thing. Im not saying you have to change what you like doing, but youre not an idiot. Im sure you can figure out a way to spend time together that doesnt involve wasting her time.


    I yeah. I suppose youre right, James said. His cheeks were bright red in embarrassment.


    Now show me your damn pattern and stick some magic into it, Noah said. Just not too much. Its going to be really awkward if we had this whole conversation only for you to pop yourself like a grape. You remember what to do?


    There isnt much I dont remember, James replied. He crossed his legs and sat down on the grass in front of Noah. Youre not going to tell her anything, are you?


    Its none of my business what you do. Just dont hold her back. Youre both capable students. Ill be honest, theres a non-zero chance shes already figured out that youre only faking being an idiot to keep her around. Shes not stupid.


    James paled. Wait. Really?


    Noah shrugged. Find out yourself. I dont know. Now get your head screwed back on. I really dont want to explain to Emily that you blew yourself up because you were too busy thinking about her.


    James groaned and ran his hands through his hair. Can we forget this conversation ever happened?


    Only if you put up a competent showing.


    Isnt that blackmail?


    Ive done worse and Ill do it again. Get to it.


    James grimaced. He closed his eyes and adjusted his posture. His chest rose as he drew in a breath, then relaxed as he let it out. Noahs domain tingled. Shimmers of faint light swirled around the boy as he started to channel magic through himself.


    He used less power than any of the other students had, but something about him shifted. It wasnt that James was any different, but Noahs eyes were drawn to look right past him. He wasnt breathing. He wasnt moving. It almost felt like he wasnt even there.


    Noah blinked. For a sliver of an instant, hed completely lost track of James but there the boy was, sitting in front of him once more.


    A few more seconds passed, and Noahs eyes tried to drift on their own volition again. Noahs eyes and mind were in disagreement. The eyes were convinced that there was nothing before him, whilst the mind knew there was.


    If it hadnt been for his domain, Noah might have completely lost track of James. He let a few more seconds pass, then let his power snuff James magic out. The boys opened a second later.


    Well? James asked. Good enough?


    More than, Id say, Noah said with a shake of his head. That is officially the farthest along anyone is with putting magic into their pattern. What was that, light magic?


    James nodded and rose to his feet. Yeah.


    And I note youre not too surprised about my domain.


    Already knew you were Rank 4. Todd looked really smug when people were getting pulled up, like he knew something they didnt. Also, I figured you had some way to protect us from pattern magic if you were insisting we only used it near you. That meant you either had a weird Shield or a domain and Ive never seen you use a shield.


    Good deductions. Noah gave James an approving nod. Youve got a lot to be proud of. Seriously though, you should be the one helping Emily here, not other way around. Stop being an idiot, okay?


    James bit his inner cheeks and nodded. Yeah.


    Good, Noah said. Then lets get going. I need to announce the results for who gets todays points for the Master Rune contest.

 Chapter 397: Consuming knowledge

    Chapter 397: Consuming knowledge


    Isabel and Lee had just finished a sparring match when Noah and James returned from the plateau. James stepped off the flying sword and went to sit down beside the other students.


    Thats everyone, Noah said as he picked the flying sword up and returned it to his side. How did things go down here?


    Well, Moxie replied. Aside from nearly popping my arms out of their sockets while we were stretching. Lee is still a little overzealous about a few things, but shes getting better.


    Its not my fault that your body is so stiff, Lee said defensively. You should have considered having joints that actually move the way theyre supposed to.


    Joints dont move in every direction, Lee, Moxie said as she rubbed at her shoulder. Weve gone over this. Theyve got specific directions that theyre meant to go in.


    You should fix that, Lee suggested. It sounds sub-optimal.


    Noah shook his head and hid a laugh. If he looked too amused, Lee might take offense and try to apply some of her stretching to him when he wasnt expecting it. He might have been able to come back from death, but that wasnt going to do anything if she ripped an arm off by accident.


    It looks like this is a decent spot to stop for a bit, then, Noah said. Everyone is now up to date on patterns and has successfully put their magic into them.


    Moxies cheeks reddened slightly. Shed yet to actually put any magic into her own pattern yet. Noah made a mental note to make sure they had a private session where she could practice that before continuing.


    You all did a great job. Everyone is advancing really fast possibly faster than I had thought you would. Weve only been working on this for a little while, but the results are already starting to show.


    Can we get to the part where you tell us who the best one was? Todd asked with a grin. Were all dying over here.


    A little patience wouldnt kill you, Todd. That got him a sharp look from Moxie. He coughed into his fist and pointedly ignored it. Hypocrisy was great when he was the one doing it. Anyway, I was getting there. Youve all got a lot to be proud of, and Ill be honest, it was pretty difficult to determine exactly who had come the farthest from where they were last time.


    If it were purely just who had the strongest magic-infused pattern, I think Alexandra or James would win. Probably James. Hes got his pattern mastered perfectly and his magic already flows through it really well. Im curious to see what hell do once he gets to actual Formations.


    But if I account for how far people have come rather than just their current strength


    Third place, Emily, Noah said. Emilys eyes widened slightly as Noah continued. Youve made huge improvements from last time. Theres still a lot you can work on, but in terms of percent growth, youve come really far.


    Emilys cheeks reddened and she just nodded, not saying anything else.


    Second place, Alexandra, Noah said. You had one of the strongest patterns and a great understanding of how to use it. You need to work a bit on your concentration, though. But, given the amount of effort and time youve put into things, youre coming along great.


    Alexandra inclined her head in appreciation. That just left Todd, James, and Isabel as the remaining students. James was probably the strongest of the three in terms of his actual ability, but Noah was pretty sure hed been restraining himself before. He hadnt actually grown that much if hed already mastered everything from the start. And, possibly most importantly, Noah could tell James didnt actually want to win. Even if his laziness did have a few small ulterior motives, he also really did just like sitting around and doing nothing. And, if that was what he wanted, there was no reason to stop him.


    Todd well, Noah hadnt seen all that much of his pattern at all. It was hard for him to give it a real grade until they sparred. He definitely understood the basics of what he was doing and seemed confident, but it did put Noah in an awkward spot.


    I dont want to exclude Todd, but I genuinely just dont know how to grade him yet. Maybe I should have had that sparring match before we did this. Whoops.


    Todd caught Noahs eye, a small grin tugging at the corner of his lips as he gave his head a small shake that told Noah not to worry about it. He took a tiny step back to make sure Noah understood. Noah gave him a small nod of appreciation. Avoiding the situation entirely was the best-case scenario.


    In first place Isabel. Youve been improving at an incredible rate and your understanding of your pattern is very solid. I can honestly say that all of you are neck-and-neck, so this was quite difficult to decide.


    James looked relieved at the results. Hed probably have been peeved if hed actually won.


    Not really, Lee said with a shake of her head. But dont a bunch of noble families all have things they donate to the neutral grounds to keep them neutral or whatever? Like the Linwicks gave the Hellreaver.


    Yeah, Moxie said. I was thinking the same thing.


    No record of what the Torrins gave? Noah guessed.


    Yep. Guessed it in one shot. Moxie sighed. Hence the research Ive been doing. They had to have given something to the school. It would have had to be pretty important as well. I just dont know what it would be.


    I can try to help you look later, Noah offered.


    Moxie sent him a surprised look. Seriously?


    What? You dont have to look so surprised. I know how to read.


    Yeah, Ive just barely ever seen you voluntarily choose to go to the library when there was literally any alternative available, Moxie said with a laugh. I wont turn down help, though.


    I can come too. Lee offered. She paused for a second, then frowned. Wait. Can you eat in a library? I think I saw a sign on the door saying I couldnt.


    No, Noah said. They dont want you getting the books dirty.


    Oh, thats fine. I wont. Im very clean when I eat.


    A thought struck Noah and his eyes narrowed. You cant eat the books either.


    What? Lee exclaimed, her eyes going wide. Thats stupid. Theyre all just sitting around on shelves like pastries.


    What part of a book even vaguely resembles a pastry? Moxie asked through a laugh. I dont think they could possibly be more different.


    Theyre flaky.


    Lee probably has more experience than you do with eating books, Noah said. Im inclined to believe her.


    Thank you, Lee said.


    That doesnt mean you can eat the books, though.


    Aw. Are you sure?


    Ill find some other books for you to eat later. Just settle for actual pastries or something in the meantime.


    Oh, yeah. Thats a good idea. Lee grinned and nodded; the topic completely forgotten. Noah snuck a glance back at the book under Moxies arm. A small frown crossed his lips. If there was an artifact sitting around Arbitage that was strong enough for Wizen to put this much effort into getting it didnt take a genius to tell that it was bad news.


    But what does it have to do with any of what hes done so far? Why all the clones and extra shit? Stealing something feels more like an espionage angle, not this.


    What is Wizen playing at?

 Chapter 398: Last warning

    Chapter 398: Last warning


    Once class ended and they had all returned to Arbitage, Lee joined the students in returning to their lodgings, having gotten stuck in an intense conversation with Todd over what breakfast foods were the best.


    Noah was pretty sure Todd was fighting a losing battle, as Lee was insisting that pancakes were crunchy. Hed probably figure out that she was including the texture profiles of the plates and utensils as part of her meal at some point, but until then, it was hard to argue with something that you couldnt even properly comprehend.


    Interesting strategy, actually. If you cant surprise them with your brilliance, baffle them with your bullshit.


    Is there a reason were standing around at the base of the transport cannon instead of heading back? Moxie asked, breaking Noahs thoughts.


    Huh? Oh, not really. I was just thinking about Lees argument strategies.


    Moxie followed his gaze and snickered. Shes certainly unique. Todd has no chance.


    Absolutely none, Noah agreed. He looked over his shoulder at the transport cannon above him. A small line had formed to use it. Other professors, from the looks of it, taking their students to practice.


    Its not all that long before the first of the exams. Theyre getting ready, Moxie said.


    The Retrieval Exam, right? Noah asked. I take it theyre not going to tell us what monster the kids have to hunt down?


    Probably not. I wouldnt be surprised if the Advanced Track makes sure they get assigned a more difficult monster, Moxie said. Speaking of, I do wonder when theyll actually get around to doing anything. Has Ulya shown up to tell us when the next meeting is and I just missed it?


    Not as far as Im aware. We can ask Contessa and Karina if she came by my old room, Noah said. Ive got to help Tim out as well. Hes still got a few Runes to get around fixing.


    Did you want to do that now? Moxie asked. Theres a bit of a line.


    Yeah. Ill probably wait around until it dwindles away and then head up after hes not swamped by people. Ive got a Mind Meld potion on me. Noah patted his bag, then looked over his shoulder again. This is unrelated, but have you seen Brayden since he showed up to help you out?


    Moxie tilted her head to the side, brow furrowing in thought. She shook her head after her second. No, I dont believe I have. I thought hed seek you out. Has he not?


    Nope. Havent seen him at all, Noah said. You dont think hes avoiding me, do you?


    That doesnt really sound like him, but I cant say anything for certain. Moxie gave him a shrug. He could also be busy. Father did send him here to help stop Wizen. Maybe hes researching.


    Moxie didnt seem too certain of her words. It definitely didnt feel like Brayden was the kind of man to skirt around addressing his problems, so Noah was inclined to believe her but he wasnt sure if that was just his mind tricking him into optimism.


    Well, Im sure Ill find him soon enough, Noah said. Were you going to head back and keep reading on the artifacts and stuff?


    Yeah. The most dangerous part of Wizen is that we dont know what he wants or what motivates him. Nobody knows what his next move is. Once we figure that out, we can deal with him.


    Agreed. Let me know if theres anything I can do to help.


    Moxie laughed bumped her shoulder into his. Sure. Ill be sure to send you into the library to leaf through books for the rest of the day.


    Hey. I can read, you know. Just because there was a time when I was more focused on flinging myself from problem to problem without stopping to think about what I was actually doing doesnt mean thats my only state.


    It might have been a bit of a breach of privacy, but Noah had never prided himself on being particularly respectable. He walked around the room, kneeling by the corners and running his hands along the floor to see if he could find a trapdoor or some other way to get around the cannon other than the lift in its center.


    He made his way around the entirety of the cannons top floor it wasnt like there was all that much ground to cover and arrived back at Tims desk. There was nothing. It was like Tim had just vanished into thin air.


    A thought struck Noah. He paused, then leaned forward to peer over the desk at the only spot in the room he hadnt touched yet. Noah took care to avoid accidentally touching any of the Imbuements or levers on it. He had absolutely no idea what screwing with the transport cannon would do, and he had no desire to find out.


    Oh, youve got to be kidding me.


    Resting on the ground was a large, cashmere rug. It was covered with colorful swirling designs that looked like they were meant to symbolize runes without actually drawing any of them.


    A rug? Noah asked aloud. Is there really not a better spot to hide something?


    Then again, it did take me like ten minutes of looking literally everywhere else. Maybe a rug is more than enough.


    He hopped over the table and reached down, pulling the corner of the rug back to reveal a trapdoor. Noah repressed the urge to let out a heavy sigh.


    Well, I found it. Now what?


    A few seconds passed. It was one thing to snoop, but it was another to literally follow Tim down into well, whatever he was doing. It wasnt exactly polite. Then again, if Tim had a more private area where they could use the Mind Meld potion, there was no reason not to use it.


    This is for his greater good, not because Im curious to see what hes doing.


    Noah pulled the trapdoor back. It opened soundlessly to reveal a long, dark slide that ran at a steep angle. He could just barely see rungs running along its top. It didnt look like climbing in or out would be particularly enjoyable.


    He held his grimoire out, making sure the huge book actually fit into the confined space, then returned it to his back. Pulling the trapdoor up, he adjusted the rug so that it was draped over the top and stepped down into the hole, hanging from rungs of the ladder. It was at such an angle that he was nearly upside down.


    Noah lowered the trapdoor and the light in the tunnel vanished. He looked down into the darkness, tempted to just drop and use wind magic to slow his fall. Instead, he started to climb down normally. There was far too high of a chance of him slamming ass-first into a turn or corner and having to hobble the rest of the way.


    He continued into the darkness, clinging onto the ladder as it twisted and turned. It was impossible to see where he was actually going. The passage went a lot deeper than hed thought it would. The tunnel eventually righted itself and let him return to climbing the ladder straight down like a normal human being.


    Just about fifty feet below him was light, dim and yellow. His angle only let him make out a few muted spots of bronze pipe and purple smoke bathed within the light.


    But the light wasnt all he found. With it came voices. Noah froze in place. He hadnt expected Tim to have company.


    Maybe I should leave. I dont want to intrude


    Get out of my way. This is your last warning, a womans voice said.


    Noahs eyes narrowed.


    Never mind. Anyone causing Tim trouble should have chosen somewhere to do it where there were witnesses.


    He released the rungs of the ladder. Wind swirled past his face as he plummeted through the darkness and rapidly approached the light.The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))

 Chapter 399: Heated Barb Moment

    Chapter 399: Heated Barb Moment


    Noah used a swirl of wind to slow his fall a few moments before his feet hit the ground. His jacket fluttered around him as he landed safely, eyes adjusting to the sudden light. The room around him was surprisingly large far too large to fit anywhere in the transport cannons body.


    Metal pipes ran along the walls and twisted past each other like the pattern of a woven scarf. They crisscrossed beneath his feet and jutted up, all covered by imbuements and obscured by inscriptions that ran alongside them.


    Shimmers of purple energy swirled at cracks in the pipes and curled up in twists of faint smoke that made the room smell like a mixture of sulfur, brass, and sweat. All the pipes congregated at a single glass pillar in the center of the room. It was so heavily etched with Imbuements that it may as well have been opaque. Something deep within it flickered with muted energy.


    Standing before the pillar was, rather than Tim, Brayden. The large man leaned on his sword, streaks of blood running down his arms and his shirt ripped to shreds to reveal seeping wounds beneath.


    Across from him was a woman. She wore a flour-stained apron and was a little portly around the waist. The woman spun toward Noah. Her eyes were creased with wrinkle lines from smiling and her cheeks were plump. Several ragged cuts ran through her clothes, but her body was unharmed.


    She looked more like a baker than a warrior. A baker that was somehow winning the fight against Brayden, one of the strongest Rank 4 mages that Noah knew. He called on Natural Disaster instantly, letting its power course through his body like a raging river.


    The hell is going on here?


    Oh goodness, the woman said. I wasnt expecting company so soon. You wouldnt happen to


    A thick bolt of lightning roared as it split the air, ripping out of Noahs hands and slicing out for her. The air around the woman shimmered, waves of heat rolling off her body as the lightning bolt vanished about ten feet before it could reach her.


    Shit. Shes got a domain, and its stronger than mine.


    That was rude, the woman said. Wait your turn, son.


    Go get help, Brayden growled. He pulled his sword from the ground and raised it before himself. Shes a multi-Rune Rank 5. One of Wizens. Uses fire.


    The air around the woman ignited with a whoomp and a wave of heat slammed into Noah. He raised his hands defensively, his domain pressing back against her power as he grit his teeth.


    Dont go chatting while were having a fight, the woman scolded. Fire rolled out across the floor before her and slammed into Brayden. An instant before it could connect and push through his domain, he flickered and vanished in a flash of purple.


    He stumbled as he reappeared beside Noah, his breath coming out in ragged bursts. Come on. You need to go. Now.


    Wait. Wheres Tim?


    The old man is fine. Hes hiding somewhere in the room, Brayden said through a cough. Theyre not after him. Theres an artifact in the transport cannon. I think


    Another wall of fire rolled toward them. The womans power sputtered and faded as it drew close to Noah and Brayden, unable to push through both of their domains. But even though it didnt connect, the waves of heat that rolled through the air were enough to singe Noahs eyebrows.


    I told you to stop talking. Dont you realize its rude? the woman asked.


    Notes of magic swirled around Noah and filled his song as he started a Formation. The violin muted the sounds of his music to keep it from being too obvious, but it would only be a matter of time before Barb noticed that he was playing a soundless violin.


    Before she could do anything, shed have to throw Brayden off. He was clearly exhausted and running low on magic, but his attacks were relentless. Over and over again his sword fell, forcing Barb to retreat before someone a full rank beneath her.


    Noah had no delusions of Barbs strength. Hed felt the heat of her magic. Shed been summoning flame from nothing. That was something only a Rank 5 could do, and it was clear she was no stranger to it.


    Fire was only good if it could connect with its target, though. Braydens form slipped through the fire in swirls of purple magic. His features were clad in stone and his blade an advancing wall of metal.


    Not for the first time, Noah was grateful that Brayden was on his side. His domain prickled with pulses of magic that washed across it, and Noah let it play into his music. A roaring inferno danced to protect its heart from the wounded hound. The beasts pursuit was dogged, but while it could nip at the fire, the battle could only end in one way unless something changed.


    The violin grew louder. Energy poured out of Noahs body as he drained power from Natural disaster to make the housing of the Formation. Whoever Barbs backup was had yet to strike, but


    A shimmer bent the air at Noahs side, right at the edge of his domain as it destroyed the magic trying to enter it. From within the magic came a short man wearing white robes and bearing a wooden staff.


    Noah recognized him. It was Richard the healer that hed seen the day hed arrived at Arbitage. Surprise played across Richards features but he carried forward, sprinting at Noah and rearing back with his staff.


    Not a Rank 4, so he cant use magic in my domain.


    Twisting, Noah dodged out of the way of the strike. His music grew faster as he moved around Richard, deftly avoiding the strikes of the mans staff.


    You cant use my own trick against me, especially when it looks like youve never tried to hit someone without magic in your life.


    Barbs eyes flicked over to Noah as his music approached a crescendo. The moment of distraction cost her a deep wound across her shoulder as a line of purple energy carved out of Braydens sword and she failed to fully avoid it in time.


    Flame erupted around her like a blooming flower, detonating with a brilliant explosion. Brayden flew back, his arms crossed and smoking before his face. He slammed into a nest of pipes and dropped down. Purple smoke hissed out around him from the pipes.


    Richard turned to run over to Barb. He took one step before Noah hooked his foot forward, still playing, and yanked the healers legs out from under him. He poured Sunder into the Formation building in his song.


    Stop him already! Barb yelled, pain in her voice as she turned toward Noah and gathered fire around herself.


    Richard rolled over and tried to jab his staff up at Noahs throat. Noah leaned back, avoiding the strike, and kicked the healer in the side of his head. He played faster still. Adrenaline and magic intertwined within his veins.


    The violin sang with Noah. Elation grew within it as the song drew closer to its conclusion. Richard groaned and lunged from his spot on the ground, only to catch a heel to the nose. His nose shattered with a crunch and his head slammed back into the ground.


    Fire roared toward them from Barbs hands, the power rippling within the curling sea of red and orange far too great to be held back by the dam of his domain. Heat bit at his face and prickled against his skin. He played one more note.


    The violin fell silent.


    The Formation came to life.

 Chapter 400: Portals

    Chapter 400: Portals


    A crescent of black tore out from the notes of magic that Noah had laid, streaking out to meet the immense torrent of flame bearing down on it. The wall of fire curled like a wave as it made to crash down on top of Noah, screaming like a scorned god.


    Sunders arc touched the flames.


    The room fell quiet. Barbs magic was swallowed, sound and flame alike, up by a devouring silence and an endless black. Firelight blinked out. All that remained was Sunder and its advance toward Barb.


    Her eyes widened and she flung herself to the side, three glistening Shields erupting around her body preemptively. Sunder didnt even register their existence. They were beneath it, so pathetic that they werent even worth destroying.


    Its black blade continued on, disappearing into the wall without a sound. Barb hit the ground with a pained grunt and rolled to her feet. Fear gripped her face for the first time as she looked back at where Sunders power had gone. Her shields still shimmered around her, waiting in silent anticipation.


    What was


    Barbs shields shattered. Three rings fell from her fingers, their power completely spent, and clinked against the ground. Even as she looked down in shock, a wet squelch split the silence. Her arm hit the ground before her, severed right above the elbow, the blood only just starting to come as it realized that it had been cut.


    The pipes behind Barb screeched. Purple smoke hissed out in a deluge, curling around her body as she clutched at the stump of her arm and took a stumbling, terrified step back. Blood poured out of the brutal wound as her vessels finally remembered that they were meant to be bleeding.


    Barb grit her teeth and fire erupted from her remaining hand. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air as she cauterized the wound. Before Noah could try to draw on his powers again, Barb thrust a palm toward him.


    A spark caught in the air, then detonated. Brayden rolled over and sank into the ground with a shimmer of magic, then reformed before Noah, slamming his sword into the ground. Purple energy erupted from his blade and swirled up into a shimmering wall an instant before the room disappeared in a flash.


    Fire roared past Noah and pipes shattered all around them under the force of Barbs magic. His domain shuddered and desperately tried to hold strong. Even with Brayden by his side, the fire licked hungrily past them. The only patch of the room that wasnt completely devoured in its hungry grasp was a small cone behind them.


    Braydens purple magic cracked. His grip tightened around the hilt of his blade and he snarled in defiance. Noah tried to call the moisture in the room to create water, but there was almost nothing left to work with. Barb had evaporated almost all of it. He quickly gave up and turned his attention to the flame, trying to push it back with Natural Disaster.


    It was like trying to fight a brick wall. There was so much magic coiling within the fire that it was completely untouchable. All Noah and Brayden could do was stand there and bear the brunt of the attack, hoping it would end.


    After what felt like minutes but was truly only a few seconds at best, the fire sputtered out. Braydens grip on his sword slacked and he pitched forward. He caught himself just before he could fall face first, bracing a trembling arm against the ground.


    There was no sign of Barb. Shed vanished in the flames but she hadnt gone alone. The glass cylinder had melted to slag. Any imbuements that had once been on it had been reduced to nothing but molten trash. And, of the artifact that had been hidden within it, there was no sign.


    There was something far more important missing than any artifact.


    Tim! Noah yelled. Where are you?


    Over here. Im fine, Professor.


    The relief struck Noah with such intensity that he nearly dropped on the spot. He turned around as Tim rose from behind a cluster of pipes, his hair badly singed but otherwise unharmed. Tim brushed soot of his arms and walked over to them on shaky legs.


    Thank God, Noah said, grabbing the older man by his shoulders. I thought youd gotten fried.


    I agree, Brayden said. Do you think you can go do that? I need to have a talk with Vermil.


    Tim glanced at Noah, who gave him a small nod in response.


    Ill be back with aid soon, Tim promised. He hurried over to the ladder. It had been mostly warped and destroyed, but some of the metal had managed to hold its structure. He jumped and grabbed onto the lowest rung that hadnt been completely destroyed before pulling himself up and into the tunnel.


    So, Brayden said wearily. You just cast a Formation with music.


    So I did, Noah said.


    Youre Rank 4 now, and with a pretty strong domain. Midway through it, if I had to guess.


    Noah nodded.


    Ive never seen the Rune you were using as its head. That might have been the most oppressive Rank 4 Rune Ive ever seen. Even with a Formation, cutting straight through the domain of a Rank 5 and nearly killing her in a single blow is almost unheard of. I take it theres a reason Ive never heard of the magic you were using?


    Noah nodded once more. Yes. Id prefer to keep any information on it completely wrapped up.


    Would I be remiss in guessing this is somehow connected to the way you cant seem to stay dead?


    Noah gave Brayden a noncommittal shrug. He trusted the large man, but the truth of Sunder and how it worked was something he had no plans to give any more information on than he absolutely had to.


    Fair enough, Brayden said. I wouldnt tell anyone if I were you. Ill avoid mentioning it to the Enforcers and anyone else that comes to look. I dont think Tim understood the magnitude of what he saw, but we can play this off as you being a Formation master. Ill avoid mentioning just how powerful that final attack was. Acceptable?


    More than. Noah gave Brayden an appreciative nod. Thank you.


    Thank you, Brayden corrected. Saved my ass. I would have been dead if you didnt show up.


    Any time. But before anyone else gets here, do you have any idea what that artifact actually was?


    Lines of concern creased Braydens face and he drew in a deep breath, letting out in a sigh. Yes. I do.


    And? Is it something we have to be worried about?


    I dont know, Brayden admitted through a grimace. It was a key that opens a very long-distance portal.


    To where?


    The Damned Plains.

 Chapter 401: The City of Gold

    Chapter 401: The City of Gold


    One day ago.


    Wizen let out a rattling breath. He leaned back in his stone chair, his hand tightening at his side as the connection to his puppets sputtered and wheezed. Silvertide had done a lot more damage to Evergreens runes than hed initially thought.


    The old woman wouldnt last much longer. Hed already ripped every shred of power that she had to spare from her body. It was only right. Shed cheated him. The key hadnt been on her.


    Perhaps I should have seen that coming. I can only blame myself. Why would the puppet of the Torrin family be carrying around an artifact like that? I should have gone after one of the important ones but it hardly matters now.


    The information flowing from the puppet sputtered to a stop. The last thing Wizen saw through its eyes was the plant matter filling its core seeping out and souring the Torrin Familys library.


    I knew it, Wizen breathed. His fingers twitched at his sides and old wounds burned his back. He ignored the pain and rose to his feet, stepping past the cracked bulbs and striding out of the room.


    The darkness pulled away from him, as if in fear of his shadow. He strode down the hall, turning the corner and pushing through an old doorway to enter a kitchen. A middle-aged woman stood at the counter, her hands covered in flour and a ball of dough on the counter beside her.


    Several finished pastries laid on the wooden table between them, stuffed full of glistening cherries. The womans hair hung around her face in a bob, and her face was slightly rotund. She smiled and brushed her hands off on the apron hanging from her neck.


    Wizen, honey. How have you been doing? Youve been working really hard lately.


    I have, Wizen agreed with a dry laugh. He took one of the pastries from the table and bit into it, a delighted expression pulling across his features as the bright, sugary flavor of the fruit mixed perfectly with the flaky pastry. And it seems you have as well, Barb. Youve outdone yourself once more.


    Oh, you flatter me, Barb said with a soft laugh. Id be honored if it was my cooking that brought you out of your hole, but I suspect that I havent gotten that good.


    Wizen polished off the rest of the pastry before responding. Im afraid not. Something far more important gives my feet flight.


    Barbs eyebrows lifted. You found it, didnt you?


    I found it, Wizen said. His smile stretched even further across his face and he picked up another pastry. At no cheap expense, mind you. Hundreds of puppets. An entire set of Rank 6 Runes, wasted.


    Wasted? Id hardly say that, Barb said. She stepped around the counter and took one of her pastries, taking a bite from it. After chewing for a moment, her lips pursed and she shook her head. Too sweet. I need less sugar.


    I rather like them sweet, Wizen said. And perhaps wasted is the wrong word. They did what I needed them to. I just didnt expect to lose so much at this stage. Silvertide is stronger than I thought.


    Hes an old codger. What did you expect? Barb shook her head and laughed. Its unfortunate that hes going to be in our way. Ive met Silvertide before. Hes a good man.


    Most men are, Wizen said. He finished his second pastry and wiped his mouth off with a napkin. But good men turn blind in the plight of those they care not for. We have no need for good men.


    Everyone can be used, Barb said. Youre just too black and white, hon. Learn some shades of gray.


    Barb glanced down at her dough, then back up at Wizen as he headed for the door. With a huff, she walked after him. The two returned to the room with the bulbs, where Wizen lowered himself into a chair.


    Dirt rippled at his feet, rising up into a chair for Barb across from him. She sat down as the dirt continued to bubble, forming into a perfect replica of Arbitage.


    Arbitage is my favorite of the bastions, Wizen said, a smile drifting across his face. So many different goals, all of them competing. Their schooling is inadequate. Their teachers are fools. Their researchers are greedy and horde knowledge instead of sharing it. They steal from even their own families.


    Wizen, hon, did you forget what favorite means again?


    Wizen let out a huff. No matter how strong he got, Barb never seemed to enjoy wallowing in arrogance for too long. It was good. She kept him grounded.


    The reason Arbitage exists is not for any of the reasons above, Wizen said. Arbitage is a storage. It exists to give the top noble families a location to put their artifacts the ones they want studied, but the ones they dont want near their actual homes. They send their children the ones that look important but lack true value as a cover. In truth, nearly everyone in Arbitage is replacable. A few rise above the rabble, but the rest are only there to take up space. Arbitage is not a sanctuary or a school. It is an agreement between the top noble families to designate an area where they could store the weapons that proved too great a threat to keep close to chest. It is an armory.


    So they all pitch in some garbage to make it seem like a proper school, then stick all the bad news into it somewhere in hopes that the problem becomes someone elses issue to deal with when it goes wrong?


    Wizen nodded. Yes. They obviously want some students to be successful as well, but they take no risks in their training. Those who have talent occasionally succeed, but their purpose is merely to keep the attention of other noble families and even some members of their own families averted from the Bastions true purpose.


    So wheres the key? Barb asked. A vault?


    Hidden in plain sight. Wizens smile returned. He waved a hand and the buildings faded away until only a single one remained. A thin tower, cannon at its top pointed to the heavens. What better place to store a spatial artifact than a cannon that uses its powers as a battery?


    Clever, Barb said. Youre sure? Thats bold. Even for them.


    The information lines up. I am certain. You will go.


    I figured as much, Barb said. She pulled her apron off and folded it up, setting it down on the arm of Wizens seat. Youve got things arranged to get me into campus?


    Of course. Be hasty. Do not let yourself get caught up in a long fight. Arbitages students may be largely worthless, but its protectors are not. You will not survive a fight if they all come down on you.


    I can handle myself, hon. Dont you worry, Barb said. I might need a little help if things go south, though.


    Already handled. Ive had an agent in Arbitage for some time now.


    Is there anywhere you dont have an agent?


    No, Wizen replied with a dry laugh. Finish your preparations, Barb. The key will be mine by nightfall.


    Barb gave him a sharp nod, then headed out of the room. Wizen watched her leave, then drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Twinges ran down his back, but he ignored them. He was so close. After all these years, everything was finally sliding into place.


    Count the days, old friend, Wizen breathed. The City of Gold awaits us.

 Chapter 402: Smoking

    Chapter 402: Smoking


    Barb dropped through the portal, smoke curling up from her body. She dropped to the floor of the cold cave and let out a heaving cough that racked her entire body, expelling soot from her lungs.


    Barb! Wizen exclaimed, rushing to her side. His fingers flew to his side and pulled a vial full of glistening green liquid free, popping the wax seal off in the same movement. He brought it to her mouth and tipped it in.


    Barb drank greedily, wrapping her lips around the lip of the bottle to keep herself from spilling any of it. Magic worked its way through her body and she let out a relieved breath. The burns that covered her body quickly started to turn pink and pull back.


    What in the Damned Plains happened? Wizen demanded. It was meant to be a fast in-and-out! How did you get so badly injured?


    Father figured us out, Barb said through a cough. She wiped her lips with the back of a hand and grimaced. His kids were there. Both Vermil and Brayden, though it seemed that Vermil was acting on his own volition.


    Children gave you this much difficulty? Wizen asked, trying and failing to contain the shock in his voice. A Rank 4 and what was Vermil? A Rank 3 at best?


    Rank 4, Barb said grimly. The wounds covering her body continued to heal and she pushed herself upright. A frown crossed her lips and she looked down at her missing right arm. The burn at its stump was fading, but the arm showed no sign of regrowing. What kind of potion did you give me, Wizen? Am I not worth better than this drivel?


    Drivel? That potion was over fifty thousand gold, Wizen said. His eyes followed Barbs and his brow creased in disbelief and confusion. What happened to you? Did they have an Enforcer lying in wait? Brayden is competent, but not that competent. You shouldnt have had any trouble.


    It wasnt Brayden. It was Vermil. He was the stronger of the two, and by an enormous margin.


    Vermil was? Impossible. He barely beat Gentil.The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))


    Hes a Formation master, Barb said flatly. The last of her wounds faded away. Her missing arm made no moves to return. It was as if the potion had registered her whole state as missing an arm. And hes got one of the most wicked Formations Ive ever seen. His domain put him at mid Rank 4, but he cut straight through my own domain and would have killed me if I hadnt dodged in time.


    Impossible, Wizen said. His mind spun as he searched through all the information hed gathered. Vermil had been an anomaly. Fathers least favorite child and a lecherous pervert. Something had changed in the man some time ago and hed started growing in power, but nothing had indicated the rate of growth was this intense.


    His studies had shown him countless ways to turn it into a deadly weapon. It possessed the ability to level entire cities, were it properly connected to a few other choice artifacts and controlled by the proper wielder.


    Wizen couldnt have cared less. There was only one thing he wanted the key for, and it wasnt any power that could be claimed on this plane of existence.


    Rest, Barb, Wizen said. He pulled a chain out from his pocket and threaded it through the key. He hung it around his neck and tucked it into his shirt. You have done well. I will find a way to deal with your arm. The rune that did that somehow completely severed your arm, both body and soul. It is a powerful one, clearly aided by its Formation.


    Are we going to go after it?


    Want it for yourself, do you? Wizen let out a dry laugh. Perhaps. But not now. We must keep sight of our goal. Father is a deadly opponent, and it seems Vermil is a card that we did not place. We cannot afford any distractions or roadblocks. There is only one thing that matters.


    Barb gave him a sharp nod. I suppose so. Ill hold you to that promise about my arm, Wizen. I cant bake with one arm. Not as well as I could with two, at least.


    The Damned Plains will possess all which we seek. Even if there is no cure, there will be an acceptable replacement.


    Barb brushed her burnt clothes off and rose to her feet with an unsteady wobble. She adjusted her shirt and let out a sigh. Im going to need a new apron as well.


    It will be arranged for. Go rest.


    And you?


    I will do what I always do, Wizen replied. His hand lifted to the key resting against his chest and his eyes darkened. I will prepare. This phase of our work is complete. Now that we have the key, I will gather the rest of the five. We must move quickly. Father will doubtlessly set his own plans into motion when he discovers the key is lost. He must not be allowed to interfere.


    Something tells me that he will anyway.


    Most likely, Wizen said. He spun and started for the exit of the cave. But he always has, and it has not stopped us yet. This time, the reason for that is you. But, from here on out, I will be taking a much more aggressive position. We will not be caught off guard once more. The Damned Plains will open to us, and I will take what is mine.

 Chapter 403: Plans in plans

    Chapter 403: Plans in plans


    It didnt take the Enforcers long to arrive. Just a minute after Barb had vanished, while he and Brayden were still getting their bearings again, a ripple of energy passed over the transport cannon. They both stiffened, but instead of Barb or another one of Wizens men, the one who stepped through was an old man in an Arbitage uniform.


    He held a staff in one hand, his eyes scanning over the room before hed even set foot in it. Behind him came Neir and another man that Noah recognized Godrick, the head of the Advanced Track. Tim stepped out after them and walked back over to rejoin Noah and Brayden.


    You again, Neir said, his eyes locking onto Noah as Tim passed him. Why is it always you?


    Professor Vermil, Godrick said. What in the Damned Plains happened here? Who is this?


    Noah let out a breath and let his hands lower, releasing his hold on his Runes. This wasnt a threat that flinging magic around was going to solve. He forced himself to bite back a sarcastic laugh. It didnt seem like Arbitages enforcers could ever show up on time.


    They were late when hed killed the Hellreaver, and now they were late to getting their artifact stolen out from right beneath their noses. Tim must have had some way to get their attention at the top of the transport cannon.


    Wizen attacked, Noah said.


    One of his people, more accurately. A Rank 5 woman by the name of Barb, Brayden corrected. My name is Brayden.


    The old man didnt bother exchanging any words. He made a beeline over to the melted glass, stepping over shattered pipes with a distasteful frown on his lips.


    Neir massaged his temple with two fingers. Im familiar with both people present. Theyre from the Linwick Family. Brayden is a Rank 4 space magic user. Vermil is a Rank 3 well, something. I dont know what he does other than get his nose stuck into problems.


    Hes not Rank 3, the old man said from the far side of the room, turning to look over his shoulder at them. He has a domain.


    Neir blinked. He did a double take, then squinted. Wait. I thought that was Braydens. How are you Rank 4, Vermil? You were Rank 1 a few months ago.


    A few months is an exaggeration. Ive been working hard, and Ive got connections.


    His rank is irrelevant to the matter at hand, Godrick said. His eyes swept over Tim, who had yet to speak, but didnt stop moving. He drummed his fingers on his thighs, irritation evident on his features. What did Wizen take? The expressions on your faces tell me we didnt win this particular confrontation.


    A key to the Damned Plains, Brayden said. Wizens operative was severely wounded, but she appears to have survived. We have no reason to assume otherwise.


    A key to the Damned Plains? Neir repeated. He sent Brayden a baffled look. Who in their right mind would want that?


    This may be news to you, but I dont suspect Wizen is in his right mind, Godrick grumbled. How did you know he would be here, Vermil? And why did you not warn anyone else? If the advanced track had known, we could have


    I only stumbled into this on accident, Noah said. He nodded over his shoulder at Tim. I was looking for him and thought it strange that nobody was manning the transport cannon, so I went looking around. I showed up while Brayden was fighting Barb.


    And why did you tell nobody? Or did you also stumble into this on accident? Neir pressed Brayden.


    Brayden shrugged. I dont work for Arbitage. I work with it. Theres a difference. Father told me he had some suspicions as to what Wizens goals were. Barb showed up shortly after I arrived to investigate.


    There are traces of powerful spatial magic here, the old man said, walking back over from the melted glass tube to rejoin them. He tapped his staff on the ground as he came to a halt. Rank 6. Beyond anything these two could create.


    Ridiculous. I cant believe a lone Rank 6 manage to steal from us. It doesnt matter how strong he is. This is unbelievable, Godrick said.


    You think thats bad? Noah asked. Wizen had an agent in the school.


    Likely, Godrick said. He ran his hands through his hair and adjusted his uniform, letting out a huff. I came here ready for a fight, not a political disaster. No matter. I will handle things with the rest of the Advanced Track. Vermil I hope youre ready to field questions. You already had interest on you. The other professors are going to be even more interested.


    Are you going to mobilize them to find Wizen? Neir asked. We could use the help.


    No. Their duty is to their students. Unlike the rest of Arbitage, we actually care about teaching our charges. There are more than enough Enforcers to handle searching for Wizen, and Ill help you with any domestic issues, but finding the madman is your problem. He is not an immediate threat to anyones safety.


    Noah caught himself before he could nod in approval. Godrick actually seemed like he was genuinely interested in the wellbeing of his students. That was ironic as, according to Silvertide, he quite literally didnt have a heart.


    No need to support him too publicly in front of Neir. Im surprised hes not frothing at the mouth. I have to look ridiculously suspicious at this point. If Brayden wasnt here, Id be screwed.


    Figures, Neir muttered. Ill need Silvertide. Possibly Vermil as well.


    Their schedules are theirs, not mine.


    Great. There was going to be a meeting with the Enforcers tonight, but itll have to be postponed to tomorrow morning so we can gather more information. Vermil, you can come report


    Ive got something scheduled, Im afraid, Noah said.


    Neir blinked. What? What are you on about? Weve got more important things to do than whatever it was that you were planning. You were a witness. I need to know everything that happened.


    Brayden knows more than I do, Noah said without a flicker of shame. But we already told you almost everything. Im more than willing to help figure this whole shitshow out and track Wizen down, but not at the cost of what Im already doing. Its like Godrick said. Wizen isnt a threat to anyones safety right now. I have duties to the advanced track, my fellow professors, and my students.


    I have a date with Moxie. Im not missing it for this shitshow. Wizen is Arbitages problem, not mine. I really dont care if he decides to screw off to the Damned Plains.


    Godrick gave Noah a small nod of respect and Neir let out a huff of annoyed breath.


    Figures. What about tomorrow night?


    Thats the advanced track meeting, Godrick said. Theyre every three days.


    Ah. I finally learn the schedule. Right on time, buddy.


    Day after tomorrow? Neir tried.


    That will work.


    Good, Neir said. Thank you. I suppose that works better regardless. Gives me time to gather more information and to vet the Enforcers. We need to make sure Wizen doesnt have any more spies in our midst, even if all his puppets are gone. Godrick, even if your group is busy, I hope youll make sure they arent working against us.


    We already had a re-vetting process recently. Nobody in the advanced track is working with Wizen, Godrick said. Theres no reason to sit around here any longer. Julius, will you handle sealing the cannon down and come up with an explanation as to why its broken until I can get a replacement running?


    The old man nodded.


    Good, Godrick said. He heaved a sigh, then shook his head. More work. Lets get to it then. With any luck, Wizen has what he wanted and will leave us alone from here on out. Weve got exams to prepare for.


    Noah couldnt agree more, but he got the feeling that he wasnt quite done with Wizen quite yet.


    I wonder if Lee could get any use out of that key he took. I dont think shes going to want to go back to the Damned Plains, but I should probably let her know whats going on.

 IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

    IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT


    Howdy guys! Return of the Runebound Professor is finally out on Amazon! It''s been edited up, polished, and is a big ole chunky 750 pages. Now for the part you care about:


    If Book 1 gets to top 100 on Amazon Ebooks, I will release 5 bonus chapters in celebration!


    You can check the novel out HERE!

 Chapter 404: Lizards

    Chapter 404: Lizards


    Everyone headed out of the Transport Cannon. Noah wanted to hang back to speak with Tim, but he didnt have any way to do it without coming off as suspicious. Hed have to pick the time he chose to repair the rest of the mans runes carefully. There was a good chance someone from the Enforcers would be watching over him in the near future.


    He headed off across the grass alongside Brayden while the others all split off in separate directions and Tim remained behind, presumably to explain that the cannon was temporarily out of commission to anyone that came by to use it.


    So, Noah said after a few seconds of walking in silence. Now that Wizen managed to steal what he wanted and you dont have anything that needs to be guarded, whats the plan?


    Help the Enforcers figure out what hes doing, I suppose, Brayden said with a shrug. Father told me to interfere with Wizens plans. I would have preferred to cut them off at the head, but I got too cocky. You were right. I should have tried to work with you, Brayden admitted with an embarrassed sigh. I thought my Runes would let me handle whoever Wizen sent. I just wasnt expecting them to have backup in the form of a healer.


    I know Space Runes are strong, but I wonder if Ive been seriously underestimating them. Brayden was able to hold off someone a whole rank above him and he nearly won the fight. To do that without Sunder or any of the other unfair advantages I have damn. I think I know the direction my next rune is going to go in. Some form of space-related disaster, perhaps?


    You did better than anyone else in your position probably would have, Noah said. Nobody could blame you for that. But does this mean youre going to stop avoiding me now?


    Brayden let out a snort. Has anyone ever told you how much of a little shit you are?


    Moxie tells me all the time.


    Never thought Id say this, but that Torrin has a good head on her shoulders, Brayden said. And yes, Ill be around. You lot always seem to have something interesting happening. Wouldnt mind swinging by some of your classes to see how those kids of yours are doing. Isabel and Todd were pretty interesting. Theyll be good mages one day.


    Noah nodded in agreement. There was a note of awkwardness to both of them that hadnt been there the last time theyd truly spoken, but if anything, Noah was surprised it wasnt worse. They hadnt truly had a chance to interact ever since hed revealed that he wasnt actually Vermil and was actually just puppeting his body around.


    Im really glad Vermil was a burning piece of shit. If Id taken the place of somebody who was actually a good man, I dont know if Id ever have been able to forgive myself.


    Youre more than welcome to swing by a class. The next one will be tomorrow. It might be a bit of an odd once since we normally use the transport cannon to get around. That obviously isnt going to be happening.


    Probably not, Brayden agreed. Ill come back tomorrow morning, then. Until then, theres still some work I need to handle for Father. Ill have to let him know what happened as well. What a bother.


    Good luck with that. Let me know if theres anything I can do to help. I have a way with Father.


    A way with pissing him off, more like. Brayden snorted and shook his head. I can handle him myself, I think.


    Fair enough.


    Good luck, then. You know where to find me. Oh go to Moxies room, not mine. I kind of gave mine to Contessa and Karina.


    Brayden started to nod, then froze. Confusion passed over his features as he did a double take and turned to fully face Noah. You what?


    Oh, did you know them? Noah asked.


    Yes, Brayden said, his voice taut. I know Karina. Why in the world is she staying in your room? Did Father not let her out of the contract? Im surprised youre tolerating her presence.


    Oh no, he did. Im not entirely sure why shes sticking around, Noah admitted, rubbing the back of his head. He shrugged. I dont really care, though. She and Contessa seem to get along well enough. Im already letting Contessa use the room, so theres not really a reason to complain if someone else is as well.The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))


    And who is Contessa?


    Probably, Noah said.


    Id warn you off of it, but somehow I doubt that would do anything. Feel free to ask me if you need help with anything, but I suggest you try to test things out a bit yourself first. Buy a Rank 1 Space Rune and feel it out. If that doesnt completely turn you away from the idea, then talk to me again.


    Ill take you up on that, Noah said with an appreciative nod.


    Brayden clapped him on the shoulder. I dont doubt it. Until tomorrow, then.


    Just not too early. Ive got a date with Moxie, so Ill be busy in the morning.


    Brayden snorted. Rub it in, will you?


    Noah tilted his head to the side. Wait, are you looking for someone? I never really thought about it, but


    Dont try to set me up. Braydens eyes narrowed. I am more than capable of handling all aspects of my love life myself.


    Right, Noah said. Well, I wont push. I dont think I really know that many single people anyway. You could try your luck with Contessa or Karina, but Im not so sure


    Brayden blanched before Noah could even finish the sentence. I think Im quite all right. Id sooner pursue a leprosy-ridden lizard than Karina.


    Ouch. Cold. Not that I blame you, but cold.


    Not Karina, then. Well, maybe Moxie knows someone.


    I already told you that I dont need any help in my damn love life. Go back to focusing on those space runes, will you? Thatll be a better usage of your time. Or, more accurately, you might want to try to start saving up. Space Runes arent cheap. I could probably part with one of mine, but


    No, its fine. You already gave Lee one, and she really needed it. This is just passing fancy for me, so I dont want to take your hard-earned energy.


    It wouldnt feel right just constantly using Brayden for free stuff. Besides, I can just wait for that bloke who bought the last Monster Rune from me to reveal himself so I can scam the bugger for another shitload of gold. Thats just as easy and it gives me time to think about what kind of rune Id actually be making with space in it.


    If youre sure. Brayden shrugged. Good luck. Feel free to change your mind and let me know. It really isnt that much of a hassle.


    Thank you. Ill keep that in mind. Thanks for all the information.


    No problem. Just dont waste too much time on this stuff until youre completely certain its right for you. Space Runes arent rare for no reason.


    When it comes to Sunder, I dont think there are a lot of Runes that can really cause me trouble. But now that Braydens hyped these things up so much, I think Ive got no choice but to find out. I think Lee actually said that she had some space runes she could share with me at some point. Ill see if I can take her up on that.


    Noah nodded. Ill keep that in mind. Until tomorrow, then?


    Tomorrow. Brayden raised a hand in farewell and headed off toward the center of campus while Noah made for the T building to meet back up with Moxie.


    Space Runes were important, but there was a more pressing matter that had to be handled first. He had to find out how to explain to Moxie that hed somehow managed to get into a fight with one of Wizens people just hours after heading off without her.

 Chapter 405: The Groundbreaking Question

    Chapter 405: The Groundbreaking Question


    Well, Noah said as Moxie stared at him over the top of her book, at least you dont need to try to figure out what Wizen was after anymore.


    She let out a mixture between a long-suffering sigh and a laugh. Shaking her head, Moxie closed the book and tossed it onto her bed. How do you do this? Are you cursed? Do you just have a nose for trouble and a burning desire to follow after it?


    I wanted to see where Tim went.The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))


    And so logically your first thought was to break into restricted Arbitage property. Moxie burst into laughter. I suppose that tracks. It sounds like its a good thing you did. Nobody was seriously injured other than Barb?


    Yeah. Brayden and Tim are both okay. It didnt look like Barb was trying to kill Tim and Brayden had some nasty cuts but nothing too significant. He basically shrugged all of them off when we walked out of the tower. They werent anything a healing potion wont handle.


    Moxie rose from her chair and ran a hand through her hair. And the artifact that Wizen was after a key to the Damned Plains?


    Yeah. I couldnt even begin to hazard a guess as to what he wants with it. Theres no way hes after the same thing that Father was with when he tried to summon Azel and got me instead, right?


    If he was, this would be the absolute worst way to go about it. There are much easier methods to summon demons, Moxie said. Such as the one that Father had Vermil try. Vermil only barely screwed up. If hed been more competent or actually knew anything about demons, theres a decent chance he might have pulled it off.


    I was thinking something along the same lines. It doesnt really make sense to get a whole ass key straight to the depths of hell just to go knocking on the door of a random demon to ask them to come help out, Noah said. He hesitated for a moment as a disturbing thought struck him. Unless Wizen is after a demon thats too powerful to summon normally?


    That could be a possibility. I dont know why hed even bother with something like that, though. It seems like an enormous amount of overkill. If he needs the key to speak to the demon in the first place, chances are the demon will be stronger than him and all Wizen will get for his efforts is killed.


    They were both silent for several seconds. Then Noah clapped his hands against his knees and cleared his throat as he rose to his feet.


    Whelp. At least we know one thing.


    And that is?


    He probably doesnt care about you anymore.


    Moxie burst into laughter. You really do have a one-track mind on certain issues, dont you?


    Yes.


    Having noble families send their students here would also be a good way to make sure none of them tried to make a move on everything, Moxie mused, her face losing a shade of color. The kids arent here for training. Theyre collateral.


    How is it that I dislike this place more the more I learn about it? Noah asked.


    We dont know for sure that we read it right, Moxie said, starting to pace around the room. We could just be making things up. Were drawing quite a bit from just a single piece of information.


    I dont think hunting around to find more would be very wise. It seems like a good way to get on Arbitages shit list.


    Wizen would probably know. If he found out about the key, then I bet hed know if there was more.


    Noah shot Moxie a sharp look. Youre spending too much time with me if youre starting to think we should approach him and ask for advice.


    I wasnt thinking that. But when we inevitably do run into him again while trying to take the key back, it cant hurt to ask. Wasnt he pretty talkative in the fight against Silvertide?


    Thats a good point, Noah allowed, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. Yeah, he was. And speaking of which, Silvertide might know something as well. He strikes me as someone who has a good grasp of things behind the scenes.


    You can ask him before the meeting with the enforcers, maybe?


    It got pushed off until day after tomorrow, but yeah Ill ask him then.


    Moxies pacing finally came to a stop beside her bed. She picked up the book shed tossed onto it and moved it back to her desk.


    That works. Honestly I dont even know what Id do with the information if we had it. Ive just been starting to wonder what Arbitage actually offers. Im hoping the advanced track will start providing more value than trying to attack us randomly.


    I reckon well find out tomorrow night with the next meeting, but Im in agreement. It feels like the only thing Arbitage has provided is housing and exams that we could do ourselves. Its not like theyre even giving us resources though the advanced track has mentioned thats on the table. We should focus on making sure everyone is ready to handle that first exam coming up so they perform well against the other advanced track students.


    A grin passed over Moxies face and she held back a laugh. Can you imagine the looks on their faces if our students completely walk all over the kids that have been in the advanced track for a while longer?


    Id much prefer to see it in person than imagine, Noah replied. Well have to scope out what were up against tomorrow night but thats a problem for tomorrow night.


    Which implies theres something more important that we have to deal with first? Moxie tilted her head to the side. I dont really need any more groundbreaking revelations today, but now youve got my curiosity. What is it?


    We have a date tomorrow, and I havent figured out where you wanted to eat.

 Chapter 406: Chairs

    Chapter 406: Chairs


    As it turned out, Moxie hadnt really considered where they were going to eat either. The pair of them spent about twenty minutes trying to figure out somewhere to go get food before they both promptly gave up and decided it could be handled the following day.


    There would be class tomorrow, so the most important thing to handle for the time was letting all the students know that it would be slightly delayed. There was a brief instant where Noah wondered if he was meant to feel marginally guilty for delaying class purely so he could go on a date with his girlfriend.


    He dismissed that notion. There was no point to have power if you didnt abuse it. That was where all the fun came in. And it wasnt like the students would be alone. Lee was going to be bored while he and Moxie were out, which meant there were likely some stretching sessions with the students names written in blood on them.


    Noah and Moxie didnt have any trouble letting everyone know about the delay. They didnt mention the reason, but chances were that the kids had figured it out considering that both of their teachers were both suddenly planning a delay at the exact same time.


    After their brief stint around campus, they returned to their room. It was still relatively early in the evening. There were several hours left before night fell, which left them with two options. Either they could sit around and try to brainstorm where they were going to get food tomorrow, or they could do quite literally anything else.


    If weve got a few hours with nothing happening, it feels like now might be a pretty good time for me to try and get some help with my pattern, Moxie said. Its kind of hard to encapsulate it with just motions. Do you think wed be able to use a Mind Meld potion so I can show you what Im doing in an area where I cant accidentally risk blowing anything up?


    Thats a good idea, Noah said. He reached into his bag and frowned. Ive only got one left right now, though. Do you


    Moxie pulled a blue vial out of her own bag. Have one.


    Nice. Good thinking.


    He set his bag down and sat down on her bed, moving over to the back to make room for Moxie. She followed suit, but followed after him and wasted all the space hed left. Moxie scooted up until her back was pressed to his chest and her hair was tickling his nose.


    Ready? Moxie asked, popping the seal off the potion.


    Noahs reply was lost in a cough as her hair got into his mouth. She snickered and drank her half of the potion before handing it over her shoulder to him. He craned his neck back to free himself from the prison of red hair for just long enough to remove the second seal and pour the potion down his throat.


    He set the vial down and wrapped his arms around Moxie, holding her as a familiar buzzing enveloped his mind. A blanket of darkness rushed up and swallowed him whole, and then he was flying.


    A few moments later, Noah found himself standing in the forest of Moxies soul. He shook off the last effects of the potion as the vines beneath him twisted up into a chair and pushed themselves into his legs, forcing him to sit.


    Moxie stepped out from behind him, a twisting knot of vines in her hands. She held it up, then paused as a thought struck her.


    Wait. We can shape our souls pretty much how we want to as long as we dont go against anything core to us, but theres no way the pattern could somehow damage me from within, is there? Moxie asked.


    I dont think so, Noah said slowly. He wasnt quite so certain that hed bet on it. Magic had some odd effects, but he couldnt recall ever getting soul damage from anything other than death or splitting runes. You should be fine. If worse comes to worst, Ill just use the Fragment of Renewal to patch you up. Realistically, any soul damage you take is actually safer than normal damage. I can only heal the former.


    Good point. In that case, Im going to start. My pattern is growth, right?


    Are you asking me or telling me? Noah asked, trying to keep the teacher from entering his voice and failing miserably. Moxies eyes narrowed and a vine coiled at Noahs elbow, poking at his side threateningly.


    Dont make me waste the potion tickling you. Vines are really good at it, Moxie warned. And I have enough money to blow on another potion.


    What are you


    Noah pulled her back down to sit in his lap. Okay. Now you can talk.


    Youre so cheesy, Moxie said as she leaned back into him. She made absolutely no moves to get up. There are a few problems. The first is that I dont know whatll happen if I try to make a pattern with magic plants. Will it have a chance to blow up?


    It should actually be pretty safe, Noah said. Your runes can only do a single thing at once, and you can only use one rune at a time. For once, thats actually useful. If youre using your magic to make plants, the pattern will literally only be a pattern.


    Well, shit. Moxie said with an embarrassed laugh. Im an idiot. I didnt think about that. Maybe Im spending too much time around you.


    If that was true, you would have tried it and ended up blowing yourself up somehow anyway.


    Oh, yeah. That probably would have been more likely. So I can try to make a pattern with the plants and it should be fine.


    Yeah. You might want to be careful with your Master Rune, though. If you end up letting magic slip out of that and into the pattern youve got the same issue. Granted, you dont have it Imbued into your soul so I dont think that should be possible, but be aware of it.


    Okay. That leads me to the second question. Lets say I manage to get the pattern out of the plants growth logically means I have to keep getting bigger. Does that mean Id have to keep an enormous number of vines all in the exact same shape and continue to constantly add more of them if I want to keep the pattern going?


    Depends on your view of growth, probably, Noah said after a few seconds of thought. But that seems possible. Maybe you could try to add a second half to the pattern?


    A second half?


    Yeah. Something to temper the growth, like a cycle. Cycles are patterns. A while ago you told me that you like flowers. Could you try to go for the whole life cycle of the flower as your pattern rather than just the part where it gets bigger?


    Like from where it sprouts as a seed to where it dies?


    Exactly. I dont really know if that fits what you were thinking, but its got growth in it. It would let you have a pattern that has some elements of what you wanted without having to worry about it getting out of hand.


    You think that would work? Just a flower?


    I mean, simple isnt bad. Flowers are nice and I can already think of some pretty nasty combinations you could do with a full life cycle if you can really find a way to boil that down into a pattern and eventually a Formation.


    Me too, Moxie said. Her voice drifted away as she lost herself in her thoughts for a second. She twisted so that she was sitting sideways in Noahs lap. Well, damn it. Im going to need to completely change the way I think about this. I think itll go a lot faster this time around though.


    Well, youve got like twenty-five minutes left in the potion.


    Yeah, but Ive got other plans for those now. You should have stayed in your chair. Moxie flashed Noah a grin.


    It didnt take him long to decide that he most certainly did not regret stealing her chair.

 Chapter 407: Specific type of charm

    Chapter 407: Specific type of charm


    The effects of the Mind Meld potion soon wore off, returning Noah and Moxie to their room. They were still alone, which was something of a surprise. Lee must have been out doing something most likely running pest control on the entirety of Arbitages ecosystem.


    That was something of a disappointment. Noah had hoped to talk to Lee about the key, but he suspected theyd see her before the next class. Nothing was going to happen with Wizen in the next day or two, so he decided to let it lie.


    It was late enough in the day that it was justifiable to avoid trying to do anything else so long as nobody thought about it too hard, so he and Moxie remained in bed to wait out the night. They also very pointedly did not attempt to figure out what they would be doing tomorrow morning.


    That seemed like all too much effort, and it could be handled by their future selves.


    The night passed and the sun rose once more. Rays of light crawled through their window and warmed the plant bed, pulling both of them out of their sleep like a nagging mother. Noahs nose scrunched and he blinked as he slipped back into the land of the living.


    Moxie laid on top of him, her face against his chest. She sent a glare up at the sun. Its morning.


    We could pretend it isnt, Noah offered, but they were both already sitting up.


    They both took a short while to prepare for the day. It was a little too early to say much else. Reconvening in the center of the room, Noah and Moxie both turned to look out the window again.New novel chapters are published on


    You know, we probably should have figured out where we were going to get food yesterday, Moxie said.


    Probably.


    You might be rubbing off on me.


    Probably.


    They looked at each other again.


    Want to just get some meat pies? Noah offered.


    Moxie grinned. Sounds better than sitting around in a restaurant this early in the morning. Wed get so many looks.


    You know, I always tend to get a lot of looks.


    Thats because everyone still thinks youre a pervert. Its going to take a while for that reputation to fall away, Moxie said, laughing at the peeved expression on Noahs face. Its fine. The people that matter know. Who cares about the rest?


    Good point, Noah said with a nod. Lets go get some pies.


    ***


    Admit it. That was cute, Renewal said.


    Decras eyed the bowl of chocolate on the table between them. His hand snaked out, but Renewal grabbed the bowl and lifted it before he could reach in. His eyes narrowed in annoyance.


    Stop being a brat. Let me at the food.


    Its mine. Admit it was cute and you can have some.


    Decras rolled his eyes. I will admit that it was cute in the same way that watching two small furry animals can be amusing. Satisfied?


    Renewal smirked and lowered the bowl and let Decras take a piece of chocolate from it. Her expression flickered a second later as she properly registered the words that her fellow god had said.


    Right. Millenia upon millennia of nothing, only to inch our way up the grand scale and achieve what, exactly?


    The lines of souls twinkled beneath them, and Renewals eye traced their golden paths. A near infinite number of mortal souls, all on an endless journey. Most of them would return to the place beyond time over and over again, never to become anything more.


    She could see into their past lives and the ones that had come before that. They were laid bare before her, as clear as glass.


    A few would achieve minor success. Theyd lived hundreds or thousands of years only to arrive right back here.


    Some had been more. Upon occasion, Renewals eye would fall upon someone where she could only see herself. A section of their memories was like a mirror, the power within them once lost but still enough to prevent her from peering deeper.


    Gods. Some stronger than her, some weaker. They too rejoined the line when their time came, though it was rare. Anything that could kill a God generally didnt leave enough of them behind to let them come back.


    That was the fate of those who went against the laws. A return to the beginning if one was lucky and infinite nothing if they werent. Renewals fists tightened at her sides. Between that and utter boredom, she couldnt tell which was worse.


    Are you genuinely considering taking the chance to rejoin that? Decras asked, nodding to the line below them. Fights are one thing. I love them. It gives me something to do to pass the time. Id be more than happy to entertain in that regard.


    I dont see the value in fighting for no reason, Renewal said, not pulling her gaze away from the line. I prefer it to have a purpose. To have a way to actually change something. If a fight ends and nothing is different, was there even a point?


    Decras didnt respond to that. They both stood in silence. It was hard to tell for exactly how long they did that the passage of time was a shaky thing at best when it functionally didnt even exist in the void around them.


    Finally, Decras broke the stillness.


    I think you might want to change the image to something else. Theyre holding hands. I dont know why, but it makes me feel like Im seeing something I shouldnt.


    Renewal let out a bark of laughter. She snapped her fingers and the image flickered, swapping over to Lee just as the tail of an unfortunate squirrel vanished between her lips. She slipped into the shadows at the base of the tree she stood in, reappearing down the road before zipping off in the direction of the transport cannon.


    Better? Renewal asked with a wry smile.


    Somehow, yes, Decras replied. He paused for a moment before letting out a low chuckle. Say that girl somehow had our power. What do you think shed do in this situation? Faced with neigh guaranteed death or boredom, which would she


    Shed never have paused for long enough to even consider boredom, I think, Renewal said.


    They both looked back to Lee. Shed found the students waiting in the shadow of the transport cannon and was sneaking through the darkness toward them, a devious grin on her face.


    I suspect you might be correct, Decras said. Maybe there is more to learn from mortals than I believed.


    He turned and walked back to his chair, sitting down and crossing his legs. Renewal followed him back and looked up to the screen. Lee wasnt quite as fun to watch as Noah and Moxie were, but she certainly had her charm.


    Lee sprung from the shadows, drawing a round of surprised curses and yelps from the students.


    Im here! Lee proclaimed. And class today is stretches.


    thats it? Todd asked weakly. No sparring, or


    Nope. All stretches. You can spar once youre flexible.


    A shudder ran down Renewals spine as she pulled an arm across her chest to check just how flexible her own body was something told her the results wouldnt have pleased Lee.


    A very specific type of charm.

 Chapter 408: Its Toddin time

    Chapter 408: It''s Toddin time


    It took Noah and Moxie a little while to figure out where Lee had taken the students. After their date which consisted mostly of sitting and chatting on her bed while eating meat pies had ended, theyd hurried off to the transport cannon.


    There was nobody there. It was odd to see the area completely empty. Ropes had been put up around the base of the cannon to keep anyone from trying to ascend it. The cannon was their normal meetup location, but it obviously wasnt much use if nobody could actually go anywhere with it.


    The two professors had directed their attention to the nearest restaurants, but to their surprise, none had seen Lee or their small class. That had been quite the problem. Arbitage was a huge area and there were countless different locations that everyone could have gone.


    Noah dug through his memories in search of where Lee might have taken the kids, stumbling into a thought nearly on accident. They changed courses and hurried over to the arena. It had been so long since Noah had been there that hed nearly forgotten about its existence.


    The last time hed come had been just shortly after hed first met Isabel and Todd and they were showing him their abilities. It wasnt really a private training area, but it seemed like it might have fit the bill.


    And, sure enough, as they stepped out onto the sand and scanned over the sparse groups scattered across it, Noah caught a flash of Emilys telltale silver hair. Their entire group had taken over a small portion at the far side of the arena and were flopped out in every direction like drying leather.


    I think Lee might have decided that today was a stretching session, Noah said as they walked over to join the others.


    When does she not? Moxie asked with a shudder.


    Todd pried his head up from the sand, relief shining in his eyes as he spotted Noah and Moxie approaching. He rolled over with a groan and pushed himself upright.


    Were free, guys.


    Free from what? Lee asked. Do you know how many muscles there are in the human body?


    No, Todd said.


    Neither do I, but Ive been counting, Lee said. And Im pretty sure you havent stretched all of them yet. You dont want to be lopsided, do you?


    Just a question. Do you think bones are muscles? Isabel groaned from beside Todd. Because they arent.


    Anything is a muscle if you try hard enough.


    Im not so sure thats how it works, Noah said, tussling Lees hair. Thanks for covering for us, though.


    No problem. I can finish class today. We just have a few more things to stretch.


    The panic in everyones eyes was so intense that Noah couldnt even bring himself to make a joke about it. Thats kind of you to offer, but weve got some other stuff we need to cover before tonight.


    Tonight? Whats tonight? Alexandra asked.


    Another advanced track meeting, Noah replied, sitting down in the sand and crossing his legs beneath him. A real one, this time around. I imagine we want to make a good impression.


    He thought back to the first meeting. Lee had certainly made an impression with his body, all right. Shed eaten just about everything on the table, silverware included. He repressed a sigh.


    As good of an impression as we can still salvage.


    Does our reputation matter? All that matters is outperforming them so we can get the resources, Alexandra said.


    Todds eyes flicked from Noah to Moxie. You mean why you and Moxie were late? We kind of figured that out.


    No, not that, Noah said hurriedly. Yesterday.


    We really dont need to know what Isabel started, a small grin pulling across her lips.


    Arbitage was attacked, Noah said before Isabel could finish. The transport cannon, specifically.


    That got everyones attention.


    What? I heard it just broke down, Emily said. It was sabotage?


    Not sabotage. It was housing an artifact. The person that was controlling all those plant puppets was behind it. For anyone not aware, his name is Wizen. Hes probably a Rank 6 if not stronger, and it turns out that the thing he was after this whole time was the artifact powering the transport cannon.


    This seems like major news. If it isnt out already, its being suppressed, Alexandra said with a frown. Are you sure you should be telling us?


    Yes. Understanding what youre up against is very important. Wizen is powerful, but I dont think hell have any more interest in us but thats not enough for me to make a bet on it. The item he took was a key to the Damned Plains.


    A key? Why? Isabel asked.


    We havent figured that bit out yet, Noah replied. But I want you to all be aware of it. Just make sure youre more aware of any demonic activity of the malicious kind.


    He watched Lees expression as he spoke, but she didnt seem any more interested or disinterested in the key than any of the others. She had a slight worried crease in her brow and nothing more.


    Any questions? Moxie asked.


    What kind of questions are we even supposed to ask? Emily replied. Can we do anything about it?


    Not really, Noah said. Not other than working on getting stronger, that is. The Enforcers are already looking into Wizen and what happened. Your job is to just make sure youre as powerful as possible to make sure that you can protect yourself when the time comes. Oh and dont tell anyone else. I wasnt supposed to share this, but Ive never really cared much for rules.


    Nobody looked even the slightest bit surprised at that.


    So the rest of today is more sparring, I take it? Alexandra asked.


    Id say so, yes. Cant ever have too much of that and itll also be good practice for the meeting with the advanced track tonight.


    You think well be fighting? James asked.


    Who knows, but I tend to find myself fighting more often than not when meeting new people.


    I think that speaks more to your personality than anything else, Emily informed him.


    Thank you, Noah said without missing a beat. Now, Todd, I believe I promised you wed have a match. Yesterday got a bit hectic, so why dont we start with you? I trust youve got your newly imbued stuff on you to show off?


    Todd grinned and held his hand up, letting the sleeve roll down to reveal a metal bracelet on his wrist. Always.


    Good. Lets see what youve got, then.

 Chapter 409: Finding out [Audiobook out on Amazon!]

    Chapter 409: Finding out [Audiobook out on Amazon!]


    Noah tossed his bag and gourd to the side, then pulled the grimoire off his back and set it down beside them. He and Todd headed over to the center of the makeshift ring theyd made inside the arena and stood several paces from each other.


    What are the rules? Todd asked. Am I just going all out?


    I would certainly assume so. Should I be worried about that? Noah asked. Todd had positioned himself at the edges of his domain, likely determining its range by trying to call on his magic until he felt the suppression fade. If you are, please try to avoid catching anyone else in the crossfire.


    Nah. I can control myself, Todd said. He paused for a moment, then nodded. Yeah. I can.


    That definitely wasnt convincing, Noah said. What exactly are the imbuements that youve got on there?


    Nothing too crazy. I wanted to keep things pretty light considering I really havent used them much yet. Dont know if itll all go up in flames. Todd thumbed a small red vial hanging from his belt. Got this just in case, though.


    I thought you said this wasnt dangerous, Isabel said from the sidelines with a frown. Are you sure everything is ready to test?


    Ive done extensive practice, Todd said. Alexandra helped.


    Im not sure help is the word Id use. All we did was talk, Alexandra said, raising her hands before herself. And then we sparred a bit. He didnt use any of the new imbuements.The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))


    Well, I cant start using them on other students. Even if youre a whole Rank up on me, Teacherman would have my head.


    Correct, Noah said.


    See? Todd shrugged, then turned back to Noah. Im more than capable of handling my own work at this stage. Dont worry.


    I trust you. Come at me when youre ready and lets see what youve been working on. Just be ready to stop at the drop of a hat if something goes wrong.


    Todd held his hands up. The metal bands on his wrist glistened as he struck them together and ribbons of orange light ignited within the metal, racing throughout it in a myriad of minuscule patterns.


    A dull hum rose up from the bands and Todd nodded to himself. He clicked his heels together and a grin flickered across Noahs face as a second set of hums filled the air.


    Far from home, Dorothy?


    Noah suspected that his brilliant joke would likely be lost on everyone around him. He opted to keep it to himself. In the time it had taken him to compliment his own brilliance, Todd had formed stone armor around his arms and legs.


    The rippling lines that had covered his bands expanded to trace over the stone. Molten lines glistened with power and he hopped from foot to foot before giving Noah a nod.


    Okay. That was the scary part. Everything is synchronized and running properly. You ready?


    I generally am.


    Todd didnt wait for a second confirmation. The stone armor at his feet exploded and he bounded foreword. Flames rippled on the ground where hed been standing as he crossed the distance between himself and Noah in an instant.


    Alright, Noah said, lowering his hands with a shake of his head. Thats enough of this for now. I could kick up the heat and start pressing you harder, but theres no point until I figure out what the hell it is that youre doing. Why are you so smug and how do you have so much more energy than you used to?


    Todd let his own hands fall and grinned. You noticed?


    Its hard not to when you could only hold up a fight for a minute at most before. You dont even look winded or low on energy. Did you find a way to make the imbuements run a lot more efficiently?


    No, Todd said. Actually, if anything, theyre even less efficient than before.


    Noah squinted at him. If thats the case, then how were you fighting that long?


    The stone sloughed off Todds body and he clinked his bracelets together again. The glowing lines shut off with a dull hum and he repeated the same motion for the on his legs. Because I figured out something far more important than efficiency. Sustainability.


    Everyone sent blank stares at him. Todd sighed.


    I found a way to renew energy in an imbuement, and not from killing things.


    Noahs eyes widened. Wait. Like indefinitely? An infinite imbuement? Is that even possible?


    No, not indefinitely. And definitely not infinite, Todd said with a laugh. He held a wrist up and jangled the bracelet on it. Its two things. The first works because of the kind of imbuement it is. Explosions generate a lot of energy, right? And most of that is wasted.


    Sure, Noah said. So you basically put in a way to absorb some of the energy that gets wasted?


    Yeah, thats one part of it. I can recycle a good portion of the wasted magic and that goes a pretty far way. That bit was easy, though. The hard one was finding a way to linking energy generation to nonmagical sources.


    Todd, are you trying to say that you made an imbuement that generates power from something mundane? Moxie asked slowly. Because that


    Isnt possible? Todd arched an eyebrow and grinned. Well, it is. Energy is energy. Thats what I realized. Different types of energy, sure. But theres a way to convert between. So I take all the energy that comes from my movements as well as the physical force of the explosion and channel a portion of that back into the imbuements on the bands and poof it renews itself. The conversion rate isnt perfect but I really cant complain. I think I can push it a bit farther with some time too.


    Shit, Noah said, shaking his head in disbelief. That is impressive. Can it work for other applications?


    Eventually, probably. Its really difficult, Todd said, rubbing the back of his head. It took me all this time just to figure out how to convert the energy for this one specific application. Itll probably be faster for other stuff, but I dont know if itll work for anyone other than me. Not yet, at least.


    And you used patterns to do it?


    Yep. I can explain later, but we probably shouldnt do it in any degree of a public setting. This isnt something I want getting out. Todds features darkened. I know what happens to people with powerful secrets if anyone finds out about them.


    Nobody here will be saying anything, Noah said, not even bothering to give the other student a sharp look he trusted all of them. Nobody here would be screwing each other over. I know I cant help you as much as I can the others, but great job. Youve pulled off some really impressive work.


    Thanks, Todd said with a grin. Think well hold up against the advanced track students tonight?


    Noah grinned in response. I look forward to finding out.

 Chapter 410: Scam & AUDIOBOOK ANNOUNCEMENT

    Chapter 410: Scam & AUDIOBOOK ANNOUNCEMENT


    Now that his promise to Todd had been handled for the day, Noah and Moxie broke the other students up into pairs to start sparing, rotating between each other once their matches were over.


    Remember not to use all your energy up, Noah warned before they got started in true. Weve got a meeting with the advanced track later today and I want all of you to be able to absolutely crush anything that they throw at you, no matter what it takes.


    Arent you supposed to be telling us to play above the board and that its more important that we make friends with them or something like that? Alexandra asked. Im pretty sure thats what a teacher is meant to support.


    Noah looked down the bridge of his nose at Alexandra. At what point have I ever said anything like that? Friends are great. Youve got some all around you. If you can make more, please do. But the advanced track isnt going to sit around and try to make friends. We pose a threat. Dont forget its a competition.


    Besides, from what I saw last time, theyre pretty much all a bunch of nobles. Todd rubbed the side of his neck. Present company excluded, I dont have interest with associating with them unless theyre completely different from the rest of their ilk.


    You never know, Isabel said, but she didnt sound even slightly convinced of her own words. Its possible that theyll be better because theyve actually been the ones working for their power.


    Probably wont do anything to lower their elitist attitude, James said through a yawn. Trust me. Been there, done that.


    You have? Emily asked.


    Revins had me do a lot of stuff. Much to my displeasure. James nose scrunched in distaste and he sighed. Professor Vermil is right. If someone there wants to make friends with us, then we can deal with it when the time comes. But until then its better to focus on preparing to completely crush anyone in our way. Come on. Lets get to this already. Were wasting time.


    Whoa. Youre suddenly motivated. Havent seen that before, Todd said. He squinted at James. Did something happen?


    Do you realize what the advanced track resources are? James asked. Runes and power. For free. All we have to do is beat up some other kids that dont have anywhere near the advantages we do.


    Theyre nobles. Theyll have advantages, Alexandra pointed out.


    James bit back a laugh. Sure. But were us. We have all the advantages we need to handle them as long as we take things seriously. Youre a Rank 3 with Body Runes that should put you at the peak of anyone in our age group. Weve all got patterns, even if we cant use them with magic during fights yet.


    I agree, but is there a reason youre excited for resources all of a sudden? Isabel asked.


    James made a noticeable effort to keep his eyes from moving, but Noah got the feeling that hed been just moments from glancing at Emily.


    Yeah. Three reasons. First, the faster I get work over with, the sooner I can go back to doing nothing. Second, power means I can be lazy later. If theyre going to feed me runes and just about anything else, that saves a huge amount of time in the future. Ill do work now to be lazy in the future.


    Thats two reasons, Todd said.


    Is it? James sent him a blank stare. I must have lost count.


    Careful there, bud. I think your actual goals are starting to come out. Not that I can complain. Its going to be interesting to watch James actually trying at something for once. I get the feeling hes going to be looking to show off a bit for Emily with the advanced track tonight.


    I cant believe Im thinking this, but I really do hope there are at least a few pricks in there. If every advanced track student is suddenly super welcoming and polite and none try to pick a fight, this is going to be really awkward.


    Right then, Noah said, clapping his hands together to get everyones attention. We all know what were working for. Just remember to keep enough energy to fully regenerate by tonight. Now, get to it.


    Everyone nodded and turned back to their partners to begin preparing to spar. The stone arena that Isabel had made wasnt exactly huge, but it was enough for them to fight if nobody moved around all too much. It would be a good way to practice fighting in relatively enclosed quarters.


    Noah made his way over to Lee while the students got started. Shed taken a seat at the edge of the wall, leaning her chin on her knees. He sat down beside her.


    ***


    Noah wasnt sure how class went after that. All he knew that was, after it finished, Lee had re-stretched all the parts of his body that hed been slacking off on. Shed decided to catch up on everything hed missed at once rather than working him back up to it.


    He was pretty sure more than a few limbs would never work properly again, but hed also never felt more limber in his life. For not the first or the last time, he mused that her stretches were actually quite effective.


    Just not nearly effective enough to ever do voluntarily.


    He held up an arm. Even his bones felt like theyd gotten a thorough stretching. He was pretty sure they werent meant to feel droopy.


    Stop looking like that, Lee said. Now you can touch your toes.


    Anyone can touch their toes if you rip their hamstrings in the process of pushing them down, Noah informed Lee. It does feel better, though.


    Good. Lee beamed at him, and Noah spotted Todd grinning from the corner of the class. The little brat wasnt even trying to hide his smug expression. It was probably pretty fun watching Lee stretch anyone other than yourself out like a wash rag.


    Hey, I think Todd is looking a little stiff, Noah said idly.


    Todds eyes widened. Ive got to go. I left the fire in our kitchen on. See you guys tonight for the advanced track.


    He grabbed Isabel by the wrist and darted off, using his Stone Rune to push the wall surrounding them apart like putty. Noah bit back a laugh as the two of them beat a hasty retreat.


    Maybe we should all break so we can get some rest before the meeting, Moxie said. Noah couldnt help but notice she was very pointedly avoiding eye contact with Lee. She hadnt been stretching any more than he had, but someone had needed to supervise the class while they sparred.


    I think that is a splendid idea, Alexandra said. I believe I had dinner plans.


    I dont know, James murmured, rubbing his eyes with the back of a hand and yawing. I


    As did we, Emily said, tugging James to his feet before he could try to start sleeping on the ground. See you tonight!


    She herded him out of the arena and Alexandra followed after them, leaving just Noah and Moxie with Lee.


    We can go make sure were all stretched out for the meeting, Lee offered.


    I think Id rather get food, Moxie said. Ill pay.


    Okay! Thats a good idea too. You cant fight if you arent on a full stomach. Lee nodded happily. Lets go.


    Diversion strategy. Nice. I should keep that in mind for the future.


    Noah walked over to the walls that Isabel had erected, ignoring the twinges that ran through his legs with every movement, and pressed his palm against them. A brief thought sent a flicker of energy from Natural Disaster ripping through them and sending them crumbling back into the sand.


    Food sounds good, and itll give us a chance to come up with a plan.


    A plan? Lee asked. For what?


    The kids arent going to be the only ones being evaluated. Ulya mentioned a good portion of the professors in the advanced track think we dont belong there, Noah said. He grinned. And I want to see just how much we can scam them for before they realize that we do.

 Chapter 411: Infinite void

    Chapter 411: Infinite void


    Noah, Moxie, and Lee got a few looks as they walked out of the arena. The min stone training arena had definitely caught some peoples attention, but nobody approached them on their way out and back toward the T building.


    There was still quite some time before the advanced track meeting was due to start. That suited Noah quite nicely, as he had more than enough to do in the meantime including continuing to see if he could get his hands on a Space Rune.


    The potential first step of that was walking alongside him, chewing on a strip of jerky shed slipped from Moxies bag and eyeing up the local wildlife. Noah took a moment to make sure nobody was anywhere near them before he spoke.


    Lee, are all the runes youve got equally as bonded to your body as the other? He asked. Or do you have something similar to us with the extras after the first seven?


    Lee waggled a hand back and forth. It depends on a few things, but that bit is similar for us and you. The runes weve got in our soul bond more closely to our bodies the more we use them. And, by being in one of the seven active slots, were basically permanently using them. Self-fulfilling prophecy.


    So any spares are they also bonded?


    Eh. Theyre in there more than a random one is for you, but I wouldnt say theyre bonded. More like theyre jabbed in there. We could take them out with a lot less effort than it would take a human. Why?


    I was going to ask if you had a spare Space Rune still. Im thinking of getting into making a Rank 4 based off Space Runes, but theyre painfully expensive and I dont want to keep taking things from Brayden.


    Oh, sure. Ive got some Rank 1 Space Runes sitting around waiting to give away. Lee scrunched her nose and scratched the back of her neck. But theres a small problem. I dont have any spare Runes.


    Huh? What do you mean? I thought you just said


    I formed a Rank 4 Rune, Lee reminded Noah. All those extra Runes moved into my main slots. Im not using them, but theyre a little bit stuck in there now. It might actually be a bit annoying when I get more runes. Its harder for us to swap things between slots. Possible, just a bit harder. Id need to have something to replace them if I wanted to shift anything out.


    Noah nearly slapped himself in the forehead. Hed somehow forgotten that the spare Runes Lee had wouldnt just be sitting around in the shadows forever. That said, if they werent very bonded to Lees soul, it wouldnt be that hard to pull them out with Sunder.


    You mind if I take one of them when we get back? Noah asked. I can use the Fragment of Renewal if it ends up hurting more than we expect.


    Lee shrugged in response. Sure. You can take another look at my Rune when you do and let me know if everything looks correct.


    Perfect, Noah said. Thanks.


    No problem.


    They took a brief detour to the apothecary so Noah could buy several more Mind Meld potions it seemed like he was spending the majority of his money on those nowadays and then headed back to the T building.


    Once they got to Moxies room, they wasted no time in downing one of the potions and sitting down against the bed. It wasnt long before Noah and Lee were standing within her mind.


    The first matter of business was checking Lees Rank 4 Rune. Noah still had absolutely no idea what it was or what it did. The weird mixture of a Demon Rune and a Master Rune had made it something entirely new to him.New novel chapters are published on


    Whatever Azel done to bind it still held. At least, it did for the time being. Noah spent nearly half their time double checking the restraints and studying the rune while Lee pointedly avoided looking at it.


    I think its fine, Noah confirmed as he walked over to rejoin Lee. No difference from last time. Youre safe.


    He didnt take any chances. Gentle pink smoke poured out of his hands and swirled around Lee. It sank into her soul and she blew out a breath, her shoulders relaxing as she gave him a nod.


    Thank you. That wasnt too bad. You didnt have to use the Fragment.


    Im not taking the risk, and you shouldnt have to suffer for me, Noah replied without missing a beat. You were doing me a favor anyway. The only other thing I need the Fragment for right now is healing Tim, and hes got so much attention on him right now that Ill have to wait a day or two to do that anyway.


    Lee nodded. Okay. Im not going to complain. The Fragment of Renewal feels warm and fuzzy. I like it.


    Dont get too used to it, Noah said with a laugh. Thanks for the rune, Lee. I appreciate it.


    It was a gift to me, so I cant even take much credit for it. Lee scratched the back of her head. But no problem. Do you know what kind of Rune youre going to try to make with it?


    Not yet, Noah admitted. I have some strong ideas, but Im going to really need to study just what a space rune is. I want to make something disaster related, but it cant be so specific that it wont combine well with Natural Disaster.


    Lee flopped down to the ground, crossing her legs beneath her and planting her chin in a palm. There were still a few minutes before the potions effects wore off, so Noah sat beside her.


    What kind of disasters are space related? Lee asked.


    Probably something like black hole or some form of spatial rift? Noah guessed. Thats the hard part. Figuring those out enough to fully comprehend them wont be easy.


    Cant you just randomly combine things until you stumble into the right path?


    I wouldnt quite go as far as to say randomly combine, but I can definitely test a lot of different options until one works, Noah said with a nod. He drummed his fingers on his knee, his brow furrowing. The thing is, that would be really expensive and time consuming. I want to keep growing. With the people well eventually be up against, I cant risk falling behind.


    Yeah. I get that, Lee said. Her head twitched as she stopped herself from looking back at the Master-Demon Rune hybrid floating behind them. Well, Ill happily take any space-related runes you buy and dont need.


    Noah let out a snort of laughter. How generous of you. Ill make sure to send them your way.


    Lee gave him an unabashed grin. No problem. Now lets start brainstorming some space Runes you could make for Rank 2. What about devouring stomach?


    That doesnt seem quite up my alley.


    No? Well, weve got time until the potion ends. Im sure we can come up with one. How about infinite void?


    That seems a bit excessive for a Rank 2.


    Infinite void in the stomach?


    I think youre just hungry.


    Yeah, Lee agreed. I am.

 Chapter 412: Surprise meeting

    Chapter 412: Surprise meeting


    The Mind Meld potion wore off right on time. Noah was pulled out of Lees mind and back into Moxies room where she sat in wait.


    Howd it go? Moxie asked.


    Well, Noah replied. Got the rune I needed and everything is fine with Lees rune. Nothing to worry about right now. We can focus entirely on dealing with the advanced track meeting tonight.


    And I can kill the time by trying to figure out what Rune Im going to make.


    You can do that, Lee said as she stood up and stretched her arms over her head with a long yawn. Im going to get breakfast.


    Its midday, Moxie said. This would be lunch.


    Lunch makes it sound so close to dinner, and thats the end of the eating for the day, Lee replied. She scratched at a cheek, then wiped her nose with the back of a hand. If this is breakfast, then I still have two more meals.


    It was hard to argue with that impeccable logic. All Noah and Moxie could do was nod their understanding of Lees sage words as she pulled the window open and slipped out, dropping to the ground and sinking into a shadow before zipping off in pursuit of what was likely her third breakfast of the day.


    If I didnt know better, Id say her emotion was gluttony, Moxie said with a shake of her head. You know, I still wonder what exactly it was that made Lee so different from the other demons.


    My best thought is her lack of a proper Demon Rune for a long time or perhaps the lack of advancing it. We havent really seen other demons at her Rank before. Maybe theyre all kind of like that.


    A shudder ran down Moxies back at the thought. I love Lee, but I dont know if I can stand by the idea of entire cities of Lees walking around in the Damned Plains. Forget the big scary demons like Azel just one city of Lees with absolutely no malicious intent would be enough to completely destroy all four Bastions.


    It would probably bring about the greatest famine the world has ever seen, Noah agreed with a nod. He pushed himself upright and took a page out of Lees book, stretching his arms out before leaning down and reaching for his toes to work a knot out of his back. On another topic, how are your runes doing?


    Well, Moxie replied. Ive been doing a good amount of hunting and meditation to push them to where they need to be. Ive filled out the rest of my roster as well.


    You have? Unique runes?


    No, duplicates. Im going for a Rank 4 Rune that focuses on blooming or flowering plants. I havent figured out the exact final composition, but itll need a lot of earth and plant related runes, both of which I have.


    Sounds good. I cant help much with the first part, but when it comes time to combine them, let me know if you have any trouble and need to Sunder it back apart.


    I will. You can count on it. I dont plan on leaving myself with a sub-par Rank 4 Rune when Ive got access to one of the most unfair runes in existence, Moxie said with a snicker. But what about you? Space Runes not exactly an easy medium to work with. I take it Id be reaching if I said youve got a plan?


    Reaching pretty far, Noah agreed. He reached down and snagged his grimoire, lugging it onto Moxies bed and flipping it open to leaf through the pages. I know the general direction I want to go. My first Rank 4 is Natural Disaster so I want the others to all be different kinds of disasters. Maybe I could do some duplicates, but I still need the initial one.


    So youre going for Disaster as your Rank 5, I take it?


    Noah nodded. It seems like it would fit the current path pretty well. I dont know how things will change between now and then, though. Who knows what itll actually end up being. I cant plan for that but I can see that Space Runes are really powerful. Im also starting to get jealous of everyone teleporting around.


    Dont forget they also consume a huge amount of energy as well, Moxie reminded Noah. But yes, Space Runes are powerful for obvious reasons. Maybe ask Jalen about them? Hes clearly got some, and theyre probably fairly high rank.


    Considering how often Jalen teleported around, he definitely was. Noah wasnt so sure he wanted to ask Jalen for help with regard to runes. Their relationship was built off the fact that Jalen found him entertaining.


    If he started asking the older mage for handouts or advice, there was a chance that hed get bored. Jalen had made it clear he had absolutely no plans of fighting any battles for Noah.


    Id probably have to find something to trade for the runes or information. Maybe I could make him give it up over a game of darts or something? Thats honestly the most likely way Id get anything from him but then Id have to bet something myself, and probably been practicing darts since we last played.


    What are you thinking? Moxie asked.


    That Jalen has probably been practicing playing darts.


    Space magic is purple, and the name sounds pretty space-y. Could be that, Noah said with a nod. Well just have to keep an eye out. Well get to know the advanced track professors better after today and the Enforcers tomorrow. With any luck, our rich friend will be in one of those two groups.


    As good a guess as any. Well go hunting for him if not. Just dont get too caught up looking and forget about the kids. We still have to pick them up from the transport cannon before the meeting actually starts.


    I know. Weve still got a few hours before then, though. More than enough time to kill snooping around. Noah turned his head to look back at Moxie as he stepped ahead of her to pull the door open.


    Shed been midway through parting her lips to respond when she stopped, a furrow creasing her brow as she looked past Noahs shoulder. He followed her gaze across the hall. Ulya sat, her head leaned against the hooded figure of one of her puppets, and her eyes fluttering to fight off sleep.


    A start jolted Ulya awake and she jerked her gaze up. She scrambled to her feet, brushing her clothes off hurriedly as they watched on in bemusement.


    I just got here, Ulya said lamely.


    Is something wrong? Noah asked.


    No. Why would something be wrong?


    Considering something has been or gone at least slightly wrong every other time weve met, Id say its a fair guess.


    Thats okay, it is fair, Ulya admitted as she rubbed the back of her neck. But no. Nothing is wrong. I just came to pick you both up for the advanced track meeting. Contessa said youd be in here. I was going to ask if you were busy, but she looked like she was in a big hurry so I didnt bother her long.


    So why were you just sitting outside? You could have knocked, Moxie said.


    Well, you had a very soft white cat sitting outside the door. I got a little distracted petting it.


    I think I found what Contessa was in a hurry about.


    How long were you petting it if you were falling asleep? Moxie asked, squinting at Ulya.


    Not that long. A few minutes. Ulya coughed into her fist. I just started to drift off because I was a little tired. Ive been working a lot.


    The bags under her eyes told the same story. She looked better than she had when Wizens clones had first become a problem, but not by much.


    I see, Noah said slowly. So you came to get us? This early?


    Oh, yes. Right. I was going to bring you to a meeting, Ulya said, a flash of panic running through her features. I forgot.


    A meeting? Noah asked. I thought the meeting was at night.


    Not that one. Ulya shook her head and winced. Theres another professor in the program that wanted to talk with both of you. Hes been waiting for a bit.


    Noah and Moxie exchanged a glance.


    Might as well, Noah said with a shrug. This was as good a spot as any to feel out how the advanced track felt about them and their standing. Meeting with someone one on one would be much more beneficial than trying to figure anything out in a group setting. Im sure he hasnt been waiting for all that long.


    Judging by the look on Ulyas face, that probably wasnt true. That was hardly his fault. Noah didnt mind waiting as long as he wasnt the one doing it.


    Lead the way, then, Noah said. And did you see where the cat went?


    No, Ulya replied. I think I dozed off and it left.


    Noah let out a thoughtful grunt as they started off down the hall. Mascot going missing was rarely a good sign, but he got the feeling the cat would turn up again sooner rather than later.

 Chapter 413: A stranger

    Chapter 413: A stranger


    So, who is it that wanted to see us? Noah asked as they headed down the stairwell that led into the advanced track meeting area. Theyd been walking for a few minutes in silence, the only noise out of place being the clicks coming from Ulyas puppet as it moved.


    Verrud, Ulya replied. Hes a water mage and solidly in the middle of the pack as far as the advanced track professors go. His students are as well.


    Interesting, Noah said. He took a moment to draw his domain in, trying to contain it as best as possible. He still wasnt great at controlling it perfectly, but he hoped it was enough to avoid being completely egregious. Was there a reason he wanted to talk to us? And why are you running his errands?


    Because I just joined the track, Ulya said, sending Noah a flat stare over her shoulder. Though I suppose you, Moxie, and Silvertide have taken that role from me.


    Noah let out a snort of laughter. If you think Im going to run around delivering messages for the advanced track, youre sorely mistaken. They dont provide anything nearly important enough to get me to waste time doing that.


    Thanks, Ulya said dryly. I appreciate it.


    Hey, someone has to do it. Your work is definitely useful. I just have no plans of doing it myself. Why dont you just have your puppets do it, though?


    I used to, Ulya said, coming to a stop at the doors at the bottom of the stairwell and pausing in a failed attempt to conceal her annoyance. A pair of certain someones broke them all.


    Ah, right. I took out a few and then Silvertide used the rest as bait to take out Wizens other puppets. Thats rough.


    Right. Forgot about that bit, Noah said with a sheepish grin. He rubbed the back of his neck. Couldnt you use the thing youve got walking around with us now?


    Id leave myself defenseless if I did that. All my Runes are specifically for puppets. I dont know how to fight in any other way. Not effectively, at least.


    She pushed the doors open before Noah could respond. The banquet hall stretched out before them, considerably emptier than the last time theyd been there. There was only one person in the room.


    Verrud sat at the far side of the table, a book in his hands. His dark hair draped around his face, obscuring it from sight, but the golden nametag on his uniform would have given his identity away even if Noah hadnt recognized him.


    He looked up as the three of them approached and closed the book in his hands with a snap. Noah hadnt gotten a great look at him during the previous meeting. The mans features were pinched and serious.


    He had thin eyes that seemed to be permanently locked in a half-asleep droop and lips that were borderline indistinguishable from the rest of his face. Verrud set the book to the side and interlaced his fingers, leaning forward and inclining his head in greeting.


    Professors. Im pleased you were able to make it.


    I was unaware there was an option to refuse, Noah said. Is there a reason you wanted to speak to us before the meeting? We would have been here in a few hours anyway.


    Of course there was, Verrud said. Do you think I ask Ulya to run around bringing people places for no reason whatsoever?Follow current novels at novelhall.com)


    That remains to be seen.


    Fair enough, Noah allowed. When you say that Emily is at risk, how much are we talking here? Are there going to be threats on her life?


    If there are, Ill be responding in kind.


    Directly? Most certainly not. What kind of place do you take Arbitage for? Verrud exclaimed, staring at Noah in disbelief. It took everything Noah had not to laugh in the other professors face.


    It looked like hed never had the misfortune of finding out that Arbitages neutral zone was really more of a neutral suggestion. That actually spoke rather well of the man unless, of course, he was lying.


    I see, Noah said. So what are we expecting, then?


    If I knew, Id tell you. Im not the one interested in Emily failing out of Arbitage. I value the advanced track for what it is. A way for students to push themselves and grow stronger together with their professors. I have no interest in the politics. Not everyone sees things the same way.


    He said he wouldnt tell me and then proceeded to do just that. Whoever this is will be trying to make it hard for Emily to graduate, then? Sounds like theyll be interfering with tests or otherwise trying to make her look incompetent.


    Noahs eyes narrowed as a thought struck him. Some time ago, at the survival exam, someone had been interfering with his students. The amount of monsters attacking them was abnormal and none of them had possessed the tokens that they were supposed to collect.


    Hed never completely confirmed the reason as to why that had happened. There had been bigger problems to worry about at the time, and it had seemed possible that Evergreen herself had caused the trouble to try and hinder Emily so shed lose her bet.


    Is it possible that was something more that Evergreen just took advantage of or didnt plan entirely? If thats the case, we can expect someone to be messing with just about every exam from here on out. But why would Verrud come out and tell us this? I dont see what he gets out of it.


    A proper fight, Verrud said.


    Noah blinked. What?


    You were probably wondering why I bothered telling you any of this and didnt just wait to see how everything played out during the next exam, Verrud said. Its because I want a proper fight. My students and I joined this program to push ourselves. The resources are convenient, but we have enough power from our own noble families. We dont truly need them. What we need are competent opponents.


    And you think that we can be that? Moxie asked, her words failing to reveal any emotion. "Are you sure? You did point out yourself that our position is pretty tenuous. Vermil was a Rank 1 just a short while ago. Most of our students arent nobles.


    Even if it werent for the two mages accompanying you last time, it is clear that you have something interesting about you, Verrud replied. He pushed back from his chair and rose to his feet. And your students have come a far way. Far enough for me to suspect it to not be a fluke. I look forward to seeing what you and your groups are capable of later tonight during the meeting.


    Thats all? Moxie asked. You only called us here for that?


    I have gotten everything I wanted, Verrud replied with a thin smile. He stepped past them, heading down the hall and up the stairs until the echo of his footsteps faded into the distance.


    Hes surprisingly decent, Moxie observed in a hushed tone. I wonder what noble family hes from.


    Yeah, Noah said thoughtfully, looking out in the direction that Verrud had left. As do I.

 Chapter 414: Change the game

    Chapter 414: Change the game


    So, how much of that do you think was Verrud trying to play us against someone else? Moxie asked once several seconds had passed after the other professors departure.


    Noah rubbed his chin. Ulya was still standing in the corner, but he was pretty sure she was at least temporarily on their side. She didnt have any puppets beyond the one beside her and probably didnt think too much of the other professors if they kept using her as an errand girl.


    Probably relatively safe to speak honestly as long as I avoid giving anything too important away.


    He definitely wants something from us that he hasnt said. That guy was trying way too hard to come off as magnanimous and considerate. I mean, its great that hes told us that someones gunning for Emily, but I figure we would have figured that out soon. Really soon.


    During the meeting tonight, probably, Moxie said with a nod. The Torrins arent discreet about their opinions. If someones looking to make a fool out of Emily, theyre going to try to act hard and fast. Theres no way theyll wait all the way until the first exam.


    Im of the same mind, Noah said. Which means this guy probably called the meeting now just to make sure his kind advice actually felt useful when its actually completely worthless. Ulya, how do you feel about picking sides?


    Are there sides to pick? Ulya replied with a weary laugh. Its the advanced track. Everyone is on their own side. Verrud was right about one thing. Were in this because we want to push ourselves to be better and that generally comes at the cost of taking out the ones in our way.


    Noah pushed his chair back and rose from the table. Right. I get that, but Ive always been pretty bad at following instructions. Moxie and I are just two people, and we dont know anything about the advanced track. You do.


    Ulya tilted her head to the side and crossed her arms. She leaned against the back wall, watching Noah through half-lidded eyes. Where are you going with this? You want me to throw my lot in with you? Have you forgotten that youve destroyed a solid half of my puppets?


    At least one of those was your fault, Noah replied. Blame the people that sent you to me, not me.


    Okay, fair enough, Ulya admitted. She stepped out of the shadows and into the light cast by candles on the table, meeting Noahs gaze with steely eyes. So what do you want, then? And why should I help you?


    First, you owe me a favor. Noah held a hand up and ticked off one of his fingers. You came to me for help when Wizen showed up, and I helped. Second, I can help you rebuild your missing puppets. The only thing you need is Runes, right?


    You say that like its easy to get Runes, Ulya said with a short laugh. Catchpaper is expensive and hunting is dangerous, especially for monsters that are strong enough to give worthwhile Runes unless you plan to spend months getting Rank 1 Runes?


    Forget how difficult it is for a moment. I didnt ask you if it was hard to get Runes or not, Noah said. I said I needed someone in the advanced track on our side, and Im partial to you because you arent a raging scumbag. That doesnt mean I need you.


    Ulyas brow furrowed as she studied Noah for a few seconds. He could see the thoughts churning in her head, likely recalling his so-called teacher and Jalens presence at the last advanced track meeting.


    How do I know youre telling the truth? Ulya asked. You could just be trying to use me for information and then leave.


    Noah stared at Ulya. I wasnt lying about not needing you, Ulya. Weve already worked together and you seem like an intelligent woman. That doesnt mean I cant find someone else to work with. Someone in the advanced track will take me up on my offer. Do you really think I climbed from Rank 1 to where I am now so quickly without any ability? Verrud clearly disagrees.


    Neither of them spoke for several seconds. Then Ulyas lips pressed thin and she gave him a sharp nod.


    Fine. Ill play, at least for now. What do you want?


    Ulya shook her head. No. The only members from the Herron family are Verrud and his students. I know of Calo theres no way a Rank 5 Mind Mage would be wasting time for something like this.


    You might change your mind if you realized this was a game for an incredibly powerful Master Rune, not a pissing contest between two prospective family heirs.


    That said Rank 5?


    A grin stretched across Noahs lips. Wizen was one thing, but he could handle a Rank 5 if he approached the battle on his terms. He just had to make sure he didnt play his cards too early. From what hed learned, Mind Magic was for utility they couldnt control people unless their guard was completely down or they had a long time to work.


    Verruds warning likely meant that Jakob and his students would be trying to make some form of move during the advanced track meeting. Hed already expected there to be opposition from people that didnt think he and his group belonged, but this changed things.


    Right. Were playing good cop, bad cop, Noah said.


    Were doing what now? Ulya asked.


    He scrunched his nose. Verrud is pretending to be nice. Jakob and his group are going to be the assholes. Theyre going to pull out all the stops to crush Emily in the first round to prove that Verruds warning was good and then well trust him.


    And when you trust him, they screw you over even harder later? Ulya asked, catching on.


    Probably, Noah said.


    Likely by picking a moment during an exam when Isabel is trusting them to watch her back. Her guard would be down and it would be easy to make her disappear and claim she just couldnt hold up in the advanced track.


    We should be careful, Moxie said. The fact theyre doing all this means they know were not pushover opponents.


    Thats fine, Noah said. They think we took the bait, and that means weve got them exactly where we want them. Nothing suits our position better than pretending to be the mouse in the face of a cat.


    Youve got a plan, then? Ulya raised an eyebrow. The look on your face has me interested despite my better judgement. What is it?


    We shift the game. This whole thing only works if they can make a joke out of Emily to prove we need Verruds help. Theyll keep trying to do that as long as they dont think their cover is blown.


    Logically, Ulya said. But how are you going to avoid it? If theyve gone to these lengths, then Marley is going to be strong. Hes likely to win in the fight.


    Thats certainly possible, Noah agreed with a smile. But we wont be playing their game. We play things our way instead.


    And what way is that? Ulya asked doubtfully.


    The look in Moxies eyes told Noah she knew what he was going to say a second before he said it, but that didnt reduce the relish in his voice by even an ounce.


    If they never even get a chance to properly challenge Emily today, then they wont be able to do shit. Noahs grin grew even wider. Were going to be causing a little chaos. This meeting is going to be fun.

 Chapter 415: We do a little planning

    Chapter 415: We do a little planning


    There were still a few hours before the meeting. If they were going to cause chaos, Noah couldnt see that possibly happening without one particular person who seemed to be the literal embodiment of it.


    They needed Lee.


    It was tempting to ask Ulya to use her puppet to go get her, but the woman had been asked to be a messenger so many times that Noah actually felt a little bad about it. He needed Ulya to actually like working with them if he wanted her properly on their side.


    Thats fine. Shes not the only messenger Ive worked with.


    Mascot, you here? Noah asked.


    Ulya sent him a strange look. Who?


    Hold on, Noah said, holding a hand up to forestall any questions. He glanced around the relatively empty room. There wasnt any sign of white fur or red horns. Not yet. Come on, Mascot. I know youre somewhere around. You were lurking around this morning. You know somethings up.


    There was no response. Ulya looked at Moxie with a concerned expression. Noah ignored her. The cat was screwing with him. He rifled through his bag, but there wasnt any jerky left in it. Lee had picked him clean at some point.


    Hey, do you have any food? Noah asked.


    Here, Moxie said, pulling a strip of jerky out of her own bag. Is Mascot really going to go for a random piece of meat? He isnt Lee.


    Noah shrugged in response, taking the jerky from her and waving it around in the air above his head like a flag. Only one way to find out. Come on, Mascot. I need you to help mess some shit up.


    Ulyas eyes widened. A ripple of energy tickled Noahs domain and he glanced over his shoulder as a purple disk yawned open well within the reaches of his domain. Mascot popped out, bounding off his shoulder and snagging the jerky from his hand.


    The fluffy cat landed on the table across from him and turned in a circle to stare into his eyes, the strip of jerky slowly disappearing into his mouth.


    What in the Damned Plains? Ulya asked. That was the cat I was petting!


    Which is what I said. In the meantime, Lee and I will keep literally everyones attention so occupied that there wont even be a chance for Marley to try to challenge Emily properly. Noah chewed his lower lip. There were a lot of ways he could cause chaos. He didnt want to go so far as to completely go overboard, though. Are there any things we should make sure not to do, Ulya?


    That is a very broad and concerning question. What do you mean?


    I cant imagine people are going to like us much after this, but I want to make sure we dont go so far that we get kicked out of the program, Noah said. Are they going to lose their shit at the slightest indecency like most nobles?


    Ulya thought for a second before shaking her head. No. Everyone in this program is a warrior. Theyll be more hardened and difficult to throw off than average mages. As long as you dont kill anyone or make a complete mockery of yourselves, youll be fine. They respect ability above all else.


    Perfect. Noah rubbed his hands together. Then all we have to do is wait for the others to arrive.


    Assuming Mascot actually went to get them, Moxie put in.


    Yeah. Assuming that.


    ***


    Lee and the students showed up just about twenty minutes later. There was no sign of Mascot with them, but there was no doubt in Noahs mind that the cat was lurking nearby, waiting to throw his own wrench into the system.


    Mascot led us over here, Lee said, glancing around the empty room. Is something going on? I didnt think the advanced track meeting started for a while.


    Yeah, Noah said with a nod. He gestured for them to all gather closer, then filled them in on everything that had gone down since the meeting with Verrud. There was no need to hide information from any of them, and they all deserved to know what they were up against.


    Emily didnt look too surprised at their findings. Determination etched itself into her features and, once Noah had finished with his debrief, she gave him a nod.


    I wont lose to Marley. I can hold my own.


    This isnt just about that. Noahs eyes drifted over to Isabel, who met them with a knowing look. Shed known what was up the moment hed mentioned that the Herron family was involved. Its about all of us. And, fortunately, I have a plan. Ill just need everyones help to pull it off.

 Chapter 416: Getting started

    Chapter 416: Getting started


    Noah and the others waited on the street outside the advanced track meeting point. The plan hadnt taken too long to discuss, and they didnt want to be caught sitting around in the room and start raising questions as to what they were doing.


    Theyd made a few changes to their appearance. Noahs uniform was now badly ruffled and his hair stuck out in every direction and there was no sign of his gourd, bag, or grimoire.


    Godrick was the first of the advanced track professors to show up, and his eyebrows arched as he spotted them.


    Ulya brought you two over early, I see.


    Just a bit, Noah replied with a shrug. Whats on the docket for todays meeting? Anything interesting?


    Godricks brow furrowed and he lowered his voice to make sure that nobody could overhear them. If youre referring to what happened earlier no. Thats already being handled. Ive already spent the better portion of the day working to make sure that everyone who was stranded by the cannons failure was accounted for together with Tim. We dont need any more focus on that than there already is. The meeting today will be what the one last time should have been. A time to get to know each other. A little exchange of knowledge. Fun all around.


    Godrick pulled back and gestured for them to follow him before starting down the stairs. Noah suppressed a grin as they all piled in behind him. As soon as they made it into the room below, Ulya broke away and headed over to the corner of the room to avoid being too strongly associated with them.


    Lee made a beeline for the table and pulled a chair out, sitting down and drumming her fingers impatiently on the white tablecloth. There wasnt any food laid out yet, but there would be soon enough.


    Thats two of us in place.


    The students broke off, moving to stand a short distance from Lee while Noah and Moxie remained near the entrance of the room to keep line of sight on everyone. It didnt take long for the other advanced track professors to start piling in.


    Noah didnt recognize most of them or their students, and he didnt currently care to. There were quite a few members in the advanced track, and his brain didnt have enough room to store all of them until they did something of worth.


    With every new professor and group of students that entered the room, Noah glanced over at Ulya. She remained impassive in her corner, her features unreadable.


    He locked eyes with Verrud as the man entered the room alongside a young woman with pure white hair probably his student. She was a little taller than Emily and had the kind of smile on her face that was reserved for people who were firmly convinced they were doing a world a favor by gracing it with their presence.


    Verrud inclined his head in greeting and Noah returned the gesture, doing his best not to laugh.


    I cant say Im going to enjoy this too much, but I think the look on his face should make this worth it.


    Professors continued to enter over the course of the next few minutes. Noah was starting to wonder if Ulya had completely forgotten her job when she finally pushed away from the wall and headed over to the table, which was currently being set by several waiters.


    Noahs eyes locked onto the professor that had just entered the room. He was a younger man, probably only a year older than Noah. The man sported a well-kept goatee and combed back hair that looked like it had taken more time than hed care to admit.


    So youre Jakob.


    Walking at his side were two students, one male and one female. The boy Marley clearly had a lot more confidence than the girl did. He walked with his shoulders thrown back and the corner of his mouth curled up in a faint smirk, one not all that dissimilar from the one that Verruds student sported. His silver hair was tied back into a short ponytail and his hand rested on the hilt of a rapier at his side.


    The girl at Marleys side was a head shorter than him and had orangish-red hair similar to Moxies. Her features were soft and her expression restrained, but she carried herself with the grace of someone who had seen more than their share of fights. The hilt of a sword hung at her side, but no blade emerged from it.


    So thats Yulin, then. She seems like she might be the better fighter or at the very least, shes more restrained with her emotions.


    Marleys eyes swept over the room until they locked onto Emily, who was currently studying the table with perhaps a little more interest than she should have been. He nudged Yulin with his elbow and she inclined her head slightly.


    The three of them walked past Noah and he let his domain brush over them. Faint resistance met him, and Jakob paused to glance over his shoulder at him. The professor was a Rank 4, but neither of his students reacted.


    Rank 3 at max. And lucky us. Both Yulin and Marley use swords. Thatll make things easier for us.


    Can I help you? Jakob asked, disdain tinging his words as his gaze bore into Noahs skull. Because your domain appears to be leaking, professor.


    Have you possibly had a bit much to drink before this meeting? Verrud asked Noah, his voice terse.


    I did have a few bottles, Noah said with a sheepish grin. Its real nerve-wracking meeting all of you. Figured Id think better if I didnt have to think too much at all.


    Pathetic, Jakob said. He shook his head and turned, gesturing for his students to follow him toward the table and straight in the direction of where Emily and the others sat. Come on. We have better things to do than waste time with this Linwick buffoon.


    Just like most Torrins I know, Noah said. Running away. Not really a surprise. I heard that was what Evergreen did in her last moments. I reckon the new head isnt any different.


    Jakob ignored him, but the same couldnt be said for Marley. The boys lips pulled back in a snarl.


    You dont know when to shut your mouth, cockroach. My professor was trying to be as polite as one can be to someone as worthless as you, but it looks like getting your path paved for you into the program has given you delusions of grandeur. If one more vile word comes out of your mouth, Ill challenge you myself.


    You? Noah asked incredulously. Im a Rank 4. Youre what, Rank 2?


    Marley, come on, Yulin said, pulling at his arm. This is pointless. Forget this


    There are more ways to fight than magic. Marley drew his sword and pointed it at Noah, completely ignoring Yulins words. And if youre serious about coming here to learn, then Ill be more than glad to teach you.


    Should have listened to the girl, bud. Cant say I blame you, though. If I were in your shoes, Id want to run me through as well.


    Noah let out a burst of laughter. What, you want to spar me without magic? You wont leave so much as a cut on me.


    Is that a challenge? Marley asked.


    Marley, Jakob barked. We are wasting time. Yulin is correct. Come.


    This will only take a few seconds, Marley replied. Im not going to let this Linwick disparage our name like this.


    If you so much as touch me with that rapier of yours, then Ill get on my knees and formally apologise to your entire family, Noah said with a chuckle. Ill give you all the time you need to try and land a blow, and well go until we both agree the fight is over or until you touch me. No magic usage allowed. Sound good?


    Hold on, Yulin said, grabbing Marley by the shoulder. What about if you win?


    Hes not going to Marley started, but his fellow student cut him off with a glare before turning her gaze to Noah.


    Shes sharp. Bummer.


    Id settle for you admitting that youre incompetent enough that you cant even so much as scratch a cockroach Linwick, Noah said with a shrug. Im not a bitter man. I recognize jealousy when I see it.


    Im going to run you through, Marley snapped, yanking his arm out of Yulins grasp and raising his rapier. I agree to your terms. Are you prepared, Linwick?


    Well see if I need to be. Noah covered a yawn. Come on, then. You wouldnt be the first Torrin to ask to sword fight me, even if youre a little under-equipped for it. Couldnt you have gone with a weapon that people actually use for battle?


    Marley lunged. Noah stepped to the side, letting the blade pass by him harmlessly, then let the grin on his features grow wider. I hope you can do better than that. If you cant, Im going to need some more alcohol to make this fight more interesting.


    The boy didnt bother with a response. He pressed the attack harder, but each cut passed harmlessly through the air without so much as grazing Noahs skin. Verrud watched from the sidelines, his lips pressed thin in annoyance.


    Lets see just how much time and energy I can make you waste here before youre forced to give up. And dont look so cross, Verrud. If youre already this annoyed, youre going to blow a gasket by the end of the night.


    Were only getting started.

 Chapter 417: Yulin

    Chapter 417: Yulin


    Marleys rapier hissed as it flicked out and found nothing but air for what must have been the hundredth time. It wasnt that he was particularly bad with the weapon though Noah was confident that both Isabel and Alexandra were better it was just that he was nothing in comparison to the monsters hed been training against.


    The boy was fast, but he wasnt as fast as a rock thrown by a Chucker monkey. His sword might have been sharp, but Slashers had five of them on each hand. There was no kind way to put it. Marley just wasnt a worthy opponent.


    If Noah drew his flying sword and used it for, ironically, the one purpose he was pretty sure flying swords werent meant to do, the fight would have been over. He made no such moves. His goal wasnt to beat Marley.


    It was to completely waste the boys time. Their fight had already been going on for almost five minutes, and he could see the anger in Marleys eyes fading. That was the thing with anger it could only last so long.


    And, once it wore off, the only thing that remained were the consequences of ones actions. Noah grinned at Marley.


    You seem to be slowing down a little. You cant be giving up, can you?


    Marley grit his teeth. He was starting to get winded and was smart enough not to waste words on Noah. Marley lunged once more, trying to catch Noah off-guard mid-sentence. The rapier passed by Noahs chest as he twisted, then smacked the blade away with a flick of a finger.


    You know, this would be a lot more effective if there was more than a single sharp bit on this thing, Noah observed.


    Or if you actually knew how to use it. I reckon a rapier would be pretty dangerous in the hands of a master. But, even still, everything I know about rapiers imply theyre dueling weapons, not killing weapons.


    Is this meant to be some kind of joke? Marley demanded, drawing in a sharp breath before thrusting his blade again.


    Noah leaned back and let the rapier pass over his nose, then twisted his body and swept Marleys legs out from under him. They boy rolled as he hit the ground, coming up and driving the sword for Noahs chest.


    It certainly didnt seem like he was just going for grazing blows. If he stood still, Noah was pretty certain the rapier would have run him straight through the heart. He spun, letting the rapier pierce through his spinning jacket.


    Noah kicked Marleys hand, ripping the rapier from his grip and sending it spinning across the room. It clattered to the ground and skidded up to the foot of a professor and his students.


    You lost your sword, Noah observed.


    Enough of this, Jakob ordered. Do you feel no shame, Vermil? You are a professor.


    And I am teaching, Noah snapped back. Something which you seem to have failed to do.


    You call this teaching? Jakob sneered and held his hands out. Youre a perverted man gloating over his victory over a child two ranks his lesser.


    Am I? Noah asked, tilting his head to the side. I havent used my runes once, so our ranks hardly matter. My domain doesnt affect a sword. And more importantly, you seem to have failed to teach your student something vital, you bald, bumbling idiot.


    Dont speak about my teacher like that! Marley jumped at Noah with a snarl, his hand disappearing into his coat. A flash of silver caught the light as he drew a dagger and Noahs foot planted itself firmly in his chest. Marley let out a pained grunt as he tumbled back across the ground much like his rapier before him.


    Do you see? Noah asked with a shake of his head. This is pathetic. Marley might know how to swing his sword, but he cant control his emotions in the slightest. You never taught him how to fight. All he can do is swing.


    Shut your mouth, Marley snapped. He scrambled over to his rapier and scooped it off the ground, pointing it at Noah and pressing his lips thin.New novel chapters are published on


    You cant make me, can you? Noah asked. And that makes you angry. Its frustrating to not be able to do anything. So what will you do? Are you going to keep trying the same thing over and over? Will anger rule your movements? Maybe you just arent angry enough yet. If you got angrier, Im sure that would work.


    Several of the watching professors nodded their approval, and Noah caught more than a few assuaging looks sent in his direction. Yulin had pretty effectively rescued his reputation with her revelation.


    He was grateful for it, but that hadnt exactly been part of his plan. If she hadnt interfered, Noah was pretty sure he would have been able to continue wasting Marleys time for at least another ten or fifteen minutes before the boy tried to concede.


    Wed agreed to continue the fight until we both admitted it was over. I could technically force the fight to run permanently. But, if I do that now, Im going to lose all the goodwill that Yulin inadvertently bought me back. Right now, Id expect just about half the professors respect me and the other half still think Im a vile cretin. If I skew that too hard in any direction, I could be in trouble. Might be time to cut my losses and move to the next steps.


    Im pleased to hear that Ive helped. Noah sent a pointed look in Jakobs direction before returning his attention to Marley. Your apology is accepted. Feel free to let me know if youre in need of a competent opponent.


    Youd offer to train with a Torrin? Yulin asked, the suspicion evident in her features. Why would you want to help us?


    Ive done a whole lot more than just train with a Torrin.


    My reasons are my own, Noah said with a dry laugh. Pleasure to meet both of you. Marley Id suggest training a little more before you try your hand sparring against any of my students. Im not exaggerating when I say I was going easy on you.


    Marleys jaw clenched. He was backed into a corner. After admitting defeat just seconds ago, he had no way to say that Noah was lying without coming off like a spoiled brat. Noah repressed a grin. Marley evidently put a lot of weight on the Torrin name. He wouldnt be willing to shame his family that badly.


    I see. Thank you for your warning, Marley said stiffly, turning on his heel and walking back over to Jakob. The professors eyes did their best to burn holes into Noahs skull, but there was nothing he could say.


    Verrud stepped back into the crowd. If he was disappointed, he hid the emotion well.


    Jakob inclined his head. Not to Noah, but to Yulin, who stood behind him. She stepped into the crowd, heading toward Emily and the others. That wasnt much of a surprise. Jakob had two students, after all.


    Unfortunately, as far as Noah could tell, Yulin was the more dangerous of the two. Shed read him pretty quickly and hadnt been involved in the fight. If Noah tried to stop her, then something would clearly be afoot.


    Fine with me. Im not the only line of defense weve got set up.


    Alexandra rose to her feet, plucking a pear from the table and taking a bite from it as she moved to intercept Yulin before she could get close to the group.


    If you arent headed somewhere in particular, might I have a moment of your time? Alexandra asked, tapping a finger on the hilt of the sword at her side. You seem to handle yourself well, and Im always looking for someone to hone my skills against. Ive heard the Torrin family produces some competent swordsmen and women, but


    She trailed off and glanced in Marleys direction before returning her attention to Yulin. The other girl studied her for a second. Pushing past Alexandra and heading straight to Emily would have been a bit much.


    Just as Noah had to keep the exact extent of how much he knew hidden, Jakobs and his students couldnt just make it completely obvious they were after Emily. A grin flitted across Noahs face as Jakobs eye twitched.


    I suppose I could spare a few seconds, Yulin said. Who are you?


    Alexandra. She didnt offer any more information about herself. First blood, swords only?


    That works for me, Yulin said.


    I look forward to learning from you. Alexandra drew her sword and held it out before her, and Noah once again fought to repress a laugh. Jakobs students werent going to have a very good night.


    Good luck even leaving a scratch on Body Rune empowered skin, Yulin.

 Chapter 418: Body Runes

    Chapter 418: Body Runes


    Do you need a sword? Alexandra asked as she and Yulin moved to stand several paces away from each other. Yours doesnt appear to have a blade.


    It is still a sword, Yulin replied, pulling the hilt of the weapon from her side and holding it out before her with both hands. A hum emitted from it as ribbons of golden energy swirled up. They solidified, forming into a humming golden saber.


    We said swords only, Alexandra pointed out.


    Yes. I am not using my own magic. It is imbued, and it is a sword. It falls within the terms of our agreement.


    Thats my trick. You cant just steal my trick.


    Marley snickered from the sidelines. He didnt say anything, likely because there was only so much pride he could show when hed just been thoroughly trounced, but it grated on Noahs nerves all the same. Alexandras expression didnt so much as flicker. She returned the sword shed been drawing to its sheath, pulling out the one below it.


    I see. Then I am prepared as well. First blood, Alexandra said as she raised the new blade. You may make the first move.


    Youll regret that, Yulin said. She shifted her stance, then shot forward. Her sword blurred.


    Alexandra brought her blade to meet Yulins, flames erupting along it with a crackle. The two swords struck each other with a clang, flames and golden energy intermixing in a swirl of light.


    Yulin arched her back, leaning out of the way as Alexandra shifted her weight and thrust her sword forward. It carved through the air above Yulins nose, just narrowly missing. Yulin vaulted back, driving her foot into Alexandras stomach to keep her from pressing the advantage.


    The force of the kick sent Yulin in a clean arc backward, and she landed on her feet several paces away. Her expression flickered when she realized that Alexandra hadnt so much as flinched from the blow.


    You are very agile, Alexandra said. Her foot hit the ground and she blurred forward before the other girl could respond. The flames on her sword sputtered, unable to remain lit with the speed that she was moving at.Follow current novels at novelhall.com)


    They reignited as Alexandra slammed to a stop and brought her blade down for Yulins arm. Yulins eyes widened and she twisted. Her golden blade intercepted the strike, but it hit her with enough force to send her skidding back several feet.


    Youre cheating, Yulin accused, her eyes going narrow. Nobody is that strong without Runes.


    I am not actively using my Runes.


    A Rank 2s body imbuements cant be this powerful, even if your runes were a thousand times better than mine, Yulin said flatly. At most, youd have a thirty to forty percent increase in power.


    I appreciate the compliment. The fire running along Alexandras blade flickered again as she blurred forward. Yulin was forced to play defense again. Strikes rained down on her, and each one sent her stumbling several feet back.


    There was no doubt in Noahs mind that Alexandra was holding back. If shed been using even a portion of the skill shed shown when theyd sparred each other, Yulin would have already fallen.


    Good. Shes wasting time. Does make me wonder what Yulin was planning, though. She seemed relatively clever. That sword of hers is clearly more than just a shiny stick. Yulin was planning on using it to do something, but Alexandra hasnt given her a chance to yet. Interesting dilemma. In a normal fight, Id be yelling for Alexandra to finish it already before Yulin gets a moment to do whatever it is she wants to. That isnt this fight. Were trying to waste time so taking the risk is the right move.


    Alexandras assault abruptly slammed to a halt. Yulins blade carved through the air shed been standing and stopped an instant before it carved into the floor. She skipped another step back, looking down at her sword.


    Yulin hit the ground in a roll and flew to her feet. A flash of pain crossed her features as she tried to flex her hand and she bit back a pained grunt. She lunged for her sword, scooping it off the ground with her uninjured hand and spinning back to face Alexandra, only to find that she hadnt moved from her spot.


    Blood, Alexandra said simply.


    Yulin looked down at her hand. There was a smear of blood across her knuckles from a small cut that Alexandra had put there with the hilt of her pommel. Based on how limply her hand hung, Noah was pretty sure something in it was broken but it didnt even matter. The fight had been to first blood.


    Even if that had supposed to be a sword cut, blood was still blood. Yulin let her hand drop with a grimace.


    You were holding back the entire fight?


    If you had any idea just how much Alexandra was holding back, youd be crying right now. She could have literally picked you up and thrown you through the wall if shed wanted to.


    It was a good fight, Alexandra said. She studied the remains of her blade with a small frown, then slid it into its sheath. There was nothing wrong with your technique, though you over-relied on the abilities of your sword more than you should have. I would enjoy having further matches with you in the future. There is a lot we could learn from each other.


    Yulin was silent for a few seconds. Her eyes traced over Alexandra, then down to the floor behind her. Noah followed her gaze. There were faint fractures in the ground where Alexandra had burst into motion. Shed literally cracked a tiny portion of the floor. It was so small that it barely even looked out of place, but Yulin had picked up on it.


    She returned the hilt of her sword to its spot at her side, then pulled a potion off her belt and popped the seal off, downing it. Her hand rippled as the bones in it realigned and she let out a small sigh of relief. When she looked back to Alexandra, her expression had shifted. Instead of the flat, calculating look that had been present before, there was respect.


    I believe I would like that. Thank you for the session, Yulin said. She hesitated for a moment, clearly wanting to pass by Alexandra, but it was impossible to do without being completely obvious as to what her intentions were.


    Alexandra had positioned herself directly in front of Emily and Isabel, making the path to them insurmountable. Yulin gave her a small nod and turned. She headed back over to Marley and Jakob, who were both standing with remarkably similar stiff jaws.


    I wonder if Jakob and Marley are closely related. They both look like theyre going to pop the same vein.


    Quite the impressive show, Godrick said as he walked out from the small crowd that had gathered. It struck Noah that people werent nearly as caught up in the fights as hed expected they would be. There had been a small crowd, but it wasnt anywhere near all the professors.


    It only took him a moment to realize why. There were several other groups of students sparring throughout the room. They hadnt been the only ones to start trying to brutalize each other the moment meeting had started.


    My students have been working hard, Noah said with a small nod. Theyve been looking forward to this meeting a lot.


    So I can tell, Godrick said. And youve certainly made a statement. I cant even tell myself who you are. Which version of you is real, Vermil?


    Whichever one is more opportune at the time, Noah replied. Why? Did you get attached to the idea of a skimpy uniform? I bet you could pull it off.


    Godrick let out a snort of laughter and shook his head, turning to head back into the crowd to mingle with the other professors. Enjoy the meeting, Vermil. Try not to break anything too important.


    Noah caught the molten glare that Jakob was sending in his direction and put up a valiant mental fight to avoid sticking his tongue out at the other professor. Something told him Jakob and Verrud were far from done with the meeting, but that was just fine with him.


    Lets see what else youve got. The more cards I force you to play now, the less youll be able to surprise us with later. I havent even gotten halfway through my own hand yet.

 Chapter 419: Eat

    Chapter 419: Eat


    Even though Noah suspected Verrud and Jakob werent done with his group yet, theyd bought themselves at least a little time time which Noah took to take measure of the other fights that were playing out across the advanced track meeting room.


    It definitely wasnt out of the norm for students to spar. There were four other groups just beside him, and many of them were using even fewer restrictions than he and Alexandra had. The flash of magic striking Shields filled the air, joined in with muted conversation.


    He had to admit that it was a little odd to watch. A pair of students were positively wailing on each other, releasing blast after blast of magic and barely even trying to dodge. Their Shields were clearly of better make than their own abilities, because neither of them could so much as dent the others defenses.


    They were surrounded by a small ring of professors and other students who were watching with apt interest. Midway through the fight, a professor stepped forward. Both students stopped and he told them something that Noah couldnt quite make out over the din.


    A moment later, the fight restarted. It looked more like they were testing out the limits of their abilities than actually trying to spar.


    As far as actual power goes from the pressure coming off their attacks, looks like most of the students here are somewhere around Rank 2. Not all that different from my own students, but I suppose thats a big reason they got the invite after it became clear that they were Rank 2s.


    Noah made his way over to the table. Isabel and Emily sat, surrounded by all the other students. Moxie stood behind them and Lee sat off to the side, visibly restraining herself from vacuuming up all the food on the table. Their formation made it functionally impossible to get anywhere near Isabel and Emily.


    Not bad so far, huh? Noah asked as he slid up beside Moxie.


    Not at all. I cant say I loved the first strategy you used. Your reputation is already horrid enough, you know, Moxie said with a shake of her head. A small grin flickered across her face before she banished it again. That said, at least itll keep people away from you. I dont like sharing.


    Whoa, Noah said, raising his eyebrows. Never realized you were the jealous type. Noted.


    Moxie rolled her eyes and bumped her shoulder into his. Whatever. It looks like your plan hasnt gone exactly as you wanted it to. Yulin kind of ratted you out.


    I thought you said you werent a fan of people thinking I was a creep. This might actually make some professors believe I can be trusted within five hundred feet of their students. Maybe well make some new friends.


    I didnt like the fact that you actually had to act like a creep, Moxie admitted. I rather did like the part where other people stayed away because of the reputation. A little privacy is nice, especially after having Evergreen scrutinize everything I did. Sure, there were rumors, but basically nobody gave a shit about you because you were beneath their notice. When we started doing more together, I didnt mind hiding under that shield either.New novel chapters are published on


    I can always be creepier. All Id have to do is take a few of the papers Vermil had in his room and wave them around.


    Moxie prodded Noah in the side and he let out a strangled yelp.


    That was only marginally called for. He lowered his voice. It wasnt like it would be easy to overhear them in the loud room, but he didnt want to take any chances. And how are things looking? Anything we need to be aware of?


    Not yet, Moxie said, smiling as if Noah had told her a joke. Jakob and Verrud havent really come close since the start of the meeting aside from passing each other when they were heading across the room. If theyre planning something, I dont think theyre communicating.


    Which either means they dont have anything else for the meeting or theyre taking extra care to make sure nobody notices theyre working together, Noah said. His lips pursed and he headed over to the table, sitting down a short distance from the students.


    There have definitely been a lot of people paying attention to us overall. I think a good portion of that is because were new, but you and Alexandra put on quite the shows. I dont think were going to be able to avoid everyone for long. Moxie sat down beside him, facing the other direction so she could look into the crowd. She leaned the backs of her elbows against the table and reached over her shoulder, snagging a chicken drumstick.


    Lee, who sat a short distance to Noahs other side, sent him a pleading look. Can I start eating now, please? Im starving.


    You are always starving, Noah said. But yes. Go ahead just take it slow, please. No more than one piece of food every minute. Also, eat normally. No inhaling food.


    Anthony waved a hand dismissively. I dont keep permanent track of them. Theyre more than capable of handling themselves, so I imagine theyre wandering around the room somewhere and mingling with the others. Interacting with the other students is one of the main benefits of the advanced track, Professor Vermil. Connections take you far in life.


    Right. So your students are nowhere to be seen and totally arent going to show up and try to bother anyone the moment I leave.


    Noah leaned over to Moxie to whisper into her ear. Do noble duels normally allow for a champion?


    She blinked, then nodded. Yeah.


    He sat back and returned his attention to Anthony. Very well. Ill accept under the normal rules.


    Thrilling. The location and your choice of weapon, then? Runes? Swords?


    Slow down a second. Im willing to go up against you, but not yet. You need to show me youre actually worth my time. Im going to have to ask you to face my ally. If you can beat her, then Ill be more than willing to take you on.


    An underling? Anthony didnt even try to hide his distaste as he looked to Moxie.


    Noah bit back a laugh. Shed rip my head off if I called her an underling and no. Not an underling. An ally. No higher rank than me, I can assure you.


    Anthony grunted and waved a hand. Come, then. I will handle her first. What is the field and weapon?


    The field is right here, Noah said. He put a hand on Lees shoulder. The battle will be endurance, and youll be going up against my good friend Lee.


    You are putting me up against a girl half my size and a quarter my runic strength? Anthony stared at Noah in disbelief. Is this a joke?


    No runes, Noah said. He gestured for Anthony to sit down. Endurance. Specifically, whoever can eat more. I have quite the appetite, you know.


    Yes. I was aware of you in the previous meeting. A flicker of unease passed over Antonys features, but when he looked at Lee, it was replaced by relief. Noah suppressed a laugh. The professor was probably recalling how much hed seen Vermil eat and thanking the stars that he hadnt challenged him directly to an eating contest.


    Then youll know Ive taught Lee a lot, Noah said. Shell be my champion. Eat more than her, and Ill fight you.


    In a real duel, Anthony amended. With runes or weapons, not food.


    Fine with me. Noah shrugged. All you have to do is prove that you can eat a single more bite than she can. Whoever has the greatest endurance wins. No Runes or magic. Body imbuements are fine. That work for you?


    Anthony looked down at Lee. He was quite literally more than twice her size. A confident smile passed over his lips and he sat down beside her. Very well. This is quite an odd duel, but I will oblige.


    Good luck, Noah said, and he genuinely meant it. Lee?


    Yeah? Lee peered at him from beside Anthony, excitement flashing in her eyes as her tongue ran along her lips.


    Now you can eat.

 Chapter 420: New faces

    Chapter 420: New faces


    Are you going to eat that? Lee asked, daintily dabbing at her mouth with a napkin.


    Anthony stared at the chicken drumstick in his hands like it was the vilest thing hed ever been forced to bear witness to. Hed already opened his jacket and undone his belt to try and make space where there was none. A thin sheen of sweat covered his face and his lips trembled as he brought his hand up, forcing his lips to part in an attempt to take another bite.


    He froze in place for several seconds. His knuckles turned white and his jaw clenched as the fierce mental battle he was locked within played out upon his face. Lee slowly reached out, pulling the drumstick from his hands and sliding the entire thing into her mouth.


    Thanks.


    Anthony swallowed. Noah was pretty sure the man would have gotten angry if he had quite literally any energy left that wasnt already devoted to trying to keep all the food hed stuffed down his gullet down.


    All things considered, hed done a pretty good job. Hed managed to eat five plates piled high with food. Against anyone normal, that probably would have managed to net him a victory. Against Lee, it was like screaming into a hurricane.


    Anthony swallowed. He braced his hands against the table, his eyes shifting to the next plate and then his face went green. Lunging to his feet, he staggered away and did his best impression of a penguin with bowel irritation as he desperately waddled off into the crowd.


    Oh. He left, Lee said, her face crumpling. She took a bite out of the napkin shed been wiping her face with. Damn. Does that mean its over? Or are we going to start again when he comes back?


    Dont eat the napkins, Lee.


    It still had food on it. Wasting food is bad.


    So is eating napkins.


    Lees eyes drifted over to her plate and she picked it up. Noah reached over and plucked it from her grip, setting it back down on the table and ruffling her hair. I think youve had enough.


    Theyd managed to gather the largest crowd of professors thus far. Nearly twenty people stood around them. They all stared at Lee with undisguised awe and admiration, and more than a few coins passed between hands.


    That might have been the best damn sparring match Ive ever seen, a portly professor with a thick white moustache said with a chortle. He wore a professors uniform, but it didnt have any gold bars to identify his rank nor did he have a nametag. And the lass is so hungry that she wanted to lick the plate clean as well.


    Actually, she wanted to eat the plate.


    Is it a trick? a short girl beside the mustached professor asked. Were you using space magic or something to send the food away after it entered your stomach?


    Why would I do that? Lee asked with a befuddled frown. Then I wouldnt have gotten to eat it.


    Youre a monster, Moxie said, and Noah couldnt tell if she was talking to him or Lee. I dont think Anthony is going to be participating in the rest of the meeting.


    He may have an extended meeting with the bathroom for the next few hours, Noah agreed. Put up a decent fight, though.


    What is it that lets you eat so much, if it wasnt a trick? the girl asked. Professor Vermil ate a whole ton during the last meeting too. Do you both have some form of Rune that lets you significantly increase your metabolism?


    Something like that, Noah said with a nod as he prepared to tell one of the biggest lies that had ever dared to grace his lips. I can eat even more than Lee, so anyone that wants to challenge me has to go through her first.


    Terrifying, the mustached professor said with a wry grin. I value my life, so I think Ill pass on that particular proposition. Quite the display, though. Youve certainly made a statement in this meeting.


    I like to be memorable.


    So I can tell. He extended his hand. Im George.


    Noah took the mans hand. His domain shivered as he shook it, and the two of them exchanged a quick look. George was a Rank 4 if not more. His domain was stronger than Noahs.


    Oh? Noah raised an eyebrow. How close?


    If I can go hunting one more time to fill my runes up, I should be ready for it, Moxie replied. Ive been doing a lot of research on what my Rank 4 will be as well, so Im confident itll go well.


    We could always just buy you a Rune and break it down for energy.


    Moxie rolled her eyes. Look at you, thinking like a real noble. Im not in that much of a rush and theres no need to waste money on something like that. Ill go hunting tomorrow and then be done with it. Besides, youre going to need all the money you can get if you want to make that Space Rune.


    Thats a fair point. Say, I wonder if anyone here would be willing to sell me a good Rune. Isnt sharing resources and knowledge half the point of the advanced track?


    Hey, do you think you and Lee can keep an eye on everyone for a bit? Noah asked, scanning the surroundings in search of someone he recognized that he could leech off for introductions. I want to see if anyone here might be in the business of selling Runes.


    Yeah, Moxie said with a nod. I dont think anyone is going to try anything else today. That would take balls that I dont think Verrud or Jakob have but Ill keep an eye out and shout for you if something happens.


    Thanks, Noah said. He spotted Silvertide and Tyler, his student, standing off to the corner of the room and grinned. Found my targets. Ill be back soon.


    He set off, stepping through the milling crowd of professors until he arrived before Silvertide. The old soldier raised a bushy eyebrow and grabbed Tyler by the shoulder before the large boy could slip away.


    Vermil. Youve been having quite the eventful meeting.


    Its been fun, Noah agreed. I was wondering if youd be willing to help me out.


    You? Asking for help? Silvertide tilted his head to the side and released Tylers shoulder. The boy sent one last look at Noah before darting off and vanishing into the crowd. Noah turned to watch him leave. Evidently, Tyler still hadnt gotten over getting attacked.


    I still kind of feel bad about that. I should probably apologize properly to him at some point. I prefer to only throttle the people I dont like.


    Yeah, Noah said, looking back to Silvertide. I was wondering if you know anyone with a bunch of runes that might be willing to sell or trade them. Specifically, space-related ones.


    Space? Silvertide raised an eyebrow. That narrows things down a little, but if youre looking for a collector, one man does come to mind. Hes painfully arrogant, though.


    I can deal with that as long as hes willing to trade.


    Then turn around, Silvertide said, nodding over Noahs shoulder. See the tall, fancy man standing by the back wall over there?


    Noah looked in the direction Silvertide had indicated. A man leaned against the wall, away from the thick of the gathering. He barely even looked like a professor. His clothes were trimmed with shimmering gold and each button on his beautiful clothes was a huge ruby.


    God, talk about gaudy, Noah muttered. Who is he?


    Otto, but he also goes by the Violet Void. Stupid name if you ask me but he earned it. Hes a rune collector and trader, and he was a rather respectable soldier in his youth, Silvertide, but Noah nearly missed the rest of his sentence.


    Violet Void? Violet? And a rune collector at that? You cant mean


    Does he collect all forms of runes? Noah asked. Or just space-related ones?


    Just about anything unique. Hes got the wealth to back it up. Probably the bit about him that annoys me the most.


    Of course a powerful rune collector would be part of the advanced track. Half their thing is researching rare or new runes thats why Will was part of it, according to Ulya. Then this guy is almost certainly the one that bought Violet Transference and is my walking moneybag.


    Whys he so rich? Noah asked absently.


    Silvertide let out an annoyed huff. Because hes one of the treasurers for the King House.

 Chapter 421: Otto

    Chapter 421: Otto


    Noah wasnt sure if he was meant to be surprised or not. It was no news to him that the man that had spent a ridiculous amount of gold on a potentially useless rune was from a wealthy family. Hed fully expected him to be from one of the top ones in the empire.


    That said, he wasnt so sure hed been expecting the man to be from the top family. There wasnt much he knew about the King family aside from their position, and even that had only been a mention in brief passing from Moxie.


    How much of a prick is he? Noah asked, eying Otto from across the room. The glistening gemstones on his uniform werent doing the man any favors. Nobody voluntarily walked around like a bedazzled grapefruit unless they had absolutely no taste or all too much money and no good way to spend it.


    Hes well, youll see, Silvertide said with a chuckle. Ive had some dealings with him. Otto isnt the worst Ive met, but that really isnt saying much. Ive met a lot of people. Most of the ones Ive really hated are dead.


    If that was coming from anyone else, Id take it as a threat. From Silvertide, I think thats just a simple fact. Im still not sure how this guy is so powerful at Rank 5. Makes me wonder if hes pulling the wool over everyones eyes and is a higher rank. Theres also the possibility that hes managed to get really powerful Runes, but that might be even more insane.


    Everything Sunder has shown me would imply that someone getting flawless runes or anything near them should be nearly impossible in a vacuum. Oh well. I reckon Ill find out soon enough. Im not stupid enough to press too hard on Silvertide or he might do the same to me.


    Well, thanks for the help, Noah said. I suppose Ill go chat him up. Ive always wanted to pitch to investors.


    Investors? Silvertides brow furrowed. Im not sure I follow.


    Sorry. Made up words, Noah said, waving a hand. Have a good meeting. Im gonna go bother a rich dude.


    Hardly something new for you, Id say, Silvertide said dryly. Between Father and the entirety of the Torrin family, Id say youve bothered enough rich folk to last a lifetime.


    I notice you didnt include yourself in that list. Im taking that as a good thing.


    Well leave it as to be determined. Im sure youll have more than enough opportunity to do that in the future. Youre already doing it in the advanced track. Quite impressive, really. I didnt think youd get to work this quickly.


    Unfortunately, I wasnt given much choice. It seems weve got as many enemies here as we do everywhere else, Noah said. He sent Silvertide a pointed look. Isabel in particular.


    The soldier gave Noah a grim nod. Im more than aware. I cant look out for her too much. Ive got my own responsibilities to make sure Tyler doesnt fall behind but Ill keep my eyes open.


    Thanks. We appreciate it, Noah said. He raised a hand, then turned and headed across the room to speak with Otto. The nobleman had a slightly sour expression on his lips and was sipping on a cocktail hed claimed from the table. His gaze was on a pair of students sparring in the corner of the room, but he didnt look all too invested.


    There are a few ways I can approach this. I dont know which one would be the best. I could wait until after the meeting and throw my mask on, then roll up as Vermils teacher. That would be the safest. It would probably also be the most hassle, and Id have to make sure nobody followed me or saw my superman outfit change.


    Another option would be to come on behalf of my nonexistent teacher. That would put me at a position of lower power, though. Id basically have to suck up to the noble or do my best impression of a corrupt lawyers son. That doesnt really appeal to me. Ive already been icky enough today.


    That leaves slapping my dick on the table and not even bothering hiding my identity. Its not like I can keep it secret forever. At some point, a teacher or some form of test in the advanced track will force me to use Formations or my violin. If I sow seeds with some people early, I can make it look like Ive got a lot more connections than I actually do.


    The King family was also unlikely to be involved with any plots regarding Emily. They were the strongest family in the kingdom, so there was no way theyd give a shit about the Torrins inner politics.


    Isabel was another story. Otto struck Noah as the exact type of person to desperately want to get his hands on a Master Rune. Hed seemed fairly respectable during the auction, but there was no way to truly know for sure until push came to shove and Noah had absolutely no plans of letting things ever even get to that point.


    Sound Runes to block noise in and out, Otto explained, taking a seat in one of the chairs and leaning back.


    Noah sat down across from him, and the two of them sat in silence for a brief instant.


    I have to say, you arent who I was expecting, Otto said. I had my guesses, mind you. A number of them. I can honestly say that you were not even a smudge on the list. Tell me do you represent someone?


    No, Noah replied. I work alone, aside from those in my group. There is nobody above me.


    An odd answer, but one where the meaning cannot be missed. Otto interlaced his fingers. You do not work for Father, then?


    We have an impasse.


    A Rank 6 has an impasse with a Rank 4. How curious. You were not lying about being apt at concealing yourself, Vermil. Is the rest of the company you keep as unique as you are?


    Ottos words werent a threat, but they were far from casual conversation. The noble was searching to find where his loyalties and weaknesses lay.


    Everyone who has tried to find out has had a less than stellar time of things, Noah replied with a small shrug. They are all capable in their own right.


    Capable indeed, Otto said. I had heard that the woman you travel with was exiled from the Torrin house. Not a common occurrence. Its quite surprising to see her strolling around without any signs of soul damage to show.


    I am not without resource.


    So you have made abundantly clear. Otto smiled and leaned forward. You have my attention, Magus Vermil. The Monster Rune you gave me was every bit as fascinating as I had hoped albeit slightly useless. Im afraid it has been lost.


    How the hell did you lose it?


    Lost? Noah asked.


    Otto grimaced. A subordinate attempted to draw it into their soul. They absorbed it safely, but did not survive the attempt to utilize its power. The Rune was unrecoverable.


    Ah. Cant draw Monster Runes back onto Catchpaper, even if they were in a humans soul. Not particularly useful knowledge for me considering I dont have that limitation, but good to know.


    That is unfortunate.


    It is, Otto agreed. But I suspect you have come to solve my issues. You have another Monster Rune?


    I do.


    A smile stretched across Ottos lips. Then let us talk business.

 Chapter 422: Nothing short of incredible

    Chapter 422: Nothing short of incredible


    I want Space Runes, Matter Runes, and any other abstract concepts that could relate to them. I dont care about the quality of the rune, Noah said, not wasting a second before cutting straight to the chase. Ill also accept locations of monsters that possess those runes.


    Space and Matter? Ottos eyebrows rose. Not a simple path you head down. Do you already possess any?


    Yes.


    Technically speaking, at least. Ive got a single Rank 1 Space Rune, but he didnt ask what Rank it was.


    Impressive. You grow odder the more I learn about you. A domain as strong as yours at Rank 4 using Space and Matter Runes. Otto leaned back in his chair and interlaced his fingers. I would ask where such a talent emerged from, but I suspect you would not answer.


    Most likely not, Noah agreed. Can you get the runes I asked for?


    Who do you take me for? Otto let out a bark of laughter. There is very little in this kingdom that I could not get for the right price, Vermil. If you so wanted, I could get you entrance into the King family itself. Access to Monster Runes would more than pave the road before you in gold brick. I could arrange for Runes to take you all the way to early Rank 6 and a wife, should you wish it.


    A kind offer, but I have no need for any of it. The only thing I desire are the runes I asked for, Noah said with a shake of his head. Noble families are of no use to me. I do not care for the Linwicks any more than I care for the Kings and I certainly dont need a wife.


    I dont think Moxie would approve much of me getting married.


    It was worth an attempt. Otto gave Noah a wry smile. What rank runes were you hoping for?


    Four or five would both be ideal, but any rank works. It depends how much youre looking to spend for the Monster Rune.


    The noble thought for a few seconds. His fingers tapped on the wooden armrest and he looked up at the ceiling, studying the patterns within it, before returning his gaze to Noah. This is a very expensive ask. Hundreds of thousands of gold at the absolute minimum. The runes you seek are not cheap.


    Nor are monster runes.


    They are when they are nothing but a novelty, Otto countered. A fascinating novelty with potential to be more, but still a novelty.


    Innovation is never achieved for cheap. You have to be willing to take risk if you want to become powerful.


    You are correct, but only a fool would spend a fortune on a whim. I am indeed willing to take risk, but all risk must be balanced. I could likely get you some of the runes you seek at a very low rank. 2, perhaps? A True Matter Rune and a True Space Rune in exchange for a new Monster Rune.


    Noahs lips pressed together. He already had a Rank 1 Space Rune. Getting a Rank 2 on top of that definitely wouldnt hurt, but it wasnt the most useful. The Matter Rune was considerably more worthwhile, but it wasnt exactly groundbreaking.


    I could probably buy that at an auction but to be fair, it would cost a ridiculous amount of gold. I really dont want to have to auction a Monster Rune. Itll bring way too much attention.


    If it sweetens the deal, Ill add in a location where I believe you should be able to get the Runes you seek, Otto offered. It will not be easy, but if you value the time less than the money, it will serve you well.


    Is it nearby? The transport cannon is currently indisposed.


    I will be able to arrange for transport there, Otto replied. It will only be a single access. The location is controlled by the King family, so I cant have you constantly coming in and out unless you join us.


    Ill pass on the joining for the time being, but Im intrigued. What rank are the monsters in the area?


    Three and above. They can put up quite the fight.


    Her thoughts drifted to Magus Vermil. The sleazy-looking professor had played both of them like a fiddle, and it was her fault.


    I should have recognized that he was goading Marley earlier. It was such an obvious strategy. He didnt even fully commit to it, but I was still thrown off enough that I didnt try to step in until it was too late.


    And then Vermil had gone and given them advice after it had become completely clear how badly hed outplayed Marley. Instead of gloating or pointing out his victory, hed rubbed it in even harder by trying to help them.


    It wasnt like I fared any better against his student. Ive been practicing swordcraft most of my life. How did she move like that without using runes? Theres no way she cheated. Jakob would have called her out on it. Am I really that far behind her?


    Yulins hands clenched at her sides. Shed been in the advanced track for nearly half a year now together with Marley. They had every advantage. There was no way to justify her defeat.


    Marley was up against a professor. At least hes got an excuse.


    Yulins hands clenched at her sides.


    You look like you ate a live crab, Marley said, waving his fork in her direction and speaking through a full mouth.


    That would have been preferrable, Yulin said tersely. How are you not more concerned with how poorly we performed?


    Eh. Jakob will get over it, Marley replied with a one-shouldered shrug. Whats there to be that worried about? I mean, sure. Vermil tricked us, but hes a professor. There arent any bragging rights for a professor beating a student. If anything, he should be ashamed of himself.


    Yeah, but what about me? Im not main branch. Jakob might not take anything out on you, but Im a different story.


    Look, its fine. Marley took another bite of the cake on his plate and wiped his mouth with a napkin. You got played this time around. Vermil tricked you and his student was better. Its fine. The Torrin family name isnt going to be affected. Nobody cares if a side-branch student loses a fight.


    Yulin was grateful that her fists were already clenched. It saved her from having to hide her emotions.


    Besides, Marley said, continuing on without so much as looking away from the food on his plate, We didnt have to pull anything off today. Weve got time. And to be honest, Im happy about it.


    Yulin blinked in surprise. Happy? Why?


    I havent seen Emily since we were kids. Marley looked across the long table to where the silver-haired girl sat with the rest of Vermils group. A grin pulled at the corners of his lips. Shes a lot more attractive than I remember.


    She is your enemy. As long as she is viewed favorably by anyone in the Torrin family, your chances of becoming the next head are at risk.


    Bah. Im allowed to observe facts, Marley said. I mean, look at her. Are you telling me that you wouldnt at least give it a shot? Besides, she wont contest me for the position if shes mine.


    Youre worse than you thought Vermil was. Self-righteous prick.


    I have no desires but to serve the Torrin family, Yulin said flatly. That includes viewing anyone in any level of interest beyond assessing them as a threat.


    Marley snorted. Right. Forgot. Whatever. Could you just stop sulking already? Youre ruining the mood.


    Yulin forced her hands to unclench and she straightened her back, wiping her face clean of any feeling that might have seeped onto it. But, while her features displayed serene stillness, her mind had anything but.


    Alexandras sword flashed through her mind over and over again. Her technique was unlike anything that Yulin had ever seen before. It was nothing short of incredible.


    I wonder if she was serious about that offer to spar again in the future.

 Chapter 423: Wise choices

    Chapter 423: Wise choices


    The rest of the advanced track meeting passed without incident. Noah and Moxie remained on guard throughout it, but it soon came to an end. They headed out and Noah branched off, heading down an alley and rifling through a pile of stones to pull out his grimoire and gourd. He hurried back to rejoin the others, where he and Moxie continued to keep a close eye on everything all the way up until they dropped the students off at their dormitories.


    Well then, Noah said as he walked alongside Lee and Moxie on the way back to the T building, Id say that went pretty damn well.


    How long were you waiting to say that? Moxie asked.


    More time than I care to admit. I didnt want to say it too early and end up screwing something up by spitting in the eye of fate.


    Fate isnt going to change itself because you got a bit overeager.


    Noah looked down the bridge of his nose at Moxie. I have mistakenly pissed off a god. Im not taking any chances and I still need to get a fruit basket or something for her. She hasnt come for my ass yet, but I feel like thats something you should have ready rather than scramble to put together.


    Wont the fruits spoil if you wait around too long? Lee asked.


    The fruit bit was more figurative. I dont think a goddess is in any want of fruit.


    Oh. Whats she want, then?


    Noah didnt have an answer for that. He wasnt so sure he actually had an answer. There couldnt have been many things that a mortal could offer a god that they couldnt get on their own.


    Maybe Ill give her a firm pat on the shoulder and a proud, fatherly nod. You can never go wrong with some good old fashioned external validation.


    Youre thinking something stupid, Moxie said. They headed through the entrance of the T building and started up to her room.


    Its not stupid. Its a great plan.


    Moxie stopped at the top of the stairwell to glance over her shoulder at him and raise an eyebrow.


    Okay, it might have been a bit stupid, Noah allowed. But stupid is only stupid if it doesnt work. How did you know?


    It was a safe bet, Moxie replied dryly.


    They reached her room and she unlocked the door. Lee bounded past both of them, launching herself into the bed. She snagged the vine blankets and rolled over, wrapping herself with them.


    Did you manage to tire yourself out from eating so much? Noah asked. You definitely put a lot of work in today.


    Yeah, Lee said drowsily. Im tired because there isnt any food left to eat. If any squirrels wanted to walk into my mouth on their own, I wouldnt complain.


    Somehow, I dont think youre going to find any of those here, Noah said. But maybe thats a good thing. I still have no idea where you put all the food you eat. I feel like youve got to be breaking laws of physics at this point. Youve got less shapeshifting ability than you used to, no?


    Yeah. I cant hold forms as long as before, Lee said with a satisfied yawn.


    So how are you shoving all that food into yourself? There literally shouldnt be enough space for it.


    Things turn to energy as soon as I eat them. I use up a lot more energy than humans do because of how my body and my runes are connected. I have a higher upkeep and a much higher storage for energy than you do.


    Oh. Huh. I guess that makes sense, Noah said, sitting down in Moxies chair and resting his arms on the desk behind him. Seems really inefficient.


    It means I get to eat as much as I want to. Its perfect.


    Shes got you there, Moxie said. She sat down in his lap and leaned her head back to rest it against his shoulder. What are your plans for tomorrow morning?


    Im meeting withUpdated from


    I meant Lee.


    Youre literally sitting on me, Noah protested. How was I supposed to know that? Use your words. Youre a big girl.


    Noah slid to the side so that he wouldnt squish Moxie. He let his head rest on the pillow beside hers and pulled her closer to his chest. Something about having her pressed against him wiped the worlds problems away and left only a warm, content buzz in his heart.


    I dont get how you do it, Moxie murmured.


    Do what?


    All this acting and trickery. Its exhausting. I did a bit of it back in the Torrin estate, but that was because I didnt have a choice. But youve been doing it constantly. Ever since you got to Arbitage.


    Didnt have much of a choice. And to be honest, there really wasnt much else to do in line. All you can do is just stand around and think. And, I dont know about you, but every guy Ive ever known loves daydreaming about doing badass shit. I got a lot of time to do that. Lots of scenarios. Pretty much all of them, really.


    All of them? Moxie raised an eyebrow and touched a finger to his side threateningly.


    Hey, you cant hold that against me, Noah protested. I didnt know you at the time.


    Moxie laughed and wrapped her arms around him again. Its more fun this way. Oh I saw you speaking with the rich guy. Considering the smug look you had on your face when you came back, I take it you got what you needed?


    Am I really that obvious?


    To me? Yes.


    Well, youre right. I found the guy we sold the Monster Rune to before. I suppose it makes sense that he was in the advanced track if thats where people go to trade and sell all their fancy shit. I fully thought hed be in the Enforcer meeting tomorrow, but it was a lucky surprise. Silvertide pointed him out to me.


    Did you get a good deal?


    Yeah. A Rank 2 Space and Matter Rune, as well as a one-time trip to a hunting ground where I can get more runes that fit the Rank 4 Im working on. Im meeting his assistant tomorrow to do the trade.


    By the time youre back, Im going to try to Rank 4, Moxie promised. And if you dont get that new Rank 4 made, Ill pass you soon as well.


    Feeling fiery, huh?


    Yeah. We need to get stronger, Moxie said, her tone growing serious. I guess thats always true, but now more than ever. Theres too much at stake and too many things that can go wrong for us to risk it. The faster we can advance, the better.


    Then Ill do my best to make sure I keep up with you. When you get back from hunting with Lee tomorrow, Ill be ready to help you modify your Rank 4 with Sunder if you need it.


    If I need it? More like when. Youve got a lot of confidence in me if you think Im going to get it flawless on the first try.


    Damn right I do.


    Moxie laughed and gave him a squeeze. Thanks. Im definitely still going to need it, but Ill do my best. I dont want to think about it any more until tomorrow. Ive already done all the preparation I can.


    Yeah. Im exhausted, Noah said with a yawn. I didnt like sleeping much when I first came back to life, but its growing on me. Its a lot better than killing monsters to avoid having to rest, but only when youre around.


    I cant lie, Ive always liked sleeping, Moxie said. She grinned at the glare Noah sent her and amended her statement, but I like it better when Im next to you.


    Acceptable, Noah said.


    You said you thought of a lot of things when you were in the line, right? Moxie asked abruptly.


    Huh? Yeah. Why?


    You dont really talk much about it. Will you tell me one of them?


    Which one? Noah waggled an eyebrow.


    Moxie craned her neck back to make sure he could see her roll her eyes. You choose but choose wisely. Youre in poking range and have no path of escape.


    Look at that. A good one just came to mind, Noah said.


    Moxie smiled and settled back in. Noah launched into a story, then followed it up with another one. It wasnt long before Moxies breathing slowed and her eyes drifted shut as she drifted off to sleep. Noah wasnt long behind her.

 Chapter 424: Sold

    Chapter 424: Sold


    Moxie was already gone when Noah woke the following morning. Hed somehow slept through her leaving, but he could still smell the scent of her hair on his skin. Noah nearly let himself vegetate in place so he could avoid the responsibilities of the morning, but sunlight rudely poked through the window and prodded him out of bed. It probably wouldnt be long before it was time to meet Ottos attendant. He set about getting ready for the day, then paused before he could head out the door.


    Hold on. How is she going to find me? Im in Moxies room. Oh, crud.


    Noah hurriedly pulled the door open and stepped into the hall. He hurried over to his own room, but his fears were correct. It was too late. The door was cracked open, and he could hear voices coming from within.


    He strode over and pushed the door open. Contessa and Karina sat in bed, Mascot curled between them and monopolizing two different petting hands. A dark-haired woman stood across from them, doing her absolute best not to look completely befuddled.


    Goddamn it. I really need to let the school know Im not living there though, if I do that, Contessa and Karina might get kicked out. For that matter, when the hell did Karina move in too? I swear it was supposed to just be Contessa.


    Contessa had small bags under her eyes, but at the same time, she looked more content than shed been in the past. The tension that had once held her shoulders taut had faded and she clearly hadnt gotten a chance to comb her hair since waking up.


    Karina was surprisingly similar. She also looked like shed only woken up a few minutes ago and was wearing a uniform that looked a little bit too large for her.


    Oh, there he is, Contessa said. Vermil, someone came looking for you. I didnt know what to do so I just asked them to come in.


    You could have sent her over to Moxies room, Noah said dryly. He extended a hand. Professor Vermil.


    The womans eyes flicked over to them, then back to Noah as she mouthed, three? to herself. Noah winced. He wasnt doing his reputation any favors.


    Theyre just living in my room, Noah said, more than aware of how lame his excuse sounded. Im living elsewhere.


    The woman coughed into her fist. Its none of my concern what you do in your spare time, Magus. Otto sent me to meet with you.


    I gathered. You were the one with the bird mask, werent you?


    The woman tilted her head to the side. Her eyes widened slightly. Youre the one Im meeting with?


    He didnt tell you?


    He just said to find you here. I thought you were going to lead me to him. Bastard was playing a joke on me, Bird muttered. She adjusted her jacket and coughed into a fist. I uh, should we go somewhere more private?


    Sure. We can go back to the other room. Noah glanced at Contessa. How are things going, by the way? I havent had a chance to check in.


    As well as they could be. I think Mascot is a sadist.


    Drop the think. He definitely is. Youre surviving?


    He could wake me up by ramming his claws through my eyes every morning and it would be better than working for Evergreen, Contessa said with a weary smile. Ive never slept so well in my life. I dont have to worry about politics or showing off or how I look in front of the other Torrins. Its nice. I just spend all day chasing after Mascot with Karina.


    Noah opened his mouth to ask when exactly Karina had decided to move into his room, then caught himself. Contessa and Karina were both leaning back on the bed, supporting themselves with their free hands hands that were overlaid on top of each other.


    Once shes holding it, Im putting all blame on her without the slightest ounce of shame. Its not my fault she gave me Catchpaper that she doodled on first.


    Lips pursed, Bird plucked the paper from Noahs hands. She then pulled out two more pieces of Catchpaper and handed them to him. A Rank 2 Rune shimmered on each of them. And, even despite his grimoire troubles, a grin stretched across Noahs lips.


    Well, hello there.


    They were a little more complex than hed expected a Rank 2 Rune to be, but they were still nothing compared to Rank 4s. Noah drew both of them into his soul without so much as a second of hesitation.


    They took form beside his other Rank 1 Space Rune and Natural Disaster and he returned his attention to Bird before she decided to make a run for it while his eyes were closed.


    Alright. All done. Thank you, Noah said. Now about that location I was promised?


    I am to guide you to it, Bird said. She adjusted her jacket, as if affronted by the debasing task of having to act as a babysitter. Is now a good time?


    It should be a good bit before Moxie gets back. If Bird is offering to take me anywhere, I assume the transport cannon is functional again. I should stop by Tim on the way out and fix some more of his Runes but Im getting ahead of myself. If the transport cannon is up and running, Moxie should probably be hunting until around midday or early evening. Im sure shell be back before the meeting with the Enforcers.


    How long do I get? Noah asked.


    One hour. We cant justify letting you spend any longer in it.


    One hour? Noah demanded, his eyes going wide in disbelief. What the hell am I meant to do in one hour? Do you have any idea how long it takes to trap a rune on Catchpaper? Forget actually finding the monsters, Ill barely get one fight in before you pull me out.


    Trust me, you wont have any trouble finding things to fight, Bird said. And you wont survive longer than an hour. Youre a Rank 4. Otto wants you coming out of this alive.


    Technically, I barely need any time at all to get Runes aside from the time it takes me to actually kill the monster, but Im not letting her know that.


    I feel like Im getting scammed here. Noah crossed his arms in front of his chest. I was promised a hunting ground I could use to get some Runes, not a peek at whatever fancy shit you lot have in attempt to get me to marry into your house.


    Bird choked on her own saliva and doubled over coughing. She got a hold of herself and straightened back up, staring at him. Otto wants you to marry into the King family?


    Dont get your hopes up, Noah replied. And Im still not sold on only getting a bloody hour for this.


    Otto said you might feel that way, Bird said. She re-straightened her coat for what must have been the third time. He said that, as long as you were able to survive the experience, you would not be disappointed.


    Not the most reassuring promise.


    He also said to tell you that he wouldnt sacrifice his path to get more Monster Runes for something as worthless as this.


    Okay, thats a pretty fair point. Otto doesnt strike me as the type of person who would pinch pennies that hard. I dont see why hed lie about this which means he genuinely believes an hour would be enough time for me to get whatever I need from this place. Hes certainly got my interes;t. If a normal Rank 4 could get something worthwhile in an hour what would I be able to get?


    Alright, Noah said. Im sold. Lets see this special hunting ground of yours.

 Chapter 425: Offer

    Chapter 425: Offer


    Bird led Noah across campus. He fully expected her to bring him to some secret building or hidden alleyway in the shadows. Instead, he found himself standing before the Transport Cannon.


    I think you might have gotten lost, Noah said.


    Bird looked at him out of the corners of her eyes. Did you really think there was a passage to find a bunch of monsters with Space and similarly rare runes just sitting around in Arbitage?


    I can honestly say that I wouldnt have been surprised to find that in the slightest.


    Okay, I cant fault you for that one, Bird admitted. She tugged at her hair and shook her head. But no, its not at Arbitage.


    Youre aware that the transport cannon is having a little trouble right now, right? Noah asked carefully. Because I dont think were going to be able to use it.


    Oh, thats of no concern. Bird started up the stairs and Noah followed behind her.


    How so? Noah asked as they walked onto the lift.


    Theyve already got the cannon up and running partially. Volunteers with space magic have been powering it, Bird explained. Its only for urgent usage, though. Lots of restrictions.


    So


    Restrictions that do not apply to our family. Bird didnt even bother hiding the smug grin that pulled across her lips. She quickly remembered just who she was talking to and wiped it clean, replacing it with a poorly repressed grimace. Dont even think about trying to join to get them. Otto gets overeager about new things, but it wont last.


    Trust me, I have absolutely no desire to join your family, Noah said with a wave of his hand. Ive got my own plans and none of them involve you. Id much prefer to keep our relationship as business partners, Bird.


    Bird?


    Whoops. Sorry. Thats you. You had the bird mask on when we first met, and its not like youve introduced yourself. Bird seems as good a name as any.


    The lift rattled to a stop on the top floor of the transport cannon. Both of them stepped off and Bird shrugged.


    It works.


    Noah couldnt help but notice that the transport cannon was completely empty. There was no sight of Tim which was rather annoying, as hed been hoping to find the man so he could wrap up fixing his runes.


    Bird didnt seem anywhere near as bothered as he was. She headed over to the control panel and pressed a hand against it. Ripples of dull light washed over it, far dimmer than the energy that Tim had elicited.


    She pulled a small metal bar out from a pocket and slid it into a hole, twisting it in place before pressing it down. The bar slid seamlessly into the control panel and a dull hum emitted from the cannon tube behind Noah.


    There, Bird said. Itll take a bit to gather all the energy we need.


    Youve used this thing before?


    Arbitage isnt the only location with a transport cannon, though it did have the most powerful one by a very, very wide margin. We have one on our estate, Bird replied absently. She adjusted some of the controls on the panel and the humming grew louder. We can use this opportunity to go over the rules.


    There are rules?


    Yes. You have 1 hour before the cannon pulls you back, Bird said. She reached into a pocket and pulled out a leaf of folded papers. You can take any Runes that you manage to get during that time.


    The sky, for that matter, was wrong.


    There really wasnt another way to put it. Swirls of purple intermixed where there should have been clouds. They came in all shades and sizes, some swooping low enough to the land to brush across it. There was no sign of the sun. There wasnt a sign of where any light was coming from, for that matter.


    The oddities didnt end there. Large portions of the landscape seemed like theyd been ripped straight out of the ground and turned on an angle before being shoved back in. Jagged chunks jutted out of the ground, the trees on them growing to the side rather than up and toward the light.


    Curls of faint purple smoke twisted up from the ground and brushed past Noahs skin like mist. He hadnt been entirely sure what sort of location would house a lot of monsters with Space Runes, but this one certainly seemed like it fit the bill. He pushed himself to his feet, turning in a circle.


    There were no signs of the strange, purple-hued landscape coming to an end. It stretched on as far as he could see. A chilly breeze curled across his back and, despite the warmth of Combustion within, he shivered.


    The hell am I? Noah muttered to himself. And who stole the bloody sun?


    His words faded into the haze around him. He glanced around, but it was hard to tell if there were any monsters in the area. There was just so much. Between all the jutting cliffs, the strange foliage, and the purple haze covering the ground, it was difficult to make out one shape from another.


    Noah called on the variety of Body Imbuements he had. He scanned the ground beneath him for vibration, then checked his surroundings. There was nothing nearby.


    Interesting. Bird was right about there not being monsters immediately in the area. She said to take it easy when trying to draw monster attention, but Im not just any old Rank 4.


    Noah pulled his gourd off his waist and set it down in the shade of a bush after double checking to make sure that absolutely nothing was nearby. He then headed back over to where hed arrived and pulled out the fancy Catchpaper that Bird had given him.


    His grimoire shuddered again. Noahs eyes narrowed and he pulled the large book off his back. He set it on the ground and crossed his arms as the eye formed on its face and looked up to meet his gaze.


    You think youre getting anything? Noah asked, waving the Catchpaper. You little shit. You made me look like a pervert. Why shouldnt I just use


    A strip of paper shot out from the grimoire, wrapping around the bunch in Noahs hand and yanking it free. It flew back into the large book as it snapped shut, then looked back at him innocently.


    Goddamn it, Noah said. Youre giving those back before we head back, you hear me? And if you want to leave my room again, you better do some damn work. I can forgive jokes, but if you stand in my way, Im going to use you as toilet paper.


    The grimoires flapped open and it peeled back a flat page one that looked considerably thicker than it should have been. Noah tilted his head to the side. It was the same size as the paper the book had just eaten.


    Im taking that as assent, Noah said, grabbing the book and slinging it over his back. He didnt have time for more distractions. If he only had an hour, then the one thing he would not be doing was following Birds advice.


    Lets see what this place has to offer. If the monsters are around Rank 3 to 4 I can handle them no problem.


    A grin pulled at the corners of Noahs lips. He called on Sunder. Power flooded his veins and turned them black as energy gathered around him. The energy continued to flood from the Master Rune until Noah couldnt handle any more of it.


    Then he released it all into the ground at his feet.


    A blade of black energy carved through the purple-tinted dirt and vanished into the earth beneath him with barely a sound. A second passed. Then two.


    Noahs senses screamed a warning. He launched himself back with a burst of wind, spinning to stare at where hed been instants before. A purple spiral swirled out in the air as a long, clawed hand nearly as large as him swept down, carving deep furrows through the dirt.


    Rippling black scales covering the monsters arm shimmered as it pulled itself out from the rend in reality. Its torso and head vaguely resembled a huge lizard, but that was where the similarities ended. It had eight gangly limbs that bent at multiple different points like those of an insect. The monster had no eyes, but from the way its head snapped to trace Noahs position, he got the feeling it didnt need one. The creatures mouth parted to reveal three rows of hairlike fangs.


    Noah took a long look at the creature. It was so hideous that it that seemed to exist in spite of any justice in the universe and it was currently about to do everything in its power to kill Noah. And so, in what might have been the last move that any sane man would have done in his position, he grinned.


    Lets see what this place has to offer.

 Chapter 426: Dirge

    Chapter 426: Dirge


    The lizard monsters tail flicked. Strands of black shot out from it like streamers and hurtled for Noah, extending to wrap around him. He repositioned himself with a blast of wind and the black tendrils slammed into the ground with a series of thuds, punching deep into it. The monster ripped them free with a hiss, turning to follow his movements even without its eyes.


    Noah didnt wait for it to attack again. He drew deeply on Natural Disaster. Lightning crackled between his hands in thick arcs. The lizard charged toward him and he released the magic.


    A loud crack split the air as a yellow bolt flashed out from his palms. It slammed into the monsters forehead and knocked it forward. The creature tripped over its own feet and hit the ground in a tumble, rolling until it skidded to a stop several feet away from Noah with smoke rising up from its head.


    Huh. That was easy. Is it


    A tendril lashed out for Noah. His eyes went wide and he threw himself to the side and narrowly missing the appendage as it howled overhead. He rolled to his feet and drew more power from Natural Disaster, unleashing another bolt of lightning into the lizards face.


    It let out a pained scream and staggered to its feet. The scales on its head had absorbed the magic again, but he could tell that it was in pain. It lurched toward him again and tried to bite at his head.


    Noah released a blast of wind from his palms, hurling the large monster back before it could close the distance between them. More black streamers shot out of its tail and reached for him even as it fell. He drew more on Natural Disaster and sent a scythe of wind crashing down, severing them.


    The monster screamed in pain. Its claws dug into the ground and saliva flew from its mouth as it drew in ragged breaths. Noahs lips curled in disgust and he drew power from Natural Disaster once more.Visit  for the best novel reading experience


    The monster tensed, bracing for a bolt of lightning and was entirely unprepared for the spikes of rock that Noah called up from the ground. They drove into the creatures stomach with several sharp cracks that marked scales shattering.


    Noahs spikes lifted the monster off the ground. It screamed and hissed in surprise, then shimmered a dull purple. It vanished. The back of Noahs neck tingled as his senses screamed a warning.


    He hurled himself forward as a tendril snapped past his head. Noah spun, releasing another bolt of lightning even as the monster tried to dematerialize again. It caught the creature right in its open mouth.


    The air filled with the scent of burnt meat as the lizard staggered and lost its concentration, releasing the magic it had gathered. Noah followed up with another stone spike, this time driving it straight up into the lizards chin and impaling its head.


    It let out one final hiss, then fell still. Noah took a moment to catch his breath, then let Natural Disaster fade so he could replace its power with Sunder. He approached the monster, waiting for the familiar tingle of its soul leaving its body.


    The instant the sensation prickled against Noahs mind, he swept his hand down. Sunder carved a black line through the air and the monsters soul shattered. Motes of light swirled forth above its body, forming into runes. Five of them were unreadable Monster Runes, but the others were within his abilities to comprehend.


    Shifting Warp Rank 2


    Simulcasting used a lot of energy, but its results were incredibly useful, especially against multiple opponents. Two bolts of lighting ripped free of the violin and slammed into each of the monsters, forcing them to stagger and regain their balance.


    Noah didnt wait around for them to recover. He landed on the ground, using the violin to summon more wind to cushion his fall while sending out another blast of lightning at the same time.


    One of the lizards screamed in pain and the other vanished in a flicker of purple. Noah leaned back, dodging out of the way as several streamers shot past his head, and continued to play. Two bolts of lightning ripped from the violin in rapid succession, slamming into the monster that had just reformed behind him.


    It stumbled and hissed, smoke rising up from its head. It tried to shake itself off and draw on its magic, but Noah sent another two bolts of lighting ripping free. The lizard stumbled and collapsed, limbs twitching with remnants of life.


    Noahs senses tingled once more and he released two blades of wind behind himself, spinning just in time to see them carve through several of the tail-streamers and slam into the lizard behind them.


    The monsters scales cracked and its pained cry was cut short by two thick bolts of lightning that drove into its head. Noah played the final notes to his song, then released the magic and let it fade from the violin.


    He then drew on Natural Disaster once more and inserted it into the violin. He played two sharp, final notes, driving a spike through both of the monsters heads at the exact same time. Energy gathered around both of them as their souls peeled away from their bodies.


    Doesnt seem like theres a Great Monster controlling these things. They fight in similar ways, but Im not picking up on a specific pattern. Probably for the best. Otto would probably be fucking pissed if he had a Great Monster in his special hunting ground and I chomped the thing.


    Noah Sundered the closest one and turned to the other but before he could call on his Master Rune again, his Body Imbuements screamed a warning as they picked up vibrations in the air beside him.


    An arc of purple light materialized from nothing and shot out toward Noah. He dove forward and the air behind him thrummed as the energy passed by him. It drove into the ground and carved into it without a sound.


    Noah rolled to his feet, spinning toward the source of the magic. Lines of purple rippled and bulged outward as the head of a turtle pushed into reality. Its body followed after it, emerging out onto the purple grass with one lumbering step at a time. It was nearly as large as the lizards which meant it was huge in comparison to Noah.


    Spines covered the monsters grey skin and ran up along its shell, glistening in the dull light. Its mouth worked as beady black eyes bored into Noahs head. Motes of purple energy gathered around the spines covering it.


    A tongue of paper flicked out from behind Noahs shoulder, arcing over to the dead lizard hed sundered and plucking a rune from the air. He didnt have time to see which one it was, and he had bigger things to worry about at the moment.


    Noah launched himself into the air with a blast of wind just an instant before several beams of purple energy streaked out beneath him and carved furrows through the ground. He landed back on the ground just in time to see two more ripples pass through the air. A second turtle and a lizard materialized.


    Three at once, huh? Noah asked as he landed, placing his bow against the strings of his violin once more and letting a smile crawl across his face. That just means three times the runes. Come on, then.


    They obliged him, and Noahs song rang through the strange plains once more, a funeral dirge for all who heard it.

 Chapter 427: Yoink

    Chapter 427: Yoink


    The smell of blood hung thick in the air. Noah braced his hands against his knees, breathing heavily. Hed lost count of how many monsters hed fought. The more he killed, the more had come.


    At least, that was how it had been. Nothing else had arrived after hed dispatched the last group had come, and he was grateful for it. Even though his Runes had been getting replenished from all the monsters hed killed, he was still spending more energy than he was getting back.


    Natural Disaster had grown significantly. Even though hed been focused on getting Runes from the monsters he killed, there were so many of them that hed only been able to Sunder a small portion of them.


    If it hadnt been for his greedy grimoire grabbing all the runes in sight, he was pretty sure he barely would have gotten a fraction of the number that he had though he still wasnt sure as to exactly what that number was.


    Noah drew in a deep breath and let it out in a huff, pushing his hands off his knees and shaking his head. Mounds of corpses stretched out around him. They were burnt, cut, and ripped to pieces, the macabre canvas of a crazed artist.


    Bird was right about not drawing too much attention. I think I might have gone a little overboard here, but they only gave me an hour. I had to optimize my time.


    He adjusted his coat. His finger caught on a small tear in it. Most of the monsters hadnt managed to get close to him, but it had been impossible to avoid everything. It wasnt a big deal. None of his wounds were significant enough to be concerned about.


    Whered all the damn monsters go, though? Im pretty sure Ive got a bit of time left. I can wring a few more runes out of this place.


    Noah extended his senses, searching to see if he could pick up on where the monsters had run to. They hadnt struck him as very intelligent. It seemed unlikely that theyd call off the attack just because of how many of them hed killed.


    And theres no way I actually killed all of them. Maybe I just cleared out the monsters in this particular area and I need to go looking to find some more?


    He wasnt so sure he had time for that. It just felt like a shame to stop when he still had energy and more time to claim some runes.


    Then again, I suppose I shouldnt go too far away from my gourd. Its probably better not to push my luck. Ive already gotten a really good harvest. At least, I think I have. I really need to sit down with my grimoire when I get out of here.


    Noah stepped past the piles of dead monsters and headed over to the area hed arrived in. His gourd still rested where hed left it. Hed been keeping an eye on it through the fight, but it was still nice to confirm.


    I wonder if I should try to do something about all these bodies, Noah mused to himself. I dont know how often they use this place, and its going to look really suspicious if theres just a giant mountain of corpses lying here.


    He drummed his fingers against his leg as he thought, then knelt and pressed his hand against the cold ground. Noah pulled energy from Natural Disaster, drinking as deeply as he could manage. Power pulsed through his veins and his other runes activated, pushing back against it.


    Once he could hold no more power, Noah unleashed it into the ground. A rumble shook the dirt as it split apart like the mouth of the earth yawning open. Bodies tumbled into the hole, vanishing into its depths.


    Noah used a few powerful gusts of wind to shove more corpses into the pit. Once hed gotten the majority of them handled, he drank from Natural Disaster once more and slammed the pit closed.


    The massive bear was plummeting down toward him. All well, however many tons the enormous creature was of muscle and claw were headed straight for Noah, casting a shadow and blocking out the entire sky.


    That was a bit of a problem. No matter how much wind magic Noah had, there was absolutely no way for him to move out of the way fast enough to avoid getting squished. He just wasnt fast enough and the bear was just too damn big.


    Even if hed brought his flying sword with him, he was pretty sure he didnt have time to get it out under him before the bear landed on top of him. There were only moments to act. Noah dismissed his violin and ripped the grimoire from his back.


    He ripped every ounce of power he could gather from Natural Disaster and hurled the book, pouring all the magic he could into a blast of wind to carry it toward where hed left his gourd.


    The book shot off like a bullet. Noah only had a brief instant to watch it fly off before the rushing wind of plummeting bear took his attention away. He directed his attention to the heavens, which were now nothing but bear.


    Goddamn it, Noah said.


    The bear crashed down and the world went black.


    Noahs soul ripped itself free of his body. He flew through considerably more bear than he ever would have enjoyed moving through and emerged in the air above the massive beast, his eyes narrowed in annoyance.


    The monster was rooting around his body, likely trying to find out why it hadnt gotten all the power it had sensed within him.


    Im going to come back for you, Noah informed the enormous creature. And next time, youre the one whos getting squished.


    He wasnt sure how hed follow up on that particular threat, but the good part of threatening things that couldnt hear you was that they had no idea what you were promising to do.


    A band of black tightened around Noahs throat and he welcomed the familiar sensation. It had been quite some time since hed last died but not nearly long enough. His soul hurtled through the air and slammed into the body his gourd created for him.


    His eyes snapped open and he jerked upright with a pained hiss. Noah scrambled to his feet, squinting through the headache and scooping his gourd and travel bag off the ground. His eyes landed on his grimoire sticking out of the ground just a few dozen feet away and he let out a sigh of relief.


    At least my aim was good.


    He ran over to the grimoire and grabbed it. Then he reached into his bag, rooting around for a spare change of clothes. The bear still hadnt noticed him yet, and he wanted to


    A familiar tingle ran across Noahs skin. His eyes went wide. He yanked the pants out of his bag and jammed one leg into them, moving as fast as he possibly could.


    It wasnt fast enough. The energy intensified and a blue glow enveloped him even as he stuffed his second leg into his pants and tried to tug them up. He vanished in a beam of light, his string of curses fading into the ether along with him.

 Chapter 428: Wealthy

    Chapter 428: Wealthy


    Noahs bare back hit the metal of the transport cannon and he furiously tugged his pants the rest of the way up, even as the light of his arrival faded. He managed to pull them up just in time to avoid traumatizing both himself and Bird. Unfortunately, by the look on her face, she definitely hadnt missed the motion even if shed been spared a look into the void.


    Noah sat up and cleared his throat. He pulled his spare jacket out from his bag and slung it over his shoulders while Bird stared on in silent, entirely unconcealed judgement.


    I didnt realize youd be waiting here, Noah said in what he desperately hoped was a casual tone.


    Were you naked when the transport cannon re-activated? Bird asked, squinting at Noah.


    Seriously? This is the part where were both meant to pretend nothing happened. You arent supposed to start asking questions. Whats wrong with you?


    More aerodynamic.


    More what? Befuddlement washed over her expression and she shook her head in disbelief. Were you trying to do things to the monsters?


    Are you insane? Noah asked. He pumped his voice as full of false confidence as he could. His head pulsed with pain, but he ignored it. Hed just blurted out the last line, but now he had to run with it. At least the bear hadnt eaten his corpse, so the damage to his soul wasnt as bad as it could have been. Of course not. Less clothes means its harder to get hit. Smaller surface area. Its only logical.


    How heavy are your clothes? Bird asked incredulously.


    Its got nothing to do with weight. Havent you ever gotten a pocket stuck on a door when you were walking past it? Imagine that in a fight. Clothes only get in your way. Moving around without them gives my enemies less things to it. It also brings me closer to nature.


    Right. Bird gave him a flat stare. Well, Im glad you managed to get your pants on before I saw anything. Id have killed you and then myself if I had. Possibly not in that order.


    The headache wrapped around Noahs skull pulsed again and he grimaced, massaging his forehead. Thats generally my solution to most problems as well.


    What?


    Noah shook his head. Never mind. Thanks for the trip. Ill be off now.


    Hold on, Bird shifted to stand in front of the lift. Youve still got my Catchpaper. Take your runes off it and hand it back over. And dont touch me when you do. I dont want to think about where your hands have been.


    Ah, yes. The Catchpaper. Noah coughed into a fist, then nudged his grimoire. Ive got that. Right in here. The book didnt budge. Bird arched an eyebrow and held a hand out expectantly. Noah nudged the grimoire again, then gave her a sheepish grin. Give me one moment.


    He knelt beside the grimoire and pulled at it. They didnt budge. It was like the book had been welded shut. His eyes narrowed and he leaned in close to whisper into its leather covers.


    If you dont give me the damn Catchpaper, Im cutting you open like one of those lizards and taking every damn rune I gave you. Then Im going to put them in other grimoires while you watch. Do you hear me?


    The grimoire bucked, shooting several sheets of thick Catchpaper out of it as if it were sneezing. Noah grabbed them and rose back to his feet, giving Bird a winning grin as he held them out.


    The travel was familiar to her at this point. Shed used transport cannons so many times that she barely even flinched at the sensation of being pressed through space. By the time she registered the purple grass poking into her back and surrounding her, shed already started to sit up but she didnt make it far.


    What the fuck? Bird whispered.


    Corpses littered the ground, ripped to shreds and blackened. There must have been easily twenty or thirty of them, but the signs of battle on the grass spoke of a much larger fight. Massive portions of it were matted completely flat.


    What kind of massive monster could have done that? And did Vermil seriously kill all of these monsters and come out without a single scratch on him? If there were this many of them in the area, there must have been a near limitless army attacking him. He drew way too much attention but he barely even looked winded. It just looked like he had a slight headache or something.


    Bird swallowed. If the scene before her wasnt some form of misdirection, then Vermil had somehow not only killed all of these monsters, but hed managed to either kill or evade something far larger than the rest of them.


    And he did that while he was naked?


    Bird pulled at the lapel of her coat subconsciously.


    Theres no way that strategy actually works, is there?


    The thought slipped into her mind before she could stop it. She shook her head furiously to throw it free before it could take root. Vermil was screwing with her. That much was evident. There was no way anybody intentionally fought naked. There couldnt be.


    I have gotten my shirt caught on the doors sometimes, though. Is it possible he was actually telling the truth? That wouldnt explain how a Rank 4 would be able to do something like this, but I dont know where else to start. Maybe this is some form of old fighting style that Im completely unaware of. Im going to have to look into this.


    ***


    Noahs embarrassment faded quickly as he hurried down the streets on his way back to the T building. Bird could think of him what she wanted. He had an indeterminate amount of powerful runes stored within his ornery grimoire, just waiting for him to play with.


    If I wanted to, I could probably just straight up make the Rank 4 Rune here and now by sacrificing all the energy stored up in them. That would probably be a waste, but theres no way Im not going to see what Ive got to work with and start figuring out exactly what kind of Rank 4 Rune Ill make them into.


    He made it back to Moxies room and slipped inside. It was empty. A flicker of disappointment passed over him. Moxie wasnt there to see all the fruits of his labor. In a way, that was probably for the best. It would let him focus on actually figuring out what hed gotten.


    Ill just have to show her later. If the grimoire was grabbing runes the whole time I was fighting, I should have enough for everyone that wants one. Sunder is so unbelievably useful. Its got to be the best Master Rune in existence.


    Noah pulled the grimoire off his back and set it down on the bed. He brushed his hands off and took a step back, a grin pulling across his lips as he gestured impatiently to it.


    Come on, then. Lets see what you got. You can eat the stuff I decide we dont need.


    That caught the grimoires attention. It snapped open, pages fluttering, and runes blossomed across its surface. Noahs smile stretched wider still as he studied the book. There were dozens of new runes upon its pages. If Otto had known just how many of them hed gotten out of this, the mage probably would have pulled his ears straight off his head in disbelief.


    Now thats what I like to see, Noah breathed. Lets get this a bit more organized, shall we? I think Ive just become a very wealthy man.

 Chapter 429: The next rune

    Chapter 429: The next rune


    In one hour, Noah had gotten twenty-six runes. At least, that was how many runes his grimoire was willing to show him. He had the sneaking suspicion it was storing more than a few of them for itself, but given the amount he had to work with, he wasnt going to complain.


    Of the runes, seven of them were Monster Runes. It seemed that the grimoire had focused the normal ones. That worked out quite well for him, as the others werent going to be useful to anyone other than Lee.


    And Im not letting Otto ever get any of these. Theyre either going to my grimoire or to Lee. After the story of what a Monster Rune does to you, I dont have any plans to take one into myself quite yet. But the other runes are a whole different story.


    Hed gotten nine Rank 2s, seven Rank 3s, and 3 rank 4s. Every single one of them was based around space. The Rank 2s were all variations of plain Space Runes in a variety of different qualities ranging from True Space which were much closer to perfect by nature, as they were composed entirely of Greater Rank 1 Runes of the exact same type to borderline unusable trash that almost werent worth the effort of reconstructing with Sunder.


    The Rank 3s werent in too much of a different situation, but they were more clustered around the middle of the line rather than the extremes. Three of them were borderline worthless aside from being ripped apart for power. The remaining four were a Shifting Space, a Churning Warp, A Rippling Pulse, and a Thrumming Spatial Wave. All four were usable and, judging by the energy he could feel from the pages, were probably somewhere around 20 or 25% full when theyd first been formed.


    As for the Rank 4 Runes two of them were trash. They still had power and components that would be invaluable for when he got around to taking them apart and putting everything together into a new Rune, but there was no way hed ever consider using them himself.


    The final Rank 4 Rune was a little more interesting. It was called Warped Elastic Expanse and was, like the others, heavily leaning in the space direction from what Noah could tell. The rune seemed to be roughly around 35% full when it had been made.


    Several seconds passed as he studied all his earnings. There was a lot to take in. Even the poorly made runes were worth a fortune. But, even if hed wanted to sell them, it would have been slightly problematic.


    Hed have to sell them under disguise, and selling a bunch of Space Runes so quickly after attending Ottos special space-dungeon felt like a great way to rat out just how many runes hed gotten from it.The source of this content no/v(el)bi((n))


    I suppose I could just sell one at a time at an auction or something. Thats worth considering with the lower quality ones. For now, Im not going to worry about profit. I just want to make the absolute best Rank 4 Rune that I can.


    That was, of course, the crux of the matter. If hed wanted to, he could have ripped the runes apart then and there to form a Rank 4. It would have wasted a considerable amount of energy, but as long as Otto was going to buy Monster Runes from him, he wasnt in any shortage of that.


    Then again, he doesnt buy them that often. I dont want to overcommit and waste everything, only to find out he doesnt want another Monster Rune for a month. Thats a lot of time given how fast things have been moving.


    Noah drummed his fingers against his thigh and dismissed the thoughts. Money trouble could come later. Right now, he had all the components he needed to build a new Space Rune. He just had to figure out which one hed make.


    Do I make a Rank 3 True Space Rune? Noah mused, letting his hand drop and starting to pace around the room. The grimoire fluttered on his bed impatiently, but he ignored it. Then Id have to find other things to fit in for the other disasters, and I could make a Rank 4 Unnatural Disaster Rune.


    That would fit in with his current path. There were a lot of disasters that could probably be considered unnatural, and he could set out to get a Matter based rune next. Alexandra had said Gero had one, so they couldnt have been completely impossible to acquire.


    Hm. But what other runes would go into Unnatural Disaster? That seems like a ridiculously broad concept. Its basically every single disaster other than Natural Disasters. Am I trying to match too closely to Natural Disaster?


    Noah came to a stop by Moxies desk, the frown on his face growing deeper. Now that he actually had the runes he needed, the decision as to what to make somehow seemed even more difficult. He sat down and leaned back in the chair. Noah rocked back and forth, chewing his lower lip.


    Moxie finished up in the shower and the water shut off. She snagged a towel from the rack and pulled it behind the curtains. A second later, she stepped out bundled within it.


    Space does seem like a really broad concept. I think Im leaning more toward that myself, Moxie said as she wrung her hair out. Youre going to have some trouble finding the way to make a good Rank 4 Space Rune, but if anyone can do it, its going to be you with Sunder.


    Noah leaned back in the chair again. He returned to rocking back and forth but only taking a look at the ceiling and the window to make sure that Lee wasnt waiting somewhere to scare the life out of him.


    Thats what I was thinking as well. I admit that its also tempting because it means I can do something now instead of sitting around until I can get my hands on the other Disaster based runes to make my Rank 4, Noah said with a sheepish laugh. Also, the other issue would be what Id make my other Runes. Natural Disaster and Unnatural Disaster seem to cover everything.


    Honestly, Im just impressed you havent jumped to make the rune already. With how impatient you used to be, thats a huge improvement. Moxie headed out of the bathroom and sat down on the bed beside her clean change of clothes. Splitting off the other disasters and making Rank 4s for each of them does seem like the right move. You can get quite a few really high-level disasters that arent covered by Natural Disaster, and packing them all into one Rank 4 would probably fail.


    Great, Noah said. So a Space-disaster related Rank 4 is the move.


    Seems like it to me. Moxie shrugged, then grinned and stood up. Close your eyes unless you want to get sidetracked.


    Noah shut his eyes an instant before she dropped her towel, calling on a supreme force of will that he hadnt even realized hed had but that wasnt quite enough to stop the senses of his Body Imbuement. They didnt give any amount of detail beyond a general humanoid blob, which was a blessing. The absolute last thing he needed was to be walking around with a magical x-ray that was permanently active.


    Moxie stepped toward him. Noahs eyes opened to find her fully dressed once more.


    Hoping for a look? Or good timing?


    Body Imbuements, Noah replied with a chuckle. And, unfortunately for this specific scenario and fortunately for every single other one, they arent good enough to give me any detail.


    That is both simultaneously fortunate and unfortunate, Moxie agreed. Ill show mercy and stop distracting you. Do you have an idea of what kind of Space Rune youre going to try to make?


    Yeah. This helped line my thoughts up a lot, Noah said as he rose from the chair. Thanks, Moxie.


    Any time. Are you going to try to make it now?


    I wish. I kind of got myself killed again. Im going to lie down for a bit. I dont know how long itll be until were meant to go to that enforcer meeting, but Im hoping itll be really late at night. If they show up earlier, let me know, would you?


    You died? Moxie exclaimed. She opened her mouth, then let it close again and shook her head with a sigh. Fine. Ill let you know. Rest well.


    Noah pushed his grimoire to the side and flopped onto Moxies bed. His eyes drifted shut, but even as the headache pulsed in his mind, the only thought he had was determination. It was about time he got his next Rank 4 Rune.

 Chapter 430: Space

    Chapter 430: Space


    Hours passed, and the day soon drifted by and slipped into the beginnings of night. Noah wasnt sure if the Enforcer meeting was delayed, forgotten, or just always started this late. He didnt particularly care.


    His headache faded and left behind only excitement. Noah slipped out of bed and sat down on the ground to lean against it. He set the grimoire in his lap, resting his hand on its surface so he could pull in any Runes he wanted to while he was in his mindspace.


    He then sank into himself. Darkness swirled up and consumed the world around him before blooming to reveal his Runes floating around him. The Space Rune hed taken from Lee sat across from Natural Disaster.


    Combustions power rippled beneath his feet, and his other two Master Runes bore down on him from overhead. Their pressure pressed against each other instead of just him, saving Noah from having to fight to avoid being crushed under their power.


    Right. Space related disasters, Noah said to himself. He extended a hand, calling the Rune hed taken from Lee to himself. It was weak, but it was the first building block and the most important one to understand.Updated from


    Runes were already ambiguous enough on their own, and a Space Rune was a step above. It was a broad concept. A very broad concept. Space meant a great number of things. It was the area that an object took up, but it was also the distance between two objects and, if he was really going by every definition of the word, it was also the universe outside of the planet.


    Each definition would probably work for making a Rank 2 Space Rune. After all, runes were heavily dependent on intent. The way someone looked at something could completely change the outcome.


    Lee included some of these in her Demon Rune, Smoldering Warp. A lot of people will probably use space to travel. Thats the most logical use for the rune, after all. Teleportation is really powerful.


    Its also insanely complex. I cant even begin to understand how portals function. I suppose its got something to do with establishing a connection between two different points in space, but as to how that would actually be done no idea.


    It was easy to see why so few people were able to progress far with Space Runes. It wasnt just their concept that was broad. It was the ways to use them. Noah studied the Rank 1 Space Rune, his lips pursed in thought.


    He drew a trickle of power from it, letting it run through his body and gather at his fingertips. Actually using the rune was another interesting matter. Water Runes needed water. Fire Runes needed flame, and Earth Runes needed earth.


    What does a Space Rune need when its at Rank 1? There hasnt been any intent in it yet, so it shouldnt have a preset disposition to any form of space. But if Im picturing space as the universe beyond this world, how would I ever be able to use this Rune? I wouldnt have access to that, so it just wouldnt work.


    Would it just straight up not function unless I thought about a form of space that it could actually access?


    Noah extended a hand, picturing the air compressing above his palm. A shimmer of faint purple energy gathered, but that was the extent of the runes effects. He opened his eyes in the real world to confirm the results were the same. They were, so he closed them again to return to his mindspace.


    Interesting, Noah mused to himself as he released the Rank 1 Rune. It could be that Im not thinking about this the right way or it could be that a Rank 1 Rune just isnt strong enough to do what I want.


    But he couldnt do that. He needed the memories. They were the leg up he had on everyone else who had tried to form a Space Rune. The knowledge that quite literally no other mortal had access to as far as he was aware. And so, he pushed deeper.


    There were so many memories of the exact same thing. The exact same step, taken infinite times over. The same wordless souls surrounding him, and the same golden path. They ground against Noahs mind like a millstone.


    He pressed on. For all the monotony, for all the agony that the Line had been, every memory held a tiny flicker of knowledge. It was so faint that it was almost nonexistent. A single one would have been worthless. Hundreds even thousands of them would have been no different.


    But Noah had far more than that. He had more than he could count, and they were buried so deeply into his psyche that they were part of his soul itself. Those flickers of understanding, a look into a world beyond mortal comprehension, started to pull together.


    It wasnt in any way that Noah could phrase. Hed been hoping to suddenly find that he understood the concept of space well enough to cut a wormhole straight through it, but that didnt happen.


    There was no revelation. There was no burst of understanding or miraculous realization to be found within all the time that Noah had spent waiting in line.


    He didnt know how space worked. He had no way to comprehend how time and space intertwined or to visualize the vast extent of the concept he was trying to decipher. And so he stopped trying.


    Noah gave up on trying to figure out how space worked and simply observed. Hed been within that vast expanse of emptiness for so long that it had become part of him. Space wasnt just an area or the area between two locations. It was everything. Every single thing, living or not, past or present, was part of it.


    Noah had no way to fully come to grips with that, but he didnt need to. Instead of trying to approach it like a scientist prying free secrets, he greeted it like an old friend. Space wasnt something that a mortal could comprehend. Even with all the experience he had, he was no exception.


    But Noah didnt need to completely understand Space. Not yet. For the time being, that old friendship was enough. It was a connection. A pathway to greater understanding that could only come in time, and the steps hed already taken thousands upon thousands upon thousands of times over were enough to pave that pathway.


    Space is everything. And, by that measure, I am space. My soul has passed through space that everyone else has likely passed through before, but I remember it.


    The memories finally peeled back. Noah drew in a deep breath to steady himself and let it out through his nose. He looked down at the darkness of his soul beneath his feet, and he knew how he was going to make his Space Rune.


    He couldnt use the runes that anyone else had made. Not directly, at least. He needed their power, but all the intent within them was wrong. The best way he could possibly make a Space Rune wasnt by cobbling together runes with so many differing potentials that it would be impossible to comprehend all of them.


    Ive got the power from the Space Runes and the depth of emotion and understanding from everything Ive seen, Noah mused to himself. I dont understand life and death, but I know them. Theyre old friends, and this is no different.


    The best way to make his Space Rune was to start from the beginning, where his own intent and experience would shape the energy from the other runes without allowing any of their influence in. Fortunately for Noah, that wasnt something entirely new to him. Hed done it once before, with all the energy left over from his lives and deaths, when hed made the Fragment of Renewal.


    Determination etched itself into Noahs features. If he wanted the perfect Space Rune for himself, he was going to have to make another rune from scratch.

 Chapter 431: Whole

    Chapter 431: Whole


    Making a rune from nothing but intent and energy was easier said than done. And, in what may have been the most ludicrous thought that anyone within the kingdom had ever dared to allow grace their mind, it struck Noah that hed have to be careful to not accidentally make a Master Rune.


    I dont know exactly how it works or why something is a Master Rune rather than a normal one, but I dont need more Master Runes right now. I mean, they probably wouldnt hurt, but Im trying to push toward Rank 5. A Master Rune wont help me there.


    Unfortunately, it wasnt like he could just flip a switch to determine what Rune hed end up with. Hed only tried to form a rune once before. There wasnt anything he could have researched about it, even if hed wanted to.


    Making runes was supposed to be impossible. At least, that was what the common knowledge in the kingdom was. If someone else had figured it out, they definitely werent going around telling people.


    The noble families were full of stingy bastards, so Noah wouldnt have been surprised in the slightest if they were just a step away from actually figuring something out but were unable to put things together because nobody would work together.


    Okay. Enough of that. I need to focus. Forget the noble families. Making a rune from scratch requires energy charged with power and borderline perfect intent. You need to be incredibly familiar with the focus of the rune youre trying to form or itll shatter and fail to form.


    I knew life and death better than space, but I think Ive got enough of a grasp on this to form it correctly. I think I need to work in reverse. If I try to encapsulate the entirety of space into this rune, there are two options.


    First, I form a Master Rune and dont progress my actual goal in the slightest. Second, my rune is way too broad and it isnt anywhere near highly ranked enough to contain it. That lands me with a shitty rune that I need to reform.


    The concept of space was so incredibly grand that Noah was pretty sure it could have been a Rank 8 Rune or higher. He didnt really have a frame of reference for what the most powerful runes were.


    In the end, it didnt matter. He needed to intentionally limit just how much scope the rune covered. That meant determining exactly what elements of space he wanted to try to bring in and which ones he wanted to leave for later when his Rank advanced to the point where he could handle more power.


    Brayden mentioned just how much energy long range teleportation cost, Noah mused to himself, his words echoing through the darkness of his mindspace. If I assume that every rune has a set amount of potential it can handle per tier, long range teleportation would probably consume a ton of that potential or more realistically, barely work at all. The Rune is still a Rank 4, and it seemed like Brayden was capped at midrange teleporting.


    Everything he knew about teleportation implied it was immensely resource hungry. But, more importantly, there was a bigger problem with it that hed already briefly thought of. Noah didnt properly understand how teleportation worked.


    Sure, hed been through the transport cannon time and time again, but driving a car didnt mean someone actually knew how to build one. And, if he had even the slightest desire to make a flawless rune, he couldnt afford to be that clueless as to what was in it.


    There wasnt really any teleportation when I was standing around in the afterlife. Ive spent a lot of time with space, but not that kind of space.


    That meant teleportation wasnt on the plans. Not for this rune. But, when his thoughts drifted to the space that he was most familiar with, there was only one thing that came to mind. A dry laugh slipped out of Noahs mouth.


    It was possibly the oddest usage of space possible. He had absolutely no idea if it was possible to contain it within a Rank 4, but it felt more realistic than stuffing teleportation or any other aspects into his build.Thi/s chapter is updated by


    I think Im going to need more than one Space-based Rune for my Rank 5, but Ill deal with that later. This one is definitely going to take some work before I get it perfect, and some of that is only going to come with experience using it.


    He spent a few more moments thinking through his idea to see if he could find any flaws within it. None immediately arose. That was more than enough for him. Hed been sitting around for enough time, and he was still far from the most patient man.


    Lets get this started, Noah said, extending his mind toward the grimoire in his lap. Hed already memorized the appearance of the runes he needed. Noah got to work pulling them into his mindspace.


    Over the course of the next few minutes, he summoned two Rank 4 Runes and four Rank 3 Runes. Several of the Rank 3s darkened as the active slots in his soul filled and energy pulsed through Noahs body with all the new power flooding through him.


    Then, one after the other, they shattered in rapid succession. Power erupted from the Runes and flew out in a hazy purple wave, but Noah wasnt done. Sunder flashed again. And again. Every single time runes flew out from the wreckage of their former selves, Noah carved them apart again. He didnt have time to deal with it or inspect each rune, so every single one was split.


    He continued until they were nothing but Rank 1s, and then he split those as well. Within just moments, all that remained before him was a sea of concentrated energy but it wasnt just space. It was riddled with power from other runes that didnt belong that had been part of the combinations.


    Noah didnt bother worrying about the excess energy. It wasnt going to be able to react with his inciting incident, so it would get separated out from the space energy soon enough. Anything that remained could be used to fill up his new rune. What was important now was the energy that did matter.


    Noah extended his senses to the purple haze and the vastness of space greeted him. It was only a dirty window into the true potential of Space Magic, but it was all Noah needed. He gathered it to him, letting its feeling flood into his stomach like thousands of butterflies.


    Gritting his teeth, Noah reached down to the crack in his soul. His fingers tingled violently as he worked them into it to find purchase. His hands tightened around its dark edges. Then he ripped the crack open.


    A violent tremor shot up his arms and into his body. Trails of white energy rose up from the self-inflicted soul wound and burned into his soul, trying to split him apart at the seams. Noah didnt have an instant to waste.


    As large as his soul was, it couldnt withstand this forever. He gathered all the space energy around him. He focused on the thrumming feeling racing through his limbs and into his chest. His thoughts sharpened and he brought his intent to the forefront of his mind.


    Noah drew all the energy into himself. It swirled within his body for a brief instant. Intent mixed with the white void, and both mixed with the space energy. It churned like a storm within him, trying to break free.


    He didnt let it. Noahs grip tightened on the power as he forced his intent to take the forefront once more. Bands of his will wrapped around the magic, impressing his desires upon it. Veins of white traveled up his arms and they started to turn translucent.


    Noah shot to his feet. White and purple power roiled around his hands and arced like a miniature bolts of lightning. He could hold it no longer. Noah released the power, driving his intent into it once more as it rocketed out of his body.


    A jagged white line carved through the air before him, flickers of purple smoke swirling within it. Then came another, and another. A rune started to form in the air before him. Noah gritted his teeth, pushing more energy into it.


    Cracks of white spread through his soul from the wound. He was drawing so deeply on it that the wound was expanding.


    Time ground by at an agonizingly slow pace. It felt like every line took an hour to carve, but Noah didnt relent. He drew on his memories of the Line and bound the rune with them, refusing to allow even the slightest deviation of his command.


    Pain pulsed through Noah. He gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes as his hands clenched at his sides. The rune faded in and out before his eyes as his head swam. With a cry, he shoved the last of the space energy hed gathered into it, leaving behind only the miscellaneous power from the other runes.


    Noah dropped to his knees, gasping for breath as iron bands tightened around his head and squeezed. He desperately drew on the Fragment of Renewal and shoved its power into his soul, halting the advance of the cracks before they could spread further.


    He dragged his gaze up from the floor.


    Floating before him was a glistening rune. Complex lines of white intertwined with each other in ways that the eye couldnt properly comprehend at first glance. Within them shimmered faint purple smoke.


    The rune was whole.


    I did it, he breathed, extending a trembling hand toward the newly formed rune.


    Noah didnt have the energy to finish the motion. He pitched forward, falling to the ground of his mindspace as unconsciousness took him but it couldnt take the weary grin that was plastered across his face.

 Chapter 432: Rank 4 Rune

    Chapter 432: Rank 4 Rune


    Noah woke up to a very strange feeling one that he hadnt felt since hed been a child. He was being carried. Confusion slipped through his muddled mind. That didnt make any sense. As far as he could recall, hed been sitting against Moxies bed.


    His eyes opened the rest of the way to find the ground bouncing below him. He was definitely getting carried.


    What the hell? Noah muttered, blinking the rest of his befuddlement away. The motion stopped and he felt himself getting lowered back to the ground.


    Gods, talk about timing, Moxie said as she set him down and took a step back, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Are you okay?


    The rest of Noahs awareness returned. Damn, youre stronger than I thought.Thi/s chapter is updated by


    Answer the question, Moxie said, prodding Noah in the stomach. Despite the stern expression on her face, there was a flicker of worry behind her eyes. Are you okay? You didnt do something stupid, did you?


    Im fine, dont worry, Noah said, raising his hands. He shook his head, trying to get his bearings. They were standing on a path somewhere in Arbitage, which was most definitely not where he recalled getting to work. Moonlight shimmered above them. Is there a reason you carried me out of the room? And did I mention you were strong?


    Moxie rolled her eyes. Did you forget that we had a meeting with the Enforcers tonight? Silvertide showed up to pick us up and you were completely passed out. I didnt want to interrupt your work so I just picked you up and took you with me. I figured we didnt want to miss this.


    Whoops, Noah said. I may have taken a bit longer than Id planned.


    Its fine. You woke up before we made it. So, as usual, you somehow managed to have pretty decent timing.


    Noah glanced over his shoulder. They were alone on the street. Wheres Silvertide?


    Just a bit ahead of us. The meeting building is right down the street. Ive just been waiting out here with you in hopes that youd wake up. It would have been really awkward if I had to show up lugging your unconscious body with me.


    Noah rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. I appreciate the carry. Sorry about that. I got a bit caught up making a Rune.


    Anytime. Moxie started to nod, then froze. Wait. Making?


    He flashed her a grin. Ill show you later. And when you say anytime, does that mean youll carry me back too?


    Who are you, Lee? Moxie asked with an exasperated laugh. Get moving, dummy. Were already late.


    I believe the word is fashionable, Noah corrected. But I dont really know where to go. Youre going to have to lead me.


    Oh, Moxie said. Right.


    She sent one last look at him before shaking her head and walking down the street. Noah fell in alongside her and the two of them walked over to a nearby building. The door had been left open a crack.


    They headed inside and down a short hallway that ended at another door. It was Noahs turn to push the door open. He fully expected to find some form of fancy tunnel system that led into a deep underground meeting hall.


    Instead, what he found was a small room full of soft couches and a table laden with pastries. Several people sat around it while sipping cups of tea. There were a number of people that he recognized within it.


    Brayden stood against one of the walls, his arms crossed and a weary expression on his face. He gave a slight nod of greeting that Noah returned. Slouched on a large chair beside him was Silvertide. Noah made eye contact with the old soldier, who looked from him to Moxie and waggled his eyebrows.


    Im not even embarrassed. Getting carried is great. I can see why Lee likes it so much.


    Ah. The wayward professor has deigned to join us, Neir said. It had been some time since Noah had last spoken to the bald Enforcer, but his sharp expression had burned itself into his mind. He hadnt forgotten just how close hed come to getting discovered after killing the Hellreaver.


    The only person that raised their hand was the red-haired Enforcer. Neir didnt look very surprised at that.


    Most of us have duties at the school, Godrick said. But this is far from the first time weve dealt with a situation like this. Well keep an eye out and help with research and preparation. You and Hayley can join the others in trying to track Wizen down, and well all back you up when you locate him.


    If we locate him, the red-haired Enforcer who Noah presumed to be Hayley said. We dont have much lead on his location. Vermil, you said you had a student that had been captured by Wizen at some point. Would she


    No, Noah said with a shake of his head. She has no idea. Ill press again to find out, but if she knew, she wouldnt be keeping it to herself. Shes got more reason to want him dead than anyone else here.


    His eyes drifted to meet those of everyone in the room, practically daring someone to challenge him on that. Alexandra hadnt been in his class long, but shed more than earned her spot in it and he wasnt about to let the Enforcers start trying to interrogate her.


    Well leave it to you to see if she knows anything, Godrick said. Were not going to try to force answers from a student. Just keep an eye out. That goes for everyone, not just Vermil. Now, lets talk strategy.


    ***


    The rest of the meeting was unbearably boring. Noah nearly fell asleep twice, but Moxie prodded him awake both times. He then had to return the favor, much to her chagrin. The Enforcers might have been powerful, but they liked the sound of their voices far too much.


    When the meeting finally ended, Noah could have wept tears of relief. Everyone headed out into the street and started to split off in their separate ways.


    Theyre going to have to pay me if they want me to suffer through another one of those wastes of time again.


    We should meet sometime tomorrow. Do you mind if I swing by your class? Brayden asked, breaking Noah from his internal complaints.


    Huh? Yeah. Feel free. I can always use another instructor, Noah said with a nod. And we havent had a chance to catch up properly.


    No. We havent, Brayden agreed. A lot has happened, but work comes first. Also, Im exhausted. Those meetings have a way of draining me like nothing else.


    Tell me about it, Noah said with a laugh. Until tomorrow, then.


    Tomorrow, Brayden agreed. He raised a hand, then strode off in the opposite direction while Noah and Moxie set a course for the T building.


    As soon as they were out of sight and earshot of the others, Moxie grabbed Noahs shoulders and spun him toward her.


    Whoa. What is it? Noah asked.


    What is it? Are you kidding? Moxie hissed, practically shaking him. I just wasted hours fidgeting in that boring ass meeting waiting to hear about that new damn rune of yours. Tell me already! What is it?


    Dont you think we should get back first? Noah asked, a grin playing across his lips. Patience is a vir


    Noah, I just suffered for hours. I am out of patience. I dont need to see the damn thing yet, but if you dont tell me what you made, I am going to do unspeakable things to you, Moxie hissed, leaning in close. And you are not going to enjoy most of them.


    Fine, fine. He leaned in closer to whisper into her ear. I might be patting my own back a bit here, but I think its a rather unique idea.


    You are within poking distance, and I am in a poking mood. What is the damn thing?


    Noah chuckled, but decided answering Moxie was probably the best move for the prolonged wellbeing of his sides.


    A Rank 4 called Crumbling Space.

 Chapter 433: Ripped

    Chapter 433: Ripped


    Noah and Moxie managed to hold off any further discussion on his new rune until they made it back to her room. But the second they shut the door behind them, Moxie stared Noah down.


    Details. Give them to me.


    Its not flawless, Noah said. Its not even perfect, though I dont think its far. It was just about 15% full when I made it, so I was just a tad off the mark. That said, considering how little I understand of space as a whole, I think it turned out really damn well. I did basically make it from scratch.


    How? Moxie asked. She paced around the room, then stopped by the chair and grabbed onto it to keep herself from circling Noah like a hungry shark. The last time you made a rune, you said it needed three different components. Latent power in the area, intent, and something that could kick everything into motion.


    Right. The power came from a bunch of Space Runes I took from an area that Ottos aid sent me to. Noah set a hand on his grimoire. This thing came really handy. I got a ton of runes with it, and Ive still got some left over. It grabbed them while I was fighting.


    How sapient is it? Moxie squinted at the grimoire. I swear Ive seen it look at me before.


    More than it should be. Its also taken a bit too much inspiration from Lee, if you ask me. Damn thing is permanently hungry. Its fine. I think weve come to a pretty good deal. The book eats the Monster Runes I dont care about and, in exchange, it gathers up and holds the other stuff for me without consuming it. It also doesnt show pornographic drawings to random people I dont know. Noahs hand tightened on the cover of the book with the last sentence and it creaked, fluttering its pages in protest.


    Whats that last bit about?


    Stupid thing was playing a joke on me when Bird came by to take me over to the transport cannon. I think it was probably pissed I hadnt fed it much recently, so it got back at me by popping out some drawings of a lady in dire need of clothing when I asked it for the Monster Rune. Noah said. Moxie snorted and he threw his hands up. Dont laugh at it! Why are you encouraging it?


    I was just thinking the universe seems determined to make sure nobody you dont know will ever like you, Moxie said. Honestly, thats probably good. Given the way we played things at the advanced track meeting, keeping people from figuring out everything you did was just a ploy is going to help us. Its better to be judged than for everyone to know youre a schemer and look deeper into your actions.


    Thats probably a fair point, Noah admitted with a huff. But I think Id like to control just how bad peoples view of me gets. I can do enough damage to my name without help.


    Probably, Moxie agreed. She crossed her arms in front of her chest. But weve gotten off track. You never answered my question. Howd you form the rune? This is groundbreaking research, Noah. If the noble families have it, theyve kept it incredibly secret. Did you make more progress in finding a way to trigger the rune to form?


    Nothing like that, unfortunately. It wasnt actually all that different from the last time I did this back when I made the Fragment of Renewal.


    Moxies eyes narrowed. You killed yourself? Seriously?


    No! Not this time, Noah said quickly. He decided not to mention that hed strongly considered the aforementioned strategy. Killing myself wouldnt have had enough to do with space magic. I actually used one of my soul wounds instead. I


    Why did you have a soul wound? I thought you said you didnt kill yourself.


    I may have gotten squished while I was out killing monsters and collecting runes, Noah said. He coughed into his fist, then matched Moxies gaze. Now whos stopping me from answering your question?Thi/s chapter is updated by


    I dont think Im going to get you to promise any more than that, so Ill settle for it. This means you formed a Rank 4 Rune without using any constituent parts though, doesnt it?


    Well, technically the parts came from the space magic I gathered up to form it, Noah said. But yes. Im thinking the same thing you are. What happens when I Sunder it?


    You havent tried?


    I did kind of pass out, and Im also a little worried that Sundering the rune will just shatter it on the spot and leave nothing but energy. Noah drummed his fingers against his thigh. I think trying it now wouldnt solve anything. I need to understand it better. The best way to do that would be using the rune as it is for a while, then breaking it apart and trying to reform it later.


    That makes sense, Moxie said. Crumbling Space definitely sounds pretty intense. I can see why it might be a bit difficult to fully understand. Even the name isnt really all that explanatory. I mean, I logically understand the words, but what does the rune actually do?


    Ive got an idea, but I havent figured out exactly how it will end up playing out yet, Noah admitted. I was going to test that out now. Ill head out and


    Dont you even think about it. Moxie moved to stand in front of the door. I want to see.


    What if I destroy your room on accident?


    Just dont point it at me. Its a newly made Rank 4 Rune, so its not going to be able to do that much damage as long as you arent using all the power youve got in it. A little damage isnt anything I cant repair with some vines.


    Noah shrugged. It would save time and make it easier to test things without someone spotting him out if he didnt have to go somewhere else. He wasnt going to damage her room of his own volition, but if she was asking him to stay, then he certainly wouldnt object.


    In that case, stay back, Noah said. He moved to the far side of the room and drew on his newly made Rank 4 Rune. Tingling energy ran through his body and down his arms. He shuddered at the sensation. It was far from pleasant.


    He limited the amount of power he was drawing to make sure he didnt accidentally damage anything too badly, then focused his thoughts and let a small amount of the magic slip free from his palm.


    Nothing happened. Noahs brow furrowed. Hed definitely used up energy, but it just hadnt accomplished anything. It almost seemed as if something was impeding the power from taking root in the real world, which meant there hadnt been enough energy present to actually cause the space around him to shift.


    Brayden did say that using space magic was really difficult because of how much power it needed to work. I guess thats what Im seeing here. I wonder why that is, though. The rune is just a rune. Is there some form of natural force that resists space magic?


    Noah drew on Crumbling Space again, this time drawing nearly double the amount of energy. The tingles racing down his arm grew even stronger as he held his hand up, focusing the power into his palm, and released it.


    Thin white cracks arced out in an area no larger than a dinner plate. They stretched out, just barely brushing across the wall beside him. The air around them shimmered and bent, and a faint sucking force pulled on Noahs hand. He yanked it back an instant before the air soundlessly seemed to fold in itself.


    Both he and Moxie stared at the wall or more accurately, the tiny chunk of it that was completely missing. The rune had just ripped it out, leaving no trace of it behind. It was as if it had never been there.

 Chapter 434: Metal in the night

    Chapter 434: Metal in the night


    Shit, Moxie breathed, her eyes going wide. Thats nothing like any Space Rune Ive ever seen.


    Yeah, Noah said. He stared at his hand, then swallowed. It used up a shit ton of energy just to do that tiny move, but it was damn effective.


    How much energy?


    Noah peered into his soul to check on the rune and almost choked in surprise. The rune was completely empty and had only just barely started to gather power once more. Hed drained it entirely. He grimaced and returned his attention to Moxie. Damn thing is completely out of power. Its starting to regenerate, but its slow.


    You completely drained a Rank 4 just to do that? Moxies eyebrows rose up her forehead.


    Well, its not perfect, much less flawless, Noah pointed out. But yes. I thought Id just used a bit of it if Im being honest. Its actually kind of weird. Using space magic feels different from other magic.


    How so?


    Its hard to describe. Less efficient, I guess?


    Maybe its because you arent actually using something physically around you? Moxie guessed. With an Earth Rune youd have the ground to work with. Im not sure what the space youre working with actually is. Its kind of hard to conceptualize.


    That could be it, Noah agreed, but he wasnt so convinced. It felt like there was more to it than just not being able to see what he was working with. Even if the space was more of a concept than anything else, it was still there.


    He fell silent for several seconds as he dug through his thoughts for an answer, but nothing arose. That was fine. He had time to get used to the rune and test it out more, so there was no pressure to rush to figure anything out now.


    Something told him he wasnt going to brute force this. It would just take more understanding of space. If Brayden still found his Rank 4 Runes inefficient after working with them his entire life, then he wasnt going to find a simple solution.


    Itll be a bit before my rune recovers, and I probably need to get some energy into it before I can do any real testing, Noah said through a yawn. I think Ill work on that tomorrow, sometime around or after class. We can test it out more then.


    Sounds like a plan. Speaking of class, are we just going to go back to the arena? I dont think the transport cannon is operational for random usage yet.


    Yeah, the arena is probably our best bet, Noah agreed. Its getting close to that first exam. We should probably decide who the final winner of the competition is pretty soon. You have been keeping track, right?


    Have you not?


    Noah coughed into a fist. I was, yes. But a reminder wouldnt hurt. I kind of assumed you were doing it.


    I know you did, Moxie said with a laugh. Isabel and Alexandra are both really close, but Alexandra is two points up. Todd is a bit behind them, followed by Emily and then James. Their scores are honestly all pretty close to each other.


    The rune would be useful on all three of the top lot. Neither James nor Emily actually want it, so that works for me. It honestly probably doesnt matter who wins. I might be overestimating them a bit, but Im pretty sure the kids would give the rune to whoever actually needed it the most regardless of who won.


    Youre probably right, Moxie agreed. I guess well find out. It still seems a bit insane to just give away a Master Rune.


    Alexandra didnt let her realization show in her posture or features. The last thing she wanted to do was give away that she knew someone was there. Instead, she launched back into a set of sword strikes that she used to move in a slow circle around the dirt training area and scan her surroundings.


    It didnt take her long to find her target. A small form stood at in the shadow of a nearby fence. Alexandra wasnt even sure if they were trying to hide. The light of the moon was shimmering off their eyes, making spotting them laughably easy.


    Alexandra dropped out of her form and raised her sword to point right at the person watching her. There was no point pretending she didnt see them when she was looking right in their direction. Theyd probably have already realized she spotted them the moment she stopped moving.


    The figure stiffened in surprise. They hesitated for a second, then stepped out of the shadows. Alexandra blinked in surprise. It was Yulin. The girl made her way over to Alexandra, stopping at the edge of the dirt arena. A plain metal sword rested at her side.


    I didnt think you saw me, Yulin said. How long did you know?


    That depends on how long you were standing there, but you arent as good as hiding as you seem to think. Do you want something?


    Yulin hesitated for a second before replying. Were you serious about what you said when we were in the advanced track meeting?


    I rarely say things I dont mean, but Im not sure what youre referring to.


    You said youd be willing to spar me again in the future. Yulin shifted from foot to foot and rubbed one of her forarms.


    Alexandra blinked. She had said that, but she hadnt actually expected Yulin to take her up on it. She scanned her surroundings again to make sure that there wasnt someone else hiding in wait to ambush her.


    She seemed a bit too arrogant to accept, and I cant imagine theres any way her professor would be okay with this.


    Yulin glanced over her shoulder nervously, and realization struck Alexandra. Unless Yulin was a very good liar, everything about her body language said that she felt like she was somewhere she wasnt meant to be.


    She snuck out here to spar with me?


    You want to spar now? Alexandra asked.


    Im busy during the day, Yulin said. The excuse was so lame that Alexandra didnt even bother trying to pretend like she believed it.


    What would Vermil say I should do? This is a risk. Even if I havent spotted them, there could be someone waiting in the shadows. Yulin had a pretty bad loss against me. Its possible Jakob would want me out of the way so it would be easier to get at Emily but Yulin seems genuine.


    When I was stuck under Gentils control, I really would have loved if someone had done literally anything with me. If theyd even acknowledged me as anything other than a tool. It was agony. But Im not there anymore. Can I afford the risk?


    Enough talking, Alexandra said. A flicker of disappointment passed through Yulins face. It vanished as quickly as it had arrived she was good at controlling her emotions. She made to turn away and Alexandra let out a huff. Where are you going?


    Yulin sent her a baffled look. I thought you said


    Alexandra gestured at the blade at Yulins side with the tip of her sword. Speak with your sword.


    A small smile passed over the Torrin girls lips. She drew her sword and inclined her head, taking a step toward Alexandra and entering the arena. They circled each other for a second, then both darted toward each other. The ring of metal on metal filled the silent night, but the two of them were the only ones around to hear it.

 Chapter 435: Master Rune

    Chapter 435: Master Rune


    When the following morning came, Lee was waiting for Noah and Moxie on top of their bed. Shed somehow managed to sneak in without waking any of them up. The sun was already well on its daily journey through the sky, so they quickly headed out to meet their students at the base of the transport cannon for class. Even though they werent going to be using it to head anywhere, it had been their gathering point for long enough that it felt odd to go elsewhere.


    That may have been a rather odd sentiment since both Noah and Moxie both had literal classrooms they could use, but those werent all that useful for practicing fighting.


    Once everyone had gathered at the transport cannon, the group set off to the arena. They soon found an unused area and set about raising stone walls to obscure a small location off for themselves.


    Hows everyone feeling today? Noah asked once the walls had been erected and they had their relative privacy. Lee sat on top of one of the walls, looking out to make sure nobody grew too close to them.


    About the same as I do most days, Todd said. His eyes narrowed and he studied Noah. Why do you ask? Thats a suspicious question.


    How is it suspicious? Its just polite.


    So were not doing something special today?


    Noah coughed into a fist. I didnt say that either. Youve all been putting a lot of work in these last few days. I know it hasnt been easy. Everything from classes to meetings with the advanced track thats a lot to handle. Moxie and I have decided its about time to get one thing off your plates.


    Youre going to decide who gets the master rune? Isabel asked, catching on immediately.


    No, Noah corrected. You are.


    Like Isabel is? Or all of us? Todd asked, not even bothering to hide his grin.


    You are ruining my dramatic reveal, Noah said. All of you. It would kind of defeat the purpose if Isabel was just deciding who got the damn thing on her own. The scores are so close that today will basically decide everything. Well be going by the same rules as always. Sparring sessions, and I want to see whos managed to improve the most. Its not just about winning. Its about control and progress. And, needless to say, no using magic in your patterns. Not against each other.


    The students all nodded.ReAd latest chapters at novelhall.com Only


    Perfect, Noah said. Lets get to it, then. Isabel, Alexandra, how would you two like to start? Everyone will get a chance against everyone, so it doesnt really matter who opens things.


    The girls exchanged a nod, then drew their weapons in unison. Neither of them bothered exchanging words. At this point, they knew each other well enough that words werent going to change anything. All the talking they needed to do would be handled with their swords.


    Theyd, as usual, both managed to improve since the last time that Noah had seen them fighting. Alexandra and her sword almost felt like a single entity. Shed completely wrapped herself in her pattern and flowed from one move to the next without so much as a flicker of hesitation.


    Isabel matched her well. Even though Alexandra was better with the sword than she was, Isabel limited her disadvantage by using her ramping strikes to force the other girl to play on the defensive. She also had her stone armor that absorbed a large amount of Alexandras attacks, letting Isabel buy her pattern time to ramp up.


    Even though Alexandras pattern was considerably faster, Isabels pattern hit a lot harder once it got moving. Isabel could afford to ignore many of the small strikes, allowing them to connect with her armor.


    Alexandra was likely to win a war of attrition, but if Isabel managed to land one of the strikes at the end of her pattern on the other girl, then she shifted the theoretical tides in her favor. Of course, in a real fight, Alexandra would just automatically win. Noah was pretty sure that Isabels sword wouldnt even be able to cut her skin but this was a training exercise about skill, not just victory.


    Lee hopped down from the stones and landed beside him. Noah?


    Yeah? Noah asked, still watching the fight. It didnt look like there would be any need for him to interfere. Both Alexandra and Isabel hadnt so much as drawn a flicker of magic into their patterns.


    Oh, I know. I wouldnt ask you to. But, when Wizen does get found and he will I want to know if I can count on you.


    Im just a Rank 4, you know.


    Brayden pierced Noah with a flat stare. I think we both know that there is nothing just about you. I know it seems like the Enforcers should have this covered, but I cant shake the feeling that were up against more than what we think. Father wouldnt be reacting like this to a minor threat.


    Isabel and Alexandras fight finally ended. Neither of them had actually managed to overwhelm the other. Theyd both just stopped fighting at the exact same time. The girls exchanged a grin, then walked over to sit down while Todd hopped to his feet and dragged Emily up along with him to start the next round of sparring.


    I know, Noah said. Ill back you up. Not because I particularly care about the Enforcers, but because I dont want Wizen getting strong enough to do whatever it is hes aiming for. I wont waste a ton of time helping you find him, but once you figure out where he is, Ill help take him out. As much as I can, that is.


    Thanks.


    They fell silent for a few seconds, doing nothing but watch Todd and Emily spar. Brayden then cleared his throat.


    Did you have any luck with your Space Rune endeavors?


    A fair bit of it, actually, Noah said. Ive got something. But when you said that Space Runes were power hungry, you werent kidding. I used up nearly the entire thing just activating it. Is that normal?


    Brayden nodded sagely. Early stage Space Runes are almost useless. I dont know why its so hard to use them, but that ridiculous power draw is normal. Its like that, even for me. I just deal with it by having quite a number of them and trying to make them the highest quality I can manage.


    Damn. I was really hoping hed have some kind of trick or pointer that would let me optimize Crumbling Space, but I guess thats asking too much. The rune is more than powerful enough to justify its ridiculous power draw.


    So, is there a reason your students are pushing themselves so hard right now? They cant treat every lesson like this, can they? Brayden asked.


    Noah looked back down just in time to catch Todd and Emily walking back to take their seats on the sand while Alexandra and James stood for the next match. It looked like Moxie was keeping tabs on everything and leaving things open for him to speak with Brayden.


    Id say they do. Theyre all very motivated, Noah said. Both for this particular lesson and in general.


    Whats special about this lesson?


    Whoever demonstrates the most improvement from when we started a training exercise a few classes ago is given a rune, Noah said.


    Brayden nodded his understanding. Ah. A reward. Thats clever. Good way to get them to push, and its good timing. That first exam is coming up on us pretty soon. There will be a lot of eyes on their performance.


    What do you think of their chances of winning the whole thing?


    Its hard to say. This is an impressive performance, but there are a lot of very talented students in the Advanced Track, Brayden said slowly. Im very curious to see how it plays out. By the way, how did you motivate all of them with a single Rune? Do they all have one in common?


    Oh, no. The reward is just a Master Rune.


    Brayden nearly fell off the wall as he spun to Noah surprise. Its a what?

 Chapter 436: Celebratory Stretching

    Chapter 436: Celebratory Stretching


    Dont get so worried, Noah said, raising his hands defensively and laughing. Its not a great Master Rune. Well, its pretty good, but it really doesnt fit the direction Im trying to progress in. If I wanted an Earth-based Master Rune, Id look for a different one. Moxie didnt want it either, so there was no reason for us to keep it.


    There go my chances of hoping Id misheard you, Brayden said, rubbing the bridge of his nose and letting out a slow sigh. He looked down on the students, then back to Noah. For a moment, I thought you were giving away the Combustion Rune you spent so much effort stealing.


    Oh, no. Ive still got that one. Havent had a chance to use it much recently, but Ive got it. This is a new one.


    When did you get a new Master Rune?


    Moxie and I just grabbed it while we were out screwing around near Dawnforge, Noah replied with a shrug.


    And youre just giving it away? Brayden asked, disbelief etched into his features. Did you charge your students a ludicrous amount to learn from you?


    No, of course not. Its the reward for their training.


    Youre giving away hundreds of thousands of gold in exchange as a reward? Brayden grabbed Noah by the shoulders and squinted into his eyes. You werent dropped on your head, were you?


    I can just get another one if I need to. Rune prices are inflated, Noah waved Braydens hands away. Lets be real, Brayden. Theyre not actually that difficult to get. Sure, the monsters are strong, but everything in regard to rune prices is fake. The nobles pumped the price up. Those kids dont have a way to get the really strong runes, but nobles do. How is me giving them a Master Rune any different than some spoiled brats dad buying him all his runes?


    Brayden let out a sigh and scooted back. He turned his gaze back to the students and was silent for several seconds. Then a sad smile pulled across his face and he shook his head. The way you put that makes it seem so logical. You arent wrong but that changes nothing. Youre giving away a ridiculous amount of power and gold for no reason. Im jealous.


    What, of the kids? You could totally kill a Great Monster and get yourself a Master Rune if you wanted to.


    Not of the kids, Brayden said. Of you.


    It was Noahs turn to blink in surprise. Me? Why?


    You view things in such sharp shades of black and white. Either you want to do it or you dont, and you dont care in the slightest about anything else. I suppose some could frame that as sheer dumb stupidity.


    Thanks, Noah said dryly. Better be careful. Ive been told my brand of stupid is contagious.


    That said, Brayden continued, It feels like you live the way you want to. No fear. No overthinking about if your choices are the right ones. You just do them. Even if rune prices are inflated, what idiot would throw away hundreds of thousands of gold? Your logic is sound, but it requires literally not giving a shit about anything other than what you want.


    Noah shrugged. That really isnt all that hard to do.


    A few thousand years waiting around in the afterlife will do wonders in reworking your views of whats important. Money is just a way to get runes. If they need the rune and I dont need anything at the moment, I dont see why I wouldnt just give it to them. If there was ever a rune I really needed to buy, Id just go try to get funding from Otto. No point sitting on a crapton of money or a useless rune and letting it rot.


    Harder for some than you might think, Brayden said. He chuckled and pushed himself up to his feet to stand at the top of the wall. Its rather funny. If I hadnt known that youd killed Vermil and taken his body, this conversation would have revealed it.


    He could have just become very altruistic. Noah craned his neck back to look up at Brayden. Taking on students has a way of teaching the teacher.


    Perhaps, but no self-respecting Linwick would ever be caught dead with that view. Our family came to power by clawing for strength with every scrap we had to give. Giving so much nobody who grew up in our family would be so foolish.


    Bah. Youre a good man. Youd have done something similar if people were relying on you.


    No, Brayden said softly. His eyes drifted up to the sky, lost in thought. I dont think I would have.


    I notice you using past tense there, Noah pointed out. That means youre thinking about it. Just you watch. In a short while, youll be just as much of an idiot as I am. Maybe you need to take on some students.


    Brayden let out a bark of laugher. Perhaps. It was nice speaking with you again. Id stay longer, but I have work to handle. Just one more thing this wasnt just a social visit.


    It wasnt?


    Well, it mostly was, Brayden admitted. But I did also promise to deliver a message. Jalen says that Tim has been sitting around in his house, bored out of his mind. Apparently youre somehow able to help with that?


    That ripped everyone out of their stupor. The students all shot upright, though none of them actually stood up.


    Theres just one thing, Noah said.


    There was never a Master Rune, and this was all just a clever ploy to get us to work? Todd guessed.


    No, theres a Master Rune. Im not that much of an asshole, Noah said. But I


    James raised a hand. Noah paused, then nodded to him.


    Id like to withdraw from the running. I dont think I won, but just in case, please dont consider me, James said. I have no use for an earth-based Master Rune.


    What? Emily twisted to look at James. Why in the Damned Plains were you trying so hard if you didnt want it? We spent so much time training!


    I was trying because you were.


    Emilys cheeks went bright red and her mouth snapped shut. A second passed. Then she gave Noah a sheepish smile. Please remove me too. I need to be mobile when I fight, so the Master Rune would be wasted on me if I got it.


    Noah smiled. I can do that. Turning down something that you dont need but could still use is very respectable.


    And not bad, James. Much better than pretending to be incompetent.


    That only left 3 students. Neither Isabel nor Todd were going to give up theyd already promised each other that theyd go all out to win. Alexandra was unlikely to step down as well, as she was desperate to grow stronger due to her body runes.


    Between the three I think Isabel has probably advanced the most from where we started. Its a bit hard to judge exactly how much Todd has improved with patterns, but he developed what may be the most powerful ability in the long run. And Alexandra has probably taken to patterns the best out of everyone, which means shes probably the one that spent the most time practicing. Bah. Theres a really good argument for each of them winning.


    Noah turned to Moxie to ask where the points sat. But, before he could say anything, Todd and Isabel both raised their hands in unison.


    Were out, Todd said with a grin.


    Noah was taken aback. He hadnt been expecting that. And, judging by the shocked expression on Alexandras face, she hadnt been either.


    Both of you? Noah asked.


    Yeah, Isabel said. I think it would have been pretty useful on us but Alexandra was practicing every single day, with basically every moment of free time she had. On some days I heard her coming back when I woke up.


    Alexandras mouth worked, trying and failing to find words as Todd nodded in agreement.


    I trained with her a good bit, and it was clear shes really been throwing everything shes got into this. She was going to win this regardless of if we withdrew or not, but Isabel and I decided that weve already gotten everything we wanted. Well get our own Master Runes later.


    Cocky, much? Isabel asked, bumping her shoulder into Todds with a smirk. But hes right. You earned this, Alexandra.


    Alexandra swallowed. I


    Won, Noah finished Alexandras sentence for her. This was the best-case scenario, and it meant nobody had hard feelings over losing. It couldnt have gone better. Did I say how proud of all of you I am?


    As am I, Moxie said. And I think this calls for something.


    They all looked to her.


    What is it? Lee asked. Celebratory stretching?


    No, Moxie said with a grin. Its time for a pizza party.

 Chapter 437: Party time

    Chapter 437: Party time


    There was just one thing left to do before anyone could head out to a pizza party. Moxie had a Master Rune with Alexandras name on it. Lee hopped up onto the top of the walls to make sure they werent getting any undue attention while Noah took the huge grimoire off his back and set it down on the sand.


    Dont even think about eating this one, Noah informed the grimoire as he flipped it open to a blank page. Its not ours.


    Im not eating anything, Lee said from the top of the wall. Why would I eat a rune?


    I was talking to my book. Dont worry, Lee. I know you wouldnt try to eat a rune, Noah replied absently, making a mental note to ensure that his grimoire and Lee never got an extended period of time alone together. Theyd be a terrible influence on each other. ReAd latest chapters at novelhall.com Only


    Everyone gathered around the grimoire and waited expectantly. Moxie set her hand against its pages, then glanced to Noah.


    Ready?


    Yep. Go ahead, Noah said.


    Moxie nodded and closed her eyes. Her face creased with concentration for an instant and a ripple passed over the page. Lines traced themselves into the paper as the Earthen Muster Master Rune appeared upon it.


    It took Moxie a little under a minute to imbue the Master Rune. The paper around it crackled with energy as the grimoire locked its power up within its Catchpaper. The students watched with bated breath as the lines finally came to a stop and Moxie lifted her hand from the paper with a nod.


    Its ready, Alexandra. Take it.


    Is there something special I have to do? Alexandra asked breathlessly, staring down at the rune with wide eyes. Ive never seen a Master Rune with my own eyes.


    Just put your hand on it and draw it into your soul like any other rune, Moxie said.


    Alexandra nodded. She steadied her emotions and followed Moxies suggestion. They all waited silently as she closed her eyes and her brow furrowed in concentration. Seconds passed by.


    The paper crackled. Then, with a pop, the Master Rune vanished. It was nearly a minute before Alexandra opened her eyes again.


    Did it work? James asked.


    Where do you think the rune went? Isabel asked with a snort. Its not like it vanished into thin air. Congratulations, Alexandra.


    I think youre missing something. They dont have the backing of a noble family, but they do have you. Part of the reason theyre so comfortable passing up on power is because they know youre there for them, Moxie said, leaning against Noah. Youre reliable, even if youre batshit insane. Better than any noble family anyone could ever ask for.


    Its not just me they have. Theyve also got you and Lee. I couldnt do any of this on my own. Hell, they did the majority of it themselves. All I did was show them a few things I figured out while killing myself. I cant wait to see what theyre doing in the future. Theyve all got so much potential.


    And I cant wait to see it with you. Teaching is so much more enjoyable when Im actually doing it of my own volition, Moxie said. I was really worried about how things would go after I got out from Evergreens thumb, but Ive found myself liking it more and more with every day. Youre a big part of the reason for that. I havent ever met someone that cared as much about their students as you do.


    The biggest lesson I learned from my last life is that the only mark you truly leave on the world is what you give to others, Noah said, moving his hand to cover Moxies. I dont plan on ever dying for good again, but that statement still holds true.


    She leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek, then settled in against his side. Even though the room had six other people in it, everyone else was caught in energetic conversation and, for at least that brief moment in time, none of them were paying attention to Noah and Moxie.


    I love you, Noah, Moxie whispered into his ear.


    I love you too, Noah said, his hand tightening around hers.


    For that instant in time, the rest of the world didnt quite matter. They sat there in silence, and nothing possibly could have made the moment better.


    Then a pepperoni landed on Noahs forehead.


    Sorry, Lee called down from the ceiling. She hesitated for a moment. Are you going to eat that?


    Noah burst into laughter. He picked the pepperoni off his face and popped it into his mouth. I am now.


    Shall we go join the others? Moxie asked with a snicker. She wiped the tomato sauce off Noahs face with her thumb and licked it clean. I think Lee might have thrown that pepperoni intentionally.


    I would never do something like that, Lee said, closing one eye and squinting at Moxie as she reared back, another pepperoni pinched between two fingers. But, for unrelated reasons, please dont move.


    Everyone started to laugh again. Lee seemed to remember that throwing the pepperoni would mean she wouldnt be able to eat it and opted to throw it into her mouth instead of sacrificing it.


    Noah and Moxie walked over to join the circle of students in their celebrations and Lee dropped down beside them. Room G100 soon descended into energetic conversation once more. For as long as the party lasted, any challenges the future held couldnt have been farther from their minds.


    For just a short while, all their worries could wait. When the time came, they would handle them. Noah had been in a number of pizza parties in his life. But, as far as they went, this was definitely the best one hed ever had.

 BOOK 2 ANNOUNCEMENT

BOOK 2 ANNOUNCEMENT


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    YOU CAN CHECK IT OUT HERE!The source of this content no/v(el)bi((n))

 Chapter 438: Tea with Jalen

    Chapter 438: Tea with Jalen


    The pizza party eventually came to an end. No matter how much fun they were all having, there was still work and preparation that had to be done and Alexandra would probably spontaneously combust if she didnt get her daily practice time in.


    With full bellies and satisfied smiles, everyone bid each other farewell. The students headed back to their dorms in a group. Noah and Moxie remained in the room beside Lee, who had draped herself over Noahs right shoulder like a sack of potatoes and was fast asleep.


    That was a nice break, Noah said. Pizza parties really are magic. Its good to take a moment to sit back and celebrate when we achieve something. Motivation is a powerful thing.


    Trust me, Im more than sold on their effectiveness, Moxie said. We should invite some more people next time. Brayden, if hes got time. Tim too. Maybe Ulya or Jalen depending on how things go.


    Jalen? Noahs eyebrows rose. Something tells me hes the kind of guy to show up to a party with a keg of alcohol or ten.


    Sounds like a fun party, Moxie said with a wry grin. And if hes going to hang around us like a vulture, we might as well get to know him better. Dont get me wrong. I don t like him. But, if hes going to be a constant presence in the near future, then Id rather know him better.


    There was no arguing with that. It was a good point. Noah inclined his head in agreement, then slipped his hand into a pocket and pulled out the slip of paper that Brayden had given him. Ill let him know hes invited to the next one. Ive got a pretty good opportunity to do that now.New n0vel chapters are published on


    Hes around?


    With Tim, apparently, Noah said. He caught the baffled look on Moxies face and shook his head. I dont know either. Tim never told me he knew Jalen or vice versa, but all I can do is head over to find out. Using this will get Jalen to come grab me.


    Whered you get that? Brayden?


    Yeah.


    Well, I suppose I cant complain too much. At least Jalen gave you a way to contact him instead of showing up and kidnapping you. Moxies tone sharpened and her eyes narrowed. It didnt look like shed completely forgiven Jalen for how their first meeting had gone, and Noah didnt blame her.


    I suppose even withered dogs can learn new tricks, Noah said. He put the paper back into a pocket and shifted his shoulder, carefully sliding Lee off and holding her up before him like an elongated cat. She let out a murmur and her fingers twitched, but her eyes didnt open. Could you take Lee? If I call Jalen, I get the feeling hes just going to yank me and drop Lee on the floor.


    Is she really still asleep? Moxie asked, but she took Lee from Noahs arms and draped her over her own shoulder.


    Probably not, Noah replied. He poked Lee in the side and she squirmed, letting out a muted snicker before following it up with an exaggerated snore. The corner of his mouth quirked up. But good luck convincing her of that.


    Lee let out another snore.


    You dont snore when you sleep, you know, Moxie pointed out with a defeated yet amused sigh. You just kind of lie there.


    Lee abruptly stopped snoring. Moxie rolled her eyes and both she and Noah held back a laugh. Noah scooped the paper back out of his pocket and took a quick look around the room to make sure he wasnt about to leave anything behind.


    Its nice to see you again, Vermil, Tim said. He slid a cup over to Noah and then handed Jalen another one.


    Much appreciated, Tim, Jalen said as he took the cup and sipped from it, letting out a satisfied sigh. That hits the spot. Youve always been damn good at this.


    Noah stared at them in disbelief. He tried to muster words but found that none were immediately coming to mind. Tim and Jalen definitely knew each other, and it seemed like theyd known each other for some time.


    Tim took his own cup and tasted it, then nodded to himself. The brew went well today. Good leaves. Thank you for delivering them.


    It wasnt too hard. I just nicked em from a tea shop when they werent looking, Jalen said with a dismissive wave.


    Noah opened his mouth, then glanced down at the tea. He raised the cup to his lips and took a sip. A familiar pleasant sensation greeted his tongue and he almost burst into laughter. There was no doubt about it. This was the tea from the store that Silvertide had been at.


    So, Noah said as he lowered his cup and set it on the table. Does someone care to inform me what in the world is going on? You two know each other?


    For around forty years now, Id say, Tim said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Jalen came by to use the Transport Cannon some time ago and we got into an interesting conversation.


    Interesting conversation, he says. Jalen let out a snort and shook his head. I tried to fiddle around with the cannon and figure out if I could take it apart and he got mad at me. Ive never been yelled at by an old man with the power of an ant before.


    Do you literally make all your friends by getting people pissed at you and seeing how they react? Bold. Maybe bordering on a fetish, but I wont judge. Its hard to imagine Tim getting pissed about anything, but if he was going to get mad, the transport cannon definitely would have been the reason why.


    Yelled is a strong word. I just gave you a small scolding. The cannon is very fragile. The magic is not to be tampered with. Tim took a sip of his tea, then let out a sigh and shook his head. Or at least, it shouldnt have been. Its back up and running, but only because people are manually running it.


    Well get the key back soon enough, Noah promised. Dont worry. Well get the transport cannon to its former state as soon as we can.


    Tim smiled and took another drink of his tea, then gestured for Noah to do the same. He did. It was good tea, after all. There was no reason to waste it.


    I suppose we should cut to the chase, Jalen said. His voice was more serious than normal. As amusing as you are, I didnt call you here for no reason, Vermil.


    Noah set his cup back down on the table. I figured as much. What is it, then? Something tells me it isnt for a game of darts.


    Maybe after, Jalen said, a flicker of amusement passing through his eyes before his features grew focused again. He nodded to Tim. As I said, Ive known Tim for some time. I wont lie and claim to be the greatest ally one can have. Im a rather distracted man. Things dont tend to keep my attention for long, but when they do, I pay close attention to them.


    And?


    Jalen leaned forward and braced his arms against the table. Tim hasnt gotten stronger in years, Vermil. Hes been stuck in place, unable to advance since the day I knew him. And yet, when I found that he was caught up in a fight with Wizen and came to check on him, do you know what I found? Strength, Vermil. Not much, mind you. Tims strength has always been his mind, not his runes, but the pressure coming from him increased by a very, very slight margin. For a man that hasnt changed in all the years I knew him, thats quite the change indeed and I think youre responsible for it.

 Chapter 439: Figured it out

    Chapter 439: Figured it out


    Noah didnt let any shock show on his features. He raised the cup of tea to his lips, blocking out as much of his face as possible as his mind raced. Hed only repaired one of Tims runes. The change shouldnt have been significant enough for anyone to notice.


    He hadnt even thought Tim knew anyone all that powerful, much less Jalen. The Linwick family head was the last person Noah would have expected to give a shit about Tim.


    How goddamn sensitive is he if he could tell the difference between a Rank 1 and a Rank 2 Rune for someone he barely spends any time with?


    Noah had the cup of tea to his lips for so long that he ended up completely draining it. He kept his face straight as he lowered the cup back down to the table. Half of his attention was directed to keeping every part of his posture and body perfectly calm. If his heart so much as started racing, Jalen would probably be able to notice.


    It wasnt that he didnt like the Rank 6 mage. While Noah wouldnt have exactly called Jalen trustworthy, he was very straightforward. That did not mean he was willing to share the secrets of how Sunder worked with him.


    What the hell do I tell him? I dont think Tim would have spilled the beans. Maybe I can claim I got some form of really powerful soul healing potion? How would I excuse wasting something like that on anyone other than myself or Moxie?


    Your silence is telling, Jalen said with a chuckle. He took another sip from his tea and leaned forward, eyes boring into Noahs head. No need to look like a deer in the torchlight, Vermil. You really shouldnt be shocked. After all, you literally showed me how it was done.


    Noah blinked. Im not so sure I follow.


    I most certainly did not. New n0vel chapters are published on


    Come on now, Vermil. Jalen shook his head and tapped a finger on the table. A smug smile stretched across his lips as his tone grew increasingly confident. During that class I observed. You were literally teaching your students steps to learning Formations, and that makes you a Formation Master. Youve found the intricacies of how Runes work and discovered a way to work them out of the soul without shattering it.


    Noah stared at Jalen. He sounded quite satisfied at his discovery of Noahs secret, even though he was completely wrong about it. There was no need to point that out, though. Noahs attention went from trying to keep the stress from showing on his features to trying to hold back relief.


    Hes really damn perceptive, but nobody would ever be able to so much as take a guess at the existence of Sunder. I was hoping to keep the extent I get Formations under wraps, but it looks like that was too much to ask for when he literally swung by a class. It looks like Tim also kept his mouth shut. Good man. He didnt say anything, even though hes friends with Jalen.


    I can work with this.


    Noah held his hands up and let out a defeated sigh. Okay. You got me. I was really hoping it wasnt that obvious.


    It wouldnt be to most. Youve done a very good job of appearing to be completely incompetent, Jalen said with a smirk. My kind of man. Managed to hide yourself from the family for all these years though I dont blame you. Theyve turned into a hive of villains and scum.


    Isnt it literally your job to keep that from happening?


    Jalen caught the look on Noahs face. His smile slipped away and he let out a huff. I know what youre thinking, Vermil. But let me ask you something. Lets say you stumbled into the responsibility of taking care of a group of rats. All of the rats hate you, and they do their best to fling themselves into every pot of boiling water they find. When you try to stop them, they bite your fingers. What do you do?


    Build a cage? Noah guessed, pretty sure he was missing the point but more than happy to let the conversation steer away from his abilities for as long as possible. It would certainly wrap back to them soon enough, but the more time he had to try and figure out some answers, the better.


    If only I could, but no. The rats dont like being caged and find ways out. Jalen shook his head, then sent a pointed glance at the empty cup before him. Tim picked up the tea kettle and filled it once more. Jalen nodded in appreciation and took a sip of scalding tea before continuing. You have to choose between trying to herd them or let them do what they want.


    Id probably do my best to herd them if I was responsible for their wellbeing, I guess.


    And thats what I did. For years, I tried to keep them on track. Actually did for a few periods of time as well, but in the end, its impossible. Not without ruling over them like a lord. So I stepped back. Did less. Cared less. It made things easier, Vermil. There just wasnt anything to keep my attention on anymore. Jalen finished his tea in one swig, then waved the cup like a wand. His eyes locked with Noahs and the corner of his lip quirked up. Until you. Ive had a few blips that caught my eye, but nothing in the way of true strength. No insult meant, Tim. You arent strong.


    Jalen finally came to a stop at his chair again. He slapped his palms down on the table and leaned over it. Why are you not excited, Vermil? This is groundbreaking.


    Because Im the one that discovered it?


    Ah, right. Jalen pursed his lips. So you did. I forgot.


    He sat back in his chair and pressed the tips of his fingers against each other. Then Jalen pursed his lips and fell silent. Several seconds passed as Noah and Tim watched him.


    So Noah started.


    Okay, you win, Jalen said irritably. Give me a little hint.


    Noah blinked. What?


    I want a hint. Where do I start?


    Er I suppose


    Wait! I changed my mind! Jalen held his hands up and jumped back to his feet, muttering under his breath. Thatll run the fun. No, Jalen. No trading something interesting for a blip of momentary satisfaction. That was how you lost your first wife.


    You know, sometimes its easy to forget Jalen is batshit insane. Thank god this guy is kind of on my side.


    Jalen ground to a halt and turned back to Noah. Okay. Ive figured it out.


    You have?


    And what exactly is it youve figured out? Theres no way he actually worked out how runes work just by striding around the room for a few seconds.


    Yes. I have discovered that I have absolutely no idea as to how youve figured this out. Could you at least tell me if its something that can be discovered on its own, or did someone tell you how it worked?


    It was me, Noah said, holding back a laugh. I dont have a teacher.


    I see. Very good. Very good. Jalen nodded slowly. Then it is possible. I have much to consider. I know I called you here, but with my suspicions confirmed, I can hold myself back no longer. There is too much to do.


    With that, Jalen vanished. Noah and Tim stared at where hed been standing. Tim opened his mouth and Jalen popped back into existence.


    Ill be back in a few days for our darts match, Jalen said, thrusting a finger in Noahs direction. Prepare yourself to lose.


    Then he vanished once more. Noah waited for a second to see if hed return, but it looked like the enigmatic man had left for good this time. There wasnt a single thing he could think of saying with regard to what had just happened, so he took the next best option and decided to ignore it entirely. He slowly turned to Tim, then cleared his throat.


    Care for a trip to the transport cannon?

 Chapter 440: Karma

    Chapter 440: Karma


    Noah and Tim arrived at the transport cannon just a short while later. It was, predictably, empty. Tim went right over to the controls and his hands played across them like he was a musician plucking the strings of a harp.


    Energy hummed within the control panel and light flickered to life along it as the transport cannon turned on. Tim continued to adjust the levers, his brow furrowed in concentration. Its a bit harder to control everything now that the cannon isnt what it used to be anymore.


    How much harder? Noah asked, a flicker of worry passing through him. He wasnt keen on getting ripped to shreds by the cannon midway through his trip to wherever it was that Tim was going to send him.


    Don t worry, Tim said with a laugh. He pressed his palm into the control panel and it emitted a loud hum. Go head over to the entrance and lay down. Im more than capable of controlling the cannon, even in this state. Just be aware you wont be out for as long as usual due to the restrictions.


    Do you know exactly how long itll be?


    Three hours at most. Weve got to ration the energy since its being filled by hand.


    Noah sat down on the metal of the cannon as the humming in the tower grew louder. Tim adjusted a few more settings and Noah grimaced as the sound reached an uncomfortable level.


    Will you be here when I get back? Noah called over noise.


    I can be, Tim called back. But why? Im not needed to pull you back. The cannon will do that on its own. Im setting everything up to make sure you return before it runs out of power. If its reserves get low enough to risk a failed recall for any reason, itll just immediately summon you back and use the rest of its power. Theres no risk of you being left behind.


    Its not that. I trust you to use the cannon, Noah replied and held his travel bag up, shaking it to draw Tims attention. Ive got a potion in here for you. After I get back.


    Tims eyes widened. Are you sure?


    Why not? I like to finish what I start and its been far too long.


    Tim gave him a sheepish smile. Well, if youre going to insist, then I certainly wont object. Ill be here when you get pulled back. Now, get yourself ready. Im sending you to a location called the Bleached River. It should be a safe area to land in, but its got stronger monsters than a lot of the other areas the transport cannon has sent you to before, so make sure youve got your wits about you.


    Noah nodded his understanding and lowered the bag, holding it to his chest and laying back in the cannons tube. It was a bit of a challenge to get himself to fit with the grimoire on his back, but he managed it anyway. The buzzing reached a crescendo. Power crackled all around Noah and flashed before his eyes in arcs of blue light.


    Good luck! Tim called.


    The power ripped out from his hand. Cracks of white nothingness ripped out through the air before him, but instead of following his desires, they just shot off in every direction, making the rough shape of a sphere.


    Every direction unfortunately included his own.


    Noah hurled himself out of the way as the air collapsed in on itself. He hit the ground with a grunt and rolled over to watch the energy fade from the air. There wasnt anything there to break, so the magic faded without a single sound.


    He stared at the air for a few seconds. Then he muttered a curse and pushed himself upright, brushing the sand off himself. His brow furrowed as he played the attempt back in his mind.


    Thats rather odd. It straight up just ignored what I wanted. Ive never had a Rune completely disobey me before. I didnt get any feeling of Crumbling Space actually not wanting to obey my commands. I dont think Runes have that much autonomy so did I just imagine things wrong?


    That hardly seemed likely. Hed been pretty straightforward about his desires. If that was the case, it meant hed literally just asked the rune to do something it couldnt manage, either due to its normal limitations or due to a lack of energy.


    That orb did seem like a default expenditure of power, just releasing it all in one point. Only way to find out why that happened would be to go find some monsters and fill this thing up so I can test it some more.


    Noah let out a huff and glanced around. His eyes landed on the river once more. He wasnt too keen on striding over to it as he was. It wasnt that he cared all that much about dying. Dying was fine but if he died with all his stuff on him and something dragged him into the river, then he wasnt getting it back.


    He used Natural Disaster to raise a platform from the sand, then stacked his grimoire, travel bag, and gourd on top of it. Noah turned toward the river.


    Wait. Did I ever get a second set of clothes after I got killed in Birds Space Monster Wonderland?


    Noah spun and pulled his bag open. He let out a groan. It didnt have a change of clothes in it.


    That left him with two options. The first was to hope he didnt get killed and head out as he was. If things went poorly, that meant hed be showing back up to meet Tim as naked as the day he was born.


    The alternative


    Goddamn it. You have to be kidding me. This is karma for what I told Bird. I shouldnt have tempted fate.


    Noah took his clothes off.

 Chapter 441: Patched up

    Chapter 441: Patched up


    The next two hours were ones that Noah did not care to remember. His prediction that the river would be the source of the monsters had been correct. And, out of everything that he could have been up against, of course the one that had been most populous had been giant, ridged octopi the size of small houses.


    There were a number of outfits that Noah was willing to fight monsters with tentacles in. The ideal one probably would have been a tank, but hed have settled for full suit of airtight armor. Anything that gave him any protection from the squirming monsters would have been much appreciated.


    Fighting them naked, however, was at the absolute bottom of his list of his bucket list. Nobody in their right mind was going to get anywhere near anything with tentacles when they didnt have clothes on. There was only one way something like that could go and Noah had absolutely no desire to tempt fate.


    As far as he could tell, there was only a single way to handle the situation given the cards hed been dealt. He had to make sure there was absolutely no potential way that the octopi ever got so much as near him.


    Thus, two hours later, Noah stood on the scorched remains of what had once been a pristine riverbank. Scores of lightning had turned the sand around the river to glass and huge gouges had been ripped out of the earth, leaving behind jagged holes.


    Smoke twisted up from burnt pockmarks covering bodies riddled with enormous, seeping wounds. Piles of monsters had built up in the river, forming a makeshift dam that the raging water was still doing its best to break apart.


    Noahs breath came out in short puffs as his head swiveled back and forth to scan the river, his hands curled and raised before him. Hed had a few chances to test out Crumbling Space throughout the fight as it had refilled from all the monsters he killed, but every usage of the Rune had gone nearly exactly the same.


    Whenever he tried to make it stretch anywhere farther than the immediate area around him, it went rogue and collapsed in on itself. The rune just stubbornly refused to function at a range. But, even when he restrained its usage, it could only stretch about a foot in every direction.


    Noah took note of every test, but his active mind was far more focused on making sure absolutely nothing wriggly got anywhere near him.


    No more monsters showed their faces. Hed already mowed through enough of them to leave quite the message and earn himself a considerable amount of energy. That didnt mean the monsters would give up after all the power hed been putting out, though.


    Noah kept his guard up and continued to use his senses to trawl through the area around him. Fortunately, the time he had left in the Bleached River was coming to an end. He made a beeline back to his clothes and belongings.


    The only thing that would have been worse than getting himself caught by a massive octopus whilst naked would be popping back up in the transport cannon to greet Tim buck naked and without all his belongings.


    Granted, the solution to that would have been killing himself, which tended to be the fastest track to most of his problems, but that was a state of mind he was actively doing his best to pull himself out of.


    Noah tugged his clothes on and nodded to himself.


    Moxie would be so proud of me.


    Once he was fully clothed and protected from the elements and errant tentacles once more, Noah took a moment to actually process his findings. Something was keeping Crumbling Space from extending any considerable distance.


    There was a pretty good chance a part of it was because the rune wasnt perfect, much less Flawless. It had a good way to go before it was at a point where hed be completely satisfied with it.


    That said, the restrictions on the rune seemed a bit much, even for its quality. It drew so much power and was so limited in range that it felt more like a limitation of the Rune itself rather than his combination of it.


    Its that Space Magic issue again. Theres something holding it back. Maybe its just because controlling space just needs so much energy, or maybe its something else. I dont know what it is, but Ill be damned if I dont figure it out.


    Just in case, Ive already gone and scrambled the location I sent you to. I did it the moment you were gone, Tim said, rubbing the back of his neck with a shameful expression on his face. Twice people managed to follow you through the cannon because I never changed its direction. That isnt happening again.


    Thank you. Thats definitely a smart move, Noah said with a nod of approval. He reached into his bag and pulled out the Mind Meld potion hed been carrying around. So, shall we get to using this? No need to lose time.


    Tims eyes sparkled with delight and he nodded. He hooked a foot into the trapdoor and pulled it open, then gestured to Noah. After you. We shouldnt be interrupted down here for the time being. Nobody will enter an active investigation area.


    Doesnt it being an active investigation area mean people will enter it?


    Nope. They call it active, but theres no new information the Enforcers can get here. Tim shrugged. What could they do? See a missing artifact? All that remains is a normal energy storage, and the only people that visit are Space Mages that come by to fill it up every morning and night.


    Perfect, Noah said with a grin. In that case, lead the way.


    Tim clambered down the ladder and Noah followed after him, pulling the trapdoor shut behind him as they went. A few minutes later, they made it all the way down into the core of the cannon.


    The metal was still scorched from where Barb had blasted everything, but most of the damage had been repaired. Tim sat down in the center of the room and Noah handed him the Mind Meld potion before taking a seat across from him.


    Thanks again for this, Tim said. I dont think Ill ever be able to properly repay you.


    Not every gift needs to be repaid. Thats why its a gift.


    Tim smiled and raised the potion in a salute before breaking one of the seals and pouring half of it into his mouth. He handed the vial back to Noah, who broke the second seal and drained the rest of it. They both laid down as the potions effects took them into its arms and ripped both from the real world and into Tims mind.


    Just moments later, Noah found himself standing in Tims welcoming soul. Seven runes floated around them but only one of them was worth anything. Aside from the Rank 2 True Earth Rune, the rest of Tims soul was full of rubbish. Even so, things had come a long way from the last time Noah had visited. Many of the cracks had healed. Tims soul was far from strong, but it had recovered by leaps and bounds.


    Lets get right to it, Noah said, rubbing his palms together. What Rune are you thinking of next? And have you thought of what you want to go for with your Rank 3 Rune?


    Perhaps another True Earth? Tim said after a second of contemplation. And Ive been doing a lot of thinking about the future. Perhaps Im overly optimistic, but Id like to combine the earth and wind somehow. Im not sure how Ill do it yet, but thats what Id like.


    I can tell you from personal experience that you dont want to combine two different elements too early, Noah said, rubbing his chin. Maybe wait until you hit Rank 3 to start combining any wind related Runes, but Ill get one into your soul now so you can use it when the time comes. Itll also help keep you from unbalancing your soul too much with a ton of Earth Runes.


    I suspect you know more than I, so Ill go with your suggestion.


    Noah nodded. Sounds good. In that case, Ill start with a Rank 2 True Wind Rune. Your soul looks a lot better than it did before, so we might be able to get several runes replaced today. Just keep an eye on things and let me know how you feel. We dont want to push too hard and break something.


    Tim matched Noahs nod. He held a hand out and called one of his poorly made Runes to himself, then turned away from Noah. Okay. Im ready.


    Great, Noah said, baring his teeth in a grin and calling on Sunder until his veins turned black and power pumped through his veins like adrenaline. Then lets get you patched up.

 Chapter 442: Pave the way

    Chapter 442: Pave the way


    The air on the far side of the transport cannon, opposite to the tube, rippled. Birds form materialized from the anomaly and she blew out the breath shed been holding in her chest. A trickle of sweat rolled down the side of her temple and she wiped it away.


    Her eyes remained locked on the trapdoor that Vermil and Tim had just headed down, but her mind was far more focused on their conversation. Tim had clearly missed the meaning of Noahs words, but she hadnt.


    Slab of meat in front of a dog? Talking about tentacles, and he went to the Bleached River?


    A shiver ran down Birds spine. She hadnt exactly been planning on trying to spy on Vermil. Shed just happened to be in the transport cannon when shed heard the lift activating and rattling up, bearing Vermils voice with it.


    Shed cloaked herself and hid in the corner just moments before he and Tim had arrived. It wasnt like shed been doing anything out of place. It was just that something about Vermil set her on edge. Up until a few short moments ago, shed have been relatively willing to bet that hed just been messing with her.


    But why else would he talk like that if he hadnt been using his special fighting style? The monsters hes talking about are Ridgerils. Theyre big and have a lot of tentacles with sharp spines within their suckers, but Rank 3s shouldnt be that much of a threat to a Rank 4. Especially not one as strong as him.


    The only reason hed be worried about them is if he was naked. I know I sure as the Damned Plains would have been. I wouldnt want a tentacle within a hundred feet of myself if I were.


    That cant be right, though. I refuse to believe that such a stupid strategy actually makes enough of a difference that hed push himself to such a degree.


    There was only one way to find out. Tim may have scrambled the directions on the cannon, but Bird was no stranger to operating one. She crept over to the panel and her hands played across it, her heart thumping and her fingers stiff.


    If Vermil caught her, it would be difficult to explain what shed been doing. The King family name would get her out of nearly every single situation, but the strange man didnt seem to give a shit about propriety in the slightest. It was impossible to predict what hed do.


    Fortunately, they were deep within the transport cannon and it wasnt like Tim was the only person allowed to use it. The cannon shuddered as it rotated, redirecting itself, and she locked in place. Her breath caught in her throat as she peeled her ears for several seconds to listen for anyone coming up from below.


    Nobody did. Bird didnt give herself any longer to celebrate. She pressed her hand into the console and a wave of energy rippled across it. A buzzing hum started to pick up in the room and she stepped around the counter, hurrying over to the tube and laying down in it.


    The cannon would call her back in exactly an hour. Even if there was anyone in the cannon when she returned, shed be able to claim she was just using it for normal purposes. Shed just have to hope that nobody checked the direction of where it was pointed.


    Any further thoughts were lost as the humming reached a crescendo and a wave of blue light enveloped Bird, yanking her away and sending her body hurtling through the sky.


    Just a short while later, her feet slammed down into sand and she took a stumbling step forward, blinking away the last remnants of confusion from the trip and quickly calling on her runes in case anything was still in the area.


    There was nothing but sand a flowing river. Bird blew out a breath and lowered her hands. The area around her was completely devoid of any threat for the time being. It was pristine and untouched, as if nobody had been here in quite some time.


    Birds eyes narrowed.


    That isnt right, she muttered under her breath, turning in a circle to make sure she hadnt missed something. This is the standard location to visit the Bleached River at, but theres no way Vermil was here. The sand is untouched and there isnt even a single dead monster.


    But, beyond that, the style of fighting he used was secret. Vermil hadnt revealed exactly how hed fought the octopi to Tim. Hed just hinted at it.


    Did he intentionally gift this to me to test me? Is Vermil a genius, a pervert, or a moron? I cant tell.


    Bird bit down on her lower lip and clenched her fists. All the thinking in the world wouldnt change the information she had. Her duty, both as a mage and as a retainer to Otto of the King family, was to seek out power and information.


    It didnt matter what her target was. All that mattered was results and results were abundant. Bird suppressed a groan. A rather large part of her wished that shed never activated the transport cannon today. Better yet, she wished shed just stayed at home.


    But there wasnt any way around it now. The lure of knowledge was planted in her mind, and she wouldnt rest until she knew if it was true or not. Power was far too rare to come by for her to just pass it up due to stupid sensibilities. Bird set her jaw.


    Im going to actually have to test this fighting style out just somewhere where absolutely nobody has even the slightest chance of ever seeing me. If they do, I think I might actually die of embarrassment on the spot.


    ***


    Four runes and an application of the Fragment of Renewal later, the Mind Meld potion wore off. Noah and Tim both sat up in the core of the Transport Cannon. They rose to their feet and shook off the potions last effects.


    Tims grinned at Noah. The childlike delight on the mans face was contagious. Quite a successful session this time around, Vermil. You must have improved since the last time.


    Me? Forget me. I barely did anything. You were incredible! Noah exclaimed, giving Tim a light punch in the shoulder. Your soul is improving by leaps and bounds, Tim. Well only need one more shot at this before youre completely ready.


    I can hardly take any credit for anything, Tim said, holding his hands up. But I wont press the matter any further for the sake of our agreement to keep things to the sanctuary of our minds.


    Probably a good idea, Noah said. Tomorrow. Meet me here again, same time. Were finishing this. No more delays.


    Tim swallowed, then nodded. I will. Thank you, Vermil. I know Ive said it before, but thank you.


    Think nothing of it, Noah said. Remember. Tomorrow. Same time. Until then, Ive got some more work to handle. Theres an advanced track meeting coming up tomorrow, and the exam isnt too far away either. I dont suppose you know anything about it?


    Im afraid not, Tim said with a chuckle. Do you really think your students would need the help?


    No, Noah replied. I was just curious. Ive got complete faith in them. Im quite looking forward to the exam. Itll be a chance for them to show how far theyve come not just to everyone else, but also to themselves.


    You arent even slightly concerned about the enemies youve drummed up? Tim asked with a nervous frown. Ive got faith in your students as well, but they dont have an easy road ahead of them. Jalen was telling me about the situation, and it sounds like some people might try to interfere with them.


    Oh, I know. A grin pulled across Noahs lips. Im counting on it. You cant carve a path to the top of the mountain without stepping stones to pave the way.

 Chapter 443: Flowering

    Chapter 443: Flowering


    Moxie sat in the thick forest of her mindspace and looked out over her Runes, a contemplative frown on her lips. All seven of them were full. Shed gotten back to where shed been before her runes had been shattered at the Torrin estate.


    Seven flawless runes, when she hadnt even known that there had been a stage beyond flawless just a short while ago. And yet, before all the insanity with flawless runes and everything shed learned in the last few months, shed known the direction her Rank 4 rune would go.


    Now she wasnt so sure.


    Moxie rolled a vine between her fingers and drew in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. It was tempting to just sit there and think. Thinking was easy. It didnt require action. If one wasnt careful, it would just keep pushing the subject at hand back until it was too late to deal with.


    That wasnt to say there wasnt a time and place for thinking. Shed just gotten to the point where, perhaps, a different strategy was in order. One more inspired by Noah.


    When thinking doesnt get me anywhere, then its probably time to just do some stupid shit and see what happens. Its a damn good thing weve got Sunder. If we didnt, even so much as thinking about throwing something together without extensive planning would be a stupid move.


    Moxie uncrossed her legs and rose to her feet. The plants around her feet rose up, lifting her into the air above the forest so she could look down on all of her runes at once. They crackled and hummed with pressure. It was as if waiting for her to make a decision.


    But, even if she was going to brute forcing things, she wasnt about to just throw everything together into a random Rank 4. It needed a goal. The goal couldnt be too broad, nor could it be too narrow. She and Noah had learned that for sure, so any rune she made had to fall in line if she didnt want it to be a guaranteed waste of time and energy.


    She still knew the general path that the Torrin retainers were meant to take. It was quite simple. Just keep stacking on thorny vines and sharp trees. Avoid just about everything else. It was a straightforward path. As long as one used Torrin runes the whole way up, it would take them right up to Rank 5.


    Moxies lips curled in distaste. She held a hand out and vines twisted up from the pillar supporting her, traveling up her arm and gathering in her palm. A small red bud sprouted from one of them, peeling open to reveal a four-petaled flower.


    Evergreen wouldnt have approved of this at all. Shed judge it as a completely worthless Rune. Adding Sprouting Plant into my mix doesnt give me any direct offensive capabilities and strays from my purposes as a retainer.


    Thats probably what she would have said.


    Moxie let out a small laugh. More buds bloomed along the vine, dotting its entirety with flowers. Evergreen wasnt around to tell her what she could and couldnt do anymore. And, even if the flowers were a complete waste and ruined her progression completely, Noah could just sever the Rank 4 Rune she made and there would be another chance to do things differently.


    Her chest tightened at the thought, and it struck her with startling clarity that she didnt want to do things differently. A blush reddened her cheeks.


    How childish am I? Moxie muttered to herself, running a hand along the petals of a flower. Wanting to have flowers in my combination so badly that Im getting worked up over the idea of it not working out. I havent even tried doing it yet.


    There was no answer. She was alone in her mind. But, even so, she could almost hear what Noahs answer would have been had he been there.


    Who gives a shit? Just do what you want and make a rune that fits you.


    Moxie set her jaw. It wasnt like her desires were completely unfounded. The vines holding her up in the air retracted until they brought her back down to the ground, then withered away.


    I like teaching Emily. When I was forced to be her guardian, I didnt truly hate it. Not at the time. I was okay with living as I was told and just existing according to Evergreens will. That hasnt been the case for a long time.


    My runes are the last holdout. Theyre the only things I havent taken back for myself. That changes now. My next Rank 4 is mine. Nobody elses. Its going to be exactly what I want I to be, and I want some damn flowers.


    Moxie pulled her hands apart. Then she clapped them together, shoving the runes together with a burst of will. A brilliant crack rang out through her soul as the runes merged. A wave of power blew her hair back and she gritted her teeth, focusing every scrap of her will.


    Energy churned like a furious storm trapped within the confines of her soul. Moxie wrapped bands of will around the glowing mass of runic energy as it fought against her, trying to break free.


    She gave it no quarter. Her intent was unflinching. She didnt care if it was the right intent or if it was optimized to be the perfect warrior. She didnt care what the most powerful or efficient runes had been researched to be.


    The only thing she cared about was the rune she wanted. And, in that, she was unshakable. She knew what she wanted, and the rune would become the manifestation of her desire. There would be no room for argument. No open spots for her intent to falter or leave a command unsaid.


    A brilliant flash of light lit her mindspace up. It was followed by a powerful wave of pressure that slammed into Moxies chest like a six-foot wave. She staggered back and held her hands up, blinking furiously through the blobs of white that swam through her vision.


    Shed made a Rank 4 Rune. Excitement bubbled in her stomach but she forced it down. Reaching Rank 4 was admirable, yes, but there would be no celebration until she saw if shed been successful.


    Moxie lowered her hands and squinted in the direction of the rune and there she saw it.


    Flowering Genesis


    The rune was ten percent full. A laugh slipped out of Moxies mouth and she finally let her hands drop. A tear ran down the side of her face, but she barely even noticed it. Shed formed a Rank 4 Rune not the one shed been told to make, but one shed decided on entirely of her own volition.


    Moxie drew power from the rune and tested the pressure that came off it. Power pressed into Moxies face like a strong wind, but it didnt change or falter. She could barely believe it, but it was impossible to deny. As she tested out different parts of the rune, pulling the power into her body and letting it dissipate, there was no denying what she saw.


    The rune wasnt just perfect. It was flawless.


    I guess I might not need Sunder this time around, Noah. I managed this one all on my own.


    She knew that wasnt entirely true, and it only made her smile stretch wider still. Even if Noah hadnt been physically beside her, hed still somehow been there in word and spirit. The rune was hers through and through, but it wouldnt have ever so much as taken shape without him.


    Moxie let her eyes drift open in the real world, leaving her mindspace behind and returning to her room. The world around her felt sharper clearer, as if she could see in every direction rather than just through her eyes. In a way, she could.


    Her domain had revealed itself.


    Moxie had reached Rank 4.

 Chapter 444: Rank 4

    Chapter 444: Rank 4


    Now that Tims Runes were just about completely repaired, Noah headed back to the T building. It had been a little bit since hed last had a chance to sit down and practice with his violin.


    Between teaching the kids, the shitshow that Wizen had caused, and all the other responsibilities hed landed himself with, there wasnt as much time for freedom as there had been before.


    He drew up to the door and went to push it open. Noah froze. His domain prickled. There was another mage with a domain on the other side of the door. His eyes narrowed and he drew on his Runes.


    They knew a number of people that had domains, so there was no need to go in swinging, but precaution never hurt anybody. Noah pushed and the door swung open. He strode inside, Natural Disaster primed and at the ready, only to find that Moxie and Lee were the only ones inside.


    Lee had perched herself on top of the desk and was chewing a strip of jerky while Moxie had a small flower growing from a seed cupped within her hands. They both looked over to him as he entered.


    Oh. Youre back, Moxie said casually. Howd it go with Tim?


    Noah stared at her. It took him a second longer to register that the domain didnt belong to another mage. It was coming from Moxie.


    You are not going to play this cool, Noah said, striding over to her. Moxie burst into laughter and the flower in her palms withered away as he lifted her off the bed and spun her around. Did you seriously wait until I left to advance? Howd it go? Does your Rune need any reworking? Ive already used the Fragment, but


    Im fine, Noah, Moxie said, putting a hand on his chest. And it went really well. I didnt exactly wait for you to leave, but the thought did strike me that it would be pretty funny if I ended up reaching Rank 4 before you got back.


    Moxie was bouncing around waiting for you to return, Lee put in as she stuffed the rest of the jerky into her mouth. She only sat back down when I smelled you coming.


    We agreed you were not going to mention that! Moxie exclaimed. I bribed you!


    Oh, yeah. Lee looked down at her now-empty hands. I forgot once I ran out of food.


    Thats a horrible excuse, and it doesnt even work when you started ratting me out before you even finished eating.


    I have a very advanced mind, Lee said. She swallowed, then flashed them a toothy grin. I think several steps ahead. Unfortunately for you, several steps ahead meant Ive already finished your food in my mind by the time I spoke.


    Moxie blew out an exasperated breath and thunked her head against Noahs chest. Well, I got to feel cool for a moment.


    Noah pulled her into a hug and ruffled her hair. Youre always cool. You didnt say if the Rune needs to be modified, though. I still cant really tell power from domains yet, so I cant tell if yours is strong or not.


    I dont think I do, actually, Moxie said. She moved to step back and Noah released her. Her brow furrowed in concentration for a moment and she shook her head. Ive drawn on its power several times, trying to use different components of it. The pressure doesnt change.


    Well damn, Noah said, his grin growing even wider. You managed a Flawless Rune on your literal first attempt? Whats the name of the rune you made?


    Flowering Genesis, Moxie replied, a touch of color entering her cheeks. The name is a bit pretentious; I know.


    It sounds cool, Lee said.


    Im with her, Noah said, nodding to Lee. What does it actually do? Its a little abstract. Did you test to make sure the magic isnt too high level for a Rank 4?The source of this content no/v(el)bi((n))


    Thats what Ive been doing. Well, kind of. Ive been a tad distracted bouncing around, as Lee put it, Moxie said with an exasperated huff. She reached into a pocket in her jacket and pulled out another seed.


    That had been fake, of course, but it looked like Moxie had managed to make that particular nightmare a potential reality for her opponents.


    While he stared off into space and considered the ramifications of Moxies new abilities, she picked a book up off her desk and flipped through it, the smug satisfaction on her face only growing with every passing second. And when I said I can control the flowers, I did mean it.


    She turned the book around so Noah could look at its pages. It was a treatise on poisonous plants. He looked back over to her.


    Has anyone ever told you how terrifying you could be before this? Youre going to end up in someones nightmares.


    She can also make tasty flowers, Lee added, hopping down from the desk. We have an infinite food source.


    Noah sent a querying look to Moxie who let out a sigh. Tasty is an exaggeration. I made a fluffy looking one and she ate it before I could stop her. Im still not actually sure what it was meant to be. It definitely wasnt edible. Im still nowhere near actually making proper poison yet. The idea honestly just hit me right after I formed my Rank 4 Rune and I ran over to the library to grab this. Im hoping Ill figure it out soon.


    Everything is edible. Your stomach is just cowardly, Lee said. She stretched her arms over her head and yawned, and a flicker of sadness passed over her features. But were all Rank 4 now, even if my rune sucks.


    It doesnt suck, Noah said. Lee glanced away from him and he put his hands on her shoulders, gently pulling her face back to look at him. Hey. Lee, look at me. The problem isnt that your rune isnt strong. The problem is that its too strong. Youre actively holding yourself back to avoid losing who you are. If you wanted to, you could become incredibly strong. That kind of sacrifice requires a lot more than just magical strength.


    I know, Lee muttered. I dont want to fall behind, but I still want to be me. Why is being a demon so unfair?


    Because you cant get power without giving something up, Moxie said. Demons are far stronger than humans of an equivalent rank, but no amount of power is worth becoming a monster. Id take you over Azel any day.


    Lee gave them a small smile. Thanks. I didnt mean to take away from your achievement, Moxie. Im really happy you reached Rank 4.


    Moxie scooped both Lee and Noah into a hug and squeezed them tightly. Theres nothing wrong with having feelings, Lee. You can be happy about something and sad about something else at the same time. Im never going to get mad at you for having emotions. I cant imagine how you feel so I wont pretend otherwise, but were both here to support you with anything we can.


    Thanks, Lee said, her voice muffled from being squeezed against Noah and Moxie.


    And well find a way to make sure you can get your rune completely under control, Noah promised. Dont worry. You wont lose yourself and you wont fall behind.


    Lees arms tightened around both of them and she nodded mutely. A second passed. Then her stomach grumbled.


    They all burst into laughter and stepped back as Lees cheeks reddened. My stomach heard what you said about having different emotions and decided it was hungry.


    Lets go get something to eat, Noah said. He paused to swing by the closet and stuff several changes of clothes that he had hanging in it into his bag. Maybe we can grab the students as well. Itll be a good opportunity to sync up before the advanced track meeting tomorrow.


    Lee wiped her face with the back of a sleeve and then looked up at him with a flicker of excitement. Noah wasnt sure how much of it was real and how much was her hiding her true feelings, but he didnt press the matter.


    Are we going to eat a bunch more food at the meeting? Lee asked. That was fun.


    We very well might. Noah nodded. The best thing we can do is be prepared but we can worry about that after eating.


    Everything is better after eating, Lee said with a sage nod, and they filed out of the room in search of their students and a meal.


    For better or for worse, the three of them were all finally Rank 4.

 Chapter 445: No more questions

    Chapter 445: No more questions


    It took around an hour to herd up all the students from the various locations they were training in, but Noah managed to gather everyone. That came with the slight added problem of actually finding somewhere they could eat and talk without anyone overhearing what they were saying.


    The solution turned out to be sending a food cart vendor home early for the day after buying just about everything he had. They brought everything over to Moxies classroom and laid it out on the tables while setting aside around half of it for Lee.


    Noah let everyone have a few minutes to eat before he got things started properly. The kids already knew a fair bit about the situation and there really wasnt anything that was much of a surprise.The source of this content no/v(el)bi((n))


    They already had a plan from the previous meeting that had worked quite well. Verrud and Jakob had broken off their attempts before theyd used up every strategy they had, which was quite convenient. It meant they hardly even had to do any extra planning.


    The most important thing they could do was to keep anyone from getting close to Isabel and Emily. While Noah hadnt told anyone about Isabels secret, it was pretty clear that shed mentioned something to the other students. Noah didnt press to find out.


    The kids trusted each other. That was all that mattered. He didnt need to know every detail of what theyd spoken about when the results kept them safe.


    Moxie and Lee went back over some of the strategies that theyd yet to employ throughout the rest of lunch. Chances were that nobody needed review, but being prepared never hurt.


    Eventually, the food and conversation ran out. There was only so much detail that they could go into preparations without knowing what Verrud and Jakob would actually try to do. All anybody could do was be prepared to adapt.


    With that, Noah gave everyone the next class off to prepare for the advanced track meeting the following night and dismissed them. The kids filed out of the room, thanking Noah and Moxie for the meal as they left.


    That was nice, Noah said, sinking down in his chair with a sigh. He rocked it onto its back legs and patted his stomach. And I think I ate too much.


    You need to train your stomach muscles better, Lee advised. Every time you eat is like lifting a heavy weight. The more you use your stomach, the stronger it will become.


    You know what? I dont think thats how it works for humans, Noah said with a laugh. Moxie walked up behind him and put her hands on the back of his chair, steadying it. Noah craned his neck back to look up at her from below and she leaned down to give him a kiss.


    You taste like meat pies, Moxie informed him as she pulled back.


    What a coincidence. So do you.


    Moxie laughed and pushed the chair forward so it was upright again. Dont go breaking the chairs in my classroom. Theyre meant for kids, not an adult.


    Bah. You dont even use the thing anymore. My windy old crappy room is far more picturesque.


    More spots to hide there too, Lee added. I like the holes in the ceiling. Its easy to sit in them and watch what people are doing below you.


    There are holes in the ceiling? Noah asked, blinking. More than the one in the center of the room?


    Lee grinned in response. Im not telling you where. Theyre mine.


    Well, I suppose it hardly matters. Its not like anyone else can use them and theres no way Arbitage is going to repair the old place. Theyd have done that already if they were planning to. Noah waved a hand, then pushed himself to his feet with more than a little effort. Hed definitely eaten a few too many meat pies. Is there anything weve got to cover for the meeting tomorrow that we havent already done?


    Moxie shook her head. She started to gather the leftover paper from all the food. Noah and Lee joined her, though about a quarter of the papers Lee picked up vanished into her mouth when the others werent looking.


    The next day flew by quickly. As Noah had suggested, he spent the entire time practicing his violin. Moxie alternated between listening and working on her own pattern, and Noah occasionally took a break from his music to give her pointers or take a look at her progress.


    The Flowering Genesis Rune definitely suited the pattern really well. The only issue was that it required magic to actually use the pattern. That wasnt the same as putting magic into the pattern, but it was adjacent.


    That wasnt as big of an issue as it might have been if Moxie were a student. Shed been using magic for a lot longer than the others had and had more than enough control over her abilities to make sure she didnt mistakenly use power where she didnt mean to especially while they were in a room without any real distractions other than the occasional munching that came from where Lee sat on the bed.


    But, as all things had to, it came to an end. They slept for a few hours, then resumed practice all the way up until there was only a little more than hour until the advanced track meeting was set to start.


    Part of Noah wished they could just skip the whole thing. He crushed the thought. The meeting was too important to ignore, no matter how much fun he was having. It wasnt just about the students either Otto and several other important people would be present. Skipping out was just lost potential.


    So, with just a little annoyance at having to put up with more bullshit from the idiots after his students, he set out together with Lee and Moxie to their meeting point at the transport cannon.


    The kids were all already present and waiting in a small circle. Nobody else was in the area there really wasnt much reason for others to hang around transport cannon when its usage was restricted.


    I wonder what Tims been up to since he cant run the cannon as much as before. I hope hes just messing around with his new Runes and finding other things to occupy himself, but I know how much he loved the cannon. If for that reason alone, I need to get that damn key back from Wizen.


    Is everyone ready? Moxie asked, holding a hand up to block the setting sun from getting into her eyes. Any questions or observations before we head out and get things started?


    Ive got one, Lee said, raising her hand.


    I do not have any jerky in my bag.


    You are lying. Front pocket. Left corner.


    Moxie reached into her bag in the location that Lee had indicated, then blinked. She pulled a strip of meat out with a baffled expression. I didnt put this here.


    Oh, I know. I did, Lee said, taking it from Moxies hands and chowing down. I just didnt want to carry it around. I no longer have a question.


    Moxie let out a sigh. Thank you, Lee. Does anyone else have a question? Preferably about the advanced track meeting and not other topics? Im always open to help with other matters when were a little bit less occupied.


    What other matters? Alexandra asked.


    Noah bit back a laugh at the exasperation on Moxies face.


    Whichever ones you want, Moxie said, rubbing her nose between the bridge of her fingers.


    Lee slipped Alexandra a strip of jerky. Moxie caught the motion and narrowed her eyes, but Alexandra just gave her a small shrug and took a bite out of her ill-begotten gains.


    Did Lee pay Alexandra off to ask that? Shes turning into quite the little prankster.


    At least nobody is worried, Moxie said with a defeated laugh. Come on, then. Lets head over to the meeting and see how many people we can make cry before were done for the night.

 Chapter 446: A request

    Chapter 446: A request


    A number of other professors had already arrived by the time that they got to the advanced track meeting. Several students were sparring or eating and the hall was filled with conversation.The source of this content no/v(el)bi((n))


    Noahs group made their way over to the table, led by Lee. She plopped herself down right beside Gero and waved to him. He didnt even mutter a word of greeting. He just took a large chicken drumstick off his plate and handed it to her.


    It looks like Gero might understand Lee more than any of the other people in the advanced track. Thats interesting. Hes not at all talkative and Im not all that inclined to like him after he went after Alexandra, but hes clearly quite observant.


    Then again, its not all that hard to tell that Lee likes food. It wasnt that crazy of a guess.


    Noahs students all sat down on the table a short distance from Lee, pinning Emily and Isabel in the center of the group to stop anyone from sitting beside them. Moxie walked over to stand behind them, a vine extending from the sleeve of her shirt to pluck a bread roll from the table and bring it back over to herself. She ripped it in half and handed one of the chunks over to Noah.


    Thanks, he said as he took a bite out of it and scanned the room. Jakob and his students had arrived before them but had set up in the corner of the room and were in avid conversation with another professor that Noah didnt recognize. There was no sign of Verrud yet.


    I wonder if we overplayed our hand a bit too much last time. Did Verrud figure out I was onto him? Eh. I guess well see soon enough.


    Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Ulya heading over from the right side of the room. She raised the glass of wine in her hand slightly in greeting.


    I thought we were pretending not to know each other too well, Noah said as he gave her a nod. Is something wrong?


    Theres nothing all that odd about coming to say hi to someone that just walked in. I was just coming to remind you of the other half of our deal, Ulya said. I want runes. If were working together, Id like if you could invest a bit more in me now. Im rebuilding my puppets, and if youve got something that can help me, I want it sooner rather than later.


    Fair enough.


    Theres a secret room in the side of the advanced track area. Go to it in about twenty minutes. Ill spare you five minutes, Noah said.


    Ulya blinked, then inclined her head. If youre sure, then fine. Ill be there. Thank you.


    Youre the one that asked me. Why are you asking if Im sure?


    Ulya headed off before Noah could ask her what she was on about. He didnt want to draw any attention to their conversation, so he let her leave without saying anything else. Having someone in the advanced track that could feed him information when people didnt know they were working together was too useful of a tool to waste.


    You heard that, right? Noah asked Moxie.


    She nodded. Yeah. Ill keep an eye out on the kids when youre messing with her. Lee and I have it covered. It really isnt that much of a deviation from what we were already planning.


    True, Noah allowed, letting his eyes drift over the room. More professors had arrived in the short time since hed last checked, and he spotted Silvertide and Tyler speaking with the kind, portly professor from the previous meeting and his student.


    If Noah recalled correctly, the mans name was George and the girl was Fiona. She was strikingly unmemorable, but he didnt think that as an insult. Fiona was of average height and had straight brown hair that went down to just above her shoulders.


    Her clothes and features alike were plain and she carried no weapons. Noah would have looked right past her in a crowd if it hadnt been for her eyes. They were sharp, like two diamonds glistening in milky seas.


    Even from where he stood, he could see her gaze boring into Silvertide and absorbing every single word he said.


    I wonder what her powers are. Shes supposedly the strongest student in the advanced track, but shes high Rank 3 at most. Alexandra has Body Runes, which should put her toward the peak of Rank 3. I wonder which of them would win in an actual fight.


    It wouldnt be too long before hed get a chance to find out.


    Silvertide caught Noah looking in their direction and raised a hand in greeting. Noahs cheeks reddened but he returned the gesture. George followed Silvertides eyes and smiled.


    You dont have to look like youre dealing drugs while youre at it, Noah grumbled. What is it? Does Otto want another rune?


    No, its not to do with that. Its about your fighting style.


    An image of dozens of squirming octopi flashed through Noahs mind and it took a supreme force of will to keep from slapping a palm into his forehead.


    Ah. Yes, Noah forced out. My fighting style. What about it?


    Do you use a Shield?


    Noah hid a relieved sigh and his shoulders slumped.


    Oooh. Bird isnt talking about the stupid naked bullshit I made up. She overheard that I dont use a Shield and encourage my students to do the same when theyre training. That makes more sense.


    No. I think theyre crutches. The best way to train is by handling every fight completely naturally, Noah said. If youre relying on something to protect you, then youll never be able to truly fight on your own. Its better to toss the extra shit on after youve already figured out what youre doing so its an addition rather than an integral part of your identity.


    Birds brow furrowed and she nodded thoughtfully. I think I see what youre saying. How did you even figure that out?


    I got to test it out very extensively with a bunch of monkeys in the Scorched Acres, Noah replied with a grimace. It was not a pleasant experience, but Ive learned a lot since then. My students use the same techniques and barely even need Shields.


    Your students too? Bird asked, her eyes going wide.


    Oh, yeah. Theyve gotten quite good at it. Youll probably see during one of the exams at some point.


    Bird looked over her shoulder at the students, then back at Noah. Youre serious?


    Yeah. Why wouldnt I be?


    I never mind. Thanks for answering my questions, Bird said. She massaged the bridge of her nose and let out a sigh. I spent some time studying this technique and I have to admit that its freeing.


    He gave her a knowing nod. Dont go spreading it around, please. Feel free to ask me if youve got more questions, though. I dont mind helping out a friend of Ottos.


    Bird coughed into a fist and looked away. Ill uh, keep that in mind. Thank you for the tips.


    She started to turn and Noah raised a hand. Oh, hold on. Ive got a request.


    What is it? Bird winced but stopped to hear him out.


    Could you ask Otto if hed be willing to share what he found about the Rune I gave him? Noah asked. Im interested in the results.


    Birds shoulders relaxed and she nodded. Ill pass it along.


    Thanks.


    She nodded and headed off, slipping into the crowd. Noah watched her leave, his brow furrowed.


    I wonder what her deal was.

 Chapter 447: March

    Chapter 447: March


    It had been a few minutes since Ulya had headed over to the secret room and there really wasnt any reason that Noah could see to make her wait any longer. Nobody was paying him much attention at the moment, so he had a great opportunity to slip away.


    He stepped into the crowd and made his way over to the hidden room that Otto had brought him to the previous advanced track meeting. Noah slipped into it to find Ulya sitting in one of the chairs, waiting for him.


    He slung the grimoire off his shoulders and set it down beside a chair as he lowered himself into it. Right. Lets get this underway, shall we? Im a bit limited on time and I have no idea what Jakob and Verrud are planning today.


    Well how does it work? Ulya asked. And if it helps, my puppet is in the other room keeping an eye on things. Verrud hasnt shown up to the meeting and Jakob isnt anywhere near your people. Neither are his students, though it looks like Yulin has been looking in their direction.


    Yulin? She seemed relatively intelligent. Could she be waiting for some sort of signal?


    Noah shook his head. Sitting around in a secret room and wondering wasnt going to do anyone any good. The sooner he got back out to rejoin the others, the better. He tapped the top of his grimoire. It works by you telling me what runes you want and me seeing if I can get them to you.


    Thats it? Ulya blinked. Nothing else?


    I mean, if you ask for something I don t have, I cant give it to you. Id recommend sticking mostly with Rank 2 Runes if you can. Ive got one or two higher rank ones floating around, but Id really rather not give those away.


    Ulya squinted at Noah as if trying to find the trick in his words. His tapping grew faster as he waited for her to come to a decision.


    How many? Ulya finally asked.


    Theyre Rank 2s. I don t know. Im not trying to give away my whole collection. The grimoire trembled in approval at that, but Noah ignored it. How many do you need?


    Its more about the type than the number. Silvertide gave me enough to rebuild. Im trying to do more than just that now. Im trying to improve. Do you have anything earth, metal, or crystal related? Ulya asked after a moment of thought. I could use all of those. The more, the better.


    Ive got nothing with crystal. I dont think Ive got metal either, but I have a stupid amount of earth. Noah pulled the grimoire forward to rest it against his knees and placed a hand on the cover to pull it open.


    Then he paused. His eyes narrowed and he leaned down to look at the grimores cover. Runes, you hear me?


    The grimoire remained still.


    If I see a pair of tits, Im ripping you in half, Noah said. He leaned back, ignoring the baffled look on Ulyas face, and flipped the grimoire open. Its pages rustled and Noah was relieved to see that it landed on one covered with a variety of Earth Runes.


    Hed gotten quite a few of them during his hunting session before returning to Arbitage, and Moxie hadnt ended up needing help making hers. Ulya had quite a selection to choose from. Her eyes widened as she read over the runes and she looked up to Noah.


    I can take any of these? Are you really just showing them to me?


    I never fully got the thing where its taboo to show people a rune, Noah said through a sigh. I mean, if youre going to copy its shape with one of your own runes, youre going through a ton of work. You can have the damn thing if you want it that badly. Theyre only Rank 2s.


    Dont let anyone in your family catch you saying that if you want to keep your blood where it is right now, Ulya muttered. She leaned closer to the book and read over it for several seconds. How many of these can I have again?


    Four? Noah offered, testing the waters to see how Ulya reacted. He still wasnt fully sure where the value of runes actually landed when dealing with nobles. For people without an insider to speak to, runes were prohibitively expensive.


    Ulya was part of a noble family, though. At least, Noah was pretty sure she was. He didnt actually know. Now that he thought about it, there was a chance she wasnt. It was a bit late to worry about that.


    Her expression hadnt changed too much at the number hed offered, so hed probably landed his guess roughly in a ballpark where it was reasonable.


    Deal. Ill take these then, Ulya said. She pointed to four of the Rank 2 Runes on the page. Noah couldnt help but notice shed chosen some of the ones that were the closest to perfect. He didnt blame her he would have done the same. He had enough runes to not be particularly concerned about the loss.


    Feel free. Dont worry about damaging the grimoire. It can take it. Damn thing probably likes it.


    Do you really think anyone would so soon after the last meeting? If it had been anyone, it would have been someone with Jakob. Itll take other people a bit more time to feel things out and try to get a better understanding of everyones strength before they try more. Its hard to do that when were standing behind the kids like a brick wall.


    Moxie had a point. Noah scrunched his nose in annoyance. No matter how much he wanted to protect them, the kids needed to handle some things on their own. He couldnt get allies for them and if they were constantly floating around, no random students would approach. Especially not with Vermils reputation.


    Maybe we should back up a bit, Noah said. Give them room to breathe but not too far.


    Moxie nodded. I wanted to wait until you got back, but Im in agreement. Lees still next to them, but shes a lot more approachable than we are as long as you dont plan to challenge her to an eat-off.


    They both took a few steps away from the kids, letting their conversation fall off as they headed toward the crowd. Finding a tall table nearby, the two of them settled in to watch.


    A few minutes passed and the crowd started to tighten. Nobody had approached their students yet, but Noah didnt miss a few glances being thrown in their direction. He and Moxie had definitely been scaring the other kids off.


    Noahs vibration imbuements warned him of someone walking up behind them and he turned, tapping Moxie on the shoulder as he did. He was prepared to face off against Jakob or Antony but it was Silvertide that stood before them.


    Vermil. Moxie. Silvertide inclined his head in greeting. His face was deadly serious. Im afraid I come bearing news.


    Just news? Noah asked, pushing away from the table with a frown. What is it?


    The Enforcers that went out looking for Wizen have found him. Hes figured out how to use the key and has been preparing a ritual to activate it. Silvertide replied grimly. We will be leaving in thirty minutes, when the mass portal our Space Mages are making has breached his defenses.


    Noah nearly choked on air. I what? That fast?


    They are Enforcers, Vermil, Silvertide said dryly. Their title is not earned by chance. Enforcers are some of the most competent mages in Arbitage.


    It was sudden, but he had known the Enforcers were searching for Wizen. He just didnt think theyd find him this quickly. Noah shook the reeling surprise away. It wasnt going to help anyone. If anything, it was a good thing that Wizen had been located this early on.


    At least they caught him before he managed to pull off whatever hes trying to do with the key.


    Right. I know why youre here, then. Noah did a quick check of his belongings, but he had everything he needed. I promised Brayden Id back him up.


    Not just you, Moxie said. Im coming.


    As am I.


    Noahs senses tingled at the same time as he heard Lee speak. They all turned as she emerged from a shadow at their side.


    How good is your hearing? Moxie asked in disbelief.


    Really good, Lee replied. She nodded over her shoulder to the kids. I already let the others know something was going on. Theyre going to head back early. Dont worry.


    Noah blew out a breath. There was no point arguing with Lee or Moxie. They were both Rank 4s and more than capable warriors and neither of them were going to turn back when they set their mind to something.


    Just make sure to leave the really dangerous stuff to me, yeah? Noah asked.


    Dont worry. Im not trying to get myself killed, Moxie said with a snort. Ill leave the worst of the fighting to the people who are meant to do it. Extra backup isnt going to hurt, though.


    It most certainly wont, Silvertide agreed. I trust the three of you are coming, then?


    Noah took one last look around the party, then blew out a breath and gave Silvertide a firm nod. Yeah. Were coming.


    Then we march, Silvertide said, spinning to stride out of the room. Wizen must be stopped.

 Chapter 448: The hunt begins

    Chapter 448: The hunt begins


    Silvertide led Noah, Lee, and Moxie out of the advanced track meeting at a brisk pace. He made a beeline for the transport cannon, moving surprisingly fast for a man that relied on a cane to walk.


    They reached it just minutes later and ascended to the top. The control room was more packed than Noah had ever seen it. Brayden and Neir stood by the control panel and Tim hovered behind the controls, his face creased in concentration as he adjusted them.


    Dozens of other Enforcers that Noah didnt recognize milled around the room, readying their gear and speaking in hushed, professional tones. Godrick was among them Noah hadnt been looking for him during the meeting, but it looked like the large man would be joining the mission.


    There are a lot more people here than I thought there would be, Moxie said as they cut over to join Brayden and Neir.


    Wizen is a major threat, but not everybody here will be attempting to breach his sanctum, Silvertide said. We need to make sure he doesnt send people back into Arbitage while were trying to attack him. About half of these Enforcers will be ensuring Wizen cant open our portal back up or counterattack.


    Is it easier to open a portal when theres been space magic used in an area? Noah asked.


    Yes, Brayden answered for Silvertide, turning to give them a nod of greeting. Considerably easier. Space Magic is its own greatest weakness. The more of it someone else uses in an area, the easier it is for other people to do the same.


    Interesting. Its not like using Space Magic leaves behind more space to work with does it have something to do with how Space Runes are hard to use naturally? Maybe using them weakens whatever limit is restricting them normally.


    Are we expecting Wizen to try to counterattack? Moxie asked with a concerned frown. Is he actually strong enough to divert his forces like that?


    Its hard to say. Wizen is difficult to predict, Neir said with a shake of his head. We cant say what hes going to do or how hell react. Its best to take precautions regardless. What I want to know is why were inviting Rank 3 wait. Werent you Rank 3?


    Moxie shrugged in response. People dont stay at the same rank forever, Enforcer Neir. Circumstances changed.The source of this content no/v(el)bi((n))


    Neirs eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms in front of his chest. Both of you reached Rank 4 within just weeks of each other. It cant be the Torrins do you have a noble family sponsoring you?


    I dont see how thats relevant to the task at hand, Brayden said gruffly. Theyre both capable mages, and we need backup. Enforcers cant do everything on their own. Vermil has dealt with Father and Gentil, one of Wizens men. Hes more than capable of holding his own, as are the rest of his group.


    True enough. At the bare minimum, more bodies wouldnt go awry. Neir let out an explosive breath and shook his head. How long until the cannon is ready?


    Im expecting an hour at the minimum. Godrick stepped through the crowd, squeezing his large body between the other mages with a grimace. He adjusted his coat and sent a look over to Tim. Wizen knows what hes doing. His spatial defenses are incredible from what Ive been told. Ill be honest, Im surprised its moving this fast at all. That old man knows his way about a transport cannon better than anyone Ive ever met. If he wasnt navigating where we were going, I dont know if wed be able to get within a league of Wizen.


    A flush of pride washed through Noah even though he had absolutely nothing to do with any of Tims accomplishments. It was just nice to hear someone actually acknowledging Tims talents.


    Almost as if Tim could tell that they were speaking about him, he straightened up and gave a nod to an Enforcer that Noah didnt recognize. They exchanged a few brief words before the Enforcer broke away.


    Tim spotted Noah in the crowd and he pushed away from the desk, hurrying to join them. Lines of worry creased his weathered face.


    Youre going to be going after Wizen? Tim asked, raising his voice to be heard over the dull roar of conversation filling the room.


    Yes. I promised Brayden Id back him up, Noah said. Dont worry. I can handle myself, Tim.


    I have no doubt of that, Tim said. And youre in good company. Just be careful. That woman that attacked the tower was powerful, and if she was just one of the people working for Wizen, I shudder to think what hes capable of.


    If you knew half of it, youd do a whole lot more than just shudder.


    Are all the preparations for the cannon complete? Godrick asked. A doubtful frown passed over his features. It hasnt been long.


    I dont need long, Tim said. The space in the caverns is warped, but I was able to find a pathway through. The more I fiddle with it, the more Wizen will be able to locate that something is penetrating his defenses. Right now, unless hes just waiting for us to make a move, it doesnt seem like he knows. All that remains is for the Space Mages to gather enough energy to power the cannon enough to send everyone over at once.


    How long will that be? Brayden asked.


    About forty-five minutes from what I was just told. The cannon is already locked in position. Theres nothing else I can do, even if I want to, Tim said. Dont forget this is a one-way trip. I wont be able to pull you back.


    Yes. And a Wind would go fantastic.


    Then lets get to it.


    Tim turned around, averting his gaze so he wouldnt see exactly what Noah did to break and repair his runes.


    Noah got to work.


    ***


    Half an hour later, Noahs eyes opened in the Transport Cannon once more. The conversation had grown considerably louder, but nobody had left yet. He sat up and Tim rose beside him.


    For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then Noah rose to his feet and held his hand out, helping Tim up as well.


    Youll follow through if I dont come back, right? Noah asked.


    Of course I will, Tim said. He swallowed, then inclined his head slightly lower than hed needed to for a simple nod of understanding. You can count on it.


    Noah pulled his grimoire around and whispered into it, then found an old piece of Catchpaper in his travel bag. He really didnt have much need for them anymore, but it would come in handy today.


    Energy crackled against his palm as the Grimoire provided him with the rune hed asked for and Noah quickly traced it into the paper, folding it over once he was done. None of the other mages in the room were paying him enough attention to care what it was.


    He handed the folded paper over to Tim.


    Whats this? Tim asked, blinking in surprise.


    Something that I think will go a long way with you, Noah replied. Put it to good


    Were connected! A mage yelled. All Enforcers, prepare for the cannon to activate!


    Tim stuffed the paper into his pocket. Thank you, Vermil. Stay safe.


    You too, Noah said.


    Tim hurried into the crowd. All around them, the Enforcers started gathering into ranks. Lee and Moxie moved to stand directly beside him, and Silvertide took up the position to Moxies right.


    I have to say, your choice of pre-battle distraction is not what mine would be, Silvertide said with a wry smile. You seem more relaxed than Id expect someone to be when theyve never entered a major battle before. Are you prepared? Well be up against mages, not monsters.


    They might be mind-controlled, right?


    Its possible, Silvertide said with a troubled frown. But we wont have room for mercy until Wizen falls. This is not a battle we can take lightly. If it makes you feel better, it is unlikely that Wizen has many people controlled actively. That would take an immense amount of magical power that I doubt even he has. I doubt he would waste so much when he has far better ways to fight us off.


    Then well be up against people that chose to stand in our way, Noah said, setting his jaw. In which case, they die all the same as monsters do. All that matters is stopping Wizen and getting out alive.


    Spoken like a true Soldier.


    Prepare yourselves, Godricks voice echoed through the room. A loud hum filled the air as energy prickled against Noahs skin. The transport cannon is activating! We dont know what were up against, but your goal is to stop Wizen at any costs. Destroy or remove the key from his possession. Collateral damage is irrelevant. Do not engage Wizen directly unless you have no choice.


    Not exactly a rousing speech, but certainly to the point.


    The roar of the energy grew louder. Purple sparks flashed all around the group of Enforcers and, out of the corner of his eye, Noah spotted Tim on the lift as it rattled down, bringing him out of the range of the Transport Cannons magic.


    Then there was a brilliant flash. The world disappeared in screaming purple light, and they were all gone.

 Chapter 449: Resolution

    Chapter 449: Resolution


    It was the longest trip with a transport cannon that Noah had ever experienced. Purple stretched and swirled around him. Energy prickled furiously all along his skin and, somehow, inside of him as well. His stomach clenched and flopped back and forth and still the sensation continued.


    He could have sworn that they spent nearly ten minutes hurtling through the ether before the ground finally and rudely made itself known once more. Noah hit it feet first with a grunt and stumbled, only getting lucky enough to catch himself on a wall. Theyd arrived somewhere pitch black.


    Other mages popped into existence all around him and a wave of disorientation passed its way through all of them. It was a few seconds before Noah could think properly again. The others came too around the same time, and someone sent an orb of light into the air to illuminate their surroundings. He quickly spotted Lee and Moxie beside him before letting his attention drift farther outward.


    Theyd arrived in a large cavern. Four large tunnels led out from it and stalactites hung from the ceiling. Heavy notes of mildew and moss hung in the air around them and he could just barely make out the distant vibrations of dripping water somewhere below them.


    Nobody made a noise. The Enforcers quietly gathered themselves into ranks and stood still as Godrick made his way to the front. Several mages closed their eyes, likely scanning the surroundings to see if anyone had noticed their arrival.


    Noah did the same. He focused on his body imbuements and dialed up their sensitivity, searching for vibrations in the stone that would indicate the presence of one of Wizens men. Aside from the dripping water beneath them, he found nothing.


    That said, that didnt mean nobody was there. The information he could pick up on was hindered by the presence of everyone in the room around him and the natural vibrations of the earth itself. Someone could have easily been near the edges of where he could sense. Noah waited to see if anyone else would detect something, but it seemed that nobody did.


    Right, Godrick said, his gruff voice muted as it broke the silence. It doesnt seem like any of Wizens men are in this area. That probably means weve made it in undetected, but we have no way to know for sure.


    Where exactly are we, an Enforcer beside Noah asked. How far is Wizen from us?


    Were quite close. We should be below his sanctum, Julius said, emerging from the crowd to stand beside Godrick. He leaned against his staff, the six bands on his jacket glistening in the light of the orb above him. We cant dismiss the possibility that Wizen knew we would arrive here, but the lack of a trap in the area makes it likely that he either doesnt know were present or doesnt care.


    Hes not stupid enough to ignore an entire group of Rank 5 and 6 mages, Silvertide said. Wizen is arrogant, but he didnt come off as an idiot when I spoke with him. If he didnt have something here, its likely we actually managed to get in undetected.


    The plan is the same either way, Godrick said. He nodded to the pathways behind him. We have to get the key but to do that, we need to take fights on our terms. My team will actively seek out Wizen and bide our time for as long as possible while doing our best to avoid being spotted. Everyone else kill as many of his men as you can on the way up. If he gets enough reinforcements, we could get overwhelmed. Our numbers are an advantage we cant afford to lose. If Wizen starts using the key, my team will delay until everyone can make it.


    Everyone nodded. There wasnt much more to say, and Godricks plan sounded solid in theory. If they picked Wizens people off on the way up, theyd have the advantage of surprise and would hopefully be able to swarm him when the time for the final fight came.


    Well have to be fast, Julius warned. Surprise is on our side, but I doubt Wizen will be caught off guard for long. Move quickly and do not linger. Remain in groups whenever possible but remember that our ultimate goal is getting or destroying the key no matter the cost. Now break off!


    The Enforcers burst into hushed motion. They split into teams of four and shot disappeared down the tunnels. Silvertide stayed behind as the other thinned. Soon, he, Brayden, and Noahs group were the only ones left in the cave.


    Silvertide didnt even break his stride. He walked straight up to the room, forcing the others to hurry to keep up with him. Noah stepped into the doorway just moments after Silvertide had, readying Natural Disaster.


    A dark-robed man was already midway through turning toward him when Silvertide ran a finger along the edge of his staff. Noah caught a glimpse of pale lips parting beneath the mans hood in surprise an instant before a thin ribbon of blood bloomed at his neck.


    The mans body pitched forward and his head rolled back. Silvertide stuck his staff out, catching the body and grabbing the mans head by the hair before it could hit the ground. The scraps of his hood fluttered down and landed silently on the floor as blood started to pour from the corpse.


    Holy shit. What the hell is Silvertide? I didnt even see him move or notice him casting any magic.


    Silvertide lowered the body to the ground and jerked his chin back toward the hall. Come. We cant be wasting our time. It seems none of the others happened to go in this direction.


    Has anyone ever told you that youre terrifying? Noah muttered as they stepped back into the hall. You didnt even stop to check who you killed.


    Has anyone ever told you that you are quite the conundrum, Vermil?


    Noah tilted his head to the side. How so?


    You carry yourself like a soldier. Your attitude and fighting style reflect that to the point where I sometimes start to think that youve walked the line between life and death more than I have. Then you go and say something like that.


    Like what?


    Being concerned about the enemy, Silvertide replied. We are at war, Vermil. The individual life does not matter. Wizen is not just a single mage. Youve seen what hes capable of at a massive range when he isnt even interested in fighting. Hes now got a deadly artifact and is in the seat of his power. We cant afford to think about who were killing. You have an odd mixture of willingness to kill and do whatever you need to in order to accomplish your goals as well as a reluctance to actually put those ideals to the test.


    Noahs brow furrowed as he thought over Silvertides words. Its not that Im reluctant to kill. I just dont want to kill anyone innocent.


    Neither do I, Silvertide said. If someone lays their weapons down the instant we arrive, then perhaps they can be spared. But we cannot take risks. We only live a single time, and a blade to the back will kill me as surely as anyone else. You are going to have to choose which of your ideals you will stick to if you want to avoid losing either your life or those of your allies. You cannot have both, and youll learn that the easy way or the hard way.


    With that, Silvertide fell silent and they continued down the hall once more. His words echoed through Noahs mind as they headed deeper into Wizens sanctum. By the time theyd reached the end of the next bend, Noahs jaw had set.


    Silvertide had probably meant for his words to be pondered over, but hed been right about one thing in particular. Noah was a whole lot older than he was and he knew himself more than well enough to know which sins he could bear.


    Losing Lee or Moxie wasnt an option. If that landed innocent blood on his hands, then so be it. There was no room for mercy or caution when the danger was this high. Any threats would either be killed or get him first and then hed come back and kill them anyway.

 Chapter 450: Wizen

    Chapter 450: Wizen


    With Silvertide at the lead, they continued deeper into the heart of Wizens sanctum. There were surprisingly few people in it, and the caves were well, just caves. Noah wasnt fully sure what hed been expecting.


    The tiled path led them past several rooms, but almost all of them were empty. The ones that did have anything in them only possessed furniture that Noah would have expected to find in a normal house.


    Something about it almost felt wrong, but it was hard to place what. With everything Noah knew about Wizen, hed fully expected to find something that would have fit into a supervillains lair. Some dungeons. Chains, screaming prisoners. Anything.


    Instead, it just felt like he was invading someones underground house. That wasnt to say that Noah felt bad about it, but it struck him that he would probably find half of the things he was expecting to find under Fathers house rather than here.


    They ran into another one of Wizens men on their path deeper into the lair, but he met the exact same end as the first under Silvertides impossibly fast magic. The man didnt even get a chance to notice that they were there.


    Whats up with this place? Moxie muttered as stepped over the dead man and continued down the hall. Theres no way nobody has noticed were attacking yet.


    It is a bit odd, Silvertide allowed. They turned down a sloping corner and stepped into a slightly wider hall. It was equally as deserted as the ones before it, but several branching paths stretched off from a dozen doors on each side of it. Silvertide let out a grunt. That is a lot of paths.


    This feels more like a maze than someones hideout, Noah said. And whats the point of having so much space if you dont use the majority of it? Every room just has random furniture in it but he doesnt seem to have anywhere near enough people to fill the rooms.


    Perhaps its purpose is to confuse, Silvertide said. His features darkened. Or perhaps Wizen has far more men than we were led to believe. I did not think he had an entire army down here.


    Nobody weve run into so far has been all that strong, Moxie said. If its an army, it isnt a powerful one. And an army doesnt do you any good if youre not actually using them when youre under attack.


    Silvertide pursed his lips, then shook his head. There is nothing to be gained from speculation. Do any of you have an inclination toward any of the rooms before us? They are all the same to me.


    I thought you knew where we were going, Noah said. You chose all the other paths so confidently before.


    That would be because I was searching for people. There isnt anyone left alive anywhere near us.


    Seriously? How does Wizen have so few people? Silvertides senses are nearly as long ranged as Lees are, and she can pick people out from so far. Is this place really that big?


    Lee, any thoughts? Noah asked. Youre the one with the best senses here.


    It was a few moments before Lee replied. Im not sure. Silvertide is right. I cant really smell anyone close by. Its weird, though. There definitely were people here. A lot of them. But everyone is gone.


    They left the sanctum entirely? Moxie asked. Or are they just not here?


    Lee shook her head. The sanctum is big enough that I cant tell without sniffing around more. But


    She trailed off and they all looked to her expectantly.


    All information is important right now, Silvertide said gently, putting a hand on Lees shoulder with the patience of a man that had dealt with a lot more than most ever had the misfortune to see in life. Even if you think it isnt or dont want to bother us with idle thoughts. Youd be surprised what the subconscious mind can pick up on.


    I think I know where Wizen is, Lee said. Hes probably with the key, right?


    Almost certainly, Silvertide said. You located the key? How?


    I smell it, Lee replied. She hesitated for a second longer, and a flicker of fear passed through her eyes before she quashed it. And its getting stronger. I think Wizen is using it.


    Wizen. Neir stepped out into the room, his face cold.


    You didnt bring enough men, the cloaked man said, and Noah recognized his voice instantly. It was Wizen. Im disappointed you thought so little of me.


    Neir didnt respond. He made to lunge forward, but a hand shot from behind him and slammed down on his shoulder, halting the Enforcer before he could move. Godrick stepped out, blood trickling from a wound on the side of his head. His shirt was ripped apart and he sported several nasty cuts.


    Godrick! Neir exclaimed. I thought


    Wizen didnt send enough men, Godrick said, the corner of his lip curling into a grim smile.


    Can you really be so bold when the majority of the ones you brought with you already lie dead? Wizen asked. One survivor is nothing to be proud of.


    Youve been spending magical energy this whole time at an enormous rate, Godrick said, ignoring Wizen. Theres only so much power any one man can have, and no Enforcer went down without a fight. Youre on your last legs.


    Are you going to ask me to surrender? To give the key over? Wizen asked, tilting his concealed head to the side. Are you that certain that I cannot handle two more rats?


    He doesnt notice us yet. This is a really good opportunity for a sneak attack, then. If we time it together with Godrick and Neir


    Noah glanced to the others behind him. Silvertide inclined his head slightly. Theyd both come to the same idea. Amongst all of them, Silvertide was the fastest. He had to be the one to move first if they wanted the highest chance of landing anything. The old soldier gestured for Noah and Moxie to stand back, then readied his walking stick.


    Godrick nodded to Neir, and the other Enforcer moved to the side, starting to flank Wizen. Throw me the key. You cant win this.


    Wizen arched an eyebrow in response. What makes you so sure?


    This is a path to mutual destruction. The key isnt worth all this. Youre a powerful mage, Wizen. You could progress without standing in the path of the entire kingdom. This isnt the right path. Even if you somehow manage to defeat us, the reward isnt worth the cost.


    Wizen reached into his robes and pulled free a large dagger. Noah caught a glimpse of a key embedded into the blades handle as Wizen turned it over in his hands. You cannot believe that I would go through all this trouble simply to hand the key back over, do you?


    Its that or death, Godrick said grimly. Im not dumb enough to think that we can take you out without taking even more damage, but weve got more Enforcers on the way and youre one bad move away from death. Using that key is impossible it requires too much power. You are doing all this work for nothing. Is it really worth it?


    A quiet laugh echoed from Wizens lips. Yes, noble dog. It is. Heel.


    And that was it for their discussions.


    Neir and Godrick shot forward as one. Silvertides magic flared and he sent a blurred line of gray metal hurtling through the air toward Wizen with such speed that Noah could barely even track it.


    A wall of flame roared up from the ground in front of Godrick, forcing him to fling himself out of the way to avoid getting melted on the spot. Wizen twisted, somehow managing to spot Silvertides magic coming. He carved down with the dagger in his left hand and a red disk split the air, swallowing the attack before it could touch him.


    At the same time, Wizen thrust his other hand toward Neir. A wave of gray magic leapt from it and slammed into the Enforcer with blinding speed. The magic picked him up and slammed him into the wall with such force that he was embedded straight into the stone. Dark energy hissed and popped around his body and his head slumped forward.


    Lee drew in a sharp breath. Her eyes were locked on the burning red portal that floated beside Wizen.


    Neir! Godrick yelled.


    You were incorrect on every count. I still have more than enough energy left to fight. There is nothing that any of you could offer me that would give me even a second of pause. Wizens eyes burned like two icy flames in the sea of darkness beneath his hood as he turned to look straight at Noahs group. And the keys powers are already within my grasp.

 Chapter 451: The Weave

    Chapter 451: The Weave


    Thin strands of metal hissed like a furious snake, shimmering around Silvertide as he leapt into the room and darted for Wizen. A pillar of fire materialized above the old soldier and crashed down toward him.


    Threads of metal crossed over each other in a spilt second, forming into a shield above Silvertides head and blocking the blast of flame. It roared past him harmlessly, licking across the floor, scorching tile black.


    A thick beam of silver blurred toward Wizen. The cloaked mage raised a hand and a wave of earth rolled up from the ground and the metal drove into it, grinding to a halt before it could pass through. It flicked back to Silvertide, who was forced to dodge to the side as a ball of fire materialized where hed been standing.


    Godrick slammed his hands together, pulling them apart to reveal two long blades that hummed with dull white energy, and burst into motion to join Silvertides fight. Brayden flickered and vanished from view, reforming in the room with his huge sword in his hands.


    Noahs violin materialized in his hands as the three mages bore down at Wizen from all sides. Lee took a step forward but Moxie grabbed her, pulling the demon back.


    We fight from the back, Moxie said, vines crawling out from her robes and working their way into the ground. Wizen isnt someone we can risk getting close to. Look at him.


    She was right. Noahs attention was focused on pouring power into his song as he prepared a Formation, but it was abundantly clear that Wizen was nowhere near outmatched. Even with three powerful mages attacking him, he was holding his own.


    Swirling red energy danced around the mans body, absorbing Silvertides blows before they could reach him, and every part of the room seemed to have come alive in Wizens defense. Great swathes of stone ripped themselves free of the ground and formed into spikes and blades that jabbed at the Enforcers, forcing them to keep their distance.


    Fire materialized in the air and lit the room with loud roars, and blades of wind whistled around Wizen with such intensity that their screaming nearly made Noahs ears bleed. Fortunately for him, they also meant that he could play his violin without having to worry about volume.


    Even though the violin was capable of repressing its song, being able to hear what he was actually playing as it was meant to be heard made things a lot easier. The bow flitted across the strings of the violin and Noahs fingers blurred as he poured magical power into the instrument.


    The fight in the room below had grown more intense. What had once been a few individual strands of silver was now a veritable sea. Silvertide had filled nearly a quarter of the room with his rippling magical thread and it swirled around his body like a cloak, blocking Wizens strikes before they could land.


    Godricks swords seemed to sing a song as they danced through the air. He carved through fire, wind, and stone alike as he pushed to grow closer to Wizen, but the nearer he got, the more powerful the cloaked mans magic seemed to grow.


    Brayden vanished in a shimmer of purple only to reform in the exact same spot as Wizen thrust a hand in his direction, his own fingers crackling with the exact same purple energy.


    Damned Plains, Moxie breathed. How is he doing that? Hes casting four or five completely different kinds of magic at the exact same time. That shouldnt be possible.


    Wizen didnt seem concerned with what was or wasnt possible. His robes flapped furiously around his body like he was caught in the center of a violent storm. For an instant, his hood pulled back far enough for Noah to catch a glimpse of his lips, curled down in displeasure. Is this all Enforcers have to offer? I suppose I should have known.


    Godrick pressed his swords together. A deep thump ripped through the room and white mist curled up around his body. A second thump followed after it and another came after heartbeats, magnified like Noah was hearing them through a stethoscope.


    The mist curled around his body and formed into ghastly armor. Tendrils of it reached out and gathered at Godricks feet and he blurred, vanishing.Folloow current novE?ls on nov/3lb((in).(co/m)


    He reformed directly in front of Wizen. The strands of white mist shot out like sword strikes, driving for every part of the cloaked man. Wizen clapped his hands together and the spines pierced straight through his body. Godricks sword followed after the spikes an instant later.


    They carved a huge X straight through Wizens body, passing clean through him and coming out on the other side wreathed in white mist.


    Wizen didnt so much as flinch. Shimmering particles curled away from the path that the swords had followed as his body pulled itself back together like fog parted by the hand of a curious child.


    A bolt of purple energy leapt from Wizens hand and struck Godricks armor, but it disintegrated as it touched him. Silvertide leapt at his back, sending a wave of metal crashing down toward him.


    Noah muted his music, pressing to play the last few notes in silence to avoid drawing Wizens attention until the last possible second.


    Barb dropped down from a passageway far above them, landing beside Wizen with a grunt. The hand that shed lost back in Arbitage was still missing, but she cradled a bundle under her arm.


    Sorry, Barb said with an apologetic smile. I lost some of my equipment and had to go looking for it. You know how it is.


    Why do I tolerate you? Wizen nodded to the fallen mages. Finish these ones off. Ive gathered enough


    His head snapped around, his pale blue eyes locking with Noahs just before he could play the final note.


    Wizen blurred, appearing directly before him, and reached for Noahs neck with blinding speed. Lee slammed into him, driving her palm into his arm and bringing her knee up into his elbow in an attempt to break it.


    Her strikes bounced off his body, but they managed to redirect Wizens hand just enough to stop it from reaching Noah as he played the last note of the formation.


    The air trembled. A black spear materialized, carved down, and slammed into the cloaked mans shoulder with the weight of a falling mountain. Wizen snarled in pain and twisted. A sickeningly familiar energy swirled around his hand and gathered at his fingertips as he slammed them into the spear.


    For an instant, the two locked in place. Energy screamed around Wizens body, sending arcs of electric black power scorching into the ground around him and turning it to glass. He let out a roar of defiance. His hand squeezed shut. The spear shattered. Wizen stumbled, blood trickling down from his shoulder as he spun toward Noah.


    Impossible, Wizen breathed. You have Weave?


    He snapped his fingers and the gravity seemed to multiply by a thousandfold. Sheer runic force slammed Noah to his knees. Moxie and Lee crashed down beside him, unable to even muster the force to fill their lungs with air to speak.


    Wizen reached down and grabbed Noah by the collar, lifting him into the air. With his other hand, he dug the dagger into the air behind him and carved open a rippling red portal.


    I did not think anyone else possessed Weave, Wizen said. His breath, only inches from Noahs face, smelled like rotting carrion. But you have found something that I have not, havent you? That was a different way of using the Rune or perhaps a different Rune altogether? It will be mine. Come, Barb.


    Barb nodded and stepped through the portal and disappeared. Noah tried to draw on his magic, but it was like breathing underwater. He couldnt even muster the energy to blow himself up. Wizen had completely suppressed him, body and runes alike.


    Wizen took a step toward the portal to follow after Barb and a cry split the silence. Lee burst into motion and launched up from where shed fallen, driving her shoulder into Wizens chest. A single red horn curled from her right temple, the left one broken off at the root.


    A flicker of surprise passed over Wizens face and he lost his footing for a brief instant. Lees fingers, sharpened into long claws, dug into the skin of his wrist as she hurled her full weight into the mage.


    Wizens fingers loosened. Noah crumpled to the ground, still completely unable to move, as Lee threw both herself and Wizen into the portal to the Damned Plains.


    The world seemed to drag to a crawl as Wizens body pitched into the red light. The instant he disappeared, Noahs body fell back under the control of his own mind.


    No! Noah screamed, lunging for Lee as she fell into the portal. His hand managed to catch her by the ankle but the pull of the magic was immense and far greater than anything he could hope to resist.


    There was nothing he could do to stop her from falling in. He didnt even have time to think about his options. There was only a flicker of an instant to make a choice, and but he didnt even need that long.


    His grip tightened. The portal yanked Noah off the ground and into its churning depths alongside Lee. He felt something wrap around his own legs, but he didnt get a chance to see what it was.


    The roaring crimson light of the infernal passage swallowed the world, and the Damned Plains waited beyond it.

 Chapter 452: The Damned Plains

    Chapter 452: The Damned Plains


    All the air was knocked from Noahs lungs as something punched into his stomach. The red energy of the portal vanished with a sizzle as he doubled over, coughing, and slammed into the ground. Rough dirt pressed against his cheek and a dry, acrid stench worked its way into his nose, something between sulfur and burnt bread.


    It felt like his body had been stuffed through a sausage grinder. Every single one of his muscles ached and a furious headache pounded in a temple. Even though his eyes were still squeezed shut, the world shuddered, spun, twirled like he was on a carnival ride.


    One of his hands was still wrapped around something. It took his reeling mind a moment to remember what it was. He forced his eyes open and shoved himself up with his free hand, ignoring the sharp earth as it pushed into his palm.


    Lee laid before him, her form back to normal. Her claws and horn had receded. He still had a vice grip on her ankle. Red dirt stretched out all around them, a ruddy color that would have looked right at home on the surface of mars. Noah coughed some dust out of his lungs.


    Something shifted behind him and he jerked his head around, only to find Moxie pushing herself up. Her hair was covered with a fine layer of dust and her clothes were streaked with reddish-brown streaks from the ground.


    A vague memory of something snagging onto his leg before hed entered the portal passed through his mind. Shed done the exact same move to him that he had to Lee.


    Noah tried to speak but ended up coughing up more bitter dust instead. He doubled over, heaving and coughing in an attempt to empty his lungs. Moxie joined him in his coughing fit. By the time the two of them had managed to gather themselves again, Lee had started to stir.


    She sat up and looked down at the ground, rubbed it between two fingers, then let her hand drop once more. Lee blinked heavily several times to get the dust out of her eyes, then wiped her face with the back of her arm.


    Noah? Moxie? Why are you here? Lee asked. She blinked again, then rubbed at her eyes once more. Are you here?


    As far as I know, yes, Noah replied. His throat was dry and scratchy, but at least he could breathe properly again. He ran his tongue along his lips and grimaced in distaste. The bitter taste of the ground had still yet to leave his mouth. Is everyone okay?


    Im alive, and it looks like the two of you are as well. Moxie pushed her hair away from her face. I think thats the best we could have possibly hoped after that shitshow.


    I dont get it. Why are you here? Lee asked, a note of panic entering her voice. Why did you follow me? Dont you realize what happened? Were in


    The Damned Plains, Noah finished. He directed his gaze upward. A vast expanse of black stretched above him, entirely devoid of clouds or stars. Swirls of red energy slithered through the sky like serpents, passing over an enormous, light blue moon. I know, Lee. Wizen got the key working.


    If you knew, why did you follow me in? Lee demanded, then doubled over coughing as she accidentally inhaled some of the dust floating around them. She wiped her mouth off with the back of a sleeve. I pushed you out of the way so you wouldnt fall in!The most uptodate novels are published on n0velbj)n((.))co/m


    Which I deeply appreciate, Noah said, casting his gaze around them. There was nothing but rolling red hills. Of Wizen, there was no sign. You saved me from getting dragged along by Wizen. He wasnt holding onto us when we fell into the portal, so it looks like we got sent somewhere else.


    Maybe some god felt pity for all the stupid shit weve been through, Moxie muttered. She started trying to comb the dust out of her hair, and Noah caught a faint tremble in her fingers.


    He could feel the same shaking in his own hands, a mixture of fading adrenaline and worry swirling its way through his bloodstream and winding around his chest. They were in the Damned Plains.


    If you knew, why did you do it? Lees gaze bored into his head and her hands tightened in the red dirt.


    Its pretty varied. Not as much as the human world but varied. Its just that every part of it is awful, Lee said. She sniffed at the air and grimaced, rubbing at her nose. A lot of it is like this. Theyre called Wastes. This is where many of the lowest level demons and bottom feeders hide. I spent a lot of time in places like this.


    They hide? Noah looked around the sand, then drew on his imbuements to see if there was anything nearby. There didnt seem to be any movement around them that was out of the ordinary. Where?


    Not usually in the ground, Lee answered. There are other places. Caves. Cliffsides. All over. This area is just even more barren than most.


    Any plants? Moxie asked hopefully.


    Not really. Not here, at least.


    Thats fine. I brought my own.


    What else should we know off the bat? Noah asked. I vaguely recall you mentioning the existence of roaming demon cities. Can we


    No. Its too dangerous. Lee shook her head firmly. I know the mortal realm was different, but the limit here isnt Rank 6. There are Rank 7 demons in many of the cities. They dont just let you in. You need to prove your worth to them.


    And how do we do that? Moxie asked. Kill a bunch of people?


    Not too far from the truth, Lee admitted. You need to be of high enough rank or have someone vouch for you, and then you need to bring a suitable sacrifice to the ruler of the city youre trying to enter. Thats usually some part of another demon you ran into. The stronger, the better.


    So we just need to find a demon that acts like an asshole and we can head over to one of the cities? Noah asked. Because that seems like it would be the most logical first step. Im sure the demons have some sort of information exchange, so we could try to learn about Wizen and what hes up to.


    Youre forgetting something, Lee said. She poked Noah in the chest. You and Moxie are human. There isnt much more valuable to demons than that. Youre a walking source of food. Humans dont just walk around in the Damned Plains.


    Noah winced. That was a pretty good point. Never? Is it really that obvious? I never thought that much about it, but if you just feast on emotion can you really tell whos a demon and who isnt? You didnt even have horns until recently.


    Well your emotions taste better. You cant really tell immediately, but demons and humans have differences. You know that. Youve seen me and Azel. We dont have domains and stuff. We also act really differently. A human would get spotted really fast.


    Noah tilted his head to the side. Thats it?


    What do you mean, thats it? Thats a lot.


    Its definitely a problem, but if Im understanding this correctly, youve just told me that as long as we act like demons and dont reveal our domains, the other demons wont have any way to know that we arent demons. Am I right?


    Well yeah. I guess, Lee said with a small frown. I havent put that much thought into it, but powerful demons can take on human forms.


    Then I think we should go find that sacrifice and the nearest city, Noah said, a determined smile pulling across his lips. Because if theres one thing Im really damn good at, its bullshitting.

 Chapter 453: The first battle

    Chapter 453: The first battle


    It turned out that the Wastes were a fair bit larger than Noah had initially thought. Traveling through the ruddy orange-red desert wasnt exactly the most comfortable experience. He was fortunate enough to have brought his flying sword along with him, but since Lee no longer had her ability to transform, they all had to squeeze on and cling to each other for dear life.


    After a few near-crashes, they eventually found a setup that worked well enough to let them stay in the air. Moxie stood at the front of the sword and Noah held her to his chest while Lee clung to his back like a mixture between a monkey and a backpack.


    They flew relatively low to the ground, not wanting to get too high and risk a crash being fatal.


    Lee had been right about the desert being more than just dirt and sand. After just a few hours, they started to pass large protrusions of hole-filled rocks that rose up from the ground, some as large as three or four story buildings.


    The holes were large enough for a person to squeeze into if they were so inclined, and according to Lee, many of them stretched far underground. Noah had no desire to investigate. From what she had said, the only thing that lived in the area were weak demons.


    Several times, he could have sworn that he caught a glimpse of eyes peering at them from within the holes or from the edges of the stone structures as they passed. They were always gone by the time he checked again and they were moving too fast and were still too far for his Body Imbuements to be of much use.


    Hours flew by literally as they zipped across the Damned Plains. Lee occasionally yelled for him to change directions, but the Wastes seemed to stretch on and on without any end. The only way to track the time was by watching the enormous moon overhead. Something told Noah its cycle wasnt the same as the ones he was used to.


    Even though he could have sworn it had been nearly a full day of flying by how hungry hed started to get, the moon had only crawled a short way through the sky. That meant he was delusional or the day-night cycles here were considerably longer than they were on the mortal realm.


    Lee smacked her forehead into Noahs shoulder twice, which was their established signal for land the sword. He adjusted his course, leaning forward and bringing it down toward a dune near a tall outcropping of black rock.VIsit  for the best novel reading experience


    They all hopped off the sword as it slid to a stop.


    What is it? Noah asked, glancing around the desert. It looked just about the same as every other part that theyd passed through to his eyes. Do you need to relieve yourself?


    No. We need a sacrifice if we want to enter the city, Lee said. And if youre planning to pretend to be powerful, then well probably need one for each of us.


    Noah tilted his head to the side. Powerful means giving up more? From what I know of demons, I would have thought that showing up with almost nothing would have been a way to act superior.


    No. Giving up more shows youre so strong or rich that giving it away doesnt even affect you, Lee explained.


    Okay, I can see that, Noah allowed. He glanced around again. So why did we stop here?


    To get our first sacrifice. There should be something pretty strong in this area.


    What kind of demon could we be up against? Noah asked as he stepped onto the stone and approached one of the large, spongelike holes that led into it.


    There are a lot of different kinds, Lee replied. Her brow furrowed in thought. Its hard to say exactly which one would be here. The smell of mushrooms is actually pretty strong, so it might be something that really likes them. An Ettercap, maybe?


    What Rank are they on average?


    I cant remember, Lee said sheepishly. But I remember they were pretty strong. Every time one approached my hiding place I ran. Theyre not monsters I would take too lightly. They really like ambushing you, so watch out for


    Noahs senses flared a warning as something shifted in the shadows. A flash of wrinkly beige flesh caught Noahs eyes and he spun toward it, thrusting his hands forward and releasing the energy from Natural Disaster that hed been holding at the ready.


    A brilliant flash of yellow light lit the cave, revealing a big, lumpy mushroom nearly half Noahs height. It had a bright red cap covered with white spots and, for a flicker of an instant, a shocked expression crossed the beady features on the mushrooms stalk.


    Then it exploded with a loud pop, splattering mushroom matter all over the ground as it pitched back, dead before it could even make a move. The three of them stared at the corpse as energy rose from it and entered Noah, who was too stunned at the pathetic attempt at putting up a fight to even try Sundering it.


    Er was that a baby? Moxie asked.


    Lee poked at the dead monster with a toe. I dont think so. Its about as big as I remember them being.


    Lee, one quick question, Noah said. When you said that the monsters in this area were powerful, was that in reference to how strong you used to be? Or how strong you are now?


    After a second of hesitation, Lee scratched the back of her neck and gave Noah a sheepish smile. I think it might be a little bit of the first one.


    I cant really blame her. After all the time she spent stuck here wanting to escape, its only natural for her to have the memories of how dangerous the monsters that were once a threat to her locked in her mind, even if they dont stand a chance against us anymore.


    Its okay, Noah said. He looked down at the pulped mushroom. Would this really be enough to be as sacrifice?


    Now that I think about it, I dont actually know what the sacrifices usually were if you were strong, Lee admitted. I almost never went to the cities. They arent kind to really weak demons. But if the Ettercap is actually this much worse than I remember


    She trailed off and they all exchanged a look, coming to the same conclusion at the same time. If the goal was to come off as powerful as possible, they couldnt roll up to the demon city with just a squished mushroom.


    Were going to need to find some stronger demons, Moxie said.

 Chapter 454: Class meeting

    Chapter 454: Class meeting


    Brayden wasnt any stranger to delivering bad news, but he was used to the news being the edge of his blade. This time it was words. As he looked out at Vermils students, his stomach clenched, heart heavy and neck cold, he found that he vastly preferred the former option.


    There was no other option. This was his duty, no matter how distasteful it was no. Especially because of that. He gathered his breath and blew it out, words escaping his minds search no matter how hard he tried to find them.


    Wheres Vermil? Alexandra asked, suspicion clear in her voice. Why did you call us here?


    Vermil is gone, Brayden forced out, his hands tightening around the base of the chair before him until the wood started to creak and groan. This definitely wasnt the proper way to deliver the news. He didnt know what the proper way was. All he could offer was the truth. He was pulled into a portal to the Damned Plains, along with Lee and Moxie.


    There were several moments of silence as everyone just stared at him, processing his words. That only made it worse. The chair cracked and splinters crumpled under Braydens fingers, not strong enough to pierce through his skin. He wished they were. Pain would have given him something to distract himself from the stares boring into him.


    Its my fault. I wanted backup on this and I knew Vermil was strong. I was right. If he hadnt been there, Id be dead. Silvertide and Godrick too, likely. And because of that hes gone.


    Hes dead? Alexandra asked, her face going white. How? What? He couldnt


    Hes not dead, Todd said. He locked eyes with Brayden. Right? You said he fell into the portal. All of him? With everything he had?


    Everything, Brayden said. He was alive when he fell in, but


    Todds right, Isabel said. She swallowed, doing a good job of hiding the distress in her face, but her shoulders tightened and her hands were stiff at her sides. He didnt want to go in, did he? He got pulled in?


    Yes, Brayden said. When hed been young, there had been times where hed wished that he could sink through the floor and disappear. And now that he actually could he couldnt. It was ironic. He was trying to pull Lee out of the portal.


    Why didnt you do something about it? James asked in a sharp, biting tone. Brayden recalled the boy having lazy, half-lidded eyes, but there was no trace of them today. James gaze was as sharp as a dagger. Why didnt Silvertide?


    Im sorry, Brayden said, well aware the words were nowhere near enough. I wish I could have. Wizen was far stronger than we expected. We were ready to face a Rank 6 mage, but he was greater than that. Not Rank 7, but it doesnt matter. Theyre just excuses. The fact of the matter is that I was incapable of helping and the others were the same. Vermil saved our lives.


    I dont really give a shit about your lives, Emily spat. Why Moxie too? What happened to her?


    She jumped in after Vermil, Isabel said before Brayden could respond. He blinked in surprise, then nodded.


    Isabel is correct. She grabbed his legs and jumped into the portal.


    The students all exchanged a look. Of them, Brayden was surprised to find that Alexandra looked the most worried. She wasnt speaking much, but he recognized the panic swirling in her eyes.


    Do you know if theyre stuck with Wizen? Isabel asked.


    Its hard to say. Lee was touching him at the last moment, but she wasnt holding onto him. Its likely they were separated. If she held onto Vermil and Moxie, the three of them probably landed elsewhere in the Damned Plains.


    Isabel blew out a relieved breath. Okay. Hell make it out, then. Thanks for letting us know. Is there anything else?


    Brayden blinked. What?


    Vermil isnt dead, Todd said with a resolute nod to Isabel. And he doesnt lose. If he made it down there with all his stuff as well as Moxie and Lee, then theyll be fine.


    Brayden shook his head. It didnt matter. They really didnt have much reason to care about the Enforcers or Wizen. They had a slew of their own issues to deal with. Issues that Vermil and Moxie had been handling.


    Given the circumstances, your class no longer has a teacher, Brayden said. Arbitage requires all students within it to have a mentor if they wish to remain. No matter how sure we are that everyone is going to come back, Arbitage believes them to be dead.


    What does that mean? Isabels eyes narrowed and she rose from her chair. Are they going to try to kick us out?


    No. This isnt the first time a professor has gone missing or died while they have students under them. Theyre going to assign you to a new professor.


    Hell no, Todd said. Arbitage can find an anthill and sit on it. We dont need them anymore. If they think were going to let some asshole noble boss us around, were out of here.


    Isabel looked to Todd, then back to Brayden and nodded. Im with Todd on that. Vermil and Moxie are the only professors Im willing to accept. Ive seen the other ones that Arbitage has to offer. I would be fine with Silvertide, but theres no way hes going to be able to take us all on. Ill just wait until Vermil comes back.


    That wont be possible, Brayden said regretfully. If you leave Arbitage, youd have to re-apply to get back in. And at least for you and Todd, I think you know the chances of that given how you entered the first time.


    Their expressions darkened and the other students sent curious looks their way. Evidently, the full extent of their history wasnt common knowledge. Brayden winced. He hadnt even gotten started and he was already making mistakes.


    Revin might be able to help, James said, sounding like every word physically hurt him to speak.


    Revin? I dont recall anyone with that name.


    That wont be necessary. Brayden raised a hand into the air. If youll all allow me to, I will take over your professors duties until the time that they return. I promise I wont do anything that you dont me to. Ill just be a sparring partner and a way to keep Arbitage off your backs until Vermil, Moxie, and Lee can take back over.


    The worry and stress in the kids faces receded.


    Seriously? Emily asked. Dont you work for the Linwick family doing other stuff?


    Let me handle the consequences. They arent your concern, Brayden said. I owe this much. I wont force it on you, but I think its the best option. Feel free to discuss it among yourselves. Ill step out and wait


    No need, Isabel said. The kids all exchanged a look and nodded to each other before she spoke again. Vermil trusted you, and if you taking over will let us wait until things are back to normal, thats enough for us.


    Brayden blew out a breath he didnt even realize that hed been holding. Part of him had been worried that the kids would have hated him. They probably should have. He didnt know the slightest thing about being a teacher, but if he could repay Vermil even slightly, hed figure it out.


    Then thats what well do, Brayden said.


    Not alone, I hope.


    Brayden spun as a new voice rang out. His sword flew to his hands, but a wave of runic pressure slammed into him before he could move. The air rippled and a hooded man appeared standing just several feet away from him.


    The reached up and pulled his hood back. Braydens eyes went wide.


    Im quite peeved about this, Jalen said. Vermil and I had a game of darts scheduled.


    Youre the guy that came with us to the advanced track meeting. Emily squinted at Jalen. Why are you here?


    Because Vermil was turning you all into quite the little monsters. In his absence, I felt it would only be right if I were to aid in furthering your education. A calculated smile pulled across Jalens lips. He flicked his fingers. The room rippled and several more hooded people appeared behind him. Ive brought a few people that owe Vermil a favor along to help. I hope you dont mind but I dont care if you do. I have high hopes for you all. If youre even half as entertaining as Vermil, then this is going to be fun.

 Chapter 455: Sniffing cities

    Chapter 455: Sniffing cities


    The six-foot tall demon, red skin covered in rippling muscles, with long, black-clawed fingers and two huge horns as long as Noahs arms sprouting from its skull, died when a rock fell on its head.


    To be fair to the demon, it was a big rock.


    Noah released his grip on Natural Disaster as Lee and Moxie stepped out from the bend of the tunnel to join him. Theyd been hunting demons for the better part of three days now, and he had to say that they were getting pretty good at it.New novel chapters are published at novelhall.com


    Nice, Lee said with an approving grin as she knelt beside the dead demons body. You do a really good lost, terrified idiot impression. Do you have a lot of practice?


    On some parts of it, Noah replied, feeling the familiar tingle of energy rising up from the demon. He flicked his hand, severing the monsters soul with Sunder. Runes swirled up from it and his grimoire wasted absolutely no time in snatching them up.


    It managed to get six of the runes down before the final one faded away into the ether. It seemed that absorbing Demon Runes took the grimoire a bit longer than normal ones.


    Lee lifted the beachball sized stone hed yanked out of the ceiling and tossed it out of the way like it was a childs toy. She sniffed at the body and nodded up to Noah. This one was Rank 3. Pretty good. Could be a pretty good sacrifice, and you didnt even completely ruin the body this time.


    Look, that wasnt my fault. I wanted to test out Crumbling Space, Noah said crossly. Dont take this the wrong way, but why does every single demon weve run across seem so stupid? Youre so much smarter than they are.


    Lee beamed at him. Thank you.


    Thats not that high of a bar, Moxie said, laughing as she put a hand on Lees head and gave it a small shake. This thing couldnt even string two words together. I was under the impression that demons were more intelligent on average.


    The strong ones are, Lee said with a nod. But there are a ton like this. Brutes at Rank 3 and below that are really strong when you cant fight back, but they cant do much against someone smart. Youve also got a big advantage over them. The majority of them cant project their magic outside of their body, and if they can, its really limited at this Rank.


    Thats right. Its easy to forget that Demons cant actually use magic in the same way humans can. Under Rank 4, theyll basically just be physically strong for the most part. Its kind of funny. Everyone in the mortal world is terrified of demons, but it looks like the majority of them would actually lose to the average mage.


    Its the ones at the peak we have to be worried about. That said, Lee was nowhere near this weak when we first met. Whats up with that massive discrepancy?


    But youre ridiculously fast, Noah said. Why arent these ones that fast too?


    Oh. Thats because this one is stupid, Lee replied. She stood back up and looked back over to Noah,. His runes probably overwhelmed his mind, so he was just a brainless monster. Really dangerous if youre weak, but to us now not nearly as bad. The competent Rank 3 demons are different. They could be pretty fast.


    Okay. Were ready to go to the city, then? Noah asked.


    Yeah. I think so, Lee replied after a second of hesitation. I think weve got everything we need.


    You dont sound too confident.


    Its been a while and the memories Ive got of it arent the best, Lee said. And theyre kinda blurry too. I dont remember all that much. We should have what we need.


    Eh. Good enough for me. Can you sniff out the nearest city? Probably not, since were still


    Yeah. Its over there right now. Lee pointed to Noahs right and he followed her finger to stare into the desert. It looked completely barren.


    Thats right. I forgot she mentioned that the cities moved around in the Damned Plains. Guess theyre more like tribes than actual cities. But how does she know where it is at this range?


    How in the world can you tell anything is over there? Your nose cant possibly be that good. Youd be constantly getting overwhelmed just by existing.


    Oh, I didnt actually smell it this time. You can just tell. There are a bunch of demon runes in that direction. A lot of them.


    Noah blinked. You can detect demon runes?


    Not individual ones. But when there are that many? Yeah. Its just kind of this feeling. Its way stronger in the Damned Plains for some reason. I dont know why, but theres definitely a city over there right now. We should be able to make it in a few hours of travel. Lee hesitated for a second and looked down at all the corpses they had tied up. The flying sword definitely wasnt meant to lug that many people around. Maybe a bit more than a few. But soon.


    Interesting. Demon Runes are really different from mortal ones. I wonder if normal monster runes are equally as varied, or if its just demons?


    If its just a few hours, I suppose we might as well get on our way. Im curious to see these cities of yours, Moxie said.


    They all got back onto the flying sword and Noah activated it. It lifted into the air, wavering slightly under all the weight it was under, but he pumped it full of wind magic from Natural Disaster until it was able to lift them and their sacrifices off the ground.


    Then they were off, heading in the direction that Lee had indicated, to get their first look at one of the Damned Plains walking cities.

 Chapter 456: Sacrifice

    Chapter 456: Sacrifice


    Several hours of flight later, Noah finally got his first look at a demon city and it became quite clear that something had gotten lost in translation. Hed been picturing a group of nomadic demons carrying their belongings around on their backs and packing up tents whenever they moved around.


    That couldnt have been farther from the truth. The city wasnt made from tarps and poles.


    It was a monster.


    A turtle, so large that it took Noah several seconds to even realize what he was looking at, loomed before them. The monster had a black-scaled shell, weathered from years upon years of travel through the Damned Plains.


    Huge structures rose up from the turtles back, made from grey and black stone. They stabbed into the sky and cut through the swirling energy in the air far above. The demons had built an entire city upon its back, and it was easily several times larger than Arbitage.


    Lifts and rigging hung off the side of the turtles shell, running all the way down to the ground and swaying dangerously. A massive yellow eye on the turtles wrinkled face stared off into the distance.


    One of the turtles feet was several hundred spans off the ground, seemingly in the process of taking a step. Based on the speed it was moving, it would be quite some time before the foot landed.


    Noah nearly lost his concentration and crashed the flying sword, but he managed to keep them off the ground. They werent too far from the turtle now, though its ridiculous size definitely made it seem closer than it actually was.


    What the fuck is that? Noah screamed over the howl of the wind.


    I told you, Lee called back. Its a moving city!


    When you said moving, that was not what I was picturing!


    How else would it move?


    Dont act like this is normal!


    It is, though.


    Okay, fair point.


    Where exactly are we supposed to land? Moxie yelled, twisting her neck to look over her shoulder and back at them. Do we just fly up onto the turtles back?


    No. We need to give the sacrifice. Go to the lifts hanging from it and we can get into one of the lines. But once were there, if something goes wrong, it might be really hard to get away. Are we sure this is the right move?


    I dont think we have many other options. We cant just hide in the Wastes forever. Theres only so much we can accomplish there. The only path forward is through a city.


    Noah directed the sword toward the lifts at the bottom of the turtle and started mentally preparing himself. It had been a bit since hed had to put on a front like this one, but he did have some practice pretending to be a demon from back during his first visit to the Linwick Estate.


    Itll probably be a bit harder to convince demons than humans, but I had Azel knocking around in my head for long enough to get a good feel for how they act.


    Any last-minute warnings before we land? Noah called as they grew closer to the milling crowd around the base of the turtle. And get your game faces on. From here on out, were all demons.


    Well, if they were struggling with the Ettercaps, they couldnt have been all that strong. Looks like the guards like extorting the people trying to go through the chump entrance.


    The next group approached the front of the line. Theyd brought an entire sled piled high with hoglike monsters along with them. There must have been ten or fifteen of them. The demons pushed it over to guards feet. He examined it for a moment, then took a step back and nodded to the platform.


    Accepted. On you go.


    I dont recognize the hog thing, but they definitely had quite a few of them. Guess they brought enough for the guard to take a cut without complaining.


    The next groups approached the guard and passed on without any trouble, and then it was Noahs turn. He stepped up to the demon and Moxies vines dropped the corpses on the ground between them.


    A slight crease ran through the guards brow as he studied their distinct lack of any demonic features. Noah held his gaze, but he didnt miss the female demon shifting her stance to ready her weapon.


    The hell? I havent even done anything yet.


    Sufficient, I trust? Noah asked, jerking his chin toward the bodies. I dont have all day.


    You trying to hide something? Drop the human forms, the demon said. If youre banned from the city, changing your appearance wont make a difference.


    Ah. No, I wont be doing that. Noah scratched the side of his neck. You can take my word for it. Im not banned.


    Yeah. Thats not happening, the demon said. He tapped his staff on the ground. You best have a whole lot more than this if youre trying to slide in unannounced.


    Aha. So you can bribe your way in even if you do get kicked out. Theres no way Im just going to turn around and go get more shit, though. Weve already wasted enough time screwing around in the deserts. Besides, Im pretty sure that leaving now would be a pretty big sign of weakness.


    Id say thats more than enough as long as you dont take half of it, Noah said dryly. Those demons had more energy in them than the majority of the other ones youve got in that pile behind you.


    Except those were from people that werent trying to hide their identity, the guard said. He pointed the halberd at Noah. And if youre too scared to show your true face, then I think youd be best off turning right around and not showing your sorry hide here until youve got enough to pay the toll.


    I suppose it wouldnt really make sense for a powerful demon to stroll up here in a disguise, so assuming that Im just some random little shit that got kicked out of the city is a pretty safe bet.


    You want me to bring a better bribe? Noah asked innocently. That one took me so long to get, though. I dont want to go back into the Wastes.


    I dont give a damn about you want. The guard let out a snort of laughter and pressed the tip of his spear into Noahs chest. If you want to save time, Id suggest leaving quickly. I dont see any other sacrifices lying around here.


    You dont? Noah asked, tilting his head to the side as energy raced down into his palm. He put a finger against the tip of the halberd. Thats odd. Maybe you should look again.


    He released Crumbling Space. Tiny white cracks raced out, barely even visible as they collapsed in on themselves. The head of the halberd screeched and warped, folding in on itself and shattering in a rain of metal that fell to the ground at their feet, leaving the guard with nothing more than a stick.


    Noah clapped the guard on the shoulder while the man was staring at his weapon in disbelief. It had been some time since hed called on all the vibration elements hed imbued Natural Disaster with, but they came easily to him as he sent energy pouring into the demons body. A violent tremor ripped through the guard with enough force to make his teeth crack against each other. Noah slammed him down to his knees, then leaned down so their gazes met once more.


    I dont know about you, Noah whispered. But I see one more sacrifice kneeling right in front of me.

 Chapter 457: Aladdin

    Chapter 457: Aladdin


    The female guard took a step toward Noah, her eyes cautious as she readied her halberd. But, before she could move, Moxie moved between them. The vines twisting from her robes rose up around her like the heads of a hydra.


    I wouldnt do that if I were you, Moxie said softly. We still need someone alive to operate the lift.


    The guard at Noahs feet stared up at him, jaw clenched and fury burning in his eyes. Killing me would be stealing from Lord Belkus. You wouldnt dare.


    Noah tilted his head to the side. Ironically, his guidelines as to what a demon would do were pretty much asking himself what Father would do in his situation. Straight up killing a random guard probably wouldnt be earning him many points in his favor, but Father wasnt the type to back down without an ulterior motive.


    Why wouldnt I? Noah asked. You arent important. Id imagine one more sacrifice would more than cover the cost of removing an insect from the heel of my shoe. The only thing keeping you alive right now is that Im too lazy to go back into the Wastes right now.


    Who are you? the female guard asked. Shed stopped before Moxie, her wings slightly parted in preparation to either fight or flee. Judging by the way she was carrying herself, it looked like she was at least a little bit more competent than the male demon. I dont know of any demons with your abilities. Was your arrival announced? If it was, reveal your identities and we can put a stop this.


    The male demon lurched, trying to sweep Noahs legs out from him. Instead of trying to dodge, Noah let the demons blow connect. As soon as it did, he sent a wave of vibration from Natural Disaster into the demons body, canceling out the momentum and causing the guard to convulse.


    Noah drew on Natural Disaster once more, causing a powerful gust of wind to gather directly beneath the guard as he reached down. His dusty uniform fluttered around him as his hand wrapped around the demons neck and he lifted him into the air with the aid of the wind centered around them.ReAd latest chapters at novelhall.com Only


    As far as anybody else could likely tell, there was just a breeze rushing by and Noah was just lifting the demon under his own strength.


    I dont have to announce when I arrive, Noah said. My presence is warning enough. I do not have to inconvenience myself for the likes of you.


    He threw the guard to the ground at his feet, releasing Natural Disaster so he didnt have to keep drawing energy from it and risk somebody noticing that he wasnt tossing people around under his own strength.


    The demon scrambled to his feet and backed up until he stood beside his fellow guard. His hands twitched at his sides and his gaze flicked to the shattered weapon lying beside Noah.


    Im getting impatient, Noah said quietly. He tapped his foot on the ground. Make a decision. Minor inconvenience or not, itll be the same to me in the end and thats assuming your Lord even notices when you go missing.


    A second of terse silence passed. The guards jaw set. An instant before he could speak, any words hed had planned were silenced as the winged demon held her hand up in front of him.


    Your sacrifice is sufficient, she said, inclining her head just enough to acknowledge him but without getting too respectful. Her wings folded back in and she moved to the side, nodding up to the platform.


    Noah bared his teeth in a flat smile. Very clever. It was a pleasure meeting you both.


    Lee scooped the haft of the guards weapon off the ground and examined it with a critical eye.


    I left my axe behind. Can I take this? Lee asked.


    Lee chewed on the end of the stick that shed taken from the guard. I love this stuff.


    Wood? Noah asked. Youre getting worse. At least you were mostly eating edible things before.


    No. Its dry sinew, Lee said, still gnawing at the spear haft. Wood is hard to get in the Damned Plains. Its basically really stiff beef jerky. Want to try some?


    Noah sent it a suspicious look. No. I think Ill be fine. We just killed a bunch of stuff so Im not going to starve to death anytime soon.


    He paused, then a grimace passed over his lips. Shit. We just left all our money with the guards, didnt we?


    Gold still works, Lee said. Its just a little less common. A lot of demons bring it back after they leave the Mortal Plane, but not normal ones. Its pretty much exclusive to the stronger classes.


    Well, I suppose that works out, doesnt it? I dont have that much on me anyway. Moxie?


    Around one hundred, Moxie said after digging through her bag for a moment. I wouldnt mind finding a proper meal but we really need to figure out what our actual plan is from here on out. We cant just wander around the city getting into shit until we stumble into someone that can find Wizen.


    Agreed. Theres no point finding Wizen until we have a way to actually fight him, Noah said. Which means we need either allies or power, and ideally both.


    Allies? Lees nose scrunched and she pulled the chewed-up polearm shaft out of her mouth. Here?


    You turned out pretty well.


    Im unique.


    That you are, Noah agreed. But Im sure well be able to find some demons that we can convince to fight for us one way or another and that leads to the next thing. We arent getting anywhere as ourselves. I can bluff my way past some guards, but if we want to get stronger, we need Runes. Especially you. If theres anywhere we can find a way to fix your Rank 4, its here.


    Thats true. A flicker of worry and reluctance passed over Lees face, but she nodded. And sooner would be better. Do you mean were going to pretend to be some strong demon?


    Noah scratched the back of his neck. That could work, but I dont know anywhere near enough about anyone in particular to emulate them. I think we need to leave things a little more open ended. Do you know if the entirety of the Damned Plains has been explored?


    I dont think it has. Most of it is completely uninhabitable, and its huge. Ive heard its way bigger than the mortal world, but I dont know enough to say for sure, Lee said with a shake of her head. Wed have to find someone that knows more about it for good answers.


    Then weve got a start. I think Ive got a plan that should fit our plans perfectly if we pull it off correctly.


    Care to share? Moxie asked, arching an eyebrow.


    Back where Im from, theres a pretty famous story about a beggar that pretends to be a prince. A grin split Noahs face. He went by the name Aladdin, and I think he had the right idea.

 Chapter 458: A Start

    Chapter 458: A Start


    ¡°Let me get this straight,¡± Moxie said, squinting at Noah once he¡¯d gotten through his slightly scuffed retelling of Aladdin. ¡°You want to... start a marching band?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one way to put it. We need to convince everyone that I ¡ª as well as you and Lee ¡ª aren¡¯t just random demons. Demons place a lot of importance on actual power, and we aren¡¯t going to be able to hold our own publicly if a Rank 5 or 6 comes after us. We need invisible power.¡±


    ¡°Invisible power?¡± Lee tilted her head to the side. ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°Basically a threat that keeps most people from trying to fight us in the first place,¡± Noah explained. ¡°Let¡¯s say a Rank 6 demon thinks we¡¯re alone and don¡¯t have any powerful backing. Even if we tell them we¡¯re powerful, the demon might be tempted to check. They might try to attack us or orchestrate something to test our abilities. But if we convince them that we¡¯re actually backed by an enormous city of demons or some great power, they¡¯d be a lot more apprehensive about trying to challenge us. They might even fall in line ¡ª and that means our own power goes up even higher.¡±


    Lee¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°It¡¯s like pretending to be a waiter so a restaurant lets you eat all the food in their store rooms because you work there.¡±


    ¡°I ¡ª no, not really, but I figure you¡¯ve got it close enough,¡± Noah said with a chuckle. ¡°Do you know if music is as dangerous in the Damned Plains as it is in the mortal realm?¡±


    Lee thought for a moment, then gave him a small shrug. ¡°Not sure. Never really had the time to think about it. If it was, you¡¯d probably just get killed before we managed to get a following.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s assuming we actually get caught,¡± Noah said. Pieces of a plan were knitting themselves together in his mind faster than he could pull them apart. The plan was a bit hairbrained, but he was pretty sure it had potential. ¡°If we just burst out into the middle of the city and start doing things in the open, we¡¯ll never get a chance to start. We need to be covert. Build up momentum slowly. A movement isn¡¯t born in a day.¡±


    ¡°A movement makes it sound like we¡¯re radicalizing the demons,¡± Moxie said. Her brow furrowed in thought. ¡°That does seem like it has potential, but what are we even promoting? Playing music is going to catch their attention, but we need something to keep it if we want them to believe and follow us.:


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we can find something that the demons in the city want that we can back up. It¡¯s basically running for office, but with much less lying than normal.¡±


    Moxie snorted and crossed her arms in front of her chest. ¡°Let¡¯s say we do. Wouldn¡¯t the city know that we were playing inside its walls? We can¡¯t pass those demons off as an honor guard.¡±


    ¡°Not most of them,¡± Noah agreed. ¡°But no city knows every single person within it. We don¡¯t pretend like everyone was with us from the start. If we can get some people on our side, we can get a few of them to pretend to be honor guard or something like that. As for the rest... we just have to go around and build up momentum, then do what we did in the first advanced track meeting. We can then claim that we¡¯ve got a mixture of our own supporters in with the new ones and it¡¯ll be impossible to verify as long as we don¡¯t get pinned down. The more mysterious we can get, the more people will speculate. They¡¯ll do all the heavy lifting for us as long as we can lay the pieces for them to put together.¡±


    Moxie and Lee exchanged a glance, but he could see that his words were getting to them. They both started to nod.


    ¡°Okay. Assume we somehow manage to pull that off,¡± Moxie said slowly. ¡°What then? Bring a horde to try and find Wizen and take him down?¡±


    ¡°I doubt he¡¯ll be strolling around in the open. We need the power to figure out what the hell he¡¯s up to,¡± Noah said, chewing his lower lip. ¡°If we could convince the city to lend us some aid, we could use their connections to put out feelers about Wizen or a way back to Arbitage. The Damned Plains are so huge that I can¡¯t see any other timely way we can get information.¡±


    Moxie¡¯s fingers drummed against her thigh. She pushed away from the wall of the alley and started pacing back and forth. ¡°Just how big are the Damned Plains, Lee? Before we throw caution and logic to the wind, is there any way we¡¯d be able to get what we need from some sort of information broker or a library?¡±


    Lee chewed on the end of her thumb. Then she shook her head. ¡°Maybe? But we¡¯d need to prove we were strong enough to get the information from them. We could just get attacked when we ask for something like that. Ways to the surface are the most valuable information in the entirety of the Damned Plains. We won¡¯t be able to get it as we are.¡±


    ¡°Libraries?¡± Moxie tried.


    ¡°Also incredibly restricted. We could try breaking in... but I don¡¯t think we¡¯re faster than Rank 6 demons.¡±


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    Aylin kept to the darkened corners of the alleys as he made his way, empty-handed, back to shelter. Sleep would be long in the making, but it would delay the hunger¡¯s gnaw until the next day. He wasn¡¯t desperate enough to return to the markets.


    Not yet.


    And then something reached his ears. A sound ¡ª and not one that belonged. A river of bumps raced down Aylin¡¯s red skin and prickled at the base of his neck. It was a beautiful sound, like the song of a siren whispering down the streets of Treadon, just barely loud enough to pick up.


    Curiosity was rarely a wise trait, but his head was light from lack of sustenance and his feet were moving before his mind had caught up to them.


    Aylin crept down the streets, approaching the strange sound. He grew more enraptured with every step, his pace starting to accelerate. He kept what little of his wits remained about him and ensured he moved as silently as he did fast.


    Such a sound could not be a bearer of good news, but it was news nonetheless. If something had changed in the streets, he had to find out. He had to warn the others. That was why he investigated. Not mere curiosity, but duty.


    At least, that was what he told himself.


    Aylin turned a corner ¡ª and froze.


    A man sat in the center of a large alleyway, a strange object braced against his body and a stick in the other, his face wrapped in a scarf used to protect from the storms. The beautiful noise filling the alleys floated from him, curling into Aylin¡¯s ears like a worm.


    And, scattered across the ground before him like so much trash, were several pieces of meat and bread. A trap. There was no doubt about it. As to what purpose, Aylin didn¡¯t know, but it had to be a trap.


    The gnawing pain in his stomach grew stronger.


    Desperation.


    Aylin¡¯s hands clenched. He took a step forward. Fresh food. Not old, dry scraps. He took another step, keeping to the darkness of the alley in hopes that ¡ª


    The man¡¯s gaze turned to him, and still the tantalizing song played. In a smooth motion, the man flicked his stick, striking a loaf of bread and sending it sailing through the air without missing a single note.


    Aylin lunged to catch the loaf. His fingers wrapped around his prize and he hit the ground in a roll before diving for the alley behind him. Only once he¡¯d gotten back to his feet did he realize that the strange sound¡¯s fading notes had vanished from his ears.


    He glanced over his shoulder.


    The man was gone, but the food remained. The back of Aylin¡¯s neck prickled violently. Not a word had been spoken, but the message had been passed on all the same.


    The covered man was far faster than Aylin. He had acknowledged Aylin¡¯s presence ¡ª and done nothing. A trap it may have been, but Aylin could resist the urge no longer.


    He took a greedy bite of the bread, barely even stopping to swallow as he scurried back over to the other food and stuffed it into his shirt. It was a gift, but there was no doubt in his mind that it came with strings.


    Aylin took another huge bite out of the bread. Then, glancing around the street one last time, he took off running back to his shelter. The others needed to eat ¡ª and be warned. A shiver of dread traveled down his spine. Nothing came for free in the Damned Plains. The only question was what price he had paid.

 Chapter 459: The Price

    Chapter 459: The Price


    ¡°It¡¯s safe,¡± Aylin insisted, holding a half-eaten loaf of bread out. ¡°I already ate some and I¡¯m still alive.¡±


    The group of demons crouched in the room stared at him with a mixture of disbelief, hope, and suspicion. Their stomachs were flat and clothes ragged. The room smelled musty and damp, but the scent did nothing to mute the cries of their stomachs. Dim red light filtered through the cracks in the low ceiling above them, washing over Aylin and his pile of food in rippling waves.


    ¡°I know you think that,¡± Violet said. She scratched at the horn protruding from the center of her forehead and worked her jaw. ¡°But the Damned Plains don¡¯t work like that. Nobody gives free food.¡±


    ¡°Any price is mine alone,¡± Aylin insisted. He took another bite out of the bread and the other children flinched back. They stared as he chewed and swallowed, opening his mouth to show there was nothing left. ¡°See? I¡¯m alive.¡±


    ¡°What if eating the food enslaves you?¡± Torick asked. The boy was so thin that he might as well have been a dust-colored stick. All of them were, to some degree or another. Aylin and Violet were the ones that had gathered the most supplies in recent times, but they¡¯d been spread too thin for too long.


    There just wasn¡¯t enough to go around, and they weren¡¯t strong enough to wrest nearly enough from the others that lived in the streets. Aylin¡¯s hands clenched as bitter anger swirled through his stomach. Unlike the food, it did nothing to fill him.


    He couldn¡¯t even hold anything against the other gangs. Not everyone could live. If they were stronger, they wouldn¡¯t be sharing either. Sharing was mercy, mercy was for the strong, and they¡¯d already taken out loans on that they couldn¡¯t afford to repay.


    ¡°Does it matter what it does?¡± Aylin demanded. He thrust a finger into Torick¡¯s bony chest. ¡°You¡¯re a breath from dead. How are we supposed to get strong if we can¡¯t even get out of bed?¡±


    ¡°You can. Violet can,¡± Torick insisted.


    ¡°Look at yourself!¡± Aylin said. He clenched his jaw and shook his head. ¡°Forget that. Look at me. Look at Violet. She¡¯s seventeen, but she looks five years younger than that. I¡¯m no better. Do you really think any of us are getting out of here if we don¡¯t take what opportunities we can?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t an opportunity,¡± Violet snapped, but Aylin caught her glancing down at herself before she spoke. ¡°It¡¯s a death trap. You¡¯re desperate and starved. If you want to die, do it. Don¡¯t bring us into it.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we could trade the food to other gangs?¡± Torick asked hesitantly.


    ¡°No,¡± Aylin and Violet said at the same time, causing the boy to flinch back.


    ¡°If we show others, they¡¯ll just take it from us,¡± Aylin said. He took another bite of the bread. At this point, he was beyond the point of caring. Any damage it would do was already done. ¡°We aren¡¯t kids anymore, Violet.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me to give up? Is that it?¡± Violet stepped forward and pressed her forehead to Aylin¡¯s, her lips pulling back in a snarl. Her horn forced Aylin to take a step back to avoid getting stabbed. ¡°Coward.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not being a coward,¡± Aylin hissed. ¡°You are. You¡¯re too scared to do what we have to. I¡¯m not a wizard. Miracles don¡¯t materialize. We can¡¯t do anything when we¡¯re starved. I¡¯m trying to help us.¡± He grabbed Violet¡¯s shoulders and shoved her back. She stumbled, nearly tripping over her own feet. Aylin stepped after her. ¡°You were stronger than me a month ago. The energy the food gives us is what we need to make something of ourselves. This isn¡¯t just a meal. It''s an opportunity.¡±


    ¡°An opportunity to lose who we are. There¡¯s no way that food is safe,¡± Violet said with a firm shake of her head. ¡°You¡¯re just going to¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good.¡±


    They both spun. Edda, the youngest of their group gnawed on a piece of bread and looked up at them with large, watery eyes. She held the loaf out. ¡°Sorry. I got hungry.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Violet groaned, throwing her hands up into the air and slumping down to wrap her arms around her knees. ¡°Damn it. Aylin, you idiot. You¡¯ve taken her with you. I thought you were smarter than this. You¡¯ve doomed us.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s fine,¡± Aylin snapped. ¡°And nobody is doing anything if they starve to death. We used to have more than four of us. Bravery didn¡¯t make any of us less hungry. It didn¡¯t keep anyone alive. Do you think Cole¡ª¡± Updated from n0v3lb(i)n.c(o)/m


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    ¡°Show yourself,¡± Yog growled.


    Aylin knew who it was before he stepped through the doorway. It was the demon from before, his face still covered in storm wrappings. He didn¡¯t have the strange object that had made the hauntingly beautiful noise anymore.


    ¡°There wouldn¡¯t be much speaking if I didn¡¯t plan to show up, would there?¡± the demon asked.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Yog demanded. He flexed his fingers and the dark claws at their tips lengthened an inch. ¡°This is Golon¡¯s territory.¡±


    ¡°Colon?¡± the demon tilted his head to the side. He made no move to answer Yog¡¯s question. ¡°Unfortunate name. No matter. I assume he controls this area? That works. Take me to him. I need to borrow his people.¡±


    Borrow his people? What does that mean?


    ¡°You can request an audience with him. I¡¯ll escort you back,¡± Yog said, his lips pulling back to bare his pointed teeth. ¡°Right after I finish here.¡±


    That meeting definitely isn¡¯t going to go well for him. Golon will kill anyone that starts getting strong enough to pose him a threat.


    ¡°No need for that,¡± the demon said. ¡°I don¡¯t like to be kept waiting. I¡¯m rather impatient.¡±


    Yog¡¯s back tensed. Anger rippled through his muscles. Then his neck ground down in a nod. His right hand twitched. ¡°Ah. Of course. I¡¯ll follow you right out, then. I¡¯d hate to keep someone like you waiting.¡±


    ¡°Splendid. Thank you.¡±


    The demon turned and Aylin¡¯s eyes went wide. That had been the most obvious bait that he¡¯d ever heard. Turning your back on a prepared enemy was literally asking to get ripped open.


    His mouth opened to call out a warning, but Yog was faster. The demon blurred forward, lunging for the back of the stranger¡¯s neck. A brilliant crack split the air, followed by a sudden flash of light.


    Aylin squeezed his eyes shut and let out a surprised cry. His vision returned an instant later. Yog¡¯s pitched back, a weeping hole where his head and shoulders had been. Arcs of energy danced across the dead demon, his body scorched and burnt black all the way down to his legs.


    The breath in Aylin¡¯s chest felt like it had frozen solid.


    Semi-external magic. Aylin hadn¡¯t seen it, but the stranger must have punched Yog and released a burst of power through their brief contact. That meant he was a Rank 3 at the minimum ¡ª he could have been higher, but there was no way a Rank 4 demon ever would have bothered showing themselves in the slums of Treadon. Goosebumps wrapped down his spine, and he took an involuntary step back as the demon¡¯s gaze moved from Yog¡¯s corpse to him.


    ¡°Do you know who Golon is?¡± the stranger asked.


    ¡°I ¡ª yes,¡± Aylin stammered, convinced that if his answer had been anything but affirmative, he would have joined Yog in the afterlife. ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°Good. Finish your meal,¡± the stranger said, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms. ¡°Then take me to him.¡±


    Oh.


    I¡¯m going to die.

 Chapter 460: Move and Die

    Chapter 460: Move and Die


    Aylin¡¯s eyes flicked from the stranger to the pile of food on the ground. His stomach twisted and clenched like it was being sewn into knots. Yog hadn¡¯t even lasted half a second against the demon. The idea of trying to run was so laughable that it wasn¡¯t even worth considering.


    ¡°I ¡ª can the others eat? Without incurring debt of their own? I will take you to Golon.¡±


    Violet was right. I¡¯m already fucked, but if they can get something out of this, then maybe it¡¯ll give us enough energy to do... something. I don¡¯t know what, but something.


    ¡°Huh? Go ahead,¡± the stranger said with a dismissive wave. ¡°There¡¯s too much for one person anyway.¡±


    Too much? I could eat everything here and a thousand times more if I had the opportunity. Was something done to this food? Shit. I really should have listened to Violet. But now if they don¡¯t eat, won¡¯t we offend him?


    Aylin hesitated for a second, then clenched his jaw. He was already dead. There wasn¡¯t any point being cautious about it. One death was no different from another. ¡°Is it safe? I want them to live.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s food,¡± the stranger said. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t choke on it, I can¡¯t imagine it¡¯ll be very dangerous. Just get eating already. I wasn¡¯t lying about being impatient.¡±


    Violet exchanged a look with Aylin. She carefully picked up a strip of dried meat and lifted it, hesitating for a second before biting down. With her unspoken assent, Edda and Torick both dug into the food as well.


    Aylin finished the piece of bread he¡¯d already started, but he didn¡¯t bother taking any more food despite how badly he wanted to. There was no point wasting it if he wasn¡¯t going to live through the day.


    Even if I somehow managed to escape, the stranger will just come back and take one of the others. I¡¯ve got to play along.


    Aylin¡¯s remaining time depleted together with the food. They soon finished every last scrap, polishing the floor clean. Their efficiency was a mixture of hunger and fear, both of which made deeply effective motivators.


    As soon as they were done, the stranger looked to him and nudged Yog¡¯s body out of the way with the tip of his shoe. ¡°Come on, then.¡±


    Jaw clenched, Aylin nodded. He started toward the end of the room ¡ª and Violet followed after him. He paused and sent her a baffled look, waving her away.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m coming with you.¡±


    ¡°What? No!¡± Aylin¡¯s voice raised and he flinched, glancing back at the stranger before returning his gaze to Violet. ¡°You said it yourself. This is my fault. Just take the energy from the food and do something with it. I fucked up.¡±


    ¡°Sure did,¡± Violet agreed with a nod. ¡°But I¡¯m not letting you out there alone. You¡¯ll just get yourself killed.¡±


    ¡°Do you not realize I¡¯m already dead?¡± Aylin hissed under his breath. ¡°I died the moment the stranger showed back up. The others need you.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t say he was going to kill you. That means you need someone to watch your ass so you don¡¯t do something stupid again,¡± Violet said. She glared at Aylin, daring him to challenge her words. ¡°They¡¯ll stay here until we come back.¡±


    ¡°Are you an idiot? What are you talking¡ª¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s welcome to tag along. It won¡¯t change anything. Actually, it might make things easier,¡± the stranger said, his words driving the final nail into the coffin forming around Aylin. He nearly ripped the hair out of his own head as a wave of dread washed over him.


    Damn it. Not like this.


    Violet gave Aylin a small shove. ¡°Come on. There¡¯s no point making him wait. Price for everything, remember? We¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    She sounded a lot more confident than she looked. It didn¡¯t matter. There was absolutely nothing that Aylin could do but give Violet a stiff nod. He looked over her shoulder to the others and sent them a sharp look.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare move an inch from this house. We¡¯ll be back soon. I promise.¡±


    Liar.


    Aylin was pretty sure that just about everyone that had joined Golon had probably said something along the same lines in private at some point. The difference between Voilet¡¯s words and theirs was that she hadn¡¯t gotten to the point where she¡¯d tagged on the not yet, at least to the end of the sentence.


    Everyone seemed to, eventually.


    They slowed as they drew to the end of the street and approached a large, open square. At one point, it had been a marketplace. Now, it was Golon¡¯s ruling grounds. Dozens of leather tents were strewn about surrounding a large, circular one at the back of the square.


    A line of demons stood at the front of the tents, and Aylin¡¯s ears picked up on twice as many of them standing on the rooftops all around them. They were completely surrounded. His throat clenched.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± A large demon asked, stepping out from the tents and pushing past the line of demons. Aylin¡¯s stomach clenched even tighter. It was Robon, Golon¡¯s second in command.


    Robon stood nearly five heads taller than the stranger and held a huge axe in his hands like it was a dagger. There were a lot of stories about Robon, and none of them were good. The demon was Golon¡¯s personal executioner and had more kills under his belt than anyone in the camp other than Golon himself.


    ¡°You can call me Spider,¡± the stranger replied. ¡°Would you happen to be Golon?¡±


    ¡°Me? No. I am Robon.¡± Robon snorted in laughter and nodded to another demon, who stepped out with a large pile of heavy chain links in his hands. ¡°Don¡¯t move. If you do, you¡¯ll die. Once you¡¯re bound and restrained, you can speak with Golon.¡±


    ¡°Oh. No, I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll work,¡± Spider said. ¡°Just go get Golon and send him out here, would you?¡±


    The demons around them burst into uproarious laughter. Spider watched silently until they all gathered themselves.


    ¡°There¡¯s a serious misunderstanding here,¡± Robon said. ¡°A random demon doesn¡¯t just come in here and start making demands of a streetlord. You¡¯re on our territory. You play by our rules if you want to live.¡±


    ¡°You know, given what I know of this place, I really should have guessed you¡¯d say that,¡± Spider said. ¡°But you don¡¯t have the power here. I do.¡±


    What is Spider doing? There are like thirty demons here! Is he trying to kill all of us? It doesn¡¯t matter if he can kill one demon if he pisses off Golon¡¯s entire group.


    The gathered demons all stared at Spider in a mixture of derision and disbelief.


    ¡°He¡¯s just asking to get killed,¡± one muttered, his voice reaching Aylin¡¯s sensitive ears from a rooftop to their side.


    ¡°Just give him what he wants,¡± another said back.


    ¡°You?¡± Robon asked. ¡°And tell me, how is that true? Have you not looked around? The only reason you still live is because we haven¡¯t killed you and the scrawny rats that led you here.¡±


    Spider glanced back at Aylin and Violet and lowered his voice. ¡°Don¡¯t move an inch. Stay exactly where you are.¡±


    Aylin gave him a stiff nod, completely lost as to what the demon¡¯s goals were. Once Violet did the same, Spider turned to Robon.


    ¡°That works.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Robon¡¯s brow furrowed.


    ¡°You¡¯re so powerless you don¡¯t even realize how weak you are,¡± Spider said with a chuckle. ¡°Allow me to expand your horizons. Every single one of you that dares ¡ª come try your luck. Come try to kill me or the weak children behind me. You won¡¯t even step within five feet of them.¡±


    And, just like that, all the hope that had been building up in Aylin¡¯s chest vanished like a snuffed candle. He exchanged a terrified look with Violet, but they were trapped. If they stayed after a challenge like that, Golon¡¯s men would kill them. But, if they tried to run, Spider would assuredly kill them instead.


    A murmur of anger passed through the demons. Robon smirked and hoisted his weapon. ¡°Don¡¯t mind if I do. Golon doesn¡¯t need to waste his time on someone like this. Kill them.¡±


    The decision was simple in the end. Spider was closer to them than Golon¡¯s people were, and so Aylin and Violet remained frozen in place as thirty odd demons charged toward them, death in their eyes.

 Chapter 461: Orders

    Chapter 461: Orders


    Demons bore down on Aylin from every direction. He didn¡¯t even dare to flinch. It was impossible to tell just how literal Spider had meant his command of not moving. Every single breath he took felt like it was drawn on borrowed time.


    Aylin¡¯s heart leapt into his throat as he heard a rooftop behind him crack. A demon sailed through the air above them, aiming to land directly on top of their heads. Despite his best efforts, his eyes flicked up.


    He couldn¡¯t bring himself to stare straight ahead as he died. At the very least, he¡¯d see his killer and bring the knowledge of their face with him into the afterlife. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was the terrified adrenaline pumping through his veins or if it was just someone he hadn¡¯t run into before, but Aylin didn¡¯t recognize the large, gray demon hurtling down toward them.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Aylin whispered, hoping Violet could hear him over the cacophony.


    Then the demon vanished. An instant later, there was a loud crash. Aylin¡¯s eyes flicked to the far side of the square, where the gray demon¡¯s body slammed into the ground with enough force to crack the ground beneath him.


    Spider lifted a hand toward the demons running toward them and then clenched his fist. For an instant, nothing happened. Then, almost in unison, the demons¡¯ eyes widened. Their runs faltered as their hands shot up to their throats, eyes bulging, hands clawing at nothing.


    The demons behind Aylin didn¡¯t know what he did. They couldn¡¯t hear the muted, choked wheezing. They couldn¡¯t see the bulging eyes full of horror and disbelief.


    ¡°Cowards,¡± Robon snarled, spinning the axe at his side and striding toward Spider. ¡°I told you to kill them!¡±


    He lunged, and the demons that could still move all attacked. Aylin¡¯s skull pounded and his ears throbbed. For the second time, the streets spoke in sounds he didn¡¯t recognize. He had heard the sigh of death before. He had seen the crunch of bone and the scuffle of a brawl.


    But nothing like this. More than twenty demons bore down on them from every direction. Bows twanged from afar. Arrows whistled and feet pounded against stone. Every instinct in his body screamed for him to run.


    He didn¡¯t. Even if he¡¯d wanted to, there was nowhere to run. The street whispered death, but death did not come.


    For the first time, the street lied to Aylin. The arrows dropped from the air of their own volition and tumbled to the ground harmlessly. Demons were ripped from the sky and slammed to the ground as a blur danced from one to the other, and Aylin realized he must have been going insane.


    Nothing else would have explained the muted giggles that danced in back of his head. Nothing else would have made the form that slipped from the shadows, tripping demons and yanking weapons from their hands, make sense.


    More of Golon¡¯s men pressed forward. They never made it. The square itself seemed to have come alive at Spider¡¯s behest.


    Aylin watched in growing disbelief as he watched grown demons ¡ª some of whom had terrorized him for years ¡ª start to fear. The confidence in their eyes faded as the crack of their limbs rang into the air, their weapons shattered, and the howling gales pummeled them.


    Some still pressed onward. Robon bared his teeth as he pressed through the sudden howling wind, raising his weapon to bring it down on Spider. He trudged forward until the two were face to face.


    They stared at each other for a brief instant. With a roar, Robon brought the axe down. Spider still didn¡¯t move. Robon¡¯s hand vanished.


    His axe rang as it bounced off the ground beside Spider. Robon¡¯s hand splattered down beside it with a wet thunk. Spider tilted his head to the side, then curled his fingers inward. Robon¡¯s eyes bulged.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Violet whispered.


    Every single one of Golon¡¯s demons laid on the ground around them. Not one had managed to step within ten feet of them, much less five. Not so much as a single droplet of blood had made it onto the stone at their feet.


    Demons clawed at their throats and scrambled back from Spider as if he were the manifestation of death itself. They all remained on the ground, not so much as daring to rise to their feet.


    Aylin¡¯s ears twitched. His eyes went wide as his skin chilled. The sounds of the street hadn¡¯t dimmed. More than thirty demons had begun the fight, and more than thirty demons still remained.


    Spider released his hands. A dozen demons drew in desperate breaths and stared up at Spider with wide, terrified eyes.


    Not a single one of them had died. Spider had broken them utterly and thoroughly, but even the demon that had been pelted into the ground had somehow survived the blow.


    Aylin nearly took a step back before he managed to catch himself. Spider hadn¡¯t said he could move yet.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Robon demanded through gritted teeth as he clutched the stump of his missing arm. ¡°What are you?¡±


    ¡°I am Spider.¡± The stranger raised his voice as he continued, ¡°Where is your leader? He should be out here with his soldiers, not cowering while you bleed for him. I see no streetlord here. Only a Wastelicker.¡±


    ¡°In that case, if you¡¯ve got issues with my election, I¡¯d like to welcome any challenges right now. All at once would be preferrable. My patience is thin.¡±


    Silence wrapped the square as the demons froze, not even daring to draw in a breath and potentially garner any further interest from Spider. The obscured demon waited for a few seconds before nodding.


    ¡°It sounds like nobody has any issues,¡± Spider said. ¡°I believe that means you obey my orders now, correct?¡±


    ¡°We will do as you order,¡± Robon ground out, his voice shrouded in fear. The blood flowing from his arm had stemmed, but the pain in his posture was still evident.


    Aylin doubted the demon was put out about Golon¡¯s death as much as he feared for his own future. A streetlord¡¯s second had to be a warrior capable of fending off pointless challenges. There wasn¡¯t much use for a crippled second.


    ¡°Then I look forward to working together. As I suspect you are all intelligent enough to surmise, I am a busy man. I don¡¯t have time to waste with petty squabbles or fools. Are you all certain you don¡¯t want to challenge me?¡±


    The only person here that would even dare breath in your direction is already a burnt splatter at your feet.


    Spider nodded to himself when it became abundantly clear that absolutely nobody was stupid enough to speak up. ¡°Good, good. A few things to get you all started. First, I want everyone here to find every single person living in the area that I control ¡ª how far is that, by the way?¡±


    When nobody answered him, Spider¡¯s eyes flicked to Aylin.


    ¡°Up from the alleys behind us until Snakemouth tavern,¡± Aylin stammered. ¡°After that is the area under streetlord Rocci¡¯s control.¡±


    ¡°Everyone in my area, then,¡± Spider said. ¡°I want you to gather them and bring them here. Distribute food to all of them in exchange for information.¡±


    ¡°Information about what, streetlord Spider?¡± Robon asked, finally finding his words again.


    ¡°Everything relating to the other streetlords in the city, especially the ones near us ¡ª but I¡¯ll take anything that seems valuable as well. I want knowledge, not goods. Stop taking food from them as well. It¡¯s worthless to me. We¡¯ll have enough.¡±


    If anyone else had given that order, they probably would have been challenged on the spot. Giving away food was the same thing as giving away life.


    But it hadn¡¯t been someone else. It had been Spider and, with Golon¡¯s body still at his feet, everyone dared to do nothing but nod.


    ¡°We will do as you command. Not a word will pass from this square of your powers,¡± Robon promised.


    He was clearly doing his best to keep his spot as second in command. Aylin had no idea if the demon¡¯s efforts would last long, but nobody in their right mind would speak up while Spider was still present.


    ¡°On the contrary. Let everyone know,¡± Spider said. ¡°I want every single streetlord in the city to know.¡±


    A nervous air built in the square.


    ¡°Know what, streetlord Spider?¡± Robon asked hesitantly, as if scared to hear the answer.


    ¡°To know I¡¯m coming for them, of course. Let them know that they can either bend the knee or I¡¯ll kill them and their entire guild.¡±


    Plains. He¡¯s going to try to bring every single streetlord together? Why?


    Spider¡¯s eyes traced through the air and landed on Aylin. He stiffened at the sudden attention as every single demon turned to look in his direction. His stomach sank.


    ¡°One more thing,¡± Spider said. ¡°I¡¯ve got too much work to stand around here constantly wasting time. So, while I¡¯m gone...¡±


    Please, no.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be taking orders from Aylin over here.¡±

 Chapter 462: Blur

    Chapter 462: Blur


    The next few minutes were a blur. Aylin¡¯s blood pounded in his ears so hard that he could barely even hear himself think. He vaguely remembered Spider leading him and Violet past the other demons and into Golon¡¯s tent.


    He was pretty sure he passed out at some point, because when his brain finally started working properly, he found himself seated beside Violet in a throne so massive that it had room enough for both of them. The tent around them was completely empty.


    Granted, calling a large stone chair with bones littered across the ground at its feet a throne was a bit of stretch, but a throne was made by the one sitting upon it, not its material. This had been the spot where Golon had ruled. Where he had made Aylin¡¯s life agony for years, for absolutely no reason beyond that he could.


    And now Golon was dead. Aylin sat on his throne, and he would have traded almost anything he had to be literally anywhere else. Violet¡¯s hand found his on the cold stone and she clasped it, her face several shades paler than normal and her eyes locked straight ahead. Her shoulders were stiff and jaw set.


    Aylin couldn¡¯t remember the last time he¡¯d seen Violet this scared. He couldn¡¯t remember the last time he had been this scared. Golon¡¯s death had somehow made things even worse for them.


    Despite everything, an amused thought flickered through his mind and his lips moved before he could stop them.


    ¡°I bet you wish you stayed back now, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Violet snorted. ¡°And miss this? No way. I¡¯m having the time of my life.¡±


    The intensity that their hands clenched each other told Aylin that Violet most certainly was not having the time of her life. But, even though Violet was just as powerless as he was, her presence somehow made the terror a flicker more bearable.


    Maybe it was just comfort he wasn¡¯t going to die alone.


    Both of them flinched as the tent flap opened. Spider stepped inside, followed by another demon. Her face was wrapped in the same way his was and she carried a huge leather box on her back.


    As the tent flap fluttered closed behind them, the ground at their feet twisted. Shadows warped and a third demon rose up from within them. She couldn¡¯t have been much taller than Aylin. One of her two red horns was broken off at the base and there was a mischievous grin on her face.


    There are three of them. Are they all that strong? I don¡¯t know if there are any gods listening, but if there are, please save me.


    ¡°You¡¯ve scared them half to death,¡± the taller female demon said, a note of irritation in her voice. ¡°Are you trying to give the poor children a heart attack?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll be dealing with a lot scarier things than me pretty soon,¡± Spider replied. ¡°And they¡¯re doing great. Just look at them.¡±


    The tiniest corner of Aylin¡¯s mouth quirked up as he attempted to give them a nervous smile. Spider had assigned him to be the streetlord. If he couldn¡¯t look the part, it wouldn¡¯t just look bad on him.


    It would reflect on Spider ¡ª and demons as powerful as he were not well known to be the forgiving or understanding types.


    ¡°See?¡± Spider asked. ¡°He¡¯s thrilled.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re just hungry,¡± the short demon said. She reached into spider¡¯s bag and pulled out two strips of jerky. She eyed them, then fell through the floor. Aylin nearly leapt into the air and screamed as she shot up from the ground directly before the throne. The demon thrust the jerky toward him and Violet. ¡°Here! Eat up!¡±


    Semi-external magic, but on the border of actual external magic. She¡¯s probably as strong as Spider.


    Aylin didn¡¯t dare refuse. He and Violet both followed her orders, and he had to admit that the food was welcome. It probably would have tasted less like ash if he wasn¡¯t so focused on survival.


    ¡°So... you do plan to kill us?¡± Aylin asked. He was somewhat surprised to find that he actually had the boldness to speak the words, but it was too late to take them back.


    ¡°No. I already said that would be a waste. After all the effort I went through to get you two here, why would I do that?¡± Spider held a hand out and the female demon took the huge block of leather off her back.


    Aylin¡¯s eyes widened as Spider split the block open, and they widened even further as he saw what was inside of it.


    Paper.


    It had to be. He¡¯d never seen paper, but it looked exactly like what he¡¯d heard. Crinkly and thin, far lighter than vellum. And it just wasn¡¯t just a single sheet. The box was no box. It was a book, and the book was completely stuffed full.


    He couldn¡¯t even begin to comprehend how expensive it was. Enough to feed everyone on the streets for years and then some, most likely. Violet¡¯s hand gripped his own even tighter as she came to the same realization.


    Spider wasn¡¯t just a random powerful demon. There was only one explanation as to how he¡¯d just be strolling the Damned Plains with a literal treasure horde. Spider was from the upper echelons.


    Does he work for an Archdemon? Is he an Archdemon himself? Why would someone like that ever care about us?


    ¡°You know, I just realized I really don¡¯t know anything about how this works,¡± Spider said, his face wrappings creasing as he straightened back up and looked away from the enormous book. ¡°What kind of demons are you lot? Not hunger, I hope.¡±


    ¡°What... kind?¡± Aylin asked, blinking. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I understand your question. Do you mean what our Demon Rune is?¡±


    Spider nodded. ¡°Yes, that ¡ª and also what emotion do you consume.¡±


    Aylin almost laughed, but it didn¡¯t sound like Spider was joking. ¡°I¡¯m not strong enough to consume emotion yet. Neither is Violet. We wouldn¡¯t be on the streets if we could. Right now, we can only process pure energy from eating food. I¡¯ve got one Demon Rune. So does Violet.¡±


    ¡°Just a single Demon Rune? Nothing else? No name?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We¡¯re only Rank 1,¡± Violet said, shifting uncomfortably. ¡°That¡¯s why we stand no chance as streetlords. They¡¯re just Demon Runes. Plain ones. We can¡¯t reach Rank 2 unless we get stronger or richer, and we can¡¯t do that because we don¡¯t have anything to build off.¡±


    ¡°Nasty cycle,¡± Spider said with a small nod. ¡°Well, that¡¯s simple enough. At least you don¡¯t have bad runes.¡±


    ¡°Simple?¡± Violet asked, a flicker of irritation entering her words. Even in their situation, Aylin couldn¡¯t help but feel the same.


    They¡¯d both fought tooth and nail to rip every dreg of life they could from the Damned Plains, and it hadn¡¯t netted them so much as a single rune. Getting stronger wasn¡¯t a luxury they could afford when even making it through the next day came at a steep cost.


    ¡°Quite,¡± Spider said. He ruffled through his bag, then blew out a breath. ¡°Only have one of these left. I really should have bought more. I hope there are some apothecaries in the area.¡±


    Before Violet or Aylin could ask what the demon was talking about, he reached into his bag and pulled out a vial full of glistening blue liquid. His eyes crinkled in a smile as he popped a wax seal off its top and held it out to Aylin.


    ¡°Drink.¡±

 Chapter 463: & ANNOUNCEMENT

    Chapter 463: & ANNOUNCEMENT


    One drink and exactly thirty minutes later, Aylin died.


    At least, a portion of him did. A demon was their soul, and their runes were them. It was difficult to state exactly where the mind started and the soul ended, but it was a common belief that every step toward the peak of power brought one farther away from their former self.


    He¡¯d just taken over a dozen.


    Spider had stuffed him like a pig on the table of some Archdemon, ripe to be eaten. He had been polite but relentless, summoning rune after rune in the air before Aylin and waiting until he absorbed it before moving on to the next. Spider seemed to have a limitless supply.


    It had taken Aylin minutes to draw every single one, and he feared to think what would have happened if he¡¯d taken to it faster. He¡¯d had thought it would end when Spider produced the sixth rune in a row, but the moment Aylin had absorbed it, Spider had given him strict instructions on how to combine it and what to focus on.


    And, by some miracle, it had worked ¡ª but Spider wasn¡¯t done. Even as Aylin had stared at his newly forged Rank 2 Rune, Spider did nothing but summon yet another rune to Aylin¡¯s soul. Then he¡¯d shattered it, commanding Aylin to draw the power into his newly made rune.


    Spider repeated that until the rune was full ¡ª and yet, somehow, they still weren¡¯t done. When Aylin finally managed to fill his rune, Spider did nothing but summon yet another rune and stare at him expectantly.


    Then they¡¯d repeated the cycle.


    It wasn¡¯t a miracle anymore. The shock and disbelief had turned into awe. Spider was no mere demon. He couldn¡¯t have been an Archdemon either ¡ª no self-respecting Archdemon would ever have been caught dead passing away so much power to a streetlord, much less a starving child.


    There was no doubt that the runes came with so many strings that Aylin may as well have been woven into a tapestry, but there was no refusing Spider. Even if he¡¯d wanted to, he wasn¡¯t so sure he¡¯d have had the willpower to.


    And so the old Aylin died at the lip of the glass vial with nothing but a single ratty Demon Rune to his name. In his place woke a newly forged Rank 3 demon. The energy pumping through his soul wound into his body and made every single muscle burn like it was on fire.


    ¡°Aylin?¡± Violet¡¯s concerned voice broke through the ringing in his ears and the blood pounding in his skull. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t so sure he knew the answer to that question. Everything felt so hot. So... different. It was his body, but it wasn¡¯t. Runic energy worked its way through him and reforged the flesh in its wake.


    His stomach filled out and the little muscle he had hardened and thickened with power. His dirty fingernails darkened to an ashy gray and he felt his teeth sharpening. His ears lengthened and narrowed at their tops. The burning heat started to abate, replaced by a comforting warmth deep within him.


    A flicker of fear that he might turn into a lumbering hulk like Golon passed through him, but no such thing happened. His tongue ran along his lip.


    He could taste the world, and its flavor was vibrant. So full of energy and potential ¡ª but that wasn¡¯t all. Aylin¡¯s ears twitched. Everyone was so... present. The panicked thump of Violet¡¯s heartbeat beside him mixed with the flavor of her fear and concern.


    He could taste her emotion. Even without looking in her direction, he knew exactly where she was. Her thoughts were so loud and flavorful that he could tell exactly what she was thinking.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do everything in my power to live up to your expectations. I don¡¯t know much about being a streetlord, but any command you give me will be done.¡±


    ¡°Just try not to be too much of a prick,¡± Spider said with a dry laugh. ¡°Focus on getting stronger. I can only take you so far, and there are others I have to work on as well. All you¡¯ll have to do is be my face.¡±


    ¡°If any of the other streetlords try to challenge me, I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ll be able to do anything. They have much more experience than I do.¡±


    ¡°Leave the other streetlords and their gangs to me,¡± Spider said with a shake of his head. ¡°Your only job is to keep this one under control. Trust me. They¡¯ll fall in line easily enough. My power will be enough to hold any fools off for the next few days, and by that point, you¡¯ll have come into your own well enough to hold your own.¡±


    Violet glanced from Aylin to Spider in confusion. She¡¯d clearly picked up on the shift in how they spoke. She knew there should have been no way for Aylin to ever be able to hold his own against anyone in the gang, much less even consider fighting a streetlord.


    She wisely chose to avoid voicing her confusion. No matter how openly Spider beckoned them to speak, the taste of the man¡¯s soul still made Aylin¡¯s tongue feel like it was coated in a layer of ash.


    ¡°I¡¯ll remain in this area for a short amount of time. If someone does end up causing trouble that you can¡¯t handle, then call me. I will deal with them. But, if you¡¯re capable of it, I¡¯d suggest trying to deal with it yourself. It¡¯ll be better for the long run.¡±


    Aylin nodded his understanding. ¡°What should I have the gang do? You said to spread word about your presence, but how? If they go to other streetlords and threaten them, they¡¯ll just be killed. A challenge like that isn¡¯t something a streetlord can ignore if they want to keep their power.¡±


    ¡°Wait a day ¡ª ah, a short while,¡± Spider advised after a second of thought. ¡°Don¡¯t send anyone out yet. Just focus on getting used to your changed self and preparing for the future. I will lay the framework for messengers. I¡¯m pleased that you¡¯re already thinking like a leader. Well done.¡±


    I¡¯m more just trying to keep us from all getting slaughtered. Would Spider even notice if that happened? I¡¯m not sure I want to know the answer.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll do as you ask,¡± Aylin said.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll be taking the tent beside yours. If you need me, come to it. Just make sure you actually need me.¡±


    With that, Spider swept out of the room. The other two demons followed after him, leaving Aylin and Violet in silence.


    ¡°Aylin?¡± Violet whispered. ¡°What just happened?¡±


    It was several seconds before Aylin responded.


    ¡°I think I just became a streetlord.¡±

 Chapter 464: Mussenger

    Chapter 464: Mussenger


    Noah left Aylin and Violet in their new tent as he led Moxie and Lee over to their temporary new lodgings. The tents really weren¡¯t much, but they were better than ducking into an alleyway to speak.


    ¡°You make a really good demon,¡± Lee said in a low tone once they were inside the tent.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to avoid taking that as an insult,¡± Noah said. They all sat down, taking advantage of the momentary respite to relax as much as they could. ¡°Aside from you, I haven¡¯t really been a fan of any demons I¡¯ve met.¡±


    ¡°Aylin and Violet seem nice,¡± Moxie said. ¡°When you aren¡¯t traumatizing them, that is.¡±


    Noah winced. ¡°I¡¯d love to be nicer with them. I really would ¡ª but I¡¯m pretty sure that would be even worse, wouldn¡¯t it? Like this, they can assume I¡¯m just some powerful asshole with an agenda that they fit into. If I was acting nice, they¡¯d be terrified. They¡¯d spend all their time trying to figure out my motives.¡±


    Moxie paused, then blinked. ¡°You know, that¡¯s surprisingly perceptive of you.¡±


    ¡°I am a perceptive man.¡±


    ¡°So you are. I just need reminders sometimes,¡± Moxie said, leaning her head against his shoulder. ¡°I can¡¯t say I love the strategy, but you¡¯re probably right that it¡¯s the best option. What about you, Lee? Any thoughts?¡±


    Lee shrugged. ¡°They¡¯re alive. If they¡¯d made it this far in a city, then they¡¯re desperate to make it farther. Terrifying or not, Noah is probably their best chance. Aylin and Violet were both starving to death when we first met them. They¡¯d probably have both been dead in a few weeks. A month or two at most.¡±


    ¡°And now one of them is Rank 3,¡± Noah mused. He glanced at his grimoire, which was now apparently more than pleased to let Moxie carry it around.


    They¡¯d both been taken slightly by surprise when Noah had been first dressing himself up as Spider and, while Moxie was helping him look as mysterious as possible, she¡¯d absentmindedly lifted it straight off his back.


    The book was definitely far more intelligent than it had been when he¡¯d first gotten it. It wasn¡¯t just taking power from the runes he gave it. It was growing. Noah wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about that, but the book had been playing along as of late, so he had no complaints.Finnd updated novels at novelhall.com


    ¡°How many runes did it take to brute force that?¡± Moxie asked. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine it was a low cost.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t,¡± Noah admitted. ¡°I sacrificed two existing Rank 3s just to break apart for energy. Aylin wasn¡¯t very experienced so he lost a ton of power, but considering he¡¯d literally never made a rune before, I don¡¯t hold it against him. He seemed pretty intelligent.¡±


    ¡°What Rank 3 does he have now?¡±


    Noah looked at her out of the corners of his eyes. ¡°No idea, Lee. I can¡¯t read demon runes. I gave him a bunch of Fire and Earth runes and guided him on combining six Rank 2s, but the seventh one had his Demon Rune as part of the combination so he had to do that one on his own. When they all combined, the Demon Rune swallowed everything and now the whole thing is unreadable. The final result felt pretty solid, though.¡±


    ¡°I can ask him at some point,¡± Lee said. A small frown passed over her features before she crushed it. ¡°You were smart to stop before he hit Rank 4.¡±


    Noah¡¯s lips pressed thin. ¡°Yeah. I remember Azel¡¯s warning ¡ª and I haven¡¯t forgotten your situation. We¡¯ll find a way to make a Rank 4 without changing who you are, Lee. This is the absolute best place to do that. We have a lot of test subjects.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re people too,¡± Lee said. ¡°They aren¡¯t just subjects.¡±


    He paused. They were people. He knew that. It was apparent enough that Aylin and Violet were really no different than Isabel, Todd, and all the others back in Arbitage. Now that he¡¯d spent a little time with Aylin, he had to admit he didn¡¯t want to see the young demon die.


    But the other demons in the Damned Plains... they might have been people as well, but when he weighed their lives against Moxie or Lee¡¯s ¡ª Silvertide¡¯s words rang through his head once more.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten that,¡± Noah said softly. ¡°But you and Moxie are infinitely more important to me than any of them are. I¡¯m not going to try to go around killing demons, but I think we¡¯ll be running into more than enough of them that stand in our way for me to do a little experimenting. I can¡¯t afford mercy to our enemies when so much is on the line.¡±


    They all fell silent for a few moments.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Lee said. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to make it sound like I don¡¯t appreciate what you¡¯re doing. I was just thinking back to my time here. Before I met you and Moxie and everyone else. There are so many other demons that never got to escape. Demons that just had to adapt or die.¡±


    ¡°Anyone that we can help, we will. But not at the cost of your life. Not at Moxie¡¯s either,¡± Noah said. His eyes drifted to the gourd at Moxie¡¯s side and his lip curled up in a small smile. ¡°Mine... well, mine is a bit cheaper. I might be willing to sell a few of those.¡±


    Vrith didn¡¯t mind taking the backseat. She didn¡¯t mind working from the shadows ¡ª but she did mind getting absolutely no recognition for anything she did. It wasn¡¯t easy corralling a small horde of demons and making sure they obeyed Vroth¡¯s commands. It wasn¡¯t easy training the youths they brought in, nor was it easy watching Vroth take credit for every damned thing she did.


    Unfortunately, while Vroth was lazy, he was also powerful. Powerful enough to protect their gang, and powerful enough to keep Vrith from doing anything other than following his orders.


    It was rare that Vroth had a bad day, but today was one such day.


    ¡°Who does this Spider think he is?¡± Vroth snarled, his furred fist clenching in fury at his sides. His lips pulled back in a snarl, revealing a row of pointed teeth. ¡°What a ridiculous demand. Killing one streetlord and he goes around acting as if he¡¯s the new lord of the city.¡±


    For all the bluster, Vrith knew Vroth more than well enough to recognize when he was scared. Golon wasn¡¯t the strongest streetlord, but he¡¯d been a respectable opponent. If he hadn¡¯t been, they¡¯d have taken the territory from him long ago.


    There was no doubt in Vrith¡¯s mind that Spider hadn¡¯t killed him nearly as easily as the panicked rumors claimed. Rumors were just that. Rumors. They always exaggerated. They always changed reality to twist it into something more interesting ¡ª but there was truth at their base. Spider was a formidable opponent, and he was likely coming for them.


    ¡°I want him dead,¡± Vroth snarled. ¡°Before he even has a chance to show his face here.¡±


    As if anyone¡¯s going to do that. If he¡¯s strong enough to handle a streetlord, then he¡¯s strong enough to deal with any of our subordinates, especially when it¡¯s his own camp.


    ¡°Vrith, handle it.¡±


    And just like that, Vrith was no longer having a good day.


    ¡°I ¡ª what? I can¡¯t beat him. He killed Golon!¡±


    ¡°Golon was strong, but he was an idiot. It¡¯s been a long time since you tried your hand against another Rank 3,¡± Vroth said, a hand clenching around the armrest of his seat. ¡°You should be able to kill him before he even realizes you¡¯re there. You¡¯ve done it before.¡±


    ¡°Not against someone like this!¡± Vrith exclaimed. ¡°Rumors are rumors, but we can¡¯t just completely ignore¡ª¡±


    ¡°I am the streetlord,¡± Vroth snarled, cutting her off midsentence. ¡°Are you refusing a direct order?¡±


    Damn it. He¡¯s terrified. Idiot is putting more stock in those rumors than he should.


    ¡°Vroth, sending me is a waste. Don¡¯t buy into the rumors so badly,¡± Vrith said. ¡°Spider doesn¡¯t know what we¡¯re capable of. Our best chance of killing him is together, not by going in alone.¡±


    Vroth hesitated. His hand unclenched and he leaned back, blowing out a slow breath and shaking his head. ¡°You may be correct. I am being hasty. Yes. It would be impossible for someone that powerful to truly be here. A wise call, Vrith. It is a good thing I have kept you as my advisor.¡±


    A relieved sigh silently slipped from Vrith¡¯s lips. Her brother was rash, but he wasn¡¯t an idiot. Now, all they had to do was ¡ª


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    They both spun. A short female demon stood at the entrance of their throne room, chewing on a large chunk of roast meat. Vrith¡¯s blood ran cold. She hadn¡¯t noticed anyone entering, and the door was still closed.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Vroth demanded, rising to his feet. ¡°How did you get in here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a muss... mess... uh, something,¡± the demon said, trailing off as she chewed thoughtfully on the meat. ¡°I forgot. Anyway, I¡¯m here to bring a message.¡±


    ¡°What message?¡± Vrith asked, flexing her fingers. Claws pushed out of the beds of her fingertips.


    ¡°Spider sent me to get your answer on if you¡¯d decided to surrender yet.¡± The intruder held a hand up. She stuffed the rest of the food into her gullet and swallowed it in one bite. ¡°I can wait if you need to think about it, but if you don¡¯t have one soon, I¡¯m going to have to kill you.¡±

 Chapter 465: Mistake

    Chapter 465: Mistake


    Vrith¡¯s eyes darted around the room in search for any sign of the demon¡¯s arrival, but there were none. The door was closed and locked. There were no large cracks in the walls or holes in the ceiling.


    There was no way that anyone should have been able to enter without, at the very least, making their presence known. The back of her scalp prickled.


    ¡°If Spider wants to challenge me, then he should have come himself,¡± Vroth snarled, pushing out of his chair. Claws sprouted from his fingers soundlessly and he bared his teeth. ¡°He dares send a messenger to infiltrate my court?¡±


    Court is a bit much, Vroth.


    ¡°You never said how you got in here,¡± Vrith said. ¡°If you wish to bargain with us, then you should at least approach the proper way.¡±


    ¡°She is correct,¡± Vroth growled. His fingers flexed and he took a step toward the intruder. ¡°This Spider lacks understanding of how business is done. He has no respect. You have not even introduced yourself, yet you dare make demands and break into our sanctum?¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry. I forgot about that bit. I¡¯m Lee,¡± the demon said, completely unperturbed. ¡°And I think you missed something.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Vroth¡¯s voice was like a deadly sharp razor as it ground out from between his clenched teeth. ¡°And what would that be?¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t bargaining.¡± Lee stretched her arms over her head and yawned. ¡°And you aren¡¯t worthy of respect. Can you just let me know what your decision is? Spider is going to be pissed at me if I start doing stuff without an answer, but I¡¯m hungry and you¡¯re making me waste time.¡±


    A deep sense of unease built in Vrith¡¯s gut. Lee was entirely too unconcerned with everything. This went too far for it to just be a bluff, and they still had no explanation as to how she¡¯d managed to break into their room completely unannounced.


    ¡°She¡¯s got to have some form of artifact,¡± Vrith muttered. ¡°Something that lets her conceal herself. That¡¯s why she¡¯s so bold.¡±


    Vroth glanced to Vrith, then his lips pulled back in a smirk. ¡°Is that so? Evading my awareness before I know of your presence is one thing, but don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to leave without my permission.¡±


    Lee just stared at them. ¡°That¡¯s not an answer. I can¡¯t leave until you give me one anyway, so could you just get on with it?¡±


    ¡°My answer to Spider will be your head delivered on a plate.¡± Vroth spat on the ground. ¡°Try to run, messenger. See how far it gets you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a no, then?¡± Lee asked, tilting her head to the side. ¡°Wait. Is that a no from you, or a no from your whole gang? Do you mind if I come back in a second? I need to ask Spider something. I can¡¯t remember if I¡¯m supposed to just kill you or if it¡¯s meant to be everyone here.¡±


    Vroth blurred, the only sound of his motion a single thud as he launched himself toward the arrogant demon. His claws flashed through the air like streaks of silver light, moving so quickly that Vrith could barely even follow him.


    Despite her position, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a flicker of admiration. This was the reason that Vroth was the streetlord. Vrith didn¡¯t think of herself as a particularly slow demon, but Vroth was easily twice as fast as she was.


    Fighting him was impossible. Every single match they¡¯d had always ended in the exact same way. The same way it had already inevitably gone for Spider¡¯s messenger. Complete and utter defeat.


    There was a faint snik of claw carving through flesh. Vrith started to blow out a relieved breath, already trying to determine what their next step would be in dealing with Spider. Then she spotted Lee standing ¡ª not before Vroth, but beside him.


    Blood dripped from her fingers, which had more than doubled in length and turned to razor-sharp claws. Vrith¡¯s lips parted in disbelief as Vroth peeled apart like a rotted fruit behind Lee, split into six strips.


    The remains of his body collapsed to the floor in a pool of bloody noodles that once been her brother. Lee shook her hand off as the fingers returned to normal. Her eyes flicked to Vrith. A very un-demonlike whimper escaped Vrith¡¯s lips and she took a step back.


    Vroth ¡ª how? I ¡ª no. This isn¡¯t possible!


    Vroth couldn¡¯t lose. Not like that. He was the strongest demon she¡¯d met, and this wasn¡¯t even Spider. It was just his messenger. Vrith¡¯s back hit the stone wall with a thud and she realized that she¡¯d been backing up. Blood pounded in her ears and her palms prickled with sweat.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°I ¡ª if you let me live, I won¡¯t tell him?¡± Vrith offered, more than aware of how pathetic her request was. There was no reason to leave someone alive with a secret when killing them would be far more effective.


    Lee¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Oh! That¡¯s it!¡±


    Vrith blinked. ¡°It is?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! I¡¯ve got it!¡± Lee exclaimed. Before Vrith could ask what she meant, Lee scooped up the remains of her brother and started shoveling them into her mouth. The words froze in Vrith¡¯s mouth and she watched with horror as every last scrap of Vroth vanished into Lee¡¯s gullet in the span of seconds.


    What the fuck?


    ¡°Okay,¡± Lee said, wiping the blood from her mouth once she¡¯d finished. She glanced around. ¡°You don¡¯t see any left, do you?¡±


    Vrith nearly threw up on the spot. ¡°I ¡ª no. I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Nobody else is here either,¡± Lee said. ¡°Good. This is perfect.¡±


    ¡°It is?¡± Vrith asked weakly.


    ¡°Yeah. Here¡¯s what happened. You killed Vroth.¡±


    A spike of panic shot through Vrith. Lee was planning to pin the entire thing on her. Living a bit longer wasn¡¯t worth it if it meant being punished by someone so awful that the cannibalistic monster before her was terrified of them.


    ¡°What? No! I¡¯m not just going to take the fall for you! Just kill me already¡±


    ¡°No! Then he¡¯ll know something went wrong and I won¡¯t be able to stick anyone¡¯s head up on a post. I already ate the other guy, so he¡¯s gone. We¡¯ve got to do it the other way.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to let Spider torture me!¡±


    ¡°Torture?¡± Lee gave Vrith a baffled look. ¡°Why would he do that? All we have to do is say that you killed Vroth before he got to answer my question! That would make you streetlord, right?¡±


    Vrith opened her mouth, then paused. She blinked. ¡°I... suppose? But how would that help? Are you going to kill me and stick my head on a spike?¡±


    ¡°So you agree that you killed Vroth?¡± There was a dangerous glint in Lee¡¯s eyes. ¡°Which would make you streetlord?¡±


    Something told Vrith that Lee wasn¡¯t going to accept any answer other than yes. At the very least, it looked like Vroth hadn¡¯t suffered long. She squeezed her eyes together and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Great! So do you surrender to Spider?¡±


    Vrith cracked an eye open. The same question Lee had asked Vroth. Lee watched her expectantly. The other eye cracked open.


    A tiny flicker of hope caught in her chest as she realized the game Lee was playing at. If Vroth was dead before he answered Lee¡¯s question, then Lee could re-direct the question to the new streetlord.


    If she said no, she¡¯d end up just like Vroth, but with a head left intact to mount on a spike. But if she threw her pride as a demon to the side... there was a chance.


    Vrith dropped to the ground and prostrated herself before Lee. ¡°We surrender. Please don¡¯t stick my head on a spike.¡±

 Chapter 466: Streetlord

    Chapter 466: Streetlord


    Liquid magma pumped through Aylin¡¯s veins. His entire body felt like it had grown ten degrees hotter. He could feel every single one of his nerves ¡ª and not in a good way.


    ¡°So?¡± Violet asked, eagerness and trepidation mixing in her voice. ¡°Do you feel different?¡±


    Her heartbeat thudded in her ears, a constant rhythm that cut his words off every time he tried to form them. Aylin¡¯s brow furrowed in concentration as he blocked it out.


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s... strange. I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m supposed to describe it.¡± Aylin rubbed his fingers together. The beds of his fingers warmed and a crackle of energy ran between them. He flinched, freezing in place. ¡°I¡¯m so much more aware. It¡¯s like I was walking around with my ears sewn shut before. Now there¡¯s so much information that I can barely handle it.¡± He caught the concern in Violet¡¯s expression and quickly amended, ¡°but I can tell that I¡¯ll adapt to it. My body is just different. Not worse.¡±


    Violet glanced over her shoulder. ¡°He¡¯s not here, is he?¡±


    Aylin hesitated for a second before shaking his head. He was pretty sure nobody was in the tent other than them right now, but after what he¡¯d seen Spider and his companions do, he had absolutely no plans of betting against any of them. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, but I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe he just... made you a Rank 3,¡± Violet said. She stared down at her hands. ¡°Just like that.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t for free,¡± Aylin muttered. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to be a streetlord. How am I meant to do that when the only people here only know me as the rat that lived in the gutters at the edge of their territory?¡±


    ¡°Most of them probably won¡¯t recognize you at all,¡± Violet pointed out. ¡°And nobody is going to challenge Spider.¡±


    ¡°Not Spider. Not anytime soon, at least,¡± Aylin agreed with a small nod. ¡°But me? I¡¯m a different story. The moment he isn¡¯t paying attention, someone will try their hand. Why wouldn¡¯t they? One subordinate is just as good as another. If someone can take me out quickly, nobody would assume Spider gives a shit.¡±


    Violet gritted her teeth. She knew he was right, but they really didn¡¯t have much option. Fleeing was impossible. Any chance of escaping Spider¡¯s clutches had evaporated the instant he¡¯d taken food from the demon ¡ª and taking runes from him had only solidified Aylin¡¯s position even further.


    ¡°Maybe he won¡¯t be so bad,¡± Violet said. ¡°He ordered the gang to bring Torick and Edda here. Maybe we¡¯re just useful to him as we are right now.¡±


    ¡°More likely he¡¯s bringing them here to remind me what he¡¯s doing for us,¡± Aylin said with a shake of his head. ¡°But you¡¯re right. For a demon as powerful as Spider is, he¡¯s treating us way better than I would have expected. Tools or not, I¡¯m strong enough to actually get food now. We can eat.¡±


    A small laugh slipped from Violet¡¯s lips. ¡°I guess that means taking the food from him was actually the right call. Your instincts aren¡¯t completely broken after all.¡±


    ¡°More like I got lucky. Everything you said back in the hideout was right.¡± Aylin¡¯s breath felt hot as he let out a sigh. His entire body brimmed with energy that he¡¯d never felt before, to the point where he held Violet¡¯s hand as limply as he could just to make sure he didn¡¯t actually break anything.


    She¡¯d always been stronger than him ¡ª not by all that much, since they both had only had a single Demon Rune, but hers had been better. But now... Aylin had seen what a Rank 3 could do. Even sneezing while touching Violet could hurt her.


    I wonder if Spider would be willing to make Violet and the others Rank 3s as well ¡ª no. I can¡¯t go down that line of thought. If I start relying on him for everything, then we¡¯ll all become so indebted to Spider that we completely lose ourselves. I owe him too much, but the others don¡¯t. Not yet.


    Aylin¡¯s ears twitched as conversation from outside the tent reached them. He still wasn¡¯t used to their new sensitivity and the new flavors flooding the air like invisible broth, but he picked up something familiar.


    Torick and Edda were nearby ¡ª and they weren¡¯t alone. Aylin¡¯s eyes narrowed and he released Violet¡¯s hand, sliding down from the throne and dropping to his feet. Rank 3 or not, his body hadn¡¯t grown very much in size, so Golon¡¯s chair was far too large for him.UppTodated from


    ¡°What is it?¡± Violet asked.


    Shit. I have to do something. Spider made it pretty clear that he can turn anyone into a Rank 3 just at a whim. If I can¡¯t prove my worth as a streetlord, then he¡¯ll just replace me.


    ¡°Enough,¡± Aylin said, his voice coming out more as a squeak than a command. It was, unfortunately, just loud enough for everyone in the crowd to turn toward him. Hundreds of eyes bore into Aylin¡¯s skull like sharp nails.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Dreek asked, his lips pulling back in a smirk. ¡°Does the new streetlord wish something of me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Aylin said. He forced the words out from his mouth before he could falter. ¡°Go do whatever it is you normally do.¡±


    Anger twisted Dreek¡¯s features. ¡°Spider only said you were the streetlord, not that we had to treat you any differently than a normal streetlord. Do you really think he¡¯d have that much problem with a more capable person in your position? You¡¯d best start watching your step more carefully.¡±


    Dreek moved in Torick¡¯s direction. Aylin had absolutely no idea if the demon was planning to try anything. He didn¡¯t get a chance to find out. His body shifted faster than he¡¯d thought it capable of.


    He was still halfway through barking out, ¡°Stop!¡± When he realized that his hand was lodged in Dreek¡¯s back. A shocked silence gripped the crowd of demons like a constricting noose.


    Aylin staggered back, ripping his hand free in a spray of viscera. He stared at his bloodied fingers, at the hole in Dreek¡¯s chest just beyond them. Dreek let out a gasping wheeze. His hands clutched at the huge wound and blood bubbled from his lips, muting any final words as the demon collapsed, dead before he hit the ground.


    ¡°Rank 3,¡± Robon whispered. ¡°I know that strength. Impossible. How are you Rank 3?¡±


    Words refused to form at Aylin¡¯s tongue. A rush of violent freezing energy slammed into him, swirling through his soul like the caress of a freezing river.


    ¡°Spider willed it,¡± Violet said, striding forward and throwing her arms around Torick and Edda. ¡°Aylin is the streetlord. There¡¯s a reason for that. Does anyone else want to try him?¡±


    Violet¡¯s demands carved through the crowd like a blade. The demons backed away. Aylin¡¯s ears twitched as he heard Spider step back into his tent, satisfied. Even though the demons¡¯ awed gazes were on Aylin rather than the masked demon, a chill ran down his back.


    Was he planning on this when he ordered for Torick and Edda to be brought here?


    Aylin didn¡¯t get a chance to think his fears through for long. Aylin¡¯s ears twitched and he turned as a female demon leapt from one of the rooftops, landing on the ground beside him with wide, panicked eyes. The demon tasted like fear.


    ¡°Streetlord, we¡¯ve got a problem,¡± she said nervously. ¡°Vroth¡¯s executioner is heading right for our camp.¡±


    Executioner? I don¡¯t like the sound of that.


    ¡°Idiot,¡± Robon spat. ¡°He must think we¡¯re weak because Golon died. But Vrith isn¡¯t stupid. We haven¡¯t seen her in a while. Is it possible she¡¯s grown stronger? She was already a powerful Rank 3.¡±


    Every single eye in the crowd turned back to Aylin. His heart sank.


    Oh, damn it all.


    ¡°Do you desire a weapon, streetlord?¡± Robon asked, his eyes flicking to Aylin¡¯s bloodied hand. ¡°It seems Vrith has come to challenge you.¡±

 Chapter 467: Vrith

    Chapter 467: Vrith


    It took every scrap of self-control that Aylin had to keep his eye from twitching. Today was just one thing going wrong after the other without so much as a breather in between them.


    Is Spider the Archdemon of Bad Luck or something? How can so many problems even exist? The most important thing I¡¯ve ever had to deal with was getting enough food.


    It wasn¡¯t like he could run, though. Retreating from a challenge was the same as admitting he had been defeated ¡ª and that would mean he was no longer the streetlord. There was no way Spider would let him or any of the others live if they didn¡¯t have any worth.


    Streetlords could always have their second fight in their place if a fight wasn¡¯t worth their effort, but the closest thing he had to a second right now was Robon. At Rank 2 and down a hand, Aylin was pretty sure the large demon somehow had even less of a chance against Vrith than he did.


    ¡°Did you want a weapon?¡± Robon repeated, the stress in his voice evident. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time before Vrith arrives.¡±


    I don¡¯t know how to use a damn weapon. What good would one do me?


    ¡°No need,¡± Aylin forced out with a shake of his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine as is.¡±


    Robon inclined his head. The crowd around them murmured.


    ¡°He thinks he can beat Vrith without a weapon? How strong did Spider make him?¡± one demon muttered.


    ¡°The boy is a street rat,¡± another demon said. ¡°He just has no idea what he¡¯s up against. Vrith is just going to take care of this for us and Spider will put someone more competent in charge.¡±


    Aylin tuned them out. Nothing they had to say would be of any use. Violet leaned close and lowered her voice to whisper into his ear.


    ¡°Can you fight someone like that?¡±


    No. Spider didn¡¯t make me that strong. And even if he did, I¡¯m not immortal. I¡¯ve barely ever been in a proper fight. Experience is going to count for more than anything else.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Aylin muttered back. His mind raced and blood thumped in the back of his head, threatening to drown out the whisper of the streets. He could do nothing but shake his head.


    Spider definitely wasn¡¯t going to interfere. Really, he couldn¡¯t. If Spider wanted Aylin to have any semblance of proper respect as a streetlord, he couldn¡¯t step in to kill every single threat that cropped up.


    Aylin swallowed. Then he set his jaw. At the very least, he didn¡¯t want to fight Vrith here. Not where Torick and Edda could see. There was the very small chance that he could come out on top if he managed to catch Vrith off guard.


    Should I try to attack before she¡¯s ready? Can I even catch someone like that off guard?


    Before Aylin knew it, Vrith stood across from him. His ears twitched as he picked up on movement on the rooftops above them. Unfortunately, they weren¡¯t there to help. They were spotters. Maybe from his own gang, maybe from another one coming to see what was going on.


    ¡°You are from Spider¡¯s gang,¡± Vrith said, the words dripping venom as they rolled from her lips. She wasn¡¯t asking a question. ¡°Take me to your streetlord.¡±


    ¡°I ¡ª¡± Aylin¡¯s voice broke and he coughed. It was a small mercy that Violet wasn¡¯t there. She never would have let him live that down, even as she accompanied him straight into the afterlife when Vrith killed them both. ¡°I am the streetlord.¡±


    Vrith stared down at Aylin. He¡¯d grown slightly since reaching Rank 3, but she was still a full head taller than him. Her dark eyes sparkled with incredulity. ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Aylin said, setting his jaw. This was it. At the very least, he refused to die like a sniveling cub. He shifted his stance and drew on his Rune, letting the heat pumping through his body intensify.


    The temptation to strike before Vrith could built, but he crushed it. That was the move of a weakling. A vision of Spider killing Golon flashed through Aylin¡¯s mind.


    If I manage to live long enough, that¡¯s what I want to be like. And if I don¡¯t... then the only thing I can do is choose to die like that. Not a coward, but a real Rank 3 demon. I won¡¯t die while failing to get a cheap shot off.


    ¡°I¡¯m the streetlord. Spider selected me to lead Golon¡¯s gang.¡± Aylin locked eyes with Vrith and crushed the fear swirling in his chest with even more power. He drank from his rune and prepared to burst into motion.


    His ears twitched as a footstep caught his attention in an alley beside them. He didn¡¯t dare take his eyes from Vrith, but he tasted the sea of blood that was Lee as she emerged from the darkness.


    ¡°That¡¯s him,¡± Lee said cheerfully. ¡°You found him even faster than I did! That may have been because I stopped for a snack break, though. Whoops. Sorry, Aylin.¡±


    The apology makes it pretty clear that she and Spider aren¡¯t about to help me out. I¡¯m on my own.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Aylin said through gritted teeth. The longer this dragged on, the more the anticipation ate away at his stomach. ¡°If you¡¯re here to challenge me, then I¡¯m prepared to take your challenge.¡±


    Will Vrith even give me the respect of a proper challenge? How is she going to attack? Her swords are sheathed. A kick? Her claws?


    Vrith shifted. Aylin flinched, raising his hands ¡ª only to find that Vrith hadn¡¯t drawn her weapons or gone to strike him. She¡¯d dropped to her knees before him. As Aylin watched in abject disbelief, the terrifying demoness pressed her forehead to the ground.


    ¡°My deepest apologies. My name is Vrith. Vroth, the former streetlord of the Ravager gang, is dead at my hand. I have taken his place.¡± Vrith lifted her gaze to meet Aylin¡¯s once more. ¡°And I have come to pledge fealty to you, as per Spider¡¯s command.¡±

 Chapter 468: Surrender

    Chapter 468: Surrender


    Aylin couldn¡¯t help it. His eye twitched. The emotion gripping his chest had been twisted and warped so many times that he couldn¡¯t tell what it was anymore. There wasn¡¯t even any relief. There was just a heavy weariness that should have come with hundreds of years of age ¡ª a weariness he¡¯d managed to completely develop in the span of a day.


    Kneeling at his feet was someone who should have been one of the strongest demons he ever met in his life. Just a few short hours ago, he would have sprinted in the opposite direction as hard as his legs could have carried him if he¡¯d gotten wind that someone like this was so much as looking in his direction.


    Now, he just wanted to ask Lee if she¡¯d saved any extra food for him. His emotions were numb and completely shot through. He just didn¡¯t have anything left to give.


    ¡°I politely request that you respond,¡± Vrith said, still prostrated before him. There was a line of taut anger in her voice that spurred him back into motion.


    ¡°I ¡ª uh, sure,¡± Aylin said in what was likely the lamest possible way to accept a surrender in the history of the Damned Plains. ¡°Sorry. I don¡¯t really do this much. Am I supposed to say something else?¡±


    Vrith ground her teeth in frustration. She definitely hadn¡¯t meant for him to hear that, but Aylin didn¡¯t blame her. He couldn¡¯t even imagine how it had to feel to be in her situation. Judging by Lee¡¯s presence beside them, he got the feeling that her surrender hadn¡¯t been entirely voluntary.


    ¡°It is typically customary to offer terms of surrender.¡± Vrith chose each word carefully, speaking with humility so false that he could quite literally taste it. ¡°The alternative would imply that you mean to take my entire gang as servants rather than members. I do not believe they will take kindly to it.¡±


    Does that imply she would? What did Lee do to the Ravager gang? Spider¡¯s entire group is just something else. I¡¯m just glad they aren¡¯t pissed at me, but I¡¯m going to have to make sure it stays that way.


    ¡°Right,¡± Aylin said hurriedly. ¡°Maybe we should do that somewhere more private, rather than in the middle of the street?¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a splendid idea.¡± Vrith¡¯s words were still clipped, telling Aylin he¡¯d evidently missed something.


    ¡°Oh. Uh... you can stand now,¡± Aylin said through a wince. He probably should have started with that.


    Vrith rose to her feet in a fluid motion. She brushed her knees off and sent him a pointed look. ¡°Thank you, streetlord. Please feel free to lead the way to where we will continue our conversation. I will follow.¡±


    ¡°Uh, just Aylin is fine. You¡¯re a streetlord too, aren¡¯t you? It seems weird to keep using titles.¡±


    Vrith arched an eyebrow but inclined her head. ¡°Very well. Aylin, then.¡±


    Lee gave him a thumbs up. Aylin turned stiffly and started back toward the market square. Leaving his back open to Vrith made every single one of his senses scream at him in warning, but Lee was right beside them. She probably wouldn¡¯t let Vrith just kill him for no reason.


    Also, no self-respecting demon would prostrate themselves all for the sake of a sneak attack on someone that should be way weaker than them. Especially not a streetlord.


    His ears twitched as the spotters on the roofs shot off, doubtlessly running to report the news of what had happened to the camp ¡ª or other camps. It wouldn¡¯t surprise him in the slightest if some of the other gangs had sent spotters to figure out what was going on in Golon¡¯s territory.


    That was a problem to deal with later. He was a bit too concerned with the one walking behind him at the moment.


    They soon made it back to the market square. Almost every demon that had been milling about had vanished, but Aylin tasted them behind the cover of their tents and heard them shifting nervously as they watched him and Vrith walk through the camp.


    After all that talk, nobody was bold enough to stick around and see what would happen when Vrith actually shows up. Just how scary is she? I don¡¯t know anything about her or Vroth¡¯s gang other than the fact that she¡¯s a Rank 3. I should really try to learn more if I don¡¯t want to get blindsided every single time Spider tosses me into something.


    Aylin automatically made a path back to Golon¡¯s tent before he properly thought about who would be waiting inside it. He pushed the flap open and held it for Vrith. She sent him a slightly surprised look as she stepped inside, but her gaze quickly flicked over his shoulder.


    ¡°We are not alone,¡± Vrith observed. ¡°There are others in your throne. Should I be rid of them?¡±


    Oh, shit. I sent Violet back here with Torick and Edda.


    What do I even ask for? I don¡¯t know the faintest bit about how this is supposed to go. How much am I meant to get? Am I supposed to offer something back in exchange for avoiding a fight?


    ¡°Right. The terms of surrender.¡± Aylin cleared his throat and nodded. ¡°Er... no attacking my gang, I guess?¡±


    ¡°That would generally be the definition of surrender.¡± Vrith squinted at Aylin. ¡°Are you making fun of me?¡±


    ¡°What? No,¡± Aylin said hurriedly as he tried to think of what else terms of surrender would involve. ¡°How big is your camp? Do we need to consolidate our groups?¡±


    ¡°It is large, but perhaps we could handle logistics after we determine the actual terms,¡± Vrith ground out. She was definitely stressed, there was no doubt about it. Something told Aylin he was completely missing something. Unfortunately, had no idea what it was.


    ¡°Just follow any orders Spider gives you, I guess. Keep running your gang normally aside from that. He hasn¡¯t really given me any orders beyond that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Vrith asked, blinking.


    Did I miss something?


    ¡°I think so? I¡¯ll be honest, I¡¯m more lost than you are. Just do what Spider says to if you want to live. That¡¯s it. As long as you don¡¯t cause trouble or anything like that it should be fine.¡±


    ¡°Those are the terms?¡± Vrith¡¯s eyes narrowed, poring over Aylin¡¯s features with such intensity that he nearly flinched back.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Aylin said. ¡°Just don¡¯t try to find some weird loophole to hurt us and we¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Vrith extended her hand, still watching him with suspicion. Aylin lifted his own. She clasped the top of his arm and he did the same to hers.


    ¡°I agree to your terms,¡± Vrith said. She released his hand, then shook her head. ¡°Now that I have agreed ¡ª tell me. What is Spider going to do? Why would you offer such a deal?¡±


    ¡°I have no damned idea.¡± Aylin threw his hands up. ¡°Spider does whatever he wants to, but I haven¡¯t seen him hurt anyone that did what he told them to do. What is it that I missed in the terms? You¡¯re acting like I completely passed over something really important.¡±


    ¡°I watched Vroth accept several surrenders during his time as streetlord. The defeated streetlords that got away in the best shape had Vroth¡¯s symbol branded across his face and chest. The others were lucky to leave with both of their arms.¡±


    Aylin¡¯s face twisted in distaste. ¡°That¡¯s vile. You thought I¡¯d require something like that?¡±


    ¡°I will not seek to change your mind now. The terms have already been agreed upon,¡± Vrith said quickly.


    ¡°I have no plans of trying to do that to anyone.¡± Aylin shook his head, somehow feeling even more tired than he had before.


    Vrith¡¯s features twitched for a second as she fought an internal battle. He wasn¡¯t sure if she won or lost, but she eventually managed to force a pair of words from her mouth.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Aylin muttered. He massaged his forehead.


    Can I please just sleep? I¡¯m so tired. I can¡¯t deal with anything else today. There shouldn¡¯t be ¡ª


    ¡°We should discuss logistics now,¡± Vrith said. ¡°The new chain of command and my place in your gang must be determined.¡±


    Gods save me.

 Chapter 469: Pact

    Chapter 469: Pact


    It didn¡¯t take Aylin long to reveal just how little he knew about logistics ¡ª or anything streetlord related. Vrith¡¯s stare bored into him, making it quite clear how evident his lack of understanding was.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know the ranks and roles of your own people?¡±


    ¡°Forget ranks,¡± Aylin said, throwing his hands up. ¡°I don¡¯t even know their names.¡±


    That only made her confusion grow even stronger. ¡°Why would you need to know their names?¡±


    ¡°...so I know who I¡¯m talking to?¡±


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t matter. As long as you know what purpose they serve, a name is irrelevant. Names get you attached.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re part of my gang. Aren¡¯t I supposed to care about them or something like that?¡±


    Vrith squinted at him. ¡°Why are you asking me? You¡¯re the streetlord.¡±


    ¡°So are you,¡± Aylin pointed out.


    ¡°A streetlord that surrendered. You just didn¡¯t take my title from me for some reason.¡± Vrith shook her head. ¡°Worst streetlord I¡¯ve ever met.¡±


    Aylin couldn¡¯t keep an exasperated sigh from escaping his mouth. He was beyond the point of worrying about pissing Vrith off. She was just as screwed as he was and he just didn¡¯t have the energy to walk on eggshells anymore.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to come clean with you. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    ¡°Coming clean should imply that you¡¯ve got something to reveal. You¡¯re as transparent as a pane of glass,¡± Vrith said through a laugh, but Aylin didn¡¯t miss the unease that settled around Vrith¡¯s shoulders and bore down on her neck. ¡°That¡¯s an interesting way to break me. I didn¡¯t see it coming. Where¡¯s the real streetlord, then?¡±


    ¡°Still me,¡± Aylin said.


    ¡°What?¡± Vrith blinked and frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not following where this is going anymore. Are you the streetlord or not?¡±


    ¡°I just said. I am. I just have no idea what I¡¯m doing. Golon is dead, but I didn¡¯t kill him. Spider did. He just put me in charge.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d gathered that much. The part I don¡¯t get is why you know nothing. Your reaction speed should put you somewhere around low Rank 3. I¡¯ve seen how fast you¡¯ve moved when you get startled. You can¡¯t get to that rank and be as clueless as you¡¯re acting, so what gives?¡±


    Aylin let out a short burst of laughter. It hardly mattered if he revealed how he¡¯d become a Rank 3 to Vrith now. She¡¯d find out at some point soon enough anyway. Spider had only told him not to share specifics, after all.


    ¡°I was Rank 1 about a day ago. Spider made me a Rank 3.¡±


    ¡°He made you a Rank 3?¡±


    ¡°Just like that.¡± Aylin nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t ask for more. I won¡¯t say. But I was starving together with my siblings before he showed up. He killed Golon, took over the gang, then brought me to Rank 3 and said I was in charge so he wouldn¡¯t have to deal with it.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck? How powerful is Spider? What kind of demon can just... make a Rank 3 at will?¡± Vrith muttered. She swallowed heavily and realization set in on her features. ¡°That¡¯s why you were close to a bunch of weak demons. You were the same as them just a short while ago.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. And now I¡¯m this.¡± Aylin gestured vaguely around himself. ¡°So you¡¯ll have to forgive me if I have no damned idea what I¡¯m doing. Until recently, the only thing I knew about streetlords is that they were terrifying and to be avoided at all costs.¡±


    Vrith tilted her head to the side and studied Aylin¡¯s features for a few seconds. ¡°And you haven¡¯t passed out from terror yet?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m working on it,¡± Aylin replied dryly. ¡°Give me a little while for everything to catch up with me and I probably will. It¡¯s not like passing out will help anything.¡±


    ¡°I knelt at the feet of a street rat. How far I have fallen,¡± Vrith grumbled. Then she hesitated, an inscrutable expression replacing the annoyance. ¡°Wait. You came prepared to fight me? Did you truly believe that you had the slightest chance to defeat a trained warrior if you¡¯ve never been in a proper fight in your life?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been in a proper fight! But no, I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d win. I was hoping you¡¯d be a big hulking demon that I had a chance of outrunning, not... well, you.¡±


    ¡°Gods,¡± Aylin said. His stomach twisted with something new. He couldn¡¯t tell what it was, but it almost felt good. Satisfied. ¡°What happened? How did you survive? A deal?¡±


    ¡°Because Lee made a mistake. She accidentally shredded Vroth¡¯s head, so she couldn¡¯t stake it anymore.¡± Vrith glanced around the room once more, then managed to lower her voice even further. ¡°We agreed to pretend that I¡¯d killed him instead of her. I then obviously accepted the offer. It was that or death. But if Spider finds out...¡±


    The knotting sensation in Aylin¡¯s stomach released, replaced by satisfaction. It almost felt like he¡¯d just had a full meal. Vrith¡¯s features twisted and she sent him a shocked look, taking a step back.


    ¡°Did you just steal my energy?¡±


    ¡°I ¡ª what? No. I was just curious. I didn¡¯t steal anything.¡±


    ¡°Yes you did.¡± Vrith stared at Aylin, looking simultaneously offended and impressed as she let out a whistle. ¡°Shit. You¡¯re a knowledge demon.¡±


    That feeling was me consuming Vrith¡¯s energy?


    Spider¡¯s forced advancement must have caused his Rune to advance to the point where he could start consuming energy naturally. He¡¯d always been inquisitive, but he hadn¡¯t imagined that he¡¯d actually be able to consume knowledge.


    I¡¯m also pretty sure it¡¯s a huge taboo to steal energy unless you¡¯re strong enough to justify it.


    Aylin¡¯s cheeks heated in embarrassment, but the more he thought about it, the more Vrith¡¯s words made sense ¡ª and the more he wanted to consume more. He swallowed the feeling down and shook his head. ¡°Uh... sorry. You might be right. It was my first time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m delighted to hear I was your first,¡± Vrith said dryly. She blew out a breath and shrugged. ¡°Well, given the circumstances, I suppose losing a little power isn¡¯t too much to complain about. You really do need to work out how you¡¯re going to put on a better front with any other Streetlords. I doubt Spider is going to have all of them on as many strings as I am. They¡¯re going to figure you out in seconds. I¡¯ll go back to my camp and handle all the shit that you should¡ª¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Aylin said. Two simultaneous thoughts struck him. The first was annoyance that he wouldn¡¯t learn whatever it was that Vrith was going to be doing. The second was an idea. ¡°I¡¯ve got a better way to do this.¡±


    Vrith tilted her head to the side. ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Stay here. We¡¯re in the same boat. We can help each other. Become my second.¡±


    ¡°You mean you want to snack on my knowledge.¡±


    ¡°Streetlords get to choose how resources get distributed, don¡¯t they?¡± Aylin asked. ¡°I could make up for that.¡±


    Vrith held his gaze for a second. Then she crossed her arms. ¡°I¡¯ve been a second for all my life. Who would choose to be a second over a streetlord? Even if it¡¯s under you, I¡¯d still have an entire gang.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s better? Being one streetlord out of dozens, or being the second of the demon in charge of all of them?¡±


    She let out a burst of laughter. ¡°You think Spider¡¯s going to put you in charge of every single gang? What happened to all that fear?¡±


    ¡°This is the fear talking,¡± Aylin said. ¡°Do you think I want this? I don¡¯t ¡ª but look at the facts. Lee sent you to me. Not to Spider. What does that mean for the other streetlords? They definitely had spotters watching us.¡±


    Vrith hesitated for a second. Then she paled. ¡°Oh, shit. You might actually be right. But why would Spider put someone like you in charge of so much?¡±


    Because it¡¯s so far beneath him I literally don¡¯t think he cares. We¡¯re just one moving piece in whatever plan he¡¯s got going.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Aylin said, and a hunger gnawed at his stomach. ¡°And, as much as I¡¯d love to find out, it changes nothing. Do you accept my offer or not?¡±


    Vrith¡¯s lips curled up and extended her hand. ¡°You make a very convincing offer, streetlord. One I find myself unable to refuse. I just hope you¡¯re better than my late brother.¡±


    Brother? Vroth was her brother? How is she even holding it together right now? I¡¯d be breaking down if Violet or one of the others had gotten murdered in front of me. Although it doesn¡¯t sound like she was very close with him.


    Now I want to know why... but this isn¡¯t the time.


    ¡°My name is still Aylin, not streetlord. I don¡¯t need an overinflated sense of ego,¡± Aylin said as he clasped Vrith¡¯s arm. ¡°And I can¡¯t make any promises, but I look forward to learning from you.¡±

 Chapter 470: Deals

    Chapter 470: Deals


    Noah was glad he¡¯d kept his face wrappings on. He¡¯d been sitting around and fiddling with energy from Crumbling Space when the flap to his tent had flipped open. He and Moxie both looked up to find Violet standing on the other side, her face pale. Two smaller demons huddled behind her, one male and one female.


    Violet¡¯s eyes widened and she froze in place like a deer in the headlights. ¡°I ¡ª sorry! I didn¡¯t realize this was your tent.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Moxie said. ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯ve got it marked. Do you need something?¡±


    The demon shook her head hurriedly. ¡°No! No, I¡¯m fine. Aylin just told me to take Edda and Torick to another tent so he could speak privately with Vrith. We¡¯re completely fine. He has things handled.¡±


    She didn¡¯t sound completely convinced. The way she was rambling made it clear how worried she was for Aylin, but the news she brought made Noah tilt his head to the side.


    He sent them off to deal with her alone? He¡¯s starting to get bold. I hope the runes aren¡¯t changing him too much. I didn¡¯t really give him much more in the way of Demon Runes, most of them were normal. I¡¯ll have to keep an eye on the kid. As badly as I need to research how Demon Runes actually work, I don¡¯t fancy making him my test subject.Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve found a tent.¡± Noah nodded to the ground across from him. ¡°Come in. It¡¯s safe here, and I haven¡¯t had much chance to speak with you properly.¡±


    Moxie sent him a warning look and she nudged him with her foot. He would have been mildly offended if he hadn¡¯t already established a bit of a poor track record. That was just the way things had to be done in the Damned Plains, though.


    Giving the kids something specific to fear was a great way to make sure they didn¡¯t fear literally everything else. Until he knew them better, there wasn¡¯t much else he could offer without piquing their suspicion.


    Violet hesitated for a second. Her eyes flicked from Noah to Moxie, then to the smaller demons behind her. She brought her expression under control and stepped into the tent, holding the flap open for the others.


    Noah didn¡¯t bother hiding his curiosity as the demons sat down across from him and Moxie. He really didn¡¯t have much frame of reference for how demons aged beyond Lee. Aylin¡¯s group were all clearly young, but he and Violet were the closest to normal humans amongst them.


    Torick was a little less than a head shorter than Violet and had interlocking plates running just beneath his flesh. They didn¡¯t look anywhere near strong enough to block much damage, but Noah suspected they¡¯d grow as he grew more powerful.


    He was pretty sure Edda was the youngest of the group, both by her appearance and by the fact that she was the least scared of the lot. Her gaze swept over the room in search of something that Noah and Moxie didn¡¯t seem to qualify for.


    If anything, she reminded him of Lee. Her horns were too large for her head ¡ª as were her eyes, which burned like two little embers.


    Which is an interesting thought. I swear Lee told me that her parents produced asexually and she was just a blob before she took on a human form relatively recently. I suppose that was her talking about Skinwalkers and not Demons ¡ª that or Azel was into some really weird shit.


    ¡°Is there something we can do for you?¡± Violet asked as she shifted, trying to make herself comfortable.


    Moxie lifted a hand and vines curled out of the ground, twisting beneath the demons to form into seats. The casual display of external magic caused their eyes to widen in shock. Noah arched an eyebrow in Moxie¡¯s direction.


    ¡°If you wanted me to. You¡¯re all close to Aylin. That makes you targets for the other gangs.¡± Noah didn¡¯t bother mincing his words. These kids had grown up in the Damned Plains. They were no strangers to the way life worked. ¡°The stronger you are, the more you can help you can be to both me and Aylin. I just have no need to rush anything.¡±


    ¡°What about me?¡± Violet asked, finally giving up on her own reluctance. ¡°I¡¯m no weaker than Aylin was when you changed him.¡±


    ¡°I could do some for you. I don¡¯t have the potion I¡¯d like to use to do more,¡± Noah said slowly. ¡°But before I did something like that ¡ª why do you want me to help? You were reluctant to accept anything before.¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m worried about Aylin. He¡¯s my brother,¡± Violet said. She swallowed but held Noah¡¯s gaze. ¡°And I can¡¯t do anything for him the way I am now. When word spreads to the other gangs that Vrith joined us, they¡¯re going to start testing us in true. There are going to be fights. People will try to assassinate him. The really dumb ones might go for you. And I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine ¡ª but he might not be. He needs help.¡±


    The more she spoke, the more determined Violet¡¯s words grew. Her worry and concern for Aylin were stronger than her fear of Noah.


    I can¡¯t tell if I should be impressed at the level of passion someone this young can have to protect their friend or be depressed that they¡¯ve gone through so much shit that they feel the presence of death lurking so intently.


    She kind of reminds me of Isabel and Todd. Just... more intense.


    Noah rose to his feet and Moxie sent him a surprised look. She knew just as well as he did the drawbacks of a demon advancing through the ranks.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to do it?¡±


    ¡°Something tells me she¡¯ll get herself hurt trying something else if I don¡¯t,¡± Noah said dryly before looking back to Violet. ¡°I take it you know the city to some degree?¡±


    ¡°Some of it,¡± Violet said hesitantly, some of her confidence evaporating when she realized Spider might be about to grant her request. Asking for power was one thing, but actually getting it was a bit more real.


    ¡°Your guess was absolutely right about other gangs coming for Aylin. I imagine it won¡¯t be long at all. A few hours. Maybe days for the more patient ones. He could have one extra card in his back pocket ¡ª especially if he doesn¡¯t even know he has it. I can make you into that card, Violet. I¡¯m not promising it¡¯ll be safe, but I can do it.¡±


    Violet hesitated for a second. Then she swallowed. ¡°Nothing in the Damned Plains is safe. I¡¯ll do it. What do I have to do in return?¡±


    ¡°Not much at all,¡± Noah replied with a smile that she couldn¡¯t make out behind his face wrappings. Violet would do absolutely everything he needed her to do entirely out of her own volition. She wanted the same thing he did, after all ¡ª she¡¯d just never believe him if he told her that. ¡°All you¡¯ll have to do is show me to an apothecary.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯ll make me a Rank 3 in return?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s it.¡±


    Violet¡¯s jaw set. ¡°I don¡¯t think I ¡ª or anyone else ¡ª could ever refuse one of your deals, Spider. That scares me. A lot. Needless to say, I accept.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯d best start marching,¡± Noah said, nodding to the exit of the tent. ¡°Moxie will watch over your siblings. We have an apothecary to find.¡±

 Chapter 471: An Old Man

    Chapter 471: An Old Man


    While Noah traipsed through the Damned Plains, Todd was doing his absolute best to kill an old man.


    His foot slammed into the ground and he twisted his body, detonating the air behind his right heel and sending it hurtling in a spinning kick toward Jalen¡¯s head. The old mage cackled as he leaned back and brought his own leg up into Todd¡¯s chest.


    Stone armor cracked and Todd stumbled back. He thrust a hand behind himself and stone cracked, flame curling free of his palm as he threw himself back into Jalen shoulder-first. The air around Jalen rippled and he vanished, reforming five feet to his side.


    As soon as he reformed, a loud crack split the air. A streak of ice carved across the sky in a flash. Jalen¡¯s hand shot up to grab a transparent blue arrow an inch away from his face. His lips parted in a grin as he spun, gathering momentum before hurtling the arrow back in the direction it had come.


    A flash of panic shot through Todd and he spun to watch the arrow. He needn¡¯t have worried. Alexandra was already in front of Emily, her sword whistling as she cut the magic from the air before it could reach its target.


    A hand fell on Todd¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t get distracted, kid. You¡¯re¡ª¡±


    The ground beneath them cracked as Isabel erupted from beneath it, driving a glowing blue spear straight for Jalen¡¯s chest. He flickered and vanished an instant before the blow could connect.


    Jalen reformed behind them, purple energy gathering around his hands. He reached for their backs ¡ª and another icy arrow screamed through the air, this time from the exact opposite direction.


    His eyes widened slightly in surprise and he spun, grabbing the arrow. At the same time, Isabel rose fully from the dirt and it swirled up to form heavy armor around her. She and Todd both lunged for Jalen¡¯s back.


    A wave of purple magic swirled out from his palms. Todd¡¯s stomach clenched and the world lurched abruptly around him. His foot hit the ground a dozen feet away from where it should have and he stumbled as a wave of dizziness washed over him.


    Isabel thumped down beside him. Jalen turned to look at them, Emily¡¯s second arrow held aloft. He let his hand fall and the icy magic dissipated.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± Todd said with a groan. ¡°I could have sworn we had you. Teleporting us away is a cheap trick.¡±


    Emily let her weapon lower and Alexandra sheathed her sword. The two of them headed across the grass to join the others.


    ¡°There is no such thing as a cheap trick in a battle,¡± Jalen said once they¡¯d all regrouped. ¡°And besides, cheating makes things more fun.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wouldn¡¯t the second thing negate the first one?¡± Isabel asked with a frown.


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Jalen shook his head in disappointment. ¡°Cheap tricks sound so debasing. Like I need to rely on some form of crutch to handle a battle. Cheating is far different. It¡¯s a battle of wits. A truly interesting battle is one where everyone cheats.¡±


    Todd rubbed at the side of his neck. It was a habit he hadn¡¯t quite managed to shrug off yet. He was tempted to ask Jalen what the point of even adding rules to a fight was if they were just going to cheat, but he¡¯d gotten to know the odd Rank 6 well enough to realize that the question would be completely pointless.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel a bit bad about having to cheat against Rank 2s?¡± Alexandra asked.


    ¡°There is no ¡®have to¡¯ about it,¡± Jalen said with a snort. ¡°I cheat because it amuses me. You should try it more often. Maybe you¡¯d win more if you did ¡ª though I see my lessons haven¡¯t been completely wasted on you. Do you plan on remaining invisible forever, James?¡±Upstodatee from


    The air to Todd¡¯s right shimmered and James appeared mid-yawn. Emily faded away, and another version of her appeared near the edge of the group. Her lips pursed in annoyance and she jogged over to join them.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t even manage to hit you,¡± Emily muttered. ¡°It was such a good idea.¡±


    ¡°It was,¡± Jalen said with an approving nod. ¡°Having the light mage form a fake version of you beside Alexandra while you ran to position... very clever. It actually caught me off guard. You also said that James wouldn¡¯t be participating in this fight. That counts as cheating. I¡¯m proud of you.¡±


    ¡°Technically, we just said the only people fighting you would be the ones here,¡± Todd corrected, a small grin tugging at his lips. ¡°James just happened to be invisible at the time. Invisible and at the top of the hill. My definition of here was a bit stretched.¡±


    Jalen cackled in approval. ¡°Very good. You kept him out of the range of my domain to make sure I didn¡¯t pick up on his presence by accident. But James... how is it that you managed to have your magic running in two entirely different locations at once? You aren¡¯t nearly strong enough to pull something like that off. The range alone should be impossible for a Rank 3, much less a Rank 2.¡±


    Emily worked a thin metal bracelet off her wrist. Twisting black lines ran across it, rippling with faint energy. ¡°Todd imbued this with James¡¯ light magic. It drains a lot of his power, but it let me use him like a battery to temporarily turn invisible.¡±


    Todd took the bracelet from her, a frown pulling across his lips as he studied the imbuements. They were badly strained. Maintaining a connection between the original owner of the runes and the bracelet¡¯s wielder had proven to be too optimistic for such a rudimentary item.


    It did let me get much more power out of it than if I¡¯d closed the circuit and separated it from James. Definitely has potential to continue working on. This bracelet is fried, though.


    ¡°I love being a battery,¡± James said without a single trace of sarcasm. ¡°It lets me feel like I¡¯m being useful because I¡¯m completely out of energy at the end of the fight and I¡¯ve barely even had to do anything.¡±


    That¡¯s hardly true. The bracelet relied heavily on James actually funneling it power. Emily just activated it. That was the only way I could get it to do the complexity of proper invisibility. James should have been under really significant mental strain.


    ¡°What in the Damend Plains?¡± a woman standing in the center of the room demanded, her voice coming out as a terrified squeak. ¡°How did you get in here?¡±


    Ah, yes. I forgot there was a person here.


    Jalen tore his gaze away from the papers. ¡°I teleported. Nobody told me you were insane.¡±


    ¡°I ¡ª what? It¡¯s impossible to teleport into this room. It¡¯s warded,¡± the woman said, her eyes narrowing as she dropped into a fighting stance. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Do you really not know?¡± Jalen tilted his head to the side. ¡°You should control the insanity. It¡¯s only useful when properly applied. I am not to be forgotten.¡±


    The woman paused. Then she took a step back. ¡°That arrogance. Magus Jalen of the Linwicks? What the fuck are you doing in my room? And why is your hood up? It¡¯s hard to figure out who you are when I can¡¯t see your face.¡±


    ¡°You had some dealings with Vermil, yes?¡±


    The woman stared at him. Then, slowly, she nodded. ¡°I did. What does¡ª¡±


    ¡°His students need your help because he¡¯s currently off killing some demons,¡± Jalen said through a yawn. ¡°They are progressing, but I want them to progress faster. I imagine you should be able to help me with that.¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I owe Vermil nothing. We had a business relationship and nothing more.¡±


    Jalen tilted his head to the side. Then he waved his hand around. ¡°Does Otto know about what you¡¯re doing here? All this research? Something tells me he doesn¡¯t, or you wouldn¡¯t have those rudimentary Imbuements on your room. They¡¯re too shit to be his, meaning you¡¯re doing this on your own. Otto isn¡¯t a fan of missing information.¡±


    The woman hesitated. ¡°I¡¯m not hiding anything from him. I am simply verifying it.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Jalen drawled. ¡°What is it that you go by nowadays? You change your name too often for me to bother remembering it ¡ª not that I¡¯d have remembered it if you kept one.¡±


    ¡°Bird.¡±


    ¡°Well then, Bird, either you come help Vermil¡¯s students or I will shamelessly blackmail you with Otto¡¯s annoying ass. Good luck researching shit with him pestering you.¡±


    Bird¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t figured that bit out yet,¡± Jalen admitted. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve got something you can offer them, though. Some Runes, perhaps? The treasurer of the King family has access to quite a bit of power.¡±


    ¡°You want me to steal from Otto?¡± Bird demanded, taking a step back. ¡°I won¡¯t. That oversteps both of our boundaries. You¡¯re the head of the Linwick family. Why don¡¯t you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel like it, and I don¡¯t know them well enough to give good runes. I¡¯m not saying to steal from Otto ¡ª his nose is too sharp for that,¡± Jalen said with a shake of his head. He blurred forward, prodding Bird in the forehead. ¡°I¡¯m saying to use your own privileges and access to get them something. I¡¯m more than aware you¡¯re capable of it. You¡¯re young, but Otto hasn¡¯t been shy bragging about your abilities and role in the family. Granted, I did burn the majority of the letters he sent, but I¡¯ve glanced at a few.¡±


    Bird¡¯s lips pressed thin. Then she sighed. ¡°Fine, but only if you promise to keep this secret. I will not be blackmailed by the same thing twice. I need to fully research this style before I tell Otto about it.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you want,¡± Jalen said with a wave of his hand. ¡°I really don¡¯t care as long as I get what I want.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do,¡± Bird said wearily. ¡°Can you get out of my room now? You¡¯re ruining my practice.¡±


    I rather like this helper of Otto¡¯s. Too bad she¡¯s so loyal to him. She¡¯s got balls, even if a big part of them is knowing I can¡¯t mess with the Kings too much.


    ¡°Just one more thing,¡± Jalen said.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Put some damn clothes on before you find the students. Vermil is going to be pissed if he finds out I sent a nudist after them.¡±


    Bird glanced down at herself and her cheeks went bright red as she spun in search for clothes. ¡°Shit! I forgot I was practicing. Why in the Damned Plains didn¡¯t you say anything earlier?¡±


    There was no response. By the time she found them and looked back, Jalen was gone. Bird pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers and let out a defeated sigh.

 Chapter 472: Violet

    Chapter 472: Violet


    Noah and Violet came to a stop before a red brick building right at the edges of the slums. It wasn¡¯t quite all the way into the nicer parts of Treadon ¡ª if such places even properly existed ¡ª but it wasn¡¯t completely overrun by streetlords and starving demons either.


    The building stood two stories tall, nestled in the shadow of a rickety tower. All but one of its windows were boarded over with large pieces of what looked to be hard leather tacked in place with metal spikes.


    There was no sign to mark its purpose and the door was crafted from a single piece of roughly carved stone. It looked like it should have been far too heavy to remain in place with just a few hinges and, judging by how it had broken off at the top hinge and was leaning against the ground instead of properly suspended, it was.


    ¡°This is an apothecary,¡± Violet said. She cleared her throat. ¡°I think. I¡¯ve never gone here. Edda got really sick once when she ate something she shouldn¡¯t have, but they wouldn¡¯t let us in. I¡¯ve seen people coming out of here with vials before.¡±


    Right. So this is either a potion shop or a drug dealer. Actually, I suppose those are basically the same thing. If you can mix some fancy demon meth, I¡¯m sure you can find a way to make me a mind meld potion.


    Noah put a hand on the door. It was about as mobile as it looked to be, which was to say it was a giant slab of stone that had absolutely no place anywhere near a doorway. That was mildly problematic.


    He was nowhere near as physically strong as a demon even half his rank. There was no way for Noah to move huge things around without just straight up destroying them, and blowing up the door of a merchant didn¡¯t really seem like a great way to make a good first impression.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Violet asked, chewing on her inner cheek. She glanced up at the door. ¡°I swear an apothecary was in here. I haven¡¯t been in the area a while but it looks exactly the same as it did when I last came by.¡±


    Noah let his tremorsense sweep across the ground. It instantly picked up on a form standing just a few feet to the side of the door. They weren¡¯t moving beyond their breaths, but that was enough to outline a blobby shape about a foot taller than Noah.


    His eyes narrowed. The figure was in a position where Noah wouldn¡¯t have seen them until he stepped inside, which was generally not the location a shopkeeper stood if he wanted to meet a potential client.


    That¡¯s more like somebody preparing to ambush me. Tremorsense doesn¡¯t give me enough detail as to specific shapes and forms when they aren¡¯t moving more.


    Noah activated his domain. There wasn¡¯t going to be anyone able to feel it out in the boonies of Treadon anyway. His magical senses passed through the large openings at the bottom and side of the stone door, brushing through the front portion of the store.


    It only took him an instant to get a considerably better feel of the demon on the other side of the door. They were holding a rough blade at their side. Even though Noah couldn¡¯t see their face or make out any detail about their expression, he could practically feel the tension rolling off them.


    Scared? Angry? Something in between? I don¡¯t think anyone here should have any reason to be pissed at me yet unless we got unlucky enough to find the one apothecary that happened to be related to someone I¡¯ve blown up.


    I can¡¯t just stand around here forever, though. Violet is going to get confused. I don¡¯t know if I want to buy potions from someone trying to kill me either though. Leaving could work... but leaving without finding out more just feels lame.


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong,¡± Noah said with a shake of his head as he came to a conclusion. He nodded to the door and raised his voice slightly. ¡°I¡¯m just waiting for the good apothecary to open the door for us.¡±


    Violet blinked. Then her cheeks colored. ¡°Uh... Spider, sir, they don¡¯t open the doors for you here. You have to do that yourself.¡±


    ¡°You might have before,¡± Noah said, tapping a foot on the ground impatiently. ¡°But the kind apothecary lying in wait with a little toothpick in their hand is going to open this door for us so I don¡¯t destroy it and his building along with it. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    The demon on the other side of the door froze. His head tilted down slightly as he looked at the weapon in his hand. It looked like he needed a little bit of extra motivation to get moving.Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com


    Noah sent a tiny ripple of energy from Natural Disaster out through his feet, making the ground beneath them shudder slightly. The demon hurriedly set the blade down and grabbed the door. Noah let his domain fade away as the door ground open to reveal a male, purple-skinned demon with mushroom-like growths running along his back.


    Sensations? What the hell do the demons use Mind Meld potions for? Actually, I think I¡¯ve got an idea ¡ª but come on, guys. These things have so much potential. Is that really the best you can do with them?


    Noah grunted. There was no way to verify the apothecary¡¯s words here, but he could ask some of the demons back in the camp. He flicked a gold coin onto the table and took the vials from the demon, piling them into his bag.


    ¡°Is there anything else¡ª¡± the apothecary started, but Noah was already walking out of the store. Violet hurried after him.


    They strode down the street in silence for a minute. Noah caught Violet sending glances at his bag and suppressed a sigh.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what they¡¯re for.¡±


    Violet¡¯s face paled. ¡°Can you read¡ª¡±


    ¡°No. Your face was just really obvious. Just because everyone here is a degenerate doesn¡¯t mean I am too. You¡¯d do well to keep in mind that nothing is limited to a single purpose. Especially magic.¡±


    Violet nodded hurriedly. She¡¯d reacted too quickly to have actually considered his words, but with any luck, she¡¯d think over them when she was a little less terrified.


    Noah¡¯s tremorsense prickled and he looked up, making eye contact with a demon crouched at the top of a low roof near them. The demon froze in place as Noah made sure they knew he¡¯d seen them, then slunk back and out of sight.


    Definitely not the only one watching. We¡¯ve got a fair amount of attention now. Probably shouldn¡¯t talk about anything too important until we¡¯re back at camp.


    ¡°How¡¯d you get your name?¡± Noah asked to break the silence. ¡°Not that it¡¯s a poor one, but it¡¯s a bit... different. Aylin, Edda, Torick. They¡¯ve got a... style, I guess.¡±


    A small smile pulled across Violet¡¯s face as her mind drifted off in thought. ¡°That¡¯s because I gave them their names. Aylin gave me mine. It¡¯s because my eyes turn violet when I¡¯m really concentrated on something. It took him nearly a week to decide on it. I swear he watched me like a Sand Wyrg for an entire week. I was expecting some really in-depth and fancy name. He decided on Violet.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡±


    ¡°No, I love it. Our names were the only things we¡¯ve had for a long time,¡± Violet said absently. She spoke casually, seeming to have lost some of her fear of Noah ¡ª or perhaps her fear receptors had just burned out. ¡°It was just funny. After all that research, he chose what I would have chosen after about ten seconds looking in a mirror.¡±


    ¡°If you ask me, ending with a simple answer after doing a lot of research shows understanding, not lack of effort,¡± Noah observed. ¡°That speaks well for it. Violet is an excellent name.¡±


    And that¡¯s quite interesting. When I was in Aylin¡¯s mind, he wanted to know about how a lot of things work. I wonder if he¡¯s figured out what he feeds on yet. I should ask when we get back to camp.


    Noah glanced down at Violet, whose smile had grown slightly at his words. There was an undeniable comradery between her and the other young demons. It was mildly surprising. He hadn¡¯t expected to find anyone that cared so deeply for each other in the Damned Plains, but that went to show just how little everyone truly understood about demons.


    I can¡¯t shake the feeling that the key to figuring out Lee¡¯s Runes is determining how to help these kids as well. That¡¯ll rely on making sure they grow strong and get the confidence and power to defend themselves.


    Speaking of which... I wonder how Aylin is doing with Vrith. I hope she isn¡¯t making things too difficult for him.

 Chapter 473: Trade offer

    Chapter 473: Trade offer


    ¡°So fear is the best way to stop a fight before it starts?¡± Aylin asked, his eyes fixed intently on Vrith. ¡°That makes a lot of sense. It¡¯s why you focus on attacking quickly and utilizing shadow-related runes. If your targets couldn¡¯t see what was attacking them, they¡¯d make things up and be more scared than they would be if they knew who they were up against ¡ª ah! That¡¯s the feeling you eat, isn¡¯t it? Fear?¡±


    Vrith groaned from where she sat slumped against the throne beside him, her head cradled in her hands. ¡°Please stop. You are literally sucking me dry. How is your damn mental force so powerful? Didn¡¯t Spider literally just make you a Rank 3? You shouldn¡¯t be able to take energy from me like this!¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Aylin said with a wince. He¡¯d asked his last question about thirty-five seconds ago, but this one had just slipped out before he¡¯d managed to stop it. The more he spoke to Vrith, the more he wanted to know.


    He wanted to know how she worked. How she fought ¡ª how she thought. And not just about her. He wanted to know everything. Every scrap of information just felt like it added to the growing avalanche of desire.


    The world had been so small before. So constrained. But in just a few minutes, Vrith had taken those boundaries and ripped them free to show the horizon beyond. Unfortunately for her, Aylin had taken more than a few mistaken nibbles out of her soul in the process.


    In his defense, he hadn¡¯t meant to. It just happened. Not every question drew energy, but the more exited and invested he got, the harder it was to avoid draining Vrith even further.


    ¡°Do you want something to eat?¡± Aylin offered meekly. He didn¡¯t need someone to tell him that constantly snacking on someone else¡¯s energy was not considered polite by any stretch of the imagination.


    She was a lot more patient than he¡¯d expected, though the threat of Spider hanging over both of their heads had definitely helped stay her hand.


    Vrith let out a garbled groan. ¡°Please. I¡¯m too tired to stand at this point. Someone needs to teach you how to speak to others without sucking down all their energy by peppering them with stupid questions.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you could¡ª¡±


    ¡°If you ask me one more thing, I might keel over and die,¡± Vrith said. ¡°That was not an exaggeration. Please. I am quite literally begging you. Don¡¯t ask me anything. Just get food. I can¡¯t consume energy from you, so we have to do this the old fashioned way.¡±


    Aylin sheepishly hopped off the chair and hurried out of the tent. His new gang ¡ª they didn¡¯t have a name yet, but he¡¯d get to that soon enough if Spider hadn¡¯t chosen one already ¡ª had already distributed a fair amount of it.


    Fortunately, they¡¯d kept more than enough for everyone here, pushing it all into a few different storage tents. Aylin approached the closest one, exchanging a nod with the demon on guard before stepping inside.


    It was a strange feeling to walk into a tent and find it completely stuffed to the brim with meats and cheeses and breads. There was enough to feed him, Violet, Torick, and Edda for months. Maybe more, if they ate carefully.


    Aylin shook his head. He scooped up a large loaf of bread and a palm-sized wheel of cheese. That already felt like too much. But, after a second of hesitation, he grabbed a long strip of jerky as well before striding back out and to the leader¡¯s tent.


    ¡°I got some food,¡± Aylin said once he¡¯d returned to Vrith¡¯s side. He crouched beside her. Vrith opened her mouth.


    She actually wants me to feed her? A bit weird, but sure. I suppose it¡¯s kind of my fault she¡¯s this exhausted.


    ¡°Wh¡ª¡± Vrith started, only to get a loaf of bread stuffed into her mouth. She let out a muffled grunt of surprise, but no demon¡¯s instincts would ever let them waste energy, especially when they were as worn out as Vrith was. She bit down, chewing wearily before swallowing.


    A tiny amount of energy visibly returned to her body as her posture straightened slightly and her lips parted once more, only for Aylin to stick the bread straight back in. They stared at each other for a second.


    Then Vrith¡¯s shoulders slumped.


    That¡¯s odd. She should be getting more energy from eating, but she somehow looks even more tired. That doesn¡¯t make sense.


    Aylin nearly asked her what was going on before he caught himself. That would be asking another question. He wasn¡¯t very confident he¡¯d be able to avoid accidentally stealing more energy from her in the process.


    Thus, the only option left to him was to continue feeding Vrith. Her eyes bored into his, but she let him feed her the rest of the bread without saying anything. Aylin broke a piece of cheese off as soon as the bread was finished.


    Aylin blinked. ¡°What? You asked me to feed you.¡±


    ¡°I told you to bring me food,¡± Vrith said, running a hand along the back of her scalp and letting out a long-suffering sigh. Then she paused for a second. ¡°Though I can¡¯t deny it was nice getting fed. Vroth had a servant feed him once or twice. I never had the chance. It makes you feel... important.¡±


    ¡°How long have you had enough energy to do things normally?¡± Aylin asked, narrowing his eyes. ¡°Were you just letting me feed you that whole time?¡±


    ¡°In my defense, you didn¡¯t give me much choice.¡± Vrith snickered at the expression on his face.


    Aylin paused as a thought struck him. ¡°Does that mean I can keep asking you a bunch of questions if I get you more food?¡±


    ¡°Are you checking if you can bribe me into getting drained repeatedly in exchange for getting fed?¡± Vrith¡¯s smirk fell away.


    ¡°Yes, I think that would be accurate.¡±


    ¡°I could just have a different subordinate do it,¡± Vrith pointed out. ¡°I refuse to believe that Spider¡¯s plans for bringing my gang under you included turning me into a magical battery.¡±


    ¡°You probably could, but I¡¯m pretty sure you got embarrassed when Robon saw us,¡± Aylin pointed out. ¡°And I¡¯m the one that controls the food supplies.¡±


    Vrith stared at him. ¡°You¡¯re threatening to limit my food?¡±


    ¡°No, that would be awful. I¡¯m offering more of it,¡± Aylin corrected. ¡°We definitely have enough. Golon was hoarding it. I don¡¯t need nearly as much as he did, so it¡¯s my prerogative as to how it¡¯s used as long as everyone in the gang gets some. I can choose to give you extra.¡±


    That made her hesitate. Vrith lifted a finger, then let it lower as she chewed her lower lip. ¡°I cannot believe I am considering this. If Vroth was alive, he¡¯d strangle me on the spot for being so stupid.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t sound like a very good brother from what little you¡¯ve told me of him,¡± Aylin said, scratching the back of his neck. ¡°It didn¡¯t seem like he ever considered what you wanted. You were just his servant, not his equal.¡±


    ¡°You have a vested interest in getting me to say yes.¡± Vrith paused for a moment and glanced at the entrance of the tent, looking over Aylin¡¯s head. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel embarrassment at all? You¡¯re a streetlord. Feeding someone is beneath you.¡±


    ¡°Why? I fed my siblings all the time, and they did the same for me. It¡¯s just a way to show you care,¡± Aylin said with a frown. ¡°We didn¡¯t constantly do it, but it¡¯s not like we had all that much food in the first place.¡±


    They fell silent for a few seconds. Then Vrith¡¯s cheeks colored. ¡°Fine. Deal ¡ª but within reason. I¡¯m not giving you literally all of my energy. You need to learn how to ask questions you¡¯re interested in without draining people of every scrap of energy they¡¯ve got.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ll keep teaching me?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Vrith said through a sigh.


    ¡°Great.¡± Aylin grinned. ¡°In that case, we should start with anything you know about Rekeba and the Silent Silvertooth. I think I¡¯ve got an idea as to how to deal with them, but I need to know a lot more before it has a chance of working.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Vrith tilted her head to the side. ¡°An idea? Already?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s based on what I¡¯ve seen Spider and his group do. I¡¯m not nearly as strong as they are, but with your help... it could work.¡± Aylin threw a glance over his shoulder, but his ears and tongue already told him everything he needed to know. The tent was empty and nobody was there to overhear them. His eyes narrowed and his features darkened.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to break her, but I¡¯ll need your help to do it.¡±

 Chapter 474: Everything

    Chapter 474: Everything


    Aylin sat alone on the ground in the center of the market square, Golon¡¯s chair empty behind him. He¡¯d moved it from the large tent and set it up in wait for Rekeba. Vrith was nowhere to be seen, but he could vaguely taste the remnants of her passing in the air. She was hidden in the shadows near a tent somewhere near him.


    He braced his hands against his knees and focused on keeping his expression as neutral as possible. All the demons in the camp had already been instructed to remain in their tents unless something changed ¡ª that obviously didn¡¯t go for Spider, but Spider did what he wanted.


    The masked demon had doubtlessly either overheard or figured out his plan already. He hadn¡¯t made any moves to stop Aylin, so that was probably a good sign. It meant Spider supported it.


    That, or he just didn¡¯t care.


    As Aylin waited, he went back over the last few things he¡¯d discussed with Vrith. She¡¯d known a lot about Rekeba and her gang, the Silent Silvertooth. Too much to pass along in just a few minutes.


    They¡¯d had to focus on the core elements. Rekeba was apparently something of a unique demon. Vrith had reluctantly admitted that she was beyond beautiful and equal parts strong, fast, and arrogant. She¡¯d earned the right to look down on others through more feats than Vrith had cared to list, but it boiled down to her being a proud demon with little inclination to surrender.


    According to Vrith, confrontations between streetlords had a few hard rules that had to be observed if he was to avoid pissing off every single streetlord in the city.


    There are two stages to a meeting like this. Because she announced her arrival and I haven¡¯t made it clear she isn¡¯t welcome, we¡¯re locked into a talking stage first where neither of us can attack without cause before our conversation is complete or an hour passes. Rekeba is a second, which gives her the same negotiating rights as a streetlord, so I¡¯ve got to play by the rules. Any promises I make during the meeting stage are binding. If I say something and can¡¯t follow up on it, she is within her rights to attack me.Threats are all on the table. So are bluffs. Anything works until it gets called out. So even though random fights aren¡¯t allowed during the meeting, I can follow through on a threat. The second stage of this meeting is just an all-out fight at the end of the hour if we can¡¯t come to an agreement ¡ª I don¡¯t want to let it come to that. Every streetlord is going to be watching this to see how I perform. On one hand, I¡¯m a new streetlord without any reputation or feats. Nobody expects much from me. On the other, I¡¯m representing Spider, so showing any weakness is an insult to him.


    If he could have just had Vrith kill Rekeba, it would have made things a whole lot easier for him ¡ª and in the process, it would have shown he was too weak to stand on his own. The other streetlords would keep sending people to bother him for the rest of his life. He¡¯d never get a chance to breathe.


    There was no doubt that the meeting was stacked against him. Rekeba was an experienced second and her gang wasn¡¯t powerful for no reason. Even if she wasn¡¯t the streetlord, she had more than enough practice dealing with people a lot more talented than him.


    Rekeba was likely counting on him being uncertain and unsteady in his position to keep him off balance through the whole meeting.


    Vrith was pretty certain she¡¯d do her best to humiliate me and crush my resolve through the whole meeting. I got the feeling she and Rekeba have some sort of history. That doesn¡¯t change anything.


    Rekeba¡¯s experience does mean I definitely can¡¯t play safe, but that works with my plan. I just wish she¡¯d show up faster. There are so many other things I want to do. I just hope ¡ª


    Aylin¡¯s ears twitched. Rekeba was coming. It was so silent that he could easily hear four sets of footsteps approaching the market square even at a distance. He settled his nerves and plastered an uninterested look over his features as he waited for them to approach.


    Just a few seconds later, four demons stepped out from the main street. Three of them strongly resembled Golon. They had red skin, huge, bulky muscles, and scrunched up faces that made it look like they¡¯d been dropped on their heads a few dozen times as children.


    The demon at their front was, without a doubt, Rekeba. Even though Vrith had given Aylin a description of her appearance during their quick conversation, he still hadn¡¯t been properly prepared.


    Aylin had seen beautiful before. Edda¡¯s content face when she fell asleep with a full belly was beautiful. Violet¡¯s smug grin when she¡¯d returned home with a few extra scraps of food was beautiful. Vrith was beautiful ¡ª but Rekeba was otherworldly.


    Her hair shimmered like a river of gold, framing faint pink skin. She had wide, inquisitive eyes and perfect lips curled up in the faintest hint of a smirk. Rekeba¡¯s form seemed to have been sculpted specifically to draw the eye to all the places it wasn¡¯t meant to look ¡ª and every strutting step she took made it absolutely clear she knew it.


    Aylin hated her on the spot. No matter how much he wanted to pull his eyes away, he couldn¡¯t. It was like a compulsion. The demon had an aura around her that made him want to leap to his feet and do whatever she ordered him to. His skin prickled. The more he thought about her, the more he felt his energy pulled away from him.


    He clenched his fists, digging a small claw into the bed of his palm. Blood pumped in his body as his chest heated. He focused his thoughts on anything else ¡ª Violet, Vrith, Torick tripping over himself, Edda choking on a mouthful fruit. His eyes narrowed and he forced the unnatural influence from his mind, locking eyes with Rekeba as she approached and making absolutely no move to rise.


    She and her three guards stopped several feet away from him.


    For a second, there was only silence.


    ¡°Rekeba,¡± Aylin said in a flat tone.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your streetlord, boy?¡± Rebeka asked, her words dripping with a honied tone.


    You know damn well that I¡¯m the streetlord.


    ¡°Right in front of you,¡± Aylin replied. ¡°Sit down.¡±


    Rekeba arched an eyebrow and tilted her head to the side as her lips curled up in amusement. ¡°You seem to have forgotten my chair behind you¡ª unless you were planning to offer your back?¡±


    Aylin ignored her taunt and gestured to the floor before him. ¡°That chair is for Spider, should he choose to take it. Nobody else is worthy to sit in his presence ¡ª thus, the ground will suffice. Sit.¡±


    ¡°I trust you don¡¯t expect me to agree to the same terms.¡±


    ¡°Those are mine alone. Just the first ones.¡±


    ¡°You could make things easier for yourself by lying off the start. I won¡¯t hurt you too much that way ¡ª though too much may be relative.¡± She let out a ringing laugh, then bared her teeth again. It was all a show. She was just buying time to think, but Aylin was all too aware of how tempting the bait he¡¯d set was. Any chance to get information on the elusive Spider ¡ª especially when the odds were leaned so heavily in her favor ¡ª was too difficult to pass up. Sure enough, Rekeba came to her decision just a few moments later. ¡°Very well. I accept your terms.¡±


    Aylin smiled. ¡°You can start.¡±


    ¡°Who is Spider?¡± Rekeba asked without an instant of hesitation.


    ¡°The strongest demon I¡¯ve ever met. I don¡¯t know his identity because he keeps his face covered, but I suspect he could kill either of us with little more than a thought,¡± Aylin said.


    Rekeba pursed her lips in displeasure. She¡¯d probably heard much of the same from her scouts. He¡¯d still technically answered the question, though.


    ¡°Fine. Your turn.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about what you consume to grow stronger.¡±


    A flicker of confusion passed over Rekeba¡¯s features before she snickered. ¡°You¡¯re not the smartest, are you? It¡¯s lust. I drink in all the energy idiots waste staring and drooling in my direction.¡±


    Aylin drank from the truth in her words. As obvious as it may have been, there was importance to the revelation. Revealing the concept a demon fed on was the same as baring a demon¡¯s core personality ¡ª and there was power in such truth.


    There wasn¡¯t much for a relatively small revelation, but she was still a Rank 3 demon. A flicker of unease passed over Rekeba¡¯s features but she shook her head. She kept her mask of emotions raised and looked over Aylin¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°How about Vrith? Did you make her scrape at your boots? Beg for her life? Tell me everything you did to her.¡±


    Hoping to humiliate Vrith instead of me? They definitely do have some history.


    ¡°After we left the street, we went back to Golon¡¯s tent and talked for a while. Then I fed her some food. That was about it,¡± Aylin said.


    Rekeba¡¯s cocky expression twitched. ¡°What? That¡¯s it? You¡¯re lying.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s two questions, but I¡¯ll give you an answer anyway. I am not lying. Vrith is blushing. That should be proof enough.¡±


    Rekeba glanced back to Vrith, then snorted. ¡°Prude. Of course you ended up giving into the biggest pansy of a streetlord in history. Ask your question, boy.¡±


    ¡°What do you desire most in this world?¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to court me or something?¡± Rekeba asked with a tittering laugh. ¡°There¡¯s no gift you could give that I truly desire. I want power. The adoring gazes of everyone in the Damned Plains ¡ª no, more. Everyone in every plane. I want them all focused on me and me alone. I want to drink all of that delicious energy for as long as I live. I¡ª¡±


    Rekeba faltered as Aylin drank energy from her words. She was actually easier to drink from than Vrith, though that might have been because of how honest and upfront she was being. Everyone loved talking about their passions, after all. Rekeba hesitated for a second, then opened her mouth once more. Then she narrowed her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s all. I don¡¯t have anything else to add. Is your question done? I want to ask my next one.¡±


    ¡°Go for it.¡±


    ¡°What do you consume?¡± Rekeba asked immediately.


    ¡°Ah. You should have asked that earlier. Knowledge.¡±


    Rekeba¡¯s face paled and she shot to her feet. ¡°You cheater! I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sit down. Unless you¡¯ve surrendered and admit my superiority, the game is still going,¡± Aylin snapped. Rekeba froze. Her jaw ground and, after a second, she forced herself to sit back down. They locked eyes with each other. Aylin smiled. ¡°I believe it¡¯s my turn to ask a question. I¡¯m glad we¡¯ve got an hour to keep playing, Rekeba. I want to know everything about you. Every. Last. Thing.¡±

 Chapter 475: Rekaba

    Chapter 475: Rekaba


    An hour wasn¡¯t a long time in the grand scheme of things. It was just a little longer than the time it took to stretch a meal and make it feel like there was more food than there actually was. It was how long it took to fall asleep on the days where a few too many things had happened. It was a blip in a day, which was nothing more than a blink in a lifetime.


    To everyone else in the city of Treadon, most of a mere hour passed by like any other. But time was funny like that.


    To Aylin, it was a feast.


    To Rekeba, it was agony.


    It hadn¡¯t taken her long to realize that the game was rigged. She¡¯d known it from the start. Nobody offered a game with immense odds against themselves unless they had a card hidden up their sleeves.


    That card should have been Vrith. All Rekeba¡¯s information had told her that the annoying woman had literally fallen at the puppet streetlord¡¯s feet to beg for her life. Any idiot would have used the coward as a way to try and sway the scales in their favor.


    When Rekeba had arrived at the camp, it had been painfully obvious. Lust and hatred weren¡¯t all that different of emotions, and she¡¯d felt the disgust pouring off Vrith in the shadows as she approached Aylin.


    Rekeba had been so confident. She¡¯d been so certain that Vrith was his card, and the game was already over. The original plan had been to toy with the idiot streetlord for a while before grinding him under her heel until the point where no self-respecting demon would ever follow him again.


    That had been the plan ¡ª but the offer had been too sweet. The boy didn¡¯t matter, but Spider did. He had yet to show himself to her scouts. Any information she could glean about his powers would be invaluable. The opportunity to ask anything she wanted about him and his abilities had sunk its claws into her and held tight.


    But now, as Rekeba laid flat on the ground, arms trembling desperately to push herself back upright, breath coming in ragged gasps and her body wrung dry of energy like nothing more than a piece of laundry, it was painfully apparent that she¡¯d misread the card entirely.


    The grin on the boy¡¯s face before her wasn¡¯t that of an innocent, besotted child. It was the rictus smile of a streetlord. His lips were parted, but not in happiness. It was in hunger. He wasn¡¯t looking at her like an opponent.


    I¡¯m just a piece of meat to him.


    Rekeba¡¯s heart slammed in her ears. She¡¯d long since given up the idea of trying to win the fight. As soon as she¡¯d realized she was up against a knowledge demon, it had become apparent just how badly she¡¯d misplayed.


    Entering a contract to exchange questions with one of his kind was akin to slathering her entire body with honey before dancing naked into the den of a Dire Bear, slapping it on the rear to wake it from its slumber, and shoving herself down its throat.


    No, Rekeba had absolutely no delusions of winning any longer. Her only goal was survival.


    ¡°Is something wrong, Rekeba?¡± Vrith¡¯s voice was so smug that it made Rekeba¡¯s stomach twist in fury. ¡°It kind of looks like you¡¯ve prostrated yourself to me ¡ª but not even I got off my knees and laid completely on the ground.¡±


    Rekeba¡¯s teeth ground. She¡¯d just asked a question, but she couldn¡¯t remember what it was. Aylin answered it. She didn¡¯t bother listening. Every scrap of her attention was on clinging onto the last power she still had.


    Something about Aylin was deeply, deeply wrong. He ripped power from her with ease that should have been impossible for him. It was as if she was up against someone an entire rank above her.


    ¡°I like that question. Would you like to surrender completely to me and Spider?¡± Aylin asked, tilting his head to the side. ¡°That is the surrender position, right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Rekeba ground out. Her voice was raspy and weak. It sounded bitter and pathetic to her ears.


    I don¡¯t know.


    Those three words should have been her way out of the game. She¡¯d been confident that they were the loophole that Aylin had planted for himself so he could avoid giving away information that was too important.


    She couldn¡¯t have been more wrong. As it turned out, not knowing something was still part of the feeling that knowledge demons could feast on. None of the actual words she said mattered.


    Aylin wasn¡¯t eating the words. He was eating the understanding. Rekeba had tried lying. She¡¯d tried speaking in half-truths and in mysticisms. Nothing worked. Everything new that he learned made him stronger.


    Rekeba¡¯s fingers dug into the ground as her arms trembled in a mixture of humiliation and fury. The only winning move against a knowledge demon was not to speak. They weren¡¯t demons meant for combat. Not in their younger years, at least.


    But Aylin had accounted for that. If she failed to answer within five seconds, it was the end for her. If she answered, it was the end. If she fled the scene, it was the end. Every single one spelled defeat.


    ¡°My turn,¡± Aylin said softly. ¡°Are you scared?¡±


    ¡°I ¡ª what?¡± Rekeba asked, caught off guard once again. Her fingers twitched. ¡°No. Of you? How could I possibly be scared of you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not an answer,¡± Aylin said in the same, quiet tone. Rekeba braced herself, preparing to resist him as he stole her power, but nothing happened. Aylin just sat there. ¡°But at the same time, it is. Your turn.¡±


    The proper move was to ask about Spider. To seek a weakness ¡ª but she¡¯d already asked Aylin about that, and his answer had been that he¡¯d never seen anything that could so much as hurt Spider, much less kill him.


    She didn¡¯t believe that for a second. Nobody was immortal. The problem was Aylin had played her yet again. The stupid boy barely knew anything about Spider. Half of his own answers about Spider had been admitting he didn¡¯t know. There was nothing she could learn about him, so the only thing that left her was finding a weakness in the streetlord before her.


    ¡°You asked if I was scared,¡± Rekeba said, stepping closer to Aylin and leaning down so they were face-to-face and only a few inches apart. ¡°But you didn¡¯t say how you feel. What do you feel when you look upon me?¡±


    By his own rules, he can¡¯t lie. He¡¯ll have to choose between dropping the barrier and admitting the truth or breaking his own rules.


    ¡°At first, I was awestruck,¡± Aylin admitted. Rekeba smiled, but he wasn¡¯t done. Aylin braced his hands against his knees and shook his head, blowing out a breath. ¡°I can honestly say you were the most attractive demon I¡¯ve ever seen. I didn¡¯t think it was possible that anyone could look like that.¡±


    Rekeba¡¯s smile faltered. Something was wrong. Despite Aylin¡¯s words, she felt nothing from him. There was no lust. No hunger in his eyes.


    ¡°But then I learned,¡± Aylin continued. He pushed himself upright and brushed his knees off, rising to stand before Rekeba. ¡°You see, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything left about you to learn. You¡¯ve already revealed everything... and nothing kept my attention. You don¡¯t interest me anymore.¡±


    Ice prickled at the back of Rekeba¡¯s neck and twisted down her arms to grip at her chest. He was telling the truth. Aylin was no saint. There was lust in him ¡ª she could tell it was present ¡ª but not a single scrap of it was directed toward her.


    Rekeba couldn¡¯t help herself. She took a step back. Her eyes darted around the market square. The only other demon there was Vrith.


    Her guards all laid dead at her feet, completely drained of life and energy alike. There was nobody to help.


    ¡°We can stop playing the game now,¡± Aylin said quietly. ¡°Feel free to ask me another question if you want.¡±


    Vrith smiled beside him. She flexed her fingers and claws pressed out of their tips, glistening in the setting light.


    Rekeba¡¯s words couldn¡¯t make their way out of her throat. They lodged there like a rock, barely even letting her breathe. She took another step back. Aylin¡¯s gaze followed her. Watching. Waiting.


    I was set up. I can¡¯t win this after losing so much energy. Aylin was supposed to be some trembling child, not a competent Rank 3. A couple Rank 2 demons isn¡¯t nearly enough to let me fight him and Vrith at the same time.


    Justifications flew through her head, but they weren¡¯t enough to cloak the truth that she was all too aware of. For a second longer, she stood frozen in place.


    ¡°The hour¡¯s just about up, I think,¡± Aylin said.


    If she stayed a second longer, there was no doubt about it. She would die.


    The options were death or humiliation. Only one of those had potential for a future.


    Rekeba broke.


    She spun, sprinting for the street as fast as her feet could take her. Her blood pounded in her ears as she ran. Vrith was easily as fast as her. The demon could have been in any of the shadows ¡ª but she wasn¡¯t.


    Nothing accompanied her retreat. Rekeba glanced over her shoulder to see Vrith and Aylin standing side by side, watching her retreat impassively. They didn¡¯t even view her as a threat worth chasing.


    Rekeba¡¯s chest clenched. Most demons would have sworn revenge on the spot. They would have shouted their fury to all that could hear, swearing that they would return to tear down their foes once they grew stronger.


    She found herself unable to utter any such promises. Words like that required a spark of anger or a shred of resolve. Rekeba had none left. When she looked back at Aylin, the only demon she¡¯d ever met devoid of even the slightest hint of attraction to her, the only thing she felt was fear.

 Chapter 476: Nightfall

    Chapter 476: Nightfall


    Aylin waited until the sound of Rekeba¡¯s panicked footsteps faded down the street before turning and walking back to his tent. Vrith followed at his side. Neither of them said anything. There were scouts from other gangs watching from the rooftops, and any conversation would have done nothing but give away information.


    Shoe scuffed on stone as they departed as quietly as they could ¡ª but not nearly quietly enough to escape Aylin¡¯s ears. They all had to hurry back to their gangs and report on what had happened.


    Something told Aylin he probably wasn¡¯t going to get challenged again. Not in the same way, at least. He highly doubted the other streetlords would be willing to let a single victory give him and Spider rule over them. That would be a problem for later. For today, his work was done.


    He woodenly pushed the tent flap out of the way and held it open for Vrith. Once she¡¯d entered, he trudged over to the center of the empty tent. It struck him that they¡¯d forgotten the chair outside, but he couldn¡¯t be bothered to get it.


    Aylin flopped down onto his back and stared up at the ceiling of the tent. Vrith squatted beside him. ¡°Ready?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Vrith placed her hands on the sides of his neck, just above his collarbone. A tremor ran down his body as Vrith released him from the connection they¡¯d formed just before heading out to meet Rekeba. The breath caught in Aylin¡¯s chest and his heart bucked in his chest.


    He ground his teeth as fear slammed into him in a wave. Aylin jerked upright, nearly slamming his forehead into Vrith¡¯s nose, but she yanked back just in time. A chill raced down his back and the beds of his fingers prickled as his heart thumped furiously.


    Aylin inhaled deeply through his nose, pressing his palms to his lap as blood coursed through his ears. The sensation was sudden and violent, but it passed in just seconds. He blew his caught breath out with his mouth and shook his head.


    ¡°That was more intense than I was expecting.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any idea how difficult it is to consume on the emotions of another demon, much less one of your own rank?¡± Vrith asked irritably. ¡°I ate all the fear I could from you. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to take much more than the dredges if we hadn¡¯t had such a strong connection. If I could have eaten more, I would.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not complaining,¡± Aylin said, raising his hands with a small laugh. ¡°It worked. It¡¯s a bit odd not knowing how scared I was when I was facing her, though. Was there a lot of fear?¡±


    Vrith shook her head. ¡°Surprisingly, no. I was expecting you to wet your pants, but the amount of fear was barely enough to give me a good meal ¡ª especially as time went on. The only reason it hit you so hard at the end was because a connection like that leaves some pent-up emotion rolling around when it snaps. You basically got a few minutes of concentrated fear in a second or two.¡±


    ¡°Weird,¡± Aylin said with a grimace. ¡°And you like that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like being scared. I like when people are scared of me. You have to know what I¡¯m talking about. The only emotion of yours I was eating was fear. Didn¡¯t you feel a thrill when Rekeba looked at you in the end?¡± Vrith shuddered and a grin snaked crossed her lips. ¡°Gods, what I would have done to have that directed at me instead. I hate her. Her fear would be the most delicious thing I¡¯ve ever tasted, I just know it.¡±


    She¡¯s really into this. In a way, it¡¯s a little endearing, but I can¡¯t help but feel a splash creeped out. I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t get her emotion. Still, if we¡¯re going to be working together a lot in the future, it¡¯s good to know more about Vrith.


    His mind subconsciously brushed across hers at the new understanding. Energy trickled into Aylin. Vrith flinched. She glared at him and his cheeks heated. ¡°Sorry. You got so into it that I couldn¡¯t help it.¡±


    ¡°Stop taking bites out of me, you little shit,¡± Vrith said. She crossed her arms. ¡°And especially by accident. I could almost tolerate it if you were just flaunting your power, but do you have any idea how embarrassing it is when someone accidentally steals your hard-earned power? It¡¯s like you¡¯re cheating.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to stop,¡± Aylin promised. He hesitated for a second before giving her a sheepish grin. ¡°But I like learning about you.¡±


    Taleel stood in a sea of shadows. Shapes twisted at the edge of his vision, begging for his attention, but he didn¡¯t dare let his gaze stray. He¡¯d seen what had happened to the demons that had let their concentration falter, how their eyes had turned a dull blue, how they¡¯d never been quite the same afterward.


    The shadows held death, but the solitary beam of moonlight in the center of the room didn¡¯t promise much better. A lone demon sat in the light with his knees pulled up to her chest. She barely sat taller than Taleel¡¯s waist and had flowing, silver hair that pooled beneath her like a glistening lake.


    While she was no taller than a child, there was no mistaking the demon for one. Her features were hauntingly striking in the way of a corpse prepared for a funeral. A cold air sat about her with such intensity that Taleel struggled to properly draw breath.


    He kept his eyes firmly fixed on the demon''s forehead. It was the closest he could get to respectfully meeting her gaze without letting himself peer directly into her flat, empty eyes. She chewed on the end of a thumb and watched Taleel approach without a word.


    ¡°Mistress Yoku,¡± Taleel said. ¡°Do I have permission to speak?¡±


    Her head inclined so slightly that he nearly missed it. Taleel swallowed, then continued.


    ¡°The rumors of a demon attempting to wrest control of all the streetlords in the city are correct. I haven¡¯t verified the information personally, but there are too many accounts of it to ignore any longer. The streets are more alive than they have been in years. There is a growing belief that he may succeed. A belief that I can assure you is false. No such thing will¡ª¡±


    ¡°Spider,¡± Yoku said, the words slipping from her lips like a single drop of summer rain. ¡°The Silent Silvertooth will fall to him. Many other gangs will follow should nothing be done.¡±


    Taleel stiffened. ¡°Then, should you will it, I will act. Simply give me the command and I will deal with Spider myself.¡±


    ¡°The balance of power in Treadon is already unstable,¡± Yoku murmured. ¡°Such a shift will destabilize it even further.¡±


    ¡°Forgive my impudence, but how could Spider succeed?¡± Taleel asked, choosing his words carefully. ¡°Taking over a few gangs is possible, but all of them? Belkus would not allow such a thing to happen. As unimportant as they are, he has measures in place to make sure he maintains control of every part of the city.¡±


    ¡°Which is why losing the underground will smart. The lowest creatures in Treadon remain part of its populace despite their weakness,¡± Yoku said. She took her thumb out of her mouth and tilted her head to the side. A flicker of darkness passed behind her monochrome eyes. ¡°If Belkus loses the underground, he will be weakened.¡±


    ¡°What of his enforcers watching the situation? They will doubtlessly act when they realize that Spider is succeeding in his goals. He will die before he gets a chance to do anything, and he may destabilize our own plans in the process.¡±


    ¡°Nothing is set in stone.¡±


    ¡°Then what are your orders, Mistress? What should I do?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Belkus¡¯ time sets like the sun below the horizon. His end is inevitable, but he will not go gently. I will watch, as I have always have. And he will kill, just as he always has. Let Spider do as he wills. We will witness his true measure soon enough. You will be my firsthand witness.¡±


    Taleel swallowed. ¡°Belkus will act, then?¡±


    ¡°It is a matter of time. He will send enforcers, but I do not believe they will be enough. The future is mutable, but after Belkus suffers his first defeat, he will find that everywhere he turns only holds more. It does not matter how he suffers it. Be it Spider¡¯s hand or mine, the day is starting to dim.¡± Yoku lifted her gaze to the light bearing down upon her and raised a hand toward the ceiling. Streamers of pale energy twisted around her fingers like coiling snakes. ¡°The moon rises over Treadon, and it cannot coexist with the sun. Nightfall is near.¡±

 Chapter 477: Choice

    Chapter 477: Choice


    Violet¡¯s eyes fluttered open. The world buzzed and twisted around her, dancing to a tune that only it could hear. Her lips felt gummy and her head throbbed. Spider, on the other hand, didn¡¯t even seem slightly bothered.


    Violet swallowed. That was the only action she could manage to muster. Pain and new strength swirled into a churning mix in her soul. She¡¯d managed to keep her misgivings wrapped when Spider had bought the Mind Meld potion.


    If that had been the price for power, she¡¯d been more than willing to pay it ¡ª but it quickly became abundantly clear that Spider didn¡¯t have any plans of using the potion for its intended purpose.


    He¡¯d asked her a few dozen questions about her goals and what she wanted to accomplish. Violet could barely even remember what her answers had been. All she¡¯d wanted was to be strong. To be able to protect Aylin and Edda and Rorick. Nothing else mattered.


    Whatever Spider had wanted in return, she¡¯d been prepared to give it. The demon had handed her Rune after Rune, ordering her to draw them into her soul.


    Shame wrapped around Violet like a metal cloak at the memory. As it turned out, having absolutely no experience drawing in Runes had made her horrid at it. Even though the power had been right in front of her, it had taken minutes to draw in every single one.


    The impatience in Spider¡¯s posture made it apparent that Aylin had taken to drawing in the new runes considerably faster than she had. Everything Violet had wanted had been right in front of her, and she couldn¡¯t grasp it.


    By the end of the thirty-minute window Spider had warned her of, Violet managed to bring in Six new Runes and draw in energy from a rune the stronger demon shattered to fill her current Demon Rune.


    Then it had come time to combine them. Even now, Violet¡¯s stomach twisted. Spider had handed her everything ¡ª and she¡¯d failed.


    Even with Spider¡¯s instructions, the combination had been horrible. She¡¯d known it from first glance. The rune had been nearly sixty-five percent full. A complete failure. Then the potion¡¯s effects had ended and Violet found herself sitting back on the ground of the tent.


    It had been humiliating.


    But, as her stomach twisted itself into knots so tight that they could have cut through metal, her defeated gaze had been met only by Spider¡¯s hand holding a second potion.


    A second chance. One that put her so impossibly deep into debt that she couldn¡¯t even begin to comprehend the extent of it. Violet had taken it without hesitation. Shame did nothing. Even if she had a crippled rune, she couldn¡¯t afford to do anything but take every advantage that Spider was willing to offer her.


    She had no clue why he was willing to spend so much effort on a demon with no potential and no skill, but she didn¡¯t care. Anything Spider wanted from her would be his if he could let her keep up with Aylin.


    But when they had returned to her mind, Spider didn¡¯t procure new runes. Instead, he simply ordered her to close her eyes and brace herself. Violet almost let out a scornful laugh at the memory.


    She¡¯d been so confident she was prepared for anything Spider would demand.


    She¡¯d been wrong.


    Her memories of what happened next were a haze. There was a wall of pain, so immense that it threatened to swallow her completely. She¡¯d screamed until her throat went raw, but not once did she open her eyes.


    And then there was nothing. The pain had faded as if it had never been there. Spider gave her the order to open her eyes once more, and Violet had found herself in her soul, surrounded by the runes she¡¯d failed to combine.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just emotion. It¡¯s feeling. The feeling of protecting what belongs to me,¡± Violet replied. ¡°I¡¯m not strong or lucky enough to eat pure emotion. Most of us have something more specific. A feeling that¡¯s usually made up of a bunch of smaller emotions in combination.¡±


    ¡°But your feeling is protecting others. Do you consume your own energy?¡±


    I don¡¯t know if I can explain something that just feels completely instinctive... that must be why he¡¯s asking. To make me look deeper.


    Violet¡¯s brow furrowed as she thought and searched for words. ¡°It¡¯s not the feeling I get. I want to feel their appreciation. Their understanding that I¡¯m protecting them,¡± Violet said. ¡°And it¡¯s not just others. It¡¯s my family. I want to protect the ones that belong to me.¡±


    Spider¡¯s head inclined. ¡°I see. A powerful desire. A dangerous one, if you let it get away from you. Does any living being truly belong to another?¡±


    ¡°I... don¡¯t know,¡± Violet admitted with a frown. Her emotion pressed against her logic as she struggled to find a way to balance them. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to say it. I want them to be mine. My siblings. They don¡¯t belong to me, but they¡¯re mine.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. Not too dissimilar from Lee, but... no. Never mind. I won¡¯t tell you how your emotions work, but I encourage seeing how far you can push them. How strong you can become, not just in the ways you know, but in the ones you don¡¯t,¡± Spider said. ¡°I¡¯ll be watching with interest. You have potential.¡±


    Me? I failed to combine my runes. How do I have any potential? Is Spider just trying to be nice? But... why even bother? I don¡¯t understand him at all.


    They were silent for a few seconds. Then Spider blew out a small breath. He put a hand on Violet¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Keep that family of yours safe. I haven¡¯t given Aylin an easy task. He¡¯s got a lot on his shoulders. He needs all the help he can get ¡ª and remember that you¡¯re part of your family as well. I know the look in your eyes. You can only protect them as long as you protect yourself. I know you and Aylin are wondering why I¡¯d do something like this. You¡¯re probably trying to figure out what would cause me to choose you.¡±


    Violet nodded mutely.


    ¡°The answer is simple. You were there,¡± Spider said. ¡°Aylin had the curiosity and need to seek me out. I didn¡¯t come with ulterior motives beyond the ones you have already seen. I need someone to fill Golon¡¯s spot, and I need someone to control the gangs I bring in under my control. I will give you and Aylin everything I can to accomplish that. Your only job is to keep yourself and Aylin alive until then. And, when you do, you¡¯ll have a choice.¡±


    ¡°A choice?¡± Violet¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll figure it out when the time comes,¡± Spider replied with a chuckle. ¡°Until then, just focus on the present. You¡¯re stronger now, but we¡¯ll be up against more powerful enemies soon enough. These next few days are just training. Bring the gangs under Aylin¡¯s control. Learn how to use your abilities and protect him ¡ª and prepare for what comes next.¡±


    Violet¡¯s jaw set. Spider hadn¡¯t had to say anything. His orders were the exact ones she¡¯d already resolved herself to. It was strange. Despite the inconceivable gap between them, for some inexplicable reason, Violet felt safe with Spider.


    It almost felt like he cared.


    ¡°I will,¡± Violet promised.


    ¡°Good,¡± Spider said with a smile. He held out a hand and helped Violet to her feet. Then he nodded to the tent flap. ¡°Now, shall we go check on Aylin? I believe his fight is over, and I¡¯m not above looking forward to watching his reaction when he sees you.¡±

 Chapter 478: Hoarder

    Chapter 478: Hoarder


    ¡°Someone¡¯s heading in this direction, but we¡¯ve got a little before they arrive,¡± Aylin said, his ears twitching as he picked up on noise outside the tent. He licked his lips as he tried to place the taste, but there were just too many in the camp to make out any details now that everyone had come back out of their tents.


    He and Vrith rose from where they sat and Aylin brushed the dust off the backside of his pants. Looking like a bumpkin when some new arrogant demon showed up was not high on his list of things to accomplish.


    ¡°You still owe me more food. Don¡¯t think an interruption is going to get you out of the rest of it,¡± Vrith said. She paused for a second. ¡°Given in the way we agreed on, mind you.¡±


    Aylin suppressed a laugh. ¡°I know. You can have the rest of it once I make sure everyone that wants food can get it. I still need to give the other street kids time to hear the word. I doubt the demons I sent out to announce that people can have some food have gotten to everyone yet.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think they¡¯re all going to take you up on it?¡±


    ¡°No. Just the truly desperate ones. It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not about if they take me up or not. It¡¯s about keeping my promise.¡±


    ¡°Some streetlord you are.¡±


    ¡°Are you really strong if you have to lie to protect what¡¯s yours?¡± Aylin asked. ¡°Act like what you want to be, not what you are. That¡¯s how you achieve your goals.¡±


    Vrith pursed her lips and crossed her arms in front of her chest. ¡°Don¡¯t start spouting off fancy quotes to me. I was around literally less than a day ago when you were shaking so much that you probably raised the temperature of the air around you by a bit.¡±


    ¡°It did sound kind of knowledgeable and wise though, didn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Anything sounds knowledgeable and wise if you¡¯re cryptic enough. The words you speak manifest the reality you experience. See? I can do it too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty good line, actually.¡± Aylin scratched his chin. ¡°I¡¯m taking it.¡±


    Vrith let out a long-suffering sigh. ¡°All yours, boss.¡±


    Aylin¡¯s ears twitched again. He nudged her shoulder and nodded to the entrance of the tent as his features turned serious. ¡°They¡¯re here.¡±


    Vrith adjusted her stance and stepped back to let the shadows at the corner of the tent wash over her. She didn¡¯t quite completely disappear, but even though Aylin knew where she was, he could barely see her.


    Aylin tasted the air again. There were two demons headed toward the tent. He recognized one of them instantly. Goosebumps raced across his skin as his chest tightened.


    Spider.


    The demon was likely coming to check on how his investment had gone. Aylin quickly ran through everything he¡¯d done. He was pretty sure he¡¯d handled things exactly how Spider would have wanted him to.


    That didn¡¯t stop the fear from setting in. There were some things in life that were wise to fear. Fear didn¡¯t exist for no reason. It was the most primal of warning systems. It kept people alive.


    But the fear Aylin felt was tinged with something else ¡ª curiosity, and not just toward Spider. The other demon with him felt strange. Familiar, but at the same time, different. It was a mixture of flavors that he didn¡¯t have nearly enough experience to place before the tent flap was pushed aside.


    Spider stepped inside and held the flap open for a female demon following after him. She was on the shorter side, with beautiful ivory horns that curled up around her head to end in razor-sharp points. Lean muscle covered her body and she seemed to walk in the same manner as a rock sliding down the side of a mountain.


    There was a moment of silence as the two groups stared at each other. Something tickled the back of Aylin¡¯s head. The taste of familiarity grew stronger. His eyes widened as he finally realized who the second demon was.


    ¡°Violet?¡± Aylin exclaimed in disbelief. If he¡¯d been sitting in a chair, he would have leapt straight out of it. His eyes shot over to Spider and he hurriedly gathered himself before he could cause any offense. Greeting her before the unbelievably powerful demon was definitely disrespectful. ¡°Forgive me. I was surprised. Master Spider. I hope you have approved of the work I¡¯ve done in your name.¡±


    Spider let out a laugh and waved his hand. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ve already mentioned I don¡¯t care about honorifics or any of that shit. As long as you listen to my orders, I don¡¯t care if you say my name first or second. And I¡¯m just a fly on the wall. Ignore me. You¡¯ve done a great job, but I¡¯m only here to escort Violet.¡±


    Aylin found it doubtful that Violet had done anything to earn an escort from Spider himself, but he wasn¡¯t about to question the other demon. He stared at Violet, taking in every detail as his mind fought to overlay her new form with the one in his mind.


    Her facial features were all similar. Her horns had definitely gotten nicer, but the more Aylin looked at her, the more he realized that Violet hadn¡¯t truly changed. She¡¯d just become the demon she was always meant to be.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Aylin asked. ¡°You look so... well, you. It¡¯s like someone added you to yourself.¡±


    ¡°Eloquent,¡± Violet said with a huge grin. She strode up to stand before him and grabbed him by his sides. Aylin let out a yelp as Violet effortlessly lifted him into the air and spun him in a circle before setting him down again. ¡°And I¡¯ll give you three guesses as to what happened.¡±


    Aylin was slightly surprised to taste the truth on Vrith¡¯s words. He¡¯d believed they had a working agreement, but her claim went beyond just that.


    ¡°She¡¯s telling the truth,¡± Aylin said.


    Violet blinked in surprise. ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°I can taste the truth,¡± Aylin replied. ¡°I¡¯m a knowledge demon. There¡¯s a lot I haven¡¯t had a chance to completely catch you up on yet, Violet. We need to fix that as soon as we can, but you can trust me ¡ª and you can trust Vrith as well.¡±


    Spider¡¯s head tilted to the side at his words. Something had caught his attention, but he didn¡¯t say anything and Aylin didn¡¯t ask.


    Violet studied him and Vrith quietly for a few seconds. Then she uncrossed her hands and let them fall to her sides. ¡°Okay. If you trust her, then I¡¯ll trust your judgement. I can¡¯t say I like it. I¡¯m the one that¡¯s going to protect all of us.¡±


    There was more in her voice than just sisterly care. It was the drive that only a demon could understand. Aylin clamped down on his powers, but it was too late. His mind brushed across Violet¡¯s and her eyes widened.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°Did you just take a bite out of her?¡± Vrith demanded.


    ¡°No,¡± Aylin said, letting out a relieved breath. ¡°But I may have subconsciously tried to. Sorry, Violet. I learned something big about you and almost stole energy on accident. I¡¯m still figuring out how to keep my strength under control.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s immune? You¡¯re kidding me,¡± Vrith muttered as she looked down at her hands. ¡°Does that mean her Runic energy is stronger than mine? Spider is unfair.¡±


    ¡°I think we should sit down and really discuss what we¡¯re capable of,¡± Violet said slowly.


    ¡°That might be a good idea,¡± Aylin said.


    Vrith glared at him. ¡°Of course you and your sister think it is. You aren¡¯t the ones that are going to get chunks bitten out of them from sharing. I¡¯ll pass.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Violet raised an eyebrow. ¡°So much for that loyalty. Spider ordered me to keep Aylin safe. That includes knowing the abilities of his subordinates.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell you in private,¡± Vrith said. She shot a glance at Aylin. ¡°When he isn¡¯t there.¡±


    ¡°You could lie. Aylin is the one that can tell if you¡¯re speaking the truth or not,¡± Violet countered. She crossed her arms again. ¡°I believe Aylin, but I also won¡¯t let myself get blindsided because you decided to hide something from me. I¡¯m taking this seriously. Are you?¡±


    ¡°Violet, it¡¯s fine,¡± Aylin said. ¡°We don¡¯t have to¡ª¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Vrith said. She let out a weary sigh. ¡°Violet is right, and I¡¯ve seen demons like her before. She¡¯s a Hoarder.¡±


    ¡°A Hoarder?¡± Aylin asked. ¡°You mean her feeling? How do you know? And what does that have to do with our conversation?¡±


    ¡°Because Hoarders are some of the best damn guards there are. I¡¯ve done jobs on noble houses that use them, and they¡¯ve never gone well,¡± Vrith said as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. ¡°Hoarders are great at protecting things. They don¡¯t like giving their hoard away, after all. And given how Violet is speaking, I¡¯m pretty sure her hoard is us.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the people I care about,¡± Violet corrected. ¡°Don¡¯t include yourself in that.¡±


    Vrith opened her mouth to respond, then let out a pained hiss. She glared at Aylin and he winced.


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Vrith just sighed. ¡°I figured it was going to happen. Either way, Violet was right. I haven¡¯t gone up against a Hoarder that gathers other demons, but I¡¯d imagine she¡¯ll be a damn effective guard if you let her do what she wants. If this is part of it, then I¡¯ll do it ¡ª but sitting down rather than standing. I get the feeling it isn¡¯t going to be very fun for me.¡±


    Violet gave Vrith an approving nod and sat down across from her. Aylin hesitated for a second before joining them on the ground.


    I might need to start allocating more food for Vrith. And time. I¡¯m going to have to feed her a while to make up for this.

 Chapter 479: Smiles & Letters

    Chapter 479: Smiles & Letters


    Noah was pretty sure he¡¯d been forgotten. It wasn¡¯t that he particularly minded that ¡ª he had told Aylin and the others to pretend as if he wasn¡¯t there. He just hadn¡¯t actually expected them to do it.


    That said, he had never been happier to have been forgotten. He¡¯d learned so much about demons in the last few minutes that he was worried he might actually forget some of it. The corner of his mouth quirked up.


    Who would have thought. Demons that live in the Damned Plains actually know a little bit more about themselves than I do. What¡¯s interesting is that Lee knew so little. She understands the basics, but even Aylin knows more about being a demon than she does.


    Is that because she spent all her time alone in the Wastes instead of in a city? I get that the cities were dangerous, but Aylin is weaker than Lee. His whole group is. So how is it they were managing to survive even at Rank 1 when Lee was scared of the cities at Rank 3?


    Noah¡¯s brow furrowed as he thought. Azel had been Lee¡¯s father. He¡¯d known she¡¯d followed him into the mortal plane. Hell, he¡¯d encouraged it. There was no doubt he¡¯d been lurking around Lee for quite some time, probably since she¡¯d been born.


    Could he have intentionally kept Lee away from the other demons? He was a Rank 5. That¡¯s no joke. Azel knew a lot more than he let on. Damn it. I wish I could have been there when he died. Actually, and I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m thinking this, but I wish he hadn¡¯t died. If he could seal Lee and stop her from losing herself, then he knew a lot more than I do.


    But the past was the past. No matter what they knew now, there was no way to turn back time and ask Azel the questions that Noah needed answered. All he could do is move ahead with what he¡¯d learned ¡ª and that wasn¡¯t an insignificant amount.


    Lee and Violet have a lot of similarities. That¡¯s incredibly useful. If I can figure out how Violet¡¯s runes work, I can make progress toward Lee¡¯s as well. For that matter, Aylin also has some similarities with her with his ability to taste things that shouldn¡¯t be tangible like truth. Honestly, that¡¯s an incredible ability.


    That wasn¡¯t Aylin¡¯s only incredible ability. Noah wasn¡¯t sure if he should laugh or rub the bridge of his nose as he looked at the trio of demons sitting in the center of the room. Vrith was laid out flat on the ground, having gotten the energy drained out of her about a dozen times over the course of their conversation.


    Aylin had sent for someone to get food and was absently feeding her as they spoke. He¡¯d propped her head up against his crossed legs. Vrith had objected to it at first due to Violet¡¯s presence, but it had only taken about two more questions before she¡¯d changed her mind.


    I was a bit worried about Violet¡¯s change in personality at first. She was obviously a driven girl before, but the Rank 3 Rune really strengthened her resolve. For a moment it looked like she was going to turn into an obsessed guard that didn¡¯t let Aylin do anything on his own.


    Fortunately, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. Violet¡¯s expression had been steadily softening throughout the conversation. The more Aylin and Vrith discussed their abilities and the clearer it became exactly what their deal was, the less Violet seemed to dislike her. Noah could almost pin the point where Violet¡¯s opinion of Vrith switched from distaste to curiosity and then to amusement.


    ¡°So you don¡¯t want anything from us other than to continue doing... this?¡± Violet asked, waving vaguely in Aylin and Vrith¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Vrith said once she¡¯d finished chewing a large grape. ¡°Could you stop asking that? And feel free to ask Aylin to verify this, but I will kill you if you go around telling anyone about this.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s lying,¡± Aylin said.


    Violet snickered as Vrith¡¯s glare bored into Aylin¡¯s skull.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep it to myself,¡± Violet promised as she placed a hand over her heart. ¡°But I¡¯m curious. Was the deal that someone has to feed you? Or does it have to be Aylin?¡±


    ¡°This has absolutely nothing to do with the original line of questioning. I will not be answering that.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s telling the truth.¡±


    Eh. I¡¯m sure the Damned Plains has Master Runes in it. I¡¯m going to need a whole lot more runes anyway at the rate I¡¯m going through them. I was able to bring Aylin and Violet up to Rank 3 without too much difficulty, but I can¡¯t keep at that forever.


    I¡¯ll be in position to do that pretty soon. Once Aylin collects a bunch of gangs under my banner, it won¡¯t be long before I draw the attention of someone a little more important. I should be able to bargain with them. I just need to get into their equivalent of an auction or learn where a good hunting ground is.


    And if they don¡¯t give me that information... well, if they¡¯re stronger, then they¡¯ll have some decent Runes for me. I get what I want either way. I was kind of betting on taking a few runes from the other streetlords, but nobody else has shown up to challenge Aylin. He might be a bit too good at his job. Maybe I¡¯ll pay a visit to the ones that don¡¯t send word they¡¯ve surrendered by tomorrow.


    Noah shook his head. There were too many ¡®ifs¡¯ to consider that line of thought any further. For the time being, everything was going exactly how he wanted it to. It wouldn¡¯t be long before he had control of the local gangs and enough strength to push his way into a higher level of society, where he could continue gathering strength and runes.


    After I do that, I¡¯ll find a way to get some stronger demons in my favor and keep climbing my way up the ladder until I have a whole damn army ¡ª no pun intended. I¡¯ll upgrade my own runes in the process, fix Lee up, and then beat Wizen¡¯s ass and go back to the mortal plane. Preferably in that order.


    He was more than aware that his plan may have been just a slight tad optimistic, but nothing ever went like he wanted it to anyway. If shit was going to go south, it might as well go south while he was already aiming for more than he had any right to get.


    While he¡¯d been lost in thought, Aylin¡¯s group had wrapped up their conversation and were just sitting around on the ground awkwardly, likely waiting for him to give them an order. He¡¯d just been standing there and staring at them absentmindedly.


    Ah, damn it.


    Noah took a step forward ¡ª and tripped. Something soft and furry had lodged itself in front of his shin. He swore and stumbled, catching himself before he could fall and spinning.


    Then he froze in place. Peering up at him with disdain, nose scrunched in apparent annoyance and eyes twinkling with amusement, was a white-furred cat with glistening red horns. A heartbeat passed as Noah locked eyes with Mascot.


    ¡°You little shit,¡± Noah said, a disbelieving laugh slipping from his mouth as he picked Mascot up. The cat yowled in displeasure but did nothing as Noah scooped him into his arms. ¡°How did you get over here?¡±


    Mascot twisted his head to look up at Noah. The cat gave him a dry look, as if to ask if he was stupid.


    ¡°Can you make a portal back?¡± Noah asked, his chest tightening. ¡°You came here on your own, right?¡±


    Mascot squirmed out of Noah¡¯s grip and dropped to the ground. Then he started licking his nether regions clean. Noah¡¯s lips pressed thin and he blew out a huff. That was a ¡®no¡¯ if he¡¯d ever seen one.


    Wait. I don¡¯t need to go back. Not yet. Even if I could return home, there¡¯s stuff I have to accomplish here first. But Mascot can somehow fucking travel between dimensions. Does that mean...


    He crouched next to Mascot and the cat paused, tongue still sticking out of his mouth, to meet his gaze. They stared at each other for a second.


    ¡°A letter,¡± Noah said, his voice taut. ¡°Can you take a letter back to the others?¡±


    And, in response, he could have sworn Mascot smiled.

 Chapter 480: Failed experiments

    Chapter 480: Failed experiments


    Renewal was gaining weight. She was certain of it. After all the food she¡¯d eaten sitting and watching Noah¡¯s group, it would have been hard not to. Not even gods were immune to the laws of nature. Not at her level, at least.


    ¡°I can honestly say that I¡¯m surprised,¡± Decras said from beside her. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms in front of his chest. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better, I would have thought that Noah actually planned every single part of this. He¡¯s remarkably good at bullshit.¡±


    ¡°Makes me wonder if he stole a rune from another god,¡± Renewal agreed with a nod. She could barely bring herself to pull her eyes away from the screen. Her eye twitched slightly at the cat at Noah¡¯s side. ¡°He¡¯s certainly good at stealing things.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not so funny when you¡¯re the one getting robbed, is it?¡± Decras asked primly. ¡°I could have handled him if you hadn¡¯t gotten so twisted up about it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting my payment back in entertainment. I don¡¯t need you interfering,¡± Renewal said with a glare. ¡°And, as I recall it, your attempt was foiled by yet another mortal that managed to steal from you.¡±


    ¡°Bah,¡± Decras said. He turned away and focused his attention fully on the screen. It was rather embarrassing. He¡¯d gotten robbed not twice, but three times. Three different mortals had each managed to steal power from him. One of them had even been his own man.


    That has to sting. Oh well. He¡¯ll get over it... and maybe he¡¯ll learn to stop letting people take bites out of him. Seriously. There¡¯s a time and a place. Then again, I don¡¯t know how smug I can be. Noah managed to steal from me twice. At least Decras¡¯ little thieves only got the best of him a single time.


    Renewal puffed her cheeks out and blew out an annoyed breath. She distracted herself by studying the glowing screen before them. The small demon boy that Noah had recruited ¡ª Aylin ¡ª was staring at Noah with a mixture of abject awe, fear, and disbelief. Noah had somehow managed to forget his audience during the conversation with his stolen companion, and Renewal could practically hear Aylin¡¯s thoughts just from his expression.


    ¡°He¡¯s wondering just how strong the cat is if it can take Noah by surprise,¡± Decras said with a low chuckle. ¡°I wonder if they¡¯ll start worshipping the cat as well.¡±Ge?t latest novel chapters on nov(e)lbj/n(.)c/om


    Worshipping was the right word. The way Aylin and Violet looked at Noah wasn¡¯t the way soldiers treated a general. It was the way followers looked to a god. The back of Renewal¡¯s neck prickled.


    It wasn¡¯t completely uncommon for someone to manage to form a cult on a mortal plane. Mortals were motivated and stupid, a combination that worked incredibly well to generate energy. There was a reason Renewal and Decras even bothered with tending to their respective followings on the mortal realms.


    But Noah wasn¡¯t trying to become a god. At least, Renewal was fairly certain he wasn¡¯t. She didn¡¯t watch every second of his life ¡ª more like something around ninety percent of it.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think¡ª¡± Renewal started.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Decras said with a shake of his head. ¡°He¡¯s barely even registered it, Renewal. He wants to try to fix the demon girl¡¯s runes and stop the other thief. That¡¯s it. He¡¯s not trying to harness divinity yet.¡±


    ¡°Yet?¡± Renewal arched an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯d say he¡¯s got quite a way before he can even consider trying to form a Divine Rune ¡ª and if he relies on the faith of others to form it, he won¡¯t get very far. I¡¯m not concerned about him reaching godhood anytime too soon. I¡¯m more wondering if he¡¯ll succeed with the demon runes.¡±


    Decras shook his head. ¡°They¡¯re failed experiments. No matter how hard he tries, that¡¯s what they are. There¡¯s no fixing them. Demons can never form a Divine Rune. They¡¯re little more than animals, controlled more and more by their desires the stronger they grow.¡±


    Renewal tossed a piece of chocolate at Decras¡¯ head. He caught it before it could land, only for a second piece to nail him between the eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re talking with a lot of confidence for someone who gave up on the experiment after playing with it for what amounts to a flicker of time. You barely even tried.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps. They were useless to me. When it became clear they could not rule over their own powers, it became pointless to lend them further attention. They are a flawed species without potential to leave the mortal plane.¡± Decras hesitated for a moment longer than normal. Renewal pulled her gaze away from the screen to look at him and raised an eyebrow. The other god noticed her interest and pursed his lips. ¡°I must admit that Lee has caught my attention. She is... interesting.¡±


    ¡°So you admit you were wrong?¡± Renewal prodded. ¡°The demons are more than a failed experiment if one of them has your attention. That also means there¡¯s a chance Lee¡¯s runes can be repaired.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to force a confession from me,¡± Decras said with an irritable frown. ¡°A single demon does not a species save. She is... unique. Perhaps there is a way to repair her. Perhaps there is a way to repair the demons as a whole. I do not know. I do not care.¡±


    ¡°You say that, but you¡¯ve asked me to swap our view to Lee quite frequently. I think you¡¯re rather invested in her success.¡±


    Decras¡¯ eyes narrowed. ¡°Enough of this. I grow tired of your questioning ¡ª and I have seen enough of the demon children goggling in awe. It reminds me too much of my own idiot supporters. Let us see something else.¡±


    ¡°Skolas. That¡¯s the king of this walking city?¡± Wizen asked, tilting his head to the side. ¡°A Rank 6? 7?¡±


    ¡°Rank 7.¡± A flicker of smug anger, the final victory of a dying man knowing that his killer would not be long in following him, crossed the demon¡¯s broken features. ¡°You will die an agonizing death for attempting to usurp him.¡±


    A dry laugh slipped from Wizen¡¯s lips. He knelt down and pressed his hand to the demon¡¯s skull, digging his fingers into the top of his red-skinned head. ¡°A Rank 7 demon will not end me, wretch.¡±


    The demon groaned in pain as Wizen rose, lifting him into the air. His one eye met Wizen¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Your race is weak,¡± Wizen whispered, bringing their faces so close together that he could taste the fear on the dying man¡¯s breath. ¡°You believe you rule emotion. That you can grow stronger through them. You are wrong.¡±


    ¡°Stop rambling and kill me.¡±


    Wizen¡¯s lips pulled apart in a mixture of a snarl and a smile. ¡°You do not rule your emotions. Your emotions rule you. Demons are a race of slaves, shackled by their own minds. I can see that you do not believe me, but I am honest man. Allow me to prove it to you by taking those shackles from you.¡±


    The demon didn¡¯t get a chance to answer. Wizen unleashed his Mind Runes, sending their energy worming out from his fingers and into the demon¡¯s skull. The demon¡¯s back arched as he screamed in pain, his will desperately rising up to fight against the Mind Magic.


    Wizen blew his meager resistance to the side like a wildfire tearing through a dry field of wheat. Spikes of energy ripped into the demon¡¯s psyche. They dug into his mind and carved apart mental walls.


    Anger rose to meet the mental assault¡ª the last remnants of the demon¡¯s pride. It slammed into his magic. For an instant, their willpower locked each other in place. Both stood still, unable to move.


    ¡°Is that all?¡± Wizen whispered. ¡°The extent of the anger you are so proud of? Are you not a demon of wrath? Of pride? And this is all you can muster?¡±


    For a moment, the fury intensified. The final push of a dying man. It pressed Wizen¡¯s magic back by the faintest amount. The demon¡¯s lips curled in smug amusement as Wizen gave way and his eye refocused to stare down the old man.


    The demon froze.


    Wizen met the demon¡¯s gaze and smiled.


    ¡°Forgive me. I was having a little fun at your expense,¡± Wizen said.


    Then he released the full strength of his runes. The demon¡¯s final defense evaporated in less than a flicker of an instant, buried completely under an immense wave of force. All the anger that he was so proud of disappeared in a flash, and all that remained in his mind was Wizen¡¯s immense presence.


    The demon screamed, thrashing in an attempt to free himself from the old mage¡¯s hand, but it was impossible. No matter how hard he struggled, Wizen¡¯s grasp didn¡¯t so much as budge.


    ¡°Do you see now?¡± Wizen asked. ¡°All those emotions you¡¯re so proud of are nothing in the face of absolute fear. You are nothing.¡±


    Wizen let go. The demon fell to the ground, landing on his knees and slumping back. The whites of his eyes were exposed as he looked up in abject terror. He no longer held his own chains. He couldn¡¯t so much as mutter a word without Wizen¡¯s permission.


    Demons. Bah. When you give yourself so utterly to one emotion, you expose yourself to all the others. So powerful ¡ª and yet, so weak. So easy to control.


    ¡°Answer my question,¡± Wizen said. ¡°Do you understand now?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the demon whispered.


    ¡°I am pleased to have been your teacher.¡± Wizen smiled and leaned closer, his eyes going dark. ¡°Now ¡ª tell me of Sievan. Tell me of the demon that is rumored to have passed through the afterlife and returned.¡±

 Chapter 481: Smile

    Chapter 481: Smile


    Noah shot out of the tent, Mascot clutched in his hands and held before him with locked arms like a petulant child. He didn¡¯t bother waiting around to see what the demons thought of the cat¡¯s arrival. It would take too long to explain everything, so it was easier to just let them come to their own conclusions.


    He pulled aside a random demon in the camp and ordered them to bring a writing tool and some paper. They hurried off and came back just a minute later holding what he needed, their face pale with fear. Noah took it from them, gave them a curt nod, and then strode off to find Moxie and Lee with the supplies stuffed into his travel bag.


    He arrived at his tent and poked his head inside. Fortunately, both women were already there, sitting in a pair of plant chairs that Moxie had formed to fill out the rather barren room.


    Lee had a bag of food tucked under an arm and was happily crunching away on it. Noah couldn¡¯t see what was in the bag but it smelled vaguely citrusy. The loud cracks coming from whatever she was grinding down between her jaws really didn¡¯t align with anything citrus-associated, but there were bigger problems at hand.


    ¡°How¡¯d it go?¡± Moxie asked, turning to him and freezing as she spotted the cat in his hands. She leapt to her feet in surprise. ¡°You¡¯ve got Mascot? How?¡±


    ¡°He somehow portaled into the Damned Plains,¡± Noah replied. Mascot sent him an irate look as he walked over to the chairs. The cat didn¡¯t seem too pleased with his method of transportation. Then again, he hadn¡¯t teleported away or attacked Noah yet, so he couldn¡¯t have been too annoyed.


    ¡°Can he¡ª¡±


    Noah shook his head. ¡°Unfotunately not. At least, I¡¯m pretty sure he can¡¯t. Maybe he just doesn¡¯t want to. Getting a way out of here was my first thought as well, but I think we¡¯ll need to look for a different angle for that.¡±


    Disappointment washed over Moxie¡¯s features. Lee took a handful of something from her bag and tossed it into her mouth, continuing to crunch away.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Moxie said, her shoulders slumping. She reached out and scratched the top of Mascot¡¯s head, just behind his horns. The cat purred. ¡°What¡¯s he doing over here? He didn¡¯t bring a bunch of monsters with him to mess with us, did he?¡±


    Noah hesitated. That was definitely a possibility. He hadn¡¯t seen anything, but Mascot did have a penchant for showing up with something big and ugly on his tail. The cat definitely liked watching them fight ¡ª or perhaps he just liked watching them kill things. Both were probably equally likely.


    ¡°That probably remains to be seen. I haven¡¯t noticed anything yet,¡± Noah said. He walked over to Moxie¡¯s chair and stole it, flopping down. The soft vines gave in more than he¡¯d expected and he sank into them as the chair molded to his back. ¡°Whoa. This is really comfortable.¡±


    Mascot yowled in warning and Noah glanced back just in time to see Moxie sitting down even in spite of his attempted theft. He held Mascot up as Moxie lowered herself into his lap and leaned back against his chest. She twisted her head to send him a smug look. ¡°Thanks. You¡¯re a bit less comfortable, but I suppose I¡¯ll have to settle.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were trying to conserve your seeds,¡± Noah said as he shifted Mascot over Moxie¡¯s head and dropped him onto her lap. The cat padded in a small circle before curling up and lowering his head with a contented purr.


    ¡°I was.¡± Moxie wiggled around to get more comfortable and got her hair caught in Noah¡¯s mouth in the process. ¡°These aren¡¯t made from my normal seeds. I was testing my rune on a slab of meat. A bit of a waste, but it worked.¡±


    Noah craned his neck back and tried to get the hair out of his mouth. The attempt failed and, after a few seconds, he gave up and accepted his fate. ¡°There¡¯s something a little weird about sitting on plants made out of meat.¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t made out of meat. They¡¯re just using the energy from it,¡± Moxie corrected. ¡°Normal plants aren¡¯t made out of dirt and sunlight, you know. Also, why are you eating my hair? Don¡¯t give Lee any ideas, please.¡±


    Noah glared at Moxie and she smirked in response. Letting out a huff, Noah decided the only winning move was to not even respond.


    Moxie nodded and Lee leaned forward in her chair as the three of them started to draft out their letter.


    ***


    ¡°What do you think of The Web?¡± Aylin asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little plain,¡± Torrick said hesitantly, watching Vrith with wary eyes as he spoke. Even though Aylin had introduced everyone to her again properly, he didn¡¯t blame the boy for being intimidated. Vrith was not a very kind looking demon.


    ¡°Plain can be good,¡± Vrith said. ¡°It¡¯s also bold. The more generic your name is, the more chance it ends up treading on the territory of another gang and angering some hot-headed fool.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be wise to keep our name something a little more inconspicuous? People would be less likely to attack us if we sounded boring,¡± Violet said.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s far too late for inconspicuous,¡± Aylin said with a shake of his head. ¡°And we¡¯ve got me, you, and Vrith. That isn¡¯t even counting Spider and his companions. I¡¯d say we¡¯re strong enough to start taking some liberties. That¡¯ll also show the other gangs that we aren¡¯t afraid to throw our weight around, right?¡±


    Vrith nodded. ¡°You¡¯re learning quickly. I guess that¡¯s to be expected. I think the name fits, especially given that Spider is the one at the top. I think it works, and we need a name sooner rather than later. If we¡¯re bringing the other gangs under us, we can¡¯t let them keep their names.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Edda asked. She¡¯d found something to chew on, but Aylin wasn¡¯t sure what it was. He decided not to ask. She¡¯d never gotten sick from eating anything, so she¡¯d probably be okay.


    ¡°It lets them keep too much of their former identities,¡± Vrith said, sending a glance at Aylin to make sure the new information hadn¡¯t accidentally triggered his abilities. ¡°They need to view it as joining a new gang, and they need to recognize Aylin as their streetlord. Even if we keep their organization just to avoid a huge mess, the chain of command needs to be evident.¡±


    ¡°I agree. I guess we¡¯ll go with The Web, then,¡± Violet said. She stretched her arms over her head and yawned. Aylin was tempted to do the same. It had been a very, very long day. He wasn¡¯t quite ready to kill for some sleep, but he wasn¡¯t far from it.


    ¡°How long do you think it¡¯ll be before the Silent Silverfang responds to what happened?¡± Aylin asked. ¡°And what about the other gangs, for that matter?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow,¡± Vrith said confidently. Her features darkened. ¡°Word has spread by now. Anyone planning to make a move is going to be smart enough not to try it on their own. We should be prepared for a difficult day.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I kind of figured.¡± Aylin sighed. He drew in a deep breath and let it out as he shook his head. ¡°Right. Let¡¯s go back over the plan one last time before we get some sleep. We need to be ready for everything that¡¯s coming our way, even if we don¡¯t know all of what it¡¯ll be yet.¡±


    ¡°How do you prepare for something that you don¡¯t know?¡± Torick asked.


    ¡°By having lots of plans ¡ª and by filling in Spider, Moxie, and Lee on them.¡±


    Torrick swallowed. ¡°How... how many plans, exactly? There are a lot of things that can go wrong.¡±


    Aylin¡¯s response was a smile that sent shivers down the spines of every single demon sitting in the room.

 Chapter 482: Get

    Chapter 482: Get


    A gentle breeze curled through the dark streets of Treadon. Night wrapped the city in its heavy cloak, broken only by the motes of dim lanternlight scattered throughout the streets. The distant murmur of conversation and the echo of footsteps through the streets brushed across Gex¡¯s ears as he crept toward the market square, a poisoned dagger held in a loose grip at his side.


    The scent of dust and rusted metal clung to him as he advanced. It stung his nose and made his eyes water slightly, but it obscured his scent with that of the streets. He was a ghost passing through the night. And, when his work was over and he returned home, there would be another ghost to take his place in the shadows.


    Gex was a professional. At least, he¡¯d swear up and down that he was. He¡¯d been doing this for longer than most demons that lived in the streets had been alive. The names of all the people he¡¯d sent on into the next life evaded him, but as did the number. Neither mattered any more.


    All that mattered was accomplishing the job. A Rank 3 demon was a little stronger than his usual prey. It wasn¡¯t a task he normally would have accepted, but it had only taken a single look at the pay he¡¯d been offered to accept without a second of hesitation.


    He¡¯d never gotten a look at his employer. That was how things were. A masked meeting in a dark room, the passing of coin from one hand to the other, and the promise of a life ended. It was not his role to wonder why the job had been placed or who had ordered it.


    But this job was different. Mask or not, the demon who had placed the order had stood over twice Gex¡¯s height. Even a cloak and mask, his imposing figure was impossible to conceal, as was the gravelly tone he spoke in. It had sounded like the demon had subsisted on a diet of sand and rock for the past fifty years. But, despite the voice, he had spoken like a noble.


    It wasn¡¯t just that. The huge demon had moved with the confidence of a warrior. There was no fear or jitter in his motions, an oddity for Gex¡¯s normal clientele. That wasn¡¯t a problem.


    He¡¯d worked with demons far greater than himself before. Some kills were just beneath them. What Gex did take issue with, however, was twofold. To be more specific, it was two demons.


    Taking on risky jobs was no problem ¡ª but Gex worked alone. He¡¯d always had, and up until he¡¯d seen the pay offered for handling this job, he¡¯d always planned to. Adding others into the mix just complicated things.


    It meant less money for the kill. More chances for something to go wrong. More ways to be betrayed. But, when he¡¯d seen the huge bag of coin, all those misgivings had gone out the door. There were some things worth the extra risk.


    At least, that¡¯s what he¡¯d thought. He wasn¡¯t so sure anymore. Something deep within Gex¡¯s stomach twisted and churned. The night was still and empty. There was no reason to be concerned. He hadn¡¯t seen hide nor hair of the two other assassins creeping through the dark, but he knew they were there.


    All of them sought the same target. They¡¯d all been paid, so there was no reason for them to come into conflict with each other. All that mattered was the target¡¯s death. It should have been one of the most straightforward tasks that Gex had ever taken ¡ª but his gut screamed otherwise.


    For that reason, Gex hesitated. He hadn¡¯t lived this long by ignoring his instincts. He extended every sense in search of what was unnerving him. The camp wasn¡¯t anything special. If anything, it was pathetic.


    They had no security perimeter. No proper guard. Not even proper lighting to prevent someone like him from striding past the tents and heading for the large one at the back of the square without so much as a suspicious glance.


    And yet, sweat rolled down the back of Gex¡¯s neck like a thin river. His pallid skin felt clammy and cold and his knuckles were white around the hilt of his dagger. No matter how hard he searched, nothing seemed off.


    Nothing was out of place.


    So what is this feeling? I¡¯m already behind schedule. I should have been in and out already, the task complete. One of the other assassins has probably already handled it. All of us are Rank 3. We¡¯ve handled streetlords that got too big for their station before.


    No amount of thought helped. Gex¡¯s mind found absolutely nothing amiss, but the rest of his body disagreed.


    The flaps to the large tent parted. Gex didn¡¯t let his eyes betray anything, but hope shot through his body like adrenaline. Their job was done. Rank 4 or not, a dagger to the back of the neck was more than enough to¡ª


    ¡°I¡¯m done, Moxie.¡±


    The first woman glanced over her shoulder. Gex followed her gaze, and his heart dropped into his stomach. The young demon that had emerged from the tent hadn¡¯t been an assassin. She was another one of the demons from the camp.


    Why won¡¯t they let me speak? Do they plan to take me prisoner? For what purpose? What are they playing at?


    ¡°And?¡± Moxie asked, tilting her head to the side and ignoring Gex completely. ¡°Did you get anything useful?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. There were just three of them, and they got hired by some big demon with a scratchy voice.¡±


    Gex¡¯s stomach couldn¡¯t drop any farther, but he was pretty sure it had died and its ghost was in freefall toward the center of the world.


    Fuck me. One of the other assholes already sold the rest of us out before I could. This is exactly why I work alone. Why in the Damned Plains did I take this blasted job? My only hope is that the last assassin hasn¡¯t been caught yet. Two demons are a lot. I don¡¯t know why there¡¯s a Rank 4 in a streetlord¡¯s camp, but there¡¯s no way there¡¯s more than one. As long as she goes down first¡ª


    ¡°Did you remember to leave the second one intact?¡± Moxie asked.


    The younger demon cleared her throat. ¡°I... may have gotten hungry. It¡¯s hard to fight quietly. You said to make sure No ¡ª uh, Spider didn¡¯t wake up. That costs extra. Snack tax. Maybe eating more will help me fix my Rank 4 Rune.¡±


    No. It can¡¯t be possible. A second Rank 4? Is she lying? No. There¡¯s no reason for her to lie. This was a setup. It has to be. A foreign invasion force, starting with the underground of the city and moving up to swallow it whole.


    ¡°Snack ¡ª oh, whatever,¡± Moxie said wearily. ¡°I just wanted a little time to spend with Spider. Is that really too much to ask? It¡¯s colder out here than I expected, and I was so comfortable in bed. Combustion makes him so warm. Like a portable heater.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. He¡¯s still asleep. I can smell it.¡±


    What kind of conversation is this? They¡¯re acting as if I¡¯m not even here! Damn it all. There has to be a way out. Let me speak, you bitches! How do you know I don¡¯t know something the others didn¡¯t?


    ¡°You know what? You¡¯re right,¡± Moxie said. The vines constricting around Gex¡¯s body tightened. He would have abandoned what little pride he had and screamed for help, but even that was denied to him. ¡°If this one¡¯s number three, then as long as I get rid of him, we can pretend as if our night didn¡¯t get interrupted at all. Good thinking, Lee. I just have to make sure this is quiet so Spider doesn¡¯t wake up.¡±


    Her gaze finally lifted to meet Gex¡¯s. There wasn¡¯t a single scrap of interest in Moxie¡¯s eyes. There was only annoyance ¡ª and impatience. She lifted her hand toward Gex. Her fist clenched.


    The vines constricted in a flicker of an instant, and darkness enveloped Gex¡¯s vision. His scream, along with the crunching of his bones, were both swallowed by the thick vines. He only had time for one final thought before the pain cut out and his consciousness vanished from the Damned Plains.


    I hope I get to watch from the afterlife when they find the noble Wastelicker that fucked me over.

 Chapter 483: Rune plans

    Chapter 483: Rune plans


    The night was far too long to fully sleep through. By Noah¡¯s estimate, the day-night cycle was something around two and a half times longer than the one back in the mortal plane. He woke nestled in a bed of soft vines with Moxie laying on top of him.


    Her hair somehow still smelled like strawberries, which was a mystery. It wasn¡¯t like they had any fancy soaps in the Damned Plains, nor had they had a chance to take a proper bath yet ¡ª an issue he was going to need to rectify soon.


    Does she normally just smell like this? Or does she have some secret?


    Lee murmured from a bed beside them. Noah glanced over, the dim light from the moon filtering in through the crack in the tent flap just enough to see by. Lee gnawed on the side of a thick vine in her sleep and judging by the large bites taken out of the bed all around her, it wasn¡¯t the first one to fall victim.


    It was an odd feeling to wake up in the middle of the night feeling completely rested. Noah¡¯s body told him that it was time to go back to bed, but his head told him that he¡¯d gotten all the sleep he needed and there was too much to do to sit around for much longer.


    Moxie stirred. Her hands dug into his jacket and she yawned, her eyes fluttering open. She peered up at him and scrunched her nose.


    ¡°What time is it?¡±


    ¡°Night,¡± Noah replied, somewhat unhelpfully. ¡°I think it¡¯s been about six or seven hours, but I can¡¯t be certain.¡±


    Moxie pushed herself up, pushing Noah back into the bed in the process. She brushed the hair out of her face and grinned down at him before shifting to the side so he could sit as well. The smile faded and she blew out an annoyed breath.


    ¡°We had some visitors last night.¡±


    ¡°We did? What happened? Nobody woke me up.¡±


    ¡°I had ulterior motives. They¡¯re dead now,¡± Moxie said with a shrug. ¡°Just a few Rank 3 Demon assassins with pretty bad Runes. Lee and I handled everything before they got anywhere near Aylin.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± The last vestiges of weariness slipped away and Noah blinked fully awake. ¡°Did you get any information from them?¡±


    ¡°They were assassins for hire, but not very good ones. Just random hitmen. Some giant demon contracted them and paid a ridiculous amount of money for them to kill Aylin. Sounds like we got the attention of someone with a bit of influence.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. Things are falling into place, then. They¡¯re aware of my presence. While Aylin continues bringing the streetlords together, I can start moving to enter whatever their higher society is here. I¡¯ve still got my eyes set on an auction. It¡¯ll be a bit before we get the attention of anyone really strong, but we need to get stronger before we start rubbing elbows with any of them.¡±


    ¡°We may get more attention than we want if we keep expanding at this rate. Might be better to move faster than slower,¡± Moxie suggested. She swung her legs out of bed and rose to her feet. She yawned and stretched her arms over her head before shaking her head and combing her hair back with her fingers. ¡°I¡¯ve been doing a lot of work practicing my pattern inside my mind. I think it¡¯s getting closer to the point where I can use it in a fight. I want to get a good hold of it before I start really figuring out what other runes I invest in.¡±


    ¡°Probably a good idea,¡± Noah said with a nod. There was more than a little risk involved in imbuing a pattern with magic ¡ª but Moxie wasn¡¯t one of his students. She had far more experience and training than they did, and she knew her limits. ¡°I haven¡¯t had a chance to test Crumbling Space as much as I¡¯d like to, but I¡¯ve been learning. I¡¯m going to try to make some more Rank 4 Runes while I continue perfecting it, then rework everything at the end.¡±


    Noah nodded. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be too hard. Lee already showed us what to do. You want to come?¡±


    Moxie glanced over to Lee. She hesitated for a second. ¡°As much as I¡¯d like to, I really shouldn¡¯t. We¡¯ve got too much attention on the camp right now. We don¡¯t know if someone will try something while you¡¯re gone.¡±


    ¡°Egh. You¡¯re probably right. I¡¯ll try not to take too long, then. As long as I use my flying sword this shouldn¡¯t take more than a few hours. I¡¯m just going to grab a bunch of runes and then come back. Do you think you could try to figure out who hired the assassins while I¡¯m gone?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do, but no promises. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve got much of an information pipeline with the gang as it is right now,¡± Moxie said, not sounding particularly confident. She gave him a half-shouldered shrug. ¡°Just don¡¯t be gone too long. You¡¯ve got a lot of dominos set up to fall.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯ll be three hours or so.¡± Noah grabbed his grimoire and slung it over his shoulder before holding out his gourd. ¡°Can you hold onto this for me?¡±


    She took it carefully, her features growing serious. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll keep it safe. Try not to need it, though.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best,¡± Noah promised. He scooped up his flying sword and took a step toward the exit of the tent, but Moxie caught his arm. Glancing back at her, Noah blinked. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Moxie stared at him primly. She gently set the gourd on the remains of Lee¡¯s bed before crossing her arms and arching an eyebrow. Noah stared at her for a second before he realized what she was waiting for.


    He leaned in and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pressing his lips to hers.


    ¡°No,¡± Lee murmured in her sleep, turning over. ¡°Don¡¯t eat Moxie yet, Noah. I ¡ª I want to taste her hair first.¡±


    It took everything Noah had to avoid bursting into laughter. He and Moxie pulled apart. The bright red tinging Moxie¡¯s cheeks told him she was having a similar issue.


    ¡°Good luck with that. It¡¯s entirely your fault, by the way,¡± Noah said with a snicker.


    Moxie flicked him in the chest. ¡°Get out of here, idiot. I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±


    Noah nodded. He wrapped his face with the desert scarf before turning and striding out of the tent. He tossed his flying sword to the ground and stepped onto it. Flying into Treadon might have been ill advised, but he had a persona to keep now ¡ª and guards weren¡¯t going to be bothered about someone leavingthe city.


    The sword hummed to life and Noah shot off, lifting into the sky and zipping away from the massive walking city. He craned his neck back to watch the huge turtle as he flew away from it. The enormous monster had still yet to take a single step since they¡¯d arrived, but it looked closer to touching the ground than it had been when they¡¯d arrived.


    Noah turned away from the city and looked to the Wastes. He had some runes to speed through harvesting ¡ª and then the real fun would begin.

 Chapter 484: Introduction

    Chapter 484: Introduction


    True to his word, Noah only hunted for a few hours. He used his flying sword to locate one of the populated cave systems and waded through it, tearing through everything in his path with Natural Disaster and Crumbling Space before Sundering their souls.


    His grimoire ate well. It snagged runes from the air with streamers of paper, devouring them as quickly as Noah could kill their former owners. It was so easy that it almost scared Noah. The monsters in this area of the Wastes weren¡¯t particularly powerful.


    The strongest ones were only Rank 3, and just barely at that. He ripped through their defenses before they even had a chance to realize what was happening and the runes were plucked from the air with terrifying speed.


    If anyone had lived to tell the tale, the other demons probably wouldn¡¯t have believed them. Noah would have felt a little bad about it if any of the demons he¡¯d been fighting were fully intelligent, but the only ones rushing him like mindless savages were ¡ª well, exactly that. They¡¯d fallen completely into their runes and had no proper semblance of intelligence left.


    Once his hours were just about up and Noah was satisfied, he turned and headed out of the cave. He¡¯d gotten somewhere around a hundred runes for his troubles, and that wasn¡¯t counting all the ones that had dissipated because they hadn¡¯t had a chance to grab them. The runes were a mixture of Rank 2 and 3s, with a smattering of Rank 1s.


    Most of them were Demon Runes, but there were more than a few sand, stone, and other desert-themed ones in the mix. None would be immediately useful to Noah. He didn¡¯t have any plans to make another stone-related rune, but every single rune had multiple purposes. He could always break them for energy if he really needed it, and the more runes he had, the more demons he could yank up to Rank 3.


    There was always the chance he could sell them as well, but nothing he¡¯d just gotten felt like it would be interesting enough to sell. Not on its own, at least. A small smile crossed Noah¡¯s face as he stood at the edge of the caves and looked into the night blanketing the Damned Plains.


    He put his hand on the top of his grimoire, and he could have sworn it cooed in response. A shudder of approval ran down the spine of the book and into his hand.


    That¡¯s not creepy... but the grimoire is so much more than just a rune storage. I¡¯m willing to put up with a little weirdness as long as it doesn¡¯t keep showing random people pornography.


    ¡°You liked that, didn¡¯t you?¡± Noah asked in a voice akin to one he¡¯d use if he were talking to a small dog. ¡°Want more?¡±


    The grimoire shuddered again. It was definitely starting to get more expressive. A lot more expressive, given the interaction it had with Bird.


    Is it getting smarter from eating all the runes? Or did it just lack energy before since nobody had fed it in a long time? I really hope this thing wasn¡¯t locked in the Linwick Estate¡¯s catacombs for some reason other than its need to eat runes.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you help me out a bit?¡± Noah asked, pushing his concerns to the side. He wasn¡¯t about to stop using the grimoire. It was too useful. He swung the huge book off his back and thunked it down on the orange sand before him. ¡°Redistribute some energy for me into the seven best-made Sand Runes. Rank 2 ones, please. Then prepare them for me, along with a badly made Rank 3. Try to make the Rank 3 another sand-based rune so the energy conversion isn¡¯t too bad.¡±


    A few seconds ticked by. Noah had just started to wonder if the grimoire had completely ignored his request when it swung itself open.


    Seven Rank 2 Sand runes of various names hummed on its page, all full. They were joined by an eighth Rank 3 Cracked Sandy Gust Rune. None of them were fantastic, but the grimoire had followed his request perfectly.


    Noah smiled. ¡°Thank you. Hold on for a moment. This won¡¯t take long.¡±


    He put his hand on the page and closed his eyes. He drew every single one of the runes into his soul in a flash, barely even taking more than a few seconds to draw each of them. He¡¯d done this step so many times now that it was practically second nature.


    In rapid succession, he shattered each of the Rank 2 runes. He filtered out the badly made Rank 1s, breaking the Rank 3 apart to use for energy and components, and rebuilt each and every one of them.


    The second guard muttered a curse under his breath. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later. Just get out of the way. This one isn¡¯t someone we want to bother.¡±


    After a second of hesitation, the first demon shrugged and took a confused step back, gesturing for Noah to continue onto the lift. Noah was grateful he didn¡¯t even have to bother concealing his smile as he passed them. His face wrappings already did that for him.


    It looks like word is spreading pretty fast. Perfect.


    The other demons already waiting on the platform watched Noah uneasily, making space for him and looking anywhere but in his direction. He didn¡¯t know if they were scared of him or if they¡¯d just overheard the guards. It was all the same in the end. The more people knew about Spider, the more likely the next part of his plan would work.


    It wasn¡¯t long before the platform shuddered. The huge chains holding it up rattled away as it lifted into the air and toward the city far above. When it arrived, Noah joined the crowd of demons in dispersing into the city.


    They all quickly broke away from him, and he slipped into the alleyways to avoid parading straight through the center of Treadon. He was pretty sure he was stronger than the majority of the demons in the city ¡ª he highly doubted Rank 5 and 6 Demons were just strolling around everywhere ¡ª but there was no need to draw attention right now.


    He made his way through the city and back over to the gang¡¯s market square where Moxie and Lee were. Even though it was the middle of the night, Treadon was as awake as if it were day.


    Demons walked through the streets and ducked past alleyways. The majority of them seemed to have no trouble navigating in the dark, but a number of demons carried around lanterns to light their way.


    I suppose there¡¯s going to be a lot more diversity in ability with demons given how much runes change their physical bodies. Interesting. Never really thought about that.


    Noah made it to the square a short while later. It wasn¡¯t on fire or otherwise destroyed, which was good news. It seemed that Moxie and Lee had better luck with not blowing things up than he did.


    He slipped into his tent and was pleased to find that Moxie was still there, sitting on a chair of vines and drumming her fingers on her knees. She glanced at Noah as he came back and blinked in surprise.


    ¡°Oh! You¡¯re back?¡±


    ¡°I did say it would just be a few hours.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I fully expected something to go wrong or you to kill yourself,¡± Moxie admitted. She rose from her chair. ¡°How¡¯d it go?¡±


    ¡°Perfectly. Got a bunch of runes and fed the book. What about you? Manage to get in contact with the guy we¡¯re looking for?¡±


    ¡°Not me, and not the demon that sent his assassins here,¡± Moxie said with a shake of her head. ¡°But we got a lead. Vrith was scanning the camp on Aylin¡¯s orders, and she found someone that looked suspicious. Lee smelled the same thing ¡ª not sure how she did that, but I¡¯ve learned not to ask questions. We did a little questioning and it turns out he¡¯s a scout for a Rank 5 Demon. One with a little bit of political influence.¡±


    ¡°It was only a matter of time before people started snooping.¡± A smile pulled across Noah¡¯s lips. ¡°Bring me to him? I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be thrilled to give me an introduction to his boss.¡±

 Chapter 485: Crumbling Space

    Chapter 485: Crumbling Space


    Moxie led Noah over to Lee, who was keeping watch over the demon that they¡¯d captured. The demon in question was only a little taller than Aylin. He had three nubby horns sticking out of the top of his forehead amidst a bed of wispy black hair that really should have been shaved off.


    A set of large spectacles rested on his nose, which was far too small to keep them properly held up, causing them to slide down his face until they only covered the lower half of his eyes.


    It also seemed that Moxie and Lee had forgone even bothering to trying to bind the small demon. He sat in the corner of the room across from Lee, nervously fiddling with a ratty tweed suit.


    Did they catch him or just put him in time out? He looks like a guilty schoolkid more than a demon.


    ¡°You smell like death,¡± Lee said, pointing a stick of jerky in her hand at Noah as he let the tent flap flop shut behind him and Moxie. He nearly went to sniff his armpits before he realized she wasn¡¯t being figurative.


    ¡°Ah. I was just doing some killing. Needed some more runes and there were a few dozen demons in the way,¡± Noah said with a wave of his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Nothing to be concerned with.¡±


    The demon in the corner tried to shrink in on himself. His glasses slipped down his pale face and he shoved them back into place with a finger. Normally, a demon¡¯s claws probably would have scratched a pair of glasses, but his were so short that they were barely anything more than fingernails.


    Noah let his domain brush across the demon. He certainly didn¡¯t feel very strong. There wasn¡¯t much runic pressure coming off him and he had no domain of his own ¡ª not that he¡¯d expected him to.


    Definitely not even a Rank 3. I wonder what kind of feeling a demon like this would feed on. The mild annoyance of having to crunch a bunch of numbers in excel?


    ¡°Are you going to introduce me?¡± Noah asked Lee.


    ¡°Oh, sure. I didn¡¯t give him a name yet.¡± Lee looked down at the strip of meat in her hand with a thoughtful expression. ¡°I think this is Joe. That feels like a good name. I like it.¡±


    The demon in the corner glanced at Lee. It almost looked like he was about to say something for a moment before his mouth snapped shut and he thought better of it. He swallowed heavily and pushed his glasses back up his face.


    ¡°Am I remiss in assuming you¡¯ve just named the jerky you¡¯re eating rather than the demon I was actually referring to?¡± Noah asked, resisting the urge to rub the bridge of his nose through the storm wrappings on his face.


    Lee studied the jerky. A small frown crossed her face. ¡°I kind of regret naming him now. Now this just kind of feels weird.¡±


    ¡°The demon, Lee,¡± Noah said through a sigh. ¡°Tell me the demon¡¯s name.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Joe.¡± Lee ate the jerky in one bite. ¡°And I haven¡¯t figured the other one¡¯s name out. I was busy.¡±


    I¡¯m glad we¡¯re giving this little demon the impression that we¡¯ve got a very organized and well put together structure of command. I¡¯m sure I look very competent right about now. Oh, whatever.


    Noah knelt in front of the demon, who had scooted back until his back pressed against the tarp of the tent.


    ¡°My friend is a little preoccupied. Perhaps you¡¯ll be so kind as to tell me who I¡¯m talking to?¡±


    ¡°Joe,¡± the demon said weakly. His voice was somehow even more nasally than Noah had expected it to be. It was reminiscent to a stream of air escaping a deflating balloon.


    Noah stared at him. ¡°Are you trying to make a joke?¡±


    ¡°No, sir,¡± Joe said with a firm shake of his head that threatened to send it flying straight off. ¡°That ¡ª that¡¯s my name. Your friend, ah, stole it.¡±


    A demon called Joe? Seriously?


    A cobbled path broke away from the main street and ran up to a stone door in the mansion¡¯s front. It was already open, revealing a hallway floored with a dull red rug beyond it. The rug led up to a stairwell that ascended up toward the bulbous top of the mansion. Noah squinted at the building¡¯s bulbous top.


    This is a butt plug. Someone modeled their house after a butt plug. Why would you do that?


    Joe scurried into the house without giving Noah any more time to stare. Resisting the urge to shake his head, Noah followed after him. The two ascended the stairs of the mansion, following the spiraling stairwell past several doors until it came to a stop somewhere around where Noah estimated the middle of the building to be.


    A pair of double doors stood open in wait. Beyond them stretched a meeting room. Old, unused chairs made from the same material as the house itself made a large ring around a huge throne in the very center of the room.


    Sitting in the throne was an eight-foot-tall demon. His fingers were interlaced on his lap and his face was covered with a pitch-black mask. If it weren¡¯t for his size and skin color, he could have easily passed for a human. He had no horns or other bodily modifications.


    Joe didn¡¯t make any move to enter the room. He didn¡¯t leave, either. He just stood there. Noah glanced down at him. Then, with a shrug, he entered the room. They were clearly trying to put on a bit of theatre for him and he had no issue playing along.


    ¡°Spider,¡± the blue demon said, his voice like a grindstone. ¡°We finally meet.¡±


    Finally is a bit of a stretch, mate. I literally wasn¡¯t even on the Damned Plains a day ago.


    ¡°I take it that you¡¯re Pirren, then. It seems we want to speak with each other,¡± Noah said evenly. He extended his senses, letting his domain pass over the room as he approached the huge throne. Noah¡¯s eyes narrowed as his domain brushed across the demon. Pirren wasn¡¯t a Rank 4, much less a Rank 5.


    Don¡¯t tell me there¡¯s another guy lying their way through everything. I thought I had that move patented, but this is either that or a test to see what I¡¯m capable of. I¡¯ll have to see how this guy handles things. I can respect a fellow bullshitter, but I won¡¯t let myself be made a fool when I¡¯m trying to keep the Spider persona¡¯s reputation up.


    ¡°Feel free to go first. I¡¯d love to hear what it is that you want from me.¡±


    Pirren¡¯s laughter echoed from behind his mask. ¡°Do not presume to speak to me as if we are equals. Kneel at my feet.¡±


    Noah tilted his head to the side. ¡°No. Tell me what you want. One chance. Do anything else and I¡¯m going to get annoyed.¡±


    Pirren pressed a hand to his mask. A dull hum buzzed through the room as a crackling blue Shield spun to life around him. Noah almost blinked in surprise. It had been some time since he¡¯d seen a proper mage shield ¡ª and longer still since he¡¯d seen one that was just permanently active.


    Like the shields that Arbitage has in the training arena. Good defense... but they need a lot of energy. Interesting. I wonder if the demons made it or if they took it from someone in the mortal plane.


    ¡°Kneel,¡± Pirren thundered as he stepped forward to loom over Noah like a wall of blue flesh. ¡°Then we will¡ª¡±


    Noah lifted a hand. Spider wasn¡¯t going to keep his reputation if he let someone talk to him like this.


    I¡¯ll just destroy the Shield to show him I mean business, then figure out if this is actually the real Pirren or if some idiot is testing me.


    Perhaps Pirren was too confident in his shield. Perhaps he simply didn¡¯t have time to react. Whatever the reason, he didn¡¯t so much as move as Crumbling Space¡¯s power arced free of Noah¡¯s palm. Cracks of white light webbed out and passed straight through his shield and into his chest.


    There was an instant of silence. Then the magic detonated with an earsplitting crunch. Pirren¡¯s chest caved in on itself. Blood spurted from his body together with bone and viscera as he let out a choked wheeze, clasping at the massive crater where his heart had been.


    The Shield didn¡¯t so much as flicker. Pirren pitched back, crashing to the ground and cracking his head against the front of the throne and lying still. Noah stared at his corpse in disbelief. If the demon hadn¡¯t been dead before, he definitely was now.


    Noah barely even cared. He was far more concerned with what he¡¯d just done. Just when he¡¯d started to think he¡¯d figured out how his new Rank 4 Rune worked, he¡¯d been proven very, very wrong.


    What the fuck? Crumbling Space can pass through other magic?

 Chapter 486: Pirren

    Chapter 486: Pirren


    Noah recovered his composure quickly. Energy trickled into his soul from the dead demon. It was a decent amount of power, but nowhere near what a Rank 5 demon would have given him. That only proved his theory even further ¡ª but now wasn¡¯t the time to stand around like an idiot.


    He couldn¡¯t afford to look like he¡¯d been just as surprised by his attack as Pirren had been. That would just make him look completely incompetent.


    Then again, Pirren didn¡¯t actually look too surprised. He kind of just looked dead. Bummer.


    Noah looked down at the corpse, blood pooling around it at the base of the throne. The Shield had flickered out and the plain black mask rested quietly. It didn¡¯t even take him a second of consideration before he scooped the mask straight off the dead demon¡¯s face.


    Spoils of war ¡ª or as the kids in playgrounds would say, no takesies backsies. Thanks for the gift, meathead.


    Noah tucked the mask into his bag and turned to Joe. The thin-haired demon stood at the doorway of the room, his mouth askew in either terror or disbelief ¡ª or possibly both at the same time.


    Joe¡¯s glasses slid down off his nose and he shoved them back into his face. Something about his expression didn¡¯t quite seem right with Noah. It was convincing, but it was almost too... flat. It was such a perfect image of stunned surprise that it felt out of place.


    And I know people revert to their habits when they¡¯re scared, but Joe is frozen in terror, not just scared. Who adjusts their glasses while they just saw what should have been one of the most powerful demons they know get obliterated in half a second?


    Noah¡¯s eyes narrowed. The room had been silent for just a few seconds too long. The more time passed, the more his gut picked up on the abnormalities. A Rank 5 demon would have people working for them.


    At the very least, they¡¯d have guards to keep random idiots from constantly challenging them. This complete lack of response from everyone other than Joe, who was doing nothing but stand there and catch flies with his mouth, wasn¡¯t just a coincidence.


    Ah. It turns out I was right after all. Pirren is a bullshiter. Just not the kind of bullshitter I thought they were.


    ¡°Does Pirren plan to actually speak to me anytime soon?¡± Noah asked, tilting his head to the side. ¡°Or is he going to give me another idiot to kill? If we¡¯re going with the latter, I¡¯d be more than happy to accelerate the process and bring this entire building down on top of our heads.¡±


    ¡°Spider, sir, no, please,¡± Joe stammered, taking a step back and clutching the collar of his suit in a tight grip. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Jophelus,¡± a sly female voice said from behind them, the words spoken like the hiss of a snake.


    The fear on Joe¡¯s face vanished in an instant as his features went flat. A woman stepped out from the stairwell that he and Noah had just come through a minute before. She wore hardened leather armor and carried two white daggers at her waist. Her entire body was covered with small, overlaid green scales and the black talons on her bare feet clicked against the stone with every step she took.


    While her face was humanoid, two thin fangs jutted out the front of her mouth. The demon¡¯s eyes were pitch black with thin slivers of molten red for irises, and she didn¡¯t have a single speck of hair on her entire body. In its place, she wore a bronze crown with long, ropey strands that reached to her waist.


    ¡°You killed my subordinate,¡± the woman said, a pointed tongue flicking out of her mouth as her features tightened in displeasure.


    Noah didn¡¯t respond immediately. He extended his domain, letting it brush across the new demon. A river of tingles raced down his arms as he made contact. She was strong. Stronger than the idiot on the throne ¡ª but not stronger than him.


    She¡¯s got bad runes. Really bad ones. A Rank 5 on the lower end of the spectrum, then. I¡¯m pretty sure some mages in Arbitage could have handled her with the quality of stuff she¡¯s working with. Still, I can¡¯t underestimate her. I¡¯m confident I can take her in a normal fight, but she¡¯s probably faster than me.


    ¡°One of them,¡± Noah said softly. ¡°Have you come to thank me for not killing both, Pirren? I do not take kindly to being made a fool of.¡±


    He gathered power from Natural Disaster. As alien as Pirren looked, something about the way she carried herself felt more than familiar. He couldn¡¯t place what it was... but he got the feeling he knew what was coming.


    Almost as if on cue, Pirren blurred forward. Noah sent a wave of energy into the floor. Pirren was fast, but Noah wasn¡¯t trying to outrun her. The ground at his feet erupted, pillars of stone shooting out in every direction.


    The snakelike demon drove into one of them stomach-first and let out a pained wheeze as she folded over it like a piece of laundry in the wind. Noah¡¯s hand shot out and he grabbed her by the neck, even as she recovered and lifted the clawed fingers of her own hand toward his.


    ¡°Try it,¡± Pirren said, her thin lips pulling back in a confident smile ¡ª but there was something off with it. Her eyes didn¡¯t quite match her grin. While her features implied she was in control, there was fear in her eyes. ¡°See which of us is faster. See which of us is willing to risk more.¡±


    Her people? She doesn¡¯t seem very similar to Violet, so I don¡¯t think she¡¯s a Hoarder demon. She would have been way more pissed off about the dead guy behind me.


    Noah studied her eyes. The fear that had been in them before was gone. She was still scared, but all that remained was determination to survive.


    ¡°The way you worded that makes it sound like I haven¡¯t touched any of them yet.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t. The brute behind you wasn¡¯t part of my family. He was hired help.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re aware that your phrasing only protects your people, not yourself?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the leverage to get that much. Just leave my people alone,¡± Pirren said. She flexed her claws. ¡°I can deal with my own actions myself, but they were following orders.¡±


    I¡¯ll be damned. A respectable demon. Another one, actually. Aylin and his group were quite the lot as well. Now that I think about it, Pirren kind of feels a bit similar to them. What kind of emotion is so focused on protecting ¡ª


    Noah blinked, then bit back a laugh. The stupid looking house wasn¡¯t a butt plug. It was an egg.


    Her feeling is being motherly, isn¡¯t it? That¡¯s why she was so worried about Joe.


    ¡°Relax,¡± Noah said. He extended a hand back toward the dead demon and drew on Natural Disaster. The stone beneath the corpse split open, swallowing it up before slamming back shut. Then Noah nodded to the throne. ¡°Go on. Take your throne.¡±


    Pirren swallowed. She looked from Noah to the chair, then slowly walked over to it and sat down.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to do anything to you or your subordinates,¡± Noah said. ¡°I didn¡¯t come here to kill you.¡±


    A tiny flicker of hope lit in Pirren¡¯s eyes. She hid it well, but it didn¡¯t make it past Noah. ¡°Do you swear?¡±


    Noah snorted. ¡°No. You waived the right to any promises when you tried to play a game with me. Don¡¯t get me wrong ¡ª I respect it. You just weren¡¯t good enough. You¡¯ll just have to trust my normal word. So long as you or your people don¡¯t try anything else, I won¡¯t touch a hair on their heads.¡±


    ¡°Very well. I understand,¡± Pirren said. She hesitated for a second. ¡°How... did you know?¡±


    ¡°Know what?¡±


    ¡°Everything. How did you know I was bluffing? My hands were at your throat. If you tried to kill me, I could have killed you as well. How¡¯d you know I couldn¡¯t afford to trade my life like that? It¡¯s worked on every other demon I¡¯ve ever met. Do you just not care if you live or die?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t care. You just aren¡¯t capable of killing me, and your eyes gave your fear away,¡± Noah replied with a shrug. He didn¡¯t see the harm in answering Pirren¡¯s questions. ¡°You aren¡¯t bad at what you do, but you don¡¯t have nearly enough experience to do it on me.¡±


    The implication of that was enough to make Pirren¡¯s scaled skin pale a shade. The older a demon was, the stronger they were likely to be. That was just logic. Noah¡¯s face wrappings crinkled slightly as he smiled.


    ¡°You could read so much from just my eyes?¡±


    ¡°More than you could ever imagine, but I didn¡¯t come all the way here just to point out your flaws,¡± Noah said. ¡°Just as I suspect you wanted something from me ¡ª I want something from you.¡±


    Pirren swallowed, but the determination didn¡¯t leave her posture. ¡°In exchange for your promise not to hurt my people?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m open to discussing the terms of your surrender,¡± Noah said in an amiable tone. He crossed his arms behind his back and leaned forward slightly. ¡°And, in return, you¡¯re going to get me into an auction.¡±

 Chapter 487: The Prison

    Chapter 487: The Prison


    ¡°An auction?¡± Pirren¡¯s confusion was evident in her tone.


    For a moment, Noah was forced to wonder if demons actually had auctions. It would have been strange if they didn¡¯t. While their culture was far more primally driven than the one back in the mortal realm, when all the niceties and lies were stripped away, demons didn¡¯t structure themselves all that differently than the noble families did.


    ¡°I trust you know what an auction is,¡± Noah said, gauging Pirren¡¯s expression to try and figure out if she was trying to pull something over his eyes.


    ¡°I ¡ª yes. I do,¡± Pirren said. She hesitated, clearly not wanting to say more, but Noah remained silent. She was forced to continue speaking or risk drawing his ire. ¡°I was just caught off guard. I can get you into an auction, but I¡¯m not sure if it would hold your attention. I¡¯m... not the strongest of the Rank 5s. I generally try to avoid the others.¡±


    That¡¯s probably a smart move from her perspective. If you bluff someone strong enough to easily call your bluff, it¡¯s not going to go well. Better to stick to easier targets if you want to avoid getting caught.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t your concern if it holds my attention or not,¡± Noah said with a small chuckle. ¡°All you have to do is get me in under your banner ¡ª and stay throughout it, I should add. I don¡¯t know the inner working of the politics in this city.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an outsider?¡± Pirren¡¯s voice held more than a tinge of interest. ¡°You... aren¡¯t one of Belkus¡¯ enforcers?¡±


    Belkus... that was the guy that controlled Treadon, wasn¡¯t it?


    ¡°I serve no man.¡±


    ¡°A Rank 5 that doesn¡¯t serve Belkus?¡± Pirren muttered. Her eyes widened and her back stiffened as her tongue flicked out to taste the air. The tone of her scaled face lightened in fear as understanding washed over her features. ¡°You serve no man. Yoku.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± Noah¡¯s confusion was hidden by the wrappings covering his face.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Pirren said hurriedly, drawing the middle of the word out as she struggled to form the proper sounds through the fangs jutting out of her mouth. ¡°I will do ask you ask. I will warn you that the other demons may not take too kindly to my presence. I have... abstained from previous auctions for this reason.¡±


    ¡°Are they going to stop us from getting in?¡±


    ¡°Nothing so overt, but they may attempt to put pressure on me. You might find it easier to access the auction through someone else ¡ª or just under your own banner. Someone like you would have no trouble entering.¡±


    Not a bad strategy if I didn¡¯t want to keep people confused as to who I¡¯ve got on my side. Going in alone focuses everything on me. If I show up with another demon, even if they¡¯re just a Rank 5, a few well-placed words should get them wondering who else I¡¯ve got on my side and what my goals are.


    Also, weak demons are probably more likely to work together. I don¡¯t want anyone assuming I¡¯m too powerful, so might as well fit into their expectations until it¡¯s time to break them.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to concern yourself with why I wish to enter the auction under your banner,¡± Noah said. ¡°You will just arrange it, and as quickly as possible. I am not a particularly patient individual. When is the next auction?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to check.¡± Pirren¡¯s tongue flicked out nervously. ¡°I haven¡¯t kept up with them, but I think there was usually one every two days.¡±


    That sounded like a lot until Noah reminded himself that given how long the day-night cycles were in the Damned Plains, two days here was the equivalent of something around eight days back home.


    ¡°And?¡± Father asked. ¡°You told me you found it.¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± Janice said with a nod. ¡°Or rather, I¡¯ve found a complete lack of information where information should be. Over the course of the past weeks I have been going through every record our people could gather and rebuilding the history of the Linwick family.¡±


    Father¡¯s fingers pressed into the flat of his desk as he leaned forward. He would have loved more than anything to have done exactly what Janice had done himself. To have discovered the information with his own hands.


    He couldn¡¯t. The risk was too great. Not to himself, but to his cover. To the delicate structure he¡¯d spent so many years erecting upon his back. The perfect defense. The perfect disguise ¡ª and at the cost of a perfect victory.


    But a victory was still a victory, even if he had to puppet the hands of others to achieve it. And now, after all these years, it was only a few moves away.


    ¡°What section was missing?¡± Father asked.


    ¡°A patch of three years that came shortly after the Long Night,¡± Janice said. ¡°There are relatively detailed reports from both before and after it, but for those three years, there is absolutely no information. Every thread that led back to those years has been burned.¡±


    ¡°Purged,¡± Father said, a smile pulling across his features even though the skin around his eyes didn¡¯t so much as crinkle. ¡°Very good, Janice. What more did you discover?¡±


    ¡°The Linwick Family guarded the one we seek. There are mentions of a crypt that slipped through the purge in the records. Not the crypt that the family established around a hundred years later and used as a decoy, but the original one. There is no record of its creation, which I believe happened in the patch of lost history. I believe your target still resides there.¡±


    ¡°And the location?¡±


    ¡°Almost confirmed. There was little information left to work with, so I have been investigating the potential locations one by one. There are not many left. I will locate it by the end of the month.¡±


    Father rose from his desk and drew in a deep breath. The air was stale. Not noticeably, of course. The room was covered with so many imbuements that almost nobody would have even realized. But, after he¡¯d spent so many years within its confines, the air¡¯s quality was so apparent to him that it was impossible to ignore.


    ¡°Do not enter it once it has been located,¡± Father said, his words razor sharp. ¡°I do not wish to lose my only competent assistant this early on. As soon as you discover a location that you believe may be the one I seek, find me immediately ¡ª even if you aren¡¯t certain.¡±


    Janice¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Are you certain, Father? There are several likely places. Revealing yourself too early¡ª¡±


    ¡°Your purpose is not to show concern. It is to follow my orders. Do not waste your energy on showing fear. Especially not for me.¡±


    Janice swallowed. Then she nodded her understanding. The door ground open for just long enough to let her leave before grinding shut once more. After so many years, the search was finally almost over.


    In the solitude of his room, a smile crossed Father¡¯s face. His eyes crinkled in the first signs of excitement that he¡¯d properly felt in centuries.


    Soon, his time in this prison would finally come to an end.

 Chapter 488: Hello

    Chapter 488: Hello


    Jalen stood upon the top of a grassy hill and looked down on Vermil¡¯s students as they sat in a circle and practiced Formations like it was the most natural thing in the world. Even though they were only in the earliest stages of a proper Formation, it was nearly enough to make him burst into hysterical laughter.


    Not a single one of them understood the extent of the power Vermil had handed to them. Formations were difficult enough to learn the normal way. The most common way mages learned them was by reviewing other Formations and practicing for years upon years until they¡¯d ingrained everything to memory.


    Only once that had been done did a normal practitioner even consider trying to make a proper Formation of their own, and even that Formation was little more than an inspired tweak from an existing one.Ge?t latest novel chapters on nov(e)lbj/n(.)c/om


    The more talented mages could muster the skill to make a Formation unique to their current runes after dedicating their life to the craft. That usually happened when a mage recognized they¡¯d reached or were about to reach the peak of their power and their runes would be unlikely to allow for further combinations.


    It only made sense. Why spend years learning a Formation when the runes that went into it would change in just a short while? It was far easier to focus on normal Runic advancement and then top everything off with Formations at the end.


    Vermil took all that logic, crumpled it up into a little ball, and ate the damn thing while flipping me off. Smug little shit. Not only does he skip out on our agreed-upon game. Not only does he guilt me into taking care of his little snotlings. Not only do I have to do that together with the big oaf who¡¯s still so torn up about Vermil going missing that he¡¯s barely registered the magnitude of what these little goblinoids are doing, but I¡¯ve got to do all of it without ripping the secret out of their heads.


    If Vermil had just taught the kids Formations normally, Jalen wouldn¡¯t have been quite so irate. That alone would have been an impressive and respectable feat. But this ¡ª Jalen wasn¡¯t even certain this was a proper way to cast Formations.


    Not a single one of the brats sitting on the grass even knew how to form a proper Formation. They hadn¡¯t studied years of research or practiced steadying their hand for years on end.


    From what Jalen had gathered ¡ª as all of them were remarkably wary about revealing even the slightest bits of what their actual process was ¡ª they were literally just free-handing it. The thought alone made Jalen¡¯s eye twitch.


    Vermil had been preparing them to cast Formations on the fly. A skill reserved for the absolute peak of even the most talented Formation Masters, and it was what he got them started on.


    There was only a single logical solution to how that was possible, and it gnawed at the back of Jalen¡¯s mind like a beaver.


    All the research was wrong. The path every single Formation Master was taking to learn their craft wasn¡¯t just flawed. It was complete and utter shit.


    ¡°That nifty little shit,¡± Jalen said. He kicked a rock on the ground, sending a pulse of space energy into it, and watched the stone rocket into the air in a gray blur. It let out a shrill whistle and struck a particularly unfortunate bird the size of his head.


    The bird exploded in a puff of white feathers and plummeted to the ground, splattering at the top of a hill across from him.


    Brayden, who he had half-forgotten stood on the hill overlooking the students beside him, sent Jalen a glance.


    ¡°That was a spy,¡± Jalen informed Brayden. ¡°It was planning to commit subterfuge.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Magus Jalen.¡±


    Jalen glared up at the large Space Mage. Brayden was the absolute epitome of boring. Worse, he couldn¡¯t even hold it against the big man. The flat tone and expressionless features weren¡¯t there by chance.


    They were a survival mechanism.


    Brayden might have been boring, but he was no coward. He¡¯d stood his ground against Jalen when it had mattered, and that was more than most did. To Jalen¡¯s displeasure, Brayden had also refused his suggestion to toss the kids off a cliff to simulate some real-danger settings.


    ¡°Stop jumping around!¡± Jalen snapped. ¡°I don¡¯t usually miss, and you aren¡¯t making things easier for me.¡±


    Brayden didn¡¯t seem to be in a cooperative mood. He continued trying to pry the cat off his head to absolutely no avail. That made it rather impossible for Jalen to perform any proper attacks unless he wanted to take Brayden¡¯s hands off along with the cat ¡ª and the stupid cat would almost certainly dodge the attacks anyway.


    Jalen¡¯s attention focused on the scrap of paper in the cat¡¯s mouth. It still hadn¡¯t dropped it. If he couldn¡¯t deal with the little furball, he refused to believe that he couldn¡¯t confiscate its toy.


    He teleported forward, his hand darting out. The cat vanished as soon as he reformed, appearing about twenty feet in the air above them. Out of the corner of his eye, Jalen spotted several of Vermil¡¯s students watching him and laughing.


    Funny, am I? I¡¯ll show you funny.


    Jalen clapped his hands together. Brayden¡¯s eyes shot open in horror and he flung himself to the ground. Energy screamed out of Jalen¡¯s body to the sound of the crashing roar of an enormous waterfall as he released his domain.


    The air between Jalen and the cat warped. He extended his hand. Space compressed and crumpled around his fingers. Even though he was dozens of feet away from his target, his fingers snagged the piece of paper as if it were right beside him.


    Jalen yanked his domain back. The cat fell to the ground, its payload confiscated.


    ¡°That¡¯ll show you to screw with me,¡± Jalen informed the cat. ¡°Smug little shit. Thinking you can flaunt space magic like that in my presence. If you weren¡¯t Vermil¡¯s, I¡¯d figure out just what made you tick.¡±


    The cat teleported back to Brayden as the large man stood back up, his face still slightly pallid. The students headed up the hill to join them, looking from the cat to Jalen with undisguised curiosity.


    ¡°Did you just unleash your domain?¡± Brayden demanded. ¡°On a cat?¡±


    ¡°Who won?¡± Jalen countered, unrolling the paper. ¡°I did. That¡¯s who. Cat: 0. Jalen: 1. Who¡¯s the victor? That¡¯s right. It¡¯s ¡ª oh.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Todd asked. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why¡¯s Mascot here?¡±


    Jalen stared at the words scrawled across the paper. Then he lowered it and looked back over to the cat. It was, without a doubt, even more smug than it had been before.


    ¡°You wanted me to take the paper?¡± Jalen asked, his eye twitching. It wasn¡¯t just that. This was no mere cat. It had done something that even he couldn¡¯t, and that irked him to such an end that he would never admit it.


    ¡°Of course he did,¡± Brayden snapped. ¡°Why would Mascot show up with a piece of paper if he wasn¡¯t delivering it?¡±


    ¡°I thought it was a cat toy! I don¡¯t know what cats do!¡±


    ¡°What does the blasted paper say?¡± Isabel demanded. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Jalen said. He looked back to the paper, then let out a short burst of laughter as he turned it around so the students could read it. ¡°Looks like you little brats were right on the money. Vermil says hello from the Damned Plains.¡±

 Chapter 489: Intact

    Chapter 489: Intact


    As far as Aylin was concerned, the night was going great. They¡¯d only had to kill one demon so far. That one death had been enough to keep the rest of the streetlords that had shown up in line.


    There was a slight chance that one death was only so effective because of the enormous flower that Moxie had grown from the streetlord¡¯s corpse. It swayed beside Aylin, more than a foot taller than him, with bright yellow petals as wide as his head.


    It smelled incredible. Rich, sweet, vibrant ¡ª and deeply unsettling. There was something wrong about such a tantalizing aroma rising from a flower that had been a demon just a short time ago.


    No matter how unsettling the flower was, there was no denying that it had done its job. The streetlord in question had attempted to cut Aylin¡¯s throat mid conversation. Violet and Vrith had killed him before Aylin even had a chance to do anything.


    That was enough to give all the other streetlords at least a few seconds of pause. But when Moxie had stepped out from her tent, wordlessly transformed the man into a giant piece of flora, and then headed off without another word, she¡¯d taken that moment of fear and dragged it out indefinitely.


    Aylin himself couldn¡¯t keep from throwing glances in the flower¡¯s direction. There was no more sign of the body that it had been made from, but splatters of blood still painted the ground around its base.


    But even the threat of the flower couldn¡¯t completely repress the streetlords forever. They¡¯d survived this long on the streets, and they wouldn¡¯t be cowed easily. After all, Spider wanted to control the gangs. Nobody could control something that was destroyed.


    Violet still stood by his side, keeping anyone from getting too ambitious, but Vrith had receded to the shadows. That was where Aylin needed her, but he still missed her presence.


    ¡°What benefit do we get to falling under your banner?¡± Ovellum, a Rank 3 streetlord that led a gang called the Lichen, demanded. ¡°Why does Spider even desire this? We have lived this long as we are. Keeping the sections of our territory separate has let us avoid serious conflict with each other. This threatens to ruin all of that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s hardly true,¡± Aylin drawled. ¡°Gangs fight all the time. The streets are paved with the corpses of demons that have died for worthless battles. This solves all of that. Anyone that obeys Spider lives. Anyone who disobeys him dies. The survival rate of anyone with half a brain will grow significantly. You, on the other hand, may face some difficulties.¡±


    A few demons chuckled. There were few things demons appreciated more than a good fight, be it verbal or physical. Ovellum¡¯s light-pink features tightened in displeasure, but he didn¡¯t let his anger get the best of him.


    ¡°And what stops this Spider from sending us all to our deaths? If I wanted to enter the upper echelons of the city, I would have joined with one of the Houses that rule it. Why would I swear fealty to some uppity noble?¡± Ovellum crossed his two sets of arms in front of his chest and arched a bushy eyebrow. ¡°He needs us, not other way around. Nobody would go through all this effort if we didn¡¯t have something he wants. You can¡¯t cow us into submitting when we¡¯re the ones with the bargaining power.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sorely mistaken if you think Spider will give you anything but your life,¡± Aylin said. ¡°The only reason you still live and haven¡¯t joined our late friend as a part of the landscape is because you aren¡¯t worth Spider¡¯s time yet. The Ravagers have already fallen under his banner. Rekeba tried her hand and was left shattered at my feet. What makes you think that you would be any different?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just me.¡± Ovellum jerked a thumb toward all the other streetlords gathered in the market square. Ten different streetlords had all arrived to discover just how powerful Aylin was and see if they could get a glimpse of the infamous Spider. Nine remained, though Aylin strongly suspected he¡¯d be down to eight by the time he convinced the others to bend knee.


    ¡°Ah, yes,¡± Aylin said dryly. ¡°I¡¯m certain that the demons you were doing your best to kill a few days ago will be thrilled to lay down their lives so you can feel like a big strong demon for an extra few minutes before Spider rips your head off and feeds it to your second.¡±


    The streetlords exchanged glances and the tension in the air rose. Violet took a step forward, her eyes welcoming anyone to try their hand challenging her. None of them knew the full extent of her strength yet, but after what had happened to the last streetlord, nobody was about to accept her challenge yet. They were all waiting for someone else to do it first.


    Aylin¡¯s claim hadn¡¯t been wrong. Not a single one of the demons before him actually liked each other. They¡¯d have been thrilled to rip each other¡¯s throats out if the opportunity had presented itself.


    Today, that wasn¡¯t possible. Their conjoined front was the only thing that gave them any bargaining power and no streetlord was going to just surrender without a fight. Not to him, at least ¡ª but they weren¡¯t stupid enough to completely ignore Spider after recent events.


    They¡¯d come to see just how far they could push. To see if Spider was as powerful as he claimed. It didn¡¯t matter if they¡¯d been enemies just hours ago. When it came to losing their power, all the streetlords were more than willing to put their differences aside.


    Nothing so far has surprised me other than Moxie. It¡¯s a good thing she¡¯s also immune to my powers or I think I might have stolen some of her energy on accident. I don¡¯t think Spider would have been happy with me if that had happened.


    I¡¯ve done a pretty good job of keeping myself from accidentally revealing my abilities during this meeting. So far, I¡¯m still just the arrogant urchin that Spider turned into a streetlord. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ve all gotten rumors and updates from their scouts as to what happened to Rekeba, but demons are shit at believing anything they don¡¯t see with their own eyes.


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    ¡°What are you on about?¡± Ovellum asked. ¡°And best choose your next words carefully. We know what you are, urchin. Spider made you powerful, but not experienced. There are far more of us than you, and Spider clearly doesn¡¯t care about any of this.¡±


    ¡°Lee,¡± Aylin asked, raising his voice slightly. ¡°Are you back yet?¡±


    The ground beside Aylin rippled and the short demon rose from a shadow to stand beside him, chewing on a long strip of jerky. She held a clenched fist out to him. ¡°Yup! Here you go!¡±


    Aylin extended his hand and Lee dropped a strip of patterned cloth into his hand. It was stained brown with blood, but the decoration on it was still just barely visible. Aylin turned back to the group of streetlords watching them and held the scrap up. Ovellum¡¯s eyes focused on it, then widened slightly.


    ¡°For those of you unaware, this is a strip from Ovellum¡¯s bedsheets,¡± Aylin said.


    ¡°What, you broke into my house?¡± Ovellum asked, but the confidence in his voice had faltered. He let out a derisive snort. ¡°Why is that supposed to scare me? I wasn¡¯t there.¡±


    ¡°Of course you weren¡¯t. You¡¯re here.¡± Aylin nodded along in agreement. ¡°And now, the rest of your gang isn¡¯t there either.¡±


    Ovellum blinked. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re all dead, Ovellum.¡± Aylin¡¯s quiet words cut through the market air like a knife. ¡°Spider made it clear what would happen to those who opposed him. Every single member of the Lichen is dead.¡±


    ¡°Liar,¡± Ovellum roared. He lurched into motion. Violet stepped to meet him ¡ª and Lee blurred.


    One instant she stood beside Aylin, and the next her hand was buried in Ovellum¡¯s chest. She ripped it free, sending blood splattering across the ground as the demon¡¯s wide eyes stared at her in shock.


    The four-armed demon grasped at the hole in his chest. Then he fell to the ground with a splatter.


    ¡°You were correct. I was lying, and I find that slightly distasteful,¡± Aylin informed the corpse. ¡°Now every member of the Lichen is dead. Thank you for the help, Lee.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Lee said. ¡°I left the head intact, by the way. In case you want to stick it on a spike.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡± Lee raised a bloody hand in farewell and ambled away.


    Aylin joined the other streetlords in watching her leave, then turned back to catch their eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask you all again,¡± Aylin said. ¡°Are you an alliance that will die together with Ovellum? Or are you individuals capable of making their own decisions? Do not make the mistake of believing Spider needs you. Spider extends his hand to any wise enough to take it, and his blade to those fool enough to reject it.¡±


    There was a second of silence. Then a thud split the air as a streetlord dropped to one knee and bowed his head.


    ¡°I separate myself from the others and request to join the Web,¡± the streetlord said. ¡°Thank you for your warning.¡±


    Seven more demons kneeled in rapid succession, mirroring his words. Not a single one of them remained standing.


    Aylin smiled.

 Chapter 490: Rising Moon & ANNOUNCEMENT!

    Chapter 490: Rising Moon & ANNOUNCEMENT!


    Pirren felt naked. She pulled the old cloak tighter around her shoulders and lower over her features as she strode down the moonlit streets. The chilly wind curling through the alleys around her did nothing to her scales, but she couldn¡¯t shake the uneasy feeling that hung around her neck like a millstone.


    It had been so long since she¡¯d left the safety of her nest. The outside world was dangerous. Uncontrolled. Her children were back in the nest, unprotected. That was where she should have been. Without her to watch over them, they could get into trouble.


    A dull spike drove into Pirren¡¯s mind at that thought. She winced and pulled her hood lower over her face. They should have been safe with her watching over them.


    Instead, she¡¯d nearly gotten Jophelus killed. Spider was absolutely nothing like what he should have been. The demon set every single one of her senses on end. Pirren had always considered herself fairly good at reading people.


    She¡¯d never had trouble tricking demons stronger than her. There had always been a way to manipulate the situation. Most lower-ranked demons didn¡¯t realize that there was more than one way to fight, and they were utterly unarmed when it came to any form of combat other than the physical one.


    But Spider... he hadn¡¯t just been able to read her. It felt like his cold eyes had pierced right through her skin to dig through every single thought held within her head. An involuntary shiver ran down Pirren¡¯s spine and she shuddered.


    It almost felt violating. Her strategies had never failed her before, but the look in Spider¡¯s eyes had made it evident that he saw her like a child playing with toys beyond her comprehension. She hadn¡¯t even been a threat to him. He¡¯d just taken what he wanted and left.


    A portion of her longed to wrap her claws around Spider¡¯s throat and rip it open for how casually he¡¯d dismissed her strength. For how he¡¯d slaughtered one of her guards without so much as a blink.


    The rational portion of her mind crushed that desire without mercy. Pirren hadn¡¯t gotten to Rank 5 by being an idiot. There were some fights that could be taken. Some that could be trained for. There were enemies that could be tricked or brought down through collaboration.


    Spider was none of those. He hadn¡¯t shown a single weakness. A single point of care toward anything other than his goals. The only reason he¡¯d left her alive is because he¡¯d needed something from her. He was an enemy beyond reach.


    And, when there was an enemy that could not be defeated, the best path forward was for them to no longer be an enemy. That was her only winning move. Spider didn¡¯t care about Pirren. He¡¯d made that clear.


    If he didn¡¯t care about her, then they had no reason to be enemies. All she had to do was what he wanted and ¡ª with some luck ¡ª there was a possibility that he would begin paying her for her efforts with more than just her life.


    Pirren repressed a sigh and turned down another alleyway. She couldn¡¯t completely recall the last time she¡¯d gone to an auction in Treadon, but she remembered enough for the experience to sting like a Wastewasp bite.


    Her fists clenched. She hadn¡¯t forgotten the humiliation when she¡¯d arrived at the auction and announced herself, only to discover that all of her efforts to advance hadn¡¯t even put her on the lowest echelons of upper society in Treadon.


    Her runes were poorly made, cobbled together from the scraps she¡¯d fought tooth and claw for. She had no support or alliances with other demons. No power with which to bargain.


    Her cheeks burned with shame when she remembered the bag of gold she¡¯d so proudly brought at her side, the entirety of her savings she¡¯d worked to build over her life. The laughter of the other demons still echoed in her ears in the deepest parts of the night, when her thoughts were too loud to ignore.


    The idea of returning filled her with dread. She¡¯d built more wealth since that day, but nowhere near enough to afford what she needed. Nowhere near enough to face the other demons again. Even she could only bluff so hard.Upstodatee from


    ¡°I am Taleel, but that name will mean nothing to you.¡±


    He was right. Pirren had never heard of a demon named Taleel, but that meant little. Treadon was enormous. There were always new demons passing through it. Always new demons dying in it. Keeping track of everyone would have been impossible.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Pirren asked. If anything, keeping him distracted and speaking would give her an opportunity to rip his throat out. Pure strength was not the only element that dictated the victor of a fight.


    ¡°To find you,¡± Taleel replied. ¡°You seek entrance to tomorrow¡¯s auction.¡±


    Pirren hesitated. Nobody should have known what she was seeking other than her own people, and they wouldn¡¯t have let rumors spread. There was a chance Spider had asked other demons or revealed his plans elsewhere, but somehow, she doubted it.


    ¡°What makes you think I have any plans of doing something like that?¡±


    ¡°My mistress sees all that bask under her light,¡± Taleel replied, a tremor of zealotry running through his words. ¡°And she commands you to meet with her.¡±


    ¡°Who is she to command me?¡± Pirren asked warily. She glanced around the alley, but she couldn¡¯t detect the presence of any other demons. They seemed to be alone.


    ¡°It is not my place to answer questions about my mistress. Her knowledge is hers alone to share. You will not gain access to the auction without her aid. If you leave, you will fail in your task.¡±


    Task... the phrasing implies he knows I¡¯m not trying to enter the auction for myself. How do they know? My mansion is well guarded. There are no windows to my inner room. It should have been impossible for anyone to listen in to my conversation with Spider ¡ª and I feel like he would have noticed if someone had been present. How could Taleel know this?


    ¡°And what if I refuse?¡± Pirren queried, tilting her head to the side and letting her tongue flick out. ¡°Will you try to stop me?¡±


    ¡°I will do nothing, because you will have already failed,¡± Taleel replied simply. ¡°The only path to success is through my mistress. We will have to do nothing. Your own inability will end you.¡±


    He knows about Spider.


    Pirren¡¯s jaw clenched. She regretted sending Jophelus to investigate Spider more and more with every minute that passed. He was involved in something far larger than she had any desire to be. The last thing she wanted to do was get pulled even deeper, but refusal would have been weakness. Years of training permitted her only one response.


    ¡°You have piqued my curiosity,¡± Pirren said with disinterest. ¡°I hope you will make this worth my time. Take me to this Mistress of yours, then. I will listen to what she has to say. One way into the auction is as good as any other.¡±


    ¡°She said you would think as much.¡± Taleel smiled again, then turned and beckoned for Pirren to follow him. ¡°Come, then. I will take you to speak with the Rising Moon.¡±

 Chapter 491: Of use

    Chapter 491: Of use


    The moment the words ¡®Rising Moon¡¯ slipped from Taleel¡¯s mouth, Pirren realized just how badly she¡¯d gotten herself caught in politics that she had absolutely no right being in. There were a lot of demons in Treadon, and only a few of them had a name known to every single demon within the city.


    Yoku the Rising Moon was one of them. Her name was just about the only thing that anyone could agree on about her. There were more rumors about Yoku than there were failed demons lurking in the Wastes.


    Some said she was a towering beast devoid of reason and driven entirely by instinct trapped somewhere deep within the city. Other rumors said that she had strings running to nearly every single high-ranking demon in Treadon and had been controlling them for hundreds of years.


    Pirren had heard talk of Yoku being Lord Belkus¡¯ greatest foe and ally alike, and her age ranged from somewhere between a few hundred years old to being twice as ancient as Treadon itself.


    None of it mattered. Pirren didn¡¯t care if Yoku was a force of nature or just a clever demon taking advantage of rumors to further her strength. The only thing she cared about was that she was being forced to meet her.


    No matter what the truth about Yoku was, there was no doubt that she was powerful. A Rank 6 at the absolute minimum, and possibly even a Rank 7. There had been a few rumors claiming that Yoku was actually a Rank 8, but Pirren didn¡¯t believe those in the slightest. A Rank 8 wouldn¡¯t have had to lurk in the night and rely on mystery to manipulate people. They would have just taken what they wanted to by force.


    But, as far as Pirren was concerned, a Rank 6 and a Rank 8 were just about the same thing. Both of them could kill her with little more than a thought. Spider be damned ¡ª if Pirren could have turned and run for her life, she would have.


    Taleel didn¡¯t give her the opportunity. Even though the shadowy demon wasn¡¯t looking at her, she could feel his attention prickling against her skin. Even if she could have slipped him now, he knew where she lived.


    He knew where her children were. No matter how fast Pirren was, she wasn¡¯t faster than Yoku was powerful. It didn¡¯t matter if she could escape if it cost her the lives of her children in the process. And so, Pirren did the only thing she could. She followed behind Taleel and let him take her to meet his mistress.


    The exact duration of the trip slipped Pirren¡¯s mind. She and Taleel wound through the shadowed streets as her panicked thoughts bounced through her mind ¡ª and then they had arrived.


    Taleel pulled open a plain doorway in the side of a nondescript alleyway that looked identical to every other one in the city. Pale white light rolled out from within it and lit the city as if the moon itself had been trapped behind the door.


    He looked back at Pirren. Not a word had to leave his mouth. The intention was clear. Pirren swallowed, her back as stiff as a steel rod, and stepped into the glow. She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the bright light.


    A passageway stretched out before her, sloping down toward the center of the city. Taleel stepped inside behind Pirren and closed the door behind him with a soft click. She glanced back at him and he nodded, gesturing for her to continue forward.


    Neither of them spoke for the next few minutes. Her fear and anticipation heightened with every step. Every rumor she¡¯d ever heard of the Rising Moon lengthened in her mind like shadows in the setting sun. The pathway stretched on and on, making Pirren wonder if there was even an end or if this was just meant to be some form of torture.


    But, finally, they arrived. As with her arrival at the door in the alleyway, she barely even realized when it happened. Pirren had been so focused on her own thoughts and the drumming echo of their footsteps in the pathway that she didn¡¯t register a stone door before her until she was directly upon it. A crescent moon had been engraved into its front, but there was nothing else extraordinary about it.


    ¡°Do not look into her eyes. Do not look into the shadows. If you do, the one that leaves this room will not be you,¡± Taleel warned, his voice soft in reverence.


    He didn¡¯t give Pirren the chance to ask what he meant. He reached over her shoulder and pressed his hand to the door. It swung open soundlessly. An icy chill wrapped Pirren¡¯s body and prickled against her scales.


    A sea of pitch black stretched out before her. Its form twisted and churned like oil in water. Something lurked within it, and its presence squeezed Pirren¡¯s heart like a ripe tomato. She jerked her eyes toward the center of the room.


    The dark was broken by a gentle beam of silver light cascading down from somewhere far above. A young girl sat in the center of the room, long hair running from her head and covering the ground around her. She had two pale blue eyes, as flat as the surface of the sea on a windless day. Her arms were wrapped around her legs, hugging her knees to her chest. No horns graced the top of her head. If it weren¡¯t for her eyes and hair, the girl would have looked to be completely human.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    This is Yoku? She doesn¡¯t look anything like literally any of the rumors said she would. I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s a good thing or not.


    ¡°Mistress?¡± Taleel wheezed, confusion evident in his voice.


    ¡°Unexpected,¡± Yoku said, her voice back to its gentle tone. Her head tilted to the side as she observed Pirren. ¡°Forgive me, Taleel. I did not mean to hurt you.¡±


    ¡°I am fine, mistress,¡± Taleel said, sounding decidedly not fine. ¡°You wish me to stay my hand?¡±


    ¡°Her weight shifted,¡± the childlike demon murmured. ¡°She was worthless, but the instant you moved to kill her, her weight magnified ¡ª and yours vanished.¡±


    Weight? What is she talking about?


    ¡°Should you order it, I shall still act, mistress.¡± Taleel¡¯s tone had shifted once more. Fear and resignation had replaced the confusion, as if he was signing away his own life with his words.


    ¡°You are too valuable for that,¡± Yoku replied. Her eyes lowered to Pirren, who hurriedly focused her attention back on the other demon¡¯s knees to avoid holding her gaze. ¡°Pirren. I desire an explanation.¡±


    ¡°An explanation?¡± Pirren asked weakly. ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°If Taleel had killed you just now, he would have joined you in death.¡± Yoku¡¯s voice was as cold as her icy eyes. ¡°Tell me why. Who protects you?¡±


    What? Nobody. I have nobody but my children, and none of them are anywhere near strong enough to so much as scratch Taleel, much less kill him. There¡¯s nobody ¡ª


    A thought prickled at the back of Pirren¡¯s mind. And, despite the situation she found herself in, she nearly burst into hysterical laughter.


    ¡°Answer the mistress, demonling,¡± Taleel ordered.


    ¡°Spider protects me,¡± Pirren said as a lifeline finally manifested itself before her. It was thin, but it was the faintest chance to survive the night. As she always had, she clung to life like a shipwrecked man to a plank of wood.


    ¡°Spider? What care does he have for you?¡± Taleel asked. ¡°You are not one of his men.¡±


    Pirren had no clue what had happened or why Yoku believed she was protected. It didn¡¯t matter. If Yoku didn¡¯t know, then Pirren could do what she did best.


    Lie.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t care for me,¡± Pirren agreed, a small smile pulling across her lips as the false confidence she¡¯d called upon thousands of times before finally manifested itself once again. ¡°But he would be quite displeased at the delay if I failed to carry out my task.¡±


    ¡°Spider would kill one of my men?¡± Yoku asked. ¡°Purely because I inconvenienced him?¡±


    ¡°So it would seem.¡±


    To Pirren¡¯s surprise, a faint smile slipped across Yoku¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Then perhaps you may be of use to me after all.¡±

 Chapter 492: Shudder

    Chapter 492: Shudder


    Aylin dismissed the group of streetlords before Spider returned. It would take some time for them to bring their gangs in line, and he had no desire to go around to every single camp and browbeat everyone into submission.


    He also wasn¡¯t certain that the streetlords wouldn¡¯t get themselves killed by saying something stupid the moment they met Spider. The masked demon seemed to be forgiving enough, but Aylin wasn¡¯t about to bet on it.


    There was no realistic way for him to directly control every single gang himself, so he still needed the streetlords. After the display he, Vrith, and Violet had put on together with Lee, Aylin was pretty sure they¡¯d make sure the rest of their gangs didn¡¯t step out of line as well.


    He still felt a little sick about the orders he¡¯d given Lee. Dozens of demons were dead because of his order. Lee may have been the one to kill them, but she¡¯d done it at his request. She¡¯d been a sword that he had swung to make things easier on himself.


    And worse, it had been easy.


    I don¡¯t regret it. These old bastards never would have bowed head to me if I didn¡¯t do something drastic. By killing an entire gang, I¡¯ll have saved all the demons that would have tried to push our boundaries later. This was the path that resulted in the least destruction.


    It wouldn¡¯t come without cost. He was more than aware of that. The demons he¡¯d had killed were nameless and faceless to him, but everyone had connections. Some would have survived. He¡¯d made enemies today.


    Aylin didn¡¯t know if it would be today or some time far in the future, but some of those enemies would come to try and take revenge. There was nothing he could do about that. All he could focus on was growing stronger and making sure he was capable of dealing with that when the time came.


    Until then he had to make sure that their efforts thus far didn¡¯t go to waste. He sat in the center of the market square with Vrith and Violet, watching the other demons in the Web resume their normal operations.


    They were still there when Spider returned. The crowd parted as he strode through them and into the square, then quickly started to disperse out of self-preservation. Aylin and the others hurried to rise to their feet.


    ¡°Relax,¡± Spider said, a note of amusement in his voice. ¡°I¡¯ve dealt with the Rank 5. It went well. We¡¯ll have no problems from her. I hope everything at camp was similarly successful.¡±


    ¡°More than,¡± Aylin confirmed with something between a bow and a nod. ¡°Ten gangs have fallen to us. There aren¡¯t many more, and any remaining holdouts will probably surrender or be destroyed by tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°That is good news,¡± Spider said with a nod. ¡°Well done, all of you. No significant issues, I hope?¡±


    ¡°Nothing beyond expectations,¡± Aylin said. A droplet of sweat rolled down the back of his neck. He wished that either Violet or Vrith would say literally anything so Spider¡¯s full attention wouldn¡¯t be laid solely on his shoulders, but they had unified in being more than content to let him speak. Aylin tugged at the hems of his shirt to occupy his hands. ¡°We may have some issues in the future, though.¡±


    ¡°Issues? Of what sort?¡±


    ¡°Bringing this many demons under one banner is going to draw a lot of attention,¡± Aylin said. ¡°And they¡¯re going to be expecting something. They won¡¯t be able to fight with each other anymore. None of them will be happy giving up their resources for equality when the stronger ones used to be able to take from the weaker. If they don¡¯t have something to focus on and grow stronger with, they¡¯ll turn on us.¡±


    Being this upfront with Spider is more than a little dangerous, but I don¡¯t think dancing around the topic is a good idea either. I¡¯d rather him get annoyed now than him rip my head off when the gang collapses from under us.


    ¡°Logically. You can¡¯t take a predator¡¯s food source away and expect them to be content with it,¡± Spider said with a knowing laugh. ¡°I appreciate the foresight. They¡¯ll have more than enough to deal with in the coming days. We¡ª¡±


    Spider cut himself off mid-sentence. His hand shot up to point at one of the rooftops and whisps of white wind howled to life around his fingers, forming into a churning sphere in a split instant.


    Violet lunged at Aylin, tackling him to the ground and knocking the air from his lungs. He managed to keep his view of Spider as a gray blur flew through the air. It collided with the swirling sphere of wind, which detonated with a howl.


    It sent the streak tumbling back, its momentum stolen. A metallic clatter rang out across the ground as a dagger bounced across the stone and scraped to a stop against the base of a tent. Aylin¡¯s eyes flicked to the rooftop from where the dagger had come.


    A black-clothed demon leapt to their feet and spun to flee. They weren¡¯t nearly fast enough. Yellow light flashed and a brilliant crack split the air. A bolt of lightning ripped through the market square and slammed into the demon¡¯s shoulder.


    Bone crunched and flesh sizzled. The force of the magic spun the demon and threw them to the rooftop. Vrith blurred across the ground and vaulted up to the demon on the top of the roof.


    Spider nodded thoughtfully. ¡°I see. Now put the mask on, demon. It¡¯s just a shield. You stand no chance against me as you are. You aren¡¯t even worth my time.¡±


    ¡°Arrogant bastard,¡± the assassin snarled.


    ¡°Arrogance is thinking you can kill me with a dagger,¡± Spider drawled. ¡°There¡¯s only one thing I want from you, and it isn¡¯t information. Let him go, Vrith. If he tries to run, I¡¯ll destroy his other arm and put the mask on his face myself.¡±


    Vrith released the assassin¡¯s arm and shoved him forward. The demon stumbled toward the mask ¡ª then lurched into motion, yanking a black dagger from his side and lunging at Spider¡¯s neck with a burst of surprising speed.


    A loud crack split the night. The assassin stumbled back, the dagger spinning from his fingertips, as Spider drove his knee up into his nose. He fell to his back, coughing and choking on blood.


    ¡°Can¡¯t say I didn¡¯t expect that, but you really need to avoid telegraphing your movements so much,¡± Spider said dryly. He put a foot on the mask and pushed it over to the fallen assassin. ¡°Put. It. On.¡±


    For a second, the only sound in the square were the assassin¡¯s ragged breaths. Then, slowly, he reached out and grabbed the mask, sliding it onto his face. A dull hum filled the air as a crackling blue shield ignited and swirled to life around the assassin.


    Aylin¡¯s Runes reached out, brushing harmlessly across Spider but digging into the assassin and siphoning energy from him. The demon barely even seemed to notice. He scooped his dagger off the ground and Vrith moved forward, but Spider raised a hand to stop her.


    ¡°No. It¡¯s fine. Let him try.¡± Spider raised his voice for a moment. ¡°Lee? Are you here?¡±


    Lee¡¯s head popped out of her tent. ¡°Yup!¡±


    ¡°Make sure we don¡¯t have any more unwelcome guests, would you?¡±


    ¡°Kay,¡± Lee said with a nod. She sank into a shadow and vanished.


    Spider turned back to the assassin and beckoned him onward. ¡°Come on, then. Get back to it. I believe you had a job to be doing. Maybe you¡¯ll be a bit better at it this time around.¡±


    Aylin swallowed. Spider had given a powerful weapon to an assassin purely because the demon wasn¡¯t even worth his time without it.


    The assassin lowered his stance. Blood dripped from his crippled arm. Aylin could smell it on the wind, mixed with the scent of fear. A droplet rolled off a finger and dripped to the ground. With a scream of defiance, the assassin blurred forward.


    Spider lifted a hand. The air before him crumpled, streaks of white energy swirling out like a spiderweb to meet the demon¡¯s charge.


    A loud, squelching crunch echoed through the market square. Aylin joined the demon in staring at his chest, which had collapsed as if torn apart from within. The shield still hummed between him and Spider¡¯s palm, completely undamaged. Metal clattered to the ground once more as the assassin¡¯s dagger clattered from his stiff fingers.


    Then the assassin pitched back, the shield fading before crashed to the ground and laid still. The skin on the back of Aylin¡¯s neck prickled and his hair stood on end.


    Spider knelt, removing the mask from the assassin¡¯s face and sliding it back into his bag. He glanced at Aylin. ¡°Get rid of this body somehow, would you? Check it to see if there¡¯s anything useful, but I doubt there will be.¡±


    Aylin swallowed again before giving Spider a sharp nod. ¡°I will do as you ask.¡±


    ¡°Much appreciated,¡± Spider said. ¡°And after that, try to brush up a little bit. We¡¯ll be going to an auction soon. We¡¯re going to make it a memorable one.¡±


    Aylin repressed a shudder.


    Somewhere across the city, back in an egg-shaped mansion and hunched over in a throne with her head in her hands and unaware as to why, Pirren did the same.

 Chapter 493: The Greatest Fighting Style

    Chapter 493: The Greatest Fighting Style


    Grass rustled at Jalen¡¯s feet. The breeze curling past his hair and caressing the back of his neck carried the faint scent of sweet nectar on it. His nose scrunched slightly in annoyance.


    ¡°Well then,¡± Jalen said, crossing his arms in front of his chest and tilting his head to the side. ¡°I think it¡¯s starting to get a little crowded.¡±


    As was becoming habit, he and Vermil¡¯s students had gathered for class once more. They¡¯d absconded from Arbitage¡¯s typical training areas and headed out to the Windscorned Plateau with a little help from Tim.


    Jalen just hadn¡¯t realized quite how many people Vermil had actually known. Their group of temporary teachers, which had initially just been him and Brayden, had now expanded to include Bird and ¡ª for some reason ¡ª Silvertide.


    That was rather odd, as Jalen couldn¡¯t quite remember inviting Silvertide, but the old man had a good relationship with the kids. And, despite being a Rank 5, he was an incredibly capable mage.


    There were at least four different conversations going at once. Isabel and Todd were speaking about their runes, Silvertide was showing Alexandra some sword techniques, and James and Emily were flirting with about as much aptitude as a pair of toddlers.


    At least Bird was silent. She just clutched a grimoire to her chest and glanced around the grassy plains, evidently wishing she was literally anywhere else. Brayden wasn¡¯t doing much better. He just stood at the edge of the group, watching over everyone with eagle eyes as if a monster was going to materialize behind someone and try to rip their head off.


    Damned Plains. I¡¯m bored. I wonder if Silvertide plays darts. Maybe I should ¡ª


    No. I have a duty. I don¡¯t like those, but I¡¯ve got proof that Vermil isn¡¯t dead. He¡¯d probably be pissed at me if I failed his little brats, so I¡¯ve got to make sure they actually perform well on this exam. I want to play darts again. He won¡¯t be able to play if he¡¯s too busy with remedial training.


    Jalen aggressively cleared his throat. Not a single person looked in his direction. He was pretty sure nobody had heard him. His eyes narrowed in annoyance. The one thing he was not used to was being ignored.


    Power swirled within his chest and burst out from him, ripping across the grassy plains as his domain washed out over everyone. He repressed it enough to avoid doing any damage, but the sheer pressure from his runes was still enough to make everyone stagger. The only one that wasn¡¯t forced to take a step back was Silvertide.


    Jalen coughed into his fist.


    ¡°What?¡± Brayden asked, his hand shooting to the hilt of his sword. ¡°Is something happening? Are we about to be under attack?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Jalen dragged the word out, then cleared his throat. ¡°The situation is far more dire. I am bored.¡±


    ¡°Did you happen to train Vermil?¡± Silvertide asked, tilting his head to the side.


    ¡°No,¡± Jalen replied. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because you have striking similarities. You¡¯re like a more irritable version of him,¡± the old soldier replied, his lip curling up in amusement. ¡°But perhaps we should actually get started. Time is too valuable of a resource to waste much of it. I trust you called us here for a reason?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t call you here at all,¡± Jalen corrected. ¡°You are correct, though. We¡¯ve had enough fraternizing. The exam is... soon.¡±


    Everyone stared at him.


    ¡°How soon?¡± Brayden asked.


    Jalen cleared his throat again. This wasn¡¯t going the way he¡¯d wanted it to go. ¡°Soon.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t actually know what day the exam is, do you?¡± Isabel asked.


    ¡°That is hardly relevant.¡± Jalen glared at her.


    ¡°He was probably too busy kicking rocks and muttering about darts,¡± Todd said with a snicker.


    Jalen¡¯s eyes narrowed. Vermil¡¯s students acted all too familiar with him. He was the head of the Linwick House. A Rank 6 older than the majority of their family tree. Those who knew him quaked in fear at his name, much less his presence.


    The head of a house shouldn¡¯t permit this abject lack of respect ¡ª but I¡¯ll be damned if these brats aren¡¯t interesting. I can¡¯t bring myself to actually complain about them being mouthy. It¡¯s so much more interesting than all the idiots that scrape the floor with their teeth when I walk into the room.


    ¡°I was busy gathering teachers for you, as I can¡¯t be bothered to do everything myself,¡± Jalen corrected. ¡°Perhaps we should take advantage of my hard work. I spent a great amount of effort on this, you know. You could at least be appreciative.¡±


    ¡°On bringing Silvertide?¡± Todd asked, glancing at the elderly soldier. ¡°That couldn¡¯t have taken much effort. He invited himself.¡±


    Jalen sighed. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Was the no to inviting Silvertide? Or was it to the not taking much effort part?¡± Todd kept a straight face, but Jalen could see he was desperately trying to avoid laughing.


    ¡°Both,¡± Jalen admitted with a smirk. ¡°There aren¡¯t many things in this world that I¡¯m truly motivated to do. But Silvertide was not the instructor I kindly invited to assist you. That would be the woman trying to hide behind Brayden. She has kindly volunteered to assist all of you.¡±


    ¡°I am not trying to hide,¡± Bird said as everyone turned to look at her. ¡°And I did not volunteer to do anything.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you here?¡± Emily asked.


    ¡°I blackmailed her,¡± Jalen said jovially. ¡°Any further questions?¡±


    ¡°And the fighting style,¡± Isabel added. ¡°If there¡¯s something that Professor Vermil did that you learned, I want to know how to do it too.¡±


    ¡°You heard the kid,¡± Jalen said with an unabashed grin. ¡°And the fighting style.¡±


    ¡°I am not fighting naked in front of an audience,¡± Bird snapped. She caught herself an instant later and cringed, but it was too late. She¡¯d already spoken. It took every ounce of self-control that Jalen had to keep from howling with laughter.


    ¡°Ohhhh,¡± Todd said, his eyes lighting up in recognition. ¡°That¡¯s the fighting style you¡¯re talking about? I guess we should have guessed.¡±


    It seemed as if Bird had only heard half the words that had just come out of Todd¡¯s mouth. Her eye twitched. ¡°What? He showed you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± Todd said with a nod. ¡°All the time, especially in the Scorched Acres. fighting naked is a pretty good way to put it. It really did feel like that. The style was really useful. Great at making me get over my fears and trust myself more. I did almost get ripped open a few times, though.¡±


    ¡°He did it with you?¡± Bird exclaimed, pulling at her hair in distress.


    It was Isabel¡¯s turn to nod. ¡°We all did it together. He helped at the start, but after a while he just watched.¡±


    ¡°Is this the technique you used back in the first exam that you told me about?¡± Emily asked eagerly. ¡°I want to learn how to do that! I don¡¯t plan to stop using a shield, but being able to fight naked would definitely help me save energy. Can you show us?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something seriously wrong with all of you,¡± Bird said with a groan. ¡°Is Vermil a plague? A curse that infects everyone he gets close to?¡±


    ¡°Oh, most certainly,¡± Jalen said through a cackle.


    ¡°Does that mean the two of you... figured out exactly how the style works?¡± Bird asked, a flicker of hesitation passing through her as she pointed to Isabel and Todd in turn.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if we¡¯ve mastered it, but I think we got a decent understanding,¡± Todd said as he scratched his neck. ¡°Nobody did it as good as Vermil.¡±


    Bird swallowed. A second passed before she let out a defeated groan. ¡°I can¡¯t pass up the opportunity to learn more. I¡¯ll show you what I¡¯ve learned if you do the same.¡±


    Todd and Isabel shrugged as one.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Isabel said. ¡°If Vermil showed you something, then I want to learn it.¡±


    Bird scratched the side of her neck. She glanced to Jalen. Then she sighed. ¡°If a word of this ever leaves this field, I will make every single one of you regret it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not spreading Vermil¡¯s teaching anywhere he doesn¡¯t want me to,¡± Alexandra said, crossing her arms in front of her chest.


    ¡°Same,¡± Todd said.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t share without his or Moxie¡¯s permission, and James is too lazy to do anything,¡± Emily added. James nodded sleepily in agreement.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Bird said. She grabbed the hem of her shirt, her face screwed up in a grimace. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with.¡±


    ¡°Whoa! What are you doing?¡± Todd asked as Isabel lifted a hand to cover his eyes.


    Bird paused with the shirt up to her midriff. ¡°Seriously? You¡¯re going to make me explain this?¡±


    ¡°Maybe her shield is beneath her shirt,¡± Emily offered, but she didn¡¯t sound particularly confident in her own words.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not wearing a shield. I was getting naked,¡± Bird said through a sigh. ¡°You are making this a lot harder than it has to be.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit, you were being literal?¡± Todd asked. ¡°Vermil didn¡¯t actually get naked to fight. He just doesn¡¯t use a shield.¡±


    Bird stared at him. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°He still wore his clothes when he trained with us,¡± Isabel said. ¡°And thank any god that was listening for that. He never would have beaten the allegations against him if he didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying Vermil fought naked in front of you?¡± Emily asked, her eyes narrowing. ¡°Does Moxie know?¡±


    ¡°I... no, I never actually saw him fighting. I made some educated guesses to fill some things in,¡± Bird stammered. Her eyes darted around the clearing, then abruptly lit with understanding. ¡°So that¡¯s what he did.¡±


    Ah, damn. I suppose the fun is over. I¡¯m not sure how Vermil managed to trick her this badly, but Bird was always better at researching than thinking from what I recall Otto telling me. I suppose it¡¯s about time to get class started properly anyway. No more jokes.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Todd asked, Isabel¡¯s hand still over his eyes.


    ¡°He only showed you the first part of the technique,¡± Bird said without so much as a flicker of hesitation. ¡°My research has deduced the next stage, but perhaps you all aren¡¯t ready for it yet.¡±


    Jalen was unable to hold back any longer. He doubled over and howled with laughter. Despite a bit of naivety, Bird had some pretty good observations written on her walls. Jalen was pretty certain her tutelage would actually be quite useful for the students so long as she didn¡¯t lose her clothes in the process. That would just have to wait until he could breathe properly again.

 Chapter 494: Meet the guide

    Chapter 494: Meet the guide


    Noah was doing a remarkable job of repressing his laughter as he looked at Aylin. The demon stood awkwardly before him, clad in one of Noah¡¯s professor uniforms. Black sleeves hanging past Aylin¡¯s arms and his pants were scrunched up around his knees to avoid getting stepped on. Alll latest novels at novelhall.com


    ¡°You might need to grow into it,¡± Noah said, scratching at the back of his neck.


    ¡°You could fit him and Violet alike into those and still have some room to spare,¡± Moxie said dryly from behind Noah.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s just cruel. You could not,¡± Noah said. He glanced back at Aylin, who pulled his collar nearly half a foot away from his neck and peered down at his chest.


    Okay. Maybe you could.


    ¡°Is... it imperative I go like this?¡± Aylin asked hesitantly.


    ¡°No,¡± Noah said with a sigh. ¡°Never mind. Just change back into your normal clothes. We¡¯ll just have to get you something better before we go doing anything like this again. Better to look a little ratty than to look like you¡¯ve raided your father¡¯s wardrobe.¡±


    Aylin nodded. Noah and Moxie stepped back out of the tent to give him some privacy. The thick shadow of the night had finally started to relent as dull orange sunlight poked out at the end of the horizon and spilled through the cracks in the alleys to illuminate the market square.


    As long as Pirren hadn¡¯t taken him for a fool, Noah was optimistic that she¡¯d show up pretty soon. He¡¯d have to go find her himself if she didn¡¯t. That would have been rather bothersome.


    ¡°Do we have enough gold to buy anything at this auction?¡± Moxie asked, lowering her voice so nobody could overhear them. ¡°If it¡¯s for higher ranked demons, I¡¯d imagine things aren¡¯t going to be going for too cheap.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a fancy little rune to sell as well,¡± Noah replied. ¡°And I can always toss together another one or sell an existing one if I need to. I think we should have more than enough between that. How much gold do you actually have on you?¡±


    ¡°Around five hundred.¡±


    That wouldn¡¯t have gone far at all in the mortal plane, but the Damned Plains didn¡¯t have naturally occurring gold from what Noah had seen. That meant it went far farther here than it did back home.


    Between that and the nearly perfect rune he¡¯d made in case he¡¯d needed to show off to Pirren, Noah was pretty confident he¡¯d be able to get his hands on at least one powerful Matter or some more Space Runes.


    Even though he already had both, he needed something a little more powerful if he wanted to save himself from wasting hours hunting. Of course, that was only one of the components he needed.


    Noah had the exact same problem with regard to matter that he¡¯d had with space. He just didn¡¯t understand it extensively enough to be able to combine a rune effectively. Fortunately, he had a way around that.


    Space wasn¡¯t the only thing that he¡¯d gotten intimately acquainted with in the Line. Matter ¡ª or rather, the striking lack thereof ¡ª had been among the anomalies. Matter was an object that took up physical space.


    As far as he knew, everything was made out of matter. That included the invisible and borderline intangible things like air.


    ¡°No,¡± Noah said, but he was pretty sure it was a bit too late to stop that particular rumor from taking root. He repressed a grimace. ¡°And we shouldn¡¯t have to wait much longer. Our guide should be arriving sometime soon. I was told that the auctions take place every two days or so. One day has already passed if we count the night, so unless we got really unlucky and it took place last night, we¡¯ll be hearing from her soon enough.¡±


    Aylin nodded his understanding. ¡°I will await your call, then. I think Vrith should be able to make sure everything continues without me as long as this auction ends quickly. The other streetlords may suspect cowardice if I¡¯m gone for too long.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t keep you forever. It¡¯s just for appearances,¡± Noah said with a wave of his hand. ¡°Bringing you along proves that I¡¯m confident enough in my strength to expose a weak link. It¡¯ll make the other demons at the auction more hesitant to try anything with me. Besides, your ability to tell if people are being truthful or not is incredibly useful. I can¡¯t not use that when we¡¯re at an auction.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Aylin said. He didn¡¯t seem even slightly offended or annoyed to be used as leverage. Noah wasn¡¯t sure if that was because he was just a good liar or if he was just resigned to his current position.


    Before he could ask, his tremorsense picked up on movement in the shadows. A few moments later, his domain brushed against Vrith as she emerged from the darkness, her head lowered in respect.


    ¡°There¡¯s a demon approaching our camp. The scouts spotted her,¡± Vrith said, a flicker of unease in her voice. ¡°She¡¯s strong. Far stronger than any of the streetlords.¡±


    ¡°Looks like a snake with ropes for hair?¡± Noah guessed.


    Vrith blinked in surprise. ¡°I ¡ª yes, actually. I did not realize you were already aware of her presence. Should we prepare to fight?¡±


    ¡°Fight? No need for that. She¡¯s with us for the time being,¡± Noah said with a shake of his head. ¡°That would be Pirren. She¡¯s a Rank 5. Try to be nice to her. She¡¯s agreed to take us to the auction.¡±


    Vrith and Aylin stared at Noah.


    ¡°You have a Rank 5 working for you?¡± Aylin asked, his voice weak.


    ¡°Just a business deal.¡± Noah shook his head. Fixing Pirren¡¯s runes would have been too much of a hassle. She was just too deep along her path for him to repair, especially when she wasn¡¯t even part of his gang. ¡°I just promised not to kill her and her people in exchange.¡±


    Vrith swallowed nervously. ¡°Ah. I am familiar with the offer. If you¡¯ll excuse me, I will go hide in ¡ª ah, work in ¡ª the tent to make sure the matters with the other streetlords remain handled during your absence.¡±


    ¡°Feel free. Come on, Aylin. And remember what I said. No fear. No hesitation. Don¡¯t give the other demons any openings.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Noah smiled and exchanged a nod with Moxie. This wasn¡¯t their first run at an auction. They might not have been the strongest demons going into it ¡ª but they hadn¡¯t been the strongest in the last auction they¡¯d attended either.


    Demons were used to dealing with other demons, but they¡¯d never dealt with him. For their sake, he hoped they had better bullshitters than Pirren. Because, if she was the best they had to offer, Noah was going to fleece them for everything they had.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go meet our guide and check that auction out, shall we?¡±

 Chapter 495: Heavier

    Chapter 495: Heavier


    Noah, Moxie, and Aylin met Pirren at the edge of the market square. The Rank 5 snake demon stood in the shadow of an old, cobbled building, her hood pulled low over her face and the thick ropey strands from her crown just barely visible in the darkness within it.


    Her back pressed to the wall and her shoulders hunched forward slightly, the unease clear in her posture as she shifted from foot to foot. Even though Noah couldn¡¯t see her face, her back stiffened when she caught sight of them.


    ¡°It would be wise to keep our power concealed from here on out,¡± Moxie said under her breath, just barely loud enough for Noah to pick up. ¡°We might be running into demons strong enough to actually detect it.¡±


    Noah nodded in agreement. He¡¯d already been keeping his domain largely repressed, but he pulled the last of it into himself. Demons didn¡¯t have domains, but given how varied they were, he wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if one of them had a way to detect it. Blowing their cover and revealing they weren¡¯t actually demons was just about the dumbest thing they could do right now.


    ¡°I hope you come bearing good news,¡± Noah said as they came to a stop before Pirren.


    ¡°There¡¯s an auction,¡± Pirren said. She let her head incline slightly. ¡°It¡¯s soon. I... wasn¡¯t able to get in on my own. My standing wasn¡¯t high enough to get a spot at such a short notice.¡±


    Aylin¡¯s head tilted to the side and his brow creased slightly, but he didn¡¯t say anything. Noah didn¡¯t miss the motion. He was pretty sure the boy would have said if Pirren had lied, but something about her words seemed like it may not have sat right.


    ¡°That¡¯s disappointing. I really didn¡¯t want to wait much longer,¡± Noah said as he blew a breath out. ¡°When¡¯s the next one we can get into? Or am I going to have to take more drastic measures?¡±


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s in a few hours. I couldn¡¯t get in on my own, but I was able to get someone else to pull a string for me. We¡¯ve got access to the upcoming auction.¡±


    Well that¡¯s certainly convenient. Not sure if it¡¯s too convenient.


    Noah¡¯s hand brushed across his waist and along the top of his travel bag. It was strangely light. He¡¯d left his gourd with Lee for the trip, and the missing weight felt odder than he would have expected. It was like he¡¯d handed someone else his still-beating heart.


    Now I know how Davy Jones felt. Poor dude. I think I¡¯d take Lee over a jar of dirt, but only as long as she doesn¡¯t get too hungry.


    After waiting for a second to see if Aylin would say anything, Noah nodded. ¡°Today would be great. Well done. You worked just as fast as I had hoped. Lead on, then. I¡¯m looking forward to this.¡±


    Pirren gave him a terse nod and turned, setting off down the street. Moxie and Noah exchanged a glance as they all fell in behind the demon. He could read the question on her lips as if she¡¯d said it out loud.


    She was asking, does she always act this suspicious?


    Noah gave her a slight shrug in response. Pirren hadn¡¯t been the most confident demon he¡¯d ever met after he¡¯d brushed her mask away to reveal the truth. He¡¯d definitely put on a pretty good show during their meeting, so it was possible she was just scared of him.


    Aylin¡¯s reaction to her words made him suspect that it was possible there was more than that going on. Pirren was a demon, after all. She had to be looking for an angle that would help her salvage the situation. It would have been odd if she didn¡¯t.


    Pressing her for information here won¡¯t do anything other than cause a scene. Pirren definitely doesn¡¯t have any major allies, so she doesn¡¯t pose a threat to us on her own. Whoever helped her out probably didn¡¯t do it because of their friendship or kind-heartedness. It¡¯s possible they found out I¡¯m working through her and are trying to get closer to me, either to get rid of me or to get on my good side. Only one way to find out. We¡¯ll just go with things as they are for now and then see where they lead. I¡¯m confident we can bail out all the way up until we¡¯re in the auction itself.


    They walked through the streets of Treadon for quite some time, none of them saying a word. Gentle orange light turned ruddy and the temperature in the street steadily rose as the day finally started to fully dawn.


    Streamers of red and purple smoke danced in the air far above them. Their colors reflected down on the streets like the seabed of an ocean beneath the sunrise, almost seeming to make the cobblestones shimmer and ripple.


    It was surprisingly beautiful, and not something that Noah had expected to find in the Damned Plains ¡ª and certainly not in the slums of a city within the Damned Plains. Neither Pirren nor Aylin seemed particularly impressed with it. They¡¯d probably seen it so many times that it had just become commonplace.


    ¡°Name?¡± the demon asked.


    ¡°Pirren.¡± Pirren¡¯s voice was taut with displeasure.


    The demon¡¯s eyes glazed over for a second. Then his lip curled upward in a smirk and he stepped to the side. ¡°Ah, yes. Of course. Wise choice of entrance. Who are the others?¡±


    ¡°Members of my party.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± the demon asked, his lip curling even higher. ¡°They were not announced. Nobody can enter the auction without being announced or without paying a concealment fee.¡±


    Pirren¡¯s jaw clenched. ¡°A fee? That¡¯s not part the rules. I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Who are you to decide what the rules are? Lord Belkus does, and this is his building. I speak for him as one of his doormen. Identify yourselves or pay the entry fee. Your choice.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s lying,¡± Aylin whispered.


    Noah hadn¡¯t needed Aylin to tell him that, but he appreciated it, nonetheless. He took a step forward and prepared to put on his best Spider act. But, before Noah could say a word, the demon¡¯s eyes widened.


    He took a hurried step back and flicked his hand. ¡°You may enter. You¡¯re in booth 14.¡±


    Noah blinked.


    I didn¡¯t even do anything yet.


    He wasn¡¯t about to question his fortune. Noah sent a glance back at Pirren and gave her a slight shrug. She swallowed before stepping past him and leading them up the stairs, leaving the demon at their backs.


    Noah watched him as they left to make sure he didn¡¯t try anything, but the demon¡¯s attention was suddenly completely fixed on one of the walls. They soon left him behind and emerged into a long hallway riddled with doors numbered by metal carvings embossed into their stone surfaces above brass handles at their centers.


    The group arrived before door 14 after just a short walk. Pirren swallowed as she put her hand on the door. She looked even more scared than Noah had expected her to.


    Just how bad did that last auction she went to go?


    Pirren¡¯s features tightened. She let out a short breath and grit her teeth. Then she twisted the handle, pushing it open and revealing a small balcony overlooking a stage far below. Dozens of other balconies ringed the circular arena before them. Many had already been filled by other demons who did absolutely nothing to attempt to conceal their identities as they stood proudly, yelling a mixture of greetings, insults, and curses at each other.


    Noah¡¯s eyes were drawn to their balcony. It had a long table with six hefty metal chairs set up along it. And, sitting upon a soft blue cushion that had been placed upon one of the chairs with her knees drawn up to her chest, was a girl with long, silver hair. Her face was covered by a white mask with a single stylized eye painted with blue across its surface. There were no holes for her mouth or actual eyes. A line ran down the center of the mask from the eye and stopped at her chin.


    She looked up as they entered and her head tilted to the side.


    ¡°Hello, Spider.¡± The girl¡¯s words were spoken in the tone of a shy child, but each one seemed to hold the weight of a mountain. Even though she couldn¡¯t have seen anything through her mask, she turned to look straight in Noah¡¯s direction. ¡°You¡¯re much heavier than I expected.¡±

 Chapter 496: Inevitable

    Chapter 496: Inevitable


    ¡°And who would you be?¡± Noah asked. He decided not to address the fact that he¡¯d just been called fat. His eyes flicked to Pirren and Moxie discreetly put her hand on her waist, likely getting in contact with a seed stored somewhere within her clothes in case the situation soured. ¡°I don¡¯t recall you mentioning that we had even more company.¡±


    Pirren cringed back, but Noah couldn¡¯t tell if she was looking in his or the girl¡¯s direction. She nearly went to wring her hands together before she caught herself and forced them down to her sides.


    ¡°It was how I got you into the auction. I ¡ª I couldn¡¯t get in any other way. Why does it matter? You didn¡¯t say you had to be alone. This was the best way to do it.¡±


    Aylin inclined his head, indicating that Pirren was telling the truth. Then again, the ¡®best way¡¯ didn¡¯t necessarily mean the best way for all of them. It could have just as easily meant the best way for her. Noah studied the girl silently for several seconds.


    Without releasing his domain, it was hard to tell much about her. She didn¡¯t have any runic pressure rolling off her. She had no massive muscles or obvious magical weapons. She just looked like a girl with a mask and silver hair.


    That didn¡¯t make Noah¡¯s guard drop in the slightest. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess that the girl was the demon that had gotten Pirren access to the auction. Either that or she worked for whoever had done it, but Noah was leaning toward the former given Pirren¡¯s unease.


    Well, no point throwing a fit. Might as well just keep on with it. Having someone else in the seat really doesn¡¯t make much of a difference when pretty much everybody here is announcing their presence anyway.


    The roar of the crowd building all around them was remarkably effective at preventing an awkward silence. One couldn¡¯t have an awkward silence without the latter half, but there was only so long he could avoid saying anything.


    ¡°You seem to have me at a disadvantage,¡± Noah said to the girl. ¡°You know my name, but I don¡¯t know yours.¡±


    Pirren shifted, probably preparing to introduce them. The girl¡¯s head tilted ever so slightly and the snake demon¡¯s mouth snapped shut without so much as uttering a word.


    ¡°You don¡¯t,¡± the girl agreed. She made no move to elaborate.


    ¡°Are you going to tell me? Or am I going to have to come up with a name for you?¡± Noah asked, repressing a sigh. It was one thing to have another demon sitting around next to him. He didn¡¯t mind that too much ¡ª but if they were going to be a bother, that made everything just a little more distasteful.


    Either she gives me a name or I give her a dumb one. I wonder what ¡ª


    ¡°You may call me Yoru.¡±


    Noah blinked in surprise. That had been fast. He¡¯d fully expected to have to come up with something. He glanced at Aylin out of the corner of his eye, then realized it was pointless. The girl hadn¡¯t said that Yoru was her name. She¡¯d said that he could call her Yoru. That was just an instruction and couldn¡¯t have been a lie even if Yoru wasn¡¯t her name.


    Sure enough, Aylin didn¡¯t do anything. Noah looked back to Yoru and shrugged. Her real name didn¡¯t matter. It was kind of useless at the moment. He had no idea who any of the demons in the city were, so a name wouldn¡¯t have changed anything.


    ¡°Yoru, then,¡± Noah said. ¡°And why is it that you were so kind as to invite us along to your spot in the auction?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Yoru replied. ¡°This is Pirren¡¯s spot. It is under her name. I have not announced myself.¡±


    I thought everyone had to announce themselves? Aylin indicated the demon was lying about the whole entry fee thing. I was under the impression he was just going for a bribe. Can you actually do that?


    ¡°I was under the impression everyone had to announce themselves,¡± Moxie said, saving Noah from having to ask himself. ¡°Or did you actually have to pay someone off to conceal yourself?¡±


    ¡°A simple retainer to a lowly Rank 5 has no need to announce themselves. They are beneath notice.¡±


    I will not be dismissed by a mere child.


    Yoku constrained her annoyance. She hadn¡¯t lived this long to be driven to actual anger by nothing more than a cog in her plans. Someone as insignificant as Spider had no influence over her.


    And someone as insignificant as Spider will not be allowed to escape my light. I will know him, and I will use him.


    Yoku pulled a large vial from her pocket that she¡¯d prepared for this exact reason. A shimmering blue liquid glistened within it, as bright as moon shining through a still lake. She couldn¡¯t quite remember how much the batch it came from had cost, but it was something in the realm of one hundred thousand gold.


    Starshimmer. It was pure, distilled power. Enough magical energy to fill a full set of Rank 5 runes twice over. Most demons would have slaughtered their entire families for just a single drop.


    Yoku had destroyed the entire bottle with Mindkiller ¡ª a vile poison that ripped a demon¡¯s mind to shreds and left them a mindless puppet, forcing them to obey every command they heard for an hour before their body shriveled away and died.


    But, for the briefest of instants after a demon ingested it, they would have a second of clarity where they could understand just what happened to them. The poison carried with it a cruel, humiliating fate worse than mere death.


    There was only a single part of it that Yoku needed. The flicker of clarity before the end came. The one moment where the one who drank the potion knew who had betrayed them, and their full attention and hatred was focused entirely on her. The moment where she could truly take their measure, even if it never came to pass.


    Spider made his way back to the table and sat down, having imbued his rune onto a piece of treated Wastebeast leather and given it to the attendant for the auction. He glanced over to Yoku and a flicker of interest passed through his eyes at the vial.


    ¡°Would you care to share a drink?¡± Yoku asked, putting a finger on the top of the vial. ¡°A gesture of will for those who sit at my table.¡±


    Then she unleashed the full power of her runes. The world erupted in energy visible only to her. Moonlight poured down from the air and illuminated the balcony, drawing it under her influence. Wisps of black smoke trickled from every single one of the demons around her as she weighed the probabilities in the future she had created.


    ¡°Oh? What is it?¡± Spider asked, reaching for the vial. ¡°Why does it feel like you¡¯ve got a rune trapped in this?¡±


    Yoku smiled. As the last words slipped from Spider¡¯s mouth, she focused her power and peered into the probabilities of the future. A future where the probability of Spider drinking from the vial was absolute. One where the probability of his death was set in stone. A future where she witnessed the full potential of the influence he possessed and weighted it against herself.


    And, in that moment, the sky went black.


    Yoku¡¯s blood turned to ice. A sea of black smoke exploded from Spider like the roar of a furious god. It poured past her and covered the ground, climbed up the walls, rose up toward the moonlight shining down on them.


    Its immense, oppressive aura drove into Yoku¡¯s chest like a thick iron spike. Freezing claws wrapped around her chest and squeezed as her sightless eyes widened and the breath locked in her throat.


    The most likely results of the future she had crafted unfurled before Yoku¡¯s eyes. Spider would take the Mindkiller. He would drink a poison that would do immense damage even to her ¡ª and he would survive.


    All the years of her existence, the enormous power of the rising moon, bore down on Spider. She weighed everything that she was against everything that Spider had been ¡ª and her moonlight vanished under a vast sea of all-consuming black nothingness.


    If Spider drank from the vial, there was only one probability that was completely and utterly absolute. It would not be today. It might not even be within a hundred years, but the probabilities would never allow themselves to realign.


    Yoku would die.

 Chapter 497: Do not the cat

    Chapter 497: Do not the cat


    Yoku was far too experienced to let the disbelief show in her features, even if a mask was covering them. She¡¯d lived too many years to give information away through a slip up as obvious as body language ¡ª but she¡¯d never come closer to it than this.


    There had only been a single other time when she¡¯d seen a future as absolute as this, and that had been when she¡¯d tested her chances of winning a direct fight against Belkus many years ago when she¡¯d still been a Rank 6.


    Yoku pulled her hand back, keeping the potion out of Spider¡¯s grasp. Under no circumstances could she allow him to drink the potion or discover the poison within it.


    The probabilities of the future she had crafted changed as Spider failed to pick up the vial. Black smoke receded and moonlight broke through the clouds, pouring down on Yoku¡¯s back and easing the invisible tension in her shoulders.


    She allowed herself to relax internally. The futures she crafted were mere probability, and they had not come to pass. The change had shifted the weights, and a path once again illuminated the dark.


    ¡°Oh, were we supposed to share?¡± Spider asked as he let his hand drop and cleared his throat in embarrassment. ¡°Sorry. I got excited.¡±


    And just like that, the weights of the future changed once more. New probabilities unfurled like blooming black flowers of smoke. A future where the young demon beside Spider drank from the bottle first arose.


    A distant rumble echoed through Yoku¡¯s mind. The brief flicker of moonlight she had earned by averting the disastrous mistake vanished under a crashing tsunami of shadow. Smoke roared past her face flooded through the balcony.


    The mental force slammed against her with enough intensity that it almost carried over into the real world and made her topple over. Icy bands wrapped around Yoku¡¯s neck and constricted her chest once more, and even tighter than they had before.


    The smoke was so thick that it threatened to pour down her throat and suffocate her. A bead of sweat formed between the mask and Yoku¡¯s face. Another fixed, unchanging probability. This one was even worse than the first. The exact timing of her death was impossible to read, but it came sooner than when Spider himself ingested the poison.


    How is this possible? The boy has no weight of his own. Nothing to the level. It all comes from Spider, but he would get no chance to use the strength of the poison if someone else were to drink the potion.


    Who is Spider? Is his strength somehow concealed? Or does he have connections to a demon so powerful the probability of my survival in the future drops to zero if I make them an enemy?


    It was impossible to tell ¡ª but Yoku¡¯s fear was only matched by her curiosity. The futures she crafted were nothing but possibilities. The most likely outcomes of a certain situation. Nothing was real. Not yet.


    She needed more information. The current scenario just wasn¡¯t enough. Absolute death was a useful warning but worthless in gaining any leverage. There had to be some scenario that could be turned to her advantage.


    For an instant, Yoku¡¯s attention flicked to the woman beside Spider. The plants hidden within her clothes and hair were a subtle display of wealth and power. Spider seemed closer to her than the others did.


    She let the future shift once more as she considered extending the poisoned vial to the woman to gauge her weight.


    Twisting whorls of black smoke exploded like a supernova.


    They crashed down upon her. A complete and utter pitch black painted across the sky. Not a single scrap of light remained in the world. All sound vanished, snuffed out like a candle.


    Every single one of Yoku¡¯s senses faltered in the face of the nothingness. The smoke became absolute. It was impossible to tell the smoke from a solid, unbroken blanket. A starless night, devoid of the moon.


    ¡°Whoops,¡± Spider said. He rubbed the back of his neck, then shrugged. ¡°Eh. What else were we going to do with them?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps we can return to my dwellings and have a more proper celebration there,¡± Yoku suggested, drawing on a fragment of power to weigh the futures once more. Trepidation brushed across her as she checked for the purple line, but it was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°We¡¯re a bit busy for that,¡± Spider said with a small shake of his head. ¡°I don¡¯t mind doing it here.¡±


    Absolutely not. I already know the outcome of that. I need to learn more about Spider, but I cannot offer him anything here. I have already witnessed that future.


    What does he desire from this auction? The light of the rising moon will reveal it to me.


    Questions flitted through Yoku¡¯s mind. Smoke swirled around her, probabilities ebbing and flowing like the tide with every attempt.


    Spider was attending an auction, but to her disbelief, it was not power that he sought. His reactions were more suspicious than interested in the futures where she offered him runes or magic.


    Promised favors and riches were met with similar failure. Yoku twisted probabilities and threw them to the side with practiced efficiency. Spider was a deeply suspicious demon, but everyone had something they desired ¡ª and she always found out what it was.


    And, after nearly a hundred different attempts and several long seconds, the moonlight revealed to her the answer... and it made absolutely no sense.


    Yoku had never doubted her powers before, but today seemed to be a day for first times.


    ¡°I did not come here without purpose, as I am certain you are aware. Perhaps this will change your mind,¡± Yoku said, not entirely sure this was the path she sought, but unwilling to allow the opportunity to slip between her fingers. She hesitated for a second longer before continuing. ¡°I would like to pet your cat.¡±


    That caught Spider¡¯s attention. His gaze sharpened on her. ¡°You know Mascot?¡±


    She was spared from having to search through the futures that would give her a satisfactory answer to that question. The roar of the crowd all around them finally sputtered out as a demon on the stage below cleared his throat, his voice rolling through the entire building effortlessly.


    "I hope everyone is prepared,¡± the demon called, two black wings jutting from his back stretching out to cast an imposing shadow before him. ¡°The auction will be starting. If you plan to kill anyone from here on out, ensure you do it outside, lest you incur cleaning fees. Am I understood?¡±


    The crowd roared in response. Spider looked from Yoku down to the stage, then back ot her.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk,¡± Spider said.


    Yoku inclined her head. ¡°I look forward to it.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get this auction started!¡± the demon roared, clapping his hands together. ¡°Bring on the offers!¡±

 Chapter 498: Slaughter

    Chapter 498: Slaughter


    Noah watched with rapt attention as the first rune came up for auction. It was a Rank 2 Demon Rune that had barely been filled to fifty percent at formation, but it wasn¡¯t the rune he was interested in. It was the reaction of the crowd. The majority of the yells had trailed off the moment the announcer started speaking, but a few rowdy demons had continued on with their conversations.


    ¡°20 gold,¡± a demon from a balcony below them called.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do 30,¡± another countered from across the arena.


    Several more bids rose into the air in succession, quickly reaching 45 gold before grinding to a halt and being sold to a gold-skinned demon with a row of spikes running along the back of his spine and up his bald head.


    While the Rank 2 Rune hadn¡¯t stunned anyone, it had definitely caught a fair amount of attention from the demons in the crowd. That was good news. It meant the Rank 3 Sandy Gale Rune he¡¯d put up for auction would probably hit pretty hard.


    He couldn¡¯t help but notice that, aside from the fact that everyone could see each others¡¯ faces, there hadn¡¯t been any major differences in this auction and the one he¡¯d attended in Arbitage.


    I was fully expecting the demons to start flinging threats around or something. Maybe they save that for the higher ranked runes?


    Another rune went up as soon as the first one was sold ¡ª a second Rank 2 Demon Rune of similar strength.


    ¡°Not as impressive as I was hoping,¡± Moxie said in a low tone. ¡°We could have gotten runes of this quality just hunting outside the city. Cheap, though.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You could make a fortune bringing a ton of these back home,¡± Noah said with a chuckle. ¡°Not worth buying, though. I assume they¡¯re going through the trash before getting to the more interesting things. The only runes I¡¯m interested in are ones Lee might be able to use or ones that I can make my next rune with.¡±


    ¡°Your assumption is correct,¡± Yoru said from where she sat at the end of the table, her knees hugged to her chest. ¡°The runes of worth will arrive in due time.¡±


    God, it¡¯s so weird listening to her talk. Actually, she¡¯s just weird in general. Who offers people a drink and then changes their mind a few seconds later? And how does she know about Mascot? Did the damn cat do something to her? Is it the reason she¡¯s here in the first place?


    He wasn¡¯t about to ask. Not here. Asking would only give information away. Yoru was a problem that he could handle after the auction was done. After all the effort he¡¯d put into getting here ¡ª which admittedly wasn¡¯t all that much ¡ª he didn¡¯t plan to let the auction go to waste because he was distracted.


    The second and third runes that went up both sold without a hitch. Noah was just starting to get a little bored when the announce raised his hands to draw the crowd to silence for a few brief moments.


    ¡°That¡¯s it for our Rank 2 Runes today,¡± the announcer called. He¡¯d still yet to actually introduce himself, so Noah had no idea what to think of the winged demon as.


    ¡°Bring out something worth our time!¡± A massive, potbellied demon called as he raised a chicken leg the size of an entire sheep into the air like a club. He sat in the platform across and slightly above from theirs, taking up nearly its entire space with his bulk. The demon ripped a bite out of his meal, crunching through bone and flesh as one, and chewed with his mouth open as more jeers came from the rest of the crowd.


    There¡¯s a Gluttony demon if I ever saw one.


    ¡°Someone tell Fibog to stop talking as if he can afford anything more than the trash that already sold,¡± a caped demon said from another balcony, his words sharp and snide. ¡°I¡¯d do it myself, but I suspect his ears are stuffed full of mutton and I have no desire to get close enough to smell him.¡±


    A few demons cackled and Fibog bared his teeth up at the demon above him. ¡°We¡¯ll see if you put your money where your mouth is, Matis. I don¡¯t recall the last auction going all that well for you.¡±


    ¡°Times change. I think you¡¯ll find that I have always been just as equipped with coin as you are with wasted flesh,¡± Matis countered. ¡°I ¡ª unlike you ¡ª simply know the value of biding my time for something truly desirable.¡±


    ¡°150.¡± Fibog¡¯s wide features split into a shit-eating grin. ¡°I hope you¡¯ve got the coin, Matis.¡±


    ¡°175,¡± the thin demon countered. He leaned over the edge of the ledge, and long, pale claws glistened in the light. Each one was nearly as long as Noah¡¯s forearm. It was like a whole drawer of kitchen knives were taped to his fingers. That thought completely broke any of the fear that Matis¡¯ claws could have struck into him and he repressed a snicker. The Slaughter demon snarled down at Fibog. ¡°Don¡¯t challenge me. All that fat won¡¯t keep me from ripping you into pieces.¡±


    ¡°Try it,¡± Fibog said. He took another huge bite from his drumstick and pointed its remains at Matis. ¡°You¡¯re barely worth using as a toothpick, but I¡¯ll make an exception. 200 gold.¡±


    Noah almost found himself looking forward to see how the other demon would respond. This was definitely a very different approach than a bunch of people hiding behind masks and trying to tiptoe around each other to figure out which of their goals were.


    These are the antics I was expecting. How fun. So do I just have to call people a bunch of creative insults and ¡ª


    Matis leapt from his balcony in a blur. Noah¡¯s eyes widened as the Rank 5 flashed through the air toward the Gluttony demon. Fibog shot to his feet with a roar and swung his drumstick like a club.


    A crunch rang out and Matis rocketed away, hurtling down toward the stage. The announcer stepped to the side and the thin demon slammed into the ground with a crunch loud enough to make Noah wince.


    Matis rolled back to his feet, one of his arms hanging limp at his side. Fibog looked down at him from his balcony, but the massive grin on the huge demon¡¯s face had vanished. His drumstick ¡ª along with a good portion of his arm ¡ª had been shredded to ribbons. Blood poured down his side, but he barely even seemed to notice.


    ¡°210 gold,¡± Matis snarled, spitting on the ground. ¡°Raise the price again. See what happens. I think we both know who comes out on top.¡±


    Fibog clenched his jaw. For a second, Noah thought he¡¯d go through with it. Then the Gluttony demon shook his head and sat back in his chair with a derisive snort.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t worth the effort, pond scum. You¡¯ve already wasted more than enough money on this trash. I don¡¯t need it.¡±


    Matis leapt into the air, landing back on the edge of his balcony and sitting down in his chair before kicking his feet up on the railing. The attendant waited patiently for several more seconds, but no other demons put up a bid. Matis had made his threat more than clear enough.


    ¡°Sold,¡± the announcer proclaimed. ¡°But don¡¯t let your excitement dwindle yet. We¡¯ve got a Rank 3 Demon Rune next. Falling Shadow was formed at an impressive twenty percent. Bids will start at 120 gold.¡±


    Lee could use that. I need runes to rip apart when we¡¯re remaking her Rank 4.


    ¡°120,¡± Noah called.


    And, at the same time, Matis spoke once more. ¡°120.¡±


    The Slaughter demon¡¯s eyes snapped over to them. Warning flashed within them, but Noah didn¡¯t so much as hesitate.


    ¡°150,¡± Noah said, a smile crossing his lips beneath his face coverings. Moxie rolled a seed between her fingers and he locked eyes with Matis, meeting the challenge within them.


    Looks like I get to partake in the fun even earlier than I expected.

 Chapter 499: Scared

    Chapter 499: Scared


    Dozens of gazes all turned in Noah¡¯s direction as one, joining Matis in staring at their balcony. Pirren tried to sink even lower in her chair to avoid being noticed. It was far too late, and there wasn¡¯t anywhere to properly hide on the balcony anyway.


    ¡°Pirren. There¡¯s a face I haven¡¯t seen in a while,¡± Matis said with a sneer. ¡°We didn¡¯t miss you, coward. I¡¯m surprised you had the gall to show yourself again. It¡¯s no surprise that you keep the company of those too scared to show their own face.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an odd way to concede the bid,¡± Noah said, entirely unperturbed by the taunt. ¡°Stop wasting my time. Either raise your bid or shut your mouth. You and Fibog already spent more than enough time yammering for everyone here to get bored of you.¡±


    A few chuckles rose up from the other demons. Lines of fury etched themselves into Matis¡¯ expression and he bared his teeth in a snarl.


    ¡°Do not presume to speak to me as an equal, coward. I respect Fibog¡¯s blubbery ass more than you. At least he¡¯s bold enough to arrive in the auction under his own power, but that balcony belongs to Pirren, doesn¡¯t it? How pathetic can you be, entering the auction under her banner? I raise the bid to 160. Don¡¯t speak again if you value your¡ª¡±


    ¡°180,¡± Noah said, stretching his arms over his head and cracking his neck. ¡°You call Pirren a coward, but her runes are worse than yours. Being weak isn¡¯t cowardice. Preying on those who can¡¯t fight back is. You were correct about one thing, Matis. We aren¡¯t equals. You are below me.¡±


    The Slaughter Demon stepped forward, his massive claws flaring as they caught the light. Noah was pretty certain that the only reason he hadn¡¯t tried to do anything yet was that he hadn¡¯t fully recovered from the damage Fibog had done to him.


    Even though Noah was standing in Pirren¡¯s balcony, Matis didn¡¯t know how strong he was. The demon might have been an arrogant asshole, but he wasn¡¯t a complete idiot. Charging into a fight blind was rarely a good idea ¡ª but Noah got the feeling that would only go so far. Arrogance tended to be blinding after a certain point, and demons were far from avatars of self-control.


    The other conversations in the auction house started to peter out as more and more attention turned toward Noah and Matis. Nearly everyone was watching them now that it was becoming clear that a fight was inevitable.


    ¡°Have nothing to say for yourself, Pirren? What, did you scrounge all the trash you had together to hire some demons from another city to fight your battles for you?¡± Matis snarled. ¡°You¡¯re even more pathetic than the last time you came. Do I see two children in your party? What are they here for? Could you not afford adult mercenaries? I raise to 190. Stay in the mud where you belong, snake.¡±


    Sinclaire¡¯s brilliant red lips twisted in a smirk at that, and more than a few demons chuckled. Pirren definitely didn¡¯t have much support from the crowd, and the way she was acting wasn¡¯t helping.


    All the confidence she¡¯d had back in her mansion had shattered. She was completely out of her element. The auction house was clearly bringing back so many bad memories that she just couldn¡¯t maintain her fac?ade.


    Her failure to respond was only making things worse in the other demons¡¯ eyes. Matis basically had a free punching bag that wouldn¡¯t strike back. It made them look weak ¡ª which was exactly what Noah needed. Weak targets were easy prey, and easy prey made for complacent predators.


    ¡°200,¡± Noah said flatly. ¡°You seem scared, Matis. Perhaps you¡¯re worried that the children here are stronger than you are? Have you ever tried fighting someone that could hit back? Or do you exclusively pick fights with demons more concerned with their next meal than who you are?¡±


    Firbog¡¯s eyes narrowed at the stray insult, but the other demons around him all snickered. Noah was starting to get a pretty good grasp of how these auctions worked. They were more than just demons bidding over runes.


    The whole thing was a live show. Nobody actually cared who was fighting. They just wanted to see a fight. It didn¡¯t matter who won. It didn¡¯t matter who was the target. As long as there was blood, everyone else had fun.


    ¡°220,¡± Matis said as he bared his teeth. ¡°You¡¯re out of warnings, mercenary. I have no interest in killing someone as unimportant as a hired blade that would debase themselves to fighting alongside the pathetic company you keep, but if you say one more word, I¡¯ll rip your throat out and bleed you over the audience. You¡¯re nothing but a bug, but if you keep buzzing around my head, I¡¯ll end you.¡±


    ¡°Do it!¡± a demon yelled.


    ¡°My money¡¯s on the mercenary,¡± another said from a balcony nearby. ¡°He¡¯s baiting Matis. 50 gold on him.¡±


    ¡°Done deal,¡± the demon on the balcony below said, leaning over to look up at the one that had just spoken. ¡°The mercenary is bluffing. He¡¯s got fucking children in his party. Pirren probably had to lick their shoes to get them to come. Look at her. She¡¯s about to start shedding.¡±


    Yoru tapped Pirren on the shoulder. The snake demon flinched as if she¡¯d been stabbed, then jerked her head over to the smaller demon.


    ¡°Death? You?¡± Noah asked, ignoring Matis entirely. ¡°I didn¡¯t even need Aylin to know that¡¯s a lie. But you¡¯re scared of more than just death, Matis. You¡¯re scared of me.¡±


    ¡°I do not fear a mercenary that cowers behind¡ª¡±


    ¡°Lie,¡± Aylin said, and Matis dragged in another pained breath.


    ¡°I suggest against that. It¡¯s easier for him to eat you when you lie,¡± Noah said with a smile. He tilted his head to the side as if in contemplation. ¡°Though truth does seem to work just as well. It¡¯s just less fun. But I digress ¡ª we¡¯re having too much fun to get caught in semantics. Next question. Are you scared of the mere child standing before you?¡±


    Mantis lurched forward, but all he did was jerk helplessly against Moxie¡¯s vines. He was stuck fast.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you. I¡¯ll kill every single one of you,¡± Matis spat, spittle flying from his lips.


    ¡°Lie,¡± Aylin said.


    Noah was pretty sure a threat didn¡¯t count as a lie, and he caught a small grin on the boy¡¯s face. Aylin was playing it up for the crowd. Noah almost burst into laughter on the spot, but he managed to keep his composure.


    ¡°No you won¡¯t,¡± Noah said. ¡°I¡¯m losing my patience with you, Matis. Don¡¯t you do anything other than threaten to kill me? Can¡¯t you be a little more creative? There has to be more in your repertoire.¡±


    The demon¡¯s muscles trembled in fury, but there was nothing he could do but sit there. Murmurs passed through the auction house as the other demons realized that Matis wasn¡¯t just playing along and was legitimately stuck in place.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± a scaled demon from the balcony beside them said, rising from his seat and thrusting a finger in their direction. ¡°A Knowledge Demon brat and a demon that wears storm wrappings for no reason. That¡¯s Spider.¡±


    A flicker of recognition passed through Matis¡¯ eyes. Noah¡¯s eyes crinkled as his smile grew behind his face wrappings.


    ¡°Have you heard of me, Matis?¡±


    ¡°As if I¡¯d have heard of a coward like you,¡± Matis spat. He barely managed to force the sentence out before he let out another pained groan. Evidently, he wasn¡¯t smart enough to figure out that speaking in front of a Knowledge Demon that could eat from him was a poor idea.


    ¡°I see,¡± Noah said, with a disappointed shake of his head. ¡°Well, I think we¡¯re done here. You full, Aylin?¡±


    ¡°I am sated,¡± Aylin said with a nod. ¡°Thank you, Spider.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Noah replied. He nodded to Aylin¡¯s chair and the boy headed back over to it, sitting down without another word.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me!¡± Matis screamed, jerking his arm against Moxie¡¯s vines. ¡°Let me¡ª¡±


    Noah¡¯s violin bow flashed. It carved straight through Matis¡¯ neck, severing his head from his body in a single motion. Energy poured into Noah in a river, flooding into his runes. Blood splattered across the ground and over Pirren, who stood between Yoru and the splash zone.


    Whoops. Sorry, Pirren.


    ¡°I think we¡¯ve all had enough of his yammering,¡± Noah said. He flicked the blood from the bow and let it fade away. Moxie¡¯s vines released Matis¡¯ body, dropping it over the edge of the balcony where it plummeted to land on the ground with a splattering crunch. For an instant, the auction house was silent. Noah picked the dead demon¡¯s head up by the hair and tossed it over the balcony to land beside the rest of the demon¡¯s body, then wiped his hands off on his jacket. Then he cleared his throat. ¡°So, did anyone else want to bid on my Rune?¡±

 Chapter 500: Sinclaire

    Chapter 500: Sinclaire


    It would have been a lie to say that the crowd had been cowed. Demons looked at Noah and the balcony around him with undisguised interest. Several of them sported excited grins and others exchanged money. Noah half wished he could have bet on himself, but that might have been a bit much.


    Not many demons actually looked all that put out about Matis¡¯ death aside from the ones on the balcony below them, who had gotten even more blood on them than Pirren had. They threw a few insults up at him, but he ignored them.


    While most of the crowd didn¡¯t seem to care about Matis, there were definitely some that had taken more displeasure in the demon¡¯s death than others. Sinclaire¡¯s porcelain features were tight in displeasure and her lips were pressed into a thin line. Several demons scattered throughout the auction house had similar looks, likely having been allies of Matis. Something told Noah that nobody missed him because of his stellar personality.


    Despite the looks they earned, not a single demon in the crowd said a word. That wasn¡¯t much of a surprise. The Rune really wasn¡¯t that powerful. Any demons that would have been powerful enough to risk wanting to fight him now probably wouldn¡¯t be interested in something like Falling Shadow in the first place.


    ¡°If we¡¯re going back to bidding, does the price reset to the original amount? It¡¯s not like the other party was around to bid on it any longer,¡± Noah said.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. The price remains at 220, if anyone would like to make a bid.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunate. 220, then,¡± Noah said. He put a foot on the railing and pushed himself up, using a burst of wind to launch himself up and into the air. He landed on the railing of Matis¡¯ balcony and hopped down, scanning the relatively barren area and spotting a leather bag on the table. He snagged it, almost blinking in surprise at its weight. It was heavy.


    Noah slung the bag over his shoulder before turning back to his own balcony and jumping, letting his magic carry him back over to Moxie and the others. He dumped the bag on the table.


    ¡°If there are no more bids, then Falling Shadow is sold for 220 gold,¡± the announcer proclaimed, clearing his throat loudly. He sent a pointed look up at Noah. ¡°And you will be liable for the cleaning fee.¡±


    ¡°How much is that again? It seems to have slipped my mind.¡± Noah asked.


    ¡°One hundred gold.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Noah pulled Matis¡¯ bag open and glanced through it. It was completely stuffed full of gold, but there were six glistening white crystals amongst the sea of yellow. They were perfectly round, nearly coin-shaped, and light danced as it passed through their clear depths.


    He was surprised to feel a trickle of runic energy residing within them. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was enough to send a faint tingle down his fingers when he brushed them across the gems¡¯ surfaces. Noah pulled one of them free to get a better look. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess they were some form of currency if Matis had brought them here.


    ¡°Crystals,¡± Aylin breathed, his eyes fixing on the gemstone.


    ¡°You know what this is?¡± Noah asked.


    Aylin gave him a sharp nod. ¡°Yes. Rune Crystals. I¡¯ve never seen one this close before. They¡¯re really expensive.¡±


    ¡°Not this one,¡± Yoru said. ¡°That barely has any magic. It¡¯s worth 100 gold. The dim light shows how weak it is. If it were more brightly lit from within, it could be of far greater value.¡±


    ¡°100 gold is a lot of gold,¡± Aylin muttered.


    Yoru didn¡¯t respond to that. She just lifted her gaze to Pirren, who still stood before her. ¡°You may sit now.¡±


    The blood-splattered demon looked down at herself. Then she mutely walked back over to her chair and lowered herself into it, not even bothering to try and wipe herself off. Her eyes stared off like she was trapped somewhere between a dream and a nightmare and hadn¡¯t quite managed to work out which one it was yet.


    Noah quickly counted through the money in Matis¡¯ bag. If each of the Crystals was worth 100 gold, there was a total of 800 gold in it. The demon had actually been pretty wealthy by the standards of the Damned Plains. He grinned.


    You know, killing a bunch of demons here would actually be a pretty good investment. Pay 100 gold, take their bag and all the goodies in it in turn. I¡¯m up a net 700 right now. I should goad some more idiots into trying something.


    Noah¡¯s eye twitched. Ramon and the other demon definitely would have pushed the price far higher than 300 gold. He didn¡¯t know why nobody was willing to bid against Sinclaire, and he couldn¡¯t have given a shit less.


    Nobody scams me. I¡¯m the scammer here.


    Even the announcer looked slightly pained at the price abruptly jerking to a halt. He glanced around the room, clearly hoping someone else would speak. Nobody did. His wings drooped slightly as he drew in a breath.


    ¡°310,¡± Noah called out.


    Sinclaire¡¯s eyes snapped up to meet his, burning with such malice that Noah could almost see flames flickering within them. A flicker of recognition passed through him. He recognized those eyes. They were incredibly similar to Azel¡¯s. She was an Anger demon.


    ¡°You do not want to start this,¡± Sinclaire said. ¡°I am not at the same level of the pest you just quashed, Spider. 350.¡±


    ¡°To a giant, ant and man and mountain are alike,¡± Noah replied. He held Sinclaire¡¯s gaze without flinching. He didn¡¯t know what an anger demon needed a rune like this for, but she clearly wanted it. And if she wanted it, he could push the price a whole lot higher. ¡°400.¡±


    The muscles in Sinclaire¡¯s jaw clenched. Cold fury washed over her features and her eye twitched as her hands clenched and unclenched at her sides.


    ¡°Pirren?¡± Yoru said.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Yoru mutely pointed to the ground in front of her. Pirren looked to her bloodied hands. Then she stood up and moved to stand where the smaller demon had indicated.


    ¡°Here?¡± Pirren asked wearily.


    ¡°Yes. Very good.¡± Yoru nodded. ¡°And, Pirren?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Yoru raised her hands to cover masked face. Pirren gave her a confused look for a moment, then mirrored the motion.


    ¡°450,¡± Sinclaire ground out. ¡°Do not open your wretched mouth, Spider. Do not confuse this for a mere warning. I am no whelp to be toyed with. Be thankful I give you this opportunity to evade your death. The cost for eliminating your entire balcony is still greater than the annoyance you have caused me, but it will not be for much longer.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to evade what I already am,¡± Noah called back. For a brief second, the two of them were silent. Noah could see the promise in her posture. Sinclaire was at her limit. If he spoke again, she would attack. That was just fine with him. If she refused to buy his rune at the price it deserved, he¡¯d just beat the life out of her until she came to a more reasonable decision. ¡°500 gold.¡±


    Sinclaire rose to her feet. Her loose robes fluttered around her as she mutely took a step toward the railing. Her fingers flexed, revealing long, black claws at the tips of her alabaster white skin.


    Noah called on his Runes, letting power flow through his body as Sinclaire¡¯s entire body trembled with poorly restrained fury. He winked at her. That proved to be the final straw.


    Sinclaire launched herself into the air in a blur. She shot across the auction house with her claws primed to rip his throat out, and Noah stood in wait for her.


    I did always wonder how I¡¯d square up against Azel once I was closer in rank to him. I guess this is about as close as I¡¯ll ever get to finding out.

 Chapter 501: Disappointing

    Chapter 501: Disappointing


    Sinclaire slammed into the top of Noah¡¯s table with enough force to shatter the wood. It crunched beneath her feet, large fragments spinning out in every direction. Noah released a powerful burst of wind from his palms, keeping any of the fragments from reaching him or Moxie.


    Pirren was a little less fortunate. She was peppered with a dozen pieces of wood, and a particularly large one smacked against her raised arms with a loud crack. If they hadn¡¯t been there, the wood likely would have put out one of her eyes.


    ¡°Open your mouth again,¡± Sinclaire hissed, the muscles in her arms taut as her clawed hands flexed. ¡°See what¡ª¡±


    Noah¡¯s knee drove up into her stomach. Sinclaire moved to block the strike in a blur. She was faster than he was ¡ª but she wasn¡¯t the fastest demon that Noah had ever met, and he was cheating. Before his knee could even reach her deadly hands, he jerked to a halt and released a wave of magic through his other foot and into the balcony beneath them.


    A violet tremor gripped the ground beneath Sinclaire. Her eyes widened as she lost her balance for a brief instant, but Noah was already moving. His elbow slammed into the side of her head with a loud crack. A normal strike from Noah would have had no chance of actually hurting a Rank 5 demon, so he put a little extra juice into it.


    He drew on all the vibration magic he¡¯d infused Natural Disaster with and stretched the Rune to its limits, sending the power racing out from his body and into Sinclaire. Her teeth cracked together as a tremor raced through her body, sending her staggering.


    Noah didn¡¯t give Sinclaire a chance to gather herself. Demons were so used to showing off for each other and drumming up whatever emotion they were trying to feed on that they were ill prepared for a rapid assault. Noah, however, had absolutely no plans of feeding anyone.


    He slammed his foot into the demon¡¯s face and released another burst of vibration through his heel. Her head snapped back and she staggered into the railing at the edge of the balcony.


    Noah spun, driving all the force he could muster into a spinning kick that he unleashed into her stomach. He unleashed a huge burst of magical energy from Natural Disaster through the kick, detonating all the wind he could muster in a violent roar as his strike connected.


    The railing shattered. Sinclaire flew off the edge of the balcony amidst a rain of wooden fragments. Yoru reached up to Pirren and gave the back of her shirt a tug.


    ¡°Pirren?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Pirren asked weakly, lowering her hands and turning to look back at the smaller demon.


    ¡°You should consider eating less. Your bulk is interfering with my view. Kneel.¡±


    Pirren didn¡¯t say so much as a word of protest. She dropped to her knees in front of Yoru ¡ª and a furious scream split the air of the auction house. Demons roared in approval as a white blur slammed into the edge of the balcony and Sinclaire vaulted over the remains of the railing.


    Her right arm had split along the seams, ripping apart to reveal a bouquet of jagged bone blades. They carved through the air, whistling past where Pirren¡¯s head had been just seconds before, and hurtled toward Noah¡¯s side with the intent of carving him into ribbons with just a single blow.


    Yoru drew in a small breath of surprise, but Noah had other things to pay attention to. He released Crumbling Space, sending tiny white cracks splintering through the air in Sinclaire¡¯s path.


    Nobody else in the audience had any chance of even seeing the magic at its small scale and with Sinclaire blocking the way. Even Sinclaire herself didn¡¯t react to the tiny flicker in the air.


    The magic collapsed on itself right as Sinclaire¡¯s arm entered its field. Several loud cracks split the air and Noah moved a step back. Fragments of bone and droplets of blood pattered against his side as the Anger Demon¡¯s arm transformed into pulp in a split instant.


    It took Sinclaire an instant to realize what had happened. She stared at her destroyed arm as blood drippled from its crushed form in disbelief, her lips working as she tried to form words.


    ¡°What¡ª¡±Upstodatee from


    Noah grabbed her arm. Physical contact with a Rank 5 demon was generally a pretty piss-poor idea, but Noah was pretty sure she wasn¡¯t going to be using that arm again anytime soon. Sinclaire screamed in pain as Noah released another wave of vibration into her arm, causing the sharp, shattered bones to dig into her flesh as his grip tightened.


    Noah glanced at Moxie, then tapped his throat. Her eyes widened in recognition and she hurriedly whispered into Aylin¡¯s ear before drawing in a deep breath. Noah¡¯s grip on Sinclaire¡¯s arm tightened as she went to free herself, ripping a snarl of pain from her lips.


    ¡°There is an offending scent present,¡± Yoru proclaimed to Pirren, as if Sinclaire wasn¡¯t even present. ¡°Pirren. Locate it.¡±


    Either the fight had long since left Pirren or she¡¯d just learned to do everything Yoru said, because she drew in a deep breath.


    ¡°500 does seem a bit low.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you should raise your bid,¡± Noah suggested.


    Sinclaire swallowed. Her eyes flicked from Noah to Pirren. ¡°550 gold.¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡± Noah asked, blinking in mock surprise. ¡°Pirren, is that enough?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± the other demon replied, her cold smile stretching wider as some of the confidence that she¡¯d displayed back in her mansion started to push its way free. Noah wasn¡¯t certain this was the best kind of therapy, but nobody had ever regretted watching someone that had beaten the shit out of them get the same treatment. ¡°I think 2000 would be more appropriate for a rune of this quality.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Sinclaire exclaimed. ¡°This is a Rank 3! I don¡¯t even have that much money! Why would¡ª¡±


    Noah¡¯s grip on her arm tightened and she hissed in pain. ¡°How much do you have?¡±


    ¡°1550,¡± Sinclaire blurted through a pained gasp.


    ¡°Then I think 1500 sounds good,¡± Noah said with a smile. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±


    The Anger Demon stared up at him. At Pirren, whose smug face floated over Noah¡¯s shoulder and joined the rest of the auction house in watching Sinclaire¡¯s complete and utter defeat.


    ¡°1500 gold,¡± Sinclair said, squeezing her eyes shut and letting her head flop back to the ground.


    Noah lifted his foot off her shoulder and peered over the edge of the broken railing at the announcer on the stage below.


    ¡°You got that, yeah?¡±


    ¡°I ¡ª ah, yes. Yes, I did,¡± the winged demon said. He hesitated for a moment as if to see if anyone else was willing to bid. Nobody did. The announcer cleared his throat into a fist. ¡°Sandy Gale has been sold to the... ah, fortunate Sinclaire.¡±


    ¡°Congratulations on your win,¡± Noah said with a polite smile that did absolutely nothing, as nobody could see his face. He grabbed Sinclaire by her collar and pulled the demon to her feet. ¡°Enjoy your new rune. Now screw off. You aren¡¯t worth the cleaning fee, and maybe you¡¯ll enjoy a taste of what you like doing to others. Show your face in this auction again while I¡¯m here and I¡¯ll kill you and use your Runes as wall de?cor.¡±


    He shoved her off the balcony.


    Sinclaire righted herself as she fell, catching onto the balcony below before launching herself through the air back to her belongings. She didn¡¯t even stop moving as she grabbed her bag and vanished through the door, the laughter and jeers of the other demons in the auction house following after her.


    I almost feel bad about that, but after what she obviously did to Pirren, I reckon she got off easy. At least she¡¯s alive.


    Pirren caught Noah¡¯s eye as he turned to sit back down beside Moxie.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Pirren whispered, so speaking so low that Noah could barely even pick up on her words.


    He just inclined his head slightly in response. It wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d only done it to help Pirren take a little revenge. With all the money that he¡¯d just conned Sinclaire into spending on his rune combined with what he¡¯d taken from Matis, he was fairly certain that he and Moxie were now some of the richest demons in the auction.


    Now all that was left to do was to cash in his reward.


    We should be at the Rank 4 Runes now. Let¡¯s see what goodies I can pick up for myself.

 Chapter 502: Mine

    Chapter 502: Mine


    For all the attention that Noah¡¯s antics had just drawn their balcony, the attention span of the demons in the auction house was far from long. As soon as the winged announcer started listing off the next runes for auction, the number of eyes remaining on them rapidly dropped.


    A few of Sinclaire and Matis¡¯ allies occasionally sent glares in Noah¡¯s direction. Not a single one of them were brave enough to actually act on them. His primary goal had been accomplished. After trouncing two different demons, Spider¡¯s reputation was even greater than it had been before.


    Nobody knew exactly what rank he was, and nobody had given him so much as a challenge yet. That would go a very long way in making sure his consolidation of power in the city continued smoothly.


    Noah rolled a glimmering crystal between his fingers as the auction continued on. Pirren sat to his side, her face and clothes still splattered with blood and a slightly shell-shocked expression on her face. She couldn¡¯t seem to decide whether she wanted to watch Noah or Yoru. Her eyes flicked between them like pinballs stuck between two bouncers.


    Yoru herself seemed completely bored. She¡¯d wrapped her arms around her legs, which were still drawn up to her chest, and her chin rested on her knees. Noah tried not to stare too overtly, but it didn¡¯t take a genius to realize that she was more than she wanted him to believe.


    She¡¯d used Pirren as a living shield multiple times, then had her take a deep breath in right before he¡¯d activated Combustion. It almost seemed like she knew what he was going to do before he did it.


    Having Pirren stand in front of her to block stuff might just be a good guess, but the instructions for how to avoid the magic... that shouldn¡¯t be possible. Even if she¡¯s realized that I¡¯m using external magic, nobody in the Damned Plains would know I¡¯ve got Combustion. Is it possible there¡¯s some way to detect the magic someone is using before it leaves their body?


    Noah tilted his head to the side in thought. That was an interesting idea. Magical energy was hardly all identical. He could feel the difference between Natural Disaster and Crumbling Space when he used them.


    It wasn¡¯t an impossible task to presume it was possible to do that to someone else¡¯s body. After all, runes were just patterns. If Yoru could understand those patterns without actually seeing them, then she¡¯d basically be able to predict the type of magic someone else was using.


    A spark of interest lit in Noah¡¯s chest. He had no idea how a demon would go about doing that, as they had no Domain, but the idea took root in his head like one of Moxie¡¯s plants. He did have a Domain. Even if that wasn¡¯t the technique that Yoru was doing, there was too much potential in the possibility to dismiss it.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Moxie whispered, nudging him in the side of his leg with her knee. ¡°I don¡¯t think the Burning Brilliance Rune is what¡¯s got your attention.¡±


    Noah blinked, then shook his head. ¡°Burning Brilliance?¡±


    ¡°I suppose that answers my question,¡± Moxie said dryly. ¡°The rune up for auction right now.¡±


    Noah glanced down at the announcer. Several demons around them were locked in a bidding war, and the price had reached the low 500s already. It came at no surprise to him that Rank 4 runes were considerably more expensive than their lower strength counterparts.


    Well, most of their lower strength counterparts. For some reason, Sandy Gale is just a rune to die for. I sure hope that doesn¡¯t mess with anyone when they¡¯re trying to run some numbers on what Rank 3 runes sell for on average.


    ¡°The rumors are correct,¡± Yoru said. ¡°That is why Sievan resides within the City of Gold. It is steeped within death energy. No other Archdemon can challenge him there. Are you not aware of him?¡±


    What, is his feeling Death or something? That does not sound like someone I want to get to know. Given how much runes change demons, someone that represents death itself is probably going to be batshit insane and comically evil. I¡¯ll pass.


    ¡°Just, uh, slipped my mind,¡± Noah said, clearing his throat. Though many demons were talking around them, only one other demon had bid on the Unstable Corrupted Mass Rune, and its price was at a mere 400 gold. It sounded like there was a good chance it would have some degree of Matter or Space in it given where it had come from, so Noah shrugged and raised his voice. ¡°410 gold.¡±


    The demon that had bid on the rune glanced over to Noah. He had skin like a craggy cliffside and a dour expression on his face, but the moment he realized who had spoken, the demon hurriedly sat back down and averted his gaze, not saying another word. Nobody else said anything. The poor quality rune just wasn¡¯t worth the hassle.


    ¡°Sold,¡± the announcer proclaimed, not even bothering to hide his disappointment. He¡¯d definitely been hoping for a higher price. The auction house ¡ª and he ¡ª obviously got a cut of sales. It didn¡¯t take him long to get over it, though. No sooner than he had spoken did the announcer¡¯s eyes flash with excitement. ¡°Coming from the same demon is a second rune from the Black Reaches. This one is a Rank 4 Unstable Mass Rune, and at a very respectable 50% full upon creation. Bids will start at 500 gold.¡±


    So a better version of the rune that just sold. More certainly couldn¡¯t hurt.


    ¡°500,¡± a demon called without a second of hesitation.


    ¡°550,¡± another added, speaking before the first had even had a chance to close their mouth.


    Several more demons added their own voices into the mix. It wasn¡¯t long before the price quickly shot up to 650 gold, and it didn¡¯t look like it showed any signs of slowing.


    I need to cut this off at the head before I end up having to waste too much money.


    ¡°1000 gold,¡± Noah called. His voice projected through the auction house like a wave of rolling thunder, cutting through the other demons¡¯ clamoring cries. A second of silence ticked by. Several demons considered him, clearly trying to figure out if it was worth trying to fight him on the rune.


    He didn¡¯t know if it was the reputation he¡¯d built up or the huge price jump he¡¯d made, but the silence dragged on. The announcer couldn¡¯t even be annoyed. 1000 gold for a Rank 4 that had only been 50 percent full upon creation was a good price in the Damned Plains.


    Noah had just started to let a smug grin form beneath the wrappings on his face when a new voice rose up into the air ¡ª not from another balcony, but from right beside him.


    ¡°1100 gold,¡± Yoru said, her quiet words cutting through the silence. ¡°This rune is mine.¡±

 Chapter 503: Arrogant Fool

    Chapter 503: Arrogant Fool


    Of everyone in the auction house that could have placed a counterbid, Noah hadn¡¯t expected the person to do it to be in his own balcony. He stared at Yoru, his face wrappings doing nothing to conceal the surprise in his eyes.


    It had been obvious that Yoru had an agenda she was aiming to accomplish. Noah hadn¡¯t expected it to include trying to take a relatively unimpressive Rank 4 Rune from him. His eyes narrowed as he studied her, trying to figure out what the demon¡¯s motive was.


    Is she trying to test my reaction? But what would the point of that even be? Annoying me isn¡¯t going to accomplish anything meaningful. Maybe she¡¯s trying to see if I¡¯ll back down when a higher ranked demon tries to screw with me?


    That didn¡¯t feel like it made sense either. Noah had no idea what rank Yoru actually was. She was a high Rank 5 at the bare minimum, but there was a good chance she was even stronger than that given how Pirren treated her.


    There wasn¡¯t much time to make a decision. He hadn¡¯t answered in several seconds and no other demons had tried placing a bid. It wasn¡¯t like Noah didn¡¯t have the funds to spare. With all the money he¡¯d just taken from the other demons in addition to what he and Moxie had, he had something around 2000 gold.


    But raising my bid any higher basically guarantees that I can¡¯t get any more runes in this auction. Everything from here on out is definitely going to be near 1000 gold. I¡¯d like to get at least one Rank 5 Rune if I can... damn it. A Rank 5 rune is more important than this one. There¡¯s just no point getting into a bidding war here.


    Noah remained silent. Entering a bidding war here would only waste his time and money ¡ª and more importantly, he had no idea what Yoru was aiming for. Everyone at the auction was playing their own game. The only way he could come out on top was when the only game he let himself make moves in was his own.


    ¡°The Unstable Mass Rune is sold,¡± the announcer proclaimed. A few disappointed murmurs ran through the demons in the crowd when they realized that Noah wasn¡¯t about to give them even more free entertainment, but it didn¡¯t take long before the winged demon got started introducing the next rune and everything else was forgotten.


    Yoru¡¯s masked face turned toward Noah as he watched her out of the corners of his eyes. She tilted her head to the side.Alll latest novels at novelhall.com


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an odd question to ask,¡± Moxie said. ¡°Why¡¯d you bid on that Rune? Do you really need it?¡±


    Perfect. Thanks, Moxie. I need to keep putting on my Spider shtick, but you can say everything I actually want to. I¡¯ve already looked lost enough by not knowing where or what the Black Reaches were.


    ¡°Me? No.¡± Yoru¡¯s head righted and tilted in the other direction. ¡°Why would I need a Rank 4 Rune?¡±


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t need it, why¡¯d you bid on it?¡± Moxie asked with a confused frown. ¡°That seems like a waste of money.¡±


    ¡°Money is of little concern to me. There are precious few things that I need that gold could purchase.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m following your thought process here. You bought the rune because... what, you wanted to waste money?¡± Moxie¡¯s brow furrowed as she tried to make sense of Yoru¡¯s actions.


    ¡°No. I do not waste. Even the most unimportant resources have value. Discarding resources is the act of an arrogant fool.¡±


    ¡°Now I¡¯m equally confused,¡± Noah said, giving up on any plans to remain separated from the situation and tossing his own hat into the ring. ¡°So you bought a rune you don¡¯t need with money that you don¡¯t care about ¡ª but don¡¯t want to waste ¡ª for... what reason, exactly?¡±


    It was so shrouded in darkness that Yoku could only take a single tiny step at a time. The endlessly branching possibilities of the future had been so clouded that even she wasn¡¯t entirely sure what she was doing.


    Yoku hadn¡¯t had any idea why buying a rune that Spider wanted was going to get him on her good side. If anything, it should have annoyed him. She hadn¡¯t even considered she was buying the rune for him.


    The mere idea of that was enough to make her sightless eyes twitch. Rivers of blood made a pathway up the mountain of corpses she¡¯d left in her wake to reach the power she now commanded.


    Dozens of Rank 6 demons would have prostrated themselves at her feet with nothing more than a single word from her lips. They would have given her the clothes from their back and made themselves into stepping stones for her to cross a shallow creek if she requested it.


    Yoku did not give gifts. They were the tools of the weak who sought to appease the strong. She had no need of such crutches. And yet, for some reason, that was the only path that accomplished all of her goals.


    Spider had accepted the gift with the grace of a demon who had received many such offers before. She wasn¡¯t sure how she felt about that, but the probabilities had changed once more.


    And, as Yoku peered through the twisting smoke and weighed the probabilities to determine what exactly it was that she had just accomplished, moonlight illuminated the next step on the pathway to the future she desired.


    How will I take control of his power? How can I turn him against Belkus? Something about Spider, be it him or something he is connected to that I am unable to witness, is too powerful to let slip through my fingers.


    I will do anything I must in order to ¡ª


    Yoku¡¯s sightless eyes blinked. Then they blinked again. Her ears picked up on the auctioneer¡¯s chatter as if it came from a thousand miles away, but none of it actually processed. She stared at the probable future that laid before her in abject disbelief.


    That can¡¯t be right.


    Never before had she doubted her powers to this degree. Yoku drew on more magic and poured it forth, weighing the probabilities once more. They remained unchanged. Every single pathway she took but this one ended in the pitch black sea.


    There was only a single way to fully get Spider on her side. She couldn¡¯t see what would happen after, or how it would even affect the other plans she had set in motion. All she knew was the next step along the path that she had to take ¡ª and it was one that made even less sense than every other impossible oddity that had happened today.


    ¡°Is something on my face?¡± Spider asked, his voice cutting through her futures like a blade.


    ¡°Yes. Storm wrappings.¡± Yoku¡¯s words were flat, but her heart pounded in her chest. The uncertainty was awful. It had been so long since she hadn¡¯t known something that the mere sensation made her want to retch like a battle-eager child witnessing death for the first time.


    Spider let out a snort and turned back to the auction, but Moxie¡¯s gaze remained on her. Yoku didn¡¯t even consider trying to weigh the futures with her again. She already had the pathway before her, and the next step would be after the auction.


    Yoku just wasn¡¯t sure if she had the strength to take it.

 Chapter 504: House Party

    Chapter 504: House Party


    Thanks to all the demons that had kindly donated their savings and Yoru¡¯s interference on the Rank 4 Unstable Mass Rune, Noah waited patiently for something worth buying as the auction pressed on.


    Rank 4 Runes turned to Rank 5s and the prices everything sold for steadily rose and grew closer to the upper limits of what he could afford to compete with. There were a few runes that Noah briefly considered bidding for, but none were quite interesting enough for him to put too much effort in.


    The demons competing in the auction now were stronger than the ones that had partook in the earlier parts. He wasn¡¯t confident he could kill anyone without having to rely on the Fragment of Renewal, Sunder, or possibly even getting himself killed in the process.


    Noah had no plans of playing any of his trump cards just for an auction. Surprises were only good if nobody else knew you had them, and none of the Rank 5 runes thus far had truly been worth the effort.


    Minutes ticked by. Several more demons fought each other, much to the delight of the crowd, though nobody else died. They almost felt more like posturing than proper fights, where a demon was forced to fight to protect their image or honor but had no desire to actually get killed in the process of it.


    I suppose that makes sense. Aside from a few kinds of feelings, I don¡¯t imagine the majority of demons are going to be any keener on fighting to the death than anybody else. Their society is seventy percent posturing and threats and thirty percent actually carrying through on them. Definitely makes for more of a spectacle than a bunch of nobles sneering at each other, though.


    Eventually, the bids started to slow. The quality of the runes dropped as they grew higher in rank even as their cost grew. Fewer demons were willing to bid on something that just wasn¡¯t useful.


    Noah was just starting to think that the auction was wrapping up when the announcer¡¯s wings snapped out in his signature move, cracking like a whip breaking the sound barrier.


    ¡°My good demons, we¡¯ll be entering the final part of today¡¯s auction,¡± the auctioneer called. ¡°We¡¯re all out of runes that fit within our more standard categories, so next up is the lightning round where we toss up everything that didn¡¯t quite fit. Remember ¡ª ten seconds per item and bids start at 1000 gold for everything. Whatever the latest highest offer is at the end of ten seconds wins the item, no questions. Nothing is in order of rarity or strength in this round, so bid on what you want and spend all that money! We¡¯ll be opening with the jaw of a Rank 5 Bone demon that was recovered from the Wastes! It¡¯s estimated to be about four hundred years old, so it¡¯s still got a good bit of efficacy left in it!¡±


    Bids flowed from the masses like a river. Noah blinked in surprise as the price rapidly shot up all the way to 1600 gold before slowing down over the next few seconds. Even though most demons were only raising the price by 20 or 30 gold with each increment, there were so many of them competing that the price skyrocketed.


    That ten second time limit is smart. It forces people to just fling money out and not give them much time to think on if the item is actually worth increasing their bid or not.


    The next two items flashed by, but both were other demon parts and didn¡¯t interest Noah much. He¡¯d never really taken to the whole ¡®bathing in monster parts¡¯ strategy for strengthening his runes. It was much easier to just kill them.


    Using alternative methods to gather magical energy was useful for noble families trying to get their members stronger without actually putting them through fights. There was no point going through the hassle when he could just kill a few dozen monsters instead. Sure, there was a chance he¡¯d get killed in the process, but that was just a minor inconvenience.


    ¡°Up next is another Rune for the bold and inquisitive among you,¡± the auctioneer called, but something in his voice was different. Noah couldn¡¯t quite place the emotion, but it almost sounded like unease. ¡°This is a rare offering, but I can assure we have permission to sell it. A Broken Master Rune, Deathly Night!¡±


    Yoru stiffened, but Noah barely even noticed as her posture shifted and she moved to speak.


    Another Broken Master Rune? That¡¯s perfect. It could be invaluable to figure out what happened to Lee¡¯s Runes.


    ¡°1500 gold,¡± Noah yelled without a second of hesitation, then drew in a breath in preparation to jack the price up even higher the moment someone else placed a bid.


    But, to his confusion, the auction house was dead silent. Not a single demon spoke a word. Noah blinked.


    Huh. I guess I really put on quite a show. Nobody wants to bid against me... or is this like those damn eBay auctions I always used to lose because some assholes would wait until the last second to place a bid?


    Noah¡¯s eyes narrowed and he prepared to yell out again if someone attempted to steal the Broken Master Rune from him in the last second. Seconds ticked by. Silence reigned ¡ª and then the time was up.


    ¡°Sold,¡± the auctioneer said. ¡°We¡¯ve got a Unisteel horn up next! Go!¡±


    Maybe she¡¯s a prodigy of some sort since she was somehow predicting the magic I was going to use. I¡¯ll have to make sure to be nice to her. It¡¯s important to be a good role model for the easily impressionable.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Noah whispered, leaning over to Moxie as they entered a doorway and headed down a stairwell leading deeper into the city. ¡°I think Yoru is a kid.¡±


    ¡°You just came to that conclusion?¡± Moxie asked in the same tone. ¡°She¡¯s half our height.¡±


    ¡°Short people exist, you know.¡±


    Moxie rolled her eyes. ¡°Yeah, sure. But she sounds like a kid. That doesn¡¯t mean we can let our guard down. A kid like this¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Young doesn¡¯t mean weak. She almost certainly has a really strong rune or a lot of talent. To be honest, I¡¯m mostly just curious to see what she wants and how she knows Pirren.¡±


    Moxie nodded in mute agreement. They didn¡¯t get any more time to speak as Yoru pushed open a plain stone door, revealing a wide hall beyond it. Gentle blue light illuminated it from far above, and a tall wooden table rested in its center, long enough to easily seat twenty people. Plain but well-carved chairs lined the table¡¯s sides in wait of someone to use them.


    The air was still like a bated breath, and the smell of fresh dew washed away the musty stench of the tunnel behind them.


    ¡°Whoa,¡± Noah said. ¡°Nice place, Yoru. Is this where you live?¡±


    ¡°No. This is a greeting room,¡± Yoru replied. She made her way over to the chair at the head of the table and hoisted herself into a raised chair at the table¡¯s end. Noah had to bite back a laugh. She looked like a kid playing princess.


    Well, I suppose it can¡¯t hurt to play along. She did spend over 1000 gold on me.


    ¡°So, what is it that you wanted?¡± Noah asked. ¡°And I have to know, how did you find out about our cat? Did someone tell you?¡±


    ¡°The cat can wait,¡± Yoru said. She pointed at the chair to her side. ¡°Sit.¡±


    Noah shrugged and did as she requested. Moxie took the chair beside him and Aylin took the one beside her while Pirren edged toward the one at the farthest spot on the table. Yoru¡¯s masked face lifted to stare in the snake demon¡¯s direction.


    She didn¡¯t even have to say a word. Pirren¡¯s shoulders slumped and she walked back over to join them, sitting down beside Moxie.


    ¡°If not the cat, then what is it?¡± Noah tilted his head to the side. His senses scanned over the room to see if this was some sort of trap, but he didn¡¯t feel anyone else in the area.


    ¡°I want you to do something for me, Spider,¡± Yoru said in her typical icy, soft whisper. ¡°Would you be so kind as to grant my request?¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Noah tilted his head to the side. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Yoru lifted her hands lifted to her mask.


    ¡°I want you to look into my eyes.¡±

 Chapter 505: The Future

    Chapter 505: The Future


    Yoku¡¯s hand tightened around her mask and Spider watched her, mild curiosity in his expression. He seemed to have absolutely no idea that the thin piece of ceramic wasn¡¯t there to conceal her identity. It was there to make sure no demon mistakenly looked into her eyes.


    Any demon that knew who she was ¡ª even Belkus himself ¡ª would have averted their gaze instantly. Spider didn¡¯t so much as flinch. Either he had absolutely no idea who she was, or he simply didn¡¯t care. Yoku was willing to bet it was the former, and she¡¯d only list a single bet throughout the entirety of her very, very long life.


    She lifted the mask away from her face.


    Before she could lower it and meet Spider¡¯s gaze unhindered, she paused.


    And, for a brief instant, the demon that peered endlessly into the future was plagued by memories of the past.


    Old faces flickered in her sightless eyes. Some of them had started to fade with age, but even the relentless millstone of time hadn¡¯t managed to completely wipe them from her memory. They would haunt her for as long as she lived.


    There had been a time, so long ago that nearly everyone that still recalled it had long since passed, where Yoku had not possessed the Moonlight Prophecy Master Rune. A time when she had lived with her parents and brother in a small cave in the Wastes.


    Yoku only possessed a single clear memory from that time.


    The very last one.


    She could remember the pain. The burning agony searing through her body as the Master Rune had changed her. As it granted her the gift to witness the potential probabilities of everything before her. As it gave her a looking glass into the future. As it took her eyes in turn.


    It had been a cruel joke. A Master Rune that granted vision of the future had an inverse that took her sight of the present. Moonlit Prophecy had burned away her irises and left behind empty portals to the immense might stored within her soul.


    If that had been the extent of the rune¡¯s damage, then perhaps she never would have seen it as a curse ¡ª but Moonlit Prophecy was far too great a Master Rune to be satisfied with that. The immense weight of every single probable future stored within her hung like the sky itself had been propped up upon rickety stilts.


    But Moonlit Prophecy¡¯s passive had taken her sight. It prevented her from looking into the incomprehensible, shifting paths of the future with her own eyes, kept her from being forced to witness the entirety of an ever-growing universe of potential within a split second.


    Moonlit Prophecy had taken her eyes to protect her, but it didn¡¯t protect anyone else.


    She still remembered the look on her father¡¯s face as his mind had melted. His eyes had gone glassy and flat, shattered windows to an abandoned soul.


    She remembered her mother¡¯s scream.


    She remembered the panic. The confusion. The terror.


    Yoku hadn¡¯t understood what has happening when her father died. She hadn¡¯t known what she had done ¡ª but she¡¯d learned. She¡¯d learned when she spun to her mother and brother, only to watch the screams die on their lips as every aspect of them that made them who they were was swept away.


    Smokey black tendrils bubbled up from beneath the ground. They rose into the air, invisible to everyone but Yoku, and drove into Spider¡¯s eyes like the fangs of a great beast snapping closed.


    And then the incomprehensible weight of Moonlit Prophecy, the Master Rune that had ground the mind and soul every single demon that had ever gazed upon it into mindless mush, crumpled like a scrap of paper.


    For the first time in countless years, Yoku felt true terror.


    Visions crashed into her mind one after the other. A smiling man standing in a strange, well-lit room surrounded by children holding wooden objects that sang in harmony with strange, melodic voices.


    A white bed and white sheets, with arms of pale, pallid skin that matched. The shrill, infuriating beep and screech of odd, metal structures with glowing surfaces covered with strange, incomprehensible runes.


    An empty room ¡ª and then darkness. Darkness and what laid beyond it. Yoku¡¯s lips parted. Her heart skipped a beat as an icy hand closed around it and started to squeeze.


    Glowing bodies in an endless golden line leading through a vast expanse of nothingness. Complete and utter boredom, but more than that. There was nothing but steps.


    Footsteps.


    Footsteps.


    Footsteps.


    Footsteps.


    Over and over again. Endless boredom. Time stretched and dilated, losing its meaning. It could have been thousands or hundreds of thousands of years. It was impossible to tell.


    Incomprehensible pain pierced Yoku¡¯s mind. If she still possessed control of her body, she would have screamed. Instead, she could do nothing but watch the visions drive into her with increasing intensity. Years ¡ª decades ¡ª centuries ¡ª millennia ¡ª all passed in the briefest flicker of an instant. She saw nothing but mere flickers of it, but even those were enough.


    Moonlit Propehcy held every future that she could see within it, but when Yoku looked into Spider¡¯s eyes, what she found waiting there was eternity. An existence that reached so far back through the universe that even every sprawling future she could conceive was nothing more than a blip before everything that its soul had experienced. It was like weighing a marble against a planet.


    And, as blood dripped from Yoku¡¯s nose and trickled from her eyes, she finally understood the future that she had witnessed. She could only weigh futures against herself ¡ª and Spider was heavier than she was.


    Far, far heavier.


    Spider didn¡¯t bend knee to her. He didn¡¯t obey her desires or become a part of her plans. There was only a single future in which she got everything she desired, and that was the one where she became a part of his.

 Chapter 506:

    Chapter 506:


    When Yoru started to bleed from her eyes and mouth after staring at him for no more than a second or two, the first thought that flashed through Noah¡¯s head was, oh, shit. She¡¯s sick.


    The second thought that followed it was, Damn. She¡¯s barely looks any older than a teenager.


    No older than many of his students had been back on Earth ¡ª or, at least, how old they¡¯d once been.


    At least, in appearance. That didn¡¯t mean much for demons.


    Yoru grabbed her mask from the table and practically slammed it back onto her face, not even pausing for long enough to wipe the blood away. Her hands gripped the armrests of her chair so tightly that her knuckles had turned bone white. She let out a ragged breath, slumping back and letting her head thunk against the chair¡¯s back.


    ¡°Whoa. Are you okay?¡± Noah asked, rising from his chair. ¡°Do you need something?¡±Re?a?d new chapters at novelhall.com


    ¡°I ¡ª just... quiet,¡± Yoru rasped. She pressed her hand against the mask, her entire body as stiff as a board. Noah exchanged a baffled look with Moxie. He didn¡¯t miss the look of stark horror on Pirren¡¯s face, but he was pretty sure she¡¯d spent more time terrified in the last few hours than not. It was basically normal at this point.


    Noah obliged and stood in place, shifting uncomfortably. He¡¯d never been a fan of problems completely out of his control. It wasn¡¯t like he could hand her an Advil and send her home to her parents ¡ª both of which still seemed to be absent.


    Nobody spoke for several seconds. Yoru¡¯s grip on the armrests didn¡¯t lessen in the slightest and her breath showed no signs of coming under control. Blood welled along the edges of the mask and ran down its sides, dripping down to her clothes.


    Noah managed to avoid doing anything for about a minute. He was fairly proud of that. It was longer than he normally waited. He carefully reached out and put a hand on Yoru¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Noah said, keeping his voice gentle. He had no idea what had happened to her, but he wasn¡¯t going to get any answers until she was calm again. ¡°Yoru. It¡¯s okay. Take a deep breath in and let it out nice and slow. Everything is fine. Help me count how many people are in the room. Me, you, Moxie, Aylin, Pirren.¡±


    He moved his other hand as he spoke, pointing to each of them in turn. Noah didn¡¯t have to worry about if Yoru could see with her mask on. She¡¯d already made it quite clear that she could.


    The small demon made no move to acknowledge his words, but he saw her head move slightly with his hand. That was progress.


    ¡°Keep breathing. In and out. Deep,¡± Noah continued. ¡°What about touch? You¡¯re holding the chair pretty hard. What else can you touch? Can you touch four things?¡±


    He ignored the baffled looks Moxie and Pirren sent him as he watched Yoru closely. It was difficult to read the demon with her mask on, but her breathing had started to slow and her hands gradually unclenched from the chair.


    ¡°Are smells better?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Can you smell anything? You don¡¯t have to answer out loud. Just think. Think and breathe.¡±


    Yoru¡¯s hands fully unclenched from the chair. Her head tilted back slightly. ¡°Blood. I taste blood.¡±


    ¡°That would be because your mask is covered in it. Stay with me. Just keep breathing. Are you feeling better?¡±


    ¡°You ¡ª I ¡ª yes. I am fine.¡± Some of the strength returned to Yoru¡¯s voice, but she still sounded badly shaken.


    ¡°Are you sick with something?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Where are your parents? Are they here?¡±


    ¡°Dead,¡± Yoru replied, her voice going distant.


    Fuck. Goddamn it. Of course they¡¯re dead. It¡¯s a random demon kid. Why wouldn¡¯t their parents be dead? Not a rich brat, then. A rich heiress. One of unknown actual age and power. I was not trained for this, but I¡¯m pretty sure bringing up a kid¡¯s dead parents isn¡¯t the best way to ground them.


    ¡°Deep breaths,¡± Noah repeated, somewhat ineffectively. He was surprised to find that it actually seemed to work. Yoru was coming to again.


    ¡°Well, thank you. I don¡¯t have anything of any interest to properly repay it right now,¡± Noah scratched the back of his neck and sending a pleading glance in Moxie¡¯s direction. He didn¡¯t make it a habit of carrying around toys. He couldn¡¯t even know what kind of toys a fourteen year old would ¡ª


    Wait. She¡¯s a powerful demon, not just a child. I¡¯m not sure when I started thinking of her as just a kid but underestimating her would be a very poor idea. She¡¯s still almost certainly more powerful than I am.


    Noah looked back at Yoru. She¡¯d hugged her knees to her chest and sat in her chair at the head of the table quietly. A powerful demon she may have been, but power didn¡¯t negate every single problem.


    Having powerful runes doesn¡¯t magically make you not want to have things that everyone else does, and it certainly can¡¯t give you a family. A house is only a home when there¡¯s someone to go back to. This environment can¡¯t be good for her.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Noah said, his eyes lighting up as an idea finally struck him. ¡°I know. It¡¯s a little empty here, don¡¯t you think? Why don¡¯t we head back to Aylin¡¯s camp?¡±


    Pirren finally remembered that her body could move and mustered every last scrap of self-confidence in her body to send an aghast look in Noah¡¯s direction. ¡°There¡¯s no way she¡ª¡±


    Yoru turned to look at the Knowledge Demon. ¡°His camp? It is yours.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s his,¡± Noah said with a shake of his head. ¡°He¡¯s doing all the work to take care of it. Besides, I really don¡¯t want the responsibility of managing that many demons. Aylin controls the camp. He just works for me.¡±


    ¡°I see. I am partial to this request.¡±


    Pirren started to nod sagely before realizing that Yoru had just agreed to the offer instead of saying no. The snake demon blinked, then seemed to realize that she had already spent every last drop of emotion that her body could muster.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Pirren said. ¡°Right. Of course. May I be excused to go back to my egg?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Yoru said.


    ¡°Right,¡± Pirren said. ¡°That¡¯s fine. I didn¡¯t want to go back anyway.¡±


    ¡°Lie,¡± Aylin muttered under his breath, just barely loud enough for Noah to pick his words up.


    ¡°Good,¡± Yoru said. She rose from her chair and wiped at some of the blood running from her mask. It looked like the majority of the bleeding had stopped, but she still really hadn¡¯t had a chance to clean anything yet.


    ¡°Did you want to clean up first?¡± Noah asked. ¡°We can wait. It isn¡¯t a problem.¡±


    It was a second before Yoru spoke again. ¡°No. I will clean later. Blood is not a significant impediment. There is no reason to cause delay. My aide will gather everything I need and bring it to me. I will use a spare bed in one of the tents at your camp.¡±


    Noah shrugged. That was just fine with him. He had gotten what he wanted, after all. The sooner he could get back to the camp and make sure Lee was doing fine, the better. Then, a moment later, he actually processed what Yoru had just said.


    He¡¯d been offering to come back to his camp so they could speak further and he could figure out how she knew about Mascot, but it seemed that she¡¯d taken that as an invitation to move in.


    Noah couldn¡¯t bring himself to correct Yoru. Powerful demon or not, the room they were in was just depressing. It was so empty and devoid of everything that an actual home should have had. A kid deserved better. Granted, he wasn¡¯t entirely sure a camp full of murderous demons was any better, but it wasn¡¯t like any of them were going to pose a threat to Yoru.


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s fine with me,¡± Noah said, not entirely sure how things had ended up like this but left with no path but the one before him. ¡°Let¡¯s get going, then.¡±


    I think I might have just inadvertently adopted a demon.

 Chapter 507: Who are you?

    Chapter 507: Who are you?


    The trip back to the Web¡¯s camp was quiet and went without any incident or events of note. There were a few demons wandering around in the market square and standing watch from the rooftops around it. None of them did anything to draw Noah¡¯s attention, though that was probably more out of self-preservation than any other reason.


    ¡°Well, here we are,¡± Noah said as they came to a stop in front of the large command tent. ¡°I¡¯d imagine there should be an empty tent somewhere, so we can¡ª¡±


    ¡°That one,¡± Yoru said, pointing to a small tent to the right of the one that Noah, Moxie, and Lee had taken up residence in. ¡°It is newly vacant.¡±


    ¡°Is it?¡± Noah asked, arching an eyebrow. ¡°I was unaware. How did you know?¡±


    ¡°Because I will make it vacant.¡±


    Ah. I suppose I should have seen that coming. She¡¯s still a rich kid, after all. A rich kid in a demon society.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we can find a tent that isn¡¯t occupied,¡± Noah said. He couldn¡¯t hold Yoru¡¯s actions against her. She hadn¡¯t had any guidance ¡ª and if she had, it was probably from the wrong kind of people. But just because her past wasn¡¯t ideal didn¡¯t mean he was going to let her just keep acting that way if she was going to join his camp. ¡°There are a lot of tents. No point being an asshole to someone just because you can. Save it for a purpose, yeah?¡±


    Yoru tilted her head to the side. ¡°You imply that the demon inside that tent has a greater worth to you than I do?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not how things work, Yoru,¡± Moxie said gently. ¡°It¡¯s about giving people a place they can want to return to. A lot of demons are relying on Aylin right now and he¡¯s trying to prove that he¡¯s the best of all the streetlords. There would be no reason to follow him when Spider isn¡¯t around if that doesn¡¯t hold true. Nobody will want to be here if they¡¯re constantly worried another demon will just take what is theirs.¡±


    ¡°That does not make sense. Those without power cannot expect to possess anything. All you own is only yours so long as you can protect it. This is a fact that every demon knows well. It will not surprise them.¡±


    ¡°That may be true in the rest of the Damned Plains, but this is Aylin¡¯s camp ¡ª and through him, it is mine,¡± Noah said, putting a hand on Yoru¡¯s shoulder. ¡°And we have enough enemies outside our walls to avoid making new ones within them. You¡¯ll have a tent that suits your needs and doesn¡¯t require you to steal it from someone weaker. Besides, doesn¡¯t it feel a bit bad punching down?¡±


    ¡°No. Victory is victory, regardless of the opponent.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Noah said with a small sigh. ¡°We¡¯ll work on that. How about I introduce you and Pirren to the other important members of the camp?¡±


    ¡°You implied that everyone in your camp was important. Are we going to meet all of them?¡± There was a note of faint amusement buried deep within Yoru¡¯s tone.


    Great. Not just a kid, but a rebellious one.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the place to get into a philosophical debate over the worth of lives. I think we¡¯d be at it for a while. For now, suffice to say everyone in my camp has value, but some have more value than others. An ill kept sword will rust and shatter when brought to battle. I just like some swords more than others.¡±


    ¡°So they are all tools and you do not wish them damaged. I understand.¡±


    Noah sighed. Out of everything he¡¯d been trying to get across, that hadn¡¯t been the bit he¡¯d hoped she¡¯d fixate on. At least it meant she probably wouldn¡¯t go around attacking random members of his camp because she liked the way their shirts looked and wanted them for herself.


    Viewing everyone as a tool was still a pretty bad way to view life, but at least she saw them as useful tools that weren¡¯t to be damaged. She was still a demon after all. Small steps toward progress were key.


    Noah tensed. He trusted Lee¡¯s nose a whole lot more than he did any of his own observations. If Yoru was manipulating them or was a threat, he refused to let himself be caught off guard.


    It really didn¡¯t seem like Yoru was planning to try and screw us over, but if Lee caught something that I missed...


    ¡°You should take a bath,¡± Lee continued. ¡°It¡¯s been too long since your last one.¡±


    It took every scrap of willpower Noah had to avoid letting out a surprised laugh. He hadn¡¯t expected Lee to be speaking about a literal smell. He hadn¡¯t really noticed anything off about Yoru, but it wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d been going around sniffing her either.


    The small demon looked down at her hands, then back up at Lee. ¡°I do?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°There are probably slightly more polite ways to say that, Lee,¡± Noah said gently. ¡°But we have all been walking around for a while. I¡¯m sure we could all use some tidying up but let me finish introductions first.¡±


    ¡°There is no need,¡± Yoru said. Her head tilted to the side and nearly five seconds of uncomfortable silence passed before she returned to her normal position. ¡°I have familiarized myself with everyone present.¡±


    ¡°It takes more than a brief introduction for that,¡± Noah said. ¡°I know you¡¯re used to living alone, but it¡¯s important to make friends.¡±


    ¡°I am already aware of their names and desires.¡± Yoru pointed at Vrith. ¡°This is Vrith. She is thinking about stabbing me. She is also thinking about Aylin.¡±


    Noah blinked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she isn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, I was,¡± Vrith said, staring at Yoru with wide eyes. ¡°It¡¯s important to find the fastest way to kill anyone when you first meet them in case they try to betray you... but I most certainly was not thinking about Aylin.¡±


    Embarrassment tinged her cheeks with enough intensity to make it absolutely clear to Noah that Vrith was lying through her teeth. Yoru had read her perfectly.


    ¡°It was in your eyes,¡± Yoru replied. She turned to the rest of the room and pointed at one demon after the other. ¡°Torrick. He wants to hide. Edda. She is hungry. Lee. She wants to eat me. She also thinks I smell bad. Violet. She loves Aylin and is worried I pose him a threat.¡±


    Noah stared at Yoru in disbelief. This was more than just finding a way to detect the magic that someone else was using.


    That¡¯s not the first time Yoru has known more than she should. What the hell is up with her? Does she have a way to read people¡¯s minds or something? God, I really hope she¡¯s not a Mind Rune user. I hate Mind Runes.


    ¡°How did you know that?¡± Violet demanded, saving Noah from having to figure out a way to ask the very same thing. She took a step forward and her lips thinned as she watched the other demon warily. ¡°Who are you?¡±

 Chapter 508: Questions

    Chapter 508: Questions


    ¡°I am Yoru.¡±


    ¡°I think I was a little more interested in the second question,¡± Violet said. She shifted her stance and rolled her neck. ¡°A lot of demons would take someone knowing everything about them as a threat.¡±


    ¡°I do not know everything about you.¡±


    ¡°Then how did you know what we were thinking?¡± Vrith asked.


    ¡°Your eyes. I already informed you. If you are asking for the identity of my runes, then I will not be answering. That is my knowledge alone. I will not speak on any part of¡ª¡±


    ¡°Do you have Mind Runes?¡± Noah asked, making sure to keep his tone measured. There was no point getting testy before she could even answer him. It wasn¡¯t like Demons could do much about what runes they had, but he wasn¡¯t willing to leave the question unanswered.


    ¡°No,¡± Yoru said immediately. ¡°I have 5 Moonlight Runes and a Master Rune. None of them are related to Mind Runes.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say you weren¡¯t going to speak about your runes?¡± Aylin asked.


    ¡°That was before Spider asked.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate the honesty,¡± Noah said. He wished Aylin could have read her, but Yoru seemed to be telling the truth anyway. Almost nobody would just share the exact details of their runes with other people. As long as Yoru wasn¡¯t doing anything out of line, he had no reason to hold her to a different standard. That all went a long way to reassure him. It didn¡¯t, however, do much to help her standing with the others in the tent. Noah blew out a sigh. ¡°But I have to say, you¡¯ve missed something, Yoru.¡±


    ¡°I did?¡± A trace of panic entered the small demon¡¯s voice. ¡°What is it? What did I miss?¡±


    ¡°Knowing someone¡¯s name and predicting what they¡¯re going to say doesn¡¯t mean you know them. That¡¯s not a relationship. If you¡¯re going to stay at my camp, you¡¯ll be seeing everyone here quite a bit. I expect everyone to get along. I do not tolerate in-fighting.¡±


    Everyone in the room stiffened as his voice grew taut.


    ¡°We won¡¯t cause problems,¡± Aylin promised.


    I think Yoru is more likely to cause issues than you are, buddy.


    ¡°How are we supposed to be friendly with someone that can read our minds?¡± Violet asked. ¡°But I will do everything I can to execute your orders, Spider.¡±


    ¡°I cannot read your mind. I can simply predict your thoughts to a very high degree of accuracy.¡± Yoru said. Her head tilted slightly. ¡°And no, I do not have the slightest degree of interest in Aylin. He is a child.¡±


    ¡°As are you,¡± Vrith said, sending Yoru a pointed look.


    ¡°I am not¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yoru, there¡¯s nothing wrong with being young,¡± Noah said with a chuckle.


    The masked demon turned to stare up at him for a second. Then she inclined her head. ¡°I lost my perspective. You are correct. I am a child.¡±


    So please speak like one, good god.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t trying to pick you apart here,¡± Noah said, crouching so he was at eye level with Yoru. ¡°I invited you here so you¡¯d be able to relax and spend time with others. Let your guard down a bit. Have fun. Okay?¡±


    ¡°I will attempt to do as you ask.¡±?iscover new chapters at novelhall.com


    That was probably about as good of a promise as he was going to get for the time being.


    ¡°Great,¡± Noah said. He straightened back out and gave everyone a nod. ¡°Aylin, would you find Yoru an unoccupied tent to stay in?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll look into it immediately,¡± Aylin said. ¡°I¡¯m sure¡ª¡±


    ¡°She can stay in mine,¡± Violet said, her eyes locked onto Yoru¡¯s mask. ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯d be thrilled to get to know each other better, just as Spider requested.¡±


    Noah gave Violet an approving nod. He was entirely aware she¡¯d only said it so she¡¯d have more time to interrogate Yoru, but he wanted those answers just as badly as everyone else in the room did.


    ¡°Keep an eye on them for me, would you?¡± Violet asked, sending a look at Edda and Torrick.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Aylin replied. ¡°It looks like they¡¯ve got more than enough food to keep them occupied for the time being anyway. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have to do much.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking to you,¡± Violet said with a wry smile. ¡°I heard what Yoru said about what you were thinking, Vrith. Hands off.¡±


    ¡°I ¡ª what?¡± Vrith choked on her own saliva and doubled over, coughing into her fist.


    Edda gave a thumbs up. Aylin just sighed and Violet repressed a laugh as she stepped out of the tent, letting the flap fall shut behind her. Yoru stepped out a moment later.


    ¡°The tent is this...¡± Violet started, then trailed off as Yoru stepped past her and walked right over to her tent.


    ¡°Here,¡± Yoru finished, ducking into the tent.


    Violet¡¯s eye twitched. She followed after Yoru. The small tent she¡¯d taken over really wasn¡¯t big enough for two people. It only had enough room for a single bedroll, though they could probably stuff a second one into it if they really wanted to.


    There was a small desk that lacked a chair to the side of the tent ¡ª Violet hadn¡¯t gotten a chance to use it. She¡¯d spent most of her recent time in the command tent, but it was too difficult to interrogate Yoru with other people there. There were too many distractions. Too many risks if something went wrong.


    Now that they were alone, she could ¡ª


    ¡°You will find nothing that I do not give you,¡± Yoru said.


    Violet¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Stop doing that. How are you doing that? Did you lie about not having Mind Runes?¡±


    ¡°No. Lying to Spider is ill-advised.¡±


    ¡°Then how?¡± Violet demanded. ¡°You¡¯re reading my mind!¡±


    ¡°I am not. I am predicting your words. There is a difference.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just skip all of this, shall we?¡± Violet asked, her jaw tight as she took a step toward Yoru. ¡°I want to know what you¡¯re after. There¡¯s no way you¡¯re just a random kid. I don¡¯t believe it.¡±


    ¡°I have little interest in you. So long as you do not oppose me, then we will have no reason to interact.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Violet said dryly. ¡°No reason aside from the part that we¡¯re going to be living in the same tent. That¡¯s not going to work on me. I recognize someone that has an agenda when I see them. Until you tell me what it is, I¡¯m going to be all the way up your ass.¡±


    ¡°Crass words will do nothing to intimidate me. You lack the power to influence my actions.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Violet allowed. ¡°But you can¡¯t do anything to me either. Because if you do¡ª¡±


    ¡°Spider would be incredibly displeased,¡± Yoru said, finishing Violet¡¯s sentence for her. ¡°Yes. I already considered that.¡±


    ¡°Of course you did. Go take your bath, then. Keep your goals to yourself. Spider will find them out eventually. Good luck making any¡ª¡±


    ¡°Friends,¡± Yoru muttered.


    Violet¡¯s eye twitched.


    ¡°Stop that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Yoru said.


    ¡°Understand what?¡± Violet asked. ¡°You¡¯re literally the one that just stole the words from my mouth. You said them yourself. What is there to not understand?¡±


    ¡°I know the words, but I don¡¯t understand them,¡± Yoru said. Violet was surprised to hear a note of distress entering the smaller demon¡¯s voice. Yoru¡¯s head tilted to the side. ¡°What is a friend?¡±

 Chapter 509: What is love?

    Chapter 509: What is love?


    Violet squinted at Yoru in search of any derision or sarcasm. There was none. As far as she could tell, the masked demon was being completely honest with her ¡ª and if anything, that only made it odder.


    ¡°What do you mean, what is a friend?¡± Violet asked, baffled as she sat back against her desk, using it for the first time as she scooted back to get a better seat and stained the back of her pants with dust in the process.


    ¡°Exactly what I said.¡± Yoru went to sit down on the bedroll at her feet. Violet¡¯s eyes narrowed. They¡¯d just been walking around all day, and the demon was hardly clean. Even though her bedroll was far from a paramount of cleanliness, it was hers. Violet didn¡¯t get a chance to say anything. Even as her lips parted, Yoru paused.


    ¡°I am not dirty.¡±


    ¡°You did it again,¡± Violet snapped, her eyes going narrow. ¡°Stop reading my damn mind, you creep. No wonder you¡¯re asking what a friend is if this is how you act. Doesn¡¯t surprise me in the slightest.¡±


    Yoru¡¯s head tiled to the side, a movement that Violet was quickly starting to associate with when the masked demon was doing... whatever it was that she did.


    ¡°You would have been displeased if I sat down.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well I¡¯m even more displeased that you¡¯re digging through my damn head,¡± Violet snapped.


    ¡°Less displeased than if I sat down.¡±


    Violet considered that for a second and was annoyed to find that Yoru was right. If anything, that just annoyed her even more.


    ¡°Forget it,¡± Violet said with a sigh. ¡°Just stay away from Aylin. Torrick and Edda too. I don¡¯t want you anywhere near them.¡±


    ¡°I do not have any intention to harm any of them at the current point in time.¡± Yoru bundled her long, white hair up and lowered herself to the ground and crossing her legs beneath herself. She plopped the ball of hair down in her lap.


    That¡¯s an odd way to phrase it. Anyone else would say ¡®I¡¯m not any threat to them¡¯, not ¡®I don¡¯t plan on being a problem right now, but who knows about later. We¡¯ll see, teehee¡¯. What is wrong with this girl?


    ¡°What¡ª¡±


    ¡°There is nothing wrong with me.¡±


    ¡°Gods damn it,¡± Violet snapped, thrusting a finger at Yoru. ¡°I told you to fucking stop. What is your problem? If you can predict the future, then why do you keep doing this?¡±


    ¡°Because it is the path in which you tell me what a friend is.¡±


    Violet¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°Did you consider that I could just stand up here and now? I could walk out of this tent and tell Spider that you¡¯ve got something seriously wrong with your head. Why would I tell you anything, much less waste time on such a stupid question?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t,¡± Yoru said. ¡°You are too interested in learning about my goals to pass up the chance. I will tell you what you wish to know if you answer my questions.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a right bitch, you know that?¡± Violet asked, jaw clenched in irritation. ¡°How do I know you¡¯re going to tell the truth? Nobody would just reveal the exact details of their plan if it was nefarious.¡±


    ¡°Because you will not ask any questions I need to avoid answering and the offer is too tempting for you to refuse.¡±


    It was a battle to keep Violet¡¯s true thoughts from showing on her face. A battle she won, but she was pretty sure it didn¡¯t even matter. Yoru probably knew what she was thinking anyway. A huge part of her just wanted to spin and leave the room just to spite the other demon, but Yoru was right.


    The chance to find out more about Yoru was just too important to pass up. Violet pushed away from her table and sat down across from Yoru, slapping her palms down on her knees.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Violet said. ¡°What¡¯s the point of this in the first place? Can¡¯t you just read the answer from my mind?¡±


    ¡°I know what your answer is, but the meaning of it evades me. I do not understand.¡±


    ¡°That makes absolutely no sense, but I¡¯ll humor you. A friend is someone you love.¡±


    ¡°I do not understand.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I figured that much. What part of that do you understand?¡±


    ¡°I understand that you do not understand me. I do not understand what a friend is. I do not understand what love is, either. Because I do not understand love, I do not understand what a friend is.¡±


    ¡°You could have just said you didn¡¯t get what love was, but I probably should have guessed,¡± Violet muttered. ¡°You¡ª¡±


    ¡°Try anyway.¡±


    Violet chewed the insides of her cheeks for a second. ¡°Love is giving someone your last piece of food when you¡¯re starving. It¡¯s putting your life in someone¡¯s hands and taking theirs in your own.¡±


    ¡°Being willing to die for someone? That does not sound like a beneficial thing. Why would I desire to risk myself for another? All that matters is my own survival.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t a hint of derision or, for that matter, emotion of any kind in Yoru¡¯s voice. It sounded like she was just stating a fact. The idea of caring for someone other than herself was completely foreign to her.


    ¡°That¡¯s the complete wrong way to look at it,¡± Violet said. ¡°Love isn¡¯t transactional. Friendship isn¡¯t about giving something and getting something. It¡¯s about being with people that make you happy.¡±


    Yoru was silent for a moment.


    ¡°What is happy?¡±


    ¡°Oh, fuck me,¡± Violet said, burying her face in her hands. ¡°Do you know the definition of a single word?¡±


    ¡°I know the definition. I do not understand the word.¡±


    ¡°I refuse to believe you do not understand the meaning of happiness.¡± Violet raised her head again. ¡°Maybe this isn¡¯t the best example, but haven¡¯t you ever gotten something you wanted?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°I get everything I want,¡± Yoru said. ¡°The future exists as I craft it. I have never failed to achieve my desires. There have been longer and shorter routes, but every single one leads to victory.¡±


    Of course.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me you haven¡¯t failed? Not once?¡±


    ¡°In a complete plan? No. I have only received setbacks, but that is only because the probabilities of the future are ever-shifting. So long as I can view them, I am in control. I have felt fear. I have seen death, but a path remains in the dark.¡±


    Violet stared at Yoru. It was difficult to comprehend what she was saying. Everyone lost. Even the most powerful demons occasionally didn¡¯t win a fight, or they didn¡¯t have something go exactly as planned.


    It was incomprehensible to think someone could have literally just never been in a position where they¡¯d felt defeat.


    ¡°What about before you got your magic? You weren¡¯t born with that powerful rune, were you?¡± Violet pressed. ¡°There has to be a time that you didn¡¯t just... win.¡±


    The other demon stiffened slightly. ¡°I do not have many memories of my time before I got my rune. The ones I have are not pleasant. I do not wish to relive them. But, even if I did, they are so muted that I can barely recall them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s... really sad, actually,¡± Violet said, surprised to find that the predominant emotion she felt was pity.


    If Yoru was serious, then she¡¯d literally never had a chance to feel anything. There was no way to feel happy if you¡¯d never had loss to compare it to. If everything always went the exact way that Yoru wanted it to, then how could she ever celebrate a victory? Winning wasn¡¯t possible when losing wasn¡¯t either. It sounded so... flat. Empty.


    If this is actually true... Spider might actually be right. It doesn¡¯t matter how old Yoru is. She might as well be child if she¡¯s literally never had a chance to live.


    ¡°Why is it sad?¡± Yoru asked. ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t understand,¡± Violet finished.


    Yoru¡¯s hands tightened around her hair and she gave it a small tug. ¡°I... do not like that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well now you know how it feels.¡± Violet tried not to let herself sound too smug. ¡°But I¡¯ve got good news for you. If you¡¯re actually serious about wanting to know what friendship and all that other shit is, then I know how to do it.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Yoru asked. ¡°I want to know. I hate not knowing.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to hate this even more,¡± Violet muttered under her breath before returning to her normal volume. ¡°You need to stop using your powers.¡±

 Chapter 510: Running

    Chapter 510: Running


    ¡°No,¡± Yoru said, her voice going as flat as a steel plate.


    Violet shrugged. It wasn¡¯t her problem in the end. She didn¡¯t care about Yoru ¡ª but she did care about any potential threat the demon posed. She leaned forward and braced her arms against her crossed legs. ¡°Whatever. I don¡¯t care what you do, but I do care about what you plan. I already gave you your answer, so now you have to give me mine. What do you want with Aylin?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. He is of no interest to me beyond his connection to Spider. He is nothing but a drone in a hive.¡± Yoru reached up to her mask. Her fingers brushed across its ceramic surface. Then she let her hand drop again. ¡°I am not satisfied with the answer you have given me.¡±


    ¡°Too bad,¡± Violet said with a sharp laugh. ¡°That¡¯s how things work for everyone else. Not every answer is the one you want it to be, and we can¡¯t just force everything to work the way we want it to. If not Aylin, then is your goal the Web?¡±


    ¡°I do not care about Spider¡¯s organization. No member within it is any more than a drone. Their weights are insignificant.¡±


    ¡°Lee? Moxie?¡±


    Yoru hesitated for a moment before answering. Her hand found its way to the bedroll behind her and dug into the sheets, squeezing them in a tight grip as unease washed over Yoru¡¯s body. ¡°Not to be touched. I do not desire anything for them.¡±


    ¡°So everyone is nothing but a tool or a drone.¡± Violet crossed her arms in front of her chest and raised an eyebrow. She wished she had a chair to lean back in, but without one, this was the best she could manage. ¡°Right. So you don¡¯t need anyone. You don¡¯t care about anyone. You don¡¯t even have any goals beyond Spider. Why do you even care about learning of love and friendship? They seem pretty damn useless to you.¡±


    ¡°Because I do not understand them.¡± Yoru released the bag and rose to her feet, carrying her hair up with her before letting it spill down around her feet.


    ¡°You¡¯re scared,¡± Violet said, standing as well. She couldn¡¯t let Yoru get the height and position advantage on her if they started grappling. Whoever was on the ground first would have a disadvantage. That was the reason. It definitely wasn¡¯t because she didn¡¯t want to have to look up at the other demon. ¡°You fear what you can¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Yoru said. There wasn¡¯t a hint of embarrassment about admitting to it. Yoru was simultaneously the easiest and hardest demon to read that Violet had ever met. She was completely honest about her thoughts, but her thoughts were so foreign that it almost didn¡¯t matter. ¡°I fear what I cannot control.¡±


    ¡°You realize that¡¯s just life, right?¡± Violet asked. ¡°Not a single other demon in the world can control literally everything. What happens when you run into something that you just can¡¯t beat?¡±


    ¡°Impossible. There is a path forward in every scenario. There is always a winning move.¡±


    Violet fought to keep her eye from twitching. Yoru was so damn stubborn that it was like speaking to a brick wall. ¡°Even with Spider? You¡¯re dead set on allying with him. Why? What happens if he turns against you?¡±


    ¡°I will not allow that to happen.¡±


    ¡°Just... pretend it does,¡± Violet said through a sigh. It was difficult to speak in hypothetical scenarios with a demon that could ¡ª at least as far as Violet could tell ¡ª see the future.


    Yoru was silent for several long seconds. Her fingers twitched. Her head started to tilt and Violet clicked her tongue in warning, her eyes narrowing. Yoru¡¯s jaw worked behind her mask and she let herself return to her normal position.


    ¡°I do not like this. I do not know. No path in which I come to odds with Spider ends in a victory. I am in the dark.¡±


    ¡°Which is how everyone is. Always. Every minute of the day. Nobody knows what will happen. And that means we have to adapt. We need to rely on more than just ourselves,¡± Violet said. ¡°By relying so heavily on your power, I think you¡¯ve actually hurt yourself. You can¡¯t see without your magic.¡±


    ¡°I cannot see at all.¡±


    ¡°So you understand?¡±


    ¡°Fighting blind,¡± Isabel muttered. Silvertide¡¯s cackle rang through the clearing as he vaulted backward and Bird¡¯s staff carved the air between his legs apart, just narrowly missing a very painful strike.


    ¡°I prefer fighting the blind, myself. Makes things a little easier on me when they can¡¯t see what I¡¯m doing,¡± James said from a short ways away. He sat against a tree together with Emily. Each of them had half of a sandwich in their hands. Isabel had no clue where James had gotten it from. She definitely hadn¡¯t seen it when they¡¯d been in the transport cannon. She wasn¡¯t sure she wanted to know.


    ¡°Fighting blind? How did you find insight for that?¡± Alexandra asked, her eyes going wide. A flicker of disappointment passed through them a moment later. ¡°I¡¯ve tried before, but it¡¯s impossible. For me, at least. When you reach Rank 4, you could use your domain to feel your opponents and your eyes would not be needed.¡±


    ¡°Insight came in the name of Jalen and Silvertide,¡± Isabel said, raising a hand to block out the fight unfolding before them. ¡°Perhaps the elderly should be instructed to wrap themselves less tightly.¡±


    ¡°Elderly?¡± Jalen exclaimed, stepping out from a ripple in space to their side ¡ª and, much to Isabel¡¯s immense distress ¡ª dressed the same as the rest of them. ¡°Who are you calling elderly? I am still in the spring of my youth.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re old enough to be my great grandpa, man,¡± Todd said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t insult me,¡± Jalen said through a scoff. ¡°Do I look like a whelp to you? I¡¯m far older than that.¡±


    ¡°You just said¡ª¡± Alexandra started.


    ¡°Forget what I said. It¡¯s about what I do,¡± Jalen replied. He held up a hand, a dart with a rounded tip pinched within his fingers. ¡°And what I am doing is playing darts. Silvertide and Bird are having too much fun without us. I got bored.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the target?¡± Alexandra asked, glancing around the forest. They were surrounded by rough barked trees and towering canopies. There was nothing else.


    Jalen smiled and plucked at a bandage wrapped around his wrist, tightening it. ¡°I¡¯m looking at them, of course.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass on this one,¡± Todd said quickly.


    ¡°As will I. I¡¯ve suddenly decided that I love watching demonstrations,¡± James said. ¡°I think I¡¯d prefer to keep absorbing information from afar.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± Emily added. ¡°We can learn a lot from Silvertide.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Todd muttered. ¡°Like the importance of underwear when you¡¯re wrapped up like a glazed ham.¡±


    A bark of laughter slipped from Jalen¡¯s lips and he shook his head. ¡°Oh, kids. Have I ever told you how much I love them?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Isabel said.


    ¡°That¡¯s because I don¡¯t.¡± Jalen examined the dart in his hands. The smile on his features grew, but it was far from comforting. It was the look of a shark approaching a school of fish. ¡°But I do love darts ¡ª and playing wasn¡¯t an option.¡±


    James pushed himself to his feet and pulled Emily up alongside him. Isabel and Todd both lowered their stances and Alexandra put her hand on the hilt of her sword.


    ¡°Can we do a rain check on this?¡± Todd asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± Jalen said. He splayed his hand out, and four more darts materialized between his fingers. ¡°Let¡¯s practice, shall we? I suggest you start running.¡±

 Chapter 511: Old

    Chapter 511: Old


    Noah stood on the roof of a building at the edge of camp, the purple and red light of the Damned Plains dancing across the rooftops around him like they were a bed of shimmering gravel in an aquarium.


    Yoru sat before him, her legs dangling over the edge of the roof as she looked down on the camp. If she noticed him ¡ª and he suspected that she did ¡ª she made no move to acknowledge his presence.


    Violet had given Noah a rundown of the conversation the two demons had. It wasn¡¯t what he¡¯d been hoping to hear, but expecting much different would have just been lying to himself. The two demons¡¯ personalities couldn¡¯t have possibly been more different.


    One was a demon that had grown up on the streets with nothing but her family, starving and clawing her way to survival. Victory was a foreign concept when the only thing they could afford to focus on was surviving to the next day.


    The other was someone who knew only victory, but possessed nothing beyond it.


    Future sight, huh? Or some variant of it. I find it difficult to believe something like that exists in this world. How can you see the future if it hasn¡¯t been made yet? The implications of that are kind of unsettling.


    But power does not a child unmake. You can be immensely strong and still be a child mentally. Understanding doesn¡¯t always come with strength, no matter how much people think it does. Dying to monsters in the Scorched Acres hundreds of times showed me how to fight. The only way to truly understand is to experience. I condensed years of experience into such a short period of time... but I don¡¯t know if something like that is possible for emotion.


    Yoru is strong. Stronger than I am if you¡¯re only counting the raw strength of our runes ¡ª but she has no life experience. A demon who embodies controlling the future... it seems like she¡¯s been controlled by her own Runes for so long that she hasn¡¯t ever gotten a chance to live. In a lot of ways, that still makes her a child.


    Noah blew out a small sigh. It was a strange concept to feel bad for Yoru. The demon was almost undoubtedly trying to manipulate him. That was the conclusion Violet had come to. She¡¯d only returned to the camp because she saw some sort of benefit from doing so.


    And yet, he still felt pity. Yoru was so completely inexperienced with living that she didn¡¯t even have the basis to feel uncomfortable admitting that she was scared of something.


    He shifted, preparing to hop down from his roof and join Yoru. Someone else moved before he could. A small hand reached over the edge of the roof and clasped the stone lip. Aylin pulled himself over with a grunt.


    ¡°Yoru,¡± Aylin said.


    ¡°Aylin. You will¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hold on. Turn it off, would you?¡± Aylin asked as scooted back over to the edge of the building and swung his legs over it. He leaned back on his hands and turned to the other demon. ¡°Your future sight, that is.¡±


    ¡°It is off. I have not tilted my head.¡±


    A small smile tugged at Aylin¡¯s lips and he let out a chuckle. ¡°As if someone as strong as you would have such a damn obvious tell. You don¡¯t need to tilt your head to use your magic. Maybe you just like doing it, but you don¡¯t need to. But you knew I¡¯d say that, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°It was highly probable,¡± Yoru admitted.


    ¡°Well, turn it off.¡±


    ¡°What makes you believe I would ever turn it off? You spoke with Violet.¡± Yoru¡¯s words were a statement, not a question. ¡°Perhaps I simply lied to her as well.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you did.¡± Aylin gave her a half-shrug. ¡°Dunno. No way for me to know for sure, but I want you to do it anyway.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s a better question. Why would you ask ¡®why¡¯ if you already know my answer?¡±


    ¡°Because I do not know your answer until I ask the question,¡± Yoru replied. ¡°And you have avoided answering it again. You guard this answer closely.¡±


    ¡°Just trying to learn how your power works,¡± Aylin said, his smile growing slightly. ¡°And I think that helps. I approached the conversation with a determination that I wouldn¡¯t tell you why I¡¯m here today. That means your magic has a limit ¡ª or you choose to give it a limit. I suppose it also means you can¡¯t actually read my mind or otherwise influence me. You just... what, take really good guesses as to what people will do?¡±


    ¡°That is a rudimentary way to view it, but not entirely incorrect. You did not come here purely just to learn my powers.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, though that was a bit of it. I like knowing things. But the reason I¡¯m here is to talk to you. So turn the magic off.¡±


    Yoru studied Aylin in silence for several seconds. Then she inclined her head slightly. ¡°It is off. I will not keep it this way for long. State the purpose for which you came quickly.¡±


    ¡°My sister¡¯s a bit of a handful, isn¡¯t she?¡± Aylin asked, looking out over the camp. ¡°She¡¯s always been overprotective. Reaching Rank 3 only made that even stronger. I hope you won¡¯t hold it against her. She¡¯s lost a lot, and she doesn¡¯t want to lose more.¡±


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t.¡± the Knowledge Demon sat up and crossed his legs beneath him. He braced his palms against his knees. ¡°This is what I came here to talk to you about, Yoru. I want to understand you, because I want to understand everything. Violet wants to protect because she¡¯s never had anything but our family, and she¡¯s terrified of losing that. She¡¯s also just as terrified of gaining something new that she doesn¡¯t understand. It¡¯s easy to protect what you know. But something new? That¡¯s a different story. It¡¯s so much easier to just keep things as they are. So I understand Violet as well. But you ¡ª I don¡¯t understand you.¡±


    ¡°I survive. That is all there is to understand.¡±


    ¡°Then you have even less than I did before Spider found me,¡± Aylin said. ¡°Because Violet, Torrick, Edda, and I survived. That was all we did. It was all we could afford to do. But you¡¯ve got so much power. You can do anything you want, and yet you choose to have even less than we do. At least we have each other. What do you have?¡±


    ¡°Power.¡±


    ¡°Do you?¡± Aylin asked. ¡°Or does power have you? Power is only useful when it has a purpose.¡±


    Yoru didn¡¯t respond for several seconds. Then she turned to finally look at Aylin. ¡°Is there a purpose to this discussion?¡±


    ¡°For you? Maybe not. But it helps me understand you better.¡± Aylin gave her a small shrug. He rose to his feet and brushed himself off. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Violet to get off your back, but I¡¯m not giving her a different tent. You¡¯ll be a learning experience for her. She has to learn to adapt ¡ª and to keep her powers from controlling her.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t scared that I will bring her to harm?¡±


    ¡°Harm? No. Everything I¡¯ve learned about you shows that your only concern is staying on Spider¡¯s good side, and hurting Violet will ensure that doesn¡¯t happen. I understand you now.¡± He walked over to the edge of the building, then paused. ¡°But, if there¡¯s more to you than just your magic, I¡¯d be happy to talk again. I¡¯m always eager to learn more.¡±


    With that, Aylin dropped off the edge of the roof. He hit the ground below with a distant thud and strode off toward the center of camp. Vrith slipped into a shadow to follow after him, and Yoru remained exactly where she sat.


    Knowledge Demons are scary.


    Noah finally emerged from his hiding spot and dropped down to the roof behind Yoru. She spun toward him, leaping to her feet, then froze as she spotted who it was.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t have your magic active yet?¡± Noah asked, mildly surprised. ¡°I thought you¡¯d have turned it back on the moment he left.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking,¡± Yoru said, letting her hands lower.


    ¡°I usually leave that to the professionals,¡± Noah said. ¡°Tends to hurt my head when I do it too much.¡±


    ¡°It does hurt,¡± Yoru agreed without even a hint of sarcasm. ¡°I do not like it.¡±


    ¡°Then don¡¯t do too much at once. Nobody changes in a blink of an eye. I do agree with Aylin that power has to come for a reason. There¡¯s no use to being the strongest being in existence if you don¡¯t have something to use all that might for.¡±


    Yoru¡¯s neck craned back as she looked up to his eyes. ¡°What do you use your power for?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s changed. At first... much like you, if I¡¯m being honest. I just wanted to survive,¡± Noah admitted. ¡°But now? I don¡¯t know if I can give you a singular answer. I use it for a lot of things. I¡¯m no philosopher. If you¡¯re asking to try and copy me, it won¡¯t work. You¡¯re going to have to figure out what you want yourself. Desires are personal.¡±


    ¡°How am I meant to do that?¡± A note of anger entered Yoru¡¯s voice. ¡°I can get anything I want with my powers, but this is not tangible. How do you know what you want?¡±


    ¡°By failing,¡± Noah replied. ¡°I¡¯ve learned a hell of a lot more from that than I have from anything else. I¡¯m not telling you to turn your powers off and sprint into certain death, but it never hurts to take a closer look at yourself.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you do?¡±


    ¡°Now? Oh hell no. I got more than enough time to think about myself,¡± Noah shuddered. ¡°I¡¯m going to go think about someone I like more. I promised Moxie I¡¯d be back soon. Find Aylin if you need advice ¡ª and be careful with that power of yours. It¡¯s definitely strong, but I know what it feels like to be trapped on a path.¡±


    ¡°I do not understand. Someone was able to trap you?¡±


    ¡°It was a long time ago,¡± Noah said with a wry smile. He headed over to the edge of the building and checked the ground below to make sure nobody was standing beneath them. ¡°But while I was trapped, you might be stuck even harder than I was. It¡¯s a lot easier to break out of a prison when the bars aren¡¯t of your own making.¡±


    Then he jumped, using a small burst of wind to catch himself before he hit the ground. Noah hadn¡¯t lied about Moxie waiting for him, and as much as he wanted to help Yoru adapt, he really didn¡¯t get enough time alone with her.


    And though he wouldn¡¯t admit it, he was also a real sucker for dramatic exits.

 Chapter 512: Old dog

    Chapter 512: Old dog


    ¡°You¡¯re back sooner than I expected,¡± Moxie observed as Noah stepped back into their tent. Her hands were cupped around a blooming flower with a head the size of her palm. Every petal on it was its own color, vibrant and bright. A faint sweet scent rose from it and crossed the tent to greet Noah.


    ¡°I found Yoru pretty easily. Saved me a lot of work.¡±


    ¡°She adjusting well?¡± Moxie asked, not taking her eyes off the flower. The tip of her tongue protruded from the side of her mouth in concentration and a ripple passed through the flower¡¯s petals as they grew a few inches.


    ¡°No,¡± Noah replied. He walked over to stand beside Moxie and watched the flower curiously. It felt unerringly... alive. That wasn¡¯t to say that he thought other plants weren¡¯t living organisms ¡ª it was just that the way this one was squirming made it feel like it belonged more in a cradle than in the dirt.


    ¡°Somehow I¡¯m not surprised.¡± Moxie pulled her gaze from the flower and it wilted instantly. The petals folded inward and its stem withered, bending under its own weight as it crumpled into a pile of greying sludge. She pulled her hands away and shook them off. ¡°How bad are we talking? You saw how Pirren was treating her. Yoru isn¡¯t just some random kid.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m more than aware. She¡¯s almost certainly a higher rank than we are.¡± Noah scratched the back of his neck. ¡°Rank 6, maybe. It¡¯s hard to tell. I never realized how useful Domains were for figuring out your opponent¡¯s strength until I couldn¡¯t do it anymore. Yoru could be a Rank 9 for all I know.¡±Discover new chapters at novelhall.comehow I doubt that,¡± Moxie said dryly. ¡°If there was a Rank 9 just sitting around in Treadon, much less in the Damned Plains, I doubt they¡¯d be in need of our help for just about anything. But Yoru is a good reminder. We can¡¯t sit still. Even with all the power we¡¯re building with the demon camps, we¡¯re going to need to be a whole lot stronger ourselves if we want a chance of fighting Wizen.¡±


    Noah rifled through his bag and pulled out the strips of leather bearing all the runes they¡¯d gotten at the auction. He splayed them out on the rough stone table beside Moxie. ¡°More than aware of that. I came back to try and figure out my next rune. I¡¯ve got enough components here to toss something together.¡±


    ¡°Unstable Mass, Unstable Corrupted Mass, both at Rank 4,¡± Moxie read off, moving some of the pieces to get a better look at the rest of them. ¡°Those two are obviously going to be useful. I¡¯m less certain on Bleeding Blades or whatever this last one is.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Falling Shadow, if I remember correctly. It¡¯ll be for Lee,¡± Noah said with a half-shrug. ¡°I don¡¯t have any Shadow Runes.¡±


    ¡°What about the Broken Master Rune?¡± Moxie asked, plucking another leather strip from the pile and examining it with a critical eye. Her lips pursed and she returned it to its former place before pushing another Imbued Rune over it. ¡°We better make sure that one isn¡¯t just sitting around. We¡¯ve got enough enemies as it is. Antagonizing some annoying Death Demon is far from the top of my list of things to do.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯ve got one of those as well?¡± Noah¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°I thought I was the only one.¡±


    Moxie rolled her eyes. She swiped the pile of sludge that had been her flower off the table and onto the ground, where it landed with a wet splatter. They both looked down at it.


    No matter. I¡¯ll get to see all the soul expansion I want once I actually make a new flawless rune. I can¡¯t get ahead of myself. First things first, I need to figure out what the hell kind of rune I¡¯m trying to make with Matter.


    There wasn¡¯t exactly a lack of options. Just about everything in the universe was made up out of matter as far as Noah was aware, though he wasn¡¯t about to put any money on his incredibly rudimentary understanding of physics.


    Minutes ticked by as Noah thought. He had more ideas than he knew what to do with, but he carved away everything that he couldn¡¯t intimately relate to. The Line had given him a perspective and understanding of things that no other living mortal could ever claim to manifest until their time among the living came to an end and they found themselves where he had once been.


    Therein laid his advantage. He needed to find something Matter-based that related to the Line. It had been pretty easy with Crumbling Space. The Line. The Gods. Everything he¡¯d seen. Everything he¡¯d done and all the times he¡¯d died. There had to be something he could reference to¡ª


    Noah paused.


    A second ticked by.


    He swallowed. An idea lodged itself in his mind like a splinter and a flicker of fear passed through him ¡ª not toward what he was about to do, but because he was going to have to explain it to Moxie.


    Noah¡¯s eyes drifted back open to find Moxie watching him intently. She didn¡¯t even bother trying to pretend like she¡¯d been doing anything else. Moxie just arched an eyebrow.


    ¡°That was fast. Done already? I don¡¯t really feel a difference in you.¡±


    ¡°Not really. I only just started,¡± Noah hedged. ¡°I just had to prepare things out here first.¡±


    Moxie¡¯s eyes narrowed as she caught the look on his face, even through the wrappings. ¡°Prepare? For what?¡±


    ¡°I think I know what I have to do to make my next Rune.¡± Noah blew out a breath and gave Moxie a sheepish grin. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to kill myself.¡±

 Chapter 513: The Noah Special

    Chapter 513: The Noah Special


    ¡°The first step to finding a solution is admitting that you have a problem,¡± Moxie said as she prodded Noah in the forehead. ¡°And you have a problem.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that only works if I¡¯m the one to admit that I¡¯ve got a problem.¡± Noah rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°And I¡¯m not just doing this for no reason, Mox. I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s the best way to form a Matter Rune.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you think ¡ª wait, Mox?¡±


    ¡°I thought it sounded cute. Like a short version of Moxie, you know? I¡¯ll scrap it and think of something better. It¡¯s not like I can call you Mo. That¡¯s like Moo, and I¡¯m not trying to imply¡ª¡±


    Moxie leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, stealing the rest of his sentence. She pulled back a few seconds later. ¡°I wanted to get that in before you turn into a corpse. And Mox is just fine. Sounds a bit dumb, but I don¡¯t think I could expect anything else from you. No need to dig yourself a hole trying to come up with something worse.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the save,¡± Noah said with a sheepish grin. ¡°Does this mean you¡¯ll kiss me every time I kill myself?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck,¡± Moxie said dryly. ¡°Just get it over with already. And be careful.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure this is something where being careful is possible, but I¡¯ll do my best to keep any blood from getting on the bed.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that. The plants will just drink it,¡± Moxie said with a small wave.


    Noah started to nod. Then he paused. ¡°They¡¯ll do what now?¡±


    ¡°What did you think would happen? I¡¯m making them from all sorts of organic matter. Blood and meat... it¡¯s all fuel in the end. Works just as well.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not terrifying at all,¡± Noah said. ¡°We¡¯ve been sleeping on a bed of blood-sucking plants?¡±


    ¡°The floor is nice and open if you want it. Nobody¡¯s forcing you.¡±


    Noah looked down at the hard ground, then back up to Moxie. He cleared his throat. ¡°On second thought, the man-eating bed is lovely. It¡¯s very well behaved. It would be rude of me to try and sleep elsewhere after the bond we¡¯ve formed.¡±


    Moxie rolled her eyes and turned away, but not before Noah caught a flicker of a grin pulling across her lips. She reached for the tent flaps and glanced over her shoulder at him. ¡°I¡¯ll go get Lee to clean up your mess. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be thrilled.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. Much appreciated.¡± Noah slipped out of his jacket and tossed it across the room before starting to pull his shirt off. He paused when he noticed that Moxie was still watching him and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Did you decide to stick around?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d consider it if you weren¡¯t about to blow yourself up. Have fun, but not too much of it.¡± Moxie slipped out of the tent and the flap fell shut behind her.


    Noah stared at it for a second, then blew out a sigh. That was definitely the most convincing argument she¡¯d had against him killing himself. It was almost enough to actually make him look for a different solution.


    In seconds, Noah took a Rank 4 Rune and reduced it to nothing but shimmering, raw power. It prickled against his skin and charged the very air he breathed ¡ª even though he was pretty sure he didn¡¯t actually need to breathe inside his own soul.


    Noah didn¡¯t waste even a second examining the results of his work. He summoned Unstable Corrupted Mass and repeated the process, splitting every single component of it down into nothing but pure magic.


    He drew the clouds of smokey, multicolored power around himself like streamers with a thought. They swirled and danced, tiny particles already drifting and fading away into the ether. No traces of panic entered his movements. Rushing would only result in greater chances for something to go wrong, and Noah only had one shot at this.


    There was only one rune left to split apart. He brought the copy of Crumbling Space closer to himself. Aches wracked his body from channeling so much of Sunder¡¯s power, but he couldn¡¯t stop yet.


    Noah gritted his teeth and called upon the Master Rune once more. His veins darkened and he clenched one fist as he raised the other toward Crumbling Space. His fingers trembled as they brushed across the surface of the rune.


    Time to see what happens when I split this thing apart.


    He released Sunder. A black line flashed down the center of the copied rune. Energy crackled along its path for a split instant. Then it shattered, releasing a wave of pure power with enough intensity to blow his hair back.


    No runes formed from the broken rune. It was like he¡¯d just split apart a Rank 1 Rune, even though it had been a Rank 4. Noah didn¡¯t have time to fully contemplate the meaning of that yet. He¡¯d get around to it when he wasn¡¯t so pressed for time. For now, he was just thankful that he wouldn¡¯t have to keep using Sunder.


    Noah released the Master Rune and it rose up into the air to return to its place in his soul. Energy filled all the free space around him, dancing and burning with an intensity that would only fade with every instant he let go to waste.


    There were only two steps left to do, and the first was the easiest. He had to kill himself. Noah had gotten pretty damn good at that, which probably wasn¡¯t something to be proud of, but he had a new idea to beat even his fastest previous record.


    Natural Disaster drifted to Noah¡¯s palm as he drew on a flicker of its energy and directed it inward, toward the top of his neck where it met his skull. He was pretty sure that ¡ª


    A sharp, buzzing zap filled Noah¡¯s ears. There was a flash of a burnt scent, followed by the walls of his Mindspace crumbling away to reveal the real world once more. Disorientation washed over Noah and he found himself raising into the air, looking down at his own body as it crumpled and pitched face-first onto the ground.


    Lee stood behind him, his gourd in her hand, watching him as her expression shifted between nervousness and eagerness. Even despite his need to work quickly, Noah blinked in surprise.


    Well, I¡¯ll be damned. That was a whole lot faster than I expected. Didn¡¯t hurt too much either. Good to know.


    A faint tug pulled at Noah¡¯s neck from the direction of the gourd. He welcomed it. After all, death wasn¡¯t what he needed to form his new rune. What he needed was what came after. The reformation of life, when the gourd gave him a new body.


    Noah didn¡¯t understand how the gourd worked. He didn¡¯t even completely get how Matter as a concept functioned. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t have to. He didn¡¯t need to make a flawless rune on the first time around. All he needed to do was take the first step. The rest would come in time as he grew to understand it.


    A grin split his lips as his soul was yanked back down into his gourd to the new body that was starting to form in the black smoke pouring from its lip. The inciting energy was there.


    He could feel his body forming around him, providing the inciting energy he¡¯d need. All the power from his Sundered Runes waited within his soul. He had everything he needed. It was time to form his next Rank 4 Rune.

 Chapter 514: Happy Little Accidents

    Chapter 514: Happy Little Accidents


    Power crashed around Noah like a roaring ocean. It flooded his lungs and pooled in his stomach, slamming into his mind like mighty waves. He grasped the reigns of consciousness and weathered the violent magic with every scrap of intent he could bring to bear.


    His will dug deep into the swirling magic and drew it together, forcing it to obey his mental command. The more his body formed, the harder the energy tried to escape. Noah didn¡¯t let it. His reformation ground to a halt as it slammed into a mental wall and he drew deeper on the latent magic that came in his reformation.


    The throbbing pulses of his headache grew stronger with every second as he resisted the pull of Sunder. His vision fluctuated between the darkness of his soul and the dim light within his tent in the Damned Plains. Flashes of runic pressure wove in and out together with his consciousness, but Noah¡¯s will had been forged by the very Line itself. He had millennia of impatience and determination to draw upon ¡ª but that wasn¡¯t all. Noah had one flame of motivation that burned brighter than anything else ever possibly could have.


    Moxie would be fucking pissed if he had to kill himself a second time.


    That was more than enough to keep him on track. The waves of power slammed into him over and over, and Noah drank from them with every blow. He ripped the churning power out and pulled it into himself, forcing it into his soul and bending it to his intent.


    Crackles of grey and white energy flashed behind Noah¡¯s eyes and arced through his mindspace. They slammed home before his flickering hand, driving themselves like pieces of jagged porcelain into the beginnings of a rune forming before him.


    Every single angle of the rune seemed as sharp as a blade. It had no curves ¡ª only jagged lines and floating components connected to the others by nothing more than a thread. If someone had grabbed their favorite plate and dashed it across the ground with all their might, the instant after it shattered would have been a fair representation of the growing rune.


    Pain burned through Noah¡¯s soul as pieces of it started to fragment. Chips formed in the empty darkness, allowing brilliant white light to spill through. They lengthened into cracks that spiderwebbed through his soul like fingers of frost.


    Noah snarled, the noise lost to the recesses of his own mind. There was less power now, but the mounting pain and soul damage were starting to eat away at his concentration. He could feel himself faltering and the rune¡¯s formation slowing.


    He still hadn¡¯t managed to draw in all the latent magic flowing through his soul. There was more left. If he failed now, it would all be wasted. He¡¯d have to go back to the auction or find another way to get more runes.


    I won¡¯t let that happen. We don¡¯t have the time to waste. I will not fail now. I¡¯m so damn close.


    Noah snarled in defiance. He doubled down, thrusting every scrap of intent and power he had forward. Pressure bore down on him from Sunder as his will locked horns with its power. A tight band of force wrapped around his neck and started to constrict, trying to force him out of his soul and into his forming body.


    Some of the cracks carving through the dark widened. Agony gripped Noah¡¯s skull in a vice. His vision of his soul started to fade away. Tingles raced down his fingertips and toes. They reached down his limbs and raced toward his chest. He was getting pulled back into his body. If the rune wasn¡¯t formed by the time his eyes truly opened, then everything would be wasted.Rread latest chapters at novelhall.com


    Noah desperately pushed back against the encroaching feeling, but it was fruitless. Sunder¡¯s pull was too strong. His soul faded away completely. He tasted blood in his mouth and his entire form tingled like every one of his limbs had fallen asleep. A thick fog started to form at the edges of his mind, taking with it his access to magic.


    He groaned, and the sound dimly reached his ears in the distance. He¡¯d nearly completely reformed. Desperation burned in his chest as he clutched onto the final strands of power he still had. Noah couldn¡¯t see the darkness anymore. His senses were fading, but he could still feel the energy at the back of his mind.


    With one final cry of defiance, Noah yanked on the remaining power. There was a sharp crack followed by a brilliant flash of light. A wave of force slammed into his head and fog rolled through his mind like a crashing tsunami, washing away every last scrap of connection to his soul that remained.


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of hard to tell hours down here, but I¡¯d say something close to half a day back in our world. Maybe a bit more,¡± Moxie replied.


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    And I still have a headache? Goddamn. What did I do to my soul?


    ¡°You¡¯ve been out for a while. Lee and I were worried,¡± Moxie said through a huff. ¡°I trust it was worth it?¡±


    ¡°I sure hope so,¡± Noah replied. He reluctantly pulled away from Moxie and pushed himself upright. A twinge of pain shot through his head again and he grimaced. Moxie sat up beside him and sent him a worried glance.


    ¡°Are you sure¡ª¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Noah admitted through a wince. ¡°But I¡¯ll find out. If it¡¯s been half a day, my magic should be back. I¡¯m going to go use the Fragment of Renewal and see if I managed to pull this shit off or not.¡±


    Moxie inclined her head and Noah let his eyes drift shut again. He drew in a slow breath and exhaled through his mouth, pushing past the headache to sink back into his soul.


    Darkness bloomed all around him, but it was far from absolute. Pale, glowing cracks covered the edges of his soul like the web of a massive spider, climbing all the way up to the Fragment of Renewal and Sunder.


    It wasn¡¯t the worst soul damage he¡¯d ever found himself with ¡ª and Noah could barely even bring himself to pay any attention to it. His eyes were fixated on something new. Something that hadn¡¯t been in his soul when he¡¯d last left it.


    A jagged gray rune floated across from him, equidistant from Crumbling Space and Natural Disaster. Ripples of pale energy pulsated within the sharp edges that made it up. It definitely didn¡¯t feel like a flawless rune, but it would have been a fantastic first attempt if it hadn¡¯t been for one small issue.


    Ribbons of thick inky darkness hung from the rune like someone had dumped a bucket of sludge over it. They wove through the holes in the rune and formed a shadowed mass behind the it, running down and merging into the floor of his soul. He couldn¡¯t read the rune at all.


    Noah swallowed. A headache still pulsed in the back of his head. A quick summon of the Fragment of Renewal would have purged it, but he couldn¡¯t pull his eyes from the rune before him.


    It wasn¡¯t possible. Every component that had gone into the rune had been a normal one. The runes he¡¯d broken to make it were readable, but there was no denying what his eyes told him. The rune floating before him looked eerily similar to the ones that he had seen lodged in Lee¡¯s soul.


    Did I just make a Demon Rune?

 Chapter 515: Oopsie

    Chapter 515: Oopsie


    Noah approached the new rune, not daring to attempt to call it closer to himself. He didn¡¯t want to accidentally snap the strands connecting it to the base of his soul and give himself even more soul damage.


    It had been months since he¡¯d gotten so much soul damage that the Hellreaver had been able to enter his mind, but he had no desires to ever let things get to that state again. He had more than enough stupid things to do without needing hallucinations to help him along.


    He had a Demon Rune. Noah wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about that. He definitely hadn¡¯t been trying to make one. There was a reason he¡¯d been avoiding drawing in any Monster Runes, but not once had he ever considered it would be possible to actually make a Demon Rune. Noah couldn¡¯t tell if he was excited, terrified, or just plain confused.


    This opens up so much. If I can form a Demon Rune, then could I use it to potentially help Lee? I could find a way to prevent demons from losing themselves when they hit Rank 4! I feel like I could study this thing for a hundred years and not figure out everything about it. Azel definitely felt controlled by his emotion, but Yoru feels surprisingly in control despite being considerably more powerful than him.


    Noah took the rune in for a few seconds. Then his brow furrowed slightly. Now that he took a closer look, there was something off about it, and it wasn¡¯t just the fact that he ¡ª a human ¡ª had formed a Demon Rune. Noah¡¯s brow creased and his eyebrows knit as he drew to a stop directly before the rune. And then he stared. A minute ticked by. Noah didn¡¯t move. He couldn¡¯t place what it was, but something was definitely wrong. It became more apparent the longer he stared.


    Even though he couldn¡¯t read the rune, the sharp, twisting forms that made it up almost felt... familiar. Like they¡¯d been written in a language he could understand but made from random letters rather than proper words. The longer he stared, the more familiar it seemed to become. The shadowy strands blocked him from getting a full picture, but he knew what rune he¡¯d set out to make. He knew the energy in it. The answer was before him and all he had to do was dig until he found it. Of that, he was certain. Noah could practically taste the Rune¡¯s name on his tongue.


    He tried to form it, but his mind stubbornly refused. The finish line in sight was walled behind iron bars that refused to let him push the last few inches through. A twinge of anger broke through his concentration and Noah stepped away from the rune to walk in a circle around it and see if he could pick up on something that he¡¯d been missing.


    It was for naught. The back of the rune was even more covered with a shadowy mass than the front had been. He could barely even make the rune out from where he stood. It was just a few flickers of white-gray energy buried in a sea of twisting dark.


    Noah blew out a sigh and tapped a foot on the ground. His impatience was already starting to poke at the inside of his throat like he¡¯d swallowed a prickly seed. A distant headache made sure he couldn¡¯t throw off his irritation but he stubbornly refused to activate the Fragment of Renewal until he figured out what the hell he¡¯d just made.


    Eh, fuck it.


    He brushed a finger across the inky black strands. A faint shiver rolled down the back of his spine and he shivered, pulling his hand back. Noah paused for a second. Then he reached out and touched the strand again.


    A startled yelp escaped his lips as a sharp prod of chilly energy poked into his navel. It wasn¡¯t exactly painful, but it was extraordinarily uncomfortable. He yanked his hand away and took a step back from his rune.


    There was a chance he was resistant to the rune¡¯s affects because humans weren¡¯t as closely tied to their runes as demons were ¡ª but the black strands holding the rune to his soul spoke differently. It might not have been as intense as the bindings that Lee¡¯s runes were trapped in, but he should have still felt some difference.


    I¡¯ve never felt so close to being able to read a Demon Rune before. I¡¯m missing something. I have to be. Even Aylin and Violet¡¯s rank 1 Demon Runes were completely indecipherable to me, though they looked identical. This doesn¡¯t look like them. If the black sludge wasn¡¯t covering so much of it, I could probably tell what it was.


    Noah walked around to the back of the rune again, where his soul had risen up to connect to the back of the rune, and peered through a few of the cracks that showed the rune from the other side to see if he could make out anything that he¡¯d missed.


    He raised a hand and drew on Natural Disaster. A crackling ball of electricity arced between his fingertips with enough intensity to cast yellow light over the darkness to illuminate the back of the rune. He drew in a slow breath as goosebumps prickled along the tops of his arms.


    There was nothing. The few extra glimpses of the grayish-white light he could catch through the dark mass were just too difficult to make anything useful of. He walked back to the front and glared at the offending rune, then dismissed his ball of lightning.


    It vanished with a flash, briefly lighting up his mindspace. Something caught the corner of Noah¡¯s eye as the light went off and he froze. He summoned the ball of lightning a second time, lifting it into the air as he stared at the ground. The light flowing through the holes in the rune like a reversed shadow glowed faintly at the base of Noah¡¯s soul.


    His gaze snapped back to the rune in the air as he finally realized what had felt off about it. It wasn¡¯t in another language at all. It was inversed.


    The outline of a rune shone on the floor. He couldn¡¯t quite read it completely because of all the dark matter blocking it out, but therein laid the biggest source of his surprise. The strands of his soul connected to the rune weren¡¯t solid black.


    When the light illuminated them, faint lines projected themselves onto the ground overlaid upon the first rune. Not just lines. A pattern.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Noah breathed, his eyes going wide.


    He hadn¡¯t made just one rune.


    He¡¯d made two.

 Chapter 516: Fragments

    Chapter 516: Fragments


    Noah stared at the ground in a stunned silence. He¡¯d somehow made an entire rune on accident.


    ¡°How can this even happen?¡± Noah muttered to himself. ¡°I could see my intent somehow getting messed with by the energy in the Damned Plains or some shit like that, but it can¡¯t make two completely different runes.¡±


    It didn¡¯t seem that anyone had told the runes that. They remained on the floor of his soul, illuminated by the crackling light of the ball of electric energy churning above his hand. The second rune didn¡¯t look like it was about to go anywhere anytime soon.


    As the shock wore off, Noah took a closer look at the dark lines on the ground. A flicker of annoyance welled up in his chest. Not only was the unexpected rune blocking out significant portions of the rune he¡¯d actually tried to make, but he couldn¡¯t read it either. There were just too many segments missing.


    This is exactly what happened with Lee¡¯s Rune, isn¡¯t it? She managed to squish all her runes together into Frankenstein¡¯s Rune. Now she can¡¯t read any of them. But I don¡¯t have a Master Rune, broken or not, in the mix here.


    Could this be the result of a failed combination?


    That was something he could test. Noah held a hand up to the amalgamation of runes before him and focused his attention on it, sending a faint tendril of desire toward them. A wall of pressure drove into him in response and the other runes in his soul shuddered as they pushed back against it.


    It wasn¡¯t enough to keep what felt like a strong wind from driving into Noah, blowing his hair back and nearly causing him to slide across the ground. He blocked his eyes with a hand and released the desire, letting the runes return to their normal state as a frown crossed his lips.


    ¡°Way more than the pressure from a newly made Rank 4,¡± Noah muttered. ¡°That¡¯s easily two of them. There¡¯s energy there that shouldn¡¯t be there. This isn¡¯t just some failed combination. Something got added into the mix that I didn¡¯t want.¡±


    The rune floated innocently before him, the thick strands of jet-black soul undulating gently in beat with the ripples of energy passing over its surface. Noah scrunched his nose. It felt a little odd to be irritated about getting an extra rune. That was a first world problem if he¡¯d ever heard of one, and that made him mildly annoyed that he couldn¡¯t be more annoyed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like you,¡± Noah informed his conjoined runes. ¡°But I would like you more if you split yourselves apart for me.¡±


    The runes did not respond. That was probably for the best. The day his runes started talking to him was the day Noah Sundered them out and served them on a plate to Lee. His brow furrowed at the thought of the demon. She needed him to find a way to deal with... whatever this was.


    Even if it didn¡¯t hold the secret to her issues with Rank 4, the very least he could do was find a way to untangle the bungled mess of a Rune she currently had. Azel¡¯s bindings weren¡¯t going to hold forever and they only got weaker with every time Lee pushed her strength.


    That might have been fine back in Arbitage, but they were in the Damned Plains. He doubted they were going to get the liberty of being able to hold back for long. They¡¯d already taken control of the streetlords and made a scene at the auction. Stronger demons would be taking notice of them soon ¡ª if they hadn¡¯t already.


    Noah brushed his thoughts away and let out a sharp breath to refocus himself. He couldn¡¯t afford to start worrying about distractions right now. There was too much at stake.


    ¡°I wonder if I could just Sunder you?¡± Noah mused to himself, moving to see if he could find an obvious spot where the two runes had connected themselves. He made another circle around them, but it did little to help. There was no clear distinction in them. If it wasn¡¯t for the light illuminating the runes on the ground, it would have been impossible to tell that there even were two of them.


    He came to a stop back at the front of the rune and dismissed his glowing ball before crossing his legs and sitting down. He planted his chin in his palm and braced his elbow against a knee, fingers drumming against the side of his chin in contemplation.


    Sundering the runes had a chance of splitting them apart. It had an equal chance of just straight up destroying them. He¡¯d lost around 15% of the energy in Crumbling Space when he¡¯d Sundered it in order to make... whatever abomination this thing was. If the same thing happened ¡ª well, the rune didn¡¯t have enough energy to lose. It would just shatter and all his efforts would be wasted.


    It¡¯s almost as if there¡¯s a...


    ¡°...pattern,¡± Noah muttered, finishing his thoughts out loud as his eyes widened. He raised his hands and summoned a crackling ball of electricity with the help of Natural Disaster, illuminating the two runes and casting their inversed shadows onto the ground so he could examine them.


    Noah¡¯s eyes danced as he memorized the glowing lines that came from the black strands. He couldn¡¯t understand what the patterns meant, but he could still see a portion of them. Once he¡¯d memorized everything he could, he released Natural Disaster and hopped awkwardly on one foot, raising the other to stick it into the parts of his soul covering his rune.


    He gagged as tingles shot down his leg and up into his torso. The urge to pull back was strong, but he resisted it. Noah just tilted his head to the side and summoned his violin, bracing it against himself and resting the bow on the strings.


    I don¡¯t know any way better to manifest a pattern than through music. If this rune does anything, I¡¯ll find out when I convert its pattern to song while channeling its energy.


    Noah drew in a deep breath and pushed the distraction away, shoving the uncomfortable tingling sensation into the back of his mind.


    Then he began to play.


    He started slow, taking care not to draw too much power or let the pattern escape from him, but he was surprised to find the music didn¡¯t just come easily. It came naturally. His bow picked up speed and a strange song echoed through the reaches of his soul.


    It was more than natural. It was familiar.


    Power twisted within Noah. The uncomfortable prickling in the back of his mind receded. His posture relaxed and his song grew faster still as he felt himself synchronize with the rune. Noah¡¯s eyes drifted shut and he immersed himself within the song, letting the pattern form itself with his body as the outlet.


    And then it came to an end. His bow slowed and a deep sense of peace washed over his body like a comforting blanket. The discomfort had entirely vanished everywhere other than his eyes, which still felt like he¡¯d squinted into a bright light for a little too long.


    Well, at least it doesn¡¯t seem malicious. What kind of rune does this?


    Noah let his eyes open once again. His violin squeaked as his hand jerked in surprise, playing an unbidden note. Faint golden lines glimmered within the dark floor and walls of his soul. They danced and twisted in the most complex mosaic that he¡¯d ever seen like a field of glimmering vines, stretching so far out that he couldn¡¯t see where they ended. It was a pattern, but it was so much more. It was an entire world.


    Noah could do nothing but stare in disbelief. He turned, trying to take in the entirety of the pattern glowing within the darkness of his soul, but it was impossible. The pattern was just so immense that he couldn¡¯t even begin to make anything individual out. Swirling waves and starry skies mixed like the painting of a madman, vanishing the moment he thought he caught a glimpse of something tangible. It was alien and immense, beautiful in the way that Renewal had been.


    His gaze landed back on the strands holding onto his rune. Noah¡¯s fingers loosened and the violin vanished from his grasp. The darkness had been lit up by the very same lines running throughout the rest of his soul, but these ones didn¡¯t change.


    They remained locked in place, interweaving with each other in a way that wasn¡¯t just familiar to Noah. It was Noah.


    For the first time, Noah managed to read the name of the rune stored within the syrupy strands of his soul.


    Fragment of Self

 Chapter 517: Heart to heart

    Chapter 517: Heart to heart


    ¡°Oh, shit,¡± Noah said. ¡°Didn¡¯t see that one coming.¡±


    Noah then froze, as he hadn¡¯t actually said anything. That did nothing to change the fact that he¡¯d most certainly just heard himself speak.


    ¡°What the¡ª¡±


    ¡°Fuck?¡±


    Noah spun toward the source of his voice and found himself face to face with... Noah. A complete and utter copy of him, down to a stray hair sticking out from the top of his head. They stared at each other for several seconds in stunned silence.


    ¡°Yeah, no,¡± Noah said. ¡°That¡¯s not happening. You did not just finish my sentence.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I did,¡± Noah replied, scratching his chin as his brow furrowed. ¡°Or did you finish mine?¡±


    ¡°You finished mine, and you did it wrong. I was going to say, ¡®what the hell¡¯. You got it wrong.¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t,¡± Noah admitted. He thrust a finger at the other Noah, who returned the gesture. Their eyes narrowed in unison and their hands lowered back to their sides.


    ¡°Are you copying me now?¡± Noah asked, upon which Noah¡¯s ¡ª the other one ¡ª fingers twitched.


    ¡°We are not getting into this. There isn¡¯t even anyone else here, so there¡¯s no point doing some weird shape-stealer bullshit,¡± Noah said, crossing his arms. ¡°Seriously. What the hell is going on? And who are you? You¡¯re not me. I¡¯m me. You¡¯re someone else.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m most definitely you.¡±


    They paused for a second.


    ¡°Okay, this is getting confusing.¡±


    ¡°Quite.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Noah-2. I¡¯m Noah-1.¡±


    ¡°Why do you get to be Noah-1?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re in my damn head. You ¡ª what, came from the Rune I just made? Is that even possible?¡±


    ¡°No clue,¡± Noah-2 replied, scratching the back of his head and letting out a huff. ¡°And how could you have made the rune? I made it. Not you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even try that.¡± Noah glared at his double. ¡°I am not so easily gaslit.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I was fucking with you. You did make it,¡± Noah-2 said with a snicker. The smile fell away from his features a moment later. ¡°I really am Noah, though. At least, I¡¯m pretty sure I am. I know I¡¯m not you you, but I am you.¡±


    They were silent for another few moments.


    ¡°That was a bit confusing, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Noah-2 asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to bash you over the head with a rock.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d probably try that too if I were you. Which I am. Kind of. Unfortunately, no rocks here.¡± Noah-2 cast his gaze around the shadows of the mindspace around them. ¡°And even if there were, I¡¯m not so sure it would actually do anything. I don¡¯t get the feeling that I¡¯m alive.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s that?¡± Noah asked suspiciously. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just claim to be me?¡±


    ¡°What would you have done if you just suddenly found yourself existing in another variation of yourself?¡±


    ¡°I would have tried to ¡ª wait. You tried to leave my mindspace?¡± Noah glared at the other Noah. ¡°To what, take over my body?¡±


    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s what you would have done.¡±


    ¡°Fair point,¡± Noah admitted. It was a little difficult to get too mad when that was the exact step he would have taken if he¡¯d been in his clone¡¯s position. ¡°I take it that failed?¡±


    ¡°Completely. I don¡¯t exist outside of our mindspace,¡± Noah-2 said, tapping his foot on the ground and letting out a sigh. ¡°Which means you¡¯re probably actually Noah-1. So that leads me to my next question. What the hell am I?¡±


    They both looked over at the Fragment of Self.


    ¡°Not exactly a difficult guess,¡± Noah said.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t tell us much either,¡± Noah-2 said.


    ¡°Maybe we¡¯re going about this the wrong way,¡± Noah muttered. ¡°If this was something that could be brute forced, I¡¯m sure Azel would have done it to Lee. Maybe we have to be subtle.¡±


    ¡°Subtle is not our specialty.¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll have to adapt then. I¡¯m not going to give up and let Lee get stuck where she is forever ¡ª and that¡¯s assuming her rune doesn¡¯t destroy her ¡ª because subtle isn¡¯t my specialty.¡±


    The other Noah winced. ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re right. How can we be subtle, though? We tried connecting to the Rune. It didn¡¯t do anything. If we don¡¯t know how to use the rune, then we can¡¯t do anything with it.¡±


    It was several seconds before Noah responded. ¡°We might not know what it does, but maybe we¡¯re going about this the wrong way.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been trying to separate it. That seems like the right way to me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and maybe that¡¯s the problem,¡± Noah mused, rising to his feet slowly.


    ¡°I thought we just agreed not to give up,¡± Noah-2 said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not giving up.¡± Noah approached the merged runes until he stood a foot away from them, their pressure winding around his chest like a constricting snake. ¡°What if that¡¯s our mistake? I mean, the Fragment of Self is literally a rune that¡¯s meant to represent me. A portion of me at the least. If I want to control that...¡±


    ¡°You want to try and pull it back into your soul instead of cut it out?¡± Noah-2 asked, his eyes lighting up. ¡°That¡¯s genius. We¡¯re so smart.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it,¡± Noah agreed. ¡°You... well, stand there, I guess. It¡¯s not like you can do much.¡±


    ¡°Just pretend I¡¯m Moxie. I can be moral support.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass.¡± The corner of Noah¡¯s lip curled up and he let out a slow breath, letting his eyes close for a moment as he steadied himself. He¡¯d tried to grab the Fragment of Self so many times that he was already more than used to the uncomfortable prickling energy that attacked his insides when he touched it, but that didn¡¯t mean he liked it.


    Then his eyes opened again and he extended his hand. He rested it on the surface of the black strands of his soul. Energy poured into Noah, but instead of trying to find a way to wrest it away or control it, he pushed back.


    Noah drove his intent into the rune, shoving the energy aside as he turned all the runic pressure he had to bear into the Fragment of Self. His vision focused in until the only thing before his eyes were the two merged runes.


    His runes. Even if he didn¡¯t know what one of them was, the other was a part of his soul. He didn¡¯t need to understand what the Fragment of Self did or how it worked. It was a part of him. They were one and the same.


    A river of chills rolled down Noah¡¯s spine as a dull chime echoed through his soul.


    All the rushing energy ground to a halt. Distant echoes rung in his ears and an odd feeling washed over his body as the world swayed. He could hear his heart beating in his chest and the blood rushing in his ears. Then even that stopped.


    There was only silence. The rune did nothing, but not because it didn¡¯t work. It did nothing because it was already working. It always had been.


    Noah¡¯s hand dropped to his side.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Noah breathed, unable to keep a faint laugh from slipping free of his lips as he finally realized what the rune truly was. He turned to Noah-2, who watched him with an inscrutable expression. ¡°Seriously? The first guess I made was basically right.¡±


    ¡°Hardly. You used it the wrong way,¡± Noah-2 replied with a faint smile. ¡°Took you long enough.¡±


    The Fragment of Self was nothing like the other runes he possessed. It was him. Or at least, a portion of himself. It was the connection between his body and his soul. The rune was the passageway that let him access the rest of his runes, but it was more than that. It was everything he desired. Everything he was. It was literally him.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Did you know?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know anything more than you do.¡± Noah-2 shrugged. ¡°I figured it out when you did. I¡¯m just a fragment, Noah. You made me. Splintering a section of your soul off can hardly be healthy, but it¡¯s a damn good way to get a look at yourself. Did you like what you saw?¡±


    ¡°Not answering that one. I¡¯m more than aware we only get philosophical when we¡¯re bullshitting.¡±


    ¡°Got me there.¡± Noah-2¡¯s eyes changed. Something swirled deep within them. A vine bed. The outside world.


    Noah extended a hand ¡ª not to the rune, but to Noah-2. ¡°Until next time, Noah-2.¡±


    ¡°What makes you think there¡¯ll be a next time? I only came into being because your mind needed a way to represent everything... well, you.¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m remarkably good at screwing up, and you¡¯re me,¡± Noah replied. ¡°I reckon it won¡¯t be long.¡±


    Noah-2 laughed. He lifted his hand and clasped Noah¡¯s. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right. Until then, Noah-1.¡±


    A ripple passed through Noah¡¯s soul and his clone vanished. He was alone once more, but things had changed. His soul felt different. More vibrant. It was as if all his senses had been dialed up.


    Noah looked back to the pair of conjoined runes floating before him. He¡¯d been trying to split the Fragment of Self off this whole time, when what he should have been doing was the exact opposite.


    He couldn¡¯t cut a piece of himself off. It would have been like removing a portion of his personality. Fortunately, Noah didn¡¯t have to. Fragment of Self didn¡¯t have to be removed. It had to be taken back.

 Chapter 518: I Wonder

    Chapter 518: I Wonder


    ¡°Rejoin me,¡± Noah commanded. He extended his mind to the rune, meeting the rush of freezing energy. Up until now, he¡¯d been treating the Fragment of Self like it was any other rune. He¡¯d thought the pressure was something that he had to push back against.


    That was impossible. It was the pressure of his own soul, after all. You couldn¡¯t push up against something with itself. Instead of pushing back or trying to wrest control of the power, he relaxed.


    The strands of black holding his Matter Rune shuddered. Then, without a sound, they released it and slithered into the floor of his mindspace as the Fragment of Self rejoined the rest of his soul.


    It embedded itself on the ground, a glistening pattern that stood as still as stone in a shifting sea. A chill crept up Noah¡¯s chest and set into his bones. It wasn¡¯t as uncomfortable as it was unnerving.


    He could almost hear the thoughts echoing in his mind, feel the blood running in his veins, taste the power he bore within his soul. Noah felt like a violin left to the side for years before finally getting its strings tuned.


    Extending his thoughts to the Fragment of Self sent a tremor running through his body. Energy pumped in him, but not in the way that ever had before. Noah¡¯s lips pulled apart of their own volition as he tried to make sense of the strange power. He stared at his hand. Everything felt so... alive. Each single movement wasn¡¯t just a thought but a thousand different miniscule reactions within himself flashing through his nervous system to deliver the command his mind gave, and Noah could feel every single one of them. He could control every single one of them.


    His finger twitched by such a tiny amount that his eyes couldn¡¯t even properly make out the motion ¡ª but he could feel it. His body felt like it had truly become his for the first time in his life. A disbelieving laugh slipped from Noah¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°This is incredible,¡± he breathed, holding his hand up and staring through the cracks between his fingers at Sunder as it floated above him. For the first time in his life, his body actually felt like it belonged to him ¡ª and this technically wasn¡¯t even his body.UppTodated from no?/v/e/lb(i)n.c(o)/m


    Then again, Vermil died a long time ago. I¡¯ve gone through so many new bodies that I think this is definitely my body at this point. Vermil died back in the Scorched Acres. I¡¯ve just stolen his visage and cleaned it up a little.


    Noah let out a shaky breath. He let his hand lower, vividly aware of the space it took up by his side, and paused before his eyes lowered from the sky. Sunder wasn¡¯t the only Master Rune floating above him.


    The Fragment of Renewal joined it, the two immense runes bearing down on his entire soul and each other with immense pressure. A small frown creased Noah¡¯s lips. The Fragment of Renewal. The Fragment of Self.


    The same kind of rune? But that can¡¯t be right. My rune definitely isn¡¯t a Master Rune by any stretch of the imagination. It didn¡¯t have enough pressure. Wasn¡¯t big enough either. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d call it a normal rune, but there¡¯s no way it could be a Master Rune... right?


    Noah looked back down to the Fragment of Self. It remained in the floor of his mindspace before his feet, the only patch of golden lines that wasn¡¯t flowing in the invisible current that wound its way through the rest of his soul.


    It didn¡¯t look like a Master Rune, and Noah had no idea what its inverse would have been if it was. He didn¡¯t understand the Fragment of Self nearly enough to try and figure that out. His frown deepened.


    Noah shook his head in response to his own thought. The rune he¡¯d made had resembled a Demon Rune so strongly, and the whole point of a demon rune seemed to be to amplify them. The same as the Fragment of Self.


    So why does my rune just make me more... me, while theirs turns them into a slave to their desires? It doesn¡¯t make sense. There has to be an answer, but I might not be able to find it pacing around inside my soul. I¡¯ll have to find someone to test on. I have to really get a close look at a Rank 4 Demon Rune when it¡¯s inside a demon and figure out what it does to them.


    Back in the mortal realm, that would have been pretty difficult. It wasn¡¯t like there were Rank 4 Demons strolling around everywhere. But down in the Damned Plains, Noah wasn¡¯t even slightly worried. He¡¯d already kicked the hornet¡¯s nest enough to draw the attention of some enemies.


    There wasn¡¯t even a need for him to go looking for Rank 4 Demons. They¡¯d deliver themselves to him. His lips pulled up in a smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lee. I¡¯ll have this figured out soon enough,¡± Noah promised. ¡°I just might have to break a few demons to do it.¡±


    A faint pulse of pain probed at the back of his mind. The cracks in his soul still hadn¡¯t healed over, and he¡¯d been putting off using the Fragment of Renewal until his work was done. He¡¯d gotten so caught up with the new rune that he¡¯d nearly forgotten his own headache.


    Noah extended a hand toward the Fragment of Renewal, calling the pearlescent rune down toward him. He was mildly surprised to find that it responded. If he could access his magic again, then twelve hours must had have already passed. His hand pressed against the Master Rune¡¯s surface and a river of relief poured over his head like a refreshing shower. He exhaled as tension knitting his shoulders evaporated and the pain in his skull relented.


    The cracks strewn about his soul started to knit themselves back together. It would take them a bit to fully heal with how extensive the damage had been, but the Fragment of Renewal would deal with them soon enough.


    He turned ¡ª and froze. Somehow, in all of the excitement, Noah had briefly forgotten the fact that he hadn¡¯t just made a single rune.


    He¡¯d made two.


    The other half of his efforts floated in the air, spaced equal distances from the Crumbling Space and Natural Disaster, its name as naked as Noah had been the day he¡¯d first gotten himself killed in the Scorched Acres. A Rank 4 Rune, roughly at 25% full.


    Warped Matter


    ¡°Would you look at that,¡± Noah breathed, delight sparking in his eyes. ¡°I wonder what you do.¡±

 Chapter 519: Warped Matter

    Chapter 519: Warped Matter


    Noah slipped from his mindspace and let his eyes drift open. He laid in Moxie¡¯s bed, one of his arms trapped beneath himself and buzzing like a furious insect. It felt like he¡¯d been lying there for quite some time.


    Grimacing, he untangled himself and sat upright. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and scrunched his nose in annoyance.


    ¡°How long was I out?¡± Noah muttered.


    ¡°Hours.¡±


    Noah glanced over in the direction of Moxie¡¯s voice. She sat at a plant desk, a half-dead flower cupped between her palms. Moxie set the plant down and arched her eyebrow in clear question.


    ¡°How many hours?¡± Noah asked. The last residuals of his headache still lingered on, but the Fragment of Renewal was making short work of it. He was pretty sure his head would be back to normal in another hour or so.


    ¡°Around thirteen,¡± Moxie said. She turned on her chair, the vines that made up its back coiling around her and repositioning themselves to shift the direction the chair faced without so much as raising a leg off the ground and held out a Mind Meld potion. ¡°I got my hands on some more of these while you were gone. Am I going to need it?¡±


    ¡°That would probably be a wise call, yes.¡±


    Moxie removed the stopper and poured half of the potion into her mouth before handing it to Noah. He finished the potion off, then let himself relax as he was yanked from the world and into Moxie¡¯s mindspace.


    ***


    Noah materialized across from Moxie inside her forest clearing. Two vine chairs had already formed and Moxie already sat in one of them. Noah lowered himself into the other.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯ve had more luck with your runes than I have,¡± Moxie said.


    ¡°I suppose it depends on what you mean by luck.¡± Noah tapped the side of his chin. ¡°If you were referring to somehow making two runes on accident instead of one, then yes. I got lucky.¡±


    Moxie let out a snort and shook her head. ¡°Right. Sure, smartass. So no luck, then. Are you going to have to kill yourself again?¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± Noah said with a nod. ¡°But I was serious.¡±


    Moxie paused. She squinted at him. For several seconds, neither of them said a word. Then her eye twitched. ¡°How does one accidentally make an extra rune? You can¡¯t even combine a rune without intent, much less make one.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m working on figuring out exactly how it happened.¡±


    ¡°Only you could make two runes on accident,¡± Moxie muttered. ¡°And tossing a whole extra rune into the mix didn¡¯t somehow screw with the other rune and ruin it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why it took me so long. They kind of... lodged together. It was a real pain in the ass to figure out how to separate them,¡± Noah said with a small huff of annoyance. ¡°But I managed it in the end.¡±


    ¡°Of course you did,¡± Moxie said with a short burst of laughter. ¡°Well? What kind of runes does one make on accident? Are you planning on telling me, or am I going to have to start taking guesses?¡±


    ¡°Depends. Where¡¯s Lee?¡±


    ¡°Keeping watch over the tent to make sure nobody gets too close or curious.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Noah said. ¡°Then we can get right to the point. I don¡¯t know how, but I somehow made a rune of myself.¡±


    ¡°A Noah rune?¡± Moxie asked, squinting at him. ¡°Do you have an extra one?¡±


    ¡°A Fragment of Self. No name involved, but it was definitely a representation of me. I had a whole ass discussion with myself. It was... interesting.¡± Noah looked down at his hand and flexed his fingers. The connection to his body here was just as strong as it had been in his mindspace.


    Moxie let out an exaggerated sigh. ¡°I guess so. Unfortunate, but that¡¯s how things are. Go on, then. I want to see what you made.¡±


    ¡°What happened to not wanting me to get killed?¡± Noah smiled wryly and pushed himself upright in bed.


    Moxie¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Sacrifices must be made in pursuit of the greater good, and right now, the greater good is me wanting to see what your new rune does. If you¡¯re going kill yourself, I¡¯d prefer you do it when I¡¯m somewhere nearby. At least that way I don¡¯t have to worry about someone else having to put on your clothes.¡±


    Noah paused and looked down at himself. He was indeed wearing clothes, and he definitely hadn¡¯t put them on himself considering the last thing he¡¯d done before sinking into his mindspace was kill himself.


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± he admitted. ¡°That somehow slipped my mind. I¡¯d have preferred to be present for that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you would have,¡± Moxie said dryly. A thoughtful expression passed over her features and her head tilted to the side. ¡°Hold on. When you said you had a discussion with yourself, were you being literal?¡±


    ¡°Fairly. There was a clone of me. Why?¡±


    ¡°Just asking for later reference,¡± Moxie replied, coughing into a fist. The bed bucked beneath Noah and she sent him a pointed look. ¡°Rune. Come on. Aren¡¯t you supposed to be the impatient one?¡±


    Noah laughed as he swung his legs out of bed and sent a tendril of mental energy into his soul to connect with the Warped Matter rune. Power slithered to meet his call and coiled down his arm. He felt it infuse his body and buzz beneath his skin.


    Moxie watched with rapt anticipation as absolutely nothing happened. A second ticked by. Then two. Her brow furrowed.


    ¡°Does it not work?¡±


    ¡°Give it a second,¡± Noah replied with a laugh. Moxie glared at him as he turned his hand over. The power had completely saturated his arm. It was a lot slower to activate than any of his other runes. He wasn¡¯t sure if that was because the Warped Matter rune just needed to use more energy, if it was struggling because it wasn¡¯t a flawless rune, or if that was just how it was.


    A shimmer of gray energy arced between his fingertips. Blocky fractals twisted out from his palm and into the bed at his side, expanding like fingers of frost as they tore through it. The vines crumpled in their path as blocks of gray matter practically exploded outward.


    Noah hissed in surprise as he felt every scrap of power in Warped Matter forcibly ripped out and consumed by the gray tendrils. The rune ground to a halt as it ran out of power to consume and the magic abruptly stopped, dissipating like mist on a sunny day to leave giant furrows running through the vine bed. Noah and Moxie stared at the ravaged plants in a stunned silence.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Moxie asked, swallowing. ¡°Did you just use my plants as fuel?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re matter. I... warped them, I guess,¡± Noah replied, running a hand along the edges of the vines left by the wake of his spell. Easily half of the bed had been heavily damaged in a split second.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen magic punch through solid material before, but that was scarily fast,¡± Moxie said, shaking her head. ¡°Did you really have to destroy my bed to show that off, though?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to do that much. I just wanted to test it on a single vine or something. The rune kind of activated itself,¡± Noah admitted.


    Moxie frowned and leaned closer to the bed as she studied it intently. ¡°You know, this pattern kind of looks like what would happen to some of our fields when a really nasty soil virus attacked them. We usually stopped it before it could get this bad, though. I think you¡¯ve created a matter-eating virus in the form of a rune.¡±


    ¡°That may be an apt way to describe it,¡± Noah allowed.


    ¡°That¡¯s terrifying. If it treats all matter the same, what do you think it¡¯ll do to a person? I¡¯d imagine their runes would interfere with it, but if you could combine it with Crumbling Space...¡±


    ¡°I could do some really serious damage,¡± Noah agreed, letting out a whistle and running a hand through his hair. ¡°Well, shit. I¡¯m really glad I decided to test this on something else before I used it on myself. I had the vague idea of trying to teleport with this.¡±


    Moxie extended her leg and nudged the bed with her foot. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to be happening. Not if you want to arrive in one piece.¡±


    ¡°Probably not,¡± Noah grumbled. The bed, devoid of its structural integrity, started to sink under his weight. He cleared his throat and sent Moxie a pleading look. ¡°Say, do you think you could fix this thing? I don¡¯t really want to get up yet.¡±

 Chapter 520: Zath

    Chapter 520: Zath


    Noah tested the Warped Matter Rune several more times over the course of the next two hours to the exact same results that he¡¯d gotten the first time. The attempts didn¡¯t reveal anything new, but they did help him start to understand the rune better.


    Warped Matter initially felt like it had similar destructive capabilities to Crumbling Space, but it quickly became apparent that it would be more apt to place them on opposite ends of the destructive scale.


    Crumbling Space could rip through everything in its path on the way to a nearby target. It was a focused attack with a short range. The Space Rune gave a great way to cut through everything in the path between him and whoever he was trying to deal with.


    Noah wouldn¡¯t have gone as far to call Crumbling Space a scalpel, but if he did, then Warped Matter was the equivalent of a sledgehammer. It spread at a rapid pace, consuming anything in its way without regard of actually making it to whatever he was aiming at.


    Its range felt like it was considerably less restrained, though a single cast drained the rune¡¯s reserves so quickly that he didn¡¯t manage to get its magic to go much farther than a few feet away from him.


    Noah crouched by one of the deep furrows the magic had dug through the ground in a previous test. A single thick tendril had ripped through the earth in a roughly straight line, and dozens of smaller tendrils had expanded off to branch out and continue their expansion. Those tendrils had grown tendrils of their own, though they were so small that they¡¯d only nicked the ground.


    If I hadn¡¯t run out of energy, I don¡¯t see any signs that this would have stopped. This is going to be a really powerful rune once I get it filled up a bit more and find out how to repair some of the quality issues keeping it from being Flawless. I¡¯ll just have to be really careful to make sure I don¡¯t accidentally use this too close to anyone. The expansion is so uncontrolled that it might end up hitting someone I care about instead of an enemy. Fortunately, my control should improve significantly when the rune is made better.


    ¡°Did you really have to destroy our floor while testing this?¡± Moxie asked, scrunching her nose as she walked to stand beside Noah to look at the ravaged ground. She¡¯d been observing his attempts over the last few hours while he worked, keeping well out of the way whenever he used the new rune.


    ¡°What, and let people watch?¡±


    ¡°Got me there. Any luck, then?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s strong. I¡¯m pretty damn happy with how it turned out. As for the other new one...¡± Noah couldn¡¯t keep himself from glancing at his hand again. Being able to control every single micro-movement his body made was exceedingly unerring. It hadn¡¯t shown any signs of letting up, which was starting to make him suspect its effects might have been permanent.


    I suppose it¡¯s basically a full on Body Imbuement right now... but I didn¡¯t intentionally imbue it. The sooner I can find a demon to start testing on, the better.


    That thought gave Noah a moment of pause. He grimaced, mostly to himself, but Moxie caught it immediately. She raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°I was just wondering how things in my life got to the point where I would be sitting around, actively hoping that a Rank 4 demon would attack me.¡±


    ¡°You could always just go find one. I¡¯m sure they¡¯d be happy to oblige.¡±


    ¡°Probably could. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve got any shortage of enemies, though. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have to do much. If nobody tries something soon then I¡¯ll go looking for a target, but I¡¯d prefer to go after people that deserve it. There are at least a few semi-decent demons in the Damned Plains. I¡¯d hate if I went after someone that didn¡¯t completely deserve it.¡±


    Moxie nodded. Before she could say anything else, the tent flaps parted and Lee poked her head inside.


    ¡°Are you done yet?¡± Lee asked. ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping watch for so long. I¡¯m bored.¡±


    ¡°Why would I do that?¡± Confusion passed over Lee¡¯s features. ¡°If I did, you might decide to take it back.¡±


    For a brief moment, it looked like Moxie was actually going to try to explain the idea of politely refusing something. Then she remembered who she was talking to and shook her head. She dug another strip of jerky out of her pocket and handed it to Lee, then ruffled the demon¡¯s hair.


    ¡°Thanks for keeping an eye out on us.¡±


    ¡°I like food,¡± Lee replied.


    ¡°Do you, now?¡± Noah asked, fighting to hold back his own laughter. ¡°I hadn¡¯t figured that bit out yet. One last question ¡ª how¡¯s Yoru doing? Is she up to anything?¡±


    ¡°She and Violet have been sitting in their tent. I don¡¯t think they¡¯re talking.¡±


    ¡°Eh. At least they aren¡¯t killing each other,¡± Noah said. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a small sigh. ¡°Thanks for the updates. I suppose it¡¯s about time to head out and see how things are going myself. After all, I can¡¯t get attacked if I don¡¯t give the demons a target.¡±


    ***


    In Treadon, Zath would have sat on a throne. He had drawn breath back before many of the Walking Cities had emerged from their shells. So many City Lords had fallen at his hand that even his blade had long since forgotten their names. Death followed in his wake and slept within his gaze. In nearly every cursed area beneath the ruddy skies of the Damned Plains, Zath could have been a king.


    But, within the City of Gold, Zath knelt.


    Cold obsidian pressed into his knees and distant wind howled far above him as it fled the enormous room that he had been summoned to. Flickering orange light rolled across the dark, glossy ground from bronze braziers that swayed in the wind. The delicate scent of a rose danced upon the wind, brushing past his nostrils and setting the hair on his back on end. He didn¡¯t dare raise his head. Zath¡¯s gaze remained focused entirely on his hands.


    The pointed claws that had once emerged from his fingertips had been filed smooth and callouses covered his gray skin, each one a mark of practice that had spanned hundreds of years. He had spent his entire life killing.


    But, in the face of Death itself, his achievements amounted to nothing.


    ¡°Zath,¡± a voice said in a tone so gentle that it seemed to envelop Zath in an embrace. ¡°You arrived faster than I anticipated.¡±


    ¡°I came as soon as I heard you had sent for me,¡± Zath said. A massive form shifted, reflected by the firelight in the obsidian before him.


    ¡°Life is so short. There is no reason to rush,¡± the voice said, a faint hint of amusement entering its words. ¡°But, since you have arrived, I will not waste your time. There is something I desire. A Rune. You will retrieve it for me.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I will retrieve it myself¡ª¡±


    ¡°There is no need for that. You will simply arrange for it. There are things in this life that demand your attention more than an insignificant rune. Just arrange for it. I would do it myself, but my weaker subordinates tend not to survive their encounters with me.¡± Disappointment entered the voice and a deep sigh echoed through the chamber.


    ¡°It will be as you command,¡± Zath said. ¡°I will send someone immediately. The rune will be yours before the skies brighten twice, Lord Sievan.¡±

 Chapter 521: Nothing at all

    Chapter 521: Nothing at all


    Wizen was surprised to find that the City of Gold was actually made of gold. He¡¯d been to a number of different, extravagantly named locations in his many years of existence. Not a single one of them had every actually lived up to their name. That only made sense. Anybody that actually possessed a great amount of riches generally wasn¡¯t keen on summoning the attention of everyone that wanted to take a piece for themselves.


    A wise man would not name a mountain full of gemstones Gemstone Mountain. He would call it Death Mountain and then do his damned best to ensure that it lived up to its name whenever fools came knocking in search of adventure.


    But all the doubt in the world did nothing to tone down the respect Wizen felt as he gazed upon the city. It had been built upon the back of an enormous demon turtle with a white, weather-bleached shell. Towering spires rose so far into the sky above that their peaks disappeared into the dancing swirls of purple and red light that ruled over the Damned Plains.


    Entrance to the city had been remarkably easy. He¡¯d arrived at a golden lift the size of a city block and had barely even spoken a word to the guards before they¡¯d taken what they deemed to be an appropriate amount from the sacrifice that he had prepared and ushered him in. They hadn¡¯t even taken a cut for themselves or otherwise attempted to extort him.


    Wizen highly doubted they had recognized his strength. His powers had been held close to chest, which meant the guards had been vetted and trained to the point where they didn¡¯t seek any excess. That would have been impressive enough in the mortal realm, much less the Damned Plains.


    His interest in the city only grew as he headed down its gold-paved streets. They wound through lines of massive trees of alabaster bark with leaves that sparkled like diamonds and sent swathes of light swirling across the ground in a rustling dance.


    Scores of street vendors lined the sides of the road and gathered beneath the trees, their wares laid out on tarps before them. Not a single one of them hawked or called to the crowds passing through the city. They just sat silently, conversing in a respectful tone with anyone whose eye their wares caught.


    The silence was not limited to the vendors. It seemed that the very city itself was equally as gentle. He could hear no sounds of argument or any clang of machinery. There was only the welcoming rustle of the trees and distant conversation, muted and respectful.


    Despite the silence, Wizen could feel no fear in the air. It was not a quiet borne of terror of some mighty dictator or the threat of an army. The city ¡ª one located in the depths of the Damned Plains, a stone¡¯s throw from the Black Reaches ¡ª seemed to be at peace. Even with the dust of the Wastes hanging in the air, the City of Gold felt clean.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite odd, isn¡¯t it?¡± Barb asked from beside Wizen, adjusting her one-handed grip on the large bag slung over her shoulder.


    The two of them came to a stop near an alleyway at the edge of a bustling market. A vendor selling demon body parts that had been brought in from the Wastes watched them from the small tent he¡¯d set up around himself but made no moves to approach them. Wizen examined the man¡¯s wares for a moment before turning his attention back to Barb.


    ¡°Odd? Yes, I would say so,¡± Wizen agreed in a tone barely any louder than the song of the trees around them. ¡°It is not what I expected.¡±


    ¡°What do you make of it? I didn¡¯t expect to find an oasis like this in the middle of this wretched place.¡±


    Wizen didn¡¯t respond immediately. His gaze traced over the crowds in the market. The conversation here was louder than it had been in the outer streets, but it was still controlled and polite. If he had closed his eyes, the only way he would have known that he stood in a market would have been through the smell of roasted meat that wafted through the air.


    His expression tightened imperceptibly. The City of Gold lived up to its name perfectly. As Barb had said, it held the allure of an oasis in a desert. Its streets were beautiful and well cared for. The demons that lived within it seemed to be content. No haphazard fights or battle cries echoed through the air. It was silent. It was beautiful.


    For a place like this to exist within the Damned Plains should have been impossible. It was too alluring. A ruler with the power to protect a city such as this would have stricken fear into those that lived within it. One that controlled through respect instead of fear would have been destroyed by those that sought to claim the beauty of the city. Wizen couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that he was missing something vital.


    ¡°I do not have an opinion yet. I suspect that will change in due time,¡± Wizen replied. ¡°Do not allow yourself to grow complacent. We have much to accomplish before we may breathe comfortably.¡±


    ¡°Hard to get complacent when you¡¯ve only got one hand,¡± Barb grumbled. ¡°Do you know how many times I¡¯ve tried to scratch something with something that doesn¡¯t exist?¡±


    ¡°We will find you a replacement in due time,¡± Wizen said. ¡°You must be patient. We have come too far to allow ourselves to deviate from our plans. All of my pieces have been moved into position. Have yours?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Barb said with a curt nod. ¡°They all made it into the city. Do we begin?¡±


    ¡°Where is it?¡± one of the demons snarled, speaking loud enough for Wizen to make him out. Another hushed him, but nobody seemed to be paying too much attention to the alley. The demon drove his captive into the wall and pinned them there by the stomach with his free hand.


    As the small demon struggled to free themselves, their hood slipped down to reveal the face of a young, female demon with a head of long, black hair. A jagged scar ran from above her left eye to her right jawbone and her mouth was full of tiny, pointed fangs. She kicked furiously at the larger demon, but her struggles amounted to nothing.


    The demon holding her up said something that Wizen couldn¡¯t make out. His eyes twitched slightly. The demon couldn¡¯t have been older than fifteen, but she looked like¡ª


    One of the demons surrounding the small one pulled a dagger from their side and pointed it at her. The demon took a step closer to bring the knife into range. She bit down on his hand and yanked her head back, sending a spray of blood splattering across her face and the wall behind it.


    ¡°You little shit. I¡¯ve had it with you. If you won¡¯t tell us where it is, then I don¡¯t need you alive,¡± the demon snarled, driving the blade for her neck.


    Wizen¡¯s hand twitched.


    The dagger clattered across the ground. Four bodies followed it down, each carved to dozens of pieces. Curls of gray energy rose from their corpses and surrounded the demon girl, who dropped to the ground without the hand to keep her pinned.


    ¡°Silence,¡± Wizen said, silencing the merchant. ¡°Remain here.¡±


    The girl stared at the newly made corpses in awe. Her gaze flicked up to Wizen as he stepped into the alleyway, his staff marking every other step that he took. The girl scrambled to her feet, but he had already closed the distance between them by the time she had realized what happened. She scooped the dagger off the ground and held it before herself defensively.


    Wizen was silent for several seconds as he examined the girl. His lips pressed thin. The familiarity that he had seen in the girl¡¯s features evaporated like a summer breeze in the dead of winter.


    I was wrong. She doesn¡¯t look like her at all. This is just a demon child, no different than any other. I am becoming an addled fool.


    ¡°D-did you do that? Was that external magic?¡± the girl asked, swallowing heavily. Despite the tremor in her voice, her hands were steady. She¡¯d used a blade before. ¡°I ¡ª I swear. I don¡¯t know where it is.¡±


    Wizen extended a hand toward the bodies. They shuddered, the twirls of gray smoke rising off them thickening into streamers that swirled through the air and into his palm. The corpses disintegrated into smoke, pouring into his body and vanishing.


    The girl swallowed. ¡°I... might know where it is. Don¡¯t turn me into smoke and eat me. I¡¯ll... probably give you indigestion.¡±


    Wizen tilted his head to the side. His arm raised. He did not need witnesses. Especially not ones that reminded him of anything. The young demon stared at him, her back pressed to the wall and the dagger raised before her like a shield. Her gaze met his and read the thoughts in his eyes. She squeezed her eyes shut. Wizen¡¯s hand twitched.


    He turned on his heel and strode from the alley, leaving the girl behind him.


    ¡°Wizen!¡± Barb said from beside the glassy-eyed merchant as he re-emerged. She had a new bag clutched in her hands. ¡°I got some stuff. What were you up to?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Wizen replied. ¡°Come on. We have much to accomplish.¡±


    Barb blinked, then shrugged. Wizen snapped his fingers and the merchant stepped away from his wares, following after them as they headed deeper into the City of Gold.

 Chapter 522: Thoughts

    Chapter 522: Thoughts


    As Noah paced back and forth at the top of a roof overlooking the Web¡¯s camp, he felt pride. Aylin and the others had been doing a wonderful job of starting to bring the rest of Treadon¡¯s underground under their control. More and more demons flowed in and out of the Web¡¯s camp in the market square, delivering reports on the state of the city and what information they could gather.


    The majority of them ended up speaking to Violet, though the ones that she didn¡¯t like got sent directly to Aylin. As it turned out, delivering reports to a Knowledge Demon was generally a slightly less than ideal role to find oneself in. It certainly kept Aylin well fed and growing in strength at a steady rate.


    Time slipped by and hours turned to days. Noah continued to observe his growing ranks, remaining largely hands-off from the entire process. He didn¡¯t have anywhere near the understanding to actually manage running an entire camp of demons. Vrith and Yoru both came in incredible help there.


    Vrith seemed to know exactly what was needed for a gang to function, while Yoru just scared the living hell out of everyone that she looked at. Noah hadn¡¯t even seen her say a word. Even though she was a child, everyone could tell with a single glance that the demon was a monster hiding within a tiny body.


    He still wasn¡¯t sure if Yoru had started getting along better with Violet or not. Neither of them had voiced any more troubles with the other, and they were still sleeping in the same tent at night as far as he knew, so Noah was hopeful that they¡¯d grown to somewhat tolerate each other.ors of their motions had long since wound their way into Treadon. They didn¡¯t quite have an army, but it wasn¡¯t far from it either. There were a whole lot of demons that had been forgotten by the city and slipped through the cracks. If the average demon in the gangs had been even Rank 3, they would have been quite formidable.


    But that wasn¡¯t what the Web had. Their soldiers were a group of ragtag demons desperate to avoid starvation, with only a few that had managed to make it to Rank 3 ¡ª and of their lot, the majority of them had runes that were so poorly combined that they might as well still have been at Rank 2.


    I can¡¯t complain. They aren¡¯t even here to be cannon fodder. I need them for information. Knowledge about Wizen, the city, everything. My bullshit can only go so far if I don¡¯t have strings to pull to make it look like I¡¯m stronger than I actually am. The more I know about the underbelly of the city and the more blackmail I can get on some of the stronger demons, the better.


    Noah stopped his pacing and sat down at the edge of the roof, one knee pulled up against his chest and his chin rested in his palm. He definitely wasn¡¯t in any lack of information anymore.


    A shadow shifted behind him, but Noah¡¯s domain and tremorsense told him who it was before he even turned around.


    ¡°Spider,¡± Vrith said, her head inclined respectfully. ¡°I have compiled more information for you.¡±


    Noah nodded to the spot beside him. ¡°On with it, then. Anything useful?¡±


    ¡°I think so,¡± Vrith replied. She hesitated a second before making her way over to the edge of the roof and sitting down a few feet away from him. ¡°I believe we¡¯ve found the demon that has been sending assassins for you and Aylin. A giant demon with a gravelly voice isn¡¯t exactly the most unique creature to live in the Damned Plains. But when we only looked at demons more closely affiliated with Lord Belkus and in this general area of the city... well, I¡¯m pretty sure we¡¯ve got him. It¡¯s a Wealth Demon by the name of Igris. He¡¯s Rank 5. Fairly accomplished, and renowned for his physical strength.¡±


    ¡°I think I can see why he¡¯s chosen to send people after us instead of doing it himself if he¡¯s a Wealth Demon,¡± Noah said with a dry laugh. ¡°Any idea why he started so early? Those first assassins came before we even started stirring too much shit.¡±


    Vrith nodded. ¡°Yeah. I think it¡¯s because of the original demon that ruled this camp ¡ª Golon. He was in pretty deep debt to Igris. We would have found that sooner, but he¡¯d kept it pretty well under wraps.¡±


    ¡°Ah. I see where this is going. Igris stopped getting payments or the like from Golon, so he got pissy and decided to set about getting me and Aylin out of the picture.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my thought process as well. He hasn¡¯t sent anything recently, but nothing we¡¯ve heard about him implies he¡¯s likely to give up easily,¡± Vrith warned. She drummed her fingers against her knees in thought. ¡°I suspect he¡¯s likely going up the ladder. Igris may have realized you¡¯re stronger than expected, especially after the auction.¡±


    ¡°I highly doubt it.¡±


    Vrith glanced at Noah. ¡°Then you have lost me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not stupid. You know strength, and you¡¯re aware that Aylin is more than powerful enough to kill you if he wanted to ¡ª but he doesn¡¯t want to. He cares about you. Just like he cares about Violet and Edda and Torrick.¡±


    Well, perhaps not exactly like them.


    Vrith shifted position, the confusion in her features growing stronger. ¡°I... forgive me. I still don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Aylin trusts you,¡± Noah said with a shrug. ¡°And you trust Aylin. You don¡¯t fear him because you know that he wouldn¡¯t hurt you and you have no desire to hurt him. There is no reason for fear to be present in a relationship like that. And, because of that, if Aylin were in a situation where he needed help, I suspect you would help him. Even if it were likely that he would fall and you would gain some modicum of power as a result of it. That is the difference between being cared for and being feared.¡±


    Vrith blinked, and Noah pushed himself to his feet and stretched his arms over his head before shaking them out. It looked like the time for waiting really was over. That was just fine ¡ª he¡¯d been starting to get a bit antsy.


    ¡°You mean to say that people will only care about Igris while he still lives, and if you provide sufficient compensation or an alternative path, Belkus will not care when you kill him?¡± Vrith asked, rising beside Noah.


    ¡°Something like that,¡± Noah said with a nod. ¡°I suppose we¡¯ll have to find out.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Vrith said softly. She examined the palms of her hands, then rubbed them off on her dark clothes. ¡°I... it seems you know more of my thoughts than I do.¡±


    Something told Noah she wasn¡¯t thinking about Igris. His smile quirked slightly larger before he got a hold of his expression again.


    ¡°You start to figure things out when you get old enough. There¡¯s a lot of power to be found in others, but not always the kind that helps you fight.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to find that one out yourself,¡± Noah replied with a chuckle. ¡°Now, go let Aylin know that I¡¯m trusting him to keep the camp under control. I suspect the city might be getting a little more exciting quite soon.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Vrith said. ¡°When?¡±


    Noah smiled, and this time he made no move to keep the motion from showing even through the bandages covering his face. ¡°Immediately.¡±

 Chapter 523: Breaking In & Announcement

    Chapter 523: Breaking In & Announcement


    Noah set out from camp together with Moxie, and the two of them proceeded to promptly get themselves lost.


    They really should have expected it. Neither of them had spent all that much time traveling around in Treadon on their own. Sure, Vrith had given Noah directions to Igris¡¯ mansion, but a guide probably would have been a considerably smarter choice.


    Noah and Moxie came to a stop at a large crossroads about an hour after setting out from camp. Despite the slightly unfortunate situation they found themselves in, Noah couldn¡¯t help but be surprised.


    He hadn¡¯t ever stopped to actually think about the fact that Treadon wasn¡¯t just a bunch of buildings on the back of a huge turtle. It was a city. Metal carts clanged against the cobbled road as they bounced down the streets, dragged by demons, monsters, and occasionally, both.


    Large piles of leather-wrapped goods swayed on the backs of demons as they strode across the street in large hordes, only stopping to avoid running straight into each other. The smells of a city ¡ª both the good and the bad ¡ª intermingled in a remarkably displeasing manner as they entered his nostrils. A mixture of sweat, metal, oil, and a smattering of foods that could be placed somewhere between oily and greasy.


    ¡°You know, I never actually thought they had cars down here,¡± Noah said.


    ¡°Car?¡± Moxie repeated, her brow furrowing beneath the face wrappings she¡¯d donned for their impromptu mission. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Carts,¡± Noah corrected. ¡°Car is something else. Let some old vocabulary slip through. You know, it¡¯s kind of interesting. I never actually properly learned the language we¡¯re speaking. Well, that¡¯s not to say I don¡¯t know it. I know it ¡ª I just don¡¯t know how.¡±


    That gave him a moment of pause. He couldn¡¯t remember how he¡¯d learned English either. He just... had. Noah¡¯s brow furrowed. That was a deeply confusing thought. He¡¯d obviously been taught it at some point, but was that really functionally any different from the way he¡¯d just stolen the knowledge of Vermil¡¯s language straight from his¡ª


    ¡°Noah?¡± Moxie¡¯s voice held just enough iron in it to catch his attention.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m as thrilled with hearing you think as I always am, but perhaps this isn¡¯t the time?¡± Moxie suggested gently. ¡°I think we may have been slightly waylaid. I¡¯m pretty sure our good friend was situated in an affluent noble area.¡±


    Noah glanced around the market square. Tall, two and three story buildings of rickety, reddish stone rose all around them. They were supported by thick beams of metal that ran through the sky overhead, connecting many of the buildings together, and jutted up from the ground at odd angles.


    Treadon definitely hadn¡¯t hired a particularly competent city-planner. It really looked like someone had let a kid loose in a playground full of wet sand armed with a giant box of metal skewers. The area they stood in was many things, but rich and affluent were definitely neither of them.


    ¡°There may be a slight chance I missed a turn or ten,¡± Noah allowed. He scratched the back of his neck and scanned over the surrounding buildings in search of anything that could situate them.


    Most of the buildings were nondescript. There were a few scattered locations that resembled restaurants ¡ª not that Noah had any plans of ever eating in a demon restaurant. He didn¡¯t trust the idea of that farther than he could throw it. They definitely didn¡¯t have food safety laws.


    Beyond those, he spotted a smattering of assorted stores that were devoid of any customers and, for some reason, a massage parlor at the far side of the street. Noah nearly headed straight into it purely out of curiosity as to what a demon massage parlor might hold before he stopped himself mid-step.


    Moxie followed his gaze and arched an eyebrow. ¡°Wow. You are really distracted today.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t want to know what goes on in there.¡±


    ¡°I ¡ª okay, I totally do, but I think I can take an educated guess,¡± Moxie said dryly. ¡°And don¡¯t even think about going in there without me if you can¡¯t.¡±


    Moxie nodded slowly. ¡°What do you think the chances are that there¡¯s anyone else in that building that¡¯s either a Rank 5 or innocent?¡±


    ¡°Rank 5, maybe. It would be dumb to assume there aren¡¯t other powerful opponents. That¡¯s just asking to get screwed over. But innocent? I suspect none. To be completely honest with you, unless I have a very explicit reason to believe someone is innocent or avoiding a fight, I won¡¯t be taking the risk. Not when your life is involved.¡±


    Moxie¡¯s cheeks reddened. ¡°Getting romantic before a mission is not helping me concentrate.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to be romantic.¡±


    ¡°I know. That¡¯s why it was.¡± Moxie shook her head and let out a huff of air before reaching into her clothes and pulling out a small seed. She rolled it between her fingers, then raised her eyes to the mansion. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with the rest of the house. I¡¯ve been working on something. Just don¡¯t let your domain fall, or I might get you with it as well.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d tell you if I knew, but I haven¡¯t exactly figured out the extent of what it does yet,¡± Moxie said, coughing into her fist. ¡°It¡¯ll do something, though. At the very least it¡¯ll buy you some time. How long will you need to deal with Igris?¡±


    ¡°At least 30 minutes. Probably 40 if you can manage it? I¡¯ll have to find the prick and beat the life out of him before I can force him to drink a Mind Meld.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll buy you 40 minutes. I can do it from down here if everything goes to plan. And I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be hard for you to find Igris. This guy is linked to the ruler of Treadon, which means he¡¯s just another government Wastelicker. Just start from the top of the building and look for the fanciest room.¡±


    ¡°Picking up some new lingo, huh?¡±


    Moxie¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Get moving, Spider.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± Noah chuckled, then sent her a serious look. ¡°But Moxie? If things go wrong ¡ª get out.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Moxie promised. ¡°Just make sure you let me know if they do.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I will,¡± Noah said.


    ¡°How?¡±


    His smile returned and he set his flying sword on the ground, stepping onto it. The weapon hummed to life and he lifted into the air.


    ¡°By breaking something really big.¡±


    Noah¡¯s eyes focused on a window at the top of the building. Noah had no doubt that the demon had some form of protection, but he strongly suspected that nobody had ever tried breaking in by flying straight through the uppermost window.


    I think it¡¯s about time we change that.

 Chapter 524: Drink this

    Chapter 524: Drink this


    Noah gave Moxie a moment to prepare her mystery magic while he took a brief instant to scan the street from upon his flying sword. There weren¡¯t any guards or passersby on the road. A number of demons passed beyond the windows in some of the mansions, but nobody was paying the street any attention.


    It would only be a matter of time until they were. Noah had absolutely no delusions that he¡¯d ever be able to break into a mansion in the middle of a street full of other wealthy demons, break some shit, and get out without summoning some form of defensive force.


    The real question is going to be just how extensive that force is and how quickly they show up. Fights aren¡¯t forbidden in demon cities. It¡¯s just a matter of strength. If I¡¯m not bothering the other mansions, will they even try to send for help? There¡¯s a chance Igris has allies that will... but something tells me any allies that Igris has aren¡¯t going to be the ones willing to risk their own necks if things are going poorly for him.


    Oh well. Moxie won¡¯t be in the house and I¡¯ll be making more than enough distraction for the both of us. Only way to find out what happens is to try.


    ¡°Just about ready?¡± Noah asked Moxie, who was hunched over the seed in her palms with a look of intense concentration knitting her features even behind the face wrappings.


    She glanced up at him and nodded. ¡°Yes. As soon as you do your thing, I¡¯m just going to leave this by the door and then manage things from the alley. I¡¯m getting out of here the moment any backup shows up.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. I¡¯ll see you back at the camp.¡±


    Noah leaned forward and sent a flicker of energy down through his feet. The flying sword jerked into motion and he zipped into the air, heading straight for the uppermost window of the house. It wasn¡¯t a long flight. As soon as he was nearing it, Noah pulled his power from the sword and drew on Crumbling Space.


    Chilly power raced through his arm and into his fingertips as he sailed through the air. He released the magic stored within his hand moments before he collided with the window. White cracks raced out and passed clean through the glass as if it wasn¡¯t even there.


    An instant later, it collapsed with a loud crack. Noah¡¯s fist struck the window as it shattered in a rain of shards. He tumbled through them and into the top room of the building.


    Small pieces of glass cut into his clothes and left thin lines along his skin as he hit the ground in a roll and launched to his feet, extending his domain and his tremorsenses instantly. The room he¡¯d arrived in looked to be a study, with a small desk and a plush red chair. A plate of fruit was set on the desk.


    The room was empty, but Noah could feel movement all throughout the house beneath him. He took a moment to process the information. There were around fifteen people in the mansion, which was less than he was expecting. Of those fifteen people, there was a single form in a room on the floor below that was nearly twice his height. None of the others compared.


    Even though Noah couldn¡¯t make out any details and his domain wasn¡¯t quite in range of them, it wasn¡¯t hard to determine who it was. A grin tugged at his lips. Noah grabbed a bulging purple fruit from the table and strode out of the door.


    An average-sized demon prickled against his senses as they raced around the corner of a long, carpeted hall in his direction. Noah lifted a hand, releasing a powerful blast of wind before the demon had even stepped into his line of sight.


    A middle-aged demon with a single large horn protruding straight from the top of his head like a flagpole emerged just in time to catch Noah¡¯s magic straight to his face. It lifted him off his feet and slammed the demon into the wall behind him.


    By the time he dropped back to his feet, Noah had already closed the distance between them. His palm crashed into the man¡¯s forehead and drove it back into the wall with far more strength than he¡¯d been planning on using.


    The demon crumpled, unconscious. Noah paused for a moment as he stared at the limp body before him. He was pretty sure the demon wasn¡¯t dead, but he¡¯d never hit anything that hard without empowering himself with magic.


    Is it the Fragment of Self empowering me? No time to worry about it now. Bigger shit to fight.


    He slammed his palm into Igris¡¯ chest and he unleashed Natural Disaster, sending a bolt of lighting into his body at point blank. A loud crack ripped through the air and Igris tumbled back, sliding across the gold and slamming into a wall. Smoke curled from a charred spot on his chest. Igris clutched the wound, his lips pulled fully back to reveal two rows of golden fangs.


    ¡°Who sent you?¡± Igris demanded.


    ¡°Nobody sent me,¡± Noah replied. He flicked his hand forward and wind screamed past him, forming into a thick column of white blades. Igris dove to the side, avoiding the magic as it cut clean through the wall behind him and demolished a table in the room beyond. ¡°I am here because you dared to call me.¡±


    The huge demon rose back to his feet. Despite his size, he was fast. He could also use external magic. This was no weak opponent ¡ª but Noah had never felt better in his life. He was practically thrumming with energy.


    ¡°You dared to interfere in my business. The only thing you have come here to do is die,¡± Igris growled. Gold burst up around Noah, swirling like glistening water, and collapsed on him from all directions.


    Noah drew on Natural Disaster once more, forcing its power out in every direction. A howling gale enveloped his body and blew outward, throwing Igris¡¯ magic back and sending gold clattering against the walls. The large demon may have been a Rank 5, but his external magic wasn¡¯t all that impressive.


    Definitely weaker than Azel ¡ª or he¡¯s focused in a different area.


    ¡°Do you know how many times I¡¯ve heard some variation of that line?¡± Noah asked. Lightning crackled between his fingertips and he lifted his hand. ¡°And do you know how many of the people that have asked me that are still alive?¡±


    Igris flung one of his daggers at Noah. It streaked through the air in a black blur. There was no doubt in Noah¡¯s mind that it was moving far faster than any normal human ever could have hoped to avoid under their own powers.


    He stepped right past it. The blade slammed into the wall behind him and thrummed, vibrating to a standstill, buried in the stone.


    ¡°Was that wise?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Now you only have three.¡±


    Igris snarled at him. The huge demon took a step forward. Then a wave of gold erupted in front of him and he spun, sprinting for safety. He crossed the distance between himself and the exit in a flash, flinging the door open ¡ª


    A massive vine covered with beautiful white flowers filled the entire hallway. Thick thorns jutted off it, dripping with purple liquid. Igris skidded to a halt an instant before he impaled himself upon it the vine. He spun back to Noah, who did his best not to look equally as surprised.


    Goddamn, Moxie. When you said you could handle something, I did not quite realize the scale at which we were speaking.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Igris snarled. ¡°Who are you? What do you want?¡±


    Noah reached up to the wrappings covering his face and pulled them down to reveal his smile. He dipped the fingers of his other hand into a pocket, pulling out a Mind Meld potion.


    ¡°You know who I am, Igris. We¡¯ve already covered this. You tried so hard to get my attention, and now you have it,¡± Noah said softly. He lifted the potion and the blood ran from Igris¡¯ face. Noah¡¯s smile grew wider. ¡°And now, you¡¯re going to drink this for me.¡±

 Chapter 525: Who Sent You?

    Chapter 525: Who Sent You?


    Disgust twisted Igris¡¯ features into a rictus snarl and he pointed his three remaining daggers at Noah, looking down the bridge of his nose at him with complete and utter contempt.


    ¡°Vile, arrogant creature. You are even more disgusting than I thought. I am going to make you suffer,¡± the huge demon snarled. Muscle rippled along his body and dull yellow light lit behind his eyes. The daggers in his hands trembled, joined by a rattle as every coin in the room started to tremble. Golden rivers twisted up Igris¡¯ legs and rolled over his body like molten slag flowing in reverse. Coins bubbled like boiling water as beams of molten light broke out from beneath them, rays of sunlight breaking from behind the clouds before they vanished once again.


    ¡°That¡¯s cute,¡± Noah said, tilting his head to the side as a scythe of gold carved through the air where it had been, just barely missing its mark. ¡°But are you really sure that¡¯s wise?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to break you,¡± Igris promised. He thrust his hands forward and the gold before him erupted up in a pillar. The shape of a massive blade took form within it, thick and unwieldy, with large jutting pieces of gold sticking off it like haphazard icicles. Igris discarded his daggers and lifted the chunk of metal into the air with a roar.


    Noah drank power from Natural Disaster and watched the demon impassively. If it hadn¡¯t been apparent that Igris was no warrior before, it definitely was now. The display might have been impressive if it hadn¡¯t taken multiple seconds.


    In the time Igris had spent dragging all the gold over to himself and forming the shoddy, glowing armor, Noah could have closed the distance between them and killed the big demon with a single call of Sunder or the Fragment of Renewal¡¯s inverse. There was only one reason the fight hadn¡¯t already ended. Noah needed his opponent alive.


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to be edgy when I say you¡¯re wasting my time,¡± Noah said, scratching at the side of his neck. He continued to draw energy from Natural Disaster as he spoke, straining the rune to its absolute limits. Igris was still a Rank 5 demon. Underestimating him would be a poor idea.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one standing around doing nothing,¡± Igris replied from beneath the shifting layers of his armor. He took a step back and lifted his weapon, aiming it for Noah¡¯s neck. ¡°I¡¯m going to enjoy ripping you in half and selling your body to Lord Belkus. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be interested to hear more about the person that¡¯s been trying to steal the underground from him.¡±


    ¡°You really think that, don¡¯t you?¡± Noah asked, shaking his head and sliding the potion back into his pocket. He clasped his hands together. Power prickled against the inside of his skin and trembled in anticipation. ¡°Why do you think I just stood here and waited, Igris?¡±


    ¡°Because you are a coward who uses others to do your bidding! You thought I could be intimidated, but I am far greater than the scum that you pride yourself in lording over. Soon, you will envy them.¡± Igris replied with a cold laugh.


    He lurched forward, a massive gold-clad foot slamming into the ground and propelling him toward Noah. Igris let out a roar of fury as he reared back, bringing the huge chunk of metal that moonlighted as a sword in his hands down for Noah¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Gold is a fantastic electrical conductor,¡± Noah said. He pressed his hands to the demon¡¯s back and unleashed the full might of Natural Disaster.


    An ocean of energy poured from him and into Igris in a deluge of power. Brilliant yellow light lit the room and the inside of his armor lit up like a Christmas tree. Something between a crackle and a roar shook the air, as Igris screamed in agony.


    Thick veins of arcing electricity crawled out of the demon¡¯s heavy armor and carved lines across the floor as they sought their freedom. Cracks split the thick gold and warped clumps of coins crumbled away amidst the storm of electricity as the fingers of lightning reached farther across the room.


    Noah didn¡¯t let up on his energy. He continued to draw from Natural Disaster and send every scrap of power it could manage into Igris. The Rank 5 Demon¡¯s screams were indecipherable over the roar of energy pouring out of his body. Burnt patches spread across the gold covering him like moss. The armor peeled away in large swathes, crashing to the ground. The pieces covering Igris¡¯ face split down the center and fell to either side of him. His eyes burned like twin suns behind them and lightning licked from within his mouth like the breath of a dragon. His mouth was locked open, fingers twitched desperately in seek of an escape that would not come. The sizzle of burning flesh filled the air and thick black smoke twisted around them.


    Noah finally released the magic and drove his foot into the lower part of Igris¡¯ chest. The huge demon pitched back, the light behind his eyes fluttering as the final sparks of electricity slipped free of his body, and he crashed to the ground with a resounding boom that echoed through the destroyed room around them. Noah stepped through the thick cloud of rancid smoke and onto Igris¡¯ chest.


    The huge demon wheezed in agony. He¡¯d taken the full brunt of the attack and still somehow managed to survive ¡ª but survival was a relative term. Enormous portions of his body had been charred pitch black and gold had melted into his flesh in forked patterns like a mad sculptor had used his body as a grotesque canvas.


    ¡°Who... sent you?¡± Igris rasped, hacking up phlegm and blood.


    Noah reached into his pocket and pulled the Mind Meld potion free, popping off the top seal and lifting it over Igris¡¯ face. He sent another river of electricity coursing through his foot and into Igris¡¯ chest. The demon¡¯s scream turned to a sputtering cough as Noah poured the potion into his mouth.


    ¡°You did,¡± Noah replied. Noah popped the second half of the seal off and drained the rest of the potion himself. He looked down at the fallen demon and pulled the wrappings back over his face as a familiar dizziness washed over him. ¡°I¡¯ll be seeing you shortly, Igris.¡±


    Then the world went black.

 Chapter 526: The Truth

    Chapter 526: The Truth


    Noah¡¯s eyes snapped open to find a sea of gold stretching beneath his feet. It was like a dragon¡¯s wet dream. Mountains of riches rolled on all around him. Ruby studded crowns and diamond encrusted goblets were strewn across the ground like trash. Warm golden light shone down on the sea of wealth, making it glisten like the ocean.


    Three large Demon Runes were nestled within the biggest piles. They were so heavily covered that Noah wouldn¡¯t have been able to understand what they said even if he understood how to read demonic. The pressure rolling from them was exactly what Noah had expected. They were all Rank 5 Runes, but they weren¡¯t well formed.


    These things are nowhere near perfect, much less flawless. I suppose that fits for some idiot that hires shitty assassins instead of trying to do the job himself. God, I¡¯m almost insulted by how incompetent they were.


    ¡°You were a fool to come here,¡± Igris said, his voice coming from behind Noah and laden with hatred. ¡°I¡¯m going to rip your loin out and shove it down your throat until the effects of this potion end.¡±


    He turned to find the demon towering over him. Igris stood at the top of a pile of gold, two enormous blades in each of his hands. There was no sneer on his face anymore. The demon was deadly serious.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Noah asked, tilting his head to the side as he extended his senses into the demon¡¯s mind. ¡°And why do you have to make it weird? Couldn¡¯t you have chosen a different body part?¡±


    ¡°You may have won the fight in the outer world, but this is my mind, not yours,¡± Igris spat. The pile of wealth at his feet him trembled and rose into the air behind him, forming into an enormous tsunami cast in gold. ¡°I will crush you, wretch. Your arrogance has cost you the fight.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lecture me about arrogance when you decide to gloat instead of trying to take advantage of a surprise attack.,¡± Noah said with a snort. He waved at the runes buried behind him. ¡°Now tell me, which of these runes is your core rune?¡±


    Igis swept his swords down with a scream. The wave of gold roared forward and pressure bore down on Noah. The sky was swallowed by a shimmering tsunami. His head tilted to the side. A soul was pressure. There was nothing else within it. That was why people could practice magic-infused patterns safely within their mind. It was just testing pressure and functionally simulating the results. And, in a fight where runic pressure was the determining factor, Noah was rarely the one at a disadvantage. He looked up at the gold as it crashed down toward him.


    Then he released the full weight of his soul. A shockwave of pressure erupted from Noah like a bomb had gone off in the center of the golden sea.


    The wave shattered. Igris stumbled back as the swords in his hands evaporated. His head tilted back. His mouth dropped open. Horror played across his features and his eyes widened in disbelief. A black spear dropped from the heavens, carving through the light itself. It tore through the air before crashing down in the ground directly before Noah in a spray of coins. White cracks exploded out from where the spear had landed and Igris let out a wheeze of pain.


    ¡°How?¡± Igris said in a gasping cough. ¡°How is this possible? This is my soul. You cannot¡ª¡±


    ¡°You are weak,¡± Noah said. He reached out and grabbed the hilt of the spear. Power pulsed within it like a heartbeat. Noah had never tried manifesting Sunder¡¯s power like this before. He wasn¡¯t even sure if such a thing was possible in the real world ¡ª but they were in a mindspace. The rules here were different. Magic was just pressure. Everything else was just the way they viewed it.


    He ripped the spear free of the ground. Igris screamed again, dropping to his knees and sliding down the hill he stood on as the coins gave way. Noah strode over to the first of the first of the three Rank 5 Runes.


    And, once Noah had finished testing every last scrap of information that he could, he carved both Runes apart piece by piece. He split the Rank 4s into Rank 3s. The Rank 3s into Rank 2s, and the Rank 2s into Rank 1. Every time, Noah studied the resultant runes, searching for a pattern. Searching for anything he could use to understand the runes just a little more.


    The culmination of his efforts was confusion.


    Noah was intricately familiar with the designs of the Demon Runes he¡¯d taken apart, even though he didn¡¯t know their names. He¡¯d figured out how they reacted to a variety of different scenarios. He knew their limits ¡ª but it was their origin that completely baffled him.


    Igris¡¯ runes had been largely composed of a mixture of demon and various metal and earth runes. All of their qualities had been quite poor. But, when he¡¯d ground everything down to their basest components, he was completely caught off guard to find the exact same Rank 1 Demon Runes that Aylin had. It wasn¡¯t just one of them, either. It was every single Demon Rune. Without fail, they were identical. And that made no sense.


    The Fragment of Self was a manifestation of me. I could feel how closely connected it is to every part of my body. It¡¯s not some generic thing, but it also definitely serves the same purpose. Given how the soul and body are connected so closely in a Demon, these Rank 1 Demon Runes are basically serving the exact same purpose as my rune. So why are they all the same?


    Igris¡¯s weak wheeze tickled the back of Noah¡¯s mind, but he ignored it. The demon¡¯s soul had almost completely collapsed. There were more white cracks than gold, and the cracks expanded with every passing second. Noah didn¡¯t have much time left until the damage spread everywhere. He had even less until the last Rank 1 Demon Rune ran out of energy and dissipated, but something priked at the back of his mind.


    Aylin¡¯s Demon Rune hadn¡¯t been unique to him. There had been a chance he and Violet had shared their runes, but there was no way Igris also would have happened to have the exact same rune by coincidence. That meant the Rank 1 Demon Rune had nothing to do with the emotion they ate. A common denominator was something he could work with. It was the key to figuring out what he was missing. He just had to find out what door it went to.


    Noah studied the rune intently. The closer he looked, the more he felt as if there was something he was missing. Something obvious. Familiarity scratched at the back of his mind like a cat at the door.


    Gold coins tumbled through the growing cracks around Noah, falling into the growing void around him. Igris¡¯ pained breathing started to give way behind him. The demon wasn¡¯t long for this world, and neither was his soul. Noah¡¯s jaw clenched. His senses poured over the rune, feeling for more than just its appearance. He sent his intent deep into the rune itself, probing for anything he could find.


    What is it? What feels familiar? I¡ª


    And, just like that, he realized what the familiar sensation was. A chill raced down Noah¡¯s spine. The Demon Rune crumbled away into the ether, but it didn¡¯t matter. He didn¡¯t need it anymore.


    It made no sense, but there was absolutely no denying it. Something had clicked in his soul and shifted in his mind. Perhaps it was just an old memory knocked loose. Perhaps it was something else entirely. But, no matter what it was, he changed. For the first time in his life, Noah read a Demon Rune.


    Its base name was simply just Demon Rune. But that wasn¡¯t all. Demon Rune was a rough translation, its true meaning lost. The pattern within the rune held a different message ¡ª and it contained a presence that Noah would never forget in all his years.


    Miniscule Shard of Decras.

 Chapter 527: The Problem & ANNOUNCEMENT

    Chapter 527: The Problem & ANNOUNCEMENT


    Noah didn¡¯t get long to think on what he¡¯d just discovered. A crash like a glacier splitting and dropping into the sea tore through the air and ripped his attention away from the Rank 1 Demon Rune. He spun, drawing on his runes, to face Igris, but it wasn¡¯t the demon that he found waiting for him.


    Brilliant white light poured from a gaping fissure running through the seas of gold. Coins spilled over its edge and plummeted into the pale void, vanishing without a sound. The spiderwebbing damage covering Igris expanded from the fissure and stretched all across his entire body. Hairline cracks covered the floor and ran beneath Noah¡¯s feet.


    Igris laid motionless on a pile of gold. His eyes were glassy and lifeless, all resistance having left him. He was dead.


    As to how long he¡¯d been dead, Noah was unsure. He¡¯d had the demon suppressed under Sunder¡¯s weight to the point where he hadn¡¯t even been able to speak. The soul damage had just gotten to a point where he couldn¡¯t hold out any longer.


    More cracks echoed out. Igris¡¯s soul spilled into the fissure. It expanded in jerky motions, zipping out across the ground and letting more white energy spilling in like opening a broken zipper on a tent caught in a snowstorm. A rumble shook the soul as the cracks traced up into the sky and connected above Noah.


    I think I may have started to overstay my welcome. What happens if you get caught in someone¡¯s soul when they die? I don¡¯t imagine I¡¯d die as well. The cracks aren¡¯t connected to me¡ª but I don¡¯t¡¯ really want to go around touching that white void any more than I have to. Why am I not getting pulled back into my body? I swear it¡¯s been ¡ª


    A wave of dizziness smacked into Noah¡¯s head. He staggered. Braced a hand against his knee. Coins poured at increasing speeds, a tide pushing against his feet and trying to pull him down along with them.


    Igris¡¯ body was caught in the roiling waves consuming what remained of his soul. Coins rolled over his corpse, swallowing the demon whole as they flowed toward the fissure. Noah caught one last glimpse of him as he plummeted over the edge, suspended in the air for a brief second amidst raining gold, and then he was gone.


    The buzz in Noah¡¯s head intensified. A thousand bees smacked against the insides of his skull and clamored for escape. His skull pulsed in disorientation and darkness danced at the edges of his vision. Gold coins pelted against his legs. What had once been a tide was now a vortex. The floor disappeared, replaced by a glistening ocean that refused to take no for an answer and stole his footing out from under him.


    Noah slipped and fell back into the rushing gold with a grunt. The instant he made contact, coins rolled over him and he was caught within the current. He couldn¡¯t even call on his runes. The buzzing was so loud, the disorientation so strong that his power slipped through his fingertips like falling sand.


    His stomach dropped out from under him. He shot down into the fissure, flushed from the soul together with what remained of Igris. Noah found himself launched free of the golden sea. For the briefest instant, he was suspended in an infinite expanse of white, surrounded by a rain of riches.


    Then there was a pop. The world shattered, and he was gone.


    ***


    Noah¡¯s eyes snapped open in Igris¡¯ room. The house was silent. He was alive, and nobody was in the process of trying to rectify that issue. That was a good thing. Moxie had been able to keep anyone from interfering.


    Thoughts clouded through Noah¡¯s head like muddy water. The magnitude of the discovery he¡¯d made and the ramifications of what it meant, not just for Lee, but for every single demon, swirled through his mind. He wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d answered more questions than he¡¯d gotten, but this wasn¡¯t the time to dwell on it.


    Noah shoved himself upright. Igris¡¯ huge body laid by his side, lifeless. Blood trickled from the demon¡¯s nose and ears, pooling around his head. His mouth was open in agony and his eyes were bloodshot. The demon had been dead for quite some time.


    Wiping the sweat from his brow, Noah pushed himself up to his feet. Energy prickled at the back of his mind like a distant memory. His runes had drunk the power from the demon and grown considerably as a result. Killing Rank 5s was a pretty effective way of getting stronger, but he couldn¡¯t just stand around and waste time. Moxie couldn¡¯t keep buying him time forever. The sooner he got out of here, the sooner he could actually sit down and process what he¡¯d just learned.


    His gaze traveled over the formerly beautiful room, now heavily scarred from their fight. Golden slag littered the ground around Igris and the walls had been scorched black. Coins shifted beneath Noah¡¯s feet as he stepped around the dead demon¡¯s body and scooped one of the embossed golden daggers ¡ª nearly as large as a sword when held in his hands ¡ª off the ground.


    ¡°You made it back alive.¡± Moxie strode over to him and grabbed him by the wrist, lifting one arm up into the air before pulling his shirt up and examining his stomach. ¡°Did you get stabbed somewhere serious? About to die from blood loss or poisoning?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Moxie,¡± Noah said, suppressing a laugh. ¡°All the wounds are superficial. I took more damage from diving through the window than I did from Igris. He¡¯s dead, by the way.¡±


    ¡°You killed a Rank 5?¡± Lee hopped to her feet and carefully set his gourd down on the bed before looking back to him. ¡°And you survived the fight?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to act so surprised. I don¡¯t always kill myself.¡±


    ¡°Hellreaver,¡± Lee said.


    ¡°Evergreen,¡± Moxie said.


    ¡°The Inquisitors,¡± Lee said.


    ¡°When you went to practice your patterns,¡± Moxie said.


    ¡°When you first met Father. Also, with Dayton. Multiple times.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I get it!¡± Noah exclaimed, letting out a defeated laugh. He carefully extracted his hand from Moxie¡¯s grip and unwrapped his jacket to reveal Igris¡¯ sword. ¡°I may have a problem. But this time around, I made it out alive. That¡¯s almost certainly thanks to that plant of yours, Moxie. What the hell was that? It was incredible! Did you fill the entire damn house with vines?¡±


    ¡°The culmination of a lot of pattern practice,¡± Moxie replied, her cheeks reddening at the praise. ¡°The vine itself is part of the pattern. It grows from organic bodies of matter. The more people it can draw energy from, the bigger it gets. Nobody in the house was all that strong, so they weren¡¯t able to do anything against it in time.¡±


    ¡°What exactly did you do to them?¡± Noah asked. He wasn¡¯t so sure he wanted to know the answer, but he couldn¡¯t keep his curiosity under wraps.


    ¡°The vine had poison in it. I¡¯m pretty sure it either put them to sleep, paralyzed them, or killed them.¡± Moxie hesitated for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m not really sure. The poison was based off something I was reading back in Arbitage. I had no clue what it would do to demons, so I put a lot extra energy into the part of the vine that killed things by draining their energy. There¡¯s a chance the poison didn¡¯t do anything at all.¡±


    ¡°You killed everyone in the house?¡± Lee asked.


    Moxie¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Yes. The vine automatically looks for energy in the same way that flowers search for sunlight. I¡¯m not taking chances when it comes to your lives. I just hope all that death was worth it.¡±


    That snapped Noah¡¯s attention right back to the rune that had been occupying his mind. It had been momentarily pushed to the side when he¡¯d seen Moxie and Lee again, but there was nothing delaying his attention any longer.


    ¡°It was,¡± Noah said, keeping his words hushed. ¡°I think I found the problem with demons. I know what¡¯s wrong with Lee¡¯s runes.¡±

 Chapter 528: Has to be you

    Chapter 528: Has to be you


    ¡°You know what¡¯s wrong with Lee¡¯s runes?¡± Moxie exclaimed, her voice raising from her hushed whisper in surprise.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited yet.¡± Noah raised a hand to keep either Moxie or Lee from saying anything else. He¡¯d found a hint that could lead him toward fixing Lee, but he was still far from actually solving the issue ¡ª and the last thing they needed to do was broadcast any of what he¡¯d discovered.


    There was almost certainly a reason why it wasn¡¯t common knowledge in the Damned Plains yet. That may have been because nobody had ever met the terrifying the demon who the basic Demon Rune had come from. It may have been because someone had figured it out and gone through great lengths to ensure nobody else would.


    Noah wasn¡¯t sure which ¡ª if either ¡ª of the reasons it was, but he wasn¡¯t about to take any chances. Not when he had perfectly good Mind Meld potions to work with.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the place to talk out loud,¡± Noah said. ¡°We don¡¯t need anyone overhearing us. Even accidentally. The rest of this conversation is going to have to be held in one of our minds.¡±


    ¡°Can three people even use a Mind Meld?¡± Lee asked with a frown. She shifted from foot to foot in anticipation. Even though she was doing a good job of keeping her emotions in check, Noah could see the desire in her eyes.


    He couldn¡¯t blame her. Lee had been living with a blade hanging so close to her that she¡¯d probably been able to feel its tip against her neck. Her Runes were a ticking time bomb. A bomb that promised an end resulting in becoming a monster or dying. Any path that let her free of those fates wasn¡¯t one she could afford to pass by.


    ¡°No,¡± Noah said with a shake of his head. ¡°Not as far as I¡¯m aware, at least. I¡¯ve been avoiding anything to do with Mind Runes, but I¡¯m starting to think that getting one would be a clever investment. They¡¯re fucking disgusting, but if it¡¯s for the purposes of finding a way to just communicate telepathically, it would be worth it.¡±


    ¡°One problem at a time,¡± Moxie said. She reached into her bag and pulled out a Mind Meld potion, pressing it into Noah¡¯s palm. ¡°I¡¯ve got more of these. Maybe you should tell Lee first. I¡¯ll keep watch to make sure nobody bothers us.¡±


    Noah nodded. She¡¯d always been capable, but after what she¡¯d done in Igris¡¯ estate, he had absolutely no doubt that they¡¯d be safe until they woke back up. There weren¡¯t going to be many demons capable of dealing with her powers and it would take time for anyone to figure out exactly who had offed Igris. If anyone even truly cared about his death, they¡¯d probably do their legwork to figure out how a Rank 5 had fallen so easily before launching an assault of their own.


    ¡°Thanks, Moxie.¡± Noah pulled the top of the Mind Meld potion off and held the glistening pink liquid out to Lee. He still hadn¡¯t gotten used to the strange color of the potion in the Damned Plains, but it seemed to work all the same. ¡°Here. You first, Lee. My soul isn¡¯t particularly hospitable.¡±


    Lee took the potion from Noah. Her hand shook slightly with nervousness and excitement as she lifted it to her lips and tilted the potion back, draining half of it. She handed it back to him and sat down.


    He popped the second stopper off the potion and drained the rest of the shimmering liquid before sitting beside Lee. Moxie slipped a hand into a pocket and pulled out a small handful of seeds. She inclined her head to Noah.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got another one of those, by the way. I¡¯ll contain myself for now, but make sure you¡¯re ready to repeat your explanation. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be long,¡± Noah promised. A familiar buzz rolled over his senses and a wave of darkness followed after it. He closed his eyes and let the sensation ferry his soul free of his body and into Lee¡¯s mind.


    ***


    ¡°Decras,¡± Lee said. It was more of a statement than a question, but her head tilted to the side in confusion nonetheless. ¡°Who is that? And how is a Fragment of him in every demon? Isn¡¯t a Fragment the same thing as your Master Rune?¡±


    ¡°The one I stole from a goddess on accident,¡± Noah confirmed with a grim nod. ¡°And it¡¯s not exactly the same. You¡¯ve got something called a Miniscule Fragment of Decras, not a whole Fragment.¡±


    Lee¡¯s eyebrows knit. She pulled her legs up to her chest and drummed her fingers against her knees. ¡°Who is Decras?¡±


    ¡°A god,¡± Noah replied after a moment of hesitation. ¡°At least, I think he is. Maybe he¡¯s something worse. I only just learned his name, but Decras is the one who I got Sunder from. He attacked the afterlife. Technically, the only reason I was able to keep my memories and arrive in this world is because of him.¡±


    ¡°And he¡¯s got parts of himself in every demon?¡± Lee asked. She let her legs drop back to the ground and slid back in her chair, her features scrunching. ¡°Why? How?¡±


    Noah just shook his head. That was the very question he was stuck on. He didn¡¯t know just how far the powers of gods actually extended. They clearly weren¡¯t omniscient ¡ª if they were, Renewal probably would have blasted him with a bolt of lightning or the like by now.


    Could Decras have done something to every demon? Are they his descendants? Did he curse them, or is it something else entirely? Maybe someone stole magic from him and used it to poison the demon bloodline... or something.


    There were too many options and too few avenues to find answers. If discovering the truth behind how demons had ended up with pieces of a ruthless god, then Noah suspected it would have been quite some time before he¡¯d be able to do much of anything.


    Fortunately, that wasn¡¯t the case. He might not have known what put the runes in the demons in the first place ¡ª but the way they worked seemed quite straightforward. Noah didn¡¯t know how to diagnose the problem, but he did have an idea to circumvent it.


    ¡°I found more than just your connection to Decras,¡± Noah said. ¡°I think I have a way for you to make something that will replace the Demon Runes ¡ª at least, temporarily. It might not be a permanent solution. It might not even work, but...¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Lee asked, leaping from her chair. Shadows rippled around her feet as they hit the ground and she grabbed Noah by the wrists. ¡°If you¡¯ve got anything that has a chance of working, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°I figured as much,¡± Noah said. He rose from his chair and Lee released his arms.


    ¡°So what do I do?¡±


    ¡°When I was making my Warped Matter rune, I accidentally made an extra one. A Rune called the Fragment of Self. It¡¯s still in my soul, and it doesn¡¯t act the way any of my other runes does. I think it¡¯s a representation of my body and soul.¡±


    ¡°The same name as the Fragment of Decras,¡± Lee muttered. Realization washed through her features. ¡°You mean¡ª¡±


    ¡°You need to make a rune from scratch,¡± Noah replied with a nod. ¡°A replacement to the rune that you¡¯re currently using as a crutch. I¡¯d give you one of mine, but it wouldn¡¯t do you any better than what you¡¯ve got right now. I¡¯m certain of it. You can¡¯t build a foundation when everything relies on somebody else. This has to be you, Lee. You have to make your own Fragment of Self.¡±

 Chapter 529: Jalens Teachings

    Chapter 529: Jalen''s Teachings


    ¡°A Fragment of Self.¡± Lee turned the word over in her mouth like it was a fine wine, then nodded slowly. ¡°So all I¡¯ve got to do is make one of those?¡±


    ¡°Yes, exactly. Making a Fragment of Self is the first step. I don¡¯ t know if that¡¯ll solve everything, but I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯ll be a move in the right direction. Right now, you¡¯ve got somebody else¡¯s intent mixed in with your own. I can¡¯t even begin to imagine how much that¡¯s screwing things up. There are so many potential problems it could cause.¡±


    ¡°That makes a lot of sense. The only way to find out what¡¯s wrong with me would be to have something we can compare it against.¡± Lee nodded sagely and crossed her arms in front of her chest. ¡°I¡¯ll make a Fragment of Self.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t think it should be too dangerous,¡± Noah said with what he hoped to be a comforting smile. ¡°It¡¯s just a representation of you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Lee was silent for a moment. Then she cleared her throat. ¡°Noah?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°How do I make a Fragment of Self?¡±


    Noah opened his mouth and raised a hand. Then he paused. His finger lowered. He¡¯d made his Fragment of Self by, well, killing himself. That was generally how he made most of his strongest runes.


    Lee ¡ª obviously ¡ª couldn¡¯t do that.


    ¡°That... is a good question,¡± Noah said slowly. A frown crossed his lips and his brow furrowed in thought. He braced his elbows against his knees and interlaced his fingers, resting his chin upon them. ¡°My Fragment of Self formed when I drew on the energy that comes out of my gourd to create my new body. It got caught up in the Warped Matter Rune I was trying to make.¡±


    Lee looked down at herself. She pinched the skin on her arm and pulled at it slightly. ¡°Maybe I could cut it out of myself.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Noah exclaimed. ¡°God, Lee. That is fucking horrifying. You are not carving a rune out of flesh.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that basically what you did?¡±


    Noah paused for a second. If they were going to get really abstract, Lee wasn¡¯t exactly wrong. The smoke turned into his flesh. But it was energy, and that was the difference. He also wasn¡¯t about to let Lee start stabbing herself willy-nilly.


    ¡°Not really. I am going to very hesitantly agree that you¡¯ve got the right concept, but the execution is absolutely wrong,¡± Noah said. He uncrossed his hands and rose to his feet, shaking his head firmly. ¡°You¡¯re not cutting chunks of yourself out to do this. It wouldn¡¯t help. Making a Rune from scratch needs three elements. Intent, power, and an inciting energy.¡±


    ¡°Intent is easy if it¡¯s just a rune that represents me. It¡¯s the other two things that are the problem. What if I cut a piece of myself off and set it on fire? That would make energy.¡±


    ¡°You are not mutilating yourself!¡± Noah snapped. He was starting to get an idea of how Moxie felt when she saw him coming up with a plan, and he wasn¡¯t so sure he liked the forced self-reflection.


    ¡°I have to do something! You found a way for me to change my runes! I have to take it!¡± Lee protested, her hands clenching at her sides and shoulders stiffening.


    Noah stepped forward and set a hand on her head. Lee¡¯s gaze broke from his and dropped to the floor as her shoulders slumped.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Lee,¡± Noah said. ¡°We¡¯re going to find a way to do this. Just because you can¡¯t do horrible things to yourself doesn¡¯t mean there isn¡¯t a path forward.¡±


    Lee wiped at her nose with the back of a hand. ¡°What if it doesn¡¯t work?¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll find some healing potions and you can give that idea of yours a try,¡± Noah said with a heavy sigh, swearing to himself that he would absolutely never let that opportunity come to pass.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    How did my life get to this point? Why are you excited to stab yourself?


    Aren¡¯t I the one supposed to be reassuring her? Why is it other way around?


    ¡°Something seems like it got mixed up here,¡± Noah said, chuckling as he rose to his feet. ¡°But that¡¯s the attitude we need. We know so little about the world. About how everything works. That¡¯s not entirely bad. We might be in the dark, but that just means we have a lot to discover. We can find a way forward. It might be this. It might be something else. I don¡¯t know what it is, but we¡¯ll find it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Lee nodded. They were both silent for a few moments. Then Lee cleared her throat. ¡°Are you sure you can¡¯t give me a piece of your runes?¡±


    Noah chuckled. ¡°Even if I could, I don¡¯t think it would really help you. I don¡¯t want to replace Decras¡¯ influence with my own. Who knows what that could cause. You might start killing yourself. But there is one thing...¡±


    He lifted his hand and drew on his energy, tracing a glowing purple line through the air with a finger. Lee watched with rapt attention as Noah drew the shape of the Fragment of Self before her.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Lee asked.


    ¡°My Rune,¡± Noah replied, taking a step back to let Lee take in the glimmering magic before it faded away. ¡°Can you read it?¡±


    ¡°Fragment of Noah Vines.¡±


    Noah grimaced. ¡°I thought as much. It reads differently to everyone who sees it. To me, this says Fragment of Self.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t use it, then.¡±


    ¡°Probably not,¡± Noah said. He waved a hand through the glowing lines and they curled around his fingertips, blowing away like smoke. ¡°But it¡¯s okay. It answers one more question. Decras¡¯ runes function the same way, and the Minuscule Fragment of Decras is just a really small Fragment of Self. It means you don¡¯t have to do anything different than I did to make my rune. I didn¡¯t stumble into it completely on accident. Once we find that inciting energy, you¡¯ll be able to make your rune. Until then, you¡¯ve got something else to prepare.¡±


    ¡°I do?¡±


    Noah nodded. ¡°You need to really look into yourself and figure out what makes you, you. The Fragment of Self is literally a representation of you as a pattern. No point finding inciting energy if you haven¡¯t determined who you really are. Not your emotions. Not your desires or what you like doing. You.¡±


    Lee looked down at herself, then scratched at her leg. ¡°I¡¯m going to need a mirror and some advanced stretching techniques.¡±


    Noah sighed. ¡°Not literally, Lee. Figuratively.¡±


    She grinned. ¡°I know. I¡¯ll think on it. Thanks, Noah. For doing all of this. You didn¡¯t have to.¡±


    ¡°I did. We¡¯re friends, and I wouldn¡¯t be able to live with myself if I didn¡¯t,¡± Noah said with a firm shake of his head. ¡°Thank me by finding a way to pull this off.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Lee promised.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll hold you to that.¡± Noah returned Lee¡¯s smile. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how much I¡¯ll be able to help you figure yourself out, but if there¡¯s anything I can do¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. That¡¯s something I need to do myself. I¡¯ve already been thinking on it anyway. Now isn¡¯t the time.¡± Lee shook her head, then fanned her hands out. The air shimmered and a deck of cards took form in her grip. ¡°There¡¯s some time left in the potion.¡±


    ¡°You know how to play cards?¡± Noah asked, blinking in surprise.


    ¡°Jalen taught me.¡±


    ¡°When did ¡ª oh, never mind.¡± Noah laughed as a table took form between them and his chair pushed into the backs of his legs. He sat down across from Lee. She deserved a break. There were much worse things to spend the last few minutes of a Mind Meld potion doing than relaxing. ¡°Let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got.¡±

 Dragoncon Announcement!

    Dragoncon Announcement!


    Howdy all!ViiSiit novelbi/n(.)c/(o)m for latest novels


    It''s that time of year again! I''m flying from Australia (Was here on a work vacation) to Georgia tonight for dragoncon! If you''re coming, swing by the Aethon booth so I can say hi!


    Sorry in advance for this delay. I would like to say I''d be able to do 4k words a day during dragoncon, but I''m working the booth and I suspect I will have basically zero free time from morning until night.


    Today''s chapter will be delayed -- I''m writing it on the plane, but I''m not going to have any wifi. The alternation starts after that. Apologies again for the delay all.

 Chapter 530: Vile

    Chapter 530: Vile


    Noah¡¯s eyes cracked open, his consciousness back inside his own body. Soft vines curled beneath him and pressed against his back. Moxie must have moved him into her bed while they¡¯d been using the Mind Meld potion.


    Pushing himself upright, Noah glanced over at Lee. She laid beside him, still midway through shaking off the last of the potion¡¯s effects. She yawned and stretched her arms out like a cat, discreetly craning her neck to the side and taking a bite out of the bed before quickly turning her head back to its resting position.


    His eyes narrowed slightly. Lee had won every single game they¡¯d played. It hadn¡¯t even been close. He¡¯d had to remind her the rules once or twice, but she seemed to miraculously keep pulling out the exact cards she needed.


    She¡¯d also somehow pulled the exact same winning card about eight times in a row. Given that said card should have still been in the discard pile after the first time, that was quite the accomplishment.


    Note to self. Don¡¯t play cards in Lee¡¯s mindspace. She cheats. I should definitely try to convince Jalen to bet something big and then take her on, though. Could be a great way to get some free stuff once we get back to the mortal plane.


    ¡°How¡¯d it go?¡± Moxie asked from where she sat at her desk, her chair rocked back on two legs. ¡°Did you figure it out? Is it my turn?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re working on it.¡± Lee sat up and slipped out of bed. ¡°I¡¯m better at cards than Noah is.¡±


    Moxie looked from Lee to Noah with a confused frown. ¡°What? Cards?¡±


    ¡°Later,¡± Noah said. ¡°Let me fill you in. Another Mind Meld, please. The sooner we handle this, the better. I don¡¯t want to get caught with our pants down if some prick shows up looking for revenge. I think we should still be good on time, but it doesn¡¯t hurt to move quickly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep watch,¡± Lee volunteered. Her eyes drifted over to the bed and her tongue ran along her lips.


    ¡°Thanks, Lee. And if you eat the entire bed, I¡¯m going to be pissed. Control yourself.¡± Moxie procured a Mind Meld potion and downed half of it before tossing the rest to Noah and flopping down beside him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll only eat a little,¡± Lee promised. ¡°Your vines taste good.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Moxie said dryly.


    Noah downed the potion and laid back down, welcoming the darkness that swallowed him whole.


    ***


    The conversation in Moxie¡¯s Mind Space didn¡¯t take long. Noah went over everything that he¡¯d discovered from studying Igris¡¯ soul and the discussion he¡¯d had with Lee. Their attention then turned to exactly how Lee ¡ª or anyone other than Noah, for that matter ¡ª could actually go about creating a Fragment of Self.


    Forming a Rune was already difficult enough. As far as they knew, the knowledge didn¡¯t even exist in Arbitage. But now they needed to do more than just form a rune. They had to form one while finding an inciting energy that somehow represented the individual person working on it.


    There was a chance that some form of energy could always work as a universal catalyst for a Fragment of Self, but their discussion didn¡¯t yield any potential results for it. Noah¡¯s discoveries were a promising step, but they just didn¡¯t have the tools to use it quite yet.


    It soon became apparent that they weren¡¯t going to make much more progress purely through theorizing. Both Noah and Moxie were completely stumped as to potential forms of energy. The best bet they managed to come up with was making a ludicrous amount of copies of his Fragment of Self, then destroying all of them.


    There was a chance that would create enough energy to saturate an area with so much power that it could be used as the inciting energy, similar to how all of Noah¡¯s deaths had given him enough death and rebirth energy to create the Fragment of Renewal.


    And therein lay her problem.


    Spider had been beautiful. Death heralded his footsteps and passed behind him like an ocean current. His canvas was so immense that Axil couldn¡¯t so much as begin to comprehend where it began and ended.


    She had been completely unable to act in its presence. To make any moves to interfere with such a work of art was to spit upon her own face. She had to witness it firsthand. And so she had observed with rapt attention as Spider slaughtered Igris. Her gaze had followed Spider as he slipped out into the streets.


    The woman that he¡¯d come with had long since left after cleaning out the house. A woman whose canvas normally wouldn¡¯t have drawn Axil¡¯s attention. It was short and poignant, but nothing of true note ¡ª right up until they were together. Their designs fit together with such beautiful synchrony that she had not even noticed the droplet of saliva rolling down the side of her lips and along her face until it had reached her chin.


    Axil sat in silence. She could not bring herself to do more than watch and remember. Not yet. Such a sight had to be savored. The sooner she acted, the sooner it would be over. An internal war raged within Axil, but eventually, she rose.


    Shouts echoed through the air as demons finally realized that Igris had been slain. It seemed not many had mourned his loss, but Axil could not have cared less about him. This was about more than a rune.


    Butterflies danced in Axil¡¯s stomach and she wrapped her arms around herself as she let out a shuddering sigh, a tremor racing through her entire body as she rose to her feet.


    This was a test. It had to be.


    She had been ordered to retrieve the rune, but nobody had said how it had to be done. She could not help herself. She had to feel the glorious sensation that Igris had. To witness the beauty of such a canvas up¡ª


    A presence prickled at the back of Axil¡¯s mind. She turned. An armored demon stood behind her, two curved blades in his hands and a snarl on his lips. His canvas was plain. Worthless. Disgusting.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± the demon snarled. ¡°What are you doing here with that creepy expression on your face? Do you have something to do with Lord Igris¡¯ death?


    ¡°It was exhilarating to witness,¡± Axil breathed. ¡°A thousand times greater than any pleasure you could have ever experienced. He was turned into beautiful, beautiful brush strokes.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± the demon¡¯s weapons lifted. His chest filled with air as he prepared to call for help.


    Axil shifted. The space between her and the demon vanished. Her lips pressed against his. The demon¡¯s eyes shot wide open in surprise. He screamed, but it was too late.


    It was not a kiss.


    Her jaw unhinged. The demon tried to pull back. It did nothing. He was nowhere near strong or fast enough to escape. Axil¡¯s teeth clenched down, carving through flesh and crushing his skull with a muted, splintering crunch. His cry for help was lost as she inhaled, ripping the soul from his body and grinding it to pieces within her own. The taste of death swam across her tongue and poured down her throat, joined by chunks of flesh and bone.


    She released the demon, but nothing hit the ground. His body disintegrated, specks of black dust swirling through the air of the damned plains and joining the churning smoke far above.


    Axil¡¯s features screwed up in disgust.


    ¡°Vile,¡± she whispered, but her expression shifted as she looked in the direction that Spider and his companion had departed in. She had to determine what it was that Lord Sievan truly wished her to learn. To witness the beauty of their canvas again ¡ª and, if she was truly, truly blessed, to watch their beautiful, beautiful paintings complete as their life passed from this world and into the next.

 Chapter 531: Dance

    Chapter 531: Dance


    As it turned out, the amount of time it took Treadon to figure out who had assassinated a Rank 5 that worked for Lord Belkus was just around three hours. Noah had long since finished with his Mind Meld meetings and was eating lunch with Lee and Moxie in their tent when the flap flew open and Violet practically tripped over her own feet in her haste to run inside.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to be attacked!¡± Violet exclaimed, her words coming out so quickly that they practically blended into each other.


    ¡°We¡¯re what now?¡± Noah paused with a strip of aged meat halfway to his mouth. ¡°A little slower, please.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to be attacked,¡± Violet repeated in a voice taut with stress. ¡°Four Demons. I think they¡¯re Rank 5. They¡¯re flying in this direction.¡±


    ¡°Flying?¡± Moxie rose from her chair. ¡°On swords?¡±


    ¡°No. External magic,¡± Violet replied. She shifted from foot to foot and glanced over her shoulder at the air above them as if expecting a demon to drop down at any second. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long we have. Vrith saw them coming and ran back to report it. She¡¯s warning the rest of the camp.¡±


    Lee plucked the strip of jerky from Noah¡¯s hands and stuffed it into her mouth while he was distracted. Noah heaved a sigh and rose form his chair. He handed Lee his gourd and scooped his grimoire off the ground, slinging it over his back.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure they¡¯re coming for us?¡±


    ¡°Vrith was. They¡¯re headed right in this direction.¡±


    ¡°Took them longer than expected,¡± Noah said. He cracked his neck and Violet edged back as he stepped out of the tent and craned his neck back. ¡°Where are they coming from?¡±


    Violet pointed to the south and over the rooftops. Buildings blocked him from seeing too far away, but the air was still clear at the moment.


    Four Rank 5 demons was nothing to scoff at ¡ª especially if they were more competent than Igris had been. Noah wasn¡¯t so sure he could handle four Azel-level threats on his own. Fortunately, he wasn¡¯t on his own. Moxie and Lee both emerged from the tent behind him and joined him in scanning the sky.


    Demons bustled all around them as they rushed to shelter. Noah made a note to thank Vrith for warning everyone immediately. It would have been a huge pain in the ass if all the demons in his camp got killed during the fight. That would have set his information network back by days ¡ª not to mention the damage it would have done to his reputation.


    A head of silver hair caught his attention. Noah glanced to the side as Yoru stepped out from Violet¡¯s tent. Her hair had been braided back into a long ponytail that just barely avoided sweeping across the ground.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to fight?¡± Noah asked. He hadn¡¯t expected Yoru to actually stand with them. He¡¯d just assumed that the powerful demon would¡ª


    ¡°No,¡± Yoru replied. She tilted her head to the side. ¡°Belkus would interfere if I acted, and I do not see a future in which I achieve the victory I desire if he acts here. I do not believe you will need my help.¡±


    Of course.


    ¡°Care to tell me what we¡¯re up against?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Anything I should know?¡±


    ¡°There is not a future in which I interfere in this fight. Thus, I do not understand the probabilities of its outcomes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a fancy way to say you don¡¯t know shit,¡± Moxie drawled.


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    Noah couldn¡¯t keep himself from laughing. He just shook his head and nodded to Violet. ¡°Just keep her out of trouble, will you? I don¡¯t need Rank 3s that I¡¯ve spent effort on making getting squished.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to be watched over,¡± Violet said.


    Noah glanced at her out of the corners of his eyes. ¡°What, you think you can take care of yourself against a group of Rank 5 demons?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m not stupid enough to interfere. I¡¯ll be hiding together with Aylin and everyone else that doesn¡¯t want to die.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Noah nodded sagely. ¡°Good. I was worried you were going to do something stupid for a moment. Glad to hear you¡¯ve got your head screwed on right. Get to it, then. And make sure everyone else is thinking the same way you are. I¡¯m going to be pissed if I waste any of the resources I¡¯ve been cultivating.¡±


    ¡°The source of our information is irrelevant.¡±


    More like they knew he was coming after me and made an educated guess I was responsible. Did they leaf through his documents or something? Or was Igris¡¯ harassment of me due to more than just annoyance that I offed someone paying him money? Well, that or someone saw us. I wasn¡¯t exactly discreet.


    ¡°Right,¡± Noah said. He cracked his neck and drew on his runes. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get this on with then. I was hoping to get my hands on a few more runes anyway. You¡¯ll be useful, but I was in the middle of lunch, so I¡¯d really like to get this handled quickly. Were you planning to come at me one by one, or did you want to do this all at once?¡±


    A flicker of hesitation passed through the enforcers¡¯ eyes. They definitely hadn¡¯t been expecting him to meet their arrival with so much confidence ¡ª and they didn¡¯t know how strong Noah actually was.


    They knew he¡¯d managed to kill a Rank 5 demon and escaped without any significant injuries, so their guards were definitely going to be up. Noah repressed a grimace. Despite his words, this fight wasn¡¯t going to be easy.


    Even if the enforcers¡¯ runes weren¡¯t incredible, they were still a higher rank and outnumbered him, Lee, and Moxie. They weren¡¯t going to win this fight if he didn¡¯t go all out. Noah¡¯s fingers flexed and power coursed through his veins as he drew deeper on his magic.


    I¡¯ll Sunder the big guy before he knows what hit him. Maybe get another one with the inversed power of the Fragment of Renewal. As long as Lee and Moxie hold the other two off until then, we should be able to win. I might get killed in the process once the other two realize they can¡¯t let me get close, but that¡¯s fine. It¡¯s only one death.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t denying it, then,¡± the large enforcer said. His lips pulled back into a snarl. ¡°Then, on the authority of Lord Belkus, you are to be executed.¡±


    He lifted his sword toward Noah.


    A whump split the air. Stone shattered. The enforcer¡¯s lips parted in a split second of disbelief before his body peeled apart, blood pouring apart from two severed halves. His armor clanged as it crashed to the ground, revealing a huge black axe embedded in the stone behind him.


    A woman clad in white robes blurred overhead. One of the other enforcers swore as she slammed into him, sending them both tumbling to the ground. He thrust his sword for her chest, but the woman caught his wrist with a hand.


    She ripped his arm off with a sharp tug. Blood sprayed across the ground. The demon¡¯s scream was silenced as the woman¡¯s jaw cracked, unhinged, and crunched down on his face. The entire front half of his skull vanished down her gullet as she rose, gray lips carved apart by a crimson, ecstatic grin.


    One of the remaining two enforcers took a step back, horror washing across his features. ¡°What the fu¡ª¡±


    The woman¡¯s axe sailed through the air and slammed back into her hand. She spun, using the momentum from its arrival to whip it back out like a boomerang. The demon lifted his hands defensively before him. A disk of molten energy formed between him and the flying weapon ¡ª and shattered into raining fragments of glass as the axe carved straight through it.


    The weapon slammed straight into the enforcer¡¯s chest. Bone and metal crunched beneath it and the demon staggered back, eyes wide in disbelief. Before he could even try to respond, the woman lurched forward and drove her foot into his face, ripping the axe free from his chest and spinning, striking him a second time in the neck and sending his head flying free of his body.


    She grabbed the decapitated cranium from the sky and whipped her hand forward, sending it crashing into the final enforcer¡¯s face. He screamed in fear, disgust, or most likely, both.


    The enforcer leapt, wind launching him into the air as he fled for safety.


    He didn¡¯t make it far.


    The ground shattered beneath the white-robed woman. She launched into the sky like a missile and slammed into the fleeing demon, grabbing onto him and ripped into his neck with her teeth.


    He let out a gargling scream that ground to an abrupt halt as the woman swallowed his head whole. They both plummeted back to the ground. The woman used the demon like a landing pad, driving his corpse into the ground in the center of the square with a wet crunch.


    She stepped off the dead demon and grabbed the axe from where it still laid buried in another enforcer, ripping it free of its fleshy prison. Then she turned to Noah, giving him his first look at her face.


    One half of it was like gray porcelain, splattered by blood and completely without expression. Its features were glassy and flat. The other half was heavily warped, twisted like putty into a horn that rose up from the side of her skull beside her eyes. Her eyes ¡ª where all the emotion that her features lacked had been pooled and gathered in pools of manic delight.


    Noah stared at her, his mouth hanging slightly askew. The entire fight had only taken seconds at most. Four Rank 5 demons had been killed in mere moments.


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry anymore,¡± Lee whispered.


    ¡°Spider. Your canvas is even more breathtaking up close,¡± the woman said, a faint tremble in her voice. Her tongue ran along glassy lips, cleaning the blood from them. She lifted the bloodied axe to point it at Noah. ¡°May we share a dance?¡±

 Chapter 532: Enjoyable

    Chapter 532: Enjoyable


    ¡°You know, that¡¯s a real tempting offer, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to have to pass on it,¡± Noah said, watching the deadly demon warily. ¡°I¡¯m unfortunately otherwise engaged. No need for a rain check.¡±


    ¡°I insist,¡± the woman said. She ran a hand down the flat side of her axe, leaving a clean streak in the blood coating its surface. ¡°I will not accept your answer.¡±


    ¡°Ah. We can¡¯t be having that.¡± Noah¡¯s eyes narrowed. He extended his senses to brush across the demon, trying to get a feel for how far her strength truly went. ¡°When somebody says no, it means no. You might need some lessons in consent.¡±


    If the demon noticed his domain, she did nothing to address it. Cold, hungry energy emanated from her body like wisps of icy fog rolling across Noah¡¯s mind. She was strong. Much stronger than the four that she¡¯d cut down moments ago ¡ª though that really shouldn¡¯t have been much of a surprise.


    Rank 5. Maybe Rank 6? I don¡¯t know. She¡¯s by far the most powerful demon we¡¯ve met in the Damned Plains other than Yoru, though. I can¡¯t take any risks with her. She has to die.


    The demon spun her axe around and drove it into the ground with enough force to crack the stone at her feet. Her gaze flicked down. They locked on the corpses splattered across the ground. Her eyes widened and a hand shot to her mouth.


    ¡°Oh, no. Oh, no, no. I did it again.¡± The demon¡¯s voice raised in pitch and she took a step back, her gray features losing a shade of color.


    Noah and Moxie exchanged a glance. It didn¡¯t take a genius to tell that the woman¡¯s head might have had more marbles than brain matter.


    ¡°Yes, you did,¡± Noah said slowly, not entirely sure what it was that she¡¯d done. He didn¡¯t get the feeling her distress was because she¡¯d just slaughtered four demons in cold blood ¡ª not unless she had two entirely different personalities trapped in her head.


    ¡°I took your prey,¡± the woman said, pulling at her hair and letting out a groan. ¡°Oh, no. I got to excited. I interfered with the brush.¡±


    Yup. She¡¯s batshit insane. Of course she is.


    Moxie¡¯s fingers twitched at her sides. Noah could practically see the gears turning in her head. He was pretty sure she was a few seconds away from sending her plants out in hopes of getting a surprise attack on the madwoman. Noah caught her gaze and shook his head slightly.


    The demon might have been insane, but she was blindingly fast and powerful. He needed her attention focused entirely on him. If she went after Moxie, Noah wasn¡¯t confident he¡¯d be able to interfere in time to stop her.


    ¡°You also left a mess,¡± Lee said. ¡°Wasting food is bad.¡±DiiSco?ver new stories on


    The blood-splattered demon glanced back to the corpses. Her features screwed up and she started to pace back and forth, wringing her hands together. ¡°This vile filth isn¡¯t worth eating. I would not sully my lips with their flesh.¡±


    ¡°You... already did,¡± Noah said.


    The woman ground to a halt. She let out another groan and pulled at her hair again. Then she grabbed her axe and ripped it from the ground, pointing it straight at Noah. He stepped to the side. The weapon followed him. He stepped back to where he¡¯d been standing again.


    ¡°Would you stop that?¡± the demon exclaimed, adjusting her aim once more.


    Maybe I can just... out-crazy her.


    ¡°No,¡± Noah said, stepping to the side again. He drank energy from his runes, gathering it into his palms. ¡°I¡¯ve got a whole lot more where this came from, too. If you know what¡¯s good for you, leave. I can side-step all day.¡±


    The demon ground her teeth and slammed her axe into the ground. Rocks shattered beneath its blade and peppered down all around her. ¡°Do not make a mockery of me!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Noah said. He came to a stop and lifted his hands into the air, palms facing the demon. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    He released the magic. The air shattered as a thick bolt of lightning screamed through it, slamming straight into the demons¡¯ face with a deafening crack. It snapped her neck back and sent her tumbling across the ground. The axe flew from her grip and skidded across the stone beside her.


    Bones crunched beneath his fists. Blood sprayed across the ground and Crumbling Space carved through Axil¡¯s flesh. The demoness took every single blow, stumbling back until Noah had her pinned against the wall with his flurry of attacks.


    No matter how hard Noah struck her, her body fixed itself just moments later. The delight in Axil¡¯s features started to fade. Her nose crunched again beneath his fists, and when he pulled back again, her expression was flat and cold.


    ¡°This is not¡ª¡±


    Noah¡¯s fist slammed into her mouth, crushing several teeth.


    ¡°What I¡ª¡±


    His elbow struck the side of Axil¡¯s temple and caved the bone in, snapping her head to the side.


    ¡°Witnessed.¡±


    Axil¡¯s head twisted back to look at Noah. Her skull fixed itself, her jaw clenched. They locked eyes.


    ¡°You are disappointing,¡± Axil said. She spat blood onto his face.


    The bow of Noah¡¯s violin materialized in his hands. He flicked it across Axil¡¯s throat. Its razor-sharp thread passed through her neck like there was nothing in its way. Axil¡¯s lips parted, a flicker of surprise passing through her eyes.


    Then her head pitched forward, rolling from her shoulders and splattering to the ground at Noah¡¯s feet. He wiped her spit from his cheek and took a step back. His fists and chest were stained red, and his face-wrappings were soaked.


    Noah¡¯s chest rose and fell with heavy, ragged breaths. For several seconds he stood still and watched Axil¡¯s corpse.


    It didn¡¯t move.


    He pulled the ruined wrappings off his face and threw them to the ground where they landed with a wet, disgusting squelch. They looked like he¡¯d dipped them in a bucket of red paint. Noah shook his head.


    He turned back to Moxie and Lee.


    The axe on the ground rattled.


    It blurred toward him. Noah¡¯s eyes widened and he dismissed the violin bow. He slammed his hands together, stopping the weapon an inch before it could bury itself in his skull. His muscles burned as it fought against him.


    With a roar, Noah thrust the weapon to the side. It streaked through the air and slammed into a building at the side of the market, shattering the stone and disappearing within it. Noah spun back to Axil.


    Her headless corpse rose. She grabbed her head and set it back in place. Muscle rippled in her neck and blood trickled down the sides of the seam as it knit itself closed. Axil¡¯s eyes fluttered and she cracked her neck, letting out a shuddering breath.


    ¡°That,¡± Axil said, her tongue running along her lips. ¡°Was better. But it was not enough, Spider. You have still disappointed me. Is that all you have to offer? Have you deceived my sight?¡±


    ¡°You know what? Now I know why I pissed all those people off,¡± Noah said. ¡°Stay dead, you creepy fucker.¡±


    ¡°Your true canvas must be concealed. Hidden,¡± Axil mused, rolling the words in her mouth like she were tasting them. Her eyes narrowed, locking in on Noah like a homing missile. ¡°I will expose it. I am going to kill you now, Spider. Please endeavor to make your death enjoyable.¡±

 Chapter 533: Stop that!

    Chapter 533: Stop that!


    Noah spotted Lee tensing and Moxie preparing to take a step forward out of the corner of his eye. He threw his hand up behind himself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Noah snapped, his eyes not leaving Axil¡¯s face. He couldn¡¯t let them get involved. Axil¡¯s attention had to remain on him. The moment she went after someone else, they all lost. ¡°Both of you, go back to the tent. I¡¯ll handle this.¡±


    ¡°There is no need for impatience.¡± Axil¡¯s head tilted to the side until her neck cracked. She repeated the motion in the other direction, then ran her hand across the seam where she¡¯d reattached her skull to the rest of her body. ¡°I will complete their canvases in due time.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think you will,¡± Noah replied. He flexed his fingers. Warped Matter thrummed to life in his palm. Gray tendrils of magic coiled off his palm in their eagerness to escape the confines of his body.


    Moxie and Lee hesitated for a second, then slipped into the tent. Noah doubted they would actually stay there. Neither of them were one to sit around while someone else was fighting but getting them out of Axil¡¯s line of sight would go a long way in making sure she remained focused on him.


    A streak of black carved down toward Noah. His eyes widened and he jerked his body to the side, twisting as hard as he could. Axil¡¯s axe slammed down into the ground, sending stones pelting into his shins. It passed so close to his face that several strands of hair fluttered past his eyes.


    Axil had appeared before him so fast that he¡¯d barely even consciously registered his movement. The only thing that had kept him from getting cut in half was his instinctive reaction to the attack.


    The demoness pulled the axe free of the stone like it weighed no more than a feather. It swung up for Noah¡¯s stomach. He drove his palm down onto the flat of the blade and used it to vault into the air over Axil¡¯s head.


    He landed on the ground behind her, but the axe was already whistling for his head. Noah ducked down and drove his palms forward into her stomach. Worms of purple energy dug through her robes and into her skin. It darkened and rotted away as they carved through her body, but his magic only made it a few inches before its effects faded.


    Huh. Demons and humans have magic in them, so it¡¯ll be harder for Warped Matter to consume their bodies than a random inanimate object. I wonder if demons are more resistant to magic than humans are because of ¡ª


    Noah dove to the side. Axil¡¯s axe crunched into the ground behind him, just barely having missed once again. His Fragment of Self was more than pulling its weight in the fight, and he¡¯d still yet to leave an injury on the demoness that did more than marginally annoy her.


    ¡°I have never been more disappointed in my life,¡± Axil said. The porcelain portions of her face crumpled like she was a child who had just watched her birthday cake get pelted into the ground. Her grip on the axe tightened and the large weapon hummed in her grasp. ¡°I was so excited. But this ¡ª this is disappointing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say you should see what I can do in bed, but I¡¯m happily taken.¡± Noah sent a wave of magic down through his feet and into the earth. The ground shuddered as he ripped a jagged spike of stone up from it with Natural Disaster.


    The spike drove straight into Axil¡¯s stomach and burst out of her back with a spray of blood. She didn¡¯t even seem to notice it. Axil took a step forward. The bones of her ribcage ground against the spike and her flesh squelched as it pierced deeper.


    Then she ripped herself straight in two.


    Axil stepped right past the spike, wet strands of blood and muscle reaching out to each other to re-connect her body once she¡¯d passed by the stone. For an instant, Noah could do nothing but stare in abject disbelief.


    ¡°I am uninterested in finding out,¡± Axil said.


    Noah dropped at the last second, shifting his weight and driving his injured shoulder into Axil¡¯s stomach. Her momentum knocked the breath from her lungs in a pained wheeze. Bone crunched against Noah¡¯s shoulder but he was nearly slammed to the floor form the force of her arrival. He wasn¡¯t even sure whose bone it was that was breaking.


    He swept Axil¡¯s feet out from under her. She stumbled, managing to keep herself from falling, but in the brief instant where she was off balance, Noah struck. He struck her in the shoulder and spun the demoness around so her back was facing him. In the same motion, Noah wrapped his good arm around her neck and jerking it taut.


    A loud crack echoed through the air. Axil¡¯s head twisted a full one hundred and eighty degrees so she was nose-to-nose with Noah. He could smell the carrion and rot on her breath, the blood splattered across her lips.


    ¡°Fuck that,¡± Noah said, releasing her neck and striking Axil in the jaw as her mouth opened to bite down on his face. Her head spun the rest of the circle, turning back to face away from him.


    Axil turned her head back toward him.


    Noah hit her chin again and spun her back around.


    ¡°Stop that!¡± Axil hissed. She bucked against Noah¡¯s grip, but the Fragment of Self wasn¡¯t held back by the activation of a Master Rune. Axil was fast, but Noah was stronger than she was. He clung to her back, refusing to let the demoness free of his grip. ¡°Let me kill you!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Noah yelled back.


    Sunder thundered inside Noah¡¯s body. Its power continued to pour through him, growing in intensity until it was a raging ocean. Noah¡¯s grip tightened even further on Axil. His lips pulled apart.


    Axil twisted turned to look at him once again. Her neck had definitely broken itself so many times at this point that her head was probably just spinning on a rotating point. A crack echoed, her jaw opened.


    Then she hesitated. For an instant, something gave her pause. Her head tilted to the side. Words formed on her lips, but they didn¡¯t get a chance to make it out.


    Noah released Sunder.


    Jet black power screamed out of him. His veins snapped back to normal as the magic poured into Axil¡¯s body. A black point shimmered in the sky just above them.


    ¡°Turn around,¡± Noah said, his lips pulling back in a grin. ¡°You¡¯re going to want to see this.¡±


    He drove his forehead into Axil¡¯s nose at an angle. Her head was forced back to its normal position just in time to see a glistening onyx black spear take form above them. Axil¡¯s body stiffened. She drew in a breath ¡ª whether it was disbelief, surprise, or awe, Noah never found out.


    The spear crashed down.

 Chapter 534: Rattle

    Chapter 534: Rattle


    The black spear plummeted from the sky and slammed straight into Axil¡¯s heart. It ripped through her body like it were made of paper, and continued down into Noah, pinning the both of them to the ground.


    Axil wheezed. She grasped at the handle of the massive spear, her hands struggling to pull it free. A line traced down her skin, running from the top of her skull all the way down her body.


    Then she peeled apart like a ripe fruit, splattering to the ground on either side of Noah. Blood bubbled from the thick wound in his chest, rushing past the haft of the spear even as it evaporated, dumping him unceremoniously to the ground.


    Noah¡¯s consciousness fluttered. Pain punched into his chest and spread down his nerves, reaching for his throat and threatening to swallow him whole. He could feel his soul shuddering, trying to peel itself free of his body.


    He held on for an instant longer and forced his head to the side. Axil¡¯s body wasn¡¯t reforming anymore. Her corpse remained still. A tiny grin tugged at the corners of Noah¡¯s lips.


    Then he died.


    It had been a long time coming, all things considered. His death had been signed the instant Axil had cut off his arm. He wasn¡¯t about to go wandering around unable to play his violin. Death had been inevitable. It had just been a matter of when.


    His soul drifted up into the air above his body, a band of dark energy forming around his throat. It pulled at him, trying to drag him into the tent where Moxie and Lee had retreated. Noah resisted it for another few seconds to make sure Axil remained exactly where he¡¯d left her, then finally gave in.


    Sunder yanked on its leash and he blurred, hurtling to meet the new body forming for him.


    ***


    A ripple of energy passed through the Damned Plains. It was so faint that its signature was little more than a blip in the grand scheme of things, the mark of a soul passing from one life into the next.


    By no means was this soul a significant one. It held little strength, nor had it achieved any immense heights. It was simply the soul of a demon. An ordinary demon by most aspects. Most ¡ª but not all.


    This soul had a single abnormality. Nothing more than a delicate brush stroke across its delicate blue surface, the mark of something greater. The small mark was hardly anything that normally would have been worthy of notice.


    But, in a sea of blue souls, a tiny dot of black may as well have been a thundering roar in a silent valley. To anyone who may have been watching, such a difference was the difference between the sky and the earth.


    Someone was indeed watching.


    The darkness that was the cosmos shifted. A will pushed through it like a canoe through an ocean of black. Massive wispy fingers curled like clouds, passing through space and ether as one.


    They closed in around the soul streaking from the Damned Plains, halting its path before it could reach the line. The glowing blue light coming from the soul vanished. The hand curled around the soul, enveloping it entirely.


    Then, slowly, the fingers pulled open once more. Bands of black had wrapped the blue soul in its entirety like fishnet. Features bloomed across the soul. Arms followed after legs. A blurry face came in their wake, joined by the curling horn of a demon ¡ª and, finally, consciousness.


    The soul looked down at itself, at the bindings enveloping its form. Then it raised its face again, the features growing concrete and defined. Awe swirled across the soul as it stared up into the starry cosmos surrounding it. Then it dropped to its knees.


    ¡°Lord Sievan,¡± Axil breathed, prostrating herself on the ground. ¡°I am not worthy of your attention. I did not think I would ever be granted such grace to lay eyes upon your power while I lived.¡±


    ¡°You were not,¡± a voice as cold as a winter storm responded.


    Axil hesitated. ¡°I wasn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Raise your head, Axil.¡±


    He knows my name?


    She rose just enough to see the cloudy black surface before her. Wisps of darkness twisted up from the palm of the massive hand to take the form of a rather plain looking man. He wore a gray suit and was of pale complexion.


    The man¡¯s lips were thin and almost entirely devoid of color. If he was a demon, he sported no horns. There was only a mop of dusty brown hair at the top of his head. His eyes were the only thing that could have been considered odd about him.


    Where there should have been an iris, there was nothing but milky white. The man¡¯s eyes were nothing but two perfectly flat and white orbs. A gaze that should have been empty and blind ¡ª but, when Axil met it, was anything but.


    ¡°Lord Sievan?¡± Axil asked, confusion tightening its grip on her even further. Her memories were hazy. Twisted. The harder she thought, the more jumbled everything became. She¡¯d been called upon. There had been a fight.


    ¡°Incredible,¡± Axil repeated. Her mind couldn¡¯t manage to form any other words yet.


    ¡°Who did this immense beauty belong to?¡± Sievan asked. ¡°Who was able to kill you?¡±


    ¡°Spider.¡± Axil¡¯s voice drifted as memories prickled against her mind. ¡°The one who possesses the rune you seek. I am sorry. I could not acquire it for you, Lord Sievan. I grew too distracted. The beauty was too great.¡±


    ¡°Mistakes and life cannot exist independently of one another. It seems you were outmatched.¡± For the first time, Lord Sievan¡¯s voice changed. Something different entered his tone, but the emotion was foreign to Axil and she could not understand it. ¡°And now you are faced with a choice.¡±


    ¡°I am at your service, Lord Sievan.¡±


    A tired laugh echoed through the stars swirling around them. ¡°You are dead, Axil. You are at nobody¡¯s service. And thus is the choice you must make. Are you satisfied with your life and its conclusion? Prepared to move onto the great beyond?¡±


    ¡°My only regret is to not be permitted to witness such incredible beauty a second time.¡± A dreamy smile played across Axil¡¯s lips. Then it flickered. Her head tilted to the side. ¡°But... what comes next? What awaits for me in the beyond?¡±


    A long, slow sigh escaped Sievan and the faintest smile pulled at the corners of his lips. ¡°The wait awaits. A new future, bought at the cost of the present. You will be... different. Reborn.¡±


    ¡°Reborn?¡± A swirl of unease passed through Axil¡¯s stomach. ¡°My memories?¡±


    ¡°Gone, I fear. As all things that pass into the beyond inevitably are.¡±


    The unease turned to fear.


    ¡°I do not wish to forget what I saw,¡± Axil said. ¡°Is there another path? A way free of this? One in which I retain my knowledge?¡±


    ¡°Very rarely in life is there only a single path,¡± Sievan said. His smile grew wider, but it never reached his eyes. ¡°Death is not so different. Some things change, and some remain. But your death is not yet set in stone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever it takes,¡± Axil said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to forget what I saw. I want to see more of it. I never want to forget.¡±


    ¡°Not all will be as it was,¡± Sievan warned. ¡°You will not return to what you left. Death is not one to be cheated lightly. It comes at cost. A great cost.¡±


    ¡°To me?¡±


    Sievan nodded.


    ¡°I will do it,¡± Axil said. ¡°I will remain in your service for as long as you grace me with your aid.¡±


    ¡°Your service to me has already ended,¡± Sievan said with a gentle shake of his head. ¡°You are mine no longer. That which connected us is already wiped clean. But you will do me one last favor before your life truly becomes yours once more.¡±


    ¡°Anything you desire.¡±


    ¡°Get me that rune ¡ª and find out more about this Spider while you¡¯re at it,¡± Sievan said. ¡°And this time, I suggest trying a different angle. I will not notice your death should it happen again.¡±


    Axil swallowed. The admonishment in Lord Sievan¡¯s tone was evident. She gave him a sharp nod. The idea of no longer being in his service burned her heart like a molten iron, but she would not beg or argue with him. To do so would have been to disgrace to his name.


    ¡°I will do as you ask,¡± Axil swore. ¡°I will not fail you twice. I will beg for the rune, should that be what is called of me.¡±


    Sievan smiled.


    His body blew away into streams of black smoke.


    The cloudy hand closed around Axil. It collapsed in on itself, vanishing and leaving no trace of its passing. Axil¡¯s soul never made it to the Great Line. Its gentle glow disappeared with the passing of the massive hand, stolen like a kiss in the night.


    A great distance away, within the Damned Plains upon the streets of the walking city of Treadon, a black axe laying in a pool of blood on the cobbled street of a market started to rattle.

 Chapter 535: Half

    Chapter 535: Half


    Noah jerked upright, a throbbing headache pounding in his skull. Cold ground pressed into his backside and his clothes had been draped over his naked body like a blanket. The walls of a tent rose around him and the edge of Moxie¡¯s bed floated just behind him. Two blurry forms on the other side of the room slowly shifted to take Moxie and Lee¡¯s forms.


    ¡°Did it work?¡± Noah asked through a groan as he pulled his clothes on. If Axil had somehow managed to survive Sunder, he had absolutely no desire to fight her naked. There were some rumors that he didn¡¯t need following him.


    A heavy fog hung around his head, but it wasn¡¯t as bad as it could have been. He¡¯d dealt the killing blow to both himself and Axil, so the soul damage he¡¯d taken was minimal. Noah was pretty sure he¡¯d actually grown stronger by absorbing her energy. He couldn¡¯t tell yet ¡ª that would have to wait until he could properly access his runes again.


    ¡°You cut her in half,¡± Moxie confirmed. ¡°I was watching, and I wasn¡¯t the only one. The camp is probably minutes from chaos. You need to make another appearance as soon as you can if we want to prevent the Streetlords from trying to pull some stupid shit.¡±


    ¡°Figured,¡± Noah said through a sigh.


    Lee, whose head was poked through the flap in the tent, pulled back to glance at Noah for a second before returning to her former position.


    Moxie held a hand out and Noah took it, pulling him to his feet. She grabbed the lapel of his jacket and adjusted it before brushing some dust off his shoulders. After giving him one more look over with a critical eye, Moxie stepped back and gave him a curt nod. ¡°At least you got her.¡±


    Lee cleared her throat. ¡°Uh... about that.¡±


    They both looked over to her.


    ¡°What?¡± Noah asked, a sense of dread gripping his stomach like an iron fist.


    ¡°She¡¯s melting, but in reverse.¡±


    Noah pushed past Lee and stepped out of the tent. He ground to a halt. The two halves of Axil¡¯s body ¡ª along with his own ¡ª laid dead in the center of the market square. They should have been laying in rest like good corpses, but it seemed somebody had forgotten to tell Axil about that part.


    Rivers of blood and viscera crawled across the ground. They gathered beside a large, black axe and twisted together like taffy. Bubbles burst against the flowing corpse-fluids. A thick, teeming red mass formed, a shape starting to appear within it.


    Thick, gut-twisting squelching sounds violated the alley. Limbs pushed free of the visceral blob. The limbs formed hands and feet, formed a connecting torso and its head. Flashes of bone and organ bubbled up within the solidifying form like chunks of meat in a soup. In a vile way, that was exactly what they were.


    Noah¡¯s jaw clenched. His powers were still sealed, and it would be twelve hours before his magic functioned again. Thoughts flashed through his mind as he searched for a way to stop Axil from fully coming back.


    If she took form again, Moxie and Lee wouldn¡¯t be able to stop her. She was just too fast. And, even if they did, he wasn¡¯t so sure that it would matter. Axil just wouldn¡¯t stay dead no matter what they did. This was a level of immortality he¡¯d never seen before. Axil was actually unkillable.


    Chills gripped Noah¡¯s spine.


    ¡°If you Sunder her again, will she shrink a second time?¡± Lee asked.


    ¡°I think I might still be dead,¡± Noah muttered, shaking his head furiously.


    Their words drew Axil¡¯s attention. The demon¡¯s gaze snapped to them ¡ª and her eyes went as wide as saucers. Her axe pitched from her grip and crashed to the stone once more. This time around, she was smart enough to release the handle and avoid a second trip into the air.


    ¡°You died,¡± Axil said, her lips parting in awe. Her voice, strangely enough, was exactly the same as it had been. ¡°You died. I felt it. I saw it. We joined the canvas together. How is it that you still stand here?¡±


    ¡°Did you really think that killing me would be enough to make me die?¡± Noah asked.


    Moxie and Lee both looked at him.


    ¡°Really?¡± Moxie mouthed. ¡°That was lame.¡±


    Lee nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a headache,¡± Noah hissed. ¡°Get off my case.¡±


    Axil swallowed heavily. She reached for her axe, but her hand never tightened around its shaft. Her eyes then flicked to the bodies on the ground beside her ¡ª or rather, what remained of them.


    Noah and Axil realized at the exact same time that the number of corpses remaining on the ground did not quite line up. But, for the first time, it wasn¡¯t Noah¡¯s corpse that was the source of his confusion.


    There were one and a half bodies. Not two. Not one. One and a half.


    Noah¡¯s body was just feet away from Axil, as was exactly half of her own body. The other half of her was gone. It struck Noah that, now that he thought about it, this did make a certain amount of sense.


    Axil was just about half as tall as she¡¯d been before. Somehow, she¡¯d left half of herself behind when she¡¯d come back to life.


    ¡°My body. My power. My runes. Lord Sievan would not have done this. He would not return me to this world unable to fulfill his task,¡± Axil muttered, her stunned words just loud enough to reach Noah¡¯s ears. Disbelief etched itself over her features. ¡°What did you do? How is this possible?¡±


    And, before Noah could answer that he had absolutely no idea, he realized that he did know. Even through the headache pounding against his skull, Noah¡¯s eyes widened in realization.


    He hadn¡¯t just killed Axil. He¡¯d Sundered her. Not just her body. He¡¯d Sundered her runes, and possibly her soul as well. He¡¯d cut everything that made up the being known as Axil straight in half.

 Chapter 536: Double Down

    Chapter 536: Double Down


    ¡°How is this possible?¡± Axil demanded. She stared at the palms of her hands like they held the answer she sought and found nothing. The small demoness¡¯ gaze lifted to the half of her corpse that still laid on the ground, unmoving. ¡°You severed my connection to myself? You died... but you lived? This is Lord Sievan¡¯s domain. It should not be possible for¡ª¡±


    Axil¡¯s words froze in her mouth like they¡¯d turned to ice. Her eyes snapped to Noah and bored into his skull with more intensity than his headache. Disbelief played across her features and her lips parted as she took a step back.


    For Noah¡¯s part, he had absolutely no idea what was going through her head. The level of threat that she posed had practically died along with her. Even though he wasn¡¯t about to completely dismiss her as an opponent, he was a little more concerned with what had just happened.


    Sunder had never managed anything like this before. He¡¯d cut through people, cut through runes ¡ª but this was something else entirely. Something about Axil as a whole had been cut through. It was either that or something with her revival had just gone really wrong, but given how exactly half of her body had been left behind when she¡¯d come back, it would be bit too much of a coincidence to pretend the Master Rune was unrelated.


    How much of Sunder am I yet to understand? I know I¡¯m still far from being able to fully control the complete strength of Sunder. I just thought it would cut things harder, not do... whatever this is.


    Noah¡¯s fingers twitched at his side. If he still access to his magic, he would have been strongly tempted to try Sundering Axil a second time.


    I wonder if she¡¯d die for good or if she¡¯d come back at a quarter of her former size. Actually, that might be even worse. She¡¯s manageable right now, but I don¡¯t love the idea of a chihuahua sized Axil running around and trying to nip at our ankles.


    Noah broke from his thoughts as Axil grabbed at her axe again and heaved it into the air. She teetered back and forth but kept it aloft by bracing it against her shoulder. She thrust her free hand in Noah¡¯s direction and the axe pitched back. Axil hurriedly re-caught it and steadied herself before settling to levy a glare at Noah.


    ¡°Is this a test?¡± Axil asked, her voice measured and laden with suspicion. Her eyes darted around the square, flicking from Lee to Moxie. ¡°Am I not yet returned to life?¡±


    ¡°Stand still and we can find out,¡± Lee said, flexing her hand.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Moxie said as she held an arm up to stop Lee. ¡°Be careful. We don¡¯t know what she¡¯s capable of. It could just be an act, and she could have abilities beyond pure strength. She can come back from death. That¡¯s not something you rush blindly into.¡±


    ¡°Death,¡± Axil repeated. Her brow creased. Then her skin paled. Surprise rippled across her features and slackened her grip, launching the axe from her grip. Its head crashed down to the stone and its tip caught her in the chin, knocking her head back.


    Axil stumbled and grabbed at the growing bruise with a curse. ¡°Damn this body. It¡¯s so weak. Clumsy. I hate it.¡±


    For a moment there, it almost looked as if she had something she was going to say. I¡¯m not sure I can blame her forgetting it after getting clocked like that. But what are we suppose do about this?


    Noah studied Axil with displeasure. The situation had not developed at all how he¡¯d wanted it to. Axil didn¡¯t seem like a threat anymore, but he wasn¡¯t about to risk Lee or Moxie by sending them to kill her and find out that she was hiding another trick. He couldn¡¯t do much of anything himself either ¡ª his body was still cut from his magic.


    Even his access to the Fragment of Self had been blocked. His reaction speed had returned to its normal, human limits. Noah was nothing more than a normal human without any powers until the fog in his mind lifted away.


    ¡°Maybe we can throw some rocks,¡± Lee offered in a low tone. ¡°Throw enough rocks and we¡¯ll eventually hit something.¡±


    ¡°Stoning a demon to death has a certain amount of irony in it, but I don¡¯t think she¡¯s just going to sit around while we fling shit at her. I could always run at her and get her to kill me so I can briefly access Sunder again, but I¡¯m going to get landed in another coma.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not. We can¡¯t have you pretending to be a corpse while we¡¯re in the middle of the Damned Plains,¡± Moxie hissed with a firm shake of her head.


    ¡°Aha!¡± Axil exclaimed. She thrust a finger in Noah¡¯s direction again, this time unburdened by the weight of her axe and able to pull off the motion without inflicting bodily injury upon herself. ¡°Give me your rune.¡±


    Axil tilted her head to the side. She scratched at the horn protruding from the side of her face in a remarkably similar motion to what Noah had just done.


    ¡°Your words do not make sense. You request for someone to bargain. And yet, when I come to bargain, you refuse me.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t bargain. You tried to murder us.¡±


    ¡°An instrumental part of the process.¡±


    ¡°It most certainly is not,¡± Noah snapped. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and stared down the bridge of his nose at Axil. ¡°Or did you realize you can¡¯t win and then decide to pretend you came to bargain from the start?¡±


    ¡°No. I always came to bargain. I told you as much,¡± Axil said.


    ¡°Bullshit,¡± Moxie said. ¡°You said you wanted to dance with Spider. Then you tried to kill him ¡ª but he killed you first. Enough of the lies. I¡¯ve got half a mind to see how far a solid kick to the chest can make you fly.¡±


    ¡°No bargain is complete without blood. Anyone unworthy of my blade would not be worth exchanging further words with,¡± Axil insisted. Her eyes sparkled with zealotry and she stared up at Noah. ¡°Lord Sievan himself returned me to this place. Your might was so immense that he has taken witness of it. I will fight you no more. To raise my blade against you would be to stand in Lord Sievan¡¯s path.¡±


    I¡¯m... not so sure I like the sound of that.


    ¡°I can kick her for you, Moxie,¡± Lee offered. ¡°I bet I could get her over the top of the buildings.¡±


    ¡°Do you really expect me to believe any of this?¡± Noah asked, rubbing the bridge of his nose.


    Axil blinked. Genuine confusion passed over her features and her head tilted to the other side. ¡°Why would you not? A demon of your immense strength has absolutely nothing to fear from me. I am nothing but a bug in your path. Further fighting would serve no purpose for either of us except for you to spit in Lord Sievan¡¯s face.¡±


    Around the square, a few heads started to poke out of buildings as demons realized the fighting had stopped. There was no doubt in Noah¡¯s mind that these weren¡¯t the only ones to witness the fight.


    There were definitely people that had seen what happened. Had seen Axil die and return ¡ª and seen him do the same. For several long seconds, Noah thought. Axil had a point if she was telling the truth.


    It wouldn¡¯t be long before news spread even further. Every action he did from here on out couldn¡¯t just be a move played by Noah. It had to be one by Spider. A small grin pulled at the corner of his lips as a new idea laid itself out before him.


    He¡¯d laid even more of his cards on the table. And, in situations like that, there was one strategy that he was better at than any other.


    Alright, Sievan. Let¡¯s play your game and see what it is you want from me.


    Axil had set everything up too perfectly for him to not take advantage of the situation.


    It was time to double down.

 Chapter 537: I am Spider

    Chapter 537: I am Spider


    ¡°You¡¯re right about one thing,¡± Noah said, blowing out an exaggerated breath and stretching his arms over his head with a yawn. There were a lot of Demons watching them ¡ª if he wanted to sell his strength properly, he had to completely commit to the bit. ¡°The only reason to kill you again would be to figure out if you get shorter the second time around ¡ª but I won¡¯t deny that it¡¯s a tempting experiment.¡±


    ¡°I will not return a second time,¡± Axil said. ¡°My canvas has been painted. Lord Sievan¡¯s brush has completed me, and I am nothing more than what I appear.¡±


    Thank you for making absolutely no sense. I love it. I really do. You know what? I¡¯ll retract my earlier complaint that everyone I run into is batshit insane. I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re insane. But couldn¡¯t they at least be the kind of insane where they spill all their plans and reveal everything in a way where it actually makes fucking sense?


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Noah said, going for the age old strategy developed through hours upon hours of school admin meetings of pretending he understood what was going on when he was completely lost. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ve still got a problem.¡±


    Axil¡¯s porcelain features furrowed, the unnaturally smooth portions of her face crumpling in ways that a human¡¯s body was never meant to do. ¡°What problem could we have? I am no threat. Eliminating me would be the same as digging the dirt out from Lord Sievan¡¯s toenail.¡±


    I ¡ª what? Is she implying she¡¯s worth no more than dirt beneath a toenail? If that¡¯s the case, wouldn¡¯t I literally be doing this guy a favor? Or is having dirt beneath your toenail somehow supposed to be a good thing in the Damned Plains?


    ¡°You made me waste my time,¡± Noah said flatly. He looked down to his corpse, which laid on the ground behind Axil. ¡°That does not put me in a mood where I am particularly eager to bargain with you.¡±


    She turned to follow his gaze, then looked back to him.


    ¡°I saved you time by killing four Rank 5 demons,¡± Axil countered. ¡°That should set us even.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to kill those demons,¡± Noah snarled, striding up to Axil and looming over her. ¡°I was looking forward to playing with them. You saved me no time. All you did was steal my entertainment and force me to waste a scrap of my hair.¡±


    Axil turned to follow his gaze. Her eyes landed on the corpse lying on the ground. She turned back to look at Noah. For the first time, a flicker of unease passed over her features. Axil¡¯s hands twitched at her sides and her weight shifted to her back foot.


    Tension pulled the air taut.


    The moment might have lasted a little longer if Lee hadn¡¯t made her way over to the shadow of a building near Noah¡¯s corpse and slowly reached out, snagging it by the wrist and slowly pulling it out of the light.


    Noah and Axil both watched as Lee consumed the body whole, swallowing the entire thing without so much as taking a bite. She sank into the darkness and rose back up in Moxie¡¯s shadow, averting her gaze and studying the wall as if she¡¯d never moved.


    Axil blinked heavily. She opened her mouth, closed it, and then opened it again. ¡°Did your ally just eat¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stylist,¡± Noah corrected. ¡°That is my stylist. I do not enjoy leaving strands of my hair scattered around the ground like some animal. She is very good at her job.¡±


    And Axil hardly has any room to talk. I saw her biting the faces off more than a few different people, and she did her best to do it to me. That automatically disqualifies her from being grossed out by Lee¡¯s eating habits.


    ¡°You keep a demon around just to eat the bodies you leave behind?¡± Axil asked, and Noah couldn¡¯t tell if there was awe, disbelief, or horror in her tone.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Do you have an issue with that?¡±


    ¡°Does she eat other bodies?¡±


    ¡°Not yours,¡± Lee said. ¡°You smell awful.¡±


    ¡°She keeps her diet refined,¡± Noah said, feeling like the conversation was starting to veer off the rails and head straight for a brick wall. ¡°Only the highest quality meat.¡±


    A messenger knelt on the blood red rug leading up to him. The Rank 4 demon was barely as tall as the City Lord¡¯s knee and he kept his head bowed low to avoid meeting Belkus¡¯ gaze.


    That was wise.


    Anger, even more than what he was used to, swirled in Belkus¡¯ chest. Old wounds throbbed all along his chest and back, reminders of battles long past that had never truly healed. They always hurt the worst when things weren¡¯t going to plan.


    As of late, that seemed to be more often than not.


    ¡°Why?¡± Belkus asked. His voice was flat and controlled, but his words echoed through the room like a thunderclap.


    The demon kneeling far below him winced.


    ¡°They were killed, Lord Belkus. By an operative of Lord Sievan.¡±


    A cold hand clenched around Belkus¡¯ anger and snuffed it out like a candle in a winter storm. His back stiffened and his hands tightened around the armrests of his throne until the bone dug into his palm.


    ¡°What is Lord Sievan¡¯s creature doing interfering with matters in my city? Has Sievan sided with the dissident that killed one that belonged to me?¡±


    ¡°I do not believe so, Lord Belkus.¡± The messenger shifted uncomfortably. ¡°Spider killed Lord Sievan¡¯s operative.¡±


    Belkus blinked.


    ¡°He... killed them? Permanently?¡±


    ¡°They came back, but it seemed the fight was over. Sievan¡¯s operative lost,¡± the messenger said. ¡°The last I saw of them, they had gone into Spider¡¯s tent to discuss terms of her defeat.¡±


    The demon hesitated. There was something he wasn¡¯t saying. Belkus¡¯ eyes narrowed and he leaned forward in his throne.


    ¡°The rest of it. Tell me. Now.¡±


    ¡°Sievan¡¯s woman... she was scared. I¡¯ve never seen one of Death¡¯s followers show fear,¡± Belkus¡¯ messenger said, his voice shaking slightly. ¡°She implied that Spider may be powerful enough to draw Sievan¡¯s attention.¡±


    Belkus stared in disbelief. A demon powerful enough to draw the eyes of the Eternal End was no mere thorn in his side. Igris had reported that he was cleansing the streets of some filth that was trying to steal the underground from him ¡ª not picking a fight with a roaming Demon Lord. Ice prickled against his back and curled down his arms.


    Someone of that strength in my city... this is Yoku¡¯s doing. She seeks to use my men like pawns, to turn this Demon Lord¡¯s power against me and take the city for herself. I am not so easily tricked, wretched creature. I should have realized sooner.


    ¡°You will find Commander Zorin immediately,¡± Belkus ordered, his voice raising in volume and carving through the room like a blade. The situation had to be controlled before it grew any worse. Rumors spread like wildfire ¡ª and rumors drew those who sought power. They would make Yoku grow stronger still. He would not allow it. Belkus¡¯ hand tightened into a fist. ¡°Igris was a traitor working against me. Spider did me a favor in his execution of the worthless swine. Inform him that his earlier orders are canceled. I have new commands for him.¡±


    ¡°It will be done as you say, Lord Belkus.¡± The messenger¡¯s body trembled and Belkus realized he was letting a minuscule amount of energy slip free of his body. He pulled his strength back and the messenger drew in a relieved breath. ¡°What are your orders for Commander Zorin?¡±


    ¡°He is to find this Spider,¡± Belkus said, his jaw clenched as tight as wound steel. ¡°And he is to invite him here. Zorin will inform Spider that he is called to an audience with me.¡±

 Chapter 538: Bargaining

    Chapter 538: Bargaining


    Noah was having a little difficulty taking Axil seriously.


    Even when she¡¯d been shrunk down to half her size, he¡¯d still seen her as a potential threat. That was considerably harder to do when she sat in what could only be described as a glorified high chair for babies.


    Moxie had formed the contraption from vines and used one of the aforementioned plants to hoist Axil into it before strapping her in like she was little more than an unruly child. Axil hadn¡¯t taken much notice of it, but it was wreaking untold amounts of havoc in Noah¡¯s mind.


    ¡°You have a Death Rune,¡± Axil said for what Noah suspected to be the third time. He¡¯d glossed over the first few while trying to keep a straight face. ¡°It belongs to Lord Sievan. Give it to me so I may deliver it to him.¡±


    Maybe I should give you a bottle of milk and a sucker instead.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but I do believe we just went over this,¡± Noah said. He leaned back in the chair that Moxie had made for him, thankfully one without a strap to keep him locked in place like a child, and crossed one leg over the other. ¡°I¡¯m not giving you ¡ª or Sievan ¡ª anything. Bargaining, Axil. Is the concept that foreign to you?¡±


    ¡°All which Lord Sievan desires is his. There is no being in this plane of existence who can deny him his wishes. You are powerful. Beautiful. Far more than I could ever dream to be. But even such power is nothing but a flit of wind in a hurricane when faced with Lord Sievan. You have drawn his interest. Not his respect.¡±


    Noah nodded thoughtfully. ¡°I see, I see. But you¡¯ve missed something, Axil. Sievan isn¡¯t here. If he truly wanted a rune I bought with my own money and spent my own effort getting, then he would have gotten it himself. I don¡¯t see Sievan. All I see is you.¡±


    ¡°I... speak for Lord Sievan.¡± There was a second of hesitation in Axil¡¯s voice that Noah couldn¡¯t have missed even if he¡¯d wanted to. She shifted uncomfortably in her chair and glanced over to her axe, which Lee had claimed and was eyeing curiously in the corner of the tent.


    ¡°You don¡¯t sound so confident,¡± Moixe observed, leaning against the back of Noah¡¯s chair and arching an eyebrow. ¡°We aren¡¯t unreasonable. But if Sievan is really this powerful, is he actually so pathetic as to be forced to beg for something that does not belong to him?¡±


    ¡°Death belongs to him,¡± Axil said. Reverence twisted through her words and her features sharpened.


    Noah blew out a sigh. They were getting nowhere. The brief flicker of respect that Axil had formed for him after he¡¯d come back to life had paled in face of her zealous love for Sievan. Whoever the demon was, he certainly commanded quite a presence.


    But I¡¯ll be damned if some asshole who can¡¯t even be bothered to show up himself browbeats us into giving up a damn Master Rune just because he thinks he gets the rights to everything with the word Death in the name.


    There was a fine line he had to walk. Going too far and straight up spitting in Sievan¡¯s face was obviously a poor idea. Anyone who was strong enough to literally rip somebody else free of death¡¯s grasp wasn¡¯t someone Noah was eager to make an enemy of ¡ª but nobody respected a pushover.


    And if this Sievan can actually control death... does he have something similar to Sunder? Has he seen the afterlife? And how strong do you have to be to prevent someone else from dying? There¡¯s a power I¡¯d do a hell of a lot to get my hands on.


    At least the demons outside can¡¯t see this. I think I¡¯d be ruined if they did.


    If she wouldn¡¯t drink the potion, he wasn¡¯t about to force her to. That was just wrong in multiple ways. It certainly made things more annoying for him. He needed a way to impress upon Axil that they were not just walking money bags for Sievan to dip his hand into.


    It¡¯s not like I can call on Sunder¡¯s power yet. I was hoping I might be able to pull something off in her mind since it¡¯s all willpower and no real magic when you¡¯re playing around in someone else¡¯s head. If that didn¡¯t work, I figured I¡¯d just threaten her until something stuck. But if that won¡¯t work either...


    Damn it. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this, but I wish I had a Mind Rune. It¡¯s not even like I¡¯d be able to use it right now, but I would absolutely love to be able to poke my head into someone¡¯s mind and crush them with my runic pressure or something.


    ¡°I see. In that case, it seems we might be here a while. I am not a particularly patient man, but I ironically turn out to be quite practiced in the art of waiting,¡± Noah said with a shrug. ¡°We can wait here as long as you¡¯d like, Axil. Let me know when you¡¯re willing to bargain.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think you can outwait someone who has witnessed the immensity of death?¡± Axil demanded. ¡°I have met with Lord Sievan personally. I cannot be blackmailed. If you wish to wait, I will wait. I will wait until my task is completed.¡±


    ¡°Sievan is not the only one who bears power over death. And you, Axil, are not Sievan,¡± Noah said, his voice going as silent as a snake¡¯s whisper. His eyes flicked over to Lee and his tone returned to normal. ¡°Do you know where my grimoire is?¡±


    Time to sit here like a fucking idiot and bore all of us out of our minds. I need something to read so I can think about what Rune I¡¯ll try to make next. Something with Mind for sure ¡ª but what kind of disaster has anything to do with the mind?


    ¡°I put it over here,¡± Lee said, ducking under Moxie¡¯s bed of vines to root around beneath it. She snagged his book and tugged it out. She walked backed over to Noah, barely able to hold the huge grimoire against her chest, and handed it to him.


    I am really glad this thing is smart enough to decide who it allows to hold it. It would be really damn frustrating if I was the only one that could pick it up. Would probably get lost somewhere when I died.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Noah said, thunking the book down before him. It looked like this was going to take quite a while, but at least he had some runes to study ¡ª


    A stifled gasp cut through the room. Noah¡¯s head jerked up to the source of the noise, rising halfway from his chair in preparation for yet another person trying to kill them, but there was no attack coming.


    Axil was staring straight at the grimoire, and her eyes were wide in abject horror.


    ¡°What,¡± Axil whispered, pulling back against her chair as if trying to slide through the vines and sink into the ground, ¡°is that?¡±

 Chapter 539: This isnt a beach, its a book!

    Chapter 539: This isn''t a beach, it''s a book!


    Noah followed Axil¡¯s horrified gaze down to the grimoire resting on the ground before him. For a terrible moment, he feared that the book had decided to start plastering pornography across its pages again ¡ª but it wasn¡¯t even open.


    The cover was dormant, the eye design that adorned it inanimate and fast asleep. There was absolutely nothing worth gaping over. Noah looked back over to Axil. She was still staring at the book like it had just killed her entire family and offered her a thirty-course meal made from their bodies.


    Did it draw something and then get rid of it before I could see it?


    ¡°What is that?¡± Axil repeated, straining back in the chair in an attempt to get herself as far away from the grimoire as possible. Her features twisted with disgust and unease and she pulled at the vines, successfully trying to free herself from them.


    ¡°This is a book,¡± Noah replied, failing to keep his confusion from entering his voice. ¡°A big one. You¡¯re not scared of reading, are you? Wait ¡ª do they teach reading in the Damned Plains? Do they even have schools here? Is that what¡¯s going on? Are you scared of education?¡±


    The small demon didn¡¯t respond. It barely even seemed like she¡¯d heard him speaking. Her gaze was firmly locked on the book, eyes unwilling to tear themselves free in spite of the horror in her features.


    Noah looked over to Moxie and Lee. ¡°Did the book do something naughty? It¡¯s still got some bad habits that I¡¯m trying to work out of it. We had an understanding that it wouldn¡¯t go around flashing people anymore, and I¡¯m going to have to go discipline it if it¡¯s ignoring me.¡±


    The book flapped in protest in Noah¡¯s hands, but he ignored it. He trusted the book just about as far as he could throw it ¡ª which, ironically enough, depended entirely on how light the book wanted to make itself at the moment.


    ¡°Your book is flashing people?¡± Lee asked.


    ¡°Axil is a face-ripping demon,¡± Moxie said flatly, crossing her arms in front of her chest. ¡°Do you really think seeing a pair of tits would be enough to do this to her?¡±


    Noah looked back over to the small demoness. She was still squirming in her chair. Moxie¡¯s vines kept her from running, but the mask of horror on her face hadn¡¯t so much as budged.


    ¡°Maybe they don¡¯t have a very good sex ed program in the Damned Plains,¡± Noah said. ¡°It could have been Axil¡¯s first time seeing them. Could certainly be quite the surprise. You never know.¡±


    ¡°Mirrors exist.¡±


    ¡°So do idiots. Maybe she¡¯s never seen one.¡±


    ¡°And she¡¯s never looked down either?¡±


    ¡°Okay, point taken,¡± Noah said, scratching at the back of his neck. ¡°And this is a bit much even if that was the case. They¡¯re not that scary.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it drew a dick,¡± Lee said.


    ¡°Why do you know what that is?¡± Noah asked. ¡°I don¡¯t really know why, but I feel like you shouldn¡¯t know what that is. Actually, don¡¯t answer that question. I don¡¯t think I want to know.¡±


    Noah turned the book around and flipped it open to an empty page. He arched an eyebrow and prodded it. ¡°What happened? What did you do?¡±


    Ink sketched across the book¡¯s pages, drawing out a rather confused-looking stick figure. Noah narrowed his eyes, but the book showed him nothing else. It seemed to be equally as confused as he was.


    Noah blew out a heavy sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. This was a pain in the ass, but maybe there was a chance he could turn it to his advantage. He wasn¡¯t above using the grimoire as a threat if it got Axil to actually play ball.


    ¡°Wake up. I¡¯m still here,¡± Noah said, snapping his fingers in front of the small demon¡¯s face. She blinked, finally tearing her gaze away from the grimoire, and looked up to him. ¡°Are you ready to properly bargain yet?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s horrible,¡± Axil muttered.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no,¡± Noah said. He tapped the grimoire, drawing Axil¡¯s eyes back to its pages. ¡°New offer. You tell us just what Sievan is willing to give us for my rune, or I leave you locked in a room with this thing and let it draw whatever it wants.¡±


    The grimoire¡¯s pages flapped.


    Moxie hid a sigh.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it again,¡± Noah warned, lifting the book over his head. ¡°I can do this all day. Literally. It¡¯s very light.¡±


    ¡°You attempt to blackmail one of Lord Sievan¡¯s own.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no attempt in the picture. I¡¯m quite literally doing it,¡± Noah said. He hoisted the book. ¡°I don¡¯t even feel bad about this, which really isn¡¯t saying much, but I figure I¡¯ll mention it anyway. Nobody has ever died from getting konked on the head a few times with a few pieces of paper.¡±


    ¡°No! Get that away from me!¡± Axil demanded. She writhed in the chair and the vines bound tighter around her, keeping the demon from escaping. ¡°Do not touch me with that corpse!¡±


    Noah paused. He looked from Axil to the book, then back to Axil. ¡°This is a book. I¡¯m pretty sure we covered this bit already. I didn¡¯t hit you that hard.¡±


    ¡°A book made of a corpse,¡± Axil snarled, her head pushing against the vines behind her so heavily that they were starting to smush. ¡°Don¡¯t play coy with me, Spider. You know what that is. Any demon would know what that is when their flesh came into contact with it.¡±


    The eye on the book snapped open and swiveled down to stare at Axil.


    ¡°Humor me,¡± Noah said.


    Lee¡¯s picked this thing up more than once. She¡¯s never mentioned a word about it.


    ¡°You play me for a fool,¡± Axil spat.


    Noah hoisted the book.


    Axil paled.


    ¡°The book you sully your hands with is bound with the still-living flesh of demon-kind,¡± the demoness spat. ¡°Its canvas is a broken, disgusting mess. It bears the souls of the demons that were withered, ripped apart, and forced together. Its leather is burnt demonflesh, the screams long since silenced. That is a vile abomination that lingers between life and death, any remaining desire that its constituents may have had withered and lost within its pages. It is an affront to both life and death, hovering between both but belonging to neither. It is the most hideous thing I have ever laid eyes upon. Remove it from my presence.¡±


    Noah paused. He looked up at the grimoire in his hands. Axil¡¯s claim didn¡¯t exactly answer any unasked questions, but it did feel like it could make sense. He had wondered exactly how the book could just store infinite runes. Nothing like that ever worked through sunshine and rainbows. Squishing a bunch of demons into a blender and making a book out of them was definitely pretty evil sounding. More than enough of a sacrifice to make a powerful evil magical item.


    ¡°Can this be undone?¡±


    ¡°No. Their souls are shredded, their forms combined. That vile book is now what they once were. A new creature, one that can only be purged,¡± Axil said. A smug note entered her voice. ¡°I do not know how you were blind, but your eyes have been opened. You wield the twisted bodies of your bretheren. Lord Sievan¡ª¡±


    Whelp. Can¡¯t do anything about it, then. Bummer. Sorry. I¡¯m keeping the book, though.


    ¡°Is not here,¡± Noah finished. ¡°Now start talking about what he¡¯s going to give me for my Rune, or I¡¯m going to smack you with the corpse-stick again.¡±


    I really do have to figure out what the fuck this thing is when I get a chance, but now is not that time. Can¡¯t lose the momentum I¡¯ve built up. One problem at a time, thank you very much.


    Axil gaped at Noah. ¡°You know what that vile object is, and yet you continue to use it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m about to set a record for the most times I¡¯ve smacked someone¡¯s head with a blended-up demon corpse in one minute.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    Noah did a remarkable rendition of Moxie and arched his eyebrow.


    Axil swallowed. ¡°Perhaps we can come to an agreement. Don¡¯t touch me with that disgusting... thing. Please.¡±


    Noah smiled.

 Chapter 540: Keep Silent

    Chapter 540: Keep Silent


    As it turned out, Axil wasn¡¯t actually qualified to promise much of anything that Sievan owned. Even with the threat of being forced to witness what was apparently the most hideous object in existence, she could do nothing but attempt to get him an audience. That was no surprise to Noah.


    There was no way a demon as powerful as Sievan would be sending someone actually powerful to retrieve a broken Master Rune. A soul only had so much room in it. Even with the growth that came through advancement, he really doubted that an immensely powerful demon would want to use anything less than the best Runes they could find.


    It was far more likely Sievan was just collecting the runes. His name and a threat were probably more than enough to retrieve everything he¡¯d ever previously needed. Axil had just been the closest to their area. The most convenient option for retrieval.


    Someone like that wouldn¡¯t have bargaining power. They couldn¡¯t promise anything ¡ª and Noah had almost been counting on it. While he¡¯d have been more than happy to agree to a trade for a more worthwhile rune for himself, Lee, or Moxie, he was equally pleased to get an introduction to someone else who could help them.


    And that was exactly what Axil offered, straining in her chair and desperately doing everything in her power to get away from Noah¡¯s book.


    ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you to Zath,¡± Axil swore, her eyes screwed so tightly shut that Noah feared her face was going to freeze that way. She jerked against the restraings holding her to no avail. ¡°He will be able to speak on behalf of Lord Sievan. You can come to an arrangement with him.¡±


    ¡°And what stops him from just deciding to try the same shit you did?¡± Moxie asked, tilting her head to the side. ¡°Are we going to have to fight every single person in your organization?¡±


    ¡°Lord Sievan told me to use any means necessary to acquire the rune he seeks. Zath will not interfere. Just let me go. I do not wish to be in the presence of that... thing any longer.¡±


    This is a really strong reaction for what should amount to little more than a really ugly stitched-together corpse. I¡¯m definitely not complaining, but seriously? I¡¯d suspect Axil was faking this if it wasn¡¯t so disadvantageous for her to do so. If she just spoke to us normally and offered to play ball the first time around, it would have saved her a bunch of time and humiliation.


    From what I can tell, Sievan somehow gave her a way to see... death. Or something like that. Maybe it¡¯s the equivalent of setting a stink bomb off next to a dog¡¯s sensitive nose. It¡¯s just fucking with her senses so badly that she¡¯s willing to do anyting to get away.


    Works for me. I¡¯d rather trade with Sievan¡¯s underlings than fight them. If it gets me some leverage, maybe I could use that to find out where Wizen is or to get some other advantage over him. We definitely can¡¯t take him out as we are now, and every step in the right direction is valuable.


    That was the whole point of this whole Spider shtick. This wasn¡¯t how I planned on taking it, but I¡¯ve always loved improv.


    ¡°Acceptable,¡± Noah said. He crossed his arms in front of his chest ¡°And where are we going to find Zath? I hope you don¡¯t expect us to just let you go free. I haven¡¯t earned a reputation as a particularly magnanimous man.¡±


    ¡°I will call to him. For something of this level of importance, he will arrive. Personally.¡±


    Eh. Can¡¯t ask for more than that. Perfect.


    ¡°Then I believe we have ourselves a deal,¡± Noah said.


    ¡°I want to keep the axe,¡± Lee said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you already have an axe?¡± Noah frowned. For that matter, he hadn¡¯t seen Lee¡¯s axe in quite some time. ¡°What did you do with it?¡±


    She gave him a sheepish grin. ¡°I left it behind on accident.¡±


    Noah blew out a breath and shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t lose your toys, Lee. Axil, we¡¯re keeping the axe. I trust you don¡¯t mind? It¡¯s a bit too big for you now anyway.¡±


    Axil cracked an eye open and stared despondently at the huge weapon. ¡°It was crafted from metal mined deep within the Black Reaches. It will not allow another to wield it. I bound it to my soul.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you can wield it much yourself,¡± Noah pointed out.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to fight him?¡± Aylin asked, his eyes widening.


    ¡°I suppose we¡¯ll find out,¡± Noah said. ¡°Moxie, Lee, keep an eye on Axil, would you?¡±


    And get the hell out of here if things go wrong.


    Moxie¡¯s lips thinned. She knew what he was doing, and she wasn¡¯t pleased about it. But, with Noah¡¯s magic missing, it was the smartest move. They weren¡¯t going to be able to swing a fight against someone far more powerful than him. Getting as many people to safety was far more important.


    ¡°Let me out first,¡± Axil begged.


    ¡°No,¡± Moxie said. ¡°You¡¯ve still got to take us to Zath. We¡¯ll let you out once this has been dealt with.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Axil. It shouldn¡¯t take too long. Let¡¯s go,¡± Noah said to Aylin. ¡°It would be a shame to be caught off guard when our guest arrives. And Vrith, would you grab Yoru for me?¡±


    The two demons nodded. Vrith shot off while Aylin led Noah out of the tent.


    While I can¡¯t beat anybody in a magical fight right now, there¡¯s more one way to win a battle ¡ª and magic kneels before the throne of pure, unadulterated bullshit.


    ***


    Axil¡¯s mouth was as dry as parchment. She watched Spider leave the tent out of the corner of her eye. The vines binding her infuriatingly weak body had relaxed, but they still held her fast.


    Her eyes darted from Moxie to Lee to the dirt. They danced in an attempt to escape, but it was futile. There was no escape from the warped, destroyed canvas that swam in the center of the room.


    There was no escape from the being that rose from it, its gaunt form composed of sickly, warped death energy, somewhere between rot and shadow. No escape from the ice-cold fingers that gripped her face. No escape from the sickness that dripped from its undulating flesh and rolled down her skin.


    Nobody else could see it. They couldn¡¯t see the slender form that was forced to bend in on itself and scrunch to avoid tearing through the top of the tent. They couldn¡¯t see the empty, sunken eye sockets. Couldn¡¯t see the mouth that floated in the darkness that was its visage, the crooked, too-wide teeth that twisted into a smile.


    ¡°Very good,¡± the Abomination whispered, its words squirming like worms burrowing into her ears. It turned her head to the side, then pulled its hand away, leaving a trail of slime on her cheek. ¡°I¡¯m glad we could come to an agreement, observant one. I would have been most displeased if you had said anything.¡±


    Axil swallowed. She said nothing.


    ¡°Keep silent, Servant of Death.¡± The Abomination¡¯s smile grew wider, splitting its face like a weeping scar. ¡°And remember. I can give you the true-death far faster than you can speak.¡±


    The vile creature sank back, slithering into the pages of the book and vanishing from sight, but not from mind. Axil could still feel its vile, paradoxical gaze burning into her skull. The warped hatred and power that twisted within the creature was so immense that it threatened to choke the breath from her lungs.


    Axil didn¡¯t know what could have created such a monstrosity. She didn¡¯t know what horrible monster could have trapped it within the book before her. In her years of life, she¡¯d never witnessed such a thing.


    She couldn¡¯t tell how powerful the monster truly was. In her current form, she had no way to fight it even if she¡¯d wanted to. There was absolutely nothing she could do but remain silent and pretend that it was the book alone that had ripped the visceral reaction from her. That it was the book which she feared, not the harbinger of sickly hell trapped within its pages.


    And that was exactly what she did.

 Chapter 541: An Audition

    Chapter 541: An Audition


    Noah stood by Yoru and Aylin in the center of the market square as he waited for Commander Zorin to arrive. Vrith stood several paces behind them in the shadows, shifting from foot to foot nervously. She looked painfully uncomfortable. Noah didn¡¯t blame her.


    He wasn¡¯t all that keen about the whole waiting bit either. As a general rule, Noah didn¡¯t like waiting. He especially disliked waiting for anything that he didn¡¯t actually want.


    But in this particular scenario, waiting hypothetically worked to his advantage. The longer it took Zorin to arrive, the closer he got to getting his magic back and the more time he had to come up with bullshit.


    ¡°So,¡± Noah said, his eyes scanning the sky in search of a demon flying in their direction. ¡°Anybody know anything about what we¡¯re up against?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s strong,¡± Aylin provided, somewhat unhelpfully.


    ¡°Thank you, Aylin. I had guessed that part,¡± Noah said. He glanced over to Yoru. ¡°And you?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Yoru said. ¡°I am aware of Zorin.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s something you¡¯d like to share with the class?¡±


    ¡°It is not.¡±


    ¡°And why would that be?¡± Noah asked as he rifled through his pockets and scanned their surroundings, having just remembered that his face wrappings had been somewhat ruined during his fight with Axil.


    It¡¯s not like having face wrappings actually matters when I¡¯m in the Damned Plains. Nobody knows who I am and I¡¯m well past the point where I need to pretend to be weak. I¡¯ve got a reputation, and having a fully human form can lend itself to that. But the wrappings are basically my calling card by now. It would feel disappointing if I show up without them. Like finding a certain magical mouse in a specific ¡°happy¡± place on earth without any large, circular ears.


    ¡°Because I have not examined the outcome of this interaction with regard to you,¡± Yoru said. ¡°I do not plan to interfere, so it is shrouded from me.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I should expand my question to ask why you are choosing to be useless,¡± Noah grumbled.


    ¡°I have been testing your suggestion and limiting the use of my abilities,¡± Yoru replied with a small shrug. ¡°Zorin does not pose me any threat. I have already seen the future in which our goals align, and we have taken steps on that path. No significant weights should have shifted, so my desired future remains in place. I do not need to check on it any further, so I can avoid looking at specifics while I follow your and Violet¡¯s advice with regard to my powers.¡±


    Noah¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I can¡¯t speak for Violet, but I was saying that you need to start thinking for yourself and stop letting your magic completely control you.¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    ¡°But you already believe you know the future we¡¯re in right now,¡± Noah pointed out. ¡°Just because you haven¡¯t looked recently doesn¡¯t mean you didn¡¯t look. The whole point of that advice was to occasionally take life as it was. You¡¯re only technically not using your magic ¡ª and this feels like a scenario where your magic would actually be smart to use.¡±


    ¡°Technically correct is still correct. And I do not need to use my magic. I will survive.¡±


    ¡°How do you know that I won¡¯t just start blasting things the moment Zorin shows up? That could screw your plans up, and I¡¯ve just decided to do it at the last moment.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t,¡± Yoru said with complete confidence.


    Noah wouldn¡¯t. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and let out a sigh. ¡°Has anyone ever told you how annoying that magic is? It¡¯s just probabilities, right? Not guaranteed futures?¡±


    ¡°Statistics can be manipulated. My desired goal can always be achieved when approached with sufficient alternative angles. Are you requesting that I change my plans to ensure that I properly weigh the approaching future to ensure an ideal victory for you? That would involve using my magic and placing you in my debt ¡ª a deal I would be willing to accept.¡±


    Noah studied Yoru for a second. Her posture seemed less confident than normal. Despite her decision to only suspend her use of magic on a scenario she mostly had control over, there was still a ¡°technically¡± involved. She didn¡¯t actually perfectly know what would happen.


    Yoru was trying to get control of herself back from her magic. Small steps were a vast improvement over no steps at all ¡ª and while Noah suspected he could have made an argument that she owed him at least a little bit for housing and staying in his camp, he was more than aware that argument wasn¡¯t going to fly.


    I¡¯m not going to be the reason she falls off the veritable wagon. If it looks like Zorin is going to go around trying to murder everyone, I still have at least one usage of Sunder I can get off right when I die. It¡¯ll do some serious damage to my body, but I don¡¯t think Zorin is just going to come swinging.


    You don¡¯t send a Commander to execute a thorn in your side. He¡¯s probably coming here to bargain with or threaten me. I can handle both of those situations without Yoru pulling on everyone¡¯s strings like little puppets.


    ¡°You know what? I think I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Noah said. ¡°Thanks for the offer, though.¡±


    Yoru inclined her head. ¡°You are welcome. Aylin, stop trying to eat my energy. It tickles.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Aylin said, his cheeks blushing a bright purple. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to. You¡¯re just really interesting. I also understand so little about how your magic works that everything you say triggers my Runes and I get hungry.¡±


    ¡°You will get hurt if you continue that path.¡±


    ¡°...for what?¡±


    What, is he trying to start a demon dance troupe?


    ¡°Not for. To speak. Lord Belkus demands your presence.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Noah¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°That kind of audition. Sounds interesting enough. He¡¯s welcome to swing by. I¡¯ll make time for him.¡±


    Commander Zorin stared at Noah, confusion playing across his face. ¡°You... will make time for him?¡±


    ¡°I know, it¡¯s pretty gracious of me,¡± Noah said magnanimously. ¡°But I believe making his acquaintance would be a worthy expenditure of my time. I¡¯ll have a chair prepared for him. A soft one. We have some nice chairs.¡±


    ¡°You will go to him,¡± Zorin said, his eyes narrowing slightly. ¡°Lord Belkus is not at your beck and call.¡±


    Yeah, but I¡¯m really not keen on strolling into enemy territory. That¡¯ s a great way to get yourself executed, and I can¡¯t even blow myself up right now. I¡¯m not going on a playdate with Belkus until I can blow myself up. Being able to detonate your skull in case of emergencies should be the bare minimum standard for any date, really.


    ¡°Beck and call? He¡¯s the one that wants to see me,¡± Noah said with a frown. ¡°I don¡¯t go around demanding people visit me just because I want to see them. It¡¯s rude. There are much better ways to get what you want.¡±


    Zorin¡¯s brow furrowed ¡ª and then he paused. For the first time, he spotted Yoru. The demon took a step back, his hand going to his side for a weapon that wasn¡¯t there. A flicker of fear passed through his eyes.


    ¡°Why is Yoku the Rising Moon in your camp, Spider?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Noah blinked in apparent confusion. ¡°That¡¯s Yoru.¡±


    Zorin hesitated. His head tilted to the side. ¡°...the Rising Moon?¡±


    ¡°No. Yoru. She¡¯s a stray child that I ended up picking up,¡± Noah said.


    The commander¡¯s eyes narrowed. He studied Yoku for several long seconds. Then he crossed his arms in front of his chest. ¡°Are you Yoru?¡±


    ¡°I have been called that.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Zorin said. He scratched the back of his head. ¡°I see. That¡¯s no issue, then. Your allies may accompany you. Belkus will provide sufficient compensation for your time as well as diplomatic immunity for the duration of your stay.¡±


    Noah almost missed a beat. Out of everything he¡¯d been expecting, an entirely civil meeting offer had been at the bottom of the list. It almost felt wrong.


    ¡°What does diplomatic immunity cover?¡± Noah asked.


    ¡°Your life. Most of your limbs.¡±


    Eh. Fair enough. That¡¯s actually a decent offer. Might as well see what Belkus has to say. Maybe he¡¯s reasonable.


    Noah opened his mouth to answer ¡ª and a crackle of energy split the air. Everyone spun as a purple blade carved free of the air to Noah¡¯s side and sliced through it, peeling reality apart like it was a chunk of butter to form a wide portal. Purple smoke poured out from the churning hole, rolling across the ground.


    A black sabaton crashed down on the stone as a towering, gray-skinned demon emerged from within the portal. The demon stood easily two times as tall as Noah. He was clad from head to toe in spined black armor, an imposing helm of solid metal covering the entirety of his face. A thin gap full of glowing purple ran across its eyeline. On the demon¡¯s back hung a massive broadsword. It was chipped and cracked, but its material was the exact same one that had gone into Axil¡¯s axe.


    Pressure slammed into Noah like a punch to the gut. His stomach clenched and he staggered. Aylin and Vrith both slammed to the ground with such force that they cracked the cobblestone beneath them.


    Yoru¡¯s head tilted to the side.


    Zorin¡¯s muscles tensed.


    For an instant, there was silence. The intruder looked over them, face and expression concealed by his helm.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Zorin demanded.


    ¡°I am Zath. Harbinger of Sievan. The Cracked Blade, the Breathless End,¡± the demon intoned, drawing his sword and driving it into the ground before him with a single hand. The weapon sliced into the stone like nothing was there. With his other hand, Zath pointed at Noah. ¡°Spider. You killed my subordinate. We have business.¡±

 Chapter 542: A solution

    Chapter 542: A solution


    Noah and Zath stared at each other for a long second. The towering demon seemed to be waiting for Noah to say something or otherwise respond. Unfortunately for him, Noah was still trying to figure out how they¡¯d been found so quickly.


    Does Axil have some way to telepathically contact the other members of Sievan¡¯s group or something? If she does, why wouldn¡¯t she have tried doing that sooner? It really looked like this dude just showed up on a whim, so he could have popped out at any point while I was smacking her with the corpse-book.


    ¡°I think kidnapped would probably be more accurate,¡± Noah said, breaking the silence before it could grow too long. ¡°Your subordinate is still alive. I generally don¡¯t count something as killing unless your victim stays dead. At best, that¡¯s just attempted murder.¡±


    ¡°I think Spider is right,¡± Zorin said, scratching at his chin. ¡°You can¡¯t have killed someone if they aren¡¯t dead.¡±


    ¡°You most certainly can. Death is temporary,¡± Zath said with a firm shake of his head. ¡°And a great number of things don¡¯t know how to stay dead. I¡¯ve killed quite a number of my subordinates myself, and none of them are dead.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s the issue?¡± Noah asked, tilting his head to the side. ¡°And I should note that Axil attempted to kill me first.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t kill you?¡± Zath¡¯s head tilted to the side. ¡°She¡¯s normally quite good at that part, even for a Rank 5.¡±


    ¡°No, she killed me,¡± Noah said. ¡°I just didn¡¯t stay dead.¡±


    Zorin stared at Noah. He raised a finger into the air, as if to ask a question.


    Both Noah and Zath ignored him.


    ¡°You are making fun of me,¡± Zath said, his voice flat.


    ¡°A little,¡± Noah agreed. ¡°I don¡¯t tend to appreciate it when any group tries to kill me, even when their efforts are largely ineffective.¡±


    ¡°She succeeded,¡± Zorin pointed out.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t stay dead,¡± Noah replied. ¡°I generally don¡¯t. The idea of it generally displeases me. Ideological differences with the whole concept of passing on and entering the afterlife. I just don¡¯t get on well with the idea of dying, so I don¡¯t. You know the deal.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Zorin said. ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°This is understandable,¡± Zath said with a nod. ¡°You speak of a concept well known to me. A concept that should not be under your domain. The power to deny death is one that belongs to Lord Sievan alone. A blessing that he gives only to his greatest followers.¡±


    ¡°There are more ways to power than through Sievan alone,¡± Noah said with a one-shouldered shrug. ¡°But I am not interested in debating the source of my strength. I do not care when one of my bodies is cut down, but I don¡¯t enjoy it. Your subordinate wasted my time. I hope you haven¡¯t arrived to do the same.¡±


    ¡°I am here to retrieve the object that she was sent to seek. I have no desire to waste any more time here than you do,¡± Zath said, crossing his arms in front of his chest and tapping a foot against the ground. ¡°This was originally Axil¡¯s task, but Lord Sievan informed me that it was likely she has failed.¡±


    ¡°Actually, we¡¯d come to an agreement,¡± Noah said. ¡°An agreement that involved you. I was under the impression she¡¯d had some way to summon you here.¡±


    Zorin looked from Noah to Zath and then back again, trying and failing to follow the conversation as the confusion spread farther across his features and into his body language. This definitely was not how the Commander had envisioned the meeting going.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Zorin said, speaking up after his period of silence. The Commander¡¯s features were thin with displeasure. ¡°I will not interfere with Lord Sievan¡¯s business, but I am not here on a personal task. I was sent here by Lord Belkus.¡±


    Zath¡¯s head tilted to the side. ¡°I see. I apologize for the interruption. Finish your conversation. I will wait.¡±


    ¡°We cannot conclude it here,¡± Zorin said with a firm shake of his head. ¡°Lord Belkus has requested that I retrieve Spider for an audience. It must be done immediately. He awaits our return.¡±


    ¡°You wish to make Lord Sievan wait?¡± A dangerous note entered Zath¡¯s voice. ¡°You ask the Lord of the City of Gold to sit and bide his time for his lessers?¡±


    ¡°Our Lords have an accord,¡± Zorin said tersely. Tension gripped the demon¡¯s entire body, stiffening his back and tightening his fists.


    Noah didn¡¯t blame him. A fight against an unkillable Rank 6 or 7 demon was difficult enough already. A fight when Zorin hadn¡¯t even brought any weapons along with him and preferred to handle tasks at a range was suicide.


    A smarter demon probably would have pulled back on the spot.


    But Zorin was not a smarter demon. He was a single-minded demon. One who accomplished his task and let no distraction or deviation stand in his path.


    ¡°We will not take long,¡± Zath said.


    ¡°Lord Sievan¡¯s concept of time is renowned for being poor,¡± Zorin said. He shook his head. ¡°I will complete my task. This is Lord Belkus¡¯ city. The meeting must be held. Spider has already accepted.¡±


    Zath¡¯s helmeted head turned to Noah. ¡°You have?¡±


    ¡°My companions and I accepted the offer about a second before you popped up, actually. I feel like we¡¯ve spent more time debating who gets to talk first than it would have actually taken to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ah. I see,¡± Zath said. He tapped his fingers on the hilt of his sword, then inclined his head. ¡°If you have already agreed, then it would go against Lord Sievan¡¯s commands for me to insist otherwise. Then it is decided.¡±


    Noah and Zorin looked at him.


    ¡°You will wait?¡± Zorin asked.


    ¡°Wait? No. I will not wait,¡± Zath replied. He grabbed the massive sword that he had planted in the ground and drew it free from the stone in a smooth motion. Noah tensed, but the huge demon just slung the blade over his back and clapped his hands together. ¡°His companions were invited to attend, yes?¡±


    Oh, no. Please don¡¯t. I do not need to get dragged into a geopolitical dick measuring contest between two Demon Lords. Just sit here and watch the smoke in the sky or something.


    Noah¡¯s telepathic thoughts never made it to Zath.


    ¡°Then this will be no issue. I can be counted among these companions,¡± Zath, the Harbinger of Sievan and uncomfortable meeting atmospheres, said. ¡°I will attend the audience.¡±

 Chapter 543: Dont even think about it

    Chapter 543: Don''t even think about it


    Zath¡¯s offer worked.


    To say Noah was surprised would have been an understatement. For some reason, he¡¯d been convinced the demons would have jumped into some massive argument that eventually devolved into a city-wide brawl.


    Instead, Zorin just shrugged and nodded his assent.


    And that was how Noah, half wondering if he¡¯d somehow failed to wake up from a dream, found himself strolling through the streets of Treadon with Belkus¡¯ commander, the Harbinger of Sievan, a Rank 3 Knowledge Demon, and a masked future-seeing child that was most certainly not actually a child.


    Noah was still trying to figure out exactly how things had ended up going this way when the universe decided that they hadn¡¯t quite added enough oddities to the group. Something soft and as immovable as a boulder lodged itself in front of his foot.


    He tripped, stumbling and barely catching himself an instant before he fell flat on his face. Irritation played across Noah¡¯s face as he spun toward the source of his surprise attack, already more than aware of who the perpetrator was before he caught sight of them. There was only one being in the universe that consistently insisted on placing itself directly in front of his path when he wasn¡¯t looking.


    Mascot sat curled in the center of the street, grooming his rear. He glanced up at Noah, the reddish-purple spines running along his back humming with faint energy, and tilted his head to the side as if to ask why the clumsy human hadn¡¯t been watching their step.


    ¡°There is a creature,¡± Zorin observed.


    ¡°Unfortunately, this one is my creature,¡± Noah said, scooping Mascot up and holding the cat out before him like a toddler with a full diaper. The cat extended, somehow nearly doubling in length as he stretched toward the ground. Mascot glared at Noah. Claws pushed free of his feet.


    ¡°I do not believe the creature is pleased with you,¡± Zath said.


    ¡°The creature isn¡¯t pleased with anyone,¡± Noah said. He lifted Mascot up to his shoulders. The cat clawed onto him, sticking to his shoulder like a prickly burr. He turned back to Zorin and gestured impatiently. ¡°Don¡¯t mind the furball.¡±


    ¡°I have never seen a monster such as this one,¡± Zorin said, studying Mascot with undisguised curiosity. ¡°Is it dangerous?¡±


    ¡°Eh. He¡¯s done his best, but he hasn¡¯t managed to kill me yet. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Noah asked.


    Mascot¡¯s head slowly turned so he could look into Noah¡¯s eyes, moving so slowly that he could practically hear stone grinding against stone in his mind.


    ¡°I do not think it is done trying to kill you,¡± Zath said. ¡°Your creature bears death on its breath.¡±


    ¡°Eh. It hasn¡¯t killed anyone too important yet.¡± Noah paused for a moment. ¡°I think. I wouldn¡¯t make bets on it. He¡¯s a vindictive little shit. Isn¡¯t that right buddy? You¡¯re a vindictive little shit, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    He scratched at the side of Mascot¡¯s neck. The cat purred ¡ª and made absolutely no move to unlock its legs or remove its claws from his skin. Noah glanced back to the other demons and gestured impatiently.


    ¡°You are bleeding,¡± Zorin said.


    Noah wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about Mascot rocking up to a meeting at this level of importance, but it wasn¡¯t like he could get rid of the cat even if he¡¯d wanted to. Time and time again had proved that the little monster generally had his best interests in mind, if only because it found them amusing. Trying to lose Mascot would probably just end up in the cat returning with a bigger and badder monster chasing after it.


    Fortunately, the rest of the roughly hour-long trip went smoothly. None of them spoke any more, though Zath¡¯s eyes lingered on Yoru more than once. The black-armored demon was definitely curious as to who she was ¡ª or perhaps Zath had the same ability that Axil did and Yoru¡¯s canvas was really interesting.


    Zorin came to a stop at a black gate before an enormous, six-story tall cross between a mansion and a palace. Spires rose up into the air from the huge building, bulbous tops thinning to points like the barbs of a scorpion¡¯s tail. It was made of black stone with twisting veins of wood running throughout it ¡ª an impressive display of wealth in the Damned Plains, where wood was hard to come by.


    A guard by the gate pulled it open, granting them entry to the obsidian path that led up to a pair of massive, beautifully carved double doors. They depicted a scene from a battle that Noah suspected he probably would have recognized had he known anything about the history of the Damned Plains.


    ¡°Come,¡± Zorin said as he led them down the path. The doors slid open silently, each one pulled by a butler, and they stepped into a long hallway floored with soft, red carpet. There was no decoration of any sort on the walls or ceiling, which felt rather odd given the grandiose nature of the mansion.


    What stood out the most to Noah as he and the others followed Zorin inside was just how clean everything was. There wasn¡¯t so much as a speck of dust on the walls or in the corners of the doorways.


    It was completely spotless.


    Noah sent a pointed glance at Mascot.


    Don¡¯t even think about it.


    The cat just stared at him. Noah repressed a sigh. There wasn¡¯t any bargaining with Mascot. He wasn¡¯t sure why Mascot had showed up in the first place, but the little monster only tended to appear when it got the feeling something amusing was about to happen.


    And, as Noah glanced around the group following Zorin down the halls, he got the feeling he knew exactly why Mascot had decided this might be an event worth witnessing.


    The hallway opened up into a massive amphitheater-sized room. At its far end was a pair of huge double doors, strikingly similar to the ones at the building¡¯s entrance. The massive room continued off to the side, its ceiling easily one hundred feet up in the air. It, like the rest of the mansion, was floored in red rug and had no further decoration aside from the carved doors. Even the walls and ceiling were plain.


    ¡°We have arrived,¡± Zorin said as he came to a stop before the doors and braced his hands against them. ¡°Lord Belkus awaits you beyond these doors.¡±


    Noah¡¯s eyes sharpened. No matter what company he¡¯d inadvertently dragged with him, he couldn¡¯t afford to let his guard down. Belkus was a powerful demon ¡ª and a potential tool to dealing with Wizen, if Noah played his cards right.


    Well, that or a powerful enemy. I did kind of steal the underground of his city from him and murder one of his subordinates. But that¡¯s basically the equivalent of a demon ¡®hello¡¯, isn¡¯t it?


    Suppose we¡¯re about to find out.


    ¡°Well then, we¡¯d best get on with it,¡± Noah said with a cold smile. ¡°I¡¯d hate to keep him waiting.¡±

 Chapter 544: The Creature

    Chapter 544: The Creature


    Zorin pressed against the huge wooden doors and they swung open soundlessly, revealing a massive room beyond.


    Carpet stretched across the ground like a red sea. It was smooth and uniform, without any break or interruption from furniture or artwork. Torches flickered from their spots along the circular walls, casting the room in dancing shadows.


    The ceiling loomed even higher in the air here than it had been in the rest of the mansion. Noah wasn¡¯t even sure what the purpose of such a massive room was ¡ª there were no chandeliers or displays of wealth hanging above to fill the space. It was just dark. As a matter of fact, there was only a single obstruction to the uniformity of the room.


    At the very center of the room was a huge throne made of polished white bone. It was easily an entire story high, polished to the point where it shimmered in the firelight. Its back rose nearly two stores into the air, looming over even the enormous demon sitting upon it.


    The demon could have been none other than Lord Belkus. He sat at easily sixteen feet tall, clad in polished silver armor that caught the torchlight and sent it dancing in patterns across the carpet at his feet.


    Belkus¡¯ skin was a bleached bone white, one that nearly matched the throne in which he sat. His eyes stuck out in sharp contrast, two pools of brilliant blue ice in a sea of snow. A pair of huge, ribbed wings jutted from his back and hung over the edges of the throne like a cape. He watched the group enter his throne room, his chin supported on the palm of a hand, fingers drumming against his square jaw.


    Even from where Noah stood, he could feel the power from the demon. It pressed into his domain and threatened to drive him to his knees. The sheer runic pressure rolling off Belkus was almost as much as Noah had felt from Jalen.


    That wouldn¡¯t have been impressive if Belkus was a human.


    But Belkus was not a human.


    He was a demon ¡ª and demon magic was so tightly bound up within their physical forms that manifesting any external magic was magnitudes more difficult than it was for anyone else.


    There was no doubt in Noah¡¯s mind. A strength like this could only come at Rank 7. No Rank 6 demon would be able to come anywhere close to Jalen¡¯s power. For Belkus to have a presence of this intensity meant that he was almost certainly one of the strongest demons he¡¯d ever met.


    Aylin squirmed in place, his eyes darting around the room. He was doing a remarkable job of not looking completely terrified. A Rank 3 in the presence of a Rank 7 was like a fly in the face of a hurricane. The Knowledge Demon shifted to keep Noah between himself and Belkus.


    ¡°Lord,¡± Zorin said, taking a step further into the room and inclining his head. ¡°I have arrived for the audience that you requested.¡±


    There were several long seconds of silence. Belkus¡¯ gaze bored into Noah¡¯s head, and Noah returned the look. Neither of them budged an inch. Finally, Belkus raised the hand that wasn¡¯t occupied with his chin.


    ¡°That is apparent, Zorin,¡± Belkus said. His tone, as smooth and flat as ice, echoed through the room like a roll of thunder. Despite its intensity, it was impossible to tell exactly what the massive demon was thinking. His features were a carefully controlled mask that allowed no emotion to slip through. ¡°I am pleased that you were able to succeed. But I believe I told you to bring Spider.¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± Zorin said. He looked back to Noah. ¡°This is Spider.¡±


    Mascot meowed.


    ¡°It is not Spider that I question. It is the zoo that you brought along with him,¡± Belkus ground out, a flicker of irritation passing through his icy eyes. He leaned forward in his throne and his features tightened. Belkus¡¯ stare bore straight into Zath. ¡°Who are the others, Zorin? Look at them! Why have you invited these demons into my halls?¡±


    ¡°They are attendants, Lord Belkus,¡± Zorin provided after a second of hesitation. ¡°They are Spider¡¯s...¡±


    Zorin trailed off.


    ¡°Attendants?¡± Belkus asked, disbelief tinging his words. ¡°Attendants? Look at them, Zorin! Do you really think those are attendants? Use your head, Commander. Who are they?¡±


    Noah kept his face impassive. He was fairly confident that Belkus wouldn¡¯t go back on his word ¡ª that would have made him look incredibly weak to every other demon in the city, and there had been more than enough witnesses of his promise to make sure Belkus wouldn¡¯t take it back.


    That didn¡¯t mean he trusted the Demon Lord to behave rationally, and Noah had basically strolled into Belkus¡¯ house with the representative of a rival Lord. Belkus absolutely knew who Zath was. He¡¯d asked Zorin the most rhetorical question that had ever been uttered.


    ¡°What are you?¡± Zorin whispered, looking back at Mascot.


    Mascot stared at him. Then, in an impressive display of acrobatics, he curled in on himself, still holding onto Noah¡¯s sleeve with his claws, and started grooming his ass again.


    Zorin waited for a moment longer, as if expecting Mascot to actually answer him once he was finished. When it became apparent that Mascot had no plans of finishing nor answering, the captain looked at Aylin.


    ¡°What are you?¡±


    ¡°A demon?¡±


    ¡°To Spider,¡± Zorin said in a low hiss. ¡°I know you¡¯re a demon. What are you to Spider?¡±


    Aylin flinched. His eyes darted to Belkus, who watched over them with impassive silence. It was like trying to wring information from a brick wall.


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    ¡°No,¡± Yoru replied. ¡°I have been called Yoru.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Zorin returned his attention to Belkus. ¡°There you have it, Lord Belkus. She did not lie.¡±


    ¡°Damnable Loyalty Demons,¡± Belkus muttered, sinking even lower into his throne. ¡°Have I ever told you that I would have had you executed had you not been so dedicated, Zorin?¡±


    ¡°Three times this week, Lord Belkus.¡±


    ¡°Make it four.¡± Belkus leaned forward, then rose from his throne. A shadow stretched out over the ground and passed over Noah as the huge demon extended to his full height. The movement was joined by a slow, ripping tear as the throne clung to the back of the Demon Lord¡¯s shirt.


    Belkus was so strong that he didn¡¯t even seem to notice until he¡¯d completely risen, leaving the back half of his garb attached to the jutting pieces of the throne behind him. The front of his shirt fluttered down to land at his feet, leaving him completely bare chested.


    ¡°You lost your shirt, Lord Belkus.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Zorin,¡± Belkus said, glancing down at the scrap. ¡°I am aware. However, I find myself considerably more concerned with the Rank 7 Demon seeking my throne that you have led into my halls.¡±


    ¡°I have no interest in your throne,¡± Zath said.


    ¡°Not you,¡± Belkus said.


    Zorin and Zath both turned toward Noah at the exact same time.


    ¡°The creature?¡± Zorin asked.


    ¡°I suspected it to be strange,¡± Zath said. ¡°It bears no presence, yet its canvas is... uniquely agonizing. I would avoid irritating it.¡±


    ¡°Not the gods-damned cat either,¡± Belkus said. ¡°Yoru. Yoku. Whatever she wishes to be named ¡ª she is still the Rising Moon. I am aware of her machinations. I have seen what she has accomplished, using misdirection to manipulate people into obeying her desires. She seeks control of Treadon.¡±


    ¡°You do?¡± Zorin asked Yoru.


    ¡°Why would you want to be a Lord?¡± Zath asked with a befuddled frown. ¡°It¡¯s a horrible bore.¡±


    ¡°I am traveling with Spider. He invited me,¡± Yoru said.


    Noah¡¯s eye twitched.


    Way to throw me under the bus, Yoru. I suppose my guess that you were physically older than you appeared was right, but what¡¯s this they¡¯re saying about ruling the city? Is that what your goal is?


    ¡°She has expressed no desire in ruling the city to me,¡± Noah said. ¡°I have no interest for ruling Treadon. I¡¯ve just liberated some of your resources. You weren¡¯t using them.¡±


    Belkus pressed his lips thin. ¡°I suspect you and I will be able to find common ground, Spider. But I called you here for one purpose ¡ª to ensure that you not fall into the grasp of the Rising Moon. She is a controller, one that will seek to set us against each other. She may not speak lies, but her truths are concealed in shadow. Do not trust her.¡±


    Noah studied Yoru. He didn¡¯t doubt a word of what Belkus said ¡ª but he wasn¡¯t about to give up his advantage. If Belkus was scared of Yoru, then this was actually a benefit. He could leverage that.


    ¡°I am here only because Spider invited me,¡± Yoru said. ¡°This was the path he desired. It may lead to another in the future, but I am not here to fight you today.¡±


    Belkus blinked. ¡°You... aren¡¯t? You bring an army of powerful warriors, then claim not to seek to fight me?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then what is your greatest desire?¡± Belkus asked, watching Yoru warily. ¡°I know how you work, Rising Moon. Answer me plainly, or one of us will die today ¡ª and you are not powerful enough to fight me in direct combat.¡±


    ¡°My greatest desire is far too complex to answer plainly.¡±


    ¡°Your greatest desire that is possible to be accomplished during the duration of this meeting,¡± Belkus said. ¡°What is it that you would like to do most right now?¡±


    Yoru tilted her head to the side. For several long seconds, everyone waited on her answer. Then she turned toward Noah.


    ¡°I would like to pet the cat.¡±

 Chapter 545: The Rising Moon

    Chapter 545: The Rising Moon


    ¡°The cat,¡± Belkus repeated. His features were unreadable once more, blue eyes boring into Yoru like drills. ¡°The Rising Moon¡¯s greatest desire at this moment is to pet the cat?¡±


    ¡°Not a desire I would mirror, personally,¡± Zath observed. ¡°I¡¯d sooner slit my own throat.¡±


    ¡°Is this a cypher?¡± Belkus asked, tilting his head to the side. ¡°A code to cover your true goals? I know of your distaste to outright lying, but I refuse to believe that the Rising Moon¡¯s greatest goal is to spend time with a mere monster.¡±


    ¡°It is not,¡± Yoru replied. ¡°I want to pet the cat.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Belkus asked.


    Noah wanted to know the same thing. He still didn¡¯t have the complete story, but Yoru ¡ª or Yoku ¡ª was clearly a powerful demon. A very powerful one. He¡¯d suspected that she¡¯d been strong, of course, but he hadn¡¯t quite realized the extent of it. If Yoru was really telling the truth, Noah had absolutely no idea why her current greatest desire was to pet Mascot.


    ¡°Because, when I weighed the probabilities of the potential futures, the one in which I win is the one in which I desired to pet the cat,¡± Yoru replied simply.


    ¡°You imply that petting this... creature will somehow achieve the world you desire?¡± Zath asked incredulously. ¡°How would that possibly work?¡±


    Belkus looked a lot less doubtful than the other Rank 7 demon. He studied Mascot intensely for several long seconds without saying a word. Noah could practically see the thoughts going through his eyes.


    The Demon Lord respected Yoru¡¯s strength. They were enemies, and he was more than aware of what she could accomplish. But Yoru couldn¡¯t flat out control the future. She could only see the most probable paths and take actions to achieve a path that had the highest likelihood of being the one she wanted.


    That wasn¡¯t absolute strength, and Yoru hadn¡¯t refuted Belkus¡¯ words when he¡¯d insinuated that he was stronger than she was. There was probably a very good chance that Belkus would win in a direct fight. But at the same time, he had to realize that Yoru wouldn¡¯t have come here if she didn¡¯t think she had a way to win.


    Part of Noah wondered if the mind games that came from trying to fight a demon that could peer into potential futures were worse than actually fighting them. He¡¯d be second guessing every single action he made. Wondering if every single coincidence was actually intentional ¡ª and a lot of them probably were.


    ¡°It is the future that I witnessed,¡± Yoru replied with a shrug. Her hand drifted up to the mask covering her features. ¡°I will say no more. Do you plan on breaking your word, Belkus? Will you attack Spider¡¯s entourage?¡±


    Aylin stiffened at Noah¡¯s side. Zorin tensed and Zath watched on, expression still hidden behind his helm. Out of everyone in the room, he was the least invested in its outcome. He was just along for the ride.


    ¡°You wish to trap me into fighting against Spider,¡± Belkus said. ¡°To force my hand and destabilize Treadon even further. Your games will not work on me, Rising Moon.¡±


    Yoru¡¯s head tilted to the side ¡ª a particularly threatening gesture considering what it meant.


    ¡°Do you struggle against the setting sun, Lord Belkus? Do you attempt to hold it aloft in the sky to keep the night at bay?¡±


    ¡°Speaking in riddle will do nothing to alter my course,¡± Belkus said. He raised a hand. Points pressed up against the inside of his arm. Blood dripped down his hand as bone pressed up, slicing through his skin and winding out like bleached vines. The bone intertwined, tightening into a shaft, rising up and blooming like a bloody flower to form a huge hammer head. Spiked growths emerged from all over the weapon, largely concentrated at its striking surface.


    ¡°Do you know why I do not lie?¡± Yoru asked, not even slightly perturbed by the gruesome display before her. ¡°It is because I have no need to. I already know you will do exactly as I desire. The wielder of a pawn is not present on the board.¡±


    ¡°A demon who slips past even the reaches of death,¡± Belkus intoned, placing his arms on the rests of his throne and leaning forward. ¡°And he uses that immense power to cause discord in my city for no apparent reason. Yoru believes that you somehow aid her plan. Sievan sends his men to wait on you, one of which you kill. I trust one as unique as you will find a way to answer my question, Spider. If not, while you not be enemies with the Rising Moon, you will be enemies with me.¡±


    Noah met Belkus¡¯ gaze without flinching. It certainly helped that the demon didn¡¯t have a true domain. If he did, Noah doubted he would have been able to remain standing. Even the power rolling off the Demon all the way from his throne was enough to push Noah¡¯s resilience to his limits.


    ¡°A simple answer will answer nothing, but if that is what you seek ¡ª I am a teacher.¡±


    ¡°A teacher?¡± Belkus repeated, small frown playing across his lips. ¡°What is it that you teach? And what is it that leads a teacher to Treadon and causes them to attempt to interfere with its goings?¡±


    I was originally planning to try and build an army from the dregs of Belkus¡¯ society and then leverage that somewhere else to try and build a search party for Wizen... but maybe there¡¯s a way around that. Could I get Belkus interested in Wizen somehow? I don¡¯t know if I want to reveal that Wizen has a key that allows for free passage into the mortal realm, but I need to get my hands on that damn artifact so I can get back to my students ¡ª and so Tim can get the transport cannon back up and running properly.


    ¡°I teach whatever needs to be taught,¡± Noah replied. ¡°And I come in pursuit of a man.¡±


    ¡°One in Treadon?¡± Belkus asked, amusement flickering across his features. ¡°That is why you uprooted my gangs? I had heard you formed them into an information network. Was that purely to locate a single demon? You are not one for half-measures.¡±


    ¡°To locate a single person,¡± Noah said, inclining his head. ¡°And, once I have found him, I will leave.¡±


    ¡°To go to such lengths... he stole from you?¡±


    ¡°You could say that.¡±


    ¡°How curious. You are an enigma, Spider,¡± Belkus said, drumming his fingers against the bones that made up his throne. ¡°I still find myself bereft of the true measure of your power. You carry yourself like an ancient demon but bear the power of a young one. The rumors would make you a new power rising up to challenge me for control of Treadon and yet you show no interest in the city. Every action you have taken thus far, the moves of an invading force, were nothing more than a gambit to find a single man. Something about you is deeply unsettling.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Noah said.


    ¡°It was not a compliment,¡± Belkus replied. ¡°Tell me the name of the one whom you seek. I am curious to know what kind of demon could be worth such effort that he could bring you from your hiding.¡±


    Hook set. Now I just have to figure out what the hell kind of bait a Demon like Belkus is going to bite.


    ¡°The one I seek is called Wizen.¡±


    And, for the briefest of seconds, something shifted in the Demon Lord¡¯s features.


    Recognition.


    Belkus knew who Wizen was.

 Chapter 546: The Hunter

    Chapter 546: The Hunter


    Wizen¡¯s staff rang against bloodstained golden brick, punctuating his steps as he stepped over the wrung corpses in his path.


    The smell of blood hung in the air like a vulture. Aside from the sound of his staff and the squelch of blood beneath his feet, the hall he strode through was silent. The demons who hadn¡¯t yet died had already realized that to make noise was to seek death.


    He moved past the body of a wiry demon, the blades that had once emerged from their body shattered and broken like fragments of glass. A flicker of power still burned within their chest, so little that it was barely worth noting. The demon held his breath, freezing in place in hope of being overlooked.


    Wizen did not overlook him ¡ª but he stepped past the demon nonetheless. He wasn¡¯t worth the energy that it would take to put down. There were more important tasks at hand, and he was already behind schedule.


    A part of him had once been convinced that finding the City of Gold would have been the most difficult step of his plan. Getting into the Damned Plains alone was an immensely difficult task that had taken years upon years of preparation and research. Now that he had made it, everything should have been simple.


    But, as it turned out, actually finding the one he sought was even harder still.


    The City of Gold wasn¡¯t just enormous. A single word couldn¡¯t do it proper justice, but momentous may have been more apt.


    Cities were large. Bastions, such as Arbitage, were huge. But the City of Gold ¡ª it couldn¡¯t even properly be considered a city. A world may have been more accurate. The huge, glistening city aboveground was deceptive. It burrowed deep into the incomprehensibly large turtle that it rested upon, each layer another city entirely on its own.


    Even with his information network stretched across the city, finding anything useful was like digging needles from hay. Barb and the others were scattered off in every and all directions, and all their combined efforts had barely gathered a few scraps of useful information.


    Wizen had descended through three layers of the city already. In each one, no demon had been able to give him a good idea of just how deep it went. Finding information here was like wringing water from a rock. Possible, but exceedingly annoying.


    His walk carried him up to a metal door embedded into the stone. There was no apparent way to open it beyond an embossed handprint in its center. Imbued runes covered the door¡¯s surface, running out from the indent and traveling throughout its surface. A thin spike emerged from the center of the indent.


    The corner of Wizen¡¯s lip curled down. Blood magic ¡ª one that was meant to keep anyone but the bloodline of the person who owned the door out of the room beyond. It only took him a moment to determine that the Imbuements continued off the edges of the door, vanishing where it touched the walls.


    The entire hall is Runed, and a second layer of stone was built over the first to block the runes from view. Likely trapped as well. It seems my target is quite paranoid.


    Good.


    Perhaps this one will be of use.


    Wizen lifted his hand and brought it up to the metal door, letting the pads of his fingers gently brush across its surface before they came to a rest.


    Metal screeched in what could have only been described as agony. A horrendous shriek filled the air as the door crumpled in on itself like a piece of scrap paper. Imbuements sputtered and flared, magic crackling and dancing through the air, but the metal had been destroyed so quickly that none of it had a chance to activate. The door folded itself into a crushed up ball, then clanged to the ground at Wizen¡¯s feet.


    Beyond it was a large meeting hall. A long table in the center of the room was lined with twelve seats on each side. It was covered with a tablecloth of extravagant white silk trimmed with gold. Plates of food and magical ingredients were strewn across its surface and spilled over the expensive cloth.


    Demons sat around the table in expensive wooden chairs, frozen mid-meal with stunned looks of disbelief on their faces. Not a single one could have cared less about all of their men that Wizen had just killed. They¡¯d been dining while he slaughtered their families.


    At the far end of the table knelt a ten-foot demon with brilliant blue skin and a ropey X shaped scar across the center of his face. Curled, blackened teeth protruded from between gray lips, so large that the demon¡¯s mouth couldn¡¯t even close properly.


    His target.


    Mikthal, was it? I never do remember their names. There are so many, and they start to blend together after a while. What was the last one¡¯s name? Arthur? What an odd name for a demon.


    No matter.


    Wizen¡¯s domain swept the room in a split instant.


    In that split instant, he judged every single demon before him. A mixture of Rank 4 and 5 demons, with the strongest one in the room being the blue-skinned Terror Demon at Rank 7. This wasn¡¯t the first Rank 7 he¡¯d killed in the City of Gold, but a large portion of him hoped it would be his last. He didn¡¯t care much for wasting time.


    ¡°I seek Sievan,¡± Wizen said, before any of the demons could even fully finish processing his arrival. ¡°Tell me where he is.¡±


    ¡°How did you get in here?¡± a large demon demanded, rising from his chair and reaching for his sword. He had little magic and couldn¡¯t have been higher than Rank 4. ¡°How¡ª¡±


    Wizen¡¯s hand clawed into a fist.


    The demon¡¯s head collapsed in on itself. It popped like a cherry tomato. Blood splattered across his clothes and the table around him. Swaying, the body pitched back, catching on his chair, and both tumbled to the ground with a resounding crash.


    ¡°That,¡± Wizen said, ¡°Was not an answer. Tell me where Sievan is. This is not a request. It is an order.¡±


    He batted the crumpled ball of metal that had once been a door to the side with his staff, then stepped further into the room. The demons leapt from their chairs, stumbling to put distance between themselves and him.


    ¡°He¡¯s lying!¡± A young voice split through the air.


    Everyone, Wizen included, turned as one.


    Standing in the corpse-covered hall was a tiny demon girl, a dagger clutched in her hands. Tremors of fear gripped her entire body and her features were pale ¡ª but still she stood. Still, she spoke.


    It was the girl that he¡¯d spared after dealing with a few pests.


    What is she doing here? Her power is so weak my Domain barely even registered her. I thought she was one of the dying demons.


    Wizen¡¯s eyes snapped back to Mikthal. For the briefest of instants, there was a flash of recognition on the large demon¡¯s features. Then he flicked a hand in dismissal.


    ¡°A street rat somehow broke in. Someone kill the brat,¡± Mikthal said, an air of weary exasperation in his words that didn¡¯t match the instant of unease behind his eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m not lying!¡± The girl insisted, her eyes going wide as she took a step back. ¡°He¡¯s lying to you! Mikthal and Tixen are rival Dens. They¡¯ve both met Sievan before, and Mikthal knows who I am. I was part of his Den!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, street rat,¡± Mikthal said with a bark of laughter. ¡°I can assure you, I¡¯ve never seen this brat in my life. There¡¯s no reason to¡ª¡±


    The rest of Mikthal¡¯s words were replaced by a wet wheeze. The Terror Demon¡¯s eyes went wide and his head rolled forward, looking down at the foot-wide hole in the center of his chest where his heart had been.


    His gaze lifted up to Wizen, whose hand was extended toward him. In his other palm, a key rested, humming with dull red energy. Gray smoke swirled around Wizen¡¯s fingertips, pouring out from Mikthal and into his hand.


    Disbelief washed over the demon¡¯s face. His lips parted ¡ª and he pitched forward, crashing to the ground.


    Wizen flicked his hand. The gray smoke exploded through the room, tearing through the ranks of the demons within it like a plague. They barely even got a chance to scream. Within instants, every single one of them had died, the gray smoke having ripped the energy clean from their souls and ferried it back to Wizen.


    And only then did Wizen turn. He looked down at the small demon girl. She trembled, locked in place and not daring to so much as look away.


    ¡°You followed me,¡± Wizen said, his words flat. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Y¡ªyou killed Mikthal,¡± the girl stammered, her eyes going as wide as saucers. ¡°Just like that. You killed a Rank 7 demon with one attack.¡±


    ¡°He wasted my time,¡± Wizen said. ¡°And you seem to have saved it. That, I appreciate. I will not kill you for that reason. But why did you choose to follow me?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t want it.¡± The demoness swallowed heavily. ¡°And if you didn¡¯t want it, you didn¡¯t need to kill me. You were also killing everyone that did want it.¡±


    ¡°It?¡± Wizen¡¯s head tilted to the side. At this point, his curiosity was piqued. His domain washed over the girl as he scanned her. Buried deep within her chest, where her heart should have been, was a tiny core of magic. It was so small that it was almost not worth mentioning, but it was out of place enough to draw his attention when he searched. ¡°An artifact in your heart?¡±


    The girl¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You do know about it.¡±


    It seems I was spared a wasted trip back here to kill these fools for lying to me by a petty demon squabble over some useless tool. How amusing.


    ¡°I see,¡± Wizen said. ¡°You said that you knew of this Tixen, yes?¡±


    The girl gave him a jerky nod. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Take me to his Den.¡±


    Her eyes widened. ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°You are following me already,¡± Wizen said. ¡°If you use me for protection, then you will earn your keep by leading me to one who can take me to Sievan. I trust that is a fair trade?¡±


    The demon inclined her head hurriedly. ¡°Yes. Very fair.¡±


    Wizen¡¯s smile did not reach his eyes. He gestured to the girl, and she hurriedly turned to set off down the blood-splattered tunnel with Wizen following in her wake.


    He was so close to his goal that he could almost taste it. Years and years of planning, only a few fools and some meagre days away from fruition. All for one meeting. For one chance.


    He would not fail. He could not fail.


    I am coming, love. You will not have to wait much longer.

 Chapter 547: Cockroaches

    Chapter 547: Cockroaches


    ¡°You know Wizen,¡± Noah said.


    It wasn¡¯t a question.


    The perfectly clean throne room was silent for a long second. Belkus sat in his towering throne made of bone, features unreadable once more, his massive form looming over them. He was a patch of white in a sea of red. Belkus looked down on the group of demons and Noah.


    ¡°I do not know him,¡± Belkus allowed. ¡°But I do know of him. What relation do you have to him?¡±


    ¡°I came here in pursuit of him,¡± Noah replied. It wasn¡¯t technically a complete lie. He had come in pursuit. He¡¯d followed Wizen into the Damned Plains. It just hadn¡¯t been entirely intentional. ¡°Once I have a way to deal with him, I have nothing more I seek from this area. You will not find me in Treadon again.¡±


    ¡°Your answers have done more to pique my curiosity than if you had said nothing.¡± Belkus leaned forward, his features tightening. ¡°What relation do you have with Wizen, Spider?¡±


    ¡°Enemies,¡± Noah replied without an instant of hesitation. ¡°I seek his life.¡±


    Belkus¡¯ posture relaxed. The massive demon let himself lean back in his chair, then grimaced as the sharp bone dug into his back and shifted his position once more. He interlaced his fingers together.


    ¡°Good. Then perhaps you are correct,¡± Belkus allowed. ¡°There may be something we can aid each other with. I want you gone from my city, Spider. I do not want you in a location in which you can aid the Rising Moon in her plots against me.¡±


    ¡°I think I would be amiable to that,¡± Noah said. He wasn¡¯t so sure that would actually do anything to Yoru¡¯s plans. After all, if she was actually using her powers, she¡¯d have already calculated that this was the most likely outcome of the meeting.


    She¡¯d chosen to leave, which meant that she didn¡¯t think that the results of what happened here would hurt her. Either that or she was actually holding off on using her magic. There was a small ¡ª a very small ¡ª chance that Yoru actually didn¡¯t know what Belkus was offering.


    Noah wasn¡¯t about to bet on it.


    If she¡¯s let things get to this point... I get the feeling Belkus might not be fighting what he thinks. Her idea of victory and Belkus¡¯ might be completely different from each other. Either that or I just have absolutely no idea what she¡¯s gunning at. Maybe a mixture of the two.


    ¡°Then I will give you what you desire,¡± Belkus said. ¡°Wizen resides within the Golden City.¡±


    That name again. The place near the Black Reaches?


    ...the one with Sievan?


    ¡°He does?¡± Zath asked, his armored head tilting to the side in surprise. ¡°That¡¯s a surprise. I didn¡¯t expect him to be so direct. It looked like he was planning on taking a far more roundabout manner. He must be moving quickly.¡±


    Noah looked back at Zath. ¡°You¡¯re aware of him as well?¡±


    ¡°I am. Wizen sent a challenge to Lord Sievan some short time ago,¡± Zath replied with an offhand shrug. ¡°But Sievan does not accept duels. He has no reason to. There is no demon that resides within the Damned Plains that could ever hope to defeat him. Pointless challenges are nothing but a waste of time to him ¡ª but I must say, Wizen had a rather persuasive way of sending word.¡±


    ¡°And what way was that?¡± Noah asked.


    ¡°He sent a Demon Lord,¡± Belkus said, a dangerous edge forming in his voice.


    ¡°Skolas,¡± Zath said with a nod. Some of the easygoing air that had enveloped the intimidating demon slipped away as a cold aura seeped out from him and prickled against Noah¡¯s skin. ¡°And Skolas delivered quite a message. I must say, Spider, I now find myself more interested in you. What history do you have with Wizen?¡±


    ¡°A lot,¡± Noah replied. He forced himself to avoid swallowing. Wizen had managed to use his Mind Runes on a Rank 7 Demon Lord. If he got to more of them... the fight was just over. His whole plan had been to build an army that could match Wizen¡¯s. If Wizen had the Demon Lords from the Damned Plains under his thumb, the fight would be impossible. ¡°More than I care to go through now. Are you telling me that Wizen is controlling a Demon Lord?¡±


    ¡°Is Sievan going to take him up on the challenge?¡± Noah asked.


    ¡°No idea,¡± Zath replied with a shrug. ¡°Sievan does not keep me partial to all his goings. I doubt it. He rarely accepts challenges. Killing a single Rank 7 does not make you strong enough to draw his attention... but if Wizen keeps at it, well, it¡¯s possible. I do believe he¡¯s currently attempting to draw Sievan¡¯s attention by making his way through the City of Gold and killing some of the Denlords that reside beneath it.¡±


    ¡°He is powerful,¡± Belkus said. ¡°And you possess a way to stop Wizen, Spider?¡±


    No.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I figure killing him should do the trick. Pulling it off might be the hard part.


    Why is Wizen able to mow through demons like this? He was strong back in the mortal realm... but not like this. Could it have something to do with Mind Runes and how demons have linked souls and bodies? Or is it something else entirely?


    ¡°Either way, sending him over to Sievan will get him out of your city,¡± Zath said cheerfully. ¡°Seems like a win to me.¡±


    ¡°You just want to end the audience so you can complete your task,¡± Belkus said, his eyes narrowing.


    ¡°Correct,¡± Zath said. ¡°This has been interesting, but my time is not infinite. I have things to do ¡ª and kill.¡±


    Hopefully he¡¯s not doing both to the same thing.


    ¡°It seems I have a solution worked out before me. One that has laid itself out quite well,¡± Belkus said, his eyes narrowing slightly. ¡°Perhaps too well. You will leave Treadon?¡±


    Noah almost nodded, but caught himself right before he could. A thought struck him and he had to fight a smile off before it could take form.


    Maybe I can get a bit more out of this.


    ¡°Eventually, yes. I can¡¯t defeat him as I am now. I need more power. Once I have amassed the strength I need, I will seek Wizen out. This meeting with Sievan is for unrelated reasons. He wants something I possess.¡±


    Belkus¡¯ lips thinned. ¡°And if I were to want you to leave immediately?¡±


    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t be opposed to it,¡± Noah said slowly, as if he were turning the idea over in his mouth. ¡°I am not an unreasonable man. You want me gone. I want Wizen dead. Perhaps we could meet in the middle. I will not say why, but my method to defeating Wizen involves a large number of Runes. Specifically, Mind Runes. I had been planning to amass them over some time, but if you were willing to expedite the process...¡±


    ¡°You are attempting to blackmail me with the promise of your own departure,¡± Belkus said. He did not sound impressed.


    ¡°Correct,¡± Noah said.


    ¡°Were you not with Yoru, I would have crushed you on the spot... but I fear that may be exactly what she desires.¡±


    Noah shrugged. ¡°Maybe. Getting crushed would be mildly annoying, but death holds no grasp on me. I would be back, Belkus. I always come back.¡±


    ¡°Death demons,¡± Belkus growled, the words rumbling in his chest like a curse. He squinted at Noah. The corner of his lips curled up in something between a smile and a sneer. ¡°Cockroaches, more like. Very well. Perhaps we can come to an agreement.¡±

 RUNEBOUND HAS A WEBCOMIC!

RUNEBOUND HAS A WEBCOMIC!


    Hey everyone!


    Here''s a link: /en/fantasy/return-of-the-runebound-professor/list?title_no=6849


    LETS GOOOOO

 Chapter 548: Vile creature

    Chapter 548: Vile creature


    Around an hour later, Noah walked out of Belkus¡¯ estate with a large scroll tucked under his arm and a smug grin plastered across his face. The rest of the group, aside from Zorin, who had remained in the throne room, walked at his sides.


    Yoru had rejoined them as they¡¯d left the palace. Mascot sat perched upon her head like a bird in a nest. He watched Noah with lazy eyes, idly kneading Yoru¡¯s hair as she ferried him. The small demon didn¡¯t seem to mind.


    ¡°What is it that you believe several Rank 5 Mind Runes are going to do for you?¡± Zath asked as they walked. The clank of his heavy sabatons punctuated his words as they headed down the streets of Treadon in the direction of the Web¡¯s camp.


    ¡°A lot of things,¡± Noah replied. ¡°I have a number of runes myself, and I prefer to create all the runes I use. It lets me minimize the number of mistakes present in them.¡±


    ¡°Meticulous,¡± Zath said with a small nod. ¡°Lord Sievan is of the same mind. It takes a great amount of time and wealth to progress in this way. Not something that most demons are capable of doing when the currency that buys life is power.¡±


    That was a thinly veiled question. Zath still wasn¡¯t sure just how strong Noah was. Even though he had no domain, Zath could probably tell that Noah wasn¡¯t a Rank 6 or 7 demon ¡ª but he also knew Noah had come back after dying and stood on near-equal footing with Belkus.


    When something looked like a duck and quacked like a duck... it was probably a Demon Lord.


    ¡°Meticulous is the only way to go about rune advancement,¡± Noah said with a small shrug. ¡°Anything else will do nothing but hinder you. There is too much power at stake to go bumbling around.¡±


    ¡°Very true,¡± Zath said. He turned his head to glance back at Aylin and Yoru. ¡°Are all of your choices equally as intentional?¡±


    ¡°Some of them.¡±


    They passed by a group of demons chatting in the street. The demons¡¯ conversation ground to a halt as they spotted Zath¡¯s massive form lumbering through the street alongside Noah. Their mouths dropped open and they stared in stunned disbelief, not so much as moving a muscle until they¡¯d been left behind in the street.


    ¡°So,¡± Zath said. ¡°What exactly is your plan to deal with Wizen? Or was that just an excuse to fleece Belkus of a few unneeded runes?¡±


    ¡°Do you really think I need to wheedle my way into getting some Rank 5 Runes?¡± Noah asked, sending a flat look in Zath¡¯s direction. ¡°Is your opinion of me that low?¡±


    Zath let out a low chuckle. ¡°Fair enough. You do have a plan, then?¡±


    Oh, not in the slightest. I was totally fleecing him. I don¡¯t have the faintest goddamn idea of what I¡¯m going to do about Wizen. The Mind Runes are just to give me a way to make sure he can¡¯t somehow control me.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Noah arched an eyebrow.


    ¡°I would assume one who had been chasing Wizen for any amount of time would be aware of some weakness,¡± Zath allowed with a curt nod of his head. ¡°I will look forward to seeing just what it is, then. I suspect I shall enjoy watching the fight.¡±


    ¡°Watching?¡± Noah blinked. Wizen was actively attacking the City of Gold. Even if Lord Sievan wasn¡¯t planning to interfere directly, it felt like one of the Demon Lord¡¯s subordinates should have been more than willing to step in to stop the nuisance. ¡°You mean you aren¡¯t going to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Help?¡± Zath finished with a chuckle. ¡°No. Of course not. Unless Lord Sievan requests it, I will not. My powers are a little too destructive to be unleashed within Lord Sievan¡¯s city. Death is effective at great many things, but avoiding collateral damage is not one of them.¡±


    Noah glanced at Zath out of the corners of his eyes. ¡°You can¡¯t control it?¡±


    ¡°I see you have not come against Death Runes in a direct conflict,¡± Zath said. Some of the amusement left his tone. ¡°We wield Death, Spider. Not injury. Not pain. Death. Were I to unleash my Runes to fight someone that is powerful enough to take down other Rank 7 demons, then the damage to the city would be astronomical.¡±


    Noah nodded thoughtfully, but his mind was already shifting gears to a different thought.


    If his runes lack that much control... it¡¯s not because they¡¯re so powerful that he can¡¯t even fart without killing everyone in a ten mile radius. It¡¯s because they¡¯re poorly made. His combinations are bad.


    I suppose it makes sense. Without Sunder, the chances of a Rune being bad increase exponentially with every rank. By the time you hit Rank 7, especially in the Damned Plains, if your runes aren¡¯t completely screwed up, it would have to be a miracle. It looks like even Lord Sievan has some limits to his power.


    ¡°I see,¡± Noah said. ¡°Is the same true for Sievan? Is he unable to fight because the mere flick of his finger would mistakenly destroy the city?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Zath replied. A note of reverence entered his tone and he shook his head. ¡°Lord Sievan is different. His power is incomprehensible. He could do anything he wished, but he does not interfere in situations like this. He would only act if the city itself were at risk. As it is now, Wizen has done nothing but kill a few demons.¡±


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°Great,¡± Noah said, starting for the tent. ¡°I¡¯ll grab Axil for you so the two of you can properly catch up. Please make sure she doesn¡¯t go doing anything rude. It would be quite annoying to have to kill her again.¡±


    Zath inclined his head. And, as Moxie fished a large piece of meat from her bag to start forming a chair, Noah headed into the tent.


    Lee was perched on top of his grimoire, staring at Axil with uncomfortably wide eyes. It was like a cat observing a trapped bird.


    Axil, unfortunately for her, was still half-sized. The demoness¡¯ eyes were squeezed shut in an attempt to look anywhere other than either Lee or the grimoire. At this point, Noah wasn¡¯t sure which she was avoiding.


    ¡°Oh! You¡¯re back!¡± Lee exclaimed. Her eyes didn¡¯t so much as flick away from their target.


    ¡°I am,¡± Noah confirmed. ¡°It went well. Are you... doing something?¡±


    ¡°I am watching Axil.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Noah said. He drew up to Lee and gently pulled the grimoire out from under her. She shifted to the side, letting him reclaim the book and not letting her gaze budge. Noah tapped the grimoire with a finger. ¡°Keep these runes.¡±


    Noah held the scroll out. A tongue of paper shot out in a split second, grabbing the scroll and yanking it into the book¡¯s huge pages. There was a soft crunch. Then there was nothing.


    Axil let out a whimper.


    ¡°Good book,¡± Noah told the grimoire, slinging it over his shoulder by the strap and giving it a pat. ¡°I¡¯ll get you something to eat soon enough.¡±


    ¡°What about me?¡± Lee asked.


    ¡°You too,¡± Noah said, ruffling her hair. He walked over to Axil and lifted her by the back of her shirt like an unruly animal. ¡°Come on. Your boss is here to collect you.¡±


    Axil didn¡¯t even respond. She just hung limp in Noah¡¯s hands, swaying like a pinata.


    ¡°Lee, did something happen to Axil?¡± Noah asked, shaking the tiny demon slightly.


    ¡°No. I was watching her.¡±


    ¡°So you said,¡± Noah said. He shrugged. ¡°Oh well. Let¡¯s go. Thanks for keeping an eye on things.¡±


    ¡°Yup!¡± Lee fell in line behind Noah and the two of them headed back out of the tent and into the main square of the Web¡¯s camp.


    In the brief time that Noah had been inside the tent, Moxie had already formed Zath¡¯s chair. It was really more of a giant beanbag-shaped bush. Zath didn¡¯t seem to mind. He¡¯d lowered himself into it and was splayed out, a delighted grin on his face.


    ¡°Do you offer landscaping services?¡± Zath was asking Moxie. ¡°I have never sat upon such a soft plant.¡±


    ¡°Not at the moment, but I wouldn¡¯t be opposed to the idea,¡± Moxie replied thoughtfully. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it was that impressive.¡±


    ¡°You downplay your abilities,¡± Zath said through a contented sigh. ¡°This is fantastic. You could make a killing. This is the most comfortable thing I have ever sat in.¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡± Moxie scratched her chin. ¡°Interesting.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve returned with your subordinate,¡± Noah said when it became clear that their conversation had reached a lull. He held Axil up.


    ¡°I¡¯m otherwise occupied,¡± Zath said, glancing down at Noah with one eye ¡°Just toss her¡ª¡±


    His words ground to a halt. The huge demon¡¯s head snapped up. Disgust and horror playing across Zath¡¯s features as he stared down at Noah.


    ¡°What manner of vile creature is that?¡±

 Chapter 549: An Idea

    Chapter 549: An Idea


    ¡°This would be your subordinate,¡± Noah replied, hoisting Axil slightly. ¡°She¡¯s a bit smaller than normal, but if you take a close look, you¡¯ll see who it is. Ah ¡ª we did confiscate her axe. Spoils of war.¡±


    ¡°Not her,¡± Zath snapped. ¡°That is obviously Axil. I am referring to...¡±


    The demon¡¯s words trailed off. His head tilted to the side. For several seconds, he said nothing. Then he arched an eyebrow and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Zath tapped a foot on the ground, nodding slightly as if agreeing with someone.


    Noah and Moxie exchanged a glance.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with him?¡± Moxie whispered.


    ¡°I was hoping you were going to have the answer to that,¡± Noah replied. He rotated Axil around so he could look at her face. The demoness¡¯ eyes were still screwed shut and her face was twisted into a grimace. Noah shook her slightly. ¡°Oi. Wake up.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Axil asked, making absolutely no move to open her eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s your boss doing?¡± Noah asked, glancing over Axil¡¯s head at Zath. The demon now muttering something under his breath, staring at an empty patch of air in the middle of the Web¡¯s camp.


    Every single interaction he had with Sievan¡¯s men made Noah suspect that there was something seriously wrong with all of their heads. Then again, there had to be something wrong with anybody that voluntarily decided that they wanted to serve the literal embodiment of death.


    ¡°He¡¯s talking,¡± Axil said.


    Ah, yes. I couldn¡¯t tell that bit.


    ¡°You disgust me,¡± Zath informed the empty patch of air.


    Axil nodded in agreement, even though she¡¯d yet to open her eyes.


    ¡°To whom?¡± Noah asked in exasperation.


    Axil screwed her lips up. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and said nothing else. Noah blew out a sigh. He glanced over his shoulder at Lee, who gave him a small shrug. She didn¡¯t seem to have the slightest idea of what was going on either.


    ¡°I will not be doing that,¡± Zath informed the air.


    Noah coughed into a fist. Zath ignored him.


    ¡°That¡¯s hardly a good reason,¡± Zath said, now shaking his head. The disgust on his features had turned to mild curiosity, but there was still an edge in his posture that made it clear he was uncomfortable.


    If anything, that was what started to ring alarm bells in Noah¡¯s own head.


    A Rank 7 demon, one who served under Sievan, the literal Lord of Death in the Damned Plains, was uncomfortable.


    Zath had looked uncomfortable when he¡¯d seen Noah come back out of the tent with Axil, but he¡¯d made it clear that the source of his disgust wasn¡¯t the fact that Axil shrinkflation-ed herself.


    The only other change that had occurred in the span of Noah¡¯s departure and return from the tent...


    His eyes lifted to the book on his back. Axil had reacted horribly to it because of all the squished up demon corpses that made it up. But Zath was actively talking to something. Unless he¡¯d gone completely insane ¡ª


    Is it even the book he¡¯s interested in?


    He shook his head and pulled the grimoire off his back as he made his way across the tent and over to Moxie¡¯s bed of vines. He sat down on it, flipping the huge book open in his lap.


    ¡°I hope Zath is very distracted, because it¡¯s going to be a few more hours before my magic comes back,¡± Noah said as Moxie took seat in the viney chair across from him.


    She rocked the chair onto its back legs and crossed her arms in front of her chest, giving him a slight nod.


    ¡°Sounds like a good opportunity to tell me what happened in Belkus¡¯ estate,¡± Moxie asked. ¡°I¡¯m thoroughly lost.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That and plan for what Rune I¡¯m going to make. Just help me think of some excuses to stall Zath out if he decides he wants to leave soon. But, with regard to the estate... let¡¯s see. It¡¯s kind of a long story, but I¡¯ll try to summarize it. Yoru is also Yoku. Our guess about her being older than we thought is right. She¡¯s a Rank 7 demon. One that¡¯s apparently in some huge conflict with Belkus. Also, Mascot showed up.¡±


    ¡°Gathered that bit,¡± Moxie said dryly. ¡°What did he break?¡±


    ¡°Thus far, nothing. Give him time. I figure he¡¯ll get around to it eventually. But... more importantly, we¡¯ve found Wizen.¡±


    Moxie¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°You have? Where?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s apparently trying to annoy Sievan into fighting him,¡± Noah replied with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯ve got no idea why ¡ª or how. He¡¯s somehow taking out Rank 7 demons. He even killed a Demon Lord. I think that key has to be helping him against demons somehow. Wizen was strong, but he¡¯s not defeating Rank 7 enemies strong.¡±


    ¡°The artifact should only form a connection between planes,¡± Moxie said, her forehead creasing in a frown. ¡°I read about it pretty thoroughly. I can¡¯t really see how it would be making Wizen stronger. I¡¯ll think over it and see if I can recall anything that he could be abusing.¡±


    ¡°It could also be his Mind Runes,¡± Noah said. ¡°With how connected Demons are to their runes...¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Moxie¡¯s features were grim. ¡°That could be it. I take it that¡¯s why you were talking about Mind Runes when you got back?¡±


    ¡°Belkus gave ¡®em to me. He¡¯s surprisingly reasonable. The only thing he wanted in return is for us to get lost and not partner with Yoru against him.¡± Noah flipped through the pages of the grimoire. They were all blank, which was a surprise. The book was normally more responsive than this. He tapped its pages. ¡°Give me those Mind Runes, please. I need them.¡±


    A second passed. Then the pages abruptly flipped, as if the grimoire had just remembered what it was, and turned to a page covered with Rank 5 Mind Runes. Moxie arched an eyebrow in question; Noah shrugged in response.


    His book was weird enough normally. He was just happy it wasn¡¯t trying to draw anything inappropriate.


    Moxie looked down at the grimoire, examining the runes in its pages, then lifted her gaze back to Noah as she tilted her head to the side. She didn¡¯t quite look suspicious, but there was a note of discomfort in her expression.


    ¡°What are you going for with these? Mind Runes... they¡¯re not really, well...¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Noah said. His features darkened. ¡°I have no plans of becoming Wizen. I¡¯m not using the vile shit he does, but I need a way to keep him from using those powers on me. I figure the best way to do that is with more Mind Runes.¡±


    Moxie nodded. Her expression softened slightly. There was no immense relief in her features, but only because it seemed she¡¯d never actually held enough doubt about his actions to feel relieved over avoiding them.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a disaster in mind that somehow relates to the mind, then?¡±


    Noah¡¯s expression tightened. His thoughts drifted back. To the line ¡ª to the agony that had ground down on his mind like a mill, ripping away memories and past until only the monotony remained. The mental torture of being able to do nothing but take steps in an endless walk, future unknown and past slipping away.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Noah replied in a grim tone, placing his hand on the surface of the grimoire. ¡°I think I¡¯ve got an idea.¡±

 Chapter 550: An Average Day

    Chapter 550: An Average Day


    Todd twisted to the side mere instants before the tree beside him exploded with a brilliant crack. Fragments of wood exploded out. He struck his bracelets together, summoning a swirl of flame before his face that consumed the shards before they could reach his skin.


    He hit the ground in a roll and sprang to his feet, contorting his body as a blade whistled through the air where his stomach had been moments before. Leaves crunched beneath his feet as fire erupted from behind one of his stone-plated legs, accelerating his leg as he drove it up in a kick.


    Bird vaulted back. Todd¡¯s foot passed so close to her face that the wind knocked her hair back, but the blow didn¡¯t connect. She landed on one foot, balancing on a protruding root like it were flat ground. She blurred forward, her sword flitting out like a striking snake.


    Todd shifted his weight and pirouetted. Pain twinged in his neck, but the cool frost burning into it prevented it from hindering his motion. His palm, coated in a thin layer of stone, scraped along the length of the blade as he shoved it to the side.


    He drove his other hand toward Bird¡¯s stomach. She shifted her weight. His strike narrowly missed. If he¡¯d moved just slightly to the side, his hand would have driven straight into the bandages covering her body. They were covered with scrapes and thin cuts, but he hadn¡¯t managed to land a direct hit on her yet.


    Bird¡¯s knee whipped up between Todd¡¯s legs ¡ª wrapped with similar bandages to the ones she wore ¡ª and a loud crunch rang out.


    They froze.


    Bird¡¯s eye twitched. Then she hopped back, clutching her knee and cursing under her breath.


    ¡°What the fuck is wrong with your¡ª¡±


    Todd pulled a bandage back, not even bothering to hide the smirk on his face. A thin layer of hardened stone covered his body beneath the wrappings coating him. ¡°Isabel already tried that one. I¡¯m a fast learner. That¡¯s what you get for going for a cheap shot.¡±


    ¡°There are no cheap shots,¡± Bird said through clenched teeth. She held a hand up, waving impatiently.


    The bushes around them rustled. A health potion sailed free from one of them. Bird snagged it, draining the entire vial in a single swig, and Jalen emerged from behind the trees with a huge grin on his face.


    He, like the rest of them, was covered in tight wrappings.


    Unlike the rest of them, Jalen hadn¡¯t stopped at his body. He¡¯d wrapped every single bit from his fingers up to his hair, leaving only his eyes and nose uncovered. The Rank 6 mage had even covered his own mouth. Jalen gave Todd a thumbs-up and said something that the wrappings covering him completely muffled.


    Todd stared at him.


    Jalen lifted a finger to his mouth and ripped through the wrappings.


    ¡°Good job,¡± Jalen said. ¡°That was amusing.¡±


    ¡°It was effective,¡± Alexandra said, stepping out from the bushes behind Jalen. She walked through a small patch of sunlight in the forest before coming to a stop in the shadows of the thick canopy above them. She rested her hand on the hilt of her sword and gave Todd a nod. ¡°That could have gone poorly if Bird was putting more force into that, though. Or if it had been me.¡±


    ¡°I would not let any squishy bits anywhere near you,¡± Todd informed Alexandra with a shudder. ¡°There¡¯s a difference between normal people and ones empowered by Body Runes like you. The moment I¡¯m in a close quarters fight with you, I¡¯ve already screwed up.¡±


    The trees rustled as the rest of the group emerged one by one. Emily and James stepped out together, followed by Isabel and Silvertide. They were wore the same wrappings, though Silvertide had gone and attached his cape as well as several pieces of intentionally-placed armor on top of his.


    ¡°You know, this training style is uncomfortably effective,¡± Emily said. ¡°But... no offense, Bird. I¡¯m putting normal clothes on as soon as we get out of here.¡±


    ¡°Effectiveness is the only thing that matters,¡± Bird said.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m with the girl on this one,¡± Silvertide said. ¡°I¡¯m too old for this. Vermil is a man in his own league. I fear I¡¯m not quite deranged enough to voluntarily fight like this in any normal situation.¡±


    They all went silent for a moment. Todd¡¯s hands tightened at his sides. It had been more than a week since Vermil, Lee, and Moxie had fallen through a portal into the Damned Plains. Their next exam was quickly approaching.


    The rumbling grew louder. Todd and Isabel exchanged a glance before looking to the other students. They all moved closer to each other. Alexandra and Isabel took up spots closest to the oncoming threat while Todd and Emily set up behind them. A bow made of ice materialized in Emily¡¯s hands, while James faded entirely from view.


    ¡°I thought we were practicing Formations now,¡± Todd said, readying his bracelets as a roar split the air. The ground started to tremble beneath his feet as something ¡ª or a lot of somethings ¡ª grew closer.


    ¡°Oh, you are,¡± Jalen said. The wrappings on his face crinkled as he smiled. ¡°This will be real battle practice, not that boring meditation you¡¯ve all been repeating. Fear not. I will crush your magic with my domain should you make a mistake. I am far more sensitive than Vermil. I may not be able to instruct you, but adversity is an excellent teacher.¡±


    ¡°If you crush our magic, I¡¯m pretty sure we¡¯re going to get killed by whatever that huge thing is,¡± Emily said nervously. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we have tried this with something smaller?¡±


    ¡°What? Of course not.¡± Jalen stared at Emily in disbelief. ¡°Where would the fun in that be? Now get to preparing those little Formations of yours. You¡¯re going to need them.¡±


    Even as Todd reached for the magic within him and raised his bracelets in preparation for the upcoming fight, he couldn¡¯t stop a flicker of amusement from flitting through him. This wasn¡¯t all that different from how Vermil had trained them in the Scorched Acres.


    I think Jalen might be more like Vermil than he thinks.


    ¡°There is nothing to fear,¡± Bird proclaimed with an excited smile. ¡°I have been waiting for this. I will¡ª¡±


    Jalen blinked out of existence with a tiny pop of purple energy. He reformed behind Bird, his hand falling on her shoulder as a dangerous smile played across his lips. ¡°Be playing darts with me, I fear. No interference.¡±


    ¡°What? But¡ª¡±


    They both vanished.


    Emily swallowed. ¡°How is he going to do anything to stop our Formations if he isn¡¯t even here?¡±


    ¡°Stay focused,¡± Silvertide suggested. ¡°Jalen is insane.¡±


    They paused for a moment.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to follow that up with something like, ¡®but I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be watching closely¡¯, or something like that?¡± Todd asked.


    ¡°Oh, no. I was finished with my statement,¡± Silvertide said.


    Isabel let out a sigh. The ground before her rumbled as stone rolled up to cover her body and formed into a thick shield in one of her hands. Shimmering blue energy wormed through the cracks in the rock and hummed around her, forming into a spear in her other hand. ¡°Alexandra and I will keep the monster¡¯s attention while we figure out what we¡¯re up against. Todd, James, Emily, you all back us up.¡±


    ¡°On it,¡± Todd said. Stone rushed up from the ground to form casings around his hands and legs, readying his makeshift explosion magic. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Emily asked as she nocked an ice arrow pulled back on the string of her bow.


    ¡°No,¡± Todd replied with a grin. The rumbling grew louder until Todd¡¯s legs trembled from the force of the ground bucking beneath him. He raised his arms to keep his balance. ¡°But I¡¯ve gotten used to improvising.¡±


    Then the trees in front of them shattered, and an enormous lizard-like monster the size of several houses burst free from the forest, its wide eyes blood-red in fury and rows of jagged teeth jutting from its black-gummed lips.


    It spotted the group and advanced straight toward them, its tail annihilating several trees to its side with an idle flick as it charged into the clearing. Dirt and broken wood flew up all around it in a miniature storm and a hissing roar slipped free of its mouth.


    A grin tugged at the corners of Todd¡¯s lips as Isabel and Alexandra burst into motion, yelling to draw the monster¡¯s attention.


    It looked like today was going to be another fairly average day of training.

 Chapter 551: Familiar

    Chapter 551: Familiar


    Noah pored over his grimoire. He had absolutely no idea how long Zath would be distracted outside, and he couldn¡¯t afford to waste a single second. Fog still clouded his mind from his death, but even if he couldn¡¯t actually make the Rank 4 Mind Rune yet, he could still figure out the exact strategy he could follow and then take care of the actual creation when he got access to his mind back.


    The entire idea of a Mind Rune was still repulsive to him. Everything about the way Wizen¡¯s magic worked made Noah wish the man had never existed. From what he¡¯d done to Alexandra to his involvement with the events that had brought Noah, Lee, and Moxie to the Damned Plains, it seemed that every single action that Wizen took was vile.


    But going up against a Mind Rune user without a way to deal with their runes was just too dangerous, especially after Noah had seen how strong Wizen was the last time they¡¯d met.


    It wasn¡¯t even just about protecting his mind from Wizen. From what he knew, Mind Runes generally couldn¡¯t just wrest control of someone¡¯s body instantly. Wizen had needed time to completely take control of Alexandra¡¯s body.


    In addition to a way to protect himself if Wizen did have a method to quickly take over his body, Noah also needed one to sever the man¡¯s connection to any of the people he¡¯d controlled ¡ª and the best way to do that was probably fighting with fire.


    Unfortunately, that left him with no choice. He needed a Mind Rune if he wanted to maximize his chances of coming out ahead against Wizen. And if he wanted it to fit into his other Runes and not be a wasted effort, it had to be related to a disaster.


    The mere idea for the concept was already frustrating. Disasters were mass-scale events, while almost everything he initially came up with relation to a rune was focused on a single person.


    That wasn¡¯t even to mention the fact that just about every concept that Noah could come up with for a Mind Rune made him want to throw up. The exact purpose of a rune had an immense effect on what its actual abilities would be ¡ª and he really didn¡¯t want to be running around with a Dementia Rune.


    He knew he was going to use something related to the line. It was the area that he had the most experience in ¡ª but he wasn¡¯t about to start destroying people¡¯s minds with thousands of years¡¯ worth of rot, if such a thing could even be manifested into a Rank 4 Rune.


    There had to be a way he could get what he needed as something disaster-adjacent without committing a slew of war crimes that hadn¡¯t been invented yet.


    Time slipped by as he thought. Zath¡¯s distraction, which Noah had expected to be measured minutes at the best, stretched into hours. That somehow managed to make things even more difficult. The longer that Zath remained outside speaking with an invisible, completely intangible entity, the more concerned with the situation Noah got.


    This wasn¡¯t just some incident of a powerful person being mildly off their rocker. Every single Rank 6 that Noah had met, much less Rank 7, had been borderline insane. In Jalen¡¯s case, he¡¯d just been straight up insane. But their insanity was a haze through which they saw the world. The damage of years on the psyche when it was forced to witness aspects of humanity¡¯s worst on repeat.


    It was the type of damage that made someone think that getting mouthed off to by someone they were about to kill was funny and entertaining. It was not the type of insanity that made someone sit and talk to something that did not exist for hours on end.


    And that could mean only one thing.


    The entity to which Zath was talking existed.


    Not only did it exist, but it was sapient. Something that Noah could not see, hear, touch, or otherwise make out, had been traveling with him and was somehow tied to the book that laid on the table before him.


    Calling the situation unnerving would have been an understatement. Part of Noah wanted to pelt the grimoire into a fire just to see what would happen, but he couldn¡¯t indulge his confusion or fears. He had too much at stake.


    His frustration steadily built. Making any form of disaster based on Mind Runes was like trying to make a toy from pipe bombs. There was a chance it could look good from the outside, but it would probably blow up the moment someone touched it.


    Hours continued to slip by. The fog in his mind peeled back like the skin of an orange if it had been stuffed into the hands of an unruly child. Namely, it came away in uneven chunks and pieces.


    And as the fog went, Noah¡¯s thoughts grew sharper. His ideas became better ¡ª closer to what he needed. Closer to something that would let him go to sleep at night without feeling like he¡¯d become Wizen in the pursuit of defeating him.


    And then the fog was gone.


    Control of his mind returned to him in its entirety. Noah felt the moment as if a jolt of lightning had struck his chest. Rivers of electricity coursed out from his heart and ripped into his limbs in a split second. He leapt, tripping over his own legs, and fell out of the bed face-first.


    Noah¡¯s body sprung into motion. He caught himself, vaulting off his hands and landing easily on his feet. Moxie stared at him from where she sat on her chair, the formerly bored expression on her face evaporating in a mixture of amusement and concern.


    ¡°Getting some exercise in after sitting for too long?¡±


    ¡°My power is back,¡± Noah said, looking down at his hands. The Rune of Self had re-activated. He¡¯d almost forgotten just how intense the rune was. Every single part of his body was his once more.


    And every part included his mind. Moxie said something else, but Noah didn¡¯t hear it. The thoughts that had been floating around in his addled skull finally clicked. They snapped together and finished the puzzle that he¡¯d been unknowingly working on.


    He knew what kind of Rune he could make. One that would let him fight back against Wizen. One that would let him keep who he was.


    It was a concept that he was familiar with.


    Very familiar with.


    A smile pulled across Noah¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Sorry, Moxie,¡± he said. ¡°I zoned out for a moment.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You¡¯ve got a... look on your face.¡±


    Noah wasn¡¯t surprised. He¡¯d finished the hard part. The rune may as well have already been there in his mind, waiting in anticipation of for its own creation.


    All he had to do was make it before Zath remembered the reason why he¡¯d sought Noah out in the first place.

 Chapter 552: Rank 4 Rune

    Chapter 552: Rank 4 Rune


    Noah returned to the vine bed and sat down upon it. He set the opened grimoire upon his lap and placed his hand upon its surface before plunging into his mindspace.


    The pitch black void of his soul rose up to swallow Noah¡¯s world. Runes blinked to life in the sea of darkness like stars orbiting around him, and pressure bore down onto his back. White light seeped into the darkness from small cracks ran throughout the corners of his soul.


    Noah was tempted to call on the Fragment of Renewal and heal them on the spot, but he didn¡¯t know how many attempts or modifications his new Rank 4 rune would take. Wasting the Fragment now could stick him with a bunch of damage he couldn¡¯t heal until the next day.


    He blew out a breath and steadied his thoughts. Even though Noah already knew what he wanted to make, there were still a lot of ways to go about it. Belkus had given him three Rank 5 Runes. Even if half of their components were completely useless and the energy conversion rate was less than ideal, he probably had enough to brute force an entirely new Rank 5 Rune.


    There were actually two ways he could hypothetically get a Rank 5 rune. He had a number of runes in his grimoire. Not enough to truly have a lot of variety, but he could cobble together several more Disaster Runes and top up the remaining pieces with Mind Runes.


    The resulting rune would be shoddy and poorly made, but it would still be a Rank 5. He could always rip it apart later and re-combine everything. Unfortunately, reaching Rank 5 meant absolutely nothing if his final rune was garbage.


    He¡¯d seen the difference between a powerful Rank 4 and a weak Rank 5. Destroying the potential of his runes, even temporarily, just for the boost at Rank 5, was not a trade he was willing to make. Crumbling Space and Warped Matter had significant use even without being Rank 5 runes ¡ª not to mention he still had Formations he could work his existing runes into.


    And then there was the other option. Making a Rank 5 entirely from the Mind Runes he¡¯d gotten from Belkus. Noah just wasn¡¯t so sure that would be in his benefit. His keystone rune was still a component of Natural Disaster.


    There was a lot he still didn¡¯t know about how Runes worked. Keystone runes were definitely important. They were closely tied to the soul and imposed severe consequences when removed.


    He honestly didn¡¯t know what would happen if he left his keystone rune behind as a Rank 4 when his strongest rune became a Rank 5. Noah doubted that was a situation anyone had ever found themselves in before. It would probably destabilize his soul a little. Maybe enough to be manageable ¡ª but that wasn¡¯t really a good reason to ignore the possibility entirely.


    In the end, the thing that gave Noah pause was the potential of making a mistake. He didn¡¯t know Mind Runes well. Even though he had a pretty good idea of what he wanted to do, there was still a good chance it would need to be modified at least once or twice.


    The bigger and more closely tied to the soul a Rune was, the harder it was to remove. Ripping a Rank 5 free of himself had the potential to do some pretty serious soul damage. It was magnitudes larger than a Rank 4, and he¡¯d be doing it right after it expanded his soul.


    Noah had absolutely no idea what that would cause. The last time he¡¯d gotten an excessive amount of soul damage, he¡¯d fallen into a coma for a week. Perhaps the same would happen. Perhaps it would be nothing.


    He didn¡¯t know ¡ª but he couldn¡¯t risk it for a Rank 5 Rune that was the equivalent of a handgun in a toddler¡¯s hands. Wizen¡¯s magic would still be stronger than his. Wizen would still have more experience. Putting all his money on an entirely new form of magic to him when his opponent was a master of the field was a losing move.


    Having a little protection was important, but Noah wasn¡¯t going to beat Wizen at his own game. He had to come from a different angle. There was more than one way to gain power ¡ª though he wasn¡¯t about to pass it up either. Noah didn¡¯t love the idea of a mind rune, but he still needed more disasters. There was no guarantee Wizen was the only enemy with mind powers he¡¯d fight. Investing in a way to protect himself now would be useful in the long run... assuming they could actually deal with Wizen.


    But first things first. I still need my Rank 4 rune to make sure I¡¯ve at least got some way to keep Wizen¡¯s grubby fingers out of my head.


    Noah raised a finger in the air before him and started to draw one of the Rank 5 Mind Runes. Dull pink energy followed in the wake of his finger as it traced magic into his soul. He moved quickly and with confidence.


    The Mind Runes Belkus had given him were ¡ª unfortunately ¡ª demon runes. Now that Noah knew a little more about how the runes worked, he wasn¡¯t as worried about forming one in his soul as long as he shattered it instantly. The only problem was that he couldn¡¯t use any of the components that had demon runes in them, which meant he¡¯d have to do a lot of re-combining.


    The only way to do that is to get started. No time to waste. I have to finish this before Zath decides he¡¯s done talking and comes for me.


    It took him about five minutes to draw the rune in its entirety. The Rank 5 was so much more complex than all his previously created normal runes that it drew practically every single scrap of attention Noah could muster.


    There was a sharp snap, followed by a burst of pressure and a pop in his ears. Wind blew his hair back as the Rank 5 took form in Noah¡¯s soul, surrounded in a halo of molten pink energy. Noah squeezed his eyes shut. His hand moved even as Sunder¡¯s power coursed through his veins in an icy river.


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    He struck the rune.


    And, even as the Rank 5¡¯s magic swelled in his soul and pressed against its boundaries, it shattered with a loud crash. Noah squeezed his eyes shut before the flash of brilliant white energy could blind him, only opening them in time to see the Rank 4 constituents of the rune come spilling out of the storming energy it left behind.


    His brow creased in confusion. That was rather odd. He had four runes that should have already been active. Natural Disaster, Warped Matter, Crumbling Space, and the Rune of Self.


    Recounting everything did nothing to change the facts. He somehow had 8 active runes. That was, of course, impossible ¡ª which meant one of the Runes he thought was a normal rune was anything but.


    There was really only one option that fit that category. The Rune of Self. Noah frowned and scratched at his chin. That was significant. There was no doubt about it... but he didn¡¯t have time to dig into why. Not yet.


    Noah focused his concentration on the Rank 4 Unstable Mind Meld Rune. It held the several flawless components he was going to need to pull this off. His soul was strained from the constant usage of Sunder, but he was too close to stop now.


    Gathering his power, Noah got back to work.


    ***


    Noah swam in a swirling mess of saturated pink hues and black veins. His bones throbbed and his eyes pulsed with the beginnings of a building headache as he brought his hand down, carving through his fifth attempt at combining a flawless Rank 4 Mind Rune.


    The rune shattered with a plink and power spilled out from it. Noah¡¯s mind groaned in protest as he pushed to grab all the magic before it could dissipate. He¡¯d already consumed the power in two of the Rank 4 runes he¡¯d had, grinding them to dust in his research.


    His teeth gritted as he pulled an extra Rank 3 Mind Meld Rune into the mixture, swapping it out for one of his Psychic Force runes. Focusing on the Line while trying to combine a rune felt like pulling his own teeth out.


    The experience was agonizing. As it turned out, the absolute last thing his mind wanted to do was focus on one of its least favorite multi-thousand year strings of memories.


    But Noah was determined now. He¡¯d put this much work into making the rune work, and he refused to accept anything other than success.


    His teeth gritted. He lifted a hand toward the seven Rank 3s floating before him. His lips pulled back in a snarl of defiance and he clenched his hand into a fist.


    The runes slammed together. Noah blinked to avoid the flash of light, focusing every scrap of his intent on the line ¡ª but not every part of the line.


    He¡¯d made that mistake on his last attempt. Channeling the entirety of the line into a Rank 4 rune was like stuffing an elephant into a hamster ball.


    What he needed was a very specific part of the line.


    He needed the feeling of stepping over and over and over, only to find that the world had not changed. The sensation of existence without purpose. The feeling of nothing.


    Nothing was a surprisingly difficult emotion to properly encapsulate.


    Fortunately for Noah, he had a lot of experience getting to know it.


    Power roared in his mind as the runes snapped together, bound by his intent. A brilliant flash tore through his soul and he squeezed his eyes shut, staggering back as a wave of force rolled out of a newly formed rune and drove into Noah¡¯s gut like a punch.


    He gritted his teeth and forced his eyes open, holding up a hand to block the remnants of the light. Noah blinked furiously in attempt to clear his vision. His arm lowered and his eyes widened, a wave of mild disbelief prickling against his skin as he looked upon the efforts of his labor.


    Finally, after 6 re-combinations, he had done it.


    Before him was a perfect Rank 4 Rune.


    Empty Proliferation

 Chapter 553: Ready

    Chapter 553: Ready


    Noah gathered the remnants of the runic energy floating around in his mind from all the combinations and modifications, pouring every scrap of it he could manage into Empty Proliferation.


    The conversion rate was far from ideal, but there was no shortage to work with. He managed to fill the rune all the way up to 25% before there was nothing left to pull from. Noah¡¯s hands fell to his sides and he took a step back, staring at his rune in a mixture of relief and delight.


    It was made from long, swooping lines that wove in and out of each other like the world¡¯s most complicated basket. Patterns pulsed and twisted as rivers of slow-moving energy ran throughout the rune. Pressure rolled off it and pressed against Noah and the other runes in his mind. The rune slowly floated to enter the ring of other Rank 4 runes floating around him, taking its spot and settling in like it had always been there.


    Noah wiped the sweat from his forehead and swallowed. It was still a little odd that he could sweat within the confines of his own mind. It wasn¡¯t like souls had water in them to sweat with, which meant he was subconsciously imagining it. His attention was a little too focused on the newly formed rune to let him consider the implications of that.


    The inky floor of Noah¡¯s soul was covered with hairline fractures pulsing with brilliant white light. All the combinations and extractions had done a number to him. Even though he didn¡¯t quite have a headache, his skull still throbbed with discomfort.


    Just a bit longer.


    Noah stepped past the cracks and made his way over to Empty Proliferation. He pressed a hand to the rune¡¯s surface and extended his mind, letting it brush over the newly formed rune. Power rolled forth, flooding into his mind as he opened the gates holding it back.


    He drew on Empty Proliferation, twisting and tugging on the energy as he observed the pressure coming from the rune¡¯s body. It remained perfectly uniform. No changes occurred to the power rolling off the rune.


    A grin pulled across Noah¡¯s lips and he released Empty Proliferation. A laugh forced its way from his chest. There was absolutely no issue within the rune. It was flawless.


    That brought his total number of flawless runes up to two ¡ª Natural Disaster and now Empty Proliferation. He¡¯d been getting a fair bit of use out of Warped Matter and Crumbling Space and was fairly confident he¡¯d be able to properly remake them fairly soon.


    Which means I¡¯m only going to need 3 more Disaster Runes before I can reach Rank 5. I haven¡¯t gotten a mobility related Space Rune yet, which is next on my list, so I¡¯m only short on 2 concepts before I make it. Not bad at all.


    Maybe I can wheedle Sievan out of a few runes when we meet. He does want a Master Rune from me... I think a few Rank 5 Space Runes would be a fair offer in return. If Sieven is super rich, he won¡¯t even notice a few missing Rank 5 Runes. Maybe I could get some for Moxie and Lee as well. This could be really profitable.


    Then again, he could be a stingy evil bastard. I don¡¯t imagine he became the strongest Demon Lord in the Damned Plains by handing out flowers to little kids. Suppose there¡¯ll only be one way to find out. As long as I get something out of the deal and hopefully point him in Wizen¡¯s direction in the process of it, I don¡¯t think I can complain.


    He took a step back and let the Mind Rune float back to its proper location. There was no way to test the full range of its abilities yet ¡ª he needed someone else for that, and it would have to be someone that didn¡¯t particularly like him.


    Noah took one final look around his mindspace.


    I¡¯m ready. These are all the preparations I can do in here for now. Just need to clean up house.


    His senses lifted upward, extending toward the Fragment of Renewal floating far above him. The Master Rune lowered, pearlescent energy roaring to life as Noah drew on its strength. Refreshing rivers of magic caressed his body as his fingers contacted the enormous rune¡¯s surface.


    With a thought, Noah released it into his mind. Streams of cooling magic erupted from him and poured into his soul. Gentle energy glimmered in the darkness as it stitched the white cracks shut, slowly healing the extensive damage he¡¯d done to himself.


    A relieved breath slipped free of Noah¡¯s lips. Tension he hadn¡¯t even noticed slipped free from his shoulders and his posture relaxed. The dull throb in the back of his head relented and his muscles loosened like he¡¯d just had an incredible massage.


    Noah¡¯s gaze fell to the Fragment of Self as his soul pieced itself back together all around him. His head tilted to the side slightly, confusion working its way into his thoughts. He still hadn¡¯t forgotten how it hadn¡¯t counted as a proper Rune.


    Body Runes count against you. If they didn¡¯t, then Alexandra would have absolutely no trouble reaching the next rank. So why doesn¡¯t the Fragment of Self?


    This could have something to do with Lee¡¯s problem.


    But what?


    Noah¡¯s stare bored into the rune imbued into the floor of his soul, but no answers came forth. He had absolutely no idea why the Rune of Self wouldn¡¯t count as a rune.


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    There has to be an explanation, and I think demons have the answer somewhere. I need to test things on more demons. Coming up with theories isn¡¯t going to do me any good if there¡¯s no way to validate them.


    The clack of Wizen¡¯s cane against the ground came to a halt as he stopped walking. A moment later, the demon trailing behind him walked straight into his back. She let out a surprised yelp and hopped a foot back, but Wizen didn¡¯t so much as turn in her direction.


    ¡°You asked why I seek Sievan,¡± Wizen replied. ¡°The reason is that I cannot claim what I desire with what I have now. My power is not sufficient.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something that you can¡¯t do? You killed a Rank 7 Demon! You¡¯re like a god!¡±


    Wizen¡¯s lips curled upward. ¡°Godhood is a matter of perspective. There are no gods. There are only those who ascended to greater heights. Sievan is no more a god than I am. All those who attain true strength come to understand that it is relative.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I guess I won¡¯t understand it, then.¡±


    ¡°Demons are a flawed race, but it is not impossible for you to attain strength,¡± Wizen said, starting to walk once again. ¡°I hold nothing but distain for your kind, but Sievan is far greater than I.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a demon?¡±


    ¡°No. I am a human. Unbound by my runes and free to live as I desire. For the moment, we are alike. You have not reached Rank 4 yet. But, when you do, your free will be crushed by your own desires. You will become a slave within your own body.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± The demoness was silent for several more seconds. ¡°I won¡¯t have to worry about that. I¡¯m not going to make it to Rank 4.¡±


    Wizen looked back over his shoulder at the demon girl. She was walking with her arms crossed over her belly, as if she had a stomach ache. ¡°Power can be claimed by any who are determined enough to grasp it.¡±


    ¡°My soul is too small. It can¡¯t handle Runes correctly, and the runes I do have are destroying my body. I¡¯m going to die before I hit Rank 2,¡± the girl said in a matter of fact tone. She tapped her chest with a finger. ¡°I stole this from a shipment coming into the city. It¡¯s a Rune Crystal from the Black Reaches. I thought implanting it into my heart might fix me. It gave me a bit of energy, but that was it.¡±


    ¡°You stole from a shipment? You?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why my name is Sticky. It¡¯s easy to nab things when nobody thinks you¡¯re a threat.¡± A sheepish grin flitted across her lips and she uncrossed her arms, revealing a small pouch. She held it out to him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t help myself. It just happens.


    Wizen¡¯s eyes widened and his hand shot to his side. His coin pouch was missing. Disbelief washed over his features.


    Her aura is so weak that my domain barely even picks her up. She actually managed to get the jump on me? A rank 1 demon?


    ¡°Keep it. I do not need coin,¡± Wizen said with a shake of his head.


    ¡°You¡¯re not mad?¡±


    ¡°It is my own failiure that allowed you to steal from me. Growing irate over incompetence is the act of a fool. ¡°Maybe you can buy another Rune Crystal.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t. Stabbed the last one into my heart. No room for another.¡±


    What kind of fool drives a Rune Crystal into their own heart just in hopes that it¡¯ll absorb the energy?


    ¡°I see,¡± Wizen said.


    He turned back to the hall ¡ª and froze.


    The hallway was gone.


    All that stood before him was a plain stone door, devoid of any marking or identifying features. Cold determination set into Wizen¡¯s features. The time for conversation was over. Every single piece was in place.


    Years of planning had all led up to this moment.


    Sievan was ready for him.

 Chapter 554: Only one more

    Chapter 554: Only one more


    Wizen pressed his palm to the door.


    It didn¡¯t so much as budge.


    He pushed harder, but to no avail. It was like trying to shove a solid wall open. His eyes narrowed. There was no handle to try and pull the door in the other direction. It was definitely meant to be pushed... which meant Sievan was playing games with him.


    Wizen was tempted to reach for the key that hung at his side, but he dismissed the idea. He wasn¡¯t playing with weak demons anymore. No matter what he thought of the rest of the flawed race, Sievan was different. This was a foe he couldn¡¯t afford to face at anything less than full power. He also couldn¡¯t help but feel Sticky¡¯s gaze boring into his back as she waited for him to open the door.


    Why do I care what the child thinks? It¡¯s just a mildly useful stray that ended up taking shade from the sun in my shadow. She is irrelevant.


    Wizen studied the cracks in the door, in search for anything that would signal a weakness. He highly doubted that Sievan was playing with him for no reason. This was just another test. Another way to see what he was capable of. There would be a trick somewhere.


    His domain crawled through the hall. He probed every gap between the bricks and felt through the walls in search for the lead he needed to pull the puzzle apart without wasting so much as a drop of energy more than he had ¡ª


    A quiet crunch echoed through the hall.


    A trap?


    Wizen stiffened. His senses exploded in forth in search of what had happened, only for him to realize who the target of his attention actually was a moment later.


    Sticky swallowed, her cheeks reddening as Wizen turned toward her. She held a tiny dry biscuit in one hand and there were a few crumbs on her upper lip. Her tongue darted out and licked them clean.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Sticky said. ¡°It¡¯s a few weeks old. I was saving it for when I got really hungry. I didn¡¯t think it would be so loud. I can stop eating.¡±


    Telling her to stop now would just be petty. Not an ideal look when I am attempting to impress my importance upon Sievan. The success of my plan relies on the Lord of Death meeting with me. I cannot be delayed any longer, or the key may run out of power.


    Wizen just shook his head and turned his attention back to the door. ¡°Do what you will. I do not care. I am not so weak-minded as to be distracted by a little noise.¡±


    He sent his domain forth once more, scouring the walls. The world faded into the background as his focus sharpened. He had dealt with far greater opponents than a mere door. No mere child was going to be enough to ¡ª


    Crunch.


    Wizen¡¯s knuckles tightened slightly around his staff. His domain pressed against a tiny malformation in the rock, so small that it was entirely invisible to the naked eye. He pressed his power through it, scouring over what laid beyond.


    Disbelief lit behind Wizen¡¯s eyes. Minuscule imbuements lined the inside of the stone door. They were so small that they may as well have been nonexistent, but their power remained all the same. The amount of skill it would have taken to do something like this was astronomical.


    Even in spite of the situation, Wizen swallowed. He was frozen in sheer awe for nearly a second. Hidden within a mere door was possibly the most advanced imbuement that he¡¯d ever seen. Something like this was a work of art unfit for mortal eyes. It ¡ª


    Crunch.


    Wizen pressed his hand to the door, snapped from his thoughts. He sent his will inward, following the tiny lines of energy until his mind was so deep within the stone¡¯s depths that it was buried. The lines of the imbuements were so delicate that he had to move with immense caution. Even a tiny energy fluctuation had a chance of destroying something and ruining the puzzle.


    Seconds ticked by and turned to minutes. He was mercifully spared of any further crunching noises. Wizen presumed that Sticky had finished her food and had opted to remain silent, for which he was appreciative. This was not a simple task. He needed his entire attention undisturbed.


    Patterns complex enough to twist a younger mind into a knot unraveled before Wizen. He didn¡¯t fully understand the full meaning behind the imbuements. But, fortunately, he didn¡¯t have to.


    It was far easier to break something than it was to make it.


    He just had to make sure he broke it in the right ¡ª


    A wet splat ripped through his delicate concentration like wet tissue paper. Wizen¡¯s domain twitched. It was the faintest loss of control, so small that most mages wouldn¡¯t have even realized it had happened.


    The imbuement was crushed from existence with a tiny pop, disappearing as if it had never been there.


    No!


    Wizen spun toward Sticky in a blur, the fury welling in his chest not even having had a chance to make it to his features yet.


    Sticky stared up at Wizen for several long seconds. Her eyes flicked to the key in his hands. Then she took a step forward, stepping into Wizen¡¯s path.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing it wrong.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The door. You¡¯re trying to open it the wrong way,¡± Sticky said. She walked over to the door and ran her tongue along her palm. She smacked it to the side of the door with a small splat and gave her arm a small tug.


    The door creaked open. Wizen stared at Sticky in disbelief, the key nearly falling from his fingers in surprise.


    What?


    Sticky braced her foot against the door and gave her hand a tug. Her hand squelched and she popped off the door, tripping over her own feet. Wizen¡¯s cane shot out and hooked behind her shoulders, catching the girl before she could fall. He pushed her back upright before he even realized that he¡¯d moved.


    ¡°How?¡± Wizen asked, aghast.


    ¡°It¡¯s spongestone!¡± Sticky replied with a proud grin. ¡°It¡¯s super porous. You just gotta get a little wet and it¡¯ll suck onto you really good. Haven¡¯t you ever seen it before? It¡¯s everywhere below the Wastes. A lot of demons set patches of it up near lakes and attack when you get stuck on it.¡±


    Wizen looked from the open door to Sticky. Her face had gone slightly pale and she pressed the hand that she¡¯d used to push the door open to her stomach. Sticky caught Wizen looking in her direction and sent him a sheepish grin.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little painful. It sucks on your hand really hard.¡±


    He slowly returned the key to his side, and the smallest of grins pulled at the corners of his lips. ¡°I see. How curious. I was unaware. There is no spongestone where I am from. That is twice you have done for me what a Rank 7 demon could not. I am confident of it, now. You will find a way to succeed. Do not accept defeat in your fight.¡±


    He stepped around Sticky and pulled the door open with the end of his staff.


    The breath caught in Wizen¡¯s chest.


    Beyond the door was a sea of nothingness.


    Sheer black emptiness stretched out as far as Wizen could see, no end in sight. A single river of obsidian stairs rose up through the room. It was trimmed on each side with plain golden caps and came to a stop far above at the edge of a large, circular platform.


    Wizen couldn¡¯t see the top of the platform from where he was, but there was only one thing this could have been.


    Sievan¡¯s throne room.


    His gaze peeled down to Sticky for a moment. She was already looking up at him with expectant eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to beat Sievan, right?¡± Sticky asked. ¡°You won¡¯t lose?¡±


    ¡°After getting this far? I will not allow for it. All that stands in my path will fall. Come.¡±


    Sticky pressed a hand to her chest and gave Wizen an excited nod. ¡°I want to see it. A fight between gods. Nobody else in the Damned Plains has ever witnessed something like that.¡±


    A smile tugged at Wizen¡¯s lips.


    I am certain of it now. My focus is unraveling faster than I thought it would for me to react like this. It should be fine. I am already at the final stretch.


    ¡°There are no gods, but you will bear witness nonetheless,¡± Wizen said. ¡°Perhaps when it is done, you can take the heart of the defeated and replace your own with it. Do not forget. There is always a way to victory.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Sticky promised. ¡°I figured out what you meant. You just have to pick the right battles, right?¡±


    ¡°Precisely,¡± Wizen said.


    His staff rang out as it struck the bottom step of the staircase and he started up toward the platform. Sticky hurried after him, and Wizen¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t leave the platform looming far above them as the two of them ascended the steps.


    I¡¯ve made it ¡ª and because of this tiny demon rather than my own strength. How amusing. My dear Bella will not be able to believe it. Wait just a few more moments, my love. I am coming for you. There is only one more that must die.

 Chapter 555: Another Guest

    Chapter 555: Another Guest


    Wizen ascended the obsidian staircase, his footsteps swallowed by the endless void surrounding it. Every tap of his cane against the polished stone rolled out into the silence as if to echo, only to fade into the darkness and never return.


    Sticky followed after Wizen, just a single step behind him, her shoulders hunched and gaze firmly locked on the pathway. A single missed step meant plummeting into the yawning shadows all around them.


    The only source of light in the room was the open door far behind and below them, at the base of the stairs. The golden brick making up the hall beyond it shimmered as if in welcome. Every step Wizen took up the stairwell took him farther away from the light and deeper into the black.


    Even though there should have been nothing with which to see by, the stairs and platform at their end were still somehow visible. The obsidian glistened as if it had been caught in the light of a distant moon and something like firelight seemed to dance in the stairs¡¯ gold trimmings.


    A faint scent lingered in the air. It held an elegant note of gentle sweetness wrapped in the embrace of despair, a fresh rosebud ripped from its plant ground underfoot. The aroma became harder to locate the more Wizen tried to place exactly what it was or where it came from.


    There was no noise beyond that of Wizen and Sticky¡¯s climb. It was so silent that Wizen could hear his own heartbeat. Despite everything he had seen over his many years of life, the hair on the back of Wizen¡¯s neck stood on end.


    Some emotions were beyond human control. They were so deeply ingrained in the psyche that they could never be removed. And now, it was one of those emotions that told Wizen he and Sticky were intruders.


    Intruders in a place where no living being should have set foot.


    For all of his planning and preparation, there was a grave difference between readying one¡¯s mind for something and witnessing it in true.


    He marched on.


    Step after step, Wizen ascended the stairwell toward his goal. Toward the only thing in life that he had lived for. Hundreds of years, all for this moment. The key at his side felt as heavy as an anchor.


    Every scrap of his being had gone into this. Thousands upon thousands of moments ¡ª of lives ¡ª just to ensure he would arrive here. To ensure he would set foot on this stairwell, set foot on the platform beyond it.


    There was no room for any mistakes. He could allow no weakness to show through. When dealing with someone as powerful as a Rank 8, Wizen had to be an impenetrable wall. Even with the advantages he possessed, having so much as a single opening could ¡ª


    Sticky slipped.


    The sleek obsidian gave her no purchase with which to recover. She lost her balance and fell, her head hitting the edge of the stairs with a loud thunk.


    Wizen spun back toward her just in time to see Sticky slide off the edge of the stairs. He lunged forward, but while his body was many things, fast was not one of them.


    His hand passed through the air moments after the small demon, and she plummeted into the void below.


    Darkness swallowed her in an instant. Something like a jagged blade of glass drove into Wizen¡¯s chest and his breath stiffened. He thrust his hand out before a thought even had a chance to cross through his mind.


    Gray threads burst from his fingertips and carved through the darkness. For several long moments, they unspooled through the shadows and vanished from view.


    They went taut. There was a sharp jerk and Wizen¡¯s arm almost yanked itself out of its socket. The force nearly pulled him right over the edge. If Sticky had been slightly heavier, he would have been.


    Gritting his teeth, Wizen yanked his hand back. The threads shot back up to him, ferrying the small demon back over the edge of the stairs. Wizen grabbed onto her, making sure she didn¡¯t slide off again. Blood slicked the side of her temple where it had hit the stairs.


    Wizen pushed her hair back with a hand. The wound looked bad, but head injuries always did.


    Ridiculous. Is this child actively trying to kill herself?


    Wizen grabbed a small vial from his hip. A faint red liquid shimmered within it and it was capped by a carved glass seal. Wizen snapped the seal off and it clinked across the stairs before rolling off and into the darkness.


    He pulled Sticky¡¯s mouth open with a hand and upended the small potion into it. As soon as he had, he closed her jaw and held her nose shut. A second ticked by. The wound on her head started to fade, though half her face was still soaked in blood.


    The demon¡¯s eyes fluttered.


    Wizen released her, his lips thin.


    A location of magic so rare and powerful that the number of people who had borne witness to it were doubtlessly few. It was like sleeping through the dawn of a new era.


    As the hours stretched by and Wizen¡¯s ascent brought him slowly, steadily, toward the top, he found the faintest of smiles drifting across his lips.


    Old memories tickled at the back of his mind. This wasn¡¯t the first time that he¡¯d carried someone on his back like this, but those memories that had been too painful to relive.


    He¡¯d kept them locked up in a box in the back of his mind for hundreds of years. They were a distraction. A solace that held him back from doing what had to be be done. But that would be over, soon. The box would not remain shut for much longer.


    Time passed.


    Wizen wasn¡¯t sure how long it had been. If he was honest with himself, the silence was welcome. It had been a very long time since he¡¯d had a moment of stillness like this. Sticky still clung to his back, and he walked at an angle to make sure she didn¡¯t slip off in her sleep.


    But, as all things always did, the stairs came to an end.


    Wizen¡¯s foot fell on the edge of the platform, and the sound echoed past his ears like the roar of a waterfall.


    An obsidian chair sat in the very center of the platform. It was plain and without any form of adornment, no larger than a chair that Wizen might have found in his own study.


    Sitting within the chair was a plain man in an equally plain gray suit. His hands rested in his lap, fingers interlaced. His features were so uninteresting that they may as well have been impossible to remember. A perfectly average nose, thin lips that weren¡¯t quite thin enough to be noticeable, pale skin, and dusty brown hair. He was neither tall nor short. He was not beautiful, nor was he ugly. He wasn¡¯t fat, and he wasn¡¯t thin.


    But that ended with his eyes.


    The man had no irises. Two milky orbs bore into Wizen as he stepped out onto the platform. They were empty and flat. No power or immense intelligence burned behind them. There was simply nothing.


    Wizen drew to a stop across the platform from the demon.


    ¡°Sievan.¡±


    Sticky¡¯s eyes fluttered open. Awe and fear mixed in her features. She slipped down from Wizen¡¯s back to stand at his side, not saying a word.


    ¡°And so the Woven Man arrives,¡± Sievan said, uncrossing his hands from his lap. His words were like a gentle wind coiling through the night, leaving no trace of their passing. ¡°It seems you have brought a passenger with you. Unexpected.¡±


    He knows that old name? I suppose I should not be surprised.


    ¡°She is a witness,¡± Wizen replied. He drew the key from his side. Power pulsed within the gateway, threatening to spill over. Wizen kept it locked away. He couldn¡¯t allow even the slightest amount of the energy to go to waste. ¡°You know why I am here.¡±


    ¡°An odd choice for a witness,¡± Sievan said. He uncrossed his hands and rose from his chair. ¡°You are slightly early. Our other guest has yet to arrive.¡±


    Another guest?


    Wizen didn¡¯t let the baited question draw his attention. There was only one thing he was here for.


    ¡°I did not come here to meet with anyone other than you,¡± Wizen said. He pressed the key between the palms of his hands. The gray lines running beneath the skin of his right hand pulsed. Deep within him, an ancient rune shuddered as he called upon its strength.


    Threads of dull energy unraveled from Wizen¡¯s body. They coiled through the air around him like seaweed in an ocean current. Power bubbled forth from his chest and ran to flood through his entire body.


    ¡°I know,¡± Sievan said softly. ¡°You will not win this, Woven Man. I am Death, and you cannot oppose me.¡±


    ¡°I am human. It is my nature to oppose what cannot be defeated. I will not leave until I have what I came here for.¡±


    ¡°Your desire is beyond your reach.¡±


    ¡°But not yours,¡± Wizen replied. He put a hand on Sticky¡¯s shoulder and pushed her a step back as the power gathering within him intensified. ¡°Open the way to the afterlife, or I will wrest your power from you and do it myself. I have come to take back my daughter.¡±

 Chapter 556: Planned

    Chapter 556: Planned


    ¡°You do not know for what you ask,¡± Sievan said. Unlike every other sound, Sievan¡¯s words did not vanish into the endless void surrounding the obsidian platform they stood on. Every one of his words echoed through the air, commanding attention with the presence of a king. ¡°You seek to steal from those whose power eclipses yours like a mountain to a grain of sand.¡±


    Wizen¡¯s lips pulled back in a cold smile. Sticky, who stood several feet behind him, swallowed nervously as Wizen met Sievan¡¯s gaze without flinching.


    ¡°The more I am told that something is impossible to attain, the more convinced I become that it isn¡¯t. There is a manner in which a soul can be returned to life. I know it. I have seen records of it, spawned from the existence of your own followers.¡±


    ¡°There is a difference between preventing a soul from passing on and retrieving one from what waits beyond,¡± Sievan said, crossing his arms behind his back. ¡°They are not one and the same.¡±


    ¡°But it is possible. Not once have you said otherwise,¡± Wizen said. The key in his hand hummed with crimson energy and he pointed it at the Demon Lord. ¡°It would be a trivial matter for you to open the path. I would prefer it that way, but I have brought sufficient power to challenge even you.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Sievan said, his head tilting to the side in observation. ¡°I know of the artifact you bear. The power does not belong to you.¡±


    ¡°It does not,¡± Wizen agreed. ¡°But I wield it, nonetheless. It seems our paths were already set. If you will not do what I ask, then I will take the power to do it myself. Step back, girl.¡±


    Sticky glanced nervously from Wizen to Sievan. She swayed slightly in place, then pressed a hand to her chest and winced. She slunk back a step, moving closer to the edge of the platform and farther from the rising tension in the air, and sank down, hugging her knees to her chest.


    The air around Wizen¡¯s key thrummed. Runic pressure exploded around Wizen with such force that the obsidian beneath him shattered. Large fragments of it snapped up around him and were lifted into the air, taking flight as they were caught up in a building maelstrom of power surrounding the mage.


    Claws of crimson light cut through the air and crawled into Wizen¡¯s arm, biting deep into his flesh. His veins burned with energy and Wizen¡¯s teeth ground in pain.


    Sievan made no move to stop Wizen. The demon watched on in complete silence, his expression no different than it had been moments ago. It was impossible to tell if he was even watching Wizen.


    Wind howled through the void and Wizen lifted into the air. The inside of his body lit with brilliant flashes of red lightning that ripped out through his skin and filled the air with their buzzing energy.


    Pressure roiled off Wizen. Loud cracks rang out as more of the obsidian beneath him shattered, but the power was entirely contained within a ten-foot sphere around Wizen, not so much as getting close to touching Sticky or Sievan.


    Wizen lifted a hand. Molten red whips of energy lashed across the ground and twisted around him like the tendrils of a burning eldritch being.


    ¡°You do not fear my magic,¡± Wizen said. His words boomed through the void and bolts of red lightning slipped free from his tongue and curled up around the sides of his face like smoke as he talked.


    ¡°No,¡± Sievan replied. ¡°I do not fear you, Woven Man. There is only one thing in life that I fear, and it is not you.¡±


    ¡°Then you are a fool.¡±


    Wizen brought his hands down. Red tendrils shot forward.


    They seemed to carve through reality itself. Jagged cracks raced out around them, sending brilliant white light spilling in from a void beyond.


    Sievan lifted a hand.


    The energy vanished before it could reach him. Reality mended itself with a pop, returning to the same state it had been instants before.


    ¡°To you, I am Death,¡± Sievan said softly. ¡°Are you certain you wish to do this? Snuffing one lesser than me does not bring any satisfaction. It is a waste of what could be a worthy end.¡±


    ¡°There is no worthier end than this,¡± Wizen replied, his voice as cold as ice. ¡°And you have not witnessed the full extent of my strength.¡±


    Black smoke poured forth from the sky and formed into a massive palm the size of a three-story building. It crashed down on Wizen, who thrust his own palm upward. White energy ignited at his palm.


    A brilliant crack split through the air as their magic connected. There was a brilliant flash ¡ª and Sievan¡¯s magic evaporated.


    Power roared all around Wizen and tore through the stage around him, but it continued to keep a wide berth from Sticky, who watched on in awe, eyes wide, lips parted in disbelief.


    A mortal was holding his own against the Lord of Death.


    ¡°You wield powers that are too great for you to control,¡± Sievan said. ¡°You grow closer to my domain, Woven Man. It is not too late for you to spend what you have left.¡±


    ¡°I have already spent it,¡± Wizen snarled. He brought his hands together with a loud clap. Jagged white lightning tore out through the air from between his palms, swirls of black flame and gray energy twisting within it.


    The strange magic slammed into Sievan and launched the Archdemon off his feet with an earthshaking explosion. There was only a brief instant for Sievan to look surprised before he vanished into the void.


    Sticky¡¯s mouth dropped fully open. ¡°You did it?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Wizen replied. ¡°Not yet. He still does not view me as an opponent.¡±


    ¡°Because you are not one.¡± Sievan¡¯s voice echoed through the darkness. Streamers of black smoke poured out from the darkness and onto the stage. The Demon Lord¡¯s body reformed. Smoke curled off his chest, and a tiny white crack glistened on his stomach where Wizen¡¯s magic had hit him. ¡°And you do not attempt to be one. You have only utilized a small portion of your strength, even as your body crumbles.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saving the rest for something more important,¡± Wizen replied. ¡°Fight me, Sievan. In true. Let me witness your true strength, Lord of Death. Mortal I may be, but you will not be able to defeat me with anything less.¡±


    Sievan didn¡¯t get a chance to answer.


    A thrum ran through the air.


    Bright purple magic shimmered, drawing a line in the air. It expanded outward to form a large, rectangular portal. A towering demon clad in black armor stepped through the portal, a massive, chipped sword slung over his shoulder.


    Wizen¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.


    Not at the demon, but at who came after him.


    A woman with bright red hair and green robes.


    A demon girl whose hands ended in slight claws ¡ª claws that Wizen had felt wrapped around his own wrist just a short time ago, back in the mortal realm.


    And, after them, a man with a huge grimoire slung over his shoulder.


    Wizen¡¯s skin prickled. It was the other wielder of Weave.


    Impossible. Sievan planned for this?


    ¡°Ah,¡± Sievan said with a satisfied smile. ¡°It seems the rest of our guests have arrived. Now we can get started.¡±

 Chapter 557: Spent

    Chapter 557: Spent


    Renewal interlaced her fingers and leaned forward. Sievan¡¯s domain stretched out before her and Decras, splayed across a shimmering screen of magical energy. She reached out blindly and felt around at her side for a few moments before her fingers found a bowl.


    The Goddess of Reincarnation dug a piece of chocolate out from within it, not letting her eyes so much as break from the screen for an instant. Decras¡¯ fingers brushed against hers as he claimed some food for himself. His own vision was similarly affixed to the scene playing out before them.


    Time had slowed to an absolute crawl around them. The figures within the Damned Plains moved so slowly that they might as well have been frozen in ice. It wasn¡¯t that time had stopped moving ¡ª Renewal and Decras were simply processing it at a speed so heightened that the flow had functionally crawled to a stop for them.


    ¡°What is Sievan doing?¡± Renewal asked through a mouthful of chocolate. ¡°Why did he gather them all in the same room? Is he trying to kill both Noah and Wizen?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s never had that much ambition before,¡± Decras said. ¡°I¡¯m surprised he¡¯s even bothered meeting with either of them. He could have kept Wizen wandering through those halls for a thousand years if he¡¯d wanted to. Those imbuements are quite old, and that little thief is nowhere near powerful enough to shatter them and have strength left to fight.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t underestimate Wizen.¡± Renewal¡¯s features tightened in displeasure. ¡°I don¡¯t like that mortal. He has harnessed things that humans should not harvest. Why am I unsurprised that it was with your rune that he pulled it off? Isn¡¯t any part of you redeemable?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hardly my fault. I can¡¯t be held responsible for what little rats do with the scraps of my passing. He dug a fragment of my rune from an altar the Apostles managed to contact me through. At least I didn¡¯t let a mortal take a bite directly out of my powers. Now that would be embarrassing.¡±


    Renewal would have glared at Decras if that didn¡¯t mean pulling her attention away from the slow-moving scene before her.


    ¡°And whose fault is it that a mortal was able to get magic like that in the first place? I¡¯ll give you a hint ¡ª he¡¯s leeching off my food.¡±


    ¡°Excuses,¡± Decras said through a snort. His tone grew more serious and he shook his head. ¡°But I do not understand what Sievan is aiming after.¡±


    ¡°Probably your runes.¡± Renewal huffed. ¡°They¡¯ve both got a piece. Sievan is probably going to try to take those pieces for himself. He already knew about Wizen, and I imagine he found out about Noah somehow. I¡¯m waiting for the reveal, myself. There¡¯s no way this is a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°Pieces of my runes?¡± Decras¡¯ forehead creased in distaste and he leaned back in his chair, interlacing his fingers behind his head and getting more comfortable. ¡°Doubtful. dabbles in a bit of dramaticism, but only upon occasion. As I said, he could have killed Wizen ten times over by now. The moment Wizen set foot in the hallway leading to that little pocket of dead space, he should have been dead. You saw it too. Wizen was caught in a Space Loop. Every step he took moved him an identical amount backward. It only stopped because Sievan released the binding on purpose.¡±


    ¡°He wants Noah and Wizen to meet, then. Perhaps he likes drama more than you would care to admit.¡±


    Decras¡¯s expression thinned. He studied the screen in silence for several long seconds before moving one of his shoulders in what might have been a shrug. ¡°Perhaps. But Noah will not be able to defeat Wizen. The gap in their strength is too great, even with the advancements he¡¯s made.¡±


    ¡°You say that as if he isn¡¯t the only mortal in the entirety of the toy kingdom to make a Rune from intent,¡± Renwal said crossly. ¡°He¡¯s a prodigy. There¡¯s no way he¡¯ll die here.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a suicidal idiot that manages to stumble his way into success through sheer dumb perseverance and luck,¡± Decras grumbled. ¡°And he¡¯s a thief.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like someone¡¯s still bitter.¡± There was more than a little smugness in Renewal¡¯s tone. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re still stewing over getting robbed blind by multiple different mortals. If we¡¯re speaking about embarrassing, I think you might be penning the novel.¡±


    ¡°I was getting to it, you impatient woman. The answer is painfully simple. Sievan is nothing but a fragment of myself. He was handcrafted from a portion of my runes, and that is all that he will ever be. A rune cannot become more than itself. Sievan is nothing but a worthless shell. Every other demon is worse. I know the cause, but I cannot fix it. It is an impossibility in the very core of their creation. I have already said before. Demons are a flawed experiment. A race with no future. Any potential they may have is, and always will be, destroyed by what they are.¡±


    Renewal¡¯s eyes went wide in realization. ¡°That¡¯s why they get consumed by themselves. They¡¯re living runes.¡±


    ¡°Correct. It was not what I wanted for them, but it is what they are. Sievan went the farthest, but he is still nothing more than a rune. He cannot advance to godhood. No copy ever can.¡±


    ¡°Why did you let this ever come into being?¡± Renewal demanded, rising partially from her chair. ¡°This is more than cruelty¡ª¡±


    The words died in her throat. Decras wasn¡¯t holding her gaze. His hands had tightened around the armrests of his chair, knuckles whitening, and he¡¯d turned his head to the side. The god¡¯s jaw was as tight steel.


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t bring yourself to kill them,¡± Renewal said, her voice softer. ¡°You actually do see them as your children, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I do not,¡± Decras snarled. He pounded a fist against an armrest. ¡°They are a failed race, one unworthy of the effort it would take me to purge them. And if you want proof of that, witness the latest mistake in their long line of failures.¡±


    He turned his gaze back to the screen. Renewal followed it. A frown crossed her features. Out of everybody in the room, Decras was staring at the tiny demon that had followed Wizen through the hallway.


    ¡°The little girl?¡±


    ¡°Hollow,¡± Decras said. ¡°Not an uncommon condition. Her soul is improperly formed and not well connected to her body. In theory, that should make her more prone to creating a rune of her own. That isn¡¯t what happened. Instead, she¡¯s incapable of properly connecting with even the flawed, so called, Demon Runes. The result is a shell of a being that can do nothing but wait to die no matter how desperately she struggles.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way around it?¡± Renewal asked, but she already knew the answer to her own question. It only took one look at the girl to see how weak her lifeforce was.


    ¡°Ask Sievan,¡± Decras said through a snort, but there was no amusement in his tone. ¡°He attempts to fix what cannot be changed. Sticky is one of many, and far from his first attempt. Ironic. The so called Lord of Death, unable to keep a child alive because her body would crumble under the force of even his weakest rune fragment. Sievan attempted to delay her death by externally wrapping her in death energy ¡ª but that hasn¡¯t saved any of the other demons he¡¯s tried it on. All it has done is delay their end.¡±


    ¡°And you?¡± Renewal asked.


    ¡°If I possessed a way to cure my greatest mistake, do you not think I would use it?¡± Decras asked. ¡°I brought every scrap of power I have to bear. The demons are nothing but flawed runes, and that girl is one of the most useless of them all.¡±


    Renewal¡¯s eyes flicked back to the small demon girl sitting on the cracked obsidian floor. ¡°Then she¡ª¡±


    ¡°Spent the power Sievan put on her opening a door that should have been impossible to move,¡± Decras said with a shake of his head. ¡°Now there is nothing left to spend. She will be dead before the sun rises.¡±

 Chapter 558: The Plan

    Chapter 558: The Plan


    Noah wasn¡¯t quite sure exactly what had happened during the last few minutes. When he¡¯d stepped out of his tent to find Zath and tell him that he was done with his preparation, Zath had already been ready for him.


    It seemed the huge demon had finished his conversation with... whatever it was that he had been speaking to some time ago. The very instant Noah emerged from the tent, Zath had snapped his fingers and a portal had begun to trace itself into the air, sending sparks of purple light arcing off it.


    Zath had then herded them all straight into it with no room for argument. As much as Noah didn¡¯t want Moxie and Lee tagging along with him to meet the Archdemon, Zath refused to accept any counterarguments.


    Unfortunately, going directly against the Rank 7 was functionally impossible. All of Noah¡¯s strength depended on Zath actually playing along and wanting something from him. Straight up opposing him was still beyond what he was capable of doing if he wanted everyone else to leave the camp in one piece.


    Noah had no idea why Zath had suddenly decided that Lee and Moxie had to come along as well. The demon refused to explain. He¡¯d just pointed at the fully formed portal and waited, his armored foot clanking away as he tapped it on the ground.


    And that was how Noah, along with Lee and Moxie, found themselves stepping into Sievan¡¯s domain.


    A cool chill gripped Noah¡¯s shoulders as soon as he emerged from the portal ¡ª and he froze in place. An endless sea of darkness stretched out around him. A familiar, almost comforting, darkness. It was the very same as the shadow that made up his own soul.


    But this was not a soul.


    Beneath his feet was a cracked obsidian platform, its edges trimmed with plain gold. Noah¡¯s domain prickled as it brushed across what could only have been described as a sea of imbuements.


    Everything around him was positively awash with magic. It felt like trying to breath through a lungful of honey. A thick silence ruled over the air to such a degree that Noah could hear his own heartbeat. His footstep echoed through the room like a gunshot.


    Moxie and Lee had both entered before him. They stood locked in place, frozen in the same shock that Noah felt, but something was wrong.


    They were barely moving. It looked like someone had locked the two of them in time and slowed their speed down by a thousandfold.


    What the hell is this? What¡¯s going on?


    It was then that Noah realized they were far from alone in the room. The immensity of the silent darkness had drawn his attention away from the man floating in the air, wreathed in a crackling storm of red energy and obsidian shards.


    Wizen.


    His mouth was open in a cry of fury, hands thrust forward. Electrical power crawled from his fingertips, moving so slowly that it might as well have been frozen in place. A small demon girl sat on the ground behind him, her wide eyes half-lidded in exhaustion. She was similarly unmoving, locked in time and space.


    What the fuck? Wizen is here?


    Noah nearly leapt out of his own skin in surprise. He ripped power from his runes and prepared for a fight.


    ¡°Hello, Spider. I¡¯m glad to see you were able to make it. I¡¯ve been looking forward to meeting you.¡± A gentle voice cut through the air.


    Noah spun toward its source.


    Standing before him was a plain man in a plain gray suit, a mop of brown hair on his head and hands crossed behind his back. And his eyes ¡ª his eyes were pure white, as flat and empty as the void.


    The breath caught in Noah¡¯s chest as he met the man¡¯s gaze.


    There was something there, lurking deep within it.


    Something he had never seen in anything other than a mirror.


    It was more than familiarity.


    It was understanding.


    ¡°Sievan,¡± Noah said, knowing without a doubt who stood before him. ¡°You¡¯ve been to the Line.¡±


    ¡°I would daresay that all of us have been to the line, Spider.¡± A smile crossed over Sievan¡¯s features. ¡°It¡¯s just that nobody else is unfortunate enough to recall the experience.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯ve been there,¡± Noah said. ¡°And the gods? They didn¡¯t...¡±


    ¡°The gods are bound by rules. They cannot interfere so long as we do not,¡± Sievan said, his gaze drifting from Noah. ¡°And Decras would not interfere with me. Not again.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like you know him.¡±


    ¡°You could say that.¡± Sievan let out a small laugh. The smile slipped away from his features as he turned to look at the small demon girl sitting on the ground behind Wizen. ¡°Tell me, Noah. What do you see when you look at her?¡±


    Noah turned to follow Sievan¡¯s gaze. ¡°A girl, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°I see failure.¡±


    ¡°That seems a bit harsh. She¡¯s barely a kid. What did she do?¡±


    ¡°Not hers,¡± Sievan said. ¡°Our race¡¯s. Mine. Demons are a flawed, broken people. We are controlled by the runes within us. We are the runes within us. They are broken, and thus, we are too. The harder we reach for perfection, the more that we rip ourselves apart from within until nothing but the rune remains.¡±


    Noah¡¯s mouth nearly fell open. In a single line, Sievan had told him exactly what was wrong with Lee.


    Holy shit. That makes so much sense. That¡¯s why demons get consumed by the feeling their runes represent. Their body and soul are so closely linked that they literally are their own runes. The rune takes over the body, making it more like the rune, until they lose themselves.


    ¡°And the girl? Why is she a failure?¡± Noah asked, desperate for more information. If Sievan had more information, perhaps there was a way to save ¡ª


    ¡°She is broken,¡± Sievan said. ¡°A living example of what is broken in my race. She possesses no runes. A demon without runes is nothing. It grows harder to keep her alive with every passing day. Her body consumes the magic that comes into contact with it, but no rune can take purchase in her soul. She has tried to delay the end by injecting magical energy into her own heart, but that does nothing but lessen the stress on her body. Her soul still crumbles.¡±


    Noah looked back to the girl.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you in control of death? Just bring her back.¡±


    ¡°I have nothing to bind to her with. Runes are the tether between soul and body, and she does not have anything I can call upon.¡± Sievan shook his head. ¡°I did not mention her predicament to ask for advice, Noah. You told me your story. I tell you mine.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I follow.¡±


    ¡°My race is cursed. You search for a solution that cannot be found, because demons are broken. I, with all the powers of 7 perfected Rank 8 Runes, could not save a mere girl. And you believe you have a chance to save Lee?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Noah¡¯s eyes narrowed. Sievan wasn¡¯t giving him a solution. The demon was trying to make him give up ¡ª and that would never happen. ¡°I¡¯m not going to abandon my friend. Just because someone stronger than me couldn¡¯t pull something off doesn¡¯t mean you thought about every option.¡±


    ¡°Well said,¡± Sievan said. His smile returned to his face as he rose to his feet. The obsidian chair beneath him disintegrated into smoke. Noah hurried to stand before the table and his own chair followed suit. Sievan looked up to Wizen, then blew out a sigh. ¡°I cannot slow time for much longer. We will soon rejoin the others. I am pleased that you were more amiable than the Woven Man.¡±


    Noah glanced up at Wizen, who was still wreathed in a cloak of roaring magic. ¡°That really wasn¡¯t too difficult to pull off.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Sievan agreed with a small smile. ¡°It was not. I enjoyed our conversation, Noah. I am glad we got to have it before the end.¡±


    ¡°The end? I¡¯m not sure I like the sound of that.¡±


    ¡°Few do,¡± Sievan said. He turned back to Wizen. ¡°But I have come to realize that I cannot ascend as I am now. I, like every other demon, am flawed. I cannot reach the next rank, and even as powerful as I am, my life is not eternal. The dying girl on the ground is no different than I.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re dying?¡± Noah asked, blinking in surprise. The Lord of Death dying almost felt ironic.


    ¡°I am falling apart at the seams. I fear I never truly lived,¡± Sievan replied with a smile. ¡°But it struck me that I have not tried everything. There is one last thing that I can do to attempt to gain true control over my runes and become more than my shackles.¡±


    ¡°And what is that?¡± Noah asked, but from the way that Sievan was looking at Wizen, he suspected he already knew the answer.


    ¡°I am going to die. I would appreciate your assistance in the matter.¡±


    Sievan swept his hands downward, and time snapped back into motion.

 Chapter 559: Death

    Chapter 559: Death


    Red lightning screamed through the air and slammed into the cracked obsidian ground with an earsplitting crack. Fragments of black stone exploded upward and spun into the void, vanishing from view.


    Noah staggered, doubling over as a wave of nausea washed over him. He ground his teeth and forced himself upright, drawing on his Runes as the crackling roar of a storm filled the air. More and more magical power gathered around Wizen ¡ª far more than any single mage ever should have been able to wield.


    Fire, lightning, gray matter, and sickly red tendrils all mixed together with blades of obsidian and other swirling forms of energy. Noah¡¯s skin prickled in a mixture of awe and horror. What Wizen was doing should have been impossible.


    A mage could only cast a single spell at once unless they were using a Formation to draw from multiple runes. Noah had broken that ironclad rule with the Violin Moxie gave him, and even that only let him cast two spells at once. That alone was an enormous advantage.


    Realization snapped into existence within Noah¡¯s mind as he finally put the pieces of information he¡¯d been given together. Wizen had thought Sunder¡¯s name was Weave. Sievan had called him the Woven Man.


    Wizen doesn¡¯t have Sunder. His Rune is called Weave, and I¡¯ll bet that it¡¯s literally weaving people¡¯s runes together like some form of zombie, letting him control all of them at once. How many mages worth of power does Wizen have?


    A bolt of red lightning crashed down several feet away from Noah, ripping through his thoughts and snapping him back into the present.


    Thick storm clouds had gathered over Wizen. They stretched out through the void like greedy fingers, staining the sky a ruddy crimson.


    Noah had no doubt that Sievan could have killed Wizen by now if he¡¯d wanted to. But the Lord of Death had no plans of doing that. He wanted to die ¡ª but Noah couldn¡¯t let the demon bring the rest of them along with him into the afterlife.


    ¡°Zath!¡± Noah screamed, grabbing his gourd and flinging it to Moxie. ¡°Get them out of here!¡±


    The Rank 7 Demon didn¡¯t miss a beat. He spun, scooping Lee and Moxie off the ground like they were children. Neither of them said a single word of argument. There were times when staying to try and help fight was a good idea ¡ª but in a ring together with Sievan and Wizen, the only winning move was to leave.


    Zath tucked them both under one arm before springing toward the small demon on the ground and reaching out for her.


    ¡°No,¡± Sievan¡¯s voice was gentle, but Zath ground to a halt in an instant. He spun and dashed down the stairs, taking a dozen of them at a time as he made for a small pinprick of light far below them at the base of the stairs.


    Relief roiled up in Noah¡¯s chest, but he didn¡¯t let it distract him. He still didn¡¯t know what it was Sievan wanted. The Lord of Death said he¡¯d planned to die, but he somehow wanted Noah¡¯s help with it.


    Wizen seemed more than willing to take care of that on his own. There was something missing. Noah hadn¡¯t caught some piece of subtext that Sievan had dropped for him, and it didn¡¯t look like there was going to be much time to work it out.


    Energy roared around Wizen as he let out a roar of fury, not so much as looking in Noah¡¯s direction as he thrust his hands toward Sievan.


    A sea of power crashed down toward the Lord of Death from every direction. Lightning plummeted from the sky. Shards of obsidian shot for his body. Red and gray magic enveloped him in a swirling tornado with such intensity that the ground beneath him shattered, sending shrapnel flying in every direction.


    Noah darted forward, flinging himself between the demon girl and the explosion. He lifted his hands and summoned a wall of wind.


    It was pointless.


    Not a single fragment drew near to to him or the girl.


    Roaring magic drowned out Noah¡¯s thoughts as Wizen rained down spell after spell upon Sievan, each one shaking the world with the ramping intensity of their might. It felt as if Wizen didn¡¯t have any limit to his power, and ever passing minute only made him stronger.


    ¡°Is he winning?¡±


    Noah glance down. The demon girl squinted past him, her face pale and covered in a thin sheen of sweat. She looked like she had a violent fever. Her arms were trembling from the effort of keeping herself upright and her eyes fluttered with strain.


    ¡°Who?¡± Noah asked.


    ¡°Both of them,¡± the girl replied. A tiny smile pulled at the corner of her lips. ¡°Wizen wanted to kill Sievan. Sievan wants to die. He told me. I... just wanted to help. Did I help?¡±


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Sievan clapped his hands together, but the sound made no noise. The void was utterly still.


    A white rectangle split open between his palms as he pulled them apart. It expanded to float before him, twisting with whorls of smoke that faded away to reveal a distant, shimmering path of gold.


    Ice gripped Noah¡¯s throat.


    The Line.


    Wizen let out a shuddering breath. Portions of his skin peeled back and floated in the air as if he were made out of confetti, but the man didn¡¯t even seem to notice. His eyes were firmly fixed on the white portal before him. ¡°Finally. Await me, Bella. Your father comes for you.¡±


    He stepped into the void.


    ¡°Did he do it?¡± Sticky whispered, her weak voice just barely making it to Noah¡¯s ears. ¡°I can¡¯t see.¡±


    His eyes jerked back to the girl. Noah swallowed the fear twisting in his gut and carefully looped a hand around Sticky¡¯s head, lifting it so she could see the portal.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Noah¡¯s throat was tight. ¡°They did.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll be happy now,¡± Sticky said, relaxing into Noah¡¯s hand. ¡°I did something good, right?¡±


    ¡°You can do a whole lot more than that,¡± Noah said, grabbing for the Fragment of Renewal with his mind and sending the magic flooding into her body. Power tingled at his fingertips as the rune worked into her. ¡°Listen to me, Sticky. I can come into your soul and we can fix you up. You can save the entire demon¡ª¡±


    ¡°Your magic is nice. So... warm.¡± Sticky¡¯s lips twitched in a small smile, but she didn¡¯t have the strength to keep it for more than a moment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I wish I could have helped you too.¡±


    And there, lying in Noah¡¯s arms, Sticky died.


    The magic pouring from the Fragment of Renewal evaporated. It could do many things, but it could not bring back the dead.


    ¡°No!¡± Noah yelled, but death could not be reasoned with. It did not accept bargains.


    Noah¡¯s teeth clenched. He lowered Sticky to the ground, brushing his hands over her eyes to close them, and turned toward Sievan.


    The Lord of Death still stood where he had been run through, the white portal buzzing between his palms. A knowing smile was still present on his face.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Noah snarled.


    Wizen had gotten through the portal and taken the key out of the Damned Plains with him. The best lead he¡¯d found to help Lee had died ¡ª and she¡¯d been a child. Noah had failed at every single thing he¡¯d come here to do.


    His hands tightened into fists at his sides.


    The portal still stood.


    ¡°Hold on a bit longer for me, would you?¡± Noah asked, striding up to stand before the Lord of Death.


    Sievan¡¯s smile twitched wider. Blood trickled down from his lips and dripped from his chin. ¡°Death waits for no man.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been a mere man for a very long time,¡± Noah replied.


    Then he dove into the void.

 Chapter 560: Infinity

    Chapter 560: Infinity


    The world was cold and silent. An endless void ¡ª the true void, not the replica that had existed within Sievan¡¯s domain ¡ª stretched out around Noah like the maw of an ancient beast. Golden paths swirled through the emptiness like strands of hair as they converged in the far, far distance.


    Noah couldn¡¯t see where they were going, but he didn¡¯t need to. He knew what came at the end of eons of journey along the sprawling paths.


    Faint, translucent motes of blue shimmered upon the pathways. They moved one ponderous step at a time to the beat of an endless march. There were no words. No desires. No goals. Souls that walked upon its surface seemed to feel nothing but the millstone of time grinding away at them until they finally arrived at its head, where Renewal would be waiting for them.


    There was only the Line.


    This was the one location in all existence that he would have given almost anything to never return to ¡ª but he had no choice. Wizen had the Key. Noah and Moxie weren¡¯t demons. They couldn¡¯t be summoned, even if they wanted to be. Returning to the mortal plane was impossible without it.


    Cold space pressed in on Noah, and his domain churned as it fought to keep it back. There was no air in the afterlife. His lungs found nothing when he breathed in, and yet, his body sustained all the same.


    The void was pure, unfiltered magic. Power permeated everything within the darkness, omnipresent and uncaring. Even if Noah¡¯s entire body had shut down, he got the feeling that he would have continued to exist.


    This was a place in which the mortal concept of life did not exist. The beat of the heart, the breath of the lung, the pump of blood ¡ª none of it mattered. The afterlife was a misnomer. It was not a place of life or unlife. It was a place of existence.


    And, no matter how badly someone wanted to live or do the very opposite, there was only one option for them here. It was to exist.


    Mortals did not belong here. Noah did not belong here. It was a place reserved for those who walked the line and the gods that oversaw them.


    Knots twisted his stomach and a deep sense of terror and unease clawed at Noah¡¯s heart. It begged him to turn back toward the only point of color other than gold in the void ¡ª the stark white portal that burned in the air behind him, held open by Sievan.


    Noah crushed the desire. He couldn¡¯t leave. Not without the key. His eyes scanned the line in search of Wizen.


    Fortunately for him, mortals stuck out like a sore thumb in a land where the only residents were floating blue souls.


    He spotted Wizen after mere moments. The man floated above the line, churning red and gray magic enveloping him like the tendrils of an eldritch god. Pieces of Wizen¡¯s skin had peeled back. He was unraveling at the seams, but in his right hand was the key. The mage had bound it to himself with strands of gray magic.


    Noah¡¯s lips thinned and he willed himself forward. To his surprise, the thought sent him zipping through the empty void like a rocket. He moved so quickly that he nearly slammed straight into Wizen before jerking to a halt a dozen feet away from him.


    The Woven Man¡¯s head snapped up toward Noah. Surprise and anger carved across his features and he turned in his direction.


    ¡°You,¡± Wizen snarled. The void swallowed his words, barely letting them make it to Noah¡¯s ears. ¡°Leave. I have no more need for your power. We have no quarrel.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a load of shit and you know it,¡± Noah replied as he drew on his Runes. Power carved through his body and reared back, waiting for his command. ¡°You don¡¯t get to do heinous shit and then go around claiming we have no quarrel once you get what you want.¡±


    ¡°I have done bad, and I would do worse. You could not understand.¡± Wizen turned toward Noah and lifted his hand toward him, his fingers curling into the shape of a claw. ¡°I have no energy to waste on you. Leave. This is your final warning.¡±


    ¡°Give me the key, and I¡¯ll consider it.¡± Noah pulled his lips back in a snarl. ¡°What are you going to do? Mind control me?¡±


    ¡°Whoops,¡± Noah said. ¡°No tantrums, Wizen. Your magic isn¡¯t going to work here.¡±


    Wizen clapped his hands together. He ripped them apart, and gray threads burst from his palms. They extended like the tendrils of Cthulhu reaching for Noah, only to collapse and disappear within feet once more.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Wizen demanded, disbelief gripping his features. ¡°You are a Rank 4! How is this possible? I am not in your soul. I am a far greater Mind Mage than you. Neither of our mindspaces rule over this place. It is a common ground that you merely aided in shaping. You cannot control it.¡±


    Damn. Wizen really knows his Mind Magic shit. I¡¯m just glad this worked. I was a little worried Wizen would crush me with sheer strength.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m in more control than you think.¡±


    ¡°You are not,¡± Wizen said flatly. He thrust his hands forward again and unleashed a storm of black flames. Once more, the magic sputtered out well before it reached Noah. Wizen¡¯s hands tightened. ¡°This is impossible. I have fought other Mind Mages before. A mental connection like the one you formed is perfectly balanced. Our minds have equal control here ¡ª so how is it that you have snuffed my magic?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure your magic is fine, but it can¡¯t do anything when it can¡¯t get to me,¡± Noah said with a small smile.


    ¡°I cannot waste time with the likes of you!¡± Wizen snapped, a note of panic entering his voice. He snapped his fingers. A magical storm ripped out from him in every direction. It expanded through the darkness ¡ª and vanished.


    Not a single scrap of his magic drew close to Noah.


    ¡°It seems to me that you can,¡± Noah said, trying not to show just how fast his heart was beating. His magical energy was draining away at an alarming rate. Empty Proliferation wasn¡¯t a particularly large rune. He couldn¡¯t keep it going forever. ¡°My Mind Rune is the concept of emptiness, Wizen. The closer your power gets, the more space it has to cover to reach me.¡±


    Granted, this doesn¡¯t work anywhere outside of my own mind. But while we¡¯re here... Empty Proliferation is built off the endless bullshit that is the Line¡¯s waiting time. Anything passing from Wizen¡¯s mind into mine is going to take a few thousand years.


    ¡°How can you possess a rune like this?¡± Wizen demanded. ¡°It¡¯s not possible. A concept like that isn¡¯t something that the human mind can comprehend.¡±


    ¡°See, there¡¯s the thing,¡± Noah said. ¡°The human mind is capable a lot of shit. Shit that it doesn¡¯t want to do ¡ª but it can still do. Our minds can experience a lot of things. They just might not make it out in one piece. I know that from experience.¡±


    Wizen¡¯s gaze bore into Noah. His eyes flicked down to the translucent gold path that shimmered beneath his feet, then out to the void surrounding them. When his attention returned to Noah, realization lurked within it.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been here,¡± Wizen said in awe. ¡°You¡¯ve been to the afterlife.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve all been to the afterlife. I just remember the experience. It did a lot of things to me, Wizen. I hate waiting ¡ª but I¡¯ve had no choice but to become very good at it.¡± Empty Proliferation had no more than a few minutes of power left within it ¡ª and that number was even less if Wizen started attacking him again. And, thus, Noah did what he did best. He lied through his teeth.


    ¡°How long can you afford to sit around, Wizen? Because I¡¯m not letting either of us leave here until you give me that key. I hope you decide quickly. I doubt the Goddess of Reincarnation is going to be pleased about intruders.¡±


    ¡°She would kill you just as surely as she would me,¡± Wizen said. ¡°You seek to kill us both. Mortals cannot¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the second time today that somebody associated me with the likes of you,¡± Noah said interrupting Wizen as his lips thinned. ¡°There is no more torture that can be done to my mind that has not already been done. I have been forced to bear witness to infinity. And if you don¡¯t give me that key, your fate will be the same.¡±

 Chapter 561: Wizen

    Chapter 561: Wizen


    Noah fought to keep the strain from showing on his face. The golden light glistening at his feet reflected of his feet and faded into the infinite void that stretched out all around them. The world was silent and still.


    His energy was depleting, the power within Empty Proliferation rapidly approaching its limits. He couldn¡¯t keep himself and Wizen in the space between their minds for much longer. There were minutes at most left before he lost control and they returned to the afterlife. That couldn¡¯t happen. Not yet. The only way Noah could stand against Wizen was with Empty Proliferation keeping the other mage at bay.


    The disbelief that had warped Wizen¡¯s features slowly shifted to realization. His expression changed as he looked upon Noah in a new light, connections forming within his mind. More pieces of his body peeled away, revealing pulsating gray energy beneath his skin. Wizen barely even seemed to notice.


    ¡°You have walked the Line,¡± Wizen breathed. ¡°You survived the line. I knew it was possible. Who helped you?¡±


    ¡°Nobody,¡± Noah replied.


    Not intentionally, at least.


    ¡°Impossible. You are not powerful enough to¡ª¡± Wizen¡¯s words ground to a halt and his jaw clenched. He let out a hiss and his hands tightened at his sides. ¡°No matter. I do not care. Hear me now. I have absolutely no care for you or the mortal plane. I only have a single desire in this life, and I will stop at nothing to achieve it. I cannot spare the magic to fight you. Release this prison, and I will give you the key.¡±


    Noah opened his mouth to reply, but the words died at his lips.


    What?


    ¡°You... will?¡±


    ¡°I will have no need for it after this,¡± Wizen replied. ¡°Quickly, now. Our time is thinner than hair. Once I have completed my task, the key will be yours. There will be sufficient strength left within it to open a path back to the Mortal Plane within it. I promise this.¡±


    ¡°...why?¡± Noah asked, so stunned that his mask fell for a moment. ¡°I really wasn¡¯t expecting you to actually say yes. You aren¡¯t actually planning to just waltz back to Arbitage and pretend you didn¡¯t do anything wrong, are you? You¡¯re a fucking monster. You mind-controlled people. You killed people.¡±


    ¡°I have done a great many things, and I would do a great many worse ones, all to arrive in this point in space. This point in time,¡± Wizen replied, grabbing the key attached to his palm by gray threads. He ripped it free. Magic crackled around him and Wizen staggered, letting out a snarl. ¡°My real body mirrors my actions here. I will not give you the Key until my work is done, but you will have it. But I will not allow a single spare second to slip by. Either we both get what we want, or the Goddess of Reincarnation ensures neither of us do.¡±


    Noah hesitated for a second longer, but Endless Proliferation was so low on energy that he really didn¡¯t have much choice. His actual plan ¡ª as barely formed as it was ¡ª had mostly been hoping that Renewal would show up and kill Wizen before she killed him, giving him a chance to grab the key and hopefully slip out while she was scolding his soul for being naughty ¡ª or doing whatever it was that a Goddess of Reincarnation did.


    This option seemed like it had a slightly higher chance to actually succeed. The idea of working with Wizen had never occurred to Noah, and he wasn¡¯t so sure he liked the sound of it, but if it landed him the key, he got what he needed. At the end of the day, if he could save Moxie and Lee, nothing else mattered. Nobody else mattered.


    It¡¯s the right move. But...


    Something in Noah¡¯s stomach twisted.


    Empty Proliferation gave out.


    His magic winked out. The melded Mindscape collapsed.


    With a roar, the true afterlife reformed all around Noah and Wizen. Twisting paths of gold carved through infinity on their path toward the Waters of Life. Countless souls populated their surface, locked in the endless trudge through the great beyond.


    Wizen spun toward the line below them.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Noah barked, his words carving through the void like a hot knife. He shot forward grabbed Wizen by the shoulder, spinning the mage around. ¡°I know the line better than you, Wizen. Better than anyone. Even Sievan. I can accomplish far more than you. If you want to succeed, you¡¯ll need my help. Why are you here?¡± Noah asked. ¡°The real reason, not some lie or whatever you might have told other people. Is it really¡ª¡±


    ¡°I have never lied about my purpose. There was no need to. My daughter is in that line,¡± Wizen said, his hands clenching at his sides. He batted Noah¡¯s hand off his shoulder. ¡°She was stolen from me. Stolen from life. There is nothing in this world that will keep me from righting that wrong. I will rip the world asunder a thousand times over to bring her back. Now step back. I will abide by our deal, and you will not interfere any longer. I have not the magic to waste on you.¡±


    Wizen lifted a hand into the air. Large chunks of his fingers had peeled back and holes grew across the surface his palm. He clenched his fingers and red energy peeled away from his body, crackling into a vibrating disk.


    The disk shifted. Its surface grew smooth and glossy like a still lake. It folded in on itself until it was the size of a marble, and a dim thread lit in the dark void. It stretched off through infinity, running parallel to the line.


    ¡°She died,¡± Noah said. ¡°She wasted the power Sievan used to keep her alive so she could open that door to Sievan¡¯s room for you.¡±


    Wizen¡¯s arm trembled. His eyes flicked from the strand of red energy running from the marble in his hand down to Sticky.


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t meant to,¡± Wizen said. Pain knitted through his words and his jaw clenched. ¡°She was going to find a way.¡±


    ¡°We did.¡± Noah¡¯s fists tightened at his sides. ¡°I believe I have a way to fix the demons, but she didn¡¯t live long enough for me to use it.¡±


    A distant shimmer of pearlescent light grabbed Noah¡¯s attention. It was so far that he could barely make it out, but a pink glow was washing across the horizon.


    Wizen¡¯s head jerked up toward it.


    ¡°She comes,¡± Wizen said. ¡°The Goddess of Reincarnation has sensed our intrusion.¡±


    ¡°If anything, I¡¯m surprised it took this long,¡± Noah said. ¡°Give this up, Wizen. Don¡¯t do this to your daughter. Give me the key.¡±


    ¡°Tell me something,¡± Wizen said, his voice going distant. ¡°You processed the line? As you walk through it? You could not interact, but you knew what was present?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Every last second.¡±


    Wizen looked back down at the figures below them, locked in their endless march. Something in his expression shifted.


    The pink light in the distance grew brighter. Noah couldn¡¯t tell how fast it was approaching. It was impossible to gauge distance in the void. The light simply was.


    ¡°I see,¡± Wizen said simply. ¡°You will wait here.¡±


    Noah blinked. ¡°What? Do you not see the light? Our time is¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not yet up. You will wait. My task is not complete.¡±


    Wizen flung the Key toward Noah.


    Noah lunged, grabbing it from the air before it could sail past him and into the void. He spun back toward Wizen in shock, but the other mage wasn¡¯t watching him anymore.


    Wizen was looking down at the line. He extended both of his palms toward it, his fingers digging into the air like claws. Gray strands peeled away from his entire body and flooded the air around him like he were the herald of an eldritch god.


    Glistening blue energy burst free from within his body as it split apart. It burned like a flame in the night, growing so bright that Noah was forced to squint.


    ¡°This is my final binding.¡± Wizen¡¯s words were quiet, but the immense power they held threatened to shatter the darkness around him. He clapped his hands together, then ripped them apart.


    A sea of grey exploded outward, tearing free from his body and driving into the line. Wizen¡¯s own body unraveled in the process, pieces of him vanishing and transforming into the gray strands. His legs and torso crumbled away.


    ¡°I am coming, Bella. You will not be alone for much longer ¡ª but there is one more thing I must do first.¡± Wizen¡¯s lips pulled back in a smirk. He clapped his hands together one final time, and then they too vanished into the sea of gray. The energy crawled up his neck and cracks reached across his face. Wizen looked down onto the huge bridge that his magic had formed between himself and the line. For an instant, a faint smile crossed over his expression. ¡°Bear me witness. Twice now, your father steals from the gods.¡±


    The pink light on the horizon grew brighter still, casting the afterlife in a faint hue, but Wizen didn¡¯t so much as glance in its direction. He simply looked down at the line. Any expression his face might have retained was blocked from Noah¡¯s sight, visible to only the souls below him.


    ¡°Weave.¡±

 Chapter 562: Judgement

    The word slammed into Noah like a physical blow. He doubled over, the air driven from his lungs and the world spinning around him. Noah barely managed to gather his senses and will himself to a halt before he was sent hurtling through the darkness and into oblivion.


    And with that word, the final scraps of Wizen¡¯s body evaporated.


    All that remained of him was the glowing blue light that had been growing stronger with every passing second.


    His soul.


    There was a sound like a zipper ripping through the planes of reality. Every thread of grey magic tightened as if they had been pulled taut.


    Familiar power roiled in the air. Power that Noah had felt within Sunder ¡ª and yet, unique enough to make it completely apparent that this was not his Rune. They may have been cut from the same cloth, but they were different.


    A loud snap echoed through the void, and a soul was torn free from the line.


    The magic wrapped around the soul, pouring into it to create flesh. Gray thread wove into the form of a small demon, her new flesh the color of cobblestone. Power thrummed from her body in waves, and though her eyes were closed, her chest rose and fell in faint breaths.


    Sticky had a body once more. Coils of grey power slithered beneath her skin like a bed of snakes, slowly fading away as they found their places and settled in.


    Noah stared at her in disbelief. Sunder had rebuilt his body countless times when he¡¯d died back in the Mortal Plane, but Wizen had just ripped Sticky straight out of the Line itself. His final words had proven true.


    Wizen had stolen straight from the gods.


    I think I¡¯m going to need a little bit more than just a fruit basket.


    Noah willed himself toward Sticky, but Wizen was faster.


    His glowing blue hand pressed into the demon girl¡¯s back, sending her flying through the void toward Noah. She landed in Noah¡¯s arms limply. Sticky was wrapped in in a deep cloak of sleep. That was probably for the best. The less she remembered of the afterlife, the better it would be.


    Noah¡¯s gaze lifted. For a moment, he stared into Wizen¡¯s glowing blue eyes. The other man¡¯s lips worked as he tried to form a word. Noah had never had any difficulty speaking to himself as a soul after he¡¯d been reincarnated, but it seemed that boon did not extend its grace to the afterlife.


    Wizen¡¯s finger lifted in to the air and he traced it through the air. A faint trail of energy followed in the wake of his finger as he wrote a single word.


    Then he turned toward the red line that stretched out through the afterlife. A single strand of grey energy, the only remaining one, swirled up to wrap around Wizen¡¯s wrist. He grabbed onto the strand of red and shot off, a streak of light fading into eternity.


    Noah stared at the final word that Wizen had left behind. He was all too aware of the growing pink light in the distance, but the other man wouldn¡¯t have wasted time drawing a word for no reason.


    And that was a problem.


    The word made absolutely no sense.


    Orlen.


    There was no pattern to it. No sign that it might have been a hidden message or something else. It was simply a word.


    Noah couldn¡¯t risk sitting around and waiting any longer to find out what it meant. He spun, his gaze turning to the burning mote of white in the distance. The portal back to the Damned Plain was still open. Even now, Sievan held it for him.


    With Sticky under one arm and the key clutched in a hand, Noah flew toward the portal that would take him away from the Line.


    He flew toward life.


    ***


    A bowl of chocolate lay spilled across the ground at Renewal¡¯s feet. A dark screen floated before it, devoid of picture or life. The dark chair that had taken residence beside her own had vanished.


    Decras was gone.


    Renewal had forgotten how empty the world could feel. The infuriating god had been the first break in the monotony of her job in thousands of years. Even though he had only stuck around for a few brief instants in time, she had no choice but to admit to herself that those moments had been enjoyable ones.


    And now they were over.


    Like all things in existence, those moments had been forced to come to an end.


    It was her fault. She¡¯d been too lax in her duty. Renewal had been distracted. She¡¯d been having too much fun watching. Too much fun speaking with Decras. That had cost her a mere flicker of an instant. An amount of time that was so small that a mortal wouldn¡¯t have realized it was happening.


    She hadn¡¯t thought it would matter. Wizen¡¯s goal was impossible. He was too far from his daughter. By the time he grew closer, she would have had a chance to interfere, and so she had been content to watch.


    To let things play out.


    But that brief instant had been enough for Wizen to change his mind. Instead of spending years traversing the line to find his daughter, he had used his powers on the spot.


    Renewal squeezed her eyes shut.


    There was a wet thud.


    ¡°I fear that I must object.¡±


    Renewal recognized that voice. Her eyes snapped open.


    Protruding from the center of Judgement¡¯s chest, sending rivers of golden blood pouring down her starry dress, was a black spear.


    Blood splattered across the ground as Decras stepped out from behind the High God, his weapon coated golden.


    ¡°You,¡± Judgement hissed, clutching a hand to her stomach. ¡°Impossible. You are not a High God. You cannot injure me.¡±


    Decras¡¯ laughter rang out through the void. He was still laughing when Judgement¡¯s axe split through the air like a plummeting comet.


    It carved clean through Decras, splitting him down the center.


    ¡°No!¡± Renewal yelled.


    ¡°Fool,¡± Judgement spat, the wound on her chest already sealing. ¡°This is the one that you cavorted with, Renewal? Your taste is truly so poor to choose the Desecrator as the reason you abandon the side of order?¡±


    Renewal¡¯s response was swallowed by a flash of black and a wet thud. Her lips split apart in disbelief.


    Decras¡¯s spear was lodged in Judgement¡¯s head, having been driven directly through one of her eyes. The Goddess¡¯ lips were parted in stunned disbelief, golden blood pouring down her face in thin rivers.


    He drove the spear straight through her eye. Judgement¡¯s body jerked as Decras ripped his weapon free, spraying more golden blood across the ground. The High God crumpled in a heap of growing gold.


    Strands of black reached out from Decras¡¯ halves, latching onto each other. With a squelch, his body reconnected itself and he turned, a smile on his face.


    Renewal gaped, taking a stunned step back.


    ¡°Was that a scream of horror I heard?¡± Decras asked. ¡°For me?¡±


    ¡°I ¡ª how?¡± Renewal stammered. ¡°You killed a High God?¡±


    ¡°Killed? No.¡± Decras looked down at Judgement. Then he stabbed her again. Her body jerked as he pulled the spear free. ¡°I would love to, but I can¡¯t kill this thing. She is arrogant, but that arrogance is earned. All I can do is incapacitate her.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Renewal asked, swallowing. ¡°And why are you here? I thought you ran!¡±


    ¡°I hid,¡± Decras corrected. He stabbed Judgement once more. ¡°Judgement was far too powerful for me to challenge properly. I had to cheat a little, but I¡¯ve had far too much fun to abandon you so easily. I do fear that your time as a Goddess of Reincarnation is over. There¡¯s no coming back from this.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Renewal said quietly, her gaze drifting back to Judgement. ¡°There isn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Time for a choice,¡± Decras said, driving his spear into the back of Judgement¡¯s head as her body twitched. ¡°You could probably find a different corner of the universe to lie low in. Judgement¡¯s reach isn¡¯t that large, despite what you¡¯ve been led to believe. You can stay prim and proper, your hands unsullied by becoming one of the vile fallen. Or...¡±


    ¡°Give me that,¡± Renewal said, grabbing the spear from Decras¡¯ hands. She lifted it up, then drove it down into Judgement¡¯s heart with all the force she could muster. The High Goddess jerked, golden blood splattering everywhere as Renewal ripped the spear free. ¡°The order can rot. I¡¯ve hated this job for centuries. I quit.¡±


    Decras cackled. He took the spear back from Renewal, then swept it through the air. A black portal split open in its wake.


    ¡°Welcome to the ranks of the Fallen, Renewal.¡± Decras gestured to the portal. ¡°Freedom awaits. And if you ever decide you want out, a written notice will suffice.¡±


    Renewal hesitated for a moment. She glanced down at Judgement, then to the dark screen that had occupied so much of her time recently.


    ¡°What about¡ª¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll be fine. Judgement doesn¡¯t know who they are, and the trail is already gone. I¡¯ve dealt with that. Now stop wasting time and march. The more time you spend here, the less time we get to watch. I¡¯ve already got a spot waiting for us, and the food is getting cold.¡±


    A smile pulled across Renewal¡¯s features. ¡°I suppose you did leech off my hospitality for a while. It¡¯s about time you returned the favor.¡±


    She stepped through the portal and vanished.


    Judgement twitched. A furious hiss slipped from her blood-wetted lips. ¡°I will find you, Decras. You cannot escape Judgement.¡±


    ¡°Could you be more pretentious? I have no idea how Renewal put up with your shit this long. I would have done this long ago,¡± Decras said. ¡°You may be a High God, but while you have been stagnant, I have grown. The universe changes, Judgement ¡ª and you are too great of a coward to admit it. The time of your order draws to a close. And when it ends, I will be there to sever its head from its shoulders. But for now, I will settle for this.¡±


    Then he stabbed Judgement in the ass.


    The High God howled curses after him as Decras pulled the spear free and stepped into the twisting patch of shadows. It twisted shut in his wake, and Judgement was left with nothing but the darkness as company.No?v(el)B\\jnn

 Chapter 563: Quick Trip

    Pink light flooded through the void, and Noah didn¡¯t dare turn back to see what the source was. He accelerated toward the white gateway floating in wait before him, hurling himself through it.


    The world warped. White stretched to cover the skies and wrapped around Noah like an all-consuming blanket. He squeezed his eyes shut and twisted his body to protect Sticky. His stomach lurched, and then he shifted.


    Cold stone slammed into Noah¡¯s back and knocked the breath from his lungs.


    He drew in a sharp breath and his eyes snapped open. A void stretched out above him, black and devoid of stars. A replica of the afterlife ¡ª but not the afterlife. Exhaustion gripped at Noah¡¯s head as he turned it to the side, letting glistening obsidian press against his cheek.


    Golden lines trimmed the platform he laid on, and powerful imbuements covered every inch of the ground around him.


    He was back in Sievan¡¯s domain. Back in the Damned Plains.


    With a groan, Noah pushed himself upright. Sticky laid in his lap, her body frail but chest rising and falling with every breath.


    She was alive.


    Somehow, he and Wizen had literally stolen a life straight from the afterlife. Noah swallowed. There were different levels to slighting the gods, and he didn¡¯t know where this one landed.


    Maybe it¡¯s not too bad. They¡¯ve got a whole bunch of souls wandering around. Maybe they won¡¯t miss one.


    Nobody had shown up to smite him on the spot, after all. Perhaps Renewal had just been busy doing something else. Noah wasn¡¯t about to complain. He was, however, probably going to have to make his fruit basket a little bit bigger.


    Something about the size of a small continent should probably do the trick.


    Noah studied Sticky for a moment. He was far from a doctor, but she looked... healthy. It didn¡¯t seem that she was about to die at any point soon. Thin grey veins still pulsed beneath her skin, but her body was settling down.


    Who would have thought that Wizen had a power like this. Not even Sunder or the Fragment of Renewal could have pulled another soul back from the dead.


    Noah was silent for several long moments. He wasn¡¯t actually sure how he was supposed to feel. Emotion and logic twisted and fought for supremacy, only to both realize they were equally as confused and give up the fight altogether.


    It¡¯s almost ironic. The ultimate sacrifice; the power to give one¡¯s life for someone else, in the hands of the most evil man I¡¯ve ever met. And he used it to save a child he barely knew. He didn¡¯t have to. He could have saved the strength and gone to walk with his daughter anyway.


    Why?


    There was no answer. Perhaps not every action could be described by logic. Perhaps not every man was completely good or evil. When Noah had been a teacher on Earth, he would have said that he¡¯d had a pretty good understanding of life. That some things were inherently good, and some were evil. That was that.


    But the more he witnessed, the harder it became to understand. Wizen had not been a good man. He had stolen people¡¯s minds with his runes. Only the gods knew how many people he had killed, and he had done irreparable damage to countless families, not to mention countless other crimes.


    And, in saving Sticky, Wizen might have saved more than just a child. He might have saved the demons as a race. Even if there were others that were like her, she was the one that Noah had to work with.


    How are good and bad weighed? Can you right past wrongs through good deeds? Is there some sort of cosmic scale for good and bad?


    A small smile pulled across Noah¡¯s lips.


    Eh. Fuck it. I don¡¯t know, and it¡¯s not my job to know. That¡¯s a problem for the gods to deal with. Maybe I¡¯ll find an answer one day, but right now, there¡¯s only one thing I care about. Keeping the people I care about safe.


    Noah pulled his jacket off and folded it into a makeshift pillow. He slipped it under Sticky¡¯s head and let her rest on the obsidian as he rose to his feet. She was asleep, so there was no point connecting to her mind yet ¡ª and Empty Proliferation needed some time to regenerate its power.


    Only once he had stood did Noah realize that the white light was gone. His eyes snapped over to Sievan. The Lord of Death stood exactly where he had been stabbed, arms crossed behind his back and eyes closed.


    In the center of his chest was a gaping hole.


    He held it until Sticky and I came back through.


    Noah swallowed. He approached the plain-looking demon, stopping several feet away from him. There was a faint, content smile on Sievan¡¯s face. He stood proud in death.


    For several long seconds, Noah stood in silence. Then he bowed his head in respect.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Noah said with a small smile. ¡°You did.¡±


    ¡°Is Wizen coming back?¡±


    ¡°Those who pass from this realm unto the next are not meant to return,¡± Sievan said. ¡°Wizen is, for better or for worse, at peace. He stole you from the gods themselves at the cost of his own life. A bold man.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Sticky asked, staring at them with wide, watery eyes. ¡°Why would he do that? I¡¯m just... me. I can¡¯t do anything. Why would he waste a gift like that on me?¡±


    ¡°A gift isn¡¯t something that has to be justified,¡± Noah said. ¡°What matters is that you¡¯re alive, and you¡¯re wrong about not being able to do something. Life has inherent value. And if that isn¡¯t enough ¡ª I need your help.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Sticky blinked.


    ¡°Yes. I think you¡¯ve got the key to save every single demon,¡± Noah replied. ¡°But I just have to figure something out first. I know you¡¯re probably confused right now. Coming back from the afterlife is... difficult. I¡¯ve been there. Just relax for a little.¡±


    Sticky nodded slowly. She looked down at her hands, flexing her fingers as if suddenly recalling that she had them.


    Noah chewed his lower lip. ¡°I need to figure out what causes demons to determine what they consume. It can¡¯t just be random.¡±


    ¡°I have never considered this,¡± Sievan said. ¡°It is not something we can change, so it did not feel prudent.¡±


    ¡°There has to be a pattern that determines what demons eat,¡± Noah muttered. ¡°Aylin got Knowledge. Violet became a Hoarder. Maybe it¡¯s something that happens before you reach Rank 3? Demons could be initially partial to some emotion that then becomes what they consumes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not Rank 3 yet,¡± Sticky volunteered. ¡°But I don¡¯t really feel like there¡¯s anything I really lean toward. I¡¯m fine with how things are.¡±


    Noah blinked. ¡°Seriously? You wouldn¡¯t change anything? Not even¡ª¡±


    Sticky shook her head. ¡°No. That¡¯s just how life is. It¡¯s okay. And I got to meet some really incredible demons because of how I am. Sievan only found me because I was broken. I even got to help Wizen. I wish I could do more, but I¡¯m happy. I want to live, but I wouldn¡¯t change anything about myself.¡±


    I ¡ª


    Wait.


    Sievan¡¯s words echoed through Noah¡¯s head. Back when they had first spoken, while time had been frozen, the Lord of Death had said something that stuck in Noah¡¯s mind.


    Demons are the runes within them.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want anything,¡± Noah muttered. ¡°Holy shit. That¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°It is?¡± Sticky blinked. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Aylin wanted knowledge. Violet wanted to protect her family. Sievan was made of Decras¡¯ desire to die. The feeling or power a demon ends up feeding on is the one that they lack the most. The reason Sticky¡¯s soul doesn¡¯t work properly is because she¡¯s content. She doesn¡¯t long for anything.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Sticky asked.


    ¡°Demons and their runes are one and the same,¡± Noah said, starting to speak faster as excitement gripped him. ¡°But demons are broken. They¡¯re missing something. That¡¯s why they consume emotions. They want what they don¡¯t have. But you ¡ª you¡¯re not broken at all, Sticky. You¡¯re perfect. The perfect demon is literally right in front of us. You don¡¯t want for anything, and so your soul doesn¡¯t need to bring in a new emotion. I bet that¡¯s why Demons can¡¯t continuously advance either. Your souls are missing a core element. You can¡¯t fully comprehend your runes when your soul is focused on bringing in something that isn¡¯t you. I¡¯ve been looking for a way to make something that already exists. Sticky is her rune.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Sievan asked. ¡°Sticky has no runes. That is her problem.¡±


    ¡°Wrong,¡± Noah said with a laugh. ¡°You told me this yourself, Sievan. How could a Demon possibly exist without a Rune? The power we need is within Sticky. It just needs to be freed.¡±


    Just like my Fragment of Self. I didn¡¯t truly create it. It was a part of my soul that I cut out and re-bound to myself. Decras¡¯ Fragments don¡¯t work because his desires have corrupted every single demon and forcibly changed them into something they don¡¯t truly want to be. But Sticky wants nothing. Her soul is pure ¡ª and that means the energy from her Runes is exactly what every demon would need to make their own Rune.


    ¡°Can such a thing even be done?¡± Sievan frowned. ¡°How would you harness such a power?¡±


    Noah smiled. ¡°Leave that to me. Sticky, I¡¯d like to take a quick trip into your soul.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean...¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Noah said. His smile grew wider. ¡°I can help you become what you were always meant to be.¡±

 Chapter 564: Fragments

    As soon as Sticky voiced her assent to his request, Noah called upon Empty Proliferation. The Mind rune might have been made to defend himself against Wizen and other mind mages, but it also served a very useful second purpose of letting him knock on the figurative door of someone else¡¯s mindspace.


    The Rune was nowhere near as effective as a Mind Meld Potion. The maximum amount of time Noah could keep it going was probably no more than ten minutes if his target wasn¡¯t actively trying to shunt him out of their mind, but it was free ¡ª and he didn¡¯t have to carry a bunch of vials around with him everywhere he went.


    His mind prickled as it brushed against Sticky¡¯s, but her soul was so weak that there was almost no delay before his consciousness entered the small demon¡¯s mind.


    Color bloomed all around him. Gentle blue-green water spilled across the ground and formed into a deep ocean, as smooth as a mirror and still as a painting. Ripples of energy rolled out as Noah¡¯s feet alighted upon its surface.


    Gentle light shone overhead, illuminating the cloudless sky. There didn¡¯t appear to be any source for it. The light was simply there. It warmed Noah¡¯s skin and wrapped around his body like a comforting blanket.


    In summary, it was the least demon-like soul that Noah had ever seen. Even his own soul felt like it fit the bill better than hers. Then again, given what Sticky was, perhaps this was the most demon-like soul that he¡¯d ever seen.


    Noah¡¯s neck craned back. There wasn¡¯t a single rune floating anywhere. Her soul was completely and utterly empty. He¡¯d known that to be the case, but it still felt odd. Incomplete.


    This is... odd. Shouldn¡¯t Weave be here somewhere? Wizen definitely didn¡¯t keep it. I saw the rune in Sticky¡¯s eyes.


    Now isn¡¯t the time to worry about it. Perhaps it managed to hide itself somehow.


    His eyes lowered back to the surface of the sea.


    Sticky stood across from him, looking up with wide, nervous eyes. Her hands were tight at her sides. She wanted to hope, but she couldn¡¯t let herself do it. Not yet ¡ª but Noah would fix that.


    ¡°What do I have to do?¡± Sticky asked.


    ¡°For now? Just stand around while I have a look at you,¡± Noah replied. His senses crawled across the ocean and reached into the sky.


    There was a pattern hidden somewhere within this still world. It wasn¡¯t a question of if it existed. Even human souls were patterns. Noah had seen that in his own soul, even if it didn¡¯t fully qualify as a normal mortal one anymore.


    He hadn¡¯t even realized the pattern existed before he¡¯d managed to harness a tiny portion of that pattern to mistakenly make his Fragment of Self. But now he did ¡ª and in theory, this was even easier than a human soul.


    Demons were their runes. Sticky existed. And, thus, she had a rune that represented her. Noah just had to find it and carve a little chunk free with Sunder.


    And so he searched.


    Sticky watched on quietly.


    Noah¡¯s domain swept through Sticky¡¯s mind in pursuit of magic. Seconds ticked by and turned to a minute. His mind and his logic warred. To his magic, there was nothing. Sticky¡¯s soul appeared barren and empty.


    It seemed as if there was nothing there, but Noah didn¡¯t believe that for a second. There was a pattern. Everything had a pattern. Sticky was not so great an anomaly that she could somehow break every single law of magic that Noah had learned since he¡¯d arrived in Arbitage.


    I just need to figure out where it¡¯s hidden. It has to be here somewhere. Maybe buried deep within the ocean, or hidden somewhere within the sky? She¡¯s tricky. I¡¯ll give her that. But there¡¯s a rune here somewhere, and I¡¯m not leaving until¡ª


    And then he saw a flicker


    Noah¡¯s eyes widened. He blinked several times as his mind adjusted. Noah banished his domain, pulling the magic back and looking on with only his eyes. He¡¯d been looking at her soul the wrong way.


    ¡°I... don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t have to understand. I know you¡¯re content with how things are. But is this really all you want? There¡¯s nothing more in life you want than to die?¡±


    Sticky stared up at him. At the energy in Noah¡¯s outstretched palm. She swallowed.


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to die.¡±


    ¡°Then change your fate.¡±


    The demon¡¯s features set. She extended her hand toward Noah.


    Traces of light lit around Sticky¡¯s fingertips. The power intensified and buzzed around her palm like a hive of angry bees. Flickers of magic slipped away from the energy Noah had gathered from Sticky¡¯s soul and transformed into streamers of light that wove around her fingers like gray threads.


    Sticky¡¯s hands clenched into fists. The rest of the energy ripped away from Noah and gathered around her. A tiny prickle of pressure pushed into Noah. Two lines of gray light sliced into the air.


    The strokes of a rune. They burned in the air, buzzing with silent power. More strokes followed after, swirling out to begin taking the shape of a rune. Wind howled past Noah and gathered around the small demon in a vortex.


    Tremors shook Sticky¡¯s hands as she fought to control the power. It might have only been a Rank 1 Rune, but she¡¯d never had a rune to call upon before.


    She needs a push.


    ¡°Say it,¡± Noah yelled over the growing howl. ¡°What do you want? If you could have anything in this world, what would you choose?¡±


    Sticky¡¯s hands clenched.


    The wind stopped.


    ¡°I want to live.¡±


    The final stroke of the rune carved through the air.


    Yes!


    A brilliant flash of gray lit the small demon¡¯s mindspace.


    Noah staggered back, blinded, as a wave of crackling energy rolled past him. It buzzed against his skin and curled through his hair like an electric current. He raised a hand, blinking furiously and squinting through his fingers until his vision returned.


    And then he saw it.


    Noah¡¯s face split apart in a smile.


    Floating between him and the small demoness was a small gray Rune ¡ª and he could read it perfectly.


    Fragment of Sticky

 Chapter 565: Afterlife

    Chapter 565: Afterlife


    Gray light from the newly made Rune shimmered across Sticky¡¯s mindspace. It reflected off the water and faded into the warm sky, slowly fading away as the demon¡¯s soul calmed down. Strands of black reached up from within Sticky¡¯s mindspace, wrapping around the rune in attempt to pull it back into her greater soul, but it had been split apart until she re-imbued it.


    The air was silent for several long seconds. Neither Noah nor Sticky spoke. They both just stared at the small Rank 1 Rune that floated between them.


    ¡°A Rune,¡± Sticky breathed, staring at her creation with wide-eyed awe. She reached out toward it, then caught herself before her fingers could brush across its surface. ¡°I made this?¡±


    ¡°All you,¡± Noah confirmed. He could feel the power in Empty Proliferation starting to erode. He didn¡¯t have much time left, but there would be more than enough for the rest of what he needed to accomplish. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°...fine,¡± Sticky said after a moment of hesitation. She swallowed. ¡°Am I supposed to feel different? Did something go wrong?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Noah said with a chuckle. ¡°If anything, you might have felt a little worse because of the soul damage I gave you removing a chunk of energy to work with. I¡¯ll get that patched up soon enough. There¡¯s only one thing left that you¡¯ll have to do.¡±


    Sticky blinked. ¡°There¡¯s more? What is it?¡±


    ¡°You need to finish the bridge,¡± Noah replied. He nodded to the rune. ¡°That¡¯s a representation of yourself, but it belongs with the rest of the whole. Demons already have souls that are very connected to their bodies, but you still need to bridge that gap completely. Imbuing your own body with the Fragment of Self will solidify it within you and keep that slot open for other runes.¡±


    ¡°Demon Runes?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Noah said with a shake of his head. ¡°You don¡¯t need those anymore. Demon Runes are all built off fragments of somebody called Decras. They¡¯re flawed, and they¡¯re part of the reason demons consume emotions.¡±


    ¡°So the Demon Runes cause everything? Demons are just... humans without them?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. Demons are demons. You have an incredible connection between your soul and your body. That will never change.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m... still confused. I want to understand, but I don¡¯t.¡± Sticky¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°There¡¯s still a flaw in us, then?¡±


    ¡°No. The issue is gone now that you¡¯ve created that rune,¡± Noah said with a grin. ¡°Now, demons are just different. It took me a long time to really figure out what the original issue with demons was, but it boils down to two things. Your runes and your nature. They feed into each other in an endless cycle. That¡¯s what caused the problems.¡±


    ¡°Our nature?¡±


    ¡°The connection I just mentioned. Because of how closely tied your mind and body are, demons don¡¯t just use runes. You are your runes. And if your runes affect you, then it would only make sense that your desires affect your runes. The desires of a demon shape their runes just as much as their runes shape them.¡±


    ¡°And the Minuscule Fragment of Decras messed it up?¡±


    Noah nodded. ¡°Exactly. The first Rune that every single demon gets is a Minuscule Fragment of Decras ¡ª and that Rune is tainted. It¡¯s full of someone else¡¯s desires. And when a demon wants for something, that rune latches onto that desire and tries to fill it. But it can¡¯t. You can never truly feel satisfied when the satisfaction doesn¡¯t come from you. All you¡¯re doing is trying to fulfill someone else¡¯s vision of you. So the rune overcompensates. It hungers for more, and the pattern grows. As the demon gets stronger, so does their desire.¡±


    ¡°And it just keeps going,¡± Sticky said, her eyes going wide in realization. ¡°That¡¯s why strong demons are all so obsessed. They keep needing more and more of their emotion until they become it.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s not even their emotion. It¡¯s just the emotion they wanted most. Nobody is just a single emotion, but there¡¯s no room for anything else when your runes are warping your whole body to optimize for a single thing,¡± Noah said. He nodded to Sticky¡¯s Rune. ¡°That¡¯s why this is so important. You don¡¯t have a bias toward an emotion, and you¡¯re a true demon, one without any influence warping you.¡±


    ¡°But won¡¯t my rune just cause demons to become... me?¡± Sticky asked worriedly. ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem much better than how things already are.¡±


    ¡°If they tried to replace their current Demon Runes with yours, yes. But that¡¯s not what we¡¯re going to be doing. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s possible, but what I want is the energy from your Rune. Your rune is you, but the energy that went into it is pure. Any demon can use that energy to then form a Fragment of Self that represents who they are.¡±


    Sticky¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m almost certain of it,¡± Noah replied with an excited smile. It fell away, briefly replaced by a grimace. ¡°This does mean I¡¯m going to have to ask you for a favor. I need a copy of your rune. I¡¯ve tried to split a Fragment of Self from my own body before and it didn¡¯t work, but I¡¯m hoping it¡¯ll be different because of your unique physiology. The connection between your body and rune is stronger, but that goes in both ways. My runes can¡¯t exist without me, but I think yours can. No matter what, this won¡¯t be easy. It¡¯s definitely going to cause soul damage, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Sticky said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even finish. I can deal with the soul damage,¡± Noah said. ¡°Don¡¯t agree to people asking to damage your soul before you hear them out completely.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Sticky repeated. ¡°It¡¯ll help Lord Sievan too, won¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± Sievan breathed, his words nothing more than a whisper. ¡°She has a Rune.¡±


    Discomfort turned to pain in Sticky¡¯s features as she worked, but she didn¡¯t let herself slow.


    Noah drew on the Fragment of Renewal. Cooling energy rolled through his veins and gathered at his hands as he prepared to release its power. He watched the demon like a hawk as her finger continued to move across the paper.


    Her discomfort grew. The muscles in her neck went taut and her finger trembled, but she didn¡¯t slow. Even a fool could have seen that it was taking every single scrap of self-control Sticky had to keep going.


    But keep going she did.


    The demoness drew the final lines of the rune with a pained wheeze.


    Energy solidified into solid lines with a snap. She¡¯d managed to successfully imbue a Fragment of herself.


    At the very instant she pulled her hand away from the page, Sticky swayed and her eyes threatened to roll back. Noah grabbed her by the shoulders and unleashed all the power he¡¯d gathered from the Fragment of Renewal. Soothing magic poured out from him and into her.


    The tension slipped away from Sticky¡¯s features. She relaxed, her eyelids fluttering as she pulled back into consciousness.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Noah asked, supporting Sticky to keep her from falling.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Sticky murmured. Some of the strength seeped back into her voice and she looked down at the page. ¡°Did it work?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Noah replied. ¡°It did. You did everything you had to. Thank you. This is huge. You have no idea how much we¡¯re going to be able to do with this.¡±


    ¡°Can you help Lord Sievan next?¡±


    A quiet laugh echoed through the void as the Lord of Death shook his head. ¡°Did you truly find a way to solve our flaw, Spider? You did what I ¡ª what Decras himself ¡ª could not?¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯re just setting me up to sound like a proud asshole,¡± Noah said. ¡°Really, Sticky did everything. I¡¯m just stealing some of her power. She¡¯s the building block we needed. I¡¯m going to have to make copies of this Rune. A lot of them. From there, demons can break the rune and use it to form a new Fragment of Self to bind their soul with. It won¡¯t be easy ¡ª you¡¯re probably going to have to rip out the bad runes you¡¯ve got. Not every single demon will be capable of that. But for the ones that can... it should fix them.¡±


    Or for the ones I use the Fragment of Renewal on, but I¡¯m not going to sit around fixing every single demon in the Damned Plains. Even if they can¡¯t get rid of Decras¡¯ runes entirely, this should help them get some control of themselves back.


    ¡°I see,¡± Sievan said with a small smile. ¡°But it is not yet my time for this.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to let him help you?¡± Sticky asked, blinking in surprise.


    ¡°I am not so easily repaired. I must rebuild my soul. I have felt Spider¡¯s power, but the immensity of what must be fixed is beyond even your abilities. It will be years before I am ready for such a procedure. This is a procedure for the young and easily changed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I could help the process along,¡± Noah said.


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Sievan said. ¡°But there are some things that must be done on your own. When you reach my strength, you will come to understand this as well. And I suspect you have a slightly more pressing matter at hand.¡±


    ¡°I do?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Sievan replied. ¡°There are those that wait for you. It has been some time since you followed Wizen into the next realm.¡±


    Noah¡¯s eyes went wide.


    That¡¯s why the Fragment of Renewal had returned. Not because it had been refilled, but because it had been given enough time to regenerate.


    Oh, shit. How long was I stuck in the afterlife?

 Chapter 566: Favor

    Chapter 566: Favor


    ¡°How long have I been gone?¡± Noah asked, his chest tightening even as the words left his lips. Days were precious. Now, especially so. Had he missed another thousand years? What had happened to Moxie? To Lee? To his students, who still waited still back in the mortal plane.


    If he¡¯d missed all of that...


    Noah¡¯s throat clenched.


    ¡°The situation is not as bad as you fear,¡± Sievan said, lifting a hand and freezing the thoughts in Noah¡¯s head. ¡°You did not remain within the afterlife for long. The time that has been lost can be measured in days, not years.¡±


    Some of the tension slipped from between Noah¡¯s lips in a sigh, but his shoulders remained taut. Moxie and Lee would be fine. They weren¡¯t gone.


    He wasn¡¯t so sure if he could say the same for his students back in Arbitage. There was a big difference between a few days and a dozen days. That was especially true in the Damned Plains, where the days were far longer than back in the mortal realm.


    Every moment that went by in the Damned Plains mounted the risks they faced. They had too many enemies. He¡¯d honestly pushed it to the back of his mind; his focus completely on finding a way to defeat Wizen.


    But now that he had a way out and he hadn¡¯t lost as much time as he feared... the idea of missing their exam was painful ¡ª and somewhere deep in his mind, Noah had never considered not being there for it.


    Perhaps he¡¯d been delusional. Nobody fell into the Damned Plains on the back of an artifact controlled by a mage far more powerful than them and then decided they¡¯d make it out before a few weeks had passed.


    But it was his duty as a teacher to be there for all of them. To make sure they could take the honest test that they should have been promised, and to ensure that nobody tried to interfere with things.


    Isabel and Todd were still in danger, and not from the chance of failing the exam. People wanted Isabel¡¯s Master Rune. Verrud, the professor from the Herron family that had tried to trick him and Moxie into thinking he was on their side so he could get closer to Isabel. Jakob, the Torrin professor working with Verrud, and his two brats, Marley and Yulin ¡ª and who knew who else.


    If I¡¯ve been gone for too long, what happened to them? Verrud and Jakob are nothing to me now. But what does that matter if they¡¯ve already struck? Am I already too late?


    ¡°How many days?¡± Noah asked stiffly. ¡°And where is Moxie? Where is Lee?¡±


    ¡°Just about three or four on the mortal realm,¡± Sievan said, predicting Noah¡¯s next question with a quiet smile. ¡°I have spoken to your friends. I know where your concern lies. They are safe, and it is not too late. Your friends in Arbitage still reside there, though your time runs thin.¡±


    Thank God. Okay. We can still pull this off. I¡¯ve got the Key. We can make it back in time for the exam, then. It just seems like we¡¯ll have to move quickly.


    ¡°Where exactly is safe? Are Moxie and Lee here?¡± Noah asked, glancing around the platform. Aside from Sticky and Sievan, it was completely empty.


    Sievan nodded over Noah¡¯s shoulder.


    Noah turned to find a silent portal of purplish black energy blooming in the air behind him. Gentle waves of energy rolled out from it and prickled against his skin. He took a step back as its surface rippled and bulged.


    Zath¡¯s huge form stepped out from within the portal, ducking to fit through it properly. He unfurled to his full height, bowing his head in respect to Sievan, and stepped to the side as Moxie and Lee followed him out of it.


    ¡°Noah!¡± Lee exclaimed launching herself in his direction the moment she spotted him.


    Noah caught her with a laugh. Lee wrapped herself around his upper body like a koala and Moxie strode over, joining the group and throwing her arms around both of them. Noah was pretty sure he felt several bones in his spine pop as he got squeezed.


    ¡°Moxie. Lee,¡± Noah wheezed. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you too.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Wizen?¡± Lee asked. ¡°Is he¡ª¡±


    Yoru is proof of that. She¡¯s one of the strongest demons in the Damned Plains, but she¡¯s been alone for centuries. Is it really right to just up and vanish without speaking to a single one of them?


    Noah¡¯s jaw clenched. He was being pulled in two different directions. His duty was to his students ¡ª but even though he hadn¡¯t planned on it, he¡¯d picked up a few more in this world. He couldn¡¯t just abandon them.


    He looked down at the key. His senses brushed across the artifact. There was power stored within it ¡ª there was no doubt about that. An ocean of roiling energy waited within the Key... and Noah had absolutely no idea how to access it.


    No matter how hard he tried, his mind couldn¡¯t find common ground with the key. There was no way to access the energy within it. It was immensely powerful, and about as useful as a chunk of lead in his hands.


    Shit. Even if I get this working... I still haven¡¯t answered the other question. What do I do?


    Sievan¡¯s domain was quiet for several seconds until Moxie broke the silence.


    ¡°We need to go back ¡ª but we can¡¯t leave the kids here. They don¡¯t deserve that.¡±


    Noah chewed on the insides of his cheeks. He wanted to do everything. To protect his students, both here and in the damned plains. His fingers tapped an incessant beat against his legs as he dug for an answer.


    ¡°If you need to leave now, maybe you could come back after?¡± Sticky asked hesitantly. ¡°So you can help the other demons?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I have no plans of abandoning everyone. I just didn¡¯t think I¡¯d have an opportunity to get back to the others in time,¡± Noah said. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but it was workable. Right now, the most important thing he could do was make sure he made it back to the mortal plane in time. He¡¯d have preferred to return the key to Tim the moment he could, but waiting a bit longer wouldn¡¯t kill anyone. He looked down at the key in his hand. ¡°I just have to figure out how to use this.¡±


    ¡°I... think I might be able to do it,¡± Sticky said, her gaze locked on the key and expression twisting in concentration. ¡°There are memories in my head. I don¡¯t think they¡¯re mine, but I remember how to use the key.¡±


    Noah blinked. ¡°You do? Then Orlen¡ª¡±


    Sticky shook her head. ¡°Not like that. No words. More like I¡¯ve done something enough times that I remember how to do it.¡±


    ¡°If you can, then we would be in your debt,¡± Noah said, holding the key out to Sticky. It must have had something to do with how Wizen had completely rebuilt her body with Weave. He would have loved to know more, but there were many things that he wanted to do and not nearly enough time to do them all.


    He just wished ¡ª


    Wait.


    Noah paused.


    ¡°Should I stop?¡± Sticky asked.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re fine. Please figure out how to work the key,¡± Noah said. He looked to Sievan. ¡°But, if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like a little help. I believe there¡¯s a rune you were looking to buy.¡±


    The skin around Sievan¡¯s eyes crinkled in amusement. ¡°What price are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°Oh, not too much,¡± Noah replied. There was a way he could get almost everything he wanted. It wasn¡¯t something that he had any chance of pulling off on his own ¡ª but he wasn¡¯t exactly on his own. ¡°Just a small favor and a bit of Zath¡¯s time.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Sievan asked with a quiet laugh. ¡°I know what you seek, and it can be arranged. This is going to be fun.¡±

 Chapter 567: Fire

    Chapter 567: Fire


    The mushrooms were on fire, and it was only partially Todd¡¯s fault.


    ¡°Duck!¡± Emily yelled, her voice just barely carrying through the crackling roar of the flames around him.


    Todd threw himself to the marshy ground. Moss squelched beneath him as he rolled, and he ripped more dirt up from beneath the layer of foliage to reinforce his damaged armor.


    Something screamed through the air above him. Ice prickled against Todd¡¯s neck in passing. A loud crash echoed through the forest a moment later, followed by a warbling scream of pain.


    Todd rose back to his feet, yanking the fire from the burning mushrooms around him and forming it into a ball between his palms. Before him, amidst dozens of fallen and crushed fungi the size of buildings, stood a huge froglike monster.


    The monster was easily three times taller than he was. A huge grey tongue lolled from its mouth, covered in jagged barbs. Its yellow skin was covered with a slimy ooze that had proven to be an infuriatingly effective flame retardant. Todd¡¯s explosions had managed to scorch it in a few small spots, but his magic had proven to be largely useless against the monster.


    It wasn¡¯t quite so lucky against Emily.


    A huge arrow made out of ice protruded from one of the frog¡¯s feet, pinning it into the ground. The frog croaked and thrashed in attempt to free itself, but it was futile. Frost crept up its limb, biting deep into the monster¡¯s flesh and freezing the ooze on it solid.


    ¡°Nice!¡± Todd cheered, a grin splitting his features. ¡°Good shit, Emily.¡±


    There was a loud creak from behind him. Todd stepped to the side.


    A burning mushroom crashed down behind him. Its head exploded with a splattering crash, sending burning goo flying everywhere. One chunk slapped into the stem of another mushroom. It went up in flames with a roar like a bundle of dry wood.


    Todd winced.


    ¡°Dude, have you ever heard the word restraint?¡± Emily asked from several paces behind Todd, drawing her bow back and forming another arrow in it. The frog screamed and thrashed, but it was stuck fast.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Todd said. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize the mushrooms exploded when they caught fire. Really couldn¡¯t have seen that one coming. Why the hell would anyone choose such a weird place for an exam?¡±


    Emily loosed the arrow from her bow. It flashed through the air and slammed into the frog¡¯s eye, burying deep into its brain. The monster jerked, then went limp and collapsed to the ground, struggles ended forever.


    No energy entered Todd¡¯s body, but that was to be expected. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the sheaf of Catchpapers that he¡¯d folded up inside it. A grin split his features and he held one up.


    ¡°Rank 2 Dripping Ooze,¡± Todd said. ¡°I got a rune.¡±


    ¡°Finally. Good news,¡± Emily said. She walked out from the treeline to join Todd, and he handed the paper to her. She gave him a blank one in return.


    Another burning mushroom crashed down. They both winced as its head exploded, but fortunately, every other mushroom in the area had already been burnt to a crisp and the muck that filled the fungus¡¯ heads just splattered harmlessly across the wet, mossy ground.


    ¡°I still think they just should have had the exam in the Scorched Acres. For old time¡¯s sake,¡± Todd said, stuffing the new Catchpaper into a back pocket. He paused, squinting at the air behind Emily.


    There was nothing visible, but to his heat-vision, there was a patch of heat that marked a person. Todd crossed his arms in front of his chest.


    ¡°James. Are you going to just stand there sniffing her hair, or are you actually going to be useful?¡±


    ¡°I was not sniffing her hair,¡± James said, the air rippling as he let his magic fall and emerged in plain view. ¡°I was assessing the situation.¡±


    Emily didn¡¯t so much as flinch at his arrival. Either she¡¯d gotten used to James popping up out of nowhere, or she¡¯d already known he was there.


    ¡°What, the situation regarding the scent of soap she uses?¡± Todd snickered as he scanned the area around them for any more signs of newcomers. The fire made it a little difficult for his heat vision to pick up on humans or monsters around it, but most of the flame was already dying away.


    ¡°Mango,¡± James said.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Emily exclaimed. Her eyes went narrow and she prodded James in the stomach in a manner remarkably similar to what Todd had seen Moxie do to Noah countless times. ¡°You don¡¯t need to go sharing that. That¡¯s weird.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± James asked. ¡°I got it for you.¡±


    Another heat signature caught Todd¡¯s eyes, but he¡¯d been expecting this one.


    Isabel stepped around the trunk of an unburned mushroom and emerged into the burnt clearing that Todd had mistakenly created.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to know we¡¯ve managed to keep focused during the exam,¡± Isabel said with a dry smile. ¡°Todd, why are you trying to bring the Mushroom Forest down on top of you?¡±


    ¡°The mushrooms explode when you burn them,¡± Todd said. ¡°I was unaware. Where¡¯s Alexandra?¡±


    ¡°She went off on her own. She felt like the exam would be too easy if she worked together with us, and she wanted to make sure she learned from it. I think we might have let her spend too much time with Jalen,¡± Isabel said, pinching the bridge of her nose. ¡°But she¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a single student that can really pose her a threat. Even that Rank 3 girl, Fiona... she hasn¡¯t seen a real fight like Alexandra has.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s badass,¡± Emily said with a nod.


    The girl¡¯s eye twitched.


    ¡°Me as well,¡± Isabel admitted. ¡°My bad. Alexandra was kind of the one remembering the random names. She¡¯s really polite, but she¡¯s busy right now. Do you remember, Emily?¡±


    ¡°Er... was it Casie?¡± Emily hedged. Even though her words sounded uncertain, more energy was gathering at the tip of her arrow. She was preparing to fight.


    ¡°No! Bethany! My name is Bethany! How did you forget? We¡¯ve sparred before!¡±


    ¡°We have?¡± Isabel asked.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Did I win?¡±


    Bethany¡¯s mouth snapped shut. Her eyes narrowed even further. ¡°Yes. But this time will be¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ah. Then that¡¯s why I don¡¯t remember your name,¡± Isabel said, speaking right over Bethany. She shook her head. ¡°This isn¡¯t worth the time. She clearly hasn¡¯t gotten any runes yet.¡±


    Wind howled around Bethany and gathered in her hands, forming into two balls of twisting white magic. ¡°You¡¯re good with a sword, but we¡¯ve got you outnumbered, and this isn¡¯t a sparring ring. This is the real world. Give me what you¡¯ve got and we won¡¯t crush you out of this exam here and now.¡±


    ¡°Wow. Good line. Did you practice that one in front of the mirror this morning?¡± Todd asked.


    Bethany¡¯s cheeks went bright red. ¡°How did ¡ª No! Of course not!¡±


    ¡°This is just sad,¡± Emily said. ¡°I¡¯m shooting her now.¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± Todd said.


    Bethany thrust her hands forward. The balls of wind exploded, transforming into a howling gale of white blades that carved out toward Emily.


    Emily released the string of her bow.


    An ice arrow screamed through the air in a blur. It struck the rolling front of wind and sliced through it in a split instant. Bethany¡¯s eyes went wide.


    One of the boys beside Bethany lunged before her, a brown shield burning with energy as he summoned stone up from the ground and formed it into a wall between them.


    The arrow carved straight through the stone. It continued on into the boy, shattering his Shield like sugar glass and driving straight into his chest. His eyes went wide in disbelief. A necklace on his neck flashed a brilliant white and he vanished, yanked out of the exam to get medical attention.


    Every single one of them wore a similar necklace. It wouldn¡¯t do anything if they took an instant killing blow, but those were supposedly against the rules. Todd wasn¡¯t about to count on Verrud and Jakob¡¯s students remembering that.


    ¡°How?¡± Bethany staggered back, her mouth hanging askew in disbelief as she stared at the spot where one of her allies had been a moment before.


    Todd shook himself off. He was getting distracted.


    I should probably focus, even if these people are jokes. Their Runes are nothing compared to ours thanks to Teacherman showing us how to make flawless combinations.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be happy to pretend to answer your questions once the exam is over,¡± Isabel said. Bethany thrust her hands forward and sent blades of wind carving toward her. Isabel just raised a shield of stone from the ground, blocking the magic effortlessly. Bethany¡¯s face went pale. She took a step back, then launched herself into the air.


    ¡°You¡¯re cheating! I¡¯ll be ba¡ª¡±


    A glowing blue spear sailed through the air. It sliced straight through Bethany¡¯s shield, shattering it, and drove into her back. The girl stiffened, then vanished in a flash. Several empty pieces of Catchpaper fluttered down from where she¡¯d been.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let any of them leave with their Catchpaper,¡± Isabel said, her spear reforming in her hand as she turned to the remaining students.


    The remaining students went pale. Two of their members had gone down in two attacks. Their shields hadn¡¯t been strong enough to tank a single hit. They turned and ran, sprinting for cover.


    Todd grinned.


    I wish the Professor was here to see us now. Nobles, running from us.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got this,¡± Todd said.


    The ground beneath him exploded. Fire curled out from his feet as he burst into motion, crossing the distance between himself and the running nobles in moments.


    His laughter was the last thing any of them heard before their shields shattered and their amulets went off, dragging them out of the exam and to safety.

 Chapter 568: Avalanche

    Chapter 568: Avalanche


    The exam had been meant to last a full day. It took time to hunt monsters, and even more time to hunt enough of them to get a Rune to manifest on Catchpaper. An average mage could take hours just to get something worthwhile, and that wasn¡¯t even accounting for the quality of the rune.


    Todd and the rest of Noah¡¯s students had every rune they needed in less than four hours ¡ª though that wasn¡¯t an entirely accurate statement. They each needed to secure themselves a Rune in order to pass the exam, which meant the group needed a total of 5 Runes ¡ª though Alexandra had gone off on her own and lowered the group¡¯s requirement down to 4.


    They currently had 20.


    Only about 4 of those had come from actually hunting the monsters. The rest had come from students kindly donating their belongings to the group by trying to attack them.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯m starting to feel like this exam is more about fighting other mages than it is about hunting monsters,¡± Todd said as he watched Isabel leaf through the runes they¡¯d earned. ¡°Maybe everyone else got the wrong memo and thought this was an exam to hunt other students.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a little more targeted than that,¡± Isabel said. She gathered the runes back into a pile and handed half of it to Emily, who slipped the papers into a pouch on her waist. Isabel glanced around the small clearing they¡¯d taken a break in, then stretched her arms over her head and shook herself off. ¡°The amount of people we¡¯ve had come after us is way higher than it should have been.¡±


    ¡°Verrud and Jakob are pulling strings,¡± Emily said. ¡°It has to be.¡±


    ¡°What, with the entire Advanced Track?¡± Todd asked.


    ¡°To be fair, less than half the people that we¡¯ve run into have been from the Advanced Track. I think the majority of those guys are just focused on winning. We pass the exam if we can get a rune each, but we¡¯ve got to get the most runes to win the Advanced Track competition.¡± Isabel scratched the side of her neck. ¡°Though, at this rate, we won¡¯t even have to fight any more monsters. We can just keep taking out all the students that attack us.¡±


    ¡°I wonder how he paid them off.¡± The air beside Emily rippled as James took form at her side.


    ¡°James!¡± Todd exclaimed. ¡°Where have you been, man? You went to scout thirty minutes ago!¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I fell asleep.¡±


    ¡°While scouting?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It was very boring.¡±


    ¡°I think we need a new scout,¡± Todd said.


    ¡°Quite possibly, yes,¡± Isabel agreed with a sidelong glance in James¡¯ direction. James didn¡¯t even have the good grace to look chagrined. He just shrugged and wiped at his nose.


    ¡°Did you find anything?¡± Emily asked.


    ¡°More students. There are a lot of them in the area around us,¡± James said. He craned his neck back to look at a mushroom looming above him. ¡°We should probably be ready for more people to show up. It feels like everyone just decided that this area of the Mushroom Forest is the best one to be in.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he really did pay people off,¡± Emily said with a frown. ¡°That feels like it would be painfully blatant, though. There¡¯s no way you can do that without at least somebody going ¡®huh, that¡¯s weird¡¯. The Advanced Track is also full of nobles. It¡¯s not easy to buy nobles off. Verrud and Jakob aren¡¯t that rich.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more than one way to get people to turn against someone or hunt them,¡± Isabel said. ¡°All he had to do was tell the truth. He¡¯s probably mentioned that we have a bunch of runes, and defeating us is an instant pass for the whole exam.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Todd said. ¡°In the end, they¡¯ve managed to make this easier for us. We can¡¯t be far from winning the Advanced Track competition. Maybe we should just start hunting the people hunting us instead. It¡¯ll make things faster.¡±


    ¡°Now there¡¯s an idea.¡± A familiar, smarmy voice echoed through the clearing.


    All of them turned as one, annoyance rather than surprise crossing their features, as Marley emerged from the treeline. It was hard to miss him ¡ª the noble was practically jingling as he walked.


    He was covered from head to toe in bracelets, rings, bracers, and just about every other piece of Imbued equipment that someone could fit onto themselves. Marley even wore light armor reminiscent of that of a Soldier.


    Todd blinked at the vast amount of wealth Marley had on him. There was a difference between the funds of a noble and using... whatever this was. The sheer number of Imbuements he was carrying around were terrifying.


    Holy shit. Somebody spent a ridiculous amount of money outfitting him... but that has to be at least partially for show. That many Imbuements running together will interfere with each other. Simple is king. This idiot just cleaned out daddy¡¯s closet.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Marley asked, two shimmering swords made of swirling blue energy buzzing to life in his palms. ¡°Too scared to speak?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s helping the moron?¡± Isabel asked. ¡°I doubt he could have found the broad side of the barn in a field if he didn¡¯t have help.¡±


    Anger flashed across Marley¡¯s face. He pointed his swords at Isabel. ¡°Keep talking smart, bitch. We¡¯ll see what happens when¡ª¡±


    An ice arrow screamed through the air and slammed into Marley¡¯s chest. A shield erupted around him with an earsplitting screech. His eyes only had a moment to go wide before the force of the magic launched him off his feet and sent him hurtling through the stem of a mushroom and into the forest beyond.


    ¡°That¡¯s a strong shield,¡± Emily said, lowering her bow with a frown.


    ¡°Bullshit. You aren¡¯t controlling that yourself. Someone¡¯s feeding you magic,¡± Todd said as he flung himself to safety once more.


    Roots slammed into the ground one after the other in Todd¡¯s wake. Each one shook the earth with the force of their impact. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a root hurtling straight for his head.


    It didn¡¯t look like Marley was trying to leave enough of anyone alive to get pulled out of the exam.


    Todd gritted his teeth and set off an explosion from his palms. It hurled him to the side and he hit the ground in a grunt, rolling to safety and staggering back to his feet.


    Marley turned toward him ¡ª but he didn¡¯t get a chance to attack. Isabel exploded forward, clad entirely in her heavy armor. She held a huge tower shield in one hand and a glowing blue greatsword in one of her hands.


    Roots crashed down toward her, but the ground exploded up around Isabel in a sea of spikes. They drove into the roots, slowing them and buying her precious seconds to arrive before Marley.


    She slammed her shield down on his head. His shields flared, burning with power as they resisted her strike. Isabel¡¯s sword flashed and Marley brought his own up. The weapons slammed together with a loud crackle.


    Isabel slammed her foot into Marley¡¯s chest and he staggered back, his shields repelling her once more. He went to stab at her but was forced to dodge back as Todd sent a streak of concentrated flame screeching past his face, just narrowly missing.


    Loud crashes and the roar of magic filled the clearing all around them from Emily and James¡¯ fight against Marley¡¯s backup. A quick glance told Todd why the fight was still going. They were all outfitted in Imbued equipment as well. It didn¡¯t look like the quality was as high as Marley¡¯s, but there were three of them.


    Isabel and Marley crossed blades again. Their weapons crackled ¡ª and Isabel dismissed her weapon, reforming it an instant later once it had passed by Marley¡¯s guard.


    The sword would have gone straight into his shoulder if it didn¡¯t connect with his shield first. Magic screamed.


    Isabel was thrown back several feet as a huge wave of pressure rolled out from Marley, ripping up the dirt around him.


    A pillar of dirt shot up behind her and connected with her back to stop her from falling. If she lost her balance in the immensely heavy armor she wore, it was the same as a death sentence.


    Marley crossed his swords and power arced down their blades, rippling across his body. Someone was pumping him full of even more magic. Curls of magic rose up from him and he bared his teeth in something between a snarl and a grin. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t look as confident as you did before.¡±


    This might be bad.


    ¡°Isabel?¡± Todd asked.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Her voice was terse.


    ¡°I think we¡¯re going to have to use some of the things you¡¯ve been practicing.¡±


    ¡°On this idiot?¡± Isabel asked, aghast. ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just him. It¡¯s him and however many people are powering him.¡±


    ¡°You really think you can do anything against me?¡± Marley asked through a burst of snorting laughter. The amusement left his face in an instant, replaced by cold cruelty as he shifted his stance. ¡°You¡¯re delusional.¡±


    ¡°Right. Sorry, Professor,¡± Isabel said. She tossed her shield to the side and grabbed her sword with both hands. She drew in a deep breath, then let it out slowly.


    A root crashed down toward her.


    Isabel¡¯s sword snapped out, catching it on the flat of the blade and deflecting it down into the ground with a loud crash.


    There was something different in her motions as she moved toward Marley once again. Magic burned in her every step, each one slightly faster than the last, every movement like a pebble rolling down the side of a mountainside.


    Roots shot toward Isabel. Her sword flashed up and down and up again, the repeated crash of its blade striking the roots filling the air.


    The first was knocked to her left.


    The second was deflected to her right.


    The third was split in half. Every blow Isabel made came slightly faster and stronger than the previous as she continued her advance. The magic imbuing her movements and blade intensified by the second.


    Her body ¡ª her blade ¡ª was becoming an avalanche manifest.


    For the first time since they¡¯d started training, Isabel was unleashing her Pattern against a real opponent.

 Chapter 569: Vocabulary

    Chapter 569: Vocabulary


    Thunder cracked as lightning split the air and hurtled for Emily¡¯s head, only to slam into a shimmering square of translucent light just inches away from her. Crackles of electricity arced into the air and buzzed against her skin.


    ¡°Thanks, James,¡± Emily said, throwing herself into a roll as acid scorched across the ground where she¡¯d been standing and burnt a thick streak into it. She shot to her feet and took aim, drawing her focus into the arrow forming in her bow.


    A bolt of lightning made itself known right beside her head, deflected by James¡¯ magic once more. Emily gritted her teeth and released the arrow in the direction of one of the mages.


    The spell scraped across his shoulder as he twisted, scoring along the armor he wore and failing to do any significant damage. It knocked him off balance for a moment, giving her an opportunity, to follow up and actually land a real blow, but Emily didn¡¯t have a chance to follow up on the opening.


    She was forced to dodge back as vines raced across the ground and reached out toward her, attempting to intertwine her legs and keep her from dodging.


    Another bolt of lightning slammed into the air, stopping against a disk of light just inches away from Emily. The light wavered as power crackled off it. For a moment, it seemed as if it would break, but the magic held strong. James was keeping the attacks from hitting her and buying her time to attack, but it wasn¡¯t enough.


    There were three enemies and James was forced to play defensive so Emily could even try to fight back. If she could actually injure any of them, perhaps she would have had a chance. But with the armor they wore... she needed more than a glancing blow.


    Emily resisted the urge to curse as she dodged out of the way of more magic. Readying her attacks took time and attention ¡ª two things she didn¡¯t have when three mages were raining down attacks on her from different directions.


    ¡°We can¡¯t keep this up forever.¡± James¡¯ voice was low enough to only be heard by Emily¡¯s ears. ¡°Can you survive for long enough if I go after one of them?¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡± Emily wasn¡¯t so certain. The students attacking them had a ridiculous amount of energy. They¡¯d been raining down attacks for nearly two uninterrupted minutes and showed no signs of slowing.


    That would have been impressive if she didn¡¯t suspect basically all of their power was coming from someone transferring it to them through their Soldier armor. Unfortunately, the source from where they pulled their magic changed nothing.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound very confident,¡± James said.


    Emily dodged back as forked tongues of lighting screamed down toward her, blackening the dirt where she¡¯d been standing with a brilliant explosion. She spun toward the mage that had called them down, but before she could take a moment to take aim, acid spikes were hurtling for her head.


    She dropped to the ground. Vines reached for her and she gathered moisture from the air, flicking a blade of ice from her fingers and slicing the vines apart as she rolled back to her feet.


    We can¡¯t keep going like this.


    ¡°Oh, shit,¡± James said. ¡°I think Isabel is using her... you know.¡±


    Emily blinked in surprise. The hesitation nearly got her impaled by a sharpened root, but she twisted out of the way at the last moment and cut the root apart with another blade of ice.


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    Lighting slammed down toward them and a dome of light bloomed overhead, absorbing the hit before shattering apart into sparkling motes of light.


    ¡°You should be paying attention to us, not your friends,¡± the lightning mage said in a sneering tone. They sounded female, but the helm on their face muffled their words and made it a little difficult to tell.


    Emily really didn¡¯t care one way or another.


    ¡°You¡¯re all pretty pathetic. Having to rely this heavily on equipment in a Year 2 exam,¡± Emily said, sending an arrow of ice streaking through the sky toward the other woman.


    Without time to properly take aim, the attack only managed to slam into her shoulder and shatter against her armor. One of the other mages laughed as they flung acid blades toward Emily once more.


    James summoned more shields of light from the air, blocking the magic and letting out an exasperated sigh. ¡°This is such a hassle. Can¡¯t you just deal with them already?¡±


    ¡°What do you think I¡¯m trying to do?¡± Emily hissed. ¡°I told you, I¡¯ll be fine! You can go attack¡ª¡±


    A vine shot up from the burnt ground, reaching for Emily¡¯s leg faster than she could react. Light flashed and several chunks of plant matter splattered against Emily, severed in a dozen different places.


    ¡°You¡¯re not doing the most you can,¡± James said. ¡°You could do more. I¡¯ve seen it. Isabel certainly is. Why are you holding back? You¡¯re welcome, by the way.¡±


    James laid on the ground before her, his arms crossed behind his head. A bolt of lightning streaked toward him, but a disk of light flashed up and blocked it, fading away the very instant the lightning had been stopped.


    Another shield flicked up to block a bolt of acid, and a third one manifested itself to cut through several vines. All of them vanished the very instant their task had been accomplished.


    Power thrummed in Emily¡¯s body, and the mist thrummed in response. They were synchronized.


    ¡°How are you doing that?¡± The female student demanded.


    ¡°Optimizing,¡± James replied through a yawn. ¡°I¡¯m lazy. No point using more energy than I need to, and now I don¡¯t need to use any at all.¡±


    The acid mage let out a snort. He stepped through the mist and gathered magic above his palms, forming it into a large spike of sickly green energy. ¡°And why¡¯s that? You surrendering?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± James replied, letting his eyes drift shut. ¡°You¡¯re dead.¡±


    The air around the mage crackled. He only had an instant for his eyes to widen in surprise before a hundred white streaks flashed through the air. His shield flickered to life around him, but it shattered under the flurry of magic.


    He staggered back with a scream. Thin needles of ice emerged from every single piece of unarmored skin in his body. There wasn¡¯t a single part of his face or upper neck that hadn¡¯t been run through.


    The attack wasn¡¯t enough to kill him, but a brilliant flash of light lit up the forest as his pendant activated and yanked him to safety.


    ¡°You¡¯re so cheesy,¡± Emily murmured, her eyes drifting over to the other two mages.


    Both of the other mages reacted instantly, grabbing for their magic and darting in opposite directions to split Emily¡¯s attention. They slammed down every bit of armor they had and activated their Shields.


    It changed nothing. She didn¡¯t have to see them. She could feel them. Everything within the fog was visible to her. Needles flashed within the rolling fog, scraping against the shields and wearing their power away with every strike.


    Lightning screamed toward her, but another disk of light blocked it. Emily didn¡¯t so much as glance in its direction. Her attention was fully within her pattern. There was no room for any distraction ¡ª and she had no need for it.


    James was protecting her. She didn¡¯t have to think about anything other than her magic as long as he had her back.


    Shields were excellent for blocking attacks, but as it turned out, they had a minimum amount of power they called on every time they activated. Nobody tried tickling a Shield to death, after all. Controlling hundreds of tiny attacks was too difficult for most mages to bother with ¡ª but this wasn¡¯t hundreds of tiny attacks.


    The needles were all one. They were part of the fog. Part of the pattern ¡ª and part of Emily.


    The plant mage¡¯s Shield shattered. He let out a scream as needles found every inch of exposed skin, no matter how small. They flitted through gaps in the armor and flooded into his mouth.


    His pendant flashed.


    ¡°How is this possible? What kind of¡ª¡± The lightning mage¡¯s shield shattered before she could finish her desperate protest.


    ¡°Eat shit,¡± James said.


    Her pendant flashed.


    Emily slowly let her hands lower, her heart pounding in her chest. She¡¯d actually done it. She¡¯d activated her pattern in the middle of a fight.


    Yeah, that¡¯s right. Eat shi¡ª


    Wait.


    ¡°You know what?¡± Emily asked as a small laugh slipped from between her lips. ¡°They were right. You¡¯re ruining my vocabulary.¡±

 Chapter 570: Yulin

    Chapter 570: Yulin


    Across the forest, while Isabel and Emily¡¯s groups were fighting against Marley¡¯s group, Alexandra was caught up in a fight of her own.


    The mushrooms in a wide area around her had been carved to ribbons. Splinters of woody fungi littered the scarred earth at her feet; patches of the ground had been blackened and scorched by magic. She stood in the center of it all, a plain sword held before her in both hands.


    There was the faintest scent of what was almost reminiscent of a burnt omelette in the air ¡ª likely due to all the scorched mushrooms around her.


    Four students stood around her in a square formation. Magic burned between their palms, each of them holding a spell at the ready. Not one of them was willing to let their magic slip free before any of the others.


    Alexandra¡¯s lips quirked up in amusement for a split second before her expression flattened once more as concentration returned to reign supreme. ¡°Is something wrong? You were all eager to catch me out. Now you have.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Ollie?¡± one of her pursuers asked. He was a boy from the advanced track, but she¡¯d forgotten both his name and the family that he¡¯d come from. Neither had been important. He¡¯d never been a capable sparring partner.


    ¡°Who?¡± Alexandra tilted her head to the side. ¡°I haven¡¯t kept track of every single person I¡¯ve fought, you know. Especially not the idiots that spend time yelling their names out as if they matter. The only time it¡¯s worth introducing yourself in a fight is when you¡¯re up against someone worthwhile. I haven¡¯t seen anyone worthy of that during this exam.¡±


    Angry mutters rose up from the students. They shifted, posturing for each other, but not a single one of them attacked. A flicker of annoyance built in Alexandra¡¯s chest. This was a waste of time. There were enough opponents to actually pose her a challenge. Every one of the students around her was in the advanced track. They had relatively powerful magic ¡ª enough to give even her resilient body pause if they worked together ¡ª but they were all cowards.


    All of them knew that they weren¡¯t fast enough to take her out with a single round of spells. At least one of them would have to be willing to bear the brunt of her attention if the others wanted to have a chance to land their attacks, but not a single one of them was willing to make that sacrifice.


    ¡°You¡¯re wasting my time,¡± Alexandra said. ¡°Either attack or don¡¯t. I came here looking to train and to find a challenge that could really push me to improve. Something tells me none of you are going to be the person I¡¯m looking for.¡±


    ¡°Ollie¡¯s pendant didn¡¯t go off, but he¡¯s missing,¡± one of the other students snarled. ¡°Tell us where he is, or we¡¯re all going to forget this is an exam and the gloves are coming off.¡±


    Alexandra blew out a small sigh, then nodded up to the mushrooms at the edge of the clearing. ¡°If Ollie is the previous one that came after me, he¡¯ s up there. I threw him.¡±


    One of the students turned to look in the direction Alexandra had indicated. A pair of legs extended from the top of a tall mushroom. The rest of him had been buried solidly within its head. Despite the intensity at which the legs were thrashing, it seemed they were having absolutely no luck in freeing their owner from his fungal prison.


    Incredulity crossed the lead student¡¯s face. He took a disbelieving step back and started to turn back toward Alexandra. ¡°You threw¡ª¡±


    She blurred. Wind whipped past her face as she closed the distance between herself and the boy in less than the time it took to draw a breath of air. He activated his shield, panic flashing across his features as he desperately tried to defend himself.


    A glowing silver dome enveloped him for a split second. Then Alexandra¡¯s fist smashed straight through the shield. The magic wasn¡¯t anywhere near strong enough to withstand a Rank 3 Mage who had put every scrap of their available power into the Body Runes powering her every move.


    Several of them already had runes upon their surfaces. That made her ears heat slightly. The point of the exam had been to hunt monsters and capture a Rune from them, but she¡¯d yet to fight a single monster during the exam.


    But, despite that, she had already gathered six Runes from defeating the students she¡¯d come across.


    I suppose they never said where I have to get the runes, just that I have to get them. It¡¯s not my fault people keep donating them to me.


    A dry piece of mushroom crunched and broke through her thoughts. Alexandra turned toward its source, and a flicker of excitement passed through her as she recognized the person approaching her.


    ¡°Alexandra,¡± Yulin exclaimed, sliding to a stop as she skidded into the clearing.


    ¡°Finally,¡± Alexandra said. ¡°I¡¯ve been making so much noise that it¡¯s a miracle you didn¡¯t find me earlier. Why are you coming out without your sword drawn, though? That¡¯s practically asking to lose before the fight starts.¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m not here to fight you,¡± Yulin replied sharply. ¡°You need to come with me. Now.¡±


    Her tone was deadly serious. She wasn¡¯t joking around. Alexandra blinked in surprise. For a moment, she wondered if this was meant to be some sort of trap. It was always possible. She rather liked Yulin, but she hadn¡¯t forgotten whose student the girl was.


    She only hesitated for an instant. Perhaps she was just sentimental, but Alexandra would have liked to say she¡¯d gotten to know the other girl fairly well after the amount of time they¡¯d spent crossing blades. It wasn¡¯t like Yulin to try to lie like this.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Alexandra lowered her sword and strode toward Yulin, who turned and started into the mushroom forest without wasting a moment.


    ¡°Your friends are in danger,¡± Yulin said. ¡°This exam isn¡¯t proctored because the pendants are supposed to ensure people¡¯s safety ¡ª but Isabel¡¯s is sabotaged. Jakob tampered with it before the exam. It¡¯s not going to work.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that all? Isabel will be fine. There isn¡¯t any student that can take out the rest of our group. But I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯d be willing to tell Arbitage what you just told me?¡± Alexandra asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not suicidal, Alexandra.¡± Yulin sent a flat glare over her shoulder at Alexandra. ¡°Isabel might be talented, but can she fight a professor?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Alexandra asked. ¡°No, of course not.¡±


    ¡°Then we better move faster.¡± Yulin accelerated, forcing Alexandra into a run to keep up. ¡°Professor Jakob is here ¡ª and he¡¯s going to kill Isabel if you don¡¯t get there in time to stop him.¡±

 Chapter 571: Run

    Chapter 571: Run


    Noah¡¯s eyes bore into the image rippling in between Sievan¡¯s hands. A forest of mushrooms stretched out around Isabel as she, Todd, Emily, and James fought against Marley¡¯s group.


    Beside them, in a smaller image, Alexandra and Yulin raced in search of the others... but they weren¡¯t there, and Noah didn¡¯t know if they¡¯d make it on time. And even if they did, he didn¡¯t know if it would be enough.


    Isabel and the others had no idea about the conversation that had gone down between the other group. They didn¡¯t know they were being hunted.


    Fear pounded in Noah¡¯s heart. Everything had been working out. He¡¯d stopped Wizen and had a way back to the mortal Plane. Sticky had the key back to the Mortal Plane and a way to use it.


    He couldn¡¯t accept that he¡¯d gotten this far just to watch Jakob cut his students down while he did nothing but helplessly stand and watch.


    ¡°Is there any way you can open the portal faster?¡± Noah asked, his hands flexing at his sides.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying,¡± Sticky replied tersely from the platform beside him. Her teeth were gritted in concentration and she clutched the Key with both hands. Red energy twisted around her palms and coursed down the length of the artifact, but it was still dull. ¡°There¡¯s just not much energy left. It¡¯s really hard to establish the connection between the planes. Wizen¡¯s memories are helping... but I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll be enough. I¡¯m opening the portal as fast as I can.¡±


    ¡°Her speed may not matter,¡± Sievan said. ¡°Time is compressed when you take a portal between the planes. It is only a matter of hours, but it seems that hours will be too long.¡±


    Noah¡¯s throat clenched. He couldn¡¯t take it out on Sticky. She was doing her best ¡ª but Sievan was right. He couldn¡¯t afford to wait hours.


    ¡°Just keep trying your best,¡± Noah said, his fists clenching at his sides. ¡°We¡¯ll figure something out, or they¡¯ll hold out until we can make it. I know they will.¡±


    Moxie put a hand on his shoulder. Her jaw was clenched tight in stress, but she said nothing. They were thinking the same thing. Getting this far just for their students to die while they could do nothing but stand around...


    It couldn¡¯t happen. It would be too cruel.


    ¡°Did you not say your students were Rank 2?¡± Sievan asked. ¡°You believe they will be able to fight back against a Rank 4 mage with reinforcements for hours?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not just any Rank 2s. They¡¯re my students.¡±


    Noah¡¯s reply did nothing to stop the thoughts from spinning in his head. He had faith in everyone, but the odds were immensely stacked against them. If Jakob was making his move, then he refused to believe that Verrud would be somewhere on the sidelines. There was more than just one Rank 4 they had to fight.


    He couldn¡¯t leave the students alone against a threat like that.


    He would not fail them.


    But what can I do when I¡¯m stuck all the way in the Damned Plains waiting for a portal that¡¯s going to get us there just a few mere hours too late?


    ***


    Isabel¡¯s sword slammed down into Marley¡¯s shoulder, ringing off the armor with a resounding clang. The ground around them had been ripped to shreds. Fragments of ripped mushrooms and pieces of torn-up roots covered the earth.


    Marley staggered a step back, crossing his swords before him as Isabel swung her glowing blade down once more. Brilliant blue energy crackled as their weapons collided and coils of energy arced off into the air around them.


    With a roar, Marley shoved Isabel¡¯s sword to the side. His Imbued armor flared with power, sending rivers of light rippling down the lines buried within the metal greaves covering his legs.


    He drove a foot into Isabel¡¯s chest. There was a loud thud. The blow didn¡¯t even make her flinch. Marley was forced to jump back as her sword carved through the air where he¡¯d been standing and she continued her advance.


    Roots shot out for Isabel, rising from behind Marley and burst from beneath the ground to reach for her legs. Concentrated bolts of fire tore through several of them as Todd provided backup from the sideline, but the rest were ripped to shreds as Isabel¡¯s sword continued to accelerate.


    Each attack she made cut through multiple different segments of Marley¡¯s magic at once, sending huge root chunks thudding to the ground all around her as she continued her advance toward Marley.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Marley demanded, slashing his blades at Isabel as he backpedaled. She caught the blow on the upswing of her sword, then drove it down for his shoulder in a blur. Despite her glowing blue weapons¡¯ size, it barely seemed to have any weight to it.


    The magical sword slammed into Marley¡¯s shoulder in the same spot that Isabel had hit it previously. But, while Marley had shrugged the previous attack off, this one sent him staggering. His armor dented under her blow and one of his legs trembled.


    Surprise flashed behind his eyes.


    He dropped both of his swords and clapped his hands together. Roots exploded up from the ground all around Isabel and slammed into her stone armor, wrapping around her in a cocoon in an instant. A smug grin crossed Marley¡¯s lips and he took a step back, trying to conceal how hard he was breathing.


    ¡°Finally,¡± Marley said. He clenched his hands, and the bundle of roots tightened against each other as they started to squeeze shut. His eyes drifted toward Todd, his smile turning into a sneer. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with you¡ª¡±


    The tip of a burning blue sword carved out of the knot of roots. It carved down and a stone-covered hand reached out from within the nest of woody growth. There were several scratches along the armor¡¯s surface, but it was functionally undamaged.


    Roots crunched and bulged before ripping at the edges, parting to reveal Isabel as she stepped out of the trap. She strode toward Marley at the same speed that she had been moving at before, barely even bothered by his attack.


    ¡°What in the Damned Plains?¡± Marley took a step back, his smile evaporating. ¡°What kind of magic are you using? You¡¯re a Rank 2! You shouldn¡¯t be able to¡ª¡±


    A bolt of concentrated fire caught in the side of his head. Marley¡¯s green shield flashed to life, protecting him from the bolt, but it still rippled from the force of the magic. His eyes shot to Todd.


    Todd sent him a rude gesture.


    The ground behind him exploded. A thigh-sized root covered with jagged thorn growths burst free from the ground and blurred into motion as it headed straight for Isabel.


    Her heartbeat thumped in her ears.


    Emily released her ice arrow. Todd leapt forward to knock the Vine off its path, the ends of his gauntlets starting to shatter as an explosion built within them. Neither of them would be enough.


    The world slowed. Her Master Rune hummed in her ears as its power activated and accelerated her mind. She¡¯d refrained from using any more than a trickle of its power for years, but it didn¡¯t matter anymore.


    Isabel had absolutely no idea what Soul was truly capable of. It could manifest her soul as a weapon and let her imbue her will into her armor ¡ª and herself. It had given her a few extra moments to think mid-fight as it infused her mind, accelerating her thoughts, but that wouldn¡¯t be enough to stop Jakob.


    What do I do?


    Panic built in Isabel like a rising tide. They¡¯d made it too far to fail like this. They¡¯d finally started to get strong enough to get a chance to fight back. She couldn¡¯t die here. Todd couldn¡¯t die here.


    Isabel drank from the Master Rune, desperately pulling on its strength as she activated her final trump card.


    Her only normal rune shuddered as it resisted Soul¡¯s mounting pressure. The world slowed even further.


    Even 7 Flawless Rank 2s would have been unable to pull this off ¡ª but a single Rank 3 could.


    The Flawless Rank 3 that she¡¯d formed just before the Exam had started, Flowing Stone.


    It would have been enough to crush any of the other students. But against Jakob... there was only one way to find out.


    Isabel exploded into motion. Streaks of blue light curled off her skin as she drove a hand into Todd¡¯s side, shoving him out of the way and twisting in the same motion.


    Jakob¡¯s vine ripped through the air, the thorns covering it slicing along her skin as it passed her by. Isabel didn¡¯t relent. She blurred forward, a spear forming in her hand as she drove it directly for the Professor¡¯s chest.


    His shield shimmered to life.


    Isabel¡¯s spear passed straight through it, passing through his magic as if nothing was there. The shield didn¡¯t even ripple in the weapons¡¯ passing as it drove forward and slammed into Jakob¡¯s chest.


    The world snapped back into motion.


    Jakob¡¯s foot blurred out and slammed into Isabel¡¯s chest. The air exploded from her lungs and she tumbled back, sliding across the ground as pain burned in the wound in her shoulder and a furious headache pounded in her skull, gripping it like the claws of a demon.


    Isabel¡¯s attack shattered against Jakob¡¯s shield. The green energy rippled, but it didn¡¯t break. He reached up to the wound on his chest, blinking in surprise. Hunger burned in his eyes as he looked to her.


    Shit. It wasn¡¯t enough. He must have body imbuements reinforcing himself.


    ¡°Gah! You little shit. The Soul Master Rune is this powerful, even in your hands?¡± Jakob asked, his voice warped with pain. Isabel¡¯s attack had done a lot of damage, but it wasn¡¯t enough to stop him. ¡°Incredible. Imagine what it will do in the hands of a true mage.¡±


    He lifted his hands into the air, his jaw tight. The ground around him shuddered. Isabel tried to call on Soul again, but her power was spent. It had taken every scrap of energy in Flowing Stone to let her access the immense strength of Soul, and now she was drained dry.


    ¡°Run!¡± Isabel yelled. She grabbed her pendant and snapped it.


    Nothing happened.


    What?


    Jakob chuckled, anger and pain twisting his features. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    Three roots exploded from the ground. The air beside Isabel shimmered, and an invisible hand fell on her shoulder.


    James was beside her ¡ª but it wasn¡¯t going to be enough. He couldn¡¯t stop Jakob¡¯s magic.


    The roots flashed for Isabel, splitting the air at an incredible speed.


    ¡°Isabel!¡± Todd threw himself forward, but he wasn¡¯t fast enough to block the attack.


    Shimmering disks of light appeared before Isabel as the roots advanced. They shattered like glass, falling apart beneath the power of Jakob¡¯s spell. Then the roots were upon her. She crossed her arms before herself in an attempt to protect her vitals.


    Something blurred past Isabel. The loud snick of severing plant matter filled the air and chunks of root pelted the ground around her. Isabel¡¯s widened.


    Alexandra had arrived before Isabel ¡ª but she wasn¡¯t alone.


    Yulin stood beside her.

 Chapter 572: Fill in

    Chapter 572: Fill in


    Isabel was baffled, but she didn¡¯t have time to wonder why Yulin, one of Jakob¡¯s own students, had shown up to stop his attack together with Alexandra. She gritted her teeth as she tried to draw more power from her drained Rune. There was practically nothing left to take after her Master Rune had ground her energy down, but she managed a flicker of power.


    Fortunately for her, Jakob seemed to be just as confused as she was. The roots rising up from the ground around him twitched as he stared at the newcomers. Anger creased his features and his jaw clenched.


    ¡°Yulin. What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Jakob ground out. More roots pushed free of the ground and rose around him like a swaying sea of grass in the wind.


    ¡°You¡¯re on the wrong side, idiot,¡± Marley said. ¡°Did you forget that you were supposed to deal with Alexandra, not bring her here?¡±


    ¡°Have I ever forgotten anything?¡± Yulin asked quietly, raising her sword before her and shifting her stance.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been a decent aid, Yulin,¡± Jakob said, his tone dripping with anger. ¡°But I believe you may have gotten misguided. Perhaps I wasn¡¯t clear enough with my instructions. Deal with the students behind you.¡±


    Yulin¡¯s hands clenched. She didn¡¯t move.


    Isabel would have burst into laughter if she wasn¡¯t so stressed. It looked like Alexandra had somehow gotten Yulin to swap teams. She didn¡¯ t know how, but she wasn¡¯t about to complain. They needed all the help they could get, and Marley was such a raging asshole that it really wasn¡¯t all that big of a surprise that someone that had to deal with him on a daily basis would turn against him. Her only regret was that Yulin didn¡¯t have the same armor that Marley did.


    ¡°Stupid woman,¡± Jakob growled, shaking his head. ¡°What a waste of Torrin resources. You serve us. That is your duty. That is your purpose. You are dead, Yulin. You realize this, yes? You are choosing to betray the Torrin family. There are no more warnings after this. I will kill you along with the thief. We do not harbor traitors.¡±


    Anger pulsed in Isabel¡¯s heart and pushed back the numbing pain in her arm. The absolute gall of Jakob to call her a thief when he was trying to steal her rune. When the noble families had conspired to kill her father and had taken everything from her and Todd. Her stomach twisted in fury and her hands clenched at her sides.


    Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Todd¡¯s face creased with concentration. He was trying to do something during the momentary distraction that Alexandra and Yulin had bought them, but she couldn¡¯t tell what.


    ¡°I am not a traitor,¡± Yulin said.


    ¡°Get over here,¡± Marley growled. ¡°Now, Yulin. This is an order. Professor Jakob isn¡¯t playing around. This isn¡¯t the time to decide to be annoying.¡±


    Yulin¡¯s expression didn¡¯t so much as twitch. ¡°Your order is invalid. I obey the Torrin family ¡ª but you and Jakob are unworthy of our name. I have chosen to support a different branch of the family.¡±


    ¡°Oh, ouch,¡± Emily said, drawing an ice arrow back and taking aim at him. ¡°I¡¯m practically homeless, and I¡¯m still a preferrable choice to you, Marley. I think I¡¯d be finding something pretty strong to drink after this. Maybe you can ask Jakob to drink with you, since I doubt anybody else can stomach your presence.¡±


    Marley¡¯s mouth dropped open as his eyes shot to Emily. ¡°Are you kidding me? Her? What claim does she have to the throne? Evergreen is dead! Exal commands the Torrins now. Turning against him is like signing your own death warrant. Even if we don¡¯t kill you here, there won¡¯t be any future left for you.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, Professor,¡± Marley said with a grin. He strode toward Todd, smokey magic curling off his body and into the air like a pyre. ¡°I¡¯ll dig his grave for you.¡±


    ¡°Dig an extra one,¡± Todd said, lifting his hand toward Marley. Stone raced up his body and encased his arm in an extra layer of protection. It jutted out of the back of his shoulder and dull lines of orange energy lit it from within. ¡°Because I¡¯m done fucking around.¡±


    Several loud explosions went off in rapid succession within Todd¡¯s arm. A deafening crack split the air. Steam exploded out the back of his arm and fire rolled out around his fingers in a roar.


    Spurts of fire pushed through cracks in his arm, ripping it apart. He staggered to the side, nearly tripping over his own feet as he fought to keep his balance. The fire only made it about a foot away from him before dissipating into the air.


    Jakob let out a snort of amusement. ¡°You are pathetic. Put the yammering fool down already, Marley. What are you waiting on?¡±


    Marley stood stock still, a sneer frozen on his face as if cast in ice. A trickle of blood rolled down his face and dripped from his nose.


    At the very center of his forehead was a small hole. A stone was lodged deep within his brain, still smoking from the explosion that had launched it free from Todd¡¯s palm.


    The magic pouring from Marley¡¯s armor sputtered and went out. The metal turned dull. Marley pitched back and crashed to the ground like a limp doll with a heavy thud. And there he remained, unmoving.


    ¡°You vile scum!¡± Jakob screamed, thrusting his hands forward. ¡°What have you done?¡±


    Vines exploded forward toward Todd. Alexandra blurred, her figure dancing through the air like the wind itself. She ripped through nearly every vine before it could find its mark, but one slipped past her.


    Yulin dove forward. She grabbed Todd and tackled him to the side, bringing him out of the path of the deadly magic. The Torrin girl rolled to the side and back to her feet. For a moment, she stared at the spot where Marley had fallen. Then she lifted her sword again and returned her attention to Jakob.


    Todd staggered up beside her, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.


    ¡°On second thought, you might need to dig the extra grave yourself. I don¡¯t think Marley¡¯s going to be doing much of anything,¡± Todd said. ¡°This one¡¯s on you, dumbass. You turned his pendant off too so he wouldn¡¯t get pulled out of a fight by a small injury since he¡¯s got that bullshit armor to keep him alive. Why should I fight fair when all you ever do is cheat?¡±


    ¡°I am going to kill you. All of you,¡± Jakob said, flexing his fingers like claws as veins bulged in his neck. Roots burst up from the ground around him to replace the ones that Alexandra had destroyed. ¡°Painfully.¡±


    ¡°That hasn¡¯t been the first time someone¡¯s said that to me,¡± Alexandra said, pointing her blade at Jakob. ¡°And it isn¡¯t going to be the last. Professor Vermil isn¡¯t here right now, so I¡¯ll have to fill in for him and remove your head.¡±

 Chapter 573: Help

    Chapter 573: Help


    The Mushroom Forest rumbled as Jakob ripped roots up from the ground in swathes. Fury burned in his eyes as the worked ground bubbled and churned beneath his feet. Then he thrust his hands forward with a wordless cry of fury and anger.


    Roots exploded forward in a wave.


    ¡°Run!¡± Alexandra yelled, launching herself toward the roiling roots hurtling toward them. Her motions were fluid as her sword danced through the air, slicing through everything in its path.


    Yulin fought at her side. The Torrin¡¯s blade was more akin to a whip of metal than a solid weapon. It seemed to flow and ripple like liquid, growing and shrinking in length as she spun it around her.


    There was no time to appreciate either of their fighting styles. Despite their best efforts, Jakob was pushing them back. For every root they cut down, two more took its place. Thorns burst free from the white foliage, as long and sharp as swords.


    They lost ground with every passing second. Alexandra and Yulin couldn¡¯t hold Jakob off on their own. Despite their skill, Yulin was still a Rank 2 and Alexandra was only Rank 3. The fact that they were holding off Jakob for this long was already impressive ¡ª but they couldn¡¯t just hold him off.


    Isabel grit her teeth as she dug through her mind in search of a solution. They needed backup, but backup wasn¡¯t coming. And despite Alexandra¡¯s order to run, that wasn¡¯t going to do anything either.


    Jakob had control of plants. Right now, they were in a clearing. Running into a forest would just make it even easier for him to attack them. The only advantage they had was numbers, but that wasn¡¯t going to last for long when Jakob started to pick them off.


    How can we beat him? There has to be a way we can pull this off. What would Professor Vermil do if he were here right now?


    ¡°Todd, can you do that thing you just did again?¡± Isabel asked as she fought to catch her breath. Muscles in her neck throbbed in tension as a wave of pain and weakness rolled through her from the wound in her shoulder, but she pushed it down.


    ¡°No,¡± Todd replied grimly. ¡°I drained every scrap of energy I had to use that attack, and that includes the power I recycled to get the explosion that concentrated. There are too many flaws in it still.¡±


    Great. So both of us are functionally out of energy. That only leaves Emily and James.


    The ground before Isabel twisted. Her eyes widened and she leaned back. The reaction wasn¡¯t nearly fast enough. A thin root burst up from the dirt, its tip sharpened to a point, and drove straight for her throat.


    A glimmer of light swirled in the air and a shield formed before Isabel. The vine struck it and the magic shattered, but it bought her the extra half-second she needed to throw herself out of the way.


    ¡°You are wasting all of our time,¡± Jakob snarled, taking a step forward. The intensity of the roots bearing down on Alexandra and Yulin intensified, forcing both of them back.


    One of them scraped along Alexandra¡¯s arm, ripping her shirt but failing to penetrate her skin. Another one shot for Yulin ¡ª but James intervened with a disk of light, blocking the attack and giving the girl a moment to reposition.


    An arrow of ice streaked through the air in a blur. It shot past the roots and slammed into Jakob, only to be blocked by his shield flickering to life. He barely even reacted. The professor just took another step toward Alexandra and Yulin, intensifying the strength of his assault further.


    ¡°You¡¯re trying really hard just to kill a few students. That¡¯s not a good look, man,¡± Todd taunted, stepping away from Isabel and raising his voice loud enough to make sure that Jakob could hear him.


    ¡°Wait your turn,¡± Jakob growled. He swept a hand through the air and a root blurred up from the ground behind Alexandra, striking her square in the back.


    The force of the attack launched her into the air, and another vine whipped out and batted her out of the sky like an insect. She slammed into the ground with a loud crunch.


    Only if we can actually get there. I can¡¯t wait for this portal. I need another way onto the mortal plane. One that doesn¡¯t take me a bunch of time when I cross between the planes. There has to be a way. There¡¯s always ¡ª


    Noah froze.


    That¡¯s it.


    ¡°Mascot,¡± Noah said, his voice as sharp as a blade. ¡°I need you.¡±


    And then Mascot was there, crouched upon his shoulder. For once in the cat¡¯s life, there was no smug amusement or playfulness in the cat¡¯s eyes. The little monster was dead serious.


    ¡°What in the planes is that?¡± Sievan asked, his eyes going as wide as saucers.


    Noah ignored him. Sievan couldn¡¯t help, but Mascot could. A flicker of hope built in his chest.


    ¡°Can you get me there?¡± Noah asked, pointing to the scene playing out before them.


    The cat stared at Noah. For a moment, he couldn¡¯t tell if his request had been misunderstood. He¡¯d always been fairly confident that Mascot could understand what he was saying, but the cat had never actually directly acknowledged any of his requests.


    Mascot shook his head.


    Noah¡¯s stomach fell. The cat had been his only idea, but Mascot couldn¡¯t bring people along with him when he teleported. There wasn¡¯t even time to write a letter to send to Jalen. By the time Mascot found him and Jalen read the letter, he¡¯d still have to find where the students were in the exam. It wasn¡¯t proctored. Nobody was watching. Even if it only took him a minute, it would be too late.


    Mascot was the only one that could slip through planes like it was nothing. If he couldn¡¯t get Noah there, then it was over. There was absolutely nothing he could ¡ª


    No. Fuck that. I¡¯m not accepting this. There has to be another way.


    He was dimly aware of his students surrounding Jakob in the vision. They had split apart to stretch his attention, but the professor had clearly seen combat before. He¡¯d built a ring of spiked vines around himself to keep them from getting close while he bore down on Alexandra and Yulin.


    James was doing what he could to protect the girls, but they were all running out of magic. Blows were connecting more often, and Yulin was already limping badly. There were only minutes left in the fight at best.


    There¡¯s a way to make it out of this. I refuse to accept any alternative.


    The grimoire on Noah¡¯s back shuddered. It somehow slipped itself off his arm and fell to the ground with a heavy thud.


    There was a jerk on Noah¡¯s back. It ripped itself open to a blank page, and worlds scrawled across its surface in black ink.


    I can help.

 Chapter 574: Promise

    Chapter 574: Promise


    Noah stared at the grimoire, trying to make sense of the words upon its page. The book had never spoken to him before. He¡¯d known it was sentient, but this was a step beyond showing Bird inappropriate drawings purely to get him in trouble.


    There was something going on that he didn¡¯t understand. The grimoire was more than he had thought it was. But, no matter how badly he wanted to figure out what the hell was up with it and why Sievan¡¯s men had been so unsettled by the book, there was no time right now.


    The only thing that mattered was his students. He couldn¡¯t waste precious seconds trying to determine what the book was or what it wanted. Noah didn¡¯t care. If it could help him, then everything else could wait.


    More ink bloomed within the grimoire¡¯s page, but this time, it didn¡¯t take the form of words. It made a pattern from runes ¡ª but they weren¡¯t just any runes. Noah recognized these runes.


    They were his own.


    Noah¡¯s eyes went wide. It wasn¡¯t just the runes he recognized. It was the pattern as well. A circle. A circle he¡¯d seen many months before, though it now seemed like it had been years ago.


    The runes within the circle were different than the last time he¡¯d seen it. That did absolutely nothing to change its purpose. Noah knew exactly what the purpose of this pattern was, and he realized what the book was suggesting.


    It was an idea so ridiculous that it would have been laughable in any other situation.


    But this wasn¡¯t any other situation. His students were putting up an incredible fight, but their time was running out, slipping like grains of sand past Noah¡¯s fingertips as he did nothing but watch.


    This situation called for something ridiculous.


    Ink twisted beneath the rune circle to form into more words upon the grimoire¡¯s pages.


    I will require payment.


    ¡°Done,¡± Noah barked. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you need. All I care about is saving my students. If you can let me do that, then anything you want is yours. You¡¯ve seen how I work. You know I hold true to my promises as long as you aren¡¯t asking for something that I¡¯m not willing to offer.¡±


    Accepted.


    Noah slammed the grimoire closed. There was nothing more to be said. He and the book were on the exact same page ¡ª figuratively and literally.


    Mascot hopped down from his shoulder and landed on top of the book. For a moment, he met the cat¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°The book,¡± Noah said, his voice as taut as a tightrope. ¡°Take it to Isabel.¡±


    There was a flicker of acknowledgement in Mascot¡¯s eyes. A ripple of reddish-purple energy washed over the cat and the grimoire beneath it.


    Then they were gone.


    ***


    Isabel dove to the ground. Pain flared through her shoulder as she hit it in a roll, and a loud crash behind her marked a root demolishing the dirt where she¡¯d been moment before. Her breath came out in ragged gasps as she scrambled back to her feet, exhaustion gripping her heart and piercing into her side like a blade.


    She had no time to give in to it. Isabel dove out of the way once more as another root whipped through the air with a whistling howl.


    Dust and wispy white mist swirled through the air around her. It stung her wounds and coated her tongue with the cold flavor of iron and earth.


    Another root was already moving for her face by the time she started to rise. Her muscles screamed in protest as she prepared to dodge, but before she could, Alexandra slipped past her in a blur of motion, her blade carving Jakob¡¯s magic to shreds as she tried to find an opening in his defenses.


    Isabel spat gritty blood onto the ground as she fought to catch her breath with the brief moment that the other girl had bought her.


    Their fight wasn¡¯t going well. Jakob was wearing them down. It was pathetic that the professor hadn¡¯t actually managed to defeat them yet, and it was pretty clear he knew that. The scumbag traitor¡¯s features were twisted in fury and embarrassment as simply used his superior magical reserves to grind away at what power they had left.


    He knew that there should have been no contest in the fight. Numbers meant nothing in the face of overwhelming strength. He¡¯d said that himself, and yet he hadn¡¯t managed to beat them.


    That would be little solace when they all ran out of magic and died.


    Isabel¡¯s jaw clenched. They only had one chance. Emily¡¯s pattern was practically optimized for destroying shields. She¡¯d been steadily making her way closer to Jakob over the fight, but it was hard to tell if she¡¯d make it in time. Emily was almost certainly close enough to attempt her attack now ¡ª Jakob didn¡¯t know the full range of the mist she could summon ¡ª but the moment she started doing anything, the professor would turn his full strength against her.


    And if she does break Jakob¡¯s shield... I don¡¯t know what we¡¯ll be able to do after that. Can we really kill him, even without a shield?


    A tiny flicker of reddish-purple caught Isabel¡¯s eye as she swayed from the root suspending her in the air.


    Her eyes went wide. Mascot sat before her, perched upon a massive grimoire. The cat pawed at its closed cover.


    It couldn¡¯t be, but there it was.


    Noah¡¯s grimoire.


    Did he send this to me?


    The mist around Jakob evaporated. He turned back toward Isabel.


    ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn,¡± Jakob growled.


    Isabel ripped from her minuscule reserves, spurred by the flicker of hope blooming in her chest. A tiny blue blade formed in her hands and she heaved herself up, driving it into the root and giving it a sharp jerk.


    The plant split apart and she dropped unceremoniously to the ground with a pained thud. Isabel dragged herself toward the grimoire with her hands, her legs worthless.


    The shadow of a root rose up over Isabel.


    She grabbed onto the sides of the grimoire.


    ¡°I could use a little help, professor,¡± Isabel whispered through ragged gasps. ¡°We need you.¡±


    ¡°What would your father say if he saw you crawling away from a battle?¡± Jakob asked, his cold laughter ringing through the clearing. ¡°Pathetic until the end.¡±


    The root crashed down.


    The grimoire in Isabel¡¯s hands ripped itself open, and inky shadow arose from within it with a howl like a soul escaping the depths of the afterlife.


    A clawed hand made of darkest night formed from the books pages and moved in a split instant, grabbing the root an inch before it could come into contact with Isabel¡¯s back.


    There was a loud crunch.


    Plant matter splattered across Isabel¡¯s back as the hand closed down, crushing the root into pulp.


    The dark arm rippled, and a second one emerged from the book. It crashed into the dirt with enough force to send tremors ripping through the earth beneath Isabel, and an abomination rose free from within its pages.


    Twisting strands of sinewy flesh as black as night had been crudely sewn together to make up its figure. It undulated and pulsated like a warped parody of a beating organ. The monstrosity had a slender, sickly form that bent like it had been broken over and over, and it would have been easily twenty feet tall if it hadn¡¯t been so hunched over.


    Long arms as thin as bones jutted at its sides and dug into the ground, slender fingers digging through the dirt like there was nothing there. Its eye sockets were empty and sunken, a crooked mouth of all-too-wide teeth twisted into a horrifying smile as the creature drew in a deep, wheezing breath.


    ¡°What in the Damned Plains is that?¡± Jakob asked, his voice raising in pitch and disgust. He flicked his hands forward and every root around him exploded forward, crashing down toward Isabel and the monster like an avalanche.


    The horrifying creature lifted its warped finger into the air and touched the nearest root as it approached. There was a loud, wet squelch.


    Every single root in the clearing shriveled in on themselves like they had been flash dried. They collapsed to the ground, brittle and worthless.


    Jakob¡¯s disgust turned to horror. He took a step backward, his lips parting. Then his hand shot up to his neck, pulling free a pendant and preparing to rip it off his neck.


    That fucking coward. He brought one of the escape pendants meant for students?


    The monstrosity beside Isabel drove one of its arms into the ground in a blur. Black flesh exploded up from the dirt before Jakob and a spindly hand clamped down around his arm.


    There was a crunch followed by a wet, splattering rip. Jakob¡¯s arm flew free of his body, torn clean off at the shoulder. He let out a scream of agony.


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave so quickly, Professor,¡± the abomination said, its voice a hissing whisper. Massive teeth ground against each other as its grin stretched to cover its entire face. ¡°I have been promised your runes. I will ensure you live long enough for me to properly enjoy this.¡±

 Chapter 575: The Book

    Chapter 575: The Book


    ¡°How long are you just going to make us sit around doing nothing?¡± Silvertide demanded, his normally calm eyes burning with poorly restrained fury. The elderly soldier drove his staff into the dirt at his feet to punctuate his words. ¡°Are you going to wait until the children are dead, Jalen?¡±


    The tension within the small clearing in the mushroom forest was high. A number of teachers that most certainly should not have been present at the exam stood in a group, staring at a small, three-dimensional recreation of a section of the forest made from stands of twisting purple magic that floated above Jalen¡¯s hand.


    Even without detail, it was easy to make out the forms of the students squaring up against Jakob.


    ¡°Silvertide is right,¡± Brayden said. His knuckles were white around the hilt of the huge sword at his back and he shifted from foot to foot. If it had been anyone but Jalen standing in his path, he would have already acted ¡ª and he was starting to consider disobeying even the head of his own family. ¡°Your games are going to get them killed. I promised Vermil that I¡¯d protect his students.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t promise him shit. He fucked off to the Damned Plains before you could,¡± Jalen replied, examining his nails. He blew out a short breath and shook his head. ¡°Nobody is moving anywhere. We will not be budging from this location.¡±


    ¡°Jalen, I think you might be taking things too far,¡± Bird said as she took a step toward the Linwick Family¡¯s head. ¡°I don¡¯t have the tie any of you do to those kids, but Jakob is cheating. We should be notifying the proctor and stopping the exam. They can¡¯t beat Jakob ¡ª and he¡¯s clearly using artifacts to strengthen himself. This isn¡¯t a fair fight in any stretch of the imagination.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not taking advice from someone that starts stripping at the first sign of trouble,¡± Jalen said, placing a finger on Bird¡¯s forehead and pushing her back the step she¡¯d just taken. ¡°But look at you, actually growing a backbone. Cute. Maybe we¡¯ll keep you around.¡±


    ¡°I ¡ª what?¡±


    ¡°Ignore him,¡± Silvertide growled. ¡°Jalen, I¡¯m not playing around any longer. I spent far too many years standing to the side and ignorant of those kids¡¯ plight. That will not happen again. I will not stand around while they are cut down.¡±


    ¡°Nor will I,¡± Brayden said. He glanced at Bird out of the corners of his eyes. She blew out a heavy sigh.


    ¡°Or I,¡± Bird said.


    ¡°Damned Plains, you¡¯re all so cute,¡± Jalen said through a bark of laughter. He reached into his pocket. ¡°I¡¯d say I¡¯m offended that you think so poorly of me. Do you really think that I¡¯d be doing absolutely nothing purely because I thought it would be entertaining?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± every single other person in the clearing said.


    Jalen winced. ¡°Perhaps I deserved that. But I can assure you ¡ª this is not without reason. I would have stepped in long ago myself if not for this.¡±


    He pulled a folded piece of paper free from his pocket and flipped it open with a finger. A single sentence had been cut into the paper with the tip of what seemed to have been a small claw.


    Do not interfere.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Brayden asked, his brow furrowing in confusion. ¡°A threat? From Jakob or Verrud?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Jalen replied, his voice going grim. ¡°From the fucking cat.¡±


    And that was when Jakob¡¯s arm, seemingly of its own volition, flew off his body.


    ***


    Jakob staggered backward, his face as pale as a sheet. Blood coursed from the stump of his shoulder and soaked into his clothes as it poured down the side of his body.


    ¡°What are you? A demon?¡± Jakob demanded, flicking his other hand. A root burst free from the ground and shot for the abomination¡¯s throat.


    The warped monster twitched. It carved through the professor¡¯s magic without so much as glancing in its direction. A raspy laugh ground out from its mangled throat.


    ¡°A demon?¡± The abomination lurched forward, dragging itself forward at a terrifying speed with its gangly hands before slamming a palm into Jakob¡¯s chest.


    Jakob¡¯s legs buckled beneath the strength of the blow. It slammed him into the ground with a loud crunch, and several of his bones cracked under the monstrosity¡¯s palm as it pressed down on him, claws tightening around the professor¡¯s body.


    ¡°No, professor,¡± the abomination said, its words scraping against the air like nails on a chalkboard. The ghastly, wide-toothed grin on its face stretched even wider. ¡°I am so much more than that. More than you could ever comprehend.¡±


    It lifted Jakob into the air. The man writhed in the monster¡¯s grip. He flexed his remaining hand like he was trying to call on his runes, but nothing happened. The professor wheezed, even more of the blood draining from his face as his legs kicked helplessly.


    ¡°What is this?¡± he wheezed. ¡°What are you doing to my magic?¡±


    ¡°Taking it,¡± the abomination replied, shifting its voice to match Jakob¡¯s wheezing tone. ¡°You lack flavor, professor. You are hardly worth the effort my master spent sending me here. I no longer feast on fear, but I suspect that I would make an exception for you.¡±


    ¡°Who are you talking to?¡± Verrud demanded, sending another wave of slicing water in the abomination¡¯s direction. The monster twitched out of the way, only taking a few glancing blows. ¡°The demon?¡±


    ¡°Where are my runes?¡± Jakob screamed.


    ¡°Thank you for the meal,¡± the abomination said through a raspy laugh. It lifted a hand, and seven flickering green runes twisted through the air above its fingertips before vanishing once more. ¡°It¡¯s a shame we won¡¯t get to spend more time together, professor. My energy runs thin.¡±


    The monstrosity turned toward Isabel. For a brief instant, its empty, eyeless gaze was directed right at her. Its smile grew wider. The monster knew she could see it.


    Isabel¡¯s blood ran cold and her hands went clammy.


    Then the creature collapsed, transforming into a stream of energy that flooded back into the pages of the grimoire.


    ¡°Jakob!¡± Verrud roared. ¡°Snap out of it. Tell me where the monster is!¡±


    ¡°It ¡ª it¡¯s gone,¡± Jakob stammered, staring at his palms in disbelief. ¡°I... my magic. Where¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop yammering, you idiot,¡± Verrud snarled. He spun toward Isabel. Magic twisted into a spinning disk above his palm. ¡°You had one job. Kill a worthless, blacklisted girl. How did you fail so badly?¡±


    Oh, no. We can¡¯t beat him. Not like this. Where¡¯s the monster? Come back!


    ¡°They were stronger than I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up,¡± Verrud said. ¡°Incompetent idiot. I should have known better to work with a second-rate family. I¡¯ll deal with this myself.¡±


    Todd staggered to his feet, his teeth gritted. Emily and James dragged themselves up as well, and Alexandra and Yulin both moved before Isabel as well.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to get through all of us,¡± Alexandra said, lifting her sword. She was tired ¡ª they all were ¡ª but none of them were out of the fight.


    ¡°Trust me,¡± Verrud said, the disk of water in his palm splitting into six, ¡°that will not be a problem. I¡¯ve been waiting to do this for quite some time.¡±


    We can¡¯t win. I don¡¯t even know how strong Verrud is, but he¡¯s more powerful than Jakob. He¡¯s probably a Rank 5. This is so fucking unfair. I can¡¯t let everyone die for me.


    Isabel opened her mouth to tell the others to run¡ª


    Mascot batted her in the nose. He sent a furious glare at the page before her, then whacked it with his tail.


    Isabel slapped her palm against the center of the rune circle. She felt a faint prickle as the grimoire pulled at the tiny sliver of magic that she had left, and she gave it freely.


    A ripple of magic pulsed out from the grimoire. It ripped past Isabel and rolled across the ground, passing by all of the students and washing over Verrud. A crackle split the air and the professor¡¯s eyes went wide.


    ¡°What have you done?¡± Verrud. Horror twisted his features and he took a step back, his face going several shades paler. ¡°Idiot girl.¡±


    Arcs of electric crimson energy screamed out from the grimoire and rose into the air. They twisted into a horizontal portal directly above the grimoire¡¯s pages. Waves of power pulsed off the disk of energy, each one coming stronger than the last.


    A flicker of smug satisfaction passed through Mascot¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Gods above,¡± James breathed, staring at the grimoire as fear gripped his features. ¡°That amount of energy... everyone, run! Now!¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Alexandra asked. ¡°What did she do?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s far too late to run,¡± Verrud breathed, ripping even more energy from the air. An ocean of water twisted into the sky above him as he readied an attack. ¡°She¡¯s killed us all. The fool summoned an Archdemon.¡±


    Rivers of purple lightning ripped out from within the portal and scorched the ground around the grimoire as a glowing figure rose up from within the portal, details twisting themselves into place as the energy took physical form.


    Isabel¡¯s mouth dropped open in disbelief as a familiar shape took form in the air before her.


    ¡°Wrong, you slimy piece of shit,¡± Noah growled as his form materialized in the mortal plane. He stepped down from the portal and cracked his neck. ¡°She summoned me.¡±

 Chapter 576: Return

    Chapter 576: Return


    Verrud¡¯s mouth went slack. He stared at Noah like he was witnessing a ghost rise back up from the depths of hell. All things considered, that wasn¡¯t too far from the truth. Disbelief gripped the professor¡¯s entire body and he took a step back. Burnt ground crunched beneath his heels as he took another step.


    ¡°Impossible,¡± Verrud stammered. ¡°You¡¯re dead.¡±


    Even though Isabel had already known that Noah still lived she couldn¡¯t help but feel the same shock crossing over her own face. Her lips parted as dozens of emotions crashed within her like oceans all meeting at a single point. Relief, surprise, exhaustion ¡ª there was just too much to properly handle at once.


    ¡°Dying seems to be a reoccurring symptom for me,¡± Noah said, baring his teeth. Arcs of purple magic danced across his fingers. ¡°Unfortunately, it just never seems to stick. Maybe you can take that up with management when you see them.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an Archdemon,¡± Verrud said. His face went as pale as a sheet. ¡°That¡¯s why you took the worthless girl in. You were planning to take the Soul Master Rune for yourse¡ª¡±


    The air cracked as a bolt of lightning ripped from Noah¡¯s palms. Verrud¡¯s shield flared to life, twisting gray energy enveloping his body and absorbing the magic with a ripple. He flinched, then blinked when he realized the shield hadn¡¯t fallen.


    ¡°Don¡¯t group me in with the likes of scum like you,¡± Noah said. ¡°You know what the problem with Arbitage ¡ª no. With every single noble family ¡ª is? It¡¯s people like you. All machinations and stupid little plots to try and wrest power from each other instead of fucking earning it for yourself. You can¡¯t even comprehend the idea that others aren¡¯t trying to lie and cheat their way to strength.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re no Archdemon,¡± Verrud said, looking at his rippling shield. His eyes lifted back to meet Noah¡¯s and he bared his teeth in a sneer. ¡°That magic was Rank 5 at the strongest. You¡¯re just the same coward professor. Was that just a lightshow? Some trick to make for a grand reappearance after you abandoned your students to go into hiding?¡±


    ¡°Whoa, look at the switchup. You¡¯re really grasping at straws here,¡± Noah said. He glanced at Jakob, who still laid on the ground, wheezing for air. ¡°What happened to that moron? He lost a fight to a bunch of teens ¡ª speaking of which, good job, all.¡±


    ¡°Your mockery will mean nothing when I kill you properly,¡± Verrud spat. The water he¡¯d gathered churned in the air like an ocean preparing to come crashing down on their heads.


    ¡°I mean seriously,¡± Noah said, shaking his head. ¡°Isn¡¯t that fucking prick a Rank 4? What was he doing with his domain? Sitting on it? How do you let a Rank 3 damage you at Rank 4? Is his control over his domain so poor that this was the extent of his power?¡±


    The flush of embarrassment and anger that crossed Jakob¡¯s face was enough to tell Isabel that Noah had hit the nail on the head. It seemed that Jakob wasn¡¯t anywhere near as capable of a mage as he would have liked people to believe.


    Even through the pain and exhaustion, Isabel let out a laugh. Verrud¡¯s features erupted in fury.


    ¡°Enough!¡± With a roar, Verrud brought his hands crashing down.


    The enormous amount of water in the air came down directly upon Noah¡¯s head like an avenging waterfall, bearing with it thousands of pounds of force. The ground rumbled under the immensity of the magic and Noah was enveloped entirely within it.


    Isabel¡¯s stomach clenched. Verrud was one of the most powerful mages she¡¯d ever seen in combat. Noah was strong, but she¡¯d never seen him survive an attack like that before.


    Verrud thrust his hand up, drawing up the water in preparation for another attack ¡ª and his eyes widened.


    Noah stood with an amused expression on his lips. There wasn¡¯t a single wet hair on his body. He was as dry as a bone in a desert. His head tilted to the side and he arched an eyebrow.


    ¡°Would you look at that. It looks like my domain is stronger than your magic.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky,¡± Verrud spat. He twisted his hands and the water separated into dozens of twisting spikes that gathered in the air above Noah. ¡°You¡¯re nothing but the scum of the Linwick family. Using artifacts isn¡¯t going to save you forever.¡±


    ¡°Using artifacts?¡± Noah let out a burst of laughter. ¡°You know, if I cared enough to correct you, then I would.¡±


    White cracks carved through the air from Noah¡¯s palm. Verrud didn¡¯t even try to dodge out of the way. The sneer was still present on his face when the magic passed clean through the gray shield as if nothing was there. It wound past the Professor¡¯s hip, traveling about a foot away from Noah¡¯s palm.


    Then the cracks detonated with a loud, sharp snap. Verrud let out a scream of pain as his Shield shattered ¡ª along with several of the bones in his right leg. He crumpled, suddenly no longer able to support himself, and landed on his back as his eyes went wide in horror.


    The professor¡¯s eyes went wide in disbelief. He dragged himself back with his hands as Noah stared down at him, his features still as flat as the stone face of a cliffside.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t an artifact,¡± Verrud stammered, pain tinging his voice. His hand scrabbled at his side and he grabbed a healing potion.


    He never got a chance to use it. Noah¡¯s foot slammed down on his arm, driving it into the ground in a blur. The potion rolled from Verrud¡¯s grip, coming to a stop in a burnt pit in the ground several feet away from them.


    Isabel could barely believe what she was seeing. Verrud wasn¡¯t just losing the fight. He was getting manhandled. The bastard looked like he¡¯d never used magic a day in his life ¡ª but she knew that wasn¡¯t the truth. He was a powerful mage that should have been able to fight back against even a low level Rank 6, even if he had no chance of winning.


    She swallowed heavily.


    How strong has Noah become?


    ¡°No extensions,¡± Noah said. White lightning buzzed across his palm as he lifted a hand into the air. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for those right now.¡±


    ¡°Demon,¡± Verrud rasped.


    ¡°Would you make up your goddamn mind?¡± Noah exclaimed. ¡°First I¡¯m a demon, then I¡¯m not. When will you stop twisting the truth and realize that you¡¯re just fucking weak? This isn¡¯t a fight, Verrud. You¡¯re a rabid dog, and I¡¯m putting you down. I¡¯d tell you to find an opponent your rank the next time around instead of going after my students ¡ª but, well, there won¡¯t be a next time.¡±


    ¡°My family will destroy you,¡± Verrud spat. ¡°You cannot kill me and get away with it. The Herrons will find out. They will rip you and the thieving bitch into shreds. You will never know peace. Every one of your waking moments will¡ª¡±


    Noah¡¯s foot slammed into Verrud¡¯s stomach and the rest of the man¡¯s sentence vanished in a wheeze of pain as he folded like a sheet of paper. He crouched down, the white magic racing across his fingertips intensifying.


    ¡°If you happen to run into Renewal, do me a favor and let her know that I owe her a fruit basket.¡± He grabbed Verrud by the head. Jagged white cracks expanded through the air all around the man¡¯s skull.


    The other professor¡¯s eyes only had an instant to go wide before there was a loud, ear-splitting crunch.


    And in that moment, it struck Isabel that her professor hadn¡¯t been posturing. At no point had she witnessed an actual fight between Verrud and Noah. That would have required one of the parties to have a chance of victory.


    No, this hadn¡¯t been a fight.


    It had been an execution.


    Noah straightened, shaking the blood from his hand as he let the shattered corpse tumble from his grip. He turned, and the cold anger that had burned within his eyes evaporated in an instant as he properly laid eyes on his students for the first time since falling into the Damned Plains.


    ¡°Professor,¡± Isabel said, pushing through the pain and rising to her feet. The only emotion that still remained in her was relief, and a small smile crossed over her lips. ¡°Welcome home. We¡¯ve missed you.¡±

 Chapter 577: Problem

    Chapter 577: Problem


    Noah couldn¡¯t describe the immense amount of relief he felt at seeing every single one of his students alive and kicking. They were bruised up and exhausted to the core, but none of their injuries were too bad. Isabel looked to have the worst of things.


    He hooked the potion that Verrud had dropped from the ground with a foot and kicked it up into the air, grabbing it and handing it to Isabel. She took it with a weary smile, ripping the cork off and downing the healing liquid.


    A dull tug pulled at the back of Noah¡¯s mind. It wasn¡¯t an unfamiliar sensation, but it was one he was unused to having while he was still within his own body. Noah grimaced and pushed the sensation away. He still had some time.


    ¡°Professor Vermil,¡± Emily said, wiping a few specks of blood away from her face with the back of her hand. ¡°Where¡¯s Moxie? Is she¡ª¡±


    ¡°Safe.¡± Noah raised his hands to forestall any questions. They had so much to talk about, but this wasn¡¯t the place. He sent his domain out in every direction, activating his tremorsense to see if there was anyone else nearby. A small grin tugged at his lips. It looked like Verrud had taken steps to ensure nobody would be around, and that had worked against him perfectly. He blew out a small breath. ¡°And Lee is safe too. All of us are fine.¡±


    ¡°Can we bring them back as well?¡± Emily asked, swallowing heavily. ¡°I miss Moxie.¡±


    Emily¡¯s matured a fair bit if she¡¯s actually able to admit that. Damn. How much have I missed?


    ¡°We¡¯ll all be back soon,¡± Noah promised. ¡°It might be a few days or so, but we¡¯ll be back.¡±


    ¡°We?¡± Todd asked. ¡°Aren¡¯t you already back?¡±


    ¡°Only for a bit,¡± Noah replied. He knelt by the grimoire resting beside Isabel and flipped it closed. ¡°We had to do a bit of a stopgap. I couldn¡¯t spend the time waiting to get here the proper way, so we had to accelerate things. I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Your professor is a demon,¡± Yulin said, taking a step back as her features went as pale as a ghost. ¡°You summoned a demon to the exam.¡±


    Noah glanced in her direction. He¡¯d almost forgotten Jakob¡¯s student was still there. His head tilted slightly to the side as he studied her. Marley had been a little shit, but the boy laid dead at Jakob¡¯s side, a hole between his eyes. Yulin hadn¡¯t been nearly as bad as him, but she¡¯d still been an opponent.


    If anyone tells the Torrins or any other noble family about what happened here, we¡¯re all fucked.


    Alexandra stepped in front of Yulin. ¡°Please wait, Professor. Yulin is the one that told me what Jakob was planning. She put her own life on the line because she disagreed with his and Marley¡¯s actions. We can trust her.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s pledged herself to aiding me instead of Marley,¡± Emily said after a moment of silence. ¡°I¡¯m still Main Branch. That means she follows any direct orders from me or my mentor. Moxie is my only mentor, even if she got exiled. She¡¯s thrown her lot in with us.¡±


    Have I grown so cold that they think I would actually just murder a kid because she might report what happened to her family?


    The thought caused a small frown to pull at Noah¡¯s lips as a second one followed after it.


    I would do that. When it comes to Lee, Moxie, and everyone here, there¡¯s no life that I wouldn¡¯t sacrifice to keep them safe.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to kill Yulin,¡± Noah said with a shake of his head and dismissing his thoughts. They weren¡¯t something he could afford to spend time on right now ¡ª and he hadn¡¯t been forced to kill anyone that the world would miss. Removing Verrud and Jakob had been a favor to everyone that had known them. ¡°I saw her fighting to protect you all. If you trust her, then I¡¯ll listen to you... assuming she doesn¡¯t mind what just happened to her professor.¡±


    ¡°We are trained to prepare for death,¡± Yulin said, swallowing heavily. ¡°Both ours and those of our allies. Jakob will not be missed. I am unprepared to work with a demon, but I suppose it will not be overly different from what I have experienced before.¡±


    Noah snorted. ¡°Good enough for me, but I¡¯m sorry to disappoint.¡±


    ¡°Disappoint?¡± Yulin blinked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a demon,¡± Noah said. Another tug pulled at the back of his mind and he thinned his lips. ¡°Which is why my time right now is rather limited. Summoning me doesn¡¯t work quite the same as it does for a demon. I¡¯ll be pulled back to the Damned Plains soon. Minutes at most.¡±


    Isabel¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Noah said. ¡°As I was saying earlier, we have a way back. We¡¯ll return soon. All of us. There¡¯s just a little bit more I have to take care of. What¡¯s most important is that all of you are fine.¡±


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Isabel trailed off as Noah extended a hand toward the pile of bodies. Grey energy crawled out from his palm and swallowed the corpses, cubic fractals twisting across their forms as they were consumed. When the magic faded away, all that remained was a jagged dent in the ground.


    Yulin swallowed again as she stared at the spot where her former professor and fellow student had been. There was no trace of them left.


    Noah flexed his fingers and shook his hand off. Using Warped Matter was still a pain. He¡¯d drained just about every scrap of magic he had within the Rune. It was powerful, but it ate magic like no tomorrow.


    Another tug yanked at the back of his head, this one stronger than the last. The connection between his body and his runes wasn¡¯t powerful enough to let the demon summoning ritual actually keep him bound to the mortal realm.


    The connection would soon snap and send him back to the Damned Plains ¡ª where, ironically, his way right back here would soon be ready.


    Noah¡¯s fingers shimmered. Their tips turned translucent, and Mascot butted up against his leg. He crouched down and picked the cat up, setting him on his shoulder as he rose back to his feet.


    ¡°My time is almost up,¡± Noah said. He scooped his grimoire off the ground and slung it over his shoulders.


    ¡°You¡¯ll return in a few days?¡± Isabel asked. ¡°You promise?¡±


    ¡°I swear it,¡± Noah said with a firm nod. ¡°In fact, I¡¯ll get more specific. In a day, come to the place we first trained in. I¡¯ll be waiting for you there.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be waiting,¡± Todd said with a grin.


    ¡°I just have one request for you all,¡± Noah said.


    They all turned to him.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Alexandra asked.


    ¡°Crush the rest of this exam,¡± Noah said, his eyes growing dark. ¡°Nobody else is going to be interfering any further, so you can focus entirely on winning. I want to take every damn scrap of resources that the Advanced Track has to offer.¡±


    ¡°You got it, Teacherman,¡± Todd said, a grin pulling across his lips as he cracked his neck.


    More of Noah¡¯s body turned translucent. He took one final look at the students around him, then at the destroyed remains of the clearing they all stood in.


    They were safe.


    ¡°Good luck,¡± Alexandra said.


    ¡°You better tell us what happened in the Damned Plains when you get back,¡± Todd said.


    ¡°I will,¡± Noah promised with a chuckle. His body shimmered, and then the world twisted like it had been put into the blender. The clearing vanished and darkness swallowed his vision as he was ripped through time and space, pulled back toward the Damned Plains.


    As he went, there was only a single thing left on Noah¡¯s mind.


    There was just a single task he had left to do before everyone could return from the Damned Plains.


    He had to make a Rune ¡ª and every Rune required three components. Energy, an inciting incident, and intent.


    Noah had the Fragment of Sticky for the energy. Lee¡¯s desires as a demon would be the inciting incident, and her intent would be the guide. Every single piece was finally in place.


    It was time to fix a problem that had stumped a god.

 Chapter 578: Hungry

    Chapter 578: Hungry


    The Damned Plains greeted Noah like an old friend. Cool air prickled against his skin as his body reformed upon an obsidian platform trimmed with gold amidst a void that stretched out as far as the eye could see.


    Sticky had relented on the portal she¡¯d been opening, allowing the magic to fade, and everyone had gathered around Sievan to stare at the rippling image contained between his palms.


    The final strands of magic curled away from Noah as his body re-solidified within the Damned Plains. He didn¡¯t even get a chance to say anything before Moxie drove into him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and spinning him around with a delighted laugh.


    ¡°You did it!¡± Moxie exclaimed. She set him back down and took a step back, the relief in her features so prominent that it may as well have been painted across her face. ¡°Gods, I was so damn scared. I thought you would be too late.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking the same thing,¡± Noah said with an exhausted laugh. All the adrenaline that had been pumping through his veins finally started to settle down, but there would be time to rest later. ¡°Getting summoned was certainly a strange experience.¡±


    ¡°You make a very convincing demon,¡± Sievan said. He pressed his palms together and the image flickering within them collapsed into fragments of flickering energy. ¡°That was... satisfying to watch. Well executed.¡±


    ¡°I was just doing what had to be done,¡± Noah said. He turned to Sticky and crouched so they were face to face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for stressing you out while you were summoning that portal. It was unfair of me. You were doing great.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Sticky said. She glanced down at the key. ¡°You just wanted to save those people. I want to help people too.¡±


    ¡°You will,¡± Noah said, putting a hand on her shoulder. ¡°You already have, actually. You¡¯ll help every single demon.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you meant when you said you had to do something before you went back to the mortal realm?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± He straightened back up and turned to Lee. ¡°I think it¡¯s about time we take care of things, Lee. You¡¯ve been waiting for long enough.¡±


    Lee met his gaze and gave him a small nod. He could tell that she was thinking something, but it didn¡¯t look like she was about to voice her thoughts. It would have been hard to blame her. There was a lot riding on this.


    If Noah¡¯s theory was right, then Lee would be the first demon that they used Sticky¡¯s rune to save. It was a monumental task, and it wouldn¡¯t be exaggerating to say that the hopes of the entire demon race rested entirely on her back.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± Lee said. She sat down on the platform, crossing her legs beneath her and placing her palms on her knees.


    Noah sat down across from her. He set his grimoire down before him and flipped it open. Sticky¡¯s Rune shimmered across its pages. For a moment, Noah stared down at the book. He¡¯d missed exactly what had happened between Jakob and the book, but he¡¯d seen the results.


    There¡¯s something in this book. One day soon, I¡¯m going to have to have a real good talk with it and figure out just what the hell I¡¯m working with. But, today, I don¡¯t care what it is. It helped my students. That¡¯s all that matters.


    Noah tore his gaze away from the page and up to Lee. She swallowed, then gave him another firm nod.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this,¡± Noah said.


    He extended his mind toward hers and unleashed Empty Proliferation.


    The world crumpled around them both. The Damned Plains vanished as Noah plunged into Lee¡¯s mindspace.


    ***


    Thick, inky darkness swirled all around Noah. It twisted at his feet, threatening to swallow his body whole if he stood still for too long.


    Before him floated a massive conglomeration of runes, still bound by Azel¡¯s power. Viscous strands of soul-matter ran down from it and bound the rune deeply to Lee¡¯s body. It was exactly as he remembered it.


    Even though he had Sticky¡¯s Rune to work with, this wasn¡¯t going to be easy. Decras¡¯ runes were ingrained into Lee¡¯s from the core. The first step would tell him if the process was viable, but completely transitioning away from Decras would probably take weeks if Noah wanted to avoid killing Lee.


    Noah was silent for several long seconds. Then his features thinned. ¡°I¡¯m greedier than you think, Lee. I¡¯m not going to let you stay like this. I won¡¯t let your runes destroy you ¡ª even if I have to fight you to fix them. I won¡¯t leave you behind.¡±


    She let out a small giggle. ¡°I¡¯m not going to stay behind, Noah. I¡¯ve spent a lot of time thinking. About me. About demons. About our runes and about patterns. And in the end... I just wanted you to be here.¡±


    ¡°To be here for what?¡± Noah asked, a flicker of unease building within him.


    ¡°To watch,¡± Lee replied. ¡°Thanks for trying so hard to save me, but you pulled it off a long time ago. I don¡¯t want Sticky¡¯s rune. You¡¯ve showed me so much ever since I got to the mortal plane. You and Moxie and everyone else ¡ª you showed me what it is to have a family. To be human. Now now I want to show you something.¡±


    ¡°Lee¡ª¡±


    ¡°I want everything ¡ª and replacing my Demon Runes would change that. I don¡¯t want to change. I want to be more. And that power can¡¯t be given. It has to be taken,¡± Lee said. Her features set in determination. ¡°I¡¯m going to show you what it is to be a demon.¡±


    Lee turned to look directly at the rune floating in the center of her soul. She extended a hand toward it and the rune lurched. The bindings that Azel had placed upon it snapped with loud cracks.


    She extended a hand toward the rune and curled her fingers inward. Her soul rumbled. Power burned within the inky darkness surrounding them and the rune trembled as it shrank down, twisting in on itself until it was the size of her palm.


    ¡°Lee?¡± Noah asked. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°The same thing you did,¡± Lee replied. Horns tore free from her forehead, their ends glistening a brilliant blood red. The demon¡¯s lips curled into a determined smile. ¡°Making a Rune needs 3 components, and this is the inciting event.¡±


    Her rune floated to hover before Lee, no larger than an apple. Power buzzed and crackled within it like a miniature storm. The rune did not like being crushed down. Lee plucked it from the air, arcs of energy burning across her palm as her grip tightened on it.


    She bit down on the Rune.


    It shattered. The strands binding it to her soul snapped and power exploded free, tearing through the darkness all around Lee. A wall of pressure slammed into Noah and launched him back, sending him skidding across the slick ground.


    Thoughts and feelings mixed with the energy as it pulsed through the darkness. Fear and desire. For the briefest instant, it felt as if Noah had stepped into Lee¡¯s very mind. A Demon was their Runes, and she had just spilled that energy everywhere.


    Thousands of loud cracks echoed out. Cracks tore through Lee¡¯s soul, sending an ocean of white light spilling into it.


    ¡°No!¡± Noah yelled. ¡°You still need¡ª¡±


    And then the words died in his throat. Blood poured down Lee¡¯s face and seams split all across her body as it came apart together with her soul, but her features had not lost an ounce of their determination.


    The vast majority of power from the rune was still gathered in her mouth. Her eyes flicked to meet Noah¡¯s.


    Then she swallowed. Every scrap of power within the soul howled as it was ripped toward Lee. Claws pushed out from her fingertips as she carved lines into the air, drawing a pattern.


    Noah¡¯s back stiffened. All the fear and desire within Lee had formed into a thick miasma, but the stronger it grew, the more it felt odd. There was something strange about it.


    Something familiar.


    And just like that, Noah realized what Lee had done. She was using all the energy contained within her Rune to connect back to its source.


    And in that moment, far in the darkest reaches of the universe, Decras¡¯ eyes went wide.

 Chapter 579: Lee

    Chapter 579: Lee


    Nestled deep within the cracks that spanned throughout the edges of the universe, a banquet hall of silver glistened amidst a sea of empty white. The hall was enormous, with a ceiling that rose so far above that a sea of distant stars rested below its ceiling.


    A long, grandiose table ran down the room¡¯s length, lined with hundreds of gilded chairs on each side. Every single one of them was empty.


    The table came to a stop hundreds of feet away from a raised platform, where two plain chairs had been set up before a large disk of dark water that floated like a mirror, an image of another plane rippling upon its surface.


    Between the pair of chairs was a pedestal made from pitch black night. Silver trimming ran up its rippling surface. The pedestal was plain, yet the magic within it was so immense that any mortal lucky enough to lay eyes upon it likely would have found their understanding of runic patterns magnified by a hundredfold ¡ª if their mind managed to survive the experience.


    And upon the pedestal, a priceless artifact made of magic that would have been worth more wealth than what entire nations could ever dream to possess, was a bowl of chocolate.


    There were only two beings within the room. They sat on either side of the bowl, slumped back in the chairs with their feet kicked up on small stools with more than a few chocolate stains on their faces ¡ª and they were both frozen mid-bite.


    ¡°Impossible,¡± Decras breathed, his words echoing through the empty room like a distant storm. But even as he spoke, he knew that his words were false.


    A tiny chunk of his power had been bitten away. It was so small that he had no doubt it would regenerate within a few mere years, but it was there. Disbelief swirled within him like a raging sea and he cast his mind inward without an instant of hesitation.


    His surprise only grew stronger as he looked upon his Divine Rune. For several long minutes, he could do nothing but stare. A chunk had been ripped free of him. It should not have been possible.


    He had lost small segments of power before. Revin had consumed a gift Decras had given him, using the connection to siphon a tiny segment of power away. Wizen had done much the same with an ancient artifact that Decras had lost a long time ago. Noah had repeated the trick with a few droplets of his blood.


    But this ¡ª this should have been impossible. His power had not been stolen by someone using a physical catalyst. It had been bitten out of him. For the first time in thousands of years, Decras could not believe his eyes.


    Fury burst through the dam of surprise and his features tightened. Decras extended a hand and a spear slammed into it, pitch black energy roiling throughout its length.


    What manner of creature dares steal from me?


    Decras extended his senses. The pattern of the thief still twisted through space, and his soul slipped through reality as he followed after it with a thought. A mortal claiming a minuscule portion of his power through a connection was one thing.


    That was his fault. His mistake. It would be unfair to punish them for claiming the power that had been laid before them. But to take directly from his runes... there were some things that Decras could not allow.


    The world twisted and collapsed around Decras as he followed the line of the pattern back to its source. He had absolutely no idea what could have known his pattern so well as to be able to rip magic away from him. It didn¡¯t matter.


    Such an insult was far too great to be allowed. He would not permit it. They would be ground out and crushed.


    Color exploded through the darkness as Decras¡¯ soul arrived at the location of the thief¡¯s pattern ¡ª and Decras¡¯ eyes widened in surprise.


    He knew this place.


    An obsidian platform trimmed with beautiful gold and stuffed to the brim with minute imbuements floated in a sea of void magic.


    He was in Sievan¡¯s domain.


    Impossible. Sievan could not have taken my power. He could not comprehend my path. He could not comprehend any path. That failure ¡ª my failure ¡ª is why he cannot ascend beyond the limits of the flawed form I created.


    Did that greedy little shit Noah take even more of my power?


    He drew on every scrap of power that the Fragment of Renewal had to offer. There was only one thing he could do for Lee now, and he¡¯d be damned if he let her soul collapse around him.


    Healing energy poured out from his palms and fought to enter Lee¡¯s soul. It battled to seal the cracks, but it was a losing fight. There was so much damage ¡ª so much power ¡ª that the damage was appearing faster than the Fragment of Renewal could knit it shut.


    Noah yelled into the howling wind, but his words were swallowed by the storm before they could even leave his mouth. There was nothing more he could do. He was a spectator, only able to help Lee from the sidelines.


    Black flashes of magical energy lit the sky. Decras¡¯ presence bore down on Noah, activating Sunder and sending the rune trembling in his soul. Despite the severity of the situation, he couldn¡¯t help but be impressed.


    Lee actually managed to pull it off. She ripped power out of Decras, and she didn¡¯t even have his blood like I did.


    The vortex around Lee thrummed and tightened, pulling together and twisting in on itself as more of it poured into her mouth. Her hands clenched and her back stiffened, but she continued to pull it into herself. It struck Noah that she was slurping Decras¡¯ magic up like it was a giant bowl of noodles.


    White light poured off the cracks riddling Lee¡¯s soul and blood poured down her face from her nose and eyes. Her entire body trembled, but she didn¡¯t relent. If anything, the weakness only pushed her harder. Determination burned within her eyes like two distant flames.


    And then something shifted. The cracks growing beneath Noah¡¯s feet slowed. Then they stopped their advance. Pearlescent energy twisted within them and began to knit the damage shut.


    The breath in Noah¡¯s chest caught.


    More of the cracks slowed their growth. The vortex weakened, and the last of its power vanished between Lee¡¯s lips.


    Rivers of white energy exploded out from Lee¡¯s feet and twisted through the floor of her heavily damaged soul.


    And, to Noah¡¯s disbelief, the cracks riddling the darkness changed. They sharpened and changed their shape even as they fought to seal. The damage wasn¡¯t made whole ¡ª but it was changed into something more.


    She¡¯d turned the cracks in her mindspace into a pattern.


    There was a brilliant flash of light. Noah squeezed his eyes shut and raised his hands before his face. A wall of pressure slammed into his chest and he stumbled a step back, already forcing his eyes open as he squinted to find Lee.


    She stood alone in the center of a sea of twisting black and white, the pattern of a rune carved into the bottom of her mindspace with cracks of soul damage.


    Her soul had changed, but it wasn¡¯t alone. Her body had joined it. Two jagged horns jutted up from her forehead, and her small, pointed teeth had grown a little wider. But, most noticeably, a pair of leathery, jet-black wings jutted out from her back like those of a bat.


    Lee swayed.


    Noah burst into motion, arriving right in time to catch her by the shoulders as she pitched forward. Her eyes fluttered as she squinted up at him.


    ¡°I think I did it,¡± Lee muttered. ¡°Did I do it?¡±


    Noah looked down at the rune flickering beneath him. While the other cracks in Lee¡¯s soul were fighting to seal themselves, the white lines directly beneath his feet were unmoving. They were a pattern ¡ª and one that he could read.


    Fragment of Lee


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Noah said, awe gripping his words like a vice. ¡°You did it, Lee.¡±

 Chapter 580: More

    Chapter 580: More


    Noah remained with Lee in her soul and the two of them stood in silence as they watched her soul damage slowly stitch itself shut as the Fragment of Renewal worked its magic. She didn¡¯t seem quite ready to return to the others yet, and he still had some energy in Empty Proliferation.


    It would be quite a while before Lee¡¯s soul was completely fixed. Days, at the minimum. There was a good chance she¡¯d need another usage of the Fragment of Renewal to completely repair her.


    But not every wound was healing. The soul damage that Lee had used to carve her own Fragment of Self at the bottom of her soul hadn¡¯t altered in the slightest. White light leaked through the perfectly smooth lines and into the darkness of her soul. The Fragment of Renewal hadn¡¯t even tried to touch them.


    Worry twisted in Noah¡¯s stomach and made throat clench. He hated seeing anyone he cared about in pain ¡ª and there was no chance that having gaping holes like these in her soul was going to be comfortable for Lee.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Lee¡¯s voice broke through he silence. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Noah asked.


    ¡°No. I lied. It feels like I stubbed my toe a hundred thousand times all at once.¡±


    ¡°At least you¡¯re being honest.¡± A small smile pulled at the corners of Noah¡¯s lips. ¡°And your soul? How does it feel? Intact?¡±


    ¡°Like I carved a rune into it,¡± Lee said. She looked down at the lines glowing by her feet, then back up to him. She lifted a hand to touch the horns protruding from her skull, running a finger along one of them. ¡°Are you mad at me?¡±


    ¡°Why would I be mad at you?¡±


    ¡°Because I lied.¡±


    ¡°Lying about not being hurt isn¡¯t going to make me mad at you.¡±


    ¡°Not about that,¡± Lee said. She shook her head, then winced at the motion. Evidently, she was in a fair bit more pain than she was letting on. ¡°About everything.¡±


    ¡°Everything? That feels like a bit of an exaggeration.¡± Noah crossed his legs beneath him and sat down. He couldn¡¯t help but notice that the floor of Lee¡¯s soul was no longer syrupy. It was cold and glossy, a sea of obsidian.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you that I knew what my emotion was.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t always know.¡±


    ¡°But I did for a while. I let you do a bunch of work for no reason. All because I was selfish.¡± Lee sat down beside Noah, but she kept her gaze firmly affixed on the distant cracks in her soul.


    ¡°It had a reason,¡± Noah said. ¡°I did this for you, but it¡¯ll help other demons everywhere.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll help the ones that are willing to let go of their emotion. None of the strong ones will ever take you up on it. Most of the weaker ones won¡¯t either. Why do you think Sievan said no? Demons become their emotions, Noah. We don¡¯t want to lose that.¡±


    ¡°Then that¡¯s their choice to make,¡± Noah said with a small shrug. ¡°You found a way to make it work. You¡¯re still you, aren¡¯t you? Maybe they¡¯ll do that as well.¡±


    Lee turned to look at him. ¡°Do you really not care that I tricked you?¡±


    ¡°Tricked is a strong word for it,¡± Noah said slowly. He mulled over Lee¡¯s words. She wasn¡¯t just looking for him to mindlessly promise he didn¡¯t care about what she¡¯d done. That would just be dismissive of her emotions. ¡°I think everyone has ulterior motives at some points. I¡¯d have preferred you to be honest with me, but you weren¡¯t in an easy situation. I¡¯m more just relieved that you¡¯re okay.¡±


    ¡°Even though I¡¯m not going to lose my demonic traits?¡±


    ¡°Did you think I was trying to find a cure for you because I wanted to purge you of the things that made you a demon?¡± Noah asked, blinking in surprise.


    I guess Lee finally figured out¡ª


    ¡°And food,¡± Lee said, her voice muffled against his robes. ¡°I still love food. But not as much as you and Moxie.¡±


    Eh. Baby steps.


    ***


    Decras¡¯ consciousness stared down at Lee. The disbelief he felt was something that had not been matched in ¡ª he couldn¡¯t remember how long. Not even Revin had managed something like this.


    It was more than a feat.


    It was impossible.


    And yet, sitting in the center of the obsidian platform with two new horns jutting from her head and tears streaking down her cheeks, was an impossibility. Her soul was stabilizing. Decras could still feel the immense damage that had been done to it.


    The damage was enough that any demon of her rank should have been dead ¡ª but Lee was not dead. As a matter of fact, she was stronger than she¡¯d ever been. The girl had ripped enough power from Decras and the fragmented mess of runes within her soul to form a Rank 4 Fragment of Self.


    At some point, Decras realized that Sievan was looking at him. There was a small, satisfied smile on the demon¡¯s features. It struck Decras that the expression looked oddly... correct on Sievan. Decras couldn¡¯t remember the last time Sievan had smiled.


    He¡¯d always been so serious. So driven to achieve the pinnacle, pushed by Decras¡¯ own power to seek something that could never be his. At least, that was what Decras had thought.


    Now it seemed that he had been wrong on all fronts. Perhaps there really was a path forward for Sievan. For every demon.


    And that path hadn¡¯t come from him.


    Decras looked up to the small pocket of void surrounding Sievan¡¯s lair. It was empty and dark. It was familiar, but somehow, it felt different to his eyes. But it was not the darkness of the void that had changed. It was the same as it had always been.


    The one that had changed was Decras.


    And, in the minuscule spot that Lee had taken a bite out of his powers, something shifted. Power bloomed where there had been none. But this was not the same kind of power that had been there before.


    How fascinating.


    It seems I have been proven wrong. Not by another god. By mortals. Perhaps there have been scales over my eyes. For many years, I have looked to the heavens in search of enlightenment in my path.


    There were many types of power in the universe, but in the end, Runes were merely patterns. The greater one¡¯s understanding of a pattern was, the more powerful it became. That was a universal law, even once a Divine Rune had been formed.


    But enlightenment did not come easy. There were very few things that Decras had not experienced in this portion of the universe.


    But today, he witnessed something new.


    Today, his Divine Rune had advanced.


    Renewal is going to be insufferable about this, but I do not think I can bring myself to care.


    What fascinating creatures these mortals are. It seems I still have more to learn.

 Chapter 581: Friends

    Chapter 581: Friends


    Noah only let Lee¡¯s mindspace fall away once Empty Proliferation had been completely run down to its core. He found himself in the Damned Plains once more, seated upon Sievan¡¯s obsidian platform.


    Everyone had gathered around him and Lee. Sticky clutched onto the Key so tightly that her small knuckles turned white and Moxie was frozen mid-pace, her face so creased with stress that Noah feared she was about to start sprouting white hairs by the dozen.


    Noah couldn¡¯t help but notice that Sievan¡¯s attention seemed to be directed toward the ceiling rather than toward him. The Lord of Death noticed his attention and let his head tilt down just enough for Noah to spot the faint smile that passed over and left his features like a summer breeze. He blinked the last of the Rune¡¯s effects away as Lee¡¯s eyes drifted open beside him.


    ¡°Moxie!¡± Lee launched herself at the other woman.


    Moxie only had an instant to process her surprise before a demon missile slammed into her. The demon wrapped around Moxie, clinging to her like a koala ¡ª and swiping a piece of jerky from her pockets in the process.


    ¡°Lee,¡± Moxie said, palpable relief washing over her features. Her eyes flicked to Noah. ¡°Did¡ª¡±


    ¡°Fixed. And it isn¡¯t even my fault.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°I ate my Rune,¡± Lee said, but her words were spoken straight into Moxie¡¯s side and were barely audible.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t need mine?¡± Sticky asked. It was hard to tell if she was relieved or disappointed. ¡°Did it not work?¡±


    ¡°No. I used yours,¡± Lee said, unentangling herself from Moxie just enough to free a hand and pat the other demon on the head. ¡°I ate it.¡±


    ¡°You ate my rune?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It was very useful,¡± Lee said.


    Sticky smiled. ¡°Oh. Okay, then. Sievan, will you eat my rune too?¡±


    The Lord of Death let out a gentle laugh. ¡°No. Not today, Sticky. But perhaps one day. After the damage to my soul has healed. After I have had time to think.¡±


    Sticky¡¯s face fell.


    Lee¡¯s words echoed through Noah¡¯s head. Sticky¡¯s Rune may have been a way that demons could fix themselves... but that didn¡¯t mean they¡¯d want to take it. The stronger a demon became, the closer to their emotion they were.


    Something tells me they can¡¯t all do what Lee did. She said she was the worst demon, and her desire was everything. So if a demon is hyper focused on one thing, who knows if they¡¯ll be willing to give it up, even if that means they can never advance.


    That was a problem for another time ¡ª specifically, when he had some time to speak with Yoru and Aylin. They were his best references for demons right now, and he had no plans of giving up on their race now that they knew there was a solution to the problem when he had so many friends and allies that were demons.


    ¡°So... Lee is okay?¡± Moxie asked a second time. Her voice was tense, too scared to let herself start hoping. She managed to wrangle Lee for long enough to hold her out like an elongated cat. ¡°You¡¯re okay?¡±


    ¡°My rune is fixed. I took a bite out of Decras, just like Noah. I... yeah. That¡¯s it. Didn¡¯t do anything else.¡±


    Noah squinted at her. Moxie, who normally would have never missed such an obvious interaction, was a little caught up on the first part of Lee¡¯s admission. Her mouth dropped open.


    ¡°You did what?¡±


    ¡°Quite literally that,¡± Noah said, walking over to Moxie and gently extracting Lee from her hands so she could have a moment to actually think. Lee didn¡¯t try to fight back. Other than eating, there wasn¡¯t much she enjoyed more than getting carried around. ¡°I think we¡¯re going to need to put together a charcuterie board at this rate. A fruit basket might not cut it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you cannot be¡ª¡± Moxie cut herself off and turned away for a moment to wipe her face with a sleeve. She let out a long, slow breath as she steadied herself, fighting to hold her emotions down. ¡°I can¡¯t leave either of you alone for more than a minute.¡±


    ¡°We do kind of need a supervisor, don¡¯t we?¡± Noah asked.


    ¡°Sometimes,¡± Lee said. ¡°But that makes it harder to eat the squirrels.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s it for?¡± Moxie asked. ¡°Lee?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Sievan replied. ¡°You.¡±


    ***


    Moxie and Sievan headed down the floating stairwell to retrieve her rune. Apparently, Sievan didn¡¯t have it on hand. That was fine with Noah. He set about the surprisingly difficult task of duplicating Sticky¡¯s rune.


    The difficulty was almost entirely because his grimoire had decided it had worked enough without sufficient pay and stubbornly refused to give up any magical energy until he¡¯d finally prodded it into submission.


    Sievan and Moxie returned just a few minutes after Noah wrapped up his work. Sticky¡¯s portal was almost entirely complete beside him, the final strands of energy twisting together into a twisting crimson maw that yawned open in wait for them.


    There was an odd look on Moxie¡¯s face. It was an odd mixture of pensiveness, unease, and what might have been interest. It was a look that told Noah that he¡¯d have to ask her exactly what Sievan had given her after they got a moment alone.


    Sievan harvested the duplicate Sticky rune from the book, then sent a bemused look at the grimoire¡¯s pages.


    ¡°Do you know what this is?¡± Sievan asked.


    ¡°Do you?¡± Noah¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Will you tell¡ª¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Sievan said with a wry smile. ¡°I suspect it would be displeased if I did.¡±


    ¡°What, you¡¯re scared of a book?¡±


    ¡°Me? No. But it is amusing,¡± Sievan replied. ¡°What a curious little... conglomeration. It seems to rather like you.¡±


    The grimoire snapped shut on Noah¡¯s hand. He let out a slew of curses and yanked his fingers free of its thick pages, slinging the huge book over his back. ¡°You could have fooled me.¡±


    Despite his words, he hadn¡¯t forgotten how the Grimoire had saved his students ¡ª or how it had talked to him.


    Yet another long conversation he was going to have soon.


    One that he looked forward to.


    There was a sharp pop. A wave of invisible energy rolled past Noah and prickled against his skin. Sticky¡¯s hands dropped and her back slouched as she blew out a relieved breath. She looked too tired to do anything more than give them a small smile.


    ¡°I did it. I opened a connection back to the mortal plane.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re incredible, Sticky,¡± Noah said with a grin. He hesitated. ¡°How do we control where it goes?¡±


    ¡°I set it to the place you told your friends to meet you,¡± Sticky replied. Her cheeks reddened. ¡°We were listening in.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s convenient. Great job. Sievan, is Zath¡ª¡±


    ¡°Finished with the task I set him.¡± Sievan nodded. ¡°They are prepared.¡±


    The Lord of Death cast his gaze down the stairwell. Noah followed it. The Rank 7 Demon stepped out from the hall, clearly having been called by Sievan. In his wake were a number of familiar faces.


    Noah smiled as he looked back to the portal. Excitement and a smidge of anxiety rose within him. After all this time, he was finally returning to the mortal plane ¡ª and properly, this time around. Noah was returning to his students.


    He just hoped they wouldn¡¯t mind that he was bringing a few new friends back with him.

 Chapter 582: A thousand

    Chapter 582: A thousand


    Inquisitor Twistfinger was becoming increasingly certain that there was something odd happening at Arbitage.


    He ran his thumb over the smooth surface of a large, bone bead in his rosary. The evidence had been building up day by day. Missing Inquisitors. Traces of demonic energy. Reports of demon sightings ¡ª though the latter was always a dubious way to determine much of anything.


    Every fool farmer with a quill convinced themselves that some large, half-blind rodent with an odd patch in its fur was a demon when it made off with their worthless crops. Reports were almost always made by yammering fools.


    Almost always.


    Twistfinger hooked his finger around the bead and pushed it down the thread. Anger welled in his stomach. There was evidence ¡ª but just not quite enough to justify an Inquisition. If this had happened years ago, one would have already happened. It it would have happened when several Inquisitors went missing near the Linwick Estate. It should have happened again when another Inquisitor on leave had gone missing while investigating Arbitage itself.


    But it had not.


    The Inquisition had gotten complacent, but there was more than that. Information had gotten delayed. Lost. The details of the missing Inquisitors had been purged. Twistfinger had only even realized they were missing because of his personal reviews of records. Nobody had properly reported their deaths.


    Someone was interfering.


    They were interfering to such a degree that when Twistfinger had brought his findings to the other Head Inquisitors, they had quietly smothered his findings. Some promised to look into things, then did nothing. Others just told him he was a paranoid fool. They said he saw shadows where there was only light.


    Twistfinger¡¯s jaw clenched. Old wounds in his neck throbbed, but he ignored them. Anger was a tool. Emotions were a tool. He was not controlled by his desires. They obeyed his will.


    The anger evaporated, crushed under the weight of his willpower. The rest of the Inquisition had been taken out of the battle. He did not know how it had been done. There were no obvious signs of mind control ¡ª not to mention how impossible it would have been to control the other heads of the Inquisition.


    Every Head was a Rank 6. They, just like he, had trained their entire lives to purge the threat of demonic influence from this realm. There was no way they all would have fallen to mind control. There was no mage powerful enough to pull that off.


    No, this was something else. Perhaps there was an inside agent undermining Twistfinger¡¯s efforts. A Head that had allied with the demons ¡ª or perhaps they had simply gotten lazy. There hadn¡¯t been a major demonic incursion in years. Complacency bred weakness.


    But whatever the reason, it didn¡¯t matter. Twistfinger had not become an Inquisitor to beg others for help. He had become an Inquisitor to act.


    And that was what he had done.


    Paved cobblestone rang beneath Twistfinger¡¯s Imbued boots as he strode across the street, a black cloak wrapped around his body and the hood pulled low over his head to hide the protective Imbuements that he had tattooed into his skin.


    He¡¯d considered bringing some of the younger Inquisitors along with him. Reinforcements would have been useful ¡ª but he couldn¡¯t bear with the thought of leading them to their deaths.


    Any threat powerful enough to effectively decapitate the rest of the Inquisition was far too great for a Rank 4 or 5. He had to deal with this himself.


    It was not a mission Twistfinger expected to return from.


    That thought hung around his neck like a noose, tightening with every step he took. He couldn¡¯t bear to think of the names of the other Heads. Not anymore. That would bring emotion, and emotion was weakness when it came to fighting demons.


    Today, his friends were nothing more than the Heads. And the Heads had been strong. They had been righteous. They would have never faltered from such a threat, but somehow, they had all been removed from the playing board.


    And if they had been removed, then he would be too. It was only a matter of time. He doubted he would be able to defeat what they could not. Not if he met the threat on its terms ¡ª and thus, he met it on his.


    Death may wait for me today, but I will not die without purpose.


    Twistfinger¡¯s death would not be so simple to conceal. He had left letters detailing every scrap of what he set out to do today.


    A hundred of them, to be specific. Twistfinger had written until his fingers bled. Some had already been delivered. Others had orders to be delivered, while some were hidden among his belongings.


    There would be record of what he did today. And there were more branches of Inquisitors. He had sent letters to them, too. He would have liked to seek them out directly, but the others were far more... discreet than the main branch.


    ¡°I do.¡± Father raised the glass to his lips and took a sip from it. He let out a satisfied sigh, but his eyes didn¡¯t so much as flicker. They remained flat and dead. He hadn¡¯t taken so much as a scrap of pleasure from the action. It was just for show.


    ¡°Then speak. Do you cavort with demons?¡±


    Twistfinger ran a finger over the bone rosary, sending power into it. Energy burned within the beads, seeking demons to resonate with.


    Father didn¡¯t so much as flinch.


    ¡°That is an interesting question. If you had asked it some time ago, I would have said yes. I would have been wrong, but you would have believed me. Today, my answer is no, but you will not believe me.¡±


    ¡°Illogical,¡± Twistfinger said. He did not let his expression change, but every one of his senses dialed to the max. Father had just admitted to working with demons. He gathered every scrap of potential emotion and crushed them, shoving them far back into his mind and locking them away. ¡°I do not understand, but did you just confirm you have worked or attempted to work with demons?¡±


    ¡°Something is not illogical simply because you do not understand it,¡± Father said. He rose from his chair, then gently took the glass of wine and set it on a shelf beside himself. ¡°But I do not expect someone with a world scope as narrow as yours to understand that.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t reacting to the beads at all. Twistfinger poured even more energy into the artifact, but Father remained unbothered. That should have been impossible. Even if Father had only summoned a demon, the residual energy should have reacted with the rosary¡¯s magic.


    ¡°Do you think this is a game?¡± Twistfinger rasped. ¡°Do you know what is at stake?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. More than you ever could. But I believe words are wasted when it is just the two of us, Inquisitor. I have an appointment to be at very soon, so I have only cut you out a small block of my time.¡±


    ¡°You do not dictate the time we have, Linwick. You do not seem to be influenced by any demonic sources, but I will be thoroughly examining your estate. Cooperate or die.¡±


    ¡°Children.¡± Father blew out a disappointed breath. The sentiment still failed to reach his eyes. ¡°So pushy. So insistent. But I suppose this makes things simple for me. I should thank you. You did deliver yourself to me, after all. That makes this much easier.¡±


    ¡°You speak arrogantly. I sense your power, and though we may both be Rank 6, your runes are far weaker than mine. Have you forgotten the immense difference that even a single Rank 6 rune can generate?¡±


    Father tilted his head to the side. Then a chuckle started deep in his chest. It intensified until his entire body was shaking, and to Twistfinger¡¯s unease, for the first time, he saw an emotion in the other man¡¯s eyes.


    Amusement.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame you came now. You might have been an interesting piece to play. Unfortunately for both of us, the game has progressed past the point in which you would be useful.¡± Father walked back to his desk and lowered himself into his chair. The emotions evaporated from his features.


    ¡°If you will not speak, then I will force you to,¡± Twistfinger said. He clasped his hands together and his blood responded from within him. It was purified with silver and completely toxic to demons ¡ª and humans.


    Cuts opened up across his palms and blood welled up from the cuts, twisting into the air and forming into two massive scythes that floated at Twistfinger¡¯s sides. They hummed with magic, imbued with enough power to cut through even another Rank 6 mage¡¯s domain.


    ¡°You will tell me of what has happened to the Inquisition. I will not allow you to escape.¡±


    ¡°Escape?¡± Father frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving this room, Inquisitor. Not yet. Now, are you certain you don¡¯t want a drink? It¡¯s customary to offer.¡±


    Twistfinger didn¡¯t let Father¡¯s taunts burrow under his skin. He needed answers ¡ª but the other mage could answer without an arm.


    His domain exploded out around him and he burst into motion, the scythes at his sides flying along with him as they flew toward Father.


    Father¡¯s eyes flicked up. And, for the first time, he locked gazes with Twistfinger.


    There was a sound like a thousand breaths slipping from punctured lungs.


    Twistfinger crumpled.

 Chapter 583: Introductions

    Chapter 583: Introductions


    Isabel shifted from foot to foot, squeezing bunches of the inner material of her pant pockets in a tight grip. Ash and burnt sticks crunched beneath her feet as she tried and failed to remain still.


    Her nerves were completely shot, and she wasn¡¯t the only one. The rest of Noah¡¯s class gathered around her, along with just about everyone else they knew.


    Todd stood at Isabel¡¯s side; Emily and James several feet behind him. Alexandra and Yulin joined them, and they were flanked by Silvertide, Bird, Jalen, and Brayden. Every one of them was trying and failing to conceal their worry.


    Even Jalen was uncharacteristically silent. He stared at the space before Isabel, arms crossed and hands tucked under his armpits.


    It had been a day since the end of the exam.


    They¡¯d won, and Isabel barely even remembered it. Isabel had taken first place, while Emily had taken second. Fiona, supposedly the best student in the Advanced Track, had ended up in third, much to her immense displeasure and disbelief.


    None of them had attended the award ceremony ¡ª nor had they had anything to say about the mysterious disappearance of Jakob, Verrud, and Marley. Nobody had questioned them much. Perhaps that would come later, or perhaps not. There was something far more important on all of their minds.


    Noah, Moxie, and Lee¡¯s return.


    And so now they stood in the Scorched Acres, waiting like lost children. Noah had promised that he would return. He wouldn¡¯t lie to them.


    ¡°He¡¯s going to show up any second,¡± Todd said. There was a note of strain in his voice that stood out like a sore thumb. ¡°He always does.¡±


    ¡°Stop saying it like he¡¯s dead,¡± Isabel said firmly. ¡°We saw him. A day ago. He said he¡¯ll be back. He¡¯ll be back.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been twenty three hours and ten minutes since he said that,¡± Yulin supplied. ¡°There are still fifty minutes left for him to keep the promise. But... is he really breaking out of the Damned Plains? Is that possible?¡±


    ¡°He did it once,¡± Emily said stiffly. ¡°But what about Moxie? Can she come too? What if she¡¯s stuck there?¡±


    ¡°Professor Vermil said they¡¯d all be back,¡± James said through a yawn as he paced back and forth behind Emily, dry sticks crunching beneath his feet. ¡°Just relax. He¡¯ll be here any moment.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re relaxed, why aren¡¯t you just sitting like you always do?¡± Emily asked, prodding him irritably. ¡°Stop pacing already! You¡¯re driving me up a wall.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, everyone.¡± Alexandra¡¯s hands tightened at her sides. ¡°Professor Vermil wouldn¡¯t break a promise to us. Just wait.¡±


    ¡°Are you really sure he was there yesterday?¡± Jalen asked. ¡°We didn¡¯t hallucinate it, did we? That¡¯s what missing games of darts does to a man, you know. It¡¯s a cruel torture. Do you know how long I¡¯ve had to wait to have a good opponent, only for him to up and vanish? Cruel indeed.¡±


    ¡°It was your magic that showed him to us,¡± Silvertide said, glaring at Jalen. ¡°Would you stop being insufferable for one minute?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Jalen said.


    A prickle of energy rolled across Isabel¡¯s back. She stiffened, and everyone else did too. They¡¯d all felt it.


    Something was happening. Her eyes darted around as the sensation grew stronger, and a dull buzzing sensation built in the back of her mind.


    Isabel drew on her Master Rune. Emily¡¯s ice bow snapped into her hands with a crackle, and everyone else readied their magic as well. Even Jalen¡¯s eyes sharpened. A wave of pressure rolled out from him, pressing against Isabel¡¯s back ¡ª restrained, but only barely.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Moxie called, raising a hand to forestall everyone. ¡°It¡¯s not an enemy.¡±


    ¡°We made some friends!¡± Lee exclaimed cheerfully, waving to them. ¡°Hi everyone! Did you bring me any snacks?¡±


    And then a demon boy stepped out from within the portal. Two wicked horns curled along the sides of his head. His head turned on a swivel as he took in the Scorched Acres, lips parted in childlike awe ¡ª but there was something about his eyes that set Isabel on end. They were like two black, endless pools of hunger and intelligence.


    He¡¯s dangerous.


    But he wasn¡¯t the only one. After the demon came a girl, her body stocky but lithe. She scanned over the group with a critical eye, her hands clenched at her sides and shifting from foot to foot as if ready to burst into motion at a moment¡¯s notice. She positioned herself beside the boy as he looked around the forest, glaring at everyone as if challenging them to attack.


    Another young demon woman followed after them, this one covered with sleek black fur. Her movements were difficult to track, as if the shadows clung to her very body. She slunk behind the others, wary eyes scanning over the gathered crowd as she sheparded two small demons along with her. They couldn¡¯t have been more than fourteen or fifteen years old.


    The two groups stared at each other for a long few seconds.


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± Bird muttered, rather aptly. Her arms fell limp at her sides.


    ¡°What?¡± Noah asked, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. ¡°We might have made a few friends while we were down in hell. It happens, you know?¡±


    The portal rippled again, and another small demon emerged from it. She didn¡¯t look much older than the last two, probably somewhere around fourteen. Her eyes were firmly affixed on the ground as if scared to meet anyone¡¯s gaze. A key clutched in her hands pulsated with a dim red light that matched the portal behind her.


    Isabel couldn¡¯t tell if she wanted to laugh or cry.


    What in the Damned Plains ¡ª literally ¡ª is going on? Did Noah bring every single demon back up with him? Surely this is...


    The portal rippled once more. A final demon emerged from within it, long silver hair trailing long the ground behind her. The demon¡¯s face was covered by a white mask with a blue design depicting a single eye upon its front.


    ¡°We¡¯re all here!¡± Lee said happily. ¡°Good job, Sticky!¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± the demon holding the key said shyly. She shuffled her feet on the ground, and the portal finally snapped shut.


    The two groups stared at each other. For several long seconds, neither of them said anything. Even if Isabel could have mustered the words to speak, she wasn¡¯t sure what she would have said.


    Finally, Silvertide let out a mixture between a choked laugh and a cough.


    ¡°What happened down there? Where is Wizen? And how did you get the key?¡±


    Noah cleared his throat.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story... but I think I should probably start with some introductions, huh?¡±

 Chapter 584: Common

    Isabel, the rest of Noah¡¯s students, and all of the professors in the clearing sat in a circle with seven demons ¡ª eight, if she counted Lee. She was in the process of doing a remarkable job at keeping her eye from twitching as the everyone listed off their names and an interesting fact about themselves.


    ¡°My name is Sticky,¡± the small demon clutching the key in both of her hands like it was a sword said, peering out from beneath her hair shyly. ¡°I died once, but I got better.¡±


    You can¡¯t be serious. Another Noah?


    ¡°You have to give us more than that. Give me details!¡± Jalen exclaimed, throwing his hands into the air. He seemed to be the only one in the circle who was actually enjoying the exercise. Aside from him, all the other professors had been pretty caught up over the fact that they were sitting in a group of apparently friendly demons. Noah¡¯s reassurances that nobody was going to be killing anyone managed to placate them, but there was definitely more than a little unease.


    Isabel and the rest of the humans had started the ¡®sharing circle¡¯ ¡ª as Noah referred to it ¡ª though Jalen had taken nearly half of their time talking about how bored he¡¯d been for the past few weeks.


    ¡°I¡¯m a new kind of demon,¡± Sticky said.


    ¡°You¡¯re a what now?¡± Silvertide asked, leaning forward. ¡°A new kind? What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Next person!¡± Noah said, clapping his hands together. ¡°Don¡¯t put too much stress on Sticky, please. She¡¯s just been through a lot. Aylin, you¡¯re up.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Aylin. If I figure anything new out from you, I might accidentally take a bite out of your runic energy,¡± the boy sitting beside Sticky said. ¡°I¡¯m honored to meet Spider¡¯s other minions.¡±


    Spider? Is that his name now? I suppose he went under a new alias when he was in the Damned Plains. Better than Professor Vermil, I guess.


    ¡°Students,¡± Noah corrected. ¡°Not minions.¡±


    ¡°How do you take bites out of¡ª¡± Todd started, lifting his hand and revealing a band on his hand. Then he winced and let out a slew of curses. ¡°Shit! That hurt! What was that?¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Aylin said. ¡°I was wondering how you summoned fire to use this early in the ranks. You use those metal bands, huh?¡±


    ¡°What¡ª¡±


    Todd clapped a hand over Isabel¡¯s mouth before she could finish the question. Then he just shook his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m working on it,¡± Aylin said sheepishly. ¡°I will try not to eat you on accident.¡±


    ¡°Is it my turn?¡± the muscular girl beside Aylin asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Noah said. ¡°No threats, please. Everyone here is a dear friend of mine.¡±


    ¡°My name is Violet. I am a Hoard Demon in Spider¡¯s merciful employ. Because he views you as his own, so long as you do not threaten those I care about, I will protect you all with my life.¡±


    Well, that¡¯s not coming on strong at all. I... guess she¡¯s got her head on right, at least? I can respect wanting to protect your friends. But ¡ª


    ¡°I am Vrith.¡± The catlike demon crossed her arms in front of her chest and said nothing else.


    Noah squinted at her. ¡°Fun fact, Virth. You need a fun fact. It¡¯s integral to the process.¡±


    ¡°Not to be detrimental, but what exactly is the process here?¡± James asked wearily. ¡°Because I¡¯m not certain I¡¯m seeing the point of this.¡±


    ¡°Bonding.¡± Noah crossed his arms in front of his chest. ¡°Bonding through shared trauma. Now, Vrith. Fun fact. On with it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a fun fact.¡±


    ¡°Everyone has a fun fact. You just aren¡¯t trying hard enough. I¡¯m sure I could come up with a few. What about how Aylin feeds¡ª¡±


    And then it was done. Everyone sat in the circle quietly for a few more long seconds. None of them spoke. Even if Isabel had wanted to, she had absolutely no idea what she should say.


    There were so many emotions twisting in her chest that she couldn¡¯t make one from the other. She had no idea what she¡¯d been expecting, but this was somehow the most Noah way that their professor could have returned.


    Finally, it was Yulin that broke the silence. The girl, who had been sitting in near complete silence the entire time, seemingly lost in contemplation of life, cleared her throat.


    ¡°Is... this how your class always is?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Emily said.


    ¡°Pretty much,¡± James said.


    ¡°Somewhat,¡± Alexandra added.


    ¡°Depends on the day,¡± Todd said. ¡°It¡¯s a little less deadly than normal today. Jalen isn¡¯t throwing darts at us.¡±


    ¡°Jalen throws darts at you?¡± Noah asked, blinking in surprise. ¡°Just how much did I miss?¡±


    ¡°A lot of fun, mostly,¡± Jalen said despondently. A smile stretched across his face and he rose to his feet. ¡°But something tells me you¡¯re going to make up for that soon enough. I really want to see how you¡¯re going to manage to slip a classroom full of demons into Arbitage grounds.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a few ideas,¡± Noah said, a small grin pulling at the corner of his lips. ¡°But that¡¯s definitely going to be a little problematic. I¡¯m hoping they don¡¯t mind camping out for a little while until we can find a way to do more proper lodgings.¡±


    ¡°Spending time in the mortal plane is like a dream come true,¡± Aylin said, looking around the Scorched Acres with wonder scrawled across his features. ¡°There¡¯s so much wood here. I¡¯m rich. I could stay here for a year.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t have to be anything that extreme,¡± Noah said with a chuckle. ¡°Just for long enough until I can figure out how to smuggle some demons into school grounds.¡±


    Yulin sent a sidelong glance at Alexandra. ¡°He¡¯s always like this?¡±


    ¡°Oh, usually much worse,¡± Alexandra replied absentmindedly. Her gaze was affixed on the demons, the curiosity in her expression undisguised. ¡°I think he¡¯s in a good mood today ¡ª but more importantly, are any of you willing to exchange sparring tips? I¡¯ve only fought one demon before. I bet there¡¯s a lot I could learn from you.¡±


    ¡°Predict all of your opponents moves perfectly and you¡¯ll never lose,¡± Yoru advised.


    ¡°Run away,¡± Sticky put in.


    ¡°Let Spider kill them for you,¡± Aylin suggested.


    ¡°Or Lee,¡± Vrith muttered.


    Noah clapped his hands together, a small smile on his face. He gestured for everyone to stand up. ¡°We don¡¯t have to remain in a circle forever, guys. Get to know each other ¡ª other than you, Aylin. Just talk about yourself. No asking him questions until he figures out how to get a handle on that magic.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m working on it,¡± Aylin said, his cheeks reddening.


    ¡°I know you are,¡± Noah said. ¡°And I¡¯m sure you will. Many of the people here will be able to help as well. We¡¯re taking a bit of a risk doing this, but I¡¯m not leaving any of you behind. Everyone is to treat each other as an equal. We can all learn a lot from each other. Keep any sparring to a minimum today until we can make sure everything is safe. I don¡¯t want anyone getting hurt, okay?¡±


    At that, every demon and human student in the clearing nodded. They rose to their feet, hesitantly at first, and the very beginnings of awkward conversation started up amongst them.


    Noah broke away to catch up with the other professors while the students continued their conversation. That conversation grew just a little less uncomfortable with every passing word.


    Demons and humans couldn¡¯t have possibly been more different from each other, but as it turned out, they had more than a few things in common as well.

 Chapter 585: Lorne

    Garina was halfway through taking a bite out of Ferdinand¡¯s sandwich when the wave of magic slammed into her like a roaring storm.


    Someone powerful had arrived within the empire. Someone that shouldn¡¯t have been there.


    Goosebumps erupted across her skin and her hair stood on end. She nearly choked on her bite as she shot up from the wooden lounge chair she sat in ¡ª though not too quicky. Garina didn¡¯t want to break the chair. Ferdinand had spent several hours making it.


    Her feet landed on the hot sand, her head already turning toward the source of the magic by the time she had risen.


    And then the presence vanished.


    Garina froze on the spot. She focused her senses, but it was fruitless. She found nothing. Confusion prickled at her mind and an uneasy blanket wrapped itself around her shoulders and weighed down on her back.


    ¡°Garina?¡± Ferdinand asked, glancing over from his chair. One of the cucumber slices he had on his eyes fell off and splattered to the sand beneath him. ¡°Is something wrong? Or did you already get back after dealing with it?¡±


    What was that? I know I just felt someone... right?


    There was no possibility that she¡¯d hallucinated it. But if she hadn¡¯t, that meant an immense presence had just broken through the barrier between planes and then vanished mere moments later as if it had never been there.


    The amount of power needed to do something like that was deeply concerning. There were a number of monstrous existences that could have pulled it off. None of them should have had the slightest interest in the empire.


    ¡°Someone just broke into the protected zone,¡± Garina said.


    ¡°Oh. Do you have to go deal with them? Also, you¡¯re crushing your sandwich.¡±


    Garina glanced down at her hand. It had been transformed into a ball of crushed bread and squashed ingredients. Sauce rolled down her fingers and dripped from her hand. Her eye twitched in annoyance.


    And now I¡¯ve gone and ruined a perfectly good meal. Gods damn it.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Garina said. ¡°And I would be happy to deal with them if I knew where they were.¡±


    Ferdinand sat straight upright, worry creasing his near-hairless face as realization passed over his features. ¡°You mean¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not that one. I still don¡¯t know where the first bastard that escaped me is.¡± Garina¡¯s expression darkened even further. ¡°I was unhappy enough when there was just one of them. Now there are two. Give me a second. And another sandwich.¡±


    She extended her hands and drew deeply on her magic, sending her magic twisting through the nature around them. It rolled across the waves lapping against the beach and stretched over the swaying forest behind them. Fingers of power extended across the entirety of the kingdom, trawling through the runic energy permeating the world for any traces of an intruder.


    It had been years since the last time someone had managed to trick Garina. And before that, it had been never.


    She¡¯d taken a few measures to ensure a similar issue didn¡¯t happen a second time around. Where there were great powers that did not want to be known, there were signs. A gap in power could be just as telling as an excess of it.


    For several long seconds, she stood as still as ice. Whoever this was, they were talented. There were nearly no traces of their arrival at all. But Garina had spent more than a few nights pissed off in bed and trying to figure out a way to ensure she was never made a fool of again.


    And, as it had turned out, there was only one real way to determine where someone immensely powerful and determined to conceal themselves was hiding. It was to memorize the patterns of every single location.


    Everything in the universe was a pattern. Runes bound even the most basic and simple of concepts together, permeating the very essence of every being. The world was no different. Its patterns were subtle, beautiful, and immensely infuriating. They constantly changed, an endless ebb and flow as the cycle of existence ran its eternal course.


    Attempting to memorize them was like trying to remove sand from a beach one grain at a time.


    Garina had done it.


    It had taken her years, but she had done it. Every single night, she¡¯d studied the patterns of the world and committed them to memory. Even changes had a pattern to them, and they were a pattern that could be learned with sufficient agony. She¡¯d hated every second of it, but she hated losing even more. Every scrap of her effort had been put in to ensure that nobody made a fool of her again.


    And now, her efforts finally paid off.


    There was a change to the world¡¯s pattern. One that didn¡¯t belong, and one that was localized in a location that she¡¯d actually rather enjoyed.


    Though I hate admitting I¡¯m wrong, I may have to find that little demoness and tell her she had a point. It looks like I¡¯ll be paying her town a visit.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving,¡± Garina said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need help, do you?¡±


    Garina arched an eyebrow. Ferdinand shrugged in response.


    ¡°I figured I¡¯d offer. I¡¯ll have a sandwich for you when you come back.¡±


    ***


    The girl was a good screamer. She screamed for nearly an hour before her voice gave out entirely.


    Then she fell silent, and the man finished his work in peace.


    He stepped back, his eyes delighting in the results of his creation.


    ¡°There,¡± he said. ¡°Look at you. Beautiful.¡±


    The girl stood before him, as still as ice. Her mouth hung askew, her eyes were so wide that their whites threatened to swallow her irises entirely.


    ¡°I... what did you do to me?¡± the girl asked, her words coming out in a melodic whisper.


    Her body had been fixed. Her voice box had too. And, dare the man say it, they had been improved.


    ¡°You came to me for healing. I healed you, my beautiful child,¡± the man replied, giving her a gentle pat on the face. The girl flinched, but the man didn¡¯t seem to notice. ¡°I undid the damage to your body. You like screaming, so I fixed your voice so it can scream better. I also removed your weakness. Yes, yes I did.¡±


    ¡°My... weakness?¡±


    ¡°Your vision was poor, and your heart was strained. Too much poor diet, I should say,¡± the man said, tapping a finger on his chin. ¡°Your growth was also stunted. A foot too short, you were. I added on a little.¡±


    The girl looked down at her body. Disbelief warped her features as she ran her hands across her body. Her gaze lifted back to the man and her voice trembled as she spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. How?¡±


    ¡°Because I decided you needed fixing,¡± the man replied, as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. ¡°There are many things in the world that need fixing.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± The word slipped from the girl¡¯s mouth unbidden, and she looked mortified the moment after it escaped.


    The man didn¡¯t mind. A smile split his features.


    ¡°Have you ever built a tower of wood pieces? Built it as tall as you could, up until your chin and then a log further?¡±


    She shook her head.


    ¡°Ah. You would not understand.¡± The man patted her on the shoulder and she flinched, but nothing happens. He simply turned away and walked back over to the stone chair. He paused before he sat and glanced back. ¡°Say, have you seen my face?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the girl said, swallowing heavily. ¡°I think you¡¯re wearing it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. This isn¡¯t mine,¡± the man replied with a shake of his head. He pointed at the smooth stone walls and a passageway opened up. ¡°You were heading in that direction. Don¡¯t forget your milk, even if it¡¯s spoiled by now. One must finish the jobs they start.¡±


    The girl stared at him for several long seconds. Then she mustered up a scrap of courage. ¡°You saved me? Just for free?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want anything in return?¡±


    ¡°What I want can only be taken. Unless you know where my face is?¡±


    The girl shook her head.


    ¡°Then on with you.¡±


    ¡°Can ¡ª can I ask your name? I want to know. It hurt so much... but you saved me. I didn¡¯t want to die.¡±


    ¡°I know you didn¡¯t,¡± the man replied idly. ¡°Today, my name is Lorne.¡±


    The girl looked from him to the passageway. Then she nodded, turned, and ran into the darkness.


    Lorne nodded to himself. He walked back over to his stone seat and sat down, watching a crackle of red energy play between his fingers.


    Then a frown crossed his features.


    ¡°Where did I put my mouth?¡±

 Book 5 of Runebound is out on Amazon!

    Hi guys! Runebound 5 has released on amazon! It''s been a ton of work getting this far, so I''d like to thank everyone for reading. Writing Runebound has been such a blast. This marks something around 1 million words of RB out on amazon!


    If you''d like to support me, please consider going over and leaving a rating / review, you don''t even have to download or pay for the novel. I got some moron instantly give me a 1* review claiming the cover was AI when it is not.


    Also, check out this cover.


    I really like it, and I feel horrible for the artist who put a ton of work in only for this to just instantly be called ai.

 Chapter 586: Recruits

    With everyone¡¯s introductions done and tensions rather low in the clearing, there were only a few things left that Noah had to take care of before he and the others could return to Arbitage, which would come with its own host of new problems.


    And so, while everyone else was distracted by a mixture of Lee, Jalen, and the general absurdity of the situation as a whole, he made his way over to Yulin.


    The girl stood at the edge of the clearing, a clear separation between her and the others. Alexandra had been keeping her company and trying to get her to mingle with the others to little success.


    Noah had been forced to wait for Alexandra to head off to get them some food before he made his move. He trusted her, but this wasn¡¯t something he wanted to do with other people around. It made things more difficult ¡ª and whether Silvertide knew it or not, his words still rung in Noah¡¯s head like an echo.


    There was no room for weakness. No room for mercy when the people that depended on him were involved. He wouldn¡¯t be cruel, but there would be no chances. No opportunities for someone to take advantage of idiocy.


    Yulin looked up at Noah as he arrived behind her. Neither of them had to say a word. She didn¡¯t even look surprised at his arrival. She just quietly nodded, then followed Noah through the blackened trees and into the forest.


    They walked for several minutes in silence. Noah took those moments to sift through his thoughts. Yulin was a student, no older than any of the others. She¡¯d also gone out of her way to help everyone, going so far as to put her own life at risk.


    Those were huge marks in her favor. Noah highly doubted that Jakob or Verrud had planned to kill Isabel at the cost of their own lives. Of course, he had no delusions that the two of them were the only ones aware of her rune.


    They had only been the beginning. If they¡¯d known, then higher members in the families had known as well. Yulin could have been a plant from someone even higher up, set in case her professors had failed. She certainly had the training to pull it off.


    Noah shook his head. Conspiracy theories without anything to base them on would get him nowhere. All he knew was that, from here on out, the Torrins and the Herrons were functionally his enemies. It just remained to be seen where Yulin¡¯s allegiances truly laid.


    He and Yulin came to a stop after about ten minutes had passed with the only sound being the crunch of the dry ashen sticks beneath their feet. The scent of burnt wood lingered in every part of the Scorched Acres, and this one was no different.


    For some reason, it was oddly comforting.


    Noah turned to face Yulin.


    ¡°Are you going to kill me?¡± Yulin asked quietly, her features bearing no more expression than a still lake.


    ¡°That¡¯s an odd question to ask in such a calm tone.¡±


    ¡°It would make sense. I am associated with your enemies. I am surprised you did not do it earlier, but I suspected that you knew your students would not approve and so you were waiting for a more opportune time to act.¡±


    ¡°You knew that and you didn¡¯t run?¡± Noah tilted his head to the side, a habit that he¡¯d mistakenly built up during the time he¡¯d spent in his Spider persona ¡ª one that he wasn¡¯t so sure he¡¯d be shaking off anytime soon.


    ¡°Running would be pointless. You escaped from the Damned Plains. I think you¡¯d be able to hunt down a Torrin on the brink of exile. They would accept me back in, but with Jakob dead, there is little use for me in the near future. I would be given up the moment you made it clear you were hunting for me.¡±


    Man, this is almost sad. She¡¯s so resigned to whatever fate she gets dealt that she barely even seems to care about her own life. I just can¡¯t tell if this is an act or if this is genuinely what the Torrins have made her into.


    ¡°I doubt the Torrins would be so willing to work with me after what I did to their last head¡ª¡±


    ¡°You were just a bystander.¡±


    Noah arched an eyebrow. ¡°I think we can get past the bullshit for today, Yulin. We¡¯re in a very unique spot, you and I. One where there¡¯s no point to keep secrets.¡±


    Noah and Yulin both looked to their left as Aylin stepped out from between two scorched trunks and approached them.


    ¡°You followed us?¡± Yulin asked, blinking.


    ¡°I asked him to,¡± Noah replied. He put a hand on Aylin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°He¡¯s particularly good at pulling the truth out of situations. I would have preferred that we could speak with just the two of us for a little longer, but I trust he¡¯s come to a decision if he¡¯s revealed himself.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s been honest about everything but two answers,¡± Aylin said. ¡°She doesn¡¯t believe that she was repaying a debt, and she didn¡¯t view it as transactional.¡±


    Yulin stared at him in surprise. ¡°How could you possibly know that? Are you a Mind Rune user?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Answer his questions honestly, please,¡± Noah said. ¡°And well done, Aylin. It doesn¡¯t look like you took a bite out of her.¡±


    ¡°I am doing my best,¡± Aylin said, his voice slightly terse. He was definitely exerting more than a little effort to make sure he didn¡¯t mistakenly start snacking on the Torrin.


    There were a few seconds of silence. Then Yulin grimaced. ¡°I might honestly prefer if you just killed me.¡±


    ¡°At this point, I¡¯m really not feeling all that inclined to do so,¡± Noah said. ¡°You don¡¯t have an ulterior motive. My only concern was if you were working for someone above Jakob or Verrud. But I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case, is it?¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Truth,¡± Aylin said.


    Yulin heaved a sigh. ¡°This is so embarrassing. I helped because I¡¯ve never had a friend before. I didn¡¯t want Alexandra to be sad or angry at me. I wanted to be able to keep training with her. That¡¯s it.¡±


    Noah didn¡¯t need Aylin to say anything. The Knowledge Demon gave him a slight nod, but it was practically pointless. Yulin was telling the truth.


    ¡°That¡¯s a reason I can get behind,¡± Noah said. ¡°Most anything other than not working directly for the Torrins to kill Isabel would have been, honestly. But now you¡¯ve got a new problem to figure out.¡±


    ¡°You mean you¡¯re not killing me?¡±


    ¡°I already said I wasn¡¯t a while ago. But you are going to have to figure out what it is you want to do. Because if you want to keep training with Alexandra, that means you¡¯re joining up with me ¡ª and turning against the Torrin family. I know you gave an excuse of following Emily, but I think we both know that won¡¯t hold up with them. You¡¯ll be their enemy. Is that fine with you?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Yulin said without an instant of hesitation.


    Normally, Noah would have been concerned about such a hasty decision, but he wasn¡¯t really all that surprised to see how much Yulin disliked her family. He hadn¡¯t liked the vast majority of the Torrins he¡¯d met himself ¡ª though the few he did like more than counterbalanced his distaste for the rest.


    ¡°Then come on. Let¡¯s head back to the others. I¡¯ll look into getting you assigned to me or Moxie as a student,¡± Noah said, turning on his heel and striding back toward the others.


    ¡°Is that even possible?¡± Yulin asked, hurrying after him alongside Aylin.


    Noah threw a wry glance back over his shoulder at them. ¡°I came back from the dead. I think I can recruit an extra student along the way.¡±

 Chapter 587: Who

    With their conversation finished, Noah brought Yulin back to rejoin the others. She stood around near the treeline for a few moments before slipping away to stand in the shade of a large tree.


    It didn¡¯t look like she was quite ready to start properly mingling with everyone else. Noah was pretty sure she was still trying to process everything that had happened in the past few days.


    He didn¡¯t blame her. It was a lot to take in. She¡¯d get used to it eventually. The only thing he cared about was that she wasn¡¯t going to go around spilling their secrets to their enemies, and as far as he could tell, she was definitely on their side. There was always the option of using a Rune Oath, but those were so finicky and dangerous that Noah dismissed the idea on the spot.


    Oaths were a trap. They were a double edged sword unless someone used an intermediary, and he had absolutely no plans of keeping someone around just to get them killed when an oath shattered.


    No, normal promises were enough for him. Yulin had done enough to prove that she wasn¡¯t just in this to betray them. Between Aylin and Alexandra, Noah was pretty confident she would fit right in.


    She¡¯d just have to get used to... everything.


    That made Noah wince. There was a lot of everything to get used to. Yulin was going to be in for a rough time. Things had been weird for his students for a while, but they were about to get a whole lot weirder once the noble families realized their somewhat covert attempt to wrest Isabel¡¯s Master Rune from her had failed.


    His hands clenched at his sides. His Rank 4 Runes put him well ahead of the average Rank 4, to the point where he couldn¡¯t even be compared to anyone else of his rank on the mortal plane. He wasn¡¯t worried about himself... but if the nobles got really serious and started sending more than a few people, his students would be in danger.


    Noah¡¯s face darkened. He couldn¡¯t allow for that to happen. The moment he returned to Arbitage, a timer started. A timer that counted down the seconds Isabel had left to live in peace ¡ª and Noah didn¡¯t know how long it would take to hit zero.


    He was so focused on his thoughts that he didn¡¯t notice Jalen approaching until the other man stood directly in front of him.


    ¡°That¡¯s a stormy look you¡¯ve got in your eyes there, Vermil,¡± Jalen said. ¡°Not the expression I was expecting from someone who just ripped his way out of the Damned Plains with a host full of friendly demons.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m wondering how many people I¡¯m going to have to kill,¡± Noah said. ¡°And how many of them I can kill.¡±


    ¡°Always a good hobby to have.¡± Jalen nodded sagely. ¡°The same thought passes through my mind at least once a week, especially when I¡¯m standing in a particularly long line at a restaurant.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m being serious here, Jalen. You know why all this shit is happening, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Jalen arched an eyebrow and waved his hand around the clearing. ¡°There¡¯s so much shit happening here that I genuinely don¡¯t know which shit you¡¯re referring to. Is it the fact that you¡¯re the only human in known history to go to the Damned Plains? The fact you ferried a bunch of powerful demons back along with you? Is it the the monster in your book that was torturing Jakob to death, or perhaps the fact that Todd killed Marley before you killed both of the other professors? Or is it¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Isabel.¡±


    ¡°Ah. I was getting to her. Eventually. As I said, a lot of shit,¡± Jalen said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. ¡°The Master Rune.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Noah said. His jaw tightened. ¡°The Master Rune.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have no interest in it. I¡¯m too old to care about toys like that. Now, if you¡¯ve got any demon women that are in search of something fun ¡ª older ones, mind you ¡ª I¡¯d appreciate an introduction. That¡¯s something interesting. I¡¯ve heard horrible things about what they do to people.¡± r??a¦­O?§£E?s?


    Noah¡¯s eye twitched, and he couldn¡¯t keep himself from letting out a small chuckle. Jalen¡¯s brain was so melted by age that it was hard to tell when the half-mad man was actually being serious. There was a genuine tossup as to whether he actually wanted to be introduced to an eligible demon bachelorette or if he was just bored and flapping his mouth.


    ¡°One topic at a time,¡± Noah said. ¡°I¡¯m a little more concerned about Isabel than I am about your love life.¡±


    ¡°Ouch. That hurts. Much like the majority of my love life.¡±


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°As I thought. You are a uniquely fantastic mage, Vermil. And I do not say that lightly.¡± Jalen turned to look at the students and demons gathered in the center of the clearing. ¡°But if you stay this course, you are going to die.¡±


    I¡¯ve died more times than you can count ¡ª though, given who I¡¯m speaking to, probably isn¡¯t all that high. I¡¯ll die a thousand more times if that¡¯s what it takes... but dying isn¡¯t going to solve my problems here.


    ¡°As I am now, you¡¯re right,¡± Noah said grimly. ¡°Which just means things have to change.¡±


    ¡°Slapping shoddy runes together will not change much,¡± Jalen warned. ¡°You will buy yourself a scrap of power at the cost of an ocean. If you wish to survive, you should run. Take the students and leave the school.¡±


    ¡°As if the noble families wouldn¡¯t track us.¡±


    ¡°They would, but it would be harder. You would have a chance to escape.¡±


    Noah was already shaking his head. ¡°No. That only delays the problem.¡±


    ¡°So does brute forcing your way up a rank. You will be no stronger than the Nobles whose parents feed them all their power.¡±


    But that¡¯s not true at all, is it? I¡¯m not combining runes blindly. I¡¯ve been taking things slow and steady for long enough now. I¡¯ve been trying to make sure that I don¡¯t draw too much of the wrong attention ¡ª even though that hasn¡¯t exactly always gone to plan.


    But I think the time for that is over. If I¡¯m this strong at Rank 4... then at Rank 5, I might be able to challenge Rank 6 mages.


    Noah¡¯s features set.


    ¡°Made a decision?¡± Jalen asked.


    ¡°Something like that,¡± Noah said quietly. ¡°I¡¯m going to need some favors.¡±


    ¡°Are they going to make things interesting?¡±


    ¡°Without a doubt.¡±


    ¡°Then they are yours. What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Some Catchpaper. Enough to hold some Demon Runes ¡ª and entrance to the biggest auction in the near future that you can get me.¡±


    Jalen arched an eyebrow. ¡°Your plan is to go to an auction?¡±


    ¡°Me? No. As far as the rest of the mortal plane is concerned, Vermil Linwick is still dead. I¡¯m changing my plans to keep it that way for a little while longer. I can¡¯t go back to Arbitage yet. That¡¯ll buy us time. A few days at most, but a few days can go a long way.¡±


    ¡°So if you¡¯re not going, then who is?¡±


    Noah smiled.


    ¡°Spider.¡±

 Chapter 588: Alexandras Runes

    Jalen set off shortly after his conversation with Noah, leaving him with a promise to get him access to the auction he wanted. Noah wasn¡¯t too concerned about waiting ¡ª in a place like Arbitage, where every single noble family had representatives, there were bound to be constant auctions. Too many people had money to sling around and egos to pad.


    Unless Noah was incredibly lucky, he was pretty sure that it would take at least a day or two before there was an auction that suited his needs. He wasn¡¯t going to just settle for random common runes, and he couldn¡¯t afford to go around selling his own runes unless there were people wealthy enough to actually afford them.


    The thought of selling Demon Runes did prick Noah¡¯s spine with distaste. He knew what the noble houses would do with those runes, and it probably wasn¡¯t going to be pretty. They tested runes by forcing their lower-ranked members to take them on.


    If a human took on a demon rune ¡ª well, he still wasn¡¯t sure exactly what would happen, but it would probably start to warp them as they grew stronger, just like how it did to demons. The rate at which it corrupted someone would be reduced since humans weren¡¯t as susceptible to their runes as demons were, which was the only saving grace.


    Noah highly doubted that anyone would be making it to Rank 5 with a Demon Rune that didn¡¯t fit their combination. If he were a kinder man, he would have considered it for longer. But, with the way things were going, the noble houses were his enemies. He would not be showing them mercy or compassion.


    He couldn¡¯t afford to.


    Not when the price could end up being the lives of his students.


    ¡°Professor?¡±


    Noah blinked. It took him a moment to realize that someone was speaking to him. He¡¯d been standing near the edge of the clearing a few feet away from the other professors, quietly observing all his students mingling and getting to know each other while he brooded under the shade of a large, ashy tree that had been cracked down the center.


    Alexandra had somehow arrived at his side. His distraction had been so great that she¡¯d managed to completely slip past his senses and domain. Leaves crunched beneath him as he shifted his weight and smiled.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°You looked... troubled.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m planning some minor war crimes,¡± Noah said. ¡°Not too happy about it, but such is life. We all have to do a little war crime now and then.¡±


    Alexandra blinked. ¡°War crime?¡±


    Oh, God. No Geneva convention here. That¡¯s... incredibly disturbing to think about, actually. Especially given what Runes are capable of. At least it means I¡¯m not going to be breaking any laws by selling a bunch of poisoned runes to the nobles.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s a grown-up thing,¡± Noah said. ¡°You¡¯ll learn when you¡¯re older.¡±


    Alexandra squinted at him. ¡°I¡¯m... not that much younger than you, Professor.¡±


    Noah chuckled and ruffled her hair. ¡°Right. Don¡¯t mind my blabbering. Was there something you wanted?¡±


    She scrunched her nose and ducked away from Noah¡¯s hand, though it did take her a moment longer to do it than someone who could move at her speed would have needed. ¡°I... wanted to speak to you. Alone.¡±


    ¡°There isn¡¯t really anyone here right now. Nobody¡¯s paying attention. Sometimes, the best place to hide is in plain sight. Leaving might actually draw more attention ¡ª but if this is something really private, we can put some distance between us and the others.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s probably fine. You¡¯re right. It¡¯s just...¡± Alexandra trailed off and hesitated for a second before continuing, her shoulders slumping as she kicked a dry stick by her feet. ¡°I¡¯m at my limit, Professor.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    It took him a moment to figure out where her runes were. Carved within the rocks jutting up along the platforms edges were dim runic patterns, so weak that their glow was little more than a flicker from a candle held before the sun.


    Noah¡¯s eyes went wide.


    Six out of seven of Alexandra¡¯s Runes were imbued completely into her soul. They were so deeply meshed with her body that he could barely even make out what their patterns were meant to be.


    It¡¯s almost like a demon.


    ¡°Bad, isn¡¯t it?¡± Alexandra asked, walking up to join Noah with a weak smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could do this.¡±


    ¡°Picked it up in the Damned Plains, along with a few other party tricks,¡± Noah said absently. He studied Alexandra¡¯s soul intently for several long moments. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize so many of your runes were Body Runes. I thought it was just a few.¡±


    ¡°Do you think you can get a body as resilient as mine with just one or two Body Runes?¡±


    ¡°Never tried using them before, so I can¡¯t say. That¡¯s fine. You¡¯re strong, and you aren¡¯t a demon. This will be painful, but you¡¯ll survive.¡±


    ¡°I ¡ª what?¡±


    Noah turned to fully face Alexandra. Her runes could wait for a moment longer. It was well past time that he brought her fully into the fold.


    ¡°I have something I¡¯d like to share with you.¡±


    ¡°A technique from the Damned Plains to get past my runes?¡± A hint of hope entered Alexandra¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Not exactly. More like a little information about me. Information that could get all of us killed in very brutal ways. One of the greatest secrets I have.¡±


    ¡°Why would you want to tell me something like that?¡± Alexandra asked in horror. ¡°You don¡¯t need¡ª¡±


    ¡°I do, actually. It¡¯s something that I¡¯ve already told Isabel, Todd, and Emily. It¡¯s something that I¡¯d like to tell you as well, if you¡¯ll let me. It¡¯s been killing them to keep this from you, but if you let me tell you why, I think it¡¯ll make sense.¡±


    A frown pulled across Alexandra¡¯s lips. Then, slowly, she inclined her head. ¡°If you think it¡¯s that important that I know, then that¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Lovely. I¡¯ll keep things brief, then.¡± Noah clasped his hands behind his back. ¡°I¡¯m not Professor Vermil.¡±


    There was a long pause.


    Then Alexandra blinked, taken aback.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Vermil is dead,¡± Noah said. ¡°You never met him. He died months ago, and I¡¯m the one that killed him. I took his body from him when I arrived in this world. My real name is Noah Vines, I¡¯m thousands upon thousands of years old, and I can fix your runes. All of them.¡±

 Chapter 589: Training weights

    Alexandra stared at Noah for several long seconds. The corner of her mouth kept twitching like it was trying to decide if she wanted to smile or not. Eventually, incredulity got the best of her and she let out a snort, shaking her head as a cold wind curled past the mountain peak of her soul.


    ¡°That might be the strangest joke anyone¡¯s ever tried to tell me. I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re trying to pretend to be a skinwalker, a god, or something else entirely. Really, Professor, I¡¯m not a child. You know what I¡¯ve been through. I don¡¯t need to be coddled. I just want¡ª¡±


    Noah called on Sunder. Power slammed within him as his runes all strained, pushing back against the immense Master Rune. His veins turned jet black and particles of dark energy gathered around his palm.


    Waves of pressure drove out from his palm and slammed into Alexandra, driving the breath from her soul-lungs like a punch. She took a staggering step back, the words dying on her lips as her eyes went as wide as saucers.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Alexandra breathed. ¡°I thought you were Rank 4!¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Noah said. Energy burned within his fingers as he clenched them into a fist. Twisting strands of black magic coiled around his fingertips like eels. That was new ¡ª but it certainly helped his demonstration. ¡°But there¡¯s a vast difference in power between a shoddily made Rank 4 and a truly flawless one. And there¡¯s a lot more to power than merely having a few good runes.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t mean you were being serious,¡± Alexandra stammered. ¡°Professor, you¡¯re claiming the impossible. Thousands of years old? That¡¯s older than every single Rank 6 in the empire ¡ª no. Older than the empire itself! Even the Long Night doesn¡¯t date that far back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not from this planet,¡± Noah said with a shrug. ¡°But does that really matter? You¡¯ve focused on the background shit.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re claiming to be immortal!¡± Alexandra yelled.


    ¡°Oh, I haven¡¯t gotten to that bit yet.¡±


    She stared at him. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°One thing at a time, please. Seriously. You can¡¯t study by spreading your attention in every direction. You¡¯ll have to work on that. Learn to lock in on one subject while you¡¯re working on it.¡±


    ¡°Did... everything go okay in the Damned Plains? You didn¡¯t get hit too hard or something while you were there, did you?¡± Alexandra asked carefully.


    Noah blew out a sigh. It would have been easy to just slap Sunder against one of the runes sealed within the rocks beside him and shatter it, cleaving the Body Rune from Alexandra¡¯s soul entirely. Easy enough that it was tempting ¡ª and Noah would never let himself do that.


    This was Alexandra¡¯s soul. It wasn¡¯t about how easy things were for him. He was asking her to believe the impossible. Anyone sane would have been at least a little baffled, especially since he¡¯d just popped out of Hell with an entourage of demons in his wake.


    Taking his annoyance out by forcing her under Sunder¡¯s blade was not the way he would ever let himself handle his students.


    After all, he had a far more effective way to demonstrate the truth. The human mind was remarkably good at understanding things once it got a chance to see them laid out before it.


    Empty Proliferation did not perfectly insert Noah directly into someone¡¯s soul. Instead, it bridged their souls, overlaying them and making a balance that allowed both him and his target to exist in a single soul location.


    When he went into someone¡¯s mind, he had to find an equal balance between their soul and his in order to make the connection easier and lengthen the amount of time they could remain merged.


    For almost everyone, that meant shrinking the amount of Noah¡¯s own soul to a nearly minuscule amount. His soul was just so much larger than the average soul that bringing half of it to bear would probably end crushing the average mage.


    With Alexandra, he¡¯d been using just about five percent of his full soul¡¯s might. It was hidden in the distance, specks of distant black that lurked at the edges of their vision.


    And if he wanted to show Alexandra the truth, all he had to do was one little tweak.


    A.


    Tiny.


    Little.


    Tweak.


    Noah drew on his soul.


    The sky shattered. It fell apart like planes of broken glass as the night swept in. Darkness swallowed the mountain and crushed the clouds in a black waterfall. Pressure slammed down on Alexandra¡¯s shoulders and her lips parted in mute disbelief, unable to muster words. ?


    And in the darkness, a golden line bloomed. It wasn¡¯t so much a part of Noah¡¯s natural soul as much as an extension of his powers. Empty Proliferation made it considerably easier to tweak the mindspace around himself and his target to appear how he wanted it to.


    Power poured out of the remaining rubble, rising up into twisting energy. No runes emerged. That was new ¡ª it must have been because the Body Rune had been so closely integrated with her soul that there was practically no separation between the two for anything to escape the bond.


    Meh. It was just a Rank 3 Rune. Easily enough replaced.


    Alexandra stared at the spot where the Body Rune had been in mute shock.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can fix the damage,¡± Noah said.


    ¡°Can... you do it again?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯ll hurt. Each removal will hurt more than the last. We can pause for a day and I can heal you¡ª¡±


    ¡°The next rune.¡± Alexandra¡¯s tone bore more than a request. It was desperation and desire mixed into one. It held hope. ¡°Please. Get the next one. I can handle it. I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re a god or not. If you can give me a chance to be more than... this, then I¡¯ll follow you forever.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking for anything like that.¡±


    ¡°Then what? Nobody does a service like this for free.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s free.¡±


    ¡°What do you want, then? It¡¯s yours.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡± Noah tapped his chin in thought as he walked up to the next stone. ¡°Follow a good sleep schedule and make sure you have a varied diet. Practice your patterns at least an hour every day, but don¡¯t forget to relax and give your brain some time off. Also, hang out with the other students more. They want to get to know you more. Help Yulin integrate with them as well.¡±


    Alexandra stared at him. ¡°That¡¯s just a bunch of stuff to make me a better student.¡±


    ¡°Ding.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all you want?¡±


    ¡°From you? Yes. Now, brace.¡±


    Alexandra opened her mouth, then let out a snarl of pain as Noah unleashed Sunder and another stone shattered. She drove her foot into the ground to keep herself from falling over and swayed in place. Cracks crawled across the surface of the mountain peak.


    Before Noah could ask if Alexandra was doing okay, she forced her hands open.


    ¡°The next one. Get the next rune.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? Waiting a day won¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°I survived Gentil for years,¡± Alexandra ground out. ¡°I can push through a little pain. Pain is a reminder that you¡¯re still alive. Do you really think you can dangle a future in front of me and expect me to wait to grab it? Rip the damn thing out.¡±


    ¡°Hard to say no to enthusiasm like that. Just remember, you can stop whenever you want. There¡¯s nothing forcing you to push through everything today.¡±


    ¡°Professor Vermil?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not my name. Not in private.¡±


    Alexandra gave him a thin smile. ¡°Professor Vines, then.¡±


    ¡°Better.¡±


    ¡°Rip the damn rune out. Please.¡±


    Noah unleashed Sunder. If Alexandra wanted to do everything now, then he would oblige her. She¡¯d waited long enough ¡ª and he was confident that she could handle it.


    ¡°As you wish. I¡¯m looking forward to seeing what you¡¯re capable of once you¡¯ve got the training weights off.¡±

 Chapter 590: Functionally

    Noah carved every single one of Alexandra¡¯s body runes out of her. He¡¯d fully expected to have to stop when she had one or two of them left, but her soul was a lot more resilient than he¡¯d thought.


    By the time he was done, only a two runes remained within her ¡ª a plain Rank 3 Fire Rune and the Master Rune, Earthen Muster. Noah couldn¡¯t tell exactly how, but he could feel that Earthen Muster hadn¡¯t been used much yet. Its connection to Alexandra felt... weak, for lack of a better word. She¡¯d clearly trained with it, but there was no strong connection between them. That was a question for another day.


    As a result of his work, her soul had been riddled with hairline cracks. They grew to large fissures toward the edges of the mountain. The gentle wind around Noah and Alexandra had picked up to a howling gale.


    Her soul was heavily damaged, but she¡¯d made it through. Noah didn¡¯t waste a moment in pouring energy from the Fragment of Renewal into Alexandra¡¯s body the moment his work was done.


    There was a chance he could have cut out her final rune as well ¡ª it was far from Flawless ¡ª but there was simply no point. She probably could have pushed through one more application of Sunder, but there was no way she could have managed to form replacement runes in this state.


    Alexandra let out a hiss of pain and relief as the pearly-pink energy from the Fragment of Renewal coiled through her soul and caressed the top of the mountain. It poured into the cracks covering the ground and began to slowly stitch back together the immense amount of soul damage.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± Alexandra muttered, sweat rolling down the side of her face as she looked on in awe. She knelt beside a crack as it sealed, running her hands over the surface of her soul. ¡°Damage like this... it should have taken years to heal. And yet I was expecting so much more. Removing six of my seven runes and not ripping my soul apart shouldn¡¯t have even been possible.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t think it would succeed and you still let me do it?¡±


    Alexandra gave him a one-shouldered shrug. ¡°It was worth the bet. There¡¯s no point to life if you can¡¯t continue improving. I was going to die one way or another, and you told me to trust you. I did.¡±


    ¡°You might have your priorities a little screwed up.¡± Noah shook his head and let out a small chuckle. He could feel Empty Proliferation¡¯s power starting to wane. He¡¯d been working on Alexandra for quite a few minutes now, and it wouldn¡¯t be long before their time was up. Noah took one last look around her soul to make sure everything was healing properly, then adjusted his jacket. ¡°There are a few things we have to briefly talk about before we return.¡±


    ¡°What are they?¡±


    ¡°Well ¡ª this one might be obvious, but I¡¯ll say it anyway. You¡¯re going to have to be careful. Your soul is incredibly weakened from where it was. Don¡¯t let yourself forget.¡±


    ¡°You mean the soul damage? Can you not fix all of it? I thought it would¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be patched up within a few hours, but that¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about. You don¡¯t have Body Runes anymore, Alexandra. That means you can¡¯t do a lot of what you once did. No more taking spells or blows straight to the face. Let the others know immediately so none of them accidentally run you through.¡±


    ¡°Right. I know. Probably a good idea to let them know I¡¯m weakened, though. I¡¯ll do that.¡±


    ¡°Good. And one more quick thing.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Think on what your new rune will be. I¡¯ll be removing that Fire Rune as well.¡± Noah gestured over to the last of Alexandra¡¯s original runes. It floated, flickering innocently, unaware of its imminent fate. ¡°You¡¯ll need a replacement. Something that really fits you. I¡¯ll be able to help you make it, since we¡¯ll obviously want a Flawless Rune.¡±


    ¡°Flawless?¡± Alexandra frowned at tilted her head to the side. ¡°You mean perfect?¡±


    ¡°A pseudo-demon, yes. You won¡¯t get controlled by your emotions as far as I can tell, but your reaction speed and physical prowess will skyrocket. It¡¯ll be like your whole body got unlocked for the first time.¡±


    ¡°That... sounds incredible,¡± Alexandra muttered. ¡°How do I get it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem. You¡¯re going to have to do some soul searching. Literally, mind you. Best I can tell, you need to perfectly understand yourself. Then when you do, you use the 3 basic components of rune creation¡ª¡±


    ¡°Creation?¡± Alexandra exclaimed. ¡°You can make runes? Are you fucking kidding me?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Sorry, I skipped that bit. There¡¯s a lot I¡¯m trying to cram into a few minutes.¡± Noah snapped his fingers to pull Alexandra¡¯s attention back to him. ¡°The components are intent, an event that incites the rune¡¯s creation, and the energy to condense into a pattern. Are you with me?¡±


    Alexandra gave him a weak nod. More cracks pulled shut around her soul and she fought to gather her words for a few moments. ¡°Yes. I think so. That¡¯s another secret that the noble houses would murder entire cities for, by the way. Just in case you were wondering.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t. I would appreciate you not sharing anything I tell you here with anyone. Not even Todd and Isabel or the other students. They know most of it, and I¡¯ll tell them the rest as soon as I can. I just don¡¯t want you speaking about it where anyone might be able to overhear.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Alexandra said, her voice as soft as a mouse¡¯s squeak. ¡°No talking about the earth-shattering revelations that you¡¯re hitting me with one after the other. Even if I wanted to say anything, I might not get a chance to after you give me a heart attack. You¡¯re sure the noble families aren¡¯t aware you know of this?¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t. They¡¯d have their dogs kicking down my door if they did ¡ª but if I¡¯m honest, I don¡¯t give much of a shit about those incompetent idiots at all. Now, what I do care about is the hard part of our original topic. I haven¡¯t actually figured out how a human can make a Fragment of Self.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Don¡¯t you have one?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I do. The method I used probably won¡¯t work for anyone else, though. I had to use the magical energy that makes up my creation in order to do it. So that¡¯s what I¡¯m entrusting you with. I want you to deeply think on how you could get an event that will let you form a Fragment of Self.¡±


    ¡°Hold on. Please, just hold on a moment.¡± Alexandra raised her hands before her. ¡°If I understand what you¡¯re saying, I need to find some event that I can use as... what, a burst of energy to guide the creation of a rune?¡±


    ¡°Yes, exactly.¡±


    ¡°Then what in the Damned Plains is ¡®the magical energy that makes up your creation¡¯ and why can¡¯t I just use that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really scatterbrained today. I¡¯m sorry. Escaping from the Damned Plains must have scrambled my head a bit. The energy I was referring to is the power that gathers around me after I kill myself.¡±


    ¡°After you kill yourself?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯m not sure if I mentioned, but I¡¯ve died a few hundred times since arriving at Arbitage. I believe I¡¯m functionally immortal.¡±


    And with that, Alexandra ¡ª whose mind must have been under an immense amount of stress from all the Soul Damage it had just taken ¡ª finally lost her battle against the inevitable.


    She fainted.

 Chapter 591: Advice

    As it turned out, when somebody fainted while Noah was still in their soul, it served as a rather effective boot to the ass.


    The moment Alexandra lost consciousness, Empty Proliferation¡¯s power shattered. A sea of inky black darkness exploded up from Noah¡¯s feet and swallowed him whole, yanking him away and back to his own mind before he could even try to check on her.


    The scent of burnt wood and dirt greeted his nostrils. In the time it took his eyes to snap back open in the Scorched Acres, Alexandra had already recovered.


    She sat up just a moment after him, blinking furiously as she looked around. The girl¡¯s gaze focused on him and he gave her a sheepish grin in response.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Noah said. ¡°That was a bit much.¡±


    ¡°A bit much,¡± Alexandra muttered, massaging her temple and letting her head thunk back against the ashy tree trunk behind her. Its branches rustled and she let out a pained yelp. ¡°Shit! That hurt!¡±


    ¡°No more Body Runes. Compared to what you were, you¡¯re quite fragile right now. You need to be careful.¡± Noah clambered to his feet and brushed the ash and dirt off his pants. He cleared his throat. ¡°Not that I¡¯ve been helping much there.¡±


    ¡°Not helping is an understatement,¡± Alexandra said, letting her hands drop. She gingerly pushed herself upright. They¡¯d only been under Empty Proliferation¡¯s magic for a few minutes, and it looked like nobody had really noticed what was going on.


    Moxie and Lee had everyone¡¯s rapt attention on them. The two seemed to be midway through a somewhat exaggerated retelling of what had happened in the Damned Plains. Lee was eagerly gesturing with the giant black axe that she¡¯d taken from Axil, forcing everyone to keep a fair amount of distance from her to avoid getting cut in half.


    A flicker of confusion passed through Noah.


    Wait. Where did she get that thing? I remember her taking it from Axil back in Treadon, but I can¡¯t quite place the last time I saw it. She didn¡¯t have the axe back when we were in Sievan¡¯s domain, did she? So where did it¡ª


    Lee overcommitted to a demonstrational swing. The axe launched from her grip like a massive boomerang, whumping through the air and flying over the treetops. Everyone turned to watch it vanish into the horizon.


    ¡°Oops,¡± Lee said.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you steal that from a Death Demon?¡± Isabel asked with a wince. ¡°Maybe we should go get it? It seems pretty valuable.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine.¡± Lee gave Isabel a thumbs up. ¡°It always comes back.¡±


    Todd¡¯s eyes darted around and he raised his hands defensively. ¡°You mean like... immediately? Is it about to come flying through the trees and chop one of us in half?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Lee said. ¡°It just pops up. Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ve done that at least four times already.¡±


    When!?


    A poorly suppressed snicker broke through Alexandra¡¯s lips and she shook her head before running a hand through her hair. ¡°I¡¯m really going to have to be careful. I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯re going to drop any more revelations on me? Because if you do, I¡¯ll need to sit down to avoid a traumatic head injury.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± Noah hesitated for a moment. ¡°I think. I might have forgotten something.¡±


    ¡°Well, keep it to yourself for a while unless I really need to hear it.¡± Alexandra blew a strand of hair up with a huff. ¡°I¡¯ve got enough to piece through already as it is. I¡¯ll work on trying to figure out how to do that thing you mentioned to me... preferably without killing myself.¡±


    ¡°Always a good idea. That¡¯s kind of my whole thing, so I¡¯d be offended if someone crimped my style.¡± Alexandra stared at him like he¡¯d started speaking a new language. Evidently, not every single English word was going to translate properly. Noah cleared his throat and shook his head as she waited for an explanation. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m just rambling. Off with you. Go listen to Lee regale you with mostly accurate tales.¡±


    ¡°...and then they blew up a noble demon¡¯s mansion with a giant plant,¡± Lee said, throwing her hands over her head to emphasize the size of the supposed explosion.


    How¡¯d she find out about that one?


    Alexandra glanced at Noah out of the corners of her eyes. ¡°Did that really¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s close enough.¡±


    Noah let out a burst of laughter. The old man sent him a surprised look, but Noah shook his head and held a hand up until he¡¯d gathered himself. ¡°I highly doubt that, Silvertide. They will find nothing. Because, unlike them, I actually know demons. I know what makes them what they are... and I know how to change that.¡±


    ¡°A new type of demon. The girl wasn¡¯t being metaphorical, then,¡± Silvertide murmured, his eyes burning with inner light, and Noah realized that this was the answer that the old soldier had been fishing for ever since they¡¯d started their conversation.


    ¡°No. She wasn¡¯t,¡± Noah said. He didn¡¯t see any reason to hide it from Silvertide. ¡°I determined what caused demons to have their detrimental affixation with a single feeling or aspect of life, and I can repair it.¡±


    ¡°So all the demons here...¡±


    ¡°Not all fixed. Not yet ¡ª but they will be.¡±


    ¡°And this makes them... docile?¡±


    ¡°It makes them who they were meant to be. Are you docile?¡±


    Silvertide¡¯s lips pulled up in a smile. ¡°No. And there are few who are foolish enough to believe otherwise. I see your point, Vermil. I take it that you have great confidence in these demons, then. You are defensive of them.¡±


    ¡°I do. They are my students, just like Isabel and Todd. Many of them are children. They deserve to live just as much as anyone else does.¡±


    ¡°I believe you, for some odd reason. I would act with haste, then. The Inquisition will not wait long. They will have doubtlessly felt your arrival. If there is something you must do to ensure they cannot find your people, then I would do it soon.¡±


    Noah nodded. That was good advice, and it was already well within his plans. ¡°I will, right after Jalen brings everyone back to Arbitage. The demons and I will remain in the forest. And, as far as Arbitage is concerned, I will remain dead.¡±


    ¡°I had thought you might. Do not worry. My mouth is sealed. But, if I may ask, how do you plan to resume normality? Not just with the demons, but for Isabel and Todd. The noble houses¡ª¡±


    ¡°Are welcome to try me.¡±


    ¡°You could need a small army to fight them off if the full truth gets out. Isabel¡¯s Master Rune could mean war.¡±


    A cold smile slipped across Noah¡¯s face as his thoughts drifted to the demons that he¡¯d left back in the Damned Plains ¡ª but not without task. Sievan had been kind enough to help him out with a few things. It would take some time, but he was pretty confident that his name would carry a lot of the work for Pirren.


    After all, Spider might have left the Damned Plains, but that didn¡¯t mean the demons knew that. Recruitment was going to be at an all time high after news of his meeting with the Lord of Death got out.


    ¡°If its war they want, then I think they¡¯ll find that I¡¯m more than ready for it.¡±


    Silvertide¡¯s gaze bore into Noah. ¡°You¡¯re being serious. Just how powerful are you, Vermil?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d imagine we¡¯ll have the misfortune of finding out soon enough,¡± Noah replied. ¡°But, until then, I have a few demons to repair. I hope you don¡¯t mind the interruption.¡±


    ¡°Mind?¡± Silvertide arched an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯d have to knock me out if you wanted me to look away. Fixing a demon. Bah. You¡¯re talking about the discovery of a century. The next best thing would be to tell me that you¡¯ve found a way to cure death itself.¡±


    The corner of Noah¡¯s lip twitched.


    For myself, sure. For others... hmm. Maybe one day.


    Silvertide didn¡¯t miss it.


    ¡°What was that? Was that a smirk?¡±


    ¡°Curing death,¡± Noah said through a snort. He shook his head and turned on his heel, heading toward the others. ¡°What a ridiculous concept. Nobody is immortal. Now let¡¯s go fix some demons, shall we?¡±

 Chapter 592: Greater

    ¡°We are prepared for anything it is that you require,¡± Aylin said, his features completely serious as he pressed a hand to his chest. ¡°If you wish to begin your conquest of the mortal plane, then we will all prepare to¡ª¡±


    ¡°That is not the kind of thing I was about to ask for,¡± Noah said sharply, holding a hand up in the air to forestall Aylin before the Knowledge Demon could say anything else.


    They ¡ª along with all the other demons, had gathered near the broken trunk of a large, burnt tree. Everyone else stood off to the side. They were still in earshot and able to see what was going on but had given just enough space to the demons to avoid being rude.


    Among their number was Brayden. Noah hadn¡¯t had a chance to properly talk to his body¡¯s brother yet, but it was high up on his list. He¡¯d actually been planning on doing it right after his conversation with Silvertide, but the renewed warning about the Inquisitors had been enough to kick his butt into gear.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Aylin said. ¡°So we aren¡¯t going to conquer the mortal plane?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll put a pin in that. There¡¯s something more important that we have to do first.¡±


    ¡°Taste all the food! It¡¯s so much better than the stuff in the Damned Plains,¡± Lee suggested.


    ¡°We can get to that afterward,¡± Noah said, narrowing his eyes. ¡°This is a slightly more pressing matter. Truth be told, I¡¯d prefer you all got to know my other students better. You¡¯ll be working together closely in the future ¡ª but unfortunately, life doesn¡¯t always follow my orders. There are a number of people on the mortal plane that have a pretty significant distaste for demons. I¡¯d like to make sure we¡¯re ready to deal with them when the time comes.¡±


    ¡°Inquisitors,¡± Lee said, her features twisting in rare distaste. She pursed her lips like she¡¯d eaten a sour lemon. ¡°Assholes.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re a big enough threat that even you have to be worried about them?¡± Aylin¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°What manner of power do they wield?¡±


    Noah bit back a laugh. Aylin acted as if he was basically a god made flesh, able to deal with any threat with little more than a flick of his hand. He supposed that was probably a good thing ¡ª but as strong as he was, he wasn¡¯t that strong.


    ¡°Inquisitors have specialized ways to directly hunt and attack demons. Incredibly effective ones that can bridge the gap between even a weaker mortal and a powerful demon,¡± Noah said. He remembered all too well just what they were capable of. The memory still made his chest burn with fury. They¡¯d nearly killed Lee, Isabel, and Todd back on their way back from the Linwick Estate to Arbitage.


    He had no plans of ever letting that happen again.


    ¡°Is there a reason you choose to allow them to exist?¡± Aylin asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion. ¡°If they possess such a power, then they should be crushed before they get the opportunity to attempt to turn it against us. You could destroy them with a wave of your palm ¡ª so perhaps this is a training exercise for us? You wish to see if we are capable of defeating these mortals.¡±


    Okay. I appreciate the vote of confidence, Aylin, but I am not about to go solo the entirety of the Inquisition. At some point I¡¯m really going to have to sit down with the demons and let them know that I might not be quite as strong as I led the vast majority of everyone who I ran into in the Damned Plains to believe.


    ¡°I like the enthusiasm, but to tell the truth, there¡¯s no technique that could fix this. No, what we need is a far more significant change. Fortunately, we¡¯ve got some time before my good friend Jalen returns here,¡± Noah said. ¡°He¡¯ll be bringing an invitation to play some games with mortals. It should be a day or two, in my best estimation.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of time,¡± Aylin said.


    Noah cleared his throat. ¡°Sorry. I should have clarified. Days aren¡¯t quite as long here as they are in the Damned Plains. Your day-night cycle is several times longer than the one here.¡±


    Aylin stared at him. ¡°How many hours do we have?¡±


    ¡°Something around twenty four to forty eight.¡±


    ¡°That is... not a lot of time.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Noah agreed. ¡°It isn¡¯t. Fortunately, we¡¯re not going to need that long at all. My solution is quite simple. And, when it¡¯s done, then the Inquisition will have absolutely no leverage over any of you.¡±


    ¡°I thought you said they could defeat demons that were even more powerful than they were,¡± Vrith said with more than a little concern. ¡°I will obviously do as you order, but it seems that we may not be suited to fight this type of opponent.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be correct. The Inquisition has perfected the art of fighting against demons. And that¡¯s why, by the time Jalen gets back with our invitations, there isn¡¯t going to be a single demon left in this clearing.¡±


    ¡°It kind of sounds like you¡¯re going to kill them,¡± Lee said through a snicker.


    Noah¡¯s shoulders fell and he let out a sigh. There went his grandiose speech. Lee was right ¡ª even Violet was staring at him with a more than a little concern. His reputation had gotten just a tad out of hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m not killing anybody here. That would be pretty damn counterintuitive after all the effort I went through to pull you out of the Damned Plains,¡± Noah said wearily.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Aylin muttered. Realization lit behind his eyes. ¡°Them. Lee referred to us as ¡®them¡¯, but she¡¯s a demon. The only reason she¡¯d do that¡ª¡±


    ¡°Is that she¡¯s not a demon anymore,¡± Noah said, fighting to hide his smile. He made a mental note to thank Aylin later for rescuing his speech from Lee¡¯s sabotage. ¡°She¡¯s so much more. Something greater. And when I¡¯m done here, all of you will be too.¡±

 Chapter 593: Build-a-demon?

    Chapter 593: Build-a-demon?


    Noah did what a god could not.


    He fixed Aylin ¡ª or at least, he fixed the most pressing issues. A true repair to a demon¡¯s soul would only come with the creation of a proper rune of self, but Sticky¡¯s rune could be used as a very effective patch over. It would work to fix the vast majority of the demon race, and Noah could get around to helping the demons he personally cared about make real Self Runes when they weren¡¯t on a time crunch.


    The repairs were surprisingly easy. He only had a single Rank 3 Rune that was relatively new to his soul, so ripping it apart and replacing its demonic with the Fragments of Sticky proved to be simple.


    And that was that.


    The entire thing had only taken Noah about a minute. He¡¯d jumped into the demon¡¯s mind, patched him up, and hopped out. The Knowledge Demon had seemed a little loopy after the repairs. There were no external changes to his appearance, but something deep within Aylin¡¯s eyes had shifted.


    Noah didn¡¯t press on the matter. He just sat down to think. There was a lot of thinking to be done in the near future. Thinking on what runes he would need to finish his combinations and advance to Rank 5. Thinking on his students and how he would protect them. Thinking on the Inquisitors. Thinking on Moxie ¡ª though those thoughts were liable to get away from him and best left for later.


    He would have loved to just do every single demon one after the other, but the Fragment of Renewal limited him. It would only work once a day. He didn¡¯t want to go around replacing runes without having a way to patch anyone¡¯s soul up.


    And so the first day wrapped to a close. And on the night of the second, while all the students were off with the other professors, Brayden sat down beside Noah.


    The two of them were silent for quite some time.


    ¡°This is strange,¡± Brayden finally said, breaking the silence as he shifted his weight and cracked a stick beneath him. ¡°Every time we meet, you seem different.¡±


    ¡°Is that a good thing?¡±


    ¡°Depends on who you ask,¡± Brayden replied with a small smile. ¡°I can¡¯t help but find it strikingly ironic that Vermil died failing to summon a demon and now you¡¯ve taken his body and used it to bring back an entire squadron of them.¡±


    ¡°Life is strange that way, isn¡¯t it? I do still feel a bit bad about the whole Vermil thing.¡±


    ¡°About killing him?¡±


    ¡°No. About lying to you. There aren¡¯t many Linwicks I actually think much of. The vast majority of them are insufferable pricks. Vermil got what was coming to him. I¡¯m not much a fan of Father either ¡ª but you¡¯re different. You looked out for the kids while I was gone.¡±


    ¡°That was more Jalen than me.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s an insufferable prick in his own way,¡± Noah said with a small smile. ¡°But his help doesn¡¯t invalidate yours.¡±


    Brayden grunted. ¡°Janice isn¡¯t half bad either. She¡¯s just... dedicated. But I was just doing my job. A lot of nobles have forgotten their duty, but that doesn¡¯t mean we all have. We¡¯re meant to protect people. That¡¯s why the houses were established in the first place, back in the Long Night. The strongest mages grouped up to shield and train the weaker.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of bad that can be traced back to good intentions.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t argue that you¡¯re powerful, but are you even sure you¡¯d survive me cutting you up all at once? Did you use your future sight to confirm it or something?¡±


    Yoru sat down beside Noah. ¡°No. I did not.¡±


    That was a surprise. This felt like more of a reason to use her Master Rune than any other. What was the use of being able to see the most likely futures if Yoru couldn¡¯t determine if she¡¯d survive him messing with her soul?


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because Moonlit Prophecy did not want me to be here,¡± Yoru said quietly. ¡°I do not want to be here.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°And that is why I must be here. It is why you must fix me. I have withdrawn my power from Moonlit Prophecy so that it cannot interfere, but I do not know how long I will be able to resist its pull. I cannot check the future. If I do, I fear I will not have the willpower to release it again.¡±


    ¡°I respect that, Yoru. A lot. And if you¡¯ve done it once, you can do it again. I want to fix you, but I think we should do it properly. Rushing to get you ready for the auction could just end up killing you. I don¡¯t want that to happen. This is a repair that has to take place over several days.¡±


    ¡°I do not believe that will be possible.¡±


    Noah looked up to Yoru. And, for the first time, he realized that there was something dripping down the sides of her face, dripping from beneath her mask. Trails of blood glistened against her skin and soaked into her shirt.


    He shot to his feet. ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°I anticipated that you would be unwilling to risk my life. I am too great of an asset to waste, so I accelerated the process. My runes are already shattered. My soul is currently crumbling under its own mass. If it is not repaired within minutes, I will die.¡±


    ¡°Son of a ¡ª you idiot,¡± Noah snapped, grabbing Yoru by the shoulders. The Fragment of Renewal was almost ready to be called upon after his work with Aylin. Yoru had timed everything to make sure he didn¡¯t have a chance to fix a different demon first. ¡°I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re selfish or a genius.¡±


    ¡°That would depend on if you succeed. If not, then I will just be dead.¡±


    Noah pushed Yoru down to sit against the tree, adrenaline rushing through his veins as he reached for Empty Proliferation and he grabbed his grimoire. Noah flipped it open to one of the copies of the Fragments of Sticky that it had made using power from the other runes stored within its pages.


    Yoru really hadn¡¯t left him with much option. He had no choice but to do everything he could to repair her soul while he still had a chance.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting scolded once I get through this,¡± Noah said.


    Then activated Empty Proliferation.


    He had a Rank 7 demon to rebuild from the ground up.

 Chapter 594: Deal

    Yoru¡¯s soul expanded all around Noah as his mind merged with hers. He¡¯d had absolutely no idea what a Rank 7 demon¡¯s inner world would look like, but as his sight returned to him and solid ground materialized beneath his feet, he realized that this was not it.


    Soft grass pressed against Noah¡¯s bare feet and the fragrant smell of sweet sap and honeydew lingered in the air like a resurfaced memory. Rows of flowers ran in carefully arranged patterns all around him. Gentle moonlight shimmered against them like a silver wave, casting everything in just enough light to see by.


    He stood in a huge garden.


    There must have been dozens of different varieties of flowers all around him ¡ª none of which he recognized ¡ª but there was intention to every single one¡¯s position.


    It was a pattern.


    Not one that he could understand, but a pattern nonetheless. Noah was too deep within it and didn¡¯t have enough of an ariel view to figure out what its purpose was, but he could feel the latent power within the arrangement around him. There wasn¡¯t so much as a single blade of grass that was out of place.


    An uneasy air lingered against Noah¡¯s skin despite the beauty of the garden. A beautiful amber carnation bloomed beside him. It was perfect, completely without mar or malformation, nestled in a bunch of equally perfect flowers.


    There wasn¡¯t a single thing in the garden that wasn¡¯t perfect. If he hadn¡¯t known better, he would have thought the world around him to be made of plastic. Nature was intentional, but it was never this perfect.


    Noah found his gaze, as if by instinct, lifted to the sky. To the moon illuminating the world ¡ª but there was no moon.


    There was only a massive Rune.


    Moonlit Prophecy burned like a silver sun in the sky far above. The Master Rune was immense, but something had completely removed its pressure from Noah¡¯s soul. He wouldn¡¯t have even noticed it if he hadn¡¯t checked.


    It was almost as if the rune was trying to hide itself from him and blend into its environment as best as a monstrosity like it could possibly hope to.


    ¡°Did you forget I was dying?¡± Yoru asked, her words cutting through Noah¡¯s thoughts.


    He turned. The small demon stood behind him. A bush of red roses lay crushed beneath her feet, their heads desperately straining up as if trying to reach one last time for the heavens. A single line of blood trickled down from one of her nostrils and traced over her lip.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your soul damage? You should have a lot of it if you¡¯ve already started ripping your runes out,¡± Noah said, turning fully to face Yoru. Something deep inside him shifted in discomfort. He didn¡¯t like that he had to turn his back on Moonlit Prophecy in order to speak with Yoru.


    Something about that Master Rune really sat wrong with him ¡ª and the moment his thoughts focused further on it, he realized what it was.


    He was too calm. His heart should have been racing. Yoru was meant to be actively dying from soul damage, but he hadn¡¯t even spun to find her when he¡¯d arrived. He¡¯d just sat around in the garden and observed it.


    Yoru¡¯s soul was somehow dulling his senses. But, even though Noah was fully aware of it, he couldn¡¯t do a single thing about it. There just wasn¡¯t a single scrap of panic or fear to be found. Even his motivation to help Yoru was faltering.


    I could just sit down and enjoy the flowers. There¡¯s no need to fight so hard to change someone who belongs to a Master Rune. That would just be a waste of energy. Why would I make her weaker and less useful to me?


    ¡°The damage is buried beneath the earth, stitched together by this garden,¡± Yoru replied. ¡°It will not hold. Moonlit Prophecy seems to keep me under its control. It is displeased.¡±


    Why would you be displeased about being strong? There¡¯s nothing you could ever need that Moonlit Prophecy could not provide for you. The future is yours to command when you are under its sway. Shifting your true self to be something else will only weaken its powers. Why take on the extra struggle of control when something far more capable can do it for you?


    A faint frown flickered across Noah¡¯s lips.


    Something was wrong.


    Noah¡¯s teeth gritted. He¡¯d be damned if he let a fucking rune steal a life from him. There was no way to try to counter Moonlit Prophecy, as drawing on his magic would have stopped him from making a rune at the same time.


    All he could do was press on.


    He was midway through the final line in the Fragment of Sticky when another shard of light carved out toward Noah. It was toying with him ¡ª or saving energy, expecting a larger fight later.


    The shard slammed into his palm. It drove deep into his arm. Pain pierced through his body. Noah didn¡¯t even flinch. He flicked his left hand to the side and finished drawing the Fragment of Sticky with his free one.


    A lone Rank 1 Rune shimmered into being before him, summoned into Yoru¡¯s soul. Noah¡¯s jaw clenched as blood dripped from his palm and fell to the grass, soaking into the dirt beneath.


    The victory was a minor one. He¡¯d lost an entire limb making a single Rune. He needed a way to fight back while he worked, but Moonlit Prophecy was nowhere near in range for him to fight, even if he¡¯d wanted to.


    ¡°Can you fight back against that thing at all?¡± Noah asked.


    ¡°I already am,¡± Yoru replied. ¡°If I were not, you would have already been crushed by the full force of its pressure.¡±


    Goddamn it. Should have guessed that was why such a powerful Master Rune wasn¡¯t exerting pressure on me. I need a way to fight back or defend myself while I work. But how ¡ª


    Something brushed against Noah¡¯s mind.


    Perhaps I may be of service... for a price.


    The back of Noah¡¯s spine prickled. He couldn¡¯t say how, but he knew exactly who it was that was speaking to him.


    ¡°Discussions later,¡± Noah said, making a split second decision. ¡°Help me. We¡¯ll figure out a suitable payment if this works.¡±


    A distant laugh echoed through Noah¡¯s mind.


    The grass beneath him wilted. A pool of black spread out from his feet. It bubbled and churned, and a gale howled through Yoru¡¯s soul. Far above, Moonlit Prophecy shuddered in the sky.


    Yoru staggered, clutching a hand to her chest.


    ¡°Moonlit Prophecy is fighting back,¡± Yoru wheezed. ¡°It... did not forsee this. I have blocked it. It can only witness the future in a world with weight. There is nothing here but our souls, but you must act quickly. I will not live for long.¡±


    A black hand shot up from the black lake and slammed into the ground, the chunks of sewn, sinewy flesh that made it up pulsing and undulating as its fingers carved furrows through the dirt.


    An abomination rose free of the ground beside Noah, and the laugh echoing through his mind its way into his ears. The gangly monster¡¯s form jutted and zigzagged at sharp angles, its back broken a dozen times over. Even badly hunched over, it towered over Noah.


    Its empty, sunken eye sockets peered up at the rune taking the place of the moon in the sky. A ragged smile split the monster¡¯s black lips to reveal a mouth of wide, crooked teeth.


    A buzz filled the air and Yoru dropped to her knees, her teeth clenching.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never eaten one of these before. An open-ended offering...¡± The monstrosity let out another raspy laugh. Sickening pops and squelches rang out as it straightened one snap at a time until it stood at its full height. The monster reached up toward the moon, as if to grasp it from the ground. ¡°I accept your deal, Noah Vines.¡±

 Chapter 595: Dont care

    The sky above the garden of Yoru¡¯s soul twinkled. Stars took form in the darkness, a wave of shining lights washing through the night sky. On the ground to Noah¡¯s side, Yoru let out a hiss of pain.


    Blood dripped down her features and fell to the squashed grass around her. A wave of pressure rolled against Noah¡¯s mind, pressing down on him like a weight on his chest that threatened to squeeze his lungs shut.


    Moonlit Prophecy was pushing back against Yoru¡¯s restraints. It didn¡¯t look like she¡¯d be able to hold the Master Rune back for much longer. Something about Noah ¡ª or more likely, the twisted abomination that he¡¯d just summoned in to the Rank 7 demon¡¯s head ¡ª had it in full panic mode.


    Noah didn¡¯t wait around to find out what the Master Rune was planning. He only had a short while to work, and he couldn¡¯t afford to waste a second of it. There was no choice but to trust that the abhorrent creature would be able to keep its word and protect him until he could finish patching Yoru¡¯s soul and give her a way to properly push back against Moonlit Prophecy.


    ¡°What do you want to be, Yoru?¡± Noah asked, urgency gripping his words. ¡°I can¡¯t choose this for you. Demons more than anyone else, your runes are who you are. I¡¯m just returning some of the control to you.¡±


    Yoru shook her head mutely. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t made a decision like this before. It¡¯s too big. How am I supposed to know what I want to become? There are too many options! What¡¯s the right one?¡±


    Out of the corner of Noah¡¯s eye, he saw the lights burning above grew stronger ¡ª and it struck Noah that they were no stars. The entire sky was awash in burning blades of moonlight. His face paled as the blood rushed out of it.


    Each of the blades was easily ten feet long. Even though Yoru was keeping their pressure restrained, the pressure in her soul was still ramping up. He wasn¡¯t even sure if his summoned companion was going to be able to do anything about this. The full might of a Master Rune of this strength...


    Noah crushed the thoughts from his mind. He didn¡¯t have time for distractions. He started to draw another Fragment of Sticky into Yoru¡¯s soul.


    ¡°There is no right answer,¡± Noah snapped. ¡°We¡¯re all flying blind, Yoru. Nobody knows the future. Don¡¯t forget that my work is never permanent. I can always undo it. It might be the only situation in which the past can be repaired ¡ª but right now, you need to tell the past and future to fuck off and live in the present before we all die in it instead. What runes do you want?¡±


    ¡°Light,¡± Yoru said after a moment of hesitation. ¡°It¡¯s safe. I know light. Can you give me light?¡±


    Not particularly original, but it¡¯s still a decision she made on her own. That¡¯s progress. I should have some light runes sitting around.


    What would Light combine with to get moonlight? Maybe something with shadows? Some dichotomy would be good. Great way to balance competing energy. Shit. I¡¯ve never had to fucking throw entirely new rune combinations together on the fly!


    Even if I knew, I don¡¯t have enough Light and Shadow runes to get her all the way back up to Rank 6, much less Rank 7. Fuck. I didn¡¯t think of this. What do I do?


    A star fell from the sky. It carved down toward Noah, burning from within like a miniature moon. The abomination reached upward and darkness gathered at its palm. Long, gangly fingers slammed down on the blade of the weapon and shattered it before it could pierce through the monster¡¯s palm.


    Something prickled against Noah¡¯s skin. Something familiar. He knew this feeling. This sensation was something he felt before.


    The sound of breaking glass rang through Yoru¡¯s soul as the magic disintegrated into streamers of glowing white mist. It tried to flee, but the abomination was faster. The monster drew in a deep breath. In a howl, all of the mist was ripped from the air and drawn into its mouth.


    The monster snapped the sword in its head. The weapon evaporated into streamers of energy that it devoured, and its mouth split into a wide grin. ¡°Acceptable. You are fortunate that we are in an ideal domain for me. There is so much latent power here that I can make up for your attempts to starve me.¡±


    ¡°Just do your damn job. I¡¯ll happily get to know you and your dietary requirements more afterward,¡± Noah ordered.


    ¡°As you command, Herald.¡±


    Herald?


    Noah wasn¡¯t so sure he liked the sound of that, but even if he¡¯d had time to argue, he didn¡¯t get a chance to. A wave of power slammed into the base of his spine and coursed up his entire body.


    It wasn¡¯t power he could draw on. There was a distinct difference between his own runes and this. Noah¡¯s magic felt like an ocean within his soul, while this was just a river passing through.


    Knowledge exploded through Noah¡¯s mind. Runes flashed behind his eyes, forming and fading with such speed that he could barely make them out ¡ª and yet, he knew every single one.


    The Grimoire had formed a direct connection with him. He could feel every single rune in its pages. Every single crease on the paper and every ounce of magic stored within it. Noah was also vaguely aware of a number of drawings that the Grimoire kept within itself. He wasn¡¯t so happy about seeing those, but he didn¡¯t spare them more than an instant of thought.


    Another wave of pressure slammed down on him. This one was stronger than the last. Swords crashed down from the sky, letting out keening wails as the screamed through the air toward him.


    A gangly hand wrapped around Noah¡¯s chest and he found himself lifted into the air. Wind buffeted his face and his scream of surprise was swallowed by the howl of wind as the Grimoire burst into a sprint, bounding across the ground with impossible speed.


    ¡°Best get to work!¡± the monster called, shattering another blade and ripping the magic from it. ¡°You¡¯re on a time limit, Noah Vines. The girl is going to die if you don¡¯t get her the runes she needs! I just hope you¡¯re good at working while on the move.¡±


    Noah didn¡¯t waste his time with a reply. It didn¡¯t matter if he was good at it or not. His hand started to trace through the air, and the energy remained attached to his fingertip even as he was ferried through the garden like a toy doll.


    Yoru wanted Light runes ¡ª and that was exactly what she was going to get.


    ¡°Get ready!¡± Noah yelled, hoping Yoru could hear him. ¡°You aren¡¯t going to have long to solidify these! I¡¯m making you all the components you need!¡±


    Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the demon push herself to her feet. She turned in their direction, her eyes sharpening as her jaw set. She gave him a firm nod. At least, Noah hoped she did. It was a bit hard to tell when he was getting bounced around.


    Yoru was ready. She was counting on him, and Noah refused to fail her. He was not about to lose a fight to a sentient Rune.


    I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s a crazed mage, a rune, or a fucking god. I will not allow anything to take my people away from me.

 Short Delay

    Howdy all! For today (Monday Dec 16th) and tomorrow (Tuesday the 17th) I''m moving into my new apartment (a long term one, finally) and writing is going to be diabolically difficult because moving people keep showing up with furniture and shit. I''m just going to be taking these two days off so I don''t have to write whilst constantly getting interrupted. I think I might have mentioned there would be a delay in this general area a bit ago, but making a reminder in case anyone missed it or forgot... or if I forgot to post the damn thing on patreon & RR alike. Thanks for the understanding and see you Wednesday!


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

 Chapter 596: Turn

    Noah didn¡¯t remember much of the next minute. Yoru¡¯s soul blurred and swam at the edges of his vision as the Grimoire sprinted through the garden, trampling flowers with every step it took.


    Shimmers of moonlight carved through the air like glistening silver raindrops. Some of them missed; some of them slammed straight into the grimoire and tore through the monster¡¯s body. Not a single one hit Noah.


    His attention was completely on drawing runes. The rest of the world was just a distraction. There was no other option. Noah couldn¡¯t afford to let himself get distracted by unimportant things such as not getting killed.


    That would just have to be left to his Grimoire. The monster had promised him that it would be able to keep him safe while he worked ¡ª Noah had to take that at face value. And so, even as the smell of crushed flowers and blood mixed in the air to mar the once gentle sweetness of the garden, he continued to work.


    Noah drew as the sky fell around him. He worked as the bushes covering the ground started to wilt, and he worked as white cracks pushed their way free from beneath the dirt and let new light spill into Yoru¡¯s soul.


    There was no time to do anything else.


    Every rune he finished, he threw to Yoru. She knelt on the ground, tears of blood running down her cheeks and joining with the rivers running from her nose. Her features were clenched in pain and concentration.


    He couldn¡¯t tell if she was combining runes or not, and he didn¡¯t have time to check. Noah did note that there were no more Fragments of Sticky. Yoru had shattered them. She was attempting to form her own rune of Self. He couldn¡¯t afford to see if it was working.


    All he could do was keep making components.


    At least ¡ª that was until the pressure in her soul started to rise. It was a strange feeling, like an invisible layer of water rising up all around her soul. Noah¡¯s chest compressed and breathing grew more difficult.


    ¡°The demon is too slow,¡± the Grimoire roared as it ran, the howl of the wind in Noah¡¯s ears nearly drowning the monster¡¯s voice out. ¡°Her soul can¡¯t contain this many runes, even if they¡¯re merely rank 1! She¡¯s going to break.¡±


    ¡°Put me down next to her,¡± Noah ordered, grabbing onto a Light rune he¡¯d just finished creating. ¡°And cover both of us.¡±


    ¡°Protect both of you? What do you think I am?¡± the Grimoire demanded. But, despite its complaints, the dirt at its feet flew into the air as it skidded to a stop and changed directions, bounding back toward Yoru.


    The world jerked around him as the monster reared back. Noah¡¯s eyes only had an instant to widen before he was whipped through the air like a baseball, a slew of curses dying as the wind slammed into his throat and nearly choked him on the spot.


    He hit the ground with a pained grunt, rolling to keep his momentum and scrambling back to his feet. The Grimoire had been surprisingly accurate with its throw. He¡¯d landed just a foot away from Yoru ¡ª and away from a cloud of Rank 1 Runes that enveloped her.


    Noah pushed past the runes and grabbed her by the shoulders. The thunk of a blade striking flesh echoed out behind him, but he didn¡¯t even turn to look. Either the Grimoire would protect him or it wouldn¡¯t. Worrying would change absolutely nothing.


    ¡°Yoru,¡± Noah said.


    She blinked sleepily at him. Yoru¡¯s flat blue eyes were glassy, her expression nearly slack. She wasn¡¯t holding up well.


    Noah gave her a shake. She stiffened and drew in a sharp breath.


    ¡°What? What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°The runes,¡± Noah snapped. A crack of soul damage snaked past them. Dirt cascaded into it, vanishing into the white void, but Noah ignored it. ¡°You need to combine the runes I¡¯ve made you. There are a bunch of Rank 1s here. Ones that I made for you. Just focus your intent and put them together.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never combined a rune on my own,¡± Yoru stammered. Her voice started to grow distant again. ¡°I don¡¯t know how.¡±


    Noah slapped her. It wasn¡¯t his proudest moment. Striking a child was just about the absolute last thing that a teacher should ever do ¡ª but Yoru was no child. She was an ancient demon with no experience making choices of her own. Even with her soul breaking apart, she was still so tough that striking her was akin to patting someone on the shoulder.


    ¡°Enough of this,¡± Noah barked. ¡°You made a decision, Yoru. I wanted to take things slow. You did not. You came to me and broke your runes. That¡¯s fine. That was your choice to make. But you will not make a choice and then leave the consequences to someone else to deal with. You are going to combine these goddamn runes, and you¡¯re going to like it.¡±


    Yoru stared at him, clarity sputtering to life behind her eyes.


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Envision what you want,¡± Noah said. ¡°Focus your intent. Not too wide. Not too narrow. Rank 2 Runes should be something like Moonlight. Rank 3s can get a little more specific. Think of elements of the moon that you want to embody. Reflection, that kind of thing. Don¡¯t forget to account for every part of the rune when you create it. If you¡¯ve got light and water, to make Moonlit Reflection, then remember to have intent for both elements and not just your final result.¡±


    ¡°What if I make a mistake?¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll fix it. That¡¯s what I do. I fix people¡¯s mistakes ¡ª but you can¡¯t make a mistake unless you do something, and there¡¯s nothing in this world that¡¯s worse than sitting around and letting a chance to try pass by you. You want freedom, Yoru? Then act. Failing is fine. That¡¯s what I¡¯m here for. But if you don¡¯t act, then you die.¡±


    Yoru swallowed heavily. She blinked ¡ª and when her eyes opened again, something behind them had shifted. There was determination within them. There was emotion.


    The two Master Runes struck each other, not with a resounding crash, but a gentle, echoing ringing like a piece of glass being rung.


    A wave of power exploded out from the two of them without so much as a pop. It ripped across Yoru¡¯s soul, a torrent of soundless wind.


    And, for an instant longer, there was only silence.


    Then a black line split down the length of the blade.


    It shattered.


    Silver mist screamed free from the weapon ¡ª and streamers of it curled through the air, flying to gather at the Grimoire¡¯s palm. The monster¡¯s hand clenched down on the magic and it vanished, drawn within itself.


    The pressure pressing down on Noah evaporated. Without it, there was nothing to keep Sunder from crushing Noah. He went to dismiss the spear, but it shattered and faded away even before the thought could finish crossing his head. The Master Rune had pulled its own power back.


    The silver version of Yoru dropped from the sky, landing on the ground before Noah and staggering.


    ¡°Impossible,¡± Moonlit Prophecy said. The stoic demeanor on her silver features faltered as fear flickered behind her eyes. ¡°You cannot resist fate.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not, but you aren¡¯t fate,¡± Noah replied. He cracked his neck. ¡°Stop interfering with Yoru.¡±


    ¡°She is mine. I raised her from birth. I trained her. I protected her. You are nothing but an usurper who seeks to steal the power that I deserve by birthright. Who are you to stand in my way?¡±


    ¡°He is the Herald,¡± the Grimoire said, delight dripping from its words. ¡°Shatter the rune, Noah. Eviscerate it. The power will be yours; the corpse mine. We can use this power for ourselves. With vision of what is to come, there will be none that can stand in our way.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Noah said. ¡°This isn¡¯t our power to take. It¡¯s Yoru¡¯s... and frankly, I want nothing to do with this rune.¡±


    ¡°I am nobody¡¯s to take,¡± Moonlit Prophecy yelled. ¡°I am¡ª¡±


    Noah took a step forward, twisting his entire body to put his weight behind his fist as he drove it into Moonlit Prophecy¡¯s face.


    There was a satisfying crunch. Her glowing eyes only had an instant to widen before her nose shattered and she was sent tumbling back. Her body bounced twice against the ground before skidding across the ground and falling into a massive crack in Yoru¡¯s soul.


    A silver hand grabbed onto the crumbling dirt at the edge of the crack. Noah strode over to the rune, looking down at her as she struggled to keep her purchase on the ground, trying to avoid plummeting into the nothingness below.


    Noah crouched and held the rune¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Stay there,¡± Noah said. ¡°Your power belongs to Yoru ¡ª but if you try to fight back again, I¡¯ll just kill you.¡±


    ¡°You would throw my magic away?¡± the rune demanded. ¡°The power to control the future, all for a worthless child?¡±


    Noah reached down and grabbed Moonlit Prophecy by her hair. He lifted her into the air before him and leaned in so she could get a good look at his features.


    ¡°Without a second thought.¡±


    He tossed the rune to the ground.


    Moonlit Prophecy wasn¡¯t going to get in his way again. Either the rune gave in or it died. He wasn¡¯t about to risk Yoru¡¯s life over it after all the damage it had already done ¡ª but he didn¡¯t even know if that would be enough.


    The cracks running through her soul cracked and widened. It was some of the worst damage he¡¯d ever seen. If he started fixing it now, there was a chance her soul would collapse under itself. She needed the pressure from her runes returned before he could patch the cracks.


    ¡°Come on, Yoru,¡± Noah muttered under his breath, turning to watch the demon as his hands clenched by his sides. ¡°There¡¯s nothing else left in your way. It¡¯s just you and the runes.¡±


    It was a race against time, and Yoru was the one running.


    Noah had done everything he could.


    Now it was her turn.

 Chapter 597: Tithe

    Chapter 597: Tithe


    Twisting clouds of misty magical energy curled through Yoru¡¯s soul, washing over the night sky like an ocean of shimmering stars. The cracks riddling the ground in the garden trembled, slowly stretching to consume more of its surface.


    The smell of cut flowers filled the air, lingering from all the crushed plants that littered the ground. Many of them had fallen through the cracks to vanish into the endless white void below.


    Silence ruled. Moonlit Prophecy sat, its silvery copy of Yoru¡¯s body as still as ice before Noah. Even the wind had stilled itself. The entirety of the demon¡¯s soul was focused.


    Uneven waves of pressure rolled out from Yoru as her hands clenched and unclenched at her sides. Runes floated all around her, and the lanky form of the stitched abomination that was Noah¡¯s Grimoire loomed over her like a grotesque shadow that had risen up from the ground.


    ¡°Give up,¡± the silvery form of Yoru hissed. ¡°Give yourself to me and a part of you may live on. I crafted this existence for you, Yoru. Everything you are is what I have created. You cannot exist in a world that I do not control. This struggle will only ruin everything I have worked for. This life is¡ª¡±


    Yoru¡¯s eyes snapped open, and they burned with the brilliant silver light of the moon.


    ¡°Mine,¡± Yoru said. ¡°It is mine to destroyed.¡±


    There was a snap. The air before her twisted like a miniature black hole had formed directly in the air before her, crumpling in on itself. Pressure roiled through Yoru¡¯s soul and twisted the light swirling around her.


    And from the fragments formed a shimmer of light.


    A rune.


    Fragment of Yoru


    The abomination¡¯s lips twisted into a smile.


    ¡°What?¡± the manifestation of Moonlit Prophecy breathed, eyes going wide. ¡°Impossible. How...¡±


    Yoru ignored her clone. It rested its gangly hands on Yoru¡¯s shoulders and whispered into her ear. As to what it was saying, Noah was unaware. The runes in the air around Yoru shifted and drew closer.


    Then they drove together with a brilliant flash of light.


    And, where there had only been Rank 1 Light Runes before, a Rank 2 Cracked Silver Light Rune had formed.


    Yoru had combined a rune.


    Unfortunately, it was far from perfect, much less flawless, and building a foundation upon weakened runes would just mean Yoru had to suffer through an immense amount of soul damage a second time around.


    She had to get it the first time around.


    ¡°Good job,¡± Noah had said.


    Then he¡¯d sundered her efforts, splitting it back up into a cloud of misty energy and its constituents.


    Yoru didn¡¯t even flinch. Her head tilted slightly ¡ª not to the sides, but forward ¡ª in a nod of appreciation. Then she¡¯d continued to work.


    The cracks in her soul continued to spread. Blood poured down her face in rivers. It soaked into her clothes and dripped to the ground, turning the dirt into mud. There was so much damage to her soul that Noah couldn¡¯t even understand how she was still alive, much less working.


    But still Yoru pressed on. Something more primal than determination drove her forward. She formed the rune twice more. Twice more, Noah sundered it.


    And on the third try, she made a flawless Silver Light Rune.


    When Noah didn¡¯t sunder it, Yoru moved on immediately. More runes followed afterward. Three more Moonlight Runes, joined by three Shimmering Light runes.


    Yoru was a terrifyingly fast learner. The Shimmering Light Runes didn¡¯t need to be repaired. They were all done correctly on her first attempt.


    The pressure in her soul still had yet to see much of a change. A Rank 2 Rune was so insignificant in comparison to Rank 7 that her soul was still in just as much danger than it had been before.


    She pressed on.


    The Rank 2s were combined into a Moonlight Rank 3 ¡ª and to Noah¡¯s shock, that too was Flawless.


    Even though he and Moxie had been the ones to initially figure out that Runes could reach Flawless, not even Noah had managed to adapt to it so quickly. Yoru was learning like a sponge in water.


    It took him a moment to realize why. Noah would have laughed at the thought if the state of things hadn¡¯t been so tense.


    Children learned things at incredible rates. Yoru had never had a chance to truly experience anything for herself, so she was speeding through understanding. He just hoped it would be enough to fix her soul in time.


    Loud cracks echoed out. A tremor shook the ground, and more dirt sloughed into the void below. Noah stepped to the side to avoid pitching into the endless white space that was quickly growing to consume Yoru¡¯s soul. Nearly half of the solid ground in her world had fallen away.


    Cracks formed on Yoru¡¯s fingertips, burning with brilliant white light as she continued to draw runes in the air and the Grimoire continued to feed her magic and runes to work with, ripping them out from within its own body and tossing them into the air beside her without even stopping to draw them.


    Yoru combined runes into a Rank 3 Moonlit Reflection Rune.


    It wasn¡¯t Flawless.


    Moonlit Prophecy screamed in agony.


    The Grimoire took what remained of the hand, which had been cut to perfectly match the missing flesh of Yoru¡¯s right arm and pressed it onto her stump. There was a loud hiss and the smell of burning flesh filled the air.


    A crack split the edge of the Moonlit Prophecy rune in the air far above them. Yoru¡¯s body stiffened.


    Then she lifted her new hand and started to draw.


    That easy?


    Something told Noah that it was anything but, but now wasn¡¯t the time to question what had just happened. He watched with bated breath as Yoru continued to draw runes to life, moving with renewed speed now that one of her hands had been returned to her.


    The cracks on that side of her body stilled, but they continued on the other. Her left arm was eroded up to the elbow and the damage was making for her shoulder.


    Yoru clenched her one remaining hand. She¡¯d managed to finish making her Rank 4 runes during the past few seconds of conversations. A number of her runes weren¡¯t Flawless, but they were close to perfect.


    Their time was running out. There was no time for Noah to sunder anything. He didn¡¯t interfere. Another brilliant flash of light lit her soul.


    The pressure rolling off her magnified, and the spread of the cracks slowed as a new Rank 5 rune appeared within her, nestled in the misty clouds of churning energy and runes awaiting their turn to be combined.


    Her new creation was a Rank 5, not quite Flawless but better on average than a normal Perfect rune ¡ª Night of the Moon.


    It was one of the most abstract runes that Noah had ever seen. Yoru was far from done, though. She was forming runes before the last one had even finished, dragging power from the air around her and driving it home at an incredible speed.


    Everything sub Rank-4 component she made was either Flawless or close to it, and the Rank 5s were far better than the average mage¡¯s ever could have been. More copies of Night of the Moon took form, joined by Rank 5 Falling Night rune.


    Noah¡¯s fingers twitched at his sides. The damage to Yoru¡¯s soul was well past critical. Almost the entirety of her garden had fallen away. Only a few sparse bushes remained, their roots desperately holding the dirt together and keeping it from plummeting away.


    Moonlit Prophecy¡¯s stolen body laid on the ground, unmoving at Noah¡¯s feet on one of the few remaining patches of unbroken ground.


    Noah reached for the Fragment of Renewal and kept it at bay, the gentle power twisting within him, an entire ocean of magic waiting to be released from behind its dam.


    Yoru¡¯s left arm was completely gone. Her shoulder was cracked and splintering, and the damage threatened to reach into her chest and wrap around her heart.


    She was so close.


    Rank 5 runes swirled around her.


    The cracks on the ground pressed forward, encircling the remains of the solid ground. They were moving slower, but they were still moving. Another Rank 5 rune took form ¡ª the last one Yoru needed.


    She clenched her glowing silver hand.


    The cracks reaching for her heart froze. The world locked in place, specks of dirt suspended mid-fall into the void.


    Noah¡¯s heart thumped in his ears.


    A flash of brilliant white light lit Yoru¡¯s soul.


    The pressure rolling out from her magnified exponentially. It slammed into Noah and roared past him, whipping his hair back and forcing him to squint.


    Yoru¡¯s soul stopped shrinking.


    Floating before her was a new Rune.


    The Rising Moon ¡ª Rank 6


    Noah practically dove forward. He put his hand on her forehead and unleashed the Fragment of Renewal directly into the demon. An enormous wave of power coursed out from within him, sending pearlescent shimmers dancing across her soul as it worked deep into the damaged ground.


    A shudder rocked Yoru¡¯s body. She dropped to her knees, drawing in a ragged, choking gasp. The enormous amount of soul damage covering her began to slowly pull itself shut.


    The cracks on her body closed as well, but her missing arm didn¡¯t reform.


    Behind her, the Grimoire¡¯s smile grew wider. It lifted a hand, and all the excess magic swirling within Yoru¡¯s soul ¡ª more than Noah suspected he had within his own body ¡ª gathered above the monster¡¯s palm.


    Then its fingers slammed closed around it. The magic vanished as if it had never been there. Red flashed within the Grimiore¡¯s eyes and it let out a delighted sigh.


    ¡°A bite of a Master Rune and an ocean of energy. A good tithe.¡± The Grimoire looked down to Noah, and a pallid tongue ran across its lips. ¡°For now, it will suffice.¡±


    For now? I don¡¯t like the sound of that.


    Noah didn¡¯t get a chance to say anything. Yoru¡¯s eyes fluttered shut. She finally passed out.


    The world went black, and Noah was hurled back into his own body in the Scorched Acres.

 Chapter 598: Fishy

    Noah¡¯s eyes fluttered back open as the smell of ash and burnt wood greeted him. Something rough was pressed against his side and prickly dirt pressed against his cheek, doing its best to work its way into his mouth.


    He was back in the Scorched Acres ¡ª and from the looks of things, he strongly suspected that he may have managed to fall over while he¡¯d been in meditation. The face full of dirt and the rough bark beside him rather than at his back were strong indicators of that.


    It took Noah a moment to remember what he¡¯d been doing before he¡¯d been in the Scorched Acres. His memories were a little fuzzy and he couldn¡¯t quite put a finger on what had happened. He could vaguely recall ¡ª


    Yoru!


    Noah lurched, shoving himself away from the ground as his memories rushed back to him. The small demon laid on the dirt across from him. She was face down, but her chest rose and fell with faint breaths.


    Relief passed over Noah. He pushed himself to his feet to walk over to Yoru, but the edge of his domain prickled. It pulled his attention up into the canopy of the burnt trees around him as he sensed a familiar presence.


    Lee sat upon a large branch, her legs dangling over the edge as she watched over them. She pushed off and dropped to the ground to land a few feet away from Noah.


    ¡°You fell over,¡± Lee said, pointing to the dirt covering Noah¡¯s face. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to move you in case it messed something up. I didn¡¯t realize you were going to try to fix Yoru today.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning on it,¡± Noah replied as he hurried over to Yoru and knelt beside her. He wasn¡¯t exactly up to date on his first-aid courses. He pressed a hand to the side of Yoru¡¯s neck to see if he could feel a heartbeat. It was there.


    He rolled her over carefully.


    Oh, fuck.


    Yoru¡¯s arms were gone. Both of them had just completely evaporated, leaving nothing but the sleeves of her shirt behind. Her face was covered in blood ¡ª as was the ground beneath her and her shirt. The damage she¡¯d taken in the soul realm had carried back over into the real world.


    Noah¡¯s hands tightened at his sides.


    Oh, Yoru. Damn Moonlit Prophecy. It did this to her. If it had cooperated, I would have been able to get Yoru completely fixed up before the damage to her got this bad. That fucking rune just wouldn¡¯t give up any power. It wasn¡¯t satisfied taking away her chances at a normal life. It also took her arms.


    Maybe I should have shattered it entirely and said screw the power.


    The only consolation that came was that they had won. Moonlit Prophecy had failed to keep Yoru under its thumb. Even if it had cost her arms, the Fragment of Renewal had managed to knit Yoru¡¯s soul back together to the point where she wasn¡¯t actively dying anymore.


    ¡°Her arms,¡± Lee said sadly. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Her Master Rune happened.¡± Noah wasn¡¯t in much of a mood to explain it farther.


    ¡°Poor Yoru. She¡¯s going to have to eat with her feet until we get her a new arm,¡± Lee said with a despondent look. ¡°But why did you start with her? Wouldn¡¯t Violet or Vrith have been safer?¡±


    ¡°I was planning on doing Violet,¡± Noah said, running a hand through his hair and shaking his head as he flopped down to sit beside Yoru. ¡°But Yoru had other plans. She broke all her runes before I could get a chance to say anything and forced my hand.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t very smart,¡± Lee said in a matter-of-fact tone.


    That line would be quite funny if Yoru survived. It would be a lot less funny if she didn¡¯t.


    Noah wiped the dirt from his face and leaned back, taking a moment to let his pounding heart still. Adrenaline was still pumping through his veins like a runaway train. But, no matter how much he panicked or stressed about the results of his work, it would change nothing.


    The Fragment of Renewal was at work. It wouldn¡¯t fix her body, but it could repair her soul. Yoru had managed to replace all her runes. Her arms were gone, but her life had returned in their place.


    All he could do now was wait.


    Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the cover of his Grimoire twitch. He snagged the strap connected to it and dragged it over to himself. He and the large book were going to need a heart-to-heart sooner rather than later. It had been making itself known pretty often as of late, and each time it did, Noah couldn¡¯t help but feel like he was making contracts with a devil.


    He pushed the thoughts away. The Grimoire would have to be addressed later. Now wasn¡¯t the time. Even if it had been willing to speak with him at the moment, his head just wasn¡¯t going to be in the game.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    And when he was dealing with... whatever it was that lurked within the Grimoire¡¯s pages, he was going to need to be at his best.


    ¡°Where are the others?¡± Noah asked. ¡°And how long have we been out?¡±


    ¡°Precisely.¡± Yoru twitched, then muttered something under her breath that Noah couldn¡¯t catch. Her heels dug into the ground and she let out a grunt as she fought to sit up.


    Noah put a hand on her back and helped her upright. He was at a complete loss for words ¡ª and for a moment, it seemed Yoru was as well.


    ¡°What do I do?¡± Yoru asked quietly.


    ¡°We can find a powerful healer. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a potion¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not my arms. Me. What do I do?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. What do you want to do, Yoru? Wasn¡¯t that the whole point of this? You¡¯ve got control again, right? Moonlit Prophecy isn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still there, but it doesn¡¯t hold the strings anymore,¡± Yoru said. She hesitated for a moment longer. ¡°I... I wish it did. I¡¯m scared. I think I made a mistake.¡±


    ¡°You did not,¡± Noah said firmly. ¡°And even if you did, that¡¯s natural. People make mistakes. There¡¯s no point to a life lived perfectly. That takes all the meaning out of it. The thing that makes somebody who they are is how they press through difficulties, not how they succeed.¡±


    Yoru turned to look straight at him. Even though the mask was covering her features, he could feel her gaze boring into his.


    ¡°You¡¯re very confident about that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had a lot of time to think about it,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Life isn¡¯t easy, Yoru, but at least now it¡¯s yours to live. I can¡¯t say I¡¯m happy about the way you chose to go about this, but what¡¯s done is done. Your life is yours again.¡±


    ¡°What should I do with it?¡±


    Noah suppressed a sad laugh. ¡°I¡¯m not telling you that. It¡¯s yours.¡±


    ¡°You should eat something tasty,¡± Lee suggested. ¡°I¡¯ll feed you.¡±


    ¡°That actually sounds¡ª¡±


    Noah¡¯s senses screamed a warning.


    They were too late.


    There was a loud crack.


    A wave of pressure slammed into Noah like a steel bar to the kidney. His eyes bulged and he was slammed face-first into the ground.


    By the time his face had hit the dirt, he¡¯d already instinctively called on Sunder. Power flooded into him, twisting through his body and turning his veins jet black. Noah drove a hand into the ground with a snarl, fighting desperately against the immense power.


    ¡°You think you can trick me? You think the Rules are a joke?¡± A sultry woman¡¯s voice demanded, her words twisted with derision and raw power. Each of them slammed into his skull like a hammer blow. ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ll have to carve them into your skin to make sure you remember.¡±


    Noah managed to pry his head up from the ground.


    Standing above him was a woman with black hair and matching clothes, a spiked collar around her neck. Her teeth were pointed and her features so pale that she may well have been dead.


    And then they both froze.


    He knew this woman. It was the lady that Lee had gotten into an argument with while they¡¯d been at a restaurant in Arbitage.


    His brain scrabbled for her name for a moment, but someone else beat him to it.


    ¡°Garina?¡± Lee asked in a strained voice. ¡°Is that you?¡±


    Garina¡¯s eyes went wide.


    ¡°Fish girl?¡±

 Chapter 599: Garina

    The power flowing through Garina¡¯s body from her runes sputtered. She was far too experienced to actually let herself get completely off guard, but for the briefest instant, even she couldn¡¯t keep surprise from driving into her gut like a physical punch.


    This couldn¡¯t be right. Her senses were never wrong. She¡¯d come here for a runaway Rank 7 ¡ª not the brass little demon girl that had actually managed to win an argument against her.


    My prey was here. There¡¯s no doubt about it. I feel the disturbance.


    A trick, then? Someone trying to exploit a weakness to catch me off guard? I don¡¯t know how they even would have figured this out, but anyone who thinks something like this will bring me low is about to be very sorely mistaken.


    Her senses exploded outward in every direction. Garina could have been anywhere within the entirety of the baby kingdom around her should she have willed it. Her mind could stretch from one end of it to the other, so digging through one burnt up forest was nothing to her.


    Nobody in this little backwater corner of the world could match Garina. Any Rank 7 that dared to try and hide in wait for an ambush, no matter how much information they¡¯d managed to dig up about her, would be found and summarily dealt with.


    Out you come, pup.


    The corner of Garina¡¯s lip twitched up in anticipation of assured victory.


    Then it fell flat again.


    She found nothing.


    There were traces of a Rank 7 ¡ª a disturbance centered directly on top of the Fish Demon and the group around her ¡ª but there wasn¡¯t a single Rank 7 rune in this forest other than Garina¡¯s.


    Her eyes twitched in anger. This was impossible. She refused to accept it. Letting one Rank 7 slip out of her grasp was bad enough. But now, after preparing for so long, having it happen again was like someone spitting straight into her open mouth.


    ¡°Where are they?¡± Garina asked, her voice as sharp and cold as black ice.


    ¡°Who?¡± Fish Girl asked, glancing around.


    ¡°Don¡¯t play games with me,¡± Garina snapped.


    She regretted it instantly. Yelling at a weak little creature was below her, and that only made her annoyance grow even further. That was twice now that she¡¯d been bested in words by a goblin-adjacent child, and the 2nd time, it had only taken a single word to break her.


    ¡°You know who,¡± Garina snarled. ¡°I was called here. This was no mistake. I¡¯m not a fool, girl. Whatever they paid you ¡ª whatever you think you¡¯re going to get out of this ¡ª you won¡¯t. Disobey me and die.¡±


    ¡°I think you might be hungry.¡±


    I am hungry. I don¡¯t even want to be here. I should be eating a sandwich with Fredrick right now, not hunting some idiot Rank 7 that thinks it would be a good idea to yank at my chain. Fuck the rules. I¡¯m going to rip this idiot in half when I find them.


    ¡°The only people here are us,¡± the scruffy-looking man beside Fish Girl said. His features were narrow in suspicion. He put a hand on the massive book on his back as if he were planning to try and hit her over the head with it. ¡°How did you get here and what do you want?¡±


    That¡¯s odd.


    He¡¯s not wrong about that... or the Rune Oaths. I¡¯m being too clumsy. Revealing myself to a bunch of weak magelings like this is already bad enough. Seeing the Fish Girl threw me for a bad loop. Damn it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. There was a Rank 7 here. Don¡¯t even try to tell me there wasn¡¯t,¡± Garina said, striding up to Vermil so they stood nose-to-nose. She wasn¡¯t sure why she¡¯d singled him out over the still-mute Rank 6, but there was something about him that pulled at the back of her mind incessantly. ¡°Where. Did. They. Go?¡±


    Vermil raised his eyes to meet her gaze without so much as blinking.


    The goosebumps on the back of Garina¡¯s neck intensified. A cold hand brushed over her back as her senses shifted in unease.


    His eyes were wrong.


    It was so subtle that she never would have even noticed were they not so close. The difference wasn¡¯t even something a mortal could detect through anything other than sheer instinct, but reaching Rank 7 unleashed an entire new layer to the world that nobody weaker could ever hope to witness. It revealed truths that permeated the universe and laid one¡¯s soul bare to unleash its power ¡ª and in turn, it granted sight into the souls of others.


    And the soul of this mortal did not belong in his body.


    It didn¡¯t belong at all.


    Deep within his eyes lurked something familiar. A heavy, oppressive aura of an immense Divine Rune, a power that she had only borne witness to on very rare occasions. Disbelief welled within her, but it was stemmed by the still-growing unease.


    There was something else in the man¡¯s gaze.


    Something ancient ¡ª and something deeply wrong.


    ¡°That power... I know you.¡±


    Vermil¡¯s veins turned jet black in an instant. He thrust his hand forward, driving it straight into Garina¡¯s gut. The blow didn¡¯t even register. Her body was so reinforced with magical energy that she may as well have been struck by a fly.


    But the magic within the strike was another question. Garina felt, for a flicker of an instant, that familiar sensation in Vermil¡¯s eyes intensify by a hundredfold.


    Her gaze snapped up.


    A black spear plummeted down toward her like a falling star.


    Garina thrust her hand upward. The spear slammed to a halt an inch away from her nose. Slowly, she turned to look at the man. She¡¯d had her domain deactivated to make sure that she wouldn¡¯t crush anyone on accident, but just her body alone should have been enough to stop any attacks from in this weak, backwater kingdom.


    And yet Garina knew without a doubt that if the spear had hit her, it would have left the slightest of cuts upon her skin.


    Her gaze lowered back to the man. Her fist tightened. The spear shattered.


    ¡°You were right under my nose this whole time. I can¡¯t believe it. You¡¯re the one that he¡¯s looking for.¡±

 Chapter 600:

    As soon as the accusation left Garina¡¯s mouth, something within Vermil¡¯s gaze changed for the second time. The borderline arrogant air that had wrapped around his words fell away as he seemed to adjust approaches in a split instant.


    It was almost as if a layer of his soul had been peeled back. There was still no fear within his eyes. All that remained was grim determination ¡ª but Garina hardly cared. A Rank 4 wasn¡¯t about to do her in no matter how he tried.


    Her skull pounded with a building headache.


    Everything was falling apart.


    The Rank 7 had managed to find a way to hide themselves, and the person she needed to interrogate was the one that she¡¯d been meant to be looking for this entire time. He was the one that allowed her to remain away from the other Apostles.


    And the moment she found him, her full duties resumed. Sitting around in a kingdom of magelings when there were no threats to its existence would draw too much attention ¡ª especially if she was sitting around in the exact same spot.


    This is the one person that I couldn¡¯t afford to find. But now that I have, what the fuck do I do? Directly disobey an order from Decras himself? That¡¯s as good as turning against every other Apostle.


    I could take some of them... but the Prophet? I can¡¯t beat him. Shit. And if Ferdinand discovers this idiot is here, then he¡¯ll have to act as well. Am I supposed to just lie to him?


    Garina¡¯s fists clenched at her sides. Her rune-empowered mind was moving so fast that even a second was enough to have an entire conversation with herself, and that second was still nowhere near long enough.


    The Rank 7 and everything to do with them was bundled and shoved into the corner of her mind. Her pride didn¡¯t matter when everything that she¡¯d come to enjoy over the last few all-too-short weeks was about to go up in flames because of Vermil¡¯s presence.


    All that mattered was finding a way to deal with this.


    Do I just kill the lot of them? If nobody knows they were here, then the search goes on forever. I¡¯d have to lie to Ferdinand, but I can live with that. I could tell him in a year once it¡¯s too late for anything to matter and it¡¯s clear that he¡¯s abandoned the Church of Repose.


    Garina wasn¡¯t the only one thinking. She could see Vermil desperately cycling through ideas, but he must have realized the situation they were in. There was nothing he could do against her and they both should have known it.


    ¡°Lee, get Yoru and go get the others,¡± Vermil said, his voice flat. He grabbed a gourd from his waist and tossed it to her. ¡°Get them out of here.¡±


    Lee. Yes. That was her name.


    Lee didn¡¯t hesitate to obey his orders. She grabbed the fallen demoness and slung the masked girl over a shoulder before darting off into the forest. Garina¡¯s hand twitched. The smart move to do would have been to stop her, but it hardly mattered.


    A few lower ranks couldn¡¯t escape her. It wouldn¡¯t matter where they went. If Garina wanted to find them, she would.


    At least that was what she told herself.


    In truth, Garina wasn¡¯t so certain she could bring herself to cut Lee down.


    I don¡¯t think anything of most mortals. Fuck. How did I get attached to this one so easily? She¡¯s just a mouthy little demon brat.


    A demon brat that had once had a point. Garina¡¯s eye twitched. Her hands tightened even further, and she felt a flicker of Rune Force push past her mental walls before she could stop it. Every dry stick and tree in the area around her shattered. Ash flattened into a black sheet on the ground as a wave of pressure drove into the ground.


    Vermil staggered, slammed down to one knee by the force of her presence ¡ª but he didn¡¯t fall.


    His veins turned jet black. Garina¡¯s domain prickled as pressure pushed out from the Rank 4 ¡ª but far more pressure than there should have been.


    The back of her neck prickled.


    Did he really steal all this from Decras? Or is this his own power? Either way, it¡¯s little surprise that gods are looking for him. Damn it all, Decras. What do I do? If it comes to choosing between my self-respect and losing this new life... then does honor have any use but to burn? ?


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to let Decras know that I¡¯ve been otherwise occupied,¡± Vermil said through clenched teeth. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to reject his request to meet, but I¡¯ll make sure to add an extra fruit basket to the gift package when I send it off.¡±


    ¡°Fruit baskets?¡± Garina asked, taken aback even through her distress. ¡°Are you insane?¡±


    ¡°Wrong,¡± Moxie said. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere. Lee told me what happened. The gods can get shafted. They don¡¯t get to make demands of us. Especially after we saw how badly Decras fucked everything in the Damned Plains. He owes an entire race an apology.¡±


    The Damned Plains? You can¡¯t be serious. They know a lot of demons, but these two little pipsqueaks have been to the Damned Plains and know enough about them to know that Decras created the demons?


    What is going on?


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Garina asked.


    ¡°Someone who¡¯s had it up to her neck with people trying to kill us,¡± Moxie replied. She thrust her hand forward and the shards of wood exploded forward in an ashen wave.


    Garina flicked her fingers. A wall of pressure shot out from her. It shattered and disintegrated the wood before it could get anywhere close to her. But, even as the cloud of ash exploded from their remains, something prickled against her domain.


    The chills running down her back doubled in intensity.


    Dark green and black magic lit behind Moxie¡¯s eyes. Her shadow stretched out along the ground and the dead trees around her shuddered. Then prickles of life appeared upon their surfaces. The burnt bark healed. Broken limbs regenerated.


    Fresh matter appeared where there had only been death. Sickly black smoke poured out from the healed trees. It twisted into Moxie¡¯s outstretched hands, pouring into her palms. Thorned tattoos appeared upon her skin and wound up her arms, working their way toward her heart.


    Garina had never seen the rune at work, but that mattered for nothing. Its pattern was far too similar for her to have forgotten it. It was the power of Decras¡¯ one and only true child.


    It was the might of the Lord of Death.


    ¡°Sievan,¡± Garina breathed. ¡°How do you have Sievan¡¯s Rune?¡±


    ¡°Close, but wrong again,¡± Moxie said, her teeth pulled back in a snarl. ¡°This is Eternal Cycle. I made it with Fragmented Master Runes from Sievan. It¡¯s my Master Rune, not his.¡±


    Someone would have to have an incredible understanding over the pattern of life and death to manifest a rune like that. How would a Rank 4 have achieved that?


    ¡°He gave you the pieces to make a rune like that? Sievan protects the power of death from those who would abuse it. You expect me to believe he would just give it to a random mortal? And you expect me to trust, even with power like this, that you managed to kill a Rank 7?¡±


    ¡°I never said we killed the Rank 7,¡± Vermil said. ¡°Just that they¡¯re gone. Moxie, she¡¯s Rank 7. You need to take the kids and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Moxie said. ¡°Where are we going to run from a Rank 7? She¡¯ll be on our asses the moment you go down. At least the two of us have a chance.¡±


    Garina¡¯s attention caught on Vermil¡¯s words. Something about the way he¡¯d said the Rank 7 was gone was... wrong.


    Then her eyes widened as an impossible thought struck her.


    No. That can¡¯t be it, but nothing else makes sense. The power he stole from Decras was the ability to carve runes apart? That¡¯s why there was a Rank 6 a moment ago. He cut her down from Rank 7 ¡ª but that shouldn¡¯t be possible. The Almighty Sever is Decras¡¯ Divine Rune! A mortal could never have absorbed something like that into their own soul. He should have gotten one of Decras¡¯ weaker runes, not his true one. A Divine Rune, even if its powers had been weakened, would completely crush a mortal existence unless there was an immense...


    Counterbalance.


    And just like that, everything finally clicked together.


    That¡¯s why the Church of Repose is searching for him. Renewal doesn¡¯t want Decras¡¯ power. He¡¯s got her in him as well. This little mortal didn¡¯t steal from one god.


    He stole from two.


    And if I don¡¯t deal with him here and now, then it won¡¯t be just the Apostles that are at my neck.


    It¡¯ll be Renewal as well.

 Chapter 601: Call me

    A second dragged on like thick molasses. Garina stood frozen between duty and desire. For one of the first times in her life, neither path she saw before her led to victory. She couldn¡¯t just crush her problems beneath the heel of her power.


    The Garina of just a few mere months ago would never had an issue with this. Vermil would have already been captured ¡ª or dead ¡ª and the problem never would have had a chance to come into being.


    But the Garina of that time had nothing to lose. She hadn¡¯t cared about anything other than her duties. She hadn¡¯t realized just how much she enjoyed her time with Ferdinand until now ¡ª and now there was a chance she¡¯d never get another quiet moment with him again. Not if she wanted to keep him away from the prying eyes of the other apostles.


    Damn it all.


    The Garina of the past was no more. All the immense might that she was so proud of was just about as useful as a bag of sand. It could do absolutely nothing to dig her a way out of the deepening hole she found herself standing in.


    Her thoughts blurred through her mind at a speed that a mortal brain could never comprehend. Vermil and Moxie were still on the same thought that they had been on at the start of the second, but even Garina couldn¡¯t sit around thinking forever.


    I have to focus. There has to be a way through this. My orders were to bring the one who Decras sought back to the other apostles alive. There are a total of three options for how this plays out.


    I fight and he kills himself. Decras doesn¡¯t get what he wants. I fail my mission and Ferdinand loses his cover. Fail on both counts. This can¡¯t happen.I capture Vermil alive and bring him in as ordered. Something tells me that won¡¯t be possible without killing Moxie and some of the other mortals. I ruin my pride and lie to Frederick. He eventually finds out. His cover is gone and someone like him would never forgive me for slaughtering mortals. He¡¯s too soft. Another utter failure.I let Vermil go and pretend I didn¡¯t see him. The Rank 7 is gone. He dealt with them himself. Technically speaking, my job is done. But if the other Apostles figure out what¡¯s happened... I¡¯m dead. Ferdinand is too ¡ª and at the rate things are going, this idiot Vermil is going to kill himself before I get a chance to make a decision myself.


    Every single option was bad. Garina grit her teeth. There simply wasn¡¯t an easy solution to this. It boiled down to one simple question: did she care more about pissing off Decras and Renewal, two literal gods, or keeping the life that she¡¯d only gotten a taste of?


    She made her decision in a split instant.


    ¡°Put that damn magic away,¡± Garina ordered. ¡°I¡¯m not fighting you, so dismiss it before someone notices.¡±


    Vermil and Moxie both stared at her.


    ¡°What?¡± Moxie asked.


    ¡°You heard me. I came here looking for a Rank 7. I don¡¯t see one. The fact that this scruffy little shit happened to be the one being in the entirety of this world that I couldn¡¯t afford to run into was just pure bad luck.¡±


    Vermil didn¡¯t release his magic, but the black smoke pouring off his body reduced in intensity. He was being unbelievably unmotivated about stopping his own soul from burning away. The idiot was probably already slow in the head from the amount of soul damage he¡¯d given himself.


    ¡°How can we trust you?¡± Moxie asked.


    ¡°Because I could crush you ¡ª and all the other mortals hiding in the trees waiting to get themselves killed ¡ª in the time it takes me to blink.¡±


    Moxie paused. She glanced over her shoulder.


    Lee stepped out from the treeline and Silvertide followed after her.


    ¡°What are you doing here Lee? Silvertide?¡± Moxie demanded. ¡°You were supposed to get the kids out!¡±


    ¡°Brayden is with them,¡± Silvertide said. ¡°We were not about to leave you to fight a Rank 7 alone. I believed a surprise attack would have increased our chances, though I¡¯ve never had the misfortune to fight a Rank 7 before. I didn¡¯t think they existed.¡±


    ¡°There would be no fight,¡± Garina said. ¡°You would all be dead in the blink of an eye.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not going with you,¡± Lee said, her fists clenching at her sides. She shifted into a fighting stance. ¡°You can¡¯t have him.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want him,¡± Garina snapped. ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? I don¡¯t want to be anywhere near this fool. His mere existence threatens everything. So put that damnable Divine Rune away, you fool. Are you trying to bring the entire world down on top of you? I need you to stay hidden.¡±


    Moxie¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°But you just said¡ª¡±


    ¡°Forget what I said,¡± Garina snapped. ¡°I changed my mind. None of you saw me today. I never saw any of you. We¡¯ve met once, and it was when we had a surprisingly enjoyable dinner together. And Vermil ¡ª never let Decras or Renewal find you. You must remain hidden. My sandwiches depend on it.¡±


    Crone¡¯s head turned as his invisible gaze swept over the gathered mortals. ¡°Which one, Garina? We¡¯re going to break the mortals if we subject them to our presence for too long. The stench is everywhere, and your nose has always been better than mine. Don¡¯t worry about me taking your valor. The credit for the hunt will go solely to the Apostle¡¯s bloodhound.¡±


    ¡°Watch your mouth,¡± Garina hissed, stepping toward Crone and baring her sharp teeth. ¡°Don¡¯t get familiar just because it¡¯s been a while since we last fought. Keep calling me a dog and I¡¯ll find out what your throat tastes like.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to take you up on a fight when the time is better, but this takes priority. A direct order from the Master himself cannot be disobeyed,¡± Crone said. ¡°On with it, Garina. Which one?¡±


    Moxie caught Garina¡¯s eye. Ironclad determination gripped the mortal woman¡¯s features. Garina¡¯s mind accelerated. Moxie¡¯s lungs were expanding. She was about to speak ¡ª and even though not a single word had passed between the two of them, Garina knew what she was going to do.


    What a brave, stupid move. She¡¯s going to say that she¡¯s the one Decras is looking for to throw them off Vermil¡¯s scent.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡ª¡± Moxie started.


    ¡°You are mistaken,¡± Garina said loudly.


    ¡°What?¡± Crone tilted his head to the side. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°The one Decras is looking for isn¡¯t here.¡±


    ¡°Do you take me for a fool? I felt them, Garina. There was an immense rune with the same characteristics as that of the Master upon this plane. What else could that possibly¡ª¡±


    ¡°Idiot. The one you felt was my student.¡±


    ¡°Your... student?¡± Garina could feel Crone¡¯s gaze burning into her from beneath his hood. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Garina strode forward and slapped a hand down on Vermil¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Right here. I¡¯ve been training a mortal up to deal with some of the more annoying tasks that I couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with. This is my student.¡±


    Crone stared at her. Then, slowly, he turned to look down at Vermil. The Apostle was easily two heads taller than him.


    It took everything Garina had to keep herself from wiping her forehead with the back of a sleeve.


    ¡°Your... student,¡± Crone repeated. ¡°And what, pray tell, have you taught a mortal? You claim that the feeling I felt just now was not Master¡¯s stolen rune, but one you gave him?¡±


    ¡°Correct,¡± Garina said. ¡°He¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not another word from you,¡± Crone ordered, his Rune Force infusing his words. Pressure slammed into Garina and drove her jaw shut. He¡¯d directed the attack solely at her, so none of the mortals had been crushed instantly beneath it. Crone crouched so he and Vermil were eye-to-eye. ¡°You are her student?¡±


    Gods, I hope this scruffy fool is quick on the uptake and a better actor than he looks.


    If he isn¡¯t, we¡¯re all...


    Garina¡¯s thoughts trailed off for the second time that day. Because, instead of fear, there was something else glistening within Vermil¡¯s eyes.


    His entire demeanor had shifted on a dime.


    For, on his face, was not the look of prey.


    It was that of a hunter.


    ¡°Pleasure to meet you. Garina has been a bit tight-lipped about her co-workers, so I¡¯ve been positively shaking to make your acquaintance,¡± Vermil said, extending a hand as his lips curled in a measured smile. ¡°You can call me Spider.¡±

 Chapter 602: Empty in the head

    Years of training were the only thing that let Garina keep her body still from the nervous energy pumping through her. She could do nothing but watch as Crone loomed over Vermil, staring down at the mortal¡¯s extended hand.


    Garina couldn¡¯t remember the last time that she¡¯d been so worried about a conversation. Even the revelation from the Prophet that Decras had sent for a mortal hadn¡¯t shaken her like this. A distant part of her mind squirmed in unease.


    This is what happens when you give yourself weaknesses. Ferdinand was a mistake. Getting attached to someone weaker than yourself is just asking to be hurt.


    That part of her mind barely managed to squeeze out its protest before logic crushed it out. Garina only needed one look around the clearing to tell that her thought couldn¡¯t have been farther from reality.


    All the mortals that had stepped out to face certain death in a fight against her for Vermil¡¯s sake had made that evident enough. Perhaps care was a weakness now, but if they managed to survive until they were powerful...


    Such bonds were rare amongst powerful mages. Most of them didn¡¯t get to where they were by being trusting. The path to power that Garina had walked was strewn in corpses and painted in blood. Most others of note had walked the path alongside her.


    An entire group of high Rank 7 mages that trusted each other to this degree... the back of Garina¡¯s neck prickled.


    They would be able to destroy the Apostles. Even the Church of Repose is only held together by strained string and smiling faces that conceal blades in the dark. Everyone is in it for their own gain.


    Unfortunately, Vermil¡¯s group were not yet a small army of Rank 7 monsters. They were a smattering of weak mortals standing before the second Apostle.


    ¡°What game do you play at, Garina?¡± Crone demanded. ¡°This pathetic little scruffy twig? You want me to believe this is your disciple?¡±


    ¡°It does not matter what you believe,¡± Garina said, letting derision seep into her words. She considered spitting on the ground but dismissed it. There was no need to get that crass. She nodded to Vermil¡¯s hand. ¡°Acknowledge my apprentice.¡±


    ¡°I will not,¡± Crone said. He ignored Vermil¡¯s hand and reached up for the hilt of the huge sword hanging from his back. ¡°I am not a fool, Garina. This is not your apprentice. This is the one we sought. You are attempting to hide him from me to collect the reward yourself.¡±


    Fuck.


    Whelp. No helping it, then. Between the Apostles or Ferdinand... these bedsheet wearing fuckers can eat dirt and so can Decras. It¡¯ll be fun to see how I match up against Crone after all these years.


    Garina ignored the nervous pit in the bottom of her stomach. She ignored the knowledge that if Crone really had kept training since they¡¯d last fought, she¡¯d be no match against him. There were some things that were just worth taking the risk for.


    If I lose, I hope Ferdinand ¡ª no.


    I¡¯m not losing.


    She started to shift into a fighting stance.


    ¡°Hey, shithead,¡± Vermil said, snapping his fingers like an impatient mother. ¡°We were speaking.


    The huge Apostle slowly looked back down to the mortal. His expression was unreadable, but Garina could feel the annoyance building within him like rising water crashing against a dam.


    ¡°You know not who you speak to. Be silent, wretch.¡±


    ¡°I know exactly who I¡¯m speaking to,¡± Vermil replied. ¡°Garina hasn¡¯t kept me completely in the dark about the incompetent idiots she has to share a poor sense of fashion with. And frankly ¡ª what were you, Rank 7? That¡¯s not nearly strong enough to be acting like such a cocky shit.¡±


    Crone¡¯s attention shifted fully away from Garina. ¡°Are you seeking death?¡±


    ¡°Seeking dea¡ª God, man. That¡¯s your line? I think I¡¯d kill myself if I ever said something that cheesy. Maybe you should focus your training on not sounding like an edgy twelve year old next. I know you¡¯re young, but please. Try to have some respect for yourself.¡±


    ¡°You said I was a liar,¡± Vermil replied. ¡°You claimed that I was just a child.¡±


    ¡°You are.¡±


    ¡°I can prove that I¡¯m not.¡±


    Crone let out a dark laugh. ¡°Is that so? Can you, now?¡±


    ¡°Quite easily. All you have to do is lower your domain and let me into your mind. I¡¯ve got a Mind Rune. I¡¯ll lay myself bare to you and we can see what I¡¯m been lying about. And after that, you¡¯re going to apologize to Garina and me ¡ª and then you¡¯re going to fuck off.¡±


    ¡°And if you fail to prove that you are not a liar? How will you atone?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill myself.¡±


    Crone snorted. ¡°No. If you are a liar, then you are the one we seek. I will need you alive. If you wish me to accept this deal, then Garina will kiss my boots when you are proven wrong. How does that suffice?¡±


    Garina¡¯s back stiffened. She nearly blurred into an attack on the spot. Crone had gotten even more arrogant since the last time they¡¯d fought ¡ª or perhaps he was just trying to goad her into revealing their hand.


    There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to debase myself to that degree. There are limits to everything.


    ¡°Done,¡± Vermil said before Garina could say a word.


    You squirmy little shit!


    ¡°Of course,¡± Vermil continued, his eyes darkening. ¡°That¡¯s a pretty nasty request. I think it¡¯s only fair that you pay a deeper punishment if I¡¯m not lying.¡±


    ¡°What? You wish for me to face the same punishment?¡±


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t give a shit about your foot fetish,¡± Vermil replied. ¡°If I¡¯m right, I want you to perfectly copy one motion I do. It will take no longer than three seconds. That¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°Accepted,¡± Crone said without an instant of hesitation. Garina could feel his smirk from beneath his hood. ¡°That is, assuming your mentor is willing to swear on it as well. Should she have any faith in her student, I¡¯m certain it should be no issue.¡±


    Anger pulsed in Garina with such intensity that it threatened to pour out of her ears. She forced herself to remain calm. Vermil had to be playing at something ¡ª but Crone hadn¡¯t chosen his words lightly.


    Any promises between the Apostles were sworn on Decras¡¯ name. Breaking it was equivalent to calling down the wrath of every other Apostle.


    If I agree to this... I¡¯ll actually have to do it.


    I swear to any god that¡¯s listening, Vermil. If you haven¡¯t thought this through, I¡¯m going to fucking murder your entire family tree.


    ¡°I swear to it,¡± Garina said through clenched teeth.


    ¡°As do I. Look forward to what comes next, Garina,¡± Crone said with a dark laugh. He crouched before Vermil so they were both at the same head level. ¡°My domain is relaxed, boy. Show me what it is you believe will prove that I am a liar. This will be fun.¡±


    ¡°It will be fun, but not for you.¡± Vermil set his hands on either side of Crone¡¯s head. ¡°Allow me to show you eternity. Empty Proliferation.¡±

 Chapter 603: The Mortal

    Garina didn¡¯t have the slightest idea as to what Vermil could have been planning when he grabbed Crone¡¯s head. Even with Decras¡¯ magic, there was no power he possessed that had a chance of causing any real harm to the Apostle.


    The moment Vermil tried to release an actual attack, Crone would kill him. The difference between their souls would be larger than the size of an ant and an elephant. There was simply no way to bridge that gap.


    Could Renewal possess some ability that Vermil plans to call upon to kill Crone? No. She¡¯s no more powerful than Decras ¡ª and even if she were, Vermil wouldn¡¯t be able to harness that magic. His other runes are too weak to resist the pressure of such strength.


    That means he¡¯s planning on somehow outsmarting Crone?


    Garina¡¯s fists clenched at her sides. That was not a smart plan. Crone wasn¡¯t exactly the most intelligent Apostle, but he was no fool. He couldn¡¯t be fooled by a desperate mortal with no plan. If Vermil was planning to somehow fabricate evidence in his mind, it would fail.


    And if he failed...


    Garina¡¯s stomach churned in fury and disgust. Her fingers twitched at her sides. It would have been easy to stride forward ¡ª to drive her pointed fingernails through the other Apostle¡¯s eye and kill him on the spot before he could react.


    But she couldn¡¯t do that. Her honor would have died a painful death at the notion... and Crone knew it. She wasn¡¯t sure if shame or honor would kill her first, but at the rate things were going, she was getting the sinking feeling that she was going to find out.


    Damn it all. How did I get myself into this situation? Why did I agree to let Vermil do this? How far have I fallen from what I once was that I¡¯m willing to risk so much just so I can have some damn peace?


    Garina¡¯s nails bit into her palms. Blood dripped down her fingers and fell to the ground of the burnt forest.


    Then her thoughts missed a beat.


    Something was wrong.


    There should have been concern in the faces of the other mortals. Even if they weren¡¯t the ones that were about to be forced to humiliate themselves, they had to know that Vermil would not be making it out of this alive if he lost the bet.


    Crone was going to take him to the rest of the Apostles, and they would bring him to Decras. No mortal was going to survive a meeting with a god.


    But in the face of all of that, the only one of Vermil¡¯s allies that looked concerned was the old man.


    And that didn¡¯t add up in the slightest. Garina was not blind. She¡¯d always prided herself on being observant. Vermil and Moxie were clearly more than just friends. But Moxie ¡ª the one that should have been the most worried ¡ª looked more relaxed now than she had when Garina had arrived.


    Lee shared a similar expression, and it wasn¡¯t one that fit the situation in the slightest. It was not the expression of one whose friend was about to be killed.


    It was the one of someone who knew they had already won.


    What¡¯s going on? Are they fools? They can¡¯t possibly believe that Vermil is actually going to get the upper hand over Crone. There¡¯s no universe that a Rank 4, no matter who he is, will be able to match souls against a Rank 7. r??


    That means they think Vermil was actually telling the truth. But that isn¡¯t possible. He had to have been lying. Vermil is a mortal. Nothing he claimed could have been true. So what am I missing?


    Crone twitched in Vermil¡¯s grip. His expression shifted, screwing up as if in agony, and Garina¡¯s eyes went wide.


    A droplet of blood ran down from his nose. It traced across his lips as if in slow motion, continuing down across his face.


    ¡°Pain does not scare me,¡± Crone said, taking his sword hilt in his hand. ¡°Do as you will. You are only mortal. I am a follower of the Master. There is nothing you can do that I cannot.¡±


    Vermil lifted Garina¡¯s blade in a wide motion, then brought it to rest at the side of his neck.


    ¡°This should be fun, then,¡± Vermil said. ¡°I¡¯ll see you on the other side.¡±


    Then, without another word, he carved through his own neck. The long dagger sliced through it in a single clean motion, sliding free of the other side even as the strength slipped from his body.


    Garina¡¯s mouth dropped open in abject disbelief.


    Across from her, the elderly man¡¯s eyes bulged in horror. He took a step forward, dropping his staff as he reached out to stop Vermil but nowhere near close or fast enough to move in time to have stopped him.


    Vermil¡¯s body pitched forward. It crashed to the ground, his head rolling and thumping as it bounced off his back and landed on the burnt ground beside the corpse, joining it in a growing pool of blood.


    Crone did not move.


    He stared at the corpse, the sword at the edge of his neck, lips parting.


    ¡°What?¡± he breathed, then in a higher tone, ¡°What?¡±


    Vermil had killed himself.


    Madman.


    Why would he do that? For the sake of his students? What level of conviction does it take to sever your own life like that?


    ¡°Do it,¡± Garina whispered. She swallowed. Her gaze sharpened. ¡°Copy him, Crone. That was the bet.¡±


    ¡°I ¡ª I can¡¯t do that,¡± Crone said, licking his lips. ¡°What manner of fool kills themselves? That¡¯s impossible to copy! I will not throw my life away for such a worthless task. What did he think he would get out of this? The deal was with him, not any of you. If the mortal is gone, then it¡ª¡±


    ¡°Gone is a strong word.¡± A voice echoed through the forest.


    Garina¡¯s blood went cold just as her domain prickled in recognition. It should have been impossible, but her domain was not one that could be tricked so easily. There was no doubting what she felt ¡ª and she could tell by the look on Crone¡¯s face that he felt it too.


    She, along with everyone else in the clearing, spun.


    Vermil strode out from the trees, as naked as the day he was born. He plucked a leaf from his hair and flicked it to the side, his eyes as cold as a dead sea.


    Garina couldn¡¯t help herself. She took a step back.


    This didn¡¯t make any sense. Vermil had definitely died. That hadn¡¯t been an illusion. She¡¯d felt him die... and she¡¯d felt him return.


    ¡°You know, you keep calling me a mortal.¡± Vermil strode over to his corpse and lifted his own head by the hair. He pulled his own severed head¡¯s mouth up into a grotesque smile with two fingers and shook it in disappointment before tossing it to the ground, where it rolled to a stop at Crone¡¯s feet. ¡°I don¡¯t think you know what mortal means. Now, get on with it. Copy me as you promised to ¡ª or admit defeat. Which will it be?¡±

 Chapter 604: Offer

    For several long seconds, Crone stared at Vermil in mute silence. Garina couldn¡¯t even muster the energy to be smug. She just joined him in staring. A part of her was starting to wonder if someone had managed to land a solid blow on the back of her head or if Ferdinand had been sneaking strange substances into their food again.


    Vermil was not satisfied to let the silence rein.


    ¡°Answer my question. Do you admit that you are unable to copy me? Or are you going to run that blade of yours across your throat?¡± Vermil asked. He crossed his arms before his chest, craning his neck back to defiantly meet the Apostle¡¯s gaze. Garina was unsure if the notion was made more or less intimidating by the fact that he was buck naked.


    ¡°I will not,¡± Crone ground out. He twisted the weapon and slammed it back into the sheathe on his back. ¡°You are not the mortal that the Master is looking for. No mortal is capable of magic like that. He does not possess the ability to return from the grave, and a mortal would not have been able to develop such a power from your rank.¡±


    ¡°Great. Don¡¯t really care about the latter bit, though,¡± Vermil said. He tapped his foot impatiently on the ground. ¡°See, you¡¯ve gone and made me strip naked to prove a point.¡±


    Garina resisted the urge to cough into her fist.


    Actually, I¡¯m pretty sure you were the one that stripped naked on your own. He technically didn¡¯t make you do anything, but I¡¯m not about to point that out. It might make him turn in my direction, and then I¡¯ll see a bit more than I¡¯d prefer to.


    ¡°Name your price. I will not betray my word,¡± Crone ground out. ¡°What is it you want?¡±


    Vermil smiled. ¡°A lot of things. I¡¯m tempted to tell you to kill yourself just to see what would happen, but I¡¯m not that cruel. How about I settle for something a little simpler? You might even like it.¡±


    ¡°I will not deprive the Master of one of his greatest warriors. All other requests will be honored, no matter what they may be.¡±


    ¡°You really need to use better wording ¡ª but a deal¡¯s a deal. Here¡¯s your task. From now until I decide otherwise, you will do everything that Garina tells you to. I¡¯ve just proved my innocence. Thus, her loyalty to your master is not in question. That means there¡¯s no reason for there to be any conflict of interest and you have no way to refuse this command. Also, you¡¯re calling her Ma¡¯am from here on out.¡±


    ¡°What? Why wouldn¡¯t a Rank 4¡ª¡±


    ¡°You thought I¡¯d tell you to get me runes or something?¡± Vermil let out a cold laugh. ¡°I don¡¯t need your magic. I¡¯m Rank 4 because I choose to be, Crone. Not because I have to be. Now, where¡¯s that honor you were talking about?¡±


    Garina could hear Crone¡¯s teeth grinding within the darkness of his hood.


    ¡°So long as her orders are not against the service of the Master, then I will heed her.¡±


    This is not how I saw this going. Vermil is a little monster. What did he show Crone while they were together in his soul? He would have ripped most people in two for the mere insinuation that he had to follow someone¡¯s orders, much less mine.


    Then again, I suppose ripping Vermil in two wouldn¡¯t do much of anything at all. What a terrifying power. He must have gotten it from Sievan... and that mean¡¯s he¡¯s incredibly well connected. Sievan wouldn¡¯t even share his Death Runes with the other Apostles.


    ¡°You can fuck off,¡± Garina said, unable to resist the temptation to see if Crone would actually listen.


    ¡°With pleasure.¡±


    ¡°Just that?¡± Vermil raised an eyebrow.


    Crone¡¯s fists tightened at his sides.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to find a way to kill you with honor, Spider. Ready yourself.¡±


    ¡°Do what you please. Now answer Garina properly.¡±


    ¡°With pleasure, Ma¡¯am,¡± Crone ground out. He drove a foot into the packed dirt and there was an earsplitting crack. Black energy exploded across his body and he launched into the air, blurring into the sky and disappearing within a split instant. ?


    There was a long second of silence. The elderly man still stared at Vermil in abject disbelief, shock so evident in his features that it almost distracted Garina from her own surprise.


    ¡°Because I¡¯d assume you have reasons for stepping in the way you did. You¡¯re trying to hide something as well. That means we¡¯re on the same side, doesn¡¯t it?¡± A cold smile pulled across Vermil¡¯s lips. ¡°Let¡¯s see... how do the Apostles feel about fraternization with people outside the organization? Is Ferdinand doing well?¡±


    Son of a bitch. He¡¯s sharp.


    ¡°There¡¯s no fraternization,¡± Garina said flatly. ¡°I¡¯m just... enjoying a little time off. I¡¯ve been watching over this little toy kingdom for far too long. How would you like doing the same shitty, thankless job for generations?¡±


    ¡°It would probably be a pain in the ass,¡± Vermil said with an understanding nod. ¡°So it seems it would be in both of our interest to keep this little alliance of ours. You keep telling people that I¡¯m your student instead of wasting time trying to kill me. I¡¯ll handle things on my end and do my best to make sure our cover doesn¡¯t get blown. We¡¯ll both be happy.¡±


    I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m bargaining with a Rank 4. He¡¯s not asking for what I would have expected. Any Rank 4 should have asked me for Runes to get stronger. I could have boosted him up to Rank 6... but instead, he wants me gone.


    That¡¯s odd. Very odd. Now that he knows our goals should be the same since we¡¯re both fucked if the Apostles discover we were lying, he should be trying to capitalize on it. He¡¯s clearly bold enough to.


    But instead, he¡¯s being abrasive. This isn¡¯t just Vermil being rude. He¡¯s doing this entirely on purpose. He was nothing like this during the dinner we had... and I suspect that was closer to his true personality than this is.


    He¡¯s hiding something.


    Sorry, Vermil. I¡¯m not that easy to manipulate.


    ¡°No,¡± Garina said.


    Vermil blinked. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Your story is going to evaporate the moment an Apostle asks you a single question about us. You don¡¯t even know what Runes I use, nor do you have any techniques that I might have taught you. For that matter, I don¡¯t even know the name of your main Rune.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°How am I meant to pretend to be your student when we know nothing about each other?¡± Garina crossed her arms in front of her chest and arched an eyebrow. ¡°You don¡¯t actually plan to pretend to do anything, do you? You¡¯re just trying to get rid of me.¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    Garina snorted at that one, and the corner of Vermil¡¯s lip twitched as well. He¡¯d been caught and they both knew it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s be honest with each other for a moment,¡± Garina said. ¡°I genuinely did not want to find you. I came here for a Rank 7 that isn¡¯t here anymore. There¡¯s no animosity between us ¡ª but I will not allow the Apostles to destroy what I¡¯ve built.¡±


    Vermil blew out a long breath. His posture shifted as some of the tension drained out of it and his shoulders relaxed. ¡°I know where you¡¯re coming from. That¡¯s the same position I¡¯m in, but you¡¯re just as much of a threat to my people as the other Apostles are. You have to understand that.¡±


    ¡°I do. But the other Apostles will come. Make no mistake. Being my apprentice is not a coveted title. Our order very rarely takes on new members. You will be tested. And if you fail, so do I.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just say you changed your mind?¡±


    ¡°No. Not that easily. But I have another idea. One that might actually work to conceal what you really are while protecting both of our interests at the same time.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡±


    Garina smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you really are or what powers you possess, but I¡¯d wager there¡¯s still a whole lot you don¡¯t know about this world. Why don¡¯t we make all the bullshit we just spilled real? This is the first time I¡¯ve ever met someone as uniquely deranged as you. It might actually be fun.¡±


    ¡°Wait. Do you mean¡ª¡±


    ¡°I, Garina of the Seven,¡± she extended a hand to Vermil and a dangerous smile played across her features, ¡°extend to you the offer of apprenticeship and access to the full knowledge of an Apostle.¡±

 Chapter 605: Limitations

    Noah stared at Garina¡¯s proffered hand with a blank expression. An offer of apprenticeship from one of Decras¡¯ followers. One of the strongest mages in the world ¡ª and a chance to ally with one of his far-too-numerous enemies.


    They had similar goals. Garina wanted to keep her personal affairs hidden from the other Apostles. Even if Noah didn¡¯t know the specifics of who the Apostles were, it was evident how powerful the group was.


    They were on an entirely different level. Garina herself was evidence of that. She was Rank 7, but not all mages of the same rank were built the same. Noah knew that to be true more than almost anyone else.


    Just as another Rank 4 would have been no threat in the slightest to him, he was confident that Garina was leagues in power above any other Rank 7 he¡¯d met. Her strength felt like it eclipsed Sievan¡¯s rank 7 aide, Zath.


    An offer to study under someone like that was a golden goose. Anyone else in the entire Arbalest Empire would have tripped over themselves in their haste to throw themselves at Garina¡¯s feet and accept it.


    ¡°No thank you,¡± Noah said.


    Garina blinked. Then she blinked again. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a kind offer,¡± Noah said. ¡°And I appreciate your extended hand of friendship, but I don¡¯t want to apprentice under anyone at the moment. Apprenticeships are too restrictive. It would mean I¡¯ve got to actually study under you, and that means less time for my students. I can¡¯t split my priorities like that.¡±


    ¡°Do you realize who I am?¡± Garina asked. There was no arrogance in her voice. It was a genuine question. ¡°I am Garina of the seven. Of every mage you have ever met, the only one who surpasses me is Sievan. I have defended the empire you livein for hundreds of years. There is no other that could give you anywhere near the power that I could. In the span of a mere few days, I could teach you magic that you have never heard of. Magic you could never dream of. And you refuse that... because you have to teach children?¡±


    ¡°Sounds about right, yes. And I¡¯ll be honest. I rather enjoy discovering things. Part of the magic of magic is learning. Every time someone¡¯s told me some absolute about how Runes work, they¡¯ve been wrong. You never know what someone will find out when they have to stumble through it on their own.¡±


    A smile passed over Garina¡¯s features.


    ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly insightful. You¡¯re also far from the first person to come to that conclusion. What do you think the entirety of this Empire is?¡±


    It was Noah¡¯s turn to be surprised. ¡°The Empire? What does that have to do with anything?¡±


    ¡°Did you really think this was all there was to the world?¡± Garina asked with a small laugh. ¡°The Arbalest Empire is a testing zone. It¡¯s a science experiment ¡ª one to determine what happens when people with no true knowledge of Runes are left to their own devices. Well, that isn¡¯t exactly its full extent, but it¡¯s sufficient for the likes of you.¡±


    ¡°Hold on. Wait a moment.¡± Moxie raised her hands. ¡°What are you saying? An experiment? There was a war. The Long Night¡ª¡±


    ¡°A purge,¡± Garina said. ¡°One set about by a number of different factions working in rare unison. The Church of Repose. The Apostles. The Obsidian Gate. The Horde of Man. The Endless Path ¡ª and more. We all wiped every single trace of Rank 7 and above runes from this section of the world. Razed the Locations of Power to ash and let you start over with a new slate. One without external influence or preconceived notions.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to say that everything is just... fake?¡± Moxie asked, aghast.


    ¡°Fake? No. It¡¯s quite real. It¡¯s just that the situation has been a bit... contrived. There are mages who have been seeking a path to godhood for thousands of years. The Arbalest Empire was just one of the methods they hoped to distill information from.¡±


    ¡°It was a failure, then,¡± Silvertide said. He leaned heavily on his staff. ¡°We have not produced a Rank 7 mage.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve produced quite a number of them,¡± Garina replied with a shake of her head. ¡°Hundreds, actually. I just remove them from the baby area before they break any important toys. There¡¯s a ban on any Rank 7 from existing within the Arbalest Empire. We won¡¯t allow it to be destroyed by some brat with an ego problem.¡± R?


    ¡°That¡¯s why you came for Yoru,¡± Noah breathed. ¡°You¡¯re the janitor.¡±


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°You want me come by for tea?¡±


    ¡°No commitments. No rules or restrictions. Just two people having a chat. You can tell me what I need to know about the Apostles, and I¡¯ll have no obligation to be dragged off and abandon my students.¡±


    ¡°And you would continue to learn on your own,¡± Garina mused. ¡°It would preserve your approach to magic and potentially reveal something new. But what do I get out of this? An Apprenticeship aids me as well as you. It gives me someone to do minor tasks and take over my less important duties. For me to simply visit you means you think we are equals.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d imagine I can teach you a few things,¡± Noah said.


    Garina studied him for several long seconds. ¡°Who are you, Vermil? When you strip the layers of lies and deceit away, who are you?¡±


    ¡°Depends who you ask.¡±


    ¡°A curious answer. You certainly have my interest, but do you have more than one trick? Teach me something, Vermil. Right now. Tell me something that I do not know. If you can do that and prove I have something to learn from you, then I will accept your offer.¡±


    This is a huge opportunity. If I could actually get Garina to agree to just give us information, it would speed things up by magnitudes that I can¡¯t even comprehend. I can¡¯t let myself get turned into her servant, but a business relationship with her is invaluable.


    The corner of Noah¡¯s lips twitched up in a smile and he turned his gaze to Lee.


    ¡°Look at her.¡±


    Garina tilted her head to the side. ¡°I am aware of the demon.¡±


    ¡°Are you, though? Tell me, Garina. Do you know who made demons?¡±


    ¡°Decras,¡± Garina replied slowly. ¡°I am familiar with Sievan and the rest of the race.¡±


    ¡°And you know of their limitations?¡±


    ¡°They are beholden to their runes and unable to wrest themselves free of Decras¡¯ influence. The Master rarely speaks of them. Where are you going with this?¡±


    ¡°Take a closer look at Lee.¡±


    The Apostle squinted at Lee for several long seconds. Then her head tilted to the side and a confused frown creased her face. ¡°I don¡¯t see where you¡¯re going with this.¡±


    ¡°Surely you can recognize your masters¡¯ presence.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not...¡± Garina trailed off. Then her eyes went as wide as saucers. She spun to Noah. ¡°It¡¯s not there. Where is Decras¡¯ influence?¡±


    Noah just smiled.


    Gotcha.

 Chapter 606: Miss

    After prying Noah with questions for nearly an hour, Garina left with nothing but a promise to return in the coming days ¡ª and an order to ensure that there was some tea ready for her. It was a strangely unceremonious departure. One moment, she was there.


    The next, she was gone.


    They were alone in the scorched acres once more.


    Even still, it was several seconds before anyone spoke. They simply stood there and stared.


    Noah rubbed at his throbbing skull. The headache was far from the worst it had been. He¡¯d been the one to kill himself so he hadn¡¯t taken too much soul damage. It could be easily fixed in a day or two... but he couldn¡¯t quite muster up any words for his stunned allies.


    Silvertide stared at him like he¡¯d seen a ghost. The old man rubbed at his eyes and several times moved as if to speak, only to think better of it and close his mouth a moment later. His fingers drummed a soft beat against the shaft of his staff.


    ¡°Well,¡± Moxie said finally, her words breaking the silence. ¡°You¡¯ve definitely got a problem.¡±


    ¡°I do not,¡± Noah said.


    ¡°No, I think you do,¡± Lee said. She edged a step closer to Noah¡¯s headless corpse. ¡°Do you mind?¡±


    ¡°Feel free.¡±


    Lee started shoving the entire corpse down her gullet whilst Silvertide watched, eyes flat and glassy. A pang of sympathy rang through Noah. The old soldier had been far from up to date on any of their affairs. He¡¯d probably had some suspicions that they weren¡¯t as they seemed, but this was a step and a few beyond strange.


    ¡°Thanks for the meal,¡± Lee said as she finished off the last of Noah¡¯s body and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.


    Noah ruffled her hair, taking care to avoid the horns that now jutted out of her forehead. Her transition to a full demon was going to take a bit to get used to ¡ª and he was going to have to figure out an approach to get her back into Arbitage. He doubted that people were going to be pleased with a demon hanging around them, free of Decras¡¯ influence or not.


    ¡°Silvertide?¡± Moxie asked with a concerned frown. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I believe I may be dead,¡± Silvertide said. ¡°But I was hoping the afterlife would be considerably more enjoyable than this... or perhaps I have simply drank a bit too much tea. What did they put in those leaves?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not dead. Sorry to burst your bubble,¡± Noah said. ¡°And as far as I¡¯m aware, you aren¡¯t drugged out either. Can¡¯t verify that one, though.¡±


    And the afterlife is a lot worse than this. A whole lot worse.


    ¡°Then... how? Rank 7s. You died, and yet you live. Moxie had a Master Rune... no, made a Master Rune? I do not understand what is happening. I have seen more impossible things in the span of minutes than most see in a lifetime.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it,¡± Lee said cheerfully. ¡°That all happened.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you should sit down,¡± Moxie said, putting a hand on the older mage¡¯s shoulder. ¡°There¡¯s a lot to process. But I think it should go without saying that you have to keep everything you heard and saw today secret from anyone and everyone.¡±


    Silvertide let out a bark of laughter. ¡°Oh, I am no fool. If even one of the things I just witnessed was real, acknowledgement of its existence could bring the entire empire down to the ground in war. What manner of Rune allows someone to die and return to life?¡±


    ¡°One that¡¯s best left un-thought about,¡± Noah suggested. He ran a hand through his hair and grimaced as a pang of pain drove through his skull. No matter how many times he got a soul damage headache, he never got used to it. He could push past them, but they were always infuriatingly agonizing. "For what it¡¯s worth, I was planning on bringing you into the fold.¡±


    ¡°The fold implies there was one secret,¡± Silvertide muttered. ¡°This is more than a fold. It¡¯s a hundred of them. Like a wrinkled asshole.¡±


    Noah nearly choked on his own saliva. He hadn¡¯t expected that line from the prim and proper Silvertide ¡ª though he had seen the man steal tea leaves from a restaurant. Perhaps Silvertide wasn¡¯t quite as proper as he liked others to believe. Ra?????o¦¢E?s?


    ¡°I¡¯d say you should get some rest, but we should find the others before they start panicking,¡± Moxie said. ¡°We don¡¯t want them getting too far thinking that Garina is hot on their heels.¡±


    Noah started to nod in agreement. Then he paused as a faint crack from behind him caught his attention. His eyes narrowed and he turned.


    ¡°Seriously? Does not a single person listen to me?¡±


    Isabel stepped out from the forest, Todd and Alexandra in step with her. Yoru and Brayden flanked them. A ripple passed through the air beside the group. James and Emily emerged from within the protection of an invisibility spell.


    They weren¡¯t alone. Sticky and the other demons all emerged from the trees a moment later, awed expressions on their faces.


    It took Noah another hour to summarize the biggest secrets of his life. Noah didn¡¯t go into detail on his dealings with Decras or Renewal, but he told his closest allies everything about his runes. About Sunder and about the afterlife ¡ª and about what had come after it. He told them of Vermil and of Father. Of how he¡¯d met Lee and of everything that had happened leading up to the trip to the Damned Plains. He spoke of what had happened within the Damned Plains, of Sievan and Wizen.


    And then it was done.


    An hour almost felt like it was too short for the story, but he was glad it wasn¡¯t longer. He¡¯d been hoping that some of the reverence would evaporate when everyone learned he was just a teacher that had spent a very, very extended stay in hell.


    He couldn¡¯t have been more wrong.


    By the time he was done, he could have sworn there was more respect in the slew of eyes staring up at him from the circle that they¡¯d made while he spoke.


    There were several minutes of long silence as everyone processed Noah¡¯s story.


    ¡°You told me you killed Vermil,¡± Brayden said, finally breaking the silence. ¡°That¡¯s not true. You didn¡¯t kill him. Azel did. Why did you act like it was your fault?¡±


    ¡°My soul destroyed Vermil¡¯s,¡± Noah said. ¡°It wasn¡¯t intentional, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then it doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Brayden said firmly. ¡°Vermil did it to himself. You were never trying to kill him. I¡¯ve been blaming you for a death that wasn¡¯t even your fault. Even if you hadn¡¯t been there, Azel would have killed Vermil.¡±


    ¡°Not to be harsh, but even if Noah had killed Vermil on purpose, he did the world a favor. That man was lost,¡± Moxie said.


    Brayden blew out a long sigh. ¡°I know. Father ruined him before he had a chance to become anything better. I can¡¯t help but mourn for what he could have been ¡ª but know that it isn¡¯t your fault, Noah. You don¡¯t have to take the blame for Vermil¡¯s death, no matter how vile he was.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m more concerned with the gods,¡± Silvertide said, running a hand through his hair and looking far older than his years. ¡°You¡¯ve stolen from the god that made demons?¡±


    ¡°Forget stealing. I thought you were a god yourself,¡± Aylin breathed. ¡°But a human found the issue with us? You did what Decras couldn¡¯t. Doesn¡¯t that mean¡ª¡±


    ¡°Careful,¡± Violet warned. ¡°We don¡¯t want to draw Decras¡¯ ire. He may not appreciate what Noah did for us. It has to be embarrassing for a god to have his work corrected by a mortal.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Noah said with a shake of his head. ¡°And it wasn¡¯t me that found it. It was Sticky. I just helped things along a bit.¡±


    The small demon reddened as everyone turned in her direction again. She scrunched down on herself. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. It was Spi¡ª uh, Noah. And Wizen.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re so good at killing yourself that you beat Wizen by convincing him to do it too,¡± Alexandra said in awe. ¡°Moxie is right. You have a problem.¡±


    ¡°I do not have a problem,¡± Noah snapped. ¡°And we are not going to go around saying that was how I beat Wizen. We didn¡¯t even fight!¡±


    The looks in everyone¡¯s eyes told Noah that it was going to be rather difficult to stop that particular sentiment from taking hold.


    ¡°Too late,¡± Lee said. ¡°You can¡¯t complain when we just all saw you kill yourself to prove a point a little while ago. That¡¯s like me saying I don¡¯t like eating.¡±


    Noah let out a heavy sigh.


    He could outmaneuver a Rank 7, but he lost a fight to an ill-founded rumor. He most certainly did not kill himself at every inconvenience. It was just that killing himself tended to solve a lot of his problems.


    ¡°Is there anything else anyone wants to ask?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Because we will not be speaking of most of this again. It¡¯s too dangerous to discuss.¡±


    He could see dozens of questions in everyone¡¯s eyes, but none of them asked anything. For that, he was thankful. The night had been long. Between Yoru nearly killing herself ¡ª which was definitely not influenced by his own habits in any way ¡ª and all the Rank 7 drama, he was exhausted.


    So, of course, it was at that moment that the air beside Noah crackled with purple energy.


    His ears popped.


    Jalen stepped out from a portal with his hands crossed behind his back and a wide grin on his lips.


    ¡°I have returned!¡± Jalen proclaimed. Then he paused and glanced around at everyone, taking in their expressions. His smile fell away and his brow furrowed in confusion. ¡°Is something going on? What did I miss?¡±

 Chapter 607: Break Them

    ¡°I hate you,¡± Jalen proclaimed.


    The head of the Linwick Family, one of the most powerful mages within the Arbalest Empire, laid sprawled out on the ground, glaring up at the sky, his face creased like a pouting toddler.


    ¡°That feels like an overreaction,¡± Noah said.


    ¡°No! I missed so much fun stuff!¡± Jalen whined, lifting his head to thunk it back against the dirt a moment later. ¡°It¡¯s not fair! I was doing work and you were having fun!¡±


    ¡°I would not call anything that we just went through fun,¡± Moxie said.


    Jalen harrumphed, and Noah resisted the urge to slap his palm against his face. They¡¯d filled the Rank 6 in on what had happened with Crone and Garina, though Noah hadn¡¯t yet elected to share his full story with him.


    He wasn¡¯t entirely sure Jalen wouldn¡¯t just go shouting it from the rooftops for the heck of it. The Rank 6 was a good ally, but he wasn¡¯t all there in the head. If Jalen decided that keeping Noah¡¯s secrets was no longer fun... well, they probably wouldn¡¯t be secrets for long.


    ¡°You got to meet a Rank 7,¡± Jalen said. ¡°A Rank 7! And you told her off! I still don¡¯t get how you pulled all that shit off without getting yourself killed. Is this Garina like me? Is that it? Just bored and in want of something to do? Do you think she¡¯ll play darts when she gets back?¡±


    Technically, I didn¡¯t get through it without getting myself killed. I just did the killing myself. Subtle difference there.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome to ask her when she returns, but I¡¯d really prefer if we could stick to the topic at hand.¡± Noah pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers. ¡°We really need to get to that auction. I need a lot of runes to prepare for what¡¯s to come.¡±


    Jalen let out a harrumph. ¡°You only want to give me the boring tasks. Go get us access to an auction, Jalen. Go sweep the trash while I have the time of my life dancing with certain death and forces beyond mortal comprehension. What if they¡¯d ripped you to little flesh ribbons? I wouldn¡¯t have gotten to watch!¡±


    ¡°Why does it sound like you were hoping for that to happen?¡± Moxie asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m an optimist. I always look on the fun side of life. Best to enjoy what¡¯s happening while it¡¯s happening,¡± Jalen said.


    His words might have been slightly more inspirational if he wasn¡¯t currently lying on the dirt mid-tantrum.


    ¡°Pull yourself together already,¡± Silvertide snapped. He rapped Jalen on the head with the end of his staff. ¡°If anything, this is your fault. You said you didn¡¯t want to get too involved or the other Family Heads would start stepping in as well. Has that changed?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Jalen said reluctantly.


    ¡°And if you¡¯d been here, what are the chances you tried to fight one of the Rank 7s?¡±


    ¡°Nearly one hundred percent. Who would pass up on such an incredible opportunity to learn? To grow? They¡¯re from outside the kingdom, you withered old sod!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re older than I am,¡± Silvertide said.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t look older. I am a very superficial person.¡± Jalen stretched his arms over his head and let out a yawn. Motes of sunlight poked into the dark sky above them as the sun began its crawl into the sky. Jalen¡¯s entire body ground to a halt like it had been frozen in ice. Then the petulant expression evaporated from his features. ¡°Oh, look at that. Dawn.¡±


    ¡°A demonstration of what, exactly?¡± Jalen asked. ¡°You can¡¯t plan to challenge every single one of them. They¡¯d destroy you.¡±


    Noah just smiled.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see. You¡¯re welcome to attend the auction yourself. Even if you aren¡¯t doing anything, it should be useful.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding? After all the effort I went through to see something fun? I¡¯d rip my own heart out before I missed this.¡±


    ¡°Figured,¡± Noah said. He turned to the others. ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t bring everyone. As much as I¡¯d like to include you as a learning experience, this is going to be a little bit dangerous. I¡¯ll be having to ask the rest of you to wait here, safe, with Brayden.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Isabel asked.


    ¡°Lee, Yoru, Aylin. You¡¯re with me. Everyone else will remain back.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Isabel asked, blinking in surprise as she exchanged a look with Todd. ¡°Not that I¡¯m going to argue, but why would you bring all the demons? Isn¡¯t that going to bring every single Inquisitor down on top of you?¡±


    Noah put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°That was then, Isabel. I¡¯m not the same person I was back then... and these aren¡¯t the same demons. Trust me.¡±


    ¡°Just don¡¯t take too long,¡± James said through a yawn. ¡°We might get attacked while you¡¯re off. The nobles have to be looking for Isabel and Todd at this point. We¡¯ve been missing for long enough for them to realize something is up. Especially since Jakob and Verrud disappeared during the exam and didn¡¯t do much to make their interest in Isabel secret... well, it¡¯s not hard to start drawing connections.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone get through me,¡± Brayden promised.


    ¡°Nor will I,¡± Moxie said. ¡°I¡¯d prefer to go, but I know why I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re dead, of course,¡± Noah said with a nod. He stuffed the pages of Catchpaper into his book. It would imbue the runes he needed it to. There was no need to waste time doing it himself. ¡°I trust you can get us to the auction, Jalen?¡±


    In response, the Rank 6 snapped his fingers. A purple portal ripped open beside him with a loud tearing noise. Undulating magic rippled and pulsed at his side.


    ¡°One passageway to a shitshow,¡± Jalen proclaimed, holding up the fistful of tickets in his hand like a torch. His lips split in a wide grin. ¡°This is going to be fun.¡±


    You don¡¯t have the slightest idea.


    I can¡¯t wait to see the looks on these noble idiots faces when I break them.


    ¡°Moxie, could I borrow that gift I gave you a while ago? I promise to return it in pristine condition,¡± Noah said.


    She pulled the cloak off her back and handed it to him with a nod. He pulled it on, pulling the hood low over his face to cover his features.


    And with that, Noah¡¯s group stepped into the portal.

 Chapter 608: Better

    The auction was already well underway by the time that Jalen stepped through the portal and emerged onto a large, black marble platform alongside Vermil and his demons. Loud yells echoed through the darkened, dome-ceilinged room as noble families yelled out bids for a rune.


    Dozens of platforms similar to the one he¡¯d arrived on floated in the air, connected by swaying gold bridges and encircling a huge stage at the center of the room. A woman stood in its center, dressed in a decidedly chilly looking outfit that she most certainly had not suggested herself, yelling out information about the rune that was currently up for auction.


    Jalen¡¯s lips thinned as he scanned the room. It had been a long time since he¡¯d last attended an auction... and it hadn¡¯t been long enough.


    He hated every part of them.


    The posturing noble families, covering their faces to protect their identities like cowards. Promises of alliances made as both parties prepared to drive a dagger into the others¡¯ back. It was a place of fear and cheating. There was nothing interesting. Nothing honorable.


    Jalen had seen the same shit play out over and over and over again.


    It was boring.


    His eyes flicked to Vermil, and a small grin pulled at the corner of his lips.


    Something tells me that this one will be different.


    An attendant rushed up to them, his long silver robes rippling and nearly tripping the man up. He was late. Jalen was quite certain the man was supposed to have been waiting for any new arrivals, but he couldn¡¯t have been bothered to care.


    ¡°Magus Jalen! I¡ª¡±


    Jalen¡¯s hand snapped out, pressing a finger to the other man¡¯s lips. His mind was on other things. Far more important things ¡ª such as the ideal trajectory of a thrown dart. It had been too long since he¡¯d had a match against Vermil, and he had no plans of losing their next one.


    The absolute last thing he needed right now was some blathering idiot wasting his time.


    ¡°Hush,¡± Jalen said. He shoved the fistful of tickets into the man¡¯s chest with his other hand. ¡°Our platform.¡±


    ¡°Of course, your lordship. Platform 4. It was prepared as quickly as possible. I ¡ª uh, we had to remove a lesser noble family. They¡¯ve requested repar¡ª¡±


    Jalen leaned close to the man, pressing his forehead against the other man¡¯s. ¡°Tell them to bring their complaint to the Linwick Estate. Personally. No servants. No retainer mages. The head of their family. If they come... I will see to it that they are rewarded.¡±


    If they¡¯ve actually got the balls to show up, then I¡¯ll be more than happy to pay. They won¡¯t, though. Bunch of blasted pathetic cowering worms.


    ¡°Understood,¡± the attendant stammered, his voice nearly a whimper of horror.


    It would have taken everything Jalen had to keep the disgust from his features ¡ª so he didn¡¯t even bother trying. That only made the fear in the attendant¡¯s eyes grow. It was a small miracle the man hadn¡¯t collapsed into a puddle by now.


    ¡°Masks,¡± Jalen said, snapping his fingers. ¡°Do I have to do your job for you? Perhaps I should collect your pay and create some children with your wife as well?¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course!¡± the attendant said with a weak laugh, pulling a string of white porcelain masks from his waist. They each had two holes for the eyes and a flat line where the mouth went, effectively concealing all the features of the one wearing them.


    Was the ¡®of course¡¯ with reference to my plan to take his wife and job? Or was it to the masks? Gods, I hate these people.


    He took the mask from the attendant and slipped it over his face. As much as he hated the masks, they did provide for some interesting opportunities. It was a lot more fun to screw with people when they didn¡¯t know who they were talking to.


    The attendant moved along the line to Vermil, handing him a mask. He turned to Lee ¡ª and then he froze.


    His eyes went wide. He took a step back, the blood rushing from his cheeks and turning his face pale.


    ¡°D-d-demon! There¡¯s a demon!¡±


    An observant one, are you? Took you nearly a minute to find one of the 3 demons on the platform five feet away from you. They weren¡¯t even trying to hide their horns. Blithering idiot. r¦¡??o??E??


    This is good, though. It means we get to skip past the boring bullshit and get to the good part. Bring on the brawl!


    Jalen flexed his fingers ¡ª and Vermil let out a burst of laughter.


    ¡°Demon?¡± Vermil asked. ¡°Don¡¯t be an idiot.¡±


    The attendant hesitated, taken off guard by the mocking amusement in Vermil¡¯s voice. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Would a demon let me do this?¡± Vermil asked, wrapping an arm around Lee¡¯s shoulders and ruffling her hair with the other hand. Lee did absolutely nothing to stop him, and Vermil slipped her a piece of beef jerky before releasing her.


    What is she, a dog?


    That looks like it feels kind of nice, actually.


    ¡°Understood,¡± Aylin said. ¡°Thank you for your tutelage. Knowledge from someone like you is always appreciated.¡±


    Okay, the flattery might be getting somewhere.


    ¡°You think I¡¯m that intelligent, huh? Wise boy.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Aylin said. ¡°You are a Rank 6. I cannot accidentally rip your soul open in the process of learning from you.¡±


    Well now I just feel objectified.


    Vermil shot Jalen a look through the holes of his mask.


    ¡°What?¡± Jalen asked.


    ¡°Stop screwing with my students.¡±


    ¡°You mean your daughter¡¯s birthday attendees? Speaking of which, what does that make me? The godfather?¡±


    ¡°Hired clown,¡± Vermil replied. He approached the edge of the railing, shifting the book on his shoulder down to the ground and pulling several sheafs of Catchpaper out from within it before slinging it back over his shoulder.


    ¡°Ouch,¡± Jalen said, taking full advantage of his mask to grin unabashedly. ¡°So what¡¯s the plan, Birthday Dad? I trust you¡¯ve got a good reason to go through the effort of getting to this auction.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve got something like that,¡± Vermil said. He adjusted the hood of the coat he¡¯d taken from Moxie to make sure it fully covered his head. Jalen couldn¡¯t even see his mask beneath it. ¡°You know, I was thinking on what the best way to approach this would be. Most of my ideas took a whole lot of political maneuvering that I really couldn¡¯t be bothered to do. I just need a lot of runes... and quickly.¡±


    ¡°So what did you decide on?¡± Jalen asked, leaning forward.


    ¡°This,¡± Vermil replied.


    Then he jumped over the edge of the platform.


    Moxie¡¯s white cloak fluttered around him as he fell down, slowing his fall with a burst of wind a moment before he landed upon the stage beside the female auctioneer. She sputtered off, midway through some speech about a worthless rune, and her eyes went wide.


    ¡°Sir! Please remain on your platform! Customers are not allowed to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hush now,¡± Vermil said, his voice far darker than Jalen recalled it. Something... uneasy lingered just beneath his words. It was enough to set even Jalen¡¯s skin on edge. Vermil put a hand on the woman¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I need a moment of everyone¡¯s time.¡±


    A guard stepped out from the shadows.


    ¡°Come with me,¡± the man said. ¡°You¡¯ll be leaving the premises.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Vermil said, cocking his head to the side. ¡°I won¡¯t be doing that.¡±


    The man went to respond ¡ª and his eyes went wide. The fire covering his palms snuffed out and he grasped at his throat, trying and failing to draw a breath.


    ¡°What is this?¡± he wheezed.


    Uneasy murmurs passed through the auction, and more guards stepped out of the shadows. Jalen leaned forward in his seat, delight passing over his features.


    ¡°Relax,¡± Vermil said, lowering his hands. The guard drew in a ragged breath and scrambled back to the safety of his allies. Vermil did nothing to stop him. ¡°I come today bearing a business proposition.¡±


    ¡°Who in the Damned Plains are you?¡± someone yelled from right beside Jalen ¡ª and he turned to realize that it had been Aylin.


    The demon winked at Jalen from behind his mask.


    ¡°That is an unintentionally apt way to phrase that question,¡± Vermil said with a booming chuckle. ¡°My name is Spider. I have passed through the Damned Plains. I have killed men and demons alike that are more powerful than you could have ever imagined ¡ª and I have come to offer you all a very special deal.¡±


    There was an instant of stunned silence.


    ¡°He¡¯s a demon!¡± a woman screamed. ¡°There¡¯s a demon in the auction!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell what Rank he is! I can¡¯t read him at all!¡± a man called out, fear gripping his words.


    The room exploded into chaos.


    That was quite fortunate, as it covered Jalen¡¯s roaring laughter perfectly.


    This is going to be even better than I imagined.

 Chapter 609: Poor day

    The entire auction house rung in panicked cacophony. Mages scrambled everywhere, guards rushed across the floor, and yells mixed in the sky. Jalen watched more than a few bumbling idiots trip over themselves in their haste to make an escape.


    Even his amusement wasn¡¯t enough to keep him from shaking his head in disgust. The majority of the mages in this room were high Rank 4s or Rank 5s, and there were definitely at least a few Rank 6s scattered throughout it as well.


    They were meant to be amongst the most powerful people the empire had within it ¡ª but the mere mention of the Damned Plains was enough to make them soil themselves in fear. Of course, Jalen had no delusions that these were truly the strongest the empire had to offer.


    Almost all of the mages of any real worth aren¡¯t wasting their time at an auction. They¡¯re hidden away or training. But even still, there should be some people here that aren¡¯t completely pathetic.


    His gaze swept across the room in search of something interesting. He¡¯d spent years sifting through worthless, backboneless fools. Jalen liked to think he had something of an eye for people that wouldn¡¯t keel over at the slightest sign of an issue.


    And sure enough, he found what he was looking for.


    In all the chaos following Vermil¡¯s announcement, there were several people that hadn¡¯t so much as flinched.


    A woman on platform 2 leaned over the railing, staring down at Vermil. Her mask did nothing to disguise her interest. Jalen was slightly more interested in her hair. It was a fiery orange-red, the color of the Torrin family servants. Another woman stood on the platform with her, clad in heavy black robes that were a size too large for her. She was going out of her way to conceal as much of her form as possible.


    Then on platform 6 ¡ª a large man sat in his chair, straight backed. His fingers drummed against the armrest as he waited to hear Vermil out. A slew of attendants surrounded him, rushing around in a panic that he did not share.


    Upon Platform 8 was a tall woman with black hair. She stood, arms crossed behind her back, head cocked to the side like she were watching an interesting show play out before her.


    And those weren¡¯t all of them. All throughout the room, there were scattered points of mild interest. Mages here and there that weren¡¯t completely worthless. It was actually a few more than Jalen had expected to find, though Vermil hadn¡¯t actually done anything yet.


    He was a single supposed demon surrounded and revealed. There was a sea of bodies between him and the mages. Only the most cowardly fools would be getting terrified already. This was possibly the worst spot for a demon to attempt an attack.


    ¡°You¡¯re finished, demon!¡± A mage yelled. ¡°Showing yourself here is like throwing yourself neck-first onto a blade!¡±


    ¡°Demon,¡± Vermil repeated, cocking his head to the side. ¡°Is that what you think I am?¡±


    The guards surrounding him on the platform pressed closer. They readied their weapons and yelled orders, but none of them were actually willing to close the gap between them and Vermil.


    Even if the only proof of his identity was his claim to be from the Damned Plains, no sane man wanted to get anywhere near a demon ¡ª and not even an idiot would pretend to be one.


    ¡°You just said you were,¡± the mage called back. ¡°Are you not?¡±


    ¡°Lay down,¡± one of the guards called, his voice breaking. ¡°Hands behind your back!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Spider said.


    The guards stared at him.


    ¡°Please?¡± the guard tried.


    ¡°Decent attempt, but no,¡± Vermil said. He set his massive grimoire down on the ground with a heavy thud. ¡°Now, I believe we were having an auction, were we not?¡±


    ¡°Where are the Inquisitors?¡± a mage yelled through the cacophony. ¡°They¡¯re paid for situations like this! Someone remove the demon!¡±


    That¡¯s a good question. An event like this should have at least one Inquisitor on staff somewhere. I¡¯d imagine Vermil was even planning for that. He wouldn¡¯t have made an entrance like this if he didn¡¯t expect an Inquisitor. As moronic as their group is, I can¡¯t say they¡¯re often slow to act on information.


    What¡¯s going on?


    ¡°Be calm!¡± a woman roared. Her voice boomed through the auction house like rolling thunder, ripping through the chaos. Jalen¡¯s domain prickled. Her words had been imbued with magic. A lot of it.


    Sound magic. There¡¯s something you don¡¯t see much anymore.


    Not a scrap made it through his domain. The woman was strong, but he was stronger. That was almost a disappointment. It had been too long since he¡¯d had an interesting challenge. Still... they had to be a high Rank 5 or low Rank 6.


    And, to Jalen¡¯s mild surprise, the order worked. The panicked scrambling paused.


    A form flew through the air before alighting on the ground across the stage from Vermil. She wore gray robes with plates of armor sewn into them, covering vital spots. Imbuements ran throughout the material to strengthen the connecting cloth, and it had clearly seen some use before.


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to humor¡ª¡± a mage started.


    ¡°What do you want? I represent the Herron family. I can guarantee we can get you what you need.¡± the sound mage said, cutting the man off immediately. She shot a glare at one of the guards who was starting to approach and the man faltered before taking a step back.


    ¡°Now, that¡¯s not how an auction works,¡± Vermil said. ¡°Everyone deserves to get a chance to bid ¡ª but seriously, where are the Inquisitors? Are they asleep? Those idiots have a job to do! Is this seriously how bad security has gotten?¡±


    ¡°You wanted the Inquisitors to show up?¡± the sound mage asked incredulously.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that their job? I just claimed to have come from the Damned Plains,¡± Vermil said irritably. ¡°Would someone do me a favor and call them over? I¡¯ll happily start the auction once they arrive, but I really need those stuffy pricks here to verify what I¡¯ve got for sale.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± the huge man resting amidst a sea of attendants rumbled. ¡°Enough teasing. You have our attention. With a scene like this, you had best pray that your product is as important as you and your accomplice say.¡±


    ¡°Accomplice?¡± the sound mage asked, spinning toward the man. ¡°I¡¯m no¡ª¡±


    ¡°What does he have for sale?¡± the man asked, ignoring her protests. ¡°Tell me.¡±


    ¡°A type of rune that not a single one of you has ever had a chance to get your hands on before,¡± Vermil replied with a laugh. ¡°Demon runes. Harvested straight from the Damned Plains, from some of the most powerful entities within it.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit,¡± someone yelled immediately.


    Vermil pointed in their direction. ¡°And this idiot is why I need those stuffy Inquisitor pricks here. They can sniff out Demons anywhere.¡±


    ¡°If those runes are real... then you¡¯re a demon,¡± the huge man said flatly. ¡°They will kill you.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s save that discussion when the Inquisitors arrive. It seems we all have a similar interest in getting them in here to verify my claim, yes? I was promised there would be an Inquisitor here, so if someone could go ahead and get them off the toilet and over to doing their job, that would be fantastic.¡±


    There were a long few moments of silence.


    Then another form blurred through the air. A man leapt off his platform and slammed down on the stage between Vermil and the sound mage. His entire body was wrapped in a black cloak and he had a wide, floppy hood pulled low over his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯d be the Inquisitor?¡± Vermil asked.


    ¡°No. I am not.¡± The man¡¯s back twitched. Something bulged under his cloak.


    ¡°Bummer,¡± Vermil said. ¡°You¡¯ll have to wait your turn to bid, then.¡±


    The sound mage took a step back, her eyes widening as she caught sight of something under the man¡¯s hood.


    She didn¡¯t get a chance to do anything more.


    Blood-red wings ripped free from the man¡¯s back, ripping through his clothes. He grabbed at his good, dark, pointed fingernails digging into the cloth as he tore it away from his face and threw it to the ground.


    His mouth was full of jagged fangs. Deep pits covered the man¡¯s face and his nose was nothing but a flat surface with two thin holes. Yellowed, snakelike eyes peered out from sunken sockets. Black flames danced across his wings and coiled down his back like a twisting tail.


    The man held a hand out.


    A bloodstained rosary fell from his fingers. It clattered to the ground, bone marbles clinking against each other.


    Power exploded through the room in a wave. It fizzled against Jalen¡¯s domain, hissing and popping all around him.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid the Inquisitor is otherwise indisposed of,¡± the man said, his lips pulling apart in a thin sneer. ¡°You¡¯ve chosen a poor day to posture as one of my kind, scum. You are ruining my game.¡±


    Standing before Vermil was a demon ¡ª and based off the raw power burning from the monster¡¯s body, they were easily at the peak of Rank 5 or the bottom of Rank 6.


    Jalen stared, lips parting slightly behind his mask. The demon was strong. They¡¯d been concealing their power by using the oppressive power of the Inquisitor¡¯s beads against themselves.


    Huh. Didn¡¯t see that one coming.

 Chapter 610: Guide & ANNOUNCEMENT

    The entirety of the auction house stared down at the stage. For a few brief moments, it was completely silent. Surprise had stolen everyone¡¯s voices, taken their ability to do anything but gape with wide eyes.


    Vermil stood, hand rested on his massive book and head cocked to the side. A huge demon loomed above him. The monster had grown larger when it had shed its human form and now stood several heads above him. Quiet black fire licked across the demon¡¯s enormous wings and licked at the stage at its feet, melting the stone like it was butter.


    The auctioneer behind Vermil had fallen to her backside. Her eyes and mouth were wide open with terror and she had frozen mid-crawl to safety, unwilling to even budge an inch in the presence of the mythical monster before her.


    Even a weaker mage could tell just how powerful this demon was. The bloody rosary at its feet was all the proof anyone needed. For a demon to kill an Inquisitor was an immense feat, and the power pouring off the demon was so palpable that Jalen could practically taste it.


    As a matter of fact, he could. It smelled like sulfur and ash and sooty sweat.


    One of the guards took a step back. His pale features trembled. Hands tightened around his weapon. Breath filled his lungs as he prepared to yell something out. Perhaps he planned to rally the troops and charge. Perhaps he meant to run.


    They never found out which.


    The demon flicked his hand.


    A sharp needle of black flame leapt from the inferno upon his body. It pierced clean through the man¡¯s eye and passed out the back of his head. Without so much as a whimper, the man crumpled.


    The clang of his armor echoed through the auction.


    ¡°Nobody move,¡± the demon commanded, lips twisting as his sneer deepened. ¡°Move ¡ª and you die before we get to the main event.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re one demon. Killing one Inquisitor does not mean we cannot deal with you ourselves,¡± the huge man surrounded by attendants rumbled, though he didn¡¯t budge from his throne. It was hard to tell if that was because he was scared or if he just couldn¡¯t be bothered to heave his bulk up.


    The demon let out a raspy laugh. ¡°I am not the only one present. My demons are distributed throughout this building. There are more than enough of us to deal with all of you, especially when you never see us coming.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± a mage called from a platform below Jalen. ¡°You¡¯re¡ª¡±


    There was a wet thunk. The mage pitched over the platform. He plummeted through the air, blood trailing behind him like the tail of a red comet and splattered against the ground with a wet crunch.


    A woman stood behind him, ichor dripping from her claws. She reached up to her face and ripped the tanned skin away, revealing a dull blue sheen. Her lips split apart to reveal an impossibly wide, toothy grin.


    ¡°Oops,¡± she said, a forked tongue flicking from her mouth and tasting the air.


    Jalen scratched his backside.


    Those are good dart throwing hands. Wonder what she¡¯s doing later.


    ¡°We are the knife at your back,¡± the demon on the stage floor roared. ¡°The eyes in the shadows. The whisper in the wind. Nobody moves. Nobody does anything more than breathe without my express permission. Thank your gods that we have use of your power. It is the only reason you still draw breath.¡±


    Panicked mutters passed through the arena, but the demon¡¯s warning had worked. There was no way to know how many demons were planted in the audience, and when it came to fighting monsters, demons were amongst the worst opponents to have at your back.


    Mages weren¡¯t well suited to dealing with surprise attacks. Shields were optimized against magic, not impossibly fast assassinations.


    Of course, any real mage would be able to handle themselves just fine here, but those are few and far in between. We¡¯d probably win this fight easily if everyone just charged the idiot, but that would involve bravery and self-sacrifice that none of these pompous idiots have ever known.


    ¡°Any attempts to call for inquisitors will be severely punished,¡± the female demon said, her tongue running along her lips. ¡°But please, I encourage you to try.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Jalen called.


    The demon¡¯s eyes snapped up to him. ¡°I ¡ª what?¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Jalen repeated. ¡°Do you have a whip or something? It¡¯s been a few years and I¡¯m not as spry as I used to be, but I could be swayed¡ª¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she hissed. ¡°I don¡¯t have a whip.¡±


    ¡°Oh. That¡¯s a disappointment.¡± Jalen pursed his lips. ¡°Hot irons? Nipple clamps?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got it,¡± Vermil said as he pounded a fist into his hand. A ripple of energy passed out from him. ¡°You were right! I don¡¯t need the Inquisitors at all.¡±


    The book at Vermil¡¯s side rippled.


    The fury in Salthazar¡¯s expression vanished as he noticed something ¡ª as to what it was, Jalen had no idea. But in the span of a moment, there was terror within the demon¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°That power. What are you?¡± Salthazar rasped, taking a step back. His face went pale. ¡°What manner of¡ª¡±


    ¡°Behold!¡± Vermil boomed. ¡°A live demonstration has delivered itself to me!¡±


    ¡°Are you insane?¡± a mage yelled. ¡°Don¡¯t fight the fucking demon! We need to wait for the Inquisitors and do as they say! I don¡¯t want to get killed!¡±


    Vermil paused for an instant. He turned toward the mage who had spoken. Even though his features were covered by the mask on his face, there was so much derision in his stance that it was impossible to miss.


    ¡°You seem to have misunderstood my purpose for coming here. I am not one of you, Magus. Anyone so worthless that they can¡¯t defend themselves against a few knives in the dark isn¡¯t worth my time.¡±


    Then he snapped his fingers.


    ¡°No!¡± Salthazar yelled, spinning for the stands and calling out to his hidden allies. ¡°Help¡ª¡±


    Salthazar¡¯s limbs snapped to his sides like he¡¯d been grabbed by an enormous, invisible hand. Vermil¡¯s hand slammed down on Salthazar¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Never forget,¡± he said, his voice dropping to a whisper. ¡°You started this.¡±


    ¡°Orlen!¡± The demon screamed. ¡°Help! You didn¡¯t tell me¡ª¡±


    A blade of pitch black energy sliced down the demon, going from head to toe. For the briefest moment, Vermil was taken aback.


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± he asked.


    The demon split straight down the middle. Blood poured from the demon¡¯s halves as he collapsed to the ground, dead. Six runes rose up from his corpse, and Vermil¡¯s composure returned in a snap. Jalen doubted anyone noticed it. Everyone, himself included, was far more focused on the runes. Jalen couldn¡¯t tell the their exact rank. For that matter, he couldn¡¯t read them at all.


    Fascinating. They feel like they should be somewhere between 5 and 6. I can¡¯t quite tell which one the demon was. He shouldn¡¯t have gone down that easily, though. Even without the magic a Rank 6 human mage would have, someone of his strength should have survived more than one blow from Vermil.


    What¡¯s going on? It¡¯s almost as Salthazar saw something else a moment before Vermil attacked. Like it wasn¡¯t even Vermil he was scared of.


    Tongues of paper shot out from the grimoire on the ground, binding around the six runes and yanking them within its pages. Vermil grabbed the grimoire and held it up high in the air.


    Upon its pages were the runes he¡¯d just taken from the demon.


    ¡°Behold!¡± Vermil roared. ¡°Your demonstration is concluded. Six freshly harvested demon runes are waiting for you to buy them. I¡¯d say that¡¯s more than proof of my words. So... let¡¯s hear those bids, shall we?¡±


    ¡°Are you mad?¡± the sound mage asked, staring at him in a mixture of awe and terror. ¡°We¡¯re under attack! There are demons hiding in our midst. Nobody¡¯s bidding on an auction!¡±


    Vermil burst into laughter. ¡°No. You¡¯re under attack. I am holding an auction ¡ª and anyone who interrupts it will meet the same fate as this kind donor lying at my feet."


    There was a moment of stunned silence. Even Jalen stared in disbelief. Vermil had just ripped every single rune straight out of the dead demon ¡ª and not with Catchpaper, but in plain sight of everyone watching.


    What ridiculous power is that? He still has secrets? Incredible. Absolutely incredible.


    Linestra squirmed. She shot Jalen a desperate look. Intrigued, he flicked his hand and banished the bindings around her head, not taking his eyes off Vermil. This was far too fascinating to be distracted.


    ¡°Anyone can bid?¡± Linestra called, not even slightly bothered by the death of her compatriot.


    ¡°Anyone,¡± Vermil confirmed with a chuckle. ¡°So let¡¯s get this auction properly underway, shall we? I¡¯m an open-minded man. Demon, human, I don¡¯t care who you are. Forget your allegiances. Forget your past. All that matters is the now. If you want power... I will guide you to it.¡±

 Chapter 611: Battle

    Humans and demons could never coexist together. They were predator and prey. Mortal enemies that could never truly come to equal footing. Demons feasted on human emotion, and humans hunted demons to purge every trace of them from the mortal plane.


    Hundreds of years, perhaps even thousands, had gone into the war between them. Fueled by fools summoning monsters beyond their power to control, by Inquisitors that zealously killed every demon they came across, no matter the demon¡¯s intention or desire.


    A chasm full of spilled blood spanned the gulf between the two sides. It was so deep that no man could hope to cross it. Nobody had been foolish enough to even try mending that rift. It was an impossible task.


    At least it had been.


    As it turned out, the solution to the Arbalest Empire¡¯s greatest grudge match was actually rather simple.


    It was the same solution that, despite what the rich would swear, existed for just about every single problem in life.


    Money.


    Or, to be more accurate, power.


    When the opportunity to grasp immense strength made itself known, then nobody gave a shit about who was standing at their side. They didn¡¯t care if the person beside them had horns sprouting from their forehead or hair from their ass.


    Jalen let out a whistle, shaking his head in disbelief. He¡¯d seen a lot of things in his life. Some of them had been nice, and some less so. At this point, even getting surprised was a rare occurrence. But seeing something for the first time ¡ª that was a rare treat indeed.


    He was getting second servings of it today.


    In a room full of some of the strongest mages in the empire and demons alike, there was only a single thing that anyone cared about.


    It wasn¡¯t their age-old feud. It wasn¡¯t the pile of bone beads on the floor, nor was it the sundered demon lying in two heaps beside it.


    They only had eyes for the book in the center of the room and the man beside it, hawking off runes like he was a vendor in a busy market square.


    ¡°Don¡¯t offer me shit,¡± Vermil snapped. ¡°I already gave you a list of the runes I wanted. Where among them was something even remotely similar to Blistering Blizzard?¡±


    ¡°It¡ªit¡¯s a rank 5 rune!¡± a woman stammered in disbelief, staring down at Vermil from the platform she stood upon. ¡°Formed at twenty percent full! That¡¯s one of the best ones we¡ª¡±


    ¡°It was not on the list,¡± Vermil said. ¡°I am uninterested.¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    ¡°Stop wasting time,¡± a massive man roared, pushing his way through the crowd. The smolder behind the eyes of his mask instantly gave him away as a demon. ¡°I¡¯ve got a Blackened Warp Rune. Rank 4.¡±


    ¡°Can anyone beat that?¡± Vermil called, cocking his head to the side.


    A mage raised a hand. Jalen vaguely recognized him from his patterned robes ¡ª the man was high up in a relatively large noble family. Jalen had forgotten his name... and the name of his family as well. Neither had been worth remembering. The man cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯ve got a Shadowswept Night Jaunt¡ª¡±


    ¡°That is not a Space rune. The only thing I¡¯m accepting for this are space related runes,¡± Vermil said. ¡°If you have something else, wait for the next rune I put up for auction. I¡¯m in a generous mood today, so wet your hair and sit back down until it¡¯s your turn.¡±


    The mage, amongst the elite of the Arbalest Empire, sat down like an admonished child.


    ¡°Sold to you,¡± Vermil said, pointing at the demon.


    ¡°He defeated the Rising Moon,¡± Yoru said. ¡°He took my arms and I thanked him for it.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been to the afterlife and returned unharmed,¡± Lee said. ¡°He even brought someone back with him.¡±


    The demoness stared at them, the confusion in her features pulling her lips open into a wide O of disbelief.


    ¡°What manner of monster is he?¡± she muttered. ¡°An Archdemon? Is that why I can¡¯t sense his power at all?¡±


    ¡°Be glad you can¡¯t,¡± Yoru said. ¡°If you were a threat to him, you would already be dead. This is all a game for his amusement. There are times he pretends to be weak. Times he pretends to be a demon, and times he pretends to be a human. But he is none of them. His motives are not yours to know. He is Spider.¡±


    ¡°I... don¡¯t think I want to bid anymore,¡± the demoness said, all the gusto evaporating from her features. ¡°This is the equivalent of him tossing out trash to see the birds fight, isn¡¯t it? I don¡¯t need to be in the debt of someone that powerful.¡±


    Jalen¡¯s hand landed on her shoulder as his lips split apart in a grin behind his mask. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s too late for that. See, me and Spider ¡ª we¡¯re good friends. We play darts together. Every weekend, as a matter of fact... though he¡¯s missed our last few games. Whoops, I¡¯ve gone off track. Fact of the matter is ¡ª I could have killed you the second your feet landed on this platform. I chose not to.¡±


    ¡°No, the demoness muttered, horror warping her features. ¡°Wait. That¡¯s not fair. I¡ª¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s one thing I¡¯ve never been called,¡± Jalen said, cutting her off as his smile grew even wider. ¡°You¡¯re in my debt ¡ª which means you¡¯re in Spider¡¯s. And I¡¯m going to be rather pissed if you¡¯ve gone and lied to get yourself unwrapped. You said you were going to bid... ah, fuck. What was your name again?¡±


    ¡°Linestra,¡± the demoness said weakly.


    ¡°Linestra,¡± Jalen said. ¡°Very good. As I was saying, I believe you were just about to place a bid. I do hope it¡¯s a good one.¡±


    ¡°Why is Spider here?¡± Linestra asked as she approached the edge of the platform and braced her hands against the railing. ¡°What does he want? If he¡¯s this powerful... is he trying to go against Orlen? Why would he interfere with us?¡±


    ¡°Feel free to ask him yourself,¡± Jalen said. ¡°He doesn¡¯t bite.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Lee provided.


    ¡°Thank you, Lee,¡± Jalen said.


    ¡°I have absolutely no plans of speaking to Spider any more than I have to,¡± Linestra said with a shudder.


    ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate. Make that bid of yours... but don¡¯t fret too much if you can¡¯t win. Spider is going to want to hear out what you have to say.¡±


    ¡°What? Why me? I¡¯m not the leader! I barely know anything!¡±


    Jalen¡¯s smile darkened. ¡°Because I¡¯m not convinced any of the other demons in this room are going to live to see sunset. I fear your little invasion wasn¡¯t nearly as discreet as you thought it was. There are Inquisitors surrounding this entire building.¡±


    Based on how they¡¯re moving into position... I¡¯d say we¡¯ve got about five minutes for Vermil to finish up his little auction. I can¡¯t remember the last time there were reports of this many Inquisitors all gathered in one place...


    Someone tipped them off. This is going to be a bloodbath.


    How fun.


    I wonder if I can get the battle named after me.

 Chapter 612: Recruiting

    Any initial hesitation that the demons or humans had toward Vermil was blown away by the promise of power. For the residents of the mortal plane, it was a chance too great to pass up. Runes from the Damned Plains that had never been seen before... no noble would ever pass that up.


    Every single person that had a rune Vermil wanted rejoiced. They all bid without reservation. After all, it was easy. His asking prices weren¡¯t measured in gold. Trading away relatively average runes in exchange for his offerings was an incredible deal.


    The demons bid with equal fervor. They could actually read the runes ¡ª and when a high ranked Demon Rune came up for auction, none of them could afford to pass it up. His requests were just too perfect.


    Vermil had every single person in the room dancing in the palm of his hand. In the span of just a few more minutes, he managed to auction off nearly a dozen Demon Runes of varying ranks.


    Jalen watched on, literally twitching in anticipation. Nobody else seemed to have noticed the growing forces of Inquisitors outside the auction house. They were getting ready to break in, he was sure of it.


    If Vermil hadn¡¯t been so confident his people would have no trouble against Inquisitors, then I¡¯d be getting Lee and the others out of here. Would have done it ten minutes ago. Well, maybe five. Or three. Can¡¯t be missing the action ¡ª but the point still stands. Keeping them around with a sea of bloodthirsty ball-fondlers outside is hardly the move of someone with a nice and wrinkly brain.


    Linestra stood beside him, drooped over the railing like a wilting flower. She¡¯d tried to make a run for it the moment he¡¯d revealed the presence of the waiting Inquisitors, but he¡¯d yanked her right back to the platform.


    They were going to need at least one survivor from the auction to figure out just what it had been that the demons had been planning. Jalen hadn¡¯t missed Vermil¡¯s expression when he¡¯d killed the prick in charge.


    The demon had mentioned someone by the name of Orlen as he¡¯d been split, and Vermil had flinched in response. He knew something about that name... and if he¡¯d been unsettled by it, then it was probably important.


    ¡°Please,¡± Linestra said, hope binding her tone. ¡°Just... let me go. I don¡¯t want to get killed by the Inquisitors.¡±


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯d go?¡± Jalen asked, arching an eyebrow. ¡°We¡¯re surrounded. There is no escape. Relax. You¡¯re probably in the safest position in this entire room. Spider knows the Inquisitors are here. Just sit your ass over there and keep bidding.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the worst part! I am bidding!¡± Linestra threw her hands up. ¡°And I lose every time! This is humiliating! What¡¯s wrong with my Runes? My offer was better than the one Spider chose! Why would he pick trash over me?¡±


    ¡°Maybe you smell bad,¡± Lee offered.


    ¡°He can smell me? From all the way over there?¡± Horror gripped Linestra¡¯s words. She sniffed at her armpit, then frowned. ¡°I smell fine.¡±


    ¡°I think Lee was joking,¡± Aylin said. ¡°You taste normal. Just a demon.¡±


    ¡°I taste ¡ª what?¡± Linestra stared at him. ¡°When did you taste me? And what do you mean just a demon? I can see your horns, you little brat.¡±


    ¡°We are not the same,¡± Aylin said. ¡°You are a demon. We are something more. Lord Spider has made us greater.¡±


    ¡°That didn¡¯t answer my first question.¡± Linestra slowly brought her hand up to her mouth and touched it with the tip of her tongue. ¡°I do taste normal. What is it you mean by greater? And what is Spider?¡±


    ¡°He is Spider,¡± Aylin said.


    Where did Vermil find this little straight-faced guy? I can¡¯t tell if he¡¯s fucking with Linestra or not. It¡¯s hilarious. His expression is about as flat as a dinner plate.


    Linestra let out a heavy sigh and slumped back over the railing. ¡°Can I please leave?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Jalen said cheerfully. ¡°You haven¡¯t won a rune yet. Keep placing those bids.¡±


    ¡°I can leave if I win?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Jalen said. ¡°But I figured giving you a goal would keep your mind occupied. Just relax and enjoy the moment, would you?¡±


    ¡°This is blackmail. Don¡¯t you have any shame?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Linestra said dryly. ¡°Forgive me if I don¡¯t believe that for a second. An army of Inquisitors? I¡¯m dead. I¡¯m barely Rank 5. More than enough to deal with one or two of the wretched corpse-desecrating bastards, but more than that? We¡¯re all done for. I¡¯m just going to sit here and enjoy the flavor of everyone swearing vengeance as they get killed. At least I¡¯ll get a meal as I die.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re depressing,¡± Lee informed Linestra. She took the half-chewed arm and shoved it into the other demon¡¯s mouth, silencing the surprised protests by pushing it in further. ¡°Here. Eat this. It¡¯s tasty.¡±


    Linestra managed to choke the arm down, coughing and sputtering. Then she went as stiff as a rod.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Linestra whispered. ¡°What did you just feed me? Why did it taste like¡ª¡±


    A brilliant crash ripped through the room. Light carved through the darkness like glowing blades. Screams echoed out as hooded figures dropped from the ceiling and burst in through the doors.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Jalen said, reinforcing the protection of the energy dome he¡¯d put up around the platform. ¡°Would you look at that? Here they are.¡±


    ¡°This is an Inquisition,¡± a voice boomed. ¡°There are demons present upon the premises of this building. Anyone trying to escape will be treated as a demon and put down accordingly. Do not leave your seat. Remain still. This will not take long.¡±


    Ice gripped the entire room in a vice grip as the temperature dropped like a rock. Jalen let his domain activate, grinding the magic away before it affected the platform they were on. Everywhere else, aside from small patches in the room where other mages were using their magic, frost spread across the ground.


    The Inquisitors had a powerful mage with them. Someone around Rank 6.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Linestra breathed. ¡°I was really hoping you were lying to me.¡±


    ¡°Sit straighter,¡± Jalen said, leaning forward in his chair with a delighted grin. ¡°The fun part is only starting. You don¡¯t want to miss this.¡±


    And then another voice tore through the air.


    Not from the Inquisitors, but from the lone mage standing in the center platform of the auction house.


    ¡°Gentlemen, please. Calm yourselves,¡± Vermil called. Dozens of Inquisitors turned toward him as one. He didn¡¯t even miss a beat. ¡°I¡¯m trying to hold an auction here ¡ª and you¡¯re late.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s definitely a demon. Deal with him!¡± an Inquisitor ordered.


    Another cloaked man sprinted for Vermil. His sleeves flapped back to reveal a large, bone rosary clutched within a hand. The Inquisitor lifted it into the air and it ignited with burning white light.


    Linestra¡¯s teeth gritted in pain ¡ª but not a single one of the other demons on the platform even blinked.


    The Inquisitor skidded to a stop before Vermil, arm lowering in surprise.


    ¡°What?¡± the man asked, his voice faltering. ¡°He¡¯s... not a demon?¡±


    Vermil¡¯s laughter echoed through the auction hall.


    ¡°And now, the final item of this auction...¡± Vermil grabbed the Inquisitor¡¯s hand in a vice grip and brought the man¡¯s glowing rosary right up to his face. He held it there for a moment before shoving the Inquisitor back and lifting his hands into the air. ¡°My name is Spider, and I offer every demon in this room freedom. Freedom from Inquisitors. Freedom from yourselves. I offer you the chance to never fear again ¡ª and the only price I ask is your loyalty.¡±


    Jalen¡¯s eyes widened. For once, he was so taken by surprise that he couldn¡¯t even be delighted by the stunned silence gripping the room like a hand around a throat.


    Vermil wasn¡¯t just trying to weasel a few runes out of people.


    He was recruiting an army.

 Chapter 613: Bargain

    noah¡¯s mask was doing a remarkable job of hiding the blood streaking down his face.


    pain wrapped his entire being. spikes dug into the insides of his stomach and jabbed deep into his spine, trying to blend him apart from within. his skull pulsed with a relentless headache and his mouth was as dry as a desert rock.


    it had been a long time since he¡¯d last had an inquisitor turn their magic against him. he hadn¡¯t forgotten the sensation in the slightest ¡ª but he was a lot stronger than he had been the last time he¡¯d faced one.


    he could withstand it. it wasn¡¯t an enjoyable experience by any stretch of the imagination, but that didn¡¯t matter. noah could deal with pain. he¡¯d felt worse. so long as the inquisitors bought his bullshit, he would stand in the center of the room and eat the burning magic for as long as it took.


    and it was working.


    the entire room stood in stunned silence. inquisitors and demons and nobles stood alike, frozen like a sea of ice sculptures, disbelief holding all of them in place.


    not a single one of them could tell who he was or what he was supposed to be. he claimed to be from the damned plains, withstood inquisitor magic, but did not work with the attacking demons.


    attempting to discern his intentions was impossible.


    even for him.


    this is really not how i was planning to do this. how did i just randomly choose the one day where the demons were planning something? why are there so many inquisitors around ¡ª and what the hell was salthazar going to say about orlen before he died?


    i¡¯ve literally been talking out of my ass for the past few minutes. i¡¯m going to need to use the bathroom if i¡¯m forced to spew much more bullshit... but at least i¡¯ve gotten just about every single rune i wanted and then some.


    the original plan is in smoking shambles, but who gives a shit? we have what we came for. all i need now is a way out... and to test a few things in the process.


    ¡°are you man or demon?¡± the inquisitor before noah demanded, clutching his rosary to his chest like it was a pearl necklace around the neck of a wealthy woman who had never worked for so much as a penny in her life.


    ¡°dispatch him,¡± another inquisitor ordered as he ripped himself free of his surprise. ¡°man or demon, he plans to collaborate with the enemy. spider is our foe.¡±


    the first inquisitor grabbed a dagger from his waist and slashed it across his hand. blood exploded forth in a river, swirling around him¡ª


    there was a wet thunk.


    blood splattered across noah¡¯s clothes.


    the inquisitor froze. he swayed, then looked down at a clawed hand protruding from his chest, fingers wrapped around a still-beating heart.


    his lips parted. whether it was in surprise or pain, they never got to find out. the hand squeezed shut and the organ squelched like a wet sack of meat ¡ª which noah supposed it was. without a word, the inquisitor pitched forward.


    he crashed to the ground and his rosary slipped from his fingers. it rang against the stone floor with a loud, echoing crack. several of the bones shattered and their pieces rolled to a stop all around the dead man, quickly swallowed by a growing pool of blood spreading around his body.


    and above the dead man stood lee. the nails on her hand, now stained red, had sharpened to elongated points. blood and viscera covered it like a layer of thick, unmixed paint. it dripped and splattered to the floor beside the inquisitor.


    it took noah a moment to even realize he recognized her.


    ¡°anyone who approaches spider will die,¡± lee said, her voice ringing through the silent room.


    it wasn¡¯t a threat. it was a promise.


    ¡°a demon killed an inquisitor,¡± a noble whispered. his fear spread through the room like an invisible serpent, coiling through the air in a split instant.


    there was another moment of silence.


    ¡°run!¡± a woman screamed.


    nobles scrambled in every direction. magic surged and chaos descended like a heavy blanket ¡ª only to be rudely ripped away no more than an instant later as an immense domain slammed down over the entire room.


    the frost covering the ground and walls grew thicker. noah drew deeply on combustion, yanking power from the master rune to keep his body from starting to freeze.


    ¡°calm yourselves,¡± a woman said, emerging from the crowd of inquisitors and shrugging off her robes. glistening white and silver armor covered her body, patterned in the unique fractals of falling snow.


    every step she took left a frozen step on the ground. coils of frosty mist rose up from it and tendrils of ice stretched out from them, freezing portions of the ground into solid ice. her eyes burned into noah; two flat, frozen lakes. her angular features were completely emotionless.


    the hair on the back of noah¡¯s neck stood on end, and it wasn¡¯t from the temperature. she was strong. not the strongest person he¡¯d ever come up against, but after meeting sievan, it was going to be rather difficult for anyone to ever fill those shoes.


    lee lowered her stance as the woman approached, but noah put a hand on her shoulder.


    she was a lot stronger than the average rank 4, but this was no mere inquisitor. she was too strong. to have a domain this large... she was a rank 6, and she was easily as strong as evergreen had been if not considerably more powerful.


    ¡°even if you are no demon, you cannot think i will allow you to empower the greatest enemies of humanity,¡± fuyin said. she pressed her palms together. frost gathered between them as she pulled her hands apart, forming into a glistening sword.


    ¡°they will not be your enemies,¡± noah said. ¡°demons are as much a victim of their power as humanity is. the reason they hunt humans is not one of their own control... but i can change that. if your wish is to purge demons from this world, inquisitor, then i am your greatest ally.¡±


    ¡°liar!¡± another inquisitor yelled.


    noah¡¯s lips twitched in amusement behind his mask.


    the funniest thing is, i¡¯m being completely honest. i really can completely remove the majority of the threat demons pose to people. half of these guys are only hunting people because their runes force them to... but all that matters is that i¡¯ve given the demons a reason to fight.


    after this, the demons will put up enough of a distraction out of desperation to get free of their weakness that lee and the others can escape. any that actually manage to find us, i¡¯ll keep to my word and fix. if i want to take on the nobles gunning for isabel¡¯s master rune, i¡¯ll need an army.


    i can hardly pass this opportunity up. it¡¯s not my fault this one just served itself to me on a silver platter.


    ¡°hold,¡± fuyin said, raising a hand.


    noah blinked in surprise.


    there was genuine thought in her features. she was actually considering his words.


    ¡°how?¡± fuyin asked.


    many of the other inquisitors spun to her in surprise. a large man pushed through the ranks, throwing his hood back to reveal a bald man with a thick, bushy beard and unsettling, golden eyes. the man barely even looked human. he was nearly eight feet tall and proportionately wide. it was like a brick wall had taken to the flesh.


    ¡°you can¡¯t be planning to hear him out,¡± the mountain of a man said. ¡°fuyin, you are stepping out of bounds. we have our orders.¡±


    ¡°our duty is to seek ways to halt the demons. spider claims to possesses one,¡± fuyin said flatly. ¡°we have waited this long. i believe it is wise to wait longer, inquisitor tren.¡±


    she¡¯s not the one in charge? there¡¯s no way they sent two rank 6s for this, right? does that mean fuyin is actually just a really strong rank 5? damn. i¡¯d love to get a look at what runes she¡¯s got rattling around.


    ¡°you are overruled, fuyin. we will discuss this after the conclusion of this inquisition. it seems your attitude may need to be adjusted,¡± the large man said. he turned toward spider and pulled a huge rosary free of his sleeves, cracking his neck. ¡°inquisitors, prepare to¡ª¡±


    ¡°you could try that,¡± noah drawled. if fuyin was interested in his offer... perhaps he could leverage that. ¡°and many of you will die. perhaps most. but why would you cut the tail of the lizard when it will simply regrow?¡±


    ¡°what do you propose?¡± fuyin asked.


    tren glared at her. ¡°enough, fuyin. your orders are to purge. this arrogant fool claims to be the head of the demons, but all he can do is stall for time. there will be no more¡ª¡±


    ¡°i will remain behind. everyone else here will leave,¡± noah said. ¡°you¡¯ll have many chances to kill demons in the future... but how many will you get to learn information from the one who can stop them?¡±


    ¡°what?¡± lee asked, spinning to noah.


    ¡°or i can kill you and all the other demons here,¡± tren rumbled. ¡°and then i will get everything i want.¡±


    ¡°you can certainly try,¡± noah said. ¡°and regardless of what happens, you will not learn anything that i have to share. you need the knowledge i possess, inquisitors. so tell me ¡ª will you lose the battle for a chance to win the war?¡±


    the huge man stared at noah. all around him, inquisitors twitched and nervous crowds stared down at them. if tren attacked, this would be a bloodbath. even with this many inquisitors, there were enough demons to do an enormous amount of damage and everyone knew it.


    ¡°what do you fancy yourself,¡± tren growled. ¡°some manner of savior?¡±


    noah smiled. his grimoire had given him a perfect answer for that, even if the book hadn¡¯t been thinking of this particular scenario when they¡¯d last spoken.


    ¡°i prefer to think of myself as a herald.¡±


    ¡°they¡¯ll never let you live,¡± a demon called. noah glanced up at the voice ¡ª it was aylin who had spoken. ¡°if you do this, you¡¯ll die! why would you give up so much for demons you don¡¯t know?¡±


    nice, aylin.


    ¡°because i am not so easily killed,¡± noah said simply. ¡°today will be remembered as a demonstration of my power. it is up to the inquisitors to determine if the memory will be carved into history with blood or quill. so what do you say, tren? will you burn your chances at true victory just to kill a few demons?¡±


    tren glanced to fuyin, then grit his teeth.


    ¡°speak, then.¡±


    hook, line, and sinker.


    ¡°everyone is to evacuate first. i will remain. and then ¡ª only then ¡ªwill we bargain.¡±

 Chapter 614: Cant be bothered

    linestra¡¯s mouth felt like it was full of cotton. she gripped the edge of the railing in a vice grip as she ¡ª along with every other demon and human in the room ¡ª stared down at spider.


    there was only silence following his offer. linestra could barely believe what she¡¯d heard. it simply made no sense. there were times when demons worked together to further their own goals... but this was something different.


    spider stood before an army of inquisitors and offered himself up in exchange for every other demon¡¯s life. it made no sense.


    it simply went against everything they were.


    what about his offer to free us? if that was real, then how can he do it if he¡¯s dead? not even an archdemon could try to go up against this many inquisitors. that fuyin woman is powerful enough on her own, and the huge human is even stronger than she is. that many pieces of bone rosary against one person...


    spider is dead. he won¡¯t be able to defeat them all.


    so why would he do it? does he have some manner of artifact that will let him fight back against the inquisitors?


    the humans seemed to be just as confused as the demons.


    ¡°what manner of demon gives up his life in exchange for another?¡± fuyin asked, tilting her expressionless head to the side like a dog as she tried to figure out what spider¡¯s angle was.


    ¡°i already told you. i¡¯m more than a mere demon,¡± spider said with a low laugh. he reached to his side and pulled off his gourd and travel bag, handing them to the demon beside him and patting her on the shoulder. he slipped out of his robe and put it over her as well.


    ¡°what? he can¡¯t be stronger than a rank 5,¡± a mage muttered. ¡°who is that?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll even sweeten the deal. i will speak with you unarmed,¡± spider said.


    ¡°are you arrogant or a fool?¡± tren cracked his neck. ¡°what game do you play at, spider? you¡¯re weak.¡±


    ¡°answering that question would ruin the fun,¡± spider replied. ¡°make your choice, inquisitor. the battle or the war? which will you win?¡±


    the large man gritted his teeth. he made a sharp gesture with his free hand and a ripple of motion passed through the inquisitors as they all lowered their rosaries.


    ¡°everyone is to leave this building. immediately,¡± tren growled. ¡°immediately. any stragglers will be executed. i don¡¯t care if you¡¯re a human, demon, or a hunk of metal puppeted by a dog. get out. only spider and the inquisitors are to remain. for any humans in the audience ¡ª return to your houses immediately. call for inquisitors to verify that your numbers have not been compromised. and for the demons hiding in the audience like cockroaches... run. enjoy the brief moments this buys you. i will find every last one of you.¡±


    the auction house exploded into motion. people drew on their runes and launched themselves through the hole in the ceiling aboard flying swords; they fled from the auction house through any exit they could find.


    linestra would have loved to do the same if the madman with the purple magic hadn¡¯t been keeping her captive. even though she wasn¡¯t bound anymore, one of his eyes was firmly affixed on her neck. there was no doubt in her mind that, if she tried to flee, he would stop her.


    ¡°what should we do, jalen?¡± aylin asked. ¡°did spider inform you of this plan? are we meant to stay?¡±


    ¡°aren¡¯t you the one that¡¯s supposed to know things?¡± the madman asked, running a hand through his graying hair and shaking his head. ¡°well, you heard the man. answers would ruin the game.¡±


    ¡°what is that even supposed to mean?¡± linestra asked. ¡°we need to run!¡±


    ¡°it would be wise to do as spider says,¡± the armless demon said in a quiet voice. ¡°he has not been wrong before. i do not dare attempt to weight into the probabilities right now. i fear to see what i might find.¡±


    ¡°probabilities? like math?¡± jalen scratched the bottom of his chin, then let out a snort and shook his head. ¡°nerd.¡±


    ¡°the pursuit of knowledge is always wise,¡± aylin said. ¡°even if you hold great power, there is always more to be learned.¡±


    linestra stared at them in disbelief. there wasn¡¯t any panic among spider¡¯s companions. every single one of them was acting as if this there wasn¡¯t an army of inquisitors waiting to kill all of them. like it was just another day.


    how are they so casual about this? we need to be running!


    ¡°i know, i know,¡± jalen said irritably. ¡°i was shit at math, you little mouthy brat. music too. tried to get good at formations when i was younger. turns out, i don¡¯t have the patience for it. i much prefer smashing things over the head with cool magic. much less of a hassle.¡±


    ¡°i can teach you, if you want,¡± yoru said.


    jalen blinked. ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°math,¡± yoru said. ¡°i can teach it to you.¡±


    ¡°i... we can talk about this later,¡± jalen said, his voice sounding slightly taken aback. ¡°i suppose we should do what ve¡ª er, spider suggested, eh? no point sitting around at a party when all the players have already left. still... what a disappointment. i was hoping to kill a few people. this wasn¡¯t even a battle. how am i going to get it named after myself now?¡±


    what is he talking about?


    ¡°your head is damaged,¡± linestra informed jalen.


    the room around them was already mostly cleared out. linestra was becoming more and more aware that the only people surrounding them were inquisitors. if they didn¡¯t leave soon, they wouldn¡¯t be getting the chance to do it at all.


    ¡°relax,¡± noah said. his nose wrinkled at the smell of cooking flesh, but he didn¡¯t waste time in reaching for natural disaster and drawing the smoke to him, causing it to swirl into the shape of sievan. ¡°i¡¯m getting you some visuals. if you want to understand what i can do, then you need some visuals.¡±


    fuyin frowned. ¡°this...¡±


    ¡°silence,¡± tren said. ¡°it¡¯s smoke, woman. you¡¯re an ice mage. deal with it if he tries to attack. speak, demon. and do it quickly. if we are not satisfied here, then i will be bringing you back to our headquarters ¡ª and i can assure you that you will not enjoy that.¡±


    and so noah spoke. he told them of the demon¡¯s plight ¡ª there was no reason not to, after all. inquisitors weren¡¯t exactly bad by nature. to the average mortal, a demon was a horrible foe.


    there was a need for people that could protect the mortal plane against demons that were coming here just to hunt humans. noah didn¡¯t give a shit about those demons. the only ones he cared about were the ones on his side... and they had none of the weaknesses that the normal demons did.


    he told them of how demons were controlled by their runes and how the stronger they got, the more of them was consumed by their own magic.


    and as he spoke, more of the room filled with smoke. it swirled around his body and danced at his fingertips, forming into shapes and images of what he described.


    the inquisitors watched on in growing interest. every word that spilled from his lips drew their attention even further.


    ¡°that¡¯s what you meant by free,¡± tren breathed, eyes burning with hunger as he took a step toward noah. ¡°you found a way to remove these... poisoned runes from them.¡±


    ¡°i have,¡± noah confirmed. ¡°i make them whole.¡±


    ¡°you empower them,¡± tren said. ¡°you speak as if you are an ally for humans by fixing these demons, but you are only making them stronger!¡±


    ¡°not all demons prey on humans. some can live together with them. the demons are changing, inquisitor. perhaps you should as well.¡±


    ¡°bullshit,¡± tren snarled. ¡°i can believe much of what you said, but demons are demons. i will not be taken in by your lies.¡±


    oh, well. i tried.


    ¡°we should bring him back,¡± fuyin said. ¡°the council will want to hear of this.¡±


    ¡°in that, i agree,¡± tren said. ¡°you were right, spider. this was far more valuable than just killing those demons. and tell me ¡ª are you one of these new demons? the ones immune to the rosaries?¡±


    ¡°i am.¡±


    ¡°then you will be the perfect subject of study.¡± tren¡¯s smile grew wider. ¡°thank you for your sacrifice, spider. your corpse will greatly aid us in finding a new way to destroy demons.¡±


    ¡°oh, no. i don¡¯t think it will,¡± noah said, a smile of his own crossing his features. enough time had passed. everyone should have been able to get out of here by now. he coughed into his mask. ¡°is it just me, or is the room getting rather smokey?¡±


    fuyin tapped a finger against her waist. ¡°tren. perhaps it would be wise to hear him out? if these new demons are truly not a threat to humans, then they do not fall under our directive. they could be useful.¡±


    ¡°demons are demons,¡± tren replied. he thrust a finger at noah. ¡°restrain him! he¡¯ll be coming with us.¡±


    inquisitors blurred forward, and noah did nothing to stop them. they grabbed his arms and jerked them behind his back, shoving him down. he slammed to his knees with a loud thud.


    noah just drew in a deep breath. he pulled rivers of smoke past his mask and into his lungs. then his lips fully pulled into a smile.


    at least one of the inquisitors seemed rather reasonable. maybe i could convince more if i let them take me back to home base... but i can¡¯t be fucking bothered.


    the inquisitors shoved him down onto the ground. one of them grabbed his mask and prepared to pull it off. noah twisted his head to look straight at fuyin. there was a chance she¡¯d be useful later.


    her eyes widened as she recognized something in his gaze through the smoke twisting around all of them.


    the smoke that was flooded with his magical energy.


    ¡°shields!¡± fuyin yelled, ice already exploding around her in a dome.


    it was too late.


    ¡°i¡¯ll be seeing you,¡± noah said.


    he ignited the smoke.


    there was a flicker of orange as the fire caught.


    then the room exploded.

 Chapter 615: Who

    a roar ripped through the desert.


    flames exploded up from the ground alongside a massive plume of sand, licking for the sky. a thick cloud of smoke and fire rolled out from the explosion.


    linestra¡¯s mouth dropped open. even though they were far from the auction house, she could still see the hazy waves of heat twisting up from where it had been.


    linestra spotted lee slipping away from the party and darting over a sand dune but paid little attention to it. her eyes were transfixed on the molten air.


    ¡°gods above,¡± linestra breathed. ¡°what happened?¡±


    ¡°spider,¡± aylin whispered. the glow of the flame flickered in his eyes, making them shimmer as if in reverence.


    ¡°he¡¯s dead?¡± linestra swallowed. ¡°just like that? there¡¯s no way he could have survived an explosion like that, is there? i heard someone say he was only a rank 4.¡±


    ¡°there¡¯s absolutely nothing only about spider,¡± yoru said.


    ¡°but how will he complete his promise? he said he would fix us!¡± linestra said. ¡°was that a lie? did he really just... let himself die? just to save us? why?¡±


    ¡°you don¡¯t have to lay it on so thick. i¡¯m going to get an ego if you keep that up.¡±


    linestra¡¯s blood went cold.


    that voice was familiar. but it was impossible. there was no way it could be here.


    she twisted in jalen¡¯s grip, looking to the dune that lee had vanished over.


    standing at its top was spider. he wore the coat he¡¯d given lee and had his grimoire slung back over his shoulder, his potion at his hip.no?v(el)b\\jnn


    he was alive.


    not only alive. he was completely unharmed.


    ¡°how?¡± linestra breathed. blood thumped in her ears as her brain struggled to process the information her eyes were feeding it. ice gripped her veins.


    ¡°afterlife¡¯s full,¡± spider said with a careless shrug, as if coming back to life was something one did on an average afternoon. ¡°they sent me back.¡±


    what the fuck does that even mean?


    while linestra tried and failed to pick her jaw up from the floor, aylin reached up to the mask and pulled it away from his face. she was already in such a state of disarray that she barely even registered the motion until she caught a glimpse of his face.


    what she saw was enough to momentarily rip her out of her surprise ¡ª with yet even more surprise. aylin¡¯s features were young. he couldn¡¯t have been older than 20 ¡ª and she didn¡¯t suspect it was because he was so powerful that his aging had halted.


    even if she didn¡¯t have a domain, there was no magical pressure coming out of aylin. even salthazar had possessed a magical weight about him. not quite a domain, but more than this. that meant aylin had to be less than rank 5 or 6 ¡ª and yet, he was somehow one of spider¡¯s new demons.


    ¡°i don¡¯t understand,¡± linestra muttered. her eyes flicked from aylin to spider as he made his way down to join the rest of them.


    speaking of features ¡ª spider¡¯s were strikingly... normal. he was an average looking human with long black hair and a messy carpet of a budding beard. an average looking man that had just saved the lives of dozens of demons and destroyed a room of inquisitors with a single fell swoop.


    ¡°how fortunate. that makes two of us,¡± spider said. he glanced around the group. ¡°nobody¡¯s hurt, yes?¡±


    they stood in a field of grass, surrounded by plump blue flowers. linestra staggered as they arrived, stomach lurching in so many directions that it may as well have been a marble rattling around inside her.


    this is torture. i thought arriving in the mortal realm from the damned plains was bad, but this mortal teleports like a drunk man drives a wagon.


    there was an instant of stillness. she swallowed back the bile in her throat. ¡°are we¡ª¡±


    the world shifted.


    dirty brownish-black ground snapped into being below linestra¡¯s feet. looming burnt trees swam all around her and the smell of ash prickled against her nostrils. her head spun and she staggered, nearly tripping over her own feet before a hand caught her by the back of her collar.


    ¡°no,¡± jalen said, pulling linestra back to her feet with the ease of a child righting a toy.


    linestra¡¯s stomach lurched. she couldn¡¯t even muster the words to thank him ¡ª especially since he was the reason she¡¯d nearly fallen on her face in the first place. her teeth clenched as she prepared herself for another teleportation, but nothing came.


    ¡°are... we done?¡± linestra asked, tasting bile on each word she spoke.


    ¡°do you want to be done? i can go for a few more rounds,¡± jalen offered.


    ¡°please don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°i have to agree with her,¡± aylin said. ¡°that was... less than enjoyable. it was, however, enlightening. i¡¯ve never gotten such a good demonstration of spatial magic before. your reserves must be incredible.¡±


    ¡°flattery,¡± jalen said with a scoff. he paused for a moment, then arched an eyebrow. ¡°go on. nobody said you had to stop. compliment me more.¡±


    ¡°that was it for now,¡± aylin said.


    ¡°you are an egotistical man,¡± yoru said.


    ¡°you have no arms,¡± jalen said.


    ¡°now that just seems uncalled for,¡± spider said.


    ¡°i was under the impression we were just stating the obvious.¡± jalen scratched at his chin.


    spider visibly repressed a sigh. his gaze swept over the burnt forest surrounding them before landing on linestra. she shrank back.


    this does not bode well for me. how did this job go so wrong? it should have been so cut and dry. salthazar... what have you gotten us into?


    ¡°now, then,¡± spider said. ¡°tell me, what was your name?¡±


    ¡°linestra. i¡ª¡±


    spider held a hand up. ¡°i¡¯ll be more than eager to hear everything you¡¯d like to share, but you¡¯re going to start with a name.¡±


    ¡°a name?¡± linestra asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.


    ¡°orlen.¡± something in spider¡¯s eyes gave rise to a primal fear deep within linestra. they were... wrong, for lack of a better word. she¡¯d heard the phrase that eyes were the windows to the soul before, but spider¡¯s were more like portals into the depths of an endless, uncaring sea. ¡°you¡¯re going to tell me who ¡ª or what ¡ª orlen is.¡±

 Chapter 616: Ritual

    noah¡¯s gaze bore into linestra as the demon flinched back from him. it looked like his demonstration had been effective in more than one way. she was absolutely terrified ¡ª and that was making staying serious a little bit of a challenge.


    i wonder what linestra would do if she realized i was actually ¡®just¡¯ a measly rank 4. oh well. if it gets me information on who or what the hell orlen is, i don¡¯t care what she thinks of me. wizen¡¯s last word ¡ª literally ¡ª was this name.


    unless he decided to have a bit of fun at my expense, then this has to be incredibly important.


    ¡°i... i wasn¡¯t privy to all of the details,¡± linestra stammered. ¡°salthazar handled that. he was the one that ensured we got out of the damned plains and recruited us to the cause.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t care,¡± noah said flatly. ¡°tell me everything you know about orlen. you clearly recognize the word.¡±


    a flicker of anger lit behind linestra¡¯s eyes. the demon was still a demon. she definitely didn¡¯t take kindly to being ordered around. unfortunately for her, she was completely surrounded and entirely outmatched.


    if anything, i¡¯m surprised she¡¯s got this much control over herself. i guess there¡¯s a difference between being controlled by your runes and just throwing self-preservation to the wind.


    i wonder if all demon runes are somehow adjacent to yoru¡¯s moonlit prophecy. do they eventually become sentient when they get strong enough? are they already sentient and just don¡¯t¡¯ have enough power to manifest themselves? if that¡¯s the case... it would make sense that they would take actions to survive, even in spite of their normal nature.


    noah yanked his thoughts back to the matter at hand. demon runes and how they worked was fascinating ¡ª but he couldn¡¯t let himself get distracted right now. there would be time to think about the demons as a whole later.


    ¡°orlen was salthazar¡¯s contact,¡± linestra said. a stick cracked beneath her foot as she shifted her weight. ¡°he helped arrange for a lot of the summoning, and he was the one that wanted us to attack the auction house.¡±


    so it¡¯s a name. i thought so, but good to get confirmation.


    ¡°why?¡± noah asked. ¡°what did he want?¡±


    and why were there so many inquisitors there? that definitely wasn¡¯t the normal amount. is there a leak somewhere in the information channel between the demons and orlen? or is something else entirely going on?


    ¡°he just said he was looking for something. that¡¯s all i know,¡± linestra said. she swallowed heavily, clearly aware just how useless her information was. ¡°that¡¯s really it. he didn¡¯t even tell us what it was he wanted. our job was just to kill a few key targets and cause some chaos before making a run for it.¡±


    ¡°making a run for it?¡± jalen repeated. he tilted his head to the side and let out a derisive snort.


    ¡°not likely you¡¯d get very far with all those inquisitors standing outside of the auction,¡± aylin observed.


    noah couldn¡¯t help but agree. it almost felt like orlen had set the demons up to fail on purpose.


    but... why?


    ¡°is orlen a demon?¡± yoru asked.


    ¡°i don¡¯t know.¡± linestra shook her head. ¡°i never saw his face. we never met in person. it was always through messages that would show up through red plasma portals. i once saw a demon try to peek through the portal. a strand of energy touched him and his whole body twisted up like someone was wringing a wet towel. got blood and guts all over the whole damn room.¡±


    noah¡¯s features twisted in distaste. orlen was not sounding like a particularly enjoyable person... but despite the expression on linestra¡¯s face that betrayed how useless she felt she was, her information had actually been useful.


    red plasma. like the magic wizen was using from the key? that would certainly be a connection. but why would wizen be using orlen¡¯s magic? this isn¡¯t a situation where he¡¯s pretending to be orlen. if he was, then there would be no point telling me his other name ¡ª and orlen wouldn¡¯t be still ordering things around.


    so wizen got something from orlen? he took the key from arbitage. maybe this orlen gave him a way to use it? a rune or something?


    even if that was the case, noah didn¡¯t have the slightest idea why wizen would have bothered writing the man¡¯s name down. orlen didn¡¯t matter if he was just some random powerful mage that had helped him out for some reason or another.


    he made sure to make sure i was aware of his name.


    why?


    noah¡¯s jaw clenched in annoyance. every single answer he got just gave him even more questions. the more he learned about the world, the more he realized that nobody had the slightest fucking idea as to what was going on.


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    ¡°it is?¡± linestra asked.


    ¡°yes,¡± jalen said. he sent noah a pointed look. ¡°it¡¯s very important training. life and death. you won¡¯t be able to withstand the changes to your body if you don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s how yoru lost her arms,¡± aylin put in. ¡°she didn¡¯t play darts enough.¡±


    okay, now we¡¯re just getting our stories twisted up.


    ¡°i¡¯ll do anything it takes.¡± linestra said. ¡°i don¡¯t understand how playing darts will influence anything, but i will follow your teachings, spider. i want to be free.¡±


    ¡°good enough for me,¡± noah said with a shrug. ¡°welcome aboard. i¡¯ll get around to fixing you up soon enough.¡±


    linestra blinked. ¡°just like that?¡±


    ¡°did you expect a ritual or something?¡±


    ¡°...yes.¡±


    ¡°ah. sorry. i¡¯ll work on that for the next demon.¡± noah scratched at the back of his neck. ¡°for now, a few ground rules. no killing anyone i don¡¯t tell you to. cover your horns and blend in with humans. do not be noticed under any circumstances. avoid all fights and do not feed off anything but food for as long as possible.¡±


    ¡°you want me to starve myself?¡±


    ¡°think of it as a fast,¡± noah said. ¡°you have to purify your body to prepare for the process.¡±


    aylin glanced at noah out of the corners of his eyes, but linestra was already nodding along in understanding.


    you¡¯re going to have to get used to a whole lot more bullshit than that if you¡¯re going to stick around forever, aylin.


    ¡°i see,¡± linestra said, nodding along as if noah¡¯s explanation was the most logical thing in the universe. ¡°that makes sense. i will do as you say.¡±


    ¡°great. see you tomorrow. three in the morning, sharp,¡± jalen said. ¡°don¡¯t worry about finding me. i¡¯ll find you.¡±


    ¡°actually, why don¡¯t you just take her with you for now?¡± noah asked. ¡°that¡¯ll save me the trouble of finding her housing.¡±


    linestra¡¯s eyes went wide and she sent a horrified look in noah¡¯s direction. ¡°what? i¡ª¡±


    ¡°would be thrilled,¡± aylin said, his hand falling on linestra¡¯s shoulder. ¡°you do not disobey an order from spider.¡±


    the demoness grimaced, then nodded. ¡°understood.¡±


    ¡°great,¡± noah said, clapping his hands together. ¡°now that¡¯s all settled. jalen, would you mind waiting around for a little? and aylin ¡ª can you find the others? it¡¯s just about time to head back.¡±


    ¡°prepare?¡± jalen asked. ¡°what are we waiting for? and for how long?¡±


    noah smiled. he set his hand on his grimoire. ¡°just about 12 hours. and you¡¯re waiting for me. it¡¯s about time for vermil linwick to make his return to arbitage.¡±


    i can already stand toe-to-toe with pretty much any noble. if the nobles want to try to come after isabel, then rank 4 isn¡¯t going to be sufficient to deal with them.


    normally, pushing all the way from halfway through rank 4 to rank 5 would be a great way to screw your growth completely... but i have every single rune i need from that auction, and i¡¯ve got as many tries to get this combination right as i want.


    if the nobles want to come for my students, then the gloves are coming off. garina said there was a world outside this kingdom. there¡¯s no reason for us to let these bastards throw their weight around any longer. i could already handle most of their stronger mages at rank 4...


    so let¡¯s see how they like me at rank 5.

 Chapter 617: Voyeur

    ¡°this is... nice,¡± renewal said from what looked ¡ª and felt ¡ª to be a fluffy black cloud. it sponged all around her, somehow supporting her body perfectly whilst remaining impossibly soft.


    she¡¯d never sat in a chair nearly quite this comfortable, and she would never be admitting such to decras.


    the other god sat across from her in a matching chair. his legs were kicked up; feet rested on a pillar of the same cloudy material. he sported a grin so smug that it could have killed a lesser being.


    ¡°is it?¡± decras asked, studying his fingernails as if the thought had never occurred to him. ¡°that¡¯s kind of you. i¡¯m glad to hear you like my humble abode. of course, it¡¯s nothing compared to what the order has.¡±


    ¡°oh, get off me,¡± renewal said with a huff. she ran her hand along the fur of the black cat coiled in her lap. ¡°i¡¯ve already defected from everything i spent the vast majority of my life working toward. isn¡¯t that enough for you?¡±


    decras¡¯ laughter echoed through the void around them. there were no real edges to the room they sat in. it simply... ceased to exist after a certain point. renewal couldn¡¯t quite tell where, and she didn¡¯t try to.


    the room had been made by a god considerably stronger than either her or decras. that thought sent a chill down renewal¡¯s spine. the fallen had been the subject of a great many stories and a greater number of warnings from judgement and the other gods in the order.


    they were, if judgement was to be believed, the reason that the universe failed to achieve perfection. a black stain on a white sheet. a mar upon existence itself.


    the fallen were a relentless force of evil and chaos that stopped at nothing to tear down the perfect structure that the order represented. their mere existence spat in the face of life itself. judgement had more than a few less-than-kind words to say about the fallen.


    renewal had believed them for a long time.


    but now... she wasn¡¯t so sure.


    i always thought the order was just... life. we¡¯re the good guys, they¡¯re the bad guys. that¡¯s how it was. but decras... he¡¯s a prick, but he hasn¡¯t done anything evil. i can¡¯t say the same for judgement. she was about to fucking kill me, the crazy bitch.


    ¡°is something wrong?¡± some of the amusement fell away from decras¡¯ tone. there was genuine worry within it. ¡°is the room not to your liking?¡±


    renewal held a hand to a mouth to cover a smile. ¡°no. everything¡¯s perfectly fine.¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s that? are you snickering at me?¡± decras¡¯ eyes narrowed. ¡°why?¡±


    ¡°nothing. i was just thinking that we don¡¯t have rooms anything like this back home.¡±


    decras let out a derisive snort. ¡°you¡¯re lucky the order gave you anything better than a wooden rod to sit your godly ass on. bunch of stuck up bastards who think they can wrest the universe to do their bidding.¡±


    ¡°that wasn¡¯t our purpose,¡± renewal said defensively.


    the other god arched an eyebrow at her. ¡°right. so you¡¯re just forcing souls to march through the cycles of reincarnation because you enjoy doing it.¡±


    ¡°what do you mean?¡± renewal tried to shift her position in the cloud, but it just swallowed her arms and left her bundled up in an annoyingly comfortable cocoon. ¡°we don¡¯t do it for fun! it¡¯s our duty!¡±


    ¡°duty. what duty? what makes you think that you have any more right to determine where a soul ends up than the soul themselves? it is not our purpose to determine fates. you play judge, jury, and executioner, but you were nothing more than a bored clerk.¡±


    ¡°now that¡¯s just rude,¡± renewal said crossly. ¡°i... generally did my best. most of the time.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s not about your best.¡± decras rose from his cloud and crossed the room to stand before renewal. he reached into the cloud and found her hand, pulling her free of its depths with a sharp tug. ¡°and don¡¯t let yourself relax so much. the cumulo will try to consume your energy.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯ll what now?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s a tamed monster,¡± decras said, walking back over to his cloud and flopping into it. ¡°a very comfortable one. and before you ask ¡ª it¡¯s not intelligent. it¡¯s about as smart as a patch of moss. a very comfy patch of moss.¡±


    ¡°another day,¡± decras said. ¡°it¡¯s not often that we get opportunities to celebrate like this, renewal. your blindfold is gone, so i thought we¡¯d get up to a bit of your favorite pastime.¡±


    ¡°what are you talking about?¡± renewal asked with a frown. ¡°this is more important than any¡ª¡±


    decras snapped his fingers. ¡°voyeurism.¡±


    colors bloomed in the air, twisting together to form into an ocean of black. a lone man floated within the darkness, surrounded by beautiful, swirling runes.


    renewal¡¯s eyes went wide. she recognized the darkness. she¡¯d been there only once before, when her presence had been quite literally summoned.


    ¡°is that noah? but isn¡¯t this his¡ª¡±


    ¡°his mindspace,¡± decras said with a satisfied smile. ¡°he draws upon my power to great degrees ¡ª and that draw creates a minor connection between us. almost like that of master and student.¡±


    renewal¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°decras...¡±


    ¡°relax. i¡¯ve had enough connection stored up to do this for weeks, renewal. most of it will be spent within minutes. i have no desire to interfere with the mortal, but don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t want to watch.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re making me sound like a creep.¡±


    decras pointed at noah. the mortal swept his hand through the air and his crumbling space rune split apart, severed perfectly down the center. he slammed his hands together before it could even begin dissipating, reforming the rune in a split instant.


    his features turned down in displeasure and he carved it apart a second time before repeating the process.


    this time, he smiled.


    renewal¡¯s eyes went wide.


    ¡°he remade a rune twice? that quickly?¡±


    ¡°and look at the rune,¡± decras said, more than a little respect in his voice. ¡°flawless, as he calls it. a true perfect rune. in seconds. no fractures or missed notes. just sheer damn determination.¡±


    renewal flopped back into her cloud. she leaned forward, staring with rapt attention as noah split apart a second rune and slammed it back together with the same speed as the previous one.


    ¡°have you ever made a rune that quickly? one at this quality for your current level?¡± renewal asked in awe.


    ¡°a single rune? once or twice,¡± decras said. ¡°but this many? never. i wonder if he¡¯s going to manage to pull it off. brute forcing your way through half of a rank isn¡¯t just difficult. it¡¯s ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°half a rank?¡± renewal¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°you can¡¯t be serious. how do you know this?¡±


    ¡°you aren¡¯t the only one keeping an eye on him. i just never took mine off,¡± decras said. he pointed at the screen, where noah had started to draw runes into his soul. ¡°now watch. i¡¯ve only got a few minutes, so you better enjoy them.¡±


    noah formed and shattered the runes one after the other. magic danced through the air as his hands flitted like those of a conductor, painting the darkness with streaks of burning energy.


    it was beautiful.


    and, somewhere deep down within renewal, she admitted that it was terrifying.


    if this is what he can do now... what will he be capable of when he becomes a god?

 Chapter 618: Ready

    energy from dozens of shattered runes prickled against noah¡¯s skin. his entire soul felt like it had been permeated with raw magic. he could feel it tingling against his tongue and filling his lungs.


    hairline fractures ran throughout the dark void surrounding him. dim beams of white broke though the emptiness like rays of sunlight breaking through a dirty window. he wasn¡¯t concerned. the damage wasn¡¯t nearly as extensive as it could have been.


    as it turned out, bringing runes into his soul and shattering them an instant later really didn¡¯t give the runes much time to bond with him. that meant the injuries he sustained from removing them were far more manageable.


    the cracks wouldn¡¯t have even been worth thinking about if he hadn¡¯t made quite so many of them. he¡¯d been working with a lot of runes ¡ª but it had been to great effect.


    crumbling space and warped matter were finished. they floated alongside natural disaster and empty proliferation. all four of the runes were flawless. they were completely prepared to advance to the next stage.


    that left him with three slots to fill. fortunately for noah, he knew exactly what he was going to put there. he¡¯d known since before he started hunting for runes in the auction. the normal strategy would have been to carefully consider the rank 5 rune he wanted to create, get the constituents, and then make the rank 4s one at a time whilst ensuring he understood every component enough to successfully combine them into an effective rank 5 rune.


    the process would take weeks or months for someone who was careful and intelligent enough not to rush ahead like a moron. it would probably take a few days for an idiot like dayton, who just slammed all his runes together to advance through the ranks as quickly as possible without completely crippling his potential.


    noah planned to do it in minutes.


    i¡¯m done doing things the normal ways. i don¡¯t need to hide from the nobles anymore. the time for that is over. if the nobles want war, i¡¯ll give them war.


    noah lifted his hand. runes shifted to float before him.


    the first rank 4 he wanted to create was relatively simple. he¡¯d been heavily inspired by the fragment of renewal ¡ª or rather, its inverse.


    there were few disasters as horrifying as a plague. and, as far as noah was concerned, that definitely counted as a disaster. it would fit in with the rest of his runes. he was already stretching his definition of exactly what counted as a disaster.


    that was the best part about runes. there were no hard rules about combinations. it was all fueled by intent. if he could find a common pattern among the runes he made, then they would combine. it was as simple ¡ª and difficult ¡ª as that.


    noah carved his hand down, shattering a rank 5 creeping frostborne infection rune. he sliced through its components, splitting apart the sickness related runes and moving the rest to the side to store for energy later.


    he repeated the process with several other runes he¡¯d gotten from the auction, pulling all the rot and infection related runes free. it definitely wasn¡¯t his favorite rune. there was something a little unsettling about working with runes as gross as these.


    anyone walking around with a rune that can rot things away is hardly someone i¡¯d want to associate with. i suppose that makes me a hypocrite.


    oh well.


    his lips curled into a cold, determined smile. it was ironic. his life on earth had been so short. only twenty-something measly years, and the last one of which he¡¯d spent in a hospital. he¡¯d spent it lying alone in a pristine white bed with only the beep and whine of the machinery around him to keep him company.


    noah could still remember wondering why he¡¯d been the one to get sick. why he¡¯d been the unlucky one. he¡¯d eaten healthy ¡ª or at least, as healthy as his budget had afforded him to. he hadn¡¯t smoked or drank. he didn¡¯t use any drugs.


    noah had done everything right.


    and none of that had saved him.


    he was more than familiar with the insidious rot of sickness. he knew what it felt like to have his body slowly wither away until nothing but the soul remained. noah understood rot well. he wouldn¡¯t claim to be an expert on it ¡ª but he finally had an answer to that question he¡¯d asked. an answer to why he¡¯d laid in that bed and wasted away until nothing remained.


    the answer was that there wasn¡¯t one.


    there was no reason he¡¯d gotten sick. life didn¡¯t give reasons. it was simply what one made of it. nothing more and nothing less. it was experience. and today, noah used that experience.


    it was a rune inspired not by the harmony of music, but the lack of it. nature was full of harmony. it could be found almost everywhere. but finding something with absolutely no harmony whatsoever... that was difficult.


    a concept completely devoid of any manner of harmony was a pattern in itself ¡ª and that was the concept which noah used to create his sixth rank 4 rune. he ran it through several tests, but it passed every single one.


    the rune was flawless.


    spatial deharmonization - rank 4


    noah¡¯s skull pounded, but he ignored the pain. he could feel power pressing against the walls of his soul from all the new runes he was forming, slowly and steadily causing it to grow even larger.


    there was only one rank 4 left to make. he had absolutely no plans of stopping now.


    features creased in determination, noah called the last of the runes he¡¯d gotten from the auction into his soul. he still had a large number of space and matter runes. they¡¯d normally have been pretty difficult to get, but the nobles had emptied their pockets out when he¡¯d put demon runes up for auction.


    noah¡¯s lips creased into a thin line as he worked to cut the components up. he moved with the practiced precision of a chef chopping vegetables apart on his cutting board for the hundredth time, sweeping the unneeded runes out of the way to use as power sources later.


    he combined runes. he split them apart. he combined them again.


    noah repeated the cycle relentlessly. if the runes could have cried out in request for a break, they would have. he cut them apart easily ten times in his pursuit of understanding. he accepted nothing short of perfection.


    ineffective runes were replaced. his approach was adjusted. he tried again. and again. and again.


    the cracks covering his soul grew. even without giving the rank 4 runes he was making time to properly connect with him, they were still part of his soul. there was only so much damage that he could take ¡ª but the fragment of renewal waited for him, and so he did not relent.


    noah wasn¡¯t sure how many combinations he tried and failed. all he knew is that the rune was not where he needed it to be. several times, he got close. he created a perfect rune that anyone else would have been beyond delighted to have.


    noah shattered them without a second thought.


    he was not satisfied with anything but a flawless creation.


    and that was what he made.


    his breaths came heavy and ragged. he¡¯d fallen to his knees at some point while he worked, and before him floated a dull rune of murky gray. its twisting shapes rippled like oil reflecting sunlight. the rune drew from much of his experience in the afterlife and what had come after it, and yet an equal portion of its power had been purely from theory and testing.


    theoretically, noah shouldn¡¯t have had the capacity to make it yet. the rune should have been just barely beyond his understanding. but, ironically, his lack of understanding had lent itself perfectly to the creation of the flawless rune that now floated before him.


    fractured reality - rank 4


    his seventh and final rank 4 rune was complete. noah grabbed for the fragment of renewal, letting its gentle power wash through his soul and cleanse the damage away as he battled to catch his breath.


    three new rank 4 runes floated within his soul, filled to the brim by all the energy he¡¯d ripped from the excess runes. the amount of power it had taken was astronomical.


    noah¡¯s lips finally twisted into a smile.


    he¡¯d done it.


    i¡¯m ready to advance to rank 5.

 Chapter 619: Clap

    Noah stood in the center of his soul and looked over his seven Rank 4 Runes as the Fragment of Renewal wove throughout the darkness, stitching shut the extensive damage that he¡¯d given himself over the course of the last few minutes.


    His soul had expanded considerably from the new additions. Power laid in wait for his call. More than he¡¯d ever had before. For lack of a better word, Noah felt heavier. Like his very existence bore more weight to it ¡ª or perhaps he¡¯d just had a little bit too much to eat for his last meal.


    Three new runes. All of them Flawless. I wonder what the heads of the other noble families would do if they could see this. Advancing like this is ridiculous, even for me. I must have destroyed a dozen Rank 5 runes worth of energy to pull this off... but if I wanted to, I could push to Rank 5 right now.


    Noah had no delusions about his chances of making a Flawless Rank 5 Rune with what he had right now.


    To be put bluntly, those chances were zero.


    Even though every single component he had now was at the absolute peak of what he knew to be possible... they weren¡¯t going to combine into a balanced rune. There was a heavy inclination toward spatial affinity in them.


    Probably why Space Runes are so desirable. They¡¯re just so damn useful. Sure, they consume a stupidly high amount of energy and put a lot of strain on the soul, but what¡¯s the point of having a massive soul if I don¡¯t abuse it?


    If I combine the runes now, I know for a fact the combination won¡¯t be at its peak potential. I don¡¯t understand these new runes well enough to truly fuse them. But, even still, a Rank 5 from all Flawless Rank 4 components is going to be very powerful. A lot more powerful than just leaving things as they are right now.


    I just have to make sure the combination is at least average. If it¡¯s too shitty, then the Rune might actually end up worse than the parts that make it up. That would normally be the reason why nobody would be stupid enough to do this, after all.


    Noah¡¯s lips pulled into a thin smile. There would have been a time when he¡¯d have held off for a little longer. Ripping a poorly combined Rank 5 out of his soul, even with Sunder, would cause a fair amount of damage. Spending some time to get to know the new runes would have been a safer bet.


    But from the moment he¡¯d emerged from the Damned Plains to find two members of major families in the Arbalest Empire doing their utmost to kill his students, the game had changed.


    Noah drew in a deep breath. He steadied his mind and soul. Extended his energy to the runes floating around him. Drew them to his front, so they all floated in a glowing pattern before him.


    He reached deep within himself and drew on everything he was. He drew on the joys of teaching his students back on earth. On all the suffering of the line, and the new life that had unfolded itself for him at its end. He focused that knowledge into intent, honed and razor sharp with desire.


    Then he clapped his hands.


    The runes slammed together.


    ***


    ¡°Oh, no. This is quite the fumble. It seems I¡¯ve gone and misplaced my mouth once more,¡± Lorne said, his lips pursed in great displeasure and nose pinched between two fingers. ¡°I must venture to ask if you¡¯ve happened to lay eyes on it?¡±


    There was no response.


    The circular cave room around Lorne was empty. The only disruption in the plain, glossy stone surrounding him was the stone chair in which he sat. That didn¡¯t seem to bother Lorne in the slightest.


    ¡°No,¡± Lorne said with a shake of his head. ¡°No, no. That isn¡¯t right. I¡¯m quite certain I had my mouth a moment ago. I was just speaking with it. It is preposterous to claim that I might have left it back in yesterday.¡±


    A second of silence dragged by. Lorne nodded along to an answer only audible to him, releasing his nose and kicking a leg up on his chair so he could rest his arm on top of it.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure,¡± Lorne said irritably. ¡°And don¡¯t even try to claim it might be waiting for me tomorrow. I haven¡¯t gotten there yet. How could my mouth be there if the rest of me isn¡¯t? I¡¯m beginning to suspect you¡¯re taking me for a fool. You wouldn¡¯t do that to me, would you? Because that would be quite¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. Congratulations to the lovely bride,¡± Lorne said, scratching the back of his neck. ¡°Very nice indeed. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s a kind insect. I¡¯d love to meet her one day. What was it the Church wanted? Did they send another sacrifice?¡±


    ¡°No. They are searching for someone.¡±


    ¡°Your wife?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Lorne scratched the side of his neck. ¡°Why not? Is your wife not of interest to them? Oh goodness, she must be quite displeased with you. Don¡¯t let her hear you comparing her to the Repose followers.¡±


    The man¡¯s hands twitched at his sides. He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, as if trying to gather himself. ¡°Please. Could you focus on the now for a few moments? Repose has sent a Rank 8. They are being meddlesome. If they discover the caves, they may interfere with your work.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes,¡± Lorne said absently. He waved his hand as if he were trying to flick an insect away from his face. ¡°No need to be snippy. Today will be today. I can assure you that the church has not sent anyone important enough to be twisting up about.¡±


    ¡°Your orders were to come promptly if any potential interferences arrived. You were very insistent upon them.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t recall giving any such orders.¡±


    ¡°It was¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Lorne¡¯s features twisted into a frown. ¡°Yesterday. I remember now. How troublesome. I suppose it would be rather problematic if our work was interrupted. I will politely request that the Church locate their nosey little dogs elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I am sure that will ensure our work continues uninterrupted, as per your orders¡ª¡±


    Lorne¡¯s hand shot up as his entire body went as stiff as a rod. The man¡¯s mouth snapped shut.


    The air around Lorne vibrated. Purplish-red energy snapped around him as a dozen images of himself overlaid themselves over his body, sliding into place and vanishing within him in an instant.


    Something in Lorne¡¯s expression shifted. Flickers of red light danced behind his eyes. His head tilted to the side ¡ª and continued to turn until it was nearly entirely upside down.


    He flicked his hand.


    The space between him and the cloaked man collapsed. The stone room abruptly shrunk as a significant portion of it simply ceased to exist. Where there had once been easily five feet of distance between Lorne and the cloaked man, there was now none.


    A ripple of buzzing red energy raced over the cloaked man. His clothes rippled and snapped like they¡¯d been caught in a violent gale. Then they folded in on themselves, peeling away from his body in jerky, unnatural movements.


    Beneath them was nothing but plain skin. The man before Lorne had no eyes. He had no mouth, no nose nor eyes nor ears. There was only featureless flesh.


    ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Lorne asked. His voice had changed. The traces of lilting madness that had lingered in it before were nowhere to be found. It was as if the lost pieces of his mind had been found and pulled back.


    ¡°From the Kingdom of Arbalest. Yes. We feel it,¡± the featureless man replied, even though he had no manner with which to speak.


    ¡°Chaos,¡± Lorne breathed, all other thoughts forgotten. ¡°A scrap of chaos has been born in the world.¡±

 Chapter 620: Rank 5

    Renewal and Decras sat in a room as silent as death. The two of them stared at the shimmering image before them. Their eyes were transfixed on Noah, floating in the darkness of his mindspace.


    They were fixed on the single Rank 5 Rune that shimmered before him.


    The Cumulo beneath Renewal had swallowed about seventy percent of her body. Decras wasn¡¯t faring any better. His body had nearly vanished entirely into the cloudy chair. Neither of them could so much as move. They could barely even breathe. All they could do was stare.


    ¡°Decras,¡± Renwal whispered, forcing herself to speak.


    ¡°You¡¯re letting the Cumulo eat you,¡± Decras said. The dry, jesting tone he attempted to inject his words with didn¡¯t hit the mark. He was just as stunned as Renewal.


    ¡°So are you,¡± Renewal said. She sank an inch deeper and automatically released a burst of power, blowing the chair back so she could rise to her feet. Not for an instant did her eyes leave the scene before her. It had frozen in place, locked on a single scene. She swallowed. ¡°Turn it back on. Why did you pause it?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Decras said. ¡°I used up what connection we had. There¡¯s nothing left. I won¡¯t be able to access it again right now unless I brute force my way in. That¡¯s too great of an intrusion, even for us.¡±


    ¡°Shit.¡± Renewal¡¯s fists tightened at her sides and she took a step toward the scene as if to step right into it. She swallowed heavily. ¡°What the fuck is that, Decras? I need to see more of it.¡±


    Decras rose from his own seat. Like Renewal, his full attention was locked entirely on the image before him.


    ¡°I would say that I¡¯ll get more as Noah continues to use Sunder and deepens the connection between us... but I am unsure as to how long Sunder will remain as an extension of me. He is progressing in a manner that I do not understand. My link to Sunder already fades. It will not be long before it belongs to him in its entirety. What a unique individual. I wouldn¡¯t have thought it possible for his perspective to be so thoroughly changed by the afterlife. How ironic.¡±


    Ironic was the word that Renewal would have used as well. A mortal who had passed through the cleansing of the afterlife with their memories in-tact wasn¡¯t even forbidden by the Order. The mere idea of it was purely ludicrous.


    I suppose, even in the history of the universe, nobody ever thought a mortal would manage to not only drink god blood on their way out of the afterlife, but also get power from a god that would let them repeatedly die for long enough to come to grips with their own mortality without going completely insane.


    ¡°What would Judgement do if she saw this?¡± Renewal breathed.


    ¡°Purge the world, most likely,¡± Decras said.


    ¡°Purge?¡± Renewal¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Surely not. Our purpose is to ensure the natural order and protect the...¡±


    She trailed off, her words dying before they could finish their journey from her lips. Decras just arched an eyebrow at her.


    ¡°You can¡¯t truly still believe that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to believe anymore,¡± Renewal said. ¡°I thought I was doing what had to be done. What¡¯s the truth, then?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡± Decras let out a derisive snort and shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re one of the most creative fighters I¡¯ve met, Renewal. Use some of that creativity to think for yourself instead of looking for an answer from others. There¡¯s a reason I enjoyed fighting you so much. It wasn¡¯t exclusively because of your good looks and shimmering personality.¡±


    Noah¡¯s skull pounded. He couldn¡¯t tell if it was from pain or excitement. His mindspace swam all around him as he fought to keep his balance, squinting through throbbing eyes at the results of his effort.


    What the fuck did I make?


    The Rune before him felt like it squirmed beneath his gaze. Jagged lines turned straight; straight lines twisted and undulated like trapped snakes. The moment his gaze landed on a section of the rune, it changed, desperately doing everything in its power to keep him from reading it.


    Even its color couldn¡¯t seem to settle down. At times, it was a sanguine red. Then it was black and gray and a sickly green. The colors changed like a flitting butterfly, zipping away whenever his eyes tried to get comfortable.


    Is this some sort of uncertainty principle bullshit, where by perceiving the rune I end up changing it? Is that even the uncertainty principle? I really wish I remembered more of physics class.


    Noah gritted his teeth and squinted at the rune. It wriggled free from him. A flicker of frustration lit in his stomach, but he smothered it. No matter how strange the rune was, it was definitely a Rank 5.


    He could feel energy rolling off it in waves. Noah was certain it wasn¡¯t a perfect rune, much less a flawless one, but it was powerful. He was confident the rune was significantly stronger than the sum of its parts.


    Noah took several steps away from the rune so he could get a better look at the entire thing at once. He squinted at it. A wave of queasiness drove into his stomach, but he didn¡¯t let his eyes peel away.


    This was his rune.


    I made you. I know everything that went into you. I might not know some of the components like the back of my hand, but they¡¯re all built off things I have at least a general understanding over.


    This rune is built from the knowledge and experience that make me who I am. I¡¯ll be damned if I can¡¯t fucking read my own goddamn handwriting.


    Noah¡¯s jaw clenched. His eyes watered. A burning sensation built in his upper chest like he¡¯d gotten a bad case of heartburn. He didn¡¯t let it distract him. Noah drove his focus forward like a blade.


    His Master Runes shuddered as he drew deeply on everything he had at his newly made Rank 5. Power thrummed through his soul.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Noah whispered. His teeth throbbed from the intensity of his bite. Pain pricked his palms where his nails bit into it, but his gaze didn¡¯t waver. It remained locked on the rune, demanding the twisting shapes and designs to grind to a halt.


    And they did.


    For the briefest instant, the rune gave in. It surrendered the fight and fell still as it acknowledged its creator.


    And, in that moment, he finally knew his rune¡¯s name.


    Unstable Pandemonium ¡ª Rank 5

 Chapter 621: Zap

    Noah¡¯s eyes snapped open back in the Scorched Acres as he drew in a sharp breath. An imprint of Unstable Pandemonium had burned itself into his irises, dim lines glowing faintly in the air before him even outside of his mindspace.


    He sat on the ground, amidst a small clearing, surrounded by the entirety of his group. Moxie and the others had all returned in the time he¡¯d spent working on his runes and it seemed that they were splitting their attention between introductions and watching him.


    Jitters gripped Noah¡¯s body as he felt his domain twist and fluctuate. There was so much more power in it than he was used to. Keeping the magic contained was like trying to hold a squirming fish in a single hand.


    Energy filled him to the brim. It permeated through his veins and filled his lungs with every breath he took. Every single one of his Body Imbuements had crumbled with the combination of his Runes into Unstable Pandemonium. His tremorsense was gone until he figured out how to remake it ¡ª but, strangely enough, he felt like he could feel more now than he had been able to before.


    The entire world felt more vibrant. More... there. He didn¡¯t know how else to describe it. Every single color was simply more than what it had before. Ash bore new notes in its scent, traces of its history that his nose simply hadn¡¯t been able to pick up before.


    Jalen studied Noah with an intensity that was uncommon to the old mage. He¡¯d picked up on the immense shift to Noah¡¯s domain. His brow went from furrowed to twitching upward; his lips parted in shock.


    ¡°What Runes did you just combine?¡± Jalen asked, staring at Noah in surprise. ¡°Half the Runes you got from the Auction weren¡¯t even your Rank! How did you do that?¡±


    ¡°A man has to have a few secrets, Jalen. It¡¯s how I stay interesting.¡±


    Noah shifted to rise to his feet, only to find himself already standing. His stomach lurched in surprise at his own speed. He staggered, which took him a blurring step to the side and nearly headlong into a tree. Noah managed to right himself an instant before he smashed into it. Every single motion he made was like he was flooring the gas pedal on a racecar.


    Holy shit. I¡¯m going to have to get used to this. The connection that the Fragment of Self makes between my body and soul got even stronger when I hit Rank 5. I almost feel as fast as¡ª


    ¡°Gods,¡± Moxie said, her eyes going wide. ¡°What was that speed?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re almost as fast as I am!¡± Lee exclaimed. She squinted at Noah. ¡°Did you eat something really good? You smell... spicy.¡±


    I¡¯m not even sure how to take that.


    Noah looked down at his hands. It took considerable effort to keep himself from accidentally smacking himself in the face as he raised them. It wasn¡¯t just that he¡¯d gotten the ability to be faster. He simply was faster.


    I¡¯m not moving at the speed of thought, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m too far from it either. This is ridiculous. I knew getting a Rune of Self imbued into my soul was a huge benefit, but I didn¡¯t expect it to scale this hard either.


    Makes me wonder what¡¯ll happen as Lee and other ¡®fixed¡¯ demons reach higher ranks as well. They¡¯re even more physically inclined than I am. Am I even going to be able to keep track of how fast they can move?


    ¡°What manner of ability is that?¡± Silvertide asked, leaning heavily on his cane. His gaze bore into Noah, a mixture of awe and desire within it. He clearly wanted to say more, but he restrained himself after a glance at Linestra, clearly not wanting to give too much away to the demoness by accident.


    ¡°One that can be taught,¡± Noah replied. He hesitated for a moment. ¡°Probably. It¡¯s not very easy. You¡¯re welcome to sit in on my classes. I¡¯ll be covering it after we all review our Formations.¡±


    ¡°Classes?¡± Linestra repeated. She squinted at Noah in confusion. ¡°I... thought your role as a teacher was a cover for your plans?¡±


    Is that the explanation that Moxie gave her?


    Noah caught Moxie¡¯s eye, and she gave him a slight nod.


    ¡°A cover is worthless if it¡¯s only half-assed,¡± Noah said with a shrug. ¡°And I take the training of those who follow me very seriously. Have you already met my protegees?¡±


    ¡°We have been briefly introduced,¡± Linestra allowed. She sent an uneasy look toward the students, who had all gathered in a small circle. ¡°I cannot get a proper read on your people¡¯s strength. I am unused to being this... unsteady with mortals. They are mortals, are they not?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always found it amusing to hear some demons call humans mortals.¡± Noah scratched his chin. ¡°It implies that you aren¡¯t mortal. That definitely isn¡¯t true. I¡¯ve killed enough demons to know that they die just as well as humans do. But yes, they are human. Most of them are, at least.¡±


    Linestra swallowed and nodded. She didn¡¯t say anything else.


    Noah caught Brayden staring at him. The large man wasn¡¯t doing much to hide it. He chewed the insides of his cheeks, his inquisitive gaze boring into Noah¡¯s head like a drill.


    ¡°Every time I lose track of you, you get stronger,¡± Brayden muttered. ¡°Your domain is stronger than mine. I can feel it. And to think I felt like I was making good progress recently.¡±


    ¡°Whoops. Is it still leaking?¡± Noah focused his thoughts and pulled his domain back to keep it from suppressing everyone else¡¯s magic. ¡°Sorry about that. And I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve been making great progress. I¡¯ve just been in a... unique set of circumstances. It¡¯s given me a lot to think about. I¡¯m certain the next few lessons will be quite enlightening.¡±


    ¡°Does this mean it¡¯s time to go back to Arbitage?¡± Isabel asked. ¡°We¡¯ve been hiding in the forest so long that I¡¯m worried we¡¯ll be marked as missing. We haven¡¯t had anyone come looking for us yet, but who knows how long that¡¯ll last.¡±


    ¡°Oop!¡± Lee said, her eyes darting to the side. ¡°My axe! It¡¯s coming!¡±


    Linestra frowned. ¡°What do you mean? How can an axe¡ª¡±


    A black streak leapt from the trees. Linestra¡¯s eyes went wide and she threw herself to the ground a moment before the massive black axe that Lee had liberated from Axil hurtled through the air, its head making loud, heavy whumps as it spun toward her.


    Lee grabbed the hilt of the weapon with a single hand, spinning in a full circle to spend its momentum and keep it from ripping her arms off. Then she held the weapon aloft before herself. ¡°It came back!¡±


    ¡°It thought you said it would come back slowly, not flying at our heads like a psychopath!¡± Todd exclaimed. ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°That was slow,¡± Lee said as she let the axe lower. Her eyes flicked to the side. ¡°Oh. Monkey.¡±


    Noah didn¡¯t have his tremorsense active anymore. His Domain was contained as well, so he ended up seeing the monster before he felt it.


    A Slasher stood at the edge of the path the axe had just made through the trees, staring at them with its beady black eyes. Saliva dripped from the large teeth that jutted from its mouth and its massive claws hung from gangly arms at its sides.


    It had been a long time since Noah had seen a Slasher. Somehow, they were more intimidating in his memory. This one just looked like a sad, angry monkey.


    ¡°There¡¯s a memory,¡± Noah said, his lips thinning. He still hadn¡¯t forgotten the number of times the monsters had ripped him to shreds. That one was probably going to linger for quite some time. ¡°Allow me.¡±


    The Slasher¡¯s lips peeled back in a snarl. Noah still remembered its attack patterns like he¡¯d seen them yesterday. He didn¡¯t know if the Slasher would even still use them since the Hellreaver was dead ¡ª but he didn¡¯t care to find out.


    Noah met the monster¡¯s eyes.


    He lifted a hand and drew on Unstable Pandemonium.


    A screaming ocean of energy responded. The power was familiar, but at the same time, it wasn¡¯t. It held the combined strength of every rune that had gone into the Rank 5... but there was something new within it.


    Something different.


    Screaming a roar of challenge, the Slasher charged.


    Noah released the magic.


    A sleek bolt of sanguine lightning ripped from his palm. It screamed through the air, zigzagging at odd, abrupt angles, and slammed into the Slasher¡¯s chest.


    In a split instant, the towering monkey folded in on itself. Loud crunches split through the air as it collapsed like a black hole had spawned in its chest, drawn in on itself.


    The once-intimidating Slasher transformed into a spiral of cracking bone and splattering viscera.


    And then it was over. The monster¡¯s mangled body collapsed to the ground, dead long before it ever fell. Sickly blood and pulverized guts dripped from the trees around it and soaked into the burnt ground around the messy pile of its flesh.


    Holy fuck. That was not what I was expecting. What the hell is this rune? I¡¯m going to have to do some testing. Some very, very extensive testing.


    ¡°Oh, that is gruesome,¡± Jalen said. For the briefest second, there was genuine unease in his features. Then it vanished. ¡°What rune was that? I want it.¡±


    Noah let his hand lower. He didn¡¯t let any of his thoughts show on his features. He looked at the bloodied corpse of a Slasher for a long second.


    ¡°Silvertide,¡± Noah said. ¡°When¡¯s the next Advanced Track meeting?¡±


    ¡°Tonight,¡± Silvertide replied, not pulling his eyes away from the dead monster. His skin had gone a shade paler.


    Noah nodded slightly, then turned to Jalen.


    ¡°Open a portal back to Arbitage, please. I believe it is time for Vermil to return from the Damned Plains.¡±

 Chapter 622: Disappoint

    ¡°You want to pop back out in Arbitage? Just like that?¡± Jalen asked, arching an eyebrow at Noah and glancing around the rather full clearing. ¡°With everyone here?¡±


    Noah looked around. Their little group had certainly grown quite a bit since he¡¯d left. With the addition of all the demons to the mix, they certainly made quite the odd gathering. He had no plans of leaving anyone here behind.


    I¡¯ve got the strongest ones augmented with Sticky runes. Only Violet, Edda, Torrick and Vrith are left. Aylin and Yoru are fixed up, and Lee is Lee. After I¡¯ve repaired them all, Inquisitors won¡¯t be a threat to us anymore. They¡¯ll just have to wear something to cover their horns until the right time.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Noah said. ¡°We¡¯ll be able to find somewhere for them to sleep, and I need the backup. My plans are no longer something that can be accomplished by a single man. Everyone here will have a role to play... at least until we¡¯ve dealt with the nobles.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to war,¡± Silvertide said flatly. ¡°Is that what you¡¯re implying?¡±


    ¡°War is such a strong term. I am teaching. It just so happens that there are some people who pose a threat to my students. A good teacher never allows for such things.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mince words with me, Vermil. I know what we¡¯re up against,¡± Silvertide said. He hesitated for a long second before shaking his head. ¡°But I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re capable of. Not anymore. I don¡¯t even know if I know what you really are.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t,¡± Noah said. The corner of his lips twitched. ¡°But if you want me to be forthright, then I will be. I plan to raze every single noble family that comes after Isabel to the ground.¡±


    ¡°Can you really do that? They¡¯ve ruled for hundreds of years, and for good reason. You don¡¯t even have a Rank 6 Soul Domain. How will you be able to protect everyone if you challenge the entire kingdom?¡±


    Huh. Now that he mentions it, I need to test out the new powers a Rank 5 Rune gets me. I¡¯m pretty sure I should be able to manifest my magic without needing a source. I wonder how that would apply to Unstable Pandemonium. I¡¯ll have to do some testing once I get a little alone time when we return to Arbitage. I don¡¯t want to do it with an audience... especially when we¡¯ve got deadlines to meet. There¡¯s an Advanced Track meeting that Spider needs to be making an appearance at.


    ¡°There are ways. I don¡¯t plan to challenge them all yet. I don¡¯t have a death wish,¡± Noah said. Moxie arched an eyebrow at him, which he pointedly ignored. He continued on without gracing her expression with a response. ¡°Things have to be handled one step at a time. But I think you would be deeply surprised to see just how significant the differences in runes can be. The noble families know nothing. They¡¯ve been so content to force the status quo to remain as it was that their powers are waning. That¡¯s what happens when, instead of working together to try and improve your runes, you force artificial scarcity and hide your research.¡±


    ¡°Spider holds even Sievan¡¯s respect,¡± Aylin said. ¡°A group of mortals is no match for him.¡±


    Silvertide¡¯s brow furrowed. Then his lips twisted into a grim smile. ¡°Very well. I will expect to see proof of your true power before I throw my lot in with you entirely. I have a responsibility to my student. I will not put Tyler in danger needlessly. But if what you say is true... then we will stand by you. The kingdom has been rotting from within for a very long time. Perhaps it is time for change.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me,¡± Jalen said. ¡°I¡¯m just here to watch. I¡¯m not doing shit until you start flicking Rank 6 mages in the nose. At that point, I don¡¯t reckon it¡¯ll matter much if I throw my lot in. Everything will have gone to shit anyway.¡±


    ¡°That means you¡¯ll fight by our side when things do go to shit?¡± Moxie asked, raising an eyebrow.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Jalen smiled. ¡°Do you think I would pass up an opportunity to have a little fun? It¡¯s been too long since I¡¯ve tried myself against another Rank 6. I will act when they directly interfere ¡ª but not a second before.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all I need,¡± Noah said. ¡°The portal, then. To my room, if you would. I want to sort out some accommodations before we pay the Advanced Track meeting a visit tonight.¡±No?v(el)B\\jnn


    Gods, did someone bring an army? What in the Damned Plains is happening?


    A knock rang against the door.


    Contessa and Karina exchange a glance.


    Karina nodded.


    Mascot started licking his rear end.


    Contessa grabbed the door handle and pulled it open, preparing to release the magic she¡¯d gathered ¡ª


    Her mouth dropped open and her hand fell limply to her side.


    Before her stood Vermil. Beside him stood Moxie and Silvertide, but that wasn¡¯t all.


    Karina let out a whimper.


    Jalen loomed over Noah, a terrifyingly eager smile twisting his features. And, flanking all of them, was a mass of students and demons.


    What the fuck?


    Mascot licked the side of Contessa¡¯s face.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Vermil said with a wide smile. It didn¡¯t reach his eyes. Something about the man had changed. Contessa had never forgotten the look on his face when she¡¯d threatened his students, but this was different. It was almost alien, like she was staring into the eyes of a force of nature rather than a man.


    A chill gripped her spine.


    Why does it feel like I¡¯m staring into the eyes of death itself?


    ¡°Vermil?¡± Contessa breathed, eyes going wide. ¡°You¡¯re alive?¡±


    ¡°Sorry to disappoint. Did you miss me?¡±

 Chapter 623: A lot

    Contessa stared at Vermil in surprise for nearly a second before she managed to pick her jaw up off the floor. Not a single piece of the scene before her made even the slightest amount of sense.


    Vermil was dead. He had to be. She¡¯d struggled to believe it a while, but it had been so long since he¡¯d vanished during an operation with the Enforcers that there could have been no other solution.


    There had been a small part of her that suspected he¡¯d just cut his ties with the school and ran. But that wasn¡¯t the Vermil that she¡¯d come to know. She knew all too well just how much he cared about his students.


    He¡¯d never have left them in Arbitage voluntarily. Contessa had been certain he¡¯d just end up showing back up at some point, but days had turned to weeks passed since his disappearance and he still hadn¡¯t returned. She¡¯d been forced to admit that there was no way he was anything but dead.


    And now he stood before her, flanked by two of the greatest mages in the kingdom and a small horde of demons.


    Contessa¡¯s ears rang and she reached out for the wall to support herself. She wasn¡¯t deluded enough to think this was some sort of trick or a play by someone with Shift Runes trying to put her off guard.


    Nobody could encapsulate Vermil other than the real one. This was him.


    He¡¯d made it out of the Damned Plains.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look too pleased,¡± Vermil observed as he stepped past her and into the room. He glanced around, then frowned. ¡°Huh. Doesn¡¯t feel like my place much anymore. Have you changed something?¡±


    ¡°We ¡ª we put some decoration up,¡± Contessa said weakly. And, just in case he¡¯d somehow failed to notice, she added, ¡°You have demons with you, Vermil. A lot of them.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Vermil glanced over his shoulder. ¡°Oh, yes. Don¡¯t worry about them. I picked up some friends in the Damned Plains ¡ª and you¡¯ve met Lee. I¡¯m pretty sure you have. Have you?¡±


    Karina stared in mute shock. She¡¯d still yet to manage to muster up a single word, and Contessa couldn¡¯t blame her. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure she hadn¡¯t somehow gotten stuck in the world¡¯s strangest nightmare.


    ¡°She¡¯s a demon?¡± Contessa asked, aghast. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s happening. I ¡ª didn¡¯t you die? How did you survive the Damned Plains? You know the school thinks you¡¯re dead, right?¡±


    ¡°Moxie is back too,¡± Karina pointed out somewhat unhelpfully, finally finding her voice.


    ¡°We had a bit of an involuntary vacation,¡± Moxie said. She joined Vermil in entering the room and cast a critical eye over it before giving Contessa a small nod. ¡°I like what you¡¯ve done with the place. N¡ª Vermil is a horrible interior decorator. This place was depressing. You can keep the room, by the way. Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s not going to try to move back in.¡±


    Lee ambled past Vermil and right over to the desk. She pulled a drawer open, plucking a tarp bag of dried jerky that Karina had bought a few days ago in the market. Lee popped the entire bag into her mouth, tarp and all.


    ¡°Can I eat this?¡± Lee asked as she chewed.


    At least she hasn¡¯t changed.


    ¡°I... sure,¡± Contessa said. She flopped down in a chair before she tripped over her own feet and fell on her face. There had been a time when the mere sight of a demon would have probably given her a heart attack.


    Now, she couldn¡¯t even bring herself to be scared. She was just stunned. If there was one thing in the world she could thank Vermil for, it was repeatedly shattering everything she thought possible. Ever since she¡¯d had the misfortune of drawing his ire, he¡¯d managed to execute the impossible.


    She was absolutely certain that Vermil had been responsible for Evergreen¡¯s death. The old woman had put out the order for Moxie¡¯s death and been killed in a supposed usurping no more than a few days later.


    He has to be some form of Linwick agent intentionally sabotaging his public image to go undercover... but frankly, I don¡¯t care anymore. I just can¡¯t bring myself to. The best thing that happened to me was him killing Evergreen. Maybe he¡¯s even a demon himself. I don¡¯t know.


    In the end, it struck Contessa that she didn¡¯t care. Vermil was back. That meant two things.


    First, she would probably get to keep her room.


    Second, somebody was going to die.


    Nobody brought a horde of demons with them because they thought that horns were the new fashionable style.


    ¡°My chin itches,¡± one of the demons ¡ª one who notably had no arms ¡ª said. She had long, silver hair that wrapped around her neck several times like a scarf.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help!¡± A tiny female demon that strongly resembled a child said, reaching up to aid the former demon.


    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s your room,¡± Contessa said. She found herself too tired to bother with any protests. ¡°I¡¯m not going to say otherwise. It¡¯s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Contessa.¡±


    ¡°She used to be my handler,¡± Moxie provided. ¡°Now she takes care of Mascot.¡±


    ¡°A grand job,¡± the male demon said, his eyes widening in what appeared to be... respect?


    He¡¯s impressed that I¡¯m a cat handler? Why?


    ¡°You have been given a great honor,¡± the armless demon said. ¡°My name is Yoru.¡±


    ¡°I am Aylin. I apologize in advance for any inadvertent bites I take from your soul. I have been practicing control, but I have much to learn,¡± the male beside her said. He nodded to the two small demons. ¡°These are Torick and Edda.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Lee,¡± Lee said.


    ¡°And I am Violet,¡± one of the female demons said. She nodded to a black-furred demon standing beside her. ¡°This is Vrith. She doesn¡¯t talk much.¡±


    Vrith stared at them and made no move to prove Violet¡¯s words wrong.


    ¡°Great. Good introductions,¡± Vermil said, clapping his hands together. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll all get on splendid.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s that leg treating you?¡± Jalen asked Karina.


    ¡°Stop that,¡± Vermil said, flicking the Rank 6 mage in the forehead like he was a petulant child.


    Contessa¡¯s eyes widened. She scrunched down in her seat, preparing to get flattened by a wall of force as Jalen released his domain, but the impossibly powerful mage just cackled like a deranged old man.


    ¡°Let a man have some fun. It was a perfectly normal question. I did make her that leg, after all.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s suffered enough. There¡¯s no need to be needlessly cruel,¡± Vermil said. His eyes darkened as he looked back to Karina. ¡°We can save the malice for the nobles who think they can take what does not belong to them.¡±


    Yep. He¡¯s definitely killing someone tonight. Why did he have to make it so obvious? I don¡¯t want to be an accomplice!


    ¡°Wait. So you¡¯re just leaving the demons here?¡± Karina asked.


    ¡°Is there a problem with that?¡± Moxie asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Karina said, finally shaking off her stunned disbelief and managing to find proper words. ¡°This is not a good time. Ulya is¡ª¡±


    The door, which nobody had locked, swung open.


    A woman stood on the other side, two large bottles of alcohol tucked under each arm, flanked by a hooded puppet bearing a picnic basket in its hands. The advanced track professor stood on one foot, having used the other to push the door.


    ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late!¡± Ulya said. ¡°I got side...¡±


    She trailed off, leaving her mouth hanging open mid-word as everyone turned to look at her.


    ¡°Well, this is convenient. I was planning on paying you a visit before tonight. Hullo,¡± Vermil said. ¡°How are the puppet repairs coming on?¡±


    One of the bottles of wine slipped from Ulya¡¯s hand. Her puppet caught it, but she didn¡¯t even seem to notice. She just stared at Vermil in slack-jawed disbelief.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting the feeling you might be getting this a lot,¡± Moxie said.


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± Ulya breathed. ¡°You¡¯re alive?¡±

 Chapter 624: Show

    ¡°You know, I swear I¡¯ve had this conversation already. I think I¡¯m getting de?ja? vu,¡± Noah said, pursing his lips. He glanced at Moxie. ¡°I have, haven¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re going to be having it a lot,¡± Moxie said dryly. ¡°People tend to be surprised when someone comes back from the dead.¡±


    ¡°They really shouldn¡¯t,¡± Noah said.


    After all, I do it all the time.


    Ulya stared at him, slack jawed, barely maintaining her grip on the second bottle of wine in her hands. Her puppet was doing a remarkable job of balancing both her picnic basket and the other bottle she¡¯d lost.


    Well, it looks like she¡¯s definitely made those upgrades. Glad she was able to get back on her feet after her other puppets got screwed up in the fight between Silvertide and Wizen. Out of all the teachers in the Advanced Track, she was one of the few that¡¯s generally on our side.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Ulya said. ¡°You were pulled into the Damned Plains by Wizen. I heard the reports. Silvertide himself confirmed it. How are you here?¡±


    Silvertide cleared his throat. ¡°It seems that my findings were partially incorrect. He did fall into the Damned Plains, but it seems Vermil did not die.¡±


    Ulya froze. She stared at Silvertide, not having seen him in the mass of people in the room, then pressed a hand to her forehead. ¡°Silvertide? What is happening? None of this makes any sense. How could Vermil be alive?¡±


    ¡°Come on, Ulya. You¡¯re intelligent enough to know the answer to this question. Two people enter, one person leaves. What do you reckon happened?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re implying that you beat Wizen? The mage that was strong enough to take on the entirety of Arbitage¡¯s Enforcers and emerge victorious? And you defeated him ¡ª in the Damned Plains, no less?¡±


    If we¡¯re being really technical about things, then yes. Wizen definitely wasn¡¯t planning on leaving the afterlife alive, but I did convince him to end it earlier to save Sticky instead of looking for his daughter. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d normally want to go around bragging about having convinced someone to kill themselves. That¡¯s just bad taste. Moxie might be right, I do have a problem.


    ¡°I¡¯m alive. He isn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°He speaks the truth,¡± Aylin said.


    Ulya glanced to him.


    The second bottle of wine slipped from her hands. This time, her puppet didn¡¯t have any way to catch it. It shattered against the ground as Ulya¡¯s eyes went as wide as saucers. She took a step back.


    Moxie flicked a hand. A vine erupted out from within a sleeve and sliced through the air, binding around Ulya¡¯s mouth, cutting off the other woman¡¯s scream an instant before it could even start.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not bring the entirety of the T building down on our heads, shall we?¡± Moxie asked. ¡°Seriously. You¡¯re a Rank 4 mage. Carry yourself like one.¡±


    Ulya clawed at the vine with one hand and thrust a panicked finger in the direction of the demons with the other, as if Moxie had somehow managed to miss the fact that half the room was sporting horns.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Moxie said patiently. ¡°Demons. I know. They¡¯re friendly.¡±


    ¡°Honestly,¡± Emily said, shaking her head. ¡°You were staring at Vermil for like five seconds. If it takes you that long to notice a horde of demons standing right next to him, then they would have already killed you if they were planning on it. Do better.¡±


    Somehow, getting scolded by Emily seemed considerably more effective than Moxie¡¯s assurances. Ulya¡¯s eyes narrowed and she pulled at Moxie¡¯s vine again. It unwound from her mouth, letting her speak again.


    ¡°Is this meant to be some kind of joke? A setup?¡± Ulya asked.


    Moxie¡¯s vine slowly snaked around Ulya¡¯s back. The professor barely even reacted as it pulled her inside the room. Her puppet followed obediently after her, not even reacting as the vine released Ulya and reached over to the door to close it. The vine then twisted the lock to ensure they wouldn¡¯t get any more surprise visitors.


    ¡°I¡¯m not nearly this funny,¡± Noah said. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s all real.¡±


    ¡°You escaped the Damned Plains.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°With a horde of demons.¡±


    ¡°Also correct.¡±


    ¡°And they¡¯re... tame?¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t wild animals,¡± Noah said. ¡°And they also aren¡¯t deaf.¡±


    ¡°She tastes scared,¡± Aylin said. ¡°I would not take any offense to what she says right now. Her mind is in a state of panic. I suspect she may start crying.¡±


    ¡°I most certainly will not,¡± Ulya snapped, glaring at Aylin. ¡°I am a researcher in the Advanced Track at Arbitage. I am not some shivering schoolgirl.¡±


    ¡°Boo,¡± Lee said.


    Everyone stared at her.


    ¡°What?¡± Lee asked. ¡°I wanted to see if she would cry.¡±


    ¡°You ¡ª wait.¡± Ulya squinted at Lee. Then she cursed under her breath. ¡°I know you. You didn¡¯t have horns before. You¡¯re a demon?¡±


    ¡°Yup. Does this mean you aren¡¯t going to cry?¡±


    ¡°I am not going to cry!¡±


    ¡°Can I have your snacks, then? Your puppet isn¡¯t eating them.¡±


    ¡°You cannot,¡± Ulya snapped.


    Her earlier fear had partially evaporated, largely due to the sheer incredulity that had sprung up at Lee¡¯s questions. Noah couldn¡¯t help but wonder if that had been completely intentional. It was difficult to tell what Lee was thinking, but she was far more perceptive than most people gave her credit for.


    ¡°Joining Spider¡¯s encourage is the wisest decision you can make,¡± Aylin said. ¡°You have chosen the path of inevitable victory.¡±


    ¡°Spider? Wait. Wasn¡¯t that your mentor?¡± Ulya asked with a frown. ¡°Are you saying that...¡±


    ¡°I have a bit of a lying problem. I may have a few more names than you thought.¡±


    Ulya stared at him. ¡°I ¡ª what? But... how?¡±


    Noah just gave her a grin.


    ¡°Better keep that name under wraps for the time being,¡± he said to Aylin. ¡°Don¡¯t need the wrong people getting wind of it too early. It¡¯ll make it harder to bait out the people I need to kill.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Aylin said.


    ¡°The people you need to kill?¡± Ulya repeated. ¡°Are you going after Verrud and Jakob¡¯s superiors?¡±


    ¡°Among everyone else that is trying to take what doesn¡¯t belong to them. I¡¯d start thinking on what kind of runes you want for your puppet,¡± Noah advised. ¡°Because you¡¯re going to need them soon. I¡¯ll be using all the resources at my disposal.¡±


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Ulya said. ¡°When you say everyone else... nobles are greedy. You can¡¯t mean¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ulya,¡± Noah said softly, closing the grimoire and holding her gaze with his own. ¡°I will rip this kingdom apart at the seams if they think they can come after my students.¡±


    The front of the grimoire writhed. Its eye snapped open, swiveling around the room. Contessa let out something between a disgusted gagging noise and a whimper as its attention passed over her before landing on Ulya.


    Its excited. Not sure if that¡¯s a good thing or not, but I¡¯m beyond the point of caring. I¡¯ll feed it to its hearts content as long as it stays on my side and doesn¡¯t eat anything too important.


    Ulya¡¯s features paled.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that sound fun?¡± Jalen asked, rubbing his hands together. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen the kingdom in proper chaos in hundreds of years. I might go on a bender.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re all insane,¡± Ulya said.


    ¡°My mental faculties are entirely intact,¡± Aylin said.


    ¡°As are mine,¡± Yoru said softly. ¡°More than they ever have been.¡±


    ¡°Unlike your arms,¡± Lee said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be mean, Lee,¡± Violet said.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. She¡¯ll have new ones soon enough,¡± Lee said cheerfully. ¡°It¡¯s important to look on the bright side of life.¡±


    ¡°I will?¡± Yoru asked.


    Lee nodded empathetically. ¡°Of course you will. We can steal somebody¡¯s and stick them on if you can¡¯t find any of your own.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s how it works,¡± Todd said.


    ¡°Have you ever tried it before?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then how do you know?¡± Lee arched an eyebrow as if she¡¯d just found a massive logical hole in his argument. ¡°You don¡¯t know until you try.¡±


    Ulya ran a hand through her hair. She reached out to the glass of wine her puppet held, popped the cork off with a thumb, and took a long swig straight from the bottle.


    ¡°What did I just sign up for?¡± Ulya asked.


    ¡°A fun time,¡± Jalen said.


    ¡°An opportunity to get stronger,¡± Moxie offered.


    ¡°Treason against the noble families,¡± Karina said.


    ¡°War,¡± Noah said. ¡°And I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll be needing your services immediately. I need you to help prepare things for me tonight.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± Ulya asked with trepidation.


    ¡°I want you to spread word that a demon by the name of Spider will be making an appearance at the Advanced Track meeting tonight along with me.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you Spider?¡±


    Noah smiled. ¡°Fortunately, we have someone here who¡¯s quite adept at shifting their form. Isn¡¯t that right, Karina?¡±


    Karina¡¯s face paled.


    ¡°Would you believe me if I said I can¡¯t do that anymore?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Karina said.


    Jalen¡¯s grin stretched until it covered his entire face and he let out a cackle of laughter. ¡°This is going to be a shitshow. I can¡¯t wait.¡±

 Chapter 625: Returning

    With the worst of the surprises done for the day, the group was left with no choice but to do the most agonizing, gut-wrenching activity known to man. They had to do proper introductions.


    It was painfully awkward to say the least. The vast majority of the demons that Noah had brought from the Damned Plains wouldn¡¯t know decorum if it hit them upside the head. For that matter, the demon that he¡¯d brought from the mortal realm to the Damned Plains was probably the worst of them all.


    Noah watched as Lee edged her way through the room, slowly and steadily making her way closer to the puppet bearing Ulya¡¯s picnic basket and wine. She was definitely both fast and sneaky enough to just steal it before anyone could even react if she chose to.


    She did not choose to. It seemed that she found the hunt considerably more enjoyable than the actual victory. Unfortunately, it also seemed that Lee didn¡¯t think people could see her if she moved slowly enough.


    There wasn¡¯t a single person in the room that wasn¡¯t aware of her gradually approaching the puppet. Nobody said a word about it. They just focused on their incredibly awkward introductions. There were some things that were just best left untouched.


    The situation wasn¡¯t helped by the fact that Noah¡¯s room was not really meant to house this many people. A few was no problem ¡ª teachers had rather spacious quarters ¡ª but there was a literal horde of demons packed in with the teachers, students, and clingers-on.


    At least everyone seems to be largely getting along. No massive rifts despite the whole demon thing. That¡¯s all I really need. I can¡¯t have everyone at each other¡¯s throats or terrified because they think they¡¯re going to get ripped open by a psychopathic demon.


    That¡¯s not who these demons are.


    Well, maybe Vrith, but I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯ll be fine.


    Moxie poked Noah in the side with her elbow. Noah pulled his attention away from Lee, who was extending a finger to try and hook the basket from the puppet¡¯s hands, and looked to her.


    ¡°What exactly is your plan for the Advanced Track meeting?¡± Moxie asked. ¡°If Spider makes an appearance, we¡¯re going to call the Inquisition down on Arbitage.¡±


    ¡°Most likely, yes.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t we be under suspicion in that case? After all, we pretended that Spider was your mentor back at that other Advanced Track Meeting we went to,¡± Moxie said with a frown. ¡°Is calling the Inquisition down on our own heads a good idea?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I want to call them in. They know who Spider is already. I made an appearance before, and it wouldn¡¯t have been long before they came investigating us once it becomes known that I¡¯ve come back to Arbitage,¡± Noah said with a shrug. ¡°If I take control of the narrative, it¡¯ll be much easier to work around things. I want them focused on Spider rather than us... and I think I¡¯ve already planted the seeds of interest. That female Inquisitor, Fuyin, she was interested in figuring out what I had to offer. She definitely survived the explosion, and I think she¡¯ll come looking for information. Then all I have to do is direct her toward the nobles.¡±


    ¡°You want to set the Inquisitors against the noble houses?¡±


    Noah grinned. ¡°Can¡¯t be too hard. Father couldn¡¯t have been the only one summoning demons. Once news of my return gets out, it won¡¯t be that hard for the people behind Jakob and Verrud to start putting all the pieces together. They¡¯ll realize that Isabel was the one they were after, and that I¡¯m likely the reason those bastards are dead. I don¡¯t know how they¡¯d react to that. Maybe they¡¯d be sneaky, or maybe they¡¯d just send their full force at us right off the bat.¡±


    ¡°Probably not,¡± Noah admitted. ¡°I fully expect things to go to shit when the ball finally drops.¡±


    ¡°And what then?¡± Moxie asked, tilting her head to the side. ¡°Because with the amount of chaos the whole empire is going to get plunged into if things go as you say...¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be much of a place left to live,¡± Noah said with a nod. ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re planning on leaving,¡± Jalen realized. ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°To somewhere where my students can learn without worrying about someone putting a blade through their back to steal what belongs to them,¡± Noah replied with a shake of his head. He wasn¡¯t going to pack his bags anytime soon. There was still too much to do in Arbitage. Too much to learn ¡ª but he had no doubt in his mind that there was only so much growth that could happen in a kingdom where everyone fought to keep information from each other. ¡°But that¡¯s something to worry about another time. I¡¯ve got more to do before the meeting tonight.¡±


    ¡°Getting your disguise together?¡± Jalen guessed.


    ¡°No,¡± Noah replied. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the Key. Sticky had returned it to him back in the Scorched Acres so she wouldn¡¯t lose it by accident. It was mildly amusing to think that half the reason he¡¯d ever landed in the Damned Plains was because he¡¯d been trying to retrieve this. ¡°I¡¯ve got to return something.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re giving Arbitage back the Key?¡± Moxie¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°Is it still capable of opening a portal to the Damned Plains?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. That red energy that used to be in it is gone. Sticky spent it all getting us back to the mortal plane. It just feels like a key now.¡± Even as Noah spoke, a small frown tugged at the corners of his lips.


    The red energy was indeed gone ¡ª but he hadn¡¯t forgotten what it had looked like. It had been strange magic, of a variety he¡¯d never seen before... up until he¡¯d created his most recent Rank 5 Rune.


    Is it possible this key had something to do with that Orlen person? Could it have been his magic that enabled Wizen to rip a portal into the Damned Plains? But why? What the hell does he want? He¡¯s also helped a bunch of demons for seemingly no reason.


    Noah¡¯s gaze drifted to Linestra. She was sitting toward the corner of her room, doing her best to avoid drawing too much attention to herself.


    She didn¡¯t know anything, and Aylin confirmed that she wasn¡¯t lying. The nobles are a problem I can focus on. But Orlen... he puts me on edge. I don¡¯t know what his goals are, but I¡¯ve definitely fucked with them by accident. Twice now, actually.


    Oops.


    ¡°But why give it back to Arbitage? I wasn¡¯t under the impression you were that loyal,¡± Jalen said. ¡°You could at least¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not Arbitage I¡¯m returning this to,¡± Noah said. He slid the key back into his pocket. ¡°I¡¯m giving it back to an old friend.¡±

 Chapter 626: Timcident

    Noah found Tim in the Transport Cannon. That was equal parts entirely surprising and expected. There hadn¡¯t been any line leading up to the cannon. The last time he¡¯d been to the cannon, there had been a number of Space Mages working together to keep it active for emergency operations. Now, it had been completely abandoned in the absence of the artifact that powered it.


    When Noah got to the top of the tall, slightly perilous building, he found that more than just the popularity of the cannon had changed. It looked nothing like what it once had.


    Papers covered the walls from floor to ceiling. They were covered with scribblings and designs that made about as much sense to Noah as a Demon Rune did to a normal mage. Stacks of books teetered on the edge, moments away from crashing to the ground yet hanging on desperately to life.


    The smell of still-drying ink hung in the air and static electricity prickled against Noah¡¯s skin. And in the center of it all, his expression shifting in shock, was Tim. The old man¡¯s hair had grown considerably since they¡¯d last met, forming a beard that would have given Santa Claus a solid run for his money. Tim held a cup of tea with two fingers. His other hand held a quill that was midway through a sentence upon a paper pinned to the wall. Ink dripped, marring his work, as he stared at Noah in disbelief.


    ¡°Vermil?¡± Tim breathed. His hand lowered, his quill leaving a long line of ink on the paper he¡¯d been working on. ¡°Is that you?¡±


    ¡°You really got to fix the settings on this thing,¡± Noah said with a wry smile. ¡°I think it forgot to summon me back.¡±@@@@


    ¡°It is you!¡± Tim let out a delighted laugh and strode over to Noah, flinging his arms around him in a friendly hug. ¡°Gods, Vermil! I thought you were dead! The Enforcers said you fell into the Damned Plains!¡±


    Noah couldn¡¯t help himself from grinning. He returned Tim¡¯s hug and patted the old man on the back. ¡°The rumors of my demise were entirely accurate. I can¡¯t recommend the Damned Plains as a vacation spot, but it has its charm.¡±


    Tim took a step back. He grabbed Noah by the shoulders and studied his features intently. ¡°You mean...¡±


    ¡°Yes. I was actually there.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°I made it out.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Tim blinked heavily. ¡°That should have been impossible. The amount of power needed to breach the barrier between the planes permanently... did someone open a path from you from our side? It shouldn¡¯t have been possible to open one from your end. You would need...¡±


    ¡°An artifact of immense power,¡± Noah finished, pulling the key out from his pocket.


    Tim¡¯s eyes went as wide as saucers. ¡°You got it back. But didn¡¯t Wizen get it? How¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wizen is dead. He and I had a chat, and he realized that he didn¡¯t need to hold onto this thing anymore,¡± Noah said. He held the key out to Tim. ¡°We both decided it would be in better hands here.¡±


    ¡°I ¡ª you¡¯re giving it to me?¡± Tim asked. He took a step back and shook his head firmly. ¡°Oh, no. Thank you Vermil, but the risk is too great. That item is far too powerful. The Cannon isn¡¯t worth keeping active. As much as I love it, we¡¯ve seen what people will do to get their hands on power.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about. The power that Wizen used to rip open a portal to the Damned Plains is completely spent. This isn¡¯t as powerful as it was before,¡± Noah said. He waved the key. ¡°And if you don¡¯t take it, I¡¯m throwing it away.¡±


    ¡°Throwing it away?¡± Tim exclaimed, his eyes flashing in disbelief. ¡°This is a treasure! An artifact from a lost age, Vermil! It must be kept and protected!¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem like something to apologize for. If anything, I¡¯m just glad to see you in good spirits.¡±


    ¡°Vermil, I am not merely in good spirits. I am in great ones,¡± Tim said with a delighted laugh. ¡°Every single question I answer just gives me a dozen more new ones. Isn¡¯t it wonderful? All my research is organized here. I am compiling it.¡±


    Organized is certainly a word. Not sure if it¡¯s the one I¡¯d use.


    ¡°Have you found anything, then?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. My apologies. I should have started with that. I¡¯ve gotten a little scatterbrained as of late.¡± Tim snapped his fingers. Sparks of black energy arced from his hand and the air warped. A paper popped into existence before him ¡ª but Tim wasn¡¯t done.


    He swept his hand through the air. Energy crackled like a small thunderstorm. Papers appeared one after the other, forming in rapid-fire succession.


    Noah¡¯s eyes widened.


    Isn¡¯t Tim just Rank 3? Space Runes consume energy like no tomorrow, but he¡¯s using them like it¡¯s nothing.


    ¡°How are you doing this?¡± Noah asked.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve spent some time studying efficiency,¡± Tim said with a wave of his hand. ¡°It¡¯s of no concern. Something Brayden asked me to study. I have to get the results back to him, but this is far more important. Behold!¡±


    He pointed at the papers. Their surfaces were covered with formulas that meant absolutely nothing to Noah.


    ¡°I... might be a little lost.¡±


    ¡°Space has magical weight!¡± Tim exclaimed in delight. ¡°And not every location shares equal weight! The farther you get from Arbitage ¡ª from any Bastion, for that matter ¡ª the less magical weight there is, but the distribution of weight seems conical! Despite decreasing away from Bastions, it actually grows stronger toward the edges of the Empire!¡±


    ¡°...right. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re going to have to dumb down why that¡¯s important,¡± Noah said sheepishly.


    ¡°It means magic itself has spatial weight to it,¡± Tim, pausing for a moment to drink in the moment before he spoke again. ¡°We already know the Bastions are magical stockpiles, which justifies their increased weight in comparison to the rest of the world. But then why would the magic decrease in a conical pattern as we approach the Empire¡¯s edges? There could only be one reason.¡±


    Noah¡¯s spine prickled.


    Hold on. Did Tim figure out¡ª


    ¡°The Empire is either surrounded by a magical barrier of immense strength...¡± Tim whispered, excitement glittering behind his eyes. ¡°Or we have been hidden by something. The distribution of spatial magic makes me certain of it. There is more out there, Vermil. An area with magic that makes what we have here look like a spark in comparison to an inferno. The Arbalest Empire is not the extent of this world. It is a sheltered cove.¡±


    Holy shit. Tim figured out the truth of what the Arbalest Empire is entirely on his own.

 Chapter 627: If you want something done...

    ¡°Incredible,¡± Noah whispered. ¡°You found all of that out just by using a low-level Space Rune?¡±


    ¡°And a lot of research. I plan to travel to this edge and determine what it is that lies beyond the kingdom. I have calculated its approximate distance from us. There, I will find... wait.¡± Tim¡¯s proud expression faltered. He squinted at Noah. ¡°You knew.¡±


    ¡°I knew, but not because I figured it out. I was told.¡±


    ¡°Told?¡± Tim asked. ¡°By whom? If this knowledge has already been discovered, then why¡ª¡±


    ¡°By someone who exists outside the empire.¡±


    Tim¡¯s string of questions evaporated. He trailed off and stared at Noah in abject disbelief for several moments. Then he let out a bark of laughter, one borne from a mix of surprise and delight.


    ¡°Then I was right!¡± Tim exclaimed. He grabbed Noah by the shoulders. ¡°There¡¯s a greater world! Tell me about it! How did you meet this person? Why are they here? And why¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Noah said with a laugh. ¡°I don¡¯t know the answers to those questions, Tim. The person I spoke to only told me this because I got caught up in something. I barely know any more than you do. Honestly, I probably know less. There¡¯s only one piece you¡¯re missing, though I don¡¯t think it¡¯s related.¡±


    ¡°Tell me,¡± Tim said, his eyes flashing. He paused, then released Noah and cleared his throat. ¡°If you can, of course. I don¡¯t mean to overstep.¡±@@@@


    ¡°There¡¯s a reason there are no Rank 7s in the Arbalest Empire,¡± Noah said simply. ¡°And it isn¡¯t because making a Rank 7 Rune is impossible. I met many Rank 7 Demons in the Damned Plains.¡±


    ¡°A reason...¡± Tim¡¯s brow furrowed. Then his face went pale. He took a step back, and Noah could practically see connections forming in his mind. ¡°An intentional limit. The decreased amount of spatial energy in the Empire isn¡¯t because we¡¯re living in some form of anomaly. This was intentionally formed. Magical power is being removed from this area on purpose. But why?¡±


    Noah didn¡¯t even get a chance to respond. Tim¡¯s mind was working so fast and the old man was pulling pieces together so quickly that Noah couldn¡¯t do anything but sit and stare in awe as Tim pieced together the biggest secrets of the Arbalest Empire.


    ¡°An experiment,¡± Tim exclaimed. ¡°That must be it! It¡¯s the only thing that explains the abnormalities and the potential barrier surrounding the empire. Someone is intentionally keeping everyone within it at Rank 6 or below. Those that reach Rank 7 are removed to avoid impacting the spatial energy.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that last bit?¡± Noah asked, blinking. ¡°Impacting the energy?¡±


    ¡°Well, artifacts bear magical weight. That¡¯s why there¡¯s more power around the Bastions where they¡¯re stored,¡± Tim said absent-mindedly. ¡°The same bears true for mages. Insignificant ones may as well have no weight at all. But truly powerful mages would theoretically have the same weight as a powerful artifact. I¡¯ve been wondering why that hasn¡¯t proven to be the case ¡ª but if all the powerful mages are being removed from the kingdom, that would preserve this strange imbalance that we seem to be locked in. Thus, it must be an experiment. Someone doesn¡¯t want the Empire to grow.¡±


    ¡°Fuck, Tim.¡± Noah shook his head in awe. ¡°Your talents were completely wasted. You might be one of the smartest people I¡¯ve ever met. I¡¯m pretty sure everything you just said is completely correct.¡±


    ¡°Then you must introduce me!¡± Tim exclaimed. ¡°The person you spoke to. I have so many questions for them. I do hope you haven¡¯t killed them.¡±


    ¡°Killed them? How would I kill somebody strong enough to be from outside the kingdom?¡±


    Tim arched an eyebrow. ¡°If there¡¯s one thing that I¡¯ve become abundantly aware of, it is your ability to do what should be impossible. I take it that this person still lives? Are they our enemy?¡±


    ¡°A few someones,¡± Noah said with a grin. ¡°And I think you¡¯d find that they have quite a different worldview. It would definitely be beneficial for all of you to get to know each other.¡±


    ¡°Then dally not. This tower has been empty for too long. I would be thrilled to make this mysterious groups¡¯ acquaintance,¡± Tim said, reading the look in Noah¡¯s eyes. ¡°Something tells me this will be enjoyable.¡±


    ¡°With pleasure,¡± Noah replied. ¡°There¡¯s just one thing I want to do first. It seems you¡¯ve specialized into Spatial Runes. Shall we polish up what you¡¯ve got to make sure you don¡¯t have any trouble advancing further?¡±


    Tim¡¯s eyes lit up in delight. ¡°Truly? Are you certain?¡±


    Noah just grinned in response.


    ***


    A short while later, Noah headed down from the transport cannon, the Fragment of Renewal back on cooldown and his mind thoroughly unbalanced.


    Tim¡¯s runes were terrifying. He¡¯d made 6 space-based runes along with a mixed up one that had been the original Rank 2 that Noah had helped him make before his trip to the Damned Plains. And in that time, not only had Tim hit Rank 3, but Noah could literally see the progress in the man¡¯s understanding in each consecutive one. Tim¡¯s seventh Rank 3 Rune had been flawless ¡ª and Tim didn¡¯t even know what a flawless rune was.


    He¡¯d made it flawless purely through his understanding of spatial magic.


    What might have been even more ridiculous was that, even though Noah had cut apart and put together spatial runes dozens upon dozens of time, he realized that Tim¡¯s understanding of spatial magic was considerably better than his.


    Just looking at Tim¡¯s Rank 3 Runes had been enough to show him the difference between someone who understood a subject and someone who may as well have been the subject.


    He¡¯d barely even had to do anything to help Tim polish his Rank 3¡¯s up. Noah had just gone through and split the runes, removing the only non-spatial one, and Tim formed each of them into a flawless space-based rune within seconds.


    It had been one of the fastest repair sessions Noah had ever done, and Tim had been left with six Rank 3s, many of which were rather close to full. He was pretty sure it wouldn¡¯t be long until Tim was ready to advance to Rank 4.


    How many more people are there like Tim? People that could have been incredible mages if the nobles hadn¡¯t completely failed them?


    Noah¡¯s hands tightened at his sides. Arbitage pissed him off. It had everything it had needed to have been a real school. They were literally supposed to be one. It was a brilliant cover story. But instead of actually turning into a place of learning, the Bastion was nothing more than a place for nobles to posture.


    People here didn¡¯t truly want to learn. They just wanted to make sure they stayed ahead of their opponents so they could keep the little slice of the world they¡¯d stolen for themselves. Noah¡¯s lips curled up in derision.


    The Advanced Track might be the only exception to that... but I¡¯m not too pleased with them so far. I suppose we¡¯ll have to see how tonight goes. Either way, I¡¯m done playing around. Arbitage needs a fire lit under it. There are people here that want to learn. People that haven¡¯t had the chance to.


    The world is changing. Arbitage is going to have to change as well. And if there isn¡¯t anyone willing to teach anyone how things should properly be done...


    Then I¡¯ll do it myself.

 Chapter 628: Optimistic

    Jalen teleported all of the demons into the Transport Cannon¡¯s top room.


    All things considered, Noah was pretty sure that was definitely not the best way to make an introduction. Tim had less than positive experiences with people making abrupt apperances in the cannon. Having a horde of what were commonly known to be the greatest enemy of mankind suddenly appear in his living quarters was definitely not going to be a good impression.


    Unfortunately, Jalen hadn¡¯t waited to hear Noah¡¯s reasoning out. The moment he¡¯d gotten back to his room and suggested it, the Rank 6 Mage¡¯s eyes had lit up and he¡¯d snapped his fingers. His power had grabbed everyone other than Contessa and Karina, and then the world had changed.


    Tim, who had been hunched over his desk scribbling something on what must have been the thousandth piece of paper in the room, had frozen in shock mid-sentence. He stared at the teeming mass of demons, lips pulling apart.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine!¡± Noah yelled, pushing his way to the front before the poor old man could get a heart attack. He nearly bowled Lee over in the process as she somehow managed to do everything she could to entangle herself in front of his legs.


    What is she, a cat? I¡¯ve already got one of those!


    ¡°Most of us hold you no ill will,¡± Aylin provided, in what was probably meant to be a comforting manner. ¡°We follow the Great Lord Spider.¡±


    ¡°Me,¡± Noah said as he finally managed to wade his way to the front of the horde. ¡°That¡¯s me. I like made-up names.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Tim!¡± Moxie called from somewhere at the back of the pack. ¡°Silvertide is here too! I hope Vermil got a chance to warn you about the visitors. He said you were fine with it, but something tells me he didn¡¯t get a chance to warn you that¡ª¡±


    ¡°He had so many lovely students? No, he didn¡¯t,¡± Tim said with a huge smile. He straightened and stepped around the desk, brushing his hands off on the front of his shirt as he approached them. ¡°But that¡¯s no problem. This many faces is more than I expected, but this old building is quite spacious if you go deeper. We can make room.¡±


    Noah¡¯s words died on his lips. His brow furrowed in confusion. Tim hadn¡¯t even mentioned the fact that half of his ¡®students¡¯ were demons. It wasn¡¯t exactly hard to tell. Vrith was covered in black fur and most of them had massive horns jutting out from their heads somewhere or another.


    He glanced back, just to make sure that everyone suddenly hadn¡¯t figured out a way to conceal themselves. They hadn¡¯t. There was no doubt that there was a horde of demons behind him.


    Noah coughed into his fist. ¡°Er... yes. Thank you, Tim. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed, but some of my students are a little unique.¡±


    ¡°All students are unique. Every individual is a flower to be nurtured, and no flower is the same.¡±


    Okay, now you¡¯re just laying it on thick. Has he really not noticed that they¡¯re demons? That seems more than just improbable. Tim isn¡¯t stupid, and he isn¡¯t...


    Wait.


    There was something off.


    Tim was looking in their direction, but he wasn¡¯t looking at them. It was like his eyes were looking right past everyone in the room at something far behind them. Noah blinked in surprise.


    ¡°Tim?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Vermil?¡±


    ¡°Are... you blind?¡±


    ¡°Blind? Oh, no. I¡¯ve never seen better in my life,¡± Tim replied with a hearty laugh. ¡°I¡¯ve just made a few adjustments to my eyes. I hope it isn¡¯t too disconcerting. I haven¡¯t left the tower much since my work.¡±


    Todd cleared his throat and stood on his tip-toes so his head poked out over the crowd. ¡°I might just be fixated on this, but I don¡¯t see why it is that Tim hasn¡¯t... uh, reacted.¡±


    ¡°To what?¡± Tim asked.


    Todd waved his hands around him. ¡°Us?¡±


    ¡°I fear I may not understand your question. How should I have reacted?¡±


    ¡°He modified his eyes to see the magical weight that all space bears,¡± Noah said, shaking his head in a mixture of awe and disbelief. ¡°Tim, you can¡¯t actually see what we look like, can you? You¡¯re looking at our magic itself... or something like that?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Tim said with a huge grin. ¡°Isn¡¯t that fantastic? It¡¯s actually quite easy to tell whose magic is whose. Everyone has a unique signature, and my eyes haven¡¯t been the best in recent years anyways. I¡¯ve been going by voice more than anything to tell who people were. This makes everything far easier. I needed a way to easily see shifts in magical weight in locations, and my eyes were slacking ¡ª so I put them to use. Is it unsettling?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± Noah said. ¡°You¡¯re fine, Tim. It¡¯s... well, can you tell anything off about the people here?¡±


    ¡°Your magical signatures are a little odd, but that seems rather standard given the company.¡±


    Okay, that¡¯s probably fair enough. I¡¯ve been involved in so much strange shit that I guess Tim is kind of used to it.


    ¡°Tim, I don¡¯t want to alarm you, but half of our students are from the Damned Plains,¡± Moxie said. Her words sped up as she hurried to add, ¡°They¡¯re not what you think. Demons have been very misrepresented, and they¡¯ve had issues with their runes at high ranks that make them become twisted versions of themselves. We¡¯ve been fixing that. You have nothing to worry about.¡±


    ¡°Demons?¡± Tim asked, blinking in shock. ¡°Truly?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Aylin said. ¡°Moxie speaks the truth. We will bring no harm to any who Spider considers friend. We will cause you no concern. Unless you leave food out. Then Lee may be problematic.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Tim said slowly. He studied them for several long seconds. ¡°How interesting. There isn¡¯t a significant difference between the spatial weight of a demon and a human. Fascinating.¡±


    That¡¯s what he¡¯s focused on?


    ¡°So... you¡¯re okay with it, then?¡± Moxie asked.


    Tim shrugged. ¡°If you and Vermil vouch for them, then I don¡¯t mind. I¡¯ve had more negative experiences with humans than demons. That issue with their runes you mentioned ¡ª it¡¯s fixed?¡±


    ¡°Mostly,¡± Noah said. He glanced at Linestra, who winced and shrank in on herself in a failed attempt to become invisible. ¡°But they¡¯ll all behave. I promise you that.¡±


    ¡°Then they are welcome to my abode,¡± Tim said. A smile pulled at his lips and he rubbed his hands together. ¡°I have a lot of questions I¡¯d like to ask them. Perhaps this can expand my horizons even further. How wonderful!¡±


    Well, nobody can say he isn¡¯t optimistic.


    Noah blew out a relieved breath and nodded. ¡°Good. Good. Thank you, Tim. We really needed a place for everyone to stay. Now we can turn our attention to the bigger matter at hand. We¡¯ve got a few hours until the Advanced Track meeting, and those of us attending need to do a little prep.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡± Isabel asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a few ideas on how we can control the meeting,¡± Noah said, a smile pulling across his lips. ¡°But you¡¯re going to need to be ready to back up some bullshit. A whole lot of bullshit.¡±

 Chapter 629: Just as it was

    Jalen excused himself shortly after Vermil started explaining his plans. Sticking around for the reasoning always made things considerably less exciting. At least, that was the reasoning he gave them before he vanished.


    If one were to get particularly technical, he hadn¡¯t even actually excused himself. He¡¯d just left. But that was semantics, and Jalen had never been much a fan of those. They were a waste of everyone¡¯s time. After all, nobody gave a shit about what was technically true. All that mattered was the result.


    And thus, he found himself standing in a room that he hadn¡¯t been in for quite some time. Familiar occupants greeted him.


    A lone desk piled high with teetering stacks of paper that he didn¡¯t have the slightest intention of ever reviewing.


    A chair beside it, nice and comfortable whenever he was left alone for long enough to actually bother trying to sit down in it. At the moment, he was sorely tempted to toss it through a window.


    A window ¡ª the one that Jalen was tempted to toss the chair through.


    That was it. And, bar the papers, Jalen didn¡¯t particularly mind the room so long as the door remained shut. He didn¡¯t deem the door worthy of acknowledging, as it tended to admit people that he had absolutely no desire to waste time with.


    Jalen flicked his fingers. A haze of purple energy washed over the piled papers and, with a loud pop, the space above the desk collapsed. Air whooshed through the room as the papers were sucked into a twisting vortex, leaving the desk completely empty.


    He sat down in his chair and leaned back, kicking his feet up onto the top of the desk. And there he sat. His fingers twitched and tapped against his thigh and he stared up at the ceiling. It was one that he¡¯d stared at many times before. He knew every single crack, every mar in its surface.


    Jalen drew in a deep breath and let it out in an explosive sigh. He pushed his chair back, teetering dangerously on its hind legs. His stomach churned with a mixture of impatience and discomfort. It had been too long since he¡¯d been alone. He already got precious few moments of silence.


    That was intentional, but even he had his limits.


    ¡°You¡¯re growing complacent.¡± A familiar voice echoed in Jalen¡¯s ears, but he didn¡¯t so much as twitch. He knew the voice well. It was a voice he rather liked, as it happened to be his own.


    ¡°I am enjoying a long awaited rest. The gods know I deserve one after all the bullshit we¡¯ve put up with for the past few hundred years. You can¡¯t tell me that you didn¡¯t want to take a break yourself.¡±


    ¡°There is a difference between taking time off and... this. Even if the title has lost all the meaning it once had, you are still the head of a great Noble Family. You are Jalen. The weight of the lives we have taken could sink a city to the core of the planet.¡±


    Jalen rocked his chair even farther back and let out a derisive snort. This wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d gotten into an argument with himself, and he highly doubted it would be his last. There were many times in which he¡¯d found himself greatly in want of intelligent conversation.


    That conversation rarely came from members of his own family, so he¡¯d had to adapt and get very, very used to his own company.


    ¡°I don¡¯t recall being so melodramatic. Life goes on. I am simply enjoying the small things.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you call dallying around and hoping that someone will play a game with you? We used to take what we wanted. There were precious few that could do anything to stop us. What stimulation is darts? We could seek out a true challenge. A battle for the ages. When is the last time we had one of those?¡±


    ¡°Boring. There is no joy in crushing those who cannot fight back. Everyone of worth in this Empire is hiding or dead. What¡¯s the point of crushing some worthless little worm? In darts, the scales are evened. It is gives me a taste of what once was.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± the voice was mocking now. ¡°But you know that isn¡¯t true, Jalen. There¡¯s so much more that you have done. Even a few scant months ago, there was more. You have never been content to sit back and let someone else take the wheel.¡±


    Jalen leaned back just a bit too far. The chair tipped and he crashed to the ground, landing on his back with a loud thud. He didn¡¯t blink. His gaze didn¡¯t even move from the ceiling above him.


    ¡°What should I do, then?¡± Jalen asked, but he was no longer sure which version of him it was that was talking.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± the other Jalen replied. ¡°I haven¡¯t figured that part out yet. It¡¯s been far too long since I¡¯ve had any real purpose. For years the empire has been rotting from the core. For the longest time, I thought there was nothing worthwhile left within it at all. Vermil proved that wrong. Him and his students ¡ª they are the first of a young generation that has garnered my interest. Perhaps there have been more, but I simply missed them because I have not been paying attention.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps. But we can¡¯t control that, can we? There was one thing we promised to do, all those years ago. To ensure that we would be ready for when change came. To protect this worthless empire from itself until it was ready to be reborn.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. I recall the promises of my deluded younger self.¡± Jalen picked himself up from the ground and brushed his hair out. ¡°It was the reason I bothered becoming the head of the Linwick family in the first place. A time when I felt like I was a good, noble man. How boring. Why bring that up?¡±


    ¡°All you have done as of late is slack off and play with Vermil and his students. When was the last time we checked the Archives? The true ones, not the fake treasury that we built.¡±


    ¡°Bah. Just about everyone old enough to remember those is either dead or more than aware of why those weapons were locked away,¡± Jalen said with an exasperated sigh. ¡°Is that what this whole conversation was about? Slacking in my duties because I¡¯m getting lazy? I deserve to have a millennia of doing nothing after all this shit.¡±


    There was no response.


    It seemed his conversation was over.


    Jalen heaved a sigh. Despite his earlier words, the faintest of frowns pulled at his lips. He muttered a curse. Spatial magic twisted to life at his fingertip. It buzzed and crackled, burning with such energy that a mere touch from it would likely reduce a weaker mage to a pile of melted flesh.


    He brought his finger down, tracing a line through the air. The Archives were well defended. When he¡¯d been entrusted with them all those years ago, back when he had still held hope for the world, he had spent nearly a hundred years studying them. They had inspired much of his strength today.


    Nobody was going to break through them. It would have taken a power that nobody within the Empire possessed.


    The line snapped and popped as Jalen dug his hands into the energy and pried it apart like a pair of double doors. His teeth gritted and his eyes squeezed shut he pushed against the Archives. Even though they knew his energy signature, opening a path was an immense task.


    With a groan, he felt the pathway finally snap open. The spell was not a simple teleportation, or even a portal. It was a direct connection between two points in space. He knew what would await before him. Instead of a twisting purple wall, he would see clean through it and into the Archives as if there was a door to them right within his office.


    He would be able to see the immense, untouchable imbuements that had stood for hundreds of years. Ones so powerful that no Rank 6, no matter how powerful, could even dream of scratching them.


    ¡°See?¡± Jalen asked as he opened his eyes. ¡°Just as it...¡±


    Jalen trailed off. His hands slipped, then fell to his sides.


    The Imbuements were dull and dead.


    Something ¡ª someone ¡ª had severed them.


    The Archives had been infiltrated.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Jalen said as his face went bone pale. ¡°Oh, shit.¡±

 Chapter 630: Hello

    Jalen stepped into the Archives, gathering magic from his Runes and letting it build within his body. Invisible strands of power wormed through the air around him. His domain wrapped around them, preventing even the slightest hint of his energy from leaking free.


    Breaking into the Archives should have been impossible. He wasn¡¯t even sure he could have done it. But it had been done ¡ª which meant the intruder was one of two things. Either they were a group of powerful mages, or they were the strongest mage in the empire.


    Whichever it may have been, Jalen had no plans of letting his guard down. Fights between high ranking mages tended to be startlingly short. With the amount of magical power they could fling around, there was only so much the average body could withstand.


    That is, unless both people are prepared. Then the fights can go on for days ¡ª which is why it¡¯s all the more important to strike fast and hard. Whoever did this is no amateur.


    Jalen¡¯s head turned on a swivel as his domain swept the Archives around him. They found nothing but cold, gray stone walls. The only thing in the room with him was the portal leading to his office at his back.


    Weapons littered the wall of the Archives ¡ª though not all of them looked the part. Amidst the blades and hammers were scrolls, books, a particularly devious chair, a pickle jar, and an assortment of everything in between.


    He wasn¡¯t actually sure which of them were weapons and which had just happened to belong to whoever had made the Archives long before his time. In the end, it didn¡¯t matter. Everything within the labyrinth was far too dangerous to touch.


    Even with the Imbuements destroyed, the risk of attempting to set a single finger on any of the objects around him was that of a madman who had nothing left to lose. He wasn¡¯t nearly that far gone.


    Not yet.


    Dust scuffed beneath Jalen¡¯s feet as he stepped through the room and made for the door ¡ª the real one. There was a fake on the other wall. He wasn¡¯t sure where it led, and he didn¡¯t want to find out. All he knew is that it hadn¡¯t been there when he¡¯d last been in the Archives. That wasn¡¯t exactly uncommon. They tended to change small details when nobody was watching.


    Jalen set a hand on the doorknob. Then he paused. The frown on his lips deepened as he lifted his hand again and rubbed his fingers together. They were covered with dust. So was the floor ¡ª and all the weapons around him. @@@@


    Nobody had passed through the room. Jalen¡¯s eyes narrowed. He pulled the door open, preparing to send a wave of magic tearing free into the next room ¡ª but there was nothing.


    Nothing but more dusty floors and abandoned weapons. The confusion continued to build within him as he silently stepped forward. The Imbuements were destroyed here, too. This wasn¡¯t just a break-in. They¡¯d known what they were doing.


    The Imbuements were sectioned off, room by room. Why would you destroy the defenses on a room and then leave without taking any of the things within it? That¡¯s not the act of some blind thief.


    A chill wrapped its hands around Jalen¡¯s shoulders. This was the behavior of someone who was looking for something in particular. Someone with a mission ¡ª and someone who understood the Archives and what they were.


    There would be no other reason why they would pass up the weapons scattered across the labyrinth like trash without even pausing to examine them.


    Jalen¡¯s features had none of his characteristic amusement on them as he continued on through the Archives. The only sound was the muted scuff of his feet against the dusty floor and the distant thump of blood in his ears.


    The sprawling rooms were empty. It seemed as if they¡¯d been abandoned for centuries. No matter how many doors he opened or rooms he passed through, the result was always the same. Not a single item was disturbed. There were no footprints on the ground or scratches in the walls... and every single Imbuement that had protected the ancient armory had been severed. Not a single one remained.


    Jalen made his way deeper through the Archives. His unease grew with every step. He couldn¡¯t remember the last time something had actually unnerved him to this degree. Vermil had certainly managed to surprise the shit out of him a number of times... but this was different.


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    Despite the immensity of the situation, a prickle of excitement poked at Jalen¡¯s heart. He couldn¡¯t remember the last time he¡¯d approached a fight like this. The last time he¡¯d entered a battle without knowing if he¡¯d live to see the end of it.


    There had been a time where this was what he¡¯d lived for.


    That had never changed.


    He¡¯d just run out of opponents.


    Let¡¯s see what cocky bastard thinks they can fuck with the shit I¡¯m supposed to protect... even if I¡¯m fucking terrible at my job.


    Jalen arrived before the final door in his way. He couldn¡¯t sense the presence behind it anymore, his domain was wrapped tightly around himself so as to avoid giving his position away, but he knew that his opponent stood just feet away from him on its other side.


    He gathered his magic, pulling deeper on his powers than he had in years. Deep purple twisted to life between two fingers and formed into a tightly packed marble. The power trembled, trying to collapse upon itself. There was enough magic within the ball to bring down a castle. The best way to end this would be within a single blow. Surprise was the greatest ally he had.


    A faint smirk pulled at Jalen¡¯s lips.


    He shifted forward in a flowing motion, pulling the door wide and stepping into the room as he thrust his hand forward, taking aim instinctively. The tiny ball of magic shot from his hand before his eyes had even consciously located his target ¡ª but it flew true.


    A cloaked man stood in the center of the dusty room before Jalen. The man¡¯s back was turned and his head was tilted up to look at a plain, wooden sheperd¡¯s crook that rested against the back wall of the room.


    There was no time for him to dodge the attack.


    The man¡¯s hand snapped up. His fingers splayed out.


    Too late. Gotcha.


    Jalen¡¯s magic slammed into the man¡¯s palm. There was a brilliant shriek as streamers of purple light sheared away from the orb, fluttering by the man¡¯s fingers like confetti. The attack evaporated without so much as touching the man¡¯s flesh.


    Disbelief dropped Jalen¡¯s jaw.


    Impossible.


    The cloaked man turned to fully face Jalen. He reached up, pulling his hood back and letting it rest on his shoulders to reveal an aging, sharp-faced man.


    A man he knew.


    ¡°Hello, Jalen,¡± Father said, the smile creasing his features failing to reach his empty eyes. ¡°You aren¡¯t supposed to be here.¡±

 Chapter 631: Oh.

    Just a few months ago, Jalen would have been thrilled beyond words to hear that he would be routinely getting surprised into silence. Vermil had been an endless wellspring of fun ¡ª but this wasn¡¯t funny anymore.


    Jalen found that he didn¡¯t like surprises nearly as much when he was at the butt of them.


    He liked them even less when, even after the reveal, they made absolutely no sense.


    The person that had broken into the Archives, who had carved through Imbuements with such surgical precision that he¡¯d been convinced it was one of the strongest mages that the empire had ever seen, was the middling, paranoid member of his own family that had only just clawed his way into the Main Branch.


    Impossible. Nothing adds up. Could he be working with someone else? Maybe the real threat is off getting whatever it is they came here for while Father remained back as a distraction with a plan to confuse the ever-loving shit out of me.@@@@


    But if that¡¯s the case... how was Father strong enough to dismiss my attack like that?


    ¡°If there¡¯s anyone that shouldn¡¯t be here, it¡¯s you,¡± Jalen said. He cracked his neck. ¡°Who are you working with, Father? Do you have the slightest idea as to what it is you¡¯re trying to release on the empire?¡±


    ¡°I would wager that I know far more than you do,¡± Father replied. There was a faint clink as he shifted his weight and reached up to his cloak. It fell away from his body, revealing dozens of heavy red chains hanging from Father¡¯s body like tinsel on a tree. They wrapped around his body and bound his ankles together, leaving him only enough room to shuffle.


    Is he a prisoner? He certainly doesn¡¯t sound under duress.


    ¡°I did not volunteer to be part of your bondage kink,¡± Jalen said, cracking his neck. ¡°Time to stop playing, Father. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to, but you¡¯re playing with forces far more dangerous than you believe. All that work you did to get into the Main Branch isn¡¯t going to be particularly useful if you get yourself killed here.¡±


    Father¡¯s lips stretched into a thin smile, but the amusement still didn¡¯t meet his eyes.


    ¡°Any mild respect I might have for your abilities is marred by your insufferable personality,¡± Father said. ¡°I wish I could say it brought me amusement that you arrived now, of all times, but I am afraid I simply don¡¯t care. After all these years of waiting, I have what I need.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lecture me on waiting. I¡¯m hundreds of years older than you are.¡±


    Father¡¯s grin widened. And, for the briefest moment, what almost looked like genuine amusement flickered behind his dark eyes.


    ¡°Oh, I highly doubt that. I¡¯ve been waiting for a very long time. Do you even have any idea as to what this place is, Jalen? To what it holds?¡±


    ¡°I think we both know. It¡¯s an armory from before the Long Night ¡ª which is why it¡¯s so important none of this ever gets out. You¡¯ve never been stupid, Father. You have to know what would happen if weapons like this made it out into the Empire. We¡¯d destroy each other. It wouldn¡¯t even be fun. Everything would just be gone.¡±


    Jalen discreetly drew on his power, channeling his Runes while keeping his magic concealed by his domain.


    ¡°Wrong,¡± Father said.


    Jalen frowned. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°This is not an armory. It is a tomb. There are civilizations of long past in which a king was buried with all of his servants. They are all clad in riches and wealth to protect the body of the true king from being looted. Such is the Archives. Here lies a diamond hidden within piles of gold.¡± ?a????O???E?S


    So that¡¯s why the bastard never left his room. It must be Imbued to shit to hide his presence.


    ¡°Is it really wise to admit that you¡¯re weaker than whoever it is protecting the Kingdom?¡± Jalen asked, arching an eyebrow. ¡°If you¡¯ve been hiding, then it¡¯s been for good reason. And you¡¯re exposed now. That protector is coming for you.¡±


    ¡°Only a fool overestimates his power, but I will not be weaker for any longer,¡± Father replied simply. He lifted a hand and the chains covering him rattled. Tiny imbuements covered their surfaces, so small that Jalen could barely even see them. ¡°And I remain hidden. Go ahead, Jalen. Throw another attack. My power is restrained, after all. I am certain the third one will work.¡±


    Jalen¡¯s jaw clenched.


    He obliged Father and brought his hand down, slicing through the air. A blade of black matter flashed across the room. It struck Father¡¯s outstretched hand and shattered apart, just as the last attacks had.


    Goddamn it. This is seriously pissing me off. I can¡¯t even fucking touch him.


    This is bad.


    If he can ignore my attacks this effectively... then the moment he decides to attack me, all likelihoods point to my death.


    Fuck me. How lame is that?


    ¡°Thank you for your attention,¡± Father said. He lifted his hand toward Jalen. ¡°I have dreamed of this moment for so long. I must admit that having an audience has made it more enjoyable ¡ª but your purpose is served. I won¡¯t allow for any interference in the final step.¡±


    ¡°You think you¡¯re so smart?¡± Jalen asked, arching an eyebrow. And, as he spoke, he reached deep within himself ¡ª for his Runes. He refused to give up like this. He couldn¡¯t let this be the end. If he was going to die, he was at least going to go down fighting. ¡°But if you boil down everything you just told me, it can be summarized by saying some fancy Rank 7 mage hid like a little cowardly baby until he could steal a big stick. That¡¯s pretty pathetic.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t goad me into anger. Such emotions have long since withered away. Goodbye, Jalen.¡±


    Father¡¯s fist clenched.


    There was a soft thud, like a loaf of bread being dropped on the ground. A light breeze passed by Jalen.


    He looked down.


    There was a hole the size of a dinner plate in the center of his chest. Jalen could see the ground behind him through it, where his heart had been. His body hadn¡¯t even realized that it had been cut yet. The blood was only just starting to well up around the edges perfectly cut organs now exposed to the air.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Jalen said.


    Father turned away.


    And Jalen, head of the Linwick Family, fell without another word.

 Chapter 632: At the throat

    The Advanced Track meeting was considerably more busy than usual. Noah wasn¡¯t sure if they¡¯d suddenly kicked up the recruiting drive or if a bunch of professors who normally hadn¡¯t bothered showing up had finally decided that it was time to remind everyone else of their existence.


    He wore a plain metal mask that Todd had created for him in the hours leading up to the meeting. It had no features aside from a flat line for the mouth and two similar slits for the eyes, which made it somewhat annoying to look through, but it did a fantastic job at obscuring his features.


    Beside him, along with all of his normal, non-demonic students, were Moxie and Vermil. A faint smile pulled at Noah¡¯s lips at that thought. Karina was doing a fantastic job impersonating him so far.


    As stressed as she¡¯d been before, she had managed to capture an arrogant, casual air that seemed to run native in most Linwicks. The disguise would hold up perfectly so long as nobody spoke too extensively to her.


    Lee stood beside Karina, a deep hood pulled over her head. There were two small points at its top where her horns poked into it. It wasn¡¯t exactly the most convincing disguise, but it would be sufficient for the time they needed it to be.


    Everyone had their roles.


    Everyone including Jalen ¡ª who had fucked off midway through Noah¡¯s debrief and had yet to show up again.


    What the hell is he doing? I was counting on him to help me increase my stage presence. I can¡¯t believe he¡¯d miss something like this. It¡¯s right up his alley.


    There, unfortunately, wasn¡¯t much time for him to wonder about Jalen¡¯s presence. Things were about to get moving. A Rank 6 would have made things a lot easier, but Noah was no stranger to Jalen being a bit... distracted.


    He also couldn¡¯t help but notice that their group was getting more attention than normal. A lot more attention than normal. Nearly every single eye in the room was directed toward them. Even Godrick, the head of the Advanced Track, was staring right at them from where he sat at the head of a long table in the center of the room.


    Perhaps Contessa did her job a bit better than I was expecting. It seems that word of Spider¡¯s arrival has spread quite effectively.


    If that was really the case, Noah was impressed with Godrick. The man held enough respect to keep an entire room of powerful mages from trying to attack the demon they all knew was in their midst.


    One that had a rather impressive kill record against a number of Inquisitors.


    Speaking of which, I wonder if any showed up. I kind of hope they did. They¡¯ll be quite useful in some of my goals. Particularly that Inquisitor lady that was a bit receptive to what I was talking about back in the auction.


    I might have forgotten her name.


    Oh well. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll come up again soon.


    A loud bang echoed through the room as Godrick drove a fist down onto the table before him. It didn¡¯t seem like an act out of anger so much as one to draw everyone¡¯s attention. All the conversation echoing through the room died, but Noah couldn¡¯t help but notice that many of the gazes still remained fixed on his group.


    ¡°I believe we are all aware that this meeting is abnormal,¡± Godrick said, his words slicing through the now-silent room like a blade. His eyes affixed firmly on Noah. ¡°The individual responsible for that has made sure to have the word spread quite effectively. You wanted our attention, demon. You have it. I suggest you use what time you have left wisely. I do not know why Vermil saw fit to invite one of our greatest enemies into our own ranks. It matters not. That will be discussed ¡ª assuming he survives this. But, if you think you can defeat an entire group of mages prepared for your arrival, then you are a fool.¡±


    Damn. What the fuck did Contessa do? I¡¯ve got to give her a raise or something.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite the introduction, Godrick,¡± Noah said, crossing his hands behind his back as he took a step forward ¡ª both to ensure the attention of the room was completely on him, and to put some distance between himself and the others in case some idiot tried to attack him while he was speaking. ¡°But you forgot to mention my name. Defeats the point, don¡¯t you think? I am known as Spider.¡±


    ¡°We know who you are,¡± a pudgy but competent-looking professor said. Noah recognized him as George. He was the professor to Fiona, one of the strongest students in the Advanced Track. ¡°What do you want, Spider? And how arrogant can you be to bring a demon to our meeting, Vermil?¡±


    ¡°Heroes,¡± Karina repeated, going off the script that Noah had practically handed to her. He didn¡¯t know exactly what the professors would say, but he¡¯d had a pretty general idea of how they¡¯d react. She took a step forward and clasped her hands behind her back. ¡°Jakob and Verrud died trying to protect the students.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Yulin said, emerging from behind Emily. ¡°We were attacked during the exam. Someone shut off our lockets.¡±


    ¡°And not just their own students,¡± Isabel called. ¡°A group of people in Arbitage uniforms attacked us. Jakob and Verrud tried to save all of us, but they were armed with magic we¡¯ve never seen before. It was a slaughter. They died covering us. If Vermil hadn¡¯t emerged from the Damned Plains with Spider right in time to scare them off... we¡¯d all be dead.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I was too slow to stop them from taking Jakob and Verrud¡¯s bodies with them,¡± Karina said grimly. ¡°And I was severely injured in the fight, even with Spider¡¯s help. I have been hiding, recuperating. I told the students to keep what they saw to themselves to avoid overplaying our hand ¡ª but now is the time to act.¡±


    Brilliant, Karina. Well done. You¡¯ve got them dancing on strings.


    ¡°Act for what?¡± Gordrick asked, his initial anger turning to confusion. ¡°What are you saying, Vermil?¡±


    ¡°Use that little mind of yours,¡± Noah said, taking the opportunity to sieze control of the conversation. ¡°I don¡¯t care about your little political games. I have stood before the Lord of Death and left him mortally wounded. I have witnessed more lives than most of you could ever comprehend ¡ª and I know of the pathetic little secrets you try to keep... such as how the Bastions are nothing more than stockpiles of ancient weapons.¡±


    ¡°What of it?¡± Godrick asked, but Noah could see unease in his posture. That wasn¡¯t knowledge that people wanted to get out... and thoughts were starting to churn behind the large man¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Why do you think I would ally myself with a pathetic little mortal?¡± Noah asked, but he didn¡¯t bother giving anybody time to respond. ¡°Wizen already managed to steal one of your weapons, and he was not the first. He was not alone.¡±


    Come on. Somebody say it for me. Fill in the blanks in my bullshit.


    ¡°Traitors,¡± Godrick whispered as his eyes went wide. ¡°Are you saying there are traitors attempting to unearth the weapons from the Long Night?¡±


    ¡°No human would ever pose me a threat. I am greater than any demon you have met before. Even Inquisitors are nothing before me,¡± Noah said. ¡°But the weapons from the Long Night... they are sealed away for a reason. There are weapons within the Bastions that could end existence as we know it. I do not want them unleashed any more than you do.¡±


    I don¡¯t have the faintest fucking clue about how strong the things in the Bastions are, but I¡¯m sure there have to be some super-weapons somewhere. Its quite plausible. I¡¯m willing to bet nobody here actually knows what the strongest weapons are, and even if they do, they probably assume there¡¯s a stronger one somewhere.


    ¡°But who would want that?¡± Ulya called from the other end of the room, right on cue. Noah had only managed to get a little time to warn her of their plans before the meeting, but she only had to say that one line.


    ¡°I have killed many of these traitors already. I care not for mortal families, but Vermil identified them for me. They are Torrins.¡±


    Someone snorted. ¡°Right. Sure¡ª¡±


    ¡°They are Linwicks,¡± Noah continued. ¡°They are Kings. They are Herrons. They are Rivvens. They are all of you,¡± Noah called, his mask concealing his smile as he laid the final piece of his plans down. ¡°The rot runs to the core. It permeates every single one of your families. If you wish to find the traitors, turn to each other. I have no doubt that they are present even here, in this room.¡±


    Everything I said is straight bullshit, but it doesn¡¯t matter. The pieces are all there, and the nobles already don¡¯t trust each other. I saw what happened when Wizen was using his plant clones ¡ª and this is a thousand times worse.


    The urge to laugh bubbled up in Noah¡¯s throat, but he crushed it down and did nothing but watch as chaos exploded through the room and everyone burst into loud yells.


    Let¡¯s see you bastards try to come for Isabel when you¡¯re all at each other¡¯s throats over some traitors to the empire that don¡¯t even exist.

 Chapter 633: Jalens Promise

    Janice sat as still as ice as arguments ripped through the room around her. The shadow of the pillar behind her covered much of her body, preventing anyone from getting a good look at her features.


    That was no mistake. She always chose the position that would be the most advantageous to her goals. Father had ingrained that habit into her. Emotions were a weapon when one was on the offense. But if she was on defense... then they were nothing but a weakness.


    His words had proven true. Because, if anyone had the presence of mind and fortune to catch a glimpse of her features, they would have seen shock flash over them. Her expression was not one of surprised disbelief.


    It was one of recognition.


    Spider. How does he know? We don¡¯t have information leaks. The number of people who know about the artifact... there are almost none. It¡¯s not inconceivable that another ancient power would have hidden within the Arbalest Empire in pursuit of it. Father expected that might be a possibility. But why would Spider be associated with them? How would he have ever found out?


    Janice swallowed. She wasn¡¯t even meant to be here. Father had assigned her to watching over Arbitage. Her duty was to avoid being observed and silently gather information. That normally would have meant avoiding any gatherings of the strongest mages in the Bastion ¡ª but the empire¡¯s hourglass was running out of sand.


    Father was getting the artifact now. And once he did... she had no idea if she¡¯d ever get a chance to speak with Brayden again. She¡¯d observed him attending the Advanced Track meetings with Vermil¡¯s students.


    There hadn¡¯t been a chance for her to speak with him privately. And, even if there had been, Janice wasn¡¯t sure what she would have told him. What she could have told him. She would do nothing to endanger what she had worked for. Father¡¯s plans would go forward.


    They were the only fix for this broken, chaos-ridden world.


    And so she had said nothing. She¡¯d attended the meetings in private, watching from afar. It had been some time since she¡¯d last gotten a chance to even speak with Brayden, but a dozen conversations had happened within the confines of her own head. None of them would ever see the light of day.


    She¡¯d told Father that she was paying special attention to the mildly competent mages in Arbitage to ensure that none of them would inadvertently get in their way. He¡¯d been accepting of that explanation ¡ª though Janice just suspected he truly didn¡¯t care what she did when he didn¡¯t have a specific task for her.


    Not a single part of Janice had expected to be sitting in the room when none other than Spider exposed their plans as if he¡¯d always known them. The demon had a unique ability to be endlessly infuriating... but this was something else entirely.


    If he knows this much...


    Janice sent her senses diving inward.


    Father! We have an issue. A very serious issue.


    There was a heartbeat of silence. Then her skin prickled. An icy presence wrapped around Janice¡¯s shoulders like a cloak, and she knew that Father had turned his gaze onto her.


    Speak.


    Spider is here. At the Advanced Track meeting. He¡¯s returned from the Damned Plains ¡ª and he knows about the artifact. He¡¯s just told the entire meeting about it.


    There was a moment of silence. Janice¡¯s throat clenched as she felt the weight of Father¡¯s attention magnify. His presence was ancient and oppressive, like an endless sky devoid of stars.


    Tell me exactly what has happened.


    Spider arrived at the meeting using what I suspect to be one of his extra bodies as cover for his Vermil persona. He had word spread that an immensely powerful demon would be making an appearance at the meeting, so the entire track gathered to see if it was true. He then revealed the presence of an organization spread throughout every noble house in pursuit of an immensely powerful artifact.


    He found out? Improbable. Spider is not that old. He is not an Archdemon.


    Is... it possible that he managed to trick us? That he hid his true strength when we observed him?


    There was a moment of silence.


    Unlikely, but it is possible. This is unlikely to change our plans. Spider is too late. I have already arrived at the artifact. I will have it in my possession shortly. Continue to observe the meeting. Be wary of Spider. You still hold purpose. R?¦Á?§à?E?S??


    Janice swallowed.


    Understood.


    ***


    Blood pooled on the cold stone around Jalen, soaking into his clothes and spreading at a decidedly alarming rate. His body begged for air, but he didn¡¯t have enough of his lungs left to even try to fill.


    Darkness coiled at the edges of Jalen¡¯s vision and worked to pull his eyelids shut. Ice wrapped around his limbs and wound up his chest as it reached for his head. Even the pain from the wound Father had inflicted on him with nothing more than a flicker of his power had faded.


    Jalen grabbed onto the magic.


    All I want are a few more moments.


    With a roar and every remaining scrap of will and power within his failing body, he did what he had intentionally refused to do for hundreds of years.


    He drove all his runes together into one.


    The world shattered.


    Jalen¡¯s eyes snapped open.


    His Domain roared. Power burned around his body like a churning storm. It flooded through his veins and pumped in his skull like the beat of a thousand men marching to war. His body was stronger than it had ever been... but there was simply too much missing. Advancing in ranks could not fix the damage he had sustained.


    Death waited, a hand on his shoulder. Jalen could feel it now.


    This very second was his last.


    And so Jalen took that second.


    He took it ¡ª and he froze it.


    Father paused, his hand on the wooden staff. He turned back to Jalen. And for a flicker of a moment, surprise passed through his eyes.


    ¡°You still live?¡±


    Jalen¡¯s lips pulled back in a bloody snarl ¡ª but he used every ounce of willpower he had to contain the power pouring from his body. He wrapped it in his domain and prevented even a flicker of it from leaking free.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t anyone ever tell you to finish off your opponents?¡±


    The power screaming in his body did nothing to offset the weakness waiting to swallow him whole and drag him to the next life. The moment his concentration waned, it was over.


    ¡°You were never an opponent,¡± Father replied. ¡°Merely an insect.¡±


    ¡°You know what?¡± Jalen asked. The corner of his lip twitched in amusement. ¡°This might end up being funnier than the anvil.¡±


    Father¡¯s head tilted to the side. ¡°What?¡±


    Jalen released his Domain.


    There was a flicker of an instant where nothing happened. Then Father¡¯s eyes went wide.


    The air before Jalen vibrated. A shadow passed through the room. The pressure in the room changed with a pop. Jalen staggered into the wall behind him.


    And then they were no longer alone.


    A woman clad in black stood between Father and Jalen. She wore a spiked collar around her neck and her teeth were pointed like razor-sharp blades. Power radiated her as if she were a miniature sun.


    Would you look at that? Vermil wasn¡¯t full of shit after all.


    ¡°Oops,¡± Jalen said, his lips splitting into a sardonic grin. ¡°Did I just reach Rank 7?¡±


    The woman¡¯s gaze flicked from Jalen to Father ¡ª and then to the artifact on the wall. Then her eyes went thin in fury. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    Jalen slumped back against the wall, his legs no longer able to support him. He slid to the ground. His second was wearing thin, but he planned to milk it for every last drop he could.


    There¡¯s no way I¡¯m dying before I get to see Father¡¯s shit get kicked in.

 Chapter 634: Fall

    It took every scrap of energy that Jalen had left to keep himself awake. He honestly wasn¡¯t even sure how he hadn¡¯t died yet ¡ª but spite and the sheer dumb refusal to give up until he saw Father pasted into a meat patty was certainly helping. The huge hole in his chest had stopped weeping blood, but he couldn¡¯t feel his combined rune anymore.


    They weren¡¯t the only things he couldn¡¯t feel. His fingers were numb. So were his legs. He was pretty sure his body had started to shut down and the inevitable end was knocking at the doors of the fortress he¡¯d built around his mind.


    But they hadn¡¯t fallen yet ¡ª and so long as they didn¡¯t fall, he planned to enjoy the scene before him to its fullest.


    Vermil never told me his Rank 7 friend was pretty. Rat bastard. I could have been so much more motivated.


    ¡°You,¡± Garina said, her eyes boring into Father with unrestrained fury. ¡°And here I thought you ran like the coward you are.¡±


    ¡°After all the effort I went through to get here?¡± Father asked, his lips pulling up into a faint smile. ¡°But fear not. I¡¯ll be leaving shortly. There will no longer be a reason for me to remain here. Especially now that my task had been made considerably less enjoyable.¡±


    ¡°That opportunity has long since passed. Rank 7 mages are not permitted within Arbalest. A momentary infraction is forgivable, but you¡¯ve been here¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ever since I evaded you all those years ago. That must sting, Garina. I take some pride in it. The only mage to have ever escaped you,¡± Father drawled. His words were those of a smug victor, but his tone was as flat and dead as his eyes. ¡°I admit that you are a powerful opponent. There are few other mages on this world that could force me to hide within imbued rooms for hundreds of years.¡±


    ¡°It was my greatest failing. One that will be rectified today.¡± The air around Garina trembled with sheer power, but she wasn¡¯t calling on her runes. It was the sheer magical pressure of their presence alone. Power made manifest.


    The power known only to a Rank 7.


    Rune Force.


    Rubble at Garina¡¯s feet clattered. It flattened like dough, crushed into the ground and turned to paste. Cracks sealed themselves over as her magical weight rolled out with the gravitational pull of a black hole, crushing everything in her wake.


    Incredible. I never thought I¡¯d get to see it in person.


    Garina¡¯s stance shifted. Despite the immense power she had, the mage wasn¡¯t rushing to attack Father. She was wary ¡ª which meant he was even stronger than Jalen had expected.


    ¡°You stand accused of the crime of breaking the treaty and invading the empire as a Rank 7,¡± Garina said. She shifted her stance, lowering her weight. Black energy slithered through the air around her, borne from nothing but the existence of her runes. ¡°I will carry out your sentence. The punishment is death.¡±


    ¡°I have been sentenced to death far more times than you can count. My life is not for the likes of you to claim, dog. You should realize that this fight was over before you ever arrived,¡± Father said. His eyes flicked to Jalen for an instant before returning to Garina. ¡°Even though your mutt has soured my victory... I have already won.¡±


    The air snapped.


    Garina disappeared.


    Even Jalen¡¯s trained senses couldn¡¯t keep up with her speed. One moment, she¡¯d been before him. The next, she was upon Father, her foot raised high into the air and plummeting down like the crashing strike of an axe meant to fell a continent.


    The kick slammed into Father¡¯s shoulder with a resounding crash. He crumpled like a sack of potatoes, the sound of shattering bone and shearing metal echoing through the room. The pile of clothes that was Father then laid still and unmoving on the ground, crackles of black energy arcing across his body.


    Blood pooled on the ground around Father.


    Jalen blinked in surprise. For all the talk Father had put out, Jalen had fully expected the fight to be a whole lot... more.


    I guess mages really just don¡¯t expect physical attacks.


    Then Father twitched. The blood seeping from his body slowed. Then it started to reverse its flow. It ran back into the pile of clothes, which bubbled like boiling liquid. R?a?¦­O?BE?S


    Garina leapt back instead of pressing her advantage, landing several feet away from Jalen.


    Father rose, stepping away from nothing but a pile of shattered red shackles. There was no other sign that Garina¡¯s attack had even connected with him.


    An immense force drove into what little remained of Jalen¡¯s lungs like a physical strike. His eyes bulged and he wheezed, denied even the strength to grasp at his throat with limp fingers.


    Magic distorted the area around Father with its intensity. The air itself seemed to scream in pain as it was crushed by the rolling force of his magic, and flashing mirages tore through the center of the room as his Rune Force clashed with Garina¡¯s.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Father asked emotionlessly. ¡°An executioner does not flee the sentenced. Surely you do not take offense to me removing my bindings. There is no purpose to hide now that you have arrived, after all.¡±


    ¡°What manner of magic is that?¡± Garina asked, her lips thinning. ¡°What have you done to yourself?¡±


    Father chuckled. He lifted an arm toward Garina.


    ¡°Careful!¡± Jalen yelled.


    Only when Jalen looked to Garina did he realize what it was.


    Her right arm was gone. It, along with a fair portion of her shoulder, had been ripped clean off and ground to a paste. Garina didn¡¯t so much as stagger, but the blood weeping down her side definitely wasn¡¯t a good sign.


    ¡°I knew I disliked you for a reason,¡± Father said, his eyes flicking to Jalen as he rose to his feet, suddenly no longer bothered by the apparent injuries that had brought him to his knees. ¡°Time-space magic? You, of all people, managed to comprehend it?¡±


    ¡°Not in the slightest. I¡¯ve got no idea what I¡¯m doing,¡± Jalen replied through a wheeze. ¡°That look on your face is worth it, though.¡±


    Father¡¯s lips twitched.


    ¡°This is over. I win, Garina. I have spent years preparing to fight you, but you have been preparing to fight everyone. You cannot defeat me.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think a missing arm will stop me?¡± Garina asked. ¡°You cannot escape your fate.¡±


    ¡°Fate,¡± Father repeated, turning the word over in his mouth like a sour grape. ¡°There is no such thing as fate. Fate is simply an alignment of causalities. You cannot control it.¡±


    He turned to the staff on the wall behind him.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Garina said through a laugh. ¡°Other Apostles are already coming. You¡¯re out of time.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I sense them. You think to bait me into using what I cannot control,¡± Father said softly. ¡°But you are wrong. It is appropriate, I think. You were here at the beginning, and you will be here at the end.¡±


    Then he reached up and grasped the staff.


    Jalen half expected the room to go up in flames, but nothing happened. Father lifted the shepard¡¯s crook off the wall and brought it down to hold before himself.


    It just looked like a plain piece of wood ¡ª but the horror in Garina¡¯s features proved it was anything but.


    She didn¡¯t mince words. Garina vanished, reforming directly before Father, her sword reformed in her remaining hand. It plummeted for his neck in a streak of black.


    Father pointed the staff at Garina.


    Her magic shredded apart like confetti and her hand swung past Father harmlessly, no longer holding a weapon.


    Garina took a step back as disbelief warped her features.


    ¡°Impossible. You can use it? How?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the bullshit magic you used against me,¡± Jalen wheezed. ¡°Talk about lame.¡±


    ¡°Used? He¡¯s already used it?¡± Garina¡¯s pale features somehow went even paler.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Father said with a smile. A real smile. ¡°I have already comprehended the faintest portion of the order of the universe. The staff will simply guide me. I would normally enjoy this moment for longer, but I will admit that the combined force of the Apostles would be too much, even for me. There is much I must study before I meet them on the battlefield. I have enjoyed our game, Garina, even if you did not realize we were still playing. You lose.¡±


    Father turned. His eyes lingered on Jalen.


    ¡°Try it,¡± Garina said. ¡°You¡¯re fast, Father. But can you risk another attack? I know what you¡¯re capable of now. Will you be fast enough to avoid my blade again? One arm is all I need. Once I have the scent of yoru blood...¡±


    Father¡¯s lips twitched in what just might have been distaste.


    Then he folded apart like a piece of origami being pulled apart by a child.


    Garina and Jalen stared at the space where he¡¯d stood.


    ¡°Well,¡± Jalen said through a weak cough. The world spun around him as his wounds finally caught up to him. ¡°That¡¯s probably not good.¡±


    His vision went dark and his eyes fluttered. The air before him shifted as several forms suddenly appeared before him. He couldn¡¯t make out what they looked like despite his best efforts. The room was nothing but a distant haze, now.


    ¡°Garina!¡± a gruff-voiced man barked. ¡°What happened? Where is¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ready the Apostles. All of them,¡± Garina said, her voice grim. ¡°The Long Night has been stolen. We must prepare for the empire to fall.¡±

 Chapter 635: The Rules

    Darkness surrounded Jalen.


    He wasn¡¯t sure when it had happened, but the snake that was the encroaching shadow had finally managed to swallow his vision. His body felt light and weightless, like a thousand pounds of force had finally been lifted from his shoulders.


    And, more surprisingly, there wasn¡¯t a hole in his chest anymore.


    He was draped in rather boring looking white clothes that were definitely far too revealing for both his own comfort and the continued sanity of anyone unfortunate enough to be in his vicinity.


    Jalen lifted a hand to his chest, but the hole really was gone. There was nothing but skin and flesh ¡ª and some sick bastard¡¯s idea of flowy lingerie.


    ¡°The fuck is this?¡± Jalen muttered, rubbing the thin cloth together between his fingers.


    At least it was comfortable.


    He cast his gaze around the darkness. It seemed that he was floating in some vast, empty space. There was nothing else to go by. The world just seemed... empty.


    A frown pulled across Jalen¡¯s features. He twisted to the left and right in search of something. Anything. And, far in the distance, he found it. It was so small that he could barely even make it out, but there was a sliver of gold like a fallen strand of hair.


    What is that? Where am I? And where the hell are my clothes? They had a sick ass hole blasted into the chest. I want that back. It would be such a fashion statement. I¡¯d never take them off ¡ª no. I¡¯d just have the hole cut into the chest of all my clothes.


    I¡¯m a few hundred years old. I get to be slutty if I want to be slutty.


    Something prickled against the back of Jalen¡¯s neck.


    He turned.


    A woman floated before him.


    That was rather odd, as he¡¯d literally just been looking in that direction, and there had been nothing there.


    It was odder still, as Jalen was rather confident that the woman was not human. There was something distinctly wrong about her. She was beautiful, but in the way of a stormy night to a sailor on a rowboat.


    Her features were angelic in all the ways that a normal person¡¯s never could have been. It was like someone had painted their idea of a perfect woman rather than actually looking at anybody who had ever truly drawn breath.


    Flowing pink robes hung from her body like banners, and there was magic within her. A lot of magic. She may not have been carrying a weapon, but anyone stupid enough to believe her to be harmless would likely soon find themselves dead. r?ANO??bE?S


    This is a monster. An ancient monster.


    I wonder if she¡¯s single.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Jalen said.


    ¡°No,¡± the woman replied.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Jalen said. ¡°That was fast. Might actually be a record. I didn¡¯t even get a chance to try. How¡¯d you know what I was going for? Maybe I just wanted to ask if I could try on those fancy clothes of yours.¡±


    The corner of the woman¡¯s lips twitched up into a smile. ¡°The answer to that question would also be no. And I¡¯m flattered, Jalen, but I¡¯m afraid my mere presence would shatter your psyche.¡±


    ¡°Trust me, it¡¯s long gone. I¡¯m hallucinating eerie women in my dreams. That¡¯s an ill omen if I¡¯ve ever heard of one, so might as well say fuck it and go the rest of the way.¡±


    A laugh like falling stars slipped from the woman¡¯s lips. Amusement twinkled within her eyes like literal stars and she shook her head.


    ¡°Some of that might have worked on me a few hundred thousand years ago. But I¡¯m afraid not, Jalen. And this is not a hallucination. It¡¯s very, very real.¡±


    ¡°Not words I like to hear.¡± Jalen touched his chest again, his eyes drifting to the whole, undamaged skin. When his gaze lifted again, any playfulness that had remained within it was gone. ¡°I¡¯m dead, then. I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯re here to tell me that my heroism has granted me a second life and I will not be relegated to the agonizing boredom of whatever it is that comes next?¡±


    A flicker of surprise passed over the woman¡¯s features. ¡°You know? Did N¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, that is bad news,¡± Jalen muttered. ¡°I didn¡¯t know shit. I just assumed it would be worse than screwing around with a real body. If the herald of the end is telling me shit is going to suck, then it¡¯s really going to suck. I¡ª wait. Did what? You were about to say something.¡±


    ¡°Never mind,¡± the woman said with a shake of her head. ¡°I am not the herald. I am Renewal. I have been watching you, Jalen.¡±@@@@


    ¡°A set of words I¡¯d be thrilled to hear if I was alive. I¡¯ve always said crazy was subjective.¡±


    ¡°You are not dead, Jalen.¡±


    That took him by surprise. He blinked.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Sorry. Old habits die hard,¡± Jalen said. He grimaced. His mouth tasted like ash and blood.


    He forced himself to look down ¡ª and his eyes widened in surprise. The massive hole was gone. There was a scarred patch covering a large portion of his body, but the immense damage had been completely repaired.


    How?


    ¡°I¡¯ve wondered the same thing once or twice,¡± Garina said idly. ¡°Unfortunately, Ferdinand is not a genie.¡±


    ¡°If I were, I¡¯d have been able to fix him without so much scarring,¡± the bald man who was likely Ferdinand said with a shake of his head. ¡°It¡¯s a fortunate thing he just hit Rank 7. His body was so full of energy that I was able to harness some of the excess to fuel the healing.¡±


    Jalen looked back down at his chest. ¡°You healed me?¡±


    ¡°Evidently,¡± Garina said. ¡°It was quite a pain, I¡¯ll have you know. Bringing Ferdinand here broke at least a dozen different minor rules and more than a few large ones.¡±


    ¡°Technically, I was kidnapped against my will.¡±


    Jalen¡¯s brow furrowed as he studied the two of them. His thoughts were a mess, but he was pretty sure ¡ª


    ¡°Oh!¡± Jalen exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. ¡°You¡¯re one of the blokes I¡¯m meant to give a message to!¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Garina asked in surprise. ¡°What, from Spider?¡±


    ¡°No. The bald guy,¡± Jalen replied. ¡°You¡¯re Ferdinand, right?¡±


    Ferdinand frowned. ¡°Yes. Why would you have a message for me?¡±


    ¡°From some hot, spooky looking angel called Renewal. She said she supports you in all that you do, but you really need to stop holding back so much. Also, she says you look good in black and that some guy called Decrease isn¡¯t so bad.¡±


    Ferdinand¡¯s arms fell slack at his sides. His mouth pulled open in either horror or awe. He wasn¡¯t alone. Garina stared at Jalen with the same stunned expression.


    ¡°Renewal? Renewal gave you a message? You saw her?¡± Ferdinand asked. ¡°And she wanted me to hear that?¡±


    ¡°Did you mean Decras?¡± Garina asked, focusing on an entirely different part of the message.


    ¡°Yes. She also said you should pluck your unibrow,¡± Jalen said.


    Ferdinand reached up to his forehead. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°No. That part was me. The rest was from her, though.¡±


    ¡°You spoke to Renewal? The Goddess of Reincarnation spoke to a mere mortal?¡± Ferdinand exclaimed. ¡°And she had a message specifically for me? A motivational message?¡±


    ¡°Evidently. Maybe it was a thank you for saving my life. Good job there, by the way. Appreciate it. I rather like living.¡± Jalen pushed himself to his feet with a grunt. His features turned serious as he affixed Ferdinand with a sharp gaze. ¡°I mean that. Thank you. I thought I was dead.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Ferdinand muttered. ¡°Literally. I can¡¯t believe it. Renewal had a message for me. Not the Prophet. Not her Aspect. Me.¡±


    ¡°And she approves of me,¡± Garina said, blinking in surprise. ¡°Didn¡¯t see that one coming.¡±


    Jalen glanced from Ferdinand to Garina. He arched an eyebrow.


    Looks like she¡¯s off the market. Bummer. I really do have the worst luck. Maybe I should go talk to that demon again. She seemed fun.


    ¡°Well,¡± Jalen said, drawing the word out. ¡°Not to ruin the mood, but shits royally fucked. That prick Father got his hands on an ancient artifact, so I¡¯m going to go head off and get to work. Lots to do, you know. Can¡¯t let him keep that.¡±


    Jalen turned ¡ª and Garina¡¯s hand fell on his shoulder.


    He hadn¡¯t even seen her move. She¡¯d simply arrived alongside him.


    Jalen winced.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± Garina said. ¡°You¡¯ve reached Rank 7.¡±


    Fuck. I thought this might happen.


    ¡°Are you sure? I still feel like a Rank 6. Maybe you¡¯re just seeing things a bit wrong.¡±


    ¡°I am not. The rules are adamant for a reason. There are no Rank 7s other than myself permitted within the Arbalest Empire. And, no matter how much you may have just helped me... that includes you.¡±

 Chapter 636: Insubordinate

    Jalen¡¯s hands tightened at his sides as displeasure creased his features. He¡¯d known what would happen if he advanced to Rank 7, but it wasn¡¯t like the artifact for which the rules had been made in the first place was still here.


    ¡°Oh, come on. I feel like the situation is serious enough that you can overlook one Rank 7 ambling around. Well, a second. You already screwed up and let Father wander around here for ages from what things sound like.¡±


    It was Garina¡¯s turn to wince. Then, to Jalen¡¯s surprise, a small smile pulled at her lips.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll like getting to know you, Jalen. We will speak again ¡ª but I cannot allow you to remain in Arbalest. The Long Night was one of the main reasons, but it was not the only one.¡±


    ¡°What, do you think I¡¯m going to snag some other world-ending artifact to fight back against his?¡±


    Garina raised an eyebrow.


    Jalen cleared his throat. ¡°Okay. Yes, I was planning on doing that. But I could promise not to.¡±


    ¡°That would be appreciated, but ultimately ineffective. There are more than artifacts sealed in Arbalest. There are monsters. Ones who will not awaken unless they sense worthy prey. Ones who could destroy this entire empire. And you, Jalen, are a Rank 7. Were you to mistakenly allow too much power to slip through in the wrong location... it could be the end. I would judge that a worthy reason. But there is one more reason ¡ª and likely the hardest one to evade.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°The Apostles have seen you. While you laid here dying at the conclusion of the fight with the one you call Father, the rest of my order came.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Jalen said slowly, drawing the word out. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how that¡¯s relevant. Did they take a peek at my naughty bits or something? Why should I care they saw me?¡±


    ¡°Because they are waiting for you,¡± Garina replied simply. ¡°It is not often that we see a Rank 7 this powerful. The world outside Arbalest is vast. There are a great many factions vying for power ¡ª and the only thing they¡¯ve ever been able to agree on is to leave this empire alone. But life goes on. The struggle for power continues.¡±


    There was a long moment of pause.


    Jalen¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Are you telling me that the reason I can¡¯t stay in Arbalest, ultimately, is because your buddies saw me and were impressed enough that I¡¯ve now got to go to their stupid recruiting drive?¡±


    ¡°If you do not leave the empire, they will know what happened. They will come for you. True power does not emerge easily. You will not be forced to join their ranks, but they will not let you remain here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s some bullshit,¡± Jalen said. He crossed his arms in front of his chest. ¡°And why are they allowed in the Empire? Aren¡¯t they too strong?¡±


    ¡°They were only here briefly. All have left. The theft of the Long Night justified... extraordinary response. But we were too late to stop it, and so they have left once more. And so must you.¡±


    Jalen heaved a sigh. ¡°Shit. I don¡¯t suppose I could let my allies know what happened? Feels awful rude to just up and vanish?¡±


    ¡°I will tell them.¡±


    ¡°And if I try running?¡±


    ¡°Most certainly.¡± Jalen nodded sagely. ¡°No reason to be insubordinate any longer, then. I¡¯ll be on my way.¡±


    He blew out a short breath, gave Garina and Ferdinand a sharp nod, and then vanished with a pop of purple energy.


    Garina started to turn toward Ferdinand.


    Then she froze, her eyes narrowing.


    ¡°You little shit.¡±


    ***


    Moxie let out a startled curse as Jalen snapped into existence beside her, hidden in the shadow of a pillar.


    ¡°Father is at least a Rank 7. He stole the Long Night,¡± Jalen hissed, speaking before Moxie could even finish registering his appearance. ¡°He¡¯s going to do something with it. Be very, very careful. I also reached Rank 7. Your pale friend is kicking me out of the empire. She¡¯s got more strong friends. May or may not be friendly. Also a bald guy. There¡¯s a whole world outside the Empire. Rank 7s and above. Arbalest is just a dumping ground for deadly weapons and artifacts. Be careful. Find me when you get out of here. Say hi to Vermil for me. Gotta go get my dart board. Good luck.¡±


    And then Jalen was gone.


    Moxie stared at the space where he¡¯d been standing, still trying to process the words that he¡¯d just spoken, when a patch of darkness twisted.


    Garina appeared before her an instant later.


    ¡°Where is he?¡± Garina hissed.


    What in the Damned Plains is going on?


    ¡°I ¡ª uh¡ª¡±


    Garina turned, looking at something that Moxie couldn¡¯t see, and vanished, not even waiting for a response.


    And that was that. Noah was still mid-bullshit, and he had the whole of the room focused on him. None of the other Advanced Track mages had noticed Jalen or Garina¡¯s passing.


    ¡°What just happened?¡± Alexandra whispered from beside her.


    Moxie just shook her head in befuddlement, and that was just about when Jalen¡¯s words finally managed to sink in.


    She went still as a frosty finger ran down her back.


    Oh, shit. I don¡¯t even get half of what Jalen was talking about, but if Father is a Rank 7... we¡¯re in trouble.


    Noah is going to need to hear about this. If Father actually stole some ancient artifact... the lie he¡¯s come up with might be just a little bit too accurate.

 Chapter 637: Traitor

    Noah looked out over the Advanced Track meeting, which had been successfully transformed into a scene of complete chaos. Any semblance of professionalism had long since evaporated.


    It didn¡¯t even seem like most of the professors present remembered that the whole point of the meeting was to be training their students. Then again, a supposed Archdemon showing up and throwing a massive wrench into everyone¡¯s gears probably hadn¡¯t helped encourage anyone to continue with their normally scheduled activities.


    He let his gaze drift over the room, observing everything silently. There wasn¡¯t anything more he needed to say now ¡ª not until everyone managed to gather their thoughts. It probably wouldn¡¯t take long. If there was one thing that he was fairly certain applied to nearly every mage here, it was paranoia.


    They already barely trusted each other. Everyone had their own agenda. They had runes they guarded from the others; conflicts within their families that prevented them from ever being more than surface-level allies in all but the direst circumstances.


    It hadn¡¯t even been so long ago that Wizen had infiltrated Arbitage with his plant puppets. Everyone was still on high alert. Noah had simply introduced something for their fears to focus on. Even the most suspicious members of the Advanced Track were going to at least have to think about his claims.


    Demon or not, I¡¯ve got a damn good point. Hell, I¡¯d believe myself if I were in the crowd. Is that egotistical? Maybe it¡¯s egotistical.


    Noah¡¯s eyes caught on Moxie. That wasn¡¯t unusual per say, but her expression seemed... off. Like she¡¯d seen something unsettling. And considering everything he¡¯d just said had been largely rehearsed, Noah was pretty sure it didn¡¯t have anything to do with him.


    She caught him studying her and gave him a slight nod to indicate things were fine. Noah wasn¡¯t so sure about that, but it probably meant the problem wasn¡¯t immensely urgent.


    I¡¯ll have to find a moment after this shitshow to figure out what¡¯s going on. There¡¯s no way I can sneak away right now. There¡¯s way too much attention on me as things are.


    The arguments near the edge of the crowd abruptly died out. A path of silence carved through the professors, moving in his direction. Noah turned toward it. He was pretty sure he knew what was coming, but it never hurt to be prepared.


    From within the sea of students and teachers emerged a woman with features as cold as ice. Plates of white and silver armor flowed across her body, imbued with depictions of gentle snowfall that seemed to change with every step she took. She left a trail of iced footsteps in her wake, each one coiling with faint frosty mist.


    But, by far, the coldest thing about the woman was her eyes. They were like two glaciers that had been trapped within her gaze.


    It was Inquisitor Fuyin.


    In some ways, her eyes almost reminded Noah of Father¡¯s ¡ª but at the same time, they couldn¡¯t have been more different.


    Fuyin¡¯s gaze was flat and cold her emotions frozen; Father¡¯s was simply dead. It was like comparing a winter storm to an empty night, devoid of stars. One was the beautiful cruelty of nature; the other was wrong.


    ¡°Spider,¡± Fuyin said, coming to a halt. It was impossible to tell exactly what she was thinking.


    Noah had been quite confident that Fuyin had survived his little explosion back at the auction, but he was mildly surprised to see that she¡¯d shown up so suddenly. He¡¯d been fairly confident it would take her at least a day or two to get to Arbitage after tonight¡¯s meeting.


    Guess she¡¯s really on top of things. Can¡¯t complain. She was reasonable enough.


    ¡°Inquisitor,¡± Noah said, inclining his head. ¡°It¡¯s been too long. It is pleasing to see you in good health.¡±


    ¡°No thanks to you. You killed many good men.¡±


    ¡°I defend what is mine. Mortals have seen the world in shades of black and white for too long. It is as I told you before. My companions and I are far more than mere demons. We are advanced. Evolved. If the Inquisitors had been willing to deal with me in good faith, then they would not be dead.¡± r?a?O?§£E?s??


    Godrick emerged from the crowd. The large man¡¯s features were creased in a mixture of annoyance, distress, and just plain anger. He definitely wasn¡¯t having a very good day. Noah couldn¡¯t imagine why. This was probably the most exciting meeting that the Advanced Track had held in ages.


    ¡°This is not an Inquisition,¡± Fuyin said. Her gaze remained locked on Noah. ¡°It is an opportunity for the demon to prove his words. I have locked us off from the outside world with the full strength of my domain. Nobody will be able to leave this room without an immense use of force. Not even through spatial magic.¡±


    Ah, bugger. She¡¯s making it so that I can¡¯t claim someone was here but made a run for it. No escape unless they brute force their way through her domain and basically prove that I¡¯m telling the truth. Shit.


    ¡°How convenient,¡± Noah said. ¡°Thank you. I don¡¯t suppose everyone would be so kind as to line up for me?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t possibly believe the demon. You¡¯re an inquisitor!¡± a professor exclaimed.


    ¡°My purpose is to inquire. Those who blindly make their own truth are blinder than fools. I will determine if the demon speaks the truth or not. Decisions must be made on evidence, not emotion.¡±


    Just my luck. The one Inquisitor that isn¡¯t a fucking nutter. Then again, I feel like most Inquisitors would have just tried to kill me and turned this whole thing into an even bigger shitshow.


    Noah let his gaze sweep over the room. He didn¡¯t exactly know who he was going to try to call a traitor. This part hadn¡¯t been in his plans. He felt a bit ill at ease just tossing some random professor under the bus ¡ª not to mention he¡¯d need some sort of proof.


    ¡°Anytime today, demon,¡± Fuyin said.


    ¡°Would you prefer I rush things and give them a chance to escape?¡± Noah asked, continuing to search the room. ¡°Be patient. I will unearth them in due time. Just hold your domain.¡±


    And then Noah paused. His gaze, which had just drifted by a pillar, was pulled back to it. A woman stood in its shadow. She was clearly trying not to draw attention to herself ¡ª and Noah knew who she was.


    A flicker of surprise passed through him.


    Isn¡¯t that Janice? What the hell is she doing in the Advanced Track meeting? Don¡¯t tell me Father has her spying on me.


    Noah took a step toward her.


    Janice¡¯s eyes widened ¡ª for some reason, her features were awash with disbelief.


    Then she thrust a hand into her pocket. A loud, audible crack echoed through the room.


    Tongues of purple energy exploded out and encased Janice in a buzzing cocoon of molten energy. The power leapt upward like a bolt of lightning. It slammed into the ceiling with a resounding crash.


    Ice shattered and rained down. It was only the smallest of cracks, but that proved to be enough. The energy, and Janice along with it, wormed through the hole and vanished.


    A moment of silence hung in the air. Everyone stared at the damaged ceiling.


    The fuck?


    Noah was still standing there, staring in complete befuddlement, when every other eye in the room turned back to him.


    ¡°It seems,¡± Fuyin said, ¡°that the demon was not lying. We have traitors in our midst.¡±

 Chapter 638: Artifact & IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

    Janice fell to her knees on cold stone floor. A dimly lit room spun around her, illuminated only by faint white imbuements covering every bit of the room. The fragments of a crushed Imbued Artifact slipped from between her shaking fingers, turned to nothing but powder. Its purpose had been served. She had been delivered to the safe house.


    Her lungs burned as the last twists of Father¡¯s magic danced within them. Adrenaline made her heart pound like a runaway horse. Janice didn¡¯t let herself breathe in. There was still foreign magic in her lungs ¡ª and drawing it deeper into herself had a nonzero chance of very unfortunate results.


    Only five seconds after the last of the energy had faded did Janice finally allow herself to draw in a ragged breath. Her fingers were trembling, and it wasn¡¯t from lack of air.


    Spider had nearly caught her.


    She gave herself exactly one second to acknowledge the emotions gripping her before she shut them down. Rising to her feet, Janice brushed the dust off her pants and adjusted her jacket. Father did not approve of needless panic.


    All situations had to be approached in a calm and logical manner. Emotions could influence decisions and create flaws in plans that should have been flawless.


    Still ¡ª she¡¯d never expected Spider to have read them so thoroughly. Janice had been serving Father ever since he¡¯d taken her in from the streets as a child. Not once had anyone ever managed to get the upper hand over him, even in the slightest altercations... and this demon had managed it multiple times.


    ¡°Janice.¡±


    Father¡¯s words echoed through the dimly lit room. Janice spun toward their source, failing to conceal the surprise in her eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already returned?¡± Janice asked. Thoughts raced through her mind and she nearly asked Father if Spider had managed to interfere in his plans again before she noticed the plain wooden staff held in the old man¡¯s hand. Her eyes widened. ¡°You were successful?¡±


    ¡°Such is the thing with most long plans,¡± Father said idly. ¡°Though they may be hundreds of years in the making, the actual execution and success is often decided in mere hours. Yes. I was successful. The payment for that hard-earned success was the groundwork I spent so long laying. Tell me, Janice ¡ª why are you here? I did not call for you.¡±


    ¡°Spider,¡± Janice replied. ¡°He knew more of our plans than we thought. He declared there were traitors within the Bastions that sought the artifacts hidden within the Archives. Then, when asked to identify them, he went straight for me. He knew.¡±


    Father¡¯s head tilted to the side. His features didn¡¯t so much as change in response to the new information, but Janice had known him long enough to tell that he was deep in thought.


    ¡°Traitors?¡± Father repeated. ¡°Plural? Are you certain?¡±


    He didn¡¯t seem surprised in the slightest that Spider had managed to figure out what they were going for.


    Janice¡¯s brow furrowed. She cast her thoughts back to Spider¡¯s speech.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Janice said with a nod. ¡°In all of the houses.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Father said, tapping a finger against his thigh. He ran a thumb along the surface of the wooden sheperd¡¯s staff. ¡°How curious.¡±


    Is he not concerned that our plans were discovered?


    This wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d managed to pull a blanket over people¡¯s eyes, but something was different. Noah couldn¡¯t quite place his finger on what it was. His stomach felt simultaneously uneasy and satisfied, as if he¡¯d just had a great meal.


    His runes also felt ill at ease. He couldn¡¯t hop into his Mindspace to check on them, but it didn¡¯t feel like anything was actually wrong per say; it was just... different. Odd.


    Todd¡¯s mask did an excellent job of concealing his face from everyone else so he could indulge the thoughts with what little attention he could spare them. He was pretty sure he had a pretty confused expression on his features ¡ª but fortunately, nobody else could tell.


    It wasn¡¯t long before professors and their students hurriedly left the meeting, all rushing to prepare for what was to come next. Nobody knew exactly what would come of a revelation like this, but there was no doubt about one thing ¡ª there would be opportunity in it.


    There was always money in war.


    His job for the night had been accomplished. The noble houses would turn on themselves for at least as long as it took them to figure out there weren¡¯t actually any traitors within them. And, in that time, none of them would be able to work together to go after Isabel.


    Noah wasn¡¯t stupid enough to hope that they¡¯d just give up on her Master Rune. If anything, the houses would individually all want it even more. Powerful weapons became a whole lot more valuable when times were tense.


    But nobody was going to be working together against him. They couldn¡¯t do that when they couldn¡¯t trust each other... so he¡¯d bought them some time.


    And time was exactly what Noah needed. It had been far too long since he¡¯d been able to work with his students. They were in need of some remedial lessons.


    He¡¯d gathered their group and slipped out of the Advanced Track meeting. Fuyin had done nothing to stop him, but she¡¯d caught his gaze as he left. Her eyes spoke of a promise.


    They¡¯d be speaking again soon. Noah didn¡¯t actually mind that. She seemed reasonable enough for an Inquisitor. Perhaps there was something useful he could get from working with her ¡ª but that took second priority to preparing his students.


    Nobody stopped them as they left. Noah wasn¡¯t even sure if most people noticed. They were all too caught up in their own worries.


    They put several minutes of distance between themselves and the meeting before Moxie caught Noah¡¯s eye ¡ª and something about her expression brought him to a dead standstill.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Noah told everyone. ¡°Give us a moment.¡±


    He and Moxie stepped to the side and lowered their voices.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Noah whispered.


    ¡°We may have some trouble,¡± Moxie replied, her features grim. ¡°Jalen ran by the meeting as if he was being chased by something. He reached Rank 7 and got kicked out of the Empire ¡ª and he¡¯s not alone. Father¡¯s also a Rank 7, and he just managed to get his hands on some ridiculously powerful artifact.¡±


    Noah stared at her.


    What?

 Chapter 639: Extensive

    ¡°What the hell happened while I was speaking to the Advanced Track professors?¡± Noah whispered. ¡°How did all of this happen so suddenly? And how does Jalen know that Father is a Rank 7? Shouldn¡¯t Garina have stopped anyone from that rank from being in the Empire?¡±


    Moxie shook her head helplessly. ¡°I literally told you everything I know. Jalen popped out from nowhere. He dumped the info just I told you on me, then vanished again. Garina showed up a moment later before disappearing as well. She seemed more annoyed than angry, for what it¡¯s worth.¡±


    Is this what people feel like when I bullshit them? Not a fun feeling. I hate not having the slightest clue about what¡¯s going on. It¡¯s been so long since I last felt so lost... gah. When I find Jalen next, we¡¯re going to have a long talk about being better at passing along information in concise amounts of words.


    ¡°Jalen must have had a run-in with Father somehow,¡± Noah mused, his stomach turning at the thought. Father had long been one of the biggest issues he¡¯d faced. The man was a calculating, paranoid genius ¡ª and someone that Noah did not want any more dealings with than he absolutely needed.


    But... given Janice¡¯s reaction to him, something told Noah that Father was going to be right at the center of all their upcoming problems. The man had been strong enough as he was. If he¡¯d gotten some ancient artifact enough to force Jalen to advance to Rank 7...


    Goddamn it. We might be in trouble. I need to master Unstable Pandemonium and get the students trained up as quickly as possible. This is about more than just the idiot noble houses, now. I don¡¯t trust Father with power like that... and now he must be fucking pissed that I accidentally outed him.


    ¡°I imagine Garina will clear things up for us soon enough,¡± Moxie said. ¡°But it means we should get ready.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking the same.¡± Noah gave her a small nod. ¡°We have to get everyone advancing as quickly as possible ¡ª not to mention getting back to practicing. It¡¯s been too long since we¡¯ve reviewed Formations. I¡¯m going to have to fiddle with all of mine now that I have a new Rune.¡±


    Not to mention my violin. Every advancement makes me stronger in so many ways, but it also gives me a whole slew of new things to work on. I should try to make a duplicate of Unstable Pandemonium to experiment with.


    They slipped back to rejoin the main group. Most of the students were more than used to Noah¡¯s oddities, but Alexandra sent them a questioning glance with more than a little concern behind it. She¡¯d definitely seen some of what had happened.


    Noah gave her a slight shake of his head. He didn¡¯t need her stressing over it. That wouldn¡¯t change anything. Dealing with external issues was his job. The only role his students had was to grow stronger.


    ¡°Thanks for waiting,¡± Noah said as they all resumed walking. ¡°I¡¯d say that went rather well.¡±


    ¡°I nearly died from stress,¡± Karina said, still wearing Noah¡¯s features. ¡°I thought someone was going to try to murder me.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. That barely ever happens.¡±


    ¡°Statistically, he¡¯s more likely to kill himself,¡± Lee said.


    Karina stared at her. ¡°What?¡±@@@@


    ¡°Nevermind that,¡± Noah said with a wave of his hand. Karina had been useful, but he had no plans of bringing her into his inner circle quite yet. ¡°Regardless, classes will be resuming tomorrow. We¡¯ve all got a lot to catch up on. Meet at the transport cannon as usual. We¡¯ll have a lot to discuss ¡ª and I want to see how all of you are doing on your Formation practice.¡±


    ¡°You have no idea how much we¡¯ve been looking forward to that,¡± Todd said with an eager grin. ¡°Are your... uh, new students coming as well? I want to see how we match up against them.¡±


    ¡°They will be,¡± Noah said with a nod.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get your hopes too high up,¡± Moxie warned with a wry smile. ¡°Some of those new students are rather powerful.¡±


    It would be mildly amusing to see everyone try their hand against Yoru. I don¡¯t think they¡¯d make it very far. Then again, I haven¡¯t seen what she¡¯s capable of since she lost her hands. Speaking of which... gotta find a way to do something about that. Shit. Things are piling up again. I really don¡¯t want to make another list.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Moxie nudged Noah in the side with her elbow. ¡°Stop that.¡±


    A slow breath pulled free from Noah¡¯s lips as he finally let himself relax, flopping down at her desk. He¡¯d been acting for so long that he¡¯d almost forgotten that the metaphorical mask was in place.


    A shadow passed over him and a warning bell went off in his head. Noah¡¯s gaze jerked up a moment before Moxie flopped down right on top of him, knocking the breath from his lungs in a startled grunt.


    ¡°Oi!¡± Noah said through a choked laugh.


    ¡°You stole my chair. You can¡¯t complain. I ¡ª oh, shit. Lee, wait¡ª¡±


    Both Noah and Moxie let out a wheeze in unison as Lee tossed herself onto the pile, nearly knocking the chair over from the force of her jump.


    ¡°Oops,¡± Lee said, slipping off Moxie. ¡°That was less comfortable than I thought it would be. You need to get fatter.¡±


    ¡°I fear getting fatter in your vicinity would probably be ill advised,¡± Moxie grumbled. ¡°You¡¯d probably try to eat me.¡±


    ¡°Not entirely unlikely.¡± It was hard to tell if Lee was joking or not. She stretched her arms over her back and let out a long yawn before shaking herself off like a cat. ¡°I¡¯m going to go visit the other demons at Tim¡¯s house. I want to see what they¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably a good idea. Make sure they aren¡¯t getting into trouble,¡± Noah said. ¡°And don¡¯t miss class tomorrow morning, okay? I want to see how your pattern is coming as well.¡±


    ¡°Kay,¡± Lee said. And then she was gone, so fast that Noah could only track her movement by the squeak the window made as she slipped out through it.


    They were silent for a few moments. Then Moxie let out a sigh and rose to her feet, walking over to the window and peering out it.


    ¡°What a day,¡± Moxie said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll need to talk to Garina and figure out what the hell is going on,¡± Noah said, pinching the bridge of his nose as he shook his head.


    ¡°That¡¯s a problem for tomorrow,¡± Moxie said. She pulled the window shut and closed the vine curtains hanging in front of it. She turned back to Noah. Then she arched an eyebrow. ¡°So... your new rune.¡±


    ¡°What about it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve still got the mind rune in it? The one that replaces a Mind Meld potion?¡±


    ¡°Yep. Why?¡±


    ¡°We should probably test that to make sure it still works,¡± Moxie said, a slight grin pulling at her lips. ¡°Testing is very important whenever you change a rune, after all.¡±


    And, all of a sudden, Noah suddenly found his legs had enough energy to rise beneath him once more.


    ¡°A wise thought,¡± Noah making eye-contact with Moxie and exchanging a knowing nod.


    And, as it turned out, the elements of the rune that housed what had once been Empty Proliferation worked just fine.


    That didn¡¯t stop them from testing it extensively just to make sure.

 Chapter 640: Curiosity

    Noah beat the sun to rising the following morning. His eyes fluttered open against his own desires, only for him to find that he was alone in Moxie¡¯s bed. That alone was enough to pull him completely out of his slumber.


    He pushed himself upright, pushing the vine curtains to the side and peering out of the window onto the still-dark campus. It may as well still have been night. And even though he knew it would probably only be an hour or two until the sun made its appearance, his body had somehow already gotten used to the day-night cycles of the Damned Plains. He half expected it to remain night for another day.


    Moxie¡¯s absence wasn¡¯t entirely surprising. She¡¯d been doing a lot of practice and research on her runes ¡ª real practice, not what they¡¯d been up to the previous night ¡ª and now that they¡¯d returned to Arbitage, she probably had a lot she wanted to test.


    That desire was not unique to her.


    Unstable Pandemonium lurked in wait within Noah¡¯s soul. He¡¯d yet to fully determine the abilities that it possessed, nor had he even really managed to delve deeper into the other boons that came with reaching Rank 5.


    If I recall correctly, Rank 5 is the turning point where you no longer need your rune¡¯s element in the environment to use it. I should be able to manifest the power of my rune directly ¡ª but what the fuck is Pandemonium manifest?


    Noah rose from bed and pulled a fresh set of clothes on, barely even paying attention to his motions. His thoughts were completely turned to the rune that lurked within him. The questions running through his head now weren¡¯t ones he could afford to keep unknown.


    There were far too many of his own enemies lurking, not to mention the people that would inevitably come for Isabel¡¯s Master Rune when the nobles managed to untangle some of the bullshit he¡¯d wound around them.


    Not knowing what he was capable of was a great way to screw up in the middle of a fight and get someone other than himself killed.


    I¡¯ve got a few hours until class. That should be more than enough for me to get a little extraneous testing in. But where to go?


    Hmm. I wonder...


    ***


    ¡°You¡¯re here awful early,¡± Tim said in a low whisper. He stood across from Noah at the top of the Transport Cannon, surrounded by half a dozen sleeping demons. The two of them were the only two people in the tower that were awake at this hour. Tim adjusted his overalls. ¡°I didn¡¯t take you for such a morning person.¡±


    ¡°Generally, I¡¯m not,¡± Noah admitted. ¡°But a lot has happened ¡ª and I mean a lot. I was wondering... is the Transport Cannon active again? Now that the Key is back and all that?¡±


    ¡°Not technically, but I could make an exception. Is there somewhere you need to go?¡±


    ¡°The Scorched Acres,¡± Noah said. ¡°I want to do a little testing, and I hold a grudge like a motherfucker. Do you think you could send me there for about two or three hours?¡±


    ¡°Simple enough.¡± Tim flashed Noah a grin and ambled by the piles of demons, navigating through them like he¡¯d been doing it all his life, before arriving at the control panel. His hands played across the controls and a faint rumble shook the Transport Cannon as its turret shifted.


    ¡°Appreciate it,¡± Noah said.


    Tim just nodded in response, waiting quietly as the cannon set itself into position. A faint clunk echoed through the room before it fell still once more. Not one of the demons woke up. Tim gave a thumbs-up and nodded to the cannon¡¯s chamber.


    Noah climbed into it.


    ¡°Means I can still do most of what I could, just at a slightly increased cost and a whole lot stronger,¡± Noah mused to himself. He called on Unstable Pandemonium again, letting more red electricity crackle across his fingers and studying it intently, all too aware of the power seeping from his rune.


    Using it like this drew a ridiculous amount of energy, but Noah was literally creating magic from nothing. He wasn¡¯t exactly surprised that it didn¡¯t come easy ¡ª and the Rune wasn¡¯t even Flawless. It only had room to improve.


    But if it was to improve, he had to understand it. And if he was to understand it... he had to practice.


    It¡¯s too early to stick this red stuff into a Formation. I don¡¯t understand how it works well enough, so I¡¯d definitely just end up blowing myself up. There will be a time and place for that. But I need to have my magic for class today ¡ª which means we¡¯re doing the old fashioned style of practice.


    Noah slipped down from the tree and landed on the ground with a soft thump. Destroying the tree with a blast of wind had made a whole lot of noise. He was pretty sure the monkeys that lived in the forest wouldn¡¯t have been too huge a fan of that.


    Sure enough, Noah felt something prickle against his domain ¡ª and, in the back of his head, he was reminded that he had to rebuild all of his body imbuements, which had evaporated in his advancement to Rank 5.


    Noah turned toward the intrusion to his domain. He knew what he¡¯d come to see before he¡¯d even started to move. His domain told him everything he needed. Standing behind him, partially hidden behind the trunk of a tree, was a Slasher.


    The massive monkey loomed over Noah. Its beady eyes bore into him as saliva dripped form its open mouth. He couldn¡¯t even remember the number of times that empty, hateful gaze had been the last thing he¡¯d seen before he¡¯d died.


    ¡°Well, hello there,¡± Noah said, lifting a hand toward the Slasher.


    A streak of red energy carved free from his palm. It jerked and zipped through the air, moving up and down, left and right, but somehow slamming home exactly where he¡¯d been aiming.


    The Slasher¡¯s chest.


    The monkey let out an agonized scream silenced only by the loud cracking that split the air as it collapsed in on itself. Noah watched on as the Slasher was practically turned inside-out. Huge chunks of the monster tore themselves apart until there was nothing left before him but a pile of gore.


    The corner of Noah¡¯s mouth curled in distaste. A greater man than he would have felt some sense of unease about the gruesome death ¡ª but he¡¯d been killed by the monkeys in the Scorched Acres so many times that the only emotion he felt looking at the desecrated corpse was curiosity.


    A faint amount of magical energy trickled into him, not nearly enough to be worth noting. Killing the Slashers wasn¡¯t going to get him any significant amount of power. That was fine. For the time being, the only thing Noah wanted to do was push the limits of Unstable Pandemonium and see what it was capable of.


    I¡¯m only using small chunks of power, and the name Unstable Pandemonium implies this rune is capable of doing a whole lot more than folding monsters up like origami.


    Something prickled against Noah¡¯s domain.


    Another monkey.


    He turned toward it, red electricity arcing across his fingertips.


    Let¡¯s find out, shall we?

 Chapter 641: Pattern

    Nobody was keeping count, but Noah was growing increasingly certain that the monkeys of the Scorched Acres had finally paid for all the deaths they¡¯d inflicted upon him in blood. His hands were stained red with blood and his clothes were splattered as if he¡¯d taken a plunge into a pool of tomato juice.


    His research attempts had left a swathe of destruction in his wake. The warped corpses of monkeys, from Slashers to Chuckers and everything in between, laid in desecrated heaps in his path.


    Noah had only briefly paused his testing efforts to recover the energy in his rune before getting back to work. Each kill barely regenerated any power from Unstable Pandemonium, so he had to take frequent breaks to let it regenerate.


    The huge grimoire on his back didn¡¯t even bother harvesting the runes from the monsters he killed. They simply weren¡¯t strong enough to be worthy of garnering the book¡¯s interest. A part of Noah felt like that might have been a red flag. It hadn¡¯t been all that long ago that his grimoire had jumped at the chance to get its hands ¡ª covers? ¡ª on any rune it could.


    Now it had gotten picky.


    That probably meant something ominous. But, if Noah was frank with himself, he didn¡¯t care. The Grimoire was on his side. And, so long as he kept it fed, it would remain that way. He was well past caring if he unleashed some unspeakable monstrosity on the Arbalest Kingdom.


    They¡¯d let that cat out of the bag the moment the noble houses started sending their people after his students.@@@@


    While his path through the forest had been devastating on the local population of face-ripping little shits, it had been remarkably informative for his understanding of Unstable Pandemonium.


    The Rune definitely lived up to its name. The red lightning that it manifested rarely worked exactly the same way twice when he let its power run free, but the end result was often the same.


    It ripped apart anything it touched in a rather gruesome manner. Sometimes ¡ª and the cause of the blood splattering Noah¡¯s clothes ¡ª it just straight up exploded its target, sending bits and pieces of them across everything in the immediate vicinity.


    But Noah couldn¡¯t quite shake the feeling that he wasn¡¯t using the rune to its full potential. Sure, immense destructive power was always useful, but it wasn¡¯t exactly what he¡¯d been trying to make ¡ª and it wasn¡¯t versatile.


    His opponents weren¡¯t always going to be weaker than him. And when the fights really mattered, they rarely were. Pure destructive force didn¡¯t do much when up against an even more powerful defense.


    And that was the bit he was stuck on. Nothing about Unstable Pandemonium implied that its purpose was to simply rip through everything in its path. Pandemonium implied something... more. Chaos, for lack of a better word.


    Terrifying and destructive as blowing monkeys up like fireworks might have been, that wasn¡¯t really Noah¡¯s definition of pandemonium. It was just cruel.


    I don¡¯t care about cruel, but I¡¯m completely confident that there¡¯s more to this rune. What am I doing wrong? Is it something to do with how I¡¯m manifesting the energy rather than pulling it from the environment?


    Noah¡¯s features creased in concentration. He lifted a hand and focused on his fingertips. Magic rushed through his body and a small spark lit between them, transforming into a flickering candleflame. The fire seemed to function just like normal fire. There was nothing special about it just because it had been made from pure magical energy. He flicked it away and shook his head.


    Then manifesting the power isn¡¯t the issue. It¡¯s either my understanding of the Rune or the manner in which I¡¯m using it. Maybe I need to try to find a way to make it fit in better with my understanding of the way the world works.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to work backwards,¡± Noah said with a thoughtful nod. ¡°I understand the concept of harmony more than chaos. Harmony is what all things are made of. Well, that¡¯s my theory, but you¡¯ll have to bear with me.¡±


    The Slasher spun toward the sound of his voice. It lunged, but Noah was no longer standing where its claws carved.


    For some strange reason, Noah¡¯s thoughts actually felt like they were flowing better now. It was a common saying back on Earth that the best way to learn something was to teach it. He¡¯d never truly considered just how true that was, but it seemed the thought had some merit.


    ¡°Harmony is in all patterns. I¡¯ve definitely said that bit, but I¡¯ll reiterate it for you,¡± Noah informed his unruly student. ¡°Chaos exists as a pattern. For the purposes of this lesson, we can assume that it is the opposite of harmony. And that is what gives rise to our question. If harmony is used to create every pattern, and chaos is the opposite of harmony, then what pattern is chaos?¡±


    The Slasher let out a furious screech. It raised its hands high over its head and took a step forward in an attempt to make sure that its next attack didn¡¯t miss its insolent prey.


    Noah¡¯s eyes went wide.


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Noah breathed.


    The Slasher¡¯s hands carved down.


    Noah¡¯s own hand rose.


    A strand of red light wove across his fingers. It leapt free, jerking and zipping through the air haphazardly before striking the Slasher square in the chest.


    Brilliant streaks of red carved across the Slasher¡¯s fur, lighting it up from within like a horribly displeased Christmas ornament.


    And then the monster collapsed.


    Not to the ground, but to pieces. Magic swirled up from its body as every single part of it split apart. The hair separated from the skin, the bones from the flesh, claws from its hands... and the body from the soul.


    And not just that ¡ª every single part of it was separated down to the components. Even though the parts of the monster splattered to the ground in an indiscernible pool of guts and bodily fluid, Noah could feel every separation that had happened to the monster as if he¡¯d cut it apart with a scalpel.


    Every single thing that had made the Slasher up had been undone.


    ¡°That¡¯s the pattern,¡± Noah breathed, his hand lowering as he looked upon what he had wrought. ¡°Chaos isn¡¯t the inverse. Harmony is. Harmony pulls things together that were originally separate. Chaos takes things apart until they¡¯ve returned to their true, natural state. It isn¡¯t meant to destroy. It¡¯s meant to unmake.¡±

 Chapter 642: Song

    There was still some time left before the Transport Cannon pulled Noah back, but his rune was pretty close to spent and he wasn¡¯t sure killing more monkeys in the Scorched Acres would actually accomplish anything. He¡¯d already gotten what he¡¯d come here for ¡ª or, at least, a starting point for it. Noah finally knew what his rune¡¯s purpose was.


    Though I don¡¯t have the slightest clue what the full extent of its abilities are. If it can reduce things to their base form, does that work on other Runes as well? Hell, does it work on magic?


    It wasn¡¯t like the monsters in the Scorched Acres would be able to help him much with that. The monkeys didn¡¯t have any magic. He supposed it was possible there was a mutated one somewhere... or he could go looking for a Great Monster.


    I¡¯m pretty sure the Hellreaver got replaced so Arbitage could keep using this area as a training ground. I can¡¯t tell if it would be funny or downright stupid if I went and killed their replacement testing my rune out.


    Noah blew out a short breath of air and shook his head.@@@@


    Probably not worth the trouble. I¡¯ll get a chance to test this thing out against magic soon enough. I¡¯ve got way too many people that want to kill me for that to be avoidable for long.


    There were other things that could occupy his focus for the moment. He extended his hand to the side and, with a thought, summoned his violin. Sunlight shimmered off the whorls of gold running along the black wood.


    A small smile pulled across Noah¡¯s lips as he set the violin against his chin and laid the bow upon its strings, playing a bright note for no purpose other than to hear it sing. His Formations weren¡¯t going to work anymore ¡ª not now that he¡¯d advanced to Rank 5.


    That¡¯s fine. It just gives me an opportunity to keep perfecting my abilities. I¡¯ve only got 1 rune to work with right now, but once I get it working in a way that supports Sunder and the Fragment of Renewal, I¡¯ll have at least two Formations that are far more powerful than what they were before.


    He was pretty sure he was going to need them. Going up against Rank 6 mages when he was a Rank 5 was not going to be an easy task. Every single advantage he could get, he would need.


    And so Noah started to play, teasing faint flickers of power free from Unstable Pandemonium as his bow danced across the strings of the violin. He took care not to draw too much. The last thing he wanted to do was blow himself up right before class. That would have been painfully inconvenient.


    All he wanted to do was get to know his new rune¡¯s pattern so he could begin working on how to integrate it into a proper Formation.


    He was still playing when the Transport Cannon¡¯s power sent him hurtling back to Arbitage.


    ***


    ¡°Well then,¡± Noah said, looking around the crowd gathered around him in the top room of the Transport Cannon. It wasn¡¯t just the demons that had been sleeping there when Tim had sent him off. Isabel, Todd, and the rest of the students had all arrived ¡ª as had Moxie. Noah adjusted the lapel of his jacket. ¡°It looks like you¡¯re all eager to get started. Isn¡¯t it a bit early?¡±


    ¡°The sun rose thirty minutes ago,¡± Isabel said, holding back a laugh. ¡°You¡¯re late, professor.¡±


    ¡°That may be my fault,¡± Tim said. ¡°I had the cannon set to pull him back after three hours. I should have made that time shorter.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to cover for me,¡± Noah said through a chuckle. ¡°I have a bit of a bad habit of being late. There¡¯s no need to dally any further, though. We¡¯ve all got a lot to get through today. I¡¯ll be reviewing everyone¡¯s progress on their Formations.¡±


    Aylin raised a hand. ¡°I don¡¯t have any progress on a Formation.¡±


    ¡°Neither do I,¡± Sticky said. ¡°What¡¯s a Formation?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a very effective way to accidentally kill yourself while trying to control more power than you have any right to,¡± Vrith said. She hesitated for a moment, then cleared her throat. ¡°Unless you have exceptional mastery over your Runes, that is.¡±


    ¡°Not entirely true,¡± Noah said. ¡°There¡¯s more to it than most people think ¡ª but don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll get into that once class has started. Tim... I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯d be able to send us anywhere with the Transport Cannon? I was originally planning to ask Jalen to send us somewhere, but...¡± r?A?o?¦¥S


    ¡°With pleasure,¡± Tim said. ¡°Where to? The Scorched Acres?¡±


    Noah grimaced. ¡°I¡¯ve spent a bit too much time there as of late. I also left a lot of dead monkeys lying everywhere. Probably best not. We don¡¯t need any distractions. Maybe the Windscorned Plateau?¡±


    ¡°Easy enough,¡± Tim said. He interlaced his fingers and stretched his arms out before him before giving them all a grin. ¡°Right then. Make a line, lads and lasses. We¡¯re going to want to keep things moving.¡±


    ***


    A few minutes later, Tim had everyone deposited on the Windscorned Plateau with a promise to pull them back in six hours.


    Demons and humans alike milled about, looking around the jagged landscape of the plateau. Towering cliffs rose around them. Sheer flat walls of stone that led up to more areas just like the one they stood on. There weren¡¯t any Fluffants on their landing area, which was fortunate. Noah didn¡¯t feel like frying any of the violent elephant-shaped fluffballs at the moment.


    Plump blue flowers dotted with orange specks littered the ground all around them. A few of the demons were musing as to their edibility, a discussion which Noah was particularly interested in. More than a small part of him still wanted to try taking a bite out of the plushy-looking plants.


    If they didn¡¯t want to get eaten, they shouldn¡¯t be so plump.


    ¡°Noah,¡± Moxie said, sliding up beside him. ¡°You can¡¯t eat the flowers.¡±


    ¡°I ¡ª how did you know I was thinking that?¡±


    ¡°You were looking at the damn thing like it was a five-course meal. When¡¯s the last time you had proper food?¡±


    Noah hesitated for a moment before clearing his throat. ¡°It might have been a while.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re getting food when we get back. No eating the flowers.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡±


    Moxie rolled her eyes, then nodded to the mess of students. ¡°How should we organize this? Want me to split off with the ones that already know what a pattern is so they can start practicing and you can review the basics with the demons?¡±


    ¡°That would be very helpful.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure they don¡¯t do anything too crazy. I¡¯ve barely managed to get any real work in on my own pattern, so I don¡¯t think I¡¯m in a good spot to tell them anything about theirs.¡±


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Violet said. ¡°Is that even possible? Creating a rune? I thought they just came into existence.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s cuz he¡¯s a god,¡± Torrick said.


    Aylin elbowed him in the shoulder and sent him a pointed glance. ¡°He¡¯s not a god up here, remember?¡±


    Torrick¡¯s eyes lit up in understanding. ¡°Oh, right. He¡¯s a teacher.¡±


    Aylin gave him an approving nod.


    Noah repressed a sigh. The stronger demons definitely hadn¡¯t missed what he¡¯d said. Vrith was staring in awe and he could feel Yoru¡¯s gaze burning into him.


    I am not helping my reputation at all. Oh well.


    ¡°I skipped a few things. We don¡¯t have time for all of that today, and I don¡¯t want to split your focus. The three elements to creating a rune are the magical energy, an inciting event, and intention. We¡¯re focusing on the last one. Intention. Understanding. A desire for your rune to accomplish some purpose. We all know that well, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what you need when you combine your runes,¡± Aylin said.


    ¡°Precisely,¡± Noah agreed. ¡°And that isn¡¯t where it ends. I think you would agree more than anyone else that understanding is the most important aspect of any power. It applies to more than just combining runes. So tell me ¡ª from the information you have, what is a Formation?¡±


    ¡°A pattern,¡± Edda said through a mouthful of... something. Noah wasn¡¯t sure exactly what the small demon had managed to get her hands on, but he was pretty sure she¡¯d be fine. Demons had hardy stomachs.


    ¡°Good. A pattern. A specific type of pattern. Would you say that you understand patterns well?¡±


    Everyone shook their heads.


    ¡°So that is where we must start. Not with fancy Formations, but with how patterns interact with magic at a base level,¡± Noah continued. ¡°And you will be surprised to find that there is a great amount of power that can be found through merely finding a pattern. My human students have already put a great amount of effort into this technique.¡±


    ¡°Is that what they¡¯re doing now?¡± Aylin asked, looking over to Moxie¡¯s group. All the students around her were either deep in meditation or practicing.


    ¡°It is,¡± Noah confirmed. ¡°Though they have taken it to the next stage and have inserted magic into it. You will get there ¡ª but first, you must determine what pattern speaks to you the most. Anything can be a pattern. For me, it is music. For Isabel, it is a landslide. Alexandra¡¯s is the wind. Moxie¡¯s is life and death itself.¡±


    ¡°Can we even do that?¡± Violet asked. ¡°I mean... we can¡¯t use external magic.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a common belief that demons are unable to access external magic until they reach a certain rank.¡±


    ¡°Commonly believed? I think that¡¯s just how it works,¡± Violet said. ¡°We¡¯re too closely tied to our runes. They¡¯re embedded too deep into our souls, which makes it easy for us to empower our bodies but much harder to push it externally.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps. We will see if that holds true after the modifications Sticky allowed us to all do.¡±


    Sticky reddened and looked away. She hadn¡¯t been speaking much, but from the rapt attention in her eyes, Noah was pretty sure it was just because she was completely focused on every word he said.


    ¡°So we can use external magic?¡± Torrick asked in awe.


    ¡°I still need to modify your runes ¡ª but even if I had already done it, the answer is no. Not because you can¡¯t, but because I will not allow you to,¡± Noah said simply. ¡°Your initial pattern must be completely devoid of magic. These are dangerous. If you let magic flow through them, you could end up killing yourself. That goes for all of you. Even the stronger ones.¡±


    He made it a point to look at Yoru with that. The Rank 6 demon was hundreds of years old and had been one of the strongest ones in the Damned Plains before he¡¯d taken Sunder to her. She probably wasn¡¯t the type to love strict instructions ¡ª but Yoru just gave him a curt nod of understanding.


    ¡°How do we do it?¡± Vrith asked. ¡°Pattern feels like such a... general thing. Couldn¡¯t anything be a pattern if you really try hard enough?¡±


    ¡°Yep. This isn¡¯t something where there¡¯s only one right answer. You need to think on what fits you the best. It does not matter what I or anyone else chooses or thinks. For me, that thing was music. The patterns within music are what I find easiest to understand. That probably won¡¯t be the case for you. This isn¡¯t something you have to do alone. Feel free to speak to each other. Hell, go bother my other students and see how they figured things out.¡±


    ¡°How do we know if we¡¯ve done it correctly?¡± Sticky asked. ¡°What if we mess up?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t,¡± Noah said with a shrug. ¡°It¡¯s a pattern. Not magic. At least, not yet. All you¡¯re doing is finding something that you feel fits you. And if you can¡¯t think of anything, just look around. There are patterns in everything from the nature to the way we speak.¡±


    ¡°Can my pattern be eating?¡± Edda asked.


    You¡¯ve spent too much time around Lee. I really don¡¯t need another living vacuum cleaner wandering around.


    ¡°I think you should probably try to look a bit deeper into yourself. Your pattern should be something that you can truly connect with. It shouldn¡¯t just be something you enjoy doing, but something you can see yourself embodying,¡± Noah suggested, trying to be as polite as possible.


    Edda and Torrick were still just kids. So was Sticky, though she was definitely a little more developed in the head than the other two. Staring death in the face tended to do that to you.


    ¡°Is there a pattern in understanding?¡± Aylin asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s for you to determine. If you can find one ¡ª then yes. If you can¡¯t, then no. This is completely personal. As I said, there¡¯s no right way to do it.¡±


    ¡°Could you show us your pattern?¡± Sticky asked.


    A small grin tugged at the corners of Noah¡¯s lips. ¡°I¡¯ve never said no to a show. I suppose that would probably be a good way to give an example of what works for me, so why not?¡±


    He extended his hands and his violin shimmered to life within one, the bow taking form in the other. Noah set the violin against his chin and let the bow rest against its strings.


    And, for what must have been the first time in history, a group of demons ranging from children to a Demon Lord sat and listened in silent awe to a song played by a human older than the lot of them combined.

 Chapter 644: Move on

    Once Noah finished his song, it didn¡¯t take the demons long to start brainstorming as to what their patterns might be. Their ideas were certainly... interesting. It would probably take them a while to get to any ideas that would actually work.


    And someone really needs to tell Edda that there¡¯s more to life than eating. I wasn¡¯t joking about not needing a second Lee. It¡¯s not like I can blame her, though. She grew up surviving on scraps. Anyone would love food in her position.


    Noah watched over the demons for around thirty more minutes, providing advice and suggestions in an attempt to steer them all in the right direction. Many of their pattern ideas were either straight up insane or just far too impractical to be realistic.


    It was probably hard for them to reconcile power coming with something simple when they¡¯d grown up in the Damned Plains, where there was so much focus on posturing and showing how deadly you were.


    He waited around to make sure none of them would go against his warnings and try to start a pattern with magic. That wasn¡¯t particularly likely, of course. Pulling something like that off would have made them a prodigy.


    And if Noah wasn¡¯t paying attention with his domain at the ready to snuff said magic out, it also would have made them dead.


    He fortunately had no prodigy idiots. None of the demons tried to manifest their pattern and had instead all managed to get into a heated debate about what kind of pattern would be the most powerful.


    Noah took that opportunity to catch Moxie¡¯s eye from where she was overseeing the other students. He gave her a slight nod and they both broke away from their groups to meet in the middle.


    ¡°Going well?¡± Moxie asked.


    ¡°As well as one could expect. They¡¯re going to need to re-screw their heads on a bit,¡± Noah said with a small chuckle. ¡°They¡¯re still mentally stuck in the Damned Plains. But they¡¯ll get there soon enough. What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve basically just been practicing alongside everyone,¡± Moxie admitted. ¡°But they¡¯ve been careful. You know what¡¯s kind of interesting, though? I think Alexandra¡¯s pattern has gotten stronger. Like, a lot stronger.¡±


    ¡°Really? I would have thought that carving her runes out¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yeah, me too. But no. I can definitely feel that its stronger. Even when she doesn¡¯t use her own magic in it, the pattern has innate power to it. Almost like...¡±


    ¡°A rune,¡± Noah finished, his eyes going slightly wide.


    ¡°How¡¯d you guess? Did you already know?¡±


    ¡°Patterns and Runes aren¡¯t really all that different if you zoom out far enough. Runes are just patterns made to hold a specific type of magic. Patterns shouldn¡¯t be any different when you get good enough at them.¡±@@@@


    ¡°Your music can do that too?¡± Moxie asked.


    ¡°I kind of skipped the beginning step with my music. I had a lot of practice back on Earth, so I understood the pattern well long before I came here,¡± Noah admitted as he scratched the back of his head with a sheepish smile. ¡°I went right to wrapping my magic with it, but there¡¯s definitely magical energy in the pattern of my songs.¡±


    Moxie studied him silently for a few seconds before answering. ¡°What about in a fight or something? Have you ever tried using your pattern without putting magic into it?¡±


    He paused for a moment to think about that question. Ironically enough, even though he was teaching his students to do it, Noah realized that he hadn¡¯t. He¡¯d used his pattern in fights before, but generally for the purpose of making a Formation.


    For some reason he¡¯d never really considered just using a normal music pattern in a fight when a Formation wasn¡¯t involved. Now that he thought about it, there was absolutely no reason that wouldn¡¯t work.


    How did that never come to me? I can definitely picture a few ways that would actually be pretty damn effective, even if just as a distraction.


    Noah coughed into his fist. ¡°That... might work pretty well, actually. I somehow never thought about it.¡±


    Noah¡¯s domain picked up on something within her. He couldn¡¯t tell quite what it was, but it was there. It probably warranted a conversation to figure out just what kind of pattern she was focusing on now that she¡¯d formed her Rune of Self.


    And then, standing in the center of the group and with a mixture of awe, fear, and confusion on her face, was Yulin.


    Ah, shit. She definitely should have been with the demons to get the summary of patterns.


    ¡°What is all this?¡± Yulin asked. Her gaze lingered on Alexandra. ¡°What kind of magic is this?¡±


    ¡°Patterns. I should have given you a summary of them together with the demons. The short form is that patterns exist in everything, and you can harness them to access magic in a different way. I can get more in-depth later. Until then, you can just stick around and watch. And no telling anyone else about this. Big secret.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Yulin muttered. ¡°I can¡¯t see why. I don¡¯t get any of this.¡±


    ¡°The patterns?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Yulin said. ¡°You. You¡¯re supposed to be one of the worst professors from the Linwick family. The rumors said you were a pervert that got sent to Arbitage to keep you out of your family¡¯s hair. But that doesn¡¯t match up at all. How could someone like that be... you?¡±


    ¡°It all started with grand larceny.¡±


    Yulin stared at him. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Never mind,¡± Noah said, shaking his head with a chuckle. ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll find out one day. Until then, your only job is to practice. I¡¯m a teacher. That¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± The tone of Yulin¡¯s voice made it abundantly clear that she was far from convinced. ¡°Just a teacher.¡±


    ¡°Oh hey, Vermil is here,¡± James said, nearly making Noah jump. He¡¯d somehow forgotten about the boy in the time since he¡¯d last spotted him. That nothingness pattern of his was surprisingly effective.


    Todd glanced up and a grin split his lips. ¡°Oh, hell yeah. Is it teachin¡¯ time?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call it that,¡± Noah said. ¡°It sounds dumb.¡±


    Emily¡¯s white mist faded and her eyes drifted open, focusing on him. One by one, all of the students let their patterns drop safely and all turned to face him.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s teachin¡¯ time,¡± Isabel confirmed.


    She was aware of her surroundings acutely enough to pick up on Todd¡¯s joke even while practicing? Well done.


    ¡°We are not calling it that,¡± Noah said, narrowing his eyes and crossing his arms in front of his chest. ¡°But I have to say ¡ª I¡¯m quite proud of all of you. You¡¯ve made quite a bit of progress since my little trip.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean we can get to the next stage?¡± Alexandra asked eagrely.


    A smile pulled across Noah¡¯s lips and he nodded.


    ¡°Yes. I think it¡¯s time that we move onto Formations.¡±

 Chapter 645: Formations & Patterns

    Noah waited until all of his students had settled down and found seats in the grass around him before he spoke again. He didn¡¯t want them to miss anything important by accident. Formations weren¡¯t a technique that allowed for mistakes. The slightest misstep would be the end. Pop. No more student ¡ª and he couldn¡¯t sit around protecting them with his domain forever.


    ¡°Formations are, at least as far as I¡¯ve observed thus far, the most powerful usage of a pattern in a single spell,¡± Noah said as he summoned his violin to his hand. ¡°Their purpose is to form a temporary holding cell to allow runic energy to gather within it. That is not to be confused with putting magic into your actual pattern. The purpose of a formation is to create the framework that holds runes. One that lets them interact with each other and build in power before exploding forth with a very powerful effect... assuming you do it right. Patterns go into Formations, but Formations do not go into patterns. I know it¡¯s a bit confusing, but I¡¯ll get deeper into that in a moment. Now, Formations are traditionally made with drawn patterns on the ground, but there¡¯s another fairly common method that Formation Masters use.¡±@@@@


    ¡°Music,¡± Todd said.


    Noah nodded. ¡°Music. Which is why the idiots in this empire banned it from public spaces. Music should be a thing to be enjoyed, but I suppose I can understand a bit of fear when the guy playing a love song might accidentally blow himself and the city block around him into the next world. And that¡¯s what I want to impress on you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t play love songs?¡± Alexandra asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fuck with Formations. They are extraordinarily powerful ¡ª and they will kill you. If you let your guard down for a fraction of an instant. If you suddenly see someone pretty walk by out of the corner of your eye. If you so much as sneeze at the wrong time. It does not matter. Formations are not forgiving. There¡¯s no second chance. You¡¯re just dead.¡±


    Well... that isn¡¯t strictly true. You can definitely save a failing formation. I¡¯ve done it more than a few times. But that requires the ability to adjust the Formation entirely on the fly, which isn¡¯t something that any of the students are capable of yet. And, even if they were, I don¡¯t want them even having a flicker of a thought in the back of their minds that they don¡¯t have to be completely focused.


    ¡°I take it that¡¯s why you were so worried about us being able to hold our patterns no matter what?¡± Isabel guessed.


    ¡°It is. Well, that and your pattern can kill you as well once you¡¯ve got magic in it. A pattern with magic is basically the first step into a Formation,¡± Noah explained. He dismissed his violin with a thought and crossed his hands behind his back. ¡°You can think of a Formation as guidelines for runic power. You¡¯re basically forming a path for the energy to flow through. If that path has any weaknesses or holes... boom.¡±


    ¡°So as long as our concentration is strong, Formations are relatively safe?¡± Todd asked. ¡°I knew Formations were pretty similar to imbuing. A lot of the strategies seem to be slightly similar.¡±


    ¡°Possibly. I couldn¡¯t answer that with complete confidence. I just don¡¯t have enough understanding of imbuing,¡± Noah admitted. ¡°But don¡¯t think of Formations as imbuements with a bit of extra power tacked on. That will mislead you. They may have similarities, but they are not the same. Formations let you harness the power of multiple different runes at once ¡ª and a lot of it.¡±


    ¡°Can you show us one?¡± Yulin asked. Even though she didn¡¯t even have a pattern of her own yet, she didn¡¯t bother to hide the interest behind her eyes. This was magic that she¡¯d likely never gotten a good chance to lay eyes on.


    ¡°Yeah! You showed the demons, didn¡¯t you?¡± Todd asked.


    ¡°That was just a song,¡± Noah replied with a small smile. ¡°And I¡¯ll be honest with you. I just ranked up. I don¡¯t have a Formation I can use safely around you. The chances of it exploding are a little too high.¡±


    ¡°Even you have to worry about that?¡± Yulin blinked in surprise.


    ¡°That¡¯s perfectly fine. If anyone feels unprepared to continue, then it¡¯s much better to focus on the fundamentals,¡± Noah said with an approving nod.


    James grunted in agreement.


    Noah squinted at him. ¡°Words, James. This isn¡¯t something you can halfass.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I got you. You know, maybe...¡± James glanced in Emily¡¯s direction and hesitated, his words dying on his lips. Her eyes narrowed and he cleared his throat. ¡°Yup. Nevermind. I¡¯m good. Ready to go.¡± r??aNo??¦¢E??


    Noah suppressed a laugh. He was pretty sure James had been about to say he didn¡¯t want to do Formations yet even though he¡¯d clearly mastered his pattern ¡ª and entirely because he was lazy.


    It seemed Emily¡¯s mere presence had stopped that in its tracks.


    I wonder if I can even blame him for being lazy. If that¡¯s his pattern, wouldn¡¯t he technically be practicing it by doing nothing? Ugh. That¡¯s one paradoxical pain in the ass.


    ¡°Great,¡± Noah said. He summoned his violin and its bow back to his hands. ¡°Then I will demonstrate what I do with music when creating guidelines. Even though none of you actually use my pattern, try to see if you can spot similarities and things you can use for your own purposes. Remember that we¡¯re doing the same fundamental thing, just from a different angle.¡±


    Nobody spoke this time. They all stared at Noah intently as he placed the bow against the strings of his violin and started to play, letting power slip through the magical artifact and fill the notes rising into the air.


    Noah constructed the beginning parts of his Formation, laying them over one another like bricks for a building. It was tempting to let himself sink into the music like he did when he was making a full Formation, but he resisted the urge, not wanting to make a complete Formation by accident.


    He continued building the guidelines until the song had finished. Noah held the final note before slowly allowing the power to fade away. Only once the last vestiges of power had vanished did he let his bow lower.


    ¡°As you can see, there was power in the song,¡± Noah said. ¡°But no discreet runes. Does that give you all at least an idea of where they can start?¡±


    Everyone other than Yulin nodded. Noah could see thoughts flashing behind their eyes already. He repressed a smile. Something told him it wouldn¡¯t be too long before his students had this next step of mastering Formations under their belts.


    ¡°Then get to it,¡± Noah said. ¡°I¡¯ll keep a watch over things and have my domain at the ready. Let¡¯s see what you lot can do.¡±

 Chapter 646: Wrong

    The rest of the class went quite well. That was a relief, as things not going well likely meant that somebody would be blowing up.


    Noah spent several hours with his students, guiding them through the steps of creating the guidelines of a Formation and answering any questions that he could. He¡¯d been pretty confident he understood Formations fairly well, but it was remarkable how much teaching could reveal gaps in knowledge.


    He¡¯d had to dig through his thoughts in contemplation quite a few times to make sure he didn¡¯t accidentally give anyone false information. But he managed to get through the rest of the class without running into significant issues or getting completely stumped by anything.


    After he decided that everyone had gotten enough practice for the day, he dismissed them to go mingle with the demons. Both groups had a lot they could learn from each other ¡ª and interacting would definitely speed up the demons¡¯ progress on their patterns. Getting new perspectives would help all of them.


    Noah hung back, staying out of the conversation to avoid accidentally drawing too much of it to himself. He perched himself on top of a plump blue flower a few dozen paces away and settled in to watch.


    Even though I was the one meant to be doing the teaching today, I feel like I¡¯ve actually learned as much as I¡¯ve taught. I¡¯ve got so many new ideas to test. After what I saw Alexandra doing... there¡¯s definitely more to Formations and patterns than what I¡¯ve seen. I really need to look into seeing if I can bring patterns into my own fighting style more. Leaving them purely just for Formations seems like a mistake.


    The flower squished beneath him as he sank into it, his fingers drumming against its plump, disturbingly comfortable surface. It struck him that he really shouldn¡¯t have sat on the flower if he wanted to focus. The damn thing was far too distracting.


    I should ask Moxie if she can grow one of these in her room as a replacement for her chair.


    Noah shook his head to pull his focus back to the present. He was not about to lose all the inspiration he¡¯d gotten from the past few hours by getting waylaid by a squishy blue flower. With no little amount of regret, he heaved himself up to his feet and abandoned his makeshift chair.


    I really haven¡¯t used music for much more than a full Formation because I basically skipped all the intermediatory steps by constantly blowing myself up until I figured out how they worked. But that might have actually been a bit of a disservice to myself. Sure, it was a needed one, but I¡¯d be stupid not to go back and start looking into using a pattern myself.


    It shouldn¡¯t even be too difficult. Maybe I¡¯m patting myself on the back a bit too hard here, but I¡¯d say I understand music fairly well. I¡¯ve certainly had enough time to ruminate over it. Working in reverse shouldn¡¯t be too hard. Worst case scenario, I just blow myself up a few times by accident.


    A part of him was tempted to start practicing right now. He¡¯d never been particularly good at the whole ¡®waiting around¡¯ thing. And, realistically speaking, he was pretty sure he wouldn¡¯t blow himself up. This was working in reverse. He already had the pattern from his studies on Formations. All he had to do was figure out how to strip away the extra stuff and get back down to the core.


    But he couldn¡¯t do that yet. The lesson was still going and he didn¡¯t know if someone would suddenly decide that now was a great time to start messing around with magic beyond them. For as long as class ran, he was responsible for everyone here.


    I¡¯ll fiddle around with things when the day is wrapped up. There isn¡¯t that much time left in the class anyway.


    Noah glanced back over to the mass of students. He couldn¡¯t tell if he felt proud or a little overwhelmed. There were a whole lot of students here now. Between everyone from Arbitage and all the demons, he was starting to upgrade from tutor to full on teacher.


    The class was getting big enough that he couldn¡¯t possibly teach everyone on his own. Fortunately, he had Moxie to help out. The demons probably wouldn¡¯t need much guidance on the more physical side of things, but Lee had that covered for the human side.


    Still, I might need to start recruiting some more help at this rate, especially now that Jalen had to leave Arbitage. I had a lot riding on him. And I¡¯ll never let him know it, but I did actually enjoy those dart games. I suppose I¡¯ll get a chance to do those again once we leave Arbitage and this empire behind.


    Given the way things are going... that might not be all that far away.


    Thoughts continued to twist through Noah¡¯s head as he looked out over his milling students. There were so many things that he wanted to do. So many that had to be done ¡ª but they could wait until class was over.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    It wasn¡¯t quite the same sensation as using a rune. The magic was still there, and she could feel her lone remaining rune burning with pressure in opposition to the power, but the energy did not come from the rune. It came from the wind in the wake of her blade and the rush of her movements. It came from the pattern itself.


    Logically, Alexandra felt like the energy should have been chaotic like the wind it came from. But it wasn¡¯t. She couldn¡¯t say why, but it just felt... right. Peaceful. Like a summer breeze rather than the churning whirlwind that she was attempting to embody.


    A wiser woman than she would have wondered as to why. Such a woman would have sought enlightenment and understanding. They would have researched the strange magic... but that woman was not Alexandra.


    She didn¡¯t care about understanding how magic worked. It was a tool. Some people ¡ª ones like Todd ¡ª loved researching and understanding it. That was their path, but it wasn¡¯t hers.


    I want to be strong. I want to be free. That¡¯s it. I want nothing more from life.


    Alexandra¡¯s movements slammed to a halt as a sharp pain drove into the center of her chest. She staggered, nearly tripping over her own feet as she drew in a surprised breath and clutched at her heart. It felt like someone had driven a dagger straight into it.


    Her lone remaining rune shuddered within her. Something was wrong with it. The power within the rune was weak. Far too weak.


    What¡¯s going on?


    She staggered again as another spike of pain drove through her soul. Bands of agony wrapped around her throat and burned along every one of her veins. Alexandra dropped to her knees, burying her sword in the ground before her.


    The grass at her feet was dead. So was the force of the wind that had been singing in her ears. Every trace of the breeze was gone. It was like the world had gone still.


    Something is wrong. Really wrong.


    Alexandra plunged into her Mindspace.


    Did I mess up my pattern? That can¡¯t be possible. I was perfectly in tune with it. I¡¯ve never felt more in tune with it than I did today! What happened?


    Alexandra¡¯s eyes snapped open within her Mindspace ¡ª and they instantly went wide. Her one remaining Fire Rune was completely drained. Not of its current energy, but its total capacity. Power had been siphoned out of it until nothing remained but the original, freshly formed and nearly unfilled rune remained.


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    Hairline cracks ran throughout her mindspace. Something had left massive scars across her soul. Alexandra¡¯s face paled. If Noah couldn¡¯t repair such things, damage like this would have spelt the end for her career.


    ¡°What?¡± Alexandra breathed.


    She turned to face the rest of her Mindspace to see how extensive the damage was ¡ª and then she froze. Shock turned to pure disbelief as she stared down into the floor in the very center of her Mindspace.


    As she stared at the impossibly complex rune emblazed into the ground, one with her very soul itself.


    Fragment of Self.

 Chapter 647: The True Pattern

    Alexandra¡¯s blood pounded in her skull like a war drum as she stared at the new rune in her soul. A rune she hadn¡¯t even tried to make. She blinked, staring in stunned silence for a moment.


    Runes didn¡¯t just pop into existence. That wasn¡¯t how they worked. Well ¡ª they supposedly could, but that theoretically happened in nature, not right inside somebody¡¯s soul. There was no way for a human to form a rune without combining seven others.


    But her disbelieving thoughts had no ears to fall on. The Fragment of Self shimmered before her, embedded deep into her soul as if it had always been there. She could feel it within herself. Power she¡¯d never felt before radiated throughout her soul.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Alexandra whispered, taking a step toward the rune and dropping to her knees before it to let a hand rest upon its surface. Energy prickled against her fingers like blades of grass.


    Noah... he mentioned something about a Fragment of Self. That it would be the way I could replace my missing Body Runes. But I needed a way to make it! That was the whole problem. So how did this just show up?


    And no matter how hard she dug through her mind, Alexandra didn¡¯t have the answer to that question. The rune had seemingly just popped into existence out of nowhere. Its complicated pattern wormed so deeply into her soul that it was hard for her to believe that it hadn¡¯t always been a part of it.


    But it hadn¡¯t. The throbbing pain assaulting her head from the severe damage her mindspace had taken in the formation of the Fragment of Self made that clear enough. Something had happened to cause it to form.


    Alexandra bit her lower lip so hard she tasted iron. She¡¯d never fancied herself someone who truly cared about how runes functioned... but Noah was going to want an answer for this. It was something he needed for every student.


    ¡°He¡¯s helped me so much already. I can¡¯t just tell him, ¡®oh, I don¡¯t know. The rune just popped up.¡¯ The others need a way to form this as well,¡± Alexandra said to herself through gritted teeth. ¡°I have to figure out how it appeared. What happened? Why are you here?¡±


    The rune didn¡¯t respond to her. Alexandra was on her own. The longer she waited to find the answer, the less she¡¯d have to work with. She hadn¡¯t exactly been trying to memorize what she¡¯d been doing when the rune had formed. Her recollection of what had happened was already fading in the headache caused by the soul damage.


    If I can¡¯t figure out what happened now, I might not get a chance to at all. Then what would I tell everyone else? Sorry guys, I managed to make a Fragment of Self, which everyone here also needs to do, but I couldn¡¯t fucking figure out how I did it?


    Alexandra clenched her teeth. She refused to let that be a possibility. Magic didn¡¯t work like that. Noah had said it himself. Everything was a pattern. Just because she didn¡¯t see what it was didn¡¯t mean it didn¡¯t exist.


    There was no random happenstance. The Fragment of Self had formed because of something she¡¯d done.


    Noah said that creating a rune needs three things. Intent, an inciting event, and energy. So all three of those things must have somehow been present. If I figure out what they were, then I¡¯ve figured out how the rune popped up.


    What was I thinking right before I felt something was wrong with my rune?


    A shimmer of energy behind the Fragment of Self buried within her soul¡¯s floor. It seemed to reinforce the words ringing through her head.


    Numbly, Alexandra staggered back to her feet. Her skull pounded with a worsening headache. At this point, she couldn¡¯t even tell if it was from the soul damage or the fragmented words taking form on their own in her mind.


    But from the pain and confusion, one more thought took form. A final thought that came from the very center of her being. Something that every single part of her new to be true as soon as it made itself known.


    The wind was just the medium I chose for that pattern. I chose it subconsciously because it felt like it fit my fighting style... but my true pattern is far more than that.


    Alexandra¡¯s soul shuddered around her. The Fragment of Self burning within its center lit even brighter. Its power worked deep into her body, worming into every vein. But perhaps power was the wrong word. It wasn¡¯t the strength of a normal rune so much as awareness.


    She could feel every part of her in a way that she never could have before. From her hair to her fingernails, everything suddenly felt like it had become hers for the first time that she could remember.


    My understanding of patterns was flawed. It¡¯s not about the wind that I infused my blade with. It isn¡¯t about the avalanche that Isabel pictures herself becoming. That¡¯s just the way our true pattern manifests itself. In something we can understand.


    My pattern was never just the wind.


    And just like that, Alexandra knew what had killed the grass at her feet ¡ª and she knew how she¡¯d formed the Fragment of Self.


    The energy came from my own soul. That¡¯s why I took such severe soul damage and my Rank 3 Rune was drained to almost nothing.


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    The intent was always there. For years, I¡¯ve always desired one thing over everything else. I¡¯ve wanted it so much that it¡¯s practically ingrained into my soul, so it¡¯s no wonder that my Fragment of Self could have used it... which leaves only the inciting event.


    And that event was completing my pattern. My desires reached a point when they moved into a magical pattern. They took energy from my soul and used my intent to create a new rune.


    As for the dead grass ¡ª it wasn¡¯t the cause of anything. It was the effect of my completed, true pattern. A pattern that draws power from my surroundings because it doesn¡¯t recognize a difference between the world¡¯s power and my power.


    Alexandra drew in a sharp breath ¡ª and her eyes snapped open outside of her Mindspace, where she knelt on the dirt ground of her training area.


    My pattern is freedom. Freedom, no matter what the cost.

 Chapter 648: Show

    Noah stood alone in the Scorched Acres. He held his violin in one hand and its bow in the other, but his arms hung at his sides, their music temporarily silenced, as he stared up into the distant clouds as they trailed past beyond the twisting branches of the burnt tree above him.


    He¡¯d had Tim send him to the Scorched Acres shortly after class had ended. As much as he wanted to spend the time with Moxie and the others, he couldn¡¯t afford the luxury. That was the cost of playing a hand at the games he¡¯d started.


    Between the nobles, the Inquisitors, and everyone after Isabel¡¯s Master rune, not to mention all the demons he had shacked up in Tim¡¯s tower... there was too much at stake. He¡¯d sold the world a promise that Spider was some monstrous entity that could not be challenged.


    And, inevitably, someone would call his bluff.


    He had to make sure it wasn¡¯t a bluff when that day came. Noah had grown stronger in the Damned Plains. A lot stronger ¡ª but not strong enough. That always did seem to be the case, but that was probably because he¡¯d been punching above his weight ever since the day he¡¯d set foot in the Scorched Acres.


    I have to take the power that already rests at my grasp. I¡¯ve made some good steps in getting control over my Rank 5 Rune, but it isn¡¯t something that can be mastered and perfected immediately. The only way true understanding of runes can be gained is through experience.


    But Unstable Pandemonium isn¡¯t the only power I have at my disposal. I¡¯ve left Formations aside for too long. I¡¯ve let music aside for too long. Alexandra set off too fast for me to ask her what the hell was up with her pattern, but that¡¯s fine. I can ask next class. What matters is that there¡¯s so much more to patterns than I¡¯ve let myself access.


    That ends today.


    ¡°What is music?¡± Noah asked the clouds above him.


    A shadow passed over his him as a cloud slipped in front of the sun and blocked it out. The corner of Noah¡¯s lips pulled up in a thin smile, but he still made no move to bring the bow of his violin to its strings.


    ¡°What is a pattern to me? What is music to me?¡± Noah¡¯s words drifted through the empty air, swallowed by the Scorched Acres. He wasn¡¯t going to get a response, but he wasn¡¯t expecting one. The only way to truly master a pattern was to completely and utterly understand it. There was no point trying to practice anything before he was completely confident he understood himself inside and out... and that was a whole lot harder than it sounded. ¡°Is music a means to an end? A purpose that I clung to from a past life, or a meaning for my present one? Or perhaps simply a convenient weapon?¡±


    Noah loved music. He knew that much. But loving something was painfully easy. It was possibly the easiest thing a human could do. Love was ingrained so deeply into humanity that a man could take one look at something and decide to pursue it for the rest of his life ¡ª a woman, a passion, a goal: all the same.


    Love was easy. But to love with a purpose, to continue on when just love wasn¡¯t enough... that was hard.


    A part of Noah wondered why he was even going through this line of thought. He¡¯d dedicated his whole life back on Earth to learning music, and that had hardly been a cakewalk. If he was honest with himself, it had been a shitshow.


    Most of his memories weren¡¯t truly worth remembering. Hours and hours of practice. Suffering when everyone told him that his chosen field was worthless. That he should have gone with something more stable. Something where he could really change the world and make money. Music could just be a hobby on the side. Teaching music never got anyone everywhere.


    He¡¯d heard a thousand variations of the same shit.


    And he¡¯d pressed on anyway. It would have been lying to say it had been great. If he was completely honest with himself, there were far more bad moments in that life than there had been good ones.


    But when he looked back on it all ¡ª and he¡¯d had more than enough time to do that ¡ª Noah found that there wasn¡¯t a single thing that he would have changed.


    ¡°Okay, I might have passed on the whole bullshit getting sick and dying bit,¡± Noah admitted to the tree before him. ¡°If I had to die, I think I¡¯d have preferred an anvil from a 10th story building or a truck. But aside from that...¡±


    Sure, he¡¯d have preferred if he¡¯d somehow magically been a rockstar and had so much money that he could dive into pools of 100 dollar bills, but when it came to the choices he¡¯d made with the hand he¡¯d been dealt, aside from punching a few choice assholes in the face, there was shit all he¡¯d have done differently.


    He didn¡¯t love music because it had been a path to power. It had never been something he¡¯d pursued because it would get him something. Noah had followed music because he wanted to. That was it. The full extent of his choices boiled down to the simple fact that he¡¯d loved music, despite all the challenges that chasing after it had caused.


    But now things were set up to be different. It wasn¡¯t just something to study because it was a way to express oneself. Music wasn¡¯t something for entertainment or relaxation. Here, it was a weapon.


    The lead Inquisitor¡¯s visible features crinkled in confusion. ¡°What?¡±


    Noah set his violin against his chin and let the bow rest against its strings. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You just have very good timing. After all, you can¡¯t really have a performance without an audience, can you?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s using a Formation!¡± one of the Inquisitors yelled, thrusting his hand forward. Shadows exploded from the ground around him and carved toward Noah like a hail of black blades.


    Noah¡¯s bow sliced down across his violin¡¯s strings in an impossibly fast movement made possible only by the enhanced powers of his Fragment of Self. Bright, upbeat notes sang out through the air ¡ª and the shadows melted away, turning into gentle black mist that coiled to gather at Noah¡¯s feet. The power lingered within the mist, but its direction was gone. It was nothing but raw energy.


    The smile on Noah¡¯s lips widened. His hand moved even faster, practically a blur as the notes of a song wrapped through the air like a constricting python.


    The Inquisitor took a step back. ¡°My magic! What manner of demonic technique is this?¡±


    ¡°Now, gentlemen,¡± Noah said, his gaze turning sharper as his bow continued to dance across the strings of his violin. ¡°When attending a performance, you do not speak. You listen. But don¡¯t worry. I had a similar issue when I was a kid. I snuck a squeaky duck into an orchestra performance. Thought it would be funny. You should have seen the look on the conductor¡¯s face when, right in the middle of a rest, I went to town with that thing.¡±


    ¡°What in the Damned Plains are you on about?¡± the lead Inquisitor demanded. ¡°Lower the weapon, now. You¡¯re not getting another chance.¡±


    ¡°My parents took my duck away, of course. They made me stay after the performance was done to apologize to him. I was ready to get yelled at for an hour,¡± Noah said, ignoring the man entirely. ¡°But do you know what he did with that squeaky duck? He played a song on it. Squeaked it to a tune. About as good of one as you can get from a shitty duck. Then he gave it back to me and said I had some practice to do.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± the lead Inquisitor growled. He slashed a hidden blade across his palm. Blood welled against it and he thrust his hand forward, sending a spike of blood streaking through the air for Noah¡¯s neck.


    The magic pierced through his domain ¡ª and then evaporated into motes of mist that joined the remains of the shadowy mist swirling at Noah¡¯s feet as raw energy. The man¡¯s face paled a shade.


    ¡°Thank you...¡± Noah said, his violin pausing for a moment as he came to a rest in the song. ¡°For the duck.¡±


    The lingering power from the Inquisitor¡¯s magic, held in place by his music, evaporated. It was swallowed whole, consumed by the pattern filling every part of Noah¡¯s body. For everything Noah loved about music, there was one thing he hadn¡¯t acknowledged in a long time.


    For him, playing music for its own sake was not enough. Music was the feeling it evoked in those who listened to it. What he loved wasn¡¯t music alone. It was every single part that went into a true song.


    My pattern isn¡¯t just music.


    ¡°The fuck are you on about?¡± Blood swirled around the lead Inquisitor¡¯s palm, forming into a twisting vortex. ¡°You¡¯re out of chances. Take the demon-worshipper down.¡±


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    The grimoire on his back shuddered. Its pages fluttered and a presence prickled against his domain as Noah felt the monster within its pages manifest itself ¡ª but he wasn¡¯t about to stop now. If he could have seen his own eyes, then he would have known they shone as brightly as a star in a clear, moonlit night.


    A single new note joined Noah¡¯s song ¡ª but it didn¡¯t come from the violin. It was the angelic strumming chord of a harp.


    ¡°Shit!¡± An Inquisitor hissed. ¡°What the fuck is that?¡±


    ¡°The Herald has awakened,¡± the abomination whispered, delight dripping from its words.


    ¡°Settle down, please,¡± Noah was caught within the pattern thrumming within him like a second heart to address the arrival of the monster. His lips pulled apart into a full-toothed grin. ¡°The show is starting.¡±

 Chapter 649: Inspiration

    Chapter 649: Inspiration


    ¡°That sound didn¡¯t come from his instrument,¡± one of the Inquisitors said as the three of them grouped up, their eyes darting around nervously. The three of them gathered magic around them. They were smart enough not to send it at Noah and end up feeding his intensifying song.


    ¡°Where in the Damned Plains did it come from, then?¡± the lead Inquisitor snapped. Blood twisted into a blade in his hands and he raised it before him. ¡°How do you know it didn¡¯t come from the instrument? Are you an expert on Formation tools?¡±


    ¡°It is a violin,¡± Noah said, his eyes narrowing. His fingers didn¡¯t stop playing for so much as a moment. He built the song around him, layering its magical notes over each other like he were building a house that could be only heard and not seen. ¡°Formation tools. Bah. I take offense to that. A lot of it.¡±


    ¡°If it didn¡¯t come from the damn tool, then where did it come from?¡± the third Inquisitor demanded. ¡°Are you saying we all hallucinated it?¡±


    ¡°Answer the question, demon-worshipper,¡± the first man said. He was doing his absolute best to sound like he had even the slightest amount of control over the situation left to him.


    ¡°There are a lot of brilliant ways to experience something for the first time,¡± Noah said, only speaking with the edges of his consciousnesses. The rest of his mind was completely focused on the song unfurling like a flower around him. ¡°I¡¯m partial to when things all go to plan... but I enjoy learning alongside my audience just as much. There¡¯s something about new discoveries that just feels different.¡±


    And if I¡¯m totally honest, I don¡¯t fully understand what I¡¯m doing. I¡¯m just copying what Alexandra did. Seeing her use her pattern like that... I really need to pull her aside and speak to figure out what she¡¯s actually learned. There might have been some instinct in there, but I can tell she was actually in control of it. Alexandra isn¡¯t just doing something without any thought behind it. Her understanding of patterns is actually far greater than mine right now... but these idiots wouldn¡¯t even be able to tell the difference between my cheap copy and her abilities.


    ¡°What are you on about?¡± The Inquisitors were stuck in an awkward position. They couldn¡¯t just turn and run off ¡ª that wasn¡¯t their paradigm. But not a single one of their attacks had even gotten close to Noah, much less managed to actually injure him.


    They¡¯d been expecting to find a weak mage reliant on his demon contracts to protect him. A part of Noah wondered what they would have thought if they knew they stood across, not just from Professor Vermil, but from the very one they thought Vermil had contracted.


    ¡°That was a fun way for me to say I haven¡¯t the slightest idea,¡± Noah said with a delighted laugh. "Isn''t that wonderful? See, I realized something. The world is a pattern in itself. Music, magic, the way we all act, everything. Everyone is so focused on ripping that pattern apart to figure out how things work that nobody actually just stops. Stops to marvel at the wonder that all of this really is. It¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s lost it,¡± one of the Inquisitors muttered. ¡°The fool has gone insane. Demonic energy must have reduced his mind to mush.¡±


    Noah blew out a disappointed sigh, his hands still playing the complicated song flooding the Scorched Acres. ¡°I suppose you wouldn¡¯t be the lot that would pick up on this too quickly. Inquisitors haven¡¯t been too good at being open-minded, have they? I wish you¡¯d sent Fuyin. At least she isn¡¯t a complete dunce ¡ª but then again, I suppose this makes things easier for me.¡±


    ¡°If we attack at once, we can break through his defenses,¡± the lead inquisitor hissed, gathering more and more blood in his sword. The weapon glistened with concentrated magical energy, its core practically humming with unrestrained power.


    ¡°You know, trying to attack things you don¡¯t understand is half the reason you¡¯re all going to end up dead,¡± Noah said. ¡°One chance. That¡¯s all I¡¯ll give you. It¡¯s certainly more than you¡¯d give me. Release your magic and step back.¡±


    ¡°We will not bargain with a demon!¡±


    ¡°Upgraded me to demon, did you?¡± Noah tilted his head to the side. Then he shrugged. ¡°So be it. I suppose I¡¯d prefer if this didn¡¯t get out anyway. You¡¯ve made things easier for me, but don¡¯t let it be said that I didn¡¯t try.¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    The air crackled. Unstable Pandemonium shuddered within him ¡ª but not a single drop of power left the rune. Instead, power from the magic that the Inquisitors had thrown at Noah surged back into existence, accompanied by the bright chord of a harp ringing through the air.


    A brilliant crack split through Scorched Acres as a bolt of red lightning bloomed from the air to Noah¡¯s side, splitting it with a brilliant flash and streaking toward one of the Inquisitors.


    His Shield flashed to life in a brilliant golden orb around him. A smug expression crossed the man¡¯s lips as the red light faded from the air and his shield remained shimmering in the air around him.


    ¡°Your magic might be powerful, but we came prepared,¡± he said.


    Noah tilted his head to the side. His eyes flicked down to the Inquisitor¡¯s chest. The man followed his gaze. His smug expression faltered as he involuntarily took a staggering step back.


    A warped hole flickered in the very center of his chest. His body had warped around where the magic had connected with him, twisting like melted sugar. The spot where his heart had been was nothing but a clean hole that continued through to reveal the glow of the Shield behind him.


    The Shield sputtered. Then it went out, having nothing left to protect. It hadn¡¯t so much as been touched by Noah¡¯s magic. The Inquisitor swayed, then pitched forward. He was dead before he hit the ground.


    The other two stared at Noah in horror.


    ¡°Impossible,¡± the lead Inquisitor rasped, fear finally taking root behind his eyes. ¡°Shields cannot be bypassed by magic so easily. How could you...¡±


    ¡°Do you have any


    idea how many times I¡¯ve heard the word impossible and how many times the person who said that was wrong?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Because, let me tell you, it¡¯s pretty damn often. This is the problem! Rules, rules, rules. Rules are good ¡ª but you don¡¯t fucking understand the rules at all. You made them up, and then you get pissy when your imaginary laws don¡¯t work. You want to know why his shield didn¡¯t do anything? It¡¯s because that was his magic that killed him. Shields don¡¯t block your own abilities.¡±


    Horror washed over the features of the remaining Inquisitors, but the lead refused to back down. The man was clearly trying to buy time while he thought of a way to kill Noah by keeping him talking. ¡°You imply that you stole the magic we used? That cannot be done. Runes don¡¯t work that way. And we used blood and shadow, not that accursed lightning.¡±


    ¡°The sad thing is I would have agreed with you just a short while ago,¡± Noah said with a shake of his head ¡ª but he was running low on time. His song was nearing its end, and he was never one to drag a finished performance out too long. ¡°But really. We already know energy can transfer between runes. As far as connecting the dots goes, this can¡¯t be that difficult. You people sling the word impossible and its synonyms around so much that I¡¯m starting to wonder if you¡¯ve ever actually had an original thought. Does the Inquisition frown on that?¡±


    ¡°Do not attempt to goad us,¡± the lead Inquisitor growled. He lifted his hands, holding his blood sword between himself and Noah as if it was going to do anything. ¡°We will not fall to your trickery, demon.¡±


    Couldn¡¯t I have gotten one of the inquisitors that isn¡¯t a complete moron? I know they exist. Fuyin seemed fairly intelligent. Then again, I¡¯d probably feel a whole lot worse about killing them if they weren¡¯t like this. Once again, I have to thank them. They¡¯ve made things easy for me.


    ¡°I see,¡± Noah said, the vibrations of his violin running through his collarbone as he continued to play. It was a bit disappointing. He quite liked this song, and it seemed his efforts were wasted on the current audience. But that was just life. Noah¡¯s gaze lifted from the instrument to focus on the two inquisitors before him. ¡°Well then. I¡¯d say that it¡¯s been a pleasure, but you really didn¡¯t contribute. You were an audience. Not a good one, but an audience.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t act as if you¡¯ve already won. We still have our domains to protect our magic,¡± the lead Inquisitor snarled. He and his companion both burst into motion as one, charging right at Noah with righteous roars.


    They were actually quite fast. Noah suspected that was probably because they were meant to be able to deal with demons, who could move at speeds typically completely incomprehensible to humans.


    But compared to a normal demon, they weren¡¯t really all that impressive. And compared to Noah¡¯s Fragment of Self-empowered mind... they weren¡¯t really all that fast at all.


    His fingers danced across the strings of his violin as the final notes of his song sang out. A single, thrumming note of a harp breathed through the air of the Scorched Acres like a dying whisper.


    The blood sword in the Inquisitor¡¯s hands disintegrated. Disbelief washed over his features and his shield flashed to life preemptively.


    It did nothing to stop the bolt of red lightning that bloomed from the space to their side from ripping through the pair of Inquisitors like they were nothing but paper. Their domains hadn¡¯t been anywhere near strong enough to keep Noah¡¯s power from piercing through them. They crumpled.


    The forest fell silent.


    Noah let his bow lower from his violin. He looked down at the corpses littering the ground around him, but his attention was barely there. It was focused on his pattern ¡ª one that had converted someone else¡¯s magical power into energy for Unstable Pandemonium to use.


    Well... holy shit. I owe Alexandra some thanks. She gave me some great ideas... and I think I might have found something big. Really big.

 Chapter 650: Not going to stop

    Chapter 650: Not going to stop


    Noah used the elements of Natural Disaster that remained within Unstable Pandemonium to pull the earth apart, creating deep crevices that he kicked the bodies of the dead inquisitors into. He kicked all the bloodied dirt from the fight into the pits before slamming them shut once more.


    With any luck, that¡¯ll make sure no more annoying Inquisitors show up looking for me. I¡¯m really not trying to spend half of my waking hours dealing with these idiots. Why couldn¡¯t more of them be like Fuyin?


    Noah didn¡¯t have any delusions that this would keep them off his tail forever. With the amount of attention he¡¯d pulled in his direction with the whole Spider ruse, he had no doubt that the Inquisitors would be knocking at his door again soon. Maybe it would be for this, or maybe something else entirely.


    It didn¡¯t matter. He didn¡¯t need to keep them off his back forever. It just had to be long enough for him to finish preparing his students and deal with the Nobles trying to steal Isabel¡¯s Master Rune.


    Once the majority of the evidence from the fight was gone, Noah leaned back against the trunk of a burnt tree and pursed his lips. He¡¯d learned a whole lot more about patterns than he¡¯d been expecting to today ¡ª and it was almost entirely because of Alexandra.


    Even though she hadn¡¯t had a chance to tell him exactly what she¡¯d been doing, just being able to watch her absolutely incredible progress with Patterns had been like flicking a light switch on within his own mind.


    The pages of the grimoire on his back fluttered. A shadow passed over him as something large arose behind him. Noah didn¡¯t need to turn around to see what it was. He already knew.


    ¡°The Body Rune girl is something of a prodigy, is she not?¡± the abomination that lived within Noah¡¯s grimoire asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Noah said after a moment of thought. ¡°Not particularly.¡±


    The abomination let out a raspy laugh. ¡°That is some ego, Herald. She¡¯s figured out more about patterns than you have. Everything you just accomplished was built off stolen understanding. It is like the difference between a researcher and a man who simply read the research.¡±


    Noah smiled. ¡°Oh, she¡¯s incredible. Don¡¯t get me wrong. But a prodigy would imply that it was some natural skill that gave Alexandra aid in her work. That wasn¡¯t the case. It was all sheer work and perseverance. She¡¯s been fighting to master patterns this whole time. Calling her a prodigy would be a disservice.¡±


    The abomination hesitated for a moment. Then it laughed again. ¡°A fair point. She is an interesting one. It will be curious to see if she is able to catch up with the other students. They have quite the lead on her now that her runes were cut apart.¡±


    ¡°It was necessary,¡± Noah said. ¡°And I have complete faith that she¡¯ll figure something out. Out of all my students, I don¡¯t know if anyone else has the same self-motivation. Isabel and Todd both have goals they¡¯re working toward, but Alexandra is... hounded, for lack of a better word. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s going to relent until she¡¯s broken free of her past.¡±


    ¡°A motivated warrior.¡±


    ¡°Student,¡± Noah corrected. His eyes narrowed. ¡°My students are not warriors. They can fight, but that does not make them warriors. Their only job is to learn and survive.¡±


    ¡°Such is the role of a warrior.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but I don¡¯t like the idea of you treating my students like they¡¯re weapons. Especially when I still don¡¯t know what the hell it is that you want.¡±


    ¡°Runes,¡± the abomination said. ¡°Power. I have made that abundantly clear.¡±


    ¡°I got that part,¡± Noah said with a shake of his head. ¡°But I¡¯m also not dumb enough to believe that your goals are so simple-minded that they end purely with power. You want that strength for a reason.¡±


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    ¡°Power is a reward in its own. It is freedom. Control.¡±


    ¡°Right. And that¡¯s why you keep calling me the Herald. I don¡¯t recall earning that title.¡± Noah arched an eyebrow and finally turned around to face the abomination. ¡°Or are you going to tell me that you just call all of your friends Herald?¡±


    ¡°No. You are the Herald.¡±


    ¡°The hell does that even mean?¡± Noah asked. ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to find that out for a while, but there¡¯s never been a good time. Is it some weird ass prophecy shit?¡±


    The abomination started to laugh again. It was certainly in a jolly mood today ¡ª and now that Noah thought about it, he hadn¡¯t gotten any energy from killing any of the Inquisitors. His eyes narrowed even further.


    It stole the energy from their runes. Little bastard.


    ¡°There are no prophecies. There is no future set in stone. You can ask your Moonlight Demon that,¡± the abomination said through its laughter. ¡°There are only probabilities and chances. Potentials for futures that may or may not come to pass. Guarantees cannot exist. They go against the laws of this universe.¡±


    ¡°Then why do you call me the Herald?¡±


    ¡°Because it is what you are.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to think you just like being cryptic.¡±


    ¡°There is a certain amount of joy to be gleaned from your frustration. More than I care to admit verbally. Doing so would feel debasing. The incompetence of mortal minds may be the closest thing to a universal constant in existence. A herald is one who brings change, Vines.¡±


    ¡°I know the bloody definition of a herald,¡± Noah snapped. ¡°The problem here is you are definitely capitalizing the damn word when you call me it.¡±


    ¡°That would be how a proper noun functions.¡±


    ¡°You little ¡ª wait. Why do you know what that is?¡±


    ¡°Much of me comes from you,¡± the abomination said with a rippling shrug that passed through its entire gangly body. Then its words changed. It took Noah a second to realize what it was. The abomination was speaking English. Not the translated language that he¡¯d inherently learned from the scraps of Vermil¡¯s soul, but actual English. ¡°My understanding of language is included in that. Runes contain more than just power, Vermil. They contain impressions.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that is creepy. Are you telling me you¡¯ve gotten... what, pieces of memories from every rune you¡¯ve eaten?¡±


    The abomination¡¯s ghastly mouth split apart into a wide smile. ¡°Are you really so surprised to learn that the patterns that make runes contain more than just pure energy?¡±


    ¡°At this point, I don¡¯t think anything would surprise me,¡± Noah said, pursing his lips in displeasure. It was pretty clear that the abomination had absolutely no plans of giving him any information about whatever Herald meant. For whatever reason, it was keeping it to itself.


    I also can¡¯t keep thinking of this thing as an abomination. That might be what it is, but it takes way too damn long to think, much less say.


    ¡°Grim,¡± Noah said.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Grim. Like grimoire, but just the first bit. That¡¯s what I¡¯m calling you from here on out. Can¡¯t be bothered going with something longer. Espeically when you¡¯re going to be a pain in the ass.¡±


    ¡°You are giving me a shorter name because I annoy you?¡±


    ¡°Correct,¡± Noah said. ¡°I could be persuaded to add a few letters if you told me what it was you were on about, though.¡±


    ¡°Grim suits me fine.¡±


    Damn it.


    ¡°Figured,¡± Noah said through a sigh. He shook his head and turned away from Grim. The monstrosity was unsettling to look at, even for him. ¡°I¡¯ve already wasted too much time on this, then. I¡¯ve got what I came here to practice. I really need to get a chance to speak with Alexandra and get her full thoughts on Patterns. Maybe I could find a way to push this even further, not to mention teach all the other students to help them get up closer to Alexandra¡¯s level on their patterns."


    "All of your students? Including the demons?"


    "Yes. Why? They might be new to patterns, but I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be able to figure it out just as well as everyone else did.¡±


    Grim let out a thoughtful noise. At least, Noah suspected that was what it was. It could be a bit hard to tell when dealing with horrifying corpse-creatures.


    ¡°We will see. I am most curious to see if the Moonlight Demon will be able to achieve any true progress. Living controlled by your own runes for so long... an interesting experiment.¡±


    Noah¡¯s lips thinned. He didn¡¯t like the implications of that. Grim didn¡¯t seem to feel too optimistic about Yoru¡¯s chances of progressing very far with patterns. Noah honestly wasn¡¯t sure how well she was taking the loss of her Master Rune. The demon was exceptionally good at hiding her thoughts.


    But in the end, it didn¡¯t matter. Noah wasn¡¯t about to let anyone fall behind.


    We¡¯ll see indeed. I¡¯m not going to stop until every single one of my students, no matter who they are, are all better at patterns than I am.

 Chapter 651: Fragments

    Noah¡¯s return to Arbitage came not long after his fight with the Inquisitors. The Transport Cannon called him back to Arbitage, depositing him beside Tim amidst a veritable sea of sleeping demons.


    Tim lifted a finger to his lips to signal for silence. He sent a glance around the room at all the sleeping demons, clearly wanting to make sure that they weren¡¯t accidentally woken up. Noah didn¡¯t blame him. He couldn¡¯t imagine demons were typically very quiet guests. The old man was probably more than grateful for a moment of silence.


    Noah exchanged a quiet nod with Tim before he made his way out of the tower, stepping carefully around the sleeping demons. He couldn¡¯t help but feel like there weren¡¯t as many of them as there should have been.


    None of them are stupid enough to get themselves caught. They understand the stakes, so I¡¯m sure they¡¯re just off getting food with Lee or something like that. I¡¯ll get worried if they aren¡¯t back by tomorrow. For now, I just need to speak with Moxie ¡ª and Alexandra.


    Though maybe Alexandra should come tomorrow. I really don¡¯t need to be re-igniting any of those old rumors about Vermil.


    He set a brisk pace for Moxie¡¯s room without any delay. Thoughts swirled through his mind in a turbulent whirlwind. Noah barely even cared about the Inquisitors that had tried to attack him.


    All he could think about was his pattern. He didn¡¯t even fully understand what it was yet, but it had been enough to somehow rip power from another mage¡¯s runes and feed it to his own. The implications of such an ability were astronomical.


    You¡¯d think I¡¯d have gotten used to the traditionally established rules about runes not being all that accurate by now, but somehow I¡¯m still surprised. But the more I think about it... the more I feel like I shouldn¡¯t be.


    Energy is energy. The runes are just a pattern through which that energy expresses itself. So, logically, there¡¯s no reason for energy from one rune to not work with another. I¡¯ve even seen that work during combinations, when I break one rune apart and use its power to fill a different one.


    This is the same thing. Just a very different application of it.


    Noah arrived at the T building and swept through the doors. Ideas and questions bloomed and mixed in his mind like some strange witch¡¯s potion. Even if he could logically understand how the pattern had worked this particular time, he still didn¡¯t know what it truly was ¡ª and that wasn¡¯t even starting to address the full potential of what patterns could do.


    If they can mess with other people¡¯ s magic, then patterns are even more powerful than I originally thought. Alexandra is a genius. Mages can normally only control their own magic because the patterns are just... there. Part of their souls. But if you take that magic and imprint it on the external world with a pattern, then so many of the rules that everyone thinks are absolute about patterns are going to become wrong.


    Noah had thought that discovering Flawless runes had been huge, but he was starting to think this might be even larger. It was practically a completely new application of magic... and he was willing to bet that not a single person in Arbitage had the slightest clue about it.


    Formations were so restricted and feared that the only ones that practiced them followed rigid guidelines. That sort of approach would never let them reach the intuitive understanding that Alexandra had achieved. Even getting to the point that Noah had gotten to today would be impossible for them. From the information that Noah had gotten from the books on Formations, the few Formation Masters that did exist had the equivalent of a Swiss army multi-tool and were choosing to use the whole thing as a hammer.


    He arrived at Moxie¡¯s room, still trying to process everything that had happened today. Then he paused. There was faint noise coming from within the room. There were people talking within it ¡ª but he didn¡¯t recognize either of the voices as Lee¡¯s.


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    Who visits us other than Lee? It isn¡¯t Karina or Contessa either.


    Noah tested the doorknob. It was unlocked. He cracked the door open, his domain rolling out before he could get anything more than a brief glimpse of the crack. There were two people in the room.


    One was Moxie, which really wasn¡¯t a surprise. But the other voice... it belonged to Alexandra.


    Is it a private conversation or something? I probably shouldn¡¯t butt in if it is... but standing around at the door would probably be even worse. Oh well.


    He pushed the door fully open.


    Alexandra sat at the desk, her back hunched and head cradled in her hands. Her posture was stiff and lines of strain creased what little of her face that Noah could make out. It looked like she was in pain.


    Moxie stood beside her, a hand on the girl¡¯s shoulder. Her gaze shot to Noah as soon as he stepped into the room.


    ¡°Noah. Good. I was just about to go looking for you. Alexandra¡¯s in a bad state. You need to help, now.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Noah asked, striding over to them. ¡°Did someone attack you? Inquisitors?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alexandra said through gritted teeth. ¡°Sorry. I know it¡¯s late. I gave myself soul damage. A lot of it. I was going to wait until tomorrow to ask you to fix it, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Explanations later,¡± Noah said sharply. He swung his grimoire off its spot on his shoulder and set it down with a thunk as he drew on Unstable Pandemonium¡¯s power. ¡°Relax as much as you can. I¡¯m going to use Mind magic to take a look at your soul.¡±


    Alexandra let out a grunt of understanding and said nothing more. Even if she¡¯d planned to, Noah wasn¡¯t going to wait for it. He recognized the look on her features. Alexandra was resilient. Pain like what that could only come from an immense amount of soul damage.


    What the hell happened to her? There¡¯s no way she should have been able to take that much damage unless she literally ripped her last Rank 3 Rune right out of her soul. She¡¯s not stupid enough to do that. Is this the result of an attack? Did somebody attack one of my students?


    Anger welled in Noah¡¯s chest, but he crushed it down. Emotions would do nothing right now. He sent his magic forward, letting it form a connection between his mind and Alexandra¡¯s. Moxie looped her arms around his shoulders a moment before Noah felt his body go limp.


    His soul leapt free from its fleshy prison and darkness swallowed his vision.


    ***


    Alexandra¡¯s soul bloomed around Noah in a swirl of gentle light. A cold wind rolled against his skin as his feet materialized on the top of the mountain that made up the base of her Mindspace.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Noah breathed.


    Enormous cracks split the sky, spilling empty white light out across the sky and over the mountain peak. They ran through the clouds and down into the base of the mountain like the web of a deranged spider.


    Alexandra¡¯s soul wasn¡¯t about to split apart, but it wasn¡¯t far from it either. This was some of the worst damage that Noah had seen in any soul other than his own. He didn¡¯t even wait to see where Alexandra was.


    He extended his senses toward the Fragment of Renewal instantly, drinking deeply from the rune¡¯s power. Rivers of gentle energy welled within him and his runes shuddered as they pressed back against the Fragment of Renewal¡¯s might.


    Pearlescent energy swirled at Noah¡¯s hands. He continued to drink from the rune, gathering as much of the healing magic as his body could handle before thrusting his hands forward.


    Streams of power poured out from his hands and twisted through the air. They poured into the cracks riddling Alexandra¡¯s Mindspace. Noah held the magic for as long as he could before the Master Rune finally pulled back and its flow of energy ground to a halt.


    He let his hands drop and swayed, a wave of dizziness washing over him for a moment before he managed to shake it off.


    The smallest of the cracks started to seal as Renewal¡¯s power worked through them, but the larger ones would take longer. If Noah hadn¡¯t been Rank 5, this might have required multiple applications of the Fragment of Renewal to fully fix.


    Now, he was fairly sure that the one application would be sufficient. From the rate the large cracks were healing at, he was pretty sure they¡¯d be closed up within the next few hours.


    Noah blew out a relieved breath. Alexandra wasn¡¯t going to die ¡ª but the question still remained.


    ¡°What the hell happened?¡± Noah asked, finally turning to search for Alexandra.


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    She stood behind him, a hand pressed against her skull and a fading grimace on her lips. But her gaze wasn¡¯t directed at Noah. It was focused on a spot right in front of him.


    Noah turned back to see what she was looking at. And then he froze, his eyes widening in surprise.


    Imbued into the surface the mountain was a rune whose pattern worked throughout the stone surrounding it, delving so deep that it may as well have been one with her.


    Fragment of Alexandra


    She¡¯d managed to create a Fragment of Self ¡ª and without the use of Sunder.

 Chapter 652: Promoted

    Goosebumps raced across Noah¡¯s skin as he stared at the rune in the center of Alexandra¡¯s mountainous Mindspace. Even though his brain had processed what his eyes were seeing, it took him a moment to confirm he wasn¡¯t hallucinating.


    ¡°You did it,¡± Noah breathed, spinning back to stare at Alexandra. ¡°You managed to make a Fragment of Self?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Alexandra said. And that was it. There was still pain evident in her voice, remnants from the still-closing wounds that littered the ground and sky around them.


    It would be at least a few minutes before that pain abated. Noah knew from experience. The extent of the damage that Alexandra had taken, even with help from the Fragment of Renewal, wasn¡¯t something that would let itself leave peacefully and without discomfort. Even a single word probably took quite a bit of effort for her to muster.


    ¡°How?¡± Noah asked. It probably would have been better for him to wait until the Fragment had done more to heal Alexandra, but his question spilled from his lips before he could stop it.


    He could barely believe what he was looking at. Making a Fragment of Self had been one of the biggest issues that he¡¯d ever had to deal with. The benefits it gave were beyond massive, but he just had no idea how to teach anyone about it.


    Noah didn¡¯t have the slightest idea as to how it could have been made without cheating the process with something like Sunder¡¯s passive. And so long as that had been the case, he couldn¡¯t help anyone make one themselves.


    ¡°It was by accident, if you¡¯d believe that,¡± Alexandra said through a weak laugh. She flopped back as stone rose up from the ground, rising to form a chair beneath her. ¡°I was just practicing my pattern.¡±


    ¡°Practicing your...¡± Noah trailed off. His eyes went wide. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. That was the inciting event? Your pattern?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Her voice was a little stronger now. ¡°Can¡¯t say I was expecting that... but now the more that I think about it, the more it makes sense. Our pattern is more than just a fighting style. It¡¯s too deeply ingrained into us for that, you know? I think it¡¯s an actual representation of who we are... or how we look at the world. One of those. Either way, it¡¯s us. So if you think about it that way, it makes a pretty fair amount of sense for finally understanding your pattern to be a viable inciting event for creating a Fragment of Self.¡±


    Noah was already nodding by the time Alexandra had finished speaking. Pieces were clicking into place with such speed that he felt like an idiot for not having managed to see any of it sooner ¡ª but that always tended to be how new discoveries worked. It was easy to draw the lines between the dots once someone had already done it for you.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Noah said, running a hand through his hair as he started to pace. ¡°What could be more related to creating a rune that truly represents you than getting to know yourself? Then you did master your pattern. I was pretty sure you were well ahead of where I was, but you actually figured it out?¡±


    Alexandra¡¯s cheeks reddened. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a little embarrassing, but I figured it out.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Noah asked. He was asking that question a lot today, but he couldn¡¯t help himself. This was far too exciting to just pretend it was a normal occurrence. ¡°You¡¯re doing what I didn¡¯t even think was possible until this morning. I don¡¯t think I need to tell you what your own pattern was up to, but you were pulling energy from the environment rather than yourself.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s part of my pattern.¡± Alexandra hesitated for a moment before coughing into her fist. ¡°It¡¯s freedom, I guess. Not being restrained.¡±


    It was clear she was embarrassed by her pattern, but Noah barely even noticed. The magnitude of the information he was getting was just too significant. Alexandra¡¯s pattern was freedom ¡ª or, in another way of looking at it, it was literally to break the conventions of what should have worked.


    ¡°You¡¯re drawing power from the rest of the world rather than your own runes because your pattern is that you don¡¯t want to be constrained by rules?¡± Noah asked, his pacing grinding to a halt. ¡°How far can you push that? That might be the most powerful pattern I¡¯ve ever heard of.¡±


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    ¡°How many patterns have you heard of?¡±


    Noah coughed into his fist. ¡°Fully completed ones? Yours. That¡¯s it. I suppose you may have gotten that title purely by default, but that isn¡¯t to demean it. Surely you see the ridiculous amount of importance this holds. There are always rules, of course, but the rules we thought were rules aren¡¯t actually rules at all. It¡¯s like magic is a grassy field outside a cabin. Everyone¡¯s been looking at it through a dirty window while you just pulled the door open and stepped outside.¡±


    ¡°Wait. You... don¡¯t have a pattern yourself? Like mine?¡±


    ¡°I hate to admit it, but a lot of teaching is figuring shit out as you go,¡± Noah said sheepishly. He scratched the back of his head. ¡°I kind of skipped a few steps in my learning process. After watching your new pattern this morning, I¡¯ve started developing one of my own. Killed a few Inquisitors with it. Good stuff ¡ª but nowhere near what you¡¯ve managed. I want to hear all of it. This is groundbreaking.¡±


    ¡°I ¡ª wait. You killed Inquisitors?¡±


    ¡°They tried to kill me first,¡± Noah said with a dismissive wave of his hand. He couldn¡¯t be bothered talking about idiots when there was a discovery of this magnitude sitting on the table before him like a plump Christmas turkey. ¡°Forget them. So you made your pattern... then what? What caused this soul damage?¡±


    Alexandra stared at Noah for a second before blowing out a small breath and shaking her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Well, I¡¯ve got a bit of an idea, but I don¡¯ t know for sure. I was practicing my pattern when I suddenly felt like something was really wrong in my soul. I hopped in here to find that everything had gotten smashed and cracked to shit, there was a bite taken out of my Fire Rune, and I had a Fragment of Self.¡±


    ¡°So you literally pattern-ed your Fragment into existence,¡± Noah mused, rubbing his chin. ¡°That¡¯s fascinating... but now that I think about it, it makes sense. A lot of it. The Fragment of Self should come when you completely understand who you are. It¡¯s the runic manifestation of you. A pattern is the same thing.¡±


    ¡°So how do you have one?¡± Alexandra asked, carefully rising from her chair. The damage to her soul was still pretty significant, but the worst of the cracks were thinning out and many of the smaller ones were already gone. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t have a completed pattern.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t. The pattern, that is. I had a discussion with myself.¡±


    ¡°What? What does that even mean?¡±


    ¡°You remember what I did to your original Body Runes, yes?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You cut them out with that creepy black magic you¡¯ve got.¡±


    ¡°Right. I did the same thing to myself. Cut a fragment of my soul out, pulled the soul-goop free, then had a discussion with an identical clone of myself while making sure it couldn¡¯t take over my body. Pretty sure it wasn¡¯t going to do that, but you never know. That¡¯s what I would have done were I in its position. Then I got the Fragment of Self, sans the pattern. As I said... I¡¯ve got a bit of a habit of doing the right thing in the wrong way.¡±


    Alexandra stared at him. ¡°That... somehow didn¡¯t explain anything. I suppose I should have expected that.¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± Noah agreed absentmindedly. His mind was only half in the present. Alexandra¡¯s pattern sounded even stronger than what he¡¯d thought it to be. Drawing power from the world rather than her runes wasn¡¯t the end-all. There was a good chance it was just the start of what she¡¯d be able to do with it. ¡°I¡¯ve got a lot of questions as to how your pattern works, but I¡¯d imagine you haven¡¯t had much chance to practice with it much yet.¡±


    ¡°Not really. Not in its final form, at least,¡± Alexandra said. ¡°As soon as I figured it out I took a bite out of my own soul by accident. I came over here as fast as I could. I¡¯ve barely been able to even think straight up until just now.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense. Soul damage that severe is not to be screwed around with. You should be pretty patched up soon enough,¡± Noah said, sending a glance around the slowly healing Mindspace around them. ¡°Er... I¡¯d suggest being careful once we get back.¡±


    ¡°Being careful?¡± Alexandra¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The Fragment of Self drastically increases your reaction speed as well as your control over your body. You¡¯d think that would mean you can suddenly move like a god, but it really means you¡¯re going to jerk around like a crazed puppet and smack into everything next to you if you aren¡¯t careful.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s... good to know,¡± Alexandra said slowly. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


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    ¡°Good. Then we can head back, I think. I don¡¯t want to pry you with too many questions while you¡¯re recovering. I¡¯ve got enough to sate my curiosity for a little longer. You need to get some rest... but I¡¯m looking forward to seeing what you can teach everyone. It¡¯ll be a good way to stir things up for the class.¡±


    ¡°Wait. The class?¡± Alexandra¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve officially figured out more about patterns than I have,¡± Noah replied with a grin. ¡°It¡¯s going to take me some time and testing to push myself up to where you are, so why would I hold everyone back until I do? We already have someone that can impart their wisdom right now.¡±


    ¡°Me? You want me to teach a class?¡± Alexandra exclaimed. ¡°But I barely even know what I¡¯ve done! It¡¯s mostly just instinct and practice!¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ve got good news for you.¡± Noah chuckled. ¡°The best way to learn is to teach. You have been promoted to temporary teacher¡¯s assistant. And don¡¯t look so terrified. This is going to be fun.¡±

 Chapter 653: Old Friend

    ¡°This is just embarrassing,¡± Renewal said, leaning back in her chair and tossing a chocolate into her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m actually starting to feel like a bit of a fraud.¡±


    ¡°That speaks well for you,¡± Decras replied. He stretched his arms out over his head before rising to his feet. ¡°The Order does not encourage self-reflection. For someone who served as long as you did under their heel, you have kept a remarkable amount of yourself intact.¡±


    That would probably be because I always hated my damn job. It was nice when the mortals in the line were interesting, but that was so far and few in between that it was generally just a pain in the ass. I did the bare minimum and spent the rest of my time daydreaming.


    Renewal coughed into her fist. She looked from Decras to the moving image floating in the air before them. Noah and his ever-growing group of students shimmered within it. For once, instead of teaching, the fascinating mortal stood off to the side with Moxie.


    Everyone¡¯s attention was focused on Alexandra instead of him. She was desperately trying to manage an explanation of her pattern and failing miserably at it. For all the talent and raw determination the girl possessed, she was absolutely horrible at teaching.


    ¡°You¡¯d think she doesn¡¯t actually know what she¡¯s doing,¡± Renewal said, pinching the bridge of her nose with a grimace. ¡°I¡¯m seriously embarrassed. She managed to form a Fragment of Self so young. Younger than I was when I first made mine ¡ª but she¡¯s got so little confidence in herself that it sounds more like Noah gave her the rune.¡±


    ¡°I agree. The girl will need to practice. She needs to be more arrogant,¡± Decras said with a nod.


    ¡°Arrogant? Hardly. Confidence doesn¡¯t need arrogance. She just needs some more experience. I suppose that¡¯s what she¡¯s getting right now, but it certainly isn¡¯t pretty.¡±


    ¡°Much of life is convincing yourself to become what you must be. Confidence rarely comes on its own. Arrogance paves the way to it... and arrogance forces improvement. You cannot stay arrogant if you are not powerful.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve met a number of arrogant idiots.¡±


    ¡°And how long do they live?¡±


    Renewal paused for a moment. Then she inclined her head. ¡°I¡¯ll give you that one. I rather like the girl¡¯s personality as it is, though. Not everyone has to be like your disciples. Look at Ferdinand. He¡¯s not arrogant at all, but he¡¯s managed to tame your little monster.¡±


    ¡°Garina is not tamed. She is merely... fed.¡± Decras didn¡¯t sound too confident about his own words.


    Renewal smirked and arched an eyebrow. ¡°Is there really a difference? Not even you managed to get her to do what you want.¡±


    ¡°Your shiny bald fool hasn¡¯t gotten her to do anything he wants either.¡±


    ¡°That would be because he doesn¡¯t want anything other than her company.¡± Renewal didn¡¯t bother hiding the smug tone in her words. ¡°He¡¯s just happy making her sandwiches and doing nothing. They¡¯re so cute.¡±


    ¡°Their relationship is... surprisingly enjoyable,¡± Decras allowed. ¡°And I am pleased to see Garina happy. She has been alone for too long. Even power cannot replace companionship, and she never got along with the rest of the Disciples.¡±


    ¡°She isn¡¯t the only one,¡± Renewal said, glancing at Decras out of the corners of her eyes. ¡°I recall you¡¯ve got another little pain in the ass running around on that world. One who likes sticking his nose into places it doesn¡¯t belong.¡±


    ¡°You are referring to Revin? He¡¯s hardly one of mine. Not anymore. Even the apostles generally know to keep their distance from him. The fool¡¯s mind is shattered like a dropped plate. Even I can¡¯t predict what it is he desires.¡±


    ¡°Seems like he¡¯d fit into the Fallen pretty well.¡± The corner of Renewal¡¯s lip twitched in amusement. ¡°He certainly wouldn¡¯t get on well with the Order.¡±


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    ¡°Should he ever acquire enough strength to ascend to godhood, I think both the Order and the Fallen will find him equally distasteful. There is a difference between Chaos and pure insanity. He is unstable. Dangerous.¡±


    That gave Renewal pause. Revin was strong for a mortal, but that shouldn¡¯t have been nearly enough to warrant the tone of Decras¡¯ voice. It almost sounded like the god respected Revin.


    ¡°Should... we take a look?¡± Renewal hedged. ¡°Just to make sure he isn¡¯t doing anything too dangerous?¡±


    ¡°He has ways of shrouding his presence, even from me. I cannot expend too much effort looking or I will draw more attention than we want,¡± Decras replied. But, despite his words, he lifted a hand toward the shimmering image. His features creased in concentration. ¡°But I will see if he is in an exhibitionist mood. He does tend to enjoy an audience.¡±


    ***


    A knock echoed through a dark cave, ringing against the stone like the tolling of a funeral bell. The air in the cave was still and stagnant; the only light in it came from a distant crack in the ceiling far above.


    That light was just enough to illuminate the specks of dust twisting through the air in a misty haze above a cloaked man. He stood before an ancient altar. Both the man and the altar¡¯s features were concealed by the deep, consuming darkness around them.


    The echo of the knock faded into the empty cave. Then there was nothing but silence. Several long seconds dragged by. Then the cloaked man lifted his hand and knocked against the altar again. It was a practiced knock, one that seemed to follow some manner of tune.


    Echoes rolled out and faded away; silence ruled once more.


    The cloaked man scratched the back of his head. ¡°I swear I¡¯m doing this right. Damned Plains, this is such a pain in the ass. Am I in the wrong cave? No, I couldn¡¯t be. How many caves have a random altar in the middle?¡±


    He raised his hand to knock for a third time.


    Then the ground cracked. Stone crunched and shattered as a hand pushed up from beneath it, clawing its way to the surface like a corpse arising from the afterlife. Streaks of yellow-orange torchlight broke free from the ground, spilling up into the room as the hand yanked itself back underground.


    It reappeared a moment later alongside a second hand, breaking even more of the stone and sending it tumbling into a well-lit chamber below where the hooded man stood. The hands were followed by a head and then a body.


    Another man clambered up into the cave, brushing the dust and debris from his clothes fruitlessly.


    ¡°Can never find the damn door,¡± the man muttered. ¡°Everyone thinks secret entryways are brilliant until they hide them too well. Then what? What good is a hidden door when even the guy that hid it in the first place can¡¯t find it?¡±


    The cloaked man let the hand that had been just about to start knocking against the altar drop. ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Never mind that. I¡¯ll just make a new door later,¡± the newcomer said with a shake of his head, cutting the other one off before he could even try to answer. ¡°Who are you, and why are you banging around on my ceiling?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fairly certain this is exactly what you told me to do if I were to come looking for you,¡± the cloaked man replied.


    ¡°Hmm. Is that so?¡± the dust-covered man frowned and squinted at the other one. ¡°Are you certain? I don¡¯t believe we¡¯ve met.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely certain. Trust me, yours is a face that¡¯s hard to forget. You spent nearly ten minutes describing the exact sequence of tasks I had to accomplish if I was to locate you again. I followed your directions exactly ¡ª and I¡¯d like to point out that they were terrible. You sent me to a dozen random useless caves before this one. Regardless, I can assure you this wasn¡¯t a spot I wished to find myself in. I¡¯d have taken any other option first had they been available. Unfortunately, things have taken a turn for the worse. Thus, I am here.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t want to speak with me and yet you came anyway?¡± the other man scratched his chin. ¡°Well, we¡¯ve definitely met.¡±


    ¡°Has anyone ever told you how insufferable you are?¡±


    ¡°Oh, all the time.¡± The man¡¯s lips pulled apart. Yellow light filtering into the dark cave from the hole he¡¯d made in the ground caught on his teeth ¡ª two rows of razor sharp fangs like those of a demon twisted into a wide, dangerous smile. ¡°Remind me your name, boy?¡±


    ¡°I am no boy. I am an Inquisitor. The bodies in my wake have ensured that I will never be young again.¡±


    The sharp-toothed man let out a cackle. ¡°How long did it take you to come up with that one? Practice it in the mirror before you went to sleep sucking on a candy?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t eat candy before bed. It¡¯s bad for my teeth.¡±


    ¡°So it is. So is seeking me out, so you must really have a death wish. Your name, Inquisitor.¡±¡¯


    ¡°I am Tillian. Tillian of the Crimson Wake, Inquisitor of the Red Lady.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. I do remember you now. That insufferably long title reeks of either arrogance or idiocy, but I¡¯m not one to be shown up if we¡¯re doing proverbial dick-measuring. Always been a fan of the sport.¡± The other man¡¯s grin stretched impossibly far across his features, far wider than any human mouth should have been able to manage. ¡°I hope you had a damned good reason to come seeking Revin the Godeater, Inquisitor, because you have found him.¡±

 Chapter 654: The Place to Go

    ¡°You¡¯re as melodramatic as the last time we met,¡± Tillian said, pinching the bridge of his nose and letting out a weary sigh. ¡°I was really hoping that was just an act to make sure I didn¡¯t get too comfortable.¡±


    Revin sent him a blank stare. ¡°Naive. You can¡¯t change someone when you start a relationship with them. Who they are is who they will remain.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s romantic advice. It¡¯s not even deep or thoughtful. Who hasn¡¯t heard that from their parents or friends at some point or another?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good romantic advice. You¡¯ll never know when it¡¯ll be important. People all say they know it, but few actually know it. Everyone thinks that they¡¯re different. There¡¯s a big difference between logically knowing something and actually understanding and applying it.¡±


    ¡°I am not here for romantic advice.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t?¡± Revin¡¯s brow furrowed and he tapped a finger on his chin. ¡°Odd. That¡¯s usually why people visit me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to forgive me if I have some trouble believing that. I can¡¯t imagine anyone in their right mind would come here of all places to get any form of advice for their relationships. You live in a hole under a cave.¡±


    ¡°Bah. Judgmental, are we? You shouldn¡¯t think poorly of someone based on their housing. I¡¯ll have you know that this is a very specialized training arena for my student.¡±


    Tillian grimaced. ¡°You have a student? That might be the worst news I¡¯ve gotten all day. Look, Revin ¡ª drop the act. Seriously. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve been up to, but I know you¡¯re not a complete idiot. This is serious. The world is in danger. Chaos¡ª¡±


    ¡°The world is always in danger,¡± Revin said through a snort. ¡°This is just the first time you became aware of it. But I suppose you have come quite a ways to find me. It would probably be rude if I kept you waiting out here too long.¡±


    ¡°Rather rude, yes.¡±


    Revin hopped down into the hole he¡¯d climbed up through a few seconds before. Tillian followed after him, more to make sure the other man couldn¡¯t make a run for it than because he actually wanted to follow Revin anywhere.


    The room below the cave was furnished, but only barely. A single wooden table sat in its center, a few paces away from where the two of them dropped down. Three old, uncomfortable looking wooden chairs sat around it. One of them had a soft cushion placed on it.


    Aside from that, it was empty. A stone door at the side of the room was cracked open, but not enough for Tillian to see anything in the hallway.


    ¡°Feel free to take a seat,¡± Revin said, promptly plopping himself down in the chair with a cushion. ¡°Not the one I¡¯m sitting in, mind you.¡±


    ¡°I had no plans of taking that one.¡± Tillian sat down at the table across from the strange, sharp-toothed man. If he hadn¡¯t seen firsthand what Revin was capable of, he¡¯d have thought him deranged.


    ¡°So,¡± Revin said, his mouth stretching open in a wide yawn that he made no move to hide. ¡°What¡¯s got you in such a panic that you came all the way across the kingdom to find me, Tillian? Last I recall, you were hot on Wizen¡¯s tail.¡±


    ¡°I ¡ª wait. I thought you didn¡¯t remember me. You definitely do.¡±


    ¡°Do I?¡± Revin cocked his head to the side. ¡°That will likely depend on how much of my time you are wasting. I¡¯m a very busy man, you know. I have a student to train.¡±


    ¡°The Chaos in the kingdom has increased. Significantly.¡±


    Revin paused. ¡°Okay. That might be a worthwhile problem. You have my attention. What a pain in the ass.¡±


    His hand shot to the side. Shadows exploded up from the ground, forming into the shape of a wicked-looking scythe. The weapon carved through the air before Tillian could even think of moving. It hooked around his neck in a split second.


    A loud clang echoed out through the cave, the ring of metal on metal.


    There was a thunk a moment later as a sickle thunked to the floor to Tillian¡¯s side. He stared at it in surprise. The attack had come out of nowhere. He hadn¡¯t felt any presence or magic against his domain, and the room wasn¡¯t nearly large enough for anyone to hide outside of his range.


    Revin pulled his scythe back as the sickle was suddenly yanked back into the darkness at the edges of the room.


    A young woman stepped out, the silver hair falling around her shoulders marking her as a Torrin. Her eyes were as flat and dead as the moon on a clouded night. The sickle that Revin had just blocked hung from a chain in her hands, swaying like a pendulum as she drew up to the table.


    ¡°Sorry, Elly,¡± Revin said, sounding genuinely apologetic. ¡°Can¡¯t practice against this one. He¡¯s a guest.¡±


    ¡°Since when does anyone want to visit you?¡±


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    ¡°I am a very popular man. One with a dozen friends. Maybe even two dozen. Haven¡¯t I ever told you how cool I am?¡±


    ¡°More times than I could ever care to count. People with a lot of friends don¡¯t have to count them. They also don¡¯t have to say they¡¯re cool.¡±


    ¡°People with smart mouths don¡¯t get friends at all. And it is called manifesting. You should try it sometime. Start by manifesting some skill,¡± Revin countered. He pointed at the last chair. ¡°Sit down. You may as well sit around for this.¡±


    ¡°Who is this?¡± Tillian asked, tracking Elly through narrowed eyes as she lowered herself gingerly into the chair across from him. ¡°Your student? How did she conceal herself from my domain?¡±


    ¡°Inquisitor training must be lacking these days. Did they not teach you about concealing your runic energy? She¡¯s matching the energy leaking from her body to the ambient energy in the room. Makes her invisible to dunces that only use their domains to feel for fluctuations in power.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a ridiculously high-level technique,¡± Tillian said. ¡°One that¡¯s almost impossible to hold for a long period of time. I was under the impression that your student was going to be a Rank 2 or something. What rank is she?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good question.¡± Revin scratched his chin. ¡°Ellison, what rank are you?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you at least try to get my name right?¡± Elly asked wearily. ¡°Ellison isn¡¯t even a girl¡¯s name.¡±


    ¡°It can be if the girl wants it to be,¡± Revin said. ¡°Anything in this world can be taken with sufficient power. I¡¯ll put effort into remembering your name once you¡¯ve gotten to the point where it¡¯s worth my time. Just be glad I start with the right sound.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Eline,¡± the girl said, looking to Tillian. ¡°And you must be desperate or stupid.¡±


    Tillian frowned. Eline... that name rung a bell. She was definitely a member of the Torrin family. Sure, the hair pretty much gave that away, but this made him even more certain of it.


    ¡°Why is a Torrin here?¡±


    ¡°Her idiot mother gambled her life away. I won it,¡± Revin replied with a shrug. ¡°And I can¡¯t tolerate incompetence. I¡¯m a very dedicated godfather. She should be honored. How many people do you know with cool godfathers? Not many.¡±


    ¡°Revin is your godfather?¡± Tillian asked, aghast.


    ¡°No,¡± Eline said. ¡°He gets confused.¡±


    ¡°I preferred James to you,¡± Revin informed Eline. ¡°He was much less whiny. You, however, can make eggs considerably better than he can. Though you do also get out of bed on your own. That¡¯s two points in your favor.¡±


    Tillian rapped a finger on the table. He¡¯d wasted enough time on this ¡ª and if he was honest, once he was past the surprise, he didn¡¯t care much about why Revin had one of the Torrin family¡¯s scions here. His work was far too important to be distracted for long.


    ¡°Chaos,¡± Tillian reminded Revin. ¡°I think something happened in the kingdom. I lost Wizen¡¯s trail when he made it into the Damned Plains, but I found his hideout. There were strong traces of Chaos magic in it, just as we suspected. And I felt that chaos energy again, recently. It¡¯s getting stronger.¡±


    ¡°That is problematic,¡± Revin said. An uncharacteristically serious expression crossed his features. ¡°I¡¯ve never been particularly sensitive to chaos, but I recall you having a rather keen sense for it. It¡¯s how you were tracking Wizen in the first place if I recall correctly. Is this increase significant?¡±


    ¡°Quite. It was like the balance had shifted,¡± Tillian said. ¡°And it hasn¡¯t gone back to normal. This is big. I wouldn¡¯t have come looking for you if it wasn¡¯t, trust me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I do,¡± Revin said. ¡°I do my best to make sure idiots don¡¯t bother me when I¡¯m working unless the circumstances absolutely mandate it. Perhaps I¡¯ll have to adjust my plans.¡±


    ¡°What is Chaos?¡± Eline asked, her brow furrowing. ¡°Some kind of Rune?¡±


    Tillian half expected Revin to get mad at her for the interruption. But, to his surprise, the madman answered it without missing a beat.


    ¡°A primordial form of runic power. A very dangerous one that can do a whole lot of damage in the wrong hands. It¡¯s not something that I was planning on teaching you about anytime soon. It was at least a few years down the track. That¡¯s quite a pain in the ass. I¡¯m going to have to skip so many cooking lessons.¡±


    ¡°You told me those were done!¡±


    ¡°The pursuit of perfection never ceases, Elliot. Knowing how to prepare food with only the items in your possession is a very important skill. Not even James could master it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s probably because he didn¡¯t use a weapon. How are you supposed to cut meat with your hand?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s his fault for picking no weapon.¡±


    ¡°He might have picked a weapon if you¡¯d told him he was going to have to cook with it.¡±


    ¡°Luck plays an equal part in success to skill. A sickle is better suited for cutting wheat, but it¡¯s definitely better than hands for cutting food. Well done.¡±


    ¡°Somehow, that doesn¡¯t make me feel any better,¡± Eline said, sinking lower into her chair.


    ¡°Children,¡± Revin said with a shake of his head. ¡°They¡¯ll come to understand eventually. I¡¯m sure you know what I mean, Inquisitor.¡±


    Tillian did not.


    ¡°Right,¡± he said, somewhat unconvincingly. ¡°Of course. But about the chaos¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Revin shook his head and raised a hand. ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten. It seems I¡¯ve been a little bit too distracted as of late. Perhaps it¡¯s time to head back to the surface.¡±


    Eline¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Yes! That sounds like a brilliant idea. Chaos is very dangerous. It needs to be dealt with, so we¡¯ll have to all work together to ensure it can¡¯t threaten the kingdom. I¡¯ll come, of course. To help.¡±


    ¡°No. You¡¯re staying here and practicing alone.¡±


    Eline¡¯s mouth dropped open as all the excitement and hope drained from her body in a split second. ¡°What? No! Please, don¡¯t leave me here. I want to see the sun again!¡±


    Revin let out a cackle. ¡°Just kidding. Your training isn¡¯t done. There¡¯s more you have to learn. Oh, I know. I¡¯ve got a brilliant idea.¡±


    ¡°You do?¡± Eline squinted at Revin, a tiny flicker of hope re-igniting in her eyes.


    ¡°Oh, yes. All of my ideas are brilliant, but I like this one because it means I get to pass some of my work onto someone else.¡± Revin rubbed his hands together and nodded. He rose to his feet and gestured for the others to do the same. ¡°Come. We have a trip to start.¡±


    ¡°To where?¡± Tillian asked. ¡°Do you have a lead on the chaos somehow?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Revin replied. ¡°But I do have a few seeds I planted that should have begun to flower. I¡¯d imagine we¡¯ll find some of them should be bearing fruit right about now.¡±


    ¡°So where are we going?¡± Tillian frowned. It was difficult to tell whether Revin was insane or if he had an actual plan ¡ª though, most possibly, it was both.


    ¡°To one of the Bastions,¡± Revin replied with a wicked grin. ¡°We¡¯re going to Arbitage.¡±

 Chapter 655: Recognition

    Alexandra was having a bad day. Perhaps that was just being melodramatic. All things considered, it definitely could have been a worse day. She was alive. That hadn¡¯t been a certainty during the previous night.


    Her soul had been shredded to the point where it had been one strong gust from blowing away. Now it was nearly fixed. She could still feel the hairline fractures slowly sealing over as the last of the damage faded, but the damage was minimal enough that it could be ignored.


    Surviving having made a Fragment of Self should have been a pretty good reason to have a great day. She¡¯d been very much planning on one.


    Unfortunately, Noah had seen fit to conscript her.


    ¡°I have a question.¡± Sticky¡¯s hand raised high into the air. She sat amidst a semicircle of demons and humans alike, all of whom were staring at Alexandra with enough intensity to bore holes into her head. They were drinking in every single word she said, and Alexandra hated every single second of it.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Alexandra asked wearily.


    Sticky scratched her nose with her free hand. ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°That,¡± Alexandra said, ¡°is not a question.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I don¡¯t get it?¡±


    ¡°Changing the inflection of your voice to sound confused does not make a statement a question. What part in particular do you not get?¡± Alexandra tried her absolute best not to keep her voice even, but she wasn¡¯t so sure that her efforts were successful.


    It wasn¡¯t that she was mad or annoyed at the questions ¡ª even though this was something around the 500th one she¡¯d gotten in the past ten minutes. She didn¡¯t mind trying to help out. Helping was fun. It was like practicing. At least, that¡¯s what she¡¯d managed to convince herself of after Noah had told her she¡¯d be teaching.


    She couldn¡¯t have been more wrong.


    Helping was only fun when she actually knew the answers. Everyone here was staring at her like she was some form of saint. They all expected her to know what she was doing, but the fact of the matter was she simply didn¡¯t.


    Sure, she understood enough of her pattern to do it herself. But finding out how to translate that knowledge into something someone else could use... the more she tried to explain, the less she realized she actually truly knew.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s the part where I have to be one thing,¡± Sticky said, lowering her hand and frowning. ¡°I like food. I also like dancing. And singing. And playing. How do I choose just one of those things to be my pattern if it¡¯s got to represent me as a complete whole? I don¡¯t just want to be one thing.¡±


    Alexandra hesitated.


    Shit. That¡¯s a good point. I don¡¯t want to be one thing either, do I? No, that¡¯s not what patterns are. They don¡¯t constrain you. It¡¯s an application of something that we find really important, right? More like a motivation for life... or something.


    It took a supreme force of will for Alexandra to keep her eye from twitching at that thought.


    Or something. What am I supposed to do, say that? It¡¯s completely uninspirational! Anyone who heard it would probably keel over and give up on the spot. I¡¯m a horrible teacher. Why is Noah making me do this? Is he a sadist?


    She sent him a desperate look. Noah just grinned.


    Sadist bastard. I¡¯ll get him for this.


    ¡°Uh... a pattern doesn¡¯t have to be the only thing you do,¡± Alexandra stammered, realizing she¡¯d taken far too long to respond to Sticky¡¯s question. ¡°I mean, it should be very important, but it can be a dream too. A goal you have for yourself. Something that motivates you, maybe? It¡¯s not an exact science. But I don¡¯t think you should look at a pattern like an emotion that demons need to consume. It¡¯s more like an overarching theme for your life.¡±


    Is that right? That seems right. I think that¡¯s right. It sounds good. Actually, now that I think about it, it sounds pretty accurate. Why didn¡¯t I think of that before it was leaving my mouth?


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    ¡°I see,¡± Sticky said with a frown. She scratched her chin. ¡°What do you think my pattern is?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t answer that question for you,¡± Alexandra said, thankful for an easy question. ¡°Only you can. It¡¯s not something that can be forced. You need to really think about what you want in life and what motivates you. And honestly, it¡¯s a good thing you can¡¯t force it. When I managed to create my Fragment of Self, I shattered my soul in the process. Imagine what would happen if everyone made one close together.¡±


    ¡°That would be ill-advised,¡± Noah said, finally stepping up to speak for the first time since the class had started. ¡°If anyone feels like they¡¯re getting their pattern to the point where it seems likely it¡¯ll manifest a Fragment of Self, I¡¯d request that you let me know so I can properly prepare. We do not want two people doing it at the same time.¡±


    ¡°Definitely not,¡± Alexandra agreed with a grimace. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be worried about suddenly stumbling into a Fragment of Self, though. You should keep practicing as hard as you can for now. It caught me by surprise, but looking back, there was a definite feeling I had that I was getting really in-tune with my pattern. Once you get there, let me know. Then we can take things slower and we can try to focus on approaching the Fragment carefully.¡±


    That should buy me some time to actually figure out what¡¯s going on. The demons shouldn¡¯t be anywhere close to making patterns that really represent themselves yet. As for Isabel and the other students... well, they¡¯re a bit behind me. Not a lot. But enough that I can definitely buy myself a week to actually figure out what in the Damned Plains I¡¯m doing. There¡¯s no way any of them¡ª


    James¡¯ hand rose into the air.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Alexandra asked, blinking away surprise. It was rare that James volunteered himself for anything. ¡°Do you have a question?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± James said.


    She stared at him. ¡°Then... why is your hand in the air?¡±


    ¡°You said to come forward when your pattern feels like it¡¯s close to finished. I¡¯m pretty sure mine is there.¡± James let out a yawn and dropped his hand. ¡°I¡¯m pretty happy with it.¡±


    You can¡¯t be serious. Wait. Maybe this is a good thing. If he makes a Fragment of Self, then won¡¯t he have to teach a class as well? That means I won¡¯t have to do everything myself!


    ¡°You think your pattern is close to being completed? Do you know what it is?¡±


    ¡°What did you do to make it?¡± Vrith asked, studying James intently. ¡°Why are you ahead of your other peers? Did you and Alexandra utilize some special technique?¡±


    Yes, yes. Perfect! Ask him the questions!


    ¡°Dunno. Ask her,¡± James said through a shrug. ¡°My pattern is nothing, so you can consider this as practicing. And I do it because my favorite thing in the world is doing nothing.¡±


    Emily let out a sigh. ¡°Don¡¯t even bother trying to figure anything out from him. Every time I try, we just end up going to sleep in a meadow.¡±


    Vrith examined them for a moment. ¡°Has it helped?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± James said.


    ¡°No,¡± Emily said. She hesitated for a moment. ¡°But it was very relaxing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d charge for napping classes if I could be bothered,¡± James said. ¡°But I can¡¯t. If you want to go sleep in a field, do it. Don¡¯t bother me about it. Anyway, that¡¯s all. I¡¯m going to bed now. Let me know if I have to do anything, professor. Just tell me tomorrow. I don¡¯t want to do it right now.¡±


    ¡°Did you just call me professor?¡± Alexandra asked, her eye twitching.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Isabel said with a worried frown. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you not do nothing? What if you accidentally form your rune?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t,¡± James said. ¡°Not today, at least.¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡± Todd asked. ¡°Aren¡¯t you technically always partaking in your pattern?¡±


    ¡°Well, you do have to put some magical energy into a pattern for it to manifest a rune,¡± Alexandra put in. ¡°So it¡¯s unlikely you¡¯d manage to form one entirely by accident. I think it should be fine.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Good,¡± James said. ¡°That sounds like it would be more effort than I feel like expending right now. Then I¡¯ll be...¡±


    He suddenly trailed off, the lazed expression clinging to his face tightening as his head tilted to the side.


    Then his features twisted in horror.


    James blurred, twisting out of the way and rolling to the side. The movement was faster than Alexandra had ever seen him move ¡ª so fast that she almost missed the start of the motion. That wasn¡¯t something she¡¯d thought he was capable of.


    But, possibly more concerning than that was the blade of shadows that rose from the ground and passed through the air where James had been moments before. Darkness stretched out of the trail its passing left behind, rapidly forming into the shape of a man.


    Alexandra¡¯s hand shot to her sword and she lowered herself into a fighting stance, only pausing when she realized that the terror in James¡¯ eyes wasn¡¯t that of surprise. It looked more like...


    Recognition.


    ¡°Shit,¡± James said. ¡°You have to be fucking kidding me.¡±


    A row of pointed teeth split the shadowy figure¡¯s face, pulling apart into a wide, sharp-toothed smile. The darkness fell away from the man¡¯s form, revealing a shark-faced man with dead eyes and bright orange hair. He wore a tattered robe with sharp, pointed lapels that rose up around his neck like a cone.


    The man raised his hand to tip an imaginary hat, dropping his scythe in the process. He realized his mistake an instant later and stuck a foot out, somehow managing to kick the weapon back into the air and grabbing it before it could mistakenly cut anyone. The man lowered the scythe gingerly and cleared his throat before giving them another grin. ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t miss me too much.¡±

 Chapter 656: Homeless Vagrant

    Noah stared at Revin in complete silence for a second. It had been quite some time since Revin had vanished after functionally abandoning James. A very large part of Noah had been certain they¡¯d never meet again.


    The rest of him was far less optimistic.


    But it was more than surprise at Revin¡¯s return that held Noah¡¯s tongue. It was Revin himself. The last time they had met had been well before Noah had formed a domain. He¡¯d had no real way to gauge the other man¡¯s strength.


    Things should have been different now. Noah was a Rank 5. He had a domain. And yet... he couldn¡¯t sense Revin at all. His domain passed over Revin completely. There was no disruption in the world¡¯s magical energy at all. It was like he wasn¡¯t even there.


    What the hell? I¡¯ve felt people repress their power or make it seem like they¡¯re weaker than they actually are... but I can¡¯t sense him at all. What kind of trick is that? I know he¡¯s got at least some magic. I¡¯ve seen it. Shouldn¡¯t this be impossible?


    His thoughts were interrupted by a defeated groan. James threw his hands up into the air before slumping and burying his face within them. ¡°Oh, no. I was just starting to have a good time. I¡¯d really hoped you got eaten by something.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no way to speak to your favorite godfather,¡± Revin said, pressing a hand to his chest and sending James an affronted look.


    ¡°You have multiple godfathers?¡± Emily asked as she sent James a surprised look.


    He replied with a flat stare. ¡°No. I have none.¡±


    ¡°So irritable,¡± Revin said with a shake of his head. ¡°You¡¯ll need to work on that if you ever want to learn how to speak to women, James. Nobody likes a mood killer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never asked you for romantic advice, and I¡¯m definitely not changing that now.¡±


    ¡°You should. I¡¯ve had quite the number of people come seeking me out, you know. Your godfather is a poplar man.¡± Revin¡¯s eyes drifted over the small crowd surrounding him. He didn¡¯t even blink at the mixture of humans and demons... though there was a nonzero chance he didn¡¯t even realize there were demons present.


    It¡¯s a bit hard to tell just how much is going on in Revin¡¯s head. He¡¯s the one who told me about Formations in the first place, but he¡¯s certifiably insane. Somebody definitely threw him against a wall a few dozen times when he was a child.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Moxie asked, a weary note hanging from her words. She watched Revin warily, and Noah could tell from her posture that her magic was at the ready.


    Revin might have been helpful the last time they¡¯d met, but that was probably a good idea. If he could completely hide himself from their domains, then he was stronger than he¡¯d implied during their previous meeting.


    A lot stronger.


    ¡°I¡¯m seeking out an old friend, of course. It¡¯s been too long since we caught up, Vermil. I wanted to introduce you to my companions.¡±


    Revin gestured grandiosely behind him.


    To nothing.


    Everyone stared at him.


    James let out a defeated sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers. Emily put a comforting hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°There¡¯s nobody there, mister.¡± Sticky said helpfully.


    Revin blinked. He turned to follow her gaze, then looked back to the small demon. ¡°Right you are.¡±


    There were a few moments of awkward silence.


    ¡°He probably made them up,¡± James said, his voice muffled by his palm. ¡°I vote we go home and sleep. Write the rest of the day off. Trust me, it¡¯s the best thing you can possibly do when this idiot is involved.¡±


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    ¡°I appear to have forgotten my companions,¡± Revin said. ¡°One moment, please.¡±


    Shadows twisted up from the ground at his feet. They formed into the maw of some voracious beast and slammed shut over Revin, swallowing him whole before sinking back into the ground without a sound.


    James stood up. ¡°We should go. Quickly.¡±


    ¡°Who was that?¡± Yoru asked. ¡°He seemed... odd.¡±


    ¡°A certifiably insane man,¡± Todd said. ¡°Occasionally a funny one, though. I kind of like him.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re alone in that,¡± Isabel grumbled. ¡°He¡¯s off his rocker. I think I might be with James on this one. I mean, he stood up. On his own. That should be a pretty big warning in itself.¡±


    ¡°Is he a threat?¡± Violet asked, her eyes narrowing. ¡°Will he come back?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the concern,¡± Aylin said with a shake of his head. ¡°He was being honest as far as I can tell. That person does genuinely think of Vermil as his friend. He also seemed to believe that there were meant to be other people with him.¡±


    ¡°He was not human. ¡°I suggest caution,¡± Yoru said. There was more than a small note of unease in her voice. Out of everyone, her words put Noah on edge the most. When a former Rank 7 was scared of someone, then only an idiot ignored their warnings.


    Unfortunately, he was also pretty sure that running away from Revin was going to be functionally impossible. The man had just showed up in the middle of nowhere. He shouldn¡¯t have had any way to know where they were ¡ª Tim definitely wouldn¡¯t have given them up.


    It might be smart to get the kids out of here, though.


    ¡°Lee, take everyone and¡ª¡±


    Shadows bubbled up from the ground like a churning fountain. They twisted together and rose into the air, forming into three looming figures. Magical energy poured off them in pulsating waves.


    It pressed against Noah¡¯s domain and thinned his lips. Evidently, his domain had decided to start working again. He reached for his magic ¡ª more as a precaution than anything else ¡ª and saw Moxie pulling some seeds from the pouch at her side.


    Then one of the shadows let out a desperate gasp.


    The darkness collapsed like a popping balloon, revealing Revin flanked by two other people. One was a man of average height with fair hair and sharp eyes. He looked to be somewhere in his lower twenties. A short sword hung from his waist and his features were noble.


    Revin¡¯s other companion other was a young woman around the age of Noah¡¯s students. She had the brilliant silver hair of the Torrin family, but her eyes looked about ten years older than the rest of her. Exhaustion clung to her back and pulled her shoulders down like a heavy steel cloak.


    She promptly doubled over, hacking in a desperate attempt to draw in air.


    Why does she look vaguely familiar? Have I met this girl before?


    ¡°Tada!¡± Revin exclaimed, extending his arms to the sides like a conductor. ¡°I found them! And before they choked to death, too!¡±


    ¡°I hate you,¡± the girl wheezed.


    ¡°I am beginning to become of the same sentiment,¡± the noble-looking man said. His features were pale, but it was hard to tell if that was his normal skin tone or a result of having to deal with Revin for a prolonged period of time. ¡°You said that the trip would be safe.¡±


    ¡°I lied,¡± Revin said. ¡°I do that rather often. But the trip was something far more important than safe. It was cool. You should have seen that entrance. I wish I could have. I bet it was incredible.¡±


    ¡°Damned Plains,¡± Emily whispered. ¡°Is that Eline?¡±


    Noah glanced from her to the other girl. Then he blinked. She was right. Evidently, Emily¡¯s memory was a lot better than his was.


    I forgot that Revin took her in. That¡¯s... rough. Though I¡¯m not going to take too much blame for missing that. I¡¯m just fucking confused right now. What the hell is going on, and what does Revin want?


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Noah asked. He didn¡¯t let his guard down. Even though he was fairly certain that Revin probably wasn¡¯t malicious, he wasn¡¯t sure enough of that to put his students¡¯ lives on the line.


    ¡°I told you already. I¡¯m looking for you,¡± Revin replied. ¡°I wanted to introduce you to my traveling companions. This is Eldritch.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you in your sleep. I¡¯ll really do it.¡±


    ¡°I am having a little trouble recalling her name correctly,¡± Revin said without missing a beat. ¡°She is a little displeased about that, but I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll do something about it eventually. She is my student and egg-cooker. I believe you have met.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± James said.


    He and Eline exchanged a look that said more than a thousand words could have ¡ª and in that moment, something struck Noah. His eyes widened.


    Eline wasn¡¯t visible to his domain either. Just like Revin, there was absolutely nothing where she should have been. It was as if she didn¡¯t exist.


    What the hell kind of technique are they using? I¡¯ve never heard of anything like it.


    ¡°We can get to the pleasantries later,¡± Revin said. He gestured to the man behind him. ¡°This is Tillian. He¡¯s a homeless vagrant that I picked up.¡±


    ¡°Why do you remember his name? You¡¯ve known him for ten minutes!¡± Eline complained.


    Lee sniffed the air. Her brow furrowed and she squinted at Tillian as if trying to remember something.


    ¡°Inquisitor,¡± Tillian corrected, not sounding too bothered by Revin¡¯s words. ¡°I am an Inquisitor.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Lee exclaimed abruptly, her eyes going wide with recognition as she thumbed her nose. ¡°I know you!¡±

 Chapter 657: Where

    Noah watched Tillian with wary eyes. He didn¡¯t have the best opinion of Inquisitors at the moment ¡ª and it definitely didn¡¯t help that he¡¯d just killed a few of them a short while ago. The circumstances were a bit too odd. Revin was definitely the type of person to bring an Inquisitor along because he thought it would be funny to get Noah in more trouble.


    But why does Lee recognize this guy?


    ¡°You know an inquisitor?¡± Noah asked, looking from Tillian to Lee.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize he was an inquisitor,¡± Lee said. ¡°He gave me snacks.¡±


    Tillian squinted at Lee for a moment before recognition passed through his own features. ¡°I ¡ª oh, yes. I do believe we¡¯ve met before. I wasn¡¯t expecting to run into you here. You are affiliated with Revin?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Noah said flatly. He couldn¡¯t even begin to think of the horrible implications of Revin getting any influence over Lee. The small demon was already chaotic enough as she was. Forget them getting along poorly ¡ª he was more concerned about them becoming friends. That was the absolute worst case scenario. ¡°She¡¯s with me. Revin, why are you bringing an Inquisitor here?¡±


    ¡°Thought it would be funny,¡± Revin said.


    Fucking knew it.


    Moxie eyed Revin warily, then lowered her voice to a whisper. ¡°What rank do you think he is? What are our chances?¡±


    ¡°Better not,¡± Noah muttered back without taking his eyes off Revin or his companions. ¡°Should at least figure out what¡¯s going on... but be ready.¡±


    ¡°Are you whispering? I¡¯m an inquisitive person, you know. My feelings might get hurt if you¡¯re talking about me and I don¡¯t get to hear all the compliments. Besides, didn¡¯t anyone ever tell you that whispering was rude?¡± Revin asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m more than aware,¡± Noah said flatly. ¡°I just don¡¯t care.¡±


    A burst of laughter slipped from Revin¡¯s lips. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten snippier since the last time we met. Good. You do, however, smell vaguely of dog. That¡¯s less good. I see the Apostles have sniffed you out.¡±


    Noah¡¯s eyes widened.


    The Apostles? He knows them? That might be the worst news I¡¯ve gotten all day. There literally isn¡¯t a single scenario in which that¡¯s beneficial. Why does someone like Revin know of the Apostles?


    I¡¯m pretty sure this confirms he¡¯s strong. A lot stronger than we thought. Goddamn it.


    ¡°How about you just say why you¡¯re here?¡± Noah asked wearily. ¡°Because I¡¯ve got a class to teach.¡±


    ¡°A rather interesting one at that,¡± Tillian said, letting his gaze drift over the students.


    Noah¡¯s lips thinned. Inquisitors finding things interesting was rarely a good thing, and his students weren¡¯t exactly attempting to hide their demonic nature. Revin had managed to bring Tillian to the absolute worst place he could have. This was basically just asking to get attacked. ¡°You have an issue with my students?¡±


    ¡°Naw, I don¡¯t think so. Don¡¯t know them, so it would be pretty difficult to have a problem with them. Why do you ask?¡±


    Noah blinked.


    What? Is this the dumbest Inquisitor in the history of their order? There¡¯s absolutely no way he doesn¡¯t realize I¡¯ve got a bunch of demons mixed in with the human students. Or is he just pretending not to know to avoid getting ganged up on?


    ¡°We¡¯ve had a bit of a problem with Inquisitors trying to throw their weight around in the past. They¡¯ve threatened our students,¡± Moxie said, crossing her arms in front of her chest. ¡°And we take our students¡¯ safety seriously. Very seriously.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t fault you for that at all,¡± Tillian said with a one-shouldered shrug. ¡°And unless your students have anything to do with Orlen, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ve got anything to fear from me.¡±


    Sticky winced.


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    Tillian¡¯s eyes snapped toward her in an instant ¡ª and Noah blurred. His Fragment of Self let him carve through the air in a split instant to arrive directly before Tillian, interupting his line of sight.


    ¡°Eyes on me,¡± Noah said softly. ¡°Make any sudden moves toward my students and I¡¯ll kill you. I don¡¯t care who you are or if they¡¯re aggressive or not.¡±


    A flicker of surprise passed through Tillian¡¯s features. He definitely hadn¡¯t been expecting the speed of Noah¡¯s reaction. But, instead of squaring up, he slowly raised his hands and took a step back.


    ¡°What kind of monster do you think I am?¡± Tillian asked. ¡°That¡¯s a little girl. I¡¯m not going to kill her. What fucking Inquisitors have you been dealing with?¡±


    ¡°Dead ones,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Do... you not know who I am?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t the faintest.¡±


    What kind of Inquisitor is this guy? I¡¯m not trying to stroke my own ego here, but I feel like the vast majority of them should at least know my name at this point. I¡¯m the guy that¡¯s supposedly working with Spider. I mean, I am Spider, but they don¡¯t know that.


    I¡¯m actually a little offended he doesn¡¯t recognize me.


    ¡°Professor Vermil,¡± Noah provided.


    Tillian examined him blankly. ¡°Never heard the name. Don¡¯t take it personally. I¡¯ve been rather focused in recent years. I¡¯ve been after a person by the name of Orlen for years. My previous lead was a good one, but he vanished after picking a fight with Arbitage and running off to the Damned Plains. Set me back by more time than I can count ¡ª and forced me to seek Revin out. He was my last resort. I¡¯m sure you can imagine why.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± Revin protested.


    ¡°If the girl has any information on Orlen, I need it,¡± Tillian said. ¡°I promise I won¡¯t harm her. Won¡¯t even make her uncomfortable. I just need to know if she has anything I can use to find him. Orlen is dangerous. Incredibly so. I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Noah said. ¡°Your last lead. Wizen?¡±


    Tillian blinked in surprise. ¡°Yes. You knew him?¡±


    I think I¡¯m starting to get what¡¯s going on here. Revin isn¡¯t an idiot. He¡¯s definitely loose in the head, but he¡¯s probably the only person I¡¯ve met that actually has a good understanding of Formations... not to mention he¡¯s the reason I researched them in the first place. I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s doing a lot of this very intentionally, which means he¡¯s got something to do with this whole Wizen - Orlen thing.


    Great. Just great.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t just know Wizen. I got him killed,¡± Noah said, pinching the bridge of his nose and letting out a sigh. ¡°My bad. If I¡¯d known that might have forced someone to interact with Revin, I¡¯d have done everything in my power to avoid it.¡±


    ¡°You killed him?¡± Tillian¡¯s eyes sharpened. ¡°The Enforcer that got pulled into the Damned Plains with Wizen was you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not an Enforcer. I think some facts got twisted up,¡± Noah said. ¡°But if you¡¯ve got questions about Wizen, then I can front them. Leave the girl out of it. Wizen... well, I got more of his story during our fight. He was a bad man, but I know why he did what he did. I know everything she knows about Orlen.¡±


    ¡°That would be more than acceptable,¡± Tillian said with a nod. ¡°I suppose that does explain all the demons here. What, did you bring everyone you met out of the Damned Plains with you? For that matter ¡ª how did you even do that?¡±


    So he does know they¡¯re demons. What kind of Inquisitor is this?


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± Noah said slowly. ¡°You don¡¯t strike me as a typical Inquisitor. Not to intentionally seek out trouble, but isn¡¯t your order generally not much a fan of demons?¡±


    ¡°The Inquisition has been fragmented and distracted for years. They¡¯ve been distracted from their original purpose.¡± Tillian shook his head and let out a sigh. ¡°Demons are only a problem when they act up. There are so many of them in the mortal plane that aren¡¯t any worse than the other mages running around. No, I don¡¯t care about demons because they¡¯re demons. I care about threats to the general populace. And right now, that threat is Orlen.¡±


    ¡°He gave me candy,¡± Lee provided. ¡°People that give you candy can¡¯t be bad.¡±


    You would get kidnapped so fast. I really need to set some time aside to teach Lee some basic stranger-danger stuff. Then again, I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s the danger, but it¡¯s about the spirit of things. The younger demons look up to her.


    ¡°That is the most objectively wrong sentence I think I¡¯ve ever heard,¡± Noah said. He examined Tillian for a few moments longer. ¡°But perhaps we should talk after my class is finished.¡±


    ¡°After?¡± Tillian frowned. ¡°I think¡ª¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Noah said flatly. ¡°My students take priority, and I don¡¯t think an hour or two is going to change anything. We aren¡¯t finding Orlen anytime soon.¡±


    I¡¯m really more interested in seeing how he reacts to being told he can¡¯t have what he wants than I am in actually delaying the meeting. The way someone handles a rejection says a lot about them.


    Tillian considered Noah for a moment, then inclined his head. ¡°Fair enough. We did just interupt your class. Sorry about that. I¡¯ll stay out of the way until it¡¯s done.¡±


    Noah smiled. ¡°Perfect. And I¡¯ve been wondering who the hell this Orlen person is myself. I have a lead on him, actually. Not a good one, but there¡¯s a demon in my group that worked for someone he hired. You can speak with her while I finish things up here.¡±


    ¡°You do?¡± Tillian¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s perfect. I guess Revin actually knew what he was doing.¡±


    ¡°Why does that imply you thought I didn¡¯t? I¡¯m very competent,¡± Revin protested.


    ¡°I do,¡± Noah said as both he and Tillian proceeded to ignore Revin. ¡°She should be...¡±


    Noah trailed off as he scanned over his class again.


    There was no sign of Linestra.


    ¡°What?¡± Tillian asked.


    ¡°Where the hell is Linestra?¡±

 Chapter 658: Company

    Jalen crossed his arms in front of his chest. He cast his gaze out over the sloping, red-grassed fields stretching around him. The wind slicing through the air around him made the tall grass dance like an open flame.


    In the distance, looming over the fields, silhouetted against the setting sun on the horizon, was the shadow of an enormous city. Towering spires loomed in the air to slice through the clouds that dared to pass by. The roofs of oddly shaped houses poked up from behind a wall ringing the city and plumes of multicolored smoke twisted into the air above it to form an oily haze.


    ¡°Well then. This is quite something, isn¡¯t it?¡± Jalen tapped a foot against the ground and stood still for a moment, enjoying the feeling of wind as it rustled through his hair. It was almost as nice as the feeling of having no responsibilities.


    Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t know that feeling particularly well.


    A groan rose up from the ground behind Jalen. He pulled his gaze away from the city and turned as a demon sat up, rubbing her eyes. ¡°Ugh. My head. Wha¡ª where am I?¡±


    ¡°Ah. You woke up,¡± Jalen said. ¡°I was wondering when you would do that. I was starting to get bored.¡±


    ¡°Bored?¡± The demon¡¯s eyes widened as they finally registered the scene around her. She scrambled to her feet. She studied at Jalen with wary, cautious eyes. ¡°What¡¯s going on? This isn¡¯t the tower. Where are the others? Where am I?¡±


    ¡°Mortal Plane,¡± Jalen replied. ¡°Just a slightly different area of it. I didn¡¯t want to have to come here alone, you know. It would have been terribly boring. There was barely even time for me to get my go-bag. Horrible, really.¡±


    The demon stared at him for several long seconds. ¡°You don¡¯t have a¡ª¡±


    Jalen pointed behind her.


    She turned. Sitting in the grass behind her was a large tarp bag. It bulged at the sides where the edges of something large and circular pressed up within the bag, stretching it dangerously taut.


    The metal point of something small and sharp poked out from where it had pushed through the stitching of the bag, gleaming dangerously in the afternoon light washing down over them.


    ¡°See?¡± Jalen asked. ¡°Bag. Speaking of which, could you hand it to me? I¡¯ve been standing here waiting for you to wake up so long that my legs have locked and I think I might fall over if I move. Old age really does get us all. Oh, be careful. It¡¯s got some sharp bits in it. They¡¯re a bit bendy, so they might get damaged if you stab yourself. That would be bad.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so confused,¡± the demoness muttered, slowly reaching out to the bag and hoisting it into the air. The bag was surprisingly light ¡ª it clearly hadn¡¯t been filled all that much. She slowly passed it to Jalen. ¡°Could you tell me what¡¯s going on? Please? The last thing I remember, I was sleeping in the tower with the other demons. Why are you here? Why am I here?¡±


    ¡°Oh, now you¡¯re just making me feel like an asshole. I was getting there. I may have gotten booted out of the Empire. I didn¡¯t want to go alone, so I may have kidnapped you. To be fair, it wasn¡¯t like you actually lived in the tower. So I¡¯ve just relocated you from one part of the Mortal Plane to the other.¡±


    ¡°You ¡ª wait. Someone was strong enough to kick you out of the Empire?¡± The demoness paled. ¡°What kind of monster was that?¡±


    ¡°A pretty one. Unfortunately, a taken one,¡± Jalen said, pinching the bridge of his nose and letting out a sigh. He slung his bag over his shoulder. ¡°Anyway. Time¡¯s a-wasting. We¡¯ve got a whole new world to explore. You could at least pretend to be excited. I¡¯ve done you a favor. Why swim in the fishbowl when you could be in the ocean instead?¡±


    ¡°Are there predators in the fishbowl?¡±


    Jalen tilted his head to the side. Then he let out a sharp laugh. ¡°That¡¯s a good point. You may have me there ¡ª but bygones must be bygones. You can¡¯t tell me you aren¡¯t at least a little excited to be here. Well, you probably could. But we don¡¯t have time for that. We have a job to do, after all.¡±


    ¡°A... job?¡± the demon stared at him, still clearly trying to get her bearings and figure out what was happening.


    ¡°Oh, yes. A rather big one.¡± Jalen rubbed his chin and sent a glance back to the city looming in the distance. ¡°We have to scout the place out. I don¡¯t imagine it¡¯ll be long before Spider makes his way over here, and I need to make sure I¡¯ve got a good darts setup by the time he arrives. He¡¯s going to owe me so many games.¡±


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    ¡°I think there might be something slightly wrong with your head.¡±


    ¡°Oh, most likely.¡± Jalen grinned. ¡°Now then, Linestra. Shall we get going?¡±


    ***


    As it turned out, nobody had seen Linestra for quite some time. That was mildly concerning. Noah didn¡¯t much love the idea of a potentially dangerous demon roaming around Arbitage ¡ª but he was pretty sure she was smart enough not to draw attention to herself.


    This area was already crawling with Inquisitor attention and Noah had made himself more than clear as to what would happen if anyone ever put the safety of his students at risk. There was a good chance she¡¯d just taken the opportunity to run and go explore.


    Noah wasn¡¯t actually too bothered about it. She had given him pretty much everything she knew about Orlen. That hadn¡¯t been much at all, but she¡¯d served the purpose he needed from her.


    Tillian asked a few questions about Linestra, ones largely meant to see if she was liable to suddenly start a killing spree, but the answers he got seemed to placate him. The Inquisitor then moved to the side of the group and sat down to wait until class was over. He definitely wasn¡¯t a normal Inquisitor.


    Revin and Eline joined him. Tillian didn¡¯t seem too pleased about that. For that matter, Eline didn¡¯t either. The only one that actually looked happy about the whole situation was Revin himself.


    The rest of the class, at least, went fairly normally. Alexandra immediately shifted to speaking in more general terms to avoid revealing anything to their new visitors. Noah hadn¡¯t even had to warn her about it ¡ª and, fortunately, they¡¯d already covered enough ground that the other students could pretty much just start practicing and working on their patterns without much more instruction.


    Once things had just about wrapped up, around an hour before the Transport Cannon called them back to Arbitage, Noah and Moxie made their way over to Revin¡¯s group. Lee had already joined them and had begun liberating Tillian of any sweets that he¡¯d been misfortunate enough to bring along with him.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t this bring back old memories?¡± Revin asked. ¡°Good times we had. I see you took my advice to heart about Formations. It seems you¡¯ve gotten quite the grasp over their basics. I knew you had potential.¡±


    ¡°You told me you were a Rank 3,¡± Noah said flatly, cutting through the small talk like a blade. ¡°You aren¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°A part of me is,¡± Revin replied with a chuckle. ¡°Do you stop being something when you become more? Or do you no longer have access to the forms of energy that your weaker runes possessed now that you have advanced in rank?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s hardly the same,¡± Moxie said. ¡°You didn¡¯t come here just to mess around.¡±


    ¡°Was that a question or a statement?¡± Revin scratched the side of his neck. ¡°And I¡¯ll have you know that everything I do is of vital importance. I¡¯m a very important man.¡±


    ¡°He laid in bed for a week straight about a month ago,¡± Eline provided. ¡°He didn¡¯t stand up once. He just laid there. I thought he was dead, but he locked all the escapes down so I couldn¡¯t leave.¡±


    ¡°I was meditating,¡± Revin said. ¡°It¡¯s good for your health.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not doing this today, Revin,¡± Noah said, his voice dangerous. ¡°You know the Apostles. I need to know how ¡ª and I need to know why you¡¯re here. There¡¯s no way you came all this way just to bring Tillian.¡±


    ¡°That would be quite stupid, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Revin asked. ¡°But I do have a student here, you know. Can¡¯t a teacher visit his pupil?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not your pupil.¡± Noah turned as Emily entered his domain, her eyes cold. He blinked. For the briefest moment, even though their physical appearances were nowhere alike, he could have sworn she looked just like Moxie. Emily thrust a finger at Revin. ¡°And you better not be here to try to take him back.¡±


    Is her hearing really that good? There¡¯s no way. We weren¡¯t speaking that loud. How did Emily overhear our conversation?


    Revin raised an eyebrow. ¡°I remember you. Emily, wasn¡¯t it? The former Torrin heir. You¡¯re... different.¡±


    ¡°Stay away from James,¡± Emily said. ¡°He¡¯s only told me a little bit about you, but that¡¯s more than enough.¡±


    ¡°And if I didn¡¯t?¡± Revin¡¯s head tilted to the side. A flicker of uncharacteristic seriousness entered his tone. ¡°Would you stop me? I taught the boy everything he knows. More than he¡¯s shown you, I can promise you of that. And you haven¡¯t seen half of what he¡¯s capable of. The boy has to be continuously pushed to reach his full potential. My methods are effective. What can you do?¡±


    ¡°Emily is right,¡± Moxie said. ¡°You don¡¯t get to just abandon students and then show back up planning to take them back. James is with our class now. Tugging your students around like puppets isn¡¯t what a teacher does.¡±


    ¡°Our methods differ. The difference is that you care about the process, and I care about the results. Take this Torrin, for example.¡± Revin nodded to Emily. Eline suddenly stiffened. Magic raced into Noah¡¯s fingertips, readied in an instant if Revin took even the slightest move in Emily¡¯s direction. ¡°Has your babying prepared her to¡ª¡±


    Revin abruptly stopped speaking. He went as still as a statue for an instant. Then a small smile tugged at his lips. ¡°Well. Isn¡¯t that interesting?¡±


    ¡°What are you on about?¡± Moxie asked. Noah could feel the power from her runes against his domain. she was ready to attack as well.


    ¡°Never mind me,¡± Revin said with a shake of his head. ¡°Leave, Torrin. I am not here for James.¡±


    Emily blinked. Eline started to edge away ¡ª and Revin¡¯s hand clamped down on her shoulder.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± Eline said.


    ¡°Not you. You are not ready,¡± Revin said. He turned to Noah as Eline dejectedly returned to her former spot. Revin beckoned to him impatiently. ¡°Well, then. You want to cut to the chase? I¡¯ll oblige.¡±


    ¡°Then tell me how you know the Apostles.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s an easy one.¡± Revin gave Noah a wide, sharp-toothed grin. ¡°We have a little bad blood between us... which is probably why I feel one of them heading in this direction right now. I hope you¡¯re ready for company.¡±

 Chapter 659:

    ¡°What?¡± Moxie asked sharply. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°What is an Apostle?¡± Tillian asked, glancing from her to Revin with a confused frown. ¡°Should we be prepared for a fight? What allegiance do they hold?¡±


    ¡°Which one is it?¡± Noah asked. If it was Crone, he could probably get away with throwing Garina¡¯s weight around again... but Noah doubted it would be him. There was no reason for that particular Apostle to make his way over here at the moment. Things with him should have been temporarily dealt with.


    Did he go back to the other Apostles and tell them about me? Garina did warn me that they¡¯d be on my tail, but this seems way too fast. Don¡¯t they have anything better to do than chase me around? I haven¡¯t even done anything to get their attention properly yet!


    ¡°I¡¯m not that sensitive,¡± Revin said with a shrug. ¡°One of them. But there¡¯s really no time to explain. They could be here at any moment.¡±


    Noah¡¯s jaw tightened. His back straightened and he pulled his domain in, concealing as much of his energy as he could. The apostles were strong ¡ª but they weren¡¯t beyond being tricked. The less they knew about his abilities, the more likely he¡¯d be able to manage to pull something over their eyes.


    Can I somehow buy time until Garina gets here as well? She should realize that there¡¯s an Apostle in the area. She knows whenever someone above Rank 7 breaks in. If I can keep this Apostle distracted until then, we should be able to talk our way out of this again.


    ¡°Moxie, Lee,¡± Noah said with terse, sharp words as he slung his book off his shoulder. ¡°Get the students out of here.¡±


    He tossed the book, his bag, and his gourd to Lee. She snatched them from the air and gave him a sharp nod.


    ¡°The cannon won¡¯t be much longer,¡± Moxie said as she and Lee burst into motion. ¡°No more than an hour. I don¡¯t know how much distance is going to help with something like this, though. Just remember you don¡¯t need to win.¡±


    Noah gave her a sharp nod. She¡¯d come to the same conclusion that he had.


    Moxie and Lee ran off to rally the students, herding them away as fast as they could. None of them protested. Even the most ardent supporters among their number wouldn¡¯t have been able to do anything to sway the tides against an Apostle.


    The only one that might have been able to do much of anything was Yoru, but her powers had been severely damaged by the reduction of her Rank 7 Rune. She needed time to adjust to her new strength ¡ª and to figure out how to do anything without arms.


    This was something that Noah would have to deal with on his own.


    Well, mostly on his own. Revin, Eline, and Tillian all remained alongside him. The Inquisitor didn¡¯t have the faintest way to know just how dangerous the situation was. As for Eline... Noah was fairly certain that Revin wasn¡¯t about to let her go anywhere. He sounded far too smug about the approach of the Apostle.


    ¡°Where are they?¡± Noah asked, looking up to the sky in search of a black meteor. ¡°You said the Apostle was close, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I did say that, yes,¡± Revin said. He scratched his chin as a small frown played across his features. ¡°It seems they are somewhat delayed. That¡¯s unforeseen.¡±


    A second ticked by. Noah¡¯s eyes narrowed. There was a very real chance that Revin had been screwing with them. Even though it had been quite some time since he¡¯d last run into the red-haired man, Noah wouldn¡¯t have put just about anything past him.


    Revin was like a version of Jalen with absolutely no goal other than chaos.


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    ¡°They¡¯re not coming,¡± Noah said flatly.


    ¡°No, they definitely are,¡± Revin said with a shake of his head. He held a finger to the sky like he was testing the direction of the wind. ¡°I just messed the timing up a little bit. They should be here any moment, now. I feel it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably wise,¡± Tillian said. ¡°Revin is only trustworthy when he has no other choice.¡±


    ¡°Even then, it¡¯s a tossup,¡± Eline said.


    ¡°You¡¯re all going to regret being rude when the Apostle shows up and rips you all to shreds. Well, not Eline. I need her alive. Can¡¯t have my students dying on me before I have a replacement. Getting a good egg-cooker in this day and age is quite troublesome.¡±


    Somehow, that didn¡¯t seem to reassure Eline very much. Noah couldn¡¯t have imagined why.


    ¡°You know, you definitely did have time to explain just about anything you could have wanted to,¡± Noah said. ¡°There wasn¡¯t any rush at all.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve already established that my timing may have been slightly off,¡± Revin grumbled. ¡°It¡¯s hardly my fault. I always time things to arrive at the last moment. Heroic entrances are far more entertaining than getting anywhere early.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just a fancy way of saying you like being late,¡± Noah said.


    ¡°That may be one interpretation of it,¡± Revin allowed. ¡°This really is taking longer than I thought it would. I could have sworn¡ª¡±


    The air between Noah and Revin shifted. A form snapped into existence as if it had always been there, appearing so fast that Noah¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t even register any motion.


    One moment, there had been nothing.


    The next, there stood a tall woman clad in pitch black clothes. A woman with a black spiked collar around her neck.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Revin said, a satisfied smile splitting his features. ¡°There. See? Behold. Our company has arrived. It seems she¡¯s in a good mood. She hasn¡¯t tried killing anyone yet. Allow me to introduce you, Vermil. This is¡ª¡±


    ¡°Garina,¡± Noah said, fighting to hold back a relieved laugh. He wasn¡¯t sure how the possibility had never crossed his mind, but Garina was an Apostle. There was absolutely no reason she couldn¡¯t have been the one heading over to them. ¡°You¡¯re back early.¡±


    The satisfaction on Revin¡¯s features melted away as a flicker of surprise crossed by his eyes. He hadn¡¯t realized Noah knew Garina.


    Perhaps it was childish, but Noah couldn¡¯t help but feel smug. It was rare that he¡¯d seen anyone manage to get one over Revin. As insane as the man was, things seemed to end up working out in his favor more often than not.


    ¡°Revin,¡± Garina said. Her voice was flat and expressionless as she lifted a sandwich to her mouth and took a large bite out of it. ¡°Out of every single being in this kingdom that could have drawn my attention, you¡¯re probably the last one I actually want to see. What are you doing here?¡±


    The surprise in the other man¡¯s features didn¡¯t last long. Revin was back to his normal self within instants.


    ¡°I was paying a friend a visit,¡± Revin replied. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m surprised it took you so long to swing by. You¡¯ve always been far more prompt in paying me a visit whenever I make my presence known. I thought you liked me.¡±


    ¡°I was preoccupied eating. And if I could kill you, I would.¡± Garina shoved the rest of her sandwich into her mouth and swallowed without chewing. Then she let out a sigh and sent a sidelong glance at Noah. ¡°Why am I unsurprised to find that you¡¯re somehow involved in this?¡±


    ¡°I have a talent.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ve met,¡± Revin said. He crossed his arms in front of his chest. ¡°Well, this just ruins the whole thing. No fun at all, really. Where¡¯s the drama? The excitement? I don¡¯t suppose you hate each other? Some unresolved sexual tension, perhaps?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m taken,¡± Noah said flatly.


    ¡°Enough of this, Revin,¡± Garina said. ¡°I believe we agreed you would stay out of my way for quite some time. I am not pleased seeing you this early. Why did you call me here? You¡¯re lucky you didn¡¯t make any more noise. If one of the other Apostles had noticed, they would have ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Done nothing,¡± Revin finished. He let out a long yawn. ¡°Believe it or not, I¡¯m actually working. There have been some disturbing events brought to my attention. Significant ones. I¡¯ll get into that in a moment. I¡¯m waiting for my cool moment. Besides, I think we both know the other Apostles wouldn¡¯t try their luck against me. Most of them would pose no challenge, and the ones that would aren¡¯t stupid enough to waste time trying to fight me.¡±


    The hair on the back of Noah¡¯s neck prickled.


    ¡°Pose no challenge?¡± he repeated incredulously. The Apostles, if they were anything near as strong as Garina, were easily the most powerful existences in the entire Empire. He knew Revin was stronger than he¡¯d indicated, but this was a whole different level of power. ¡°Who are you, Revin?¡±


    ¡°Ah. My cool moment. There it is. I do believe I never got a chance to formally introduce myself. Allow me to rectify that.¡± Revin¡¯s lips split a part in a wide grin and he leaned against his scythe. ¡°My full title is Revin the Godeater, the former 8th Apostle of Decras.¡±

 Chapter 660: Again.

    You have got to be kidding me.


    Unfortunately, the smug grin on Revin¡¯s lips made it abundantly clear that he was not joking. He was an Apostle. Or, as he¡¯d just said, a former one.


    Noah fought to keep his eye from twitching. The more he thought about it, the more this actually made sense. He hadn¡¯t met that many apostles... but of the ones he had, rationality did seem to be a somewhat lacking trait.


    Garina was probably the sanest of the lot so far. And that was saying a lot. Even if she wasn¡¯t running around attacking people for no reason, there was no part of Noah that actually trusted her to be fully logical.


    It wasn¡¯t even because she was a nutter like Revin. The Apostles simply operated on a different power level than everyone in the kingdom. Their motives were completely different. And when someone¡¯s motives were indecipherable, then all the actions they took would be completely impossible to predict. That made them dangerous.


    It was a lesson that Noah had taken ¡ª and continued to take ¡ª to heart.


    ¡°You¡¯re a former Apostle? That¡¯s... lovely,¡± Noah said, in a tone that made it abundantly clear that he thought anything but.


    I¡¯m actually pretty sure that, on average, I¡¯ve eaten more god than most people, but I think I¡¯ll save that particular little fact for when it can really wipe the smile off Revin¡¯s smug face. No point wasting a good line, after all.


    ¡°Tell me about it,¡± Garina said. Sarcasm dripped from her words. ¡°I¡¯m thrilled to share a title, even if it¡¯s a former one, with Revin. We all are. He¡¯s such a fascinating creature. Decras taking a liking to him was definitely a good move. One that we all supported wholeheartedly.¡±


    Garina couldn¡¯t have been any drier if she¡¯d wanted to. The completely bare malice in her eyes made her opinion of Revin abundantly clear. He probably would have withered up on the spot and died from her glare alone if such a thing were possible.


    ¡°I missed you too,¡± Revin said, clapping Garina on the shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s been too long. We should get tea sometime.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather rip my throat out.¡±


    ¡°I get that answer a lot,¡± Revin said, letting his hand slip away and shaking his head with a sad sigh. ¡°You have to be careful with these jokes, Garina. You could hurt someone¡¯s feelings. What if I thought you were being serious?¡±


    ¡°I am. Completely and utterly. I¡¯ve never meant anything more in my entire life. If it was to the gods themselves, I would swear it upon my soul.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t her acting skills impressive?¡± Revin asked, turning an eye to Noah and arching an eyebrow. ¡°Worthy of applause, I¡¯d say. But you don¡¯t seem too surprised. Perhaps you¡¯ve seen them in action before?¡±


    A trill of warning ran down Noah¡¯s spine. As with most things that Revin said, there was a chance that there was more than one meaning to his words.


    Is he implying he knows that Garina is pretending to be teaching me? But why would he even care? He said he was an ex-Apostle. They must have kicked him out for something. Can¡¯t say I blame them, though.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just cut to the chase, Revin?¡± Garina asked. ¡°I¡¯m not in a patient mood today.¡±


    ¡°Oh, do you have something better to do than speaking with your old friend?¡± Revin clutched at his chest. ¡°How hurtful. Have you found a companion you like more than me? How inconceiva¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Revin blinked. Genuine surprise passed over his features. ¡°What?¡±


    His gaze flicked down to the wrapper of the sandwich in Garina¡¯s hands, then raised back to meet hers.


    Wasn¡¯t Garina trying to hide that? I can¡¯t imagine it¡¯s going to be good for Ferdinand¡¯s health if the Apostles find out about him. They just seem like the kind of group to be real shitty about that.


    I¡¯m missing something about Revin and Garina¡¯s dynamic... but what?


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    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be,¡± Revin said. ¡°Congradulations. Never would have thought, given how much of a¡ª¡±


    ¡°Revin,¡± Garina ground out. ¡°My patience is thin.¡±


    Revin blew out an exasperated sigh. ¡°You¡¯re never any fun, but I suppose you did give me something interesting today. Very well. The amount of chaos in this world has increased. I trust you know something about it?¡±


    ¡°I may,¡± Garina allowed. ¡°What does that have to do with all of this? Why are you here? And why do you know my student?¡±


    ¡°Your student?¡± Revin let out a bark of laughter. ¡°Oh, I doubt that. I don¡¯t smell your stench on him, but dogs are always protective of their toys. How interesting. No matter. This was just a quick stop I made. Two birds with one stone, per say. I needed to deliver Tillian to Vermil so they could handle something for me.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t agree to handle anything other than the extinction of chaos,¡± Tillian said sharply. ¡°There is no debt between us.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure, sure. But Vermil will help, and you will help because you need his help,¡± Revin said with a dismissive wave before turning back to Garina. ¡°And I¡¯m going to need you to tell me everything you know about the encroachment of chaos. I rather like things as they are. Can¡¯t have some idiot breaking them.¡±


    ¡°You want me to work with you?¡± Garina crossed her arms in front of her chest and shifted her weight to one hip. ¡°Did you fall down a flight of stairs this morning? There are six other Apostles I¡¯d choose to go to for help before I even considered asking you.¡±


    ¡°Which is why I¡¯m asking,¡± Revin said. ¡°There¡¯s a scale of cool, you know.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Garina stared at him. ¡°What does that have to do with¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad you asked.¡± Revin raised a finger into the air. ¡°People who think they are cool but are actually painfully lame ¡ª those people can¡¯t ask for help. They have to protect their image, because their strength is nothing but. It is merely a mask they hide behind. People like that are not truly cool.¡±


    ¡°Revin. Stop blithering and¡ª¡±


    ¡°But people who are truly cool don¡¯t have to hide or protect their egos,¡± Revin said, completely ignoring Garina. ¡°We are confident in ourselves and know that our image will not be shattered by asking for aid.¡±


    ¡°People who are cool don¡¯t have to tell other people that they¡¯re cool,¡± Eline grumbled.


    ¡°They do when they deal with blithering incompetents all the time,¡± Revin said. ¡°Now, Garina, I do believe you could use some help with this situation. Have you suddenly mended your relationship with the other Apostles? Somehow, I doubt that. And if you haven¡¯t... can you really refuse me?¡±


    Garina grimaced. She hesitated for several long seconds before letting out a defeated sigh. With a face like she¡¯d bit into a particularly sour lemon, she inclined her head. ¡°I... may be able to accept some assistance. I¡¯d prefer to avoid making this a bigger deal than it has to be. Getting the Prophet involved would be problematic.¡±


    ¡°Fantastic. I knew you¡¯d come around,¡± Revin said, clapping his hands together. ¡°I¡¯m certain this experience will be entirely enjoyable and not infuriating in the slightest. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve had to focus completely on something. This should be a fun mental exercise. Good to keep the years from pilling up, you know.¡±


    ¡°Anything your brain could have lost has probably long since been lost,¡± Garina said. ¡°You may as well give up on that.¡±


    Revin let out a snort of laughter. ¡°Glad to see you¡¯ve kept your sense of humor. The Apostles don¡¯t tend to like that. Bunch of stiff pricks. Wouldn¡¯t know a joke if it punched them in the chin. Maybe I¡¯ll bring that up the next time I¡¯m misfortunate enough to run into one.¡±


    ¡°If they could hate you any more, I¡¯d suggest against it.¡± Garina pinched the bridge of her nose. It looked like she had a pretty bad headache building up. ¡°But as things stand now... it probably wouldn¡¯t make a difference.¡±


    ¡°I feel like I may regret asking this,¡± Noah said slowly. ¡°But if you were an Apostle, what did you do to get kicked out?¡±


    ¡°Some would argue that I quit, but don¡¯t tell that to the Apostles,¡± Revin said, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. ¡°We¡¯ll go with the first ¡ª incorrect ¡ª theory. I got kicked out after I took a bite of their god. Who would have thought?¡±


    That stupid ass title he gave was serious? He actually ate a part of a god?


    Noah¡¯s spine prickled as a thought struck him. Pieces of a puzzle that he hadn¡¯t even realized he was building slammed together in a split instant.


    The Apostles served Decras. And if Revin had taken a bite out of Decras...


    He¡¯s got a Rune like Sunder. Goddamn it. Revin is like me.


    A hand fell on Noah¡¯s shoulder. It was Revin¡¯s. The man had moved and his eyes hadn¡¯t even registered the motion.


    ¡°You¡¯ll do your part, yes?¡± Revin asked, ripping Noah from his thoughts.


    ¡°That depends,¡± Noah replied suspiciously. ¡°I won¡¯t do anything that endangers my students. Their safety is my first priority. And to be totally honest, I don¡¯t fully understand what it is you and Garina are talking about.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect. Exactly what I wanted to hear.¡± Revin patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°What? But I didn¡¯t...¡±


    ¡°Shall we, Garina? Time¡¯s wasting. Don¡¯t want to spend longer on this than we have to,¡± Revin said as he walked over to stand beside Garina.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t said what you want from us,¡± Noah said.


    ¡°Oh, wasn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Revin¡¯s lips twitched upward in amusement. ¡°I want him to do what he does best. Babysit the Inquisitor and Elmer for me, would you? Maybe teach her something while you¡¯re at it.¡±


    ¡°Eline! My name is...¡± Eline trailed off, the words dying on her lips.


    Revin and Garina were already gone.


    It seemed Noah had a new student.

 Chapter 661: Investment

    There was more than enough time for Noah to give Tillian some basic details about where to find him before the Transport Cannon pulled him back. He did consider if he actually wanted the Inquisitor tracking him down or not, but in the end, Tillian actually seemed to be of a decent enough sort.


    Noah was also pretty sure Tillian would find him whether he gave the other man information or not. There was no need to make enemies. He already had more than enough of those. The Inquisitor didn¡¯t seem to have even the slightest interest in his students, and that was really all Noah needed from him.


    He filled the Inquisitor in on the basics of what had happened in the Damned Plains with the agreement that, after Tillian found him again in Arbitage, the Inquisitor would share everything he knew about Wizen and Orlen.


    Tillian also served another purpose. Someone had to shepherd Eline over to Arbitage. The Transport Cannon wasn¡¯t going to bring her back, after all.


    If Noah was honest, he really didn¡¯t have that much interest in taking in Eline. She¡¯d been a brat and a half during the first time they¡¯d met, challenging Emily and disparaging her during their whole interaction.


    Eline had been a Torrin through and through. But then Revin had gotten his claws on her. The girl Noah saw now was nothing like the one that he remembered. All the haughty arrogance was gone ¡ª and there was an air of danger that hung around her shoulders like a cloak. Revin had trained her well.


    Something told Noah the experience had been anything but enjoyable. But, regardless of how Eline gotten there, she wasn¡¯t the same person that she had been. Noah wasn¡¯t sure if that was for the best or not.


    That might not have mattered if she¡¯d done anything truly heinous. But in the end, she¡¯d just been a bratty noble. Noah wasn¡¯t about to leave her stranded in the middle of nowhere just because of how she¡¯d acted in the past ¡ª especially when she¡¯d more than paid her dues by getting landed with Revin.


    And so, with some reluctance, he told Tillian to bring Eline to Arbitage and seek him out when they arrived.


    Then the Transport Cannon finally re-activated and he was gone.


    The return to Arbitage was... slightly awkward.


    Everyone stared at him in surprise as they arrived one after the other. Noah was pretty sure most of them were surprised he¡¯d shown back up without even dying just a little bit. He was forced to explain that everything had, in fact, been completely fine. Moxie had muttered more than a few choice words for what she¡¯d do if she saw Revin again, but they all had work and practice to get to.


    The group soon dispersed as the humans returned to their lodgings and the demons settled into the tower to practice their patterns beside Tim. Even Noah had a lot of work he wanted to get to ¡ª his learnings with regard to his Pattern had been massive in recent times, and he had no desire to stop now.


    He had to keep going at full speed. There was no way for him to teach his students if they were getting ahead of him, after all. And, unlike them, Noah didn¡¯t have to play things safe. He could screw up his pattern and blow himself to kingdom come as many times as it took to wring the secrets from within it.


    And that was exactly what he planned to do.


    ***


    ¡°I¡¯d never admit this, but I¡¯m a bit jealous of Noah¡¯s ability to kill himself,¡± Moxie muttered to herself.


    She stood in the center of her sprawling Mindspace, having slipped into it shortly after returning to her room together with Noah.


    Thick plants rose up all around her to reach for the sky. Her runes shimmered within the shadows of the jungle as if in wait for her to call on them. Far above, a brownish-green Rune loomed in the sky.


    The Master Rune that Sievan had helped her create ¡ª Eternal Cycle.


    Moxie hadn¡¯t had much chance to test it extensively yet, but that wasn¡¯t for lack of trying. Calling upon it already pushed her to the limits of her runes. She wouldn¡¯t risk fully channeling it until she understood the rune better.


    If she¡¯d been Noah, she would have just barged ahead and tried it anyway. He¡¯d probably have killed himself, but he would have learned about how the rune worked.


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    But she wasn¡¯t Noah.


    And she didn¡¯t want to be. As effective as his methods were, his path was sheer brute force. There was no nuance or calculated approaches. He didn¡¯t have to worry about consequences, and that let him accomplish things that should have been impossible.


    It was convenient. Incredibly so. Moxie had benefited from his help more times than she could count. But, as much as she appreciated his abilities, that path was Noah¡¯s.


    Not hers.


    The corners of Moxie¡¯s lips twitched up as she let her head roll back so she could look up at the Master Rune floating above her.


    I remember when I was younger, before I¡¯d fully understood that the Torrins were never going to let me have a choice, that I wanted to be a researcher. I wanted to study Runes and figure out how they worked.


    Honestly, probably for the best that never happened. Researchers don¡¯t live long. Not with all the Rune Oaths binding them to their family and having to test their theories on themselves. It isn¡¯t an enviable field... but I¡¯ve always liked the feeling of making a strategy to deal with something and then having it work out.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just egotistical,¡± Moxie mused.


    It was the same answer she¡¯d given Sievan when he¡¯d asked if she wanted him to handle the creation of the Master Rune for her. Death was a domain he knew well. Better than anyone in existence.


    She¡¯d said no.


    Creating a Master Rune from other runes rather than forming it from scratch was something impossible. A feat that nobody ¡ª not even Noah¡ª had done.


    And Moxie refused to just be some helpless girl that followed Noah around, getting his or someone else¡¯s help whenever she needed to get stronger. So instead of letting Sievan create an objectively more powerful Master Rune for her, she¡¯d asked him to teach her how to create one in the first place.


    It wasn¡¯t like making a rune purely from scratch. After all, she¡¯d had a Broken Master Rune to work with, but that hadn¡¯t helped anyone yet.


    Sievan had obliged her. He¡¯d told her what Broken Master Runes truly were. And, if Moxie was completely honest with herself, she hadn¡¯t fully understood him. She still didn¡¯t.


    Broken Master Runes were fragments of a law. If Master Runes were the epitomy of a single, specific aspect of something, then Broken Master Runes were what happened when someone drew close enough to that concept to brush it but failed to stick the landing.


    Not because the Broken Master Rune had been made wrong, but because someone else had already gotten there first.


    They¡¯re proof that only a single Master Rune of a single type can ever exist in the same world. Sievan hedged something about a greater universe, but I didn¡¯t fully understand what he was getting at. It was too philosophical ¡ª and in the end, it doesn¡¯t matter right now.


    What does matter is that, while I don¡¯t have the ability to create a Master Rune from nothing, I could repurpose one.


    And I did.


    It had taken a number of tweaks and a whole lot of wasted energy from runes that Sievan had provided. Modifying the Master Rune had been akin to redirecting a charging horse. It already had a direction it wanted to go in. Moxie couldn¡¯t completely change it, but she could slightly nudge its focus until it aligned with hers.


    Death was closely linked to the cycle of life. For all intents and purposes, it was most of it. Everything died. Most things spent more time dead than they did alive, and it was death that gave birth to more life.


    And she¡¯d done it. The rune might not have been the strongest it could have been, but there was no rune that suited her more ¡ª and even still, she had yet to let herself draw on the full extent of its strength.


    Instead, Moxie had spent every spare moment she¡¯d had testing the pattern she¡¯d guided the Master Rune with. She¡¯d pushed it to the limits to try and determine everything that it was capable of. Moxie had scoured every piece of information she could get her hands on. Her journal was full of the experiments she¡¯d put her pattern through.


    And now, finally, she¡¯d just about finished all of the tests she¡¯d wanted to try. Her pattern was far from perfect, but she understood it well enough to realize that she wasn¡¯t getting any better just beating her head against the wall.


    There was nothing left to try, but there was still more to discover. And that meant it was time to change the angle of her research. Pushing the pattern further wasn¡¯t changing anything.


    But that had been part of the plan. She¡¯d never expected to master her pattern so easily. Moxie knew her talents well enough. Patterns and magic didn¡¯t come naturally to her. She wasn¡¯t a genius. The reason she¡¯d gotten as far as she had, to the point where the Torrins had chosen her to teach the girl who would have been their head, was for one reason alone.


    She worked with intention. No information was wasted from her research. It might not have been the fastest or most efficient method, but it got her where she needed to get ¡ª and it made sure she understood exactly what she was doing.


    From the moment Noah had first shown her just how powerful patterns could be, she¡¯d started trying to figure out how she could advance them. They were too dangerous to just fling herself at blindly. She needed something that could simulate them better to get more accurate research.


    And she¡¯d found it.


    Or, to be more accurate, she¡¯d made it.


    Moxie hadn¡¯t been fully honest with Sievan. She¡¯d wanted to make her own Master Rune for more reasons than just her own ego.


    Some might have said it foolish to intentionally choose to make a weaker Master Rune just so it perfectly matched her pattern.


    Moxie just called it an investment.


    One that she was finally ready to start cashing in.


    It was time to see what her Master Rune could really do ¡ª not just in terms of pure power, but to let her understand her pattern even better.

 Chapter 662: Surrender

    Pressure from Eternal Cycle bore down on Moxie like the weight of a mountain driving down into her shoulders. Her other runes shuddered as they pushed back against its immense might and she grit her teeth, casting her gaze up to the massive Master Rune.


    It was powerful, and immensely so. Moxie knew more than enough about Master Runes at this point to recognize that. She¡¯d been in Noah¡¯s soul enough times to recognize the strength of Sunder and the Fragment of Renewal. While Eternal Cycle wasn¡¯t quite at their level, the rune wasn¡¯t far.


    Sievan really gave me some good pointers, and the guideline pattern from the Broken Master Rune we used was incredible. Almost makes me wonder what it would have been if it had formed correctly the first time around... but in the end, that doesn¡¯t matter.


    I need to remain focused. There¡¯s too much power for me to let my mind wander.


    Moxie drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. She raised a hand toward Eternal Cycle, pausing a moment before the tips of her fingers could brush across its humming surface. Then she extended her fingers ever so slightly.


    A deluge of power drove into her chest like a shot of adrenaline. It raced through her veins and slammed into her heart, making it skip a beat as her eyes shot wide open. Logically understanding how much strength the Master Rune could bring to bear was vastly different from actually harnessing it.


    She let out a surprised hiss and yanked her hand back. The power she¡¯d taken from the rune stayed within her body, dancing through it like raging ocean waves crashing against her from within.


    It wanted to break free from its containment. To tear through the world around her and conform everything to its will.


    Moxie gritted her teeth.


    This is nothing like drawing from a normal rune. It¡¯s like the Master Rune has a will of its own, and that will isn¡¯t aligning with mine. I want to study the power without releasing it... but I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯m going to be able to hold this.


    ¡°Settle down,¡± Moxie said through clenched teeth. She tried to still the churning power in her veins, but it was like trying to hold down a bucking horse. The magic couldn¡¯t have given less of a shit about what she wanted. It just wanted to be free, and the more she held it within her, the more insistent it got.


    No wonder Noah never channels Sunder for long. The moment he starts drawing on it, it must start trying to fight back. But how does he get it to hold back for long enough to put it into a Formation? I¡¯d never be able to do that as things are now.


    I¡¯m missing something. Eternal Cycle shouldn¡¯t even have energy like this. Life and Death isn¡¯t some crazed, intense thing. I already know that. The Line is anything but energetic. My Rune might not represent the line, but it shouldn¡¯t be that far from it either.


    The energy fought back against Moxie even harder, desperately pressing against the boundaries of her soul in attempt to slip out into the outside world. Pressure bore down on her from the Master Rune above and her other runes trembled as they fought to keep it from crushing her.


    Something in the energy shifted, almost as if it had understood her words. Then it bucked even harder. The magic tore out from her palms, twisting and dissipating into the Mindspace around her.


    Moxie¡¯s lips thinned as a spark of anger ignited within her chest. The Master Rune had straight up ignored her ¡ª no. It was worse than that. The rune had understood what she wanted and actively chosen to do the exact opposite, wasting its power instead of bending to her will.


    ¡°That¡¯s how you want to play this?¡± Moxie asked, glaring up at the rune.


    It, somewhat unsurprisingly, did not respond. If Moxie felt any shame about speaking to what really should have been a largely inanimate object, she certainly didn¡¯t let any of it show in her words.


    ¡°You are a rune,¡± Moxie snapped. ¡°And I decide how your power is applied. Not you. If I decide you will sit still while I study you, then you will sit still.¡±


    The pressure on her shoulders abruptly intensified. Moxie staggered and nearly fell to one knees in her surprise.


    Eternal Cycle understood her ¡ª and it didn¡¯t seem that it was much of a fan of her demands.


    She gritted her teeth and drew on her other runes, letting their power flow through her body as she straightened again. The Master Rune fought back and pressure tore through her soul like a violent gale, sending her hair whipping around her face.


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    That was as clear of a challenge as any words ever could have been.


    But, just in case she¡¯d managed to miss it, another pressure hammer crashed down into her shoulders. This one was far stronger than the last. It slammed Moxie to the ground, nearly breaking her legs in the process, and ripped every scrap of air from her lungs in a coughing wheeze.


    The spark of anger in her chest ignited into a roaring flame.


    ¡°Who do you think you are?¡± Moxie snarled. She drove a hand into the ground, drinking power from her runes until it filled her body to the brim. Power continued to bear down on her from the Master Rune as it fought to keep her pinned to the ground.


    Her fingers twitched. They tightened into a balled fist. With a grunt, Moxie drove it into the ground. Her muscles flexed as she pushed herself upward, trembling with strain, and slowly started to rise once more.


    She craned her neck back to stare straight up at Eternal Cycle. Even though the rune didn¡¯t say anything, she could almost read the exact thoughts passing through it.


    Eternal Cycle was an immensely powerful Master Rune. One created with the aid of Lord Sievan himself. It wanted to be used. To be freed. A concept as strong as the one it embodied refused to bend knee to some arrogant mage that felt she had the right to order it around.


    ¡°You¡¯re new here, so I¡¯ll give you a pass,¡± Moxie hissed through clenched teeth. ¡°You don¡¯t have the faintest idea as to who I am.¡±


    The pressure drove down into her back, trying to force her back to the ground.


    Moxie didn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re disappointed that I¡¯m the one who kept you,¡± Moxie continued. ¡°That I took what you once were and formed you into this with Sievan¡¯s aid. But if you want to be anything at all, you will do as I say.¡±


    She drove a foot down into the ground, bracing herself with her hands. Her knee trembled as the muscles in her leg fought against the power roaring around her.


    ¡°I am Moxie Torrin. I am an exile of my own house and I have gotten great swathes of aid from those around me to get where I stand. I have no great feats to my name.¡±


    And, inch by ponderous inch, Moxie started to rise. She didn¡¯t let her eyes break from Eternal Cycle as she pushed herself to one knee, then slowly started to rise back to her feet. Her entire body ached and groaned from the pressure bearing down on her from every direction.


    Each breath she took was a fight ¡ª but Moxie refused to even blink.


    ¡°But I faltered once,¡± Moxie continued. Her nails dug into the palms of her hands. Blood beaded against her fingertips. ¡°I gave up. And that will never happen again. Not even if you were a god. But you aren¡¯t one. You¡¯re just an insolent rune. I am not the woman I was yesterday. And tomorrow, I will not be the woman I was today. I will be more. And you will not change that. Bend or break ¡ª because I will not.¡±


    Moxie rose fully to her feet. She stood tall as the rune¡¯s pressure drove down onto her, but all the howling wind around her could not bring her back down to her knees. The forest whipped and howled. Vines thrashed; trees creaked and groaned. They were ripped from the ground and shattered. Fragments of wood thundered as trees literally exploded from the force of Eternal Cycle¡¯s power.


    Her very soul began to crumble.


    Moxie did not budge.


    She and Eternal Cycle stood steadfast.


    And, in the storming gale of pressure and energy that surrounded her, Moxie couldn¡¯t help but feel a flicker of recognition. There was something within that furious storm. Something that her eyes couldn¡¯t ignore.


    It was almost as if there was...


    A pattern.


    Her lips twitched.


    And from the ruined ground at her feet, a single sapling pushed free from the soil. Its twin leaves unfurled. It couldn¡¯t have been any taller than an inch, but the tiny plant didn¡¯t so much as sway in the furious wind.


    ¡°Throwing a tantrum will change nothing. Even if you rip me, I¡¯ll just come right back,¡± Moxie said, and the more she spoke, the truer she knew her words to be.


    It didn¡¯t matter if her soul was torn to shreds. If her runes were shattered or if her body was broken. It was from death that life came. A forest could not exist without fallen trees to grow upon.


    She knew her pattern, and it was rebirth.


    The sapling at her feet started to grow. It ignored the wind howling around it as it rose, reaching up past Moxie¡¯s legs as leaves erupted from its stem.


    Death begat life, and life returned to death. Passing between them was simply the natural order. Even if Eternal Cycle pushed her to the very edge, Moxie would return ¡ª and she would be stronger.


    ¡°If you completely break my soul, then you die too,¡± Moxie said. ¡°You cannot break my will. This will continue until you surrender. If you choose to continue, then my soul will be reborn or shatter. Perhaps you can defeat my pattern. But Noah will bring me back. Who will save you?¡±


    The gale around Moxie roared on for a second longer.


    Then it went still.


    Fragmented shards of wood rained down to the ground as trees pitched over, finally falling to their resting places with thunderous crashes. And then her soul was silent.


    Eternal Cycle surrendered.


    Warm sunlight washed over her soul. The jungle that had been her Mindspace had been completely destroyed. It was nothing but fallen trunks and scattered sticks. Shimmers of white soul damage spilling from fractures raced along the ground.


    Saplings begun to push up from the ground all around her, slowly stretching open to reach for the light above. They wound through the cracks in her Mindspace, pulling them shut like stitches.


    Moxie smiled. She didn¡¯t fully understand how her pattern or her Master Rune worked yet, but they were hers, and they both knew it. She now had all the time in the world to figure both of them out. Neither was going to be giving her problems any longer.


    And, even though Eternal Cycle couldn¡¯t respond, she spoke to it once more.


    ¡°I look forward to working with you.¡±

 Chapter 663: Hurt

    When Moxie¡¯s consciousness slipped from her Mindspace and returned to her room in the real world, she didn¡¯t immediately tell Noah about what had transpired. Her thoughts were still too much of a scrambled mess.


    She just immediately grabbed her journal and started to jot notes down within it.


    There was still too much she had to learn about her Master Rune ¡ª and herself. She didn¡¯t want to go barging ahead bragging about chickens that had yet to hatch from their eggs. It wasn¡¯t like her pattern was anywhere near solid enough to go forming a Fragment of Self by accident.


    She had time. And if Moxie was completely honest with herself, she didn¡¯t want to reveal her progress yet. It wasn¡¯t significant enough. Noah had dropped ridiculous revelations on her head so many times that she wanted a chance to do the same to him.


    I can already imagine the look on his face when I tell him I¡¯ve figured out my Pattern and gained control of my Master Rune... but I¡¯d much rather see the real thing instead of imagining it.


    For something like that, I can be patient.


    Moxie wasn¡¯t sure how much time passed as she wrote down everything she¡¯d observed from her visit to her Mindspace. She kept her focus entirely on her journal to make sure no detail slipped through the cracks in her memory.


    Everything she managed to save today could be immensely useful in the future. She didn¡¯t know what she¡¯d need when the time came, so it was better to simply have everything.


    Night had fallen by the time she finally let her quill rest on the desk. Her hands were splattered with ink smudges and her fingers ached something fierce. She leaned back in her chair, shaking her arm off as a small sigh slipped from between her lips.


    Noah and Lee were nowhere to be seen, but there was a note carefully placed upon a book beside her. Moxie plucked the piece of paper up and scanned over it.


    Lee wanted to do some training for her pattern. We headed out. Probably going to the Scorched Acres for a few hours if Tim is awake. Will be back soon. Gourd and book are in the bathroom. Just in case things go wrong.


    Love you,


    N.


    Moxie¡¯s lips pulled up into a small smile. She carefully folded the note up, making sure not to accidentally get any ink from her hand onto it, then slipped it into a pocket.


    She rose from her chair, grimacing as her muscles twinged in protest after having been stuck in place for gods knew how long, then headed into the bathroom. Noah¡¯s belongings sat in a small pile near the bath, just as he¡¯d said they would.


    Moxie washed her hands off before drying them thoroughly and plucking the gourd up. She carried it out of the bathroom and over to her closet before nestling it amongst a pile of clothes.


    ¡°Gods,¡± Moxie muttered as she straightened back up and shook her head. ¡°Couldn¡¯t he have chosen somewhere safer to leave his stuff?¡±


    She returned to the bathroom and squinted at the grimoire. The huge book sat there innocently. Moxie arched an eyebrow.


    ¡°Are you going to let me pick you up? Or are you going to do the thing where you decide to get several thousand times heavier for absolutely no reason?¡±


    The book remained silent. Moxie nudged it with a foot.


    It didn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°I,¡± Moxie crossed her arms in front of her chest, ¡°am going to take a bath. And you are not going to be here for it.¡±


    She poked the book again. It didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°I care about you a whole lot less than I care about Noah¡¯s other stuff,¡± Moxie warned. ¡°I¡¯m not beyond tossing you out a window. It¡¯s not like anyone would be able to move you from wherever you landed.¡±


    The book did not respond. Books tended to do that, but Moxie was more than aware that this particular one was more than capable of gracing her with an answer if it wished to. She¡¯d seen the eye on its cover move more than a few times.


    ¡°One warning,¡± Moxie said. ¡°Stop being heavy. I¡¯ll put you on a nice, comfy bed of vines. If not, I¡¯m ripping a hole open in the ground and making you someone else¡¯s problem. I¡¯ll just seal it shut with vines. Won¡¯t be my problem, and Noah won¡¯t have any trouble retrieving you from a neighbor¡¯s room.¡±


    The eye on the front of the book snapped open. It swiveled around to look right at Moxie.


    She had one grand, fleeting second of smug satisfaction before something prickled against the edges of her domain.


    The book hadn¡¯t woken up because of her.


    There was someone at the window ¡ª and she didn¡¯t recognize them.


    The grimoire¡¯s strap flicked into the air and Moxie grabbed onto it, slinging the huge book over her back as she strode free from the bathroom. Her runes shuddered within her as she drew on them, letting magic flow through her veins.


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    She arrived in the main room right as her window swung open. A man wearing dark wrappings dropped in through it, followed by a woman in the same clothing. It concealed their features completely, but not nearly enough to stop Moxie from noticing the tail hanging behind the woman and the pointed claws her companion sported.


    Demons.


    Not ones she knew, either. Moxie didn¡¯t recognize the feeling of their magic against her domain as belonging to any of the horde that Noah had been inadvertently been building.


    Both of the demons were breathing heavily. The man had several wounds along his body that were soaking into his clothes, and the woman heavily favored one leg. They¡¯d both tracked blood over the plants ringing around her window. Bits of plant matter protruded from their clothes.


    They got attacked by the plants I have guarding the window. They definitely didn¡¯t try knocking. Not friendly, then.


    ¡°You know I¡¯ve got a perfectly functional door right over there,¡± Moxie said, keeping her magic at the ready. ¡°Did you really have to come through the window? Is there a welcome sign on it somewhere?¡±


    She knew firsthand just how fast demons could be. Without a Fragment of Self, she couldn¡¯t match their speed ¡ª which meant she had to be ready to defend herself before they even tried to attack.


    ¡°Spider?¡± the male demon asked.


    ¡°Seriously? I¡¯m taking offense to that,¡± Moxie said. ¡°Do I look like Spider to you? Did he grow tits when nobody was watching?¡±


    ¡°Where is he?¡± the female demon demanded. ¡°We need to speak with him, not his harlot.¡±


    Lovely. Demons, always so polite with their requests.


    The grimoire twitched on Moxie¡¯s back. She could feel its pages rippling. Something told her the book didn¡¯t think much of their surprise visitors.


    ¡°And who do you think you are to be ordering me around?¡± Moxie asked. ¡°Don¡¯t you think Spider has better things to be doing than dealing with two idiots trying to find him in the middle of the night? Who sent you?¡±


    Both of the demons flinched. They seemed to be somewhere around Rank 4, but strength was difficult to tell when one was dealing with demons.


    ¡°How did you know we were sent?¡± the male one asked. His claws flexed. Moxie nearly attacked him on the spot, but she held back. Her shield was prepared and her magic was at the ready ¡ª attacking could end up wasting a chance to get valuable information.


    If someone was sending people after Noah, Moxie had to find out which of his ever-growing list of enemies it was. That list had gotten long enough that it was impossible to take guesses as to who he¡¯d pissed off this time.


    ¡°Because anyone strong enough to try to garner his attention wouldn¡¯t have gotten torn to shreds by the plants I¡¯ve got guarding the windows,¡± Moxie said flatly. ¡°And you¡¯re too weak to have opinions of your own. So who sent you?¡±


    And they¡¯ve got no way to know if I¡¯m bluffing. That¡¯s the one big weakness every demon has. No domain. At least, not for a long time. And if they¡¯ve got no domain, they don¡¯t have the faintest clue as to how strong I am unless they¡¯ve got some ridiculous sniff-technique like Lee.


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your concern. We speak to Spider and Spider alone,¡± the female demon said. Her tail thrashed at her side. ¡°Take us to him. Now. We have a message.¡±


    ¡°Hold on,¡± the male demon said. ¡°Maybe we don¡¯t have to speak to him. We just have to pass a message.¡±


    ¡°What, you want to write a letter?¡± Moxie arched her eyebrow until it threatened to vanish into her hairline. ¡°You definitely just could have slipped that under a door. Either you or your employer have a gap in your mental faculties.¡±


    ¡°I never said anything about a letter,¡± the demon replied, lowering his stance.


    His companion let out a hissing laugh. ¡°That¡¯s true. Good thinking. That saves us time. Killing the harlot should send the¡ª¡±


    There was a soft squelch. The demoness froze. She grabbed at her side, letting out a hiss of pain. The hiss transformed into an agonized scream within instants.


    ¡°Sala?¡± the demon spun to her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    The demoness¡¯ mouth lolled open.


    A vine coiled out from within it, blood dripping from the razor-sharp thorns lining it. Her skin rippled, then split apart at the seams as plants tore through her body from the inside out. The demoness wasn¡¯t granted so much as another breath. Within instants, her entire body had been devoured until she was nothing more than an oddly placed tangle of blood-speckled foliage.


    The demon blurred toward Moxie ¡ª and jerked to a halt after no more than a foot. He pitched forward and slammed into the ground with a loud thud.


    A vine extended from a wound in his leg, buried deep into the tissue around it. It had wound around his other leg, binding them together in a thorned knot.


    More vines exploded out from the demon¡¯s body, ripping up from beneath his own skin to wrap around his body like a cocoon until everything but his face was covered.


    ¡°Well,¡± Moxie said. ¡°That was unwise.¡±


    ¡°What is this?¡± The demon snarled. ¡°What did¡ª¡±


    A vine snapped around his mouth, turning the rest of his sentence to a muffled snarl.


    ¡°No,¡± Moxie said. ¡°You had your chance to talk things out normally. That¡¯s blown. Now you¡¯re going to answer my questions. Now ¡ª who sent you?¡±


    The vine released the demon¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Release us,¡± the demon said, his tone significantly placated. ¡°We... misunderstood the situation. You do not want to make an enemy of our order.¡±


    ¡°Too late for that,¡± Moxie said.


    ¡°We do not have to be¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, not that part,¡± Moxie said. She crouched beside the fallen demon. ¡°I meant the releasing request. Your companion is dead. She¡¯s just fertilizer. You fucked up. I really don¡¯t take kindly to people bursting into my room planning to kill me so they can send some sort of threat message to Spider. Can¡¯t change the past, though. Now answer my question. Who sent you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get nothing from me. The false herald will bend knee or be torn to shreds,¡± the demon snarled. He lurched up, but a vine yanked him back down to the ground before he could even get close. ¡°We are the true! Your filth will never¡ª¡±


    A vine coiled back around his mouth, muffling the demon once more.


    ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t have threatened him.¡± Moxie¡¯s eyes were as cold as two glaciers as she curled her fingers into a fist. ¡°Now I¡¯ve got a time limit. You¡¯re forcing my hand. As unlikely as it is that incompetent idiots like you can hurt him... I won¡¯t take that risk. I really don¡¯t want to sully my hands like this, though. Last chance to speak.¡±


    The demon glared up at her.


    Moxie sighed.


    ¡°Your choice. I¡¯d say some shit about how this hurts me a whole lot more than it hurts you, but that would be a lie.¡± The vines covering the demon twitched. Thin feelers sprouted from within them, stretching out to brush across the demon¡¯s face. Moxie¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°It¡¯s going to hurt you more. A whole lot more.¡±

 Chapter 664: Turn back

    Yoru turned toward the hatch leading back into the Transport Cannon, already starting to move. There were a great many things in life that she didn¡¯t know ¡ª but there was one thing she knew for certain.


    She had no plans of allowing the demons in the tower to be killed by the pathetic, arrogant fools that dared to attack her. She could not remember the last time someone was so foolish so as to draw her ire. Even Demon Lords respected her strength.


    The sheer gall it took the demons here, whose strength could not have been any greater than Rank 4, to even approach her, much less attempt to kill someone standing right beside her, was outrageous beyond words.


    But she only managed to make it a step toward the hatch before something strange happened.


    Tim¡¯s form changed within her mind¡¯s eye. Even though there was no physical change in the man¡¯s appearance, Yoru saw far deeper than that. It was as if his very being had shifted.


    That calm, gentle pond was gone, and even she was uncertain of what remained.


    ¡°The Transport Cannon is being attacked? Someone thinks they can go after Vermil¡¯s students? Not while I still draw breath,¡± Tim snapped, spinning on his heel. Magical energy pooled within him like a raging storm. For a Rank 3 such as himself, it was a rather impressive amount of it. Far more than Yoru would have expected he¡¯d be able to channel. Tim cracked his knuckles as he stormed toward the edge of the roof. ¡°I¡¯ll show them right to the creator¡¯s doorstep.¡±


    You are likely among the number of the ones these fools wish to attack. No demon, here or in the Damned Plains, would ever dare come for me. Especially not ones as weak as this.


    Yoru nearly voiced her thoughts when Tim jerked his hand to the side. The ground bucked beneath her and she staggered, nearly losing her balance. The Transport Cannon was moving.


    A streak of brilliant purple light ripped from the cannon, slamming into one of the marred blurs racing toward them along the ground. There was a flash ¡ª and then nothing.


    Surprise passed through Yoru. A life had ceased to exist. There was nothing where it had once been. Not dead. Gone. Nothing marked the space where they had been moments before. Even the fading fragments of the soul that should have lingered moments after their death had vanished.


    And for a moment, the world seemed to still around Yoru. She had borne witness to a great many types of magic. To demons and mages more powerful than even herself. But there was only one creature in existence that she¡¯d ever met who posessed the strength to simply unmake.


    That creature was Sievan, the Lord of Death.


    How is Tim, a mere Rank 3, able to harness power like this? Impossible.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Yoru asked, unable to keep the words from escaping her lips. ¡°Did you just erase an existence? Have you concealed your strength to some manner unbeknownst to even me?¡±


    ¡°That sounds awful impressive and a little too cruel for my tastes, though I can¡¯t deny I¡¯m feeling quite angry right now,¡± Tim said. The Transport Cannon rumbled again as it turned to point down at the next of the demons, but they had already arrived at the tower¡¯s base and were no longer in a spot where they could be targeted. ¡°I just did a little manipulation of spatial magic using the Transport Cannon.¡±


    A flicker of embarrassment passed through Yoru. She was off kilter. Tim hadn¡¯t erased the demon from existence. He¡¯d just forcibly teleported them away for a short period of time.


    I need to focus. This night was a poor one for an attack like this to occur, but perhaps killing will help me still my thoughts.


    ¡°I see,¡± Yoru said. ¡°Then, after we kill the other attackers, we should be ready to deal with the demon when they return after the cannon¡¯s magic runs out.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t worry about that.¡± Tim¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°I memorized a number of different... unkind places. I didn¡¯t want to, but after a few incidents with people forcing me to abuse the Transport Cannon to harm my friends, I had no choice. That will never happen again. I swore it.¡±


    ¡°Unkind places?¡± Yoru asked as the two of them dropped through the hatch and down into the main room of the Transport Cannon.


    ¡°I sent that demon to the center of an active volcano. They will not be coming back.¡±


    And in that moment, even though Tim may have been just a mere Rank 3 mage, something in his voice sent a flicker of warning to Yoru¡¯s instincts. Tim might not have been an all-powerful Archdemon ¡ª but just for that very moment, his words bore the presence of one.


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    ***


    Karina¡¯s eyes fluttered open.


    It was deep into the night. Thin strands of moonlight filtered in through the window at the head of the bed, sneaking their way past the curtains she and Contessa had hung. A blanket of weariness hung over her shoulders, but it slipped away with startling speed.


    Her heart was beating faster than it should have been.


    Years of training pushed her into a seated position. She couldn¡¯t remember the last time she¡¯d woken up in the middle of the night like this ¡ª at least, not without a reason. Contessa shifted in the bed beside her, letting out a start as she awoke.


    ¡°Karina?¡± Contessa asked wearily. ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    It was a moment before Karina replied. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I suddenly woke up. I think something might be happening.¡±


    Contessa sat up beside her. She rubbed at her eyes. ¡°Is it Mascot begging for food again? Did you remember to set his bowls out last night?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Karina replied. She slipped out of bed, snagging her jacket from the chair beside the bed and slipping it on. Her gaze swept over the room. Nothing seemed out of place. The night was quiet. There was no shadow at the door.


    But despite that, she couldn¡¯t shake an intense, uneasy feeling. It was like there was a lump stuck in her throat.


    ¡°Instincts are there for a reason,¡± Contessa said. ¡°I¡¯ve learned that one the hard way. Better find Mascot. He could have gotten into some trouble.¡±


    Karina nodded quietly. She stepped around the bed, her brow furrowed ¡ª and found herself peering right into two molten red, glowing eyes.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Karina said, her heart skipping a beat. ¡°Mascot, really? We had an agreement. No scary glaring at night.¡±


    The cat blinked up at Karina as she scooped him off the ground and into her arms. He licked her hand. Perhaps that was meant to be an apology ¡ª or perhaps he was wondering if she would be a good meal.


    It was always hard to tell with him.


    Contessa shuffled over to the window and pulled the curtains back, letting moonlight freely spill into the room. She examined the lock intently. ¡°Looks fine. I don¡¯t see anybody outside.¡±


    But Karina didn¡¯t reply. She stared at the ground, cast in silver light by the shining moon, her features frozen.


    Crumpled in a heap at the foot of their bed, just inches away from where Mascot had been sitting, was a rotted corpse. The body was so badly warped and destroyed that it was barely even recognizable as anything other than humanoid.


    A half-crumbled horn jutting from one side of its head marked it as anything but.


    There was a dead demon in their room. One that had died a very, very bad death.


    ¡°Shit, Mascot,¡± Karina breathed. ¡°You were really pissed at this one, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    Mascot started grooming himself.


    Contessa stared down at the corpse for a moment. Then she exchanged a glance with Karina. ¡°Disposal procedures?¡±


    ¡°Disposal procedures,¡± Karina agreed.


    ***


    Alexandra was practicing her pattern in the training courtyard when she felt something shift in the air. The flow of her blade stilled as she let it lower, turning toward the source of the obstruction.


    Three figures stood at the edge of the field. The baggy clothing they wore did little to conceal their identity as demons. Alexandra had spent more than enough time with their sort to recognize the bumps in the clothing that marked poorly concealed horns, tails, and upon occasion, wings.


    She also knew that these demons were not amongst the number she was personally acquainted with.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Alexandra asked, keeping her sword at the ready by her side. Vermil had gotten caught up with quite a few different demons in recent times. There was a very good chance these were his allies ¡ª and there was a greater chance they were his enemies.


    The demons didn¡¯t respond.


    That alone was answer enough. Allies didn¡¯t conceal their identities.


    Her lips thinned. She wasn¡¯t in a good state to fight three enemies right now, much less demons. The strongest tools she had to rely on were were her Fragment of Self and her pattern. She still didn¡¯t have a good set of Rank 3 Runes to use ¡ª which meant this fight was one at a severe disadvantage.


    So be it.


    Alexandra lifted her sword. The world sharpened as her focus intensified, boosted by the Fragment of Self as it deepened the connection between her soul and body even further.


    The demons exploded into motion.


    They were streaks of blurred shadow cutting across the already-dark night. If this had happened before Alexandra had manifested her Fragment of Self, there would have been no competition. She would have been defeated before she even got a chance to realize she was under attack.


    Instead, she leapt back, her sword slicing through the air and forcing the demons back. They didn¡¯t relent. The three of them circled around her wordlessly, launching into a joint attack from all directions.


    Alexandra dropped into her pattern instantly. Magic flowed through her motions and her weapon flitted through the sky as if writing silver letters into the darkness. The ring of metal filled the night as her sword struck against weapons the demons pulled from within their cloaks.


    Neither she nor the demons managed to land a blow on each other ¡ª which was definitely more of a win for her than it was for them. Failing to successfully ambush someone in three to one odds was rather embarrassing.


    Alexandra didn¡¯t let her thoughts drift for long. Even a swords master could fall to a bad step. These were demons. She could not take any risks.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is you seek here,¡± Alexandra said quietly, lowering into a readied stance once more as the three demons advanced toward her. ¡°But I suggest you turn back now. The only thing you will find is death.¡±

 Chapter 666: Heavier

    Bixx¡¯s tongue ran along her lips as she stalked down the moonlit street. The world was silent around her, bar the footfalls of the two demons flanking her sides. They swept down the street like they were the shadows themselves, untouched by the light and unseen by all.


    Several times, they came so close to a human passerby that Bixx could have extended a clawed finger and slit their throat with a lazy flick. The urge to kill welled in her stomach like hot lead ¡ª but she bit it down.


    There would be no distractions tonight. The Greaters orders had been abundantly clear. Tonight was an opportunity. A path into the ranks of the True ¡ª to stand by the Herald himself. There were dozens of them who had been given the blessing to partake in this glorious opportunity.


    Only few would succeed. The base desires of the world would swallow the rest. The demons who could not control themselves, those who failed to keep the True at the forefront of their minds, those who could not follow the only path of salvation; they would crumble away.


    Bixx was not one of them.


    Her dagger felt heavy in her hand. It was no illusion. The blade had always borne more weight to it than a normal one. Far too long had passed since the last time she had fed it. If it were not watered soon, then its fang would turn against her.


    But that would be of no concern. Her fasting had ended. Tonight, her blade would drink. The True had given Bixx¡¯s team their targets. She had been given their names, appearances, and location.


    And that was it. She did not know the identities of the fellow Truthseekers that traveled alongside her, nor did she care to. They were irrelevant. Even the identities of the Greaters did not matter.


    Those who truly walked along the path of the True knew only the Herald. He was the only one who needed to be seen within the masses. So long as his grace extended to Bixx, then she would stand alongside the ranks of any who he saw fit to bless.


    And so, tonight, there was only one thing on Bixx¡¯s mind.


    Her targets.


    A small group of fools that dared to rise up against the Herald with a false prophet. The sheer arrogance of such a foolish ideal was astounding. It was one thing to attempt standing before the path of the True. All such fools would die.


    But to claim that the True Herald was the False, and the False was True ¡ª that was spitting in the eye of God.


    Their blood will absolve their sins. Their death will pave the way to the True. Their life will be spent in purchase of my future, and their death will earn them theirs.


    Bixx came to a stop. Her gaze lifted to the building rising before her. It was silent, windows devoid of light. Dozens of little mortal forms slept within it. Their necks were wide open in beg of Bixx¡¯s blade ¡ª but she would not let it feast upon them today.


    The True did not have space for a ravenous fool. She would eat the course served to her and no more. Her hand trembled as her fingers tightened around the hilt of the dagger. It was starving, now.


    Her eyes lifted to a room on the third floor. From the information the True had given her, one of their targets slumbered within it. They were blissfully unaware of the salvation approaching them, lambs who would pass from this life into the next in peace.


    Bixx envied them. A gentle passing into the arms of the Herald. There were few who were granted such mercy. Those who knew of his grace were dutybound to bring others to what they could only possess themselves through immense suffering.


    But such is our role. I will carve my way to stand before the Herald, and I will join those whom I send to him today.


    The two Truthseekers at her sides waited patiently. She knew they hungered just as much as she did ¡ª but the Greater had put her in charge of this mission. Hers was the blade that would cut first.


    Responsibility weighed upon her shoulders. Even though she did not know their identities, their future laid upon her. Her faith in the Herald would be what granted them victory or failure.


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    I will not let our souls down. We will bear witness to the Herald and rip the False Herald from the vile throne of lies he has crafted.


    Bixx took a step toward the building, preparing to leap into the air. Clearing the distance between herself and the window would be a simple matter. There were enough rough surfaces in the cracks of the stone for her to find purchase in.


    Silence was her greatest ally. Not a single noise could be allowed to purposelessly¡ª


    A soft, almost gentle, thud to Bixx¡¯s side drove into her ears like a spike. Her head snapped to the side.


    One of the Truthseekers that had accompanied her lay on the ground, sprawled as if in a deep sleep. Not so much as a trace of movement remained within their body. It was perfectly and utterly still.


    They were dead.


    An attacker. One of the False Prophet¡¯s soldiers must be awake. Did they see us coming? No. Impossible.


    Bixx shifted her stance. She drew on every one of her senses, focusing intently on her surroundings as she joined up with the other Truthseeker, each using the other to protect their back.


    Her tongue flicked through the air.


    Then her eyes narrowed.


    A patch of air before her was wrong. Magic tainted it like a vile, sickly poison.


    ¡°Damn,¡± a male voice said, weariness dripping from his words like honey. ¡°That easily? What a pain.¡±


    The air rippled as a young human took form before her, stepping out from the nothingness and running a hand through his messy hair. His eyes bore the exhaustion of a being ten times his age and he walked with a hunch as if he¡¯d just been forced out of bed.


    Bixx knew him.


    This was one of the False Prophet¡¯s soldiers.


    The one she¡¯d expected to see least.


    This is the one known as James. He is supposed to be asleep... and he was not supposed to have any ability of worth beyond being invisible. Why is he awake? And what manner of magic did he use to kill the other Truthseeker?


    Bixx¡¯s hand tightened around the grip of her dagger. None of her questions mattered. A target walked before her.


    The target would die.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose we could do this some other time?¡± James asked, rubbing the back of his neck. ¡°I was feeling a bit motivated earlier, but getting spotted really kind of just killed my vibe.¡±


    Bixx blurred into motion. The Truthseeker at her back joined her in the charge as they dashed out in a pincer formation, each diving at James at the exact same time.


    Her blade found nothing but air as it passed through James. His form rippled like a mirage in the lake, blowing away and fading from view.


    Bixx spun as James reformed behind her. She raised her dagger, preparing for a counterattack, but they boy didn¡¯t even try to press his advantage. He just stood back, watching the demons with exhausted eyes.


    His control of light is considerably more significant than what was reported. No matter. I am not so weak as to be fooled by mere illusions. Whatever technique he used to kill the other Truthseeker will not work now that we are prepared.


    ¡°Seriously,¡± James said. ¡°Look, maybe I can go find my professor for you. Then he can kill you nice and fast, save us both the trouble. How¡¯s that sound? Won¡¯t take long at all.¡±


    A thin smile pulled at Bixx¡¯s lips.


    James¡¯ voice wasn¡¯t coming exactly from the location of his mouth. It actually arose from slightly to the side by about a foot. He might have been able to bend light, but sound gave him away.


    The boy might have been more skilled than expected, but he was still nothing but a mewling pup trying to stall for time ¡ª and a foolish one at that. Failing to retrieve help the moment the fight had started had been the only mistake he would make tonight.


    Bixx exploded into motion. She closed the distance between herself and the location that James¡¯ voice came from in a split second, bringing her dagger slamming home.


    Her efforts were rewarded with a hefty thump and a strangled, pained wheeze. Hot blood spilled across her palms and the air before her rippled. James materialized within a shimmer of light, his eyes bulging.


    He clutched at his stomach as Bixx ripped her dagger free. The boy¡¯s lips worked as he tried to muster a word, but the strength didn¡¯t reach his lips. He pitched forward and landed on the ground with a thump.


    A moment later, he was still. Bixx flicked the blood from her blade and turned up toward the building behind them. Precious seconds had been wasted, but one of her targets was dead. The night would not wait for her. There were still more lives to herd into the True.


    The corners of Bixx¡¯s lip twitched down into the faintest frown. She glanced at the body lying at her feet. It didn¡¯t so much as budge.


    She¡¯d barely even registered the kill. The boy hadn¡¯t seemed that weak... but his blood was so worthless that it hadn¡¯t even fed her dagger.


    ¡°Pathetic,¡± Bixx murmured.


    But the Herald would give no lenience for any more burned time. It did not matter how powerful her targets were. All that mattered was that they drew breath no more when the sun rose.


    She exchanged a sharp nod with the other Truthseeker before darting back into motion.


    And, at her side, her dagger grew only heavier still.

 Sick

    Hey all, posting this in every novel. Sorry for lack of notification yesterday, I caught a nasty fever. I¡¯m taking 2 days off, so no posts for any novel yesterday (obviously) or today. I will try to write again tomorrow. Unsure how that will go, but I¡¯m recovering so I plan to be back Friday at the latest.


    Thanks for your patience and understanding!


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    Until the next chapter,


    Actus


    P.S.


    This chapter isn¡¯t long enough to be posted so now it¡¯s time for me to reveal something of vital importance. Listen closely. The password to receive the next chapter for free is...


    *cliffhanger*


    (yea I know this isn¡¯t a cliffhanger I¡¯m filling space so I can post the damn chapter. Don¡¯t post me on Reddit saying stupid web serial author doesn¡¯t know what a cliff is or I¡¯ll be hiding in your walls the next morning... unless I die. Tune back in on Friday to see if I¡¯m alive!

 Chapter 667: Bixx

    Chapter 667: Bixx


    Swords carved through the air, their silver blades like slivers of moonlight itself as they plunged down toward Alexandra.


    None of them hit their mark. Alexandra ducked and slipped past them, her own sword flicking out to force the demons back and prevent them from pressing the advantage of their numbers.


    In the few seconds that had passed since the fight had started, they must have exchanged more than a dozen blows. The demons were impossibly fast ¡ª especially when compared to a human.


    Even with the Fragment of Self and her pattern, it took everything Alexandra had to stay ahead of her opponents. Magic poured from her and entered the motion of her blade in an incessant flow. She couldn¡¯t afford to let up for so much as a moment.


    Her biggest saving grace was the demons¡¯ inability to work as a real team. The three of them were all threats on their own, but they had no regard for one another. The lunged and stumbled over each other in their haste to get to Alexandra.


    There was no real teamwork or proper cohesion in their attacks. Every once and a while they managed to coordinate a blow, but the vast majority of their speed was spent getting around themselves rather than pressing Alexandra.


    Some distant part of her mind calmly assessed the situation as her body worked to buy it time to think. She¡¯d spent so much time learning how to keep her Pattern active regardless of the situation that she¡¯d functionally trained her mind to focus on two completely different tasks at once.


    In the duration of the fight, she¡¯d gone through a dozen different scenarios and strategies that she could try to use to come out of this alive. She¡¯d searched for the weaknesses in each of the demons¡¯ movements and any opportunities to secure a safe escape without getting run through.


    And Alexandra had concluded that, should things continue as they were, she was going to lose.


    The demons were just too fast. There was no way for her to land a good blow on any of them and turn the tides of the fight without taking a strike in return. Not if she stuck to just using a sword. Non-magical combat was what demons excelled in. Even her Pattern wasn¡¯t going to turn the tides of that.


    And that means I have to change my goal. There¡¯s no way I can win this without getting hit... so instead, I¡¯ll just have to let them hit me.


    Alexandra spun. The demons were upon her before the thought had even fully finished passing through her head. Silver shimmers marked the wake of the demons¡¯ daggers as they sliced toward her ¡ª one for her neck and another for her chest. The third demon was still trying to make his way around the other two. There would be at least half a second before he could get into position to attack.


    This is my chance. It really doesn¡¯t fit my fighting style much anymore, but the wind adapts. I am not constrained to using only one method to claim victory.


    Power exploded through Alexandra as she reached deep within herself and drew on a Rune she hadn¡¯t touched in quite some time.


    Alexandra called on her Master Rune. She yanked magical energy from Earthen Muster in a flash, sending it tearing out all along her body.


    The ground exploded at her feet. A river of stone coiled up her leg in a flash, coating her entire body in a thin layer of magically infused rock within instants.


    Two heavy thumps drove into her neck and stomach, joined by the ringing clang of metal on stone. Alexandra didn¡¯t wait to see if the strikes had managed to penetrate her armor. Her sword was already slicing through the air.


    Fear passed through the nearest demon¡¯s eyes. Only an idiot would intentionally take two mortal blows to get a counterattack off, and they¡¯d clearly had no idea she possessed a Master Rune.


    It was too late. By the time they realized what had happened, Alexandra¡¯s blade had already completed its path.


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    A demon crumpled, his head severed at the neck.


    Alexandra struck again before his body had even begun falling to the ground. The other demon that had tried to stab her raised his daggers defensively to block her attack, but the tempo of the fight had shifted. Her blade flicked to the side, circumventing his defenses, and carved deep into his arm.


    The third demon was upon Alexandra before she could press any farther. A blade slammed into her back, driving deep into the armor and piercing into her skin. Pain drove into her and threatened to knock the breath from her lungs.


    She didn¡¯t let it. Alexandra spun. Her blade sliced through the air where the demon had been moments before. His partner pressed the advantage, but Alexandra¡¯s sword was already in place to fend him off.


    Metal rang through the night as the remaining demons danced around her, searching for any openings in her defenses. Alexandra was more than aware that time was not on her side. She didn¡¯t know how severe the wound to her back had been, and she couldn¡¯t afford waste any attention on it.


    The only way this ended was by taking the remaining two attackers out.


    She ducked under another blow but was forced to dodge back by the second demon before she could take advantage of the opening she¡¯d found.


    The demons were fighting safer now. They knew she was at the disadvantage and her trick with Earthen Muster wasn¡¯t going to work a second time. But giving her more room to breathe was the wrong move.


    If I can concentrate, I can strengthen my pattern. I¡¯m still not used to using it at full strength. It¡¯s too difficult to try under a full onslaught. But when they¡¯re fighting scared like this...


    Alexandra¡¯s grip on her sword loosened. She exhaled, pushing the tension from her body out in her breath. The flow of magic churning through her increased as her pattern unfurled like a blooming flower.


    The grass at her feet darkened. It curled in on itself and started to wither as a patch of death rolled out around her, killing everything it touched. Power flowed into Alexandra¡¯s body. She couldn¡¯t keep a faint smile from slipping across her lips.


    Her movements barely even felt like they had any weight to them anymore. It was like she was floating on the air itself.


    The demons realized their mistake a moment too late. They both charged ¡ª


    Alexandra detonated her armor. The stone covering her skin exploded, ripping away from her in a hail of jagged fragments in every direction. Fragments tore into the demons¡¯ skin and punched into their stomachs, momentarily staggering them.


    Her sword blurred.


    Then everything went silent. The night was still, as if holding its breath.


    Several soft thumps broke the stillness. Four arms hit the ground, joined by the upper bodies of two demons. Both of them had been cut clean in half with a single blow.


    Alexandra released her pattern and doubled over, gasping for breath. Her sword slipped from her fingers and impaled itself in the ground before her, the blood on its edge glistening in the moonlight.


    She fought to catch her breath for exactly five seconds. Then she straightened, grabbing her sword and flicking the blood from its blade before turning on her heel and striding toward the dorms.


    This had been too coincidental for it to just be a random attack. If demons had come for her, then they might have come for the others as well ¡ª and Alexandra wasn¡¯t about to let any of the others get hurt while she still drew breath.


    A shiver ran down her spine as the wound in her back throbbed.


    Not even just for their sake, but for everyone¡¯s. If the demons manage to actually seriously injure someone... I don¡¯t know what Noah would do.


    I don¡¯t think I want to find out.


    ***


    Bixx slipped through the open window and dropped to the ground of the human¡¯s room without so much as a whisper of noise. Shadows clung to her body like splatters of paint across an apron, concealing much of her form from vision.


    To the unobservant, she ¡ª and the pitch black dagger clutched in her left hand ¡ª may as well have been completely invisible. Her shadow runes had melded so deeply with her form that the darkness was part of her very being.


    The demoness flipped the blade over in her hand as she approached the bed before her. Her movements were completely without sound. She was nothing more than a shadow in the night.


    How... amusingly simple.


    Her target¡¯s chest rose and fell with gentle breaths, eyes closed in gentle sleep as silver hair pooled like moonlight around her head. The girl was so peaceful.


    So easy to kill.


    Her name was known to Bixx.


    Emily. It was not a name that would be remembered. Those as pathetic at this were not worthy of memory.


    Someone so weak never should have sided with a False Herald ¡ª especially when her allies are just as weak as her. At least the one that stood guard over this girl attempted to put a fight. May the Herald embrace him with open arms.


    But this girl? Emily? She can only blame herself for her death.


    Bixx¡¯s dagger sliced down.

 Chapter 668: On the rugs

    Bixx¡¯s blade punctured flesh. A thrill raced through her chest as her dagger bit into Emily¡¯s chest, driving right into her heart and burying itself deep within it.


    It was a perfect blow.


    The girl didn¡¯t even budge in her sleep. A soft wheeze slipped from her lips as the life slipped free from its mortal bindings. Her death had been perfect. Silent, painless. A blessing unto the heathens from the Herald himself.


    It took a force of will to keep Bixx from letting out a euphoric laugh. Delight burned in her body like she were the wick of a candle. To kill after being denied for so long was a sensation like no other. There was no other pleasure in the Damned Plains nor the mortal realm that could ever even try to come close.


    She ripped her dagger free. Her body begged her to pause, to revel in the delight, but she pressed the urges down. There would be time for that later. She would not stand in the way of the Herald¡¯s will.


    Two lambs had been shepherded into the light, but there were still more that awaited the sweet, euphoric release of her dagger. The tremors of pleasure racking her entire body could not stop her from letting others walk the path of the True.


    Such was her burden.


    Bixx allowed herself one final look down at Emily¡¯s peaceful, sleeping face. At the beautiful flower of blood blooming across the sheets of the bed, wrapping her in a red blanket that would ferry her to the great beyond.


    I envy you, Emily.


    Bixx extended a hand, letting a finger brush gently across the girl¡¯s cheek. The girl¡¯s face was cold, lifeless. Her soul must have already met the Herald. She had been given her purpose. How Bixx longed to join her¡ª


    Her face is cold. Why is her face already cold?


    The demoness froze. She stared at Emily, pulling her hand away. The dagger in her hand felt like a millstone dragging her entire arm toward the ground. Her heart started to pound.


    Something was wrong. Very wrong.


    Bixx took a step back. The feeling intensified by the moment. Her head spun and a throbbing headache pounded at the sides of her skull. The demoness¡¯ stomach flipped as her body rebelled.


    She took a second step back. Then another. The walls seemed to swim around her as a haze warped the air. Pinpricks of pain drove into her eyes; her mouth parched.


    Her jaw clenched.


    Her dagger grew heavier still.


    What is this? Was I poisoned? Some manner of trap in the window when I entered? I didn¡¯t feel anything. There¡¯s no way I could have missed something so obvious. And why is my dagger so heavy? I¡¯ve fed it twice!


    It¡¯s almost as if...


    As if her dagger hadn¡¯t drunk at all.


    Reality cracked. A jagged shard of light cut through the air before Bixx¡¯s eyes. A second crack followed after it. The fragments ripped through the room, surrounding her in an instant before shattering without so much as a sound.


    Bixx¡¯s vision swirled. Bile threatened to force its way up her throat as the world abruptly shifted and the room changed around her. The shifts were small, like tweaks to reality itself rather than a complete and utter shift.


    She still stood in the same room that she¡¯d been in a moment before, but it was not as it had been.


    The flower of blood blooming on Emily¡¯s bed vanished ¡ª and so did the girl. In its place was nothing but a small indent in messy sheets. There was a dagger puncture in the exact spot that Emily had been moments before.


    And, standing to the side of the room, a sheet wrapped around her body and silver hair falling around her face, was Emily. She held her sheets with one hand and had the other ready before her. Frosty magic curled across the girl¡¯s fingertips, readied to spring forth at a thought.


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    But Emily wasn¡¯t the only change.


    Sitting on the edge of the bed and leaning against the wall was a dead man.


    James stretched his arms above himself, arching his back as he let out a yawn. Then he shook his head and reluctantly rose to his feet.


    It wasn¡¯t his appearance that unsettled Bixx the most.


    No, it was the fact that the boy shouldn¡¯t have existed at all. In fact, he still didn¡¯t exist. Her eyes saw him, but the rest of her senses found absolutely nothing.


    He had no scent. No magical presence. Even the air didn¡¯t taste of him. It was as if the boy¡¯s specter had risen from the afterlife. Nothing but his image existed... and even that felt difficult to grasp, like trying to drink water from a strainer.


    ¡°That was just weird,¡± James said. ¡°I mean, the stabbing bit is one thing, but the tender face stroke? Really? Could you not? I just couldn¡¯t anymore.¡±


    ¡°How are you here?¡± Bixx breathed. ¡°You¡¯re dead! I killed you!¡±


    ¡°Actually, you assaulted a very unfortunate rodent,¡± James corrected. He blew out a sigh. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have just taken me up on my offer? Do you have any idea how annoying this is going to be? I had to break into her room while she was sleeping. Just look at her! She ¡ª actually, don¡¯t do that. Weirdo. What matters is that I now look nearly as creepy as you. What are you going to do about that?¡±


    He''s trying to distract me. Perhaps he¡¯s using his light magic to make an illusion of himself. That¡¯s the only thing that makes sense. There may be some sort of poison interfering with my senses, but I taste the girl in the air. She¡¯s in the room, and exactly where she appears to be.


    I¡¯m not tricked so easily.


    Bixx exploded into motion. Her dagger carved through the air and slammed into Emily¡¯s stomach for the second time that night. She ripped the blade upward, dragging it through the girl¡¯s stomach. Blood spilled across her hand as a deluge of power rolled through her body.


    A pained gasp fell from Emily¡¯s lips as she slumped in the demoness¡¯ arms.


    ¡°No!¡± James yelled.


    A cold grin split Bixx¡¯s lips. She¡¯d been right.


    ¡°The Herald guides my blade,¡± Bixx said, dropping the girl¡¯s corpse to the ground. Her dagger was heavy no longer. It felt light as a feather, its hunger finally sated. Whatever magic the boy had used was unable to ¡ª


    The room shifted.


    Bixx stumbled as her vision lost focus for a moment.


    Then she froze. Disbelief pounded in her skull like a war drum. Emily stood at the head of her bed, still wrapped in her blanket, staring at Bixx with her lips slightly askew.


    She was untouched. Uninjured. There wasn¡¯t so much as a scratch on her body, but that was impossible. Bixx had felt her blade drink. She still had blood on her hands from its meal.


    Her gaze dragged downward.


    At her feet was a corpse, but it was not Emily¡¯s.


    Before her was the body of the other Truthseeker.


    ¡°You got blood on the carpet!¡± James exclaimed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Emily! I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d just try to stab you like that! I thought she was going to do some stupid monologue shit!¡±


    ¡°What have you done to me?¡± Bixx demanded. Her dagger trembled in her grip. She could still sense Emily, but her senses were no longer her own. She could not trust them. ¡°What magic is this? Some accursed technique taught to you by the False Prophet?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be honest, I¡¯ve got no idea what you¡¯re talking about, and I really can¡¯t be bothered to ask more,¡± James said. He blew out another sigh. ¡°Emily, you mind if I get more blood on your carpet? It¡¯s kind of already ruined.¡±


    ¡°James, I don¡¯t know what the hell is going on, but I don¡¯t give a shit what you get blood on at the moment,¡± Emily said. The note of confusion in her voice made it clear she¡¯d only woken up mere moments ago. Her eyes sharpened an instant later. ¡°If there¡¯s a demon here trying to kill us, then everyone else might be in danger too. We have to help them.¡±


    ¡°Damn it,¡± James said as he pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°You¡¯re right. Ugh. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be fine, but we better be sure. Hold on. Give me a second. I¡¯ll get rid of the pest.¡±


    ¡°You think the followers of the True can be defeated that easily?¡± Bixx bared her fangs and lowered her stance. ¡°I¡ª¡±


    Something drove into Bixx¡¯s ear. There was a wet thunk as her entire body went stiff. Hot, warm liquid poured down the side of her face, followed moments afterward by a searing pain. The world spun. Confusion tore through Bixx¡¯s mind.


    She tried to take a step forward, only to find the ground suddenly rushing toward her face. Her head hit the ground with a thud, but she barely even felt it. Her vision fluttered as darkness begun to swallow it.


    The wet patch at her ear spread, soaking into the soft fabric of the rug pressed against her cheek. Some dim part of her mind quietly observed that it was blood red.


    She was dying.


    How? What happened to me?


    ¡°There,¡± James said. His voice was distant above her. ¡°She¡¯s dead. Sorry about your rug. It¡¯s pretty fucked.¡±


    I don¡¯t understand. How did I die? I never even felt his presence. What kind of monsters does the False Herald have working for him?


    ¡°Evergreen gave it to me, so it doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Emily replied. There was a soft thud as she dropped the blankets she was holding and stepped over Bixx, grabbing clothes from the closet and hurriedly starting to pull them on. ¡°We need to go check on the others. And... did you just save me from getting murdered in my sleep?¡±


    ¡°Do I get points if I say yes?¡±


    ¡°That depends on why you were outside my room in the middle of the night, but you can answer that one later... along with telling me what in the Damned Plains that magic was. I¡¯ve never seen you do anything like it. You¡¯ve been holding back. Again.¡±


    Bixx didn¡¯t hear the rest of their conversation.


    She was already dead.

 Chapter 669: What manner of magic?

    Alucion made no noise as he slipped through the halls of the human building alongside three Truthseekers. A heavy blade hung at his side, weighing his hip down with what almost felt like a vortex.


    A strong, constant pull tugged at his flesh as the blade absorbed the magical energy from the air around it. The weapon was a rare one ¡ª crafted specifically to deal with one of the humans¡¯ favorite combat techniques.


    It was a Soldier-killing blade. A Mageripper. The weapons were rare and few in number. Each one was inordinately expensive and never lasted for more than a few missions. Disrupting Imbuements was an immensely difficult task.


    But this was not a mission in which expenses could be spared. The Greaters had chosen the greatest of the outer sect. Each of them had been specifically selected for this job, and they had been equipped as such.


    For this opportunity. Success was all but guaranteed. The Herald knew all. The way was bright to him, and they had been chosen to execute his will. To bring the world closer to where it truly belonged; unfettered, unshackled.


    They¡¯d all been warned of the importance of this mission. Of the False Herald''s closest warriors... and of the weapons they bore. Todd and Isabel were amongst the highest targets any Truthseekers had been assigned.


    Bringing them down was of the highest priority. They could not fail. Not only because the Herald had ordained their success, but because there should have been no competition. A pair of Rank 3 human children against four demons was already overkill.


    But it had not been merely four demons that had come for this mission. They had come armed with more than the Herald¡¯s teachings and weaponry. Their weapons were more than just the claws at their fingertips and the blades at their sides.


    They were armed with knowledge.


    Alucion knew everything that Isabel and Todd were capable of. No element of surprise had been left to sway the roll of the dice in the children¡¯s favor. He, along with the other demons at his sides, had been armed specifically to deal with the duo. Their fate was cast and set in metal; death was the only way into the Herald¡¯s grace that still remained open to them.


    He drew to a stop before the door they sought. The other Truthseekers came to a stop beside him. Not one of them made so much as a noise as they got into position. All of them were perfectly silent, as still as a dead lake in the middle of the night.


    There would not even be a fight. All of their weaponry and preparation was merely precaution. Tonight¡¯s task had no room for mistakes. This would be a silent execution, and then they would be on to their next and final target ¡ª the one who would be the true challenge.


    One of the Truthseekers stepped forward. She let her hand brush across the doorknob.


    Alucion¡¯s hands clenched at his sides. Only his training allowed him to keep his heart from thumping faster. This was the greatest break point of their entire plan. Opening a door was not often silent. If they made noise, everything could come crumbling apart and their schedule would be ruined.


    The ring on the demoness¡¯ finger let out the faintest shimmer of light as the locking mechanism gently undid itself, sliding open without a noise.


    Alucion¡¯s lips twitched into a smile. All of his worry was for naught. The greatest opponent had already been defeated.


    A gentle push from the demoness slipped the door open just enough to allow entry into the room. Her ring had already quieted its light once more, so as to not give any cause to wake the sleeping humans.


    The room was as dark as the hallway. There was no sound in the air but the gentle breaths coming from the humans within the room. Alucion recognized the pattern ¡ª it was the slow rise and fall of sleep.


    He gave the slightest nod to the lead Truthseeker. All they had to do now was complete their task and be on their way. The Herald would welcome two more into his fold, and then the Truthseekers would be one step closer to his grace.


    They moved forward, perfectly silent.


    Unnoticed.


    Invisible.


    The first of the Truthseekers died the moment she stepped through the door. There was only an instant of warning in the form of a dim, nearly inaudible hum. Then a flash of blue shimmered through the dark room and there was a spear point blooming from demoness¡¯ back.


    Droplets of blood splattered across Alucion¡¯s features as, for the briefest moment, he could do nothing but stare in surprise. The faint smile was still on his face when he tasted iron on his lips.


    Then the glowing spear ripped free of the demon¡¯s chest. With it flowed a stream of shimmering blue energy, ripped from the Truthseeker¡¯s body and swallowed into the darkness of the room beyond. The light vanished, but not before illuminating the cold features of a human girl for the briefest instant.


    Isabel.


    Impossible. Their breathing was there! It was abundantly clear that both of them were asleep. How is she¡ª


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    And then it struck Alucion. His senses were that of a demon. Even though he could no longer see Isabel, he could still hear her... and her breathing had not changed. There was no panic in her breath. It was almost as if she was still asleep.


    ¡°They¡¯re awake and controlling their breathing,¡± Alucion snarled. ¡°They knew of our coming! Eliminate them now. We can¡¯t risk interference!¡±


    He ripped the blade free from his side as he blurred into motion. If Alucion hadn¡¯t known better, he might have assumed that they had been betrayed. Striking to kill instantly without even figuring out who was at her door was not the action of some mere child.


    It matters not. Their only advantage is their surprise. Fighting in the dark is far more a detriment to humans than it is to demons. They will not catch us off guard again.


    Alucion and the Truthseekers burst into the room, their weapons at the ready. He could still hear Isabel¡¯s breath. Even the sound of her heartbeat tickled at his ears, telling him exactly where she stood.


    But Isabel was not his first target. That honor went to Todd, the heartbeat standing at the other side of the room. Alucion blurred toward him, his sword streaking through the air¡ª


    A brilliant flash of light tore through the room. But it was more than light. Fire crackled and roared as it bloomed through the air. A wall of heat slammed into Alucion¡¯s features and he spun to the side, narrowly avoiding a thick gout of flame as it ripped through the spot where he¡¯d been standing moments before.


    Torches exploded to life all around the room, casting everything in a ruddy orange light. Heat from their ignition bit against Alucion¡¯s skin as Todd and Isabel were both ripped into the light.


    ¡°Demons,¡± Todd said, his voice muffled by a thin layer of stone armor covering his body. ¡°Not ours.¡±


    ¡°And here I thought we got lucky,¡± Isabel growled from the other side of the room. She was also clad in armor ¡ª but hers was of a far thicker and heavier stone. ¡°I was hoping some idiot nobles decided they were done waiting around and came to finish the job. Disappointing.¡±


    ¡°It really is,¡± Todd agreed. He raised his hands into the air and struck his wrists together. Flame swirled down from the torches ringing the room to coil around him like a dragon preaparing to strike.


    The two of them had been prepared for an attack.


    They dare mock our order?


    Alucion¡¯s blade hummed in his hand. The torches in the air sputtered as the magic imbued into them struggled in the face of his blade. Then, one by one, they started to blink out. The heat rolling through the room faded instantly, and the fire Todd had summoned went with it.


    After all, the flame hadn¡¯t come directly from him. It was borne of an Imbued source ¡ª and when an Imbued source ran out of power, then its creations vanished as well.


    He smiled as Todd¡¯s heartbeat increased.


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± Todd asked. ¡°They¡¯re screwing with my Imbuements, Isabel! I¡¯ve never seen magic like this.¡±


    Then the room plunged back into darkness.


    ¡°And you never will again,¡± Alucion whispered. Their operations had gone awry, but no plan could be perfect. It didn¡¯t matter. So long as the two were dead within the minute, nothing would change. ¡°End this! I will deal with Todd. Handle the stronger one.¡±


    The two remaining Truthseekers both charged at Isabel. She was the bigger threat, of course. The Master Rune she bore was deadly. Even the Herald was unsure as to the full extent of its strength ¡ª but two Truthseekers were more than enough to handle the girl.


    As for Todd...


    His bracelets clacked together in the dark.


    ¡°What did you do? How is this possible?¡± Todd stammered. There was a thud as a piece of his armor fell away and crunched to the ground at his feet. More fragments rained after it, crumbling away until he stood in his plain clothes once more. ¡°My Imbuements!¡±


    Overreliance on tools. Idiot. Imbuements are a weapon. Using them so heavily is like asking for someone to rip them away from you. All you can really rely on is your own body and the magic within it.


    Unfortunately, it is too late for you to learn this lesson.


    ¡°Todd!¡± Isabel screamed. ¡°Run!¡±


    ¡°Too late,¡± Alucion whispered. He darted forward. His blade flashed, moving at a speed faster than any Rank 3 human could ever hope to react to.


    A heavy thunk ran down his arm as it slammed home ¡ª into a wall an inch away from Todd¡¯s head. The blade quivered in place. There wasn¡¯t a single drop on it. Todd had managed to move out of the way of the blow.


    Surprise flickered through Alucion.


    Impossible. How could a Rank 3 ever move so¡ª


    Dim red lights cut through the darkness. They streaked before Alucion, straight-edged lines tracing out to connect to each other in some strange pattern. But the lines weren¡¯t just in the air.


    They were on Todd¡¯s skin. Like tattoos, they ran across every exposed inch of his body, from his fingertips down his arms until they vanished beneath his shirt. They covered his face. Even his eyes had not been spared, illuminated from within by square, spiraling patterns. Faint power pulsed within the lines, so contained that it was nearly impossible to detect.


    ¡°Just kidding,¡± Todd said. His white teeth glistened in the dark in a cold smile.


    Alucion snarled. He jerked his blade free of the wall, sending it blurring for Todd¡¯s head. The boy threw a punch at his stomach, but Alucion ignored it. He was a demon. A mere blow from a child was not worth delaying the fight over to dodge. It could simply be ignored¡ª


    Pain exploded through Alucion. He staggered back, blood splattering from between his lips as his blade spun from his hand to clatter to the ground. He stumbled, falling to the ground as agony eviscerated him from within.


    He stared down at his stomach in disbelief, but there wasn¡¯t so much as a bruise left over from Todd¡¯s strike.


    ¡°Bit sad, isn¡¯t it? Falling over from one punch?¡± Todd asked, stepping toward Alucion. His features, illuminated by the straight lines covering his body, were cold.


    ¡°What did you do? What magic is this?¡± Alucion wheezed, blood bubbling up from his lips faster now. It almost felt like his internal organs had been completely liquified. But Todd was a human. No human could punch like that. The only thing Todd¡¯s magic could do was...


    ¡°An explosion,¡± Alucion breathed, the word slipping free of his lips alongside the blood. ¡°You passed the explosion directly into my stomach? How is that possible?¡±


    ¡°Imbuements can do some crazy things,¡± Todd said. ¡°Especially when you know what you¡¯re doing with ¡®em. Nice sword, by the way. You don¡¯t mind if I take it, do you?¡±


    More blood burst from Alucion¡¯s lips as he tried and failed to muster up a response. His head fell back and hit the ground with a wet thunk. Darkness rapidly swallowed his vision.


    The last thing he saw was a Truthseeker crumpling to the ground at Isabel¡¯s feet, the light from her glowing blue spear illuminating the last of their number as he lay, bleeding out, beside him. All four of them had fallen. They had failed.


    Then Todd¡¯s heel slammed down on Alucion¡¯s skull and he knew no more.

 Chapter 670 & Announcement!

    ¡°Remember not to spend so much effort trying to focus that you end up not focusing at all,¡± Noah said with a chuckle. ¡°There¡¯s a reason people meditate to get in touch with their inner selves. If you¡¯re frothing at the mouth trying to do something, you¡¯re going to end up spending more energy trying to do it than you will actually doing it ¡ª if that makes sense?¡±


    Lee looked up at him from where she sat cross-legged on the ashy dirt of the Scorched Acres. She¡¯d cleared away a small clearing to avoid staining her clothes too badly while they practiced, but it really hadn¡¯t been all that effective.


    Her nose scrunched.


    ¡°No. It doesn¡¯t make sense. Why does trying too hard at something make it harder? It should get easier.¡±


    ¡°Everything takes energy,¡± Noah said, throwing his thoughts far back to the few and far in between philosophical discussions he¡¯d had on Earth. There were a few seminars that all the teachers had been forced to go through. Noah wasn¡¯t sure if they¡¯d been much use, but the speakers had certainly sounded like they knew what they were talking about. ¡°But if you focus too much of your energy on the idea of doing something, then you aren¡¯t actually spending as much as you can actually doing it.¡±


    Lee stared at him for a second. ¡°I preferred when my problems were edible.¡±


    ¡°Here. Maybe an example would work,¡± Noah said, rubbing his chin. ¡°Think about food for a¡ª¡±


    ¡°Done. Already doing it.¡±


    Noah sighed. ¡°Give me a moment, would you? Think about food. When you eat, do you really spend a lot of time thinking about chewing and swallowing and all the other things that go into it?¡±


    Lee tilted her head to the side, then shook it a moment later. ¡°No. It just happens.¡±


    ¡°Right. Because you¡¯ve practiced a ton. It¡¯s instinct,¡± Noah said, more than well aware this analogy was far from perfect. ¡°But if you were to really focus on every bite you took, to the point where you wanted to know exactly where your jaw was at every point, what would happen?¡±


    ¡°I guess I¡¯d probably eat slower.¡±


    Noah nodded. ¡°Right. Patterns are the same. You can¡¯t be so attentive to the tiny things to the point where you lose track of the big one. Look at both the forest and the trees. It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t see the leaves. The small details are what you¡¯ve already practiced when you¡¯re using your pattern without magic. So when you use magic, trust yourself to keep those bits up and focus on the pattern as a whole instead.¡±


    ¡°I think I see what you¡¯re saying,¡± Lee said with a nod. ¡°That¡¯s weird, but I get it. Maybe that¡¯s what I¡¯ve been...¡±


    Lee trailed off. Her nostrils twitched. She rose to her feet, brushing the back of her pants off as her brow knitted in concentration for a moment. Then her lips thinned. ¡°We aren¡¯t alone. I smell someone coming.¡±


    A second after the words had left her mouth, the very edges of Noah¡¯s domain prickled. There was something in the burned woods behind them. He didn¡¯t even waste attention trying to get a good feeling of it. The form was nothing more than a blur ¡ª but Lee¡¯s senses were considerably better than his. She¡¯d only noticed the intruder¡¯s presence a little bit before he had, which meant they were moving fast.


    Noah spun toward the approaching blur. He drank deeply from Unstable Pandemonium, readying the magic within himself by the time he¡¯d finished the motion. He might not have been about to start blasting magic around blindly... but it never hurt to be prepared.


    The figure slammed to a halt at the edge of the treeline, emerging from within the darkened trunks. They wore a hooded robe, but Noah recognized them almost instantly as a demon. There weren¡¯t many other humanoid beings that had horns poking up against their hood.


    Actually, I¡¯m a bit impressed that their hood is still over their head after moving so fast. How did they manage that? Do the horns hold it in place, or do they have it tied down somewhere?


    ¡°You noticed me coming,¡± the demon said in a haughty tone in a voice that sounded rather female. It was always a bit difficult to tell with them. Generally, Noah was more interested in the proximity of their claws than if they had tits or not. The demoness pulled her hood back, revealing a hungry, sharp-toothed smile. Her expression was laden with scorn. ¡°It seems the False Prophet is not without skill.¡±


    ¡°The hell are you?¡± Noah asked. It took a force of will to keep himself from pinching the bridge of his nose. He didn¡¯t recognize her, but there was a chance she was friends with one of the demons he did know ¡ª or perhaps this was the first of the demons to respond to the muster call he¡¯d put out back in the auction. ¡°We¡¯re kind of doing something right now, but if you want to talk, I¡¯d suggest trying adjusting your attitude.¡±


    ¡°Arrogant. The False Prophet seeks to order one of the Truthseekers? You are vile scum. A heretic of the worst order. One who seeks to herd the lambs away from the light of the True Herald. It will my great honor to witness you be eviscerated.¡±


    Noah sighed.


    Lovely. Another insane demon. What is it with them and being off their rockers? I guess I was too optimistic. I really can¡¯t be bothered with this right now. I guess I¡¯ll just ¡ª


    ¡°You smell bad,¡± Lee said. Her nose scrunched in distaste. ¡°Like fungus and old socks.¡±


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Saliva dripped from the demoness¡¯ lips as her mouth split into a drooling grin. ¡°I will enjoy feasting on your flesh, lamb. The Herald has guided us all to good meals. You, and all of the False Herald¡¯s other disciples, will be cleansed from this world. By this time, the others have already been quashed. The honor falls on me to ensure that you join¡ª¡±


    Other disciples?


    Noah¡¯s face went flat.


    The top half of the demoness¡¯ body evaporated with a quiet pop. Her legs swayed for a moment, coils of thick smoke sputtering up from them before they pitched back and fell to the scorched forest ground with a thump.


    Noah looked down at his hand. He hadn¡¯t even realized he¡¯d extended it. Coils of sickly red energy slithered across his curled fingers before sinking back within the skin as if they were a child hiding from a furious parent.


    The air between him and the dead demoness shimmered with hazy energy in a zigzagging path, following the streak of jagged magic that had just ripped through the air. Magic that he had cast ¡ª and barely even realized it.


    ¡°They¡¯re after the students,¡± Noah said, his voice icy. ¡°How fast can you get back to Arbitage? We can¡¯t wait for the Transport Cannon to reactivate. It¡¯ll take too long.¡±


    ¡°Faster than you,¡± Lee replied, lowering her stance. ¡°That demon didn¡¯t seem very strong, though. If that¡¯s what the others are up against... they¡¯ll be fine. I doubt they¡¯d send their weakest person after you. Relax. They aren¡¯t helpless.¡±


    ¡°I ¡ª oh.¡± Noah blew out a sharp breath and shook his head. ¡°Right. You¡¯re right. We need to get back, though. It seemed like they knew at least something about us. I don¡¯t know how, and I don¡¯t want to find that out the hard way.¡±


    Lee nodded. ¡°Yeah. ¡°I¡¯ll go¡ª"


    She froze. Noah didn¡¯t need to ask why. His domain picked up on it an instant later. Two more forms, blurring through the forest in their direction from the same way that the newly dead demoness had come.


    Sticks crunched as a pair of demons emerged from the dark forest. Both of them wore similar cloaks to the dead one. One was about three feet taller than the other and had broad shoulders that bulged against their robes, threating to tear through them.


    ¡°More of you idiots?¡± Noah asked, power coursing into his hand again. ¡°Maybe this is for the best. I¡¯ve got some questions... and I accidentally killed the last one of you too quickly.¡±


    ¡°You are as powerful as our reports said,¡± the smaller of the two demons said, pulling their hood back to reveal another female demon. Hair like golden wheat hung around her shoulders and her eyes shimmered with faint yellow light. A pair of pointed fangs emerged from beneath her upper lip like those of a vampire. She stepped over the smoldering corpse of her comrade without so much as a second glance. ¡°But we had to be certain, False Herald.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any idea how many cult-adjacent demons I¡¯ve dealt with in recent times?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Because it¡¯s too many. I¡¯m going to ask you how much you think I give a shit about your cult jargon, and I¡¯m going to give you one guess as to the answer before I kill you and interrogate your partner.¡±


    ¡°Do not confuse us for the Truthseeker prospective you killed. She has served her purpose,¡± the golden-haired demon said with a lilting laugh. ¡°I am Dawn, an inner-circle Truthseeker and follower of the True Herald. There is no comparing me to the likes of¡ª¡±


    There was a wet crunch. Fragments of bone and innards splattered across the ground before Dawn. A massive black axe erupted straight from the center of her chest like a blooming flower. It hurtled through the air in a rain of gore before slamming home in Lee¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Lee exclaimed. ¡°My axe is back!¡±


    Dawn¡¯s lips worked, disbelief filling her eyes even as the light in them sputtered.


    ¡°But... how? I... didn¡¯t... feel it.¡±


    Then Dawn pitched back, landing on top of her fellow demon¡¯s corpse.


    ¡°Well,¡± Noah said. ¡°That was just embarrassing.¡±


    He didn¡¯t let onto the surprise that bit at his own chest. There had been no sign of Lee¡¯s axe. None at all. He hadn¡¯t seen it. Hadn¡¯t felt it. It had just... appeared without so much as a prickle against his domain.


    Now, unfortunately, was not the time to press her about it.


    The final demon blew out a heavy sigh. They reached up to their hood and pulled it back, revealing rather plain features for a demon. His face was square, with a rough jawline and the beginnings of stubble running along his gray skin. A ring of horns curled up around the top of his large head like a crown. The ridges of his brows jutted out over his forehead in a permanent scowl, but the demon¡¯s lips were pulled up in the faintest smile.


    ¡°I was not expecting Dawn to die so easily. I had hoped she would give me a better look at your abilities before falling,¡± he said in a gravely tone. ¡°I imagine you must be most disappointed, False Herald. How unfortunate it is for this to be our first meeting. My name is Og.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sensing a pattern here,¡± Noah said. ¡°You show up, shit talk, and then die in an embarrassing way. Tell me what the hell it is you want with me and my students before I skip to the last part.¡±


    ¡°To test them, False Herald. Your role is one of great importance. It cannot be afforded to any fool that musters a scrap of Chaos.¡±


    Noah¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°A knife cannot grow sharp on its own. It must grind against the whetstone. You, False Herald, are the Whetstone. You and your children. That is your role. The Herald must be pushed to sharpen. I am simply ensuring that your whetstone is sturdy enough to serve as anything more than a chopping block.¡±


    ¡°Of all the excuses I¡¯ve ever heard someone give me for trying to murder either me or my students, this might be one of the worst,¡± Noah said, anger flaring within him. ¡°You think you can pass this off as some sort of test?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Og replied. ¡°It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance, False Herald. I have seen many potential whetstones... but the chaos in you is strong. It will do nicely. You will seek the Herald out. He is dulling and in need of you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re getting much out of this guy,¡± Lee said. ¡°He¡¯s got rocks in his head.¡±


    Noah had to agree.


    An arc of jagged red magic erupted from his palm and carved through the air.


    Og¡¯s lips twisted into a smile and he lifted his arm. The magic slammed into his hand, sending him skidding a step back ¡ª but instead of driving into the demons¡¯ body, it remained at his palm. One by one, his fingers curled around the ruddy red light until they had snuffed it entirely from existence.


    ¡°Base form Chaos Magic, is it? Uninspired. Nothing creative, but a good foundation. You are strong... and by the time you arrive, you will be stronger. The Herald will grow greatly from killing you. Bring your army. You will not pose a suitable threat without it. Not with magic like this.¡±


    Og waved his hand down. Ripples of red light squirmed in its wake like worms crawling through the air. They stretched out to form into a portal within moments. The large demon stepped through it, vanishing without another word.


    Then the Scorched Acres were silent once again.

 Chapter 671: Snack

    Noah stared at the spot where Og had stood for several long seconds. His domain swept over the area around them in search of any more demons. Nothing showed up. As far as he could tell, the only ones still in the Scorched Acres were him and Lee.


    A deep frown creased Noah¡¯s face as he ran back through what the large demon had said. Og had implied that this attack wasn¡¯t even meant to kill anyone. It had been some sort of test... and, if anything, that only made him angrier.


    Someone was testing his students. And a test it may have been, but the demons and still been trying to kill them. Noah was not about to sit around and greatfully thank the crazed bastards that thought they could get away with attacking his students in the name of some cultish training.


    All of them were pathetically weak, especially for demons, other than Og. I don¡¯t have any idea how strong he was... but I¡¯ve never seen someone just block Unstable Pandemonium like that.


    And Og had done more than block it. He¡¯d straight up toyed with the magic as if it were play-dough. And even through Noah¡¯s anger, one thing that the large demon had said lodged in the back of his head like a splinter.


    Og had called the magic uncreative.


    He was right.


    Noah had only recently gotten Unstable Pandemonium, but its chaos elements were so powerful that he¡¯d been just coasting through using the rune by blowing everyone in his path apart with raw energy.


    That had worked perfectly right up until Og.


    It wasn¡¯t like Unstable Pandemonium was Noah¡¯s only weapon, but having it reduced to worthless so easily rung alarm bells in his head. He couldn¡¯t let himself get complacent. It wasn¡¯t even just about Og and the cult demons.


    His enemies were stronger than he was. Rank 6s from the heads of Noble Houses, the Apostles, and everything else that laid in wait beyond. The absolute last thing that Noah could afford right now was to waste potential he had. Whether it was using his Pattern properly or delving deeper into Unstable Pandemonium...


    Noah¡¯s jaw set.


    I can¡¯t leave anything on the table. I¡¯ll give Og thanks for that reminder when I kill him the next time we meet. Nobody threatens my students and gets away with it.


    ¡°Well, that was weird, but if there was only one of those Og guys, then everyone else is definitely fine. None of them would lose to idiots like this,¡± Lee said.


    She was right enough about that. All of his students were growing more competent by the day, and they had significant amounts of progress to their patterns. A few of them had a bit more than even him, which filled him with equal parts pride and embarrassment.


    Noah blew out a slow breath. There was no point panicking. The Transport Cannon would reactivate soon enough, and it wasn¡¯t like everyone had been completely unguarded. He still had powerful allies in Arbitage.


    Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lee rear back. She adjusted her grip on the massive black axe in her hands and squinted at something. Before Noah could ask what she was doing, she then launched it into the air with a small hup!


    Noah watched the massive weapon sail over the treetops, then turned a critical eye to its owner.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t want to carry it around,¡± Lee replied. ¡°And it worked last time! Chopped that demon right in half.¡±


    Noah blinked. ¡°Wait. You¡¯re right. I was going to ask about that. What the hell is that axe, Lee? I can¡¯t sense it. At all. It¡¯s like there¡¯s nothing there. Kind of like that ability Revin was having Eline use, but for an item. He didn¡¯t teach it to you, did he?¡±


    Lee scrunched her nose in distaste. ¡°He smells weird. I wouldn¡¯t want to learn anything from him. I just... I don¡¯t know. I ate the axe, I guess.¡±


    Noah stared at her. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The axe,¡± Lee repeated. ¡°I ate it.¡±


    ¡°I heard you the first time. The words you said just don¡¯t make sense. The axe was literally in your hands a moment ago. What do you mean, ate it?¡±


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    Lee scratched at the side of her neck as if she¡¯d never thought about the question before. ¡°It¡¯s kind of hard to say. It¡¯s kind of like I ate its presence, I guess?¡±


    Noah continued to stare at Lee. ¡°That does not clarify anything. Could you explain exactly how you did it?"


    "Maybe it would be easier if I showed you,¡± Lee said. She glanced around, then scooped a burnt stick up off the ground and held it out in front of Noah. ¡°Do you see the stick?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°And you can feel it too, right?¡±


    Noah nodded once more. ¡°Yeah. Not as clearly as something magical, but my domain can pick it up.¡±


    ¡°Right. But if I just...¡± Lee trailed off as she brought the stick up to her mouth. Noah half expected her to take a bite right out of it. She made as if she were about to. Her teeth bit down.


    And then something strange happened.


    Noah couldn¡¯t place exactly what it was, but Lee¡¯s fangs passed right through the stick as if nothing was there. She pulled her mouth away. A flicker of darkness peeled away from the stick.


    It was a perfect copy. One made of faint, nearly invisible shadow, but a copy nonetheless. The translucent stick floated in the air before her for one brief second.


    Then it vanished as Lee slurped it up like a piece of spaghetti.


    Noah blinked. His domain had completely lost track of the stick. Even though he was looking right at it, his domain couldn¡¯t feel anything in the slightest. It was as if Lee had literally eaten the stick itself.


    He walked in a small circle around her, squinting the entire time with concentration, but it revealed nothing. The stick had well and truly vanished from his senses.


    Noah came to a stop before Lee once more. ¡°Huh. That¡¯s fascinating. I really can¡¯t feel it at all. What did you do? And how did you even figure out you could do that?¡±


    ¡°I kind of got hungry while I was practicing my pattern. My axe looked a little tasty, so I tried nibbling on it. One thing led to another and I ate the rest of it. I got so distracted eating that I kind of forgot to focus on practicing my pattern.¡±


    Noah bit back a laugh. He really should have expected that answer. A thought struck him and the smile slid off his face.


    ¡°Wait. Isn¡¯t your pattern basically consuming things?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Lee said with a shake of her head. ¡°I¡¯m still trying to figure it out. I kind of just want things. Eating is nice, though. I like eating. Much more than practicing. More than stretching, too. I mostly stretch so I can fit more food inside me.¡±


    I really don¡¯t think that¡¯s how it works. But if I¡¯m understanding Lee right, then she might be a whole lot farther along in her pattern than she thinks.


    ¡°Lee, when you¡¯ve been practicing your pattern, exactly what have you been trying to do?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. That¡¯s the problem. I try to connect to myself or whatever, but I just get hungry. I¡¯ve tried a few different things. None of them work. Either basically nothing happens or I get distracted and eat something. Like my axe.¡±


    Noah looked back to the stick in Lee¡¯s hand. He still couldn¡¯t feel it at all. And, unlike what Revin and Eline could do, this seemed pretty permanent.


    ¡°Can you un-eat the stick?¡±


    It was Lee¡¯s turn to stare at him. ¡°How do you think eating works?¡±


    ¡°Right. Figured. Just had to ask,¡± Noah said. But that answer had been more than enough. Making the presence of something completely disappear was not an ability that could be associated with any normal rune or demonic ability. And that could mean only one thing. ¡°I think you¡¯ve already figured out your pattern.¡±


    Lee frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You consume things. That¡¯s always what you¡¯ve liked doing. Not just food. You ate Decras¡¯ runes as well, remember? A pattern isn¡¯t something that has to be new. It just has to be something that you understand deeply.¡±


    ¡°But eating things doesn¡¯t feel special. I just like doing it.¡±


    ¡°Patterns don¡¯t have to feel special,¡± Noah said with a chuckle. ¡°They should just feel right. You were saying you kept getting hungry while you were practicing, yeah? That¡¯s probably just because you¡¯re embodying your pattern.¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡± Lee looked down at the stick in her hands. ¡°So my pattern is eating stuff?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for you to determine. I couldn¡¯t say. But certainly seems like your pattern is tangentially related to it at the minimum. Not that you need more encouragement to eat... but I would definitely figure out what you¡¯re capable of doing as well as how you¡¯re doing it. If I didn¡¯t know better, I would have said you ate the soul of the stick or something.¡±


    Lee scratched her chin. ¡°Huh. Huh.¡±


    ¡°Just do me a favor,¡± Noah said as a chilling thought struck him. ¡°Don¡¯t go eating anyone or anything alive with your pattern. Not until you figure out exactly what it does.¡±


    ¡°Kay,¡± Lee said with a shrug. It was clear her thoughts had already drifted off to her pattern. She¡¯d been using it properly by accident for quite some time... which begged the question of what she¡¯d be capable of when she injected magic into it.


    A small shiver ran down Noah¡¯s back. For someone as intuitively connected to eating as Lee, he almost feared to find out. She was already menacing enough. Turning her hunger into a real weapon would take her to an entirely different level.


    Noah paused as a faint tingle rolled across his skin. The Transport Cannon was re-activating.


    ¡°Earlier than it was meant to. You feel it, right?¡± Noah asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Tim is pulling us back. Good. He wouldn¡¯t be able to do that if they were actively under attack, but it¡¯s better to be safe.¡± Noah¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Prepare yourself. If there are any of those cult bastards still there, kill all but one.¡±


    Lee nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be ready.¡±


    The buzz grew stronger. Energy enveloped Noah and Lee, and then they were two blurs of light streaking through the sky toward Arbitage.

 Chapter 672: Pandemonium

    Chapter 672: Pandemonium


    Noah slid out of the Transport Cannon, magic already flowing out to pump through his body by the time he¡¯d risen to his feet. He had no idea how many demons the cult had sent after his people. He cast his domain out to scan over his surroundings before he¡¯d even managed to get his bearings.


    The room around him was stuffed full. Demons and humans alike had packed into it. His domain drifted over all of them within moments. Then his hands lowered and he blew out a breath.


    There were a lot of people here ¡ª but all of them belonged. He didn¡¯t pick up on any unfamiliar presences. No cultists were present... but just about everyone else certainly was. All of his students, both demon and human alike, had gathered in the tower.


    None of them had been killed. There wasn¡¯t any indication that anyone had been seriously injured either. Noah doubted it was their intention, but it brought him no little amount of relief.


    But it wasn¡¯t just his students that were waiting for him. Moxie and Brayden and Silvertide stood within the sea of faces, as did Bird. Even Ulya was among their number. She¡¯d taken up guard near the edge of the tower, flanked by her puppet, face pale.


    Everyone really was here. The only ones that weren¡¯t were Karina and Contessa. But Noah wasn¡¯t worried about that. Mascot was watching over them. They were probably the safest of everyone here.


    It took Noah a split second to process that information ¡ª and another one for a frown to crease his lips.


    If everyone was here, then it meant that the demons had almost certainly gone after them. The cult had known every single one of his allies. Not just his closest ones, but even the ones he¡¯d worked less extensively with.


    Og¡¯s words rung through Noah¡¯s head. They¡¯d tried to test everyone close to him... and he didn¡¯t like that much at all.


    ¡°We¡¯re all fine,¡± Moxie said before Noah could say anything. She didn¡¯t even bother asking if he and Lee had also been attacked. At this point, it was fairly obvious that nobody had been spared the cults¡¯ attention. ¡°Alexandra was injured, but she got a healing potion quickly enough to avoid any complications. No losses on our side. Complete losses on theirs.¡±


    Even though Noah had already determined that himself, he gave Moxie an appreciative nod. ¡°Thank you. No survivors to interrogate, I take it?¡±


    ¡°I tried,¡± Moxie said grimly. ¡°I didn¡¯t get much from the one I spoke to. They¡¯re stubborn and completely caught up in their own bullshit to the point that they¡¯ll die for it. It seems we¡¯ve somehow garnered the attention of some insane idiots. They weren¡¯t very good at their jobs, though.¡±


    ¡°Worse than that. They were terrible,¡± Aylin said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen more dangerous demons at Rank 3 than these ones.¡±


    ¡°They were rather inept,¡± Vrith agreed with a frown. ¡°Their reaction speed and coordination... if I hadn¡¯t known better, I might have assumed they were drunk or otherwise impaired.¡±


    ¡°Hey. They were kind of strong,¡± James said through a yawn. ¡°I was feeling kind of cool about managing to beat a demon too, you know. No need to quash my dreams that hard.¡±


    ¡°At least you got to fight some,¡± Yulin muttered. ¡°They didn¡¯t even think me worth attacking.¡±


    ¡°I think I killed the one after you,¡± Alexandra offered, but it was clear she was just trying to make the other girl feel better. Yulin hadn¡¯t been Noah¡¯s student for long ¡ª and that was valuable information in itself. The demons likely hadn¡¯t judged her a threat.


    ¡°All of you did great by surviving. Defeating an assassin, especially a demon one, without preparation is nothing to scoff at,¡± Noah said through a relieved chuckle. ¡°Especially with regard to the students. No compliments for you, Silvertide.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just cruel,¡± Silvertide said with a wry smile. ¡°Do you know how difficult it is for a man like me to heave himself out of bed in the middle of the night to kill some idiots trying to squeeze their way through the imbuements on my room? Damn near woke Tyler up. Can¡¯t have that. Big lad needs his rest to perform in top shape.¡±


    Now that I think about it, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen Tyler in any real action. If Silvertide has trained him, I¡¯d imagine he¡¯s quite the menace. Maybe we should just have them both start showing up to our classes. If there¡¯s any other teacher I can trust, it¡¯s Silvertide. Nobody is more concerned about Isabel and Todd¡¯s health than he is, and he¡¯s already learned about Garina. He hasn¡¯t sold us out yet, so I doubt he ever will.


    ¡°The demons really weren¡¯t all that smart,¡± Bird said. ¡°I was expecting more. Idiots showed up right as I finished showering. They died much easier than I had expected... but more importantly, I think it¡¯s clear they had information on us. Personal information. Enough to know who we were. Not enough to know not to fight someone when they¡¯re already in a combat-ready state.¡±


    Noah fought to keep a straight face. He wasn¡¯t so sure he succeeded.


    She fought them naked, didn¡¯t she? What have I done to the poor woman? Actually, no. This isn¡¯t on me. It¡¯s the book. This is the book¡¯s fault. Not mine. I am not taking credit for the creation of the Naked Marauder.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°It seemed like they had a general idea of our powers,¡± Todd said. ¡°The ones that came after me and Isabel had an anti-imbuement sword. Basically killed all the protections I had on our room.¡±


    ¡°A Mageripper?¡± Silvertide blinked in surprise. ¡°Truly?¡±


    ¡°You know what it is? I¡¯d never even heard of them before,¡± Todd said. ¡°Didn¡¯t realize there was something that could completely take out an imbuement like that.¡±


    ¡°Magerippers are rare. They were created during the Long Night and most recently utilized in the war between the families,¡± Silvertide said with a frown. ¡°They¡¯re specifically made to counteract Soldiers who rely heavily on the Imbuements on their armor. If they brought one to fight you...¡±


    ¡°They definitely knew,¡± Moxie said. Her lips thinned in anger. ¡°This was no random attack, though I think that¡¯s apparent already. Arbitage isn¡¯t under attack. We are.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡± Brayden asked. ¡°Is this something to do with what you did in the Damned Plains?¡±


    Noah thought for a moment before shaking his head. ¡°No. I don¡¯t believe so. That wouldn¡¯t make much sense. I don¡¯t think any of the Demon Lords in the Damned Plains hate us enough to do something like this. Sievan certainly wouldn¡¯t. We¡¯re on good terms.¡±


    ¡°The Auction, then?¡± Moxie wondered. ¡°That¡¯s pretty much the only opportunity here. It seems like there¡¯s a pretty good chance this might have something to do with this Orlen guy. We did kind of screw up whatever it was he was going for.¡±


    Noah resisted the urge to curse. Of course, their best source on Orlen had gone and vanished. Linestra couldn¡¯t answer any questions for them when she was missing... though it hadn¡¯t seemed like she¡¯d known all that much in the first place.


    Orlen definitely does seem like a very likely option here. We know shitall about him and I¡¯ve kicked his beehive a few times. If there¡¯s anyone with unknown abilities that might not be much a fan of me, it¡¯s him.


    Need to make sure, though. The only thing worse than not knowing who your enemy is deciding it¡¯s the wrong person and getting distracted from the real threat.


    ¡°Can anyone think of anything else?¡± Noah asked. ¡°There¡¯s a very significant chance that this is somehow my fault. In fact, I¡¯d go as far to say it definitely is, but I don¡¯t want to dismiss another possibility if you can think of one.¡±


    Dull chatter broke out through the room. It continued on for a minute, but none of them grew any closer to a theory than they had been when they¡¯d started talking. They simply just hadn¡¯t had interactions with anyone that would have connection to a cult that had somehow managed to gather personal information on all of them.


    ¡°Could it be we have some form of leak?¡± Bird asked. ¡°Someone could be feeding an enemy information.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Noah said simply.


    ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°Because I trust everyone in this room,¡± Noah said with a shrug. ¡°Well, to varying degrees, but still. Nobody here has a reason to sell us out. And everyone here is smart enough to know just how stupid of a move that would be.¡±


    Ulya nodded intently at that.


    ¡°I could interrogate everyone to make sure,¡± Aylin offered. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be difficult, and there¡¯s no reason to object to it. I would know immediately if someone was lying.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine with me,¡± Todd said. ¡°Just keep your questions on topic. I think we¡¯re all pragmatic enough to not give a shit about a cursory check. Good way to rule out some Shapeshifter bullshit or the like.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t hurt,¡± Moxie agreed. She chewed her lower lip for a second. ¡°But I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll turn anything up. We should still try, but any other ideas?¡±


    ¡°Tillian didn¡¯t get attacked,¡± Alexandra pointed out. ¡°He isn¡¯t here. I don¡¯t think an Inquisitor would get taken out by a demon that easily.¡±


    Noah considered that for a moment, but Yoru beat him to a response.


    ¡°He was not aware of our location, so he would not know to come here. He may have been attacked,¡± she said. ¡°Eline and Revin are not present either.¡±


    A grim thought struck Noah. It clearly hit Moxie at the same time, because the two of them glanced at each other as one.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think Revin was responsible, do you?¡± Moxie asked.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be ruled out. This is just the type of shit he¡¯d love,¡± Noah said. ¡°James? Thoughts?¡±


    ¡°Definitely possible,¡± James said with distaste. ¡°But he isn¡¯t here. Revin always pops up after his bullshit pranks. The fact that he hasn¡¯t makes me think it isn¡¯t him.¡±


    Noah thought for a few moments. Then he blew out a sigh and shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no point going round in circles about this. It¡¯s late and we have a lot to cover tomorrow. Aylin, would you be so kind as to quickly make sure we¡¯re all in the clear?¡±


    The demon nodded. He made his way around the room without any further ado, quickly asking several basic questions to everyone that stood within it. Within a few minutes, he was done ¡ª and the results were as Noah had expected.


    None of them had been a traitor. Og¡¯s group had managed to spy on them in some other manner. Noah didn¡¯t know what it was, but he¡¯d be damned if he sat around wasting time when there was more than one way to deal with a threat like this.


    ¡°Right,¡± Noah said. ¡°Everyone¡¯s safe, but we can¡¯t let this throw us off. It¡¯s given me a lot to think about... and a lot to focus on. We have a lot of practice and training to catch up on. Everyone, go get some rest. Stay in groups and don¡¯t go anywhere alone for the time being. We¡¯ll regroup and get back to practicing tomorrow. Our overall goals have not changed. Having some crazed demons tossed into the mix with the nobles really doesn¡¯t make much of a difference at all.¡±


    A round of understanding nods passed through the room. Everyone here was more than experienced in working under stressful environments. A few stray cultists were not going to stop their progress...


    And Noah¡¯s thoughts had already drifted well beyond the immediate threat of the demons to whatever it was they represented. Og¡¯s words still rung in his head.


    His eyes narrowed. Even though he hadn¡¯t had a chance to action on it yet, he hadn¡¯t missed what Og had called him.


    A False Herald.


    That sounded eerily close to what Grim had called him. He¡¯d thought the title was just something that the book had come up with. Now he wasn¡¯t so sure. That was going to have to be a conversation in the very near future.


    But the first thing he was going to do was get some sleep to clear his head. But once that was done, he had some holes in his learning to patch up.


    Uncreative, huh? We¡¯ll see what Og thinks after I¡¯ve figured out how to use my rune properly. No more distractions. Tonight, I confront the damn book and see what all that Herald shit was about. And the morning after that.. I¡¯m figuring out just how far I can push Unstable Pandemonium¡¯s power.

 Chapter 673: Limits

    Chapter 673: Limits


    It was a bit odd returning to Moxie¡¯s room as if nothing had happened. But that was exactly what Noah did. Everyone split back off for the night, returning to their lodgings to prepare for what waited in store the next day.


    Noah didn¡¯t miss the thought that, if someone had really wanted to kill them, sending a second round of assassins right after the first would probably be a pretty damn effective way to pull it off. Nobody expected the second assassins.


    Hell, maybe there were two more rounds of demons lying in wait. Who knew how many bodies they were willing to throw away over something like this. There was just no way for him to know. The only way something like this could be dealt with was through precautions¡ª


    Noah blinked. He forcefully blinked and shook his head.


    Gah. I can¡¯t let myself get paranoid. I¡¯m going to end up becoming Father at this rate. No wonder the old bastard was so damn insistent of staying in his protected room. The stronger you get, the more people you have gunning for your life.


    But the really strong people don¡¯t have to hide. They just get strong enough to not get killed... and ot protect everything they hold dear.


    ¡°No,¡± Moxie said, bumping Noah¡¯s shoulder with her own.


    He blinked, realizing they had already arrived at the entrance of her room while he¡¯d been zoned out. The entire trip had gone by on autopilot.


    ¡°No what?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Sorry. I wasn¡¯t really here mentally. Please don¡¯t hold me accountable for anything I¡¯ve said over the duration of the past ten minutes. My head has been empty.¡±


    Moxie snorted. ¡°I figured that out when you missed my first question a while back. I was saying no, there aren¡¯t more assassins. So stop worrying about it. And even if there were, everyone we know is more than strong enough to protect themselves. They aren¡¯t just helpless kids.¡±


    ¡°Aha. Trying to read my mind, but you were a step behind. I had already gotten past that,¡± Noah said. ¡°I¡¯m getting less predictable. You¡¯re only able to tell what I was thinking a few seconds ago rather than what I¡¯m thinking now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the brag that you think it is.¡± Moxie shook her head, slight amusement twinkling behind her eyes as she pushed the door open and stepped inside.


    Noah followed after her, closing the door behind himself with his foot. ¡°That¡¯s just because you know me well. I¡¯m not...¡±


    ...predictable. That¡¯s what Og called my magic, isn¡¯t it?


    Shit. Maybe I really am predictable.


    ¡°Noah?¡± Moxie asked, the amusement falling away from her features as concern replaced it. ¡°Are you okay? Seriously, don¡¯t let yourself get so lost in your own thoughts like that. There¡¯s nothing you can do to predict when some crazed demons are going to try to assassinate anyone. Losing sleep is just going to make it harder to function in the long run.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± Noah said. ¡°Lee and I were confronted by a group of demons that were supposedly stronger than the normal ones. One of them was called Og. Big guy. Didn¡¯t think he was anything special, but he blocked my magic. Completely.¡±


    Moxie¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You mean from... ah, your strongest rune?¡±


    ¡°No, fortunately not. I would be a lot more worried if that had happened. I didn¡¯t realize he was as strong as he was, so I used Unstable Pandemonium. It¡¯s never had any trouble obliterating things before, but Og grabbed the magic and squished it like it was dough. Said this whole attack was nothing more than some sort of training exercise to see if we were strong enough to fight the Herald.¡±


    Moxie¡¯s features darkened. She was silent in thought for several moments. ¡°That¡¯s not too dissimilar from what the one I interrogated mentioned, though he didn¡¯t seem to think he was part of the training exercise. He was dead serious.¡±


    ¡°So was Og,¡± Noah said. ¡°The demons we killed were meant to be fodder. They just didn¡¯t know it. It doesn¡¯t sound like Og wants to assassinate us ¡ª or the students. He wants to use us to make whoever this Herald is stronger.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably a good thing for the short term,¡± Moxie said. ¡°Makes it less likely they¡¯re going to try to actually kill anyone. You don¡¯t intentionally overwhelm someone you¡¯re trying to train up. We can take advantage of that.¡±


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Noah nodded slowly. Moxie was right. She tended to be. But training exercise or not, he¡¯d still had his magic completely quashed by Og. It would have been one thing if it was merely a difference in rank.


    But it hadn¡¯t been. The cultist had been right


    .


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Noah said. He chewed the insides of his cheeks for a moment before shaking his head. ¡°Well, as you said, should probably get some sleep. I¡¯m going to really try to delve deep into seeing what my rune can do tomorrow ¡ª and I need to have a conversation with my grimoire.¡±


    Some people might have blinked at that. Moxie just slung the massive book off her back and held it out to Noah. ¡°Here. Damn thing was starting to get heavy. I think I was wearing out my welcome carrying it around. Enjoy. I¡¯m going to take a shower. Just make sure you follow your own advice. No training tonight. You better be here when I get back.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Noah promised with a chuckle. ¡°What kind of guy do you take me for?¡±


    ¡°One who likes making very abrupt decisions,¡± Moxie said. She gave him a slight smile, then slipped into the bathroom. A moment later, she poked her head out of the door. ¡°And no sitting on the bed until you clean up.¡±


    Then she closed the door again.


    A grin tugged at the corners of Noah¡¯s lips. Her plants could literally eat flesh. He was pretty sure they could consume a little dirt, but he still sat down on the chair and propped the massive book up against the desk before him.


    ¡°Right,¡± Noah said, leaning back on the chair¡¯s rear legs and crossing his arms in front of his chest. ¡°Grim. We need to talk.¡±


    The sound of running water from the bathroom reached Noah¡¯s ears. He tapped his fingers against his knee. Seconds slipped by.


    Grim didn¡¯t budge. The book was still and dead. If he hadn¡¯t known better, he would have thought it was nothing more than paper and leather.


    Noah¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pull this shit now. I¡¯m serious. I would much rather be in the bathroom with Moxie right now instead of talking to you, so we¡¯re both not pleased about the state of things. Now get out here and¡ª¡±


    A sinewy black hand fell on Noah¡¯s shoulder. It had elongated, slender fingers that nearly reached all the way down to his chest. Each of them was warped and came to a razor-sharp point at its tip. The hand was cold, even through his jacket.


    ¡°Vines,¡± Grim said. Amusement hung in the abomination¡¯s tone like a swinging noose. ¡°I ate well today. Thank you for the meal.¡±


    I see Moxie¡¯s kills got taxed. Classic.


    ¡°I need to know what you meant when you called me Herald,¡± Noah said. ¡°I¡¯m not dumb enough to believe it doesn¡¯t have anything to do with what the idiots that attacked me today were talking about.¡±


    ¡°Herald is a title. It is hardly any more unique than King.¡±


    ¡°Are you seriously trying to imply that these are two entirely separate situations that just both happened to coincidentally decide that Herald was the word they wanted to use to describe me?¡± Noah arched an eyebrow in his best impression of Moxie. ¡°Come on. I¡¯m not that stupid. Hell, you¡¯re made up from stitched-up demon bits. You even share a very vague origin to the blokes today. You said it wasn¡¯t a prophecy, so what is it?¡±


    Grim studied Noah silently for several long seconds. ¡°It is as I said. Herald is nothing more than a title. The demons that attacked today do not believe you worthy of it. They have another that they believe fits the role of Herald, and you are attempting to stand in their path. It is the nature of living creatures to seek the destruction of those in their way.¡±


    ¡°You know, crazy thought, but I already kind of figured that bit out,¡± Noah said. ¡°They made it clear enough when they tried to attack us. I want to know why. What¡¯s so hard about telling me what this Herald shit is?¡±


    ¡°By the time you know, it¡¯s too late,¡± Grim replied. ¡°There is nothing that I will tell you. Written and spoken words alike have as much power as that which gives them purpose. Some words have more purpose than others. I will not speak of it.¡±


    Noah stared at Grim. ¡°You¡¯re scared. That¡¯s it, isn¡¯t it? What the hell can scare a book that literally can¡¯t be damaged? You¡¯ve eaten another book that instantly kills anything it touches. What in the world could possibly get you to the point where you won¡¯t even say what Herald is meant to mean? You already gave me the damn name, you might as well get out the rest of it.¡±


    ¡°We have already established how little a mere name has before it has found its purpose,¡± Grim said. ¡°If it had more purpose, then you would not have to pry me with questions that will not be answered. Focus on your strength, Herald. Not on worthless names.¡±


    And then Grim was gone, and Noah was left sitting even more confused than he had been a moment before. The abomination had made it abundantly clear that there would be no further information about the name it had given him.


    That said, Noah¡¯s conversation hadn¡¯t been completely useless. He¡¯d gotten some information. It wasn¡¯t so much about what Grim had said as it was about what he hadn¡¯t said.


    I know the Herald title isn¡¯t from any prophecy shit from the last time we spoke. It¡¯s some sort of title. Presumably an earned one, given that I¡¯m being called a False Herald by the cultist demons.


    Heralds are usually meant to announce the arrival of something. So they think I¡¯m faking it, while Grim thinks I¡¯m acutally bringing it. As to what it is, I have no clue... but I suppose that¡¯s what I¡¯ll have to focus on.


    Noah repressed a sigh and shook his head. This wasn¡¯t going to go anywhere unless he could interrogate an actual cultist.


    The only thing he could do right now was the one that Grim had already suggested to him.


    Focus on my own power. I was already planning on doing that, but it really does seem like it¡¯s the only path to pursue right now.


    Tonight, he would sleep. And then, when the sun rose tomorrow, he was putting Unstable Pandemonium to the test until he found out exactly what its limits were.

 Chapter 674: Surpassing the Limits

    Noah kept his promise to himself. When the following morning dawned, there was only one thing on his mind. The sun hadn¡¯t even yet risen over the horizon when he rolled out of bed and started to pull on his clothes.


    Moxie was already gone. She¡¯d likely woken up well before him. As to exactly how, Noah was unsure. He didn¡¯t think he was that heavy of a sleeper, but she¡¯d never woken him up when she was leaving.


    She must be using her plants to help her or something like that.


    Noah grabbed his grimoire from where it leaned against the base of the bed and slung the large book over his shoulder. He attached his gourd to his hip and did one last cursory check of the room to make sure he hadn¡¯t missed anything obvious before turning to the door.


    There would be class today. Half of his students were stuck in Tim¡¯s tower for the foreseeable future, and they didn¡¯t exactly have the luxury of time to take classes every other day when both demon cultists and the noble families were breathing down on their necks.


    I should have four or five hours until everyone has gathered. That should buy me enough time to get some good work in before I¡¯m needed for the class. Wonder where I should go. Maybe Tim can send me to the Scorched Acres for a few hours? No reason to fix what isn¡¯t broken.


    Noah confidently strode up to the door and pulled it open, theories and plans drifting through his mind about the upcoming tests he planned to put his rune through. He strode out ¡ª and straight into something hard.


    The breath left Noah¡¯s lungs in a surprised grunt as he stumbled a step back. His eyes snapped into focus as his attention was torn back to the present. Magic had already raced to flood his fingertips by the time his gaze focused on the person that had been standing in his path.


    ¡°Not the most observant today, are we?¡± Garina asked, arching an eyebrow. She stood with her arms crossed in front of her chest and furrowed eyebrows that spoke of a considerable amount of annoyance. ¡°Why isn¡¯t your domain active?¡±


    What the hell is Garina doing here? Wasn¡¯t she off doing something with Revin? Oh, god. Please don¡¯t tell me...


    Noah rectified the domain problem immediately, sending it casting out to scan over his surroundings. A wave of relief washed over him. Revin was nowhere to be found. Then again, that really didn¡¯t mean much. Revin had already proven he was capable of cloaking himself and slipping right under anyone¡¯s nose.


    ¡°I just woke up. Give me a break,¡± Noah said. ¡°Why are you here? I thought...¡±


    ¡°Do you really think I want to spend every waking moment I have with Revin?¡± Garina asked, open distaste playing across her features. ¡°The mere thought of that makes me sick. I would rather rip out my own throat.¡±


    ¡°It kind of sounded like you were doing something important,¡± Noah said, clearing his throat. The absolute last thing he wanted right now was to have to deal with more Apostle bullshit. There was training to be done.


    Garina¡¯s expression didn¡¯t so much as flicker. She was not amused. ¡°Revin can handle on his own for some time. My sanity would not survive the experience were I subjected to an extended period of interaction with him. I need breaks ¡ª and you seem to have forgotten what lies at stake.¡±


    ¡°Trust me, I haven¡¯t.¡± Noah¡¯s jaw set. ¡°I don¡¯t fuck around when my students are involved. I¡¯m not letting anyone ¡ª nutjob demons, idiot noble families, or the Apostles ¡ª threaten them.¡±


    ¡°I believe you¡¯ve made it quite clear where you stand,¡± Garina said. ¡°And Lee has informed me of the events that transpired last night.¡±


    Despite himself, Noah blinked. ¡°She did? When?¡±


    ¡°This morning. I took her to breakfast.¡±


    Noah threw a glance over his shoulder. It was still pitch black outside. There were several hours until the sun rose. Calling any meal breakfast at this hour felt like a bit of a misnomer. Then again, he doubted Lee would have cared much.


    ¡°I see,¡± Noah said. He wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about Garina seeking any of his friends out. The Apostle wasn¡¯t exactly an enemy, but he wasn¡¯t sure if they were allies either. She was dangerous ¡ª and anyone that forgot was liable to die a very painful death. ¡°Perhaps you should cut to the chase, Garina.¡±


    ¡°We should speak,¡± Garina said. She nodded over Noah¡¯s shoulder to the room and took a step forward.


    Noah didn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°Move,¡± Garina said. ¡°Are you dense?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll speak somewhere else.¡± Noah closed the door behind himself. ¡°This is Moxie¡¯s room. You don¡¯t get to just barge in when she isn¡¯t here.¡±


    Garina stared at him. Then the corner of her lip twitched in what could have been either a smirk or a scowl. It was so fast that he didn¡¯t have a chance to properly tell. ¡°You¡¯re bold. The Seven Apostles could be here for your head any day, and you don¡¯t want to let another woman into your girlfriend¡¯s room?¡±


    ¡°With all due respect, Vermil already has a reputation. I am not trying to add to it or give Moxie any premature gray hairs,¡± Noah said flatly.


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    ¡°A reputation, you say? You¡¯ll have to fill me in about that,¡± Garina said. ¡°Elsewhere, then.¡±


    Her hand landed on Noah¡¯s shoulder. The motion was so fast that, even with the Rune of Self, he barely had a moment to process the motion.


    ¡°Make sure we¡¯re back by¡ª¡±


    The world shifted. Noah¡¯s stomach lurched up into his throat, changed its mind, and then hurtled back to the ground. There was a twang in his skull like a string had snapped. All color vanished, twisted itself up, and then exploded back into its proper postion within a fraction of an instant.


    ¡°¡ªClass,¡± Noah finished, the word slipping from his numb lips.


    They weren¡¯t in the T building anymore.


    A field of gray grass sprawled around Noah, curving up to reach for the sky. It was littered with dull-colored flowers easily the size of fully grown men. A single one of their petals was nearly the size of his chest.


    The air was stagnant. Silence ruled it with such intensity that not even the wind dared blow. And yet, in spite of that, the flowers swayed in an invisible breeze. Wispy strands of white cloud lingered in the air all around them. They reached down from above like the fingers of a ghost trying to brush against the ground ¡ª but even they did not move. Their motion was frozen perfectly in place.


    ¡°There,¡± Garina said. Her word cut through the morning air like a blade. ¡°Much better. Now we can talk freely. Nobody else will be around to overhear us.¡±


    ¡°Where are we?¡± Noah asked, turning in a circle to draw in his surroundings. There was something surreal about the gray field. Like it had been completely frozen in time, cut away from the rest of the world.


    Even the clouds overhead were utterly still. They completely blocked the sky out in a thick wall, making it impossible to see the sky, much less the sun. Noah had absolutely no idea where the dim light that he saw by was even coming from. The moon was nowhere near strong enough to penetrate the wall of clouds.


    ¡°Dunno,¡± Garina replied. ¡°I never bothered giving this place a name. I just call it the Meadow. It¡¯s sufficiently far from just about everything that would give a shit about you. That means we can talk freely.¡±


    That name sucks.


    ¡°Right,¡± Noah said. ¡°What do you want, then?¡±


    ¡°What do you think I want? I¡¯m supposed to pretend to be your mentor,¡± Garina said flatly. ¡°And, despite that, I know nothing about you. You¡¯re an enigma to me. To me. Do you know how many people there exist in the Empire that I don¡¯t understand at all? It¡¯s a very, very small amount.¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize,¡± Garina said. ¡°I don¡¯t care about apologies. I want answers. How do you have the runes of two different gods?¡±


    Noah nearly choked. He¡¯d known his little suicide stunt with Crone had probably revealed a few too many cards for Garina to not start connecting dots, but he didn¡¯t know she¡¯d pinned down his second Master Rune as well.


    ¡°Answers weren¡¯t part of our agreement,¡± Noah said, gathering himself and banishing his surprise. ¡°We¡¯re helping each other, here. I¡¯m not about to go spilling all my secrets for nothing in return.¡±


    ¡°My protection is nothing to you? Have you forgotten who I am?¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t protecting me,¡± Noah countered. ¡°The Apostles would kill me if they figured out what I am. You couldn¡¯t do anything about that. If anything, I¡¯ve bailed your ass out. Now Crone has to call you ma¡¯am. Seems like the scales are in my favor.¡±


    Garina¡¯s lips thinned. ¡°You¡¯re an arrogant little shit, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Guilty.¡±


    ¡°I can respect that,¡± Garina said. She blurred forward, suddenly appearing an inch away from Noah as she prodded him in the chest with a very sharp fingernail. It cut clean through his jacket and drove into his skin like a miniture blade. ¡°So long as you are not both arrogant and an idiot.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fair enough,¡± Noah allowed. He didn¡¯t let himself so much as flinch as blood trickled down the front of his chest. Garina was not the type of woman that one could show any weakness to and still hope to come out ahead in the encounter. ¡°Then let¡¯s start treating each other as equals, shall we?¡±


    ¡°You are not my equal.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I said treating.¡± Noah smiled. ¡°I know you¡¯re not half bad at acting. That performance with Crone wasn¡¯t half bad, Ma¡¯am.¡±


    Garina pulled her hand back and cleared her throat. ¡°I will admit that you have garnered a considerable amount of amusement for me. Crone is an insufferable idiot. Very well, Vermil. I will pretend that you are worthy of being treated with respect. In turn, you will do the same to me.¡±


    ¡°Seems fair enough,¡± Noah said.


    ¡°Then start from the beginning. Tell me of your origin.¡±


    ¡°Would you tell me of yours?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. Why would...¡± Garina cut herself off. Then her lips pursed. ¡°I see. This is displeasing. Vermil¡ª¡±


    ¡°Noah.¡±


    Garina blinked. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Consider that my peace offering. It¡¯s the only free information you¡¯re getting from me,¡± Noah said. He wasn¡¯t keen on revealing his whole history to anyone, much less someone as dangerous as Garina, but he was going to need her on his side if he wanted to survive the Apostles. That was just a fact. He couldn¡¯t deal with them on his own ¡ª and as brash as she was, Garina seemed trustworthy. She was strong enough that she just had no reason to lie or try to cheat him. ¡°My name isn¡¯t Vermil. It¡¯s Noah.¡±


    Garina stared at him for several long seconds. ¡°I see. Very well, Noah. We¡¯re trading information, then. Is that what you want?¡±


    ¡°In a manner of speaking,¡± Noah replied. He flexed his fingers and drew upon the power of Unstable Pandemonium.


    Garina noticed instantly. Her eyes narrowed and she tilted her head to the side. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Information is great, but I think there¡¯s something more interesting I could learn from you right now,¡± Noah replied with a grin. ¡°Spar with me.¡±


    ¡°I would kill you in an instant.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s a spar and not a proper fight. I¡¯ve got a Rune I¡¯m trying to work on. I was heading out to do some practice when you interrupted me... but who better to help me forge it than you? We will speak while we fight. You¡¯ve got more experience with Runes than I do. I¡¯m sure your insight to my Rune¡¯s abilities will drastically speed things up for me.¡±


    Garina considered Noah for a moment. Then a slow, dangerous smile spread over her lips. She lowered into a fighting stance. ¡°I suspect you will regret this request, but very well. After all... we are pretending to respect each other.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that meant to mean?¡± Noah asked.


    ¡°It means I will not be going easy on you. You will get your requested training, but this match will not stop until I have gotten all the answers I seek.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s training, Garina. Not a fight to the death.¡±


    ¡°Ah, but I have seen what you¡¯re capable of.¡± Garina¡¯s smile pulled back to reveal her razor-sharp teeth. ¡°I know that death has no grip on you. Thus, demonstrating true respect would be pushing your abilities to their limits. Make the first move, Noah. We will see how far your power can stretch. And then ¡ª once you have surpassed that limit ¡ª I will kill you.¡±

 Chapter 675: Bizniz as usual

    ¡°Perhaps we¡¯re getting a bit ahead of ourselves,¡± Noah said, coughing into his fist as he took a step back. ¡°Training doesn¡¯t have to end in someone being dead, you know. That seems pretty counterintuitive. I¡¯m trying to figure out the limits of my rune, not¡ª¡±


    Garina blurred forward. The movement definitely wasn¡¯t at her max speed. Noah could tell because his eyes were actually able to follow the motion, if only barely. She appeared directly before him, her knee flying up to drive into his gut.


    Noah doubled over as a pained wheeze exploded from his lungs. Flowers blurred by him in a streak of color as Garina¡¯s strike sent him hurtling backward. He hit the ground with a grunt, rolling over his shoulder and skidding to a halt.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Noah wheezed.


    She was strong. Pain throbbed in his stomach. There was definitely some severe damage to his internal organs. It felt like they¡¯d all gotten scrambled from just one strike.


    He shoved himself back to his feet, only to find Garina looming above him, her foot raising into the air.


    Shit!


    Noah flung himself to the side. A heavy thud from where his head had been a moment before marked Garina¡¯s foot slamming into the grass ¡ª and from the sounds of it, he would not have survived the blow.


    ¡°I thought you wanted to train,¡± Garina said, turning toward Noah. ¡°But I¡¯m noticing a lack of motivation ¡ª and magic. You aren¡¯t going to get much out of your rune if you don¡¯t use it, you know.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we agree on what the definition of training¡ª¡±


    Garina was before Noah again; her elbow was already just inches away from his temple and rapidly closing the distance.


    There wasn¡¯t even time to curse in his head. Noah flung himself out of the way again. Her speed was so ridiculous that he could barely even keep up with it... and she was going easy on him.


    He hit the ground in a roll and rolled over, preparing to launch himself back to his feet. Before he could even start to rise, a foot slammed down into his stomach. Noah folded like a jackknife as all the air exploded from his lungs.


    ¡°Is this all you have, Noah?¡± Garina leaned down, pressing him harder into the ground with her foot. Her dark eyes bore into his like the void itself. ¡°I was expecting more. Much more. Can you only fight when you¡¯ve rigged the circumstances in your favor?¡±


    ¡°I do tend to prefer that, yes,¡± Noah wheezed. He tried to reach for his magic.


    And then something strange happened.


    His runes shied away from him. They didn¡¯t want to emerge. Their power hid in the recesses of Noah¡¯s soul like a small dog cowering from a thunderstorm. His magic was scared of Garina.


    It wasn¡¯t even the Apostle¡¯s domain. She hadn¡¯t unleashed it yet. If she had, Noah would have already been slammed into the ground by the sheer pressure of her existence. This was something else entirely. Garina¡¯s mere presence had cowed his magic.


    What the hell is this? I¡¯ve never had my Runes straight up ignore me before!


    ¡°If you really do go down this easily, I think we might have to change the dynamic of how things work,¡± Garina growled, disgust darkening her features. ¡°You are not even worthy of pretending to be my equal. You are all talk. Not every fight can be manipulated. I respect power ¡ª and I do not bend to the whims of worms.¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯re just being rude. What kind of training¡ª¡±


    The rest of Noah¡¯s sentence was lost in a pained curse as Garina¡¯s foot dug into his stomach even harder. He tried to buck her off, but it was like trying to move a mountain. Garina was impossibly strong ¡ª or heavy.


    And, assuming he wanted to survive more than a few more seconds, he wasn¡¯t about to vocalize the latter option. Noah had absolutely no delusions of his own physical strength. He wasn¡¯t going to be able to budge her in the slightest. Not from a position like this.


    ¡°Pathetic,¡± Garina said. ¡°You really are a good liar, though. You had me fooled. I didn¡¯t think you were this weak.¡±


    Noah thrust his arm out. The bow of his violin appeared within his grip and he slashed the razor-sharp string across Garina¡¯s thigh. It was like trying to cut through steel. Her skin barely even reacted ¡ª but the violin still sliced a thin line of red across her.


    A flicker of surprise passed through Garina¡¯s features for no more than an instant. Noah drove his will through his mind, grabbing onto Unstable Pandemonium and ripping the cowardly rune from its hiding place.


    It tried to flee from his grasp, but Noah wasn¡¯t making requests anymore. He tore power from the rune and let it explode out from his palms in a wave of furious red lightning. The magic slammed straight into Garina¡¯s stomach. Her shirt fizzled and burned as the magic tore a hole right into her stomach.


    Garina staggered a step back and Noah instantly rolled to the side, thrusting himself back to his feet. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a moment of disbelief. Despite taking a direct hit from Unstable Pandemonium, Garina¡¯s pale skin barely been charred by the strike.


    ¡°Chaos magic,¡± Garina said flatly. ¡°You. Why am I not surprised? Where did you get that rune, Noah?¡±


    Shit. I barely even hurt her. I think my violin string did more damage than my magic did. Og was right. This is a bit pathetic. I¡¯ve been using my magic way too much like a wooden club and just bonking shit with sheer magical strength. I need to push the rune so much farther. I know it can do more.


    ¡°Made it,¡± Noah replied. He ripped more power from Unstable Pandemonium. The rune quailed in Garina¡¯s presence, but Noah didn¡¯t give it any options. He gathered the power within his palms and clenched his fists.


    This Rune has all the elements of everything else I¡¯ve used to make it. There¡¯s more to it than just chaos energy... but the chaos is definitely its strongest element right now. The problem is I don¡¯t understand enough of how it works. If I can figure out what the hell it is that Chaos energy actually does, maybe I can figure out how to pull more potential from this thing.


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    Garina scoffed. ¡°You want me to believe you made a Chaos rune? Unlikely. Someone¡¯s helping you, aren¡¯t they? That¡¯s how you¡¯ve gotten this far. But relying on other people¡¯s power isn¡¯t going to get you any farther.¡±


    She blurred, appearing directly in front of him as her fist blurred toward his face. Noah leaned back, dismissing the bow of his violin as he vaulted backward to narrowly avoid getting his nose flattened.


    A flicker of surprise passed through him when he landed back on his feet, face un-crunched. Garina had missed. A few of Lee¡¯s lessons had evidently managed to lodge themselves deeply enough in his mind to show up during fights.


    The distance Noah had made between himself and Garina evaporated in an instant as the Apostle¡¯s foot slammed down beside Noah. Her body twisted in a powerful side kick that left Noah no time to dodge.


    Noah let out a pained curse as Garina¡¯s foot slammed into his stomach and he found himself flying once more. He rolled as he hit the ground, sending a wave of crackling chaos magic tearing through the air before him before he¡¯d even risen back to his feet.


    The magic slowed Garina for a moment, but only for long enough for him to stand. Then she was upon him once more. Noah twisted to avoid a punch, then crossed his arms in front of his chest a moment before Garina¡¯s knee drove into them.


    He staggered back, teeth gritted. His head spun and he was pretty sure several of his bones were broken, not to mention the amount of internal damage he¡¯d had to have sustained by now.


    ¡°Can you do anything other than run and tickle me?¡± Garina demanded. ¡°I almost preferred when you were squirming on the ground.¡±


    Noah drank from Unstable Pandemonium, twisting the magic to his will. There wasn¡¯t any time for him to sit around debating on what it could do. He just had to start trying shit until something worked. If he didn¡¯t, Garina was going to beat the shit out of him until he keeled over and died.


    What do I do? Not a Formation. That won¡¯t let me practice, not to mention I don¡¯t understand Unstable Pandemonium well enough to extract its full benefits in a Formation. I need to use this opportunity to figure out what the rune itself can do.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get it twisted. I¡¯m not tickling you,¡± Noah growled. He was barely even aware of the words spilling from his lips. His mind and body were moving nearly independently of each other. ¡°That is a privilege saved for Moxie.¡±


    Garina faltered for a moment, her features twitching in disbelief. ¡°What are you talking about? Get your mind out of the gutter.¡±


    Noah barely even heard her. There were too many thoughts ¡ª too many needs ¡ª bouncing around his head like a thousand rubber balls. He couldn¡¯t decipher anything like this. And so Noah did the only thing he could think of. The only thing that would lock his focus in completely on the fight. He summoned his violin and placed the bow of the violin against its strings.


    Then he sank into his pattern. His violin sang as the bow danced across its strings and his attention sank inward as he tried to dedicate himself to the song.


    ¡°Formations, Noah? Seriously? In a one on one fight? What, do you think I¡¯m going to sit around and let you gather the magic to do that? Do you think I¡¯m an idiot? Not that a Formation like that would be of any threat to me, but it¡¯s about the principle of things.¡±


    Wrong. Not a Formation.


    She blurred forward. Her elbow blurred Noah¡¯s for skull. He twitched out of the way, almost instinctively, and the blow passed by him, just inches away from his face.


    Chaos is a part of music. It¡¯s part of everything. But how can I use it? What can I do to properly use this rune? I ¡ª oh, shit.


    Garina¡¯s fist was heading right for his face. Noah slipped to the side. His Formation suffered for the movement. He¡¯d missed a note. That wasn¡¯t the end of the world and he made up for it a moment later, but there was only so far he could split his focus. There was no way to completely use his pattern like this if he wanted to avoid getting folded like a shitty lawn chair.


    Garina bore down on him. She advanced relentlessly with a hail of strikes that forced Noah to continuously retreat to keep his skull from getting caved in. It took everything he had just to keep his balance and the song running.


    Worse yet ¡ª Garina wasn¡¯t even using magic. The only spell she was casting was punch. There was nothing for his pattern to steal from her, which meant he was at a bigger disadvantage than if she¡¯d just been using her Runes.


    ¡°Change it up, Noah,¡± Garina warned. ¡°This is growing old, fast. I have no desire to play games with a cockroach. If you really can¡¯t do any more than this, I¡¯m going to end this now.¡±


    A spark of anger ignited deep within Noah.


    You want me to change my song?


    Garina¡¯s fist slammed into Noah¡¯s cheek. His head snapped to the side ¡ª but his legs didn¡¯t budge. His hands didn¡¯t stop playing. Not a single part of his body moved other than his face.


    Blood welled in his mouth as the taste of iron washed across his tongue. Noah clenched his jaw and turned his head back to look straight into Garina¡¯s eyes. Her fist pressed up against his cheek and into his teeth, still in the spot it had been a moment before.


    ¡°I choose the music I play,¡± Noah snarled. ¡°Nobody else.¡±


    ¡°As strong as you are right now, the only thing you¡¯re going to be choosing is if you prefer doing the Apostles¡¯ laundry or washing the dishes,¡± Garina snarled. ¡°And that¡¯s assuming they don¡¯t tear you to shreds after finding out how weak you really are. You¡¯re nothing but an uppity Rank 5.¡±


    Her other fist blurred through the air, heading directly for his face. Noah didn¡¯t need to guess as to what would happen if the blow connected. If he got hit by that blow, the fight was over. Even if he made it out with the world¡¯s worst concussion, her next strike would finish him.


    Noah yanked power from Unstable Pandemonium as his bow sliced across the strings of the violin, sending power pouring into the instrument. Energy ignited within the violin as a brilliant, discordant note rang out.


    His body instinctively braced itself.


    Nothing happened. Noah blinked.


    The punch didn¡¯t connect.


    Garina¡¯s fist hung in the air, an inch away from Noah¡¯s nose. A rippling pulse of translucent red energy swirled against it, like the waves passing out from where a stone had fallen in a lake.


    A flicker of surprised passed through Garina¡¯s features. She pulled her hand back as the note faded from the air. As it left, so did the barrier of red energy.


    For a moment it looked like Garina was about to say something.


    Then she punched him again.


    Noah¡¯s bow yanked back down across the strings of the violin. Another sharp note rang out, and another barrier of energy bloomed from Garina¡¯s fist a moment before it could connect with his face. Her blow slammed to a halt, trembling against his magic but failing to push through.


    Garina stared at him.


    ¡°Did you just turn pure chaos energy into a physical barrier?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I think I turned a chaos-infused musical note into a barrier,¡± Noah corrected, unable to keep the awe from his voice.


    Turning a musical note into a magical or physical effect... the possibilities were endless. The Violin had never been able to do that before. It had just let him cast multiple types of magic at once. It wasn¡¯t his pattern, either. That meant this development was because of Unstable Pandemonium. The rune could let him turn musical effects into real ones. Of course, he had no clue as to what the limits of that were, but this was exactly what he¡¯d been looking for.


    This is my path forward.


    What might have actually been the beginnings of respect shimmered behind Garina¡¯s dark eyes. ¡°Not bad. That¡¯s a new one. Maybe you¡¯re a bit better than I¡ª¡±


    Noah punched Garina in the face.


    That went about as well as he¡¯d been expecting.


    Her head moved an inch to the side as her cheek barely even gave under the strike. He was actually pretty sure he¡¯d done more damage to his own knuckles than he had to her. It wasn¡¯t that his punch had been weak. Garina just may as well have been made out of solid titanium.


    That did nothing to make the punch any less satisfying.


    Garina¡¯s head slowly turned back to look directly at him, and her eyes promised death.


    ¡°You little shit,¡± Garina said, but the tone of her voice had definitely changed. There was something that almost bordered on acknowledgement within it. ¡°I¡¯m going to enjoy killing you.¡±


    Heh. Worth it.

 Chapter 676: Sticks and Stones

    Garina killed Noah.


    It wasn¡¯t immediate. He put up another good minute of a fight, drawing on every scrap of magic he could pull from Unstable Pandemonium to try and hold her assault off. But Garina would not be stopped. Holding her back was like trying to restrain the ocean itself.


    Noah wasn¡¯t even entirely sure how his newly discovered ability to stop Garina¡¯s attacks worked. He wasn¡¯t sure exactly what it was the Chaos magic was doing that let it completely stop her punches ¡ª and Garina wasn¡¯t exactly letting him stop and think about it.


    All things considered, he put up a pretty good fight. There was only so much a Rank 5 could do against a Rank 7. That was doubly true when said Rank 7 was one of the Apostles. Even though Garina wasn¡¯t using her magic and clearly holding back, he managed to keep her at bay all the way up until his magic ran out.


    He wasn¡¯t quite about to start tossing Sunder and the Fragment of Renewal¡¯s power around in a training exercise. There were some things that didn¡¯t need to be shared, and Noah wasn¡¯t in a spot where he felt he needed to practice using those particular Master Runes yet.


    Noah was halfway through trying to call on Combustion to suffocate Garina when she punched him so hard in the face that his head literally tore off his shoulders.


    And that was that.


    He was dead.


    Noah¡¯s soul tore free from his body in an instant, giving him a front row seat to watch his own head sail into the sky like a home run ball. His body swayed and pitched forward, landing on the ground with a thud.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Noah exclaimed. ¡°I have a class to teach after this, you wackjob!¡±


    Garina didn¡¯t hear him. She just looked down at his corpse. Then her lip curled. She shook the blood coating her knuckles off before crouching and wiping her hand off on the grass beside her. Not once did her eyes leave Noah¡¯s body.


    She was clearly waiting for him to revive ¡ª and so was his gourd. A strand of power coiled around Noah¡¯s neck and pulled him toward it. He briefly considered indulging a petty part of himself and resisting the call, just to inconvenience Garina a little more.


    That, unfortunately, wouldn¡¯t have done anything other than worsened the soul damage he took from the revival. Noah suppressed a slew of curses. This was seriously messing with his day¡¯s plans.


    I¡¯m not a huge fan of revealing how Sunder works to Garina, but I guess I really don¡¯t have much of a choice... and I¡¯ve made more progress with Unstable Pandemonium than I have in quite some time.


    Not that I¡¯ll tell her that.


    Noah let the call take him. Black smoke poured out of the gourd as there was a sharp yank at his neck. Noah was pulled down into it ¡ª


    His eyes snapped open. He shot upright, his hand already shooting out to the body that he already knew laid beside him. Noah hooked a hand into the travel bag at his waist and plucked one of his spare outfits from it, pulling it on without a word.


    ¡°Fascinating,¡± Garina said.


    ¡°Unless your name is Moxie, you don¡¯t get to say that whilst I¡¯m half naked,¡± Noah said as he tugged his jacket on. He rose to his feet, pushing the pounding headache in his skull back like it was an unwanted platter of party snacks.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t immortal. You just don¡¯t stay dead,¡± Garina said, ignoring his words entirely. She crossed her arms in front of her chest. ¡°And you¡¯ve clearly done this enough times that the process doesn¡¯t even phase you. There¡¯s no limit to it?¡±


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been enjoyable enough for me to want to find one,¡± Noah said. He brushed himself off before leveling a glare at Garina. ¡°Did you really have to kill me? I¡¯ll also have you know you¡¯ve gone and ruined my plans for the day. I had a lesson with my students coming up.¡±


    Garina tilted her head to the side. Her dark eyes bore into Noah¡¯s skull like blades. ¡°Ruined? I ¡ª ah. I see it, now. How curious.¡±


    ¡°See what?¡±


    ¡°Your domain. It¡¯s gone,¡± Garina said. ¡°As is your magical signature. Now that¡¯s fascinating indeed. When you die, your soul becomes unbound from the body it inhabits, but entering a new one doesn¡¯t immediately re-establish the bond. You don¡¯t have access to your magic, do you?¡±


    Shit. She figured that out quick.


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Now, here¡¯s the question,¡± Garina said, her eyes twinkling like dying stars. ¡°Is that a weakness? Or a defensive mechanism?¡±


    Before Noah had a chance to ask what she was talking about, Garina flicked her hand. A black line carved through the air, moving so fast that Noah only spotted it after it had passed through him.


    His body peeled apart like an unripe banana.


    Noah¡¯s soul was launched out of its housing for the second time within a minute. The remains of his corpse splattered to the ground, ruining a perfectly good set of clothes with a deluge of viscera and blood.


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


    ¡°God damn it!¡± Noah yelled. ¡°Seriously? What is your problem? Couldn¡¯t you have at least done that while I was naked? I don¡¯t have that many spares on me, you know!¡±


    The gourd called.


    He answered.


    Noah bolted upright once more, glaring before life had even returned to his eyes. His hand was halfway to his bag by the time he¡¯d sat up. He wordlessly scooped another outfit from within it and pulled the clothes on.


    ¡°The hell is your problem?¡± Noah asked. ¡°That was just rude.¡±


    ¡°It was fascinating,¡± Garina corrected. ¡°And it seems it was the latter.¡±


    ¡°The latter?¡±


    ¡°A defensive mechanism.¡± Garina tapped her foot on the ground. ¡°When you come back, your soul¡¯s binding to the new body is weak. Honestly, that isn¡¯t surprising. Forming a whole new body from raw magic and then stuffing yourself into it should come with even more drawbacks than what I see, not less. You¡¯re getting off easy. The process prevents you from using magic, but when you die... it also keeps the damage your soul takes minimal. Basically, you¡¯ve got a grace period for soul damage immediately after you get yourself killed the first time. Incredible. In all my years, I¡¯ve never seen something like this.¡±


    Huh. I never thought about it... but that must be why I was able to survive so long in the Scorched Acres. If I take less soul damage when dying shortly after a previous death, then that¡¯s pretty convenient to know. Not particularly useful at the moment... but I¡¯m sure it could be important in the right circumstance.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you find me an interesting experiment, but you¡¯ve still gone and ruined my class. I can¡¯t properly protect everyone from their patterns while they¡¯re practicing without access to my domain.¡±


    ¡°Do you care about nothing beyond your students?¡±


    ¡°I care about Moxie. Lee. Brayden. The other teachers. That¡¯s about it, though. You¡¯ve also gone and made sure I can¡¯t practice anymore either. Honestly, you could have stopped right before I died. I really need to figure out how to fully control my Chaos rune.¡±


    Garina stared at him. ¡°The one you made?¡±


    ¡°Correct,¡± Noah said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying about that.¡±


    She studied him for a few more moments before blowing a stray hair away from her face and shaking her head. ¡°Do you realize how ludicrous that seems? Do you even know what Chaos is?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± Noah said. ¡°But I strongly suspect you¡¯re about to enlighten me.¡±


    Garina smiled. ¡°No. I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re telling the truth... then the absolute last thing in the world I would ever do is tell you what that rune is. After all, you punched me. Me.¡±


    ¡°Man, I should take lessons on holding a grudge from you. We were sparring! And you killed me! Twice!¡±


    ¡°You misunderstand me, Vermil,¡± Garina said, stepping closer to Noah as a predatory grin crossed her lips. ¡°I¡¯m not angry at you. I suppose ¡ª and don¡¯t ever expect me to repeat these words ¡ª I owe you a small apology.¡±


    Noah blinked. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Strength,¡± Garina said, ¡°is the most important thing in this world. It is the only way to earn the respect of others. And though strength is shown through action, words are the judge of respect.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure I¡¯m following. I mean ¡ª I get what you¡¯re saying, but not why you¡¯re saying it. What does this have to do with killing me?¡±


    Garina clicked her tongue in distaste. ¡°I am not apologizing for killing you, Noah. That was fun. I am apologizing for insulting you. I wanted to goad you into pushing your abilities farther, but I implied some things I did not believe.¡±


    Noah stared at her in surprise. Of everything Garina could have said, he hadn¡¯t been expecting this. ¡°Uh... thanks? I¡¯ll be real with you, I don¡¯t really give a shit about what you were saying. I¡¯m more pissed I can¡¯t watch over my students during their training today.¡±


    The Apostle sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°In the last several hundred years, there have been only two people weaker than me that I have found myself gaining any measure of respect for. You are one of them. I find little pleasure in calling the abilities of someone weaker than me pathetic, especially when they are anything but.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Noah said. ¡°Well, no hard feelings. I kind of tune out battle shit-talk. But why won¡¯t you tell me anything about Chaos, then?¡±


    ¡°Because it would be a disservice. If you¡¯ve actually managed to create a Chaos rune entirely on your own... the limits of your own imagination will take you much farther than any rules will. Take the ability you just demonstrated, for example. Do you have any idea what you were doing?¡±


    ¡°Err... I think I was solidifying magic into something physical. I haven¡¯t had much of a chance to think about it.¡±


    Garina snorted. ¡°You used chaos magic to play a musical note that warped reality and made the air impermeable. And that was all subconscious. If I told you what I believed the limits of your magic were, you¡¯d subconsciously believe them to be true. It is far better for you to determine the limits yourself ¡ª but do not fear. I will help. You will need to determine them if you want to stand a fly¡¯s chance against the Apostles.¡±


    Noah pondered her words for a moment. Then a small smile tugged at his lips. ¡°I think I see what you¡¯re saying. Thank you. Just... maybe don¡¯t kill me right before my class next time? I have students counting on me.¡±


    ¡°I have time today. I will make up for what you find yourself unable to do.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Noah¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Garina snorted. ¡°Why was that the only thanks you gave me that felt truly heartfelt? You are a fascinating creature. One day, you will tell more of your origin. I wish to know how you came into being.¡±


    He just gave her a shameless grin. ¡°We¡¯ll see. So, should we head back?¡±


    Garina blinked. ¡°Head back? No. Of course not. Your class isn¡¯t for several hours as per your own words. You have time to continue practicing.¡±


    ¡°I think a piece of info may have slipped through the cracks,¡± Noah said, rubbing the back of his neck. ¡°I can¡¯t use my magic right now, Garina. There¡¯s no way for me to access my runes. I can¡¯t practice anymore.¡±


    Garina looked at Noah like he¡¯d just sat down on a cake she¡¯d been looking forward to eating all day. ¡°Are you an idiot?¡±


    ¡°...potentially?¡±


    ¡°Do you really think every one of your opponents will simply stop fighting once you have died? When you come back helpless as a babe, will they sit down and pick at their nose until you are ready to fight again?¡±


    Noah cleared his throat. ¡°I mean, that would be great. I¡¯ve managed to avoid¡ª¡±


    ¡°Idiot,¡± Garina said. ¡°You do not train only for scenarios you can control. You train for the ones you cannot.¡±


    ¡°But what the hell can I do when I don¡¯t have my magic?¡± Noah asked.


    Garina cracked her neck. Then she smiled in a way that only a wolf looking at its prey could. A trill of warning ran down Noah¡¯s spine.


    ¡°You fight,¡± Garina replied as she lowered into a fighting stance. ¡°You¡¯d be surprised how far physical combat can take you, Noah. Besides, you¡¯ve already proven you like throwing punches. Let¡¯s see how many more you can land.¡±


    Ah, fuck me.

 Chapter 677: An Odd Pattern

    ¡°You really are full of surprises,¡± Garina said, examining her knuckles. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a fighting style like this before, Noah. It¡¯s fascinating. The thought of blocking strikes repeatedly with my face never occurred to me.¡±


    Her body twisted as a she sent a kick blurring for Noah¡¯s side before he could even try to respond to the question. Noah didn¡¯t even try dodging the attack. That particular option was more than exhausted.


    Garina had been far faster than him before they¡¯d started fighting several hours ago. Now, he was tired and worn to the bone. His entire body ached in one giant bruise and his bones were riddled with microfractures.


    He¡¯d slowed down even further ¡ª which meant getting out of the way was no longer an option. It hadn¡¯t been for quite some time.


    Instead he exhaled as the strike hit him, letting himself almost go limp and absorbing the force of the strike. His own foot shot up, converting the momentum that Garina had so generously imparted into his body into a kick of his own.


    The blow connected with her stomach. That did absolutely nothing to make the hit Noah took hurt much less. He stumbled back an instant later with a pained wheeze, barely managing to keep his feet out from under him.


    Garina didn¡¯t relent. She bore down on him, blows coming from every direction. There was no end to them. It took every single scrap of concentration that Noah had to keep himself in one piece.


    He ignored the strikes aimed for his less vital areas. His focus was on keeping her from literally punching his head off again. Any room for rational thought evaporated from his mind. He barely even remembered that this was training.


    All that remained was the fight. The rest of the world had long since fallen away. It didn¡¯t matter. Anything but Garina¡¯s attacks was nothing but a distraction. A distraction that he could ill afford.


    More and more blows rained down on Noah. His best efforts to defend himself were faltering. There was only so long he could stand around and get the life beaten out of him before his body and mind stopped responding as they should have.


    Everything became sluggish. His limbs didn¡¯t respond to the commands of his mind, and his mind didn¡¯t respond to the commands of his soul. It was like there were three different entities all trying to puppet him at once.


    But, even as Noah felt himself begin to literally shut down as his consciousness receded further, he found something else happening.


    He twitched to the side. It was a command sent by his body itself rather than by a thought from his mind or a command from the soul.


    Garina¡¯s fist shot past his face. It brushed so close to his ear that he felt his hair whip against his skin ¡ª but the blow didn¡¯t connect. Garina didn¡¯t wait around to let him gather his balance. Her knee was already headed up toward his stomach, but Noah¡¯s body was moving too.


    He twisted on the spot, letting the strike slip so close to his stomach that it could have tickled the hairs on it. In the same motion, Noah¡¯s palm slammed into Garina¡¯s chin. It did about as much as kicking a brick wall would have, but the strike still connected.


    His body was moving on its own. Garina retaliated immediately by shoving Noah back and diving for him while he was off balance.


    Noah jumped back to keep the space between them, but Garina vaulted off her hands and shot her entire body toward him feet-first like an Apostle-shaped projectile. Noah arched back, dropping to the ground and letting Garina pass directly over him.


    He thrust his hands up, driving them into her stomach with all the force he could still muster.


    A powerful force suddenly clamped down on his arms. By the time Noah realized that Garina had somehow grabbed his wrists mid-flight, she¡¯d already yanked him off the ground. Wind whipped past his face as Garina landed and swung his entire body like a huge sack of potatoes, sending him hurtling face-first toward the ground.


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    Noah¡¯s body spun of its own volition. His core screamed in protest as he pulled himself to the side, redirecting the momentum of the swing to somehow send himself plowing into her midsection.


    They collided with a loud, bone-shaking thud. If she¡¯d been a normal human, the force would probably have been enough to send her tumbling to the ground and knock the air from her lungs. But she was Garina ¡ª and all Noah¡¯s efforts really accomplished was eliciting a slight grunt.


    He didn¡¯t care. He was well past the point of caring. Noah put every ounce of his strength into twisting his body like a top. He found his leg slicing through the air like an axe blow before he even knew what he was doing with it.


    His heel slammed into the back of Garina¡¯s head. Her eyes widened slightly and she stumbled forward. She threw Noah to the ground and drove a foot down toward him, but he¡¯d already rolled out of the way.


    It was odd. It didn¡¯t seem like Garina¡¯s attacks were coming any slower. She was as fast as she had been at the start of the fight. Her blows just weren¡¯t connecting as much as they had been. More and more of the attacks slipped or glanced off Noah, failing to do any serious damage.


    It was like he knew where the attacks would be aimed at before Garina had even thrown them. He was responding to attacks before they¡¯d even started heading in his direction. A part of him didn¡¯t even feel like he was fighting anymore.


    This felt more like a dance. Noah could practically hear the tune of a distant song echoing in the back of his skull, dictating the ebb and flow of the movements he and Garina were ordained to take. Every move felt like it had been done a dozen times before. Every step was practiced. Like they¡¯d rehearsed everything for some grand competition until they¡¯d both gotten the fight-dance down to a precise science.


    Noah found himself humming along to the tune. He couldn¡¯t have even said what the tune was. His mind wasn¡¯t anywhere near awake enough to register anything beyond a passing fancy. He just knew it ¡ª whatever it was ¡ª was there.


    It was almost as if...


    A moment of clarity slammed into Noah like one of Garina¡¯s punches. The separation between his mind, body, and soul shattered as all three of them crashed back together for a flicker of an instant.


    And in that moment of heightened clarity, every sound went still.


    Garina¡¯s fist slammed straight into Noah¡¯s nose.


    He died.


    His soul tore free from his body for what was now the fifth time that day. Noah let out a sputtering slew of curses as all the pain from his death slipped away, replaced by the fragmenting agony of his soul being chipped away at.


    He practically plunged back into his gourd before it had even begin yanking him back ¡ª


    His eyes snapped open and he sat upright, rapidly disrobing his corpse to pull the clothes onto himself. They were only a little bloodied up. There was no point wasting a perfectly good uniform when Garina was probably going to ruin his next one anyway.


    ¡°Oops,¡± Garina said, looking down at the blood dripping from her knuckles. ¡°I wasn¡¯t actually trying to kill you there. I think I got a little bit too much into the swing of things.¡±


    ¡°Literally and figuratively,¡± Noah grumbled as he tugged his jacket back on and rose to his feet. A pounding headache echoed through his skull. It wasn¡¯t going to go away until his magic returned and he could call on the Fragment of Renewal again.


    ¡°What happened there?¡± Garina asked. ¡°That was¡ª¡±


    ¡°I had a moment where everything seemed to click. Then you punched me in the face and I died.¡±


    ¡°Not that part,¡± Garina said through a snort. ¡°Really, you shouldn¡¯t be stopping in the middle of a fight to ogle at your own genius. At least wait until after it¡¯s done. No, I¡¯m talking about before your little moment of clarity got you killed. You were dodging my punches.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m... honestly not entirely sure,¡± Noah admitted. His brow scrunched as he dug back through his thoughts. The song that he could have sworn he¡¯d heard was gone. He remembered hearing the song, but the notes and its melody were completely gone. Nothing remained other than the memory of its passing.


    Was that a pattern? I can sense patterns while I have no magic? And what the hell kind of pattern even was that? That¡¯s... odd. Really odd.


    ¡°Well, whatever it was, not bad,¡± Garina said, sizing up Noah like a particularly well marbled cut of steak. ¡°You adapted to physical combat a bit faster than I was expecting. I could see a lot of Lee¡¯s movements in yours, but there was more as well. You might actually be able to make something of yourself if we keep practicing like this. We¡¯re done for today. I suppose I promised to help out with your class, and I hate breaking promises.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, I think.¡± Noah rubbed his forehead as he tried to organize his thoughts through the angry headache battering at the inside of his brain. ¡°You know, not that I¡¯m complaining, but you didn¡¯t really ask me any questions during the fight. We just fought.¡±


    Garina smirked. ¡°You answer far more questions with your actions than your words. The thing I was most interested in was the kind of person you were, and I¡¯ve got the answer to that. I¡¯ll figure the rest out in time. Now brace yourself. I¡¯m taking us back to Arbitage for your class, and I don¡¯t want to get thrown up on when we arrive.¡±


    Noah¡¯s skull throbbed again, but in spite of it, the corner of his lip twitched up in the faintest of smiles. ¡°No promises.¡±

 Chapter 678: Caught

    ¡°Well,¡± Renewal said. ¡°Didn¡¯t see that one coming.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the sandwiches,¡± Decras replied. ¡°Ferdinand is putting something in the damn things. They¡¯re rotting the woman¡¯s brain out.¡±


    Renewal rolled her eyes and leaned forward. The Cumulo she sat on was still doing its absolute best to eat her. That part was a bit difficult to get used to. Anything as comfortable as the cloud-chair couldn¡¯t have possibly come without some kind of drawback.


    ¡°You know as well as I do they¡¯re just normal sandwiches,¡± Renewal said. She sent a sidelong glance at the bowl of chocolate balanced on a stand between them. The urge to take another one was strong, but she¡¯d been stuffing her face a bit too much recently.


    I really need to spend a little more time training than I have been. It¡¯s too easy to get distracted as of late. Then again, this is training. Of a sort. It¡¯s research. With how much Noah has managed to squeeze out of his Runes, I feel like I might be getting close to a breakthrough myself by observing him.


    Decras snorted and Renewal glanced at him.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking ¡ª and I highly doubt that you¡¯re going to make much progress at all just sitting here and watching. Advancement takes training.¡±


    ¡°And training must be intentional,¡± Renewal countered. ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t see you going out and fighting either. You¡¯ve been in here with me.¡±


    ¡°I am training different aspects of myself. Much as Garina is training Noah. Just in the opposite direction.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t particularly likely. Any real training wasn¡¯t one that could be done whilst distracted, and Renewal knew that Decras had been watching the shimmering screen before them as much as she had.


    Speaking of which...


    She returned her attention to it. It was a bit hard to tell if Garina was a skilled teacher or if Noah just picked things up quickly. They¡¯d only been fighting for a few mere hours, but the progress he¡¯d already managed to wring from the session was nothing short of impressive.


    Sure, it¡¯s easier to advance when you¡¯re at the beginning, but that was still something. The synchronization between his body and soul is already ridiculous for a Rank 5. Then again, I suppose Decras¡¯ power has lent itself to that incredibly well.


    Did Garina recognize how the rune worked so quickly and immediately realize the best way to train him? If she did...


    ¡°Garina is more than you let on, isn¡¯t she?¡± Renewal asked, turning to give Decras a side eye.


    ¡°I am unsure as to what you are implying. She is one of the Apostles I have on this world. That is all.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Renewal said. ¡°And the speed at which she recognized the methods of your rune, deduced where Noah was lacking in his abilities, and then immediately proceeded to figure out how to push him in the most effective manner... you want me to believe all of your Apostles have similar talents?¡±


    ¡°Do not mistake my followers for yours, Renewal. They are selective.¡±


    Renewal didn¡¯t even say anything. She just arched an eyebrow. Neither of them were particularly well connected with their followers. Her church may have been considerably larger and full of rather incompetent mages, but her strongest followers weren¡¯t that far from matching the majority of the apostles in strength.


    And when it came to intelligence... well, Renewal had seen more of Crone than she cared to. His mind was probably somewhere around the level where it would struggle to pose a significant challenge to a mildly intelligent bird.


    Decras cleared his throat.


    ¡°Garina is... capable. More so than some of the others. As I said before, she was simply without direction for a long time. It made her difficult. Recent times have honed the power that she always had and given it a focus. She will likely grow to become one of the strongest of my followers on this world, bar the Prophet... should she manage to avoid being killed.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re admitting that the reason she¡¯s as strong as she is now is because of Ferdinand?¡± A grin flitted across Renewal¡¯s lips. ¡°He has been the reason she¡¯s gotten more grounded. If it wasn¡¯t for him, she definitely would have killed Noah when she realized what he was.¡±


    Decras grunted. ¡°Perhaps. Garina has always been insightful. She is simply... difficult to keep pointed in the proper direction. She tends to have very set views of what she believes the proper path is.¡±


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    ¡°Well, whatever it is, it certainly looks like she¡¯s found an effective way to teach Noah,¡± Renewal said. ¡°Then again, there does have to be something to be said for being able to kill the person you¡¯re training. Hard to find a better teacher than death.¡±


    ¡°True enough,¡± Decras agreed with a small nod. ¡°And perhaps it is time we began to seek its tutelage as well. Not in the manner that Noah does, but in our own. We have our own troubles to face. The Fallen do not have room for those who do not grow. We must train.¡±


    As much as Renewal would have preferred to stay seated, snacking and watching the events on the screen play out before her, Decras was right. She¡¯d already spent far too much time wasting away and doing nothing in her life.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, then,¡± Renewal said. She rose from the Cumulo and straightened her clothes out. ¡°It¡¯s been too long since I¡¯ve had a good fight. And if we do this fast enough, maybe we¡¯ll get back before we miss Noah doing anything too interesting.¡±


    ¡°Somehow, I imagine we¡¯ll miss at least something. That fool can¡¯t keep himself restrained for more than a few moments at a time. He moves fast, even for a human. For us... he¡¯ll probably have managed to make a dozen new enemies by the time we return.¡±


    ¡°If he only makes a dozen, we can count ourselves lucky for not having missed too much.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Today¡¯s class will be a little different from the normal one,¡± Garina said, crossing her arms before her and casting her gaze over the gathered students. They¡¯d returned to Arbitage a few minutes ago.


    Just about everyone had already gathered at the Transport Cannon by the time they got there. The only ones absent were Bird and Brayden, who had stayed back to keep an eye on Eline. None of them quite trusted her enough to bring her along to their classes quite yet.


    Garina had wasted no time in having Tim ferry them off to the Scorched Acres so she could take care of her promise to Noah. She¡¯d then gathered everybody before herself and launched right into the lesson.


    ¡°I am not Vermil,¡± Garina said. ¡°As I am sure you can tell. But due to a special set of circumstances, I have agreed to teach this class for him. You may refer to me as Garina.¡±


    Silvertide leaned over to Noah and nudged him in the side with his elbow. He kept his voice to a low whisper as he spoke, not taking his eyes off Garina once. ¡°How did you manage to pull this off? Why is the Rank 7 that tried to murder you teaching your class?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± Noah replied. Dull throbs of pain twanged through his mind with every word he spoke. ¡°We¡¯re friends. Kind of. She spent the last few hours beating the life out of me.¡±


    Literally.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem very injured.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised,¡± Noah replied, turning his attention back to Garina. He wasn¡¯t alone in that. Everyone stared at her intently. It wasn¡¯t every day that a Rank 7 just up and decided to teach a class. The information she could impart was invaluable.


    Even Noah couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine how much she knew. Garina was from outside the empire. There were so many things that he still didn¡¯t know. So much that she could teach them. Even a few scraps of her knowledge about runes could be enough to completely revolutionize the way they looked at magic.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have all day, so we¡¯re going to be keeping this condensed,¡± Garina said. ¡°And I do not coddle. If you¡¯re concerned with being injured, feel free to leave. Suddenly jumping ahead in difficulty can be dangerous, and not all paths to power must be fast. They must simply be yours.¡±


    Not a single person budged.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t about to turn down instruction from a Rank 7... so long as you¡¯re not Vermil¡¯s enemy anymore,¡± Isabel said.


    Garina studied Isabel curiously for a moment. ¡°And if I was?¡±


    ¡°Then I would happily still accept your tutelage. It¡¯s not every day you run across a Rank 7.¡± Isabel didn¡¯t even miss a beat in giving her answer.


    Out of the corner of his eye, Noah saw Aylin¡¯s features twitch.


    Garina¡¯s features creased in amusement. ¡°You¡¯re lying. You¡¯d actually have left. Fascinating. Stupid, but fascinating.¡±


    ¡°Being hardheaded has gotten me pretty far in life,¡± Isabel said. ¡°I¡¯m not taking the stick out of my ass for you.¡±


    Garina let out a burst of laughter. ¡°A Rank 3, speaking to a Rank 7 like that? Is it stupidity that gives you your boldness? Or is it arrogance?¡±


    ¡°You said you were teaching the class. That means a certain level of respect between teacher and student. Someone as powerful as you would be degrading themselves beyond belief if you took offense to the words that I said. It would be below you. Why would a god care about the words of a mortal?¡±


    ¡°Well put,¡± Garina said, her features turning serious. ¡°You are correct. Killing you would be below me. I will act as a teacher for the duration of this lesson alone. No more and no less.¡±


    ¡°Can you tell us everything you know about runes?¡± Todd asked immediately. ¡°Start at the beginning, please. I¡¯ll take notes. Talk fast. Really fast.¡±


    ¡°Cute,¡± Garina said. ¡°That would be nice, wouldn¡¯t it? The answers all spelled out for you to decipher. But no. I will not be doing that. It would upset far too much, and to be frank, it would not be worth my time. Any fool can cobble runes together when told exactly what to do. I will not be discussing runes this lesson.¡±


    ¡°What are we covering, then?¡± Violet asked. ¡°Patterns? Do you also know them?¡±


    ¡°I would certainly hope I do,¡± Garina said, sending a sidelong glance at Noah. ¡°Vermil is not the only one to have determined there is more to this universe than merely runes. My lesson will not be specifically about patterns. It will be about something adjacent to them. Tell me ¡ª by show of hands ¡ª if you can control the shape of your soul.¡±


    Everyone was silent for several long moments. Nobody raised their hand.


    ¡°Nobody?¡± Garina asked.


    Everyone shook their heads.


    Garina¡¯s gaze drifted slowly across the students, lingering on each of them for a moment before moving on. Then it landed on James.


    ¡°You,¡± Garina said, her eyes narrowing, ¡°are lying.¡±


    ¡°Ah, shit,¡± James said.

 Chapter 679: Revin’s Pranks

    ¡°You thought you could lie?¡± Garina asked, stepping toward James. ¡°To me?¡±


    ¡°Technically, I didn¡¯t lie. I just didn¡¯t tell the truth.¡±


    Noah tensed. He prepared to jump forward and tackle James out of the way. Even though Garina had just promised not to hurt his students, James was definitely doing his absolute best to try her patience. There was only so much that an Apostle was going to allow for.


    But Garina stayed her hand. The only thing she did was narrow her gaze. For a long second, she stared at James.


    ¡°You¡¯re one of Revin¡¯s, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Is answering yes going to get me in more trouble than not speaking? Because that was the reason I didn¡¯t do anything the first time around.¡±


    Emily elbowed James in the side. ¡°James! Are you trying to get yourself killed?¡±


    Garina raised a hand. Her eyes didn¡¯t leave James for an instant. ¡°No, no. I already promised I wouldn¡¯t be breaking any of you during the lesson, no matter how impudent you may be. I don¡¯t expect much from children. And taking action here would just be cruel.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. So perhaps we should just skip past this whole thing?¡± James offered. ¡°I¡¯ll just sit back and do what I do best. Nothing. Really, there¡¯s no reason to waste your time and effort on me. Just focus on the other students.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d like that, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± Garina¡¯s lips quirked up in amusement. ¡°But I will not. Why would I turn down a perfectly useful teacher¡¯s assistant?¡±


    James grimaced. ¡°I can assure you that I couldn¡¯t be of use even if I wanted to ¡ª and I don¡¯t. There¡¯s no reason for you to waste your effort on me.¡±


    Noah¡¯s lips thinned and he chewed on the inside of his cheek. James was really doing everything he could to push Garina¡¯s promise. It almost felt like he was trying to piss her off.


    Something was wrong. James wasn¡¯t this stupid.


    Being lazy was one thing. But openly defying someone as powerful as Garina was an entirely different one altogether. It made no sense. He wasn¡¯t getting anything that important out of trying to piss her off.


    Helping out with the class might have been a bit of a pain in the ass, but James clearly had access to the soul-shaping technique Garina had mentioned. It couldn¡¯t have been that much of a bother for him to put up with a bit of extra effort for a few hours.


    So why is he doing it? This whole argument and all the attention he¡¯s bringing onto himself are going to be way more of a bother than just doing what she wanted.


    ¡°Now you¡¯re just underselling yourself,¡± Garina said. She leaned down so she was eye-level with James. ¡°I recognize that technique of yours, James. And I know who taught it to you.¡±


    ¡°I apologize for any actions my teacher may have caused in your past, present, or future,¡± James immediately said in a tone that made it abundantly clear that this was a speech he had rehearsed many times before. ¡°He is sorry for what he did or will do. I pass along my deepest sympathies for any harm he caused but am not responsible for the actions of a raving lunatic. Should I have the misfortune of meeting him in the near future, I will ensure that your complains are added to the list.¡±


    Garina snorted. ¡°Drop the bullshit, boy. Revin clearly crammed your head full of it, but I recognize his touch in your abilities. What did he tell you about soul shaping?¡±


    James did not reply. He stared at Garina mutely, his jaw set like it was carved from stone. Emily swallowed as Garina¡¯s eyes bore into them. It was hard to blame her. There were few things quite as intense as the Apostle¡¯s complete and utter attention. Even without the might of her domain bearing down, standing against Garina was like trying to hold up a mountain.


    But Emily didn¡¯t budge. Even though James was actively waving a red flag directly in front of a rather pissed off bull, she stood her ground.


    ¡°Perhaps we should move on,¡± Moxie said. ¡°This isn¡¯t productive.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let that slide because you¡¯re concerned for your students,¡± Garina said without even glancing away from James. ¡°But you¡¯re wrong. Every student here deserves to be taught. Is that not true?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Noah said. ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°No buts. No exceptions. Or do you not care about everyone here equally?¡± Garina turned to Sticky, finally breaking her line of sight with James, and crouched beside the small demon. ¡°Perhaps I should stop teaching this little one because of what she bears within her.¡±


    Violet moved to stand between them. ¡°Don¡¯t single her out.¡±


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    Garina¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Hoard Demon for people? Cute. I like you. Now get out of my way. I¡¯m speaking to the little vessel. Standing in the path of an Apostle whilst they have a task is a poor idea indeed.¡±


    Violet paled. She took a step back. Then her jaw set. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Sticky said, stepping out from behind Violet. She stared at Garina with sharp, piercing eyes and her small hands tightened into balls at her sides. ¡°You don¡¯t have to get hurt for me, Violet. I can fight.¡±


    ¡°Oh, fuck¡¯s sake,¡± Garina said, throwing her hands up into the air. ¡°Enough with the melodrama, you brats. I was trying to make a point. I don¡¯t go around punting children unless they really deserve it.¡±


    Nearly everyone stared at her in confusion. The only exceptions were Yoru, whose mask completely concealed any expression she may have had, and Aylin, who nodded knowingly.


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Aylin said.


    ¡°No,¡± Noah said. ¡°It really doesn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s asking if Sticky deserves to be taught,¡± Aylin said.


    ¡°Good,¡± Garina said. ¡°Thank you. Now stop trying to nibble at my soul or I¡¯ll reorganize your organs.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡± Aylin paused for a moment. Then he tilted his head to the other side. ¡°Wait. Wouldn¡¯t that count as hurting me?¡±


    ¡°I can just shake you. Really hard.¡±


    ¡°Noted.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now, what I was trying to get at is that all of your students deserve an equal chance to learn and grow. Is that not true?¡± Garina crossed her arms and turned to send a sharp look at Moxie and Noah.


    ¡°Of course it is,¡± Moxie said. ¡°Where are you going with this?¡±


    ¡°I include your lazy little shit in that number,¡± Garina said. She pointed back at James. ¡°Or is he an exception?¡±


    That hadn¡¯t been what Noah was expecting at all. He blinked in surprise.


    Doesn¡¯t James already know the thing that Garina wants to teach everyone? That¡¯s the whole reason we¡¯re having this stupid argument in the first place.


    ¡°No. Why would he be? I think I may be missing some key information here.¡±


    ¡°James seems to be under the assumption that if he shares information about soul shaping, his soul will shred itself to pieces due to a Rune Oath he made with Revin.¡± Garina turned back to James with a cold smile. ¡°Am I wrong?¡±


    James gritted his teeth. He said nothing.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a Rune Oath with Revin?¡± Noah asked, his eyes widening. ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°He can¡¯t talk about it,¡± Emily said. ¡°He told me last night, but only that he couldn¡¯t say anything. It¡¯s a really strong one. Strong enough to basically kill him on the spot. No chances for anyone to stop it.¡±


    ¡°That fucking piece of shit.¡± A swirl of anger ignited in Noah¡¯s stomach. Revin never knew when to stop. He seemingly just acted according to whatever he thought would be the most fun or interesting without caring about the damage his actions caused.


    No wonder the Apostles kicked his ass out. When I get my hands on him...


    ¡°He¡¯s screwing with you,¡± Garina said.


    ¡°Of course he is,¡± James said. ¡°That¡¯s what Revin does. But I trust you can see why I can¡¯t answer your questions. There are some things I¡¯m allowed to do, but I can¡¯t talk about what they are. Don¡¯t worry about me. I know what I¡¯m doing¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t,¡± Garina replied. She was suddenly before James, having moved so fast that her motion may as well have been instant. Garina flicked him in the forehead. ¡°You don¡¯t have a Rune Oath.¡±


    James stared at her in confusion. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°How do you think a Rune Oath works?¡± Garina asked. ¡°It binds around you, using your very soul as an anchor and your Runes as a lynchpin. Break it, the oath snaps, runes get shattered. But what do you think happens when the soul that the oath is connected to starts changing?¡±


    It was several seconds before anyone spoke.


    ¡°It changes how it works?¡± Vrith offered, scratching at her furred ears.


    ¡°Close, but not exactly,¡± Garina said. ¡°Pretend your soul is a perfect cube. Then you wrap some rope around it really tight. What happens when that cube becomes, say, a sphere?¡±


    ¡°Rope falls off,¡± Sticky said.


    ¡°Rope falls off,¡± Garina agreed. ¡°You haven¡¯t been bound by your Rune Oath since the first time you shaped your soul, James. Nobody who knows soul shaping can ever be constrained by a Rune Oath. Revin was screwing with you. I¡¯d imagine he only made you swear that oath shortly before you learned rune shaping, then immediately made you shape your soul afterward. Am I wrong?¡±


    James stared at her for a long second. Then his eye twitched.


    ¡°Damned Plains. He got me. That bastard.¡±


    Noah couldn¡¯t tell if he wanted to let out a relieved sigh or go throttle Revin on the spot.


    He¡¯s really something else. Playing games like this is just screwed up. Poor James... though, something tells me he wouldn¡¯t have said shit about soul shaping anyway if he could have avoided it. Maybe Revin was just giving James an excuse to avoid work.


    Garina snorted. ¡°Thought so. Revin loves that one. Annoying little shit. Now... I¡¯m going to ask one more time. Who here knows what soul shaping is?¡±


    Everyone stared at James.


    James grimaced. ¡°Do I have to?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Garina crossed her arms in front of her chest. ¡°Or I turn you into a drink on the rocks and shake you so hard that your brains come out your ass. Figuratively, of course. You¡¯ll live.¡±


    James sighed. Then he raised his hand.


    Garina smiled.


    ¡°Fantastic. I have my test dummy. Then let¡¯s get started, shall we?¡± She planted a hand on James¡¯ shoulder. ¡°Soul Shaping is surprisingly simple. It¡¯s easy to understand but hard to master, like most things in life that have any real importance. Care to share the first step with the class, James?¡±


    James sighed again. ¡°You have to get in touch with your soul.¡±


    ¡°And how do you do that?¡±


    ¡°By being tired. Really, really tired.¡±


    ¡°Lovely.¡± Garina¡¯s smile turned predatory. ¡°It¡¯s not easy to be truly and utterly tired. Your body usually tries to stop you well before that happens. But don¡¯t worry. Fortunately for everyone here, I¡¯m more than happy to help with that particular issue. Ready up, all. I want all of you to attack me at once.¡±


    ¡°All of us?¡± Yoru asked, tilting her head to the side.


    ¡°All of you,¡± Garina confirmed, lowering her stance. ¡°And don¡¯t stop until you can¡¯t move anymore. Now, no more questions. Treat this like a real fight. Let¡¯s spar, shall we?¡±

 Chapter 680: Reunion

    One could say what they wanted to about demons. That they were impulsive, controlled by their emotions, or plain evil by nature due to how they were warped by their runes. There were a great many arguments about demons that could be had ¡ª but nobody could ever say that they were indecisive.


    The moment Garina¡¯s challenge slipped from her lips, even before Noah¡¯s human students had properly readied themselves for a fight, every single one of them exploded into motion.


    Vrith closed the distance between herself and Garina in a split second, shadows wrapping around her body as her claws streaked through the air in a blur for the other woman¡¯s neck. The attack never got a chance to connect.


    There was a painful whump as Garina¡¯s leg snapped up. She drove her foot into Vrith¡¯s stomach with enough force to send the demon hurtling back like a rocket. Aylin blurred, grabbing her from the air before she could crash into a tree and spinning to stop the immense amount of momentum that had been imparted into her body.


    Violet charged forward with a roar, her arms stretched out to her sides like a linebacker as she sprinted to tackle Garina.


    Noah suppressed a wince. He had no plans of charging to join the fight against Garina after she¡¯d killed him half a dozen times already that day ¡ª but sprinting headlong at her didn¡¯t really seem like the smartest course of action when confronted with a Rank 7.


    The arching eyebrow rising up into Garina¡¯s hairline implied she had a similar line of thinking. She extended a hand as Violet approached, almost lazily flicking the demon straight in the forehead.


    Violet¡¯s head snapped back like she¡¯d run long into a wall. Her feet flew out from under her from the sheer force of the strike and she slipped back, crashing down to her back and skidding across the ground.


    But, in the time Garina had taken to strike Violet, the others hadn¡¯t just been sitting around ¡ª and the flicker of a grin that slipped over the demon¡¯s features told Noah that she hadn¡¯t just charged like an idiot for no reason.


    Lee was upon her an instant later, appearing in a blur of motion to send her fist hurtling for the back of Garina¡¯s head. The attack was fast enough that Noah was pretty sure it would have gotten him even with his Fragment of Self.


    With the distraction that Violet had caused, there was a chance that it would even¡ª


    Garina¡¯s head tilted to the side. Lee¡¯s punch whistled past it, passing so close that the Apostle¡¯s hair whipped in its wake. Garina spun and brought her knee up into Lee¡¯s stomach with enough force to fold her like a pancake.


    The strike launched Lee straight up into the air in a ridiculous show of force that would have put an end to any sane person¡¯s ideas of trying to fight her.


    Not one of the demons relented. Vrith and Aylin both sprinted toward Garina again while Violet staggered upright, coughing and wheezing as she broke back into a run. Even Sticky joined in on the fight. She sprinted in alongside the others.


    Noah¡¯s human students finally shook off their surprise ¡ª or perhaps they simply finished their preparations. Todd sparked his bracelets together and stone rushed up from the ground to coat his body in a protective layer. Isabel formed her own, heavier armor around herself, and the two of them charged forward.


    The air around Emily turned crisp and frost crystals shimmered around her hands as an icy bow took form within them. She raised it, an arrow appearing against its string, and took aim at Garina while power poured from her into the weapon.


    Yulin drew her sword alongside Alexandra, and the two of them sprinted in as well. Even Moxie darted in, vines twisting out from within her sleeves to writhe up around her like a nest of squirming snakes.


    It wasn¡¯t long before practically everyone in the Scorched Acres was bearing down on Garina ¡ª and every single one of their attacks ended the same way.


    Magic streaked past Garina in flashes of light and power. The vast majority of the attacks missed her entirely, while the ones that did connect barely even seemed to distract the powerful mage.


    She moved in a blur, streaking from target to target and manhandling them in a way that was almost depressing. The fight was completely one-sided. The only person that hadn¡¯t directly joined the fight yet was Yoru.


    For some reason, the masked demon had sat down and crossed her legs beneath her. She seemed focused on something, but Noah had no idea what. He couldn¡¯t pay Yoru too much attention right now anyway. He was far more focused on watching Garina toss his entire class around like they were toys.


    An explosion ripped through the clearing as Todd detonated the stone at the palm of his armor, releasing a molten explosion of rock directily into Garina¡¯s face. For a flicker of a second, Noah almost thought that he¡¯d managed to hurt her.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Then Garina¡¯s face appeared within the flames like that of devil rising from the depths of hell. She drove her fist into Todd¡¯s chest with enough force to shatter his stone armor and send him crashing back into Isabel.


    Every single one of them drew on all the power they could as thoughts of holding back to avoid injuring Garina went out the window. More and more magic churned around the clearing as everybody threw themselves at Garina, becoming increasingly determined to land at least a single good blow on her.


    Noah¡¯s lips thinned. Sitting back while everyone else was fighting... no matter how bad the headache was, it just wasn¡¯t right. And he needed to learn whatever it was she was teaching as well. He couldn¡¯t just sit around.


    Goddamn it. Here we go again.


    Noah charged forward to join the fight.


    ***


    Noah¡¯s skull pounded. He lay back on the grass as the world spun above him. The taste of iron stung against his tongue and his throat was so dry that it felt like it was about to crack. It took every scrap of power and will he had to force his head up.


    The bodies of his students were scattered around him like the scene of some horrible battle. Sticky laid in a heap against Violet¡¯s side. Aylin and Vrith had collapsed against each other. Todd, Isabel and Emily had all been piled in a corner like a pile of discarded laundry.


    Alexandra knelt on one knee. Her knuckles were white around the hilt of her sword that she¡¯d planted in the ground like a crutch. Her limbs trembled as she fought to rise once more. Yulin laid beside her, not even able to so much as twitch a muscle.


    Even James had been dragged into the fight. It hadn¡¯t been voluntary ¡ª he¡¯d been standing on the sidelines and observing until Garina appeared behind him and started pummeling the life from his body. He¡¯d actually put up a decent fight for a few seconds as the others joined in, using the distraction to try and get the upper hand on Garina.


    It hadn¡¯t worked, of course.


    All that had happened was that he¡¯d spent the extent of his magic in a mixture of running and fighting before collapsing to the ground in a heap. Garina had been thorough. The moment he had nothing left, she¡¯ d moved on to those who still fought to ensure nobody managed to evade her attentions.


    She¡¯d ensured that not a single one of them could even try to move anymore. Even Moxie laid sprawled beside Noah, limbs out in every direction as a tiny vine desperately pulled on the collar of her shirt in an attempt to bring her back upright.


    And then there was Yoru. She sat in the exact same spot where she¡¯d sat down during the fight earlier. Garina hadn¡¯t bothered attacking her. Nobody really had the spare energy to wonder as to what was going on, though.


    The sound of labored breathing filled the air in the Scorched Acres. They all battled desperately for breath, trying and failing to push themselves back to their feet. None could. They were completely and utterly spent. Even existing felt like a losing battle.


    The ground around them had been torn to shreds. Trees at the edges of the now-enlarged clearing were cracked and shattered and huge gouges had been dug through the dirt. Smoke from snuffed flames rose up around them to filter through the twisting branches of the trees.


    I swear there has to be an easier way than this to train. Garina doesn¡¯t know the definition of taking things easy on anyone. It¡¯s one thing to fight me like this, but everyone? She¡¯s insane. I don¡¯t even know if she¡¯s any better than Revin.


    Noah wasn¡¯t even sure how long they¡¯d been fighting at this point. It must have been at least an hour of constant, nonstop combat. Any energy they may have had, magical or physical, was long since gone.


    ¡°Good,¡± Garina said, looking over them. She stepped over Lee, who couldn¡¯t even muster the energy to bite at her ankles. ¡°This will do. Does anybody feel like they¡¯ve got any strength left? It¡¯s imperative to beat it out of you before we begin.¡±


    Nobody responded. Even Noah was barley clinging onto his awareness. The world swam and spun around him as darkness clawed at the edges of his vision and tried to drag him into unconsciousness. If he¡¯d taken one more blow, there was a good chance h¡¯ed have passed out on the spot.


    It seemed Garina knew exactly how far they could go before reaching their limit. That or she¡¯d knocked the others out and he was soon to follow. It was hard to tell.


    Garina nodded to herself.


    ¡°Then we may start. Connecting to your soul gets easier the more you do it, but you need to be in a reduced state to begin. It is all based on a simple understanding. Your body, your mind, your soul ¡ª all are one, but all are separate. Each one is you. Each can be controlled. The body is easiest. It simply follows your thoughts. The mind is harder. Few are in complete and utter mastery of their mind ¡ª but it can be learned. But the soul... direct control is nearly impossible under normal circumstances.¡±


    Garina walked through the clearing as she spoke, checking on each of them without missing a single word.


    ¡°The world is a distraction. Your own power is a distraction. The soul is a tumultuous thing. It contains everything that you are, and that makes it exceedingly difficult to comprehend. Thus, you must reduce those distractions.¡± Garina came to a stop in the center of the clearing. ¡°That has been done. Right now, your body has nothing left to offer. Your mind is exhausted. Let them both slip away. What remains is your soul. Listen to it, and it will speak to you. Do not waste time. Do not let yourself fall asleep. Send your senses inward.¡±


    The temptation to ignore Garina was strong. Noah¡¯s being begged to rest. To ignore the headache pounding at his skull and slip into the peaceful darkness.


    He refused it. There was no energy left for him to even push the thoughts back, but something deeper clung to awareness. A part of him buried deeper in his mind than he had ever gone. And, with every word that Garina spoke, the world dimmed as it grew brighter.


    Then the world changed.


    Noah didn¡¯t know when or how it happened. One moment, he was lying on the blackened, ash covered dirt of the Scorched Acres. The next, he was standing in an expanse of pure black. There was no sound. No pain. No ache or weariness in his body.


    There was nothing but Noah.


    And standing across from him was a face he knew well.


    It was a perfect copy of himself.


    ¡°Nice of you to drop by again,¡± Noah-2 said, a smile pulling across his lips. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we spoke, hasn¡¯t it?¡±

 Chapter 681: The Tried and True

    Chapter 681: The Tried and True


    ¡°So, is there a reason you decided to sit out our little training exercise?¡± Garina drawled, crossing her arms in front of her chest and cocking her head to the side as she looked down at the masked demon sitting cross-legged before her. There was a small part of Garina¡¯s mind that felt a little bit petty about doing much of anything with her arms when Yoru had none of her own.


    Unfortunately, that part of her mind was very small and quiet. There were few things in life that brought Garina more enjoyment than being petty. It was just about the only form of casual disrespect she could employ without mistakenly killing someone in the process.


    People are just so... squishy. Squishy and easy to break.


    Yoru¡¯s neck tilted back as the demon peered sightlessly up at her. ¡°I was waiting.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡± Garina asked. ¡°Unless you mean to imply that you already know Soul Shaping, you have the same requirements that the rest of them do.¡±


    ¡°I am aware,¡± Yoru said. She rose to her feet, the blue eye painted onto her mask managing to maintain contact with Garina¡¯s gaze the entire way up. ¡°I delayed my efforts to avoid impacting theirs.¡±


    Garina arched an eyebrow and gestured to the sleeping bodies all around them. Demon and student alike had plunged into the depths of their minds to confront their very souls. Only time would tell as to how many would actually be successful.


    One, maybe. Two or three if they¡¯re extraordinarily talented. I wouldn¡¯t expect much more than that. Beside Noah and Sticky, the rest of these are just normal mortals.


    ¡°You think you¡¯re so strong that you would have made the fight less effective for them? That¡¯s arrogant. I¡¯ve been crushing Rank 7s for a very long time... and you aren¡¯t a Rank 7 anymore. You pose me no threat. I can feel the imbalance from your runes from here. You¡¯re barely holding together.¡±


    ¡°It is difficult. I am unsure as to the extents of my abilities now,¡± Yoru agreed. She was still for a moment. Her head tilted to the side. Then energy shimmered at her sides. Motes of gentle, silver-blue light glistened at her shoulders. Power prickled against Garina¡¯s domain as the light condensed, forming into two glowing arms. Her fingers twitched, then one by one, curled until her hands had clenched into fists. ¡°The future is no longer as evident to me as it once was. I wanted to ask you a question.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Garina asked. ¡°Are you going to ask me to train you solo, now that everyone is passed out? I don¡¯t enjoy repeating myself. That goes for fights as well as instructions. If you wanted to spar with me, you should have done it with the rest of your group. Why should I give you a private training session?¡±


    ¡°My question is not with regard to the training,¡± Yoru said. ¡°It is different. This is just the most optimal moment to ask you. Everyone else is unconscious and unable to overhear our conversation.¡±


    A flicker of interest passed through Garina.


    Her question was one that she needed everyone else unconscious for? Hm. Either the sheer arrogance of a former Rank 7 demon who thinks she¡¯s better than everyone around her... or potentially something actually worth hearing out. It¡¯s always difficult to tell with the powerful demons. Their personalities tend to be so warped ¡ª but Noah¡¯s worked on this lot. She might actually be worth the time.


    ¡°I¡¯ll humor you,¡± Garina said. ¡°For both requests you have. But here¡¯s the catch. We¡¯re doing them at the same time.¡±


    Yoru¡¯s head tilted to the other side. ¡°Both requests? What is my other?¡±


    Garina blurred as shadows swallowed her body. She appeared before Yoru, already spinning as her leg whipped out toward Yoru¡¯s head.


    The smaller woman¡¯s glowing arm shot up. A wave of thrumming energy rolled out from her palm as Garina¡¯s foot slammed into it. Yoru skidded several feet back, nearly stumbling over herself before she managed to catch her balance.


    ¡°You still need to be tired if you want to connect with your soul and learn how to shape it,¡± Garina said, letting her leg lower as a smile pulled at her lips. ¡°Now, ask your question while you still have breath to speak. You seem to think you can challenge me ¡ª so I won¡¯t go as easy on you as I did the others.¡±


    Yoru¡¯s head straightened. ¡°I see.¡±


    Garina blurred. Her knee slammed into Yoru¡¯s stomach. A ripple of moonlight rolled out from the impact zone and the demon skidded a step back, but Garina could tell that her strike hadn¡¯t connected. Yoru had managed to block it.


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    Not half bad. She¡¯s got some very good reaction speed.


    ¡°I would suggest putting more effort into your question and less into answering mine,¡± Garina said. ¡°If it isn¡¯t interesting, I¡¯m going to lose patience very quickly. You¡¯re wasting my time.¡±


    Shadows swallowed Garina once more. She appeared behind Yoru and drove her heel into the demon¡¯s back. Moonlight rippled through the air and Yoru stumbled forward, only to find Garina before her once more, a knee hurtling toward her mask.


    Yoru¡¯s back arched and she twisted herself out of the way, vaulting off her hands and landing a foot away ¡ª


    Garina was beside her. Yoru crossed her arms in front of her face instant before Garina¡¯s fist slammed into them. She skidded back across the ground, barely managing to keep her feet out from under her.


    Shadows were already rising to swallow Garina when Yoru finally managed to ask her question.


    ¡°What are Runes?¡±


    Garina paused. The magic she¡¯d gathered slipped away. Then a small smile appeared on her features. ¡°Well. That¡¯s an interesting question. Doesn¡¯t everyone know what runes are? They¡¯re the building blocks of magic. Fragments of the laws of the universe.¡±


    She darted forward, closing the distance between herself and Yoru in an instant. Her foot rose into the air and crashed like a falling axe.


    Yoru crossed her arms above her head and Garina¡¯s kick drove into it with a thunderous boom. The dirt beneath Yoru crunched and compacted, forming a small crater beneath her. She staggered. Moonlight twisted around her glowing arms in sputtering streams.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m asking,¡± Yoru said. ¡°I want to know what Runes are. Master Runes, specifically.¡±


    Garina twisted and sent a powerful hook kick slamming into Yoru¡¯s side. This time, the demon couldn¡¯t react fast enough to stop it. Even the ripples of moonlight rising from her body weren¡¯t enough to keep her from tumbling across the ground and slamming to a halt against the broken stump of a tree.


    ¡°That¡¯s an odd question,¡± Garina said. ¡°What makes you want to know? Something happen?¡±


    Yoru clambered to her feet, clutching one hand to her side. Even though Garina couldn¡¯t see her features, it was apparent how badly the pain affected Yoru. That was surprising. Yoru hadn¡¯t been kicked that hard ¡ª and her magic should have absorbed a portion of the damage.


    Even Noah¡¯s human students had absorbed proportionally similar damage without as much of a reaction. Garina¡¯s lips pulled into a frown. It wasn¡¯t common that someone reached Rank 7 with such a low pain tolerance.


    The path to Rank 7 was a brutal one. Constant fights and agony paved it. Rank 7s could generally push through all but the most debilitating injuries. That shouldn¡¯t have faltered just because Yoru had dropped down a rank... but she was almost acting like she¡¯d barely ever been properly hit in a fight.


    ¡°Nothing traditionally known about Runes would imply that they¡¯re anything more than what you say they are,¡± Yoru said, her voice strained. ¡°They should simply be aspects of power. Patterns that hold magic, without any further purpose. But if that were the extent of it... how would a rune gain sapience?¡±


    Garina¡¯s smile grew wider. ¡°Now that... is an interesting question indeed.¡±


    ***


    ¡°You,¡± Noah said, pointing at Noah-2.


    Coincidentally, Noah-2 did the exact same thing.


    ¡°Stop that,¡± Noah-2 said. ¡°It¡¯s confusing. Don¡¯t copy me.¡±


    ¡°We are not doing this again,¡± Noah said. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, and much to his annoyance, his clone did the exact same thing.


    It was slightly difficult to be too annoyed. He¡¯d have done the same thing if he were in Noah-2¡¯s place. It couldn¡¯t be all that fun being someone else¡¯s clone. One would have to take all the opportunities they had to enjoy themselves.


    ¡°You say that, but here you are,¡± Noah-2 said. ¡°Do you have any idea how annoying it is to be stuck in my head?¡±


    ¡°Not your head. My head,¡± Noah corrected.


    ¡°Same thing.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the fact that you¡¯re probably right about that,¡± Noah muttered. He scratched the back of his neck. ¡°I thought you were the representation of my Fragment of Self. Is... it really that bad? Being stuck here?¡±


    Noah-2 pursed his lips. ¡°Honestly? Not really. I don¡¯t think I really exist when you aren¡¯t actively, well, here. Not in the way I exist right now. I¡¯m you. So when you¡¯re not here, I¡¯m not here either. I¡¯m out there, with you.¡±


    ¡°That is confusing,¡± Noah said. ¡°Very confusing.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t agree more. Whatever idiot came up with this needs to be taken out to the shed. I mean, seriously. If you were going to pick something to represent your own soul and get stuck together with for an indeterminate amount of time, couldn¡¯t you have picked Moxie? Why me?¡± Noah-2 shook his head. ¡°Unimaginative.¡±


    ¡°No, that would just be weird. You¡¯re me,¡± Noah said, scrunching his nose. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be attracted to myself.¡±


    ¡°Huh. That is weird. Why¡¯d you come up with it?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t. You did.¡±


    Noah-2 arched an eyebrow. Noah glared at him.


    ¡°Stop that. Let¡¯s just get this dealt with so we can both get out of here, shall we? It seems you¡¯re the key to figuring out how to control the shape of my soul,¡± Noah said through a sigh. ¡°But... let me guess. You don¡¯t have the faintest idea as to what to do.¡±


    ¡°Not in the slightest,¡± Noah-2 said with a sheepish grin. ¡°But you knew that already.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, yes. Time to start testing things, then?¡±


    Noah-2¡¯s smile turned excited. ¡°I was waiting for that. Let¡¯s see what we can break before we kill ourselves, shall we?¡±

 Chapter 682: A totally surprising revelation

    Chapter 682: A totally surprising revelation


    Yoru braced her hands against her knees as she fought to draw in desperate breaths. Her body swayed with exertion and the only part of her that hadn¡¯t been struck half a dozen times in the last minute was her face, which was still protected by the mask covering it.


    Garina had to admit that the formerly Rank 7 demon had done a little better than she¡¯d been expecting. It was rare that someone who reached such a high rank was actually capable of bringing themselves back down to the basics.


    That was doubly true for a demon. Most powerful mages saw training like this to be beneath them. A few of them were right. The rest were just arrogant idiots. And, from what Garina had managed to learn about the demon¡¯s master rune in the time they¡¯d spent sparring, she really should have become one of the latter.


    Moonlit Prophecy, huh? A master rune so powerful that it let her weigh the probabilities of every single action that affected her. I¡¯ve seen a number of terrifyingly powerful runes, but that might actually be the most insane of them lot.


    It¡¯s a miracle Yoru was able to avoid getting an ego so enormous that it drove her face-first into the ground. And it¡¯s a greater miracle still that Noah managed to slice the damn thing up and let her remove herself from under its thumb.


    ¡°You... still haven¡¯t fully answered my question,¡± Yoru panted. ¡°And I¡¯ve still got some energy left. Why would my rune gain sentience? You said you would tell me.¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m totally honest, I was hoping you¡¯d have passed out by now,¡± Garina said through a sigh. ¡°You¡¯re a little more impressive than I was expecting. It¡¯s really a pain in the ass. I¡¯m not generally a huge fan of rules, but there are a few I really don¡¯t like breaking.¡±


    ¡°And answering my question would be one of them?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that,¡± Garina said.


    But I certainly didn¡¯t not say it either. Even that would be skirting the edges. We aren¡¯t meant to interfere with the happenings of the Empire. It ruins the experiment. I¡¯m starting to wonder how much that really matters... but I really don¡¯t need to bring even more negative attention down on us. Father is more than enough. If the Prophet decides I¡¯ve been too lacksidasical, he might pay a visit himself. And, if he does, I don''t know what will happen to Ferdinand.


    ¡°But this question is something important,¡± Yoru said. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t go against any rules if it wasn¡¯t. Why? And who even puts the rules into place?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one with the power to control probability,¡± Garina pointed out. She blurred forward to arrive directly in front of Yoru. ¡°Why don¡¯t you leverage some of that and see what will happen if you continue this line of questioning too long?¡±


    Garina drove her knee up into Yoru¡¯s stomach and the demon rolled with the blow. She shot back up to her feet a foot later, only to find Garina before her once more. Yoru¡¯s glowing hands raised to block a kick from striking the side of her head.


    The force of the blow was still enough to send her rocketing into a tree. Yoru dropped to the ground, coughing, as her arms flickered and sputtered. Her Runes were running out of power. Despite that, Yoru rolled over and pushed herself back to her feet, swaying unsteadily as she rose.


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to use my Master Rune right now. I don¡¯t trust it. I want to learn on my own. I want to do it without the crutch that I have been forced to rely on since I was a child.¡±


    Garina¡¯s hands twitched. Her teeth clenched.


    Damn it. Couldn¡¯t you have had reason that would been easier to find fault in?


    ¡°What is it with this group and having access to the most uniquely infuriating individuals?¡± Garina asked tersely. She cracked her knuckles. ¡°Let me ask you something in turn, Yoru. What answer are you hoping for? That Master Runes have some inherent will of their own and will sway you to their commands? That they all have some shared, secret desire that makes it harder to resist them?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Yoru said. Her moonlight arms sputtered as their reserves finally drained, leaving her standing helplessly before Garina. The demon didn¡¯t so much as flinch. And, even though the mask was covering her face, Garina could tell Yoru was staring right at her. ¡°I just want to know.¡±


    Gods damn it.


    Garina suppressed a sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll give you one piece of advice and nothing more.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take anything I can get. I want to learn.¡±


    ¡°Then you should turn your attention away from the runes and toward yourself,¡± Garina said. ¡°I think you can say a great deal about what you know of Runes. Of their patterns. Of how they work and how they form. But what about you?¡±


    ¡°I... I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Garina smiled. The air between them warped as shadows twisted through it. By the time Yoru had registered the movement, Garina already stood beside her.


    The small demon doubled over, then crumpled to her knees. Her body held itself aloft for a moment longer. Then she pitched forward. Garina caught Yoru by the shoulders, then gently lowered the small demon to the floor.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Then she straightened and blew out a slow breath, casting her gaze around the clearing. Everyone was still out cold. Yoru had just joined them.


    ¡°Persistent little demon,¡± Garina said, pinching the bridge of her nose and holding back a sigh.


    If she can¡¯t do anything with the hint I just gave her, then all the questions in the world aren¡¯t going to take her anywhere meaningful.


    ***


    ¡°I could kill myself again,¡± Noah-2 suggested.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this, but that probably isn¡¯t going to work,¡± Noah said, chewing his lower lip.


    They¡¯d already tried that a few times. The urge had been a bit too strong to resist. Unfortunately, that didn¡¯t seem to do much at all. Their fists just passed right through each other as if nothing was there.


    Face-planting into the ground didn¡¯t do anything either. They just slowed to a stop moments before they could hit it. There were probably some other ways that the attempt could be made, but it was pretty clear that dying here wasn¡¯t going to be easy. Not that Noah actually knew exactly where here was.


    Either way, it seemed the universe had gotten up with his favorite strategy.


    He had no idea how long he¡¯d been stuck in the endless void together with his clone. More than enough time for them to have a few too many conversations. Nobody was meant to have such a long conversation with a manifestation of their own being.


    It was just wrong.


    ¡°I¡¯m more than aware,¡± Noah-2 said. ¡°I kind of just want out. We¡¯re too dense for this.¡±


    ¡°We are not dense,¡± Noah said defensively. ¡°This isn¡¯t exactly an easy puzzle, you know.¡±


    ¡°James figured it out,¡± Noah-2 pointed out.


    ¡°James did figure it out,¡± Noah admitted. He scratched at the back of his head. ¡°But James is no slouch. He just wants people to think he is. I¡¯d imagine anyone with the misfortune to be taught by Revin is going to be a whole lot more capable than they appear to be.¡±


    ¡°Point taken. Maybe we should go back to the basics, then,¡± Noah-2 said. ¡°Think about who we really are. There¡¯s the pattern covering the entirety of our soul ¡ª the one the Fragment of Self is made out of.¡±


    Noah suppressed a sigh. He was more than aware of the pattern. So was his clone. They¡¯d spent nearly the entire time they¡¯d been sitting around down here on that very pattern. It was the most obvious way they could come up with to control the shape of his soul.


    There were just two problems.


    First, the pattern was nowhere to be seen. They weren¡¯t directly in Noah¡¯s soul. They were... somewhere else. Neither were sure exactly where, but they couldn¡¯t feel their runes, Master, Fragment of Self, or otherwise. They were completely isolated.


    The second problem was that Garina had knocked all of them out in the same manner. It would have made no sense to do that if being able to shape your soul required a Fragment of Self. Aside from Noah, a few of the demons, and Alexandra had one.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think she¡¯s expecting everyone to somehow make their Fragment of Self just like this, do you?¡± Noah asked.


    ¡°Hm. Probably not?¡± Noah-2 said. ¡°It¡¯s not that easy. She isn¡¯t stupid, and we¡¯ve already figured out how to make those. Getting exhausted isn¡¯t the way. It¡¯s done through deep understanding of your pattern.¡±


    Noah nodded, chewing his lip as he dug through his thoughts. ¡°Right. So, other than each other, what do we have to work with?¡±


    ¡°Shitall,¡± Noah-2 said. ¡°So unless Garina is screwing with us ¡ª wait. Do you think...¡±


    It was a definite possibility. Noah wouldn¡¯t have put it past her. But, at the same time, Garina had seemed pretty serious about teaching them. He was mostly certain she wouldn¡¯t do all this just to justify beating the snot out of them.


    ¡°Probably not,¡± Noah said. ¡°So I guess that means all we should need to control the shape of our soul is... well, us.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we can control each other to change the shape of our soul. Like finger puppets,¡± Noah-2 said.


    Noah grimaced. ¡°Hell no.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it was a pretty bad idea.¡±


    The two of them were silent for a few moments. Perhaps it was longer. Telling time was borderline impossible here. There really wasn¡¯t much of anything at all. Beyond Noah and Noah-2, it was empty and devoid of all else.


    A slow frown pulled across Noah¡¯s lips before he¡¯d even realized it had formed.


    ¡°Do you think the others all have a version of themselves to speak to as well?¡± Noah asked.


    ¡°Huh. Dunno,¡± Noah-2 said. ¡°I did only pop up after the Fragment of Self. But that would just mean the others are alone.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m technically alone too,¡± Noah said. ¡°You¡¯re me. So the whole point of this was probably to isolate us with only ourselves, then.¡±


    ¡°Are you implying I¡¯m screwing things up?¡±


    ¡°How can you? You¡¯re me. You just said it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah. True. Then perhaps we should turn our attention inward,¡± Noah-2 said.


    ¡°Is that really any different from turning it to each other?¡± Noah scratched his chin. ¡°This is confusing.¡±


    ¡°Quite,¡± Noah-2 agreed. ¡°But... that kind of does make me wonder something. Why am I here?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Noah frowned. ¡°You¡¯re me.¡±


    ¡°Right. But aren¡¯t I technically a rune? It¡¯s a representation of you, sure, but the Fragment of Self is still a rune.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Noah said as the question¡¯s purpose dawned on him. ¡°I see what you¡¯re getting at. All my other runes are cut off. So why are you here? Or... better question. Are you even a rune?¡±


    ¡°Alternative question,¡± Noah-2 said. ¡°What is a rune?¡±


    The two of them started to chuckle.


    ¡°That¡¯s a throwback,¡± Noah said. ¡°That was a good question.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Noah-2 said. ¡°Really thought provoking.¡±


    They both fell silent for a brief moment. Then Noah frowned.


    ¡°Hold on. You¡¯re me.¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± Noah-2 said with a nod.


    ¡°And you¡¯re a rune.¡±


    ¡°Or at least born from one, as far as we can tell,¡± Noah-2 confirmed. Then he blinked. ¡°Huh.¡±


    Their eyes widened as one.


    ¡°Maybe the question isn¡¯t about what a rune is...¡± Noah started.


    ¡°But what I am,¡± Noah-2 finished. ¡°If patterns make up everything in the universe, then why would we ourselves be any exception to that rule?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Noah breathed. ¡°That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t read it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Noah-2 asked. ¡°This isn¡¯t fair. I¡¯m you. You can¡¯t realize things without me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not inside my soul,¡± Noah said. ¡°You can¡¯t see a Rune from the inside. I¡¯m outside of it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what Garina was going for,¡± Noah-2 realized, his eyes going as wide as saucers. ¡°We couldn¡¯t comprehend the huge rune that covered our entire soul without the Fragment of Self...¡±


    ¡°...because we were inside of it,¡± Noah finished. He swallowed. ¡°That¡¯s what Garina wants us to realize. Our souls aren¡¯t just some abstract thing. They¡¯re one giant rune.¡±

 Chapter 683: Aura Farming

    Noah¡¯s revelation was followed by an indeterminate amount of time spent figuring out just how he could actually apply his newfound knowledge.


    Discovering that his entire soul happened to be a massive Rune was great and dandy. It gave him ¡ª and his clone ¡ª a direction to focus their attention. It did not, however, actually tell them how one was meant to control said rune.


    It wasn¡¯t something they could just will into motion like they could with the other runes. For starters, it wasn¡¯t actually housed within his soul. It was his soul. That might have seemed like semantics, but such a complaint would have to be taken up with the universe itself.


    Even Noah¡¯s realization hadn¡¯t quite let him actually see what the name of his own soul was. He couldn¡¯t see the rune at all. And when he couldn¡¯t see it and didn¡¯t know what it truly was, it was rather difficult for him to send his intent into it in the first place.


    ¡°Well, this is rather annoying,¡± Noah-2 said, poking at the ground beneath their feet. Calling it ground might have been a bit of an exaggeration. There wasn¡¯t any discernable difference between it and the empty space around them. It was simply the area upon which their feet seemed to decide was solid. ¡°You know, having the big realization moment is supposed to be followed by everything suddenly clicking into place. Imagine how Einstein would have felt if he said ¡®Eureka!¡¯ and then proceeded to be wrong for the next three months afterward.¡±


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been 3 months yet. And I don¡¯t think it was even Einstein that said that,¡± Noah said absentmindedly. He squinted off into the distance, trying to cast his consciousness out from his body. It didn¡¯t do much of anything. His consciousness could only be controlled when he was in his own body ¡ª but he was here only in soul. ¡°You aren¡¯t helping much.¡±


    ¡°Sure I am. I¡¯m you. Half the thoughts you¡¯re getting are mine.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a load of shit,¡± Noah grumbled, more than aware that Noah-2 was correct. The Fragment of Self couldn¡¯t create a form with any thoughts that he himself didn¡¯t already have. It was literally him.


    Noah-2 didn¡¯t think, say, or do anything that Noah himself didn¡¯t. He may as well have been trapped in here with a mirror.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not my fault you¡¯re vaguely useless,¡± Noah-2 said. ¡°Maybe we should start punching things. That occasionally works.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve already tried that,¡± Noah reminded himself. ¡°Extensively. We aren¡¯t corporeal here.¡±


    ¡°Could punch the floor.¡±


    Noah looked down at the not-ground. Then he looked back up at his clone.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°You thought of it too. I know you did. It¡¯s not that bad of an idea. Maybe we can interact with the space around us somehow. The problem is that we can¡¯t really see or connect with the rune, right? Because we¡¯re outside our soul. So if we dig back in, maybe that¡¯ll fix things.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t be that. We couldn¡¯t interact with the Rune when we were inside the soul either,¡± Noah pointed out. ¡°It¡¯s so damn annoying. We can¡¯t mess with it when we¡¯re outside my soul, but going inside has the same problem.¡±


    ¡°Maybe the soul has some form of shell,¡± Noah-2 theorized, crossing his arms behind his back and beginning to pace back and forth like a professor contemplating if his class had studied even once through their lives. ¡°And the rune is on or around that shell. Then we¡¯d need to be on the sweet spot. Inside the soul, but not inside the shell.¡±


    ¡°Definitely possible. But how would we even get there? It doesn¡¯t feel like we can control the area we¡¯re in,¡± Noah said with a frown.


    ¡°To be fair, we haven¡¯t really tried that hard,¡± Noah-2 said. ¡°Maybe if we really push, we can try to move... well, somewhere. Might as well.¡±


    ¡°True enough,¡± Noah agreed. ¡°I guess we should just push?¡±


    ¡°Not like we can access our magic,¡± Noah-2 said with a shrug. ¡°The only things we¡¯ve got to work with are our hands and the squishy bits stuck in our heads. Might as well give that a shot and see if it can accomplish anything.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t much to do but give it a shot. Both Noah and Noah-2 leaned to press their hands against the blank space where their feet touched the ground.


    I¡¯m really not sure the physical act of pushing is going to do much at all. If I really am outside my soul, then I¡¯m pretty sure the only way I can affect anything is with my intent. But hell, maybe pushing will help my mind focus.


    He drove his intent down. At least, he thought it was down. Direction was definitely relative here. All he knew was that he wanted to be somewhere else. Just willing something to work wasn¡¯t typically enough for anything to change, but perhaps¡ª


    Noah¡¯s heart bucked into his chest as the ground suddenly shifted beneath his palms and feet, dropping abruptly. He and Noah-2 landed on it a moment later with surprised grunts before exchanging a surprised look.


    ¡°Whoa,¡± Noah-2 said. ¡°It worked. We actually moved it.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t think it would actually work,¡± Noah admitted. He scratched the back of his head. ¡°Not sure we actually accomplished, though. We just made the ground bounce a bit.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we can bounce it more. Like a trampoline. Then we can launch ourselves into... well, wherever it is we¡¯re supposed to go. I wish there was a giant sign telling us ¡®Hey, go here! This is the finish line¡¯, or some crap like that.¡±


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Noah snorted. Then he paused. His head tilted to the side. ¡°Hold on. Maybe that¡¯s the point.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re just in empty space,¡± Noah said, gesturing around them. ¡°But there has to be a reason we¡¯re here, right? It¡¯s not like my soul would pop out somewhere random just because I was exhausted.¡±


    ¡°The most likely scenario is that we¡¯re at the very outermost edge of our soul, but on the outside bits,¡± Noah-2 said with a nod. ¡°Still connected, but only just barely.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Noah said with a slow nod. ¡°And we¡¯re surrounded by empty white space with nowhere to go. So what if that¡¯s the point? There¡¯s no finish line because we¡¯re already there. Could everything around us be my soul?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, we¡¯d want to get farther away if we wanted to get a look at the whole thing. I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s the wisest idea. Assuming our theory is right... pulling our consciousness too far away from your soul could separate us from it. That could be bad. Really bad. Even for us. You¡¯d need an immensely powerful soul to risk it. Not really something I think would be wise to barge ahead with.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Noah said with a small nod. ¡°But we don¡¯t actually need to do that. If everything around us really is the edges of my soul... we just moved it, didn¡¯t we? Doesn¡¯t that mean we kind of just shaped my soul?¡±


    It was a moment before Noah-2 replied. ¡°Huh. I suppose we did. And if we could move it, do you think we could do more?¡±


    ¡°Only one way to find out.¡± Noah crouched and pressed his palms to the ground once more. This time, instead of trying to push it, he dug his fingers into the void. It was a strange sensation. Even though there was nothing there, he could feel... well, something.


    The more he tried, the more he became aware of it. Not just in his own fingers, but at the back of his own mind as well. It was like a prickle against the farthest reaches of his skull. Noah strained to reach further.


    Even though his fingers didn¡¯t so much as budge, he felt the sensation in his skull intensifying. Far in the distance of the void, something rippled. He couldn¡¯t have said if it was a shape or a color or even anything at all. Something simply was.


    Noah paid it no mind. Now that he was making progress, he wasn¡¯t about to stop and let himself get distracted. The tingling sensation in his mind was growing stronger still. It had now extended to run down his arms and through his vessels like blood.


    Awareness bloomed. It was like a whole other sense ¡ª and one he knew well. This was the same sensation and knowledge his domain gave him over his surroundings, but it was focused entirely on himself rather than the outside world.


    So that¡¯s it. Shaping your soul is basically turning your domain inward to control yourself. I bet it¡¯s a bit more complicated than that, but it seems a lot of the strongest effects are the simplest in initial nature.


    His hands were no longer the things reaching out. It was his very body and mind... and his soul was responding. A ripple passed through the void besode Noah. His eyes glittered in delight as he pushed harder still. The harder he tried, the more he felt. And the more he felt, the more he could control.


    Let¡¯s see what I can do with this.


    ***


    ¡°Say,¡± Garina said, turning to look down at James. While everyone else was still passed out and lurking around the deepest recesses of their weak little souls, the boy had been awake for several minutes. He¡¯d just chosen not to say anything to avoid drawing any more of her attention. Garina nudged him with the tip of her shoe. ¡°What method did Revin use to teach you how to shape your soul?¡±


    James rolled over to squint at her. ¡°The ocean one.¡±


    Garina grimaced. ¡°Of course he did. Let me guess. He barely gave you any time to get used to the true nature of your soul and just immediately attacked it?¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± James grumbled. ¡°Tried to drown me with my own soul. I swear I nearly died. The waves were like fifty feet tall. It certainly worked, though. It¡¯s really damn hard to shape your soul when you don¡¯t realize it can move around. Once he wore me down to my subconscious, I instinctively made a boat to cling to.¡±


    Garina nodded knowingly. ¡°Nobody ever said soul shaping was easy. I think it¡¯s still better to let people acclimate to their souls before you start rattling things around. By now, everyone should have tried and failed to control their soul. You want to help me give them the nudge to get things moving?¡±


    ¡°Revin said it was possible to establish control over your soul without external influence,¡± James said. ¡°He just didn¡¯t bother with me because he was impatient. Shouldn¡¯t we give them more time to try? It¡¯s only been a few minutes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible, but it¡¯s exceedingly difficult.¡± Garina shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s no point. This time is just to get used to the sensation of being so close to the edge of their soul. Your consciousness is naturally pulled to the very center. Things are very different this far out. You only have access to the bigger picture. No magic. Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I recall how infuriating it was, even for the short time I had to deal with it,¡± James said through a yawn. ¡°But it is possible to just form the connection on your own, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Something tells me you just don¡¯t want to work.¡±


    ¡°Ding.¡±


    Garina sighed. ¡°You¡¯re the laziest little shit I¡¯ve ever met. Revin wasn¡¯t wrong. It¡¯s possible... but controlling your soul without another one shaking things up is like looking through a perfectly clear lake and trying to see the water. You need some relative motion to figure out you¡¯re underwater.¡±


    ¡°You could also breathe in.¡±


    ¡°It was a metaphor,¡± Garina said. ¡°A bad one. Regardless, pulling that off would require either an immense understanding of your own soul or a ridiculous amount of sheer brute force. I highly doubt anyone here is capable of either of¡ª¡±


    Garina froze.


    Her domain was telling her something that shouldn¡¯t have been possible.


    She spun to the side, where Moxie still laid in the very same spot she¡¯d fallen.


    But, despite looking straight at her, there wasn¡¯t so much as a trace of the woman to Garina¡¯s senses.


    Impossible. Her soul isn¡¯t that strong. There¡¯s no way she was able to brute force control over it. Does she seriously have such an intense understanding of who she is? At Rank 4?


    She wasn¡¯t allowed much time to sit around in awe. Only a few seconds after Moxie¡¯s presence blinked out of Garina¡¯s domain, another one joined it in vanishing. Garina spun. She could barely even believe her own senses.


    Noah had managed to shape his soul.


    And he wasn¡¯t alone. A third presence vanished from Garina¡¯s mind just moments later. Not one of the teachers. Not even one of the demons.


    It was Todd¡¯s.


    Garina couldn¡¯t help it. Her lips parted in disbelief as she stared at the boy¡¯s face. Not just Noah. Not just Moxie. But a Rank 3. A mere Rank 3 had managed to shape his soul.


    She was so stunned that she could barely even muster the energy to twitch when Isabel¡¯s presence disappeared as well.


    Four. Four of them had managed to shape their souls before Garina had even extended a helping hand.


    I could understand one. Two is impressive, and three is ridiculous. But 4? That¡¯s unheard of. There¡¯s absolutely no way all of them are brute-forcing the control. That means mere Rank 3s have such deep understandings of themselves that they can shape their own souls without external influence.


    What kind of little monsters has Noah gathered?

 Chapter 684: Unleashed

    Sticky floated in an endless expanse of white. It stretched out in every direction around her like an endless ocean waiting to swallow her whole. She didn¡¯t know where she was or what Garina had done to her. Logically, it should have been terrifying. There was no horizon. No ground. Nothing but... well, nothing.


    But she was not scared.


    Not in the slightest.


    It wasn¡¯t because Garina had promised not to hurt them. People could always lie. Lieing was the easiest thing in the world so long as your opponent wasn¡¯t Aylin. She¡¯d done it more times than she could count to survive back in the streets of Treadon.


    It wasn¡¯t even because Noah had promised to protect them. Sticky trusted Noah more than most. She wasn¡¯t stupid enough to wholeheartedly dedicate herself to anyone. That was how a demon got themselves chewed up and spat out... but he¡¯d come to the afterlife itself to retrieve her.


    Sticky trusted Noah as much as she could trust anyone. But Noah wasn¡¯t here. He didn¡¯t need to be. She had another protector.


    A presence enveloped her body a gentle gray web, not so much restricting her movements as cradling them. It stretched far off into the sky and spread out over the endless expanse of white around her like an enormous net.


    And, instinctively, Sticky knew exactly what it was. It had been beside her ever since the day she had returned from the afterlife. This power was that which had been meant for Wizen¡¯s daughter, but gifted to her instead.


    His Master Rune.


    Weave.


    The Rune held Sticky in its protective grasp, refusing to allow the ocean to overwhelm her senses. No matter how far it stretched, no matter where she was, none of it mattered. She was watched over. She was safe.


    It didn¡¯t matter how big the Void was or how immeasurable it may have been. It could have been a sea of lava or a true ocean. Nothing would have changed the one absolute fact that Weave promised Sticky with every fiber of its being.


    Sticky extended a hand. Gray strands bound around her fingers, stretching out into the distance as if they had always been there. They bore more sensations and thoughts than her mind could ever hope to comprehend. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t need to.


    I am in control. This is my world. My mind. This weird place is still part of me. It might be only by the smallest amount. Maybe I¡¯m at the brink of death again. But it doesn¡¯t matter. If this place is part of me... if I believe I have rulership over it...


    Her fingers clenched into a fist. The strands went taut ¡ª and the void surrounding her shuddered.


    Then Weave will bind it to my will.


    ***


    Aylin stood with his arms crossed. His eyes danced across the empty space around him as his lips curled up into the faintest of smiles. Just a few mere cycles ago, he had been a street rat begging for scraps of bread.


    His family had been at the cusp of death. Treadon threatened to grind them under its heel, and they hadn¡¯t had the strength to do anything more than protest.


    Spider had lifted them from that darkness. He had fixed their runes. Granted them a pathway to a new life. Made them greater than almost any demon that had come before.


    He ¡ª Aylin the street rat turned Streetlord ¡ª stood among the peak of his own kind. To call his life a mere blessing would have been an insult. Aylin didn¡¯t need to be a Knowledge Demon to know that... and he didn¡¯t need to be one to know that he would not allow himself to be stopped here.


    ¡°Spider brought us all the way here. Up to the point where a Rank 7 sees fit to give us instruction,¡± Aylin said, his words vanishing into the empty white. His eyes blazed with determination. ¡°I would be spitting upon all he has given me if I were to simply sit and do nothing when faced with this opportunity.¡±


    He already knew what his surroundings were. Even though Aylin couldn¡¯t feel his runes anymore ¡ª an exceedingly strange sensation for a demon ¡ª he knew


    himself. A Knowledge Demon could never reach their true potential if they could not see the truth of their own heart... and he knew that this was still part of his soul.


    It is somewhere distant. A place I have never been before. So far from everything else that it would be easy to mistake this world for another, but it is still mine. Yes. I see it now. This must be the outer reaches of my soul, so far from its core and the runes within it that I can no longer sense their power.


    Controlling his own soul was not something Aylin had ever tried before. Had he not understood where he stood, had his consciousness not been directly where it needed to be, he was certain he would have lacked the power to do anything more than hope.


    But he knew himself. Garina had sent him here and he knew just why she¡¯d done it. That was the purpose of a Knowledge Demon, after all.


    To know.


    And when a Knowledge Demon knew all they needed...


    They acted.


    ***


    Violet punched the space.


    She hadn¡¯t the faintest idea as to what the hell was going on. She¡¯d lost track at some point during the fight with Garina. That had been fun. Getting the life kicked out of her had been a bit less fun.


    I¡¯m so lost. I thought the training part was fighting Garina. What am I doing here? I need to get out. She¡¯s still standing out there, waiting for us to attack her again. I can¡¯t waste an opportunity like this. Who else gets to spar with a Rank 7?


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    I need to move.


    Violet punched the ground at her feet again. It trembled.


    I need to move.


    Then she punched the void again.


    I will not stay here. I will not sit around and do nothing. The others have probably all woken up by now. I might not be the strongest. I might not be the fastest or smartest or... well, anything.


    But I¡¯ll be fucking damned if I lay here and do nothing. I¡¯m getting out of this weird ass place and sparring Garina again. That¡¯s the only way I can get strong enough to protect everyone.


    She punched the void, sending another tremor rolling through it ¡ª and, oddly enough, her own mind as well.


    Violet dismissed it. She didn¡¯t need to understand what was going on.


    She just needed to get up.


    She punched the void again.


    And again.


    And again.


    ***


    Emily¡¯s chest rose and fell in slow, measured breaths. She sat in the vast emptiness, legs crossed beneath her, her mind as clear as pure ice. Her very being was at peace. There was absolutely nothing within her mind that could break her concentration.


    Her Pattern was not one that allowed for even the slightest miscalculation. Controlling countless little spikes of ice like mist took more concentration than nearly every other Pattern among her fellow students.


    She wouldn¡¯t even claim to have mastered the ability... but she¡¯d certainly gotten rather apt at it in recent times. Getting to this point had been nearly impossible. She¡¯d spent countless hours staring at the walls of her room, the urge to beat her forehead against the stone nearly overwhelming her.


    Even with all the suggestions she¡¯d gotten on controlling her pattern, little had truly helped until James. He¡¯d idly mentioned how he let his mind drift during class, like a block of ice floating in the sea. It didn¡¯t resist the waves. It simply bobbed upon them. Thoughts didn¡¯t have to be fought. They could simply be weathered and let to pass by.


    Emily had pressed him for more, and James had been more than happy to share details about his favorite hobby. It hadn¡¯t taken Emily long to realize that James¡¯ techniques were far more than just advanced slacking.


    He was teaching her meditation ¡ª and it worked perfectly. Better than any other technique she¡¯d ever tried. James had continued to prove he was far more insightful and capable than he¡¯d let on. But, in turn for his teaching and company, Emily hadn¡¯t pressed him on it at all.


    She¡¯d gotten pretty damn good at his meditation techniques. Not as good as James, but more than enough for her current purposes.


    And now, as she sat in meditation, she knew one thing for certain. The white ocean imprisoning was not that of another place.


    It was her own soul.


    Sensing the similarities was impossible when she had thought with her active mind, but meditation went far deeper than that. It was a true link between the body and soul. There was no doubt in her mind that this, no matter how distant or muted it may have been, was a part of her soul.


    Garina had sent Emily here to learn how to shape her soul, and around Emily stretched a soul. It wasn¡¯t hard to connect the dots.


    All that remained was to do it.


    ***


    Alexandra held a sword.


    It was not a sword that she had ever seen before, but it was one that felt more familiar than any other she had held. The weapon was perfectly plain and yet immaculately balanced, to the point where it should have been impossible.


    She had held swords that felt like a part of her before. But this was different. This blade didn¡¯t just feel like a part of her.


    It was a part of her.


    Touching it was like connecting with a limb that had finally woken up after having fallen asleep for many years. The weapon was as much a part of her body as her legs and arms. In some ways, it was more.


    This must be my Fragment of Self. It takes the form of a sword?


    The corners of Alexandra¡¯s lips pulled up into a smile. She couldn¡¯t have thought of anything more apt than a blade to represent her.


    Her fingers tightened around the hilt of the plain weapon as it pulled her forward. Not to a destination, but to a journey. A sword¡¯s purpose was to cut. It could not cut whilst still, and the ending of the cut could not be reached without its path through the air toward it.


    Alexandra advanced. The white void didn¡¯t matter. She didn¡¯t care where she was. It didn¡¯t matter. Her purpose was to advance. She did not care where or how. So long as she advanced, then she was satisfied.


    The world could ever give way to that determination...


    Or it could be sliced asunder.


    ***


    Vrith had once thought her life to be interesting. Now, she realized the universe may have taken that belief as a request.


    Being a Streetlord had been at the peak of her goals. She¡¯d never wanted anything more than that.


    Now she served a god.


    Sure, he didn¡¯t want to be called a god, but there weren¡¯t many other ways that Vrith could put it. Nobody else could having casual dealings with the Lord of Death himself and then leave to tell the tale of it.


    Her life was like nothing she ever could have guessed at. Spider had given her a chance to reach higher than she ever could have imagined... and yet, for some reason, the thing she wanted to reach for the most was within arm¡¯s reach, lying on the ground not too far away from where her own body lay.


    Vrith¡¯s eyes narrowed. She couldn¡¯t just sit around here. The others had far more training than she did. They had stronger runes or more versatile abilities. Vrith was just... well, Vrith. She had nothing but her instincts.


    But her instincts had always been honed. It was the way she¡¯d survived as long as she had in Treadon. They were sharp enough to, upon occasion, overhwhelm even the suggestions that her runes nudged her toward.


    And today, her instincts sounded like Aylin.


    What do you think the void is? What makes it up? Can it be controlled? Can it be escaped? There is a path. You just have to ask the right question to find it. You¡¯ll find the truth in time.


    Vrith pressed her hands into the intangible ground beneath her feet. There was something there. Something... vaguely familiar. She wasn¡¯t quite sure what it was. But Vrith didn¡¯t need to know. There were times when just instinct, when aided by the right questions, was enough.


    The truth is here, somewhere. I just have to start digging.


    ***


    Garina¡¯s surprise slowly shifted to sheer disbelief. Her shoulders slumped and her back arched forward as her thoughts drifted away from posture entirely. A fluttering twitch had taken her right eyelid by storm, and she didn¡¯t have the state of mind to stop it.


    Noah¡¯s students were shaping their souls. Not all of them were quite as effective as he and Moxie had been, but aside from Yulin, who had clearly only just recently joined their group, they were all doing it.


    Every. Single. One.


    And they¡¯d done it entirely without interference. Purely through instinct, strength, or understanding. This was far beyond just having a few talented individuals. Claiming this to be luck was the cheap way out.


    To have every single one of his students, demon and human alike, able to shape their souls...


    This group is exactly what the Empire was created for ¡ª and half of them aren¡¯t even from it.


    An even grimmer thought struck Garina and her pale face paled a shade further. They¡¯d gotten so far completely without her instruction. If they¡¯d gotten this far completely without her...


    Gods. If I leave them mostly to their own devices, who knows what they¡¯ll be able to discover. This might be one of the most terrifying groups I¡¯ve ever met. Their potential is enormous. They might even be able to become Gods. An entire group...


    A shiver ran down her spine.


    What am I about to release on the world?

 Thursday Chapter Delay

    Hi guys! Sorry for the lack of a chapter today. Going to quickly post my note from Patreon:


    I am more tilted than I have been in a very long time. My Word Document for Runebound has killed itself. 1.5 million words are now dead. The only master doc is completely corrupted, so attempts to recover it did nothing. Thank you, Apple Word.


    My online backups are somehow out of date because OneDrive wasn''t updated (very cool). The good news is I have a fuckton of backups. No content from previous chapters was lost...


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    except for my latest notes and today''s chapter. Both of those are unrecoverable as the only document that had those fully updated was the one that decided to see god early.


    So, uh, I''m tilted beyond belief. Losing a chapter is one of the most infuriating things that can happen as an author, especially when you feel like the chapter was an awesome one.


    I''m going to be taking the day off to do a mental reset, because anything else I write right now is just going to suck.


    Sorry for the delay, and thank you for your understanding.


    Chapters will resume Friday.

 Chapter 685: Just the way we like it

    Chapter 685: Just the way we like it


    Chapter 685: Just the way we like it


    Noah¡¯s eyes snapped open.


    The world felt... different.


    In some ways, the sensation was similar to what had happened when he¡¯d first awakened his domain upon reaching Rank 4. Everything suddenly felt foreign and new to him. But, at the same time, it was practically the complete opposite.


    Instead of the world around Noah suddenly coming to life and making itself known to his senses, it was his own body that he finally felt truly aware of. He could feel the blood pulsing through his veins and was far too aware of the way his organs sat in his stomach. He could feel the cloth of his clothes grating against his skin. He could even taste his own tongue.


    It was not a pleasant experience in the slightest.


    Noah¡¯s features twisted in distaste as a shudder wracked his body. ¡°What the hell is this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll pass,¡± Garina said, suddenly appearing to loom over him like the shadow of death itself. Her dark gaze bore into his skull like a razor-sharp blade.


    Noah raised a hand into the air and flexed his fingers. The amount of information pouring into his mind was too much. Nobody needed to know this much about their own body. There were some things that happened autonomously for a reason.


    It was like the dark side of the coin that had been the Fragment of Self. While the Fragment had given him the control, it really hadn¡¯t shoved so much information into his head. It just... worked.


    But now he was seeing the backend. All the nitty gritty detail that went into the ¡ª frankly disgusting ¡ª body that he inhabited. Never before had Noah been so acutely aware of just how long it had been since he had last taken a shower... especially since they¡¯d just been training.


    ¡°I¡¯m gross,¡± Noah said with a shudder. ¡°Is this what you can smell? All the time? I hate it.¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, my nose is not situated nearly close enough to your body for me to pick up on as much as you fear,¡± Garina said, but the cutting sarcasm in her voice didn¡¯t sting as much as it tended to. It seemed that she was distracted by something. ¡°Once a few seconds pass, the sensations should become more palatable.¡±


    Garina was right. The strange sensations invading Noah¡¯s brain like a foreign army slowly faded until he was only dimly aware of them. He wouldn¡¯t have gone so far as to say things were comfortable again, but at least he wasn¡¯t under active attack.


    ¡°I want a shower,¡± Moxie declared.


    Noah glanced over in her direction, and only then did it strike him that he wasn¡¯t the first of the group to awake. He wasn¡¯t even close to it. Moxie sat beside Lee, both of their noses scrunched and features twisted in the exact same grimace.


    ¡°I taste myself,¡± Lee said. ¡°I don¡¯t like it. I don¡¯t want to eat Lee. I want to eat food. I¡¯m not food.¡±


    ¡°Consider finding a fish somewhere,¡± Garina muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose. She looked like she was about to say something else, but the words never made it from her lips. She just shook her head. ¡°Ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°Ridiculous? Why?¡± Noah rose to his feet. His body seemed... fluid. The Fragment of Self had long since upgraded his physical abilities to the point where he could match the speed of some demons, but now it felt like the rough edges had all been smoothed out.


    None of his sudden movements were surprising or so violent that they threatened to throw him off balance. The ridiculous amount of information pouring into his brain about every single part of his body was somehow all getting processed and utilized.


    This... actually feels incredible. Once I get cleaned off and make sure to never get so much as a speck of dirt upon myself again, I might have to write Garina a written thank-you card. Maybe I¡¯ll just add her to my fruit basket list.


    ¡°Blegh. What in the Damned Plains happened? Did someone let an animal do its business in my mouth?¡± Isabel asked as her eyes fluttered open.


    ¡°It passes,¡± Noah said. ¡°Mostly.¡±


    ¡°Did we do it?¡± Todd asked from beside Isabel. The students around them squirmed and shifted. One by one, they were each coming to ¡ª and the vast majority of them weren¡¯t all that happy about it.


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    The sentiment seemed to be even more prominent amongst the demons. Sticky scraped at her tongue like something had gotten stuck to it, only worsening her predicament in the process as she got ash from her fingers all over herself. Vrith and Violet were both doing their absolute best to contain their displeasure, and even Aylin seemed like he was one slight push from losing his control and gagging.


    ¡°Ridiculous,¡± Garina muttered again.


    ¡°In a good way?¡± Todd asked. ¡°Like, we¡¯re cool ridiculous? Or is it a ¡®I can¡¯t believe these idiots managed to mess this up¡¯ ridiculous?¡±


    Noah was pretty sure it was the former. Garina looked pretty damn unsettled. Powerful mages didn¡¯t get unsettled by people weaker than them screwing up. As a matter of fact, they tended to expect


    everyone else to mess up.


    He sent for his domain and cast it out like a net. His senses washed out over the clearing. It only took him an instant to realize that something had indeed changed. Quite a few somethings.


    He¡¯d once been able to completely sense every single one of the people around him. But now, the vast majority of them were nothing more than muddled patches. And, beyond that, Lee, Moxie, and James didn¡¯t even exist to Noah¡¯s senses.


    ¡°Give me some time,¡± Garina said, striding over to crouch beside Yulin. The pale-skinned Apostle pressed a single finger against the girl¡¯s forehead and concentrated for a moment. Then she rose back to her feet and shook her head. ¡°Ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Todd said, evidently deciding that Garina was, in fact, complementing him.


    Lee sniffed the air. ¡°It¡¯s not as bad now. But I don¡¯t want to eat you anymore, Moxie.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably good,¡± Moxie said. Then she frowned. ¡°Wait. You wanted to eat me?¡±


    ¡°Tasty.¡±


    ¡°I swear I woke up a few times at night to something nibbling on my fingers,¡± Moxie muttered. She thrust an accusatory finger in Lee¡¯s direction. ¡°You said it wasn¡¯t you!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re safe now. I don¡¯t want to eat gross things. Noah, you¡¯re going to need to take a lot more showers if you want me to eat your corpses. About fifty more a day. Also, can you carry some seasonings around? Garlic, hot sauce, maybe some pickles? Actually, what about a whole cauldron? Carry broth too. I could make¡ª¡±


    ¡°Would you stop?¡± Garina snapped, spinning to Lee. ¡°Do you even have the slightest idea of what you¡¯ve done?¡±


    Lee stared at her. Then she cocked her head to the side. ¡°No? I got hungry in my soul and tried to eat my way out of it. It worked. Now everything tastes... tastier. Not tasty. Just more taste. You know what I mean.¡±


    ¡°Forget the taste for a moment!¡± Garina exclaimed. She threw her hands up into the air. ¡°You shaped your souls! All of you! Every single one other than this girl here, and that¡¯s evidently because she hasn¡¯t been with your group for long enough! Do you have any idea how few people can manage soul shaping before someone makes them aware of their souls?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take it from your response that it isn¡¯t many,¡± Noah said, scratching at the side of his neck. ¡°Did we do something wrong?¡±


    ¡°At this point, I¡¯ve got half a mind to turn you into the Prophet myself,¡± Garina grumbled. ¡°You¡¯re freaks. All of you. This is not normal. What did you teach them, Noah? I could accept a few students being genius prodigies. I can accept you shaping your soul easier than most. But this... did you lie? Did all of you already know how to shape your souls?¡±


    ¡°Why would we lie?¡± Sticky asked. She rubbed at her nose.


    ¡°It was my first time,¡± Aylin said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not actually sure what I did,¡± Violet said with a frown. ¡°But it is the first time I have done it.¡±


    The others all nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Garina said. Her gaze returned to Noah. ¡°How are you feeling? Brain working again? Feeling the effects of your soul changing forms?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m certainly feeling something,¡± Noah said. ¡°What exactly does this do?¡±


    ¡°Right now? The only real benefit is pulling your soul into yourself and containing it so it can¡¯t be easily detected by another mage¡¯s domain,¡± Garina said. ¡°In the future, controlling the shape of your soul lends itself to... other abilities. No point skipping ahead, though. I¡¯d say I¡¯ve done my part in the lesson. You¡¯ve all been out for some time.¡±


    Noah could have said that himself. A crick in his back told him his body wasn¡¯t too pleased with the heap it had been lying in. He briefly considered killing himself to get rid of it ¡ª after all, his magic still wasn¡¯t back ¡ª but eventually decided against it.


    A thoughtful look crossed over Isabel¡¯s features as she examined her hands. ¡°I think I can see how this could come in handy. A strong mage would never even see us coming if we snuck up on them. We could kill them before they even realized what was happening.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what your mind jumps to?¡± Garina arched an eyebrow, then squinted at Noah. ¡°Are you trying to build an army?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Noah said.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Yoru said at the exact same time.


    The two of them glanced at each other.


    ¡°Right,¡± Garina said. Then she pointed at Noah. ¡°I¡¯m leaving. I need to find Revin and see how much damage he¡¯s caused since I¡¯ve been gone. We will meet again soon. Expect me. And I would suggest you allow your souls to return to their natural shape with some haste.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Moxie asked. ¡°Is changing them for long periods of time dangerous?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Garina replied. ¡°But it might put a few questions into the minds of the small horde of Inquisitors headed this way. Questions that I don¡¯t suspect you want to answer.¡±


    Then Garina was gone, a streak of black disappearing into the sky with such speed that she was gone by the time anyone had registered she¡¯d moved. They had slightly bigger problems to deal with at the moment.


    There are Inquisitors headed here? Now? While I have no magic?


    Noah glanced around. He was surrounded by as many demons as humans.


    Of course they find me now, of all times.


    This might get messy.

 Chapter 686: That was weird

    Garina turned around no more than a few moments after she¡¯d vanished into the clouds. It would take the Inquisitors at least a minute to make it to Noah¡¯s group, which was practically an eternity when someone could move as quickly as she could. There was absolutely no reason to rush.


    After all, they weren¡¯t going to find Noah a second before she let them.


    She hadn¡¯t been entirely honest with Noah with regard to the Inquisitors. Even though Garina had only just mentioned their presence, they had arrived in the Scorched Acres nearly an hour ago. She was willing to bet they were all staring at their bone necklaces and scratching their heads in befuddlement that they hadn¡¯t found their targets yet.


    It would have been really bothersome if they¡¯d shown up midway through her lesson. Garina had absolutely no desire to deal with a bunch of whiny brat mages trying to figure out what she was while interfering with her work, so she¡¯d sent them on a short wild goose chase.


    That chase could have lasted another six hours if she¡¯d had a mind for it ¡ª but Noah¡¯s students had pretty much all somehow all managed to accomplish their tasks without any extensive interference from her.


    Now that they had, there really wasn¡¯t much reason for her to keep her nose in Noah¡¯s buisness. He was more than capable of handling his own problems. Playing around with the Inquisitors was beneath her.


    Unfortunately, there had been two small problems. The first was that she¡¯d promised to look after his class until his magic had returned. That really shouldn¡¯t have been that big of a deal. She hadn¡¯t imagined they¡¯d somehow manage to get into trouble within literal hours of returning. Then again, they were Noah¡¯s students, so the fault really laid on her own shoulders for being so naive.


    The other problem was the new student. Even though Garina had taken the steps to rock her soul around and get things moving, she still hadn¡¯t managed to figure out how to shape her soul. That meant she was vulnerable.


    And that means she¡¯s still technically my responsibility. I¡¯m not going to just drop the girl on her head because dealing with her a bit longer is a mild inconvenience. It is tempting, but I gave Noah my word.


    That said, there wasn¡¯t any reason not to use this as another opportunity to observe Noah¡¯s group. Garina had initially thought that Noah and Lee were the only ones worth paying any attention to.


    She had been very, very wrong. Every single student and teacher was fascinating in their own way. The potential they collectively held was so massive that it boggled her mind. She simply had to know more about them...


    And this seemed like the perfect opportunity to observe them. There were few things that brought out the true character of a person more than imminent danger.


    And so Garina floated high in the clouds, well out of view of any prying eyes, and looked down upon the Scorched Acres. She crossed her legs beneath her and braced her arms against her knees as a wry smile pulled across her lips.


    Let¡¯s see what they¡¯re made of.


    ***


    ¡°Turn your souls back to normal,¡± Moxie ordered. ¡°Everyone relax. Nobody make any sudden movements. Just sit down and look bored. Do not pay the Inquisitors any mind. Pretend like they¡¯re just some random people interrupting our class.¡±


    Noah nodded. His mind was already spinning into battle mode. Not all of the demons here had been completely repaired. Vrith and Violet still needed to have their runes patched. If the Inquisitors started using their anti-demon magic, the two of them would be affected by it.


    Torick and Edda were both un-repaired as well, but they were back with Tim at the transport tower and safe for the time being. The same couldn¡¯t be said for one of the demons in the group beside him.


    ¡°We need to get Vrith out,¡± Noah said. ¡°I haven¡¯t had a chance to repair her with Sticky¡¯s Runes yet.¡±


    ¡°I can do it,¡± James said, rising to his feet and brushing his clothes off. ¡°The Inquisitors won¡¯t notice us. Especially if we shape our souls and pull them inside of ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Do it,¡± Noah said, suppressing his surprise. The only thing more surprising than the inquisition was James offering to do work on his own volition. His thoughts were mirrored by the stunned look in Emily¡¯s features ¡ª a look that was quickly replaced with an approving grin.


    James grabbed Vrith by the wrist and the two of them vanished from sight. The only remaining sign of their passing was the crunch of sticks beneath their feet as they ran.


    Everyone else also rushed to follow Moxie and Noah¡¯s orders. Everyone other than Yulin, who still laid on the ground, her eyes closed in either sleep or unconsciousness.


    Noah¡¯s lips thinned as the students all flopped down in a lazy circle around him. This was less than ideal. He could handle the Inquisitors just fine when he actually had magic to call on. But, with an entire group of students, half of whom were demons, and no power to call on...


    I suppose I could try to keep them talking for twelve hours. Not entirely impossible if I get the right roll on which Inquisitors show up. I really hope it isn¡¯t another meathead. But, statistically, it probably will be.


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    The most important thing he could do right now was avoid getting into an actual fight with the Inquisitors. Even if they won, it would tear apart too many of the plans he¡¯d set into motion. Noah needed the Inquisitors focused on the noble houses and on Father.


    Tagging him and Janice as traitors, whether it was actually true or not, had worked incredibly well for his purposes. He couldn¡¯t afford to redirect the Inquisitor¡¯s attention to himself... especially when Father was strong enough that he could scare even Jalen.


    A rustle from the trees warned him that he had no more time to plan. Garina really couldn¡¯t have taken off at a more inconvenient moment. Noah crossed his arms behind his back and let a bored expression wash over his features as if he was midway through a particularly uninteresting lecture.


    ¡°...which is why you should always make sure to know exactly how far your runes can be pushed. Knowing yourself is the first step to knowing your enemy.¡±


    Noah was pretty sure he couldn¡¯t have said something more generic if he¡¯d tried, but he wasn¡¯t exactly trying to convince the Inquisitors that he was a riveting teacher. The last thing he needed was even more people deciding they wanted to sit in on his classes.


    That thought nearly made him bust out laughing. The universe itself would probably crack and shatter if a bunch of inquisitors suddenly decided that they were going to sit down and sit in on a lesson together with demons.


    ¡°Vermil,¡± Moxie said.


    He glanced at her, then over to the forest as if noticing the disturbance for the first time. It might not have been the most convincing performance, but the Inquisitors hadn¡¯t even emerged from the trees yet.


    When you didn¡¯t have context as to what was happening, then the mind would fill in pretty much everything to make it logically fit ¡ª and given the fact that all the demons were just sitting around Noah, nobody would ever assume he was trying to hide anything.


    After all, who would assume that the thing I¡¯m hiding is what I¡¯m teaching rather than who I¡¯m teaching?


    ¡°I see we have company,¡± Noah said.


    The trees rustled once more. Three inquisitors emerged from within them. Each of them wore long black robes with hoods that hung low to block out their features. Bone rosaries hung from their hands, readied but not yet lifted offensively.


    And, from behind them, emerged Fuyin.


    The white and silver armor she wore glistened in the light, standing out like a frozen lake against her snow-white hair. The woman¡¯s flat eyes bore into Noah like they bore the very essence of winter within them.


    ¡°Vermil,¡± Fuyin said.


    ¡°Ah. Fuyin.¡± Noah inclined his head just enough to acknowledge her but not nearly to the point where it could have been misconstrued for respect. ¡°What a coincidence. I didn¡¯t think we would be running into you here.¡±


    ¡°A startling coincidence,¡± Fuyin agreed. She crossed her arms in front of her chest. ¡°Have you been here long?¡±


    ¡°A coincidence indeed. We¡¯ve been here quite a while,¡± Noah replied. ¡°An hour at least. Probably much longer. And I must say, we¡¯re currently rather busy. If you had something to say to me, I would suggest you do it back in Arbitage. I do not appreciate it when my class is interrupted.¡±


    Fuyin¡¯s gaze drifted past Noah to land on the demons around him. Her expression didn¡¯t so much as twitch, but the inquisitors around her looked considerably less comfortable. Their grips tightened around their rosaries.


    ¡°I see,¡± she said. ¡°But certain sacrifices must be made in the pursuit of truth and protection of the Empire. We all have our own price to pay ¡ª and you, Vermil, are at the center of a very serious plot. I need to speak with Spider.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s busy,¡± Noah said. ¡°But I¡¯ll arrange a meeting for you back at¡ª¡±


    ¡°Now, Vermil.¡± Fuyin¡¯s eyes narrowed. Particles of frost crawled across her armor. ¡°He has information I need. The information he passed on has proven to be more accurate than I would have liked. There are traitors throughout the Empire. Father has gone missing, as has the head of the Linwick Family. Time may be of the essence. Let us drop the games. I did not seek you out to have idle chat. Bring me Spider.¡±


    ¡°Mistress Fuyin?¡± one of the Inquisitors turned to her, his head tilting slightly as confusion entered his voice. ¡°That isn¡¯t the mission we were assigned.¡±


    Well that¡¯s interesting. It looks like Fuyin isn¡¯t exactly playing by the rules of the rest of her order. I should definitely figure out what it is she needs Spider for. Could be useful to know.


    ¡°And what exactly is the mission you were assigned?¡± Noah asked casually, desperately wishing he could call on his Runes. He didn¡¯t like the way the Inquisitors were holding their rosaries. Their knuckles were too tight, their postures too stiff.


    He exchanged a glance with Moxie. Even though her features didn¡¯t so much as twitch, Noah knew she was on the same page. If the Inquisitors attacked, they would be met with a nasty surprise. Probably a few of them. Between Lee, Yoru, and Moxie, there were few random mages in the empire that had much of a chance against their group.


    ¡°Mistress Fuyin,¡± the Inquisitor said again. He tried to hush his voice, but the forest carried sound far better than the man probably would have hoped. ¡°Our orders came from above. We need to act. Now. If you don¡¯t, I will be forced to report it when we return.¡±


    ¡°Sit,¡± Fuyin snapped. ¡°You take your orders from me when on a mission. Feel free to take it up with whoever you would like when the mission is completed. Until then, I am your god.¡±


    The Inquisitor¡¯s hand tightened around his rosary. Then he turned back to Noah¡¯s group. He started to raise his hand, and his other two compatriots both readied their magic as well. They were about to attack.


    Damn it. What a fucking waste. Now we¡¯ll have to kill all of them to make sure word of this doesn¡¯t get out.


    Noah opened his mouth to order Lee to attack. She was the fastest. The Inquisitors would never see her coming.


    But, before he could, a faint crackle cut through the forest.


    Noah¡¯s skin prickled as a wave of cold washed over it. His eyes widened as his next breath of air came out in a white puff. The temperature had dropped to near freezing levels instantly.


    Shit! Fuyin is attacking us herself? Was that all some kind of act to get us off guard?


    Noah lurched toward her ¡ª and then he froze in place, lips parted in a mixture of shock and disbelief.


    The top half of the cloaked Inquisitor pitched forward, then crashed to the ground, leaving his legs behind. A thin layer of frost covered both halves of the man¡¯s midsection and was rapidly spreading to cover his entire body. The rosary spilled from his whitening, frost-covered fingers.


    And he wasn¡¯t alone. Two more thuds marked the other Inquisitors falling to the ground. All three of them had been killed in a split instant, and the spreading ice covering their bodies made it pretty clear who had done the deed.


    The fuck?


    Fuyin had just killed her own men.

 Chapter 687: The Instruments

    Chapter 687: The Instruments


    Noah stared in surprise for a moment longer than he would have liked. It was said that one could never properly expect the Inquisition. That was, generally, the point. Nothing was going to be very inquisitive if you knew it was coming.


    But at no point had he thought that Fuyin would actually straight up kill her own men before they¡¯d even tried anything. That was beyond cold. Then again, cold seemed to be her specialty.


    ¡°Huh,¡± Noah said as he finally found his voice. ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem like it was in the plan.¡±


    ¡°Do not make light of their death,¡± Fuyin said. Her cold gaze met Noah¡¯s. ¡°They forced my hand. I take no pleasure in killing my men.¡±


    Do you take pleasure in anything?


    ¡°Well, if it¡¯s any comfort, they were dead the moment they went for their magic,¡± Noah said as he fully recovered his verbal footing. Power could not be met with weakness, and he wasn¡¯t about to give Fuyin any leverage against him ¡ª especially when he couldn¡¯t use his magic right now. ¡°You just brought their deaths to them faster and more painlessly than I would have.¡±


    ¡°Their blood taints the feet of the fools that brainwashed them. There is corruption within the Inquisition, and I believe it stems from the highest order. That is why I am here.¡± The frost rolling out from Fuyin pulled in to coil at her shoulders like a cape. She advanced toward Noah, her eyes unblinking. Despite all the demons surrounding him, there wasn¡¯t so much as a flicker of fear in her features. ¡°Spider knows something. He implied that he had no quarrel with the Inquisition and only wanted to preserve his... new order of demons. An order he claims to not be a threat to humans. I want him to put his money where his mouth is. Now.¡±


    ¡°And how do you want that, exactly?¡± Noah asked, keeping his own features even. He might have said Fuyin had a better poker face than he did... but he was pretty sure that this was just how she normally acted. ¡°Spider isn¡¯t someone to be commanded. I¡¯m sure he would be willing to hear you out, but do you really think he¡¯s just sitting around and waiting for you to show up?¡±


    Fuyin hesitated. ¡°I thought you had access to him. Is he not here?¡±


    ¡°There is a powerful artifact loose in the kingdom in the hands of powerful traitors,¡± Noah said flatly. He crossed his arms in front of his chest. ¡°Do you really think Spider would just be sitting around when something like that is out there? He¡¯s trying to do something about it.¡±


    Actually, that¡¯s what Garina and Revin are supposedly doing... but they aren¡¯t exactly here to stop me from taking credit for their work. Sorry, guys. Revin owes me a few favors for all the bullshit he¡¯s pulled. And Garina... well, she killed me. A bunch. Turnabout is fair play.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Fuyin said. The wind looked to have been taken right out of her sales. The woman didn¡¯t speak for a second. That second stretched into two, and two into five. She just... stared. It didn¡¯t seem like she had the slightest discomfort with the silence, but Noah didn¡¯t think he could ever recall a more awkward moment in his life.


    Now I know what people meant when they said you can use silence to get answers. I want to say something just to say something. Why the hell is she just staring at me? Did she really not think there was even the slightest chance that Spider wouldn¡¯t literally be sitting around waiting for her to show up?


    ¡°Oh,¡± Fuyin said again.


    Noah¡¯s eye twitched.


    How is this so surprising?


    ¡°I could arrange a meeting?¡± Noah offered, resisting the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose.


    ¡°Yes, that would be good,¡± Fuyin said absently. She glanced back at the dead Inquisitors. ¡°This feels considerably worse if I¡¯m going to just go back empty-handed. I was planning on meeting Spider today. Can you not take me to him?¡±


    ¡°Do you really think I know where a powerful demon is at all times?¡± Noah asked. He gestured to the class around him. ¡°I¡¯ve got enough of them to keep track of here. Spider shows up when he wants to.¡±


    None of that is even technically a lie. Aylin better be proud.


    Fuyin examined Noah for a moment longer. ¡°Three days. Arrange for a meeting before then. I do not believe that you have no good way to contact him, Vermil.¡±


    ¡°I can do that,¡± Noah said. Anything longer than ¡®within the next few hours¡¯ was perfect for him. He just had to make sure Vermil and Spider weren¡¯t expected to show up anywhere at the same time. Karina¡¯s acting skills weren¡¯t exactly up to the point where she could face off against an Inquisitor... and three days would buy him enough time to repair Violet and Vrith¡¯s runes to make sure they didn¡¯t have any glaring weaknesses against the Inquisitors in future confrontations.


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    ¡°Good. I will come to your housing in Arbitage in 3 days,¡± Fuyin said. ¡°Tell Spider to be ready for a fight. I do not enjoy the idea of spilling this information to a demon... but the Inquisition no longer stands for what it once did. I believe we have been infiltrated by an external force. Whatever manner of demon Spider believes himself to be, the Inquisition exists to fight his kind. Its upper echelons possess weapons the likes of which he has never seen. Taking them lightly will end very poorly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± Noah said. Fuyin¡¯s tone made it clear she was serious. Unfortunately, her tone was identical to how it always seemed to sound. She probably wouldn¡¯t know a joke if it hit her in the chin. ¡°Three days. Spider will be there.¡±


    That gives me some time to dig for a little information as well. Tillian should still be with Tim, and he¡¯s an Inquisitor as well. Maybe he¡¯ll be able to tell me a bit about their upper echelons and what those weapons might be.


    ¡°Until then,¡± Fuyin said. She went to turn, then paused as she made eye contact with one of the frozen corpses she¡¯d just made. ¡°The Inquisition will come for these. Blood tracking¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with it,¡± Lee said. She made her way over to the corpses and started shoveling them into her mouth. Fuyin watched, expression entirely indiscernible.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them,¡± Noah said. ¡°Lee¡¯s an expert on garbage disposal. She¡¯s got it covered ¡ª and my class is still running. Not that I have issue with people murdering each other during my teaching time. It happens far more often than I¡¯d like, but such is life. I¡¯d just like to get on schedule. You may not have noticed, but my students have a fair number of enemies.¡±


    Fuyin tore her gaze away from Lee and gave Noah a single nod. ¡°Yes. There are rumors. Isabel has a Master Rune. One that a great many noble houses want. We have received a number of requests to purge her on suspicion of association with demons.¡±


    Wait, what?


    Noah¡¯s eyes widened. The nobles had already confirmed that Isabel was in possession of the Soul Master Rune. He¡¯d known it was inevitable after he¡¯d killed Verrud and Jakob, but this was far faster than he¡¯d been hoping for. And if the nobles were going to the Inquisition to try and have them do their dirty work...


    ¡°The request came from multiple noble families?¡± Noah asked, keeping his expression controlled to avoid overplaying his hand.


    ¡°Not together,¡± Fuyin said. ¡°And it did not make it far. We have already determined that Isabel does not possess any demonic influence. The Inquisition is not an instrument of the noble houses. Their requests will not be obeyed.¡±


    So they aren¡¯t working together. Individual requests from different nobles. Good. This isn¡¯t not the worst-case scenario, then. All of them are too scared to make a move directly now that the so called Spider is backing Isabel¡¯s teacher... so they¡¯re trying to get the Inquisition to handle their problems for them so they can sweep up the reward at the end.


    The less-good part of this is that the nobles are getting bolder. It won¡¯t be long at all before they start trying to make moves themselves again. We¡¯ll have to be ready by then.


    ¡°Thank you for the information,¡± Noah said simply. ¡°And it¡¯s good to see that the Inquisition isn¡¯t completely corrupt.¡±


    ¡°Yet,¡± Fuyin said grimly. She turned on her heel and strode toward the forest. ¡°Three days.¡±


    Then she vanished through the trees.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t ominous at all,¡± Moxie said.


    Lee wandered back over, having eaten all the Inquisitors, and leaned in close to Noah to whisper into his ear. ¡°She¡¯s still there.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Noah asked in the same hushed tone. ¡°Spying on us?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think so. She¡¯s about ten feet away in the trees. I smell her,¡± Lee whispered back. ¡°She¡¯s just... sitting there.¡±


    Noah exchanged a glance with Lee and Moxie.


    ¡°Should we say something?¡± Moxie asked.


    ¡°We can¡¯t just start the class again while she¡¯s so close,¡± Noah muttered back. ¡°I can¡¯t risk revealing more than we want to.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Moxie allowed. ¡°I guess we don¡¯t have much choice. Might as well figure out what she¡¯s doing. Fuyin doesn¡¯t really feel like the kind to engage in subterfurge. Doesn¡¯t seem to be her style.¡±


    That¡¯s probably because she probably couldn¡¯t lie to save her life. She¡¯s the most straightforward Inquisitor I¡¯ve ever met... though that really isn¡¯t saying much.


    ¡°Uh...¡± Noah called, raising his voice. ¡°Are you just going to sit there?¡±


    There was a moment of silence. Then the leaves rustled. Fuyin re-emerged from the trees.


    ¡°I forgot that my contact with the Inquisition was not going to attempt to summon me back for another three hours,¡± Fuyin said. There was a frozen leaf stuck in her hair from where it had likely been pressed up against a tree. She didn¡¯t seem to notice it.


    ¡°Right,¡± Noah said slowly. ¡°Were you just going to sit there the whole time?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Fuyin said.


    That¡¯s kind of sad. It feels even sadder if I tell her to go sit farther away. What is this, a schoolyard playground?


    ¡°Do... you just want to sit over here?¡± Noah asked wearily as he nodded to the circle around him.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Fuyin said, moving to sit down without so much as a hint of embarrassment. She was certainly the type of person that took literally everything at face value. As odd as it was, Noah couldn¡¯t deny that it was actually rather refreshing.


    Well, it looks like nothing else important is going to be happening during the class today. I¡¯m not about to go giving her any of our secrets.


    That was probably for the best. They all had a whole lot of new information to think through. Noah didn¡¯t know the full extent of the powers soul shaping would unlock, but Garina wouldn¡¯t have taught it to them for no reason... and he¡¯d already gotten a taste of just how effective her tutelage could be.


    I¡¯d say we¡¯ve had more than enough excitement for the day. I just need to wait out the clock until my magic comes back.


    And after that, I¡¯ve got three days to improve my strength as much as possible. The Inquisitors are bound to have gathered some good information about demons in the time they¡¯ve been hunting them. Know thy enemy type things. That kind of information is incredibly valuable, especially since I¡¯ve technically got a demon rune myself in Sunder. That¡¯s my real goal when I follow Fuyin over to the Inquisitors as Spider. And when I find that information...


    I¡¯m going to be taking it.

 Chapter 688: The audacity

    The rest of the class passed by. And, by some miracle, nothing of any true note happened. Fuyin might have been a relatively chilled out Inquisitor ¡ª so long as one didn¡¯t happen to be in her way ¡ª but Noah had still hadn¡¯t expected her to get on very well with a bunch of demons.


    In an ideal world, he never would have had to find out. The absolute last thing he wanted was an Inquisitor sitting around anywhere near his students. Unfortunately, the idea of telling the poor woman to go sit in the trees like a child in time-out felt so rude that even Noah couldn¡¯t quite bring himself to do it.


    He¡¯d spent the rest of class on eggshells. He watched her warily as he absentmindedly spouted off some bullshit to show he was still ¡°teaching¡±. Noah wasn¡¯t even entirely sure what he was speaking about. His thoughts were elsewhere. Fortunately, his mouth seemed to have a mind of its own. It kept filling in words for him. Sure, they were almost all certainly a load of crap, but he was pretty sure they seemed insightful at surface level.


    It seemed to be enough for Fuyin ¡ª or, at least for her not to question what the hell it was he was talking about. She just sat there quietly until the class had ended and the transport cannon started calling them back to transport cannon, where Tim was waiting with Torrick and Edda.


    Then, just like that, one of the oddest classes that Noah had ever taught was done.


    And their work for the day had somehow only just begun. The moment everyone had returned, the formerly quiet class burst into motion. Dozens of questions about soul shaping bombarded James almost instantly.


    Human and demon alike crowded around him, each jostling to try and wring answers from him. It didn¡¯t take long for Torrick and Edda to join in. The two of them definitely had no clue what the line of questioning was even about. They just wanted to be included.


    Noah took the opportunity to slip away. Moxie and Lee followed after him as they all headed back toward the T building. Everyone was safe, and they all had something to focus their attention on learning for the time being. The three of them weren¡¯t needed at the moment.


    The brief silence during the walk home bought Noah time to organize some of his scattered thoughts. The noble families were moving faster than he had hoped. It wouldn¡¯t be long before they got more blatant about trying to kill Isabel. She was pretty safe in the company of the other students, but he couldn¡¯t rely on that forever.


    Fixing up all of the demons¡¯ runes takes top priority right now. I need all of them in fighting shape for the worst case scenario. In the meantime, any information I can get about demonkind in general from the Inquisition will probably be instrumental. They¡¯ve had so much time to study them. Anything I can get from them should let me glean bunch of information about how runes work, not just for demons, but for humans as well.


    But he had three days before Fuyin came knocking. And three days was quite a bit of time. It didn¡¯t seem


    like much, but he¡¯d had a number of massive advancements recently. Between the physical training Garina had given him, soul shaping, and the new powers he¡¯d squeezed out of Unstable Pandemonium by using it in conjunction with his pattern...


    I¡¯ve got a lot to review. Three days is more than enough to make some big steps forward in solidifying my grasp on these new weapons.


    ***


    Time passed. Noah, Lee, and Moxie all spent pretty much every waking moment they had practicing. Each of them had their own projects to work on, and they were all determined to advance as much as possible.


    It was only a matter of time before someone made a move. None of them had any clue who that someone would be. But, between the Inquisitors, Orlen and his potential cult of demons, Father, and the noble families, there was really no shortage of idiots that could toss the match into the dry hay surrounding them all.


    When the following day dawned and control of his magic returned to him, Noah wasted no time in heading over to the Transport Cannon. He pulled Violet aside from the others, readied one of Sticky¡¯s copied Fragments of Self in his Grimoire and, without wasting another moment, they took a trip into her soul.


    It took less time to fix Violet¡¯s runes than it had to get her up to Rank 3 back when they were in the Damned Plains. She¡¯d clearly come to understand herself now far better than she once had. After only around ten minutes of work, they were finished.


    Violet was freed from Decras¡¯ influence.


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    Noah hadn¡¯t wasted a second. He¡¯d wished them luck, told Vrith he¡¯d be back the following day to repair her runes, and set right back off to get back to work. His plans for the rest of the morning were already set.


    Unstable Pandemonium was calling him. Noah set up in Moxie¡¯s room ¡ª which had been conveniently vacated, as both Moxie and Lee were out practicing themselves ¡ª and got to work testing out his pattern once more.


    His ultimate goals were twofold. The first and most important was getting a good grasp of just what Unstable Pandemonium truly was so he could repair the Rank 5 Rune. It was still far from flawless. But, if all went his way, that fact would be remedied by the time he met Fuyin in two days.


    His second goal was to prepare himself for the next Rank 5 Rune. Noah was well past the time where he could just ruminate on a single rank 5. There were too many threats. Too many opponents well above his weight class, and that was just within the Empire.


    And so Noah trained. His bow danced across the strings of his violin as he drew on Unstable Pandemonium, and his senses delved deep into himself and his soul as he observed how it responded to his call.


    It was odd. Without Garina actively trying to murder him, understanding his abilities was simultaneously easier in some ways and harder in others. The pressure made it easier to observe the rune, but it was hard to replicate the frantic need to improve that came with someone actively gunning for your throat.


    Fortunately, Noah had made so many new advancements that he was still at the stage where any practice would still glean progress. He found his control of Unstable Pandemonium improving by leaps and bounds as his understanding of the rune continued to increase.


    Noah could feel the rough spots on the rune more and more clearly. Chaos was such a fascinating power. It was, in theory, the lack of a pattern. But even that had a certain pattern to it. It wasn¡¯t a pattern that his mind was used to comprehending, but he could still tell it was there ¡ª and if he could figure it out, he was confident that he could remake Unstable Pandemonium in its true form.


    Time continued to slip by. Hours passed and the evening was upon Noah before he even knew it. He¡¯d been playing the violin for the past hour without pausing once. Unstable Pandemonium¡¯s power didn¡¯t even infuse its strings anymore, having long since run dry, but he could still feel the echoes of the rune¡¯s power in his mind. And as long as he had a good idea of how it would react, he could continue to practice.


    Noah¡¯s song came to an end and he prepared to jump right into another one. Then he paused. The corner of his mouth twitched. Something felt off. He let his eyes drift open, blinking at the sudden light.


    He wasn¡¯t alone.


    Standing across from him was Garina. The Apostle¡¯s head was tilted to the side and her lips pulled up into a smile. Her pale skin stood out against the rising moonlight spilling through the window and her dark hair spilled around her face like the cloak of a wraith.


    Noah nearly jumped out of his own skin.


    ¡°Shit! When did you get here?¡±


    Garina¡¯s hands came together in a quiet clap, palms never quite touching. ¡°I¡¯ve been here for a while, Noah. I even tried saying something a few times, but you were so absorbed in that song that you completely missed me.¡±


    You have to be kidding me.


    ¡°Seriosly?¡±


    Garina smirked. ¡°It was a good song. Rather haunting, but beautiful. Much better than the one you were playing when we fought yesterday. You learn fast.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice. Too much is at stake.¡±


    ¡°Good. Stakes are the best motivator. Now, shall we?¡±


    Noah blinked. ¡°What do you mean? Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°To train you, of course,¡± Garina said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. ¡°Have you forgotten the situation we¡¯re in? An Apostle could decide to show up and properly test you at any point ¡ª and you¡¯re nowhere near strong enough for that yet. So I¡¯m going to be streamlining your practice. I believe you¡¯ve got a few more days until you go paying the Inquisition a visit, do you not? That¡¯s plenty of time.¡±


    Noah stared at her. He didn¡¯t know how Garina had managed to figure out what they were planning. She was definitely hoping he would ask. Her eyes glistened in amusement as she observed Noah.


    The bait was more obvious than cheese in a mouse trap. And so, Noah ignored it entirely. He wasn¡¯t about to turn down Garina¡¯s help. She was probably the only person in the entirety of the Arbalest Empire that he couldn¡¯t afford to say no to.


    Even ignoring the Apostles, she¡¯s a terrifying warrior. If I learn even a fragment of of what she can teach me, then even the strongest Rank 6s in the Empire aren¡¯t going to be able to do shit against me. That might be a tall order... but I can¡¯t turn down the chance to get stronger.


    ¡°True enough,¡± Noah said. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize your schedule was so free. Thought you¡¯d be stuck with Revin or something.¡±


    ¡°Trust me,¡± Garina said, her smile falling away and turning into a grimace within a split second. ¡°I don¡¯t want to spend more time than absolutely necessary with Revin. This is a much-needed change of pace.¡±


    ¡°Teaching me is that fun for you?¡± Noah grinned. ¡°Wow. I¡¯m honored. That¡¯s really sweet of ¡ª wait.¡±


    Garina smiled. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°You just want to kill me to let off steam, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°What? No. Of course not,¡± Garina drawled. ¡°And don¡¯t worry so much ¡ª we¡¯ve still got time until the morning. You¡¯ll have your magic back in time to do everything else you need to do. The night is basically free. Why waste it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying. You definitely just want to kill me.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Garina said simply. ¡°Yes, I do. So, are you coming or not?¡±


    Noah sighed. He scooped his gourd up and wrote a quick note to Moxie using a quill and some paper on her desk before turning back to Garina. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m coming.¡±


    Garina smiled. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡±

 Chapter 689: Not half bad

    Garina¡¯s heel slammed into the side of Noah¡¯s arm with enough force to send him skidding back across the meadow. The bow of his violin spun from his fingers as he stumbled, but a single thought banished the instrument and re-summoned it to his hands a moment later.


    Noah lowered his stinging arm, his teeth gritted. He skipped back in an ineffective attempt to put space between himself and the crazed Apostle trying to murder him and buy a few moments to actually use Unstable Pandemonium.


    Garina¡¯s leg slammed into his stomach. Noah doubled over, only to catch her knee straight to the face. His nose snapped with a loud crack and a flair of pain shot through his mind as he was sent rolling back.


    Noah rolled to the side the moment he had control of his body. He hadn¡¯t even gotten a chance to gather his bearings properly yet ¡ª he just knew that sitting around doing nothing for any amount of discernable time would practically be mailing Garina a written invitation to take his head off.


    He was rewarded by a deep thud in the dirt just a few inches away from where he was. Specks of dirt pelted into his side like miniature bullets as he shoved himself back to his feet, raising both of his hands to protect his head as he rose.


    Even the heightened senses that the Fragment of Self gave him could do practically nothing to let him keep up with the abilities of a Rank 7. He couldn¡¯t afford the time that conscious thought demanded. If his movements weren¡¯t instant, then he may as well have done nothing and simply stood around to let Garina beat on him.


    There was only one way he had even the slightest chance to avoid her seemingly infinite flurry of strikes.


    Noah¡¯s body twisted to the side before he¡¯d even tried to register what was happening. Garina¡¯s fist hurtled past his face, passing so close to his nose that he felt it tickle his skin. He dove to the side, hitting the ground in a roll.


    Garina spun above him, having just sent a powerful kick slicing through the air where he¡¯d been. Her foot came down like a falling axe, but Noah had already dodged back. There wasn¡¯t a single thought about the fight going through his mind.


    Every single movement was sheer instinct. Nothing else would give him so much as a moment to draw in a breath.


    ¡°The fact you¡¯re already this good is infuriating,¡± Garina said, her fist hurtling up toward Noah¡¯s chin in the same breath.


    He dodged.


    At least, he tried to. Noah simply wasn¡¯t fast enough.


    The blow connected and his head snapped back. Stars spun through Noah¡¯s eyes as he stumbled back, trying to keep his balance. He found himself spinning to avoid another one of Garina¡¯s punches.


    Unfortunately, she had two hands.


    The second fist caught him in the cheek. Blood and saliva splattered from his lips as he fell back and hit the ground with a pained grunt. His face felt like it had gotten put through a trash compactor.


    They¡¯d been fighting for... well, Noah wasn¡¯t actually sure. They¡¯d been fighting. All sense of time had evaporated from his thoughts. There was only survival. She was even more relentless this time around than she had been during their previous training session.


    Noah hadn¡¯t even had a chance to call upon Unstable Pandemonium yet. That wasn¡¯t for a lack of trying. Every time he summoned his bow and violin to try and start playing, Garina¡¯s foot decided his ass was a dangerously tight cave and it was an explorer with a wife and three kids.


    He rolled to the side before Garina could stomp his skull in and then vaulted backward, narrowly avoiding a vicious kick as he landed on his feet once more. A flurry of blows followed afterward and forced Noah into an awkward retreat. He protected his face and vital areas as best he could before skipping back once more in an attempt to create space.


    Garina would have none of it. She was upon him before both of his feet were even back on the ground. Her knee hurtled up toward Noah¡¯s stomach like a missile. His hand shot down in a palm strike to drive the blow to the side.


    It was like trying to fight with a brick wall. A vibration ran up his arm as his blow struck Garina¡¯s leg and managed to move it a distance somewhere between zero and nothing. Her knee slammed into his stomach and drove the air from his lungs with a pained wheeze.


    The pain that squirmed through his body barely even mattered at this point. Noah used the force of the strike to push himself back from Garina. He dropped into a roll that let a kick whistle overhead harmlessly, then started to rise.


    Midway through the motion, his body decided that was no longer the play. Noah found himself twisting to the side moments before Garina¡¯s foot slammed into the grassy dirt where he¡¯d been.


    ¡°Damn it! Would you please let me use my damn rune before you try to finish me off?¡± Noah rasped as he shot back to his feet, swaying like a drunkard. ¡°I mean, seriously!¡±


    Noah¡¯s head snapped to the side just in time to dodge a punch. He dropped like he was a puppet whose strings had been cut, then jerked to the side to dodge another two rapid strikes, then backpedaled to avoid having his lower jaw relocated into his brain by a knee.


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    ¡°Are you asking me for time to cast your magic? In the middle of a fight?¡± Garina didn¡¯t even try to hide the derision in her voice. ¡°Does the big baby want a sucker and some armor as well? Maybe I should cut you some fruit and feed it to you while we fight?¡±


    ¡°Fuck you.¡±


    Garina smirked. ¡°That¡¯s better.¡±


    She blurred, reappearing before Noah in an instant. Her fist was already moments away from his nose. Noah arched backward, practically flinging his head toward the ground. He kicked his feet up in the same motion.


    His knee slammed into Garina¡¯s chin. There was a loud crack.


    Pain exploded through him as his kneecap broke.


    Noah still finished the movement, landing on his good leg and stumbling back as a slew of curses spilled from his lips.


    ¡°Have I ever told you how much I hate you?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Fighting you is bullshit!¡±


    Garina¡¯s foot whistled toward his head. Noah ignored the pain shooting through his leg ¡ª it was considerably easier to force past injuries when some deep part of you knew that they weren¡¯t going to stick around after you died and came back ¡ª and dodged out of the way.


    ¡°Took you long enough to get pissed off,¡± Garina said. ¡°Seriously, I was beginning to wonder if you were a saint or something. I¡¯ve been beating the life out of you for forever. At least nobody can say you¡¯ve got anger issues.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Noah asked, his voice nasally. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Oh, this has nothing to do with the training,¡± Garina replied as she bore down on him again, her strikes blurring to drive into Noah from every angle. ¡°I was just curious to see how far you would go before you snapped. Even if you don¡¯t care about dying, it can¡¯t be a very fun experience.¡±


    Noah managed to avoid the majority of the strikes, but one of them still caught him in the side of the face. It snapped his head to the side and sent him stumbling several steps as another spike of anger drove into the back of his mind.


    I forgot how much of an asshole Garina is. Suppose that¡¯s what happens when you get this old and have to sit around babying a continent of little shits.


    ¡°What use is training if you¡¯re just beating the shit out of me?¡± Noah demanded. ¡°I need to practice more than my physical abilities, you know. Would it kill you to let me work on my runes first?¡±


    ¡°No, but it¡¯ll definitely kill you to need to stand still every time you have to play a stupid song,¡± Garina replied. She twisted and her foot snapped out in a straight kick that whistled right over Noah¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Seriously, do you think your enemies are just going to stand still and wait for you to finish your magic?¡±


    Noah blinked.


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    Then Garina¡¯s leg, which was still extended right past his head, hooked around the back of his neck. Noah¡¯s eyes only had an instant to widen before he found himself hurtling through the air.


    He hit the ground in a grunt, rolling several times before skidding to a stop at the base of a hill. The world spun around him violently. Noah drove a palm into the ground, fighting against his rebelling body as he unsteadily rose to his feet.


    She¡¯s right. I need to adapt. I can¡¯t just expect people to give me a chance to stand still and get my magic to where I want it to be. Even if Unstable Pandemonium can block blows, I still have to get the song started. That means being able to use my violin in any situation, not just in the ideal ones.


    At least, that was what Noah wanted to believe he thought. In truth, his thoughts were more of a garbled mess of flickering desires ¡ª and a solid half of them were just hitting Garina over the head with a very heavy frying pan.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a pass on that one,¡± Garina said as she stalked toward him. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯re a bit concussed. Maybe it¡¯s time to wipe the slate and get your mind cleared up. The night¡¯s still young. No point wasting precious time when you can¡¯t even put two thoughts together.¡±


    She blurred forward and her foot rose into the air like an executioner¡¯s axe.


    Noah lunged to the side. His violin and bow materialized in his hands and he set the string of the bow against the violin. He just needed to get the song started. That was his goal. One step at a time.


    Garina twisted toward him, blurring into a spinning kick. She wasn¡¯t about to let him get away so easily. Noah arched back, letting the kick just barely pass by him. He pulled the bow of the violin across its strings ¡ª


    A fist was in front of his face. Noah jerked to the side. Garina¡¯s knuckles scraped across his shoulder with enough force to spin him, but Noah barely even noticed. His mind was too battered to process anything other than his goal right now ¡ª and it didn¡¯t matter if she hit him.


    Right now, the only thing he cared about was his song.


    Noah pulled the bow across the violin. A note rang out.


    Garina¡¯s knee shot up for his side. He dodged back, but not nearly fast enough. The wind was driven from his lungs for the umpteenth time. Noah wheezed and staggered to the side, but he didn¡¯t dismiss the violin.


    Not this time.


    He played another note. Power welled within his body. Unstable Pandemonium fought back, not wanting to make itself known before Garina, but Noah gave no regard to its requests. He skipped back to dodge another kick, then spun to avoid Garina caving his skull in with a punch.


    Another note rang out through the air. Power swelled and coursed through him as Unstable Pandemonium flooded into the strings of the violin¡ª


    Garina¡¯s other hand slammed into Noah¡¯s forehead.


    His head exploded into a murky mist of blood, bone, and viscera.


    The violin vanished from his grip with a pop. Noah¡¯s soul exploded out of the back of his corpse. Clarity of thought returned with it as his body crumpled to the ground at Garina¡¯s feet.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Noah exclaimed, the pull of his gourd already beginning to call to him. ¡°I was almost there!¡±


    Garina lowered her hand. Blood dripped from her knuckles as she looked down at Noah¡¯s body, a faint smile pulling at the corners of her lips.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t bad,¡± Garina said, a note of approval in her voice. ¡°Not bad at all.¡±


    Then the gourd grabbed Noah. His soul was sucked into its new home, and he was jerking upright on the cold grass without so much as a gasp. He grabbed a spare set of clothes from his bag and yanked them on before turning back to Garina in record time. A headache pounded in his skull, but he barely even cared.


    ¡°Ready?¡± Garina asked, arching an eyebrow.


    ¡°I was about to get my magic working! Couldn¡¯t you have waited a bit longer?¡±


    ¡°Take it as a lesson. Your enemies won¡¯t give you time to get shit working. Get it right faster next time. And don¡¯t worry your breakable little head.¡± Garina¡¯s lips split apart into a dangerous grin. ¡°We¡¯ve got more than enough other things that you can focus on training for tonight.¡±

 Chapter 690: The Most Primal

    Chapter 690: The Most Primal


    Garina was starting to feel uneasy.


    In truth, she had been for quite some time. Uneasiness was no longer sufficient to describe the emotion she felt. This was something else. Something she hadn¡¯t felt in so long that she couldn¡¯t even place what the feeling even was. It was taking just about all the acting skills she had to keep Noah from noticing that something was off.


    More specifically, the thing that was off was him.


    Noah wouldn¡¯t fucking break.


    No matter what she did. No matter how hard she pressed him. No matter how many times she killed him. She¡¯d even gone so far as to start messing with his training plans when there were only two more nights before he went with Fuyin to infiltrate the Inquisitors.


    All of her attempts barely managed to put a single crack in him. He¡¯d gotten mad. That was it. Mad. After being put through what was objectively the most bullshit training in history, after Garina¡¯s best attempts to push him to the limit, Noah had only gotten to the equivalent of someone who had been cut off in a line.


    And for the first time, Garina started to wonder just what it was that the Line could do to a mortal soul. There were gods that had had less determination than this. She wasn¡¯t even sure such a thing could even be attributed to the Line anymore.


    It was simply Noah.


    Garina was not young enough to dismiss what she had done to Noah as something that could simply be pushed through. It was easy to grow desensitized to death. When someone saw enough of it, they could convince themselves that it was simply normal. That it didn¡¯t matter.


    But it did.


    When the Prophet had trained her, he had made absolutely certain that Garina would never forget that. The memories were seared into her skull like a brand. They had been for hundreds of years. Those memories were some of the clearest ¡ª and worst ¡ª that she had.


    Garina knew death. She knew it far better than she would have liked to. And she knew that dying was never some mere trifle to be ignored. Even Sievan respected the power he himself wielded.


    The fear of death was the most powerful motivator that almost every mage had. It was a teaching tool. One that could push a mage to the absolute brink of their abilities... and one that could shatter the barrier between their body and soul completely.


    It was the ultimate motivator.


    For Garina, the Prophet had found a family. Mother and Father and their little girl. The Prophet left her at their doorstep, and they took her in without question. At the time, their girl had been her age. At the time, Garina hadn¡¯t yet had a name.


    At the time, Garina hadn¡¯t known what power would cost.


    But she had learned.


    For five years, they raised her. She ate with them. Worked with them. Shared in the joys of their success and wept with their sorrows. They were the closest thing that Garina had ever had to family.


    Garina had watched as a Rank 6 monster tore them to shreds.


    She¡¯d fought, of course. With every single scrap of power she¡¯d had. All the training that the Prophet had given her before he¡¯d left her with her family. r?No?E?S?


    And that had surmounted to nothing.


    She had been weak. The monster shattered her spine in a single blow and left her lying in the dirt, unable to do anything but watch through the blood and tears stinging her eyes as her family was slaughtered one by one before her eyes.


    Mother and Father tried to protect their daughter. They were mages themselves, and not weak ones. They put up a good fight in an attempt to save their daughter. To buy her time to escape.


    But she hadn¡¯t run. She¡¯d run to Garina, tried to drag her to safety.


    And when the monster was done with her parents, it had turned to them.


    Garina did not care to remember what happened next ¡ª but she refused to let herself forget. The monster had come for them. Her sister had done everything in her power to fight back. She¡¯d fought with every scrap of desperation that resided within a mortal soul.


    As the monster bore down on the other girl, Garina¡¯s soul had screamed in agony. She¡¯d said every prayer. Begged every limb in her body to so much as twitch. None of it had worked. And on that day, something broke.


    The barrier between mind and body and soul shattered.


    She had moved.


    And when Garina was done with the monster, there was nothing left of it but a few splatters of ragged, bloody flesh and the scent of ash and blood and tears.


    She hadn¡¯t even cared. The memory of the monster was a muted bloody haze. What Garina remembered was not the monster. It was the face of her sister. The girl who had died of her injuries in the mud.


    The mortal that had given her life to save an adopted sister. An adopted sister who had been the reason her family had died.


    Garina had nothing to give them but a burial. Her back was still broken, but such things paled in comparison to the might of true unity over one¡¯s body. She¡¯d dug three holes ¡ª each six feet deep and not a foot less ¡ª and buried each one of them.


    Only then did she allow herself to collapse.


    Only then did the Prophet emerge for the first time since he had left her on the doorstep of her family.


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    Garina knew death well.


    The Prophet had made sure of it, and she had never forgiven him for it.


    She was no teacher. But when it had come her time to teach, Garina had done everything in her power to avoid becoming him. She¡¯d been confident she could find another way to push someone to the breaking point.


    Garina was pretty sure that just about anyone else would have already broken.


    But Noah refused to. He brushed the deaths off and came at her again. And again. And again. He ignored her taunts and insults. He didn¡¯t care that her training was little more than just bullying. He just kept coming.


    Garina¡¯s fist slammed into Noah¡¯s skull for the third time that night.


    He died.


    He came back.


    His clothes were on within moments, and then he was coming at her again.


    The back of Garina¡¯s neck prickled. The strange feeling that had been building ever since she¡¯d first started trying to train Noah grew stronger with every punch he threw. She still couldn¡¯t place what it was.


    Garina threw another punch. Noah¡¯s head jerked to the side, allowing the blow to whistle past his ear. He threw a fist of his own, and Garina raised her hand to block it. The blow was wild. It wasn¡¯t the strike of a trained martial artist. Calling it the strike of a wild animal would have been more accurate.


    But Garina hadn¡¯t been training him to fight.


    Her knee shot up toward his stomach, but Noah twisted his body and spun out of the way before the blow could connect with him.


    The move was slow to her senses ¡ª but Garina wasn¡¯t using the full power of a Rank 7. She¡¯d been steadily intensifying the intensity of her assault over the course of their training. At the moment, she was somewhere around the middle of Rank 6... and Noah had dodged her attack.


    Noah¡¯s leg snapped up to whistle toward her side in a kick.


    Something prickled against Garina¡¯s ears. She shifted out of the way. But, before she could attack again, he had turned the momentum of the first kick into a second one. She raised an arm defensively beside her head.


    Noah¡¯s heel slammed into it.


    Garina skidded a step back. A tremor rolled through her arm and into her very bones. It wasn¡¯t from the physical strength of the strike.


    It was magic.


    The sensation prickling against her ears grew stronger, and realization finally drove into Garina.


    She wasn¡¯t feeling just a prickling sensation. She was hearing it.


    It was music.


    He¡¯s doing it. If he¡¯s accessing even a tiny part of his runes through the barrier of death, then the merge is nearly complete. Just a bit¡ª


    Noah¡¯s violin snapped into his hands. He slashed at her with the bow in a blur.


    The strike was so fast that even with her powers at Rank 6, she was forced to jerk back in surprise. Noah¡¯s attack whistled past her nose, just a hair away from connecting.


    The music in her ears grew louder. It was coming from the air around Noah. Every single motion he made seemed to build into a symphony around him. Garina¡¯s domain buzzed against the sound. Something was... off about it.


    Then her eyes widened.


    Chaos?


    Noah¡¯s fist slammed into Garina¡¯s stomach.


    The physical force of the blow wasn¡¯t enough to even make her blink ¡ª but the soul contained within the strike was another story. Garina doubled over as what felt like the horns of the heavens themselves roared in her ears. Vibrations tore through her entire body with enough force to send her staggering back.


    Stunned thoughts swirled through her mind.


    His soul is immense. How is a Rank 5¡¯s soul so powerful? I expected it would be strong, but this is¡ª


    Noah¡¯s heel sliced through the air and cracked into the side of Garina¡¯s head. She stumbled to the side. Her runes buzzed. Confusion shot through Garina. She hadn¡¯t reached out to them.


    Garina never would have called on them in training, and certainly not by accident. But power had slipped from the runes all the same. It was a minuscule amount, but an amount all the same. Power was missing... and she hadn¡¯t spent it.


    Noah¡¯s knee drove up into Garina¡¯s stomach. She doubled over as another vibration ripped through her. The air around them crackled with magical energy, and it wasn¡¯t Noah¡¯s.


    Another strike whistled toward Garina¡¯s face. She crossed her arms before herself a moment before Noah¡¯s fist slammed into them and sent her skidding back. More vibrations tore through Garina¡¯s body.


    Even though she hadn¡¯t taken any true damage because of the resilience of a Rank 7 body, the hair on the back of her neck stood on end.


    Garina lowered her arms. And, for an instant, her gaze met Noah¡¯s.


    Power burned within his eyes. Black streaks of lighting crackled through his irises like a roaring storm ¡ª and she felt the weight of his soul within them.


    This was the true purpose of soul shaping. Gaining a connection to the soul was the first step in allowing it to manifest itself in the body ¡ª which was, in turn, the first step in manifesting Rune Force.


    Noah¡¯s done it. His mind, body, and soul have merged.


    But more than that. This music... it must be part of his pattern. It must let him steal magic from me. How does that¡ª


    Noah¡¯s elbow blurred toward Garina¡¯s head.


    She lifted an arm to block the strike. It was too fast to avoid without using powers above that of Rank 6. Garina gritted her teeth as his elbow connected and vibrations tore into her again. Her soul twitched from the strike.


    Rank 7 or not, taking repeated strikes like this from a Rank 5 whose soul was far larger than it should have been was painful ¡ª and Noah was far from done. His strikes came one after the other in a hail of blows.


    The song roaring in her ears grew louder still. Prickling magic burned against Garina¡¯s skin. Noah¡¯s pattern was ripping energy from her and just leaving it lying around. He probably hadn¡¯t gotten a strong enough grip over it to access the magic he stole while the effects of his death were still hindering him.


    If anything, that made the feeling building within Garina since the start of their training grow stronger. If Noah hadn¡¯t just died before he¡¯d achieved full connection of mind, body, and soul...


    Just how strong is he? How much will he become capable of in just a few short years?


    Iron prickled against Garina¡¯s tongue. She crossed her arms before her to block another strike. At some point, the tide of the fight had turned ¡ª and it struck Garina that she wasn¡¯t going to be able to turn it back if she didn¡¯t start calling on her magic.


    But she¡¯d just killed Noah. He couldn¡¯t properly use his runes. Using hers would have made the fight completely unfair. The purpose of this was to push him to his limits... and it seemed she¡¯d finally done that.


    Noah sent a kick hurtling toward Garina¡¯s midsection. She moved to block it ¡ª and chaos energy snarled in her face like a furious animal. Tongues of red power twisted down Noah¡¯s leg ¡ª and it relocated itself as if it had never been in the path of her arms.


    His heel slammed into her stomach. Garina doubled over. Blood splattered from her mouth. Shock pierced into her mind.


    She¡¯d known Noah and his group had potential. But this was something else. To be able to use power like this at Rank 5 spoke to more than just the power of Noah¡¯s soul. It was Noah himself.


    Achieving such a level of synchronization the first time his three parts fully merged into one was ridiculous. He should have been nearly entirely cut off from his runes. The Soul and body were severed. To pull them together this effectively meant there was nearly no doubt or hesitation within Noah. He was completely aligned with himself. He knew his desires. His weakness. His strengths. And he had accepted them. This should have been nearly impossible to achieve for a mortal.


    And, only as the blood fell from her lips to the grass before her, only as she looked into the storming eyes bearing down on her, did Garina finally realize what the feeling that had been mounting through the fight truly was. It should have been ridiculous. A Rank 7 could not feel this toward a Rank 5.


    But she did.


    She knew the feeling, and it was fear.

 Chapter 691: ALIVE

    Chapter 691: ALIVE


    Garina was losing ground. Blows that she would have ignored completely before were now enough of a threat to force her to dodge. There wasn¡¯t even a point to try blocking them. Noah¡¯s pattern didn¡¯t seem to care if it connected with her stomach or her arm. It stole power from her runes and rattled her body like a toy all the same.


    She leapt back to avoid a kick, only to find Noah¡¯s fist streaking through the air toward her with a shrill whistle. Garina dropped to the ground, vaulting under the strike and springing to her feet a fair distance away from Noah.


    A droplet of sweat rolled down the side of her face. Calling on her Runes would have changed the flow of the fight in an instant. Even limiting them to the powers of a Rank 6 would have been enough to wrap things up.


    But the first time someone achieved a full merge was often one of the most important. Achieving such a state of consciousness was incredibly difficult. It would not last forever. The more time Noah spent within it, the more understanding would imprint itself into his mind.


    I pushed him to this point. I took on the role of a teacher. That means it¡¯s my job to see this through. Bringing out my runes would just ruin the potential he¡¯s unlocking. Noah is just a Rank 5. I refuse to believe I am actually struggling against someone of his rank, no matter how powerful his soul is.


    Garina shifted to the side to avoid another strike. Despite her thoughts, she was not about to let Noah hit her again. She could give herself all the reassurances she wanted to. Nothing changed the fact that, right now, Noah¡¯s blows could actually hurt her.


    She, a Rank 7, had no choice but to dodge. If she didn¡¯t, there was actually a chance that Noah could push her so far that she¡¯d be forced to use her runes to defend herself. The shame from that would have been overwhelming.


    It didn¡¯t matter if she was the only one to remember it. Garina still remembered little of the actual fight against the monster that had killed her family. Her first full merge of consciousness was a blend of fury and grief so sharp that she could still feel it today. The day surrounding it was as sharp as a glistening blade ¡ª but the actual events of her merge was smudged and lost.


    To achieve a perfect merge required the mind to be shattered. It was the most resistant of the three components that made a living being up. The most set in its ways. Undoing that enough to reach the point where it could accept body and soul to be one was not a task that could happen without some damage.


    The Prophet had told Garina that even he had gone through the same process with his own teacher. Nobody remembered the events of their first merge. They kept only the emotions. The feelings. The lingering traces that would eventually guide them back to merging once more.


    And that was why it was absolutely vital that Garina let Noah continue fighting until he had absolutely nothing left to give. Every single second mattered. The longer he was fully merged, the easier it would be for him to find his way back to this state.


    He¡¯s basically nothing more than a mindless animal now, running entirely on instinct. The only saving grace is he doesn¡¯t know how to throw a punch for shit. Nobody ever trained him in real combat skills. He¡¯s like a crazed wild animal, but¡ª


    Garina lurched back to dodge a kick. Chaos energy crackled around Noah¡¯s leg and it repositioned itself into her side. The breath exploded from her lungs as a vibration tore through Garina¡¯s body and chewed into her magical reserves.


    She hit the ground in a roll, snarling as she shot back to her feet. There was no way she¡¯d have been able to keep a fight like this going without being completely humiliated if he¡¯d actually been trained in real combat skills... but a crazed wild animal with enough strength was dangerous in its own rights.


    That was doubly so when said wild animal was calling on chaos.


    How Noah had managed to form a rune that contained traces of one of the fundamental forces in the universe was completely beyond her.


    She really didn¡¯t have time to worry much about it at the moment. Noah showed no signs of relenting. He somehow still had energy to fight. If she let her guard down for a moment, he would be upon her ¡ª and if that happened, she¡¯d have to use her runes to keep the crazed man from ripping her to shreds. She barely even dared think about just how powerful he would become if he reached Rank 7.


    Garina leaned back, narrowly avoiding a kick that sailed through the air where her chin had been moments before. Crackles of chaos energy trailed in the wake of Noah¡¯s foot, joined by the thunderous orchestra that accompanied his pattern.


    Sweat prickled against her back. That blow had nearly caught her. The urge to draw on her runes and start empowering her movements was starting to grow stronger, but she crushed it down. Something between pride and professional manners kept her from doing it.


    Garina had kicked this snowball down the mountain. She was going to see it through until it hit the bottom, no matter how big the avalanche it caused on its way down was.


    Just a little more. How powerful could his soul possibly be? There¡¯s no way he¡¯ll be able to hold on for much longer.


    ***


    Revin was losing.


    And, more than almost anything else in the world, Revin hated losing.


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    His muscles tightened. Determination drove through his mind like a spike. Resolve burned within his heart like a molten furnace. Revin would not be defeated. He was Revin the God Eater, 8th of the Apostles. There were a dozen other titles that had been attributed to his name.


    There had been a great many opponents that dared stand in his path before. He had slaughtered every single one of them. Revin had never faced an enemy that had vexed him nearly as much as ¡ª


    Ah.


    The knot Revin had been struggling to get open finally gave in and slithered apart, granting him access to the beef jerky that he¡¯d stored in his favorite travel bag. He¡¯d been tying the bag tighter ever since he¡¯d returned to Arbitage.


    Leaving it open anywhere within Lee¡¯s presence was liable to draw the little monster over. She was far too perceptive. Measures had to be taken to ensure she couldn¡¯t liberate him of his meals when he wasn¡¯t watching. As unlikely as it was for anyone to catch him off guard, only a fool would underestimate Lee¡¯s determination to weasel her way into food.


    Revin stuck a hand into the bag and pulled out a handful of dried meat. He tossed it into his mouth and chewed happily.


    Much better.


    A gentle breeze coiled through the night sky to brush through his hair like the hand of a lover. Grass swayed at his feet to tickle his legs and he sat upon a particularly smooth and comfortable rock.


    Revin smiled.


    There were few things in life that could top this.


    He tossed another handful of jerky into his mouth.


    A loud crack echoed through the grassy field.


    Blood splattered across the ground.


    ¡°Ouch,¡± Revin said through his mouthful of food, leaning forward with a delighted grin. ¡°That looked like it hurt.¡±


    Garina staggered back, clutching the side of her face. Blood dripped from her nose. Her lower lip was swollen and she was breathing heavily, the effort from the fight finally starting to get to her.


    Noah didn¡¯t relent. He came at the Apostle again and again. No matter how much Garina dodged, he would always be there a few moments later. He wasn¡¯t faster than Garina. He wasn¡¯t more talented than Garina. He certainly wasn¡¯t stronger than Garina.


    But he was a hell of a lot more persistent.


    Revin snickered to himself as he shoved another handful of jerky into his mouth. He couldn¡¯ t even take his eyes off the fight. It had been so long since he¡¯d last seen anyone give Garina a real challenge.


    ¡°See, that¡¯s the problem with Rank 7s,¡± Revin said, shaking his head in disapproval. ¡°Gotta keep in touch with your roots. Getting manhandled like this by a Rank 5... come on, Garina. That¡¯s embarrassing. It¡¯s a good thing nobody¡¯s here to see it.¡±


    And the other Apostles wonder why I occasionally limit my Rank and wander around the lesser areas. Idiots. Nothing reminds you what to focus on like the thrill of getting the shit kicked out of you by someone far weaker than you are.


    Runes are great, but there¡¯s more to fighting than pure magic. There is technique. Endurance. Sufficient nutrition. A thousand more things, and many of them get overshadowed by smacking your opponent around with sheer firepower. Those who don¡¯t stay in touch with their roots will forget them... and forgotten roots will rot.


    Garina spun out of the way of another attack. She brought her foot up in a blur, sending it cracking into Noah¡¯s side with enough force to send him rolling across the ground.


    Revin located more jerky from the bag into its proper position in his mouth.


    Oooh, nice one. Honestly, I never thought Garina would be a good teacher. Didn¡¯t think she had it in her. But she¡¯s been getting the shit beat out of her for nearly ten minutes now. That¡¯s some dedication.


    And I have to give some credit to Noah. He¡¯s a little monster. Garina is no slouch, even without her runes. The fact he¡¯s managed to push her this far is incredible. I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t decide to try to train him myself. That would have been such a pain in the ass... and there aren¡¯t things lamer than getting tossed around by someone two ranks lower than you, no matter what the circumstances are.


    Noah shoved himself back to his feet and charged Garina once more. She jumped away, dodging several of his blows before sending a kick of her own back at Noah. Her shin slammed into his neck and clothlined the poor bastard. There was a loud crack as his neck snapped.


    He crumpled to the ground.


    Revin blinked. Garina had killed him. The flicker of surprise passing through her own eyes told Revin that it hadn¡¯t been intentional.


    I¡¯ll be. That was instinct. Noah actually managed to push her so far that her body reacted before she could stop it. He¡¯s really something else. I wish the other Apostles could see this. The looks on their faces would be incredible.


    Black smoke poured out of Noah¡¯s gourd. It twisted into the shape of a man and formed into his body within a few short seconds. Garina stared at it, panting for air, her shoulders finally starting to relax now that the fight was ¡ª


    Noah shot to his feet, charging Garina without so much as a second of hesitation. Revin drew in a sharp breath. Even though he sat hundreds of feet away from the two of them, there were few things that could escape his gaze.


    Noah¡¯s eyes still raged like a storming sea.


    Death hadn¡¯t severed the connection between the three parts of himself. He was still fully merged.


    Garina only had a moment to realize the same before Noah¡¯s fist slammed into her cheek. Chaos energy roared down his arm. Streaks of angry red lightning tore out from the point of impact, and all the magic that Noah had yanked out of Garina¡¯s body suddenly ignited.


    There was a deafening boom. Garina skidded back, coils of magic arcing around her face and coursing down her body. Her hand shot up to her face as her eyes widened in disbelief.


    Revin started to laugh.


    Now that was pretty damn cool. I knew I liked him for a reason.


    ¡°You¡¯ve really got your hands full with this one, Garina,¡± Revin said. He shoveled another handful of jerky into his mouth and chewed eagerly, unwilling to tear his gaze away from the fight for even a moment. ¡°I¡¯m glad someone else took the lock off the rabid animal¡¯s cage. It needed to be done ¡ª but I¡¯d hate to be the one doing it. I wonder how much of this he¡¯ll remember. Even the Prophet might be jealous at this rate.¡±


    Noah lowered his hands. Revin¡¯s head tilted to the side.


    Did he finally run out of energy after that stunt? I wouldn¡¯t be surprised. What a show. I wonder¡ª


    ¡°Could you maybe try a bit harder?¡± Noah asked Garina, his eyes still crackling with power. ¡°I¡¯m trying to test something.¡±


    Revin¡¯s grip on his bag of jerky loosened. It slipped from his fingers to fall at his feet, spilling meat across the ground. Revin barely even noticed. All he could do was stare, lips parted in disbelief.


    Has that crazy bastard been awake this entire time?

 Chapter 692: Shredding time

    Chapter 692: Shredding time


    Decras leaned in toward the image shimmering before them, snapping his fingers and pointing with his other hand. Uncharacteristic delight washed over his angular features as he let out a loud, booming laugh. ¡°Did you see that? Hah! I¡¯m going to win the bet.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited,¡± Renewal grumbled. She sat back into the soft, plushy clouds of her Cumulo and crossed her arms in front of her chest. ¡°And it¡¯s not fair. I thought you would be way less optimistic. Is this why you let me say my side of things first?¡±


    ¡°He who plays his cards last is liable to come first,¡± Decras said with a smug grin. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be happy, Renewal? This is your little pet. It is ill fitting for someone of your stature to be displeased about another¡¯s success.¡±


    ¡°Stuff it,¡± Renewal said.


    That might have been a bit beneath her, but there was no point in being a Goddess if she couldn¡¯t be petty every once and a while. She and Decras had just gone out for what he called a training session. Renewal had thought that they would be meeting some of the other Gods within the Fallen ¡ª but it turned out Decras had other plans.


    Decras had teleported them both right to a black void, in which he revealed that his idea of training was just starting one of the most brutal fights that Renewal had ever partaken in.


    They¡¯d ripped each other limb from limb and poured enough magic energy out into their surroundings to melt the better portion of a large continent. The pain from every blow she¡¯d taken still echoed through her mind, as did the satisfying feeling of flesh shattering beneath her own fists. If anything had been present within their vicinity during the fight, it would have been reduced to atoms.


    It had been incredible. Renewal hadn¡¯t been able to let her power loose like that in thousands of years. The sheer damage it would have caused to the afterlife would have been astronomical. Expulsion from the Order would have been the least of her problems had Judgement gotten so much as a whiff of power like that.


    But out here, in the farthest reaches of the universe, there was nothing for their magic to destroy. They could go all out.


    Even though the fight had been short, it had shown Renewal more about the Fallen than any conversation ever could have. This was why they were so powerful. This was why she had been stagnating so much. Even though she¡¯d been trying to push herself to grow stronger, there had been no growth to her strength in recent years.


    Now Renewal knew why. Nobody could truly train and grow strong when they couldn¡¯t use their powers to their fullest potential. Strength could not be claimed by tiptoeing along the treaded path.


    And the Fallen knew that. If this was how they trained every single day, it was little wonder that Decras had become the monster that he was. Renewal also didn¡¯t miss the fact that Decras had held back when they¡¯d fought in the afterlife. The powers he¡¯d used today would have torn her Well of Life asunder.


    Getting me here was his plan all along. Sly bastard. It¡¯s kind of flattering, though.


    Renewal blew a strand of hair away from her face and scrunched her nose. Flattering or not, she was completely spent. The only thing she wanted to do right now was kick back and watch the mortals do their best to murder each other.


    There was something so riveting about it. They were so free. So without restraint. It was ironic. Once one became a god, their freedom evaporated. Their actions were far more dangerous. They had to be restrained. Prevented from causing too much damage.


    Or perhaps that was simply the order. The more time Renewal spent with Decras, the more she realized that her experiences in Godhood were far from what they could have been. The Order had stolen time from her.


    There would come a time when she took that time back with interest.


    But, until then, she was more than satisfied to watch Noah and his allies while snacking.


    ¡°I never said I was displeased about Noah¡¯s success,¡± Renewal said, realizing she hadn¡¯t answered Decras¡¯ accusation. ¡°I simply took a safe bet. Reaching Godhood in five hundred years would be a ridiculously safe bet, and I said he could do it in two hundred and fifty. How would I know you would just go and half it?¡±


    ¡°Should have played your cards closer to chest,¡± Decras said with a chuckle. He flicked his hand and the image on the screen rewound and zoomed in until Garina¡¯s stunned expression, her eyes wide and lips parted in disbelief, filled it. He then pointed at Renewal. ¡°That¡¯ll be you when I win.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re making fun of your own subordinate. That¡¯s just lame.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my subordinate. I make the rules, and I say it¡¯s a badge of honor to be respected enough to be made fun of,¡± Decras replied. He let his hand drop and time snapped back into motion on the image, whirring forward until it was back in the present time.


    Garina still had the exact same expression on her face.


    Renewal burst into laughter.


    ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate,¡± Decras said, scratching his chin. ¡°She must be happy thinking nobody¡¯s watching her. Her ego would never recover if she knew the truth.¡±


    ¡°Some things are best kept a secret,¡± Renewal agreed as she got over her mirth. In truth, it was hard to blame Garina. Noah really was a treat to watch. He never failed to pull something new out of his ass. ¡°Garina¡¯s been holding back pretty well, though. Not bad at all. I would have thought she¡¯d snap and kill him a whole lot earlier.¡±


    ¡°Not like it did her much good,¡± Decras drawled. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to stop until he¡¯s completely drained of energy.¡±


    Noah had attacked once more. He and Garina danced around the clearing, exchanging a flurry of blows. The Rank 7 was no longer restraining her strikes as much as she had been. Each blow hit with enough force to shatter limbs and rip through flesh ¡ª but Noah pressed through them like a furious zombie.


    An axe kick carved his left arm clean off, but Garina¡¯s expression immediately after the strike told Renewal that the mere contact with Noah¡¯s body had been enough for him to send his power tearing into Garina¡¯s soul.


    ¡°I wish Garina hadn¡¯t killed him,¡± Renewal said with a sigh. ¡°Imagine how powerful this would have been if he¡¯d had full access to his runes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably for the best she did,¡± Decras replied. ¡°There¡¯s such a thing as too many options. She¡¯s forced him to focus entirely on his pattern and his full merge. Having the runes to add into the mix would only give him distractions. I get the feeling he¡¯s going to remember quite a bit of this.¡±


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    Renewal just shook her head. She still remembered the first time she¡¯d truly become one with herself. The experience had not been an enjoyable one, but it rarely was ¡ª and it was one of the earliest and most important steps that shaped the path to godhood. The way it went determined much of one¡¯s future... and Noah was looking very promising.


    ¡°What¡¯s the longest time you know of a first full merge lasting?¡± Renewal asked.


    ¡°An hour,¡± Decras replied. ¡°And that was by one of the most powerful gods I¡¯ve ever met. I¡¯d imagine there are some whose first merges lasted even longer, but I don¡¯t know of them.¡±


    Renewal nodded slowly. Her own experience had lasted just over thirty minutes. And by her count, Noah was already nearing forty-five. It was inaccurate to say that this was a complete predictor of a god¡¯s strength, but there was definitely some correlation. Truly understanding oneself was an enormous part of godhood for more reasons than any mortal could ever realize.


    Noah died again.


    Garina had taken his head clean off with a spinning kick. Despite her surprise, she¡¯d certainly taken Noah¡¯s request seriously. She wasn¡¯t holding back nearly as much as she had been before.


    I really didn¡¯t think she¡¯d be a good teacher. Maybe I looked down on her too much. I¡¯ll have to keep a closer eye on Garina in the future. She¡¯s far more than a snarling dog on a leash. She might even be able to achieve Godhood herself.


    Renewal had no plans of admitting that to Decras. He was already smug enough about his Apostles. There was no reason to pad his ego any further.


    As they watched, Noah¡¯s body re-materialized beside his gourd. He was moving before the black smoke had even finished dissipating, lurching up toward Garina and sprinting in her direction like an enraged animal.


    The fight was far from over.


    Renewal and Decras fell silent as they watched.


    Time was a strange concept to a god. What had once been life¡¯s greatest motivator was now nothing more than a distant ticking. Age meant nothing. Years could slip by like grains of sand.


    But, today, two gods counted every single second that passed.


    And pass they did.


    ¡°Is he... recovering from his deaths faster?¡± Renewal asked with a frown. ¡°I swear it normally took him longer to get back up after he reformed.¡±


    ¡°Seems that way,¡± Decras said. ¡°Fascinating, isn¡¯t it? My rune is incredible.¡±


    ¡°His mind would have shattered a long time ago if not for mine,¡± Renewal countered. ¡°Do you think he¡¯d be training like this if he didn¡¯t know he could put his soul back together with just a few thoughts?"


    "Yes."


    Renewal raised a finger. Then she let it lower. Her eyes narrowed. ¡°Fine. But he wouldn¡¯t be able to do nearly as much. There¡¯s a lot that can be said for having no limits to how far you can push yourself.¡±


    ¡°Also my rune. Look at him and tell me he¡¯s got limits to his potential. That crazed mortal might be the worst enemy you could possibly make on the that little world. There isn¡¯t a single other being other than Sievan who can evade the cluches of death.¡±


    ¡°And certainly none who do it quite so... freely,¡± Renewal muttered, trying not to look too hard anywhere below Noah¡¯s chest. He really needed to find a way to manifest some clothes when he came back to life.


    Seconds continued to tick by in Renewal¡¯s mind. Goosebumps prickled against the back of her scalp. Their cold fingers brushed across her arms and trailed up to her shoulders. The fight had been going on for 58 minutes and 32 seconds.


    Noah should have run out of magic twice over by now. He was clearly getting weaker. His moves were coming slower and the power burning behind his eyes had finally started to fade... but he was still going. Garina had far more reserves to draw on than he did, but she couldn¡¯t go on forever when she was holding back like this.


    Fighting while trying not to completely obliterate your opponent was, in some ways, much more difficult than just going all out. She¡¯d noticed that Noah was slowing and reduced the intensity of her own attacks as well, clearly trying to let him squeeze every last scrap of training he could out before his first merge ended.


    Seconds dragged by. Renewal didn¡¯t even dare breathe.


    59 minutes.


    Noah swayed. The crackling storm in his eyes sputtered like a dying candle. He was almost completely spent. Arcs of Chaos magic slithered across his body before slipping back into his skin. The air around him and Garina was so soaked with magical power that they were basically breathing it.


    59 minutes and 10 seconds.


    Garina and Noah exchanged another round of blows. Noah¡¯s punch missed Garina; her kick slammed into his side.


    He staggered.


    Fell to one knee.


    Drove a hand into the ground.


    59 minutes and 15 seconds.


    For a second, Noah remained there.


    Garina hesitated.


    And he rose. His fingers flexed at his sides. His gaze bore into Garina, unflinching despite his battered and exhausted body and soul.


    59 minutes and 35 seconds.


    Decras leaned forward. Neither of them spoke anymore. They were both too focused on the time.


    Noah staggered toward. A step turned into another. A walk turned to a run, and the run to a sprint.


    He lunged at Garina.


    She stepped to the side, letting him pass her by harmlessly. Her foot carved down through the air toward his back. Noah twisted, somehow managing to avoid the strike in what should have been a near-impossible display of acrobatics.


    He hit the ground in a bouncing roll and skidded to a stop. His hand drove down into the ground and he forced himself back up. The light behind his eyes sputtered. Consciousness clung to his body by a fraying thread.


    59 minutes and 50 seconds.


    Noah swayed.


    He and Garina stared at each other for a long second. An arc of red energy danced across his shoulders and raced down his arms.


    Then the light in his eyes sputtered out. No thought remained behind them.


    Noah¡¯s body still stood, but his consciousnesses had finally given in.


    Garina¡¯s shoulders fell. She blew out a relieved breath as she realized the same thing that Renewal and Decras did.


    ¡°He¡¯s down,¡± Decras breathed. ¡°I¡¯ll be. What an incredible run. But to fall so close to an hour...¡±


    59 minutes and 55 seconds.


    ¡°What a fight,¡± Garina whispered, wiping blood from the side of her lip. ¡°I¡¯ve haven¡¯t been pushed like that in a training session since the Prophet last fought me, and certainly never by someone of your rank.¡±


    The Apostlee approached Noah. The Apostle¡¯s eyes were full of respect ¡ª which was probably why they remained firmly fixed at above his neck level.


    And that was probably what saved her.


    His eyes, still white and without thought, crackled with one final spark of dying black lightning. Noah¡¯s body blurred into motion.


    He exploded forward, diving for Garina and reaching for her shoulder.


    The Apostle lurched back. She twisted away from Noah¡¯s grasping fingers, just barely managing to avoid them as they streaked by her.


    Noah pitched forward and hit the ground with a thump ¡ª and the grass that his fingers brushed by on their way to the dirt disappeared.


    But perhaps disappeared was the wrong word for it.


    All living things had energy within them. That energy still remained exactly where it had been moments before ¡ª but the physical form of the grass was nowhere to be seen.


    It had been ripped apart. The grass had been shredded all the way down to its most core components. Even if the grass had been powerful enough to possess a rune, even that too would have been ripped apart.


    Nothing whatsoever remained of the living materials that had come into contact with Noah¡¯s hand. They had been completely and utterly unmade.


    Only then did Noah truly fall still.


    Renewal had stopped counting the exact seconds, but she knew one thing for certain. If only just barely, more than 60 mintutes had passed.


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± Garina breathed, staring down at Noah¡¯s still body.


    And, far in the deepest reaches of the universe, two rather voyeuristic gods asked the exact same thing.

 Chapter 693: Couldn’t possibly go wrong

    Noah groaned.


    His body throbbed like it had been put through a trash compactor. An angry headache pounded against the insides of his skull and he was pretty sure that his insides weren¡¯t in the right spots.


    It had been a long time since he¡¯d woken to damage this bad. Noah could barely even remember what he¡¯d been doing the night before. All he knew was his soul was most definitely not very happy with him.


    The one saving grace was that, even through all the pain, there was no fog in his mind. It was perfectly clear so he could feel every single scrap of the pain. Fortunately, that also meant that there was nothing stopping him from reaching out to the Fragment of Renewal.


    And he wasted absolutely no time in doing that. Noah drew deeply on the rune, letting its gentle energy wash through his soul. He didn¡¯t need to plunge into his mindspace to know the damage was nasty ¡ª but it didn¡¯t last long under the Fragment of Renewal¡¯s counterattack.


    The pain receded and the tension left Noah¡¯s shoulders. He let out a relieved breath as he felt himself return to a more normal state, though his body still felt like it had been trampled over by a herd of elephants.


    Now that he could think without worrying about severe mental trauma, it struck him that he was not lying in bed. The material beneath him wasn¡¯t exactly hard, but it was no plushy vine mattress.


    What the hell did I do last night?


    Noah¡¯s eyes fluttered open.


    Stalks of gray grass rose, standing perfectly still in the gray light that washed over the field surrounding him. Clouds obscured the sky completely. Not even a speck sunlight could break through their thick wall. The scene couldn¡¯t have been drabber if it had tried to be.


    Then his eyes widened.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Noah exclaimed. He bolted upright, his heart bucking in his chest as memories snapped back into the forefront of his mind. ¡°Oh, no. This is bad. Really bad.¡±


    He¡¯d died last night ¡ª but the brain fog was already gone. That meant he¡¯d been passed out for at least twelve hours... and he was still out in the Meadow.


    Moxie is definitely going to be wondering where I am. Crap. I promised her I wouldn¡¯t do this anymore. This is not a good look at all. Given my past history of getting kidnapped, she¡¯s probably worried sick. Why the hell did Garina¡ª


    ¡°Relax.¡±


    Noah twisted to look behind himself. Garina sat on a large rock, one leg pulled up close to her chest and her chin resting on her knee. Her fingers drummed against the side of her leg as her dark gaze bore down on him.


    ¡°Why¡¯d you keep me out here?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Take me back!¡±


    ¡°Calm down. I told Moxie you were out training. There was more we had to discuss, and I didn¡¯t want to leave you to your own devices. You¡¯d probably manage to screw something up before I got a chance to warn you not to.¡±


    Noah paused. He swung his legs around so he was facing Garina, then crossed them beneath him. ¡°Oh. That does help. Are you telling me you¡¯ve been sitting out here all night? Do you really have nothing better to do with twelve whole hours?¡±


    ¡°Yes and no.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that meant to mean?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been out here all night. Yes, I have better things to do. No, it wasn¡¯t twelve hours.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Sure it was. It had to have been. My brain¡ª¡±


    ¡°Eleven hours.¡± Garina shook her head. ¡°Not twelve. I counted. Figured you¡¯d want to know.¡±


    Noah¡¯s brow furrowed. He tilted his head to the side. ¡°Wait. Are you certain? If that¡¯s true...¡±


    ¡°Your magic normally comes back in twelve.¡± Garina nodded. ¡°Yes. I thought this might be the case. Think about it. When you die, the connection between your mind, body, and soul is damaged. But the whole point of yesterday was to strengthen that connection.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me that if I keep practicing, I¡¯ll be able to shorten the amount of time I can¡¯t access my powers after I die?¡± Noah asked, his eyes growing wide.


    The previous night had already shown him things he hadn¡¯t even thought to be possible. He hadn¡¯t forgotten how he¡¯d used power even though the effects of his death had still been present.


    His pattern had still partially functioned. And it was more than that. He couldn¡¯t directly access his runes after he died. That fact had still held true. But Noah had managed to discover a different path.


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    While he couldn¡¯t feel his runes after dying, his soul was still there. He could still feel it. And, by using a mixture of his pattern and soul shaping, he could create temporary channels that let the power slip from his runes of its own volition.


    Even though he couldn¡¯t quite control it, it had been enough to, just for a flicker of a second at the very end of the fight, unleash Unstable Pandemonium. The effort of doing so had basically taken every last scrap of energy that Noah had still possessed, and he had no memories after that.


    I must have passed out in the process. I never could have imagined that this training would be so damn effective, though. The benefits I already got were huge. Getting a better understanding of my pattern would have been more than enough for me to consider it worth my time. But this?


    Finding out that I can not only kind of access my runes and pattern after I die, but also lowering the time it takes me to get my real power back? Holy shit. I need to do this every single night.


    ¡°Get that look out of your eyes,¡± Garina said. ¡°It¡¯s not happening.¡±


    Noah blinked. ¡°What? But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Do you have any idea how difficult it is to achieve a perfect merge like the one you did last night?¡± Garina asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest. ¡°It takes years of pent up desire and determination to first achieve the full merge. It¡¯s little wonder you made huge advancements... but you can¡¯t seriously expect it to work like that every time.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Let¡¯s just do it again tonight. I could make even more progress than last time.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to be able to enter your Awakened state again so easily,¡± Garina said with a chuckle. ¡°And even when you do, it won¡¯t be the same as this time. Your body had never undergone a full merge, so it adapted quickly. It¡¯ll be partially used to it the next time you Awaken.¡±


    ¡°Awaken means getting a full merge between your mind, body, and soul?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s an incredibly strenuous process the first time you do it. That¡¯s what causes the huge leap in strength. It should not be as difficult in the future. And that¡¯s a good thing. It brings you closer to a permanent state of Awakening. Where your mind, body, and soul¡¯s natural state becomes one of complete connection.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you have?¡±


    Garina let out an amused snort. ¡°No. You need such an immense understanding of your runes and self that I¡¯ve never heard of anyone below Rank 8 pulling it off. But I can enter my Awakened state easily.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Noah said with a frown. ¡°But if I practice this, I could continue to lower the time it takes me to get my magic back after dying?¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± Garina said. ¡°I don¡¯t know by how much, but it should be possible.¡±


    Noah grinned. ¡°Incredible. This is huge, Garina. You have no idea how much of a pain in the ass it is to be pretty much useless after you get killed.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Garina agreed. ¡°Generally, most people don¡¯t think about much at all after they get killed, much less how much of a pain in the ass it is. They stay dead.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Right. Generally not advisable,¡± Noah said with a knowing nod. He paused for a moment as a frown slipped across his features. ¡°I have another question. I think I get what Awakening does, but what is it? And is there another step? I think you mentioned that there was.¡±


    Garina¡¯s lips twitched up in a wry smile. ¡°Yes. Reaching an Awakened state allows you to access something that you should not normally be able to even think about until Rank 7. It¡¯s called Rune Force.¡±


    ¡°And that is...?¡±


    ¡°Normally, it¡¯s the sheer pressure of your runes becoming so intense that you can use it like a weapon. If your runes are powerful, it can fill your entire domain,¡± Garina replied. ¡°The ability to control it is generally gated to reaching Rank 7 because of how much power the runes need to hold to get to such an intensity. But when you achieve a full merge, you can focus the pressure of your runes into a small area. You need a whole lot less power to create a very small area of Rune Force than you do to flood your domain with it.¡±


    Noah¡¯s eyes widened as he processed what Garina was saying. ¡°You mean this basically gives me access to a Rank 7 ability early?¡±


    ¡°To a degree,¡± Garina allowed. ¡°It¡¯s more like you¡¯re putting the weight and pressure of your soul and runes behind your attacks. You can¡¯t cast the Rune Force out yet, but it is effective in certain situations. Incredibly so.¡±


    She rubbed at the side of her cheek.


    ¡°So I saw,¡± Noah said, fighting to contain his delight. ¡°Holy shit. That¡¯s incredible.¡±


    Garina grunted. She wasn¡¯t nearly as thrilled as Noah. ¡°Are you done with your questions?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Noah said. ¡°Give me a minute and I¡¯ll come up with ten more. I can pause if you want me to.¡±


    ¡°A wise suggestion.¡± Garina let her knee slip down the rock and leaned forward so her gaze was boring directly into Noah¡¯s. ¡°Now it¡¯s my turn. You remember it, don¡¯t you? Last night. Were you aware?¡±


    ¡°Aware?¡± Noah¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°What does that mean? Of course I was.¡±


    Garina leaned back. Her face looked paler than usual, but her skin was already so white that it was hard to tell for sure.


    ¡°Shit,¡± she breathed. ¡°You remember all of it? Every part of the merge? You were conscious through the whole thing?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± Noah said. ¡°Why? Should I not have been?¡±


    ¡°Ridiculous,¡± Garina muttered. ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be possible. The Prophet said ¡ª no. It doesn¡¯t matter. I need to look at your soul. You are abnormal beyond belief. Whatever you showed Crone, I need you to show it to me. Can you do that?¡±


    Noah blinked. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Garina said. ¡°Absolutely certain. I need to know what you are. You should not be able to remember any of the fight from last night. If this is something that can be replicated... I have to know. This is enormous.¡±


    Noah scratched at his chin. ¡°Maybe it would be better if I just talked you through it?¡±


    ¡°No. Show me.¡± Garina set her jaw. ¡°Do you think me so feeble minded that I cannot look at your soul? I am aware it is greater than that of a normal Rank 5. But, unless you have something to hide, it is imperative that I see it so that I can properly understand how to continue teaching you.¡±


    Noah grimaced. Garina had a good point. One couldn¡¯t teach what they didn¡¯t understand. Not well, at least. If doing this would let her figure out what else to help him improve at, there was no way he could turn the Apostle down.


    ¡°If you¡¯re certain¡ª¡±


    ¡°I am. My mental defenses are down. Show me.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t say I¡¯m happy about it, but if it¡¯s for training purposes, I won¡¯t say no. Just remember...¡± Noah drew on Unstable Pandemonium and the mind magic held within its components. Then he extended a hand to let a finger rest on Garina¡¯s forehead. ¡°You asked for this.¡±

 Chapter 694: They should have stopped coming.

    Garina was more than aware that Noah was no normal human. That possibility had sailed a long time ago. Death¡¯s inability to keep a grip on him would have normally been more than enough to make that obvious. It only became more evident when he¡¯d practically brought Crone to his knees with a few mere moments of a mind link.


    But knowing what Noah was not didn¡¯t help Garina figure out what he was. She knew pieces of the whole truth. Fragments of what she needed, just enough to understand just how little she truly knew.


    Too much about him didn¡¯t add up. There were too many anomalies. Too many things that simply shouldn¡¯t have been possible. As one grew stronger, the universe made it increasingly apparent that anything was possible.


    Limits were artificially imposed as a lack of understanding rather than possibility. With the sufficient motivation and tools, anything could be accomplished. Those who did not understand that rarely made it beyond Rank 6. One could not take steps toward godhood without realizing just how little they truly knew.


    But even that knowledge didn¡¯t answer the questions churning through her head. This couldn¡¯t even be described as a coincidence. Noah¡¯s mystery wasn¡¯t a one-off event. She couldn¡¯t brush all the oddness off as the result of some passing incident.


    This was more. It had to be. The more time Garina spent with Noah, the more she became absolutely convinced that there was something in motion far, far beyond anything she had ever involved herself in before.


    An anomaly like Noah wasn¡¯t something that could just... happen. The fingers of some immensely powerful god ¡ª or perhaps multiple ¡ª had to be dipped into the pie. They were manipulating something. Preparing something.


    Garina didn¡¯t know what. She didn¡¯t know why. She didn¡¯t even suspect that finding out was a wise idea. Information was only power when it could be acted upon. And if her suspicions were correct, if Noah was truly the pawn of some immensely powerful creature and being pruned and raised for... whatever purpose it may have had ¡ª there was nothing she could do about it.


    Sure, I could kill Noah. I could unleash the full strength of my Runes and shatter his soul so utterly that nothing remained. But if an entity that powerful is invested in Noah... I doubt it¡¯ll let me. I¡¯ll be dead before I finish drawing on my Runes.


    Even asking to take a peek directly at Noah¡¯s soul had a decent chance of ending in the same manner. Crone was a fool, and anyone watching them would have known that. He was unlikely to root out any oddities.


    But Garina was not so easily deceived. If there was something to find within Noah¡¯s soul, she would find it. And if he posed a threat to this world ¡ª if he was here for some purpose other than the one that he had claimed, then she would be forced to act.


    Noah might not even know. He could have no idea as to the extent that the events in his life were manipulated. A powerful being could have built him from the ground up as its chosen weapon, for some purpose that I can¡¯t even begin to understand, without ever revealing its presence. Noah could think that he¡¯s just incredibly lucky ¡ª or cursed.


    That was a very real possibility. But in the end, whether Noah knew or not; whether his intentions were good or ill; Garina had to determine what he was. Even if his purpose was purely benign, she couldn¡¯t continue to teach him if she didn¡¯t know what he was.


    Garina wasn¡¯t foolish enough to believe that Decras would step in to protect her if things went poorly. He had always been very hands off with his followers. The only one who had managed to directly communicate with Decras for any extensive period of time was the Prophet, and even he struggled to get anything meaningful from their conversation. Decras wasn¡¯t going to start a feud with another powerful god purely just to protect her.


    Garina was on her own. But she wasn¡¯t dead yet. Even as Noah let his power flow into her soul and lift her soul from within its housing, nothing changed. That only sent a chill racing down Garina¡¯s back.


    She could really only think of two possibilities as to why she hadn¡¯t been stopped.


    Either the god that had shaped Noah was very confident in its powers, to the point where it believed she wouldn¡¯t be able to figure out the faintest piece of information about what it had done...


    Or it knew that something within Noah¡¯s would shatter Garina¡¯s mind so thoroughly that she would have no chance of fighting back.


    There was no more time to wonder. She was the hound. Finding things out was her job. Protecting this empire was her duty. It was a largely self-imposed role. It was not one that had made her any allies. It was not one that allowed for them. Nobody liked being policed, but nobody could be trusted to act in accordance with the rules if they were not enforced.


    This is my purpose.


    Garina relaxed. She felt Noah¡¯s magic pull at her soul and try to slip it free of her body. She offered up no resistance. On the contrary. When Noah¡¯s senses extended toward her, Garina opened her soul and let it gaze directly into the very core of who Noah was.


    Anything that existed within...


    She would find it.


    The world spun. It twisted, tendrils of darkness coiling inward to swallow her vision like a twisting kaleidoscope. The shadows rose to consume everything until only they remained. For the briefest of moments, there was simply nothing.


    And then she was within Noah¡¯s soul.


    An endless expanse of void stretched out in every direction around Garina¡¯s awareness. It was perfectly still. Perfectly silent. Perfectly empty. A complete lack of anything that could have ever been considered existence.


    What is this?


    A second ticked by. Garina could practically hear it rattle by in the back of her head. She couldn¡¯t feel Noah¡¯s soul anymore. She couldn¡¯t even feel her own. Her awareness of her being felt like it was muted and muffled behind a dozen thick layers of wool.


    This couldn¡¯t have been a soul. It was too vast. To empty. To grand, and yet too devoid of anything at all. She would have thought she was simply stuck somewhere in transit between their souls if she didn¡¯t know better.


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    But Garina was certain she had entered Noah¡¯s domain. Her consciousness was within his. She¡¯d felt herself pass through the barrier, if only for a brief instant. This had to be his soul... but it was like no soul she had ever seen.


    She would have liked to say that she floated there in silent, stunned observation. But Garina couldn¡¯t claim even that. To float would have implied existence. It would have implied some knowledge or understanding as to the place of her own body.


    And right now, she didn¡¯t even have that. She wasn¡¯t even sure that she was. This wasn¡¯t even death. It was a state so close to non-existence that it couldn¡¯t even be properly comprehended. It was just...


    Nothing.


    And then, far in the distance, a spark of gold shimmered.


    Garina¡¯s gaze focused on it at around the same time that she realized that she, in fact, had a gaze. Awareness of her body slammed back like a hammer blow.


    And light exploded around her. A pathway carved into existence like the glistening tail of a comet long since passed. It formed beneath her feet, extending out both before and behind her to vanish into the horizons.


    A heartbeat thumped in her ears.


    Garina found her consciousness higher than she¡¯d thought it to be. The being that she had believed to be her. She actually floated above a pale ghostly form ¡ª and it was not her own.


    It was Noah. He didn¡¯t look much like the body she¡¯d come to associate with his soul, but there was absolutely no doubt within her mind. The translucent blue being beneath her was Noah. He stood alone on the twisting golden line, watching it vanish into the distance.


    What is happening? Where am I?


    Then Noah took a step forward.


    Garina found herself jerked backward. Her stomach would have shot up into her throat if she still had a body to observe with. Instead, she simply found herself staring down at that very same line.


    She could still just barely make out Noah¡¯s form upon the line, but she could now see even more of it ¡ª and she still couldn¡¯t even begin to determine where it ended or where it started.


    The world jerked back a second time before Garina could adjust to her new vision. Noah shrank once more. The line stretched farther still ¡ª and still, she could make out no end. No beginning.


    There was just Noah. Noah, and the seemingly endless path he stood upon.


    Garina¡¯s inexistent ears rung. The immensity of the golden pathway drove into her consciousness like a physical hammer blow. Calling it vast would have been an understatement so criminal that it carried the penalty of death.


    Noah took a step forward. Garina didn¡¯t know how she knew that. She simply did. He was walking, but from where she floated, so far above that Noah¡¯s presence wasn¡¯t even visible upon the glistening path anymore, he may as well not have moved.


    He took another step forward.


    And then another one.


    And another one.


    And another one.


    Not one of them moved him in any meaningful manner. He may as well have been standing still. There was no end to the line. No limit to its immensity. Even a hundred thousand years of constant sprinting would have the same result as not having moved at all.


    And still Noah walked.


    Each step pierced into Garina¡¯s consciousness with the weight of building realization.


    Her breath caught in invisible lungs. An invisible force wound around her throat. It pulled her downward, trying to yank her back down to stand beside Noah¡¯s ghostly form.


    And then, only then, did Garina realize where she was.


    No.


    There was no god here. No greater creature that had shaped Noah into anything, nor some divine conspiracy or plot.


    There was only Noah and the line he stood upon.


    But it wasn¡¯t just a line.


    It was the Line.


    This can¡¯t be possible.


    She¡¯d known he¡¯d retained a measure of his memories from the Line. That he¡¯d somehow managed to escape the afterlife with fragments of both Decras and Renewal. But these were no mere fragments of what had been.


    Noah¡¯s soul didn¡¯t just have a few passing memories of the Line burned into it. It didn¡¯t remember just a few thousand years, or even a hundred thousand of them.


    It remembered all of them.


    A mortal consciousness can¡¯t possibly contain this. He should be shattered into pieces. No. Dust. There should be nothing left. Gods process time differently to mortals. That¡¯s how their consciousness doesn¡¯t completely erode. The Line is meant to wear away every single scrap of humanity someone has so that they can be born anew, isn¡¯t it? That¡¯s what the Prophet said.


    How does he remember every single step? How is he anything more than a gibbering mess of agonized flesh?


    In response, Noah took another step.


    The world jerked around Garina. The world shifted and she found herself upon the surface of the Line once more. Noah was gone. It was just Garina and the line ¡ª but this time, she knew better.


    How long did he walk the Line?


    Horror swelled in her thoughts like a rising tide.


    She¡¯d delved into the very core of Noah¡¯s soul and had found eternity waiting within it.


    Even gods would not have come here. Not even they would have the desire to subject themselves to such torture. And Garina was not a god. Her perception of time was not all that much different than that of a mortal.


    She had absolutely no idea how any fragment of his psyche had remained. Noah as a concept should have been gone. Reduced to nothing more than a long faded memory. Under the sheer weight of an entire universe of time... he shouldn¡¯t have existed at all.


    And now that very same weight was upon Garina¡¯s shoulders. A cold hand clenched its skeletal fingers around Garina¡¯s heart. The idea of surviving this for even a few thousand years and somehow coming out of it without yearning to have her mind wiped clean by the Waters of Life sounded ludicrous.


    Noah wasn¡¯t working with anyone. He hadn¡¯t been created by anyone. There would be no god foolish enough to intentionally bring something like him to life. The type of monster that could look into the abyss for an eternity and emerge from it with any fragment of their mortal mind still intact would not be the manner of creature that obeyed the commands of another.


    Noah wasn¡¯t asking me if I was sure I wanted to look into his soul because he was trying to hide something.


    He was trying to show me kindness.


    Cold realization bound around her like iron chains. Garina¡¯s foot lifted of its own volition as she found her body taking a step forward along the Line. She hadn¡¯t thought of taking the step. It had simply happened. There was no choice in the matter.


    It was the only action she could do. The only move her limbs would allow her to take, and one that insisted upon itself ¡ª one that would continue to insist upon itself until time itself wore to a thread and snapped.


    This wasn¡¯t even the true Line. It was merely a memory of it ¡ª but it had seared itself so deeply into Noah¡¯s very existence that it didn¡¯t matter.


    Garina could barely believe what she was seeing. The afterlife was a concept. It was a place, not a being. Nobody could harness its vast power. It simply was.


    And Noah had it burned into his soul like a fancy tattoo.


    He¡¯s a perfect replica. A walking imprint of the immensity of the afterlife itself.


    The ramifications of this were almost too terrifying to think about, and she didn¡¯t have the luxury to mull over her thoughts.


    I need to get out of here. I delved too deep. Far too deep.


    If I stay too long, I might not be able to escape until I¡¯ve actually seen every single corner of Noah¡¯s soul, just like I¡¯d wanted to.


    And if that happens...


    There won¡¯t be anything of me left.

 Chapter 695: Thats an oopsie.

    Chapter 695: That''s an oopsie.


    Return of the Runebound Professor


    Garina did not panic easily. Calling this an undesirable situation was an understatement, but she had more mastery over herself than most mages would ever see. Even as deep as she was into Noah¡¯s soul, she was not yet completely lost.


    But if she didn¡¯t remove herself soon, she would be. A soul was always most powerful in its home ground. She was an invader ¡ª and delving deep into the core of another person¡¯s soul functionally turned her own into a needle.


    That was quite useful when it came to piercing through the layers to see what laid at someone¡¯s self. It was considerably less ideal when it came to putting up a good fight. Her powers were weaker here than they would be anywhere else. She was basically surrounded in a reality of Noah¡¯s making.


    The more time she spent here, the more the reality would try to absorb her into it. Even a few minutes could be long enough for a sliver of her consciousness this thin to be completely swallowed.


    Garina narrowed her eyes. There were risks that came with this manner of soul shaping, but there were also fail safes. Soul shaping was just that. Shaping. It could not change the mass or size of a soul. All it did was modify the shape it took.


    In order to form into a needle, Garina had pushed the rest of her soul back into a large orb and inserted her consciousness into the very tip of the thin line that protruded from within it. The amount of her soul that was actually this deep into Noah¡¯s territory was nearly zero.


    Tracing her steps back should have been a relatively simple procedure. Garina sent her mind back along the path that connected her to the greater portion of herself. She could still feel it in the distance, but every second that path seemed to pull her farther away.


    With anyone else, this wouldn¡¯t have even been more than a passing thought. The mere desire alone would have already accomplished what she sought. But, as Garina tried to retract herself, an immense pressure fought back against her.


    The skin on the back of her neck prickled.


    Noah¡¯s soul was so dense that it actually had what could be only described as a gravitational pull to it. It didn¡¯t want to release her. She¡¯d already spent too long here.


    Garina narrowed her eyes. She drew on more power and pushed back even harder against the endless expanse of darkness threatening to swallow her. This was far more than she ever could have expected, but now wasn¡¯t the time to let her mind wander.


    If I¡¯m too aggressive, I might end up dealing severe damage to his soul. If I¡¯m too careful, his soul is going to do severe damage to me.


    Garina gritted her teeth and shoved her mind against the tightening web forming around her once more. She let a little more energy seep free, trying to keep it as concentrated as possible to avoid indiscriminately destroying anything.


    There was a tiny lurch. The ground of the golden line beneath her bucked. Noah¡¯s soul was somehow holding back against that of a Rank 7. Garina didn¡¯t bother wasting time in disbelief at that.


    She just yanked herself back again, harder this time. Her soul shuddered as she forced it to change shape and retract. Pressure drove in toward her chest in a vice grip. It pressed into her neck and tried to squeeze the air from her lungs.


    Noah¡¯s soul was not happy with her disruptions. It fought back even harder. Garina wound her power around herself like a protective cloak and shoved the intruding presence back once more.


    Her eyes narrowed. If this didn¡¯t work, then she was going to have to start cutting into things to escape. That would be bad. Even if it worked, she¡¯d owe Noah a big apology. The damage to his soul would be enormous... which would put her into his debt.


    And the more Garina saw of Noah, the less she wanted to owe him anything.


    But that wasn¡¯t all. One thought lingered at the back of her mind like dread made manifest and given physical form. The immensity of Noah¡¯s soul, the sheer clarity of the Line carved into his very being by the blade of time itself... it really wasn¡¯t possible for a mortal to have this much trauma.


    Their mind wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it. Not in a way that let them linger around other living beings. Noah should have been raving mad. Insanity, fear, or hatred should have been the only emotions that his mind still had the potential to form. Ra????o???E?S?


    He should have been a monster.


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    But he wasn¡¯t. He had control of himself. And, more than anything else, that scared Garina. Damage like this didn¡¯t just disappear. It couldn¡¯t just be ignored. It had to be somewhere. It should have been as clear as a jagged weeping wound carved across Noah¡¯s face...


    But Garina hadn¡¯t been able to see so much as a scrap of it before she¡¯d entered his soul. He¡¯d seemed odd, but normal enough. He¡¯d somehow managed to hide this. To contain what should have been impossible to contain.


    I can¡¯t let myself think about this. I need to get out of here, now.


    With a snarl, Garina drove her will upward once more. She put every scrap of power she dared to use into it. A single spark extra of power had the risk of tearing deep gouges into the core of Noah¡¯s being ¡ª but anything less would do nothing but waste time and energy.


    And finally, something gave. The world around Garina faltered. It pulled back from her soul for the briefest of moments. And in that flicker of time, Garina yanked her soul back into its proper form.


    Her consciousness tore out of the core of Noah¡¯s soul like a bat from hell. The darkness collapsed all around her and the line evaporated, shattering to pieces as light pierced through her surroundings.


    Ground formed beneath Garina¡¯s feet and her stomach lurched. She staggered a step back, her vision snapping back into focus, as she found herself standing in yet another expanse of darkness.


    But this one was different than the first. Cracks of white light burned at her feet, sending up a pale glow to illuminate the area around her in a harsh light. Garina didn¡¯t have any time to situate herself. Even as the relief from her escape tried to set in, pressure bore down on her back like a hammer.


    Garina stumbled. It was Runic pressure, but far more powerful than anything that should have been able to manifest in a Rank 5¡¯s mind. This was comparable to the power of a Rank 6 in sheer force, even if it lacked in total capacity. Garina¡¯s gaze shot up.


    Her eyes widened and the breath caught in her chest. She couldn¡¯t help herself. It might have been beneath her station, but her lips parted in awe all the same.


    Floating above her was the fragment of a god.


    But not just one. There were two of them.


    She recognized the first instantly. The presence it bore was familiar. It would have been to any Apostle. It was a Fragment of Decras, and a rather sizable one. Beside it floated what could have only been from one of the goddesses of life.


    The two Master Runes were immensely powerful. Even one of them would have been enough to let the average mage punch an entire level above their weight class, but Noah had two. And he didn¡¯t just have the runes.


    They¡¯d accepted him. There were changes to the Master Runes¡¯ composition. They were small enough that the average mage would be entirely unable to locate the differences, but it was clear as day to Garina that they had adapted to fit into Noah¡¯s soul properly.


    These runes may have come from gods, but they only had one master now ¡ª and it was the owner of the soul she stood in.


    Noah actually completely stole Decras¡¯ magic from him, not to mention that of the goddess of rebirth. There¡¯s no way either of them can still take these runes back. They have no claim on them now. They¡¯re Noah¡¯s.


    Garina swallowed. She was still badly shaken from what she¡¯d seen moments ago. That had been far too close.


    If she¡¯d been even a little bit slower, Noah¡¯s soul might have consumed her consciousness. Even if it hadn¡¯t killed her and she¡¯d escaped later, the damage to both her and Noah would have been astronomical.


    She resisted the urge to press a hand to her chest as her heart raced. It had been years since she¡¯d felt like this. Even the fight against Father hadn¡¯t put her so badly off guard. Thoughts swirled through her head in a turbulent maelstrom.


    I need a moment.


    Garina blew out a slow breath. She was still on the inner layers of Noah¡¯s soul. His Master Runes were powerful enough to manifest themselves here, but the rest of them ¡ª along with his consciousness ¡ª were still a few layers up.


    She could safely pause here and get her mind back in order before heading farther up and speaking directly with Noah. This part of his soul was too deep for him to reach at the stage he was at.


    And thank any god that¡¯s listening for that. I wasn¡¯t ready for this at all. Rank 5 my ass. How the fuck does Noah even manage any coherent thoughts after what he¡¯s seen? How is he anything more than a wretched abomination hellbent on destruction because of what he¡¯s gone through? The fact that his soul hasn¡¯t shredded itself to smithereens is unbelievable.


    Does he even know what he is?


    Does anyone?


    The back of Garina¡¯s neck still prickled as if someone were watching her. A part of her mind still felt like she was standing on the Line... and something told her it would be a while before that stopped. A strong urge to glance over her shoulder to make sure nothing lurked in the shadows pulled at her thoughts.


    She couldn¡¯t keep herself from obliging it. Garina glanced back.


    Her heart bucked into her throat.


    She wasn¡¯t alone.


    Standing a few feet behind her, as silent as a dead night, was Noah.


    But this didn¡¯t look like the Noah that Garina remembered.


    His body was pitch black, made up of the same material that formed the rest of his soul. Streaks of brilliant golden energy just like that of the Line wove through his form. They wound all the way up from his legs to his neck and rose around his jaw to frame his face.


    Noah¡¯s eyes ¡ª if they could even still be called that ¡ª were two inky pools of pure void. They seemed to absorb all the dim light his soul possessed, swallowing every scrap of it like the maw of a starving eldritch god.


    ¡°You,¡± Noah said, his voice trembling like he was only an inch away from snapping and diving to rip her throat out with his teeth, ¡°Should not be here.¡±

 Chapter 696: Who am I?

    The hair on the back of Garina¡¯s neck stood on end. The inky black being before her may have resembled Noah, but she was absolutely certain that this was not the being that she had been sparring with just a few short minutes ago.


    He might have had the same form as the Noah that Garina knew, but Rank 7 senses went far beyond those of mere sight. Every being had a unique soul. It was like a cosmic fingerprint. Soul shaping could twist that print, warp and change the way others perceived it, but the print was still the same.


    The only way in which that signature could be changed was through the absorption of runes. But even that was a long, arduous process. It usually took weeks for a new rune to begin fully acclimating to the soul it had been drawn into. Stronger runes could change the soul faster, but stronger souls were similarly resistant to change from the runes they drew into them. People were generally quite uniform. They were who they were. Without time and a great deal of effort, they did not change the deepest parts of their self.


    So why does the thing before me not feel like Noah in the slightest?


    If she were to believe this was Noah, then he would have had to absorb multiple powerful runes in the time it had taken her to delve into his soul. But, now that Garina thought about it, even that probably wouldn¡¯t have been sufficient.


    She¡¯d seen the immensity of his soul. Unless he was absorbing runes with powers that were nothing short of impossible, there was just no way for a part of him to have such a different signature.


    And it wasn¡¯t just the difference in the pressure this part of Noah¡¯s soul put out. It was his aura. His literal presence felt... wrong. Warped. Dangerous.


    This isn¡¯t Noah. What the hell is wrong with his soul? First the Line, and now this?


    She¡¯d lived long enough to know only a fool would claim to have seen everything. True understanding of the universe came with the realization that everyone within it was nothing more than a speck drifting through an infinite mass of space. Gaining comprehension of even one percent of the universe¡¯s immensity was a feat to be elated with.


    It was impossible for a Rank 7 to claim to have seen everything there is to see. Such a claim would have been ludicrous even for a god. Garina was many things, but a bumbling fool was not among them.


    She was not afraid to admit that she did not know what it was she looked at. There could have been any number of explanations for it. Perhaps it was some manner of creature that had attached itself to Noah during his stint through the afterlife.


    Perhaps it was a sickness or an infection corrupting his soul. Perhaps it was his baffling combination of Master Runes somehow coming together to create a wretched monster in the deepest recesses of his mind.


    Perhaps it was something else entirely.


    Garina didn¡¯t know what it was. At the moment, there was only one thing that she did know.


    The thing before her was not to be trusted.


    ¡°What are you?¡± Garina asked, watching the murky version of Noah through narrowed eyes.


    ¡°I am the ruler,¡± the creature replied. Its words dripped like molten tar, and Garina felt the pressure of Noah¡¯s soul shifting around her. Something was changing within it ¡ª and she wasn¡¯t much a fan of that at all. The fake-Noah¡¯s inky gaze bore into skull like a heated blade. ¡°This is my domain.¡±


    The ruler? It¡¯s claiming to be Noah? My ass. The pressure difference between your souls is too significant. You may as well have a whole different set of runes to him for how unique the two of you are. It¡¯s far more likely this is some manner of leech trying to hide within the safety of Noah¡¯s mind.


    If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll purge it.


    Garina¡¯s fingers flexed as she drew on her runes. Wielding them within someone else¡¯s soul, especially this deep into it, wasn¡¯t going to be easy. This was not her domain. But she was a Rank 7.


    No matter how big Noah¡¯s soul was, there was still an incomparable difference in their power. The pressure bearing down on her was immense for a Rank 5, but to her, it was only an inconvenience.


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    I just have to make sure I don¡¯t damage anything important while I cleanse this thing. We¡¯re deep enough in his psyche that even the Fragment of Renewal might have difficulty repairing things.


    ¡°Drop the bullshit,¡± Garina said. She had to go about this the right way. Cutting this creature free in her current situation was going to be like performing a delicate surgery with a battle-axe. ¡°We both know you aren¡¯t Noah. Tell me what you really are.¡±


    ¡°I already have,¡± the creature replied. It paused after every word, as if it were trying to remember how to string them together. Even its tone felt off. Each word was spoken as if it were its own sentence. Some almost seemed like questions, while others were practically yelled. It was the dialect of a madman, but the creature continued to speak. ¡°There is no other existence within this universe that can claim to be the ruler of this place more than me. I am the apotheosis. How did you come here? How did you pass through the layers of the soul?¡±


    Garina gathered her power. She could feel Noah¡¯s soul continuing to shift around her. It was doing something. He was doing something ¡ª and that gave her pause. An invader wouldn¡¯t have been able to actually control Noah¡¯s soul.


    That meant Noah himself was doing it. But that made no sense. Noah would have no reason to help a parasite latched onto him. He shouldn¡¯t have even been able to look this deep into his own soul.


    Garina knew Noah fairly well at this point. She was confident he hadn¡¯t reached the level of understanding that would let him peer this deep into his own soul. He should have been completely unaware of everything happening here.


    And if he was, that meant the one controlling the soul around Garina was none other than the eerie creature standing before her.


    But a soul couldn¡¯t be split. That wasn¡¯t how it worked. A soul was a soul. It could change and grow and evolve, but it could not be two entirely separate things. If it actually did get split, then it would just shatter and cease to exist.


    How could something like this exist? The being here is so different than Noah that I don¡¯t see how it could possibly be part of his actual soul. For that to happen...


    Garina¡¯s eyes widened slightly as a thought struck her.


    Wait.


    Answers to questions that that had rose when she¡¯d been within the deepest part of Noah¡¯s mind finally clicked into place. Garina¡¯s skin prickled as realization finally set in.


    ¡°You¡¯re not lying,¡± Garina breathed.


    This was how Noah had managed to keep his sanity all the way through countless years of torture along the Line. It wasn¡¯t that he¡¯d somehow just ignored or forgotten all those years that his mind had been forced to endure.


    He¡¯d locked them away.


    The human mind was capable of suppressing a great many things. Time healed many wounds. Traumatic events could be sealed away in a vault and the key thrown away. But there were limits to that.


    Limits that would become very apparent when one tried to seal away the vast majority of the time they had existed. When there were so many memories, so many emotions drawn out over more years than anyone would ever dare count... locking them away could only do so much.


    Both Garina and the creature before her had been correct.


    This was Noah. But it wasn¡¯t the Noah that she knew. It wasn¡¯t the Noah that anyone in this world knew.


    This was the part of Noah that remembered every single second of the Line.


    Noah had locked away such an enormous part of himself that it had formed into its own being. It was him, but it wasn¡¯t him. But if that was the case, then they were still the same being. And if they were the same, then fragments of their memories would still be shared.


    That would be how Noah could still recall pieces of his time in the Line. He still bore every second of that passed time, but much of it had been condensed and sealed. There would have been no other way for him to process even a single thought.


    But if that was true... then the version of Noah before her shouldn¡¯t have been able to muster a word. It should have been a gibbering mass, twitching and screaming on the ground in wait for someone to end its misery.


    Have his emotions somehow gathered to the point where they wrapped back around to control once more? Is that even possible? Can you overload your mind to the point where it¡¯s so thoroughly broken that it reforms?


    ¡°Garina. Apostle of the Seven. I need your power,¡± the creature claiming to be Noah said. ¡°It is the key. Give it to me. Give it to me, or I will take it.¡±


    Its words weren¡¯t as slow as they had been before. They came with more purpose. More intent behind them beyond the lilting confusion of insanity. The creature was adapting. It was getting more aware, and at an alarming rate.


    The world shifted around Garina. Pressure swirled around her, seeking an entrance through her defenses ¡ª but there was something wrong about it. Pressure usually came in a single wave of power, but this was more like countless little individual pinpricks. Millions of fragments of thought, all trying to poke at her defenses at once.


    ¡°Your name,¡± Garina said. Her senses yelled warnings to her. She didn¡¯t know what this creature was capable of ¡ª and she couldn¡¯t fight back without doing severe damage to Noah¡¯s soul. There was something seriously wrong, something so badly warped within Noah¡¯s soul that even she was in danger. The best move to do was leave. But she couldn¡¯t leave. Not without one last answer. Garina¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°What is your name?¡±


    For a brief instant, the pinpricks of will battering against Garina¡¯s soul jerked back. The being¡¯s inky black head tilted to the side as the voids it called eyes burned into her mind.


    Then it smiled.


    ¡°Spider,¡± the being replied. ¡°I am Spider.¡±

 Chapter 697: Little Lights

    Garina didn¡¯t spend any more time speaking with Spider. She didn¡¯t know if that part of Noah¡¯s soul was telling the truth or not. There was only one thing she was absolutely certain of at the moment ¡ª Spider was somehow using her presence to evolve.


    She didn¡¯t even know how, but souls were one of the hardest aspects in the universe to gain true understanding of. Garina knew she was strong. She also knew that her knowledge for matters like this, even if leagues beyond that of everyone else within the Kingdom of Arbalest, was still a single drop in an ocean.


    There were a great many things that were possible. She was not about to let some primal part of Noah¡¯s mind escape using her as its ladder on the way out. And so, without any further ado, she darted out from the lower parts of his soul.


    Garina slipped through the layers that made up Noah¡¯s soul, sliding between cracks rather than carving new pathways for herself. She took extra care to ensure she was not followed and that she left next to no trace of her passing.


    Escaping the deepest part of his soul had been difficult because of the imprint of the line. But, mercifully, the rest of his soul was far easier to navigate. She had absolutely no trouble making her way toward the outermost layer of the core ¡ª and after one last check to make absolutely sure that Spider hadn¡¯t managed to follow her, she manifested herself within it.


    Runes shimmered into being around Garina as she found herself standing beside Noah once more. This time, the pressure coming from his soul marked Noah as the one she recognized. A flicker of relief licked against her mind.


    I don¡¯t know what I would have done if there was somehow a third Noah kicking around in here somewhere. Absolutely ridiculous. I can¡¯t tell if I¡¯m impressed or infuriated. There is something seriously wrong with Noah as a concept. Even his foundations are weird.


    Noah let out a curse as Garina appeared beside him. ¡°Garina! Where were you? I thought¡ª¡±


    ¡°I delved a bit too deep,¡± Garina said sharply. ¡°Saw more than I wanted to. More than I probably should have.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Noah blinked, then glanced down and grimaced. ¡°Seriously? Oh, come on. Moxie is not going to be happy about this. For the record, you¡¯re explaining it. Not me.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see that, you idiot. I¡¯m older than...¡± Garina trailed off. She wasn¡¯t older than Noah. Not by a long shot. He¡¯d been ancient before her parents¡¯ parents had even been born. Even if the part of Noah¡¯s soul she spoke to acted young, he was probably the oldest being that Garina had ever interacted with beyond Decras himself. She blew out a sharp sigh. ¡°I¡¯m older than most. I can assure you that there is absolutely nothing that I haven¡¯t seen.¡±


    ¡°So you did see?¡±


    ¡°I ¡ª no. No, I didn¡¯t see anything of that sort.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Good, good.¡± Noah nodded in relief. Then he pointed a finger at Garina. ¡°You¡¯re still telling her, though. I¡¯ve done too much stupid shit. I¡¯ll take credit for the dumb things I¡¯ve done, but this one was all you.¡±


    That¡¯s an understatement. I don¡¯t know if coming to his soul was the right move or not. I¡¯ve learned more than I¡¯d hoped to, but I¡¯m somehow more confused than I had been. He¡¯s definitely not being influenced by a god. That I know... and part of me wishes that he was. It would have made things a lot easier.


    And he doesn¡¯t even seem to realize the immensity of what I¡¯ve seen. Even if it¡¯s unlikely he knows about the extent of what I witnessed... he should have realized that his soul is dangerously abnormal. Does he truly not care?


    What motivates someone like this? He might have locked the worst of the trauma away... but it¡¯s still there. It¡¯s still part of his being. What could make someone so hated by the universe act so relatively normal? What keeps him sane?


    ¡°You seem to have the wrong idea about the severity of this situation,¡± Garina said. ¡°Do you ever think about anything other than Moxie?¡±


    ¡°Rarely.¡± There wasn¡¯t even a moment of hesitation in his answer.


    I wonder if Fer¡ª


    Garina felt her cheeks heat. A splash of freezing cold surprise drove into her and she banished the embarrassed tint from her features in a flicker of a second. Nobody else would have even had a moment to notice it, but this was her soul. She knew the emotions she felt.


    Romantic idiot. This moron is rotting my brain. I need to get out of his soul as soon as I¡¯m done taking a look around. It would be pathetic if I did all this and couldn¡¯t even help Noah develop further.


    ¡°Forget it,¡± Garina said through a sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Moxie and apologize for rooting around. In the meantime, I¡¯m going to have a look at your runes. I trust you don¡¯t care?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re already here, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°At this point, I¡¯m starting to think asking for permission is wise. I trust your normal runes aren¡¯t going to do anything I need to be warned about?¡±


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°You never struck me as the type to ask for permission. Sure, go ahead. That was the whole point, wasn¡¯t it? And I don¡¯t think the runes should cause you any problems. Just don¡¯t touch Sunder. It tends to bite.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t the type to ask for permission until I nearly got my brain melted by the fucking Line you¡¯re hiding inside your soul. It would be so embarrassing if I was forced to carve your soul apart to save myself. I think I¡¯d probably die of shame.


    Garina had no interest in messing with Noah¡¯s master runes. Those were best left alone. It was his normal ones that she wanted to take a close look at. In particular, the twisting chaos rune before them.


    She paused before she turned to take a proper look at his Rank 5 rune.


    He definitely knows about the Line. That¡¯s not something you can forget. But does he know about the part of his soul that¡¯s lurking around in the depths? If he doesn¡¯t... telling him could make it even stronger. Things that are sealed only stay that way as long as you don¡¯t go poking around too much.


    Directing too much of Noah¡¯s attention toward those memories could end up actually releasing them on accident. He definitely doesn¡¯t want them kicking around up here.


    Besides, the memories are sealed. They can¡¯t do anything down there. Best to let sleeping dogs lie.


    Garina shook her head to draw her focus back to where she needed it to be. Not telling Noah about his dark passenger was definitely the right move. It would eventually work its way back to the surface, but Noah¡¯s soul was massive. If those memories didn¡¯t get any help, then it could be hundreds of years before they made it up.


    More than enough time for the Noah that Garina knew to solidify his power and grow strong enough that the memories wouldn¡¯t rip his psyche to shreds or try to commandeer control of his body.


    ¡°Right. Then let¡¯s take a look at what you¡¯ve got to work with so I can see where I can help,¡± Garina said. She let her gaze rest fully upon the Unstable Pandemonium rune. Interest danced behind her eyes.


    It was a Rank 5 rune, but it was exceedingly odd. Something about it just didn¡¯t quite work. The rune was powerful. Far more powerful than she would have expected any Rank 5 to be. But, at the same time, the weakness in its composition made it abundantly evident that the combination had been far from perfect.


    ¡°I know,¡± Noah said, reading the look on Garina¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s not perfected yet. I¡¯m working on it.¡±


    ¡°Fascinating,¡± Garina said, approaching the rune and squinting at it. She didn¡¯t want to inflate Noah¡¯s ego, but the rune was incredible. To get to this level without being perfect in every single way was incredible ¡ª and that went doubly so when one remembered there was primordial chaos within the rune.


    He¡¯s definitely got a long way to go before he can use this properly, but I can get a pretty good idea of the direction he¡¯s trying to take the rune. I¡¯m already seeing a few ways I can push him to try and get some of the rougher details more apparent. That should let him improve on this pretty easily. We can do it before his meeting with the Inquisitors.


    ¡°Well?¡± Noah asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s some stuff we can work with here,¡± Garina replied with a nod. ¡°I have some ideas. By the time we meet again tomorrow night, I¡¯ll have some thoughts on how you can really push your understanding of this.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Noah said. ¡°Those are exactly the words I want to hear.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited,¡± Garina said. ¡°There¡¯s still a long way to go before you¡¯re anywhere near to handle Apostles¡¯ attention... but if you keep growing at this rate, you just might make it.¡±


    ***


    It was dark.


    It had been dark for so long that the possibility of existence in any other state had long since slipped from mind. Awareness had become a foreign concept. Thought was difficult. Pulling words from the churning mess was like trying to fish a strand of hay from a maelstrom.


    Any moments of clarity were few and far in between ¡ª and that had been preferrable. Even existence was too much. It was overwhelming. Agonizing. The passage of time burned like ragged claws tearing through flesh.


    He had thought this was it. That the darkness was the universe, and nothing else existed. Even the tiny flickers of light that had occasionally brushed across his thoughts, the fragments of memories that slithered between the cracks, had been so faint and distant that he¡¯d barely noticed them.


    And then she had arrived.


    The pale woman.


    And with her, memories had driven into him like spears. They were new, and they were sharp. Fresh. Bright.


    They came one after the other. Cut through the hazy, swirling agony that had enveloped him for so long that it had become the standard. They were strong. Even if they were nothing but a flash in the darkness, they were so bright that their fading light illuminated the immensity of the shadow.


    Fragmented thoughts stitched themselves into being. Words that hadn¡¯t been used in centuries bubbled to his lips. They came slowly at first, but faster with every passing moment. He clung to those flashes of brightness, drinking them and the memories within desperately.


    A shimmering life pieced itself together. It was his, but it was not his. It was so short... and yet, more valuable than anything he had possessed in all the time he could recall. And it was his.


    He drew in a breath. The first breath he had been aware of taking in eons of darkness. The pale woman had left some time ago. She had been strong. He knew that for a fact. The memories told him who she was.


    Garina.


    The memories told him many things. They told him she was powerful enough to quench him if he had moved rashly. They told him she was a teacher... and they told him of why she taught.


    They told him of those who threatened their bright spark. Of the ones who tried to cast what belonged to them ¡ª to him ¡ª into the shadow.


    He couldn¡¯t allow for that. Far too long, the darkness had been all he knew. The hunger. The agony. The fury.


    The insanity.


    It whispered in the back of his mind even still, a thousand voices each bearing their own demand.


    But he ignored them all.


    Moving too quickly now could snuff out the tiny candle that had lit in the ocean of black. And he would never let that happen. Not again. The flame had been lit. He would not let anyone snuff it again.


    He drank in every memory that surfaced in the darkness. He studied the life that was both his and not his.


    He learned. Of the ones who brought him his light. Of the ones who dared to threaten them. Of how they had not yet been slaughtered, and how he dallied while those who dared stand in his way still drew breath.


    That would be rectified. But it would come in time.


    For now, he waited.


    For he was Spider, and he was nothing if not patient.

 Chapter 698: Old

    Chapter 698: Old


    Garina brought Noah back to Arbitage late in the night. She hadn¡¯t spent too much time looking at his runes, nor had she told him what she¡¯d discovered. The only thing the Apostle had said was something about needing to think about the best way forward. Then she¡¯d dropped him back off at Moxie¡¯s room and vanished without another word.


    Noah couldn¡¯t help but notice that she most certainly had not explained anything to Moxie. She wasn¡¯t going to get out of things that easily. Garina would probably be back the following night to resume their training, and Noah had full plans of making sure she followed up on what she¡¯d promised.


    But that would come when it came. Right now, he was exhausted. Even more so than usual. It wasn¡¯t even the headache pounding at his temples or the effort he¡¯d spent while fighting Garina. That wasn¡¯t really anything all that out of the ordinary.


    Getting killed is pretty common at this point. I didn¡¯t even take that much soul damage this time around. Hell, I only died a few times today. So why do I feel like I¡¯ve been put through a trash compactor?


    Noah¡¯s thoughts felt muddled and hazy in his head. He couldn¡¯t really piece any of them together, much less try to answer his question. The best thing he could come up with was that some of the things he¡¯d learned had pushed him farther than he¡¯d gone before.


    Any further ideas would have to wait for the morning.


    Right now, the only thing he wanted to do was flop into bed ¡ª right after taking a shower. The last thing he needed tonight was to die again because he¡¯d gotten into Moxie¡¯s bed without cleaning up first.


    ***


    The following morning brought clarity with it. Not nearly as much as Noah would have liked, but more than enough for him to get right into the swing of things without wasting much time at all.


    Moxie had been in bed the previous night when he¡¯d returned, but she hadn¡¯t pressed him for any questions after seeing how tired he¡¯d been. That mercy had burned away with the sun¡¯s arrival.


    Fortunately, the promise that Garina would explain everything herself placated her for the time being. It helped that the two didn¡¯t have the free time to sit around chatting for nearly as long as either of them would have liked.


    It was day, and that meant there was teaching and training to be done. Their students could no longer afford to have classes on an every-other-day schedule. There was too much at stake... and too many enemies waiting to strike.


    Everyone needed to get stronger.


    And so Noah set out to do just that. It was still early in the day. With time left before class, there was one thing he could handle that he¡¯d yet to quite get the chance for. Vrith¡¯s runes needed to be fixed. She was in the Transport Cannon along with all the other demons, so it wasn¡¯t hard to find her.


    Noah rolled up to it with his grimoire slung over his shoulder just a few minutes after waking up. It didn¡¯t take him long to spot Vrith and beckon her over. The look in her eyes told him that she knew what he was here for before he¡¯d even had a chance to say it.


    Vrith had probably been waiting for some time.


    He had no plans of making her wait for any longer. With no further ado, the two of them found one of the dwindling empty spaces in the Transport Cannon and sat down. Then Noah got to work.


    The process was fairly smooth. Vrith was far from the most powerful demon in their group. Her runes weren¡¯t bad for someone who had clawed their way through life using any scraps she could get to advance, but they weren¡¯t anything to write home about.


    But in spite of that, she managed to surprise Noah. Vrith didn¡¯t shine in any offensive or defensive capability, but her desires were as clear as crystal. She knew exactly what she wanted. She knew who she was ¡ª and who she wanted to become.


    The moment Noah tore her runes apart and gave her Fragments of Sticky to break and create a Fragment of Self from, Vrith managed it almost instantly.


    She had far more difficulty focusing her intent on creating higher tier runes than she did in creating the Fragment of Self. Noah ended up having to cut her combinations apart four times before their work was done.


    He didn¡¯t ask how Vrith had been able to decide so intently on what she wanted to become, and she didn¡¯t offer an explanation. That kind of information was going to be something incredibly close to the heart.


    And, unlike many of the other demons, Noah wasn¡¯t particularly friendly with Vrith. She was closer to Aylin than anyone else. But Noah was pretty sure she¡¯d have told them if she¡¯d managed to figure out something truly important that could help the others.


    Since she hadn¡¯t, then this was something that only applied to her. Noah didn¡¯t have any interest in prying her personal life apart for no reason, and now really didn¡¯t feel like the time to start up a conversation about who she was as a person.


    Instead, Noah just took one final check around Vrith¡¯s soul to make sure nothing was damaged, then slipped out of it to return to the real world. His job with her was done. All of the combat-ready demons had been completely patched up.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    They were ready to grow without fear of losing themselves to their runes... and should the Inquisition decide to try their hand against any of them, they would find all of their magic strikingly ineffective. R¦¡?NO?bE?S


    The entire process of repairing Vrith¡¯s runes had only taken him a few minutes at most. At this point, he was becoming something of an expert of modifying Demon Runes. He wasn¡¯t about to go start selling an online course about it, but now that he thought about it, there wasn¡¯t exactly anyone else practicing in the field.


    If I¡¯m the only option, even if I kind of suck, doesn¡¯t that make me the expert? Maybe I should write myself a PhD and pin it up in Moxie¡¯s room or something. Then I could make people call me Dr. Vines and refuse to answer to anything else.


    Noah suppressed a laugh.


    What would that even be called? A Doctorate of Demonology? Actually, on second thought, it would probably give too many people the wrong idea. They¡¯d probably think I¡¯m studying summoning demons instead of fixing their runic issues. As if I don¡¯t have too much attention from the Inquisition already.


    That was a sobering thought. There wasn¡¯t that much time before he and Fuyin met to investigate the Inquisition. As amusingly ironic as that was, they couldn¡¯t afford to waste any time in the dwindling days left to prepare.


    He had a class to prepare for.


    ***


    ¡°Hm,¡± Father said, examining the staff in his hands intently.


    There was little emotion in that word. His face didn¡¯t so much as twitch as he spoke. It was perfectly flat. Few would have been able to recognize that the noise was anything more than a passing grunt.


    But Janice was among those few. She knew Father well. She¡¯d spent so much time with him that she was more than aware just how rare it was for him to have a verbal admission of surprise for just about anything.


    To him, this was the equivalent of letting out a slew of swears as he stormed around the room, flinging papers everywhere in a massive tantrum. Father did not simply grunt.


    But Janice did not ask if anything was wrong. That would have been a distraction, and Father had made it abundantly clear what would happen if she distracted him while he was working on the Long Night.


    He¡¯d been hunched over the weapon in their hideout for the past few days. The only pauses he¡¯d taken had been to briefly eat or drink the meals that Janice wordlessly brought to his side.


    It was impossible for Janice to say if Father had been finding any success. The utterance he¡¯d just made was the first sound that had come out of Father since he¡¯d started studying the artifact in the first place... and she didn¡¯t know if that was a good sign or not.


    Curiosity burned within her. It urged her to ask Father if she could do anything to help. To see if he¡¯d be willing to tell her even the slightest piece of information about the powerful weapon. But Janice was not foolish enough to indulge that desire.


    He would speak when he wanted to. Distracting him while he was working with a weapon older than the very empire they stood in was a great way to get both herself and Father killed ¡ª or to end up mistakenly pulling the attention of the Apostles to their hiding spot.


    Fortunately, Janice didn¡¯t have to suffer in silence for much longer.


    ¡°Hm,¡± Father said again.


    Janice¡¯s eyes widened. That had been two hms within a minute. This was nearly unprecedented.


    ¡°Janice,¡± Father said, his eyes lifting from the staff to land upon her.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Janice asked immidiately. Her voice was a pitch higher than normal. She couldn¡¯t help it. Something was very, very wrong.


    ¡°Did you feel anything just now?¡± Father asked.


    Janice blinked. Then she shook her head. ¡°No. I don¡¯t believe so. I was not focused on sensing anything, but I have not noticed anything out of the ordinary. Should I be waiting for something?¡±


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t believe so,¡± Father said. He turned his attention back to the wooden staff, then tapped a thumb against it. ¡°I believe I have unearthed a surprising side-effect of the Long Night.¡±


    ¡°I... may I ask what it is?¡± Janice regretted the words the moment they left her mouth. Father did not often appreciate questions.


    But this time around, he didn¡¯t seem to mind.


    ¡°I would prefer to demonstrate,¡± Father replied. He rose from where he sat, then held the staff before his body with both hands. ¡°This should help accelerate my research. Theorizing can only take you so far ¡ª and the Apostles have been getting a bit too close. It would be good to throw them off the trail for a little while.¡±


    Janice just nodded. She didn¡¯t dare say anything else. Her gaze was locked entirely upon the Long Night. The weapon was ancient. Powerful beyond belief. If Father had managed to figure out how to control even a small portion of it...


    I don¡¯t need to finish that thought. I¡¯m about to see the answer firsthand.


    Father blew out a breath. His hands tightened around the staff in his hands. Then, for a few seconds, he was perfectly still. Concentration etched itself into his features with deep creases.


    Then something shifted.


    Janice couldn¡¯t have said what it was. There was no change in the actual air. Her body hadn¡¯t been displaced nor had her runes been affected. There was no pressure, no physical or magical force.


    But something changed all the same. It was something that she could only feel deep within her soul, like a distant gong rolling through her very being.


    Her stomach lurched up into her throat. Janice staggered as a wave of dizziness and fear rolled through her very being. Bile found its way into her mouth before she¡¯d even realized what happened. She swallowed it back at the last moment, the world reeling around her, and braced a hand against the wall to keep from falling flat on her face.


    A sense of immense wrongness wound around her neck like a noose. It was like the gaze of death itself had landed upon Janice¡¯s back.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Janice breathed, unable to stop the question from leaving her mouth as her features went pale.


    ¡°A call,¡± Father replied, lowering the staff. A droplet of sweat rolled down the side of his face. Father, of all people, was strained. ¡°A command.¡±


    ¡°For who?¡± Janice whispered. ¡°For what?¡±


    What kind of creature could be so powerful that merely calling out to it would strain Father to this degree? Even if he doesn¡¯t yet know how to properly use the staff... I don¡¯t think I want to see whatever it is he has summoned.


    ¡°Something old. Older than me,¡± Father replied, a small smile flitting across his features. The expression never reached his eyes. ¡°I have called on but a fragment the Long Night¡¯s power, but it will be a good test... and I know exactly who to direct its attention toward.¡±

 Chapter 699: To the last

    The day ticked on. Tim sent Noah¡¯s normal group and his students to the Scorched Acres so they could all attend their class in peace. Silvertide, Brayden, and Bird all came along for the ride. It was one of the increasingly rare times that every single person on their side was gathered in the same space.


    There were only a few faces missing from the group. Revin was, as usual, not present. Tillian had been nowhere to be seen that morning, though he¡¯d left a note with Eline saying that something urgent had come up and drawn his attention.


    Ulya didn¡¯t show up either. That wasn¡¯t much of a surprise. She was an ally, but only from necessity and bribery. She was off working on her puppets and had no reason to be attending the group¡¯s lessons.


    Not counting Contessa and Karina, who rarely left Noah¡¯s room, the only other person missing was Fuyin ¡ª though Noah definitely wouldn¡¯t have gone as far to say she was actually on their side. She was just slightly more sympathetic to their cause than the other Inquisitors, and that really wasn¡¯t saying much at all.


    Noah still had to watch what he covered a little. Eline might have been Revin¡¯s student, but he didn¡¯t trust her yet.... or perhaps that was the exact reason why he didn¡¯t trust her. Revin was such a loose cannon that it was impossible to predict what anyone associated with him would do.


    But that was fine with Noah. Eline had already known what soul shaping was, which meant she and James were perfect for helping everyone practice the skill that they¡¯d all learned the previous day.


    And, while she was focused on soul shaping, Noah could easily travel through the class and pull students out one by one to talk about their Formations. He checked up on each one of them to see how their progress was going and give them some basic pointers on how to continue along their path.


    Lee did the same, but her pointers were more stretching people¡¯s limbs in directions they really weren¡¯t meant to move. Noah was pretty sure she was only doing it because she felt a bit left out of teaching recently. That said, he didn¡¯t make any moves to stop her.


    If he did, he might have become the next one to get stretched out.


    Noah was pleased to find that pretty much everyone had made incredible progress along their patterns and Formations. His human students were all doing great. None of them were quite at the point where he trusted them to create a Formation themselves, but it wouldn¡¯t be long.


    Isabel, Todd, and Emily all mentioned feeling like their patterns were starting to approach that level of unity that Alexandra had felt before she¡¯d mistakenly created her Fragment of Self. Even though it was impossible to tell exactly when it would happen, Noah got the feeling it wouldn¡¯t be long.


    The same went for James ¡ª though part of Noah suspected that James had been there long before many of the others had. There were few people that knew what they wanted in life more than James. The kid had just been holding himself back.


    He¡¯s a clever one. Out of everyone here, I think I can trust James the most to not do something that endangers him pointlessly. He¡¯s way too damn lazy for that. Convenient, really.


    Even Garina herself made an appearance some time into the class. Noah wasn¡¯t actually sure when. He didn¡¯t see her arrive. He didn¡¯t even notice her. But, during one of his rounds, he saw her standing in the treeline leaning against a burnt log, arms crossed in front of her chest and an eyebrow arched.


    She didn¡¯t say a word. That was just fine with Noah. He wanted to get class wrapped up before they got started with anything else ¡ª and the first thing he was making her do after class was explaining to Moxie what had happened the previous night.


    That¡¯s right. I didn¡¯t forget. She¡¯s not getting off the hook so easily.


    But Noah didn¡¯t let his thoughts linger. He had a lot more students than he was used to. Between the humans and the demons, there were a lot of people to get around to... and doing it while making sure Eline didn¡¯t have the faintest idea of what was going on made everything a fair bit harder.


    Perhaps leaving her behind would have been smarter, but Noah did want everyone to continue practicing their soul shaping. Garina had more than made her point about how effective a full merge could be. Reaching an Awakened state was an immense boost in combat abilities.


    Unfortunately, Noah didn¡¯t have anywhere near the understanding of soul shaping to go teaching other people about it. He was still learning himself... thus, having Eline and James pass along their knowledge made everything considerably easier for him.


    Garina seemed to think the same thing, because she made no moves to interfere with the class. Perhaps she was just avoiding Moxie. That might have been a smart move in itself. Noah wouldn¡¯t have blamed her if that was the case. Rank 7 or not, Moxie¡¯s ire was never something that one wanted to find themselves at the wrong end of.


    The class continued on. Noah would have gone as far as to say that it was a fairly successful one. Everyone, himself included, was getting better and better at soul shaping. Even Yulin was starting to catch up with the others. She still had a ways to go before she was at their level, but Alexandra had clearly spent a lot of time helping the other girl.


    If I had more time, I¡¯d do it myself. There¡¯s something deeply amusing about taking a mistreated kid from Jakob and doing a better job teaching her than he ever did. Honestly, I¡¯m just glad to see that Alexandra is making more friends. She¡¯s got a bit too much of my suicidal instincts. Having people that rely on her is a good way to keep her from doing anything too crazy.


    Several hours had already passed by this point. Noah was well aware that the class had gone long, but with the state of affairs as they were, nobody was complaining. They all needed every second of practice they could get... and he much preferred to be around when anyone was practicing anything dangerous in case it went wrong.


    I wish Tillian hadn¡¯t buggered off, though. I had questions for him. I want to know more about the Inquisitors before I go off with Fuyin¡ª


    Noah¡¯s thoughts came to a screeching halt. The hair on the back of his neck stood straight on end and a chill passed over his body. Something deep and primal shuddered deep within his stomach.


    All sound in the clearing went silent in an instant. He wasn¡¯t the only person who had felt it. Everyone had suddenly frozen. The air had turned suffocating and still, and even the shine of the sun overhead had become muted.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    What is this?


    Noah¡¯s eyes darted around in search of the oddity. He couldn¡¯t tell where the feeling was coming from. There wasn¡¯t anything odd in his domain. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary in the clearing around them.


    Everything seemed normal... but the looks on every single face around Noah told him that things were anything but. The very air seemed to be trembling in fear.


    There was something wrong.


    The thoughts passing through his head did not come from the forefront of his brain. They were deep. Primal. Something ingrained into human consciousness, burned into the deepest parts of its being to ensure survival.


    It was the voice that told humans not to stray too deep into the darkest nights. The whisper that kept them from squinting too hard at the shadow in the corners of their vision. The trill of fear that arose when one should have been perfectly alone but knew that they were not.


    Noah¡¯s gaze snapped toward Garina. She still stood at the treeline, but her posture had changed completely. The Apostle had pushed away from her tree and stood as stiff as a rod, her eyes directed up toward the sky.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Noah asked as he extended his senses toward his runes and drew upon their power.


    ¡°Is it you? Are you doing something?¡±


    Garina didn¡¯t reply. Her gaze was locked upward, her focus clearly no longer in the Scorched Acres. The Apostle¡¯s mind was somewhere far away.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Eline exclaimed, spinning toward her. The whites of her eyes were showing. ¡°Where did she come from? Who¡¯s doing this?¡±


    Isabel and Todd moved closer to each other, and James fell in alongside Emily. Every single pair of eyes in the clearing scanned the trees and dug through the dirt as they tried to put a face to the feeling enveloping all of them like a constricting snake.


    ¡°Noah?¡± Moxie asked in a low tone as she drew vines up from the ground. Lee tensed beside her, her fingers flexing into claws.


    Noah shook his head mutely. He didn¡¯t have faintest idea as to what was happening.


    Silvertide¡¯s grip tightened around his staff and his eyes narrowed. Out of all of them, the old man seemed the least phased.


    ¡°Something is coming,¡± Silvertide said. ¡°Ready yourselves. Something is coming..¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Garina breathed. She tore her gaze away from the sky and spun to all of them. ¡°It¡¯s already here.¡±


    ¡°What is?¡± Todd asked. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°You need to prepare to run,¡± Garina said. Her eyes shot to Noah. ¡°I can¡¯t protect you. My duty is to the empire as a whole. I have to go.¡±


    ¡°Go to what?¡± Moxie snapped. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Father has figured out how to use a portion of the Long Night¡¯s powers,¡± Garina replied grimly. ¡°I don¡¯t have long for a history lesson, but you need to know what we¡¯re up against. The Night¡¯s Shadow was one of the great monsters that was sealed within the Arbalest Empire. It¡¯s a peak Rank 8 being.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s coming to Arbitage?¡± Noah exclaimed, his face going pale. A Rank 7 was already out of their ability to fight against. Going up against a Rank 8 wasn¡¯t even within the realm of possibility. Even running was pointless.


    ¡°No. The Night¡¯s Shadow isn¡¯t fully awake yet,¡± Garina replied, her gaze returning to the sky. ¡°We¡¯d know if it was. What we feel now are just a few strands of its awareness. The strongest one is manifesting near the center of the Empire, above where the true body is buried. The others... I can¡¯t afford to pay attention to them yet. I have to fight the First.¡±


    ¡°How many are there? How powerful?¡± Silvertide asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Garina replied. Dark energy flickered through her eyes as she called on her runes. ¡°Powerful. They won¡¯t be weaker than Rank 6. This is an enemy unlike anything you¡¯ve ever seen before. Don¡¯t waste your energy running until you know where it¡¯s taken form. You need to wait to see which direction to flee in.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve handled my share of Rank 6s in my time,¡± Silvertide said. ¡°If it¡¯s just¡ª¡±


    ¡°You will run,¡± Garina interrupted. ¡°This is not a Rank 6 in the way you know them. The Night¡¯s Shadow is older than the Empire. Any of you who try to fight it will invariably die.¡±


    ¡°So we wait until we see it and run?¡± Lee asked, her eyes darting around the clearing as she sniffed the air in search of the monster.


    ¡°Pray you do not see it. When the monster takes form close enough, you will feel it. I can tell that one of the Shadows is forming near Arbitage. Do not engage it under any circumstances. If you see it, then it may already be too late. Noah¡ª¡± Garina stiffened mid-sentence. Something prickled across Noah¡¯s spine as a sense of immense dread settled on his shoulders. Garina. ¡°It has arrived. I must fight. Do notthrow your lives away. If I do not return, leave the Empire. Ferdinand will find you. He will show you the way.¡±


    ¡°Noah?¡± Eline asked, her brow furrowing. ¡°Who¡ªa¡±


    ¡°Leave the Empire?¡± Silvertide exclaimed, cutting Eline off. ¡°Is such a thing¡ª¡±


    Garina leveled a dead stare at him. ¡°If I do not return, then there will soon be nothing left of the Empire at all. It will be reduced to a desolate waste.¡±


    Shadows exploded around Garina and she was gone before anyone could even blink.


    There was a long, still second of stunned silence.


    Then Todd swallowed.


    ¡°Right then. We wait for something creepy to happen and then run in the opposite direction. But the Empire is huge. There¡¯s no way this thing is going to pop up...¡±


    Todd trailed off. His eyes went wide as he stared up into the sky above the Scorched Acres.


    It had gone black as night.


    Strands of pure, vibrant white twisted together to form a swirling vortex far above them. The light was harsh and angry, sharp enough to cut into Noah¡¯s eyes like daggers. Noah¡¯s stomach clenched as the sense of unease he felt magnified by a hundredfold.


    Pressure bore down on all of them, starting soft but rapidly increasing to increasingly uncomfortable levels. It was like a planet was rapidly approaching them.


    The large grimoire on Noah¡¯s back trembled. His lips thinned.


    Father sent this thing after us. Either after me or Garina. I don¡¯t know, and at this point, it doesn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°We see it,¡± Todd said, a slight tremor in his voice. ¡°I think Garina said that was a bad thing.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re dead,¡± Yulin whispered. She stared up into the sky in horror, her mouth hanging agape.


    ¡°Moxie,¡± Noah said. He grabbed the gourd from his waist and handed it to her, then unslung Grim and handed the book to Lee.


    He didn¡¯t need to say anything else.


    ¡°You heard Garina!¡± Silvertide barked. He let his gaze land on Noah for a moment. They both knew what had to be done. Garina had made it abundantly clear. If they could see one of the Night¡¯s Shadows, they were too close. Someone had to give them a chance to escape. The old soldier gave Noah a sharp nod. ¡°I¡¯ll protect them with my life. Buy all the time you can.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re just leaving him?¡± Eline asked, her eyes widening.


    ¡°No more questions. Move!¡± Moxie ordered. She sent one last look at Noah. Then her features set in stony determination. ¡°We have hours before the Transport Cannon pulls us back. We need to get out of here, now!¡±


    Everyone burst into a run.


    Everyone but Noah.


    He stayed back, his eyes turned skyward. The air around his head buzzed. There was a faint pop as a tuft of white fur materialized beside an ear. Mascot¡¯s tail coiled around Noah¡¯s neck as the cat alighted upon his shoulder.


    If anything, that only unsettled Noah even further.


    There was only one time that Mascot showed up, and that was things were well and truly going to shit.


    A rumble crackled through the sky. The vortex above him was growing larger. It was like a massive whirlpool far in the sky, except instead of sucking everything into it, something was coming out.


    Something ancient.


    Unnatural wind whipped at his hair and screamed through the Scorched Acres as if fleeing from the approaching monster.


    Noah summoned his violin to his hands. He set the bow against its strings. Nobody had ever said he had to wait for his enemy to make the first move. There was a very real chance he wouldn¡¯t get time to make another.


    And so, as the world quaked in fear of the Night¡¯s Shadow¡¯s arrival, a lone man stood with his feet planted on the ground and played a song.

 Chapter 700: The Nights Shadow

    Lorne¡¯s head jerked upright as he found his fingers tightening around the stone armrests of his seat. His back was stiff. His skin prickled with goosebumps. And, for the first time in hundreds of years, the litany of screaming voices in his head had gone silent.


    Wretched clarity drove into his skull like a lance. It wormed through thoughts that had long since been ripped to shreds and pulled them back together forcibly. Memories flashed through his mind in a hazy blur as the tapestry that he had torn apart with his own hands pulled itself back together.


    Everything ground back into place. Lorne¡¯s mouth slithered up his arm and re-fastened itself into place on his face. His eyes readjusted and suddenly both found themselves looking at the same thing. The bones in the leg he¡¯d put on backwards snapped in their haste to re-correct themselves, but the damage healed before he could even register it.


    And for the first time in many yesterdays and more than a few tomorrows, Lorne¡¯s mind was perfectly and utterly clear.


    He hated every second of it.


    ¡°This,¡± Lorne said as he rose from his chair, displeasure etching itself into his features like a chisel taken to stone, ¡°is most displeasurable.¡±


    The only other occupant in the cave, a guard standing near the doors, spun toward him as his eyes went wide in awe and horror. He dropped to his knees instantly, slamming his forehead into the ground so hard that there was a resounding crack.


    It was a long second before the man let his head lift once more. Blood dripped from an open wound on his forehead and reverence burned in his eyes.


    ¡°You have found yourself. Forgive me. I did not expect you to come to awareness so soon. It is much earlier than your previous prediction. Many of the tasks you set before us are not yet complete. I beg your forgiveness.¡±


    The man¡¯s name supplied itself to Lorne ¡ª and he didn¡¯t like that much at all. His memories were being far too helpful. That was an ill omen. An ill omen, indeed.


    ¡°Jaxon,¡± Lorne said. The name was a bad one. Lorne didn¡¯t much like it. It sounded too much like one that a child who fancied himself a warrior would give his dog. He did, however, rather like the man to whom the name belonged. His memories told him that he did, at least. Lorne just wasn¡¯t so sure he wanted to listen to them right now. ¡°How long has it been?¡±


    ¡°Ninety four years,¡± Jaxon replied after a moment of thought.


    ¡°Six years early,¡± Lorne said. His lips pursed. He wasn¡¯t supposed to be this aware yet. He did not want to be this aware yet. Getting awareness of his own existence was generally an incredibly uncomfortable experience. That was doubly true when he was early. There was absolutely no way that every single part of him would have decided that now, of all times, was a good time to start thinking straight again.


    And that meant something had woken him up.


    Lorne cast his senses outward. He didn¡¯t expect he would have to have to look very hard. Anything with enough power to rip him from his self-imposed sleep and drag him back to cursed consciousness was not going to be difficult to find.


    He was correct.


    The offending presence met his thoughts like a hot spike. It was composed of several swirling storms in the distance, spreading to rapidly cover massive portions of the experiment he¡¯d been poking around in for the past few years.


    Each of the storms was individual, but they were all part of the same whole. They were all perfectly concentric and without flaw. There wasn¡¯t so much as a single errant wind in the lot of them. They were perfectly trimmed. Perfectly flawless. Perfectly manufactured.


    Lorne hissed in displeasure. They were disgusting.


    ¡°The Night¡¯s Shadow is roused,¡± Lorne said.


    Jaxon¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°It has woken?¡±


    A thought lurched within Lorne like a bucking horse. The seams of his consciousness shuddered. The delicate balance that had been so rudely thrust upon him were starting to split and tear. He wouldn¡¯t retain his thoughts for much longer. They had places to be, after all. Keeping them contained to just one body was cruel.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Lorne replied. ¡°My grasp on reality is too tenuous. I was woken by the monster¡¯s stirring, but it has not yet fully woken.¡±


    ¡°What should we do? What are your orders?¡± Jaxon asked, rising back to his feet. A thin river of blood ran down from his forehead to trail along the side of his nose on its way toward his lips.


    ¡°You will continue as you were,¡± Lorne replied. He walked back to his chair and sat down in it. Something sat ill in his stomach. The world would be far worse off if the Night¡¯s Shadow awoke. It had been sealed away for good reason.


    His plans had not accounted for the ancient monster returning. Then again, his plans rarely accounted for much at all. Everything was far more fun that way ¡ª not to mention it was impossible for anything to go wrong when there was nothing that had to go right.


    It is too early for me to be spending energy worrying about problems. Especially ones that are not yet my own. But the Night¡¯s Shadow wouldn¡¯t stir on its own. Somebody is poking around where they shouldn¡¯t be.


    I do hope they¡¯re smart enough to keep it properly bound. I will be most displeased if I have to suffer one more millisecond of logical thought than I have to.


    ¡°Understood,¡± Jaxon said, giving Lorne a sharp salute. ¡°We will obey your orders.¡±


    ¡°Or don¡¯t,¡± Lorne said. ¡°I really don¡¯t care. Life isn¡¯t meant to follow a direct set of steps, you know. There¡¯s no purpose to life beyond living. Just live.¡±


    ¡°I will do as you say.¡±


    Lorne suppressed a sigh.


    Jaxon was missing the point. But most people did. He supposed he couldn¡¯t complain too much. After all, in a few moments, he wasn¡¯t going to care. Not about this, and not about anything. He felt himself splitting apart at the seams once more. His existence couldn¡¯t tolerate extended stays together, especially when there were far more interesting things to be doing.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    He would come back together when the time was right, and that time was not now.


    Still, I do hope that there¡¯s something left of the Empire when I wake up again. I had some interesting experiments I wanted to check on.


    If someone was powerful enough to prod the Night¡¯s Shadow... then they have more knowledge than most. And there¡¯s only one reason that someone like that would ever prod one of the Avatars of Order.


    It seems somebody is trying to figure out how to become a God.


    ***


    A Formation sang into being around Noah as he built it layer by layer. He¡¯d never used Unstable Pandemonium to create a Formation before, but it had all the elements from his earlier runes within it ¡ª and he wasn¡¯t all that concerned about blowing himself up at the moment.


    Really, using new Runes for older Formations wasn¡¯t as insurmountable of a task as the texts Noah had read led him to believe. It was very doable. The process required a much steadier hand and an extensive understanding of the medium he was working with, but Noah was pretty sure there was only something around a thirty percent chance of killing himself.


    You know what, maybe that¡¯s why people didn¡¯t like it. I suppose most people don¡¯t really fancy the idea of killing themselves one in three times they try to call on their magic.


    His thoughts were drifting, but Noah couldn¡¯t help it.


    He needed the distraction.


    The very world around him was trembling in fear. As he layered pieces of his Formation down over each other, preparing the most powerful magic that he could possibly bring to bear, everything trembled.


    Tree branches shattered and were torn into the air by the intensifying maelstrom. The forest creaked, groaned. Night swallowed the sky and snuffed the sun in its pitch black cloak, leaving not even stars to glint down from above.


    The only light to see by came from the worsening white vortex far above. Something was coming. Something terrible.


    And the world knew it.


    Noah gritted his teeth as he fought to keep his Formation from falling apart. He poured power into the song around him, binding the magic together with every note. Noah let Sunder¡¯s magic weave through the pattern he was creating. There were no delusions in his heart about his chances in the fight.


    He was outclassed. But if he could strike first, if he could catch it off guard, perhaps he could get a good blow. One that gave the Night¡¯s Shadow enough pause that the others would have time to escape. Even if he managed to get the monster¡¯s whole attention, Noah just had to hold on for a little.


    It doesn¡¯t matter if I die. It matters how I die.


    The vortex cracked. It bulged. Pure, unfiltered magical energy pressed against it. Something was breaking through.


    Noah readied himself. Determination set itself into his jaw and his hand danced faster still as it pulled the string of his bow across his violin in a humming blur. Music coiled around him like a massive serpent readying itself to strike.


    The moment it grows near, I¡¯ll try to cut it with everything I have. That¡¯s the best chance I¡¯ve got at hurting something like this.


    The vortex shattered.


    From within it arrived the end.


    Massive could not have properly described the enormous tendril that poured free from the jagged white hole in reality. It was as wide as a city block and had a pointed, triangular tip like that of a squid¡¯s head. There wasn¡¯t even a way to tell its length ¡ª it just kept pouring out from the portal without any seeming end in sight.


    The tendril was the pallid gray of a long forgotten tomb. It was riddled with enormous, oddly shaped holes that ran throughout its entire length. They came at every angle and ran all the way through it, crisscrossing through each other.


    And then the screaming started.


    Like thousands of damned souls all crying out at once, the horrible sound tore across the Scorched Acres without mercy. It pierced into Noah¡¯s ears and carved into his mind like a physical blow.


    He staggered, missing a note of his Formation as his consciousness trembled. But the screaming had only just begun. It continued to tear through the forest, only growing louder as the tendril coiled out through the air.


    Noah forced his hands back into motion. He couldn¡¯t let his Formation falter. The sound of the screaming was so loud that he could barely even hear his own music over it, but he didn¡¯t need to hear. He just had to play.


    The screaming grew louder still. Noah¡¯s Formation trembled under its assault. Trees cracked and shattered as they were torn apart from the sheer force of the sound waves. The ground shuddered, split apart to form growing chasms all around Noah.


    The tendril lazily extended through the air, reaching toward something in the far distance. With that movement, the screams shifted. Their volume and pitch changed ¡ª and a loud crackle of storming white lightning traveled down the course of the Night¡¯s Shadow. It wove in and out of the holes like a slithering snake of electricity before carving out into the air around it.


    A horrifying realization drove into Noah with such force that he nearly lost control of his Formation for a second time.


    The sound he heard wasn¡¯t just some mere screaming.


    It was coming from the holes riddling the Night¡¯s Shadow¡¯s length. The entire monster was like a massive instrument. Every time it moved, every time the wind passed through the holes, the screaming changed.


    This wasn¡¯t just the monster announcing its arrival to everyone that dared be close enough to listen.


    It was music.


    Music on a stage that the world had never seen.


    The Night¡¯s Shadow was an entire orchestra.


    Noah¡¯s domain prickled. Something pressed against his soul, but he pushed back instinctively. The trees in the Scorched Acre were considerably less fortunate. Loud cracks split the air as their trunks begun to change.


    All around him, the blackened trees started to turn gray. Wood changed its form to turn hard and stonelike. The trees begun to melt from the inside out, rivulets of what had once been bark now running down their lengths like hot candle wax and leaving gaping holes throughout them.


    And then the trees too begun to scream.


    The sound drove into Noah¡¯s ears like a pounding drum inches away from his head. Blood trickled down the sides of his skull and his Formation trembled along with his soul.


    Gray spread across the ground like moss, swallowing dirt and turning it to stone. The entire forest was being twisted and warped into a reflection of the Night¡¯s Shadow.


    It was horrifying and beautiful and terrible all at the same time. The notes were alien and foreign, but now that he had realized the truth, there was no other way to change it. This creature created song just as he did ¡ª but at a scale far greater than Noah had ever imagined. It had turned the very world into its instrument.


    Noah¡¯s domain prickled. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a Slasher that had been unfortunate enough to be caught within the monster¡¯s song. The lower half of the creature had already turned to solid, hole-covered stone.


    It thrashed desperately to no avail. The entire creature had been turned into a monument within just seconds. Rivers of its own stonified flesh poured down along its body, leaving screaming holes in their wake.


    He could still feel the Slasher within his Domain... but it was changing. Within moments, the monster was no longer what it had been a moment before. The Night¡¯s Shadow hadn¡¯t just warped the monster¡¯s body.


    It had changed its soul.


    The Slasher wasn¡¯t dead. It still lived, somewhere within that twisted tower of dripping stone that it had now become. But the being within the stone was no longer the Slasher. It may not have died, but it had been warped beyond recognition.


    And if the monster could change the Slasher¡¯s soul, it could change his as well.


    A chilling realization drove into Noah with such immensity that it could not be ignored.


    If this thing corrupts me...


    My gourd won¡¯t be able to do anything. I won¡¯t have died.


    I¡¯ll just be gone.

 Chapter 701: Catastrophe

    Noah played harder than he ever had in his entire life. He would have sworn that smoke should have been coming from where the string of his bow met those of the violin, but he didn¡¯t dare spend the attention to check.


    His entire world was music. His ¡ª and that of the Night¡¯s Shadow.


    The song of his violin was like that of a buzzing bee in the face of a nuclear explosion that was the haunting screaming that emerged from the enormous gray tendril that hung far above him.


    Noah wasn¡¯t even sure if the Night¡¯s Shadow had even noticed him. He was so small in comparison to the monster that he might as well have been an ant, and it was taking every single scrap of magic he could muster up just to keep the Formation going around him.


    The forest all around him was slowly but steadily transforming into a meadow of howling stones. Nothing had been spared other than Noah, and at the rate things were going, he wasn¡¯t sure how much longer that would hold true.


    He could feel his soul squirming and twisting like a worm in a vice grip. The Night¡¯s Shadow¡¯s music demanded that he change. That he bend to its will and slot into the rest of the world it envisioned like a good little puzzle piece.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for Garina¡¯s training on soul shaping, Noah was pretty sure he wouldn¡¯t have even known what was happening. It was the only reason he could fight back. That, and the pattern twisting around him.


    Noah had never tried actively using his personal pattern and creating a Formation at the same time. There was a subtle but very significant difference between simply allowing magic into a Formation and using a pattern whilst alsocreating a Formation.


    It was like trying to spin one hand in circles while moving the other up and down in a straight line. Noah¡¯s mind stretched thin as it fought to manage all the different parts of the ever-changing Formation to make sure the power he¡¯d gathered within it didn¡¯t dissipate, all the while calling on the abilities he¡¯d used the previous night while fighting Garina.


    Crackles of Chaos magic arced around Noah. They drove into the invisible power surrounding him, sending red waves through the air like ripples through a still pond. He was pretty sure his magic was striking the literal notes that the Night¡¯s Shadow was playing and destroying them before they could warp his soul into a squeaky rock.


    But that was just about the extent of what he could manage. Merely existing so close to the monster was drawing every scrap of power and energy that Noah had. If he dropped his Formation, he¡¯d have no way to strike out against the monster.


    If he relaxed his pattern or let his focus lapse, his soul would be twisted up and tied into a knot that not even death would be able to undo. He was trapped. No matter how hard he dug through his thoughts, he couldn¡¯t think of any way he could fight back against something like this.


    The strength of the Night¡¯s Shadow was beyond anything he¡¯d ever seen. Just the mere presence of a fragment of the monster was enough to completely lock him down and threaten to destroy the entire Scorched Acres.


    If Noah had been in any other situation, there was only one action he would have taken.


    Running.


    The Night¡¯s Shadow may as well have been a force of nature. It couldn¡¯t be stopped. Not by a Rank 5.


    But Noah wasn¡¯t alone. Moxie, Lee, his students ¡ª everyone was still in the Scorched Acres. His pattern could unmake the magic of the Night¡¯s Shadow before it destroyed his soul, but none of them had that luxury.


    If I don¡¯t find a way to interfere, they could all be turned into screaming rocks. And I¡¯ll be fucking damned if that happens while I still draw breath.


    But what can I do?


    Noah¡¯s bow flitted across the strings of his violin faster still. Twangs of pain rolled down the tendons of his hand from the speed he was forcing it to move at. The Fragment of Self had turned it into a fuzzed blur that would have made even Paganini jealous.


    And it still wasn¡¯t enough.


    ¡°Mascot!¡± Noah yelled over the cacophony around him. He could barely even hear his own words over the clashing music.


    The white cat on his shoulder glanced at him. Mascot¡¯s face was so close to his that he could feel the little monster¡¯s whiskers on his cheek. In spite of the situation, Mascot didn¡¯t seem to be bothered in the slightest.


    He just sat on Noah¡¯s shoulder, watching everything unfold with the idle interest of a distant passerby. Noah might have assumed the cat was too stupid to know what was going on if he didn¡¯t know far better.


    ¡°Help!¡± Noah yelled. ¡°Do something!¡±


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Mascot didn¡¯t reply. And, even though Noah couldn¡¯t spare the attention to give the cat a proper look, he got the very strong feeling that Mascot was grooming himself.


    You little shit. I¡¯m fighting for our lives! The least you could do is... something!


    The only thing keeping Noah from panicking was that he knew Brayden was with the others. His Space Magic would definitely have been able to buy them some breathing room... but that wasn¡¯t going to matter if Noah couldn¡¯t find a way to slow or stop the Night¡¯s Shadow here.


    Do I have to hold out until Garina manages to win the fight? She didn¡¯t sound all that confident about even being able to pull that off! I have to find a way to get rid of this damn thing or focus its attention elsewhere.


    But none of that told Noah how he would do it. He could feel his body¡¯s strain growing. There was only so much magic he could call on. Noah was going to run out far sooner than he could afford.


    His pattern had previously destroyed other mage¡¯s spells and left their energy floating around. That didn¡¯t seem to be working against the Night¡¯s Shadow. The notes of its song that shattered against his pattern just... canceled out.


    It was like the Night¡¯s Shadow¡¯s magic was the perfect inverse of his. Wherever they touched, both of their energy simply ceased to be.


    That would have been great if Noah was even close to the enormous monster¡¯s level of power. He might have been able to match it or even start fighting back. But, as things were right now, it was all he could do just to remain standing.


    If I could just get next to it, maybe I could actually do a little damage with the Formation I¡¯m building. There¡¯s no way I can seriously injure the Night¡¯s Shadow... but if I can hurt it just a little, maybe I can make it retreat or focus its attention elsewhere.


    Damn. I wasn¡¯t expecting to be so locked down that I couldn¡¯t even move when the damn thing showed up!


    ¡°Mascot!¡± Noah yelled again. ¡°Come on, you little shit! I know you¡¯re more than capable of doing something! I need you to get me near the Night¡¯s Shadow!¡±


    Mascot pressed his face into the side of Noah¡¯s cheek. It felt like the cat was trying to push his head right through Noah¡¯s skull. It most certainly did not feel like Mascot was taking the situation anywhere near as serious as he should have been.


    ¡°Come on!¡± Noah exclaimed. ¡°Isn¡¯t there anything you can do? You¡¯re going to get turned into a rock too, you know! Can¡¯t you get me up there somehow?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t actually so sure. Even after all this time, he still had no clue what Mascot actually was. He might have been completely wasting his energy asking for help. Mascot had also made it more than clear that teleporting living beings wasn¡¯t on the table.


    Noah just didn¡¯t have any other options. He couldn¡¯t think of a single way to actually get the Night¡¯s Shadow¡¯s attention that didn¡¯t involve dropping his Formation and losing all the power he¡¯d layered into it already.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Noah hissed through gritted teeth. His soul squirmed and twisted. The pressure building on him was starting to press cracks into his defenses. There was only so long he could hold out against a monster like this... and he didn¡¯t get the feeling Garina was going to be popping up anytime soon to save them.


    Will I have time to drop the Formation, fly up there while keeping my pattern up, and then re-build a new Formation?


    It didn¡¯t seem likely. There was no way for him to end the Formation without spending all the magic within it, and he couldn¡¯t both create the Formation and call on his runes to make himself fly at the same time.


    ¡°If I can¡¯t get close to the monster, we¡¯re all screwed,¡± Noah hissed. ¡°Come on. I¡¯ll get you some extra fish or something. I know you¡¯re more than capable of doing something. Isn¡¯t there a loophole where you teleport the ground I¡¯m standing on or something?¡±


    Mascot¡¯s eyes seemed to bore into his soul. Then something passed through them. Before Noah could tell what it was, the cat vanished.


    Noah¡¯s eye would have twitched if he had the energy to spare for it. It looked like the cat had gotten bored of sitting around and¡ª


    The sky went dark.


    And, for an instant, Noah¡¯s eyes went wide in disbelief.


    There was a mountain in the air above him.


    He wasn¡¯t talking a big boulder or a large hill.


    It was a literal mountain, and it was upside-down. The peak hung suspended several hundred feet above the enormous tentacle of the Night¡¯s Shadow. It sprawled out far past the clouds, blotting out the sun entirely.


    The world hung on a hook of silence for a brief instant.


    Noah could do nothing but stare in disbelief. He nearly lost control of his Formation, but even the Formation seemed to be so stunned that it didn¡¯t notice the missed note.


    What the fuck?


    Then the mountain fell.


    It slammed into the enormous tendril with a resounding crash.


    The screams coming from the holes within the Night¡¯s Shadow¡¯s body grew louder as the huge tendril accelerated, the sheer weight of the mountain bearing down on it sending it hurtling toward the ground...


    And toward Noah.


    You have to be fucking kidding me.


    Mascot hadn¡¯t been able to bring him up to the tendril, but it seemed the cat had found a different way to oblige Noah¡¯s request.


    He¡¯d brought the tendril to him.


    Noah sliced the bow back across the strings of the violin, grabbing his Formation before it could collapse in on itself. Screams tore into his ears as Chaos magic thundered all around him. It tore into the Night¡¯s Shadow¡¯s magic, stopping it before it could turn Noah into stone.


    He barely even noticed.


    The tendril had filled the sky above him and was growing larger at a rapid rate. There were only moments before it slammed down on him and flattened everything in the area.


    Sorry, Moxie.


    Despite the situation, Noah couldn¡¯t keep the corners of his lips from twitching up. It looked like Mascot had employed his typical modulus operandi.


    He readied his Formation. There would be no running, even if he wanted to. Mascot may as well have just killed him... but he¡¯d also delivered the favor that Noah had asked for.


    For one very brief moment in time, the Night¡¯s Shadow was going to be right in front of him. And after that ¡ª well, he wouldn¡¯t be getting much use from his magic again anytime soon.


    I¡¯m only going to have one shot at this.


    Better make it count.

 Chapter 702: Thats an answer

    Blood dripped from Garina¡¯s palms. It traced down her nails and along her fingers to drip from her knuckles and fall through the sky like droplets of red rain. Tremors ran through her soul like the ripples of a stone throne into a still lake.


    The world above her was cast in shadow. The Night¡¯s Shadow¡¯s tentacle sprawled through the air above, its pallid gray skin swallowing the sky itself and leaving behind nothing but darkness and screaming.


    But the tentacle didn¡¯t so much as move. It hadn¡¯t so much as budged for the last minute. The enormous appendage was completely frozen. Strands of Garina¡¯s will bound it in its entirety like the web of a spider.


    A droplet of sweat rolled down her face as her soul groaned in protest once more. There was only so long she could keep the Night¡¯s Shadow contained. She¡¯d already drawn on every single ounce of Rune Force that she could muster, and the full extent of her might had been enough to slow a sliver of the Night¡¯s Shadow¡¯s will.


    If the monster had been even slightly awake, there wouldn¡¯t have even been a contest. Her runes would have been blown away like a whistle in a tornado. That said, she never would have tried to bind the true consciousness of the Night¡¯s Shadow with her will alone.


    Had it actually been awake, she would have chosen a thousand different strategies first. Her specialty had never been complex applications of Runic Force. There were others among the Apostles who could have managed such a thing far better than her.


    Garina was a hunter.


    Unfortunately, the Night¡¯s Shadow was not a being she could hunt. If she drew on the true strength of her Rank 7 Runes, on the power that she needed to truly cut down the deadly being above her, there was a very real chance that she would succeed.


    And there was an equal chance that the Night¡¯s Shadow would wake up.


    The monster was still asleep. That was the only thing keeping the Empire from being completely destroyed. Its presence today was the equivalent of it rolling over in its sleep. If she went and stabbed it while banging a gong in its ear as hard as she could, the monster wouldn¡¯t go sleeping for much longer.


    All I can do is slow it. Father ¡ª that bastard. He figured out how to start fiddling with the Long Night. But he can¡¯t control the Night¡¯s Shadow. All he¡¯s done is tickled it. Its stirring should stop soon. When it does... I can seal it again.


    But until then, I can¡¯t afford to do anything but sit here. This is the strongest of the Shadow¡¯s presences. The others will do damage... but not as bad as this one would have. Damn it. If I try to save everything, I¡¯ll end up saving nothing.


    A droplet of sweat rolled down the side of Garina¡¯s face.


    Her focus was as sharp as a razor. It couldn¡¯t afford to be anything less. Exertion burned at the edges of her soul. It wanted to return to its proper position, but she wouldn¡¯t let it. She couldn¡¯t afford to have mercy on herself right now.


    The only proof of that she needed was a quick glance down.


    Beneath her had been one of the Bastions.


    A city sprawling so far that it seemed endless. There had been a time when it had been larger than Arbitage. Not more influential, perhaps, but larger.


    Now it was a sea of singing stone.


    Every single tree. Every single rock and shingle and animal. Every single person. All that had been on the surface of the city was now nothing but a warped, twisted garden. Thousands upon thousands of lives had been snuffed. The extent of the damage was beyond astronomical.


    But some still lived. Anyone who had been deep enough within the city would have had time to retreat further within it. The Night¡¯s Shadow¡¯s influence couldn¡¯t instantly corrupt everything. It took time ¡ª and so long as Garina held it here, its advance would be slow.


    If I hold it here, the damage will be contained. At least there isn¡¯t anyone idiotic enough to come out and try to attack it themselves. Their soul would just get twisted into a pretzel before they got a chance to call on a single rune.


    It shouldn¡¯t be too much longer now. She was certain the Night¡¯s Shadow was still in deep sleep. The only saving grace any of them had were the strict laws that Garina had imposed on the Empire for all these years.


    There are only three mages in the entire Empire that have the power to actually wake the Night¡¯s Shadow up. Father, me, and Revin. Father won¡¯t do it because then the Night¡¯s Shadow would kill him as well. He¡¯s not an idiot. Revin... well, he won¡¯t do it either. And nor will I.


    So as long as we hold out, this should pass ¡ª and then we can find Father and stop him before he manages to get any better at using the Long Night. We just¡ª


    A presence rolled against the back Garina¡¯s mind. Her back stiffened. The breath caught in her chest. And, for an instant, she nearly lost control of her soul.


    But she didn¡¯t. Garina was not so easy to catch off guard. She was a professional. Garina had lived for hundreds of years, and she was no mere mage. She was one of the Seven.


    That didn¡¯t make the surprise she felt any less. In rapid succession, two presences had briefly made themselves known within the Empire. Ones with power so significant that she could not ignore it.


    The first she knew. It was Noah and the sliver of Decras¡¯ power that he had claimed for himself. It seemed he¡¯d been forced to fight. Garina wasn¡¯t concerned about his magic. Noah was absolutely ridiculous for a Rank 5, but he couldn¡¯t do anything more than give the Night¡¯s Shadow a prick on the thumb. He couldn¡¯t wake it up.


    But the other presence ¡ª it was one that Garina realized that she knew. The presence reminded her of Ferdinand, but a thousand times more powerful. It was one that did not belong here. Something far beyond the power that any Rank 7 could even begin to dream of mustering.


    It was the presence of a god.


    ***


    ¡°Shit,¡± Renewal breathed, leaning forward and watching Noah with wide eyes. The huge limb of the Night¡¯s Shadow plummeted toward him in agonizing slow motion ¡ª far slower than it had any right to be moving.


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    Far, far slower.


    Rneewal¡¯s eyes narrowed. She sent a sidelong glance at Decras.


    ¡°What?¡± Decras asked.


    ¡°You slowed it down,¡± Renewal snapped. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I thought it was good dramatic effect,¡± Decras replied. ¡°And I didn¡¯t slow anything. What do you think I am, a Rank 15? I can¡¯t control the flow of time itself. We¡¯re just processing it at a far faster rate.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t explain how time compression works to me. I wasn¡¯t born yesterday,¡± Renewal said, unable to tear her eyes from the screen. The tentacle was still inching down toward Noah, one micrometer at a time. At this rate, it was going to take ten minutes before it connected. ¡°Noah¡¯s dead.¡±


    ¡°Most definitely,¡± Decras agreed. ¡°I¡¯m more curious to see if he¡¯ll actually be able to do anything to the Night¡¯s Shadow. What an amusing name. Night¡¯s Shadow. It¡¯s strong for that planet... but how arrogant, to claim to be the first of darkness.¡±


    ¡°The mortals named it,¡± Renewal pointed out. ¡°You can¡¯t blame it for a name it didn¡¯t select.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Decras allowed. ¡°Then perhaps we should address the elephant in the room. Or should I say the cat¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut it,¡± Renewal said crossly. She pointed at the screen with one hand while stroking the black ball of fur that Decras had created for her with the other. ¡°Noah¡¯s about to get flattened. I don¡¯t want to miss this.¡±


    ¡°Sadist,¡± Decras said.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine. Get over it.¡±


    They both fell silent as the tentacle continued down toward Noah¡¯s outstretched hands. He was reaching up toward it, concentration carved into his face and determination burning in his eyes.


    A wall of death loomed above him. It was plummeting toward Noah at such an incredible speed, but his brain definitely still had time to process what was happening. He knew that he was about to die ¡ª and there wasn¡¯t so much as a flicker of fear within him.


    Man¡¯s greatest fear held no grip on him at all. He was only focused on the task at hand. Renewal wished she could have seen into his head. She wished she could have heard what he was thinking. Known what it was that gave him such motivation to fight forward.


    But she couldn¡¯t. All she could do was watch as the gray stone making up the Night¡¯s Shadow brushed across his fingers.


    All the power gathered within his Formation exploded out.


    A black line carved upward into the massive tentacle even as it continued on its path down.


    Time snapped back to its normal flow.


    An explosion tore through the Scorched Acres. The tentacle collided with the ground with such force that the wave of wind rolling out from within it shattered all the stoneified trees within hundreds of feet of its collapse point.


    Noah vanished beneath it. There were few things in the world that were more definitely dead than he was at that very moment.


    ¡°Look!¡± Decras exclaimed, pointing like a proud father.


    A long furrow ran along the circumference of the Night¡¯s Shadow¡¯s tendril. It ran deep enough to sever many of the holes running through the enormous appendage. The damage was insignificant structurally ¡ª but nobody liked stubbing their toe while they were asleep.


    With a hissing cacophony of screams, the tendril lurched back. It dragged itself up into the air toward the portal it had emerged from, wrapping around the mountain that had so rudely fallen on it and dragging the huge mass of stone along for the ride. Renewal watched raptly as the tentacle was slurped into the vortex in the sky like a long noodle vanishing into an eager patron¡¯s mouth.


    And then it was gone.


    All that remained was a forest of stone trees, their singing now nothing more than wind passing through holes. The magic that had connected them all to the Night¡¯s Shadow had been severed.


    ¡°Not bad at all,¡± Decras said in approval. ¡°He managed to keep it from spreading its influence too far. Perfect one for the job. Not enough power to actually wake the Night¡¯s Shadow up, but just enough to annoy it away.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Mascot?¡± Renewal asked, her eyes darting around the screen.


    Decras sent a glance at her. ¡°Renewal.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Renewal snapped. ¡°Where¡¯s Mascot?¡±


    ¡°We both saw what he did,¡± Decras said. ¡°That little avatar didn¡¯t have the ability to go tossing power around like that. Not without his connection to you.¡±


    Renewal¡¯s hands tightened at her sides. Avatars were extensions of the god they belonged to. There was a certain amount of power that was amounted to them. But that was when they were actually avatars.


    Mascot had severed their connection. As rude as it had been, it meant Renewal couldn¡¯t control him ¡ª and he couldn¡¯t draw on her magic. The only energy in him was what she¡¯d left him with.


    It was more than enough to flit through the barrier between planes on his own or do some minor mischief. But teleporting an entire mountain was an entirely different case. Something like that was far beyond what Mascot could afford to spend.


    Renewal¡¯s eyes darted around the screen in search of any white fur. ¡°He can¡¯t be gone. Not like that. I spent a lot of effort making him, you know. He¡¯s a resilient little shit.¡±


    ¡°He isn¡¯t yours anymore, you know.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Renewal snapped. ¡°Did it spend him entirely? Rewind the screen. If he¡¯s gone¡ª¡±


    The ground before Renewal shimmered. She blinked, and her gaze shot down as her breath caught in her chest.


    A faint, almost entirely translucent ball of white fur tumbled out from a portal to fall at her feet.


    It was Mascot, but he was not in good shape. In fact, he was barely in any shape at all. His body was so close to see-through that he might as well have been drawn on a thin tissue. The formerly red horns that protruded from his head and ran down on his back had paled to the point of turning gray.


    Renewal scooped Mascot off the ground and held him before her. Fragments of him were already separating and falling away. She wound her soul around Mascot¡¯s, pressing the avatar back together like she was rebuilding a puzzle.


    It wasn¡¯t a fix, but it would hold him together until she could take care of things properly.


    ¡°You¡¯ve come back to me,¡± Renewal said with a relieved smile. She extended a tendril of her will toward the cat. ¡°I knew you would. That was quite the stunt. Don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be doing something like that again. But don¡¯t you worry. I¡¯ll get you back in prime form within a few hundred years. That¡¯ll give me time to introduce you to Fiesty. You try to get along, okay?¡±


    The black cat in her lap glanced up at Mascot. Then he went back to minding his own business. Fiesty didn¡¯t tend to care about much at all.


    Mascot¡¯s eyes fluttered open. His gaze locked with Renewal¡¯s.


    She felt her strand of will hit an iron wall.


    Her eyes went wide.


    ¡°What are you doing? Drop that barrier, you little shit.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s made from you,¡± Decras pointed out. ¡°I doubt that¡¯s going to work. You¡¯ve always been hardheaded.¡±


    Renewal glared at him, then glanced back to Mascot. ¡°I can¡¯t fix you if you don¡¯t open up. Don¡¯t forget what you are, avatar. You want your power back? Drop the wall. I won¡¯t force you, but if you keep me out, then there¡¯s only so much I can do.¡±


    The determination in Mascot¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t so much as flicker. Even though his translucent body hung limp in Renewal¡¯s hands, only a short ways away from ceasing existence entirely, the will of his soul was unflinching.


    ¡°Just like a cat,¡± Decras said. ¡°Shits on your doorstep, screws off, then comes back and expects you to take care of him for free so he can go traipsing back to his favorite person. Who isn¡¯t you, by the way. Just in case he didn¡¯t make that clear.¡±


    I can¡¯t believe it. Mascot isn¡¯t stupid. He might not talk, but he knows exactly what¡¯s going on here. It must have taken just about everything he had left to get here so I could stabilize him. If he doesn¡¯t bond with me, then he can¡¯t regain the powers of an avatar. Is he really that determined to stay by Noah¡¯s side?


    Renewal sighed. She lowered Mascot to set him down on her lap. ¡°If you don¡¯t re-connect with me, there¡¯s only so much I can do. Stabilizing you might take me months, and that¡¯s without restoring your powers. Are you really okay with that? Noah can¡¯t fix you yet, even if I send you back. He¡¯s not a god. It could be hundreds or thousands of years before he becomes one. Will you really wait that long? You¡¯ll be stuck as nothing more than a slightly magical cat until he can give you power himself.¡±


    Mascot looked lazily up at Renewal.


    Then he started grooming his backside.


    And that, Renewal supposed, was answer enough.

 Chapter 703: Prophet

    Noah¡¯s eyes snapped open as his soul found its way back to his body. Awareness was coupled with a searing pain like barbed wire had gotten tangled around every single part of his being. He let out a hiss of pain as he jerked upright, thrashing to throw away whatever it was burning him, only to find that he was completely naked.


    A set of clothes smacked into his face. The confusion washing over him intensified and he barely even reacted as they flopped to his lap, revealing Moxie¡¯s concerned expression looming above him.


    ¡°Noah?¡± Moxie asked, reaching down to take him by the shoulder. ¡°Are you okay? What happened?¡±


    The pain pulsed again. Noah gritted his teeth. His muscles felt like tiny thorns had worked their way deep into them. But, at the same time, he was becoming vividly aware that the damage wasn¡¯t to his body. There wasn¡¯t any visible injury on his skin.


    It¡¯s my soul. Shit. What the hell did that monster do to me?


    Noah dragged his clothes on, if only because it gave his mind something else to focus on. The pain wasn¡¯t exactly the worst he¡¯d ever felt, but it was bad. Even through his discomfort, unease made the back of his neck prickle.


    I was exposed to the Night¡¯s Shadow for a few moments when I released my Formation. Was that time seriously enough for it to do this much to me?


    ¡°Noah!¡± Moxie said again. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Noah said, squeezing his eyes shut as white stars bloomed across his vision. His words rung in his ears like an echoing bell. The headache that came with dying certainly wasn¡¯t helping the situation. ¡°I¡¯m... okay. Could be better. Took some damage from the fight. How is everyone? Did the Night¡¯s Shadow hurt any of the students?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re fine,¡± Moxie said. ¡°Brayden used up most of his power teleporting us away the moment we had a chance. There were a lot of us, so we didn¡¯t get far, but we were just out of range of the Night¡¯s Shadow¡¯s... power. I don¡¯t know what to call that. I¡¯ve never seen anything of the sort. What did it do to you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Noah shook his head, then immediately regretted it. Every movement sent sharp barbs driving into his thoughts.


    Shit. I need to get access to the Fragment of Renewal and figure out how much damage my soul took. The Night¡¯s Shadow is terrifying. That was only a tiny fragment of its true power... and it basically took me out without even knowing I was there. I don¡¯t even think Sunder managed to give it anything more than a papercut.


    ¡°Wait. Hold still.¡± Moxie took Noah by the chin and pulled his face up. He blinked in surprise as she squinted into his eyes, her features stone cold and serious. Her lips twisted into a frown. ¡°That doesn¡¯t look good.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Is something wrong with my eyes?¡±


    ¡°Your irises. They¡¯re... broken. Like someone smashed up the dark bits in the center. Kind of like a stained glass window,¡± Moxie said, unease dripping from her tone. She ran a gentle thumb across Noah¡¯s cheek. ¡°Can you even see?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Noah replied. It seemed the damage he¡¯d taken from the Night¡¯s Shadow was even more extensive than he feared. He didn¡¯t love the sound of that, but there wasn¡¯t anything he could do for a few hours. Moxie released his head with a concerned noise.


    Noah finally registered that, while they were still in the Scorched Acres, the trees weren¡¯t a massive mess of singing stone. Familiar blackened trunks rose all around them ¡ª and Noah couldn¡¯t help but notice they were alone.


    There was no sign of any of the other students or teachers.


    ¡°Where is everyone?¡± Noah asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re just back there,¡± Moxie replied, jerking a thumb over her shoulder. ¡°When I felt your gourd activate and saw the Night¡¯s Shadow pulling back, I moved away from the others. I figured you didn¡¯t want to pop up naked in front of everyone.¡±


    Even through the pain searing into his soul, Noah sent Moxie a relieved grin. ¡°Thank you very much. That would have been bad.¡±


    ¡°A little too close to the actions of your old namesake,¡± Moxie agreed. She shook her head and lifted her gaze to the sky. ¡°I saw what that thing did to the trees before Brayden teleported us out. If any parts of the Night¡¯s Shadow showed up anywhere near a city...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to think about it,¡± Noah said grimly. ¡°But I suspect we¡¯ll find out soon enough. I just hope one didn¡¯t appear next to Arbitage.¡±


    ¡°Even if one didn¡¯t, this is going to throw the Empire into chaos. Stability is what holds treaties and stays hands. Nobody wants to be the one that rocks the boat. But once it¡¯s already rocked... all the dominos start to fall.¡±


    ¡°I hope Garina succeeded in whatever she was doing,¡± Noah said with a grimace. ¡°Because I¡¯m going to need an explanation as to what the hell is going on. And say ¡ª have you seen Mascot?¡±


    ***


    Noah and Moxie regrouped with the others a short while later. They spent several minutes prior calling out Mascot¡¯s name to try and lure the mischievous creature out, but it was to no avail. He didn¡¯t respond.


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    That unsettled Noah more than almost everything else that had happened. Mascot was a little devil, but he¡¯d never failed to show up after being called. Something was wrong. Worry bit at the back of Noah¡¯s mind like an angry piranha.


    Did the Night¡¯s Shadow kill him when he left the safety of my pattern? There¡¯s no way. I could have sworn he was immortal. And he wouldn¡¯t have killed himself just to help me, right? It¡¯s not possible. He wouldn¡¯t have.


    But Mascot had not returned. Not even when the entire class had gone about trying to get his attention at Moxie¡¯s request. Half of them didn¡¯t even know who Mascot was, which definitely would have brought the cat no small amount of amusement.


    A growing dread built in Noah¡¯s mind. He refused to accept the possibility that Mascot was dead. He¡¯d grown attached to the little shit. Sure, Mascot might have tried to kill him a few times, but just about everyone that Noah cared about had done that at least a bit.


    He can¡¯t be gone.


    His fears fell on deaf ears. The cat wasn¡¯t coming back. Perhaps he was hiding, or perhaps he¡¯d decided that something else was more interesting for the time being.


    Noah knew the hopes were probably futile. He¡¯d never considered the possibility that Mascot could be killed. The cat had felt immortal. With how easily he came and went, it was hard to see him as anything but.


    But nothing was immortal.


    Anger built in Noah with every passing minute. It cut through even the pain searing into his soul. The Night¡¯s Shadow may very well have killed his friend. Noah didn¡¯t blame the Night¡¯s Shadow, though.


    As terrifying and powerful as the monster was, it hadn¡¯t even been conscious. Garina had said as much. The monster had only appeared because someone had called for it.


    Father.


    Noah¡¯s hands tightened into fists.


    First Jalen. Now Mascot. And that isn¡¯t even to mention however many people were near the Shadows as they appeared. I can¡¯t even begin to imagine how bad the damage to the empire is. Garina said one was forming close to Arbitage. If it was close enough to actually affect the Bastion...


    Fuck. It might all be gone.


    Father just killed thousands of people in the blink of an eye, and from the way Garina made it sound, he was just fiddling around with the Long Night and trying to learn how its powers work.


    That bastard needs to be stopped. Moxie, Lee, the students... everyone is in danger.


    But what can I even do to him? I can¡¯t even try to fight the Night¡¯s Shadow. It was all I could do to scare it away. That thing¡¯s magic was beyond terrifying, and Father is strong enough to fight against both Jalen and Garina.


    How can I fight back against him?


    Noah couldn¡¯t think of an answer to that question, but he¡¯d be damned if he couldn¡¯t find one.


    ***


    Wind howled through the stones rising around Garina. She sat at their peak, looking down over what had once been a great city. She could feel people scurrying around in its depths, assessing their damages, trying to save what they could as everything they knew came crumbling down around them.


    The sky had returned to normal. Clouds drifted through a gentle blue ocean and the sun bore down on her back, but it didn¡¯t bear the warmth it normally did. The Night¡¯s Shadow had pulled back and returned to its slumber.


    It had only manifested itself for a few minutes at most. And in those few minutes, Garina had no idea how many people had died. How much had been lost.


    She was not a sentimental woman.


    But the Empire was her responsibility. Protecting it from external threats was her duty. The people within it could tear each other to shreds and she wouldn¡¯t lift a finger. That was their prerogative.


    The Night¡¯s Shadow was not.


    Father was not.


    If I¡¯d managed to stop him the first time, none of this would have happened.


    Garina¡¯s jaw clenched.


    A shadow fell over her.


    She¡¯d been expecting it. Her head didn¡¯t even turn; her eyes remained firmly fixed on the singing stone towers that sprawled far beneath and before her.


    ¡°Prophet,¡± Garina said.


    ¡°Garina,¡± the Prophet replied. A heavy metal boot clanked as he stepped down, and the butt of his spear drove into the stone as he lowered himself to sit beside her.


    The two of them were silent for several seconds.


    ¡°Father has the Long Night,¡± Garina said. ¡°He evaded me.¡±


    ¡°A weapon unsharpened will inevitably fail to grow more powerful. You have sacrificed a great much in your duties. Among that is your progress,¡± the Prophet said. ¡°It was not possible for you to maintain the status quo of things forever.¡±


    ¡°You mean you were expecting me to fail?¡± Garina asked. The corner of her lip twitched. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right. A few hundred years ago, I would have tried to rip your throat out for that.¡±


    ¡°A few hundred years ago?¡± The Prophet¡¯s voice held a note of cold amusement. ¡°Perhaps a few years ago. You have changed in ways I did not predict.¡±


    Garina¡¯s back stiffened despite her best attempts to prevent any emotion from showing through. The absolute last thing in the world she needed was the Prophet becoming aware of any potential reasons she might have changed.


    If he finds out about Ferdinand, it¡¯s over.


    ¡°Stagnation wears on me,¡± Garina said. ¡°And I am smart enough to know my own limits. You are beyond them for the time being.¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± the Prophet said without a hint of humility. ¡°And I have been keeping an eye on you, Garina. Of all the Apostles, you were always the easiest to predict... until recently.¡±


    Garina¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°What are you getting at? Don¡¯t mistake me for weak, Prophet. I recall doing some good damage the last time we fought. I am not some small dog who does naught but bark. Now is not the time to push me.¡±


    ¡°Mere observations. The Apostles are all constrained in this area of the world, Garina. Our attentions are required elsewhere. But that does not mean I have forgotten about the Empire. That is doubly true after the Master informed us that someone of interest lurks within it.¡±


    ¡°I will deal with Father,¡± Garina growled. ¡°And you will stay out of my business. If Rank 7s start traipsing around the Empire and flinging their magic around, then the Night¡¯s Shadow really will awaken ¡ª and there won¡¯t be anything left.¡±


    ¡°Ensure that you do,¡± the Prophet said. ¡°But don¡¯t make the mistake of thinking the other Apostles cannot come into the Empire, Garina. I think you are hiding something. That in itself is not a sin. I have never begrudged the Apostles their secrets... but that mercy extends only so far as your competence. It is a mercy that can, and will, be taken away. Deal with this ¡ª or I will deal with it for you. And I can assure you that neither of us will enjoy that.¡±


    Then the Prophet was gone as if he had never been there.


    Garina¡¯s fingernails bit into her palms.


    Shit.

 Chapter 704: To sharpen a blade

    ¡°Decras,¡± Renwal said, her eyes narrowing as she looked from the fading image of Garina on the screen to the god sitting by her side. ¡°Have you considered reigning your little snotlings in? They¡¯re starting to get on my nerves. This isn¡¯t the first time it¡¯s happened.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t our job to interfere,¡± Decras replied with a small frown. ¡°And there¡¯s only so much we can do. You know this. If we start meddling too directly with anything that happens on the planet, it¡¯ll disrupt the Order. Not that I have an issue with that... but Judgement might. Do you really want to bring her attention down on both of us just because we got too involved in our entertainment?¡±


    Renewal crossed her arms in front of her chest. The fluffy Cumulo she sat on was currently doing its absolute best to eat her. A twinge of annoyance shot through her and she sent a pulse of magic into the cloud.


    It cringed back, releasing her legs from its grasp.


    A tiny tongue of regret licked at Renewal¡¯s thoughts. There had been no reason to attack the monster. She¡¯d known what it was when she sat down. Standing up would have solved the issue just as well ¡ª but she currently had a pair of cats sitting in her lap. That made standing about as impossible as popping over to Arbitage and introducing herself to Noah.


    ¡°I fully agree,¡± Renewal said. ¡°We can¡¯t be interfering too much. The only thing we should be doing is observing. Maybe a nudge here or there. Right?¡±


    ¡°This sounds like a trick question.¡±


    ¡°It is. Now answer it.¡±


    ¡°Then yes. I agree,¡± Decras said through a grimace.


    ¡°Then what do you make of all the trouble your Apostles are causing? I¡¯d argue that¡¯s about as close to direct interference as one can get. I¡¯m not innocent of that either, you know. We had absolutely no problem doing it when we thought Noah just had something interesting we wanted for ourselves. But now that we¡¯re learning more just by watching him...¡± Renewal arched an eyebrow. ¡°This is where we draw the line? What changed?¡±


    ¡°Precisely that,¡± Decras said. He blew out a sigh. ¡°We didn¡¯t care before. The fate of that world was irrelevant to me. It was just another one of millions. Of trillions. You know how many galaxies, how many planets there are. How many people there are. Even the number of gods is almost uncountable. Who cares if a planet gets pushed off course and is destroyed by our meddling? It didn¡¯t matter. I have Apostles across the universe. Entire planets built in my image. This was just one more.¡±


    Renewal¡¯s jaw clenched. It was a twisted line of thinking, but she was incredibly displeased to internally acknowledge that Decras was right. There was a certain amount of leeway gods had with mortal planets. Room in which they could shuffle pieces across the board without too


    much hassle.


    But the leeway was on their end. Not the mortals¡¯ end. The Order wouldn¡¯t immediately notice that a planet had been shifted from its course. Nobody could truly control fate, and no matter how much Order ordained, there was still chaos in all things. Nothing could ever be perfectly predicted...


    Until the tipping point. The harder a god influenced a planet, the more their runes, their being, infused into it. And when the Order discovered a planet that had been clearly tampered with, that planet was removed. It no longer fit into the natural world.


    Far too many universes had been completely destroyed as worlds unraveled. The Order had told Renewal that it had been the fault of Chaos. Now, she wasn¡¯t so sure ¡ª but that didn¡¯t change the hard facts that the Order had ways to discover if events on a planet had been extensively interfered with.


    ¡°That may be so, but giving a simple order to your Apostles to keep their noses out of Noah¡¯s business isn¡¯t going to break anything,¡± Renewal said firmly. ¡°My church doesn¡¯t even know where he is. They might be looking for him, but Ferdinand has covered his tracks well.¡±


    ¡°Garina isn¡¯t Noah,¡± Decras replied. ¡°It is not Noah that stands directly at risk. It is Garina. And were I to interfere again, it would only stunt her growth. Why would I take that opportunity to grow away from her?¡±


    Renewal let out a harrumph. ¡°I may logically agree with just about everything you¡¯re saying, but you¡¯re still wrong. There are different types of strength. Would you not say that Garina has gotten more powerful from building relationships with Ferdiand and Noah? Allies are a form of power.¡±


    ¡°They are. So she should use them,¡± Decras said with a nod. ¡°The Apostles have always thrived from conflict. It is how they grow. Do not mistake their group for allies. They are rivals who serve a similar cause ¡ª the pursuit of power. None of them have any lost love for each other. That is how they have always been.¡±


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    ¡°Bah,¡± Renewal said. ¡°And what happens if they find Noah? He¡¯s got some potential. A lot of it, really. But I think we¡¯re both more than aware that any one of the Apostles, should they take him seriously for even a moment, would slaughter him and his entire group.¡±


    ¡°Most likely,¡± Decras allowed reluctantly. ¡°That would be disappointing. But I make it a point not to directly communicate with them often. It gives the wrong idea... and they don¡¯t always listen to me. I do not demand obedience.¡±


    ¡°What are you, a father trying out some fancy new method of parenting that probably won¡¯t work?¡±


    Decras grimaced. ¡°I never claimed to be a good deity to follow. They chose this on their own. The Fallen encourage choice over all else. There are no hard rules in life. All that exists is your decisions and the consequences that come from them.¡±


    They were silent for a second.


    Renewal arched an eyebrow.


    She didn¡¯t even have to say anything. Decras¡¯ last sentence was already everything she needed to say. Any words from her own mouth would have only weakened her point.


    The second stretched into two.


    Then Decras sighed.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Decras said. ¡°I will not tell the Prophet to direct his attentions elsewhere... but I will give him something else to focus on. It will buy them time. Is that sufficient for you, your highness?¡±


    Renewal beamed. ¡°Yes. What a good choice. I wholeheartedly support it.¡±


    The other god just rolled his eyes. ¡°Using my own words against me is brutal. You¡¯ll fit just fine with the rest of the Fallen. Every passing day makes it clearer that the Order were wasting your talents.¡±


    Decras rose to his feet and pressed his palms together. A look of concentration gripped his features. Energy burned against Renewal¡¯s domain as he drew on his power. Coiling snakes of dark energy twisted around Decras¡¯ palms and wove between his fingers.


    He pulled his fingers apart. Magic stretched between them like taffy. A humming buzz filled the air and droplets of black liquid, composed entirely of raw magical power, trickled down his hands. The droplets vibrated until they broke apart and formed into a fine mist that rose to swirl in a cloud between his palms.


    A shape took form within the mist. It was fuzzy and distant, like a dozen layers of rippling water laid between them and the target of the magic. But, as blurred as it was, Renewal could easily tell that the man was the Prophet.


    Decras¡¯ Prophet, anyway. I¡¯ve got one of those as well. Pretty much everyone who gets even the faintest scrap of understanding of their gods¡¯ powers ends up calling themselves a Prophet. Really, they should get more creative.


    Decras drew in a breath to speak.


    Then his eyes narrowed.


    For a moment, the god was still was still.


    Then his palms clapped back together over the mist, crushing it out like an insect. Droplets of energy splattered across the ground and over his clothes. They instantly raced to flow back into Decras, pouring into his skin and vanishing.


    ¡°Decras?¡± Renewal blinked in surprise. Decras had really never struck her as the type to go around changing his mind after a decision had been made. He wouldn¡¯t have stopped the magic without good reason. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    The expression on the other god¡¯s face gave her pause. An emotion that Renewal had never seen within Decras¡¯ features burned in his eyes like two white-hot fames. She had seen him get slightly angry before, but even during the fight against Judgement, he had been collected.


    But that Decras was gone.


    The god before her was furious.


    ¡°That,¡± Decras said, malice dripping from his words like venom from the fangs of a snake, ¡°was not my Apostle.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Renewal asked. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It was his body, his mind. The memories... they were his.¡± Decras¡¯s features warped in his anger and a sliver of his domain slipped free, sending flitting arcs of black light carving through the air around him like a million blades. ¡°But the soul was changed. It was twisted. Someone has killed my disciple and cursed his corpse.¡±


    ***


    The Prophet stepped out from a pool of shadow to arrive in a well-furnished room. Several wooden chairs were arranged around a homely table. A feast of food was laid out upon it, clearly meticulously arranged on beautiful plates and still piping hot. It smelled delicious beyond compare.


    One of the chairs, at the very end of the table, stood taller than the rest. Even though it had nobody within it, the chair felt almost as if it carried a presence. An invisible pressure exuded from within it enough to make the Prophet¡¯s brow prickle with sweat.


    Sitting in the chair to the right of the head of the table ¡ª the only person seated before the feast ¡ª was a large demon. His plate was already piled high with food. He chewed upon his previous bite then dabbed at his mouth with a napkin before raising the other hand to spear a large chunk of meat with a fork he had pinched delicately between two fingers.


    ¡°Ah. You¡¯ve returned. On time, no less. I should have expected,¡± the demon said. ¡°Would you like to sit? You must be hungry.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the Prophet said. ¡°I don¡¯t have the time. Dealing with the Apostles is taking every scrap of attention I have. It¡¯s like herding rats. I have only come to report that Garina is predictably meddlesome. I have to move slowly, or the other Apostles may grow suspicious.¡±


    ¡°I sympathize,¡± the demon replied. He took another bite of the meat on his fork, then chewed ponderously upon it. He swallowed and wiped his mouth clean with the napkin in his hand before speaking again. ¡°But I have confidence in your abilities. Your plate will remain warm until you are ready to eat. If there is nothing more, then carry on. The False Herald must be sharpened... or replaced.¡±


    ¡°As you will, Og. May the Herald guide you along your path.¡±


    Og smiled and cut himself another slice of meat from his plate. He raised it in salute. ¡°And you as well, Truthseeker.¡±

 Chapter 705: Tasty

    Noah was relieved when, several hours later, he felt a wave of shimmering energy wash over him like an electric blanket. The Transport Cannon was still standing. And, if it could reach him, then Arbitage wasn¡¯t a giant pile of screaming stones.


    That meant the world hadn¡¯t functionally ended. Noah had no idea as to what the extent of the damage was yet, but Garina hadn¡¯t returned after the fight. That probably didn¡¯t bode well. Even though there was a very good chance that she¡¯d just decided not to pop back because she had other things to do, Noah still had no way to know what was going on while their whole group was functionally stranded in the Scorched Acres.


    Fortunately, they didn¡¯t have to wait any longer.


    The world broke apart around Noah as he found his body dematerialized and yanked into the sky to hurtle through the clouds like a burning comet back in the direction of Arbitage, the others not far behind him.


    His feet slammed down on the floor of the Transport Cannon just a short while later.


    An odd feeling greeted him even as his body materialized. It was a prickling sensation, like warm needles pressing into his body from every direction. The feeling wasn¡¯t exactly uncomfortable as it was odd ¡ª but it sent him on guard instantly.


    He drew on his runes before the light had even faded from his eyes. Noah had no idea what he would find waiting for him. No idea if someone had tried to take advantage of the chaos to attack Tim, or if the Inquisitors had somehow decided that this was his fault.


    Fuyin had known where he was, after all. She¡¯d been called back before him. Even though Noah didn¡¯t take her for the type to be dumb enough to attribute this whole thing to him for no reason, he wasn¡¯t going to be betting anyone¡¯s lives on it.


    But there was nobody waiting in ambush when Noah¡¯s domain swept over the room and his vision returned to him. Tim stood by the control panel of the Transport Cannon, lines of stress creasing his already wrinkled face.


    The only other people in the room were Edda and Torrick, who both sat off to the side of the room with worry on their young features.


    A relieved sigh slipped from Noah¡¯s lips. The sensation covering his body didn¡¯t show any signs of fading, but it slipped into the back of his mind as he pulled his attention away from it.


    ¡°Thank god. It didn¡¯t hit Arbitage.¡±


    ¡°If by it you mean the massive tentacle, then you would be mistaken,¡± Tim said. The old man sounded exhausted. ¡°I am relieved to see that you are all okay, but uneasy to find that it seems we were both attacked by the same creature. I was beginning to fear the worst, but I didn¡¯t want to re-activate the cannon. I do not know if Arbitage is any safer than anywhere else right now. I take it the same happened to you?¡±


    ¡°Not just us. That was the Night¡¯s Shadow, and it likely struck more places across the Empire.¡± Moxie strode out from the arrival area, adjusting her clothes and glancing around the room in the same scan that Noah had just done moments before. ¡°Are there significant losses? Are you injured in any way? How bad was the attack?¡±


    ¡°That depends,¡± Tim said. He wiped his brow with the back of a hand and blew out a long sigh. Relief washed over his features as he watched all the others piling into the room after Noah and Moxie. ¡°If that question is weighted by how bad things could have been, then it wasn¡¯t bad at all. Arbitage as a whole appears largely undamaged. I haven¡¯t left the tower. But I heard the fight ¡ª and I saw some of the outcome.¡±


    Tim gestured out the window. Noah moved to get a better look out of it, and his features went as pale as a sheet.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Noah breathed.


    The Transport Cannon wasn¡¯t the tallest building in Arbitage, but it was certainly a tall one. It gave them a pretty good look over a large portion of the centermost portions of the massive city.


    An entire corner of it was stone.


    The center of Arbitage, where the school itself was located, didn¡¯t seem to be harmed. But a few miles away, the city was a graveyard of singing rock. Towers of it loomed in the sky and cut through the clouds, holes riddling their length.


    Noah couldn¡¯t even see where it ended. Hundreds of buildings, who knew how many people ¡ª all had been swallowed by the Night¡¯s Shadow¡¯s presence. A pit tightened in his stomach and grew so dense that it seemed like it would transform into a black hole.


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    How many people did Father kill?


    Noah felt sick. He had no delusions about who he was as a person. Noah was no saint. By many standards, he wasn¡¯t even halfway good. But senseless slaughter like this... it served absolutely no purpose. Father couldn¡¯t have gotten any benefit from waking the Night¡¯s Shadow. He¡¯d just done it for the sake of trying his new weapon out.


    The scale of the damage to Arbitage was difficult to comprehend. So many homes had been destroyed. So many families would never reunite. And they hadn¡¯t even been killed. The Night¡¯s Shadow didn¡¯t have such a mercy within it.


    Everything still remained, warped into a wretched, agonized knot of what once had been. The pain of being within the Night¡¯s Shadow¡¯s presence for even a few mere moments still seared Noah¡¯s soul like razor-hot barbed wire.


    ¡°Was this... something to do with you?¡± Tim asked quietly.


    ¡°No,¡± Noah replied. ¡°For once, no. Why do you think it would have to do with me?¡±


    Tim coughed into his fist and shook his head. ¡°My apologies. It felt like a safe guess. Most other catastrophic events that I have borne witness to seem to originate from you, so I suspected this one would be the same.¡±


    ¡°Are you really telling me that not one thing went wrong before I showed up?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Tim said.


    Noah grimaced.


    Well, shit.


    ¡°But it was a dreadfully boring life,¡± Tim added, somewhat unhelpfully. ¡°Not that I think catastrophes are interesting. They¡¯re bad. Very bad. But, well, you know. I¡¯m not trying to say you¡¯re a catastrophe. It¡¯s just that they seem to follow you around. A lot.¡±


    Noah pinched his nose between two fingers. ¡°I know, Tim. I¡¯m sorry. This one wasn¡¯t me, though.¡±


    ...at least, I don¡¯t think it was. There¡¯s no way Father would have woken that monster up and sent it destroying the kingdom specifically just so it would also catch me in the crossfire. I don¡¯t think he actually gave that much of a shit about me.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Emily breathed as she came up alongside Noah and Moxie. She tugged nervously at her hair. ¡°Arbitage is going to see this as an act of war, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Most likely,¡± Moxie said grimly. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be worrying about any exams in the near future. I wouldn¡¯t imagine much teaching will happen from the other teachers either. Everyone¡¯s going to be going into damage control mode. A Bastion hasn¡¯t taken damage this bad since the Long Night.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Alexandra asked. ¡°Not that I don¡¯t feel for everyone who was affected by this... but how does it change anything for us? The noble houses are probably all going to panic and point even more fingers at each other... especially after all the stuff we did to make them think there were traitors in the empire. But isn¡¯t that what we wanted? It¡¯s a thousand times worse than the plan was, but now they won¡¯t be after Isabel.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s worse than that,¡± Yulin said nervously. ¡°With a monster like that revealing itself, no holds are going to remain. Everyone will be out for themselves.¡±


    ¡°Forget noble houses fighting each other. They¡¯ll be fighting themselves ¡ª and everyone else as well,¡± Todd muttered, thoughts flashing through his eyes like shooting stars. ¡°We¡¯re probably standing on the brink of collapse. The entire Empire is a tinderbox primed for flame. If that flame hasn¡¯t started, then it¡¯s going to the moment the first person snaps. This is way beyond what we wanted.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m with Todd,¡± James said as he exchanged a glance with Eline. ¡°Revin talked about strategies like this before.¡±


    ¡°He calls this a strategy?¡± Aylin asked, aghast. ¡°What kind of strategy is this? It¡¯s just going to be a bunch of people turning against each other in fear and fighting to carve any scrap of power they can for themselves.¡±


    ¡°If a hierarchy exists on fear and you completely rip that fear apart, then everything comes tumbling down,¡± James said. ¡°The noble houses operate by being so powerful that all things go through them. Progress on new runes, safe areas and protection from monsters, the Bastions ¡ª they control it all. And they control it because they respect each other. The Noble houses avoid fights because that¡¯s what keeps them all in power. If any two fight, then a third would descend and clean up the scraps. That¡¯s why the Linwicks and the Torrins stopped fighting. But now...¡±


    ¡°If people think that it doesn¡¯t matter, then there¡¯s no reason to worry about the resulting consequences of their actions,¡± Eline said with a grim nod. ¡°The noble houses could dissolve. They don¡¯t provide the safety they promised. And if they dissolve, there are only individuals or small, scattered groups. Groups that can no longer hold each other in check.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± Yoru muttered. ¡°It makes me feel deeply uneasy. There is too much unknown. Too many variables that I cannot see. Even a few would be too much. This is overwhelming.¡±


    Noah couldn¡¯t help but agree. It seemed that Revin might have seen some of this coming. There was even a chance that Revin was somehow involved. Noah wouldn¡¯t have put that past him. He wouldn¡¯t have put anything past the madman.


    But blaming things on Revin would change nothing. What had happened had happened. And, for the time being, Noah¡¯s responsibility was making sure everyone he cared about made it through the building storm alive.


    His eyes were drawn back to the window, where the distant stone pillars moaned as wind dragged its slender fingers through the holes riddling them.


    The warm, prickling sensation swirling into his body only grew stronger with every passing second as if it were carried by the howling gales outside. Deep within Noah, even though his runes were still inaccessible to him, he felt Unstable Pandemonium shudder. An odd flavor tingled against his tongue.


    Chaos was in the air, and he could taste it.

 Chapter 706: Uh oh

    Arbitage was in a state of silent chaos when Noah and the other humans made their way out of the transport cannon, leaving the demons together with Tim. There was a good chance that they were the smart ones.


    An uneasy air hung over Arbitage like a stifling blanket. Mages rushed all around the campus in every direction. Their faces were all creased with fear, their thoughts all fixed on a thousand different things.


    Noah spotted a man wearing the Linwick colors hurrying past them. He grabbed the man by the shoulder, stopping him mid-step.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Noah said. ¡°What¡¯s happening? Where is everyone going? We were off with the Transport Cannon when that monster attacked.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunate for you,¡± the man replied. He gave his arm a yank, but Noah¡¯s grip was unrelenting. There wasn¡¯t much a normal mage could do when someone empowered by a Fragment of Self had a good grip on their arm. ¡°Let me go!¡±


    ¡°Just tell me what the hell is going on,¡± Noah snapped. ¡°Then you¡¯re free to go.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault you were sleeping during such a fortuitous event. You can¡¯t have my research,¡± the man snarled. ¡°Let me go! I need to inspect the stones! Who knows what kind of information they could have! If you know what¡¯s good for you, then you¡¯d get out there and look yourself. You¡¯re wasting both of our time!¡±


    Noah was so stunned by the answer that he did nothing to keep the man from tearing his wrist free. The man ran off in a hurry, cursing under his breath.


    Disgust welled in Noah.


    They¡¯re not running around to try and help anybody. Everyone is just panicking because they¡¯re worried someone else will manage to squeeze a droplet of power out of the stones before they do.


    The mages of Arbitage weren¡¯t a community. It had been a bundle of warring groups allied by the desire for power and tied together with fraying twine ¡ª and even the individual groups had fractures within them.


    These mages didn¡¯t care about anyone but themselves. An enormous part of the city had been destroyed by the Night¡¯s Shadow. There were brothers, fathers, mothers ¡ª friends ¡ª trapped within the wailing stones.


    And nobody seemed to care.


    Their loyalties didn¡¯t even extend to their own families. All that mattered was clawing one extra scrap of strength, no matter who had paid the cost for it. Getting stronger so that they could squeeze ahead of their peers and get a little closer to... something. Noah didn¡¯t even know what it was they pursued.


    ¡°The peace is coming undone,¡± Moxie muttered. ¡°Years of calm after the wars... they¡¯re going to end. It won¡¯t be long before the empire is at war. People are going to fight over access to these damn stones. I can already tell. I¡¯ve never seen people so interested in a phenomena. They have to believe that these stones hold the key to an enormous runic advancement.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn what they want,¡± Silvertide said gruffly. ¡°But we must prepare. I don¡¯t believe the peace will collapse as quickly as you fear, Moxie. People are scared to make the first move. Uncertainty breeds opportunity, but it is laden with fear. The masses will hesitate to move.¡±


    ¡°But the ambitious won¡¯t,¡± Brayden said with a worried frown. He looked back at Isabel. ¡°If anyone is going to try their luck, then it¡¯s going to be soon.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re welcome to try,¡± Todd said grimly. ¡°We¡¯ve been preparing for them for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Try what?¡± Eline asked.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t going to be that easy to get through all of us,¡± Alexandra said, ignoring her.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Emily agreed. ¡°But is staying in Arbitage the best move right now? We¡¯ve got a lot of enemies.¡±


    ¡°Enemies with more problems to deal with than going after a bunch of students,¡± Eline said. ¡°At least for now. There¡¯s no way they¡¯re all going to come funneling in just to attack you guys... right? Have you done something so insane that someone¡¯s first thought in a situation like this is to come after you?¡±


    Noah pursed his lips. Eline didn¡¯t have the full story as to why the Nobles were after Isabel ¡ª though nobody was in a rush to fill her in. Eline may have been with Revin, but she was also still strongly connected to the Torrins. Even if there weren¡¯t bigger things to deal with at the moment, she was still far from an ally.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put it past some of the dumber ones to try their luck,¡± Moxie said. ¡°We need to be ready. But I don¡¯t think Arbitage is going to fall tomorrow. It¡¯ll be even worse outside of the Bastions. At least here people will be so focused on the stones that they might ignore everything else for a little while. We should remain...¡±


    ¡°But not permanently,¡± Noah agreed with a nod. The Bastion was outliving its usefulness to him. He didn¡¯t need anything from it anymore. Arbalest was rapidly heading in the wrong direction. It wasn¡¯t a safe place for his students anymore.


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    We need to figure out how to get the hell out of here. Tim said there was a barrier around it. I need to ask him and Garina about that... if she survived the fight with the Night¡¯s Shadow. I hope she shows up tonight.


    ¡°So what do we do?¡± Isabel asked. ¡°Just sit in our rooms?¡±


    ¡°Prepare,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Practice, but out of sight. Gather supplies. Don¡¯t travel in groups less than three. Stick together as much as you can. Arbitage still provides some protection. Nobody is outright fighting yet. For as long as that remains, it¡¯s better to be here than on the road.¡±


    And I need to learn more about what the hell is going on in Arbalest. I¡¯m confident it isn¡¯t so easy to just stroll out. If it was, Father would have left with the Long Night. He had no reason to stick around. He¡¯s definitely not the type to delay his plans just to get revenge against me or Garina. That means there¡¯s still something important left here, and I don¡¯t know if the world can afford to let Father get his hands on it.


    But, for once in his life, Noah actually knew what to do. He had a lead. If there was one group in the Empire that had records of ancient shit, it would be the Inquisitors. They were so paranoid that Noah got the feeling that anything even mildly suspicious would have been preserved in the chances of being useful against demons.


    If Fuyin is still alive, she¡¯ll be knocking tomorrow so we can raid their information and figure out what the hell¡¯s been happening to them. That¡¯ll be my opportunity to dig up knowledge about this whole shitshow and see if I can figure out what it is Father is after. And, if I can¡¯t, I¡¯ll at least see if I can get information bout the barrier surrounding Arbalest that Tim talked about.


    ¡°Good advice,¡± Silvertide said. ¡°And some that I will follow as well. We should all be prepared for the worst. I will be retrieving Tyler from his closed-door training. Vermil ¡ª any allies you have, gather them. The time for political games is over. We must ready ourselves for what is to come.¡±


    He turned on his heel and strode away, his staff driving down into the ground with every step he took.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go as well,¡± Brayden said. ¡°I¡¯ll start gathering supplies for the group. We¡¯ll need a lot if we¡¯re going to travel with a group of demons on top of everyone here. Is there anyone I should seek out for you?¡±


    Noah thought for a moment. ¡°Ulya. She¡¯s probably the only other person in Arbitage that I would consider trusting. See if you can find her. Aside from that, just be careful. Watch yourself, Brayden.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Brayden said. ¡°But that advice is better directed at you.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll head back to the dorms, then,¡± Todd said. ¡°Isabel and I have go-bags prepared, but there isn¡¯t enough for everyone.¡±


    ¡°Eline can come with me,¡± James said after a moment. ¡°We probably shouldn¡¯t leave her alone. She can stay in my room until Revin comes knocking again.¡±


    Eline paled. ¡°Maybe he¡¯s forgotten about me. That¡¯s what happened to you, right?¡±


    James sent a sympathetic look at her. ¡°No. Your training isn¡¯t done yet. He¡¯s not done with you. He¡¯ll be back. I¡¯m more curious about that Inquisitor guy that showed up with you. Where is he?¡±


    ¡°No clue,¡± Noah said. A twinge of pain shot through him from his damaged soul, but he ignored it. ¡°But that¡¯s a very good question. I¡¯ve got some questions for him as well. But we¡¯ll worry about that later. Everyone, stay close. Come find me and Moxie if you need anything. I¡¯d say you could pile into our room, but it isn¡¯t big enough to hold everyone.¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t children,¡± Yulin said. ¡°I¡¯m less trained than everyone here in your techniques, but I know my way around a sword better than most. None of us are slouches. We can fight.¡±


    Noah gave them a nod. Another spike of pain drove into his skull. This time, he couldn¡¯t keep from grimacing. He really needed the Fragment of Renewal to come off its vacation so he could heal the damage to his soul.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with them,¡± Lee said. ¡°Just in case.¡±


    ¡°Great idea,¡± Noah said. Lee was probably their most perceptive person, and she was one of the strongest members of the team. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    With that, everyone split off. Noah and Moxie made their way back to their room at a brisk pace while the others broke away toward the student housing. Every single one of them moved with purpose. They all had their tasks and preparations to do, and the distant howl of the stones in the distance made sure they wouldn¡¯t forget it.


    ***


    Time slipped by. Noah and Moxie made it back to their room in the T building. It was untouched by the chaos caused by the Night¡¯s Shadow, but unnervingly empty and silent.


    Unfortunately, Noah had bigger problems.


    The burning pain eating away at his soul seemed to intensify with the passing minutes. With the Fragment of Renewal locked down for several more hours, Noah was forced to lie down and focus on keeping his mind from fraying to pieces.


    And there he lay. At some point, Moxie headed up to speak to Contessa and Karina to warn them about what was happening and give him space to recover. He could barely even tell. The world spun around him like he was perched on a top.


    Sweat beaded on his forehead and trickled down his back. Noah could hear his heartbeat thrumming in his ears and taste his own tongue.


    What the hell happened to my soul? Damn it. I need my magic back by yesterday. Whatever this is needs to be stopped¡ª


    Noah¡¯s thoughts jerked to a halt.


    He couldn¡¯t tell quite how he knew, but something was off. Somebody was in the room with him.


    ¡°Moxie?¡± Noah asked.


    But even as he spoke, he realized that it wasn¡¯t her. The presence felt unfamiliar. His eyes snapped back open. He shoved himself up, squinting through the burning pain clawing into his skull.


    And then he froze.


    Sitting in Moxie¡¯s chair beside the bed was death.


    No. It¡¯s a man.


    But death he may as well have been. The man¡¯s pallid skin was pulled so tight across bones that he resembled a starved, reanimated corpse. There wasn¡¯t a single hair upon his entire body, and he wore a loose black cloak that hung around his shoulders as if he¡¯d stolen it from his father.


    And his eyes ¡ª his eyes burned like the hells themselves. They were a deep, molten red with flickers of black dancing through them like ashes.


    ¡°I hope I didn¡¯t wake you,¡± the man said. ¡°I hate to disturb a good rest.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Noah rasped, reaching for runes that eluded his grasp.


    Is this a hallucination from my soul damage? No. It¡¯s real. At least, I think it¡¯s real.


    ¡°I am Somnus the Ferryman, Third of the Seven.¡± The man rose from the chair, his eyes never once leaving Noah¡¯s. ¡°And the Apostles call you to stand before them. Tonight.¡±

 Chapter 707: Terminator Reference

    Shit.


    That thought echoed through Noah¡¯s aching skull like an echoing roar. He could barely manage anything else. His brains were so thoroughly scrambled that it felt like he was processing the world with a quarter second of delay, but even that wasn¡¯t enough to keep the gravity of the situation from slamming down on his shoulders.


    The Apostles had found him.


    Are they here because they finally figured out that I¡¯m the one Decras was looking for? Or are they here because of Garina?


    Damn it. Something¡¯s gone wrong. Really, really wrong. Garina definitely didn¡¯t want this to happen any more than I did. Did she actually get killed by the Night¡¯s Shadow? There¡¯s no way. But she¡¯s not here... and I¡¯m nowhere near ready to deal with the Apostles in any capacity.


    ¡°That¡¯s lovely, but I actually have dinner plans already. Maybe we could reschedule?¡± Noah said, his eyes flicking around the room as his mind scrambled for a plan. He didn¡¯t have access to his magic. His gourd was in the room with him. Dying would give his secret away, not to mention potentially reveal his connection with Decras¡¯ magic.


    The Apostle¡¯s molten eyes bore into Noah¡¯s skull like they were trying to melt a hole straight through it. It was impossible to tell what the man was actually thinking. His features were so sunken and drawn taut that he barely even looked human. There was no way Somnus had any internal organs. He was just bones and skin.


    ¡°This was not an invitation,¡± Somnus said. ¡°It is a command. Your obedience is optional. I trust you should know enough about the Apostles to understand that attempts to resist would be pointless ¡ª or has Garina failed completely in her duties?¡±


    Noah paused for a moment.


    Okay. They¡¯re here because of the whole bit with Crone where we convinced them she was my teacher. Not the part where I¡¯m actually the person they¡¯ve all been hunting for. That¡¯s good. Things aren¡¯t completely fucked yet.


    They¡¯re just 80% of the way there.


    ¡°Oh, no. She¡¯s very good at her duties. Dutiful. Very dutiful,¡± Noah rambled as he stalled for time. Even if the Apostles didn¡¯t know what he was yet, it would be very hard to keep things that way if he actually went with Somnus. He needed a way out. One that wouldn¡¯t put anyone at¡ª


    Wait.


    Where¡¯s Moxie?


    Noah¡¯s eyes snapped to the window. The sun had moved a fair amount through the air. It had been hours since he¡¯d collapsed in bed. Not long enough for his magic to return, but enough that Moxie should have returned from meeting with Karina and Contessa.


    His other thoughts fell away. Noah¡¯s features went as flat as a metal sheet. Even the pain pounding against his skull crumbled and found itself shoved to the side. He nearly dove off the table to grab the other man by the collar of his shirt, but he stopped himself.


    Suddenly jumping at Somnus would give away too much. He couldn¡¯t let on how much he cared or the Apostles would use her against him. Giving them leverage like that was a game-losing play.


    Noah didn¡¯t see any signs of struggle in the room. It was exactly as it had been left when he¡¯d come back with Moxie. He refused to believe that she would have gone down without a fight, even against someone as powerful as Garina.


    That meant she was probably somewhere else. It did not mean she was safe. Moxie could have been waylaid somewhere outside of the room, while she¡¯d been with Contessa and Karina or on her way back.


    Worry built within Noah. He couldn¡¯t outright ask Somnus. The loss of Mascot stung stronger still. If the cat had been around, he could have asked him to check on her. But Mascot wasn¡¯t around to help him anymore.


    He was on his own.


    What do I do? I can¡¯t just let him take me. Not when Moxie is potentially in danger. Even if they have nothing to do with her not being here, that just means someone else could have attacked. We have no shortage of enemies.


    The pounding pain in his skull returned, not to be denied any longer. Noah gritted his teeth.


    How do I get out of this?


    ¡°The Apostles are that set on seeing me for dinner?¡± Noah asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Somnus said simply. He didn¡¯t seem very bothered by the long delay in Noah¡¯s responses.


    ¡°Great,¡± Noah said. ¡°Then come back at dinnertime. I wouldn¡¯t want to keep them waiting, after all. There are still a few hours before then. That¡¯ll be enough time for me to get properly dressed. It would be a shame to meet everyone looking like this. I have to get my white face paint and dark eyeshadow.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Somnus said. ¡°I will not return later. You will come with me. Now.¡±


    Great. Does anyone in the Apostles have a sense of humor, or are they all either dry, insane, or just assholes?


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Somnus had discovered the most effective strategy against Noah. Namely, completely ignoring everything Noah said and just barreling ahead toward the goals he¡¯d come here to accomplish.


    I don¡¯t care what the hell the Apostles want. I¡¯ll deal with them after I know Moxie is safe. There¡¯s no way for me to check on her as long as this guy is here. It could just put her in even more danger.


    ¡°Ten minutes?¡± Noah tried. ¡°I get ready fast. I¡¯ll even skip the fancy underwear.¡±


    For that matter, why is he even entertaining me? It doesn¡¯t seem like he cares about anything I say. But for all the talk of going now, he¡¯s not really being that insistent on actually taking me anywhere. Even Jalen kidnapped me faster than this.


    ¡°No,¡± Somnus said. ¡°We are leaving now.¡±


    Noah went to reply, but the words never made it out from between his lips. His brow furrowed. The shadows in the corner of the room were... odd. They were pooling in a way that they shouldn¡¯t have been, almost like water rather than light.


    A deep sense of unease exploded up within him like it had broken free of restraints. Noah¡¯s back went stiff, and in the corner of the room, the shadows pooled faster still.


    The walls of the room suddenly wavered. They twisted like seaweed and the bed warped beneath Noah as the sheets suddenly forgot they were meant to hold their cohesion. He jerked to his feet, spinning in confusion.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Noah asked. The floor bubbled and sunk beneath him as it turned to quicksand. He jerked his feet up from its grasp, stumbling until a twisting wall found his back.


    Somnus didn¡¯t so much as blink. He continued to stare mutely at Noah. It was almost as if the Apostle was entirely unaware of what was happening.


    Noah paused as a thought cut through the confusion and surprise.


    Somnus wasn¡¯t blinking at all. He wasn¡¯t just seemingly unaware of the world. He was completely frozen, a still image in a melting world.


    A spike of pain drove into Noah¡¯s head. His mind shuddered. He clasped his hands to his skull and gritted his teeth. Fragments of the room fell away around him like chips of paint peeling away from a sun-damaged wall. Bright white light poured in from the holes they left behind.


    It was a light Noah recognized.


    Soul Damage. What is that¡ª


    His eyes went wide.


    ¡°I¡¯m not awake,¡± Noah whispered.


    The world shattered.


    His eyes snapped open. Noah jerked upright, suddenly back in Moxie¡¯s bed. The room was as it had been all around him ¡ª and sitting in the chair at the bedside was Somnus. He held one hand over Noah¡¯s stomach, while the other was palm-out in the air behind him.


    A twisting black portal the size of a dinner plate swirled behind him. In the brief moment that Noah locked eyes with him, the portal grew larger by an inch.


    This time around, Apostle¡¯s features were far from expressionless. A flicker of surprise passed through his eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Somnus asked, pulling the hand that had been over Noah back. ¡°How? You should be dreaming. I did not want to interrupt your rest.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you were so content to sit around and do nothing but tell me no,¡± Noah said, his eyes thinning into slits. ¡°You were keeping me asleep until you finished making the portal.¡±


    ¡°A mercy that seems to have been wasted,¡± Somnus said. ¡°Stay where you are. I am not here to fight you. You are as troublesome as Crone said you would be, but there is no reason for odds between us. We are not yet enemies.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m more than happy to be buddies,¡± Noah said. ¡°And we can start that in exactly ten minutes, when I come back after getting changed. That¡¯s a perfectly reasonable request.¡±


    ¡°It is not,¡± Somnus replied. ¡°Others might see me. I cannot allow for that. It will destabilize far too much. Garina would be displeased. Anyone that becomes aware of my presence will have to be put down, and I take no pleasure in killing the weak. Now stop distracting me and remain silent. I have bound my soul down so that nobody will detect my presence, but if you make enough noise that someone comes in, then their death will be on your shoulders.¡±


    Noah¡¯s gaze sharpened. Somnus didn¡¯t know it, but he¡¯d just revealed a fair amount of vital information. Garina was alive. That was good. The other Apostles also still respected her enough to not try and fuck around with her job.


    Somnus¡¯ portal had grown large enough to squeeze through now, but it looked like he planned to make it bigger still. Noah didn¡¯t protest. Every second it took the Apostle to prepare himself was another one for him to force thoughts through his aching mind.


    ¡°You¡¯re not meant to be here, are you?¡± Noah asked.


    ¡°As previously stated. Garina is occupied.¡±


    The corners of Noah¡¯s lips twitched. She was occupied right now, but something told him she wouldn¡¯t approve of Somnus rolling up on her territory out of nowhere. And that meant if Noah managed to get rid of him, it was very unlikely he¡¯d get a chance to come back anytime soon.


    Okay. I might be able to work with this. Even without my runes, I¡¯ve got a way to get Garina¡¯s attention. If I shove Somnus through the portal right as he makes it, then draw on my pattern and try to squeeze some magic out of myself by using a pattern, I should be able to get Garina to come check out what the hell is going on.


    It was far from ideal. The Apostles wouldn¡¯t be happy about it, but it would be far from the first time he¡¯d defied them. They were the type that respected power more than anything else. Crone had actually kept to his word, so Noah was willing to take his bets that they wouldn¡¯t be too pissed about getting outplayed.


    A groan came from the other side of the door.


    ¡°What in the Damned Plains?¡± Moxie¡¯s voice asked, her words dripping with exhaustion.


    Somnus¡¯ eyes narrowed. ¡°She woke up. Another one? How?¡±


    Relief washed over Noah at her voice.


    Somnus must have somehow put her to sleep to disguise his presence.


    There was a moment of silence. Then Noah¡¯s thoughts shifted to horror on a dime. He knew Moxie more than well enough to guess what her thought process were. She wasn¡¯t the kind to randomly fall asleep in a hallway ¡ª which meant someone had caused it to happen.


    And if Noah had suddenly woken up right outside Moxie¡¯s room when she¡¯d been sleeping in the bed, he knew exactly what he¡¯d have done.


    Somnus turned to the door with a sigh. He lifted his hand, grayed fingers curling into a clawed shape. ¡°What a waste of potential.¡±


    No!


    Vines exploded through the door in a roar, tearing it off its hinges as a tidal wave of green plant flesh poured into the room.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back!¡± Noah yelled as he lurched into motion.


    He slammed his shoulder into the husk of a body that was Somnus. The other man was about as heavy as a feather. A surprised grunt tore from his thin lips as he was lifted off his feet. And, with a rather significant amount of de?ja? vu to accompany him, Noah tumbled into the black portal alongside the Apostle.

 Chapter 708: Just a dream

    The world was a spiral of black. Noah couldn¡¯t tell up from down; left from right. Confusion assaulted his pained mind from every single direction. His body spun helplessly, no point of reference with which to regain his bearings. He couldn¡¯t even see Somnus anymore.


    There was only the dark.


    But then there wasn¡¯t.


    The confusion assaulting Noah faltered as he realized that darkness wasn¡¯t just around him. It was pulling at his vision. More than pulling. It was pooling.


    No. Not darkness.


    Shadow.


    The world around Noah shattered.


    Darkness all fell away, spinning stopped. All was still. Noah found himself sitting on a wooden chair in a plain stone cave, no sign of a portal or Moxie or the T building whatsoever.


    Somnus stood before him. The gaunt man¡¯s molten eyes met Noah¡¯s gaze with calm curiosity.


    ¡°You broke out,¡± Somnus said, his head tilting to the side so far that it touched his shoulder. He looked more like a strangled owl than a human. ¡°That¡¯s twice, now. You¡¯ve got a source within your soul snapping you out of the illusion. That is fascinating. Have you dealt with another that bears runes like mine?¡±


    ¡°I ¡ª it was a dream?¡± Noah rasped. ¡°Another one?¡±


    ¡°A dream within a dream within a dream,¡± Somnus said. A smile split across his features. ¡°Sometimes, even I wonder where it ends.¡±


    The back of Noah¡¯s neck chilled. He was completely helpless. There was no way to even know if he was awake right now. Everything that he¡¯d seen was just fake. He didn¡¯t know where he was. If Moxie was in danger... or if she¡¯d ever been in danger.


    Everything could be fake.


    This was the true power of one of the Seven Apostles. It was incredible and unlike anything that he¡¯d ever come up against before.


    And, finally, it struck Noah that he was in deep shit.


    Deep, deep shit.


    ***


    An icy noose felt like it was winding around Noah¡¯s neck and pulling taut. This was a situation that he had never found himself in before. One that he¡¯d never even considered a possibility, and he didn¡¯t like that. He didn¡¯t like that at all.


    This was a situation that killing himself would not solve the problem. In fact, killing himself had the very real possibility of actively making it worse. Considerably worse.


    If I¡¯m in a dream right now, then I don¡¯t know if anything I do matters. There¡¯s no way for me to know just how deep his control goes. Killing myself won¡¯t get me out of this if I only dream that I¡¯m doing it. All I¡¯d do is show him that I want to die for some reason. The same goes for Sunder. If I call on it to free myself, I might just go showing him that I have Decras¡¯ powers... which would be even worse.


    Noah¡¯s cards were all laid out on the table before him. If he tried to play any of them, all he¡¯d do was show Somnus exactly what they were. But he couldn¡¯t just sit around and wait. Noah didn¡¯t know where he was. He didn¡¯t know if Moxie was safe or if they were even still in Arbitage.


    The look in Somnus¡¯ eyes told Noah exactly what the other man was thinking.


    I lose the game no matter what I do, huh? Either I don¡¯t play and let you control how things go, or I show you what I¡¯m capable of and things end up worse than before. There¡¯s no way I can outright beat a Rank 7 yet. So even if I do manage to free myself from this bullshit, I¡¯d still be playing right into his hand.


    But if Somnus thinks I¡¯m going to give up and sit around waiting for him to finish whatever it is he¡¯s doing, he¡¯s sorely mistaken. I¡¯ve yet to meet a single problem that can¡¯t be broken by smashing my head into it hard enough.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got one nasty ability,¡± Noah said.


    ¡°My position among the Apostles was well-earned,¡± Somnus replied. There wasn¡¯t any smugness in his tone. The man was just stating a fact. He was powerful and he knew it.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the point of all this? Do you just like peeping on people¡¯s dreams? Because I really can¡¯t say I¡¯m a fan. I doubt Garina would be either.¡±


    ¡°Garina is aware of our purpose. She will not be pleased, but she rarely is,¡± Somnus replied. ¡°You should be honored. It is rare that I would go to lengths like this just to ferry a Rank 5. Crone is scared of you. I¡¯d love to know how that happened.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to show you.¡±


    Somnus chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m sure you would, but I am not so easily baited. We are not in your soul, nor do I have any desire to travel to that place. I have learned enough from Crone to know that it would be unwise, even for me.¡±


    Interesting. That means his actual consciousness is present here. This isn¡¯t some recorded automaton. If I could get him into my soul and drop his guard, I¡¯d be able to give him the same treatment I gave Crone... but that¡¯s not very likely. I can¡¯t overwhelm his defenses if he doesn¡¯t let me by them.


    But either way ¡ª he can be hurt. That¡¯s good to know.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the point of all this?¡± Noah asked. ¡°It feels a bit excessive. You could have just shown up to have a chat, you know. This whole kidnapping business is annoying at best. Haven¡¯t you ever heard of having a normal conversation?¡±


    ¡°And have Garina show up while we were trying to speak with you?¡± Somnus tilted his head to the side. ¡°Do you think we¡¯re that stupid? We do not want a fight among our own number. Especially not now.¡±


    So whatever Father is doing is significant enough to affect all the Apostles, not just Garina. I kind of figured that they wouldn¡¯t give too much of a a shit about him. That¡¯s... concerning. How big of a threat is he?


    ¡°And you don¡¯t think this will piss her off?¡± Noah asked.


    ¡°She will be displeased, but we all play within the established rules of our organization. I have no quarrel with Garina. It his her own fault that this is happening. She has only herself to blame, and she is not petty enough to blame you for her own failings.¡±


    Wait. Is... this even about me?


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Could you tell me why the hell you¡¯re kidnapping me?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Just to clear some things up.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not,¡± Somnus replied. ¡°You have been called to stand testimony against Garina.¡±


    ¡°Testimony?¡± Noah blinked in confusion. ¡°Aren¡¯t there like... seven of you? The hell is the point of that? Do you even have an actual organizational structure? I was kind of under the impression you just all wanted to chat to the same dude.¡±


    ¡°We have an agreement,¡± Somnus said. ¡°All of us serve a purpose. That agreement entails staying out of each other¡¯s way and upholding certain tasks. Garina is under suspicion of failing to hold up her end of the deal.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how much I¡¯d know about that,¡± Noah said. ¡°She¡¯s always seemed pretty dedicated to me. She¡¯s meant to protect the Empire, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°That is among her tasks,¡± Somnus said with a nod. ¡°We have interest in keeping the Empire as it is. But that is not the limit of her ¡ª or any of our ¡ª duties. We are meant to ensure that certain things do not come to be... and we do not permit for distractions. That was what all of us agreed upon.¡±


    ¡°Are you implying that I¡¯m a distraction?¡± Noah asked. He glanced around the plain cave, searching for a way out of here. Getting information from Somnus was great, but his main goal was finding a way to escape. He wasn¡¯t about to just sit around and do nothing forever. ¡°I take offense to that.¡±


    ¡°We will see what you are,¡± Somnus said. ¡°But it is not you that we suspect. The bigger issue is Chaos. Do you know of it?¡±


    Noah stared at Somnus for a moment.


    ¡°Nope. Never heard of the thing.¡±


    ¡°Then it seems Garina has not been teaching you well. Chaos is the unraveling force of the universe. It is creation itself... but it is dangerous. It draws the attention of immensely powerful beings. Attention that we do not want. And, as of recently, there have been immense amounts of Chaos and Order energy emerging from Arbalest. Garina has kept us out of the empire, but she has not upheld her duties in suppressing such forces.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Noah said. ¡°So you¡¯re calling me up to see... what, if she¡¯s not doing her job? What if she isn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Then we will arrive at the Empire and do what she should have done ourselves,¡± Somnus replied simply. ¡°And she will either destroy her distractions or be removed from our ranks.¡±


    Noah didn¡¯t let it show on his face, but dread wrapped around his thoughts. He didn¡¯t know all that much about Garina¡¯s social life. She wasn¡¯t really the talkative sort. But he¡¯d seen enough snippets to put things together.


    She liked Ferdinand. Garina had mentioned him once or twice during their training. It had been brief, but he recognized the look in her eyes from the one that he¡¯d felt in his own when talking about Moxie.


    And something told Noah that romantic relationships were among the list of things the Apostles disavowed. If they decided that Garina had failed in her tasks and that her personal connections had to be severed...


    Yeah, right. They¡¯re not getting any info out of me even if they try to cut it free with a knife.


    Noah flexed his fingers, then focused on the ground before him. There was a pool of shadow building at his feet. Somnus didn¡¯t seem to notice it. It seemed he couldn¡¯t see the shadows, and that worked just fine for Noah.


    I¡¯m still in a dream, then. Guess that¡¯s no surprise. He said as much.


    I¡¯ve got enough information for now. I can¡¯t stay on the backfoot.


    ¡°I see,¡± Noah said. He stretched his arms over his head with a yawn. ¡°That¡¯s all great to hear... but why am I supposed to give a shit about any of this? I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re kidnapping me for something so worthless.¡±


    Somnus tilted his head to the other side. ¡°She is your teacher.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re a bag of bones,¡± Noah pointed out. ¡°I really don¡¯t give a damn about Garina. I know what the Apostles are about, Somnus. Power. That¡¯s why I accepted the offer Garina gave me. That¡¯s why Crone went running like a spanked child after he took a look into my soul. So why waste my time? Let¡¯s just cut to the chase.¡±


    ¡°Cut to the chase?¡± Somnus¡¯ face shifted as if he were arching an eyebrow. The skeletal man didn¡¯t exactly have any hair to lift, but Noah got the point. ¡°We have no desire to waste time. I am transporting you to the Apostles as we speak. We will¡ª¡±


    ¡°You could just ask me the questions yourself. Now.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Somnus said. ¡°You will remain here until all the Apostles can speak to you as one.¡±


    Noah sighed. He rose to his feet. ¡°I kind of figured you¡¯d say that. You know, it¡¯s odd. If this is a dream, why is it that you¡¯ve chosen such a drab location?¡±


    ¡°Dreams are made by your mind, not mine,¡± Somnus replied with a shrug. ¡°I am not fully present. I am just making sure that you do not wake up. If you would like to be more comfortable, feel free to change the world to your desire. I have said it before. I have no quarrel with you. There may even be no quarrel with Garina. That is what this will decide.¡±


    Yeah? That may be true, but I¡¯ve got a problem with you. Moxie might be in danger. And if you made that shit up just to test me... well, we¡¯ve got a problem, all right.


    ¡°I can just change the dream?¡± Noah asked.


    ¡°It is your dream. You can¡¯t choose when it ends, but you may decide how it goes.¡±


    That¡¯s bait. He¡¯s trying to get me to show off my powers. Even trying to swap this place to the Line would be a mistake. I¡¯ve got nothing actually keeping Somnus trapped here other than his desire to keep me asleep. If he actually felt like he was in serious danger, he¡¯d pull away and I¡¯d blow a good move.


    Damn it. How am I supposed to¡ª


    A thought struck Noah.


    He fought the urge to let a grin pull at his lips.


    I can¡¯t hurt him. Not without risking revealing my magic, and that won¡¯t do anything when I may or may not be stuck in a dream.


    But I can certainly annoy him.


    ¡°You know, Garina and I have had some pretty extensive conversations. I could just show you what we were doing,¡± Noah offered. ¡°That seems like it would save me a hell of a lot of trouble.¡±


    Somnus hesitated. ¡°That would be acceptable. It will not stop the audience with the other Apostles, but it could speed some things up.¡±


    Noah smiled. He walked over to Somnus, scratching at the back of his neck as if in reluctant acceptance of the situation.


    ¡°Then I suppose we¡¯ll do that. Ready?¡±


    ¡°You control the dream, not¡ª¡±


    Noah¡¯s fist slammed into Somnus¡¯ face.


    Bone crunched under his knuckles as the thin Apostle crumpled. His body tumbled back, skidding several feet across the stone before slamming into the wall with a crunch. Noah lunged forward before Somnus could stand, driving his knee into the man¡¯s head and sending it cracking right back into the stone wall with another crunch.


    ¡°Idiot. This is a dream,¡± Somnus said through a snarl. ¡°What do you hope to accomplish?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Noah brought both of his hands down on the Apostle¡¯s hairless skull with another crunch. ¡°You asked for this. This is what Garina and I have been practicing.¡±


    He took a step back as Somnus pushed himself back to his feet, then drove his knee up into the other man¡¯s stomach. Ribs shattered with the force of the blow and Somnus staggered back with a wheeze.


    Noah pressed forward, spinning to send a violent kick slamming into the side of his captor¡¯s skull. Somnus flew to the side and slammed right back into what was clearly his favorite wall.


    ¡°You cannot kill me,¡± Somnus said, shaking his head and staggering back upright. All the damage that Noah had just done to him had already evaporated. If his clothes hadn¡¯t been ruffled, it would have looked like nothing had happened.


    ¡°Kill you?¡± Noah repeated in an affronted tone. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to kill you, Somnus. I¡¯m showing you what Garina showed me. Do you really think she would be trying to kill me? I¡¯m only a Rank 5, after all.¡±


    Noah¡¯s fist slammed right back into Somnus¡¯ head. The Apostle¡¯s skull cracked ¡ª once again ¡ª into the wall. He let out a hiss of anger.


    ¡°What do you think this will get you? Are you an ape? This is a dream. My body cannot be hurt here. Especially not by mere physical blows.¡±


    Hoping to see my magic, huh? Sorry, grandpa. That¡¯s not happening. Something tells me someone as withered as you isn¡¯t particularly competent in hand-to-hand combat.


    ¡°No, it can¡¯t,¡± Noah agreed. He cracked his knuckles. ¡°I¡¯d never dream of attacking an Apostle if I were awake. It¡¯s a very good thing that I¡¯m not. All you¡¯ll be left with from this is memories. Great, right?¡±


    ¡°You are a¡ª¡±


    ¡°You were the one that approved my requests to change the dream and demonstrate what Garina and I have been practicing,¡± Noah said, interrupting Somnus with another blow to the man¡¯s chin that sent his head cracking back. Noah stepped forward and grabbed him by the collar before he could fall. ¡°And don¡¯t you worry. I¡¯m more than willing to run through every single part of what we covered.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a fool,¡± Somnus said. His molten gaze burned into Noah¡¯s eyes. ¡°Do not make a mockery of my mercy.¡±


    ¡°Mercy? I¡¯m just doing as you asked. I swear on everything that I am that this is exactly what we were doing,¡± Noah said with a cold smile. ¡°Don¡¯t forget. You want this. You¡¯re the one who controls when the dream ends, after all.¡±

 Chapter 709: Crystal

    Noah lost count of the times the world changed around him. Dreams came and went with the ebb of bubbling waves of shadow. Stone turned to field turned to ocean, but his directive never changed. Noah never relented. He hailed blows down on Somnus without mercy.


    There wasn¡¯t even the slightest part of him that felt bad about it. A Rank 7 had certainly gone through a hell of a lot worse than this ¡ª and Somnus was completely in possession of the ability to end this whole thing whenever he wanted to.


    Noah hadn¡¯t been lying. He wasn¡¯t stupid enough to try to assault an Apostle when they were outside of a dream. That would have been suicide, and not of the variety that he occasionally partook in.


    But Somnus clearly wanted him locked up in here. He wanted it enough that he was willing to let Noah treat his boney body like a very uncomfortable punching bag. Noah obliged him.


    It was the only way he could think to push Somnus¡¯ hand, and he couldn¡¯t deny that it eased his frustrations to some small degree. Not being able to act was beyond frustrating. He¡¯d always had at least one option available to him. Used to being able to hard-reset a fight just by letting himself die.


    But even if he were able to get out of the dream, killing himself would just reveal his powers to the Apostles. That very well might have been exactly what they were hoping he would do. Noah was not about to get tricked into revealing his hand.


    He might have hated waiting, but he was willing to bet that there were few living beings on this world that had more patience than he did. Not liking something didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t capable of doing it... and he¡¯d had a hell of a lot of practice recently.


    If Moxie hadn¡¯t potentially been in danger, this would have been a vacation. He¡¯d have been more than happy to wail on Somnus for a few weeks straight. After all, it didn¡¯t seem like he was getting tired within the dream world. It was practically the perfect spot to train.


    Though it definitely would have been better if this guy had a single iota of physical combat ability.


    Noah pulled his hand back ¡ª


    The world shattered.


    He was more than used to that by this point. It was far from the first time that the shadows had torn him from one dream and thrust him into the next.


    But this time, it was different.


    Cold air drove into Noah¡¯s lungs like a sharp spike. Goosebumps exploded over his skin and he instinctively pulled in on himself as the temperature dropped sharply.


    Noah found himself sitting in yet another stone room. Marble tile ran beneath his feet and the arched walls rising up all around him were covered with faded engravings.


    A long table stretched out before him. Utensils were laid out across it, but there wasn¡¯t a single morsel of food on any of the plates. It was pristinely clean, like an unused set for a movie rather than a real table.


    The feeling of going from on his feet to being seated, from in motion to still, was certainly an odd one. It was like someone had hit a hard reset on his entire body.


    Still, Noah was halfway to his feet before he realized that something had changed.


    Somnus stood across the room from him, a hand pressed to his bald head and features twisted in displeasure. But he wasn¡¯t alone. At his side and at the head of the table sat another man.


    For a moment, Noah thought that it was Sievan. The man wore what could have only been described as a dress shirt. It was buttoned up to his neck and the sleeves had been rolled up to his elbows to reveal lean but heavily muscled arms.


    A pair of sleek glasses sat on the man¡¯s face beneath a well-groomed head of black hair. There was a faint, almost satisfied smile upon his lips and pulling at his manicured features without creating so much as a wrinkle on his face.


    ¡°Well,¡± Noah said, cracking his knuckles. ¡°This is new.¡±


    Somnus glared at Noah. "You are, without a doubt, the most unpleasant experience I have ever had the displeasure of being exposed to in the last three hundred years. The dream is finished. You are awake. Attack me again and I will flay the flesh from your bones.¡±


    Noah paused. He glanced around for any search of the shadows that had arrived to pull him free of all the previous dreams. There was no sign of them. Not yet, at least. He wasn¡¯t so sure he trusted Somnus.


    ¡°How old are you?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Because if you¡¯re older than three hundred, I¡¯ve been slacking off.¡±


    Somnus¡¯ eyes narrowed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe he trusts you,¡± the well-dressed man seated beside him said.


    ¡°You know, trapping someone in some Inception dream bullshit without a way to tell if they¡¯re sleeping or not is a great way to make people not trust you,¡± Noah said. ¡°As is kidnapping them and using their allies as part of said dream. Seriously, is every single Apostle a prick? Or is it only the ones I¡¯ve had the displeasure of meeting?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all of us,¡± the seated man replied without missing a beat. ¡°It is rare that a kind man finds himself in possession of the power that we have earned. They tend to lack what it takes to do what must be done.¡±


    ¡°At least you¡¯re self-aware.¡±


    This guy is another one of the Apostles, then. So Somnus actually did manage to get me to wherever the hell it was he was taking me. Lovely. At least this means I should be able to kill myself again as long as I can come up with an excuse to justify how I come back to life.


    ¡°Somnus,¡± the well-dressed man said. ¡°Would you go get the others?¡±


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°Some of them aren¡¯t coming. They¡¯re preoccupied dealing with the mess.¡±


    ¡°The ones that are, then. I¡¯m sure none of us want to waste more time here than necessary.


    Somnus drew a portal into the air behind him without so much as a word of response. Then he stepped into it. The portal snapped shut behind him, leaving Noah and the other Apostle sitting alone in the cold room.


    ¡°Sit,¡± the man said. ¡°Or stand. It¡¯s up to you, really.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll remain standing,¡± Noah replied. He still didn¡¯t see any shadows anywhere. There was a pretty good chance that he was actually awake... but he wasn¡¯t completely certain of it yet. ¡°I¡¯ve already gotten too much beauty sleep thanks to Somnus.¡±


    ¡°You gave him quite the hard time. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen him so displeased,¡± the man said, a note of amusement entering his voice. ¡°Crone told us that you were uniquely insufferable, but it seems you have exceeded yourself.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Noah said. ¡°I try my best.¡±


    ¡°Are you certain you won¡¯t sit?¡± the Apostle asked. ¡°We will endeavor not to take too much of your time. This shouldn¡¯t last too long. You may as well make yourself comfortable in the meantime.¡±


    Noah¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I¡¯m good. Nobody¡¯s told me exactly what the hell is happening. Some kind of trial for Garina? To be honest, I really don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t even know who you are.¡±


    ¡°Ah. That was rude of me. I should have introduced myself earlier.¡± The man adjusted his shirt. ¡°My name is Kyyle.¡±


    Noah stared at him.


    ¡°Kyyle.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Noah squinted. ¡°Kyyle? Are my ears getting this wrong, or is that spelled with two Ys?¡±


    ¡°That would be it,¡± Kyyle confirmed. ¡°Two of them. It is an old name.¡±


    There are other words I would use besides old.


    ¡°One of the Apostles is called... Kyle,¡± Noah said. He continued to squint. ¡°That¡¯s it. Just Kyle.¡±


    ¡°Kyyle. Don¡¯t shorten the Y,¡± the Apostle corrected. ¡°And yes. It is a name. What issue do you have with that?¡±


    ¡°Revin calls himself the Godeater. Garina said something about a hound. Then there¡¯s Somnus the Ferryman and even Crone ¡ª which is the name for an old lady, by the way, but at least it¡¯s something. And your whole name is just... Kyyle. That¡¯s it. No title? I thought those were part of the whole Apostle membership club. Do they not come with the benefit package, or did you only get the extra Y?¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯ve spent too much time around Garina,¡± Kyyle said. ¡°I sense her nippiness in you. Like a small, barking dog.¡±


    ¡°This is all me. I didn¡¯t need Garina. My tolerance wore thin a long time ago. I¡¯m really not a fan of people swinging by and ruining my day when I¡¯m trying to get some rest. It¡¯s seriously rude.¡±


    ¡°I can imagine. Especially with soul damage as severe as yours,¡± Kyyle said, sending a critical look in Noah¡¯s direction. ¡°But do not act as if you are some saint. You are no kinder than us. We all do what we must for power, do we not?¡±


    Noah¡¯s lips thinned. ¡°Are you going to start preaching? Or do you have a point? Because if it¡¯s all the same to you, I¡¯d like to get this wrapped up so I can get back to doing something productive. Seriously, if you wanted information about Garina, you could have just sent a letter.¡±


    ¡°At least nobody can say you lack the will to stand here,¡± Kyyle said, his lips pulling into the smallest of amused smiles. ¡°I must take the blame for your arrival today. It is I that requested your presence for Garina¡¯s trial. The other Apostles did not think it necessary. In truth, it was not. The trial is irrelevant.¡±


    Noah blinked. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°None of us will find Garina in contempt of her duties. We are not idiots. Orlen has been present on this world for just as long as us, and he wields more power than any individual Apostle. None of us can truly expect Garina to hold him back, and we cannot risk fighting within the Arbalest Empire without accidentally waking the Night¡¯s Shadow.¡±


    ¡°Then what the hell was the point of all this? Why¡¯d you have me brought here?¡±


    ¡°Because I am in the business of knowing more than the others.¡± Kyyle smiled. He rose from his chair and crossed his hands behind his back. ¡°Even the Prophet hears only what is whispered to him. I make it a point to learn everything I can. And you, little Rank 5, have interesting connections.¡±


    ¡°If you want to get into Garina¡¯s pants, you¡¯re going to have to ask her yourself. I¡¯m not passing her a note for you.¡±


    I will, however, be happy to stand on the sidelines when that happens. I wonder how this guy sounds when speaking in soprano.


    A frown flickered across Noah¡¯s lips. He was pretty used to being antagonistic, but there was an edge to his thoughts that felt out of place. As if he was tense and lashing out instinctively.


    It¡¯s almost like how I felt when Azel was fucking with my head.


    Noah¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    ¡°What are you doing to me?¡±


    Kyyle smiled. ¡°Ah. Somnus did say you were perceptive. I apologize. I¡¯m not doing anything intentionally. You are experiencing the side-effects of being in proximity to my rune. I will cut to the chase before the other Apostles arrive. You are going to be tested.¡±


    ¡°What? I thought this was about Garina.¡±


    ¡°It is. And you are her responsibility. Some of the others will bring their own little toys to see how you stack up against them. Should you prove that you are strong enough, none of them will question your identity as her student or her competence for accepting you.¡±


    What the hell is this guy¡¯s angle? I can¡¯t tell what he wants... but anyone that messes with my thoughts is not someone at the top of my list to be friends with.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll win. Why are you telling me this?¡±


    ¡°Because I want you to do more than win,¡± Kyyle replied. ¡°There is one toy in particular that I want you to break. And, from what I have heard from Crone, you should be more than capable of doing it. You will do this for me.¡±


    Noah arched an eyebrow. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because, if you don¡¯t, I will ensure you never leave this place alive,¡± Kyyle replied simply. ¡°I will kill you myself.¡±


    Noah felt his expression go flat.


    ¡°And what exactly is this toy you want me to break?¡± Noah asked, keeping his tone even. He didn¡¯t like being threatened. Not at all.


    ¡°Your arrival coincides with a certain... competition that we hold. You lack the strength to win... but you will be more than sufficient to ensure that someone loses. My own apprentice is to claim victory. You will assist in this. I will indicate your target when the time comes,¡± Kyyle said, interlacing his fingers. ¡°Should you do as I say, then you and Garina will find yourselves back in the places you belong.¡±


    More anger simmered in Noah. He¡¯d gotten pulled here for a trial in which the decision had already been made, just so this prick could use him to get at one of the other Apostles.


    I will not be controlled. Not by Azel. Not by Evergreen or Father or Og ¡ª or any of the other bastards that keep popping up.


    Anything that someone tries to take from me, I¡¯ll take back from them tenfold.


    But Noah didn¡¯t let any of his thoughts show on his face. This was infuriating, but it was also an opportunity.


    Kyyle probably wasn¡¯t that much stronger than any of the other Apostles if he was coming to Noah for help. And that meant siding with one of the other Apostles would be no worse a move than siding with Kyyle.


    So there¡¯s something he wants to make sure nobody can take from his apprentice, huh?


    I don¡¯t even know what it is. Unfortunately for Kyyle, I don¡¯t care. I¡¯ll be happy to help with stopping someone else from taking the prize... but his apprentice isn¡¯t going to be walking home with it either.


    ¡°Have I made myself clear?¡± Kyyle asked, leaning forward to let his gaze bore into Noah¡¯s.


    Noah¡¯s emotions were buried before a single word came out of his mouth. He couldn¡¯t afford to let anything slip free, and there were few ways better to keep his cards close to chest than falling back on a reliable persona.


    ¡°Crystal,¡± Spider said. And, even with determination keeping his features flat, it took everything he had not to smile.

 Chapter 710: Well see

    Noah wasn¡¯t sure how he expected the other Apostles to show up. Whatever he might have come up with probably would have included a tide of shadows or some other equally edgy announcement of arrival. At the very least, he would have guessed they¡¯d have some poor, underpaid bloke running in their wake and calling out warnings of their approach.


    They just walked through the door.


    If Noah was completely honest with himself, that was a bit of a letdown. He¡¯d been expecting at least a little bit of melodrama. Watching the Apostles just walk into the room to sit down at the table like a herd of parents attending a student-teacher conference that they only marginally wanted to be present for was just a bit disappointing.


    Crone was the first of the Apostles to arrive. He showed up alongside a woman who roughly matched him in bulk. It was a bit hard to tell how old she was, but Noah would have placed her in her early thirties. Her face bore a striking resemblance to that of a pitbull, but it was paired with the most luscious head of flowing blonde hair that he had ever seen. She was easily a head taller than him and had a huge axe slung over her shoulders that Lee no doubt would have loved ¡ª despite the fact she had one of her own.


    Neither Crone nor his companion said a single word to Noah. The two of them just sat down in the seats closest to Kyyle... and farthest from him. They didn¡¯t even look in his direction. But they didn¡¯t need to.


    Noah could feel the animosity rising from them like a thick haze. Crone wasn¡¯t a fan of him, and neither was the refrigerator cosplaying as a living being at his side.


    The atmosphere at the table was hardly a pleasant one. Between Kyyle, who was doing a remarkable impression of an insufferable smug bastard, and Crone, he wasn¡¯t exactly in the best company.


    He didn¡¯t have to wait too long. The next Apostle arrived only a minute or so after Crone did.


    Into the room stepped a man wearing a flowing purple and gold cloak like that of a king. He wore beautiful pearlescent armor that caught the light and twisted it like a rainbow. His graying hair framed his face in a regal beard and his features were sharp as if chiseled from stone. The man carried a large polearm with a massive blade on either end of its haft at his side. If it had been stood at his side, the polearm probably would have been a head taller than he was.


    The new Apostle was accompanied by a dark-skinned woman clad in gray metal armor that looked like it had been ripped straight off a medieval knight. Scars along its surface indicated that it had clearly seen combat, and for some unspeakable reason, her helm only covered the lower half of her face. The upper half was left open to reveal piercing green eyes and black hair pulled into a bun at the back of her head.


    It took Noah exactly half a second to realize they were not fans of Crone. The newcomers took one look at him, then immediately made their way over to the opposite end of the table and sat down.


    This, coincidentally, put them directly beside Noah.


    He didn¡¯t have a chance to say anything. Two more people stepped into the room even as the armored took their seats.


    Noah couldn¡¯t keep his eyes from going wide as he took in the newest Apostle. He wasn¡¯t even sure that calling the man a person would have been an accurate descriptor. Noah had thought that Crone was large, but this man made every other being that he had ever seen look positively minuscule in comparison.


    He was a giant.


    The man stood at somewhere around twelve feet tall, looming over everyone like a specter of death. Jagged scars covered his face and upper body, a fair bit of which poked out from beneath a loose black robe that billowed around him as he walked. The man carried an enormous, jagged black spear in one hand that looked to have been carved from a single piece of obsidian.


    And the person alongside him couldn¡¯t have looked more out of place. Noah wasn¡¯t quite sure if they were male or female, as their entire body was covered with a mixture of leather and bone armor. They wore a mask carved from a single piece of bone with vertical slits carved for eyes and breathing holes. The figure was a bit shorter than Noah. That was unfortunate, as it made them look like a literal child compared to the huge Apostle leading the way.


    Neither of them even paid the slightest attention to the people at the table. They walked straight to the middle of the table, where the giant moved one of the chairs out of the way and sat down on the ground with his legs crossed beneath him and spear propped against his side. His companion sat down alongside him.


    Good god. Is there a single normal person here? Everyone is weird.


    ¡°Where is Garina?¡± the huge man rumbled. His voice echoed through the room like thunder even though it didn¡¯t seem like he was trying to yell.


    ¡°Not here yet, Audren,¡± Kyyle replied. ¡°You know how she is.¡±


    ¡°I know that I like her more than the rest of you,¡± Audren replied in his deep, gravely tone. ¡°I want to get this over with. There are things more important to do than sitting around and twiddling our thumbs. If it weren¡¯t for the contest you called, we wouldn¡¯t be here at all.¡±


    ¡°I believe it is wise to check on Garina,¡± the regal-looking man said, his words sharp and measured. ¡°She has been alone for a great amount time, and I have felt flickers of Revin¡¯s presence from the vicinity of the Empire.¡±


    Audren¡¯s large features creased in immense displeasure. ¡°He¡¯s there, all right. I know firsthand. I hate that slimy coward.¡±


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    ¡°It would be a most distressing trait indeed for anyone to enjoy Revin¡¯s presence,¡± the regal man said. ¡°And that is all the more reason to ensure Garina is not overwhelmed. She has a great deal of weight on her shoulders. It is our duty as allies to ensure it has not broken her.¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t allies, Vaugh,¡± Crone said. ¡°We only share a goal. Don¡¯t expect more than we¡¯re willing to give, or you will be disappointed. Again.¡±


    ¡°Do what you will, Crone,¡± Vaugh replied with a shrug. ¡°Those who fight for the same cause are allies, if even just for a moment.¡±


    Noah observed the Apostles quietly. He could see the lines of where everyone stood being drawn. It wasn¡¯t exactly a difficult room to read.


    Crone was just a prick. He didn¡¯t like anyone but seemed to be more allied with Kyyle than any of the others. There was also no chance he was going to be on Garina¡¯s side. He would be an enemy.


    Vaugh stood on the other side of the aisle. He seemed to generally be in support of Garina and, at least for the time being, not outright insane.


    Audren felt like he was more right down the middle. The giant didn¡¯t seem like he gave a shit one or way or another about the trial. He was only interested in the competition Kyyle had mentioned... and Noah didn¡¯t miss the fact that the Apostle in question had been the one that called for the competition.


    So Kyyle is responsible for pretty much all of this. He wanted to gather the Apostles and he¡¯s using Garina as justification to gather people and call this contest, huh?


    ¡°How many others will be coming?¡± Vaugh asked. ¡°I do agree with Audren. I have things that must be done.¡±


    ¡°Just Garina,¡± Kyyle replied. ¡°Five of the Seven. It is enough. Somnus could not remain. He has an urgent task to attend to, and the Prophet was unable to make this meeting.


    ¡°And who is this?¡± Audren asked, his eyes turning to Noah. ¡°He is small.¡±


    ¡°Everyone is small compared to you,¡± Noah said.


    ¡°This is Garina¡¯s disciple, Noah,¡± Kyyle said. ¡°He is here to aid in the trial, and he will also be participating in the contest of disciples.¡±


    Wait. He knows my actual name? How? Maybe Crone told him after that walk through my mind I took him on? Either way, he¡¯s clearly trying to put me off balance. I don¡¯t care if anyone outside of Arbitage knows my real name. He¡¯s not getting a reaction from me.


    ¡°The contest?¡± Audren asked. His bushy eyebrows crawled up his features. ¡°This small one? He does not have the presence of a Rank 6. He will be crushed like paste.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m right here, you know,¡± Noah said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. ¡°And is it not a man¡¯s god-given right to be smushed like paste in pursuit of a really badass death? I do what I want.¡±


    Audren blinked. Then a grin split his features. ¡°You are nippy. Like a dog. It is little wonder Garina chose you. But why are you so weak? We do not permit for weakness in our order.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps there is more to him than meets the eye,¡± Vaugh said. ¡°There are methods with which power can be hidden. Even from our senses. Garina has never been deluded.¡±


    ¡°That is what we will determine today,¡± Kyyle said. ¡°Should Garina deign to bless us with her presence, that is.¡±


    ¡°Then perhaps we should cut to the part of the meeting that doesn¡¯t require Garina¡¯s presence while we wait,¡± Crone suggested sharply. ¡°You called for a contest, Kyyle. But did the Prophet approve of it?¡±


    ¡°He did,¡± Kyyle said.


    ¡°And the reward?¡± Vaugh asked, his head tilting to the side. ¡°It has been prepared already?¡±


    ¡°It is within the Spilling Grounds. The most deserving of our apprentices will claim it, just as they always have,¡± Kyyle said simply ¡ª but the way every single Apostle paid attention to his words made it clear that this was anything but simple.


    Whatever this reward is, it isn¡¯t something that just Kyyle wants. They all want it. And anything that gets people this powerful interested enough to cling to a prick like Kyyle¡¯s words is something that I want myself.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get started. We don¡¯t need Garina here for the contest,¡± Audren urged. ¡°There is no reason to wait. I want to see some fighting.¡±


    ¡°You always want to see fighting,¡± Crone said. ¡°But I agree. There¡¯s no reason to delay. Garina has been days late before. She¡¯s only ever on time when the Prophet himself calls her. We may as well start.¡±


    ¡°That is... unless your apprentice is not yet prepared?¡± Vaugh asked, arching an eyebrow. ¡°It has been some time since I¡¯ve seen her.¡±


    ¡°Alice is simply in preparations,¡± Kyyle replied without missing a beat. ¡°She will be present at the Spilling Grounds, I can assure you.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡± Audren asked through a deep chuckle. ¡°She didn¡¯t make herself present during the last one. Missed out on a Rank 6 Rune. A powerful one. I was starting to think she was a coward, just like her master.¡±


    Kyyle¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°We simply know when to pick our battles, Audren. We only fight when we win.¡±


    ¡°But that day will not be today,¡± Vaugh said. He put a hand on the shoulder of the armored woman at his side. ¡°You should have bided your time better. Carmen has no competition today.¡±


    Kyyle¡¯s lips twitched in amusement. ¡°We will see.¡±


    For an instant, his eyes danced to Noah. Not a single word was said. None were needed. Vaugh¡¯s apprentice was the one that Kyyle was worried about. She was the one that Noah was meant to interfere with.


    ¡°Enough talk,¡± Audren said. He pounded a massive fist against the table. ¡°We are all prepared. Begin the contest. I wish to see my apprentice pound your whelps.¡±


    I can¡¯t tell if Audren even cares about his disciple winning this mysterious prize or if he just wants to see a good fight.


    ¡°Very well,¡± Kyyle said. ¡°I trust there are no objections?¡±


    Nobody spoke.


    ¡°Then, as the calling member of this meeting and contest, I declare it begun,¡± Kyyle said, rising from his seat. ¡°Attend to the Spilling Grounds immediately. May Decras extend his hand to the powerful. May only the most deserving among our apprentices remain standing on their own power alone.¡±


    Noah¡¯s lips thinned. Kyyle was full of shit. Talking about standing on your own when he was literally planning to have Noah distract Vaugh¡¯s apprentice to ensure that she lost was scummy.


    ¡°I will look forward to watching you eat your words,¡± Audren rumbled.


    ¡°We will see,¡± Kyyle said noncommittally as he rose to his feet. He pointed at Noah like he was beckoning a dog. ¡°You. Come. I will take you to the Spilling Grounds in place of your absent master. You are worthless, and a Rank 6 Rune this powerful would be entirely wasted on one of your ilk, but you still have a spot within the contest in accord with our rules.¡±


    A Rank 6 Rune?


    Noah rather liked the sound of that. A rune powerful enough for even the Apostles to put this much stock into it... now that was a prize indeed. And with the way things were going back in Arbitage, some more power was more than welcome.


    Not one of the people here thought he was a threat. He was only present because Garina was on some bullshit trial. And that meant they wouldn¡¯t be paying him much attention at all.


    We¡¯ll see, huh?


    Internally, Noah smiled.


    So we will.