《Technomancer: Birth of a Goddess》


 Chapter 1 – The Airship

    Chapter 1 ¨C The Airship


    Heavy footfall rings out in the narrow hallway as Johnny runs for his life.


    ¡°Go undercover they said, it¡¯ll be fun they said,¡± he complains to himself as he ducks behind a large pipe, only just avoiding a hail of bullets coming from his pursuers.


    ¡°Shit! Careful of the pipe you idiots, do you want to bring us down!¡± the captain of the ship¡¯s security team yells at his men.


    Johnny takes this as his cue, dashing out from his cover and letting a shot go from his pistol into the pipe he just hid behind. With the steam gushing out of the pipe as his distraction, he runs on aiming for the storage rooms.


    He had agreed to travel to the Modo Kingdom to steal valuable arcane resources from their mines in the desert thinking it was a great chance to gather some merit and maybe finally put his talents to good use. Unfortunately, he severely underestimated Modo¡¯s security and had to make do with trying to steal one of their supply ships.


    Which also turned out to be a mistake. Who would have thought they¡¯d have a mage too? As he considers his life choices, Johnny turns a corner and spots a sturdy metal door to a storage room flanked by two guards armed with dangerous-looking clockwork rifles. The guards notice him coming and start raising said rifles towards him.


    ¡°I guess there¡¯s no need to conserve mana now I¡¯m practically fucked,¡± he sighs as he begins his chant: ¡°Frost and mana do combine, release an arrow that true will fly!¡±


    He points at the guard on the left of the door as he feels a cold power rush out of him and coalesce into a glistening arrow of blue ice. The arrow shoots forward too fast for the guard to avoid and embeds itself into his throat, instantly ending his life.


    The second guard notices his partner''s untimely death, he panics and shoots at Johnny who is already prepared with his pistol raised. He releases a bullet into the guard¡¯s head, sending him to join his partner in eternal sleep. The guard¡¯s shot unfortunately hits Johnny¡¯s outstretched arm causing him to drop his pistol.


    ¡°FUCK!¡± he cries out in pain.


    Johnny runs to the door and starts to turn the wheel to open it with one hand, which turns out to be as difficult as expected. He manages to get the door open as his pursuers turn the corner at the end of the corridor and he slips through the small gap to escape.


    The inside of the storage room is piled high with wooden crates lining all the walls. He leans his back against the door to push it closed behind him while grabbing his right hand to stem the bleeding.


    Johnny pants in ragged breaths as he frantically searches the room for any obvious exits or items to help him, but all he sees are the monotonous wooden crates and metal walls lined with pipes he¡¯d grown to hate through his short excursion to the Modo Kingdom. He hears muffled yells on the other side of the door at the same time as he feels a strong push on the door at his back.


    ¡°I guess they saw me,¡± he muses while pushing back to hold the door shut. He releases his grip from his bleeding hand and points towards the edge of the door.


    ¡°By winter¡¯s grasp and icy bond, hold fast my target tight and strong.¡±


    The same cold power flows through him once again forming a thick layer of ice against the door. He knows it won''t hold for long, but it allows him to move away from the door.


    He walks to the centre of the storage room and takes one last look around seeing no exit.


    ¡°Well, I guess this is it,¡± he sighs and sits down watching the door, waiting for the guards on the other side to burst in. He silently steels his will as he gathers all his focus on his heart, or to be more specific, the three circles of power surrounding it.


    As he gathers all the scattered mana from his circuits inwards. He feels a heat building, screaming to escape his chest. Just then, a loud explosion sounds out and the door blows off its hinges narrowly missing Johnny as it flies into the room. The leader of the ship¡¯s guards walks in through a faint red haze of mysterious symbols fading in the air. His eyes land on the young man sitting calmly on the floor as if he isn¡¯t cornered. He instantly realises something is wrong as he feels the pressure emanating from the boy and sees the grin creeping its way onto his face.


    Emily finishes off her food and tosses her bowl next to Herber¡¯s before making her way towards the shopfront to leave, but before she makes it out of the kitchen, she hears shuffling behind her and an exasperated sigh.


    ¡°I swear I¡¯ve made you much nicer shirts than that one. Why do you still insist on wearing it to death?¡± Anna asks her. Emily glances back at the short girl standing in the doorway to the hallway with her arms crossed in front of her, who glares back.


    ¡°Yeah yeah, I¡¯ll change once I get back. I don¡¯t want to go ruining one of your masterpieces clambering over scrap heaps now do I?¡± she responds sarcastically, while sticking her tongue out, then turns her back and continues out of the door.


    ¡°Humph, at least you see the value of my work!¡± Anna yells at her retreating back.


    ¡°Haha, see you later sis!¡± Emily laughs as she walks out of the house grinning to herself. As much as they argue with each other, she loves her little sister and is glad she got to join their family.


    She walks out onto the narrow, cobbled street glancing left then right at the tightly clustered buildings before turning towards the city¡¯s edge to head out. After a leisurely stroll through a few narrow streets, she reaches the five-metre metal wall that surrounds the city. In front of her, set back into the wall, is a large set of sliding doors, flanked by a few of the city guards she recognises as Todd and Howard.


    ¡°Hey Emily, more scrap gathering today?¡± Todd calls out as he sees her approaching.


    ¡°Yeah, I need some more material to work on my newest creation!¡± She grins as she replies.


    ¡°This one ain''t gonna blow up again, is it?¡± Howard says as he smirks at her.


    ¡°That was one time!¡± She blushes as she snaps at the guards, who both laugh. She may or may not have a history of her odd creations going slightly off the rails, like the time she thought it would be a good idea to use some black powder stolen from the guards to make her own weapon. It caused quite a commotion when it blew part of Herber¡¯s workshop up, and she received a stern talking to from the guards and Herber, and now must do her experiments in a separate room Herber gave her to avoid damaging any of his work.


    ¡°Blowing up once is enough for us to be concerned, kid. Anyway, make sure you don¡¯t take too long, otherwise we¡¯ll switch shifts, and you¡¯ll have to go through the usual check to get back in,¡± Todd winks as he turns around and pulls a lever next to him. There is a loud hissing as a jet of steam shoots out of a set of vents above the doors and the distinctive whirring of gears sounds as the doors slide open.


    ¡°Sure, see you guys soon!¡± Emily says as she walks out of the city.


    Once out of the doors, she is met with the dilapidated buildings making up the slums outside the city. Emily quickly makes her way away from the walls and starts heading to one of the scrap heaps she frequents, weaving between buildings and people sitting on the streets begging for food. It takes her about fifteen minutes to reach the largest heap in the area.


    As she looks over the towering collection of old metal and wood debris, she sees a large airship making its way towards the city. The large construct of metal is beautiful to Emily. A giant wonder of technology formed from a medley of smooth brass, polished wood, and sharp gears. Its large canvas fins propel it through the air leaving a trail of steam behind it, while its giant inflated balloon holds it afloat.


    As much as old man Herber hates them, those merchants sure are lucky to get to ride airships like those.


    Boom!


    As Emily marvels at the ship coming towards her, the side of its hull explodes. A hail of metal fireballs rains down on the slums below and Emily sees what looks like cargo begin to fall out.


    Unfortunately, she just so happens to be directly in the fallout zone.


    Well, that¡¯s not good.


    She thinks to herself as hunks of flaming metal start to land around her.

 Chapter 2 – Amongst the Rubble

    Chapter 2 ¨C Amongst the Rubble


    Emily had always thought she dealt well with pressure. Even after her parents died, she didn¡¯t panic. She stole and fought to make sure she could survive in the rough slums. Luckily, she was right. As the flaming balls of death start to fall towards her, she is calm.


    Time appears to slow to a grinding halt as she observes everything around her.


    The ship detonated five seconds ago.


    The fragments currently falling are small, big enough to cause some serious damage if they hit but spread out enough for some wiggle room.


    The largest fragments have eight seconds before they start hitting the ground.


    The closest building is over thirty metres away, at least a twelve-second sprint.


    Too slow.


    I need something to hide under.


    A large wooden door twelve metres away.


    Too weak.


    A sheet of steel five metres away.


    Shit, too many small fragments in the way.


    A sheet of bronze eighteen metres away.


    Doable!


    Time returns to normal as Emily breaks into a sprint across the scrap heap towards her goal. She scrambles over metal and wood hoping she didn¡¯t overestimate herself as she feels small pieces of metal slicing her left side and both arms. She yelps in pain but doesn¡¯t stop, feeling the searing heat from the metal falling around her.


    She ducks and grabs the edge of the bronze sheet to lift it. It is far heavier than she was expecting, but it¡¯s not perfectly flat to the ground. Held up by what appears to be a few broken old chairs, there is a small gap underneath that Emily jams herself into. Loud impacts begin to ring out as she struggles to squeeze herself under the heavy metal just in the nick of time. Panting, with adrenaline running through her veins, Emily listens to the sound of the falling wreckage and hopes the metal will be thick enough to protect her.


    A few heavy impacts send shocks through her bones despite her protective shield. Several dents hit hard enough to leave bruises. But nothing breaks through.


    After thirty seconds of cowering with a cacophony of crashes filling her ears, the world goes quiet.


    Fires are burning all over the scrap heap, but nothing else is threatening to land on her head, so Emily slowly pulls herself free. Cautiously glancing around at the destruction, Emily stands while clutching what she suspects is a bruised rib. A grin creeps onto her face as her eyes are drawn to the falling remains of the ship in the distance.


    The large balloon that should keep the ship afloat is ablaze with the outer layers peeling off. The metal bow of the ship ploughs into the desert sands and crumples, the smooth form folding in on itself and breaking apart. A thunderous clap shakes Emily¡¯s core, and a large sand cloud erupts where the main body of the ship crash lands.


    If it blew up.... No one''s gonna miss the pieces, right?


    ¡°Yeah I¡¯m good, a few cuts and scrapes but I¡¯ll live.¡± Emily flashes Howard her bloody arms before he steps back and closes the hatch as the doors slide open with the distinctive loud hiss of steam.


    Seeing the blood and rips on Emily''s sleeves and side, Todd raises an eyebrow as she walks through the gate that he closes behind her. She winces as she adjusts the bag on her back and starts to clutch her left side, which took the worst hit from the rubble. Now that she is back within the city walls and feels safe, the adrenaline runs out, and she feels the pain and exhaustion in full.


    ¡°Go home quickly and get those looked at. You don¡¯t want an infection or something,¡± Todd urges her.


    ¡°Sure, Anna¡¯s gonna freak when she sees me.¡± Emily chuckles as she walks away waving at the guards over her shoulder.


    ¡°Good luck!¡± Howard offers as they go back to leaning lazily against the wall.


    Emily makes her way slowly back along the familiar streets of the city, earning a few curious gazes for her wretched state, but nobody bothers her.


    She makes it to the front of the old clockmaker''s shop and pauses to collect her thoughts and prepare herself to deal with Anna¡¯s usual anger when she comes home bloody and beaten. Though, usually, it¡¯s because of fights in the scrap yard over spoils, not being in the wake of an airship explosion.


    As she steps through the shop doors, Emily hears the usual half-rusted bell above the door jingle, followed by the rushed thudding of feet against hardwood. Anna bursts into the room teary-eyed, makes eye contact with Emily and, to her surprise, rushes at her. Before Emily can process this new turn of events, Anna has latched onto her, burying her face in her chest. Emily winces as pain shoots through her side from where Anna¡¯s arms are pressed against raw cuts and bruised ribs, but she ignores it and hugs Anna back, patting her head to reassure her.


    ¡°Jeeze, you¡¯d think I came back from the dead or something.¡±


    ¡°I heard an explosion and saw a ship going down near where you gather scrap, I thought you might have been hurt!¡±


    ¡°Only a little bit. I¡¯m fine. The ship itself went down pretty far from the city so only rubble came near us.¡±


    After a couple of seconds, Anna seems to calm down and slowly releases Emily to step back. She looks her over and pauses at the areas of fresh blood on her shirt.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay? That looks like a lot of blood for only a little bit.¡±


    ¡°Haha, yeah I kinda made it worse by running from some kids who wanted my loot.¡± Emily scratches the back of her head awkwardly as Anna¡¯s concerned gaze turns into a glare at her words.


    ¡°Why do I even worry about you,¡± Anna sighs. ¡°At least you won¡¯t wear that shirt again now. Come on!¡±


    Anna grabs Emily¡¯s hand and begins dragging her through the shop back towards their rooms. She opens the door to Emily¡¯s room and pushes her towards the bed.


    ¡°Sit down and take your shirt off, I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    She then turns around and disappears back into the hallway. Emily obeys, dropping her bag next to her bed and then stripping her shirt off before throwing it into a bin on the other side of the room. Anna quickly returns with cloth, gauze, and alcohol. She cleans and wraps all of Emily¡¯s cuts in silence, being careful not to put bandages over her bruised right ribs, before dumping the bloody cloth in the bin and walking to the door.


    ¡°You should really take more care of yourself and stop worrying me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it, thanks sis. Love you.¡±


    ¡°Love you too idiot,¡± Anna huffs while shutting the door.Nne?w n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com

 Chapter 3 – The Men in Robes

    Chapter 3 ¨C The Men in Robes


    Emily collapses on her bed, exhausted from her morning.


    Well, that was fun. I feel like I could sleep for a week.


    She lies still with her eyes shut for a few minutes, thinking about what she could have done differently.


    I really should have started looking for cover the second the ship exploded instead of watching till the debris started landing. That was stupid, I¡¯m lucky I wasn¡¯t caught by anything bigger. Anna would be so pissed if I got myself killed.


    She chuckles to herself before pulling herself upright with great effort and standing up. She walks over to a set of drawers across her small room. After pulling a clean shirt made by Anna out of the top drawer, she glances in the mirror as she puts it on.


    She is a mess. Emily¡¯s tall wiry frame looks built for battle, with compact, well-defined muscles. Her shoulder-length brown hair is matted and full of dirt. Her pale white face is smeared with dirt and grease from the scrap pile. Even her eyes look dirty to her, mismatched blue on the right and green on the left, which used to attract many disgusted looks when she was living in the slums. Her trousers are slightly torn and covered in dirt, which causes her to frown, before pulling a fresh pair from the drawers and changing those too.


    Urgh, I probably should have showered before putting on new clothes... Later, I have better things to do now.


    Somewhat satisfied with her appearance now, Emily decides to look over her haul. She grabs her bag from the floor where she dumped it, and leaves her room. She walks down the hallway in the opposite direction of the kitchen and shopfront. Passing Herber¡¯s bedroom and the bathroom, before coming to two doors on either side of her. On the left is Herber¡¯s workshop; on the right is the old storage room Herber converted into hers.


    She enters her workshop to see a neatly organised mess. The back wall has four large wooden boxes with collections of wood scrap, metal scrap, machined parts, and junk creations. The right wall has a few sets of drawers filled with her more successful inventions. The left wall has a workbench and shelves of tools. On the workbench are a few half-formed mechanisms, centred around a half-finished mechanical bird, and junk that Emily hasn¡¯t bothered sorting yet.


    Shutting the door behind her, Emily walks over to the workbench and pulls her chair out. She sweeps the bird she has been working on aside and sets herself down on the chair with her bag in her lap. She opens the buckles and reaches her hand down past the assortment of treasures to her prize at the bottom.


    The rock she pulls out is as beautiful as the first time she saw it, its smooth matte-black and slightly jagged stone holding countless azure blue gems, releasing a faint blue glow and mesmerising her anew. She drops her bag onto the floor and slides her chair up to the workbench before opening a drawer and pulling out her loupe, a small magnified looking glass. She raises it to her eye and gazes through the glass at the blue fragments of what she assumes to be gemstones, looking for the lightning she saw earlier.


    At first, she doesn¡¯t see anything within, but after a few seconds, she sees a flicker of movement. Lightning isn¡¯t the right word for it. The lightning Emily knows is powerful, embodying destruction and bringing death from the heavens. However, what she sees in the gems is almost calm, weak even. It flickers in thin threads that break as quickly as they form as if they are looking for a path that isn¡¯t there. Instead of the innate fear that Emily felt as a child when she first saw lightning while cowering from the rain in a cold shelter, gazing into the gem, she feels only wonder, and a desire to help break the ¡°lightning¡± from its prison.


    Emily¡¯s first thought is to break the gems free from the rock holding them. She grabs a hammer and chisel from her tool wall. Placing the rock on a thin sheet of steel to protect her wooden worktop, she lines up the chisel''s blade with the centre of a section of stone and gives its handle a firm hit with the hammer.


    DING!


    The loud sound of metal collision rings out as Emily drops the hammer and chisel before cradling the wrist that was just jarred by the rebound.


    Note to self, test what strange materials actually are before hitting them with full force.Fo?ll0w current novE?ls on n/o/(v)/3l/b((in).(co/m)


    With the revelation that the black material between the gems is a metal she doesn¡¯t recognise; Emily realises she doesn¡¯t have a way to break the gems free - yet.


    Hmmm, I guess I¡¯ll set this aside for now and make a few new tools, I do need better metal cutting options than just sheet cutters.


    Emily stands, picking up the metal chunk before walking over to the drawers behind her. She opens the lower drawer and tucks it into the back corner to hide it from Herber¡¯s prying eyes when he comes to check on her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to say Emi, this is the most practical and useful thing I think you¡¯ve ever created!¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Emily pouts and glares at him for the ill-concealed jab at her creations.


    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s a good thing I promise! I bet there are plenty of shipbuilders who would pay a pretty penny if you wanted to sell them,¡± Herber encourages.


    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s way too easy to replicate by others. The second I try to sell them, someone else will open one up and start reproducing them instead of buying again. Not worth the effort.¡± Emily waves off his compliment as impractical, while grinning happily as she places the quick-release blueprints back into the drawer they came from.


    ¡°It could alwa-¡° Herber is cut off by the distinctive ringing of the shop door¡¯s bell.


    Herber and Emily both look at the clock on the desk. It¡¯s almost 8 pm, far too late for normal business hours. They share a glance before getting up and walking towards the shopfront to find out who¡¯s entered.


    When Herber sees them, he freezes, and Emily barely stops herself from walking into his back. Before she can ask what¡¯s wrong, Herber stands straight and walks forward with purpose.


    ¡°Good evening fine sirs, is there anything I can help you with?¡±


    This is wrong, who on Ulea are these people for Dad to get so formal?


    From the doorway, Emily has a clear view of the four people standing in front of Herber. The man standing in the lead is tall and thin, at least two heads taller than Herber, with thin blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. Of the three behind him, two are stout and chubby, a clear sign of wealth in Eimdon, and the third is the same height as Emily with thick muscles bulging through his robes. The robes that all four of them wear, are black with dark green accents. On their chests are what Emily assumes to be family crests, two intertwined roots, silver for the man in the lead, and bronze for the other three, with dark green leaves sprouting from the top.


    Oh.... What are nobles doing here?


    ¡°One of our cargo ships was sabotaged and went down outside city limits. We know your daughter left the city to scavenge earlier and expect all cargo that was taken to be turned over immediately. Anything that was on the ship is the property of the Mandrago family. We will graciously overlook your transgression as long as everything stolen is returned immediately!¡± the tall man spits venomously as he looks down on Herber with a cold gaze.


    ¡°Of course, we had no idea it was your ship! I apologise, sir!¡± Herber bows to his waist before turning to Emily.


    ¡°Emily, please go gather everything!¡±


    Emily sees the sweat dripping from Herber¡¯s brow and nods before turning around and running back to her workshop. She burst in through the door, rushing to her desk and digging through the drawers to find a large sack. She takes her bag and pours the contents into the sack before turning back to leave, passing where she hid the lightning stone earlier and choosing to ignore it.


    She hurries back to the shopfront and hands Herber the sack.


    ¡°Here you go sir, this is everything we gathered earlier.¡± Herber offers the tall noble the sack, who looks at it in disdain. The muscular man walks past him, takes the sack from Herber and opens it to look in. He nods towards the tall man before throwing the sack over his shoulder and walking out the door, followed by the two short men.


    As the tall man follows them, he pauses at the door and turns to make eye contact with Herber.


    ¡°I hope, for your sake, that I never have to return!¡±

 Chapter 4 – The Experiments Begin

    Chapter 4 ¨C The Experiments Begin


    Herber sighs and visibly deflates the moment the nobles are out of the shop.


    ¡°You okay? That seemed stressful,¡± Emily asks worriedly.


    ¡°Yeah I¡¯m fine, it wasn¡¯t that bad. I could do with a drink though,¡± Herber grumbles, turning and walking past Emily towards the kitchen.


    ¡°Really? They sounded pretty serious about the whole, stolen property, thing.¡±


    ¡°Nah, it would¡¯ve just been a quick execution, nothing too bad.¡±


    The colour drains from Emily¡¯s face at that, as she thinks about the lightning stone still in her room. Herber pauses and turns back as he notices Emily isn¡¯t following him.


    ¡°You alright Emi? You look a little pale.¡±


    ¡°Ye ¨C Yeah I¡¯m fine,¡± Emily stammers, hurrying to catch up to Herber.


    ¡°Wait. That was everything - right?¡±


    ¡°Haha, yeah of course it was. I¡¯m not stupid enough to keep something stolen from nobles, you know.¡±


    Fuck! I totally am!


    Herber narrows his eyes at Emily for a few seconds as she walks past him, then shakes his head and continues into the kitchen. He walks over to a cupboard and pulls out a cheap bottle of whisky and a glass. He calls after her:


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna start working on dinner. Let your sister know it¡¯ll be ready in thirty minutes or so.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing. What we havin''?¡±


    ¡°Since you got your haul taken away, I¡¯ll do some toasted salami sandwiches as a treat!¡±


    ¡°Yay, thanks Dad!¡± Emily runs back and gives Herber a quick hug before heading down the hallway again.


    She knocks on Anna¡¯s door lightly.


    ¡°Dinner in thirty minutes!¡±


    ¡°Kay!¡±


    Emily continues to her workshop. Walking through the still-open door, she goes back to the open drawer and grabs a small sack. She walks over to the drawers on the other side of the room and opens one of them to gaze at the lightning stone again.


    I¡¯ve already hidden this from those nobles once. If they have a way of finding it, I don¡¯t want them to realise it was me... I guess I¡¯ll have to hide it somewhere else for a bit and see if they come after it.


    After making her decision, Emily acts quickly. She grabs the stone and wraps it in the small sack, then heads back to her bedroom.


    She walks over to her cabinet and grabs a stopwatch from the drawer, winds it to twenty-five minutes and drops it into the pocket of her shirt. Opening the window, she slips out into the side street.


    Emily pulls the window shut, then runs down the street in the opposite direction of the shopfront. She falls into a familiar rhythm of weaving between back alleys and narrow streets, as she heads towards the wall of the city again.


    She reaches a section with nothing notable other than a few pipes jutting out, and short buildings nearby. She moves along the length, checking the floor for any gaps in the paving. She quickly reaches a small patch of sand where the cobbles are missing.


    Having learned her lesson at the scrap heap, Emily glances around to check for anyone watching her before crouching down. She drops the sack next to her, and digs out the sand with her hands, quickly forming a small hole. She places the sack into the hole and piles the sand back in.Re?a?d new chapters at novelhall.com


    Standing up, she brushes her hands off on her trousers and kicks the excess sand into the street to remove any evidence of having buried something. Content with the cover-up, Emily plays a familiar game and guesses how long her stopwatch has been going for:


    Hmmmmm.... Fifteen minutes.


    She glances around once more, and upon seeing no one, breathes a sigh of relief while turning off the street.


    Looks like I was needlessly paranoid. Ah well, better safe than sorry.


    A small skip enters her step as she backtracks her route back home.


    ¡°Hehe, let the experiments begin!¡±


    ***


    Upon returning to her workshop, Emily sits down at her workbench and takes out the lightning stone to inspect it.


    Soft glow, check. ¡°Lightning¡±, check. All the same as before I buried it, good.


    Satisfied with the stone, Emily begins setting up the tools she¡¯s prepared over the three months of build-up.


    First, she sets up nine articulated mechanical arms, the size of a finger each, attached to a heavy iron base plate with inlaid chunks of tungsten. The arms are a work of art formed from a subtle balance of gears, springs, chains and dials.


    Emily clamps eight of the arms to equidistant points on the stone, suspending it in the air at chest height before her.


    Next, she puts on her old and worn leather apron and gloves that Anna made her after her first run-in with black powder. It¡¯s joined by a heavy metal face mask strapped to her head. Herber had prepared it for her after she mentioned the idea of power tools three months back.


    With protective gear now on, Emily stands up and walks into the corner that used to house a spare chair for Herber, and in its place now sits a small steam engine.


    She flips a lever on top, causing the steel doors to butterfly open. Inside the engine is a preset pattern of coal lining the edges with a wooden cradle in the middle. She grabs a piece of wood wrapped in cloth off her workbench; then douses it in cheap alcohol before lighting it with a match. Tossing the burning log into the centre of the wooden cradle, she pushes the lever back and then sits back down in her seat.


    The backboard of Emily¡¯s workbench has been modified with the addition of several gauges and dials to monitor the engine. Checking the oxygen levels are sufficient, she reaches up for one of the handles of wood suspended from pulleys above her and yanks it down. When the water level dial reaches three-quarters, she releases the handle.


    As she waits for the water to reach boiling, Emily pulls out one of her new power tools, a handheld rotary drill. The drill has a smooth, cylindrical body with small tubes pointing away from her hand and arm at the back. The front end has a circular disc coated in fine tungsten powder and adhesive attached with a short shaft to the gears extending past the edge of the body. The back has a metre-long tube of coated rubber with a fully actualised quick-release connector fastened to the end.


    She presses the connector to a corresponding one fastened to the underside of the workbench and twists to lock them together.


    Finally, she places a custom loupe, with an anti-glare coating on it, in the ninth arm, positioning it between her and the lightning stone. She then returns to the steam engine for a moment to place a shovel full of coal on top of the burning wood, to keep the fire burning for longer.


    Emily calms her nerves as she goes over her plan in her head.


    Start with the smallest fragments of gem and cut out the metal surrounding them. Use the semi-transparency of the gems to gauge the gem''s dimensions from the inside and avoid cutting into them instead. Take it slow, don¡¯t cut a gem...


    Emily flips her mask down and leans in, twisting the rock in the air, and positioning the loupe to gaze into the smallest gemstone fragment she can see.


    ¡°You can do this!¡± With one final mental push, Emily presses her foot to the pedal below her and hears a familiar hiss, as steam flows through the tubing to her tool. A jet of steam shoots out of the piping as the rotor spins to life.


    She holds the drill firmly between two hands and slowly presses it against the metal to the side of the fragment. The drill screeches as the metal is slowly cut away. She traces the drill around the edges of the gem, carefully avoiding pushing too close and nicking it. Once the gem is only held in by a small bridge of metal, she reaches out and snaps the gem off.


    Setting the gem down to the side, Emily turns the rock to the next smallest fragment and continues her work. After removing all visible gems, the metal is reduced to half its volume. She splits the metal in half, pausing and adjusting her cutting angle when she hears a gem crack inside, before removing the two gems that were buried within.


    She releases the foot pedal and pulls the handle to bring the water level back up to three-quarters, before placing down the rotary drill and detaching the steam connectors.


    Emily picks up the sack again and removes the two halves of metal from the mechanical arms, then drops them in. She sweeps the metal filings from her desk into the sack too, before placing it in a drawer. She turns to the eleven fragments of azure blue gemstone sitting in a pile next to her.


    Each gem emits a small, fractured glow, blocked by the small shards of metal left fused to them. Emily raises her mask and sets a clear loupe into an arm. She inspects each gemstone for any chips or scratches left by the drill and finds eight of the gems don¡¯t have a single imperfection. The three other gems each have a single point from which a small web of cracks grows.


    Curious, do these gems have weak points or something? I would have expected a lot more scratches even though my hands were steady.


    Emily pushes her questions to the back of her mind to focus on the next stage of her preparations, the sanding belt.

 Chapter 5 – Explosive Discoveries

    Chapter 5 ¨C Explosive Discoveries


    The second tool Emily had prepared was simple but effective - two rotating cylinders mounted to a heavy metal base with a belt of abrasives looped between them. She connects the belt sander to the steam line and positions the anti-glare loupe at a slight angle to watch the material removal closely.


    She once again starts with the smallest gemstone; in case she damages it. The belt whirls to life as Emily¡¯s foot slowly depresses the foot pedal. As she lowers a gem towards the belt to remove the excess metal still clinging to its surface, a bright sea of sparks flies away from her, towards the wall. She slowly increases the pressure on the belt as more and more is cut away to reveal the gemstone.


    Suddenly, the spray of sparks dies as quickly as it formed, and Emily feels a strange, unnatural lack of resistance from the gem against the spinning belt. She quickly pulls it away in panic and examines the surface that was in contact with the belt.


    Not a single scratch! The visible surface of the gem is perfect, no matter what angle Emily looks at it from.


    Hmmm... Why did three of the gems crack from the metal cutting, but the sander doesn¡¯t seem to be able to scratch one? Does a certain amount of pressure need to be exerted to affect it?


    Emily moves the gem back to the belt and continues removing the metal until she is left with a perfect teardrop-shaped gemstone, the size of a fingernail. Emily pushes her mask up and switches back to a clear loupe to look closer at the first fully cleaned gem.


    It¡¯s glass-like and seems to fade from faint azure-tinged at the edges, to a deep sea of dark blue in the centre. A blue so deep it¡¯s almost impossible to gaze past, instead drawing Emily in, forcefully holding her focus as the abyss seems to call to her.


    Deep in the abyss, strands of lightning creep out, reaching for the outside world but fading away before success.


    Tearing her eyes away from the centre of the gem, Emily shudders. For a moment she had lost control of her body, enchanted by the gem¡¯s beauty - and that scares her.


    The pull she felt from the gem isn¡¯t natural, but not dangerous. She feels this instinctively.


    The instinct she felt within herself also isn¡¯t natural. She feels this logically.


    Emily shakes her head and chooses to ignore the strange conflicting feelings that are starting to take root in the back of her mind. She places the finished gem into a drawer to remove the distraction as she turns her head to the rest. She slowly cleans off all the metal scraps from the uncracked gems, taking a break in the middle to eat lunch when Herber calls for her.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of screeching I¡¯m hearing in there, should I be worried?¡± Herber asks as he takes a sip from the warm broth sitting in front of him.


    ¡°Nah I¡¯m fine, just doing a bit of metal work.¡±


    ¡°Really? Because that¡¯s not what your face says, you¡¯ve been glaring at that soup like it stole your wife since you came in. Come on, tell me what¡¯s wrong. I may be old, but I can still be of some use you know.¡±


    Emily raises her eyes from her soup and turns her glare to Herber before sighing and rubbing her temple as she considers how to explain her problem.


    ¡°Say hypothetically, you found an object that doesn¡¯t feel like it fits in the world you know. If you want to find out more about it, and you have a feeling that you should, but also a feeling that you should ignore it because it will invalidate what you know about the world. What should you do?¡±


    Herber raises a brow at Emily in amusement, but that subsides as he sees the seriousness on her face.


    ¡°Hmm, so you¡¯re asking if I think you should follow logic to discover more or listen to instinct to stay oblivious?¡±


    Emily takes a moment to consider and decides it¡¯s close enough, nodding for Herber to continue.


    ¡°In that case, I say why not find out more? If you think it¡¯s the right thing to do, to hell with your instincts! If in the end, what you find strays from the path you know, you can just ignore it and return to your old ways of thinking. Not all paths are for everyone. Your sister chose to become a seamstress, I chose to become a clockmaker, and you... I get the feeling you haven¡¯t quite decided yet.¡±


    Emily shifts uncomfortably at the implication of Herber¡¯s words, but she quietly continues listening to his advice.


    Why did the (lightning?) only go towards the (junctions?) of cracks, not the other gaps?


    Why did I only feel the explosion on my head?


    Why did that metal start floating?!


    ¡°Hmm, well this can be split into three main issues,¡± Emily began saying to herself. ¡°The first two questions are on the strange persistence of that pattern. The force against my face is weird but not related to the patterns at all. The metal floating is also strange, maybe a strange reaction between lighting and metal? Wait, my face mask is metal! Maybe the force on my face was from that. Okay, so only two major issues then.¡±


    Emily¡¯s ruminations are interrupted by a thumping on her door.


    ¡°Hey Emi! Everything all right? What was that noise?¡± Herber calls through the door.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, messing about with black powder again!¡± Emily panics and calls the first excuse that comes to mind. Herber opens the door and sticks his head in. He takes in the scorch marks across the workbench and Emily¡¯s apron, then frowns then sighs exasperatedly.


    ¡°Please be more careful when working with explosives, I thought you said you learned your lesson already...¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± she offers weakly while looking away and refusing to meet his eyes.


    ¡°At least warn me when you¡¯re going to be working with anything dangerous in the future, please? I almost threw the watch I was working on when I heard that bang.¡±


    ¡°Okay, will do,¡± Emily replies, finally turning to look at him.


    ¡°Honestly,¡± Herber continues, cracking a grin. ¡°When you started asking me philosophical questions, I thought you¡¯d be doing something more profound than just trying to blow yourself up again.¡±


    Emily glares at him as he chuckles lightly while leaving the room. She turns back to her workbench, letting out a sigh as she looks back at her sheet of questions.


    Right, let¡¯s start with the easiest of these to work out. The metal movement can¡¯t be investigated without more lightning, so ignore that for now. The lightning retaining the gem¡¯s shape can¡¯t be looked at without breaking another gem, and I don¡¯t want Dad to think I¡¯m getting into a habit of blowing myself up too much, so ignore that for now too. That leaves you.


    She taps the second question on the list with her pen for a few seconds, then opens the drawer and looks at her collection of gems. She picks out the biggest cracked gem and the most similar clean gem, mounting the two side by side on mechanical arms.


    She grabs a few more sheets of paper and moves the loupe to look into the cracked gem. Watching closely for the threads of lightning, Emily begins drawing the gem and tracing the paths the lightning follows.


    After half an hour of meticulous drawing, Emily has three perspectives of the gem on her paper. The pathways displayed across the page are an intertwined mess. They twist and turn, crossing and petering off at random intervals. But a smile grows on Emily¡¯s face as she gazes at them.


    Six points... The ¡®lightning¡¯ only ever touches the edge of the gem at these same six points, and a vast majority of it goes to one of these points, with more going to the cracked one. Hmmm, they gather the ¡®lightning¡¯ so we¡¯ll call them ¡®focal points¡¯ for now.


    Nodding at her great naming sense, she calms her excitement and turns to the clean gem. She looked at a cracked gem first to use the crack as an external reference point and now must prove her theory of focal points'' existence on an unblemished gem.


    An hour later, having lost track of the rotation of the gem midway through her first attempt and having to restart, Emily is sat with another finished diagram of a gem''s internal pathways.


    Curious, this gem¡¯s the same size as the other but has seven focal points, does that make a difference?


    She questions while grinning madly at her confirmed theory.

 Chapter 6 – The Clockwork of Time

    Chapter 6 ¨C The Clockwork of Time


    After a few minutes of basking in excitement and redrawing the gem¡¯s core pathways between focal points, Emily decides to amend her notes.


    Why did the (lightning?) retain the shape of the gem once it was destroyed?


    Why did the (lightning?) only go towards the (junctions?) of cracks, not the other gaps?


    - Focal points


    Why did I only feel the explosion on my head?


    Why did that metal start floating?!


    What affects the number of focal points? Size? Strength of (lightning?)?


    Can focal points be used to extract (lightning?) without breaking the gem?Chee?ck out latest novels at novelhall.com


    With a few new queries in mind, she decides her order of business.


    If I want to test metal movement, I need to focus on the last point first, getting ¡°lightning¡± out of the gem.


    Emily grabs assorted small shards of metals and wood from her scrap bins, dumping them onto her workbench. Moving back to the cracked gem, she begins placing the materials against the visible focal point, watching the lightning¡¯s reaction through her loupe and making notes.


    The findings of her experiment exceed her expectations. The different types of wood cause little to no reaction in the gem, other than the acacia to which a few tiny threads reach out, but the lightning remains within the gem.


    Steel and iron give a minimal reaction, and a small amount of lightning does leave the gem, which she sees arcing when she moves the metal away. Bronze elicits no response whatsoever, and neither does raw tin. Raw copper, on the other hand, causes the same amount of reaction as iron and steel.


    Finally, Emily decides to test the black metal the gems were encased in. When she places a large piece of the unknown metal against the gem, she sees a slight reaction within, and a small arc follows it as it¡¯s pulled away.


    Hmmm, how come the gems weren¡¯t releasing ¡°lightning¡± constantly when encased in this metal? Does the size of the contact point make a difference?


    Adding that question to her notes too, she cuts off a tiny sliver of the metal and tests again, this time seeing a torrent of lightning flow out of the gem in a solid crackling beam. She tests the shard against other points on the gem and finds that while a few sparks leave from the rest of the gem, only the focal points allow a large flow of lightning.


    The ¡°lightning¡± seems to struggle to leave through the body of the gem, like it¡¯s resisting the flow other than to the focal points.


    Emily adds more scribbles to her notes and slowly gets lost in her work.


    ***


    Two weeks later, Emily finishes summarising her notes excitedly while stealing glances at her newest creation. She places her pen down while reading the note a final time to confirm it covers everything.


    Each lightning gem has several focal points along the pathways with the least resistance.


    ¡°Lightning¡± follows the path of least resistance. Thin metal has higher resistance than thick.


    The number of focal points varies based on size and the total amount of (lightning?) stored/generated. A bigger gem means more (lightning?) and therefore usually more focal points.


    Metals have different (lightning?) pull and conductivity, pull draws the (lightning?) out of the gem and conductivity transfers it. Black iron has strong pull and good conductivity. Acacia wood has low pull and no conductivity.


    Certain metals, iron not copper, can be moved by letting (lightning?) flow around it.


    One of her original queries remains unanswered, but Emily has answered enough of them to build what she believes to be a functioning machine containing a lightning gem.


    On the workbench in front of her, sits a delicate black pocket watch. Its body is intricately lined with thin engravings of lightning streaking across it, its face traced by bronze metallic veins behind a clear glass window. It has three protrusions above it: in the centre a curved link of bronze, connected to a thin chain; to the left is a small, serrated knob; and to the right a small domed button.


    Emily picks it up, and presses the link on top, twisting it clockwise. There is a small click and the side of the watch pops open to reveal a jagged socket split in half, with eleven bronze dots distributed throughout the walls.


    She places the largest lightning gem into the socket, its form perfectly joining with the sharp angles as she closes the two halves together and rotates the link back into place with another click.


    Emily rotates the serrated knob counterclockwise till the hands sit at the current time of 7:45 pm, followed by ten full rotations clockwise to wind the internal mechanisms up. She hears the watch tick to life.


    Step one accomplished, make a working pocket watch. I would be incredibly embarrassed if I failed at that step.


    She watches the clock tick by for five minutes, slowly growing in anticipation to test the mechanism that required the lightning gem to be installed in the watch. Turning it back.


    Her newest invention, if done right, should be the first pocket watch that never needs to be rewound again.


    With her intense gaze locked on the watch¡¯s face and her heartbeat loud in her ears, Emily holds down the button on top.


    Tick!


    One second passes and the seconds hand moves once.


    Tick!


    Two more seconds pass and the seconds hand moves once as Emily frowns.


    Damn, does it mess with the timings while rewinding?


    Tick!


    Three more seconds pass and Emily feels pressure constrict her whole body. She begins to panic.


    Tick!


    Four more seconds pass and Emily¡¯s breath gets stuck in her lungs, her breathing stops, suffocated by the pressure.


    Tick!


    The seconds hand stops, and the whispers begin.


    Unable to move due to the strange pressure enveloping her, Emily is subjected to a chorus of voices in her head. Each voice seems to speak at a different pitch and volume, creating a cacophony etched into her mind.


    The haunting sound is joined by a piercing jolt of pain in the back of her head as if someone has jammed a knife between her skull and her brain.


    After what feels to Emily like an eternity and an instant all at the same time, the voices stop as abruptly as they began. She is left with only the physical pain in her head and a set of words engraved into her brain.


    Congratulations Emily Coldstone.


    We have recognised your ingenuity in mixing your primitive knowledge of technology with magic.


    For this, we grant you a reward and ask of you a request.


    For your reward, we name you a Technomancer and give you the Technomancer System to aid in your pursuit of duality.


    For our request, we beseech you to use your ingenuity to reach the peak of power and save us from our inevitable death.


    Good luck, [User].


    As Emily tries to process the words, the pain subsides, and a strange glowing blue window appears before her eyes.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Welcome User {Emily Coldstone}


    Technomancer system initialisation commenced


    Tick!


    One second passes and Emily¡¯s perception is ripped to pieces as lights and sounds stretch around and through her.


    Tick! Tick! Tick!


    The clock rushes backwards, tearing through temporal tides and pulling along its unwilling passenger.


    Tick!


    The watch stops at 7:45 pm as a wave of force bursts out of Emily, sending all the loose papers on her desk flying as a loud crash of thunder rings out from her, spreading throughout the whole city.


    She sits in a daze, her perception back to normal and the pressure gone, but her mind struggles to process the rush of events that just occurred.


    Hurried footsteps grow increasingly louder before the door bursts open and Herber enters, quickly looking at Emily and taking in the state of the room.


    ¡°What in Goddess¡¯ name happened here? Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Um, yeah. I¡¯m fine, a gust of wind just messed up my notes. Did you hear that thunder? Think it¡¯s gonna rain?¡± Emily quickly tries to deflect Herber¡¯s worry.


    ¡°Really? It sounded like it came from in here to me,¡± Herber questions before muttering under his breath. ¡°Not quite sure what it could be though, I don¡¯t see any large explosion sites in here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not my fault for once. I thought the skies looked clear earlier.¡± Emily relaxes into her lie and shrugs off Herber¡¯s concern. Standing up from her desk, she begins to gather the scattered papers while dismissing him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything, go back to cooking and stop looking at me like I¡¯m about to blow up the house.¡±


    Herber glares at Emily, trying to spot the crack in her fac?ade. Unable to call her bluff, he leaves with his suspicions unresolved.


    With Herber gone, Emily sighs and drops back down on her chair, dropping her notes onto the desk unsorted. She brings a hand to her forehead and starts massaging her brow as she tries to understand what just happened to her.


    What were those strange voices? Who am I meant to save and why should that be my problem? Did it say magic? Magic¡¯s real?! What was it I was meant to say to see that system again? Status?


    The familiar blue window popped into Emily¡¯s view again, this time containing a concise list of information.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Name:] Emily Coldstone


    [Race:] Human


    [Age:] 15


    [Magic Circle:] First Circle


    [Machina Cortex:] First Stage


    [Attributes:] Strength 7, Dexterity 15, Agility 12, Vitality 8, Intelligence 22


    [Health:] 115/115


    [Stamina:] 175/175


    [Mana:] 330/330


    [Machina:] 330/330


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    Talents:


    [Intrinsic] Magical Engineer


    -Mechanical Genius


    -Magical Genius


    Skills:


    [Intrinsic] Magic Network (passive)


    -Parkour (passive)


    -Basic Machine Construction (passive)


    -Basic Melee Combat (passive)


    -Basic Spellweave (active)


    Knowledge:


    -Basic Clockwork


    -Basic Steampower


    -Basic Electrical Theory


    -Basic Mana Formation


    Equipment:


    [Intrinsic] Clockwork of Time (Ex)


    _____


    Reaching the bottom of the window, Emily¡¯s focus lingers on the Clockwork of Time, and the window suddenly changes.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Clockwork of Time]


    [Rank:] Exclusive (bound)


    [Description:] The first marvel of technology and magic created by the Technomancer Emily Coldstone and blessed by the will of the universe upon inception.


    [Effect:] Upon activation, rewind time by up to twenty-four hours


    _____


    ...


    ...


    ...


    Did I just time travel?!

 Chapter 7 – Scouring the System

    Chapter 7 ¨C Scouring the System


    Clearing the window from in front of her eyes, Emily looks over to the clock on her desk. The clock sits at 7:48 pm, matching the pocket watch in her hand.


    Yep, that said 7:50 when I hit rewind. This is insane. I¡¯m insane.


    Staring intently at the Clockwork of Time, she debates testing its function again to confirm her sanity but decides to take a breather and have a look at the mysterious new system instead.


    Status


    She calls out in her mind and sees the floating popup appear again.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Name:] Emily Coldstone


    [Race:] Human


    [Magic Circle:] First Circle


    [Machina Cortex:] First Stage


    [Attributes:] Strength 7, Dexterity 15, Agility 12, Vitality 8, Intelligence 22


    [Health:] 115/115


    [Stamina:] 175/175


    [Mana:] 330/330


    [Machina:] 330/330


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    {Please focus here to expand}


    _____


    The window has changed slightly since she first viewed it, the long list at the bottom now shrunk down until she focuses on it. She tries reaching out to touch the system, only for her hand to pass straight through, staying faintly visible on the other side.


    Definitely not physical, I wonder if anyone else can see it? Is it being projected in front of me or in my mind? Only one way to find out!


    She stands up and moves to her bedroom, leaving the watch on the desk behind her as she leaves. Reaching her bedroom, she shuts the door and stands in front of the mirror. Calling out for the system again, which shut the second she lost focus on it, she looks at her reflection and sees only empty air where the blue window should be.


    Okay, it¡¯s in my mind. I wonder if that¡¯s what the pain in the back of my head was.


    Emily lays down in bed and stares at the floating window above her.


    Right, let¡¯s go through this from the top. I just need to focus on something for further explanation, right?


    She tries focusing on her name only for nothing in the window to change.


    I guess there isn¡¯t much else for it to say about that. How about my race?


    This time the window does shift.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Race:] Human


    [Traits:] Carbon-based lifeform, high adaptability, weak fleshy bodies


    The most common sentient species spread across the cosmos.


    _____


    Spread across the cosmos... I don¡¯t think anything else can surprise me after today. First, I time travel, then I find out there are other intelligent species in space, and now I think about it, I guess magic is real... like one of the stories Dad used to tell us when we were kids.


    Laughing to herself, Emily focuses on her attributes next.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Attributes]


    The numerical values to represent the user''s body.


    All attributes increase with each increase in [Magic Circle] and [Machina Cortex]


    Some attributes can be increased with meditation, training or elixirs.


    _____


    Thank Goddess there are no surprises here. I wonder which attributes are related to my role as a technomancer. What is a technomancer? Also, what¡¯s a magic circle and a machina cortex?


    With her curiosity sparked, Emily reads through the rest of the visible options for full explanations.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Magic Circle]


    The mage¡¯s power organ.


    A circle of pure mana condensed around the heart that displays a mage¡¯s level of enlightenment.


    Generates [Mana] and allows mages a connection to the world around them.


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    [Machina Cortex]


    The mechanic¡¯s power organ.


    A mechanic¡¯s brain, optimised and compartmentalised by machina, that displays a mechanic¡¯s stage of development.


    Generates [Machina] and allows a mechanic a connection to machines around them.


    ¡°I see, in that case, it must be someone else in the shop. We don¡¯t need him anymore, Carlos!¡± The tall man, Diego, says while stepping aside to allow the muscular man behind him to approach Herber.


    ¡°No one in this shop has your crystals. I think I¡¯d know if my daughters were using magic!¡± Herber says with anger, struggling to his feet.


    Carlos says nothing, simply approaching Herber, producing a knife from within his robes and jamming it into Herber¡¯s throat in a smooth motion as he rises.


    ¡°AAHH,¡° Emily lets out a scream in shock before quickly covering her mouth, Herber¡¯s fallen form overlapping with the long-suppressed image of her parents bleeding out in front of her.


    Not again.


    Her heart drops, her breath catching in her throat as panic threatens to overwhelm her.


    ¡°Tsk,¡± Diego clicks his tongue. ¡±Miguel, Jose, capture her for questioning.¡±


    No, the watch can turn back time, it¡¯s fine, Dad will be fine. I can do something this time!


    Taking one last glance at Herber falling to the ground, clutching his throat as blood pours out, cold resolve settles in Emily¡¯s gut, dragging her back from the brink of despair as she turns and runs into the hallway with tears streaming down her face. Two pairs of footsteps chase after her, but she doesn¡¯t look back to see her pursuers, focused only on reaching her workshop.


    She bursts through the workshop door and scrambles to her desk, but instead of seeing the Clockwork of Time where she left it, she sees nothing but her notes and a few scattered tools.


    Damn it, I left it right here, where did it go?


    Feeling her panic build, Emily pulls the chair away from the desk and looks at the floor, finding nothing there she glances around the room and sees Miguel and Jose walk in.


    Taking a deep breath, Emily calms her nerves and calls up the system interface, navigating down to the Clockwork of Time again.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Clockwork of Time]


    [Rank:] Exclusive (bound)


    [Description:] The first marvel of technology and magic created by the Technomancer Emily Coldstone and blessed by the universe upon inception.


    [Effect:] Upon activation, rewind time by up to twenty-four hours


    _____


    Reading through the description, she focuses on (bound).


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Bound items can¡¯t be removed from the user.


    Upon separation, the item will automatically return to the user.


    _____


    If it returned to me when I left the room, then it has to be in one of my pockets!


    The two Mandrago mages are two steps into the room, eight steps away from Emily.


    Emily pats her trouser pockets and finds nothing.


    Six steps away.


    She reaches for her breast pocket and finds a familiar shape beneath the cloth.


    Five steps away.


    Pulling out The Clock she presses the button on top while glancing down at the time.


    Tick!


    Four steps away.


    It¡¯s 8:15 pm, only thirty minutes have passed since she first turned back time.


    Tick!


    Three steps away.


    Emily looks back up at the two men approaching, now moving in slow motion.


    Tick!


    Two steps away.


    She grins at them as the last of her panic washes away, replaced by a calm confidence as she finds comfort in the familiar pressure wrapping her body.


    Tick!


    One step away, and Jose reaches a hand towards Emily.


    Tick!


    The hand never reaches her.


    Time stops when Jose¡¯s hand is a few centimetres away from Emily¡¯s arm, then begins to wind backwards.


    Tick! Tick! Tick!


    Emily watches the men moving in reverse with fascination.


    Tick!


    Then space splits around her, and her perception is once again twisted to pieces.


    Tick! Tick! Tick! Tick!


    A wave of force once again bursts from Emily along with a crack of thunder, as the clocks hit 7:45 pm.


    I have thirty minutes to make sure Dad doesn¡¯t die.


    Hurried footsteps charge towards her workshop as Emily stands up and walks towards the door. The second Herber pushes it open, she dives into his arms and starts crying.

 Chapter 8 – Lies of Wind and Thunder

    Chapter 8 ¨C Lies of Wind and Thunder


    Herber confusedly pats Emily¡¯s back in reassurance as she sobs into his chest.


    After two minutes Emily has calmed down enough to speak coherently.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong Emi? Are you hurt?¡± Herber asks with worry.


    ¡°I- I¡¯m fine,¡± she sniffles. ¡°I just fell asleep at my desk and had a nightmare about you dying. When the thunder woke me up, I thought I¡¯d lost you too for a second.¡±


    Herber flinches slightly at her choice of words, releasing a sad sigh as he strokes her hair and holds her tight.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Emi, I¡¯m not going anywhere anytime soon,¡± he comforts her.


    That¡¯s right, I¡¯m not letting them take you. I won¡¯t lose another family.


    Emily¡¯s sadness slowly fades into indignant anger. She separates from Herber after a few more seconds and smiles at him.


    ¡°Sorry about that, I¡¯ll be fine now, it¡¯s just a bad dream.¡±


    ¡°No worries kid. Just call me if you need anything, okay? Even if it¡¯s just another hug. Me and your sister will always be there for you, no matter what.¡±


    Emily flinches as a new thought forms in her mind.


    Anna. I have to protect her too.


    ¡°Haaa,¡± she sighs and sits down as Herber leaves the room. She pulls over a clean sheet of paper. ¡°Right, how can I actually fix this?¡±


    Amazing plan to save my family!


    Step 1: Find out if anything can be brought across time loops.


    Step 2: Work out if time loops move my body¡¯s position or not (think so, was sat down again)


    Step 3: Test if I can rewind past 7:45


    Step 4: Can I kill four mages?


    Step 4.5: Finish looking at the system.


    Step 5: Can we get out of the city?


    Step 6: If all else fails, ask Dad.


    Tossing her pen down, Emily gets to work, calling out for the system.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Name:] Emily Coldstone


    [Race:] Human


    [Age:] 15


    [Magic Circle:] First Circle


    [Machina Cortex:] First Stage


    [Attributes:] Strength 7, Dexterity 15, Agility 12, Vitality 8, Intelligence 22


    [Health:] 115/115


    [Stamina:] 175/175


    [Mana:] 330/330


    [Machina:] 330/330


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    Talents:


    [Intrinsic] Magical Engineer


    -Mechanical Genius


    -Magical Genius


    Skills:


    [Intrinsic] Magic Network (passive)


    -Parkour (passive)


    -Basic Machine Construction (passive)


    -Basic Melee Combat (passive)


    -Basic Spellweave (active)


    -Basic Meditation (active)


    Knowledge:


    -Basic Clockwork


    -Basic Steampower


    -Basic Electrical Theory


    -Basic Mana Formation


    Equipment:


    [Intrinsic] Clockwork of Time (Ex)


    _____


    After reading through the full status page again, Emily takes note of basic meditation carrying over from before the time reset.


    I guess that means system skills at least aren¡¯t affected by the time loop. I¡¯ll have to test damage to my body and clothes next time I rewind, let¡¯s test displacement with this loop too.


    Checking the time and seeing 7:54, Emily grabs a sharp shard of metal from the scrap box and heads to her room.


    Leaving through the window, she runs through the city away from her house.


    After thirty minutes of running, she stops, lightly panting.


    My body was definitely improved by the awakening, I barely feel tired right now.


    She brings the metal shard out of her pocket and cuts the bottom of her shirt into slivers, then makes a few small nicks on her left arm.


    With her tests set up and still out of breath, she activates The Clock and returns to the past once again.


    ***


    Thunder and repulsive force return, and Emily finds herself back in her workshop at 7:45 pm.


    Checking her body, she finds her clothes back in a messy but whole state, and her arms clean of injury.


    My body returns to its old state and location at the time of return, but skills seem to remain through loops. Is it the system itself that¡¯s travelling back? My memories are too so I''m guessing it''s my cortex? Right, next on the list is ¡®Can I rewind past 7:45¡¯.


    -Grants -50% mana and machina usage


    -Grants +20% mental resistance


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    [Parkour (passive)]


    User knows how to move efficiently.


    -Grants +10% to agility when moving across tough terrain


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    [Basic Machine Construction (passive)]


    Beginner mechanic¡¯s ability to create machines.


    -Grants +10% production speed


    -Grants +20% machine stats


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    [Basic Melee Combat (passive)]


    User knows how to fight in close quarters.


    -Grants +10% strength and agility when fighting at close range


    -Grants +10% familiarity with fists and melee weapons


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    [Basic Spellweave (active)]


    [Cost:] 40 Mana/Hr


    User can gaze into the truth of runes to form spells.


    -Upon activation, user enters a trance-like state to use mana to experiment with runic matrices


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    [Basic Meditation (active)]


    [Cost:] N/A


    Through controlled breathing and focus, user can gather mana from the atmosphere around them, and increase their understanding of mana.


    -Upon activation, user enters a trance-like state to gather mana


    -Increases health, stamina, mana and machina regeneration while in use


    _____


    Cool, some of these may be useful. Parkour may help if we try to escape, and maybe I can fight the mages hand-to-hand with melee combat. Carlos looked trained, but as long as I take him out with a ranged weapon the other three may be possible to beat.


    Emily shivers as she remembers Carlos pulling a knife from his robes and executing Herber with practised ease. She shakes her head clear and refocuses on her system.


    I don¡¯t think spellweave or meditation can help me right now. I don¡¯t know how to cast spells and don¡¯t have hours to waste in a trance, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever wake up if those nobles find me catatonic. What does the intrinsic before magic network and clockwork of time mean though?


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Intrinsic]


    Marker of the truly unique!


    -Traits that are one-of-a-kind and unique to the holder


    -Intrinsic races will only remain intrinsic to the original holder when passed on


    -Some intrinsic skills can be taught and passed on, some remain user-locked


    -Intrinsic equipment is bound to the creator, unable to be separated from, or used by anyone other than, the user.


    _____


    Okay, I understood about half of that, but it doesn¡¯t seem that important.


    Emily stands up and stretches before heading to the drawers of finished projects.


    ¡°If I¡¯m gonna fight four mages, I should go in armed right?¡±


    She rubs her hands together excitedly at the idea of getting to put some of her makeshift weapons to good use. Digging through the drawers she pulls out and tosses aside countless unrelated creations until she finds a few weapons buried at the bottom. As she gazes at the weapons, she calls out for her system on a whim and is surprised by the information windows that pop out to greet her.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Clockwork Repeater]


    [Rank:] F


    [Stats:] +1 Dex


    [Description:] A basic handheld crossbow with a six-shot revolving cylinder for quick successive shots.


    [Effect:] Fires bolts at a rate of 1 bolt/s


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    [Single-Shot Hand Cannon]


    [Rank:] F


    [Stats:] +1 Dex


    [Description:] A basic breech-loaded hand cannon, fires a single large bullet packed with a lot of black powder.


    [Effect:] Fires a single bullet for massive damage.


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    [Telescoping Bladed Baton]


    [Rank:] F


    [Stats:] +1 Agil, +1 Str


    [Description:] A spring-loaded telescoped 1m baton with a bladed end.


    [Effect:] Extends on button press, good for hitting and stabbing.


    _____


    The system gives a useful breakdown of her self-made weapons. As Emily lifts the crossbow and hand cannon in a hand each, she feels a strange sense of resonance between her and the weapons, a feeling of control spreading through her body.


    This must be the stat bonuses.


    Smirking, she attaches the baton to her waistband as she hears the doorbell ring throughout the building. Silencing her footsteps like a predator on the hunt, she creeps towards the shopfront.


    Time to see what damage I can do.

 Chapter 9 – Futility

    Chapter 9 ¨C Futility


    Approaching the door to the shopfront, Emily tightens her grip on her weapons and listens to the familiar conversation as she waits for the ideal moment to strike.


    They looked really focused while casting that truth spell, I bet I can catch them off guard if I attack then.


    ¡°Miguel, is he telling the truth?¡± Diego¡¯s question signals her chance.


    Holding her breath, she stands and hooks the toe of her right boot around the door and swings it open past herself as Miguel begins his chant.


    ¡°-and my blessings of light...¡±


    Emily points the crossbow in her left hand at Diego and the hand cannon at Miguel, then freezes.


    Can I really kill a person?


    Her split second of indecision costs her dearly, as Carlos spots her and dives towards Diego with surprising speed, throwing the knife from within his robes and yelling:


    ¡°Watch out! Armed gunner!¡±


    Shit!


    Emily pulls the two triggers in panic. She feels a slight jolt in her left hand, and a jarring kick in her right. The crossbow bolt flies past Diego¡¯s head, narrowly missing him as Carlos tackles him to the ground. Miguel isn¡¯t as lucky, a sizeable bullet punching a hole through his chest as he opens his eyes from his chanting in disbelief.


    ¡°Argh!¡± Emily cries out in pain.


    Looking down, she sees the hilt of a knife jutting out of her stomach, she drops her weapons and starts reaching for her breast pocket to grab The Clock. While doing so she fails to notice the faint murmuring coming from Jose, only realising her mistake as a bolt of ice tears clean through her left thigh.


    She falls to the ground with tears in her eyes, unable to support her weight on the injured leg. Grasping The Clock, she presses the rewind button and tries to ignore the pain as time slows.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Congra...


    _____


    She sees a glimpse of a system message as her consciousness starts to fade.


    ***


    ¡°Aargh!¡±


    Emily is jolted back to attention by a loud, familiar thundercrack.


    ¡°Damn that hurt!¡± she mutters to herself while rubbing her side and thigh, trying to forget the visceral pain still lingering in her mind.


    I can¡¯t give them enough time to react like that again. I need to be able to reset the second the fight starts to fall in their favour.


    After shooing Herber away once again, she continues thinking over the failed fight she just started, remembering the system notification popping up at the end.


    What was that? System.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Congratulations on your first kill!


    [Reward granted]


    Sub-system unlocked: Progression


    _____


    Staring at the system message in shock, Emily starts to shake, remembering the look of horror and disbelief in Miguel¡¯s eyes after she shot him.


    Calm down, he deserves to die. They killed Dad. He deserves it.


    She closes her eyes and follows her breathing technique to calm her nerves. After a few minutes, her shaking stops and she opens her eyes again.


    ¡°He deserves death,¡± she repeats aloud to reaffirm her determination.


    Opening the system again, Emily sees a few changes. The top of the window is split into two sections labelled [Status] and [Progression]. There is also a small bell icon in the top right.


    She focuses on the bell first and a small popup appears.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Notifications]


    Mute notifications in combat? [Yes]/[No]


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    Congratulations on your first kill!


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    Skill created: Basic Meditation (active)


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    Intrinsic skill created: Magic Network (passive)


    _____


    The list continues on, and she quickly realises it¡¯s all the messages the system has sent her.


    I guess that¡¯s useful if I pass out again. Does muting mean I won¡¯t get system popups in a fight? Can¡¯t hurt to test.


    She focuses on the mute option, selecting ¡®yes¡¯ instead. Navigating back to the main window, she selects the progression tab.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Progression]


    [Circle/Stage:] First


    Requirements:


    -Intelligence 22/35 (Not Complete)


    -Create 5/5 unique F rank machines (Complete)


    -Create 0/1 E rank machine (Not Complete)


    -Learn 0/5 first circle spells (Not Complete)


    -Learn 1/3 basic magic knowledges (Not Complete)


    _____


    I assume completing all these requirements will make my circle and stage increase, but why is one of them already complete? It must count the machines I made before I got the system too. Neat!


    ¡°By divine power and the light of the stars,


    mend all his ills and leave nought but scars.


    For the strength of this blessing to ensure he is healed,


    my life¡¯s a small fee and to you it I will yield!¡±


    A complicated glowing runic lattice of gold and red forms around Miguel and starts pulsing as a twisted crimson light flows out of him and into Diego.


    Emily presses The Clock¡¯s button and watches in rapt fascination as Miguel shrivels and Diego¡¯s wounds heal.


    ***


    Emily once again sets up beside the door, waiting for the moment to strike with all three of her weapons.


    This is risky, I should really have The Clock ready to activate, but I can¡¯t fight four mages with one hand. I only have two bullets for the hand cannon, and I won¡¯t be able to get to the guards'' post to steal more black powder in time to make extra, so I have to make them both count. Miguel was able to heal Diego, but it looked like a one-time use, so he¡¯s still not a priority.


    She calmly waits for her prey with the hand cannon and crossbow raised, a spare bullet for the cannon held between her fingers on the crossbow grip. The door swings open and Carlos steps in again. Emily fires a shot from the hand cannon, ripping a hole in Carlos¡¯ heart and Diego¡¯s shoulder once again.


    ¡°Argh! Kill her!¡± Diego screams again as Emily releases a bolt from the crossbow.


    The bolt flies out, sailing past Diego and slamming into Jose¡¯s chest, knocking him back. Emily rushes forward, dropping the crossbow and folding open the breach of the hand cannon, dropping the empty casing to the floor as she slides a fresh bullet into the chamber.


    A blinding light flashes, but Emily predicts it, shutting her eyes and raising her hand cannon to fire at the source. Miguel drops, clutching his bleeding stomach as a new hole appears, and Emily opens her eyes again while reaching for the baton at her waist. Unfortunately, she doesn¡¯t predict Diego¡¯s fist connecting with her shoulder, sending her flying sideways into a display case, shattering it as she tumbles past with a searing pain in her arm


    Fuck, he broke something.


    Emily chokes out a breath, the shock of the impact stunning her as she struggles to stay focused and turn to her attacker. Before she can raise herself from the floor, a foot connects with her side, slamming her into the wall with inhuman strength, knocking the air from her lungs and cracking something in her chest.


    She coughs up blood, clutching her chest as she forcefully raises her head, meeting Diego¡¯s rage-filled gaze.


    ¡°Jose, Miguel, get up,¡± he hisses, never taking his eyes off Emily. ¡°Kill everyone else in this house and heal me for fuck¡¯s sake!¡±


    Emily looks over in horror as the two nobles drag themselves up from the floor, clutching their wounds but still breathing.


    How aren¡¯t they dead? Those wounds should be fatal.


    She notices the bolt in Jose¡¯s chest is only buried to halfway up the shaft, and Miguel is surrounded by a warm golden glow that seems to focus on his stomach, holding back the blood trying to pour from the gaping wound.


    Damn it, how hard are Jose¡¯s bones? I need to aim for a weaker point, and Miguel can stop his own bleeding, so I need to kill him instantly too.


    She presses the button on The Clock through her shirt without Diego even noticing, relaxing her hold on her consciousness as she falls back through time again.


    ***


    Emily returns back to her room, sending Herber away and retrieving her weapons from their resting place once again. This time, instead of moving straight to the shopfront to set up, she drops her weapons onto her workbench and looks over them with a critical eye.


    ¡°I need to take better advantage of my surprise attack and land as many blows at the same time as I can,¡± she mutters to herself, glancing at the clock on her desk and considering how much time she has till the mages arrive. ¡°I don¡¯t have long so it has to be simple.¡±


    Her eyes fall on the spare ammo for her hand cannon and an idea strikes her. She instantly springs up, rushing around her workshop and gathering a few scattered materials, dropping them onto her workbench beside her weapons. Her hands turn into a blur of creation as she knits together a few pieces of pipe, some gears, and a wire into a strange, twisted excuse for a gun. It¡¯s ugly and crude, stinging Emily¡¯s pride slightly, but it¡¯s exactly what she needs right now: a small, break-action barrel, with a spring-loaded firing pin lined up behind it, attached to a thin trigger wire.


    She ties a similar wire around the trigger of her hand cannon, before grabbing a few clamps from her drawers and hiding the bundle in an empty sack. Glancing at the clock on her desk, reassuring herself she still has time, Emily leaves the workshop. She passes Herber in the kitchen, barely giving a response when he informs her about the broom and questions the sack, already planning her firing angles.


    She steps into the shopfront and quickly locates two solid mounting points on the display cases, dashing over to the first and crouching down, pulling the hand cannon from the sack and lining it up with the door against the side of a table-leg. Emily pulls a clamp from the sack, twisting it shut around the pistol and locking it in place. She trails the wire to a good hiding spot and drops it, carrying her sack to a second position, raised and more exposed than the first, but also tucked just behind the door when it¡¯s open wide, hiding the trap from an entrant¡¯s field of view.


    She finishes her setup and settles into place behind a cabinet a few minutes before her targets arrive. She takes the crossbow and baton in each hand and raises the former in anticipation. The hand holding the baton also grips the two trap¡¯s wires, waiting to spring them at a moment¡¯s notice.


    Emily waits with bated breath, a shiver of excitement and anticipation running down her spine as the door swings open.


    Please work.


    She waits a moment for the mages to file into the room before yanking on the string in her off-hand and squeezing the trigger of her crossbow. Two loud bangs ring out, covering a small twang and hiss, as the Mandrago mages are hit by a wave of unexpected violence. One bullet tears a hole through Carlos¡¯ heart and Diego¡¯s shoulder, and the other punches clean through Miguel¡¯s heart behind them. The arrow from Emily¡¯s crossbow flies out, slamming home into the side of Jose¡¯s throat, causing him to gasp for air and frantically reach up to grasp the foreign object jutting from his breathing tube.


    A rush of endorphins floods Emily¡¯s system as she springs forward, not wasting any time, unwilling to make the same mistake and be kicked around by Diego again. Luckily, she reaches him before he can fully process the sudden ambush, and slashes out with the baton, slicing a line through his throat once more.


    He collapses to the ground, clutching both wounds, as Emily continues on to finish off Jose properly. He reacts to her approach, holding out a hand and trying to mutter a chant, but the obstruction to his breathing makes speech far harder than anticipated, and Emily¡¯s foot soon connects with his windpipe, knocking the arrow free as it gouges a wide hole that lets blood flow freely to the floor. He slumps back, a look of panic, pain, and disbelief contorting his face as he frantically grasps at the wound leaking out the last dregs of his life.


    His distressed reaction sews a small seed of doubt in Emily¡¯s mind about her ruthless murders, but it¡¯s quickly forgotten as the image of Herber¡¯s defiled body flashes across her mind, sending shivers down her spine and almost making her puke. She turns away from the dying man to check on the other three, finding them all lying still, the last of the heat fading from their bodies along with their blood, the shopfront stained with the evidence of her brutality.


    Emily isn¡¯t given any time to appreciate her successful plan as the door to the kitchen bursts open and Herber steps in, frantically looking around. His eyes lock on Emily, scanning her for injuries, and the tension in his shoulders relaxes slightly as he finds her safe, but his concern quickly shifts to confusion and horror as he takes in the bloodbath surrounding her.


    ¡°What have you done?¡± he hisses as a cold wind sweeps over the city, sending a shiver down Emily¡¯s spine.


    The doubt and questioning in Herber¡¯s gaze punctures Emily¡¯s heart, but she tries to ignore it, knowing he¡¯ll understand when she¡¯s explained herself. She takes a deep breath to begin, but finds herself frozen. She doesn¡¯t even hear as Herber calls to her again: questioning her actions while growing more panicked at the sight of the dead nobles. She is frozen by her awareness of an immense, sickening presence that has suddenly focused on her.


    The hairs on the back of her neck stand up, and the breath in her throat seems to lock in place, choking her as she feels herself to be the focus of a powerful predator. Like a desert hare stuck in the gaze of a sand stalker, her instincts scream danger.


    ¡°What the fuck is that?¡± Emily hisses, surprising Herber as he tries to approach her.


    She spins around to face the door, the cold trickle of machina down her spine helping her regain control as she feels the presence grow more intense, approaching her rapidly. She reaches for her breast pocket, her fist closing around The Clock as the pressure becomes unbearable, and a sudden, immense force locks her in place.


    What¡¯s happening?


    Her heartbeat slowly increases, thumping a loud rhythm in her ears as she¡¯s pulled slowly towards the door against her will, sliding through the air without moving a muscle. She¡¯s dragged out into the sunlight, where she sees everyone gathered on the street staring up at a floating man in awe and terror.


    The man is tall, his presence made larger by the unnatural way he calmly stands in mid-air with his hands behind his back and the small, glittering green orbs of runes floating behind him. He seems to be in his early twenties, with well-kept, golden blonde hair, but his deep, piercing blue eyes betray a wisdom that can only come with age. The stormy rage in his gaze announces anything but calm and chokes Emily.


    ¡°Who do you work for?¡± he asks coldly, his voice ringing out in violent waves of sound that vibrate Emily¡¯s head, making her feel nauseous.


    She opens her mouth to answer, and realises it¡¯s not just his presence choking her. Emily tries to speak and finds her lungs completely empty. She tries to breathe in, but no matter how hard she pulls, her lungs won¡¯t expand as no air will enter them. Her heart beats faster, panic setting in as a dull ache gnaws at the base of her skull.


    ¡°Who do you work for?¡± the domineering mage asks again, and Emily notices the slight, cruel upturn to his lips as speaks.


    I can¡¯t speak if I can¡¯t breathe, asshole!


    ¡°Emily, what¡¯s going on?¡± Emily hears Herber ask behind her, but she can¡¯t answer, nor does the mage spare him even a glance.


    Finally, the vice grip around Emily¡¯s lungs releases, and she gasps for air before rasping: ¡°No one!¡±


    ¡°Tell me the truth,¡± the mage says calmly, pulling a hand from behind his back and gently flicking his finger towards Emily, one of the spell orbs behind him pulsing lightly as he does. ¡°Who do you work for?¡±


    A sudden burst of pain hits Emily as she feels her left arm snap in two. She grits her teeth, hissing out through them but refusing to scream as her gaze fills with rage, a glint of cold electricity racing across her eyes.


    ¡°She works for me. Can I help you?¡± Herber asks, sweat dripping down his brow and his hands shaking slightly as he steps into Emily¡¯s line of sight.


    Emily¡¯s blood runs cold as the mage¡¯s eyes flit over to Herber, an irritated scowl flashing onto his face for a moment. He doesn¡¯t even deign to respond, simply flicking his wrist towards Herber. Emily watches in horror as Herber freezes in place and a small plume of dirt sprays up behind him.


    Slowly, his body slips apart, as four clean slices dissect him. Emily resists the urge to vomit, swallowing her bile as his chopped intestines splatter across the ground. Several onlookers scream, and a few are sick, but the culprit doesn¡¯t seem to notice they exist.


    ¡°Well, are you going to tell me?¡± he practically hisses, his voice cutting a slice out of her ear as it hits her in a burst of wind.


    Emily forces down her revulsion and raises her head to answer again, stalling for time as she tries to move her fingers to activate The Clock. However, a scream in the shop behind her makes her pause, fear clamping her heart as the flying mage glances past her.


    I won¡¯t let him touch Anna!


    Emily grits her teeth harder, cracking something as a small burst of machina floods her right thumb, and it slowly creeps down. She squeezes her hand with all her might, forcefully working through whatever spell is holding her in place as the mage speaks to her again and she doesn¡¯t even hear him. He starts to float down towards her, as the panicked sounds of struggle behind her increase her urgency, but he never reaches her. The Clock finally activates, its ticking slowing to a halt and reversing as Emily relaxes, exhausted from the encounter.


    I can¡¯t kill those four if it means this monster will show up... I can¡¯t win.

 Chapter 10 – Behind Enemy Lines

    Chapter 10 ¨C Behind Enemy Lines


    As time is set back into motion again, Emily grasps her desk, taking a few shaky breaths to calm down. Though the pressure of the mage¡¯s presence, and the vice-like grip of his spells, vanished as she reset time, the fear still coils around Emily¡¯s heart.


    Her distress is washed away as Herber bursts in, alive again. His voice calms her, although she can¡¯t shake the memories of his violent deaths and she winces as she remembers the look of distrust on his face when he saw what she is capable of. Emily quickly forces those thoughts away, reminding herself they never really happened, as she sends Herber away again, none the wiser to her mental anguish.


    ¡°I can¡¯t fight,¡± Emily mutters, standing up and opening a drawer on her workbench.


    She pulls out a small brown pouch. Peeking inside, she sees seven glistening blue mana crystals, the two remaining cracked crystals long lost to her experimentation.


    ¡°But maybe I can hide.¡±


    She walks to her room, grabs a small knife from her bedside table, and slips out through the window unnoticed.


    I have twenty-five minutes till Diego arrives. They seem to be coming straight to our house every time, but why? Did they pinpoint the location of my awakening the moment it happened or are they sensing my mana and coming to us because of that. If it¡¯s the latter, maybe I can throw them off the scent with these.


    Emily clutches the pouch of mana crystals as she runs down the side street beside the shop. She crosses a few streets, slowing down when she comes to the more populated ones to try not to draw attention to herself.


    First, let¡¯s try spreading them over as wide an area as possible.


    A few minutes away from home, tucked in a dark alley between two shops, she pulls out a single crystal and brings her knife up to it. Holding the gem away from her body just in case, she repeatedly stabs it lightly, rotating it until her knife catches a focal point, instantly spreading a small web of cracks.


    The moment the cracks appear, Emily throws the crystal at the floor behind her and runs on, moving away as a sizzling explosion goes off, searing the cobbled street. She changes her direction and continues, trying not to leave an obvious pattern with her home at the centre as she weaves through the winding city streets, setting off several more explosions while ignoring the concerned pedestrians that investigate the loud noises.


    After emptying the pouch, Emily returns home to check the results of her magical smokescreen. She slips back in through her window and waits in her room with bated breath for the dreaded sound of the front doorbell. Unfortunately, a few minutes later, she hears it.


    Making her way to the kitchen, she opens the door to the shop front and looks in, seeing the expected mages standing before Herber. They¡¯re questioning him in the same manner as usual, seemingly oblivious to Emily¡¯s attempts to distract them.


    Damn, that did nothing.


    She quietly clicks her tongue as she activates The Clock.


    ***


    This time, after leaving her house with the pouch of crystals, Emily sticks close to home, hoping a denser set of mana signals might mask the location of the original surge. She moves between the buildings on their street, setting off a crystal in every alley she can on either side of their home until she runs out. Then she returns home and waits in her room once more, her foot impatiently tapping the floor as she waits for Diego to arrive.


    Emily isn¡¯t surprised when she hears the familiar chime of the door once again, already suspecting her plan won¡¯t work, but she is shocked when she looks into the shop front and sees Diego¡¯s state. He¡¯s standing before Herber with a look of rage set on his face, spitting out words filled with vitriol while his hands move in a precise blur of motion.


    Without hesitation, Emily activates The Clock again, turning back time just as Deigo pauses his movements and a shard of rock erupts from the floor at an angle, stabbing a confused Herber through the chest.


    ***


    Distractions with the crystals don¡¯t work. They must either be tracking me, or have already pinpointed my awakening.


    Emily sighs as the fluttering papers around her settle and Herber bursts into the room. She reassures and sends him away again, once again taking the pouch of magic crystals from her workbench and following him out of the room.


    ¡°Hopefully it¡¯s me,¡± she mutters as she enters her room, shutting the door behind herself and heading straight for the window.


    She slips out and immediately sprints away, heading deeper into the city to hide amongst the residents. She checks the time periodically, counting down until the mages are set to arrive at her home, and stops the moment the clock strikes 8:15.


    They should be there by now.


    Emily ducks into a side alley, passing a few urchins attentively watching a nearby food stall for an opportunity to strike, and settles down in the shadows to wait. She watches the time tick by, only rising after twenty minutes have passed.


    ¡°That should be long enough,¡± she mutters, standing up and making her way back home.


    The return journey feels like it takes twice as long as the escape, her heart hammering in her chest as she gets closer, a small hope bubbling in her chest that hiding has worked. However, as she steps into sight of Herber¡¯s shop, her heart drops.


    The doors to every home and shop within a five building radius, including Herber¡¯s, are standing wide open, and Emily immediately notices the familiar scent of blood hanging in the air. She moves forward, her footsteps slow and heavy, and glances into the closest home. She sees a familiar couple lying in pools of their own blood, the wife clutching her young son¡¯s corpse desperately even in death.


    Emily activates The Clock again, already knowing the state of her own family.


    I can¡¯t hide.


    ***


    Emily offers to clean the shopfront again and watches Herber leave before taking the crystals from her workbench once more.


    ¡°I guess I have to try bargaining,¡± she mutters as she pockets the pouch and leaves her room with just the baton strapped to her belt.


    Arriving at the shopfront, Emily closes the door behind her and makes her way behind the counter, dropping the pouch on it and clutching The Clock in one hand. She sits down on the stool and taps her foot impatiently while watching the door.


    This is a terrible idea. There is a high chance they¡¯ll kill me for stealing from them, but maybe I can offer myself as a servant or something to get them to let Dad and Anna off if they don¡¯t.


    Steeling herself with grim determination, Emily maintains a calm front as the door opens.


    ¡°Hello, sirs. Are you looking for these mana crystals?¡± she asks while opening the top of the pouch enough to let the mages see in.


    ¡°Yes, we are. How do you know what these are?¡± Diego questions suspiciously, glaring down at Emily, while Carlos collects the pouch from the counter.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Emily squeaks as she realises she said too much, ¡°I ¨C I didn¡¯t at first, I took them from the scrap heap in a lump of metal thinking they were pretty stones. Then after studying them for a while, I managed to draw power from them and realised they were magic.¡±


    ¡°How does she know about magic? She¡¯s a commoner?¡± Miguel questions sceptically.


    ¡°Miguel, shut up and check her for mana!¡± Diego¡¯s eyes glisten with greed as he listens to Emily speak.


    Emily gulps and tightens her grip on The Clock as Miguel walks towards her.


    Damn it! I may need to go back and try again ¨C perhaps open my mouth less next time. At least they seem more curious than stabby right now.


    Just as Miguel closes in on Emily, the door opens and Herber looks in with a confusion that slowly shifts to horror and fear as he processes what he sees.Re?a?d new chapters at novelhall.com


    ¡°Carlos, we don¡¯t need him, deal with it!¡±


    Emily panics as she hears Diego giving a familiar command to Carlos.


    Really? Even if I give them what they want, they still want to kill Dad?


    ¡°What are you doing?! I gave you your crystals back. It was me who took them. He has nothing to do with this!¡±


    Diego looks at her with scorn and sneers.


    ¡°You¡¯re his daughter are you not? The father should pay for the crimes of the child!¡±


    Miguel roughly grabs Emily¡¯s wrist as she tries to step forward, and tells her:


    ¡°There¡¯s no point in resisting. Your old man¡¯s already done for, but you may be allowed to live if you prove valuable to the family.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m-¡° Emily starts to say something, but chokes on her own words, unsure if she can bear to see Herber¡¯s reaction to them.


    Her hesitation costs her. She watches Herber attempt to fight back, punching towards Carlos, who smoothly sidesteps his fist and jams a dagger between Herber¡¯s ribs. He steps back and wrenches his blade free as Herber coughs up blood and staggers. Carlos gives one final flourish, delivering a quick stab to the dying man¡¯s throat and apathetically watching him drop to the ground, clutching the gushing wounds.


    Seeing her father die in front of her again, tears well up in Emily¡¯s eyes as a familiar feeling of hopelessness overwhelms her. She¡¯s shocked from her torment when she feels an unpleasant invasive mana trying to enter her body through her grasped wrist.


    ¡°Urgh, what is that?¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t resist the scan. It will only make this more painful!¡±


    Emily decides to allow the mana in when Miguel calls it a scan, but she tenses her finger over The Clock¡¯s rewind button just in case. The foreign mana washes through Emily¡¯s magic channels feeling like a cold snake creeping its way under her skin.


    When the mana returns to Miguel¡¯s hand, he gasps and quickly turns to Diego.


    ¡°She¡¯s a first circle mage!¡±


    A wide grin spreads across Diego¡¯s face as he asks Emily:


    ¡°Good! How old are you?¡±


    She glares at him without speaking.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t answer I¡¯ll have Carlos go find your sister and ask her,¡± Diego calmly continues, taking a pointed glance towards Herber¡¯s corpse.


    Emily grits her teeth and tightens her grip on The Clock before pausing and trying to hold back her anger so she can gather more information before resetting.


    ¡°Fifteen.¡±


    ¡°Perfect! Has anyone ever taught you magic and how did you awaken?¡±


    ¡°No one has ever taught me magic. I found those crystals in the wreckage of the Hollow Warden like I said. Then I experimented with them and felt the mana they gave off. From there it was easy to work out how to breathe it in to form a magic circle,¡± Emily explains while watching Diego for any reaction to her words.


    ¡°Keep moving!¡± Carlos urges her forward with a cold tone.


    She steps forward as she notices Carlos quietly talking to one of the guards behind her, but she can¡¯t quite catch their words. The guard¡¯s gaze shifts to her, so she looks forward again and moves her hand, checking for The Clock in her pocket to calm her nerves.


    They quickly move through the grounds and come across an imposing mansion with two expansive wings flanking the main building. Emily sees countless servants and guards roaming about the premises, with a few robed people moving around with purpose, being given a wide berth wherever they go.


    Diego leads them up to the main building¡¯s entrance, which already stands open. Four guards wearing elaborately engraved armour move forward to stop them.


    ¡°Halt! State your business entering the main residence!¡± the guard in the lead commands Diego.


    ¡°I bring a new commoner talent for induction,¡± Diego answers smugly.


    The guard frowns and presses Diego.


    ¡°Normal induction can be done in the branch wing. Why bring her here?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a fifteen-year-old self-awakened. I thought the Patriarch would want to see her after induction.¡±


    The guard is visibly shocked at the response, and quickly glances towards Emily. However, the mention of a patriarch sends a shiver down her spine as her mind immediately associates the powerful floating mage with the title.


    It¡¯s got to be him.


    ¡°I see. Take her to the second reception room and deal with her induction. We will inform the Patriarch and you shall be summoned when necessary.¡±


    One of the guards runs into the building, and the others move to the side, allowing them to pass.


    Emily shifts uncomfortably as the gazes of the guards all follow her as she is led into the building. They enter a large room with dozens of hallways and doors splitting off, and an extravagant set of stairs, covered with a deep green carpet, dividing the room through the centre. Their small group quickly passes the stairs and moves through one of the unremarkable doors tucked into the back of the room.


    The room they enter is large and plainly furnished, with several sofas and a few paintings depicting stern-looking men in robes glowering out at the room¡¯s inhabitants.


    Emily feels her skin crawl as the eyes of the paintings seem to follow her.


    ¡°Sit down and wait,¡± Diego commands while taking a seat on one of the sofas himself.


    Emily picks a seat slightly separated from him and studies the room, avoiding looking too closely at the paintings.


    Weird, I feel like I¡¯m being watched right now, and I don¡¯t think it¡¯s just these paintings.


    She closes her eyes and begins to meditate, feeling for the flow of mana around her. As she enters a trance, instead of directing her focus within herself like she did the last time she meditated, Emily tries expanding her senses.


    Her perception slowly spreads, seeing the weaving flow of mana calmly enveloping everything around her, until she reaches a radius of four and a half metres.


    She watches the mana around her, mesmerised by the natural flow, until she notices a strange break in the current. Focusing on the disturbance, Emily sees a complicated runic symbol carved, with mana, into the painting on the wall behind her. The symbol resembles a large eye: the iris is composed of dozens of runes intricately woven together binding the pupil in the centre, which seems to draw mana in like an endless abyss.


    Emily tries to focus on the centre of the pupil, but her perception is forced out. She opens her eyes, wincing as she feels a sharp pain in her head, accompanied by a warm trickle of blood from her nose.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    User has taken damage from intense mental strain.


    -20 hp


    _____


    Emily quickly wipes the blood onto her sleeve and checks her status.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Health:] 95/115


    _____


    Ouch, why did that hurt me? Is it from looking at all those runes or just the mana vortex? That eye must be a surveillance spell of some kind, I wonder if the vortex is because it¡¯s sending the mana to a receiver somewhere.


    Emily¡¯s investigations are cut short when the door to the room opens and an old man with long grey hair hobbles in. The man has the same robes as Diego and his men, his crest bearing silver roots, and he leans on an unsettling ivory cane. The smooth white body of the cane twists at jaunty angles, with several black runes stretching their way up towards the claw-like handle, grasped around an opaque milky white gem.


    The old man fixes Emily with an intense glare the moment he walks in, sending a shiver down her spine. He emanates an aura of death and decay that¡¯s faintly discernible to Emily¡¯s magical senses.


    ¡°Stand up!¡± Diego commands her while moving over to try and help the old man.


    ¡°Geh, off with ya brat! I ain¡¯t too old ta walk yet.¡± The man rasps with irritation, waving his free hand at Diego to shoo him away.


    Emily reaches for her breast pocket nervously, but Carlos notices her movement and quickly steps in front of her and grabs her wrist, interrupting the old man¡¯s approach.


    ¡°What are you reaching for?¡± He asks in a threatening tone.


    Damn it, they never noticed me reaching for it before. This old man must be important if they are this on edge.


    ¡°My pocket watch, it helps to calm my nerves.¡± She nervously responds.


    Carlos lets go of her and gestures for her to continue while cautiously watching her pocket. He relaxes his guard the moment she flashes him The Clock and takes a step aside to allow the old man closer.


    ¡°Kneel child, t¡¯all be over soon.¡± He flashes her an off-putting grin.


    What the hell are they trying to do? That staff gives me the creeps.


    Emily uncomfortably lowers herself down to her knees and looks up at the old man.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move or I¡¯ll turn yer brain ta mush!¡±


    My brain? Shit. Will resetting save any damage done to my mind? My magic network gave me extra mental resistance. I¡¯ll have to hope that¡¯s enough to protect me.


    Emily grits her teeth, unwilling to give up on the hopeful attempt yet as her grip tightens on The Clock, preparing to activate it at a moment¡¯s notice. The old man grasps the body of his cane with two hands and holds it out before him. He shuts his eyes, and his face relaxes as he focuses. A smooth chant leaves his lips, surprising Emily at his sudden shift in speech patterns.


    ¡°With gnarled mind and twisted flesh...¡±


    The engravings lining the cane light up with an ethereal glow.


    ¡°...bend her to our whims and her will suppress...¡±


    Dozens of pitch-black and milky-white runes form a swirling maelstrom of mana around Emily.


    ¡°...Broken and bound to our family tree...¡±


    An unsettling red mana flows out of the man¡¯s body, coalescing into a single bloody rune and floating to sit at the eye of the storm above her.


    ¡°...control her actions and her faith guarantee...¡±


    A dense pressure settles on her shoulders, crushing her spine and willing her to submit.


    ¡°...An oath forged with no strength to resist...¡±


    The gem at the end of the cane lights up, flooding Emily¡¯s eyes with a viscous white mana.


    ¡°...till the end of her life, it shall always persist!¡±


    He taps the cane against her forehead, and all the runes gathered in the air rush down, bombarding Emily¡¯s mind and attempting to brand her with their cursed contract.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Mental attack spell detected!


    Resisting...


    _____


    Emily doubles over in pain and clutches her head. Her circle rotates quickly, and her magic network goes into overdrive to reinforce her cortex. Her grip squeezes The Clock, but she doesn¡¯t activate it as she feels herself winning the battle. Every rune that attempts to enter her cortex is struck apart by a fierce tendril of machina, then dispersed throughout her body by her mana flow.


    After ten seconds of writhing in pain, the final red rune breaks against her defences, freeing Emily from the onslaught of mana.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Mental attack successfully resisted!


    Skill created: Mental Fortitude (passive)


    _____

 Chapter 11 – Diminishing Returns

    Chapter 11 ¨C Diminishing Returns


    Swallowing down the metallic taste that threatens to escape her throat, Emily blinks away the system messages and stands up shakily.


    ¡°Does it normally create that much of a reaction? Did it work?¡± Diego asks the old man dubiously.


    ¡°O¡¯ course it worked ya brat,¡± he growls, followed by a swift cane to Diego¡¯s shins. ¡°That there reaction¡¯s what ¡®appens when a feisty one tries to fight back!¡±


    Tries and succeeds, you old coot!


    Emily takes a deep breath to control her anger and tries to prevent it from showing on her face, raising her hand to place The Clock back in her pocket.


    ¡°Actually, I have a great way of testing. Stop girl.¡± Diego commands.


    Emily freezes and looks towards Diego with a cold gaze.


    ¡°Give me that watch.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Emily mutters, instantly activating The Clock. ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m meeting that asshole again without my safety blanket.¡±


    ***


    She finds herself back in her room, the residual pain from the mental attack completely gone. She breathes a sigh of relief, reaching up and massaging her brows as she remembers the experience. A question floats to the forefront of her mind.


    If I gave The Clock over to him and he pressed the button, would I be forcefully reset? Wait, no. The system said intrinsic equipment could only be used by the owner.


    Shrugging off the thought, Emily opens the system to check on the latest notification.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Mental Fortitude (passive)]


    User has resisted the mental attack of a stronger mage while suffering mental exhaustion, their will has been proven!


    -Grants +10% mental resistance


    _____


    Wait, while suffering mental exhaustion? Was the backlash from looking at that surveillance spell that bad? Interesting, but I¡¯m not sure how big a difference these resistances make. I assume the increases from different skills stack, so with the 20% increase from Magic Network, I should be at 30% total now. Will 100% block all mental attacks?


    She¡¯s pulled out of her questioning as Herber bursts in again. Emily slips into her practised lies, once again going to the shopfront alone to confront the Mandrago mages. She repeats the same process as last time, following them to their estate, but this time she keeps The Clock clasped in her trouser pocket the entire time, never giving them a chance to spot it.


    She meditates while waiting for the elder to arrive, and after gritting her teeth through a gnawing pain, far lesser than the last time, while resisting his spell, she rises and waits for Diego to voice his complaints once more.


    ¡°Did it work?¡± he asks.


    ¡°O¡¯ course it did! ¡®ow dare you doubt my work,¡± the old man growls.


    Diego coughs awkwardly and continues.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for doubting you, venerable elder, your work is as exquisite as always.¡± He bows humbly, not a trace of the haughty attitude he usually assumes.


    ¡°Gah, ungrateful brat!¡± the elder grumbles while hobbling back towards the door.


    The moment he leaves, Diego¡¯s arrogance returns, and he orders everyone to sit in silence as he himself takes a seat and starts to meditate.


    Emily happily complies, settling back down into a plush seat and falling into her own meditation.Ree?ad latest novels at novelhall.com


    After an hour of waiting in silence, a servant enters the room.


    ¡°The Patriarch will see you now!¡± The man announces before bowing and leading the way out.


    Emily stands, having felt a minuscule increase in the mana held within her circle.


    It¡¯s very slow, but it seems meditation grows my circle. I wonder if it will reset with me.


    She once again finds herself surrounded by the four mages. However, they now lack the air of caution they had while escorting her to the mansion.


    The group is led to the bottom of the stairs, where the servant steps to the side and bows. They continue up without him and are met by a large elaborate door, similar in design to the estate¡¯s gate, with an elegant engraving of roots and leaves spanning its surface.


    Diego pauses before it, gesturing for those behind him to stop, before nervously adjusting his robes and checking his posture. Emily takes a deep breath herself, her hand squeezing The Clock for comfort as she braces to meet the terrifying mage again.


    The large doors split apart and slowly swing open, without making a sound, and a powerful, familiar presence instantly washes over them. The hairs on the back of Emily¡¯s neck stand up as the group begins moving through the door, resisting the unsettling pressure.


    It¡¯s much more bearable now. He doesn¡¯t feel angry.


    The room they enter is a grand reception hall, with towering columns of smooth limestone and banners of the family¡¯s emblem hung above. In the centre of the ceiling is a beautiful crystalline chandelier, covered in glistening golden mana crystals, filling the room with pure mana-dense light.


    The rich green carpet from the stairs continues through the centre of the room to an imposing throne, carved out of a wood Emily recognises as acacia and upholstered in plush green velvet. Covering the wood are countless engraved runes pulsing with power.


    I wonder if they have better magical wood or are they stuck with just standard acacia?


    Seated on the throne with his legs crossed and his chin resting on his fist, is the man Emily expected. His piercing blue eyes, which resemble Diego¡¯s now that she sees them in the same room, send shivers down her spine even without the stormy rage swirling within them.


    The group comes to a halt a few metres before the throne and the noble mages give a light bow with their right fists on their hearts and their left arms behind their backs. Emily quickly moves to follow and stays silent as Diego speaks.


    ¡°We humbly greet the Patriarch, Marquess Nicolas Mandrago!¡±


    ¡°Rise. Is this the new talent you thought it necessary to introduce to me?¡±


    Emily shifts uncomfortably under the intense gaze she feels boring into her as it brings back bad memories. She can still feel the dense mana enveloping the man, calm for now, allowing Emily to relax slightly, but warning of a brewing threat.


    He has no reason to attack me.


    ¡°Yes fath-¡±


    ¡°Do not call me that here!¡± Nicolas growls as Diego grasps his throat and chokes for air.


    Emily flinches at the sight.


    Like that.


    After a couple of seconds of watching him writhe, the Patriarch releases whatever spell he cast.


    ¡°My apologies, Patriarch,¡± Diego manages to spit out between choked breaths.


    How is he casting spells? It doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s doing anything.


    ¡°This is Emily Coldstone, the daughter of a clockmaker from the city, and the one who stole our lightning crystals. She¡¯s fifteen and already a self-awakened first circle mage. I thought you would like to know about such a promising new prospect.¡±


    Emily glances sideways, noticing the creepy grin on Diego¡¯s face once again, sending a chill down her spine.


    No.


    ¡°She stole those crystals from the Hollow Warden?¡± the Patriarch asks with an edge to his voice, his eyes narrowing at Emily.


    A sickening pressure wraps around her, this time only stealing her breath, not her movement. She reaches for her throat with her free hand, keeping The Clock held tightly in the other even as her lungs scream for air.


    ¡°What of her family?¡± the Patriarch continues coldly.


    ¡°They¡¯re still alive,¡± Diego says, receiving a fierce glare from the Patriarch in return and scrambling to explain himself. ¡°She asked us not to kill them, so I decided it would be easiest to get her to cooperate if I didn¡¯t. I¡¯ll send some servants to kill them the moment I¡¯m done here.¡±


    FUCK!


    And the Patriarch may act.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we try? I can deal with any guards that get in the way!¡±


    Herber shakes his head, unwavering in his judgement.


    ¡°There are too many guards in the docks for us to get by unnoticed without having to cause a large commotion. The moment we do, there isn¡¯t a single ship there that will take us. No one will risk the Mandrago family¡¯s wrath for the pitiful coin we could give them. We also won¡¯t be able to get anywhere on foot in the desert. Our best chance now is to give them whatever you kept. I¡¯ll claim responsibility. Hopefully then, only I¡¯ll be punished.¡±


    Hearing her father''s resolve to die for her mistakes, Emily breaks, realising she¡¯ll be able to persuade him to try to escape in the time they have.


    Tears flow from her eyes as she drops her head in her hands and starts sobbing. Herber gets up from his chair and moves forward to pull Emily into a hug.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she whispers between sobs.


    ¡°Ssshh, it¡¯s okay! It¡¯s not your fault,¡± he calmly consoles while patting her head.


    Emily stays in her father¡¯s embrace until she hears the shop bell ring out. She pulls away and looks into Herber¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything before you die, I promise!¡± she swears with determination, taking out The Clock.


    Herber looks at her with confusion as she wipes her tears on her sleeves, then turns back time once more.


    ***


    ¡°What in Goddess¡¯ name happened here? Are you okay?¡±


    Emily takes a deep breath before answering.


    ¡°Grab a seat and I¡¯ll explain. We need to talk.¡±


    A couple of seconds later, Herber is back in the same position as the last loop and Emily begins speaking.


    ¡°A few months ago, when the Hollow Warden crashed, I kept one of the items I found. The Mandrago family now has a way of finding it and they¡¯re gonna kill you for allowing it to be kept in this house.¡± Her voice breaks a little as she pauses, and the colour drains from Herber¡¯s face.


    ¡°After those guys fr-¡° She stops again when she hears a creaking in the hallway.


    Focusing, she listens for any more noise.


    ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Herber asks after Emily stays silent for a few seconds.


    ¡°Ah, yeah sorry, I thought I heard something. You remember when those guys from the Mandrago family came last time?¡±


    Herber nods.


    ¡°Well, I took the item I kept, an ore full of crystals, and buried it by the wall.¡±


    ...


    Ten minutes later Emily finishes her explanation and sits silently, letting Herber process what he¡¯s just heard.


    ¡°Ha,¡± he sighs, moving forward and pulling Emily into a hug. ¡°You don¡¯t have to lie to me, Emi. It doesn¡¯t matter what¡¯s going on, I¡¯ll still support you.¡±


    Emily frowns, gritting her teeth in frustration and pulling away from him.


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± she asks with a hint of betrayal in her tone.


    ¡°Well, you just told me magic and time travel are real with no proof.¡±


    ¡°Proof?¡±


    Emily¡¯s mind spins into motion, and she quickly comes up with a possible way to prove time travel.


    ¡°I can prove it. Go grab a coin, Dad.¡±


    As Herber leaves, Emily pulls the mana crystals from her drawer, pouring the pouch out on her desk. She also grabs a sheet of paper, placing it on the desk in front of her as Herber returns holding a small copper coin.


    ¡°This is a mana crystal,¡± Emily says, handing him one to inspect.


    He looks closely at the glistening gem, starting with surprise when he sees a miniature bolt of lightning shimmering in its depths.


    ¡°I¡¯ve certainly never seen anything like it before,¡± he says, looking up at Emily. ¡°But it¡¯s not exactly proof of magic.¡±


    Emily nods, tapping the sheet of paper.


    ¡°I¡¯ve written the results of ten coin flips on here. Flip that coin ten times and they¡¯ll perfectly line up.¡±


    Herber glances down at the paper before sighing and nodding his head.


    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s see this then.¡±


    He flicks the coin into the air.


    ***


    ¡°And finally, crest,¡± Herber says a loop later, showing Emily the royal family¡¯s crest sitting face up on his hand.


    Emily silently flips the sheet of paper, revealing the exact sequence of coin flips Herber performed in both this loop and the last.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a lot,¡± she says without much hope. ¡°But is it enough?¡±


    Herber stares for a moment in disbelief before nodding his head.


    ¡°So let me get this straight. You stole these mana crystals from the Mandrago family and created a time machine with them. Then you awakened as a superhuman magic mechanic and tried to fight against the nobles, who are all mages... And this actually happened?¡±


    ¡°A Technomancer, but yes you have the gist.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so no matter what you do, they want me dead and you as their servant. But, if they believe Anna can serve as a reminder of their power, they¡¯ll let her live with a scar?¡±


    Emily silently nods as Herber sighs.


    ¡°Do you have any idea what they will do after taking you? Are you sure they don¡¯t have a way of finding out about your dual awakening?¡±


    ¡°They said something about teaching me magic, but other than that I don¡¯t know since I never let a loop go on for too long. I was too focused on trying to save you... Also, I don¡¯t think so? Miguel didn¡¯t realise when he scanned me, and I have no other way of learning more about their capabilities in the limited time left ¨C I can¡¯t go further than 24 hours, remember ¨C except provoking the Patriarch into scanning me himself. But, I don¡¯t want that man anywhere near me in case he stops me activating The Clock, so, I guess we just have to hope,¡± Emily responds dejectedly, disappointed in the lack of a clean solution even after resetting time so many times.


    Herber moves forward and pulls Emily into a hug before continuing.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to say this isn¡¯t your fault, because we both know that would be a lie, but I don¡¯t blame you. You made a mistake, that¡¯s all. Throughout your life, you¡¯ll make countless mistakes, even with your newfound ability to time-travel, and sometimes you¡¯ll have to live with the consequences. I guess thus us one of those times. All you can do is try not to repeat the same mistake twice. Always remember that I¡¯m so proud of you, and whatever path you choose in the future, if you feel it¡¯s right, I support you wholeheartedly. I love you, Emily, and I¡¯ll never regret taking you as my daughter.¡±


    Emily sobs into his arms, holding him tight for a few minutes before pulling away.


    ¡°I love you too, Dad. Thanks for giving me a family,¡± she blurts through her tears.


    Herber chuckles sadly and gently wipes her eyes before glancing at the time.


    ¡°It¡¯s eight now and you said they come at around quarter past, right? We should go talk with your sister. You need to say bye to her too, because I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be seeing her for a while after leaving tonight.¡±


    ¡°Wait really? I hadn¡¯t even thought that far ahead yet...¡±


    Herber ruffles Emily¡¯s hair before they stand up, gather the mana crystals, and move through the house to Anna¡¯s room, stopping outside the closed door.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go make us some toasted salami sandwiches? One last treat. I¡¯ll bring her over after I make my peace,¡± Herber suggests.


    Emily nods and hugs Herber before heading towards the kitchen, to make a last meal that will never be eaten.

 Chapter 12 – Resolution

    Chapter 12 ¨C Resolution


    We¡¯re out of time.


    Emily stands, leaving the untouched sandwiches on the table, as she hears a bell ring from the shopfront. Her heart lurches as she hears Herber¡¯s footsteps in the corridor, and she struggles to keep herself from crying again. Within a few seconds, Herber hurries into the room and heads straight for Emily.


    ¡°Pass me the crystals. I¡¯ll do the talking. Just follow my lead.¡±


    He takes the pouch of crystals from Emily, grabs her hand, and guides her towards the shopfront. Emily hears a shuffling of feet behind them and turns her head to see Anna walking into the kitchen, her face stained with tears. Emily takes a deep breath and regains her calm, holding Anna¡¯s distraught gaze.


    I¡¯m so sorry, Anna. It¡¯ll hurt, but I can¡¯t lose you too.


    ¡°Love you Anna, I¡¯ll be back as soon as I can!¡± she calls out with a look of grim determination.


    She turns around, schooling her expression, and sees four familiar noblemen standing proudly in front of her.


    Herber bows his head and Emily begrudgingly follows.


    ¡°Greetings sirs, I assume you have come here to collect these strange crystals,¡± Herber proffers while presenting the pouch of mana crystals to Diego.


    Carlos walks past Diego and collects the pouch, starting with shock as he glances in and sees seven perfectly cut gems.


    ¡°I apologise for keeping your stolen property, I told my daughter to keep the crystal ore because it looked valuable. Please spare my children and take my life.¡±


    Herber continues, getting down on his hands and knees while dipping his head to the floor. Carlos shows Diego the pouch of crystals and he responds with curiosity.


    ¡°Was it you that cut these gems?¡±


    ¡°No, it was my daughter Emily here.¡±


    Diego turns his attention to Emily, who stands next to Herber with her head still bowed.


    ¡°Raise your head and answer me, child. What happened to the rest of the crystals? There should have been eleven?¡±


    ¡°Four of them were destroyed when I was experimenting with them to extract the lightning.¡±


    A familiar look of greed creeps onto Diego¡¯s face, but Emily is already numb to it, simply staring at him with a neutral expression as he calls out to his men.


    ¡°Miguel, check her for mana! Carlos, give him his appropriate punishment.¡±


    Emily presents her arm to Miguel, ignoring him and making eye contact with Herber as he raises from his bow.


    ¡®I love you!¡¯ Herber mouths before Carlos calmly slits his throat. Emily sears her father¡¯s final moments into her mind, barely even noticing the foreign mana creeping through her body. As Herber¡¯s body hits the floor, bleeding out for the last time, Emily looks around the room, a frigid bite in her gaze, seeing nothing but dead men.


    I may have to go with you peacefully for now, but I swear that, one day, I¡¯ll kill everyone in this room with my own two hands.


    She silently seethes with rage without letting it show, barely noticing when Miguel lets go of her wrist and turns to Diego with shock.


    ¡°She¡¯s a first circle mage!¡±


    ¡°Good! How old are you?¡± Diego grins.


    ¡°Fifteen.¡±


    Anna¡¯s strong, she¡¯ll survive. Just stick to the plan. I¡¯ll make them pay, I promise, Anna. Then I¡¯ll come apologise properly.


    She steps through the threshold, shutting the door behind her, and walks into the centre of the room.


    My detection was about four metres on all sides if I remember correctly. It should easily cover the whole room from here.


    She sits down with crossed legs and her hands resting on her knees, closes her eyes, and enters a meditative state. Carefully she inspects the mana flow of the room around her, finding it denser than in her own home, searching for any abnormalities.


    She searches every surface twice and finds nothing, so she breaks her meditation and moves to sit at the dresser.


    I guess the surveillance was just for that audience room. They really aren¡¯t worried about me now that they think I¡¯m brainwashed. I could probably escape.


    The idea is tempting, the thought of returning to Anna, or intercepting the Mandrago servant before they can touch her, is strong.


    No! The whole point of me being here is to keep Anna safe. If their servant never returns they¡¯ll just send someone else, and what would they do to her if I actually escaped? They¡¯d probably kill her, then what would be the point of Dad... No, stop thinking about that.


    She takes a deep breath to calm her rising panic, ignoring the slight shaking of her hands.


    The Patriarch said he wanted me sent to some covenant for training. Fine, teach me magic. Show me how to kill you. Then Anna will be safe.


    A knock at the door disturbs her thoughts. She looks over and calls out.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Two maids walk in, each carrying a bundle of clothes.


    They place the clothes onto the bed before giving Emily a light bow and leaving without a word.


    ¡°Wow, what talkative company,¡± Emily grumbles to herself while getting up and checking out the two bundles.


    The first pile has a black robe with green accenting and a Mandrago family crest ¨C depicting two intertwined bronze roots sprouting dark green leaves ¨C pinned to it, a silken dress shirt, a pair of flowing black trousers, and a set of simple underwear. Underneath the pile is a pair of plain black leather shoes.


    Is a twisted fashion sense a requirement of using magic? Anna probably wouldn¡¯t mind them actually; at least I¡¯m wearing a shirt without holes in, right sis?


    She wipes a few tears from her eyes and casts her judging gaze towards the second pile. In the pile, she finds a soft silk nightgown, a towel, and a toothbrush.


    There¡¯s no way you¡¯ll catch me dead in that.


    She tosses aside the nightgown and carries the pile of robes to the dresser, dropping it on top and taking a seat again. Leaning back in her chair, she yawns and stretches her arms behind her head.


    Today has been...


    Why do I feel so tired, given rewinding seems to reset my physical levels? Somehow it still feels like I haven¡¯t slept in weeks. I should sleep.


    Emily gets up, takes the towel and toothbrush from her bed then leaves her room, entering the adjacent bathroom. It¡¯s sizable, with a toilet and sink to the right of the door, and a full-body mirror to the left. Straight ahead is a large shower.


    ¡°Damn rich bastards, even their servants'' bathrooms are bigger than ours,¡± Emily grumbles to herself before stripping and stepping into the shower. The warm water washes away the tension from her recent dance with nobility, leaving her bleary-eyed and ready to collapse.


    After drying herself off, she quickly brushes her teeth and leaves, wrapped in a towel and carrying her old clothes.


    Back in her room, she takes The Clock out of her shirt and places it on the bedside table. She hangs her towel over the back of the dresser¡¯s chair and collapses into bed. Then she shifts around to find a comfortable position, tangled in the soft sheets, and drifts off to sleep.

 Chapter 13 – Diving Into the Spellweave

    Chapter 13 ¨C Diving Into the Spellweave


    Emily groggily wipes the crust from her eyes and turns over to bury her face in her pillow.


    Why is my pillow so soft...


    As the haze of sleepiness slowly lifts, memories of spells and knives come rushing back all at once.


    She jerks up, her breath accelerating, as she puts the broken timeline of her yesterday back together.


    ¡°Dad... he... it¡¯s okay, he didn¡¯t end up like.... that!¡± She shivers and forces back the images of Herber mangled by spikes of rock, or splattered on the floor in a pile of gore, that intrude unwanted on her mind.


    Slow deep breaths.


    Focusing on her breathing, she enters a familiar meditative trance, watching the delicate weaving of mana around her to calm her nerves. Time slips away and Emily only comes back to awareness as she hears a light knocking on the door.


    ¡°Haaa.¡± Letting out a deep breath, her eyes flit open with a glint of steel that fades as she glances down at her still-naked form.


    ¡°Just a second!¡± She springs out of bed and approaches the dresser, grabbing the robe from on top and throwing it around herself.


    ¡°Come in!¡±


    The door swings open and two familiar maids walk in, one carrying a bowl of soup and a plate of bread, and the other an empty glass and a jug of water. After a cursory glance around the room, the maid with the plates looks to Emily and asks.


    ¡°Where would you like your food, madam?¡±


    ¡°Ah, over here please!¡± Emily quickly turns around and clears the clothes off the top of the dresser, tossing them onto the bed.


    The maids place the food and drink down, pick up her dirty towel, and then bow and head for the door again.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Emily calls out before they can leave.


    The maids turn and give one final silent bow before shutting the door on their way out.


    ¡°Wow, they really don¡¯t like talking,¡± Emily grumbles and gets dressed before starting her meal.


    The soup is thick with potatoes, chicken and a green herb Emily has never tried before, reeking of luxury.


    They seem to treat me well for a brainwashed slave and, from their reactions to my self-awakening, I¡¯m guessing mages are pretty rare. I should be safe as long as I follow orders for now.


    After finishing her breakfast, Emily quickly heads to the bathroom to shower and brush her teeth, then settles down cross-legged on the bed in her robes. Pulling up her status page, she looks down the list to locate a skill she neglected to use in frozen time: Spellweave.


    ¡°User can gaze into the truth of runes... Sure I¡¯d love to see the truth of runes, but how do I activate it?¡± Emily mutters to herself and focuses on the skill description hovering in her vision.


    Something clicks in her mind, and she shifts her breathing pattern a little while willing her mana towards her eyes and cortex.


    She begins to feel the mana flow around her as in her normal meditation, but this time she opens her eyes too and sees the world anew.


    The space around her is filled with twisting fractals of colour and texture, constantly shifting and tearing at each other, as if in a relentless battle to beat out their competitors and impose their form upon reality.


    Focusing on one of the sickening patterns, Emily¡¯s perspective bends, drawn into the folds to reveal a complex intertwining of unknown runes. The runes flicker, never remaining in the same shape for more than a few seconds.


    Emily reaches out her hand and watches as the runes part, avoiding her touch, and then fall back into place once the obstruction is removed. As the runes move, she sees small twists of sharpness and cold being left in their wake.


    These are spells.


    It clicks in her mind then, that these patterns of runes are the matrices mentioned in the skill description. The indescribable folds of mana and language before her form the basics of magic.Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com


    How do I cast them? Those guys made the runes appear with their mana, maybe I could try that.


    Full of excitement, Emily remembers the feeling of guiding mana around her body to activate the skill and copies it to will her mana into motion. A small tendril of deep, warm blue slowly emerges from her chest, reaching out towards the matrix in front of her.


    As the mana leaves her body, she senses something shift in the weave around her and sees each of the flickering runes settle on a single shape.


    Feeling slightly unsettled, she returns to her room and sits at the dresser to eat her food while checking her status.


    My mana is back up to 260 after three hours, so meditation must refill 80 an hour. Oh, my stamina is also full, I¡¯ll have to test how fast that regenerates later.


    After eating, Emily meditates for an hour more to finish filling her mana, then dives back into the Spellweave.


    She finds a simple fire spell again, but all the runes she sees are different to the one she began learning in the morning. She checks a few other red folds in the weave, but can¡¯t find the same ignition rune again so instead she decides to learn an ice element rune. The rune she chooses gives off a feeling of slowness.


    Emily remains in her trance for another three hours, dropping it the moment she feels a familiar emptiness at her core. Instantly, she switches to meditation, which she stays in for a while before opening her eyes and pulling out The Clock to check it: 8:15.


    Dad died at 8:16.


    She sits in silence, sadness swirling in her gaze as the seconds tick down.


    Tick! Tick! Tick!


    8:16.


    Her chest tightens and her hand starts to shake as flashes of Herber dripping with blood, or drenched in it, fill her mind.


    Tick! Tick! Tick!


    She resists the urge to press the button. To see his face one more time.


    Tick! Tick! Tick!


    8:17.


    A string in Emily¡¯s heart snaps, as she is consumed by panic.


    Should I have reset again? Could I have saved him? Was there something I didn¡¯t think of? Something I didn¡¯t try?


    Then she remembers the Patriarch and the overwhelming power he wields.


    Dad¡¯s fate was already sealed the moment I stole those magic crystals. It was already too late by the time I made The Clock. The only choice I had was who else died too.


    Hoping that¡¯s true, she feels a single tear roll down her cheek as ice washes through her veins, the memories of Herber¡¯s demise sinking into the depths of her mind. She sits perfectly still, staring at the ticking pocket watch for three more minutes before she hears a knock at her door. She shuts her eyes and takes a slow breath, before turning to the door and calling for the maids to enter.


    This time they are carrying another set of plain clothes and a fresh towel, along with her dinner. Emily thanks them as they leave, dropping The Clock back into her pocket before forcing herself to chew her meal, barely aware of what she is eating. She turns her mind to magic to distract from the chilling void within, determined to learn enough magic to exact her revenge.


    It looks like I won¡¯t be able to learn enough runes to form a spell quickly. I don¡¯t know how many different runes there are, and the constant movement of the weave makes it too hard to find the same one again. If only I had some finished spells, I bet I could work out what the runes mean quickly with a little help from the weave.


    Sighing in frustration, she finishes off her food and gets up, deciding to do some exercise to test her meditation¡¯s stamina regeneration rate. She removes her robe and drapes it over the back of the chair before dropping to the floor and starting to do push-ups, following the short exercise routine she has often done at home. She quickly beats her previous record of fifteen, not feeling her arms give way until she reaches thirty.


    Woah, I doubled my record. Did awakening affect my body that much?


    After a short break to regain her breath, she moves on to squats, crunches, jumping jacks and a plank, finding herself able to beat all her previous records by a sizeable margin. Collapsing on the floor in a pool of sweat, she looks at her status page.


    I¡¯m so much stronger, and my stamina has only dropped by 80 after all that. Now to test stamina regeneration.


    She sits up, not moving to the bed this time, due to her sweaty state, and meditates for an hour.


    After finishing, she stands up and stretches her muscles, finding a large portion of the fatigue completely gone.


    40 stamina in an hour of meditation? Do I even need to sleep anymore? It seems far more efficient to just meditate instead, though I didn¡¯t notice my stamina going down normally throughout the day so it may not be related to general fatigue... It also doesn¡¯t seem to drop much from mental strain since experimenting with the Spellweave only cost 6 stamina even though it was so intense it caused mental damage. I think my cortex is to thank for that.


    Emily yawns and checks the time: 10:14.


    Never mind, that answers that question.


    She grabs the clean towel and moves to the bathroom to take a nice long shower and prepare for bed.


    After finishing up and heading back to her room, it¡¯s already 10:55. She falls back into the soft embrace of sleep, her mind filled with the wonders of magic.

 Chapter 14 – Leaving Captivity

    Chapter 14 ¨C Leaving Captivity


    Emily wakes up just before 7, and sleepily wraps herself in her robes before the maids arrive. They once again come and leave in silence, taking her dirty clothes and delivering a hearty meal. Emily eats while deciding her order of activities for the day.


    I need just under seven hours for each cycle of Spellweave and meditation, so I can only get two full cycles a day. That leaves me with around two hours for food, exercise, and showering. Let¡¯s do some light exercise after meals to maximise the use of my meditation. Maybe I can improve my body¡¯s stats faster that way.


    Polishing off the bowl of soup, she enthusiastically gets up and throws on fresh clothes, identical to the ones she was given the day before yesterday. She spends twenty minutes doing a reduced form of her workout, only using up 43 stamina, then sits down on the floor to delve back into the Spellweave.


    She falls into a routine and two days pass quickly.


    At 8 pm on the third day of her confinement, Emily is once again pulled out of meditation by the maids knocking at the door. She calls them in, then thanks them as they leave as usual, but this time she is sat with a self-satisfied smile throughout.


    Hovering in the forefront of her vision is her updated status page.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Status]


    [Name:] Emily Coldstone


    [Race:] Human


    [Age:] 15


    [Magic Circle:] First Circle


    [Machina Cortex:] First Stage


    [Attributes:] Strength 7, Dexterity 15, Agility 12, Vitality 8, Intelligence 22 > 23


    [Health:] 115/115


    [Stamina:] 175/175


    [Mana:] 180/330 > 180/345


    [Machina:] 330/330 > 338/345


    _____


    It took about twenty hours of meditation to increase my intelligence by one, and none of the other stats have gone up, so for now I¡¯ll assume meditation just affects intelligence. It looks like each intelligence gives me fifteen mana and machina too.


    Emily eats her food and moves to do her exercises. Over the past two days, she¡¯s noticed the ability to regenerate stamina through meditation reduces the more she uses it. However, it resets when she sleeps.


    As she¡¯s getting into position for her final meditation of the day, someone impatiently knocks on the door.


    ¡°Come in,¡± she calls, watching the door cautiously.


    The maids don¡¯t normally break schedule, I wonder who it is.


    The door swings open to reveal Jose standing with a light scowl, staring at Emily.


    ¡°Tomorrow be up and ready to leave at 8 am, I will come collect you to take you to the airship docks,¡± he says without taking a single step into the room.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Immediately upon hearing a response, he shuts the door and walks away.


    ¡°Wow, I can tell he really likes having to deal with me. I wonder where they¡¯re sending me,¡± Emily mutters before pushing her questions away as she falls into her meditation.


    ***


    The next morning Emily wakes up and prepares to leave. She says goodbye to the taciturn maids, eats the breakfast they¡¯ve delivered, and then takes a long shower.


    After the shower, she dresses in her robes and finally puts on the shoes she received on her first day in captivity. Checking The Clock, she sees it¡¯s only 7:38 and settles down to meditate until Jose arrives. After seeing her intelligence increase, Emily has decided to meditate whenever she can, to increase her stats as fast as possible.


    Twenty minutes later, at 8 am on the dot, Jose knocks. This time Emily gets up and moves to the door, opening it instead of inviting him in.


    ¡°Take this and follow me,¡± he commands, handing her a sizeable suitcase, before swiftly turning on his heels and walking back down the hallway.


    Emily follows him in silence, making an effort to keep up with his brisk walking pace while carrying her luggage.


    If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d think he was trying to lose me. Is he in a hurry? We weren¡¯t walking this fast the other day...


    The cause of Jose¡¯s urgency soon becomes clear as they leave the servant''s wing. Standing in front of them with his arms crossed, impatiently tapping his fingers, is Diego.


    ¡°Took you long enough,¡± he says with a clear look of irritation on his face.


    We haven¡¯t spoken before, but I¡¯m Herber Coldstone¡¯s daughter, Emily Coldstone. I can¡¯t currently speak to you, but please could you deliver the enclosed letter to my sister, Anna. She should be at Herber¡¯s shop.


    Hand this note to her as well, and she¡¯ll pay you three silvers. (Tell her to use my savings - she¡¯ll know where they¡¯re kept.)


    Please nod at me if you agree,


    Thanks, Emily


    Satisfied, she folds the second note around the first with the writing on the outside before tucking it under her pillow and ripping up the discarded notes, making sure not to leave any evidence. Satisfied with her preparation, she returns to repeating her actions exactly as before, waiting for the night to come.


    ***


    The next day flows the same as the first, and after listening to Diego¡¯s instructions once again, Emily soon finds herself walking through the docks as before. They approach the stall where she noticed Gregory, and Emily slowly drifts sideways, creating a little distance from herself and Jose while carefully watching him to make sure he doesn¡¯t notice.


    He doesn¡¯t even spare a sideways glance as Emily slips her hand into her robes, pulling out her message and tossing it into Gregory¡¯s lap as she passes. He flinches when the folded paper lands on him, looking at Emily questioningly as she walks past, but he doesn¡¯t say a word as she pointedly looks at the note. Understanding her meaning quickly, he picks up the paper and skims the message as Emily moves back to join Jose, repeatedly glancing back at the merchant.


    Before they¡¯re swallowed by the crowd, Gregory looks up, makes solid eye contact with her, and nods his head. Emily lets out an inaudible sigh of relief and turns her attention back to her guide who is none the wiser.


    He leads her through the main hall, eventually leaving the large crowd behind as they turn into an empty passageway with the Mandrago crest hanging above it. The passage walls are lined with steam pipes, hissing away, and the din of the entrance slowly fades, replaced by the hum of machines and the rhythmic tapping of their feet on metal.


    After a few turns, the passage opens into a large hangar housing a sleek bronze airship. The ship spans a hundred metres of carefully folded and polished bronze plating, with several reinforced glass windows dotted along the side. Several pipes jut out of the sides and bottom, carefully angled towards the rear, along with two small fins on each side, each carrying three propellers.


    The large balloon above sags against the gondola, partially deflated and only given shape by the ballonet inside. Emily stares in awe at the ship, excited, despite herself, to finally see one up close. They hurry forward and are greeted by a few members of the ground crew, who bow to them before continuing preparations to leave.


    A hatch drops open midway along the body of the gondola. A short, skinny man with long brown hair tied in a messy bun and wearing greasy overalls, walks down the steps that fall with the hatch.


    ¡°Jose! Is this the cargo you mentioned?¡± he calls out with a businesslike smile while walking over to greet them.


    ¡°Yes, this is Emily. She¡¯s being sent for education in the capital.¡±


    ¡°I see, and no soldiers this time?¡±


    ¡°No, she¡¯s one of ours, no need.¡±


    With that, Jose turns and walks back towards the passage.


    ¡°Always a man of few words that one,¡± the man shrugs while turning to Emily, ¡°the name¡¯s Anton, captain of this fine vessel. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Emily!¡±


    He gives a light bow while keeping solid eye contact, a cautious glint in his eyes.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Anton. What¡¯s her name?¡± Emily asks with a smile, gesturing to the ship with her head.


    Anton¡¯s gaze relaxes as he responds:


    ¡°I call her Calypso. No meaning behind it, just thought a pretty name suited her.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s beautiful. How fast can she go?¡±


    ¡°On a good day, she can push a hundred kilometres per hour, but for this trip, we¡¯ll probably maintain around eighty. Should get to Chroni by morning the day after tomorrow. Come aboard, I¡¯ll show you around before we leave!¡±


    He heads towards the ship¡¯s hatch; clearly please Emily showed an interest. They enter the hatch into a small corridor leading off to either side, with a sign hanging from the ceiling giving directions.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with the crew quarters, so you can drop off your luggage, then head around the facilities and end at the bridge for launch.¡±


    ¡°Sure, how do you launch from in here, by the way? I thought ships weren¡¯t allowed to fly above the city?¡±


    ¡°Haha, that¡¯s one of the best bits. I won¡¯t spoil it now.¡± Anton guides her to the right, away from the front of the ship.


    The narrow hallway walls are lined with pipes, a sight Emily is quickly growing used to, with smooth riveted plates making up the floor. After a few turns taking them deeper into the hull, they walk up a steep flight of stairs and come to a corridor lined with six doors on either side and a sign overhead labelled ¡®Crew Quarters¡¯.


    ¡°We run with a light crew of only ten people, five for the day and five for the night, so we have a couple of spare rooms here. The day crew are on the left and the night crew on the right. Since I assume you won¡¯t be nocturnal, you can use this room here.¡±


    Anton opens the door at the far end of the corridor on the left, revealing a small room with a single bed and a small oil lamp attached to the wall above it.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s not much, but you¡¯ll have to make do for a few days, I''m afraid.¡± He awkwardly scratches the back of his head as Emily walks into the room past him.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ve lived with less,¡± she responds while dropping her suitcase onto her bed.


    Anton raises an eyebrow at her words, but quickly shrugs it off before motioning her to follow him again.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we start with the engines!¡±


    Emily finds his enthusiasm infectious as she follows him deeper into the belly of the beast.

 Chapter 15 – Taking to the Skies

    Chapter 15 ¨C Taking to the Skies


    Emily and Anton make their way through the passageways of the ship with Anton giving an animated introduction to the facilities they pass, including the bathrooms, guards¡¯ quarters, and cargo hangars.


    ¡°Why do you have a separate guards¡¯ quarters and no guards?¡± Emily asks as they continue their tour.


    ¡°Calypso is a ship sponsored by your family; sometimes we get asked to carry valuable cargo that we aren¡¯t allowed to interfere with. So, we have to keep the guards separate from the crew and closer to the cargo because they don¡¯t trust us.¡± Anton responds with a tinge of sadness in his voice.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    An awkward silence settles over the two of them as Emily starts to understand a little about the Mandrago family¡¯s treatment of their servants.


    I guess they only brainwash the commoner mages they bring into the family, but we¡¯re considered members of the family and trusted more than others because of it. It¡¯s no wonder he was cautious when he was first introduced to me if they set guards against him on his own ship.


    The silence continues until they reach a heavy metal door with a large wheel in the centre and the word ¡®Engines¡¯ etched into the metal. Emily hears a low hum emanating from behind the door. Anton walks up to the door and turns the wheel counterclockwise several times until a loud clang is heard.


    ¡°Welcome to Calypso¡¯s heart!¡± he declares proudly as he pulls the door open.


    Emily steps into the room and gasps in surprise. Suspended in the centre of the room is the largest and most complicated steam engine Emily has ever seen. Dozens of pistons and gears are delicately woven together to form a beating heart of power. The hiss of steam and grinding of well-oiled metal play a symphony of life that drowns out Anton¡¯s explanation. Multiple belts move coal through gaps in the walls into several large furnaces feeding the engine, and a large tube extends out of it into the ceiling.


    Emily slowly walks forward, enchanted by the massive construct, and reaches out a hand towards it. Her trance is broken as Anton grabs her wrist and pulls her back.


    ¡°Woah, careful there! This machine is incredibly delicate and quite dangerous for straying hands. Wouldn¡¯t want you to lose a finger now, would we?¡± He chuckles but doesn¡¯t release his grip on her wrist as he pulls her back into the hallway and closes the door behind him.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve never seen such a beautiful engine before.¡± Emily blushes and looks at her feet.


    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s all right, no harm no foul. Are you an aspiring mechanic? I haven¡¯t heard of your family doing much engineering work.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my father was a clockmaker before the Mandragos claimed me, and I learned a bit from him,¡± she answers with a wistful smile, noticing some of the tension in Anton¡¯s shoulders slip away.


    ¡°I see! We better hurry to the bridge then. I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t want to miss what comes next.¡±


    He begins walking away from the engine room and Emily casts one last longing glance back before following him.


    I need to come back here alone.


    On their way back through the ship, they pass a few more core facilities, including the galley and mess hall, but they don¡¯t stop to look at any of them. They soon arrive in an open room with a plethora of dials and gauges, along with several wheels and levers, all surrounding three large seats. The wall in front of them is mostly reinforced glass, allowing for a clear view.


    A burly man and a thin scruffy woman are already settled into two of the seats, and Anton moves to sit down in the third. The two crew members turn their heads and cast curious gazes towards Emily.


    ¡°This is Emily, our passenger to the capital. These are Tony and Angela my crewmates and copilots during the day,¡± Anton introduces them as he starts checking the dials around him and adjusting a few levers.


    ¡°Nice to meet you both.¡±


    Tony gives a light nod and silently copies Anton.


    ¡°Yo!¡± Angela chirps with an amused smirk as she pulls down a large metal contraption from above her seat, placing it against her face.


    ¡°What¡¯s that for?¡± Emily asks while gesturing towards Angela.


    ¡°That¡¯s a periscope. It uses a series of mirrors to allow us to check all our blind spots,¡± Anton responds without looking away from his controls.


    ¡°All clear, they¡¯re asking for the go-ahead to start the track,¡± Angela chimes in as she moves the periscope away from her face and looks towards Anton.


    ¡°Tony, give the signal,¡± Anton commands as he sits back and grins up at Emily. ¡°You¡¯re gonna love this.¡±


    Tony pulls down on a handle hanging above him, and a loud whistling horn sounds outside the ship.


    ¡°Got it, thanks.¡±


    Emily takes one last look through the periscope at the shrinking city, then turns towards the exit while wiping a few tears from her eyes.


    Bye Anna, I¡¯ll be back soon.


    ***


    Emily spends the next two days following her routine of Spellweave, meditation and exercise. She meets the other two members of the day crew at mealtimes and spends a bit of time chatting with them all about their travels, but her mind remains on the engine room throughout.


    So, at midnight on the second day, she leaves her room. She quietly moves past the crew quarters and quickly makes her way through the narrow passageways of the ship, knowing most of the night crew will be gathered for their midnight meal for the next twenty minutes at least.


    The heavy metal door offers no resistance to Emily¡¯s increased strength, and she easily slips into the engine room. She approaches the large throbbing core of the ship, reaching out to touch the humming metal. After placing her hand on a smooth metal sheet, clear of any moving parts, she closes her eyes and follows her instincts, slowly pulling upon her machina reserves and letting the cold electricity flow into the engine.


    Emily draws in a sharp breath as she feels a deep connection form between her and the engine. Her senses expand over the large machine as if it were a part of her body, and a detailed image of it forms in her mind. The image of the engine in her head splits apart as she focuses on it, expanding to show every facet and connection inside. Detailed calculations are performed in an instant, telling her everything she could need to know from the exact materials and measurements to the maximum throughput.


    Committing the image to memory, she opens her eyes and sees a system message hovering in front of her.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Machina scan complete!


    Blueprint created: Calypso¡¯s Heart


    Sub-system unlocked: Blueprints


    _____


    She blinks away the system message and focuses her gaze on her hand and Calypso¡¯s heart.


    I¡¯m currently using a small amount of machina to make a connection with the engine, what if I try pouring more in?


    With a single thought, streams of azure-blue electricity shoot along Emily¡¯s arm and quickly spread across Calypso¡¯s heart. The entire ship shudders as the heart beats into overdrive, increasing its output of steam. Emily watches the changes with fascination but quickly feels her mind begin to slow down and ache.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Skill created: Overdrive (active)


    _____


    Ignoring the new skill, she quickly stops channelling her machina and then checks her status page.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Machina:] 19/345


    _____


    Seeing the sharp drop after only a few seconds of overdrive, she frowns.


    Damn, that¡¯s expensive. Maybe it¡¯s related to how large the machine is. I wasn¡¯t even able to make a connection with the whole ship, only the engine. Also, why do I always stop using mana and machina around 20 points? Is it a mental safety to not fully drain myself?


    Emily massages her temples while thinking, trying to relieve the pain, but it¡¯s to no avail. She hears hurried footsteps rushing through the corridor towards her and decides it¡¯s time to leave.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got a lot more stuff to look at now,¡± she mutters to herself with a grin as she pulls out The Clock and presses rewind.

 Chapter 16 – The City of Steam

    Chapter 16 ¨C The City of Steam


    Emily sits up groggily in bed and pulls The Clock out from under her pillow.


    12:15 am... oh yeah, I was asleep at this time.


    She tucks The Clock under her pillow again and lies back down while opening the system. The top of the window has once again split, now containing three sections instead of two. First, Emily opens her new skill.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Overdrive (active)]


    [Cost:] Variable Machina


    A basic ability of mechanics to utilise machina to improve the performance of machines at the cost of the machine¡¯s lifespan. Depends on the mechanic¡¯s stage, the amount of machina used, and the size and grade of the machine.


    -Grants variable % increase to machine¡¯s output.


    -Damages the machine proportionally to the improvement of performance.


    _____ily clicks her tongue and grumbles:


    ¡°Tsk, what a vague description, it basically gave me no new information.¡±


    To distract from her disappointment, she opens the new blueprints tab hoping for better news.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Blueprints]


    Tier 1:


    -Calypso¡¯s Heart


    _____


    Tiers? This is new.


    She pulls up the information of the new term and blueprint at the same time.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Technology Tiers]


    As mechanics improve their skills, they must also improve their technology to fit. Different types of technology are separated into tiers according to their level of advancement and range of use. Most technologies can only be manufactured by mechanics of the appropriate stage.


    Tier 1:


    -Steam power


    Tier 2:


    -Electrical power


    Tier 3:


    -Electromagnetism


    Tier 4:


    ???


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    [Calypso¡¯s Heart]


    [Type:] Steam Engine


    [Tier:] 1


    [Rank:] E


    Emily folds up the list and tucks it into the same pocket as the communication crystal, then checks the time. Seeing it¡¯s 6:35, she decides to meditate, and then head to the bridge before landing.


    ***


    At exactly 7:40 Emily opens her eyes and stands up. Taking her suitcase with her, she excitedly walks towards the bridge.


    I wonder what Chroni City will look like. It can¡¯t be that different to Eimdon right?


    Anton and Angela have refused to say anything more than ¡®Wait and see¡¯ no matter how many times Emily has asked.


    Well, I¡¯ve waited. I guess now I¡¯ll see!


    She quickly arrives at the bridge and steps through the doorway, looking towards the glass wall expectantly. The sight before her eyes instantly takes her breath away. She walks over and stands against the glass in awe.


    After her first day on the bridge, Emily has spent the rest of her time between her room and the mess hall, not bothering to look outside. Now the familiar landscape of sand she grew up with is nowhere to be seen. The land stretching out below her is covered in a delicate mix of green and yellow grass, with shrubs and the occasional tree dotted throughout. The centre of this new scenery is dominated by a thriving metropolis, spanning several hundred kilometres with metal and steam.


    Surrounding the city is a giant behemoth of a wall, standing at over a hundred metres tall with dozens of large gatehouses dispersed along its length. Inside, the city spans several levels of elevation, at some points reaching above the wall, with buildings and walkways intertwined in a dizzying mix. Thousands of smokestacks stand tall across the scenery, releasing billowing plumes of steam into the air and forming an ethereal, ever-shifting mist that blankets the lower levels. Spreading through every nook and cranny of the city, Emily sees tiny, ant like people bustling through crowds, and several large fast-moving machines carrying more of them from place to place.


    On the closest side of the wall, Emily sees a familiar-looking airship dock, with a plethora of openings across the wall holding gears and tracks. Several dozen airships sit on the tracks, leaving or entering the city and Emily sees more of them floating in the sky above.


    She notices a winding rail network connected to the docks, spanning one of the topmost layers of the city, with several elegant steam trains racing along at high speeds. Following a train with her eyes, tracing its path towards the centre of the city, Emily sees the two most impressive buildings she¡¯s ever seen claiming the core of the capital as their own.


    The first is a massive palace, carved from metal and stone, with several large twisting spires stretching up into the clouds. The white walls, with silver detailing, draw a stark contrast to the dark colours spread through the rest of the city. At numerous points around the palace hang large flags, only just visible from Calypso, displaying the crest of the Modo Kingdom¡¯s royal family. Emily recognises the crest from a description Herber gave her a few years ago - a black oak with two thorny roses twisting up its trunk, one red and one white.


    The second building is a large black and silver dome standing near the palace. The dome reaches from the bottom of the city to twice the height of the tallest normal building. Walkways connect to it at a few points, and there are two train stations attached. Strangely, even though there isn¡¯t a single smokestack on top of it, the hazy mist sits several times thicker around its base.


    Emily is pulled out of her wonder by Anton speaking behind her.


    ¡°This is why we refused to tell you; words really don¡¯t do it justice.¡±


    She turns around and sees everyone in the room watching her reaction with a grin. She belatedly notices that the night crew are still piloting, with Anton and Angela standing against the back wall watching. Emily blushes and looks back towards the city as the ship slowly starts losing altitude.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s very impressive. You still could¡¯ve told me a bit though...¡±


    Angela and Anton both chuckle at her grumbling but choose not to say anything else. Watching the dock¡¯s openings slowly grow closer, Emily asks the crew a question.


    ¡°How do you know which opening to go to and that there will be room for your ship?¡±


    ¡°When we¡¯re doing runs for our sponsor, like this one, they deal with the communication, and we get told where to go in advance. As for normal trips, you saw all those ships hovering just outside the city, right?¡± Anton responds to her.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°We have to do what they¡¯re doing, sit outside and use small drones to deliver messages and ask for permission to land.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you risk running out of fuel?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a general rule to always plan to be held up for a day outside your destination and carry enough fuel for that. If not, you can always land nearby, but you run the risk of beast attacks, so most people are careful to avoid that happening.¡±


    Emily shivers at the thought, remembering hiding from sand stalkers, when she was seven, after they entered the slums, and other assaults from worse beasts she¡¯d rather not remember. She¡¯ll never forget the feeling of helplessness as she listened to, and watched, children and adults alike being ripped apart after failing to escape their clutches.


    As Emily dwells on the past, Calypso lands on one of the geared tracks and starts rotating around to face away from the city. The ship locks into place after rotating one hundred and eighty degrees and stops. After waiting for a few moments and noticing the track under the ship not moving, Emily turns around and raises an eyebrow at Anton.


    ¡°We need to let the steam out of the balloon before moving in. Let¡¯s go and wait by the hatch, your family will have sent someone to collect you and it¡¯s best not to keep them waiting.¡±


    Emily nods and follows him out into the corridor, still slightly uncomfortable with the Mandrago family being referred to as her family.


    ¡°It was nice meeting you, kid. Good luck in the big city!¡± Angela calls after her with a grin.


    ¡°Thanks, fly safe!¡± Emily waves goodbye to the crew.


    As they move through the ship, she feels it shake and hears a low grinding hum from the tracks below, signalling the ending of her time on board. They quickly reach the ship¡¯s hatch and wait for the movement to stop.


    ¡°Well, it was nice transporting you. I have to say, you are probably the best company I¡¯ve ever met from a noble house. Good luck in Chroni and look for us if you ever need to travel again,¡± Anton says with a smile as he offers his hand.


    ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll be sure to look for you if I can.¡± Emily shakes his hand and turns to leave the ship.


    Anton pulls a lever on the wall as the vibrations stop, and the hatch opens, dropping steps to the floor. Emily steps out of the ship and sees a girl waiting for her, wearing black robes with white accents.


    She looks to be around the same age as Emily, maybe slightly older, with long curly brown hair, delicate hazel eyes and lightly tanned skin. Her robes bear a crest with a single silver-stemmed white lily and flow loosely around her petite frame. She smiles widely as they make eye contact, causing Emily to blush.


    Pretty.

 Chapter 17 – A Magical Train Ride

    Chapter 17 ¨C A Magical Train Ride


    The girl standing before Emily places her hand across her chest and gives a light bow.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Juliana Madonna and I¡¯ve been sent to welcome you into The Covenant.¡±


    Emily quickly regains her wits, a cautious glint flashing in her eye unseen.


    Not a Mandrago? Does she work with them? Or is she unrelated and sent by The Covenant?


    Without pause, she returns the greeting with a bow of her own.


    ¡°I¡¯m Emily Coldstone of house Mandrago. What house are you from?¡±


    ¡°Madonna!¡± Juliana says with a smile as she grabs Emily¡¯s free hand and pulls her along. ¡°Let¡¯s go. If we hurry, we should be able to catch the next train!¡±


    Not a Mandrago then.


    Emily is too surprised to resist as Juliana hurriedly pulls her across the hangar into a narrow corridor with a shallow staircase. Juliana pauses as they reach the lowest step and turns back to look at Emily while releasing her hand.


    ¡°Will you be alright on the stairs, or would you like me to take your luggage?¡± she asks with obvious concern written on her face.


    ¡°Ah no, I should be fine,¡± Emily reassures her with a smile. ¡°My strength increased quite a bit when I awakened.¡±


    She starts moving towards the steps, but Juliana doesn¡¯t follow. Instead, she looks at Emily with curiosity and asks her:


    ¡°You¡¯re already awakened? Have you been with the Mandrago family for long before being sent here?¡±


    She doesn¡¯t know?


    ¡°Hm? No, they took me in six days ago, I awakened on my own before that.¡±


    Juliana¡¯s mouth drops open as she stares at Emily in shock, before excitedly grabbing her hand with both her own and hopping on the spot.


    ¡°That¡¯s incredible! I¡¯ve never met a self-awakened before. You must be really talented!¡±


    ¡°Wait, doesn¡¯t everyone awaken themselves?¡± Emily asks, seeing the chance to fill in her lack of magical basic knowledge.


    ¡°No! Most kids from noble families like me are taught some basic magical theory from twelve, and then our elders help us awaken when we reach fifteen before sending us to The Covenant. As for kids we take in from commoner households, they¡¯re usually helped by a teacher in The Covenant to awaken after a few theory lessons. Awakening on your own without a proper education is super hard and practically unheard of. The only known self-awakeners in the Modo Kingdom are the King and the head of The Covenant!¡±


    Wait, they only awaken them at fifteen? I guess it¡¯s probably quite hard on the body of anyone younger if everyone has to go through pain like I did. It sounds like all noble families like to give their children a head start too.


    ¡°If the commoners aren¡¯t self-awakened, how do you guys know who to take in?¡± Emily asks a question that occurs to her due to the odd nature of her own circumstances.


    ¡°There¡¯s a special magic crystal that reacts when it¡¯s close to people with magical aptitude. I¡¯m not sure about the process in other families, but we usually send one of our unawakened servants around our cities a few times a year with one to find any talents.¡± Juliana raises her nose with pride as she talks about her family.


    She seems awfully proud of kidnapping and brainwashing people. No, actually I don¡¯t know if all families do that. Maybe I just met a particularly shitty one. She seems too innocent to be bragging about that. Then again, there¡¯s no guarantee she knows even if her family does brainwash people...


    ¡°I see...¡± Emily sighs, pressing her doubts down and not letting them show on her face while asking with a sly smile: ¡°Also, weren¡¯t we meant to be racing to catch a train?¡±


    ¡°Ah! Damn it, we¡¯ll have missed it now.¡± Juliana¡¯s shoulders slump as she begins pouting.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s to be expected. The carriage we are on can only be used by nobles.¡±


    Juliana takes Emily¡¯s luggage and tucks it under the chairs as they sit down in the plush seats facing each other.


    ¡°How is that enforced? There was no check before we got on.¡±


    ¡°A ticket officer will come by soon and check all the booths for our crests. If anyone who isn¡¯t a noble tries to use the front four carriages, they will be forcefully detained, so no one would risk it. Especially considering being a ticket officer is one of the jobs offered to Covenant members to gain contribution. There are some not-so-pretty stories of people trying to sneak into the noble carriages and leaving mangled.¡± Juliana shudders as she speaks.


    Emily raises a brow with confusion and asks:


    ¡°Wait, do the unawakened know it¡¯s magic putting people in that state?¡±


    ¡°Ah, no. Not unless they are servants of a noble family and sworn to secrecy. Most people just think it was physical violence, which seems to serve the same purpose,¡± Juliana responds with an uncomfortable frown.


    Emily nods and looks out of the window as she hears the train¡¯s horn again. The doors to the carriage shut, and the train shudders as the slow pumping of the pistons starts again. The view of the station slowly starts sliding by, and as the train picks up speed, they soon leave the building.


    She admires the passing scenery as the train races through the city. From the high vantage point, she gets a clear view of the sprawling streets and the people busily moving about below. However, the further away she looks, the more her view is obscured by the mist, giving the city an eerie atmosphere.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the mist? I¡¯ve never seen it in Eimdon before and we had a fair amount of steam output,¡± Emily asks after a few minutes.


    ¡°It¡¯s an enchantment placed over the whole city. I¡¯m not sure exactly what it¡¯s for in the rest of the city, but it stops pedestrians being able to get close to The Dome.¡±


    ¡°You can make enchantments act over a whole city?!¡± Emily asks with surprise.


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t really know much about it though. If you want to learn about it, there are classes you can take on enchantments and engraving. I¡¯m sure the teachers will be happy to explain what the mist does.¡±


    I wonder if I could enchant machines to add special effects to them.


    They continue chatting, with Emily asking about the places they pass and Juliana happily answering. The train stops at several stations and winds its way closer to the centre of the city until the large ornate dome comes into clear view. From closer, Emily sees that the body of The Dome is a black metal, similar to the black iron that the mana crystals formed in. There are silver beams at consistent intervals all around the structure. As Emily squints, she just about makes out a plethora of runes carved into the silver metal.


    If the black metal acts similarly to black iron, I¡¯d guess The Dome is built to insulate mana and those silver beams are what causes the mist spell. Fascinating, I need to sign up for those enchantment classes.


    As Emily admires The Dome, the train slows down and arrives at the station connected to it. She sighs with disappointment as her view is lost. Turning away from the window, she finds Juliana grinning to herself and staring at her.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just cute seeing you get so excited about the city.¡± Juliana¡¯s response causes Emily to blush and look away.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a city so big and well-engineered, and magic¡¯s really new to me...¡± she mumbles as the train doors open.


    ¡°Haha, there¡¯s no need to be embarrassed. We all reacted the same the first time we came here. Unfortunately, you get used to it after a while and it loses its effect. Come on, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll love inside The Dome just as much as outside.¡± Juliana says while standing up and grabbing Emily¡¯s luggage from under the seat.


    That¡¯s not what I was embarrassed about...


    Emily shakes her head and stands up to leave, once again finding herself being pulled along as they exit the train. The station they step out into is a lot smaller than the one at the docks, only having a single platform. She glances back at the train and sees that only the front four carriages have their doors open.


    Makes sense that this is nobles only for the base of The Covenant, not opening the doors for the others is an effective way to stop them from intruding.


    They make their way towards a large open entryway and step out onto a walkway between The Dome and the station. The walkway has a bronze metallic floor, and the walls are a mix of bronze and glass, allowing Emily to look down into the thick, swirling, ethereal mist below. Approaching The Dome, they reach a smooth silver panel at the end of the walkway. Juliana reaches up to place her free hand against it while turning her head to grin at Emily.


    ¡°This is where the real magic begins!¡±

 Chapter 18 – The Real Magic Begins

    Chapter 18 ¨C The Real Magic Begins


    A warm blue glow slowly creeps across the panel, spreading from Juliana¡¯s hand. After a few seconds, a complicated runic sequence can be seen covering every inch of the silver metal. Juliana lowers her hand and the runes pulse twice before the panel phases out of existence, revealing a well-lit white corridor.


    Emily stares speechlessly at the space the door used to occupy. They walk through the now-open entrance, and she feels them pass through a strange incorporeal membrane. The mana density inside is much higher than outside. Emily guesses it¡¯s at least double the density of the Mandrago family estate. She glances back over her shoulder and sees the door phase back into existence as they pass, the runes quickly fading to leave a plain silver panel again.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you also have no clue how those work?¡±


    ¡°Yep! I¡¯m only first circle and those doors are the work of at least a third circle mage. All I know is that they react to the mana signature of the person injecting mana into it. They will only open for those who¡¯ve been registered,¡± Juliana answers cheerfully as they walk deeper into the building.


    ¡°What circle can you go up to?¡±


    ¡°It depends on your talent, and no one really knows the exact requirements to increase their circle. However, most people who awaken can reach the second circle with hard work and meditation, and those with good talent can reach the third. Only the very talented gain enlightenment and reach the fourth circle. As for the fifth circle, it¡¯s only a myth, there has never been a known fifth circle mage in the history of Ulea!¡±


    Emily thinks back to the pressure she felt from Nicolas Mandrago and assumes he must be a fourth circle mage.


    Damn, I have to work out how to kill the highest-grade mage within three years. At least my system gives me help on how to reach the next circle.


    The empty corridor soon reaches an open room with a large magic circle engraved across every surface visible.


    ¡°This is one of the transportation circles for moving around The Dome. You have to stand inside,¡± Juliana explains while leading Emily to stand in the centre of the room, ¡°and inject a bit of mana into it while thinking of the name of the place you want to go to. The names of the circles will be written on the map we¡¯ll get you in a bit, so for now just don¡¯t let go of my hand and we¡¯ll move together.¡±


    Emily watches as the room lights up with mana and space fluctuates around them. She feels a slightly nauseating sensation of being stretched and compressed as her vision fades. Suddenly, her vision clears, and the sensation disappears like a mirage. Emily looks around and sees a room almost identical to the last. However, this one has a closed door instead of an open entryway.


    ¡°Urgh, unfortunately, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever get used to that feeling,¡± Juliana complains while looking over to Emily. ¡°Are you okay? It¡¯s normally pretty bad the first time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± she answers, before quickly adding: ¡°It was a bit weird though.¡±


    It was far better than time travel.


    Juliana nods and walks over to exit the room.


    ¡°Always try to leave the transportation rooms quickly. There are safety measures, but it''s best not to risk being here when other people try to teleport in,¡± she explains while opening the door and stepping out into a wide hall with several robed people milling about.


    ¡°This is the information hub. It¡¯s where you can sign up for courses and missions or claim any family-allocated resources and contribution rewards.¡±


    Emily takes in the vast hall around her with slight awe. Behind her is a wall of doors, with several mages walking in and out with purpose. The ceilings are high with several glowing white mana crystals providing clean, mana-dense light to the room. The other walls have several panels filled with glowing words, along with several desks recessed into them. Each desk has a clerk standing behind it, talking to people standing in queues waiting their turn.


    Juliana pulls Emily towards one of the desks with fewer people queueing while asking her a question.


    ¡°Do you know which courses you want to sign up for first? You can sign up for more later, but it would be best to register for a few now.¡±


    ¡°Ah yes, I have a list of those I¡¯m required to take,¡± Emily says, releasing Juliana''s hand and reaching into her robes.ily presents the list and Juliana reads it over with a slight frown.


    ¡°Ew, good luck with that, some of those courses are going to be really boring.¡±


    ¡°Really? Which ones?¡±


    ¡°Etiquette and geopolitics. I had a tutor for them when I was little and always tried to hide when they came over.¡±


    ¡°Why does that not surprise me,¡± Emily chuckles as they arrive at the front of the queue, tucking the list back into her robes.


    ¡°Rooms B34, B53 and B71 are all currently free, which one would you like?¡± he asks while placing the crystal down and picking up the other green crystal.


    He used that crystal to check I was signed up to join, to engrave my crest and now to check available rooms, it¡¯s got to be an information receiver of some kind linked to a larger magic inside this building. I assume the one he just picked up is a transmitter since he used it to register my mana signature. How interesting! I wonder why they can¡¯t use one crystal for both jobs when the token does a form of both.


    ¡°Oh, take room B53! I¡¯m in B51 so we¡¯d be neighbours!¡± Juliana exclaims, sparking an internal debate for Emily.


    Why does she want to stay close? Is she really just very friendly, or have the Mandrago family sent someone to keep tabs on me? Hmm, I don¡¯t think they¡¯d feel the need: they seemed very confident in their mental magic... Ah well, I¡¯ll see where this goes for now. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll show her anything I want to hide from the Mandragos.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll have room B53 then please.¡±


    The clerk closes his eyes and injects mana into the transmitter for a few seconds, then opens them and nods at Emily.


    ¡°All done, room B53 will now only open for you. Now, which courses would you like to sign up for?¡±


    Emily pulls out the list again and reads off most of the courses listed.


    ¡°Can I sign up for basic etiquette, geopolitics, maths, English, and magic theory please?¡±


    She misses out basic magic combat, deciding it¡¯s best to wait till she¡¯s learnt the basic theory for that.


    ¡°Sure.¡± The clerk repeats the transmission process again, this time taking a little bit longer than before.


    ¡°All done, you can check the class timetable on the board over there.¡± He gestures over towards one of the panels with only a few people standing nearby. ¡°Or you can once again buy an updating course list token for ten contribution points. You can also use this list to sign up for courses in the future in a similar way to the market token.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll buy that token as well then please,¡± Emily answers, enjoying the weird feeling of not having to think about whether she can afford it.


    The clerk places the payment slab back on the desk as he turns back to the wall of drawers. Emily pays ten more points, and the clerk returns a few moments later with another green token.


    ¡°There you go, is there anything else you would like?¡± he asks while handing over the token.


    ¡°Ah, a map of The Dome as well please,¡± Juliana asks, surprising Emily.


    ¡°Trying to get rid of me already, are you?¡± Emily says with a hint of disappointment.


    ¡°No!¡± Juliana blurts, ¡°I¡¯m happy to take you anywhere.¡±


    Emily giggles at her outburst and says with a smile: ¡°Good, I¡¯ll hold you to that.¡±


    The clerk ignores them and walks back over to the drawers, this time returning with a rolled-up parchment.


    ¡°That¡¯s one contribution point then please,¡± he says, presenting the payment slab for the final time.


    Emily taps it with her crest, then takes the map and tucks it into her pocket.


    ¡°Thanks for your help!¡±


    ¡°It was a pleasure, Miss Coldstone.¡± The clerk bows lightly with his hand on his heart.


    Emily turns to leave, with Juliana once again grabbing her hand, an action she is quickly getting used to.


    ¡°Where to next?¡± she asks as Juliana leads her back towards the wall of doors they came from.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go drop your stuff off in your room and I¡¯ll give you a tour!¡±

 Chapter 19 – A Guided Tour

    Chapter 19 ¨C A Guided Tour


    Emily and Juliana step out of another transportation circle into a long hallway.


    ¡°These are the B-grade dorms,¡± Juliana explains as they walk. ¡°The dorms and a few other important facilities in The Dome are divided into three grades, A, B and C. A is for direct-line nobles, B is for indirect line, and C is for vassals. You¡¯re the only exception I¡¯ve met.¡±


    As Juliana talks, Emily inspects the doors they are passing. Every door is a smooth silver panel with no handle and a small number etched into the centre. The numbers started at one and two on either side next to the transportation circle and have slowly been increasing since, with a sizable distance between each.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been calling this place The Dome this whole time, but is that really what it¡¯s called? It seems a bit informal for a place called The Covenant of the Blessed.¡±


    ¡°Haha, no. It¡¯s actually called The Isle of the Blessed, but most of us just call it The Dome.¡±


    They soon pass room fifty-one and arrive at fifty-three.


    ¡°Place your hand against the door and inject some mana into it. It¡¯s just like the door to The Dome.¡±


    Emily nods and places her hand against the door. As her mana flows into it, a familiar runic pattern appears and pulses twice before the door vanishes. Stepping into the room, she looks around and smiles at what she sees.


    The room is large, with a double bed against the wall to the left of the door with two small tables on either side. In the far-left corner, there is a large desk with several drawers, and in the right corner a large wardrobe. On the right wall, about a metre from the entrance door, there is another door. This one is a simple dark wood with a silver metal handle.


    ¡°It¡¯s not much, but they¡¯re usable at least,¡± Juliana comments after watching Emily look around for a few seconds.


    ¡°Not much? It¡¯s at least three times the size of my old room at home!¡± Emily objects while walking over to the wooden door and opening it.


    ¡°Ah, yeah sorry,¡± Juliana apologises with a guilty look on her face.


    The room behind the door is a small bathroom with a sink, full body mirror, toilet, shower, and an alcove with a strange runic engraving. She notices that both rooms are lit by small white mana crystals embedded into the ceiling. Closing the door and turning around, she sees Juliana sulking by the now-closed hallway door. Rolling her eyes, Emily dumps her suitcase next to the bed and walks back over to the hallway door. She grabs Juliana¡¯s hand on the way past and activates the door again.


    ¡°Come on, are you gonna show me around or what?¡±


    Juliana¡¯s embarrassment vanishes, and she excitedly pulls Emily back towards the transportation circle with a silly grin on her face.


    If she¡¯s a Mandrago spy, she¡¯s an amazing actor: she¡¯s like a cute excitable puppy.


    Emily chuckles to herself at the thought, her face forming a small grin of her own.


    ***


    Juliana takes Emily through a few teleports to different hallways of lecture halls and labs, but they are unable to enter any unless they are there for a class. It¡¯s only when they reach the magic training halls that Emily¡¯s interest is sparked.


    ¡°That door¡¯s to the hall for practical classes, but if we keep going a little bit further, we¡¯ll reach the individual rooms,¡± Juliana explains while pulling Emily quickly away from their transport point.


    ¡°The individual training rooms are another facility split by grade. There aren¡¯t many rooms for the C-grade members, and they don¡¯t even get a gathering array.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a gathering array?¡±


    ¡°Basically, it¡¯s some big magic circle that gathers a large amount of mana to increase the efficiency of meditation. You have to pay contribution points to have it activated when you go in because it¡¯s powered by The Dome¡¯s mana reserves, but it¡¯s totally worth it.¡±


    As Juliana finishes her explanation, they walk through a phasing door labelled ¡®B-Grade Training¡¯ and into another corridor, lined with doors. Next to each door is a glowing set of words on small silver panels.


    ¡°Each training room has a command spell controlled by the panel beside the door. It will say when the room is occupied and can be used to set up the room to the user''s preferences,¡± Juliana says while pulling Emily through the corridor, looking at every panel as they pass.


    Each panel has the glowing red word ¡®Occupied¡¯ etched across the centre until they reach the last five doors at the end of the corridor. All five have completely empty panels next to them.


    ¡°It¡¯s first come first served for the training rooms unfortunately, but since it costs points to have anything other than a blank room, there¡¯s normally a few free.¡± Juliana reaches up and taps the panel of the closest door as she speaks, sending a spark of mana into it.


    ¡°Sure, you¡¯re gonna love it!¡±


    ***


    Juliana was right. The moment they step out of the transportation circle, Emily¡¯s eyes open wide as she looks around in awe. The library is massive, spanning a few hundred metres with stacks of books stretching from the floor to the ceiling tens of metres above. The neat rows of books have a large channel down the centre, with dozens of tables varying in size. Half of the tables have mages sitting at them, poring over piles of open books. The room is completely silent other than the faint rustle of paper as books float through the air, between the stacks and the occupied tables.


    ¡°Woah!¡± Emily lets out a quiet exclamation.


    ¡°See, I told you so!¡± Juliana declares at full volume, causing Emily to flinch and worriedly glance at the nearby mages. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about being too loud, all these tables have a sound-isolating barrier around them.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Emily questions while focusing on a nearby single-person table.


    After a few seconds, she begins to see an almost imperceivable dome around it. It shimmers slightly as a book passes through, then settles quickly after.


    ¡°Do they charge for those as well?¡±


    ¡°No, I guess they considered studying in silence as one of the few privileges everyone gets. Oh, but the books you¡¯re allowed access to are limited by your grade. The books on the very top shelves are limited to A-grade mages or anyone who can reach them.¡±


    ¡°Wait, anyone who can reach them?¡± Emily asks, finally looking back to Juliana after inspecting the room.


    ¡°Yeah, the flying book system is for ease of use, but there is also the option to search through the stacks for the book you want yourself. They say that if you¡¯re able to reach the top shelves on your own, you¡¯re allowed to read the books there, irrespective of your grade. Though, flight magic is very hard. You have to be at least a third circle wind mage to use it, so it¡¯s not really known whether that¡¯s just a rumour or not,¡± Juliana explains while pulling Emily deeper into the room to find an empty table.


    ¡°You sound like you¡¯ve been here forever!¡± Emily chuckles.


    ¡°Hey! I¡¯ve only been here for a year; you can learn a lot in a year!¡± Juliana pouts as she comes to a halt next to an empty table with two seats.


    She sits down in one of them and gestures for Emily to do the same, then takes off her crest and taps it to the centre of the table. Instantly, a thin film expands from the table, passing over Emily and causing a slight fluctuation in her magic circle. As the film passes her, she notices all the sounds from the room cutting off, leaving them in an uncanny silence.


    ¡°You have to use your crest to activate the table, it registers your access level when you do. If you¡¯re ever studying with someone of a higher grade let them do it instead so you have access to better books. Then all you have to do is inject a little mana into the table and ask for a few books like this.¡±


    Juliana places her palm flat on the table and passes mana into it while saying:


    ¡°One on basic mana manipulation.¡±


    ¡°Wait, didn¡¯t you say books are limited by your grade? Why can you read higher-level books if someone else activates the table? Is that even allowed?¡± Emily asks as Juliana moves her hand off the table.


    ¡°Surprisingly it is. You can¡¯t take books out of the library anyway, only make notes. Some A and B-grade mages even sell the right to study with them to make extra contribution points. Not that it matters that much though, the higher-grade books are all even harder to understand. I¡¯m pretty sure all the books I¡¯ve used so far are only C-grade. Then again, I¡¯m only first-circle, so maybe it makes more of a difference at higher circles,¡± she says with a shrug.


    Just as Juliana finishes speaking, Emily sees a book fly through the barrier above their heads, coming to a halt and then slowly lowering down onto the desk in front of Juliana.


    ¡°You can also directly ask for them by title instead of topic, so remember to note down the title if you want the same one again at some point,¡± Juliana says while lifting the book and showing Emily the title, ¡®Studies of the Arcane¡¯. ¡°And getting rid of them is my favourite part. Just throw them outside the barrier!¡±


    She throws the book over her shoulder, causing Emily to wince and follow the book''s flight with a worried gaze, but it doesn¡¯t hit the floor. The second the book leaves the barrier it shoots upwards to five metres in the air, then moves away from them back into the stacks.


    ¡°Haha, you looked terrified for that book¡¯s safety,¡± Juliana laughs at Emily¡¯s reaction, whilst Emily glares back.


    After a few seconds, she rolls her eyes as Juliana continues to grin. She stands up, offering Juliana a hand which she happily accepts.


    ¡°Maybe we should move on before you endanger any more innocent books. Where to next?¡±


    Juliana pulls herself up, before proudly declaring:


    ¡°Lunch!¡±

 Chapter 20 – Settling In

    Chapter 20 ¨C Settling In


    The canteen is a large simple hall, with tables filling the centre of the room, and a window to the kitchen along the opposite wall to the transportation circles. The tables have a similar soundproofing barrier to the library and offer the ability to request food from the kitchen. The food is also delivered through flight, creating the odd scene of a silent hall with trays of food occasionally floating above.


    Emily and Juliana decide on a lunch of fried meats and eggs on toast while making small talk. After eating they head back to the dorms, finished with their tour.


    ¡°Thanks for showing me around,¡± Emily says as they stop in front of Juliana¡¯s door.


    ¡°No problem! I¡¯m glad I picked up the mission. It''s not every day you get to earn points and make a new friend. You wanna get dinner together later?¡±


    So she was here for a mission?


    A little more of Emily¡¯s remaining caution slips away as she responds.


    ¡°Sure, what time?¡±


    ¡°Like 7 or 8?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go with 8, I prefer to eat later.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Juliana says while turning and opening her door, ¡°I¡¯ll come grab you then!¡±


    Emily smiles and waves goodbye, walking away as Juliana¡¯s door shuts behind her. Heading into her room, Emily takes off her shoes and leaves them by the door, before opening her suitcase and unpacking into the wardrobe and drawers below.


    She takes her toiletries, towel, and dirty clothes from her trip into the bathroom. She deposits the towel over a small rail on the wall, and her toiletries on a shelf above the sink. Then she drops the dirty clothes on the floor in the alcove, places her hand against the engraving, and injects mana into it, keen to see the clothes-washing spell Juliana explained to her over lunch. The engraving quickly lights up with a pale glow, a mixture of green and indigo. Stepping back, she watches as the clothes on the floor float up a few inches and begin spinning around each other while a light spray of water appears to douse them.


    Once activated the spell lasts for twenty minutes, and the clothes come out clean and dry. The luxury of not having to handwash clothes makes Emily bitter that magic isn¡¯t widespread.


    She moves back into her room, leaving the spell to do its work, and checks the suitcase for anything else. She ignores the nightgowns she will never wear but takes out the small leather pouch sitting in the bottom. Opening it up, she lets out a small gasp as she sees five small golden coins.


    Woah, that¡¯s a lot. I¡¯d have to sell, like, one hundred and fifty pocket watches to make that much. Nobles really are rich.


    A malicious grin spreads across her face.


    Very kind of them to give me some starting capital to make weapons with.


    She pulls closed the drawstring on the pouch and places it safely into the drawer of the bedside table furthest from the door. Done with the suitcase, she closes it again and places it beside the wardrobe.


    Emily sits down cross-legged in the centre of the room.


    Time to see if they spy on people here.


    She enters a meditative state and expands her magical senses to cover the room, unsurprised by the immense magical fluctuations all around her.


    Hmm, this may take a while.


    She methodically inspects every surface and object in the room, pausing on every mana crystal and enchantment to check for familiar runes from the surveillance spells she saw in the Mandrago mansion.


    After several hours of investigation, Emily opens her eyes, mostly satisfied that her room is secure. She walks over to the desk, where she has noticed several unfamiliar enchanted objects, and finds a note lying on top of it. She sits in the comfortable padded wooden chair and picks it up.


    Welcome, aspiring young mage, to The Covenant of the Blessed.


    The Covenant has great expectations of you and looks forward to your contribution to magical society.


    Please find a few welcome gifts within this desk to get you started.


    We wish you luck in your pursuit of knowledge.


    The moment she finishes reading the note, it bursts into flames. Startled, she drops the burning paper back onto the desk and watches as it disintegrates, not even leaving ashes behind.


    ¡°Huh, I guess that¡¯s what those enchantments were for.¡± She mutters while looking at the two sets of drawers that make up the desk¡¯s legs.


    Each set of drawers has three slightly larger drawers at the bottom and two shallower ones at the top. She begins by opening the drawers on the left, starting at the top and working her way down. Disappointingly, she finds all the drawers to be empty. Moving on to the right-hand side with low expectations, she opens the top drawer to find three items neatly positioned inside.


    First, she lifts out a delicate feather quill with a vane so black it appears to absorb the light around it. Around the shaft of the quill is a small silver metal handle, shaped perfectly to be held comfortably between three fingers. As Emily turns the quill in her hand, she counts six unique black runes engraved around the handle.


    Why can¡¯t they just use pens? Though I don¡¯t see an inkwell, so I assume its magic will generate ink or something.


    Placing the quill down on the desk and moving on to the next item, she lifts a thick leatherbound book out of the drawer and places it on the desk in front of her. The cover is blank, so she opens it up to look inside and finds hundreds of blank pages as she flicks through it.


    A notebook, I guess it would be nice not to have to sort through random stacks of blueprints again.


    With a satisfied nod, Emily looks at the last item in the drawer. The last item, a small coin-sized milky white crystal, causes a shiver to run down her spine. With slight apprehension, cautious of how reminiscent it is of the crystal used in the Mandrago family¡¯s brainwashing spell, she raises it to her eye. Rotating it slowly and gazing at the complicated weaving of runes covering its every surface Emily is left awestruck.


    These runes are incredibly delicate, how long will it have taken to engrave this much on to this tiny crystal? Though they could have at least written an explanation on their welcome note so I¡¯d know what it actually does. Ah, unless these gifts are only given to the B-grade mages coming from noble families who would already have been told what they¡¯re for.


    Sighing, Emily places the crystal down on the desk next to the notebook. She leans back in her chair and taps her fingers against the desk and her chin while considering the gifts.


    Do I have to wait and ask Juliana at dinner? Wait, what about the system?


    She focuses on the feather quill while calling out for her system in her head.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Mana is everywhere throughout the universe. The density of mana in an area can vary based on many variables and some areas can even lack mana completely, though rare and usually sparse of life as a result.


    Every planet has channels that mana flows through more easily, these are called mana veins. The majority of mana veins are deep within the planet, but occasionally they stray close to the surface. When a mana vein is close to the surface of the planet, areas of high-density mana are formed. Sometimes mana veins will meet each other close to the surface in convergence points, forming areas of ultra-high-density mana that can form into dungeons or spawn mana-dependent lifeforms.


    In areas of high-density mana, minerals and materials exposed for extended periods of time can often gain magical attributes. These can include high magical conductivity or resistance. Along with affecting existing minerals and materials, mana will often crystallise.


    Lifeforms living within high-density mana are often affected, experiencing extended lifespans and sometimes mutations. New lifeforms are often formed too, ranging from beasts to elementals.


    The information that seemed hazy when the knowledge was first granted suddenly flows clearly through her mind as she writes. Further details on the variables for mana density, and information on the common and exotic mana crystals and magical materials that can form fill her thoughts. Emily places the quill down the moment the page is full, while massaging her brows, feeling a light ache as her mind adjusts.


    Weird, I would have thought that should happen when I was given the knowledge. My knowledge of steam power and clockwork definitely became more complete the moment I gained the knowledge, but not the other three. Maybe it¡¯s because they were granted completely by the system initialisation, and I knew nothing about them before.


    As the aching subsides, Emily picks up the quill again and places it against the other open page.


    I don¡¯t need this much detail written down, so let''s try focusing on key points and see if that activates the knowledge properly.


    Electrical Theory is the study of the flow of charge, referred to as electric current.


    In a circuit: V = IR


    Electrical current flows from positive to negative and takes the path of least resistance.


    When voltage is generated by a source of energy, or by varying the magnetic field, it is referred to as electromotive force. The force to move electrons and form current.


    If there is a magnetic field and a change in current, a force is produced, referred to as electromagnetic force. This can also be used to induce a current, as when there is a change in magnetic field across a conductor, the force that is produced is electromotive force.


    As she had hoped, segments of knowledge on particles and forces slot into place in her mind as she writes. Once again placing the quill down and reaching up to massage her aching head, Emily is surprised by a new system notification.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Knowledge acquisition complete!


    [Reward granted]


    Quest generated: The Four Fundamental Forces


    Sub-system unlocked: Quests


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    [The Four Fundamental Forces]


    [Rank:] C


    [Description:] Learn and understand the four fundamental forces of physics


    Requirements:


    -Learn 1/4 Forces (Not Complete)


    Rewards:


    -Blueprint: Universal Transmitter


    _____


    She stares at the windows before her with a confused look on her face.


    How am I meant to learn about these fundamental forces when the first of them is something I¡¯d never heard of before today? Maybe there¡¯ll be information in the library. If not I have to hope I can work them out myself. And given that the rating of this quest is higher than the recording stone, I¡¯m probably fine leaving it till later. Important goals first!


    Blinking the quest out of her vision and looking back to her notebook, Emily¡¯s expression shifts back to a satisfied smile. Fuelled by her new knowledge, ideas for interesting machines flow into her mind and she is eager to get to work.


    ¡°If electromagnetic force requires a magnetic field, how was I able to use it without a magnet on The Clock?¡± Emily asks herself aloud while picking up the quill again.


    She circles the ¡®magnetic field¡¯ in the last paragraph on the page and writes a question beside it.


    Does lightning attribute mana have a magnetic component?


    Nodding, she turns back to the first page. She crosses out one of the lines and makes a note branching off another.


    Work out what affects the grade of items.


    -Level of knowledge used?


    Work out what current knowledges changed.


    Emily pulls out the two tokens she bought earlier, along with her crest and communication crystal, and drops all the objects onto the desk in front of her.


    Finally, let¡¯s have a look at these four before dinner.

 Chapter 21 – Taking Stock

    Chapter 21 ¨C Taking Stock


    Gazing at the four items before her, Emily wills her system into activation.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Contribution Market Token]


    [Rank:] E


    [Description:] A mobile terminal for accessing the contribution market within The Isle of the Blessed.


    [Effect:] When mana is channelled, opens a limited link for the user¡¯s consciousness to the contribution database. Only works within The Isle of the Blessed.


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    [Course List Token]


    [Rank:] E


    [Description:] A mobile terminal for accessing the class list within The Isle of the Blessed.


    [Effect:] When mana is channelled, opens a limited link for the user¡¯s consciousness to the course database. Only works within The Isle of the Blessed.


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-Fiind updated novels at novelhall.com


    [Mandrago Family Crest]


    [Rank:] E


    [Description:] A crest of the Mandrago family, engraved to allow for the tracking and transfer of ¡®contribution points¡¯.


    [Effect:] Tracks the user¡¯s contribution point total. When mana is channelled, allows for the transfer of contribution points.


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    [Communication Crystal]


    [Rank:] D


    [Description:] A space attribute mana crystal engraved with a communication spell.


    [Effect:] When mana is channelled, creates a link with a partner crystal irrespective of the distance between them.


    _____


    The descriptions of the tokens match Emily¡¯s expectations, confirming her theory of the clerk in the information hub using crystals to connect to a large data hub. However, the description of the communication crystal catches her off guard, with the rank being higher than she expected after the first three items.


    Are communication spells high level? I would have thought the tokens should be higher rank if that¡¯s the case. Maybe space attribute crystals are higher level and that affects it?


    She quickly adds an extra note to her notebook.


    Work out what affects the grade of items.


    -Level of knowledge used?


    -Level of materials used?


    Learn Alchemy.


    -Beast studies first.


    I can look at more courses later, first I should get through the ones I¡¯m already signed up for.


    She quickly pulls up the token¡¯s menu again, this time going into the ¡®Registered Courses¡¯. The six expected courses appear in a short list with four columns, ¡®Course¡¯, ¡®Current Grade¡¯, ¡®Highest Grade¡¯, and ¡®Modules¡¯.


    All six courses are at the current grade of basic. Etiquette, geopolitics and English all have the highest grade of basic, with maths and hand-to-hand combat going up to intermediate. Magic theory alone is the only course Emily is currently registered for that goes up to the advanced level.


    This is also reflected in the module count for each course. The three basic limited courses all only have one or two modules each, but Maths has three and hand-to-hand combat has six. However, far outstripping all the others, magic theory has twelve. Curious, Emily focuses on magic theory and watches the list before her shift to a detailed screen on the course.


    The twelve modules of the course are split into two groups. The first group is a group of four, all of which must be completed before she can advance: elemental selection, chants, natural mana formation and mana manipulation. The second is a group of eight: the six common elements, plus ice and lightning. Here, she only needs to complete one to advance.


    These modules are displayed before Emily in a scattered chart with the two groups bundled together. As she focuses on each module, it expands to give the time and location of the next class. Emily checks all of her courses and finds that her next lesson is elemental selection in two days. Opening her eyes, she places the course list token down in the open drawer.


    Two days until magic lessons start... I guess I can use this time to draw up some ideas for an E rank machine. I¡¯ll probably need to leave the dome to buy materials though, maybe I should ask Juliana to show me around the city later.


    As she begins pulling the map out of her pocket to look it over, she hears a knocking at her door.


    ¡°Speak of the devil.¡±


    She tosses the map onto the desk and stands up to leave.


    Guess I can ask her now.


    ***


    At dinner, Juliana eagerly agrees to show Emily around the city in ten days'' time when neither of them have any classes. The next two days pass by quickly, with Emily and Juliana meeting up daily to eat meals. Emily spends the rest of her time meditating, spellweaving, and drawing up blueprints in preparation for her trip out into the city.


    On the morning of her third day in The Dome, Emily eats breakfast with Juliana before her first lesson.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ever seem to meet up with other friends?¡± Emily asks a question that has been on her mind over the past few days while taking a bite of her toast.


    ¡°Ah, most of my friends are away from The Dome on missions at the moment, and the ones that aren¡¯t are all too busy studying,¡± Juliana answers with a grumpy pout that makes Emily chuckle.


    ¡°Speaking of, your first class is today, isn¡¯t it? You¡¯re not gonna start ignoring me too, are you?¡±


    ¡°Nah,¡± Emily snorts and rolls her eyes at the huge puppy dog eyes Juliana uses to emphasise her question, ¡°as long as I still need to eat, I¡¯m happy to match schedules with you to have company.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Juliana responds, smiling with smug satisfaction. ¡°But you should probably get going now if you want to reach class on time.¡±


    Emily pulls out The Clock to check and finds it¡¯s already 8:50, ten minutes left till her class starts.


    ¡°Yeah, I should,¡± she agrees while standing up and collecting her notebook and quill from the table in front of her. ¡°I¡¯ll see you at lunch.¡±


    ¡°See you later!¡±


    She turns with a last wave to Juliana and walks towards the transportation circles to leave the cafeteria. A short dimensional jump later Emily finds herself walking through a hallway with significantly more foot traffic than she is used to seeing in The Dome.


    Passing by her on either side are dozens of robed mages with varying colours accenting their robes and differing crests on their chests. A large majority of the crests bear silver or bronze accents, with only a few people wearing gold. Of the people she sees with golden crests, all of them have two or three silver and bronze crests following them closely like protective guards.


    Emily quietly makes her way through the hallway and soon comes to a stop in front of a large dark wooden door with the glowing words ¡®Elemental Selection¡¯ emblazoned on the silver plate in the centre of it. She raises her hand and grasps the smooth silver doorknob. Twisting it, she pushes the door open as a grin spreads across her face.


    Time to play with magic.

 Chapter 22 – The First Class

    Chapter 22 ¨C The First Class


    The door creaks open revealing a grand, open room, with vaulted ceilings and a beautiful crystal lattice at the centre, emitting a refreshing white glow. Directly to the right of the door is a lightly raised dais with a short podium and a wide blackboard.


    Emily notices the dais is empty and assumes the teacher must not be here yet, so she turns her attention to her left. Stretching out to fill the room are five rows of raised desks, with an empty channel through the centre. Occupying these desks are four other people, sitting across the front three rows.


    Emily¡¯s attention is quickly drawn to the loud chatter coming from the only two sitting together. Sat in the middle of the front row on the right-hand side of the room are two short scruffy kids with messy ginger hair and matching bronze crests. The boy is talking without stopping for breath to the girl sitting to his right, who Emily presumes is his sister.


    Pulling her attention away from the noise, she looks at the boy sitting close to the door in the second row. He¡¯s a short, gloomy-looking boy with a bronze crest, staring at the book open in front of him without glancing up at all. Sitting in the row behind him, closer to the centre of the room, is a tall girl with a stern look on her face, calmly watching Emily as she walks in front of the desks. On her chest, proudly presented by her upright posture, is a silver crest.


    As Emily reaches the aisle in the middle of the room, the loud scruffy boy looks over and calls out to her.


    ¡°Hey! Come sit with us!¡±


    Emily raises an eyebrow in amusement and glances at the girl next to him. Seeing her pleading gaze, Emily asks a question.


    ¡°You gonna talk through the lesson as well?¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t worry!¡± the boy responds with a toothy grin.


    Well, I do need to talk to some other commoners to work out if they were brainwashed too...


    With a light nod, Emily walks down the row and takes the seat next to the still-silent girl, who nods in appreciation with a relieved smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m Tom Valentine of house Dahlia and this is my sister Hester Valentine, also of house Dahlia. Nice to meet you,¡± Tom says while extending his hand towards her.


    ¡°I¡¯m Emily Coldstone of house Mandrago, nice to meet you too,¡± Emily smiles, placing her notebook and quill on the desk and shaking the small, clammy hand she is offered.


    ¡°How long have you been here? We got here two weeks ago but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen you in magic theory lessons. We¡¯ve gone to chants, mana manipulation and formation courses already too and you weren¡¯t there, so I guess you probably only came in the last week, right? I''m right, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    Emily is slightly taken aback by the wall of words presented to her, and before she gets a chance to respond, Hester speaks for the first time.


    ¡°Calm down dumbass, you¡¯ll scare her off.¡± Hester''s strong words and fierce glare surprise Emily even more than Tom.


    ¡°Is he always like this?¡± she asks Hester with a chuckle.


    ¡°Kind of, he just won¡¯t shut up sometimes. He¡¯s talked non-stop since we were selected,¡± Hester turns back and answers with a tired sigh.


    ¡°No wonder you looked so desperate; I would have thought you¡¯d be used to it though?¡±


    ¡°I used to be able to avoid him most of the time. But now I¡¯m kind of stuck with him since we need to go to the same classes.¡±


    ¡°Hey I¡¯m not tha-¡° Tom starts to complain but instantly shrinks back when his sister aims another glare at him.


    ¡°What did you do before being selected?¡± Emily asks while holding back a laugh at the siblings¡¯ antics.


    ¡°We helped Dad with running his museum mostly. Tom did tours and I worked the reception, so he talked at the customers, not me. What about you?¡±


    ¡°I helped make a few clocks for my Dad¡¯s shop, but mostly I just made stuff for myself,¡± Emily responds with a sad tone.


    ¡°Anyway, moving on from that interruption, can all of you please come down here and line up on the dais please.¡±


    Emily stands up and walks along the row, with Hester and Tom following her closely, then makes her way down the aisle. Still ignoring the uninterrupted glares of Jeremy and Kyle, she joins the forming line on the dais in front of Jenny, placing herself beside Alexia.


    ¡°To work out your affinity, we are going to use the tried-and-true method of trial and error. I¡¯m going to get all of you to build up your own mental image of each element and attempt to manifest them. We will then judge, from the results, which one you should focus on. Those of you who have done this before, ignore me and use your established image. The rest of you listen to me and I will help you build yours. Once you have a solid image, try to push mana into it to attempt the manifestation. First, I would like everyone to stand in a comfortable, neutral stance with one hand in front of you, palm up.¡± Jenny demonstrates and waits for everyone to copy her.


    ¡°Good, now close your eyes and empty your minds.¡±


    As Jenny pauses, Emily closes her eyes and takes a deep breath through her nose, holding it for a few seconds, then exhaling slowly through her mouth. After ten seconds of silence, Jenny begins speaking again and Emily focuses on her words, shutting out the sounds of breathing around her.


    ¡°We will start with fire. Picture a flame, big or small. Focus on its colour. Is it orange? Red? Neither? Watch it move, watch it sway and flicker. Is it strong and deadly, ready to extinguish all life? Or is it fragile and delicate, ready to go out with a slight breeze? Feel the heat emanating from it. Does it scorch? Or simply give warmth? How br- ¡°


    Emily listens to Jenny¡¯s questions and starts to picture a small flame at the end of a match. With twisting hues of red and orange, burning strong against the wind with a light warmth.


    Hmm, no. Matches get blown out, that¡¯s not right.


    She clears her mind again and tunes out Jenny¡¯s words.


    Fire. What is fire to me? A tool for warmth? Light? Cooking? Shaping metal? AH!


    An image flashes through her mind of a behemoth of metal, brought down from the sky by a roaring inferno. Focusing on the idea, a small spark forms in her mind.


    The spark starts a small dark orange flame, so dark it¡¯s nearly red; burning steadily and controlled.


    A small silver piece of steel is placed in the centre of the flame, and it bends, forming around the metal to swallow it whole. Slowly the flame begins to grow, lightening in shade with the metal. As the two reach a light orange hue, a wind is introduced.


    The wind pushes against the fire, but the fire doesn¡¯t yield. Instead, it consumes the wind and grows, slowly beginning to form a vortex around the metallic core. As the speed of the flame grows, so does its intensity, until the metal in the centre glows a searing white. Piece by piece the metal is torn apart, joining the flame in its motion, and forming a familiar dance of orange and white.


    Emily wills her mana into the vortex and opens her eyes to stare at her hand. Floating above her palm she sees a small flickering white and orange flame. She smiles and moves her hand up to try to touch the flame, but the moment she moves, the flame disappears like a lie.


    Just as Emily is beginning to feel disappointed, she hears enthusiastic clapping and looks up. She meets the eyes of Jenny, who is staring at her with a wide grin.


    ¡°Incredible! To think you¡¯re already able to manifest an element so clearly. You¡¯re going to be an incredible fire mage. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Emily Coldstone of house Mandrago,¡± Emily responds slightly taken aback by Jenny¡¯s passionate reaction, but still remembering her formal introduction and bowing with a hand across her chest.


    She notices Jenny¡¯s gaze darkening for a split second at her introduction, but her expression returns to normal almost instantly as she turns and walks back to her podium.


    What was that? Did I do something wrong?


    She looks at the other students in worry and sees a mixture of shock and confusion on their faces.


    I guess not. Unless they also don¡¯t know what I did.


    As she begins to calm down, Jenny¡¯s next words hit her like a bucket of cold water.


    ¡°Ten points to Emily Coldstone!¡±

 Chapter 23 – Magical Genius

    Chapter 23 ¨C Magical Genius


    Jenny sees the looks of confusion on some of her students'' faces and begins to explain her reasoning.


    ¡°I can see some of you are confused with my point allocation so allow me to explain. What we are attempting right now is elemental manifestation. The difference between this and casting a spell is the lack of a runic formula. When we cast spells,¡± as she speaks, she raises her left hand and a glowing red matrix of runes appears above it, ¡°we form a specific matrix of runes, formed with a set of precise calculations, and imbue it with a mental image.¡±


    The centre of the matrix expands and a fist-sized ball of flames forms, crackling and flickering in a controlled manner. ¡°When doing this, we can substitute a solid mental image for a chant that forms the mental image for us. In this situation, the actions and properties of the spell are mainly controlled by the runic formula you use, with little room for change unless you have precise mana manipulation.¡±


    Jenny dismisses the fireball and raises her right hand before her. ¡°However, with elemental manifestation, there is no matrix or chant to assist you in image and control. Because of this, you must form an incredibly detailed image, and consider many small variables that will affect it, to manifest even a small mass of pure elemental mana. This leads to most beginners only being able to form wisps of an element.¡± Above her hand, small red sparks appear, flickering in and out of existence weakly.


    ¡°We judge affinity based on how dense these wisps are. However, Emily here managed a full manifestation on her first attempt!¡± The sparks in her hand shoot towards the centre and condense into a small flickering orange flame.


    ¡°It takes most mages getting to the third circle to form a full manifestation with their main element, hence why I believe this is an achievement worthy of praise.¡±


    Emily sees her peers nodding with understanding and feels a budding sense of pride.


    I guess the system was right in calling me a magical genius.


    ¡°Right,¡± Jenny says with a clap, gathering everyone''s attention again. ¡°I¡¯ve seen all of your attempts at fire so let us move on to water next.¡±


    She once again gets them all to close their eyes and listen to her questioning them about the element. Emily pictures an orb of clear water in her mind and attempts to manifest it. However, this time she only manages to conjure a mass of blue wisps.


    I think I spoke too soon. It¡¯s weird though, my image of water feels just as clear in my mind as that of fire but it doesn¡¯t manifest the same. Is this what affinity means?


    As the class moves through the elements, Emily struggles with wind and earth as well, only conjuring faint clouds of colour for each. While she is feeling disappointed at her inability to replicate her first success, Jenny sets the class a challenge.


    ¡°Now for the fundamental, exotic and four higher form elements, all of them are a lot more difficult for a mage to grasp, even if they have an affinity for it. Because of this, my interference would just be detrimental to your growth, so I¡¯m going to give you all a challenge instead. For the next ten minutes, anyone who manifests an element other than the common four will be given twenty points. This excludes Jeremy and Kyle since you¡¯ve had many attempts at this already. Begin!¡±


    Ignoring the grumbling coming from the end of the line and shutting out all external stimuli, Emily closes her eyes and raises her palm. Without a moment''s hesitation, she decides to try lightning.


    Since manifesting fire earlier, Emily couldn¡¯t help wondering if her lack of ability to manifest other elements was due to a lack of understanding instead of aptitude. To test this, she chooses to attempt lightning, the element assisted the most by her system-given knowledge and real-life experiences.


    As Emily focuses on the concept of lightning, three things spring to mind. The first is the memory of her first time breaking a mana crystal; the blazing matrix of lightning violently crackling and pulling along a floating ring of metal has been fixed in her mind since. The second is the delicate and orderly flow of electrical signals flooding her body even now in the form of the esoteric lightning called machina. The final piece to tie the two seemingly disconnected ideas of lightning together is her theoretical knowledge of electricity.


    In the completely blank space within her mind, Emily starts by picking two points. At both points, a small iron ball appears. One ball she pictures with a strong negative charge, and the other positive. As she increases the difference in charge, the gap between the two balls begins to shake and a bolt of lightning shoots between the two balls. The streak of lightning collides with the receiving ball and vanishes as quickly as it appears. However, Emily maintains and keeps increasing the difference in charge.


    Lightning keeps striking and very quickly the gap between each strike narrows to the point of becoming indistinguishable. All that remains pictured in Emily¡¯s mind is a fierce spear of lightning. Flowing in a controlled yet violent manner, with wildly grasping branches shooting off into the charged space around it, the spear distorts everything around it with a powerful electromagnetic field.


    Emily pushes a steady flow of mana into the image, instead of trepidation or excitement, all she feels is a serene sense of calm. Completely confident, Emily trusts the instinct telling her that her interpretation is correct and opens her eyes.


    Floating above her hand is a small stream of lightning. Compared to the power and violence of the image in her head, the manifestation is pathetic. However, neither the grin that spreads across Emily¡¯s face, nor the feeling of satisfaction at her success are diminished in the slightest. The system notification that appears along with it only acts to add fuel to the fires of her joy.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Hidden-Quest completed: Magic? More like physics!


    [Magic? More like physics!]


    [Rank:] E


    [Description:] Use your understanding of physics to manifest an element.


    Requirements:


    -Manifest 1/1 Element (Complete)


    Rewards:


    -Mechanic knowledge: Basic Particle Physics


    ¡°Are you going to the information hub now?¡± She pauses at Hester¡¯s question.


    If I¡¯m going to rewind anyway, I may as well see if I can get a load of spells for free.


    ¡°Yeah, you?¡±


    ¡°Same, let¡¯s go together.¡±


    The three of them start walking side-by-side down the hallway.


    ¡°That was really hard though, I barely got a reaction for earth. How did you manage to manifest two elements so well?¡± Tom asks after a few moments of walking in silence.


    ¡°I just thought of a time I¡¯d seen the element and simulated its formation,¡± Emily replies without much thought and looks over to see a confused look on Tom¡¯s face.


    ¡°What do you mean simulated its formation?¡±


    ¡°Well for fire I started with a blank space, then pictured a spark growing into a small flame. Then I added a bit of metal to the flame and pictured them both heating up till the flame melted the metal. I also thought of the wind blowing against the flame and how it would react. After the metal was melted, I was left with my image of fire and that¡¯s it.¡± Tom¡¯s look of confusion grows as she speaks.


    ¡°Why did you include metal when trying to form fire?¡±


    ¡°I once saw an airship explode and the memory of the burning ship was my main reference for fire, so I thought it fit. Also, I heat metal to form it when making things, so it was the best way for me to picture it. After all, Jenny told us to form our own image so I thought relating it to something I¡¯ve done or seen in the past would help.¡±


    A look of realisation spreads across Hester¡¯s face as she listens too.


    ¡°I was just trying to picture the elements alone, it never occurred to me to think of a past experience with them. Thanks, Emily!¡±


    ¡°No problem, I¡¯m surprised Jenny didn¡¯t say something similar.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you should probably call her Miss Forsythia by the way. Most mages teaching here don¡¯t like being called so casually.¡±


    ¡°Oh sure, it feels weird to call her Miss though. She only looks like she¡¯s twenty.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s probably around a hundred years old though,¡± Tom joins in again, finished dealing with his confusion over elemental manifestation.


    ¡°Wait what?¡± Emily asks in disbelief at his claim.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know? Mages'' life spans increase with their circle.¡± Emily shakes her head, so Tom continues to explain. ¡°Weird. We had this explained to us when the mages from house Dahlia tried to persuade us to join them. At first circle there isn¡¯t much difference, only having a slightly improved body, but you should still be healthy till one hundred years old. The second circle doubles that to two hundred years. And at the third circle, you can live upwards of three to four hundred years.¡±


    ¡°What about the fourth circle?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, they didn¡¯t tell us because they said it wouldn¡¯t matter to us, though I guess for you it might.¡±


    I¡¯ll ask Juliana later then.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, can¡¯t expect you to know everything. Also, did you say that house Dahlia persuaded you to join? You weren¡¯t forced?¡±


    ¡°Forced? No, they came and told us we had the ability to become mages and asked us to serve them as vassals and in return they¡¯d send us to The Covenant for training. They¡¯ve treated us very well, were you forced?¡±


    Hester and Tom both wait for Emily¡¯s response with looks of concern.


    ¡°Very much so. Those assholes tried to use a brainwashing spell on me. Luckily, I was able to resist it, but house Mandrago seems to do that to all their vassal mages. I¡¯m glad to know it isn¡¯t common practice.¡±


    The horrified looks she sees directed at her calm her suspicions a little.


    ¡°Stop looking at me like that, I¡¯m fine. Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± Emily rolls her eyes at the siblings with a small smile as she steps into a transportation room.


    These guys are alright, I¡¯ll talk to them again next time.

 Chapter 24 – Her First Spell

    Chapter 24 ¨C Her First Spell


    Arriving at the information hub, Emily, Tom, and Hester all step out of the transportation room into the open hall. Emily walks towards a counter without anyone standing before it.


    ¡°Hello, how can I help you?¡± the female clerk behind the counter says with a friendly smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to claim a spell?¡± Emily questions, unsure of the exact answer to give.


    ¡°Sure, what is your name?¡± the clerk asks while pulling a receiver crystal out from under the counter.


    ¡°Emily Coldstone.¡±


    The clerk closes her eyes and injects mana into the crystal. After a few moments, she opens her eyes with a nod.


    ¡°Your first spell will be given for free, what element would you like?¡±


    ¡°Fire please.¡±


    ¡°Sure, one moment please.¡±


    The clerk turns around and walks to the bank of drawers behind her, opening a few before returning with a sheet of parchment and a silver slab with complicated runes and a few crystals of different colours embedded onto its surface. She places the slab onto the counter with the parchment laid carefully on top of it before injecting it with mana and closing her eyes.


    The slab lights up with a blend of blue, green and red, as red letters slowly bleed through the page. After ten seconds of channelling, the clerk opens her eyes and removes the parchment from the slab. Carefully rolling it up, she hands the parchment to Emily and picks up the slab.


    ¡°Will that be all?¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± Emily steps to the side to allow Tom access to the counter as she unrolls the parchment to take a look. Before she finishes opening the parchment, the clerk calls out to her.


    ¡°Ah, please don¡¯t look at spells in public areas. While that¡¯s only a first circle spell, it¡¯s bad practice to risk letting another see it.¡±


    Right, don¡¯t do that next time.


    Emily stands idly, waiting impatiently for Tom and Hester to finish as a realisation strikes her.


    I don¡¯t need to keep up appearances if I¡¯m going to reset, do I?


    With her mind made up, Emily quickly walks back towards the transportation rooms, leaving Tom and Hester confused. She makes her way back to her room and settles at her desk with the spell parchment laid out before her.


    Unravelling the paper, Emily finds a simple magic circle drawn.


    The circle has five runes around its inner edge, some held within circles or other geometric shapes. Throughout the circle are several lines woven together in interconnected arcs, connecting some of the runes.


    At the top of the paper, the name ¡®Burning Hands¡¯ is proudly written, and at the bottom, the chant:


    Coat my palms with the fires of unrest


    and sear my enemies with burning flesh.


    Yikes, that sounds stupid. Do I have to say it every time I cast?


    Choosing to ignore the chant for now, Emily stares at the magic circle in detail, memorising the runes and their placement. The moment she finishes, a new system window pops up.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Spell memorised: Burning Hands


    Sub-system unlocked: Spellbook


    _____


    She quickly opens her status page and finds a new tab at the top.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Spellbook]


    First Circle:


    -Burning Hands


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    [Burning Hands]


    [Circle:] First


    [Cost:] 30 Mana/cast


    Need mental image


    -Can be assisted with chant?


    Need runes drawn


    -No known shortcut


    Current casting time is too long to be useful in a fight.


    System gives ideal? results from spell cast, try to match system description before using.


    Gazing at the notes and tapping her fingers on the desk, Emily drops her quill.


    First, let¡¯s test using a chant and no mental image. If it lets me use the spell properly, I may have to swallow my pride for a bit till I learn how to mentally multi-task.


    She begins casting the spell again, this time holding the magic circle in her mind and pouring mana into it as she speaks slowly:


    ¡°Coat my palms with the fires of unrest...¡±


    Burning orange runes spring to life around her hands.


    ¡°...and sear my enemies with burning flesh.¡±


    Her palms ignite with flames. However, the orange of the flames is a noticeably duller hue, and the white streaks are missing. Emily moves her hands around and also sees the lack of shimmering trail. To her pleasant surprise, the spell fades after eight seconds and a quick glance at her mana likewise gives hope.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Mana:] 286/345


    _____


    So, chanting removed the interference of my mental image with the rune formation, at the cost of a much weaker mental image. Preferably I¡¯d want a way of simplifying the rune formation so I could keep the complexity of my image, my original fire seems much stronger than this.


    Looking back down at her notes, her eyes are drawn towards her word choice on the second statement.


    Need runes drawn


    Drawn? Could I draw the runes with my hands instead of in my mind?


    Emily holds up her right hand with her pointer finger out and pushes a steady stream of mana into it. Moving the finger slowly, she draws out the shape of the first rune; a small grin growing as she sees the mana burned into the air before her holding its shape.


    Finishing the first flickering rune, Emily draws a small circle around the rune and sees it solidifying completely as she does. Continuing in the same stroke, she draws the large circle to encapsulate the whole spell and sees the rune¡¯s border solidify in shape too.


    Good, it¡¯s holding together.


    After a dozen seconds of careful drawing, Emily holds her hand to the centre of the finished circle and maintains a small mana flow as she forms her mental image of the spell. Feeling a small connection form in her mind, the circle ignites from the centre. As soon as the flames reach the outer edge, the circle begins rotating and fades out of existence as a dense burning layer appears over her palms.


    She reaches for her notebook to test, and instead of ripping out a few pages, her touch instantly ignites a dozen layers of paper. She quickly releases the book and waves her sleeves over it to extinguish the flames, saving the rest of the book from being destroyed.


    ¡°Haha, now this is magic!¡± She gleefully chuckles to herself, staring at the glittering trails left behind by her fingers as she weaves them through the air.


    This time the spell fades after a full ten seconds, and Emily leans back with a satisfied grin.


    The spell appears as if it¡¯s meant to be built in parts. Every time I finished one stroke, it held together its predecessor. Is that how it¡¯s meant to be cast then? Now that I think about it, whenever Jose or Miguel cast spells, the runes always formed around them in sequence and were already coloured with their element. I guess picturing the whole magic circle at once is probably quite difficult when they get more complicated.


    Leaning back over her notebook, Emily grabs her quill and moves to a page not stained by ash. In the centre of the page, she draws Burning Hands¡¯ magic circle. Placing the quill down next to it, she holds both her hands over the first rune and curiously begins trying to line her fingers up to form the rune.


    After a couple of seconds, she manages to find an odd position with her thumbs bent inwards and touching, and her pointer fingers flat against each other. Her middle fingers are crossed, with her right ring finger curled under her left, tucked into her left palm. Her right pinkie is in line with her middle finger, and her left is curled, forming a circle with the right.


    Holding this odd shape in front of her, she pulses mana through each finger that forms a line of the rune, ignoring those that overlap with others. The rune forms across her hands, and with a light flick of her wrists, it floats to hover above her hands. Moving quickly, she unravels her fingers and splays her hands with thumbs and pointer fingers joined to create a circle. With another quick pulse of mana and a slight gesture upwards, the circle rises and sets itself into place around the rune, holding it together.


    Grinning, she moves her hands apart and rotates each in a half-circle with a small flow of mana out of her palms. Bringing her hands back together, Emily pauses before the next rune, unsure of how to continue. She stops supplying mana to the circle and lets it fade, then picks up her quill and draws a diagram of the first rune¡¯s hand sign.


    For the next few hours, Emily gets lost in creating and optimising hand signs and movements for all of the runes and lines within the magic circle. A couple of hours after ignoring Juliana¡¯s knock on her door for lunch, Emily sits back, gazing with a satisfied smile at the list of hand signs drawn on a page before her.


    Bringing her hands up, she starts forming a mental image of her palms on fire as she quickly weaves her hands in a delicate and precise dance of gestures and shapes. After nine seconds, she slaps her palms together, and the glistening orange and white magic circle around her hands roars to life. Pulling her hands apart, she sees her successful spell burning away happily.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Skill created: Basic Gesture Casting (passive)


    _____


    Ignoring the system pop-up and watching the flames till they fade; Emily nods her head and grins at the full ten-second duration.


    Perfect, if I can memorise these hand motions and turn them into muscle memory, I should be able to cast this spell in five or so seconds!

 Chapter 25 – Chantless Casting

    Chapter 25 ¨C Chantless Casting


    Emily brings up her system, checking on her remaining mana and new skill.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Mana:] 200/345


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    [Basic Gesture Casting (passive)]


    User can proficiently weave hand signs and gestures together to form basic magic circles.


    -Grants +10% casting speed when forming up to third circle spells with the hands.


    _____


    Her mana doesn¡¯t surprise her, having fallen exactly 15 since she checked it before casting Burning Hands. Over the past few hours, she noticed her mana was increasing slowly whenever she wasn¡¯t actively casting a spell, recovering over 30 of the points that she spent.


    However, the skill does surprise her a little.


    Increases casting speed? How¡¯s it going to do that when casting is making the hand signs?


    To test, Emily quickly casts Burning Hands again and this time finds performing the required movements feels slightly more natural and only takes eight seconds. Happy with her new skill, Emily checks the time. Upon seeing she still has two hours till Juliana should arrive for dinner, she decides to test manifesting other elements again.


    Closing her eyes and clearing her mind, she pictures the air around her. Imagining the tiny particles floating everywhere, she applies a small force to one and watches as it moves forward and collides with another particle. Another particle behind it is pulled into the space it left and soon a small chain reaction grows, with more and more particles of air forming a wave of motion.


    Slowly she increases the force applied to the particles and grows the light breeze into a gale of energetic particles. Pushing mana through the image and out into the space in front of her, Emily opens her eyes and grins at the formless fluctuations she¡¯s created.


    Good, I have one manifestation more to show already.


    Moving on, she attempts to manifest water, earth and metal again, yet still can¡¯t quite grasp a solid image for them. After failing to manifest any other elements, Emily does some exercise and showers while waiting for dinner time.


    At 8 pm on the dot, she hears a familiar knock on her door. Opening the door, she smiles and greets Juliana.


    ¡°Hey, how¡¯s it going?¡±


    ¡°It would be going better if you didn¡¯t ignore me at lunch. I know you only had one lesson this morning, so you were totally in!¡± Juliana complains while glaring at Emily sulkily.


    Giggling at her friend''s cute antics, Emily walks past her while saying:


    ¡°Sorry, I got my first spell earlier and was really focused on trying to cast it, so I didn¡¯t even hear you. Is there any way I can make it up to you?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Juliana grabs Emily¡¯s arm and hangs off it as she stares at her sceptically. ¡°Well, if you didn¡¯t ignore me on purpose, I guess I¡¯ll forgive you if you let me pick dinner.¡±


    ¡°Haha, sure. We can have whatever you want,¡± Emily agrees easily, glad Juliana accepted her lie.


    ***


    A couple of minutes later, Emily and Juliana are sitting at a small table in the cafeteria with a large selection of finger foods spread between them. Emily happily digs in, filling her plate with an assortment of breads, meats, and vegetables, as Juliana asks her about her day.


    ¡°Wait, two full manifestations?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can actually do three now, but it took me a little while to work out the third, so I didn¡¯t show it in class.¡±


    ¡°Wow, I knew you were going to be talented, but that¡¯s ridiculous.¡±


    Seeing Juliana¡¯s shock makes Emily grow excited about completing her quest.


    If three elements are enough to surprise her this much, how will she react to four or five?


    ¡°Oh, by the way, I was talking to some classmates earlier about mages¡¯ lifespans, and they didn¡¯t know how long fourth circle mages live. Can you tell me?¡± Emily asks, drawing Juliana out of her surprised stupor.


    ¡°Hmm? Sure, fourth circle mages normally live about five to six hundred years. They¡¯re lucky, I want to get to a high circle so I age slower! Apparently, higher circle mages stay looking like their prime till they¨C ¡° Juliana pauses her excited explanation as two people step into their table¡¯s sound barrier.


    Looking over with an annoyed frown, Emily sees Tom and Hester smiling at her as they approach.


    ¡°Hey Emily, can we join you?¡± Hester asks before freezing when she looks over at Juliana.


    Emily raises an eyebrow at her reaction, then looks to Juliana for a response.


    ¡°Sure! I don¡¯t mind.¡± Juliana cheerfully agrees.


    But I do...


    Emily grumbles internally as the siblings sit with them.


    ¡°I¡¯m Juliana Madonna, first circle, lovely to meet you.¡±


    ¡°This is so much harder than you make it look, my fingers just get tangled,¡± Juliana grumbles.


    ¡°Haha, you just need practice. Though fun as this was, we may need to do something else next reset because I¡¯m not sure how many times I can teach you the basics before I get bored.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Emily silently smiles at her confused response and pulls out The Clock. Pressing the button, she sits through the familiar feeling of being pulled through time and finds herself lying in her bed nine hours before her first lesson.


    ***


    Nine hours later, Emily opens the door and steps into the classroom. This time ignoring Tom¡¯s attempts to grab her attention, she walks to the third row and sits alone.


    The lesson progresses the same as the first time, however Emily avoids the glares of Jeremy and Kyle as Tom laughs at them. The first major change happens after Miss Forsythia asks them to attempt to manifest wind. Emily summons a small formless gale which catches Miss Forsythia¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Well done, Emily! A full manifestation of two different elements is a rarity, especially when this young. Ten points to Emily Coldstone!¡± Miss Forsythia calls after stepping back and placing a hand on her podium.


    Emily thanks her with a polite smile, while expectantly opening her system. However, to her surprise, her mission still sits uncompleted.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [True Magical Genius #1]


    [Rank:] D


    [Description:] Living up to your title of technomancer, you have manifested an element using your understanding of physics! But are two manifestations truly worthy of a magical genius?


    Requirements:


    -Manifest 2/3 Elements in your first manifestation attempt (Not Complete)


    Rewards:


    -Mechanic Knowledge: Basic Material Science


    -Mechanic Knowledge: Basic Kinematics


    _____


    Why isn¡¯t it finished? Do I have to do all three manifestations in this reset for it to count?


    Blinking away her system with slight annoyance, she returns to focusing on the lesson. As Miss Forsythia finishes going over the common elements, the second major change occurs. The moment she finishes setting the class a challenge to manifest a higher or exotic element, she directs all her attention towards Emily.


    ¡°With your affinity for fire and wind, you may have a chance with lightning, give it a try,¡± she advises with a small smile.


    Emily raises an eyebrow, but quickly thanks her and closes her eyes to focus. Following a similar image to last time, except now replacing the metal orbs with charged water vapour, Emily once again manifests a fizzling bolt of lightning above her hand.


    ¡°Very good! Come with me.¡± Miss Forsythia flashes a gentle smile and motions for Emily to follow her as she walks back to her podium.


    Emily pauses, feeling a familiar rush of information flooding her cortex. After a few seconds, her mind settles, and she blinks the system windows away without looking at them.


    I¡¯ll check later.


    She catches up and stands to the side of the podium as Miss Forsythia places her palm against it and says quietly:


    ¡°Twenty points to Emily Coldstone.¡±


    From up close, Emily sees the detailed runes covering the top surface light up and pulse with a soft green hue. As the light fades away, Miss Forsythia looks back to Emily and speaks to her quietly so as not to disturb the rest of the class.


    ¡°Have you received any formal training before coming here?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I see, and has house Mandrago given you any resources on manifestation to help you?¡±


    Emily notices a slight edge to Miss Forsythia¡¯s voice as she says house Mandrago.


    ¡°No,¡± Emily says, then letting her curiosity get the better of her she continues. ¡°Why would those scumbags ever help me?¡±


    A look of shock and intrigue spreads across Miss Forsythia¡¯s face at Emily¡¯s words and she quickly glances over at the students still standing in a line with their eyes closed. Seeing they didn¡¯t hear, she calms down a little and looks back at Emily.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be able to insult them...¡± She curiously taps her fingers on her chin while considering Emily. ¡°Stay behind after class and chat with me, it¡¯s not safe with so many extra ears.¡±


    Emily nods and walks back to join the line of students.


    Looks like I¡¯ve found who I can talk to about their brainwashing practices.


    She settles back into place, impatiently waiting for the lesson to end.

 Chapter 26 – Jenny Forsythia

    Chapter 26 ¨C Jenny Forsythia


    ¡°You¡¯re all dismissed!¡±


    At Miss Forsythia¡¯s call, everyone gives a bow and begins filing out except Emily, who remains standing in place. As they leave the room, she sees Jeremy and Kyle look back and fix her with a glare.


    Damn, I guess I can¡¯t avoid having problems with them.


    Finally, Tom steps through the door and lets it shut with a loud thud behind him, leaving Emily and Miss Forsythia standing together in silence.


    ¡°So, Emily, why don¡¯t you tell me a little about yourself and how you ended up here,¡± Miss Forsythia says, walking over to the desks and taking a seat.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Emily agrees while taking the seat next to her. ¡°I lived in Eimdon city working for a clockmaker. An airship of the Mandrago family crashed one day when I was out in the scrap piles, and I found a magic crystal in the wreckage. I obviously didn¡¯t know what it was at the time, so I took it, did some experiments with it, and ended up awakening as a result. The Mandrago family came and found me soon after, forced me to come with them, and then attempted to use a spell to brainwash me. Then they sent me here. That about sums it up.¡±


    A look of anger spreads across Miss Forsythia¡¯s face as she listens to Emily¡¯s account.


    ¡°Those shitty excuses for nobles!¡± The air around her begins heating up, causing Emily to flinch back.


    She¡¯s this angry about the edited version?


    Noticing Emily¡¯s reaction, Miss Forsythia quickly calms herself down and apologises.


    ¡°Sorry about that, I should be setting a better example.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. What was that though Miss Forsythia?¡± Emily asks with a look of eager curiosity.


    ¡°Please, just call me Jenny. You¡¯re making me feel old,¡± Jenny says flashing a gentle smile. ¡°That was me losing control of my anger. As we grow in circle, our control of and connection with mana also grow, which leads to phenomena like that when a mage feels strong emotions.¡±


    ¡°I see. Why are you so angry?¡±


    Jenny sighs and begins to explain with a sad tone:


    ¡°Many years ago now, I was a commoner growing up in a small territory of the Hawthorne family. I was approached by a member of said family, and told I had magical talent. The family treated me well and sent me here to learn. As I grew, I made a lot of friends with other commoners who had been brought in like me, and even started dating.¡± A small smile grows on her face as Jenny reminisces.


    ¡°However, unfortunately, our happiness couldn¡¯t last. One day my partner suddenly said she had to leave for a dungeon with the heir of the family she served. The dungeon was estimated to require third circle mages, but she and the family¡¯s heir were only second circle. I told her not to go, but she said she had no choice.¡± She silently wipes a few tears from her eyes as her sad expression morphs into a look of seething rage that strikes a chord in Emily. ¡°She died in that dungeon. Afterwards, I was allowed to go through her belongings and found several letters giving her orders. The family backing her didn¡¯t have any third circle mages and wanted to use her as fodder to help their heir gain the resources to become one. Knowing this, when I reached the third circle, I requested to separate from the Hawthorne family, so they didn¡¯t get dragged into it if I got punished. I gained my own noble title in return for fifty years of service as a teacher here and, after being given the name Forsythia, the first thing I did was purge the offending family from this kingdom.¡±


    With a look of grim satisfaction, the shimmering heat surrounding Jenny slowly fades.


    ¡°It should have ended there. However, when I was going through the family¡¯s records, I found information on how they¡¯d been using mental magic to control all the commoners they brought in. When I returned here again afterwards, I started checking with my students and my commoner friends, and found a large portion of them gave strange reactions when questioned about the noble families backing them. Since then, I¡¯ve been looking into mental magic to try and find a way to break these rotten nobles¡¯ control, but my search has yet to bear fruit.¡±


    Jenny goes silent, giving Emily some time to process the flood of new information.


    I knew it wasn¡¯t just the Mandrago family. I¡¯m not sure if I can trust this woman, but the fact that she was willing to talk about this is promising.


    ¡°You said that you tested a lot of students, right? Do you have a list of which families I should watch out for?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s one hundred per cent accurate, but I can write it out for you if you¡¯d like?¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Emily passes Jenny her notebook and quill.


    After a couple of seconds scribbling, Jenny hands back the notebook with a dozen noble families written down. Reading over the list, Emily lets out a small sigh of relief, the last of her caution towards Juliana washing away.


    No Madonna family!


    ¡°Do you know if the noble students from these families know what they¡¯re doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯ve tried to avoid asking any questions directly to family members that could draw suspicion. I don¡¯t want to risk turning half the nobles in the kingdom against me yet. However, given the way they act towards commoner mages, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they know,¡± Jenny answers with obvious disdain for her students.


    Emily nods, then asks a question she suspects she knows the answer to while narrowing her eyes at Jenny.


    ¡°Now, why did you approach me and tell me all this?¡±


    Jenny smiles as she answers.


    ¡°No problem, I¡¯m happy to do it.¡± Emily stands up and starts walking towards the door.


    ¡°Oh, and Emily,¡± Jenny calls out to her before she leaves. ¡°While it¡¯s great to be cautious when dealing with someone you don¡¯t know well, you should work on managing your expression better. I easily spotted the moment you decided to use me, and so will most experienced mages.¡±


    Looking back at Jenny¡¯s knowing smile, Emily blushes and bows lightly before stepping through the door.


    ***


    Back in her room, Emily sits down at her desk, dropping her notebook down in front of her along with a new spell from the information hub.


    Well, that was embarrassing. I thought I was better at hiding my thoughts, but I guess living a long life among so many nobles will make you adept at reading people. I¡¯ll avoid having that chat again with her till my final reset. Hopefully I¡¯ll play it better then.


    Shaking her head and putting her talk with Jenny behind her, Emily opens her system to look at her quest notifications.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Chain-Quest completed: True Magical Genius #1


    [True Magical Genius #1]


    [Rank:] D


    [Description:] Living up to your title of technomancer, you have manifested an element using your understanding of physics! But are two manifestations truly worthy of a magical genius?


    Requirements:


    -Manifest 3/3 Elements in your first manifestation attempt (Complete)


    Rewards:


    -Mechanic Knowledge: Basic Material Science


    -Mechanic Knowledge: Basic Kinematics


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    Chain-Quest Generated: True Magical Genius #2


    [True Magical Genius #2]


    [Rank:] C


    [Description:] Three manifestations down, three more to go!


    Requirements:


    -Manifest 3/6 Elements in your first manifestation attempt (Not Complete)


    Rewards:


    -Mechanic Knowledge: Basic Waves


    -Mechanic Knowledge: Basic Thermodynamics


    -Skill: Basic Metalworking (passive)


    _____


    Seeing the increased manifestation count on the second part of the quest, Emily grins and mutters:


    ¡°Ha, guess I need to show off again!¡±

 Chapter 27 – Showing Off

    Chapter 27 ¨C Showing Off


    After dismissing the chain quest notifications, Emily decides to check her other ongoing quest.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [The Four Fundamental Forces]


    [Rank:] C


    [Description:] Learn and understand the four fundamental forces of physics


    Requirements:


    -Learn 3/4 Forces (Not Complete)


    Rewards:


    -Blueprint: Universal Transmitter


    _____


    ¡°Thought so!¡± Grinning, Emily opens her notebook to a random blank page and begins writing:


    Electromagnetic Force ¨C Basic Electrical Theory


    Strong Nuclear Interaction ¨C Basic Particle Physics


    Weak Nuclear Interaction ¨C Basic Particle Physics


    Gravitational Force ¨C ?


    I¡¯m certain these are the four fundamental forces, but I don¡¯t understand gravity enough for it to count yet. I have some scraps of information from kinematics, but only how to use it in relation to projectiles. Wait, isn¡¯t this knowledge great for making weapons?


    Continuing her notes, Emily jots down a simplistic breakdown of her new knowledges to help her process them.


    Kinematics ¨C Forces, Projectiles, Momentum, Motion


    Material Science ¨C Material Properties/Composition, States of matter, Fluid Dynamics


    Yep, kinematics is definitely helpful for weapons! I should try making a gun again, this time it shouldn¡¯t require anywhere near as many tests blowing up in my face. Material science will help a lot too. I can¡¯t believe I never considered the stress explosions place on the metal of the gun before. It¡¯s no wonder my creations degraded so quickly.


    Nodding to herself happily, Emily drops her quill and picks up the spell scroll from the desk.


    I can make plans for weapons later. For now, let¡¯s make the most of this knowledge to complete my quest!


    Opening the parchment, Emily sees another simple magic circle, chant, and spell name. Within a few seconds of reading, a new system notification pops up.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Spell memorised: Stunning Touch


    [Stunning Touch]


    [Circle:] First


    [Cost:] 20 Mana/cast


    [Description:] Sends a pulse of lightning into a target upon contact.


    _____


    Satisfied, she tosses the spell parchment aside and begins considering which elements to manifest next.


    Water should be easy now that I understand fluid dynamics, and ice as well since it¡¯s just the solid form of water. I think metal should be doable too. Though I¡¯m not too sure since metal is a wide term; I suspect that¡¯s due to their limited knowledge of exotic elements. They should count it if I focus on manifesting steel, right? Hmm, earth might be possible too, but it may take a while to work out what combination of minerals, water and air makes it up. I don¡¯t think I can do light or darkness yet. I¡¯m still in the dark, heh, on those two. And that¡¯s the same with space.


    With a choice made, Emily begins her work on manifesting elements. After only fifteen minutes of meditation, she manages to manifest a small, clear orb of water and a shard of ice.


    ¡°Two down, one to go.¡±


    Next, she attempts to manifest steel. It comes a lot easier to her, and after ten minutes she conjures a small chunk of glistening silver steel.


    ¡°Mission complete! Now for the challenge.¡±


    As she expected, manifesting earth becomes a solid roadblock for her. After a full hour of focus, she finally manages to conjure a small mass of dirt above her hand.


    ¡°Ugh, Goddess I thought I¡¯d never get that. Whoever decided earth should be a common element deserves an air blast to the head!¡± Grumpily dismissing the mass of dirt, Emily sits back in her chair and stretches.


    ¡°I need a break.¡± Just as she mutters this to herself, she hears a knock at the door. ¡°Perfect!¡±


    With a small grin, she stands up and leaves her room to join Juliana for lunch.


    ***


    After spending the rest of the reset practising gesture-casting spells and theory-crafting weapons for her advancement requirements, Emily once again finds herself standing in a classroom manifesting elements. She surprises everyone in the room with a plethora of different conjurations as usual, with even Jenny seeming shocked at the sheer quantity of her affinities. As she manifests ice, her system notifications alert her to a new quest completion.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Chain-Quest completed: True Magical Genius #2


    [True Magical Genius #2]


    [Rank:] C


    [Description:] Three manifestations down, three more to go!


    Requirements:


    -Manifest 6/6 Elements in your first manifestation attempt (Complete)


    Rewards:


    Sitting back up, she closes her eyes and follows the same process for manifesting steel, but this time picturing a chunk of copper being formed. As expected, she successfully manifests the metal, however, her instincts tell her it¡¯s still the same element as steel.


    Whatever, I¡¯ll find out tomorrow.


    ***


    The next reset, Emily cycles through all her elements again. After the four common, she summons lightning, ice, light, and steel. Then, while ignoring her classmates¡¯ disbelief around her, she manifests copper. Checking her system quest, she sees 8/15 marking her failure.


    Thought so, it feels the same as steel and the system counts it as such. I¡¯ll just reset until I have a free spell from each element then move on.


    Disappointed, she accepts her inability to complete the third stage of her chain quest and begins the slow process of repeating the same day over and over again with no changes.


    After three more resets, she runs into a problem.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Miss Coldstone, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t give you a spell for an element you can¡¯t use. Miss Forsythia has already registered your affinities, and while the list is long, it does not include darkness. Please choose another element,¡± the clerk behind the counter tells her with an apologetic tone.


    Shit, I didn¡¯t think this would be an issue since they asked us which element we would like, but I guess full confirmed manifestations has limited my choices.


    ¡°Fire then please,¡±


    Checking the spell after returning to her room, she finds the same burning hands spell.


    ¡°Tsk, guess I¡¯ll have to live with one of each element.¡±


    Once again resetting at the end of the day, this time around Emily doesn¡¯t manifest any elements in class and successfully claims a darkness element spell. She repeats this again to claim a space spell, completing her collection of all available free spells.


    Finally, she resets one last time to live out her day correctly.


    ***


    Walking into the classroom, Emily walks straight towards Tom and Hester.


    ¡°Hey! Come sit with us!¡± Tom calls out for the tenth time.


    ¡°You gonna talk through the lesson as well?¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t worry!¡± Tom flashes a toothy grin which Emily mirrors as she settles down with the twins.


    A few minutes later when Jenny is done with her explanation, she invites everyone to the dais again and Emily happily skips down to claim her contribution points.


    Time to show off!


    Fire.


    ¡°Ten points to Emily Coldstone!¡±


    Water.


    ¡°Ten points to Emily Coldstone!¡±


    Wind.


    ¡°Ten points to Emily Coldstone!¡±


    Earth.


    ¡°Ten points to Emily Coldstone!¡±


    After the first four elements, Emily looks at her classmates to see them staring at her with familiar shock on their faces, and two equally familiar glares of hatred and envy from Jeremy and Kyle.


    ¡°Incredible Emily! Truly a talent blessed by the Goddess herself. Do you think you can attempt any other elements?¡±


    As expected, Jenny quickly derails the lesson to focus on Emily after this display.


    ¡°I can try.¡± Emily smiles as she closes her eyes and cycles through the rest of her elements.


    Light. Ice. Lightning. Metal.


    Opening her eyes at the end of her display, Jenny claps for her enthusiastically.


    ¡°Outstanding! Three higher form and one fundamental element. Have you had training before coming here?¡± Jenny questions as she walks back to her podium again.


    ¡°No, Miss, I¡¯ve never been taught a thing,¡± Emily lies on a technicality with a smile.


    ¡°Good, then for that unbelievable display... One hundred points to Emily Coldstone!¡±


    A collective gasp breaks out across the line-up of students. As all of them stand in a stupor and Emily basks in the stares of envy with a grin, Jenny approaches the students again.


    ¡°Would anybody else like to try their hand at another element?¡± she asks with a knowing smile.


    Pausing for a few seconds and hearing nothing but silence, she dismisses the class, advising each of the new students on which elements to focus on. She asks Emily to stay behind afterwards, to which Emily agrees this time before waving Tom and Hester out while promising to talk again later.


    ¡°So, Emily, why don¡¯t you tell me a little about yourself and how you ended up here?¡±


    Her conversation with Jenny flows similarly to the first time till the end.


    ¡°No problem, I¡¯m happy to help.¡± Emily stands up and starts walking out, waiting with bated breath to see if Jenny calls her again.


    ¡°Oh, and Emily.¡± Hearing Jenny¡¯s call, Emily clicks her tongue silently as she turns around.


    Damn, I thought I hid my reactions better this time!


    ¡°If you ever hit a roadblock in your magical studies or need help or advice on anything else, my door is always open. I¡¯m in room S118. I¡¯ll make sure The Dome has you registered as welcome in the staff dorms,¡± she says with a kind smile, catching Emily slightly off guard.


    ¡°Ah, thank you, Jenny,¡± Emily says, matching her smile. ¡°See you next lesson!¡±


    She bows her head lightly before stepping out.


    Success!

 Chapter 28 – Moving On

    Chapter 28 ¨C Moving On


    Before heading to her room, Emily visits the information hub to collect a free spell just in case Jenny checks which spell she chose. Finding Tom and Hester have already left, she quickly gets a duplicate copy of Burning Hands and goes back to her room. Settling back down at her desk, Emily looks at her Spellbook.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Spellbook]


    First Circle:


    -Burning Hands


    -Air Blast


    -Stunning Touch


    -Grease


    -Earthen Detection


    -Flash Freeze


    -Iron BladeNe?ww chapters will be fully updated at novelhall.com


    -Light


    -Touch of Decay


    -Switch


    _____


    She looks at her extended Spellbook with a mixture of satisfaction and disappointment.


    It¡¯s great that I collected all these spells, but half of them seem kind of useless or redundant because of other spells. Like Iron Blade, all it does is summon a small knife, why waste mana and casting time when I can just carry a knife? And I don¡¯t think I need Burning Hands if I can cast Stunning Touch, surely electrocuting someone will take them out of a fight faster than just burning their skin.


    ¡°Urgh, did I waste my time? At this point, I should have just created my own spells!¡± Emily¡¯s growing anger fizzles out as her throwaway words spark a new idea.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I? I have a lot of reference material now after all,¡± with a grin and new motivation, she opens her notebook to the first page.


    Learn spells (classes?)


    -Create spells


    Wait, that was a goal for a reason.


    Remembering her original purpose, Emily checks her progression requirements.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Progression]


    [Circle/Stage:] First


    Requirements:


    -Intelligence 23/35 (Not Complete)


    -Create 5/5 unique F rank machines (Complete)


    -Create 0/1 E rank machine (Not Complete)


    -Learn 5/5 first circle spells (Complete)


    -Learn 1/3 basic magic knowledges (Not Complete)


    _____


    Happy at the completion of one of her requirements, she flips to the next blank page and begins drawing magic circles. Squeezing four magic circles onto each page, Emily fits all eight spells she can cast onto a single double-page spread. Looking at the circles together, she begins to spot a few small similarities.


    These two runes are repeated across these spells, maybe the runes to designate touch? And this one is used in both ice and water spells, maybe an elemental crossover? This one has more connecting lines...


    Scribbling notes down and analysing the spells before her in fine detail, Emily falls into a focused trance, ignoring the passage of time.


    At 7:59 pm, Emily looks up from the messy notes before her. She leans back in her chair and stretches, before standing up and walking to the door. Placing her palm against the smooth panel, she injects a small amount of mana as usual and grins as the door vanishes to reveal Juliana standing with a look of surprise on her face and her arm raised about to knock.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Emily says casually, tilting her head to the side with a look of concern.


    ¡°Ah, nothing,¡± Juliana quickly brushes off her surprise before switching to a grumpy pout. ¡°If you were able to predict when I would open the door, why did you ignore me earlier? I know you only had one lesson this morning, so you were totally in!¡±


    ¡°Haha, nothing gets past you, does it?¡± Emily giggles, still not tired of having this same conversation with Juliana.


    ¡°I was doing some testing with the new spell I learned earlier, can you ever forgive me?¡± she asks with a silly grin while presenting her arm.


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Juliana hangs off her arm while responding with a stronger pout. ¡±Don¡¯t ignore me again and let me pick dinner, then maybe I¡¯ll consider it.¡±


    ¡°Haha, sure. Whatever you want,¡± Emily happily concedes as they leave.


    ***


    ¡°EIGHT ELEMENTS?!¡± Juliana¡¯s scream would have drawn the attention of the entire cafeteria if it weren¡¯t for the sound-isolating barrier around the tables.


    Emily nods and smiles silently, revelling in Juliana¡¯s stunned silence. After a few moments of staring at her shocked face, Emily can¡¯t take it anymore and bursts out in laughter.


    ¡°Aww, and here I thought I was special,¡± Juliana teases.


    ¡°Of course you are! You think I¡¯d agree to teach any random mage my craft secrets?¡± Emily says with mock solemnity.


    They both start to giggle. Once they¡¯ve calmed down, Juliana asks another question.


    ¡°Hey, what do you mean a habit from when you were young?¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Emily pauses awkwardly, considering if she should say anything. Remembering Juliana¡¯s genuine response to Tom asking why she hangs out with commoners, she decides to be honest.


    ¡°Well, when I was really young, like before I turned nine, I used to live alone in the slums.¡± A look of horror dawns on Juliana¡¯s face as Emily continues. ¡°Getting food was quite difficult, sometimes I stole, other times I got lucky and found discarded food in the trash. But whenever I did have food, I¡¯d hide while I ate. If any of the other kids, and even some of the adults, found me eating, I¡¯d either have to fight, run, or give up my food.¡±


    Juliana moves forward, pushing the notebook between them aside and pulling Emily into a hug. At first, Emily freezes. But after a few moments, she wraps her arms around Juliana and rests her head on her shoulder, relaxing as she keeps going.


    ¡°After Dad had taken me in, I ate my fill, but I guess the habit kind of stuck with me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so horrible,¡± Juliana says tearfully. ¡°No child should have to fight for food.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, I lived, didn¡¯t I? Besides, I was one of the lucky ones. At least I got out.¡± Emily goes silent, enjoying the warmth and contact for a short while before they separate.


    As Juliana pulls back, Emily reaches up and wipes the tears from her face while chuckling.


    ¡°Jeez, I thought you were meant to be comforting me.¡±


    Juliana blushes and starts to apologise, but Emily waves her off with a smile and changes the subject.


    ¡°Right, wanna get back to learning gesture casting?¡±


    With a nod from Juliana, they pull the notebook back and continue their lesson.


    ***


    The following morning, Emily wakes up and checks her class list to find she has an etiquette class at 9 am. After a quick morning shower, she heads over and waits in front of Juliana¡¯s room to go breakfast together.


    Walking into the cafeteria, with Juliana once again hanging off her, Emily spots Tom and Hester sitting together at a nearby table without any food, waving them over.


    ¡°Want to eat with them?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Juliana cheerily agrees, dragging Emily towards them before she can change her mind.


    They sit down together, briefly exchanging greetings with the twins before ordering food.


    ¡°Really? Eggs on toast?¡± Tom questions his sister disapprovingly.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good meal!¡±


    ¡°We can have whatever we want though! Live a little.¡±


    Emily tunes out the two bickering and turns to Juliana.


    ¡°Do you have any classes today?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I have a wind specialist class today at two. What about you?¡±


    ¡°Etiquette at nine,¡± Emily says, receiving groans from all three of her friends.


    ¡°What?¡± she says, turning to look at the twins rejoining civilised conversation.


    ¡°We have etiquette too,¡± Hester says with a look of resignation.


    ¡°That bad?¡±


    ¡°Yes, our last etiquette lesson was so boring I almost fell asleep!¡± Tom exclaims dramatically.


    ¡°Correction, you did fall asleep. I had to wake you up three times,¡± Hester comments dryly.


    Sensing the start of another sibling squabble, Emily looks to Juliana to be the voice of reason.


    ¡°I agree with Tom on this one, I fell asleep during my etiquette tutoring at home.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I expected,¡± Emily sighs, rolling her eyes at Tom and Juliana.


    Soon their food arrives, with a large platter of toast in the centre of the table and an assortment of toppings on each of their plates. Eating and making small talk, with Emily mostly focusing on her food, the time passes quickly and soon they are all getting up to head out.


    ¡°Good luck with your lesson, you¡¯ll need it!¡± Juliana says happily, giving each of them a hug before they separate at the entrance to the transportation rooms.


    ¡°Thanks, see you at lunch,¡± Emily says before walking into a transportation room with the twins.


    One spatial shift later, and the trio make their way towards a lecture hall. The room they enter looks identical to the one in which they had their elemental selection lesson. Emily would have believed it was the same room if it weren¡¯t for the extra thirty seconds of walking it took to reach it.


    ¡°Where do we want to sit?¡± Emily asks the two class veterans.


    ¡°The back,¡± they both answer in unison, eliciting a chuckle from Emily as she heeds their advice and walks to the back row.


    Settling down in their seats, the twins continue an argument they were having about the correct number of pillows to sleep with as Emily silently watches the door. Over the course of the next five minutes, before the class starts, the only other student who enters is Nico, the gloomy-looking boy Emily saw but never talked to in her first lesson.


    At 9 am on the dot, the door opens again and a short, rotund man with slicked-back grey hair and a thick handlebar moustache walks in with purpose and a straight back. Stepping up to the dais, he turns to the class and announces proudly:


    ¡°My name is Edward Penniset, second circle mage, and I¡¯m here to teach you scum the most important lesson you will learn in magic society, etiquette!¡±


    Fuck.

 Chapter 29 – A Trip to the Library

    Chapter 29 ¨C A Trip to the Library


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for judging you, Tom, you were right, that was awful,¡± Emily complains as she walks through the hall with Tom and Hester after class.Findd new stories at novelhall.com


    ¡°Told you so.¡± Tom grins smugly.


    ¡°Goddess, I hope the other required classes I have aren¡¯t that bad.¡±


    ¡°What else do you have? We probably have more crossover,¡± Hester asks eagerly.


    ¡°Geopolitics, maths, and English. Oh and I¡¯ve signed up for hand-to-hand combat, but that was a personal choice.¡±


    ¡°We have geopolitics and maths too. Are you literate?¡±


    ¡°Yes, why?¡±


    ¡°Then skip English. Apparently it¡¯s a very basic course to make sure commoners are literate, so it will be completely useless to you.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see, thanks.¡± Emily nods, grateful for Hester¡¯s advice.


    I¡¯ll have to look into dropping the course later.


    Reaching the transportation rooms, Emily says goodbye to the twins and heads back to her room. A couple of minutes after returning to her room, a system notification pops up.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Chain-Quest failed: True Magical Genius #3


    _____


    Checking the time, she sees it failed exactly twenty-four hours after she left the classroom yesterday. Dismissing the notification with a nod of understanding, she swiftly returns to her spell-creation experiments.


    A few hours later, Emily closes her notebook with a sigh.


    ¡°Maybe I was a bit overzealous: I still don¡¯t understand what these lines and shapes do.¡±


    Sitting back in her chair, she opens her status and stares at her progression page while biting her thumb.


    Should I set this aside as a side project and focus on progression first? Maybe learning some magic knowledge will help, I¡¯ll go to the library after lunch.


    With a decision made, Emily moves to her bed and sits down cross-legged to meditate.


    ***


    ¡°Why do you have your notebook with you?¡± Hester asks while drinking a spoonful of her soup.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the library after this to do a bit of research. Wanna come?¡± Emily says, taking a bite from her wrap.


    ¡°Sure, I want to look at a few books on spellcasting too. I¡¯ve made no progress so far.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll come if I can I piggyback on your access level,¡± Tom says excitedly.


    ¡°Sure, but what do you even need it for?¡±


    ¡°I want to see what history texts are limited to nobles only!¡±


    Emily stares at Tom with exaggerated surprise.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, I¡¯m just surprised you gave an intelligent answer.¡±


    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m not dumb!¡± Tom complains as Juliana and Hester laugh at Emily¡¯s response.


    Wiping tears from her eyes, Hester adds to the conversation: ¡°He may look like that, but he¡¯s actually pretty good at history. There¡¯s a reason he was the one dad made give tours.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    Ignoring the twins bickering again, Emily looks to the sulking Juliana and asks her a question.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, I just wanted to go with you guys, but I have a stupid lesson after lunch.¡±


    ¡°Haha, you can join us after your lesson. I¡¯ll be there for a while, even if these guys leave quickly.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Juliana asks, her eyes glistening with expectation.


    ¡°Would I lie to you?¡± Emily says with a grin. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m probably going to want your advice on what to research anyway so I¡¯ll be glad for your company.¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡± Juliana cheers, bouncing in her chair with excitement.


    How does she have this much energy?


    ¡°Hey Emily,¡± Tom calls over, finished arguing with his sister, ¡°What are you going to spend your points on by the way? You got loads yesterday.¡±


    [Magical Genius]


    User is a natural-born mage.


    -Grants instant comprehension of new magic [Knowledge]


    -Mana strength increased by +50%


    -Increased aptitude for creating new spells


    _____


    Does the instant comprehension of magic knowledge help me understand technical language or something? All these books seemed perfectly easy to read but come to think of it, Juliana did mention only using C-grade books so far, and all those C-grade elemental theory books seemed far too simple to me.


    Blinking away the system with a new appreciation for her talent, Emily starts reading the books on magic circles. After sinking into her research for another hour, she is startled by a sudden voice over her shoulder.


    ¡°Whatcha reading?¡±


    Jumping a little, Emily looks to the side and sees Juliana leaning over her with a wide grin. Letting out a breath and relaxing, she explains:


    ¡°I¡¯m looking into magic circles because I was trying to create my own spell earlier but couldn¡¯t understand what the lines and shapes within the magic circle were for.¡±


    Juliana moves to sit on the seat beside Emily.


    ¡°I see. So you¡¯re doing something ridiculous again.¡±


    ¡°When isn¡¯t she?¡± Tom mutters quietly, barely looking up from his book.


    ¡°How is this ridiculous, isn¡¯t it normal for mages to make spells? How else do you guys get all your spells?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but not normally first circle mages. We stick to buying spells from the information hub. After all, the spell creation course is intermediate grade for a reason.¡±


    Emily quickly notes the name of the book she was reading, before getting rid of the stack next to her.


    ¡°What does the course grade have to do with it?¡±


    ¡°While it¡¯s not enforced, most basic courses are for first circle, intermediate for second, and advanced for third. So, you doing something considered an intermediate course is weird!¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Emily easily accepts Juliana¡¯s comment before changing the subject. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m trying to work out what subjects I should be researching at the moment because waiting for classes is taking too long. Can you help me work out the general topics I should be focusing on? Please?¡±


    ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll do my best,¡± Juliana says happily while opening her notebook.


    After thirty minutes of going over her notes and trying to split everything Juliana has learned over the past year into specific subjects, Emily is left with a short list in her notebook to focus on.


    Natural mana formation


    Elemental theory


    Chants


    Mana manipulation


    Meditation techniques


    Reagents


    Arrays


    Runes


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty much everything I can think of,¡± Juliana says while leaning back and stretching. ¡°As long as you have a working meditation technique and focus on your element though, quite a lot of that isn¡¯t needed. But I hope it helps.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s perfect, thank you!¡± Emily says with a wide grin, giving Juliana a quick hug before turning back to the table to request more books.


    I¡¯m not sure if it will be considered a magic knowledge but let''s look at meditation techniques first. I don¡¯t know if what I¡¯ve been using is any good: it¡¯s just a random way of breathing Anna taught me to calm down.


    ¡°Five B-grade meditation techniques.¡±


    Once more, a stack of books forms on the desk next to her, and Emily picks up the first one, ¡®The Channels Within¡¯, and starts to read. The book immediately grabs her attention as it goes into detail on the internal mana circuits each mage forms, and how to use a rhythmic flow within them to increase the amount of mana gathered and even passively compress mana before it reaches the magic circle.


    Her notes are slowly filled with more information, with each book having slightly different views and opinions from the last. With every book she reads, Emily streamlines her notes and begins forming ideas for a new meditation technique.


    Picking up the final book from the stack, Emily raises an eyebrow at the odd name, ¡®A Study on Magical Beasts¡¯.


    Why did I receive this when I asked for books on meditation techniques?


    Opening the book, she reads the first page.


    Magical beasts are creatures who have been exposed to vast quantities of mana since birth. Unlike mages, their usage of mana comes naturally, and their development in power is completely passive.


    Through this study, I aim to understand the methods beasts enact to draw in atmospheric mana even in motion, to supplement my own growth.


    First, we shall start with a Blazing Salamander, a rare creature I found when travelling to the volcanic region in the south of the Lerus Isles...


    Emily swiftly devours the book, before looking at the author and requesting any other texts they produced, along with more resources on general meditation techniques. With her focus fully on her research, time flows smoothly until a system notification interrupts her.

 Chapter 30 – Technomancer’s Breath

    Chapter 30 ¨C Technomancer¡¯s Breath


    ? ? ? ? ?


    General Knowledge learned: Internal Energy Collection


    _____


    Emily closes her eyes and focuses on the information in her mind being restructured and elaborated on. She¡¯s surprised as information on machina and the Neuro Net flows in and connects to her understanding of mana and magic circuits. However, the point that gives her the most shock is the information on magical beasts'' passive mana collection being woven in as well.


    Opening her eyes after the information settles, she opens the system and pulls up the description of her new knowledge.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Internal Energy Collection]Chee?ck out latest novels at novelhall.com


    An understanding of active and passive collection of atmospheric energy, and its conversion into and containment of unique energy types.


    _____


    A wide grin appears on her face.


    ¡°It might work!¡±


    Excitedly, she moves to stand up before noticing Tom and Hester are missing from the table. Pausing and remaining seated, she looks to her side and sees Juliana looking at her quizzically.


    ¡°What? Where are the twins?¡± Emily asks while closing her notebook and dropping the open textbooks out of the barrier.


    ¡°They left about an hour ago. They said goodbye, but you completely ignored them.¡±


    ¡°Ah, whoops.¡± Emily awkwardly scratches her cheek.


    ¡°Also, what might work?¡±


    ¡°I said that out loud?¡± Emily asks, flushing red with embarrassment.


    ¡°Yes, you did,¡± Juliana giggles.


    ¡°Urgh, I¡¯m too used to being alone. I was looking at creating a new meditation technique because what I¡¯m currently using can barely even be called that.¡±


    ¡°Cool! Are you going now?¡± Juliana asks, tossing the book she was reading behind her and standing up.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m gonna head to the training rooms and test in a gathering array,¡± Emily answers, standing up too.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come with you; I have some spare points to burn right now!¡± Juliana grabs her arm, and they leave the library together.


    After a quick teleport and a short walk through a few hallways, they find themselves in front of two empty B-grade training rooms.


    ¡°Meet out here at 8 to head to dinner?¡± Juliana asks as she places her hand on the panel beside her chosen door.


    ¡°Sure, see you in a bit.¡± Emily watches Juliana vanish through the door before turning to her own.


    Raising her hand and injecting a small flow of mana, text appears on the panel:


    Welcome Emily Coldstone


    Please configure your session settings:


    [Environment]


    [Targets]


    [Gathering Array]


    Ignoring the first two options, Emily opens the gathering array settings. Selecting five times density for a cost of ten contribution points per hour, Emily steps into the training room. The door shuts behind her and she looks back to see a small silver panel beside it with a point total and exit button.


    The room itself is a blank twenty-metre by twenty-metre cube with white walls and a grey floor. In the centre of the room, Emily sees a large magic circle with a complicated mass of runes that she can¡¯t even begin to understand. Walking over, she moves to the centre and sits down. The magic circle activates the moment she settles in the centre, and she feels a pressure building around her.


    Reaching out her hand, she moves it around, feeling resistance as if moving in deep water. Focusing hard on the air around her hand, she sees a slight shimmering haze being disturbed by her movement.


    Interesting. I guess atmospheric mana becomes visible if you focus enough of it in one place.


    Refocusing and trying not to waste the time she¡¯s paying for, Emily sits up straight, with her shoulders back and her chest forward. Her legs are crossed, with each foot resting on top of the opposite thigh. Linking her fingers and placing her thumbs flat against each other, she rests her hands on her legs and shuts her eyes.


    Taking a deep breath in through her nose over four seconds, she holds it for three.


    Releasing the breath from her mouth over five seconds, she pauses for two.


    Repeating this breathing pattern, she focuses internally on the movement of the mana and machina through her Magic Network. At first, the movement of her internal energies is a complete mess. Random bursts of machina fire from her cortex along her internal pathways, and mana releases from her magic circle in rhythmic waves, clashing with the travelling machina.


    Slowly, she calms the subconscious movements of energy to a lull. Then she focuses on her cortex and releases a mass of machina down her spine. As the energy spreads to the base of her spine, she releases it, all at once, into every connecting pathway that once made up her nervous system. She lets it flow to every inch of her body, filling every limb and organ before joining what once made up her vascular system, before flowing back to her cortex, carrying extra atmospheric mana with it.


    Repeating this a few times, she slowly forms her machina into a natural rhythmic pulse before focusing on her magic circle. Timing it precisely with the rhythm of her machina, she releases a mass of mana at the same time as a pulse of machina, guiding it through her old vascular system and collecting atmospheric mana on the way out. The two energies meet and briefly mix, before separating as her mana joins with the old nervous system and returns to her circle.


    Emily repeats this process for a few more cycles but frowns as she feels like she¡¯s missing something. Breaking her trance and opening her eyes, she opens her status window and stares at it.


    It didn¡¯t count as a new meditation technique yet. What else can I try?


    Looking at the hovering window in her vision, her attention is drawn to her unused talent.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Magical Engineer]


    User {Emily Coldstone} has the unique ability to perfectly merge magic with machines.


    -Grants the ability to convert between machina and mana


    -???


    _____


    ¡°What does it actually look like? I can only see the aftereffects when I break my trance, and it was far less dramatic now than when I had higher density mana around me.¡±


    ¡°Well, your skin lit up with small sparks of lightning, and I could see your veins glowing underneath. Also, your hair went crazy! I can see why you said I wouldn¡¯t be able to use it, I assume that lightning everywhere is what¡¯s refining your body?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much,¡± Emily agrees, not wanting to tell her the full truth about machina.


    They move on quickly and continue Juliana¡¯s practice with gesture casting. After a few hours, Juliana leaves, hugging Emily and promising to collect her for breakfast in the morning. Emily then spends the rest of her day meditating before heading to bed.


    ***


    The next morning, Emily wakes up at 8 am and checks for the day''s classes, finding she has geopolitics in the morning and hand-to-hand combat in the afternoon.


    Sweet, I get to beat up some nobles!


    She cheerfully gets out of bed and showers, before getting changed and brushing her teeth. After she finishes her morning preparations, she sits down at her desk and checks The Clock to see how long she has till Juliana should arrive. Finding that she still has five minutes, she pulls up her status to review her recent changes in full and pauses, staring at the open screen in disbelief.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Status]


    [Name:] Emily Coldstone


    [Race:] Human


    [Age:] 15 > 16


    [Magic Circle:] First Circle


    [Machina Cortex:] First Stage


    [Attributes:] Strength 7, Dexterity 16, Agility 12, Vitality 8, Intelligence 24


    [Health:] 115/115


    [Stamina:] 175/175


    [Mana:] 360/360


    [Machina:] 360/360


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    Talents:


    [Intrinsic] Magical Engineer


    -Mechanical Genius


    -Magical Genius


    Skills:


    [Intrinsic] Magic Network (passive)


    [Intrinsic] Technomancer''s Breath (active)


    -Parkour (passive)


    -Basic Machine Construction (passive)


    -Basic Melee Combat (passive)


    -Basic Spellweave (active)


    -Mental Fortitude (passive)


    -Overdrive (active)


    -Basic Metalworking (passive)


    Knowledge:


    -Basic Clockwork


    -Basic Steampower


    -Basic Electrical Theory


    -Basic Mana Formation


    -Basic Particle Physics


    -Basic Material Science


    -Basic Kinematics


    -Basic Waves


    -Basic Thermodynamics


    -Basic Elemental Theory


    -Internal Energy Collection


    Equipment:


    [Intrinsic] Clockwork of Time (Ex)


    _____


    ¡°Today¡¯s my birthday?!¡±

 Chapter 31 – The Art of Geopolitics

    Chapter 31 ¨C The Art of Geopolitics


    ¡°You okay Emily? You¡¯ve been kind of out of it since I came to get you earlier?¡± Juliana asks with a look of concern while eating a spoonful of her oats.


    Emily looks up from the toast she is half-heartedly pulling apart.


    What do I even say? ¡®Sorry, just a little confused because I didn¡¯t even know today was my birthday but the mysterious voices in my head told me when I checked this morning.¡¯ Oh, or maybe ¡®Sorry, just feeling a bit depressed that it¡¯s my birthday and half my family is dead, and I can¡¯t contact the other half for fear of them being killed too!¡¯


    Sighing, she reaches up to wipe the tears that threaten to spill from her eyes.


    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s my birthday today and I¡¯m feeling a little depressed that I can¡¯t see my family.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Juliana seems at a loss for words, choosing to silently take Emily¡¯s hand under the table and give it a supportive squeeze; a gesture Emily appreciates as she ignores the uncomfortable feeling of Tom and Hester giving her looks of pity.


    They all eat the rest of their breakfast in silence, only speaking again as they prepare to leave.


    ¡°What lessons do you have today?¡± Juliana asks while releasing Emily¡¯s hand and standing up.


    ¡°I have geopolitics now and hand-to-hand combat after lunch. I can¡¯t wait to beat someone up,¡± Emily responds with a smirk, trying to lighten the mood she killed.


    ¡°Geopolitics actually isn¡¯t that bad, maybe listen for the first ten minutes at least before you knock the teacher out?¡± Juliana responds in kind, getting a chuckle out of Emily.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll consider it.¡±


    Juliana hugs all three of them, giving Emily a few seconds of extra attention, before waving goodbye and stepping into a transportation room.


    ¡°Right, let¡¯s go too,¡± Emily says to the twins, heading towards her first lesson of the day.


    ***


    Once again, the only ones in the classroom are Emily, the twins and Nico. The teacher who shows up is a small man with greasy black hair and crooked glasses.


    ¡°Hello class, my name is Theodore Eleocharis, second circle mage, and I¡¯m here to teach you all the fascinating subject of geopolitics,¡± he says while turning to the board and raising his chalk. ¡°As I¡¯m sure you all know, our wonderful planet of Ulea is a sphere. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a fool and should reconsider their education carefully.¡±


    ¡°Ha, I like him.¡± Emily hears Tom mutter under his breath, making her chuckle.


    ¡°We estimate our planet to have a radius of about five thousand kilometres and a surface area of about three hundred and fourteen million kilometres, an easy answer to reach if you know simple maths. This area is covered by roughly sixty per cent land mass, split between the three major continents.¡±


    As he speaks, Mr Eleocharis draws four large blobs on the board. In the centre is a large, top-heavy mass. To the right is a chunky mass in line with the top half of the first, and below it is a small stretched-out mass with a disconnected blob below it.


    ¡°The first is the Keban continent.¡± He points to the large mass in the centre. ¡°This continent is where we live, and it makes up around seventy-three per cent of the world''s land mass. Next is the Dennari continent.¡± He points towards the second largest mass. ¡°This continent makes up around twenty-one per cent of the world¡¯s land mass. And that leaves the Lerus Isles down here, with only six per cent of the world¡¯s land mass.¡± He points to the two small masses in the bottom right of his diagram before turning back to face the class.


    ¡°Now, what can any of you tell me about these continents?¡±


    There is no reaction from the students, and after a couple of seconds, Mr Eleocharis sighs and opens his mouth to speak again. But before he can say anything, Nico tentatively raises his hand.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Mr Eleocharis asks sharply.


    Nico flinches and lowers his hand before saying quietly:


    ¡°Um, most of our planet has a dry climate.¡±


    ¡°Good! Anything else?¡± Mr Eleocharis asks in a gentler manner.Diiscover new stories at novelhall.com


    ¡°There is only one rainforest on our planet, The Glade, it¡¯s on the Keban continent to the south of Chroni. Also, there are three main forests, one in the far southwest of Keban, one directly west of Chroni, and the last one is in the northeast of Dennari,¡± Nico continues, slowly relaxing more as he speaks.


    ¡°Very good, Mister?¡±


    ¡°Nico Robinson, first circle mage of house Hedera sir.¡±


    Emily frowns as he answers.


    They were on Jenny¡¯s list; I¡¯ll have to avoid him.


    ¡°Five points to Nico Robinson, can anyone else tell me anything?¡± Mr Eleocharis rewards Nico with his points at the podium while looking over to Emily¡¯s group.


    Emily considers for a moment before raising her hand.


    ¡°Go ahead, and introduce yourself first please, you should all get into the habit of introducing yourselves the first time you answer a question in a class with a new teacher.¡±


    Why weren¡¯t we told that in etiquette? Never mind, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Mr Stick-Up-His-Ass assumed we were all stupid commoners who would never give useful input.


    ¡°The artist. The artist! Goddess, he was so rude for no reason,¡± Tom whines.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you liked his snark?¡± Emily chuckles.


    ¡°That was before the snark was turned on him,¡± Hester joins in.


    ¡°Urgh, you two are the worst!¡±


    Tom speeds up and walks ahead of them with a scowl.


    ¡°Aww, don¡¯t be like that. Maybe doing some drawing will calm you down,¡± Hester calls after him before breaking out in laughter with Emily.


    As the two of them calm down, Hester turns to Emily and asks:


    ¡°Got any plans before lunch?¡±


    ¡°Nah, I think I¡¯m just gonna head to the training rooms and meditate for a bit.¡±


    ¡°Got it, see you at lunch then. I¡¯m going to go pacify the child.¡±


    ¡°Haha, good luck.¡± Emily gives a small wave and steps into a transportation room alone.


    Making her way to the training rooms, she finds the only unoccupied room and selects the same settings as last time. Sitting down in the centre of the gathering array she attempts to clear her mind. However, her thoughts keep going back to her family.


    Damn, I¡¯m wasting points. I should have only chosen double density.


    With her mood dropping further, it takes her twenty minutes to fully empty her mind and begin using the Technomancer¡¯s Breath.


    ***


    Two and a half hours later, Emily leaves the training room twenty-eight points poorer. As she walks towards the transportation rooms to go to the cafeteria, she checks her contribution points on the back of her crest: ¡®128¡¯.


    I should use these more sparingly. I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll get a chance to earn a large batch more.


    She enters the cafeteria with a scowl, in an even worse mood than this morning. Spotting Juliana and the twins, she walks over and drops down next to Juliana, dumping her notebook onto the table.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Juliana asks her worriedly.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I just wasted a load of contribution points because I couldn¡¯t focus on my meditation, that¡¯s all,¡± Emily answers sharply, shaking off the hand Juliana offered for support and immediately regretting it as she flinches back.


    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s not your fault,¡± Emily apologises with a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m just in a bit of a shit mood and I don¡¯t think meditating was the right choice.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you drew a map in geopolitics, right?¡±


    Emily nods, glad to change the subject.


    ¡°Want me to add my family¡¯s territory to it?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Emily agrees and opens her notebook to the map she drew, handing Juliana her quill. As Juliana starts drawing, Emily adds: ¡°Oh, and I used solid lines for land borders and dotted for-¡°


    She stops as she realises Juliana has already finished drawing a solid line around everything.


    ¡°Ah, sorry!¡± Juliana looks up with panic.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I guess it adds character?¡± Emily says questioningly.


    ¡°As the resident artist, I¡¯d say it totally improves the piece,¡± Tom adds to the conversation, having embraced his new nickname, probably to avoid his sister¡¯s ribbing.


    Emily and Hester laugh at his comment as Juliana looks at them with confusion.


    Maybe spending my birthday with these guys isn¡¯t so bad.


    This is a poorly realised version of the map Emily drew!


    (Don''t judge me too hard, I''m not an artist and this was mostly to help me visualise while writing)

 Chapter 32 – Hand-to-Hand Combat

    Chapter 32 ¨C Hand-to-Hand Combat


    After finishing lunch, Emily quickly drops off her notebook in her room and makes her way to the training hall. Finding the door to the hall already open, she walks in and sees a wide-open space with racks of weapons on the walls and packed dirt on the floor. In the centre of the room, she sees a dozen students standing together in a group, looking at the most intimidating woman Emily has ever seen.


    She is tall, at least a head taller than Emily, with short spikey brown hair, shaved at the sides. She¡¯s wearing tight brown leather trousers with boots coming up to her knees. Over her white linen shirt is a leather harness holding a large greatsword to her back, and underneath Emily notices a set of large, barely concealed muscles.


    As she turns to look at her, Emily sees a rough scar across the woman¡¯s closed right eye. Her remaining eye is a fierce green, the intense light in it matched only by her manic grin.


    ¡°Ah, our new recruit!¡± she calls out in a rich booming voice.


    ¡°Sorry, am I late?¡± Emily asks, certain she arrived on time.


    ¡°Not really, I just like everyone to be here slightly early so we can start on time. Now come over here. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Emily Coldstone,¡± she answers while approaching the large woman.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Emily. I¡¯m Agnes Olea, third circle. Just call me Agnes though, I don¡¯t like formality in my class,¡± Agnes says while offering Emily her hand.


    Emily gives a firm handshake, which only seems to make Agnes¡¯ smile grow.


    ¡°Have you received any martial training before?¡±


    ¡°No, but I have a little experience fighting with my fists and knives.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Agnes turns to face the rest of the class she was ignoring, and Emily notices Jeremy and Kyle standing amongst the group glaring at her with excited grins on their faces.


    I guess they think this will be a chance to beat me up.


    A malevolent smile forms on Emily¡¯s face.


    Well, they can try.


    ¡°I want all of you to warm up then pair off and practice the grappling drills I was teaching you last week. Remember, this is a test of technique, not strength. I don¡¯t care how much stronger than your opponent you may be, control yourselves so everyone gets adequate practice!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss!¡± the whole class calls out at once, before dispersing and following her instructions.


    ¡°Now as for you, I¡¯d like to test your starting level, so I know what to teach you. Get rid of your robes and warm up, then we¡¯ll spar a little.¡±


    Emily nods and drops her robes on the floor behind her, then she starts moving around to get warmed up. As she does, she looks around the room and sees the students have moved a fair distance away to give her and Agnes space.


    I wonder if they¡¯re being considerate, or if they¡¯re scared of her.


    Once warmed up, Emily looks over to Agnes and sees her standing with her arms crossed, watching her expectantly.


    ¡°Ready? I want you to try and land a hit on me. It doesn¡¯t matter how. just try with everything you have to strike me. Understood?¡±


    Emily nods and raises her fist before her while spreading her feet into an even stance.


    ¡°Good, begin!¡±


    The moment she hears the signal, Emily springs forward, quickly closing the gap between her and Agnes. Stepping into arm''s reach, she plants her front foot and lowers her body as she pivots forward and throws a twisting punch towards Agnes¡¯ gut. As her right fist stretches forward, Emily feels a small burst of strength and speed from her melee combat skill activating, accelerating her punch slightly.


    As Emily rolls her eyes at his long explanation, he suddenly springs forward, releasing a right jab towards her face. Reacting quickly, Emily steps forward and to the left, narrowly sliding past his incoming fist as she lowers her body. Hooking her right arm up and around his chest, she sweeps his front leg out from under him and slams him down into the dirt. Following him down to the ground, Emily quickly pulls his arm back and wraps her legs across his front, holding him fast in a solid armbar.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I think I¡¯d probably do something like that,¡± Emily responds smugly as Oscar struggles to escape.


    After a few moments of failing to release himself, Oscar taps Emily in surrender. However, failing to understand his intent, Emily holds fast until she feels him starting to go limp. The moment she releases him, he scrambles away and gasps for breath. Standing up while massaging his red throat, Oscar looks at Emily sheepishly, his smug grin replaced by a look of acknowledgement and a hint of caution.


    ¡°Sorry for that. Anges told me to try attacking you the moment we began when I asked if I really needed to be the one to teach you,¡± he quickly apologises, before muttering under his breath: ¡°Though, I would prefer if you accepted my surrender sooner.¡±


    Wait, that¡¯s what the tapping meant?


    Emily laughs at his embarrassed response and to cover up her own blunder.


    ¡°Well, am I worth teaching now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that was a great takedown. Have you really not had any training?¡± Oscar asks while rubbing his right shoulder, clearly still slightly in pain.


    ¡°Nope, I have fought quite a lot though, and submissions are a great way of getting someone to give up something they¡¯ve taken.¡±


    ¡°I see, that should make this easy then. In our last lesson, we went over...¡±


    Oscar proceeds to explain all the content the class covered in their previous lesson, with short breaks in between to test the moves as both the aggressor and defender. By the time Agnes asks everyone to switch partners, Emily has a solid grasp of what to do and says goodbye to Oscar on amicable terms, forgiving him for his earlier aggression.


    After a few partner switches between students Emily has never met before, Agnes calls everyone back to gather in the centre of the room.


    ¡°Good work today everyone, most of you are showing great improvement. Next week¡¯s lesson will be on daggers so remember to wear clothes you don¡¯t care about. Dismissed!¡±


    As she¡¯s leaving the classroom with the rest of the students, Oscar approaches Emily.


    ¡°Hey Emily, if you ever want to spar, give me a shout. I¡¯m in dorm A19 so just come knock on my door, and if I¡¯m not in, leave a note or something on the door.¡±


    Glancing at his chest, Emily sees a tall gold-stemmed purple flower on his crest.


    So that¡¯s what he meant by the heir of the Salvia household.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯m in dorm B53, come knock on my door whenever you want your ass kicked.¡±


    ¡°Haha, will do,¡± Oscar chuckles as he walks off towards the private training rooms.


    Wow, he¡¯s diligent. I want a shower after that lesson, not more training.


    Praising Oscar internally, Emily heads back to her room. After a nice long shower to soothe her aching muscles, she leaves her room with her notebook and knocks on Juliana¡¯s door. Juliana quickly opens it and greets Emily with surprise.


    ¡°Hey!¡± she says, throwing her arms around Emily and pulling her into a hug. ¡°What are you doing here, it¡¯s not like you to come see me before dinner.¡±


    Wincing slightly and tapping Juliana¡¯s shoulder to ask to be released, Emily responds:


    ¡°I just got done with my hand-to-hand combat class and didn¡¯t want to sit alone again. Can I come do my work in here?¡±


    ¡°Sure, you¡¯re welcome in my room whenever!¡± Juliana says happily while stepping aside to let Emily in.

 Chapter 33 – New Threads

    Chapter 33 ¨C New Threads


    The next few days pass quickly, with Emily only having classes in basic maths and chants, both mostly redundant. Soon, their agreed-upon day arrives, and Emily and Juliana leave The Dome together in the morning after breakfast. Juliana asked the twins if they wanted to join before they left, but both opted to stay behind.


    Standing next to each other in the station, Juliana asks Emily about their goal.


    ¡°What is it you¡¯re looking for?¡±


    ¡°I need to find metalworking tools, materials, mechanical parts, anything along those lines. I¡¯ve been tinkering with some ideas I¡¯d like to make. Also, I need to grab some spare clothes, I need something to wear for my hand-to-hand combat classes since we¡¯ll be practising with blades in two days.¡±


    Ha, Anna would be proud of me for looking after my clothes.


    Her bitterness towards the Mandrago family swells as she pushes away the thoughts about her sister.


    ¡°I know a place where we can get you some cheap clothes! As for the technical stuff, I think I know where to go, but it may take a little looking around to find what you¡¯re after,¡± Juliana says enthusiastically, interrupting Emily''s thoughts.


    ¡°Oh? Is that from your weaving?¡± Emily asks.


    ¡°Wait, how did you know?!¡± Juliana asks with shock as her face flushes red.


    ¡°Haha, you didn¡¯t close your drawer when I came round the other day. Besides, what¡¯s wrong with weaving?¡±


    ¡°I mean, nothing¡¯s wrong with weaving really. It¡¯s just, people would normally laugh at me for doing it myself.¡±


    ¡°Are these people possibly stuck-up nobles? I think it¡¯s sweet.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they are. Thanks,¡± Juliana says with a shy smile.


    After a few minutes of comfortable silence, a loud screeching enters the station as a train pulls up. Climbing in, they find an empty cabin and sit down. Chatting and watching the city, they remain on the train as it winds deeper into the complicated mess of buildings, away from the docks Emily arrived through.


    After thirty minutes, Juliana informs Emily that they have arrived at their stop, so they dismount the train into a bustling station. Taking her hand, Juliana guides Emily through the crowd towards a large set of sliding doors. They join a queue to exit, waiting as the doors periodically open and then shut again quickly, with long pauses in between.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t they leave the doors open?¡± Emily asks, growing impatient.


    ¡°This is an elevator. It¡¯s like a small room that moves up and down to carry people to different levels of the station.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Emily¡¯s eyes light up with intrigue. ¡°Why weren¡¯t these used in the docks?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s an operator inside that deals with the controls. The port your ship pulled into was a lower-value private port, so they don¡¯t use these because of the extra manpower needed.¡±


    Emily nods in understanding as they arrive at the front of the queue. The door before her is slightly set back into the wall to conceal the mechanical workings, with a small numerical indicator above, slowly ticking down from six.


    ¡°Is six the number of levels here?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s different based on which region you¡¯re in. I think the highest number of levels is ten, but that¡¯s normally around the outer districts. The further into the city you go, the less access you¡¯ll see to lower levels.¡±


    I wonder if that¡¯s due to the mist. It was very dense near the city centre, and I can¡¯t imagine people would be able to navigate it.


    After waiting for the elevator to tick down to level zero, it quickly begins to increase before the doors slide open when it hits six. As the inside of the elevator is revealed, Emily is slightly disappointed by the plain metal room she sees. The only point of interest is the man standing to attention in a neat black, white, and red uniform, with his hand resting on a large lever jutting out of the wall next to a control panel of valves and gauges.


    Juliana pulls Emily into the elevator and to the side, the other people from the queue filing in as well, giving them a small berth as they do. Emily questions this for a moment before remembering the noble family crests boldly displayed on their robes.


    The moment the room fills, the operator pushes the lever down from the middle position and the doors let out a loud hiss of steam as they slide shut. The elevator shudders slightly as the low hum of smoothly oiled gears kicks in. Waiting for a dozen seconds in silence, Emily touches her hand to the wall and lets out a small stream of machina. A connection forms in her mind and she sees the complicated gears and pulleys, lowering the metal cabin down along a set of rails.


    Annie continues: ¡°You see, recently, a new plant fibre from The Glade has become available on the market and I wove it into that bandage there. It¡¯s very soft and slightly stretchy so I had a few ideas on how to use it, but it¡¯s difficult to work with so I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s actually worth it. Could you use that instead while training and give me some feedback so I can make a decision?¡±


    ¡°Sure, I don¡¯t see why I can¡¯t help.¡±


    ¡°Great! Thank you, would you like to try those on before buying them?¡±


    ¡°Yes please.¡±


    Annie guides Emily to a small room in the back of the shop with a full-length mirror and a rail for hangers. After Annie leaves her alone, she shuts the door and quickly changes, leaving out the bandage wrap for now.


    With her new clothes on, she moves around the room a bit and does some stretches, finding the trousers to be far less restrictive than she expected, barely limiting her mobility. The shoes are comfortable and grip the floor well, the rough tread on the bottom a welcome change from the smooth bottoms of her normal footwear.


    With a small, satisfied nod, Emily changes back into her normal clothes and leaves the changing room to find Annie and Juliana mid-conversation. Noticing her presence, they stop talking and turn to face her expectantly.


    ¡°Well? What do you think?¡± Annie asks promptly.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s disturbing how well you measured me with a glance.¡±


    ¡°Haha, I¡¯m a seamstress child. If I couldn¡¯t do that, I¡¯d be disappointed in myself. But what did you think of the clothes?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re good. They fit well and restrict my movement a lot less than I expected them to. How much do you want for them?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t possibly charge the young miss¡¯ friend,¡± Annie waves her off, causing Emily to frown.


    Just as Emily starts to argue, Juliana speaks first.


    ¡°Auntie! You can¡¯t do that. What about if I buy them for her?¡±


    ¡°But then I¡¯d be charging you, young miss.¡±


    ¡°And when have I ever agreed to take anything for free?¡± Juliana asks smugly, sure of winning the argument.


    ¡°Haaa, fine,¡± Annie sighs and gives up quickly, obviously having had this argument before. ¡°It¡¯s one silver for the shirt, three for the trousers, and six for the boots.¡±


    ¡°Good! We¡¯ll take five shirts, two pairs of trousers and the boots then please.¡±


    Annie leaves to collect the extra items and Emily turns to the grinning Juliana.


    ¡°Um, I can pay for myself you know.¡±


    ¡°Nah it¡¯s fine. Think of it as a little gift from me,¡± Juliana says with a smile, pulling out a pouch of coins to pay. ¡°Save your money for your mechanical stuff, let me treat you!¡±


    The corners of Emily¡¯s mouth curl up and she thanks Juliana with a hug. Annie soon comes back with a small hemp bag containing the extras Juliana asked for along with a few spools of thread.


    ¡°There you go, that¡¯s twenty silver total then please.¡±


    Juliana pays and they both say goodbye and turn to leave the shop as Emily places the items in her arms into the bag as well.


    ¡°When you have feedback, either come back yourself or tell Juliana for when she visits. Good luck with school!¡± Annie calls as she waves after the pair through the still-open shop door.


    ¡°Will do, thanks, Auntie,¡± Emily says while waving back, bringing a large smile to Annie''s face.

 Chapter 34 – Machineworks

    Chapter 34 ¨C Machineworks


    After leaving Threads, Emily and Juliana make their way back to the station and onto another train. This time the train carries them deep into the eastern district of the city, into an area full of smokestacks and large industrial buildings. When they leave the train again, they travel down an elevator to the ground floor and make their way out onto the dark streets.


    Walking along hand in hand, Emily looks up at the mess of winding walkways above, partially blocking the daylight and giving the streets an eerie feel with the wisps of ethereal fog drifting around her feet.


    ¡°It really is weird,¡± Emily starts, drawing Juliana¡¯s attention. ¡°Considering how dark and secluded these streets feel, they are far too clean. It makes everything feel unnatural.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the lower levels are quite unpleasant. It¡¯s why they¡¯re cheaper,¡± Juliana agrees, her comment gaining them a few glances from passers-by.


    Upon noticing the gazes, Emily properly observes the people around them. The street they are on is a lot quieter than anywhere else Emily has seen in the city so far. Only a few dozen people can be seen at once, and most of them are moving around quickly with hooded cloaks concealing their forms. Glancing down the side streets they pass, she sees several hunched forms gathered, watching the people passing from the safety of the shadows.


    ¡°Are you sure you know where you¡¯re going?¡± Emily asks as she notices a few people scurry off into side alleys at the sight of them. ¡°This area reminds me of home, and that¡¯s not a good thing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not certain. As I said, I haven¡¯t come here before, but I know there are some machinery shops around here somewhere,¡± Juliana answers uncertainly, not seeming to notice the tense atmosphere.


    ¡°I guess we can only look around then.¡± Emily pulls Juliana closer to her and walks on at full alert.


    Following the twisting road for a short while longer, Emily notices the people around them slowly fade away as they enter a stretch of darker road, until they are the only ones left on the main street. The hairs on the back of her neck stand up and she stops dead in her tracks.


    ¡°Well shit, can¡¯t say I didn¡¯t expect this,¡± Emily mutters.


    Juliana looks at her, confused, for a second, but before she can question her, a dozen people appear from the side alleys and surround them. Emily feels Juliana start to shake slightly and squeezes her hand, turning to give her a reassuring smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll deal with this quickly.¡±


    Handing Juliana her bag, Emily releases her hand and steps forward to confront the group. The entire group are wearing dirty and torn rags. All of them appear gaunt and pale, several of them sporting bloodshot eyes, their sneers revealing rotting teeth. A man in the centre of the group, presumably the leader, steps forward and pulls a small flip knife from his pocket.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make this easy, girls. Give us your fancy clothes and coin, then we¡¯ll let you go,¡± he jeers while brandishing his blade.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make it easier,¡± Emily says with a cold look in her eyes. ¡°Get the fuck out of my face and I¡¯ll let you live.¡±


    The man and his cronies break out in ugly laughter.Ne/w novel chapters are published at novelhall.com


    ¡°You hear that, boys? Little lass thinks she¡¯s scary!¡± the leader cries out, looking over his group.


    The moment the man looks away, Emily springs forward, quickly closing the gap between them. He flinches as she approaches, caught off guard and raising his blade in an attempt to react, but he¡¯s a moment too late. Leaning to the side of his outstretched arm, Emily twists and delivers a strong elbow to his chest. The man staggers back as Emily grabs his wrist and twists it, forcing him to drop his knife. Catching as it falls, she swiftly jams the knife down into the man¡¯s thigh before pulling it out and stepping back as he falls to his knees.


    Emily reaches out and grabs the man¡¯s hair, flipping the knife and holding it to his throat as she looks up. She slowly makes eye contact with each of the man¡¯s cronies before her, while carefully keeping her body between Juliana and her victim. Seeing the fear in their eyes, Emily cleans the knife on the man¡¯s shirt then drops him and flips the knife in.


    ¡°Now get out of my sight,¡± she growls before turning around.


    The group scurries to leave, making a run for it the moment Emily turns. The few closest run over to grab the collapsed man and pull him away while whispering frantically.


    ¡°The bitch is crazy man! Look what she did to Danny,¡±


    ¡°Do you wanna get us killed man? Shut up!¡±


    ¡°Cool, how big are you looking to go with your setup? Full workshop, or no?¡±


    ¡°Not quite, I don¡¯t have enough room for a full workshop at the moment. I only need to be able to make things up to a metre or so in size, with more of a focus on detail work for now.¡±


    ¡°I see, in that case, I have a few suggestions.¡±


    Ed proceeds to guide Emily around the room, pointing out and explaining several different machines to her and Juliana, who joins them, having become bored looking around cluelessly. Emily considers all the given options and creates a mental shortlist of her purchases as they go. By the end of their trip around the room, she has half a dozen machines of varying sizes, and twice as many tools, in mind to buy for her dorm, along with a large number of different materials and pre-machined parts.


    When they come to a stop back in the centre of the shop, Emily lists off the items she¡¯s decided to buy and waits for Ed to add up the prices.


    ¡°That will come out to a total of three gold and forty-two silver. Where would you like them delivered? You can take some of the smaller stuff now, but the larger machines will be close to impossible to move on your own,¡± Ed says with an amused grin as he sees Emily¡¯s look of shock at his comment.


    ¡°Fuck, I totally forgot about actually getting it to the dorms. Can we even get stuff delivered to The Dome?¡± Emily asks Juliana in a slight panic, having become too caught up in the excitement of having the money to buy tools instead of making them.


    ¡°Hehe, yeah, we can,¡± Juliana giggles at Emily before turning to Ed. ¡°If you give me a piece of paper, I¡¯ll write down the address of the delivery building.¡±


    ¡°Sure, give me a moment,¡± he says walking off into a side room.


    Juliana turns to Emily while he¡¯s gone and continues to explain.


    ¡°For large items, you have to get them delivered to the delivery building along with your name and dorm number. Then as long as there is free space in your dorm, they will teleport the items in for a small point charge. How else do you think I got my dresser into my room?¡±


    Emily nods as she remembers the large, ornate dressing table set up in Juliana¡¯s dorm room.


    ¡°I¡¯d guess it will be around fifteen points if we take everything small enough to carry with us now,¡± Juliana adds with a thoughtful tone.


    ¡°Thank Goddess, I thought I¡¯d have to work out how to lug this stuff onto a train for a second.¡±


    Emily breathes a sigh of relief at both the ease of receiving her tools, and Juliana treating her normally after her shock earlier. A few moments later, Ed returns and Juliana notes down an address along with Emily¡¯s full name and dorm number. Emily quickly memorises the address over her shoulder, just in case she needs more large deliveries in the future.


    Emily then pays for her purchases, handing over four of her shiny golden coins and receiving fifty-eight silver ones as change. Then, with a slight pain in her heart at the rapid reduction in her newfound wealth, she and Juliana leave the shop, bidding Ed goodbye and promising to return if they need anything else machine related.


    They make their way through the dark streets again, with Emily on high alert and sticking as close to Juliana as their large bags of tools will allow. Luckily, they make it back to the train station and onto a train back towards The Dome without issue. Sitting opposite each other in a closed-off train booth again, Juliana frowns at Emily. Noticing her gaze, Emily raises an eyebrow and waits for her to speak.


    ¡°It¡¯s just...¡± she sighs and looks down dejectedly before continuing. ¡°Thanks for earlier. If you weren¡¯t there I-¡°


    When Juliana cuts off, and starts to shake again, Emily stands and moves onto the seat beside her. She places an arm around her friend and pulls her in to lean against her, where she can rest her head on Emily¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Hey, you wouldn¡¯t have been there if you weren¡¯t helping me. It¡¯s only natural that I protect you,¡± she reassures Juliana while gently stroking her hair. ¡°It may not be much, but I can promise that whenever I¡¯m with you, I at least won¡¯t let you get stabbed in some random back alley.¡±


    I¡¯ll even turn back time if I have to.


    ¡°Though, I can¡¯t promise that you won¡¯t get your ear talked off about metalworking tools in some random machine shop,¡± she adds afterwards, drawing a small chuckle from Juliana.


    ¡°Thanks, Emi,¡± Juliana quietly whispers a bullet into Emily¡¯s heart before relaxing into silence for the rest of the train journey, leaving Emily¡¯s head and heart raging in a violent storm of emotions.

 Chapter 35 – A Sleepless Night

    Chapter 35 ¨C A Sleepless Night


    That evening, after meeting up with the twins for dinner, all four of them return to Emily¡¯s room.


    ¡°You guys get fancy magic doors? No fair,¡± Tom grumbles as Emily injects mana into her door.


    ¡°Wait, you guys don¡¯t?¡± she asks, stepping through the doorway.


    ¡°No, we just have normal wooden doors with handles and a lock. We have to carry keys around with us all the time.¡±


    ¡°Sucks to be you I guess,¡± Emily says distractedly, staring at the large, sealed crate taking up most of the free space in front of her.


    ¡°Woah, how much did you buy?¡± Hester asks incredulously, walking around to inspect the crate from all sides.


    ¡°A fair amount. I need a lot of tools for what I want to do, I don¡¯t really have enough space here,¡± Emily sighs, jamming a thin piece of metal into a gap in the crate to pry it open.


    Dropping the lid of the crate to the floor and pulling apart the side walls, a large jigsaw puzzle of metal parts carefully slotted together is revealed. Seeing the exposed machines, Emily grins with glee.


    ¡°Thanks for agreeing to help me set this up. I don¡¯t think I would have been able to manage alone.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Juliana chirps happily. ¡°That¡¯s what friends are for, right?¡±


    Tom and Hester agree with her and approach the crate.


    ¡°Where do we start?¡± Tom asks.


    ¡°Well...¡± Emily sets about guiding the group to take apart the carefully stacked pallet, moving the machines to specific points along the walls.


    Halfway through the set-up, as they mount a steam generator the size of Emily¡¯s torso into the corner, Hester asks a sensible question.


    ¡°How exactly are you planning on running a steam generator inside a sealed room?¡±


    ¡°Ah, there are three parts to that answer,¡± Emily starts excitedly. ¡°First, these rooms are completely sealed, as in no air can get in and out when the door is shut. So how do you think we can breathe right now?¡±


    All three of her friends pause what they are doing, leaning on various surfaces as they turn to face Emily.


    ¡°Magic?¡± Tom says sceptically.


    ¡°Exactly! One of the enchantments placed on these rooms must be cycling breathable air into the room, so I¡¯m pretty sure even if I did burn coal in here, I¡¯d be fine. But I don¡¯t really want to risk that, so my main solution is going to be magic as well.¡±


    She quickly moves to her desk and picks up her notebook, flicking through to one of the pages on spell creation research.


    ¡°See, when I was looking at creating spells, I decided to look into runes a little bit to try and get a basic understanding of what I was working with. When I did, I looked at a few spells and the engraved magic crystals I own. Through that, I found this rune.¡± She flashes her notes towards her friends, pointing to a rune circled in the middle of the page. ¡°This rune was present on all of the magic crystals, and I think it¡¯s a simple activation rune. Obviously, I¡¯ll need to go to the library and read some books on engraving first, but I think if I carve this rune onto a fire crystal, I should be able to use it to boil water and form steam without burning coal. This also should fix the third problem of supplying water if I use a water crystal in the same way.¡±


    She looks up at her friends with a manic grin, watching the cogs turn in their brains as they consider her plan. Hester is the first to come to a conclusion and speak up.Ne/w novel chapters are published at novelhall.com


    ¡°I guess that does seem feasible. I assume you¡¯re relying on the ventilation enchantments of the room to remove the excess steam?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m hoping they will be efficient enough. If not, I¡¯ll have to work out how to use ice crystals to condense the steam after it¡¯s run through the system. It won¡¯t be impossible, but it will slow me down a lot and cost more points, so I¡¯m hoping the ventilation¡¯s enough.¡±


    They continue moving the machines into place, finishing emptying the crate soon after. Tom and Hester move to the door after, ready to leave for the night.


    Returning to her room, Emily places her magical supplies on her desk, taking only the white iron over to her workbench with her. She places a small tray under her vice to gather the valuable metal filings and cuts off a small sliver. Using a set of files, she slowly fashions the white iron stick into a small cylinder with a sharp point and grooves to comfortably fit her fingers. After a light sanding and rubbing down with a damp cloth, she returns to her desk with the new metal pencil, files, and a pair of flip-down magnified lenses.


    She opens her notebook, then takes one of the fire crystals and places the rest of the crystals into a drawer along with the black and white iron. Staring at the notes on crystal refining, she lifts the crystal along with a small delicate file. Gazing through the lenses hovering before her eyes, she carefully runs the file along any specs of remaining black iron or imperfections on the gem, gathering the removed powder in another tray. After twenty minutes of delicate filing, she is left with a small glittering gem, void of any visible imperfections.


    I don¡¯t have the tools to try cutting it right now and I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s big enough to have a stable core. This will have to do for now.


    Placing down the file, she picks up her white iron pencil and lets out a small flow of mana into it. Seeing the ethereal blue glow envelop the metal, she grins before stopping her mana flow and flipping her notes to a page on runes. Taking a final look at the activation rune, she takes a deep breath and steadies her hands. Pushing mana back into the engraving tool, she gently touches it to a clear face on the gem and starts carefully drawing the rune. As the tool¡¯s tip passes along the smooth surface of the gem, the mana within cuts deep, leaving behind a solid blue glowing line.


    The activation rune slowly forms on the crystal, however after Emily finishes drawing half of it, the crystal begins to heat up and vibrate. Microscopic cracks begin to spread from the engraved lines and the integrity of the crystal quickly decreases.


    Shit.


    Recognising the imminent collapse of the crystal, Emily drops the engraving tool onto the desk and remembers an excerpt from one of the books on crystal engraving.


    Should a mana crystal begin to lose integrity, a detonation of the stored magic power is imminent. The best method to ward against the detonation is to have a containment array prepared. However, should a crystal collapse without proper preparations made, the safest solution is to form a barrier around it with mana and attempt to smother the detonation. This method should not be used if at all possible due to....


    She brings her hands together, holding the crystal in her palms, and pours mana into her palms. The moment a sealed bubble of mana forms, she feels an intense force pressing against her mana and frantically pours in more power to maintain the seal. A few excruciating seconds later, the pressure disappears, and she opens her hands to reveal the finely powdered remains of a crystal. She lets the powder fall into the tray below and wipes her brow with a sigh.


    Damn, what did I do wrong? I don¡¯t think the shape of the rune was wrong, maybe too much mana? Does the element of my mana matter like with spells?


    As she considers her failure, she pulls up the system to check her mana.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Mana:] 133/360


    _____


    Wow, that was a lot. I can see why there was a warning about using this method, a normal mage would be drained by that.


    With a single thought, Emily¡¯s machina pours out of her cortex, shifting form as it flows down her spine. The new mana settles into her magic circle comfortably, bringing a smile to her face.


    Good, let¡¯s try again.


    She pulls another fire crystal out of the drawer and sets about refining it with a file before engraving it. This time, as she lifts her engraving tool to the gem, she pulls upon her understanding of fire and imbues elemental mana into the tool. The smooth silver metal heats up slightly as a warm orange glow forms around it.


    Drawing the rune onto the gem again, this time she finishes eighty per cent of the rune before the crystal starts to destabilise. She follows the same process of smothering the detonation with her mana and letting the powdered remnants of crystal fall into the tray below.


    So, matching the mana¡¯s element helps but doesn¡¯t solve the issue. Less mana this time.


    She refills her mana again, reducing her machina stores to only twenty and not managing to fill her mana all the way.


    I only have enough in me for one more failure, I¡¯ll meditate after this.


    After refining a third gem, she reduces her mana output while engraving and manages to finish the full rune. Grinning wildly, she moves over to the steam generator and opens the front grate, placing the crystal into the empty coal chamber.


    Time for the moment of truth.


    Injecting a small amount of mana into the engraved rune, she watches as the air around the gem shimmers with heat. She can¡¯t help the small laugh that escapes as the temperature gauge on the generator shoots up.

 Chapter 36 – Claws

    Chapter 36 ¨C Claws


    Quickly deactivating the crystal, Emily returns to her desk. She pulls out one of the water crystals, along with a new collection tray, and follows the same process as before to engrave the activation rune. After crumbling the first gem due to using slightly too much mana, she looks at her system mana and machina values before deciding to meditate for a while.


    Filling up her resource reserves swiftly thanks to the Technomancer¡¯s Breath¡¯s increased efficiency, she soon returns to carving crystals. This time she succeeds with the water crystal on her first try. She moves back to the steam generator to test, placing the water crystal into the centre of the empty water tank and activating it.


    The moment she does, water pours out of the crystal, quickly filling the tank. Realising a slight problem, she reaches her arm through the water to deactivate the crystal before the tank overflows.


    I should modify this generator first.


    Making a quick decision, Emily turns around and walks back to her desk again. Turning her notebook to a blank page, she begins drawing up blueprints.


    After a short while of nothing but the sound of a quill scratching on paper, Emily looks at the blueprint before her in satisfaction.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Blueprint created: Steam Source {Gen.0}


    [Steam Source {Gen.0}]


    [Type:] Magic Steam Generator


    [Tier:] 1


    [Rank:] F


    [Description:] A simply remodelled steam generator running on mana crystals.


    [Effect:] When activated, generates steam


    _____


    It¡¯s not E-rank, but it will do for now.


    Standing up, Emily grabs the chunk of white iron from the drawer and takes it to one of the new machines, a large block of iron with an exposed jagged blade suspended vertically in the centre. Leaving the white iron on the machine¡¯s cutting platform, Emily quickly moves to the steam generator, opening the heating chamber and reaching in to activate the fire crystal within. The moment it activates, she retracts her hand and shuts the chamber, watching the heat and pressure readings increase in the system.


    Returning to the large machine again, she reaches for the steam valve on the back to turn it on before pausing. Turning around, her gaze falls on the mass in her bed, rising and falling in a slow rhythm.


    She slept through a hacksaw, but it¡¯s probably mean to test her with a bandsaw.


    Turning off the steam generator again, she sheepishly returns to the bandsaw to take the white iron back. As she reaches out to take the metal though, a thought occurs to her so she continues moving past it and places her hand on the bandsaw.


    Releasing a spark of machina, a familiar connection forms with the saw, and a full three-dimensional breakdown of its internal workings quickly settles in her mind. Looking at the delicate mix of gears and belts within, Emily decides to memorize the machine''s blueprint for future reference, and the moment she does, a system window pops up.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Blueprint created: Steam Bandsaw


    [Steam Bandsaw]


    [Type:] Tool


    [Tier:] 1Diiscover new stories at novelhall.com


    [Rank:] F


    [Description:] A basic bandsaw powered by steam


    [Effect:] When activated, cuts through any material held to the blade.


    _____


    Convenient, it seems to respond to my will with blueprint creation considering I didn¡¯t get the elevator blueprint yesterday. I should take a trip into machineworks at some point and take scans of all the tools there, maybe reset afterwards so I don¡¯t have to explain anything to Ed.


    With this thought in mind, she happily moves around the room, taking scans of all her new machines and saving their blueprints for future use and modification. Settling back at her desk after, Emily opens her notebook to another blank page and lifts her quill.


    Now, time to create my masterpiece!


    Filled with excitement, she pulls on her ideas from her trip to the city the day before, and her new bank of knowledge from the machines in her room, to start drawing a new blueprint. Several hours later, after agonising over the design and even restarting several times, she¡¯s left with a pleased grin and a new blueprint sat in the notebook before her.


    It¡¯s not perfect, but for a first prototype, it¡¯s good enough! I should be able to get it done in time for my class tomorrow if I work fast.


    Checking the time, she sees there are still a few hours left till Juliana should be waking up for breakfast. Unwilling to disturb her sleep, Emily settles on the floor at the end of the bed and falls into the spellweave.


    ***


    A couple of hours later, Emily returns to her room alone after breakfast, having told her friends she will be unavailable till tomorrow morning.


    ¡°Right, time to get to work!¡± she exclaims excitedly while casting her gaze across the new machines waiting to be used.


    ¡°What an interesting weapon,¡± she mutters quietly before slashing her knife down towards Emily¡¯s chest.


    Emily deflects the knife with her exposed blade while stepping forward to close the distance between them, her wrist blade¡¯s reach still slightly shorter than Agnes¡¯ long knife. Unwilling to give up her advantage, Agnes keeps attacking Emily while stepping back. Struggling to close the distance, Emily gets caught by a few shallow slashes and chooses to take a step back.


    Circling Agnes from a distance, Emily decides that catching Agnes by surprise is no longer possible and quickly engages the second wrist blade. With both blades extended to their full twenty-five-centimetre reach, she quickly steps forward and thrusts her right hand towards Agnes¡¯ chest while driving her left up and towards her ribs.


    With the flick of her wrist, Agnes deflects the first blade as she steps forward to meet Emily. Before the second blade can make contact with her, she swiftly reaches her free hand forward and knocks Emily¡¯s arm, sending her stab wide.


    Emily tries to recover her arms but soon freezes as she feels the cold steel of Agnes¡¯ knife against her throat.


    ¡°I give,¡± she says with a small sigh.


    They both relax and separate with matching grins.


    ¡°That was a good spar, and those blades are fascinating,¡± Agnes compliments her while staring at the exposed metal through her cut sleeves.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Emily says proudly while bringing her hands up to reset her weapons and gazing at their system description.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Claws {Gen.0}]


    [Rank:] F


    [Stats:] +1 Str, +1 Dex, +1 Agil


    [Description:] A set of basic spring-loaded wrist blades.


    [Effect:] Provides armour to the forearms and extends blades from the wrist when activated.


    _____


    She grabs a small groove on one of the blades and pulls it down while pulling on the release string with her other hand until it slides comfortably back into its housing. As the blade bottoms out, she lets go of the release and a small click sounds as the blade locks into place.


    While retracting the other blade, Emily notices a low murmuring coming from all around and looks up to see everyone in the room crowded around her and Agnes, talking to each other while stealing glances at Emily.


    ¡°Tsk,¡± Agnes clicks her tongue with a frown before muttering something under her breath and stomping her foot on the ground.


    As her foot slams into the ground, the earth shakes and walls of dirt shoot up to form a dome around both of them. The noise from outside cuts off the moment darkness falls over them.


    ¡°There we go, now we can talk in peace,¡± Agnes says casually.


    Kind of hard to talk when I can¡¯t see you.


    With a frown, Emily quickly weaves a few hand signs and casts light, tossing the formed ball of glowing mana up to the peak of the dome.


    ¡°I see the rumours about your magical talent weren¡¯t exaggerated after all,¡± Agnes comments with a sly grin, staring at the glowing ball of light.


    Whoops, I forgot to chant... Ah well, I¡¯m not planning on hiding my gesture casting.


    ¡°What can I say, I¡¯m a girl of many talents,¡± Emily responds casually, playing off her mistake.


    ¡°Speaking of, can I see your weapons?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Emily agrees easily, pulling back her right sleeve to reveal the mechanisms below.


    From her elbow to her wrist is a fitted leather bracer, fastened with a set of straps at the side. On top of her forearm are two thin plates of smooth titanium with a split down the centre, covering a collection of springs and wires underneath. The wires follow a few small channels around her arm to join the underside, where a delicate metal housing conceals the blades within. Extending from the end of the housing is another small wire, connected to a ring on the thumb without enough tension to activate The Claws unless the wire is pulled upon by something else.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, did you make them yourself?¡± Agnes asks while carefully turning Emily¡¯s arm over to inspect the entire weapon.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Emily answers proudly, happy to have someone appreciate her work.


    Finishing her inspection, Agnes releases Emily¡¯s arm and looks her in the eyes, her emerald eye glowing with the fierce light of passion.


    ¡°I want you to make me a set,¡± she says, raising her hand and gesturing for Emily to wait when she starts to object. ¡°I like to collect unique weapons like those, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t sell them on or reveal how they work to anyone else. And in return, I¡¯ll give you some private lessons to teach you how to use them properly.¡±


    The moment she offers to help, Emily thinks back to their spar.


    I could use the help, I¡¯ve never dual-wielded weapons before, let alone ones awkwardly in line with my arms.


    Considering it for a few moments, she soon agrees with a nod.


    Ah well, these are only the prototype anyway, it can¡¯t hurt to make her a pair.


    ¡°Perfect, I look forward to teaching you more,¡± Agnes says with a wide grin that sends a shiver down Emily¡¯s spine as she drops the earthen dome around them.


    Oh Goddess, what have I got myself into?

 Chapter 37 – Brawl

    Chapter 37 ¨C Brawl


    Later that evening, with a set of new cuts and bruises adorning her body from her private lesson after class, Emily shows The Claws to her friends at dinner.


    ¡°Woah, that¡¯s so cool!¡± Tom fawns over the weapons.


    Hester spares them a glance, as Emily explains the internal mechanism, but she doesn¡¯t show much interest. Juliana frowns slightly when they are first revealed, but still listens intently to Emily¡¯s explanation.


    ¡°...springs are under the plates on the back because I plan on changing that system a little after I work out a few issues.¡±


    Emily finishes answering all of Tom¡¯s queries and pulls her sleeves back over the Claws before turning to start eating. They eat in comfortable silence for a few minutes until Juliana leans in and whispers to Emily.


    ¡°You know, Emi. I¡¯d prefer if you showed me one of your clockwork birds instead of weapons.¡±


    ¡°Sorry Jules,¡± Emily chuckles apologetically. ¡°I really enjoy making weapons, so I¡¯m probably not gonna stop. But I promise I¡¯ll make you something less violent at some point.¡±


    ¡°Jules?¡± Juliana questions softly, staring at Emily with wide eyes.


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re gonna give me a nickname, it¡¯s only fair,¡± Emily responds while sticking her tongue out.


    Juliana giggles lightly and smiles as she returns to eating, quickly distracted from her concerns over Emily¡¯s crafting habits.


    ***


    Returning to her room alone after eating, Emily sets about making a second set of Claws. As the sound of steam and grinding metal fills the room, she thinks over her priorities for the foreseeable future.


    I need to start signing up for more classes soon. Before I can take the Claws or Steam Source to E-Rank, I need some lessons on engraving and possibly spell creation.


    She glances over at the trays of powdered mana crystal.


    And maybe alchemy before I mess about with those...


    ***


    Emily spends the next two weeks balancing meditation, tinkering with her machines, spell creation, and lessons.


    She signs up for Engraving and Beast Studies, the prerequisite to Alchemy. Her first engraving class turns out to be redundant, as she¡¯s given a brief explanation on the subject before being handed a list of books to read before she can join the class in their next lesson.


    Beast Studies, taught by Mr Eleocharis, is more useful. They look at sand stalkers, a familiar beast to her. To her surprise, she finds out that sand stalkers actually have a use in alchemy, with their tendons being a semi-valuable magical reagent.


    She also attends her last Elemental Selection, where she is given a pass and sent off one hundred points richer by Jenny after displaying her gesture casting of burning hands. She follows up by passing Etiquette early after completing a short, written test, using the contents of a few textbooks she memorized to avoid the boring lesson.


    Her uneventful two weeks come to an end as Emily walks into her fourth hand-to-hand combat lesson fifteen minutes early, as has become a habit now, to find the room empty other than Jeremy and Kyle. Both have their weapons on them, but she thinks nothing of it, walking towards a corner of the room to get warmed up.


    ¡°Well well well, if it isn¡¯t the prodigy herself,¡± Kyle says with a condescending sneer as they slowly approach her.


    Emily looks up at the two, unamused.


    ¡°Aww, was your little ego bruised by me passing the lesson you¡¯ve been stuck in for months?¡± she responds to their animosity in kind.


    ¡°Haha, maybe, but I suspect it won¡¯t be today.¡±


    Emily takes a few deep breaths to consider her attack options before bringing her hands together resolutely.


    I really hope this doesn¡¯t count as attacking with magic.


    Wincing at the pain in her shoulder, she quickly weaves together a set of hand signs while closing the gap to push the offensive. As she steps into range, a fist and mace close in on her from either side. Hoping her gamble pays off, she steps to the side, avoiding the mace but taking the fist to her gut. As the impact lands, she releases a pained grunt and pours as much mana as possible into her spell before tossing the gathered ball of mana in front of her. She closes her eyes and wraps her healthy arm around her attacker¡¯s fist.


    All three assailants cry out in pain as her spell bursts in a radiant shower of light. Emily opens her eyes soon after, seeing them all clutching their faces, or trying to in the case of the man whose arm she has pinned. Making a quick decision, she releases his arm and slashes her blade down his inner forearm, disabling his last working hand and stepping away as he collapses with a scream.


    She rushes the other two before they can recover, delivering a kick to Kyle¡¯s chest and sending him tumbling to the ground, dropping his sword. The mace wielder manages to react as Emily focuses on him, raising his mace and sending it careening towards her with poor aim, his sight still hampered. The mace falls harmlessly past her with a slight twist of her torso, and she ruthlessly drives a Claw up through his exposed armpit. She watches with a sadistic grin as the bloody blade tears its way out through his shoulder before she rips it back.


    Ignoring the wailing mess of a man as he falls, she releases a small sigh of relief and turns to face Kyle. He looks up as she approaches, growing pale and scrambling back to escape her. She smiles with satisfaction, seeing fear where earlier there had been nothing but haughty pride.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asks tilting her head. ¡°I thought I was going to pay for this.¡±


    She crouches over his defenceless form, stepping on his healthy hand as she does.


    ¡°Well? Where is your scary noble house to protect you now?¡± she asks as she raises a Claw above his chest, savouring the way he squirms in panic.


    Before she can move though, the door to the training hall swings open. She looks over and sees Agnes walking in with a crowd following her.


    ¡°Why was that door closed?¡± Agnes calls out, looking around the room and pausing in surprise when she sees Emily surrounded by fallen students.


    Emily clicks her tongue in disappointment as she makes eye contact with Agnes before driving her blade down into Kyle¡¯s thigh. He screams in pain, drawing the full attention of the class as Emily whispers a final warning.


    ¡°Try something like this again, and you¡¯ll lose more than a few fingers.¡±


    Standing up, she wipes the blade on her shirt and begins making her way towards her teacher. As the adrenaline from the fight starts to wear off, she begins to limp slightly and winces at the pain she feels all over. Getting closer to the group, she sees a mix of fear and apprehension towards her, with only Oscar and a few others showing no reaction other than approval.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Agnes asks directly.


    ¡°Those assholes decided it was a good idea to attack me when I said I wouldn¡¯t sell out my weapons source to their families,¡± Emily responds bluntly.


    ¡°I see,¡± Agnes scoffs, glancing towards the four collapsed forms with disappointment. ¡°Sit this lesson out and go deal with your wounds. Do you need help with your shoulder?¡±


    ¡°No thanks, I¡¯ll just ask a friend to help. Could you help me put my Claws away though?¡± Emily asks, not tempted to try to push against springs given the state of her arm.


    Agnes nods and helps retract the blades on Emily¡¯s wrists with practised ease.


    ¡°Good job,¡± Agnes says quietly. ¡°Looks like you put our lessons to good use.¡± She then turns to face the fallen nobles with scorn: ¡°Get out and stop bleeding on my floor.¡±


    Emily laughs as she turns to leave. The crowd quickly parts to let her pass, but just before she steps out of the room, Oscar puts out a hand and lightly stops her. She looks at him with a brow raised in slight annoyance, waiting for him to speak.


    ¡°If you need a healer, look for Fionn on the service market. He¡¯s sponsored by my family, so I¡¯ll let him know to give you a solid discount if you want.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll look for him if I need it,¡± she responds briskly with a small, grateful smile before quickly leaving.


    I¡¯ll be fine with some disinfectant and sleep. Jules isn¡¯t going to react well though, is she?

 Chapter 38 – Patched Up

    Chapter 38 ¨C Patched Up


    As she walks through the B-grade dormitory, Emily takes a glance at her status.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Status]


    [Name:] Emily Coldstone


    [Race:] Human


    [Age:] 16


    [Magic Circle:] First Circle


    [Machina Cortex:] First Stage


    [Attributes:] Strength 7 (8), Dexterity 16 > 17 (18), Agility 12 > 13 (14), Vitality 8, Intelligence 24 > 27


    [Health:] 108/115


    [Stamina:] 126/180


    [Mana:] 386/405


    [Machina:] 401/405


    _____


    At least that fight provided some useful data to process. I can feel the effect of my stat increase more clearly after my agility increase. I reacted faster to attacks than I did last week, and I think my flexibility is slightly better. My hand signs are getting easier too. That¡¯s definitely an effect of dexterity. And I was successful in overcharging my light spell! The sudden burst of light was very effective, I¡¯ll have to remember it in the future.


    A frown forms on her face as she focuses on the resources at the bottom of the floating window.


    What¡¯s with my health though? I have several cuts, bruises, and a dislocated shoulder but it¡¯s only dropped by 7. I guess none of them are life-threatening. Maybe it only decreases with more severe injuries.


    With a small sigh, Emily clears her head of distractions and raises her hand to knock on the door she has reached. She hesitates for a moment, glancing down at her sorry state before knocking three times.


    It¡¯ll be fine, just say, ¡®Hey can you pop my shoulder back in for me?¡¯ and she totally won¡¯t overreact...


    Hearing a shuffling on the other side of the door, she starts shifting from side to side, regretting coming to Juliana already. The door fades from existence to reveal a smiling Juliana.


    ¡°Emi! What are-?¡° She stops as she notices the dried blood on Emily¡¯s cheek and slowly looks down.


    Seeing Emily¡¯s torn clothes, stained red in several places, and the unnatural way her left arm is sitting lower than her right, Juliana quickly grows concerned.


    ¡°What happened to you? Did you start a fight?¡±


    ¡°Hey, why do you assume I started it?¡± Emily asks with a small chuckle, wincing as it disturbs her wounds.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°No, but I did end it. They¡¯ll think twice next time.¡±


    Emily sees disappointment in Juliana¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my fault,¡± she rushes to explain. ¡°Jeremy and Kyle brought two of their goons to try and force me to reveal the source of my Claws. When I wouldn¡¯t tell them, they attacked me. With weapons.¡±


    Juliana¡¯s expression shifts to outrage, then concern as she surveys Emily¡¯s injuries. She quickly ushers her into her room. Emily walks over to Juliana¡¯s desk chair and sits down.


    ¡°Can you pop my shoulder back in? Then I can deal with the rest.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Do you even have any medical supplies in your room?¡± Juliana asks while walking into her bathroom.


    ¡°No,¡± Emily confesses.


    "So, what¡¯s the plan?¡± Juliana calls back.


    ¡°What then?¡±


    Emily bites her lip in indecision.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°No, I do want to tell you,¡± Emily says with a sigh, finally making her choice. ¡°However, maybe we should stop my bleeding first.¡±


    Juliana gives a small smile, standing up and pulling her medical kit back over. As she starts pulling out bandages and cloth to clean the wounds, Emily begins to speak.


    ¡°I guess I should start at the beginning. A few months ago, in Eimdon, one of the Mandrago family¡¯s airships went down outside the city in the scrap heaps. I was nearby and went to dig through the wreckage, where I found an uncut mass of lightning mana crystals.¡± She pauses and winces slightly as Juliana ties a bandage around her ribs.


    Keeping her explanation as close to the truth as possible while avoiding mentioning The Clock or the system, Emily continues while Juliana cleans and dresses the gashes on her shoulder. She pauses her explanation briefly when Juliana takes a clean cloth and wipes the blood from her face.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Juliana says with a small grin as she finishes, causing Emily to blush and look away.


    Juliana closes her medical box before sitting down next to Emily and wrapping an arm around her waist again. Emily leans her head on her shoulder as she continues.


    ¡°My awakening sent out a pulse of mana. It was like a beacon to the Mandragos. When they arrived at the shop, they took back the mana crystals, then slit Dad¡¯s throat for stealing their property.¡±


    Juliana lets out a small gasp and tightens her grip slightly. Tears of sadness and rage fall from Emily¡¯s eyes as she keeps talking through slightly gritted teeth.


    ¡°They then realised I was a self-awakened mage, and told me that they¡¯d let my sister, Anna, live with only a scar if I became their vassal. What choice did I have? I went with them. Once they got me into their mansion, they tried to use mental magic to brainwash me.¡±


    Juliana pulls away slightly and turns Emily¡¯s head to face her.


    ¡°They brainwashed you?¡± she asks with a mixture of concern and anger written on her face.


    ¡°Ha! No. They certainly tried though,¡± Emily chuckles lightly while reaching up and taking Juliana¡¯s hand from her face and into her own as her grin turns malicious. ¡°I was able to resist their spell without them realising. And I swear that once I¡¯m strong enough, everyone who had a part in my father''s death and keeping me apart from my sister will pay the price in blood.¡±


    Juliana shivers and recoils slightly at her words, causing Emily to panic internally.


    Shit, was that too much? I don¡¯t want to scare her.


    Her concerns disappear as Juliana responds with a sigh.


    ¡°I can see why you are so intent on making weapons then.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I need to use everything I can to make sure I can get in and kill those responsible without killing myself.¡±


    Juliana nods in understanding before changing the subject.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your sister now?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Home, I hope. They¡¯ve got no reason to bother her. She¡¯s not a mage. You reminded me of her earlier actually. She used to get cross with me too, before she patched me up.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so I remind you of your sister?¡± Juliana says with disappointment as her face falls, and she starts to release her grip on Emily¡¯s waist.


    Emily laughs, then winces before pushing the pain to the back of her mind. She releases Juliana¡¯s hand and reaches up to caress her face, smiling at the obvious hope returning to her gaze as she does.


    I hope I¡¯m reading this right.


    Emily steels her nerves and slowly leans forward.


    ¡°Only in the fact that you care for me,¡± she says softly, her heart accelerating as her nerves try to force it out of her chest. ¡°I certainly don¡¯t see you as a sister.¡±


    To her immediate relief, Juliana smiles and leans in to meet her, their lips joining together in a soft kiss. Juliana¡¯s grip on Emily¡¯s waist tightens, pulling their bodies closer together before their lips part.


    ¡°How do you see me then?¡± Juliana asks with anticipation, a light blush on her cheeks.


    ¡°As a girlfriend?¡± Emily responds with slight apprehension.


    A bright smile blooms on Juliana¡¯s face.


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Emily joins her in smiling, as they lean in for another kiss.

 Chapter 39 – Ascension

    Chapter 39 ¨C Ascension


    A few hours later, Emily and Juliana leave the dorms to head to dinner. Emily¡¯s heart feels a little lighter, relieved to have finally talked to someone about her pent-up rage. Juliana is wrapped around Emily¡¯s right arm, the left hanging in a makeshift sling Juliana made her while Emily was icing her various bruises.


    As they walk through the cafeteria, they quickly spot Tom and Hester sitting together and make their way over to join them.


    ¡°What on Ulea happened to you, and why does Juliana seem so happy about it?¡± Tom asks incredulously as they sit down.


    ¡°Haha, two different questions,¡± Emily responds with a grin. ¡°I got into a fight before my class.¡±


    ¡°Wow, they really did a number on you,¡± Hester comments dryly, focusing on the sling.


    ¡°You should see the other guys.¡±


    The twins both laugh before Hester turns her attention to Juliana.


    ¡°And why are you so happy then? I would have thought you¡¯d be upset about Emily getting battered, even if she¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re dating!¡± Juliana chirps with a grin, ignoring Hester¡¯s second comment.


    Tom looks slightly shocked, glancing between the two of them seeking confirmation; whereas Hester nods sagely.


    ¡°About damn time. You¡¯ve been all over each other since we met.¡±


    ¡°Hey! It¡¯s not my fault Emi¡¯s so oblivious!¡± Juliana cries.


    ¡°I¡¯m not oblivious.¡±


    Emily¡¯s words are met with three unimpressed stares. Thinking back on it briefly, Emily remembers Juliana¡¯s incessant need for physical contact and repeated use of any excuse to spend time with her. She decides not to comment further.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± she says with a slight embarrassment. ¡°Are you guys ready for the test tomorrow?¡±


    Her question is met with three groans.


    ¡°You can¡¯t seriously expect us to pass basic maths after only six lessons, right?¡± Tom asks while dropping his head onto the table.


    ¡°Why not? I¡¯m pretty confident I can pass it after only four lessons, so it should be fine for you,¡± Emily says with a sly grin before settling her gaze on Juliana. ¡°As for you, you should have passed ages ago! Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t know that you were skipping classes before I came here.¡±


    Juliana blushes and looks away, refusing to comment. Rolling her eyes, Emily makes a suggestion.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you guys come over to my room tonight and I¡¯ll help you revise?¡±


    Everyone at the table perks up immediately, looking at Emily with gratitude.


    ***


    Following Emily¡¯s tuition, she and Juliana are the only two to pass basic maths. Tom fails miserably, and Hester narrowly misses the mark. Juliana scrapes by, doing justice to her several-month advantage. Emily achieves a perfect grade, adding to her reputation as a prodigy within The Dome.


    Given the state of Jeremy, Kyle, and their friends after their fight, nobody else is inclined to challenge Emily. It takes a full week of recuperation before they return to class, where they give Emily a wide berth, not even daring to glare at her across the room. As a result, two months pass without incident, and Emily relaxes into her new relationship and spends her free time inventing spells, weapons, and armour.


    Sitting in her room one morning after an intermediate maths class, Emily stares at a newly finished creation before her, along with a series of system windows. She grins.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Claws {Gen.1}]


    [Rank:] E


    [Stats:] +2 Str, +2 Dex, +3 Agil


    [Description:] A set of magical steam-powered wrist blades.


    [Effect:] Provides armour to the forearms and extends blades from the wrist when activated.


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    [Status]


    [Name:] Emily Coldstone


    [Race:] Human


    [Age:] 16


    [Magic Circle:] First Circle


    [Machina Cortex:] First Stage


    [Attributes:] Strength 7 > 8, Dexterity 17 > 19, Agility 13 > 16, Vitality 8, Intelligence 27 > 34


    [Health:] 120/120


    [Stamina:] 200/200


    [Mana:] 510/510


    [Machina:] 510/510


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    Skills:


    [Intrinsic] Magic Network (passive)


    [Intrinsic] Technomancer''s Breath (active)


    -Parkour (passive)


    -Basic Machine Construction (passive)


    -Intermediate Melee Combat (passive)


    -Basic Spellweave (active)


    -Mental Fortitude (passive)


    -Overdrive (active)


    -Basic Metalworking (passive)UppTodated from


    -Basic Mana Manipulation (passive)


    -Basic Runesmithing (passive)


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    Knowledge:


    -Basic Clockwork


    -Basic Steampower


    -Basic Electrical Theory


    -Basic Mana Formation


    -Basic Particle Physics


    -Basic Material Science


    [Rank:] E


    [Description:] Ascend to the second circle significantly faster than the norm on your planet.


    Requirements:


    -Ascend within three months of awakening (Complete)


    Rewards:


    -Sub-System: Notebook


    _____


    Woah, that¡¯s a lot of stats. And a new sub-system?


    Navigating her system, she quickly pulls up the new notebook tab. The window shimmers and turns a darker shade of blue, becoming slightly harder to see through, as a blank space labelled ¡®Notebook¡¯ appears.


    Well, that¡¯s disappointing. At least I can move my important notes out of my notebook and remove the security devices from my room.


    A new thought occurs to her.


    Actually, since this is part of the system it shouldn¡¯t reset with time-travel, right? I take it back ¨C not disappointing at all.


    Taking one last breath of the dense mana in the gathering array, Emily stands up to disable it. As she rises, she feels an odd dissonance between her perception and her body. Frowning, she reaches for her breast pocket to check The Clock. Staring at the timepiece¡¯s face, she watches the seconds hand tick and quickly realises the issue.


    My perception of time is off. I¡¯m processing things too quickly, so it feels like time is moving at half-speed.


    Assistive processing off.


    The moment she sends the mental command, the strange feeling disappears, and her perception returns to normal.


    That will surely be helpful in the future.


    With a slight skip in her step, she quickly moves to the internal control panel in the training room and disables the gathering array. She watches her point count on her crest decrease to ¡®84¡¯ with sadness, confirming her resolve to complete a mission soon.


    Before I leave, I should check for any extra information the system will give me after my ascension. I still have ten minutes till Jules should be back from her trip to Threads. Why don¡¯t I test what this second core can do?


    Core two, search the system for any post-ascension changes.


    Less than a second later, she feels a smooth flow of information transfer between her cores.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Machina Cortex]


    The mechanic¡¯s power organ.


    A mechanic''s brain, optimised and compartmentalised by machina, that displays a mechanic¡¯s stage of development.


    Generates [Machina] and allows a mechanic a connection to machines around them.


    Split into two [Cores].


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    [Cores]


    Each core that forms a mechanic¡¯s cortex is an individual processing unit, capable of performing billions of microprocesses per second.


    Each core carries a number of [Threads], equal to the number of cores currently formed.


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    [Threads]


    Individual parallel processes a core can use at once.


    _____


    Each core should have two threads then. Wait, does that mean I can do perfect silent casting now?


    Excitedly, Emily raises her hands in front of her and begins trying to form the mental image and magic circle of burning hands at the same time. Unlike her failed past attempts, a glowing orange and white magic circle forms above her hands and soon begins to rotate, fading away as a sheen of flames appears across her palms.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Skill created: Perfect Silent Casting (passive)


    [Perfect Silent Casting (passive)]


    User can proficiently form a mental image and magic circle simultaneously.


    -Grants +10% casting speed when casting spells mentally.


    _____


    I guess gesture casting is kind of obsolete now. Wait, is it?


    She tries silent casting again, this time while trying to perform a few basic martial forms Agnes taught her and finds herself tripping over her feet as her focus falters. The spell still forms, but much weaker than before. She tries it again, this time while weaving together gestures and trying to form a mental image, she finds herself able to perfectly follow her forms while casting the spell.


    ¡°So, one of core one¡¯s threads is handling the mental image, and the other is handling body movements which includes the gestures,¡± she mumbles to herself while cutting off the mana flow to her hands, ending her spell early.


    Gestures still have their uses then. Now to test out multicasting.


    With a grin, she stands still and lifts her hands in front of her, palms facing away.


    Core two cast air blast.


    After giving the command, she quickly silent casts burning hands, watching the two magic circles form on top of each other. The constructs of mana meet but never join, and as they both start rotating, a layer of fire forms on her hands before being shot forward a few metres. Her eyes light up with joy and expectation.


    ¡°I can double cast! And it also looks like I can mix spells in the process.¡±


    She proceeds to test mixing gesture casting and silent casting, managing to perfectly cast two spells while following her martial forms. With a grin, she moves on to mixing spells, finding a few intriguing combinations that she adds to a mental list for further investigation.


    After finishing her tests, she checks her mana pool.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Mana:] 2916/3240


    _____


    I can cast so many spells now, but double-casting so many first-circle spells at the same time still adds up.


    Happy with the results, she starts to leave while pulling out The Clock. Seeing twenty minutes have passed since she was meant to meet Juliana, she freezes on the spot, a chill running down her spine.


    Shit, I got too engrossed in my testing. Actually, how would The Clock react to my ascension? If I reset, will I keep the skills I¡¯ve gained since? I guess so because skills seemed to transfer with me... Only one way to find out.


    With a choice made for the sake of research, and definitely not just to avoid upsetting her girlfriend, Emily presses the button on The Clock, watching as time slows to a halt. As time winds back, she feels more than she ever has before, yet still fails to glean any information from the gap between time.


    Instead of a sudden jump to twenty-four hours prior, she finds herself shifted to the centre of the gathering array, having just finished her ascension.


    I see, I guess my ascension marks a point of no return. I¡¯ll have to make sure I¡¯m careful when I progress in the future, I couldn¡¯t bear getting stuck in another inescapable situation.


    Emily shivers slightly at the thought while standing up. Checking the clock again as she deactivates and pays for the array, she confirms she still has ten minutes till Juliana returns.


    ¡°Better take no chances this time,¡± she mutters, leaving the training room to make her way back to the dorms.

 Chapter 40 – The Invitation

    Chapter 40 ¨C The Invitation


    As she makes her way through the hallway back to her dorm, Emily is bothered by the nagging feeling that she is wasting her second core.


    It seems kind of counterproductive to have an entire second consciousness that I¡¯m just not using most of the time. Do I have any calculations or mental simulations I need to do? Maybe designing some blueprints?


    She arrives at her dorm as the ideas spin through her mind, opens the door and collapses onto her bed. Staring at the ceiling, the feeling only grows until she has had enough.


    Urgh, maybe I should meditate to clear my head. Wait, that¡¯s it!


    The gears fall into place in her mind, and she sits up before sending a command to her second core to activate Technomancer¡¯s Breath. Immediately, her breathing falls into a regular pattern and she feels a slight fluctuation in the atmospheric mana around her as it is drawn into her skin. Looking inward, she sees her energies mixing and converting smoothly, following the usual process of Technomancer¡¯s Breath.


    She moves to stand up and walks around her room, feeling the energy-gathering technique continue in the background.UppTodated from


    Jackpot! It doesn¡¯t feel as effective as focusing on it completely and falling into a trance, but I¡¯ll still be improving my stats without any visible signs.


    She freezes as an idea forms.


    Wait, can I send one core to sleep while keeping the other awake to avoid sleeping?


    She adds that test to her mental list for later as she hears a familiar three-beat knock. Opening the door with bubbling excitement, she flashes a proud smile at Juliana the second she sees her.


    ¡°I did it!¡± she declares proudly.


    Juliana¡¯s face lights up in understanding and she quickly steps forward, wrapping Emily in a tight hug.


    ¡°Congratulations!¡±


    The excitement in her voice almost matches Emily¡¯s, and after holding the embrace for a few moments, she pulls back slightly and plants a soft kiss on Emily¡¯s lips.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you progressed so quickly. Actually, that¡¯s a lie: I totally can!¡± she says with a light giggle, causing Emily to roll her eyes.


    They separate as Emily pulls Juliana into the privacy of her room.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just have to try harder to surprise you then,¡± Emily says with a cheeky grin.


    ¡°Oh Goddess, what have you done now?¡± Juliana asks while settling on Emily¡¯s bed and waiting for her to continue.


    ¡°To start, close your eyes and focus on the mana in the room. Tell me if you notice anything strange.¡±


    Juliana follows her instructions, and after a dozen seconds, she lets out a small gasp.


    ¡°How are you doing that? You¡¯re moving around while gathering mana.¡±


    ¡°Yep! I¡¯ve managed to work out how to use my internal energy movement technique passively,¡± Emily beams with pride.


    Juliana opens her eyes and looks at Emily with her signature puppy dog eyes.


    ¡°Can you teach me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible. Sorry.¡±


    Emily¡¯s heart aches as she watches Juliana¡¯s excitement turn to disappointment.


    ¡°It¡¯s using the ability to perfectly multitask that I¡¯ve been practising. I was just learning it for silent casting, but I realised if I split my focus, I could reproduce the internal energy movement needed for my meditation technique while moving. It¡¯s not perfect and not as good as plain meditation though.¡±


    ¡°Wait, does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Yep, I can silent cast now!¡±


    Emily holds out her hand and casts iron blade, a small glistening silver knife silently forms in the centre of a magic circle and falls into her hand. Juliana claps lightly before asking a follow-up question.


    ¡°If you learned to multitask through practice, doesn¡¯t that mean I could too?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. I think it may be something that some people just can or can¡¯t do, but we can definitely try.¡±


    ***


    An hour later, they head to the cafeteria to meet their friends for dinner. They see Tom, Hester, and Ivor, a vassal of Juliana¡¯s family and their senior at The Covenant, sitting at a table waiting for them. Ivor is a second circle mage who has joined them for meals since returning from a trip back to Madonna territory to see his family. He and Emily have become close. He is mute, only communicating through sign-language, having lost his ability to speak following a childhood injury.


    The tall, stocky boy immediately focuses on Emily as they approach, raising a silent questioning brow as she sits down. Emily signs to him quickly and he smiles, reaching out and patting her on the shoulder lightly before turning back to the food in front of him.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Tom asks quickly.


    ¡°You should learn to sign,¡± Emily tells him.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to register a small expedition into The Glade. The real question is, why are you here? As far as I¡¯m aware, you haven¡¯t taken a single mission since joining. What changed?¡±


    ¡°I reached second circle, but I¡¯m too broke to buy any spells so I decided it was about time I started earning points.¡±


    Oscar¡¯s face lights up with excitement at her answer and his friends stare at her with shock.


    ¡°Well done! I knew you were good but reaching second circle in three months is incredible. Do you want to join us on our expedition? I¡¯ll give you a spell as a sign-up bonus if you do.¡±


    Emily raises a brow cautiously at his overly generous offer.


    ¡°Why are you so keen to get me to join? Will I still get a split at the end or is the spell my full payment?¡±


    ¡°Why am I so keen?¡± Oscar asks with a small grin. ¡°Emily you were my equal in hand-to-hand combat when you got here, and in the last two months, you¡¯ve developed so much that I can¡¯t hope to best you. Also, you¡¯re a magical prodigy, managing eight perfect manifestations on your first try and reaching second circle within three months. If I didn¡¯t show at least this much sincerity when asking for your help, I¡¯d bring shame to my household.¡±


    Emily freezes and blushes slightly at his answer. She glances over at Ivor as he starts signing to her.


    ¡°You trust him?¡±


    ¡°Him, kind of,¡± she signs back, unwilling to admit her distrust of Oscar to his face. ¡°His friends, not at all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll come too. I can get what I want from The Glade anyway.¡±


    Emily nods at him gratefully before returning her focus to Oscar who watches them with intrigue.


    ¡°You know sign language?¡±


    ¡°I picked it up to talk to Ivor. It¡¯s good practice for gesture casting too.¡±


    Oscar nods thoughtfully while muttering to himself: ¡°Maybe I should learn.¡±


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Emily says, pulling the conversation back on track. ¡°I¡¯d be happy to join you if Ivor can come too. He¡¯s also second circle and needs to collect materials from The Glade for his Alchemy studies.¡±


    ¡°Of course, the more the merrier,¡± Oscar says with a wide smile, presenting his hand.


    Emily shakes it before gesturing to the mission board with her head.


    ¡°So how do you sign up for an expedition?¡±


    ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t need to use the mission board for it. I only came over here because I noticed you and was curious. Come with me, I¡¯ll show you now.¡±


    He guides Emily and his group over to one of the counters and informs the clerk that he would like to register an expedition into The Glade. The clerk asks him a few cursory questions about how deep they plan on going, their goals for the expedition, and how long they plan on staying, before getting every participant to add their mana signature to the application. With Oscar now registered as the expedition leader, they move to a clear space in the room to continue their discussion.


    ¡°The application should be approved within two weeks, and we plan on setting off in two months. In the meantime, I¡¯d advise you to register for magical combat classes. They¡¯ll help you understand how we¡¯ll be doing the majority of our fighting. Then in a month, I¡¯ll arrange some practice combat as a group. Other than that, you don¡¯t have to worry about anything other than your own equipment. I¡¯ll organise the supplies and travel; you just need to show up.¡±


    ¡°Got it, I was going to sign up for magic combat sooner, but some of my friends told me the basic course was just practising casting quickly and under pressure, so I thought it would be obsolete for me.¡±


    ¡°You should never underestimate how important it is to be able to keep your head in a tense situation. Though, from what Jeremy and Kyle have said, it sounds like you¡¯re comfortable with casting spells mid-fight,¡± he says with a sly grin. ¡°Anyway, what type of spell would you like? Let me know now and I¡¯ll get it to you in a few days.¡±


    Emily considers for a moment.


    I¡¯ve already had success with creating a first circle attack spell, and I have plenty of first circle spells I can combine to fight with. Maybe I should get something for defence?


    ¡°Can you give me a defence spell?¡±


    ¡°A great choice! Of course I can. What element?¡±


    ¡°Surprise me. You seem to know my affinities well,¡± Emily says with a smirk.


    Oscar coughs and looks away awkwardly.


    ¡°It¡¯s only normal to keep track of promising new allies,¡± he says quickly, only making Emily¡¯s smirk grow. ¡°Oh, also as for profit, all spoils will be collected at the end of the expedition and divided between all surviving members. If you don¡¯t want any of the items we collect, there is also the choice of leaving them with me and I¡¯ll pay you the equivalent in points.¡±


    Emily glances at Ivor: seeing him nod in agreement, she agrees to Oscar¡¯s plan.


    ¡°Sure, sounds good to us. See you around.¡±


    Giving Oscar a wave goodbye and ignoring the group of nobles surrounding them, Emily and Ivor leave towards the transportation rooms.


    ¡°Thanks for speaking up back there and offering to come with. I know you don¡¯t like signing in front of others,¡± Emily says, giving Ivor¡¯s shoulder an appreciative squeeze.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, J wouldn¡¯t let me hear the end of it if I let you go alone.¡±


    ¡°Haha, yeah she probably wouldn¡¯t.¡±

 Chapter 41 – Flammable Preparations

    Chapter 41 ¨C Flammable Preparations


    Emily returns to the dorms and spends the rest of her evening relaxing with Juliana and filling her in on the planned expedition. The next morning after breakfast, she sits at her desk ready to start her preparations.


    Reaching around the back of the desk, she pushes in a small loose panel. After hearing a light click, she moves to the front, pulling a key out of her robes and inserting it into the keyhole on the bottom right drawer. Twisting it sets off a series of clicks and thuds, and after waiting for five seconds, the sounds stop and she opens the drawer. It slides open to reveal her notebook, surrounded by a series of mechanisms and a few compartments: one filled with black powder; another with powdered fire crystals; and the last with a rough mix of the two.


    Emily smiles with satisfaction as she admires the booby trap she set up to protect her ideas after Kyle attacked her for the Claws. The fight made her realise it was a bad idea to carry around a notebook containing all her ideas, not to mention a more advanced knowledge of physics than anyone else seems to have.


    Guess I¡¯ll never get to find out how big the explosion would be. I wonder if it would have vapourised the desk or my entire room.


    Since she has acquired all her knowledge about raw powdered crystals from textbooks and talking to Ivor so far, she doesn¡¯t have an accurate guess of the power of her makeshift bomb yet. Closing the drawer carefully on the explosives, unwilling to test such a dangerous mix herself in the small room, she lifts the notebook out and places it on the desk before opening her system, navigating to the new blank sub-system.


    How do I write in this? Maybe through focusing on it and thinking about what I want to write? This would be a lot easier if I could physically interact with the system.


    Lifting her hand and swiping through the window with irritation at that thought, she is pleasantly surprised when the window moves with it.


    ¡°I can touch this one?!¡± she excitedly cries out.


    Grabbing the corner of the window to confirm, Emily tries moving the window randomly and finds it responds to her touch. She can¡¯t feel anything, the window remaining a projection within her mind, but the fact that she can physically interact with it at all intrigues her.


    Now if only I had some way of changing its size and shape.


    The moment the thought occurs, the window freezes in space and, as her hand keeps pulling the corner, it stretches.


    It responds to my thoughts? Of course, the rest of the system does too, so why am I surprised?


    Grinning, she sets about testing the usability of her new ethereal notebook. Through a mixture of thoughts and gestures, she finds herself able to easily manipulate the window. By resizing and duplicating the window, and creating folders for different notes, she forms the sub-system into a virtual suite for notetaking, spell notation, and blueprint design. She¡¯s even able to overlay the virtual notebook on top of her physical notebook to write into both at the same time. With the ability to instantly copy down anything she sees and add to the notes with a simple mental command, the plethora of features leaves her completely satisfied with the new addition to her system.


    After setting up the notebook to her liking, she copies all her current physical notes into a folder, then rips them all out and burns them to a crisp with a quick cast of burning hands. For the sake of comfort, she quickly machines a piece of iron into a small pen that perfectly fits her hand. Testing it, she overlays a virtual page on her notebook and starts writing with the iron pen. Words appear on the virtual page and she gets the feeling of writing normally, but the actual notebook remains blank.


    Perfect! Now I can take notes normally if I want and no one will be able to see them.


    Pleased with her new toy, she clears the page and begins planning.


    ¡°What do I need for this trip?¡±


    Tapping her chin with her pen, she starts considering the destination.


    ¡°I probably want some more equipment, maybe I can use this as a chance to make some of the E rank machines for my progression.¡±


    Placing the pen to the page, she starts writing a few ideas down.


    Boots?


    Armour?


    Explosives?


    -Bright light for disorientation, was effective against people


    Ranged weapon?


    Second circle attack spells


    Better detection methods for in dense foliage


    -Thermal vision? Spell or machine?


    Method to remain guarded against Oscar¡¯s friends at night?


    Placing the pen down, she stares at the list thoughtfully.


    This is all I can think of for now, maybe I¡¯ll ask Jules for other ideas later.


    ¡°Of course, I swear on the Salvia name that nothing I see henceforth shall be spoken of to a living soul,¡± he says dramatically, placing his hand on the family crest resting above his heart.


    Emily rolls her eyes.


    I wonder if his inflated noble pride actually means anything.


    ¡°Come on then, lead the way.¡±


    He smiles and obliges, leading her to a nearby door, deeper into the corridor than the B-grade rooms. Stepping through a phasing door, they find themselves in a long, grand hallway, with high ceilings and a plush red carpet.


    ¡°How do they even fit this stuff into The Dome?¡± Emily mutters in disbelief.


    Oscar looks at her with a brow raised.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know? The Dome itself is only a fraction of the facilities. The rest of The Isle is an underground complex spanning most of the city.¡±


    Emily opens her eyes wide in realisation.


    Of course! Why wouldn¡¯t they spread under the city when even the black market does?


    ¡°Oh. I¡¯m honestly slightly embarrassed I didn¡¯t work that out,¡± she says sheepishly.


    Oscar chuckles lightly and continues guiding her down the hallway. After a few hundred metres and only a couple of doors, they reach a door with ¡®Salvia Family¡¯ boldly embossed in the centre.


    ¡°Here we are, come on in.¡±


    The door vanishes as Oscar approaches, allowing both of them to pass into a cavernous space. Unlike the dull white void that makes up the B-grade rooms, the room that greets them has smooth patterned stone flooring. Surrounding them are large stone pillars stretching up to the high ceilings above. Hanging from the ceiling are several large chandeliers coated with glowing dots of bright warm light.


    ¡°Fancy!¡± Emily mutters with a small, impressed whistle as she looks around.


    ¡°Really? It¡¯s quite empty right now,¡± Oscar comments with a sly grin, clearly enjoying showing off.


    ¡°Ha, yeah, it¡¯s empty,¡± she says with a dramatic eye roll. ¡°But it¡¯s ten times the size of the B-grade rooms. They really spoil you, don¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, they do. The A-grade rooms are directly sponsored by the family that owns them. My family paid an exorbitant amount of resources to have this room so it better have enough space and features to make it worth it. Now, go ahead and test what you want to, I¡¯m curious now that you¡¯ve made me swear secrecy.¡±


    Emily nods, walks into an open space between the pillars, and crouches down. Pulling the first pouch from her waist, she opens it and pours a small palmful of pure fire crystal powder. Placing the powder on the floor, she walks back twenty metres and calls Oscar to her side.


    ¡°Stay back, I¡¯m not sure how volatile this will be.¡±


    Pointing a finger at the powder, she quickly double-casts air blast and burning hands, focusing both spells on just the tip of her finger. A small orange and white spark forms and quickly flies out, soaring through the air and landing in the centre of the mass of powder. Instantly, the powder reacts to the mana and explodes, releasing a searing wave of heat.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Oscar asks her.


    Ignoring him completely, Emily quickly walks over to view the aftereffects of her test. Upon closer inspection, she finds the floor cracked at the epicentre and only lightly scorched towards the edges of a three-metre radius. Adding the results to her notes, she moves to another empty spot and measures out a palmful of black powder.


    Returning to a safe distance, she repeats the process of firing a small spark at the pile and watching for the results. Instead of an explosion, the pile simply ignites and violently burns for a few seconds before going out. Grinning, Emily pours out a handful of the powder mix, already predicting the results.


    This time, the moment the spark hits the pile, it explodes in a fireball, flinging burning powder out and scorching everything within five metres. Noting the results again, she places three metal cans on the floor and pours the same amounts of the powders into each. Taking a cloth rag, she sends a spark of machina into a Claw, activating the magic crystals embedded and shooting the blade to full extension.


    ¡°Do you always wear those?¡± Oscar asks, surprised.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you?¡±


    Oscar thinks for a moment then nods.


    Emily uses the blade to slice up the cloth and dips each strip into alcohol before laying them over the lip of each can, ensuring they touch the top of the powder mixture within. With another small spark of machina, the Claw¡¯s blade vanishes back into its housing. Closing the cans¡¯ lids, she uses burning hands to weld the cans shut other than a tiny gap for oxygen to reach the rags within.


    Smiling at her prototypes, she looks up to see Oscar staring at her in awe.


    ¡°You made your weapons yourself, didn¡¯t you?¡±

 Chapter 42 – Arms Dealer

    Chapter 42 ¨C Arms Dealer


    ¡°Yep! I was a mechanic before I was a mage and I don¡¯t intend to stop now,¡± Emily says proudly, gauging Oscar¡¯s reaction as she does.


    He nods thoughtfully, pausing for a moment before asking:


    ¡°Why would you reveal this to me? The state you left Jeremy and Kyle in suggests you would rather not tell others.¡±


    ¡°For one, you didn¡¯t come and threaten me to find out. Also, your reaction to seeing my talent was to try and entice me with benefits, which interests me. I¡¯m in need of money and contribution points to keep my studies and crafting going, for that I¡¯m willing to sell some of my creations and you seem like the best choice for that.¡±


    Her answer brings a smile to his face as he considers her implied offer.


    ¡°I see, so you want to sell items to me but have it remain secret that you were my source. You¡¯ll gain resources and get rid of some unwanted attention because people will believe I know the source of these new weapons too.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Emily responds with a smirk while walking away to set up her makeshift explosives.


    Placing the can containing fire crystal powder down next to a pillar, she looks back to Oscar.


    ¡°Get behind a pillar. If this works as intended, it will be a lot more dangerous than before.¡±


    He nods and quickly ducks behind the closest pillar. Seeing this, Emily does the same and peeks out, pointing at the cloth fuse with a finger and casting her spell. After the cloth catches alight, she quickly ducks back and listens for the detonation. A few seconds later, she hears a loud pop.


    Looking around the pillar, she finds the can broken apart in molten shards that are spread a few metres around the point of detonation.


    Disappointing, it seems to have just melted the can, not built-up pressure.


    Frowning, she moves on and places the can with just black powder on the other side of the same pillar. Lighting it with low expectations, she sits with her back to the stone and waits. This time, she hears a loud bang and sees several shards of metal fly past her, bouncing off the surrounding pillars and even embedding in a few places.


    That¡¯s better.


    With a grin, she moves around to inspect the can¡¯s remains and finds the base of the can scorched and cracked but mostly intact, with the walls blown apart.


    Make the final product round.


    She adds to her notes and starts placing down the third can as Oscar approaches.


    ¡°If you¡¯re willing, I would like to buy whatever you¡¯re making from these tests. That was similar to the military¡¯s hand grenades, but I feel mana from it! It will definitely be helpful against low-level beasts.¡±


    Emily nods.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll need a few days to refine them though, then I¡¯ll show you some of the finished products. Now, on to the last few tests.¡±


    She places down the mixed can with high expectations, moving to the other side of the pillar again with Oscar following her. Igniting the fuse, she waits with bated breath. Another bang rings out, and she sees several pieces of molten metal fly past. Moving out to inspect the wreckage, she notes that the metal didn¡¯t travel as far as with pure black powder, and several pieces were heated so much they just splattered against the floor. However, each piece still contains a small trace of fire element mana.


    Perfect, all I need to do is tweak the ratios a bit and I¡¯ll have a magical explosion in a can! Maybe I can test mixing in different metal powders to see if they affect it? And switching out the fire powder for light should achieve the flash I want.


    Satisfied with her tests, for now, she stands up and turns to Oscar.


    ¡°That was all I wanted to test today. I¡¯ll come knock on your door once I have some finished products to sell.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I look forward to it.¡±


    ***


    Back in her room, Emily puts aside her weapon tests for a moment to pull out her new spell scroll. Unfurling the parchment, she¡¯s met with a magic circle far more complicated than any she has seen before.


    Wow, that¡¯s a pretty big difficulty jump from first circle spells.


    With a slight frown, she sets about memorising the complicated twisting of shapes and runes on the page before her. After a few minutes of focus, the spell is safely tucked away into the storage within her mind and a system message appears to confirm her efforts.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Spell memorised: Wind Barrier


    [Wind Barrier]


    ¡°The shade of its branches can¡¯t hide the rot within,¡± Emily answers quickly.


    The peep-door slides shut with a clang, and she hears a series of clicks and grinding gears before the door slowly slides inwards. She quickly steps forward, moving past the guard without a word and walking down the long flight of stairs that greets her. The passageway is narrow with low ceilings, and the walls around her are made of smooth black bricks without any discerning features other than the torches fixed every few metres.


    Descending for a few minutes, the passage eventually opens up to reveal a vast hall, with bright burning lights hanging high above. Filling the room are several tented stalls and small buildings, with cloaked figures quietly ducking in and out of the entrances, careful not to draw any unwanted attention.


    Emily smoothly joins them, following a remembered path through the crowded alleys. She soon reaches a small building with guns and blades proudly displayed in the windows. Stepping in through the threshold, she¡¯s met with a strong aroma of smoke and booze. She walks past the racks of weaponry and approaches the man slumped at the counter.


    ¡°Hello,¡± she calls lightly in an attempt to gain his attention.


    Receiving no response after a few seconds, she kicks the counter jolting the man awake.


    ¡°What?¡± he asks with obvious displeasure.


    I wouldn¡¯t come here either if Ed had given me any other options for buying black powder. Shame it¡¯s not legal to sell it in Machineworks.


    Keeping her own displeasure off her face, Emily responds in a neutral tone.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to buy a barrel of black powder.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you again,¡± he says with a creepy grin. ¡°Sure, give me thirty silver and I¡¯ll throw in some helpful information for free.¡±


    Emily frowns at his suggestion, his grin giving her a bad feeling. She silently produces thirty small silver coins from within her robes and drops them onto the counter. The man turns to a door behind him, unlocking it with a small key from his belt and walking in. A few moments later he returns with a large barrel held on his shoulder. Moving around the counter, he places it down next to Emily.


    ¡°Before you leave the market, check out the tent of The Crystal Skull.¡±


    Emily listens to his cryptic advice as she easily picks up the barrel and begins to leave.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have a look.¡±


    ¡°Good luck,¡± he says with an unsettling laugh as she leaves.


    She starts wandering through the market looking around with a mixture of caution and curiosity.


    What on Ulea was that about? A crystal skull? I¡¯d rather not spend a second longer here than I have to. If I don¡¯t find it after one trip around, I¡¯m leaving.


    Slowly traversing the stuffy underground streets, Emily observes every tent she passes, looking for the so-called crystal skull. As she¡¯s about to give up, she spots an odd structure in the corner of her vision. Moving closer, she finds a white tent with black embroidery above the entrance, showing a crystalline skull with a dagger through the top.


    ¡°I guess this is it,¡± she mutters to herself unsurely as she parts the entrance and steps in.


    As she enters the tent, she smells a strange, sweet scent that sends an uncomfortable chill up her spine. Sitting in the middle of the tent is a gentle-looking woman with long wavy brown hair and piercing green eyes. On the small table in front of her are several incense burners and a small collection of noble crests. Seeing the crests, the majority bronze with a few in silver, immediately sets warning sirens blaring in her mind.


    ¡°Hello cutie, what would a young mage like yourself need from my little store?¡± the lady asks with a kind smile, her words confirming Emily¡¯s fears.


    ¡°What would an unawakened like yourself need with those crests?¡± Emily asks back while reaching up to take The Clock into her free hand.


    ¡°These little things?¡± the lady says, tilting her head like a fox watching its prey. ¡°Nothing much. They¡¯re just a few hunting trophies.¡±


    With a calm nod, Emily steps back through the tent¡¯s entrance and quickly moves towards one of the stairwells out of the market.


    That dick set me up.


    She reaches the base of a stairwell without issue and rushes up the narrow passage. Listening carefully as she climbs, she soon hears slightly off-beat steps echoing her own, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand up. As she reaches the top of the stairs, she finds the guard missing and the door locked shut. Placing The Clock back into her pocket, she reaches out to cast a spell but finds her mana movement sluggish.


    With a frown, Emily shuts her eyes and looks inward, finding her mana flow hindered by the remnants of the incense from the tent.


    Sneaky bitch.


    She clicks her tongue as she floods her system with machina, burning out the contaminant. Opening her eyes after the momentary pause, she casts her spell, creating a magic circle with a mixture of burning orange and frigid pale blue that appears against the door¡¯s locks. The circle glows and rotates as the mechanisms inside the door momentarily glow scorching hot before being rapidly cooled back to room temperature. A harsh crack rings out before Emily slides the metal bar out of the way and pulls the door open without resistance.


    With the footsteps now loud and hurried, no longer trying to cover their advance, Emily quickly exits the stairwell and closes the door behind her. Placing the barrel down off her shoulder, she raises both palms and quickly casts burning hands. She moves both hands to the edges of the door and melts the edge till it fuses shut.


    Good luck following me now.


    She grins in triumph as she picks up her barrel and runs off into the slums.

 Chapter 43 – Duel

    Chapter 43 ¨C Duel


    Stepping into an empty train booth, Emily places her barrel on the floor in front of her and settles into her seat, finally relaxing her guard a little.


    That was close, they almost caught up to me before I got the door open. Luckily my new spell worked wonders.


    She grins slightly as she pulls up the spell in the system and the notes from when she made it.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Thermal Shock]


    [Circle:] First


    [Cost:] 40 Mana/cast


    [Description:] Quickly change the temperature of an object in contact with the caster¡¯s hand between extreme heat and cold.


    _____


    New spell, base: burning hands and flash freeze.


    -Take contact target runes from flash freeze, and blend effects. Alternate effects.


    Thermal shock: extreme changes in thermal stresses causes mechanical failure.


    -Change to channel instant of instance cast?


    Shattered a heavy mechanical lock.


    Little to no visual damage on the door.


    Hot then cold was better (door cool to touch afterwards).


    Shorten heating cycle slightly (reached temp 0.14s before cooling started).


    Finished adding to her notes about the spell, Emily sits back in her seat. Her smile vanishes as she contemplates the table of crests and what they mean.


    What did she mean by ¡®trophies¡¯? Are they killing The Covenant¡¯s mages? It must¡¯ve been going on for a while. Why haven¡¯t they warned us about danger in the city? And why did that prick arms dealer tell me to go to that tent? Is he working with them, or was he trying to warn me? It¡¯s got to be a pretty big operation if they removed the guards from all the market¡¯s exits just to get me, so maybe they are all in on it?


    With a frustrated sigh, Emily reaches up and rubs her brow.


    Whatever, I¡¯d better ask around in The Dome and I¡¯ll be extra careful next time I go back there. Worst case, I can just kill them all or reset and avoid them if that¡¯s not possible. Should I reset so they don¡¯t realise I know about them? I still need the black powder, so I¡¯d have to go back anyway. Is it worth repeating yesterday¡¯s class for? It was really boring. I don¡¯t really care that they know. If they attack me again I¡¯ll just kill them.


    ***


    That afternoon, Emily heads to a new class with her friends. They arrive at the familiar training hall, except this time ¡®Basic Magic Combat¡¯ is written on the open door. They enter and find groups of first circle mages gathered, but no teacher.


    Walking to a free spot, Emily, Juliana, Tom, and Hester continue chatting as they wait for the teacher to show up.


    ¡°Is it okay for you to be in this class? Shouldn¡¯t you be going to intermediate instead?¡± Tom voices the question on everyone¡¯s mind to Emily.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to ask if I can be moved up a class as soon as possible,¡± Emily responds casually, not seeming worried about her chances. ¡°It¡¯s up to the teacher whether I can or not though, since I technically need to pass this to join the intermediate class.¡±


    ¡°Good luck, Emi. I think that may be harder than you think,¡± Juliana says gloomily.


    ¡°Why? Is the teacher strict?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that Mr Campanula¡¯s strict, but he is a nobility purist,¡± Hester answers for her with obvious disdain.


    The moment he finishes speaking, Emily brings her focus wholly to the coin spinning quickly towards the floor. Bringing her hands together, she sends a mental command while formulating a battle plan.


    Set core two to assistive processing.


    The coin slows its rotation in her perception till she can read the face each time it turns.


    I don¡¯t want to reveal double casting yet: it¡¯s better to keep a few cards hidden for now. Silent casting alone should be enough to catch him off guard.


    The coin lowers, only a few centimetres off the ground as Emily sends a small spark of mana into a crystal within her robes.


    He saw my casting speed before and was still confident in starting this fight so he¡¯s probably able to cast faster than me. Defence it is!


    The coin hits the floor and Emily¡¯s hands instantly burst into motion. Her fingers glide over each other, forming a complicated dance of light as pale green lines and runes fly into place in front of her. She stares straight ahead at her opponent as a solid mental picture of a protective gust takes shape.


    Mr Campanula slams his hands together the moment the coin falls, a prideful grin plastered on his face as he moves his hands in an exaggerated motion. He curls his fingers together in a twisted rotating motion, then gathers them together into one ball before throwing his hands towards Emily with fingers splayed.


    A glowing red orb of fire forms between his hands, roaring loudly as it flies out. Emily¡¯s casting finishes just in time, her arms sweeping wide, spreading the formed runic lattice before her to surround her body and shift into a twisting orb of safety. The fireball slams into her barrier, bursting apart as its flames are carried away by the wind, spreading to join the rotation until the individual strands of fire are snuffed out.


    ¡°Tsk,¡± Mr Campanula clicks his tongue in irritation. ¡°Impressive to be able to put up a barrier fast enough to block my fireball. Let¡¯s see how durable it is!¡±


    This time as he begins his gestures, Emily has her focus split on maintaining her barrier and watching him.


    Weird, where are the runes of his spell? He doesn¡¯t seem to be forming any.


    With her brow furrowed, she watches as a new fireball forms between his hands and flies at her barrier. The fireball explodes against the wind again, blocking her vision for a moment before being ripped apart.


    Disable assistive processing. Core two, maintain the wind barrier.


    With her main consciousness freed up, Emily focuses completely on watching Mr Campanula cast another fireball. She sends a small flow of mana to her eyes, slightly enhancing her ability to see the flow of mana around him. A faint shimmer appears in the centre of his chest as he gestures, before flowing down his arms and out of his palms the moment the fireball forms.


    Satisfied she has gathered enough data on his casting method, Emily stops focusing on him the moment the third fireball hits her barrier. The orb of wind holds strong. However, as she looks at her mana, she notices it decreasing slightly each time the barrier is hit.


    Damn! I can¡¯t keep this up forever. I need to go on the offensive.


    Moving on to the second stage of her quickly forming plan, she breaks out into a sprint, running forward to close the distance between them. The barrier follows her, draining her mana slightly faster but never letting her stray from the centre. A fourth fireball hits the in-motion barrier just as Emily steps within four metres of Mr Campanula.


    Realising that Emily¡¯s barrier is about to hit him, Mr Campanula starts backing off while twisting his fingers around and waving his hands in wide motions. Emily is two metres away, with her barrier only a metre from hitting her opponent, as a short, metre-wide wall of fire rises in her path.


    Grinning, Emily instantly drops her barrier and silently casts iron blade, forming a mental image of a short, thin blade. The small metal object drops into her hand and she raises her arm behind her, arcing her back and building up as much tension through her body as possible.


    Firmly planting her front foot, her arm violently snaps forward, sending the blade ripping through the barrier of fire as easily as air. The small blade flies straight towards Mr Campanula¡¯s face. His eyes widen in surprise, and he tilts his head to the side in the nick of time as the blade sails past, slicing his cheek on the way.


    He looks at Emily in rage. However, it quickly changes to confusion when he sees her standing relaxed, as if the fight is over already. Some of the students begin clapping, and the applause spreads until most of the class is congratulating Emily.


    ¡°That was a conjured blade,¡± Emily states smugly, clearing the confusion from Mr Campanula¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°I see,¡± he says uncomfortably before stepping forward with his hand outstretched. ¡°Well done, you pass this class. That was a fine display.¡±


    Deciding not to embarrass him further, in case he changes his mind, Emily quickly shakes his hand while lightly bowing her head.


    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡±


    As the class begins to quiet down, Mr Campanula continues calmly.


    ¡°You are dismissed now. I shall see you in the morning intermediate class starting next week.¡±


    Emily bows before turning to leave, walking past her friends and giving them a smug wink as she goes. The moment she passes them, her grin falls away to reveal a grim scowl.


    Now it''s time to ask about missing mages.

 Chapter 44 – The Crystal Skull

    Chapter 44 ¨C The Crystal Skull


    Leaving the training hall, Emily sends a small spark of mana into the crystal within her robes to end the recording, pleased that she¡¯d had the presence of mind to take the recording crystal to the lesson with her. After checking The Clock quickly, taking note of the time, she heads towards the transportation rooms, lost in thought.


    I can review the fight and work out how he cast without a magic circle later. As for finding out who¡¯s collecting crests as trophies, my best bet will be Oscar and Jenny. I¡¯ll go to Jenny first since she¡¯s been here longer.


    Stepping into the teleportation circle, Emily thinks of the teacher¡¯s dorms while injecting mana. After a quick displacement, she finds herself in an unfamiliar hallway. A lush crimson rug stretches down the centre of the long corridor. The ceilings are arched, with decorative patterns carved between the glowing crystal lights.


    Each door is two metres of silver metal with a name and number etched delicately in the centre, separated by at least fifty metres from the next. The first door starts at ¡®101¡¯ and Emily slowly walks down the empty hall until she arrives at ¡®118¡¯, Jenny¡¯s room, without spotting a single person.


    I guess the teachers don¡¯t like roaming the halls much. I don¡¯t often see them between classes either. It¡¯s slightly unsettling.


    Clearing her thoughts, she reaches up and knocks politely, hoping Jenny¡¯s in. After a dozen seconds, as Emily¡¯s hope begins to die, the door fades from existence, revealing Jenny standing before her with a raised brow and a quizzical smile.


    ¡°Emily, what a surprise. Please come in,¡± she says lightly while stepping aside.UppTodated from ily enters the room, looking around with curiosity. To her right, as she steps in, are a few sofas arranged around a low coffee table and a burning hearth set into the wall. Inside, she sees a small red magic circle carved into the ground with a few small red crystals powering it.


    Moving her gaze away, she looks to her left and sees a small kitchenette with a counter and a few raised chairs in the centre.


    It¡¯s a lot more homely than I expected.


    Unsure what to do, Emily awkwardly looks to Jenny, who walks past her into the kitchen.


    ¡°Take a seat over there,¡± Jenny says while gesturing towards the fireplace. ¡°Would you like any tea? Coffee? Hot Chocolate?¡±


    ¡°Um, tea please,¡± Emily answers as she settles down on one of the soft sofas.


    Looking around, she notices three doors leading further into the residence. All of them are dark wood with silver handles, the same as the bathroom door in Emily¡¯s own room. After a short wait, Jenny walks over carrying a tray that she places down on the coffee table between them as she sits on a sofa herself.


    ¡°It¡¯s a simple herbal tea. Sorry there¡¯s not any choice: I don¡¯t drink tea myself. There¡¯s milk in the jug and sugar in the bowl if you¡¯d like. As for the cookies, help yourself!¡± Jenny cheerily explains as she takes a sip from her own mug, containing a dark brown liquid that Emily assumes to be coffee.


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m honestly surprised you even have a kitchen in your room.¡±


    Emily pours some tea into her cup and adds a small drop of milk as she speaks.


    ¡°Haha, yes. A small bonus of teaching here, I guess. We get to customise our rooms, and I wanted a kitchen since I enjoy cooking. I even baked these biscuits myself,¡± Jenny answers with a cheeky grin while taking a bite from a chocolate chip cookie she has dipped in her drink.


    Maybe it¡¯s hot chocolate.


    ¡°Anyway, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?¡±


    Emily considers the question for a moment, unsure how to approach the topic of the trophy collector without mentioning the black market and her own law breaking. She wants to focus on getting answers not answering questions.


    I guess I can skirt around the issue at first and see how she reacts.


    ¡°I just wanted to ask you a question.¡± She pauses to take a sip of her tea before continuing. ¡°Have a lot of mages gone missing within the city?¡±


    Jenny flinches slightly before responding.


    ¡°Are you asking about recently, or in general?¡±


    ¡°Both.¡±


    ¡°Well, there haven¡¯t been a lot recently. In fact, we haven¡¯t had a disappearance for the last three years. But yes, we do have the occasional vanishing mage. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Why are you asking?¡±


    ¡°I went to the black market earlier and was baited into entering a tent with a crystal skull embroidered on the front. Inside, I met someone with a collection of crests from Covenant mages. They used inhibition incense to try and kill me. I want to know who they are and why they¡¯re killing mages.¡±


    Oscar relaxes slightly, leaning back in his seat and placing his head on his fist as he nods.


    ¡°I see, and are you asking this personally, or as a mage of the Mandrago family?¡±


    Emily narrows her eyes slightly and tilts her head in confusion.


    ¡°Personally, but why would that matter?¡±


    ¡°Well, if you were asking this for your family, I wouldn¡¯t answer,¡± Oscar replies with a derisive grin, surprising Emily with his shift in demeanour. ¡°Of course, your family would be able to tell you themselves if they weren¡¯t so greedy.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Oscar looks slightly surprised by her question.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know? Your family can¡¯t give you information on the mage killers because they haven¡¯t had a mage within The Covenant as staff or student since they sent their last members on a suicide mission into The Glade ten years ago. Everyone knows that the only way to gain information from within The Dome and capital is to leave a member of the family as staff in The Covenant. It¡¯s just common sense.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know, but it¡¯s nice to find out they have no way of getting information from within The Dome anymore.


    ¡°Okay, ignoring my family¡¯s incompetence, are you willing to give me any information or should I leave?¡± Emily asks, breaking Oscar out of his mocking laughter.


    ¡°Oh sure, I¡¯d be thrilled to help you!¡± His quick switch to a beaming smile sends a slight shiver down Emily¡¯s spine. ¡°The group you ran into refer to themselves as The Crystal Skull, quite an obvious name from their emblem. They popped up in the capital about thirty years ago now, five years after the last truce was signed with Morzea. They¡¯re a group of highly trained individuals who kill low-level mages in training within the kingdom, but mostly focused on the capital. The royal family has tried to get rid of them a few times, even putting together a squad of third circle mages to capture a few of their members three years ago, but they always spring back up, like the weeds they are, whenever they get wiped out. Unfortunately, they had several contingencies in place to kill themselves before revealing much information as well, so we didn¡¯t find out much.¡±


    He pauses for a moment to let Emily process everything before continuing.


    ¡°Now, as for the information we do know, they aren¡¯t mages, and kill purely with traps and close-quarters combat. Hence why hand-to-hand combat is such a popular lesson these days: it makes it far safer to travel within the city if you know you can defend yourself against them after having your magic blocked. They also have access to a plethora of magical oddities, like the inhibition incense you mentioned, and we don¡¯t know their source. However, I suspect that they are trained and supplied by Morzea for the sake of weakening us during peacetime.¡±


    Emily nods thoughtfully for a moment before asking:


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t our last peace treaty meant to end the wars for territory on this continent?¡±


    ¡°Ha, is that what they told you in geopolitics? No, the peace treaty was only set to last one hundred years. It may seem like a lifetime to commoners, but to us mages it¡¯s only a temporary ceasefire to gather strength.¡±


    ¡°I see. Thanks for the information,¡± Emily says absentmindedly, considering the consequences of Oscar¡¯s words.


    If they exclusively fight in close quarters, I should be relatively safe. The thought of war brewing is troubling, but it¡¯s still seventy-odd years off, so I¡¯ll toss that to the back of my mind for now.


    ¡°Why are you so willing to tell me all this?¡±


    ¡°I feel like it¡¯s in my interest to stay in your good graces,¡± Oscar replies smoothly. ¡°By the way, are the explosives ready for sale yet?¡±


    ¡°Not quite, I have the ratios finished now, but I still need to design and make my final prototypes before I can sell them. Give me two days and I¡¯ll show you my final test before we can decide on a price and how many you want.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I look forward to it!¡±


    ***


    Emily spends the evening designing her explosives, then the next day doing spell creation tests. Carefully watching the time as she does, she pulls out The Clock and resets at the exact time she left her magical combat lesson twenty-four hours prior.


    With her inquisitive conversations wiped clean, she finds Oscar and lets him know about the final test in two days'' time, before returning to her room. Finally, she has time to review her recent magical duel.

 Chapter 45 – Done Deal

    Chapter 45 ¨C Done Deal


    Sitting at her desk, Emily pulls out the recording crystal from within her robes and raises it to her eye. Spinning it around, she locates the correct activation rune and channels a small burst of mana into it. The moment the rune lights up, she shuts her eyes as a small screen appears within her mind.


    The screen slowly plays out the entire fight from start to finish, and Emily carefully analyses Mr Campanula¡¯s casting.


    He appears to be using a different form of gesture casting to me. When I create gestures, I form the magic circle with my hands, but I¡¯m certain those odd motions he makes don¡¯t form any runes. Maybe he¡¯s replacing the mental image with gestures? I can see how that odd finger movement could be flames gathering into a ball if I stretch my imagination.


    ¡°But that still doesn¡¯t explain the magic circle being missing,¡± she mutters to herself, standing up and beginning to pace while chewing her thumb.


    The magic circle has to be formed somewhere, that¡¯s certain, unless he¡¯s using elemental manipulation to form his fireballs. But where?


    Out of habit, Emily opens her system and begins flipping through recent additions in her notifications using her second core to look for anything relevant whilst her primary core continues her contemplation.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Notifications]


    Mute notifications in combat? [Yes]/[No]Re?Ad lateSt chapters at novelhall.com Only


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    Skill created: Perfect Silent Casting (passive)


    [Perfect Silent Casting (passive)]


    User can proficiently form a mental image and magic circle simultaneously.


    -Grants +10% casting speed when casting spells without a vocal component.


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    Sub-system updated: Progression


    [Progression]


    [Circle/Stage:] Second


    Requirements:


    -Intelligence 54/75 (Not Complete)


    -Create 1/5 unique E rank machines (Not Complete)


    -Learn internal casting (Not Complete)


    -Create 0/3 second circle spells (Not Complete)


    -Slay 0/1 third circle beast (Not Complete)


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    Skill granted: Basic Runesmithing (passive)


    [Basic Runesmithing (passive)]


    User is experienced in the art of creating and using runes.


    -Grants +10% rune creation chance


    -Grants an instinctive understanding of combining runes up to the third circle.


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    Magic knowledge learned: Basic Array Formation


    [Basic Array Formation]


    A fundamental understanding of connecting runes together to form long-standing arrays.


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    Skill created: Basic Mana Manipulation (passive)


    [Basic Mana Manipulation (passive)]


    User has fine control over external mana use.


    -Grants +10% efficiency and control over mana outside the body


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    Magic knowledge learned: Basic Alchemy


    [Basic Alchemy]


    ¡°How much do you want for them?¡± Oscar asks eagerly, ignoring her attempt at humility.


    ¡°Not so fast, I have another test to show you first.¡±


    Emily turns and walks back to the cover, with Oscar in quick pursuit.


    ¡°First we need the control test, stand a few metres away from me and shoot the metal sheet with this once my barrier¡¯s up,¡± Emily explains while handing Oscar a small, black, six-shot revolver from a holster on her leg.


    He raises a questioning eyebrow at her but doesn¡¯t say anything else as she walks away to stand behind the cover. The moment she¡¯s out of view, Emily quickly casts a wind barrier, forming it to cover the metal sheet as well.


    ¡°Ready,¡± she calls out, waiting for Oscar to do his part.


    Without hesitation, he raises the gun in his hand and fires a shot at the spinning dome of wind. The bullet flies towards the twisting winds. The moment it touches the barrier, it¡¯s deflected from its intended path and flung into an awkward orbit, hitting the ground harmlessly. Emily drops the barrier a few moments later, casually stepping out and gesturing for Oscar to join her.


    ¡°The wind barrier is particularly good at deflecting projectiles, but slightly weaker against direct magical attacks.¡±


    ¡°Obviously. Why are you explaining the spell I gave you to me?¡±


    Emily rolls her eyes, taking back her pistol.


    ¡°Wait a second, I¡¯m getting there.¡±


    With both of them concealed by the metal cover, Emily casts her barrier again. This time with a few gestures to not reveal too much to Oscar, her vigilance being raised since their discussion about The Crystal Skull.


    The moment the barrier is set up, she unclips another grenade from her waist and injects a small burst of mana before throwing it lightly over the barrier. The grenade lands just beyond the barrier and rolls to a stop a dozen metres away. Emily holds her breath in anticipation.


    This time the explosion is muted by the winds around them, barely sounding louder than a small pop. However, just as loud as ever they hear the loud screeching of metal on metal. Oscar¡¯s eyes widen in surprise as he realises what just happened, and Emily enjoys his look of shock while dropping the barrier and stepping around to check the damage.


    On the other side of the cover from them, they find shrapnel dug deep into the solid steel, having lost its magical glow.


    ¡°How did the grenade break through the wind barrier?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a mix of magic and physical objects so they can breach barriers specialised in one or the other!¡± Emily cries out proudly.


    Oscar nods silently, looking between Emily and the grenade¡¯s aftermath with awe and a hint of fear.


    I wonder how scared he would be if he realised I could make a revolver punch through barriers.


    Keeping her insidious thoughts of her past tests on her own barrier to herself, Emily continues to the most important part of her sales pitch: the price!


    ¡°Now, how much do you think they¡¯re worth?¡± she asks with a teasing grin.


    The moment money is mentioned, Oscar focuses solely on her, his apprehension falling away to reveal a hint of greed.


    ¡°My understanding is that you want to deal in a mix of contribution points and money, correct?¡±


    Emily gives a small nod, waiting with bated breath.


    ¡°In that case, how do ten points and two silver each sound?¡±


    Emily silently considers for a moment, not revealing her excitement over the price at all.


    ¡°Add two more points and fifty copper, and you have a deal.¡±


    Oscar quickly agrees with a smile, reaching out to offer a handshake and seal the deal. Emily happily obliges while celebrating internally.


    The production cost is only six points and fifteen copper! Selling weapons is great!


    ¡°Can I place an order for twenty of these by the start of the expedition?¡± Oscar asks.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll bring them to you when they¡¯re finished. Now, let me do one last test for myself before I leave,¡± Emily says with a sinister grin as she looks at him.


    Her gaze sends a shiver down Oscar¡¯s spine, but he quickly agrees and moves to take cover.


    He only seemed slightly scared earlier and his fear quickly turned to greed. Let¡¯s see if we can fix that, I¡¯d rather have him too scared of me to try anything in The Glade.


    She unclips the final grenade from her belt and pulls her arm back to throw it. Pouring a strong stream of machina into it, she activates overdrive and pushes in two hundred points of her esoteric resource. The grenade¡¯s uneven edges begin sparking with electricity, forming arcs to her fingers and sizzling in a dangerous build-up. Using a large amount of strength, Emily fires the grenade to the opposite side of the room and then quickly ducks behind the shield.


    Making eye contact with Oscar, she grins and clasps her hands over her ears just as a deafening explosion goes off. Oscar flinches and quickly covers his ears as well, shielding them from the powerful soundwave too late. Shrapnel rips past their barrier, trails of fire and lightning mixing as they impact the walls all around, a few hitting their metal cover with enough force to create small dents visible on the other side.


    Everything calms down after a few moments, no sounds left in the room other than Oscar¡¯s pained moans as he clasps his ears, and a slight buzz from the dozens of charged metal shards wasting the last of their energy. Emily steps out to observe the carnage with satisfaction. Walking over, she sees an eight-metre crater filled with metal shards planted in the slightly molten earth.


    A sixty per cent increase in damage dealt. That¡¯s pretty good!


    She turns to look at Oscar. Seeing his gaze of apprehension and horror, she smiles happily.


    ¡°Thanks, this has been really helpful. I¡¯ll get your grenades to you as soon as I can!¡±


    He nods absentmindedly as he walks with her to leave the training room.


    ¡°Are you selling that last grenade you used?¡± he asks with a neutral tone, clearly already expecting the answer.


    ¡°Nope! That¡¯s a personal model,¡± Emily answers with a sly grin as she steps through the door into the corridor, leaving Oscar staring at her receding back in lingering fear.

 Chapter 46 – Alchemy 101

    Chapter 46 ¨C Alchemy 101


    A couple of days later, Emily and Juliana walk through the cafeteria hand in hand to join their friends for breakfast. They find Tom and Ivor sitting together in awkward silence and sit down to both of their relief.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your sister?¡± Emily asks Tom as Juliana orders them food.


    ¡°I think the lab for your next class,¡± he answers unsurely. ¡°She left a note on my door this morning saying that she grabbed one of the lab assistant missions last night and she won¡¯t be joining us for breakfast.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame,¡± Juliana says disappointedly. ¡°At least she¡¯s earning points though. What about you, Tom? You planning on taking a mission any time soon?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. It¡¯s hard to find anything easy on the mission boards without them being taken the moment they¡¯re put up.¡±


    ¡°What about joining herb gardening with me? It¡¯d be nice to see a familiar face there, and Miss Hawthorne told us the other day to bring a friend if we wanted since she needs more helpers.¡±


    Tom goes silent, considering the offer for a bit.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re asking him to join you and not me,¡± Emily puts her hand on her heart and feigns offence as Tom thinks.


    ¡°You know you¡¯d be my first choice if you weren¡¯t so busy already,¡± Juliana teases, sticking out her tongue.


    Emily chuckles and focuses on her toast as it arrives in front of her.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll garden with you,¡± Tom finally answers, to Juliana¡¯s delight.


    ¡°Great! My next slot is tomorrow before dinner, meet me in the herb garden at 6.¡±


    With their plans for point earning decided, the group eat their breakfast over light conversation. Finishing her food, Emily checks the time and realises it¡¯s time to leave for her class.


    She stands up and gives Juliana a goodbye hug and a kiss before leaving the cafeteria with Ivor for her first alchemy lesson.


    ¡°What are we going to be doing today?¡± Emily asks Ivor excitedly as they walk through the hallway towards the practical labs, happy to finally join the class after memorising so many textbooks on beasts in preparation.


    ¡°We were meant to be learning to brew basic healing potions, but it may change with you joining,¡± he signs back uncertainly.


    ¡°I hope not, I¡¯m excited to see how potion-making works.¡±


    ¡°You may still, but I¡¯m not sure. When other people have joined, we normally cover the basics in their first lesson.¡±


    His response kills her excitement. They soon approach a door with ¡®Intermediate Alchemy¡¯ written in the centre. As Ivor pushes it open, Emily sees the lab behind it and lets out a small gasp of admiration.


    The room is large, with dozens of worktables set up. Each table is identical, with a neat setup of pots, glassware, and a large cauldron to the side. Several mages are already standing behind their table, casting glances towards the door as they hear it open.


    I wonder if Hester helped set these desks up.


    Emily follows Ivor in, and they both make their way to two of the tables near the front of the room. Ivor picks a table next to a girl with messy hair, glasses, and large eyebags. Emily instantly recognises her as the clerk from her nighttime trip to the hub.


    ¡°Hey, nice to meet you again. I¡¯m Emily Coldstone of house Mandrago,¡± Emily greets her with a smile.


    ¡°Ah, the one who can¡¯t order everything at once,¡± the girl says with a tired nod. ¡°Anka Zaluzian.¡±


    Emily blushes slightly at her comment.


    ¡°Sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, you aren¡¯t the worst I¡¯ve dealt with,¡± Anka dismisses while slowly looking between Ivor and Emily. ¡°You two know each other?¡±


    ¡°Quite obviously. How can you expect to brew anything if you don¡¯t have the appropriate tools?¡±


    Emily can¡¯t help but silently agree with Mrs Myrtle¡¯s statement.


    ¡°When preparing your lab for a concoction of any type, look through your recipe at all the intended stages and plan exactly which tools and containers you will need. Then gather all of them and set them up in an orderly manner. Never clutter your workspace with unneeded objects to maintain a comfortable workflow, and always plan your actions in advance,¡± she says before gesturing towards the worktables set up before each member of the class. ¡°Look towards our setup for classes as the gold standard. Each time we have brewing practice, your tables shall be set up in a manner that I approve. Now, once you have your lab set up appropriately, you can then move on to preparing your catalysts and ingredients. The exact preparations to be performed vary depending on the recipe and ingredients you are using, but the general rule is to prepare all catalysts to their final stage before you touch your primary ingredients or your separating agent. After your materials are ready, what is the next step?¡±


    This time, only a couple of hands are raised, including Ivor who gets chosen to answer.


    ¡°Set up any needed arrays,¡± he signs to Mrs Myrtle, who nods in agreement.


    ¡°Yes, setting up any needed arrays. This once again varies vastly from potion to potion, but most brews will require some form of stabilisation or control array. The latter can be ignored if you have fine enough mana control. Then next comes the most important part of your entire process, the brewing itself! The general rule is as follows: combine your primary ingredients in a fluid of some form, be that simple water or another magical ingredient itself, and apply heat or cold for a certain amount of time. Then mix in your catalysts and manage the reactions that follow, never allowing a catalyst to be fully combined, hence ruining your potion. Finally, add in your separating agent and fully remove both it and the catalyst, leaving you with a finished brew.¡± Finishing her explanation, Mrs Myrtle turns to look at Emily. ¡°Did you follow all of that?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Good, in that case, I shall now return to my planned class, brewing a basic healing potion.¡±


    The scratching chalk pauses, a full breakdown of Mrs Myrtle¡¯s brewing instructions written out on the large blackboard. The chalk flies up to the first line, ¡®gathering ingredients¡¯.


    ¡°You should all have done your homework, so who can tell me the ingredients required for a basic healing potion?¡±


    Emily joins the rest of the class in raising her hand, having taken the liberty of reading several alchemy textbooks in advance. Mrs Myrtle sees and raises a brow slightly while pointing towards her.


    ¡°Go ahead, Miss Coldstone.¡±


    ¡°Two stalks of wyrmroot, the blood of a nymph, and powdered light crystals.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± The chalk springs to motion, writing Emily¡¯s answer. ¡°Now can anyone else tell me what¡¯s special about this recipe?¡±


    She picks a random student from the middle of the room again.


    ¡°There is no separating agent.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and can anybody tell me why?¡±


    This time only Anka and Ivor raise their hands. Emily looks at them curiously, not knowing the answer herself.


    ¡°Miss Zaluzian?¡±


    ¡°Crystals are often an outlier to the catalyst rules. When light crystals are used as a catalyst, they boost the effects of healing potions without contaminating them, so they can be left in.¡±


    ¡°Good, five points to Anka Zaluzian,¡± Mrs Myrtle says with a hand on the base of the blackboard, revealing a set of runes carved beneath, as the whole board momentarily lights up with the glow of mana. ¡°The second step has already been completed for you. Please take a moment now to familiarise yourself with the equipment on your tables, I expect you all to use the correct tool for each step without me having to tell you. Now, to process our catalyst you will each need to take the light crystal provided and powder it using your preferred method. I will give you five minutes, start!¡±


    The room quickly fills with the sound of rustling robes and ceramics clinking against each other as the students hurry to grind up the light crystals. Emily looks over her worktable and finds a single small glistening white crystal next to two jars filled with blood and six thin brown roots with ruby-red veins tracing their bodies.


    Taking the crystal in hand, she picks out a small ceramic ramekin and holds the crystal in the air above it, between both palms. Carefully, she creates a small layer of pure mana across her palms, before slowly moving her hands apart, holding the bubble of mana in place with her will and focus. The small crystal floats freely within the bubble as Emily uses her second core to send a small burst of light attribute mana into the crystal.


    Instantly, the crystal starts to glow brighter and vibrate. She pours mana into the supportive bubble, careful not to add too much at once until the crystal comes to a halt. Then, under the curious gazes of a few other students who are distracted by the bright light, the crystal breaks itself apart into a fine powder. The powdered crystal falls, in a thin glittering stream, directly into the ramekin below.


    To finish off her preparation, Emily grabs a small set of balancing scales and carefully divides the crystal powder into three equal portions before looking around and seeing a few students looking at her strangely. Confused, she looks to Ivor and sees him standing with his crystal in a mortar and one of his hands holding the side, injecting mana into it, lighting up the array carved around its outside. His other hand holds a pestle that he uses to delicately crush up the crystal.


    I see, the array on the mortar stabilises the crystal in the same way as my mana bubble, but without as large a mana cost. I wonder if I could create an unattributed spell to perform the same function, or does it need to be in the form of an array to work?


    Emily turns back to the front and waits patiently for Mrs Myrtle to continue guiding the class, ignoring the murmured conversations around her about her strange preparation techniques.

 Chapter 47 – Alchemical Aspirations

    Chapter 47 ¨C Alchemical Aspirations


    ¡°Time¡¯s up!¡± Mrs Myrtle shouts, silencing the room and pulling everyone¡¯s focus back to her.


    ¡°That should be enough time for even the slowest of you as long as you¡¯ve been paying attention properly,¡± she says while casting a glance at a few students still shamefully crushing crystals. ¡°Now, on to preparing our ingredients themselves. You all have it easy today, as the nymph¡¯s blood doesn¡¯t need anything doing to it, and the wyrmroot has already been cleaned so you just need to prepare it. We shall be preparing enough to attempt brewing three times, so please take six stalks out of the storage jar and grab your cutting plates.¡±


    Emily follows her instructions, grabbing the smooth white stone sheet and placing it in the centre of the table in front of her as she pops the lid off the wyrmroot¡¯s jar. A rich earthy aroma hits her the moment the seal on the jar breaks, followed by a soothing calm spreading through her body. Ignoring the effects of the root, she pulls out one of them and places it on the plate.


    ¡°Now, you are going to take your preparation knife, and slowly split the veins from the root. Be very careful not to cut the veins, if you break a vein, you will spoil the entire root and be forced to throw it away. Once you have separated the body and veins of the root, leave the veins whole and pulp the body, being careful to keep the sets of prepared veins with their original bodies unless you want an imbalance to ruin your potion. If you need an example, watch me do it once first: if not, start when you are ready,¡± Mrs Myrtle says before looking down at the root before her and raising a small silver knife with immense focus.


    Emily watches her slowly bring the knife to the edge of the root, before carefully tracing it along the side of one of the red veins. She slowly guides her hand down the length of the root without a single quiver. After reaching the bottom of the plant, she lifts her knife back to the top and traces it along the other side of the vein. By the time she reaches the bottom again, the vein is practically falling from the root.


    Seems easy enough.The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n))


    Emily grabs her own silver knife and carefully cuts out all of the roots. Her hands smoothly follow her will, without a single vibration or variation from the intended path, a testament to her vastly improved dexterity. Placing the loose veins together on an empty tray, she grabs an empty mortar and pestle, grinding up the root¡¯s body before placing it in an empty ramekin next to its veins.


    She repeats this process with the other five roots in the jar, only having her focus broken once when Mrs Myrtle starts moving around the room to inspect the students¡¯ preparation. Upon seeing Emily¡¯s controlled and fluid motions, she gives her an approving nod before moving on silently.


    After twenty minutes, everyone in the class finishes preparing their roots, and Mrs Myrtle returns to the front of the room to continue guiding them.


    ¡°Next, we move on to preparing our cauldron¡¯s arrays. Can anyone tell me which array or arrays we will need to use for this potion?¡±


    Several hands shoot up, and Mrs Myrtle picks a random boy in the back row.


    ¡°Just a control array. There are no unstable ingredients in the recipe.¡±


    ¡°Good! He¡¯s completely correct, nymph blood and wyrmroot are both magically weak ingredients on their own and don¡¯t have any major conflicts, so we can mix them without the need for any form of stabilising array or agent,¡± she says while moving to stand in front of the large cauldron next to her desk. ¡°We will, however, need a control array to help us manage the reaction since most of you won¡¯t have the refined mana control to do without yet.¡±


    She lifts the lid of the cauldron and turns it to show its insides to the class, revealing a complex weaving of runes carved onto a silver panel within. Emily stares at the magic circle, awed by the density of engravings.


    That¡¯s got to be a third circle array at least, there¡¯s over twice as many runes as in my second circle spells. Can second circle mages even activate that?


    ¡°All of your cauldrons have these flexible arrays mounted in the lid. Some of you have used these before, but if you haven¡¯t, you can activate the appropriate section by channelling mana into the correct point on the outside.¡± Mrs Myrtle flips the lid and points to several small silver dots snaking around the edge of it. ¡°Each point will have a small letter carved next to it to show what it activates. C is the basic control array. If you haven¡¯t used one of these before, please have a play with it now to familiarise yourself with it before we begin our brewing.¡±


    Upon being given permission, Emily follows most of the class in moving over to her cauldron and tracing her finger around the outside of the lid. Quickly locating the small engraved ¡®C¡¯, she places her finger over the corresponding white dot and pours her mana into it. The moment her mana saturates the array, she feels an ethereal connection being formed and watches in fascination as her vision splits, as a strand of mana stretches down into the cauldron allowing her to see inside.


    The odd change in perception, being able to see outside the cauldron with her eyes and inside with her mana, makes her feel slightly dizzy, but she adjusts after a few seconds. Curiously, she moves her mana around the inside of the cauldron for a bit, experiencing a strange feeling of disconnect with the strand.


    How interesting, it feels like the commands to my mana are being delayed and having small variations removed... It¡¯s artificially removing unstable motions that would upset the brewing! This may have been helpful before I practised controlling my mana enough to develop the mana manipulation skill, but it feels limiting right now.


    Pulling her finger away, she breaks her connection with the array before placing her hand flat on the top of the lid. Shutting her eyes, she directs her mana to flow out of her palm, forming into a pure strand on the other side and reaching down into the body of the cauldron. She performs the same motions as before, confirming that she has better control without the array.


    I guess I don¡¯t need to use it then. Though, I¡¯m not quite sure how to view inside using mana alone, so I might have to use it anyway for now.


    To Emily¡¯s surprise, not a single student raises their hand in response to the question.


    Wait, no one succeeded?


    ¡°As expected. Clean out your cauldrons and try again on your own. This lesson only ends when you have tried all three of your attempts so don¡¯t rush and take care in your work,¡± she finishes before stepping away from her table and beginning to move through the room to watch the students work.


    Emily pours the unpleasant-looking contents of the cauldron into a waste bin before quickly cleaning it out with some extra water. Filling it with three hundred millilitres of water again, she places it back onto the fire before moving all the required ingredients to the edge of the table, this time making sure not to miss anything out.


    She follows the same process again, following the precise timings needed, and as she adds the veins and light crystal to the mixture again, she takes a slightly different approach. Dismissing the control array, she places a hand on top of the cauldron lid and shuts her eyes, pushing a mana tendril down into the brew without assistance. Stirring the contents, she focuses on feeling for mana within the mixture. After a minute or so, at the same point where she started to see coloured bubbles, she starts feeling dense points of mana gathering.


    Thought so! I can use mana density to work out where the impurities are without seeing the mixture.


    With great speed and control, she lashes out with her mana tendril, bursting apart any impurities before they can fully take shape. The second four minutes pass, she pulls off the lid and is greeted by a burst of light crimson mist and an enticing sweet smell, along with a system notification.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Quest generated: Alchemical Aspirations


    [Alchemical Aspirations]


    [Rank:] D


    [Description:] You¡¯ve joined the world of alchemy by following a known recipe. Now become a true alchemist and create your own!


    Requirements:


    -Create and successfully brew a new unique potion (Not Complete)


    Rewards:


    -Mechanic Knowledge: Chemistry


    _____


    Wait, only a single knowledge for a D-rank quest? It¡¯s either a really useful knowledge, or this system¡¯s unfair.


    As she processes her new quest, she takes a glass bottle from the table and pours the healing potion from her cauldron into it. Putting the cork into place, she happily marvels at the bright crimson liquid with glittering sparks of light mana flowing through it.


    ¡°We have our first success! Congratulations, Miss Coldstone,¡± Mrs Myrtle says from behind her, catching Emily by surprise.


    Emily turns to face her and thanks her with a smile. Mrs Myrtle urges her to try her last attempt before handing her a list of books for further reading, wishing her luck, and leaving to continue her job.

 Chapter 48 – Introductions

    Chapter 48 ¨C Introductions


    Emily finishes her lesson and then wastes the day, resetting twenty-four hours later to gain more free practice brewing and to check for a first-try quest. Upon realising there is no quest, she spends a few resets trying different methods of injecting mana and machina to stir the mixture and remove impurities. Machina has no effect on the process at all, and the moment she tries to disperse her mana within the mixture, it contaminates the process and ruins the careful balance she has formed. However, she does realise that she can create an independent strand of mana with each core to help.


    A few weeks later, she finds herself returning to Oscar¡¯s training room once again, this time set up as a plain grey and white hall, reminiscent of the B-grade training room''s default setup. Today is one of her few free days, without any of her new intermediate classes, and Oscar has gathered the expedition group to practise their coordination. Standing to the side as they wait for the last few members to show up, Emily and Ivor have a silent conversation alone.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you meant to have hand-to-hand combat classes right now?¡± Ivor signs worriedly.


    ¡°Not anymore, A passed a few of us last week so I¡¯m moving up to intermediate classes now. They¡¯re in the morning instead, but she told me to wait a week before joining since today was a bad lesson to start on apparently.¡±


    Ivor nods before glancing uncomfortably at Oscar, who has kept a close eye on both him and Emily since they entered.


    ¡°Are you sure about this? He¡¯s been acting weird for a while. Is this safe?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Emily answers with a grin. ¡°He¡¯s currently slightly scared of me since I showed him these.¡±


    She moves a hand to her chest and lightly taps one of the grenades hanging from a bandolier. Ivor shivers slightly and nods in understanding, remembering Emily telling him about the contents of the dangerous weapons she carries so casually.


    ¡°That¡¯s reasonable then. As long as he won¡¯t attack us, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    Their silent conversation stops as the three final group members walk into the training room. Looking around at the group, Emily notices how all of them but her, Oscar, and four of the bronze-crested vassals are still only wearing their standard robes.


    Oscar has a silken purple robe with golden stitching. As he moves to the centre of the room it flaps open slightly, and she sees an intricate weaving of runes concealed within. The four vassals, two boys and two girls, are both without robes. Instead, they are just wearing simple trousers and shirts while carrying large, oversized bags on their backs.


    As for Emily herself, while at first glance she doesn¡¯t look much different, underneath her robes are several pieces of newly finished battle gear. Her shoes are an E-rank pair of black, knee-high leather boots that grant her an extra four strength and two agility. The soles are an aggressive-looking black metal, with a few small gears visible on the sides. With a slight burst of mana or machina into the magic array held within, a stream of steam can be released to activate the internal mechanisms to adjust the treads on the bottom. When activated, small sets of metal spikes extend out of the sole to give more traction or deal increased damage with sweeping kicks.


    The feature that caused her the most grief to include, though, is the small earth crystal integrated into the side of the heels, which powers a spell for increasing the weight of the shoes at will. With a single thought, she can plant her feet for more stability, or deliver a kick with devastating force. The black metal spreads in thin plates up her shins, providing a little added protection without much weight.


    Her trousers remain unchanged, still a simple durable leather pair. However, strapped to her right thigh is a custom-made six-shot revolver. While being a failure in Emily¡¯s eyes, since it only met F-rank, the gun is a delicately machined mass of black metal that comfortably sits in her hand, so she can¡¯t really complain.


    Around her waist is a belt with several pouches and a few glass bottles attached. Most of the pouches are filled with ammunition for her pistol, a few of them being unique by-products of her research, and a few being standard. The others contain a couple of magic crystals for powering spells or arrays in a pinch. The bottles contain a few basic healing potions, brought along as an extra precaution.


    Her torso is wrapped in sleek E-rank body-armour, which sadly didn¡¯t count towards her progression requirements, but provides her with an extra five vitality. The base of it is a shirt made from the elastic plant fibres she tested for Auntie Annie, dyed in black and given as a gift for helping test the fabric. There are several form-fitting sheets of thin titanium placed over her vital areas, and several runic engravings trace her body¡¯s curves, forming the two passive enchantments of the armour. The runes all flow to meet four small magic crystals sitting at the base of her neck. Two are wind element, solely dedicated to reducing the armour¡¯s weight to a barely noticeable burden. The other two are earth and metal element, the latter being a rare find Emily spotted on the contribution market, working in tandem to reinforce the metal plates against physical and magical attacks.


    Finally, lying across her chest armour, barely visible through the opening in her robes, is her bandolier of assorted grenades. Some simple mana grenades, and some a new design containing a mix of black powder and powdered light crystals, with eight thin channels carved down their sides.


    As he comes to a halt in the centre of the room, Oscar claps his hands to grab everyone¡¯s attention and calls for them to group up.


    ¡°Right, everybody, we leave for The Glade in three weeks, so until then, we will meet up like this once a week to practise formations and combat together to make sure everything goes smoothly. To start with, let¡¯s introduce ourselves and our specialities so we all understand what everyone is capable of. I¡¯ll go first,¡± he says with a confident smile as he looks around the group. ¡°I¡¯m Oscar, second circle, and I¡¯m a wind mage. I specialise in barriers and long-range attack spells.¡±Re?Ad lateSt chapters at novelhall.com Only


    Emily can¡¯t help the small grin that creeps onto her face at his introduction.


    No wonder my implicit threat worked so well; I proved that I could kill him through his speciality!


    Oscar turns his head to a short boy with a stern frown standing to his left, gesturing for him to introduce himself next.


    ¡°Enzo Dianthus, second circle, earth mage, control spells.¡±


    The moment he finishes his brisk introduction, the tall boy with a beaming smile and fiery red hair standing with his arm around Enzo¡¯s shoulder jumps in.


    ¡°Dante Hibiscus, second circle, fire mage specialised in area of attack spells.¡±


    ¡°Cormac Anemone, second circle, darkness mage specialised in debuffs,¡± the final silver-crested boy states calmly, his gaunt face and sizeable eye bags making Emily question if he has ever seen light in the first place.


    ¡°Fine then, I want Bianca and Matteo at the back with Enzo. You should be able to support the front still with your range if we run into trouble. Ivor and Cormac will join the left flank, and Erin and Callum will join the right.¡±


    As everyone moves to stand in their designated place, Emily and Dante are left standing alone out of formation.


    ¡°And that just leaves you two to join me at the front, with both of your firepower we should easily be able to clear our path,¡± Oscar says with a grin while clearly focusing on Emily.


    Emily nods calmly while asking a question.


    ¡°What about detecting enemies? It seems a bit odd to just put large-scale power in the front without the ability to work out what we¡¯re walking into.¡±


    ¡°Good point! Does anybody here have any strong detection spells?¡± Oscar suddenly turns and asks the group, having overlooked this point in his preparations.


    Nobody says anything and Oscar quickly grows disappointed. However, after a few seconds of silence, Ivor raises his hand.


    ¡°How does your spell work?¡± Oscar asks him immediately.


    Ivor looks past him to Emily and quickly signs a message.


    ¡°He said it detects vibrations in the ground. It works better when he¡¯s stationary but can still be used as an early warning system,¡± Emily translates before adding input of her own. ¡°Oh, I also have that spell, but I¡¯m not great at using it so I¡¯m going to work on something better before the expedition.¡±


    ¡°That should be fine then, let me know when you finish. For now, we¡¯ll keep this basic formation and ask Ivor to use his detection periodically as we move. Is that okay?¡±


    Ivor nods his head in agreement.


    ¡°Sorted! Thanks for thinking ahead, Emily,¡± Oscar flashes her a grateful smile.


    ¡°No problem. It makes my job easier if I know what¡¯s coming to attack me.¡±


    ¡°Haha, fair point. Let¡¯s put our formation to the test then shall we,¡± he calls out excitedly, looking over the group as his smile stretches into a grin. ¡°Training room, change setting to The Glade test one!¡±


    The moment the words leave his mouth, the entire room starts to shake slightly, surprising everyone as they start looking around. Emily sees the distant plain white walls start to fade, being replaced by a horizon and skyline that she knows can¡¯t actually exist in the underground space.


    The ground beneath their feet shifts, turning from smooth grey stone to soft, damp earth, before grass and bushes begin to grow from nothing. As the shrubs reach their chests, suddenly tall trees begin rocketing out of the ground, shooting to tower dozens of metres above them and partially blocking the artificial lights above.


    Emily even tastes the air gaining a hint of humidity and a natural earthy smell as a low fog rolls in to surround them. As the shaking subsides, Emily looks around in wonder at the drastic changes and hears the faint sound of branches snapping and leaves rustling, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.


    ¡°This is a training mode set up by past members of the Salvia household who have been into The Glade. Both the environment and the enemies have been modelled to give as realistic a training exercise as possible,¡± Oscar says quietly, only just loud enough to be heard by everyone.


    ¡°Enemies?!¡± Maeve cries out in shock from the middle of the formation.


    The moment she does, a long, fast-moving object shoots out of the trees ahead of them.


    Core two, assistive processing.


    With a single command, Emily¡¯s perception slows to a standstill, and she gazes at the long dark red object stretching past her towards Maeve. With a small grin, she reaches and grabs the object, stopping its advance before giving it a violent yank.


    A large dark green frog flies out of the trees towards her against its will, pulled by its tongue, and Emily quickly stabs her free arm towards its head. With a small spark of machina, her Claw shoots out and impales the creature, stopping it dead in its tracks, its large dark eyes glazing over within moments.


    Assistive processing off.


    ¡°Yes, enemies,¡± Emily says quietly, dropping the beast''s disintegrating corpse to the ground and turning to look at the horrified expressions of her teammates.

 Chapter 49 – Trial Run

    Chapter 49 ¨C Trial Run


    The group falls into silence, all of their focus on the corpse of the giant frog slowly dissolving into nothingness. No one says a word until their silent surprise is disturbed by Oscar speaking again in a hushed whisper.


    ¡°As you can see, from the moment I activated the training mode we have to be incredibly cautious, like we¡¯re already in The Glade. There are still a few core differences between this and the actual environment that you should keep in mind. First, it may be raining, but that¡¯s not simulated because of the amount of extra mana draw it would require from The Dome. Second, the space we can use, while distorted by the spatial enchantments in the room, is still limited. That means, all the beasts in here will be within a limited range and react to sound even faster. Finally, the unpredictability of The Glade can¡¯t be replicated. No matter how well we do in this simulation, never drop your guard once we¡¯re in there for real.¡± His words send a ripple of understanding through the group, the quick combat encounter working to drive home his points. ¡°Now, treat this as the real deal and let¡¯s get moving.¡±


    Finished giving his speech, Oscar gives Emily a light nod and begins silently marching forward. Drawing in her exposed blade with a small burst of machina, Emily follows his example and slowly begins pushing forwards through the loose foliage. The gathered group quietly do the same, no one daring to stray too far from the pack.


    As they quietly move forward for a few minutes, Emily¡¯s eyes never leave her surroundings. She carefully observes the crowded shrubs and plants filling the lower level, and occasionally casts her gaze up towards the sheltering canopy above. The dense blend of green and brown along with the light humid haze seems to cause objects to blur together into an indistinguishable mass only a few metres away from her.


    Her focused observation soon bears fruit, as she spots a flicker of movement in a layer of branches far above. Silently, she raises her hand while coming to a complete stop. A low murmur spreads through the group as people notice her gesture and cautiously follow her unspoken command. Silence falls over the gathering again as everyone waits with bated breath while looking around in fear and agitation.


    Ignoring the panicked reactions of most of the commoner mages, Emily keeps her gaze high above while signing a request to Ivor.


    ¡°Scan for enemies.¡±


    She notices a couple of branches shaking unnaturally on either side of their group and slowly reaches down for her revolver while waiting for Ivor¡¯s response. Ten seconds and three more noticeable movements later, Emily hears a light thud and glances over to Ivor.The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n))


    ¡°Unknown number, above.¡±


    Damn, vibrations don¡¯t help enough with enemies above. I need to finish a vision spell before the expedition.


    With a light nod, calm determination settles over Emily as she quietly alerts the group.


    ¡°An unknown number of enemies above, prepare your barriers.¡±


    The moment they hear her words, Mia, Bella, and Oscar begin chanting in hushed tones. Ignoring them, Emily unclips her revolver and slowly raises it to face the sky. Watching intently, she waits with her finger on the trigger. The instant she sees a flicker of movement, her hand whips into position, squeezing the trigger and sending a machina-charged bullet spiralling into the canopy above. The crack of gunfire is soon followed by a pained screech and a shape falling into the bushes a few metres away from her.


    Before Emily has time to celebrate landing her shot, four angry cries ring out in harmony, alerting her to the positions of their ambushers. She moves her gun to aim at another beast, but four jagged dark brown spikes fall fast from above and her vision is quickly impaired by the thin barriers of water and turbulent wind that form to protect her. The moment the barriers cover every group member completely, several fast-murmured chants break out as the others finally feel safe enough to counter-attack.


    Frowning slightly, Emily drops her hand, holstering her gun before silently casting two spells.


    No one will notice double-casting if I cast one spell internally and another externally!


    A shimmering silver magic circle appears above her hands, with a small, wide blade taking shape in the middle. The blade stretches to a few inches long, and a ring twists into being, in place of the handle. At the same time, a long, thin steel wire forms that she deftly weaves through the blade''s ring using her innate control over the forming spells.


    With her makeshift weapon conjured in less than two seconds, she looks upwards, focusing on one of the faint shapes darting between branches high above, raining sharp objects down on the group. The magic circle around the blade fades, starting a one minute timer till the blade and wire vanish due to a lack of mana. With the wire held firm in her left hand, she holds the blade in her right and draws her arm back to full extension while internally casting a third spell.


    Her arm arcs forward, sending the blade sailing through the protective barriers and up towards their overhead attackers. Her third spell finishes and a pulse of lightning enters the wire in her hand. The blade sails past her target, mid-jump, but the creature collides with the wire, and is fried by electricity. It tumbles uncontrollably to the ground on the left flank of the group. Emily pulls hard on the cable, drawing the blade back in while Ivor moves to confront the fallen enemy.


    ¡°Enough of that, are there any other pieces of helpful feedback we can give?¡± he asks, casting a pointed glance at Emily and emphasising the word helpful.


    ¡°I have something,¡± Emily replies calmly, ignoring his silent reproach. ¡°We should possibly work out some hand signals or something so we can alert everyone to problems without making much noise. It would also be helpful for situations like that if someone else could understand Ivor¡¯s detection reports and say them out loud without me having to look away from the enemies I¡¯ve spotted.¡±


    Most of the group nod and voice their agreement, while a few of the noble mages begrudgingly look on in silence.


    ¡°Good idea, I¡¯ll work on a full set of hand signals and write them out for everyone before next week''s training. I expect you all to memorise them and I will be testing you before we leave for the expedition. Anything else?¡± Oscar looks around, waiting a few seconds for a response. After hearing nothing, he restarts the training simulation.


    They continue moving forward in their formation, pausing every few minutes to allow Ivor time to scan their surroundings for threats. After half an hour, and half a dozen combat encounters, the group walks into an empty clearing with traces of exhaustion evident on their faces. Emily on the other hand guides them with a relaxed gait, appearing fresh and alert. She glances at her mana and machina as her second core maintains an earthen detection spell in the background.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Mana:] 2856/3420


    [Machina:] 3414/3420


    _____


    My resources are barely falling with the repeated use of first circle spells. Though keeping earthen detection up for so long has definitely made a dent...


    Her thoughts are interrupted by a ping in the back of her mind from her second core. Instantly, she raises a hand to halt the group as she drops into a combat-ready stance while reaching for her pistol. Bringing her detection spell to the forefront of her mind, she focuses on the feedback and feels several dozen points of vibration entering her detection range, surrounding the group, and slowly encroaching on their position.


    ¡°Tsk,¡± Emily clicks her tongue in irritation before informing the group. ¡°We¡¯re surrounded, there are at least twenty enemies.¡±


    The sound of chanting soon fills the clearing as everybody prepares for battle. The air hangs heavy over the group as the fog grows denser, rolling in and blocking their view of their surroundings.


    Shit, I can¡¯t shoot in this.


    Emily quickly holsters her gun before bringing her hands together in front of her.


    This is as good a time as any to test out my new spell.


    With an excited grin, she begins building a magic circle in the air before her, ignoring the glistening sky-blue runes that dance into life and focusing on a point twenty metres away where she feels clustered footfall moving closer. The air around her starts crackling with power and the hairs on the back of her neck raise in anticipation.


    As the closest vibrations reach ten metres away, the pulsing spell is prepared. Unleashing her creation upon the world, she proudly declares her first second circle attack spell¡¯s name.


    ¡°Bolt!¡±

 Chapter 50 – Explosive Lessons Learned

    Chapter 50 ¨C Explosive Lessons Learned


    The harsh crack of thunder fills the clearing as a blazing bolt of lightning tears through the space before Emily, searing everything in its path. In a split second, before anyone can even blink, the point twenty metres away that she was focused on is connected to her hands by the bolt, forming a void in the fog. Through the newly cleared path, she spots two cat-like creatures that she instantly recognises as fog cats, a jaguar-like creature known for hiding in magically formed fog to hunt. Or at least, what¡¯s left of two fog cats.


    Both of them are lying unmoving on the ground. One with its head deformed and smoking, black scorch marks covering its snout to the base of its neck, with the rest of its body still hidden within the mist, having avoided the worst of the spell. The other wasn¡¯t so lucky: lying in the centre of the lightning¡¯s path, its entire body is scorched and still twitching, thanks to the residual electricity from her spell.


    While marvelling at the results of her spell, Emily doesn¡¯t forget to warn her group mates of their assailants in advance.


    ¡°It¡¯s fog cats!¡± she shouts while pulling two grenades off her bandolier.


    ¡°Bianca, come help me clear the fog! The rest of you keep them away until we finish,¡± Oscar instructs calmly.


    ¡°With pleasure,¡± Emily says with an evil grin, charging both grenades full of machina and tossing them deep into the fog near clusters of movement. ¡°Cover your ears!¡±


    Following her own advice, Emily blocks her ears with her hands as she starts preparing a second bolt. Two thunderous booms sound ahead of them, and several crackling shards of metal fly past the group. One of the shards hits Dante, cancelling his prepared spell as he cries out in pain and clutches his thigh.


    Okay, maybe I shouldn¡¯t be charging those with machina so close to friendlies.


    Unconcerned by her friendly fire, Emily turns away from the front, where she no longer detects any movement, and checks on the group. The two flanks are handling themselves fine, surrounded by thin barriers of water, they throw small spells and slash sharp blades at any shapes that try to emerge from the fog, forcing them to back off. However, Matteo and Enzo are obviously struggling to maintain the back without Bianca¡¯s help.


    Noticing their plight, Emily dashes to the side, breaking formation and crossing into the fog while focusing on the fast-approaching vibrations at the back of the group. The moment she has a clear shot past everyone, she raises both hands before her while activating the shimmering magic circle that awaits her command.


    Another bolt of lightning rips the fog apart, scorching a line through three more fog cats. Emily ignores the falling bodies and turns to face the multiple sets of footsteps charging towards her from hidden within the mist. She turns to face them while slowly backing towards the group, but before she can move very far, a shape springs at her from the fog. Ducking to avoid the large cat, Emily slashes a Claw against its stomach, splitting it open from throat to groin.


    She rises as two more cats leap at her, sidestepping one and meeting the other¡¯s skull with her elbow. With a clean swipe from her Claw, the downed fog cat is quickly executed as she keeps her focus on the concealed creatures still circling her.


    These things would be a bitch to fight if I wasn¡¯t channelling a detection spell right now.


    Emily tracks the last cat with her finger, quickly shooting an air burst towards it. The spell flies past the cat¡¯s head, taking some of the fog with it and revealing the prowling form within. She draws her revolver and plants a bullet between the cat¡¯s eyes before turning and running back into formation.


    The moment she arrives back in place, she looks at the gift Oscar and Bianca prepared for the fog cats with intrigue. Both of them are standing facing each other, with their arms outstretched and connected to a large spell construct holding in a massive ball of wind mana between them. Oscar is muttering a long chant alone, while Bianca stands silently, her face pale and sweat dripping from her brow.


    Oscar¡¯s chant soon comes to an end as he calls out the final line loudly: ¡°Oh winds of change, sweep away deceit and clear all in my range! Airspace Claim!¡±


    As he shouts the name of his spell confidently, the giant magic circle before him glows an iridescent green as it springs into life, twisting around the ball of mana and constricting. After shrinking for a second, the spell bursts, throwing out violent winds and blowing the surrounding fog back. Emily shields her face from the wind while activating her boots to hold her firmly to the ground.


    A few seconds later, the winds die down and she glances around to see the trees clearly, an area of around fifty metres completely cleared of fog. Emily smiles slightly, quickly scanning the clearing, counting ten fog cats left alive. No longer hunting in their favoured environment, the cats are quickly eliminated by a couple of well-placed spells and bullets, putting an end to their surprise ambush.


    With the danger gone, both healers rush out from the centre of the formation to tend to wounds. Nora heads to the back of the group to help Matteo with a nasty gash across his chest, meanwhile, Emily watches Fionn take a look at Dante¡¯s leg, feeling slightly guilty for her slip-up.


    Fionn places his hand on Dante¡¯s thigh, covering the bullet wound with his palm. A resplendent golden glow pours from his hand, entering the wound and illuminating it, so that the shrapnel¡¯s path is visible through the surrounding flesh.


    ¡°Lucky, the shrapnel passed clean through. This is an easy fix,¡± Fionn says calmly, flashing Dante a kind smile.


    Dante doesn¡¯t respond, too focused on taking deep breaths to cope with the pain. Fionn starts a long chant, a matrix of golden runes forming around his hand and covering Dante¡¯s thigh with golden light. Emily watches with fascination as the hole slowly closes itself, growing healthy new flesh to replace the old.


    By the time Fionn has finished, the hole has vanished. The only signs that the injury ever existed are the bloodstained rips left in Dante¡¯s trousers and Fionn¡¯s slight exhaustion.Ne?ww chapters will be fully updated at novelhall.com


    ¡°Sorry about that, I shouldn¡¯t have used grenades that close to the group,¡± Emily apologises, offering a hand to pull him up.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, mistakes happen. That¡¯s what these trial runs are for after all,¡± Dante responds calmly, grabbing her hand and standing up.


    ¡°Those were some fine explosions though,¡± he adds with a slightly crazed grin.


    ¡°Haha, thanks.¡±


    Emily turns to move back into place as Oscar claps his hands, calling the group¡¯s attention.


    Emily nods, slightly surprised he was watching her closely enough to notice and recognise her casting method.


    ¡°Then I¡¯m sure you understand that a spell can be made with either a chant or a mental image. Well, the chants for my family¡¯s spells all include flower-related imagery, and from a young age, we¡¯re taught to form a mental image that relates fire and flowers. It¡¯s to the point now where even my normal fire spells take on slightly floral shapes! As for the spell formula, I¡¯m pretty sure it includes runes for shaping it, but I don¡¯t really understand it enough to tell you for certain. Sorry, but I¡¯m sure you understand that I can¡¯t show you.¡±


    ¡°No that¡¯s plenty. Thanks for even answering my question.¡±


    ¡°No problem, that¡¯s what teammates are for, right?¡± His silly grin returns as he offers her a fist bump.


    ¡°Haha, sure.¡±


    She returns his fist bump, turning to talk to Ivor before remembering something and calling after Dante.


    ¡°By the way, if you buy any grenades, don¡¯t try opening them! They detonate if you try to reverse engineer them.¡±


    He glances back and gives her a thumbs-up.


    I wonder if Oscar ever tried? I never mentioned that to him.


    Chuckling to herself quietly, she finally turns her attention to Ivor.


    ¡°Sorry about that. Who would¡¯ve thought I¡¯m so popular?¡±


    Ivor rolls his eyes at her before gesturing towards the door and signing a question.


    ¡°You ready to leave?¡±


    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go.¡±


    ***


    That evening over dinner, Emily invites Juliana to the expedition banquet. With much excitement and an enthusiastic hug, Juliana agrees to go and starts planning a trip to Threads to get dresses made for them both.


    Emily falls into a final crunch of preparations for the expedition. She works on several new spells and machines, goes to classes, and remembers to spend time with her friends and girlfriend. She even adds meditating on the concept of space to her busy schedule, with little success.


    Time flows by quickly, and soon Emily finds herself standing in a dress before her bathroom mirror, glaring at the reflection staring back at her. The dress is a striking electric blue, matching the pale lightning magic circles that are quickly becoming her forte. It¡¯s sleeveless and falls to sit just above her knees, covering the small pouch strapped to her thigh holding The Clock and a few small knives. Her arms are covered up to the elbow with matching gloves, and covering her legs are the combat boots she refuses to compromise on.


    Anna would hate me wearing these with a nice dress... Too bad she¡¯ll never know.


    With a smug grin, she leaves her room and goes to knock on Juliana¡¯s door. After a few moments of waiting, the door fades to reveal a sight that leaves Emily standing in stunned silence.


    Juliana appears before her in a long, pale yellow gown that highlights her flowing brown hair and eyes. The shy smile on her lips as she looks at Emily expectantly forms butterflies in Emily¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Juliana asks, waking Emily from her stupor.


    ¡°I think you look beautiful,¡± Emily responds, offering Juliana her arm.


    ¡°Aww, thanks Emi. You look very pretty too,¡± Juliana says with a dazzling smile while wrapping herself around Emily¡¯s offered arm.


    ¡°At least I feel like I could move around properly in this,¡± Emily mumbles with a light blush.


    ¡°No fighting tonight! However, if it¡¯s moving to dance, I¡¯ll allow it.¡±


    Emily scoffs, pulling Juliana towards the transportation room to begin their trip out of The Dome.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best.¡±

 Chapter 51 – The Banquet Begins

    Chapter 51 ¨C The Banquet Begins


    Emily and Juliana board the train alone, Ivor having insisted on coming separately, and settle down, side by side, in a private booth. As the train slides out of the station, they quietly look out over the city, framed in the golden light of the setting evening sun. The mist around The Dome shimmers with a pale ethereal glow, curling around the nearby buildings and flooding the city with its presence.


    ¡°Did you ever ask about what the mist does?¡± Juliana asks softly after a few minutes.


    ¡°Yeah, I asked a few weeks ago in enchanting,¡± Emily answers eagerly. ¡°It¡¯s a supermassive array under The Dome that was set up when The Covenant was created. It fulfils three major functions, the first is one you already know, confusing unawakened people that try to get close to The Dome and turning them around. I assume it¡¯s some form of illusion, like the training room enemies. The second is cleaning the city, an extra function requested by the royal family to keep their capital looking nice and shiny. The last is tracking. The array detects all movement within the mist and especially flags mana signatures to help spot any mages trying to infiltrate the city. It¡¯s got to be an incredible array; I wish I could go see it.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°No. The teleport down to it is limited to only trusted members of The Covenant who¡¯ve separated from their family and sworn a mana-bound oath of loyalty to The Covenant.¡±


    ¡°Aww, that¡¯s a shame,¡± Juliana says with a downcast tone, reassuringly squeezing Emily¡¯s hand.


    Emily nods silently, falling into her own thoughts on the matter.


    I may not be able to see it now, but maybe if I succeed in casting space spells I¡¯ll be able to teleport into the array room to have a look when I reach third circle. I¡¯ll probably set off their security systems, but they¡¯ve got to be weaker from inside The Dome, and I can reset after memorising the full array.


    They sit in comfortable silence for the remainder of the trip. After the train pulls into their stop, they disembark the train and Emily is slightly taken aback by the opulence of the revealed station. The platform is made of polished white stone, with gold metallic highlights tracing the edges. The ceiling is far above, an arched lattice of stained glass, forming a breathtaking kaleidoscope of colours on the white stone below.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± Juliana says, drawing Emily away from her appreciation.


    ¡°Mmm, it is.¡± Emily nods in agreement. ¡°Have you been here before?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I came here with my mum once for a party.¡±


    Juliana starts pulling on Emily¡¯s arm, which is once again linked with hers, guiding her to an exit. They leave the station and step onto a long, winding gangway flanked by daunting behemoths of metal. Each hulking block reaches out of the dense, swirling mist below, all the way up to the gangway on the top level of the city. All the lower layers are industrial and robust looking, with few windows and dozens of pipes jutting out and dropping smog into the lower levels of the city.


    In stark contrast, the top level of each metal structure is occupied by an expansive garden, filled with vibrant greens and bursts of other colours in the form of carefully maintained flower beds and fruit trees. The gardens are filled with the city¡¯s mist, but it¡¯s so thin it¡¯s almost imperceptible, giving the gardens an unnatural, otherworldly atmosphere. Sitting in the centre of each garden are vast mansions, each styled in different woods and stones to show the personality of the noble house that owns it.


    Emily and Juliana stroll past the mansions, admiring the stunning gardens, and soon arrive at an open gate with the Salvia crest embossed above. Standing on either side of the gate are mages Emily doesn¡¯t recognise, wearing black robes with purple accents and bronze Salvia crests pinned to their chests. As they approach the gate, one of the guards reaches into his robes and Emily feels a faint fluctuation of wind mana.


    ¡°Welcome to the Salvia house, please enter at your leisure,¡± the guard says while removing his hand from his robes and bowing lightly.


    I guess he just checked our identities.


    With a small nod and a few words of thanks, Emily and Juliana step through the gate onto a stone pathway leading through the garden to the mansion. The walk takes them several minutes, and Emily sees dozens of servants tending to different areas of greenery as they go.


    ¡°They have so many servants just gardening,¡± Emily mutters with a shocked tone.


    ¡°Yeah, the big noble families like having lots of servants for everything,¡± Juliana tells her with a slight frown. ¡°All of the levels below us are for their servants and storage.¡±


    Emily¡¯s eyes widen slightly as she considers that; a building spanning ten layers of the city, only filled with servants. The sheer scale leaves Emily speechless.


    ¡°Crazy. Does your family not have a lot of servants?¡± Emily asks after a few moments of silence.


    ¡°We do, but these families are just excessive. Who needs dozens of gardeners? Our garden is the same size as this, and we only need ten!¡±


    They arrive at the main double door to the house as Emily giggles at Juliana¡¯s outburst. The doors are once again standing open, this time with four mages standing guard and six normal servants in simple black suits and dresses waiting for guests on either side of the doors. The mages silently cast their gazes over the two without any reactions, and one of the servants steps out with a deep bow.


    ¡°Miss Madonna, Miss Coldstone, please allow me to guide you to the banquet hall,¡± he requests politely, waiting for a response without raising his body.


    ¡°That would be wonderful, thank you,¡± Juliana responds in kind.


    Ivor simply shakes his head, crushing Dante¡¯s hopes. Dante turns his disappointed gaze to Emily, and she lets him down before he even has a chance to ask.


    ¡°Nothing new that would interest you. I¡¯ve been more focused on utility since we started training. Well, unless you count fl-¡°


    Emily is cut off by a sharp noise ringing out through the hall. Everyone in the room turns to look for the source, finding Oscar standing at the far end of the hall on a raised stage wearing a smart black and purple suit, and holding up a glass and spoon, the source of the harsh sound.


    ¡°Welcome ladies and gentlemen. Now that everyone has arrived, please find a seat and settle down. The servants will come round to take your orders once everyone is seated.¡±


    All of the groups in the room slowly begin picking their tables, sitting together in their small cliques and calling over their other friends to sit with them. Noticing the tables all seat six, Emily asks Dante and Enzo if they would like to join her, Juliana, and Ivor for the meal. They both agree, and they all settle around the closest table.


    Chatting together for a few minutes, all of the tables in the room are quickly filled, but a few stragglers are left without a place. One of those stragglers approaches Emily¡¯s group.


    ¡°Hey, can I sit with you guys?¡± Linda, one of the first circle luggage carriers on the expedition, asks while nervously fiddling with the skirt of her dress.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Juliana says with a smile.


    Letting out a sigh of relief, Linda takes the seat between Ivor and Enzo while introducing herself to Juliana.


    ¡°I¡¯m Linda Doria of house Ulex. Thanks for letting me join you.¡±


    ¡°No problem! I¡¯m Juliana Madonna. If you don¡¯t mind me asking, don¡¯t you already have people to sit with? You are a member of this expedition, right?¡±


    ¡°I am, but I¡¯m only going to carry luggage. The Ulex family doesn¡¯t have any mages within The Dome at the moment, but they are allies of the Salvia family so Oscar is looking out for me by bringing me along. Most of the other vassal mages are sitting with their family members,¡± Linda answers, pointing out a few of the tables with nobles and vassals seated together.


    ¡°I see, that¡¯s nice of him.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Oscar¡¯s lovely!¡± Linda says with a slight blush.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Juliana spots her blush and starts asking her more about Oscar.


    Emily tunes their conversation out, turning her attention to the steady stream of servants, wearing identical black suits and dresses, entering the room through small side doors and approaching the tables, some pushing silver, wheeled trolleys with glasses and bottles of sparkling wine. They spread around the room, so a single servant is positioned behind each guest. As they wait, a wine waiter sets up a glass before each person, while another stands motionless beside each table with the trolley.


    Emily turns to the woman standing behind her.


    ¡°Hello Miss Coldstone, what would you like to eat tonight?¡±


    ¡°Is there not a set menu?¡± Emily asks in surprise.


    ¡°Not at all. We can make you whatever you would like.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Emily considers her options for a few seconds.


    Whatever I want? My first thought of food for celebration is a toasted salami sandwich, but that¡¯s not really noble banquet food... Ah well, they said whatever I want.


    ¡°Could I get a toasted salami sandwich please,¡± Emily asks, to which the woman simply nods, asking for a few details on the dish before giving a deep bow and turning to leave.


    The hall slowly empties again, each mage having ordered their meal, and the servants waiting with the drinks trays spring to action. Pulling the bottles of sparkling wine out of their buckets of ice, they pop the corks in sync with practised motions, and move around the table, filling everyone''s glasses before stepping back.


    The low chatter in the room falls away as Oscar once again knocks on his now full glass, standing on the stage and drawing everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Thank you, everyone, for coming. Please allow me to make a short speech.¡±

 Chapter 52 – Dancing

    Chapter 52 ¨C Dancing


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep it short since I¡¯m sure none of you want to hear me prattle on for too long,¡± Oscar starts, receiving several subdued chuckles from the gathered mages. ¡°We¡¯re all here today, as friends and allies, to celebrate the wonders of exploration and discovery. Tomorrow my little group and I shall be travelling into the unknown, braving the dangers of The Glade to bring back new knowledge and resources. As with all trips into that Goddess-forsaken forest, it will be fraught with danger. Death shall loom over our heads at each turn, and some of us may not make it back alive. However, through our sacrifice and hard work, we will bring forth innovation and hope. We will delve further into the mysteries of the arcane and find new discoveries to push us all forward in our paths as mages. So, I ask all of you here today to raise a glass. Raise it in hope and encouragement. Raise it in celebration and expectation that our trip shall bear fruit. Wish us all luck that we may return unharmed, and cheers, to the pursuit of knowledge!¡±


    Everyone in the room raises their glasses to match, with Emily following suit.


    ¡°To the pursuit of knowledge!¡± everybody echoes in unison, before taking a sip and returning to their private conversations with newfound energy.


    Emily lowers her glass with slight confusion, turning back to her table.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I was expecting, but that was surprisingly sombre.¡±


    ¡°Haha, I guess this is the first time you¡¯ve been near an expedition group, right?¡± Dante asks.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Other than trips into the edges of The Glade, which barely qualify as expeditions, most journeys end with the deaths of at least seventy per cent of the participants. It¡¯s only expected that the last celebration before is treated as a send-off for the dead.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Emily agrees, nodding in realisation. ¡°You don¡¯t exactly seem too worried?¡±


    ¡°Of course not! If I die, I die. My family are warriors first, mages second. We¡¯re trained for battle from the moment we can walk. I¡¯m just following my destined path. If I get to blow up some beasts while I¡¯m at it? Then bring it on!¡±


    Emily scoffs at his blase? attitude.


    ¡°To each his own, I guess. I don¡¯t have any plans to die any time soon.¡±


    Dante laughs at her response but doesn¡¯t comment. Emily turns her attention away, looking towards Juliana and seeing her staring back with a look of concern. She reaches out, taking Juliana¡¯s hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze as she speaks again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, Jules. There¡¯s no way in hell I¡¯m letting some random beast kill me off. I¡¯ll be back before you even realise I¡¯m gone,¡± she says with a gentle smile, meaning every word.


    Juliana¡¯s anxiety doesn¡¯t seem to decrease as she grips Emily¡¯s hand tighter. Noticing this, Ivor reaches over and taps her shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯ll protect her with my life,¡± he signs calmly.


    His reassurance only seems to worsen Juliana¡¯s mood, her face dropping into a scowl. However, before she can argue, Emily breaks out in laughter.


    ¡°Yeah right, big guy. If you think I¡¯m letting you die and coming back alone, you¡¯re dead wrong. Can you imagine the scolding Jules would give me? We¡¯re both making it back, even if I have to drag you away by the scruff of your neck and kick everyone else to the wolves.¡±


    Ivor rolls his eyes, but a small smile still creeps its way onto his face. Juliana nods sagely, before adding her own warning.


    ¡°If either one of you dies, I¡¯ll work out how to summon your dead spirits back so I can tell you off properly!¡±ily giggles at her mock threat, feeling her grip loosen but not release. They move on from the depressing topic, returning to casual conversation as they wait for their food to arrive. Juliana only releases Emily¡¯s hand when the side doors to the hall open again, and dozens of servants file into the room pushing wheeled carts of food covered in silver cloches.


    Emily recognises the servant who took her order in the crowd, walking in a straight line towards her table. She moves to stand behind Emily again, lifting the plate of food off her cart and placing it on the table in front of Emily. She steps back, leaving the cloche on and waiting. All conversation in the room slowly dies as everybody waits in anticipation.


    The moment the last plate of food is placed down, all of the servants step forward in perfect sync and dramatically lift the cloches off the food. Emily grins slightly at the sight that greets her, two large hunks of still-steaming bread filled with slices of fresh salami, surrounded by a luscious green salad. Before touching her food, she looks around the table and takes in everyone¡¯s choices.


    Juliana has several platters of bread, meats, and vegetables set out before her. Ivor has a bowl of steaming stew, filled with large chunks of beef and peppers. Linda has a deep dish filled with neatly stacked slices of various vegetables, creating a pretty spiral of colours that holds Emily¡¯s interest for a few moments.


    Enzo has a plate filled with long noodles of pasta, topped with a creamy white sauce over a couple of large chicken breasts. However, Dante¡¯s meal is the only one that makes Emily¡¯s jaw drop and draws the attention of the entire table. His plate has several crispy potatoes placed in a ring around a large hunk of meat, a large hunk of meat that is currently blazing in blue fire.


    What the hell? Is that even a real dish or did he just ask them to set a steak on fire?


    ¡°If I were you, I¡¯d just ignore him,¡± Enzo mutters tiredly to the group, clearly used to his pyromaniac friend''s antics.


    ¡°Back right, side left, right to left. Forward left, side right, left to right.¡± Juliana slowly goes through the steps, telling Emily exactly how to move as they go.


    After a few repetitions, Emily slowly grows comfortable with the movement.


    ¡°Good! Now we speed up a little. One two three, one two three, one two three.¡±


    As Emily relaxes into the dance, their motion grows smoother and she begins to enjoy herself. Her smile grows to match Juliana¡¯s as they spin around the floor in time to the music, unconcerned about anything other than each other.


    After a while of slow waltzing, the rhythm of the music changes and Juliana guides Emily in a new set of movements, moving faster and with more purpose. They continue to enjoy themselves as the music shifts a few more times throughout the evening, and at one point a welcome system notification pops up before Emily.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Skill learned: Ballroom Dancing (passive)


    [Ballroom Dancing (passive)]


    User knows how to dance to ballroom music.


    _____


    The moment the notification arrives, she blinks it away and instinctively corrects her form. This time when the music changes, she doesn¡¯t need Juliana¡¯s instructions: she smoothly switches form and step pattern on her own.


    They continue dancing late into the evening, only stopping as the music starts to wind down and people begin to leave. Emily follows the crowd, guiding a tired Juliana out of the mansion and back through the garden by the waist. The train on the way back is far busier, every booth in their carriage being full, and Ivor chooses to join them in theirs.


    They sit in silence the whole way back, not bothering to make conversation as Juliana struggles not to fall asleep on Emily¡¯s shoulder. When they arrive back at The Dome, they bid farewell to Ivor before he steps into the transportation circle to move to his room. Emily and Juliana do the same, before slowly walking through the hall back to their rooms where they pause without entering.


    Juliana turns to Emily, burying her face in her shoulder as she pulls her into a tight hug.


    ¡°Please be safe,¡± she whispers weakly.


    Emily smiles a sad smile as she wraps her arms around Juliana and starts stroking her hair.


    She¡¯s really not cut out to be a mage.


    After a few minutes, Emily pulls away slightly, tilting Juliana¡¯s face to look at her and gently wiping a tear from her cheek.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back before you know it. Study hard in the meantime, otherwise Tom and Hester may end up beating you to second circle.¡±


    ¡°Haha,¡± Juliana lets out a small giggle. ¡°I¡¯ll already be second circle when you get back, just you wait.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you will be,¡± Emily whispers with a smile, leaning in and placing a soft kiss on her lips.


    Emily separates from their hug, placing her hand on the door behind her before turning and taking a step through.


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    Emily freezes as she hears Juliana¡¯s confession.


    ¡°I love you too,¡± she answers truthfully before the door reappears, sealing her in her room, feeling more alone than ever before.


    Only one chapter for release tomorrow ;(

 Chapter 53 – Dawn of The Expedition

    Chapter 53 ¨C Dawn of The Expedition


    The next morning, Emily wakes up early to finish her final preparations. She takes a shower and makes her way over to her prepared workbench. She carefully goes through the process of gearing up, fastening leather straps and securing weapons as she looks through all of her equipment¡¯s system windows.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Combat Boots]


    [Rank:] E


    [Stats:] +4 Str, +2 Agil


    [Description:] A pair of knee-high combat boots with adjustable treads and weight.


    [Effect:] Provides power and armour to the lower legs.


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    [Revolver]


    [Rank:] F


    [Stats:] +2 dex, +1 Agil


    [Description:] A simple six-shot revolver.


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    [Body Armour]


    [Rank:] E


    [Stats:] +5 Vit


    [Description:] A sleek, form-fitting upper torso armour.


    [Effect:] Provides armour to the chest that defends against magical and physical attacks.


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    [Claws {Gen.1}]


    [Rank:] E


    [Stats:] +2 Str, +2 Dex, +3 Agil


    [Description:] A set of magical steam-powered wrist blades.


    [Effect:] Provides armour to the forearms and extends or retracts blades from the wrist when activated.


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    [Low-Grade Mana Grenade]


    [Rank:] E


    [Stats:] +1 Str


    [Description:] A mixture of magical and physical explosives packed together for handheld destruction.


    [Effect:] Explodes dealing massive magical and physical damage to everything within five metres.


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    [Low-Grade Light Grenade]


    [Rank:] E


    [Stats:] +1 Str


    [Description:] A mixture of magical and physical explosives packed together for handheld distraction.


    [Effect:] Explodes releasing a flash of sound and light to disorient enemies.


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    [Earrings of Isolation]


    [Rank:] E


    [Description:] A set of magical earrings designed to protect against harsh sounds.


    [Effect:] Upon activation, creates small barriers of wind that block high-volume sound waves.


    _____


    She smiles as she hooks the delicate green teardrop gems into new holes in her ears. The Earrings of Isolation are the pinnacle of her array engraving practice. The small earrings hold an intricate combination of runes carved into the silver metal housing the small wind crystals themselves. By carefully stripping down wind barrier¡¯s magic circle and utilising a few new runes discovered within The Spellweave, she has succeeded in creating small barriers that dampen harsh sounds, protecting her ears from the violent backlash of her weapons and spells.


    Emily throws on a set of specialised robes to cover her battle gear. The robes were given to her by Oscar. The outside layer is waterproof and glistens with a glossy black sheen. She settles down at her desk as she does a final review of her stats, newest spells, and progression requirements.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Status]


    [Name:] Emily Coldstone


    [Race:] Human


    [Age:] 16


    ¡°Where are we meeting everyone?¡± Ivor asks after finishing his porridge.


    ¡°Oscar told me to catch a train over to the southern edge of the city. The meeting point should apparently be obvious.¡±


    ¡°How helpful.¡±


    Emily scoffs in agreement, shoving the last bite of her toast in her mouth as she stands up.


    ¡°You need any last minute gear before we leave?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m good,¡± he signs with a shake of his head, glancing down uncomfortably towards a small bag at his hip holding a few grenades supplied by Emily.


    ¡°Relax, they¡¯re not gonna go off by accident. My work isn¡¯t that bad.¡± Emily rolls her eyes at his nervousness and pats him on the shoulder as she walks past. ¡°Come on then. They may be shit instructions, but we should still follow them.¡±


    ***


    Their instructions turn out to be better than expected when they reach a station labelled ¡°Southern Edge¡± and step off the train to see their expedition group gathered and waiting by one of the elevators. Dante bounds out from the group to meet them as they approach.


    ¡°Hey! You finally made it.¡±


    ¡°Are we late?¡± Emily frowns slightly and swiftly pulls The Clock from a pouch at her waist. The Clock reads 8:46 am, erasing her concerns.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re fine. We¡¯re still waiting for a few others too,¡± Dante reassures her with his signature grin. ¡°Anyway, you excited to finally fight some real beasts?¡±


    Emily smirks at his enthusiasm as they join the rest of the group.


    ¡°Yeah, I do have a new toy to test after all.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of new things to test, did you finish your tracking spell?¡± Oscar calls out as he walks through the group towards Emily.


    ¡°I said I would, didn¡¯t I?¡± Emily turns to face him, her eyes igniting in a vibrant orange glow as she casts infra-sight.


    ¡°Interesting, how does it work?¡±


    ¡°Skipping the specifics, it allows me to see heat signatures. I can¡¯t see through objects, but it makes it very easy to spot warm-blooded creatures through small gaps in foliage.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect! You¡¯ll be our main scout then. We¡¯ll still stop periodically to allow Ivor a wider range scan, but you will be our main defence against ambushes. Of course, we¡¯ll stop to give you breaks for regaining mana, is that alright? How long can you use it at a time while still safely having enough mana to fight?¡±


    Emily doesn¡¯t respond immediately, taking a moment to consider her answer.


    Once I¡¯ve activated it, I only need one thread dedicated to maintaining it. I can leave my second core focused on using Technomancer¡¯s Breath at the same time, then my mana won¡¯t decrease noticeably. It will drain normally when I rest one of my cores, but I have enough mana to keep it going for those twelve hours without issue, unlike a normal mage. I probably shouldn¡¯t reveal that though, or they may notice my passive mana intake...


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fine. It¡¯s a pretty low consumption spell, if I stick to internal casting I can keep it going for eight hours before needing a break.¡±


    Oscar nods at her with a mixture of gratitude and surprise.


    ¡°That long? If you¡¯re confident, I won¡¯t argue, but please do let me know if you need an extra break at any point.¡±


    Emily lightly waves off his concern and he quietly walks deeper back into the group, muttering to himself about rest timings.


    ¡°Sheesh, that guy needs to take a break,¡± Dante chuckles from beside her, standing with his arms behind his head.


    Emily rolls her eyes and finds a spot to lean against the station wall while they wait for the last stragglers to show up. After twenty minutes, everyone who should have arrived has. Linda is the last one to arrive, apologising profusely for missing the train and showing up late, which earns her several disapproving glares from several nobles. Oscar calmly waves off her worries, but the twitching of his eye as he does gives Emily the feeling he isn¡¯t as calm as he lets on.


    The entire group piles into the elevator they were blocking, the doors closing them all in as the worker at the controls starts it up. Nobody speaks in the enclosed space, tension filling the air as they finally set off on their trip towards their half-expected demise. When the elevator finally arrives at the ground floor, the doors slide open to reveal a stationary fleet of large metal carriages on wheels.


    Emily curiously inspects their transport, noting the way the vehicles are divided in two. The back halves are open and spacious, clearly designed to carry a group of nobles: whereas the front halves are bulky and enclosed, holding what Emily can only assume to be steam engines for powering their movement along with a single driver.


    ¡°Everybody please make yourselves comfortable in a car,¡± Oscar calls loudly from the head of the group.


    Emily, Ivor, Dante, and Enzo exchange a few glances, silently agreeing to travel together before picking an empty car and slipping in. The car easily fits the four of them, with plenty of space to lounge across the plush seats within and watch the outside world through the clear glass windows.


    Oscar remains outside, watching the cars fill until nobody is left, before walking to the car in the lead. The moment he disappears inside, a loud whistle sounds and the six cars roar to life. Emily sends an unnoticed stream of machina into the vehicle to watch its ignition in detail.


    She sees coal landing in the enclosed firebox and watches as it combusts and evaporates the nearby water. She senses the tightly wound coils of metal in the engine slide into motion, their delicately machined tolerances allowing a near-perfect transfer of energy into the pistons. She memorises the intricate workings for future reference, ignoring the system popup of a new blueprint added and withdrawing her attention from the scan.


    Emily ignores Dante and Enzo¡¯s conversation as the cars start moving, choosing to quietly watch the streets roll by instead. The motorcade slowly makes its way to the base of the city¡¯s southern wall, approaching a large, heavy steel gateway that opens to reveal a gaping maw of metal, over ten metres wide, that tunnels through the wall to a small gap of light visible on the other side. The vehicles all charge through, unimpeded, not even slowing for a moment as the guards lining the entrance barely spare them a glance.


    The long tunnel is dimly lit by grated coal ovens lining the walls, the sound of grinding gears and flowing steam their only company. They soon reach the tunnel¡¯s end, barrelling out onto a packed-dirt road heading south. Emily watches the city slowly fade into the distance, as they roll through the open grassland, before settling back in her seat and returning her attention to her peers.


    ¡°-stupid though. There¡¯s no way I can even cast a spell of that magnitude, why are you so worried?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying, pay attention to your surroundings more. You set so many trees on fire during practice!¡±


    She raises a curious brow at Dante and Enzo¡¯s surprisingly heated argument. Turning to make eye contact with Ivor, she signs a silent question.


    ¡°They been at this for long?¡±


    ¡°Since the tunnel.¡±


    Smirking, she turns back and adds fuel to the fire.


    ¡°You know, grenades are a great alternative to fire spells. Far lower chances of starting forest fires.¡±


    Instantly, both boys turn on her, yelling in objection to her statement for completely different reasons. Emily chuckles to herself quietly.


    This trip will be fun.


    ***


    Just over six hours later, the cars roll to a stop on a flat expanse overlooking a vast forest before them. The Glade spreads across the horizon, filling Emily¡¯s sight as she steps out of the car. Dense foliage lies before her, rain pours from the clouds above, disappearing into the leaves, absorbed by the dense fog that eerily fills the forest floor.


    ¡°That¡¯s creepy,¡± Emily mutters under her breath, staring at the clear-cut divide between The Glade and the plains beside it.


    The divide between the two biomes is starkly defined: the trees, rain, and even the fog of The Glade all abruptly stop, refusing to encroach on their neighbour. As Emily stares intently at the unsettling sight, she notices wisps of movement flickering in the haze. Casting infra-sight, she watches several small heat signatures move to the edge of the treeline before quickly disappearing too far into the depths for her to see.


    ¡°Everyone, gather around!¡± Oscar calls loudly, pulling Emily¡¯s attention away from their destination. ¡°This is the last safe rest and real food we can have until we finish our expedition. Maeve, Cian, Ricardo, and Linda will distribute food, so settle down and gather your strength.¡±


    Emily finds a spot to sit on the grass with Ivor, tactfully avoiding Dante and Enzo who she has riled to the point of ignition on their journey. She watches as the four luggage carriers unload a cargo-filled car and carry sandwiches around the group. As they reach her, Linda hands her a salami sandwich with a smile. Thanking the girl, Emily looks out over the horizon, enjoying the exotic view as she lights her hands in a burst of fire to toast her food.

 Chapter 54 – Into The Glade

    Chapter 54 ¨C Into The Glade


    After finishing their late afternoon lunch, Emily and most of the expedition members relax on the grass staring into the distance. The group have varying expressions while gazing at what most likely amounts to their imminent grave. Most of the vassal mages seem nervous, almost certain they will be the coming collateral damage, whereas the nobles hold an air of confidence and anticipation, clearly excited about the potential resources that await them.


    Emily herself has a mixture of excitement and intense curiosity plastered across her face, looking forward to fighting beasts and discovering the secrets of the mysterious forest. Glancing to her side, she sees Ivor staring out into the distance with a look of grim determination and acceptance.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, big guy? I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be so worried. Haven¡¯t you been into The Glade a few times before?¡±


    ¡°I have,¡± he signs his agreement, shifting uncomfortably and refusing to make eye contact. ¡°But, the groups I came with were only here to gather some of the more common herbs and kill small beasts. We stayed around the outer edges and certainly never tried looking for an entrance to The Crystal Waters.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Emily nods, falling into silent contemplation for a few moments.


    I should have realised from Oscar saying that his family didn¡¯t have enough data to design a training room for The Waters¡¯ environment, that expeditions this deep are uncommon. I could rewind and get Ivor out before we even set off this morning...


    ¡°Hey,¡± Emily says softly, pulling Ivor¡¯s gaze to her before signing a question. ¡°You sure you want to come? It¡¯s not too late to go back you know.¡±


    He immediately shakes his head, fixing Emily with a stare far more passionate than she has ever seen from the shy boy before.


    ¡°I¡¯m nervous because it¡¯s deeper than I¡¯ve gone before, but I want a chance to see The Waters and discover new ingredients!¡± he signs with certainty.


    Emily smiles at his drive for discovery.


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re sure. Also, I meant what I said last night. We¡¯re both getting through this alive, no matter what. Just make sure you have my back.¡±


    Not like I really need it.


    Oscar approaches as they chat, dropping down onto the floor beside them. They both greet him, and he responds cheerfully before his face falls into a serious expression as he looks at Emily.


    ¡°I just wanted to check one last time, are you sure you¡¯re alright heading the group?¡± he asks.


    ¡°Yeah. What¡¯s with the sudden concern?¡± she responds with a raised brow.


    ¡°I just wanted to make sure before we go in. I do have a conscience, you know. I feel a little bad making such a young mage stand in front of me.¡±


    ¡°Sheesh, I can¡¯t be that much younger than you guys. How old even are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m twenty-five,¡± he answers with a smile, standing up and patting Emily on the shoulder. ¡°None of the other combatants are below twenty.¡±


    Emily is surprised by his words, looking over to Ivor who¡¯s grinning at her.


    ¡°And here I thought you were the old one.¡±


    ¡°Told you twenty is young,¡± he signs back with glee.


    ¡°Right, everyone into formation!¡± Oscar shouts, moving to stand between the group and The Glade.


    Emily raises her fist towards Ivor. He grins and bumps it, nodding confidently, before they both stand up.


    ¡°Well, talk to you later,¡± Emily casually says while walking forward to join Oscar.


    She wordlessly settles into place, looking back over the quick-moving mages behind her. The four luggage carriers in the middle all have large fabric bags double their size on their backs, all traced with lightly glowing, purple runes.


    Are those spatial bags? They have to be: we¡¯re meant to have tents after all.


    After everyone has reached their position, Oscar gives Emily a small nod before shouting: ¡°Move out!¡±


    They all start moving as one, trekking out into the open field as the cars start their engines and begin driving back to Chroni. As they reach the border of The Glade, Oscar taps Emily and Dante¡¯s shoulders before raising a hand silently and signalling for a scan. Everyone halts their steps, turning their focus to Ivor standing with his eyes shut. Emily and Dante are the only exceptions, both keeping their eyes ahead, Emily¡¯s glowing a pale orange.


    Emily¡¯s visual check of the forest floor produces the same result as Ivor¡¯s, both finding nothing. However, her scan of the canopies looming above reveals half a dozen small birds watching their approach. Gesturing to Oscar to wait for a moment, Emily summons a small iron blade. Taking it firmly between her fingers, she pulls her arm back before whipping it forward, sending the blade directly into the chest of one of the birds.


    As the dead bird falls limply to the ground, the others take off in alarm, flying further along the periphery of The Glade.


    Whoops, I guess none of them are dangerous.


    ***


    Six hours later, Emily¡¯s meditation is broken by a mana signature approaching the entrance to her tent. The flap is pushed aside as Enzo peeks his head in.


    ¡°Time to break camp,¡± he informs her before ducking back out.


    Emily quickly follows him, grabbing the bundle of tongues from the floor as she goes and heading towards the small gathering of people at the centre of the tightly packed tents.


    Three hours left till core one wakes up. I¡¯ll have to be slightly more on guard for a bit.


    Emily sits down next to Oscar, silently watching the luggage carriers unloading food from their packs and handing it to Dante and the other fire mages for heating. After a few minutes of waiting for her turn to eat, Emily¡¯s curiosity gets the better of her, so she absentmindedly pulls up the system windows of the carriers¡¯ bags.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Temporary Bag of Holding]


    [Rank:] D


    [Description:] A bag with a temporary spatial expansion array installed.


    [Effect:] Holds a freely accessible, five-metre cubed pocket dimension.


    _____


    Her brow raises in surprise as she reads the description.


    ¡°How do those bags hold so much? I thought low-grade spatial storages were only a metre or so,¡± she asks Oscar, pointedly glancing towards his necklace as she does.


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking of permanent holder-locked storage. There are a few differences, one is that personal dimensional items like my necklace can be accessed freely by the holder, summoning items from within them to their hands with just a thought. Whereas items like those bags are bound to a specific opening on the object. Anyone can access their contents if they have access to the opening. The second major difference is permanent or temporary. Both my necklace and each of those bags used one lesser space crystal each to make, but those bags will be out of energy in a month, whereas my necklace will last forever.¡±


    ¡°I see, and the parts of the enchantment used for summoning items from the void will use more mana too,¡± Emily mutters.


    ¡°Exactly!¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do if the bags run out of mana before the end of the expedition? Isn¡¯t there a chance we¡¯re here for longer than a month?¡±


    ¡°In that case we have Callum to help refill them until we get back,¡± Oscar answers calmly, gesturing to the mage in question eating on the other side of the group. ¡°Or, who knows, maybe by the time that happens you¡¯ll suddenly tell us you¡¯re a space mage as well!¡±


    Oscar laughs at his joke while accepting a portion of porridge from Cian. Considering her progress in her meditation last night, a small grin forms on Emily¡¯s face.


    Maybe I will.


    Announcement


    I''ve written a little statement to address some issues with earlier chapters which I will eventually be rewriting:


    Spoiler


    Having now received quite a few comments on how I wrote chapters 10 and 11, in which Herber dies, I thought I should offer a response.


    The main criticism I¡¯ve received is that Emily gives up too easily. A number of readers have expressed the belief that she should have kept going, using her time-travelling ability to keep resetting until she¡¯d worked out a way to save her father¡¯s life.


    There are a number of reasons why it was never possible to save Herber, and why it isn¡¯t plausible for Emily to have tried harder, but I realise that those reasons aren¡¯t clear enough in the text. So, here¡¯s why...


    When Emily first created The Clock and awakened, she was overwhelmed. She may be very smart, and quite mentally mature for her age, but she is still only fifteen. In a very short time period, she discovered that magic, time-travel, and galaxy-spanning civilisations were all real. On top of that, she repeatedly witnessed the traumatising death of a loved one, and was faced with an enemy that seemed unbeatable, having watched them come back from near death.


    Faced with all this, she didn¡¯t respond rationally. She became emotionally shut-down and impulsive, ending the looping quickly. She didn¡¯t have the resilience, nor the mental capacity, to calmly problem-solve the situation. Once she made her decision, with Herber¡¯s blessing, she suppressed her feelings and distracted herself with magic and mechanics, all with a view to one day exacting her revenge on her powerful enemy.


    I realise this wasn¡¯t clear enough, and I am planning to rewrite some of my earlier sections to ensure that the emotional impact and distress is properly described, so that the choices Emily makes are more believable. However, I work full-time and write as a hobby, so I may not find time to do that for a while, as I¡¯m focussed on progressing the story at the moment (and there¡¯s a long way to go).


    However, I do want to explain that Emily¡¯s decision was not a mistake on my part. When I do my rewrites, I won¡¯t change the outcome. Herber can¡¯t survive and Emily can¡¯t escape. I¡¯ve worked through every possible scenario that is plausible, given Emily¡¯s knowledge at the time (including anything she could extract from people close enough to reach before each loop ends), and escaping with Herber and Anna alive is impossible. On top of the lack of supplies in the shop to make proper weapons, she has hard caps on the abilities she could develop in such a short time. Importantly, she can¡¯t improve her cultivation whilst in frozen time.


    The events around Herber¡¯s death are important to Emily¡¯s character development. When she eventually reflects on this properly, the fact that she acted on emotion instead of logic will be a huge source of regret to her. And she will reflect on it: the event may have passed, but the emotional processing will take a while. A large part of the motif I¡¯m building around Emily is that she makes mistakes, processes them, and tries never to repeat them. Whether that¡¯s being overwhelmed, letting anger control her, or even becoming a victim of her own arrogance, Emily will repeatedly make mistakes that lead to long-lasting consequences that she has to live with, but she will come out of it stronger.


    Herber¡¯s death was completely inevitable from the moment Emily awakened. But that is a fact Emily won¡¯t be able to confirm for a very, very long time.


    As a first-time writer, I¡¯ve been both grateful and excited by the number of people who are enjoying Emily¡¯s story. I am learning as I go along, but, like Emily, will do my best not to make the same mistake twice.


    [collapse]

 Chapter 55 – Battling Through The Forest

    Chapter 55 ¨C Battling Through The Forest


    Emily¡¯s recent endeavours in learning about space have brought her small gains in her meditation. Before leaving The Dome, she read half a dozen books with different perspectives on the topic, filling a folder in her notes with ideas, from which she has started to form her own theories. The culmination of her efforts so far has been conjuring a thin mist of purple wisps when attempting to manifest space. Unfortunately, even with the small reaction from the element, she hasn¡¯t succeeded in casting the simple switch spell yet.


    ¡°How was watch last night? I hear you had some trouble?¡± Oscar asks, breaking Emily¡¯s thoughts, after a few minutes of eating in silence.


    ¡°It was fine. A small group of ocelax approached us, but they were easy enough to deal with. I¡¯m honestly surprised we didn¡¯t run into any other beasts yesterday. Your training exercise made it seem like this place would be crawling with them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit, we¡¯ve got the beast numbers tuned up a lot in the simulation. It¡¯s more similar to the depths of The Glade than the outskirts, but it¡¯s good to be prepared just in case!¡± Oscar responds resolutely.


    Emily nods along, finishing her food and standing up.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna drop my spoils off with the carriers then go join Enzo keeping watch.¡±


    Oscar waves as she leaves, before turning to rest of the group and asking them to start breaking camp. Emily escapes the chore, instead returning to her job as a scout, sitting at the edge of their clearing and staring into the surrounding forest once again, this time without the calming rap of rain on her hood.


    Their camp is dismantled with no issues, everyone following their predetermined roles with ease. Within twenty minutes of sitting down, Emily is called to collect the barrier. She quickly moves from point to point, pulling the metal stakes free from the ground and shattering their temporary haven. She soon joins the gathered formation and hands the six stakes back to Oscar. He nods his thanks before giving her the silent command to move out.


    The group lurches into motion, leaving behind their perceived safety as they plough deeper into the forest. The first hour of their day goes smoothly, and their earthen scans only reveal a few harmless beasts nearby that are too weak to risk approaching the pressure of the mages¡¯ collective circles. However, an hour and a half after breaking camp, Emily holds up a hand to halt the group while staring up.


    The flicker of red leaping past her vision confirms her worries.


    ¡°Above, count unknown, minimum three,¡± Emily quickly weaves a set of predetermined hand signs, alerting the group to her discovery.


    Instantly, everyone reacts to her information, dropping into prepared stances and rapidly weaving their spells. The hum of quietly muttered chants fills the group, unsettling their stalkers and causing one to reveal itself. A small brown monkey drops into Emily¡¯s sight, swinging past from a branch while throwing something at Dante. He also spots the enemy, a grin spreading on his face as he sidesteps the approaching shard of rock.


    ¡°Howlers,¡± he calls quietly, alerting the group to the identity of their attackers.


    He raises a hand to point at the Howler before it can disappear back into the canopy, a bright red magic circle forming in the air before him. A single, burning, crimson hibiscus flower stalk forms in the centre of the circle, its petals and pistil aimed at the monkey. In a swift motion, the flower¡¯s petals fold down, twisting around the long pistil and forming a compact projectile that tears forward in a violent vortex of force.


    The spell rips through the monkey¡¯s head, burning a hole clean through. As the limp body falls, the group rushes to finish their combat preparations.


    Emily uses the time before the fighting starts to pull out her revolver, loaded in advance with silent wind bullets. She maintains infra-sight while scanning for movement above, waiting for the others to be ready.


    Within moments, barriers of wind and water pop up to protect them as everyone holds spells at the ready, waiting for their enemies to reveal themselves. Emily raises her pistol above her head and fires a shot into the trees.


    A shrill screech sounds as a howler drops to the ground, bleeding, beside the group, a bullet hole in its leg. Reacting quickly, Erin sends out a whip of water, splitting the howler in two.


    Emily maintains her focus on the foliage above. Every time she sees a hint of movement and heat, she releases a silent shot at the overhead adversaries. She reloads the revolver once, firing ten shots and bringing down six howlers. Each enemy she fells quickly dispatched by her teammates, moving together like a well-oiled machine, the fruits of their training obvious.


    After the last howler is finished off, the group falls into silence, awaiting Emily¡¯s next signal. After a minute of staring into the canopy and spotting nothing, Emily waves away the group''s caution, their breaths of relief audible as their barriers fall.


    Emily reloads her revolver before sliding it back into its holster. She drops infra-sight, opting to channel earthen detection as she waits for the group to harvest materials from the howler corpses. It doesn¡¯t take long for them to rip out the monkeys¡¯ claws and fangs, and they quickly set off again, distancing themselves from the bodies.


    The rest of their morning is relatively quiet. They run into a small group of ocelax, but Emily and Dante wipe them out before the group even have time to set up barriers. Come midday, they find another small clearing, just too small to fit the whole group into.


    Emily, Enzo, and Ivor, the three scouts of the group, all split up, taking their food and settling down separately in the nearby forest. Ivor and Enzo both sit on the floor, while Emily takes off up a tree, using branches and the spikes on her boots to scramble up while holding a parcel of meat in her teeth.


    ¡°No problem, I¡¯d rather you came and woke me up than let any valuable beasts run away,¡± Emily reassures him, before muttering disappointedly: ¡°It¡¯s a shame it was mudscraps though.¡±


    ¡°Hah, yeah. What a waste of effort,¡± Enzo grumbles with her. ¡°Still, are we not going to grab their skulls at least?¡±


    ¡°I know they have a bit of value, but do you really want to clean them? Let¡¯s just wait till Oscar wakes up and tell him about them. If he thinks they¡¯re worth the bag space, we can get Callum and Cian to deal with it.¡±


    Enzo raises a brow at her before cracking a grin.


    ¡°I see your point. Best to leave that kind of work to the professionals.¡±


    Emily nods sagely.


    If they didn¡¯t want to strip corpses for us, they should never have told us they were a butcher¡¯s sons.


    Emily and Enzo chat quietly for the rest of the last watch. When Oscar comes over to greet them in the morning, after a brief explanation of why Emily is up already and what happened, he also decides the mudscrap skulls aren¡¯t worth the effort.


    ¡°Yeah, just leave them. We should get moving quickly though if their corpses are nearby. Don¡¯t want to be here when the scavengers show up,¡± Oscar says resolutely, leaving the scouts as he heads back into the camp.


    Ivor shows up with Dante a few minutes later, carrying breakfast. The four of them eat while the others break camp.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be helping them?¡± Emily asks Dante after a few minutes, gesturing into the clearing with her head.


    ¡°I would, but it¡¯s important we have enough people on watch when there¡¯s a large number of fresh corpses near us,¡± Dante replies seriously.


    Emily is slightly taken aback by his thoughtful answer, until Enzo dispels her belief.


    ¡°Yeah right! Emily would be enough on her own if something happened. You¡¯re just avoiding doing the work.¡±


    ¡°I have no clue what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Dante looks away, refusing to make eye contact as he continues eating.


    Once ready, the group set off again without trouble. As the now empty clearing fades into the fog and they march on in silence, Emily detects several sets of footsteps approaching the corpses they left behind.


    Good, they aren¡¯t interested in us.


    Confirming none of the steps are coming towards the group, Emily ignores them and switches back to watching their advance with infra-sight.


    ***


    They slowly push through The Glade, killing and harvesting any beasts that approach them, falling into a tense routine. As the days pass, on their fourth full day in the unsettling forest, the group¡¯s fears relax slightly, and quiet, muttered conversations accompany their advance.


    In the mid-morning of their fourth day, Emily is standing at the front of the group, looking at the dull, heatless hues of their surroundings with boredom while Ivor runs his earthen detection.


    The mana around us is starting to get denser. It¡¯s at least fifty per cent denser here than on the outskirts and we¡¯re running into more beasts each day. The fog is also getting thicker by the day. Does this mean we¡¯re getting closer to the depths?


    Her absentminded ponderings are disturbed by a tapping on her shoulder. Turning her head, she sees Oscar staring at her with concern creasing his brow.


    ¡°We need your help.¡±

 Chapter 56 – Unseen Pursuit

    Chapter 56 ¨C Unseen Pursuit


    Emily turns to fully face Oscar, taking in his nervous shifting as she waits for him to elaborate.


    ¡°Please come translate for Ivor. He¡¯s trying to tell us something and my sign language isn¡¯t good enough to understand him properly.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Emily agrees, stepping past Oscar to approach Ivor.


    Ivor makes eye contact with her as she walks up, and she instantly notices the confusion in his gaze.


    ¡°What¡¯s up, big guy?¡± Emily signs as she comes to a halt before him.


    ¡°I think something¡¯s following us,¡± his first sentence sends a shiver down Emily spine as she glances into the fog concealing the trees behind their group.


    ¡°What do you mean think?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve felt something odd the last three scans I¡¯ve done. I can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s the movement of a beast: it doesn¡¯t feel like footfall. At first, I thought it was nothing, so I ignored it. But this time I¡¯m certain I felt something moving in our wake, even if I still can¡¯t tell what.¡±


    Emily frowns and activates earthen detection after his explanation, focusing her senses on the trail behind them. Standing with her eyes shut and her full attention on the scan, she notices a faint buzzing near the edge of her detection range, but it vanishes the moment she feels it. She keeps her attention on the area where she felt the buzz, but finds nothing after a minute of watching.


    ¡°There¡¯s something there for sure. I wouldn¡¯t even have noticed it if you hadn¡¯t said something. But whatever it is, it stopped moving the second my scan reached it,¡± Emily says with concern, turning to Oscar. ¡°It¡¯s able to sense our earthen detection. How about I go out alone and have a look?¡±


    She taps her eyes, activating infra-sight and letting its warm orange glow convey her intent. Oscar frowns at her suggestion.


    ¡°No way am I letting you set off alone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll still be within detection range: you can get Ivor and Enzo to watch my back from here. I¡¯m faster than any of you, and if something happens, I can defend myself for long enough for you all to reach me!¡±


    Oscar looks unconvinced, but acquiesces with a sigh.


    ¡°Fine. It¡¯s not like I have any better ideas, and I sure as hell don¡¯t want an unknown beast following us.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± Emily says with a grin, setting off towards the back of the chattering group. ¡°Also, if you don¡¯t want things following us, maybe shut them up.¡±


    Leaving Oscar to consider her suggestion, Emily takes off back along their path. She dashes and weaves between trees, approaching the area where she felt something amiss. Coming to a standstill, she looks around for any warmth in the area and finds nothing. She pulses earthen detection a few times, attempting to find the buzzing again, but nothing shows up.


    As the eerie silence of the forest closes in around her, Emily frowns and scours the area, pushing bushes out of the way and searching for anything out of the ordinary. After five minutes of searching to no avail, she heads back to rejoin the group. She breaks through the fog, emerging next to Matteo and startling him as she passes.


    Ignoring his grumbled complaints, Emily walks up to Ivor and Oscar, informing them of her fruitless search.


    ¡°Nothing?¡± Oscar asks dubiously.


    ¡°Yep, not a leaf out of place. Whatever¡¯s following us is either a ghost, or so good at hiding we¡¯ll never find it.¡±


    Oscar¡¯s face twists in a confused mix of fear and anger.


    ¡°Shit. We keep going. Whatever it is, it will have to reveal itself to attack us. You guys stay on guard.¡±


    Emily shrugs at his commands and returns to the head of the group.


    He¡¯s not wrong. As long as we¡¯re careful, we should be fine. I can always reset and check again once we know what we¡¯re looking for.


    They continue, heading deeper into The Glade. The relaxed state the group had fallen into vanishes, with the fear of the unknown once again hanging over their heads. Everyone keeps moving, sticking to the formation as usual, but several people repeatedly cast anxious gazes behind them, checking for phantoms in the fog.


    By lunch time, they have run into three more small groups of beasts, and the odd tremors following them persist. As they take a break to eat, Emily, Ivor, Enzo, and Dante, set up at the edge of the group, facing the unknown pursuer.


    ¡°Should we really keep going?¡± Enzo asks with his signature scowl.


    ¡°Why not? If a beast wants to attack us, we¡¯ll just burn it!¡± Dante confidently answers.


    Enzo rolls his eyes at his friend and turns to Emily for a reasonable response.


    ¡°As much as the pyro¡¯s answer was stupid, he¡¯s not wrong. It¡¯s like Oscar said: whatever¡¯s following us will have to reveal itself if it wants to attack us directly.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but you¡¯ve noticed our encounters with beasts increasing the further we go, right? What if whatever¡¯s following us is smart enough to coordinate the beasts and it¡¯s giving away our position?¡±


    ¡°Ha. If it¡¯s that smart, we¡¯re already dead! It would have to be at least third circle for that, and a third circle beast that good at hiding is a death sentence,¡± Dante says dismissively.


    ¡°Shit. Carriers, three grenades to the back and sides!¡± Oscar shouts hurriedly.


    The luggage carriers scramble into motion, reaching into their packs and producing grenades to hand to the mages beside them.


    ¡°Brace!¡± Emily calls out while sending a small stream of mana into her earrings.


    Two loud bangs rip through the group, drawing a few yelps of pain from those too slow to cover their ears after Emily¡¯s warning. Emily herself feels the thundering sound in her chest, but all she hears is a muted pop. A few shards of shrapnel fly past them, but none hit the group, most embedding themselves in the dense trees between their detonation point and the group.


    Emily reactivates infra-sight, checking for any approaching fog cats while her teammates fumble to use their grenades. She spots a few crumpled beasts lying between trees, their heat bleeding out onto the floor around them.


    Six weaker bangs go off around the group. A few shards of shrapnel are caught in the water barriers protecting everyone, further adding to the defensive mages¡¯ burden.


    ¡°Check for movement!¡± Emily calls, now completely unconcerned about making more noise.


    She sets off two earthen detection scans herself, finding three fog cats still moving in front of the group and two on the right.


    ¡°Three on the left.¡±


    ¡°Five still behind.¡±


    Clicking her tongue, Emily glances at her resource reserves.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Mana:] 2150/3540


    [Machina:] 3153/3540


    _____


    I can easily manage alone.


    ¡°Everyone stay on the defensive, I¡¯ll deal with them,¡± Emily says before sprinting into the fog ahead, unconcerned about the group¡¯s reaction.


    Dropping one of her earthen detections, Emily¡¯s hands quickly weave a set of hand signs as she runs. A pale blue glow envelopes her as a complicated magic circle forms around her. She carefully positions herself, lining up the footsteps of the fog cats in front of the group.


    She halts in position, slamming her hands together to finish forming the spell then pointing her right arm out, lining up her enemies with two fingers.


    ¡°Bang,¡± she mutters with a grin, as the magic circle around her blazes to life with the crackle of electricity.


    A bolt of lightning tears a path through the fog, ripping the magically enhanced haze from existence. Three of the fog cats fall to the ground, smouldering, as Emily quickly pulls out her revolver. She tells her second core to switch from earthen detection to infra-sight as she brings the gun up to bear.


    The air before her is filled with dissipating heat, but she still easily spots the final fog cat on this side, quickly racing towards her after her flashy attack. A single pop and crack signals the cat¡¯s demise as a lightly crackling bullet flies from the barrel of Emily¡¯s gun into the beast¡¯s skull.


    Front clear.


    Emily turns on her heel, dashing towards the right flank of the group where the fog cats have closed in on her group. She sees two cat-shaped red forms stalking the edge of the barriers, throwing themselves against them periodically and fading back into obscurity after each failed strike. She raises her gun. Two machina-charged trigger pulls fell the beasts as she continues circling the group to approach the left flank.


    Three shots left, three cats.


    Lining up her firing angle, Emily pulls the trigger three more times. Two more cats drop, but the third reacts in time, jumping suddenly as Emily shoots.


    ¡°Tsk.¡± Emily clicks her tongue, dropping the revolver into its holster and charging forwards.


    The fog cat, realising its cover is useless against Emily, races to meet her. At the last moment before their collision, Emily tilts her body sideways, slipping past the cat as her hand flashes out, slitting its throat with her Claw. Emily continues moving, cleaning the Claw with a small spark of machina then retracting it again.


    As she rushes to the back of the group, Emily¡¯s hands move with mechanical grace, blurring through the motions of another spell. Flying lightning forms around her right arm as she reaches her last five opponents. All five turn to look at her, and, as if in recognition of the slaying of their pack mates, switch targets and move to surround her.


    Emily takes a deep breath, releasing it slowly through a manic grin. Time stretches as she watches the first cat leap towards her. She whips her weapon, stabbing the cat through the eye with a shocking impact. With a quick twist, she rips the blade clean and sends it flying backwards, slashing past another attacking beast and paralysing it with a spark.


    The other three beasts reach her, coordinating their attacks as they bite and claw at her legs and throat. With acrobatic flair, Emily springs up, spinning in the air with flying lightning¡¯s wire trailing behind her. The wire brushes past the beasts, stunning them with lightning before the following blade slashes them to pieces.


    Emily lands in the centre of the three bleeding beasts and calmly stands up. She tosses flying lightning into the head of the cat she only stunned, before dismissing the spell. Leaving the corpses behind, she rejoins her group, finding them standing together tensely, with the defensive barrier mages panting in exhaustion.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s dead,¡± Emily calls as she retakes her place at the head of the formation. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get the fuck out of here!¡±

 Chapter 57 – Things That Go Hiss in The Night

    Chapter 57 ¨C Things That Go Hiss in The Night


    The rest of the evening travel is slow and painful. While using grenades helped to clear the group of fog cats and get them moving faster, it also inevitably draws in more beasts. Emily and the mages with ranged attacks quickly dispatch anything that approaches them, pushing through groups of five or more attacking beasts at least every ten minutes for the first hour.


    They reach the next clearing to set up camp three hours after fighting the fog cats. A few group members sit in the centre of the clearing, clasping deep gashes and waiting for the healers to regain enough mana to help. Everybody else rushes to set up their tents so they can sleep.


    Emily hunkers down at the edge of the clearing, watching the forest in the direction they came from. Oscar comes over as the clearing starts to settle, carrying food for Emily.


    ¡°Hey, you sure you¡¯re still okay to take first watch?¡± he asks while casting nervous glances out into the foggy surroundings. ¡°You¡¯re probably the most exhausted one here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± She waves him off. ¡°My spells are mana-efficient. I still have enough left in the tank to keep watch for three more hours. I may have to wake people up to help me fight if too many beasts attack though.¡±


    Oscar nods and stands up with a yawn, too tired to question her any longer.


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re certain. Get help the second you need it, okay? I don¡¯t want any stupid deaths due to exhaustion.¡±ily waves over her shoulder as he leaves, not taking her eyes off the treeline. Her glowing orange eyes remain fixed on the darkness, with only brief pauses for regular earthen detection scans. An hour later, Emily¡¯s concerns are confirmed as she feels a familiar dead spot in one of her returned scans.


    Damn!


    She watches for the next two hours as no beasts attack, but the dead zone slowly circles their camp. It never moves closer than fifty metres, and no matter how hard Emily tries, she fails to extract any helpful data. At the end of her watch, Emily wakes a still exhausted Ivor and informs him of the dead zone¡¯s return before heading into her tent to rest.


    She falls into meditation, quickly refilling her drained resources and returning to near-peak condition. Emily remains in a trance until the end of Ivor¡¯s shift when she drops her focus as her second core wakes up. Before she can re-enter meditation, she lets off a quick earthen detection just in case, and a chill runs down her spine. The dead zone that once traced the edge of the camp, now covers it.


    Emily stands up, cautiously opening her tent and stepping out. She glances around, the murky gloom of the night drawing in like a noose around her neck. Activating infra-sight, Emily walks through the tents to the edge of the camp, looking for Ivor or Enzo on watch. Finding no one sitting where she left Ivor earlier, she walks the perimeter.


    Halfway round, she spots him. Lying in a pool of his own blood, slowly bleeding the last heat of his life onto the forest floor, is Ivor. The colour drains from her face as she sees him, and Emily rushes over. She deactivates infra-sight as she turns him onto his back, grimacing at the state of his body. His arms are both bent at unnatural angles, and his throat is ripped clean out.


    Emily grits her teeth before taking a deep breath and slowly releasing it, crushing her emotions as her logic reassures her.


    It¡¯s fine, I will reset in a minute. First, I should find out what our stalker is so I can find it next time.


    She closes Ivor¡¯s eyes as she stands up.


    ¡°See you later, big guy,¡± she signs to his corpse as she walks into the gathered tents.


    Emily approaches the closest tent first, pushing open the flap and cautiously gazing in. The tent¡¯s occupant is Nora, one of the group¡¯s healers. Unlike Ivor¡¯s violent demise, Nora¡¯s was peaceful, with just a single two-fanged bite mark on her neck and black veins spreading from it across her body. Her body seems shrivelled as if all the moisture has been drained from her.


    Inspecting the bite closely, a picture of their enemy quickly forms in Emily¡¯s mind.


    Two fangs, spreads venom, hidden from thermal detection - it¡¯s a snake. Is it earth attuned? It would make sense that it could mess with our scans and drain moisture, but it would have to be third circle to distort our scans like that with just earth spells. If that were the case, it could have attacked us head-on.


    Standing up, she leaves the tent and starts checking on others. The number of dead keeps growing. From two to four to nine. As Emily opens the ninth tent, Oscar¡¯s, she finds almost exactly what she expected. Curled around Oscar¡¯s sleeping form is a long, thin, pitch-black boa. Its skin shimmers in a strange way, seemingly vanishing at the edges as if forming into wisps of shadow.


    Darkness element, of course!


    The gears finally click into place in Emily¡¯s mind as the snake releases Oscar¡¯s neck from its jaws and turns to hiss at Emily. Swiftly, she steps forward, driving a Claw down into the creature''s head before it even has time to react. The snake drops to the floor, dead, as Emily rises. Glancing at Oscar, who has been violently thrashing from the moment the snake released him, Emily sighs as she pulls out The Clock.


    ¡°You really did drag us on a suicide mission, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ***


    ¡°We need your help.¡±


    Emily turns to face Oscar at the words she has been waiting for all morning.


    ¡°Please come translate for Ivor. He-¡°


    ¡°Sure!¡± Emily interrupts, cutting him off before he can finish.


    Repeating the same conversation with Oscar and Ivor, she quickly gets their agreement and sets off into the forest after her prey. Knowing infra-sight won¡¯t be of any help, she keeps earthen detection running, heading towards the information dead zone. Upon reaching it, she lifts a hand before her and casts light, raising the glowing ball of white to float above her head.


    The light shimmers in the fog, banishing the shadows around her.


    Half the group would be dead right now if I wasn¡¯t here, and we haven¡¯t even reached The Waters yet. He¡¯s letting his guard down too much.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see. If we run into any more beasts today than we did yesterday, we may end up with casualties before we get there.¡±


    Oscar seems to calm down slightly at her words, his excitement fading as he nods at her.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. We should still be careful. But be a little proud of us,¡± he says, standing up and patting Emily on the shoulder. ¡°And yourselves. This expedition wouldn¡¯t have made it here this smoothly without both of you.¡±


    Emily watches his back recede into the tents before turning back to Ivor.


    ¡°He¡¯s a little odd,¡± Ivor signs, making Emily laugh.


    ¡°Yes. Yes, he is.¡±


    I can¡¯t tell whether he¡¯s pretending to be kind to achieve something, or if he¡¯s actually just nice. I guess that makes him a good noble.


    After finishing their breakfast, and waiting for the camp to be disassembled, Emily takes up the lead again, guiding the group further into The Glade under Oscar¡¯s instructions. The morning is much the same as the evening before, with gatherings of beasts attacking in waves, slowly grinding down their mana reserves.


    Emily notices Oscar giving more directions the longer the day goes. At one point just before lunch, after returning to the group after ripping apart a gathering of pop toads, a froglike beast with a tendency to blow themselves up when they feel threatened, Emily notices him holding a strange metal device.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± she asks quietly as she appears from the fog beside him.


    Oscar starts slightly, grasping the trinket tight as his shoulders jump.


    ¡°You¡¯re back,¡± he whispers with an audible sigh of relief. ¡°This is a Guide Pose; it always points to a specific attuned mana crystal. It¡¯s how we¡¯re finding The Waters¡¯ entrance. The first time my family found it, they marked it with this crystal so we can return whenever we like.¡±


    ¡°I see. Does this crystal only link to one Pose? Or multiple?¡±


    ¡°Multiple. We have a spell for linking new Poses to the same crystal. Why?¡±


    ¡°Does your family sell them by any chance?¡±


    ¡°Only to our allies.¡±


    ¡°What, do I not count?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still a Mandrago,¡± Oscar concludes, his tone making it clear the conversation is over.


    Huh, I guess that¡¯s a touchy subject for him. If I need to come back, I¡¯ll have to hope he¡¯s loosened up a little. Or I can just steal one.


    They continue following the pose, stopping for lunch soon after. They are attacked once, as they eat, by a small group of rocky howlers, but Emily quickly dispatches them with flying lightning before they can interrupt her groupmates¡¯ meal. The afternoon travel quickly takes an unsettling turn as, a few hours after setting off from lunch, the beast attacks fall off and an unnerving quiet settles over the forest.


    The fog slowly grows denser and the group has to reach out and hold each other¡¯s robes to maintain awareness in their formation. Late-afternoon, as the light breaching the canopy far above begins to dwindle, Emily turns her head and asks Oscar a whispered question over her shoulder.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t run into anything for the past hour. Was this expected as well?¡±


    ¡°Yes. This is a good sign. Fewer beasts means we¡¯re getting closer!¡±


    She nods and turns back, which is when she sees it. The fog ahead of them is roiling, swirling violently in a wall of motion.


    ¡°Are we-?¡° Before Emily can finish asking about the phenomenon, Oscar interrupts her with a cheer.


    ¡°Yes! We made it!¡±


    A wave of relief passes through the group at his cry.


    ¡°Go ahead, Emily. As long as you see no enemies ahead, this area is safe,¡± Oscar reassures her eagerly, impatient to see the goal of his trip.


    ¡°Sure, there¡¯s nothing ahead,¡± Emily says as she steps forward, excited to see The Waters¡¯ entrance herself.


    With her breath held in anticipation, Emily steps through the shifting wall of fog into the unknown beyond.

 Chapter 58 – The Complexity of Space

    Chapter 58 ¨C The Complexity of Space


    A small gasp escapes Emily¡¯s lips as she gazes at the scene before her. The roiling wall of fog falls away after a metre to reveal a wide-open clearing broken only by a few large trees, whose canopies stretch wide overhead, blocking a clear view of the sky. The fog seems to pause at the boundary of the space before being pulled down and flowing along the ground like a thick carpet.


    In the centre of the clearing, is a crack in the earth. It stretches a few metres wide and over ten long, with dense fog flowing into it like water, clinging close to the surfaces as it drops. Emily¡¯s groupmates break formation, parting the fog on either side of her as they emerge into the clearing with stupefied gazes. After a few moments admiring the mysterious crack in the ground, Oscar breaks everyone out of their daze.


    ¡°This is it everyone. Welcome to the entrance to The Crystal Waters!¡±


    Several muttered conversations break out at his words, so he quickly regains control of the group, obviously reeling in his own excitement at the same time.


    ¡°Calm down everyone! This is a very exciting moment, but let¡¯s get our arrays set up properly before we relax too much.¡±


    The palpable excitement of the group is barely held in as Oscar quickly pulls out the sound barrier¡¯s stakes and divides them up. With practised motions, they place the stakes around the clearing, forming a bubble of surety around themselves. The moment the barrier is formed, the barely suppressed excitement of the group explodes as everybody gathers around the crack to look in.The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n))


    Emily joins them, gazing into the dark recess in the ground. She sees the faintly recognisable membrane of the sound isolating barrier spanning the entrance, preventing sound from travelling inside. Upon closer inspection, she realises that the crack isn¡¯t just a hole. Though obscured by the dense fog resting on top of it, there is a path descending further into the depths. It starts off at ground level with a sudden half-metre drop onto a gradual slope that disappears into the billowing fog and darkness below.


    Oscar addresses the whole group as they gather around.


    ¡°We shall set up camp here for today and move into the cave system in the morning. Make the most of being in the open. This will be the last time we see the sky for a while.¡±


    Everyone slowly disperses, ambling through setting up camp, the usual urgency gone, having stopped far earlier in the day than normal. Emily, Ivor, and Enzo settle down together at the edge of the clearing. After chatting for a while about the mysterious entrance, Ivor and Enzo exchange a glance before both turning to Emily.


    ¡°You should take a break for a little bit,¡± Enzo says.


    Emily raises a brow with curiosity as he continues.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been scouting at the front all week: you¡¯ve got to be mentally exhausted, right?¡±


    ¡°Not massively. I¡¯m quite resilient.¡± Emily shrugs.


    Enzo sighs, while Ivor rolls his eyes at her.


    ¡°Just take a break for an hour to eat. We don¡¯t need all three of us anyway,¡± Ivor signs.


    I guess I can use this as a chance to talk to Callum...


    Smiling at her friends¡¯ concern, Emily stands up, patting them both on the shoulders.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll take your offer then. Thanks. Try not to annoy each other too much!¡± she says as she turns and walks towards the main camp.


    All the tents have already been set up, and Emily finds the majority of the expedition group gathered together eating. Before she can join them, Dante approaches her, carrying a mass of bread and meat in his arms.


    ¡°Hey, Emily! You here to grab food? I was already on my way.¡±


    ¡°Yes and no. Ivor and Enzo told me to come and rest for a bit.¡±


    ¡°Wow, they managed to convince you to rest? Should I be reporting them for using mental magic?¡±


    Rolling her eyes at him, Emily grabs some food out of his arms and walks past.


    ¡°Yep, they¡¯re masters of the brain now, so why don¡¯t you go ask them to work out what¡¯s wrong with yours?¡± she calls teasingly over her shoulder as she leaves.


    Chewing on a hunk of bread, Emily scans the group for Callum, frowning when she can¡¯t find him. Instead, she approaches Oscar, who¡¯s sitting at the edge of the gathering, chatting with Fionn, Cian, and Linda.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Emily calls as she gets close, interrupting their conversation.


    Fionn and Cian both give her polite smiles, and Linda gives her a friendly wave, her greeting unaffected by the heavy bags under her eyes. Oscar raises a brow with curiosity and Emily sighs, predicting his next question.


    ¡°Why are you over here?¡±


    ¡°Ivor and Enzo persuaded me to take a break,¡± she says, quickly continuing before Oscar can comment. ¡°Where¡¯s Callum? I wanna talk to him?¡±


    Oscar looks shocked at her inquiry, but still answers quickly.


    ¡°He¡¯s in his tent, third on the fourth row.¡±


    ¡°Got it, thanks.¡± Emily nods and turns around.


    Glancing at the shoddily organised tents, she quickly works out which counts as the fourth row, heavily judging whoever managed to blend the fourth and fifth rows together.


    They had one job! If I did my job this poorly, we¡¯d all be dead...


    Shaking her head free of superfluous thoughts, she walks up to Callum¡¯s tent and calls for him.


    ¡°Well, yeah. That¡¯s pretty obvious. It¡¯s space magic: of course it teleports,¡± Callum says slightly disappointedly.


    ¡°Mine doesn¡¯t, though, and that¡¯s the problem I¡¯m trying to work out,¡± Emily says with an irritated scowl. ¡°Could you explain to me what you¡¯re thinking of when you attempt manifestation?¡±


    Callum frowns, scratching the side of his head as he thinks.


    ¡°Yes? I don¡¯t really think that much though, so it probably won¡¯t help.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Anything helps.¡±


    ¡°Okay. So to start with I clear my mind. Then, I feel for everything around me. It¡¯s kind of hard to explain, but since I awakened, I can sort of just feel where everything is within a few metres of me.¡±


    Emily frowns and notes down his heightened spatial awareness as he continues.


    ¡°Next, I try and focus on two fixed points in front of me and push them together. I can feel space sort of stretch as they connect, so I focus on that feeling and hold it as my mental image.¡±


    He finishes, looking at Emily to see if she gained anything from his words. Emily sits in silence for a few moments, staring at the pages of notes floating in her view.


    Two points, connected by mana, strong force to bend space, instant transmission...


    With thoughts and theories swirling around her mind, Emily shifts her posture into meditation stance and closes her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she releases it and empties her mind completely.


    First, two points.


    In the blank canvas of her mind, Emily paints two stationary purple orbs. They sit a fair distance from each other, with nothing but empty space between.


    Next, mana.


    Both of the orbs take on a purple glow as Emily imagines mana building up within them.


    Now, apply a great force.


    The orbs keep gaining mana, maintaining the same size but ballooning in density. They vibrate with immense power as they pull on the space around them, but both remain rooted steadfast.


    Finally, bend space.


    The orbs both begin to distort, pulling out into cones as they reach for each other. The space between them shakes and twists, distorting as it¡¯s compressed. The two points connect, completing Emily¡¯s mental image with the distance between them both vast and non-existent at the same time.


    Pouring mana into the mental image, Emily opens her eyes as power bubbles within her. Ignoring Callum¡¯s gobsmacked expression, her gaze is drawn to the distorted space before her. She sees two vortexes of twisted reality, resembling those in her mind, but formed from folds of space instead of abstract purple shapes.


    Emily instinctively knows the points are connected, even though the compressed space between is invisible to the naked eye, a new sense of awareness budding in her core. Through the centre of one of the points, she sees a slightly twisted perception of the view from the other.


    ¡°Finally!¡± she cries with joy, dropping the manifestation.


    ¡°Incredible! Was that a full manifestation just from what I said?¡± Callum asks, with a defeated look on his face.


    ¡°Yes. Thank you. Your input helped me finish my mental image,¡± Emily says, bowing her head slightly in gratitude. ¡°If you want, I can explain to you what I did to achieve it?¡±


    Callum hesitates for a few seconds, before sighing and shaking his head as he stands up.


    ¡°No thanks. It was nice to talk about my element with you. Not many would show any interest, but I think I¡¯ll stick to trying to feel out the element myself. I don¡¯t know why, but I get the feeling that, if I let someone else help me now, I¡¯ll never reach fourth circle.¡±


    Emily smiles and waves goodbye to him as he leaves, respecting his decision to follow his own path.


    I don¡¯t have a way to repay him at the moment, but I¡¯ll make sure he and his brother make it out of this trip alive.


    Turning away from Callum¡¯s receding back, Emily focuses on her new sense of spatial awareness. An odd understanding of the surrounding space fills her, more in feeling than in thought. To try and process it, she shuts her eyes again and focuses on the sensation.


    The first thing she notices is the conflicting lack of objects occupying the space, yet constant present force. Following the force, she notices how it pulls on her as well, holding her down to the ground.


    Gravity.


    She realises the source quickly. Reaching into a pouch on her belt, Emily pulls out a normal bullet. She throws it in the air, watching with fascination as it¡¯s pulled back down.


    A constant force acting to hold us to our planet.


    She looks closer at the object in her hand, drawing on her new spatial senses with curiosity. Everything else falls away in her perception. She tosses the bullet up again with her eyes shut, feeling space distort as it moves, watching the way the world pulls on it.


    As it falls back into her hand, she notices a flicker of distortion as it lands. Intrigued, she looks closer at the connection between the object and her hand. She sees a faint, almost non-existent, force acting between the two, pulling lightly on the fractional space between.


    Lightning strikes in her mind as the dots connect.


    Gravity, a constant force between objects with mass. Gravity, a force that acts on all within a certain radius with a constant value, forming a field that pulls all together, that connects everything. Gravity, the force of space.

 Chapter 59 – Cave Diving

    Chapter 59 ¨C Cave Diving


    As the realisation falls into place in her mind, so does a new flood of knowledge. Information flows in, filling holes of awareness in her mind and reinforcing her fundamental understanding of physics.CHeCk for new stories on no/v/el/bin(.)c0m


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Mechanic Knowledge learned: Basic Fields


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    Quest completed: The Four Fundamental Forces


    [The Four Fundamental Forces]


    [Rank:] C


    [Description:] Learn and understand the four fundamental forces of physics.


    Requirements:


    -Learn 4/4 Forces (Complete)


    Rewards:


    -Blueprint: Universal Transmitter


    _____


    As the new knowledge settles into place, a fresh blueprint appears in Emily¡¯s mind. Her jaw drops open in disbelief as she feels the information filling her cortex, and she quickly pulls up her system blueprints to confirm.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Blueprints]


    Tier 1:


    {Please focus here to expand}


    Tier 4:


    -Universal Transmitter


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    [Universal Transmitter]


    [Type:] Ultra Long-Distance Broadcasting Array


    [Tier:] 4


    [Rank:] C


    [Description:] A high power data transmitter designed to broadcast information across dozens of light-years.


    [Effect:] When activated sends a programmed message across all open transmission bands.


    _____


    ¡°Tier four,¡± she mutters quietly as she stares at the window.


    Reaching up, Emily massages her brow as she processes the unexpectedly dense information.


    Capacitors, resistors, actuators, circuit boards. There¡¯s so many ways to use electricity I never even considered! I can see why steam is the lowest tier possible. Hmm, I¡¯ll need more space and infrastructure to make most of this. I can¡¯t make anything this small without better tools.


    Sighing, Emily stands up and heads back into camp.


    Emily shrugs off his concerns and they continue discussing the best options for night watch as they finish eating. After everyone finishes, they begin breaking camp, and Emily joins Enzo and Ivor as they wait at the entrance to The Waters, with Callum and Cian nearby, removing eyes from the disgusting grey grogler heads.


    They wait in silence, all staring into the darkness below with varying emotions. Soon, the entire group is packed up and waiting behind them once again, ready to brave the depths of the unknown in the pursuit of knowledge.


    ¡°Right, everybody, today we finally enter The Crystal Waters,¡± Oscar says just loud enough to be heard, but not shouting now that the sound barrier has been taken down. ¡°As you¡¯ve already seen, we¡¯ll probably be running into groglers quite quickly, so keep your guards up and be prepared for anything as usual. This is our target, so we will start taking breaks to gather materials. Please alert everyone if you spot anything worth gathering. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    He nods to Emily, and she turns with a grin, hopping down the small ledge and stepping into the pooling darkness below. They slowly move down the solid stone slope, uncomfortably placing each foot forward into the unknown, since the ground is obscured by fog. They quickly find themselves in darkness as the light fades unnaturally quickly. Only a hundred metres in, Emily can no longer see the fog swirling around her ankles.


    She raises a hand to signal for light before realising it can¡¯t be seen and lowering it, glad for the cover of darkness to disguise her blunder.


    ¡°Light!¡± she calls back quietly.


    She hears a muttered chant from the centre of the group before a spark of golden glamour floats to sit above their heads, illuminating the group along with a couple of metres ahead and behind them. Emily frowns slightly at the cut-off.


    Thought so. Just like the fog from outside is a magical phenomenon that¡¯s hard to clear, the darkness in here is too.


    Nonetheless, she starts moving forward again. Their steps echo out into the cave, returning with the faint sound of dripping water and mixing with the hiss of their quiet breaths. Emily¡¯s steps fall calmly in rhythm, fully confident in the footing before her due to her spatial awareness, but her teammates¡¯ footfall is irregular: most nervous about not being able to see the ground, and a few even tripping occasionally on imperfections in the rock below.


    After ten minutes of walking, they come across a split in the path, with one tunnel continuing straight, and the other branching off to the right.


    ¡°Which way?¡± Emily asks Oscar as they halt at the impasse.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he answers to her surprise.


    She turns away from the front to glare at him. He raises his hands placatingly with a helpless expression on his face.


    ¡°I told you the last successful expedition here was five years ago, right? Well, the tunnels down here move over time, so I have no clue if the path they took last time will take us anywhere.¡±


    ¡°Of course they do,¡± Emily says with a tired sigh, turning back to the front. ¡°Then we just pick one and run with it, right?¡±


    ¡°Yep. They both continue down.¡±


    ¡°Straight ahead it is then.¡±


    They continue in a straight line, ignoring the branching path and walking for just over ten more minutes before they run into a three-path split. Seeing another choice so soon, Emily shrugs and chooses a random path, confident that her perfect memory will allow her to retrace their steps whenever she chooses.


    Unfortunately, just as she goes to step on the path, Oscar taps her on the shoulder and gestures towards Ivor. He¡¯s standing with a hand up, asking to pause, with his eyes shut and a dull brown magic circle glowing around his feet. After a few moments, he opens his eyes and starts signing a message frantically.


    ¡°Six groglers on the left, four ahead, three on the right, and five behind.¡±


    ¡°Shit, why are they coordinated?¡± Oscar complains while directing everyone to battle stations.


    The whole group moves back slightly, setting up in the tunnel before the paths in front of them split. Emily and Dante confidently stand at the front, bracing themselves and preparing for the incoming foes.


    ¡°If only this cave was narrower, we could wipe them out in one go,¡± Dante laments quietly after finishing his preparations, a large red glowing circle floating before him.


    ¡°Clearly, you need more explosive spells,¡± Emily comments dryly as the groglers step into her infra-sight.


    ¡°Of cou-¡° Dante is cut off as Emily releases the magic circle she prepared, sending a bolt tearing through three of their oncoming assailants.


    Dante looks to the front as well, frowning as he can¡¯t see the monsters yet. Trusting in Emily¡¯s judgement, he releases his spell anyway, a flurry of flaming petals shooting forward and bombarding the darkness before him. The bursts of red light up the tunnel, giving the group glimpses of hunched grey forms, staring through glassy white eyes as they scurry towards them.


    Two of the monsters at the front of their charge collapse, overwhelmed by fire. The remaining eight attack on, but a wave of dark glitter bursts from Cormac, standing behind Emily, making them stumble as their energy quickly fades.


    Emily wastes no time, finishing a conjuring of flying lightning as her teammates hold the groglers back. She quickly begins cutting down enemies from the safety of Oscar¡¯s barrier, and the monsters soon fall to the flashing electric blade, a flurry of flaming petals, and a few orbs of water that burst their skulls.


    After the front calms down, Emily glances to the back of the group and sees five dead groglers sticking out of the fog, half-submerged in the ground by a spell from Enzo, either scorched or cut to pieces.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d have to deal with more groglers this morning,¡± Oscar mutters quietly as they take a moment to rest and harvest the spoils of their fight.


    ¡°Why not?¡± Emily asks curiously, watching Cian popping out another eye.


    ¡°Well, after you killed some last night, Ivor only had two more attacks, and Enzo one. I thought that¡¯d cleared out those near the surface.¡±


    ¡°Fair play. I¡¯m not complaining though. These things are easy enough to deal with as long as you don¡¯t let them get close.¡± She kicks an eyeless corpse aside, walking back to the front of the group. ¡°I¡¯d be happy to wipe out the lot of them.¡±

 Chapter 60 – The Crystal Waters

    Chapter 60 ¨C The Crystal Waters


    After claiming all of the groglers¡¯ eyes, they continue delving further into the cave system. With fog swirling around their ankles and darkness encroaching on all sides, their journey continues its winding descent. They encounter a few more groups of groglers, and dealing with them becomes a well-practiced routine as they head deeper into the earth.


    A few times, they run into dead ends - rooms with no other paths out and, often, grogler sleeping holes scratched into the rocky walls. At around 1 pm, they halt their march to eat lunch, gathering in one of the dead-end rooms with only one exit to watch.


    After sating their hunger, they continue on, retracing their steps to the last branch and choosing another route. They fight through more monsters, running into a few creatures they were expecting from their training. A few small groups of fire-spitting bugs attack them, but they are hard countered by their water barrier mages, making them easy to defeat.


    The enemy that Emily finds most interesting though, are half a dozen moles. They prove to be a pain to fight, thanks to their black iron claws that tear through most immaterial spells, giving her a small challenge in a hand-to-hand fight.


    Unfortunately, the majority of their fights still come in the form of groglers, and by the time evening has come, everyone shares the sentiment of never wanting to see one again.


    ¡°I swear if I see another one of those fuckers, I¡¯m blowing up the entire cave system!¡± Dante angrily comments as he and Emily finish off the last inhabitants of a dead-end cavern.


    ¡°If you could, you¡¯d have done it already,¡± Emily comments with a chuckle.


    The rest of the group files into the room, grabbing the bodies and helping move them into the empty tunnel they just left, to form a macabre barricade.


    ¡°Think of it like this: every grogler you kill, without damaging their heads, will earn you a few points.¡±


    Dante grumbles his reluctant agreement as they separate: Emily moves to sit in front of the cavern¡¯s entrance; and Dante joins the rest of the group as they arrange sleeping bags. Enzo and Ivor join Emily, the three of them happily enjoying their scouts'' privilege of not having to help set up camp.


    ¡°Is it safe to start that in here?¡± Ivor asks Emily after a few minutes, glancing back at the campfire Dante is building in the centre of the room.


    ¡°Safe enough,¡± Enzo answers for her, having picked up enough sign language in their time together to understand Ivor. ¡°It¡¯s just like with all the fire spells we used in our fights. These may be caves, but the dense mana makes it almost impossible to choke ourselves in here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be more worried about it spreading the smell of cooked meat than it choking us,¡± Emily adds quietly, watching a hunched figure approaching quickly through the long, straight tunnel.


    She stands up as Enzo and Ivor both frown, exchanging glances before shutting their eyes and quickly scanning the tunnel. As they notice the foe too, they stand up to help, but Emily waves them off and walks forward alone.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it looks like a lone grogler. I can deal with it.¡±


    She steps out into the darkness, leaving the camp¡¯s barrier and raising an arm before her. A glowing cerulean magic circle quickly spins to life, crackling with power and releasing a bolt of lightning the moment the grogler steps within twenty metres of it.


    The small monster¡¯s head is roasted on the spot.


    ¡°Whoops,¡± Emily mutters as she turns back. ¡°This is going to be a long night.¡±


    ***


    The night passes slowly, with bodies gradually building up in the tunnel. After Emily wakes Ivor and Fionn for their watch, she moves to sit in the corner of the cavern on a sleeping bag to meditate, and successfully increases her intelligence by one an hour before everyone starts to wake up.


    Camp is broken quickly, everyone eager to escape the slowly building stench from the nearby pile of corpses. They continue their descent, weaving through the tunnel system with purpose, only stopping to collect monster parts or a few herbs growing along the edge of their path and in the dead-end caverns.


    At lunch time, Emily and Ivor sit together at the front of the tunnel where they¡¯ve halted, Oscar having made the decision to simply stop moving, since they haven¡¯t seen a split in their path for the last hour. Enzo and Dante are covering the back together.


    ¡°This sucks,¡± Ivor signs dejectedly while chewing on a bite of his pasty. ¡°If I¡¯d known The Waters was just a dark tunnel full of Goddess forsaken monsters, I wouldn¡¯t have been so excited to see it!¡±


    Emily chuckles quietly before signing back to him.


    ¡°It has been kind of disappointing so far. O said that we¡¯ll see why it¡¯s called-¡° Emily stops abruptly, her head jolting to look down the tunnel ahead.


    An uncomfortable chill runs down her spine as she activates infra-sight and quickly checks for life. The tunnel is as empty as it was when they sat down, so Emily silently switches to earthen detection to see further. Finding nothing with the scan, she frowns and turns to Ivor.


    ¡°Did you just feel something?¡± she signs quickly.


    After Ivor shakes his head, Emily stands up.


    ¡°One second,¡± she mutters, turning and walking through everyone towards the rear-guard.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she calls out lightly as Enzo and Dante turn to watch her approach. ¡°Have you guys noticed anything odd over here?¡±


    ¡°No?¡± Enzo answers unsurely, shutting his eyes and running another scan just in case.


    A few moments later he opens his eyes again and shakes his head with more certainty.


    ¡°Whoa!¡±


    She reaches out, dipping her hand in and disturbing the flow, watching as the fog rises to the surface, reaching out of the water before falling back in and settling as she removes her hand. Her attention is quickly stolen by a system notification.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Chain-Quest generated: The Abyss: Everything Flows To


    [The Abyss: Everything Flows To]


    [Rank:] D


    [Description:] You¡¯ve reached the magical underbelly of The Glade, The Crystal Waters. Now discover where The Waters end.


    Requirements:


    -Find the destination of The Crystal Waters'' flow (Not Complete)


    Rewards:


    -Skill: Flow (passive)


    _____


    Emily¡¯s eyes widen slightly as she reads the quest.


    The abyss? How ominous. Not sure Oscar and the others would be up for adding this quest to this expedition. Maybe I¡¯ll sneak off alone for a day to see if I can reach The Waters¡¯ end before resetting.


    She stands up, drying her hand with a quick cast of cleanse, before turning to take in the rest of the tunnel. The crystals in the ceiling are all various tones of blue, white, and gold. As she looks closer, she becomes sure they are mana crystals.


    They feel weak though. Not even enough mana to qualify as lesser.


    Her gaze falls on the cave walls and the unsettling way the shadows cling to them, refusing to be banished by the ethereal light filling the space. She shivers slightly, the shadows reminding her of the uncomfortable feeling still present in the back of her mind. With an irritated sigh, she turns her attention back to her group mates and frowns slightly as she sees several of them drinking from the river.


    ¡°Is it safe to drink this water?¡± she calls to Oscar.


    He glances over from his current task filling a few large containers with fog filled water - to casually dismiss her concerns.


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s actually very good for you, due to the mana content. Drink as much as you want.¡±


    She turns away as he continues his work. and glances at the several dark gaping holes in the walls. Emily walks along the water¡¯s edge, careful not to go far enough to lose sight of the group, and counts the holes in the wall. She counts five on this side of the water, and three on the other.


    Why is nothing attacking us? Surely there are creatures in this bright tunnel somewhere.


    She shakes her head and walks back towards the group. She stops suddenly in her tracks, as her instincts scream and the uncomfortable feeling in her gut grows, at the entrance to one of the side tunnels. She fixes the tunnel with a glare, casting infra-sight and earthen detection to penetrate the intense magical darkness.


    She finds nothing and clicks her tongue. Casting a glance back towards the group, she spots Ivor staring at her inquisitively.


    ¡°Felt something odd, checking just in case,¡± she signs to him quickly.


    ¡°Be careful,¡± he signs back before she turns away and dashes into the darkness.


    She maintains her two spells as she runs, watching the path closely for any signs of danger. Half way through the tunnel, she finds a small group of four groglers that attack her the moment she gets near. Dispatching them quickly with flying lighting, she leaves their corpses behind and continues on.


    The tunnel ends when it opens up to reveal the cavern filled with luminis again.


    ¡°Weird. Is there something wrong with this room?¡±


    She surveys the room again, looking closely for any discrepancies. She drops infra-sight, casting a light spell and filling the orb of light with mana, illuminating the entire room clearly. Slowly, she walks around the perimeter, checking for anything on the walls. Finding nothing, she makes her way through the flowers, checking for any monster tracks.


    She¡¯s about to give up when a flash of crimson catches her eye amongst the sea of blue. Stepping closer, she leans down and inspects a luminis flower, its glowing petals spotted with half dried blood.


    ¡°None of us were bleeding!¡±

 Chapter 61 – Silence

    Chapter 61 ¨C Silence


    Emily looks closely at the flower, utilising her enhanced eyesight to trace the direction of the smear. It points into the tunnel entrance before her. A familiar chill runs down her spine as she gazes into the darkness beyond.


    Time to find out what¡¯s creeping me out.


    Standing up with firm resolve, she steps into the tunnel with an orb of light following above and earthen detection watching the path ahead. She quietly creeps through the tunnel, scanning the floor and finding a few small splatters of blood close to the start.


    As she descends further, she finds small bits of blood smeared on the floor and walls, until she stops finding any at all. Emily¡¯s caution increases twofold five minutes after seeing the last drop of blood. However, as she continues walking, her caution slowly morphs into confusion as her instincts calm slightly. She finds nothing at all in the tunnel, and soon rounds a bend to see the welcoming light of The Waters.


    Stepping back into the river¡¯s wide tunnel, Emily looks around confused, still feeling the odd discomfort in her gut.


    How did that lead into here? Nothing could have entered here without being spotted by the group in the light.


    She sees the group sitting together thirty metres down the tunnel and starts walking towards them as she pushes the feeling of anxiety to the back of her mind.


    There¡¯s definitely something else in these caves with us, but I¡¯ll just have to wait till it either approaches us or leaves us alone.


    As she reaches the group, Oscar, Ivor, Enzo, and Dante all stand up and walk over to meet her.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Oscar asks. ¡°You were gone for a while there: we were starting to worry.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. I think something¡¯s following us again, but I only ran into groglers,¡± Emily answers with a slight scowl.


    ¡°Wait, you saw something?¡± Enzo asks.


    ¡°No.¡± Emily shakes her head. ¡°I just have a gut feeling. I followed it and found blood in the cavern we came from that definitely wasn¡¯t there when we left. It led into one of the tunnels that came straight here, so I have no clue where this thing went, but there¡¯s definitely something out there.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so sure it didn¡¯t come in here? Maybe it passed without us seeing it,¡± Oscar suggests with a frown of his own, glancing up the tunnel cautiously.


    ¡°Some of the blood was wiped on the wall around one and a half metres off the floor. Whatever it is, it¡¯s not small. You¡¯d definitely spot it.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that makes sense.¡± He nods solemnly, not liking the sound of a human-sized monster stalking them. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving then. Best not to hang around here for too long.¡±


    He turns on his heel and heads back into the group, calling for everyone to get in formation and prepare to move.


    ¡°I told you your instincts were good,¡± Dante says proudly.


    ¡°You¡¯re not meant to be happy I¡¯m right about this,¡± Emily says rolling her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s going on? I thought the tunnels gave you the creeps.¡±


    ¡°They do! But I much prefer knowing I have a target to blow up than feeling scared of nothing!¡±


    Emily shakes her head and walks past him, towards her place at the head of the group. The others follow her, and, after one final check, they set off downstream.


    Travelling through the bright cave proves far more peaceful than the rest of their trip so far. They don¡¯t encounter a single beast or monster. The river appears lifeless, and nothing steps into the light from the shadowy tunnels joining it. However, this peace only serves to unsettle the group.


    As night falls outside, the glow from the river beside the group fades. The crystals on the ceiling dim to release no more than a light shimmer, only illuminating a few centimetres around themselves. And the shadows. The shadows come alive, reaching out from the connecting tunnels and swallowing the cave in darkness.


    As they set up camp in the evening, Emily approaches Oscar at the edge of the sound isolating barrier. He¡¯s standing on the border of Nora¡¯s glowing light spell that illuminates their camp, glaring at the shadows fiercely attacking all light in the cave and forming a disconcerting image of motion in place of the still night.


    ¡°There¡¯s meant to be more living here, isn¡¯t there?¡± she asks quietly, joining him in watching the shadows.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he agrees reluctantly, glancing over his shoulder cautiously before turning to Emily and talking quietly. ¡°We¡¯re meant to spend a week going deeper then head back, but honestly, I¡¯m starting to have second thoughts. This feels wrong. First, the groglers, then whatever you felt following us, and now this!¡±


    Emily nods silently, reaching out and patting the stressed mage on the shoulder.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s your expedition. Make whatever choice feels right for you. If it helps, I think those things are all connected.¡±


    He nods at her words, sighing and turning to return to the others.


    A small light suddenly erupts between them, and Emily abruptly snaps her head to it.


    ¡°Ah, sorry, didn¡¯t mean to startle you,¡± Oscar says with a sheepish smile, gesturing to the glowing crystal candle he¡¯s activated. ¡°I thought it would be nice to have some light.¡±


    Emily sighs, releasing her building frustration and nodding.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Their conversation ends there, and they listen to the silence of the cave as they gaze out into the oppressive darkness, now clawing at the edge of their small bubble of light as well.


    A dozen minutes later, the silence is once again broken by a screech. Several of their groupmates stir, but none get up.


    ¡°Tsk,¡± Emily clicks her tongue. ¡°We¡¯re gonna be in no state to fight tomorrow if no one sleeps. Do you have a way of making this barrier two-way?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but we won¡¯t be able to hear anything approaching.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, our main detection methods are visual and extrasensory. Besides, we have two people on each watch now, so one person can check outside the barrier every now and then without being picked off before they can alert the group.¡±


    Oscar nods in reluctant agreement and stands up.


    ¡°Fine. Each one of the barrier¡¯s stakes has a secondary activation sequence. Just deactivate them like normal, then use three short bursts of mana instead of one long pulse.¡±


    Emily stands up and conjures an orb of light.


    ¡°Take your candle and we¡¯ll go opposite ways, meet at the other side.¡±


    They both set off around the camp, deactivating the barrier when Emily uproots the first stake, before reactivating each stake again. They glow a deeper green when turned on this time, and as Oscar finishes the last one, a lightly shimmering barrier bubbles up around the camp.


    They return to their original resting point, and Oscar sits down again. Emily instead walks to the edge of the barrier and sticks her head out. She hears nothing but familiar silence for a few seconds. However, as she starts to pull her head back, a distant drip shatters the silence.


    That¡¯s new.


    Emily pulses earthen detection and locates the drip a hundred metres back upstream, falling on the rocks at the entrance to a nearby tunnel. She pulls back into the barrier completely and glances at Oscar over her shoulder.


    ¡°I hear something. Stay here.¡±


    She steps out of the barrier completely, leaving the radius of Oscar¡¯s candle and being swallowed instantly by the shadows. Ignoring the now familiar feeling of pressure as the darkness collapses around her, Emily carefully makes her way towards the faint dripping, keeping her guard up.


    When she arrives at the source, she drops earthen detection and casts a light from her hands. As the spell illuminates the tunnel in front of her, she sees a limp grey arm with the hand enveloped up to the wrist in the roof¡¯s stone. Nothing is attached where the owner¡¯s shoulder should be. The violently torn flesh oozes dirty redish-brown blood into a small pool below.


    Emily quickly checks her surroundings before staring up at where the arm joins the wall. She examines the stone and sees an odd ripple like pattern surrounding it.


    Did it soften the stone like mudscraps do with dirt?


    Her thoughts are interrupted by a loud shout coming from the camp.


    ¡°Hey!¡± she hears Oscar yell.


    Instantly, she spins on her heel and bolts towards the barrier. She switches to infra-sight as she runs, finishing casting the spell as she bursts through the barrier and into Oscar¡¯s haven of light. Her eyes snap to Oscar¡¯s startled form, scrambling to clamber up from where he was sitting.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What did you find?¡± he asks quickly with fearful concern.


    Emily freezes at his question, her scowl deepening in confusion.


    ¡°Wait, why did you shout to me?¡± Emily ignores his questions and asks instead.


    ¡°What are you talking about? I haven¡¯t left the barrier.¡±

 Chapter 62 – Slaughter

    Chapter 62 ¨C Slaughter


    A chill runs down Emily¡¯s spine.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t left the barrier?¡± she asks, unable to keep a slight tremble from her voice.


    ¡°No, I stayed in here like you said. Why?¡± Oscar responds, nervously glancing past her into the darkness.


    ¡°I came back because I heard you yelling for me.¡±


    Emily dismissively gestures for Oscar to sit back down before turning away and approaching the edge of the barrier again. Leaning her head through, she waits while dismissing infra-sight and preparing another light spell. After a few minutes of silence, she hears her own voice in the distance:


    ¡°We¡¯re being played with.¡±


    Her eyes follow the direction of the voice, where she spots two glowing eyes staring at her twenty metres away, wrapped in shadows. Light emerges from her hand in an instant, and she flicks it towards them. As the glistening orb flies forward through the darkness, the eyes vanish before it reaches them.


    Emily pulls back into the barrier, clicking her tongue as she turns to face Oscar again.


    ¡°Creepy fucker,¡± she growls, anger replacing fear as she moves to sit down.


    She turns her glare on Oscar, after settling back on her rock, and sees him struggling to work out what to say.


    ¡°It can copy our voices,¡± she explains with a small sigh. ¡°Well, actually I think it may be able to mimic things we¡¯ve said. First, it shouted, hey, in your voice. Then just now it said, we¡¯re being played with, in mine.¡±


    ¡°Wait, but those are things we¡¯ve said inside the barrier.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it can probably hear through it somehow.¡±


    ¡°Shit.¡±


    Oscar¡¯s face drops into a frown and he falls silent. Emily looks away from him, staring into the surrounding darkness and restarting her pattern of infra-sight and earthen detection, despite how ineffectual she knows the spells are against their tormentor.


    The rest of their watch passes in tense silence, as Oscar takes on the role of periodically checking outside the barrier. They wake Ivor and Fionn and warn them about the changes to the barrier and the creature¡¯s twisted entertainment before retiring to their sleeping bags.


    Emily sits on her sleeping bag in meditation form again until dawn arrives and light fills the tunnel once more. The group is noticeably slower to get moving, with several members sporting sizeable bags beneath their eyes, their exhaustion building despite their improved physiques. They silently pack away their sleeping bags and eat a meal before leaving to continue downstream.


    They pass a few more harvested mana crystal outcrops and gather a couple of herbs, but the long march slowly wears on their tired minds. The only sound accompanying their journey is the light sound of running water, as everyone is too tired and on edge to start conversations.


    The monotony of the march is finally broken mid-afternoon, when they reach a fork in the river, heading off into two similar caves. After a short conversation between Oscar, Emily, and Dante at the head of the group, they decide to follow the fork to the left, removing the need to cross the water. They continue on until the light starts to fade again, at which point they choose a spot a fair distance from any tunnel openings and set up camp. The wind mages of the group recharge and set up the sound barrier, opting to make it two-way from the start this time, and the rocky floor is soon filled with sleeping bags.


    After everyone has eaten and collapsed into their sleeping bags, exhausted and ready to rest for the night, their nightmare begins. Emily sits at the edge of the camp, in a small bubble of light with Oscar, staring into the distance with infra-sight. An hour into their watch, she passes her bored gaze over the empty cave before her and almost doubts her eyes when a faint, glowing orange form creeps into view.


    ¡°Oscar,¡± she whispers harshly, rising from the floor into an alert crouch. ¡°I see something.¡±


    Blades and projectiles can¡¯t penetrate its skin, but it¡¯s weak to fire and lightning at least.


    She starts preparing a second bolt as the creature reaches forward, grabbing Dante¡¯s crumpled form and pulling him to its mouth. Her grin falters as the monster takes a bite of Dante¡¯s flesh and its skin visibly bubbles, regenerating to its old grey pallor.


    A few projectile spells fly in and crash against the creature, from a few of the surviving mages, but they only serve to anger it further. Shrugging off the last shard of rock that hits its temple, courtesy of Ivor, the monster shrieks an infuriated wail before disappearing into the stone at its feet. Everyone freezes in place, frantically looking around for any signs of the monster¡¯s reemergence.


    Quiet falls over the campsite, only broken by low mutterings as everyone prepares new spells. After almost a minute of waiting, caution slowly turns to confusion.


    ¡°Did it run?¡± Ricardo asks, nervously stepping towards Ivor, the closest second-circle mage to him.


    As if to answer his question, the ground below his foot erupts as a large grey shape violently rips through him. The burst of motion is so sudden they almost don¡¯t react, but Emily predicts its movement and targets the ceiling in front of it, releasing another shocking bolt. The bolt catches the creature¡¯s hand, scorching it black, but as it touches the ceiling, it quickly sinks in, dodging her group mates'' follow-up attacks.


    Emily clicks her tongue, lowering her arms and looking around the campsite. She sees dead bodies littering the ground, countless limbs haphazardly strewn about in pools of blood. Only eight of her teammates remain alive, either quivering in fear, collapsed on the ground, having accepted their fate, or shakily standing their ground, gritting their teeth through their exhaustion.


    Pulling The Clock from its pouch, she presses the button as the ground below her erupts.


    Tick!


    A claw rises between her legs.


    Tick!


    She leans back, avoiding the gnarled spear.


    Tick!


    The monster rises to her eye level.


    Tick!


    She meets its grim smile with one of her own.


    Tick!


    Time stops.


    Just you wait, I¡¯ll tear you apart limb from limb by the time I¡¯m done here.


    Tick! Tick! Tick!


    Space tears around her, and Emily passes out as her senses are overwhelmed.

 Chapter 63 – Struggle

    Chapter 63 ¨C Struggle


    Emily wakes with a jolt, finding herself lying on the cave floor in a small bubble of light with Oscar crouching over her.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asks worriedly. ¡°You stopped talking, and when I turned my candle on, you were already unconscious on the floor.¡±


    Emily sits up and looks around, rubbing her brow.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± She waves off his concern while trying to understand what just happened.


    Argh, it feels like I just had five new knowledges crammed into my head at once. I think I need to tune down my spatial awareness when I reset: the spatial distortion caused by The Clock is sickening.


    She sits up, accepting an offered hand from Oscar to pull herself to her feet.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just accidentally overloaded my mind while trying to scan the nearby caves,¡± Emily casually lies as the pain in her head finally recedes.


    ¡°Ouch. If you need to rest, just let me know. I¡¯m sure Enzo and Ivor wouldn¡¯t mind taking on an extra hour each.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she says dismissively, observing the state of their campsite.


    The barrier is still set to one way, and from a quick check with infra-sight, she sees most of the camp still half-awake in their sleeping bags.


    I came back just after he joined me. Damn! It¡¯s a shame I couldn¡¯t change the barrier before everyone was set on edge by the screeching. Looks like we¡¯ll have to deal with a little exhaustion in our fight no matter what.


    ¡°You have a way of setting this barrier to block sound both ways, right?¡± she asks Oscar, already knowing the answer.


    ¡°Yes, but we won¡¯t be able to hear anything approaching.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. We have two people on each watch. Just send someone out every now and then. I don¡¯t think anything¡¯s gonna attack us till our follower has had its fun.¡±


    Oscar looks unconvinced, so Emily points out: ¡°It won¡¯t matter what we hear: nobody will be fit to fight anything if they¡¯re kept up all night.¡±


    Oscar reluctantly agrees and they set about resetting the stakes. After finishing and returning to their watch position, Emily sticks her head out of the barrier but can¡¯t hear anything.


    I guess it¡¯s not time for the drip yet.


    She pulls back in and sits down on a rock to wait the creature out. Oscar takes on the role of checking for sound, and after fifteen minutes, he pulls his head through the barrier and turns to Emily with a look of concern.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s a problem or not, but I hear a dripping that wasn¡¯t there last time.¡±


    Emily nods, standing from her rock.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go check it out. Wait here.¡±


    She runs out of the barrier, confidently heading towards the dismembered arm while carefully looking around for the monster. As expected, she sees nothing, and a few seconds after arriving at the arm, she hears a call in Oscar¡¯s voice behind her.


    Returning to the barrier, Emily waits just outside in the darkness, not yet letting Oscar know she¡¯s back.


    I have no clue what that thing is, even after all the books I¡¯ve read on beast studies. I¡¯ll give Oscar some of the details I gathered before resetting and see if he has any clue.


    ¡°Emily?¡±


    After a few minutes, she hears Dante¡¯s voice in the distance, and takes that as her cue to re-enter the barrier. The second she steps through and into the light, she sees Oscar standing with a glowing magic circle surrounding him.Re?Ad lateSt chapters at novelhall.com Only


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asks with slight panic as she steps into view.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    He breathes a sigh of relief as he dismisses his prepared spell.


    ¡°What took you so long? I was starting to get worried.¡±


    Time crawls by as Emily watches the cave behind them with infra-sight, revolver in hand, and soon spots what she was waiting for. Slowly approaching from the distance, a familiar hunched form slinks into view.


    ¡°It¡¯s here,¡± she quietly alerts her group.


    In an instant, a dozen chants start as Emily watches with bated breath as the monster approaches. Then, fifty metres from them, the creature pauses, standing up to its full two metre height and glancing around in what Emily assumes to be confusion.


    Why isn¡¯t it coming closer?


    ¡°Where is it?¡± Dante asks after finishing his spell preparations.


    ¡°It¡¯s fifty metres in front of us. It¡¯s stopped moving.¡±


    Barriers of wind and water spring to life, surrounding each member of the group individually. They wait for a minute, their anxiety growing in the darkness as Emily silently watches their enemy.


    ¡°Should we attack?¡± Matteo asks, nervously shuffling from side to side.


    The moment he moves, the monster¡¯s head snaps towards him, and Emily feels a shiver run down her spine as it vanishes from her sight.


    It sees motion.


    ¡°Split!¡± she screams, jumping away from Matteo.


    Everyone reacts to her words quickly, separating from their tightly bunched group. However, Matteo isn¡¯t so lucky. Almost in sync with Emily¡¯s cry, the ground below him erupts as a grey blur shoots up, ripping open his stomach in one clean slash and spilling his bowels to the floor.


    Emily tumbles out of her panicked escape, quickly bringing herself back to her feet as she raises her revolver and charges it full of machina. The monster leaps on Cormac the moment Matteo¡¯s corpse hits the floor, and Emily fires a shot into its back. The bullet sinks into its spine, but the beast simply cries in pain and rips Cormac¡¯s throat out with its teeth.


    Light suddenly fills the cave as Fionn and Nora both throw glowing golden balls into the air. A few of the mages flinch, their eyes struggling to quickly adjust to the change in light, but the monster is unaffected, tearing through Ivor as Emily tracks it and fires another shot, into its leg this time. It stumbles slightly, but once again ignores her to continue ripping people apart.


    Damn it, I won¡¯t be able to do enough damage to kill it like this.


    Tossing her revolver aside, Emily starts casting bolt, watching as more of her teammates are torn to pieces.


    Why isn¡¯t it attacking me? I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s dealt damage so far, and it was definitely getting annoyed by attacks and targeting the attackers last time.


    A few magical projectiles fly at the creature as she casts, and Emily watches as it shrugs them off with a barely irritated snarl. Two more mages die in the seconds it takes for Emily to cast her spell, their defensive barriers barely slowing down the monster¡¯s claws. The water barrier around Emily vanishes as Bella dies, but she ignores it and releases her attack. As the scorching light burns some of the creature¡¯s grey skin black, Emily notices a change in behaviour.


    Its head snaps round to face her as it drops its last kill, a monstrous grin plastered on its face. It leaps towards Emily, and she ducks under its claws while raising her own to its passing stomach. A machina-charged pop accompanies a blade extending and tracing a thin line along the creature¡¯s skin. It lands and turns on its heel, leaping at her once again, this time aiming its claws towards her feet. Emily sidesteps the swipe, sending her boot into the monster¡¯s head while activating the weight-increasing enchantment.


    She hears a heavy thud as her foot connects, but the monster¡¯s head glows brown in anticipation, and it only flinches as the heavy hit lands. Emily deactivates the enchantment as she leaps back to avoid another clawed swipe, bringing her hands up and sending another bolt into her assailant. Her bolt hits it at the same time as a burst of flames flies past her, smashing into the creature a split-second after her spell.


    The monster is engulfed in smoke and fire, and Emily takes a moment to glance over her shoulder, seeing Dante standing with his signature mad grin. Unfortunately, his happiness is short-lived, as an enraged shriek sounds behind Emily. Her head whips back around to where she sees the monster hunched over with lightly scorched skin, coated in the glow of earth mana.


    Shit, that barely even hurt it.


    The monster sinks into the ground before any more attacks land, and Emily begins looking around the group with infra-sight. She spots the creature as it emerges from the ground behind Dante, leaping up with a snarl. Dante avoids death by diving to the side, but the creature severs his left arm from his body at the shoulder.


    He cries out in pain, falling to the floor and clutching his bleeding stump.


    I¡¯m gonna have to reset anyway, so I¡¯ll send you off with a bang, buddy.


    Taking a deep breath and slowly releasing it, Emily reaches for her bandolier, ripping off a mana grenade. While she charges the grenade full of machina and starts its countdown to detonation, she reaches for The Clock with the other hand. The monster grabs Dante by the throat, lifting him up to eye level and slowly squeezing the life out of him with sadistic glee.


    Emily flings the crackling orb of explosives at the creature as she presses the button on The Clock and activates her protective earrings. Time starts to slow as a thundering boom fills the cave, burning shrapnel fills the space and cuts into rock and mages alike. Several shards fly past Emily, and one hits her in the stomach like a punch, bringing searing pain.


    She winces as time freezes, and the last sight she sees as her movement halts is the monster glaring at her, Dante¡¯s corpse blown to pieces in its hand, and its arm discoloured by blood and burns.


    Well, at least it did some damage.


    Pain and information overwhelm her as Emily is once again flung backwards in time.

 Chapter 64 – Sacrifices

    Chapter 64 ¨C Sacrifices


    ¡°Argh,¡± Emily groans, raising a hand to rub her brows as The Clock stops reversing.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Oscar asks as light springs from the candle in his hands.


    ¡°Nothing, just a slight headache.¡± She waves off his concern again.


    Feeling shrapnel pulling itself out of my stomach is definitely a feeling I don¡¯t want to relive. I¡¯ll wait a little longer to reset next time I¡¯m hit. I didn¡¯t even realise that would happen and it stopped me being able to tune out the spatial distortions.


    Shaking her head free of the unpleasant memory, she takes a deep breath and starts analysing the failed fight.


    That thing went into a frenzy at the start of the fight, but, after killing five people, it started focusing on attacks that hit it. Why? Was it the number of people killed, or the number of people left that mattered? It may take a few loops to work this thing out. If we¡¯re going to kill it, we either need to kill it instantly, before it can start using its defensive spell, or drain it of mana first. My grenade barely scorched its arm through that shield.


    Releasing her breath in a long sigh, she glances at Oscar.


    Should I tell him about it again? No, let¡¯s try going down a different fork this time and see if it still attacks us. Then do a few tests for the next loop if it does.


    ¡°You have a way of setting this barrier to block sound both ways, right?¡±


    ***


    After following the monotonous process of reliving her watch and morning, Emily makes no changes till they reach the forked path again.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just follow this path. There¡¯s no reason to cross the water when we don¡¯t know where either path leads,¡± Dante says impatiently.


    ¡°Actually,¡± Emily interjects before Oscar can agree. ¡°I have a bad feeling about that path. I think it would be best to try the other way.¡±


    Dante and Oscar both raise a brow at her, but before Oscar can add to the discussion, Dante changes his opinion.


    ¡°Let¡¯s cross then.¡±


    ¡°Wait, just like that?¡± Oscar asks incredulously.


    ¡°I trust her gut.¡±


    ¡°Okay, the other path it is then,¡± Oscar agrees, seeing no need to start an argument.


    He turns to the rest of the group, clearing his throat before giving them instructions. He gets the carriers to hand Emily their spatial bags and first sends across one attack and one defence mage, Dante and Mia, to be safe. After they reach the other shore safely, Emily throws the bags to them one by one as everyone else swims across in pairs. After a couple of minutes, Emily and Oscar bring up the rear, entering the water last.


    As she swims across, Emily sticks her head under the water, watching the swirling fog below and around her.


    I wonder how deep it goes.


    Bringing her head above the water again, she turns to Oscar with a grin.NewW novels updates at novelhall.com


    ¡°Back in a sec!¡±


    Without waiting for his response, she dives down, disappearing into the underwater fog. She swims down a few metres before breaking through the fog layer and entering an unsettling current of living shadows. The pitch-black water continues for several more metres before she hits the slimy riverbed below. Disappointedly, she swims back to the surface, breaking out of the water thirty metres downstream of the group.


    Woah, that current is strong. I didn¡¯t even realise it pulled me so far.


    She approaches the shore, pulling herself up onto the rocks and walking back to her group mates. A quick cast of cleanse as she walks removes all the water from her body.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t disappear like that without proper warning,¡± Oscar complains with a frown.


    ¡°Sorry, I thought I felt something below us so I wanted to check it out,¡± Emily lies with a dismissive shrug.


    ¡°I see,¡± Oscar says with a sigh. ¡°Did you find anything?¡±


    ¡°No. False alarm.¡±


    They spend a few minutes waiting, as everyone dries themselves or gets a more elementally compatible mage to help, then start moving downstream again. The new path is much the same as the other, and the rest of the afternoon passes quickly. They set up camp as usual, and everybody heads to sleep while Oscar and Emily remain on watch.


    Emily watches the cave behind them with infra-sight, and like clockwork, an hour into their watch, the monster creeps into her vision.


    Location doesn¡¯t matter then.


    ¡°How are we going to kill something we can barely harm, that can freely travel through every surface surrounding us, and move faster than any of us?¡± he asks with a defeated tone.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I think I have a plan,¡± Emily reassures him with a grin.


    ¡°Really? What is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain when everybody¡¯s awake. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to attack us tonight and I¡¯m still working through the details,¡± she says, tapping her brow to emphasise her point. ¡°Can I leave explaining about the creature and getting everyone on board to you?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± He nods confidently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I¡¯ll make sure everyone is prepared to listen to you when you¡¯re ready.¡±


    The night passes quickly. In the morning, Oscar repeats Emily¡¯s explanation of the monster while reassuring the group that they have a plan to deal with it. Emily waits till lunch time to explain said plan when everyone is gathered around and eating.


    ¡°First, Oscar, do you have any communication crystals?¡± she asks Oscar before starting, the last test she wants to run depending on his answer.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any spares. But, me and Fionn have a linked pair.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. The first stage of the plan is to send away those who won¡¯t be of any help. We don¡¯t want extra bodies for the creature to eat. Fionn and Erin will escort all first circle mages to split from us and go through a different tunnel to try and get out of the creature¡¯s detection range.¡±


    A few displeased grumbles are heard, but Oscar quiets them with a glare, showing his support of Emily¡¯s plan.


    ¡°We¡¯ll keep in contact with the communication crystals. Fionn should be able to provide light to navigate back to us after the monster is dealt with, and Erin can help defend the group. We haven¡¯t seen anything in these caves for a while now so you should be safe,¡± Emily continues, reassuring the scared first circle mages.


    Nods of understanding and acceptance spread through the group quickly.


    ¡°Now, as for the rest of us...¡±


    Emily explains her plan, watching as a spark of understanding spreads through the group and hope lights up their eyes.


    ¡°...and if that doesn¡¯t finish it, well, we¡¯ll just have to improvise. Any questions?¡±


    A few queries are brought up, but they soon finish their meal and set off downstream with newfound confidence. When they reach the fork in the river, Fionn and Erin lead their group down the right-hand path while Emily continues down the left with their main combat force. They check in on each other periodically through the rest of the evening until they reach a good area for the fight, with several large stalagmites proudly protruding from the floor. Then the communication crystal goes silent, next to be used by the group that spots the monster.


    They spread out. Emily stands in the open, in the middle of the cave, and everyone else picks a stalagmite or rock formation to crouch behind. Emily looks around from her position and, seeing no exposed mages, gives the all-clear and they settle down to await their prey.


    After ten minutes, the light in the cave fades, and Emily mentally starts a countdown till the beast appears.


    It should be here soon. Let¡¯s hope this works and I don¡¯t have to sacrifice some teammates. Though, it would be more odd for us to make it back with no casualties.


    Emily¡¯s thoughts are interrupted when a familiar orange form slowly creeps into view.


    ¡°Light!¡± Emily calls the moment she sees it, holding her breath in anticipation of its first move.


    Nora tosses a golden ball of light to the roof of the cave, illuminating the space and revealing their enemy immediately. Everybody holds completely still behind their cover, and Emily watches the monster creep forward, glancing around in confusion. As it crosses thirty metres, Emily moves to test it. Its head snaps round to face her, staring into her soul with its glassy white eyes.


    Are you gonna attack me?


    Emily¡¯s tension rises and she braces to leap out of the way. The creature smiles and snarls at her, a vile mix of blood and saliva dripping from its gaping maw, before dropping into the floor.


    Emily springs into motion, leaping forward to avoid an expected attack from below, but nothing happens. Silence falls over the cave. Emily looks around frantically before calling to Oscar.


    ¡°Has it gone to them?¡±


    A couple of seconds of quiet muttering later, Oscar calls back.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Shit. What¡¯s it doing? Is it leaving us alone because there aren¡¯t enough people?


    Emily holds her tension while running earthen detection just in case. As her scan comes back empty, the cave starts to shake. The floor, walls, and ceiling all start to quiver, beginning as a low rumbling that barely displaces the dirt on the ground, and building into a violent storm of movement that has Emily struggling to stand upright.


    She glances at her group mates, sees them stumbling in their hiding spots, and realises the monster¡¯s plan.


    Well fuck, it¡¯s trying to make us move! At least I know I can make it waste mana on a large-scale earthquake spell.


    She watches it burst from the ground below Enzo and rip him to pieces before screeching at full volume, bathing in his blood as it leaps at its next target.


    ¡°Haaa,¡± Emily sighs, pulling out The Clock and pressing rewind. ¡°Sacrifices it is.¡±

 Chapter 65- Trial and Error

    Chapter 65- Trial and Error


    Emily sits on a rock in the darkness, contemplating the coming fight.Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m


    I have to let some people die, but it matters who. Ivor can¡¯t die for obvious reasons, same with Enzo and Dante. I should make sure Oscar survives so I still get paid properly after this, and I owe Callum for his help with understanding space, so I¡¯ll keep him and Cian alive.


    She raises a hand to her mouth, biting her thumb as she taps her foot and stares into the ether.


    I should make sure we don¡¯t lose Matteo since he¡¯s one of the three of us who can damage the monster, and I should keep the casualties among barrier mages and healers low. I can lose one or two, but that¡¯s pushing it.


    She sees a flicker of heat creep around the corner, approaching the group at last, and stands up while calling: ¡°Light!¡±


    Two golden orbs of light shoot to the ceiling, illuminating the cave and revealing the prepared mages lying in wait. Emily makes eye contact with the monster, holding its unsettling gaze as she waits for it to start its slaughter. The creature snarls in anger as it sinks into the floor, and Emily grabs a nearby stalagmite for stability.


    The violent shaking begins, and the group is thrown into disarray. Emily scans through everyone¡¯s hiding places, waiting for the sacrifices to die. Suddenly, the ground below Ricardo bursts open as the monster¡¯s gnarled claws rip up through him. He¡¯s split in half, from groin to shoulder in an instant, raining a crimson flood on the creature as it rises fully from the ground.


    One down.


    Emily watches quietly, carefully observing the creature¡¯s every move to try to predict its movements. It turns from the corpse of the weak luggage carrier and leaps between two stalactites hanging from the roof, digging its claws into the stone to hold on as it corrects its angle and leaps again. It drops onto Bianca, pinning her to the floor as it clasps her head and slowly drives its thumbs through her eye sockets. Her pained shrieks are quickly ended, and the monster drops her corpse before glancing around and sinking into the floor again.


    Two down.


    The shaking slowly begins to reduce, allowing Emily to release her support and walk into the open to have a clearer view. She spots the monster a moment later, her eyes finding Maeve when she screams out as the monster rips her right arm off. It casts aside the limb before stabbing its hand through her stomach and ripping out her intestines.


    Three down.


    The monster turns on its heels, crouching low and springing in a sudden leap at the nearest mage, Cian, before the shaking can finally stop.


    Damn.


    Emily frowns as the creature bites into Cian¡¯s throat and rips it clean out.


    I¡¯ll see who else it kills before resetting. Hopefully, it will attack different people if I swap some of their positions.


    The monster leaps back up to some stalactites, rotating its head around to locate any moving people. Seeing a change, Emily calls out.


    ¡°Cormac, slow it down!¡±


    He follows orders, leaning out from behind his rock cover and pointing his hand at the monster as a flickering black magic circle forms before him. Instantly, the creature¡¯s focus snaps to him, and it leaps down from the ceiling. It springs forward, closing the distance to Cormac and slamming its hand into his head. Cormac cries out in pain, the magic circle he¡¯s been forming breaking to pieces as he loses focus.


    The monster catches him with its other hand, raising him to eye level and slowly applying force to either side of his skull. Cormac struggles, kicking and scratching frantically at the beast as unbearable pain floods his system. After a few moments, his skull pops, spraying blood from his features as his limbs fall like a puppet with its strings cut.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try this again,¡± Emily mutters, activating The Clock.


    ***


    Once again sitting waiting for the monster to appear, the group are spread through the cave in a slightly different order. The creature approaches and ignores Emily once again, diving into the floor and starting the shaking chaos.


    Maeve is the first to die, ripped to shreds to commence the massacre.


    Next falls Oscar.


    Again.


    The Clock runs backwards.


    ***


    Ivor is eviscerated; The Clock runs back.


    ***


    Cormac is split in two.


    One down.


    Emily continues dodging the monster¡¯s attacks, fighting back as much as she can against the stronger and faster opponent. Tentacles of water reach out from the barrier surrounding her, courtesy of Mia. The tentacles wrap around the creature and pull against its barrier, draining its mana slowly. Matteo and Erin keep sending a rain of fire and water against it, and Emily uses every chance she can to slash apart the barrier with her machina-charged Claws, pushing them to the limits with Overdrive, and finding them surprisingly effective at damaging pure mana barriers.


    The onslaught of attacks continues for a while until the mages start to run out of mana.


    ¡°I¡¯m out,¡± Matteo shouts, panting with exhaustion and collapsing to the floor behind his cover.


    ¡°Me too,¡± Mia calls.


    ¡°Same,¡± Erin joins in.


    ¡°I can only block two more attacks,¡± Bella shouts with slight panic.


    ¡°I have five left at least,¡± Oscar says with a slight quiver, unable to hold a touch of panic from his voice.


    Emily rolls to the side to avoid a leap and pants slightly as she makes a decision, the stress of the intense battle taking its toll.


    ¡°Dante, start now, I¡¯ll try to finish off its mana,¡± she yells, blasting the creature with a bolt.


    Dante starts a long, complicated chant, and a large, burning red magic circle slowly forms behind him, pulsing with heat and power as dozens of runes and geometric shapes wind around each other. Emily glances at her Claws, seeing dents and scratches covering them, and several tears in the bracers.


    Time to play with explosives.


    She retracts the Claws, reaching up and grabbing a mana grenade, charging it full of machina. She pulls a bullet from a pouch at her waist with the other hand, pouring in a small amount of spatial mana, to bypass switch¡¯s touch requirement, before flicking it behind the monster as it swipes its claws at her again. She quickly prepares switch while calculating the bullet''s position. The moment it reaches far enough and is perfectly concealed by the monster¡¯s body, she uses her machina to activate the grenade with a shortened fuse and casts her spell.


    A purple glow envelopes the grenade, and it vanishes, a bullet appearing in her hand instead. The grenade detonates, catching the monster in its blast radius but avoiding Emily. Its brown barrier flickers and dims slightly, and the creature howls in anger.


    Its attacks increase further in intensity, and it quickly removes the last of Emily¡¯s defensive help from her teammates. She starts trading injuries for bolts and well-placed grenades, using switch to make sure the creature only ever sees the light grenades go off, wearing down the monster¡¯s barrier slowly. Her body armour plates are chipped and dented in return, with some gashes appearing on her skin through the gaps between, and one of her boots has the spikes ripped off the bottom from a bad collision with the creature¡¯s claws.


    ¡°Ready!¡± Dante calls at last, after a few minutes of preparation that have left Emily alone against the beast.


    Hearing his signal, Emily starts the final barrage. She baits her antagonist so it leaps for her, then leans back and tosses her last light grenade up so the monster passes under it. It bursts with a shocking pop, the loud sound causing the creature a moment of disorientation that sends it tumbling to the ground as it fails to land properly.


    She grabs her last two mana grenades, charging them full of machina and tossing them into the air on either side of the creature while hoping they don¡¯t harm her too much. The monster sees the mana grenades, but doesn¡¯t dive into the floor, only registering them as light grenades. She raises her hands before her, the crackling cerulean magic circle of bolt forming in the air as she fills it with as much mana as possible.


    Got you! I hope this is enough. I only have a couple of bolts left in me after this.


    Thunderous sound fills the cave as two grenades and one spell go off at the same time. The glowing hot fragments of metal from the grenades whizz past, several digging into the monster¡¯s barrier, and two hitting Emily in the leg and left bicep, punching small holes clean through.


    Shit! They missed the bones at least.


    The monster howls in anger, looking far worse for wear. The brown sheen covering it has faded to a barely perceptible flicker. Its skin is covered in small cuts and scratches, trickling blood from most of its body, with several patches of black burned skin flaking off.


    Emily glances at Enzo and Ivor, seeing both of them with their eyes shut and their hands pressed to the floor, sweat dripping from their foreheads as they focus.


    They aren¡¯t out of mana yet, but they definitely stopped it from diving then. I hope they can hold through Dante¡¯s attack.


    As if reading her mind, Dante activates the magic circle in front of him, releasing undulating waves of power. The air around it twists, as burning red petals of fire form in the air, being pulled to the centre in a swirling vortex of flames. The monster senses the large gathering of mana and starts turning towards the source, but Emily quickly pulls out her revolver with her uninjured arm, charging it with machina and sending three shots into their attacker. The powerful kickback strains her wrist, but Emily ignores it and fires a fourth shot as the creature leaps at her. The fourth shot misses as she twists to dodge its swipe, so Emily drops the gun and slaps her palm against the monster¡¯s side while casting bolt again.


    She rolls away as electricity flows across its skin, before skidding to her feet and turning to watch the fireworks. The vortex of fire before Dante compresses, forming a sharply pointed giant flower of crimson aiming straight at the creature. With a single loud burst of force, the flower rockets forward, instantly drawing a glowing line between Dante and the monster. It tries to dive into the floor to escape, but Enzo and Ivor pour the last of their energy into blocking its attempt.


    The flower hits the monster¡¯s chest, engulfing it in a raging inferno as it bursts. Emily sees the initial impact shatter the monster¡¯s barrier, then the creature disappears in a blast of red. The sound of the explosion echoes off the cave walls, reverberating around and filling the space with its power. Emily feels grateful for her earrings as she feels the thunderous vibrations deep in her chest.


    Dante collapses in exhaustion before the fire can fade, too drained to even look at the aftermath of his attack. Ivor and Enzo fall with him, leaving Emily alone as the last combat-capable mage.


    Please be enough.


    The smoke and fire slowly fade, revealing a scorched black figure standing in the centre of a small crater. Emily takes a step forward and then pauses as she sees two glassy white eyes snap open, staring back at her with unbridled fury.


    Emily throws aside her tattered robes, lifting her hands out to the sides and extending the Claws.


    ¡°Fine. I said I¡¯d tear you limb from limb. Let¡¯s do this,¡± she snarls as she advances.


    A glowing cerulean magic circle forms around her as her arms ignite with the crackle of machina. The monster growls and lowers its injured body to pounce, and Emily breaks into a sprint to meet it.

 Chapter 66 – Wendigo

    Chapter 66 ¨C Wendigo


    The blackened monster leaps at Emily, its skin cracking as it does and revealing the writhing grey flesh beneath. Emily drops into a slide, passing under the creature and hitting it with a bolt as she goes. The spell smashes into the monster, ripping into its flesh and drawing out a pained screech.


    They both right themselves and turn to face each other before slashing out. Their claws meet, glancing off each other and causing sparks. Emily presses the attack, sending violent swipe after violent swipe at her opponent while preparing another bolt, noticing the creature¡¯s attacks speeding up as it goes.


    Sweat drips down her cheek as she narrowly avoids a stab to the face, lifts her Claw and slashes it down the inside of the monster¡¯s forearm. Its arm quickly retracts, whipping past and slashing a deep groove into Emily¡¯s shoulder. Emily quickly backs away, releasing her bolt on the back step and smashing the creature in the leg with it. She comes to a halt a few steps back, panting as she tries to ignore the many pains now covering her body.


    The creature moves back, slowly circling her with a slight limp. She glances at her system resources while taking a breath to calm herself.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Health:] 173/190


    [Stamina:] 204/320


    [Mana:] 279/3600


    [Machina:] 343/3600


    _____


    My injuries aren¡¯t that bad, but I¡¯m running low on resources. I need to finish this soon.


    The monster leaps forward, and Emily steps to the side, driving one of her Claws deep into its shoulder as it passes. The Claw gets lodged deep in the creature¡¯s flesh, and Emily is pulled backwards by the force, twisting her arm awkwardly.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± she cries, retracting the Claw with a spark of machina and tumbling to the floor.


    The monster turns back to her, pouring blood on the ground as it limbers over. Emily tries to stand up, but it reaches her and slashes at her face before she can. She quickly rolls to the side, raising her mostly uninjured arm to point at the creature as she casts bolt again, sending a crackling beam of plasma into its jaw. The blow rips the monster¡¯s lower jaw off, sending a flood of blood down its neck and exposing the roof of its foul mouth.


    The monster gargles out a screech and slowly hobbles closer to Emily. It raises its claw slowly to strike at the same time as Emily retracts the Claw on her healthy right arm and quickly drives it up towards the monster¡¯s head. Her palm makes forceful contact with the creature¡¯s teeth, splitting open her palm as its arm starts to swing down, and she fills the Claw with every last drop of machina she has before releasing the extension mechanism.


    The blade rockets out, breaking its housing and shooting upwards in a blaze of machina. It rips through the scorched, softened skin and fries the creature¡¯s brain in a fraction of a second before blowing out of the back of its head and continuing into the cave roof above.


    The creature¡¯s arm falls limp on Emily¡¯s chest, landing heavily and pressing the metal plates hard against her skin.


    ¡°Urgh, that¡¯s gonna bruise,¡± she grumbles as she lets her arms drop beside her, closing her eyes and basking in the pain and tired ache of her muscles, a mad grin plastered on her face.


    The cave goes quiet, the peace only disturbed by the gasping breaths of her groupmates and the quiet shuffling of the first circle mages as they approach the battle scene again. After a couple of seconds to regain her calm, Emily opens her eyes and pushes the monster¡¯s corpse aside as she stands. Fionn approaches her with concern as she rises.


    ¡°Are you alright? Sit back down and let me help.¡±


    Emily glances down at her injuries before nodding and settling down on a nearby rock


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she says as Fionn crouches next to her, cancelling his spell illuminating the cave and placing his hand on her bleeding leg as he starts channelling a golden spell.


    She tunes out his chanting, turning her gaze on the scorched black corpse of the monster, just visible in the dim illumination of his spell.


    Time to see what you are.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Wendigo]


    [Rank:] E


    [Description:] A twisted creature born from a human mage falling to cannibalism on cursed land. They prowl the cursed lands they inhabit, gathering offerings to further the spread of corruption.


    _____


    Cursed land? Are all of The Waters cursed? Or is it just part of it? Also, cannibalism? Does that mean it ate the last group, or was it formed from them? How long have The Waters been cursed? They should have a record of it if it¡¯s been here for a while, right?


    As Fionn slowly knits together Emily¡¯s wounds, their groupmates start to gather, recovering slightly from their exhaustion. They stand around the corpse under the light of Oscar¡¯s candle, staring listlessly at the creature that tormented them and killed some of their comrades.


    ¡°How repulsive,¡± Oscar comments dryly, kicking the corpse before turning to the two living luggage carriers. ¡°Can you two pack this into a bag please.¡±


    They quickly get to work, lifting the corpse and carefully lowering it into the opening of one of the spatial storages.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Oscar asks, turning his attention away from the corpse towards Emily, jolting her out of her thoughts.


    ¡°No,¡± Emily responds with a judgemental stare.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We set up camp late last night. Those who took watches have only slept for four and a bit hours so far. It¡¯s only right to let them rest more, so we¡¯ll set off late today,¡± Fionn calmly explains.


    ¡°Urgh,¡± Dante groans, dropping back to the floor dejectedly. ¡°But I¡¯m so bored.¡±


    Emily rolls her eyes at him, turning away and running earthen detection. She¡¯s surprised when she feels a flurry of movement approaching them from some dark side tunnels.


    I guess the wendigo was the reason we haven¡¯t seen any groglers for a while now. Are they linked to this curse too?


    ¡°Look alive, buddy,¡± she says, patting Dante¡¯s shoulder and standing up. ¡°We¡¯ve got company.¡±


    Dante shoots up to join her with a grin.


    ¡°Finally!¡±


    They both move upstream, following Emily¡¯s scan and leaving Fionn behind to watch the camp.


    ¡°Try not to make too much noise.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Burning not exploding!¡±


    Emily drops her detection as she feels the groglers approaching the cave and conjures flying lightning, spinning the dart beside her in anticipation. The sound of hurried footfall fills their ears and soon the small grey monsters burst out of the darkness.


    Flying lightning flashes forwards, ripping through the first enemy¡¯s head with ease, a split second before a rain of flaming petals smashes into the front row. Emily whips the dart around, picking off the creatures screeching in pain as their skin sears black. Dante casts his spell twice more before Emily finishes slicing and puncturing those that are left, leaving the dark cave entrance splattered in brownish-red blood and littered with half-burnt corpses.


    ¡°What a fun way to start the morning. I never thought I¡¯d be so happy to see groglers again.¡± Dante chuckles, turning to look at Emily with a satisfied grin.


    Emily makes eye contact with him, unable to hold back her own smile.


    ¡°It certainly gets the blood pumping. Although, this was a lot of groglers in one go, considering we haven¡¯t seen any for days.¡±


    She looks over the piled-up bodies and counts fifteen creatures. Her grin morphs into a small frown as she turns back to the camp.


    ¡°Come on.¡±


    ***


    An hour later, they wake everyone up and prepare breakfast. Sitting around a small campfire eating, Oscar rearranges the moving formation.


    ¡°Maeve and Cian will still carry a bag each. However, Callum and Fionn will also need to take a bag from now on. Ivor will join the front, and Erin will join the back: there¡¯s no point leaving you at the sides until we leave these caves.¡± He pauses and looks around, but nobody disputes his arrangement, so he takes a deep breath and then continues.


    ¡°Now, I know last night was stressful, and we lost some good friends.¡± He pauses to look around again, taking in the mixed reactions of the group, mourning from a few, but indifference from most. ¡°But we still need to move onwards. We¡¯ll continue downstream for three more days, then turn around and head back.¡±


    The rest of their meal passes quietly, and after eating they quickly pack up, tossing out the excess tents they no longer need to create space in their bags, and leave to continue downstream. They follow the river, sticking left at another fork, and after two hours of moving, Ivor¡¯s scan returns something.


    ¡°Over twenty, small, behind,¡± he quickly flashes out some hand signs, and everybody starts preparing for battle.


    ¡°Groglers?¡± Emily asks him while conjuring flying lightning and turning her thermal vision upstream.


    She sees him nod out of the corner of her eye, and starts walking around the group with Ivor and Dante. They reach the back as a small grogler bursts out of a side tunnel. A single lance of fire shoots forward, impaling the monster and burning its torso to a crisp.


    A flood of groglers follows, filling the cave with grey. Emily spins up her weapon as the monsters close the distance, and the moment they step within range, several spells fly out.


    Heavy rocks, blades of water, spears and petals of fire: the groglers are pelted by the elements, while Emily¡¯s glistening silver dart flashes through them, ripping them apart. The enemies are quickly dealt with, covering the cave floor with their dirty blood that slowly flows into the river, temporarily dyeing the water red before sinking below the fog, never to rise again.


    With the groglers dead, they take a break, to harvest their eyes, then continue marching downstream. They¡¯re attacked twice more before lunch, and another two times after. By the time they stop for the day, the attacking mages are running low on mana and exhausted again.


    Emily settles at the edge of the camp alone, returning to their normal watches now that the wendigo is dealt with. She sits upstream of the camp, having noticed all the grogler attacks during the day came from that direction, as if following a plan.


    We¡¯re definitely being pushed further in by these grogler attacks. I guess it can¡¯t have been the wendigo coordinating them. Maybe we¡¯ll find out what it is as we go deeper? If not, it¡¯s going to be a pain to fight our way back out through hordes of coordinated groglers.


    Emily sighs as she stares into the surrounding darkness, excited by the idea of a new discovery, but starting to grow bored of fighting the small grey irritants.


    ¡°I miss Jules.¡±

 Chapter 67 – Horde

    Chapter 67 ¨C Horde


    The next day is a slow trek, ignoring splits in the path and following the river onwards. They are attacked from behind by a few small groups of groglers, but the attacks are less frequent than the day before. They find a few more herbs, including a sizable harvest of wyrmroot tucked into an alcove along their path. They also find a sparse outcrop of light crystals, but otherwise the day passes without intrigue.


    The final day of their delve into the depths of The Waters brings a new bag of problems though. A few hours into the morning, a chill passes down Emily¡¯s spine.


    What¡¯s following us this time?


    With a frown, Emily starts channelling earthen detection as she walks. She looks behind them and finds a group of groglers in pursuit, which doesn¡¯t seem out of the ordinary at all. Ignoring them for now, she sends her perception into the side tunnels near them and finds a few more groups of groglers, walking in parallel with them, further into the depths.


    Strange! Why aren¡¯t they coming to attack us? They¡¯re definitely close enough to detect us.


    She runs her scan over the tunnels a few more times, but only finds groglers lurking near them without approaching. Even the group behind them, which keeps increasing in size as more monsters show up, doesn¡¯t come closer.


    ¡°We¡¯re being surrounded by groglers,¡± Emily comments calmly.


    ¡°Surrounded?¡± Oscar asks sceptically.


    ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s a large group behind us and a lot of small groups in the tunnels nearby, but none are approaching us.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Oscar frowns, halting their march and turning to Ivor for confirmation.


    Ivor and Enzo both run scans, coming to the same conclusion as Emily.


    ¡°Shit! Why are they acting so weird? I thought that monster was controlling them,¡± Oscar questions Emily, anger and desperation mixing in his gaze.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It looks like they¡¯re trying to push us deeper, though, so we¡¯ll probably find out soon. If not, we can just kill our way out. Relax, it¡¯s only groglers, I can deal with them all myself if necessary.¡± Emily calms him down while pushing for them to continue onwards, her curiosity growing.


    He¡¯s starting to lose it. I guess losing nearly a third of his expedition in one night probably wasn¡¯t great for his confidence.


    Oscar takes a deep breath then releases it, letting his tension flow out.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Sorry, I should be keeping a calm head to lead properly. Let¡¯s keep going. We turn around tomorrow morning anyway.¡±


    They restart their march, with tension once again spreading through the group. Nothing happens till mid-afternoon when they arrive at a three-path split in the river, with new banks rising from the water to line the middle path up ahead. They try to walk towards the left-hand path, following the pattern they¡¯ve now established whenever they¡¯re faced with a choice, but as they get closer, Emily¡¯s spots dozens of heat signatures lurking in the darkness at the edge of the path.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of groglers,¡± she mutters to herself before turning to her groupmates. ¡°Enzo, Ivor, status check.¡±


    Hearing her command, both mages shut their eyes and send out scans. Everyone else starts preparing spells for their visitors.


    ¡°Fucking hell,¡± Enzo exclaims, the colour draining from his face. ¡°There¡¯s about fifty behind us.¡±


    ¡°Roughly thirty ahead, twenty on the middle, and none on the right,¡± Ivor signs, gesturing to the three paths ahead.


    Nervous chatter breaks out in the group.


    ¡°Should we run?¡± Cian asks fearfully.


    ¡°We can¡¯t fight that many while surrounded,¡± Erin adds.


    ¡°Maybe we should follow the path without any of them. Then we only have to deal with them on one side?¡± Enzo suggests.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Oscar nods while starting to break formation to head towards the empty path. ¡°We should run.¡±


    Emily reaches out and grabs his shoulder, staring at him with a scowl.


    ¡°What¡¯s with you? It¡¯s just a bunch of groglers. We can beat this many easily.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious though. You¡¯ve been using detection spells all day, then you used a conjured weapon to fight. I know conjured objects don¡¯t exactly drain a lot of mana normally, but there¡¯s no way you weren¡¯t dumping extra into it to be able to slice so many groglers in half in one go. You then threw out plenty more spells after, and now you¡¯re running more detection spells without a single sign of exhaustion! How do you have so much mana?¡± Enzo rants, a mix of curiosity and confusing bleeding into his tone.


    ¡°Ah.¡± Emily is taken aback by his questioning, unsure how to answer.


    She pauses to consider.


    Can I tell him anything? It doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯ll buy the efficient spell excuse. Well, there¡¯s no chance he¡¯ll tell the Mandrago family: he¡¯s too close to Oscar and Oscar showed obvious disdain for them. Also, I like him. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m likely to need to fight him any time soon and he¡¯s already suspicious, so I may as well tell him a little.


    Emily lets out a sigh before glancing around and making sure no one¡¯s within earshot.


    ¡°It¡¯s down to a few things, but the main one I can just show you. Focus on the mana around me right now.¡±


    Enzo obediently shuts his eyes and focuses on the mana around Emily who sits, with Technomancer¡¯s Breath active on her second core, waiting for him to notice the oddity in the surrounding mana flow. After a few seconds, he opens his eyes in surprise.


    ¡°You¡¯re drawing in mana without meditating?¡± he asks incredulously.


    ¡°Yeah. My meditation technique is unique, I¡¯m able to keep part of it active while moving around as long as I split some of my focus for it.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± He nods thoughtfully. ¡°So, you just have to make sure you¡¯re only casting one spell at a time while you do it.¡±


    It¡¯s Emily¡¯s turn to be surprised as she listens to him muttering to himself.


    ¡°Wait, you know about my double casting?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t exactly try to hide it,¡± Enzo says, surprised at Emily¡¯s surprise. ¡°We were all watching when you fought that monster, and you were definitely casting bolt while using another spell to coat your weapons in lightning. It¡¯s pretty obvious that you can double cast.¡±


    Of course! They don¡¯t know about machina so it will look like another spell to them. Whoops! I never even considered that.


    ¡°Ah, yeah. I guess I haven¡¯t exactly been hiding it on this expedition.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, thanks for answering my question,¡± he says as he stands to go and meditate.


    Emily waves him goodbye and returns to her surveillance of the surrounding tunnels. They are all empty, all of the nearby groglers seeming to have died in the prior fight. She spends the rest of the break sitting at the edge of the group, periodically scanning for any approaching enemies just in case.


    Soon, everyone finishes gathering mana and they get back into formation.


    ¡°Which path are we taking?¡± Dante asks before they set off.


    ¡°I say we find out where they were trying to lead us,¡± Emily suggests confidently, her hand resting on The Clock¡¯s pouch at her hip.


    There¡¯s no way I¡¯m leaving without working out what was controlling them. I wonder if it¡¯s related to the curse.


    Frowns spread through the group, but as Emily opens her mouth to persuade them they disappear.


    ¡°Sure, for the pursuit of knowledge, right?¡± Oscar says with a smile.


    ¡°Yeah, for the pursuit of knowledge.¡±


    Emily turns around and leads the group forward.


    Well that was weird. They changed their minds too fast and too easily. Is something affecting their minds? Maybe that¡¯s the curse too.


    They cross the water, this time swimming to avoid draining all of Ivor¡¯s mana. They then continue downstream on the other side. The path remains the same as the other until, an hour in, they step into an unnerving cave, which halts them in their steps.


    Emily looks from the large, open lake of water in the centre of the cavernous space to the scattered magic crystals to the piled up bodies, and the blood smeared walls surrounding them.


    ¡°Holy shit!¡±

 Chapter 68 – The Lake

    Chapter 68 ¨C The Lake


    Emily shakes herself out of her stupor, the uncomfortable feeling in her gut growing ever stronger, and runs earthen detection to check the cavern for threats. Her scan comes up empty, so she slowly walks in further to take in the room fully.


    The space is huge, the ceiling rising tens of metres above, filled with writhing shadows. The beautiful, glistening blue lake in the centre of the room spans at least fifty metres at its widest point, and has a dozen or so metres of land between the banks and the walls on every side. There are several breaks in the floor as the river runs into and out of the lake in multiple streams from nearby tunnels. But, unlike in the surrounding tunnels, most of the cavern walls are free of shadows, lit up by scattered magic crystals strewn on the floor.


    Gazing at the magic crystals draws Emily¡¯s attention to the bodies contaminating the otherwise enchanting view. Lining the lake are the decapitated corpses of groglers, carefully arranged so their headless stumps bleed into the lake. Their heads are all impaled on stalagmites near the walls, where large smears of blood are wiped.


    Emily frowns in disgust at the gruesome display, pushing down and shutting out the traumatic memories of Herber that it brings to the surface.


    Was the wendigo doing this? They¡¯re too fresh to be the last expedition group.


    Why would the wendigo do this though?


    Unable to remove her attention from the revolting sight without answers, Emily pulls up the record of the wendigo from her system notifications.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Wendigo]


    [Rank:] E


    [Description:] A twisted creature born from a human mage falling to cannibalism on cursed land. They prowl the cursed lands they inhabit, gathering offerings to further the spread of corruption.


    _____


    Offerings? Was this some disgusting form of ritual sacrifice or something? Was it planning to do this to us after killing us? It did seem to enjoy torturing people as it murdered them. Maybe this is just its sick game.


    Shivering at the thought, Emily finally tears her focus away from the bodies dirtying the water with their putrid blood, looking towards her groupmates. She finds them all crouched at the water¡¯s edge, kneeling in the fog and scooping water from the lake with their hands to drink. Emily grimaces at the idea of drinking the filthy water, no matter how inviting it looks.


    Wait, why do I think the water¡¯s inviting?


    Emily¡¯s scowl deepens further as she feels an itch in the back of her mind, telling her something is wrong with that thought, but she can¡¯t work out what.


    Weird. I definitely don¡¯t want to drink it at least.


    ¡°Hey, Oscar!¡± she calls, tearing his attention away from the water. ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll stay here to gather all these magic crystals and any eyes that are still fresh. Then, we¡¯ll stay here for a bit to rest and head back in a few days.¡±


    His answer sets off warning bells in Emily¡¯s mind, irrespective of the glint of greed in his eyes at the mention of the magic crystals.


    Why does he want to stay here for a few days suddenly? We were meant to be turning back tomorrow.


    ¡°Why stay here for a few days?¡± she questions apprehensively.


    ¡°We¡¯re all tired from the trip in. This seems like a good place to fortify for a few days of proper rest,¡± he responds with a smile.


    Emily exaggeratedly points to a nearby corpse dangling over the water¡¯s edge.


    ¡°What about that makes this place feel like a good place to rest to you?¡±


    Oscar follows her arm and frowns, seeming to finally notice an issue with his plan.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right. We¡¯ll have to dump all those bodies and heads in the water to make it a little more pleasant.¡±


    Something¡¯s wrong. Is something controlling them? Something in this cavern? Maybe there¡¯s something in the water? They do seem oddly drawn to it, and none of them should be happy drinking from it.


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯m gonna go have a look around. I don¡¯t feel anything nearby, but be careful and make sure Ivor and Enzo check every so often. You guys should start cleaning this place up if you want to stay here,¡± she encourages Oscar, hoping to give the group something more productive to do than drinking the dubious water.


    He nods, agreeing with her and turning to start ushering the group into action.


    Good, this should at least keep them distracted for a bit until I work out what¡¯s going on here.


    Emily turns to walk along the lake¡¯s edge with purpose: her groupmates¡¯ strange actions only making the uncomfortable feeling in her gut grow stronger.


    She looks at the crystals on the floor as she passes, most partially concealed by the swirling fog. A few of them are cracked, making them too unstable to be of much value, and none seem naturally formed in place.


    Was the wendigo collecting crystals from nearby tunnels? It would explain the deposits we found that looked like they were ripped apart with claws. Is that also part of its ritual?


    Emily starts drawing a mental map of the crystals as she goes, trying to work out if there is a pattern being drawn with them. She soon runs into one of the connecting streams of the river, flowing into the lake, and steps in to swim across to the other side.


    After pulling herself up onto the bank, she continues forward while casting cleanse. She passes more dead groglers and magic crystals: the more of them she finds, the less she believes their position is planned, since none of them seem to join into a coherent pattern. She crosses another connecting stream and arrives at a section of the cavern where the walls are devoid of magical light and there are fewer corpses around. Only a few magic crystals have been dropped near the water on this bank, as if the wendigo was avoiding it intentionally. The living shadows spread from a depression in the wall, reaching halfway to the lake where they¡¯re pushed back by the water¡¯s glow.


    Emily approaches the shadows, holding up her hand and casting light to part them. As the darkness recedes, an unsettling sight is revealed. Spread across the wall of the cave is more blood, but instead of the random clawed handprints dragged across the stone, the blood forms words.


    ¡°Hey, Oscar. What¡¯s the usual practice with corpses of teammates on an expedition?¡±


    He flinches slightly at her question, as a few of their groupmates looking at her with frowns, but answers anyway.


    ¡°There isn¡¯t really an agreed upon option, but it¡¯s common practice to either burn them or drop them into the river down here.¡±


    Her concern relaxes slightly at his answer.


    Okay, so that may just be a coincidence. Or maybe how this curse started if the water really is the problem.


    She casts a glance back at the lake, the brightly glowing pool with darkness looming above seeming far more ominous than it did when she first took in its beauty.


    I¡¯ll have a look later.


    With a shake of her head, she turns back to decipher more blood-etched words.


    Two more gone. Four left. So hungry. They won¡¯t stop looking at me.


    Hungry. Three left. So hungry.


    We spoke again. Two left.


    Nine in the water, four alive. There were thirteen left when they sealed themselves in. Is thirteen significant to the curse, or was Rocco reducing our group to thirteen simply a random choice on his part?


    Emily¡¯s eyes linger on the repeated reference to his hunger as she tries to understand the meaning behind the words as they slowly lose coherence.


    They stopped talking for a while since he seemed to be getting paranoid, then spoke again when there were two of them left. Hmm... No. The reference to hunger stops for that line. Did they eat the third? The system description did say a wendigo forms from a cannibal.


    Her eyes slowly trace the remaining words on the wall. The fac?ade of sanity falls away as every other word is purely written in blood, all attempts to leave a permanent record gone.


    I¡¯m alone.


    I¡¯m alone.


    Alone.


    Alone


    Hungry


    So hungry


    Hungry


    The words descend into madness, ¡®Hungry¡¯ being repeated again and again until the words lose form and turn to smeared claw marks. Emily feels a twinge of sadness at the story told by the bloody wall: of a man slowly losing everything, even his humanity, as he succumbs to suffering and madness.


    Is this what¡¯ll happen to us if we stay here?


    ¡°What¡¯s the plan from now on, Oscar?¡± she asks to be sure.


    ¡°I already told you. Didn¡¯t I?¡± he says giving her a strange look. ¡°We¡¯ll collect everything in here then rest for a week or so before heading back.¡±


    Emily scoffs, turning towards the lake.


    Yeah, right. I¡¯ll be damned if I let us stay here and slowly cannibalise each other. He wants to stay even longer now, and he doesn¡¯t even seem to realise.


    She angrily approaches the edge of the water, dropping her robes to the floor and sitting down to pull off her boots. Ivor walks over as she stands back up.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± he signs while glancing questioningly at her bare feet.


    ¡°I think there¡¯s something in the water, so I¡¯m going to have a look.¡±


    Ivor frowns, but nods and pats her on the shoulder before wishing her luck.


    ¡°Be careful down there.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, big guy,¡± Emily replies with a smile, her academic interest overpowering her anger, before turning to gaze out into the lake.


    She pauses before leaping in, noticing the irony in her actions.


    I was complaining about them drinking the water, and here I am about to jump in. Ah well, Rocco may have missed his chance to turn back. But I always have that option.


    She rests her hand on the pouch holding The Clock, before diving in.

 Chapter 69 – The Curse of Hunger

    Chapter 69 ¨C The Curse of Hunger


    Emily kicks away from the shore, swimming through the glittering blue water and watching with begrudging wonder as the fog just below swirls around her, reaching out of the water in creeping tendrils as she disturbs the surface. She swims out to roughly the centre of the lake, casting infra-sight and checking below for enemies.


    She treads water for a few seconds, glancing around for a hint of warm colour under the water but finding nothing.


    Here goes.


    Taking a deep breath, she releases infra-sight and plunges down, descending below the thin layer of fog and entering the darkness below. She casts light as she swims, creating a white orb that pushes back against the darkness surrounding her, but struggles to have much effect, even with the extra mana Emily pours into the spell. After a few seconds, she gives up and accepts only having a few metres of visibility.


    She descends lower and lower, and the temperature of the water drops from refreshing to bone-chilling as she nears the bottom. She pauses as the lakebed comes into view, decorated by dull white bones.


    I think I found Rocco¡¯s teammates.


    She swims down to the bones, inspecting the mismatched limbs scattered about. She tries to move on, but out of the corner of her eye, she spots a flicker of movement, so she pauses and looks around. Seeing nothing, she quickly casts infra-sight again, checking for a warm-blooded enemy but finding nothing.


    Weird, I definitely saw something move.


    She turns to leave, but once again sees motion out of the corner of her eye. This time, she¡¯s certain one of the skeletons was moving.


    They are dead. Right?


    She goes back to inspect a few bones. But, even with a full magical scan, she doesn¡¯t find anything. She feels pressure build in her chest from the lack of breath, so she shakes the distraction away and turns to continue.


    Moving on, she follows a natural depression towards the lowest point of the lake. On the way, she finds a few human skulls resting on the bed, staring up at the world above that they¡¯ll never see again. Darkness fills their eye sockets unnaturally and, even when Emily aims her light in, the darkness clings, as if fused to the bones.


    The further she follows the lakebed down, the more the water around her, within her small haven of light, shifts from dark blue to a faint red. And the further she descends, the more certain she is that the skulls are watching her. The mounting pressure in her chest builds, so Emily makes a split-second decision after spotting motion at the edge of her vision again.


    I can¡¯t go further. I need to surface.


    She turns upwards, making a break for the surface. As she rises through the dark water, the chill seeping through to her bones slowly fades and, when she surfaces, gasping for breath, the chill has all but vanished.


    ¡°That water¡¯s deep. Maybe I should take a break and try again tomorrow,¡± she mutters before freezing, breaking her rhythm and almost sinking under the water again.


    Why did I give up so quickly? And why am I suddenly happy to hang around in this cave? I¡¯m following the same path as Oscar.CHeCk for new stories on no/v/el/bin(.)c0m


    The thought worries Emily, bringing a scowl to her face as she gazes down into the depths below.


    I should definitely be able to hold my breath for longer. And why did I keep seeing motion? I need to commit to going further and ignore all distractions.


    ¡°Hey, Emily. You okay?¡± Dante shouts at her from the shore.


    ¡°Yeah, just catching my breath!¡± she yells back, keeping her eyes on the water as she steels her resolve.


    She reaches under the water, taking The Clock out of its pouch and holding it firmly in her hand. Taking a deep breath and calming her heart, she gives The Clock one last squeeze for reassurance before diving back down into the water.


    She slowly kicks down through the darkness, descending into the unsettling unknown below. Once again, as she approaches the bottom of the lake, she starts seeing flickers of motion at the edge of her vision. Ignoring them, she ploughs onwards, reaching the point where the water shifts to red.


    The pressure in her chest starts growing again, as if she needs to breath, but she recognises it as false and pushes through. Soon, she reaches the deepest point in the lake and sees a small, head-sized pitch-black hole surrounded by thick, swirling red.


    How ominous.


    She approaches the hole, attempting, unsuccessfully, to shine light into it.


    Damn. I can¡¯t see in, but I can feel it alright. It¡¯s powerful. That¡¯s got to be the source of the curse. All these bones and blood just scream cursed.


    She hovers over the hole for a few seconds, the pressure in her chest hurting, and a small voice in the back of her mind screaming for her to turn back.


    Ah, what the hell. If I lose my arm I can just reset.


    She shoves her arm into the hole, reaching down until her shoulder presses against the lakebed, but she still doesn¡¯t find an end to it. She grasps around in the dark, searching for any signs of the curse¡¯s source. Then just as she¡¯s about to listen to the voice and pull out, something presses into her palm. A frigid chill bites her hand, and a system notification appears in her vision.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Mental attack spell detected!


    Resisting...


    Mental attack successfully resisted!


    Oscar turns and moves away, directing members of the group to head around the lake to continue their harvest while Emily puts her shoes and robes back on, drying herself with a quick cast of cleanse. She uses one core to maintain the mana barrier around the Mensacus the whole time, slowly draining her mana.


    She joins the rest of the group, helping them gather resources while kicking every grogler corpse into the lake to erase the gruesome display. As she places crystals into the storage bags, she takes out and pockets a claw of black iron.


    Eventually, the light fades from the cavern and they set up the sound barrier and their sleeping bags, settling down for the night. Emily sits alone in the dark using earthen detection to monitor the breathing of her groupmates. It¡¯s an hour before the last of them fall asleep.


    Finally.


    She stands up, walking away from the barrier and sitting down thirty metres away from the group, just to be safe. She places the Mensacus down next to her. The moment her hand leaves the mana bubble, it bursts, releasing the fang¡¯s malevolent aura into the cavern. However, at the same time, she feels her strength return to normal, her mana flowing smoothly and unhindered.


    Interesting.


    She tests lowering her hand back down towards the cursed tooth, finding her intelligence reducing whenever she gets within a few inches of it.


    The debuff applies while I¡¯m close to it, not just when I¡¯m touching it.


    Noting the oddity, she takes out the black iron. Casting burning hands, she heats the four inch long claw in her palms and starts moulding it into shape, flattening it. She dismisses the spell and picks up the Mensacus, places it in the centre of the flat plate, and recasts burning hands. Gently, she presses the metal closed around the tooth, melting it together and sealing the cursed object away.


    The moment the last gap is closed, the chill from the Mensacus reduces to a bearable irritant. The voice in her head vanishes, freeing her from the worst of the burden on her mind.


    With a glance at her attributes, Emily notes the partial success.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Attributes:] Strength 12 (16), Dexterity 34 (35), Agility 26 (28), Vitality 13 (16), Intelligence 60 (59)


    _____


    It¡¯s not perfect, but it should hold until I get back and research proper seals.


    She happily drops the partially-sealed cursed tooth into a pouch on her belt and returns to her watch. Time slips by, and soon Ivor relieves Emily of her duty, so she collapses on top of a sleeping bag to rest.


    As she lies still, about to enter meditation, a question creeps into her mind.


    Where did the Mensacus come from?


    Her eyes snap open, and she turns her head towards the lake, sitting beyond her vision in the surrounding darkness.


    Where did that hole lead?


    She opens her system notifications again, reading over the cursed tooth¡¯s description.


    A shard of the abyss given form. The abyss?


    She looks back further through her notifications, at the quest she received upon arrival at The Crystal Waters.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [The Abyss: Everything Flows To]


    [Rank:] D


    [Description:] You¡¯ve reached the magical underbelly of The Glade, The Crystal Waters. Now discover where The Waters end.


    Requirements:


    -Find the destination of The Crystal Waters'' flow (Not Complete)


    Rewards:


    -Skill: Flow (passive)


    _____


    Does that mean that hole leads where I need to go? It¡¯s too small for me to swim through. I¡¯ll have to try running deeper into the tunnels alone tomorrow. But if I can¡¯t reach it now, I know the Mensacus is related to it somehow, so, maybe if I study it, I¡¯ll get some ideas about what this Abyss is in advance.


    Emily shuts her eyes and relaxes, growing excited for the return to Chroni, and falling into steady meditation.

 Chapter 70 – Return to Sunlight

    Chapter 70 ¨C Return to Sunlight


    The night passes peacefully without a single attack, and the next morning they break camp early to start their trek back. Before they leave, Emily separates from the group without a word, leaving them behind as she sprints out of the cavern, following one of the paths downstream. She cuts her way through several groups of beasts as she gets further away from the lake, but even as her stamina drops and she starts to feel fatigue setting in, after running for almost twenty-four hours straight, she still finds nothing but more winding tunnels and an endlessly flowing stream.


    Damn, I guess I¡¯ll have to come back again to finish my quest. I¡¯ll run my own expedition before I leave once I reach third circle.


    Sighing in disappointment, she resets time back to the morning by the lake.


    Unaware of her journey further into the deeps without them, the group sets off, leaving an emptier cavern behind them, having collected most of the crystals and thrown all the bodies and heads into the water. The writing on the wall, they don¡¯t touch.


    They retrace their steps, heading upstream and back towards the surface with tension hanging over the group, fear of a repeat of the last horde of groglers present in everyone¡¯s minds. They run into a few fire-spitting bugs and iron-clawed moles on the first day of their travel, filing into the well-lit tunnel from the dark side passageways.


    The fire-spitting bugs are eviscerated by Emily¡¯s flying lightning and a few well-placed water blades. Their attacks harmlessly burst against the group¡¯s water barriers. The iron-clawed moles once again prove fun for Emily, as she charges out from the rest of the group with flying lightning swinging and quickly dispatches them all. The rest of the first day marching along the water¡¯s edge is quiet.


    This pattern repeats as they get further from the lake, with no large, coordinated attacks. A few dog-sized acidic centipedes show up on the second day, and Emily is forced to stop using flying lightning when the first one she cuts open melts the weapon. Instead, a few bolts and flaming projectiles from Dante reap their lives.


    On the third day, they spot a patch of vothral weed, a small blue stalk imbued with strong water elemental mana, growing on the other side of the lake. They cross the water to collect it, but several shimmering blades of water shoot out from the depths below, shredding Dante and Mia to pieces. Emily resets once, and this time before letting anyone into the water, she shoots two bolts in, filling the water with electric mana and frying several piranhas, that float to the surface dead.


    They continue onwards, and it¡¯s not until they enter the dark, waterless tunnels connecting the surface and The Waters on the evening of the fifth day that they run into groglers again.


    When they reach the small junction room filled with luminis, a small group of ten groglers rushes them from the tunnels. They rip them to pieces with ease, and find no others nearby, assuaging the group¡¯s fears that they might signal another coordinated offensive heading their way. Afterwards, they settle down for the evening in the flower-lit room.


    As everybody sits to eat amongst the flowers, Emily chooses to sit alone by the entrance to the tunnel to the surface, silently staring out into the darkness ahead.


    ¡°You excited to head back?¡± Oscar asks, approaching from behind her, carrying food.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Emily responds with a grin as he sits beside her. ¡°I have new things to research and toys to make. Also, I miss Jules.¡±


    Her grin fades to a bittersweet smile.


    ¡°Haha, yes,¡± Oscar laughs. ¡°It¡¯s nice to have something good to return to.¡±


    Emily raises a brow in surprise, before switching to a teasing grin.


    ¡°Who do you have to return to?¡±


    ¡°My family,¡± he says with cheer. ¡°This expedition will be a great achievement for us, thanks to you.¡±


    ¡°At least you know who it¡¯s thanks to,¡± she responds with a smirk.


    ¡°Seriously though,¡± Oscar says with a solemn gaze. ¡°Thank you for keeping my head on straight back there. I¡¯m not sure what came over me, but I was giving up way too fast. It¡¯s not a good mind-set for a leader. You¡¯re the main reason we¡¯ve made it this far at all, let alone with this few casualties. I know you won¡¯t really be getting a fair cut for how much effort you¡¯ve had to put in, but I¡¯d like to offer you my proper thanks.¡±


    Emily watches him in silent surprise.


    ¡°The normal procedure when a member of an expedition dies is to split their share: half to the family running the expedition, and half to be divided between the surviving members. I¡¯d like to give you half of my family¡¯s share.¡±


    ¡°Are you allowed to do that?¡±


    ¡°Yes. No one in my family will argue with me when we return.¡±


    Emily scoffs at his confidence, but thanks him with a grin.


    ¡°Thank you then. Always happy to have more funds and research material.¡±


    ¡°You deserve it for keeping us safe.¡± He rises, patting her on the shoulder, as he heads towards his sleeping bag. ¡°Let¡¯s hope we get back without more troubles.¡±


    ***


    The night passes and they continue through the dark tunnels away from The Waters. They run into a few bugs and moles, but Emily and Dante deal easily with them at the front of the group. They sleep again the next night, simply stopping and setting up camp on the path, fighting off a few bugs in the night.


    The moment the fifth shot leaves the barrel though, Emily¡¯s instincts flare and she follows them. She flicks the gun to the side slightly and pulls the trigger without a thought. Her sixth bullet flies out, punching through the torsos of two cats jumping past each other, dropping them to the floor unmoving.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Skill learned: Basic Shooting (passive)


    [Basic Shooting (passive)]


    User knows how to use ranged weapons and firearms.


    -Grants +10% dexterity and agility when fighting with ranged weapons


    -Grants +10% familiarity with ranged weapons


    _____


    A calming feeling of familiarity washes over her as she adjusts her grip on her revolver. Her slightly tensed wrist relaxes, and she slides her finger out of the trigger guard to rest it on the side. She pops open the gun¡¯s cylinder, dropping the empty casings and quickly loading six new bullets.


    She moves the leg that is crossed over the branch, drawing her foot in and raising her knee to create a comfortable firing platform, and rests her gun against it while looking out into the forest with a smile.


    I was wondering if I¡¯d get a ranged version of my melee skill at some point. These earrings worked like a charm! All those shots and I didn¡¯t wake anyone. Maybe I¡¯ll work on a properly silent gun when I get back. It could be a useful method for assassinating a mage. I bet I could hit them with a silent bullet before they could put a barrier up, and with this, I don¡¯t need to waste as many wind crystals adding them to the bullet¡¯s propulsion mix every time.


    She silently deactivates the earring on the gun and watches her surroundings, waiting for more targets to wander into range.


    The night slowly ticks by, and she continues picking off approaching beasts from the trees. Half an hour before the end of her watch, she starts to run out of bullets.


    Fourteen shots left. I should probably save some for if I need them on the rest of the trip. One final test.


    She spots three pop frogs hopping closer, glowing a warm orange in her thermal sight despite being amphibians, and loads two bullets into the cylinder while standing up. Stepping forward, she drops from her high perch, deftly bouncing between a few branches as she falls near silently to the floor.


    She checks her stats as she rushes forward to meet the frogs outside the barrier.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Attributes:] Strength 12 (16), Dexterity 34 (36), Agility 26 (29), Vitality 13 (16), Intelligence 60 (59)


    _____


    She bursts through the trees, arriving a few metres in front of the frogs. She raises her revolver to point at one and watches her stats changing


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Attributes:] Strength 12 (16), Dexterity 34 (39), Agility 26 (32), Vitality 13 (16), Intelligence 60 (59)


    _____


    One muffled hiss and the first frog drops dead. She springs forward, turning the gun on another frog while extending her claw into the last.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Attributes:] Strength 12 (18), Dexterity 34 (39), Agility 26 (34), Vitality 13 (16), Intelligence 60 (59)


    _____


    She pulls the trigger as her blade sinks into the frog¡¯s soft head, finishing the fight and letting her added strength flow out of her.


    ¡°Tsk,¡± she clicks her tongue as she wipes her blade and turns back to the camp. ¡°The bonuses don¡¯t stack for the same stats but instead take the highest boost. Ah well, it was worth a shot.¡±


    Returning to the camp, she sits on the bank of the crater again and waits out the rest of her watch. It comes to an end without any more encounters, and she wakes Ivor and Matteo to watch together due to the number of encounters she¡¯s had. After briefly warning them, she settles down in a tent to meditate through what¡¯s left of the night as the rain starts to pour again.

 Chapter 71 – The Curse’s Influence

    Chapter 71 ¨C The Curse¡¯s Influence


    A few hours later, Emily gets up early to join Enzo and Dante for the end of their watch, helping them deal with the slowly increasing number of beast attacks as the sun rises. She stands up, pulling her battered Claw free from a razor-fanged wolf¡¯s head as she looks at the corpses surrounding her.


    Are they coming from deeper in to attack us? I don¡¯t remember running into any razor-fangs on the way in.


    She moves between the corpses, severing heads to take back to camp for harvesting. Dante closes the distance from where he¡¯s been flinging spells and starts helping her, using a knife from his belt.


    ¡°There¡¯s going to be a lot of fights today, isn¡¯t there?¡± Dante asks as they gather the decapitated heads in their arms and start walking towards the barrier.


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re gonna have our work cut out for us.¡±


    ¡°Good!¡± Dante grins and starts humming a happy tune.


    ¡°Psycho!¡± Emily chuckles, rolling her eyes at him but unable to hold back her own grin.


    I guess I¡¯m no better. I¡¯d rather fight the whole way back than have a boring trek.


    They cross the lip of the crater and are hit by a wall of sound as they enter the barrier. The sound of movement, loud conversations, and laughter mix with the patter of rain, drowning out the sickening squelch of knives on flesh coming from Cian and Callum. Emily and Dante approach the brothers, dropping their bounty into the boys¡¯ to-harvest pile.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Cian chirps at them, holding out a bundle of meat tied together with string to Emily. ¡°We prepared some fresh meat for you!¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Emily says with a small smile as she takes the food.


    Cian visibly blushes as she does and, as they walk away, Dante turns to her with a teasing grin.


    ¡°Looks like you have an admirer.¡±


    Emily says nothing, fixing him with a deadpan stare until he can¡¯t hold back his laughter. They approach Enzo and Ivor, sitting on the bank of the crater and sit down with them. Emily separates the meat and hands half to Dante before casting burning hands and cooking two portions for herself and Ivor.


    They eat their breakfast quickly as the rest of the group breaks camp, finishing at the same time as the sound barrier falls. They leave their seats and join the group to continue their journey back.


    They spend two days fighting their way out of the rainforest, felling hundreds of attacking beasts. Their third day becomes oddly peaceful halfway through the night, and they don¡¯t encounter any creatures until, at midday, they face an onslaught of different beasts attacking at once.


    Emily does her best to wipe them out quickly, but is hampered by the trees providing cover to her enemies. Then, after one too many mistakes, Oscar dies to a mudscrap, attacking from below, before Emily can end the fight. She resets, returning to the second day, and mindlessly relives the trek until night falls. As she¡¯s sitting on watch, staring out into the darkness, waiting for the last attack of the day, she starts questioning the horde.


    Why did so many come at once? I thought the Mensacus was just making them more aggressive, not coordinated like the groglers.


    She reaches down and touches the pouch holding the cursed tooth without a thought, and is surprised as she feels a frigid chill emanating from it. She opens the pouch and pulls the small black iron lump out.


    It¡¯s stronger than when I initially sealed it.


    She frowns and turns the metallic mass in her hands, spotting a few microscopic holes leaking dark black miasma.


    Is the curse eating through the metal? I need to check.


    She gets up from her watch point and moves back into the camp. Finding one of the spatial bags, she opens it up and reaches around inside for another black iron claw. Closing her hand around her prize, she closes the bag and puts it back before returning to the edge of the camp.


    Taking the black iron claw between her hands, Emily casts burning hands and slowly forms the claw into another seal before placing it down on the floor in front of her. She takes out the sealed tooth again, and checks her stats while holding it.


    Thought so, it¡¯s back to reducing my intelligence by two.


    She casts burning hands and slowly traces the edge of the melted seal, revealing the Mensacus to the world again. Built up black and red malevolent mana pours out of the metal the moment a large hole is made, and Emily pulls the tooth free.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    She takes one grenade in her hand as she waits, pouring a trickle of machina into it and stopping just before it starts crackling with electricity. A few seconds later, silence falls over the group as they finish their preparations, several magic circles floating in the air around them, awaiting activation. Everyone listens with bated breath to the rapid footsteps and violent snarls growing closer.


    Emily spots several flickering orange forms approaching between the trees, both on the floor and in the canopy above.


    ¡°They¡¯re here! In the trees and on the ground!¡± she calls out before throwing her prepared grenade towards the biggest cluster of movement.


    Without hesitation, she tears another grenade from her bandolier, before the first has even detonated, and charges it with a bit of machina before sending it out as well. Her teammates spot the enemies and start unleashing their spells, bursts of colour filling the forest as explosions and pained screeches sound out deeper into the trees.


    Emily fast runs out of grenades and drops infra-sight to start charging up two bolts at once, pointing them at different angles to clear the forest before her. A razor-fanged wolf leaps from the bushes towards her throat as her spells finish, and she waits till its jaws are a few centimetres from her before releasing both her spells at once, watching two beams of plasma rip through the wolf, along with the trees and beasts behind it, with glee.


    A thin, formless armour of wind forms around Emily as the crackling after effects of her spells fade. She turns her head, sporting a manic grin, and nods her thanks to Oscar while weaving together hand signs to summon flying lightning, dodging a rock projectile slung at her, and preparing another bolt with her second core. The treeline bursts with motion as rabid beasts surround them, bounding forwards through the shrubbery to attack.


    Emily slashes flying lightning across the first attackers to step into the open, firing bolts past them to fry the forces building up behind them. Her armour deflects several shards of rock raining from above and, having now created a small pile of bodies that will slow down the ground beasts¡¯ advance, she casts infra-sight and starts flicking flying lightning into the rocky howlers above.


    While she¡¯s focused on slashing and puncturing every flicker of heat above, an ocelax springs over her temporary blockade, aiming for her throat. Before it can connect, it¡¯s smashed to the side by a heavy rock from Ivor. Emily ignores it, having felt Ivor¡¯s attack coming in advance, and finishes driving a hole through the chest of the last howler in front of her. As the monkey falls to the ground dead, joining its comrades, she hears a loud screech high above.


    They¡¯re here!


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with the sky, cover me!¡± she yells, looking up to see a small group of large, black birds, that she recognises as sominal bombers, circling them while holding pop frogs between their talons.


    Trusting Ivor, Dante, and Oscar to cover the front, Emily reaches for her thigh, pulling her revolver out of its holster and raising it to the sky. Charging the gun with machina, she lines up a shot and squeezes the trigger. A bullet tears through the air, punching clean through a frog and the bird above. She adjusts her aim, taking another shot, but the birds notice their comrade¡¯s death and react poorly. They panic and start flying erratically. Two drop their payloads at the edge of the group, and Emily¡¯s shot misses its mark, ripping through a pop frog¡¯s leg, missing the bird still clutching it tight.


    ¡°Look out above!¡± she yells as the frogs fall.


    Luckily, the spark of machina in her bullet jolts the injured frog awake, temporarily breaking it free from the sedative being secreted from its carrier¡¯s talons. On instinct, the moment the frog regains some control, it registers danger and detonates. The explosion rips its captor to pieces and shreds the wings of the surrounding bombers, sending them all tumbling to the ground on top of the group.


    Shit!


    Multiple explosions go off around the group. Emily avoids the worst of it, but as she holsters her gun and glances at her group, her heart drops. Ivor is lying on the floor without a barrier, clutching his scorched and bleeding left leg. Mia is beside him, sitting up on the floor looking disoriented and confused, but otherwise unharmed, and a few metres from them is Fionn, lying unconscious, bleeding from the head. Blocking the advancing beasts nearby are Callum and Cian, slashing away with swords but slowly becoming overwhelmed.


    ¡°Damn it, they just had to hit the healer!¡± Emily growls in frustration. ¡°Take over the front for a sec.¡±


    Receiving a grunt of acknowledgement from Dante, she leaves the front line and makes a break for their injured companions. Whipping flying lighting at a few mudscraps closing in on Callum and sending a bolt through the beasts near Cian, Emily reaches for her belt and pulls off two vials of healing potion. She tosses one to Mia as she passes.


    ¡°Give Ivor this!¡±


    Her words seem to jolt Mia out of her confusion, as she catches the vial and frantically nods, scrambling over to the fallen mage. Emily keeps going, dropping into a slide as she reaches Fionn and comes to a stop next to him. She grabs his head, opening his mouth quickly and dumping the potion in. The small split running down the back of his head leaks blood onto her hands, but she sees it starting to close over quickly under the influence of the potion.


    For good measure, she pulls out her last potion and pours it down his throat as well before laying his head down and standing up. Fionn¡¯s eyes flutter open as Emily splits an approaching razor-fang in half with a violent whip of flying lightning, taking some of the burden from the Gavin brothers. Noticing he¡¯s awake, Emily turns to return to the front.


    ¡°Heal yourself and Ivor,¡± she calls over her shoulder to Fionn, receiving a silent thumbs up as he instantly starts chanting.


    After returning to the front, Emily continues cleaving through and scorching the approaching beasts, dealing with at least sixty per cent of their numbers herself as the battle slowly winds down. The outpouring of beasts from the trees reduces until only a few injured strays remain, only to be quickly ripped apart by metal or magic.


    With the fight over, everyone collapses in exhaustion. Dante falls to the ground on his back beside Emily, so she sits down next to him, an ecstatic grin fixed on her face as she rides high on the thrill of battle. Dante looks up at her and chuckles. Emily notices his matching expression and laughs before bumping his raised fist.


    ¡°Those were some great explosions,¡± she says as their fists part.


    ¡°Thanks, but I can¡¯t hold a candle to you. I never even thought to drop pop frogs on my own teammates!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t think to? Or didn¡¯t have the ability to try.¡±


    ¡°Ah! You got me!¡±


    They both break out in laughter, enjoying themselves, unconcerned by the pools of blood and corpses surrounding them.

 Chapter 72 – Triumphant Return

    Chapter 72 ¨C Triumphant Return


    After resting for a few minutes to catch their breaths, the group starts preparing to move on. Callum and Cian harvest usable materials from their prey, assisted by Maeve, while the others take turns meditating to regain their mana and helping to strip corpses. Emily, though, watches their surroundings.


    She pulls out the sealed Mensacus to check it after a few minutes of observing the quiet trees. The seal still seems solid, the cursed object only leaking enough corruption to reduce her intelligence by one. She uses burning hands to open the black iron lump anyway, just in case, and releases another flood of corrupted mana.


    Woah, that¡¯s a lot of build-up again. It did say it converts death, so I guess killing so many beasts near it caused that.


    She reseals it, hoping that it¡¯ll struggle to find enough fuel to weaken the metal again, given that most of the nearby beasts are already dead. An hour after the fight¡¯s end, they finish resting and harvesting their victims, deciding to leave some of the less valuable materials behind, having filled their spatial storages. They gather together once again to continue their march.


    The rest of the day passes quietly, with only a couple of small beast groups attacking them. The night is also calm, returning to the same still quiet it was on their way into The Glade.


    The next morning they set off into the noticeably thinner fog, getting closer to the edge of the unsettling forest. They run into a few beasts, but Emily and Dante deal with them easily before they trouble the rest of the group. However, an hour after they eat lunch, Enzo flags an oddity in his earthen detection scan.


    ¡°There¡¯s a small group of people ahead fighting some beasts,¡± he says with surprise, looking at Oscar.


    ¡°Really? Let¡¯s go check it out. Stay quiet and don¡¯t get spotted until I give the signal though.¡± He nods to Emily, so she quickly sets off a scan to locate the people before leading the group towards them.


    They creep forward, carefully stepping over dry branches and slipping around bushes to avoid making noise as they close the distance. Within a few minutes, Emily starts to hear the frantic sounds of battle, so she drops infra-sight to get a clear view of the fight.


    Standing in a small formation, with their backs pressed together, are five mages. In the centre of their formation is a sixth, lying on the floor and bleeding profusely from a deep gash across his chest. Surrounding them are ten mudscraps, held off by arrows of fire and blades of wind.


    Three of the mages, a short man with messy brown hair, a tall woman with an ashen, dirt-speckled complexion, and a short woman with long matted black hair, all cast attack spells frantically.


    They¡¯re panicking.


    Emily looks to the other two, a tall man with a nasty-looking scar running across his left cheek from his lips to his ear, and another tall man with a dirty blonde ponytail. The scarred man has his hands pressed to the floor, sweat dripping from his brow as he blocks the mudscraps¡¯ ground diving, and the blonde man maintains a thin barrier of water around them all.


    Emily turns her head to Oscar, expecting him to suggest helping them, but is surprised by his expression. His face is cold and indifferent as he watches the small group struggle and, when he notices Emily looking at him, he silently signals to retreat.


    Raising a brow, Emily looks back at the group, focusing on their crests. They bear two different designs: one has five wide, green petals surrounding dozens of small silver or bronze stamen-like petals; and the other has five pale blue petals spiralled around a silver or bronze star.


    Ah, I see.


    A knowing grin spreads across her face as she turns around and creeps away from the struggling mages.


    Good luck house Hellebore, ally of house Mandrago.


    The other members of their group follow Oscar¡¯s instructions without question, although a few with slight hesitation, leaving the suffering mages to their fates. They move quietly, accompanied by the sounds of spell chants and tearing flesh, not speaking until the fight leaves their earthen detection radius.


    Once they¡¯re clear, Maeve breaks the silence.


    ¡°Why did we ignore them?¡± she asks quietly from the middle of the group, clearly unnerved by their actions.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see their crests?¡± Oscar asks in return.


    ¡°No.¡± Maeve and most of the group members behind Oscar shake their heads.


    ¡°I see. They were mages of house Hellebore and Periwinkle. The Salvia household has no friendship with those two households, so I saw no reason to help them.¡±


    A wave of understanding spreads over the group as almost everyone seems satisfied by his answer. Ivor glances uncertainly between Oscar and Emily, but seeing her say nothing, he holds back his curiosity.


    Quickly moving on from the distraction, the group continues walking through the outskirts of The Glade. They only run into a couple more beasts before nightfall, and calmly set up in a small clearing as the light above starts to fade.


    Sitting alone at the edge of the camp, enjoying the faint moonlight falling through the trees along with a light drizzle, Emily turns her head as Ivor approaches her carrying a hunk of meat. Handing her the food, he sits down next to her and asks the question he¡¯s been holding on to since earlier.


    ¡°Are you okay with ignoring those mages? Aren¡¯t you allies?¡± he signs with confusion.


    Emily scoffs at his question, reaching down and resting her hand on the pouch holding the Mandrago¡¯s communication crystal, which they¡¯ve still never contacted.


    ¡°I was never told to help the family¡¯s allies, and if I don¡¯t say anything, they won¡¯t know I ever could have,¡± Emily answers with a dismissive shrug.


    ¡°Damn, you realised? I guess the cat¡¯s out of the bag.¡± The group all groan at his pun. ¡°I just can¡¯t get enough cat meat. You know, we actually had enough rations left to never eat any, but I just couldn¡¯t resist!¡±


    Lunch passes enjoyably, and soon a motorcade rolls into view. Emily notes the reduced number of cars coming to collect them, clearly already informed about their missing members. As everyone else notices too, the jovial atmosphere fades. Realising this, Oscar chooses to address the deaths of their companions.


    ¡°While this trip was a resounding success, we can¡¯t forget the sacrifices made along the way. In a few days, the Salvia family will be hosting a proper wake to show respect to our fallen comrades. Attendance isn¡¯t mandatory, but I¡¯m sure it would mean a lot to the families of those lost if you all chose to come. Now,¡± he says with a clap, moving on from the depressing topic. ¡°Let¡¯s get loaded into these cars and get back!¡±


    The cars soon come to a halt before the group, the drivers stepping out and opening the doors to welcome the mages aboard. Emily, Ivor, Enzo, and Dante once again climb into a car together for the return journey, mirroring their trip out.


    ¡°Wake me up when we get there please,¡± Enzo says to Emily and Ivor, purposefully not looking at Dante sitting next to him.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Emily nods with a smirk, watching Dante exaggeratedly feign offence.


    They sit in silence, and Emily watches The Glade slowly fade into the distance through the window as the motorcade trundles onwards. No one speaks in their car for the duration of the trip back, all lost in their thoughts or sleeping to pass the journey quickly.


    Soon, Emily¡¯s attention is drawn towards the metal behemoth rising up in the distance, Chroni. The tall wall looks daunting from below as they quickly approach. When they reach the base of the wall, they stop and the car¡¯s engine is turned off at the entrance to the access tunnel. Emily knocks Enzo and Dante¡¯s feet, waking them from their slumbers as she watches Oscar alight from the front car through the window.


    He approaches the guards blocking the entrance to the city, speaking to them for a few minutes. They fall silent, but Oscar doesn¡¯t move to re-enter his car.


    Did something go wrong?


    Emily starts shifting forward in her seat, preparing to leave if needed. A minute later, a young-looking guard in loosely fitted body armour runs over. His clockwork rifle is swinging from a sling hanging loosely over his shoulder and, in his arms, he tightly clasps a silver metal slab with several green magic crystals embedded in the surface.


    He presents the slab to Oscar, who places his palm against it and injects mana. The glow of mana envelopes the slab for a second before it fades and the guard nods at Oscar, saying something Emily can¡¯t hear. Oscar says something to them before turning and returning to his car.


    The cars all start their engines again and drive forward into the tunnel through the wall, the guards stepping out of the way to let them pass. They drive quickly through the fiery underbelly of the city wall, passing the burning coal fires powering the mechanical workings hidden within the metal monster surrounding them. The repetitive hiss of steam and the grinding of gears welcomes them back to the noise of the city.


    A small smile parts Emily¡¯s lips as she sits back and enjoys the mechanical hum. The cars leave the tunnel and continue deeper into the city, soon coming to rest before the same elevator their journey started at. Everyone disembarks their transport, and Oscar gathers them all before the elevator doors.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost done, and then I¡¯ll release you all to finally get the rest you deserve. But first, we need to divide the loot!¡±


    Excited chatter breaks out among the group and Oscar has to hush them to continue speaking.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be long. We¡¯ll head to the Salvia estate and divvy it up there. Now, everyone make your way orderly into the elevator and let¡¯s make a good impression!¡±


    He turns and gestures towards the elevator as it opens on his cue. Emily frowns at his choice of words.


    Make a good impression? Are there people waiting for us in the station?


    Everyone files into the elevator, but Oscar reaches out and stops Emily before she enters with everyone else.


    ¡°You should wait next to me. Honestly, if it weren¡¯t for keeping my family¡¯s face, I¡¯d make you stand in front of me.¡±


    Emily groans as his words confirm her suspicion.


    ¡°Who¡¯s waiting for us up there?¡± she asks, unamused.


    ¡°Just a few allies,¡± Oscar responds with a smug grin. ¡°When I sent for transport, my family spread the word of our triumphant return. After all, we¡¯re coming back from one of, if not the most successful trips to The Glade in the last twenty years! It¡¯s only fair that we have a proper welcome back.¡±


    ¡°Fair play,¡± Emily concedes as the elevator doors shut and they start rising.


    The group chatters excitedly behind them, but Emily waits in silence, staring at the closed doors ahead.


    Wait, did his family spread the word to their allies, or the entire Dome? If it¡¯s The Dome then maybe...


    Her thoughts are cut off as the doors slide open before her and a slow applause greets their entrance. Emily and Oscar step out of the elevator, side by side, and as Emily glances around at the crowd, she sees a streak of hazel barrelling towards her out of the corner of her eye.


    Turning with a grin, she opens her arms wide as Juliana rams into her at full speed. She giggles while spinning Juliana around to kill her momentum, holding her tight. A few moments after they stop, Juliana releases her and pulls back, frantically looking her up and down, going slightly pale as she sees the tattered state of Emily¡¯s robes and the armour beneath.


    ¡°Are you okay, Emi?¡± she asks with concern.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Jules. I told you we¡¯d come back safe,¡± Emily answers with a warm smile, pulling her back in for a kiss.

 Chapter 73 – Display of Pride

    Chapter 73 ¨C Display of Pride


    As they separate again, Emily and Juliana¡¯s attention is drawn by an awkward cough next to them. They turn to see Tom and Hester staring at them.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t even get to say hi,¡± Tom says with a teasing grin that lasts until his sister clips him round the back of the head.


    ¡°Welcome back, I hope the trip was fruitful,¡± Hester says with a smile as if nothing happened.


    Emily grins at their antics.


    ¡°It was great! We went deep into The Crystal Waters and I even got to fight a third circle beast.¡±


    Tom, Hester, and Juliana all look at her with eyes wide in shock.


    ¡°What do you mean you got to fight a third circle beast? You wanted to?¡± Juliana asks narrowing her eyes.


    ¡°In my defence,¡± Emily says, raising her hands placatingly. ¡°I didn¡¯t go looking for it. It was already hunting us, I just killed it.¡±


    ¡°You killed it!?¡± all three of her friends cry, glancing to Ivor behind her for confirmation.


    After he nods with a proud smile, Juliana sighs and looks back to Emily.


    ¡°Fine, I guess I can¡¯t really blame you if it was hunting you.¡±


    Emily goes to respond and is cut off by the loud screeching of brakes as a train rolls into the station. Everyone gravitates towards the platform¡¯s edge.


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re leaving,¡± Emily calls over the noise, wrapping an arm around Juliana¡¯s waist and slowly following the crowd.


    They join everyone waiting at the train doors, before entering and finding an empty booth for the five of them. After they settle down and the train slides into motion, Juliana leans into Emily with a shy grin.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s not as impressive as killing a third circle beast, but... Notice anything different?¡±


    Emily looks at her slightly confusedly for a second before her eyes open wide in shock as she focuses on the unconcealed magical auras around her and picks out Juliana¡¯s.Ne/w novel chapters are published at novelhall.com


    ¡°You reached second circle?!¡±


    Juliana nods proudly.


    ¡°Amazing, well done!¡± Emily says happily, pulling her in for a hug.


    Juliana giggles, snuggling into her chest and enjoying the praise.


    ¡°Congratulations,¡± Ivor signs once Juliana sits back up.


    They catch up with each other, chatting about the expedition and the lessons they missed, as the train races towards the noble district. When it stops, they follow the crowd out and through the winding gangway towards the Salvia estate.


    Arriving at the estate, the doors are wide open, lined by servants guiding the gathered mages into the main hall. They file into the large room, crowding around the stage as Oscar walks up onto it, gesturing for the expedition¡¯s members to join him.


    Emily and Ivor leave their friends for now, stepping up onto the raised stage. Emily stands beside Oscar, and Ivor joins the others in lining up behind them. Once everyone is in place, Oscar raises his hand to ask for silence and the noise in the hall quickly dies down.


    ¡°First, I would like to say thank you for the warm welcome back,¡± he starts with a wide smile, receiving a small applause. ¡°I won¡¯t speak for too long. There will be plenty of chances to regale you with the details of our journey after letting you see our discoveries. But first, I would like to give proper thanks where it¡¯s due.¡±


    He turns to Emily and she groans internally, predicting where he¡¯s going.


    Can we not skip this? I just want to get paid so I can take a shower and sleep in a real bed.


    ¡°I speak on behalf of myself, my family, and I believe the rest of the expedition group.¡± He pauses and looks at the lined up mages behind him, receiving nods of confirmation from all. ¡°When I say that if it weren¡¯t for Emily here, all of us would be dead. Her calm headedness and ability to take charge and direct us to victory when the situation calls for it is admirable and we¡¯re truly grateful for what you¡¯ve done for us. Thank you!¡±


    He finishes by placing his fist on his heart and bowing his head to her: showing the highest respect a mage of The Covenant can give. All of the group behind them copy him, bowing in thanks to Emily, who looks at them calmly but unsure of what to say. The crowd before them give her a round of applause, the most enthusiastic claps coming from Juliana, Tom, and Hester, then Oscar rises from his bow and saves her from having to say anything.


    ¡°Now, on to the fun bit!¡±


    Excited chatter fills the hall as Oscar gestures for the carriers to bring their bags forward. They place the four spatial bags at his feet, as he taps his foot, sending a burst of mana into an inactive array on the floor. Thin lines of blue and green mana light the floor below them as a refreshing breeze rolls over the stage.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The moment he confirms, Emily moves, walking past and patting him on the shoulder. ¡°Cool, see you around.¡±


    She steps off the front of the stage and quickly slips through the audience, approaching her friends. Ivor, Dante, and Enzo all follow her off the stage, leaving Oscar awkwardly to dismiss the rest of the group.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head back, I can¡¯t wait to get some real sleep,¡± Emily says with an excited grin as she takes Juliana¡¯s hand and starts guiding her group out.


    ***


    They catch a train back to The Dome, stepping into the artificial, mana filled halls once again. Tom and Hester say goodnight at the transportation rooms, and Enzo and Dante bid them farewell once they arrive in the B-grade dorms. Emily and Juliana walk through the familiar hall to their rooms together in silence, enjoying each other¡¯s company.


    As they arrive in front of Juliana¡¯s room, they stop, and Juliana buries herself in Emily¡¯s arms again. Emily giggles, running a hand softly through the smaller girl¡¯s hair.


    ¡°You know, I do kind of want to sleep,¡± she says after a few minutes, when Juliana doesn¡¯t appear to make any move to separate.


    ¡°Can... Can we stay like this for a bit longer?¡± Juliana asks in a small voice, not moving her face from where it¡¯s pressed against Emily¡¯s shoulder.


    Emily opens her mouth to respond but freezes when she feels Juliana shaking slightly. Each barely perceptible quiver drives a dagger into Emily¡¯s heart, and after a few seconds of intense internal debate, she relents and suggests something she¡¯d been avoiding.


    ¡°Hey, Jules?¡± she asks tentatively. ¡°Do you wanna stay with me tonight?¡±


    ¡°Can I?!¡± Juliana¡¯s head snaps up, holding Emily¡¯s gaze, her eyes sparkling with excitement, pulling on Emily¡¯s heart strings.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Emily says, raising her hand to stroke Juliana¡¯s cheek. ¡°Just give me some time to shower and get changed.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Juliana chirps with a smile, leaning in and kissing Emily before releasing her and happily skipping to her room.


    Emily sighs, ignoring her confused emotions and opening her door, slipping into the welcoming space beyond. Her room is just as she left it, an orderly mess with piles of metal offcuts, tools that are commonly used together arranged in small collections, and a few unfinished projects sitting on the workbench.


    A small smile forms on her face as she relaxes a little in the comfortably familiar place. She takes a deep breath, enjoying the lack of dust in the air, even after being uninhabited for a month.


    ¡°You just can¡¯t beat the smell of a workshop,¡± she mutters to herself, finally moving from the doorway.


    She walks over to her workbench, dropping the shadow boa corpse on top and pulling a small rolling seat out from underneath to sit on as she slowly extricates herself from her battered battle gear. With each piece she removes, she feels a little connection break and a fraction of her strength fade. She shivers slightly as she finishes taking off the last of the metal from her body.


    I¡¯ve gotten too used to wearing all of this. Now it feels weird to be so... squishy.


    Looking away from her exposed skin, Emily stands up and carries her belt over to her desk. She opens the drawer with a complicated lock and drops the pouch containing the Mensacus into it. As it leaves her person and her intelligence returns to normal, she feels as if a small itch in the back of her mind, that she never even noticed, has vanished.


    I need to seal that properly tomorrow, I don¡¯t want my room becoming cursed grounds.


    She pushes the drawer shut and takes a shower, emptying her mind as she enjoys the warm water pouring over her head. After finishing, Emily dries herself with a quick cast of cleanse and puts on a fresh shirt and underwear before collapsing on her bed. She lies in the soft sheets for a few minutes until she hears Juliana¡¯s three beat knock at the door.


    She slips out of bed and lets Juliana in before returning and inviting her to join. Juliana crawls under the covers, snuggling in close and pressing her face into Emily¡¯s neck. Smiling, Emily wraps her arms around her and closes her eyes.


    They lie in silence for a few minutes, only hearing the sound of each other¡¯s breath until Juliana speaks.


    ¡°I was scared you know,¡± she whispers weakly. ¡°I didn¡¯t know if you¡¯d be coming back.¡±


    Juliana¡¯s arms tighten around Emily¡¯s waist as her words tighten around her heart, reigniting the maelstrom of thoughts and emotions she managed to suppress earlier.


    I¡¯m going to have to leave her at some point. She¡¯s too kind to become a fugitive with me after I¡¯ve killed the Mandragos. That¡¯s going to break her heart. I don¡¯t want to upset her. I really like her. Fuck, I shouldn¡¯t have let myself get close.


    The mounting urge to scream builds up, clogging the back of her throat, making breathing harder, and her heart starts to beat faster. Tears form in her eyes as a dizzying mix of love, anger, confusion, sadness, and dread swirls in her heart. Emily starts to notice a quiver in her fingers, and the air fills with static as the mana around them bends to mirror her distress.


    You¡¯ll scare her.


    The moment this realisation hits her, Emily floods her system with machina on instinct. The cold energy quells her emotions, bringing a sense of calm disconnect as her heart relaxes back into a steady beat. She kisses the top of Juliana¡¯s head, then reaches up a steady hand and starts stroking her hair to reassure her, unable to give promises of security she can¡¯t keep.


    Juliana slowly relaxes under Emily¡¯s touch, and her breath soon falls into a steady rhythm as sleep takes her. Emily soon follows, allowing both of her cores to relax and fall asleep together for the first time in a month, and releasing her machina¡¯s hold over her mind.

 Chapter 74 – No Rest for the Wicked

    Chapter 74 ¨C No Rest for the Wicked


    Emily groggily drags herself out of bed, slipping on a pair of trousers and leaving her room. She walks to the kitchen, grabbing a slice of bread from the counter before continuing through to the shop front. Stepping into the room filled with the familiar sound of ticking clocks, Emily frowns as an odd scratching starts at the back of her mind. Ignoring it, she shakes her head and looks to Herber, standing in the middle of the room and watching the door.


    ¡°Dad?¡± she calls questioningly, approaching him and tapping him on the shoulder.


    He tilts his head and she freezes as she meets his cold, lifeless eyes, their glassy hue setting off warning signs in her mind. She stumbles a step back as he turns, revealing the line of red drawn across his throat, gushing blood and slowly turning the floor around him into a pool of death.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Emi?¡± he asks with a twisted, gargled tone.


    She takes another step back, choking out a sob as Herber¡¯s expression slips into one of confusion.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Emi?¡± he repeats, taking a step forward. ¡°You did this.¡±


    A sharp spike of rock erupts from the ground, spearing Herber¡¯s front foot and holding it firm.


    ¡°You killed me,¡± he says, taking another step and once again having his foot pierced by a pointed stalagmite.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she whispers quietly, retreating further and finding the wall suddenly pressed to her back.


    She reaches for the door handle but finds it missing. Glancing over her shoulder, she finds a solid wall with no escape.


    ¡°What have you done?¡± Herber asks as he tries to step forward and falls to his knees when his feet won¡¯t move.


    Two more spikes of rock burst out of the ground, ripping through his legs.


    ¡°What have you done?¡± he repeats mindlessly, as if latching onto her weakness, leaning forward and reaching out to her as more rocks tear through his stomach and arms, pinning him in place.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Emily sobs, sliding down the wall and drawing her legs into her chest, hugging them as his brutalised figure looms over her.


    ¡°What have you done!¡± Herber¡¯s mindless confusion morphs into a seething rage as blood pours from his wounds.


    The blood trickles down the spikes, joining the pool on the floor and slowly rising, filling the room. Emily cowers against the wall, trying not to listen to his hateful words while repeatedly apologising. The blood pool creeps up, surrounding Emily and holding her down as it rises.


    When the blood reaches her chin, Emily is forced to raise her head to try and breathe, meeting Herber¡¯s gaze as she does. The second their eyes meet, all of Herber¡¯s rage fades like a lie, being replaced with a kind, loving smile.


    ¡°I love you,¡± he mouths as the blood swallows them both.


    ***


    Emily wakes with a jolt, cold sweat running down her back, her breathing quick and panicked. Clarity returns to her as she feels Juliana shift in her arms, pulling away and looking up at her with tired confusion.


    ¡°Emi?¡± she asks, a sleepy croak in her voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just a bad dream,¡± Emily says, more for herself than her girlfriend.


    Nodding in understanding, Juliana pulls Emily in, stroking her hair in reassurance. Emily relaxes, pushing away the unpleasant dream and enjoying Juliana¡¯s attention.


    After a few minutes, she pulls away, sliding out from under the covers and checking The Clock on her bedside table. It reads 8 am, so Emily stands up and stretches before grabbing some clean clothes and hopping in the shower. By the time she returns, Juliana is sitting up in bed, rubbing the crust from her eyes.


    ¡°Morning,¡± she says with a yawn.


    ¡°Morning,¡± Emily replies with a smile, walking towards her workbench to equip the Claws out of habit.


    Ah, I need to remake these. Maybe I should make them a projectile weapon as well, it worked well when it happened accidentally against the wendigo.


    Mentally creating a note for the Claws¡¯ next iteration, she turns back to face Juliana who has climbed out of bed to approach her.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna go shower and get dressed,¡± Juliana says, wrapping her arms around Emily¡¯s neck and leaning into her.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m not going to join you for meals today because I have some stuff I need to deal with from the expedition, but I¡¯ll see you in the evening.¡±


    ¡°You better come see me later.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will,¡± Emily replies, leaning down and placing a kiss on Juliana¡¯s pouting lips.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll consider it, if I ever need help.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now, before I give you a point value, would you like any of the resources we gathered? Everyone is entitled to up to an eighteenth of the actual resources we gathered should you want any of them.¡±


    Emily considers her needs for a moment before replying, ¡°Could I have five counts of each beast material we gathered, other than those we only got a few of, I¡¯ll take whatever I can from those. Then five of each common lesser crystal we gathered along with as many ice, metal, and light as I¡¯m permitted?¡±


    ¡°Sure! In that case, I¡¯ll have those delivered later today and I¡¯ll transfer the rest of your payment now.¡±


    He reaches for his crest, dramatically tapping it, releasing a small burst of wind, before stretching his hand out for Emily¡¯s. She obliges, taking her silver crest from within her robes and tapping it against his hand. She watches the number on the back of her crest soar up, increasing till it comes to a halt reading ¡®1840¡¯. Emily can¡¯t help the satisfied grin that forms on her face as she reads the amount.


    Perfect, this is enough to start recreating interesting items from the market.


    ¡°If you would like the full breakdown of the harvests and how we valued them just let me know,¡± Oscar says, pulling her attention away from her crest.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll trust your word,¡± she responds with a smile.


    I don¡¯t care that much even if he did cheat me. I¡¯m not going to be using these points normally anyway. This will be plenty to last until I reach third circle.


    ¡°Wonderful! Now, would I be able to place an order for...¡±


    After a quick discussion about selling him some more grenades, Emily waves Oscar out of the door and returns to her experiment, unsealing the Mensacus again. She next tests water and wind mana, finding both utterly useless against the corruption. The last of the common elements she can utilise is light, which burns away some of the corruption like fire, but it gains less ground than fire did before it reaches a stalemate with the corrupted mana.


    Fire and light. I already know it can eat mana-resistant metal, so testing metal mana is pointless.


    Next, she tries lightning mana, finding almost the same result as light.


    ¡°Okay, so it deals poorly against light and heat. I should be able to make this work,¡± she mumbles to herself while reaching a strand of purple spatial mana towards the tooth.


    She watches with intrigue as the two seem to pass through each other, the corruption only burning the spatial mana a fraction of a second before it makes contact with the tooth.


    How interesting. I¡¯ll have to study spatial mana¡¯s interactions further.


    She notes that down for later before standing up and walking to the steam source in the corner.


    ¡°I should update you soon too,¡± she muses, running her hand along the smooth metal top of the primitive magical steam generator with intimate familiarity.


    A spark of machina spreads through the machine, igniting the magical array within and breathing life into her workshop with the hiss of steam. First, she takes a fresh chunk of black iron from her materials collection, selecting a piece an inch larger than the Mensacus in all dimensions. She heats the metal in her hands with a quick cast of burning hands.


    I should make some better spells for manufacturing. I could definitely design some for better-targeted heating and shaping if I put in a little time.


    Brushing away the thought, she brings the glowing hot metal to one of her large machines, passing it through two heavy-duty rollers and forming it into a sheet a few millimetres thick. Next, she pulls a sketch, detailing the Mensacus¡¯ exact dimensions, from her system notebook and overlays it with the metal. She moves the sheet between a few machines, cutting and pressing the metal until it forms a perfect shell to snugly fit the tooth.


    Letting the metal cool, she tests the tooth¡¯s fit, sliding it in through the open top.


    ¡°Perfect!¡± she says with satisfaction.


    Moving on, she brings up another virtual image of the tooth, this one showing the fine network of cracks covering it.


    If I¡¯m right, the meeting points of these cracks should be focal points for the mana release of the curse.


    She probes the tooth with light mana, finding it to be a nice balance between aggression and submission for her tests. She repeatedly pokes with a strand of light mana, noting points that give more or less resistance, quickly picking out the focal points with the strongest corrupted mana release.


    Thought so. It¡¯s just like working with a magic crystal.


    With her theory proven, she overlays the virtual image showing the strongest focal points onto the black iron shell. She takes the shell to her drill press and carefully cuts ten fine, tapered holes through the metal.


    Once satisfied with the holes, she tests the tooth¡¯s fit again, making sure all of the focal points line up correctly before grabbing a chunk of white iron. She leaves the tooth in the shell, closing the top and sealing it shut before melting the white iron into a liquid form in a small crucible and pouring it over the black iron.


    She uses metal-attributed mana to carefully guide the molten metal into the holes, filling them completely and making solid contact with the tooth within. The glowing molten metal slowly spreads across the cold black surface, seeping into every gap she left and sealing the tooth in.


    She lets the metal cool, holding it in place with mana until it turns solid enough to keep its form, before carefully applying water and ice mana to quickly finish it without weakening the material. After a few minutes of careful work, she sits back and stares at the glistening white ovoid before her, feeling the malevolent mana leaking from it with a satisfied grin.


    ¡°Done. Now onto the sealing array!¡±

 Chapter 75 – Research

    Chapter 75 ¨C Research


    Late in the evening, Emily drops her head on the desk, growling in frustration.


    ¡°Wrong again,¡± she whines into the hard wood.


    Her attempts so far to create a sealing array have proven completely fruitless. Having begun by testing with a fire crystal and two attributed streams of her own mana to figure out the balance of light, fire, and lightning needed to best restrain the baleful aura of the tooth, she used the result to try to weave together a tri-element seal. However, the first twenty-five combinations all failed, even though they each required over twenty minutes of painstakingly carving tiny, intricate runes and geometric shapes onto a test plate of white iron.


    ¡°You know what they say, twenty-sixth time''s the charm,¡± Emily grumbles as she sits up, staring at the test plate, covered in faintly glowing lines filled with crystal dust.


    She frowns as she pulses mana through the plate, forcing the crystal dust to dislodge so she can brush it off.


    ¡°Tsk,¡± she clicks her tongue. ¡°I already need to use The Clock and it¡¯s only my first day back,¡± she mutters, frustrated at the materials she¡¯s wasted with her experiments.


    Shaking her head, she starts injecting metal mana into the white iron, forcibly pushing mass back into the empty space created by the engravings. The small plate of metal soon returns to being a blank slate, so Emily picks up her engraving tool again, pressing the pointed tip into the metal. She pours a steady stream of unattributed mana into the tool and starts the slow process of drawing another array.


    Her steady hand flows through the motions, changing the blank metal plate into a miniature work of art. After she¡¯s happy with the engraving, Emily places down her tool and reaches for three ramekins filled with fire, light, and lightning crystal dust. Carefully, she sprinkles the dust into the channels on the metal, filling certain runes with certain elements, mixing the powders at some points and keeping them separated at others.


    The last particles of crystal dust fall into place, completing the test piece and releasing a small pulse of warm mana. Pushing aside the containers of dust, Emily takes a deep breath to calm her expectations and lifts the ovoid of metal and tooth above the plate.


    ¡°The moment of truth,¡± she mutters as she places it down in a prepared groove at the centre of the array.


    The moment the two white iron surfaces make contact, the black and red mana leaking from the Mensacus is pulled downwards into the array and small streams of multicoloured mana reach up. The warm glow of fire meets the miasma first, biting at it and forcing it to halt its advance. The bright wave of light behind draws in the miasma, pulling some of it past the fire¡¯s line of defence and smothering it. Then, the cold crackle of lightning assaults the miasma, ripping it apart and mixing with it, pulling it helplessly into the array.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Emily cheers with delight when she sees the corrupted mana successfully blend into her design.


    Finally, it worked! Now I have a sealing array that fuels itself using the object it¡¯s sealing!


    Grinning madly, she leans back in her chair, satisfied. After enjoying her achievement for a few minutes, Emily calms down and considers how to save resources.


    I need to reset to save all the crystals I wasted testing, but I don¡¯t really want to have to remake the metal shell for the seal. I¡¯ll wait till tomorrow before I reset then. I can use the rest of today to look at how the corrupted mana affected black iron.


    She pushes the sealed Mensacus aside and pulls the chunks of decayed black iron out of the drawer, preparing to study them.


    ¡°Ah.¡± She pauses. ¡°I should probably spend some time with Jules, or she¡¯ll be knocking on my door and I¡¯ll have to deal with a grumpy girlfriend for the rest of this loop.¡±


    ***


    The next day Emily resets with a notebook full of extra information on sealing arrays and corrupted mana. She returns to the moment the white iron shell around the Mensacus finishes cooling.


    ¡°Right, time to do this for real.¡±


    She grabs her engraving tool again, along with three empty ramekins and three mana crystals of different elements. She quickly destabilises and disintegrates all three before setting about the gruelling task of carving her array design onto the glistening white ovoid before her.


    She pulls up the design in her notes, pulling the shape and stretching it from a flat plane to perfectly wrap the egg of metal, then starts tracing the lines with extreme precision. Slowly and carefully, she forms the dizzying matrix of angles and shapes into the metal, without making a single mistake, her steady hand never slipping and her focus unrelenting. After forty minutes of careful engraving, she pulls back and inspects the pattern one last time before giving a satisfied nod.


    Finally, she fills the engravings with crystal powders, bringing the seal to life and trapping the cursed tooth¡¯s influence. She smiles once the seal is complete, picking up the warm-to-the-touch metal egg and checking her stats. Her intelligence remains the same, signalling her success.


    ¡°One cursed object dealt with!¡± she says proudly before a greedy grin slips onto her lips. ¡°Now, time to learn about spatial enchantments!¡±


    While looking in the library for sealing spells, Emily also checked for information on spatial storage items, seeing if she could make one for herself. However, she found none of the books in the B-grade section held any information on the runes and arrays needed to actually make spatial items. So, she decided to take matters into her own hands.


    Checking the time so she won¡¯t reset to before completing the seal again, Emily pulls her market token out of the desk drawer. Browsing through the options, she selects a few different types of storage items and places orders for them, draining her points quickly. Her points fall below two hundred after buying five spatial items of varying prices, so she stands up and leaves her room, heading to the hub to collect them.


    The clerk that serves her gives her a look of confusion mixed with envy as she collects her purchases, and she soon settles back in her room to inspect the items. Rubbing her hands together in excitement, she places the most complicated storage item in the centre of the desk. It¡¯s a thick bracelet with a body made from a mix of black and white iron, similar to Jenny¡¯s but far less artistic. Also, unlike Jenny¡¯s, it has four lesser space crystals embedded around it, allowing for a large space within.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Spatial Storage Bracelet]


    I think this is gonna hurt, but only one way to confirm.


    She closes her eyes and pushes her magical senses into the bag, but feels immediate, violent pushback. Instantly, she withdraws her senses, opening her eyes to a slight ache in her head, but only a few points of damage.


    ¡°Okay. So, anything D ranked and above is too advanced for me to analyse right now. At least I know I can pull out before receiving the full backlash even on higher ranked scans. I just have to recognise the signs of it happening quickly,¡± she mutters to herself disappointedly. ¡°There go my plans for making expensive spatial items. I guess I¡¯ll have to move on to spells sooner than expected.¡±


    Emily¡¯s disappointment doesn¡¯t last long, as the moment she thinks about collecting more free spells, she quickly bounces back. She spends the rest of the reset designing and testing spells for a spatial storage item. She activates The Clock again the next day, returning to a few seconds after finishing the Mensacus¡¯ seal.


    She leaves her room, making her way back to the hub.


    ¡°Hello, how can I help you?¡± the clerk behind the counter asks as she approaches.


    ¡°How many first and second circle fire spells do you sell?¡± Emily asks back with an excited grin.


    ***


    The next morning, after finishing her business in frozen time, Emily joins her friends for breakfast. They eat as Emily tells them about the expedition in detail, and as they¡¯re all getting up to leave, Emily stops Ivor.


    ¡°Hey, big guy. Are you free to look at the shadow boa today?¡± she asks excitedly.


    ¡°Sure!¡± he signs back with a smile. ¡°Should I book a lab for us to use for a few days?¡±


    ¡°Ah, you can do that?¡± Emily asks in surprise.


    ¡°Yeah. The labs are open for private research for a small daily fee.¡±


    ¡°Oh, cool. Let me know how much it costs, and I¡¯ll pay half. Shall we go after lunch?¡±


    ¡°Sounds good. See you later,¡± Ivor signs before stepping into a transportation room.


    Emily waits for a few seconds before entering the empty room herself.


    I guess I can work on my creations for the morning then! Actually... I should probably look at my class schedule again and work out which lessons I still want to go to.


    ¡°Urgh,¡± she groans at the thought as she warps through space.


    ***


    Once again back at her desk, Emily pulls out her class list token and injects some mana, opening the menu in her mind to browse. She navigates to the current class tab and reviews her timetable.


    I think I¡¯ll skip today¡¯s magic combat. I want a little more time to process which of these new spells I actually want to integrate into my fighting. I¡¯m not too sure the class will be very helpful for me from now on. I think sparring with Agnes would be a better way to spend my time. I should find a way to get her to give me a few hours a week again, then drop magic combat.


    She sits back, biting her thumb as she contemplates and taps the fingers of her other hand rhythmically on the desk.


    My next lesson with her is tomorrow, so I can try to talk to her then. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll want a spar after my return from The Glade to see if I¡¯ve improved, and I have a lot of new toys to try out.


    She smirks at the thought of her newly filled spellbook and navigates to the available courses tab next.


    Let¡¯s see... Artefact crafting sounds interesting: an intermediate or advanced class that requires engraving, magic theory, and beast studies. It could be useful for messing with the Mensacus. I¡¯m signing up.


    She registers for the class straight away and notes the next lesson will be in a week.


    Alright, next is arrays. I should probably go to at least one lesson to see if it''s different from my individual research, but I don¡¯t think it will be that helpful. Spell creation... Hmmm... Yeah, that could be useful to see their method.


    The two classes are added to her list, and she closes out the course list, satisfied for now.


    ¡°Nothing else looks interesting,¡± she mutters to herself, turning around and staring at the damaged equipment on her workbench. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get some repairs done so I can be at my best for Agnes tomorrow!¡±

 Chapter 76 – Deals and Promises

    Chapter 76 ¨C Deals and Promises


    The next day, Emily heads to the training hall slightly early, hoping to run into Agnes before the class starts. Luckily, Agnes is there when Emily walks in, doing some warm-up before classes.


    ¡°Emily! I hear you¡¯ve become stronger?¡± Agnes calls the moment she sees her enter, forcefully halting her heavy sword mid swing.


    Emily pauses for a second, confused by her words.


    ¡°What have you heard?¡± she questions.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know,¡± Agnes says with an excited grin. ¡°Just that you basically fought an expedition into The Glade alone, and used double casting while doing so.¡±


    Huh. I guess some information has spread from the expedition. She didn¡¯t say anything about my passive cultivation, so it seems Enzo didn¡¯t give me away.


    Emily¡¯s lips part into a matching grin as she drops her robes to the floor and starts warming up.


    ¡°You could say I¡¯ve learned a few tricks. Wanna test them out?¡± she taunts.


    ¡°Of course. You have five minutes.¡±


    Emily takes five minutes to get her joints loosened, an action she does more out of habit than necessity. She found during the expedition that she never had issues bursting into high octane combat from a completely relaxed state, but she still follows the habitual motions ingrained from months of sparring in lessons.


    As her five minutes come to an end, Emily faces Agnes, waiting for the tall woman to spring into action the moment her time¡¯s up. Agnes doesn¡¯t disappoint, drawing her oversized greatsword and levelling it at Emily. She quickly approaches before driving her foot into the floor, a glowing brown magic circle appearing at her feet.


    Her sword falls towards Emily with oppressive force. Emily predicts her attack, lowering herself and springing sideways to avoid the blade, knowing better than to try blocking it.


    The sword slams into the ground with a thunderous impact, leaving a small crater where Emily just stood. Emily smirks as a green magic circle appears at her own feet, conjuring a swirling gale around her legs. She bursts forwards, thrusting a Claw towards Agnes¡¯ right shoulder.


    Agnes manages to get the hilt of her sword between Emily¡¯s fast extending hidden-blade a fraction of a second before it bites her, knocking it aside. She leaps back a few steps, appraising the spell on Emily¡¯s legs.


    ¡°Speed enhancement. How interesting.¡±


    She spins her sword in her hands, taking the hilt in both and driving the blade into the ground. Unwilling to give her time to prepare, Emily speeds forward, quickly closing the gap between them. As her blade approaches Agnes again, she suddenly feels heavy weight pushing down on her shoulders, slowing her approach back to normal.


    Agnes pulls her sword out of the new magic circle on the floor and slashes it wide at Emily. She¡¯s forced to back off, abandoning her stab to escape the wide swipe.


    She quickly chooses another spell and starts weaving her hands together in a complicated twisting pattern while sidestepping another vertical slash. A blistering sword of fire appears from a bright orange and white magic circle, and Emily grabs the handle instantly.


    I hope she¡¯s only using a practice sword.


    As Agnes¡¯ sword approaches again, Emily raises the flaming sword to clash with it. The swords collide, the metal one sliding through the fire and meeting only a little resistance. Agnes frowns at the lack of impact, watching Emily herself sliding under the slash. She draws back, confused by Emily¡¯s new spell until she glances at her sword.


    She sees the orange flame clinging to it still, eating away at the metal until the edge starts to lose shape.


    ¡°Ha,¡± Agnes laughs, tossing her sword aside and raising her fists. ¡°Nice spell. What else have you got?¡±


    Emily follows her lead, retracting the Claws and cancelling her flaming blade. Agnes cancels the spell increasing Emily¡¯s weight, a dark silver circle forming behind her, pouring out a silver light that wraps her closely. Emily flies forward, weaving more hand signs and forming a crackling blue magic circle around her fists.


    She drops low as she approaches, sliding closely under a punch from Agnes and driving her fist into her stomach. However, the outcome is not what she expects


    Emily¡¯s spell, lightning punch, an uninspiringly named second circle spell she bought, crackles across Agnes¡¯ skin, failing to disable her. Agnes takes a single step back from the impact and closes her arm around Emily¡¯s, trapping her in a close-quarters engagement and destroying her speed advantage.


    Emily drops her speed enhancing spell, wind rush, and quickly casts rock body, an earth spell for increasing sturdiness. Her body is enveloped in a brown glow as Agnes¡¯ free fist drives into her side. Emily lets out a grunt and lifts both her feet, wrapping them around Agnes¡¯ throat and pulling her to the ground.


    She tries to constrict her legs around Agnes¡¯ windpipe, but finds her neck as hard as steel.


    Shit, it¡¯s a metal version of rock body. Let¡¯s see if my fire works on it.


    A few days later, Emily and Ivor have an alchemy lesson, which sparks an idea in Emily¡¯s mind about their current analysis of the shadow boa.


    I need to create a new potion to complete Alchemical Aspirations. The shadow boa is a creature never seen before on this planet. Surely if I make a potion using it, it will be a new recipe.


    She spends the rest of the lesson ignoring Mrs Myrtle¡¯s lecture and filling her notes with ideas and calculations to form new potions. After the lesson has come to an end, Ivor starts to make his way towards the lab that they¡¯ve paid for together, a small room with all the utilities they need for potion preparations, just down the corridor from the lesson labs, but Emily parts ways with him to grab materials.


    She rushes back to her room, an excited skip in her step, and collects all the beast materials from the expedition into a small spatial storage item she¡¯s made. It¡¯s a simple drawstring pouch with a unique spatial array woven into the fabric, allowing only Emily to open it. It isn¡¯t quite the same as summoning the items to her hand, but she has to be satisfied for now since she couldn¡¯t glean the full workings of holder-locked storage.


    Emily smiles warmly at the woven runes completed after Juliana¡¯s tutelage. It had been a fun evening learning to wind thread through the fabric in secure, visually pleasing patterns. It only took a little instruction for her dexterous fingers to take over and dance a nimble rhythm of creation.


    I think I can see why you like sewing, Anna.


    She next grabs her market token and opens to browse the beast materials section. She scrolls through, searching for a few materials she theorised have high compatibility with the shadow boa and winces at the prices.


    Seventy points for a single dawn moth wing? Fifty for amerax livers? Ouch. No wonder it takes normal alchemists so long to work out a single recipe.


    She buys up as many materials as her points will allow before heading for the hub to collect them. Finally, she joins Ivor in the lab, her spatial pouch heavy with materials.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she calls as she steps in. ¡°I¡¯m gonna try creating a new recipe from the snake.¡±


    Ivor looks at her with surprise, before glancing at the harvested jars of bones, flesh, and organs in the centre of their workstation with concern.


    ¡°Are you sure we have enough materials on this corpse to succeed? There¡¯s a high chance we waste all of it,¡± he signs at her, a serious expression on his face.


    Emily smiles at his caution.


    He¡¯s less timid when alchemy is involved.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m confident we¡¯ll succeed,¡± she reassures him with a confident smirk. ¡°Besides. Even if we don¡¯t, we¡¯ll gather a lot of useful data from the failed experiments.¡±


    Ivor relents under her reasoning and agrees to help her. She unloads her storage pouch across an empty work surface in the small lab and Ivor starts in surprise. Emily simply begins dividing them into different collections for different recipe attempts, mixing elements, creatures, and plants in different quantities.


    She assigns some of the collections to Ivor to prepare while taking over the rest, cutting, pulverising, and powdering magic crystals to add to the mix. Various containers quickly fill the surfaces of the room, and by the end of the day, they have almost everything they can prepared in advance.


    Ignoring the late hour, they both continue into the next day with their first experiment. They stand on either side of a cauldron, several measuring instruments laid out within arm¡¯s reach for keeping track of the material within once the lid is closed. Emily starts by pouring in a jug of water and bringing it to a boil. The moment the calm of the water¡¯s surface is shattered, she adds in a few drops of the snake¡¯s venom and a small measure of nymph¡¯s blood. Ivor quickly closes the lid, and Emily raises a small handheld magical instrument for detecting unstable mana fluctuations close to the cauldron.


    The golden crystal at the end of the instrument stays silent for forty seconds before sparking to life. At forty-two seconds, the cauldron starts to shake and the glow from the instrument becomes blinding. Half a second later, the cauldron spews dark, foul-smelling gas from the top, and Emily places down the scanning instrument.


    ¡°Add catalyst between forty and forty-two seconds,¡± Emily states clearly for Ivor, making a note for herself in her system notebook.


    They wait for the unpleasant gas to dissipate before pouring out the cauldron and starting again. This time, exactly forty-one seconds after adding the venom and blood to the mix, Ivor lifts the lid and Emily tosses in two untouched dawn moth wings and a sprinkling of light crystal powder. They shut the lid again, and Emily places her hands on top of the cauldron, sending two strands of mana down into the mixture and slowly stirring it.


    She starts to sense impurities forming as the reaction within kicks into motion, but they spread so quickly that she doesn¡¯t have time to eliminate more than a few before the concoction fails. A burst of foul mana spews from the lid again, marking another failure.


    ¡°The reaction failed too fast. We need a stronger light to counteract the volatility of the venom.¡±


    Failure after failure, they work through the day, tirelessly working towards a goal that feels hopeless the more their stocks of shadow boa parts dwindle. As they approach twenty four hours from the end of their alchemy lesson, they run out of materials.


    ¡°At least we got some data,¡± Ivor signs, his shoulders slumping in exhaustion and disappointment. ¡°If only we had enough to keep going for a few more days. Some of those looked promising.¡±


    Emily nods, reviewing their results with a calm smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. We should succeed soon.¡±


    She activates The Clock, so they can try again.

 Chapter 77 – Toil and Trouble

    Chapter 77 ¨C Toil and Trouble


    Emily pours two hundred and fifty millilitres of water into the empty cauldron before her. She sprinkles in a touch each of powdered light and wind crystals, turning the water a sparkling pale, lime hue. The fire beneath the cauldron quickly brings the water to a boil, and Emily drops in five strips of shadow boa flesh, fifteen fine, black scales, and two stalks of pulverised luminis.


    Ivor stirs the mix as she deposits materials and, the moment she finishes, they shut the lid again. Exactly three minutes later, they crack it open and add in a few pieces of pop frog gallbladder and a drop of the snake¡¯s venom. The moment the black venom hits the surface, Ivor drops the lid back into place and Emily lowers two tendrils of mana into the potion.


    She uses one to stir it, fully combining everything as it all starts melding together in a violent magical reaction, and the other to disburse pockets of impurities building, allowing them to be devoured by the violent fire mana incorporated into the mix.


    The reaction continues until, after exactly four painstaking minutes and twenty-three seconds, Emily removes her magical senses from the mixture and opens the lid. Ivor tosses in a whole ocelax tongue, and Emily quickly drops the lid back into place.


    They wait with bated breaths for a few seconds, both holding high expectations for this attempt. They feel the roiling mana within the cauldron calm, and Emily receives a system notification.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Quest completed: Alchemical Aspirations


    [Alchemical Aspirations]


    [Rank:] D


    [Description:] You¡¯ve joined the world of alchemy by following a known recipe. Now become a true alchemist and create your own!


    Requirements:


    -Create and successfully brew a new unique potion (Complete)


    Rewards:


    -Mechanic Knowledge: Chemistry


    _____


    A new flood of information fills her mind.


    Woah. This seems helpful for refining my alchemical method. I can definitely weaponise this knowledge too.


    She sets her second core to exploring every corner of the new knowledge for future use and keeps her main focus on her achievement.


    They lift the cauldron off the heat, and Emily takes the lid in her hand.


    ¡°The big reveal,¡± she says with a grin, pulling it up sharply.


    A faint, shimmering black mist rises from the cauldron, sliding down the edges and releasing a cool, welcoming scent. Emily looks past the mist into the centre of the cauldron at the swirling liquid, a shimmering mix of black and grey that plays tricks on her eyes.


    She pulls on the system for the information about her completed potion.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Brew of Faint Presence]


    [Rank:] E


    [Description:] A potion based on the stealth powers of the shadow boa.


    [Effect:] Upon consumption, reduces the presence of the consumer in the perception of others.


    _____


    What a terrible name. Can¡¯t I rename it since I made it?


    She tries willing the name of the potion to change, and it shifts on the screen before her from ¡®Brew of Faint Presence¡¯ to ¡®Brew of Imperception¡¯.


    That¡¯s a bit better.


    She nods, turning her focus to its effect.


    How strong is the effect? Only one way to find out!


    She turns to Ivor, who is gaping at the potion with his mouth wide in shock.


    ¡°We really did it,¡± he signs in disbelief after making eye contact with her.


    ¡°Sure we did,¡± Emily says, knowing he won¡¯t get to enjoy the achievement for long. ¡°Want to see what it does?¡±


    He nods enthusiastically, so they prepare a set of vials and scoop the liquid out into them, leaving a shrivelled black tongue in the bottom of the cauldron. Ivor grimaces at the grotesque sight.


    ¡°How did you even think to catalyse the reaction with the boa¡¯s own venom? I would have thought you¡¯d want such a volatile material as the base,¡± he signs curiously as Emily picks up one of the finished vials, swirling it before the light to admire the ethereal blend of colours.


    ¡°Just call it a spark of inspiration,¡± Emily responds with a wink. ¡°Besides, it wouldn¡¯t have worked if you hadn¡¯t worked out the right separating agent.¡±


    Not wasting any more time, Emily throws her head back, gulping down the contents of the vial without hesitation. The potion tastes strange: it barely has any flavour, only a slight salty tang, but it makes Emily¡¯s tongue go numb.


    The magical concoction is almost instantly absorbed by her body, and a strange change takes place. Emily feels a buzzing numbness spread across her skin in a wave, and looks down at her hands. She watches in fascination as the colour seems to flow from her skin, turning from a pale white, with bursts of colour around old scars and callouses, to a uniform dull grey.


    She bites her thumb, dropping her book and drumming her fingers on the table as she contemplates the notification.


    It doesn¡¯t say there will be any punishment if I don¡¯t complete it again. Can the system not take the reward it already gave away? Interesting! Let¡¯s leave it twenty-four hours and see what happens. I can always reset to now if something goes wrong.


    She dismisses the notification, continuing with her reading as time ticks by. A few hours later, Emily rises, stretching her arms behind her head and dropping the last books from her desk out of the barrier to be reclaimed by the magical stacks.


    ¡°Time for dinner,¡± she mutters as she steps out of the barrier.


    A few steps down the aisle between the shelves of books, someone wantonly tosses a book out of their barrier, and it catches Emily in the side of the head with its corner. Emily flinches, raising a hand to rub her temple in irritation. She ignores this and moves on, reaching the transportation rooms just behind a small collection of other mages. After a rare, short wait to enter an empty magic circle, Emily finds herself in the cafeteria.


    She glances around, quickly locating her friends and moving to join them. On the way, a full tray of food flying over her head shakes as it shifts to avoid a returning tray, dripping gravy onto Emily¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Eugh,¡± she groans, casting cleanse as she slips into the barrier around her friends¡¯ table.


    ¡°Did food just drop on you?¡± Tom asks incredulously.


    ¡°Apparently,¡± Emily grumbles, annoyed that such an uncommon mishap would happen to her.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even think that was possible,¡± Hester comments.


    ¡°I¡¯ve just been hit in the head by a book in the library too,¡± Emily tells them, rolling her eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯ve what?¡± Tom asks, even more shocked. ¡°That definitely shouldn¡¯t happen.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been cursed,¡± Juliana says with a teasing smile. ¡°Who¡¯d you upset this time?¡±


    They all laugh and Emily half-heartedly joins in, distracted by a forming idea.


    Is this related to the system¡¯s warning? Am I going to be super unlucky till I brew the potion again.


    She scoffs at the thought, pushing it to the back of her mind to enjoy her meal with her friends. After eating, Emily and Juliana leave to spend the evening together. On the way out of the cafeteria, though, as they¡¯re walking arm in arm, one of Emily¡¯s boots engages out of nowhere. The mechanisms inside whir into motion, flicking the sharp spikes on the bottom to full extension suddenly, catching Emily off guard and causing her to trip.


    ¡°The hell,¡± Emily mutters with a frown, glaring down at her feet.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Juliana asks, steadying Emily to help her stay upright.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± She uses a spark of machina in an effort to retract the spikes, opting to extend the other foot¡¯s when that fails. ¡°I repaired my boots after the expedition, and apparently I made a mistake, that¡¯s all.¡±


    I checked them with a machina scan though. There¡¯s no way I made a mistake.


    They head to Emily¡¯s room, but as they pass Juliana¡¯s room, they find a mage waiting for them.


    ¡°Juliana!¡± The tall, spindly man runs over the moment he notices them. ¡°Thank Goddess I found you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Marco?¡±


    ¡°Margaret and Boris are both out of contact outside The Dome, and today is mandrake harvesting day! I can¡¯t gather them all alone. Please help me,¡± he begs pitifully, falling to his knees in the hallway before them.


    Juliana looks conflicted for a few moments, looking between Marco and Emily, before letting out a sigh.


    ¡°Sorry, Emi,¡± Juliana says as she turns and gives Emily a hug.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just fix my faulty shoes while you¡¯re gone.¡±


    They part ways, Juliana leaving with Marco to go help in The Dome¡¯s herb gardens, and Emily slipping into her room alone. She sits down at her workbench and removes her boots with a scowl.


    Was Jules having to leave the influence of the system as well? Is it gonna keep annoying me until I listen?


    Frowning at the thought, she performs comprehensive scans of her boots with machina, quickly discovering the source of her issue. A small steel pin that was holding one of the spikes¡¯ tensioning springs in place has snapped, torn clean in half.


    ¡°It must have been damaged during the expedition and I didn¡¯t notice,¡± she mutters, taking the boots apart and removing the pin.


    After extracting the failed part, Emily fires up the Steam Source and gathers a few materials to machine a replacement part. As she¡¯s cutting a steel rod to size on the bandsaw, she hears a loud metallic crack. Acting on instinct, Emily ducks, narrowly avoiding a shard of metal that flies out of the large machine¡¯s body.


    The saw peters out, slowly losing its momentum and gaining an unpleasant screech as the internal mechanisms keep partially working. Emily quickly deactivates the steam flow, closing a valve to the machine before turning off The Source.


    ¡°Was that the system too?¡± she questions slightly nervously, glancing at the fragment of metal chain, now embedded in her belt sander, that almost took her eye out. ¡°This is going from annoying to dangerous.¡±


    As if to answer her question, another system notification pops into view.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Warning! Quest requirement for [Alchemical Aspirations] unmet in final timeline.


    Please complete requirement:


    -Create and successfully brew a new unique potion (Error)


    _____


    ¡°Fine,¡± she growls. ¡°I don¡¯t want to know what it¡¯ll do next.¡±

 Chapter 78 – No Pain No Gain

    Chapter 78 ¨C No Pain No Gain


    Emily immediately sets to work, clearing her workbench before taking out potion making supplies and setting up. She collects the potion materials from shelves and her spatial storage, gathering them in preparation.


    She carefully follows the same process as with Ivor, quickly forming the dangerous mix of venom and flesh. However, as she counts down the seconds to the final step and reaches out to grab an ocelax tongue, her sleeve catches an empty beaker and knocks it over. The beaker shatters, showering the tongue she prepared in glass shards and ruining her brewing attempt.


    ¡°Urgh,¡± Emily groans. ¡°What a waste of materials.¡±


    She pulls out The Clock and presses rewind.


    ***


    Returning to the evening of the previous day, the first thing Emily does is check her system quests. The requirement on Alchemical Aspirations remains errored out, as she expected, so gathers supplies and tries again. This attempt fails even faster, when the imperfections in the mixture form slightly too far apart one too many times, ruining the mixture when she fails to destroy them all.


    ¡°Third time¡¯s the charm,¡± she mutters with resignation as she activates The Clock again.


    ***


    Her third attempt bears fruit, and she manages to brew the potion without any significant issues. Breathing a sigh of relief, Emily checks her quest log and finds the requirement on Alchemical Aspirations has been satisfactorily completed again.


    She continues with her evening, cautiously waiting for something bad to happen again. The night passes without issue, though, and she cruises through the next day without running into any of the same annoyances as before. In the afternoon, she replaces the pin in her boot, before it breaks, finding a small scratch across its midpoint that was the failure point. The scratch was too small for her to even register as an issue in her previous scans, and she¡¯s certain it wouldn¡¯t usually fail so dramatically.


    Then, in the evening, Marco never appears, so Emily and Juliana pass the evening together happily.


    ***


    Time in The Dome moves slowly for Emily after the expedition. She signs up for a few different courses of study but discovers most of them to be unhelpful and that it¡¯s faster to explore the subjects with her own research. She soon runs out of interesting classes and spends most of her time gathering information in the library or experimenting with spells and machines in her room, finding endless interest in observing the Spellweave.


    Her progress in meditation slows down drastically after leaving The Glade, and even with the help of the training room¡¯s high density mana gathering array, she struggles to increase her intelligence stat. After four months, she starts spending the majority of her day focusing on meditation, and even takes on a few strange requests from Agnes, to make her some non-conventional weapons, to help alleviate her boredom and restlessness as she runs out of new things to grab her attention. She spends a lot more time with her friends and Juliana, celebrating together when Hester reaches second circle ten months after awakening, a sizable achievement for a commoner mage.


    When Emily¡¯s seventeenth birthday arrives, she spends the day in meditation and experimentation as usual. But, in the evening, Juliana drags her out of The Dome to visit a restaurant together for dinner.


    Eventually, Emily enjoys the fruits of her labour. Three months after her birthday, on the tenth month of the year five hundred and thirteen, whilst sitting cross-legged in the centre of one of the training rooms, her intelligence finally hits 75.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Status]


    [Name:] Emily Coldstone


    [Race:] Human


    [Age:] 17


    [Magic Circle:] Second Circle


    [Machina Cortex:] Second Stage


    [Attributes:] Strength 12 > 15 (21), Dexterity 35 > 40 (43), Agility 27 > 31 (36), Vitality 13 > 14 (19), Intelligence 61 > 75


    [Health:] 220/220


    [Stamina:] 380/380


    [Mana:] 4500/4500


    [Machina:] 4500/4500


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    [Progression]


    [Circle/Stage:] Second


    Requirements:


    -Intelligence 75/75 (Complete)


    -Create 5/5 unique E rank machines (Complete)


    -Learn internal casting (Complete)


    -Create 3/3 second circle spells (Complete)


    -Slay 1/1 third circle beast (Complete)


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    Progression requirements met.


    -Complete 2/3 C rank quests (Not Complete)


    -Kill 0/2 fourth circle mages (Not Complete)


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    Insight gained!


    [Skill upgraded]


    [Intermediate Spellweave (active)]


    [Cost:] 200 Mana/Hr


    User can gaze into the truth of runes to form spells.


    -Upon activation, user enters a trance-like state to use mana to experiment with new or known runic matrices.


    _____


    ¡°Woah!¡±


    Emily¡¯s mouth falls open as she stares incredulously at her stat increases.


    Almost 16000 mana. That¡¯s insane! No wonder third circle mages can cast ritual spell level attacks repeatedly. Though, my strength and vitality don¡¯t appear to be increasing much. I guess it¡¯s not surprising, I¡¯m already physically stronger than Agnes when she doesn¡¯t use enhancement spells. I don¡¯t think mages bodies are affected very much by their cultivation. The improvements to my agility and dexterity seem to come from my mechanic progression. Otherwise, they¡¯d both probably be just as low too.


    Flexing her fingers, she feels the fine control enabled by microscopic streams of machina that allow her to control her every move. She feels as if she can control each muscle twitch through the nerves that seem almost too closely entwined with her muscles and tendons.


    Hmm. That¡¯s weird. This jump in dexterity is incredible, but I almost feel like my movements are too smooth. It doesn¡¯t feel like my fingers move like a human¡¯s should. It almost feels like all the muscles and bones have been moved and reshaped to flow perfectly. Are my ascensions changing me that much?


    She slowly moves her focus up her arms, flexing and stretching everything, adjusting to the drastic changes in her body. She stands up while working through every joint and muscle in her body and, as the feeling of incongruence fades, she starts to appreciate the alterations. The strange inhuman mix of subconscious grace and calculated movements brings a bubbling feeling of comfort: scratching an itch in the back of Emily¡¯s mind that she never even knew was there.


    With a satisfied smile, Emily finally acknowledges the rest of the system windows.


    ¡°It seems reaching fourth circle will take a while. It took me over a year to increase my intelligence by twenty-one, and now I need to increase it by another sixty-two! Not to mention it was getting harder to increase towards the end. This alone will probably take at least three or four years,¡± she mutters to herself, completely motionless other than the rhythmic tapping of her fingers on her thigh.


    She brings her other hand to her mouth, biting her thumb as one of her cores begins drawing on Technomancer¡¯s Breath to fulfil her goal of cultivating.


    Leaving my cores working as secondary consciousnesses is useful. I didn¡¯t even have to make a conscious decision to meditate, they just decided what was best on their own. Now, finally, we have this Spellweave upgrade. It costs more to use, but being able to experiment with known matrices is new.


    She sits back down within the gathering array, happy to keep using points on the high mana density. Shutting her eyes, she pulls on her skill, activating it and revealing a new sight. As opposed to before, where the skill guided mana to her eyes and cortex, instantly revealing the mystical weave around her, instead the mana flow from the skill pauses on just her cortex.


    Even with her eyes closed, her sight opens up to reveal a blank expanse of empty space.


    So, this is the Spellweave now.


    She follows her knowledge of the skill, pushing mana into her eyes and opening them, returning to the familiar twisting fractals of colour that she associates with the weave.


    I can still use the skill like before.


    Having confirmed this, she releases the mana in her eyes and shuts them again, returning to the blank expanse.


    Let¡¯s try burning hands.


    The moment she thinks of the spell, the intimately familiar magic circle rises to the forefront of her mind. As she remembers the circle, a large, glowing copy burns itself into existence before her mind¡¯s eye.


    Woah. That¡¯s new.


    She admires the blazing construct, focusing on one of the runes.


    Element designation. Fire.


    Understanding of the rune flows into her mind, forming a closer, more intimate connection with it, just like before. However, this time, the connection is far more concrete and immediate. Emily can tell that when she drops the skill, this time the connection and understanding will remain.


    She quickly runs through all of the runes in the spell, tracing the lines that connect them and the shapes that encompass them, rapidly improving her comprehension. Once she feels like she has gained everything possible from the spell, a thought occurs to her.


    It said experiment with, right? Surely, I can do more than just learn about the spell.


    Following this thought, she reaches out with her mind, pulling on one of the elemental designation runes. The spell reacts to her will, the rune floating free of the construct and dissipating. Immediately, the warm orange glow of the spell fades to a pale shimmer.


    Emily watches with interest, before pulling out the other fire-based rune and watching the construct take on the neutral blue hue of mana. She pulls on the memory of a cutting ice rune that she discovered in the weave before and wills it to form in place of the missing fire runes. The spell shifts, taking on a pale icy glow and letting off a sharp, frigid air.


    As the new spell solidifies into place, Emily feels a nagging in the back of her mind. She focuses on the feeling and pushes more mana into her cortex. The image of the spell spins to life, twisting in place as it tries to activate. After a few seconds, the delicate balance of the circle crumbles as several lines intersect, and the entire construct crumbles.


    The experiment fails, and Emily opens her eyes, but she doesn¡¯t show a hint of disappointment. Instead, her face breaks into a wide smile.


    ¡°This will make spell creation interesting.¡±

 Chapter 79 – Changes

    Chapter 79 ¨C Changes


    Emily closes her eyes again but pauses before diving back into the Spellweave.


    Since this is only pushing mana to my cortex for experimenting on known spells, please tell me this works. Sub-cores, learn all first circle spells using the Spellweave.


    Instantly, three of her four cores buzz to life and mana and machina pour into her cortex before spreading throughout her entire system as her expanded mental processing net starts tearing through her command. While her cores follow her instructions, Emily watches her mana level slowly decrease.


    It¡¯s a drain, but it''s only small.


    Splitting her thoughts in two directions completely, in a manner that feels alien yet all too natural to her at the same time, she uses one thread in her primary core to watch her mana level and internal flow, and the other three to restart The Technomancer¡¯s Breath that stopped when she gave her cores a new command. The mana that rushes into her body from the surrounding array instantly overpowers the drain of her skill, filling her reserves and slowly expanding them.


    Woah! My meditation technique wasn¡¯t upgraded, but it appears my ascension naturally increases my mana intake and generation by a lot.


    She smiles happily at the change, basking in the warm embrace of mana. After twenty minutes, the activity in her cores fizzles out. To test the results, Emily raises a hand and thinks of the light spell. In a fraction of a second, a dazzling orb of white light spins into existence in her hand.


    ¡°That was fast,¡± she mutters absentmindedly, feeling an odd sense of connection with the spell as if she¡¯s been casting it daily for years. ¡°Strange. I almost feel as if I could just...¡±


    One of her sub-cores bubbles with mana for a few seconds, before passing three runes to her primary consciousness. Emily bends the light spell¡¯s magic circle, reforming three of its existing runes into the new ones supplied, and with a quick switch of mental image, the orb before her changes. The glowing white is quickly burned from the centre, being replaced by a flickering orb of ethereal orange flames.


    Emily excitedly passes her other hand through the flames and feels no heat.


    I just changed the element of a utility light spell to a violent element without changing the effect! Does this mean I could heal with fire? Or create light with earth? What are the limits?


    As her excitement for the topic grows, one of her cores starts playing in the Spellweave to bring her answers. Emily moves on, leaving the question as a background task, and stands up to test her new strength.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this properly,¡± she says with glee, walking to the training room¡¯s entrance and leaving. She adjusts the settings before walking back in, finding a wide, empty space with ten mages standing in a line before her. Each mage has a blank set of white robes on, and all of them have a smooth, white, featureless mask in place of a face.


    ¡°Disperse!¡± Emily commands.


    The training dummies follow without question, spreading out evenly in the room.


    ¡°Activate defensive spells!¡±


    Ten different magic circles appear around the dummies. A multitude of elements are used, from rocky armour to bubbles of fire. Emily starts by pointing at the closest dummy, wrapped in a protective sheen of water. She rapidly casts bolt, forming the magic circle of the spell completely within her own circles. The spell tears a line through space towards the dummy, ripping through the second circle defensive spell with relative ease.


    Internal casting of second circle spells, check.


    The training dummy disintegrates into particles, surprising Emily a little.


    ¡°It still had enough power to destroy one of these?¡± she mutters incredulously, lining up her hand with another dummy and sending a burning lance of fire into it.


    The flaming lance bursts against the stone armour covering the dummy, ripping the rock together in the process and shredding the dummy with rocks and fire.


    I see. Increasing my mana purity and density even makes weaker spells drastically stronger.


    ¡°Line up and stack barriers!¡± she orders the dummies, planning for one last magical test.


    Emily stands before the line of dummies, each providing some form of large-scale cover to protect themselves from her. She closes her eyes for a moment, drawing on a carefully refined mental image: produced after hours of research into the bows still used with terrifying lethality in the Lerus Isles.


    A massive circle is carved into the floor around her, burning its way into the world in an orange-and-white glow, the white far more pronounced than with Emily¡¯s normal fire spells. The circle quickly fills with runes, before they leap from the ground, drawing blazing arcs as a complicated matrix of movement wraps around her. A shining white bow of light forms in the air before Emily, condensing till it appears as a milky-white crystal, with a blisteringly bright arrow of orange fire nocked and ready to shoot.


    Emily feels her mana draining, close to a thousand points flowing into the spell as the bow slowly draws back and the centre of the arrow forms a glistening white core of molten metal and light.


    ¡°Blazing Arrow of Light!¡± Emily announces proudly as the circle bursts with power and the tension in the taut bow¡¯s limbs is released.


    Even with her enhanced reactions and eyesight, Emily struggles to follow the motion of the arrow as it flies out of the bow, releasing a cracking sound as it tears through the air and impacts the first barrier within an instant. Meeting little resistance, the arrow burns through the first barrier of fire, punching a hole clean through the torso of the dummy behind as it continues its flight. The arrow draws a line of burning light, tearing a path through every barrier in its way and only dying out as it buries itself into the chest of the seventh dummy.


    She strips out of her equipment and enters the bathroom, freezing as she sees herself in the mirror.


    Was my skin always that smooth?


    She leans into the mirror, looking closely at her face. Her skin is pale and smooth, without a single imperfection or visible blemish.


    My acne scars are gone. Wait, my scars!


    Eyes widening in a moment of panic, Emily¡¯s gaze falls on her exposed torso. Instantly, she sees the scars tracing her form. Running her eyes down from the small jagged line across her shoulder, a gift left by Jeremy and Kyle¡¯s attack, to the particularly pronounced mark from her left hip to her belly button, a record of a particularly close encounter with a knife-wielding adult in the slums, she lets out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Good,¡± she mutters, rubbing her fingers fondly over the cut.


    Taking a step back, Emily strips off completely, taking in her current state with a critical eye. Her skin is completely smooth and blemish free all over, the only signs of the life she¡¯s lived being the scars and calluses that remain. Even the light hairs covering her body have vanished, leaving her smooth to the touch. Her muscles are taut and well defined, and her face and proportions, while hard for her to judge, seem to have changed as well.


    Is my ascension improving my body aesthetically as well? Is that intentional or just a side effect? I¡¯d lean towards intentional, since my freckles are missing but my scars remain. If it was a side effect, I would have thought it would remove scars first. Instead, it¡¯s like it got rid of the bits I didn¡¯t like, but kept those I do. Either way, I¡¯m certainly happy with the changes.


    With a small grin, Emily stops admiring herself and climbs into the shower. She takes her time, enjoying the warm water washing over her body. After climbing out and drying off, she hears a three-beat knock at the door. She throws on a shirt and underwear before opening the door for Juliana.


    Juliana pulls her into an immediate hug, but as she pulls away to look at Emily, a small frown creases her brow. Emily keeps a neutral face, tilting her head in confusion as Juliana leans in to look closely at her.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t think I¡¯m pretty anymore?¡± she asks in a teasing tone.


    ¡°Ha,¡± Juliana scoffs, narrowing her eyes. ¡°If anything you¡¯re even prettier. What did you do?¡±


    Emily¡¯s lips part into a sly grin as she releases her mana, letting it flow freely from her body. Pressure crackles in the air around them, revealing the power hidden within Emily¡¯s robust frame. Juliana¡¯s eyes open wide in disbelief.


    ¡°I reached third circle,¡± Emily says, snapping Juliana out of her shock.


    ¡°Congratulations!¡± she cheers with glee, pulling Emily into a kiss.


    Emily giggles after they separate, pulling Juliana further into her room and away from the door.


    ¡°Wait, was that thunderclap you then?¡± Juliana asks, dropping into Emily¡¯s lap on her bed.


    ¡°Yes. My ascensions seem to cause a commotion when they happen. Do you think there¡¯ll be any trouble?¡±


    ¡°Probably not. It was weird that a magical effect like that managed to penetrate The Dome, but I would have shrugged it off if your ascension didn¡¯t happen to line up with it. Anyway, what¡¯s your plan now then? You¡¯ve been waiting for this for a while, right?¡± Juliana asks while relaxing into her chest.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Emily nods, running her hand through Juliana¡¯s hair. ¡°I have a deal I made with Agnes that I need to follow through on first. Then, I¡¯m gonna plan another expedition into The Glade.¡±


    Juliana¡¯s grip tightens at her response. Emily sighs, reassuringly patting her girlfriend¡¯s head. They sit in silence for a few minutes until Juliana speaks again.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming with you.¡±


    Emily starts slightly at the statement, surprised by the firm certainty in Juliana¡¯s tone.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Emily asks, leaning back slightly to look at her face.


    ¡°Mm huh.¡± Juliana nods, looking up at Emily with tears in her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re going to be leaving afterwards, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Emily¡¯s words catch in her throat, the sadness and resolve in Juliana¡¯s gaze driving a wedge into her heart.


    ¡°Haaa,¡± Emily lets out a deep sigh, dropping her head to rest on her girlfriend¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You knew?¡±


    ¡°Of course I did,¡± Juliana says, running her hand through Emily¡¯s hair as tears roll down her cheeks.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Emily whispers, unable to hold back her own tears.

 Chapter 80 – Digging for Information

    Chapter 80 ¨C Digging for Information


    A few hours later, Emily and Juliana walk into the cafeteria for dinner. A calm air of resignation hangs over them as they take a seat at the table with Ivor and Hester.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with you two?¡± Hester asks, quickly noticing their mood.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Emily lies, unwilling to tell her the truth and quickly changing the subject. ¡°Where¡¯s Tom?¡±


    ¡°He was meant to be joining us. I left him in the library like an hour ago poring over a study about the fall of the Rostan Empire.¡±


    ¡°The what?¡± Juliana asks in confusion.


    Hester visibly deflates at the question.


    ¡°Some empire that controlled half of the Keban continent before Modo and Morzea formed. Please don¡¯t ask him, I don¡¯t want to hear about it again.¡±


    As if sensing her fear, Tom steps into the table¡¯s barrier the moment she finishes speaking.


    ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± he asks as he sits down, causing Hester to jump and look at her friends pleadingly.


    Emily chuckles silently, choosing to help her out: having been on the receiving end of Tom¡¯s rants enough times to feel pity.


    ¡°Nothing much. I was just saying that I¡¯m planning my own expedition soon.¡±


    ¡°Oh cool! Can I come?¡± Tom asks excitedly, while Hester and Ivor look at Emily questioningly.


    ¡°Yeah. I want to go into the depths of The Crystal Waters now that I¡¯m third circle,¡± she answers with a sly grin.


    All three of her friends start in surprise, looking at her in disbelief.


    ¡°Already?¡± Hester asks


    ¡°Yep!¡± she answers proudly. ¡°I would show you, but I¡¯d rather not flex my pressure in here. For certain reasons, I don¡¯t want to announce my ascension, and I¡¯d prefer you don¡¯t tell anyone.¡±


    Tom and Hester look confused, but both agree to silence before shutting their eyes and feeling out the auras near them. Ivor narrows his eyes at her, but nods with a look of understanding.


    ¡°Well done,¡± he signs, without even checking her aura.


    What does he know? I¡¯ll ask later.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Tom and Hester soon open their eyes again and congratulate her.


    ¡°When are you planning your expedition for?¡± Hester asks, moving back to the original topic after her surprise has passed.


    ¡°And who are you inviting!¡± Tom adds eagerly.


    Emily chuckles at his enthusiasm.


    ¡°You can join if you want, Tom. I¡¯m looking to set off in a month, and I was planning on inviting you guys, Enzo, and Dante.¡±


    ¡°Wait, is that all?¡± Hester asks dubiously.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Emily answers confidently, receiving doubtful looks from three of her friends.


    Ivor on the other hand, simply nods along with her. Juliana turns a questioning glare on him.


    ¡°Why are you supporting her?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a monster. She¡¯d be fine alone,¡± he signs calmly, drawing a snort from Juliana and a giggle from Emily.


    ¡°What did he say?¡± asks Tom, causing Ivor to shift uncomfortably.


    ¡°Learn to sign already,¡± Hester says, clipping her brother around the back of the head before looking back to Ivor. ¡°What do you mean she¡¯s a monster?¡±


    Ivor seems to freeze up, glancing between the siblings awkwardly. Emily sighs and takes over.


    ¡°He means I¡¯m a good fighter and I have enough endurance to survive an expedition alone. I¡¯m mostly inviting you guys so I have someone to carry my bags and for company.¡±


    Ivor nods along, but her friends don¡¯t seem convinced.


    ¡°How about this? I¡¯m sparring with Agnes again in two days. Why don¡¯t you guys come watch, and you can judge for yourself if an expedition with just the seven of us is safe?¡±


    It takes a few seconds, the bird not having enough power to easily move more mass, but the bird pulls it free, sending the book tumbling into Emily¡¯s waiting hand below.


    The bird lowers down to perch on her head as Emily sits down and flips open the book. After skimming through the first few pages, a frown creases her brow.


    It¡¯s just some mage¡¯s autobiography.


    She flips through to the end of the book, finding it ends with an afternote from the noble¡¯s son about how great his third circle father was.


    ¡°Tsk. Useless.¡±


    Emily tosses the book aside and shuts her eyes to focus on her scouts again. Her search continues for most of the day, her mind processing thousands upon thousands of book titles, building an accurate map of the stacks¡¯ upper levels as she goes, since several titles interest her for further research. After twenty long hours of searching, reading every title and checking every book that looks like it could be related to ascensions or the fourth circle, a strange book catches Emily¡¯s eye.


    The spine of the book is traced with lines of wear, the leather binding cracking and flaking away. The title is dull and faded, completely unreadable.


    None of the other books here show any wear. I assumed there was a spell keeping them safe given how poorly everyone seems to treat them. Why wasn¡¯t this one protected?


    Emily opens her eyes, rising to her feet again and slipping through the stacks towards the hum of mechanical wings. Both spider scouts clamber across the ceiling to join her as she arrives in the row with the old book. She moves them to either side of the book and uses them to pull it out carefully, holding it between them as they scramble down to present their prize.


    She slips down onto the floor cross-legged and walks the spiders into her lap. Gently, Emily lifts the book off the small spiders¡¯ mechanical arms, absentmindedly petting one as she looks over the tattered leather cover.


    The leather is a dull brown, with hints of the rich crimson it once was left in a few patches. The title on the front is barely readable, and it takes Emily a few seconds of close observation to make out two words: ¡®Gaius Longaeva¡¯.


    Emily slowly opens the cover, finding neat cursive scrawled across the weathered pages within.


    Arthur won¡¯t stop talking about the witch in the woods. He claims she uses magic and casts spells. Apparently he saw her lighting a fire with her bare hands!


    I don¡¯t believe him. But I want to. He said he¡¯d take me to see her tomorrow to prove it.


    A diary? Why is there a simple diary in the A grade section. Who is Gaius Longaeva?


    Gripped by curiosity, Emily flips through the pages: taking in the story of two young boys learning magic from the friendly witch in the woods. By the time she flips the cover closed, all three of her birds are perched motionless on her head and shoulders, her full attention having been drawn into the strange tale.


    From the young boy¡¯s writing, Emily is able to gather some interesting details. Gaius Longaeva and Arthur both lived before the start of the current calendar in the age of the empire. The diary covers from their awakening with the help of the kind lady in the woods, to their battles as members of the empire¡¯s army, slaughtering beasts and people to further the empire¡¯s glory.


    However, throughout the course of their journey, Arthur repeatedly tells Gaius about his desires to tear down the emperor and start a new regime. His wistful dreaming doesn¡¯t lead anywhere in the course of the book¡¯s events, but a few of the things he says throughout catch Emily¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Weird. Everything quoted as Arthur¡¯s words just don¡¯t make sense together,¡± Emily mutters, placing the book down on the inactive spiders in her lap and biting her thumb. ¡°There¡¯s something off about Arthur. He seems to flip-flop between hating the empire and singing its praises, yet somehow manages to convince Gaius to hate the empire by the end of the diary. His words don¡¯t fit the result.¡±


    Emily falls into deep contemplation, her mind full of questions.


    Who are Gaius and Arthur. Why are they important enough for a simple diary about them to end up on the A grade shelves? What about Arthur keeps bothering me? He reads like two different people.


    Emily¡¯s brows furrow at that thought.


    What if he was?


    She flips back through the diary, looking at every reference to Arthur with a critical eye. At least half of the sections quoting him, every point where he praises the empire, seem disjointed and separated from the surrounding text. The disjointed sections all seem to be written with slightly neater handwriting, as if someone else is trying to mimic the surrounding writing.


    ¡°Some of these were changed. But why?¡±


    Why would someone change the contents of this diary? Was it Gaius, or someone else? Does it serve a purpose?


    Emily opens a blank page in her notes and starts writing down every section she thinks may have been changed. After filling the page with quotes, she reads them over together.


    ¡°Start running Gaius, we¡¯re nearly to the great capital!¡±


    ¡°Where would you rather be from? You can¡¯t beat the Empire.¡±


    ¡°You surely know the Goddess blesses our great emperor.¡±


    ¡°Found you. How dare you insult the emperor before me!¡±


    ¡°Me? Of course I¡¯d die for the Empire!¡±


    ¡°Follow me! For the Empire!¡±


    ¡°The sun never sets on the golden Empire!¡±


    ¡°Numbers mean nothing against our glorious Empire! Charge!¡±


    Her eyes open wide as she spots the message hidden within the quotes.


    ¡®Start where you found me. Follow the numbers.¡¯

 Chapter 81 – Legacy

    Chapter 81 ¨C Legacy


    ¡°Follow the numbers,¡± Emily mutters, trying to process the message. ¡°Which numbers? Page numbers?¡±


    She flips back through the diary from the start, noting next to each quote what page it was on.


    Fourteen, twenty-six, thirty-two, forty-one, sixty-five, sixty-six, ninety-eight, one hundred and fifteen. Okay, let¡¯s see where these lead me.


    The bird on her head flickers to life, flapping its wings and quickly rising to the gap the diary has left in the shelves above.


    ¡°Start where you found me,¡± she mutters as the bird starts flying to the right, counting books. ¡°These birds are so useful. I should remember to give Jules a kiss for reminding me about them. Maybe I can modify them to use thermal vision too to make scouting easier on our expedition.¡±


    Emily gets up and follows beneath the bird as it goes. She quickly finds the fourteenth book along, a random study on the element of fire, and pulls it from the shelf. It drops into her waiting hand below, but Emily barely notices. Instead, her attention is taken by the glowing purple rune revealed on the shelf beneath.


    Oh? Spatial runes?


    She quickly sends another bird back to the diary¡¯s original position, and finds a similar rune now glowing in place. A grin grows on her face as she turns her focus back to the first bird and continues counting along.


    Book after book, Emily plucks them from the shelves, revealing glowing runes beneath. After reaching the end of the row, she moves to the shelf below and continues counting, but when she pulls out what she hopes is the fifth book in the sequence, there isn¡¯t a rune underneath.


    ¡°Tsk,¡± she clicks her tongue, seeing the rune in the diary¡¯s space vanish as well. ¡°Shit. I need to reset it.¡±


    Unwilling to wait for the books to return to the shelves on their own, which she¡¯s found they do after ten minutes when removed from the shelves manually, she walks over to where the spiders are sat on the floor and uses them to carry the books back into place. After they are all replaced, she pulls them out in order again.


    This time, when Emily reaches the end of the row, she drops down a shelf and moves along the length of the row to continue counting from the far left. This time when she pulls out the fifth book, she sees a rune light up beneath.


    ¡°Nice!¡±


    She keeps going, following the sequence. Soon she reaches the last book. Standing directly below it, her bird plucks it from the shelf, and the rune beneath pulses. The shelf rumbles, and Emily steps away, watching as a crack appears before her. The shelf spins in on itself, folding into the space behind it and opening up to reveal a swirling purple mass of mana, emanating pressure and destabilising space around it.


    ¡°Woah!¡± Emily¡¯s eyes open wide as she feels the space around her quiver under the influence of what she presumes to be a portal. ¡°Where do you lead?¡±


    A curious glint flashes in her eyes, but she holds herself back. Before stepping into the unknown, Emily recalls her scouts, deactivating them and curling them back into balls of metal. She places them all back in her storage pouch and pulls out The Clock, holding it firm in her hand as she approaches the shimmering air.


    She reaches out with her spatial awareness, feeling the dizzying maelstrom of space overwhelming her as she gets closer.


    Oh? Is this a fourth circle spell?


    She frowns and gives up trying to understand the spell, instead reaching forward and pushing her empty hand through. Her arm vanishes up to the elbow. When she pulls it back, it comes out unharmed, so she takes a deep breath and steps into the unknown.


    Her vision shifts as she passes through the portal, and her eyes are blinded by light. Emily flinches in surprise and looks around the small space she finds herself in. The room is only a few metres across, with intricate murals covering the walls. The ceiling is only a few metres high, with several glistening light crystals illuminating the room.


    In the centre stands a plinth, holding a small, purple book covered in gold embellishments. Emily takes in the room, finding her eyes being drawn to the walls instead of the book. She approaches the wall closest to the portal, finding writing at the base, underneath an image of two men standing side by side on a castle wall overlooking an army charging towards them with swords and shields.


    ¡®Gaius Longaeva and Arthur Modo at the battle of Herder¡¯s Keep.¡¯


    ¡°Arthur Modo... The first king of Modo,¡± she mutters, realisation washing over her.


    So it¡¯s the diary of the first king¡¯s childhood friend. No wonder it was considered A grade. But who is Gaius?


    She walks along the wall, taking in a glorified depiction of Arthur and Gaius rising to the top of the Rostan Empire and becoming the Emperor¡¯s sword and shield, before heading a coup to topple the old regime. The last few images show Gaius and Arthur stood above The Dome and Chroni¡¯s castle respectively.


    ¡°I see. So Gaius was the founder of The Covenant.¡± Nodding to herself, Emily turns to finally approach the book.


    She checks the smooth, white stone plinth below first, looking for any magical traps. Only after finding no magical traces on the plinth, other than a preservation spell, does she reach out and pick up the book. It¡¯s small and thin, with what looks like only ten or so pages within the rich, purple leather binding. The gold etching draws attractive patterns, but doesn¡¯t give Emily any hint of the book¡¯s content.


    Gently, she flips to the first page and reads.


    Well done on completing my test. Whether through luck or intelligence, you have met my minimum qualification.


    I am Gaius Longaeva: founder of The Covenant and fourth circle mage. I leave behind this book with my account of the first to fourth circle in hopes that someone else will break the shackles and rise to the fifth circle.


    I guess I¡¯ll have to make most of my spells without references from now on.


    ¡°Ah well. Give me all of them then please.¡±


    The clerk flinches at her request, looking as if he wants to crawl into a hole and hide.


    ¡°What is it now?¡± Emily asks with a tired sigh.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you have enough points for that. Each third circle spell costs one thousand.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine,¡± Emily says with relief. ¡°That¡¯s just one more rewind. Give me the fire and wind spells for now please.¡±


    The clerk looks slightly confused by her comment, but quickly moves to follow her request. He places the payment slab before her, letting her transfer two thousand points and draining her stockpile to near empty, before turning around and grabbing several items from the drawers behind him.


    He sets up a large parchment on an inscribing artefact, placing several crystals in to set it up and burning the first spell into place. He repeats this for the other spell before handing both large parchments to Emily.


    She thanks him and leaves, heading back to her room. Sitting down at her desk, she places the two oversized scrolls in front of her and unfolds the first. As the crimson writing within is revealed, Emily¡¯s eyes open wide in appreciation.


    ¡°Woah! What a beautiful magic circle,¡± she mutters.


    The magic circle on the parchment is massive, with close to a hundred runes and dozens of intricately woven shapes slotting together to form a mass of colour. There are several equations written along the sides of the page: used for calculating the correct angles and sizes of the different sections of the circle that need to be formed in three dimensions to work. The equations change the circle based on several oddly specific variables, like the intended mana input, size, density, and even rotation of the spell.


    Fireball. Such a simple concept for such a complicated magic circle.


    Emily pores over the parchment, memorising every line, rune, and equation as usual. After ten minutes, a system window pops into view.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Spell memorised: Fireball


    [Fireball]


    [Circle:] Third


    [Cost:] 1500 Mana/cast


    [Description:] Summon a ball of flames to wield at will.


    _____


    Emily looks up from the scroll with a smile.


    1500 mana is 300 less than blazing arrow. Ritual spells really are just inefficient attempts to replicate higher circle spells. I¡¯ll have to rework the arrow into a proper third circle spell later to keep using it.


    She shuts her eyes, focusing on the new spell and casting it. Arcs of mana shoot from her body, forming into a rotating orb of glowing orange around her. Runes form in a twisting matrix as the crackling orange and white glow fills the room.


    Emily¡¯s eyes flutter open as she finishes the last calculation, placing a few runes into place and pulsing mana through the magic circle. The spell churns, rotating and compressing, shrinking down and morphing into a burning orb of searing hot orange and white fire hovering in front of Emily. The orb is the same size as Emily¡¯s head, but the power compressed into the small, dense mana construct makes the air around it quiver.


    After admiring the spell for a few seconds, Emily dismisses it, dispersing the gathered mana. She turns to the second spell, unrolling the parchment and committing the contents to memory. Soon, with wind slicer added to her spellbook, she rewinds time again.


    ***


    Emily returns to her room again with two more spell scrolls held in her spatial pouch. As she sits down at her desk and pulls them out, she considers her drawstring storage pouch.


    ¡°I can upgrade you properly now that I¡¯m third circle. I¡¯ll have to work on something to let me carry all the supplies for our expedition. As much as I told Tom he¡¯s invited to carry my bags, I¡¯d rather have my supplies easily accessible for me,¡± Emily mumbles to herself before returning her focus to the scrolls.


    The first one is a water spell named cascade: a large scale area denial attack spell. The second is an earth spell called tremor: the spell the wendigo, Rocco, used to cause small earthquakes in The Waters.


    Hmm. They¡¯re all attack spells. I guess I¡¯ll have to work on my own defensive spells from scratch.


    ¡°Now,¡± she mutters, glancing down at her pouch-covered belt as she pulls out The Clock. ¡°Let¡¯s gather some data to improve you!¡±

 Chapter 82 – Proof by Combat

    Chapter 82 ¨C Proof by Combat


    The next day, Emily leads her friends towards the training hall after breakfast. They find Dante and Enzo waiting outside the hall¡¯s closed door, Emily having invited them to watch as well in her final loop of the day before.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Dante calls as they approach. ¡°Why did you want us here?¡±


    Emily grins, deciding to keep her ascension secret for a little while longer to surprise the two mages.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see. Just watch my spar and I¡¯ll explain properly afterwards.¡±


    Both of them shrug, greeting Emily¡¯s other friends as she pushes the door open. Inside the room, Agnes is alone in the centre of the wide-open training space, swinging her sword to warm up.


    ¡°I was wondering why others were waiting outside. Decided to bring an audience today, did we?¡± Agnes calls over, not turning her head or halting her practice swings.


    ¡°Of course! I needed someone else to see me crush you,¡± Emily taunts back, walking over and dropping her robes to the floor as she turns her head back to her friends. ¡°Stay at the side of the hall and watch.¡±


    Without waiting for them to acknowledge her command, Emily turns her focus back to Agnes, stopping a few metres away and watching the woman closely while also doing some warm-ups out of habit. The two of them have a silent agreement to warm up before a spar, but to start at any point after they¡¯re both in the room. Emily¡¯s gaze never leaves Agnes as she gets her joints moving, watching her every muscle twitch in anticipation of an attack.


    Looks like I¡¯m initiating today.


    Without any warning, Emily subtly points her right arm at Agnes. A loud bang sounds, followed by a harsh hissing, as a blade shoots towards the one-eyed mage. Agnes smoothly raises her sword and deflects the attack, before stomping down, activating a spell to weigh Emily down and slow her movement, before springing forward to close the distance.


    With a small burst of machina, the reel attached to the Claw¡¯s blade instantly halts, and Emily pulls her arm to the side, sending the blade in a wide arc around her as she bends backwards. Agnes¡¯ blade sails over her, and Emily plants her hands on the ground behind her head as both her legs rocket up towards Agnes.


    Agnes rotates to avoid one of Emily¡¯s legs while driving her elbow down into the other. The two limbs smash against each other, flesh against flesh in a dull thud of impact. Reacting quickly, Agnes moves to grab Emily¡¯s now stationary leg, but the blade finishes its arc, wrapping around Emily¡¯s arms and approaching Agnes¡¯ feet.


    She leaps back to avoid the sweeping wire, breaking their close engagement and allowing Emily to spring off her arms, back into her feet.


    ¡°Those things are so annoying. Are you sure you won¡¯t make me a pair?¡± Agnes asks with a grin, slowly circling Emily and staring at her exposed arms.


    The Claws have undergone an upgrade since Emily used them in The Glade. The back of the bracers each holds a small reel of steel thread and a metal crystal underneath the protective plates. Each blade¡¯s housing has been reworked to allow them to detach at will and, to complete the Claws¡¯ transformation into a ranged weapon, there¡¯s a small sliding rail depositing caps filled with gunpowder in the back of the housing to allow repeated shots.


    ¡°Sorry, the second generation isn¡¯t for sale!¡± Emily answers with a smug grin, crouching down and digging the balls of her feet into the floor. ¡°Also, you may want to switch spells. This isn¡¯t the right choice anymore.¡±


    As the words leave her mouth, wind wraps around Emily¡¯s legs, and a blue magic circle forms behind her, filling her body with lightly crackling lightning. Though the two second circle speed enhancements don¡¯t work perfectly together, the enhancement they give together, added to her strengthened agility, make Emily a deadly weapon.


    She dashes forward, leaving a blazing trail of lightning behind her as she appears before Agnes in an instant. Agnes¡¯ eye opens wide in surprise as she barely gets her sword between her abs and Emily¡¯s knee in time. The air around them quivers from the impact as Agnes slides backwards several metres, gritting her teeth.


    Emily stands calmly, a mad grin on her face as Agnes rubs her stomach with a frown.


    ¡°You got faster again. How?¡±


    Emily simply stands in silence, waiting for her to realise. As if on cue, Agnes narrows her eye for a few seconds before letting out a chuckle of disbelief.


    ¡°You¡¯re unbelievable! I thought I was being harsh when I gave you three years. It¡¯s barely been one!¡±


    Agnes spins her sword around and drives it into the ground before her, standing with both hands resting on the hilt.


    ¡°I stand no chance now with second circle spells, do I?¡±


    Emily shakes her head. ¡°Nope. I¡¯ve already formed a connection with most of my useful ones in the Spellweave too.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll show you why they call me The Iron Valkyrie then.¡±


    Emily happily waits as the extra weight from Agnes¡¯ spell vanishes from her shoulders. A large, silver magic circle spreads from Agnes. Everyone watches in fascination as shimmering liquid metal armour spreads across her skin. The armour curls around her head, wrapping it and hardening into a winged helmet with one eye completely covered.


    ¡°I¡¯m already faster than most mages should be thanks to my slightly odd cultivation,¡± Emily partially lies, unwilling to reveal the existence of machina yet, even to her friends. ¡°And then I enhanced myself with two spells: wind rush, which just affects my leg speed; and lightning body, which affects my whole body¡¯s speed and reflexes.¡±


    ¡°Whoa!¡± Tom lets out an exclamation. ¡°How many spells can you cast at once?¡±


    ¡°Quite a few,¡± Emily admits bashfully, not having even considered her multicasting increase since her recent ascension, the use of multiple cores feeling so natural.


    ¡°So,¡± Emily says with a clap, forcing the conversation back on track. ¡°Was that enough to convince you an expedition with just the seven of us is safe?¡±


    ¡°Wait, an expedition?¡± Enzo cuts in, confused.


    ¡°Yes. I want to plan an expedition to go into the depths of The Waters, leaving in a month.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in!¡± Dante says immediately, drawing a chuckle from Emily.


    ¡°I thought you might be,¡± Emily says, looking towards the others pointedly.


    ¡°I¡¯m in,¡± signs Ivor without a doubt.


    ¡°Same. I wouldn¡¯t miss a chance to make history,¡± Enzo adds with a smirk.


    ¡°Make history?¡± Tom asks curiously.


    ¡°Yeah. No one¡¯s ever made it much further into The Crystal Waters than we did on our last expedition. If Emily plans on going deeper, we¡¯ll probably be going further than ever before,¡± Enzo answers with uncharacteristic enthusiasm.


    ¡°How come? Haven¡¯t any fourth circle mages gone further?¡± Hester asks.


    ¡°As far as I¡¯m aware, only once. Apparently, near the end of the last war with Morzea, there was a third circle dungeon discovered deep in The Glade and a few of our fourth circle mages went to fight for it. Other than that, they seem to avoid The Glade.¡±


    Emily frowns at Enzo¡¯s answer.


    How odd. Are they scared of The Glade or something?


    ¡°Cool! If it¡¯s a chance to be included in an important historical event, I¡¯m in!¡± Tom says cheerfully.


    ¡°I can¡¯t let this idiot get himself killed, so I guess I¡¯m coming,¡± Hester says with a sigh. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be fine after your display, Emily. But, knowing him, he¡¯ll walk into the open jaws of a beast if I don¡¯t watch him.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    Everyone chuckles at her comment, and Emily turns to Juliana, the last member of the group yet to answer.


    ¡°I already asked to come with you. I¡¯m not changing my mind. Besides, that was terrifying! How could you two attack each other so fiercely with real weapons? It¡¯s no wonder you always end up with cuts and bruises,¡± Juliana complains with a frown, making Emily smile.


    ¡°Haha. We never aim for vitals, so unless we get really unlucky, we¡¯ll never take more damage than a healing potion and a few days'' rest can fix. Now, I still have some stuff to talk to Agnes about, and need some more sparring to get used to my new strength, so how about we meet up at lunch again and go register the expedition together afterwards?¡±


    Everyone nods at her suggestion before wishing her luck and moving to leave the hall.


    ¡°Oh! Enzo, Dante,¡± Emily calls after them before they can leave. ¡°I¡¯m trying to keep my ascension on the down low for now. I would appreciate it if you didn¡¯t say anything to anyone for a while.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Emily nods and waves them goodbye as the training hall door slides shut. She turns back and approaches Agnes.


    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting. Now, let¡¯s talk about this tattoo,¡± she says with an excited grin.

 Chapter 83 – Tattoo

    Chapter 83 ¨C Tattoo


    ¡°Planning another expedition?¡± Agnes asks with a raised brow, ignoring Emily¡¯s declaration.


    ¡°Yeah. I want to have a look further into The Crystal Waters. Maybe find a dungeon this time if I¡¯m lucky. Why? Wanna come?¡± Emily says with a teasing grin.


    ¡°No thanks,¡± Agnes says with a scoff. ¡°I¡¯m not one for fighting mindless beasts. Though, I guess you¡¯d fit right in.¡±


    ¡°Ha. Well, this mindless beast needs to design a new spell for your tattoo. So, sit down and tell me about your combat spells¡¯ lightning resistance.¡±


    Agnes nods, her face shifting to a serious expression as she drops to the ground.


    ¡°The main spells I use on myself in combat are steel body and iron Valkyrie. Iron Valkyrie gives the same resistance as steel body does, so you should be able to adjust the spell for steel body.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Please activate steel body for me then. I¡¯m going to take some measurements.¡±


    Anges nods and starts casting. Her skin shimmers as a silver glow envelopes her, wrapping her skin and muscles in a metallic sheen of power. Emily walks behind her, dropping down and placing both palms against her skin.


    ¡°Tell me when the lightning starts getting painful.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Emily casts stunning touch, maintaining the spell and pouring a constant stream of weak magical lightning into Agnes, who doesn¡¯t even flinch as the spell activates. Emily slowly starts pouring more mana in, adjusting the spell to increase the power output. The spell reaches the same strength as a second circle attack spell and Agnes visibly grits her teeth.


    ¡°I feel it now, but it¡¯s still bearable.¡±


    Nodding and making note in a blank folder, Emily continues increasing the spell¡¯s power. After a few more seconds, Agnes hisses and taps out.


    ¡°It hurts now.¡±


    Emily cancels the spell instantly, letting the crackling lightning fade but keeping her hands on Agnes¡¯ back.


    ¡°Got it. I have a good reference for how strong I can tune the spell now. Please stay still for a little bit longer and don¡¯t resist my scans so I can take your physical measurements and some measurements of your mana circuits,¡± Emily says calmly.


    ¡°Wait, why do you need those?¡± Agnes asks in confusion, glancing over her shoulder at Emily.


    ¡°Well, unlike a standard enchanted tattoo, I¡¯m not just tattooing an already-designed pattern. So, in this case, I can model the spell around your system to give it maximum efficiency by doing things like putting intake runes near junction points in your magic circuits.¡±


    ¡°What about my physical measurements?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯d normally take those when you actually get the tattoo and just scale it to you then and there. I¡¯m just making it easier on myself by grabbing them in one go now.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Scan away I guess.¡± Agnes turns back and goes still.


    Emily shuts her eyes, first sending a light stream of machina to trace the entirety of Agnes¡¯ body. In a few seconds, Emily has a full three-dimensional render of Agnes drawn into her notes with every dimension she could need recorded around it. Next, she releases a slow stream of unattributed mana, keeping it linked to herself while guiding it around Agnes¡¯ system. It¡¯s a much slower process, as Emily has to adjust the stream constantly to stop it becoming so weak it¡¯s dispersed by Agnes¡¯ internal mana movement, or so strong that it¡¯s perceived as an attack.


    Ten minutes later, Emily opens her eyes and lets out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°There we go. That should be all the measurements I need for now.¡±


    Agnes stands up, cracking her neck in relief.


    ¡°Thank Goddess. I should¡¯ve known it would be uncomfortable to have someone else poking around inside my body like that.¡±


    ¡°Just wait till I actually do the tattoo. It¡¯s gonna get a whole lot worse,¡± Emily teases. ¡°Now, final question. Where do you want the tattoo to cover? The more skin used the more effective I can make it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with everything but my face, so go wild. Now, let¡¯s continue sparring. I won¡¯t be happy if I don¡¯t hit that smug face of yours at least once before classes start.¡±


    ¡°Ha, good luck,¡± Emily replies, standing up and preparing her spells to go again.


    ***


    Emily returns to her room after finishing her spar with Agnes, who has agreed not to tell anyone about her ascension, something she didn¡¯t even care to question. Emily sets about designing the tattoo for Agnes, spinning together spells in the Spellweave to use as a foundation.


    Hmm. This is far more complicated than making a normal spell. It will probably take me a couple of days if I fully devote myself to it. Let¡¯s throw this to my two secondary cores to do in the background. It should be ready in a week if I do that.


    Come lunchtime, she casts the task to her other cores and heads to meet her friends. Dante and Enzo join them for lunch today, and afterwards, they all head to the hub together.


    ¡°Hello, how can I help you?¡± the clerk behind the counter, Anka, asks with a dead stare.


    ¡°Could you grab me some water please while I get everything set up?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Agnes says, leaving the room.


    Emily turns back to the tables and reaches out, conjuring items from her newly created spatial item.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Utility Belt]


    [Rank:] D


    [Description:] A belt of five interwoven holder-locked pocket dimensions.


    [Effect:] Allows the user to freely access one hundred and twenty-five square metres of storage space.


    _____


    The belt is a delicate work of magic that took Emily a few days of frozen time to refine. Five of the six pouches on the belt have a lesser space crystal held within, with a similar spell to her drawstring pouch carved on. The leather belt itself has several runes woven in, and another crystal attached in the small of her back, creating a control array that allows Emily to summon items from any of the separate spaces at will, surpassing the size limit on third circle storage spells by sidestepping the issue.


    The sixth pouch on the belt is left untouched for The Clock, since she discovered it¡¯s impossible to place the mysterious pocket watch into dimensional storage.


    The small tables around Emily quickly fill with different jars of beast materials, magic crystals, and a few tools. She starts preparing the ingredients, crushing crystals, pulping beast flesh, and even burning a few items to mix the ashes in with the rest.


    A little while later Emily looks up from her prepared salves and inks, the design of which required a stint in frozen time to perfect. Agnes is sitting on a chair at the side watching, having re-entered the room earlier only to be ignored by Emily.


    ¡°You ready?¡± she asks expectantly.


    ¡°Yep. Please strip to your underwear and lie down on your stomach. I¡¯ll start with your back,¡± Emily answers without looking up, cleaning up the now empty containers and dirty tools.


    Agnes complies, dropping her clothes to the floor and climbing onto the padded table. Emily finishes clearing up and looks at Agnes, pulling out a full virtual stencil of the tattoo array and laying it over her body. She gives Agnes a once over, checking the tattoo lines up as she expected and appreciating the old battle scars Agnes has kept.


    Looks good.


    She reaches for a black salve in a ramekin next to her and scoops out a healthy portion of the gunk. Carefully, she smears it across the stencil on Agnes¡¯ back, slowly drawing out a complicated mix of lines and runes. Agnes shivers slightly at the cold touch, but otherwise says nothing as Emily works.


    Emily switches between a few different magical mixes, painting on several colours and textures. After a while, Emily asks Agnes to flip over.


    ¡°Wait, is that it?¡± Agnes asks confusedly as she turns. ¡°It didn¡¯t even hurt.¡±


    ¡°Ha,¡± Emily chuckles. ¡°No, that¡¯s just me preparing. I¡¯m getting all of your skin prepped before I start tattooing. You¡¯ll definitely know when the real thing starts.¡±


    She repeats her work on the front, covering Agnes in a dizzying pattern from her neck down to her toes and pushing her underwear out of the way at times to complete the whole pattern.


    ¡°Done. Onto your front again please. I¡¯m starting properly now.¡±


    Agnes nods and turns over while Emily picks up a set of thin, hollow white iron needles. She dips each of them into a different ink, then lays them down on a tray next to their respective inks. She keeps one of them in her hand, leans against the table in front of her, and raises it to the centre of the patterns on Agnes¡¯ back.


    ¡°This is going to hurt. Please don¡¯t resist, and try not to move too much, or this will take a lot longer. Just let me know if you need to bite something,¡± Emily says calmly, her last comment making Agnes flinch slightly.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be that bad, right?¡±


    Emily doesn¡¯t respond, taking a deep breath and releasing it, falling into a deep focused trance. She lowers the needle to the skin and pours a carefully calculated spark of lightning attributed mana in before stabbing down.


    In one careful, almost mechanical, motion, the needle punctures the skin, injects a mix of ink and mana, then pulls back. Almost instantly, her hand shifts imperceptibly to the right and stabs again. Emily¡¯s hand turns into a blur, repeating the same motion over and over again without a millimetre of deviation from the intended path, carving a line of magic into Agnes¡¯ body.


    The mana and beast materials mixed into the ink react with the salve smeared on her skin and burn into the flesh below. Agnes grits her teeth as the mix sears deep into her, forcing herself to remain calm and preventing her mana from fighting back.


    Emily ignores Agnes¡¯ reaction, not even hearing her grunted complaints through her deep trance. Her hand flashes between the tray and Agnes, switching needles and mana elements smoothly, growing the pattern slowly.


    After several hours of nonstop movement, including getting Agnes to flip halfway through, Emily completes her artwork. She sits back, dropping a bloodstained needle onto the tray and letting out a sigh of relief.


    Agnes lets out a tired groan, turning her head to look at Emily with minimal movement.


    ¡°Are you done?¡±


    ¡°Yep! And, I have to say, I really outdid myself, considering it¡¯s my first time,¡± Emily says with pride, admiring her work.


    ¡°Considering how much it hurt, you¡¯d better have,¡± Agnes grumbles with more than a little resentment, forcing herself to sit up. ¡°Let¡¯s see if it was worth it.¡±

 Chapter 84 – Reclaiming Debts

    Chapter 84 ¨C Reclaiming Debts


    Agnes pulls herself up from the table, looking down at herself. She raises her arms, gazing over the closely woven patterns with slight awe.


    ¡°It¡¯s certainly the most complicated enchanted tattoo I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±


    She taps her foot on the ground, releasing shimmering silver mana into the air before her where it coalesces into a full-body mirror.


    ¡°Woah!¡± A quiet exclamation leaves her mouth as she stares at the weaving patterns wrapping her muscles, turning and admiring their spread across her back as well.


    Emily nods in agreement with a small, proud smile. The tattoo is a blend of pale blue, green, and silver, spreading down from Agnes¡¯ nape to cover almost all of her skin, accentuating her well-defined muscles.


    ¡°It looks great,¡± Agnes says with a satisfied smile, turning to face Emily. ¡°Now, let¡¯s test it!¡±


    She puts her clothes back on before leading Emily into another room attached to her living space. The room is a miniature version of the training hall they use for lessons, with a packed dirt floor and weapons hanging from the walls.


    ¡°How do I use it? It¡¯s not permanently active, right?¡± Agnes asks, standing in the centre of the space, facing Emily.


    ¡°First, activate steel body, unless you want a nasty shock, then simply inject a bit of mana into the activation rune at the top of your neck,¡± Emily says, eagerly awaiting the test herself.


    Agnes reaches a hand up to touch the back of her neck as a silver glow envelopes her.


    ¡°Here?¡± she says and the tattoos come alive, lighting up with a vibrant glow and sending crackling lightning across her skin.


    The patterns seem to shift with the lightning, playing tricks on Emily¡¯s eyes as she watches Agnes raising her arms to observe the effect.


    ¡°This feels weird,¡± Agnes mutters, staring at her hands.


    ¡°Does it hurt at all?¡±


    ¡°No. It feels like a faint buzzing in all of my muscles at once.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. I tuned it as close as I could to your resistance with steel body active, so the discomfort should fade as you get used to it. It will drain about half as much mana as a second circle boosting spell, so you should be able to keep it up for a while. Just, be careful not to activate it without another spell to increase your lightning resistance. I did make sure it wouldn¡¯t be strong enough to disable you if you do, but it¡¯ll hurt like a bitch and definitely mess you up mid fight.¡±


    Agnes nods at her advice, flexing her fingers before crouching and feeling the difference in her legs.


    ¡°Got it. Now for the fun bit. How fast does it make me?¡±


    Agnes¡¯ eye flicks briefly towards Emily, and Emily¡¯s lips part into a smug grin as she realises what Agnes is about to try.


    Sorry. But even with this spell you¡¯re...


    Agnes springs up from her crouch, spinning around and whipping her leg towards Emily¡¯s chest. Emily¡¯s arm snaps up to catch her ankle, stopping the attack dead in its tracks as her feet slide back a few centimetres.


    ¡°Still slower than me!¡± she finishes her thought out loud, ignoring the stinging ache in her hand from catching Agnes¡¯ metallic foot.


    Ignoring her taunt, Agnes pulls her leg back and proceeds to throw attack after attack at Emily, who smoothly dodges or counters every blow at high speed. After a few minutes, Agnes stops and deactivates her tattoo and spell.


    ¡°I should be happy that you¡¯ve given me such an effective speed increase, but I¡¯m honestly slightly annoyed I¡¯m still slower than you. What the hell are you? You didn¡¯t even use magic!¡±


    ¡°Haha. Well, let¡¯s just say my breathing technique does something similar to your tattoo naturally. Perks of being a lightning mage.¡± She avoids answering the question honestly, skirting around it with a well-practised excuse.


    ¡°Tsk,¡± Agnes clicks her tongue, but her grin shows the lack of malice behind it. ¡°How much do I owe you then?¡±


    ¡°Not much, only about six hundred points.¡±


    Agnes nods and holds out her hand for Emily¡¯s crest. She transfers a thousand points, but cuts Emily off before she can object, walking past her and tapping her on the shoulder.


    ¡°I would have had to pay at least triple to a lightning engraver for that quality of work, if I could find one. If you have a complaint, spend the extra points on your expedition prep and come back safe. It would be a shame to lose a good sparring partner.¡±


    Emily smiles and follows her out.


    ¡°Fine. I can always use more explosives.¡±


    ***


    A few days later, Emily settles in her room for the morning, her weapons spread across the workbench before her.


    ¡°Hmmm. I need more grenades. I can take loads now I can fill my belt with them. The same with bullets,¡± she mumbles, glancing at her two new firearms.


    The first, the Whisper, is a long, sleek black and white bolt-action rifle. The main body is delicately machined from a black iron alloy, appearing more grey than black in a few places, and it¡¯s lined with carefully inlaid veins of white iron, with a dense swirling pattern wrapping the barrel. The adjustable telescopic scope above is a work of art, crafted from metal and glass, allowing Emily to target enemies from as close as ten metres to as far as thousands. It has several small dials around it to flick between internal lenses and adjust their positions at will.


    The back of the rifle has a sturdy metal stock with several wind crystals embedded along the side to power the acceleration and silencing spells woven along the body and barrel. The top holds a comfortable leather cheek rest in line with the scope.


    On the side of the gun, just above where her thumb would rest when firing, is a small switch. It can be flipped between the three firing modes of the gun: safe, where the trigger won¡¯t move anything inside no matter how much it¡¯s pulled; silent, the normal firing mode where only the sound dampening array is activated; full, the power hungry mode with the acceleration array active as well.


    Underneath the gun, sitting just in front of the trigger assembly, is the pride of Emily¡¯s innovation within the last few months, a magazine. Unlike the cylinder fed clockwork rifles of the military, the magazine can hold bullets in a more compact, quick to reload form. The bullets held within are hefty, being slightly bigger than one of Emily¡¯s fingers with the cartridge included, and weighing almost triple that of one of her handgun bullets.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Whisper {Gen.1}]


    That doesn¡¯t look like the face of someone who was warning me about danger.


    ¡°Good! You recognise me. That will make this easy.¡±


    Emily sees with crystal clarity as the man¡¯s shoulders shift ever so slightly, his right hand, hidden behind the counter, reaching for something. She bursts forwards, closing the distance before the man can react. With a light spring of her ankles, her legs clear the counter and she slides over to plant a Claw into the man¡¯s shoulder, knocking him off his chair and pinning him to the ground with her knee pressed against his chest.


    ¡°Argh!¡± he cries out in pain, reaching up to push Emily off with his uninjured arm.


    Emily simply catches his hand before he can touch her, holding it still as she looks for what he was reaching for. She sees a double barrel shotgun sitting on a hidden shelf.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s not clever. I just wanted to ask you some questions, but you¡¯re making this look a lot worse for yourself,¡± Emily says as she looks back down at the man below her. ¡°Now, are you going to satisfy my curiosity? Or do I need to find other ways to persuade you?¡±


    She twists the blade in his shoulder for effect, watching as his face contorts in pain.


    ¡°Ahhhh! I¡¯ll tell you whatever you want. Just fucking stop!¡± he spits out through gritted teeth.


    ¡°Why did you send me to The Crystal Skull?¡±


    ¡°They paid me! A woman came in a few hours after you left the first time you were here and gave me three gold to tell you about their tent.¡±


    Emily nods, having expected as much.


    ¡°I see. And what do you actually know about The Crystal Skull?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Emily tightens her grip on the man¡¯s hand, sending a shock of pain through his arm.


    ¡°AHHH! FUCK! I DON¡¯T KNOW ANYTHING!¡± he screams as something cracks.


    Emily loosens her grip slightly, and he pants out in relief.


    ¡°You expect me to believe that? If you know nothing, why did you look so horrified to see me again?¡±


    ¡°Look, I only know some rumours. Some of my drinking buddies have mentioned that they sometimes go asking around about people, and those people always disappear! That¡¯s all I know. I swear!¡±


    Useless.


    ¡°See, you did know something!¡± Emily says with a smile, pulling her Claw out of the man¡¯s shoulder and drawing it quickly across his throat.


    She drops his hand and stands up, retracting the Claw and turning away from his panicked, choking form. She jumps back over the counter, leaving the shop owner to suffer in a pool of his own blood.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m only worth three gold,¡± Emily mutters as she flips her hood back up and steps out of the shop.


    She takes in her surroundings while walking away, checking for people watching or following her as she moves towards The Crystal Skull¡¯s tent. A minute after leaving the weapons dealer, Emily notices a pair of eyes focused on her. She turns a few corners and, sure enough, a cloaked figure follows.


    Hello there, stalker. Did the guard recognise me after all? Or were they watching the arms dealer in case I came back? Either way, there are clearly several people here working with that bitch.


    She arrives at the small white tent and pushes her way in through the front flap, ignoring her pursuer for now to see how they react. The sweet scent of inhibition incense hits her nose immediately, but is burnt away by the machina coursing through Emily¡¯s body before it can do anything.


    ¡°Hello there. How can I help you?¡± the same deceptively gentle-looking woman from last time asks, fixing Emily with her piercing emerald gaze.


    ¡°Can you answer some questions for me?¡± Emily asks, keeping her hood lowered over her face.


    ¡°Well it depends on what you want to know, honey. How about you take off your hood and ask away?¡±


    Emily flips her hood off, watching surprise and amusement run across the woman¡¯s face.


    ¡°Well hello again, cutie. It¡¯s not often someone escapes me, and none of them were dumb enough to return. Did your escape give you the confidence to come back?¡±


    Emily smirks at the taunting question. Before she can respond though, she feels movement behind her and notices the woman¡¯s gaze shaking slightly.


    Trying to sneak up on a space mage? Bad idea.


    ¡°It did! And - I¡¯m dying to know - did you think I¡¯d simply tuck my tail and run?¡±


    Emily pulls out the Spitter and points it backwards over her shoulder, activating her sound-deadening earrings before squeezing the trigger. A bullet tears out of the barrel, ripping a hole through the head of the man approaching behind her. A loud bang fills the tent, and the man¡¯s body slumps to the floor at the same time as the bullet¡¯s casing.


    ¡°Because that¡¯s not really my style.¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyes open wide in shock.


    ¡°Now, would you like to tell me who else here works for you?¡±


    Instead of answering, the woman grits her teeth, her smile morphing into a fierce glare. Before Emily can enjoy the look of anger on her enemy¡¯s face, the woman¡¯s eyes roll into the back of her head and she slumps over the counter.


    Shit.


    Emily approaches the woman and pokes her with a Claw, getting no reaction. She reaches out and pushes her hand through the woman¡¯s thick, wavy hair to press her fingers to her neck. There isn¡¯t a single beat of life left.


    Really? I hadn¡¯t even started!

 Chapter 85 – Fox Hunting

    Chapter 85 ¨C Fox Hunting


    Emily sighs, looking over the two corpses in the tent and the blood-splattered tarp around them.


    ¡°Well, shit! I know Oscar said they killed themselves when captured, but I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d be quite that decisive. Was it the gun?¡± she mutters to herself, biting her thumb. ¡°I expected it to take a few resets, given I want to try and deal with as many of these mage killers as possible, but it may be harder to find them all than I¡¯d like. Ah well, I¡¯ll give it a few attempts and see how it goes.¡±


    Emily starts checking the woman¡¯s body for anything that may lead her to her accomplices. She finds several hidden blades tucked into the woman¡¯s sleeves and strapped to her body: which turns out to be surprisingly toned, with obvious signs of rigorous training.


    Inside the woman¡¯s mouth, she finds a cracked, off-white tooth, leaking a black liquid down her throat.


    Don¡¯t give them time to grit their teeth I guess.


    She doesn¡¯t find a single item for communication, but she does find a tattoo of the an impaled skull on the inside of the woman¡¯s left forearm.


    Huh. Did they really mark their members? That should make it a whole lot easier to confirm who¡¯s with them.


    Scoffing, Emily turns away from the woman to check the man¡¯s corpse too. She glances at the bloody hole between his eyes, grinning slightly.


    Nice shot.


    She pulls back the black cloak covering him, finding two arm length swords strapped at his hips. The man himself is thin, with a compact muscular frame. She finds the same tattoo on his left arm, and two items, one in each trouser pocket. The first is a small pouch of dark, ash-like powder that Emily recognises as inhibition powder, and the other is a small, glowing white crystal.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Inhibition Powder]


    [Rank:] E


    [Description:] A magical compound used for blocking mana circuits.


    [Effect:] Inhibits the mana flow of living beings third circle and below.


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    [Mana Detection Crystal]


    [Rank:] F


    [Description:] A crystal used for identifying mages and beasts.


    [Effect:] Emits light and mana when within ten metres of a living being''s mana signature.


    _____


    ¡°I see. Did he start following me because this reacted to me? Do they have someone with one of these near each entrance? Or was he just hanging around?¡± Emily mutters while standing up. ¡°It¡¯s a shame the inhibition powder doesn¡¯t work on fourth circle mages though.¡±


    She sends both items into her storage and leaves the tent, looking around the street outside. Everybody nearby sends nervous glances towards her, but nobody approaches her to question the gunshot. She walks away from the bloodstained tent, disappearing into the black market.


    Let¡¯s see if anyone else reacts to my mana signature.


    Emily walks the alleys, constantly checking over her shoulder for any pursuit. It doesn¡¯t take long for her to pick up another tail. She leads them towards one of the market¡¯s exits, moving halfway up the stairs before turning and waiting for her follower to approach. A hooded figure steps into her line of sight and Emily wastes no time, springing forward with her arm outstretched. She catches the figure by the throat and slams them into the wall.


    The woman in her hands coughs, her lungs emptied by the force of the blow, and Emily mercilessly grabs her jaw, wrenching it open, breaking something in the process. The sound of the woman¡¯s pained howl drowns out the sound of the small pouch that Emily senses falling from the woman¡¯s hand and hitting the ground. A small dark cloud fills the tunnel for a moment, before fading away. Emily simply ignores it, letting her machina burn out the inhibition powder she inhaled before it can do anything.


    The woman quickly recovers from her shock and starts reaching for something within her cloak, but Emily drives a knee into her stomach, stunning her again, before reaching into her mouth and ripping out an off-white tooth.


    The woman screams in pain, fruitlessly struggling against Emily¡¯s grip.


    ¡°Now that you can¡¯t bite that, how about we have a little chat?¡± Emily says, loosening her grip on the woman¡¯s throat slightly to let her breathe and knocking her hood off to get a clear look at her face.


    The woman looks young, maybe only a year or two older than Emily, and her face is covered in freckles, her hazel eyes set in a furious glare. She has short, messy black hair, slicked back with grease. The girl closes her mouth, grunting in pain as it fails to line up properly, but says nothing while attempting to reach into her cloak again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you now, that¡¯s not gonna work,¡± Emily says calmly before lashing out with the Claw on her free hand and splitting the girl¡¯s arm open.


    The man wastes no time, pushing his hands into another split in the tent and pulling it wide open. Emily once again follows him through to the main room of the tent.


    ¡°What is it?¡± the woman asks coldly, turning away from the tent¡¯s entrance to fix the man with an icy glare. ¡°It¡¯s Vagrant¡¯s report soon, you¡¯re not meant to be here for another thirty minutes.¡±


    ¡°I lost a target in the market,¡± the man responds in a monotone voice.


    ¡°How did you lose a target? Did you let them out of the tracker¡¯s range?¡±


    ¡°No. I followed them to the arms dealer in the southern sector. They entered the shop, shot the owner, then disappeared. I entered the shop after and looked around, there isn¡¯t a trace of them, and the tracker didn¡¯t respond to anything at all.¡±


    ¡°Goddess, you¡¯re fucking useless,¡± the woman spits, dismissively waving her hand at the man as she starts turning around. ¡°Go get Stray - she¡¯s at post four right now - and have her take a look. At least she¡¯s competent.¡±


    The man nods, turning without complaint to leave the way he came in.


    ¡°Why was I given three imbeciles?¡± Emily hears the woman mutter, with a tired sigh, under her breath as she follows the man out.


    Three imbeciles? If she¡¯s not counting this Stray in that, I have five targets.


    She follows the man again as he winds his way across the market. A few minutes after leaving the tent, though, Emily looks down and realises colour is returning to her skin.


    One vial doesn¡¯t last very long.


    Unconcerned about wasting resources, she simply pulls out another vial of the brew and drinks it. Her mark never realises a thing and keeps charging onwards, leading Emily straight to his teammate.


    They get close to where Emily picked up her second tail on the last reset, and the man veers into a narrow gap between the underground chamber¡¯s wall and a small shop to the side of a stairwell to the surface.


    ¡°Why are you here, Barbarian?¡± a soft voice asks as a cloaked figure emerges from the shadows.


    ¡°I lost a target, so Fox sent me to you,¡± Barbarian answers in his signature monotone.


    ¡°You lost them? Ha, no wonder I¡¯m Fox¡¯s favourite. How dumb can you be?¡± Stray, the girl Emily killed in the stairwell, laughs in a teasing tone.


    ¡°Will you help?¡± he asks, ignoring her taunt.


    ¡°Tsk. You¡¯re no fun,¡± Stray complains before skipping past them. ¡°Sure, where did you lose them?¡±


    ¡°Arms dealer in the southern sector.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Where the gunshot came from?¡±


    ¡°That was the target.¡±


    ¡°Exciting!¡±


    They leave the alley, heading back through the market towards the arms dealer. Emily watches both of the mage killers as they dodge through people in a well-practised manner with their heads on a swivel, constantly observing their surroundings. Even the playful Stray avoids being noticed to an impressive degree while maintaining her vigilance.


    They¡¯re certainly well trained. If it weren¡¯t for this potion I definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to follow them like this without being seen, even if they didn¡¯t have the mana detection crystals.


    They soon arrive at the shop. Both mage killers walk in, and Emily slips in behind them before the door can shut.


    There are three people in the shop already, who all turn to look at the new entrants with caution.


    ¡°What do you want? We were here first,¡± a man filling a sack with weapons from the displays says with a cautious glare.


    The mage killers both remain silent, Barbarian watching Stray as she looks around the shop, checking the floor around the door carefully.


    ¡°They¡¯ve disturbed it too much. I won¡¯t find anything. Return to your post,¡± Stray says calmly, all traces of playfulness gone from her voice as she turns to walk straight back out of the door.


    Barbarian doesn¡¯t say a word, simply following her out. Emily sticks behind Barbarian as the two part, following him back to a food stall a short distance from the entrance she used to arrive in the market. He sits down to the side of the stall without a word to the owner, who doesn¡¯t even spare him a glance.


    Well, I know where three of them will be now. It sounds like they all periodically report to Fox, so I should find the other two if I watch her.


    Emily pulls The Clock from her belt and resets, returning back to enter the market again.

 Chapter 86 – Murderer

    Chapter 86 ¨C Murderer


    Emily steps out of the stairwell into the black market again, this time using her machina to hide her mana signature from the start. She heads straight for The Crystal Skull¡¯s tent, moving through the streets unnoticed. Arriving at the tent alone, she moves around to the back and slips into the hidden compartment in the wall.


    I don¡¯t need to waste any potions to hide until someone else comes back here.


    She moves sideways, creating distance between herself and the entrances in and out of the space, curving around the tent for a couple of steps before sitting down on the floor at the point where the internal and external walls meet. After settling down, Emily starts summoning her scouts into her hands.


    She releases two spiders, rolling them both towards the tent¡¯s entrance as they unfurl themselves. They scuttle over to the exit flap, holding the bottom open and waiting for their bird brethren to leave. The birds waddle past, moving slowly on their mechanical feet before spreading their wings outside and soaring into the air.


    Emily directs each of the four birds to find a high perch overlooking each of the sides of the tent, watching for anyone approaching. One of the spiders leaves the flap afterwards, scurrying over to the closest building and up the wall, positioning itself in a shadow watching the tent¡¯s hidden entrance. The other spider releases the flap and turns around instead, pushing further into the tent and settling out of Fox¡¯s line of sight to watch her.


    Emily remains still, with her eyes shut, watching the feeds from her scouts calmly, a vial of her potion resting in her palm at the ready. She stays like this for over half an hour, never spotting anything out of the ordinary. A few of the market¡¯s visitors enter the tent in that time, and Fox greets them with a smile, offering to sell crests to them. No one shows much interest, leaving once they realise they have no interest in what she¡¯s selling, but Fox¡¯s gentle smile never leaves her face.


    Eventually, one of Emily¡¯s birds spots something that draws her attention. Weaving through the market, with a familiar level of skill, is a scruffy-looking man in torn clothes. He has grey hair, and his face is marked by time, appearing to be in his late fifties.


    Vagrant?


    He slips between a tent and a building, heading in a straight line towards The Crystal Skull tent. Emily¡¯s bird takes off from its perch, following him from above as he approaches. She drinks the potion in her hand as he steps into the view of the spider watching the hidden entrance, and, by the time he slips into the hidden compartment, Emily is invisible once again.


    He repeats the same process as Barbarian, listening for a while before whistling to alert Fox to his presence.


    ¡°Enter,¡± Fox calls, and he obliges. ¡°Report.¡±


    ¡°My informants spotted someone who may be a target leaving the nearby station about an hour ago and heading towards the market. But they were moving fast and covering their face, so we have no confirmation,¡± Vagrant croaks, receiving a nod from Fox to continue. ¡°I¡¯ve almost finished spreading my influence into the trading district, but most possible informants are already in the pockets of the merchants, so it¡¯s proving difficult. I think I¡¯ve pushed as much as I can without drawing unwanted attention.¡±


    ¡°How much control do you have?¡± Fox asks with a glare.


    ¡°About twenty per cent of the homeless population, and five per cent of the low-income shopkeepers.¡±


    ¡°Fucking useless. How many resources have I given you so far, for only twenty per cent control? Do you even have anyone on the higher layers?¡±


    ¡°I do! I¡¯ve managed to get twenty people on the fifth layer of the district!¡± Vagrant argues, his brow creased into a frown.


    ¡°That¡¯s passable I guess,¡± Fox sighs, starting to turn back to the tent¡¯s front entrance.


    ¡°At least I¡¯m staying at my post,¡± Vagrant grumbles, pulling Fox¡¯s attention back as she fixes him with a chilling gaze, making even Emily shiver slightly as she watches through a spider.


    ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    Vagrant flinches back, sweat starting to fall from his brow.


    ¡°I had some of my informants watching, and they¡¯ve seen Lurker straying into my territory again. My territory¡¯s nowhere near her posts so she¡¯s clearly disobeying orders,¡± he scrambles to explain in panic.


    ¡°What did I tell you about spying on the others?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it. It just draws more attention to us and makes me a weak point.¡± Vagrant gulps, stepping back.


    ¡°Oh? So, I have told you. That¡¯s good!¡± Fox¡¯s face melts into a warm smile as she stands up and approaches the cowering Vagrant.


    ¡°So, tell me then -¡± she grabs him by the throat, digging her nails into his skin, ¡°Why are you still doing it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he chokes through her grip. ¡°I¡¯ll kill all the informants with Lurker¡¯s description and stop. I¡¯m so sorry. It won¡¯t happen again!¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Fox says, releasing her hand and patting his cheek. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t want to find out what happens when you disobey orders a third time, now would we?¡±


    Vagrant shakes his head, sighing in relief and massaging his lightly bleeding neck as Fox returns to her seat.


    ¡°Since you already know where she is, go tell Lurker to report in so I can switch her posts and question why she¡¯s disobeying orders as well. Now, get out of my sight.¡±


    Vagrant doesn¡¯t waste any time before turning and walking out of the tent.


    Jackpot! Time to find the last member.


    Emily stands up, dropping her connection with her scouts and following Vagrant out. He heads across the market before ducking into an exit stairwell. Emily follows him up, the potion in her system deadening her footsteps. She slips out through the door behind him as he steps out into the sunlight again.


    ¡°Well hello again, cutie. It¡¯s not often someone escapes me, and none of them were dumb enough to return. Did your escape give you the confidence to come back?¡±


    ¡°It did! Did killing so many other mages give you the confidence to target me?¡± Emily responds with a confident smirk.


    ¡°Ha. You¡¯re nothing special, honey. You were lucky to get away the first time. Why did you return?¡±


    Emily notices Fox¡¯s eyes shifting towards the entrance behind her, her brow flickering in annoyance.


    ¡°Looking for someone following me?¡± Emily asks, her smirk only growing. ¡°Sorry. But your associates won¡¯t be coming to help you.¡±


    Fox¡¯s eyes narrow.


    ¡°Who says I need them? What can you even do in here?¡± She glances towards her burning incense as she speaks, clearly unnerved by Emily¡¯s confidence.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Why don¡¯t you ask Barbarian? Or maybe Lurker. Though, you don¡¯t seem to like them or Vagrant, so maybe you¡¯ll ask Stray instead?¡± Emily teases.


    A look of horror forms on Fox¡¯s face, but before she can think to respond to Emily¡¯s provocation, a high-pitched hiss sounds off as Emily squeezes the trigger of the Spitter. A bullet silently bores a hole through Fox¡¯s chest, straight through her heart.


    ¡°Sorry, but if I gave you time to process that you¡¯d probably crack that tooth. I don¡¯t plan on letting any of you go on your own terms,¡± Emily says with sadistic glee.


    Fox gasps breathlessly, looking down at her chest and the crimson flood slowly painting her clothes. She reaches up a hand and presses it to her chest while looking up at Emily again with intense, seething rage.


    ¡°Don¡¯t blame me,¡± Emily says spitefully, raising her gun out of her robes. ¡°You targeted me first.¡±


    Lightning flickers in Emily¡¯s eyes as she places a bullet between Fox¡¯s.


    Four down.


    Fox¡¯s brain splatters onto the tent behind her before her head drops lifelessly onto the table in front of her. Blood leaks from her skull, pooling around the collection of crests, mirroring their bloody origin.


    Emily takes a deep breath and shuts her eyes, reining in her anger. After regaining her calm, Emily walks around the table and pulls out the chair from under Fox¡¯s body, which drops to the floor, before sitting down facing the hidden entrance to wait for Vagrant¡¯s arrival.


    Sitting alone in silence, Emily''s eyes eventually drift over to the corpse beside her, and a small frown creases her brow.


    I just killed four people without batting an eye.


    ¡°I even enjoyed it,¡± she mutters in confusion.


    I swear I should have more of a problem with murder. Have I desensitised myself by killing people during frozen time? I mean, I didn¡¯t really have any problems letting people die on the expedition, but I haven¡¯t actually killed a person permanently yet myself. Wait... Have I?


    She quickly opens her system notifications and flicks back to the start.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Congratulations on your first kill!


    [Reward granted]


    Sub-system unlocked: Progression


    _____


    I got rewarded for my first kill, but I reset time after that and never killed anyone else before the end of that loop. Does it not follow the same rules because it was a system reward, not a quest? Or had I actually already killed someone? I did leave a few people in very bad states before Dad took me in. Now that I think about it, I never confirmed if they lived or died.


    Emily¡¯s frown deepens.


    Logically, most of them tried to kill me. But, realistically, can I say the arms dealer deserved death? He didn¡¯t actively try to kill me, just send me towards those who would. Should I not have killed him?


    The thought of mercy makes Emily¡¯s skin crawl, her stomach twisting into a knot. She shakes her head and leans back in her chair, relaxing and shutting her eyes to focus on the hot and cold dance of mana and machina through her body, letting it soothe her mind and calm her emotions.


    A few minutes later, a whistle comes from the compartment before her. Emily silently raises the Spitter, her eyes still shut, and fires a shot. She opens her eyes to see Vagrant¡¯s body drop against the fabric, parting the entrance and falling into view with a hole through his right eye and out the back of his head.


    ¡°Blood for blood,¡± she whispers a phrase she heard a lot in the slums, feeling it resonate with her core and calm the discomfort within. She lets a smile creep onto her lips again: ¡°I guess I¡¯m just a murderer.¡±

 Chapter 87 – Gifts

    Chapter 87 ¨C Gifts


    Emily stands up, her heart calm with acceptance as she strips the two warm corpses lying before her in the tent of their magical possessions. She also takes the inhibition incense, finding a few spare sticks tucked away on a shelf beneath the table, before removing the Spitter¡¯s silencer and holstering it again. She glances at the scattered noble emblems on the table, hesitating for a moment.


    I may get a reward for returning these, but it will probably garner more attention than I want right now.


    Deciding against it, Emily leaves, heading to the closest exit and returning to the surface. She makes her way across the city towards The Broken Keg, following the same route Vagrant led her along last reset.


    Arriving at the pub, Emily looks in through the dirty windows at the gathered patrons.


    That¡¯s a lot of witnesses.


    She scans the booths lining the walls, quickly picking out the one housing Lurker.


    I¡¯m not hiding my mana signature right now and Lurker doesn¡¯t seem to care. She¡¯s probably not checking her detection crystal. I could use a brew of imperception, but I¡¯d rather not waste those when I don¡¯t think I can get more shadow boa.


    She turns, looking back at an alley on the other side of the street that lines up roughly with The Broken Keg¡¯s windows.


    That could work.


    Emily walks across the street into the alley, finding it empty other than a few piles of rubbish from the homes bordering it. She continues for a few metres, until the alley starts to curve, before turning to face the pub again.


    She summons the Whisper, its cold grip dropping into her outstretched hand. She tucks the hefty rifle into her shoulder, standing in a balanced, neutral stance, and places her face against the cheek rest. She reaches one hand up and adjusts the scope¡¯s dials, setting the range and bringing the pub windows across the street into focus. Emily¡¯s eyes glow orange, lighting up the dark alley, as she looks between the gaps in the booths for the heat of Lurker¡¯s body.


    Found you.


    Emily smiles a predatory grin as she adjusts her aim. Her thumb flicks the firing selector to silent before she gently squeezes the trigger. The rifle lights up with a green glow and kicks back fiercely, but Emily barely flinches, absorbing the impact, as the bullet tears out of the barrel with a sharp hiss, spiralling through the air in a straight line towards her target.


    The bullet shatters the window, before boring a hole through the solitary booth¡¯s wall and the head on the other side. It keeps going, burying itself deep into the metal wall in the corner of the building.


    Emily sees Lurker flop lifelessly onto the table in front of her then lowers the gun, racking the bolt and catching the spinning cartridge it ejects.


    Targets eliminated.


    She stores the weapon again and turns to continue through the alleyway, looking at the cartridge in her hand. An idea strikes her, so she pops a blade out of a Claw as she walks and gently carves a crystalline skull with a dagger through the top into the side of the cartridge. She flicks the finished memento up and catches it, sliding it into a pouch on her utility belt as she ignores the panicked screams fading away behind her.


    ***


    The remainder of the time before their expedition passes quickly. Juliana insists on taking over the mundane preparations completely, dealing with food, transport, and shelter for the group, to take some of the burden off Emily¡¯s shoulders. This leaves Emily plenty of time for the rest of the prep, and she soon finds herself sitting in her room, gearing up for another foray into The Glade.


    Most of her gear remains the same, but her body armour has undergone a slight remodel. Tracing the spine along the back of the armour now sit eight reinforced glass tubes, filled with glistening red liquid. Each tube has a sleek metal housing that contains an injector system that can be activated with a small spark of machina.


    Emily finishes fitting the Claws to her arms and gives herself a once over before standing up. She throws on a fresh set of black waterproof robes that she finished enchanting last night, with blue runes woven into the inner layer, and grabs a small, wide-mouthed backpack covered in purple runes, a spatial bag she has prepared for Tom.


    She walks to the door and opens it to leave, running into Juliana standing with her hand raised to knock. She¡¯s wearing a simplified version of Emily¡¯s body armour, with a weight reduction array and a weakened resistance array, using only earth crystals due to low metal crystal availability, and no injector system. Emily looks her up and down, appreciating the battle-ready look far more than her usual mage attire, and noting the canvas bag held at her hip.


    ¡°Morning,¡± Juliana greets her cheerfully, throwing her arms around Emily¡¯s neck and giving her a kiss.


    ¡°Morning,¡± Emily responds with a smirk after they separate. ¡°What you got there?¡±


    ¡°Weaving stuff. Can you keep it in your spatial storage please?¡± Juliana responds with puppy dog eyes.


    ¡°Haha, I¡¯ll do you one better,¡± Emily says, reaching into The Clock¡¯s pouch and pulling out a delicate necklace.


    The chain is made of alternating black and white metal links, with miniscule purple runes carved into the white ones. The pendant hanging from it is a carefully crafted white lily. In the centre is a glittering purple crystal, surrounded by spiralling purple runes spreading out along the petals, and on the back is a second small crystal, recessed into the metal to allow the pendant to sit comfortably.


    ¡°Here.¡± Emily presents the gift with a gentle smile and a light blush on her cheeks.


    Tom excitedly takes the chance to use his new spatial storage and pulls out several sandwiches to distribute amongst them. As they all eat, enjoying the view, Emily turns her attention away from the forest and to her teammates.


    ¡°Hey, Tom,¡± she calls lightly to grab his attention. ¡°Here, take this.¡±


    She reaches out a hand, summoning an item from her belt and handing it to him. He looks confused for a moment, before realisation flashes across his eyes as he glances down at the similar shape fastened to Emily¡¯s thigh.


    ¡°Is this a gun?¡±


    ¡°Yep! Since you can¡¯t use proper attack spells, I thought it only reasonable to give you another way to defend yourself, just in case. And since you don¡¯t know how to use a sword properly, I figured a gun was probably the easiest option,¡± Emily explains.


    The gun she hands him is a boxy black pistol. It¡¯s far less elegant than Emily¡¯s personal weapons, looking like a lumpy box with a handle, the magazine beneath sitting an inch below the base instead of sitting flush. Tom turns it in his hand, his eyes glowing.


    ¡°Thanks, Emily!¡±


    ¡°No problem. It¡¯s yours now.¡± She summons a leather harness and hands it to him as well. ¡°Strap it under your arm with that. It should sit comfortably in your left armpit with some spare magazines under your right.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why you took my measurements,¡± Tom mutters, spinning the harness around trying to work it out.


    After a few seconds, he tangles the harness while putting his arms in. Hester rolls her eyes before shifting to sit behind him and taking the harness from his hands to help.


    ¡°It takes the same bullets as a standard revolver if you ever need to buy more. I¡¯ll teach you how to load the mags once you¡¯ve shot it a few times. To fire, just flick the safety up, the switch at your thumb, and squeeze the trigger. Leave it down when you¡¯re not using it, and never point it at something you don¡¯t want to shoot, even if you think it¡¯s on safe. Finally, it should be pretty much silent: so it¡¯s safe to use in there,¡± Emily says, gesturing to The Glade with her head before adding: ¡°Oh! Just don¡¯t try taking it, or the magazines, apart. There¡¯s a nasty mix of magic and explosives in there for anyone trying to reverse engineer it.¡±


    Tom pales at the warning, looking up with shock.


    ¡°Wait. Is it safe to use?¡±


    Emily scoffs at his question, looking past him to Hester, leaving him to his panic as punishment for not trusting her workmanship.


    ¡°Have you learned the spells I gave you yet?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned protective bubble, cleanse, and a few projectile attacks, but it¡¯s gonna take me a while to finish them all,¡± Hester answers while tightening the straps around Tom¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Wait, you gave her spells?¡± Enzo asks confusedly.


    ¡°Yeah, I passed along a few basic second circle spells I bought since she didn¡¯t have enough points to buy them,¡± Emily answers with a shrug.


    ¡°Wow! Everyone gets gifts but us. I see how it is,¡± Dante says with his hand on his heart in mock offence.


    ¡°Ha. I¡¯ll show you some pretty explosions later. How¡¯s that for a gift?¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Dante responds with a grin and a thumbs up, drawing a few chuckles from the group.


    ¡°Jokes aside, I do have stuff to give you two as well,¡± Emily summons a bundled up robe and tosses it to Dante.


    She repeats this, giving everyone in the group one.


    ¡°They¡¯re waterproof and tear resistant. Don¡¯t say I never get you nice things.¡±


    They finish their food, and Emily gives Juliana one last squeeze before standing up and leading them towards the edge of The Glade. Before they cross the boundary, Emily turns to face them all, the looming trees standing tall behind her.


    ¡°Right, this is it,¡± Emily begins with a serious expression. ¡°Once we step into these trees, consider it an active battlefield. I won¡¯t let any of you die, but it¡¯s still dangerous, so stay on your toes and if you spot anything you think may be dangerous please say something immediately. I¡¯d rather have false alarms than miss something. I won¡¯t tell you a formation to keep or anything, but try to keep Tom surrounded at all times if possible, and never move further forwards than me unless I tell you to.¡±


    She falls silent, looking between her friends¡¯ faces. She sees calm confidence on those of the three who¡¯ve been into The Glade with her before, and a twinge of uncertainty and anxiety mixed with resolve in the eyes of the other three. Grinning, Emily nods and receives six firm nods back. She turns on her heels and steps forward.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this then.¡±

 Chapter 88 – Into the Forest Again

    Chapter 88 ¨C Into the Forest Again


    Emily steps into the treeline, her friends close behind, feeling the dense mana wrap around her like a comfortable blanket. She takes a deep breath, appreciating the weight pressing on her shoulders and the lack of rain to start their journey, before glancing back at her friends. Dante, Enzo, and Ivor barely react, but the other three show signs of discomfort, with Tom¡¯s reaction being the strongest.


    I see. The higher your circle and the more mana you can control, the more at home you feel in areas of high mana density. The slight oppressive feeling I got last time I stepped into The Glade is completely gone for me now.


    She gives her friends a few moments to adjust before continuing into the trees. As she walks, Emily summons two balled-up bird scouts and tosses them into the air. They rapidly unfurl, flapping their wings to stabilise their rotation before floating down to land on Emily¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°You made any more like Harold?¡± Juliana asks, referring to the bird Emily made and gifted her for her seventeenth. ¡°Why are you letting them out here?¡±


    ¡°These guys are a little different from Harold,¡± Emily explains, cringing slightly at her girlfriend¡¯s chosen name for the poor clockwork bird. ¡°For him to work, you have to wind him up, then he¡¯ll fly around for a bit before landing, right? Well, I¡¯m controlling these guys, and they have surveillance arrays inside to let me see through their eyes. They¡¯re very useful scouts.¡±


    ¡°Woah!¡±


    Juliana reaches out to pet one of the birds as Emily puts her hands into the pouches at her hips, pulling out two dark bronze contraptions with cuboid bodies and four thin, multi-jointed legs. She lifts them towards the birds, under her friends¡¯ curious gazes, and places them to the scouts¡¯ chests. Immediately, the legs curl around the birds, clasping the contraption to their chests and letting out a small orange glow for a second at the connection point.


    ¡°This attachment - I call it a thermal pack - adds my infra-sight spell to their surveillance arrays.¡±


    The birds spread their wings and take off, disappointing Juliana. Emily sends one of them into the air above the canopy, and makes the other weave between the trees ahead of them, before offloading the control and observation of both to one core and temporarily designating it the scout core.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just include thermal vision in the original surveillance spell?¡± Enzo asks as the birds vanish above them.


    ¡°Thermal vision makes them power hungry. I¡¯m gonna have to refill them every few hours now: without it, I could fly them for a day before needing to. Also, making the array modular like this means I can give them other augments like night vision or mana tracking instead,¡± Emily explains, happy to talk about her creations.


    ¡°Wait, mana tracking? You can do that?¡± Hester asks.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve been messing around with mana detection crystals to try and add their properties to surveillance arrays. So far I can only use it to see rough outlines of mana signatures within short distances of the array though, so it¡¯s kind of useless for the birds.¡±


    They keep walking through The Glade, the casual conversation and calm confidence exuding from Emily and the three forest veterans slowly easing the unease of the newcomers. In the early evening, a couple of hours before they should arrive at the first clearing to set up camp, and a few hours after the start of a torrential downpour, Emily¡¯s scout core alerts her to motion ahead.


    She quickly focuses on the feed of the bird above the trees, seeing a few faint orange shapes moving towards them a few hundred metres ahead. She sends the lower bird closer before switching focus to its view, stopping at its maximum range from her of just over a hundred metres. The shapes soon come into view, and Emily sees three ocelax sprinting towards them.


    ¡°Three ocelax a hundred metres ahead of us,¡± she calls over the loud rainfall. ¡°Jules, Hester, Tom, you three deal with them.¡±


    The three call out acknowledgement as Emily stops and lets them pass her to confront the cats. Enzo, Dante, and Ivor all come to stand next to her, watching the three newbies setting up in silence.


    Hester and Juliana both start chanting, conjuring a half-moon blade of water and a barely perceptible arrow of wind respectively that hover in front of them at the ready. Tom raises his new pistol, bracing it with both arms fully tensed before him.


    His form¡¯s awful. I¡¯ll have to teach him properly later.


    ¡°They¡¯re here,¡± Emily calls out lightly, tracking the ocelax with her birds the whole time and never letting them out of her sight.


    As if on cue, the first of the three cats leaps from the bushes, racing towards Tom. He pulls the trigger, his aim shaking at the recoil and sending a bullet into the cat¡¯s shoulder.


    At least he didn¡¯t hesitate.


    The cat tumbles to the ground, groaning in pain. Tom fires a second shot, this time nailing it in the head and ending the beast¡¯s suffering. Juliana and Hester on the other hand, both release their spells at the same ocelax, piercing its chest and splitting its head in half.


    Emily clicks her tongue, summoning a small throwing knife and whipping her arm forwards, sending the blade careening into the third cat¡¯s skull, dropping it before it can try to attack the others. All three of her friends turn back to her, Tom triumphantly, the other two sheepishly, embarrassed by their mistake.


    ¡°Nice try. Tom, well done on not freaking out when the cat approached you,¡± she says, making the boy¡¯s proud grin grow. ¡°However, your form isn¡¯t the best, and you almost missed your first shot. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll teach you a bit once we set up camp and we should fix that quickly.¡±


    Tom nods, reining in his confidence quickly.


    Enzo and Ivor acknowledge her plan and move to help set up tents. Emily turns her full attention to her little helpers. She has three birds and one spider, all clung to different parts of her body: the birds on her shoulders and head, the spider on the back of her left hand with its legs wrapped around her palm.


    She summons three thermal packs for the birds, clipping them onto their little chests, and a much bulkier pack for the spider. The spider¡¯s pack is twice the size of the thermal pack, and contains an earth stone and the runes to add earthen detection to the scout.


    Unlike the thermal pack, which simply overlays thermal sight onto the existing vision array in the birds, the vibration pack is much more complicated. It fully reworks the surveillance array to remove the visual aspect and focus on building an image through detecting vibrations.


    With the normal earthen detection spell, the mage who¡¯s casting in recieves basic information on any strong vibrations nearby, and they can use that to infer what¡¯s approaching. But, the new array Emily has designed still does that while at the same time allowing the spider to tap its legs, releasing a small burst of earth mana in the form of an imperceptible tremor, and track the movement of the vibration caused to see its surroundings.


    Emily drops the spider to the floor, settling it down in the centre of the clearing for best coverage. The three birds spread across the clearing, vanishing into the trees above to watch their surroundings for heat.


    Finished with her set-up, Emily moves away from the tents her friends are setting up and pulls out the ocelax corpse.


    ¡°Tom, leave Hester your bag and come over here!¡±


    He follows her instructions, quickly hurrying over to join her. She pulls out a knife and shows him how to skin and butcher the corpse before handing off some chunks of meat to Dante to cook. He happily obliges, setting up a small campfire and grabbing cooking utensils from Hester, who quickly takes over after noticing his lack of cooking skill.


    Emily moves on to give Tom some light firearms training as the smell of sizzling meat and spices fills the clearing. She finishes her crash-course moments before Juliana calls them over to eat.


    ¡°Food¡¯s ready!¡±


    ¡°Coming,¡± Emily responds, watching Tom slide his pistol home smoothly into its holster. ¡°Perfect. That¡¯s everything for now. Practise quick-draws when you have free time to make sure you¡¯ll be able to react to an attack in time, and you¡¯ll be golden.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Emily. I really don¡¯t know how to repay you,¡± Tom says sheepishly, scratching his cheek. ¡°You¡¯ve gone out of your way to bring me along, even though I won¡¯t be much help.¡±


    ¡°Ha,¡± Emily chuckles, patting him on the shoulder and walking past him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m just happy to have made some friends.¡±


    You made my time in The Dome more enjoyable. That¡¯s worth a few hours of my life to help you at least.


    They join their friends around the campfire, eating the surprisingly tasty ocelax meat.


    ¡°This is so much better than before!¡± Dante says with glee, ripping apart a chunk of meat with his teeth.


    Emily, Ivor, and Enzo all nod in agreement.


    ¡°It¡¯s crazy what you can do when you actually bring seasoning. I¡¯m honestly surprised Oscar didn¡¯t,¡± Emily comments, looking to Hester with gratitude. ¡°Thanks for cooking for us.¡±


    ¡°No problem. Dante looked like he wanted to throw the meat into the fire without even using a pan. I fear for what we would be eating right now if I hadn¡¯t taken over,¡± Hester says dryly, making the pyromaniac blanche.


    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m not that bad!¡±


    They all laugh, and their meal quickly passes. Afterwards, Emily and Hester clean up with a few casts of cleanse, before everyone starts heading towards their tents.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wake Ivor for second watch, then Enzo¡¯s on third, and Dante¡¯s on fourth. Sound good?¡± Emily asks before they turn in.


    Receiving nods of approval from everyone, Emily turns towards the edge of the clearing to find a nice tree to climb up, but Juliana follows her.


    ¡°What are you doing? You should go to sleep,¡± Emily says, deciding against scaling a tree and instead sitting down with her back against one, facing her girlfriend.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Juliana chirps quietly, dropping down against Emily¡¯s side and laying her head on her shoulder. ¡°I may not be able to help much, but I¡¯m at least sitting through your watches with you.¡±


    Emily smiles and slips her arm around Juliana. She plants a silent kiss on Juliana¡¯s head before leaning her cheek against the same spot and sending two of her cores to sleep, ready to wait out the night.

 Chapter 89 – Acceptance

    Chapter 89 ¨C Acceptance


    Emily and Juliana sit in silence, enjoying each other¡¯s company, for the first hour of the night watch. Not a single beast approaches their camp and, eventually, Juliana breaks the silence.


    ¡°Why do you need to leave?¡± she asks quietly, catching Emily off guard.


    Emily opens her mouth to respond but has to pause for a moment to work out an explanation through the twistings of guilt and grief threatening to choke her again. Juliana notices her hesitation and continues quickly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m blaming you or anything. I understand the Mandrago family did some horrible things and you need revenge. But, why does that mean you have to leave The Covenant?¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Emily breathes a small sigh of relief, her emotions calming a little. ¡°Since I¡¯m a vassal of their house, what I want to do will be seen as insubordination and betrayal. The royal family and The Covenant won¡¯t take kindly to that. It¡¯s likely I will be sentenced to death or life imprisonment if I don¡¯t flee afterwards.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you tell everyone about what they¡¯re doing and just leave them then?¡± Juliana asks, pulling away a little to turn to face Emily. ¡°I looked into the law about conflict between noble households and if you separate and get granted a noble title then, even if you attacked them unprovoked and killed several of their members, you¡¯d only get a slap on the wrist. There¡¯s even a past example of someone getting let off for slaughtering an entire noble household right after being granted their title.¡±


    Juliana¡¯s face scrunches in distaste at the end.


    Ha, that¡¯s probably Jenny.


    ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s not that simple,¡± Emily says with a pained smile as she reaches up to push a few stray strands of hair out of Juliana¡¯s face. ¡°There are a lot of households doing the same so they¡¯ll likely support them and try to cover it up. Also, even if I separate from the Mandrago family, it will still be seen as a betrayal if I turn on them afterwards. There will be a lot of pushback from their faction, which will likely make my sentencing harsher than the past cases, and nobody, allied to them or not, will look positively on me assassinating one of the kingdom¡¯s fourth circle mages. Also, they believe I¡¯m brainwashed right now. If I request a noble title, they¡¯ll realise I¡¯m not and will probably expect me to come after them. That, and they could target Anna instead, who they currently have no reason to harm.¡±


    Tears start to form in Juliana¡¯s eyes as she looks for a way out.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you go collect Anna, then request a title? That way you can kill them with the least punishment and risk.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not confident I can take a fourth circle mage head-on, especially if they¡¯re expecting me and given time to prepare.¡±


    ¡°Then wait till you can! You can take your sister to my family¡¯s territory. We¡¯ll happily protect her while you grow, and I¡¯m sure, seeing how talented you are, it won¡¯t take long,¡± Juliana says desperately, her eyes begging Emily to say yes.


    ¡°And turn the hostility of a marquess on your family as well?¡± Emily whispers sadly. ¡°Would your family go to war for me? Fight the Mandragos, maybe their allies as well, so that I can get revenge? A surprise attack is my best change. The longer I drag this out, the more variables are introduced, and the more dangerous it gets.¡±


    Juliana falls silent for a few seconds, holding Emily¡¯s gaze with an expression of heartbreak and sorrow. Emily feels herself starting to cry as a hollow, selfish thought gnaws at the back of her mind, weeping for a suggestion she knows will never come.Chee?ck out latest novels at novelhall.com


    Did she never even consider the possibility of coming with me?


    ¡°Is that it then? Are we done?¡±


    Juliana¡¯s words fall like a blade on Emily¡¯s heart, severing her final hope as she wipes the tears from her girlfriend¡¯s cheek with her thumb, her mind alight in a blaze of chaotic thoughts.


    I want to tell her no. I want to say we¡¯ll live long lives and I¡¯ll be back in a few years. But I also don¡¯t think she¡¯ll ever be able to keep up with me. Or want to. I want to fight strong opponents. I want to explore the wonders of magic. I want to go to space. I need to progress... She doesn¡¯t...


    Emily¡¯s emotions churn and the mana around her reacts to her plight. It bubbles into water, forming a shifting cloud of sadness around the two of them, small artificial raindrops joining the natural drizzle. Juliana doesn¡¯t even notice, her attention fixed solely on Emily.


    ¡°Yeah. I think so,¡± Emily finally answers, the icy lump forming in her heart once again.


    Juliana¡¯s barely restrained tears turn into a torrent as she grabs Emily and pulls her in tight, sobbing into her shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Emily apologises meekly through her sorrow.


    ***


    They cry in each other¡¯s arms for a while until their tears run dry and Emily¡¯s spider spots incoming beasts. Her eyebrow creases in irritation as she sends one of her birds to intercept them and moves a hand from Juliana¡¯s hair to tap her back.


    ¡°There¡¯s something coming,¡± she says gently while pulling away. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    Juliana nods and releases her. Emily stands up and turns away to walk across the camp.


    Juliana¡¯s eyes flutter open at Emily¡¯s words, bringing a smirk to Emily¡¯s face.


    It just takes mentioning food to wake her.


    Emily slips out of the sleeping bag and stands up. She summons her body armour back into place, taking a few moments to adjust how it sits to make it more comfortable, before summoning her various pieces of battle gear and fastening them back into position.


    Juliana rises as she¡¯s gearing up, throwing on her own clothes and armour. Emily helps her adjust the body armour before they leave the tent together, meeting Dante and Hester sitting around a small fire with skewers of meat suspended above it, a barely perceptible drizzle falling on their heads.


    ¡°Morning,¡± Hester greets them casually as they approach.


    ¡°Morning,¡± they both say back, sitting down beside the fire.


    ¡°Sleep well?¡± Dante asks with a teasing grin, glancing towards the tent they shared.


    Emily rolls her eyes and ignores him, but Juliana throws her arms around Emily¡¯s neck, hanging off her, and responding with a cheery grin.


    ¡°Of course! Emi¡¯s really comfy.¡±


    Hester and Emily giggle at her answer, and Dante chuckles before turning back to the fire, unable to keep teasing Juliana after her honest response.


    Ivor, Enzo, and Tom slowly join them as the skewers finish cooking, and their breakfast passes peacefully. Afterwards, they pack their tents back into Tom¡¯s bag. Once the clearing is empty, and they¡¯re ready to set off, Emily recalls all her scouts but one.


    She has the last bird fly up to the sound barrier disc, landing on top and pressing a button. The disc hisses as the anchors are ripped free from the surrounding trees and swiftly pulled back into their housing. The disc drops into Emily¡¯s waiting hands, and she sends it straight into her belt before leading the group onward into the forest.


    ***


    They walk on through the trees and fog, with Emily occasionally checking the guide pose to make sure they¡¯re going in the right direction. They encounter nothing more than small groups of beasts in their first few days in the forest. Emily has Tom, Hester, and Juliana deal with most of them, to get used to real combat, but takes over whenever the groups coming at them exceed four in number.


    On the morning of the fifth day, Emily finishes working on her new spell a few minutes before the end of Dante¡¯s watch.


    Perfect! I finished it just in time to test it in the forest before we enter the caves. Let¡¯s call it... Scattershot!


    With a new spell in the third circle section of her spellbook, Emily slides out from under Juliana and leaves the tent early. She finds Dante sitting alone against a tree, his hood pulled down low to protect from the violent rain above. With a small flex of her magical prowess, a pulse of water spreads from Emily, forming a thin shield over their cramped camp, packed into a small clearing barely big enough to fit their tents.


    The water shield blocks the incoming rain, giving Dante respite.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he says, looking up as Emily approaches. ¡°I wish I had mana to burn on a defensive spell against the rain.¡±


    ¡°Ha, your defensive spell would burn all the trees around us along with your mana,¡± Emily says with a smirk, sitting down next to him.


    Dante clicks his tongue, as if all his plans have been ruined, drawing a chuckle from Emily as she casts cleanse to dry him off. They sit in silence after, waiting out the last few minutes till they wake everyone else.


    When the time comes, Dante walks over to where Tom¡¯s bag is left outside his tent and starts getting things out to prepare for breakfast while Emily calls for everyone to wake up, and moves back to her and Juliana¡¯s tent. She pokes her head in, chuckling as she sees Juliana crawl deeper into her sleeping bag.


    ¡°Wake up, Jules. There¡¯ll be no food left if you take too long,¡± she threatens softly.


    ¡°Lies,¡± Juliana grumbles, peeking her head out of the sleeping back to glare at Emily. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±


    Emily doesn¡¯t respond, flashing her a cheeky grin. Juliana¡¯s cheeks puff out as she finally sits up.


    ¡°Meanie.¡±


    Emily laughs, resisting the urge to pinch her cute cheeks, as she turns around: choosing to ignore the quietly muttered promise of revenge.

 Chapter 90 – New Spells

    Chapter 90 ¨C New Spells


    Emily sits down next to Dante as he sets up a small fire using some dry wood from within Tom¡¯s bag and roasts skewers of a razor-fanged wolf he killed during the night.


    ¡°Wow, you actually butchered something on your own?¡± Emily asks with mock surprise.


    ¡°It gave me something to do,¡± he grumbles back. ¡°Sitting on watch on my own is so boring!¡±


    ¡°Wow, bored after a few days. Now you know how we felt after weeks,¡± Emily says with a snort.


    Their friends slowly start joining them before the food is done cooking, drawn by the smell of sizzling meat.


    ¡°Did you even season those?¡± Hester asks as she sits down opposite Dante and Emily.


    ¡°Yep!¡± Dante says proudly. ¡°I used the mix you made.¡±


    Emily resists the urge to laugh at his pride over following instructions, focusing on Hester instead.


    ¡°Did you kick your brother?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he should be up in a second.¡±


    ¡°Good, I didn¡¯t expect waking up to be the biggest challenge on this expedition,¡± Emily says dryly, thinking of their twenty-minute delay yesterday because Tom refused to get up.


    Juliana walks over as they chat, sporting a mischievous grin. Dante goes to hand Emily a finished skewer, but Juliana steps between them and drops down into Emily¡¯s lap with all her weight. Emily plays along, letting out a pained grunt even though the impact barely bothers her as she wraps her arms around her girlfriend¡¯s waist and rests her chin on her shoulder.


    Juliana takes the skewer Dante was offering and starts munching on it with a self-satisfied smile. Dante gives Juliana a small, amused nod before continuing as if nothing happened. He hands finished skewers to everyone else, purposefully leaving Emily till last.


    Emily rolls her eyes, unbothered, and addresses the group once they¡¯re all eating.


    ¡°We should reach the tunnel down into The Crystal Waters by this evening. We¡¯re probably going to run into a lot more beasts today, and I have a new spell to test, so I¡¯m going to take over combat for now.¡±


    Nobody has any complaints, so they finish their meal and pack up their camp quickly. An hour into the morning trek, Emily hears a faint boom ahead, slightly off their intended path.


    Pop frogs?


    She sends one of her birds up above the canopy into the free skies where the mist thins a little. The sight she sees makes her eyes light up as a large smile spreads across her face.


    ¡°I just found the perfect target for my test. Follow me,¡± Emily says, turning to the right.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Juliana asks, following close behind her.


    ¡°A huge flock of sominal bombers!¡±


    ¡°How big is huge?¡± Hester asks.


    ¡°About fourteen. No, wait, make that fifteen,¡± Emily says, watching another bird rise from the trees to join the flock. ¡°And they seem pretty agitated, so probably whatever they¡¯re attacking too.¡±


    Juliana, Hester, and Enzo start chanting, preparing defensive spells, just in case, after hearing the numbers. Emily doesn¡¯t say anything, inwardly chuckling.


    They won¡¯t get a chance to attack us.


    Emily stops a hundred metres away from the flock, holding up a hand to signal for her group to halt. They react instantly, falling silent and stopping dead in their tracks.


    Emily stands still, landing all of her birds and ignoring them to free up threads, two of her cores still asleep. She quickly pulls upon her magical perception, spread by a free thread as she approaches, and begins casting her new spell. She locates all of her targets: fifteen sominal bombers; twelve pop frogs in their clutches; and five razor fangs on the floor below them. She directly brands all of them with her mana, writing a few runes that don¡¯t even qualify as a spell onto each, dividing them into two groups.


    Glowing green and silver runes flow out of Emily, encasing her in a spinning matrix of letters and geometric patterns within a second. At the centre of the spell, silver mana slowly condenses into a mesmerising metal bow, the limbs twisting out from the handle like a tornado. It¡¯s then delicately wrapped in faint green mana that condenses into shimmering winds that flow through the grooves of the limbs, bursting out from the tips to connect together in a swirling string.


    Emily¡¯s friends are mesmerised by the beautiful weapon as Emily reaches up her left hand to grasp the handle. It fits perfectly, and she smiles as she raises the bow to the sky, pointing straight at the flock of birds. Her right hand draws back the barely visible bowstring, flexing the limbs back as more mana flows from the spell to condense into a thin, straight arrow of twisted metal.


    She holds it there for a second, waiting as more mana is poured into the arrow, wrapping it in a violently twisting gale.


    ¡°Scatter,¡± Emily declares with a wide grin, releasing the arrow.


    ¡°Simple compasses don¡¯t work in mana-dense regions,¡± Emily explains, holding her hand out to take back her instrument.


    ¡°Why?¡± Hester asks, earning an approving nod from Emily.


    ¡°Do any of you understand how compasses work?¡±


    Her friends fall silent for a few moments before Hester hesitantly says: ¡°The needle is pulled towards the north?¡±


    Emily sighs, raising a hand to rub the bridge of her nose.


    I wonder if their lack of knowledge reflects a lack of understanding in the kingdom, or education. My knowledge of this is all given by the system.


    ¡°I¡¯ll start with the basics then. Do you know what magnets are?¡±


    ¡°Metals that stick to metals!¡± Tom says proudly.


    ¡°Close enough. Think of magnets as objects with an aura of attraction around them, like a spell that draws in other magnets. The planet we¡¯re on, Ulea, has one large aura that will affect all other magnets on it. So, to make a compass, we place a small magnet,¡± she explains, holding up the compass and pointing to the needle in the middle. ¡°On a pivot, and it¡¯s automatically pulled towards the top of the planet, aka, north.¡±


    Murmured understanding spreads through the group.


    ¡°Why do mana-dense regions affect them then? Aren¡¯t they on the planet too?¡± Juliana asks.


    ¡°They are. But, the dense mana here has a stronger influence than the planet¡¯s light constant aura. So, the compass reacts to the fluctuation of mana instead of the planet¡¯s aura.¡±


    Though, I could probably make a compass resistant to the influence with the right alloy of magnetic and mana-resistant metals...


    She puts the compass away again, returning her focus to their path as she spots a few approaching beasts, probably drawn by the noise of pop frogs going off. She signals for her friends to stop, her mouth stretching into a grin as an idea strikes her.


    I¡¯ve shown them precision, now time for overwhelming power.


    ¡°Some mudscraps and ocelax are coming. Wait a moment,¡± Emily says calmly, casting another third circle spell.


    A crackling matrix of sky-blue runes flickers to life in front of her. The air around buzzes with energy as a giant orb, the size of Emily¡¯s torso, of violent lightning forms.


    Emily draws a rune on each of her teammates quickly, excluding them from the spell¡¯s targeting, as the beasts rush towards them through the trees. She holds the spell, watching the beasts through one of her birds and waiting for them to step into range. The five ocelax arrive first, stopping a few metres away from Emily, cautiously watching the giant ball of sizzling mana she controls and not approaching.


    Good choice, but not smart enough.


    The last of the eight approaching mudscraps steps within twenty metres of her, and she raises her hands dramatically, putting on a show for her audience.


    ¡°Arc!¡± she announces, clapping her hands together in time with a roaring thunder as she releases her spell.


    The orb of lightning that was contained by the carefully constructed spell matrix shakes, firing out searing tendrils of plasma. The thin lines of lightning stretch out, striking at the trees and beasts around them indiscriminately. Bark is burned black, leaves and bushes set alight, and the beasts howl in pain.


    Each deadly limb of mana released from the orb bounces from target to target, not doing a large amount of damage per impact, but not stopping either until they reach a distance of thirty metres from the orb, where they fizzle out. Power pours out of the spell, creating an electrically charged territory ruled by lightning.


    All of the beasts struck writhe in pain, unable to control themselves as tendrils repeatedly strike then leap away.


    All of them have been marked. Phase two.


    Emily moves her arms, grasping at the air in a precise, well-planned manner, like a conductor building up their orchestra into a roaring crescendo. The magic circle around the orb morphs, runes vanishing and being replaced, shapes bending and twisting to connect different points in a dizzying, twisting motion as the entire spell seems to shrink around the orb, constricting it and holding in the striking limbs, bringing quiet to the forest again.


    The orb of plasma starts to shake violently, compressing into a glistening ball the size of a fist that starts to buzz in a high-pitched hum. Emily¡¯s movement ceases suddenly, with both her hands clasped together, her fingers interlinked, pointing straight ahead.


    Her friends stand behind her in awed silence, watching the mesmerising display of mastery playing out before them. The beasts lying around in the trees quiver in place, unmoving, their skin still crackling with residual lightning even after the main assault has paused.


    ¡°Arc-bolt.¡± Emily¡¯s voice flows out, mixing with the crackling hum in a chilling declaration of death.


    Emily¡¯s hands relax and part as deafening noise and light fill the forest. A powerful roar shakes her friends to the core as a single, white line is drawn between every beast in the vicinity. The beam of plasma only targets the immobilised creatures, instantly ending their lives the moment it touches them as they are struck by millions of volts and an intense, searing heat.


    The beam hits all thirteen targets before vanishing, leaving nothing but stunned silence in its wake.

 Chapter 91 – Comfortable Journey

    Chapter 91 ¨C Comfortable Journey


    Emily surveys the destruction wrought by her spell with immense satisfaction. The blackened trees are still smouldering as more magical fog rolls in, smothering the small fires she has accidentally started, making her realise she managed to partially clear it with her spell.


    Curious. I can clear a large area of the fog with a single dispersed third circle spell. We needed Oscar to use airspace claim to achieve even half of this effect last time. I guess that¡¯s the difference in circles showing.


    She turns away from her achievement and is filled with pride as she sees the stunned looks of disbelief on her friends'' faces, still shocked even after her earlier display of another equally impressive spell.


    ¡°Was that enough raw power for you?¡± she asks with a teasing tone, snapping them out of their reverie.


    ¡°Fucking hell!¡± Dante cries, unable to contain himself as he looks around with a giddy grin. ¡°That was incredible! Do you have any fire spells like that?¡±


    Emily laughs at his predictable reaction to the more explosive spell.


    ¡°I have fireball, but I¡¯ve only made a few third circle spells so far, and my only other fire-based one is more single target than area of effect.¡±


    He nods, his mild disappointment unable to dampen his excitement over such a destructive spell.


    ¡°It was certainly impressive,¡± Hester agrees, drawing her gaze back to Emily from the excessive damage around them with a curious glint in her eye. ¡°Was that all one spell? It looked like you changed it halfway through without dispelling it.¡±


    ¡°Good spot,¡± Emily praises. ¡°It¡¯s technically two different spells.¡±


    She stops speaking as the strong aroma of singed flesh hits her. She turns around, looking at the burning cinders that used to be ocelaxes and makes a quick decision.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here first. I made a lot of noise and these corpses will be useless to us now. I¡¯ll explain as we move.¡±


    Her friends all agree, so Emily sets off towards The Waters¡¯ tunnel again, leaving the destruction behind.


    ¡°At first, when I was designing arc, I was looking to turn my second circle spell, bolt, into a more powerful third circle version,¡± Emily explains as they walk, all of her friends listening attentively. ¡°However, I thought that instead of just sending out a powerful shot in a straight line, it would be better to target my enemies, since lightning spells don¡¯t lose a lot of force even after penetrating one target. That led me towards targeting in the way I used for scattershot, where I apply a small magical mark to each enemy within my range before casting the spell. But that didn¡¯t feel quite right for the element.¡±


    She turns around, walking backwards at full pace and facing her audience. She raises her hand, fingers splayed, and courses machina through it. Small arcs of electricity jump between her digits, crackling from the base to the tip.


    ¡°You see, lighting moves in a very unique, erratic way. It likes to move along the path of least resistance, and that means that if you block its other routes, you can get it to do some interesting things.¡±


    Emily points at Juliana, building up machina at the top of her finger until it bursts. A glowing arc jumps to Juliana¡¯s body armour, buzzing across and dispersing. She lowers her hand as she continues explaining.


    ¡°Living beings are great conductors! So, I decided to create arc, where I simply build up a mass of charge and let it go wild, jumping to the lowest resistance objects nearby and therefore hitting my enemies. But, because I¡¯m continually dispersing a single spell across a wide area, it is very weak. The arcs it shoots are only strong enough to disable a second circle target. So, I went back to my original idea of a single powerful bolt, and then combined them. They have the same base of a dense orb of lightning, but one is a slow discharge, and one is a single compressed burst.¡±


    She pauses, looking over her friends¡¯ faces to gauge their understanding. They seem a little confused by some of the things she said around the path of least resistance, but a general air of understanding sits over them.


    ¡°How does this relate to you changing a spell you¡¯re casting?¡± Tom asks.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting to that,¡± Emily says dryly, picking up where she left off. ¡°I designed the two spells with the same base, so the majority of the magic circles are the same. The major differences are the parts for discharge, and the targeting system. Arc applies a small magical mark to all living targets it hits, and arc-bolt targets those marks. So, since the main body of the spells are the same, after forming arc I can change a few small parts of the spell to change it into arc-bolt without affecting the energy gathering and compression sections at all, meaning the gathered mana never disperses. It makes it faster and cheaper to cast two spells!¡±


    Emily beams with pride, looking at the astonishment on her friends'' faces.Chee?ck out latest novels at novelhall.com


    ¡°Crazy,¡± Enzo mutters, receiving several nods from the others, confusing Emily.


    ¡°What¡¯s crazy?¡± Emily asks, smoothly stepping backwards over a knot of roots.


    ¡°You,¡± Dante responds instantly with a grin.


    ¡°What¡¯s crazy about that?¡± Emily asks, tilting her head.


    She waves a hand, dropping the five balled-up corpses from her storage and onto the floor. Tom and Hester¡¯s attention is drawn by the action, and they both leave the tents they were setting up to come over. Hester looks excited as she walks towards them.


    ¡°Are those poisonous?¡± she asks eagerly.


    ¡°No,¡± Emily answers, raising a brow. ¡°Fire-spitting bugs should be safe to consume. Why? You planning on cooking them?¡±


    As she asks, she notes the faint smell of cooked chicken coming from the two bugs she filled with fire.


    ¡°Of course! We make burgers from desert crawlers back home, they¡¯re good.¡±


    ¡°I see. Go ahead then, they¡¯re all yours. I¡¯ll show Tom how to strip them now.¡±


    Juliana and Hester leave them to it and go and help Ivor finish setting up the tents. Emily finds a good rock to sit on next to the tunnel¡¯s entrance and gestures for Tom to join her.


    They sit down, each with a bug in their lap, and Emily slowly guides Tom through the process of cutting away the hard exoskeleton from the soft flesh beneath before jamming in a knife and prying the individual plates off.


    ¡°Save the mandibles and any mostly undamaged plates of armour, they¡¯re the valuable materials. As for the rest, gather the flesh for your sister, and get Ivor or Enzo to help you bury the rest. The organs are annoyingly fire resistant so we can¡¯t just burn them,¡± she says after finishing her demonstration.


    ¡°Got it!¡± Tom says cheerfully, grabbing another bug to get started on.


    ¡°Do you like butchering things?¡± Emily asks, slightly taken aback by his sudden enthusiasm.


    ¡°Hmm? No, not really. I just really like bug burgers!¡±


    ¡°Fair play. I¡¯ll go get her started on those then,¡± she says, picking up the flesh from her finished bug and walking towards their new campfire.


    Enzo and Dante have returned from gathering wood and piled a few of the dry logs from Tom¡¯s bag in a circle of stones before lighting them. Next to the crackling campfire is a small stone structure made by Enzo, which is filled with damp wood, with open gaps on either end to allow airflow. Juliana is sitting next to the structure, using a basic wind spell to blow the warm air from the campfire over the wood, drying it quickly.


    Emily hands Hester the bug meat and sits down next to Juliana, wrapping an arm around her waist and resting her head on her shoulder.


    ¡°Let me take over drying,¡± Emily says quietly.


    ¡°No. You already do enough,¡± Juliana argues, keeping part of her focus on maintaining her spell.


    ¡°You need conscious effort to maintain the spell. I don¡¯t. You can do some weaving for a bit if you let me take over.¡±


    Juliana sighs, giving in to the devil¡¯s temptation and releasing her spell.


    ¡°Thank you, darling,¡± Juliana says, placing a kiss on Emily¡¯s forehead before pulling out her weaving supplies.


    Emily smirks, casting a first circle wind spell with barely a thought and letting one of her secondary cores manage it. They sit together in comfortable silence as everybody fulfils their tasks, the sound of the crackling fire and falling rain mixing together in the clearing to give a pleasant atmosphere.


    Slowly, everyone finishes their individual tasks and gathers around the fire, waiting for the surprisingly good-looking patties of meat to finish cooking.


    ¡°Do we have an actual goal for this expedition?¡± Tom asks after a while, growing uncomfortable with the silence.


    Emily lifts her head from Juliana¡¯s shoulders, looking around at her friends, all expectantly looking to her for an answer.


    I guess it¡¯s time to tell them.


    ¡°We do,¡± she says calmly, a smirk growing on her lips. ¡°We¡¯re heading for the end of The Crystal Waters.¡±

 Chapter 92 – Into the Caves Again

    Chapter 92 ¨C Into the Caves Again


    Emily¡¯s friends all look at her in confusion.


    ¡°What do you mean by the end?¡± Ivor signs the question on everyone¡¯s minds.


    ¡°I have reason to believe there is a single set endpoint for all of the streams in The Crystal Waters,¡± Emily answers, receiving several silently raised brows. ¡°What do you guys know about the formation of mana-dense regions?¡±


    ¡°They form on junction points of multiple mana veins,¡± Juliana answers quickly, having listened to Emily¡¯s ramblings about The Glade before.


    ¡°Yep, and if you have a junction of mana veins, what does that mean?¡±


    Everyone silently considers for a second. Enzo suddenly starts, realisation flashing across his eyes.


    ¡°There¡¯s possibly a single point where all of the mana veins intersect.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Emily confirms with a nod.


    ¡°But how do you know there actually is?¡± Hester asks. ¡°Couldn¡¯t the mana veins just pass very close by each other? Or maybe even only a few meet and the others just pass by. How can you be so confident there¡¯s a single goal?¡±


    Emily grins at her questioning.


    I can¡¯t tell them that the system told me. I guess I can tell them a bit about where I found the Mensacus.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be certain, but, last time we were here, I mentioned swimming around in a lake to try and find the cause behind the grogler hordes, right? Well, when I was down there, I found a hole going somewhere, leaking powerful mana. I took some measurements and I¡¯ve been analysing them in The Dome, comparing them to my notes on The Glade and the rest of The Waters, and it¡¯s led me to believe that that hole leads to a point of massive mana density that¡¯s spreading through the rest of The Glade.¡±


    ¡°I see. And you believe that point is the end point of The Waters?¡± Dante says.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Emily nods. ¡°So I want to follow the river until we find that point. I have some tools prepared to try and follow that hole back to its origin too. So, as long as we get back to that lake and that hole is still there, we have a great starting point to find the end.¡±


    Her friends nod in understanding.


    ¡°That seems reasonable enough. Worst case, I guess we just travel around The Waters for a bit before returning, right?¡± Hester says, serving up the finished bug meat patties.


    ¡°I trust your judgement. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to find your goal,¡± Ivor signs confidently.


    ¡°Ha, thanks big guy,¡± Emily says with a grin, taking a large bite from her food and being surprised by a juicy burst of rich, mana-dense flavour. ¡°Damn. These are really good.¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Hester says, beaming with pride as everybody digs in, giving equally impressed reactions.


    As they munch away on their food, they move on from the topic of their goal with newfound confidence in their objective.


    ¡°I hope we run into some more enemies in there,¡± Dante says after a few minutes, gesturing to the crack with his head. ¡°There have been boringly few fights on the way here. And most of them have been used for training.¡±


    Emily chooses to ignore his grumbled final sentence.


    ¡°Yeah, there was an abnormal amount of beasts on the last expedition,¡± Enzo adds thoughtfully.


    ¡°Do you guys have any idea why?¡± Tom asks.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because you killed most of the beasts in this area last time? Don¡¯t they take a while to gather again?¡± Juliana questions.


    ¡°This amount is more normal,¡± Enzo answers. ¡°I¡¯ve been on a few expeditions this deep into The Glade before, and the last trip was the weird one.¡±


    ¡°Also, magic beasts form quite quickly in The Glade. Our slaughter shouldn¡¯t affect the number of beasts here for more than a few weeks. It¡¯s been long enough to return to normal,¡± Ivor adds helpfully.


    ¡°I see.¡± Juliana nods, turning her head to look at Emily. ¡°Why were there so many last time then?¡±


    They continue down the path ahead of them, Emily¡¯s spider scurrying along ahead to warn them of any threats in advance. Nothing approaches them and, within ten minutes, they arrive at the first branch in the tunnel, splitting off in two directions. Emily pauses, noticing movement down the right path through her spider. She sees two fire spitters crawling along the walls, seemingly eating something.


    ¡°We¡¯re gonna make a quick detour,¡± Emily informs her friends. ¡°We want to go left, but I see some bugs on the right and I think they¡¯re eating herbs.¡±


    Nobody argues as Emily leads them down the right-hand path. They quickly start to hear the faint clicking of moving mandibles as they walk around a corner and into view of two roach-like bugs, munching away on a patch of moss. Emily¡¯s enhanced eyes allow her to see the moss in fine detail even from ten metres away. It¡¯s a dense mass of brown and green, with a rippling pattern, like waves around a stone dropped in a pond, as it spreads from a crack in the wall that it seems to grow from.


    ¡°Eartworn,¡± Emily mutters under her breath, just loud enough to grab the roaches¡¯ attention. ¡°Dante, don¡¯t attack the herbs. Hester and Juliana, you two deal with them please.¡±


    Dante grumbles, dismissing the spell he has started to form, as Juliana and Hester both begin chanting. The bugs turn to face them, clacking their mandibles and hissing in anger at the intruders interrupting their meal. They scuttle down to the ground, their jaws¡¯ hanging open as flaming bile builds up.


    Emily calmly watches without raising a finger, trusting her friends, and recognising Hester¡¯s chant. Two balls of fire are shot towards them, but Hester finishes casting in time. A bubble of water pops up around the group, and the fireballs burst helplessly against it, sending out ripples along the barrier, but otherwise achieving nothing.


    At the same time, Juliana finishes casting, sending an arrow of wind accurately into the open mouth of one of the bugs. It violently curls in on itself in pain, shrivelling up as green blood leaks from its mouth.


    ¡°Nice shot,¡± Emily compliments her as the second bug notices the death of its friend, and the failure of its attack, and turns to run.


    Juliana starts chanting again, but the bug scurries into the darkness, leaving the bird¡¯s light field before she can finish. Emily wordlessly taps the floor with her foot, sending two sharp spikes of rock into the bug, one from the floor and one from the ceiling. The rock from below stabs up through the bug¡¯s head, and the one above pins the base of its abdomen to the floor, crushing any resistance left in it.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Hester mutters, dismissing her barrier.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Emily says, patting her and Juliana on the shoulders as she steps past them to approach the eartworn. ¡°You made the right choice there. Letting an enemy escape is preferable to your party being severely injured. Especially when our main goal in engaging them was the moss they were eating.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame to let it go though,¡± Tom grumbles. ¡°We could have taken plenty of meat from it.¡±


    ¡°Let it go?¡± Emily questions, flashing a grin over her shoulder as the bird on her head takes off, flying forward a few metres to reveal the dead bug, lying in a pool of green blood with two holes carved through it. ¡°Why would I let it go?¡±


    She turns back to the magical moss, pulling out a large glass terrarium lined with rocks. She opens the lid and places it down at her feet before conjuring a small blade of metal in her hand. Gently, she scrapes the moss from the wall, depositing it in the jar in strips.


    At the same time, Tom disassembles the two bug corpses with a little help from Ivor. They finish separating them into pieces and burying the organs in the floor at the same time as Emily scrapes the last clumps of eartworn into her terrarium. She seals the top and sends it back into her belt before turning and leading her friends back to the split in the path.


    They take the left-hand path this time and continue on. Each time they run into another split, Emily follows the same route as last time, trying to guide them towards the lake.


    They run into several groups of bugs, some fire-spitting roaches, and others fast-moving centipedes secreting acid from their skin. Emily sits back, letting her friends deal with them for the most part and only acting to throw up barriers when an attack gets too close to someone.


    They also run into a group of iron-clawed moles, that Emily excitedly moves forward to face, telling her teammates not to interfere. Unfortunately, her improved body renders the moles'' resistance futile, killing her fun. She slaughters all five of them, with a single quick slash to the throat of each from her Claws, before calling her friends over disappointedly and stripping the corpses of their claws.


    Emily keeps track of the time on The Clock, and once they reach the late hours of the evening, she steers them towards a small dead-end cavern to settle down in.


    However, as they reach the entrance to the cavern, following the spider Emily sent in in advance, Emily hears a sudden rush of squeaking and wingbeats.


    Shit.


    ¡°Cover your ears!¡± Emily calls back while activating her earrings.


    Her friends start in surprise but quickly follow her instructions, raising their hands to their ears. A second later, a loud cacophony of screams fills the cave. The harsh sound makes Emily¡¯s bones vibrate, causing her minor discomfort, whilst her earrings protect her from the worst of it.


    Her teammates aren¡¯t so lucky. All of them let out pained exclamations as the wall of sound hits them, their hands not enough to protect them.


    Emily reacts quickly, casting infra-sight as she brings the Spitter to bear. She flicks it into burst, charges it full of machina, and squeezes the trigger twice, flicking her wrist with inhuman speed and accuracy to send six crackling bullets into their attackers.


    The screeching cuts out instantly, silence falling suddenly over the cave, only to be broken by six light thuds as the bodies hit the floor. Emily turns back to her teammates as they pull their hands away from their ears, revealing lines of blood trickling down their faces.


    Whoops. I should have kept a bird or my own eyes in infra-sight the whole time just in case. I let my guard down too much.


    Internally berating herself, Emily approaches Juliana, cupping both her ears between her hands and channelling a healing spell, wrapping them with light.

 Chapter 93 – Ants

    Chapter 93 ¨C Ants


    After healing the light damage done to Juliana''s eardrums, Emily gently wipes the blood from her face before moving quickly between her friends and healing them too.


    Damn, that used more mana than I expected. It feels like I''m wasting a lot to heal people. Do I need a better understanding of the human body to heal more efficiently? It couldn''t hurt.


    Emily adds a reminder to her notes while turning away from Ivor, the last to be healed. She approaches the dead bodies of their attackers under the light of her bird, hovering in the air in the center of the small cavern.


    The creatures are large, with a wingspan slightly bigger than Emily''s, and a lithe torso the size of her forearm. They''re hairless, with gray, stone-like skin stretched thin from their sides to the small claws at the ends of their wings.


    ¡°Screamers,¡± Emily mutters, walking beside Tom who''s poking one with a knife.


    ¡°Their skin is hard,¡± he says. ¡°Do we want any bits?¡±


    ¡°Only their voice boxes. Don''t worry, I''ll deal with these ones. They''re much harder to harvest.¡±


    Tom nods as the group spreads across the cavern to set up camp while Emily presses an extra button and tosses the barrier disc into the air, letting the anchors burrow into the surrounding rock. The moment it sets up, a sound barrier wraps the cavern, and the disk lights up with a warm glow, giving off a calming light.


    Emily''s bird lands on her head, and she pulls off the light pack, switching it with a thermal pack, before sending her scout to sit on a cable in front of the exit.


    Dante sets up a campfire at the same time, which Emily drops down next to start butchering her screamers. She pulls a small knife from her belt and channels the machina into it. The energy crackles along the blade, sharpening it as she lowers it to the top of the first corpse''s neck.


    She slips the blade in beneath its jaw and slides it along, splitting the stone skin open to reveal the raw flesh beneath. She cuts away at the muscle and sinew, quickly locating the screamer¡¯s larynx and pulling it out. She summons a spare jar and drops the bloody organic matter in, before tossing the harvested body to the side.


    She repeats this five more times as her friends finish setting out sleeping bags and join her and Dante around the fire. They eat and chat as usual, before turning in for the night, leaving Emily and Juliana together on watch, under the dim light of the barrier disc.


    Emily glances over at Juliana¡¯s weaving, seeing her pull out a few dried flower petals and lay them on top of a wind-imbued rune twisted into the weave.Findd new stories at novelhall.com


    ¡°What are you making?¡± she asks curiously.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Juliana responds, quickly covering the rune with her hands and turning a pleading gaze on Emily. ¡°Don¡¯t peek.¡±


    Emily raises a brow, but after a few seconds of puppy dog eyes she chuckles and looks away.


    ¡°Fine, keep your secrets.¡±


    ***


    The next day, they continue heading through the tunnels towards the lake, this time with Emily using infra-sight just in case. Midway through the morning, Emily spots a three-way split in the path ahead through her spider.


    ¡°Tsk,¡± she clicks her tongue in irritation.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Juliana asks with concern, the rest of their friends tensing up at Emily¡¯s sudden exclamation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Emily says, noticing their tension. ¡°It¡¯s nothing major. It¡¯s just the tunnels have changed. There¡¯s a three-way split in the path ahead where I was expecting two, and I no longer know if we¡¯re heading in the right direction.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean then?¡± Tom asks, relaxing.


    ¡°Nothing much. Just that we need to navigate blind from now on,¡± Emily answers, shrugging off the minor setback. ¡°Besides, it may not make much of a difference, since I don¡¯t know how much the tunnels have shifted.¡±


    They catch up to her spider shortly, and Emily chooses the left route, keeping as close to their original path as possible. They keep winding deeper into the earth, killing off the cave-dwelling creatures that block their path and harvesting a few herbs in their way.


    Orange, white, blue, and silver mix together in a beautiful blend of colours. Arc forms a contained, crackling orb of lightning over one of Emily¡¯s shoulders, as fireball forms a swirling orb of flames over the other. Her skin crackles with lightning as mana seeps into her muscles, enhancing her speed, and the final silver circle freezes uncompleted, waiting to throw up protections with a moment¡¯s notice.


    With infra-sight still active to assist in differentiating targets, Emily turns back to flash her friends a confident smile.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go crush some ants.¡±


    Her friends smile back, even Juliana and Tom giving confident nods as they steel themselves for the coming battle. Emily continues down the tunnel, quickly turning the corner and seeing the narrow pathway start to open up.


    She immediately sees a wide open cavern, filled to the brim with burrower ants. They¡¯re standing in rows, some on the floor, and some clinging to the walls and ceiling.


    In the centre of their neat rows stands tall a large structure of rock and dirt, the nest, with several holes spilling ants into the surrounding cave. Emily feels waves of earth attributed mana emanating from within the nest, causing the smile on her face to grow.


    Jackpot.


    The moment they spot the ants, the ants also see them. A flood of noise hits them as they step into the cavern and half of the ants, those close to the nest, start clacking their mandibles together angrily, mana bubbling from them all to wrap their nest. The cavern shakes as thick walls of rock extend from the floor and ceiling, stretching to join in the middle and completely seal off the nest with half the ants behind it.


    Emily points forward the moment she sees the barrier forming, sending her fireball flying forwards in a spiral of flames. The spell bursts against the rock wall, cracking it and flinging fire into the nearby ants, scorching their exoskeletons and ripping a few close to the detonation to pieces. However, the wall stands strong, the cracks quickly shrinking as more mana is supplied. The injured ants scream in anguish, signalling a full charge.


    ¡°Kill everything in sight!¡± Emily calls, sending her bird up to the roof of the cavern to illuminate the space fully, and sending arc¡¯s orb forwards while releasing her hold over it. ¡°Leave the wall to me.¡±


    Her orb of lightning crackles, sending out whips of plasma to lacerate the flood of bodies coming towards them. Hester casts her spell, wrapping their whole group in a large bubble of water just in time as the tide of ants smashes into it.


    Ripples spread across the barrier and Hester grunts in exertion as she pours more mana into the spell, but it holds fast. Blades of wind and fire fly out, slicing into the mass of bodies, drawing blood and severing limbs. A few heavy rocks fly up, leaving the top of the barrier before landing on the ants in front of them, crushing their bodies flat. Tom tries shooting the armoured ants, cracking a few exoskeletons, but otherwise achieving little.


    Arc fires off rapidly, shocking dozens of ants and slowing their advance. In response to the assault, the ants at the front of the group clack their mandibles, gathering mana and forming jagged jaws of rock to armour their faces and enhance their attacks. They charge forward, biting at the barrier and weakening it, ignoring the incoming spells to inflict as much damage as possible.


    The ants behind them, protected from the worst of the group¡¯s spells, clack out a rhythm together. Mana collects in their mouths, forming into a viscous mud. A few tendrils of lightning flick out, hitting the casting ants and interrupting them, but the majority of the spell is blocked by the armoured front beasts.


    Emily begins casting at the same time, spinning together another spell using fire, metal, and light. She notices the ants preparing an attack and ignores them, firing a few bullets into them while trusting her secondary core to use the defensive spell already prepared. The runes, forming a complicated tri-element matrix around her, pulse with power, gathering dense mana into a glistening bow and arrow, a third circle version of her blazing arrow of light.


    The ants release their attack, sending a deluge of mud towards them that flows around the ants up ahead before smashing against Hester''s barrier, shattering it and threatening to engulf their group.


    ¡°Shit, Enzo!¡± Hester wins and cries in panic, hoping for another barrier.


    Instead, silver mana flows from the glittering magic circle waiting behind Emily. It quickly solidifies into a wall of shining metal that blocks the flood of mud in its tracks. Harsh screeching rings out as the ants on the other side slam their rock covered jaws into the metal, trying to pull it apart to no avail.


    Emily''s friends freeze and turn to look at her, unable to keep casting spells with their targets blocked.


    ¡°It''s a bit basic,¡± Emily admits shamelessly, even as their attention is drawn to the extravagant bow and arrow hovering above her. ¡°It''s the simplest third circle metal defense spell I could come up with. A thick wall that my allies can''t even see through.¡±


    ¡°How were you meant to shoot that thing with a wall in the way?¡± Tom asks, gazing up at the bow and arrow in awe.


    Emily points forward with a smug grin, opening a small window in the metal wall and releasing the heavy metal arrow above her. With an explosion of sound and mana, the arrow rockets out, drawing a straight line through the battlefield and into the defensive wall covering the nest.


    The wall bursts like the arrow impacts, shattering into pieces, and Emily quickly disperses the arrow before it can destroy the nest and whatever''s kept inside. The ants behind the barrier cry out in pain as the spell explodes, spreading fire, molten metal, and burning light.


    Emily flicks her wrist, grasping the arc and rapidly twisting it into arc-bolt. The orb compresses before sending a violent snake of power through the front attackers with a loud roar, vaporising the mud it passes through. Tens of meters in front of their group are cleared in an instant, the ants dropping dead quickly as Emily lowers her barrier, relieving herself of the mana draw.


    ¡°Like that,¡± Emily finally answers Tom''s question.

 Chapter 94 – Nest

    Chapter 94 ¨C Nest


    Emily¡¯s friends stand behind her, mouths open in shock as they gaze upon the destruction wrought by her spells.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand around, let¡¯s go!¡± Emily says, snapping them out of their stupor.


    She bends her legs and flashes forwards at inhuman speed, disappearing into the remaining ants who quickly switch from spewing a flood of mud to wrapping themselves in rocky armour. Emily¡¯s friends move too, Hester forming another barrier as everyone else flings out spells or bullets to cut down the numbers.


    Damn, that used a lot of mana.


    Emily glances at her mana reserves and sees them reduced by twenty per cent as she drives a machina-charged Claw through an ant¡¯s neck, severing the nerves within.


    I definitely can¡¯t throw around third circle spells freely, though I can still use plenty and dip into my machina reserves if need be.


    Her limbs whip out rhythmically, her body becoming a windmill of death as she cuts through the ants with ease. Runes wrap her body again as Emily starts casting arc-bolt, this time manually setting the targets.


    Green blood soaks her robes, and jaws of stone repeatedly snap at her, trying to catch her to no avail. Her spell finishes forming, as she slips behind into the back row of enemies, and she releases it instantly. A thick bolt of plasma shoots out behind her, spreading across the bugs and killing almost everything behind her, other than the ants her teammates are actively fighting. The remaining thirty or so ants in front of her group up around their nest, using their bodies as a last line of defence.


    Emily holsters the Spitter, losing the range combat buff to her stats as she summons two flying lightnings, one around each arm.


    ¡°It was a good fight,¡± she tells the ants with a smile before her arms blur into motion.


    Flashing arcs of silver slice through the creatures, splitting a few rocky projectiles they fire at her along with the bodies behind them, freezing each opponent in place with a single slash. The ants quickly fall in a mass of limbs and flesh, and Emily pulls back in the deadly wires, still slick with blood, to wrap around her arms at rest.


    She taps the ground, sending out an earthen detection scan that forces through the interference now that she¡¯s closer. She finds no vibrations coming from the nest, the inside probably empty, and throws out an electrified dart to impale the head of the last ant to crawl out before turning to observe her friends with a satisfied smile.Findd new stories at novelhall.com


    They¡¯re still wrapped in a large bubble of water, with six ants biting at it, and two more spewing jagged rocks at it. Deciding they need no help, Emily dismisses her combat spells and watches as Juliana knocks back the attacking ants with a burst of air and Enzo, Ivor, and Dante unload into them, crushing any resistance under fire and earth. Tom fires a few shots into the soft flesh revealed by the cracked and flaking chitin, ending the last squirming bugs¡¯ lives.


    Emily claps as her friends look away from their kills, checking for any remaining enemies and only finding Emily standing in a mountain of gore, bug parts and burn marks littered around her bloodstained form. She walks towards them, casting cleanse quickly and returning to pristine condition.


    ¡°That¡¯s everything I can detect in here dead. All that¡¯s left is the nest,¡± she says gesturing towards the large rock structure in the middle of the cavern with her head. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure there are earth stones in there, so Ivor and Enzo come with me, the rest of you please collect the glands of as many of these ants as possible. That¡¯s the most valuable part. The rest of them isn¡¯t worth much. Oh, grab any meat you want for cooking too, they¡¯re not poisonous.¡±


    Her friends follow her instructions without complaint as Emily turns around and walks towards the nest eagerly. Ivor and Enzo quickly catch up, walking on either side of her.


    They approach one of the nest¡¯s entrances and gaze in. The hole is small, only a metre in diameter, and would require crawling to get inside. Instead, Emily pulls out a spider without a vibration pack and rolls the little guy into the nest.


    ¡°One sec,¡± she says to Enzo and Ivor, focusing on her connection with the scout as it wanders into the ants¡¯ home.


    The nest is a winding network of tunnels and chambers, filled with half-eaten herbs, minerals, and beast corpses, that lead down into the stone below the cavern. Emily guides her scout down, heading slowly towards the strong magical signature she can feel leaking from the structure and ignoring the discarded signs of habitation.


    It doesn¡¯t take long for her scout to step into a chamber, buried in the depths of the nest, with glistening brown crystals shining from the floor and several large eggs scattered around. Emily smiles as she locates their prize, but her eyes open wide in surprise when she notices the form curled up on top of it, wrapped in jagged, rocky armour.


    ¡°There¡¯s a queen,¡± she mutters quietly, shocking Ivor.


    ¡°Really?¡± he signs with clear excitement. ¡°What circle?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell because of the mana crystals she¡¯s sleeping on, but I don¡¯t think she¡¯s reached third yet. I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯d be able to feel it if she was, even from here.¡±


    ¡°Wait, why are you surprised? Don¡¯t ant colonies normally have queens?¡± Enzo asks in confusion.


    ¡°Not burrower ants,¡± Ivor explains. ¡°They don¡¯t always have a queen since they can multiply by burying parts of their bodies, or the bodies of their dead, and supplying them with mana over time. Queens are a rarity that usually only appear in massive colonies.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Enzo nods, noticing Ivor¡¯s enthusiasm. ¡°Is there something special about them that¡¯s got you so excited?¡±


    Emily appreciates the creature¡¯s violent beauty while approaching her slowly, careful not to shock her out of her trance. She raises her hand above the centre of the queen¡¯s abdomen, feeling the pulses of power being released as the beast draws in mana, and locating the point where they¡¯re strongest.


    Emily casts a spell, instantly wrapping her hand in glistening claws of metal. She waits for the queen to draw in mana, her rocky armour shrinking slightly, and plunges her hand down. Her metal claws cut through the hard exoskeleton with ease, digging into the soft flesh below. A few inches in, Emily opens her hand wide and grasps the queen¡¯s beating heart.


    The ant queen wakes from her slumber, letting out a shrill scream of pain and anger, along with a pulse of mana, shaking the nest and calling for her children. Her screams reach deaf ears, not a single child left to respond or hear her plea, and, as Emily rips her heart out, her cries shift from angry confusion to desolation.


    Emily holds the hefty, still-beating ovoid of flesh in her blood-covered hand, gazing down at the dying creature with cold indifference. She summons a glass jar from her belt and places the queen¡¯s heart into it before reaching down, ignoring the still squirming ant, and picking up a few loose earth crystals to drop into the jar as well.


    She seals the jar and stores it, turning her attention to the queen ant again as she finally stops moving. Emily sends the corpse into her belt and crouches down on top of the glittering crystals filling the floor, placing a hand against them and shutting her eyes.


    She slowly sends a stream of mana into the ground, feeling around the vein of crystals to discern its size and opening her eyes wide in shock after a few moments.


    ¡°Woah. That¡¯s a lot of greater crystals,¡± she mutters in astonishment, sensing five greater earth crystals at the centre of the vein.


    ¡°Good haul?¡± Enzo asks, walking in with Ivor close behind.


    ¡°Take a look,¡± Emily responds with a grin, standing up and gesturing to the ground.


    Enzo and Ivor copy Emily, placing their hands on the floor and closing their eyes for a few seconds.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Enzo says as they both open their eyes and look at Emily with excited grins. ¡°There¡¯s at least a hundred lesser crystals, and twenty or so normal too!¡±


    ¡°One hundred and thirty-six lesser and twenty-six normal to be exact,¡± Emily corrects with a matching grin. ¡°Do you guys have enough mana to help?¡±


    ¡°No, sorry. Give me ten more minutes and I should be okay though,¡± Enzo says apologetically, stepping back.


    ¡°Same,¡± Ivor signs, shaking his head.


    ¡°Ha,¡± Emily scoffs, waving them off. ¡°It won¡¯t take ten minutes.¡±


    She crouches down, placing both palms flat against the ground and shutting her eyes to focus on her magical perception. She sends mana down into the ground, wrapping around ten lesser crystals on the surface with a layer of earth-attributed mana each. She gently pulls them out, using her mana to break down the rock connected to them and releasing ten perfect crystals.


    Emily opens her eyes, glancing at the crystals and sending them into her belt with a curious glint in her eye.


    It¡¯s common practice to excavate mana crystals of all types using the same attribute so you don¡¯t damage them. But, if I¡¯m then sending them straight to a dimensional storage, why don¡¯t I just use spatial mana?


    She shuts her eyes again, wrapping a single crystal in deep purple mana. She pulls it through space directly into her belt before summoning it back into her hand. Emily¡¯s disappointed when she sees several hairline fractures ruining the delicate gem¡¯s surface.


    I guess I need to separate them from the surrounding rock first.


    She tries again, wrapping a crystal with a mix of brown and purple. She disintegrates the connecting rock and instantly warps the crystal away. This time, when she summons it back to her hand, she grins with delight at the perfect, glistening gem.


    She quickly puts her new technique to work, excavating the gems ten at a time. She completely empties the vein, using her mana to reinforce the floor to keep it from collapsing as she fills it with holes.


    Within a few minutes of starting she stands up, turning away to face her exasperated friends.


    ¡°You never cease to amaze me,¡± Enzo mutters wryly.


    ¡°It¡¯s always a pleasure to watch your mana manipulation,¡± Ivor signs in agreement.


    ¡°I try my best,¡± Emily responds with a smug grin, walking towards the exit.

 Chapter 95 – Into the Waters Again

    Chapter 95 ¨C Into the Waters Again


    They head back through the nest, ignoring all of the valueless items scattered around by the ants.


    ¡°Why did you say my mana manipulation was a pleasure to watch?¡± Emily asks Ivor as they rise through the earth.


    ¡°You''re very good at it. Your mana movement is so fast and precise it¡¯s like watching an artist at work,¡± he signs back, confusing Emily more.


    ¡°But mana manipulation is easy. You just have to will it into shape and it follows without resistance,¡± she says, raising her hand and pouring out a small ball of mana before forming it into the outline of a flaming bird, perched on her finger.


    Enzo and Ivor roll their eyes at her.


    ¡°For you maybe. Us normal people have to force our mana to listen to us,¡± Enzo says, raising his hand and gathering an orb of brown mana particles before slowly guiding it into the form of a bird.


    His mana construct takes him ten seconds to complete and has shaky, poorly defined lines. Emily raises a brow, her mind suddenly filled with questions.


    Why is it so different for me? I already know I¡¯m abnormally good at setting a mental image and manifesting my elements with raw mana, but what about this? I have a basic mana manipulation skill, but that only gives me ten per cent more efficiency and control, and I generated it just by practising a little bit. It¡¯s never felt like forcing it to listen.


    She pulls up her system as they step out of the nest and into the well-lit cavern above. She scans through her status for the cause and her eyes pause on one of her talents.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Magical Genius]


    User is a natural-born mage.


    -Grants instant comprehension of new magic [Knowledge]


    -Mana strength increased by +50%


    -Increased aptitude for creating new spells


    _____


    Magical genius, could it be this? It doesn¡¯t say anything about mana manipulation though. Do skills and talents give unmentioned benefits?


    Emily¡¯s broken out of her thoughts by their other friends approaching them.


    "You get anything interesting?¡± Dante asks.


    ¡°One hundred and thirty-six lesser earth crystals, twenty-six normal, and five greater,¡± Emily says with a proud smile, pushing her questions about her talents to the back of her mind. ¡°That, and a second circle burrower ant queen.¡±


    Tom and Hester both look shocked at the reveal of the queen, surprising Emily, but Juliana and Dante only react to the crystals.


    ¡°Damn, that¡¯s over half our entire haul from the last trip!¡± Dante says excitedly.


    ¡°Wait, a borrower ant queen?¡± Hester asks.


    ¡°Yep. She was sleeping on an earth crystal vein,¡± Emily explains. ¡°You two know about burrower ants?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yeah,¡± Hester responds with a nod. ¡°A while back there was a colony near Cairnorm, our home town. The Dahlia family made a big deal out of parading the queen back through town after killing it, saying that it was a rare and valuable find.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s used to make an elixir, so I can see why they were happy.¡±


    ¡°An elixir?¡± Tom asks with shock. ¡°What type?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so well prepared,¡± Hester says with respect in her voice that slowly shifts into amusement. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised at this point if you said you¡¯ve prepared a way for us to breathe underwater.¡±


    ¡°Ha,¡± Emily chuckles. ¡°Not yet. I¡¯ll have to work on it.¡±


    Hester rolls her eyes, but Emily pulls up a new folder in her notes to work on the idea when her sleeping cores wake up in a few minutes. Her bird lands on her head, and she quickly switches the unneeded light pack with a thermal pack before sending it out down the river.


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep going,¡± Emily urges, stepping out ahead of the group again. ¡°Hopefully this river will lead us back to the same lake. If not we¡¯ll have to try to search for another point connected to the end.¡±


    They walk downstream, following the river on its winding path. After an hour of walking, Emily¡¯s boat detects something lurking in the water as it guides the way ahead of them.


    She casts lightning orb, a second circle spell, and, after travelling a few metres, drops the crackling ball of electricity into the water, surprising her friends. Steam rises, and the water is instantly filled with millions of volts.


    No one says a word, as everyone watches the water where Emily has attacked. After a few seconds, as the lingering charge of her spell fades, four piranhas rise to the surface.


    ¡°I bet they¡¯ll taste good,¡± Hester comments as Emily detaches the blades from her Claws and throws them into the heads of two of the fishes.


    ¡°They¡¯re already half-cooked,¡± Emily responds with a smirk, reeling in the bodies.


    She pulls them up onto the riverbank, dropping them at her feet as she pulls the blades free and tosses them again. With the last two kills confirmed, Tom puts them in his bag to harvest later, and they continue downstream.


    They run into a few more piranhas, and a couple of groups of bugs that were settled in the light of the river, as they steadily continue downstream, following the left bank. Eventually, the crystals above the water start to dim, signalling the arrival of night.


    ¡°Let¡¯s set up here,¡± Emily says, halting in her steps and tossing the barrier disc out above the river.


    The anchors fly into the surrounding walls, suspending it in the air as its light array takes over from the crystals on the ceiling. They lay out sleeping bags as Tom and Hester start filleting the fish.


    Once all of the sleeping bags are set up, shrouded by the fog covering the floor, Emily settles down next to the twins at the small fire they have started. She glances at the offcuts pile, filled with all the parts of the fish that they can¡¯t eat and don¡¯t care to keep, since nothing in the fish is a valuable material worth taking back. Her eyes are drawn to the fish¡¯s gills and curiosity grips her.


    She picks up one of the decapitated heads with the gills still attached and runs a full machina scan. She carefully inspects the route water would take, being taken in through the piranha¡¯s mouth before flowing out through the gills, over the tiny, layered frills of flesh.


    Fascinating.


    She makes a few notes, adding to her design ideas, before tossing the head back into the pile. Emily leans against Juliana, with almost all of her focus on her design, drawing out blueprints for a piece of gear as she continues to tweak and refine the spell to add to it.


    Hester fries the fish fillets in a pan with a sprinkle of salt before handing them out for everyone to eat.


    ¡°Are we going to be okay only eating the things we kill? Won¡¯t we get ill from not eating our vegetables?¡± Tom asks as he digs into his fish.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never really thought about it,¡± Enzo responds, looking at his food thoughtfully. ¡°It¡¯s just common practice on expeditions to eat the things you kill instead of bringing lots of rations. I guess the mana in the meat probably compensates for the lack of variety.¡±


    ¡°Partially,¡± Emily adds, instantly drawing everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Mana-dense meat and plants both act like a fully balanced meal. And even if they didn¡¯t, you¡¯d be fine. Mages¡¯ bodies are modified by their mana from the moment of awakening and are far more robust than normal humans. Even a first circle mage would be able to survive just fine on a single type of food.¡±


    ¡°Wait, just becoming mages affected our bodies that much?¡± Hester asks with surprise.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Emily confirms with an excited nod. ¡°In fact, even at first circle it¡¯s close to impossible for you to catch a mortal disease. It would need to be enhanced by an energy like mana in some way to affect you at all. Then there¡¯s the rest of the changes as you increase in circle.¡±


    ¡°What changes with each ascension?¡± Tom asks Emily. ¡°Your life span increases and you get stronger. Right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, those are two of the effects. Every time you go through an ascension, from the first to fourth circle, your body is refined closer to the perfect human. It improves your life span, strength, flexibility, hand-eye coordination, mental processing, hearing, eyesight, and your general fortitude.¡±


    ¡°Woah,¡± Dante exclaims. ¡°How much can a person even be improved?¡±


    Emily pauses, unable to answer his question. A small frown creases her brow as she glances at a note telling her to go over her past stat increases.


    ¡°I have some notes on it but haven¡¯t done the maths yet. Give me a second,¡± she says, diverting all of her processing power to the task.

 Chapter 96 – Understanding the Numbers

    Chapter 96 ¨C Understanding the Numbers


    Emily closes her eyes and pulls up her notes covering Gaius¡¯ findings on ascensions, supported by his countless observations of other mages. She opens a blank note as well and writes down her major attribute changes to compare them to Gaius¡¯ observations, assessing the difference in her own experience from the norm.


    Awakening:


    Strength 7, Dexterity 15, Agility 12, Vitality 8, Intelligence 22


    Pre-first ascension:


    Strength 8, Dexterity 19, Agility 16, Vitality 8, Intelligence 34


    Post-first ascension:


    Strength 12, Dexterity 32, Agility 25, Vitality 13, Intelligence 54


    Pre-second ascension:


    Strength 15, Dexterity 40, Agility 31, Vitality 14, Intelligence 75


    Post-second ascension:


    Strength 20, Dexterity 64, Agility 50, Vitality 17, Intelligence 118


    Current:


    Strength 20, Dexterity 64, Agility 50, Vitality 17, Intelligence 120


    My agility and dexterity increasing so much more than my strength and vitality is due purely to my machina, not mana. So, if I equalise them to match the increase of my strength and vitality, it should follow the pattern of a normal mage.


    She edits her notes, refining them as she goes and splitting out the stats into their components influenced by mana and machina separately.


    My intelligence growth is still abnormal compared to the rest of my stats, so part of that must be machina too. I need a baseline to reference if I want to try and work out how much.


    Emily opens her eyes, turning her attention to her friends with barely a second having passed.


    ¡°Jules, how big is your magical perception range?¡± she asks.


    ¡°About six metres,¡± Juliana answers instantly, tilting her head in confusion as she does.


    ¡°Thanks. What about you Tom?¡±?iscover new chapters at novelhall.com. I think two metres?¡± he responds hesitantly.


    ¡°Check please,¡± Emily asks dryly.


    He shuts his eyes for a few moments, bringing a quiet that Hester jumps on to question Emily.


    ¡°Why do you need to know this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to work out a formula to calculate the rough improvement a mage¡¯s body goes through at each ascension.¡±


    ¡°And the range of our magical perception will help that?¡±


    ¡°It will help me work out a few variables, yes.¡± Emily shrugs, unwilling to go into detail since it won¡¯t make sense without revealing the system.


    Hester hums thoughtfully at her response and turns her attention to Tom as he opens his eyes.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just shy of two metres,¡± he affirms with a confident nod.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Emily says, shutting her eyes again and returning to her notes.


    To start I need to work out a rough formula for perception range to intelligence. I know my range was: around four and a half metres when I had twenty-two intelligence; thirty-six metres when I had sixty; and is now one hundred and forty-four when I have one hundred and twenty.


    Tom lets out a sigh as Dante looks curiously at the boat in her hands as she slots the key into place and begins turning it.


    ¡°Why do you need to wind that one but not your birds?¡± he asks curiously.


    Emily looks at him with her brows raised, surprised he¡¯d ask about anything non-explosive.


    ¡°This one had more free space since the internal mechanisms are very simple, so I have a wind up motor and it can basically run alone, with only slight input to engage the correct propellers to steer it. The birds and spiders, on the other hand, rely purely on me moving their internal components with the magnetic component of mana,¡± she explains, lying slightly and claiming they run on lightning mana instead of machina, an equally possible but far less efficient method for her.


    ¡°Cool. Does that mean you could power vehicles with mana? I didn¡¯t realise that was possible.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I could. Though the engines would be very different from the steam engines we use now.¡±


    Emily releases the boat back into the water and they finish eating before continuing on their journey.


    Thirty minutes later, at the mouth of a three-way split in the river, Emily¡¯s boat detects a group of four new beasts swimming towards them through the strong currents deep under water. They¡¯re much thinner than the piranhas, only about the size of a fist across, but they¡¯re four times longer.


    Eels?


    Emily follows her usual routine, summoning a large orb of lightning above the water, alerting her friends. They turn their heads to look at the crackling orb without much concern, already used to Emily wiping out their waterborne opponents.


    She holds the orb up, waiting for the eels to get closer. The moment they are beside the group, she drops the orb into the water, releasing a burst of steam as the water is charged with deadly voltage.


    However, instead of floating to the surface stunned or dead like the piranhas, the eels turn towards her. Emily feels mana building up around them and quickly summons a bubble of water to protect the group.


    A second later, four loud, hissing cracks ring out as four thin streams of lightning shoot from the water, smashing into her barrier. The lightning crackles against the bubble, unable to pop it, and is harmlessly diffused. After a second of channelling, the streams fade, and four jagged spears of water are revealed to Emily¡¯s startled friends, floating above the river ready to strike back at their attackers.


    They watch as Emily calmly flicks her wrist downwards, sending the spears plunging down towards their targets below. The magical constructs cut through the water without meeting resistance and accurately impale the two eels closest to the surface. The others sense a disturbance in the water and quickly flick their agile bodies into a different shape, narrowly dodging the untargetted spells.


    Emily clicks her tongue and starts trying to cast the same spell again, only to meet resistance from the water. Her influence over external mana weakens immensely the deeper into the water she tries to form the spears, destabilising the delicate balance required to form her spell.


    Damn. I had a feeling the water here would cause issues, but I didn¡¯t think it would be this bad. This is at least five times worse than it should be for casting a spell fifteen metres away. It feels more like casting at the very edge of my range.


    As she¡¯s forming her spells, committing to casting in the water close to the eels, the eels charge up another shot. This time, Emily watches the water bubble before two streams of lightning shoot out, hitting her barrier at the same point. She raises a brow at the mana cost to block the blow equalling that of the four individual streams earlier, as the impact sends stronger ripples through her barrier, which dissipates the force and charge behind the attack.


    They¡¯re quite clever.


    Her thought is punctuated as she sends two spears of water slicing up through the eels¡¯ heads from below, too close and fast for them to dodge when they are distracted by their own attack. Emily dispels her barrier and watches through her boat¡¯s scan as the four corpses start to sink. She frowns and sends out a burst of mana, bending the water forcefully and pulling the bodies in.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect any fish to be able to survive your attacks,¡± Juliana comments, calming her breath from the shock of the exchange.


    ¡°They¡¯re lightning eels,¡± Emily says, raising one of the bodies out of the water and into her hand with her spell. ¡°It¡¯s only natural they¡¯d shrug off a dispersed second circle lightning spell. I didn¡¯t realise what they were at first and wasted my initial attack.¡±


    ¡°Wait, those orbs are second circle?¡± Tom asks in confusion.


    ¡°Yeah. You think I¡¯ve been wasting mana on third circle spells every time we meet piranhas? You should be able to tell from the lack of magic circle: I was internal casting that one.¡±


    Emily ignores Tom¡¯s follow-up question about what internal casting is, leaving her friends to explain it to him, and instead focuses on the eel in her hand. It has dark skin, traced by faintly glowing blue lines that connect to several spines running down its body in rings, the tips glittering like crystals.


    ¡°How pretty,¡± Juliana says next to her, admiring the fish.


    ¡°Mm,¡± Emily hums in agreement, squeezing one of the deceptively soft spines between her fingers. ¡°Pretty and useful. I¡¯m always happy to have more lightning attribute materials.¡±


    She sends the corpses into her belt and turns to continue forward. They trek through the tunnel, with Emily keeping a keen eye on her boat¡¯s scanning, hoping to find more lightning eels.


    Unfortunately, they only run into more piranhas and bugs for the rest of the day, the only other beast they encounter being a few earth manipulating moles that attempt to collapse the tunnel on them. Emily notices them with her spider scout before they get the chance, and gets Enzo and Ivor to reinforce the roof as she waits for the moles to pop out and attack directly after their spell¡¯s blocked.


    She quickly dispatches them with a few well placed bullets and moves on. They eventually settle down beside the river again for the evening, cooking a mix of bugs and fish to sate their appetites, before passing the night in their usual fashion.


    The days in the cave system slowly blend together, with four more passing without more excitement than a small nest of acidic centipedes guarding a small outcrop of light crystals.


    However, five days after their encounter with the lightning eels, the monotony of their journey is broken as they step out into a wide-open cavern. In the centre of the cavern is a glittering lake and, glancing around the room hopefully while sending a bird with a light pack to illuminate the walls shrouded in darkness, Emily¡¯s gaze quickly comes to rest on the bloody writing sitting exactly where they left it before.


    ¡°We found it,¡± she says with glee, an excited grin spreading as she turns her focus to the lake, trying to peer through the water to the gaping hole below. ¡°Time to see where you lead!¡±

 Chapter 97 – Swimming

    Chapter 97 ¨C Swimming


    Pulling her attention away from the water, Emily turns to her friends, meeting astonished and questioning gazes. Tom, Hester, and Juliana are all looking around in wonder, taking in the beautiful sight before them, while the other three look to Emily for confirmation.


    ¡°It¡¯s incredible,¡± Juliana mutters quietly, staring out into the glistening crystalline lake.


    ¡°It is. But, is it the right place?¡± Dante asks.


    ¡°Yeah, look over there,¡± Emily responds, gesturing towards her bird lighting up the writing on the wall.


    Dante squints, following her gesture and quickly spotting the faint red markings on the rock.


    ¡°Great! Now, how are you gonna find where the hole down there goes?¡±


    ¡°Is it actually still there?¡± Ivor signs before Emily can answer, asking a valid question.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she responds, looking back out over the lake. ¡°I¡¯ve detected movement about halfway down, and my scan is being distorted past that, so I can¡¯t tell without getting closer. As for how I¡¯ll find where it goes, that¡¯s what this is for.¡±


    She summons a simple-looking black and white metal ovoid, half the size of her forearm. The colours blend together in pretty, swirling patterns, with well-defined lines separating several sections on the back and sides, and several ridges protruding slightly.T/his chapter is updat/ed by


    ¡°What is it?¡± Juliana asks curiously, finally done marvelling at the cavern around them.


    ¡°It¡¯s a far better, long-range and submersible version of my boat,¡± Emily says with glee, pressing in a small panel close to the back and twisting it while glancing at its system window. ¡°I call it a Depth Diver.¡±


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Depth Diver]


    [Rank:] E


    [Description:] A water-based drone designed to transmit its location across long distances.


    [Effect:] When activated, automatically drives to the lowest point possible in a body of water.


    _____


    The Depth Diver whirrs to life with a series of clicks. The body splits along the seams, elegantly butterflying open to reveal the complicated mechanisms inside. There¡¯s a dense, wind-up gearbox fixed in the centre, with small propellers on the back and sides, covered by flaps that slide out of the way when needed. Each of the ridges jutting out of the side is spring-loaded and linked to the gearbox as switches to activate the propellers.


    The nose of the Diver holds a purple crystal, and, in common fashion for Emily¡¯s creations, the rest of the machine has a complicated magic circle woven into it, with some runes carefully placed on the moving parts, their motion accounted for to make sure the spell never breaks. Just in front of the crystal, filling a small gap between it and the outer shell, is a tiny disc of dense silver metal.


    ¡°Woah,¡± Tom exclaims, voicing a shared sentiment of wonder over the unintelligible mass of metal and magic. ¡°How does it work?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t bore you with the specifics,¡± Emily says reluctantly, holding back her desire to go on about her creation. ¡°It¡¯s very simple really. I just have to swim down to the hole and place this in before activating it. It¡¯ll then go down as far as it can, hopefully reaching the end of The Waters, while transmitting its location to a linked receiver.¡±


    She summons a small silver metal plate into her free hand. It¡¯s covered in runes, with two crystals embedded in the surface, one wind and one space. She injects mana into it, and the plate lights up in sync with the space crystals in the Diver. The air above the tablet shivers, bending and twisting slightly as it takes on a purple hue. A shimmering image of two fist-sized dots, practically touching each other, forms from the wind.


    Her friends start slightly at the change before leaning in to get a closer look.


    ¡°Is it showing the Diver¡¯s location?¡± Juliana asks.


    Emily says nothing and, instead, she quickly twists the release panel on the Diver, letting it pop back into place pulling the shell back in. She hands it to Tom and points along the lake¡¯s edge.


    ¡°Walk away a bit please.¡±


    He nods and jogs a short distance from them, stopping after ten metres and turning around to look back. Emily and the others watch the two dots separate, moving quickly at first before shrinking down and slowing as Tom comes to a halt.


    ¡°Cool,¡± Dante mutters.


    ¡°You like it?¡± Emily asks with a smug grin. ¡°I¡¯ll admit, it¡¯s kind of unnecessary, since I can just read the data output manually, but it looks cool. I got the idea when looking at the runes for the mental interface of The Dome¡¯s tokens.¡±


    ¡°It will let us see where we¡¯re going as well,¡± Juliana says with a kind smile. ¡°And if you enjoyed making it, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s unnecessary at all.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Emily says with a slight blush, gesturing for Tom to return.


    ¡°Them?¡± Enzo picks up on her wording, and Emily silently pulls out two more Gills in response.


    ¡°It¡¯s only natural I make enough for everyone here just in case,¡± she responds. ¡°Though, I¡¯ve only finished six of them so far.¡±


    She hands the two face masks to the twins before rising from the ground with unnatural grace and stepping towards the water¡¯s edge.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Tom says, scrambling to her side. ¡°How do I use this?¡±


    ¡°Just place it over your mouth and nose. It will attach on its own and work automatically,¡± Emily says dismissively, pulling three light packs from her belt.


    She places one against her shoulder, latching it to her body armour facing forward, and hands one to each of the twins to do the same.


    ¡°Just channel a bit of mana into that one to activate it,¡± Emily says, turning to give Juliana one last smile. ¡°Back in a second.¡±


    She raises her Gills to her face, pressing them into place, a small suction force holding it fast as the air crystal pulses, sending a wave of motion through the fins as she steps backwards. She drops off the edge and into the water below, plunging below the fog layer almost instantly.


    Emily activates the light pack mounted to her shoulder as the twins break through the fog layer arriving next to her. The glow of her light pack illuminates their Gills, letting Emily watch the small fins on the front constantly adjusting, breathing in and out in time with their breaths.


    They work perfectly!


    With a self-satisfied grin concealed by the mask, she signs for them to follow and turns to swim deeper into the lake. She stays close to the steep bank, keeping one side covered as they descend, cautious of the creatures dwelling below.


    Emily stares out into the murky darkness as they swim down, infra-sight activated and her water detection spell running at full strength, the small blue magic circle following in the small of her back, allowing her to track the movements below slightly better than her boat. She pinpoints the closest creatures, finding them to be a school of ten piranhas.


    She holds her hands to her back, lit up by the twins¡¯ light packs, as she keeps swimming towards the school of fish. She quickly weaves together a few gestures to inform Tom and Hester about the approaching fight and begins casting attack spells.


    I somewhat agree with Dante here. I¡¯m quite limited underwater as well. My physical prowess is practically useless, and I can¡¯t use any of my guns effectively without wasting my special ammo. I can¡¯t even use most of my lightning spells without extra resources to not fry the twins as well, not to mention boiling the water around us.


    The piranhas notice them before the light of their packs reaches them, turning and quickly closing the distance. Emily halts her pointless thoughts and unleashes a barrage of spells on the fish.


    Two glittering blue magic circles appear, bending strong currents around the school, knocking them off target and sending them tumbling in a vortex of motion, being dragged into the middle of the two opposing flows. Two more circles form in front of the others, releasing two arcing blades of water that quickly accelerate, pushed by the current, and slice through the group of fish.


    Six of the fish are sliced in half, but the other four manage to push themselves out of the way of the blades in the last second before they hit. Four smaller blades of water shoot out from the fish gliding through the water towards the trio. Only two of the blades are on target, the other two having been displaced by the currents still relentlessly battering the piranhas. Hester casts a barrier a second before the blades reach them, a barely tangible ripple in the water around them forming into a protective bubble, smoothly dissipating the force of the attack.


    Emily throws a thumbs up behind her back to Hester, approving of her choice to defend and leave offence to her. She dismisses the spells keeping the fish contained and forms four smaller magic circles around her in the blink of an eye. Four sleek teardrops of clear water bubble into being in the centre of the circles before rocketing forwards, smoothly cutting through the water and burrowing into the fish¡¯s heads before they can react.


    The bodies of the fish float to the surface as Hester cancels her spell, and they continue swimming into the darkness. They descend past another school of piranhas, dispatching them in much the same way, before the lakebed starts to level out, turning into a gradual decline heading further out into the water.


    They swim along close to the bottom, just above the dense reeds and weeds that reach up a few metres from the dark rock beneath that was exposed on Emily¡¯s last visit.


    It looks like the Mensacus¡¯ curse affected the plants around it too.


    Emily¡¯s water detection locates six lightning eels stalking towards them through the plant life, weaving fluidly through the vegetation while barely producing a quiver of motion, displaying their predatory nature.


    Emily comes to a halt, gesturing for her friends to do the same, and telling Hester to prepare a defence spell. She complies as Emily conjures four more teardrop-shaped water bolts to unleash on the unsuspecting fish. The eels slither up from the reeds and enter the small field of light around the trio with crackling blue lightning building around their bodies in rings, connecting the glistening blue gems on the end of their spines.


    Emily releases her water bolts at the same moment as the eels attack. Three streams of lightning connect the eels to the barrier Hester throws up, as three teardrops of water plant themselves in the heads of the attacking eels, extinguishing the streams almost instantly. However, the fourth teardrop flies off into the open water as the other three eels rocket forwards.


    The three long bodies cut through the water swiftly, closing the distance to the barrier. The first two slam head first into the barrier, each releasing a strong burst of lightning that together break Hester¡¯s defence. The third eel sails through the gap created, straight towards Emily¡¯s chest. Emily watches the eel approach, her control core automatically turning on full assistive processing with her spare cores to slow time in her perception.


    She pushes her hand up against the water¡¯s resistance and snatches the eel. The moment her hand closes around it, the full force of its gathered lightning bursts, pouring into Emily¡¯s arm. The twins both flinch, looking at Emily in concern as their processing catches up and they notice the crackling fish in her grip, but Emily scoffs at the attack. The crackling lightning flows through her arm, meeting the cold buzz of machina inside before being methodically taken apart.


    Emily tightens her grip, crushing the life from the fish as she slips out of assistive processing and casts two more water bolts. The new spells finish off the last two eels quickly, and Hester swims forward to check on Emily in the aftermath of the fight.


    She taps her on the shoulder, glancing towards the crushed eel still in Emily¡¯s clutch, and her seemingly untouched hand around it.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± she signs as Emily turns her head.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± Emily responds, sending the corpse into her belt and freeing up her hand. ¡°I¡¯m very resistant to lightning.¡±

 Chapter 98 – Diving

    Chapter 98 ¨C Diving


    Emily turns away from Hester, swimming over to collect the eels¡¯ bodies before they can sink into the weeds below. She sends all of them into her storage except the last, which she keeps in hand, looking at it contemplatively.


    How are they able to use lightning so well underwater? It didn¡¯t feel hot at all when it hit me earlier, so maybe they just have a different mental image? Or are they just wasting extra mana to maintain their control?


    Her focus is drawn to the spines lining their bodies and the glistening growths on the end. Emily takes one between two of her fingers, pouring in a spark of mana to try and understand them. The organic crystal crackles, resisting the external influence even in death, but she¡¯s able to gleam a pertinent detail from the interaction.


    These crystals are lightning and water attributes. No wonder they¡¯re able to use their spells underwater: they¡¯re dual element. Why didn¡¯t I think of that? I¡¯ve used highly compatible elements to enhance certain aspects like piercing power in my spells before, and even elements with low compatibility to counter each other in my alchemy. Why didn¡¯t I consider using low compatibility elements to remove negative aspects from each other? It will make the spell weaker in attack power, but it will be far more efficient than spending extra mana and processing power just to forcefully control a spell.


    Mentally berating herself, she sends the body into her storage and starts one of her cores on quickly building a new spell as she gestures to the twins to keep going.


    They continue swimming along the lakebed, following its gradual decline towards the bottom. They run into another group of eels in the reeds, sleeping in small burrows that they burst out of as Emily gets close. Luckily, the first attacks only target Emily at the front, and she simply absorbs their hits without flinching while throwing up a barrier as the first two slam into her chest, saving her friends from the three follow-up charges.


    After the fish have wasted their first assault, Emily crushes the two that hit her and finishes off the other three with a water bolt each. They don¡¯t run into another enemy before the plant life covering the rock below them starts to reduce in density.


    The weeds slowly fade away until the rock beneath is fully exposed and, a few metres deeper, their goal enters their small area of light. A small, fist-sized hole in the rock, pitch black despite the magical light around them and seemingly leeching the light away, with dark tendrils reaching up into the water above.


    Emily frowns slightly when she sees the hole, not remembering the small dark limbs trying to take apart her light. She holds up a hand to tell the twins to stop and focuses on her water detection spell. Unfortunately, everything around the hole is distorted in her scan, the tendrils seeming to pull apart her spell as it gets close.


    Clicking her tongue in her mask, Emily swims above the hole cautiously, hoping her infra-sight will reveal any hidden enemies. She gazes in and sees nothing but darkness. Still concerned about the strange shadowy limbs, Emily swims down with her left hand resting at her hip on top of The Clock¡¯s pouch, and a magic circle on either side of her.


    The moment she touches the first tendril of darkness, her caution proves warranted. The tendrils all react, suddenly solidifying into pitch-black tentacles and wrapping themselves around Emily¡¯s arm. Emily reacts instantly, kicking up and pushing herself away from the hole, ripping her attacker from its hiding place.


    Her vision is instantly filled with darkness, as the flexible body pulled from the hole expands into a large, pitch-black octopus with six thick tentacles and a dozen thin tendrils. Emily¡¯s eyes widen and she freezes for a moment as she recognises the beast.


    Holy shit! What¡¯s an archite doing here?


    She quickly recovers her composure as she notes its size and counts the number of its limbs.


    Ah, never mind. It¡¯s only second circle.


    With slight disappointment, Emily releases the two spells held at the ready beside her. One magic circle fires a teardrop of water through the archite¡¯s centre mass, ripping through a few tendrils in the way and pulverising the giant octopus¡¯ first heart. The other releases a cold blue beam of lightning that cuts clean through the back of the beast¡¯s mantle, destroying the other two hearts held within.


    It worked! Shame I already have a spell called water bolt. Maybe aqua bolt?


    The remaining tendrils around Emily¡¯s arm release their grip, slipping away and returning to their original form, melting into shadows for a moment before melding together into two half-destroyed tentacles. As the body settles, Emily taps it, sending it into her storage before floating down to the open hole below.


    It appears the same as the last time she was here, so she gestures for the twins to approach.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Hester signs, most of her attention resting on the dark maw before them.


    ¡°It was a baby archite,¡± Emily responds calmly, her eyes flashing with amusement as Hester starts in surprise.


    ¡°That was a titan of the deep?¡±


    ¡°I know right? Didn¡¯t look much like a titan, did it? It¡¯s only a second circle baby. It takes them tens of years to grow to full size.¡±


    Hester nods in understanding, turning her full focus on the hole leaking mana below them as Emily floats a metre away to allow them access. She summons the Diver and presses the release latch, opening the access to the internals. She pulls a winding key from her storage and presses it into an empty slot to start winding the internal springs.


    This should give it enough power to move itself for a few days as long as it doesn¡¯t need to use the course adjusting propellers too much. After that, hopefully it will continue moving with the current long enough to find the end. I¡¯m not sure I can make a more self-sufficient drone that¡¯ll fit, so we¡¯ll have to search blindly if it doesn¡¯t.


    As she prepares the Diver for release, the twins both inspect the hole in their own ways. Tom repeatedly dips his hand in and out, like a curious child, while Hester sits on the lakebed beside the hole, her eyes shut as she probes the leaking mana with her own.


    Emily finishes winding the Diver, the internal springs pushed to full compression, locking the key in place. She wraps the internals with her machina, holding them still as she removes the key. She closes the drone¡¯s body and approaches the hole, lightly pushing Tom out of the way.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you,¡± Enzo offers, standing up and walking over.


    Tom and Enzo separate from the group, the way lit by the light pack still clipped to Tom¡¯s chest. Meanwhile, Emily sets up the barrier disc, turning the dial in the middle a full turn this time and watching as it stabilises mid-air at an odd angle, firing its anchors into the wall and the floor by the water¡¯s edge.


    Satisfied with the barrier, Emily joins Juliana and Dante in setting up the group¡¯s bedrolls and a campfire while Hester meditates at the water¡¯s edge, ripples occasionally spreading from her across the water¡¯s surface as she plays with her elemental comprehension.


    Emily positions her spiders by the cavern entrances leading to the section of lakeshore they occupy, with her boat floating stationary a little way off the shore, and settles down beside the fire with Juliana and Dante. She takes out the Diver¡¯s tablet and activates the visual display, two small dots of wind swirling into life above it, before placing it down. She then takes out the materials to continue work on the final set of Gills.


    The two rotating motes of purple wind slowly move apart in an unpredictable path as the day goes by, the Diver treading its lonely journey down into the depths. A single small group of piranhas swims past Emily¡¯s boat¡¯s detection during the day, but she chooses to ignore it since they don¡¯t come close, diving down into the middle of the lake quickly after she spots them.


    Early in the evening, an hour or so before the light in the tunnels should fade, Hester approaches Emily.


    ¡°Hey, Emily?¡± she asks tentatively.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Emily responds, pulling her attention away from Juliana¡¯s head in her lap.


    Hester shivers slightly when Emily¡¯s warm smile immediately drops into a neutral stare as she looks up, but she continues unperturbed.


    ¡°Could you take me back down to look at that hole again, please? I think I¡¯m close to something.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Emily raises a curious brow, a small grin creeping up slowly to join it. ¡°In water or ice? I haven¡¯t noticed you make any attempts at an ice manifestation yet, only water.¡±


    ¡°Both? I¡¯m sure I¡¯m close to something new in my water manifestation, and I believe that will push me over the start line with ice,¡± Hester answers, gaining more confidence in her words as she goes.


    ¡°I see, I¡¯ll make you a deal then,¡± Emily responds, catching Hester off guard.


    ¡°A deal?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll take you back down if you show me your manifestations before and after.¡±


    ¡°What? Sure,¡± Hester agrees, relaxing at the simple request.


    Emily slides out from under Juliana, replacing her legs with a pillow and noticing a small pout following her as does. Chuckling, she leans down and plants a kiss on Juliana¡¯s head before she stands up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a bit,¡± Emily says, catching Juliana¡¯s eyes and receiving a small smile in response.


    She and Hester head for the water¡¯s edge, pausing before they step in as Emily turns to Hester with expectation clear on her face. Hester closes her eyes, raising her hand before her and whispering: ¡°water.¡±


    At first, nothing happens. Then, with no warning, a sudden burst of blue particles washes out of her palm. It disperses slowly into the air as a second wave rushes out. The pattern repeats a few times until Hester lets out a breath and opens her eyes.


    Interesting. She seems to be viewing water as waves. I wonder if that will give her spells a different effect than my calmer, more malleable image. Maybe more power?


    Emily nods for her to continue, so Hester shuts her eyes and whispers: ¡°ice.¡±


    A few seconds of silence pass once again, and then a few faint, pale blue whisps of mana shimmer to life before her hand. The effect is so small Emily can¡¯t recognise any discernible pattern that may suggest the direction Hester¡¯s mental image is taking.


    She¡¯s certainly not close to achieving a manifestation. But, it¡¯s not far off her initial manifestation of water. If she can refine her image a little I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll enter the ranks of dual elementalists.


    Hester drops her hand and opens her eyes again, finished with her demonstration. Emily nods, summoning her Gills from her storage and placing them to her face.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she says, stepping out over the water. ¡°Now for my end of the deal.¡±


    She plunges into the icy drink below.

 Chapter 99 – Fear the Deep

    Chapter 99 ¨C Fear the Deep


    Hester follows close behind Emily as they both swim down towards the hole again. They run into the piranhas Emily spotted earlier as they sink lower, but Emily quickly dispatches them all with a few casts of aqua bolt.


    They arrived beside the mysterious tunnel to The Abyss without any problems and both sit on either side of it. Emily copies Hester in closing her eyes, leaving her scans running in the background to protect them as she turns her main attention to the feeds of her scouts on the surface.


    It¡¯s odd that we haven¡¯t seen any bugs since entering this cavern: I would have thought there¡¯d be a group or two in such a large space. Unless there¡¯s something here they¡¯re avoiding.


    She takes one of her birds from its position on top of the barrier disc and angles it towards the ceiling. The thermal imaging provided by the pack strapped to its chest assists in seeing through the thick darkness coating the ceiling, but she doesn¡¯t see signs of anything out of the ordinary.


    Cautious, Emily keeps the bird trained on the cavern¡¯s roof, a small nagging in the back of her mind reminding her about the screamers that caught her off guard on their first day back in the caves. She doesn¡¯t move the bird closer, fearful of disturbing something she couldn¡¯t protect the others from whilst at the bottom of the lake, but she does keep some of her attention watching just in case.


    Hester remains locked in place, her eyes shut and her mana probing the hole as Emily watches patiently. After half an hour of waiting, Emily notices a disturbance in the currents around them. The water starts churning, being drawn towards Hester as her eyes flash open, a deep cerulean glow lighting them up for a moment.


    The phenomenon quickly fades, and Hester rises from the lakebed with excitement.


    ¡°I did it!¡± she signs happily.


    ¡°Well done,¡± Emily signs back, kicking off of the rock below. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the surface.¡±


    They quickly swim up, breaching the surface and heading for the shore under the push of Emily¡¯s magic. They rise out of the water into the boundary of their barrier, and the moisture falls off Emily smoothly. Hester takes a moment to conjure a dark blue magic circle that washes over her, cleaning her as well. She then turns to Emily with an excited grin, removing her Gills and hooking them onto her belt.


    ¡°I did it!¡± she repeats aloud, unable to hold in her joy.


    ¡°Ha,¡± Emily chuckles. ¡°Let¡¯s see then.¡±


    Hester shuts her eyes and raises her hand, muttering ¡°water¡± again.


    Does the vocalisation help her focus?


    Emily¡¯s questioning halts as mana gathers before Hester¡¯s hand. It coalesces into a glistening blue mass that slowly takes on the form of a dark, pulsing water droplet. The droplet swirls and roils with barely contained force, and Emily marvels at the deep hues displayed.


    Fascinating. I can tell she still views water as violent waves, but it seems to focus more on the pressure at depth than raw power. I can almost feel the density of her mental image.


    She claps her hands, breaking Hester¡¯s focus, and is quickly joined in her applause by their friends who were watching a few metres away.


    ¡°That¡¯s so cool!¡± Tom cheers.


    ¡°Well done,¡± Juliana says, the others quickly mirroring her in giving their congratulations.


    After a few minutes of bathing in her achievement, Hester turns back to Emily.


    ¡°Now for ice,¡± she says with determination, clearly less certain about the coming attempt.


    She shuts her eyes again, raising her hand and muttering ¡°ice¡±. Slowly, pale, frosty wisps of mana form in the air, gently swaying in a non-existent breeze.


    Emily smiles, summoning a sheet of paper, her quill, and a light sheet of metal from her belt. Her hand moves in a blur of motion as Hester finishes her display and opens her eyes, looking at Emily¡¯s actions with confusion.


    Before anyone can question her, Emily finishes and sends the quill and metal back into her storage. She holds the sheet of paper out to Hester, revealing the magic circle and chant drawn on it.


    ¡°Congratulations on becoming a dual elementalist!¡±


    After another round of congratulations, their excitement dies down a little and they settle around the campfire again as Hester gets started on dinner. Emily takes the momentary respite to send two of her birds up into the looming darkness above, her curiosity getting the better of her.


    One of the birds carries a thermal pack, and the other a light pack just in case. Her friends notice the moving light above and join Emily in watching the birds¡¯ trip.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you are,¡± she reassures her gently, pausing her hands and putting away the gearbox she was working on.


    ¡°A little bit,¡± Juliana quietly admits, turning to wrap her arms around Emily¡¯s waist and trying to bury her face in her shoulder.


    ¡°A little bit?¡± Emily coaxes, turning and pulling her girlfriend into her lap.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not quite afraid of water itself,¡± Juliana explains, relaxing into Emily¡¯s body. ¡°I¡¯m afraid of the deep.¡±


    Emily silently strokes her hair, waiting for her to continue.


    ¡°When I was little, my mum used to take me on trips to the beach. We have a few beautiful beaches in our territory where you can see the water stretch out into the horizon and meet the sky. I loved it. I¡¯d always ask, every time we went, if I could go for a swim. I wanted to try and reach where the sky touched the sea,¡± she explains with a wistful longing in her tone. ¡°But, mum always said it was too dangerous because monsters lurked in the water. So, on one of our trips when I was eight, I snuck away when she was distracted. I swam out into the water as far as I could. Mum noticed me pretty quickly and sent some guards after me, but I kept going.¡±


    She pauses, shivering slightly and taking a moment to calm down. Emily pulls back a little, sending her body armour into her storage before putting on a spare shirt and pulling Juliana back into a softer embrace.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a monster that attacked me,¡± she continues quietly. ¡°It was the water itself. I hit a strong current and it pulled me under. I tried to fight it, to swim back to the surface. But I was too small and weak. I just kept tumbling down, falling into that horrifying nothingness below. Luckily, the guards reached me and pulled me out before I could drown, but ever since then I can¡¯t stand looking into water and not being able to see the bottom.¡±


    Emily feels a damp patch forming on her shirt, so she pulls Juliana in tighter, offering her silent reassurance.


    ***


    The next morning, they rise early and check on the Diver. The dots on the receiver tablet have shrunk to the size of a fingernail, sitting an arms-length apart with one lower than the other while ever so slowly creeping apart further.


    Good, it¡¯s still moving.


    They eat breakfast and break camp before lining up with the direction of the lower dot, pointing them towards a tunnel on the far side of the cavern from where they entered, and marching forward. They enter the tunnel with high hopes and an air of excitement, keen to uncover a never-before-found secret, but the air slowly grows stale as the days go by.


    The tunnels continue on much the same as before, as they fight off small groups of bugs and creatures, letting Emily wipe out any fish before they can cause trouble. They find herbs and magic crystals to harvest along the way, and a few small lakes, less than half the size of the first. The dots on the Diver¡¯s receiver are always moving, even after it should have run out of power, giving Emily hope that it¡¯s being pulled by the current towards their target. It occasionally visibly speeds up or slows down, creeping slowly lower, but never coming to a halt.


    They repeatedly switch between connected streams of the river under Emily¡¯s guidance, trying to follow the dot¡¯s path as closely as possible without wasting time. However, two and a half weeks after leaving the first lake, Emily¡¯s friends start to lose hope in her theory.


    ¡°We¡¯re back here again,¡± Tom grumbles, looking around the five-way junction they left four hours ago.


    The junction has three branches of the river flowing into it, and two flowing out, creating a churning of conflicting currents that clash against each other. Surprisingly, the maelstrom doesn¡¯t affect the surface of the water much, but the fog just below it violently thrashes about, belying the deadly flow that forced Emily to remove her boat from the water temporarily.


    ¡°The vertical distance between us and your Diver has only been increasing for a few days now,¡± Hester adds. ¡°And I don¡¯t think that¡¯s because your Driver¡¯s dropping faster.¡±


    Emily shrugs off their grumbling and points towards the path they haven¡¯t yet followed downstream of the junction.


    ¡°I never promised it would be fast,¡± she says as she casts a spell to form a small bridge of stone over the river. ¡°We may not even be on the right path and could end up having to backtrack a few days to keep making progress for all I know. Have patience.¡±


    No one else complains as they set off down the new tunnel and, after three hours of walking, they see something that instantly reignites their hope. Standing before them, carved into the wall alongside the river, is a large, ancient-looking doorway. The doors are a dark, shimmering metal that looks like it will vanish into the ether when night falls. The frame around them is a worn, faintly glowing, silver brickwork with jagged runes carved into the face of each brick.


    ¡°Woah,¡± Juliana gasps in admiration at the mysterious door. ¡°Is that the path we¡¯re looking for?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a dungeon,¡± Enzo responds, his excitement palpable and quickly spreading to the rest of the group at his words.


    Emily steps forward, placing a hand on the worn brickwork. The moment her hand makes contact with the cold stone, she feels a flicker of mana lick against her palm, and a deep pulse floods through the door. The dull runes suddenly come to life, pouring out blue light as they shift, sliding across the stone to reposition.


    She steps back to rejoin her friends, a silver magic circle forming behind her as she prepares a defensive spell, just in case, and her hand resting on the Spitter. The runes find their new places and pause, before twisting into a new form. Slowly, they turn into words Emily can understand, and an excited smile parts Emily¡¯s lips at the revealed message.


    Enter, foolish challengers, the trial of the divided.


    Slay everything that blocks your path and your reward shall be provided.


    The doors suddenly shake, peeling apart and silently gliding open on their own, welcoming them to the trials ahead.

 Chapter 100 – The Trial

    Chapter 100 ¨C The Trial


    The doors swing open wide but, instead of a path for them to follow, it opens into a swirling black vortex.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Hester asks, looking at the swirling mass of darkness with nervously.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a portal,¡± Emily says, approaching it. ¡°It looks similar to one I¡¯ve seen before. Though, maybe it¡¯s a barrier of some form.¡±


    She reaches up, bringing her hand close to the doorway.


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s safe to touch?¡± Juliana quickly asks with concern, making her pause in her steps.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Emily responds, flashing a smile back to her girlfriend before pushing her hand in.


    Her friends jump slightly at her lack of caution, but quickly relax as nothing happens and Emily pulls her hand back out.


    ¡°But its mana flow feels completely stable and non-threatening, and dungeons aren¡¯t known for being impossible to enter,¡± she finishes with a teasing grin, trying not to laugh at the cute glare Juliana fixes her with.


    ¡°So you checked first before doing that?¡± Enzo asks, ignoring Dante laughing at Emily¡¯s stunt beside him.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Emily nods. ¡°I did say it looks like a portal I¡¯ve seen before, but it also feels similar. Not quite the same though. The other portal was purely space mana, and I could tell it was linked to another portal. This one feels strange. It kind of seems like it¡¯s just compressing in on itself, a little like a dimensional storage, so I think the dungeon is a type of pocket dimension and this is the entrance.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± he says, nodding as Emily pulls out a spool of thin steel cable.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna take a look inside. Can you hold this and pull me out if I tug on it, please?¡± she asks with a smile as she tosses the spool to Juliana while holding the end, letting it unravel in the air.


    Juliana catches it, letting out a small sigh and dropping her glare.


    ¡°Fine. Be safe.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? I always am,¡± Emily says with a wink before turning and stepping into the darkness.


    The portal engulfs her, reaching out past the doorway¡¯s boundary to pull her in the moment half of her body passes the threshold. Her vision instantly turns black, not even aided by her infra-sight. Strangely, the innate spatial awareness she¡¯s had since first comprehending space also fails to give her any information about her surroundings. From the moment the darkness embraces her, Emily feels as if she¡¯s stepped into a blank, floating expanse, with nothing around her but herself.


    Looking down, she sees the warmth of her own body clearly, a welcome anchor in the sea of nothingness. She tries to cast light, a pure white magic circle appearing over her hand and morphing into a glowing ball in no time. But, other than her own body, the light doesn¡¯t fall on a single surface or object around her, and the darkness seems unaffected.


    Emily makes the light float above her head, just in case, and takes a step forward. Her feet find no purchase, but she doesn¡¯t lose balance, and her foot stops at the same level as the other even though she doesn¡¯t feel a floor below her. However, she can¡¯t seem to move it further down no matter how hard she pushes.


    ¡°How odd,¡± she mumbles, still able to hear her own voice, but not hearing a single echo despite her enhanced hearing.


    Emily keeps walking, placing one foot before the other, but she doesn¡¯t seem to move.


    Do I have to keep going further in to find something? This is a strange dungeon. I¡¯ll let the others know first before I keep going.


    She tugs on the wire still in her hand but feels no resistance. Frowning, she quickly spins the cable between both hands, reeling it in for a moment until the end appears between her fingers.


    ¡°My cable¡¯s been cut. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to find the way I came in with this darkness,¡± she says, glancing over her shoulder and bringing a hand to her belt. ¡°Should I reset and warn the others that you can¡¯t leave once you enter?¡±


    The goblins press forward with reckless abandon, throwing themselves against the storm of metal biting away at their ranks, pushing further and further into the room by clambering over the fading bodies of their fallen. After culling a few dozen of the green beasts, Emily¡¯s rhythm is disrupted as an arrow nicks her cheek, and a burning sensation spreads across her face.


    ¡°Poison,¡± she hisses, her focus snapping onto the archer who shot her.


    In her moment of hesitation, a sizzling orb of fire, too weak to deserve the title of fireball, flies in from the back of the crowd, aiming for Emily¡¯s face. She reacts in time, bending her torso and slicing the Claw on her gun-wielding hand through the spell, bursting it in the air next to her, singeing a few of her hairs along with the fabric of her sleeve.


    They have mages now.


    Emily quickly kills the archer with a single bullet, checking her system and finding her health fixed at 269/270.


    I don¡¯t seem to be taking any more damage from that poison. It¡¯s either too weak to harm me right now, or only meant to cause pain.


    Her machina floods the site of intrusion, burning out the foreign substance as a glistening green magic circle forms above her head and fires a lance of wind into the spellcasting goblin¡¯s chest, pinning it to the floor. The burning in her face fades as quickly as it came, but Emily triggers the first injector against the base of her spine just in case, sending a comforting warmth through her body, knitting the scratch on her cheek back together quickly, as if nothing ever happened.


    She continues cutting down the swarm, getting close to the front-liners with shields, daggers, and swords to use their groups¡¯ numbers against them, blocking the spellcasters hiding at the back from wantonly attacking. They still do, scorching several of their teammates, but Emily keeps the melee close anyway, putting away the Spitter and revelling in the thrill of the battle.


    After ten minutes straight of combat, the flow of goblins from the portal starts to slow, its violent motion receding and, after Emily reaps the lives of everything else in the chamber, it stops. She stands alone in the centre of the room, seeming no worse off than at the start of the fight other than a few tears and burns on her robes and a few inconsequential points of stamina lost.


    Emily breaths in the silence, staring at the portal expectantly, waiting for the next opponents to arrive. Nothing happens for a few seconds, the quiet stretching on slightly too long with Emily¡¯s high from the battle slowly ebbing away, then the torches lighting the chamber move again. They dim and brighten repeatedly, pulsing like the beat of a heart as the portal churns again.


    This time, only five figures appear from the portal, stepping out into the light of the chamber. They look similar to the goblins, but they stand at the same height as Emily, even being slightly taller in the case of the one at the centre of their formation holding a tower shield. Three of the others are armed, two with swords, and the third with a bow. The last carries a wooden staff with two crystals mounted on the top, one red and one green.


    The shield-bearer has shining metal plate armour, like the knights of old, and the spellcaster dons a flowing robe, similar to those worn by Covenant mages, with a hood draped low over its head, concealing its face in shadows. The other three all have lightweight, polished leather armour.


    ¡°Hobgoblins. And you¡¯re all well equipped,¡± Emily says through a manic grin, a dense, swirling magic circle of fire, metal, and light forming around her as she raises both hands and prepares to pounce.


    The archer signals the start of the fight by releasing an arrow that rockets forwards with immense speed. Emily leans to the side, deflecting the projectile with a Claw and springing forward to meet her opponents. The spell behind her finishes casting as she clashes with the swords that flash forwards to meet her. A glittering arrow fires out of the magic circle, punching clean through the tower-shield and bursting inside the chest of the hobgoblin holding it, killing it instantly.


    Emily hears guttural chanting coming from the spellcaster in some ancient language, indecipherable to her. She deflects an incoming sword and kicks the wielder in the knee with her heavy boots, flicking out the spikes at the moment of impact and shattering her enemy¡¯s knee. She slashes a Claw across the hobgoblin¡¯s throat as it falls unguarded, and raises a barrier of stone between herself and the chanting spellcaster as a half-moon blade of wind mixes with a matching blade of fire above its head and slices through the air towards her.


    The spinning blades burst against the protective spell, cracking it but not breaching it. Emily takes the opportunity to dodge another arrow and parry an incoming blade, letting it run off her own before slipping inside the hobgoblin¡¯s guard and burying a blade several inches deep in its chest. As the last melee combatant falls to the ground bleeding, she retracts her Claws and pulls the Spitter from her thigh smoothly, levelling it at the archer.


    A single trigger pull halts the creature¡¯s breath as a bullet bores a hole through its chest. Emily calmly turns and points the pistol at the earthen wall blocking the enemy mage, cancelling the spell as she pulls the trigger again and the slide locks back, signifying an empty magazine. Another bullet whistles through the air, dropping the mage and interrupting its next spell as it forms.


    Emily drops the magazine from her gun with a well-practised motion, catching it and sliding a fresh one from the side of the holster and into the bottom of the weapon, clicking the slide back into place before the mage¡¯s body hits the floor. She looks around the room, her tension high as the portal shows no signs of moving.


    She holsters the Spitter and finishes off each of the still breathing hobgoblins with a quick stab to the head as the portal shrinks in on itself and vanishes. The open gate falls shut as well, slamming into the ground with a clang.


    Emily glances around, waiting for the next attack to come. But, instead, the torches flicker, shifting from a sickly green to a warm orange glow, and a crack appears in the wall between two of the portcullises. It slowly widens, forming into a doorway to another well-lit chamber.


    Why didn¡¯t the other gates ever open?


    Emily cautiously glances at the closed gates before approaching the new door, raising her brow as she feels several familiar mana signatures on the other side. She walks through into another circular hall, this one massive, with a diameter of at least a hundred metres. Stepping into the room with her, from similar doorways on either side of her, are Dante and Enzo, both scratched and battered, bleeding from several wounds, with Dante sporting a particularly nasty gash on his forehead.


    ¡°What are you guys doing in here?¡± Emily questions as they turn to look at her with pale faces, a cold realisation sending a chill down her spine. ¡°And if you guys are here, where¡¯s Jules?¡±

 Chapter 101 – A Greater Challenge

    Chapter 101 ¨C A Greater Challenge


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Enzo says, glancing at Dante¡¯s wounds with concern. ¡°A few seconds after you went into the dungeon, the wire you gave her snapped and the door started closing. We decided to enter together to help you, but the moment I stepped in, everything around me vanished.¡±


    A sinking feeling fills Emily¡¯s gut as she listens to him, and she doesn¡¯t even hear him and Dante continue to speak afterwards, her focus shifting to the other magical signature she still feels. She turns and sprints past Dante towards the next open door in the chamber walls, staring into the small chamber past it with unsettling calm as she sees Hester lying against the far wall.


    Her breathing is laboured as she clutches her stomach, trying to hold in a gaping hole leaking blood, with her armour shattered, shards of it lying on the floor around her in a pool of red. Her face is half burned with her flesh flaking away from the bone beneath, and her eyes are dull as her strength slowly fades.


    Emily quickly takes in her state and barely spares her a thought, racing past the gruesome scene the moment she confirms it¡¯s Hester. She reaches the next door and sees Ivor collapsed, lifeless in the centre of the room, the flesh peeled from his bones. Continuing on to the last door on this side, she slides to a halt finding Tom having suffered the same fate.


    Her blood runs cold as she turns and rushes back, passing Dante and Enzo calling for her help as they desperately try to stop Hester¡¯s bleeding. Emily doesn¡¯t stop, not even hearing their calls as her legs carry her towards the last open door.


    She skids across the stone floor, digging her boot¡¯s spikes in to slow her down and stop her in the open doorway. Her breath catches in her throat, and the world starts to buzz as the air around her ionises. Lying a few metres away from the door in a pool of blood, with her head facing the doorway, is Juliana.


    Her face is distorted in an eternal scream, her eyes wide and dull. There are slashes across her cheeks, and her torso is torn to shreds, a mess of gashes, made by blades, and chunks of missing flesh, ripped away by jagged teeth.


    Emily meets her lifeless gaze, echoes of broken promises swimming in her mind as arcs of lightning emanate from her, connecting with every nearby surface.


    I promised to keep her safe...


    She reaches down for The Clock without thinking, the mana around her still raging in response to her own tumultuous emotions. She presses the button, starting time¡¯s backwards march without breaking eye contact with her broken love.


    She didn¡¯t even survive long enough for me to try to help her.


    An immense feeling of helplessness washes over Emily as she¡¯s thrust backwards in time.


    ***


    Emily blinks as she finds herself back in the tunnels again, following along beside the river. She turns around suddenly, running her gaze over her friends.


    They all shiver as they meet her eyes, crackling with cold electricity.


    ¡°Emi?¡± Juliana calls softly as Emily steps towards her.


    Emily doesn¡¯t respond, pulling her into a tight hug and burying her face into the crook of her neck. Juliana is surprised, but she quickly wraps her arms around Emily and holds her tight.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asks with concern as she feels the tension in Emily¡¯s shoulders relax under her touch.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Emily hums in response, drinking in Juliana¡¯s calming floral scent.


    Their friends awkwardly wait behind them, unsure how to react to Emily¡¯s sudden outburst.


    After a few minutes, Emily relaxes her grip on Juliana, pulling back a little and raising a hand to stroke her cheek.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine now,¡± she says with a tired smile before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.


    I shouldn¡¯t have freaked out that much. I knew for certain that she would be fine after I reset, but I still couldn¡¯t keep myself calm when I saw her.


    Instantly the image of Juliana¡¯s mangled body flashes across her mind again, causing an odd feeling of disconnect as she squeezes her again for reassurance.


    She releases her breath, opening her eyes which have returned to their usual controlled calm, meeting a look of concern. She leans forward, placing a gentle kiss on Juliana¡¯s lips before separating completely and reaching down for her belt.


    She presses the button on The Clock again, rewinding to avoid having to explain her strange actions.


    ***


    As if rising to her challenge, goblins flood out of the portals in neat rows, gathered together in organised squads led by the hobs.


    ¡°That''s more like it,¡± Emily says, raising her gun to fire the starting shot.


    She charges the Spitter with machina, flicking it into burst and unloading into the first squadron. A hail of bullets flies out, tearing through the squadron¡¯s ranks. Bodies hit the floor, including the hobgoblin leader whose long spear offers no protection against the hail of metal slamming into it.


    Emily smoothly reloads as the remaining twenty-nine groups grow, joined by more goblins still leaving the portals, and spread out enough to merge into one, marching forward to close in on her. She sprays bullets into them, receiving return fire from the archers in the group that she dodges with minimal movements, falling into the rhythm of battle. She releases all four arcs, sending one out on each side and letting tendrils of lightning cleave their way through the approaching numbers.


    She notices the incoming wave slows as the spells wreak havoc in their ranks, stunning each goblin hit by a single tendril, dropping any hit by a second, and killing any hit by a third.


    Their bodies are really weak.


    The hobgoblins bark orders in their strange, ancient language that Emily doesn¡¯t understand, and the goblins behind them shift, moving the shield-bearers to the front to block as much of the lightning as possible.


    Emily frowns at their coordination, clicking her tongue and picking off some of the goblins blocking her assault, sending bullets into their exposed knees when they protect their vitals with their shields. As she¡¯s methodically knocking down the problematic goblins, she notices one of the sword-wielding hobgoblins tank four tendrils of crackling energy before it collapses to the floor, where she plants a single bullet between its eyes to quickly finish it. Then, almost instantly, the goblins behind it break formation, scrambling forward wildly and running into the oncoming lightning.


    Well, that makes this easier.


    With a small grin replacing her frown, Emily reloads the Spitter once more and flicks it back into single-fire before quickly rotating, shooting accurately into the exposed eyes and throats of the hobgoblins. The goblins panic at the loss of their leaders, frantically rushing forward and closing the distance with her as expected, allowing the arcs to work to their full potential.


    As the first goblin reaches her, Emily decapitates it with a whip of her arm before holstering her gun and bending her active magic circles. The arcs bubble and morph before rocketing out as four bolts, culling the marked goblins on mass. The thick beams of plasma bounce around the hall, surrounding Emily with scorched bodies that melt into the floor as no goblin is left unharmed. Even the few green critters that avoided being marked die as the beams pass towards their neighbours.


    There¡¯s barely any resistance. Are they all weak to lightning?


    The arc-bolts fizzle out, leaving a dead zone of thirty metres on all sides of Emily with nothing living left behind. The remaining goblins rush forward to fill the gap. But, as Emily raises the Claws to fight them off, they suddenly pause. Emily notices the portals shaking violently as the torches pulse, and a familiar clattering fills the hall as a full squadron of twenty hobgoblins walks through each gate. The groups are a mix of swords and spears, protected by shields at the front and followed closely by five mages each, all holding gnarled wooden staffs.


    ¡°Fucking hell that¡¯s a lot,¡± Emily mutters, turning her head and counting the mages.


    The shield bearers slam their heavy shields into the ground after their full squad steps from the portals, and the hall calms for a moment. Then, they roar guttural orders at the scattered goblins who resume their charge at full speed.


    Emily casts scattershot and three more arcs while shooting the Claws¡¯ blades with a magical steel thread connecting them to her arms and spinning, slicing through the front row of goblins like butter. She keeps culling them with the Claws for a few seconds as her spells finish casting, then retracts the blades into their housings while grabbing hold of the magical bow before her and tossing the crackling orbs of lightning into the crowd.


    I wish I could put my back to a wall right now.


    Emily draws back the bow, forming an arrow in place as over a hundred small balls of fire rise above the goblins¡¯ ranks and a few goblin¡¯s arrows hit her armoured chest, trying to break her focus. Ignoring the dull pain of the impact as her armour blocks the shots, she marks fifty of the mages cowering at the back and points the bow to the sky before releasing the string of wind. The arrow cuts through the air, rising to the apex of its flight before bursting into fifty, bullet-sized metal shards and raining down on the hobgoblins.


    The arrow fragments reach their targets before the orbs of fire, but they slam into a thin barrier of wind that stops most of them before shattering and letting the others in. Five mages die as the balls of fire fall towards Emily, but with barely a thought the waiting magic circle behind her activates, forming a wall of metal above her that blocks all of them.


    ¡°Tsk,¡± Emily clicks her tongue, drawing the bow back again and watching the mana movement around the hobgoblins to work out which ones are casting the barriers.


    She sees two thirds of them are casting fire element spells, and marks fifteen of those who aren¡¯t.


    ¡°Good luck blocking this one,¡± she says with a vicious grin, pointing the scattershot directly up and dismissing her barrier.


    An arrow flies up, bursting before it hits the ceiling and scatters fifteen hefty chunks of metal in a blooming pattern. They arc out, falling on the mages, cutting through their barriers with ease and splitting their heads open. She draws the bow again, selecting her marks and releasing two more shots before her blossoming arrows are joined in the air by the hobgoblin mages¡¯ retaliating volley of fire.


    Her rain of metal achieves its goal, removing all the barriers above the mages, along with their casters, as Emily sprints forward, rushing into the crowd of goblins and cutting down any blocking her path with a Claw. The balls of fire fall harmlessly on the empty space she has left, small explosions ringing out through the hall as Emily turns the arc closest to her into an arc-bolt and clears the nearby goblins with it.


    She draws the bow in the exposed gap and marks fifty more mages before firing. This time the small shards of metal meet no barriers, and all find their targets, cutting down the spellcasters'' numbers. She fires a second arrow before the goblins can close the gap to approach her, removing the rest of the mages from the equation completely.


    With the main threat gone, Emily dismisses scattershot and turns her arcs into arc-bolts to clear more of the goblins. She sprints through the quickly thinning group towards a squad of hobgoblins, cutting down everything she passes before casting four more arcs to reap the remaining goblins. She arrives in front of the first squad, pulling back her fist and slamming it into a shield, crumpling it inwards and knocking the air out of the hobgoblin braced behind it, sending it tumbling to the floor.


    ¡°I hope the rest of you can put up more resistance than that,¡± she mutters with a manic grin, casting her predatory gaze over the remaining squad before slipping into the centre of their formation through the exposed gap.

 Chapter 102 – Boss Fight

    Chapter 102 ¨C Boss Fight


    Emily becomes a whirlwind of violence, her arms flashing out, finding the weak points between the hobgoblins¡¯ armour before digging Claws into their soft flesh. They try to fight back, lashing out with blades that she deflects gracefully before closing the distance between them at a speed they can barely react to.


    She disassembles the squad quickly, covering the floor with their dirty blood before locating her next target and dashing forward, leaving fifteen dying hobgoblins to slowly melt back into the floor. Lightning wraps her legs, letting her cover the gap between her and the next group in an instant. The five shield-bearers in the squad line up to block her, locking their shields together while the polearms behind them jut forwards to pierce her as she approaches.


    Emily simply crouches a little before springing up, clearing the shields and spinning in the air, releasing the Claws¡¯ blades and letting them whip out, slicing through the hobgoblins below her. The shield-bearers fall with their heads split open as Emily lands, deftly weaving the wires of the blades around the spearmen beside her and filling them with machina, increasing their sharpness before retracting them.


    The wires lacerate the hobgoblins, ripping apart their armour and flesh. She pushes forward as the blades click back into place before burying them into the throats of the remaining squad members.


    She falls into a consistent rhythm, systematically taking apart every squad one by one and obliterating the remaining goblins with her arcs. The last hobgoblin falls from Emily¡¯s blades as she lowers her arms, letting them slide out of its stomach. She looks around, taking in the empty chamber.


    ¡°Am I done?¡± she mutters, glancing at her mana and stamina reserves. ¡°My body¡¯s improved so much that, even after I¡¯ve burned through half my mana, I¡¯m barely short of breath. Hell, I only lost twenty stamina.¡±


    The chamber shakes as the gates slide shut and the torches change to a natural orange glow, bringing an end to the horde. Emily looks around for the door to move on to the next chamber, but she doesn¡¯t see anything.


    Weird, is the trial not done?


    She notices an unnatural glow spreading from the centre of the chamber with the same blood-red hue as the torches before. It grows to fill half the chamber with its light, and Emily recognises the pattern as a large-scale array. She keeps her back to the nearby wall, watching in fascination as a red haze slowly drifts up from the massive magic circle. The mana around her grows unstable, and a strange feeling of pressure envelopes her, as if crushing the air from her lungs.


    Frowning, Emily tries to cast a spell, but the moment her mana leaves her body it distorts, bending and twisting in strange ways, forcing her to divert more of her focus to correct it. The spell still forms, a crackling bolt arcing out and slamming into the floor a few metres ahead of her, but it takes over twice as long as it usually would.


    ¡°It¡¯s a widespread magic inhibition zone,¡± she mutters with wonder, stepping closer to inspect the runes forming the circle.


    As she approaches, a low rumble fills the chamber, and a bubbling black mass rises in the centre of the room. She pauses and lowers into a combat stance as the mass grows, morphing into a towering humanoid figure. The black liquid solidifies, taking on a dull, stone-like finish. It slowly gains definition, holes forming in the head to create an unsettling face with an empty, gaping maw and abyssal eyes.


    The black stone giant finishes its birth after a few moments and slowly turns, its empty gaze falling on Emily.


    ¡°What are you?¡± she says with curiosity, beginning the slow casting of four fireballs as she starts slowly circling the creature.


    The thirty-metre-tall being doesn¡¯t respond. However, the moment Emily¡¯s mana flows out of her body and begins to form magic circles, it raises its thick arm with surprising speed and points towards her. Its fingers suddenly grow, shooting out and piercing her magic circles, ripping the mana constructs to pieces.


    ¡°Tsk,¡± Emily clicks her tongue and sprints away, avoiding the sharp spears of rock that fall towards her after breaking her spells. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to want me to cast spells.¡±


    The creature follows her body with its eyes, drawing back its fingers and bending its legs. It springs forward, creating a thundering crash with each footfall, closing the distance between them to crush Emily.


    Grinning, Emily moves forward to meet it, internally casting an acceleration spell that meets no resistance from the inhibition zone and wraps her legs with lightning. She runs through the giant¡¯s legs, slashing a Claw along its ankle. The metal blade bites into the dark stone, crackling with machina and cutting a clean line through. She skids to a halt, spinning around and killing her momentum with a knee against the ground and the spikes on her boots extended.


    The stone giant pauses its charge, slamming a foot down to instantly halt its momentum before slowly rotating unnaturally at the waist to face Emily again.


    It¡¯s fast, but it''s slow at turning.


    Emily contemplates the creature as she watches the gash she left behind being quickly filled with more black liquid that quickly solidifies, removing any sign of the wound.


    ¡°Tsk,¡± she clicks her tongue with a frown. ¡°And it regenerates small injuries.¡±


    She tries to summon a mana grenade from her belt but finds it slow to appear, also affected by the mana inhibition zone.


    Is that my reward, or another challenge?


    She steps forward to answer her question, wincing slightly as she reactivates the pain receptors in her right leg. Accepting the buzzing pain telling her that she isn¡¯t fully healed, she approaches the plain black chest, poking it with the barrel of the Whisper without attempting to open it. When nothing happens, she tries pulling up a system information window and sighs with relief as it works.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Dungeon Chest]


    [Rank:] E


    [Description:] A reward chest for completing a dungeon¡¯s trial.


    ______


    The explanation is brief, but it reassures her that the trial is over, so Emily lowers her gun and reaches out, pushing open the heavy metal lid. A bright light washes out of the chest, blinding her for a moment before her eyes adjust. At the bottom is a layer of large, greater mana crystals of various elements, and sitting above them, drawing Emily¡¯s focus, is a ring. It has a seemingly simple design, just a thin band of green metal. However, as Emily looks closer she realises the metal is actually a bluish-silver, mythril, with a dense mass of tiny green runes covering it.


    ¡°Incredible,¡± she mutters, picking up the ring and admiring the craftsmanship of the fine engravings while wrapping all the mana crystals with a layer of space mana and sending them straight into her belt.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Air Walker]


    [Rank:] E


    [Description:] A ring engraved with an easy-to-use flight spell.


    [Effect:] Upon activation, allows the user to step freely on the air around them.


    _____


    Her eyes light up at the description, a giddy grin parting her lips.


    ¡°Jackpot! I couldn¡¯t find anything about flight spells in the library,¡± she says while storing the Whisper and sliding the ring onto her right pointer finger.


    The mana in the room moves again, and the chest morphs into a swirling portal, but Emily ignores it.


    Instead, she channels mana into the ring, lighting up the runes around it before taking a step forward and watching wind mana flow from the ring to form an invisible platform along her sole. Her foot freezes ten centimetres away from the floor, allowing her to step off the ground onto the nothingness above. Grinning, she takes one step after another, slowly climbing into the air. After rising ten metres, Emily removes the mana flowing into the ring, but it keeps pouring out wind mana on its own, and her next step freezes ten centimetres lower than the last. She keeps walking, slowly lowering to the ground where the ring¡¯s runes go dull again, losing their pale glow.


    ¡°So it drains twice as much mana as each step needs to lower you down afterwards,¡± Emily mutters, analysing the function of the ring.


    She tries attributing her mana before injecting it into the ring, pouring in wind mana and finding herself able to control it still after it leaves the ring. She gathers it around her foot when it¡¯s fifteen centimetres off the ground this time and steps up. She repeats this a few times, stepping up varying heights before cutting off the mana and finding herself lowering by the same odd distances each time.


    ¡°So I can gain more control, but still not complete control. I¡¯ll decipher these runes later to make my own spell then give this ring to Jules. This will be helpful for someone without the ability to completely split their focus between multiple spells.¡±


    The walls of the chamber start to break apart as she finishes her tests, falling away to reveal the same void as when she entered. Getting the message, Emily finally turns to the portal and steps through to rejoin her friends outside.

 Chapter 103 – Reunion

    Chapter 103 ¨C Reunion


    Emily steps out of the portal, pulling free from the swirling black mass of mana to appear in the cave system once again. Her gaze is instantly drawn to Juliana, standing with their friends, cautiously surrounding the doorway with spells at the ready. A small tension she didn¡¯t even realise she still held relaxes as she sees her safe and sound after the dungeon¡¯s completion.


    Everyone dismisses their preparations the moment they see Emily, and Juliana rushes forward, checking her for injuries and instantly noticing her uneven gait.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asks with concern. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Before Emily can answer her, the door behind her shudders, sliding shut and receding into the wall, being replaced by smooth stone.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, just a flesh wound,¡± Emily reassures Juliana, pulling her into her right side and leaning against her to take the weight off her leg as she turns to answer the questioning gazes of her friends, lingering on the now missing door behind her. ¡°The dungeon was an arena fight against a load of enemies. There were a few thousand goblins and six hundred hobgoblins, followed by a giant golem that I¡¯d place at around third circle in strength since there was a mana inhibition zone around it.¡±


    Their faces pale at her words, and Ivor quickly signs a question dripping with incredulity.


    ¡°You fought thousands of goblins and a golem in a mana inhibition zone alone, and only got a flesh wound?¡±


    ¡°Not quite,¡± Emily corrects. ¡°The goblins and hobgoblins attacked first without the mana inhibition zone, then the golem spawned alone afterwards with the zone. Luckily, the zone only really blocked external casting, so I was able to keep ahead of its attacks most of the time. Also, I have some pretty heavy-hitting weapons, so I was able to destroy its core without spells.¡±


    His surprise lowers a little, but shock and respect remain in his gaze.


    ¡°We should have come with you,¡± Dante complains. ¡°I bet even you could have done with some help against such a big horde.¡±


    Emily shrugs, unable to tell him the full truth.


    ¡°I¡¯m almost certain it would have made us fight the hordes separately, and I didn¡¯t have that much trouble against them. I¡¯m very good at one against many in a melee since there¡¯s a limit to how many can attack me at once. What¡¯s done is done now, so let¡¯s move on to the rewards.¡±


    Her distraction works, as all of her friends¡¯ eyes light up at the mention of rewards.


    ¡°Wait, do we get a share of them even though we did nothing?¡± Tom asks, surprisingly killing his own anticipation.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who stopped you all coming in, and I already said when we started this that I¡¯d give you all your fair share from the expedition, so yes,¡± Emily answers with a firm nod. ¡°Besides, by that logic, you wouldn¡¯t get anything from the expedition as a whole.¡±


    Everyone chuckles at her teasing remark, including Tom despite the small embarrassed blush on his cheeks.


    Also, I¡¯m more concerned about completing my quest than gaining resources. I¡¯m already going to have enough mana crystals and magical metals to last me a while after this.


    ¡°First, there were these magic crystals,¡± Emily says, summoning two dozen greater crystals on the floor in front of her, a mix of water, ice, light, darkness, and wind.


    Her friends¡¯ eyes widen in surprise at the number of crystals, but Emily notices Enzo¡¯s reaction is far more muted, and Dante barely reacts after seeing no fire crystals.


    Enzo definitely understands the value of a dungeon far better than everyone else.


    ¡°Then the main reward was this,¡± Emily says, removing her right hand from Juliana¡¯s waist to show off the Air Walker. ¡°It¡¯s a ring with a flight spell engraved on it.¡±


    This time, Enzo¡¯s reaction is the strongest, his eyes shooting open wide, and his mouth falling open.


    ¡°You got a flight artefact?¡± he asks, a glint of greed in his eyes.


    ¡°Yep.¡± Emily nods, noticing his greed and making a note to remove any risk he may pose before giving Juliana the ring. ¡°I plan on analysing the engravings and making my own spell, so I¡¯ll keep it with me for now. We can decide on who gets the ring itself later, and give everyone else a larger cut of the other loot.¡±


    No one has any complaints about her handling of the situation, so Emily walks over to a rock, supported by Juliana, and sits down.


    ¡°We¡¯ll stay here for a little bit longer so I can deal with my leg, then we keep following my Diver.¡±


    Tom gathers the mana crystals Emily left behind in his bag, and everyone else settles down to wait for Emily.


    ¡°Do you need any help?¡± Juliana asks, crouching beside Emily.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if my ankle is set correctly, so could you help me get my boot off please.¡±


    Emily tunes out their conversation, her eyes following the rock Dante kicked and remaining locked on the water. She steps closer to the water¡¯s edge, looking out into the centre of the junction at the roiling current.


    ¡°Actually,¡± she says, cutting off the ongoing conversation as her friends all turn their attention to her. ¡°I think we might be in the right place.¡±


    Her friends follow her gaze, looking out into the river with confusion.


    ¡°Really?¡± Tom asks. ¡°Where are we meant to go though?¡±


    Emily turns back to her friends, answering his question with another question.


    ¡°How is there a current here?¡±


    They all pause to consider her words, but Hester makes the connection first.


    ¡°The water needs to go somewhere,¡± Hester mutters, glancing past Emily towards the junction.


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Emily says with an excited grin, noticing the still confused looks etched on the others¡¯ faces. ¡°Look at the pathways in and out of this junction. There are three coming in, and two leading out. The two leading out are both in a closed loop with two of those leading in, so there¡¯s only water coming in through one path. Now, this may be an oddity of magic, but logically, if it¡¯s moving, it must be going somewhere.¡±


    A light of realisation slowly dawns on her friends'' faces she explains.


    ¡°An underwater tunnel,¡± Juliana squeaks, voicing Emily¡¯s theory.


    ¡°Possibly,¡± Emily agrees. ¡°I¡¯ve been removing my boat from the water near here to stop it getting swept away, but that means I¡¯ve never checked the riverbed around here. Our path forwards may be hidden in plain sight.¡±


    She steps forward, bending down and pulling the boat from her storage once again.


    ¡°Only one way to find out!¡± she says, flashing a confident smile over her shoulder before dropping the watercraft onto the surface and watching it get dragged to the centre of the river.


    Everyone watches with bated breath as it bobs in place for a moment, before suddenly vanishing into the swirling fog below the surface. Emily¡¯s grin grows as she remains connected to the boat¡¯s sensory array, watching it sink deep below, far further than the usual depth of the riverbed. The boat is thrown about, sending back a jumbled mess of information that barely helps Emily for a few seconds before suddenly blinking out and severing her connection.


    ¡°Tsk,¡± she clicks her tongue. ¡°There¡¯s definitely a tunnel down there, but my boat was destroyed.¡±


    ¡°Is there something down there?¡± Enzo questions.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Emily says, shaking her head. ¡°It was being thrown all over the place, so I think it¡¯s just a violent current.¡±


    ¡°What now then?¡± Juliana asks, glancing at the water with a nervous gaze. ¡°Do you have something else you can send down to check?¡±


    Emily nods, tossing off her robes and sitting down to remove her shoes.


    ¡°Myself.¡±


    Juliana jumps at her words, rushing forward to place a hand on Emily¡¯s shoulder, gripping her hard.


    ¡°What do you mean yourself? Don¡¯t you have some machine you can send down there? You¡¯re still injured!¡± she fires off rapidly, glancing at the water repeatedly as her fear and concern mix.


    Emily reaches up and gently rests her hand on her girlfriend¡¯s, reassuring her as she looks over her shoulder with a smile.


    ¡°I only had one Diver prepared, and none of my other scouts are designed for underwater operation. I¡¯ll be fine though. I¡¯m pretty robust.¡±


    And I can always reset if I get stuck.


    Juliana doesn¡¯t look convinced, but Emily doesn¡¯t give her a chance to argue again, standing up and giving her a quick kiss before stepping backwards into the water. She turns around, ignoring the panicked cry behind her, and pushes forward to the centre of the current, where she feels a strong pull attempting to drag her down. She kicks against the current, holding herself above the water as she turns to face her friends.


    ¡°See, I can fight the current just fine,¡± she calls out, raising a single hand above the surface holding her Gills, pressing them to her face before giving a small wave as Juliana seems to relax slightly. ¡°See you on the other side.¡±


    Emily punctuates her goodbye by halting her movements, letting the current rip her down into the depths below.

 Chapter 104 – The Deep Dark

    Chapter 104 ¨C The Deep Dark


    Emily sinks below the surface quickly, the current gripping her and forcing her down the moment she relaxes. She channels light through her hands, illuminating the water below as she approaches the riverbed at speed. The bottom is revealed, showing a gaping hole just wide enough to fit Emily, dragging in the surrounding water with immense force. The closer she gets to the hole, the stronger the current grows, to the point where Emily isn¡¯t sure she¡¯d be able to resist it in such a limited space.


    If there¡¯s purchase on the sides of the tunnel, I may be able to pull myself out. But there¡¯s no way the others will be able to swim out. This is possibly a one-way trip.


    Frowning, Emily grabs The Clock from its pouch before letting herself slip into the hole. She shoots through the tunnel, descending tens of metres before the narrow passage bends, slamming her against solid rock and dragging her down further. She bounces off the walls a few times as the passageway twists and turns, quickly closing the vertical distance between her and her Diver.


    The travel is disorienting as her direction changes repeatedly, but Emily simply focuses on her feet, watching calmly and waiting for a change. After a minute of shuttling through the narrow, twisting channel, her feet hit a swirl of churning water, too rough for her to see through, before she¡¯s shot out into the open air, overshooting the water that continues to plummet into the unknown.


    The moment the space opens up around her, she calmly channels mana through the Air Walker, forming a solid barrier against the soles of her feet. Her legs compress, absorbing her momentum, before relaxing as she drops and twists gracefully to place her feet below herself before creating a platform to stand on.


    Emily looks around, pulling off her Gills before pointing her hands in all directions to try and take in her surroundings. She finds nothing but the ever-persistent darkness that clings unnaturally to her skin, sending shivers down her spine as it noticeably encroaches upon the glow from her hands.


    ¡°It¡¯s gotten stronger,¡± she mutters, conjuring a ball of light and tossing it above her head, pouring mana into it. ¡°And I think it¡¯s alive.¡±


    A small zone of light slowly forms around her as more and more mana flows into the spell, forcing the darkness back. Emily looks around her haven of light, drinking in the new space.


    Behind her is a small waterfall, blooming from a solid stone wall and falling into a quickly flowing river below. The water is an eerie mix of black and grey, the fog seemingly having lost its vigour, blending into the inky water, no longer separated like before. The riverbank is completely clear of fog, and though there are still crystals lining the roof, they¡¯re all pitch black, seemingly drawing the light away from the tunnel around them instead of providing it.


    Emily walks forward, lowering herself onto the riverbank and stepping onto the smooth stone.


    ¡°Might as well have a look around before I reset,¡± she mutters, glancing back up towards the mouth of the waterfall a dozen metres above her, watching the powerful torrent of water cascade into the flowing water, the hole she came through now obstructed by the living darkness. ¡°That would be a massive pain to go back through.¡±


    Emily takes out her boat as she walks, dropping it into the water beside her and checking The Clock.


    If I move for eighteen hours, I can return to right before I entered the dungeon to save damaging my boot and wasting potions. I guess I¡¯m getting a rematch after all.


    With an amused smile, she continues into the darkness. She reduces the size of her light to reduce the mana drain, opting to walk with a two-metre area of vision and sending a bird ahead with a thermal pack to compensate. She pulls out the Diver¡¯s tablet and checks their relative position as she moves, her amusement changing into excitement as she confirms that she¡¯s moving towards it now on the correct elevation level.


    I¡¯m getting closer.


    An hour later, walking through the empty tunnel alone, Emily suddenly freezes as she hears a faint clicking sound. She lowers into a combat stance and advances, scanning through her bird¡¯s eyes to locate the source as the sound slowly grows louder.


    She sees a flicker of movement through the bird before her connection is suddenly severed. Emily pauses as her brows furrow in anger, before she activates her own infra-sight and continues on, a crackling magic circle forming behind her in preparation to greet her bird¡¯s killer. The clacking sound gets closer, but Emily doesn¡¯t see anything in the tunnel ahead, and her opponent doesn¡¯t seem to notice her approach either.


    This darkness seems to be limiting the range of my infra-sight. No wonder it got my bird. I probably flew straight into it. At least it¡¯s providing cover for me too.


    She comes to a halt, cancelling her infra-sight and instead channelling earthen detection. Instantly she locates her target and, without wasting a beat, she unleashes an arc-bolt on it. The foe seems to notice her detection, turning to her the moment a pulse of her earth mana reaches it, but it¡¯s too slow to dodge her attack, taking a torrent of burning plasma to the head.


    It lets out a horrid screech that quickly slurs as millions of volts surge through its body, melting through the armour that protected its head and causing it to slump to the floor in a twitching mess. Emily approaches the fallen figure, bringing it within the glow of her light and finally seeing her enemy.


    The creature is as big as Emily, with smooth, black, chitinous armour and two deadly scythes lying limp before its chest, attached to multisegmented, whip-like arms. Its body is split into two torsos, one small one: connecting its head, and arms, and one large one with twelve jagged legs sticking out. It¡¯s a grotesque mix between a praying mantis and a spider that sends Emily¡¯s survival instincts into overdrive the moment she sees it. Recognition flashes through her eyes as she remembers a key piece of information about the abomination of nature.


    Mantolyc are metal and earth-based creatures with high lightning resistance... And they have three brains.


    Her realisation comes just in time, as her control core immediately diverts all her cores into assistive processing, cancelling her light and detection spells but slowing the world around her. Machina flickers beneath her skin in silent command, and Emily twitches back, wrenching her head away from the creature in the nick of time.


    No injuries this time.


    She enters the dungeon alone, once again convincing everyone not to follow, and quickly gets to work culling the horde. She rips goblins to pieces with wide, sweeping arcs of her Claws, punches holes through hobgoblins, and decimates the mages with deadly magical precision. She successfully clears out the portals spewing monsters a few minutes faster than the first time: with less mana lost, and an inconsequential amount of extra stamina used.


    Emily pulls out the Whisper as the chamber begins creating its golem, loads it full of explosive bullets, and aims it at the growing tar-like creature in the centre of the hall. She lines it up with the forming left hip, flicks the firing selector into full, and unloads the moment the black mass solidifies into stone. Five shots fly out in an instant, each a soft hiss followed by a harsh crack, then a thundering boom that drowns out the following rain of empty casings hitting the floor.


    The golem¡¯s hips, stomach, head, and chest are blown to pieces in that order, with the loud shattering of the core occurring as the head vanishes this time. She calmly switches the magazine in her gun back to standard rounds and sends it back into her storage before claiming her reward.


    Emily leaves with a smug grin, proud of the efficiency of her dungeon clear, and faces her friends with the loot once again. They leave to continue down the tunnel soon after, this time without having to wait for her to lick her wounds, and arrive at the crossroads after a short trek through the tunnel.


    ¡°Do we really have to backtrack?¡± Dante asks, kicking a rock into the water once again.


    ¡°No,¡± Emily answers decisively, drawing her friends¡¯ attention in an instant.


    ¡°Really? Where are we meant to go then?¡± Tom asks.


    ¡°Where else?¡± Emily asks with a grin, tapping the ground with her foot, a brown magic circle quickly spreading around them. ¡°Down.¡±


    Enzo and Ivor both recognise earthen detection instantly, activating the spell themselves and inspecting the ground below them. It takes them a few moments, but they both soon pick out the odd, faint vibrations descending further than they should, brought by the crashing current flowing down into the tunnel in the middle of the junction.


    ¡°There¡¯s a tunnel underwater,¡± Enzo mutters in surprise. ¡°Do you think we¡¯re meant to go through that?¡±


    Everyone turns to Emily for an answer, and she doesn¡¯t miss the look of horror on Juliana¡¯s face. She reaches out, taking Juliana¡¯s hand reassuringly as she nods.


    ¡°Yeah. The tunnel is wide enough to fit a person, and it continues down towards The Diver. I¡¯m certain that it will take us closer to our goal. But I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to come back along this route,¡± Emily explains, her lack of confidence sending a wave of unease through her friends.


    ¡°So, we may get stuck down there?¡± Enzo asks with a hint of caution.


    ¡°Yes and no,¡± Emily responds with a sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll get stuck. I¡¯m confident in being able to work out a way back out, no matter what. I¡¯m just not sure how long it will take.¡±


    ¡°Then it should be fine, right?¡± Dante says, confidently hitting his fist against his palm. ¡°We came down expecting to jump into the unknown, right? Why are we getting nervous now?¡±


    Enzo casts a distasteful glance towards his friend, but his expression quickly falls into one of resignation as he lets out a sigh.


    ¡°I hate to admit it,¡± he starts.


    ¡°But he¡¯s not wrong,¡± Tom finishes, surprising everyone.


    They all look at him with varying degrees of shock, to which he responds with a small scoff and a self-deprecating smile.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re all pretending I¡¯m here to carry stuff, but Emily¡¯s belt could do a better job. However,¡± he grins. ¡°If there¡¯s one thing I am good at, it¡¯s throwing myself headfirst into stupid situations without thinking.¡±


    A small smile creeps its way onto Emily¡¯s lips.


    Maybe I was too harsh on him.

 Chapter 105 – Descent

    Chapter 105 ¨C Descent


    Emily¡¯s friends seem to calm down at Tom¡¯s words, an air of resolve settling over them as Emily continues to reassure them.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m planning on being stuck down there forever,¡± she says, steadying Juliana¡¯s still-shaking hand with a light squeeze. ¡°Worst case scenario, I can lead us back to this tunnel, and I think I may have a solution with spatial magic. It will just take a while.¡±


    Inventing new teleportation arrays isn¡¯t exactly easy.


    Dante and Ivor grin as if they were expecting this, while Enzo, Tom, and Hester all give small sighs of exasperation.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you start with that?¡± Hester mumbles. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t have had any doubts if you hadn¡¯t said we couldn¡¯t come up through this tunnel.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Emily says with a small smirk. ¡°I said it wouldn¡¯t be easy. I think I¡¯ll be able to force my way back up through the current in the tunnel. So, if I invent a new short-range teleportation array and carve half of it down there, then half up here, I could bring you all up. It would just take me a while to create a full teleportation array - I¡¯ve never done any work with large-scale spatial manipulation before - which is why I think it will probably be faster to look for another way out instead.¡±


    And I want to ease Jules into the idea of what I¡¯m about to ask her to do. I don¡¯t want to traumatise her too much...


    The memory of Juliana¡¯s mutilated corpse flickers across Emily¡¯s mind as she glances guiltily at her girlfriend, the weight of her broken promise twisting her thoughts.


    But maybe scaring her a little wouldn¡¯t be such a bad idea. Maybe she will adapt and consider travelling with me if she gets used to confronting her fear...


    ¡°I¡¯m honestly surprised you¡¯re not confident you could create a new spatial array within minutes,¡± Tom says with a grin, pulling Emily¡¯s attention back to their conversation as he sits down to take his shoes off.


    ¡°Large-scale arrays are complicated,¡± Enzo responds while copying him. ¡°It¡¯s reasonable for her to take an hour or so.¡±


    Emily ignores their jabs, giving a small, reassuring nod to Ivor, the last person not getting ready to swim, glancing between her and Juliana with a concerned look. As he turns away, Emily gently pulls on Juliana¡¯s hand, guiding her away from the group. They walk down the riverbank a little before an invisible bubble wraps around them, blocking their voices from reaching everyone else.


    Emily stands before Juliana, taking both her hands and looking into her eyes.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Emily asks gently.


    ¡°No,¡± Juliana says, tears in her eyes that pull on Emily¡¯s heartstrings, the twistings of guilt in her chest only worsening. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can go down there. I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t want to ruin your expedition, and everyone else is prepared to keep going, but-¡°


    Emily pulls Juliana into a hug, cutting off her spiralling panic and turning it into a quiet sobbing against her shoulder.


    Is it too much for her?


    Emily bites her lip in disappointment and frustration, drawing blood as she brings a hand to Juliana¡¯s head, wiping the crimson liquid away in the process.


    It¡¯s not like I can really leave her here. Even if I leave everyone else with her, they¡¯re dead if a single third circle beast attacks them. Maybe I¡¯ll do the array to get us down?


    Emily keeps stroking Juliana¡¯s hair, giving her time to calm down while she starts running through ideas to avoid the underwater chute. Once Juliana stops shaking, Emily holds her tight for a short while longer before pulling back and gently running a hand along her cheek, wiping away the tears.


    ¡°What about if you stay in contact with me the whole time and keep your eyes shut?¡± Emily suggests, receiving an instant panicked head shake in response.


    ¡°Not being able to see anything will be way worse.¡±


    ¡°What about if I keep a light around us?¡±


    Juliana goes quiet, glancing between the water and Emily, a silent war raging in her head.


    She¡¯s considering it? Can she push through her fear?


    A small seed of hope plants itself in Emily¡¯s heart as she waits. After a minute of deliberation, Juliana lets out a sigh and drops her head back onto Emily¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be able to breathe the whole time, right?¡± she asks weakly.


    Kicking fiercely to keep both of them afloat, Emily pulls Juliana in close, wrapping her arms around her and leaning in to whisper in her ear, the mask on her face barely impeding her speech.


    ¡°Just relax and hold on tight, I¡¯ll keep it nice and bright so you can see the bottom at all times, okay?¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Juliana hums along with a meek nod, so Emily slows her kicking.


    They¡¯re pulled down in a controlled manner, and Juliana¡¯s grip on Emily tightens as they dip below the surface, as if trying to crush the air from her lungs.


    So much for relaxing.


    Emily keeps pouring mana into her light spell, penetrating through the thick underwater darkness and keeping a beam of light illuminating their path down to the dark hole below. They sink down, and Emily once again anchors herself to the floor next to the hole, this time doing the same for Juliana.


    She taps Juliana¡¯s shoulder, gently trying to pull back to communicate. Juliana doesn¡¯t budge at the first tap, but after a few seconds Emily taps again and she complies, slowly relaxing her grip and pulling back a little, her arms refusing to leave Emily¡¯s sides completely.


    ¡°Would you rather go in first and hold on to me, or go in second and I hold you?¡± Emily signs, patiently waiting for Juliana to let go with one hand and sign out a response.


    ¡°Go in second,¡± she manages, her hand shaking the whole time.


    Emily¡¯s heart aches to see her in such distress, but she quickly pushes the feelings to the back of her mind.


    ¡°Through the tunnel fast or slow?¡±


    ¡°Fast,¡± Juliana responds with more certainty than Emily expected.


    ¡°Okay, you¡¯re going to have to let go of me. Keep your arms tucked into your chest. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let go of you.¡±


    Juliana frowns, but reluctantly nods, slowly prying her remaining hand off of Emily before wrapping both her arms around herself like a protective blanket. Emily releases the rock from her feet, letting herself float sideways to hover above the hole that tries to whisk her away. Her feet slip into the tunnel and she quickly spreads both her legs to press against the tunnel walls, slowing her descent as her hands run down Juliana¡¯s sides, then her legs, coming to rest in a firm grip around her ankles when Emily¡¯s entire chest is buried in the riverbed.


    Juliana¡¯s gaze remains locked on Emily the whole time, following her down in the light of the glowing white orb still floating overhead. Emily pins her legs against the tunnel, rooting herself in place as she nods to Juliana and waits for a response. Juliana seems to gather herself, taking one last glance up towards the surface and noticeably shivering before locking eyes with Emily and nodding back.


    Emily bends the rocks around Juliana¡¯s feet back down into their original place and relaxes her legs a little, slowly pulling Juliana into the hole. They lower gradually until Juliana is completely within the narrow tunnel, the orb of light following closely to keep her comfortable.


    Fast it is.


    Emily pulls her legs in, completely releasing her grip on the walls and letting the current take them. They shoot down, the walls racing past in their small bubble of light. Emily watches her feet, bracing before the first large twist in the tunnel, using her legs and a small burst of water mana to dampen the impact. She repeats this over and over, kicking off the walls with her bare feet and guiding them with a steady flow of mana each time the tunnel threatens to smash them into the hard rock walls, trying to make the chute less traumatic for Juliana.


    They fall for a minute and soon hit the bubbling swell that signals the exit. Knowing what to expect, Emily calmly rotates as she¡¯s shot out into the open air, letting go of Juliana with one hand and moving it to the small of her back before releasing the other and sliding it up her legs to sit behind her knees, never breaking contact. She uses the Air Walker to create a small, vertical platform like last time, wincing slightly as her already bruised feet slam into it while she catches Juliana in a princess carry.


    They come to a complete stop mid-air, before falling slowly as Emily twists to land on her feet on another invisible platform. Juliana looks around the surrounding pitch-black darkness, disoriented and shaking slightly as she processes the air replacing the water around them, before wrapping her arms around Emily and burying her face in the crook of her neck. Emily gently strokes her hair, drying them both with a quick cast of cleanse while walking through the air to the bank where she can sense their friends.


    The small, pulsing orb of light above them barely fends off the encroaching darkness, and they¡¯re within an arm¡¯s reach of their friends before they see them, huddled together in a small circle, faintly illuminated by their light packs. Tom jumps as Emily appears beside him, before stepping aside to let her into the circle and glancing down at Juliana¡¯s still quivering form.


    ¡°Is sh-¡° Tom starts asking about her, only to stop suddenly when Emily turns a cold, warning glare on him, sending a shiver down his spine and forcing his words back down his throat.


    She silently raises a finger to her lips, warning him not to bother Juliana while she¡¯s still in distress, before her gaze warms and she turns her attention to the rest of the group.


    ¡°Did you enjoy the trip?¡± she asks.


    ¡°It was a rush!¡± Dante eagerly responds. ¡°Though, being thrown into the air in the pitch black was a little unsettling.¡±


    The others nod in agreement, and Enzo quietly grumbles under his breath while rubbing his elbows: ¡°Personally, I would have preferred not getting slammed into the tunnel walls every few seconds.¡±


    Nobody responds as they all quietly nod in solidarity, their hands drifting towards the various scrapes and bruises they gained on the rough trip.

 Chapter 106 – Realisations in the Dark

    Chapter 106 ¨C Realisations in the Dark


    ¡°Speaking of unsettling pitch black,¡± Hester says, glancing uncomfortably out of their small haven of light. ¡°Does anyone else get a bad feeling from the darkness here? It¡¯s completely blocking light from spreading. I couldn¡¯t even see Emily approaching.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s even worse than it was above at night,¡± Tom adds. ¡°And the numbness was horrible.¡±


    ¡°Wait, numbness?¡± Emily questions, everyone turning to him with questioning gazes.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Tom nods. ¡°When I got down here, I lost all feeling: it was just like when I stuck my arm in that hole in the bottom of the lake. If I hadn¡¯t practically landed on Hester, I think I may have drowned. I regained feeling once I was in her light though.¡±


    Emily glances around, contemplating his observation.


    ¡°I see. There¡¯s definitely something off about this darkness. I think it¡¯s alive,¡± she says, pointing at the small tendrils of blackness trying to force their way into the light before dissipating. ¡°I don¡¯t feel any malice though.¡±


    Her friends start inspecting the edge of the light as Juliana¡¯s shaking finally subsides and she pulls away from Emily, tapping her shoulder to ask to be put down. She flashes Emily a tired, grateful smile as she steps away, which Ivor notices.


    ¡°You okay?¡± he signs with concern.


    ¡°Yeah, I just don¡¯t like water,¡± Juliana signs back.


    With Juliana out of her arms, Emily pulls out the Diver¡¯s tablet.


    ¡°It worked! We¡¯re on the same level as the Diver now,¡± she says, drawing her friends'' attention away from the darkness and igniting a spark of excitement.


    ¡°Really? Are we getting close to the end?¡± Tom asks hopefully.


    ¡°I¡¯m not certain, but I think so,¡± Emily answers, stepping out ahead of the group and pouring more mana into her light spell to grow the illuminated area, taking advantage of her increasing passive mana regeneration in the mana-dense darkness. ¡°It¡¯s still moving. We should get going. We¡¯ll only know how close we are when we cover some more ground and, hopefully, we can finally close the distance between us.¡±


    Nobody voices any complaints as they set off into the unknown. They march on, a quiet buzz of conversation accompanying their travel as Emily once again sets up her scouts to watch for enemies. She places her boat in the water, and sends a spider out ahead of them, not trusting a bird¡¯s sight to penetrate the darkness.


    An hour later, as their excitement has started to die down, Emily calls for the group to halt as she spots the first mantolyc ahead.


    ¡°There¡¯s an enemy ahead,¡± she says with a vicious grin, holding out her hand. ¡°One moment.¡±


    The sleek black form of the Whisper appears in her hand from a light mist of spatial mana. Her friends fall silent as they watch her raise the rifle to her shoulder and line up a shot. The spider ahead approaches the mantolyc, tapping its feet periodically to send back a clear image of the unmoving creature.


    Try to bait me now.


    Emily flicks the gun into silent and pulls the trigger. She racks the bolt the moment the bullet leaves the barrel, adjusts her aim, and fires again, before repeating a third time. All three bullets vanish into the ether as they hit the blanket of darkness surrounding them, but Emily watches through her spider¡¯s strange vision as three chunks are blown from the mantolyc¡¯s shell, scattering chitin and flesh as its legs go limp.


    Emily sends her gun away with a triumphant grin and gestures for her friends to follow her. They proceed forward until they reach the still-twitching body of the grotesque creature.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Tom asks, stepping past Emily towards the body.


    Emily reaches out, grabbing him by the scruff of the neck and yanking him backwards before he can get too close.


    ¡°Not a good idea,¡± Emily says before he can object, stepping forward in his place.


    A few steps later, the monster¡¯s arm suddenly lashes out, aiming for Emily¡¯s chest. She easily deflects it with one Claw before slicing the limb in half with the other, pressing forward and doing the same to the other arm before it can attack. She glances over its body, quickly locating the still-surviving brain in its torso, only half destroyed by the bullet still buried inside it, and fires a Claw at it. The creature goes completely still as Emily turns back to Tom, whose complexion has turned sickly white as her stares at the deadly scythes lying on the floor in front of him.


    ¡°It¡¯s a mantolyc, and they¡¯re persistent bastards. They¡¯re a third circle beast that¡¯s been encountered deep in The Glade, and in the south of the Lerus Isles. They have three brains, and the fact that it was still twitching was a sign I hadn¡¯t destroyed all of them with my first three shots,¡± Emily explains, turning back to the corpse to begin stripping it for materials. ¡°Never approach a living mantolyc. It will not end well for you.¡±


    ¡°Haha,¡± Juliana giggles, leaning into Emily¡¯s side. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t expect anything else from you.¡±


    ¡°Leading the most successful expedition into The Glade ever just to satisfy your curiosity. You really do never cease to amaze,¡± Enzo says in a tired tone, making Emily chuckle and roll her eyes.


    ¡°I try my best,¡± she responds, tossing her finished skewer on the fire.


    After the meal, everyone slips into their sleeping bags, leaving Emily and Juliana together by the fire, using its warmth to fend off the chill spreading through the tunnels.


    ¡°It¡¯s a lot colder down here,¡± Juliana says, pulling her robes tighter around herself as she presses closer to Emily to steal her warmth.


    ¡°It is.¡± Emily nods, poking the fire with her mana and guiding the rising smoke to form shapes.


    They fall into a comfortable silence for a while, neither of them doing anything but enjoying each other¡¯s company and watching the fire, until Emily finally breaks it.


    ¡°Hey, Jules... are you okay?¡± she asks carefully, her fingers tracing patterns along Juliana¡¯s shoulder and feeling them tense as her question falls.


    Juliana lets out a sigh, lifting her head from Emily¡¯s shoulder. Emily¡¯s heart rises into her throat at the separation, before relaxing as Juliana lowers herself down to lay her head in Emily¡¯s lap. She remains silent for a few seconds, gathering her thoughts as Emily gently strokes her hair.


    ¡°Not really,¡± she finally says, freezing Emily¡¯s hand in place. ¡°I really didn¡¯t want to go underwater, especially not being pulled around by a strong current like that.¡±


    She starts shaking again, jolting Emily back into motion, her fingers weaving in a calming rhythm across Juliana¡¯s scalp.


    ¡°I keep thinking that I¡¯ll probably need to do something similar to get out again, and whenever I do it starts feeling hard to breathe,¡± Juliana whispers, her hand rising up from inside her robes to clasp onto Emily¡¯s thigh for comfort. ¡°But I hate feeling like a burden. I came on this expedition because I wanted to spend time with you. I wanted to see what it was about this place that had you so excited to come back. But ever since arriving here, I¡¯ve just felt useless.¡±


    Emily opens her mouth to try and comfort her, but pauses as Juliana continues, turning her head to gaze into Emily¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°You slip away to deal with attacking beasts when you think no one¡¯s watching. You went into a dungeon alone because you thought we may have to fight on our own. You have a machine or spell prepared for every situation we run into, and if you don¡¯t you make one within hours. It¡¯s not helpful for you to have us here. We aren¡¯t providing anything you can¡¯t do better alone. You don¡¯t need us,¡± Juliana says, her voice getting weaker as tears form in her eyes, and her words getting faster as they slice away at Emily¡¯s heart, the fresh seed of hope that she has only just began to nurture turning rotten and poisoning each word. ¡°On our first night in The Glade, I thought I found something I could do. When we talked about you leaving, you looked so sad, and angry, and confused! It hurt to see you like that, but, as much as I hate myself for it, I also felt hopeful.¡±


    Tears roll down Juliana¡¯s cheeks as she turns her gaze away, shame bubbling up in her chest as her words continue to spill out. Emily bites her lip at mention of the all too familiar form of guilty self-loathing, sucking in the blood that flows out so it doesn¡¯t fall on Juliana.


    ¡°As horrible as it is, I thought I¡¯d finally found what you need. Found your one weakness that made you need someone else. Need me. But, even then, you didn¡¯t. The next day you put your walls back up and kept going as normal, and now you¡¯ve spent more time on this trip comforting me than I have you. I know you¡¯re still hurting inside. I know you brought us all along because you feel lonely, even if you refuse to admit it. But, I just don¡¯t know what to say. I don¡¯t know when the right moment to talk to you is when you always look so brave and strong, and I just don¡¯t want to be the one to ruin that.¡±


    Juliana falls silent, her body still, without a single quiver, as she turns her tearful face back up to look at Emily. She breaks into a sad smile, a mix of acceptance and grief settled in her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m not strong enough, Emi. Not just as a mage, but as a person.¡±


    Juliana reaches up, brushing a tear from Emily¡¯s cheek and wrapping her arms around her neck, pulling herself up to sit in Emily¡¯s lap.


    ¡°I love you, Emi. And I do think you love me. But you don¡¯t need me. You need an equal. A partner. Someone who¡¯ll jump into the fires of hell with you when they catch your curiosity.¡±


    Despite herself, Emily can¡¯t help the chuckle that spills from her lips along with fresh tears. She opens her mouth to try and respond, to refute the words she knows to be true, but Juliana places a finger on her lips, noticing the torn edges and gently running her finger along them before pulling Emily into a hug.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t need you to comfort me, for once. I know you realised I couldn¡¯t keep up with you ages ago, you¡¯re far too smart not to have, but I guess it just took me a while.¡±


    Emily silently cries into Juliana¡¯s shoulder for a while, the confusing mixture of guilt, anger, sadness, and longing slowly blending into a muted sense of acceptance as she focuses on the tears soaking her own shoulder in turn. After a few minutes, the two pull apart, each running a hand over the other¡¯s cheek, wiping away the tears.


    ¡°I love you, Jules.¡±


    ¡°I love you too, Emi.¡±

 Chapter 107 – The Abyss

    Chapter 107 ¨C The Abyss


    The next few days pass in a blur for Emily, an odd sense of disconnect following her every move as Juliana¡¯s words echo in her mind. Early the next day, the Diver vanishes from the tablet¡¯s display, leaving a single dot floating alone in the darkness. Emily reassures her friends that it¡¯s a good sign and that she can remember the location it vanished in, keeping them calm as they continue descending into the darkness.


    They run into several groups of beasts, including a few more mantolyc, and a few third circle screamers and lightning eels that Emily eagerly adds to their growing collection of body parts. The tunnels continue with the same twisting labyrinthine structure as the level above, and they even find a few pitch-black lakes that Emily dives into to look for further routes down, but she only finds creatures'' dwellings dug into the riverbeds, and never a deeper path.


    Emily spends much of her time as they travel with her attention split between her cores. Part of her cortex focuses on walking, fighting, and maintaining her various detection spells and machines: the other part spends most of its energy observing her friends, keeping at bay the gnawing sense of loneliness building in her heart. She starts to notice details and differences in their behaviours.


    Tom¡¯s gaze constantly roams the group, becoming wary when he looks at Dante and Enzo, guilty when he glances back at Ivor, and taking on a mixture of respect and caution when he looks at Emily. He starts a conversation whenever he notices the energy or mood of the group dropping, doing his best to keep up morale as Emily often charges on ahead, inattentive to the emotional needs of her team.


    Ivor trails at the back of the group, not interacting with anyone much, other than at mealtimes when he occasionally joins in with the conversation. His mood noticeably lifts when Tom struggles to form a few signs to ask him a question.


    Juliana flinches every time a noise sounds off in the distance. She winces every time Emily confirms enemy contact. She frowns every time Emily draws her blades. Her reactions add to the bubbling guilt in Emily¡¯s stomach that only recedes when they settle down together for meals, and Juliana seems to relax and come to life again.


    I knew she didn¡¯t like fighting, but I hadn¡¯t realised just how uncomfortable she¡¯s been. No, that¡¯s not true. I noticed but I chose to ignore the problem by doing things like taking the fights where she can¡¯t see them. I just didn¡¯t want to accept the truth.


    The further they sink into the shadows, the more Emily¡¯s bitterness grows as she realises that she hasn¡¯t paid that much attention to her friends since the expedition started, her goal far more important to her. To make things worse, even after noticing their discomfort and efforts to make up for her shortcomings as a leader, she recognises her unwavering desire to finish her quest and find The Abyss hasn¡¯t faded, but instead grown stronger as they approach the point where the Diver vanished.


    Late afternoon, on the eighth day in the dark, Emily takes back all the processing power being used to observe her friends, leaving only a shred of focus on watching Juliana, and focuses it on the path ahead. At first, she doesn¡¯t hold much hope for the Diver¡¯s disappearance, assuming it to have run into a third circle beast, but the closer they get, the more oddities she notices that suggest otherwise.


    First, the spider detects a low rumbling vibration filling the cave, too low to be audible until they get closer, where Emily recognises the sound of running water growing louder. Second, the shifting darkness around them slowly starts to shudder, growing more active, more aggressive, clawing away at their haven of light and forcing Emily to pour more mana into her light spell to keep them illuminated. And finally, the most compelling piece of evidence that they¡¯re approaching a new revelation is the mounting pressure Emily begins to feel and recognise, the air around them growing denser as thick mana wraps around them.


    Her friends start to show signs of distress, slowing down and struggling slightly to keep walking as if pushing against immense resistance with every step.


    This feels like the Mandrago Patriarch¡¯s aura, but worse. Is The Abyss a fourth circle phenomenon? Or, is there a strong fourth circle creature ahead? Or both.


    Excitement rises in Emily¡¯s gut as they push forward, the rumble of flowing water growing louder and louder in the tunnel.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Hester asks as she forces herself to place one foot in front of the other.


    ¡°I think,¡± Emily says, licking her lips with anticipation. ¡°It¡¯s our destination.¡±


    Chatter breaks out among the group, but Emily barely listens to them, staring off into the darkness with intense fervour as her hand rises to rest on The Clock¡¯s pouch.


    Either that, or we¡¯re approaching a very dangerous monster.


    The river next to them quickly starts to grow choppy, the smooth surface being broken for the first time by the current, bubbling up as Emily removes her boat, sending it into storage before continuing forward. With each advancing step, the unnatural darkness around them shifts, condensing and lowering itself bit by bit to the ground until Emily¡¯s light fills the whole tunnel, except for a swirling layer of darkness that blankets the floor and water, a few inches thick.


    Emily pauses, signalling for her friends to stop as they comment on the loss of feeling in their feet, before crouching down to take a closer look, also feeling an odd, buzzing numbness in her feet that are now engulfed in darkness despite their magical lights trying to keep it at bay.


    I guess this is the feeling Tom mentioned. It¡¯s concentrated enough to affect me too now.


    ¡°Finally, we can see again,¡± Tom mutters behind her, receiving several grunts of agreement from the others as Emily takes out a light pack and activates it, lowering it into the thick darkness covering the ground.


    The magical light vanishes the second it touches the swirling layer of black, tendrils of shadows reaching up and swallowing the light it emits the moment it comes into contact, numbing Emily¡¯s fingers as they lick against them.


    ¡°We should feel lucky the darkness hasn¡¯t been this concentrated the whole time,¡± Emily says, staring at the light pack as she pulls it free of the darkness¡¯ hold. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t have been able to see at all: we probably wouldn¡¯t be able to feel much either.¡±


    Tom shivers slightly at the unnatural sight and nods his agreement, being the only one in the group to have experienced the total loss of feeling. Emily stands back up and gestures for everyone to follow her. The tunnel twists a few more times, now something Emily can easily tell at a glance with her vision ahead clear, and they follow it as the rumbling grows louder, building to an overwhelming level, blocking out any conversation behind her as they proceed.


    They follow the tunnel around one last bend before their destination comes into sight, and Emily lets out a gasp of astonishment. The tunnel opens up, the river falls away, and everyone freezes on the spot as they stare out into the gaping nothingness before them.


    ¡°The Abyss,¡± Emily mutters quietly under her breath, the sound quickly being washed away by the crescendo of falling water.


    Standing before them is a vast cavern, spanning hundreds of metres. The roof is lined with dozens of crystal formations releasing light into the dim space, struggling to brighten the room. The walls are made of black and grey rock, with holes randomly formed at varying heights, all pouring water out into the gaping hole in the centre. There are a few narrow pathways connecting some of the nearby holes, but the rest of the space is without a floor.


    Looking out into the vast space, Emily sees darkness cascading down with the water, before pooling to form a shifting, liquid layer of shadows a short drop below her. She can¡¯t see a single detail past the writhing darkness and, as she moves closer to the edge to gaze down, a foreboding sense of dread fills her gut. She feels powerful mana emanating from The Abyss and, upon closer inspection, Emily recognises it as a mix of water, darkness, ice, and death, with death playing on her nerves far more than she ever expected.


    I can¡¯t go down there. I¡¯ll die for certain if I try right now.


    As this thought rises to the forefront of her mind unbidden, a system notification appears before her eyes.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Chain-Quest completed: The Abyss: Everything Flows To


    [The Abyss: Everything Flows To]


    ¡°Yeah, yet. I think I¡¯ll come back again once I¡¯m fourth circle, but for now, this is far enough.¡±


    ¡°Ha, once you¡¯re fourth circle,¡± he laughs, before pausing with a thoughtful look. ¡°Actually, I can¡¯t see you not reaching fourth circle.¡±


    Emily chuckles as her friends nod along, all agreeing with his judgement.


    ¡°Thanks for the vote of confidence,¡± she says, before looking back across the cavern, pulling a bird from her storage and sending it out to float over The Abyss.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Hester asks curiously, watching Emily¡¯s bird flutter away.


    ¡°Looking for our way out,¡± Emily says as she flies the bird to the closest hole in the wall. ¡°One of those other tunnels must have a viable path out of here. At least, I hope they do.¡±


    ¡°Hope?¡± Tom questions.


    ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t exactly been here before,¡± Emily responds with a shrug. ¡°This may take a while. I can take you guys away from this area to wait if you want, it¡¯s clearly not very comfortable.¡±


    Her friends glance between each other, quickly coming to a silent agreement.


    ¡°Yes please,¡± Hester answers for them, before continuing with a grin. ¡°What are you going to call this area by the way? You are the first to discover it.¡±


    Emily smiles, glancing over the edge once more as she fills her throat with mana.


    ¡°The Abyss,¡± she says, her voice echoing out and filling the space, reverberating off of every surface and slowly fading into a chilling whisper.


    ***


    Emily walks her friends back through the tunnel the way they came, sticking with them until they¡¯ve moved far enough to leave the influence of The Abyss, lifting the weight from their shoulders. She sets up the array disc for them before leaving and heading back to The Abyss¡¯ edge alone.


    As she arrives back in the unsettling cavern, she sits down and sends out four birds to scan the nearby streams of falling water for traversable paths. While they¡¯re doing their work, Emily pulls up her system to have a look at her new skill.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Flow (passive)]


    User is a master of their own flow and can read that of others.


    -Grants an instinctual understanding of smooth movement.


    _____


    What does smooth movement mean? I thought I already had perfect control over my body.


    She glances down at her perfectly stationary form, not a single muscle twitching without her intent.


    But, I definitely felt something when I got the skill.


    ¡°Ah well. Only one way to find out,¡± she mutters, standing up.


    Emily closes her eyes, using her spatial awareness to form a near-perfect mental image of the space around her. She pictures goblins climbing out through the walls and floor to attack her. She takes a deep breath and blurs into motion.


    Her right arm flicks out, a blade detaching from her Claw and flying in a straight line to the first imaginary enemy. It sails through the goblin¡¯s skull, cutting nothing but air and dispersing the first target in her mind. The others rush to close in on her, but Emily barely moves. Her arm retracts quickly in a downward sweeping motion, pulling the blade back in an arc under her as she reels it in until it sails past her leg without catching the floor.


    Her hand locks onto the Spitter¡¯s handle on the way past, sliding it from its holster without resistance. Emily turns a full one-eighty, following the blade around and raising the gun to point at a third goblin as the blade shoots away from her, its reel unravelling to let it cut through the second. She pulls the trigger, nothing happening due to the gun being in safe, and the goblin¡¯s image fades from her mind.


    With barely a thought, Emily¡¯s left hand quickly begins flashing through hand signs as she twists, pulling the trigger twice more to pick off the next two closest goblins, clearing a small gap. The Claw¡¯s blade follows her rotation, gaining speed as it hits no resistance.


    Her left hand stops, the moment before the blade makes contact with another illusory goblin, two fingers pointed a fraction ahead of the blade. A glistening green magic circle forms and, the moment the blade touches it, the sharp piece of metal rockets sideways, carving a line through the goblins.


    A grin creeps its way onto Emily¡¯s face as she stops rotating, the Spitter fading from her hand as she sends it into her storage and stretches her hand out, fingers apart and waiting. The wire of the blade wraps around her body, gaining speed as it gets closer to her, ripping apart all the enemies she¡¯s pictured. Before the blade can get close enough to catch her though, Emily¡¯s outstretched fingers move, snapping together with a crackle of machina.


    The blade stops, held between her thumb and middle finger, rooted in place by the fading electricity. She flicks the blade back, letting it unravel and retract back into its housing as she takes a seat again, the satisfied grin never leaving her face as she takes out and slides the Spitter back into place.


    ¡°This skill¡¯s amazing,¡± she mutters.


    It feels like my magic and weapons are an extension of my body. I didn¡¯t even need to think about placing that magic circle in the right place, I just knew where my blade would be when I finished casting. Not to mention grabbing the Spitter without breaking my attack with my Claw: I¡¯ve never managed to get the transition between weapons down that smoothly before.


    ¡°Is that mastering my own flow? I guess I can¡¯t test reading others without real opponents,¡± Emily says to herself, standing up and looking at one of her birds hovering before her first potential path. ¡°But even with just that, this skill was worth coming here for.¡±

 Chapter 108 – Endless Search

    Chapter 108 ¨C Endless Search


    While Emily tests out her new skill, her birds assess the nearby streams of water pouring from the walls. Most of the falling torrents stem from small holes that they completely fill, but a few are similar tunnels to the one they arrived through, with a river running through the centre and banks on either side.


    Emily¡¯s focus narrows on one such tunnel as she steps up to the edge of The Abyss. She pulls out The Clock, checking the exact time, before she steps out into thin air. An invisible platform forms beneath her foot with the help of the Air Walker, quivering slightly as Emily pours extra mana into the artefact to resist the fluctuating mana being drawn into the hole below.


    She walks through the air, rising up towards the tunnel entrance. Her birds flutter over, as she steps onto solid ground again, landing on her shoulders and head so she can store them again as she sets off down the tunnel. After tucking them all away, Emily breaks out into a sprint, lightning wrapping her legs and wind pushing her forwards as she races upstream relying purely on her spatial awareness to navigate in the dark.


    An hour later, not finding a single enemy, she comes across a split in the path. It continues in two directions, so Emily slows down to a walk and sends a bird down one path as she takes the other. She maintains the connection with the bird on the other path for a short while, until the tunnels deviate, moving too far apart and breaking her link.


    ¡°Tsk,¡± she clicks her tongue in slight irritation, restarting her sprint. ¡°This is going to take a lot of resets. I should work on a third circle speed spell.¡±


    Emily sets her secondary cores to work and follows the river upstream, passing several splits and beasts as she goes, ignoring the latter and checking The Clock periodically. Almost exactly twenty-four hours after leaving The Abyss, she slides to a halt and looks around the bare cavern she has reached after turning back from several dead ends. She glances at the slowly moving pool in the centre, being filled by porous holes in the cavern walls, and quickly drops her boat in, using its scan to check the bottom for abnormalities. Finding nothing, she squeezes the button on The Clock, sending herself back to the ominous pit of darkness.


    ***


    Emily repeats her actions again: walking through the air to reach her target tunnel, wrapping herself in several second circle speed-enhancing spells, and rushing upstream, covering far more ground than her friends could in a day. She follows the same path as last time, taking the alternative route at the two-way junction that led her to the cavern, aiming to fill out her quickly forming mental map.


    This time as The Clock hits twenty-four hours she finds herself in a normal stretch of tunnel with no end in sight.


    ¡°Not this route,¡± she mutters, rewinding time once again.


    ***


    Emily falls into a monotonous pattern, slowly mapping more routes through her chosen tunnel. Most paths turn out to be dead ends, where she finds water flowing in through small cracks that she could never hope to fit through, stretching far enough into the rock to leave her detection range whilst remaining narrow. Each time she hits one, she turns back and returns to the last split, ruling out several options in less than twenty-four hours, much to her relief.


    Four perceived days into her task, Emily finishes a new spell: lightning step. It follows the same principle as wind rush, the second circle wind spell that she¡¯s been using, wrapping her legs in the chosen element. But, unlike her second circle speed enhancements, it¡¯s almost completely contained. As she runs, other than a few tendrils singeing the floor and causing a sizzling crackle with each step, all of the power is focused internally on increasing her speed.


    However, due to the spell¡¯s mana cost being much higher than that of its two second circle predecessors, Emily notices her mana slowly draining as she moves. Luckily, she balances out the loss by pulling from her machina reserves, doubling her mana regeneration speed since both reserves refill at the same pace regardless of the other, allowing her to maintain the spell the whole time.


    Lightning step helps her cover more distance with each reset, but it still takes her weeks of frozen time to come to the conclusion that the first tunnel leads nowhere.


    ¡°One tunnel down,¡± Emily mutters, looking over the nearby walls from her abyssal perch. ¡°Goddess knows how many more to go.¡±


    She lets out a small sigh, pulling up the system window of her two new spells to raise her mood.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Lightning Step]


    [Circle:] Third


    [Cost:] 600 Mana/minute


    [Description:] Charge the caster¡¯s legs with lightning to enhance agility.


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    A few of the third circle beasts she sprints past try to stop her, but the only one that succeeds is a screamer she runs into in a narrow hallway without water that branches off from a tunnel with a flowing stream. The harsh screech that hits her as she approaches it hurts Emily enough, making her ears bleed despite her earrings, that she stops just to blow the offending creature to pieces with a few well-placed shots from the Whisper on full power.


    As Emily¡¯s beginning to lose hope, the monotony of her task wearing on her patience, she arrives in a cavern half a day into a tunnel. She pauses as she steps in, her keen ears immediately alerting her that something in the room is off.


    I only hear flowing water behind me.


    Curious, she sends an orb of light into the air, pouring a large amount of mana into it to force back the darkness and illuminate the space. The cavern is wide and open, surrounded completely by solid walls, other than the path Emily has entered through. The ceiling is bare, with only a few stalactites reaching down, and in the centre of the room, ringed by a thin walkway of stone, is a still, black lake.


    Emily¡¯s eyes light up with anticipation as she summons her boat to her hand.


    ¡°Please have an underwater path out,¡± she mutters, lowering the machine to the water.


    However, as soon as the metal disturbs the surface, Emily¡¯s instincts scream, and she feels a fluctuation of mana below the surface. Reacting quickly, she pulls away her hand and kicks back, narrowly escaping a whipping black tendril of water that slices through the air where her head has just been.


    Emily drops into a crouch as the surface of the lake bubbles and bursts. Tens of thick, black tentacles reach up from the depths, swaying in the air as the water bends, rising up with them to double the number of limbs. At a quick glance, Emily counts over a hundred swaying limbs, filling the room and angling to strike her.


    ¡°Now that,¡± Emily mutters as a flood of crackling, sky-blue runes flow from her. ¡°Is a titan of the deep.¡±


    Both of them burst into motion at the same time. Emily sprints sideways as a flesh tentacle slams into the floor, narrowly missing her and cracking the stone it impacts. Two tentacles of water follow the flesh closely, redirecting to try to catch Emily as she runs away, her spells still forming. They both burst harmlessly against the rocks, shaking the ground beneath Emily¡¯s feet and covering her in a cold spray as they disperse.


    The archite lashes out with more of its limbs aiming both at Emily and ahead of her. She grins as magic and muscle fall towards her, dropping into a slide to avoid an arcing horizontal swipe that brushes against her chest on the way past, sucking out a drop of her mana during the brief contact, before she springs off her palm to leap over a lower sweep and continue her sprint.


    Both of them move so quickly that Emily circles the entire room with tentacles shattering the ground behind her before her first spell finishes casting.


    What a great chance to test my new masterpiece.


    Filled with excitement, and with a manic grin fixed on her face, Emily pops the spikes out of her boots, digging her heels in and quickly coming to a halt as she twists to face an approaching tentacle. She bends her legs, her muscles tense as a snake ready to strike as the blend of blue and green runes around her legs pulse, a new spell activating.


    She flashes forward, leaping off the floor to meet the tentacle mid-air in a twisting kick. Her leg meets flesh with force and magic, blowing away a chunk of inky blood and muscle in a crackling blaze of lightning, overpowering the beast''s mana draining spell with ease. The tentacle drops into the water, injured, and Emily starts to fall with it. Before another tentacle can bat her out of the air, or worse, catch her, Emily plants her foot on solid air and leaps up again.


    She kicks off the air twice more to dodge tendrils of water, visible streaks of lightning flashing down her legs and growing thicker with each step, before meeting another physical tentacle. This time, instead of taking out a chunk, her kick rips the tentacle in half, sending electricity down into the water and draining the streaks condensing around her legs.


    ¡°KRAAAA,¡± a gargled screech emanates from the water, shaking the cavern.


    ¡°We¡¯re just getting started,¡± Emily says as she leaps off the air again, building up the charge in her legs once more.


    As she rips another tentacle to pieces, all the others pull back into the water, leaving only those formed from water to continue trying to catch her. She dances through the air, twisting and flipping to avoid each strike, never letting the water touch her as the lightning around her legs builds into a violently crackling mass.


    Emily bounces off the walls, stalactites, and even the surface of some of the watery tentacles, using her magic to avoid touching them, as she waits for the beast to make its next move. After a few seconds of failing to touch Emily with its magic, the titan of the deep pushes apart the water¡¯s surface with eight thick tentacles, each twice the width of a person.


    Emily lands on the wall as they rise, hesitating for a fraction of a second and glancing up at her other prepared spells, hiding among the stalactites waiting to be unleashed.


    Hmm. Not yet. I still have another feature of sky step to test.


    Her gaze falls back to the swaying tentacles as she kicks off the wall to meet them.

 Chapter 109 – A Way Out

    Chapter 109 ¨C A Way Out


    Emily flies into the centre of the cavern, surrounded on all sides by a formation of flesh and water. She twists to place her feet before her as the archite reacts quickly, lashing out with surprising speed with its thick limbs. Emily plants her feet on thin air, but instead of pushing off an invisible platform like before, this time the violently crackling lightning around her legs pours into it as she dodges, leaving a visible mass of buzzing electricity in her wake.


    The tentacle aiming for Emily swipes through the residual lightning instead, twitching and smoking as it¡¯s scorched by the high voltage. The water below shakes as the beast lets out a low, rumbling growl of anger, but Emily barely notices. Her focus remains on the threat surrounding her as she feels another mass of flesh sailing towards her following close behind the other.


    However, as she plants her foot on the air and kicks herself sideways to evade it, leaving some of her charge behind once again, she glances back and doesn¡¯t see a thing. Before she can question her senses though, she notices the first tentacle¡¯s shadow writhing as a dark, smokey mass separates from it, whipping up from the water¡¯s surface to slice through her second fizzling aerial footstep. The moment it makes contact, the mass solidifies, the blurred edges condensing to reveal another tentacle.


    Emily glances at the other tentacles shifting as they try to surround her and only counts six.


    It¡¯s hiding some of its tentacles in the shadows of the others. How interesting. I wouldn¡¯t have known to dodge that if it weren¡¯t for my spatial awareness.


    Carefully watching for vanishing tentacles, Emily dances through the air once more, playing a dangerous game as she weaves between the powerful striking limbs. The beast quickly realises the futility of its attempts to catch her with the slower tendrils of water, opting to drop the constructs and make do with launching fast-moving torrents of water at her instead.


    Emily alternates between evasion and building charge, leaving sparking footsteps behind in the path of the tentacles, and slamming into them with a full-force kick to blow the limbs to pieces, enjoying her new spell. Each time a tentacle is destroyed, pulverised with a thunderous crash as Emily discharges most of the plasma coating her legs, it sinks below the surface before rising again like new a few moments later.


    After a few minutes of playing with the beast, Emily finds it increasingly easier to read the titan¡¯s next move and decides it¡¯s time to end her fun, all her tests now completed. She stops discharging her legs, but continues to dodge without dealing any blows as she moves around the room in a hard-to-read pattern, forcing the archite to spread its tentacles as it tries to stop her. The moment she sees a clear gap opening near the centre of the lake, where she has noticed the tentacles reacting fastest to defend when she approaches, she releases the spells waiting in the ceiling.


    Three beams of plasma streak down through the battlefield, vaporising the tentacles they cut through and slamming into the centre of the water, sending a cloud of steam into the air as the water flash boils.


    A pained screech fills the cavern as Emily herself slams off the roof, discharging one of her legs with a loud thunderclap and sending herself rocketing down into the source of the screech, drawing a solid line of light as lightning trails behind her.


    She tucks forward and spins head over heels as she falls, building up momentum in her outstretched leg, still crackling with power. She cuts with ease through the remaining water that tries to form into a shield to defend the beast, the speed of her assault making it impossible for the archite to deploy its other tentacles before her foot connects with flesh.


    A thunderous roar shakes the cavern as Emily cuts through the giant beast, destroying all three of its hearts in one go and falling through to hit the lakebed beneath. Her leg cracks as she impacts the rock, her bones breaking under the force of her own blow as the rocks shatter, but she barely notices, her body flooded with adrenaline and excitement from the battle. The archite above her doesn¡¯t have a chance to let out a sound as it twitches, lightning still ravaging its innards, before it goes limp.


    Emily releases a satisfied sigh as she looks at the giant corpse surrounding her from inside the hole she has bored through it.


    That was incredible! Sky step is so much more effective than I could ever have hoped. It¡¯s a shame it requires three dedicated threads to control, but it was a good idea to make it a combat spell: especially when considering that the only time I¡¯ll have enough mana regeneration to use a third circle spell constantly is when I¡¯m in a mana-dense region. Using movement to build up charge was a good idea too, though maybe turning my own body into the medium for a ritual spell was a bit stupid. It gives the spell some amazing destructive power, but maybe a little too much. If I had forgotten the limiters on mana build-up, I would have blown my legs off.


    She winces, activating all of her injectors as she lifts her leg from the hole she¡¯s created, surrounded by a web of cracks, but her attention is quickly stolen from her healing by the sound of rushing water. Without a thought, she sends out a pulse of earthen detection to check the lakebed for the source.


    She finds exactly what she was looking for, a hole in the middle of the lake a few metres away from her, buried beneath the archite. The hole is bubbling with water, flowing up to refill the lake Emily evaporated and seeping through the giant corpse, mixing with its inky blood and swallowing her completely.


    Jackpot! Please lead back to the upper layer.


    Pulling out her Gills and pressing them to her face, Emily swims out of the centre of the corpse and around to the side, where she sees the edge of the hole under the light of a new orb of light, the last having been cancelled as she performed her finishing blow. Only a sliver of the tunnel is visible, so Emily swims forward, pushing against the surprisingly gentle current flowing out of the opening which is partially blocked by the smooth black flesh of Emily¡¯s vanquished foe.


    She fails to find purchase on the slippery body so, with a small frown, she pulls back and casts several spells, conjuring a strong current to shunt the corpse aside. With the hole clear, Emily cancels her spells, letting the three blue magic circles behind her disperse with the current, and swims down. She ignores the aching pain in her leg and sinks into the hole that¡¯s wide enough to fit three people at a time while dropping straight down into the distance.


    Emily swims down in a small bubble of light for a few moments before the tunnel starts to curve, slowly levelling out and continuing in the opposite direction of The Abyss. After a few minutes, she comes across a small hole in the tunnel wall. She pauses, floating in the middle of the water and staring at it for a moment before a bundle of black tentacles bursts out.


    Emily calmly snatches the small archite, letting its tentacles wrap around her arms and squeeze, fruitlessly trying to crush her.


    Looks like this is where it was storing its young.


    ¡°Not really,¡± Emily says with a shrug, glancing over the precipice. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s safe to go down there, so the only other things I can think of would be analysing the mana here for elemental understanding like Hester did earlier and looking around these tunnels for natural resources. But I¡¯ve been looking at the darkness mana down here since we got onto this layer and it hasn¡¯t helped me at all, so I don¡¯t think staying close to this pit will make any difference.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we look for resources then?¡± Dante asks. ¡°I get not wanting to go down there, but what¡¯s the harm in hanging around down here to gather materials? You¡¯re strong enough to defend us and you found the exit quickly, surely you can find loads of magic crystals down here too, right?¡±


    Emily opens her mouth to argue it would take too much time and freezes.


    Am I stupid? I was so focused on finding The Abyss to complete my quest, and then finding the exit to get out in a reasonable time, that I stopped caring about gathering materials. I guess spending so long focused on one goal leads to tunnel vision. Ah well, I¡¯ve already mapped loads of these tunnels! I know exactly where the valuable herbs and crystals are. Who cares about how long it takes? I can move fast enough to reach the exit in half a day on my own and know there aren¡¯t any third circle beasts, or large groups of enemies, between here and the archite. Why don¡¯t I send them off without me and I can spend a few days filling my spatial storage?


    ¡°I can,¡± Emily says with a nod, stepping out into thin air. ¡°I have an idea. Move further in while I go grab the others, then I¡¯ll explain.¡±


    She heads back over and quickly picks up Tom and Hester, carrying them unceremoniously over her shoulders too before returning for Juliana. She sweeps Juliana up in a princess carry before strolling through the air with her at a leisurely pace.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the swim back too much,¡± Emily reassures her, whispering into her ear as they walk alone through the darkness above The Abyss. ¡°I have a plan to make it more comfortable for you. I¡¯m working on the spell for it as we speak.¡±


    Juliana quietly nods, leaning her head against Emily¡¯s shoulder and staring into her eyes to avoid looking down. Emily smiles at her, but a slight discomfort squeezes her chest at the lack of a proper response, and she doesn¡¯t push the issue anymore.


    After dropping Juliana off with the others, Emily returns and grabs Ivor before starting to explain her plan.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to make a quick communication system that works down here, then I¡¯m gonna stay here while you guys head towards the exit.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Juliana cries, panic flooding her eyes instantly as she grips Emily¡¯s sleeve.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Emily says, taking Juliana¡¯s hand in hers and giving it a reassuring squeeze. ¡°I just want to search some of the nearby tunnels for herbs and magic crystals. I move fastest alone, and I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a great idea to stick around here for too long, so I think it¡¯s best if you guys head straight towards the exit.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that dangerous?¡± Hester asks with a frown.


    ¡°A little, yes.¡± Emily nods. ¡°Hence why I want to keep in contact the whole time. I¡¯m going to repurpose the Diver¡¯s receiver: it should work despite the interference from the dense mana down here.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine!¡± Dante says confidently. ¡°We can handle ourselves for a few days. Hell, we may actually get a proper fight in now.¡±


    Emily scoffs and pulls out a few light packs, handing them to Hester to distribute.


    ¡°You guys set off now. I¡¯ll draw up a map and quickly make our communicators then catch up before the first split in the path.¡±


    Juliana looks unconvinced, so Emily sits down and gestures for her to join her as the others prepare to leave. She wraps Juliana in her mana to help fend off The Abyss¡¯ pressure and pulls out the Diver¡¯s tablet, setting it down on the stone beside her before pulling out a lesser space crystal, some white iron, and some engraving tools. Juliana watches her quietly as their friends vanish into the darkness, waiting until they¡¯re gone to speak up.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d take my words as a sign to separate from us completely,¡± Juliana grumbles unhappily.


    ¡°It¡¯s not because of what you said, don¡¯t worry,¡± Emily says, pulling her into a side hug without looking away from the white iron as she moulds it to fit around the crystal. ¡°I just keep getting a bad feeling when I think about staying here for too long. I was planning on leaving with you guys, but Dante pointed out it¡¯s a waste of a trip to come down here and not gather resources.¡±


    Juliana remains silent for a few moments before letting out a tired sigh and nodding.


    ¡°Okay. It¡¯s probably the best choice if you don¡¯t think it¡¯s safe here. Just... be careful.¡±

 Chapter 110 – Suspicions Confirmed

    Chapter 110 ¨C Suspicions Confirmed


    They sit together in silence as Emily creates an orb of metal, covered in runes. She hands it to Juliana after applying the final touches and adjusting the runes on the Diver¡¯s receiver to link with the new transmitter.


    ¡°This thing¡¯s very simple,¡± she says, pointing to a dense cluster of runes on the top of the orb. ¡°Just inject a burst of mana here, and I¡¯ll get feedback on the receiver.¡±


    Juliana does as instructed, pouring a small burst of mana into the tool and watching the display above Emily¡¯s tablet light up.


    ¡°And in return, it will vibrate if I do the same.¡±


    Emily injects mana into the tablet, and the orb buzzes lightly in response.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have just made communication crystals?¡± Juliana asks, inspecting the complicated weave of runes around the silver orb.


    ¡°The less information transferred, the less it¡¯s affected by the dense mana down here,¡± Emily explains. ¡°The communication crystals used by The Covenant are great for normal long-range transfer, but they suffer once you step into areas with strong mana or vast fluctuations. They give simplicity and ease of use over reliability.¡±


    Emily pulls out a sheet of paper and her quill as Juliana considers her words, quickly drawing a diagram of the turns needed to reach the archite¡¯s cavern.


    ¡°This is the path you need to follow,¡± she says as she hands the finished map to Juliana. ¡°We¡¯ll keep in contact the whole time. Send me a signal every two hours and I¡¯ll send one back. Okay? If I don¡¯t hear from you on time, or if you send three pulses to ask for help, I¡¯ll come straight away.¡±


    Juliana nods as Emily stands and offers her a hand, pulling her up too.


    ¡°Oh, and make sure you don¡¯t enter the last cavern without me. Send five pulses in a row when you arrive, then wait a little distance away. I think there¡¯s something big living there.¡±


    ¡°How big?¡± Juliana asks with a hint of nervousness.


    ¡°Big enough to be a threat to you guys,¡± Emily says, sweeping Juliana up and preparing lightning step. ¡°But I¡¯ll be able to deal with it easily enough.¡±


    She sprints down the tunnel with Juliana clinging to her, surprised by the sudden burst of speed. It doesn¡¯t take long for them to catch up to the others, where Emily drops Juliana and the barrier disc off, quickly explaining how to use the latter, before turning and racing back towards The Abyss.


    ***


    The next few days roll by without much rest for Emily. She keeps her cores on a rotating sleep pattern as she delves into the caves to fill her belt with herbs and crystals.


    Juliana keeps to their schedule, sending a pulse via the communicator every two hours, even passing it to someone else to keep it up while she sleeps. However, on the third day of gathering loot, nothing happens when their planned time for communication passes, and Emily¡¯s heart rises to her throat.


    She starts racing back towards them, her hand resting on The Clock, ready to reset if any harm has befallen them, but is quickly broken from her anxious trance by a single pulse of purple light. Breathing a sigh of relief, she returns to gathering resources, ignoring the sour taste left in her mouth.


    On the morning of the fifth day of separation, Emily receives five pulses in a row through the tablet, letting her know the others have arrived. The moment she receives the message, Emily sends the last of the darkness crystals she¡¯s been harvesting into her belt and starts running towards the exit.


    It takes her a little over half a day, but, in the evening, she arrives at a small encampment a few hundred metres down the tunnel from the archite¡¯s cavern. She steps through the sound barrier, entering a small bubble of light formed by a campfire and several light packs.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she calls out, her friends turning to greet her.


    ¡°Welcome back. Good harvest?¡± Enzo asks curiously.


    ¡°You could say that,¡± Emily says with a grin. ¡°There¡¯s quite a lot of mana crystals down here.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Enzo responds, his voice laced with barely concealed disappointment, confusing Emily.


    Before she can question his strange response, though, Dante interrupts.


    ¡°You should keep everything you gathered down here.¡±


    Emily¡¯s focus snaps to him, confusion tinting her gaze.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been talking about it, and we all agree,¡± Hester adds.


    ¡°We¡¯re already getting more than we could have hoped for with everything else we¡¯ve collected so far,¡± Tom joins in.


    ¡°And you¡¯ll need resources more than us,¡± Ivor signs, only adding to Emily¡¯s confusion.


    She holds the pouch in one hand and pulls a small chunk of mythril out with the other. With a delicate blend of fire and metal mana, she turns the metal into a putty-like texture and splits off four small orbs, each the size of a fingertip. After withdrawing her mana from the remaining chunk, she places it back in her belt while keeping the four orbs afloat with her mana control.


    She uses her free hand to reach into the pouch, taking a small pinch of the purple powder and pouring it onto one of the orbs. She repeats this with the other three before pulling closed the drawstring and putting the pouch away as well.


    Emily kneads two orbs with each hand, fully incorporating the powder and dying the silvery metal with a pale, purple hue. She presses the orbs into flat discs before deftly working them into perfectly even coins.


    Satisfied with the result, Emily withdraws her fire mana, releasing the now-solid coins and keeping them afloat with her metal mana as the Whisper falls into her arms from a faint purple mist. She racks the bolt, catching the ejected bullet with her mana before she pops the magazine out and produces a new one from her belt, this one with a small water droplet engraved on the side.


    She slides the magazine into place and racks the bolt forward silently as she steps into the open, dark cavern. Lifting the Whisper onto her shoulder, Emily lowers the coins into one hand, releasing her metal mana and injecting a burst of space mana into each, suddenly causing the coins to take on a dim, otherworldly glow. She holds one coin between her forefinger and coiled thumb, flexing her thumb and firing the coin out over the lake. With a few precise, lightning-fast movements with her fingers, she repeats this three more times and all four coins hit the water with one sound.


    The moment the coins hit the surface, they¡¯re suddenly pulled down into the centre of the lake. Emily grins, unable to see it happening but feeling her mana, still infused into the coins, moving down rapidly. She drops the Whisper from her shoulder, taking it in both hands and aiming at the floor as four twisting, purple magic circles form in front of the barrel.


    She shuts her eyes, focusing on the position of the moving coins as she lines up her gun and flicks it into silent. The moment the four coins pause in the same location, Emily fires a single shot towards the rock below. As the bullet silently leaps from the barrel, the first magic circle pulses with power and the bullet vanishes.


    Emily listens carefully for a reaction, hearing a low, irritated hum.


    The coins are below its mouth.


    Instantly understanding that her bullet missed the creature¡¯s body, Emily rapidly shifts her aim.


    I need to fire up.


    She points to the ceiling, picturing the archite¡¯s form above her. She lines up the barrel of her gun, flicks it into full power, and fires three shots in quick succession, each aimed for one of the beast¡¯s hearts.


    All three bullets vanish through the magic circles in front of the barrel, and Emily hears three soft thuds as the bullets carve their way out of the water and embed themselves into the roof far above.


    ¡°KREEEE!¡± A harsh screech of pain follows soon after, signalling her successful attack.


    Emily conjures a light, filling it with mana to illuminate the cavern as she watches the water with bated breath, waiting to see if her initial assault ended the battle or not. To her delight, the surface remains still, not a flicker of motion from the denizen below.


    Did I destroy all three of its hearts, or is it waiting for me to enter its domain?


    With an air of caution, Emily approaches the water, summoning her boat and tossing it out into the middle of the lake to check. She connects to the detection array of the machine, scanning the water below and finding a giant, motionless form sitting on the lakebed.


    ¡°Looks like I killed it,¡± she mutters with a pleased grin. ¡°Teleportation is such a useful skill. It¡¯s a shame The Covenant only gives out a few, barely useful spatial spells and their teleportation circles are obscured. If I had some more solid reference material, I may be able to actually move myself, instead of being stuck performing tricks with small objects.¡±


    Emily steps out into the water, sinking down with her light orb close behind, struggling to force back the darkness underwater. As she approaches the archite, it doesn¡¯t move a muscle, and the inky black blood filling the water around her all but confirms its death. Placing a hand against the smooth black flesh of the oversized octopus, Emily considers how to deal with the corpse.


    It¡¯s far too big to take with me. I¡¯ll just grab its ink sac and a few portions of flesh.


    Emily gets to work, quickly separating several slices of flesh from the thick tentacles sprawled around the lakebed before moving to the centre of the corpse and digging through the beast¡¯s organs to find its ink sac, a useful ingredient in several potions. Finished with the body, Emily checks the tunnel below, realises it¡¯s once again blocked, and takes a few minutes to push the archite out of the way with a few well-placed currents.


    Afterwards, she returns to their camp, delivering a slab of tentacle to Hester to cook.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± she asks, poking at the elastic flesh, oozing black blood as she prods at it.


    ¡°A piece of a third circle archite,¡± Emily responds with a grin, settling down beside Juliana again.


    ¡°Really? How big was this one? Is it actually a titan?¡± Hester asks curiously as she starts separating the meat into slices to cook.


    ¡°About twenty or so metres tall for the main body I guess?¡± Emily says, making a rough estimate.


    They chat casually as food is prepared and eat without bringing up Emily¡¯s departure again until their plates are scrubbed clean.


    ¡°Damn that was good,¡± Dante says with a satisfied sigh. ¡°I should eat seafood more.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Enzo concurs, silence falling over their group as everyone slowly turns their attention to Emily.


    Noticing their interest, Emily lets out a tired sigh and braces herself to explain her relationship with the Mandrago family.

 Chapter 111 – Escaping the Darkness

    Chapter 111 ¨C Escaping the Darkness


    Emily gives her friends a brief overview of her situation, from her awakening to her attempted brainwashing. She manages to hold in her anger with the help of a comforting squeeze from Juliana as she speaks about Herber¡¯s death once more, but the pitying expressions on her friends¡¯ faces don¡¯t help. Her friends hang on her every word till the end, listening to her in silence until she finishes.


    ¡°That¡¯s disgusting!¡± Dante growls, righteous indignation burning in his gaze.


    ¡°It is,¡± Enzo agrees, anger in his gaze along with a calculating glint. ¡°But do you really need to become an outlaw? Oscar seems interested in scouting you, even if just as an ally, and I¡¯m sure his family will happily take the excuse to destroy the Mandragos and take over their resources.¡±


    Emily pauses for a moment before responding, taking a deep breath and considering her words, months of frozen time having dulled the edges of the truth, making it easier to confront.


    ¡°No, I probably don¡¯t have to become an outlaw,¡± she admits, gazing off into the darkness as she elaborates. ¡°However, I don¡¯t want to stay in The Dome. I want to travel, to explore different magical phenomena, to find strong opponents to fight. I want freedom to progress.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d have freedom in The Covenant if you got out from the Mandrago¡¯s influence,¡± Hester points out.


    ¡°Yeah! If you receive a family name you¡¯ll be able to do whatever you want while using The Dome as a free trading hub,¡± Dante adds, his anger bleeding away as Emily shifts to a tone of acceptance and resolution.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Emily acquiesces with a nod. ¡°But I don¡¯t plan on dealing with this quietly. It wouldn¡¯t satisfy my anger if they just vanished and they have allies who¡¯d probably keep making life difficult for me. I think it¡¯s unlikely even their enemies will be too happy for Modo to lose a fourth circle mage. The idea of dancing through politics sounds like a massive headache to me: I¡¯d rather leave the country, probably even the continent, until I¡¯m strong enough that they wouldn¡¯t even think of bothering me. Besides, there are plenty of other interesting places on the planet for me to explore.¡±


    Her friends consider her words, showing mixed reactions to her plans.


    ¡°That said,¡± Emily continues before anyone else can say anything, a touch of uncertainty creeping into her tone. ¡°I¡¯m still not sure what I¡¯m going to do after going back to Eimdon. I may end up back at The Dome for all I know. But, my main priority is meeting up with Anna again. Everything else can go from there.¡±


    Nobody can argue with her final statement, nodding along with reluctance as an air of melancholy settles over the group.


    ¡°Your sister¡¯s safety takes priority,¡± Ivor signs with respect and understanding, the others nodding along.


    ¡°I¡¯d avoid politics too if I were you,¡± Dante says with a visible shiver.


    ¡°Of course you would,¡± Enzo says, leaping on the chance to lighten the mood a little. ¡°You¡¯d avoid anything you can¡¯t blow up if given the choice.¡±


    There are a few subdued laughs as everyone slowly moves towards their sleeping bags, sensing the end of the conversation and preparing to turn in for the night. After everyone but Emily and Juliana has settled in their sleeping bags, Tom speaks again, breaking the silence of the camp.


    ¡°We¡¯ll miss you, you know. The Dome won¡¯t be the same without you,¡± he says.


    ¡°Yeah, and if you ever find yourself near Cairnorm while on the run, you¡¯re welcome to come hide in our family¡¯s museum,¡± Hester adds, humour in her tone.


    ¡°It¡¯s been fun fighting with you,¡± Dante mumbles, his face already buried in his pillow.


    ¡°I hope we meet again eventually,¡± Enzo says. ¡°It would be a shame not to get to see your magic again.¡±


    A small smile parts Emily¡¯s lips as she listens to the heartfelt words of her friends. A light tapping on the stone floor draws her attention, and she turns her head to see Ivor sitting up in his sleeping bag, staring straight at her.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a pleasure. If you ever need help, let me know. I still owe you my life,¡± he signs seriously, his eyes glistening with tears, surprising Emily.


    ¡°Just make sure J stays safe,¡± Emily signs back with a tearful smile.


    ¡°You have my word,¡± Ivor finishes with a nod before lowering himself down to sleep.


    Emily turns back to face the fire, leaning her head against Juliana¡¯s as a comfortable silence settles once more, no more words needed between them. A bubbling warmth fills Emily¡¯s chest as she sits there, touched by her friends¡¯ consideration and feeling a hint of regret at the idea of leaving them.


    ***


    Juliana removes her solid grasp on Emily as they start walking again, the enclosed walls and roof of the tunnel seeming to help calm her fear. They shift around as they walk, moving Hester to the front to help Emily deal with archites ahead as they push on through the tunnel.


    It doesn¡¯t take long for them to clear the path, killing the entire remaining nest and arriving at the sharp upward bend leading to the next layer. Emily shifts the barrier once more, carrying them up in an elevator of wind and water.


    They break through the water¡¯s surface, arriving in the light of the sparkling crystals overhead. They move to the shore, stepping onto solid ground and allowing Emily to finally disperse her barrier. A collective sigh is released by the group, glad to be out of the oppressive darkness of the deepest layer.


    ¡°Take a break here for a little bit,¡± Emily says, reaching her hand into a pouch at her belt. ¡°I¡¯m going to mark this tunnel to try to make it easier to find The Abyss if I come back.¡±


    Everyone spreads out in the tunnel. Enzo, Dante, and Ivor position themselves slightly upstream, just in case something attacks them, and Tom and Hester sit against the wall, watching Emily work. Juliana sits down beside Emily, also watching with interest as she pulls out an earth crystal, space crystal, chunk of white iron, and an ingot of black iron.


    ¡°Why earth and space?¡± Juliana asks as Emily forms the black iron into a flat plate.


    ¡°To handle mana gathering and location transmission separately,¡± Emily answers as she makes two sockets from the white iron, fusing them to the black iron plate and starting to draw lines onto the plate with thin beads of white iron. ¡°I¡¯m going to bury this marker in the rock partway down the tunnel so it hopefully won¡¯t move too far from the path down. The earth crystal will help draw mana in through the surrounding rock to keep the space crystal full while it sends out a signal for the receiving space crystal to track.¡±


    She finishes drawing a complicated runic matrix around the plate, covering the top and bottom with a delicate mix of runes and connecting shapes, before dropping both crystals into place. They instantly link to the magic circle, lighting up the white metal with a brown and purple glow.


    ¡°There we go,¡± Emily says, pulling out a space crystal with a dull hue, lacking the usual lustre of the mystic gems. ¡°Now we link them.¡±


    She takes out an engraving knife, gently bringing it to the dull crystal¡¯s surface and carving a detailed set of runes. Everyone falls silent to let her focus as her hand races along the crystal in fast but precise movements, quickly forming a spell on the crystal without shattering it. They all let out a collective sigh of relief as she finishes, everyone understanding the volatility of even a drained mana crystal.


    Emily taps the crystal to the marker plate and a small purple strand of mana reaches out, connecting to the crystal and slowly returning its vibrant glow. She holds it in place until the connection breaks itself, then drops the linked crystal into her belt as she stands up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± she says to her friends before stepping into the water again.


    She swims down twenty metres before stopping and floating over to the tunnel¡¯s wall. Placing a palm against the rock, Emily casts a spell to soften the rock before coating her hand in earth mana and pushing it forward, displacing the stone and burrowing into it.


    She keeps going for a few minutes, until her arm is shoulder-deep in the wall, before pulling it out. She places the location marker in the back of the small alcove before starting to fill it back in again. Halfway out, Emily pauses again, holding her hand out before herself with a vicious grin.


    I don¡¯t want any archite borrowing in to try to find those mana crystals, so let¡¯s add a precaution.


    A faint purple mist flows up from her belt, coalescing together to form a small black disc with silver circuits running along the surface. The centre of the disc is a disconnected ring holding a small, white, mana detection crystal and several strands of silver metal. The central ring¡¯s wires don¡¯t connect to the others, twisted a quarter turn out of place.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Mana Mine]


    [Rank:] D


    [Description:] A proximity-based magical explosive.


    [Effect:] Explodes dealing massive damage when a living being¡¯s mana signature comes within a set distance.


    _____


    This detonating should scare them off trying to burrow in for the marker for a while at least.


    She flips the mine over, revealing a large rotating ring on the back as well, with zero to ten carved around it. She barely turns the indicator on the ring, moving it a tiny amount from zero, setting the mine to go off if something comes within twenty centimetres of it. Then she places the mine in the hole, facing outwards.


    Emily turns the front dial counterclockwise, releasing it from a latch inside and setting off a ticking inside as it slowly starts shifting clockwise back into place. She quickly moves the stone back into place, burying the explosive before it has finished priming. After the wall is back to normal, looking identical to when she first swam down, Emily gives a satisfied nod and kicks off, heading back towards the surface.

 Chapter 112 – Elemental Understanding

    Chapter 112 ¨C Elemental Understanding


    Emily rejoins her friends, and they set off into the tunnel, following the river upstream.


    ¡°How are we going to find our way out from here?¡± Tom asks as they leave the underwater passage behind.


    ¡°Easy,¡± Emily responds, reaching into her belt and pulling out the first log pose they used to find The Waters. ¡°With this. We just do the same thing we did when following the Diver and try to go in as straight a line as possible in the direction this points. It may take a little while, but it shouldn¡¯t be too hard.¡±


    They trek on through the tunnels, killing anything that gets in their way and occasionally stopping to collect herbs and crystals. Every so often, Emily rewinds a day to save the group travelling down a long dead end, speeding up the journey but making it drag even longer for herself.


    A week and a half later, halfway through the afternoon, Emily raises a hand and gestures for everyone to stop as they approach a new cavern.


    ¡°There¡¯s a strong mana signature ahead,¡± she warns everyone, glancing back over her shoulder at them. ¡°It¡¯s almost certainly a third circle beast. Be careful.¡±


    Dante grows excited at the prospect of a hard fight, a savage grin spreading across his face.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Hester asks as they slowly move forward, confusion in her tone. ¡°Haven¡¯t your scouts seen it?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± Emily says with a grin matching Dante¡¯s. ¡°I can feel it leaking mana from here. We aren¡¯t close enough yet for my scouts. I think it¡¯s already spotted us, though, but it¡¯s not approaching.¡±


    Her friends are surprised, their interest deepened by the reveal.


    ¡°What makes you think it spotted us?¡± Juliana asks.


    ¡°A few moments after we got close enough for me to feel it, its mana started fluctuating a lot,¡± Emily responds, feeling the faint bubbling mana swirling around them as if in excitement, getting stronger as they approach. ¡°But I don¡¯t feel any hostility.¡±


    She watches through the eyes of the bird flying through the tunnel ahead of them as it arrives in a small cavern, only a dozen metres across, leaking the powerful presence. However, looking around through its thermal vision, she doesn¡¯t spot a single creature in the room, nor a hint of heat near the surface of the large pool in the centre.


    It must be underwater.


    She keeps the bird focused on the water as they steadily grow closer, watching for any changes. They step into the cavern, Emily in the lead with her Claws drawn, and everyone else following behind her, muttering chants in preparation. They look around, their gazes a mix of caution and curiosity as everyone¡¯s focus quickly gathers on the pool of water in the centre of the room, the only notable thing other than the three other connecting tunnels.


    Emily approaches the water¡¯s edge, feeling the mana pouring out from within, but stops and steps back as the surface begins bubbling. She prepares a defensive spell, a large silver magic circle forming behind her and hanging at the ready as the surface roils.


    The bubbling pool shifts, as a mass of water and mist slowly starts to rise in the centre. Emily looks into it through her bird¡¯s eyes, expecting to see the outline of a creature within, but she still sees no heat.


    An attack?


    She waits with bated breath, expecting the water to fly at them suddenly, but, instead, it continues rising, drawing in more mass until it breaks free of the surface. The floating water continues to bubble as it starts to shrink, the mist within flowing back into the pool below, revealing something glowing blue in the centre, as the rest of the form takes on the faint blue hue of pure water.


    Emily¡¯s eyes light up with recognition as the bubbling subsides, leaving a floating orb, no larger than Emily¡¯s torso, of crystal-clear water with a fist-sized glowing blue core at the centre.


    ¡°An elemental!¡± she mutters in surprise, sending a wave of shock through her friends.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Enzo asks incredulously, staring at the floating orb in wonder. ¡°To think we¡¯d find a dungeon and an elemental in one expedition.¡±


    ¡°Are they rare?¡± Tom asks, admiring the creature with caution still in his gaze. ¡°Are they dangerous?¡±


    ¡°Possibly,¡± Emily says, stepping forward and holding her hand out palm up. ¡°But I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    She gestures for her friends to stay still with her other hand as she slowly approaches the water¡¯s edge.


    ¡°Elementals¡¯ personalities depend heavily on what element they are,¡± Enzo explains to Tom as Emily moves forward. ¡°A water elemental is unlikely to be outright hostile, but there¡¯s still a chance it might be. The fact that it revealed itself peacefully is a good sign though. If it was hostile, it probably would have stayed in the water spewing attacks at us.¡±


    Emily tunes them out and watches the elemental for a reaction to her advance. It quivers, shaking almost excitedly before slowly floating closer to her. She pauses, becoming unnaturally still as she waits for the mass of elemental mana to close the distance itself.


    It approaches slowly, pausing a few centimetres away from Emily, letting her get a good view of the glistening, gem-like core suspended in its centre. The creature¡¯s surface shakes and bends as a small tendril of water reaches out for Emily¡¯s hand, pressing down into her palm. The moment she makes contact with the elemental, she feels a cool, calming sensation spread through her body.


    ¡°Not quite,¡± Emily says, her friends curiously hanging on her every word. ¡°My ability to manifest so many elements is due to a high elemental comprehension, not affinity.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± Dante questions.


    ¡°There¡¯s a massive difference. One moment,¡± she says as an eager grin spreads across her face.


    Emily turns her full attention back to the elemental, relying on her analysis of the elemental¡¯s communication to try and transmit a message of comparable complexity herself.


    ¡®Break... Connection... Small... Time... Stay... With... Other... Please?¡¯


    She forms a blend of mental signals into a simple message and sends it to the elemental. The orb of water doesn¡¯t react for a few moments, deciphering Emily¡¯s message, before it suddenly droops around her hand while sending back a simple mix of understanding and sadness.


    A moment later, it returns to normal and lifts off of Emily¡¯s hand, breaking their connection and dissipating the flow of water around her arm, moving to sit on Hester¡¯s instead.


    ¡°So,¡± Emily says, taking a few steps away and turning to face all of her friends at once. ¡°Affinity and comprehension. To start with, what do you think these two terms mean?¡±


    ¡°How connected you are to an element, and how you understand it?¡± Ivor signs with a questioning tilt of his head.


    ¡°Exactly! These are the two things you need to use an element. You use your comprehension to form a solid mental image of the element, and your affinity to innately connect with it. The higher your affinity, the easier comprehension will come naturally, and the easier it will be for you to control the element. But, and here¡¯s the point most of The Covenant¡¯s mages seem to forget, you don¡¯t need a high affinity to use an element. Practically everyone has a connection with fire, water, air, and earth, hence them being called the common elements, and most people also have some affinity with either light or darkness as well. Just think back to when you first tried to manifest elements, how many of you got some reaction from something other than the element you use now? No matter how small.¡±


    All of her friends seem surprised by her words, taking pause to think back to their first attempts at finding their element. After a moment, they slowly start raising their hands until everyone has.


    ¡°See. All of you would be able to cast spells with a multitude of elements if you studied them and built up your comprehension, but a single specialisation makes it easier to go further so most people don¡¯t. My initial manifestations just followed that to the extreme. I do have a high affinity for a lot more elements than most, but the main cause was my mind being very good at forming mental images, and my understanding of the elements being very high to start with, so I ended up with a lot of successful manifestations. However, I still have my natural alignments. Look.¡±


    Emily raises both of her hands before her, pouring mana from them with a different element in each. Above her left hand, a flickering orange flame with glistening white sparks forms, growing to the size of her fist. Above her right, streams of lightning form, violently crackling as they form into a single bolt that grows to the same size as her forearm.


    ¡°I¡¯m using the same amount of mana to form each of these,¡± she explains. ¡°But do you see the difference?¡±


    ¡°The lightning is bigger,¡± Tom says, receiving an approving nod from Emily as her gaze sweeps across everyone else, still waiting for another answer.


    ¡°It¡¯s more violent?¡± Dante questions, looking between the two elements with his eyes narrowed in concentration.


    ¡°No,¡± Hester says, noticing how Emily doesn¡¯t react to his question. ¡°It¡¯s more controlled.¡±


    Emily¡¯s mouth breaks into a wide smile as she nods.


    ¡°Correct. It looks more violent, but it¡¯s actually more controlled since lightning itself is a harder element to handle than fire. And yes, it¡¯s larger. See, my affinity for fire is my third strongest, whereas lightning is my strongest. You¡¯ve probably noticed I tend to use more lightning spells than anything else, and that¡¯s because, for the same mana cost, I can create and control stronger spells.¡±


    ¡°Is water your second highest?¡± Enzo asks as she releases the two manifestations.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s metal. Water¡¯s probably my fourth or fifth? I¡¯m not sure exactly since it¡¯s harder to tell the difference between my lower affinities, but it¡¯s definitely not my strongest. But, for Hester it is, so it¡¯s no wonder that the elemental likes her so much. As for why it likes me even though my water affinity isn¡¯t that high? It¡¯s probably because I¡¯m a higher circle, so my mana is denser and purer. Also, I have a high connection with mana itself.¡±


    ¡°You can have an affinity for mana?¡± Juliana asks, taken aback by the statement.


    ¡°Yep! Have you ever heard stories of the first mages?¡± Emily asks, noticing Tom¡¯s eyes light up with excitement.


    ¡°I have!¡± he says. ¡°I read about them. The first mages discovered magic when they found an oasis in the desert that passed over a mana vein. They said that the mana spoke to them and revealed its secrets, allowing them to awaken.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Some people have a high connection with mana itself, and that¡¯s the base requirement for becoming a mage. Even normal unawakened mortals have elemental affinities, but it¡¯s the connection with mana that allows us to realise them.¡±


    As her friends are processing the revelation, Emily approaches the elemental again and places her hand against it, recreating their connection instantly.


    ¡°Is that how you know all this? Neither our teachers nor families have ever mentioned this before. In fact, I was always told stories of the first mages were fairytales,¡± Enzo questions with a raised brow.


    ¡°Partially. And I¡¯ve read a lot, including an account from a fourth circle mage,¡± Emily says, using Gaius¡¯ notes as an excuse for her system knowledge. ¡°I also don¡¯t know if the stories about the first mages are true, so take my words with a grain of salt if you want. What you gain from what I say is your choice, I just enjoy sharing my knowledge.¡±

 Chapter 113 – Journey’s End

    Chapter 113 ¨C Journey¡¯s End


    ¡°If we all have some affinity for water,¡± Hester asks, drawing Emily¡¯s attention. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t Juliana link with the elemental?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s because she can¡¯t attribute her mana with water yet,¡± Emily says, considering her current connection with the creature in question. ¡°The link we¡¯ve created is a two-way exchange. Even if Juliana can process the water mana it sends her, it can¡¯t process her wind-attributed mana: elementals are purely made from their element, they have no affinity for any other elements.¡±


    Hester nods, but the others seem confused still.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t she just send it unattributed mana?¡± Ivor signs.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Emily shrugs. ¡°There¡¯s nothing about creating a connection with elementals in any of the books I¡¯ve read on them. I¡¯m in the dark here too. However, if I were going to guess, it¡¯s probably because unattributed mana lacks intent. I¡¯ve been tweaking the emotions and will behind my mana to communicate with it, so I¡¯d guess that using its element is a requirement to properly convey intent.¡±


    ¡°That sounds... Confusing,¡± Tom mutters with a confounded look on his face.


    ¡°It is.¡± Emily nods, forming another message to send to the elemental. ¡°In fact, I¡¯d quite like to stay here until tomorrow morning so I can try and speak with it some more. I¡¯m making progress in understanding it, and it¡¯s increasing the speed of my cultivation a fair amount too.¡±


    Hearing her desire, Tom happily drops his bag and starts pulling out bedrolls, handing them to the others to get comfortable. Emily smiles, giving them a grateful nod and setting up the barrier disc before sitting down cross-legged facing Hester, who also appreciates the gains in her cultivation brought on by the elemental, both of them laying their arms across their laps with the elemental held between them.


    ¡°Eat without me,¡± Emily says as she shuts her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll leave a few birds to help with the night watch, but I probably won¡¯t respond much till the morning.¡±


    Barely listening to her friends¡¯ responses, Emily focuses on her now-formed next message for the elemental.


    ¡®We. Stay. For. Short. Time.¡¯


    The elemental processes her message and sends another back, laced with joy and a hint of worry. Emily picks apart its message, processing the signals and emotions mixed together to translate the meaning.


    ¡®Great. But. Can¡¯t. Speak. Too. Long. Get. Weak.¡¯


    Emily eagerly throws herself into speaking with the orb of water, sending messages back and forth as she slowly improves her ability to speak in its strange manner.


    ***


    Hours later, well into the third and penultimate watch of the night, a few hours after Hester broke her connection with the elemental to sleep, the elemental¡¯s strange language finally clicks into place in Emily¡¯s mind.


    ¡®It¡¯s so nice to talk with someone again. I haven¡¯t met one of us in so long.¡¯


    As she finally fully understands a message as it¡¯s being transmitted to her, a system notification pops into view. It¡¯s joined by an oddly familiar yet different sensation of her cortex changing, new instincts clicking into place that don¡¯t quite give her knowledge yet instil a feeling of understanding and confidence that wasn¡¯t there before.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Hidden-Quest completed: A True Connection


    [A True Connection]


    [Rank:] D


    [Description:] Completely understand another species¡¯ communication method with no external help.


    Requirements:


    -Become fluent in 1/1 non-human language (Complete)


    Rewards:


    -Skill: Linguist (passive)


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    [Linguist (passive)]


    In the morning, they set off into the tunnels again, leaving behind the elemental¡¯s pool. The rest of their journey back is uneventful. They find the exit to The Waters a few weeks later, stepping out of the underground labyrinth back into the warmth of the sun, much to everyone¡¯s relief.


    They trek back through the forest, the rain and trees a welcome change from the darkness and stone they¡¯ve grown used to, and approach the edge of the forest a few days later.


    ¡°What do you plan on doing when you get back?¡± Tom asks Emily mid-morning, a few kilometres away from the edge of the trees.


    Everyone¡¯s attention instantly focuses on Emily, keen to find out the answer to the question they¡¯ve all been avoiding since leaving The Waters.


    ¡°First, we¡¯re going to look at distributing the loot from this expedition,¡± Emily says while flashing a grin over her shoulder, bringing excited smiles to her friends¡¯ faces. ¡°Then, I¡¯m going to visit the docks and find out when the next airship is leaving for Eimdon.¡±


    The mood instantly drops, their excitement giving way to a sombre air of acceptance. Emily keeps going, noticing the shift but choosing not to address it.


    ¡°Once I have a departure date set, I¡¯m going to convert anything from this expedition I don¡¯t need, along with the rest of my remaining contribution points, into a stock of magical metals and mana crystals. Then all that¡¯s left while I wait to leave is spending a little time in the library and a few, other plans,¡± she says, glancing at Juliana and flashing her a smile.


    Juliana tilts her head with curiosity, but Emily simply smiles and turns away, not elaborating yet. They walk on in silence for a short while, until Tom breaks it with another question.


    ¡°How are you planning on converting all of the beast parts from this expedition into useful resources? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll need most of them either.¡±


    Emily turns to walk backwards, making eye contact with the non-vassal members of their group.


    ¡°Well, first I¡¯ll get you guys to check with your families if they want to buy anything specific: you should probably ask the Dahlias first. Then, if they don¡¯t want to buy anything, I¡¯ll probably talk to Oscar. His family seemed happy to take the bulk of the bounty on the last expedition.¡±


    Enzo and Dante both nod in agreement.


    ¡°The Salvias make a lot of their wealth through alchemy,¡± Enzo explains. ¡°Our families sell a lot of beast components to them already, since they burn through them so fast with their experiments, so we were probably going to do the same. I¡¯m honestly surprised he didn¡¯t tell you about it, he¡¯s normally very proud of his father¡¯s achievements in the field.¡±


    ¡°Oh, he mentioned his dad briefly,¡± Emily responds with a shrug, turning back to face the front. ¡°But he didn¡¯t say more than he¡¯s a great alchemist. I think he was trying not to damage my ego.¡±


    Chuckling at the idea, Emily smiles as one of her birds breaks through the treeline into the empty fields beyond.


    ¡°That¡¯s silly,¡± Tom says with a grin. ¡°How could he damage your ego? It¡¯s far too big to be-¡°


    He cuts off as his sister¡¯s hand snacks into the back of his head, and everyone breaks into laughter as he playfully cries out at the injustice. Their playful laughter and teasing continue until they reach the edge of the forest, stepping from the trees in high spirits and breathing a collective sigh of relief as the slight tension held throughout the whole trip finally dissipates.


    ¡°You know, I said it last time and I¡¯ll say it again,¡± Enzo says, rolling his shoulders and stretching. ¡°I¡¯m definitely looking forward to sleeping in a real bed.¡±


    Murmured agreement spreads as they walk out into the open, putting a little distance between themselves and the dangerous forest.


    ¡°How are we getting back though?¡± Tom asks, looking around the open fields and not seeing a single person.


    ¡°I sent a message to one of my family¡¯s servants in Chroni yesterday when I finally got a connection with them,¡± Juliana reassures him. ¡°Our lift should be arriving around midday.¡±


    ¡°Great! I don¡¯t know about you guys, but I¡¯m looking forward to eating some real food,¡± Tom says with a mischievous grin, dodging the expected strike from his sister as he insults her cooking.


    Emily grabs Tom by the bag before Hester can start her full assault, slipping it from his shoulders and tossing him to the wolves before sitting down on the grass.


    ¡°We may as well use this time productively,¡± she says as Juliana drops down next to her and the others settle too.


    She undoes a few drawstring pouches tied to her belt, each with a different pattern woven into them courtesy of Juliana, and lays them out beside herself before reaching into the bag and pulling out some of the magic crystals within. Hester quickly notices and releases her brother from a headlock so they can join everyone in watching Emily divide their spoils.


    They spend the next few hours deciding who to give what to, filling the spatial pouches with only items they want to keep and leaving anything to sell for points in the bag. When they reach the end of the collection, Emily is surprised by the value Dante and Enzo assign to the Wind Walker, ten greater crystals. However, they quickly explain the rarity of convenient flight artefacts, so she accepts their valuation while making a mental note to double-check once they return to The Dome.


    Enzo, Ivor, and Tom all agree to leave the burrower ant queen¡¯s heart with Emily, asking her to brew them earth drops when they return. Emily happily agrees, eager for a chance to brew the complicated potion.


    The car, the same one as on the trip there, arrives as Emily is doing one final check of the pouches. Noticing it¡¯s time to leave, she hands a pouch to each person, the weavings customised to fit them: Dante¡¯s is covered in flames; Enzo¡¯s depicts a muddy quagmire; Ivor¡¯s is made to look like a cauldron, with small vial¡¯s pouring multi-coloured liquids into it; Hester¡¯s shows crashing waves; and Tom¡¯s looks like a miniature fort with sturdy portcullises that reminds Emily of the dungeon they encountered.


    Holding their gifts close and thanking Emily and Juliana, they all pack into the car to leave. The drive back is quiet, with half the group falling asleep, and the other half happy to sit in silent contemplation. Juliana uses Emily¡¯s shoulder as a pillow, while Emily watches the countryside slide by the window, slowly getting closer to the city she¡¯s called home for the last year and a half as she considers her departure.

 Chapter 114 – Quiet Return

    Chapter 114 ¨C Quiet Return


    They arrive at the city¡¯s entrance in the early evening as the sun dips below the horizon. Emily gently shakes Juliana, waking her up as the car¡¯s engine turns off and they come to a halt before the towering city wall.


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± she says gently as Juliana lifts her head and wipes the crust from her eyes.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Juliana responds with a yawn. ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to the guards.¡±


    ¡°Do you need company?¡±


    Juliana lightly shakes her head as she stands up and places a kiss on Emily¡¯s cheek. She steps up to the door and flashes a confident smile over her shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. It¡¯s just an identity check as a precaution,¡± she says as she slips out of the vehicle.


    Emily nods and remains seated, watching through the window as Juliana approaches the guards. She talks to them, with a friendly smile, for a few minutes and, after a few familiar procedures, checking her mana just like they did with Oscar on their last return to Chroni, she walks back over to the car calmly.


    ¡°It¡¯s all sorted. Please head for Southern Edge Station,¡± she says to the driver on the way past before climbing into the passenger compartment again.


    Juliana settles back down against Emily as the car engine rumbles to life again, carrying them further into the city. They fall silent again as the car rolls along, only waking their other sleeping companions when the door to the heavy-duty station elevator comes into view.


    They leave the car, thanking the driver before joining a few wealthy-looking merchants and filing into the elevator to rise into the upper layers of the city. They step out of the elevator just in time to see a train roll into the station, and head straight for the noble¡¯s compartment at the front.


    Only one of the booths is filled, holding a few mages Emily doesn¡¯t recognise that barely spare them a second glance as they pass, so they quickly grab an empty one and settle down for the last leg of their trip back.


    ¡°Do you guys have any plans now that we¡¯re back?¡± Emily asks as they wait for the train to move, keeping Tom from drifting off again as he rests his head against the window.


    ¡°Sleeping in a real bed,¡± he grumbles, the exhaustion of the long trip weighing on him heavily.


    Emily chuckles, and everybody else nods, agreeing with the sentiment of his words.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about going home for a bit,¡± Dante says thoughtfully, drawing his friends¡¯ curiosity. ¡°I haven¡¯t been back in a little over four years now, so I was thinking I should go visit.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t visited your family in four years?¡± Juliana asks with slight disbelief.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Dante nods, tilting his head in slight confusion. ¡°That¡¯s normal, isn¡¯t it? When did you last visit home?¡±


    ¡°Ah, about two years ago,¡± Juliana admits shamefully. ¡°I haven¡¯t gone back to visit since Emi came to The Dome. I¡¯ve talked to my parents a few times, but they encouraged me to stay here since I¡¯m improving now.¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t hold high hopes for you?¡± Dante asks with a teasing grin.


    ¡°Not really,¡± Juliana says with a shrug, leaning into Emily¡¯s side more. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for Emi, I¡¯d still be skipping my boring theory lessons, and they knew that. In fact, the last time I went back, I asked if I could just stay home. But, Dad told me to stay in The Dome at least until I reached second circle, since it would be shameful for a member of the family not to. I¡¯m glad I did, but I think I may be heading home for good soon.¡±


    She turns her face into Emily¡¯s neck, and Dante gets the message to stop pushing, quickly turning his focus to the others instead. They spend the short train journey discussing plans for the next week. Tom falls asleep against the window, not joining in with the conversation, but Hester mentions plans for them to visit home again soon when Dante asks her.


    As they approach The Dome¡¯s station, their conversation dies down as they prepare to move, everyone excited to get a proper night¡¯s rest. Hester wakes her brother by wrapping her hand in a thin layer of water and pressing it to the back of his neck, making him jump awake with fright and giving the rest of them a good laugh.


    The train slides to a halt and they quickly disembark, walking through the quiet station and out along a suspended gangway, with the members of the other occupied booth, to re-enter the city¡¯s magical hub. The quiet entry corridor echoing their steps brings Emily an odd sense of comfort as she bathes in the familiar magical light leading their way.


    It¡¯s strange, but I think I¡¯ll miss this place a little once I leave.


    She glances sideways at Juliana, walking hand in hand with her, and smiles a sad smile.


    Maybe more than a little bit.


    ***


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯m looking forward to being on Calypso again.¡±


    ¡°Of course you are! No one can resist our beautiful ship!¡± Anton beams with pride as he waves goodbye and starts off into the crowd again.


    Four days to finish my business in The Dome. Not long now. I¡¯ll see you soon, Anna.


    ***


    Emily returns to The Dome and heads straight to the information hub to gather materials. She purchases a small collection of items, from sandworm bile to rockthawn sap, before returning to her room.


    She walks in through the still unlocked door, finding Juliana still fast asleep, clutching a pillow tightly. Chuckling silently, Emily removes the remnants of her tampering from the door, re-engaging the magical lock, before moving to the workbench in the middle of the room.


    She quietly sets up her equipment for potion creation and prepares her materials. The morning passes quickly as Emily pours her focus into the complicated brew, mixing pieces from almost a dozen different creatures and plants in a delicate process that fills the room with the sound of bubbling water and a warm, earthy fragrance.


    It¡¯s midday by the time she finally pours the contents of her cauldron into three small glass vials. The viscous, dark-brown liquid fills them all to the brim before running dry, and Emily¡¯s focus is finally broken by a voice behind her.


    ¡°Can you even put a cork in those?¡±


    She turns around and sees Juliana sitting up in bed, her chin resting on the pillow still in her arms, watching intently.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Emily says, flashing her a smile and gesturing for her to come over.


    Emily turns back to the workbench, as Juliana crawls out of bed, and picks up three fingertip-sized, white-spotted, green seeds, resting in a bath of murky, sand-coloured liquid.


    ¡°Earth Drops were named after the final form the potion takes when you add these little things, mycorium seeds soaked in earthworm bile,¡± Emily explains, holding out the seeds for Juliana to see.


    ¡°Those horrible vines are used for Earth Drops?¡± Juliana asks in surprise, taking one of the seeds from Emily¡¯s hand and holding it up to inspect. ¡°No wonder we were told to be careful not to step on their seed pods.¡±


    ¡°The vines themselves don¡¯t get used that much, only for a few poisons as far as I¡¯m aware. But the seeds are very useful. Depending on how you treat them, they can react with potions in some interesting ways. Drop that one into one of the vials and watch,¡± Emily says, stepping aside to allow Juliana access to the potions.


    Nodding, Juliana raises the seed above a vial and drops it in, watching it vanish into the opaque liquid within. Instantly, the brew starts to quiver, forming a small vortex around the seed as it falls to the bottom. The water level lowers slowly as the reaction continues, and Emily reaches over to place a cork on the top just as it hits halfway.


    The moment the airflow into the vial stops, the water level freezes, and the mixture shifts in colour until it¡¯s a translucent light brown, revealing the seed within. The seed has grown to twice its original size and transformed into a faintly glowing brown orb.


    ¡°Woah!¡± Juliana exclaims, staring at the vial in wonder.


    ¡°Impressive, right? It¡¯s my first time seeing the reaction too,¡± Emily admits as she drops the other two seeds into their vials.


    ¡°Very!¡± Juliana agrees with an enthusiastic nod before turning to Emily and wrapping her arms around her waist. ¡°Are you done now? We should probably head to lunch soon.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m ready,¡± Emily says as she corks the vials with one hand, the other resting around Juliana. ¡°More ready than you in fact. Unless you plan on going dressed like that?¡±


    Juliana blushes at Emily¡¯s teasing smile, pulling back a little and glancing down at her nightgown.


    ¡°This is your fault,¡± she grumbles, looking back up with an adorable pout. ¡°If you weren¡¯t so pretty when you¡¯re focused I would have gotten dressed ages ago.¡±


    ¡°Ha,¡± Emily laughs before wrapping her other arm around her girlfriend and pulling her in for a kiss.


    ¡°Go get dressed while I clean up then,¡± Emily says after they separate. ¡°Unless I look too good while doing that too. Then you¡¯re welcome to keep watching.¡±


    Juliana sticks out her tongue and turns around, walking towards the bathroom. Emily chuckles as she does, but a pang of sadness quickly dampens her mood.


    We only have four days left.

 Chapter 115 – Settling Affairs

    Chapter 115 ¨C Settling Affairs


    ¡°Did you guys sleep well?¡± Emily asks as she and Juliana join their friends at a table in the cafeteria.


    ¡°Like a pop frog in the talons of a sominal bomber,¡± Tom replies with a satisfied smile. ¡°I woke up about ten minutes ago!¡±


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t have woken up at all if I hadn¡¯t slammed on his door,¡± Hester grumbles.


    ¡°Ha,¡± Dante laughs, throwing his arm around Enzo. ¡°We¡¯ve been up for hours training already!¡±


    Everyone looks at them with curiosity, confused by their lack of rest. Enzo lets out a tired sigh, rubbing his brow as he explains.


    ¡°Oscar asked us to join him in his training room for a catch-up this morning, and this idiot decided that meant we should exhaust ourselves,¡± he complains before focusing on Emily. ¡°Oh, and I mentioned that you may be interested in selling some materials to him. He was excited by the idea and told me to let him know when to approach you about it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thanks,¡± Emily responds. ¡°I¡¯ll go have a little chat with him after lunch. Speaking of, have you guys asked any of your families yet about anything they¡¯d like? I¡¯d like to know what I can actually sell him before we meet.¡±


    ¡°Mine have responded,¡± Dante says first. ¡°They requested as many mandibles and armour plates from fire-spitting bugs as possible. Oh, also they gave me permission to trade the resources I got for them as well as points. I¡¯m guessing it¡¯d be easier for you if your portion was in the form of crystals and metals, right?¡±


    Emily is momentarily taken aback by his careful consideration, but she quickly recovers and nods with gratitude.


    ¡°It would be, thank you. The less obvious it is to The Covenant that I¡¯m hoarding materials, the better. I don¡¯t think it will happen, but I don¡¯t want anyone contacting the Mandragos to ask about it. I¡¯ll come see you after talking to Oscar to discuss it properly.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll be in my room.¡±


    Emily moves her gaze clockwise around the table, focusing on Enzo next.


    ¡°My family doesn¡¯t want anything,¡± he says with a yawn. ¡°Though, my mother asked if she could have a little bit of the archite flesh you kept. She wants to try some, but it¡¯s rare for someone to catch and sell one.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure,¡± Emily quickly agrees. ¡°She can have some of the second circle flesh for free, or I can split off a small chunk of third for a crystal or two.¡±


    ¡°She only needs second, but are you sure about not charging me? We gave it a value when you claimed it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s fine,¡± Emily shrugs. ¡°A portion for eating won¡¯t be enough to dent my stock. I¡¯ll bring it to you later.¡±


    Besides, I only wanted it because I think I can use it in a brew of imperception to replace shadow boa flesh. I may not actually be able to.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Enzo says gratefully as his and Dante¡¯s food arrives.


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    Next, Emily sweeps her attention past Ivor, who has been sitting still watching since she and Juliana arrived, to the twins.


    ¡°What about you guys?¡± she asks.


    ¡°We have a short list actually,¡± Hester says for the both of them, reaching into the spatial pouch at her waist and pulling out a small sheet of paper. ¡°We also got permission to trade our resources for them. In fact, we were encouraged to since they¡¯d have to send another member of the family with the points to negotiate and they think they¡¯d get a worse deal.¡±


    ¡°Ha,¡± Emily chuckles, looking over the list. ¡°Well, they don¡¯t want too much anyway, so it won¡¯t take that much from you guys. I¡¯ll come visit you later as well.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll be in my room whenever you¡¯re ready.¡±


    ¡°Ha,¡± Agnes barks, stepping past Emily and gesturing for her to follow. ¡°Let¡¯s use the main training hall then. I¡¯ve been working on something new and don¡¯t want you saying you lost because you didn¡¯t have enough room to move around.¡±


    They quickly reach the teleportation circle, moving through The Dome and heading for the training hall. The large door to the hall is open when they arrive, and they step in to find a group of twenty first and second circle mages sparring in a ten vs ten battle. The moment they enter the room, Agnes stomps on the ground, releasing her mana and letting her heavy aura fill the room.


    The fighting mages all instantly halt, their attention snapping to the threatening presence, a few of them letting out quiet, disgruntled complaints as their spells are interrupted.


    ¡°Everyone out!¡± Agnes calls, her voice filling the room as she uses a technique Emily recognises, filling her vocal cords with mana.


    ¡°But we booked the ha-¡° one of the braver, older-looking mages tries to argue before falling silent under Agnes¡¯ fierce, one-eyed glare.


    The group cancel all of their ongoing spells and quietly file out of the room, casting fearful gazes towards Agnes as she doesn¡¯t remove her pressure, and curious gazes to the silent Emily beside her. Once they¡¯re all out, Emily follows her obsolete habit of warming up before a spar, and Agnes shuts the door behind them before drawing her sword and performing a few practice swings herself.


    They maintain a tense silence as they prepare, like the calm before a storm. After a few minutes, Emily stands up from stretching her legs and holds her hand out to the side. A faint purple mist flows from the belt at her waist, twisting up and around her arm before solidifying into a long, uniform, wooden staff. She grips the staff lightly, flicking it into a spin and twirling it deftly around her body before halting its momentum with a fierce crack against the ground, bouncing it back into a neutral position.


    ¡°Going with a staff today?¡± Agnes asks. ¡°What¡¯ll you use when I break it?¡±


    Ignoring her taunt, Emily remains silent, calmly raising her free hand and gesturing for Agnes to come at her. Agnes obliges, her manic grin growing with each step forward as she quickly closes the distance.


    They meet without a single spell being cast, having reached a silent agreement to follow their usual sparring pattern. Agnes starts with a sudden downward slash the moment she steps into reach, but Emily simply steps back, moving with controlled grace as she sweeps her staff across her body, lightly shifting Agnes¡¯ sword aside, before spinning it around to strike Agnes¡¯ shoulder in the same motion.


    Agnes halts in her step, a look of surprise on her face as she watches Emily move back further.


    ¡°Damn,¡± she says with a complex mix of emotions flickering across her face. ¡°You were moving slower than me just then, weren¡¯t you.¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± Emily responds proudly. ¡°I can read you now.¡±


    Agnes nods, a look of acceptance mixed with a hint of pride crossing her face before she settles back into a competitive grin.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m going to have to learn from you now,¡± she says before charging forward again, restarting her offensive.


    Emily grins as well, her eyes scanning Agnes¡¯ body to take in every twitch of her muscles and every shift in her balance, her mind running through an instinctual calculation to predict her next move. Slowly, Emily spins her staff around, deflecting each of Agnes¡¯ blows while retreating, constantly moving backwards, side to side, and even slipping past Agnes to switch places after a particularly large opening.


    They dance a waltz of wood and steel across the hall, with Emily drawing Agnes into her pace and leading her around by the nose. After a few minutes, Emily decides to push her flow skill further and starts to switch weapons.


    First, as Agnes attempts a heavy overhead slash, Emily presses her staff against the flat of Agnes¡¯ blade and slips past it, sliding her hands up her staff at the same time and summoning a pair of daggers from her belt. She slashes towards Agnes¡¯ blind eye, but Agnes reacts just in time, flinching back and letting the blade sail past her cheek, drawing a thin line of blood.


    Emily changes the direction of her blades in an instant with a deft flick of her wrists, pressing the attack, but Agnes knocks her back with her shoulder before sweeping her blade horizontally, forcing Emily to pull back.


    However, as Emily steps away, she also twists, thrusting her hand forward as a spear appears in her grip. Agnes pauses her sweep and hastily lifts her sword, knocking the spear aside and exposing a gap in her stance. Emily immediately ducks forward, closing the distance before Agnes can recover and delivering a solid blow to her gut with a pair of brass knuckles.


    Agnes grunts in pain, leaping back and clasping her stomach. Emily doesn¡¯t pursue her, giving her a moment to recover.


    ¡°Does this mean we can use magic now?¡± Agnes goads, spitting out a mouthful of blood.


    ¡°Well, the winner was clear without,¡± Emily fires back, before slowly raising a single finger with a taunting smile. ¡°For the first minute, I won¡¯t use any offensive spells or speed enhancements. I¡¯ll start counting after you finish your preparations.¡±


    ¡°Confident, are we? I¡¯ll make you regret saying that,¡± Agnes claims, driving her sword into the ground beside her and cracking her knuckles. ¡°I finished making a new toy with Jenny recently. I¡¯ve been itching to test it on you!¡±

 Chapter 116 – Final Spar

    Chapter 116 ¨C Final Spar


    Agnes follows her confident words by starting a repetitive chant and weaving her hands together in an abstract set of hand gestures that Emily struggles to find sense in.


    ¡°I will not bend, my will won¡¯t shake. My body is steel, I will not break.¡±


    Emily watches in silence as a dense mist of silver and brown leaves Agnes¡¯ body. Some silver clings to her skin, forming into glistening runes that fade away to leave a metallic sheen, and the rest joins the brown in inscribing a large twisting magic circle on the dirt below. Agnes opens her eye as the circle pulses, and Emily instantly feels a shift around her as an invisible weight presses down on her shoulders.


    She twitches her fingers, feeling the difference in their movement, and focuses on her spatial awareness, feeling an odd distortion around her. Her cores run into overdrive to analyse the spell while Agnes halts her gestures and reaches for her sword, her mouth still moving, repeating her words.


    She¡¯s only using earth and metal, but she¡¯s managing to affect space somehow. It¡¯s not quite spatial disruption... is she attributing the space itself? It¡¯s making me slower and increasing my weight. Does it do more?


    Agnes raises her sword and bends her knees, her exposed tattoos lighting up as lightning buzzes across her skin. She flashes forward, the circle on the ground following while keeping her in its centre, quickly closing the distance between them.


    Emily preempts her attack, stepping back using her full, natural speed, and raising her hand to bat aside the heavy, falling blade. A flood of mana erupts from her, as she starts an internal timer, weaving together to form two magic circles. She deflects a few more attacks, the magic circle restricting her movement, forcing her onto the back foot as she switches from brass knuckles to a broadsword and meets Agnes blade to blade.


    Her two magic circles finish forming after a few exchanges, the first solid green and wrapped around her legs, and the second a mix of blue and silver hovering at her back. Emily pushes forward as they finish forming, driving a stab towards Agnes¡¯ chest as liquid metal shoots from the circle behind her, flying between Emily¡¯s cheek and Agnes¡¯ incoming blade before solidifying and blocking the blow.


    Agnes, holding the advantage in speed at the moment, deftly slips past Emily¡¯s attack and swipes her sword towards Emily¡¯s feet, but Emily leaps off the ground, stepping on an invisible foothold and propelling herself out of Agnes¡¯ reach.


    Agnes¡¯ eye follows her, a look of intrigue crossing her face as she keeps chanting without end. Trying not to let Emily take control of the battle¡¯s pace again, Agnes pursues her closely, aiming blow after blow towards her retreating form.


    Emily switches to dual daggers and falls into a rhythm of deflecting blows and controlling her magical shield, using her manoeuvrability to stay just at the edge of Agnes¡¯ reach despite her inferior speed.


    She¡¯s made me slower and herself faster, but she doesn¡¯t seem as used to high-speed combat as me, especially while multicasting. She¡¯s not taking full advantage of the speed that tattoo gives her yet. Her mental processing appears to be lagging slightly, and there is a lot less variation in her speed than there is in her normal unenhanced combat. Is that a fault in my tattoo? Does it not give her enough adjustability, or is it just an issue with her control?


    As the time ticks down, fast approaching the end of Emily¡¯s given one-minute grace period, she can¡¯t help but admire Agnes¡¯ restriction spell. The large circle on the floor slowly grows in brightness, exerting more and more force on Emily, attempting to hold her still. It also slows the mass of liquid metal flying around to protect her, gradually challenging her more and more.


    If I was forced to fight in these conditions for another few minutes, she might actually beat me. What a useful spell.


    Emily¡¯s internal timer hits two seconds left as Emily leaps over a low sweep, but a small warning bell goes off in her mind. Agnes stomps lightly on the ground, suddenly sending a spike of packed dirt towards Emily¡¯s back. At the same time, Agnes changes the direction of her sword and slashes at Emily¡¯s side with a surprising burst of speed.


    Reacting calmly, Emily creates another foothold of air and kicks off, arcing backwards and sliding narrowly between the blade and spike. Agnes chases her, a new spike rising from the earth with each step, but Emily makes her metal shield slide beneath her, stretching out and solidifying into a sheet that blocks all the spikes.


    Emily calmly pushes herself off the rising metal sheet with her hands, flipping around to land outside Agnes¡¯ range with a gloating grin.


    ¡°It was a good attempt. But your time¡¯s up,¡± she says as she cancels air walk, and casts sky step.


    Agnes, sensing danger, leaps forward to try and cancel Emily¡¯s casting, but Emily falls back, forming her metal guardian into a solid wall between them that slows Agnes down. By the time Agnes steps around the thin wall blocking her, Emily¡¯s spell has finished casting, wrapping her legs in crackling lightning.


    Agnes barely has time to blink as she catches a single glimpse of Emily standing, wreathed in lightning, before she dashes away, reaching the edge of the large magic circle that fills half the hall before Agnes can move to follow. The moment she leaves it, her speed increases explosively, the restraints holding her back gone, and she vanishes from Agnes¡¯ sight.


    Emily springs around the room, bouncing off every surface around her as she builds up more charge in her legs. Agnes¡¯ head spins, trying to keep up with her to no avail. She stands in a defensive stance, quickly backing up towards the wall to force Emily to approach from the front.


    You lost the moment I finished casting.


    Emily kicks off a wall, rocketing towards Agnes and dropping into a slide, discharging her legs against the ground below her, ripping Agnes¡¯ magic circle to shreds as a scorching line is drawn across the hall. She appears in front of Agnes before she can even react, rising up and slipping a blade past her guard in a single motion as she comes to a sudden, jarring halt.


    Emily lightly presses the blade against Agnes¡¯ throat as both of their spells disperse.


    ¡°Good fight,¡± she says before relaxing and pulling back, stowing her daggers in her belt.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Agnes mutters with a chuckle, sheathing her sword with one hand and raising the other to rub her throat. ¡°You¡¯ve really become a monster.¡±


    ¡°Haha, I had the best to learn from. Speaking of, you¡¯re triple casting now?¡± Emily questions with intrigue.


    ¡°The triple casting is an old trick,¡± Agnes says, collapsing down to sit on the floor, leaning against the wall. ¡°It¡¯s not true triple casting. I can¡¯t maintain two or more third circle spells at once, but I can internal cast earth spikes while channelling one third and one second circle spell. How about you?¡±


    ¡°Ha, trying to gauge my abilities through conversation because you can¡¯t in combat?¡± Emily teases, settling down beside Agnes. ¡°Well, it depends on the spells. I can cast up to eight at once if they¡¯re simple, but when they get more complicated, like guardian and sky step, my defence spell and the last attack spell I used to beat you, it goes down.¡±


    ¡°Various things, from elementals to history. Quite a lot of them may be useless to me, but I thought it important to use the information I have access to before I lose it. Wait here, I¡¯ll be back with some books in a moment.¡±


    Emily walks past, running a soft hand along Juliana¡¯s shoulders as she does, before vanishing into a nearby corridor of books. A green magic circle forms around her legs, carrying her up into the top layers of the shelves to browse on a set of invisible stairs. She pulls up a map of the library drawn into her notes, looking over the various titles marked down for later reading.


    If I¡¯m fast this should only take a few days of frozen time. I can also prepare for that...


    She glances back at Juliana with a warm smile before turning her attention back to the stacks.


    Let¡¯s leave Ivor¡¯s gift till the final loop.


    ***


    That evening, after several uses of The Clock, Emily shuts the cover of Ivor¡¯s gift, the pages within filled with valuable information. She lays her palm flat against the blank cover, delicately spreading her mana across it to form a title before igniting it and scorching it into the surface.


    ¡®Alchemy Basics¡¯


    She holds up the book with a satisfied smile, hearing a soft giggle in her ear from Juliana, resting her head on Emily¡¯s shoulder half asleep.


    ¡°Is that what counts as the basics for you?¡±


    Emily chuckles, relaxing against her girlfriend as she sends the book into her storage.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not basic because everything in it is simple. It¡¯s basic because I think you could give it to someone with zero experience in the field and they¡¯d be able to start brewing without any other texts,¡± Emily explains. ¡°I added a fair amount of my own observations and notes on the processes required, and I went a little bit overboard. Most of the extra information will probably be irrelevant to Ivor, but I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t mind.¡±


    Juliana hums in agreement, reaching out to take Emily¡¯s now empty hands in hers, playing with her fingers idly. They quietly relax in the calm atmosphere of the library for a short while, until Emily checks the time and decides to head to the cafeteria.


    They arrive to find only Ivor and Enzo sitting together, both silently staring into space as they wait for their food to arrive.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Emily says as they join them at their table. ¡°Just you guys?¡±


    ¡°The twins haven¡¯t arrived yet,¡± Ivor signs with a nod.


    ¡°And I haven¡¯t seen the pyro since lunchtime,¡± Enzo adds.


    ¡°I see.¡± Emily nods, narrowing her focus on Ivor as Juliana orders them food. ¡°I have a small gift for you.¡±


    Ivor and Enzo both look on with intrigue as Emily reaches into the belt at her waist and pulls out the book. She holds it out to Ivor, who tentatively takes it in both hands, turning it around to read the title.


    ¡°You told me you couldn¡¯t find the recipe for the iron-clawed brew, so I decided to write you a little recipe book,¡± Emily explains casually. ¡°I¡¯ve included some extra notes on the processes that may help you, but feel free to ignore them if my methods don¡¯t suit you.¡±


    Ivor carefully opens the book, slowly flipping through the pages as Enzo watches over his shoulder. Tears slowly build up in his eyes, shocking Emily, and after reaching the back cover, he finally looks up.


    ¡°Could you sign the inside cover, please?¡± he signs, passing the book back to Emily.


    ¡°Why would you want my signature?¡± Emily asks with confusion.


    ¡°When you make a name for yourself, I¡¯d like to keep this as a family heirloom to remember an old friend,¡± he responds with surprising sincerity.


    Flashing him a gentle smile, Emily takes the book from him and opens the front page, placing her hand against the inside cover to burn a message into it.


    To my dear friend Ivor Juric,


    Thank you for your friendship and support in my time at The Covenant. I hope you live a happy, fulfilling life, and I look forward to seeing the potions you create. I expect great things from you.


    -Emily Coldstone


    She hands the book back and watches as Ivor reads the message before bursting into tears and clutching the gift to his chest.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he signs through his tears, pulling on Emily¡¯s heartstrings.

 Chapter 117 – Last Date

    Chapter 117 ¨C Last Date


    The next day, Emily spends her morning working on a new spatial storage. She crafts a small bag holding several spaces within, linked together like her belt, which she sorts through, moving the excessive magical materials within to the bag. Afterwards, she begins the slow process of taking apart the pipe system in her room, disconnecting every machine and stowing them in her new long-term storage. Her friends join her after lunch to help. Before evening comes, the room is back as it was when Emily moved in a year and a half ago.


    They spend the remainder of the evening relaxing in Emily¡¯s room together, talking and laughing about their time in The Dome until the early hours of the morning. As everyone leaves to make their way back to their own rooms, Emily and Juliana are left alone.


    Emily approaches Juliana, hugging her from behind as she waves their friends goodbye, resting her chin on her shoulder.


    ¡°Hey, Jules?¡± Emily asks softly.


    ¡°Yes, Emi?¡± Juliana responds, leaning back into her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go on a date tomorrow.¡±


    Juliana tilts her head to face Emily with a smile.


    ¡°Gladly,¡± she whispers against her lips, letting Emily close the distance.


    ***


    In the morning, Emily and Juliana leave The Dome and board the train together, dressed casually, with Emily¡¯s weapons in her belt for once.


    ¡°Do you have any plans in mind for our date?¡± Juliana asks excitedly as the train leaves the station.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have the full day planned out. Only the evening,¡± Emily replies. ¡°Is there anything you¡¯d like to do in town?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d quite like to visit Auntie Annie, and you could do with a haircut.¡±


    ¡°Fair point,¡± Emily says, running her fingers through her long hair. ¡°I¡¯ve been putting it off for a while and it¡¯s gotten quite bad.¡±


    ¡°Perfect! I know exactly what you should get,¡± Juliana chirps, her eyes lighting up in anticipation.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re choosing, are you?¡± Emily asks with a raised brow, a teasing smile playing on her lips.


    ¡°Yep!¡±


    ¡°Haha, fine. Would you like to help me pick my piercings too? I want to get some more.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to. How many more are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Maybe five or six.¡±


    Juliana nods enthusiastically, reaching out and tucking Emily¡¯s hair behind her ears to get a better look at them.


    ¡°I definitely have some ideas. This is gonna be so fun!¡±


    The train carries them out into the city, towards the commercial district. They first visit a popular hair stylist, where Juliana happily debates with them about what to do to Emily¡¯s hair while she simply sits back and watches on, happy to trust her girlfriend¡¯s judgement.


    ¡°Have you finally decided?¡± Emily asks as Juliana bounces over with the stylist, Roberto, in tow.


    ¡°Yep! We¡¯re trimming your fringe and bringing the rest of your hair back to shoulder length,¡± Juliana explains.


    Emily nods, sitting back and letting Roberto run a brush through her silky locks.


    ¡°It¡¯s such a shame to cut all this off. You nobles always have such lovely hair,¡± Roberto mutters wistfully, placing down the brush as he doesn¡¯t find any knots.


    ¡°She looks prettier with shorter hair!¡± Juliana states resolutely, making Emily chuckle.


    ¡°It also gets in the way less when fighting,¡± she adds, receiving an eye roll from Juliana.


    ¡°Your hair didn¡¯t seem to cause you any issues in The Glade.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just that good.¡±


    They joke and laugh as Roberto cuts Emily¡¯s hair, removing the long excess grown during months of disregard. By the time he¡¯s done, Roberto can¡¯t help but agree with Juliana¡¯s judgement as Emily pulls silver from her belt to pay him.


    ¡°It was a shame to remove so much, but it really does suit you,¡± he says as he takes his payment with a grateful bow.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Emily replies, turning to face Juliana. ¡°How do I look?¡±


    Juliana steps forward, reaching up and taking Emily¡¯s chin in her hand, tilting it from side to side. A blush rises to Emily¡¯s cheeks as she stands still under her girlfriend¡¯s intense gaze, letting her move her to her will.


    ¡°Stunning,¡± Juliana whispers, pulling her hand back and flashing a dazzling smile. ¡°And you¡¯ll look even better with more piercings. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Emily nods, the colour in her face fading again as she steps forward and wraps an arm around Juliana¡¯s waist, leading her out of the shop. They slowly walk along the suspended gangways, taking in the sights of the expensive shops selling their wares and the well-dressed people browsing them.


    They eventually reach the piercing studio, a small shop down a quiet alley with displays of simple jewellery in the window. They step in, looking around at the art on the walls as their eyes quickly fall on the thin, heavily tattooed woman sitting in the corner drawing. She looks up as Emily and Juliana walk in, revealing her face, covered in metal and smiling warmly as she recognises them instantly.


    ¡°Hello again, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen you two. What can I do for you today?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Claudia,¡± Emily says, shutting the door behind them. ¡°We want some more piercings.¡±


    ¡°Haha,¡± Claudia laughs at the exchange, patting Emily on the shoulder after putting a cap on the back of the new stud in her ear. ¡°No need to be embarrassed. I feel the same. Why do you think my face looks like this?¡±


    The slight tension in Emily¡¯s shoulders relaxes at the reassurance, and Juliana silently squeezes her hand, tracing her other hand up Emily¡¯s arm in a soothing motion that warms Emily¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she says with a grateful nod as they continue to the next one.


    After finishing her left lobe and the two new piercings in her right ear, Claudia asks Emily to lie down for the rest. Emily finds the process relaxing and, by the time they¡¯re done, she¡¯s almost tempted to get more.


    This will do for now. I can always pierce myself later. It¡¯s not like my hands will shake.


    Running her tongue over the metal loop on her lip, tasting the metal and grinning with satisfaction, Emily pays Claudia. They both thank her before leaving to roam the city, eating meat skewers from a food stall for lunch, and visiting Annie to chat and browse her clothes.


    As evening comes, and Emily¡¯s departure grows ever closer, she leads Juliana towards the edge of the city, approaching the wall in the northwest from the ground.


    ¡°Why are we out here?¡± Juliana asks, glancing around at the quiet streets, and up at the tall buildings surrounding them.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± Emily says as they step onto a street with a clear view of the base of the wall.


    They walk closer and, as they approach the looming wall, Emily turns and sweeps Juliana up into her arms.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Juliana squeaks, wrapping her arms around Emily¡¯s neck and looking at her sceptically. ¡°I¡¯m not complaining, but why did you just pick me up?¡±


    ¡°So I can do this,¡± Emily responds with a grin, leaping up into the air as a green magic circle forms around her legs.


    She climbs invisible steps, rising up to the top of the wall before stepping onto the open metal top.


    ¡°Emi!¡± Juliana cries quietly as they crest the top, glancing around with concern. ¡°We¡¯re definitely not allowed up here. What if the guards find us?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Emily replies with a confident smirk, setting her down. ¡°They won¡¯t come by this section again until an hour or so after dark, and they don¡¯t have a magical warning system for people scaling the wall from the inside.¡±


    Juliana narrows her eyes, following Emily to the outside edge.


    ¡°How do you know this?¡±


    Emily simply flashes her a smile, summoning a pair of cushions from her belt and setting them down.


    I don¡¯t need to tell her about pissing off the guards in frozen time to prepare for this.


    She sits down with her feet hanging over the edge, tapping the cushion beside her. Juliana drops down on the cushion with a huff, leaning against Emily¡¯s shoulder and gazing out across the grassland stretching into the horizon, staring at the setting sun.


    Emily silently pulls out platters of meats and bread and they eat in comfortable silence, no words needed as they enjoy each other''s presence. The sun creeps lower the whole time, eventually bathing the plains in a golden hue.


    After they finish eating, Emily puts the empty platters away and wraps an arm around Juliana, who leans her head against her shoulder.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Juliana whispers, finally breaking their silence.


    ¡°It is,¡± Emily agrees, tracing the skyline with her eyes. ¡°I thought it fitting for our... last date.¡±


    ¡°Mmh,¡± Juliana hums, tearing her eyes away from the horizon and turning to kiss Emily on the cheek. ¡°I certainly won¡¯t ever forget it.¡±


    She pulls away, and Emily looks over to see her reaching for her necklace.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to work out the right time to give you this, and you¡¯ve set the scene perfectly!¡±


    She pulls her hand back with a long, sandy brown length of fabric following. One side is bare, but the other has a long chain of faintly glowing green runes.


    ¡°I thought that if you were going back to the desert, you¡¯d probably want a scarf to keep away the sun and sand,¡± Juliana explains with a faint blush, tentatively holding the scarf out.


    Emily smiles and lowers her head, letting Juliana wrap the gift around her neck. She reaches her hand up to run her fingers along the soft but sturdy fabric, noticing a floral scent and bringing it closer to her nose to sniff.


    ¡°I gave it an enchantment for air cleansing,¡± Juliana says. ¡°If you breathe through it, it will block all bad odours and dust. Instead, you¡¯ll smell the lilies I imbued it with. They¡¯re my house flower, and I hope it will always remind you of me no matter where you are.¡±


    Emily meets Juliana¡¯s tearful gaze, dropping the scarf and reaching out to wipe the tears from her cheeks.


    ¡°It¡¯s perfect,¡± she says, unable to keep the croak from her voice as her own eyes water. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have anything to thank me for. You¡¯ve already given me so much: I just wanted you to have something to remember me by. I love you so much, Emi, but I can¡¯t follow you.¡±


    Emily feels something in her heart break at Juliana¡¯s straightforward admission, and her tears flow freely.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be with you forever. I¡¯m just not strong enough.¡±


    Emily wants to say something. To tell her it¡¯s fine and she can protect her anyway. But images rise to the front of her mind: images of Juliana¡¯s body, lying lifeless and broken on the dungeon floor; images of Juliana cowering in her arms after descending into the depths of The Crystal Waters; images of Juliana shaking in fear after Emily scared off a group of lowlifes in the city.


    Her churning emotions bend the air around her, making the winds sway to a slow beat as a faint mist of water surrounds them as if the air itself was crying. Juliana leans forward, pressing her forehead to Emily¡¯s and running a hand along her cheek, releasing the tension in her jaw with her touch.


    ¡°I¡¯ve... accepted that,¡± she whispers quietly, her words dripping with pain and only fuelling the magical maelstrom around them. ¡°After tonight, we¡¯re done. So, please. Just for tonight. Can we forget about that and just be each other¡¯s one last time?¡±


    Emily can¡¯t bring herself to speak, gently nodding before shutting her eyes and locking their lips together in a final embrace of sorrow and desire.

 Chapter 118 – Goodbye

    Chapter 118 ¨C Goodbye


    The next morning, Emily wakes up an hour before her departure. She slides out from under Juliana, leaving the peacefully sleeping girl alone before climbing into the shower. She stands under the warm stream of water, letting the calming flow wash away her doubts about the coming goodbyes.


    After a few minutes, she leaves the shower, drying herself off before equipping herself with armour and weapons, this time without her robes, with her new scarf wrapped tightly around her neck instead. She steps out of the bathroom to find Juliana sitting on the end of her bed, fully dressed and staring at her with a wistful smile.


    ¡°Is it time?¡± she asks quietly.


    Emily walks over and pulls her into a hug, nodding her head as Juliana¡¯s arms wrap around her waist.


    ¡°Yes. We should go,¡± she says, holding their embrace for a few moments before pulling back and offering Juliana her hand.


    She pulls the girl onto her feet and leads her to the door. Taking one last glance around the almost empty room behind her, ignoring the case the Mandragos sent her with, Emily steps out into the corridor. They quickly head for the transportation circle at the end of the hall, taking a short jump to arrive at the exit hallway leading to the station.


    They run into Ivor before they make it out of The Dome, and he joins them without a word as they leave. In the station, they find Enzo and Dante, who both quietly nod in acknowledgement when the others enter.


    Nobody speaks as they stand together on the platform, waiting for the train to arrive with an air of morbid anticipation. It¡¯s not until the train slides into the station a few minutes later that the twins arrive, running into the hall and frantically looking for the others.


    ¡°Thank Goddess,¡± Hester mutters with a sigh of relief, casting a disappointed glare towards her brother. ¡°I thought we might have missed her because of your stupid sleeping habits.¡±


    Emily laughs at their entrance, releasing the unseen tension that held the group''s silence.


    ¡°You¡¯re certainly cutting it close. Am I not worth losing your beauty sleep over?¡± she asks Tom with a teasing tone.


    ¡°Of course you are!¡± Tom jumps to defend himself. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m any better at getting up in the morning.¡±


    Emily chuckles, turning and leading everyone onto the train. They settle down in a private booth and fall back into silence as the heavy machine carries them though the city to the wall. No one speaks much during the ride with everyone waiting for Emily to initiate the conversation, which she never does.


    The train arrives at the docks a few minutes before eight, and Emily leads her friends off. The moment she steps onto the platform, Emily immediately spots Anton waiting for her. He notices her as well, sharing a nod of acknowledgement before heading towards her across the busy platform. Emily turns her attention to her friends as he approaches, taking a deep breath and finally speaking to them.


    ¡°I guess this is goodbye,¡± she says, watching the complicated expressions on her friends'' faces. ¡°I¡¯ve never really had many friends before, but I¡¯m glad you guys are on that short list. If it wasn¡¯t for you... Well, it¡¯s thanks to you that I¡¯ve enjoyed my time in The Covenant. Thank you!¡±


    Emily¡¯s friends all start with surprise, caught off guard by her sudden sincerity. Dante recovers first, stepping forward and pulling Emily into a firm hug.


    ¡°It¡¯s been an honour to fight with you,¡± he says before forcefully patting her back and pulling away, flashing her a wild grin. ¡°I¡¯ll miss blowing things up with you.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± Emily says with a matching grin. ¡°Also, your fire¡¯s gotten hotter since I met you. Focus more on your mana manipulation. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s your mental image that¡¯s holding you back right now.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± he says, stepping back into the group with an appreciative nod. ¡°Thanks, Emily.¡±


    Enzo steps forward next and offers Emily his hand. She shakes it firmly as he speaks.


    ¡°It¡¯s been an honour to see your magic first-hand. I look forward to hearing about your future achievements,¡± he says, drawing an eye roll from Emily.


    ¡°You¡¯re so oddly rigid at times,¡± Emily says with a chuckle, patting the back of his hand. ¡°It¡¯s good. I think it suits you better. You should focus more on your mental image. If you¡¯re going to specialise in restraining and controlling, you should specialise your image of earth first.¡±


    Enzo nods thoughtfully, giving Emily a small bow as he steps back and thanks her for her advice. Tom steps forward next, pulling Emily into a hug with tears forming in his eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll miss you,¡± he says quietly before pulling away and putting on a foolish grin. ¡°Got any magical advice for me?¡±


    ¡°Haha. Learn to shut up,¡± she replies with a teasing grin. ¡°In all seriousness though, if you can work out how to present as a bit less of an idiot, I think a leadership role would suit you. You¡¯re good at reading the room, I think you¡¯d manage people well.¡±


    Tom nods, a thoughtful yet slightly disappointed look crossing his face as he steps back.


    ¡°Leadership is a talent, Tom. I mean it,¡± Emily says quickly, noticing his mixed feelings. ¡°It¡¯s not one I have either. You¡¯re the one who kept everyone¡¯s morale up in The Glade. Don¡¯t underestimate yourself.¡±


    Tom¡¯s shoulders relax a little as he flashes Emily a warm smile.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Hester steps forward next, meeting Emily in a hug.


    ¡°I¡¯ll miss you,¡± she says as she squeezes Emily before whispering into her ear. ¡°I meant it by the way. Even if you become a fugitive, you¡¯re welcome in our home.¡±


    Emily follows, walking beside him without missing a beat, and Podrick lags behind a step, hurrying to catch up and walk on Anton¡¯s other side. They approach the lowered steps onto the ship and climb up, entering the side of the hull.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be staying in the same room as last time,¡± Anton says to Emily as he shuts the hatch behind them. ¡°Can you remember the way?¡±


    Before Emily can answer, Podrick eagerly offers his services.


    ¡°I can show you if you want.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright,¡± Emily declines, stepping past him towards the crew¡¯s quarters. ¡°I can remember the way perfectly fine. I¡¯ll join you guys on the bridge after dropping off my bag.¡±


    She quickly makes her way through the ship, the pathways as fresh in her mind as if she had explored them yesterday. Heading up the stairs to the crew¡¯s quarters, she heads straight for the far end, opening the door to the room she used last time and slipping in.


    She shuts the door behind her and tosses her bag onto the bed before reaching into a pouch on her belt. She pulls out a small metal box with a few air runes carved into it and a pin sticking out of the top. She holds it against the wall beside the door and uses a light touch of metal and fire to fuse it in place.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Screamer¡¯s Surprise]


    [Rank:] E


    [Description:] An artefact made from a screamer¡¯s voice box to warn the user of a break-in.


    [Effect:] When the pin is removed, releases a sonic attack to stun intruders and alert the user.


    _____


    I pity the bastard that sets this thing off without protection.


    Taking a thin wire from her belt, Emily ties it between the pin and a scrap piece of metal before she slips out of the door. She closes it until only a gap narrow enough for her arms is left, and places the metal scrap against the inside face of the door, fusing it in place as well.


    Satisfied with her makeshift defences, Emily makes her way to the bridge. She hears a loud screeching whistle outside and feels the ship shifting beneath her as she leisurely strolls through the narrow corridors, taking a long route to waste some time as the crew prepares to depart. She walks past a few storage rooms, peeking in to see stacked crates and barrels held down by fabric straps, and she even pokes her head into a crawlspace on the way past, hearing shuffling within and spotting a pair of legs crammed between two pipes deep inside.


    By the time she steps into the bridge, Calypso is already sliding forwards and up, leaving the dock¡¯s mountings with graceful ease.


    ¡°Hey, kid. It¡¯s good to see you again,¡± Angela says, spinning in her chair to face Emily.


    ¡°Hey, Angela,¡± Emily responds with a subdued smile. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    ¡°Sure has,¡± Angela responds, raising a curious brow as she looks Emily up and down. ¡°You expecting a fight? That looks like some quality gear.¡±


    ¡°Nah, not unless you really annoy me. And thanks. I made it all myself.¡±


    Angela whistles in an impressed tone before spinning back to check on the ship¡¯s surroundings through the periscope.


    ¡°So cool!¡± Podrick squeaks, drawing Emily¡¯s attention to him, standing beside Anton¡¯s chair.


    ¡°Clockmaker turned weapon smith, ey?¡± Anton remarks with a grin, not looking away from his control panel. ¡°Is that why they sent you to the capital?¡±


    ¡°Something similar,¡± Emily says dismissively, approaching the wide glass window spanning the front of the room.


    She gives Tony a polite nod as she passes him, receiving a light smile in response. She stands in the window, admiring the view of the stretching plains from above for a few minutes before turning back again.


    ¡°Wanna see the city one last time?¡± Angela asks, spinning the periscope to face her.


    ¡°Yes please.¡±


    Emily leans into the viewing lens, finding it already set to a rear view. She takes in the sprawling city of metal and steam, her gaze drifting from the high wall and the pillars of smoke to the large Dome near the centre, a pang of sadness squeezing her chest.


    A tear rolls down her cheek as she pulls away, lifting the scarf around her neck to take a shaky breath, breathing in the painfully familiar floral scent before she turns to leave the bridge.


    Goodbye.

 Chapter 119 – The Call

    Chapter 119 ¨C The Call


    Emily decides not to return to her room immediately, instead taking a stroll around the ship to calm down. She wanders around, lost in thought and listening to the light hum of the engine, ever-present while the ship is in motion.


    She isn¡¯t surprised when she looks up after a while and realises she has made her way to the engine room unconsciously. Feeling that no one is close, Emily approaches the door and opens it before stepping into the warmth and noise of the ship¡¯s beating heart. She shuts the door behind herself, walking to the centre of the room and appreciating the suspended mass of metal pumping out steam.


    ¡°I wonder if I can scan the whole ship now,¡± she mutters to herself absentmindedly.


    Emily sits down in front of the giant engine, cross-legged with her eyes shut. She releases a slow stream of machina into the floor, first flooding the engine room before guiding her energy to spread throughout the rest of the ship. Her cortex processes the vast quantity of information flowing in as her reach spreads, creeping out to encompass the whole ship and showing her every nook and cranny of the giant machine.


    Emily¡¯s focus drifts around the ship, watching the fine workings of the complicated craft as her tension slowly dissipates, the process relaxing her immensely. After a few hours of watching the ship work and analysing everything from the pipes to the rotors, she opens her eyes and lets out a breath of satisfaction.


    ¡°It¡¯s incredible,¡± she says with admiration, looking at the system window floating before her.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Machina scan complete!


    Blueprint created: Calypso


    [Calypso]


    [Type:] Steam Airship


    [Tier:] 1


    [Rank:] E


    [Description:] A medium-sized cargo airship built for the Mandrago family¡¯s private transport needs. Designed for speed and stability while carrying a heavy load.


    _____


    ¡°And yet it¡¯s only E rank,¡± she says, standing up with a confident grin. ¡°I can definitely improve it.¡±


    With a new goal in mind, Emily stands up and leaves the engine room. She returns to her room, detaching the metal scrap that would activate the Screamer¡¯s Surprise through the door before opening it and stepping in, not bothering to reset her trap behind her.


    Settling down on her bed, she pulls up a new page in her system notebook and pulls in the blueprint of Calypso. However, as she starts to pull apart the propellers in order to tweak their design, she feels a light pulse of mana coming from her belt.


    What¡¯s that?


    Uncertainly, Emily reaches into the belt, feeling about for the source and quickly pulling it out. Her heart drops when she sees the communication crystals sat on her palm, the very same one she first saw on this ship on the way to Chroni.


    ¡°Why are they trying to contact me now?¡± she hisses. ¡°Did Anton tell them I was returning?¡±


    Taking a single, deep breath, Emily regains her mask of absolute calm and sends a stream of mana into the crystal.


    ¡°Hello, girl,¡± Diego¡¯s familiar voice flows from the crystal, igniting a spark of rage in Emily¡¯s chest that she quickly suppresses. ¡°Introduce yourself.¡±


    ¡°Emily Coldstone of house Mandrago,¡± she responds, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.


    Why is he getting me to introduce myself?


    ¡°Report on your progress in The Covenant. How far have you progressed?¡±


    Do they know I¡¯m third circle? Did someone tell them? Have they been watching me?


    Without hesitation, not even a quiver in her voice to betray her suspicion, Emily begins a falsified report.


    ¡°I¡¯ve completed the basic etiquette, geopolitics, and English courses. I¡¯ve also completed intermediate maths, and I¡¯m the top student taking intermediate magic combat and theory,¡± she says, pausing for a moment to see if he reacts to her falsehoods before continuing. ¡°I¡¯ve reached second circle, and I feel my progress growing with each day. I believe I¡¯ll make third circle before the deadline.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Diego responds, a pleased note in his tone. ¡°We have heard great things about you. We¡¯ve also heard you joined an expedition with house Salvia. Why did you not feel the need to ask us if you were allowed?¡±


    He didn¡¯t question me missing out all the extra courses I¡¯ve been taking, but they have heard about my first expedition. They must not be watching me closely at all.


    Relaxing a little, Emily quickly spins a reasonable excuse.


    ¡°I was never told to report to the family to ask for permission for anything. You told me to attain honour for the family and advance as much as possible. I thought entering The Glade to gather resources and experience there would help to that end.¡±


    She hears a tongue click, and a quietly muttered complaint that mixes together into an unintelligible buzz through the crystal. A small vindictive grin creeps onto her face, satisfaction bubbling in her chest at his irritation.


    ¡°Fair point,¡± Ash concedes with a nod. ¡°I¡¯ll never say no to free help. This belt here¡¯s sticking. I¡¯m not quite sure why though.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Emily hums with a thoughtful nod, stepping forward and inspecting the belt.


    The bearings in the upper rollers are worn down. I saw it with my scan earlier.


    She moves along the belt, pretending to look for issues at the bottom before grabbing a few sturdy pipes and pulling herself up to the hole a few metres off the ground where the belt enters the room.


    ¡°Here¡¯s your problem. The rollers up here aren¡¯t turning properly. The bearings are probably finished.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Ash asks, clambering up to join Emily with less grace and looking closely at where she¡¯s pointing. ¡°Damn, you¡¯re right. That was fast. Kid, come take a look at this.¡±


    Ash lets go of the wall, dropping to the floor with a thud, making way for Podrick to climb up. Emily does the same, landing without a sound and looking at Ash¡¯s scattered tools.


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming you don¡¯t have any spare bearings in there.¡±


    ¡°Not for these belts,¡± Ash says with a nod. ¡°We¡¯ll disable this one for now and have a look at the bearings still there to see if we can get away with just some oil. If not, I¡¯ll go grab some spares from storage. Wanna help?¡±


    ¡°Sure. I was looking for a distraction.¡±


    With a nod, Ash turns and moves to a panel on the wall, grabbing a wrench on the way past. While they¡¯re creating access to the valves to turn off the spinning belt, Podrick nimbly drops down from above and looks at Emily with curiosity.


    ¡°Are you a mechanic?¡± he asks, looking down at her armour. ¡°I thought you were a soldier or something.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m certainly not a normal mechanic, but yes,¡± Emily says with a grin. ¡°I made all of my gear.¡±


    ¡°Woah,¡± he exclaims, his gaze drifting to the pistol on display on her leg. ¡°What¡¯s that? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen anything like it before.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a gun,¡± Emily explains, proudly pulling the sleek black and grey pistol from its holster and pulling out the magazine to show the bullets within. ¡°I call it the Spitter. It uses a magazine system to hold bullets instead of a cylinder like most other pistols. They allow for much higher capacities in a small form, and they¡¯re very quick to reload.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so cool! What¡¯s that crystal for?¡±


    ¡°Decoration,¡± Emily lies, not feeling the need to explain the truths of magic to the boy.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Podrick responds with a bit of disappointment, quickly moving on to something else. ¡°What are those arm guards? Do they do something?¡±


    Emily drops the Spitter back into its holster and pats him on the shoulder as the belt beside them grinds to a halt and Ash starts walking back over to them.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll show you later.¡±


    ***


    After fixing the faulty belt, and replacing the old bearings that had worn too much to be salvageable, Emily heads to lunch with Ash and Podrick. They enter the mess hall, a small room with a few tables to seat ten or so people, and see Anton and Angela already sitting with Eva, the daytime cook, a short, plump woman with wiry, brown hair.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Anton says, waving them over to join them at the table with a large steaming pot in the middle. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect to see you guys together. You planning to be more social on this trip, Emily?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Emily responds with a shrug, sitting down and grabbing a bowl to serve some stew into. ¡°I went by the engine room and found these two doing some repairs, so I decided to help.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s good,¡± Ash cuts in, noticing the surprised look on Anton¡¯s face. ¡°She spotted the issue with one of the coal belts within seconds. She¡¯d be a big help if she joined me for the rest of my repairs: she has better eyes than me.¡±


    Anton nods, looking at Emily with a mixture of respect and a teasing grin.


    ¡°Have the Mandrago¡¯s been teaching you to be a mechanic in Chroni?¡± Anton asks sceptically. ¡°Last time you were onboard, you were excited to just look at the engine. You definitely weren¡¯t up to repairing it.¡±


    Emily looks back at him with a playful glint in her eye, pressing down the simmering rage threatening to rise at the mention of that name.


    ¡°Well, I am now, but if you¡¯d rather not have an amateur working on your ship, I understand,¡± she says, reaching over to pat Ash¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll just sit back and leave the work to the professionals. Sorry, Ash. I wish I could help.¡±


    Anton chuckles, as Ash looks towards him, unamused. He holds up his hands in mock defeat.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry. Please do us the honour of helping to fix our puny ship,¡± he says, bowing his head in an exaggerated manner.


    ¡°Ha,¡± Emily laughs, joined by the others at the table, enjoying the show. ¡°Fine. Since you asked so nicely, I guess I¡¯ll have to.¡±


    They continue eating and joking around, but Emily slowly withdraws from the conversation, the playful banter reminding her of mealtimes with her friends in The Dome.


    Damn. I miss them already.

 Chapter 120 – The Calm

    Chapter 120 ¨C The Calm


    After lunch on the first day on the ship, Emily sticks with Ash and Podrick, ducking into crawlspaces and pulling off panels in the corridors to access the ship¡¯s internals. Ash is amazed by Emily¡¯s uncanny ability to find the ship¡¯s faults at a glance, and, by the end of the day, they give her free rein to make repairs alone, designating a section of the ship for her to work on.


    The next day, Podrick chooses to follow Emily around, mesmerised by her increasing working speed as she slowly slips into her own pace, only limiting herself enough not to give away her superhuman nature. He barrages her with questions about her weapons and creations between repairs, showing a passionate interest in machines.


    In the evening, as she meditates alone in the engine room after dinner, enjoying the hum of the ship¡¯s beating heart, Emily starts to consider the excitable lad.


    I wonder if he could become an awakened mechanic. I¡¯ve never really stopped to think about it, but if I awakened as one, surely someone else with as much passion for machines should have a chance.


    The air around her starts to buzz as she lets the machina in her body flow out, crackling along her skin.


    I couldn¡¯t find a single reference to a second type of awakening in The Dome¡¯s library, so I assume I¡¯m the first. How would a normal awakening for a mechanic work? I know mages can help each other awaken in a multitude of ways, but can I help another mechanic awaken? Do I want to? I have no reason to help Pod in particular, but it¡¯s nice to see another person as passionate about machines as me.


    The thought bounces around her mind as she cultivates and by the time she opens her eyes to stand up, she still hasn¡¯t come to a decision.


    ¡°I¡¯d quite like to try awakening someone else to see if it¡¯s possible, but I probably want it to be someone I¡¯m close to. I¡¯d rather keep information about my dual awakening hidden. So, I need to be sure they won¡¯t tell others,¡± Emily mutters as she stands up. ¡°I could always try to awaken him, just to see if it¡¯s possible, then reset time if it works. Then again, if the system counts it as a hidden quest to awaken someone else, I¡¯d be forced to leave him be or kill him, and I¡¯d rather not do the latter. He¡¯s a sweet kid.¡±


    Emily leaves the engine room, her debate about awakening Podrick fading into the background as she walks towards her room and the foreboding dread in her gut becomes her focus again.


    We¡¯re arriving early in the morning tomorrow. I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m ready to face Anna again.


    The image of Anna staring at Herber¡¯s corpse with tears streaming down her face rises to the front of her mind unbidden, a ball of anger and grief forming in her chest. She takes a deep breath to calm herself as she disables her trap and opens the door.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just have to be,¡± she whispers to herself as she shuts the door and drops into her bed. ¡°She deserves a proper explanation.¡±


    ***


    Early the next morning, Emily intercepts Anton on his way to the bridge and pulls him into a half-empty cargo room.


    ¡°What¡¯s up, Emily?¡± Anton asks with a raised brow.


    ¡°I wanted to offer you a deal,¡± Emily responds, leaning against a crate and gesturing for Anton to get comfortable. ¡°First, I want you to swear you won¡¯t say a word about what I¡¯m about to tell you to anyone.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t work for a noble family for as long as I have without learning to keep your mouth shut,¡± Anton responds with a grin, settling down against a barrel as his face drops into a more serious expression. ¡°I won¡¯t say anything. You have my word.¡±


    ¡°Good. Because what I want to talk about involves said noble family. To keep things short, the Mandrago family killed my father,¡± Emily says with a fierce glint in her eye, raising a hand as Anton¡¯s expression twists in outrage, gesturing to let her continue. ¡°So, I plan to kill their Patriarch and a few of the others involved in return.¡±


    ¡°You what?¡± Anton exclaims, his anger giving way to pure disbelief. ¡°I get that you¡¯re angry, but that¡¯s suicide!¡±


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not. You see, magic¡¯s real,¡± Emily responds, lifting her hand and conjuring a crackling bolt of lightning above her palm, ¡°and I¡¯m quite good at it. I¡¯m confident in my ability to complete my goal and escape the country safely.¡±


    Anton stares at the fizzling glow above her hand in silence for a few seconds before shaking his head and looking into Emily¡¯s eyes with a look of resignation.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s crazy, but I¡¯ll take you at your word for now. What does this have to do with making a deal with me? Do you want me to help you escape?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Emily nods calmly. ¡°I¡¯ll be a wanted criminal and you¡¯ll become one too for aiding me and stealing Calypso, but think about it. It¡¯s a chance to be free. Isn¡¯t that the best part of taking to the skies?¡±


    ¡°Where would we go?¡± Anton asks, a flicker of hope igniting in his gaze. ¡°We can¡¯t go to Morzea. I¡¯m not a traitor.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to. I may plan to kill important members of a noble family, but I don¡¯t plan to join my birth country¡¯s enemy. We¡¯ll go to Dennari.¡±


    ¡°Ha, the war-torn continent? Now that¡¯s a death sentence.¡±


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t actually. You may not know, but most of the fighting only happens on the frontlines, and New Denntimo is relatively stable within its borders. It¡¯s not perfect, but that¡¯s where we¡¯d go if you agree. I¡¯ll defend the ship until we get there, and I¡¯ll outfit it with defences and weapons as well in payment. Then, in a few years when I¡¯m strong enough to return to this continent without fear of the consequences, I¡¯ll help you get a pardon so you can return with pride and full ownership of Calypso, even if I need to talk to the royal family myself.¡±


    ¡°And why will they listen to you? Just how strong can you get in a few years?¡± Anton asks, disbelief still written in his expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m a prodigy in magic and machines,¡± Emily says with confidence. ¡°I know you don¡¯t understand magic - hell, you¡¯re probably struggling to believe it¡¯s real - but in the last year and a half, I¡¯ve grown enough that I could destroy the entire family on my own if I chose to. Give me a few more years and I¡¯m confident the royal family themselves won¡¯t want to make an enemy of me. You don¡¯t have to make a decision now. I plan on making sure my sister is safe then gathering some information on my targets before I strike. So just consider it. Anyway, we should head to the bridge, we¡¯ll be landing soon.¡±


    Anton hesitates for a few moments, judging her with a scrutinising stare before nodding with a small sigh and leading the way out. They quickly arrive at the bridge and Anton settles down to check his command console silently as Emily¡¯s gaze is drawn to the large window and the rolling desert before them. The city, wrapped in a metal wall with a sea of sandy-brown surrounding it on all sides brings an odd sense of familiarity and comfort to her.


    ¡°Ha,¡± she chuckles. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I missed it.¡±


    Anton glances back at her as he hears her muttering.


    ¡°You¡¯re excited to be back?¡± he asks with a confused quirk to his brow as she leans against the side of his chair.


    ¡°Mixed feelings,¡± Emily admits, her eyes trailing across the city, from the clustered scrap heaps outside the walls to the sparse noble¡¯s district. ¡°It looks so small now.¡±


    ¡°Ha, that¡¯s what travelling does,¡± Angela says, her face pressed to the periscope as she adjusts the dials on her control panel. ¡°Your hometown never quite looks the same when you have something to compare it to.¡±


    Tony and Anton both nod at her words, and Emily turns her gaze towards the sky as they begin their descent towards the docks. She sees thick, dark clouds looming above, a rare oddity for the desert-locked city.


    ¡°Was there no rain here last year?¡± Emily asks as she stares at the clouds with a frown.


    ¡°Not as far as I¡¯m aware,¡± Anton says, his eyes remaining on his controls. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d normally get rain every three years,¡± Emily explains. ¡°And last year marked three years since the last time.¡±


    ¡°Is that a problem?¡± Tony asks, noticing Emily¡¯s frown.


    ¡°No, not really,¡± she says with a shrug. ¡°It¡¯s just a dumb local superstition. The last time the rain skipped a year, there was a large beast wave when it finally came. Since then, people say the rain coming late is a bad omen.¡±


    ¡°Well, it looks like it¡¯s going to rain soon,¡± Angela says. ¡°And I can¡¯t see any beasts. So, I think you¡¯re fine.¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± Emily agrees. ¡°As I said - just a dumb superstition.¡±


    It hurt so much. I wasn¡¯t sure I could stop the bleeding. I¡¯m not sure I could have if it wasn¡¯t for the nice couple next door hearing my scream and coming to help. Was that really from Emily? I don¡¯t want to believe it, but why did she go with them?


    Emily¡¯s tears flow again as the air around her crackles, anger and sadness mixing as she turns the page to the next entry.


    I went to ask her today.


    I walked all the way into the noble¡¯s district, despite what Dad always said. How can he stop me now? He¡¯s gone.


    He¡¯s dea


    I asked at the gate to speak to her. But they said she refused to see me. Why?


    Why is she working with them?


    Did she want this?


    I need answers.


    ¡°Wait, does she not know I left the city? Did she not get my letter?¡± Emily mutters, her mind shifting to the chubby merchant as a low growl leaves her throat. ¡°Gregory!¡±


    With a decision made to confront him later, she continues reading.


    I went to ask for her again today.


    It¡¯s been a month now.


    She hasn¡¯t agreed to meet me once.


    Did she even love us?


    I think I¡¯ll have to force her to.


    Dread starts to fill Emily¡¯s chest as she frantically flips through the diary¡¯s pages, skipping between the important entries.


    I applied to join the guards today.


    I needed an excuse to get into the Mandrago estate.


    They laughed and told me I was too weak. They said to come back when I¡¯d built some strength.


    Two guards came to find me today.


    They said their names were Todd and Howard. They said they knew Emily and wanted to help me because of that. They think I want to join because I need the money now that Dad¡¯s gone.


    Like I want help from her friends.


    They gave me some weights and said one of them would visit every day to help me train until I was strong enough to join the guard¡¯s training.


    I let a merchant move in today.


    I ran out of money to keep buying food, and I wanted to focus on training. Apparently, I would need to train for years until I¡¯m considered elite enough to join the Mandrago¡¯s estate guards, so I think I¡¯ll have to break in.


    It¡¯s a year since Dad died today.


    I went to the Mandrago estate again to ask for Emily. She still refuses to see me, but I met the man who ordered Dad¡¯s death.


    He taunted me about it.


    I never understood Emily getting into fights, but I think I do now. I would have shot him if I¡¯d brought my gun.


    Why does he get to live?


    Why does she?


    Today¡¯s the day.


    I¡¯ve been watching the estate for a while now.


    I¡¯m confident I have the guard¡¯s schedules memorised.


    There¡¯s a gap between their watches.


    I can sneak in.


    I¡¯m scared.


    I¡¯m going to see Emily.


    I wish she never left.


    I¡¯m going to get answers.


    I¡¯m going to kill the ones that took my father from me.


    Even if that includes her.

 Chapter 121 – The Storm

    Chapter 121 ¨C The Storm


    Emily explodes into motion as her eyes fall on the last, tear-soaked diary entry, the reason for her sense of dread suddenly painfully obvious.


    They caught her. That¡¯s why they called me.


    She bursts out of the room, rushing through the building and onto the street before making a break for the Mandrago estate. She races through the city at inhuman speed. Discarding The Covenant¡¯s rule that dictates she shouldn¡¯t reveal magic publicly, she casts lightning step as she moves, blazing a path through the city and ignoring the confused and panicked shouts of pedestrians as she flies past them.


    Within a few minutes, she arrives at the noble¡¯s district and charges towards the Mandrago estate¡¯s gate. The moment it comes into view, she cancels her spell and digs her feet into the ground, deploying the spikes in her shoes and carving a channel into the neatly paved street as she grinds to a halt. Emily looks up at the gate and her breath catches in her throat.


    Above the delicately woven metal roots and the proud crest of the Mandrago family, impaled on spikes of metal, are several heads. On either side are a man and woman she doesn¡¯t recognise, and between them are Todd and Howard. In the centre, her expression frozen in an anguished scream of pain, is Anna.


    She¡¯s dead.


    Emily¡¯s hand instinctively reaches for The Clock¡¯s pouch as Herber¡¯s words echo in her head.


    ¡®What have you done?¡¯


    They called me over twenty-four hours ago.


    Her eyes run over the gnarled scar running from Anna¡¯s left cheek to her right eyebrow.


    ¡®What have you done?¡¯


    They called me here to rub it in.


    The air around her starts to ionise with a dull hum.


    ¡®What have you done?¡¯


    I can¡¯t save her.


    The guards by the gate approach her, calling out to deaf ears.


    ¡®What have you done?¡¯


    I can¡¯t apologise.


    The clouds above rumble with thunder.


    ¡®What have you done?¡¯


    She was terrified.


    Her eyes light up with an otherworldly blue glow, sending shivers down the spines of the approaching guards.


    ¡®What have you done?¡¯


    ¡°The Mandrago family just killed my sister,¡± Emily starts, the lightning in her eyes pulsing and rippling out along her skin for a moment, making Anton and both crew members watching through the barrier flinch. ¡°So, I¡¯m going to kill them all.¡±


    He starts in shock, opening his mouth to say something, but Emily keeps going before he can.


    ¡°I can do it, and nothing you say will change my mind. Your choice is simple, are you with me or not? Because once I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll be hunted. I quite like Calypso, and I¡¯d like to escape on her. When I come back to the docks, there won¡¯t be time to deliberate. If I can¡¯t find a ship that wants to take me, I¡¯ll have to take one by force.¡±


    Fear twists Anton¡¯s face as he slowly nods.


    ¡°Where will you go?¡±


    ¡°Dennari.¡±


    Having said her peace, Emily turns on her heel without waiting for a response, dispelling the barrier around them and walking away. She hears Anton let out an anxious sigh, and Angela and Tony start asking him about the silent conversation and strange supernatural phenomena before she pauses and looks over her shoulder.


    ¡°Oh, and I expect you won¡¯t say anything once we dock. I don¡¯t take kindly to people who betray me.¡±


    Anton gulps and nods, terror evident in his eyes as he watches Emily depart. She turns to return to her room, a plan to wipe out the Mandrago¡¯s quickly coming together in her mind.


    ***


    The next day, Emily leaves her backpack in her room and heads straight for the ship¡¯s hatch as it slides into the docks, already masking her mana by wrapping her circles in machina. She stands by the exit silently, and the other crew members waiting with her keep their distance due to the unnatural, blazing light of anger in her eyes. The moment the ship stops, Emily opens the hatch and leaves without a word. She flips up the hood of her cloak and makes her way through the passage to the main hall.


    As she walks, she reaches into her belt and pulls out a thin needle and a small vial of a clear, odourless liquid: delayed death, a simple potion made for usage against mortals that guarantees a painful death exactly six hours after a single drop enters the bloodstream unless the antidote is consumed. She takes off the cork and dips the needle inside before putting away the potion and holding the needle between two fingers as she enters the crowded hall and walks towards the exit.


    With a flick of her wrist, Emily throws the needle into Gregory¡¯s arm as she passes, sealing his fate for breaking their agreement without any care for what his excuse might be. She slips into an alley as the guards try to stop her again, escaping their sight before making her way towards the Mandrago estate.


    Before she steps onto the open streets of the noble district, she takes out the Whisper with a new leather strap attached and slings it over her shoulder. She downs a vial of the brew of imperception, vanishing and breaking into a sprint, approaching the estate quickly. She leaps over the hedge around the grounds without attracting attention and runs towards the large main building, passing several servants tending to the garden and gritting her teeth, each crest she sees making it harder and harder to hold in her anger.


    Emily cycles her machina as she approaches the large main building, using the cold energy to force her emotions into check as she walks through the open front doors flanked by guards. She follows the plush green carpet through the entrance hall, stepping onto the stairs leading up towards the imposing pressure of the Patriarch that she can already feel with her heightened senses.


    She arrives before the ornate door to the Patriarch¡¯s reception hall and stops, taking the Whisper from her shoulder and raising it to point at the door. Emily brings up the image of the hall, which is burned into her memory from her first visit, and angles her gun to point where the Patriarch¡¯s heart should be.


    She pours her machina into the weapon, sending arcs of rippling electricity across the gun as she uses Overdrive to the maximum. She flicks the firing selector into full and takes a deep breath before pulling the trigger. Her hand blurs to rack the bolt before dropping back to the handle again to pull the trigger. She fires over and over again until her magazine is empty, sending a stream of bullets enhanced by metal element engravings to improve their piercing power and impact force through the door.


    The bullets punch a hole in the door, blowing a large chunk out of the wood and revealing the room behind to Emily. Her mind enters full assistive processing mode as she watches the four people in the room reacting to the sound of the door breaking. The three people standing before the Patriarch flinch and start turning around, and the Patriarch glances up, barely having time to register the attack before the first bullet reaches him.


    The first bullet slams into an invisible barrier around his chair, sending visible cracks along its surface as if space itself is breaking, before the bullet crumples and falls. The second bullet shatters the barrier and falls to the floor to join the first as the third bullet reaches the Patriarch¡¯s chest. It slams into a swirling layer of wind mana that bursts from the Patriarch¡¯s body the moment he notices the attack, sending a ripple along it and pressing the man back into his chair, but the bullet crumples and drops to the floor without further effect.


    The fourth and fifth bullets do the same, flying off at random angles after hitting the barrier, but the sixth disperses the protective winds before it¡¯s deflected, causing the Patriarch¡¯s eyes to open wide in shock and panic. The seventh bullet bores a hole clean through his chest, and the eighth, ninth, and tenth widen it as he flinches at the forceful impacts.


    As the dust settles from the attack, blood gushes out of the Patriarch¡¯s chest and the presence that Emily has felt since entering the building diminishes. The three people before him, two men and one woman, all cry out in distress. The two men rush forward to help him as the woman turns to confront his attacker. Emily sends the Whisper into her belt and kicks the door open, releasing her emotions as her face morphs into a vengeful glare that makes the woman pause in her step, watching lightning flickering out of Emily¡¯s eyes and along her skin as she walks forwards.


    ¡°You!¡± the Patriarch spits in anger as he sees her, clasping a hand to his chest.


    Emily doesn¡¯t say anything as runes flow out of her, wrapping around her legs as she casts sky step to begin her slaughter.

 Chapter 122 – The Fall of a Family

    Chapter 122 ¨C The Fall of a Family


    Emily finishes casting sky step and springs forwards, closing the gap with the third circle woman in front of her, the strongest of the three other mages in the room, before she can finish her own casting. Emily¡¯s mind registers the golden crest pinned to the woman¡¯s chest as she thrusts a Claw through her throat, but she barely spares it a second glance before ripping the blade out again and letting the woman drop to the floor clutching at her neck.


    A blade of fire and a rippling orb of water fly at Emily as she continues towards the Patriarch. She sidesteps the former and spins, whipping out her lightning-wrapped leg to shatter the latter. The two gold-crested men each frantically start casting another spell, but Emily kicks off, discharging some of the power built in her legs and flashing forward, closing the distance in an instant to drive her knee into the fire mage¡¯s face. His skull cracks and his head snaps back as it¡¯s engulfed in lightning.


    Emily raises her hand and fires a blade into the chest of the other without looking at him, ripping through his heart as she slows down and approaches the Patriarch, slumped against his throne, in an intentionally calm manner. The snarling expression of rage on his face brings Emily a sick sense of satisfaction.


    ¡°Monster,¡± he hisses.


    ¡°Ha,¡± Emily scoffs. ¡°You killed my family and you ca-¡° she cuts off as she notices him twitch his fingers and her instincts scream a warning.


    Her mind falls into full assistive processing as she leans to the side, narrowly dodging an invisible blade that slashes past her cheek, carving a deep groove through the bone below her right eye. Her rage flares, lightning flickering out of her mouth and across her face as she lets out a guttural growl.


    Fuck you! You don¡¯t get to mark my face too!


    She activates half of the injectors of healing serum along her spine as her patience runs out, dashing forward and smashing her fist into his head, slamming it back into his wooden throne, shattering his nose and cracking the seat. Emily pulls her fist back before driving it home again repeatedly, pulverising the bones in his face and spattering blood, gore, and fragments of wood and bone across the floor as his head crumples along with the top of the backrest behind him.


    She pulls back after a few moments and drops her bloodied fist, looking at the slumped body hanging backwards over his chair while letting out a crackling breath, a tiny fraction of her rage quelled. A quick glance at her system¡¯s progression requirements confirms his death, so she turns to leave the hall as the flesh on her cheek knits itself back together. She hears a commotion outside as the guards rush to check on the sounds of combat within the building, and breaks into a sprint towards them, building up more charge in her legs and flying through the open doorway just as the guards arrive at the top of the stairs.


    Emily runs through them, slashing at their vitals with her Claws faster than they can react, sending sprays of blood flying as bodies drop behind her. Her secondary cores start casting detection spells, locating the few scattered people, most of them unawakened servants, moving within the building. She sprints through the corridors, kicking down doors and slicing apart everyone bearing a Mandrago crest while wreathed in wrathful lightning, leaving a trail of death in her wake.


    She feels nothing as she kills mages and servants alike, the lack of resistance only adding to her frustration and anger, leaving an unsatisfied, bitter taste in her mouth. Deep into the main building, Emily bursts into a room to find a familiar face, Elder Santiago, standing with his unsettling ivory cane pointed at her, wrapped in a milky-white magic circle as he mutters an incantation. She feels his spell trying to stab at her mind, but it bursts against her cortex without even making her flinch. She drives her foot into his chest, pinning him to the floor and slowly flooding his body with electricity that rips him to shreds as he screams in anguish.


    Emily grabs his cane after his howling finally stops and sends it into her storage before she moves back into the corridor to kill the last few survivors in the main building. As she clears out the mansion, she can feel a group of mages and guards gathering outside from the other two wings and the rest of the estate, preparing to intercept her as she leaves, so she slows down as she makes her last few kills, giving them time to gather and prepare.


    By the time the last body falls from her blades, only a couple of minutes have passed since she fired the first shot, and the gathered enemies have finished getting into their formation. Emily returns to the entrance hall, the charge in her legs buzzing violently, built up to the maximum, and runs through the air towards a window high above the door.


    She crosses her arms in front of her and leaps through the glass, shattering it and drawing all eyes of the gathered group to her. She notes their formation in groups of ten with a mage casting a defence spell in the centre of each, a few guards surrounding them with guns raised, and two or three mages preparing attack spells.


    Emily creates a platform of crackling lightning and freezes for a moment, casting rock body in preparation as her gaze scans the scene below. Ideas on how to break their formation or use it against them quickly form in her mind thanks to her flow skill, but she dismisses them after judging the battle too easily winnable, channelling her raging emotions instead and choosing to let them guide her in a dance of brutality over efficiency.


    Like that will work.


    Emily jumps towards the barrier at full charge, unleashing everything built up in one leg to gain a ridiculous burst of speed towards it before releasing the other leg in a mighty kick that shatters both layers of protection along with her boot. A spray of lightning, ice, and rocks flies out, smashing into the side of the servants¡¯ wing and bringing the wall down. Emily stops completely, standing still and looking down at the four mages lying on the floor before her, battered and bruised, with a vengeful glare twisting her features. She pulls the Spitter from her thigh and quickly finishes the five guards lying with them, not even sparing them a glance, as she slowly approaches the mages. She fires a shot into Miguel¡¯s head and heart as well, to prevent him healing himself, and shoots Jose three times in a line from his stomach to his chest, leaving him to succumb to his wounds.


    Diego tries to push himself off the floor with one arm, the other twisted at an awkward angle beside him, but Emily presses her foot into his chest, forcing him to lie back down. She cancels all her spells other than guardian, bringing the small mass of metal to float in the small of her back as she purposefully ignores Carlos trying to stand up behind her.


    ¡°Hello again, Diego,¡± she snarls, watching anger and confusion mix on his face as he recognises her.


    ¡°You!¡± he snarls back. ¡°How are you attacking us? You¡¯re under our control!¡±


    ¡°Ha,¡± Emily scoffs, raising her still-whole boot to stomp on his healthy hand as he starts trying to twitch out gestures for a spell. ¡°You scum could never control me.¡±


    ¡°ARGH!¡± he cries in pain as she shatters every bone in his hand, releasing the spikes from the sole of her shoe and grinding his flesh into a bloody pulp.


    Carlos stumbles to his feet behind her and pulls the knife from the small of his back, slowly approaching her while treading carefully, trying not to make a sound. Diego groans pathetically as Emily eases off on his hand, looking past her and noticing his approaching comrade. A glint of hope appears in his eyes as he gasps for breath.


    ¡°Maybe not,¡± he sputters between breaths, trying to ignore the pain as a twisted grin distorts his face. ¡°But I could certainly kill your sister.¡±


    Carlos lunges forward to stab Emily, and a triumphant laugh leaves Diego¡¯s lips, but Emily calmly moves her guardian without looking back, having followed Carlos¡¯ every movement through her spatial awareness, and quickly shapes it into a spike that he drives through his own chest with his momentum. He freezes, his blade dropping from his hand as he looks down in disbelief at the spike through his heart.


    Emily crouches down, cold wrath burning in her brightly glowing eyes as she enjoys the look of horror dawning on Diego¡¯s face as the last of his hope is crushed before his eyes and he realises, no one is left to save him.


    ¡°So... it was you, was it?¡± Emily whispers with a spark of machina distorting her voice, her inhuman hiss ringing in Diego¡¯s ears like the call of the reaper as she presses the blade of her Claw to his face and slowly traces a deep line across it.


    She pulls the guardian from Carlos¡¯ chest with a light flex of her will and instantly wraps it around Diego¡¯s limbs to hold him still as he tries to squirm away from the pain.


    ¡°You should¡¯ve stayed quiet.¡±


    Carlos¡¯ corpse drops to the floor with a thud and the battlefield goes still, not a soul left to hear the harrowing screams of Diego begging for release.

 Chapter 123 – Explosive Departure

    Chapter 123 ¨C Explosive Departure


    Emily stands up from the unrecognisable bloodied remains of Diego¡¯s corpse, wiping her Claws off on her tattered cloak as her mind falls quiet, the irritating buzzing fading to a dull background noise.


    ¡°Fucking scum. He didn¡¯t even have the balls to try detonating his circles,¡± Emily mutters disdainfully, reaching down to take a spatial storage bracelet from his wrist.


    She recognises the runic structure from some of the storage items she bought in The Dome and quickly locates the runes responsible for holding a mage¡¯s mana signature to bind it to them. With a powerful pulse of her own mana, she effortlessly crushes the existing signature, wiping the item clean and allowing herself access.


    Just a few earth crystals, communication crystals, and some healing potions. Disappointing.


    She takes the useful items and pulls the spatial crystal from the bracelet with a small flex of mana, carefully severing the runes binding it to the storage enchantment, before looking around the scattered bodies surrounding her, scanning for the third circle mages while checking for enchanted items with her magical senses. Her senses draw her attention to all of the discarded crests, all of them bearing The Covenant¡¯s contribution tracking enchantment, and she notices that not all of the dead mages belonged to the Mandrago family.


    Did they call reinforcements from their nearby allies¡¯ estates?


    Emily stops before the shredded corpse of the earth mage and glances at their crest. They aren¡¯t from the Mandrago family. Emily shrugs as she grabs the drawstring pouch from their waist. Inside, she finds some more earth crystals, a few communication crystals, and a couple of spells written on parchments. She discards the communication crystals and sends the rest into her belt before tying the pouch at her hip.


    This one can be used by non-mages. I¡¯ll give it to Anton if he chooses to join me.


    Emily glances over at the first third circle mage she killed, shaking her head when she sees their scorched corpse without a single surviving item left. She spends a few minutes walking through the pools of blood and viscera, checking for anything valuable. She takes a few clockwork rifles to pass on to Anton¡¯s crew for self-defence but otherwise finds nothing of value.


    She turns away from the dead and walks slowly back to the main mansion. Emily runs a few scans as she does, detecting a few unawakened people moving about in the servants¡¯ wing that she chooses to ignore for now, her anger dulled to a quiet background hum now that her main targets are dead.


    If they run away now, I¡¯ll let them live. If not, they¡¯ll die when I get rid of this place.


    Emily reactivates the pain receptors in her legs as she walks through the entrance hall, frowning as she notices a few cracks in the bones of one of them.


    I need to work on a better self-reinforcement spell. I can¡¯t keep breaking my legs when I use sky step at full strength.


    She activates another injector on her spine, letting the healing potion soothe the leg as she walks up the stairs, the once-green carpet now stained red, and enters the Patriarch¡¯s great hall. She checks the dead direct line mages for storage items, finding all three to have small owner-locked spatial storages with some gold, crystals, potions, and even a few simple enchanted items within. After stripping the corpses and removing the space crystals from their storage items, Emily approaches the body of the Patriarch. She grits her teeth as she looks him over, wishing she could have made him suffer more as she slips the storage ring from his finger.


    Removing his signature takes her a few minutes and drains a substantial amount of her remaining mana, but she calmly converts machina to make up for it before binding the now ownerless item to herself to look through it, opening her eyes wide in surprise as she does.


    ¡°Rich bastard,¡± she mutters, finding nearly three hundred gold coins and a stockpile of greater crystals almost as large as her own. ¡°Why does he even need this many different elements? He only ever used wind spells as far as I saw.¡±


    Emily slides the ring onto her finger and turns her attention to the enchantment on the floor behind his throne. She walks around him and looks down, seeing a blank spot on the floor from which she can feel faint mana emanating.


    It looks like something¡¯s hidden back here. I probably wouldn¡¯t have noticed if I were a normal third circle mage.


    She crouches down and places her hand on the stone, closing her eyes and pushing her mana into it. Her senses extend down into the floor, and she quickly locates an empty space below that causes her brow to crease.


    Is there a room below this one?


    She quickly runs through her memories of running through the building clearing it out to build a mental map of it, and confirms her suspicions.


    There isn¡¯t. At least, not one you could access from downstairs.


    Emily tries casting a spell to soften the stone so she can move it out of the way, but she finds the unknown enchantment resisting her influence.


    ¡°Brute force it is,¡± she mutters, standing up and raising her only foot with a whole boot.


    She activates the enchantment on the boot to increase its weight before driving it down with all her strength. A large thud sounds as her foot slams into the stone, spreading a web of cracks from the point of impact. She lifts her foot and slams it down again. On the third blow, the stone below her shatters, and Emily leaps back as she watches a hole open up in the ground.


    She feels the unknown enchantment vanish, and a strong flood of mana rises up to replace it. Emily steps up to the edge, looking down into the hole and seeing a narrow, straight chute leading down into the earth.


    ¡°A hidden passage,¡± she says to herself calmly, resting her hand on The Clock¡¯s pouch as she steps out into thin air and drops into the dark tunnel.


    She falls and crystals embedded into the walls light up as she passes, letting her see the neat brickwork surrounding her as she descends towards the dense mana below. She drops past the ground level, sinking deep into a hidden basement, tens of metres below the surface. It doesn¡¯t take long for her to reach the bottom, where she reinforces her legs with rock body before slamming into the ground, absorbing the impact without difficulty and looking around the open chamber before her.


    Other than the low ceiling, which is only two times as tall as Emily, the room is the same size as the great hall above. Emily is standing at one edge, and filling the rest of the space is a massive magic circle.


    ¡°With the right spells? Probably. But that¡¯s not quite what I used.¡± Emily turns and continues up the steps, expecting him to follow. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll explain it to you later. Come on.¡±


    ¡°Damn it,¡± she hears him mutter under his breath, a mixture of frustration and resignation present in his tone as he turns to call over the nearby crewmembers. ¡°Ash! Pod! Get in!¡±


    Emily boards Calypso with Anton hot on her heels. He pauses at the entrance to wait for the other two as Emily keeps walking.


    ¡°Gather everyone still on board to the bridge,¡± she calls over her shoulder as she moves in that direction to calm the two frantically trying to take back control from her.


    She reaches the ship¡¯s control centre as the steps withdraw into the hull and the ship shudders, the track below starting to pull it back towards the outside world.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± she hears Angela cry as she steps in. ¡°I can¡¯t fucking stop it. My controls are locked!¡±


    ¡°Calm down,¡± Emily says, instantly drawing the attention of Angela and Tony. ¡°We¡¯re leaving now. I¡¯m in control.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean we¡¯re leaving now? And how are you in control? The fuck¡¯s your problem?¡± Angela growls angrily, standing up and stepping towards Emily.


    Emily¡¯s expression remains cold as she pushes Angela back into her seat with a light burst of wind.


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain properly in a minute, but if we don¡¯t leave now we won¡¯t be leaving at all. Anton has agreed to follow me, and from this moment the ship is for all intents and purposes his, so that¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you what to do.¡±


    Angela grits her teeth, confusion and anger overpowering the hint of fear Emily notices in her eyes.


    Even when she¡¯s scared she refuses to back down. I like her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you guys back control now, so please get us out of this port as fast as possible.¡±


    ¡°Tsk,¡± Angela clicks her tongue, turning around to face her controls. ¡°Fine. But you better not be lying about Anton agreeing.¡±


    Tony gives Emily a conflicted look but nods and turns to focus on the ship. Anton enters the room with Ash a few minutes later and takes his seat as the ship sits on the edge of the docks inflating its balloon.


    ¡°How long do we have?¡± he asks Emily without looking at her.


    ¡°Eight minutes,¡± she replies, pouring machina into the ship and directing it towards the engine, speeding up the take-off.


    ¡°How long till we get in the air?¡± Anton asks Angela as she looks through the periscope.


    ¡°Normally, I¡¯d say ten minutes,¡± she responds, displeasure still clear in her tone. ¡°But whatever she¡¯s doing is helping, so probably six.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Anton says with relief. ¡°We can make it.¡±


    He takes control, directing them through their final lift-off checks as they rush to get off the ground in time. Six frantic minutes tick by, and the ship detaches from the docks, floating forwards and up into the air quickly as Podrick walks in with Sam, the stout night shift cook.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Sam asks, wiping the crust from his eyes.


    All eyes in the room turn to look at Emily: most gazes confused and fearful, but Angela¡¯s is outright hostile. Anton goes to say something, but Emily raises her hand and he instantly stops.


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain in a moment, but first we should watch the fireworks,¡± she points towards the front window as she uses her machina to take control of the ship again, turning it in the air to face the city and fly in reverse.


    Everyone follows her gesture, looking out over the city with confusion as nothing happens.


    ¡°What are we looking for?¡± Podrick asks.


    ¡°Five,¡± Emily says in lieu of an answer, her own anticipation building. ¡°Four. Three. Two. One. Boom¡±


    A bright flash of light fills their vision as a pillar of flames connects the earth and the heavens, ripping a hole through the clouds overhead. The pillar starts in the centre of the Mandrago estate, growing wider and engulfing half the noble district in an instant as a thunderous shockwave hits the ship, sending a violent shudder through it and shaking everyone to their cores as the deafening boom rings in their ears.


    Everyone but Emily grabs onto something nearby to stay upright until the shaking subsides, watching in shock and horror as the explosion dies down, leaving a scorched crater where people once lived, over a quarter of the city missing. Emily calmly watches on, feeling the anger in her chest fading away as her revenge is completed, leaving only a hollow sense of emptiness in its wake.

 Chapter 124 – Part of the Ship

    Chapter 124 ¨C Part of the Ship


    ¡°Did you just blow up a noble family?¡± Angela asks in disbelief, turning to Emily with a blend of fear and respect, her previous hostility forgotten.


    ¡°I blew up their estate to be exact,¡± Emily says calmly, the glowing of her eyes gone and replaced by a cold glint. ¡°I¡¯d already killed all of them.¡±


    She turns the ship northbound as everyone stares at her with horrified expressions.


    ¡°Why?¡± Podrick asks nervously.


    ¡°They killed my family.¡±


    Everyone nods in understanding, the explanation doing nothing to assuage their fear.


    ¡°More importantly, how?¡± Ash asks. ¡°That explosion was insane.¡±


    ¡°Magic,¡± Emily says, receiving scoffs from several members of the crew, and dubious nods from Tony, Angela, and Anton.


    Seeing they don¡¯t believe her, Emily raises her hand and conjures a crackling lightning bolt in her palm.


    ¡°Magic is real. The nobles of this country all know it, and it¡¯s even common knowledge at our destination,¡± she explains, twisting the electricity into the form of a bird and sending it out to flap around the crew. ¡°I gained the Mandrago family¡¯s attention because of my talent as a mage. And to answer your question specifically, there was a hotspot of natural mana, the fuel for magic, below their estate. I basically lit that hotspot on fire, causing that explosion.¡±


    Seeing the ethereal bird flying around them, everyone¡¯s shock slowly turns to acceptance despite the ridiculous nature of her claims.


    ¡°It sounds crazy, but I guess it explains everything,¡± Angela says, remembering how Emily was able to take control of the ship. She rubs her brow and lets out a tired sigh as she turns her attention to Anton. ¡°Is what she said about you making a deal with her true?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he admits with a nod before turning to face Emily with a slightly confused expression. ¡°I agreed to help her flee the continent to Dennari. Though, there were no other terms specified to make it a deal.¡±


    ¡°For starters,¡± Emily says, pulling the spatial pouch off her belt and tossing it to him, ¡°that¡¯s a magical storage bag and there are some guns in there to help you arm yourselves. On top of that, I don¡¯t want to keep Calypso, so from now on she¡¯s yours, and I¡¯ll even give her some upgrades for you. I take it that¡¯s payment enough to make it a proper deal.¡±


    ¡°Plenty,¡± Anton responds with a satisfied grin, most of his fear evaporating in wonder as he gazes into the storage pouch and considers the lucrative payment.


    ¡°So, you made the decision without knowing the terms or talking to us?¡± Angela grumbles, glaring at Anton.


    ¡°Hey, it was better than the alternative,¡± he says, throwing his hands up and glancing nervously at Emily. ¡°Also, I didn¡¯t expect we¡¯d have to leave half the crew behind.¡±


    Emily shrugs, turning to leave the bridge.


    ¡°You knew I was going to cause a commotion, you should have kept them on the ship. I¡¯m going to rest now. I¡¯ll leave plotting a route to you guys,¡± she says before pausing in the doorway and glancing back at everyone gathered. ¡°No one needs to stay. I only made a deal with Anton. Everyone else is free to leave at the next stop if you don¡¯t want to join us, but I promise as long as you travel with me I¡¯ll do my best to keep you safe.¡±


    She makes eye contact with Anton one last time, and he shivers but nods, understanding it¡¯s on him to convince the others it¡¯s worthwhile if he wants them to stay. Emily walks out into the hallway, falling into her thoughts as she returns to her room.


    I could reset and tell him to keep everyone on board, but I refuse to relive today for someone else¡¯s convenience. It¡¯s his own fault he didn¡¯t force them to stay.


    The image of Anna¡¯s head on the gate flashes into the front of her mind again, and she frowns as the buzzing in her head grows momentarily stronger, but she quickly pushes the memory back down into the depths of her mind.


    It will probably take a few days to stop that.


    Her frown deepens as an uncomfortable feeling gnaws at the back of her mind, something about the calm way she suppressed the memory bothering her, but she quickly pushes that feeling away as well, not wanting to think about it now as a dull ache fills her mind, reminiscent of a headache, a foreign feeling to her since awakening. Instead, to distract herself, Emily raises her hand and conjures a bird of lightning again.


    ¡°That lightning storm was strange. I know Jenny said mages can cause small magical phenomena when their emotions are strong, but that was on the level of a full third circle spell without a magic circle,¡± she mutters, playing with the lightning bird as she walks. ¡°Something feels different, I have even more control over my manifestation than before now...¡±


    As Emily is trying to figure out what¡¯s different with her magic, she hears hurried footsteps behind her and feels Podrick approaching.


    ¡°Hey, Emily! Wait up!¡± he calls as he skids to a stop beside her.


    Emily looks over at the boy, confusion flickering across her brow.


    Isn¡¯t he scared of me?


    ¡°What?¡± she asks, pausing in her stride and violently crushing the crackling bird in her hand as she disperses the manifestation.


    ¡°Can you teach me magic?¡± he asks, looking up at her expectantly with excitement clear in his eyes, completely ignoring her hostile display.


    What¡¯s with this kid?


    Emily is about to ignore him and continue to her room, but the glowing excitement in his eyes makes her hesitate.


    ¡°Why would I teach you?¡± Emily asks with a cold tone. ¡°I have more important things to do with my time.¡±


    Podrick¡¯s shoulders slump and his face drops like a scolded dog.


    ¡°I could help you.¡±


    Emily scoffs and starts walking again, but then gestures for him to follow as something about his determination catches her interest.


    Why is escaping the country a quest, but killing the Mandragos wasn¡¯t? I would have thought destroying a family would have been a better challenge, more worthy of a quest. Also, C rank seems quite high for such a simple thing. Maybe it¡¯s higher because of the optional requirement.


    She bites her thumb, as her eyes fall on the rewards.


    I wonder what that spell will do. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen one as a quest reward. Is that a knowledge related to maths? Is it related to the system? I¡¯m guessing the follow-up quest is only for if I complete the optional requirement. A path of the righteous sounds like something you¡¯d walk if you spare those attacking you. I guess I can try not to kill anyone else for an extra quest. I should focus the ship¡¯s modifications on defence.


    Closing the system window, Emily returns to her bed and pulls up her blueprints and gets back to work.


    ***


    That evening, Emily is torn away from her designs by a presence outside the door. She rises from the bed in one smooth motion and walks to the exit, deactivating and collecting the barrier disc as she passes.


    She pulls the door open, surprising Pod with his hand raised to knock.


    ¡°Oh, hey. That was weird. Did magic tell you I was coming?¡± he asks as he lowers his arm.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need magic for that. My natural senses make it pretty easy to tell when someone is nearby, even when I¡¯m in a soundproof room,¡± Emily responds with a dismissive shrug. ¡°Anyway, why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I was just coming to let you know food is ready, since you didn¡¯t show up for lunch,¡± he replies, glancing away awkwardly.


    ¡°Impatient, are we?¡± Emily asks as she shuts the door behind her and walks past him. ¡°Come on then.¡±


    Podrick hurries to follow her as she makes her way to the mess hall. They arrive to find everyone else on the ship, other than Angela, already eating, and all eyes are drawn to Emily as she walks in.


    Emily nods in greeting, ignoring their mixed reactions as she grabs a bowl of curry from Sam and drops down next to Ash.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a few ideas I¡¯d like to go over with you for some modifications to the ship. Can you spare some time tomorrow morning?¡± she asks the mechanic, surprising them.


    ¡°You¡¯re starting already? Why not wait till we¡¯re out of the country?¡± they question.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure the royal family will send out orders asking for my head for what I¡¯ve done, and I¡¯m guessing they¡¯ll work out what ship I¡¯m on before we leave the continent,¡± Emily explains, noticing a wave of fear spreading through the room. ¡°So, I want to modify the ship quickly to help us escape easily. I mostly want to improve the engine and add some proper armouring for now. We can look at adding some weapons once we¡¯re sure we¡¯re safe.¡±


    ¡°That sounds great and all,¡± Ash says, taking the news in their stride, ¡°but how are we going to afford this? I don¡¯t know how you plan on improving the engine, but I doubt it will be free, and we¡¯ll need a lot of materials to armour even just the essentials.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay for it. I have a few hundred gold so I should easily be able to cover the cost.¡±


    ¡°A few hundred!¡± Anton exclaims in disbelief on the other side of the table. ¡°Can I borrow some from you to hire new crew at our next stop?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really want to lend people money. And why do you need more crew so soon? You¡¯re probably best waiting till we get to Dennari to find locals.¡±


    ¡°I know that, but we need people to man the ship at night. Currently, me and Angela are gonna have to pull an all-nighter just to get us to dock tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that,¡± Emily reassures him, waving off his concern. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you that you don¡¯t need the rest of the crew. I¡¯ll watch the ship at night. I don¡¯t technically need sleep and I can control the whole thing alone.¡±


    Anton stares at her with a mixture of doubt and disbelief.


    ¡°Are you sure? That will be a lot of work.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t even need to sit on the bridge. I¡¯ll show you how after eating.¡±


    Anton gives her a grateful nod, his doubt giving way to curiosity.


    ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll look forward to seeing it.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of changing the crew, is anyone planning on leaving us at the next stop?¡± Emily asks, glancing around curiously and not missing the way everyone seems to shiver as her gaze passes them.


    ¡°No one,¡± Anton says quickly, a bead of sweat running down his brow. ¡°Everyone agreed to stay after I talked to them.¡±


    Emily nods, calmly raising her spoon to her mouth.


    ¡°Glad to hear it. I have to admit, even with me here, it would have been annoying to have less crew. What did you offer to make them stay? I assume some of you are giving up your families for a few years by coming.¡±


    Tony, Podrick, and Sam all nod at her guess.


    ¡°Simple, I offered them the same thing you gave me,¡± Anton says with a proud grin. ¡°The ship.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Emily raises a brow. ¡°Did you offer to split ownership with everyone?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. I¡¯m going to write up a contract when I have time, tonight now I guess, that gives everyone partial ownership of the ship and any profit it generates as long as they stick with it until I¡¯m set up on Dennari. After that they¡¯re welcome to either stick with the ship for longer or leave to settle down or return to Modo, assuming we don¡¯t individually get marked as criminals.¡±


    ¡°Very smart,¡± Emily says with a nod. ¡°Also, from what I¡¯ve read and heard about New Denntimo, I doubt most of you will want to come back.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re planning on joining the rebels?¡± Sam asks, surprised and slightly horrified. ¡°Aren¡¯t they untrustworthy?¡±


    ¡°Ha,¡± Emily scoffs derisively. ¡°Don¡¯t believe the stories you hear in Modo about the situation on that continent. Most of it was spread by noble families with ties to Denros, the Old Denntimo nobility. From what I know, New Denntimo is a far nicer place to live than even Modo. And, as I said earlier, magic is public knowledge.¡±

 Chapter 125 – Part of the Crew

    Chapter 125 ¨C Part of the Crew


    ¡°Really? Even commoners know about it?¡± Anton questions.


    ¡°Yep,¡± Emily says with a nod. ¡°Do you want the long explanation, or the short?¡±


    Anton looks around, getting nods from all members of the crew who are listening to Emily quietly.


    ¡°We¡¯d like to know about where we¡¯re heading. The long.¡±


    ¡°Okay. So, Old Denntimo followed a similar system to the one Modo does currently, hiding magic from commoners and taking any they find with talent as vassals. And, similar to Modo, any vassal mage that reached third circle, the level of power I¡¯m currently at, was given a noble title. This worked fine for a while, but a lot of the commoners who rose to power were treated like slaves by their old noble family, and a large divide grew within the nobility as the number of these new houses grew. Eventually, the new houses started a revolt and drove the old royalty from their capital, claiming half of the continent for themselves and naming it New Denntimo.¡±


    Emily pauses to take a sip of water, looking around and seeing everyone hanging on her every word.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t appoint a new king,¡± she continues, ¡°and instead formed a system where all noble families are given a vote, weighted based on how many mages they have and favouring high level combat power. Because of this new system, and a lot of the nobles having once been commoners themselves, they started to spread knowledge of magic to the common folk, and use structured education to pick out commoners with talent to add to their numbers.¡±


    ¡°Does that help them grow their numbers that much?¡± Tony asks from the corner.


    ¡°Yes. Doing proper testing of everyone gives them a much higher number of awakened each year.¡±


    ¡°How haven¡¯t they won the war yet then?¡± Sam questions.


    ¡°Because of time,¡± Emily says, finishing off her bowl. ¡°They have a lot of first and second, and even a few third circle mages, but the country hasn¡¯t had enough time for fourth circle mages to arise. There¡¯s a reason I said the votes were favoured towards high level combat power. A single fourth circle mage can fight against half a dozen third with ease.¡±


    ¡°That sounds impressive, but how strong is a third circle mage? Can all of them do things like that large explosion this morning?¡± Ash asks with a shiver.


    ¡°Kind of but not really,¡± Emily says, shaking her head. ¡°That was using a large-scale array carved into the basement of their mansion over a very powerful source of mana. That sort of thing requires being very good with arrays, which are difficult for most mages, and a lot of resources. So while a third circle mage can set up an array like that, it takes ages to prepare, and it has to be done in specific places. As for how strong a third circle mage is? It varies wildly, but a standard third circle mage could probably fight an armed force with around fifty people if not more. If you¡¯re looking at a specialist though, it could go up by a lot.¡±


    Agnes would stomp over a hundred armed mortals with energy to spare.


    ¡°Woah,¡± Podrick exclaims. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that mean fourth circle mages can fight three hundred people?¡±


    ¡°Something like that,¡± Emily says with a shrug. ¡°I can¡¯t be sure, since I¡¯m not that strong yet myself, but it seems reasonable if not conservative for the one I fought.¡±


    ¡°You fought one? Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re third circle?¡±


    ¡°Yep, but I¡¯m not a standard third circle mage,¡± Emily responds with a small, prideful grin.


    They continue questioning Emily as they eat, the fear and tension gripping the hall slowly fading as they chat. Emily asks Anton about their next destination as the meal winds down, finding that they are docking the following evening. After they finish, Sam leaves to go crash in his bed, exhausted after having his usual sleep schedule interrupted; Tony leaves to let Angela know Emily¡¯s taking over; and Emily leads Ash, Podrick, and Anton towards the ship¡¯s hatch.


    ¡°Is this related to how you were controlling the ship before?¡± Anton asks as they walk through the ship¡¯s confined hallways.


    ¡°Kind of,¡± Emily responds without looking back. ¡°I¡¯ll be controlling the ship using the same trick I was using then, but this is something slightly different. It¡¯s more about seeing the ship¡¯s surroundings.¡±


    They stop before the hatch, and Emily reaches into her belt before opening it. Ash notices the strange way Emily¡¯s hand seems to vanish as they watch closely.


    ¡°What¡¯s with your belt?¡± they question.


    ¡°Space magic. It¡¯s like the bag I gave Anton: it¡¯s bigger on the inside,¡± Emily replies dismissively, ignoring them turning to question Anton and pulling out one of her bird scouts. ¡°Anyway, this little guy is my scout.¡±


    The bird spreads its wings, taking off and flying around the crew¡¯s heads nimbly before coming to a rest on Emily¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Using magic, I can see through his eyes whenever I want. I¡¯m going to send him out to sit on top of Calypso¡¯s balloon to look around for me,¡± she explains as she uses a small burst of machina to open the hatch beside her without dropping the connecting stairs.


    Her scout leaps off her shoulder, sailing out of the open doorway and spreading its wings under several admiring gazes. Noticing the looks of awe on the faces around her, Emily proudly manoeuvres the bird in a series of twisting flips, elegantly performing an aerial display for them before moving it into place to perch on top of the large balloon holding the ship up. She locks the small scout¡¯s talons onto the robust spine of the balloon and sets a single thread to monitor the surrounding desert through it, watching the clear night sky as two more threads micromanage the large vessel¡¯s flight.


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing,¡± Anton says as the bird vanishes from view. ¡°Magic aside, that bird is a work of art. It¡¯s so much more animated than our docking drones.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Emily replies, pulling out another bird to let them have a closer look. ¡°They were a long-term project I only finished recently. Speaking of though, I would quite like to see your drones. I don¡¯t remember seeing them when we toured the ship.¡±


    ¡°Cool! What do you need to do to awaken me then?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Emily says, running through the information she has on mages¡¯ assisted awakenings in her mind. ¡°For a mage, the process for awakening someone else is pretty simple. You just inject raw mana into someone and flood their entire body with it, focusing it around their heart. Then, the body will see it as a threat and react: either by fighting it, and likely dying or becoming disfigured in the process, or by adapting to absorb and store it.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you just did with machina?¡± Podrick questions.


    ¡°Yes, but I kept the concentration as low as possible and spread it out, to try not to let your body have a full reaction to it. We¡¯re going to try the same thing again, but I¡¯ll increase the concentration, and I think it will be more effective if I only send the energy along the pathways that will carry it in the future. Unlike mages, who have to form new mana circuits throughout their bodies to aid in the circulation of mana, mechanics use the neural pathways already in place in their bodies. Also, I¡¯ll focus it around your brain, that¡¯s what will become your energy store, not your heart like a mage.¡±


    ¡°Neural pathways?¡±


    ¡°The connections within your body used to transfer signals around. It¡¯s what lets your brain tell your fingers to move,¡± Emily explains. ¡°Now, prepare yourself, this is going to hurt.¡±


    Podrick nods, taking a deep breath and clasping the edge of the crate he¡¯s sitting on until his knuckles turn white.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± he says resolutely, screwing his eyes shut.


    ¡°Here goes nothing,¡± Emily responds, placing her hand on the top of his head.


    I¡¯ll start at the same concentration as last time and slowly increase it. I can always reset if this doesn¡¯t work and I need to keep a consistent concentration like with mage awakenings, but I won¡¯t gain any information if I instantly fry his brain, so better safe than wasting my time.


    She floods his body in an instant, guiding her machina through his brain and into his nervous system, keeping it contained within the pathways as she feels him shudder slightly. Slowly, she starts increasing the concentration of energy leaving her hand, watching as Podrick¡¯s entire body tenses before growing hotter and starting to shake. He grits his teeth and hisses, doing a good job of not screaming under the searing pain, and Emily keeps going until cold lightning is flickering out and across the surface of the boy¡¯s skin, making his hair stand on end.


    Suddenly, as if a switch is flipped, she feels a change occur and his body goes from trying to force the foreign energy out to drawing it in hungrily.


    It¡¯s working!


    ¡°AAAHHHH!¡± Podrick lets out a guttural scream as his body convulses and starts drawing in energy from the air around him.


    Emily lets go of his head and steps back, letting the awakening process continue on its own as she watches with rapt attention. Podrick curls in on himself, his fingers locking out straight and his arms and back flexing under tension. He convulses violently as he continues to scream with tears rolling down his face, mixing with the stream of blood running from his nose.


    Is he being damaged by the process? I don¡¯t think I was. I¡¯ll have to check his cortex afterwards to make sure there are no abnormalities.


    After a minute, the lightning flickering across the suffering boy¡¯s skin slowly dies down as Emily feels the energy drawn around him weakening. His screaming stops, and he goes limp in an instant, like a puppet with its strings cut, falling forward towards the floor.


    Emily glances at the system notification sitting before her eyes as she catches him before he can drop off the crate, lifting him up and lowering him to the floor gently.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Hidden-Quest completed: The Spread of Knowledge


    [The Spread of Knowledge]


    [Rank:] D


    [Description:] As the first true mechanic of your world, you¡¯ve taken it upon yourself to spread the vocation. Congratulations on becoming the mother of Ulean mechanics.


    Requirements:


    -Awaken 1/1 mechanic (Completed)


    Rewards:


    -Skill: Mother¡¯s Blessing


    _____


    Podrick opens his eyes weakly and looks up at Emily, seeing the small, barely noticeable, triumphant grin on her face.


    ¡°Congratulations,¡± she says, meeting his eyes, ¡°on becoming the second Ulean mechanic.¡±

 Chapter 126 – True Elementalist

    Chapter 126 ¨C True Elementalist


    Podrick flashes Emily a weak, giddy grin.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he rasps, his throat hoarse from screaming. ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve been hit by an airship.¡±


    ¡°Ha,¡± Emily scoffs, pulling out a healing potion and sitting down beside him. ¡°This potion will help with that. But first, I want to do a quick scan to check what¡¯s damaged.¡±


    Podrick tries to nod, wincing as he moves his neck.


    ¡°Just stay still and don¡¯t resist,¡± Emily says, pushing his head back down before placing her palm on his chest.


    The moment she pushes a small stream of machina into him, Emily feels a fierce resistance. The energy resting within his new cortex lashes out in reaction, trying to force out her influence. Emily leaves it for a moment, gauging the strength of the machina.


    I could force through his resistance if I didn¡¯t mind hurting him. Good to know.


    ¡°Stop resisting,¡± she repeats.


    ¡°How?¡± Podrick asks with slight panic.


    ¡°Take a deep breath,¡± Emily instructs. ¡°Feel the energy leaving your cortex, the new organ replacing your brain, and try to tell it not to move.¡±


    Podrick closes his eyes and does as she says, trying to feel out the energy within him. Emily maintains a light stream into him as he does, keeping his body in a state of distress, forcing him to calm it himself.


    It takes a few minutes of focus, but he eventually manages to draw the hostile machina back into his cortex and hold it there.


    ¡°This is so weird,¡± Podrick mutters as Emily slowly scans his body. ¡°I couldn¡¯t really tell what you were doing before, but now it feels like you¡¯re staring straight into me.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Emily hums with a nod. ¡°You¡¯re far more sensitive to my energy manipulation after awakening. It¡¯s not surprising you have some idea of what I¡¯m doing now.¡±


    ¡°I see. How are you doing that by the way?¡±


    ¡°Doing what?¡±


    ¡°Moving your machina so delicately. I¡¯m still struggling just to stop it reacting on its own.¡±


    ¡°Oh, talent I guess,¡± Emily says with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯ve never had trouble moving mana or machina to my will, but that was odd among mages. Most of them had to train their mana manipulation, so I guess it will be the same for you. It¡¯s just like having another limb: I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to adjust to using it just fine after a while.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± he responds, his brow creasing when Emily moves her machina towards his head.


    She instantly feels the barely-contained machina in the boy¡¯s cortex reaching out to interfere.


    I can¡¯t scan his cortex? That¡¯s a shame. The rest of him hasn¡¯t changed very much, just a little all-round strengthening and a bit of stress damage from the seizing and screaming. I¡¯m guessing most of the change from the awakening was in his cortex, and the blood was just indicative of that. I wonder why I didn¡¯t bleed though. Did the mage part of my awakening help heal me?


    ¡°Okay,¡± she says, retracting her energy and lifting the vial of red liquid to Podrick¡¯s lips. ¡°I¡¯m done. Drink this.¡±


    He greedily gulps down the cool, soothing liquid, letting out a satisfied sigh as he empties the vial. He goes still afterwards, shutting his eyes and slowing his breathing. After a few moments, he opens them again and sits up.


    ¡°Thanks, that feels so much better,¡± he says, rolling his shoulders and clicking his neck side to side.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Emily says, standing up and walking towards the door. ¡°That¡¯s all for now. Go get some rest, or play about with your new body, whatever. I¡¯m going back to my room.¡±


    She pauses as she opens the door, glancing back over her shoulder.


    ¡°Just remember. Don¡¯t tell anyone about this.¡±


    Podrick nods quickly, a shiver running down his spine as he meets Emily¡¯s stormy warning glare. Satisfied, she turns on her heels and vanishes into the corridor, sending half of her cores to sleep for the night now that her main experiment is finished.


    ***


    Back in her room, Emily collapses on her back in her bed, staring up at the ceiling and opening her system to check out her new skill.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how I feel about this name,¡± she mumbles.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Mother¡¯s Blessing (active)]


    [Cost:] 50% total mana, machina, and stamina


    A unique ability to help raise a strong following.


    -Grants a blessing to a target that temporarily boosts their cultivation speed and processing ability.


    -Can only be used on targets of a lower level.


    -Can only be used on a target considered the User¡¯s child.


    _____


    Increasing someone else¡¯s cultivation speed? That sounds incredible, but only being usable on my children is weird. Presumably, since it gave me the skill for awakening Pod, he¡¯d be included. But I certainly don¡¯t consider him my child. Does it just mean people I¡¯ve awakened?


    Frowning, Emily starts pulling out small mechanical components, idly weaving together another clockwork bird as she thinks.


    It does say the skill is for raising a strong following, not family, so surely I don¡¯t actually have to be related to the targets. The quest was called The Spread of Knowledge, so maybe it would count someone as my child if I taught them. Honestly, I consider my machines my children more than I would any people.


    Emily¡¯s hands pause in their work as an idea strikes her. She sits up and pulls one of her spider scouts from her storage, setting it down in her lap. Placing a hand on top of it, she tries to activate the skill. She feels a pull on the concept of the skill, more abstract in nature than the rest, but nothing happens and she doesn¡¯t feel a proper reaction.


    ¡°The fun of the moment is gone now, let¡¯s just break this down quickly. Why is this apparently so important?¡±


    Mages can be split into three major categories, Elementalists, Arcanists, and Supplicants. Lebard mages probably follow the path of True Supplicants. All accounts said they claimed that they pray to their deities and are given magic in return. Their deities are probably just some fourth circle extra-dimensional beings. It would even explain the scarcity of fourth circle mages among their ranks: a Patron can¡¯t create many Supplicants at the same level as themselves. Then, the rest of Ulean mages follow a sub-branch of the other two vocations without even realising it.


    Emily lets out a derisive chuckle as she understands why the quest called it their folly.


    They¡¯re losing the best parts of both vocations just to make up for their lack of knowledge and talent. Elementalists focus on creating a strong connection with their highest affinity element, rarely a second or third even if they have multiple high affinities. They cast spells without magic circles, using elemental manifestation alone, focusing on power and flexibility, and they even go as far as permanently attributing their mana circles to further that.


    ¡°Maybe that needs to be done before reaching fifth circle?¡± she mumbles.


    Arcanists on the other hand, focus on understanding runes and cultivating raw mana for utility and adaptability. Ulean mages though, are a shitty excuse for elemental-arcanists. They focus too much on each developing a single element to have the adaptability of Arcanists. Their lack of a true elemental connection weakens their power, and their reliance on magic circles reduces their flexibility in combat.


    She raises a hand to bite her thumb as the last line of the quest¡¯s description bugs her.


    What I become now is my choice. Is it telling me to pick a vocation?


    Her lips crawl up into a grin as another option occurs to her.


    ¡°Or is it telling me to fix their faults and become a proper elemental-arcanist?¡±


    She opens up her new talent to have a look on instinct, and her grin only grows.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [One With The Elements]


    User is at one with magic itself.


    -Grants an increase of 1% affinity in all elements and concepts.


    -Increased aptitude for connecting with elements.


    _____


    ¡°Why would I ever attribute my circles with a single element after earning this talent? I guess I¡¯ll need to find ways to connect with more elements in the future,¡± Emily mutters, settling into a meditative position again. ¡°None of them will come as easily as lightning, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    ***


    After meditating through the rest of the night while steering the ship onwards, Emily leaves her room to join the rest of the crew for breakfast, massaging her brow and feeling surprisingly drained.


    Weird, why am I so tired? I was just meditating.


    Glancing at her status, she immediately spots an issue.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Status]


    [Name:] Emily Coldstone


    [Race:] Human


    [Age:] 17


    [Magic Circle:] Third Circle


    [Machina Cortex:] Third Stage


    [Attributes:] Strength 20 (26), Dexterity 65 (68), Agility 52 (57), Vitality 17 (22), Intelligence 129


    [Health:] 267/270


    [Stamina:] 135/530


    [Mana:] 1490/17415


    [Machina:] 1525/17415


    _____


    Woah, my stamina has dropped so much, and my mana and machina regeneration has also slowed by the looks of it. Why? It can¡¯t have been the fight yesterday, was it awakening Pod? I didn¡¯t feel much different at the time though. Also, I¡¯m injured. Maybe it¡¯s this Goddess forsaken buzzing and whatever my machina is doing to my cortex at the moment.


    Emily drops into a seat between Ash and Podrick, gratefully accepting a serving of porridge that¡¯s offered to her. She languidly scoops some into her mouth and looks up at Anton sitting across from her.


    ¡°Was everything okay last night?¡± he asks.


    ¡°Yeah, we maintained the same speed as usual and didn¡¯t stray from our path,¡± Emily reassures him between mouthfuls. ¡°What time do you think we¡¯ll be arriving at Ashdon?¡±


    ¡°If we keep the same speed as yesterday then we should have about six hours till we get there.¡±


    Emily notices him shifting uncomfortably as he answers but chooses not to bring it up.


    Seems like he¡¯s expecting trouble.


    She nods and finishes her food in silence, the buzzing in her head drowning out the chatter around her. After eating she heads back to her room, waving Podrick off when he tries to talk to her, and collapses in bed.


    I feel like it¡¯s a bad idea to use healing magic to interfere with whatever my machina is doing, so hopefully it will be done when I wake up.

 Chapter 127 – Severance

    Chapter 127 ¨C Severance


    Emily wakes up several hours later. A quick glance through the bird scout still latched to the balloon above tells her that they¡¯re approaching another desert city, Ashdon, and almost at its walls already.


    The walled city is about half the size of Eimdon: the sandy buildings follow a similar design style and layout, with the noble and trading districts being noticeable at a glance from above. However, outside the city walls is a sprawling cluster of tents and ramshackle houses spanning a far larger area than her home city.


    Emily slides out of bed feeling refreshed. A quick glance at her status shows her resources filled to the maximum, including her health.


    ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± she mutters, her mind finally quiet now that the buzzing activity within has gone.


    What was my machina doing that whole time?


    With the irritation gone, she lets her curiosity get the better of her despite an instinct telling her to ignore it. She focuses inwards on her cortex, searching for the areas affected by the recent phenomena. She quickly locates them, and the well-ordered structure along with her intimate understanding of the magical organ tells her immediately what those areas could affect.


    My memories and emotions. Why are they being messed with, and why was it such a long process?


    Poking a little closer, memories start flickering through her mind rapidly: standing in Herber¡¯s shop, watching her father being dispatched by the now-dead Carlos; ripping the offending mage¡¯s master to pieces as he begs for death; cowering under a pile of rags as her birth parents are torn limb from limb; discovering Juliana¡¯s mangled corpse.


    Emily quickly opens her eyes, tearing her focus away as she recognises the danger of looking through those memories again.


    However, the moment her eyes snap open, she discovers an odd discrepancy.


    I don¡¯t feel anything.


    As opposed to the expected reignition of her deeply buried emotions, she feels a disquieting sense of calm. Cautiously, she focuses on the affected memories again, picking out a single one to relive completely. She watches with cold apathy as she storms the Mandrago mansion, calmly judging her own actions within the final melee as she rips the gathered mages to shreds, not feeling an ounce of the rage she was consumed by in the moment.


    ¡°Huh,¡± she mumbles, opening her eyes. ¡°It seems like I¡¯ve completely separated my memories from the emotions associated with them. This could be useful.¡±


    Her lips curl in a satisfied grin that sends an odd pang of guilt through her core as she quickly realises why she felt conflicted as the change was happening: she feels nothing about her recent sister¡¯s death. The thought twists her gut in self-loathing and disgust, but those emotions fade abnormally quickly as she returns to a state of calm.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s not just affecting my memories,¡± she mutters in realisation, a frown twisting her expression.


    This could be a problem. Just how much has it altered my emotions? Is it just forcing me to regulate out negative ones, or will it balance positive ones too?


    To test, Emily splits her focus and raises her hand, her eyes igniting with a cerulean glow as lightning flows out of her. She guides crackling plasma in a delicate dance, a smile creeping onto her lips as she enjoys playing with her power.


    Another core tracks her emotional state as she focuses her primary consciousness on the energy manipulation, and she continues for a few moments before dropping the manifestation and letting her smile quickly fall back into her signature scowl. After completely resetting to neutral, she starts again, this time twisting the energy into a shimmering serpentine creature swimming through the air, her smile reappears and grows wider as she starts forming crackling scales along the illusory creature before bursting it in a fizzling display of light while releasing the manifestation again.


    It¡¯s definitely affecting all my emotions. My normal level of enjoyment seems to be muted slightly, though less than it has been since leaving Chroni.


    When I made the snake, my happiness peaked and seemed to reduce more slowly afterwards than it did with the first test. Does that mean I can slow the balancing with a strong burst either way?


    ¡°That seems fair for regulating my negative emotions. As much as my anger helped me work out how to properly utilise elemental manifestation, I still could have dealt with that fight with the Mandragos better if I¡¯d been calm,¡± she mutters. ¡°Is this a normal change for mechanics?¡±


    Without any way to answer her question, for now, she looks within her cortex again.


    I definitely didn¡¯t remove the emotions related to those memories though. Where are they?


    Poking around a little, she quickly finds the answer as she reaches a dense bundle of microstructures that seems to resist her attention. With a little extra push, willing her cortex to give her access, she breaks through the weak resistance, more a suggestion than an actual boundary to her, and instantly regrets it.


    ¡°It does,¡± Ash replies with an exasperated sigh. ¡°These things are kind of useless. They only go in a straight line and either up or down as they do. It¡¯s only helpful for getting messages to and from the docks without having to land, and even that we have to do by attaching that.¡±


    They gesture over their shoulder to an obvious winch system bolted to the floor and wall, powered by a pipe coming from the ship¡¯s engine. It has a large spool of thin, finger-width cable with a clip on the end that¡¯s attached to a mounting point on top of the drone, between the body and the balloon.


    Emily grimaces at the solution, her mind spinning to create methods to control a drone.


    I could do it with magic, but that defeats the purpose. Maybe I could do something with electricity? The universal transmitter works on long-distance communication, so maybe I can pick that apart and make a short-range version for sending instructions to machines. I¡¯ll need a specialised workshop to start working on that though, and I¡¯m still not quite sure how I¡¯m meant to control the transmitter itself, or even how to receive the data they send. The blueprints mention data connection points to link to other systems, but nothing about those systems. It¡¯s like I¡¯m still missing key information.


    ¡°Emily?¡± Anton says, snapping her out of her thoughts and drawing her gaze away from the disappointingly basic drone. ¡°Can we send it now?¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure,¡± she says with a dismissive wave, stepping back to let Ash get it running. ¡°I was just thinking about ways to improve it.¡±


    Anton nods and takes out a folded letter from the spatial pouch tied at his waist, crouching down to place it into the drone¡¯s storage compartment as Ash loads the engine with coal and fires it up. The balloon slowly inflates as they all watch, and Podrick turns to Emily with curiosity.


    ¡°How do you want to improve the drone?¡± he asks.


    ¡°Well, other than refining the visual design so it isn¡¯t so ugly, I was thinking about how to send commands to it remotely so we can control it,¡± she replies without a thought. ¡°I think I have some blueprints that may help me, but I don¡¯t have a concrete way to do it without using magic at the moment. I¡¯ll have to think about it.¡±


    Podrick nods and falls silent, a thoughtful look on his face.


    After the drone¡¯s balloon is filled, Ash flips a selector switch on the side, redirecting the steam flow from the balloon to the propellers, before turning a dial on the side to set off a timer connected to the stops holding said propellers still. Moving quickly, they move to a lever beside the hatch and flip it, opening a hole in the floor and letting the drone slowly float down through it as the attached spool unreels.


    Emily steps up to the edge, gazing down the long drop to the ground far below and watching as, a few seconds after clearing the ship, the drone¡¯s propellers start spinning. The miniature airship slowly chugs forward, lowering down slowly as it heads towards the city walls.


    ¡°Are you sure the city will be the ones to receive it?¡± Emily asks, noticing the ramshackle housing spreading out from the wall even in front of the docks.


    ¡°They should be,¡± Anton answers. ¡°The second they see a ship hovering nearby to request docking they send a guard out to receive the drone, and it¡¯s a criminal offence for anyone else to interfere. There have been a few cases where the guards have been lazy and people have tried to steal the drones, but it¡¯s quite rare.¡±


    Emily nods in understanding.


    ¡°How come you don¡¯t know this?¡± Podrick asks curiously. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it the same in Eimdon?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± She shakes her head in response. ¡°The scrap and slums are only on the south side of the city, and the docks are in the east. It¡¯s illegal to get within a certain distance of them outside the walls, and the city guards were constantly patrolling there. Now that I think about it, I¡¯m pretty sure the Mandragos were paranoid about their magical resources being stolen in transit.¡±


    ¡°Is that what the deliveries they sent with guards will have been?¡± Anton asks, a light of realisation flashing in his eyes.


    ¡°Probably. Now, how long will we be waiting for a reply?¡± Emily asks.


    ¡°They should send the drone back in twenty to thirty minutes. Then, we¡¯ll either be told which hangar to dock in now, or to wait nearby for a certain amount of time until one is free. I¡¯m hoping we won¡¯t have to wait: it looks unlikely, judging by the lack of other ships hanging around, but if we do, and it¡¯s more than a few hours, we can just keep moving. We¡¯re only about six hours from the next closest stop on our route.¡±


    ¡°Well, for now we wait.¡± Emily nods and turns to Ash, pulling a clockwork bird from thin air. ¡°Here, I made this for you last night.¡±


    She passes the bird and a small winding key to them, watching their eyes light up with interest as they take it.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± they say with a warm smile.


    ¡°No problem. I¡¯m always happy to share my babies with people who appreciate them,¡± Emily responds with a matching smile of her own.

 Chapter 128 – They Know

    Chapter 128 ¨C They Know


    Ash stares at Emily in stunned silence. Emily tilts her head in confusion as her expression slowly returns to normal.


    ¡°What?¡± she asks.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Ash says, quickly shaking their head to clear their shock. ¡°I was just surprised you smiled like that. You looked like you¡¯d cut off anyone¡¯s head if they tried to talk to you this morning.¡±


    ¡°Ha,¡± Emily scoffs. ¡°I probably would have. My head was killing me. Oh, speaking of, I asked you to put aside time for me then totally bailed, sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. We have time now, don¡¯t we? So, how are you planning on improving the ship?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    Emily pulls out some paper and starts drawing out some of her ideas, picking Ash¡¯s brain for their experience working on the ship to improve her plans. Podrick comes over to quietly listen to them chat, giving his own input when possible, and Anton leaves the trio alone, watching the hole in the floor for any signs of the drone returning.


    After only fifteen minutes, he breaks up the enthusiastic discussion about armour-plating material choices and calls the other three over again.


    ¡°It¡¯s moving again,¡± he says, a frown creasing his brow.


    ¡°That was fast,¡± Emily comments, storing her illustrations of the ship and walking over to the winch as he turns it on.


    ¡°Too fast,¡± Anton agrees with an uncomfortable nod.


    ¡°You¡¯re really expecting shit to hit the fan, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡± he retorts.


    ¡°Fair point,¡± Emily responds with a mischievous grin that sends shivers down the spines of everyone in the room.


    Anton flashes her a cautious look, but Emily chuckles and waves away his concern.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not going to cause too much trouble.¡±


    More like can¡¯t if I want my full quest reward.


    ¡°I just suspect they will have identified me as the culprit already.¡±


    ¡°How would they know?¡± Podrick asks. ¡°It didn¡¯t look like you left any survivors.¡±


    ¡°Well, for one, I did. I only killed everyone in the main mansion and everyone who gathered to fight me from the other wings. I left the servants who weren¡¯t in the main building alone and went back in to set up that explosion. I know a couple of them ran away when I was inside, and there¡¯s a high chance they told people what they saw.¡±


    ¡°Why did you leave witnesses?¡± Ash questions.


    ¡°Simple. I want them to know it was me,¡± Emily says with an unsettling lack of change in her expression. ¡°And, I doubt it would make a difference even if I¡¯d killed all the servants. I didn¡¯t exactly go in quietly, I was far too angry for that, and I used a lot of lightning. It¡¯s my main element, but it¡¯s actually pretty rare. There aren¡¯t many lightning mages in the country, and I only personally know one at third circle.¡±


    As her explanation finishes, the drone arrives below the hatch, steam pouring from its outlet pipes as it rises closer to the ship. The winch cable slides over a pulley at the edge of the hole, pulling the drone up into the gap. Ash moves to the lever beside the hatch, waiting for the perfect moment to push it, causing the open hatch door to pivot up, catching the bottom of the drone and lifting it into the ship completely.


    Emily reaches out and flips the selector switch on the side of the small machine to disable the steam flow to both the balloon and the propellers, increasing the amount of vapour pouring into the room.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Ash says with a nod, moving to open a few vents in the floor to remove the steam.


    Anton quickly moves to open the storage compartment, pulling out a letter telling them to dock immediately at hangar twelve. He stares at the note, reading it carefully as if looking for a hidden blade about to lash out at him.


    ¡°Anything out of the ordinary?¡± Emily asks.


    ¡°No, but how much do you want to bet someone will be waiting there to arrest us?¡± he responds, glancing up at her.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think you want to gamble like that with me,¡± Emily says, her hand moving up to rest on The Clock¡¯s pouch at her belt. ¡°You won¡¯t win. Don¡¯t worry though. If they are waiting for us, I¡¯ll deal with it.¡±


    ¡°I think that makes it worse,¡± Anton sighs, walking out of the room as Emily grins savagely.


    He returns to the bridge, starting the ship on its descent towards the docks as Emily remains behind to chat with Ash and Podrick about the planned modifications, making the most of time she suspects will be rewound. As the ship touches down, Emily moves to the main exit, meeting Anton there to leave together.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡± Emily says, repeating his future words back to him. ¡°I¡¯m pretty certain they will already have worked out it was me that wiped out the Mandragos, and this ship left the docks in a hurry right before the estate blew up. Even if they aren¡¯t certain I¡¯m on board, they¡¯ll at least send out a message to stop and search it, and even if they don¡¯t find me, they recognise the ship as Mandrago property so they¡¯ll try to take it back.¡±


    ¡°Fair point. Are you thinking we should walk into the city without you then?¡±


    ¡°Ha,¡± she scoffs at his question. ¡°Quite the opposite. Who cares if they¡¯re searching for me? They¡¯ll never find me if I don¡¯t want them to. I can close the distance between the ship and the city quickly, sneak into the city without being noticed, and carry all the supplies we¡¯ll need in my magic storage. So, I was planning on going myself.¡±


    She finishes emptying her bowl of porridge and passes it to Sam as she stands up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll put together a list of things we need then,¡± Anton says as she starts walking out.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Emily says before pausing and glancing at Podrick as he hurries to finish his food to follow her. ¡°Actually, give the list to Pod. I¡¯ll take him with me.¡±


    The boy¡¯s eyes light up at her words, but she simply waves him off and continues out to return to her room.


    ***


    Emily wakes up as a shudder passes through the ship. Looking through the eyes of her scout on top of the balloon she sees sand all around, with a tall dune stretching up to cover the horizon a few hundred metres ahead. The buzzing in her mind has subsided, the cold apathy of severance having set in once again.


    She rises from her bed and leaves her room, making her way to meet Anton and Podrick by the ship¡¯s main entrance.


    ¡°Oh, hey, Emily,¡± Anton greets with little surprise as she approaches, her footfall nearly silent despite the metal floor. ¡°I was just about to send Pod to grab you.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Emily shrugs, glancing at the freshly awakened mechanic and noticing the spatial bag hanging at his hip now. ¡°You got a list?¡±


    ¡°Yep!¡± He grins, pulling a sheet of paper from the pouch and presenting it to her.


    Emily reads over the list quickly before nodding and handing it back.


    ¡°Perfect. Let¡¯s get going then.¡±


    Anton flips the lever beside the exit hatch and the door swings open as the metal stairway lowers to the desert floor.


    ¡°Good luck,¡± he says as they walk past him.


    A dry wind blows by as they descend the steps, carrying a fine mist of sand into their faces. Podrick squints, lifting a pair of goggles from around his neck, and Emily grabs her scarf, unravelling it from around her neck before deftly wrapping it around her head to cover everything, leaving a small slit to see through.


    ¡°Nice goggles,¡± she says as she glances over her shoulder to check on Podrick.


    ¡°Thanks! Angela lent me them.¡±


    Emily¡¯s foot lands on the soft sand below the steps, the uneven, shifting ground offering a sense of familiarity as she shifts her weight to compensate, walking with unnatural stability. Podrick stumbles as the surface beneath his feet slides away a little with each step, the slight slope they¡¯re parked on doing him no favours. Emily reaches out a hand to steady him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this quickly. I¡¯d rather not leave the ship alone out here on the ground - you never know when a pack of stalkers will come across it,¡± she says, receiving an enthusiastic nod in return. ¡°Climb onto my back. I¡¯ll carry you to the city.¡±


    Emily turns around and crouches on one knee, offering her back to Podrick.


    ¡°Really?¡± he asks nervously.


    ¡°Either you get on now,¡± she replies, glancing over her shoulder and letting him see her unamused gaze through the slit in her scarf, ¡°or I throw you over my shoulder. It¡¯s up to you.¡±


    Swallowing down his apprehension, Podrick immediately wraps his arms around her neck and his legs around her waist.


    ¡°Good,¡± Emily says, turning to the dune ahead and casting lightning step, a crackling magic circle wrapping her legs. ¡°Hold on tight.¡±


    Podrick tightens his grip, looking down at the mesmerising twisting of runes and power with awe for a fraction of a second before the ground below them blurs. He lets out a surprised yell as Emily rockets forward, each step leaving a glistening glass footstep on the sand as it melts under the heat of the crackling plasma pouring into it. She rises up the dune with the boy holding onto her back for dear life, cresting it and immediately seeing her target in the distance.


    Emily runs over dunes and open sands alike, ignoring the changes in elevation and incline while putting one foot in front of the other, nothing breaking her even stride until she reaches the last dune close to the sprawling city border, with familiar towers of scrap metal junk on the other side.  She skids to a halt, digging her heels into the sand and sending up a spray of particles around them.


    Cancelling her spell, Emily taps Podrick¡¯s arms to tell him to let go before turning to face the spluttering boy, trying to clear the sand from his mouth.


    ¡°That,¡± he says, spitting out the last few grains between his teeth and looking up at Emily with shining eyes, ¡°was incredible!¡±

 Chapter 129 – City Infiltration

    Chapter 129 ¨C City Infiltration


    ¡°Glad you enjoyed it,¡± Emily says, pulling a plain black cloak from her belt and throwing it over herself before flashing Podrick a small, mischievous grin, only visible by her eyes in the gap of her scarf. ¡°Now, are you ready to sneak into a possibly hostile city?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± he practically shouts in response, eagerly nodding his head.


    Emily turns away from him, her face falling back into neutral as she suppresses her mana circulation and wraps her heart with a concealing veil of machina. She sure-footedly climbs the steep dune, with Podrick scrambling up behind her, and stops as the city comes into view. Her gaze quickly scans over the bustling slums before coming to rest on the large metal wall shielding the inner city. It rises up about twenty metres, taller than the one around Eimdon but paling in comparison to Chroni¡¯s, and from her raised vantage point Emily quickly locates all the guards stationed along it.


    She mentally marks all their positions, drawing a map in her mind and quickly spotting a few possible dead zones in their perception. Before Podrick can even ask why she¡¯s stopped, Emily moves again, stepping forward and dropping into a slide down the slope towards a scrap pile. She hits the flat ground below and smoothly continues walking as Podrick hits the floor on his arse, scrambling to stand up and follow her.


    ¡°Do I not need a cloak?¡± he asks with obvious disappointment as he awkwardly clambers over the pile of junk a few steps behind her.


    Emily glances back at him and scoffs, ¡°It¡¯s mostly to conceal my obviously magical armour and weapons, but if you really want one, knock yourself out.¡±


    She pulls another blank cloak from her belt and tosses it back to him, returning her focus to scanning the discarded materials around her. She grabs a few random scraps of metal as she passes, keeping those that could work and tossing away any that she deems too weak or misshapen to help. Halfway over the pile of junk, Emily starts producing tools and fastenings from her belt, weaving together a simple item without the help of her magic.


    ¡°What¡¯s that for?¡± Podrick asks as she nods with satisfaction at the strange item with multiple claws of metal curving down from a central metal cylinder, like a gnarled metal tree.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± she answers dismissively, changing their direction to walk parallel to the wall, extending their stay in the piles of junk as her eyes scan for the final piece of her puzzle.


    It¡¯s not until they reach the edge of the junk piles, a quarter of the way around the city from where they started, that Emily locates something usable. Jutting out of the pile is a discarded winch, reminiscent of the one used for pulling back in Calypso¡¯s drone. She bends down and places a palm against the winch before sending a spark of machina into it, quickly analysing its state.


    Just a little bit of rust, the cable should still hold.


    She pulls the winch out of the pile, barely impeded by the wood and metal resting on top of it. After it¡¯s exposed, Emily undoes the rusted bolts holding the reel to the rest of the structure before she continues walking. Podrick watches with interest as she detaches the hook on the end of the thin cable and mounts her scrap contraption to it.


    With her preparations finished, Emily tucks the junk under her cloak and leads Podrick into the slums. He follows quietly as she winds between tents and dilapidated buildings, sticking close to her and trying to ignore the people lying in the dirt in the shadows, some begging for scraps as they pass, but most not moving at all, leading him to question if they¡¯re even still alive.


    Emily for her part completely ignores the slum-dwellers, her eyes locked onto the wall as they approach the dead zone between watches. The closer they get to the wall, the fewer tents they find, with more structured buildings taking their place, all in a state of disrepair with rust and rot colouring the sorry excuse for streets a dirty brown shade. A dozen metres away from the first dead zone she marked, they step onto a street with a straight run to the base of the wall.


    Emily instantly notices several shifty figures looming in the dark corners between the buildings lining the street, watching them closely as they approach.


    It looks like they¡¯re guarding this section of the wall. Is it a known smuggling route? Ah well, not my problem.


    Emily glances over her shoulder at Podrick, noticing how uncomfortable the boy looks as he glances around.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make too much noise,¡± she says, drawing his focus as she raises a finger to the fabric against her lips. ¡°No matter what happens.¡±


    Without another word, she turns and walks towards the wall. The shadowy figures tense as she approaches, and the moment she steps in line with the first, he steps out of the shadows and pulls a small knife from his pocket.


    ¡°Follow me,¡± she whispers, grabbing the cable and swinging herself down to hang on it.


    She slides down smoothly, her feet hitting the floor below with barely a sound. She steps out of the way as Podrick lands with a thud. Emily grabs the cable after the graceless boy moves out of the way, giving it a quick flick and sending up a burst of machina. The hook above unbinds itself from the metal panels with a crackle of electricity before falling into her waiting, outstretched hand.


    ¡°Are people not going to find their corpses?¡± Podrick asks quietly, nodding towards the four dead men.


    ¡°Probably not,¡± Emily responds, walking over to try opening the door beside them. ¡°But we¡¯ll hide them anyway.¡±


    She finds the door locked shut. Unphased, she crouches down beside the corpses on the steps and starts patting down their pockets, searching for the keys. Podrick grimaces but moves to help, doing the same to one of the men slumped away from the door.


    Emily finds several knives tucked into the first man¡¯s clothes but no keys, but on the second she finds a keyring hooked to the back of his belt. Trying the keys from it, she opens the door after a few attempts and looks into the warehouse. Inside is full of loud, metalworking machinery, with several people moving between them with purpose, some carrying clockwork rifles.


    Ignoring the obvious criminal activity, Emily looks around, quickly spotting a tall, metal scrap bin a short distance from the door with a conveyor belt dropping offcuts into it. She turns back to Podrick, gesturing for him to quietly move back as she slings two corpses over her shoulders before ducking into the warehouse.


    She stalks forward, ducking behind a few machines as she moves to stay out of sight, and quickly approaches the metal bin. As a worker walks past the bin, Emily tucks herself between a wall and a large industrial metal cutter to hide from him, watching calmly as he takes a few readings from a few gauges at the base of the machine she¡¯s pressed against before moving on.


    The moment the worker¡¯s back is turned, Emily silently steps out of her hiding spot and throws both bodies up and into the scrap bin, each landing with a light thunk. Glancing around and making sure no one saw her; Emily returns to the door and brings in the other two corpses to do the same.


    After disposing of the evidence, Emily meets Podrick outside again, locking the door behind herself before clipping the keys to her belt for now, just in case.


    ¡°Right,¡± Emily says as she walks past Podrick, patting him on the shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s go do our shopping and get out of here.¡±


    They quickly walk away from the wall through the narrow alleys of the industrial district, heading towards the commercial centre of the city.


    ¡°Did Anton give you enough money to buy everything you need?¡± Emily asks a few minutes after they join a more crowded street with wealthy-looking people milling about.


    ¡°Yes, I should have enough in here to pay for everything on my list,¡± he responds, tapping the pouch at his waist.


    ¡°Good. Also, don¡¯t make it obvious that that¡¯s a spatial pouch. Best to take out and put away things when you¡¯re out of the public eye. We want to draw as little attention to ourselves as possible.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    They continue walking in silence until they reach an open street with several stalls lining the edges, offering everything from expensive fabrics to rich spices. Glancing around at the nearby shops and noting their wares, Emily nods to herself in satisfaction.


    ¡°You should find everything on your list here. Meet me back here once you¡¯re done shopping,¡± she says, her eyes flicking to a few people ducking into the side alleys of the market street. ¡°I¡¯m going to go dig for some information and do my own shopping. If you¡¯re not back here in an hour, I¡¯ll assume you¡¯ve run into trouble.¡±


    Podrick nods and goes to respond, but as he turns his head to look at her, Emily vanishes into the crowd, disappearing from his view.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he says quietly to himself with a hint of disappointment in his voice, nervously bringing a hand to grasp his spatial pouch as he sets off to complete his tasks.

 Chapter 130 – Dead or Alive

    Chapter 130 ¨C Dead or Alive


    Leaving Podrick to his own devices, Emily deftly weaves away through the crowd, borrowing from her observations of The Crystal Skull¡¯s members to slip unnoticed between the densely packed people. She heads deeper into the bustling market before moving towards the edge and following a shady-looking, cloaked figure, slipping into a side alley close behind them.


    She walks silently through the alley as it curves away from the market street, pressing herself flush against the wall and hiding in the shadows when the person ahead glances back to check for a tail. Having failed to spot Emily, the cloaked man turns to stop before a door and flips his hood down, revealing a rough face with a gnarly scar running from his chin to his ear. He knocks on the door twice before pushing it open and vanishing into the building.


    The moment he leaves the alley, Emily quietly approaches the door he entered, scanning her surroundings for onlookers and finding nothing. She looks over the worn wooden door with a rusted dagger bolted in the centre, seeing no gaps or peepholes to spy her through, before pressing her ear to it. Inside the building, she hears faint music, overwhelmed by the sound of heavy boot-fall, indistinct chatter, and the occasional crash or shout.


    Standing away from the door, Emily reaches for the handle, twisting it slowly and pushing, to find the door completely unlocked.


    Music and an open door. Hopefully, this is a pub or something, not a private organisation¡¯s gathering point.


    Emily pushes the door open, reaching up with her free hand to adjust the scarf wrapped around her head, narrowing the slit she can see through to make sure nothing but her eyes are visible. As she steps inside the sound stops abruptly and the room falls into complete silence. Her gaze quickly darts about, and she takes in the large room filled with tables and shifty, rough-looking people with an assortment of weapons on display, along with the busy, well-stocked bar and quickly confirms her guess.


    A pub.


    She steps forward into the room and shuts the door behind her, and the music instantly starts again, the small three-person band standing on a raised stage in the corner beginning again without hesitation. No one else returns to their usual activity though, all of them silently watching Emily with bated breath, hands reaching for weapons, as she slowly walks towards the bar.


    With a silent, relaxed gait, Emily calmly moves past tables, filled with bulky men and women twice her size, without sparing them a second glance, her eyes locked on the bar ahead and the large board beside it covered in neat parchment. Nobody moves to attack her, but every eye in the room follows her with dripping caution and hostility, and a few knives are drawn by the small group who move to block the exit.


    ¡°Excuse me, but it¡¯s common courtesy to remove your face covering before entering,¡± the scrawny barkeep says with a tight smile as she approaches.


    Emily doesn¡¯t answer straight away, instead, she scans the parchment wall. She reads several notes offering jobs to protect certain buildings, protect merchant crews on their travels, hunt certain desert creatures, and even a few to kill particular people. Pinned at the top of the board, however, is a particularly ornate note, with expensive-looking gold detailing and two crests: one of the royal family; and the other of house Hedera, the house with ruling rights to Ashdon. The centre of the parchment has a well-drawn sketch of Emily, her hair still as long as when she returned from The Glade, and the rest reads:


    Wanted (A):


    Dead or Alive


    Emily Coldstone


    Reward: 5,000G (Or resource equivalent)


    Description: 17, 180cm, brown hair, green left eye, blue right eye


    Notes: Always armed; highly dangerous; warn closest noble family if found, do not engage (1/5 reward to informant upon successful capture).


    Crimes: Treason, mass murder, mass destruction of property


    They got my height wrong. Guess that¡¯s probably the boots.


    ¡°It may be,¡± Emily finally responds as she looks away from her wanted poster, the tension in the bar palpable. ¡°But I doubt you¡¯d like what would happen if I did.¡±


    The barkeep finally meets her eyes, his focus flickering between both her exposed irises before he glances at the poster she was just staring at and recognition dawns on his face. His whole body goes taut and a bead of sweat rolls down his brow as he flicks his hand in a dismissive gesture and turns to point to the wall of bottles behind him.


    ¡°Can I interest you in anything?¡± he asks with a nervous cough to clear his throat.


    Emily slides into an empty seat at the bar, ignoring the quiet mumblings returning to the room as the tension relaxes and everybody finally looks away from her, the people blocking the door returning to their seats with their weapons stowed.


    It seems he has control over everyone here despite how anxious he looks.


    Emily raises a brow at the name, pride pulling at the corners of her lips.


    Christian Belmont, the right hand of Morzea¡¯s current leader and a fourth circle mage. Did they give me the same danger ranking as a fourth circle mage?


    ¡°Even with everyone in here,¡± the barkeep continues, ¡°I¡¯d never risk an A rank request. Maybe a B at a push if the reward was worth it. Speaking of the reward, that¡¯s the other thing that flagged you as an unapproachable threat. If the rank wasn¡¯t enough, the note about resource equivalent is a dead giveaway that you¡¯re one of those with special powers.¡±


    ¡°Special powers?¡± Emily inquires.


    ¡°Yeah, special powers. You don¡¯t stay in this business for as long as I have without realising there are strange forces at work in the world,¡± he says with conspiratorial enthusiasm, leaning towards Emily despite his obvious fear of her and speaking faster. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of debate over what it is exactly that you noble folk do: some say it¡¯s magic; some say you breed with monsters and aren¡¯t even human anymore; some say you¡¯re all aliens and never were human in the first place! Hell, I think a few of my best patrons are less than human, but they refuse to tell me anything when I ask. They get really touchy about it. Anyway, no matter what it is, the existence of these special powers is kind of an open secret, and that suggestion of equivalent resources lets other special people know they¡¯re after one of their own.¡±


    So, the criminals of the country do know of magic, but not what it is. I guess only normal commoners are still in the dark.


    The bartender goes quiet, setting down the glass he was polishing and picking up another, waiting for Emily to say something. Silently, she picks up the mixed glass on the table and swirls it around, opening a tiny hole in the net of machina around her heart to let out a small stream of mana.


    They aren¡¯t giving out any information about me at least, and even my description isn¡¯t completely accurate. It seems like they¡¯ve just given the bare minimum for people to report when they see me, and if they suspect I¡¯m on Calypso, they still haven¡¯t publicly announced it. I guess it¡¯s reasonable since no mortal or weak lone mage would be able to stop me.


    ¡°Is that all you know?¡± Emily asks, noticing two of the bar¡¯s patrons flinching and glancing over as her mana signature is momentarily revealed.


    ¡°Yes!¡± the barkeep responds with a firm nod.


    Emily recovers her heart and directs the released mana to her hand, focusing on her understanding of ice and attributing it as it flows from her skin, wrapping the glass in a frigid air that forms condensation on the outside and small crystals of ice in the liquid within. The bartender¡¯s eyes open wide as he watches Emily raise the glass to her lips, pulling down her scarf before downing the drink and setting the ice-cold glass down.


    ¡°It¡¯s magic,¡± she says with a nod and a dramatic flex of machina in her voice, before covering her face again and turning to leave.


    The barkeep stands in stunned silence with his mouth slightly agape as she walks out, and none of the bar¡¯s patrons move to stop her. The room goes quiet again as she opens the door to leave, but after she shuts it behind herself, she hears the hubbub quickly build within. She moves away from the pub with purpose, walking further away from the market and pretending not to notice the two forms that follow her out into the alley.


    I guess these are his less-than-human patrons. So much for none of them will bother me.


    Emily slips out of view into another alley and waits for her pursuers to catch up while using her machina to burn off the remnants of the alcohol she drank.


    I didn¡¯t think it would affect me at all, but I guess mixing a magical venom and several other magic plants boosted its strength.


    Emily presses herself into a shadow against the wall as two people in dark cloaks come round the corner, moving closer with hurried steps.


    They aren¡¯t very good at tailing someone, I could hear their feet from across a field. And they aren¡¯t observant. They aren¡¯t professionals.


    The moment they step within a few metres of her, Emily bursts out of the darkness, her arms reaching forward to clasp both men by the throats. They both panic and start struggling, grasping at Emily¡¯s hands instead of attacking her.


    ¡°Idiots,¡± she mutters, clamping down harder and ejecting the blades at her wrists until the cold edges of her Claws press against their throats. ¡°Stop struggling or these go through you.¡±


    Both men freeze immediately at her threatening hiss, raising their hands up in surrender.


    ¡°Remove your hoods.¡±


    They both comply as Emily eases her grip a little, letting them breathe but still holding fast. As their hoods drop, recognition flashes through Emily¡¯s eyes and she can¡¯t help but laugh.


    ¡°Jeremy? Kyle? Haha, this is too good,¡± she says as she releases them and steps back. ¡°Did you guys get kicked out of your families or something?¡±

 Chapter 131 – Petty Grudge

    Chapter 131 ¨C Petty Grudge


    Jeremy and Kyle both flinch at the familiarity and scorn in her tone and glance at each other in confusion.


    ¡°You know us?¡± Kyle asks, relaxing slightly and rubbing his neck.


    ¡°I know you definitely can¡¯t beat me in a fight. Speaking of, where have your little cronies gone? Did they get taken away when you were declared failures?¡±


    Kyle seems to realise who she is, glancing down at the blades hidden in her sleeve as fear twists his expression. Jeremy on the other hand grits his teeth in anger and steps forward.


    ¡°How da-¡° he doesn¡¯t finish his words as Emily¡¯s arm whips forward, slashing a Claw through his throat and sending a torrent of blood down his chest.


    ¡°Well?¡± she urges Kyle in a machina-distorted hiss, her eyes never leaving him despite killing his friend.


    ¡°Y- Yeah,¡± he manages to say, glancing at his friend bleeding out beside him in shock. ¡°Th- They kicked us both out after we caused trouble with you without results.¡±


    ¡°Ha,¡± Emily barks. ¡°You guys must really hate me. Though, I doubt you followed me this time because you knew it was me.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t!¡± he hurries to say, his panic building as his eyes frantically dart about, looking for any way out.


    ¡°I can tell. Your mana sensitivity is so shit you probably didn¡¯t even realise I was third circle when I revealed myself earlier. I¡¯m guessing you thought I was another pathetic first circle who was kicked out of their family like you.¡±


    Kyle goes to respond, but Emily holds up a hand to stop him, not caring about his answer.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just make this quick and easy. Who knows, if you tell me something useful, maybe you¡¯ll get to live?¡± Emily enjoys the look of terror on his face as she rolls the shoulder his follower left a scar on. ¡°What do you know about my recent... disagreement... with the Mandrago family?¡±


    ¡°N- Not much,¡± he responds, trying and failing to keep his nerves under control. ¡°We still have a little contact with some of our old friends, and all they told us is that you wiped out a noble family, and half a city with them, before fleeing.¡±


    ¡°Half a city? Not quite, but I like the image. Anything else? Any details about how I got away or where I¡¯m going next?¡±


    ¡°Um, uh,¡± his eyes spin as he searches for something to say.


    ¡°Nothing, huh?¡±


    The disappointment in her voice pushes him over the edge, and Kyle drops to his knees, grabbing at the edge of Emily¡¯s cloak as he starts to beg.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! We didn¡¯t ask for any details! Please don¡¯t kill me!¡±


    ¡°Who told you?¡± Emily asks with disgust dripping from her glare.


    ¡°Aaron! Our friend from when we were still in The Covenant,¡± Kyle¡¯s eyes light up with hope as he scrambles within his robe to find something.


    He scatters the contents of his pockets on the floor, dropping several copper coins in the process, before he finds what he¡¯s looking for and offers it to her.


    ¡°Here! This is the crystal he used to contact us.¡±


    Emily raises a brow, taking the crystal from his hand.


    ¡°Good,¡± she says, derisively patting him on the head. ¡°This is actually useful.¡±


    ¡°C- Can I go?¡± Kyle asks hopefully.


    ¡°Ha,¡± Emily scoffs, grabbing him by the shoulder and pulling him deeper into the alley. ¡°Not quite.¡±


    Once they¡¯re tucked into a private corner, away from the dead body of her captive¡¯s friend, she releases Kyle and passes him the crystal again.


    ¡°If you want any chance at surviving, you¡¯re going to do exactly as I say from now on,¡± she starts, receiving a fearful, vigorous nod in response. ¡°I want you to call your friend on that crystal and act like nothing is wrong. Ask him about where he thinks I¡¯m going and find out anything you can. If you need a reason, tell him you want to hunt me for my bounty or something, I don¡¯t care. But, if a word about me being here leaves your mouth.¡±


    Emily extends a Claw and lightly taps his cheek with it as she finishes.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll shut it permanently. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Y- Yes,¡± Kyle stammers, not daring to nod with the cold steel pressed to his face.


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Emily retracts her Claw and leans against the alley wall opposite the terrified man, letting him take a few moments to calm down and gather himself. To his credit, it only takes a few seconds for his shaking to subside and, after less than a minute, he raises the crystal and injects a burst of mana into it. The crystal glows brightly and Emily silently frowns at the amount of mana he wasted while activating it, but she doesn¡¯t say anything as he waits nervously for someone to pick up.


    ¡°Yep! And I managed to save Anton two silver with my haggling skills,¡± he responds proudly.


    ¡°Ha, well done, kid,¡± Emily says, reaching up to ruffle his scruffy hair before turning to lead the way out of the city.


    They make their way back towards the wall, entering the industrial district of the city and ducking into the twisted alleys leading towards their way out. They walk together in silence, with Podrick staying close behind Emily, until they turn the final corner to the smuggling route.


    The moment they round the corner, Emily stops and steps back, pushing Podrick out of sight as her gaze fixes upon a group of eight, armed men standing guard at the base of the wall. They don¡¯t notice her, so, after scanning over their formation, Emily pulls back as well and turns to her charge.


    ¡°They seem to have increased their numbers after we removed the last watch,¡± she whispers to him.


    ¡°Do you think they found the bodies?¡±


    ¡°Possibly. Or they just think the others left their posts. Either way, they¡¯re in the way.¡±


    Emily reaches for the gun on her thigh and notices Podrick clenching his teeth with a reluctant expression in preparation for the fight. She hesitates and glances at the tall warehouse beside them.


    Well, we may be able to avoid them. The kid¡¯s done well enough dealing with those I¡¯ve killed already, I may as well not kill his good mood. It¡¯s not like they¡¯ve bothered me.


    Moving her hand away from her gun, Emily walks away from the wall.


    ¡°Follow me,¡± she says to Podrick as he confusedly watches her leave.


    They retrace their steps until they reach a shorter warehouse with a mass of piping and boiler units mounted to the side, wrapped in a chain-link fence.


    ¡°We¡¯re going up. Try not to make too much noise, and don¡¯t try to copy me. Just find a path that works for you,¡± Emily says before stepping forward and launching off the floor.


    She grabs the top and slips over the fence in one clean movement, landing on the other side with barely a sound and continuing towards the side of the warehouse. In an instant she analyses the twisted mess of metal and plots a path, stepping up onto a pipe with intention and launching herself towards another. In a few short hops, Emily lands on top of a boiler where she crouches down to build up power before releasing in a single burst to carry her up onto the warehouse roof.


    Skidding to a halt on the thin metal, Emily turns around and looks at Podrick, still standing outside the fence while staring back up at her in awe. He quickly snaps out of it and gets moving, clambering over the fence. He steps onto a pipe on the other side, slowly walking along it with his arms out to balance until he reaches the side of the boiler, where he jumps up and grabs the top before hauling himself up.


    Emily sits down on the edge of the building, leaning down and offering the boy her hand. He springs up and grabs it, hanging on and letting her pull him up to join her with ease.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he says quietly as Emily stands up.


    ¡°No problem. Good job not falling. Keep it up.¡±


    Emily turns and walks along the roof towards the narrowest gap to the next warehouse. She calmly steps up to the edge before launching off one foot, easily clearing the gap with barely a break in her gait. Podrick takes a small run up and leaps after her, successfully landing in a roll on the other roof without too much noise, rising up to look at Emily with a proud grin.


    Meeting his eyes, Emily can¡¯t help the small grin that parts her lips as she turns and breaks into a slow run across the roof. Podrick follows close behind, running at almost his full speed, and Emily soon reaches a wall in the middle of the warehouse where the roof rises up a few metres. She kicks off the wall and launches herself up to catch the lip of the ledge and pull herself clean over.


    Without pausing, she keeps running, hitting the edge of the roof and taking a leap across a much larger gap to the slightly raised roof of their target warehouse. She lands with her hands on the lip and her feet flat against the wall, cushioning her impact. With a light kick, she rises to stand on the roof, turning back to look at Podrick staring at the gap with wide eyes.


    She raises her hand and gestures for him to come across. With one last glance into her calm eyes for reassurance, Podrick turns around and walks back to gain a larger run-up. He pauses and takes a deep breath before shaking his head and sprinting at full speed towards the roof¡¯s edge. With a strong leap, he flies towards Emily with his arms outstretched.


    His fingers just catch the lip she¡¯s standing on, and as they start to slip off, Emily grabs his wrist and holds him fast. Ignoring the loud thud of his legs hitting the wall, Emily pulls him up and pats him on the back.


    ¡°Good job,¡± she says, moving away from the edge to make sure anyone coming to check on the noise below won''t see them. ¡°You ever climbed buildings before?¡±


    ¡°I wish,¡± Podrick responds with a giddy smile, trying to contain his excitement and keep his voice down. ¡°That was a rush!¡±


    ¡°Haha, clambering about like that was my favourite way to move around Eimdon. Never risked going on the roofs inside the walls though, so I guess this is a first for both of us.¡±


    As they approach the edge of the warehouse facing the wall, they both fall silent again without Emily having to say anything. She peers over the edge, finding the same eight men gathered below, watching either end of the alley but not looking up. She pulls out her climbing tool again and winds up a throw before tossing it clear over the top of the wall. A dull clank sounds as it lands on top, but none of the men below notice.


    Emily slowly pulls on the cable until she feels the hook catch on something, and, after a few solid tugs to make sure it¡¯s secure, she turns to Podrick.


    ¡°Climb across this and wait for me on the wall,¡± she whispers holding the cable taut.


    Trusting her, Podrick nods and grabs the wire, lifting himself up and turning around to loop his legs over it too. Slowly, he creeps along the cable to the top of the wall where he releases his legs and turns to pull himself to safety. The moment he¡¯s free of the wire, Emily steps up to the edge of the roof with as little slack in the line as possible.


    Without any hesitation, she crouches and explodes across the gap, pulling in the wire as she flies through the air and landing halfway up the wall with a light clang of her metal soles. She quickly hauls herself over as the men below look up, but she¡¯s gone before they spot more than a flicker of motion.


    Podrick offers her a silent thumbs up, clearly impressed, but she rolls her eyes at him and sets off across the wall. Finding a protruding panel, she hooks the climbing gear on and smoothly descends to the ground on the other side. She finds the alley just as empty as when they left it, with two dead bodies and none of the living guards having yet returned.


    Podrick lands behind her, and Emily quickly pulls down the climbing gear, tucking it away into her belt as they slip back through the slums and leave the city behind.

 Chapter 132 – Workshop in the Sky

    Chapter 132 ¨C Workshop in the Sky


    Emily and Podrick return to a warm welcome aboard Calypso. The moment they step through the ship¡¯s main hatch, they¡¯re met with the barrels of several guns. Podrick steps back in surprise, but Emily simply walks forward unconcerned.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she says with a small wave before reaching up to drop her hood and pull the scarf from her face.


    The guns lower as Anton, Angela, and Ash let out sighs of relief.


    ¡°You should have taken that off before coming in,¡± Anton grumbles.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Emily responds unapologetically as Podrick drops his hood and finally enters the ship fully.


    ¡°Did you get everything?¡± Anton asks the boy.


    ¡°Of course! I even saved you some silver,¡± Podrick answers proudly, tossing him the storage pouch.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anton says, shutting the hatch behind them before turning his attention back to Emily. ¡°So, how¡¯s it looking out there?¡±


    ¡°Strange,¡± she answers with a shrug. ¡°There¡¯s a large bounty on my head, but no public knowledge as to where I am. Also, there¡¯s nothing being spread publicly about this ship carrying me, but I get the feeling we¡¯ll be targeted if we try to enter a city.¡±


    ¡°Will there be people pursuing us then?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I managed to make contact with someone in the capital, but all they said was that the royal family had been questioning my friends to work out why I¡¯ve turned traitor. They didn¡¯t mention large forces moving out of the capital, so I¡¯m guessing they¡¯re waiting for us to try leaving the country before they attack us.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Anton says resolutely. ¡°We¡¯re changing our route a little then.¡±


    Emily raises a curious brow as he turns to Angela and continues.


    ¡°Change our heading to north-north-east, we¡¯re going to stop off in Folkard.¡±


    ¡°Route B?¡± Angela asks, receiving a nod in reply.


    Seemingly satisfied with the answer, Angela turns around and heads towards the bridge.


    ¡°Route B?¡± Emily asks with intrigue, noticing Podrick¡¯s excited grin at the mention of his home city.


    ¡°While you¡¯ve been gone, we¡¯ve been discussing our best path out of the country,¡± Anton says, nodding towards Ash and the empty corridor Angela left down. ¡°Route B was for the scenario where stopping in a city would be dangerous. We still need to stop somewhere we can refuel properly: we only managed to refill half of our stocks at Eimdon because we had to leave so soon. Also, we want to get rid of the products in our storage to lower the ship¡¯s weight for the sea crossing and gather some funds for getting set up on the other side. So, Route B takes us up to Folkard because we can stop off at the Rockworth shipyard. They¡¯re outside the city and friendly, so we should be safe there for a bit hopefully.¡±


    ¡°It will also give us some time and space to refit the ship¡¯s outer plating like you wanted,¡± Ash adds.


    Nodding, Emily pushes away from the wall she was leaning against.


    ¡°That makes sense. Speaking of, I should get started preparing the ship''s upgrades,¡± she says, walking towards the storage at the back of the ship and waving over her shoulder. ¡°Give me a shout if you need me.¡±


    As she¡¯s disappearing around the corner, Emily hears a hurried set of footsteps coming after her.


    ¡°Taken to following me within the ship now too?¡± she asks Podrick without looking back.


    ¡°You said I could watch you make the ship¡¯s modifications!¡± he argues with a defensive tone.


    ¡°Ha,¡± Emily scoffs with a small smile pulling at the corner of her lips. ¡°That I did. Well, if you¡¯re going to watch, you might as well help. Go to the room I awakened you in and move everything out, please. I¡¯m going to go grab my workshop to set up in there.¡±


    Podrick nods and runs on ahead as Emily changes course to head towards her room. She grabs the spatial storage bag she left behind and quickly makes her way to join Podrick. By the time she arrives, he¡¯s almost finished clearing the space for her, with only three barrels left by the door.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Emily mutters, glancing around the open space.


    It¡¯s slightly smaller than her old room in The Dome, but without the bed taking up a wall. Emily flips open her spatial backpack and reaches in with her mana, picking out the machines from her workshop and pulling them out in the form of a dense purple mist that fills the room before solidifying into wood and metal.


    Glancing at the machines, a small frown creases her brow.


    The plating is going to be too big for most of these to be helpful. I may need to strengthen some of my handheld tools.


    ¡°Fine,¡± he grumbles, taking the pipe and wrench that Emily hands him and copying her in connecting the machines to the steam system. ¡°What¡¯s the difference between a machine and an artefact then? It looks like it¡¯s pumping out steam like a normal generator.¡±


    ¡°There isn¡¯t really a proper separation as far as I know. So far, I haven¡¯t seen or heard of anyone else trying to mix the two like I do. If I had to give a difference though, machines are multiple moving parts working together to achieve a purpose, while an artefact is a single magical construct that achieves its purpose alone. Take that with a grain of salt though. I just meant that the button there is messing with the magic array inside the machine, so any backlash would be magical in nature,¡± Emily says, moving over to the generator, flipping open the main chamber and gesturing for Podrick to come look at it. ¡°I wanted the system to be activatable by a non-mage because my last design required a manual mana injection to turn it on, so I had to come up with a way of making a button to activate an array. I don¡¯t know any runes that respond to non-magical contact yet, so I opted to change the circle holding the array instead.¡±


    She points to a moving panel within the generator, where a line of white iron is split in the middle with a part of it shunted aside by the panel.


    ¡°The entire array for generating steam is completed other than this line here. When you press the button, that panel moves down and completes it. Then the array is activated by the mana being pushed into it by the gathering array down here,¡± Emily says, pointing to the green crystals outside the generator on the bottom.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Podrick says with a confused tilt of his head. ¡°What are runes and mana?¡±


    ¡°Runes are these letters.¡± She points out a tiny rune carved into the metal. ¡°They¡¯re basically the building blocks of magic. Think of them like components in a machine while mana is the fuel source.¡±


    Emily shuts the generator and pats Podrick on the back as she returns to work, setting up the piping system. After an hour, they finish up and settle down for Emily to drink her cold soup. Angela knocks on the door and enters as Emily¡¯s halfway done. She asks Emily to take over control of the ship for the night and gives her a warning about an armed mine in their path, telling her how to avoid it.


    ¡°There you go, I¡¯ve taken over the controls now so Tony knows he can sleep,¡± Emily says after Angela¡¯s done with her explanation, using some bread to scrape her bowl clean. ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s everything. Thanks,¡± Angela says, turning to leave before pausing and looking back at Emily with a conflicted look on her face. ¡°Hey, Emily?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± she responds, glancing up from her bowl.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about before. I blew up on you when I shouldn¡¯t have.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Anton and I didn¡¯t explain anything to you, so you couldn¡¯t have understood. Besides,¡± Emily says with a small grin. ¡°I respect you for confronting me, despite how rightfully scared of me you were.¡±


    ¡°Ha,¡± Angela scoffs, reaching down and ruffling Emily¡¯s hair. ¡°Me? Scared of you? In your dreams, kid.¡±


    ¡°Oh? But you should be.¡±


    Angela¡¯s hand freezes and a small shiver runs down her spine as she stares at Emily¡¯s unsettling, emotionless mask, but a moment later she gives one last swipe of her hand before turning around with a small chuckle.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget the course changes!¡± she says, waving over her shoulder as she steps out of the door. ¡°I left notes on my seat in the bridge if you need a reminder.¡±


    Emily sets down her empty bowl and stands up as the sound of Angela¡¯s footsteps fade down the hallway, running a hand through her hair with a buzz of machina and returning it to its normal state. Podrick notices her moving and scrambles up from the floor in front of the Steam Source, tucking a small notebook into his pocket.


    ¡°What are you making first?¡± he asks as he walks over.


    ¡°Metal,¡± Emily responds, ignoring the look of confusion she gets in return and taking out several large chunks of raw material from her backpack.


    She spreads out everything from steel and copper to black iron and mythril, covering the floor in front of them. The moment she finishes, Emily raises both hands and casts a spell she created during her months of frozen time in The Glade, forgemaster.


    A torrent of runes pours from her arms, wrapping the metals in a large magic circle of orange and silver. Several threads of mana stretch from Emily¡¯s fingers, floating at the ready as the spell casting finishes.


    Podrick watches in silent awe as Emily starts weaving her fingers deftly, flicking around the thin tendrils of mana to manipulate the scattered metals. She selects a few and picks them up with a couple of strong silver threads before slicing off a piece from each with a burning orange thread. She gathers together multiple chunks of different metals before wrapping them in a cocoon of threads, a blend of the two colours, and leaving it floating above the workshop as she moves on to a different combination.


    Emily repeats the process over and over again, trying multiple ratio blends as she combines dozens of different variations. She soon fills the room with glowing cocoons and completely clears the floor of her prepared metals. Next, she removes the first alloy she made from its cocoon, finding a single orb of perfectly mixed, molten metal waiting for her.


    She takes the orb and flattens it down into a thin plate, a centimetre thick, matching of the plating on the outside of Calypso¡¯s hull. The moment the glowing metal is in shape, Emily wraps it tightly with silver threads and lays it down on the floor.


    The room slowly heats up as she works, making plate after plate of armour, and sorting them into organised stacks. By the time Emily has finished, Podrick is dripping with sweat, watching her with a horrified look as she calmly dispels forgemaster, instantly breaking all the threads around the plates and revealing her finished work.


    ¡°Why do you need so many of these?¡± Podrick asks, lifting one of the sheets of metal from its stack.


    ¡°So,¡± Emily says, pulling out the Spitter and screwing its silencer onto the end before taking the plate from his hand, ¡°I can test them.¡±


    She clenches her fingers on the plate in a vice-like grip and points her gun at it before pulling the trigger. A bullet silently leaves the chamber and slams into the plate with a loud pop, ripping a hole clean through it and flying into a barrier of spinning wind that Emily conjures at the last second.


    Podrick barely has time to process her actions, staring at her in disbelief with his hands halfway to covering his ears.


    ¡°Crazy,¡± he mutters as Emily carefully inspects the bullet hole as if nothing happened.

 Chapter 133 – Workshop on the Ground

    Chapter 133 ¨C Workshop on the Ground


    Emily puts all of the plates through a series of tests, checking everything from their resistance to bullets and magic to their density in order to select the perfect choice. She settles on a blend of steel containing a touch of black iron, the best option for balanced strength while using up as little of her magical resources as possible.


    After coming to a decision, Emily gives Podrick the scrap testing plates and gets him to engrave identifying markers into each so she can use them again next time she needs to pick a specialised material for something. While he completes his monotonous task in the corner, Emily sets about cutting and shaping new panelling for Calypso.


    They work through the night without issues, and the ship continues on its planned path the entire time as Emily follows Angela¡¯s instructions. In the morning, they take a short break to grab breakfast when Angela and Tony take control once again. Afterwards, Podrick heads to his room to sleep for a while, unable to keep up with Emily as she returns to work on the armour.


    She works alone until he returns, her body moving under the command of her secondary cores, carefully following her new blueprint for the ship while her primary consciousness focuses on refining her design for some defensive arrays to engrave on it.


    In the early evening, after Podrick has returned from his rest full of vigour, Emily pauses in the middle of bending a large sheet of dark grey metal, releasing her foot from the pedal of the machine she¡¯s using as she turns her head to stare at the wall with a frown.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Podrick asks as the hiss of steam stops, and he looks over to see her staring into the distance.


    Emily doesn¡¯t respond, barely even hearing the question as her attention remains on the image coming into her mind across her connection with her bird on the ship¡¯s balloon. On the horizon, along with the beautiful golden glow of the setting sun, is a creeping yellow haze, quickly approaching the ship.


    ¡°Get to your room and hunker down,¡± she says, quickly pulling the armour panel she was working on into her belt and turning to rush out. ¡°There¡¯s a sandstorm coming.¡±


    She bolts out of the door and rushes towards the bridge, hearing hurried footfall in the corridor behind her as Podrick heeds her instructions. A loud horn sounds as Emily turns the corner to the bridge and enters the ship¡¯s command centre to see it starting to lower towards the dunes below.


    ¡°I take it you¡¯ve spotted it?¡± Emily asks, walking over and leaning on the back of Anton¡¯s chair.


    ¡°Of course we did,¡± Angela responds indignantly, frantically adjusting her controls to help bring the ship down smoothly. ¡°We¡¯re professionals you know. I¡¯m no worse than your little birdy.¡±


    She taps her periscope as she speaks, reinforcing her point.


    ¡°Fair play,¡± Emily responds with a shrug, realising her haste to warn them was pointless. ¡°Anyway, what¡¯s your normal protocol for sandstorms?¡±


    ¡°We set down and deploy our anchors,¡± Anton answers. ¡°Then we sit and pray that nothing attacks us until the storm has passed and we can take off again. Though with you and the guns you gave us, I¡¯m hoping we¡¯ll be fine even in the worst case.¡±


    ¡°Of course, nothing will bother us,¡± Emily responds, pushing off his chair and turning to leave, patting the pistol on her thigh.


    She heads out of the bridge and calmly makes her way to the drone¡¯s deployment room. Once there, she pops open the hatch and steps out, dropping from the ship and falling rapidly towards the sandy ground below. A green magic circle wraps around her legs as she uses air walk to create a few footholds on the way down to arrest her momentum.


    Emily lands on the sand softly and quickly pulls out the barrier disc as the ship follows close on her heels. She sets the disc off and tosses it up into the air, letting the anchors that mark its borders spread out to full extension before dropping to the ground along with the disc.


    A one-way sound barrier soon wraps around the ship¡¯s landing zone, so Emily quickly moves out of the barrier and waits for Calypso to come down while pulling her scarf to cover her face and protect her from the sand being kicked up by the rapidly increasing wind. After a few minutes, the ship drops into the barrier, and all sounds of its engine vanish as it silently touches down.


    Hopefully, nothing big below the sand will know we¡¯re here now.


    With her first concern dealt with, Emily quickly approaches the ship again, moving to collect her barrier disc as Calypso shoots four sturdy cables into the ground, one on each side. The corkscrew-shaped anchors on the end of each cable hit the ground outside the barrier and dig in a little, with over half their mass still above the sand. The ship¡¯s stairs lower as Emily picks up the barrier disc, checking the crystals mounted to it and frowning.


    I knew setting it to full size would be bad, but I didn¡¯t realise it would fully drain a lesser crystal within a few minutes. If I want to use this for large groups, I¡¯ll need to either work on the array, upgrade the crystals, or both.


    She puts the disc away and approaches the three, armed crew members coming down the steps to meet her with an assortment of goggles and fabrics protecting their faces from the elements.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t yet, but I think they can tell I¡¯m stronger than them. They¡¯re scared of this,¡± Emily says as the crackling orb of uncontained violence that is arc forms above her.


    Instantly, a streak of plasma shoots off, locking onto a moving beast nearby and striking it. The moment the magical mark is applied, and the beast pauses from the shock, Emily grabs the Spitter from her thigh and fires a shot at the blistering target. Six more tendrils of power find targets nearby, and Emily kills them all while calmly pulling Angela back towards the ship¡¯s entrance with the spell floating above them for protection.


    Emily tucks herself under Angela¡¯s arm and pulls her up the stairs as quickly as the woman¡¯s injuries allow, a particularly unpleasant-looking gash on her thigh slowing her down. As they step into the safety of the ship, the hatch shuts behind them and Anton breathes a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Thank Goddess you¡¯re alright,¡± he sighs, moving over to take a look at Angela.


    His eyes go wide when he sees the blood still pouring down her leg, creating a pool below her.


    ¡°That looks bad,¡± Anton says with concern. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I got attacked by a group of sand stalkers when I tried to return,¡± Angela explains, wincing as Emily sets her down on the cold metal floor, and pulling her face covering off to breathe properly. ¡°They surrounded me and pushed me away from the ship. I wasn¡¯t sure I would make it back until Emily here showed up. She used some freaky ball of lightning to find them while she dragged me back.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a spell called arc,¡± Emily explains as she pulls out a vial of healing potion and pulls off the cork, staring at an exposed artery calmly and hoping Angela will continue to focus on her words instead of the pain to come. ¡°It attacks any nearby living things when activated, so I excluded us from the targeting and then set it off. Makes it easier to fight things you can¡¯t see. I designed it for an expedition into The Glade.¡±


    Angela and Anton listen intently, the former still wincing and grinding her teeth, holding in a scream as Emily pours the glistening red liquid onto the fresh gash on her leg.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± she chokes out between tears as Emily finally moves the half-empty vial away from the injury and hands it to her.


    ¡°Drink the rest of this. It will help with the pain,¡± Emily says, watching her leg slowly knit itself back together.


    She¡¯ll live, but she¡¯ll definitely be left with scars from this... maybe this is a chance to get the scans I wanted?


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Angela says after gulping down the rest of the potion, letting out a relieved sigh as her pain eases.


    ¡°Anytime. That potion should close the rest of your wounds slowly, but that one¡¯s probably going to scar,¡± Emily explains, gesturing to the already scabbed-over gash. ¡°I can try to help if you want, but you¡¯ll need to let me run an invasive scan for that.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Angela asks, leaning back against the wall and making no effort to get up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send some of my energy into your body to draw a blueprint of things like your organ placements, skeletal structure, and musculature. I won¡¯t hurt you, but I¡¯m not the best at healing magic and I think it¡¯s because I don¡¯t understand the human body well enough yet.¡±


    Angela pauses to consider her request, looking up at her with a twisted expression.


    ¡°You want to see inside my body?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Emily answers calmly.


    ¡°And it won¡¯t hurt?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. If you¡¯re worried you can ask Pod. I¡¯ve done them on him before.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± Angela says, moving to push herself up and gladly accepting an offered hand from Anton. ¡°Let¡¯s do it. You already saved my life, what¡¯s a little bodily intrusion between friends.¡±

 Chapter 134 – Violent Winds

    Chapter 134 ¨C Violent Winds


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit,¡± Emily says, offering a shoulder to help Angela keep the weight off her injured leg. ¡°Let¡¯s head to the drone hatch, I want easy access to the outside so I can observe the storm while I work.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s how you got out ahead of us,¡± Anton says in realisation, shaking his head and turning away. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to help her and go monitor the situation from the bridge. We¡¯ll sound the horn if we see anything out of the ordinary.¡±


    ¡°Good luck,¡± Emily says as he walks off, pulling Angela along and heading for the drone room.


    When they enter the room, they find the hatch still hanging open, with a light haze of sand filling the air. Emily quickly casts a basic wind barrier, severing the connection with the air outside and causing all of the particulate filling the room to drop to the floor as it loses the force holding it up.


    ¡°Nifty trick,¡± Angela says, taking her arm off Emily¡¯s shoulder and limping forward to peer over the edge into the swirling sands below. ¡°Can you hold it for long?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, should be able to keep this barrier up for a while. It¡¯s really weak,¡± Emily replies, pulling some cushions out of her belt and laying them down. ¡°Now, please lie down here for me.¡±


    ¡°Do you have everything in that belt?¡± Angela asks with a confused stare at the cushions.


    Emily doesn¡¯t respond as she settles down and instead pulls out a spider and drops it out of the hatch, watching it vanish. It hits the floor quickly, so she has it unfurl and dig its legs into the ground, running its detection spell and sending the full results back to her. She sets two of her threads to the task of unravelling the cluttered feedback and turns her attention back to her patient.


    ¡°Hold still and try to relax,¡± she says, moving to sit beside her and placing a palm on her stomach. ¡°This won¡¯t take long.¡±


    Angela grunts out a response as Emily releases a stream of machina into her gut. Thanks to her testing on Podrick, the scan goes quickly without her having to adjust her technique at all.


    Interesting. A few of the differences between me and Pod were gender-based, but some look to be the result of my ascensions. They both share a few organs I don¡¯t have. Hmm, I think I need some scans of more awakened mages next. I wonder if my changes will match theirs.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    Drawing her focus out of the new diagrams in her notes on the human body, Emily withdraws her machina and finally takes her hand off Angela. The woman shivers slightly as the unpleasant buzzing finally subsides, looking at the white runes forming around Emily¡¯s arms with curiosity.


    ¡°My scan¡¯s done,¡± Emily explains, moving both hands to hover over the healing gash on Angela¡¯s leg. ¡°I¡¯m moving on to healing you now.¡±


    ¡°Cool. Did you get what you needed?¡± Angela asks, her eyes widening slightly in surprise as a cold light pours into her leg from Emily¡¯s hands, soothing the wound.


    ¡°Mostly. I¡¯m still going to need to scan some more people to gather more data on structure, and preferably I want to do some stress testing on some living subjects to work out function, but I won¡¯t be asking you to help with those... maybe.¡±


    Angela can¡¯t help the chill that runs down her spine in response to the sinister glint in Emily¡¯s eyes as she speaks about stress testing living subjects despite being half sure she¡¯s joking. Slightly unsettled by the topic, she drops her questioning and falls silent, focusing her attention on the light around her leg.


    Emily gets the message and focuses on slowly knitting flesh back together, frowning slightly at the healing spell she stole.


    I¡¯m not sure if the spell is just terrible, or if I¡¯m bad at using it, but there is no way it should be draining this much mana and taking this much effort for such minor wounds on an unawakened mortal. Understanding the body more has barely helped! I thought it would, since the spell works better on myself, but I guess I¡¯m just better at self-repair.


    Despite her frustration, Emily pushes forward while setting a few of her threads on the task of reworking the spell. It takes her a while, but eventually, the wound on Angela¡¯s leg fades, leaving her tanned skin in peak condition.


    Well, maybe I can use its core after killing it instead.


    The elemental fires into motion, both its legs kicking out with two large bursts of wind that send waves through the surrounding storm as its body flies towards Emily. A wild grin stretches her lips as her legs twitch, launching her up and out of the way of the violent charge, narrowly dodging an extended arm-blade.


    ¡°A speed type that uses arm blades!¡± Emily shouts with glee, flipping upside down and extending both her arms with her Claws at full extension. ¡°Ha!¡±


    Emily slams into a platform of sparks, bending her legs to full compression and pouring out charge before releasing her tension and rocketing forward. The platform bursts behind her, sending arcs of lightning out into the storm. She sails past the elemental, cutting at it and narrowly catching the edge of its torso as it shunts itself sideways with a burst of wind to dodge her attack.


    Her blade slides through the swirling air without meeting any resistance, causing Emily to click her tongue as the blunt burst of wind knocks her sideways. She kicks off another platform almost instantly, flying off at an unexpected angle towards the floor to dodge a blade of wind sailing after her back.


    Emily twists, getting her legs beneath herself, and kicks off again as she slams into the sand. She glances at the elemental as she flies past, confirming her worry when she sees no damage left by her attack.


    I¡¯m slightly faster than it is, but I¡¯ll only be able to hurt it by attacking its core.


    Emily kicks off another platform, trying to build more charge before attacking again. However, the elemental also seems to realise their gap in speed as it doesn¡¯t bother chasing her. Instead, it locks itself in place and shudders, making the winds in its upper torso go crazy. The torso, along with the roiling arm blades connected to it, starts to rotate, and each time the blades pass in front of it, a new, arcing blade of wind is flung towards Emily.


    Emily twists, pivoting on a crackling platform to push herself out of the way of the first unexpected projectile. Another platform allows her to leap over the second, and a third allows her to cut all of her momentum and let a blade miss on its own.


    The fourth and fifth blades come at almost the same time as the creature reaches full speed, its rapidly spinning blades pulling the calm air around them into a raging tornado. Emily charges her blades with machina and lightning before cutting down the two incoming projectiles, getting knocked back but taking no damage.


    Her eyes narrow at the living storm pulling in a stream of sand with its twisting vortex, and through the distortions in the air and the dusty particles flying about, she spots a glowing green light.


    The core! It looks to be inside the spinning torso, but that vortex will rip me to shreds if I charge into it.


    Emily is forced to break eye contact with the core as more blades of wind shoot towards her. She bobs and weaves in the air, dancing between the blades and slowly circling the elemental, building up the power in her legs to a hissing crescendo and leaving behind sizable platforms of sparks floating in her wake.


    If I want to hit the core, I¡¯ll need to create an opening. I¡¯ll run out of mana before it stops spinning at this rate.


    With a quick scan over the battlefield, taking in the floating lightning waiting for her command and the maelstrom of wind churning in the centre, Emily quickly formulates an attack plan. Dodging another projectile, this one resembling a spinning, sandy saw blade, Emily continues moving.


    She flies around, placing platform after platform of crackling sparks, filling the space as if they¡¯re stars in the night sky. A few of the bundles of energy are ripped apart by stray blades of wind, but the number grows quickly with each sudden movement from Emily, soon surrounding the elemental on all sides.


    With her armour covered in small gashes, left by narrow escapes, and a thin trail of blood running down her forehead, leaking into her mouth and dying her lips a crimson hue, Emily finally decides she¡¯s prepared enough. She suddenly drops to the floor and launches herself underneath the ship she has been avoiding throughout the engagement.


    The elemental sends a blade after her, but it bursts against the ship¡¯s hull, shaking Calypso and cutting a deep groove but not penetrating its armour. Emily clicks her fingers, her mouth stretched into a bloody grin, as one of the platforms on the opposite side of the elemental bursts, sending a single bolt of lightning towards the creature. Its screeching howl sounds again, and the moment it diverts its focus from her to respond to the attack, Emily launches herself over the ship.


    She steps off the air repeatedly, driving herself up as fast as she can until she comes to a stop high in the air directly above the centre of the twisting winds. She turns, angling herself for a kick towards the ground with her whole body, before calling upon her scattered power.


    Every single crackling platform of sparks seems to come alive, suddenly growing in size and ferocity before launching a beam of plasma into the sky. Each beam connects with Emily¡¯s fully-charged leg as she swings it down, channelling the force. A harsh thundercrack sounds, like the roar of a raging lion, as a devastating pillar of charge tears through the air, connecting the ground to Emily¡¯s leg in a burning flash of scorched air.

 Chapter 135 – Unstable

    Chapter 135 ¨C Unstable


    The moment Emily¡¯s earth-shattering kick connects, the twisting vortex of wind dominating the space disperses, revealing the elemental within. It appears frozen in its attacking stance, the motion of its upper torso halted, with all of the sand within its body half-cooked into a solid mass that leaves several gaps.


    Emily capitalises on the opening she¡¯s created, kicking off the air with her other leg and releasing all of the charge stored in it. She rockets down past the elemental, sliding one of her Claws into a gap in its body and connecting with the core with a satisfying crack. The clear sound rings out, filling the clearing as Emily slams into the hard, cooked sand below.


    She looks up and sees the winds making up the elemental¡¯s body slow to a halt before its sandy corpse falls to the ground beside her. Almost immediately, the storm begins to close in around them, seeking to cover the ship completely.


    I guess the elemental wasn¡¯t actively creating this sandstorm then, only living in it.


    Emily grabs the elemental¡¯s corpse, shattering the hardened sand with a single punch to pull out the cracked, fist-sized, glowing orb within. It¡¯s mostly pale green with a few small streaks of swirling sandy-brown light.


    A wind elemental with a small dual affinity for sand. I wonder if I can use this to add another element to my repertoire. It feels like a sub-category of earth.


    She¡¯s forced to pull her focus away from the core as the stormy gusts reach her again, so she stands up and races back towards the ship. She slides under the drone hatch and launches herself up into shelter easily, dropping her electrified state and letting out a sigh as she moves to shut the hatch behind herself, her face back to a calm mask with all signs of her combat-high gone.


    ¡°Using elemental connection to cast sky step seems to be a sure-fire way to drain myself if I¡¯m not in the middle of a mana-dense region,¡± she mutters with a glance at her dwindling mana reserves. ¡°Luckily, I still had plenty of machina left if I really needed it.¡±


    The hatch rises up to seal off the room and, as Emily raises a hand to conjure some wind to clean up the sand scattered across the floor, the door bursts open. Podrick races in, followed closely by the rest of the crew, bar Anton.


    ¡°That was incredible!¡± Podrick cheers, rushing over to Emily but halting in his step and hesitating when he sees the blood trailing down the centre of her face. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°This?¡± Emily asks, ignoring the dirty room for now and reaching up to cast cleanse, wiping away the blood on her forehead to reveal a scabbed-over cut, healing at a visible rate. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. My natural healing is very good. As long as my mana keeps circulating, it¡¯ll be gone without a trace in a few minutes.¡±No?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°So, you don¡¯t even need healing magic yourself?¡± Angela asks, drawing Emily¡¯s focus to the healing cuts still lining the pilot¡¯s arms. ¡°If only you could transfer that to me.¡±


    ¡°I -¡° Emily pauses, Angela¡¯s words setting off a spark of an idea in her mind, ¡°Might be able to?¡±


    She immediately throws the idea to her secondary cores, restarting their work on a new healing spell from scratch.


    ¡°Give me about ten to twenty minutes and I¡¯ll have something to test,¡± Emily says to Angela before turning her curiosity on the rest of the group. ¡°Anyway, why are you all here?¡±


    Only Angela and Podrick remain unfazed by her gaze, while the other three all flinch slightly as her cold eyes pass over them.


    ¡°W- We wanted to come check you were okay and ask what that thing was,¡± Ash explains after a slight stutter, pressing down their obvious discomfort much faster than the other two and glancing at the pulsing core still in Emily¡¯s grasp.


    ¡°Well, as you can see, I¡¯m fine,¡± Emily says, raising the cracked orb before her. ¡°As for what this was? An elemental. They¡¯re a pretty rare creature formed when concentrated elemental mana gains sentience.¡±


    ¡°How rare are they?¡± Tony asks, surprising Emily that the quiet man would come forward. ¡°We¡¯ve never run into something like that before. If you weren¡¯t here, it would have ripped the ship to shreds.¡±


    ¡°Rare enough that it doesn¡¯t surprise me you¡¯ve never seen one,¡± Emily says as she turns back to face the open room, raising her free arm and weaving a few quick hand signs to conjure a light, twisting breeze to gather the scattered sand in the centre. ¡°I also suspect it wouldn¡¯t have come near the ship if I wasn¡¯t here. Elementals are normally very intelligent, and I wouldn¡¯t expect a wind elemental to show such outright hostility for no reason. I think that one was unstable, and it was probably drawn towards my mana signature.¡±


    She finishes cleaning the floor, leaving the sand piled up on top of the closed hatch as she turns back to the crew, finding them looking at her with a mixture of twisted expressions.


    ¡°Woah, that¡¯s weird,¡± Angela says, moving the bound arm around. ¡°It barely feels like there¡¯s anything there but it¡¯s kind of tingly.¡±


    Emily nods at the expected feedback and takes the woman¡¯s other arm to wrap it as well. A quick glance at her remaining mana, as she applies the treatment, causes Emily¡¯s eyes to widen slightly in surprise.


    Damn, that¡¯s expensive. Four thousand mana just to wrap both arms.


    ¡°There you go,¡± she says after the second wrap is in place. ¡°Those should stay for about ten minutes, then when they fade your arms should be spotless.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Emily,¡± Angela says while pushing herself up to stand.


    Emily nods and waves her off, remaining seated and placing both hands on the glowing core in her lap as she shuts her eyes again. Angela hesitates in the doorway, glancing back at Emily with a conflicted expression before she continues out into the corridor.


    I wonder what that was about.


    Emily stops paying attention to her surroundings as the door clicks shut and focuses on the task at hand.


    Time to see if I can learn a new element from this core!


    She pours a stream of mana into the orb, trying to connect with the turbulent flow she can feel within. The moment her raw mana enters the core, it¡¯s torn from her control and scattered. A frown creases her brow as she adjusts her approach, now attributing her mana with wind before sending it in. Her mana holds together as it enters the solidified mass of mana, but it also gets drawn into the flow within and soon leaves her control as well.


    Okay, no injecting mana for now I guess.


    She changes tactics again and focuses on trying to draw out the mana from the core. Cycling Technomancer¡¯s Breath, Emily directs her body to draw in mana through her palms and waits. It takes a few minutes, but eventually, a light stream of mana is pulled from the core and into her body. However, the moment it happens, the core suddenly shakes, growing warmer as the glow within lights up the cracks on its surface and a stronger flood of mana rushes into Emily. Immediately, she releases the orb, dropping it into her lap as she doubles over in pain.


    ¡°ARGH!¡± she grunts through gritted teeth, her eyes shooting open.


    Looking down, she sees her arms shaking, the veins on the back of her hands bulging from her skin with an unnatural green and brown glow. She instantly tries to turn off her pain receptors to allow herself respite to observe calmly, but despite her command to her body working, the pain lingers.


    Shit.


    Without wasting a moment, Emily floods her arms with mana and machina. A light mist of mana slowly rises from her skin as the foreign element is forcefully flushed from her system and, the moment the mist stops seeping from her pores, the pain subsides.


    ¡°Haaa,¡± Emily lets out a sigh of relief, flexing her fingers and running machina through them to make sure they are unaffected. ¡°Okay. Maybe don¡¯t try pulling mana from a half-broken, dead elemental¡¯s core.¡±


    She turns her gaze to the item in question and watches as it stops shaking, the glowing light pouring from its cracks slowly reducing until it returns to its inactive state. She picks it up, finding it once again cold to the touch, and places it in her belt for now as her machina confirms she suffered no lasting damage, before leaning back and letting herself fall flat on her back as she tries to process what just happened.


    That pain wasn¡¯t normal. It continued even after I turned off my pain receptors. I didn¡¯t think that was possible. Was it some form of contamination from trying to pull in an element I can¡¯t use? Or was the mana in the core as unstable as the core itself? The flow within feels abnormal, so that¡¯s a possibility. Maybe it¡¯s just not possible to cultivate using an elemental core like that. I have only read about them being used to fuel arrays and artefacts. Maybe that water elemental was doing more than I thought to connect with me safely.


    After a few minutes of throwing ideas around in her head, Emily lets out another sigh. Unable to come to a conclusion without more testing, she adds the core to a slowly growing list of things to research later.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± she mutters, gathering her cushions back into her storage and standing up. ¡°Preparing the ship¡¯s upgrades takes priority.¡±

 Chapter 136 – The Birds

    Chapter 136 ¨C The Birds


    Emily settles down in her temporary workshop with Podrick for the duration of the storm. She tirelessly works on fabricating armour panels while watching through her spider scout for anything approaching the ship.


    A few times, she notices distinct clusters of motion passing them by, but nothing approaches Calypso, so she happily ignores them and keeps working. Mid-afternoon on the second day grounded, however, Emily pauses her hands midway through engraving a rune and looks straight down.


    Deep below the sands, she spots a powerful vibration coming towards the ship at the very edge of the scout¡¯s vertical range. She waits with bated breath, her eyes locked on the floor as her perception spreads beneath it. After a few seconds, a faint rumble passes up through the ship, reaching them from far below. Podrick looks over at the sound, noticing Emily staring at the floor with concern.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± he asks, receiving no answer as Emily doesn¡¯t even hear him.


    The slight shaking of the ship continues for a dozen seconds before fading, and Emily watches as the movement below the sands fades away into the distance, completely ignoring them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she finally responds, looking up as she continues moving her engraving tool. ¡°Probably a sandworm, and a huge one at that.¡±


    Podrick¡¯s face blanches at the mention of the sometimes-city-sized worms, a noticeable shiver running down his spine.


    ¡°I fucking hope not.¡±


    ***


    The next day, as most of the crew are gathered in the mess hall eating breakfast, the storm finally passes.


    Emily is the first to notice, seeing the cluttered feedback from her scout gradually reduce as a wave of calm slowly approaches them. By the time she steps out of her workshop to look through a window to confirm, the thick curtain of violent winds that once surrounded the ship is gone, and she has a clear view out over the undulating sandy expanse around them. Seeing this, she immediately heads towards the ship¡¯s main entrance.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Emily calls out as she turns a corner and steps into view of Anton, Angela, and Ash, all gathered in front of the hatch with rifles in hand.


    ¡°Hey, Emily,¡± Anton greets her, gesturing for her to join them as he turns and pulls the lever to let them out. ¡°Ready to get back in the air again?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± she replies with a calm nod, stepping past them and out of the door first, raising her scarf to protect herself from the light haze of sand still swirling around, not yet completely settled. ¡°The sooner we get moving, the sooner we can get away from my bounty.¡±


    ¡°Ha,¡± Angela barks, following close behind her. ¡°I almost forgot about that. How much are you even worth, anyway?¡±


    ¡°Five thousand gold.¡±


    ¡°Fucking hell!¡± she hisses in shock, Anton and Ash both taking sharp breaths behind her as well. ¡°Five thousand gold? You could buy an airship and still live the rest of your life off that kind of money!¡±


    ¡°Haha,¡± Emily chuckles, looking back over her shoulder with a daring glint in her eye. ¡°Feeling tempted?¡±


    ¡°To die?¡± Angela fires back immediately with an unimpressed stare through her goggles. ¡°Because that¡¯s the only way I see that going.¡±


    Emily shrugs, turning back around as her foot hits the sand below.


    They split up once again to deal with an anchor each. As Emily walks under the belly of Calypso to reach the one at the far end, she glances at the landing gears around her, all of them partially submerged in sand.


    That¡¯ll make taking off annoying. Hopefully wind current will be able to deal with it quickly.


    Placing her hopes in the second circle water spell she modified, Emily ignores the ship¡¯s feet for now and approaches her target anchor, finding only a cable extending out of the sand.


    ¡°Haaa. Thought so,¡± she sighs at the sight, raising a hand and casting her spell.


    The compound is wrapped in a low wall, only a few metres tall, and filled with buildings ranging from a few sizeable homes to dozens of expansive warehouses. Emily spots a few people patrolling the perimeter with rifles and oil lamps, whilst the inside of the compound is filled with artificial light as people scurry to and fro, still working despite the late hour.


    A knock on her workshop door pulls Emily¡¯s attention away from the scout¡¯s view. She continues fastening down a spring inside the delicate metal gearbox she¡¯s working on, having finished fabricating armour plating for the ship earlier in the day, and gestures with her head for Podrick to get it. He springs up from his seat beside her and runs to the door to open it.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Emily says, not looking up from her work as Anton walks in.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Anton greets back. Walking over to peer over her shoulder, he continues. ¡°I¡¯d like to ask for your help if possible.¡±


    ¡°Shoot.¡±


    ¡°Could you take Pod over to the shipyard ahead of us please?¡±


    Emily finally looks up at the odd request, though her hands keep working regardless.


    ¡°I could,¡± she responds. ¡°Why though?¡±


    ¡°I want to get a message to his dad to ask them to open a warehouse for us, and I¡¯d rather not rely on giving a letter to the guards.¡±


    ¡°Are they untrustworthy?¡±


    Anton¡¯s expression twists as he gives an unsure shrug. He glances over to Podrick for an answer


    ¡°I¡¯d normally say yes,¡± the boy says, raising a hand to scratch the back of his head. ¡°But only for a normal docking request. They all live in our compound and don¡¯t travel much, but they¡¯re still supplied by the Myrtle family, so I guess there¡¯s a chance they¡¯ll pass on anything they consider key information. Oh, and there¡¯s also a chance they won¡¯t pass the message to Dad, and they¡¯ll just tell us to land nearby till morning. They can get kinda lazy sometimes.¡±


    Emily snorts and nods, finally placing down the screwdriver and gearbox in her hands.


    ¡°Fine,¡± she says, pushing up from her seat and starting towards the door. ¡°I¡¯ll take him.¡±


    They slowly walk through the ship towards the drone room while Anton explains to Podrick what he should say. He finishes his instructions as Emily pops the hatch and gestures for the boy to climb onto her back.


    ¡°See you on the ground,¡± she says to Anton before stepping out onto nothing and plummeting towards the desert.


    Podrick¡¯s grip around her neck tightens, his legs clasped around her waist, but he impressively manages to keep from making a noise as they free-fall. Emily uses air walk to cut their momentum a few times before they land softly on the sand below. The moment her foot hits the ground, Emily breaks into a sprint towards the shipyard, internally casting wind rush and forming an invisible, swirling gust around her legs to drive her forward.


    They quickly overtake Calypso, reaching the low wall around the compound within a few minutes without being spotted. The guards on the wall are spaced far enough apart that Emily easily finds a dark spot without anyone watching and leaps over. As they land on the lightly packed ground on the other side with a small thud, Emily whispers to the boy on her back.


    ¡°Where will your dad be?¡± she asks.


    ¡°There,¡± Podrick answers, extending one arm to point to the largest of the homes.


    Emily nods and sets off towards it along the narrow streets of the shipyard. She sticks to the shadows, occasionally ducking between warehouses to let workers pass her by. They reach the indicated building without any issues, where Emily drops the boy to the ground and stands aside, leaving him to deal with his family himself.


    He reaches up and knocks firmly against the thick wooden door before stepping back and excitedly bouncing from side to side. Emily hears movement within the building, and after a minute of waiting she hears the familiar metallic grating of bolts being pulled free before the door swings open. Standing in the doorway before them is a short, hefty man with muscles visibly bursting from the well-worn dressing gown wrapped around him, and a messy mop of familiar blonde hair that sits a little too far back on his head.


    ¡°What¡¯s-¡° he starts as he opens the door before his eyes shoot open wide in recognition. ¡°Pod?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Dad,¡± Podrick responds with an excited chirp as his father steps forward and wraps him in a tight hug.

 Chapter 137 – Grounded

    chapter 137 ¨C grounded


    ¡°haha,¡± podrick¡¯s father laughs heartily. ¡°it¡¯s good to see you, my boy.¡±


    emily silently watches the reunion from the side, the sight awakening memories of herber, which she quickly pushes away as the lack of emotional connection unsettles her, a pang of guilt and discomfort resonating in her chest despite her absolute calm.


    ¡°what are you doing back so soon? and who¡¯s this lass?¡± the man asks, pulling away from his son and glancing over at emily, meeting her cold, indifferent stare. ¡°i have to say, son, she¡¯s certainly beautiful, but i always hoped you¡¯d bring back a woman as cheerful as your father!¡±


    ¡°dad!¡± podrick yells in panic, his cheeks tinted in a rosy shade and his eyes wide as he worriedly glances towards emily, noticing the ice-cold glint in her eye at the man¡¯s insinuation, ¡°definitely not. don¡¯t even go there.¡±


    ¡°haha, i¡¯m kidding, i¡¯m kidding,¡± the man belts enthusiastically, not noticing the genuine panic behind his son¡¯s reaction and slapping him on the shoulder before using a fake cough to regain his composure as he turns to emily. ¡°anyway, the name¡¯s rodrick rockworth, shipbuilder and father to this little tyke. who might you be?¡±


    ¡°emily coldstone,¡± she responds with a cold smile that doesn¡¯t reach her eyes. ¡°mechanic and wanted criminal.¡±


    rodrick¡¯s smile freezes, and he glances uncomfortably between emily and podrick.


    ¡°emily?¡± podrick asks cautiously, equally surprised and slightly unsettled by her introduction.


    ¡°what?¡± she says, looking at him with a raised eyebrow and a slow tilt of her head. ¡°anton told you to tell him the truth, didn¡¯t he? we may as well cut to the chase. calypso will be here soon.¡±


    ¡°right,¡± podrick agrees, letting out a small sigh of relief and turning his attention back to his father. ¡°i¡¯ll explain everything to you later, but we are kind of in a hurry and need to do some work on the ship. can you open a warehouse for us?¡±


    rodrick slowly nods, his cheerful smile fading as he looks at his son with concern for a few moments, searching within his earnest gaze for any signs of distress.


    ¡°sure,¡± he finally says, turning and grabbing a large keyring and an oil lamp from a hook just inside the door before awkwardly stepping out of his house to lead the way. ¡°warehouse five is free right now.¡±


    ¡°great. thanks, dad!¡± podrick says, his own smile coming back as he jogs to walk beside him.


    emily trails a few metres behind them with a slow, controlled gait, ignoring what they think is quiet whispering and giving podrick time to reassure his father of his safety as her gaze rises into the sky, quickly locating the approaching form of calypso, still a few minutes from the compound. they walk along the well-lit central street through the shipyard, attracting curious glances towards from the few workers still milling about, and quickly arrive before an oversized warehouse with a large number five bolted above the huge sheet-metal double doors.


    instead of entering through the ship-sized doors, rodrick approaches a smaller door to the side, passing his lamp to his son, picking a small bronze key from his keyring, and unlocking it. they step into the dark, empty warehouse, the space barely illuminated by the small lamp. rodrick turns to the side, walking parallel to the giant doors as he makes straight for a thick chain hanging down from the roof on the other side.


    ¡°this will only take a minute,¡± he says, reaching up and grabbing one side of the chain with both hands before pulling down with all his strength.


    the chain doesn¡¯t move at first, but then slowly slides down as a loud creaking fills the space. after a single full draw down to his chest, rodrick lets go and reaches up to pull down again. emily glances up and sees a tiny crack opening in the roof, revealing the glistening starry night sky above.


    after four strenuous tugs on the chain, emily steps forward, tapping rodrick on the shoulder.


    ¡°move,¡± she says. ¡°i¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°haha, i may be getting old,¡± rodrick replies, glancing over his shoulder and attempting to flash emily a reassuring grin despite the obvious caution in his eyes. ¡°but i assure you, it¡¯s harder than it looks.¡±


    emily rolls her eyes, stepping past the man and reaching up with a single hand. she activates the enchantment on her boots to boost her weight a little before pulling down. the chain slides down in a quick, smooth motion, and rodrick¡¯s eyes widen in disbelief.


    ¡°i may be young,¡± emily says as he steps back, giving her free access to the chain. ¡°but i assure you, i¡¯m stronger than i look.¡±


    as the roof above clangs shut, emily turns to face ash walking over from the ship.


    ¡°rodrick¡¯s offered us a few trusted hands to help if we need it. how do you want to do this?¡± they ask.


    ¡°he did?¡± emily responds with a question. ¡°in that case, are you okay managing everyone out here to swap the armour plating?¡±


    ¡°sure, that¡¯s simple enough.¡±


    ¡°great. i¡¯m going to tweak the engine a little, and then work on some internal rune work. i¡¯ll grab all the panels for you and give you a copy of my blueprint to work off. please make sure they put the right panels in the right places, or the enchantments i¡¯m working on won¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°got it. is there nothing else you need done outside the ship?¡±


    ¡°no. you should already know we¡¯d need to make too many changes to the structure for a port to not recognise the ship as mandrago-owned,¡±


    since you¡¯re the one who told me.


    ¡°and any weapon systems i want to add would take too much time to produce and teach you guys to use right now. we¡¯re gonna have to rely on speed and defence to get us through whatever they have waiting for us at the border.¡±


    i also don¡¯t want anyone else shooting down pursuing ships in case they kill someone and it counts against my quest. i¡¯ll have far more control if i¡¯m the only one fighting back.


    ¡°okay,¡± ash says with a nod, turning to face the small warehouse door where rodrick and anton are standing together waiting for a signal from the ship¡¯s mechanic.


    they raise a closed fist and shake it, and rodrick raises six fingers in response.


    ¡°it¡¯ll be tight, but with six people and a bit of help from everyone else we should be done swapping the plating in two days.¡±


    ¡°perfect,¡± emily responds. ¡°i¡¯ll have the engine done in one, and any unfinished runework can be done on the move.¡±


    with their plan decided, emily drops the armour plates already in her belt in an open space before heading into the ship. she grabs her long-term storage backpack and walks between the ship¡¯s cargo rooms that contain the rest of the places, gathering them all up and moving them outside. leaving a drawn-up copy of the blueprint for the ship¡¯s externals with the plates, she ignores the confusion of the shipwrights entering the warehouse as they see the floating magical light and heads back into the bowels of the ship.


    emily enters the engine room with excitement and begins the slow process of upgrading the beating heart of the ship. she slowly strips the outer panels, revealing a complicated blend of chambers for water and steam, along with cogs, gears, and pistons for generating motion. she then carefully removes each delicately crafted piece of the whole, clearing space for her own designs.


    it takes her a little over six hours to pull apart the dense cluster of machinery, leaving a gaping hole in the centre of the large chamber, surrounded by coal-burning ovens. she leaves the engine room behind and spends the next twelve hours tirelessly machining new pieces to rebuild the engine, carefully selecting non magical-metal alloys from her newly-recorded collection to fit each roll, some with better heat resistance, some with more rigidity, creating the perfect blend to squeeze every drop of power she can from the engine without increasing its size.


    finally, after a quick trip outside to check on the progress of the armour swap after podrick comes to ask her to remove her magical light, she spends another eight hours building a new engine in place, forming a beautiful blend of silvers, blacks, and greys from the different alloys perfectly woven together. as her work on the engine finishes, emily can¡¯t keep the excited grin from her face in anticipation of turning it on for the first time.


    ¡°finally,¡± she says with a satisfied sigh, tightening the final bolt of her new masterpiece into place and stepping back to take it all in. ¡°if this beauty can¡¯t get us out of the country, we¡¯re fucked.¡±


    a small surge of machina through her leg reassures her that it¡¯s perfectly reconnected to every system driven by the old engine. however, the scan of the ship also knocks the excitement out of her, forcing emily to return to her usual disquieting apathy.


    ¡°i should probably tweak the propellers too,¡± she mutters, tapping her foot restlessly in place and glancing at the designs in her notes. ¡°they¡¯re going to be put under more stress because of this. ah well, they¡¯ll survive until we get across the sea as long as i don¡¯t use overdrive too much.¡±


    she reaches up and runs her hand over the cold metal of her new creation one last time, before turning to leave, heading to the first crawl space on her list to start carving runes.

 Chapter 138 – Goddess’ Light

    chapter 138 ¨C goddess¡¯ light


    ¡°hey, emily!¡± podrick calls out, knocking his fist against the wall above the crawlspace she¡¯s tucked into to grab her attention. ¡°ash says they think we¡¯re done and wants you to come check.¡±


    ¡°okay,¡± emily calls back, her steady hand carving a rune into a structural beam of metal without pause. ¡°i¡¯ll be there in a moment.¡±


    i¡¯ve finished forty per cent of the runes needed now. it¡¯s a shame i can¡¯t finish it before we set off, but the modified engine will be enough to compensate for the armour''s added weight for now.


    she finishes cutting the shape into the metal beam, taking a tiny pinch of powdered lesser wind crystal and smearing it across the rune before shimmying out of the confined space and standing up beside podrick. as she glances at him, emily notices his skin is a touch too pale, and there are obvious dark bags beneath his eyes.


    ¡°you haven¡¯t slept?¡± she asks as they walk through the ship towards the exit.


    ¡°no,¡± podrick says, stifling a yawn. ¡°i¡¯ve been helping ash. whatever¡¯s needed to get us in the air sooner, right?¡±


    emily raises a brow and gives a small, impressed nod at his work ethic.


    ¡°have you spoken to your mum yet?¡±


    podrick noticeably shivers at the question and slowly nods his head.


    ¡°yeah. she was expectedly unhappy about me going overseas, but she was thanking the goddess that i¡¯ve made friends while she complained about it.¡±


    ¡°ha,¡± emily scoffs. ¡°she isn¡¯t trying to stop you leaving?¡±


    ¡°surprisingly, no. though she¡¯s certainly worried for my safety,¡± he responds, flushing with embarrassment as they walk out onto the steps to descend from the ship.


    emily immediately realises why when she looks to the front of the warehouse and sees a tall woman with flowing blonde hair standing with her back to the ship, talking to anton in a stern tone. anton looks resigned, but his eyes seem to light up when he spots emily. the moment she sees that, a foreboding feeling forms in her gut.


    he wouldn¡¯t.


    ¡°mrs rockworth, i understand your concerns, but i assure you the safety of my crew is my top priority,¡± anton says in a placating tone. ¡°if you still feel concerned though, i can introduce you to the head of our ship¡¯s security.¡±


    he would.


    emily freezes at the base of the ship¡¯s steps as anton turns mrs rockworth around and guides her over. she turns her head to look at the boy cowering and shame-faced beside her.


    ¡°is the armour swap actually finished,¡± emily asks with an icy whisper. ¡°or was i just brought out here to placate your mother?¡±


    ¡°it is,¡± podrick rushes to explain. ¡°but mum came to help us as well, and going to get you was a good excuse to run from her nagging.¡±


    emily sighs and glances around the room, spotting ash and several tired-looking workers gathered together on a few seats off to the side, sipping from steaming mugs while watching mrs rockworth from afar.


    is everyone here scared of her?


    emily¡¯s irritation fades quickly, and she looks back to the woman as she arrives before her. they both silently take each other in.


    mrs rockworth is taller than her husband, standing between podrick and emily in height. she wears a set of worn overalls with several neat patches sewn on and dozens of stained grease smears marking the faded fabric. her sleeves are rolled up to her biceps, showing off her muscular arms and calloused hands. her pretty face is set in a stern glare as her piercing blue eyes take emily in, and the crow''s feet beside them only add to the streaks of grey that she wears proudly in her hair to complete her fierce look.


    after a few tense moments of silence, with anton and podrick both holding their breaths in anticipation, mrs rockworth finally speaks.


    ¡°gilly rockworth,¡± she says, offering her hand. ¡°i take it you¡¯re the emily my pod told me about.¡±


    ¡°that would be me,¡± emily replies, taking her hand and firmly shaking it. ¡°emily coldstone, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    gilly nods as their hands separate, her eyes narrowing further as she asks a question.


    ¡°so, what did you do to require being smuggled out of this blessed country?¡±


    ¡°i wiped out a noble family,¡± emily responds with a chilling smile that elicits a flinch from anton despite being used to her.


    ¡°i see,¡± gilly says, as unphased as her son. ¡°i take it you aren¡¯t a believer then?¡±


    ¡°no, i¡¯m not. though, nor were the family i killed. i doubt you¡¯ll find many faithful among the nobility.¡±


    gilly quietly nods, gazing into emily¡¯s eyes as if searching for the truth.


    ¡°i¡¯m not anymore,¡± emily confirms with a nod. ¡°but it¡¯s not like i¡¯m against respecting other¡¯s faith. i just lost mine a long time ago.¡±


    podrick nods silently, not pushing further.


    ¡°are you going to continue working?¡± he asks instead.


    ¡°yeah. you should go get some sleep though,¡± emily responds.


    ¡°i will. is your ability to go without sleep something i¡¯ll get eventually?¡±


    ¡°as long as you reach a higher level, yes.¡±


    podrick yawns in response and separates from emily at the next junction to head towards his quarters, leaving her to continue her work enchanting the ship alone.


    ***


    two days of uneventful flying later, calypso approaches the bastion city of erenmoor, a city owned by the hibiscus family at the very edge of the continent, next to the narrowest crossing to dennari.


    emily hears a loud creaking as the engine room door is pushed open and opens her eyes, pulling her mind from the spellweave as she looks up at the new entrant.


    ¡°hey, emily,¡± podrick says as he walks in, noticing her sitting cross-legged on the floor. ¡°hope i¡¯m not interrupting.¡±


    ¡°only a little,¡± emily says with a shrug, pushing herself off the floor and noticing the boy¡¯s gaze drifting up to admire the pulsing engine behind her. ¡°she¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°yeah.¡± podrick nods with awe.


    ¡°you should try meditating in here,¡± emily says, gesturing for him to approach the engine beside her. ¡°good meditation is the best way to increase your machina stores, and i¡¯ve found this room a wonderful environment for it. look, place your hand beside mine.¡±


    she raises her hand and places it against the cold metal of the engine on a smooth, unmoving section. podrick does as she says and copies her.


    ¡°now shut your eyes. feel inside yourself for your machina, like when i got you to draw it within your cortex when i was scanning you before, and this time slowly push a small stream of it into your hand.¡±


    podrick follows her instructions, reaching into himself and trying to pull out the energy within. after a few minutes of nothing happening, emily continues to guide him.


    ¡°breathe steadily. take a long, deep breath in through your nose and hold it,¡± she says. ¡°one, two, three. breathe out through your mouth and hold. one, two. in through your nose. good, now repeat that and focus.¡±


    after a few cycles of breathing, a tiny spark of machina pushes its way out of podrick¡¯s palm and into the engine. the moment it does, the boy opens his eyes in shock and breaks his breathing pattern, dispersing the gathered machina.


    ¡°whoa, that was weird!¡± he exclaims, looking down at his hand in wonder. ¡°it¡¯s like i could see the engine moving without looking!¡±


    ¡°well done,¡± emily says, patting him on the shoulder. ¡°that¡¯s the basics of a machina scan right there. that breathing pattern is my old meditation technique, so use that to practice gathering and controlling your machina from now on. now, i assume you came here because anton wanted to see me, correct?¡±


    ¡°yes.¡± podrick nods. ¡°he asked for you on the bridge to discuss what to do next since you asked to stop near erenmoor.¡±


    emily nods before leaving the engine room and making her way to the bridge with podrick hot on her heels. as she enters the ship¡¯s command centre, anton turns his chair to face her.


    ¡°hey, emily. we¡¯re approaching erenmoor, but since it¡¯s on a flatland this is as close as we can get without being spotted. do you want us to set her down here?¡± he asks, gesturing over his shoulder to the window behind him where an open expanse of sand is visible.


    ¡°yes,¡± emily confirms before she proceeds to explain her reasoning. ¡°i want to activate the enchantment i placed on the hull when we¡¯re grounded to make sure it works and the change in weight doesn¡¯t upset the ship¡¯s balance too much, and i think it best we pass erenmoor and make a break for the border under the cover of night, so all of you should get some rest now.¡±


    ¡°i see,¡± anton says with a thoughtful nod as angela and tony begin bringing the ship down. ¡°don¡¯t you plan on resting too? i don¡¯t think i¡¯ve seen you sleep since ashdon.¡±


    ¡°maybe once i¡¯m back,¡± emily says with a shrug. ¡°i plan on making a quick trip to erenmoor to confirm something first. speaking of, is there anything we need to stock up on before we make our crossing?¡±


    ¡°no, we¡¯re fully stocked,¡± anton says with a shake of his head and a satisfied tap against the spatial pouch hanging at his waist. ¡°mrs rockworth helped us offload all the product we were carrying and fully stock up on food and fuel. i¡¯m even carrying a fair amount extra in here to save on weight. we should easily be able to make it half-way across dennari before we run out.¡±


    ¡°understood. i¡¯ll be back in a bit then.¡±


    emily turns and walks out of the bridge, heading straight for the drone hatch, her favourite way to leave the ship.


    ¡°are you sneaking into a city again?¡± podrick asks, still following her.


    ¡°yes, but i¡¯m going alone this time,¡± emily says to his disappointment, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. ¡°i¡¯m paying a friend¡¯s family a visit.¡±

 Chapter 139 – A Friendly Visit

    chapter 139 ¨C a friendly visit


    after dropping from the ship to the sands below, emily sprints across the desert with crackling charge burning her footprints into the ground beneath her. it takes a short while for the city to enter her sight and, as it does, she can¡¯t help but let out an impressed whistle.


    the entire city is wrapped in a gargantuan wall, equalling chroni¡¯s in size and equipped with many vicious-looking weapons. spaced at even intervals along the battlements are dozens of bulky cannons, mounted on swivels and pointed towards the sky to defend against any unapproved airships.


    outside the walls, unlike all the other cities emily has visited, is completely barren of housing. there are instead several rows of dug-in trenches and reinforced buildings, expanding the city¡¯s defences out to almost twice the size of the city itself.


    i couldn¡¯t think of anything more fitting for dante to call home.


    with a small grin, emily reaches into her belt and pulls out a brew of imperception, popping the cork off the vial and downing it in one go. she suppresses her mana at the same time, becoming a ghost to magical senses as she continues her approach across the open expanse at a slower speed. the distance means she has to drink a second vial before she reaches the trenches, but she isn¡¯t concerned by the expenditure, already planning on rewinding.


    she reaches the first line of defences and continues running at full speed, leaping over the first trench as she glances around, searching for guards and finding none.


    do they not man these defences if they aren¡¯t actively in a siege?


    emily doesn¡¯t find a single person outside the walls and increases her caution as she arrives at the base of the looming metal behemoth. her eyes scan along the wall, searching for anything she can use to climb it. she spots several fist-sized holes at even intervals, facing down towards where she stands, but otherwise, the only imperfections in the flat face are a few pipes jutting out slightly too low down to serve her purposes.


    i suspect those holes are another defence of some kind. do they drop grenades? maybe they pour oil on people trying to scale the wall. i can imagine burning invaders alive would bring dante joy.


    she turns and runs along the wall, searching for a path over. it¡¯s not until she¡¯s covered half the wall¡¯s circumference that she spots a few uneven panels three-quarters of the way up.


    ¡°perfect,¡± she mutters, stepping back from the wall and reaching down to a new creation mounted at her hip.


    emily twists the metal casing in place, angling it up towards the target panels, before tapping a button on the side. a harsh hiss sounds as an internal valve opens, releasing a canister of compressed air and firing a small, splayed metal hook. the reel fastened to the small of her back rapidly unwinds as the hook flies up with a thin cable attached. the reel completely unwinds the moment the hook sails into the gap between the panels, only just reaching far enough.


    she gives the cable a light tug, confirming the hook is held fast before she runs a flow of machina through the reel, quickly drawing the cable in. she steps up to the wall and places her feet against it, walking up slowly as the reel pulls her along.


    this is slower than i¡¯d like. i need to find a better way to draw it in without using magic. relying on machina alone is inefficient.


    emily soon reaches the loose panels and sticks her hand into the gap, grabbing on and holding herself steady as she reaches up with her other hand to work the hook out of place. the moment it¡¯s free, she holds the cable a short distance back from the hook and spins it around, building up momentum before tossing the hook up and over the top edge of the wall.


    on the first attempt, the hook catches nothing and falls back towards her as she tries to draw the cable in. luckily, on the second attempt she catches something out of sight over the top and the hook holds strong, allowing her to scale the rest of the distance.


    slipping over the wall, she glances to either side to confirm no one noticed the sound of her climbing before moving to one of the large cannons and placing her hook against the metal frame. she lowers herself down the inside of the wall until she reaches a pipe jutting out near the bottom where she hangs on as she uses a small flex of machina to free the hook far above. she doesn¡¯t bother using the grappling hook for the final drop and instead simply releases the pipe, falling to the bare ground below with a light thud as her legs cushion the fall.


    emily moves away from the wall quickly, flipping up her hood in preparation for her potion to wear off and winding through the residential streets she has arrived in to look for the nobles¡¯ district. it doesn¡¯t take her long to find the open streets lined with large estates.


    as she steps out of a narrow alley onto the well-paved road, several tense-looking patrolling guards notice her presence and a small group quickly approaches her.


    ¡°remove your hood please,¡± their leader says in a gruff tone, her hand resting on the handle of her rifle with her finger twitching towards the trigger.


    ¡°sure,¡± emily says, calmly reaching up and pulling back her hood. ¡°i¡¯d like to speak to the hibiscus patriarch.¡±


    the guards¡¯ eyes widen as they see her face, recognition crossing their faces as their grips on their weapons tighten.


    ¡°it¡¯s the traitor!¡± one of the guards hisses, instantly raising his gun to point at her.


    the others don¡¯t move though, and their leader quickly reaches back without looking and pushes the barrel of his weapon to the floor.


    ¡°it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you edoardo,¡± emily says as they arrive before a short, black and grey metal building a small distance from the main manor with large panes of glass facing the open packed dirt clearings. ¡°i¡¯m emily coldstone, third circle, though i¡¯m sure you already knew that.¡±


    ¡°of course i did.¡± edoardo nods, pushing open the door before stepping aside and gesturing for emily to enter first with a light bow of his head. ¡°young dante has told me all about you. he asked for you to be treated with utmost respect if you ever visited us. though, we didn¡¯t think it would be so soon.¡±


    emily nods and steps through the doorway past him, her hand hovering over the clock¡¯s pouch just in case. the room before her is spacious, with several comfortable-looking, bright red sofas arranged facing the wide glass windows, and several paintings on the windowless walls depicting what emily can only assume are members of the hibiscus family, both dressed up in fine clothes posing for the painting, and in a mixture of robes and armour in the midst of battles. there are a few servants moving around the space cleaning and as emily and edoardo step into the room, they all turn to face them.


    ¡°arrange some tea for our guest please,¡± edoardo declares in an authoritative tone before looking back to emily and returning to his friendly address. ¡°please wait here for a moment and make yourself comfortable. unfortunately, sir virgil isn¡¯t here at the moment since he is waiting to meet you at the border. i shall go request lady aurora, dante¡¯s mother, greets you instead if that will suffice.¡±


    ¡°that would be perfect,¡± emily says, noting his lack of concern as he warns her about the forces waiting to intercept her and giving the man an appreciative nod. ¡°thank you, edoardo.¡±


    the butler turns and marches out of the building, so emily moves to one of the plush red sofas and settles down to wait. a servant wearing a simple set of black robes carries over a tea set and pours her a cup. emily adds a splash of milk and calmly sits back, staring out of the window to consider the information the trip has given her so far as she waits for dante¡¯s mother to arrive.


    this has been a fruitful trip already. the guards here are very tense, and it seems like they may have worked out where i¡¯m planning on crossing the border already. trying for the crossing at night is probably pointless. it looks like i was correct to assume that the covenant has some way of tracking me when i¡¯m still in the country. ah well, it¡¯s useful to know that they¡¯ve posted at least one fourth circle mage at the border to capture me. though, by the sounds of it, he¡¯s likely to let me escape.


    she lifts her cup and takes a sip, enjoying the rich tea.


    as for the royal family, it seems their orders were to bring me in alive. is this why my quest wanted me to leave my pursuers alone? i¡¯m guessing that if i escape without causing more damage, i¡¯ll be able to patch up my relationship with the country relatively easily upon my return. edoardo did call the hederas extremists, and they were allied with the mandragos, so it seems they aren¡¯t popular with the crown.


    emily continues to sip from her cup, emptying it and placing it down before the door opens once again. a tall woman who looks to be in her early thirties in fine black robes with delicate red embroidery walks through the door with edoardo close behind. her hair is a short, familiar fiery red, sitting just above her shoulders, and she walks in with her back straight as a rod and a gentle smile on her face.


    ¡°hello, miss coldstone,¡± aurora greets, bowing her head and placing her fist above her heart in a mage¡¯s show of respect. ¡°i¡¯m aurora hibiscus, second circle, dante¡¯s mother and virgil¡¯s second wife. it¡¯s a pleasure to have you in our home.¡±


    ¡°please, just call me emily,¡± she responds, waving off the cordial greeting with a small smile. ¡°the pleasure is mine. dante never told me his mother was a beauty.¡±


    ¡°mm, you flatter me,¡± aurora says, elegantly lowering herself onto the sofa opposite emily with her hands gently placed on top of each other on her lap and a smile that doesn¡¯t reach her eyes. ¡°i would normally offer you some tea, but it seems edoardo got there before me, so instead can i inquire as to your reason for this visit? dante¡¯s told me a lot about you, and from what he¡¯s said, you don¡¯t seem the kind to pop in for a friendly chat. especially considering your current... circumstances.¡±


    ¡°haha, yes,¡± emily replies, the small smile on her face quickly fading as she returns to a neutral gaze. ¡°you¡¯re not wrong. i¡¯m not really one for social calls. i came to satisfy my curiosity and see if my bounty asked for my head in this territory as well, and who better to ask than a friendly family.¡±


    ¡°hmmm,¡± aurora hums with a nod, reaching out for the cup that edoardo has set down in front of her, filled with steaming tea, before standing at attention behind her. ¡°dante did mention your... reckless curiosity. with your ability to sneak into our city unseen, surely you could have found that information out yourself and left without risking your safety. why else did you feel the need to visit our humble household?¡±


    emily doesn¡¯t fail to notice the barely concealed venom in aurora¡¯s words, nor the twitching of edoardo¡¯s eye as he glances at his lady with concern, but she chooses to ignore it.


    ¡°well,¡± she responds with a cold glint in her eyes. ¡°i was hoping that my friends might have liked the chance to inform me about my... circumstances, as you so kindly put it.¡±


    ¡°you were, were you? well, i think your friends,¡± the noblewoman challenges, emphasising the word with a harsh bite in her tone, ¡°have given you enough help by accidentally forgetting your visit. especially considering some of them have already given you far more than enough help.¡±


    edoardo shivers at the woman¡¯s words with a visible bead of sweat rolling down his forehead.


    it seems he¡¯s not as close with lady aurora as he is with sir virgil, and it seems his lady doesn¡¯t really like me.


    ¡°now,¡± aurora continues without waiting for emily to respond. ¡°if that¡¯s all, i think you should be on your way. you, show her out.¡±


    she points to one of the servants standing at attention to the side of the room who bows and quickly moves to the door to lead emily out.


    so, she won¡¯t let edoardo tell me anything else then. what a shame. i should have asked him more before he left.


    ¡°i have to say,¡± emily says without standing up, her hand moving down to press rewind on the clock. ¡°i was really hoping dante¡¯s family would resemble him. but you¡¯re far more... noble.¡±


    she enjoys the flash of anger on the woman¡¯s face, and the visible shiver that runs through her body as time grinds to a halt, sending emily back to before the conversation ever happened.

 Chapter 140 – Break for the Border

    Chapter 140 ¨C Break for the Border


    Calypso sets down a short distance from Erenmoor once again, and this time Emily doesn¡¯t leave the ship. Instead, she sleeps for six hours, completely resting all of her cores ready for the final break for the border.


    After, she wakes up and heads towards the engine room to meditate till lift-off. On her way, she hears faint gunshots from the front of the ship and so makes her way over to check on them. She arrives at the main entrance hatch and finds Angela sitting at the top of the stairs with a clockwork rifle, firing potshots at three passing sand stalkers, a fourth lying a dozen metres behind them in a pool of blood.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t sleep?¡± Emily asks, leaning against the doorway behind her and ignoring the beasts.


    ¡°Something like that,¡± Angela says, lining up another shot and catching the lead stalker in the leg, knocking it to the sand. ¡°I¡¯m not used to sleeping when it¡¯s light and I saw these guys running by, so I decided to get some practice in. Just in case.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Emily hums, her hand moving down to rest on the Spitter as the beasts close in on the stairs.


    Angela manages to hit one of the last two stalkers before it can reach them, but her cylinder runs dry as the last places its front paw onto the metal below her.


    ¡°Shit,¡± she mutters.


    Emily draws her gun and flips it around in her hand before tapping Angela on the shoulder with the handle, offering it to her.


    ¡°Just flip the little switch on the side up once and shoot away.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Angela takes the offered pistol, aims it straight down the stairs and does as she¡¯s told, squeezing the trigger and sending a bullet into the head of the stalker that¡¯s now charging towards them.


    ¡°Nice shot,¡± Emily comments as she takes the gun back and fires two shots into the heads of the two bleeding stalkers still alive on the sands before heading down the stairs to harvest their tongues and move the corpses away from the ship.


    Angela remains seated, watching Emily with a conflicted expression until she starts back up the stairs to board the ship again.


    ¡°Hey, Emily,¡± she says, a look of resolution flashing across her face. ¡°Do you do it on purpose?¡±


    ¡°Do what?¡± Emily asks, dropping down to sit on the top step beside her.


    ¡°Scare people off.¡± Angela takes a deep breath, pausing and gauging Emily¡¯s lack of reaction before continuing. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for it since we left Ashdon, and you said I should rightfully be scared of you. You know, most normal people, no matter how dangerous they really are, would reassure people that they won¡¯t hurt them if they want to get along. But you seem to do the opposite. I know you can be friendly; you¡¯ve shown me that plenty. But instead, you make idle threats that you don¡¯t seem to have any desire to follow through with. Hell, you even came out of your fight against that elemental covered in your own blood and you chose not to clean it until you saw us. I refuse to believe you just forgot, you¡¯re not stupid...¡±


    She trails off, turning to Emily with a questioning gaze and waiting for a response.


    ¡°Okay, that one I blame on the combat high,¡± Emily says, flashing Angela a small grin. ¡°I really enjoy killing things.¡±


    ¡°See, like that.¡±


    Emily shrugs, pushing herself off the stairs as her face drops back to neutral again.


    ¡°What can I say? Some of it¡¯s intentional, yeah, but some of it¡¯s just me. I¡¯ve spent long enough cultivating a relationship that could never work because of our differences,¡± Emily says with a wistful tone, walking into the ship under Angela¡¯s watchful gaze before turning her head back to finish. ¡°You see, I do mean it when I say you should be scared of me. If being around me doesn¡¯t get you killed anyway, I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill most members of this crew myself if it would benefit me. If it¡¯s true, what¡¯s the point in telling you otherwise?¡±


    Angela shivers at Emily¡¯s cold, detached admission, turning away to stare out into the open sands with her face twisted in a complicated blend of emotions as Emily disappears into the ship without another word.


    ***


    A few hours later, as the sun is approaching the horizon ready to set, Emily opens her eyes in the engine room. The crackling lightning that dances across her skin as she meditates fades, and she stands up to leave the room with purpose. Podrick notices the faint crackle disappear and rises from his own light meditation, not deep enough in a trance to completely block out his surroundings, and follows her out.


    ¡°Go make sure the others are prepared,¡± Emily says with a dismissive wave of her hand. ¡°We take off in a few minutes.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Podrick chirps, turning and running towards the crew quarters.


    Emily winds her way through the twisting corridors of the ship until she arrives at a crawlspace close to the centre of the hull. She slips into the tight space and shimmies towards the centre of the large-scale array she¡¯s worked into the ship¡¯s upgrades.


    She quickly reaches the five empty sockets left there and summons five crystals to fit them: two normal wind, two normal earth, and one greater wind. She places the normal crystals on either side of the central socket with each element opposite its corresponding partner, before slowly lowering the greater wind crystal into place in the middle.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope I designed this right,¡± she mutters as the crystal locks into place. ¡°Or I¡¯m going to be hit with a nasty backlash being stuck this close to the power source.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s some impressive range,¡± she mutters, raising the sight to her eye and flicking the firing selector to full. ¡°My turn.¡±


    She pulls the trigger and, with a silent kick into her shoulder, the Whisper sends a bullet rocketing into one of the scout¡¯s balloons. The projectile rips a small hole in the reinforced fabric, but the scout continues forward unaffected.


    ¡°Tsk,¡± Emily clicks her tongue, racking the bolt on her gun and firing again.


    She sends six more bullets into the same balloon, aiming to keep them as close together as possible, widening the existing hole until the ship starts to slowly lose altitude. However, the moment the ship starts dropping, she sees a strange white foam spraying out of the hole through her scope. Within a few seconds, the foam solidifies at the edges of the tear, slowly shrinking it until a solid white stopper has completely blocked the leak.


    I should¡¯ve expected they had ways to protect their ships against being shot down. How many more times can you do that I wonder?


    Emily fires again at the same time as all five scouts unload a second shot each, and she watches as five more heavy projectiles sail towards the ship. This time, Emily raises one of her hands and pours out mana, forming it into four large, green magic circles. All of them are a modified form of wind barrier, and they create a long, flat barrier of powerful winds pulling straight down.


    The five oversized bullets smash into the wall of wind and instantly arc down, sailing under Calypso and slamming into the sand behind it with five heavy impacts. Emily cancels her spells and checks to see what her shot did, seeing the solid foam stopper has been knocked out of place, but more fresh foam is rushing back to replace it.


    ¡°Damn. I guess taking them down quickly with normal bullets is out of the question,¡± Emily says to herself, quickly dropping the magazine from her gun and reaching into her pouch to pull out a new one.


    She slams home the new magazine with an engraved flame on the side and lines up another shot. This time, she aims for the top of one of the scout¡¯s hulls before squeezing the trigger. The bullet slams accurately into the ship and explodes, sending a wave of flames up to engulf the balloon, and creating a sizeable hole in the ship¡¯s metal hull.


    However, the flames on the balloon quickly die out, unable to burn through the resistant material, and Emily gets a system notification that immediately draws her attention.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    -Leave the country without killing any of your pursuers (Failed)


    _____


    ¡°Oh, come on,¡± she growls in frustration. ¡°To die in that you¡¯d have to have been stood directly under it!¡±


    Sighing, she shakes her head.


    Ah well. I was probably going to fail at least once anyway. I may as well use this as a chance to work out what I¡¯m facing and how I can get through it without causing any deaths.


    She changes her target, aiming her explosive bullets at the propellers at the back of the ships instead. It takes her five carefully aimed shots to completely remove the propellers from one ship, and it stops advancing as she does, becoming stuck hovering in one spot after its speed dies out.


    ¡°That works at least,¡± she mutters, conjuring another large wall of wind to block another volley of shots as the four remaining ships close in on them.


    Emily places the Whisper away and stands up, calling upon her connection with lightning and charging forward into the open air to meet her opponents. She reaches the ships quickly and sends a powerful, arcing blade of charge towards one of their balloons. It burns a long gash into the fabric that the repairing foam can¡¯t respond fast enough to fix as all of the held steam is released.


    The targeted scout plummets to the ground, crashing into the sand below with a harsh impact that crumples the front half.


    ¡°That probably killed everyone inside,¡± Emily muses with a frown.  ¡°Maybe I can create a wind cushion when I drop the ships to stop anyone dying?¡±


    Next, she casts four wind currents directly below one of the scouts as a hatch on the side pops open and a lightly armoured man leans out with a rifle in hand, aiming it up at Emily. He fires, but a small twitch of her lightning-charged legs displaces her several metres to the side, dodging with ease. She points a finger at him, sending a small bolt of lightning into his chest that scorches his armour and freezes his muscles, before sending another large lightning blade into the balloon of his ship, sending it careening down into the waiting winds below.


    The ship shudders as it falls, moving unstably in the powerful updrafts, but it hits the ground with less force than its predecessor and only a few small segments of armour fold inwards as it does.


    It drains more mana than I¡¯d like, but as long as there aren¡¯t too many ships waiting for us, this should work.


    With a light nod, Emily pulls in the crackling charge surrounding her, compacting it down into a small orb before releasing it in a powerful wave of lightning that knocks the remaining scouts from the sky. She returns to the ship and sits above the bridge again before releasing her lightning-charged state.


    A short while later, the glistening blue expanse of the open ocean comes into view, momentarily taking Emily¡¯s breath away. Her admiration quickly fades though as her eyes focus on the large force awaiting her.


    Dotting the shoreline are several large, grounded ships. Emily counts fifteen metal behemoths, covered in powerful light crystals that light up the surrounding ground troops. The people on the floor are standing in formations, carrying an assortment of long-range weaponry ranging from rifles to large, threatening, unwieldy metal tubes. There are ten other, more complicated ships with their balloons completely removed, lying in the sand behind them, and their bodies butterflied open, secured to the ground to support the large artillery cannons within that are pointed at the approaching Calypso.


    To top it off, Emily counts around thirty-five ships still in the air. Half of them are larger than the scouts she took down, with an assortment of cannons pointed at her and several magical lights, and the rest are smaller and lightless, with a mixture of two designs, both lacking any obvious weaponry.


    ¡°Well shit,¡± Emily mutters in disbelief, an excited grin stretching her lips. ¡°This is gonna be fun.¡±

 Chapter 141 – Test Fight

    Chapter 141 ¨C Test Fight


    Emily stands up, stretching her arms above as she looks at the army ahead, her eyes scanning their numbers with relative ease despite the low light.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± she mumbles, sending a large stream of machina into Calypso and using Overdrive to speed up their approach. ¡°Doing this at night isn¡¯t a good idea. We¡¯re still an easy target to pick out and it¡¯s just going to make it harder for me to avoid accidentally dropping something on someone.¡±


    Plans start to form in her head as her eyes roam the formation prepared to intercept them, boosted by the influence of Flow.


    There are way too many ships in the air for me to use my air cushion idea to drop them. Especially those big ones. They¡¯ll probably need six wind currents not to kill their inhabitants, and they¡¯re currently directly above their ground forces too. Maybe I could make a third circle spell to help? Nah, that would be too mana-intensive still.


    As Calypso approaches the distant army, a thunderous boom sounds in sync with twenty bright flashes of light, two from each of the artillery ships anchored to the ground. A volley of projectiles arc through the sky towards Calypso, and Emily quickly casts several wind walls, creating a large barrier in front of the ship.


    A few of the projectiles hit the shield and change direction, shooting towards the floor before detonating harmlessly in a blanket of fire and shrapnel. However, the majority of them detonate either against or just before the wall of wind, sending ripples along it and draining a considerable chunk of Emily¡¯s mana.


    ¡°Damn,¡± she mutters, feeling her mana flowing out to reinforce the barrier against the repeated impacts. ¡°Two thousand mana gone in an instant. Those things will rip through our balloon in a heartbeat. I guess I know what to target first.¡±


    She disperses her barrier while waiting for another volley, pulling out the Whisper and loading a full magazine of explosive bullets.


    I only have three of these left now. I may need to prepare some more for this fight.


    Flicking the firing selector into full and pouring machina into the gun, Emily aims at one of the artillery cannons and squeezes the trigger. A silent shot flies through the sky, only noticeable by the faint, crackling streak of machina trailing in its wake. The bullet slams accurately into the base of the cannon and explodes, ripping through the metal construct and completely disabling it in an instant while also setting off the shell in the hands of the soldiers behind it, blowing them to shreds.


    It''s a shame I won¡¯t just be able to do this. That was too volatile, and I don¡¯t think I can disable those cannons from this angle with normal bullets.


    Oh, that could work though.


    A savage grin appears on Emily¡¯s face as an idea to disable the cannons at the cost of some of her rarer crystals occurs to her. She opens a note in her virtual notebook and jots it down, starting a list of items to prepare for her next attempt. With an idea to deal with the artillery prepared, she racks the bolt of her rifle and lines up a second shot, ready to take out the grounded ship¡¯s second cannon. However, as her second shot flies out, the metal around the cannon lights up and a barrier of earth encases it.@@@@


    ¡°Tsk,¡± she clicks her tongue as her bullet explodes, shattering the barrier and sending earthen shrapnel through the mage and soldiers within. ¡°Like that¡¯ll stop me.¡±


    She rapidly unloads the Whisper into the other cannons, destroying four more before another volley of shots flies towards Calypso. Emily blocks the shells, taking another hit to her mana reserves, before reloading her gun and finishing off the rest of the long-range weapons.


    Having noticed the quick removal of their artillery, several of the ships waiting in the air begin their advance to meet Calypso. The two smaller craft quickly approach, travelling faster than Calypso. As they get closer, Emily continues to scan them for weaponry and frowns when she doesn¡¯t see any guns.


    What are they going to do? Are they trying to get people closer to us so they can shoot at us or something?


    She waits expectantly for them to approach, holding off on knocking them from the sky so she has a chance to understand their function.


    The smallest of the two models travels slightly faster and reaches them first, and Emily gets a clear look at their design. The five small ships each have a single propeller mounted directly behind the main hull, making it hard for her to remove it from afar, with several adjustable fins circling the hull to control its flight. She still doesn¡¯t see a single gun as the ships get close, and the size of the ships suggests they only carry one or two crew members at most, but a foreboding feeling builds in her gut the closer they get.


    Emily finally slams into one of the large craft awaiting her with her arms raised before her, smashing through its hull and entering its bridge. She rolls across the floor before rising while shaking out her arms. Glancing around at the stunned crew staring at her in shock, she springs into motion, releasing the blades from her Claws and slashing them around, quickly cleaving the crew¡¯s heads from their shoulders before retracting the wires to withdraw the bloodied blades.


    She stands still and pours machina into the floor, shutting her eyes and inspecting the ship¡¯s design.


    No active ventilation system for the bridge. There are some manual overrides for the steam flow controls in other parts of the ship, but the ones to the balloon are in a closed crawlspace that will take time to access, and there are none for the propellers. Okay, this should be easy enough to handle.


    Adding another idea to her notes, Emily uses one last flex of her machina to adjust the propellers to push the ship down and disable all steam flow to the balloon, opening the vents for controlled descent at the same time. As she turns to leave the ship, a silver tube with flames trailing behind flies through the hole she created. Sensing danger, Emily immediately leaps back, the lighting around her legs sending her straight into the far wall of the room as the metal tube slams into the ceiling and detonates in a thunderous boom.


    Emily raises her arms to protect her face from the heat and shrapnel, gaining several gashes on her arms and legs, and a few bruises on her torso as her armour blocks the rest. Several more explosions rock the ship as Emily activates half the injectors on her spine to stem her bleeding.


    Trying to bring your own ship down with me in it? How brutal.


    Glancing at her mana and machina reserves, Emily decides it¡¯s almost time to end her test. She charges her legs and arms with lightning before slamming both her elbows back into the wall behind her, launching herself out through her entrance hole before another explosive can be fired at her.


    She flies out into the open air above the army and looks down, her eyes quickly scanning the gathered troops to try and locate Virgil Hibiscus as more bullets are shot at her. Their numbers are reduced as those below the ship she was in have scrambled to escape the falling hunk of metal. Unsurprisingly, before she sees Virgil, she feels him. At the back of the army, close to the shore, she suddenly feels an imposing mass of mana gathering.


    Emily kicks the air, driving herself towards the source as one of her hands lowers to The Clock¡¯s pouch. She quickly spots a man with long, fiery red hair wearing rich black robes covered in glowing red embroidered runes with both his hands raised above him and a massive crimson magic circle condensing multiple beautiful flowers of flames. His face is distorted in a recognisable manic grin that overlaps in Emily¡¯s mind with his son¡¯s.


    Emily meets his eyes as he chants, and converts the rest of her machina into mana on the spot. She pours most of it into a crackling, curved wall of plasma that stretches under her, protecting her back from the hail of bullets flying towards her and giving her a platform to stand on, facing the preparing mage with a matching grin. She raises a hand and gestures for Virgil to bring it on as a flicker of doubt crosses his features, and he nods before continuing his casting.


    Emily moves the rest of her mana into her legs, ignoring the feeling of intense exhaustion that has started to wear on her and focusing on the dazzling spell formed above the fourth circle mage. The blazing red flowers start breaking apart, releasing flickering petals of fire that gather in the centre of the large magic circle, spinning into a flower-shaped burning hot vortex that distorts the air around it.


    Virgil points the spell at Emily, but following his gaze, she instantly works out that he¡¯s targeting her legs, aiming to disable her.


    Is he that confident in its speed, or does he just not want to hit me at all?


    Emily remains rooted in place, ignoring the surrounding battlefield and pouring all her focus into the deadly blaze before her. With a small twitch of his hands, Virgil releases hold of his spell, and the burning flower rockets forward in an instant.


    Emily releases all charge in her legs, shooting up at an angle towards a gap behind the sinking ship above her as a solid red line is drawn from the Hibiscus patriarch¡¯s position to hers. The fire clips one of her boots, instantly melting the metal and scorching her flesh down to the bone, but she avoids the brunt of the spell and twists midair, activating The Clock as she looks back to see the main detonation.


    The burning flower slams into the bottom of the ship and in the blink of an eye engulfs it, along with two of the ships floating in the air next to it, in a ball of flames.


    I guess destroying his own ships and letting his people die in the battle is one way of making sure it looks real.


    Emily watches with a growing respect for her opponent as the shockwave released by the spell knocks her and a large portion of the ground forces back. She can¡¯t help but let out an impressed chuckle at the overwhelming power displayed.


    Damn. I do not want to get hit by that.

 Chapter 142 – Working on the Details

    Chapter 142 ¨C Working on the Details


    The Clock rewinds and Emily finds herself back aboard Calypso in full control, guiding the ship towards Erenmoor from the engine room. She breaks her meditation, opening her eyes that glint with a cold, calculating light.


    There¡¯s no way I can actually block that spell if he aims it at Calypso. Even a glancing blow instantly tore through my boot, so none of my spells will be enough to block it, but I may have a chance to reduce the power.


    Emily stands up and starts walking through the ship to her workshop.


    He can¡¯t not attack us because it will look bad for his family, and he can¡¯t outright miss for the same reasons, but what if I indicate the least vital area of the ship, then set up some barriers to reduce the damage that gets through? That may work.


    She steps into her workshop and looks over the tools set up against the walls.


    ¡°I may have to rely a little on luck for this,¡± she mutters, one of her hands resting affectionately on The Clock¡¯s pouch as she pulls up her system and confirms that the extra requirement on her quest has reset to not complete. ¡°Good thing I can keep trying till the dice fall in my favour.¡±


    ***


    Emily spends the night working on the ideas in her notes to handle the coming battle before passing control of the ship back to the crew as day comes, instructing them to set down near Erenmoor once again.


    Instead of sleeping, Emily meditates and enters the Spellweave to continue working on a spell for the coming assault. She leaves the engine room six hours later and calls everyone to their stations to set off before activating the ship¡¯s array once again.


    The flight towards the border is uneventful, the only difference being that this time Emily spots a well-camouflaged outpost hidden in the sands as they pass over it a few hours before the first scouts arrive. She ignores it and keeps her eyes on the horizon, waiting for the scouts to show up.


    The moment she spots the faint outline of five ships in the distance, she leaves the bridge and makes her way to the drop hatch. She steps out, plummeting to the sands below before breaking into a sprint, boosted by lightning step. The ships in the air spot her approach and hatches open on either side of them as ten armoured gunmen lean out to fire on her.


    Emily weaves between their shots with ease, the distance between them quickly closing as she uses air walk to rise up towards their ships. Panic grows on the soldiers'' faces, but they¡¯re helpless to stop her as Emily reaches them and dives straight into the first scout ship through the open hatch, tackling the shooter to the floor.


    She lands straddled on the woman¡¯s chest, pinning both of her arms to the floor with her knees. The poor soldier fruitlessly tries to struggle against Emily¡¯s immense strength, but Emily quickly pulls a hollow needle from her belt, filled with a potion brewed from a sominal bomber¡¯s venom, and stabs it into the woman¡¯s neck. Her eyes lose their focus almost instantly, and a few moments of slowly weakening attempts to escape later, her eyelids flicker shut as she falls into a deep slumber.


    Emily places her fingers against the soldier¡¯s neck, sending a pulse of machina into her body to scan her, checking the effectiveness of the sleeping potion and adding more data to her growing collection of information on the human body.


    ¡°She should stay asleep for eight hours,¡± Emily mutters with a satisfied nod. ¡°I can dilute it more next attempt if I want, I only need them unable to pursue me.¡±


    She rises from the sleeping woman¡¯s chest while sending a strong pulse of machina into the ship below her feet, quickly understanding its blueprint so she can make her way to the cockpit. Lightning sparks between the floor and her feet as she shoots through the narrow confines of the small ship, arriving in the cockpit in the blink of an eye.


    The pilot tries to fight back, pointing his revolver at the door and unloading six shots into the hallway behind as he hears her footsteps approaching, but Emily easily weaves through the shots. She watches his eyes and barrel, slipping to the side each time he pulls the trigger and dodges before each bullet leaves the barrel.


    ¡°Shit! Mar-¡± the pilot screams as Emily charges into the small control room, springing up and slamming her knee into the man¡¯s chest, cutting off his call for help and knocking him back into his control panel without any air left in his lungs.


    As he¡¯s stunned and wheezing for breath, Emily jabs him in the neck with another full needle, knocking him out. The footsteps of the final two members of the crew ring through the ship, quickly approaching, so Emily sets the pilot down in his seat again and tucks herself in beside the door, waiting just out of sight.


    ¡°Lazlo, where I-¡± the first soldier starts as he charges into the room, cutting off as Emily¡¯s fist slams into the side of his ribs, knocking him aside.


    The shots that went just behind the shaft and its connection to the ship worked the best.


    The five bombers begin letting steam out of their balloons, dropping to the floor to meet Emily as she reloads a fresh magazine full of high explosive rounds. She points her gun at the backs of the ten boarders heading for Calypso as a few small bullets and hefty cannonballs land in the sand around her.


    The ground troops have pushed towards me. I need to make this quick.


    She pours more machina into her rifle and unloads the magazine into the sky. A single shot flies into the circular exhaust on the back of each boarder, detonating inside and taking part of the ship with it. Half of the ships simply lose a few of their propellers and slow down drastically while shuddering unstably in the air, but the other half have much larger detonations as large fires burst through the hull at their backs, ripping all their propellers off and killing a few crew members inside.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    -Leave the country without killing any of your pursuers (Failed)


    _____


    ¡°Shit,¡± Emily mutters without a visible reaction on her face. ¡°This may take a few tries, but it should work. They aren¡¯t fast enough to catch Calypso any more even if I just remove their boosters and a few props.¡±


    She turns her attention away from the useless ships and over to the large remaining force.


    I may as well practice taking down the big ones.


    Emily sends the Whisper into her belt as she pushes herself up from the sand, scrambling forward and to the side to avoid the hail of bullets flying towards her previous shooting position. She calls upon her elemental connection as she runs, and after a few moments a familiar azure glow seeps from her eyes as lightning crackles along her skin. She pours power into her legs as she shoots into the nearby infantry formation before they can blink, focusing on the interceptor ships that have moved forwards to target her as well.


    The shooting from overhead stops as their target enters their ranks, but Emily easily weaves between the melee weapons the soldiers draw to try and hold her down. She ducks under every blade and sidesteps every heavy mace, only struggling slightly when the soldiers close ranks around her to try and use their bodies as a shield.


    It would be easier if I could kill them... But I shouldn¡¯t get into the habit during my practice.


    She leaps off the ground and over the grouped soldiers, exposing herself to their gunfire again as she rises above the crowd. Not batting an eye, Emily produces solid footholds of crackling charge and continues rising up towards the interceptors above, still weaving between the bullets trying to catch her and taking a few shots to the torso that her armour blocks.


    She reaches the front of the first interceptor with only a few bruises and clings onto the hull just above the bridge. She sticks her feet and her left hand to the ship using the lightning crackling around her while drawing back her other fist. A thin film of crackling plasma wraps her fist like a gauntlet before she thrusts it forward, drilling a hole in the ship.


    The lightning covering her fist floods into the control room below, stunning everyone and preventing them from fighting back as Emily pulls a grenade from her belt. She pulls the pin and drops it through the hole she created before setting the ship to descend with a pulse of machina and leaping towards her next target.


    She doesn¡¯t stay to watch as the grenade detonates with a muted pop, filling the bridge with gas and sending the stunned crew to sleep. The large ship plummets to the floor, and the soldiers below start frantically running to escape the falling heap of metal, completely forgetting about their enemy dancing above their heads.


    Emily takes down three more of the interceptors before the first ploughs into the sand below, and a satisfied grin transforms her features as she hears the heavy impact.


    This will work. This is enough chaos for Calypso to fly right over without me even on board. Everyone has time to avoid death as long as they react quickly. Now all that¡¯s left to worry about is Virgil.


    Before she can feel too pleased with herself, Emily hears the grounded artillery begin firing, sending several shells towards Calypso. Her grin vanishes, and she quickly activates The Clock while glancing over at the mages holding an array of fire spells up to the magical ice encasing the cannons.


    And maybe I¡¯ll make those bullets a bit stronger.

 Chapter 143 – Rolling the Dice

    Chapter 143 ¨C Rolling the Dice


    Emily once again leaves the engine room and heads to her workshop to prepare her potions and ammunition alone. This time, she pays extra attention to the powder blend filling the hollow shells of her ice bullets.


    First, she adds some white iron filings to the bottom of her mixing beaker, before grabbing a handful of five lesser ice crystals and wrapping them in a thin film of mana. She pulverises the crystals within the thin barrier, pouring the powdered crystals into the beaker while she grabs two normal ice crystals to do the same with.


    After adding the two, she carefully pulls out a greater ice crystal the size of two fists, placing it in the jaws of an adjustable mechanical arm mounted to her workbench. She slides a metal tray beneath the large crystal and moves her open mixing beaker across the surface to keep it away.


    I may not be able to control the complete decomposition of a greater crystal yet, but they¡¯re the first crystals large enough for me to try proper crystal refining!


    Emily lifts a delicate chisel formed from a blend of black iron, white iron, and a touch of mythril to balance them, placing it to the side of the crystal. She shuts her eyes and pours a small stream of mana into the chisel, focusing on her image of ice and circulating her mana through the tool and into the crystal.


    She slowly slides the chisel across the smooth surface of the magical oddity, silently searching for a response. After a few minutes of nothing happening, Emily suddenly feels a deep sense of resonance and her hand guiding the chisel freezes in place. She lifts her free hand to the back of the chisel and curls her fingers, charging them with a whisp of frosty mana before releasing them and flicking the tool¡¯s metal butt.


    A clear sound rings out as a web of cracks spreads across the surface of the icy-white crystal, dropping a fine dusting of powder into the tray below. A few seconds after forming, the cracks all release a thin, frigid mist that bathes the layer of powder, brightening its frosty glow.


    Emily watches the process closely, inspecting the cracks and tracing the uniform pattern spreading out from the impact point.


    Good. That was a stable burst. The fragmentation wasn¡¯t the best though. This crystal could probably take two times this crack density and stay just about stable by the end, but that hit covered thirty per cent of the surface. This technique needs some work.


    She turns the crystal a bit and shuts her eyes again, returning to the process of feeling out the correct point to attack. She delivers two more blows to the crystal, spreading the cracks across the whole surface. The moment the cracks connect from the last hit to the first, the crystal lets out a wave of frost.


    Emily wraps it in a dense bubble of attributed ice mana, holding the crystal together as the cracks glow intensely for a few moments. The moment the light vanishes, and the crystal stops pushing raw mana outwards against her barrier, Emily releases her control and the surface of the pale blue crystal crumbles, dropping everything into the tray below.


    Sitting on top of a small mound of powder is a crystal half its original size. It¡¯s opaque, nearly solid, and a soft mix of white and pale blue. An ice-cold mist is constantly pouring from the refined gem¡¯s surface, and a feeling of power emanates from it, slightly weaker than the pressure released by a fourth circle mage.


    ¡°This is pretty good,¡± Emily mutters, lifting up the crystal as she inspects it closely. ¡°It¡¯s still slightly rough. Some impurities are still bound to the core. It¡¯s also far too strong for me to use now, my fingers are starting to freeze over just holding it. But this is pretty good for a first attempt.¡±


    Her hand drops to her belt as she gets lost in the crystal, absentmindedly activating The Clock.


    I can do it better.


    ***


    Several resets later, once the core of the greater ice crystal comes out of its shell of impurities completely smooth, Emily moves on. She adds the powder that was released while refining the core to her bullet mix and moves on to creating her sleeping needles and grenades again.


    She finishes crafting her preparations and sleeps for six hours, waking up perfectly on time to set off towards the battlefield. After repeating her conversation with Angela on the ship¡¯s steps, Calypso sets off and flies towards the border. The moment the first scout comes into view on the horizon, Emily looks down at The Clock.


    15:14 exactly.


    She waits for a minute before voicing an odd command.


    ¡°Turn around and fly away at full speed.¡±


    Anton, Angela, and Tony all glance at her in confusion, but they follow through without question.


    And now, we wait.


    Emily pours machina into the ship, flooding the engine and the propellers to give them a boost to escape the scouts as she walks through the corridors towards the engine room. She settles down and enters the Spellweave, completely blocking out the surrounding world until The Clock reads 15:14 the following day.


    -Leave the country without killing any of your pursuers (Failed)


    _____


    ¡°What now?¡± she mutters, scanning the scattered ships she¡¯s grounded and quickly noticing a large smouldering wreck.


    Her eyes fix on the large flaming ball of metal and fire, and she easily makes out the forms of two different ships.


    ¡°Really? A boarder fell on top of a bomber?¡± she says incredulously, activating The Clock again. ¡°Talk about unlucky.¡±


    ***


    Emily follows through with her mechanical routine, taking down the crews of all five scouts before disabling the mounted artillery from afar and setting up on the ground to take down the approaching ships.


    The bombers go down without issue, and this time she leaves a slightly smaller warning gap before dropping the last six boarders before they have a chance to activate their boosters.


    ¡°Finally,¡± Emily mutters, putting the Whisper away and turning towards an incoming volley of shots from the floating interceptors. ¡°Time for the main course.¡±


    She charges her legs with power, casting lightning step and weaving through the hail of projectiles. A few shots from the soldiers on the floor catch exposed flesh on her limbs as she closes the distance, but she activates a single injector on her spine to compensate and charges on, ignoring the minor damage.


    Emily slips into the enemy''s ranks with ease and dances her way through the mass of bodies attacking her to meet the first interceptor. She leaps into the air, only solidifying her elemental connection the moment she exposes herself, shooting up with a burst of lightning that stuns the soldiers directly below her take off.


    As she rises up towards the interceptor, she casts a new spell she has been working on to deal with the strain sky step applies to her body, reinforcement. A mixture of brown and silver runes wrap around her body, forming a detailed mesh of magic that releases a metallic bronze sheen after a few seconds of casting, which seeps into Emily¡¯s muscles and bones.


    Her rise slows slightly as reinforcement increases her density, but she pours more mana into her legs to make up for it and soon slams into the front of the ship with a weighty thud. She draws back her fist, wrapping it in a gauntlet of charge before thrusting it forward, tearing a hole straight through into the ship¡¯s bridge.


    She drops a sleeping gas grenade through the hole and uses her machina to send the ship to the ground before leaping towards her next target. She manages to send four ships into the sands below, scattering the grouped-up infantry in panic, before Virgil takes it upon himself to stop her.


    Emily feels a wave of heat approaching as she makes for her fifth target, so she listens to her instincts and pauses mid-leap, slamming her feet against a small, solidified platform of crackling charge to cut her momentum. A small, condensed cylindrical bolt of fire rips past in front of her, singeing the ends of her hair on the way past and bursting harmlessly in the sky above.


    Emily looks to the fire¡¯s source and sees Virgil standing with his arms raised, surrounded by several mages wearing a mixture of robes and armour, all of them pouring mana into a large array forming around the Hibiscus patriarch as he ignores them and creates three more forearm-length bolts. He flings all of the flaming bolts towards her like spears, but as she dodges them, she feels an obvious difference in temperature compared to the flaming flower he shot on her first rewind.


    They¡¯re fast and seem to explode to about the size of my fireballs. Those are only third circle spells.


    Not wanting to give him a chance to use the massive amount of mana being supplied by his soldiers, Emily draws the lightning surrounding her into a single point, compressing it between her hands into a densely crackling orb. She ignores the few soldiers below, who are still firing towards her, letting their bullets dent her armour and dig into her exposed flesh, only leaving a small field of crackling charge around her head to deflect any fatal injuries.


    Another flaming bolt flies towards her as she¡¯s focused on controlling the increasingly unstable mass of mana between her hands, but Emily barely pays it any attention as the core still working on her defences sends a small arc of lightning out to meet it.


    The flaming projectile bursts, covering Emily in scorching flames that fail to break her immense focus. She slowly lifts both hands and presses them together against the compressed orb of power. The bright light flooding the battlefield from the dense mass of mana seems to vanish for a moment before Emily¡¯s fingers part slightly and a channelled torrent of charge tears through the air, blinding everyone who sees it.


    The powerful wave of electricity flies towards Virgil, scorching the air and lighting up his retainers¡¯ faces with fear. However, the fourth circle combat mage calmly weaves between a few abstract gestures, and the array surrounding them all rapidly shifts. The burning runes floating in the air reform, and in an instant a twisting wall of fire stands between the group of mages and the violent stream of lightning.


    The two great forces of mana meet, clashing against each other and battling for supremacy for a few moments before the powerful lightning strike fades, revealing several charred corpses, ripped to pieces by the clash of the two spells, outside a wall of fire, reduced in size but still standing.


    ¡°Tsk,¡± Emily clicks her tongue as a wave of exhaustion hits her in sync with a system notification about her quest failure. ¡°I thought he¡¯d dodge to save the soldiers near him instead of blocking. I guess I¡¯ll let him attack next time instead.¡±


    With a frustrated sigh, Emily activates The Clock again.

 Chapter 144 – Getting Help

    Chapter 144 ¨C Getting Help


    It takes Emily two more attempts to get to the same point in the battle without any casualties after the boarding ships once again unluckily prove deadly to their inhabitants on the way to the ground.


    Emily again manages to ground four of the twenty interceptors before Virgil starts throwing bolts of fire towards her. This time, she dodges the thrown bolts and ignores the spell being prepared on the ground as she lands on the fifth interceptor. She repeats the process of punching a hole in the solid metal hull and dropping a grenade inside while preparing several defensive spells.


    She leaps off the now-falling ship towards the sixth interceptor, but a small petal of fire shoots towards her along a wide, arcing trajectory. She kicks off the air, sidestepping the projectile right before it hits her. However, instead of bursting harmlessly in the sky, the petal spins, curving and drawing a full arc to fly back towards her even faster.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Emily mutters, a small grin creeping onto her face as she suddenly shoots towards the floor to avoid the returning petal and a second petal that flies towards her from Virgil.


    She glances over at the responsible mage and sees him standing in his large magic formation with his arms raised, swaying rhythmically like a conductor guiding his orchestra as more petals form around him before shooting off at odd angles and arcing through the sky to start targeting Emily.


    ¡°Damn!¡± she cries again, her eyes widening as she sees over thirty burning petals shooting towards her at varying speeds.


    Three petals narrowly miss her legs, and one particularly fast-moving one bursts against her left arm, wrapping it in a liquid-like fire that clings to her Claw and quickly starts to eat through the leather bracer, burning her flesh beneath. Emily slashes the bindings holding the burning Claw in place with the other, dropping her weapon to the floor and removing most of the fire with it.


    Ouch.


    She glares at her blackened arm while twisting to dodge a few more petals, feeling some residual fire mana eating away at her flesh despite her having removed most of the attack.


    That will be a bitch to heal.


    Two injectors on her spine activate, and her flesh slowly starts returning to its normal colour as the foreign mana is slowly forced out.


    Okay, don¡¯t let those petals hit me. Let¡¯s try to block them.


    Emily kicks the air, propelling herself up dozens of metres above the highest interceptor before freezing in mid-air and watching the streaks of fire twisting between the ships and angling to chase her. She takes a deep breath and shuts her eyes, spreading her magical senses and gathering the crackling charge around her to stick close to her skin.


    As the first petal reaches her, she strikes out with her own mana, sending a small stream of charge from midway up her thigh to connect with the centre of the fast-moving petal in the shortest path possible before letting the charge crackling along her skin pour through the connection. The focused lightning bursts the petal before it can get close to Emily, releasing a small wave of heat and charge in one.


    A second petal approaches her, so she repeats the same process, targeting the centre of the spinning projectile and supplying a powerful burst of magic to its centre. She falls into full assistive processing, utilising all of her cores at once to accurately track and target the many fast-moving petals coming towards her.


    All everyone else on the battlefield sees as she repeats this delicate process is a crackling humanoid lightning bolt indiscriminately striking everything that gets near, surrounding itself with fireworks that keep going as more and more petals form around Virgil and shoot up to meet her.


    Emily tries to maintain her full defensive position, but quickly realises the futility of her actions as the stream of petals continues, rapidly eating away at her mana stocks and surrounding her with heat as the residual mana left by each petal quickly adds up.


    Down to three thousand mana and ten thousand machina already. This is using over a thousand mana every ten petals and he doesn¡¯t seem to be stopping. I was hoping it cost him more per shot, but it seems it¡¯s too much to compete against a fourth circle mage, and his several supporters, using endurance. Besides, I think the residual mana building up around me is him preparing for a spell I won¡¯t want to be hit by.


    She frowns and pulls the crackling lightning around her back into her body, focusing it on her legs and kicking off to propel herself back down towards one of the interceptor ships. She glances back towards Calypso as she falls through the sky with several flaming petals hot on her tail and her frown grows.


    ¡°They¡¯re too close,¡± she mutters as the interceptor ships open fire, sending several cannon balls straight into Calypso¡¯s hull. ¡°I either need to work faster, tell Anton to slow down, or both.¡±


    She kicks sideways as she falls, manoeuvring out of the way a fraction of a second before she slams into the ship she was targeting¡¯s hull as she considers what to do. Two of the petals chasing her don¡¯t change direction in time and slam into the ship, bursting and releasing liquid fire to eat through the metal construct.


    Emily barely pays any attention to the falling ships as she continues along her preplanned path, pouring all of her power into speed to stay one step ahead of the raging fires chasing her. The ninth and tenth ships prove simple enough to bring down in the same manner, but as she¡¯s flying between the hull and balloon of the eleventh, a petal slams into the balloon, bursting into a sizeable patch of burning liquid fire that refuses to go out even as it eats through the repairing foam that tries to smother it.


    That¡¯s gonna take the ship down quickly enough. It shouldn¡¯t count against my mission if it kills anyone... right?


    As if on cue, a familiar failure notification pops into view in sync with the loud, harsh sound of metal grinding against metal behind her.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    -Leave the country without killing any of your pursuers (Failed)


    _____


    ¡°Shit,¡± Emily mutters, stopping in place and quickly scanning the battlefield to work out what went wrong before dodging a few more petals and letting them slam into the burning balloon beside her, starting the ship on a rapid fall towards the ground.


    The issue quickly becomes obvious when she spots three of the ships she sent down to the ground lying in a pile together with half-crumpled frames.


    They hit each other on the way down... Okay, only a few are needed to send the ground troops into disarray. I¡¯ll send the rest off in random directions instead.


    Sighing, Emily activates The Clock while watching the burning ship that was beside her plummet to the ground and crash, folding in on itself as the magical flames covering its balloon finally finish eating through the mana powering them and fade.


    I¡¯ll have to test that next. If I can drop ships that easily then this stage will be a piece of cake.


    ***


    Back on the battlefield once more, Emily takes out four interceptors, selecting ones that are reasonably spread out and sending them straight down to the ground to distract the ground forces. Once she¡¯s done, having taken slightly longer to spread her first targets out, Virgil sends a volley of petals towards her.


    She twists in the air, gracefully dodging the first shots before taking a moment to enter full assistive processing to plot her route. Time stretches in her perception and, after running dozens of calculations and simulating the entire fight in the blink of an eye, she shoots off to begin another test.


    She leads several petals, allowing them to build up speed before skilfully diverting them into the balloon of one of the highest-flying interceptor ships. The fire quickly consumes a sizeable portion of the ship¡¯s balloon, and it plummets towards a ship below it as Emily powers on, leading another set of petals to burst against her next target.


    The heavy metal constructs clash in the air as one falling ship knocks one of its stable companions to the ground with a mighty crash. An excited grin stretches Emily¡¯s lips as no system notifications come from the first crash, but her expression freezes when she strips a third ship of its balloon, and she receives the dreaded notification as it collides with the panicking ground troops below.


    Before she can question what changed, all of the petals twisting throughout the battlefield on winding paths to reach her shudder and change direction, rocketing towards her at full speed.


    ¡°Shit!¡± she mutters, taking one petal to the chest and one to the leg as she scrambles to dodge the flood of fire closing in on her.


    Her hand quickly finds The Clock¡¯s pouch, and she activates it while looking over at Virgil to try and understand why his attack suddenly changed. He¡¯s standing in his large magic circle, staring at the burning wreckage of the ships before him with a frustrated, resigned expression on his face as he guides his petals to attack Emily.


    Lightning strikes in Emily¡¯s mind as time grinds to a halt.


    No wonder he chose such a roundabout attack method. He was trying to help me harmlessly take down the ships before, but that much destruction pushed it over what he could make an excuse for. It looks like my optional quest requirement also fails when excessive deaths happen because of me, even if I didn¡¯t directly cause them.

 Chapter 145 – Breakthrough

    Chapter 145 ¨C Breakthrough


    Returning back to the start of the battle with a better understanding of her limits, Emily follows her well-tested routine. She slips into the five scouts and knocks their crews out with narcotic-tipped needles before setting them gently down on the ground and returning to Calypso.


    Then, she disables the grounded artillery cannons with a volley of icy bullets and takes apart the attacking bombers and boarders with precise explosions as Calypso slows her approach.


    Finally, she returns to deal with the gathered interceptors. She sends four towards the ground troops before Virgil moves on from flinging bolts of fire to directing a wave of petals. Emily deftly weaves between the remaining ships, guiding her flaming pursuers and using them to open paths to the ship¡¯s bridges for her.


    Each time she knocks out the driving crew of one of the remaining ships, she scatters them, sending them in random directions back into the desert. She barely faces any resistance from the troops below her as only a few of them have time to shoot bullets and explosives before they duck back into the ships anchored to the ground for protection from the falling metal masses above.


    It doesn¡¯t take Emily long to scatter all of the interceptors after realising Virgil is trying to help her. She even notices a few of the petals a fair distance from her catching ships as they pass, opening holes for her to throw grenades through without her having to do anything.


    Virgil doesn¡¯t change his spell again and only uses the spinning petals to attack until Emily finishes her task. She pauses high above to look over the battlefield, using a few streaks of lightning to remove the last petals near her. Seeing that the only obstacle left between Calypso and the open ocean sky is Virgil and the mages gathered around him, Emily nods with satisfaction and kicks the air, shooting back towards her ship as Virgil stops forming petals and goes back to building up mana in his shifting array of runes.


    Emily lands back on top of Calypso¡¯s bridge as the ship starts to pick up speed again. She gives it a boost, pouring machina into it while converting half of the energy into mana to make up for her depleted reserves. She releases her elemental connection and takes a deep breath, before letting a massive amount of mana flow from her skin, saturating the air around her with a thin haze of power that quickly condenses into a twisting mass of runes surrounding the ship.


    The runes and twisting arcs of glowing mana connecting them in a dizzying mesh are a mixture of silver, green, and blue, blending to create a mesmerising glow where they cluster at the rear end of the ship. Emily stares into Virgil¡¯s eyes despite the massive distance separating them, hoping he understands her message.


    Emily keeps pouring mana into her spell as Calypso speeds towards Virgil who is doing the same. He forms a familiar scene with multiple flowers of fire blooming around him, releasing a flood of petals that gather to create a twisting vortex of heat.


    The air around Calypso shudders as Emily¡¯s spells activate, forming a half-dome of chaotic, fast-moving currents that face Virgil. A thin film of water vapour condenses behind the protective winds, getting thicker and denser until it''s almost a foot wide and tinged in a dark shade. Finally, a smooth bubble of shimmering liquid metal forms floating between the ship and the water, waiting to intercept the coming attack.


    Emily pours all her mana into the three, third circle spells: guardian, wind shield, and water plating, draining herself almost completely, leaving only a drop of mana to avoid absolute exhaustion and the small amount of remaining machina that¡¯s still flowing into Calypso. Several shots are fired up at the ship by the ground troops below as they move out from their hiding places, but the bullets and tubes of explosives are all easily scattered by the first layer of wind.


    Emily waits with bated breath, focusing her magical senses on the mass of mana gathering on the floor ahead. None of the other sounds of the battlefield reach her as the world falls silent, and only Virgil¡¯s constant chanting remains.


    ¡°-bring bloom to the heat within my heart,¡± he trails off, falling silent for the first time since starting his final spell and sending a shiver down Emily¡¯s spine. ¡°Hibiscus burst!¡±


    The moment his calm declaration sounds, the flower of fire above him shoots forward, drawing a brightly burning line towards her in Emily¡¯s magical perception. Time seems to slow as she takes a deep breath and raises her hands, her eyes stare straight through the spells before her to the intricate workings of mana beneath. In a trance, she positions her hands and moves her fingers in a rhythmic pattern, pulling on the mana pouring from one of the magic circles to form the barrier of wind and shifting it ever so slightly with each carefully calculated movement.


    The barrier quickly morphs in response to her interference, curling back around and closing behind the approaching vortex of fire to create a long tunnel wrapped in water. The entire area within the barrier turns unstable, jostling the coming attack and tearing away small strips of fire that blow away in the wind before hitting the water around it, bursting into steam.


    The powerful bundle of fire keeps moving, pushing through the turbid winds until it impacts the layer of water behind. A vast amount of steam is released as the flaming flower slows for a beat, pushing through the thick film of water like a spoon through honey. The entire barrier loses thickness quickly, and soon a gaping hole is formed around the remaining spinning flames, freeing them as Emily releases her grip on wind shield and switches to controlling guardian.


    The liquid metal flows to Emily¡¯s will with a fraction of the effort needed for the other spell, having been carefully designed with flexibility in mind. The metal spreads, creating a small dish to catch the flames with a thick buffer behind it. The flames slam home, and the metal dish closes around them, going solid as soon as it does to try to smother the heat within.


    Slowly but surely, Emily feels the powerful fire eat through her spell, pushing closer and closer to Calypso. However, as if Virgil has read her mind, when the burning-hot projectile finally flies out of the melted guardian, it smashes into the rear end of the hull, eating most of the way through the ship and burning several of the storage rooms but missing anything vital.


    Emily breathes a sigh of relief when the attack stops without going through the ship and into the balloon. She disperses guardian and reaches out, grasping water plating¡¯s magic circle and bending it, changing the spell¡¯s target and moving the remaining water into the burning hole beneath the ship to smother the flames, leaving only wind shield to protect the ship for a few more seconds, having returned to its normal shape after Emily¡¯s control is released.


    Everyone nods along with his excited chatter, the eyes surrounding Emily all looking at her with respect and far less fear than before.


    ¡°I assume the damage to the back of the ship isn¡¯t that bad if you¡¯re here,¡± Angela says, cutting Podrick off as he continues to gush at Emily without a response and turning to look at the readings on her dashboard. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like we¡¯re losing altitude, and we¡¯re still cruising above what I thought possible for our top speed.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll make it across the water without problems,¡± Emily confirms. ¡°Though, we will need to do some large repairs. Several cargo rooms have melted.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Anton asks with a chuckle of disbelief, struggling to come to terms with successfully fleeing the country as fugitives. ¡°But that was so easy.¡±


    ¡°For us, maybe,¡± Angela says, looking back at Emily with a curious look. ¡°But it looked like Emily had to do quite a lot.¡±


    Emily nods, unashamed of the effort she put into fleeing the country despite no one else seeing most of it.


    ¡°It was a good challenge,¡± she admits, turning to walk out of the bridge and spotting Sam tentatively walking in, to confirm their success, from wherever he was buckled down during the escape. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go recover my energy, but give me a shout if anything out of the ordinary happens. I wouldn¡¯t want the ship going down to a stray sea monster after all that effort.¡±


    She waves over her shoulder at the rest of the crew, and walks out, heading straight to the engine room to meditate. Podrick tries to follow her, but she sends him to help Ash check on the piping damaged by Virgil so she can have some peace as she settles down under the soothing hum of the engine to digest the gains brought by the battle.


    ***


    A few hours later, as Emily¡¯s reserves are nearing full again, her focused meditation is broken by a strange fluctuation of mana ahead. Her eyes snap open, the crackling charge skipping across her skin disperses, and she charges out of the room, heading straight for the hole in the back of the ship.


    What is that? It feels kind of similar to the pressure of a fourth circle being, but it¡¯s far weaker. Is it a creature in the middle of an ascension or something?


    Her mind spins as she prepares for a fight, but her raised tension gives way to stunned awe as she slides to a halt in the hallway, staring down at the water below.


    The glittering blue expanse under the ship is twisting, being pulled in by powerful currents that are dragging the water down and towards the centre, creating a massive whirlpool that fills Emily¡¯s sight.


    ¡°Woah,¡± she quietly exclaims, her eyes tracing the violently churning waves forming and shattering over and over again, creating giant, bright streaks of rough surf in spiralling patterns.


    Emily can feel the ambient mana in the air flowing in a similar manner, twisting and churning as it¡¯s drawn down into the ocean, gathering deep below the surface.


    Curious. What¡¯s forming down there?


    She keeps carefully probing the mana in the air while making her way through the ship, heading to the bridge to warn the pilots to steer clear of the airspace above the whirlpool. It takes them twenty minutes to skirt the edge of the massive formation, and Emily can¡¯t feel the pressure gathering at the centre increasing at all the whole time.


    Whatever¡¯s happening there, it¡¯s slow. It won¡¯t be finished for a long while.


    She suppresses her curiosity for now, adds a page in her virtual notebook to remind her to ask around about the whirlpool when they land, and returns to the engine room again, eagerly awaiting their arrival on new shores.

 Chapter 146 – To New Lands

    Chapter 146 ¨C To New Lands


    The rest of the flight across the ocean is uneventful, without a single attack from any of the dangerous sea creatures known to inhabit the waters below. After a couple of hours, Emily opens her eyes in the engine room to a welcome message.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Quest Completed: Traitor¡¯s Escape


    [Traitor¡¯s Escape]


    [Rank:] C


    [Description:] You ended a noble family alone, now you must survive the consequences.


    Requirements:


    -Leave the country alive (Complete)


    -Leave the country without killing any of your pursuers (Complete) {Optional}


    Rewards:


    -Spell: Blink


    -Mechanic Knowledge: Basic Computer Systems


    -{Quest: Path of the Righteous}


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    [Path of the Righteous]


    [Rank:] B


    [Description:] Crimes were committed against you, and you retaliated only to end up forced to flee your birth country. Were you wronged? Were you in the right? Who cares! The strong decide the truth!


    Requirements:


    -Return to the Modo Kingdom after reaching the fourth circle (Not Complete)


    -Get publicly pardoned of your crimes (Not Complete)


    -Publicly expose the Mandrago family for their crimes (Not Complete)


    Rewards:


    -Low Grade Lightning Essence


    _____


    The familiar cold flood of information from a new knowledge enters her cortex, and Emily barely even processes the words floating on the screen before her eyes as the knowledge completely shatters her perspective of mechanics.


    I¡¯ve barely even scratched the surface. I¡¯m so behind for a third circle mechanic!


    The knowledge doesn¡¯t give her any concrete blueprints to work with, however, it holds vital information on everything from transistors and logic gates to the basics of binary logic and digital information processing, giving Emily a solid base to work from.


    ¡°No wonder the universal transmitter seems like a half-completed blueprint,¡± she mutters to herself, raising a hand to rub her brow. ¡°I¡¯ll need to create a powerful linked computer system to control it.¡±


    Emily goes to dismiss the quest notifications and pull up her blueprints to get to work processing and utilising her profound new knowledge, but she pauses and reigns in her excitement before dismissing the screen.


    Integrating this new knowledge is going to take me a long time. Even creating the most basic chip systems will take a lot of material experimentation and new machinery. I should process my gains and new goals properly first.


    She takes a deep breath and narrows her focus on the new quest she earned, scanning through it.@@@@


    They head to the bridge, and the moment they enter, Emily pauses as her eyes are drawn to the approaching ship. It¡¯s cutting through the air a few hundred metres ahead of them with its sleek, dark-grey hull illuminated by thin lines of glowing white running along its body, the front section blinking in a slow, downward wave.


    Curious. What are those? They don¡¯t seem like enchanted engravings, they¡¯re far too bright for that.


    Her gaze traces the well-lit ship, spotting several gun barrels and a few silvery-white metal rods poking out in several places, angled towards the front. She looks above and notes the small difference in the shape of the ship¡¯s balloon from what she¡¯s used to. It¡¯s slightly larger towards the front, with a slick metallic sheen curling around the entire front half and several large, faint runes etched onto its surface, barely visible if it weren¡¯t for Emily¡¯s vastly improved eyesight.


    ¡°What should we do?¡± Angela calls, noticing Emily standing quietly in the doorway.


    ¡°It looks like they want us to land, so go ahead,¡± Emily responds with a shrug. ¡°We¡¯ll go along with whatever they want for now. We¡¯re not criminals here, so there shouldn¡¯t be any problems.¡±


    Her confidence calms the flight crew¡¯s nerves, and Anton sends Podrick out to gather the few scattered members of the crew working elsewhere as Emily leaves the room. She heads for the drone hatch, dropping it open and stepping out in a practised routine, wrapping her legs in air walk and moving to sit above the bridge.


    I might as well make sure my capabilities are clear.


    She dismisses her spell and settles down as she waits for Calypso to lower to the ground. The other ship arrives directly before them, dropping down in sync with them towards a flat gap between two large dunes. Emily takes the time as they float to the ground to take in the opposing ship¡¯s design with interest, probing it with her magical senses and feeling several enchantments woven into it.


    They seem a lot more liberal with their use of enchanted items. I can¡¯t wait to see what they¡¯ve transformed the capital into.


    The two ships set down, sending out shuddering vibrations that shake the nearby dunes, and both drop extending sets of stairs so their crews can meet. Emily pushes herself up and weaves a spell inside her circles, conjuring a powerful gust of wind to slowly lower herself to the ground as she steps off the side of the ship.


    She lands as Anton and Angela step off the stairs onto the sand. Angela stops at the bottom, and Anton keeps walking alone, catching up to Emily so they can both walk towards the gap between their ships together.


    ¡°Just you?¡± Emily asks.


    ¡°I¡¯ll signal Angela to bring them all down if they¡¯re needed,¡± Anton responds without looking at her, his eyes locked on the four people descending the steps of the other ship.


    Emily silently nods, inspecting the people before them as well, feeling four magical signatures of varying strengths from them. All four of them are wearing robust-looking blue uniforms with silver plating over their vitals, similar to Emily¡¯s body armour but less fitted. They have silver runes woven into the blue fabric of their jackets, but there are no visible runes on the silver plates even though Emily can feel the same enchantments spreading to them.


    The two following have matching, closely fitted trousers and long-sleeved jackets with an emblem emblazoned on their right biceps showing a blue droplet in the centre with a single white line vertically bisecting it. However, the man and woman leading them have slightly different emblems and uniforms. The man still has the same trousers, but his jacket has short sleeves that show off his densely tattooed arms, and his emblem has a second line horizontally cutting through the droplet. On the other hand, instead of trousers, the woman wears a long, pleated blue skirt down to her ankles, covered in hard-to-see, blue embroidered runes. Her emblem includes a third line going diagonally through the centre.


    Emily¡¯s eyes scan the man¡¯s tattoos as she and Anton come to a halt, waiting for the group to approach them. She spots several obvious runes along with several that the tattooist tried to hide within the twisting geometric shapes covering the man¡¯s arms in imposing patterns.


    They look like enchanted tattoos, but I think they¡¯ve blended it with normal tattoos to stop people deciphering it easily... clever.


    The two people in matching uniforms stop and stand to attention on either side of the stairs as the two with mismatched uniforms continue the last few metres to meet Emily and Anton under the light being projected by their ship.


    Looks like they¡¯re soldiers.


    The two leading soldiers halt in front of them, standing straight and staring directly into their eyes. The woman, who has long, frizzy hazel hair and deep, sunken bags beneath her eyes, stands opposite Emily, while the man, who has short-cropped black fluff covering his head along with soft blue eyes in contrast to his imposing tattoos, faces Anton.


    ¡°I¡¯m third circle, Colette Blanchet, captain of the NDDF¡¯s eighteenth squadron and this is my vice-captain, second circle, Louis Monet,¡± Colette greets, placing her open hand against her heart and bowing her head lightly before standing back at attention with her tired eyes fixed on Emily. ¡°I assume you are the captain of this vessel?¡±


    ¡°No, that would be him,¡± Emily says, gesturing towards Anton with her thumb before crossing her right hand across her chest in a fist and her left behind her back, dipping her head in a small bow. ¡°I¡¯m Emily Coldstone, third circle, and a travelling mage.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Anton Wright, captain of Calypso,¡± Anton says, glancing uncomfortably between the different greetings unsure of what to do.


    ¡°I see,¡± Colette says, narrowing her eyes for a moment. ¡°Can I assume this means your purpose for entering our country is different from that of this ship then?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Emily nods calmly. ¡°They¡¯re here looking to trade, and I¡¯m here to escape Modo while I develop my magic.¡±


    Colette nods in understanding. A cautious glint flashes through her eyes at the mention of Emily fleeing the country, but she masks her reaction and turns to Anton with a small, polite smile.


    ¡°We welcome friendly traders, especially those bringing their own ships. Please gather your crew and follow the instructions of my vice-captain here,¡± she says, glancing at Louis and giving him a silent set of instructions with a few subtle hand gestures that Anton doesn¡¯t even notice, though Emily watches her hands with intrigue. ¡°After a brief questioning about the circumstances of your trip here, he¡¯ll get you registered and direct you towards the Merchant¡¯s Association so you can inform yourself about the trading rules here.¡±


    Anton glances at Emily for confirmation, then follows Colette¡¯s instructions and signals for Angela to bring the crew over. Louis turns to give a set of instructions to the soldiers waiting by their ship with more hand gestures before guiding Anton off to the side, leaving Emily and Colette alone.


    Colette reaches into the folds of her skirt, her hand seeming to vanish into the fabric before she draws it back out with a notepad in hand.


    Her skirt¡¯s a spatial item? Why are the runes blue? Is it somehow a spatial item using a water-based enchantment? Or have they found a way to dye embroidered runes? It would explain the silver runes on their uniforms too. I doubt they are using metal-based enchantments on all of them, and they¡¯re definitely active right now.


    ¡°Right, Miss Coldstone,¡± Colette says, snapping Emily out of her thoughts. ¡°I don¡¯t have the power to make any decisions here myself, but I can assure you that as long as you¡¯re not working for Denros, you¡¯ll be welcomed here with open arms. So, do you mind if I ask you some questions?¡±

 Chapter 147 – Friendly Interrogation

    Chapter 147 ¨C Friendly Interrogation


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Emily replies, internally casting a first circle earth spell to raise a small mound of rock in the shape of a chair before sitting back into it. ¡°Would you like a seat?¡±


    Colette barely reacts to Emily¡¯s casual silent casting and calmly nods.


    She¡¯s either not surprised, or very good at hiding her reactions.


    Emily snaps her fingers, forming a small brown magic circle above them that melts into the floor, raising a second earthen throne behind Colette.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she says, sitting down and pulling a pen from her skirt. ¡°Right, let¡¯s start by confirming the boring details. Your current name is Emily Coldstone. Correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever gone by any other names or aliases?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Colette nods, tearing her eyes away from carefully inspecting Emily¡¯s face and looking down as she jots something down. ¡°Next, where were you born?¡±


    ¡°Eimdon City.¡±


    ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°The seventh day of the seventh month of the year four hundred and ninety-six in the Modo calendar.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an incredible liar, I¡¯ll give you that,¡± Colette says without batting an eye. ¡°But I¡¯m going to need you to be honest with me here. If my report isn¡¯t accurate, it will only cause you problems when it¡¯s checked at headquarters.¡±


    ¡°But I am though,¡± Emily says innocently, not a single muscle on her face moving out of place as she projects an image of clear honesty.


    I¡¯m telling the truth here! Besides, even if I wasn¡¯t, it¡¯s been a while since a third circle mage would be able to tell that by looking at me.


    ¡°So, you expect me to believe that you¡¯re a third circle mage at seventeen?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Haaa,¡± Colette lets out a sigh, raising one of her hands to rub her brow as it creases in frustration. ¡°Whatever, this is a problem for whoever has to verify your account, not me. Sure, you¡¯re a seventeen-year-old prodigy.¡±


    She shakes her head and continues writing in her notes before looking back at Emily again with a resigned expression, the bags beneath her eyes seeming to stretch even longer.


    ¡°Next then. Have you formally studied magic, and if so, where?¡±


    ¡°I studied in Modo¡¯s Covenant for a little over a year and a half.¡±


    Colette writes down her answer without any further comment this time, not even bothering to look up as she continues.


    ¡°Have you ever lived in Denros?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever had any contact with anyone from Denros?¡±


    ¡°Still, no.¡±


    The tired soldier slowly nods her head as if the answers were expected, before finally glancing up again as she makes a request.


    ¡°Okay, can you give me a brief explanation for why you¡¯re leaving the Modo Kingdom please?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Emily says with a nod, taking a moment to consider exactly what to give away before starting. ¡°I was a commoner who knew nothing of magic, but I self-awakened on the twenty-sixth day of the sixth month of the year five hundred and twelve, and the Mandrago family, who controlled Eimdon at the time, found me. They killed my father and attempted to use mental magic to enslave me before sending me to train in The Covenant.¡±


    Colette¡¯s eye twitches as Emily mentions self-awakening, but any of her mistrust is pushed to the back of the mind the moment mental magic is mentioned. Her expression crumples in anger, and she voices her discontent the moment Emily pauses.


    ¡°Scum,¡± she practically spits before taking a breath and quickly recomposing herself. ¡°Sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Emily waves off her apology and continues. ¡°Their mental magic didn¡¯t work properly, but I went along with them and stayed at The Covenant to train, and I quickly rose to third circle before returning to my home city. However, when I returned, I found out that the Mandrago scum, as you so accurately put it, had already killed my sister. So, I wiped out their family and fled.¡±


    Colette¡¯s expression shifts to one of sympathy as she places her right palm on her chest and lowers her eyes to the ground.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss. May her soul return to Ulea¡¯s embrace.¡±


    Emily nods, remaining expressionless and empty as she watches the woman offering condolences.


    What religion is that from? The books in the library called this land faithless. Is that inaccurate?


    Colette writes down her account as Emily distracts herself wondering about New Denntimo¡¯s religious standing.


    ¡°You said it was the Mandrago family you wiped out, correct?¡± she says after a few moments, glancing up to clarify.


    After grabbing her bag from her room and making sure Anton, Angela, and Tony can handle flying through the night without her, Emily reassures them she will find them in the shipyard later and leaves to board the other ship.


    She climbs the steps following Colette, who has taken it upon herself to guide her. They step into the ship and the entrance hatch behind them slides shut before locking into place without either of them doing anything. Emily pauses and curiously places her hand against the door, releasing a flood of machina from her palm.


    ¡°It¡¯s controlled from the bridge,¡± Colette explains, noticing her interest.


    Emily nods, inspecting the intricate mechanisms hidden in the wall.


    This is fascinating. They¡¯re using a secondary low-pressure piping system to send commands across their ship... They even have some simple mechanical logic gates here to control emergency shutoffs! This is ingenious. If I hijack this system and make some modifications, I can set up some decent weapons for Angela to control from the comfort of the bridge without needing electricity at all.


    She removes her hand from the wall and follows Colette deeper into the ship while making notes in her virtual notebook. The corridors they walk through are all lit in a cold white light by a glowing channel along the ceiling, similar to the light channels outside the ship.


    Emily spreads machina through her feet with each step, closely inspecting the lighting and frowning as she works out what the channel is.


    It¡¯s a long tube of a non-metal material with a thread of metal in the centre... Why is that metal glowing though?


    Her perception spreads, and as they turn into the corridor containing the crew cabins, she finally spots the source of the light.


    A cluster of mana? I see. They must be spreading the raw light mana from those crystals using that thread, and the material around it is diffusing it into the room. Interesting.


    ¡°You can use this room while you¡¯re aboard,¡± Colette says, pushing open the door to a small room with a single metal-framed bed, a desk, and a chair. ¡°You¡¯re free to move around this ship as you wish, but I ask that you please stay away from the armoury and weapon placements for now. There will be food available in the mess hall in thirty minutes. Food will be available again at oh eight hundred tomorrow morning, and we should reach Liberte an hour later.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Emily says, slinging her bag onto the bed and stepping into the room.


    ¡°No problem. If you need me, I will be on the bridge or in my quarters, and if you can¡¯t find me just ask any member of the crew.¡±


    Emily nods and shuts the door as Colette heads back the way they came towards the front of the ship. She climbs onto the bed and settles down cross-legged, not planning on sleeping at all.


    Time to compare.


    She pours machina into the ship, beginning the slow process of completely mapping it out as she pulls on her system¡¯s description of it.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Border Patrol Ship #042]


    [Rank:] D


    [Description:] A heavily enchanted, medium-sized patrol airship built to protect New Denntimo¡¯s borders. Designed for stability and durability with a mixture of kinetic and magical weaponry.


    _____


    The end of the description catches her eye, the mention of magical weaponry sparking her curiosity.


    Is that what those white rods were on their hull?


    She directs her machina towards the outside of the ship, quickly locating the metal rods protruding out in line with the nearby gun barrels. Each rod begins in an accessible room inside the ship and ends in the open air, with a complicated twisting pattern of runes coating their entire length.


    ¡°They¡¯re mostly white iron with a touch of mithril and silver. Are they for focusing a spell provided by the operator, or does the operator just provide mana?¡± she mutters, unable to read the mana-touched runes with her machina alone. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like there¡¯s a way to change the angle of the rod, so probably the former unless they plan on turning the ship to aim. Though I guess that¡¯s possible.¡±


    She turns her attention away from the weapons for now and continues mapping the entire ship in full detail, trying to copy its blueprint. Unfortunately, even after four hours of close inspection, she¡¯s unable to make a perfect blueprint.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Machina scan incomplete.


    Blueprint created: Border Patrol Ship #042


    [Border Patrol Ship #042]


    [Type:] Steam Airship


    [Tier:] 1


    [Rank:] D (E)


    [Description:] A heavily enchanted, medium-sized patrol airship built to protect New Denntimo¡¯s borders. Designed for stability and durability with a mixture of kinetic and magical weaponry.


    _____


    ¡°Damn,¡± she mutters under her breath, looking at the window with a frown. ¡°It¡¯s meant to be D rank, but it dropped because I can¡¯t map the magical enhancements with machina alone. I could finish it if I use mana too, but they¡¯ll notice that. I guess I¡¯ll reset tomorrow.¡±


    Her frown only grows as she looks at the tier as well.


    It¡¯s still the same tier as Calypso despite being a higher rank and using a lot of magic. Steam power really is low-grade.

 Chapter 148 – The Oasis City

    Chapter 148 ¨C The Oasis City


    In the morning of the following day, Emily finally leaves her room, leaving her bag behind, and heads towards the bridge in anticipation of their arrival in Liberte. She steps into the room and looks around.


    The bridge is only slightly larger than Calypso¡¯s, with an open window facing the front of the ship. Unlike Calypso¡¯s though, the patrol ship¡¯s window has metal bars running down it every metre or so to help reinforce it.


    There are four chairs in the room, three to control the ship from, and one behind them from which Colette commands the pilots. Colette¡¯s seat doesn¡¯t have many controls in front of it, with only a few buttons, a glowing green crystal, and a strange-looking open tube that Emily knows spreads through the rest of the ship.


    ¡°Hello, Miss Coldstone,¡± Colette greets as she enters, placing a hand on her heart and nodding at her. ¡°I take it you¡¯re here to see Liberte from the sky?¡±


    ¡°I am, and please, just call me Emily,¡± she replies, waving off the soldier¡¯s formality.


    ¡°Understood,¡± Colette says, gesturing to the window as she looks ahead again. ¡°You¡¯re in for a treat. The city looks just amazing from the sky.¡±


    ¡°How far off are we?¡± Emily asks, looking at the vast expanse of sand stretching out towards the horizon before them.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry,¡± Colette says with a chuckle that¡¯s matched by her crewmates. ¡°We¡¯re closer than you think.¡±


    Emily shrugs and leans back against the wall, staring out of the window and waiting. After a few minutes, Emily pulls out The Clock and looks down at it to check the time.


    It¡¯s five past nine now. I thought she said we¡¯d get there at nine, but I still don¡¯t see anything yet.


    As she tucks the small pocket watch back into its place on her belt, Emily looks back up and immediately questions her eyes. Instead of the open desert that was there when she looked away, she sees a sprawling, wall-less city stretching almost as far as the eye can see.


    The city is built in concentric rings of height, starting at the towering white behemoth of a palace in the centre and spreading out to the squat, sheet-metal homes at the outer edge. It¡¯s overwhelmingly bright, with a majority of the buildings being carved from the same white stone as the palace, and the rest being a mix of well-maintained, polished metals that reflect the morning sun like glistening gems.


    There¡¯s no overhead rail system like in Chroni, but the streets are dotted with small, motorised vehicles and large, multi-segment personnel transports.


    ¡°Woah,¡± she quietly exclaims, shocked by the sudden sight.


    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s incredible, isn¡¯t it?¡± Colette asks proudly. ¡°And I take it from your reaction that you didn¡¯t know about the oasis barrier?¡±


    ¡°Oasis barrier?¡± Emily questions, her eyes roaming the busy streets below, watching pedestrians going about their days. ¡°Is that what kept it from being seen?¡±


    ¡°Yes. This city was built on a natural oasis where several mana veins meet, and somehow the council elders created a spell that lets us use that to hide the city from prying eyes. Don¡¯t ask me for the specifics though, because I can¡¯t even begin to understand it.¡±


    Incredible. They took the concept of an oasis mirage and reversed it. I didn¡¯t even notice anything from the outside.


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing,¡± Emily says, watching the view shift as the ship turns to head towards a massive rectangular building on the southern edge of the massive, walled-in compound that takes up a sizable chunk of the west of the city. ¡°The council elders are your fourth circle mages, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they are,¡± Colette says before leaning forward and pulling the tube in front of her towards her mouth, pressing a button beside it before speaking into it. ¡°We are approaching headquarters now. To landing positions.¡±


    Her voice echoes through the entire ship, alerting the crew and starting a flurry of hurried movement that Emily can hear through the wall she¡¯s leaning against. She doesn¡¯t say anything else, going quiet and letting the crew focus on their landing as she continues to admire the city from above.


    ¡°This is border patrol ship code zero four two approaching with friendly unknown,¡± Collette says with her hand resting on the crystal in front of her, pouring a steady stream of mana into it. ¡°Please open bay U zero one.¡±@@@@


    She falls silent but keeps pouring mana into the crystal, turning her head to look over her shoulder as she does.


    ¡°I¡¯m asking them to open one of our unprotected bays so I can take you in safely,¡± she explains.


    ¡°Unprotected? This is a military compound, right?¡± Emily questions with a raised brow.


    ¡°Yes, but I was only referring to our defence array. There¡¯s enough artillery mounted around the base to blow most ships from the sky before they¡¯d even get close to the entry bays. The defence array is more for stopping individuals.¡±


    ¡°Understood, we¡¯ll head there now. Dismissed.¡±


    The soldier salutes one last time before turning around and running out again.


    ¡°He seems busy,¡± Emily comments with amusement as they follow after him at a leisurely pace.


    ¡°He¡¯s an errand-runner. If he finishes his task quota for the day early, he¡¯ll be allowed extra free time to train.¡±


    They leave the hangar, stepping through an invisible film of mana that gives Emily an unsettling feeling of being watched, and enter a wide-open corridor. They pass several soldiers who salute them on the way past. Some of them have one or two lines through their emblems, matching their circle, but the rest of them have none, marking their unawakened status.


    All the unawakened soldiers carry a gun with them. For most it¡¯s a sleek clockwork rifle, similar to those used in Modo but with a few small differences in the design like the guard that completely blocks off the front of the handle to protect from slashing weapons, and the pump slides beneath the barrels instead of bolts. However, some of them are carrying heavy pump-action shotguns with backup pistols mounted at their waists.


    All of the soldiers, both awakened and not, carry a cold weapon on them as backup. The most common is a small knife strapped to their belt, but Emily also sees several swords, maces, and even a second circle mage with a long spear strapped to her back.


    ¡°Does everyone here have close-quarters weapons training?¡± Emily asks as they enter a large room with a wide-open bay door and several parked cars, a few of them with soldiers hanging around next to them chatting and smoking.


    ¡°Yes. We consider it very important to be able to handle yourself in close quarters, especially for our mages. You can¡¯t exactly cast a spell with a knife in your throat,¡± Colette says, glancing down at Emily¡¯s exposed body armour and forearm bracers as she leads them towards one of the cars with two smoking soldiers sitting on the hood. ¡°Is that not the same in Modo? You look like you¡¯ve received proper combat training.¡±


    ¡°Haha,¡± Emily chuckles lightly, her face barely moving. ¡°It¡¯s not quite the same, and I¡¯m not exactly normal. What gave me away, the gear?¡±


    ¡°The walk,¡± Colette replies, shaking her head and levelling a glare at the two soldiers before them which they quickly notice, jumping off the car and saluting. ¡°I can barely hear your footsteps and you¡¯ve been next to me the whole time. Even among our trained combat mages, it¡¯s rare to see someone with that much control over their body.¡±


    Emily raises a brow silently and listens carefully, realising she really isn¡¯t making much noise as she walks.


    I didn¡¯t even notice I was doing it...


    ¡°At ease,¡± Colette says, relaxing her glare. ¡°Take us to the vice-commander¡¯s office.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am!¡± both soldiers say in sync.


    One of them moves to the driver¡¯s seat, and the other opens the passenger door for Colette before moving to open a rear door for Emily and himself.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Emily says with a nod, slipping into the car as it starts with a quiet hum.


    Curiously, she injects a burst of machina into it and quickly discovers the magic crystals powering the engine. She glances at Colette before converting the machina touching the crystals into mana to probe them. Immediately, Colette¡¯s head snaps back to look at her with a dangerous glint in her eyes.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asks calmly, though Emily can feel a minute quiver in the mana around them, suggesting she¡¯s preparing a spell.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Emily replies without batting an eye, immediately converting the mana back into machina, already having claimed her answer.


    Fire and water crystals. They¡¯re using the same trick I did in my Steam Source to produce steam. However, it looks like they¡¯ve managed to charge the ignition key with mana to activate the system instead of breaking an active array like mine does.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Colette says, narrowing her eyes. ¡°Please don¡¯t use mana again within the compound unless asked to.¡±


    The car falls silent as Colette looks forward again. Emily glances at the soldier sitting beside her and sees him practically dripping with sweat while staring down at the back of Colette¡¯s seat. She shrugs and relaxes into her seat, reaching into her belt and pulling out the long, empty bullet casing with the Crystal Skull¡¯s logo engraved on the side.


    She rolls it between her fingers while observing the compound pass by around them as they head towards one of the smaller, two-story buildings. The driver of the car skilfully weaves between walking soldiers and a few other cars, quickly bringing them to their destination.


    They step out of the car to approach the building, and Emily immediately feels the pressure of a fourth circle mage wash over her. She takes a deep breath and raises one of her hands to rest on The Clock¡¯s pouch with barely a thought.


    This will be the first fourth circle mage I meet without fighting them... hopefully.

 Chapter 149 – Warm Welcome

    Chapter 149 ¨C Warm Welcome


    Colette steps forward and opens the door, leading Emily in. The room they enter is almost empty, with two leather sofas facing each other to the right of the door in the light of the only window. There¡¯s a small coffee table between them, and two crossed battle axes hanging on the wall above it, proudly displayed as the only point of interest in the room.


    Colette doesn¡¯t stop in the bare reception room and instead leads Emily into a connected corridor with steep stairs at the end. They climb the stairs in silence and soon arrive in front of an imposing wooden door with no visible runes, but an enchantment so potent Emily can feel it without having to touch it.


    Colette knocks on the door with three firm thuds before stepping back and standing to attention.


    ¡°Enter,¡± a deep voice booms from behind the door.


    Without missing a beat, Colette pushes the door open and walks in with Emily close behind. She steps aside and salutes, giving Emily a clear view of the Vice Commander.


    He¡¯s sitting behind a desk, but she can still tell how tall he is, and his broad shoulders give him a strong, reliable impression. His uniform is surprisingly plain, almost identical to that of the normal soldiers other than the four lines on his emblem, and his short blonde hair and beard are both neatly trimmed.


    He meets Emily¡¯s gaze with his piercing blue eyes and silently rises to his feet, towering three heads over her.


    ¡°I take it you¡¯re Emily Coldstone?¡± he asks with a surprisingly melodious voice, placing his palm to his chest and lightly nodding at her. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to have you in our country. Please, take a seat.¡±


    Colette¡¯s eyes widen in surprise at the friendly greeting, but Emily barely bats an eye, walking forward and dropping into a plush seat before the Vice Commander¡¯s desk.


    He knows who I am. How? Spies or friends?


    ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen so far it¡¯s a fascinating place, Sir...¡± she responds.


    ¡°Fourth circle, Maximilien Carnot,¡± he says, sitting back down and gesturing for Colette to take a seat as well. ¡°But you can call me Max, no need for any sir.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a fascinating place then, Max. So, do you need to confirm I¡¯m telling the truth now?¡±


    She asks the question, but the tone of her voice suggests they both already know the answer.


    ¡°No, not at all. I¡¯ve heard enough about you from young Oscar to last a lifetime, so I think we can skip all that.¡±


    Emily raises a brow, surprised by the familiar name.


    ¡°You know Oscar?¡±


    ¡°Haha, I didn¡¯t,¡± Max chuckles. ¡°But his father brewed me the elixir I used to break through to the fourth circle, and we still keep in touch. The moment he heard about your conflict with the Mandragos, he put the young lad on to warn me in case you fled here.¡±


    ¡°To warn you?¡± Emily asks, already expecting where it¡¯s going.


    ¡°He assured me you would be a valuable ally as well, but the boy is terrified of you,¡± he replies with a calm tone. ¡°I have to say though. I¡¯d quite like to see you fight. He said it was like watching art.¡±


    ¡°We could spar if you¡¯d like?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to decline,¡± Max says, shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯m not one for a magicless bout, and I¡¯m a defence-focused earth mage. It would be a dull fight for you I¡¯m sure¡±


    Emily raises a brow at his calm confidence but doesn¡¯t push it.


    ¡°Anyway, I hear you have an interest in helping us on the battlefield, so I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll get to see you in action.¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡± She shrugs. ¡°Speaking of, is there an official channel for becoming a mercenary?¡±


    ¡°Yes, just head to one of the mercenary companies south of this compound and they¡¯ll welcome you with open arms and explain the process to you,¡± he says dismissively. ¡°Is there anything else I can help you with while you¡¯re here? I can assign someone to guide you around the city if that would help?¡±


    ¡°I was interested in your engineering endeavours. The mixture of magic and mechanics in your airships is fascinating and right up my alley,¡± she says, pulling the Spitter from the holster on her leg and presenting it to Max.


    He takes the offered gun and turns it over in his hands with a curious expression.


    Emily settles back and gazes out of the window, watching the approaching wall and scanning over the massive, fortified gate. It¡¯s hanging open and they drive through without any problems, and Emily looks back to see four mounted chain guns pointing down at them.


    I wonder what their fire rates are like.


    The military car rolls through the streets, passing white stone buildings and an increasing number of pedestrians as they move away from the military base. They drive through the city in silence for ten minutes before they come across a street lined with several massive buildings where Emily can feel dozens of mana signatures and hundreds of powerful enchantments.


    ¡°Woah,¡± Emily mutters quietly.


    ¡°They¡¯re quite hard to miss,¡± Colette comments, opening the door and stepping out as the car comes to a halt. ¡°Would you like to go in, or shall we move on?¡±


    ¡°Knowing where they are is enough for now.¡±


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll take the train from here then.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you have a train too?¡± Emily asks, following her out of the car and glancing up at the clear sky. ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Underground of course,¡± Colette answers with a confused expression. ¡°Where else would we put it?¡±


    Emily raises an amused brow and follows the soldier towards a large metal and glass construct with the words ¡®Merc Street Station¡¯ formed from metal above a set of large, rotating glass doors.


    Emily looks down as they step into the rotating doors and sees a metal grate with a large spinning fan below, spinning in time with the doors as steam blows past.


    They exit the door onto a staircase descending into the earth, lit by the same light strips as the military¡¯s airships. They move quickly, passing through the sparse crowd on the wide staircase with ease and arriving in an open chamber at the bottom with dozens of unmanned doorways ahead blocking an empty train platform.


    Emily observes the doors with interest. They¡¯re made from bars of metal mounted to a rotating pole, with a strange terminal attached to them from which Emily can feel mana. She watches an unawakened pedestrian walk up to one of the doors and tap the terminal with a small metal card, and the metal bars unlock, letting her walk through unimpeded.


    ¡°What are the cards?¡± Emily asks as Colette leads her towards the platform.


    ¡°They¡¯re called Signature Cards: one of the greatest ideas of our unawakened scholars. You¡¯ll be given one when you sign up as a mercenary, and it will have information like your name, mercenary profile, and contribution points. You can also put money on them and use them to pay for things. However,¡± she says, stopping before one of the doorway¡¯s terminals and placing her hand against it. ¡°Most of our amenities, like the train, are free for mages. Just give it some mana and it will open.¡±


    A small pulse of glistening blue mana leaves Colette¡¯s hand and lights up the lines carved into the grey metal box. Colette passes through the door and turns to wait for Emily.


    She steps up to the terminal and places her palm against it, flooding it with both mana and machina. Glistening blue lighting flickers across the metal surface, lightly shocking another nearby pedestrian and making them flinch in surprise.


    Instantly, Emily activates full assistive processing and burns the image of the terminal¡¯s inner workings into her mind, from the steam valves controlling the door¡¯s rotation to the runes sending signals to a mother node elsewhere in the capital.


    Slipping back into a normal perception of time, Emily steps through the door with barely a pause in her step to mark her little stunt, pretending nothing happened. Colette narrows her eyes, glancing at the man standing with his hair stood on end, but she doesn¡¯t say anything and leads Emily to the far end of the platform.


    ¡°The front two compartments are reserved for military personnel, including mercenaries, and the next two for any other mages,¡± Colette informs her. ¡°We¡¯re going to head to the production sector in the east of the city. That¡¯s where you¡¯ll find Earnie¡¯s workshop and factories.¡±


    ¡°Factories?¡± Emily asks with a little surprise.


    ¡°Yes. Earnie is the largest single weapons manufacturer in the country and a private contractor for the Defence Force. He owns multiple factories to keep up with the demand.¡±


    Emily feels a faint tremor through the ground, and moments later she hears the distant hum of wheels on the track. It doesn¡¯t take long for a sleek train to come rolling into the station. Surprisingly though, the machine slides to a stop with only a small hiss of steam instead of the harsh screech of grinding metal Emily is used to.


    The door slides open, and Colette leads her into the carriage lined with plush seats. They settle down and wait for the train to depart.


    ¡°It will take us about an hour to reach Earnie¡¯s, but we don¡¯t need to switch trains until we¡¯re almost there, so I would recommend taking this time to meditate,¡± Colette says, getting comfortable in her seat and preparing to take her own advice.


    Emily nods and leans back in her seat, staring out of the window at the smooth stone wall beside them.


    I think I prefer the sky railway. The view was much better.


    The train rolls out of the platform with a sharp hiss, quickly gaining speed. Emily shuts her eyes and opens a blueprint to work on designing weapons for Calypso.

 Chapter 150 – An Odd Meeting

    Chapter 150 ¨C An Odd Meeting


    Just over an hour later, after switching trains twice and walking a short distance from the ¡®Chop Shop Station¡¯, they arrive at a large warehouse with soldiers posted around the walls.


    ¡°Welcome to Chop Shop Street, aka Earnie¡¯s playground,¡± Colette says, gesturing to the building beside them. ¡°This is Earnie¡¯s workshop, and half the other buildings on the street are his too.¡±


    ¡°The whole warehouse?¡± Emily asks with an impressed tone.


    ¡°Yes, the whole warehouse.¡± Colette nods to the guards and approaches a heavy metal door.


    She raises her hand and slams the side of her fist against the door repeatedly.


    ¡°Give him a minute,¡± Colette says, turning her back to the door as Emily hears an explosion somewhere inside. ¡°Maybe not.¡±


    Almost immediately, loud sounds of colliding metal echo through the door. None of the soldiers react, and a few moments later the door shakes and screeches with the harsh sound of grinding metal before swinging open.


    ¡°What?¡± yells a tall, plump man with wiry white hair and soot-stained, shrivelled skin.


    ¡°Oh.¡± He blinks in surprise when he spots Colette. ¡°It¡¯s you again. I thought you got free?¡±


    ¡°I did, hence why I¡¯m about to leave,¡± Colette says, with surprising bite. ¡°But first, this is third circle, Emily Coldstone. She wanted to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Bah, good riddance,¡± Earnie growls at Colette, the distaste clearly mutual.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Emily says, waving Colette off and addressing Earnie. ¡°I saw your chain guns. Fascinating concept, what gave you the idea?¡±


    Earnie raises a cautious brow and looks her up and down, his gaze lingering on the gun on her thigh and the Claws on her arms.


    ¡°I thought of it while I was working on a car¡¯s drive chain. I just saw the chain spinning and it struck me: I should put that in a gun. And so, I did,¡± he replies with a mix of pride and lingering doubt. ¡°Are you here to make a request or something? I don¡¯t do custom orders unless they truly interest me, but I¡¯ll hear you out.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, I make all my own gear thanks. I just wanted to have a chat with you and pick your brain. I can show you some of my work if you¡¯d like. I think I have some things that will interest you.¡±


    Earnie nods slowly, his eyes flicking down to the Spitter once again as he steps aside.


    ¡°Sure, come in then.¡±


    Emily steps through the door and finds herself on a metal walkway suspended above what looks like an abandoned battlefield. There¡¯s sand and discarded machinery everywhere, with more scorch marks than fresh metal visible.


    Earnie shuts the door behind them before pushing past and heading towards a large raised platform in the middle of the room. Emily follows him and finds it covered in tools and materials, with several workbenches covered in half-finished parts and pieces.


    ¡°So,¡± Earnie says, sliding out two stools and kicking one across to Emily before dropping down and crossing his arms. ¡°What do you make?¡±


    ¡°So far, mostly weaponry,¡± Emily replies, dropping down on her stool without batting an eye at his seemingly rude demeanour. ¡°Though I¡¯m looking to widen my horizons while I¡¯m here, so I¡¯d love to hear any other ideas you have. Speaking of weapons though, I believe I have a better system than your chain guns.¡±


    Earnie frowns at her comment but doesn¡¯t say anything.


    Emily pulls the spitter from her thigh and holds it up for him to see.


    ¡°I hold my guns¡¯ bullets in these spring-loaded magazines,¡± she explains, dropping the mag to show him and watching his eyes widen in realisation. ¡°Then with a touch of magic to improve the power, I can rapid-fire incredibly quickly.¡±


    She casts guardian and creates a blob of metal to catch the bullets in, but before she can fire, Earnie holds up a hand and stands up.


    ¡°Wait, while your fancy magic is impressive and all, I¡¯d rather see a real test.¡±


    He runs over to the edge of his platform and pushes aside a box of screws to reveal a complicated set of dials, switches and buttons. He taps a few commands in, and the hiss of steam fills the room before something starts spinning up above them.


    ¡°There we go, some targets will arrive soon. Shoot away!¡± He declares excitedly, sitting back down and staring intently at the Spitter without blinking.


    Emily looks up as a strange contraption lowers from the ceiling before firing several random chunks of metal scrap out into the scattered junk around them.


    I guess I can see why this room¡¯s such a mess now.


    Emily plays along and flicks the Spitter into burst, standing up and pointing the gun at the first spinning sheet of thin metal before unloading three rapid shots into it. She flicks to the next target, landing all three bullets in the same place.


    For the next three, she pulls the trigger once and flicks her wrist between the kicks, hitting three separate targets dead centre without breaking a sweat.


    I wonder if she¡¯s manually controlling the rotation.


    ***


    Emily blinks and finds Colette shutting the door on her way out again.


    ¡°This ship¡¯s fascinating, but it was a little too easy to steal the blueprint,¡± Emily mutters to herself, settling into a meditative position to wait till they reach Liberte once again.


    I wonder if there¡¯s a way to obscure the runes on my weapons to stop someone else doing the same to me. Can I carve fake additions to runes like they tried to do on that Vice Captain¡¯s tattoos?


    ***


    In the morning, Emily heads over to join Colette on the bridge once again, this time with her bag slung over her shoulder.


    ¡°Hello, Miss Coldstone,¡± Colette says. ¡°I take it you¡¯re here to see Liberte from the sky?¡±


    ¡°Call me Emily,¡± she replies. ¡°And yes, I am. There¡¯s no better way to get a first impression than from an airship!¡±


    Colette nods and turns her attention back to her command as Emily leans against the back wall again, this time intently staring at the desert ahead waiting to pass through the barrier. She holds her eyes open and unblinking, but nothing about the scenery below changes, even when Colette looks back at her proudly.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± the soldier asks, and Emily finally looks away from the sands below, glancing to the side.


    The moment she focuses on Colette, the image outside the window changes to that of the sprawling cityscape.


    ¡°It¡¯s incredible,¡± Emily responds with a genuine smile.


    I thought it was some form of massive illusion, but it didn¡¯t change when I passed through it ¨C only when I looked away. Is it some sort of perception alteration like my brew of imperception?


    Emily doesn¡¯t pay any attention as Colette guides the ship to the ground, and she barely pays attention to the rest of the time in the military base, throwing the task of piloting her body to one of her secondary cores.


    Her attention is only drawn back to her body when she and Colette slip back into the car after saying goodbye to Vice Commander Max.


    ¡°So, where would you like to go first? Do you want to check on your ship?¡±


    ¡°Yes please,¡± Emily replies. ¡°How far is the shipyard?¡±


    ¡°About an hour¡¯s drive out to the west of the city, a little north of the route we came along,¡± Colette answers before turning to address the driver. ¡°Head to The Rusty Balloon, we¡¯ll take her straight there.¡±


    The driver nods and the car falls silent.


    Emily gazes out of the window, rolling an empty bullet casing between her fingers and watching the scenery roll by. They exit the military compound and drive through sparse city streets for a short while before slipping out onto the open sands. The car holds up surprisingly well as they climb over a small dune, but when they reach the top Emily spots a well-trodden path of compacted sand ahead.


    The driver mounts the path, and they follow it out into the desert.


    Just under an hour later, Emily sees a large, sand-coloured compound off in the distance, trying to hide among the dunes.


    I wouldn¡¯t have noticed it if my eyes weren¡¯t so good. Does that work on beasts?


    They roll closer and the low wall becomes clearer, along with the several guards patrolling it. They drive up to an open front gate flanked by two armed guards. The guards give the military car a single glance before nodding them through without concern.


    The driver pulls the car in, alongside a row of parked vehicles, some military and some not. Emily and Colette both climb out, leaving the soldiers inside.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head to the military rest point. The man I sent with your ship should be waiting there. He can tell us where they¡¯re docked,¡± Colette says, staring into the compound with purpose.


    ¡°That¡¯s alright,¡± Emily says. ¡°I can find them on my own. I wouldn¡¯t mind wandering around the shipyard for a bit.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Colette asks, stopping and turning to face her.


    ¡°Yes, thank you for your help,¡± Emily says, crossing her fist across her chest and giving a polite nod.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, good luck finding your ship,¡± Colette replies, placing a palm to her heart and nodding back before turning and ushering the two nearby soldiers back into their car to return to the city.


    Emily turns and wanders into the shipyard, pulling one of her birds from her belt and tossing it into the sky. The ball of metal unfurls into a small mechanical bird and flaps its wings, soaring into the sky to search for Calypso¡¯s crew.

 Chapter 151 – Tweaks and Repairs

    Chapter 151 ¨C Tweaks and Repairs


    It doesn¡¯t take long for Emily to spot Podrick through her bird¡¯s eyes, walking through the compound while glancing around nervously.


    She turns and heads straight towards him, walking along a road with a few other pedestrians, most of them wearing some form of greasy overall, before slipping between two closed warehouses with loud machinery whirring away inside.


    She comes out a few metres behind Podrick and quietly approaches him, slipping an arm around his shoulder before he can react.


    ¡°Hey, Pod. Whatcha lookin for?¡± she asks, holding the boy still as he tries to leap away.


    ¡°GODD-¡° he starts to yell before catching himself as his head snaps to the side and he sees Emily¡¯s face.


    ¡°Oh, thank Goddess it¡¯s you,¡± he says, letting out a relieved sigh. ¡°I didn¡¯t even hear you coming.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t expect you to. Anyway, where¡¯s Calypso?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you to her now,¡± Podrick responds, turning in the opposite direction to where he was going and marching off.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you looking for something?¡± Emily asks, walking in step beside him.


    ¡°I was trying to work out where you¡¯d arrive so I could bring you to the ship.¡±


    Emily raises a brow, but the innocent smile the boy flashes her suggests he¡¯s either the best liar in the world, or genuinely wanted to help.


    I should check if he¡¯s mentioned his awakening to anyone. If not, it¡¯s about time I tested Mother¡¯s Blessing on him.


    Podrick leads her deeper into the surprisingly large compound, past countless ships in various stages of construction. Emily curiously peeks into each open warehouse they pass, spotting various pre-made parts being carried into them, some of which are marked with traces of magical tampering.


    She also sees several mages among the mechanics working on the ships, most of them only first circle but a few of them second, overseeing the enchantments being set up.


    It doesn¡¯t take long for them to reach the warehouse holding Calypso. Standing in front of the open bay door is Anton, arguing with a chubby man with greasy black hair.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about your relationship with the Defence-¡° the man complains before Anton cuts him off as he notices Emily approaching.


    ¡°Emily! You¡¯re finally here,¡± he says with relief, shooting Podrick an appreciative glance.


    Emily looks at the boy, ignoring the annoyed shipyard staff, and sees him staring back with a cheeky grin.


    I... guess he didn¡¯t lie?


    She gives him a small approving nod before turning her attention back to the argument.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem? You need me to pay?¡± she asks Anton.


    ¡°Yes please,¡± he replies, scratching his head and looking down apologetically.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Emily responds without batting an eye, already having promised to pay fees for repairing the ship, turning to the staff member. ¡°How much is it?¡±


    He coughs, drawing his anger in as he glances at the weapon at her hip and the proudly displayed runes on her armour.


    ¡°That would depend, Miss,¡± he says in a businesslike tone. ¡°Do you need assistance with your repairs?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Okay, and would you like access to our exchange and city shuttle system?¡±


    ¡°They are?¡±


    ¡°The exchange is our on-site ordering system where you can purchase pre-made or custom-ordered parts from our partners in Liberte,¡± the man explains eagerly. ¡°And the shuttle system is our collection of transports that carry people to and from the city several times a day. If you purchase access, every member of your crew gets the privilege.¡±


    ¡°Right, can we take the shuttle system without the exchange?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± the man replies, losing some of the energy behind his sales pitch immediately. ¡°That will cost you four gold a week, and you¡¯ll need to pay for a minimum of a month upfront.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Emily says, ignoring Anton wincing at the price and reaching into her belt.


    The staff member¡¯s eyes widen slightly as Emily¡¯s hand vanishes up to the wrist in a pouch far too small for it, but he quickly recovers and regains his composure. She draws her hand out soon after, holding nothing, but before anyone can question it, she gestures up and gold coins float out of the pouch one after the other until thirty-two are floating in the air in front of her.


    She flicks her hand out and the coins fly towards the chubby man before coming to a sudden halt and dropping into his outstretched hands.


    ¡°Good afternoon, how can I help you?¡± the young woman behind the desk asks with a friendly smile.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to sign up as a mercenary please,¡± Emily replies.


    ¡°Of course! Are you an awakened applicant?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± the receptionist chirps with an admiring gaze that Emily is already growing used to, having received the same reaction from more than half of the unawakened people she has talked to in Liberte. ¡°There is a bit of paperwork to fill out, and then I will call upon a more suitable member of staff for your combat assessment.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Emily says with a nod before the receptionist turns to retrieve a generic form from a drawer behind her.


    ¡°Please fill this out for me as accurately as possible,¡± the receptionist says, handing Emily a double-sided form and a pen. ¡°You can take as much time as you need.¡±


    Emily glances down at the form, scanning over it before picking up the pen and filling in her information so fast the receptionist gasps in shock, unable to follow her hand.


    ¡°There you go,¡± Emily says, casually sliding the form back.


    ¡°A- ah, yes, thank you,¡± the woman says, quickly regaining her composure and lifting the sheet to read.


    Her eyes quickly go wide again as she scans over the information Emily has put down.


    ¡°Third circle... Nine elements... Utility and combat... Seventeen... Is this all accurate?¡± she asks, looking up sceptically.


    ¡°Yes, I can prove all of it.¡± Emily shrugs.


    It¡¯s not like I have a reason to lie.


    ¡°Okay.¡± The receptionist nods, pressing a button on the side of her desk. ¡°Please take a seat and I will come get you for your assessment once someone of an appropriate level is ready. It shouldn¡¯t take longer than an hour.¡±


    Emily thanks the woman and finds a seat, dropping into it and shutting her eyes as she continues meditating, leaving a spare core to watch her body for when anyone approaches. No one bothers her until the receptionist hurries over, leading a third circle mage.


    Emily¡¯s eyes snap open, and she fixes her gaze on the hulking mass of muscle before her, squeezed into tight leather armour that looks ready to burst at any moment.


    ¡°Hello, Emily,¡± the man greets her with a gravelly voice, and a strange drawl, that fits his looks. ¡°You know, it¡¯s a common custom to pick a codename when you register as a merc. If you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll be given one by your fellows, and that don¡¯t usually end up being something you like.¡±


    Emily raises a brow at the sudden advice.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t care what people choose to call me behind my back.¡± She shrugs. ¡°Why? Did you get stuck with something you hate?¡±


    ¡°Muscle Mountain,¡± he says with an expression of tired resignation that manages to make even Emily feel a little bad for the big guy. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s get this show on the road. I¡¯m third circle, Austin Carvalho, and you can follow me right through.¡±


    Austin gestures for Emily to follow and turns towards a doorway deeper into the building. She pushes herself out of her seat and nods to the receptionist as she hurries back to her desk, before walking in step with the behemoth of a man almost twice her size.


    ¡°So, how does this work?¡± Emily asks.


    ¡°I¡¯ve to confirm the details about your capabilities are all true, and then you¡¯ll be given a classification and ranking,¡± Austin explains, holding up Emily¡¯s entry form. ¡°We¡¯ll start off with the easy one and check your shootin'', but I gotta say, this¡¯s an impressive list of skills. Is there anything you can¡¯t do?¡±


    ¡°Darkness isn¡¯t on there,¡± Emily responds with a shrug, receiving a chuckle from the large man.


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    He taps a metal plate beside a large double door deeper into the building, sending a small pulse of mana into it that unlocks the door with a click.


    ¡°We gotta range through here,¡± he says, holding the door open for Emily to pass before leading her down the corridor. ¡°You can show me your shot in there.¡±


    Emily nods and quietly follows him, taking in the bare hallway lit by cold overhead lights that reminds her of The Dome. They stop before a door with ¡®Gun Range¡¯ carved into a silver plaque above it, and the moment Austin opens it Emily hears the crack of gunfire, and the smell of burning black powder hits her nose.


    They walk into the room, and Emily sees a wide-open space split into a dozen lanes, each separated by walls with several human-shaped dummies set up down range. There are two small groups of three and five respectively, using two of the lanes, but the others are all free, and Emily¡¯s guide approaches one of them.


    ¡°Do you need us to provide a gun, or do you have one?¡± Austin asks. ¡°I just need you to prove proficient shootin¡¯, I don¡¯t mind what with.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Emily says, pulling the Spitter from her thigh and flicking it into burst.


    She casually raises her arm in a relaxed stance, side on to the range, and unloads. She pulls the trigger four times, sending ten bullets into the heads of eight targets in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Is that good enough?¡± she asks, already knowing the answer from the shock in her examiner¡¯s eyes as he stares down at her with an excited grin, looking like a man who just found an unclaimed mana vein.

 Chapter 152 – Flyin’ Colours

    ¡°Good enough?¡± Austin responds, eagerly ticking something on her form with a pen he pulls from behind his back. ¡°Girlie, I ain¡¯t never seen no one shoot that good. If you¡¯re even halfway close to that in the other tests, you¡¯ll get the highest rank possible for those like you and I.¡±


    Emily nods with satisfaction, dropping the mag from her gun and reloading it quickly before holstering it again, drawing the man¡¯s attention to it.


    ¡°Your shooter there, it an Earnie? It don¡¯t look familiar,¡± he asks, gesturing for her to follow him out of the range.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s my own creation,¡± Emily replies calmly. ¡°I did show him though, so you may see him producing similar things soon.¡±


    The big mage looks like he wants to ask something else about her weapon-making, but Emily interrupts his thoughts when she asks: ¡°What next?¡±


    ¡°Testin¡¯ all your physical and magical capabilities,¡± he answers swiftly.


    ¡°So, we spar?¡± Emily asks, glancing at the muscular giant with an interested gleam in her eye.


    I wonder if all those muscles will actually make him stronger than me?


    ¡°In part, yes,¡± Austin responds, stopping and gesturing to a door beside them with ¡®Environmental Training Hall¡¯ scribed on its plaque. ¡°In here.¡±


    He opens the door, and they step into a large, open hall with a familiar floor of packed earth in the centre, and several zones of different surfaces surrounding it, from stone and sand to mud and small pools of water. There are a few groups spread across the room fighting with cold weapons and fists, and Emily even notices a group where a single woman is in the centre of a pool, bending two flexible whips of water around herself to defend against two men attacking her with a spear and a sword.


    ¡°This here¡¯s one of our training halls available to all C ranks and above. Obviously, not all of them qualify,¡± he says nodding at a random group training. ¡°If you qualify for the room, you can bring anyone you want to train with you.¡±


    It¡¯s already better than the training rooms in The Dome in that regard.


    ¡°Is the environment in here fixed?¡± Emily asks.


    ¡°No. The set-up¡¯s randomised every few weeks. Only A ranks can request changes whenever they want, but that don¡¯t really matter since the Company Leader¡¯s the only A rank we have.¡±


    ¡°I see. I assume they¡¯re fourth circle?¡±


    ¡°That he is. Now, the first thing we need to check is your hand-to-hand skill,¡± Austin says, stepping away and turning to face her, raising his open hands primed for a grab before gesturing for her to approach. ¡°Just show me what you got.¡±


    Emily closes the distance with a calm, soundless gait, stepping into her opponent¡¯s reach without hesitation. The muscular mage¡¯s right arm snaps out, aiming straight for Emily¡¯s face, but it¡¯s far too slow to phase her and she narrowly slips past it with a sudden burst of speed. She sticks close to his arm and slides in towards his body before he can react, lifting a hand and lightly poking him in the side of the neck with two fingers before dropping to the floor when he tries to close his arms around her in reaction.


    Emily plants one elbow against the floor and twists her body, driving one of her legs upwards in a kick far beyond any normal human¡¯s range of flexibility. Her foot slams into Austin¡¯s chest, launching him halfway across the hall where he hits the floor with a thud and tumbles.


    ¡°Whoops,¡± Emily mutters, standing up and noticing the astonished glances from several of the mercenaries who were training around them. ¡°I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d feel so... light?¡±


    ¡°Damn!¡± Austin barks with a half chuckle, sitting up and rubbing his chest while looking at Emily in surprise, slowly sliding his hand up to rest where she tapped his neck. ¡°I woulda died if you had a knife.¡±


    He pushes himself off the ground and brushes himself off before walking back over.


    ¡°I think you pass,¡± he says as he reaches Emily again, ignoring the curious gazes of their peers around them. ¡°How¡¯d you even move like that?¡±


    ¡°A lot of practice,¡± Emily replies. ¡°Sorry for hitting you so hard. I wasn¡¯t expecting you to be so light. My old training partner was twice as heavy and half your size.¡±


    ¡°Who were you fighting?¡± Austin asks with a look of shock. ¡°I weigh at least twice most normal folk.¡±


    ¡°Agnes Olea.¡±


    ¡°The Iron Valkyrie?¡± he responds with a look of realisation. ¡°That makes sense. I¡¯ve heard she¡¯s a master of metal magic. Her magic probably makes her heavier. After all, mine makes me lighter.¡±


    He lifts his hand and a swirling breeze forms above it for a few seconds to illustrate his point.


    ¡°Anyway, I would say next is a cold weapons test, but I¡¯m not sure I need it. What¡¯s your weapon of choice?¡±


    Emily raises an arm and silently ejects a Claw, letting the shimmering blade speak for itself.


    ¡°Thought so,¡± Austin mutters, rubbing his neck. ¡°We¡¯ll move on to magic. I don¡¯t fancy dying today.¡±


    ¡°Sure, what should I do?¡±


    ¡°First off, I¡¯d like to confirm your affinities. Please show me a basic spell or manifestation for each.¡±


    Emily nods and raises a single finger, forming a small, flickering orange flame with countless bright white sparks burning away in its core. She flicks her finger, throwing the flame up and forming it into a contained, fist-sized orb that hovers above her head.


    Next, a clear water droplet forms, bubbling as it swells in size and rises to float beneath the orb of fire. The water orb is smaller than the fire orb by a good twenty per cent, and it¡¯s matched in size by the orbs of earth and wind that she manifests next, sending them up to float between the fire and water orbs, split apart to form a diamond.


    Austin watches with wide eyes, joined by most of the other mercenaries in the room, as Emily continues her demonstration, next forming a glistening orb of ice, half the size of the water orb. She places this element between water and earth before moving up to form a solid orb of metal between fire and earth.


    The metal orb reaches one and a half fists in size, and she follows it with a small, coin-sized portal between water and wind. Finally, she creates a glistening orb of light between fire and wind, nearly reaching the same size as the latter. Finally, she places a large crackling ball of lightning in the centre of the formation.


    ¡°There you go,¡± Emily says with a satisfied curl to her lips. ¡°That¡¯s all of my affinities in rough size order.¡±


    ¡°Amazin¡¯!¡± Austin exclaims, his accent becoming even stronger in his surprise. ¡°Are those all manifestations?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I also know several spells for each element if you need further demonstration.¡±


    Austin pulls her registration form from the pocket he crammed it into before their spar and quickly ticks several things off.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need one for each element, but I will need to see one defensive spell, one high-damage single-target attack spell, one high-damage wide-area attack spell, one healin¡¯ spell, and at least one detection spell. Damn, that¡¯s a mouthful, you really are an all-rounder, ain¡¯t you?¡± he says looking up from the sheet with an excited grin. ¡°Whichever order suits you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy enough,¡± Emily replies, raising both arms towards the open hall and pouring out mana.


    Arc¡¯s crackling blue magic circle forms above her head, and guardian¡¯s glistening silver circle forms in the air in front of her. The spells burst with power, transforming into a buzzing orb of lightning and a floating orb of liquid metal fast enough to shock the onlookers.


    Emily gestures lightly with one of her hands, pouring more mana into guardian to grow its mass as she splits it apart into a dozen thick, floating rods that she disperses into the air.


    Satisfied with her setup, she snaps the fingers of her other hand, setting arc free and letting the orb fling streaks of scorching plasma between the rods, creating a net of indiscriminate destruction.


    After letting the attack continue for a few moments, Emily snaps her fingers again, instantly cutting the tendrils emanating from the orb to end the light show.


    She moves her hands as everyone watches with rapt attention, bending arc¡¯s magic circle, condensing the large orb into a glistening marble of power, ready to unleash arc-bolt. At the same time, she draws guardian back into a single mass, forming it into a large half-dome a short distance away from herself.


    Her hands freeze, her fingers snap, and a raging bolt of lightning tears through the air, slamming into guardian with a crack that makes everyone in the room wince, most of them reaching up to cover their ears. As everyone blinks away the line burned into their vision, they see guardian standing strong with a smoking, half-melted crater in the centre.


    Single target, wide area, and defence. All that¡¯s left now is healing and detection.


    Emily claps her hands, dispersing guardian before turning to Austin and holding out an open palm, slashing it open with her opposite Claw. She casts healing light, wrapping her hand in a white glow that knits the wound back together.


    She lowers her hands, drawing her examiner¡¯s attention down to earthen detection¡¯s magic circle glowing at her feet.


    ¡°This spell helps me track through vibrations in the ground. I can tell you there are exactly twenty-three people in here right now if that helps prove it,¡± she says with a shrug, reaching into her belt and pulling out one of her birds in its closed, egg form. ¡°My real tracking capabilities come from these guys though.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Austin asks, already tucking her form away into his pocket.


    Emily injects a spark of machina into the scout, unravelling it into its usual birdlike form.


    ¡°They¡¯re small scouts. I have tracking arrays connected that allow me to look through their eyes, and I can even apply effects like heat or motion tracking to them,¡± she explains, unfurling the bird¡¯s wings and flapping them, sending the small mechanical craft up to fly around the hall.


    ¡°Incredible. Those¡¯ll be real helpful on the field. Do you create them yourself too? Lookin¡¯ to sell any?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t considered selling my creations yet. I may think about it if I find myself in need of extra coin, but for now I would rather focus on my own development.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Austin says with a nod, waving off the shocked onlookers who are still staring at them before gesturing for Emily to follow him out. ¡°Let¡¯s go get you all registered then.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d I do?¡± Emily asks, walking alongside the massive man, taking two steps for his every one.


    ¡°Passed with flyin¡¯ colours. I¡¯ll put my word in, and you¡¯ll be granted B rank without issue after your first contract.¡±


    ¡°I have to complete a job first?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Everyone¡¯s given F rank when they first join and sent on a single deployment contract to the main front. You¡¯re given your appropriate rank upon return.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s reasonable,¡± Emily says with a shrug as they step out of the training hall. ¡°How do the ranks actually work here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty simple really. F to D ranks are for weak folks, usually the unawakened and those stuck at first circle,¡± Austin explains with a casual tone. ¡°C rank is where you start to see more elite mercs, typically those at second circle. B rank is pretty much exclusively saved for competent third circle folk like us, and as I mentioned earlier, A rank is for fourth.¡±


    They step out into the main reception again, heading back to the receptionist who is waiting for them patiently with a small, closed sign on her counter.


    Austin hands her Emily¡¯s form and she starts gathering several tools from the drawers, sliding the completed form into a slot on a machine with several enchantments that pulse with mana as the receptionist works, attaching another machine to it and placing a blank card into that machine.


    ¡°Please inject some mana into this crystal here,¡± the receptionist explains, pointing to a blank crystal above the card.


    Emily does as she¡¯s asked, recognising the similarities to registration in The Dome.


    Archiving my mana signature and linking it to the card?


    Information is burned into the signature card¡¯s surface with mana before the machine stops and the receptionist pulls out a finished card to hand to Emily.


    Silver Moon Mercenary


    Name: Emily Coldstone (17)


    Specialisations: Magic (All), Melee combat, Ranged combat


    Circle: Third


    Rank: F


    Emily reads the information printed on the face as Austin takes over the receptionist¡¯s job of explaining the card to her.


    ¡°Unawakened folk can check their information at a terminal, but you just need to give it some mana.¡±


    Emily injects mana into the card and receives a short package of information from it.


    No contracts completed, no contribution, and no money. How sad.


    ¡°Would you like to register for your first deployment now?¡± the receptionist asks politely after Austin falls silent.


    ¡°Sure. When¡¯s the soonest I can leave?¡± Emily asks, tucking her signature card into her belt.


    ¡°One moment please,¡± the receptionist says, tucking the signature card scribe away before filling in a small card from a stack on her desk and pressing it to a blank slot on the desk.


    The desk pulses with mana and the card catches fire, burning away into nothing. A moment later, Emily feels space twist in front of her, and a sheet of paper appears on the desk.


    Controlled teleportation for information transfer?


    Emily¡¯s eyes practically glow with envy at the prospect.


    This has to be the work of one of their Elders. Even with the knowledge I gained from looking at blink, that¡¯s still out of my reach for now.


    ¡°There is a squad preparing to leave in a week if you would like to join them,¡± the receptionist says, looking up from the paper.


    ¡°Sign me up for that then please,¡± Emily replies without hesitation.


    ¡°Okay. In that case, please report to this foyer at zero eight hundred sharp on the sixteenth day of the month, and one of our staff team will direct you towards your squad.¡±


    ¡°Got it, thanks.¡±


    Austin steps up and gestures an offer to walk Emily to the door. She steps past him, glancing over at him as he falls in step with her.


    ¡°Welcome to the company,¡± he says cheerfully. ¡°I look forward to hearing about your deeds on the battlefield, and maybe eventually seeing them if they let me out of this place.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t here by choice?¡± Emily asks with a raised brow.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that. I¡¯m perfectly happy here, but I¡¯m one of the only B-rankers willing to train newbies, so I get told off if I take contracts that take me away from headquarters for too long. It feels a little restrictive after a while is all.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, I¡¯ll do my best to make sure the reports stay exciting then. It was nice to meet you, Austin,¡± Emily says with a small wave as she steps out.


    She glances down at The Clock and sees it¡¯s still far too early to collect her parts from Earnie.


    Ah well, he won¡¯t complain if I drop in to borrow his workshop.


    With a shrug, she heads towards the station.

 Chapter 153 – The New Calypso

    Emily walks past the soldiers guarding Earnie¡¯s workshop without drawing a single glance even when she opens the locked front door without a key and slips inside.


    She heads towards the working platform, following the sounds of grinding metal.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she greets, grabbing a stool and dropping down at one of the enthusiastic creator¡¯s cleaner workbenches.


    ¡°You¡¯re early,¡± Earnie replies, turning off the spinning grinder in his hands and flicking his mask up. ¡°I¡¯m not done yet.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would be. I finished my other business in the city early, so I came to borrow your space. How are the belts coming along?¡±


    ¡°This is some of my finest work,¡± he declares proudly, lifting up a long, dark bronze chain of delicate metal clips. ¡°Your changes to the links¡¯ shape worked wonders, they feed like a dream now.¡±


    ¡°Are you still losing rounds in storage?¡±


    ¡°Nope. You fixed that too.¡±


    ¡°Perfect.¡± Emily nods, sweeping clean the workspace in front of her with a light burst of wind.


    ¡°What are you working on?¡±


    ¡°A new gun,¡± she responds without looking away from the virtual blueprint screen only visible to her.


    Earnie gets the message and quietly gets back to work.


    An hour later, Emily finishes her blueprint and pulls out several chunks of metal to process with forgemaster, carefully blending them into her chosen ratios, without any tools, and forming them into the pieces she designed.


    ¡°I¡¯m done,¡± Earnie calls over eventually, breaking Emily from her work as he places the final bolt in a crate.


    Emily cuts the mana supply to her spell and catches the finished trigger that falls in front of her, tucking it into her belt before standing up and walking over to the pile of crates Earnie is standing beside.


    ¡°All the crates are marked. FM are the pieces of your feeding mechanism, and BL are belts.¡±


    Emily nods and sweeps them all with space-attributed mana, pulling them into her utility belt.


    ¡°Thanks. Do I owe you anything?¡± Emily asks, reaching for a pouch to grab her coins.


    ¡°No, not at all,¡± Earnie replies, waving away her offer to pay. ¡°So, that¡¯s the end of your ship project, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, after testing tonight, she¡¯s finished.¡±


    ¡°Full weapons? Where?¡±


    ¡°Just outside The Rusty Balloon. No one will complain if no one knows, right?¡± she asks, raising a hand and letting out a crackling arc of machina.


    ¡°Damn mage,¡± Earnie grumbles, scowling at her. ¡°What¡¯s next then? Heading to the front?¡±


    ¡°I signed up as a merc today,¡± Emily says with a nod, turning and heading towards the warehouse¡¯s door. ¡°I leave for the front on the sixteenth.¡±


    ¡°Good luck then! My door¡¯s always open if you need to do any repairs after killing some bastards of the old regime!¡± Earnie barks, waving goodbye.


    She waves over her shoulder before stepping out into the warm, early evening sun and heading back out of the city.


    ***


    Back at the shipyard, Emily finds Podrick standing proudly in front of the half-finished autocannons in one of the open compartments on the side of Calypso.


    ¡°They¡¯re connected!¡± he tells her the moment she steps off an invisible platform of air to join him.


    ¡°Well done,¡± she praises, confirming his words with a quick burst of machina through the ship. ¡°I have the parts from Earnie. I left the empty chains on the floor along with a load of bullets.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go load them,¡± Podrick says before climbing down the ship, eager to get to the tests Emily promised.


    Emily remains on the ship and finishes assembling all of the new weapons, closing the exposed compartments one by one. She completes the ship just as the last light of the day vanishes, plunging their workshop into darkness.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Calypso]


    [Rank:] D


    [Description:] A heavily enchanted, medium-sized cargo airship produced in the Modo Kingdom but redesigned by Emily Coldstone to properly defend itself.


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    [Progression]


    [Circle/Stage:] Third


    Requirements:


    -Intelligence 131/180 (Not Complete)


    -Upgrade Basic Mana Manipulation to Intermediate grade (Complete)


    -Create 1/1 unique D rank machine (Complete)


    -Complete 3/3 C rank quests (Complete)


    -Kill 1/2 fourth circle mages (Not Complete)


    _____


    Emily looks at her system with a satisfied nod, waving it away before leading Podrick to the bridge to join the ship¡¯s crew there.


    She steps into the control room, now lit by magical lights overhead, and uses her machina to activate the ship¡¯s engines.


    ¡°Ready to see your new toy in action?¡± Emily asks, gesturing for Anton, Angela, and Tony to take their usual seats despite the new additions. ¡°Pod can explain your new controls later, ignore them for now.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s okay to give us a demonstration this close to the city? Flight rules are already stringent enough, let alone weapons,¡± Anton asks with concern, having spent the last month familiarising himself with the trading rules in New Denntimo.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Emily shrugs, piloting the airship up through the open hangar roof and out into the open desert. ¡°I gave the Defence Force a warning earlier, and I can make sure it¡¯s not too noisy. Just relax and enjoy the show.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± he says, sitting back in his chair and looking ahead as Emily pilots the ship under the moon¡¯s light.


    As the light from the shipyard fades into the distance behind them, Emily stops the ship still in the air.


    ¡°I was torn as to what weapons I should give Calypso,¡± she starts to explain, raising her hands and pouring mana out to form several floating orbs of fire around the ship whilst also wrapping it in a large, sound-isolating barrier. ¡°Mostly because you aren¡¯t a trained combat crew and only really need to defend yourselves from beasts now that you¡¯re not on the run. So, I gave you a weapon that will make sure you won¡¯t have to worry about any small beasts attacking you.¡±


    With a spark of machina, steam flows through the narrow control pipes spanning the ship, activating the mechanisms that slide open several compartments on the side of the ship before extending gun platforms on rails. Another spark and the cannons all activate, automatically pointing themselves at the nearest flame before opening fire.


    Six loud, simultaneous pops reach the bridge, and everyone listens as they¡¯re followed by countless more in rapid succession. Six solid streams of bullets light up the night sky, drawing gasps from everyone on the ship as Emily moves the flames and the tracers follow.


    ¡°The autocannons can be activated individually from Angela¡¯s console, and they target the closest heat signature outside the ship, so be careful about accidentally turning them on while docked,¡± Emily explains, turning the cannons on and off one by one, cutting the streams of bullets for a few seconds before they¡¯re reactivated. ¡°You can also manually override and control each cannon if you choose to, but you will lose the magic-assisted aiming.¡±


    The shooting cuts out suddenly as Emily deactivates the guns, saving the rest of the tracer rounds for future use.


    ¡°Each belt holds three hundred rounds, but the cannons only fire at a rate of six bullets a second to prevent jamming, so you get fifty seconds of uninterrupted fire from each.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s incredible,¡± Anton exclaims. ¡°Slightly terrifying, and completely overkill for us, but incredible nonetheless.¡±


    ¡°Overkill for you maybe,¡± Angela says, flashing Emily an excited grin. ¡°Thanks, Emily! Next time I see any of those stalkers I¡¯m turning them into bloody mist.¡±


    ¡°Ha, good luck,¡± Emily scoffs, turning the ship back towards the shipyard. ¡°If that doesn¡¯t work though, run away. I¡¯ve also installed flare launchers to help distract any beasts if you need to flee or scare off birds while travelling.¡±


    A single burning flare fires off the starboard side of the ship, illuminating the desert below as it arcs towards the ground.


    ¡°You can¡¯t get ammo for that one from Chop Shop, but Pod knows how to make it, and you can easily buy the powdered crystals needed in Liberte.¡±


    Angela nods, and Podrick steps forward to start explaining the added controls to the crew as Emily quietly pilots the ship, thinking about the successful field test.


    The gun¡¯s tracking didn¡¯t skip like I worried it might. It won¡¯t have proper target selection without manual intervention, but that¡¯s as good as I think I¡¯m going to get without something other than steam to control it.


    ¡°So,¡± Anton says, turning back to address Emily. ¡°Is that it then? Is this where we say goodbye for now?¡±


    ¡°I signed up as a merc and I ship out in a week, but if you want to take off now that¡¯s fine,¡± Emily says with a shrug. ¡°Your side of our deal is over.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll stay for the week as well,¡± Anton replies, glancing at the others to check with them and receiving nods all around. ¡°We might as well make the most of the time you bought us in the shipyard.¡±


    ***


    Back on the ground, everyone leaves to sleep as Emily and Podrick seal up the warehouse for the night and make their way back to Emily¡¯s workshop, still set up in one of the ship¡¯s cargo holds.


    ¡°So, what are you working on now?¡± Podrick asks as Emily removes the workbench from the centre of the room.


    ¡°Sit,¡± Emily says in lieu of an answer, gesturing to the empty floor.


    Podrick drops down cross-legged without question.


    ¡°Do you remember what my requirements were for awakening you?¡± Emily asks, standing in front of him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone and let you scan me,¡± Podrick answers quickly.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Emily nods. ¡°Have you told anyone?¡±


    ¡°No. Not even my parents,¡± Podrick answers resolutely, the slight tensing of his jaw betraying his nerves.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Emily reaches out, touching her fingers to Podrick¡¯s forehead with a small smile.


    She draws on the Mother¡¯s Blessing skill from her system and feels her heart beat faster. Her blood rushes through her body as mana and machina pour from her reserves, flowing out of her hand along with something else she can¡¯t quite place.


    Is that my stamina being used? How strange. It feels like my entire body is being strained to push blood out of my hand.


    The air crackles around them as energy flows into Podrick, guided by tight bindings of intent. The energy pours into his cortex without meeting any resistance, and the boy¡¯s eyes open wide, glowing with crackling lightning.


    The process continues for a few seconds before abruptly cutting off, leaving Emily feeling surprisingly drained with half of her resources gone in an instant as Podrick gasps for breath.


    ¡°How do you feel?¡± Emily asks, stepping back and giving him room to recover.


    ¡°I feel...¡± Podrick says, reaching up to massage his brows. ¡°Strange. My mind feels oddly calm and my machina flow is smoother.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. I¡¯m not sure exactly how long it will last, but that should give you a boost to your cultivation,¡± Emily explains, walking towards the door and gesturing for Podrick to follow. ¡°Go meditate for a few days and take notes on any changes please.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Podrick nods, stepping past her before turning to give her a small bow with his right hand on a fist over his heart. ¡°Thank you for trusting me.¡±


    Emily raises a brow at the formal gesture she never taught him before scoffing and reaching out to ruffle his hair.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t, but thank you for being honest and keeping your word.¡±


    Podrick flashes her a confused look but shrugs it off and turns to leave.


    As Emily shuts the door behind him, she¡¯s interrupted by a sudden shout.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Podrick calls back with an embarrassed expression. ¡°I still shouldn¡¯t tell anyone, right?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Emily replies, rolling her eyes and shutting the door.


    She moves to the middle of the room before settling down on the floor and pulling out the pieces she was making in Earnie¡¯s workshop to continue working.


    ***


    A gunshot rings out in the confined workshop, and the bullet fired buries itself in the floating mass of metal waiting for it.


    Emily doesn¡¯t spare her guardian a glance, staring closely at the breach of her Spitter instead.


    ¡°Success!¡± she mutters with a satisfied grin, happy to have finally found the correct blend for her new gunpowder mix. ¡°I knew the smoke cloud was a fault.¡±


    She holsters the weapon and dismisses her spell before turning back to the workbench covered in beakers of acids, powdered minerals, and several other questionably organic materials.


    It¡¯s a shame I have such a limited supply of nitric acid. I¡¯ll have to ask Earnie where he gets it from when I get back.


    Emily pulls out The Clock and glances at the time.


    Only an hour till I¡¯m due at headquarters. It¡¯s a shame I don¡¯t have time to remake all my current ammo with the new blend. I thought I¡¯d finish faster.


    She quickly gathers everything from the workbench, tucking all of it into the many spaces within her bag, including the workbench itself. Glancing around the room, she confirms it¡¯s completely empty, without a single spare screw left behind, and nods, opening the door to leave.


    She finds Podrick waiting on the other side, and he falls in step beside her as she heads for the ship¡¯s exit.


    ¡°Any changes?¡± Emily asks him.


    ¡°No.¡± He shakes his head.


    Looks like it¡¯s limited to a ten per cent increase.


    ¡°It seems like it should last you a while then at least. If you want, make a note when you feel it start to diminish and let me know about it if we meet again.¡±


    Podrick nods and falls silent. They soon walk down the steps into the warehouse with the roof open overhead, letting in the early morning sun. Podrick notices several other members of the crew waiting by the front door and pauses at the bottom of the steps, turning to face Emily.


    ¡°We will meet again, right?¡± he asks quietly with a concerned expression.


    ¡°Unless one of us dies, or you leave Calypso¡¯s crew, probably,¡± Emily says with a shrug. ¡°Until I¡¯m done here, I will likely be between this city and the battlefield. So, if you ever need me, you know where to look. But just in case, here.¡±


    She reaches into her belt, pulling out a small black and silver metal cylinder with several runes carved into the body and a single button on top.


    ¡°Press that if you ever need my help.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Podrick nods, returning to a goofy grin as he takes the communicator and holds it to his heart to once again bow. ¡°Thank you. See you again soon!¡±


    ¡°Ha,¡± Emily scoffs, placing her fist on her chest and nodding her head back at him. ¡°See you around, Pod.¡±


    She turns, waving over her shoulder as the young mechanic stays behind, approaching the rest of the crew who woke up early to see her off.


    Tony steps forward first, offering his hand.


    ¡°Good luck,¡± he says, lightly shaking her hand. ¡°Take care of yourself.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Emily says, releasing his hand and stepping past him.


    ¡°Thank you for the upgrades,¡± Ash says with a small nod. ¡°Good luck.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. Take good care of her,¡± Emily says, patting them on the shoulder.


    Anton and Angela are the last two to see her off, Sam nowhere to be seen, probably still sleeping inside the ship.


    ¡°Thank you for everything. Despite the circumstances, I honestly don¡¯t think I could complain about living here for the rest of my life,¡± Anton says, shaking her hand.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you the option to go back eventually,¡± Emily assures him, stepping out of the door and glancing at Angela.


    ¡°Go kick some ass,¡± she says, holding out her fist.


    ¡°With pleasure,¡± Emily replies, knocking her knuckles against Angela¡¯s before turning and heading towards the transports to the city without looking back.

 Chapter 154 – Squad Advac

    Emily steps through the front door of the Silver Moon Mercenary Company three minutes before her meeting time. She heads towards a receptionist who doesn¡¯t have anyone waiting before him.


    ¡°Hello, how can I help you today?¡± he asks as Emily steps up to his counter.


    ¡°I need to be pointed towards my assigned squad,¡± Emily explains.


    ¡°I see, one moment please,¡± the receptionist says, reaching under his desk to pull out a cube with several magic crystals in the centre of each face. ¡°Please inject some mana into this crystal.¡±


    The receptionist holds the artefact out, presenting an empty crystal that Emily fills with a drop of her own mana. The receptionist pulls it back and shuts his eyes, pushing a small strand of his own first circle mana into it.


    His eyes snap open a moment later and he steps out from behind the counter.


    ¡°Just this way Miss Coldstone,¡± he says, gesturing for her to follow.


    She follows him as he guides her to the far corner of the room where a short, gruff-looking man is sitting at a table, glaring at four other people sitting silently around it. The man¡¯s gaze snaps up as the receptionist and Emily approach.


    ¡°Is this our last member?¡± he asks sharply.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the receptionist responds without batting an eye at the hostility. ¡°I shall update your contract status to ¡®in progress¡¯, and you¡¯re now free to leave.¡±


    The receptionist turns, bowing to Emily once before hurrying back to his counter.


    ¡°Tsk,¡± the angry man clicks his tongue. ¡°You took your sweet time.¡±


    Emily looks at the man silently. She feels his weak first circle presence and scans his equipment, some unenchanted metal plating and a clockwork rifle slung over his shoulder, gauging his threat level as low.


    ¡°I¡¯m now exactly on time,¡± Emily says without looking away, tilting her head slightly. ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡±


    The man visibly shivers, unsettled by her unruffled demeanour, but he grits his teeth and scowls through it.


    ¡°You¡¯re a newbie. You should show respect to your seniors and arrive early when assembling as a squad,¡± he says, raising his chin as if he¡¯s explaining something important for her to remember.


    ¡°My senior?¡± Emily asks with a raised brow.


    Maybe in age, but not much else. Can he not even tell my circle? I¡¯m barely holding my presence in. Pathetic.


    ¡°Yes, your senior. I¡¯m a D rank mercenary, Crackshot, and I¡¯ve taken the job to lead this squad on a single deployment to guard an outpost on the main front. Now, get up everyone. Thanks to this one we don¡¯t have time to chat. We need to head to our transport.¡±


    Emily glances at the other people standing up around the table. There are three unawakened men of varying sizes, two of them between Emily and Crackshot in height, and the last one a head taller than her with a shining bald head. The bald man has an axe and a shotgun crossed on his back, while the other two have a rifle and pistol, and a pistol and a bandolier of grenades on display respectively.


    The last member of the group is a short woman, matching Crackshot at Emily¡¯s chest height, with soft features and a short, icy-blue bob. She¡¯s wearing a cloak to cover the rest of her gear, but she emanates the telltale mana fluctuations of a first circle mage.


    Every member of the group is carrying a bag of some form, filled with spare clothes, ammo, and equipment.


    Crackshot leads the way out of the building, with the tall, bald man following close behind him, and Emily lags at the back of the group with the other woman.


    ¡°He¡¯s been in a terrible mood since before I arrived,¡± the woman says with a faint, willowy whisper. ¡°I¡¯m first circle, Ice Petal. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±


    She noticed at least.


    Emily realises the woman has sensed her circle the moment she introduces herself with her own, trying to draw confirmation from her.


    ¡°Third circle, Emily.¡±


    Ice Petal blinks in surprise at her lack of a codename, but quickly recovers.


    ¡°Have you been to the battlefront before?¡± she asks as they enter the station and head down onto the platform.


    ¡°No,¡± Emily responds, shaking her head. ¡°But I¡¯ve fought plenty. What about you? Any combat experience?¡±


    ¡°I received some combat training in the academy, but this will be my first time fighting anything other than captured beasts.¡±


    Emily¡¯s curiosity is peaked by the mention of captured beasts in the academy, but Crackshot shouts at their squad over the low din of the platform before she can ask about it.


    ¡°Right, now that we¡¯re waiting for a train, let¡¯s introduce ourselves,¡± he declares, gesturing for everyone to stand in a circle. ¡°You already know I¡¯m D rank, Crackshot, so introduce you-¡°


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think we should include our circles?¡± Ice Petal cuts in, shrinking back slightly when Crackshot¡¯s glare is turned on her but pushing forward nonetheless, her voice almost being drowned by the chattering of nearby pedestrians. ¡°It¡¯s important to have a solid idea of the strengths of our team, right?¡±


    ¡°Tsk, damn fresh graduates,¡± Crackshot mutters under his breath, quiet enough that only Emily hears him. ¡°Fine! I¡¯m first circle, Crackshot, D rank. Now you!¡±


    ¡°First circle,¡± the young mage replies despite the bite behind his second introduction. ¡°Ice Petal, F rank.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a variant?¡± Crackshot asks, gritting his teeth when the woman nods, immediately turning his attention to the bald man beside him. ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°Unawakened, Doomaxe,¡± the man grunts in a deep voice. ¡°F rank.¡±


    I wonder how good he is to make it his codename.


    Emily¡¯s eyes drift to the axe handle visible over the man¡¯s shoulder, wondering if they will have time to spar on the journey.


    ¡°Unawakened, Demo, F rank¡± the man with the grenades says next after a glance from Crackshot.


    ¡°Unawakened, Thrashereye, F rank,¡± the final member of the squad says, leaving only Emily.


    ¡°Third circle, Emily, F rank,¡± she says, watching Crackshot¡¯s face blanche immediately.


    The three unawakened men become cautious, a stark change from the reaction she has grown accustomed to recently, and no one says anything for a few moments until Crackshot snaps out of his surprise.


    ¡°Well, anyway, now that introductions are out of the way,¡± he says in a serious tone, doing his best to pretend he wasn¡¯t seething with rage minutes ago. ¡°We¡¯ll take a train to the Eastern Docks where a transport is prepared to take us and a few squads from other companies to the western edge of the front.¡±


    Every member of the squad but Emily reacts to the mention of the west, with Ice Petal quietly clicking her tongue and Demo disappointedly shifting the gear bag on his back.


    ¡°Suck it up, it¡¯s not that bad. We¡¯re only stationed to an outpost for three months and there haven¡¯t been any big movements from Denros recently, so we probably won¡¯t see any enemy contact,¡± Crackshot explains, staring at Doomaxe and refusing to let his gaze wander towards Emily as he speaks. ¡°For the duration of this mission we will be referred to as squad Advac. Try to remember it.¡±


    A train slides into the station a few minutes later, and they climb into the leading carriage, joined by another group of armed mercenaries who settle down at the opposite end to their squad.


    ¡°Crackshot called you a variant earlier,¡± Emily says as Ice Petal lowers herself slowly into the seat beside her. ¡°What¡¯s that about?¡±


    ¡°A variant? It¡¯s what we call someone who uses an element other than the four common ones,¡± Ice Petal replies, glancing up at Emily with a look of realisation. ¡°You¡¯re not from here are you.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°Where are you from?¡±


    They chat quietly as the train rolls beneath the city. Emily answers several of Ice Petal¡¯s questions about Modo in return for more information about the Liberte Mage Academy¡¯s curriculum. Their conversation ends when the train stops under their target docks and they disembark, following Crackshot towards their ship.


    The ship they climb onto is almost two times longer than Calypso, with a massive balloon already inflated above it and without any visible weapons at all. After following a crew member on a tour of the facilities open to them, from the mess hall to their rooms and the workshop available for them to do weapon maintenance, Crackshot dismisses them for the two-day long trip.


    ***


    The ship lands in Bastilo, a city at the southern edge of New Denntimo¡¯s territory, and Emily finally leaves her room to meet up with her squad again.


    She meets them at the exit to the ship, waiting among several other mercenaries to leave.


    ¡°Did you meditate for two days?¡± Ice Petal asks her. ¡°You didn¡¯t even leave your room to eat.¡±


    ¡°I was making ammo for my guns,¡± Emily replies, patting the Spitter at her side.


    ¡°You¡¯re a weaponsmith as well?¡±


    ¡°Something like that.¡±


    They finally filter to the front of the queue and step through the large ship door, descending to the floor on a set of sturdy metal steps.


    ¡°Follow me and stay close,¡± Crackshot calls over the noise of people moving around them as he leads them through the open-air dock towards the rest of the walled city. ¡°We¡¯re heading towards the company¡¯s base here to grab a transport.¡±


    The senior mercenary leads them through the city with practised ease, proving the worth of his experience despite his poor first impression. The Silver Moon base they arrive at is a large compound just outside the southern wall of the city, alongside several others from Black Fang, Snake Nest, and a few of their other competitors.


    They enter the compound, presenting their Signatures to the D rank guards, before heading towards a lot filled with large, rugged six-wheeled transports painted in mixed brown hues for desert camouflage. A mechanic in greasy overalls walks over as they approach the vehicles.


    ¡°Can I help you?¡± she asks the group, wiping her hands on a rag before throwing it over her shoulder.


    She scans over them before her eyes come to rest on Crackshot standing in the lead.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to collect a transport. It should be under squad Advac,¡± he replies, puffing out his chest.


    ¡°Got it,¡± the mechanic says, turning towards a nearby counter and grabbing a clipboard with a stack of paper on it, flipping through it. ¡°Yep, here it is, AF6. Follow me.¡±


    She tosses the clipboard down and turns, gesturing for the squad to follow her before she charges off into the neatly lined-up trucks. Emily looks through the rows as they move and sees a few cars raised on jacks for people to do maintenance underneath.


    They arrive at a truck large enough to fit eight people, where the mechanic leaves them to run off and grab the keys.


    ¡°Are you driving?¡± Emily asks Crackshot when she sees him trying to climb into the driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°Yes. Why?¡± he asks, pausing and looking over at her cautiously.


    ¡°How are we finding the outpost? Are you navigating as well?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes? Do you want to drive or something?¡± he questions defensively.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Emily says with a firm nod. ¡°It will only make things easier for you.¡±


    Crackshot grits his teeth, but he nods and tries to cover it.


    ¡°Fine. You can drive.¡±


    Good. It looks like he won¡¯t try to pull rank just for the sake of it.


    The mechanic returns with a set of keys a few minutes later to find Emily sitting behind the truck¡¯s wheel, with Crackshot in the seat beside her, and the rest of the squad in the armoured main cabin.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± she says, handing Emily the keys through the window. ¡°Good luck on your contract.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Emily says, taking the keys and sliding them into a slot below the wheel, activating the vehicle¡¯s half-magical engine.


    She floods the vehicle with machina, taking in every minute detail as her eyes scan over the controls available to her.


    ¡°You do know how to drive, right?¡± Crackshot asks when she doesn¡¯t pull out immediately.


    ¡°I can learn,¡± Emily mutters, barely paying him any attention.


    This should be simple enough.


    Emily releases the handbrake and presses on the accelerator, driving steam through the engine¡¯s pistons as the clutch engages, kicking the vehicle into motion. They slide forward and Emily turns the wheel, guiding the truck along the empty gap between rows of other transports.


    She heads towards the gate at the south of the compound, and they roll out onto the open sands before Crackshot pulls a map from his bag. He opens it in his lap as Emily revs the engine, smoothly pulling the truck over a small dune.


    This is fun.


    Emily turns the wheel, cresting along the dune and riding down without wasting more fuel.


    ¡°Head south-south-west for now,¡± Crackshot instructs her, tracing his fingers along the map to plot their path.


    Emily doesn¡¯t argue and quietly drives, enjoying the rumbling of the vehicle¡¯s engine.


    After a little over an hour of driving, Emily notices a shadow far off in the sky, slowly approaching their position.


    ¡°Something¡¯s coming,¡± she says, pulling Crackshot¡¯s attention away from cleaning his rifle¡¯s cylinder.


    ¡°Where?¡± he asks, scrambling to reassemble his weapon with a bumbling lack of technique that makes Emily want to confiscate it from him.


    ¡°In the sky ahead,¡± she replies, pressing her foot down to accelerate towards the shadow, closing the distance until she¡¯s able to make out some of the individual creatures forming it.


    ¡°It¡¯s a massive flock of thrashers,¡± Emily says, narrowing her eyes and scanning the flock. ¡°I can see four large enough to be second circle.¡±


    ¡°Shit!¡± Crackshot growls, turning to address the cabin behind them. ¡°Prepare for combat, we have thrashers incoming.¡±


    He turns back, looking at Emily with obvious panic on his face.


    ¡°Can you take care of the second circle birds? I don¡¯t want to die here,¡± he asks.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Emily replies with a shrug, calmly turning towards a nearby raised dune. ¡°Is it common to see such a large group of beasts out here?¡±


    ¡°Half our job is dealing with the groups that get displaced by the fighting,¡± Crackshot explains, pulling open his bag and pulling out several speed-loaders covered in prepared bullets. ¡°But I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d hit anything on the way to the outpost. Basically, other than fliers, everything should be stopped before getting to this side of our defences.¡±


    Emily slams on the brakes, bringing the truck to a grinding halt before slipping out.


    The rest of the squad quickly scramble out as well, leaving their bags behind and setting up with their guns pointed towards the sky. Ice Petal pokes a revolver out of her cloak with one hand, and a small metal stick covered in runes with a cold-blue crystal embedded at the base with the other.


    Is that a focus?


    Emily watches a small, glistening icicle form at the end of the stick as Ice Petal pours mana into it, and her eyes widen.


    A casting aid to let a first circle mage cast proper ranged spells. It¡¯s like a miniature version of the weapons on the patrol ship. How fascinating.


    The squad begin shooting, releasing small clouds of smoke from their guns and dropping several of the approaching birds from the sky. Ice Petal¡¯s icicle flies up and punches through a bird, getting stuck in its chest but dropping it to the floor anyway.


    It¡¯s still quite weak.


    Emily nods, glancing at the rest of the squad fighting in a boringly predictable manner, standing together without any real formation, frantically trying to shoot the birds down.


    A little disappointing.


    She raises her hands, pulling a haze of purple mana from her belt to reveal her newest weapon, the Stream.


    The sleek black and grey rifle is covered in silver engravings, with one lightning crystal in the centre of the shoulder stock, and two lesser wind crystals on either side of the body. The gun¡¯s barrel is shorter than the Whispers, with a similar spiralling pattern, and the magazine beneath the gun is much larger as well, holding forty large rounds.


    Emily flicks the gun¡¯s firing selector into fully-automatic and squeezes the trigger, lighting up the silver engravings with a blend of blue and green as the weapon¡¯s full capacity is unloaded within a few seconds, flinging a storm of metal into the air that tears the flock of birds down without missing a soul as the crack of rapid gunfire makes her squad flinch and look over in shock.


    The last body hits the floor, and the desert falls silent as Emily looks between the lightly smoking breach of her weapon and the pile of empty bullet casings on the floor below her.


    I should find a way to collect those.

 Chapter 155 – Scouting Outpost

    Chapter 155 ¨C Scouting Outpost


    They collect the second circle thrasher corpses, and Emily burns the rest with a blanket of fire as they load into the truck to continue towards the outpost.


    They run into a small group of sand stalkers before reaching the outpost, but Emily doesn¡¯t even need to leave the car as she drives past them and they follow, lining up clear shots for the rest of the squad in the back.


    The outpost is almost invisible until they drive within a kilometre of it, at which point the horizon distorts and the small, twisted black mark Emily could see stretches into a small cluster of buildings, sunk into the sands, barely protruding.


    ¡°There she is,¡± Crackshot says a few moments later, nodding at the buildings. ¡°There are small outposts like this one all along the border, and low rank squads like ours are paid to watch the arrays here. Stop one hundred metres out, we need to identify ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Emily nods, her eyes scanning the lip before the buildings, spotting several moving figures peeking over with barrels levelled at them.


    She slows the car smoothly, coming to a halt at the determined distance to let Crackshot open the door and hop out.


    ¡°Squad Advac reporting for Silver Moon¡¯s shift change,¡± he calls, stepping forward and holding his arms up.


    Nothing happens for a few moments, before one of the mercenaries ahead scrambles up from their perch and starts towards them, closing the distance.


    ¡°Signature check,¡± he calls out, holding his rifle towards the floor but keeping his finger hovering beside the trigger as he gets within arm¡¯s reach.


    Crackshot holds out his signature, letting the other mercenary tap the card with a burst of his own mana, reading their contract.


    ¡°Contract confirmed,¡± the mercenary says with a small sigh, relaxing his hand on his weapon and turning to wave at his comrades.


    Everyone ahead of them relaxes, turning their weapons away and moving from their defensive positions. Crackshot climbs back into the truck beside Emily, and the mercenary from the outpost walks to the back of the truck to hop in, joining them for the last leg into the outpost.


    ¡°Oh shit, I see you ran into those birds,¡± the man says, kicking the pile of dead thrashers and stalkers half blocking his entrance. ¡°Surprised you had it in you, Crapshot.¡±


    ¡°Tsk,¡± Crackshot clicks his tongue in distaste, turning to glare at the new face. ¡°My squad dealt with them easily. Though, we wouldn¡¯t have had to if you¡¯d done your job. Slacking before handover are we, Fuckface?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t expose me like that!¡± the man cries dramatically, reaching up to pull down the cloth hiding his face. ¡°You¡¯re making me look bad in front of the newbies.¡±


    Emily glances in her rear-view mirror and sees the man has clear skin, soft features, and a dazzling smile that he¡¯s flashing the rest of her squad.


    ¡°The names Fairface, D rank. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you all, especially you, ladies.¡±


    He winks at Emily in the mirror, so she pushes down on the accelerator as they crest the lip into the dip the outpost is sitting in, lifting the transport¡¯s rear wheels from the sand for a moment before they drop back down with a thud. The seated members of her squad are all surprised as they¡¯re jostled in their seats, but none of them fare as poorly as Fairface, whose feet leave the floor for a moment before he drops face-first into the pile of corpses.


    Everyone but Emily breaks out in laughter as the man pushes himself up, his face red with embarrassment and monster blood.


    ¡°Good job,¡± Crackshot says with an appreciative nod, earning a scoff from Emily as she looks around the outpost for a convenient place to park.


    She spots a few similar transports tucked between two squat, sand-coloured buildings, and rolls the truck in next to them, taking the key and tucking it into her belt without any argument from Crackshot.


    Fairface quickly leaves with his tail between his legs, using the excuse of gathering his squad to return to Bastilo.


    ¡°All of these outposts follow a standard configuration,¡± Crackshot explains, showing them around and playing the role of a responsible leader.


    Emily only half listens as they pass through the food and ammunition stores and the small living spaces. Her interest is fully piqued when they enter the central building though.


    Inside is a twisting, three-dimensional metal structure covered in runes and several magic crystals, curled around a small, raised platform in the centre.


    ¡°This is our node of the tracking array covering no-man¡¯s-land,¡± Crackshot says, gesturing towards the structure pulsing with mana and the second circle mage sitting on the platform inside it with his eyes closed. ¡°We¡¯ll rotate tasks with the other three squads here, but there must always be a mage watching the array, and someone else with them to quickly alert the outpost to any sightings. That¡¯s the most important rule when on outpost duty.¡±


    Emily steps forward, reaching out to place her hand against one of the arcing beams of metal and feeling the mana running through it, rising from the ground.


    We¡¯re on another mana vein?


    She resists the urge to start analysing the array for now to avoid interrupting the mage currently using it.


    ¡°Impressive, isn¡¯t it,¡± Crackshot says proudly, as if he was the one to make the array himself. ¡°That¡¯s it then. We¡¯re still off duty since we just got here, so make yourselves at home for now and report to the mess hall in six hours, please.¡±


    Emily ignores the please, tacked on at the end as he glances at her, and turns around, heading straight for her small personal room with the rest of her squad hot on her heels.


    ***


    A few days into her deployment, while sitting in the centre of the detection array, Emily comes to the disappointing conclusion that the node, as Crackshot called it, is only a single piece of a larger whole, without enough information available for her to reverse engineer it.


    She immediately returns her focus to meditation during her long shifts watching the array, leaving a few of her cores to break down the odd, abstract feedback it delivers to the user in return for the large area it covers.


    A week after arriving, her cores alert her to an anomaly in the data, igniting a small spark of excitement in her chest.


    ¡°Something¡¯s coming,¡± she says as her eyes snap open, startling Demo awake from his nap sitting beside the door.


    ¡°What?¡± he asks, blinking the confusion from his eyes and standing up alert, ready to race out of the room. ¡°Report?¡±


    ¡°Large single target, low mana density,¡± Emily quickly simplifies. ¡°Crossing the detection range roughly eight kilometres out into no-man¡¯s-land at a medium pace but angling to cross the border to our east.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Demo turns and runs out of the door, heading to grab Crackshot as Emily further analyses the results, closing her eyes and focusing on the array again.


    It appears to be... underground. Is it a sandworm?


    Less than a minute later, Demo returns with two members of Snake Nest¡¯s Venoc squad in tow, one of them a first circle mage.


    ¡°He¡¯ll take over for now,¡± he says hurriedly, with a note of tension in his voice. ¡°We¡¯re being sent to check on the anomaly.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Emily says, slipping out of the array and leaving it to the other mage.


    I hope it¡¯s a worm.


    Demo leads her into the swirling, sandy winds outside, pulling down a pair of goggles to protect his eyes as Emily covers her face with her scarf. They head straight for the transports, climbing into their truck and finding the rest of their squad already waiting for them, checking on their weapons.


    ¡°Please head towards where you saw the anomaly,¡± Crackshot says, clutching a small silver plate with a brown earth crystal in the centre. ¡°The guys from Venoc will guide us when we¡¯re closer.¡±


    Emily nods and starts the car, accelerating out of the outpost¡¯s crater with a light thud before racing out into the desert with a small stream of machina flowing through the steering wheel and pushing the vehicle¡¯s engine to work harder. Sand sprays behind them, and a tense silence settles over the squad.


    ¡°Adjust five degrees right,¡± Crackshot finally says after a few minutes. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be too far off now.¡±


    Emily turns the wheel, scanning the horizon and trying to see through the blistering sands obstructing her vision. A minute later, Emily starts to ease off the accelerator, slowing the truck down without a word from Crackshot.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asks, looking over at her with confusion. ¡°We¡¯re almost on top of it!¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Emily says, stopping the transport entirely and turning the engine off. ¡°We¡¯re almost on top of it.¡±


    She opens the door before her squad leader can question her, slipping out and setting her feet on the ground. Mana immediately erupts from her, forming into a massive glowing brown magic circle at her feet.


    Thought so.


    Emily clearly sees a massive shape carving a path through the sands deep below ahead of them with her detection spell. She crouches, placing both of her hands against the sand while pouring out more mana to form a second, more complex, magic circle over the first.


    Her squad all climb out of the transport and set up around her, glancing at her massive spells with awe and waiting for her to finish her casting, whilst scanning their surroundings nervously.


    ¡°What¡¯s she doing?¡± Demo calls to Crackshot, pressing his back to the truck, clenching a grenade in one hand and his pistol in the other.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± the squad leader yells back. ¡°Just make sure nothing surprises us!¡±


    Emily tunes them out, letting a small smile curl her lips as she releases a pulsing wave of vibrations through the ground that startles her squad.


    ¡°What the fuck!¡± Thrashereye cries, his namesake widening in shock. ¡°That¡¯s a fucking worm call!¡±


    Everyone turns to look at Emily with horror.


    ¡°Correction,¡± she says calmly, not raising her voice and using a light flex of mana to be heard instead. ¡°It¡¯s a worm scream.¡±


    Everyone but Emily stumbles as another vibration shakes the loose sand beneath their feet violently, this one originating from somewhere ahead of them. However, the shaking only grows worse, knocking Demo and Thrashereye to their knees.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Crackshot cries in panic, looking at Emily for an answer as he steadies himself against the truck.


    ¡°I hit the worm with a nasty vibration that, if my calculations were correct, should have essentially burst its eardrums,¡± she replies, dispersing the spell beneath her feet and rising to stand at full height, staring at the sand ahead of them intently. ¡°As I said: worm scream.¡±


    As if on cue, the ground bursts before her eyes and a dark, thick pillar rises into the sky in sync with a screeching cry. Everyone¡¯s eyes immediately snap over to the hulking beast protruding over twenty metres from the ground, despite the sand and wind limiting their vision and only revealing a shadowy tower to everyone but Emily.


    She¡¯s able to make out the slick, dark green sheen of the sandworm¡¯s robust skin, and she even catches a fleeting glimpse of the beast¡¯s beady eyes and toothy maw through the initial eruption of sand.


    ¡°Just stay back,¡± Emily says calmly, stepping forward without even activating her lightning connection. ¡°It¡¯s only first circle.¡±


    The worm lets out a second wailing screech, writhing from side to side in distress. Emily blocks the cry with her earrings as her squad behind her clamp their hands over their ears.


    She raises both her hands out on either side as she slowly approaches the creature, pouring mana into two magic circles, one bright green and the other a crackling orange.


    The monster spots her after a few moments and identifies her as the source of its agony before releasing an enraged shriek. The wide, heavy body of the creature falls headlong towards her, blowing the sand obscuring it away and giving the group a clear view.


    The worm¡¯s thick, scaled skin has a slick layer of moisture coating it, and the top of its head, that¡¯s quickly closing the distance to Emily, opens into a gaping hole lined with rows of razor-sharp teeth. There are a few small, beady eyes half-covered by wrinkles of skin around the creature¡¯s mouth.


    A few shots ring out as Emily¡¯s squad mates shoot at the approaching worm, but the beast doesn¡¯t even flinch as the bullets dig shallow holes into its hulking frame.


    Emily slowly brings her hands together, unconcerned about the mass of flesh about to crush her. The two magic circles she has prepared follow her gestures, sliding in front of her and overlapping, the twisting runes and arcs of mana from each spell slotting together perfectly.


    The moment her palms touch, the spells erupt, and a powerful wave of superheated wind billows out, twisting the squad¡¯s view of the worm. The worm is knocked back and the moisture on its skin evaporates immediately, creating a thin mist of scorching vapour.


    Cracks spread and the beast¡¯s skin flakes off in large sheets, exposing the flesh beneath to the burning heat. The worm¡¯s head is reduced to a smoking, half-cooked mess before it even gets to release another scream, and its body slumps lifelessly on the sand with a shuddering thud.


    Advac squad stare at the creature in disbelief as Emily nods with satisfaction and calmly walks over to the fresh corpse. She crouches down and picks up one of the dried-out sheets of skin, bending it between her hands until it snaps and crumbles.


    Whoops. I knew drying it up would kill it fast, but this exposed skin is useless to me now. I¡¯ll have to harvest its back half.


    She glances back as her squad approaches curiously to check out the dead worm.


    ¡°So, how would you normally deal with a worm corpse?¡± she asks Crackshot.


    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t,¡± he replies, staring at the corpse in disbelief. ¡°We normally avoid sandworms because they¡¯re such a pain to kill, and it¡¯s not like they¡¯re that commonly spotted in the first place. Let¡¯s just grab some meat for now to refill our stocks. We can move the rest in better weather with help from the others.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Emily agrees with a small nod, turning and walking around the beast to strip it for food and materials.

 Chapter 156 – Generating Interest

    A knock on the door draws Emily out of her meditation. Her eyes snap open, flicking past the system window in front of her before she dismisses it.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Status]


    [Name:] Emily Coldstone


    [Race:] Human


    [Age:] 17


    [Magic Circle:] Third Circle


    [Machina Cortex:] Third Stage


    [Attributes:] Strength 20 (26), Dexterity 65 > 66 (69), Agility 52 > 54 (59), Vitality 17 (22), Intelligence 131 > 137


    [Health:] 270/270


    [Stamina:] 527/540


    [Mana:] 17434/18495


    [Machina:] 17748/18495


    _____


    ¡°Yes?¡± she calls out, using a burst of mana to disable the array disc sitting in the centre of her small cabin.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± Ice Petal calls on the other side. ¡°Crackshot called us all to gather at the exit so we can disembark quickly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet you there,¡± Emily replies dismissively, sinking back into her mind and reactivating the array disc.


    She leaves her cabin a few minutes later, right before the ship touches down, and makes her way to the exit. She passes a few mercenaries in the hallways, some of them she recognises from the other companies¡¯ squads who were stationed with her for the last few months, but all of them give her a respectful berth, watching her cautiously as she passes.


    Emily ignores them, entering the crowded room connected to the ship¡¯s main exit. Once again everyone parts to let her through, creating a clear channel to her crew. She doesn¡¯t blink at the treatment and ignores the muttered conversations that break out as she passes.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s popular!¡± Crackshot says with a smug grin, as if he were the one garnering attention.


    ¡°It would appear so,¡± Emily says calmly, glancing at the man distastefully before turning towards the door and waiting for it to open.


    She knows that most of the rumours spreading among the mercenary companies have been started by Crackshot himself, who started kissing her ass the moment he realised the sandworm kill helped boost his company contribution, but she can¡¯t blame them all on him. The rest of them started after she decided to offer an open, unarmed combat challenge to everyone at the outpost a month into their deployment. A few people took her up and tested themselves against her, but it ended after she shattered a Black Fang mercenary¡¯s arm with a kick, before repairing it with a mixture of potions and bandage, scaring off anyone else who wanted to try themselves.


    The ship shudders as it touches down, and the door finally opens, letting Emily and her quietly chatting squad out. They walk through Liberte¡¯s large Eastern Dock, entering the connected train station and heading straight towards Merc Street to report to the company about their contract completion.


    Ice Petal again takes the seat next to Emily on the train, but she doesn¡¯t start a conversation, leaving her to her meditation and chatting with Demo instead.


    When they reach the Silver Moon headquarters and walk in, they draw a few glances but otherwise go unnoticed. They approach the receptionists, joining the shortest queue and waiting for a few minutes before being served.


    ¡°Hello, how can I help you?¡± asks the lady behind the counter, flashing them a welcoming smile.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to report contract completion,¡± Crackshot says, taking the lead.


    ¡°Of course, one moment please,¡± she pulls a tool from behind the desk and gets Crackshot to inject mana into it, checking the contract before handing him a form to fill in.


    Emily looks over his shoulder and sees it¡¯s asking for a simple report of all major contact with any beasts or people, so she reaches over and takes it from his hand before he can lead them off to complete it.


    He looks at her with mild confusion but doesn¡¯t resist, shifting to a look of disbelief when Emily pulls her quill from her belt and fills out the form within a few seconds, filling the paper with small, neatly printed words.


    ¡°There you go,¡± Emily says, handing the form back to the equally stunned receptionist. ¡°Everything should be there.¡±


    ¡°O- Of course,¡± the woman stutters, quickly shaking off her surprise and returning to a professional expression as she processes the report.


    A sheet of paper teleports into place over the counter after she messes with her magical tool for a few moments, and she reads over it before looking up with wide eyes.


    ¡°Um, you would be Emily, correct?¡± she asks, looking up with a mixture of nerves and excitement. ¡°The Company Leader would like to meet you personally to grant your new rank.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Emily raises a brow, focusing on her magical perception for a moment to see if she can feel a fourth circle mage nearby.


    ¡°He will be in the capital in a week and has asked that you remain here till he arrives,¡± she explains, quickly clearing up Emily¡¯s confusion at the lack of a powerful presence. ¡°If you need accommodation, I can let one of our partner inns know and they will provide you with free lodging and food. You will be able to claim this service in any partner inn around the country once your B rank is confirmed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be alright, thanks. I have somewhere I can stay already.¡±


    ¡°Okay, your contract has been closed and your rewards should be available on your Signature if you update it then,¡± the receptionist beams, bowing her head before turning her focus to the rest of the squad. ¡°Ice Petal¡¯s rank has been elevated to E, just update your Signature yourself. Can the rest of you hand them over for me to update them now please?¡±


    Emily tunes out the rest of her squad dealing with their rewards and pulls out her own Signature to check on her rewards.


    One F rank contract completed, fifteen contribution points, and four gold. What a waste of three months.


    The receptionist finishes serving them, and after confirming she won¡¯t be needed till the Company Leader arrives, Emily waves goodbye to her squad and leaves without another word. She hops on a train and heads towards Chop Shop.


    A week should be enough to finish the new Steam Source. I wonder if Earnie has been working on anything fun lately.


    ***


    When she arrives at his workshop, Earnie is nowhere to be found. The sparse guards outside let her know he¡¯s out of the city for a few days to check on some of his other production facilities, so she lets herself in and takes over his space.


    A couple of days later when Earnie returns, he walks into his workshop to find his working platform in the centre modified, with a load of shiny new machines in place of several of his old ones.


    ¡°Who on Ulea decided they had the right to mess with my workshop!¡± the old man barks angrily the moment he spots the changes, rushing along a walkway to reach the platform and check on the damage.


    ¡°I can change them back if you want,¡± Emily calls back to him from where she¡¯s pressed underneath one of the large machines linking it to the pipes in the platform.


    ¡°Emily? Is that you lass?¡± Earnie asks, slowing his steps as he finally reaches the platform and looks over the new machines, his eyes widening slightly. ¡°What are these?¡±


    ¡°A little project I¡¯ve been working on,¡± Emily replies, not moving out to greet him. ¡°They¡¯ll all perform the same functions as the machines I replaced, but they should be a little more accurate without as much oversight, and a few of them have added features.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re beautiful,¡± the old weaponsmith mutters in awe, running his hand over one of the machines.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Emily says with a small, proud smile. ¡°That lathe will even cut predetermined shapes without your interference.¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡±


    ¡°Yep. Check the slot on the right,¡± Emily replies, tightening the last bolt to secure the wastewater line into place before pushing herself out and finally looking at Earnie. ¡°Those metal cards are three-dimensional blueprints for cuts.¡±


    He removes one of the cards and turns it over in his hands, running his fingers over the various dots and dashes embossed on the surface.


    ¡°Ingenious,¡± he mutters before finally looking up and smiling at her. ¡°So, how was the war?¡±


    ¡°Dull,¡± she shrugs, pulling several more unassembled pieces for a machine from her bag and setting them down next to Earnie¡¯s oversized drill press to get to work on a new one.


    Earnie slings the bag off his back and throws it to the corner of the platform before walking around and inspecting the rest of the new tools she has installed.


    ¡°Not as much action as you were hoping for?¡±


    ¡°Not even close. I killed a sandworm in the first week, then other than a few small groups of beasts and a roaming scout unit from our own side, we saw nothing.¡±


    ¡°Of course you wouldn¡¯t. I can¡¯t believe they sent you on border patrol,¡± Earnie says with a disproving shake of his head. ¡°It¡¯s a waste of your skills! I had a word with old man Silver about that and gave him a piece of my mind, don¡¯t you worry.¡±


    ¡°Old man Silver?¡± Emily asks, glancing over at him with a raised brow.


    ¡°The old fogie who runs the Silver Moon Mercenaries. He goes by Silver Moon. Damn egomaniac. Not even I named my company after me!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re that close with him? I thought you said you had a working relationship.¡±


    ¡°We do! Doesn¡¯t stop me giving the old fool a piece of my mind. If he didn¡¯t want to hear it, he shouldn¡¯t have tried to keep me alive this long! It¡¯s his fault I have to deal with those annoying Defence Force mages,¡± Earnie grumbles, but Emily can tell there¡¯s a complicated mix of emotions covered by his bitterness.


    ¡°That explains why he wants to meet me now at least,¡± Emily muses, choosing to ignore Earnie¡¯s relationship with the man for now.


    ¡°He does? Good!¡± Earnie nods, turning away from the new machinery and looking over at Emily. ¡°You plan on staying long?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just waiting for the meeting, then I¡¯ll probably look for a more active job.¡±


    ¡°Getting quite comfortable for a short stay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave these here for you.¡± Emily shrugs. ¡°I can make most things with my magic and hand tools if I need to, but I wanted to set up properly to do the final assembly of my project. These machines will become half obsolete to me when I¡¯m done.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Earnie blinks in surprise at her confident statement. ¡°What are you working on?¡±


    ¡°A new generator,¡± Emily says, falling silent and leaving him to ponder the nature of her project as she continues refitting his workshop.


    ***


    Three days later, after sleeplessly working away in the remodelled workshop, Emily finally sets down the last piece of the puzzle on the workbench.


    ¡°So, how does all this work?¡± Earnie asks beside her, taking in the strange collection of items she has made with deep bags under his eyes from insisting on watching the whole time.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite simple really,¡± Emily replies, reaching out and lifting up a sealed jar filled with a glistening, pale blue powder with a slight red tint. ¡°I call this Steam Powder. It¡¯s a blend of fire crystals, water crystals, fog cat fangs and claws, and a touch of their stomach acid. It reacts violently to external mana and releases vast quantities of steam very quickly.¡±


    She pops open the lid of the jar and reaches over to open the ignition chamber of her newest Steam Source generation. It¡¯s a sleek torso-sized construct with a dark black chamber at the bottom, connected to several pipes curving up around a polished silver rotor mounted openly in the centre of the machine¡¯s body. The pipes end in a dozen nozzles pointed at the rotor.


    Emily slides open a panel on the side of the bottom chamber and pours in a small stream of the powder. A flick of her finger sends a magical flame into the chamber as she seals it shut again, and a moment later, a flood of steam hisses from the nozzles, pushing the rotor into motion.


    ¡°I use the steam to turn this rotor, which connects to a set of rotating coils inside the Source,¡± she explains, tapping the side of the body between the rotor and the ignition chamber with her knuckle. ¡°There¡¯s also a set of powerful magnets that I made by treating a metal blend containing mithril with a mixture of space and earth crystal powder inside. When you turn the coil inside that magnetic field, it generates electricity, a type of energy similar to lightning. I can give you some notes on the process if you want to read more, but that electricity can then be contained with these.¡±


    Emily points to a set of cylindrical canisters, fastened together and mounted in a small frame beside the Steam Source, connected to it by a thick black cable.


    ¡°This is called a battery, again I have notes I can give you explaining the science behind it, but it¡¯s made from another alchemical blend, and it should be storing charge right now.¡±


    ¡°How can you tell it¡¯s working?¡± Earnie asks.


    ¡°I can feel it,¡± Emily replies, setting her hand against the side of the Source and feeling the thrum of energy inside without even having to use her machina.


    A satisfied smile curls her lips, but she removes her hand and picks up a small device set beside the battery. It looks like a leather-wrapped knife handle with two metal prongs extending from one end instead of a blade, and a short cable on the other.


    ¡°But if you want to see,¡± she says, grabbing the two-pronged plug at the end of the cable and sliding it into a port on the side of the battery casing. ¡°I¡¯ll have to use the electricity!¡±


    Emily squeezes the button sitting against her pointer finger, and a crackling buzz fills the workshop as electricity tears between the two prongs, rising up it to flick out into the open air like the tongue of a snake.


    ¡°Incredible,¡± Earnie mutters, reaching out and taking the lightning fork when Emily offers it to him, testing it with an excited grin.


    ¡°And it didn¡¯t need magic at any stage,¡± Emily says with a grin, watching Earnie¡¯s eyes almost pop out of his head as his shock only grows.


    He doesn¡¯t manage any words for a few moments, staring down and squeezing the button in bursts, watching the buzzing charge dance along the prongs.


    ¡°Can I see those notes?¡±

 Chapter 157 – An Aggressive Meeting

    Emily returns to the Silver Moon headquarters a few days later. The moment she steps onto Merc Street, she feels the familiar presence of a fourth circle mage ahead, and her anticipation grows.


    She enters the reception, drawing more than a few glances that spark muttered conversations. Emily picks out several people whispering about her meeting with the Company Leader, along with several mentioning her conflict with the other mercenary companies, throwing around different nicknames she¡¯s never heard before.


    Looks like Crackshot¡¯s been gossiping again. For such a miserable sod he¡¯s surprisingly social.


    Emily tunes out the attention and approaches a receptionist, but before she makes it to a counter, she feels the Company Leader step into the room. Her head snaps to the side, her face a calm mask as her eyes fall upon the missing panel in the wall where the man is standing proudly, staring back at her with a calm smile.


    He looks surprisingly old for a mage, with long silver hair streaked with grey tied back in a tight ponytail, and light wrinkles creasing his face. However, though his age shows on his face, his back is as straight as a finely honed blade, and Emily can see his well-toned muscles barely hidden beneath his loosely fitted silver robes.


    He silently raises a hand and gestures for Emily to approach, so she changes direction without batting an eye and walks up to him. Several of the people watching her let out audible gasps when they notice the Company Leader, and soon every head in the room is turned towards him.


    He ignores their gazes, not taking his eyes off Emily for a moment.


    ¡°Hello, Emily,¡± he says in a low, smooth tone. ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡±


    ¡°Earnie did mention giving you a piece of his mind,¡± Emily responds, stopping in front of the man and looking him in the eye as his dense mana leaks out, creeping towards her.


    The pure energy presses down on her, but Emily releases the power flowing through her own body, pushing back without flinching.


    Neither of them says anything, staring at each other in intense silence as their auras clash. After a few moments, the Company Leader retracts his mana with a small, satisfied nod.


    ¡°He was right to, by the looks of it. I¡¯m fourth circle, Silver Octavius Moon, leader of the Silver Moon Mercenary Company. Though, you can call me Old Man Silver.¡±


    ¡°Emily Coldstone, third circle, F rank mercenary of the Silver Moon Mercenary Company.¡±


    Silver¡¯s eyes light up as she introduces herself as a member of his mercenary company.


    ¡°You can call me Emily.¡±


    ¡°Good. And do away with that F rank nonsense, you¡¯re officially B rank now,¡± Silver says, raising his chin and waving his hand, sending out a light wave of mana. ¡°Come along.¡±


    He turns on his heels and walks back into the gaping hole in the wall, so Emily falls in step with him. The wall slides back into place behind them and Emily glances back to see the hydraulic mechanisms that moved it exposed.


    They walk through a plain white hallway, clear of other people, that curves through the headquarters.


    ¡°This is a private path only available to B ranks and above,¡± Silver explains, leading her to a door that he pushes open, revealing a wide-open training hall.


    Emily enters the empty room with a floor of loose sand and glances at the man beside her with a raised brow.


    ¡°I have a contract in mind for you if you would be interested,¡± he says, wasting no time and stepping away from her to create space before turning to face her as the door swings shut behind them. ¡°But first I would like to confirm your combat abilities myself. I won¡¯t put my trust in a report of events I haven¡¯t seen with my own eyes.¡±


    Emily nods, slowly reaching up and slipping the scarf from her neck, feeding it into her belt before cracking her knuckles and rolling her neck.


    ¡°Try to land a blow on me,¡± Silver says confidently, crossing his hands behind his back.


    ¡°Magic, or no?¡± Emily asks.


    ¡°Everything you have.¡±


    Emily narrows her eyes, lowering her centre of gravity and holding her hands out, activating the new electrical motors in her Claws and silently extending them in the blink of an eye.


    Silver¡¯s eyes flicker down to the blades as they extend, and Emily takes advantage of the small opening, calling upon her lightning connection and focusing raw mana into her legs. She bursts forward, closing the distance between them in an instant and thrusting her arm towards her opponent¡¯s chest.


    Silver reacts calmly, tapping his food on the ground and leaning to the side as a burst of water shoots up from where his toes landed, catching Emily¡¯s arm and knocking it aside, letting him slip past it unscathed. Emily quickly twists, planting one foot and throwing her torso around, sending her other leg in a cutting arc towards Silver¡¯s head.


    He leans back, ducking under the kick as an orb of water forms against his back before pulling him away, sliding across the ground.


    Emily points one arm at him, fires the blade from her Claw into the bubble moving him, and pours lightning into the cable connected to it. Silver detaches from the water a moment before the shock hits him, flipping up to land on his feet, staring at her with a goading smile, his arms still tucked into the small of his back.


    I¡¯m making him use his arms.


    Emily bends the crackling mana around her legs, forming it into the magic circle for Sky Step before she kicks off the ground. She flies across the hall, kicking off thin air and leaving a small platform of crackling sparks behind.


    She forms several before Silver realises she isn¡¯t coming at him head-on anymore. He takes the moment of reprieve as a chance to form a glistening magic circle that grows into a still dome of clear water he can watch her through.


    Emily places a dozen of the charged bundles of energy before holding her hands out and calling the Stream into her grip, holding the rifle against her shoulder and lining it up with the barrel against one of the bundles of sparks, pointed at Silver.


    She slams a magazine filled with mythril-tipped bullets into the gun and squeezes the trigger, sending five shots through sky step¡¯s remnants. The buzzing lightning clings to the bullets, boosting their speed and dispersing into the defensive spell wrapping Silver as the bullets bounce off it, leaving harmless ripples behind.


    The moment the fifth bullet strips away the last of the mana prepared in front of her, Emily kicks off again, this time leaving nothing behind as she sails past a crackling orb of charge, sending two bullets through it into the water dome.


    She bounces around the room, sending lightning-charged bullets flying into the dome from all directions. After her first reload, the dome grows unstable as the ripples from the many impacts meet, interfering with each other. Some grow in size, and some diminish, but at every meeting point the crackling charge flooding the dome burns away, releasing a light mist of steam.


    It doesn¡¯t take long before Emily¡¯s bullets begin hitting home at the weak points caused by the ripples. They tear through the barrier, narrowly missing Silver as he moves around inside his shield, using small bursts of water to displace some of the bullets as he dodges the rest.


    Emily keeps shooting until she creates two large weak points on opposite sides of the dome. She throws out the Stream, casting Guardian and using the floating liquid metal to catch the gun, carrying it away as she heads down to enter the dome through one of the gaping holes.


    She charges headfirst into the water, crossing both arms before herself as she tears through the shield, drawing Silver¡¯s full focus. His head snaps towards her so she flexes her machina, squeezing the trigger of the Steam a short distance away and sending a solid beam of bullets straight towards Silver¡¯s back.


    His eyes widen slightly as he feels the first one cut through the barrier behind him, but he can¡¯t dodge as Emily swings her arms horizontally, releasing the blades from her Claws on their cables and swinging them in wide, sweeping arcs towards his chest.


    ¡°Checkmate,¡± she mutters with a momentary burst of glee as he moves the hands from his back, flicking his wrists towards the approaching blades and scattering them with two whips of water that grow from two small blue marbles of mana.


    Silver spins, guiding his whips towards Emily and the approaching bullets at the same time, knocking the latter aside and forcing Emily to drop into a slide to get closer. She fills her Claws with machina, forcing the new motors to work in Overdrive as they pull the blades back in a blink, allowing her to shoot them towards Silver from point-blank range.


    His arms drop, catching the blades again, but Emily drops her lightning connection and grins as she floods the blades with raw fire mana. It¡¯s not a graceful solution, but the superheated blades cut through the water after meeting fierce resistance, and Emily rises from her slide just in time to slip between the cut streams and deliver a curled fist into the man¡¯s chest.


    Her blow slams home with a dull impact that picks up Silver and flings him back, dispersing his protective spell as he¡¯s tossed head over heels.


    ¡°Tsk,¡± Emily clicks her tongue and relaxes.


    He conjured a shield before I connected.


    ¡°Incredible,¡± Silver says as a deluge of water pours from him, forming into a thick wave that slows him to a halt and spins him back to stand upright, facing her.


    He claps his hands, but Emily just stares at him unimpressed.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t touch you.¡±


    ¡°No, but you forced me to use second skin, my last resort defensive spell. In my books, that counts for a third circle like you.¡±


    His comment irks her, but the irritation fades as quickly as it came, so Emily easily dismisses it and recalls her gun, sending out a wave of machina that picks up the scattered magazines she dropped during the spar, carrying them back into her hands. She watches Silver¡¯s reaction as she does, noting how his gaze focuses on Guardian floating beside her instead of the magazines.


    It seems like not even a fourth circle mage can tell when I¡¯m using machina. Does he simply think it¡¯s another form of lightning mana?


    ¡°So,¡± she says as she dismisses the spell. ¡°Do I qualify for your contract?¡±


    ¡°Of course you do,¡± Silver replies with a smile, forming the body of water behind him into an ornate throne covered in small, moving waves.


    Emily sits back, internally casting a spell to form the ground beneath her into a matching throne covered in small, rotating gears of stone.


    ¡°The contract is a basic combat deployment. I would like you to lead a squad we¡¯ve prepared for you into no-mans-land near the centre of the East Woods. There¡¯s been some activity from Denros¡¯ side there, and we suspect they may have located a new dungeon or mana crystal vein. Your job is to work out what exactly has their attention, and then ensure anything worthwhile ends up in our hands or destroyed.¡±


    ¡°Sounds simple enough. When do I leave?¡±


    ¡°Squad Cold should be assembled within two weeks. Return here at oh-eight-hundred on the tenth day of the seventh month and ask at the reception. They will hand over the details for your deployment, including your squadmates¡¯ profiles and the prepared transports.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Emily says, pushing herself out of her seat and letting it crumble into the sand. ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Though, before you leave, could you satisfy my curiosity?¡±


    Emily raises a brow and nods, urging him to ask his question.


    ¡°I was just wondering, since your spellwork is so refined, can you use condensed casting yet?¡±


    ¡°Condensed casting?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no then.¡± Silver smiles, rising from his seat and holding out his hand, palm up. ¡°Take this as a small apology for sending you to watch an outpost then.¡±


    A dense mist of blue mana leaks from his hand, twisting together into a glittering orb of power, nearly identical to the ones she noticed when he cast his water whips. At first, Emily doesn¡¯t understand why he¡¯s showing such a simple spell, but upon looking closer, she realises the orb isn¡¯t a finished spell, it¡¯s the magic circle for one.


    She¡¯s able to pick out several miniscule runes flickering on its surface, vanishing into the folds of the matrix as the orb pulses and a dense mist forms around them. Emily¡¯s eyes light up in recognition, and she reaches into her memory banks, searching for a specific stint in frozen time.


    In an instant, the world fades around her and she¡¯s standing in front of Herber¡¯s shop in Eimdon. She gazes up at the Mandrago Patriarch floating above her, looking past him with a cold, emotionless gaze at the glowing green orbs behind him.


    He flicks his hand and one of the orbs pulses, small runes shimmering on its surface as a barely visible ball of wind shoots out of it, shattering Emily¡¯s arm.


    So that was compressed casting.


    Blinking away the memory, Emily dips her head in thanks before turning to leave without another word, the gears in her mind already turning, trying to work out how to condense her spells¡¯ magic circles.

 Chapter 158 – Squad Cold

    A few days later, Emily is sitting cross-legged in the middle of the testing area in Earnie¡¯s workshop, surrounded by scorched metal scrap. She¡¯s wrapped in a mesh of crackling lightning mana with her eyes shut, delicately manipulating her energy with each minute twitch of her outstretched hands.


    The loose mana slowly forms into twisting runes and complex geometries, initially covering an area two times the size of her body before slowly shrinking. The construct seems to solidify more as it gets smaller, the crackling instability fading until a fist-sized, sky-blue marble of power floats in Emily¡¯s lap.


    Her eyes snap open, a small, satisfied smile curling her lips as a new system skill pops into her vision.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Basic Condensed Casting (passive)]


    User can calculate and form balanced spell orbs to hold prepared spells for casting.


    -Grants +10% calculation speed when condensing spells up to third circle.


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    Quest generated!


    [Unique Casting]


    [Rank:] D


    [Description:] You have learned a casting method usually exclusive to fourth circle mages, now truly make it your own.


    Requirements:


    -Create 0/1 unique casting method based on Condensed Casting (Not Complete)


    Rewards:


    -Elixir Recipe: Eel¡¯s Blood


    _____


    Emily¡¯s eyes scan over the new quest as a deeper understanding of her new skill clicks into place in the back of her mind.


    ¡°Create a unique casting method?¡± she mutters, blinking away the system window and staring at the floating orb before her. ¡°I guess this isn¡¯t as helpful to me as it would be for a normal mage thanks to my cortex.¡±


    She floats the spell orb up into the air and activates it, unleashing a single lightning strike on a metal pole a few metres away.


    The spell orbs are easy to maintain after formation, but it comes at the cost of cutting a lot of the manual control I would normally have over my spells, and it limits my flexibility even more. This would only be helpful if I wasn¡¯t capable of perfect multitasking, since I can already form and hold multiple spells at once despite the high mental load required.


    Emily stands up, pulling several mechanical pieces from her belt and weaving them together absentmindedly as she heads back up to the main production platform to continue chewing through the new challenge, never sparing a glance as her age ticks up by one in her system status.


    ***


    Early in the morning on the tenth day of the seventh month, Emily leaves Earnie¡¯s workshop and heads to the company¡¯s headquarters again. She approaches a receptionist and asks about her contract details.


    The receptionist digs through their drawers before handing over a hand-held device brimming with mana. It looks a little like a thick sheet of paper and, when she injects her mana into it, Emily receives a flood of information directly into her mind that she quickly sorts into her memory banks.


    ¡°You¡¯re a little early, but your squad mates should be here within the next fifteen minutes,¡± the receptionist says, glancing at the clock on their desk as Emily hands back the briefing terminal. ¡°Please find somewhere to sit, and we will bring them over as they arrive.¡±


    Emily nods her thanks to the receptionist and leaves to find an empty table. She settles down watching the door, ignoring the muttered conversation of three mercenaries sitting nearby, trying to encourage their friend to approach her.


    Five minutes later, a familiar face, Ice Petal, walks through the door. She heads towards the reception counters where she¡¯s quickly directed towards Emily. The moment they make eye contact, the young mage waves off the receptionist and heads over on her own.


    ¡°Hello again,¡± Ice Petal greets, taking a seat beside Emily with a small frown creasing her brow. ¡°Do you know what we¡¯re doing? They only told me I was being assigned to a combat squad. They wouldn¡¯t say anything else.¡±


    ¡°I know our objective, yes.¡± Emily nods calmly, looking over at a tall man being led towards them by a receptionist. ¡°But I believe we should wait till everyone is here.¡±


    Ice Petal follows her gaze, looking over at their next squad mate. He¡¯s over a head taller than the receptionist guiding him, and he¡¯s wearing a set of worn, sand-coloured robes covered in battered metal plating coated in tiny, engraved runes. In his right hand is a thick wooden staff with delicate runes engraved along its body and a refined earth crystal mounted at its tip. Emily can feel the telltale fluctuations of a second circle mage emanating from him as he doesn¡¯t even try to conceal his mana, proudly leaving it on display.


    ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d get to be on a team with The Savage Moon,¡± he says, flashing Emily a grin as he drops into the seat on her other side, not sparing the receptionist that led him over a second glance.


    Emily fixes the man with an unimpressed stare and doesn¡¯t respond. His grin falters after a few seconds of silent pressure, and he lets out an awkward cough.


    ¡°I¡¯m Sandman, C rank,¡± he says, pushing out his chest as he says his rank and tries to cover his blunder. ¡°I special-¡°


    Emily turns her gaze away from him before he can continue, looking towards the next man being guided towards their table as Sandman trails off into uncomfortable silence.


    This must be Pretty Boy.


    The man is clean-shaven, with closely cropped hair and a dazzling smile. He¡¯s around the same height as Ice Petal and he¡¯s chatting enthusiastically with the woman leading him.


    He has a simple set of reinforced leather armour covering him from head to toe, with several revolvers strapped to his legs and two short sword handles peeking over his shoulders. Emily can feel his weak, first circle mana signature, but he¡¯s attempting to hide it, unlike Sandman, carefully keeping his mana circulating within his body.


    ¡°Thank you for your help!¡± he says, patting the receptionist on the shoulder. ¡°You have to cook something for me next time I¡¯m back, that sounds wonderful.¡±


    ¡°My door is always open. I¡¯m sure my grandmother would love to have you round,¡± the receptionist replies with a slight blush, bowing her head and turning to leave.


    ¡°Hello there,¡± the man says as he finally turns his attention to the group sitting before him, making eye contact with Emily and flashing her a wide smile. ¡°I¡¯m first circle, Pretty Boy, D Rank. It¡¯s an honour to be on your squad,¡±


    He pauses, his eyes flicking almost imperceptibly over towards Sandman.


    ¡°Emily,¡± he finishes.


    Did he hear our conversation before?


    Emily narrows her eyes slightly, but nods and gestures for him to take a seat regardless. She turns her gaze away as Pretty Boy settles down, looking back towards the door as he leans over and starts asking Ice Petal about herself.


    She half listens to her squad making small talk, with Sandman quickly making friends with the enthusiastic Pretty Boy next to him, only holding up a hand to silence them as a stern-looking woman is led towards them.


    She stops at their table and swings a hefty weapon that looks familiar to Emily off her shoulder, leaning it against her chair as she nods to Emily and sits down.


    ¡°Second circle, Whistler, C Rank,¡± she introduces herself.


    ¡°Emily, third circle, and B rank,¡± Emily responds to no one¡¯s surprise, gesturing towards the long, wide-barrelled, handheld cannon against Whistler¡¯s chair with her head. ¡°Is that one of Earnie¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Whistler says, the corners of her lips curling up ever so slightly.


    Emily nods and falls silent as the rest of the squad introduce themselves to the newcomer, casting several spells and wrapping their table in a barely visible film of wind that completely cuts them off from the sounds filling the rest of the hall.


    The glowing green magic circle floating behind her draws the full attention of her squad, along with several curious gazes from other mercenaries nearby. Emily notices the watching eyes and raises her hand, releasing a flood of silver mana that seeps into the thin wind barrier, forming dozens of shifting runes before solidifying into a thin half-dome of metal, lit by a small glowing light that floats from Emily¡¯s hand as well.


    Her squad mates fall deathly silent, watching the display of magical prowess with a mixture of expressions and waiting for Emily to speak.


    ¡°Now that we have some privacy,¡± she says - pulling a map of Dennari from her belt and laying it out flat on the table - ¡°Let¡¯s go over our contract. We¡¯ve been tasked with heading into no-mans-land in the East Woods. There¡¯s been a spike in activity from Denros around here.¡±


    She reaches out, a thin purple mist flowing up her arm from her belt and solidifying into her quill, and circles a section of the forest.


    ¡°We need to work out why, then make sure Denros doesn¡¯t gain anything from their efforts. We have transport ready to take us over now, but does anyone need any time to prepare?¡±


    She looks around the table, receiving only confident head shakes.


    ¡°Good. From now on until told otherwise you¡¯re all members of Squad Cold, and I¡¯m your leader. Listen to all of my instructions and I will ensure you all return unharmed with a successful B rank contract under your belt. Ignore me, and I¡¯ll bury you myself,¡± Emily says, scanning over all of them and watching them tense under her gaze, pausing on Sandman as she finishes. ¡°Understood?¡±


    ***


    A few days later, Squad Cold steps off an airship into the docks of Rivendale, a small city in the East Woods.


    ¡°You know the drill,¡± Emily says to the experienced mercenaries on her team before her gaze lands on Ice Petal. ¡°We¡¯re on foot from here.¡±


    She leads them out of the docks, finding the city much quieter than Liberte with few people roaming the open streets without a weapon of some kind. Whistler and Ice Petal both walk quietly on either side of Emily, keeping close as Sandman and Pretty Boy follow behind them chatting.


    ¡°Hey, Emily,¡± Pretty Boy calls out. ¡°Do you have enough rations? If you need to collect any more, I know a great shop near here.¡±


    Emily glances over her shoulder as she replies.


    ¡°I have plenty. Do you not?¡±


    ¡°No no, I¡¯m fine,¡± he says, waving his hands and tapping the drawstring pouch at his waist. ¡°Just trying to make conversation.¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± Ice Petal says quietly, looking at Emily with a nervous expression. ¡°I... I don¡¯t have that much food prepared.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask if you needed time to prepare before we left Liberte?¡±


    ¡°Yeah... but we didn¡¯t have trouble with food at the Outpost, so I kind of forgot...¡±


    Emily rolls her eyes but doesn¡¯t pause her steps.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I have enough to support you until we kill something. You know how to butcher beasts at least, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Ice Petal says, relaxing the tension in her shoulders. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Emily nods and ignores Sandman whispering to Pretty Boy about her unfair bias, turning the corner and stepping into view of the thick wooden wall surrounding the city, formed from huge, uniform tree-trunks growing into each other.


    How did they manage that? Do they have a way to alter trees'' growth with magic?


    They pass through the wall¡¯s gatehouse without any problems, their identities as mercenaries making the proceedings easy. On the other side, they are immediately greeted by a sea of trees stretching off into the distance.


    Emily drinks in the scenery, finding it strange to see so many trees without thick fog obstructing them. She takes the lead, stepping into the forest while turning to walk backwards so she can address her squad.


    ¡°We should be pretty safe until we get closer to no-man¡¯s-land. However, we should still be prepared for combat just in case. None of you have scouting capabilities, do you?¡±


    Everyone shakes their heads, confirming the information Emily received from the company.


    ¡°Okay, in that case, I will provide our only detection for approaching enemies,¡± she says, reaching into her belt and pulling out several of her scouts in their closed, egg-like forms. ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on our surroundings and alert you to any danger should it come.¡±


    She tosses the eggs up, sending a stream of mana and machina into them, causing them to unfurl into two birds and a spider under her squad mates¡¯ curious gazes. The birds take to the skies, flapping their fine metal wings and disappearing between the trees while the spider falls to the ground and scurries away ahead of them.


    ¡°What are those?¡± Pretty Boy asks, his eyes glowing with overflowing curiosity.


    ¡°My scouts,¡± Emily replies with a small approving nod. ¡°I can see through their eyes to watch for anything nearby. The birds currently have heat vision, and the spider is using a modified form of Earthen Detection.¡±


    ¡°Earthen Detection?¡± the handsome man tilts his head at the spell name.


    ¡°It¡¯s a common spell in Modo,¡± Emily says, quickly realising the gap in common knowledge. ¡°Tracks vibrations through the ground to find people.¡±


    ¡°Fascinating!¡±


    ¡°Very. Now, as I was saying,¡± Emily says, pulling the conversation back on track and stepping over a large root. ¡°If I spot danger you need to be able to take your positions quickly. Sandman, you¡¯re on defence.¡±


    The man camouflaged for the wrong battlefield puffs his chest out.


    ¡°Of course,¡± he says confidently. ¡°Nothing will get past me!¡±


    Emily nods, turning her gaze on Whistler.


    ¡°How¡¯s your tree climbing?¡±


    ¡°Passable,¡± the woman responds.


    ¡°Then as long as you aren¡¯t actively under fire, go up and find a good shooting angle.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Ice Petal, you¡¯re to save your mana. Stick close to Sandman and use your spells to tie up the enemies¡¯ feet, but otherwise, use your gun if you can.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± the small mage nods, disappointment flickering briefly across her face.


    ¡°And Pretty Boy,¡± Emily says, looking at the man smiling back at her. ¡°Those swords aren¡¯t for show, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. You won¡¯t find another merc in the company better with them than me!¡± he says, copying Sandman and pushing his chest forward before cracking a grin and winking at her. ¡°Well, other than you I suspect.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯re moving forward with me,¡± Emily says, not batting an eye at his comment. ¡°We try to end the fight before Whistler needs to shoot if we can.¡±


    ¡°Got it. They won¡¯t know what hit them!¡±

 Chapter 159 – Buried Foes

    Emily ducks behind a tree with a bored expression, letting a shard of rock slam harmlessly into her cover and glancing back at her squad.


    Sandman is channelling mana into his staff, using it to control a large magic circle while Ice Petal and Pretty Boy stand on either side of him, picking off the rocky howlers dancing through the trees around them. Every time the screeching monkeys throw a conjured shard of earth towards them, Sandman¡¯s circle pulses and a chunk of the ground below them flies up to intercept it.


    Emily¡¯s gaze drifts up to Whistler perched in a tree above them, surrounded by Sandman¡¯s rotating ring of floating rocks protecting her. She has her heavy cannon pressed to her shoulder, surrounded by two glowing green magic circles as she mutters a chant.


    She squeezes the trigger and her gun kicks with a silent crack, releasing a bright flash and a wall of pellets that punch through the trees between her and her targets, who drop to the floor, filled with holes.


    Emily absentmindedly raises her arm, shooting one of her Claws into a monkey¡¯s throat as it leaps overhead, before stepping out from behind the tree and swinging the blade into two more approaching beasts.


    It¡¯s been a few days since they set foot in The East Woods and, without seeing a single Denrosi Mage, they have quickly adapted to fighting beasts as a group. Whistler, Sandman, and Pretty Boy all showed their experience, following Emily¡¯s instructions and performing their roles to perfection, while Ice Petal stumbled over their first few engagements but quickly fell into the groove when the others picked up her slack.


    Emily retracts her Claw and scans the canopy above, locating six remaining howlers before raising her hands and pouring out mana, forming six small magic circles. They burst, releasing six small needles of wind that bury themselves into the heads of the target monkeys in an instant, dropping them from the trees as silence falls over the woods again.


    ¡°Whew,¡± Pretty Boy lets out an exaggerated sigh, wiping some sweat from his brow before patting Sandman and Ice Petal on the shoulders. ¡°Good work guys!¡±


    Emily walks over to them as Ice Petal recoils from their squad mate¡¯s touch, and Whistler scrambles down from the branches above.


    ¡°Strip the fangs and claws then bury the rest,¡± Emily commands, glancing at the darkening sky above. ¡°We¡¯ll continue for a bit longer and set up camp a few hours after dark again.¡±


    Everyone silently nods and complies, even Pretty Boy, and they clear the battlefield within minutes. After piling the corpses up for Sandman to bury, the others turn to Emily standing at the edge of the group with her eyes shut, scanning the woods ahead through the eyes of several scouts.


    They don¡¯t bother her as Sandman works, with Pretty Boy turning to Whistler and Ice Petal, talking at them incessantly as they both ignore him.


    Emily finally opens her eyes as she feels Sandman finish his task.


    ¡°Pretty Boy,¡± she says with a cold tone, growing tired of hearing his voice. ¡°Shut up.¡±


    He cuts off mid-sentence and flashes her a grin, miming zipping his lips as the two women give Emily appreciative nods.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she says, turning on her heels and setting off into the trees again.


    It doesn¡¯t take long for Pretty Boy to start quietly whispering to Sandman again, despite her warning.


    I wonder if I have the right to kick people off the squad. I¡¯m cutting his tongue out if he tries to flirt with me again at least.


    Emily tunes the chatter out and focuses on her scouts, leaving her body on autopilot as she searches for enemy movements around them.


    ¡°-mily.¡±


    A soft voice pulls her attention back to her body a short while later as moonlight starts to leak through the leaves above. She turns her head back and sees Ice Petal close behind, staring up at her.


    ¡°Yes?¡± she asks the young mage, noticing her fidgeting with the hem of her cloak.


    ¡°How close are we to no-man¡¯s-land now?¡± Ice Petal inquires, glancing out into the shadows around them. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we have run into someone by now?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re already in no-man¡¯s-land,¡± Pretty Boy answers before Emily has the chance.


    ¡°Right.¡± Emily nods, glancing at the talkative man.


    I guess he¡¯s paying attention at least.


    ¡°We entered what can be considered no-man¡¯s-land at midday. As for not seeing anyone? No-man¡¯s-land covers a large area, it¡¯s not surprising we haven¡¯t run into anyone this close to our territory,¡± Emily explains.


    ¡°Given how much noise we¡¯ve been making, it¡¯s still a bit surprising,¡± Whistler comments.


    ¡°Really?¡± Ice Petal questions, turning to the more experienced mercenary.


    ¡°Yes. Squads like this get sent out to patrol no-man¡¯s-land all the time. I¡¯ve been in several before,¡± Whistler continues, glancing at Emily. ¡°We should have at least run into someone from our side.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen any through my scouts if that¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking,¡± Emily responds, turning to look ahead again and narrowing her eyes as she spots an odd patch of discoloured earth, slightly too bright for its surroundings, through one of her birds, quickly redirecting a spider to head towards it. ¡°I¡¯m guessing they were either pulled back when Denros started sending stronger teams after whatever we¡¯re looking for, or they were killed.¡±


    ¡°Who would have killed them if no-¡° Ice Petal is cut off as Emily raises a hand, signalling for silence as she focuses on the confusing blur of information she¡¯s receiving from her spider.


    She shuts her eyes, breaking apart the twisted scan and quickly spotting a pattern in the distortion, hinting at manual interference. A savage grin stretches her lips, sending chills down even her experienced squad mates¡¯ spines.


    ¡°Found them,¡± she hisses with glee, injecting machina into her vocal cords without a thought and turning to race off into the darkness.


    She pulls another bird from her belt as she goes, this one with a light pack mounted to its chest, tossing it up and unfurling it before her squad to guide them as she vanishes faster than they can keep up.


    Emily weaves through the trees, watching the discoloured earth through the bird perched on a branch above as she approaches.


    For a few seconds, nothing happens. Then, as Emily steps within thirty metres of her target, heading in a near-straight line towards it, the ground erupts, revealing several men in robes scrambling out of a pit in the ground.


    They rise from the dirt without noticing the bird watching them from above, ducking behind nearby trees while pulling knives and small, hand-held crossbows from the folds of their clothes, silently waiting for her to arrive as the only one not pulling out a weapon continues silently waving his hands, maintaining a glistening brown magic circle at his feet.


    Idiots. Why would hiding help if I¡¯ve already spotted you?


    Emily kicks off the floor, launching herself up into the branches above, landing on one deftly before pushing off it, propelling herself closer to her enemies.


    She notices the mage casting a spell panic as she leaves the ground, but he barely has time to react before she reaches them.


    ¡°I¡¯ve los-¡° she hears the mage start, cutting off in shock as she fires one of her Claws down into the top of her first target¡¯s head.


    The others¡¯ heads turn to their teammate as he slumps to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut, and Emily whips the Spitter from her thigh, squeezing the trigger three times and delivering bullets into the skulls of the other three wielding weapons.


    ¡°Shit!¡± the mage cries, looking up and wildly gesturing, trying to cast another spell as Emily slips from a branch and falls towards him.


    His eyes widen in disbelief as her boot connects with his forehead, slamming him down to the ground and knocking him unconscious in an instant.


    ¡°Even running would have been smarter,¡± Emily mutters to herself, stepping off the man¡¯s head and crouching down to check he survived.


    Her fingers press to his neck, feeling a faint pulse, so she casts Bandage and places a layer of the featherlight cloth across his forehead before standing back up and waiting for her squad to arrive.


    It only takes a few seconds for them to charge through the treeline, following the light mounted to the bird leading them, with their weapons out and at the ready. They all grind to a halt as the bird flutters down to rest on Emily¡¯s shoulder, being joined by a second mechanical bird from above, and their eyes drop to the fallen mage at her feet.


    ¡°Pretty Boy, watch this one and make sure he doesn¡¯t wake up,¡± Emily commands, kicking lightly at the unconscious mage before gesturing towards the corpses with her head. ¡°You three check those guys for anything useful.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Pretty Boy and Whistler say in sync, causing Pretty Boy to flash her a flirtatious grin at which Whistler audibly gags.


    Emily turns her attention away from them, walking over to the pit their would-be ambushers left behind as she packs one of her birds away and sends the other back out into the trees. She looks down into the hole illuminated by faint moonlight, finding it just large enough to hold five people with a little extra room to breathe.


    They can¡¯t have stayed here long.


    A few bags are lying in the corner of the pit, and a brown magic crystal is embedded in the centre, powering an array etched across the floor and walls.


    So, this is what blocked my detection.


    Her eyes scan over the runes, but she picks out several inconsistencies and quickly realises that at least half of the carved runes are dummies left to obscure the real workings of the spell.


    Smart, but not smart enough.


    Committing the array to memory, she sets one of her cores to decipher it and hops down into the hole to check the bags. She only finds a collection of spare crossbow bolts, tools for sharpening their blades, and dried food rations. She leaves everything in the bags, slinging them over her shoulders, so her squad can go through them for anything useful later.


    Emily stomps on the magic crystal while releasing a burst of mana to contain the subsequent detonation before clambering out of the hole.


    ¡°Shit!¡± she hears Pretty Boy curse as she¡¯s pulling herself up.


    Emily frowns, looking over at the mercenary and seeing the captured mage convulsing and frothing from the mouth as Pretty Boy frantically checks his pulse.


    ¡°Fuck¡¯s sake,¡± Emily growls, walking over slowly as the mage¡¯s convulsions stop. ¡°You had one fucking job.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened!¡± Pretty Boy exclaims, looking up at her with a pleading expression. ¡°He just started freaking out.¡±


    ¡°Move.¡±


    Pretty Boy scrambles back, standing up and dusting his trousers off as Emily crouches down and checks for a pulse.


    Nothing.


    Gritting her teeth, one of her hands drifts down towards The Clock as she pours machina into the dead mage¡¯s body, trying to work out what killed him.


    She finds the culprit within seconds, finding a false tooth in the back of his mouth, cracked open and leaking something down his throat.


    ¡°Poison,¡± Emily mutters, letting out a sigh as her anger drains from her, leaving only cold hindsight. ¡°I should have checked him for suicide measures first.¡±


    She activates The Clock, resigning herself to repeat the day¡¯s dull trek.


    ***


    Night falls again and Emily heads straight towards the ambush.


    She approaches in the same manner, drawing the squad of enemy combatants out of their hiding place before taking to the trees. She drops on the mage from above, knocking him out cold before ending the unawakened fodders¡¯ lives with a silent dance of blades, leaving four slashed throats in her wake.


    Her squad arrive shortly after, and she sends Pretty Boy into the pit to collect the bags and dismantle the array as she checks the mage for his last-ditch contingencies. She only finds two, so Emily slips the bracelet from his wrist, finding a nasty-looking vial of green goo tucked beneath the plain leather exterior without a visible activation mechanism. She slips it into her belt to look at later before ripping the false tooth from his mouth, waking him up in the process.


    He tries to scream, but Emily clamps a hand over his mouth, keeping him silent.


    The man tries to struggle against her, his eyes widening in panic and fear as he watches her pull a strange vial of silver liquid, the sleeping draught she prepared for her escape from Modo, from her belt, but Emily straddles his chest, pinning his arms down with her knees as she pries his mouth open and pours in a few drops of her brew.


    ¡°Ple-¡° he tries to say before she rams her palm into his chin and pinches his nose, forcing him to swallow.


    The moment he does, his eyes roll into the back of his head, and he goes limp. Emily lets out a small, satisfied huff before looking up to check on her squad.


    She sees Ice Petal glancing between her, the sleeping mage beneath her, and the neat corpses with their necks slashed open with a slightly fearful look in her eye, but the girl flinches as she meets Emily¡¯s gaze, looking down and focusing on rummaging through one of said corpse¡¯s clothes instead of saying anything.


    Emily barely spares her reaction a second thought, her eyes flitting over to Sandman and Whistler, both stripping their corpses without batting an eye at the bloody scene.


    Pretty Boy throws the bags out of the pit and begins to climb out, so Emily turns her attention back to the man beneath her, searching his body for anything important. It only takes a few small bursts of machina to find a hidden pouch in the folds of his robes, sealed with thin strips of magnets.


    She reaches inside and pulls out a handful of lesser earth crystals along with a milky-white lesser mental crystal etched with tiny runes.


    Ignoring the small eruption of dirt as Pretty Boy fires one of the fallen soldier¡¯s crossbows at the crystal in the array, Emily reaches to her back and drops the earth crystals into a pouch on the side of her bag with one hand, holding the mental crystal with the other and pouring a small stream of mana into it, drawing out the information within.


    A rough map of The East Woods flows into her mind, with several points marked in a line, including their current position. With the map comes a set rotation schedule, explaining which point the squad should move to and when.


    What the hell? Who keeps something like this on them?


    Emily glances at the man with confusion while slipping the crystal into her belt to inspect later.


    ¡°Nothing but food and weapons,¡± Whistler calls out to her, drawing her attention away from their prisoner and towards her squad, standing beside a filled-in hole with no bodies in sight.


    ¡°This one had a map,¡± Emily says, standing up and slinging the man¡¯s limp body over her shoulder effortlessly. ¡°Let¡¯s find somewhere to set camp and question him.¡±


    ¡°Why not just do it now?¡± Whistler questions.


    ¡°I have something to prepare first,¡± Emily responds vaguely, turning on her heels and setting off into the woods with her squad hot on her heels.

 Chapter 160 – Fatal Truth

    After finding a small clearing a few metres wide, Emily drops her prisoner to the ground and pulls the barrier disc out of her belt.


    She then takes out an extra water and light crystal, slotting them both into new sockets on top of the disc before activating it and tossing it up into the air.


    The anchors fire out into the surrounding trees, suspending it above their heads, and almost immediately the metal disc pulses with mana, releasing a burst of thin water vapour that arcs out in a half dome. The vapour hangs in the air, forming into a thin mist.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the barrier change?¡± Pretty Boy asks, stepping up to the mist and reaching his hand out to touch it, watching in fascination as it passes through without resistance.


    ¡°Step outside for a few seconds,¡± Emily replies.


    He eagerly nods and steps through the mist before turning back to face them.


    Emily snaps her fingers, conjuring a ball of glittering white light at the apex of the barrier, just below the disc.


    After a few moments, Pretty Boy steps back inside and his eyes widen in surprise as his gaze snaps up towards the light.


    ¡°Incredible,¡± he mutters in awe, drawing the curiosity of their squad mates, who all step outside to see what has caused him such shock.


    As they step back in, they all share his surprise.


    ¡°Did you make that yourself as well?¡± Ice Petal asks the moment she re-enters the barrier.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Emily nods. ¡°Liberte¡¯s barrier inspired me to upgrade an existing tool I had. Unfortunately, it doesn¡¯t completely hide our presence, only obscure it as you saw.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still impressive no light leaks out,¡± Whistler says, slinging down the bag she has carried from the men Emily killed and pulling a sleeping roll from the spatial pouch at her belt. ¡°We can make a fire in here, right? We¡¯ve been eating dried rations for no reason.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it burns magic crystals. Keeping this barrier up in this setting will drain two crystals within three hours,¡± Emily explains, choosing not to mention that she could have been cooking for them with her fire magic anyway.


    No one complains after hearing about the cost.


    Emily leaves her squad to discuss setting up camp among themselves after dropping a hunk of archite flesh in front of them to cook.


    She pours mana into the spatial enchantments in her bag, drawing out a dense purple mist that forms into a workbench covered in various implements from beakers and jars to functioning terrariums and trays of powdered crystals.


    Her squad mates all cast incredulous glances at her set-up as she pulls out a cauldron next, starting a fire below it with a snap of her fingers.


    ¡°What are you making?¡± Ice Petal asks while dividing up the tender archite into reasonably sized portions.


    ¡°Dead Man¡¯s Breath,¡± Emily says, pulling out the mental crystal she took from the mage and holding it up to the magical light above to inspect the runes, carving them into her memory.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of that one before. Is it from Modo?¡±


    ¡°Sort of. It¡¯s not a well-known brew. I found an excerpt about it when I was digging through the library of The Covenant, but it only included a few of the ingredients and the potion¡¯s purpose,¡± Emily explains, grabbing an empty metal tray and crushing the crystal into it.


    ¡°How are you going to make it then? Can¡¯t working out recipes take weeks?¡± Ice Petal asks as she skewers chunks of meat on the ends of the spare crossbow bolts.


    ¡°For one this complicated it could take a skilled alchemist months.¡± Emily¡¯s gaze roams the cluttered ingredients covering the workbench, picking out a jar of pop frog bile to mix with the crystal powder. ¡°But I think I¡¯ve already worked out most of the recipe. I¡¯m still a little shaky on the timings, since my simulations won¡¯t have been completely accurate, but it should only take a few tries.¡±


    Ice Petal stops asking questions and Emily narrows her focus on the brewing process, preparing several mixed components while heating her cauldron of water and luminis leaves. Her secondary cores draw in her scattered scouts as she works, setting up three birds in the trees around their barrier and two spiders in small nooks among the tree roots.


    Within half an hour her preparations are complete, and she removes the leaves from the now slightly glowing water filling the cauldron. She pours in the viscous, powder and bile mixture first, placing a hand against the side of the cauldron and conjuring a small whirling current within it, helping the bile to mix in evenly.


    Next, she pours in a powdered blend of sandworm skin, ocelax fangs, and dried wyrmroot veins, before quickly placing the lid back on and continuing to mix the concoction without further intervention. She silently stares at the closed cauldron, maintaining the current for five minutes before opening the lid and throwing in the next mixture, this time including the bloods of several magical beasts.


    However, the moment the blood hits the surface of the brew it starts to emit a pungent odour.


    ¡°Tsk,¡± Emily clicks her tongue, pouring water mana into the cauldron and using it to lift the failed attempt out, dumping it on the ground behind her where it bubbles, burning all of the grass it touches and creating a small dead zone.


    Sandman and Ice Petal both notice the hissing and look over, grimacing when they see the noxious liquid seeping into the ground.


    Emily doesn¡¯t spare it a second glance, filling the cauldron with water and luminis again while preparing another batch of the ingredients she has wasted.


    Her next three attempts all fail before she adds the catalyst, and it takes her two more attempts after reaching the point of eliminating the brew¡¯s impurities to finalise the timings and correct a few faulty ratios she was working with. Finally, on her eighth attempt at brewing, she pops the lid of the cauldron and watches as it releases a faint, silvery-blue mist with a sickeningly sweet scent.


    ¡°Finally,¡± she says with a satisfied nod, reaching down and activating The Clock.


    ***


    After repeating the day once again, Emily only takes one attempt to brew the potion, eating a few skewers as she works.


    Once it¡¯s done, she lifts the silvery-blue liquid from the cauldron and deposits it into ten vials, nine of which she tucks away into her bag.


    ¡°What does it do?¡± Ice Petal asks as they sit the captured mage against a tree and gather around him.


    ¡°Dead Man¡¯s Breath has two main functions,¡± Emily explains, crouching down in front of the man and grabbing his jaw, lifting his head up and sending a stream of machina beneath his skin, using it to burn away the remnants of her sleeping draught. ¡°First, it compels the consumer to tell the truth and only the truth, as if willingly.¡±


    The captured mage¡¯s eyes snap open, and Emily pours the potion down his throat before he can process what¡¯s happening, clamping his mouth and nose shut once again. He gulps down the liquid, choking for breath and clasping at his throat as she releases him and steps back.


    ¡°Secondly, it forces the consumer¡¯s magic circles into a gradual discharge, expelling all of their mana within ten minutes and making it impossible to gather any more.¡±


    Everyone in the squad shivers, but Pretty Boy¡¯s eyes glint with curiosity once his fear fades.


    ¡°Why is it called Dead Man¡¯s Breath if it¡¯s just a truth potion?¡± he asks, watching the captured mage go pale as faint, glowing blue veins creep up his neck.


    ¡°Well, that would be because of the main side effect: death,¡± Emily states in a matter-of-fact tone, causing the captured mage¡¯s eyes to widen in dread as his fate sinks in. ¡°The potion just so happens to be made from ingredients toxic enough to kill a normal human. You can only use it on mages, and even then, it kills them once they run out of mana. It¡¯s a faulty recipe, but it¡¯s the best one I have for now.¡±


    The veins covering the mage¡¯s skin finally meet at the crown of his head, and his hands drop limp at his sides while his eyes dilate, signalling the potion has reached full effect.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s start with something simple,¡± Emily says, reaching out and tilting her captive¡¯s face to force him to look at her. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Raphael Landry,¡± the man answers in a slightly slurred mumble.


    ¡°What circle are you?¡±


    ¡°Second.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Emily nods, holding her other hand out and pouring light mana from it, forming it into a shimmering image of the map she found on him. ¡°What¡¯s this map?¡±


    He stares at it vacantly for a few seconds, slowly processing what he¡¯s seeing before responding.


    ¡°Our patrol route.¡±


    ¡°Why are you patrolling so deep into no-mans-land?¡±


    ¡°The job paid well.¡±


    ¡°What was the job?¡± Emily asks, trying to refine her questioning.


    ¡°To hunt New Denntimo scum,¡± the man answers with surprising vitriol for his disoriented state.


    ¡°Do you know why you need to hunt them?¡± Emily continues, not batting an eye at the insult as her squad mates bristle behind her.


    ¡°To win the war.¡±


    ¡°Tsk. It doesn¡¯t look like he knows anything important.¡± Emily¡¯s brow creases, but her irritation fades almost immediately.


    We¡¯ll just have to hunt more of these squads until we work out where they¡¯re guarding.


    ¡°Why did you have your patrol route in your pocket?¡± she asks, giving up on asking for Denros¡¯ objective.


    ¡°To sell it.¡±


    ¡°You were going to sell it? To whom?¡±


    ¡°Black Skull Merchant on Frosthorn Street. They pay well for information on our jobs even after they¡¯re done.¡±


    Emily¡¯s brows rise again as the name rings a familiar bell.


    Black Skull? Are they related to the Crystal Skull? If they¡¯re buying information on military missions like this from idiots like this man, they¡¯re probably an infiltrator of some form, not local. I¡¯ll have to ask old man Silver about it later. Maybe they¡¯re on our side.


    She continues to question the mage, trying to gather anything else helpful and coming up short. After letting her squad ask a few questions themselves, Emily puts the man out of his misery with a quick stab to the heart and buries him outside their camp.


    They rest for the night, with Emily keeping one core awake at all times, sitting in the centre of the camp in a meditative pose. When dawn breaks, they pack up camp to start a search for other hunting squads.


    Emily leads her squad towards the end of the line that makes up the dead squad¡¯s patrol route before releasing more spiders from her belt, spreading the scouts and focusing their detection in a wide, sweeping arc.


    They travel quietly, at high alert for beasts or mages alike, yet moving with collected confidence. Even Ice Petal falls into the steady rhythm of the hunt, blending in well with the more experienced mercenaries.


    After sleeping through another night, the next morning Emily detects movement in the distance. Unlike the first squad, this time her spiders send back the image of six hazy, humanoid figures carefully stalking through the woodlands towards them.


    She holds up a hand, signalling for her group to stop before holding up six fingers and pointing ahead. The others silently nod in acknowledgement and seamlessly take positions.


    Whistler reaches out for a low-hanging branch, grabbing onto it and swinging herself up and around it with barely a rustle of the leaves. She reaches for another branch and continues to scale the tree, vanishing into the foliage above.


    Emily soundlessly creeps forward, with Pretty Boy hot on her heels as Sandman and Ice Petal crouch down behind a nearby thicket of bushes. Emily passes a thick tree with gnarled roots sticking up beneath it and spots a small creature¡¯s den dug away underneath them.


    She points down at it as she digs her fingers into the coarse bark of the tree and pulls herself up. Pretty Boy understands and slips his lithe figure into the hole, lying in wait as Emily settles onto a branch high above, patiently watching the approaching group through her spiders.


    The six figures continue carefully moving closer, completely unaware they have already been exposed.


    Two of Emily¡¯s birds land near the group, letting her confirm that the familiar non-descript robes match those of the first Denrosi squad.


    The electronic motors in her Claws silently whir to life, extending her deadly blades as she spies the enemy squad through the thick branches surrounding her. She calculates their approach and leans forward slowly.


    Her body slips from her perch without a sound, plummeting towards the ground below.


    She slams knee-first into one of the unawakened enemies, crushing his neck instantly and driving his corpse into the ground with a heavy thud that signals the start of the ambush.


    The cracking sound of snapping branches suddenly rings out and the chest of one of the robed men at the back of the group bursts open as Whistler¡¯s shot finds its mark.


    Two loud pops ring out beside the group a fraction of a second later as two bullets drill two holes into the necks of two of the other shocked men. They drop to the floor clutching their throats as Emily lashes out with one of her Claws, decapitating the only first circle mage of the group and leaving behind only a stunned second circle woman, staring at Emily in disbelief as her entire squad falls dead around her in an instant.


    The stunned woman blinks, trying to force her mind into motion. She starts moving her hands, quickly bringing them together, but Emily moves before she can finish whatever she was trying, stepping forward and gabbing both of the woman¡¯s wrists, finding a similar bracelet to the one worn by the first mage.


    She looks up at her opponent¡¯s face, watching her eyes dart to the exposed bracelet, held firm by Emily before she starts to tense her jaw. Emily drives her head forward without any hesitation, slamming her forehead into the other woman¡¯s and knocking the light from her eyes.


    ¡°Tsssss,¡± Pretty Boy audibly winces in the dirt beside her, pulling himself from his hiding spot and staring at Emily in disbelief. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that hurt?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡± Emily shrugs, slipping the leather bracelet from the captive¡¯s wrist and scanning her body for anything more.


    She only finds the expected poisoned tooth, so she grabs the woman by the scruff of her robes and drags her to lean against a tree.


    ¡°Search and clean them up,¡± she commands her squad with a dismissive head gesture towards the corpses before reaching into her captive¡¯s mouth and grabbing the false tooth nestled between her molars.


    Emily rips the tooth out in a single, swift motion, and a shrill scream startles a few nearby birds out of the trees.

 Chapter 161 – A Coincidence

    The captured mage fills Emily in on their instructed patrol path after a dose of Dead Man¡¯s Breath, but she doesn¡¯t provide any other useful information, and Emily dispatches her soon after.


    She leads her squad on through the woodlands, searching for other groups from Denros.


    It takes longer than she¡¯d like, but within two weeks they¡¯ve filled out their map enough for Emily to highlight the area the groups are circling, as if guarding it without getting too close. As the squad is settling into their camp for the evening, huddled around a bundle of burning logs, with the barrier disc protecting them from prying eyes, Emily projects a glowing image of The East Woods from overhead.


    ¡°This is the route we¡¯ve travelled so far,¡± she explains, twisting a drop of water mana into the illusion of light and drawing a long blue trail across the map. ¡°We engaged hostiles here.¡±


    She snaps her fingers, igniting the blue line at half a dozen different points. The small fires spread, drawing scorching lines of red across the map in an arcing shield.


    ¡°And these are their patrol routes.¡±


    Everyone nods, their eyes scanning over the image as they¡¯re drawn towards the obvious bubble of land being protected.


    Emily snaps her fingers again, and the map loses light, receding in from the edges until only the area untouched by the patrols, leaning towards Denros¡¯ side of no-mans-land, remains.


    ¡°At first light, we¡¯ll head over and narrow our search around this area.¡±


    No one argues with her, so she dismisses the map and pulls out the Spitter, undoing the small screws holding it together to perform some routine maintenance on the worn internals, as she listens to Sandman and Pretty Boy¡¯s whispered chatter.


    ¡°-easiest job I¡¯ve ever completed.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s certainly nice to be so aware of what¡¯s out there. I¡¯m normally jumping at every sound. Though, I¡¯d hate to be her enemy.¡±


    ¡°I get you, man. She¡¯s a little unsettling, but I can live with that. I hope I get assigned to her squad again, my last squad leader was a nightmare. He-¡°


    Emily doesn¡¯t look away from her work, not feeling the need to remind them to be cautious as her birds and spiders comb the underbrush around them for hidden threats.


    ***


    A few days later, as squad Cold is trudging through the woods following Emily¡¯s lead, she holds up a hand to signal for silence.


    Emily focuses on the feed from one of her birds as it spots movement in the distance. She deftly manoeuvres the small avian drone closer, slipping between high branches and keeping it hidden among the foliage.


    A small group becomes clear through the bird¡¯s eyes moments later, slinking through the brush in the same direction as squad Cold. There are only five members in the group, but they¡¯re all wearing similar black and silver leather armour, three of them accented with fine runework, and the other two bare.


    Sitting on all of their chests are matching emblems depicting a jagged, black fang on top of a silver shield.


    Black Fang mercenaries? Are they here for the same reason we are?


    A quick calculation runs through her mind, and she comes to a decision.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to make contact with a squad from Black Fang,¡± she quietly informs her squad mates, gesturing for them to follow as she heads straight towards the possibly friendly mercenaries. ¡°Follow my lead and treat them with respect.¡±


    Emily glances back over her shoulder with a chilling glint in her eyes, her gaze directed at Ice Petal.


    ¡°Don¡¯t trust them.¡±


    Her focus shifts to Pretty Boy.


    ¡°And don¡¯t get too attached.¡±


    She turns back to where they¡¯re heading, piloting her bird down from its hiding spot to land in front of the Black Fang mercenaries. The man leading the group raises a hand to halt his squad, mimicking Emily¡¯s actions moments prior, and all of them draw their weapons, unsheathing blades and unholstering guns in a series of smooth, well-practised motions.


    They¡¯re more professional than the Denrosi squads we¡¯ve been slaughtering.


    She lifts one of the bird¡¯s wings, waving it at the mercenaries before pointing behind them.


    The squad¡¯s leader mutters something to the man and woman at his shoulders, and they turn around to watch their back as the leader starts muttering a chant, forming a sparkling green magic circle in the air above his head.


    Emily feels a light, mana-charged breeze pass over her skin, and the Black Fang squad leader starts in surprise, keeping his eyes fixed on her bird and informing his squad.


    He¡¯s cautious. He¡¯s treating my scout as a possible threat, but they don¡¯t seem to be preparing any spells to hit us with.


    With her hand hovering near The Clock, just in case, Emily leads her squad into view of the Black Fang mercenaries. When they don¡¯t attack immediately, she holds up both hands in a friendly gesture and pilots her scout over to land on her shoulder, freeing the opposing squad of a possible threat at their backs.


    The squad leader steps through his group towards Emily, nodding in appreciation and holding his hand out in a clear motion that tells his squad to stay their weapons.


    ¡°Black Fang squad Vensec,¡± the man grunts in a low tone, only loud enough to cover the gap between them. ¡°Identify yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Silver Moon squad Cold,¡± Emily replies, holding her hand out with a thin purple mist crawling up her sleeve to form into her Signature between her outstretched fingers. ¡°Trade?¡±


    The man nods, swinging the pack off his back and reaching into a side pouch, pulling out a small card emanating a weak magic signature.


    Emily flicks her wrist, sending her Signature into the man¡¯s chest with a light thump. He catches it and looks down, his eyes widening in shock before he quickly schools his expression.


    Nodding, he waves his squad off and steps forward alone, closing the distance between their two groups and handing back her Signature along with his own. Emily taps her fingers against it and injects a small burst of mana, receiving a censored form of his mercenary profile with only his name, rank, and circle.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Force Bearer,¡± Emily says, retracting her hand without even looking at the face of his Signature. ¡°Do you mind if I set up a small barrier so we can speak comfortably?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Force Bearer replies, shaking his head and doing his best to cover up the tension in his shoulders.


    Emily nods and snaps her fingers, letting out a flood of mana that forms into a twisting green magic circle surrounding both of their groups. The magic circle pulses, producing a barely visible film that seals them off from the sounds of the woodlands around them.


    ¡°There we go,¡± she says at full volume, lowering her hands. ¡°What are you guys doing this deep into no-mans-land?¡±


    Force Bearer hesitates for a moment, weighing his options before speaking.


    ¡°We were on a routine scouting mission when we noticed the spike of Denrosi activity in the area and decided to investigate. What about you?¡±


    Emily narrows her eyes, noticing the man¡¯s face twitching despite his efforts to stop it.


    He¡¯s lying.


    ¡°What a coincidence, we were sent to investigate that spike of Denrosi activity,¡± she responds, stepping forward and patting Force Bearer on the shoulder in a faux-comforting gesture. ¡°Why don¡¯t you head back now? I¡¯m sure it¡¯s stressful being this far from friendly territory without a third circle mage to watch your back, and you¡¯ve already gone above and beyond for your company.¡±


    The mercenary shudders slightly under her touch but doesn¡¯t pull away until she removes her hand herself.


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± he says with a forced smile. ¡°How could we let our friends from Silver Moon shoulder this mission alone? I can¡¯t, in good conscience, leave you alone here. Please allow us to come with and support you.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Emily asks, tilting her head and scanning the opposing group, watching all of them resisting the urge to raise their weapons again. ¡°This is a dangerous mission. I can¡¯t guarantee you¡¯ll make it back alive?¡±


    ¡°We accepted that risk when we left New Denntimo territory!¡± Force Bearer responds proudly, raising his chin and pushing his chest forward.


    ¡°Ha,¡± Emily scoffs, gesturing for her squad to follow as she walks towards the edge of the barrier. ¡°Fan out then. We¡¯ve narrowed our search area a little, but we still have over a week¡¯s worth of ground to cover. Keep up and keep your eyes peeled.¡±


    She shatters the barrier before the Black Fang squad can ask any questions, setting off into the trees as her squad falls in around her in a familiar formation.


    Force Breaker silently weaves his hands together in a set of standard hand signals, instructing his team to split in two and sweep the forest on either side of squad Cold. They carefully maintain a gap of a dozen metres, not straying too close to Emily¡¯s team while staying behind them.


    The two squads trek through the forest in silence, listening to every rustle of the branches overhead and every snapping twig in the underbrush. They run into a small group of ocelax, but the scattered members of squad Vensec step forward to deal with them before they can even approach the squad between them.


    As night falls, they come across a small clearing just large enough to fit in both groups together. Emily pauses, pulling the Whisper from her belt and flicking it to silent as she points it skyward.


    With three quick trigger pulls, three sominal bombers fall dead in the clearing.


    ¡°We set up here for tonight,¡± she commands, tossing out the barrier disc under squad Vensec¡¯s curious gazes.


    The enchanted silver disc ejects its anchors with a series of pressurised clicks, lodging the small chunks of metal into the tree trunks around them and deploying its barrier.


    ¡°Is that for sound?¡± Force Bearer asks tentatively.


    ¡°Yep,¡± Emily confirms as her group roughly slings down their packs, pulling out bed rolls from their spatial items. ¡°It¡¯s just set to cover sound for now. I¡¯ll adjust it in a bit to conceal light so we can cook some food.¡±


    ¡°Okay, thank you,¡± the mercenary says with a nod, a little of the tension relaxing from his shoulders as he turns to gather his squad to copy Emily¡¯s.


    They then light a fire and eat food in uncomfortable near silence, with only Pretty Boy making an active effort to bridge the two groups. After the meal, everyone begins spreading out in their bed rolls, each squad leaving a few members awake for the first watch.


    Emily and Whistler share a glance before slipping away from the group, leaving the two waking mages from squad Vensec alone by the embers of the extinguished fire. They scale a couple of the trees the barrier disc is anchored to, rising above the invisible, sound-proof film to settle in the branches gazing down on the clearing below.


    ¡°Can they hear us from in there?¡± Whistler asks, leaning back against a tree trunk with her cannon resting against her shoulder.


    ¡°No,¡± Emily responds, adjusting the position of one of her spiders to complete a full mental map of their surroundings. ¡°I¡¯ve set the barrier to isolate sound in both directions, and they haven¡¯t questioned it.¡±


    ¡°Ha,¡± Whistler scoffs, glancing over at Emily. ¡°Why are you letting them tag along? You don¡¯t believe that they aren¡¯t here for the same reason as us, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course I don¡¯t. But we don¡¯t actually know what we¡¯re looking for, and it may be dangerous. There¡¯s no point in causing conflict with them now. They¡¯re technically on our side, and as long as anything valuable we extract comes back with us, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems.¡±


    Whistler nods, falling silent and turning her attention out to watch the brush.


    ***


    The next day, they continue their quiet march through the Woods, culling a few small groups of roaming beasts. They don¡¯t spot any more Denrosi mages, but halfway through the day, Emily freezes, holding up a hand to halt the procession as she kneels down, placing a palm to the ground and shutting her eyes.


    She focuses on her magical perception, searching for the odd feeling that caught her attention. At first, there¡¯s nothing, just the calm flow of energy slipping past beneath the ground. Then, a faint shudder passes through her, like a gentle breeze on a summer¡¯s day, so faint she can barely feel it, yet so out of the ordinary that she can¡¯t ignore it.


    Emily holds her breath, completely blocking out the sounds of quietly muttered questions around her as she waits for another pulse. It takes a few seconds, but the faint vibration of mana reaches her again, and this time she¡¯s able to work out that it¡¯s passing from north-east to south.


    Her eyes snap open, startling her squad mates into raising their weapons.


    ¡°I feel something,¡± she says, rising from the ground. ¡°There¡¯s something ahead disturbing the ambient mana.¡±


    ¡°Our target?¡± Sandman questions, his grip on his staff tightening.


    ¡°Possibly. Everyone gather in and stay alert!¡± Emily commands in a low hiss, setting off towards the northeast and trying to follow the faintly vibrating mana to its source.


    The spread-out members of squad Vensec slowly move closer to squad Cold, following her commands without complaint and closing their wide net as they advance.


    Emily notices her squad¡¯s discomfort as the other mercenaries get closer, but she ignores it and focuses on tracking the pulses of mana getting stronger and stronger as they approach the source.


    After a few minutes, Sandman, Whistler, and the three second circle mages from Vensec all notice the disturbance as well. It takes a couple more minutes of walking for the first circle mages to feel something, at which point Emily¡¯s spiders detect a dense cluster of mana and movement ahead, too jumbled to decipher any individuals.


    Emily holds up a hand the moment a blazing sun of activity enters her range of perception, and casts a sound-proof barrier around their group.


    ¡°Wait for a moment. There¡¯s a huge cluster of mana ahead and my spiders are getting nothing. Let me get some eyes in the sky first.¡±


    Seeing that they will be useless, Emily calls back her spiders while directing all three of her released birds towards the anomaly. The mechanical scouts cut through the foliage, aiming for stealth over speed as they weave through the dense branches towards their target.


    Emily watches through their eyes as the birds burst from the treeline into a long, treeless clearing. Running along its length the ground is split open, revealing a deep crevasse leaking mana. There are several small camps set up along the crack¡¯s edge and, as one of the birds flies straight over and peers down, Emily sees a dozen mages harvesting crystals from the glistening walls of pale-green light inside.


    ¡°It¡¯s a mana crystal vein,¡± she confirms as a predatory grin creeps onto her face. ¡°And a big one at that.¡±

 Chapter 162 – Engaging the Target

    Anticipation spreads through the two squads, their grips on their weapons tightening as greed lights up their eyes.


    ¡°Jackpot,¡± Force Bearer mutters, shifting impatiently.


    Ice Petal is the only member of the group who seems confused by the sudden excitement, turning to whisper a question to Pretty Boy beside her.


    ¡°I get crystal veins are valuable, but why are you all so excited? We still have to return most of what we harvest to the company, right?¡±


    ¡°Partially, yes,¡± the handsome man whispers back, eager to educate his junior. ¡°But the cut we get to keep when harvesting in no-man¡¯s-land is much larger than normal. This will be one of the best payouts you¡¯ll ever get from a job.¡±


    The young mage¡¯s eyes widen in surprise as she nods in understanding.


    ¡°Pay attention.¡± Emily¡¯s calm voice cuts through the anticipation, her face back to a cold, emotionless mask. ¡°We need to secure the vein first. From what I can currently see, there is a small contingent of mages harvesting the vein, but there are enough sleeping rolls in their camp to accommodate at least three times that many people. The interference from the crystal vein is ruining my detection, so I can¡¯t tell where those other people are.¡±


    The weight of their mission settles over the group, but no one wavers, leaning in and fixing Emily with confident gazes as they wait for her instructions. Even squad Vensec¡¯s members turn to her for guidance, recognizing their place.


    ¡°We sweep the surrounding area first and clear out anyone keeping watch. We move fast and quiet. If all goes well, the miners won¡¯t know what¡¯s happening until we get the drop on them. Keep the magic to a minimum, and don¡¯t use large explosives under any circumstances either. We don¡¯t want to blow our payday sky-high. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± the squads acknowledge in a chorus of agreement.


    ¡°Good. Pair up,¡± she continues, gesturing quickly to her squad, indicating Sandman should pair with Pretty Boy, whilst Ice Petal and Whistler stay together, keeping one second circle mage with each first. ¡°Force Bearer stick with me and split your team. You know them best.¡±


    The hardened mercenary nods, turning to his four squad mates and quickly picking their pairs.


    ¡°We¡¯ll head straight for the vein then. I¡¯ll signal by raising a closed fist when a pair should split off from us, at which point that pair should turn and sweep clockwise around the mine. I¡¯ll guide each of you with one of my birds but keep your eyes peeled and take out any enemy forces as quietly as possible. Is everyone ready?¡±


    Everyone nods, so Emily disperses the sound barrier protecting them and leads them in the direction of her birds, calling two of them back as she does. After a few seconds, the two birds flutter down from the foliage overhead and Emily raises a fist.


    The first pair from squad Vensec breaks away from them, heading off into the trees to the left. Force Breaker silently grits his teeth beside her as Emily advances again, clearly uncomfortable with his squad being so separated but unable to argue with her decision.


    She doesn¡¯t spare him a glance, recognising his bubbling discontent but not caring, raising her hand again and sending off the rest of his trusted allies.


    Only a dozen steps after sending away the second pair, Emily spots movement through the eyes of the bird leading the first. Crouching in a small, dug-out pit, concealed beneath a plush green bush and only noticeable thanks to the heat pack fixed to the scout¡¯s chest, are three humanoid heat signatures.


    She has the bird pause before gliding over to circle above the enemies.


    Luckily, the trained mercenaries quickly understand, and she watches as they slowly creep forward through the underbrush. Their targets don¡¯t notice them until it¡¯s too late, their heads spinning towards a snapping branch just as the two mercenaries spring forward, sliding under the bush and driving their blades into the chests of their opponents.


    The third person still alive in the ditch struggles and tries to call for help, but a short sword slides through his throat, releasing a torrent of heat down his front before he can make a noise loud enough to reach Emily.


    The action happening below her scout doesn¡¯t cause Emily to break her stride as one of her cores manages the birds for her. As she¡¯s walking, she casts infra-sight to watch out for hidden foes.


    She sends off the first pair from her squad, Whistler and Ice Petal, before the advancing group runs into the first sign of resistance keeping them from getting closer to the mana vein. Her eyes catch a bright red hue among the branches above and, upon closer inspection, she picks out four individuals perched among the foliage.


    Luckily, they¡¯re far enough ahead that they don¡¯t seem to have spotted them approaching. Emily ducks behind a tree trunk, gesturing for the others to copy her.


    She silently pulls the Whisper from her belt, flicking it into silent and raising the rifle to rest against her shoulder before stepping back, maintaining her cover. She raises the rifle and rests her cheek against the stock, peering through the scope straight into the tree.


    Her eyes don¡¯t see the tree though, instead showing the feed from another bird she releases from her belt. She sends it up to sit in the canopy above, narrowing in on the looming enemies and taking a deep breath.


    Four rapid trigger pulls send out four bullets that punch holes through the trunk before her, continuing their flight on the other side, as if they haven¡¯t met any resistance, until they cut through the enemy troops.


    Emily waits until the bodies fall with four dull thuds before she slings her rifle over her shoulder. Ignoring Force Bearer¡¯s horrified gaze as he stares at the four small holes in the tree, Emily stalks forward, waving her hand and reminding the others to follow her.


    They do so, without question, and after a few more moments, Emily sends away the last of her squad, leaving just her and Force Bearer to close the final gap to the edge of the crystal vein. They progress closer until Emily can see the edge of the clearing¡¯s treeline, at which point they turn to sweep clockwise as well.


    Emily and Force Bearer run into three soldiers sitting around a small fire, lacking caution, and sneak up behind them to silence them with flashing blades. As the corpses fall to the ground, Emily clicks her tongue.


    She watches through the first bird as the two furthest members of squad Vensec are spotted first by three soldiers walking towards them, despite the bird hovering above them. Without any audio transmission on her bird, Emily can¡¯t hear the words she can see are being yelled by the enemy, but their gunshots ring out through the trees and reach everyone¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Your men have been discovered,¡± Emily informs her temporary partner. ¡°Time to abandon stealth.¡±


    Force Bearer grits his teeth, glancing towards the gunshots with concern as he scrambles to keep up with Emily¡¯s swift advance, each of her steps still barely making a sound.


    One of the two Black Fang mercenaries spotted by the enemy takes a bullet to the head as the first shots ring out, slumping limp to the ground before she can defend herself. Her partner dives behind a tree, crying out in anger at his teammate¡¯s death before swinging the rifle off his back and shouldering it, peeking from his cover and unloading several shots towards his opponents.


    He catches one of them in the shoulder before ducking back as they return fire. He manages to hit another in the head on his second attack, moments before a bullet shatters his skull in return.


    Emily doesn¡¯t bother informing Force Breaker as they come across another group of soldiers, this time on high alert and searching their surroundings. She shoulders the Whisper, but only a single bullet leaves the chamber before the opposing group spots them and dives for cover.


    Her shot finds its home in one of the soldier¡¯s throats, and his teammates only manage to return a few stray shots before they meet the same fate. Emily and Force Bearer continue to advance, hearing more conflict in the distance, as they sweep through the scattered groups of unawakened soldiers circling the mana crystal vein.


    Having covered half the circumference of the clearing, the remaining pair of Vensec mercenaries suffer a brutal ambush from the groups the outer pair were meant to be dealing with. One of them is ripped to shreds by several blades of wind and water, and the other falls to several gunshots whilst wrapped in a hastening spell, trying to run towards Pretty Boy and Sandman.


    There are still mages among the defensive groups...


    Seeing the spells tear through the unsuspecting mercenary, Emily comes to a quick decision and turns the birds still leading her squad mates towards herself. She slides to a halt and waits for her team to regroup.


    ¡°Why¡¯d we-¡° Force Bearer starts asking as he digs his heels in, but he is cut off as an invisible force cleaves his head from his shoulders.


    Emily¡¯s eyes widen in surprise, and her head snaps towards the spell¡¯s source as a few trees cut by it tumble to the ground.


    Fast! Do they have a third circle mage? Should I reset?


    The dead mercenary falls to the floor, and the woods fall into unsettling silence as Emily waits for another attack with bated breath.


    The extra hands aren¡¯t worth the time for now.


    A branch snaps behind her, but she doesn¡¯t break her focus to look back, already knowing it¡¯s her allies thanks to her eyes in the sky. Before Whistler and Ice Petal can say anything, they notice Force Bearer¡¯s corpse and, a moment later, Emily leaps into action.


    She feels the attack coming thanks to her acute magical perception, noticing it when she detects motion within the dense ambient mana ahead. Yet, despite the attack¡¯s immense speed, she avoids it easily, twisting her chest sideways and leaning back as she takes a step forward.


    The invisible blade of wind slides past her harmlessly, felling several trees caught in its wake.


    Emily pulls the Whisper to her shoulder, angling it across her chest towards her attacker as a bird flies up into the sky.


    She easily spots the robed woman surrounded by a large glowing, green magic circle through the gap in the foliage above the clearing. Two mages are standing on either side of her, channelling their mana into a large brown magic circle below them that¡¯s raising the surrounding earth into protective walls, but Emily quickly narrows her focus on the main threat, running through dozens of calculations in an instant to adjust her aim using the secondary viewing angle.


    She flicks her rifle into full and lets over four hundred points worth of machina pour into its sleek body, charging her next shot with a deadly hum.


    The trigger clicks home, and a blistering white line cuts through the trees, releasing a burst of air that can only be felt as the bullet smashes through the sound barrier without so much as a peep.


    The enemy mages don¡¯t even have time to blink as a fist-sized hole is punched through the half-formed wall in front of them, and the chest of the wind mage preparing her next spell bursts, covering the wall behind her in gore.


    Emily racks the bolt of the Whisper without flinching as her shot connects, but her brow creases in irritation as she hears the faint, unpleasant sound of metal scraping against metal.


    A spark of machina tells her that the last shot managed to dislodge one of the internal fixings in the weapon, an unlucky side effect of using Overdrive. She sends the Whisper back into her bag and draws out the Stream instead, chambering a round and flicking it into automatic as she turns to face her squad mates.


    Her gaze scans over the four of them as Sandman and Pretty Boy arrive, and she finds no signs of struggle other than a few scratches on the two first circle mages¡¯ faces.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Pretty Boy grunts with an exaggerated flinch as his foot knocks against Force Bearer¡¯s severed head lying among the roots at his feet. ¡°What a shame...¡±


    ¡°The rest of his squad has fallen too,¡± Emily says to nobody¡¯s surprise. ¡°They made too much noise, so we¡¯re changing tactics. They still have us outnumbered, and there are several mages heading our way, so we¡¯ll divide their attention. You four head back along my path and make a bit of noise. Draw the attention of the scattered defence forces and pick them off carefully while I take out the mages gathered by the crystal vein. I¡¯ll join you afterwards.¡±


    She waves them off, guiding a bird down to catch their attention and lead them as she turns back the way she was heading and takes off, drawing her mana into her magic circles and wrapping them with a film of machina. Emily silently sprints through the trees, stepping between roots and patches of packed dirt as she propels herself onward with each step, quickly creating distance from her squad.


    After a few seconds, the harsh, unsuppressed crack of Whistler¡¯s cannon rings out in the distance, sending several startled birds into the open air above the trees.


    Taking the shot as a signal, Emily pivots towards the long clearing and approaches, scanning her surroundings constantly. She spots several groups of soldiers, mostly unawakened but a few of them first circle, but none of them spot her as she deftly weaves between the trees, placing them in the way every time prying eyes sweep past her.


    She reaches the edge of the clearing without being seen and drops to the floor behind a thick bush covered in thorns. Lying flat on her belly, Emily slowly crawls forward, pushing through the bush without flinching as the small thorns harmlessly slide off her, unable to pierce even her exposed skin.


    With her body completely concealed, and her mana signature obscured, she pokes the Stream from the shrubbery and leans her cheek against its stock, staring at the unsuspecting mages setting up countless defensive walls around a few of their comrades who are pouring their mana into the array for a wide area attack.


    With the amount of mana they¡¯re gathering in that thing, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they wiped out all of their soldiers too. Brutal.


    Six of the surviving mages are devoting their mana pools to the blue and green array carved into the air, sweat dripping from their brows as they chant in unison to maintain the large ritual spell. The five remaining mages are split into two groups, with three of them touching the ground and pouring mana into a large magic circle forming countless large hexagonal rocks, while the other two have their hands outstretched, touching a twisting green magic circle forming of vortex of unstable winds.


    The rushing winds draw the rocks into their orbit, causing them to slide over each other and interlock at random intervals to create a formidable defence.


    The only way I¡¯m shooting normal bullets through that would be if I used Overdrive with enough machina to blow up the Stream.


    Emily removes the magazine from the gun in her grasp, slowly reaching down to pull a fresh one from her belt.


    Claiming this vein will pay well: I can afford to splurge a little on ammo.


    The new magazine clicks into place, and the brown runes covering it pulse, drawing a substantial amount of mana from the two earth crystals mounted to its sides. Emily pours machina into the weapon and squeezes the trigger, unleashing a torrent of magic and metal from the barrel.

 Chapter 163 – Hostile Takeover

    The Stream barks, kicking back against Emily¡¯s shoulder as it spews glowing brown bullets, with cores formed from a blend of mithril, white iron, and powdered tezerite.


    Each small projectile smashes into the rotating magical shield protecting the Denrosi mages with a weighty thud, sending spiralling cracks across each hexagon with one shot, and shattering them with a second. The first half of her magazine shreds the wall protecting her targets, draining one of its crystals empty, leaving them exposed.


    The mages are ripped to shreds by the hail of metal, the enchantments and armour hidden beneath their robes failing under the force of Emily¡¯s enhanced weapon.


    The bolt of her automatic rifle clicks back as the final empty casing flies from the breach. Emily removes the spent magazine, empty of both bullets and mana, and slides it back into her belt while extricating herself from her hiding spot, gathering the scattered bullet casings with a small wave of her hand.


    She pulls a magazine powered by a single wind crystal from her belt, reloading her gun and holding it against her chest as she jogs forward to check the fallen enemies.


    A quick scan through their ranks confirms that only the first dead wind mage was third circle, while the rest were second. The crack of gunfire in the distance removes any thoughts Emily may have had about checking the corpses one by one, so she holds out a hand and releases a flood of machina, blanketing the bodies in a cloak of electricity as she checks for valuables or spatial storages.


    The scan quickly reveals matching drawstring pouches hanging around the necks of each of the miners. After pulling them from their owners, Emily sweeps her mana through them, finding a sizeable collection of harvested crystals.


    How convenient.


    She ties all of the pouches to her belt and takes off back into the trees, not heading straight for her squad but instead trying to get behind their attackers. She weaves between densely packed trees with her eyes glowing in a fiery hue and two birds leading her way. It doesn¡¯t take long to find a first circle mage leading two soldiers armed with heavy cylinder-fed rifles.


    The mage is clutching a wand, similar to Ice Petal¡¯s but with a vibrant, red fire crystal embedded in the handle.


    Emily rests her cheek against the cold leather of her gun¡¯s stock, lining up her iron sights before squeezing the trigger.


    There¡¯s a small burst of hissing air as the magazine on her gun lights up and a few standard hollow point rounds cut near soundlessly through the three soldiers, dropping them in an instant.


    Emily turns away and continues her hunt, picking off a few more small groups while closing in on her team.


    She arrives to find them braced behind a thick wall, conjured by Sandman, hiding from a storm of gunfire and spells being flung at them by almost all of the remaining soldiers defending the crystal vein, who are gathered around the mages that felled squad Vensec.


    Emily goes unnoticed as she creeps towards the compact battlefield from the side, sliding a fresh magazine without any bells or whistles into the Stream and bringing it to bear once again.


    Her bullets cut through the grouped-up soldiers, each one accurately finding its mark despite the rapid rate of fire. A few shots are sent back towards her, but those that hit her armour crumple and fall away with little effect, and the only one that hits her leg digs into the tightly wound flesh, barely making it halfway to the bone.


    Her magazine drops to the floor empty, and after sending a conjured blade of wind into the head of a fallen mage, who is slowly bleeding out, to end his suffering, Emily finally lowers her weapon.


    Silence falls over the woods, and Sandman drops his defences, letting the squad bask in the aftermath of their attack.


    ¡°Nice shooting,¡± Pretty Boy comments, his eyes scanning through their fallen foes. ¡°This is going to be a nightmare to clean up.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have a little while to do it,¡± Emily comments, drawing her squad¡¯s focus as she throws the Stream¡¯s sling over her shoulder and swings the gun around to rest against her back. ¡°This vein is large, and too close to Denros for us to claim it properly. We¡¯re going to scrape as much as we can from it, then get out of here and ruin it before they send reinforcements.¡±


    ¡°You think they¡¯ll react strongly?¡± Ice Petal questions as everyone clears and holsters their weapons, preparing to search the corpses for loot.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see them taking kindly to us stealing their mine, and the only reason I can see for their current operation being so small is they didn¡¯t want us to notice,¡± Emily explains, spreading her birds back out into the surrounding woods to search for any stragglers. ¡°Now that they know we have enough combat force here to take the mine, they¡¯ll probably send someone to try to wipe us out and recoup their losses.¡±


    ¡°Can we not just fight them off?¡± Pretty Boy questions as he slides an enchanted ring from the finger of one of the awakened corpses, gesturing to the blood-spattered trees surrounding them. ¡°I doubt they¡¯re expecting this kind of combat force.¡±


    ¡°Possibly,¡± Emily admits with a shrug. ¡°But that¡¯s not our job. The longer we stay and fight, the longer we risk them doing something stupid like bombarding us from afar. I don¡¯t know about you, but I don¡¯t want to be here if the mana gathered in that vein detonates.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Sandman mutters with a shudder.


    They chat calmly as Ice Petal moves around quietly, seemingly the only one affected by the abundant death surrounding them. As they begin dragging the stripped corpses towards the main crystal vein, intending to dispose of all of them in one go, Emily splits away from the group to hunt down the stragglers she has found with her scouts.


    Some of them have returned to their hidey holes, tucking themselves away in hopes of getting the jump on Emily¡¯s squad later, and some of them have started running away towards their territory, presumably to warn their allies of the loss of the mine.


    Emily first heads towards those running, charging her legs with lightning and catching up to them before they even escape the range of her scouts.


    However, as she descends on a burrow hidden beneath a tree¡¯s roots and inhabited by two whimpering mages, one of them clutching a communication crystal and trying to send a message out, she feels something strange from the belt at her waist. One of her hands reaches down and slips into one of the pouches as the other lashes out, drawing the blade of her Claw across the neck of the man trying to contact help.


    Just as she¡¯s about to finish off the second shocked mage, her hand closes around the reacting object that she can feel releasing a faint stream of foul mana, immediately recognising it as the Mensacus. Her fingers close around the sealed, cursed tooth, and she pulls it out as her blade sinks into the other mage¡¯s chest.


    The mage coughs up a mouthful of blood and slumps back against the root-woven dirt behind him, and Emily feels the mana leaking past the seal in her hand increase.


    ¡°Damn, is it still feeding through my seal?¡± she mutters, crawling out of the burrow and holding up the ovoid of metal to inspect it.


    The once-white metal has gained several grey-tinted patches, and the engraved runes, despite remaining vibrant and full of energy, are touched by a dark, almost black, light.


    ¡°Looks like I need to seal it again.¡±


    She feels the energy emanating from the cursed object noticeably decrease at her words, like a wounded beast cowering under threat.


    Did it understand me?


    Emily¡¯s eyes light up with curiosity, and she notices another oddity.


    I don¡¯t feel weaker.


    Glancing at her system stats, she sees her intelligence hasn¡¯t dropped at all, completely unaffected by the malevolent mana seeping from the seal.


    ¡°It¡¯s not affecting me. Is that because I¡¯m stronger, or something else?¡±


    She tucks the metal egg back into her belt, ignoring the faulty seal for now and returning to her task.


    Emily stomps her foot once, channelling mana through her leg and casting a spell to turn up the earth, collapsing the burrow and burying the corpses before she runs off after another group.


    She feels the Mensacus getting gradually stronger as she harvests a few more lives, but by the time she meets her squad at the mouth to the crystal vein, it still hasn¡¯t made a move to attack her or spread its influence, keeping all of its mana contained within the metal of its seal.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Whistler greets her as Emily approaches, lowering her cannon¡¯s barrel to the ground.


    ¡°The area¡¯s clear now,¡± Emily informs her, letting her relax her caution a little. ¡°I have birds surrounding us for now, and I¡¯ll work on a wide area detection array in a moment. They really should have been using the ambient mana here better.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Whistler nods, turning to help their squad mates dumping bodies into the crevasse that splits the earth through the clearing.


    ¡°How much do you think we¡¯ll get out?¡± Pretty Boy asks, peering over the edge. ¡°It seems a shame to waste it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Emily responds, walking up to peer into the mine herself. ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel the most stable from here, but we¡¯ll only know for sure when we start extracting. I¡¯d guess we¡¯ll get at least half of it out if we¡¯re lucky.¡±


    The crack stretches down tens of metres, and after the first metre of solid grey rock, the walls appear to be made entirely from glistening green crystalline structures. Emily can¡¯t help but draw a deep breath as her eyes scan over countless large hunks of crystal packed with enough mana to push the upper boundaries of greater wind crystals.


    Should I reset and save squad Vensec to get some more hands to help?


    She calculates quickly.


    They only had one wind mage; it¡¯s not worth the time.


    ¡°Hey, Sandman, Whistler,¡± she says, tearing her eyes away from the enticing sight and looking at her equally entranced allies. ¡°You have much experience excavating crystals?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve taken mine shifts a few times,¡± Whistler replies with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯m no pro, but I can pull my weight.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve taken a fair few jobs to help mine in the past,¡± Sandman answers smugly. ¡°I¡¯m comfortable extracting anything up to greater crystals, though those will take me a while.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Emily nods, scanning over the clearing. ¡°Leave anything you don¡¯t need up here and go spend all your mana doing just that.¡±


    She unties two of the drawstring pouches from her belt, moving their contents into the other bags with a wave of spatial mana, and tosses them over.


    ¡°Use these to gather your bounty for now. As for you two,¡± she continues, turning to Pretty Boy and Ice Petal. ¡°Finish dealing with the bodies and set camp.¡±


    They all nod and follow her instructions, so Emily finds an empty spot and drops down cross-legged, shutting her eyes and diverting all of her processing power towards forming a large-scale, wind-based detection array, leaving only two cores to watch her birds.


    She doesn¡¯t even sleep, remaining rooted in place without moving a muscle as day turns to night and then back to day. It¡¯s not until exactly twenty-four hours after she sat down that she moves, tapping The Clock¡¯s button without even opening her eyes.


    ***


    Two long resets later, she opens her eyes moments after sitting down with a solid plan in mind.


    Emily reaches into her belt and pulls from it a smooth wooden staff. The main body is a rich mahogany with thin silver veins etched into its length, and at the very bottom, there¡¯s a fine metal spike, sharpened on one side into a vicious blade.


    She grips the wood firmly in both hands and pours her mana into it, focusing on wind and lighting the tool with a dim green glow. The silver veins slowly change colour, spreading down from her hands until it looks like the staff is wrapped in luminescent vines, at which point she finally drives the spike into the ground.


    The mana-charged blade cuts through the solid rock below like a knife through butter, gliding through the ground and leaving a vibrant green line of mana in its wake.


    Emily carves the first rune and pulls the staff back, inspecting her work with a close eye.


    Slightly too shallow at the start, but passable. It¡¯s drawing a little ambient mana to maintain itself, but this engraving will fade in... two hours without interference. That will suffice for now, but I¡¯ll need to modify the staff if I want to complete more complicated arrays.


    Satisfied, Emily draws a stabilising circle around the first rune before carving an arcing connective line to where she starts the second. She works quickly, her hands moving with mechanical grace as she follows a precisely planned pattern, covering the clearing with widely spaced runes.


    After devoting close to four thousand points of mana to the earth, Emily connects the final rune to the first, sealing the array and watching it pulse with strength.


    The ambient mana leaking from the crystal vein pours into the gathering runes, solidifying the fading patterns etched into the rock into thick green bands of light.


    The light pours from the array, gathering the surrounding wind in a twisting maelstrom that draws the attention of her squad mates. The churning winds scatter Emily¡¯s hair as she steps into the array, waiting for it to fill completely.


    After a few moments, the array pulses again, and Emily raises a foot before stomping it down, releasing a burst of mana and activating the temporary defensive array.


    The chaotic winds disperse, spreading out and rustling through the leaves of the forest.


    The array itself calms down, and the light seeping from its runes floats up, forming together into a faintly illuminated area of still air in the centre of the array. Five green fireflies of mana blink into existence in the centre of the array, signifying Emily and her allies, while a few dimmer clusters form around them, marking a few groups of nearby beasts.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Emily mutters with a satisfied nod, turning to address her squad mates who are looking at the glowing image with brimming curiosity. ¡°These bright lights mark people. If you see any others appear, let me know.¡±


    Pretty Boy and Ice Petal both nod in agreement, so Emily puts away her staff and turns to the large crack her, now straddled by her array, ready to strip the walls clean of their magical bounty.

 Chapter 164 – Gathering Death

    Emily places her hands against the hefty, glowing crystal before her, gazing into the swirling vortexes of wind trapped within its crystalline confines. She attributes her mana to match, pushing a wind current of her own through the unstable formation.


    Slowly, like a shepherd guiding her flock, she nudges the chaotic winds, bending the wild vortexes and gathering them together. At first, none of them touch, but under her influence, the first two violent currents meet, sending shuddering vibrations through the entire crystal and out into the surrounding walls.


    Emily maintains her pressure, pushing on the two conflicting streams until they join into one. In an instant, the edges of the crystal crack, releasing shards from its body that lose their rich lustre and crumble to dust.


    She ignores the changes and pushes another gust of wind into the centre of the formation, increasing the vibrations and breaking away another chunk.


    Two more streams join the whirling forces raging in the heart of the crystal, combining and reducing the crystal¡¯s size to half its original mass, around the size of Emily¡¯s torso.


    Emily doesn¡¯t bat an eye as chunks of rock dislodge themselves high above and fall, landing with harsh cracks, having grown used to the crevasse threatening to collapse around her over the past few days of mindless crystal extraction. She calmly releases a flood of earth mana from her legs and wrists, pouring it into the surrounding rock to reinforce it again as she creates a thin film around the wind crystal, preparing to tear it from its home.


    The mine around her stabilises, and Emily pushes another vortex into the gathered cluster of energy in the centre of the crystal.


    So close. Just three more.


    She turns her focus to a new stream of energy, but, midway through her work, while carefully making sure not to touch one of the other free vortices, she hears a voice calling down to her from above.


    ¡°Tsk,¡± Emily clicks her tongue. ¡°Guess that¡¯s time.¡±


    Freezing her work inside it, Emily pulls on the bubble of earth mana wrapped around the greater wind crystal. The crystal shudders, releasing a faint pulse of mana that synchronises with the ambient mana leaking from the walls as the surrounding rock shatters.


    The swirling mass of energy that was under her control spins excitedly while the three uncompleted vortices begin leaking from the crystal, reducing the vibrancy of its light as it settles.


    A bit of a waste, but it¡¯ll have to do for now.


    The shuddering of the mine ceases, and Emily sends the harvested crystal into one of the almost-full pouches strapped to her belt before turning her gaze to Sandman, a few metres away, standing up and brushing the sweat from his brow as he pockets another lesser crystal.


    ¡°Meet me up top,¡± Emily says, wrapping her legs in air walk¡¯s magic circle and kicking off the ground. ¡°Sounds like it¡¯s time to leave.¡±


    Kicking off thin air a few times, Emily lands on the lip of the crevasse beside Ice Petal, watching her detection array. She sees the glittering fireflies marking her own team, along with over a dozen new lights at the edge on Denros¡¯ side. Most of them are dull, indicating the unawakened nature of most of the approaching troops, but three of the leading lights are bright enough to almost match Emily¡¯s.


    ¡°Pack up and get ready to leave,¡± Emily calls decisively, looking over her shoulder at Whistler meditating on a bedroll with Pretty Boy sitting nearby. ¡°We move in five minutes unless you want to get caught up in my gift.¡±


    ¡°Gift?¡± Ice Petal questions softly beside her.


    Emily doesn¡¯t respond immediately, gesturing with her head to the densely packed crystals still forming on the walls below and watching as realisation flashes through the young mage¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Unfortunately, we can¡¯t take the rest of the vein with us. However, it would be a waste not to use the mana,¡± she says, a savage grin tugging on the corners of her mouth and threatening to crack her emotionless mask. ¡°And I just so happen to have a little experience blowing up mana veins.¡±


    Ice Petal shudders, taking one glance at the cold light in Emily¡¯s eyes before scurrying over to help pack away their bedrolls.


    Let¡¯s hope this works as I planned.


    Emily reaches into her belt and pulls out her engraving staff again, leaping over the crevasse in a single bound and landing on the side from which Denros¡¯ forces are approaching. She quickly begins adding several runes and patterns to the array, breaking its symmetry and weighting it unnaturally to one side.


    The glowing image floating over the clearing disintegrates as she works, but the light remains, floating about as if unsure where to go while slowly gaining density.


    It doesn¡¯t take long for her modifications to be completed and, as she puts the final mark on her masterpiece, she turns to find her squad waiting to leave.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she commands, tucking the staff away and heading over to join them.


    ¡°Is that really enough?¡± Pretty Boy asks, looking at the building green light with doubt.


    ¡°You want to stay and find out?¡± Emily asks with a raised brow, stepping past them without breaking her stride.


    ¡°Of course not. I trust my squad leader.¡±


    Emily rolls her eyes and breaks into a light sprint, staying slow enough for her squad to keep up as she weaves through the trees to get to a safe distance.


    She watches through the eyes of one of her birds, floating high above the clearing, as the dense green mist of mana gathers in the centre of her unstable array. It almost looks as if the mana has turned solid when Emily slides to a halt a few kilometres from the crystal vein, turning back and waiting with bated breath.


    Five.


    She spots a flicker of movement in the trees beside the mine as the first scouts from Denros¡¯ reinforcements arrive.


    Four.


    One of them sees the gathered mass of mana and turns on his heels.


    Three.


    The scout pulls an engraved magic crystal from his pocket and vanishes into the foliage again.


    Two.


    Emily¡¯s squad mates grind to a halt beside her, Ice Petal and Sandman panting lightly.


    One.


    ¡°Can you still see-¡° Whistler starts before a deep rumbling starts behind them, immediately drawing her attention.


    Emily ignores Whistler as she watches her handiwork through the bird¡¯s vision.


    The gathered mana bursts, releasing a violent torrent of biting winds. Arcing blades of mana, only visible as distortions in the air, flood the forest, chasing after the fleeing scouts and leaving destruction in their wake.


    Swathes of trees fall, shredded to pieces, and Emily spots the scouts again, as red explosions against the greens and browns of the woods. As a wave of destruction spreads towards the east, the majority of the mana condensed above the crystal vein is directed down into the narrow crevasse.


    While she can¡¯t see the damage done inside, the shuddering of the ground that scatters birds from all of the trees in a several-kilometre radius, and almost knocks her squad to the floor, is a good indication of her success.


    In the distance, before the wave of destruction sweeps the Denrosi reinforcements away, Emily sees a wall of mud bubble up before solidifying. The shrubbery in front of the wall ignites at the same time, stretching up into a defensive wall of heat.


    The powerful wind blades buffet the wall, the layer of heat helping to redirect them upwards and bleed a bit of their force before they strike the rock behind. Each time an arc of wind strikes, the fire pulses, dispersing and exposing a little more of the rock, where cracks spread rapidly.


    The walls hold through the majority of the attack, only shattering into dust as the tail end of the destruction passes through. A few more splatters of blood are discernible through the foliage, but Emily also sees several robed soldiers running over to check on their deceased comrades.


    Her attention turns away from the enemy forces as the mana battering the crystal crevasse also starts to run dry. It releases one final burst of strength that cracks the earth, shattering the carved array into pieces and causing the walls of the mine to fall in on themselves.


    A sweeping gust spreads from the epicentre of the destruction, blowing in all directions and tearing leaves from the closest trees, scattering them far and wide.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Pretty Boy mutters with a mix of awe and disbelief as he¡¯s knocked to the floor. ¡°I take it that worked?¡±


    The ground¡¯s shaking subsides, and Sandman lets go of the branch he was clinging to before reaching out to help his comrade up.


    ¡°The Denrosi reinforcements defended against most of the attack I directed towards them,¡± Emily responds, crouching down and placing a palm on the ground. ¡°But most of it was directed into the crystal vein which...¡±


    She reaches out with her magical senses, searching for the pulsing heartbeat of the mana vein below. Unlike before, when it was strong enough to lead her to the mine, she only feels a weak, receding pulse. She holds onto it, but it fades fast, sinking lower like a wounded beast dragging itself back to its den to lick its wounds.


    It¡¯s not destroyed, just moving... curious.


    ¡°Has been destroyed,¡± she finishes, keeping her extra observations to herself and confirming the completion of their mission. ¡°Other than rubble, they won¡¯t get anything else from it.¡±


    Satisfaction spreads through the squad, with Sandman and Pretty Boy fist-bumping each other as if they were the ones to set off the array, as Emily stands up and checks on her eyes in the sky.


    ¡°That attack seems to have delayed our pursuers; they¡¯re approaching far more cautiously now,¡± she informs her squad, giving them no time to celebrate as she starts moving again. ¡°Let¡¯s not give them a chance to catch up. Come on.¡±


    ***


    That evening, after putting significant distance between themselves and the Denrosi mages who Emily last saw pausing to inspect the damage to the crystal vein, squad Cold set up camp in a small clearing at the base of a low hill.


    Emily deploys her barrier and eats with her squad before taking the first watch alone. She waits until the only sound filling their isolated bubble is the calm, rhythmic breathing of sleep before standing up without a sound and slipping out of the barrier. She leaves a few birds and spiders behind as she crests the hill, heading for the other side where she scales a tree and sits among the branches, reaching into her pouch and pulling out the sealed form of the Mensacus.


    With a light flex of her mana, a soft glow illuminates the metal ovoid. Emily holds it up in the light, carefully tracing the detailed carvings covering it, comparing them to the original blueprint in her mind and checking for any damage.


    She pauses on a few distorted runes, glowing with a stronger black hue than the others, noting how the metal seems to have twisted to change their forms.


    The only runes that have actually changed are those guarding against external influences. Those focused on containment are unaltered.


    With a curious quirk of her brow, Emily reaches into her belt and pulls out a lesser fire, light, and lightning crystal. She holds the three crystals in one hand and releases a burst of mana, causing them to float as she etches the same binding array wrapping the Mensacus on the air, using the crystals to stabilise it in place.


    She places the Mensacus in the centre of the array, floating before her eyes, and casts Forgemaster, wrapping her fingers in orange and silver runes.


    Emily reaches into the array and places a finger against the smooth metal ovoid, pushing a string of glowing orange mana into it and drawing her hand down, splitting the egg in half. Her hand pulls back, and mana strings shoot from her fingers, gently wrapping the metal shell and pulling it apart, revealing the cursed tooth within.


    In an instant, thick red and black mana oozes from the shell, pooling at the bottom of the new array and leaving a light haze behind with the tooth. The lighter mist quivers, churning as if in panic.


    Emily reaches out and watches in rapt fascination as the thick, almost liquid mana shudders and tries to move away from her. It writhes and struggles as the light mist swirls around her hand, gently brushing past without trying to infect her with its malice.


    ¡°You¡¯re conscious, aren¡¯t you?¡± Emily asks, feeling the mist lap against her fingers almost happily.


    She narrows her eyes, peering through the mist to check on the tooth. The black and red cracks running along its surface seem to have widened by a few hairs, and they pulse rhythmically, like a beating heart.


    ¡°Can you understand me?¡±


    The pulse pauses for a beat, blinking twice in quick succession before returning to its rhythm.


    ¡°You can!¡±


    A small grin curls Emily¡¯s lips as she amends her notes on the tooth.


    ¡°In that case, can you blink twice for yes,¡± she says, immediately running through a series of possible questions in her mind. ¡°And not at all for no?¡±


    The Mensacus blinks in agreement, and Emily licks her lips in eager anticipation.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s start this off easy. Do you intend to harm me?¡±


    Nothing.


    ¡°Do you feel emotions?¡±


    Two blinks.


    ¡°Do you resent me for sealing you in?¡±


    Nothing again.


    It¡¯s not just conscious, it¡¯s sentient!


    Her grin grows into a smile, but a moment later it falters, falling back into a calm mask as her excitement slips away like water through her fingers.


    It doesn¡¯t resent me for incarcerating it... why?


    ¡°Is the seal harmful to you?¡±


    One blink.


    Can¡¯t be answered with a yes or no.


    Emily¡¯s mind spins, searching for the right words to unravel the cursed tooth¡¯s mystery as her gaze flicks from it and the light mist of mana eagerly playing with her fingers, to the dense liquid death below still trying to squirm away from her. An idea flashes through her mind, lighting up her eyes.


    ¡°Can you control that condensed mana?¡±


    Nothing.


    It can¡¯t seem to even hold it in!


    ¡°Is condensing mana beneficial to you?¡±


    Two blinks.


    ¡°Is that helping you grow?¡±


    Two blinks.


    Emily drums the fingers of her free hand against her thigh, pulling up the system window in the corner of her vision as she does.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Mensacus]


    [Rank:] D


    [Stats:] -5 int


    [Description:] A shard of the abyss given form, imbued with the curse of hunger, fed and refined by Emily Coldstone.


    [Effect:] Converts death into corrupted mana that drives nearby organisms to the depths of hunger.


    _____


    The change in the description catches her eye, along with the increase of the intelligence debuff.


    Fed and refined...


    She dips her finger into the liquid mana trying to avoid her, watching the mist above it shake in panic, and instantly feels lethargic as it seeps into her skin, tinting the end of the finger black as her intelligence drops and several notifications about mental attacks pop into her vision. She pulls her hand back, and the miasma drains from her skin, dripping back into its pool like tainted blood.


    It¡¯s even stronger than the decay before.


    ¡°Is the seal harmful because it keeps mana out?¡± she questions.


    One blink.


    ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s not the only reason?¡±


    Two blinks.


    ¡°Is the other reason because it keeps you from feeding properly?¡±


    Two blinks, and Emily swallows as several weapon ideas pop into her mind.


    ¡°If I rework your seal and help you grow,¡± she asks, raising the hand within the seal and touching the cold surface of the jagged tooth, feeling it buzzing with what she could almost mistake for affection if it weren¡¯t for the oozing malicious intent. ¡°Will you remain loyal to me?¡±


    Two blinks.

 Chapter 165 – A Breath

    A week later, after returning from the East Woods and claiming over half their harvested crystals as payment, squad Cold separate on orders to wait for another contract. Emily returns to Earnie¡¯s workshop, happy to take some time to work on her research.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she calls out as she barges through the front door, charging her voice with a touch of mana to be heard over a whirring metal grinder.


    She leaps gracefully between a few metal gangways, landing on the main production platform and swinging the bag off her back, tucking it into the corner. Earnie offers her a dismissive wave over his shoulder, not breaking his focus, so she turns and steps off the platform, falling into the arena of scattered junk below.


    Emily scans the waste, picking a bare spot and walking towards it with purpose. She waves a hand, calling several magic crystals from her belt.


    Light and dark, fire and lightning, wind and metal, six elements burst around her, with arcing lines of mana forming a six-pointed star lacing them together. She claps her hands together, drawing mana from the crystalline wellsprings of power that are waiting to be used and carving runes into the air, weaving a temporary array into place.


    With a final snap of her fingers, she releases a shimmering purple lustre into the air that seems to lock the array in place, sealing the space inside the glowing boundaries and isolating Emily from the outside world.


    Satisfied, she pulls the Mensacus from her belt, gazing upon the morphing runic sequences tracing patterns across its housing.


    ¡°Work with me,¡± she whispers, flicking mana across her tongue and pouring her intentions into her words.


    The sealed egg pulses weakly, so she tosses it into the air, raising her hands and casting Forgemaster, releasing delicate strings from her fingers.


    Emily splits the metal ovoid open, letting it bleed liquid malice. She casts a spell through the blend of sand and metal particulate beneath her feet, raising a dais below the egg and cutting a deep bowl into it to gather the cursed tooth¡¯s lifeblood.


    Her fingers keep working as the dense mana gathers, peeling apart the fine metal shell encasing the cursed object. She shreds it into layers, holding the rune-touched outer sheets whole while carving thin veins through the rest, joining the originally isolated focal points into a dense, breathing network of connections while following the guiding touch of the Mensacus¡¯ attempted erosion.


    After remaking the internal structure, she presses the housing back into place around the cursed tooth, keeping the gathered malice outside. The moment the last broken edge is welded back into place, Emily reaches out, dipping her fingers into the basin of red and black sludge.


    Darkness creeps up her digits, spreading with thin red veins. She lifts her hand before the corruption can spread past her knuckles, ignoring the feeling of weakness spreading from her arm, sapping her strength and scratching the back of her mind like nails on a chalkboard.


    Emily taps the blackened fingers to the waiting Mensacus, closing her eyes and tracing lines across the distorted runes. The contamination is drawn from her fingers by the tooth, slowly absorbing back into the seal as it shifts into something new, alive even.


    By the time her fingers have returned to their usual colour, the transformation is complete, and the patterns covering the egg of metal keep shifting on their own, glistening with only a faint hint of blue lingering among the dark red and black shades.


    Emily waves her hand, lowering the Mensacus into the remaining pool of liquid mana, letting it hungrily drink the bubbling malice and draining the last warm light from its runework.


    Without looking away, she steps toward the empty, metal-lined basin and reaches for the ominous grey orb sitting in the centre. Her hand closes around it, covering its writhing black and red runes.


    She feels it try, weakly, to draw her mana in, but it doesn¡¯t feel threatening. In fact, the draw is so faint she wouldn¡¯t even notice it if she weren¡¯t alert to it. It feels oddly intimate, as if the shaky connection would break the moment it was found by anyone but her, so she willingly pours her mana through it, releasing her strength in a slow trickle that barely drains her reserves.


    Her surroundings fade away, and Emily lowers herself to the ground, settling into a meditative position with the Mensacus clasped in her lap and her head lowered.


    She doesn¡¯t move, lost in a trance for over two weeks. The only signs of life visible from outside the glistening barrier around her are a few faint twitches of her fingers that send more magic crystals from her belt to join the barrier, maintaining her isolation.


    Finally, her eyes snap open as she feels one of her system skills, mother¡¯s blessing, activate in full. The last of her strength slips through her fingers, seeping into the metal egg clasped in her grip that pulses in warm recognition before falling dormant as the abstract blessing takes hold.


    ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± Emily mutters, collapsing flat on her back with her eyelids heavy. ¡°He¡¯s fallen asleep for now.¡±


    A small frown creases her brow for a moment at the pronoun that slipped from her tongue, but the faint connection humming back at her as her thumb rolls over the smooth metal resting in her palm soothes her worries.


    ¡°I¡¯ll feed you soon,¡± she whispers, tucking the Mensacus into her belt again and letting out a tired sigh, pushing herself upright while checking its system window for changes.


    She finds it unchanged, except its intelligence debuff, which has increased to minus six, so she dismisses the window and dismantles the barrier around her, gathering in the spent crystals.


    ¡°I was wondering when you¡¯d be coming out,¡± Earnie calls from high above.


    Emily turns to face him as she disassembles the dais she formed, looking up and seeing him wiping grease onto his overalls.


    ¡°Folks came looking for you.¡±


    ¡°While I was here, or before?¡± Emily asks, kicking off the ground and launching herself up to land beside the disgruntled mechanic, ignoring the aching exhaustion pulling at her core.


    ¡°Both. I¡¯m not your bloody secretary you know,¡± he grumbles in response.


    ¡°Then tell them to fuck off? If they don¡¯t find me here, that¡¯s not on you.¡±


    Emily picks up her bag, walks over to a free workbench, and pulls at a stool.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Earnie grumbles, grabbing his own seat and dropping down opposite her, sanding a small, machined piece in his hands. ¡°Didn¡¯t get a chance to. Little fella came asking for you while you were gone. Called himself Podlick or something. He got stopped by the guards outside and they told me about him. You know ¡®im?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Pod?¡± Emily says, looking up with a hint of surprise, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect him to look for me so soon. Yes, I know him. He¡¯s a... student. We travelled over together from Modo.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Earnie hums in consideration. ¡°I¡¯ll tell them to let him through next time then.¡±


    ¡°Did he say what he was after?¡±


    ¡°Hell if I know! He left without much complaint and hasn¡¯t been back since. Anyway, old man Silver sent for you two days ago. Didn¡¯t want to bother you with all that, so I told ¡®em to wait.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Emily says with an appreciative nod, sending half of her cores to sleep and slinging her bag over her shoulder as she stands up. ¡°I¡¯ll take a look at one of your production lines next time I¡¯m back if you want. Other than for your X5s. I told you the barrel assembly was being done in the wrong order, and you chose to ignore me. That one¡¯s on you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah yeah,¡± he responds with a scoff, waving his hands dismissively. ¡°Hardly a fair trade. But maybe the new shotguns if they¡¯re done by then. I want your advice on them anyway.¡±


    ***


    ¡°New mission,¡± Emily declares, leaning back comfortably and tapping one hand on the table.


    Mana explodes, wrapping the table Squad Cold is gathered around, tucked into the corner of Silver Moon¡¯s headquarters, in an isolating barrier.


    Glowing light spreads from her hand, floating up to form the image of a glistening desert oasis, with a bright blue flower blooming in the centre of a clear pool of water.


    ¡°Our target is one of Denros¡¯ Oasis outposts. It¡¯s one of the few places aquacillis grows naturally, and its once-every-five-year growing cycle is coming to fruition soon. Our orders are to infiltrate their borders and snatch the plants'' fruit.¡±


    Ice Petal straightens abruptly in her chair, looking at Emily with wide eyes.


    ¡°Does our pay include...¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Emily responds with a calm nod. ¡°Each aquacillis plant produces between two and six fruits, and this outpost has three plants. We¡¯re expected to turn over six fruits at the end, and any excess can be shared between us.¡±


    She twists the image above the table, showing the plant in closer detail, highlighting multiple flowers of featherlike petals, some empty, and some wrapped around a bundle of juicy-looking, oblong fruits. Everyone straightens with excitement, despite no one but Emily and Ice Petal having the affinities needed to gain benefits from the water-based natural treasures.


    ¡°I¡¯ll buy any excess off you as well,¡± Emily continues before anyone else can speak up. ¡°And I¡¯m willing to pay in mana crystals of your chosen element, so you¡¯re in for a good payday. We¡¯re set to leave in two days, and we¡¯ll meet here at zero six hundred, so be prepared for a long trek through the desert. We¡¯ll be taking it slowly to avoid detection at the border, so make sure you have supplies for the long haul. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± her team replies in chorus as the magical image between them bursts into glittering dust.


    ***


    A few days later, squad Cold alight a truck at a strikingly familiar desert outpost.


    Emily leads them out into the open desert, scrambling across the sands on foot towards no-man¡¯s-land. The first few days of their journey are boring, trekking across a bare expanse without any signs of life other than a few harmless lizards.


    Every night they gather together under a magical light, with Emily sitting at the centre of their camp cross-legged, lost between the Spellweave and her mechanical designs.


    It isn¡¯t until their fourth day of exposure to the beating sun that they finally meet resistance.


    Emily holds up a hand, signalling for their spread-out squad to gather on her, while staring at the horizon through the eyes of a bird positioned high above in the open skies.


    ¡°There¡¯s a large herd of ellelites ahead. We¡¯ll be getting close to Denros territory soon, so this will be our last chance to stretch our legs and gather meat until we hit our target,¡± she says, flexing her wrists in anticipation. ¡°Stay sharp, we start hiding in earnest after this.¡±


    Muttered assent spreads through the squad as they separate again, moving forward in a set formation with Emily at the head. Half an hour later, they scramble up to the top of a tall dune and come into view of a group of over a dozen beasts grazing on a small patch of dried-out herbs, barely surviving in the trough of two dunes.


    The large quadrupeds are covered in leathery grey skin with dark, thickened plates covering their joints and vitals. Each of the heavy-set creatures stands past the height of a military truck, with a single thick horn protruding from the centre of their heads.


    They spot the squad almost immediately, turning their beady eyes towards them and raising their dual trunks in a fierce chorus of trumpeted roars.


    Emily lights up in an azure glow with mana pouring from her eyes, rolling across her body in rippling waves of plasma that charge her muscles with power. She springs forward as her squad sets up at the peak of the dune, beginning their chants while Emily slams knee-first into an ellelite¡¯s cheek, rocking its head back and sending the beast tumbling to the floor.


    She flies back from the collision and hits the ground with a crackling pop, shooting under another beast and raking two sizzling blades of plasma along its belly. The ellelite screams in pain before suddenly cutting off as Whistler fires a mana-charged pellet through its mouth and out the back of its skull.


    Two jets of water shoot towards Emily from either side as she rises behind her fallen foe, but a wave of frost pours from Ice Petal¡¯s wand, slowing the beams for Emily to step past unhindered.


    The ground cracks beneath the remaining beasts, sending them all off balance as Emily condenses a ball of charge. After a few uninterrupted seconds, it¡¯s formed into a dazzling orb of plasma, screaming to be released.


    Emily slams both palms flat over the orb, sliding her palms up her forearms and moulding the energy quickly as it threatens to shred her flesh. Her hands keep moving into the open air, with her elbows touching and her palms curled towards her prey.


    With a wide, sweeping motion, Emily drives a cutting blade of plasma towards the disoriented ellelites. The beam collides with the beasts and breaks apart in sync with their hollered screeches, erupting in scattered bolts.


    Emily¡¯s palms turn skyward, and the bolts freeze, her hands rise, and the bolts shatter, gathering around their targets in dazzling forms of weapons, from swords and axes to sickles and polearms. Her hands clench and fall, and the lightning armoury collapses, leaving silence after their whistling screech.


    Emily lets out a satisfied breath before turning her eyes away from their quarry and back to her squad. They all lower their arms, moving down the dunes to get closer while staring at her with lingering awe at her masterful display of magical control. Pretty Boy is surprisingly quiet, hanging back with a conflicted expression as his eyes flicker over the damage to the corpses.


    His expression melts into an encouraging smile as he meets Emily¡¯s gaze, so she files away her doubts and addresses the group.


    ¡°You know the drill. Strip and bury,¡± she commands, reaching over her shoulder and pulling an orb of mixed metals from her bag. ¡°I¡¯ll get started on our anti-detection measures.¡±

 Chapter 166 – The Labour

    Emily wraps her arms in runes of orange and silver, pulling the ball of metal apart with twisted threads of colour wrapped around her fingers, forming it into a twisted lattice with several slots carved out to fit mana crystals. Then, she produces a pen-sized carving blade and fills it with mana, etching runes into the arcing limbs of the creation.


    Her squad don¡¯t interrupt her, quietly stripping chunks of meat from one of the beast carcasses and turning over the sands to cover the rest.


    Emily finishes her engravings as the final, half-harvested corpse is buried. She slots a fist-sized, unrefined greater wind crystal into the centre of the metal construct before fixing two normal wind and two normal earths to the sides.


    The folds of metal spin to life, curling over each other in a twisting maelstrom that holds the orb afloat. A thin film of mana seeps from the hovering construct, wrapping around the squad.


    ¡°Impressive,¡± Pretty Boy whistles, gazing at the enchanted orb. ¡°What does it cover against?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a general anti-detection ward. It should allow us to move through most detection spells I know using wind or earth without any signs of distortion unless we¡¯re within sight of a third circle mage. It¡¯s a little weaker against other elements. It doesn¡¯t do anything about sight though,¡± Emily replies, pulling sand-coloured cloaks lined with fine embroidered runes and tossing them to her squad mates. ¡°These should help with that.¡±


    Everyone slips on a robe and gives her an appreciative nod before they continue under the setting sun.


    Emily keeps a tether of mana attached to her ward, pulling it along while watching the horizon through her eyes in the sky.


    At night, she doesn¡¯t bother setting up the barrier disc, and she¡¯s forced to switch out a wind and earth crystal by the dawn of the next day.


    As they trek through the desert, Emily spots several groups of beasts that she leads her squad around. Three days in, she spots a dug-out pit, covered by a tarp, with several soldiers keeping watch.


    She leads her squad in, crawling through a shallow trough in the sand, slipping past the watch without being spotted as they head deeper into Denros¡¯ territory, following a map in Emily¡¯s mind.


    ¡°When do these plants bloom?¡± Sandman asks as they huddle together in a small pit he and Emily carved into the desert sands, hunkered down under the moonlit sky.


    ¡°Midnight on the first day of the ninth month,¡± Emily replies.


    ¡°That¡¯s tomorrow!¡± Ice Petal exclaims with surprise, turning over on her bedroll where she was restlessly struggling to get to sleep.


    ¡°And we should see the oasis by midday, and arrive by evening. We¡¯re perfectly on time.¡±


    The young mage calms at her reassuring confidence, the stress of the earlier encounter with the Denrosi scouts finally slipping away.


    Emily returns to her meditation unaffected by Pretty Boy¡¯s incessant turning of one of the pistols in his lap as he stares up at the few sparkling stars sitting high above, moving his mana to a rhythmic beat.


    ***


    The next day, Emily¡¯s prediction proves correct when she spots a sturdy grey wall looming on the horizon as the sun sits in the centre of the sky.


    ¡°We¡¯re starting our final approach now,¡± she calmly informs her squad. ¡°Keep slow and steady until we¡¯re closer. We¡¯ll set up near the wall and wait for nightfall. I have further measures to get us in unseen.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± each member mutters in sync with a firm resolution in their tones.


    They creep forward, sliding over the dunes and keeping low as Emily recalls her birds, not risking them getting too close to the outpost. They finally halt their approach as they slip into a sunken depression a few hundred metres from the reinforced stone wall wrapping the oasis, hiding beneath their cloaks with the floating ward hovering inches from the sand between them.


    ¡°How are we getting in then?¡± Whistler asks, pointing at the ward with her chin. ¡°You said that thing does nothing against sight, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, but these do,¡± Emily says, pulling five vials of a swirling grey concoction from her belt. ¡°This is a personal creation: the Brew of Imperception. It should allow us to walk right up to the wall unseen.¡±


    Everyone looks at the potions with keen interest.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to use mana to get over the wall without weakening the effect, but I have rappelling gear. We¡¯ll stop at the base of the wall, and I¡¯ll take you over one by one. Pretty Boy, you¡¯ll go with me first, and we¡¯ll take out any guards close to our crossing point. Then we make a break for the main reservoir. We take out anyone with a sight line on it and take the fruit before heading back the way we came.¡±


    She scans her squad mates¡¯ faces, checking for understanding before she finishes.


    ¡°If all goes well, we¡¯ll get in and out without anyone sending up the alarm.¡±


    A series of nods follows as everyone takes a vial from her, holding them to their chests as they wait calmly for midnight to approach.


    Silence fills the air, with only the faint sounds of movement and muttered conversations drifting over the looming walls as the sun drops over the horizon and a glistening full moon appears.


    Emily springs into motion, pushing herself up and popping the cork from her potion. Her squad mates copy her, and they all down the shimmering liquid as one, vanishing from Emily¡¯s sight.


    She detaches one of her Claw¡¯s blades and unspools the cable binding it, tossing it out for her invisible allies to grab hold of. The moment she feels a tug on the wire, Emily sees several faint humanoid outlines blur through her perception. She turns and leads them towards the wall without batting an eye.


    Their approach goes unnoticed, and they freeze at the base, where the smooth metal panels slide into the sand below. Emily takes a step away from the wall and fires the hook from her climbing gear up to catch over the lip.


    A set of hands find her arm, and immediately Pretty Boy blinks into existence beside her. Emily nods to him silently, clasping her hand around his wrist and charging the electrical motor at her waist with machina. It hisses as they¡¯re yanked up and carried to the top of the wall in a single, sudden motion.


    Emily grabs the sharp lip of the wall and slings Pretty Boy over before slipping over and into a roll as she detaches the climbing hook. Looking around, she counts four guards nearby, two on either side of them.


    She bolts to the right, trusting Pretty Boy to have her back as she pops up beside the two robed men staring out into the desert with rifles resting at their hips, slashing out with her Claws and ripping their throats out.


    The bodies hit the floor in sync with two soft thuds, and Emily turns to see the other guards slump to their knees, each with a short sword skewered through their heads, sticking out of their mouths. The blades vanish as Pretty Boy withdraws his swords, so Emily looks away, picking a spot to mount the climbing hook before swinging herself back over the edge and dropping down to collect the others.


    She meets Ice Petal¡¯s waiting hands at the base of the wall and takes her up, followed by Whistler, with Sandman taking up the rear.


    When she finally settles back on top of the wall and Sandman leaves her grip, she approaches the inner edge and glances down towards the roof of a plain stone building below.


    ¡°Clear out a path quietly,¡± Emily whispers just loud enough for her squad to hear before leaning forward and pushing off.


    She cuts silently through the air, landing on the nearby roof and rolling, skidding to her feet and dashing towards the edge without looking back.


    She vaults over a small chimney and drops to the packed sand below, landing beside an empty window cut into the wall of the cooking hut. A quick glance inside tells her it¡¯s clear of enemies, so Emily turns and races towards the centre of the oasis.


    She passes more stone huts set up for cooking, storage, and sleeping, but doesn¡¯t find a single person. An uncomfortable twisting settles in her gut, but Emily clears her mind with a burst of machina and keeps going, raising a hand to brush The Clock¡¯s pouch.


    She skids to a halt as she steps out from behind a sleeping hut to see a few robed mages sitting together around a campfire, holding skewers of roasting meat with their magical foci nowhere in sight and a beautiful, glowing oasis at their backs.


    They¡¯re too relaxed to be expecting us.


    The nagging in her gut remains, but Emily breathes a small sigh as she stalks forward, slashing out and rending two heads from their shoulders. The last mage blinks in shock as blood splatters across his cheeks, but a blade slides through his neck before Emily has a chance to move.


    She sees Ice Petal¡¯s form briefly quiver behind him before fading again, and gives an unseen, approving nod.


    They step past the fresh bodies, stepping up to the edge of the depressed bank towards the pool of water below that oozes thick mana that clings to Emily¡¯s skin like condensation to a glass. There are three tall, twisted bushes in the centre of the water, covered in pale blue, feather-like flowers, with several vibrant green lily pads dotted in the water around them.


    Emily scans the lip of the depression, spotting three other groups of mages with their backs turned to the plants. One of the groups is gathered around a large stone structure covered in runes, each of them pressing their hands to a pillar and chanting with their eyes shut, while another is eating food, and the third has already been killed by Sandman.


    Emily pulls the Whisper from her bag and aims towards the group controlling the array.


    A few quiet clicks, and four more mages drop dead.


    One of the last living mages happens to turn away from her food as her comrades fall in a silent burst of gore. She cries out in shock, immediately drawing her companions¡¯ full attention.


    Emily clicks her tongue before punching out the woman¡¯s vocal cords with a bullet and turning the barrel of her rifle on the others. One of them manages to get a barrier of earth to rise before her next shot lands, but the machina-charged impact dents the soft rock, and the next shot lands in the same spot a fraction of a second later, shattering the protection and allowing a third lead-filled projectile to punch a hole through another mage.


    More rocks rise to fill the hole in the barrier, but Emily tilts her gun, sliding the magazine out and driving one filled with enchanted bullets into place instead. Her next shot bores a hole through the barrier in one go, and a follow-up drops the barrier mage to the floor unmoving.


    The second the barrier falls, another bullet shatters the last mage¡¯s skull, dispersing the ball of fire gathered above his staff, waiting to be thrown.


    Emily lowers the Whisper with a small frown, slinging it over her shoulder and cycling her machina to quickly purge the brew of imperception from her system.


    ¡°Gather up,¡± she calls softly.


    Ice Petal¡¯s form flickers behind her, but Emily holds up a hand to stop her.


    ¡°Stay hidden for now. It looks clear, but let us make sure there are no stragglers before you expose yourself.¡±


    The young mercenary nods before fading from sight again as Whistler and Sandman appear on either side of Emily, flickering with the glow of their circulating mana, breaking the effects of the potion.


    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± Pretty Boy says, briefly appearing in the corner of Emily¡¯s eye.


    ¡°Good.¡± Emily nods, turning down the bank and stepping out. ¡°We grab the fruit the moment midnight strikes, then run.¡±


    She slides down the slope, feeling the thick mana building up on her skin as she approaches the water, forming into a slick layer of visible moisture. The instinct nagging in her gut starts screaming at her.


    Emily frowns as she hits the flat ground and slides to a halt beside the water¡¯s edge, her left hand drifting towards The Clock¡¯s pouch as the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.


    Whistler and Sandman slide in to join her a moment later, but, just as they hit flat sand, they slow to a crawl in Emily¡¯s perception as the core scanning for perceived danger throws her into full assistive processing. The core fully engages her spatial senses as her body starts moving, throwing her hand out to intercept the invisible blade being driven towards her throat.


    A cold, sharp point slides through Emily¡¯s palm, and the knife plunges through her wrist into her forearm, sending a sharp lance of pain to her head.


    Without a flinch, she disables her pain perception and closes her grip on the hand holding the knife. She fires a machina-charged Claw that closes the gap between them in the blink of an eye and sinks several inches into the surprisingly tough leather armour around Pretty Boy¡¯s chest.


    He coughs out a spattering of blood, but before the droplets hit Emily, she feels a dangerous magical pulse building up on the traitor¡¯s back.


    She instinctively tries to move her mana to conjure protections but finds her power slow to act. Her right hand, the one not skewered on a blade, drops towards her belt, but she¡¯s too slow.


    I should¡¯ve had spells prepared.


    A thin film of glistening protective mana seeps from Emily¡¯s core, too late, as Pretty Boy detonates. A churning wave of turbulent water erupts, super-charged by the ambient mana density, sweeping away squad Cold.


    Sandman barely has enough time to form a layer of rock on his skin, and Whistler shatters a small brown crystal on the thumb of her glove, covering herself in a thin brown film.


    Emily is smashed against the bank, her protective layer shattering as the backlash causes a spike of pain, despite her inactive receptors, as mana flows backwards through her veins.


    Fuck!


    The world spins.


    She barely has time to process the sickening lack of feeling in her left arm when she hears a faint call.


    ¡°-mily!¡±


    Her head starts to clear, but as she tries to move her right hand to reset time, Emily makes the chilling realisation that they aren¡¯t calling with concern but fear.


    She has full feeling in her right hand. But, when she tries to move it, it feels as if she were plunged a thousand leagues below the ocean, crushed beneath an unbearable pressure that holds her rooted in place.


    She blinks away the dots in her vision in panic, moving her eyes down as her head refuses to move. Her eyes scan over the visible parts of her crumpled body, inspecting the luminescent blue sheen of water coating her. She tries to push her slow-moving mana out of her body, to use Blink to teleport away, but finds it trapped beneath the glowing second skin.


    This was a fucking trap.


    The cry for help falls silent, and Emily releases a slow breath before shutting her eyes.


    She tries to suppress the sense of panicked helplessness that threatens to overwhelm her emotional dampening, suddenly aware of the pressure of the feelings she has successfully ignored for so long.


    She senses the dense mana flooding towards the centre of the oasis, building up in a horrifyingly familiar manner.


    She sends a powerful wave of machina through her body, feeling every crack and crevice, tracing the lines of torn flesh that used to be her left bicep, and cleansing every trace of foreign influence she finds. The crackling energy flickers out, brushing against The Clock fruitlessly.


    I should have made a way to activate it without moving...


    Her cortex buzzes, cycling machina faster and faster to increase her processing. Emily crushes her fleeting regret and focuses on the water around her, feeling its cold, damp touch and its faint, ever-present flow.


    Her mind drifts back to The Abyss, to its crushing pressure and its haunting depth.


    Mana bubbles from her magic circles, cycling through her body with a faint whisper of connection to the raw water mana clinging to her skin.


    Emily¡¯s attention narrows on the connection, a spark of inspiration catching alight as her mana leaks from her skin, melding with the watery prison surrounding her and adding to its mass. She tries to pull on the mana after it leaves her body, but her hold is too weak, and she fails to shift even an inch of water.


    Her mana reserves drop as more and more mana flows into the prison holding her in place. Just before she hits exhaustion, with just over one thousand points left in her system window, Emily tints the last of her mana with trusty steel, reinforcing her body to the maximum as blue light erupts from the oasis.


    The blistering light fills Emily¡¯s vision as a thundering resonance in the surrounding mana shakes her to her core.


    Then, everything goes black.

 Chapter 167 – The Fruits

    Silent, all-encompassing nothingness makes up Emily¡¯s everything as she drifts motionless through the void. Thoughts slip through her fingers as a faint whispering licks at the back of her mind, pulling her onwards.


    The soft, dulcet tones humming through her being soothe her as a falling sensation forms in the pit of her stomach, suddenly dragging her down into a jagged bed of searing pain.


    Emily¡¯s lungs feel heavy as her consciousness returns, screaming for lack of air yet swelling to burst.


    She instinctively reaches for her machina, attempting to rid herself of the full-body torture, but finds her reserve so empty that her cortex joins in the chorus of pain in response to the strained attempt.


    She chokes in shock, forcefully expelling the water from her lungs and feeling a warm tickle as the mana-filled liquid splatters her chin, relieving some of the pain for a fraction of a second. She keeps gasping for breath, refilling her lungs with a mixture of thin air and sand particulate that only serves to make her cough violently, sending sharp pangs of pain through her chest.


    Where am I?


    She blinks her eyes open despite the left half of her face feeling like it¡¯s on fire, struggling to form coherent thoughts as she¡¯s met with a pitch black so dark she could almost mistake it for unconsciousness again.


    The Clock.


    She twitches her hands ¨C hand. She tries to wiggle her fingers free of the sand packed in around them, ignoring the bile threatening to escape her throat as the stump of her left arm scrapes against the sand at the same time.


    She takes as deep a breath as possible in her confined tomb, using her willpower to push back against the pressure building in the back of her cortex, threatening to unleash a torrent of emotions she doesn¡¯t have time to deal with now that her machina isn¡¯t keeping them in their place.


    Fuck! This severance is annoying.


    Frowning and focusing on her irritation, Emily releases her breath sharply and yanks on her right arm, shifting it suddenly and dislodging it from the sandy weight crushing her entire body. She barely notices the flaring pain as rough particulate grinds against open wounds, putting all of her attention on twisting her body and displacing enough sand to pop her arm from its socket, sliding it in flush to her torso.


    Her fingers work their way down her tattered chestpiece, finding missing chunks of material that give way to exposed flesh, some of them turned around and embedded into her skin.


    Just above her waist, her fingers dip past a final fractured plate of metal to touch raw, tender flesh. She winces, despite herself, as her hand slides over mangled, bloody skin where her belt used to sit.


    My babies...


    Her fingers trace the damage, searching for her last resort as a soft sob slips from her lips. Her mind quakes as her last hold on her suppressed emotions starts to slip, but her fingers meet cold, smooth metal.


    Her grip closes around The Clock, sitting just below her navel, despite the absence of its pouch, and a calming sense of safety restores Emily¡¯s resistance.


    Her fingers run across the pocket watch¡¯s familiar faces, finding no damage before making their way to the activation button on top.


    I¡¯ll be fine.


    She hits the button, feeling her pain ebb away as if she were only an outside observer watching someone else die an unimportant death buried beneath the desert.


    She slips back into unconsciousness.


    ***


    Crushing weight, and Emily coughs up a lungful of water again.


    No...


    Her mind is slightly clearer this time as she doesn¡¯t touch her machina reserves, but the return of the full-body agony sends it into disarray anyway.


    I¡¯ve been here for more than a day.


    Her breaths come short and fast as her body begins to quiver, a light buzzing ringing in the back of her head. She twists violently, wrenching her arm free and wriggling it down to find The Clock again.


    The searing pain already filling her being masks the feeling of her wounds tearing open and pouring blood into the coarse sand holding her.


    She grabs The Clock, hitting rewind and drifting off again.


    ***


    Coughing and spluttering, the dam in Emily¡¯s mind shatters, letting free a torrent of emotions.


    Tears flow freely down her cheeks as she weeps in heaving sobs, her whole body shaking as she grinds her forehead into the sand.


    She loses track of time as the pain in her heart overwhelms her physical anguish. At some point, the crying morphs into enraged shrieks that leave her throat raw as she finally regains the ability to think.


    Fuck I¡¯m stupid!


    She slumps back, barely noticing the blood trickling down her forehead.


    Why didn¡¯t I have defensive spells ready?


    Why did I ignore that prick acting up?


    The careful division of her cores slips, her entire cortex spiralling as one.


    Why was I so relaxed in enemy territory?


    Why didn¡¯t I have a way to activate The Clock?


    Why did I get SO FUCKING COCKY!?


    Emily pours out a hoarse scream, pulling on her mana reserves and forcing the drop of power recovered since waking into motion. Raw earthen mana explodes from her body, forcing the sand back a few inches and finally giving her room to move.


    Why didn¡¯t I have better weapons?


    Her right hand curls into a fist, slamming into the packed sand above her and sending a spray down into her raw wounds.


    I should have been prepared to kill that prick the moment he acted up.


    She pulls her fist back before smashing it up again.


    Why?!


    She punches again, not feeling her bloodied knuckles.


    Why?!


    Another impact and she chokes back bile as a cold sweat spreads across her body, the recoil from a second magical exhaustion so soon after the first seeming to amplify the screaming pain in her body.


    Why?!


    The missing scent of Juliana¡¯s scarf around her neck turns her rage to grief in an instant as the last of her strength hits the sand, scattering the layer covering her in an explosion of particulate that lets warm blue light seep into her pit.


    Why?


    She sobs quietly, lying in the pit, covered in sand, unmoving. Her mind uncontrollably flickers between memories of Juliana, Anna and Herber, and her birth parents, as endless thoughts filled with self-loathing cut swathes through her heart.


    You didn¡¯t even try to help them.


    You gave up on Dad the moment it seemed convenient.


    Couldn¡¯t you have tried harder?


    Anna died because you wanted to explore more than you loved her.


    Jules probably won¡¯t be able to look at you if you meet again.


    You don¡¯t even feel guilty.


    Your strength is useless.


    You betrayed them all.


    Her tears dry, but Emily remains locked to the floor, letting her thoughts flow freely as she stares at the distant stone ceiling far above, traced with fine blue lines of luminescent glass.


    After Goddess knows how long, a wet, sandy sludge drips from the edge of the shallow pit she¡¯s lying in, splattering on her cheek before a thin trickle of clean water washes it away.


    Momentarily freed from the exhausted quagmire of her thoughts, Emily moves her head to the side, opening her mouth and letting the cold water soothe her throat. The flow accelerates, and so do her gulps as Emily drinks the cold draught with fervour, feeling a touch of clarity returning to her scattered mind.


    She turns her head away from the stream, takes a deep breath, and tentatively reaches for her machina. Her buzzing energy responds, though her reserves are only an eighth full despite having had more than a few hours to recharge.


    She cycles the cold energy through her cortex, finding a disturbing amount of activity in her usually hardly-active emotional centres. There¡¯s an energy, similar to her machina but ever so slightly different in intent, raging, pouring from the sector of the processing organ used to store her emotions, usually sealed by her mental severance.


    She tries to forcefully calm herself but finds the energy unresponsive to her influence despite holding her own signature.


    Clicking her tongue, Emily instead separates and reorganises her cores. She dedicates one core to processing her raging emotions, leaving it to whisper poison in the back of her head while the rest of her focuses once again.


    She pulls up her status window to check on her wounded state.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Status]


    [Name:] Emily Coldstone


    [Race:] Human


    [Age:] 18


    [Magic Circle:] Third Circle


    [Machina Cortex:] Third Stage


    [Attributes:] Strength 20, Dexterity 66 > 67, Agility 54 > 56, Vitality 17, Intelligence 137 > 141


    [Health:] 55/270


    [Stamina:] 23/550


    [Mana:] 258/19035


    [Machina:] 2236/19035


    _____


    The lack of any stat bonuses from her gear makes her wince, confirming their complete destruction.


    ¡°Twenty per cent alive, huh?¡± she whispers to herself with a sardonic chuckle that stings her chest.


    Blinking away the window, Emily finally releases the machina cycling in her head to the rest of her body. She flips off her pain receptors, ignoring the emotional core trying to tell her to keep them on, freeing herself from her agony as she inspects the damage.


    The detailed image of her body that forms in her mind immediately confirms the sickening truth she was trying to ignore. Her left arm is missing, cut away just below the shoulder.


    The gaping wound has scabbed over, but the raw, skinless flesh spreads all the way from the stump to her armpit.


    The rest of her body is covered in signs of intense magical exposure, with her cloak missing and her armour shattered. She¡¯s covered in her own blood, and there are dozens of deep lacerations covering her from head to toe, each looking like a mix between a burn and a cut.


    To top it off, including the worryingly deep damage to her waist from the explosion of her belt ¨C where the cold air brushing past is only a few thin layers of muscle away from her digestive organs ¨C her back is split open from nape to base, with a few of her ribs and part of her spine exposed.


    Eighty per cent dead.


    She chuckles hollowly at the emotional core¡¯s thought, slowly pushing herself upright with her working arm. Her head hangs low, letting her get a good look at her ruined state.


    Her vision is surprisingly clear, letting her take in the disconcerting sight of herself covered in blood-soaked rags, with more exposed blood vessels than skin, all of her wounds blackened with grime and threatening to fester. The sight of her stump constricts her throat, the screaming of the emotional core becoming louder and louder, but the crackling machina that gathers to the wounded limb to stimulate healing helps to calm her breath.


    We can rebuild.


    The fleeting image of a sleek mechanical limb strikes the back of her mind, sending a flush of much-needed relief through her system along with a burst of anticipation so strong it leaves her momentarily stunned.


    Emily digs her fingers into the sandy wall beside her and pulls herself to her feet, leaving the small pool building at the bottom of her pit. She stumbles, leaning her forearm against the wall as a wave of nausea hits her, followed quickly by a full-body shiver that forces the bile from her throat.


    ¡°Urgh,¡± Emily groans, spitting the foul taste from her mouth and standing up straight as the dizziness passes.


    Her chest rises above the lip of her pit, and she squints as the dim light filling the cavernous chamber blinds her for a moment, her raging headache increasing her light sensitivity uncomfortably.


    When her eyes adjust and open fully, her head spins to take in the unexpected surroundings.


    She¡¯s in a sealed cavern, with intricately designed patterns of glowing glass rising along the stone walls and covering the vaulted ceiling. The ground is covered in sand, with a clear pool in the centre, taking up a quarter of the room.


    There isn¡¯t a single entrance or exit visible, but in the centre of the pool is an imposing throne, carved from blue glass that glows with an enchanting lustre. Sitting on the throne are three bulbous aquacillis fruits, twice the size Emily saw on the original plants and emanating a rich fragrance that catches her nose despite the distance separating them and the blood clogging her sinuses.


    Emily frowns, narrowing her eyes cautiously as she leans out of the pit, pressing her elbow into the floor and hauling herself out. She doesn¡¯t move quickly for fear of spilling her own guts, but she climbs from the hole and stumbles unsupported towards the centre of the room, her muscles resisting her commands.


    If something in here wanted me dead, they¡¯ve had enough time to try already.


    She steps barefoot into the water, the boots completely missing from her feet, feeling the water gently caress the scabs below her ankles, washing away the sand and grime stuck to them. She wades out into the water, sinking lower and lower until her open back dips beneath the surface.


    Emily sucks in a sharp breath as she feels the liquid infiltrating her body, slipping through the gaps and flowing between her organs in an unsettling manner. It doesn¡¯t harm her, moving as if with a mind of its own to wash away the impurities trying to work their way in.


    She relaxes into the water, sinking up to her chin and leaning back, shutting her eyes and letting the underground oasis work its magic. As she drifts without a thought, the water delivers her to the throne, where she finds a set of glass stairs hidden just below the surface to allow her to approach.


    She rises out of the pool, watching clear water slide down her body across now healthier-looking, vibrant red wounds.


    The smell of the fruits up close makes her mouth water in anticipation as she feels a pull towards the throne.


    Emily glances around one more time, still finding the chamber empty of other signs of life, before leaning down and gathering the fruits in her arm, clutched against her half-exposed chest. She turns around and drops into the glass throne, bracing herself for an attack and feeling a stream of mana working its way into the back of her mind instead.


    The mana sends a chill down her spine, sparkling in an abstract code far too complex for Emily to comprehend. Her eyes widen in shock at the delicate manipulation, but before she can even attempt to comprehend it, the memory of the message burns itself from her mind, leaving a hazy blank in its place that leaves her speechless.


    What was that?


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Dungeon quest generated!


    [Solidarity of the Betrayed]


    [Rank:] B


    [Description:] The Oasis felt your call and sings for your cause. They gathered you up, scraps and all, and now offer you a deal. Slay those who stomped on their hospitality and used them as a sacrifice, and claim the tainted fruits once offered in friendship.


    Requirements:


    -Guard the dungeon core for 0/3 days (Not Complete)


    -Eliminate all intruders who reach the boss room before the dungeon closes (Not Complete) {Optional}


    Rewards:


    -{Ten aquacillis fruit}


    -Various items recovered from spatial storages


    -Quest: War-Machine


    _____


    She blinks in surprise, glancing from the quest screen to the throne beneath her and the fruits in her lap.


    ¡°Are these a gift then?¡± she mutters, taking a single fruit in her hand and splitting it in half.


    She inhales deeply, relishing the citrusy tingle before bringing the soft, pale-blue flesh to her lips.


    ¡°Okay. Thank you for saving me.¡± She takes a bite, feeling the juicy flesh burst, melting into a smooth liquid that slips down her throat, whisking away the sweet taste and leaving her craving more. ¡°No one else leaves here alive.¡±

 Chapter 168 – Crushing Force

    Emily ravenously devours the first fruit, feeling soothing water mana spread through her body, soothing the damage dealt to her magical pathways as her magic circles slowly recharge back to full.


    The real boon, however, is the gentle whisper of inspiration the calming sensation brings, pushing her to further explore the element.


    She shuts her eyes, standing up and focusing on the fleeting feeling as she catches the two remaining fruits before they can fall. She sets them down on the throne and walks forward, slowly sinking into the pool around her.


    The gentle, welcoming caress of the cold liquid helps her focus as she falls into a trance, cycling mana through her body and calling to the water around her. It quivers in response, swirling in responsive patterns that continue for hours.


    When the trance from the fruit fades, Emily pushes herself back to the glass steps using a smooth current, rising into the open air and casting her gaze around the room.


    ¡°Still nothing after six hours,¡± she mutters to herself, ignoring the irritating whispering in the back of her skull telling her they didn¡¯t bother checking if she was dead.


    Frowning, Emily picks up one of the remaining aquacillis fruits and focuses on her cortex, finding the turbulent energy still raging away in her emotional centres, barely reduced over the course of six hours. Her machina reserves have refilled during her trance, but they¡¯ve stopped increasing a thousand points from their maximum, leading her to believe the energy distorting her mind is indeed still her machina.


    ¡°There¡¯s got to be a key to fix it that I¡¯m missing,¡± she mutters, biting into the second fruit while stepping back into the water.


    This time the lucid state only lasts for three hours, but several new spells form in her mind within that short time, waiting to be used against the coming intruders. As Emily leaves the water again, she settles onto the throne with the final fruit set in her lap, relaxing against the chilled glass and staring blankly at the far wall.


    Two raw fruits and I still can¡¯t complete an elemental connection. It doesn¡¯t feel like the next one will get me closer if I let it work naturally. I¡¯ll use it to focus on healing instead.


    She finally turns her attention to the lacerations covering her body and the lack of flesh on her back. Despite the return of her mana and her unnaturally fast regeneration, barely any of Emily¡¯s wounds have shown any signs of fading.


    The reason is blatantly obvious as she can feel the potent, malicious mana embedded in the injuries, along with several shards of solid metal in the case of some. Luckily, though it¡¯s still blocking the healing process, the mana is lying dormant, without showing any intention to work its way deeper. If it wasn¡¯t, she would already be dead.


    Emily breaks a chunk from the fruit and sets it on her tongue, holding it in her mouth as it melts, slowly drawing the mana from it, in a similar rotation to Technomancer¡¯s Breath. She guides the energy to her injuries, using it to slowly push out the shards of debris and wash away the foul mana, layer by layer.


    Every time the pool in her mouth empties, she breaks away another chunk of mana-dense flesh to replace it.


    The hours slip by, and as the counter on her quest finally ticks up to one out of three complete, Emily opens her eyes again, feeling refreshed.


    She reaches out her bare arm, crisscrossed with pale scars, intentionally left as a reminder of her mistakes, and releases a thin burst of mana that draws the pool around her into a solid pane of water. She snaps her fingers, and a chilling air bursts out, instantly freezing the pane into a glistening mirror.


    She meets her reflection calmly, ignoring the almost unbearable scream from her emotional core that sends tears to her eyes as her gaze passes the stub of her left arm. It looks much better than before, when you could still count the opened blood vessels at a glance, but the darkened scarring covering the end still twists her guts.


    Unfortunately, even with the extra help from the fruit, she¡¯s unable to regenerate the limb.


    Emily pushes herself to stand upright, tearing her eyes away from her arm and taking in the rest of her body instead. Her body armour is completely ruined, with barely a few scraps of metal plating hanging onto thin strips of tattered fabric. The sandworm-skin trousers that once covered her legs now hang in shreds, revealing more of her pale skin to the world.


    She runs her hand across the scarring on her abs, which looks like a heavy beast has tried to tear her in half, before spinning to look over her shoulder. Her back is traced by long lines from top to bottom, as if she¡¯d had wings ripped off.


    Emily grabs at the fabric half covering her shoulder, tearing it off and tossing the scraps of her body armour away. Next, she rips away the tattered remains of her trousers, stripping naked and turning to face the mirror in full.


    Her cortex buzzes, her entire neural network alight with activity as one of her cores performs dozens of calculations in an instant, creating a dense, active matrix of runes in her mind. Unlike with compressed casting, she doesn¡¯t release any mana, instead carefully holding it in as she spins threads of power throughout her body, forming runes through her bloodstream and turning herself into a moving magic circle.


    Her distributed processing net keeps burning energy, changing the runes with each mana-charged movement of her limbs to keep the spell prepared and balanced, thrumming with power just waiting to be used.


    A small smile curls the corner of her lips, the satisfaction of the new revelation temporarily overpowering her storm of emotions.


    The circle holds, uncast, for a few moments, before a slight flex of mana to the waiting core activates it in an instant. A thin film of water seeps from her skin, wrapping her body in a fine dress of curling waves as the mirror shatters.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Skill created: Mechanical Casting


    [Mechanical Casting (passive)]


    User can form and maintain balanced spell orbs within their body using their precise mechanical processing.


    -Grants +10% stability of spell forms held internally.


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    Quest completed: Unique Casting


    [Unique Casting]


    [Rank:] D


    [Description:] You have learned a casting method usually exclusive to fourth circle mages, now truly make it your own.


    Requirements:


    -Create 1/1 unique casting method based on Condensed Casting (Complete)


    Rewards:


    -Elixir Recipe: Eel¡¯s Blood


    _____


    She files the recipe away in her mind, focusing on the active spell instead.


    She tries casting another spell externally and doesn¡¯t meet any resistance, but when she tries basic internal casting, she¡¯s unable to form a stable magic circle.


    That¡¯s why my mirror broke. It seems I¡¯m limited to one internal mana structure at a time. For now, at least.


    She has another core prepare a second spell orb, but she¡¯s expectedly unable to activate it until she releases her water dress. The moment she does, a burst of ice spears erupts with her at the centre.


    Almost instant casting as long as the form is prepared, even if another internal spell is active until activation. Useful, though it takes a whole core per spell.


    Emily disperses the spikes and releases a stream of water from her fingers. It forms into the completed spell orb to reform her dress, which she leaves floating at her shoulder as she sits back against the throne.


    Her bare back presses to the cold glass, unhindered by her liquid ball gown, and Emily lets out a tired breath, relaxing her taut, freshly regenerated muscles. A faint stream of mana leaks from her body into her dress and flows down the throne to connect with the water below, slowly enough to keep her reserves sitting near full regardless.


    She floats The Clock from where it has appeared in the small of her back without her even noticing to her palm, where she rests her thumb on the activation button, just in case, as the seconds tick by.


    ***


    With only a day left on her quest counter, Emily finally sees signs of life.


    Space twists against the far wall, forming a dense gathering of mana before cracking as Emily¡¯s eyes snap open.


    She watches the wall morph, taking on the shape of an imposing door that slowly slides open moments later. One particularly strong magic signature, mixed with several others that range wildly in power, leaks through as the first tiny crack parts. Emily¡¯s circles bubble to life, pouring more and more mana out into her dress, letting it tumble out in cascading waves of power that disturb the calm water¡¯s surface.


    The door swings wide, giving Emily clear sight down the long tunnel littered with giant scorpion corpses behind a group of two dozen robed Denrosi mages.


    They look mostly unharmed, if a little exhausted, and their eyes fall on Emily as she judges them, sitting on her throne in the centre of the churning watery domain enrobed in the currents of her fluid dress. A shiver passes through their group.


    ¡°It seems you lived,¡± calls the leader, from whom Emily can feel the telltale pressure of a fourth circle mage, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up in anticipation, despite her lack of weaponry.


    ¡°Blowing up mana veins just so happens to be one of my specialities,¡± Emily replies coldly, letting out a chilling breath as the water surrounding her stills. ¡°You¡¯ll have to try a little harder to get rid of me.¡±


    Without another word, spells erupt from the invading mages. Several of them conjure a solid wall of rock around everyone but their leader, while a few others coat it in a thick layer of water.


    Several projectiles of wind and fire shoot through cracks in the wall, while a sweeping gale erupts from the group¡¯s leader, knocking his hood down and propelling his allies¡¯ spells forward in the blink of an eye.


    Emily doesn¡¯t flinch, and the oasis springs into action. A flood of water bubbles shoots up, accurately scattering each incoming attack with a distinctive pop.


    Emily recognises the fourth circle mage as Everette Dennal, the patriarch of a branch of Denros royalty. His cropped salt and pepper hair and storm-grey eyes perfectly match the portrait she saw in a history book in The Covenant¡¯s library.


    His gaze scans the water, finally noticing the endless twisting runes flickering away just beneath the surface.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you, you see,¡± Emily whispers, mana carrying her voice to her target as the doors click shut behind the intruders. ¡°And I¡¯m not in a good mood.¡±


    Her mana rages and the oasis erupts, sending a churning tide of pressure towards Everette. The front of the wave shifts into dozens of sharp points, with spears and tridents raining down on their prepared defences.


    Everette releases a powerful burst of wind, forming a twisting tornado with himself at the centre as the tsunami crashes against him. The water weapons shatter against the violent winds, but the main wave parts, pouring around him to target his allies instead.


    The protective water layer does nothing, only joining Emily¡¯s wave in adding crushing weight to the thin shield of rock beneath. The rock shatters quickly, shocking the two third circle earth mages supporting it from inside as they¡¯re swept away with their weaker allies.


    Everyone cowering behind the shield is smashed into the wall by the crushing force of her attack, twisting their limbs and cracking their bones.


    Emily holds the dense water over the fallen bodies, watching air bubbles rise through the liquid filled with her mana as her disoriented enemies¡¯ lungs slowly fill with water.


    Everette disperses his protective twister and looks back at his allies in horror, raising his hands and muttering a chant. He weaves together several rapid hand signs and produces a sweeping blade of wind to lash out at Emily, trying to break her focus.


    Unfortunately for him, the oasis¡¯ water holds a large-scale array carved into it, so it maintains its hold of his allies without any strain on Emily¡¯s mind as her dress ripples, launching her up above the throne to draw his attention away from the glowing crystal heart now visible, embedded in the stairs below.


    His wind blade curves through the air, single-mindedly chasing after her, so Emily parts her dress into watery tentacles, slinging them out to cling to the wall and pull her away. Everette makes the mistake of turning his back on her to send a powerful blast of air through the oasis water, affording his allies a momentary breath of air.


    Emily calls upon her lightning connection as she hits the wall, coiling her legs like springs and flooding them with crackling charge.


    Everette hears the hiss of lightning and starts to look back, but Emily fires out from the wall and arrives next to him with a raging orb of water spinning above The Clock clasped in her palm before he can blink.


    A small green orb floating in the small of the Denrosi mage¡¯s back bursts as if prepared for her shocking advance, coating him with a thin layer of fiercely vibrating air that shatters her water orb on contact.


    Everette sneers confidently, but he¡¯s completely taken off guard as Emily stops with shocking precision, her hand never reaching his threatening barrier as he expects it to. A stream of plasma pours from her fingers, tearing streaks across the barrier and trapping Everette in a cage of lightning.


    It slowly encroaches on his space, heating the air protecting him so much it starts to slip from his grasp. He panics, accelerating his blade of wind towards Emily¡¯s back.


    Emily ignores the coming blade, moving some of the oasis water he dispersed back to cover Everette¡¯s attack squad and charging it with lightning, stealing the last of their air. The rest of the crushing tsunami rushes over to wrap around the duelling mages, smothering the coming attack in the process.


    Everette starts chanting another spell in its place to try to break his temporary imprisonment, but Emily steps back, touching his barrier with the dense mass of water and activating the final attack mode of the array.


    The water begins compressing in on itself, pulsing with mana and shrinking around Everette, growing darker and darker in colour until it¡¯s almost impossible to see through.


    Emily takes the free time to gather all of her remaining mana to her left stump, pouring her focus into forging a limb of sizzling plasma, screaming with the cries of a thousand birds.


    She pants with intimately familiar mana exhaustion tugging on the back of her mind like an old friend, the poisoned whispers from her emotional management core completely drowned out by a raging fire egging her on to keep fighting till collapse.


    She draws back her burning-hot limb, grinning madly before thrusting it into the watery cocoon.


    It passes through, hitting no resistance until the quivering wind barrier, which holds together for a moment, shatters into pieces.


    Emily¡¯s phantom limb continues into Everette¡¯s chest, flying off her bubbling stump which suffers several fresh, deep burns thanks to the dangerous levels of lightning she¡¯s channelling through the limb. She doesn¡¯t turn off her pain receptors this time, basking in the pain and the fading, racing high of battle that numbs her mind.


    Having exhausted its mana, the oasis water vanishes, dropping Everette¡¯s crushed corpse to the floor and leaving Emily alone in the silence of her empty throne room.

 Chapter 169 – Mission Complete

    Emily¡¯s grip on The Clock finally relaxes as her arm drops to her side.


    Her water dress evaporates, with no remaining mana to fuel it, leaving her naked as her gaze settles on Everette¡¯s mangled body.


    He was so weak. How did he reach fourth circle and still make the mistake of looking away from a lightning mage?


    A bitter taste taints her victory, and it¡¯s only worsened when her emotional core whispers about how the death would have fed Mensacus if she hadn¡¯t lost him. She clicks her tongue in frustration before using the cold grip of machina to once again force all her emotions into the care of her emotional core, removing any lingering excitement from the battle.


    Emily opens her progression tab and confirms that the only requirement remaining for her next ascension is reaching one hundred and eighty intelligence, before crouching and touching her knuckles to the corpse¡¯s chest. Machina bursts from her hand, dancing across the body and discovering a single surviving enchanted amulet embedded into his flesh.


    She rips away his tattered robes, covered in dull, broken runes, and sees the amulet in question, sunken into Everette¡¯s sternum with fractured flesh and bone curled around it. Emily places The Clock between her teeth and pries the pendant out of its cavity, finding the dense silver metal coating it completely unharmed.


    Buried in the centre of the casing, with a single opening to view it on the front, is a space crystal. There are small bands of runic engravings spreading out from the opening and twisting around to cover the metal with faintly glowing, purple lines.


    Emily tears the pendant from its chain, which is similarly buried inside Everette, probing it with a small thread of mana in the process.


    Well, that¡¯s new. I haven¡¯t seen at least half of these runes before. I see a few patterns already though. It shouldn¡¯t take too long to decipher once I recharge.


    Turning her focus to the other corpses while her mana continues to regenerate, she finds three more spatial storages, these ones all taking the forms of small bags and unprotected by owner locks.


    Within, she finds several random items, including a few unknown potions and a small collection of assorted magic crystals. Emily retreats to her throne with her spoils, sorting through the bags and dropping several useless items on the damp sand surrounding the raised glass pedestal.


    She skims through the potions with her system and finds four intended for healing. Scanning them with a spark of her machina, she selects the highest quality brew with the fewest impurities remaining and puts away the rest.


    She pops the cork from the vial with her teeth and pours the glistening orange potion on her singed stump, aiding her natural regeneration by completely removing the damage from the battle.


    Next, Emily slides a set of slightly too-large robes over her head and binds all three storage pouches at her right hip before sitting back down with Everette¡¯s spatial amulet in her lap. She shuts her eyes and focuses on Technomancer¡¯s Breath until her mana hits full again, before pouring part of the freshly generated power into the amulet to analyse its structure.


    As one core calls on the Spellweave to help comprehend the unique runes, the other pokes at the enchantment¡¯s core, smothering its attempted resistance and noting all of its reactions.


    Within a few hours, she finds the right place to inject a violent pulse of spatial mana, breaking a small hole in the spell¡¯s protections and erasing Everette¡¯s magic signature in an instant, leaving the storage free to be rebound.


    Emily opens her eyes without a flicker of expression and channels mana into the spatial crystal, binding the artefact to herself.


    She scans through it, finding a sizable collection of assorted non-magical items, from fine silks to a few oil paintings. Sorting through and removing the useless chaff, Emily finds wind crystals, from greater to lesser, a small collection of meats that the system identifies as from purely wind-based species, and a small pile of gold and silver coins marked with the emblem of the Denrosi royalty.


    The final item that draws Emily¡¯s attention is a set of enchanted earrings, but they¡¯re made from lesser wind crystals and only provide a small protective shield to prevent drowning, a function useless to her. Nevertheless, she hooks them into two holes in her lobes, running her fingers along the other empty holes in her ears, where all but the ring tucked inside her left ear were torn free when the mana vein exploded.


    Her tongue finds the ring still in her lip as she pulls a set of decorative daggers from the storage amulet, casting Forgemaster to melt them down.


    Time ticks by as Emily makes herself a set of temporary replacement jewellery, and soon the end of the dungeon approaches.


    She rises from the throne as it pulses with mana, walking down the stairs and slowly moving towards the spatial fluctuation she can feel at its rear. As she steps around the corner, she sees a waterless oasis staring back at her.


    She blinks in surprise, her eyes jumping to scan the edge of the image, where she sees reality fade seamlessly into the icy throne.


    A perfect spatial door. How unsettling.


    The lack of separation between one space and the next creates an odd twinge in her gut, but Emily steps through without hesitation, casting air walk to prevent herself from falling as she arrives in the open air above the oasis outpost that took her arm. The dungeon exit blinks closed behind her, and a system notification fills her view.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Quest competed: Solidarity of the Betrayed


    [Solidarity of the Betrayed]


    [Rank:] B


    [Description:] The Oasis felt your call and sings for your cause. It gathered you up, scraps and all, and now offers you a deal. Slay those who stomped on its hospitality and used it as a sacrifice, and claim the tainted fruits once offered in friendship.


    Requirements:


    -Guard the dungeon core for 3/3 days (Complete)


    -Eliminate all intruders who reach the boss room before the dungeon closes (Complete) {Optional}


    Rewards:


    -{Ten aquacillis fruit}


    -Various items recovered from spatial storages


    -Quest: War-Machine


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


    [War-Machine]


    [Rank:] B


    [Description:] You joined this war with a goal that¡¯s been met, but is that really enough? They targeted you, sacrificing people and resources to eliminate you because you posed a threat. Can you leave without ending what they started?


    Requirements:


    -Win the war for New Denntimo (Not Complete)


    Rewards:


    -Mechanic Knowledge: Basic Astrophysics


    -Blueprint: Simple Nuclear Reactor


    _____


    ¡°Win the war?¡± she mutters to herself, glancing from the waterless crater of blue glass below her to her empty left sleeve hanging loose at her side. ¡°Sure, seems reasonable.¡±


    She starts walking down to the ground, heading for the rubble remains of the outpost surrounding the dead oasis while searching for her physical rewards, which she finds placed inside the large storage amulet held in her pocket.


    To her conflicting horror and relief, the first item she finds is Anna¡¯s diary, with the destroyed picture of their family tucked into the inside cover.


    The emotional storm in her head churns, threatening to overtake her again as choking guilt and grief claw at her throat. The mana around her quivers and bends in response to her outburst, so she quickly drops the diary back into the depths of the amulet.


    She searches for something to less distressful and finds the scarf Jules gave her next, almost completely unharmed despite having no memory of putting it away in any spatial storages before falling unconscious.


    Emily latches onto the distraction, pulling it out of the amulet and inspecting it closely. She finds one end of the fabric singed and blackened as if dipped in fire, but the spell woven into it persists, emanating an even stronger smell than before.


    Emily pulls up the system window hoping for an explanation but only ends up more confused.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Broken First Love]


    [Rank:] E


    [Description:] A scarf made for, and given to, Emily Coldstone by Juliana Madonna in hopes of being remembered. Saved and repaired by nature¡¯s hand.


    [Effect:] Cleanses and scents the air around itself.


    _____


    She wraps the scarf around her neck, feeling the emotional maelstrom in her head calming a little as the scent of lilies fills her lungs, turning the singed fabric in her fingers and inspecting the runes spreading across it. They glow with a faint mixture of green and blue, and Emily can feel the unmistakable touch of the oasis.


    ¡°It saved my scarf for me... Why?¡±


    Without anyone to answer her question, Emily forces herself to move on after a few moments of silence, browsing through the rest of her saved possessions.


    She breathes another sigh of relief when she finds Mensacus sitting there safe and sound, and is nearly as pleased when she finds both the Whisper and Stream have survived.


    Unfortunately, most of her other toys and tools are missing, including all her scouts: birds and spiders alike. The majority of her magic crystal and metal collections are missing, but the small part that remains almost fills the sizeable storage item.


    ¡°We can rebuild,¡± Emily mutters to herself, turning her attention to the ten aquacillis fruits sitting in the storage as well. ¡°And I¡¯ve completed the job too, despite the losses.¡±


    Ice Petal, Whistler, and Sandman¡¯s faces come to mind as guilty whispers lick at the back of her mind despite her lack of attachment to her fellow mercenaries.


    You should have paid more attention to them.


    She nods at the thought as she remembers Pretty Boy¡¯s nervous fidgeting only hours before his betrayal.


    There were signs.


    She just didn¡¯t care enough to take notice.


    ***


    After leaving the empty outpost, Emily¡¯s journey back to no-man¡¯s-land is uncomfortably quiet.


    She doesn''t see a soul, even at the scout¡¯s pit they had to creep past during their approach.


    The only sounds to accompany her march are the howling desert winds, the crunching of her ill-fitted boots on the sand, and the whispers of self-loathing incessantly scratching at the back of her mind.


    She cycles her cores, letting them sleep in pairs as she travels, as unwilling to bear the brunt of her chaotic emotional load as she is to release her hold on The Clock.


    A few days after leaving the oasis, she detects faint signs of movement far ahead through Earthen Detection.


    Emily doesn¡¯t bother covering her advance, peeling back the scarf wrapped around her head and walking proudly to what should be a friendly defensive force, considering that she entered the detection range of their arrays half a day ago.


    She doesn¡¯t see anything, even as the area where she felt movement approaches, but the closer she gets, the more she starts to feel fluctuations in the mana around her.


    They¡¯re hiding?


    The moment the thought strikes, the scenery before her changes and the empty desert is replaced by over thirty mercenaries, dug in around a set of heavy, armoured vehicles. They have guns and magical foci in hand, but they lower them at the same time as mana stops leaking from their trucks and their barrier falls.


    The group¡¯s leader steps out to greet her with his hand raised, a tan helmet and cloth wrap covering his identity.


    ¡°You¡¯re Emily, right?¡± he inquires with an unfamiliar voice.


    ¡°Yes.¡± She nods in response. ¡°I don¡¯t have a Signature to prove it though.¡±


    All the armed soldiers visibly tense at her words, their weapons pausing, ready to be raised again in an instant.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a problem,¡± says the squad leader, hesitating for a moment as Emily¡¯s eyes drift down to the badge on his chest rig that identifies him as a member of Black Fang. ¡°We don¡¯t have an identifying terminal with us. Would you be willing to wear magic suppressants until we get you scanned at our outpost?¡±


    He pulls a set of twisted metal cuffs from a pouch at his waist, lined with engraved runes.


    Emily almost laughs at their inability to hold her, both from her machina-assisted resistance to restraints of any kind, and her lack of a second wrist to clasp it to.


    ¡°That may be difficult,¡± she says, trying to keep the bitter bite out of her voice as she raises her stump and conjures a small gale to draw attention to the empty sleeve billowing from it.


    She catches a few muted gasps of shock, and the man facing her visibly flinches.


    ¡°I-¡° he starts, but Emily almost punches him when she hears his tone soften.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your pity,¡± she spits, irritation creasing her brow before she pauses and takes a breath, cycling her machina to force her emotions back once again, growing increasingly tired of their erratic, uncontrollable state. ¡°I won¡¯t attack you, but those aren¡¯t going to work. If it helps though, there¡¯s this.¡±


    She raises her right arm, turning The Clock in her palm to the ground and pushing mana out of the back of her hand. She forms a small, crackling storm, with water and ice falling in streams and glistening arcs of lightning jumping between them. The miniature display flickers as a layer of rock bubbles up across her skin, cracking apart and erupting with fire that sweeps the storm away in a howling gale.


    A few runes flicker to life amidst the display as a shell of metal encases it, shrinking down into a small marble that suddenly blinks from above her hand to below.


    ¡°I doubt many imposters could copy that.¡±


    The group leader¡¯s grip on his staff relaxes, though some of those following him remain tense, not understanding the full meaning of her small display.


    ¡°It¡¯s highly unlikely,¡± he agrees, reaching up to pull the cloth from his face. ¡°The name¡¯s Oil Slick, B rank Black Fang merc. Sorry about the fanfare, but you guys created quite the stir blowing another vein so soon, so we¡¯ve been on edge. Had the entire line reinforced in case of retaliation.¡±


    Oil Slick waves a hand over his shoulder, and the formation breaks apart as several mercenaries start climbing into their trucks. He gestures with his head for Emily to follow as half their forces set out on foot, flanked by the trucks that start pouring mana into the ground again, covering their movement from prying eyes.


    ¡°That one wasn¡¯t us,¡± Emily corrects, falling in step with her fellow third circle mage.


    ¡°Really? What happened?¡± Oil Slick asks before jumping to add: ¡°If you can tell me that is.¡±


    ¡°We had a traitor,¡± she says, seeing no reason not to and ignoring his caution. ¡°They knew we were coming and set our target to detonate when we got there. My squad died and I lost my arm to the traitor¡¯s attack before the explosion, but I killed Everette Dennal on the way out, so I doubt they¡¯ll be happy.¡±


    ¡°You what?!¡±


    ¡°Punched a hole through his stomach and crushed him beyond recognition.¡±


    ¡°Woah!¡± Oil Slick slaps her shoulder, forgetting his fear in an instant as he turns his head to the mercenaries following their lead. ¡°Hey guys, you¡¯ll never believe this. She killed Everette!¡±


    ¡°No way!¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    Several doubtful exclamations echo through the gathering.


    ¡°That¡¯s what the woman said!¡± Oil Slick chuckles, turning back to Emily. ¡°Go on, tell them.¡±


    She raises a brow at the strange reaction, but goes along with him nonetheless, turning her head to address the crowd.


    ¡°Everette Dennal came to confirm my death after we walked into a trap, so I drove my arm through his chest and crushed his body beyond recognition.¡±


    Cheers spread the moment she stops speaking as some of the mercenaries toss their arms over their friends¡¯ shoulders, with others shooting small, decorative spells into the air.


    ¡°The Pampered Prince is dead!¡± Emily hears several people cry with joy, sparking her curiosity.


    Pampered Prince? The Covenant¡¯s books didn¡¯t mention much about his childhood, and they certainly never called him that.


    ¡°This is great,¡± Oil Slick says with a beaming grin, going to place his arm around Emily¡¯s shoulder and waving apologetically when she lightly taps it away. ¡°We need to get you a drink!¡±

 Chapter 170 – Blood Wine and Bonds

    They arrive back at the outpost where Emily and her squad left their truck as the sun starts setting over the horizon, lighting the sands with a warm orange glow. The energy generated by the news of Emily¡¯s triumph hasn¡¯t left the mercenaries, but it¡¯s muted by the strong winds picking up and battering them with sand, blocking most conversation.


    The group disperses, some to return to their posts on a detection array and others to stow their gear, as Oil Slick leads Emily into a sturdy central building, reinforced with several overlapping enchantments.


    The moment they step inside, the scratching howl of sandy winds dies, leaving the room so quiet that Emily can hear her guide¡¯s steady breath.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting dark and feels like a storm¡¯s on the way,¡± Oil Slick says while pulling the fabric from his face and brushing the sand from his shoulders. ¡°Hopefully, it¡¯ll have cleared up in the morning. I can send one of our squads to escort you back then if you want.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine alone thanks,¡± Emily says as he leads her into a small storage room with several locked shelves lining the walls.


    ¡°Thought so,¡± Oil Slick chuckles, unclipping his helmet and letting free his shoulder-length black hair that compliments his dark, charcoal-grey eyes.


    He pulls a small key from one of the pouches on his armoured chest rigging, formed from several plates of metal bound together with tough, enchanted leather straps, and scans the drawers thoughtfully. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he slots the key into one of the available holes, flinching back almost instantly as if shocked.


    ¡°Whoops,¡± he says before sliding the key into the drawer below, turning it with a click and sliding the drawer out. ¡°This is like my second time using one of these.¡±


    The artefact he lifts from the drawer is a chunky metal plate the size of Oil Slick¡¯s head with twisting runes tracing the outline of a handprint in the centre. He holds it out towards Emily and, after she places her hand on it to inject a burst of mana, its surface is covered in small words formed from glittering light, detailing Emily¡¯s mercenary profile.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Oil Slick says, dropping the artefact back into the drawer and pulling out a new key before heading towards another drawer with purpose. ¡°Just have to report your survival, then we can go join the others. I might even crack out the Lebard Blood Wine I¡¯ve been saving if you ask nicely.¡±


    Emily¡¯s brow raises at the mention of one of the small island nation¡¯s only exports, a rare magical alcohol said to increase the consumer¡¯s vitality and strength, but she still shakes her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel the need to celebrate a failure. Enjoy your festivities, but I¡¯d rather not.¡±


    ¡°The failures are exactly what you should celebrate,¡± the older mercenary replies, glancing over his shoulder as he removes the base¡¯s communicator from the drawer. ¡°You may not have been one of us for long, but here we drink to our fallen comrades.¡±


    Emily doesn¡¯t respond, so he continues with a grin.


    ¡°Tell you what, I¡¯ve changed my mind. You don¡¯t need to ask nicely. Come along and have a glass of Blood Wine with me at least.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Emily finally agrees with a nod. ¡°I admit I¡¯m curious.¡±


    ***


    They join the other free mercenaries in an open mess hall, finding them enthusiastically downing alcohol with plates of steaming meat and vegetables sitting between them.


    Everyone cheers upon Emily¡¯s arrival, clearing room for her and Oil Slick near the centre of the room.


    Are they even allowed to get this drunk between watches?


    A few men and women look eager to ask her questions, but Oil Slick waves them back, drawing most of the room¡¯s attention as he dramatically waves his hand over the table. The ring on his pointer finger glows, and a large, black glass bottle appears.


    It¡¯s covered in glowing red lines, depicting images of twisted beings with horns and fangs dancing around the bottle.


    A few people gasp, recognising the bottle, and more people join them as they hear whispers of Blood Wine.


    ¡°I got lucky a while back, when I first reached third circle,¡± Oil Slick starts explaining, speaking loud enough for everyone watching to hear him over the faint bubbling excitement filling the room. ¡°I was on a mission to defend an outpost in the Woods, and we got attacked in the night.¡±


    More people are drawn in with curiosity as he produces two clear crystal glasses from his ring.


    ¡°The Denrosi scum had an artefact to help cover their advance, and they hit us while we were still in bed. Unfortunately for them, they didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be there!¡±


    He grins proudly, raising his hand and pointing at the bottle¡¯s cork. His fingers flicker black, and a small tendril lashes out, ripping the cork out in an instant before drawing it back into his grasp.


    The crowd cheers at his display, while Emily¡¯s eyes widen, and she focuses her magical senses on the spell still wrapped around his fingers.


    Darkness magic. Uncommon.


    Her attention is stolen by a sickly-sweet, metallic fragrance drifting from the open bottle, leaving only a few threads to continue analysing the oozing black mana as it fades.


    Oil Slick fills the two glasses with rich, crimson wine before sliding one across to Emily.


    She accepts it, raising the glass in sync with him and most of the surrounding mercenaries, who mimic them in a toast.


    ¡°To Emily, the mage who rid the world of the shitty Pampered Prince!¡± Oil Slick announces as the room roars in approval. ¡°And, to her comrades who fell along the way.¡±


    Everyone falls silent immediately in a sombre display of solidarity before they all bring their glasses to their lips.


    Emily blinks, the display inspiring a strange blend of emotions bubbling up, stronger than before her severance. She silently mimics them in taking a sip, feeling the wine slip down her throat smoothly and bring warmth to her chest.


    She can feel it spreading out to her muscles, attempting to encourage their growth to little effect, but she barely pays attention to the disappointing result, instead relaxing and letting her emotions wash through her. She shuts her eyes for a moment, blocking out everyone around her as she does.


    Emily tries to pick apart and understand the odd mixture of loneliness and enjoyment hitting her at once, but it sparks a few memories from the dome that bring an unwanted crush of other feelings with them. She cycles her machina, forcing everything back before opening her eyes again and taking another sip.


    The wine tastes nice: a fruity body with a slight metallic tang.


    ¡°It¡¯s lovely,¡± she says, watching Oil Slick set down his empty glass with a satisfied sigh, reaching out to fill it again. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°No problem. I¡¯ve been looking for an excuse to drink it really!¡±


    ¡°I can tell,¡± she mutters, watching him down another glass without even savouring the taste, his cheeks flushing pink in an instant. ¡°So, I¡¯m curious. Why do you keep calling him The Pampered Prince?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± the tipsy mage asks with an excited grin, filling his glass again and this time taking only a small sip. ¡°Back before our liberation, when that scum was still a member of the royal family, it was basically an open secret that he was Daddy¡¯s favourite. The king never said it publicly, obviously, but every noble in the country and their servants knew that Everette was barely a mage, and they were pouring resources into him anyway. So, we called him the only thing appropriate: The Pampered Prince.¡±


    Emily can¡¯t help but chuckle at the nickname that only reinforces the man¡¯s ineptitude, surprising herself as happiness bubbles alone in her chest for a moment.


    I haven¡¯t felt this good, other than in a fight, since my cortex¡¯s changes...


    The bitter thought infects her happiness with another rush of self-hatred and anger, forcing her to wipe her mind clean with machina again.


    Goddess, I need to fix this.


    ***


    The next day, Emily leaves the outpost alone into a shroud of sandy winds, gentle enough not to bother her truck, but chaotic enough to limit her visibility.


    She drives along, charging the humming steam engine with machina and feeling out her surroundings with the glowing brown magic circle of Earthen Detection holding in place beneath the moving vehicle.


    She reaches the closest city, Basenon, a little past midday. The city guards confirm her identity without her Signature before she heads straight for the city¡¯s Silver Moon branch to request a ship back to Liberte.


    Within an hour of arrival, she¡¯s already in the air again, sitting in a private room while working on blueprints in her virtual notepad.


    ***


    A few days later, her ship touches down in Liberte.


    Reluctantly, she heads first to the Sliver Moon headquarters to report.


    Stepping into the open entrance hall, she once again draws the usual attention. This time, the fearful gazes falling on her are tainted by a touch of pity as they notice the empty sleeve flapping uselessly at her side, but she grits her teeth and ignores it.


    ¡°Hello, Miss Emily,¡± the petite woman behind the counter says with a polite bow as she approaches, quashing her own surprise to put on a professional mask. ¡°How can I help you?¡±


    ¡°I need to fill out my mission report.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± The clerk nods before quickly checking her mission details and preparing the sheet for her to fill out.


    Emily¡¯s hand blurs as she uses a borrowed pen to write out everything from Pretty Boy¡¯s betrayal to Everette¡¯s arrival, missing out her communication with the dungeon.


    Afterwards, she produces six aquacillis fruits and places them on the desk for the clerk to collect. Her eyes widen a little, but she keeps up her professional mask as she takes them, covering her interest far better than the nearby mercenaries that Emily can practically feel dripping with greed as they eye the valuable bounty disappearing behind the counter.


    ¡°That¡¯s all finished,¡± the clerk informs her with a smile. ¡°Is there anything else I can help you with right now? The company leader will probably want to speak with you about this mission soon, but he¡¯s currently unavailable.¡±


    Emily doesn¡¯t miss the woman¡¯s glance towards her left arm when she talks about the company leader, but she ignores it.


    ¡°Actually, yes,¡± she says. ¡°I need a new Signature.¡±


    ¡°There would normally be a small fee,¡± the woman lets her know while turning to gather the tools to make another identification card. ¡°But you won¡¯t need to pay it given your contribution.¡±


    ***


    Emily finally leaves the headquarters with her new Signature safely tucked into her storage amulet and heads for Earnie¡¯s workshop.


    As uaual, none of the guards stop her entering, though a few she recognises give her change in outfit curious glances as she passes.


    The workshop is filled with the hum of gunfire as she steps in, and cracking muzzle flashes draw her attention to a floating platform, hanging from chains above the open testing area with a mounted turret holding four shotguns pointing down into the scrap below. Each of the guns has a slightly different shape to its main body, but all of them have a straight magazine protruding from the side.


    Their shots ring out in sync, cycling repeatedly until their magazines empty and one of them jams.


    ¡°Top left is your best design,¡± Emily says as she leaps from a fixed walkway to the platform. ¡°It sounds far smoother than the others.¡±


    ¡°Of course you can tell by sound,¡± Earnie scoffs, glancing over from reloading the guns to continue his test.


    His brow furrows immediately as he takes her in, his eyes scanning her Denrosi robes with disdain.


    ¡°The hell happened to you?¡±


    ¡°A traitor,¡± Emily responds with a growl, raising her stump. ¡°I want your space to make a replacement.¡±


    Earnie¡¯s eyes widen in shock, though not a trace of pity passes through his gaze.


    ¡°You¡¯re not getting it healed?¡±


    ¡°I keep most of my scars for a reason,¡± Emily responds, shaking her head. ¡°I want to remember this mistake.¡±


    ¡°Losing a limb seems a little extreme, but hey, who am I to judge?¡± Earnie turns back to his shotguns, slotting a filled magazine into place and racking the front slide. ¡°Make yourself at home. I¡¯ve got nothing important out, so just toss anything out of your way.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Emily steps off the platform onto open air, catching herself with a small platform of wind before kicking off and sailing towards the main working area.


    The workbenches are scattered with tools and random, half-finished gun pieces. Emily sweeps metal filings off a stool and drops down in front of one of the main workbenches.


    A wave of machina clears the scrap away, leaving her with a bare surface to place her magical storages on.


    ¡°Let¡¯s deal with this first,¡± Emily mutters to herself, looking down at the loose fabric hanging from her arm.


    She taps the storage amulet, drawing out a small, simple dagger. She lifts part of the sleeve and places it between her teeth, holding it taut as she carefully slides the dagger around the remains of her bicep.


    Dropping the blade, she tears the fabric free, leaving her stump unimpeded.


    Her mana bubbles from her skin, glowing silver as it stretches out to form a new limb in place, mirroring her right. The runes covering the magic circles around her heart pulse, and the mana condenses into shimmering liquid metal.


    Her digits separate from a single flowing mass at the end of the arm before solidifying, leaving the joints flexible as her fingertips rap against the metal workbench with a satisfying clack.


    Nodding at the temporary work aid, Emily opens her new arm¡¯s blueprint and spreads the virtual notepad above her workspace. The design surrounds her, requiring her to turn her head if she wants to track her creation from untested nerve connection to reinforced alloy fingertip.


    ¡°This is the most complicated single item I¡¯ve ever made,¡± she mutters, spinning her stool around to take it all in as a growing excitement suppresses the churning negative storm in the back of her mind. ¡°Let¡¯s get started!¡±

 Chapter 171 – The Torture of Healing

    A few days later, in the middle of the night when only Emily remains active in the workshop as Earnie sleeps in his attached accommodation, the sound of three heavy fistbeats on the front entrance breaks Emily¡¯s focus.


    She looks up from the crackling Steam Source, remade and mounted on top of a workbench, pumping power into a row of small battery cells.


    ¡°Tsk, what now,¡± she mutters, dropping the wrench she was using to adjust one of the steam valves and standing up.


    Her senses, which were focused on her work, spread out, sweeping through the building and flagging a familiar energy signature just outside. Emily¡¯s brow raises, and she skips across the suspended walkways with a few light hops, landing before the front door.


    ¡°Odd time to pay a visit,¡± she says as the door swings out of the way, revealing Podrick standing in the dim moonlight under the cautious gazes of the surrounding soldiers.


    ¡°I guessed you wouldn¡¯t be sleeping if you were here,¡± Pod responds with a smug grin, his voice half a tone deeper than the last time they spoke. ¡°And I was right!¡±


    Emily scoffs, noting he¡¯s grown an inch and scanning her eyes over his outfit. He¡¯s wearing a set of work dungarees with a thin plating of metal woven into the chest bib and soft padding down his knees and shins. There¡¯s a holster sewn at each of his hips, holding a pair of sleek silver revolvers, and he has a large backpack almost the same size as him strapped to his back.


    The young mechanic also scans her over, but his brow creases in confusion at her ill-fitted robes, and his eyes widen in surprise when the cold workshop light catches the metallic arm hanging at her side.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the arm?¡± he asks, with a hint of concern and a lot of curiosity as she raises it in response and flexes her magical digits. ¡°That¡¯s magic, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a temporary stopgap while I work on something a little more permanent,¡± Emily responds, turning on her heel and walking along a walkway back towards the working platform. ¡°Come in, I¡¯m busy.¡±


    Podrick immediately steps into the workshop, closing the door behind himself before hurrying to fall in step on her left. He glances between her arm and her slight scowl, hesitating to push further.


    ¡°I got cocky,¡± Emily explains without turning her gaze, her scowl deepening. ¡°I didn¡¯t pay attention to my squad and missed that one of them was a traitor, then gave him a potion to help hide him from my senses.¡±


    Podrick winces, shifting the straps on his shoulders.


    ¡°He attacked me in the middle of a trap. Blew himself up and took my arm off before they detonated the mana vein below the outpost we were sneaking into.¡±


    ¡°Wait, like that thing you did to the Mandragos?¡±


    The moment the words leave Podrick¡¯s mouth, the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and his machina buzzes in warning.


    A blinding flash illuminates the room for a moment as lightning crackles across Emily¡¯s skin.


    She quickly calms her fleeting rage with a wave of machina, patting Podrick on the shoulder and feeling his tense muscles without breaking her stride.


    ¡°Sorry about that. Getting blown up a few times has made me a little unstable again.¡±


    Podrick shakes his head, letting out a breath and restarting his halted steps to catch up to her.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, just a little unexpected. I kind of forgot how much physical pressure you can-¡±


    His words fail him as they step up to the main working platform. His eyes quickly scan past the sleek machining tools lining the edges, and his focus lingers on the humming Steam Source for several seconds, admiring the spinning rotor and the crackle of energy within that he can almost feel drawing his machina in.


    However, his focus is soon completely stolen by the half-formed skeleton of an arm suspended on a metal stand in the middle of another workbench.


    His eyes trace the delicate curves of the dark metal rods running through the centre of the structure to hold it together, moving out across the mounted hydraulic pistons and empty wireframe forms of the forearm and bicep.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Podrick whispers in admiration, stepping forward to get a closer look.


    ¡°It¡¯s incomplete,¡± Emily replies dismissively, returning to the Source as if he wasn¡¯t there and confirming it¡¯s reached maximum efficiency. ¡°I hear you came asking after me before. I didn¡¯t expect you¡¯d be this eager to see me again. And don¡¯t touch that yet.¡±


    Podrick¡¯s hand freezes a few centimetres from the arm, flinching back as he glances over at the back of Emily¡¯s head.


    ¡°Sorry, I couldn¡¯t help myself,¡± he says sheepishly, scratching the side of his head as he slips the bag from his shoulders and drops down onto an empty stool. ¡°Also, I didn¡¯t find you last time, so of course I had to try again. Calypso just got back from another run to the Woods.¡±


    ¡°Has business been good?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Anton¡¯s been on cloud nine since we parted. Thanks to your upgrades, Calypso¡¯s one of the fastest cargo ships in the company and we¡¯re in pretty high demand. We¡¯ve been all over the country already.¡±


    There¡¯s excitement in Podrick¡¯s voice as he speaks, but Emily catches a waiver in his tone and glances back to see the hesitation on his face, as he rolls something around his mouth that he can¡¯t find the words to start.


    ¡°Have you been enjoying that?¡± she asks, standing up and turning to one of the lathes at the edge of the platform to start cutting a piece for the arm¡¯s blade assembly.


    ¡°The travelling¡¯s been great,¡± Podrick says with a nod, his gaze following her hands without missing a beat as she works. ¡°This country feels so much more alive than Modo did! We saw this really cool street performance a few weeks ago when we stopped in a city in the south. They filled the streets with fire!¡±


    He pauses, moving a hand to trace the grip of one of his revolvers.


    ¡°But it feels kind of... aimless?¡± he takes a deep breath, machina buzzing faintly across his skin. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to learn from Ash while working on my own creations, and I¡¯m happy with what I¡¯ve made so far, but they stopped giving me inspiration months ago, and nothing I¡¯ve seen since your work has even come close.¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± Emily asks, shutting off the steam flow to the lathe and finally turning her full attention to the boy, fixing him with her perpetual scowl. ¡°You want inspiration?¡±


    ¡°I want you to teach me.¡±


    Emily blinks in surprise at his words, but a moment later, the grimace that she¡¯s worn since the initial excitement about her new project subsided vanishes. Her lips quirk into a taunting grin as her eyes narrow and her machina roils beneath her skin.


    The dense, crackling energy rushes from her cortex, ionising the air around her with a buzzing static that makes the hairs on Podrick¡¯s neck stand on end.


    His breath catches in his throat again as Emily¡¯s pressure crushes down on his shoulders, but he holds her intense gaze while tightening his grip on his weapon.


    ¡°You¡¯ve asked for my tutelage before,¡± she replies in a deathly calm voice, not a trace of the pressure she¡¯s exerting present in her tone.


    ¡°I did.¡± Podrick nods, swallowing down his fear and tensing his jaw. ¡°You asked me why you should teach me.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Three months.¡±


    His grip relaxes, slipping from his revolver as he leans back in his seat and reaches for his bag. He pulls out a small notepad before tossing it towards Emily who catches its metal spine with her machina, levitating it over to skim through.


    ¡°That¡¯s how long your blessing lasted.¡±


    Her eyes scan over a detailed log tracking a slow reduction in his meditation speed.


    The rest of the notepad contains dozens of blueprints sketched across the pages for several weapons, including the revolvers at his sides, and various vehicle parts. One page bears a particularly impressive design for an airship engine, a little worse than Calypso¡¯s current heart, but better than it was before Emily¡¯s touch.


    ¡°That¡¯s my work. They¡¯re obviously worse than anything you¡¯d design, but I¡¯ll get better.¡±


    Emily floats the pad back to him, making eye contact again and watching the sweat drip from his brow.


    ¡°So?¡± she presses, urging him to fully voice the offer she thinks he¡¯s making.


    ¡°I want you to teach me... in return for me.¡±


    Sparks ripple along Emily¡¯s magical limb as her emotions fluctuate, but Podrick doesn¡¯t flinch.


    ¡°I realised I don¡¯t have anything to offer in terms of skill or resources, so you can perform any tests you want to on me.¡±


    The buzzing in her mind grows so loud she can barely hear his words.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you with any menial tasks you have, and give you copies of all my designs.¡±


    Emily¡¯s breath catches as loneliness, hope, comfort, and fear perform a chaotic dance in her heart, too closely entwined and too overwhelmingly powerful for her to try separating with her usual clinical precision. For once, she doesn¡¯t push the feelings down, letting them run rampant as tears form and evaporate in her eyes before the boy watching her can even notice, too busy steeling his own resolve.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do your shopping or cook your meals. I¡¯ll follow you into battle. I just... I don¡¯t want to end up stuck making airships my whole life when I feel like I could be so much better!¡± he finishes, panting slightly and clutching a hand to his chest as he fights to hold her gaze.


    Emily stares deep into his emerald-green eyes, drinking in his curiosity and burning desire for self-improvement.


    ¡°If I agree to this,¡± she says, taking a step towards him. ¡°There¡¯s no turning back.¡±


    He nods.


    ¡°You¡¯ll follow my instructions without question.¡±


    Her boot rings out on the metal below.


    ¡°You might die.¡±


    Another step closer.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to fend for yourself and keep up: you¡¯re useless to me if you slow me down.¡±


    He swallows and tilts his head up to hold her gaze.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to leave your family behind. My plans go beyond just this planet and I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll return within their lifetime.¡±


    He sucks in a sharp breath, a flicker of doubt crossing his face as he¡¯s caught off guard by her bold declaration, but he nods nonetheless.


    ¡°Mum likes you, and she always tells me to follow my heart. They¡¯ll understand.¡±


    Emily reaches out, touching her crackling metal arm to his forehead gently. Her power seeps into his body and he relaxes, letting her in.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she says, releasing her pressure as Mother¡¯s Blessing takes hold of the young mechanic again. ¡°I accept you, Podrick Rockworth, as my first apprentice.¡±


    Tears form in his eyes as his lips part in an ecstatic grin. He clenches the hand on his chest into a fist, tucking his free arm behind his back and lowering his head in a deep bow.


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Emily smiles a warm, genuine smile at the boy so eager to follow her, letting out a soft laugh that makes him look up from his bow to confirm what he heard was real.


    ¡°I look forward to working with you,¡± she says, basking in the momentary euphoria that quickly fades into the background again, leaving room for her contorted negative emotions to rush back in at once.


    She turns away as her expression falls back into a slight scowl, pushing machina back into her cortex and finding the wild crackling in her emotional centres has reduced by ten per cent.


    The resistance to resealing my emotions is weaker! That burst of positive emotions helped. Do I just need to let them run their course and run out of energy?


    Her eyes drift towards the half-finished arm as she ponders her theory.


    A negative spike should work then...


    ¡°So... What would you like me to do?¡± Podrick asks, snapping her back to focus.


    ¡°Here,¡± she reaches out, pulling his notebook from his grasp again with a tug of machina and taking out the pen hooked into the spine to draw out the blueprint for a telescoping, arm-length blade. ¡°Try making this for me.¡±


    ***


    After a couple more days of sleepless work, with neither Emily nor Podrick leaving the workshop once, despite Earnie vanishing several times to rest, they add the finishing touches to her new arm.


    Staring at the completed masterpiece in awe, both Podrick and Earnie turn to look at Emily, their eyes landing on the mangled stump that sits exposed after she disperses her magical limb.


    ¡°So,¡± Podrick says, glancing at the mass of needle-thin, metal alloy spikes protruding from the bicep end of the mechanical replacement. ¡°How are you going to install it? Need help?¡±


    ¡°Actually,¡± Emily responds, reaching out to brush her fingers over the smooth metal plating that will soon replace what was once skin. ¡°I¡¯d like to do this alone, please.¡±


    They both nod in agreement, noticing the intense look in her eyes, and quietly slip away to give her space.


    Emily takes a seat on a stool beside the workbench, pulling out a few tools and placing them down on the surface, lining them up in parallel as she takes the time to follow a slow, rhythmic breathing pattern. She places the last tool into place before shutting her eyes and reaching for the first, a set of metal shears.


    She cuts away the fabric around her shoulder, completely exposing her flesh for the coming surgery.


    The shears slip to the floor when she¡¯s done, but Emily doesn¡¯t even notice the clatter of metal on metal as she slowly releases her hold on her emotions, letting a crushing wave of guilt, anger, and sadness flow through her as her fingers close around a thin metal handle.


    Cocky.


    She lifts the delicate tool to her arm, pressing the thin blade to her flesh and slipping it below the surface with unnerving ease. She doesn¡¯t disable her pain receptors, letting the bite of the cold blade wash over her and keep her focused on the surgery despite the raging emotions threatening to drown her.


    She draws the knife around the stump, creating a stark line of deep, dark red a centimetre above the roughly healed end.


    Selfish.


    Emily drops the small blade, picking up another slightly longer knife that she plunges into the red line. It chews through muscle and sinew without resistance as she pushes it around, brushing the edge with a flicker of metal mana to keep it from blunting against her reinforced flesh.


    Overconfident.


    The knife slips from her hand as well, clattering into the pool of blood below it as she picks up the last tool. It looks similar to a simple hand-held saw, with a serrated metal cable in place of a blade and a slightly bulkier handle. There¡¯s a cable hanging from the base of the handle, slotted into one of the Steam Source¡¯s plugs.


    She squeezes a button on the handle and the cable hums to life with a steady vibration.


    Careless.


    The cable slides through the parted flesh and hits the bone at the centre of her stump. Emily grits her teeth as it slowly cuts through, buzzing in place and sending sickening shudders through her shoulder.


    Weak.


    The end of the stump falls to the floor with a squelch, and Emily drops the saw after it, panting with relief for a few moments before reaching for the new mechanical limb. She lifts it by the bicep, moving it into place and holding the mounting cuff just in front of the flat disc of flesh waiting for it, the metal spikes only millimetres away.


    Mana pours from the stump, forcing out a squirt of blood before she cuts off the circulation to the limb with a crackle of machina, leaving the exposed flesh clean to help line up the spikes. Runes curl around the missing limb, and Forgemaster¡¯s signature mana threads extend from the cut surface, stretching out to wrap the connection needles.


    Broken.


    The metal spikes soften, bending and twisting to line up as she closes the distance between the prosthetic and her flesh, driving the warm metal deep into the nerves of her arm. The pain spikes, filling her mind completely as mana and machina rush to the new limb, pouring through the connecting spikes and flowing into the delicate wiring filling it like veins.


    Her entire body tenses and she curls around the alien limb as her senses extend into it, momentarily overwhelming her as she melds with the arm as if the metal were always a part of her.


    A second later she relaxes, leaning back and letting out a long, shaky breath with a mixture of relief and bubbling euphoria as something clicks deep within her.


    Emily flexes her metal digits, running her thumb over the others and noticing a muted lack of tactile feedback. Her emotions quickly equalise again, dropping her back into an intimately familiar state of numb calm.


    ¡°Finally,¡± she breaths with relief, checking her cortex and finding her emotions locked away back inside the structure buried at the bottom of the organ. ¡°Whole again.¡±

 Chapter 172 – The Wonder of Weapons

    This emotional suppression isn¡¯t healthy.


    One of Emily¡¯s cores forms a small bird of crackling charge, sending it out to alert Podrick and Earnie as she rolls her shoulder, feeling out the connection with her new mechanical limb.


    Having my emotions locked in this... emotional vault, has limited my enjoyment of my day-to-day life. The emotional separation is helpful for my memory and certain situations, but I should be able to control it.


    The metal hangs heavily against her flesh, but it isn¡¯t uncomfortable. The segmented cuff touching the flesh of her bicep rotates, tightening with a thought as a tingling feeling of strength surges through her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to work something out later,¡± she mutters quietly. ¡°For now...¡±


    A quick glance at the system explains the refreshing power flowing through her veins.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Emily ¨C Left Arm {Gen.1}]


    [Rank:] D


    [Stats:] +8 Str, +6 Dex, +3 Agil, +3 Vit


    [Description:] An enchanted mechanical prosthesis to replace Emily Coldstone¡¯s left arm. Contains an integrated activator for The Clock and a spatial quick-change weapons system.


    [Effect:] When activated, merges with the host to replace the function of an arm.


    _____


    ¡°This is incredible.¡±


    Podrick and Earnie step back into the workshop, following the tweeting bird of blue energy, and approach Emily to admire her creation with her.


    She holds the limb up to the light, curling and flexing the delicate metal fingers, formed to be a near identical mirror of those on her right, with small lesser spatial crystals embedded into their bases, just above her knuckles.


    Her eyes trace the faintly visible cracks spreading across the dark metal of her palm, drawn in a unique pattern mirroring the creases on her right hand, before moving to the reinforced ball joint in place of her wrist.


    Emily flexes the hand back and forth, noting it doesn¡¯t stretch back quite as far as her organic wrist once did, but it can rotate a full three hundred and sixty degrees, a quality the elbow shares.


    Her new forearm is made from several panels of plain alloy plating pressed together with a spatial crystal fixed in the centre, but no signs of any runes. The metal segments of her bicep are much the same. However, instead of a spatial crystal in the centre, there¡¯s an empty circular socket.


    ¡°Can we know what that¡¯s for now?¡± Podrick asks, noticing her gaze resting on the socket she never explained.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a place to keep this,¡± Emily replies, lifting The Clock from a pocket in the lining of her robes.


    She flexes her mechanical bicep in the same way she would if it were organic, with a small twitch of machina, and feels a small mechanical servo above the socket activate.


    Perfect!


    Raising The Clock, she presses it into the socket with its activation button pressed against the actuator of the servo. The metal shifts, curling up around the edges of the timepiece and leaving only its face exposed.


    Podrick seems slightly confused by the addition, but he chooses not to ask any more when Emily nods with satisfaction, turning his focus to the important question.


    ¡°How does it feel?¡±


    Emily straightens her fingers and flexes her arm.


    Her forearm splits open, revealing small purple runes covering its inside surfaces, and exposing the moving pistons, gears, and wires packed together in a delicate balance in place of her flesh and blood. Her palm opens too, revealing a gaping hole through the centre.


    The hole looks far too large for the small space available between her mechanical muscles, but neither Podrick nor Earnie question it, both already used to spatial magic.


    ¡°Just right,¡± Emily answers with a fleeting smile.


    The magic crystal in her thumb pulses, pouring a dense purple mist into the hole in her palm that solidifies a moment later into a complicated mechanical contraption that seals the gap.


    She tilts her palm away, feeling the machina and mana flowing through the entire limb, including the new addition tucked into an expanded space in her forearm, as smoothly as it does through her flesh. A flash of light blinds Earnie and Podrick for a moment, and as their eyes adjust, they see Emily admiring a silver blade the length of her forearm.


    ¡°The tension balance could use a little work, but you followed my instructions well,¡± Emily praises Podrick¡¯s work, retracting the blade and making a mental note to enchant it later.


    She withdraws it back into her thumb and draws upon the crystal in her pointer finger next.


    Her arm adjusts around the new attachment, and she glances at Earnie, gesturing with her head towards his testing target control panel.


    ¡°If you would, please?¡±


    ¡°On it,¡± he responds, turning to set up a test.


    ¡°So, is it an attachment per finger?¡± Podrick asks while the unawakened mechanic fiddles with his controls.


    ¡°No, the spaces I¡¯ve created in these fingers could easily fit ten attachments each,¡± Emily responds, watching the ceiling above them adjust, ready to fire targets for her. ¡°I just like to keep them organised. Thumb for melee, pointer for ranged.¡±


    She raises her arm, standing in a relaxed stance and nodding at Earnie. Her pinkie lights up as a channel of needle-thin engraved lines glow purple, flowing down into her palm.


    ¡°Little finger for ammo.¡±


    Machina and mana crackle to life in sync in her forearm, twisting together to form a spiralling coil between a lightning crystal in the rear of the weapon attachment and a lesser lightning crystal buzzing in the palm of her hand.


    The scrap cannons above her fire to life, filling the air with scattered refuse, and her machina flicks the firing mechanism in her forearm.


    A small cylindrical projectile is injected into the rear of the barrel and immediately ripped forward with the hum of lightning. The bullet flies from her palm, and machina dances across her fingers.


    Emily flicks her wrist, faster than the blink of an eye, redirecting the projectile and sending it off to plough through two malformed gears with a howling crack.


    Another twitch and a second bullet cuts through the air, shattering a brittle wooden rifle body and burying itself in the sand below.


    Podrick and Earnie watch in awe as she systematically shreds the falling debris, firing off nearly a dozen devastating shots a second.


    She doesn¡¯t move from her spot, firmly rooted to the working platform with only her arm moving, until the scrap stops falling thirty seconds later.


    ¡°Damn, that¡¯s impressive,¡± Earnie mutters as he shuts off the test. ¡°How¡¯s it shooting without powder?¡±


    ¡°A mixture of magic and,¡± she pauses, glancing at Podrick before continuing, ¡°electricity. It¡¯s an electromagnetic cannon balanced using magic. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have sufficient technology to create and control them without magic. Yet.¡±


    Podrick doesn¡¯t notice her gaze as he peers over the edge of the platform, staring at some of the destroyed scraps.


    ¡°That thing hits scarily hard,¡± he mutters. ¡°Those holes are huge, and some of them look half-melted.¡±


    ¡°It puts more energy into each shot than a small artillery shell, and the projectiles I¡¯m using right now are about two fingers wide. This one can go smaller too if I want, but I¡¯ll have to design another launcher for larger, less uniform projectiles like the blades in my old Claws.¡±


    Emily shifts her arm again, pulling the projectile launcher back into her pointer finger and releasing the last finished attachment from her thumb. This one is a much simpler mechanism than the last, consisting mostly of an extra battery, to complement the main cells thrumming beneath the surface of her bicep, and capacitors.


    She activates it, watching electricity arc between her fingers with a fizzling pop.


    ¡°All the extras work,¡± she says as she deactivates the current, closing her mechanical fist. ¡°Shall we test crushing force next?¡±


    ***


    Two days later, a mercenary from Silver Moon knocks on the workshop door and requests Emily¡¯s presence at headquarters to meet Old Man Silver again.


    She tosses the half-finished spear she was inspecting back to Podrick so he can continue his work and follows the mercenary out and across the city. In the headquarters, Emily leaves her guide and slips out of the main room through one of the hidden B rank exclusive passageways.


    She makes her way straight towards the only fourth circle presence she can feel in the building, arriving at Old Man Silver¡¯s office.


    ¡°Come in,¡± he calls out before she can knock, so she pushes the door open and steps into the surprisingly cosy space on the other side.


    The room is a lot smaller than Emily expected, with wood panelling on the walls and a stone fireplace crackling away despite the beating sun outside.


    Old Man Silver is sitting behind the only desk in the room with a cup of steaming tea set before him, scanning Emily with an inquisitive gaze. His eyes pass over her new loose, sandy overalls and the scorched scarf around her neck, before settling on the ticking mechanical limb on proud display thanks to her missing left sleeve.


    ¡°Please, take a seat,¡± he says, gesturing to the plush chair across the desk from him with a matching cup of steaming tea set before it. ¡°You gave us quite a scare there. Even I was asked to visit the front in case of retaliation, but, by your report, it looks like we should have been the ones hitting back. Could I ask you for a more detailed account? It¡¯s hard to get a good picture going from a basic report.¡±


    He taps the side of his head to emphasise his point.


    Emily reaches for the tea, taking a sip and feeling gentle mana brush her tongue with a salty tang. She tastes a familiar earthen bite in the drink that she recognises from her potion brewing.


    Vothral weed tea? I didn¡¯t know it could be used like this.


    ¡°There isn¡¯t much more to add,¡± she says, taking another sip and relaxing back in her seat, drumming her metal digits on the armrest. ¡°We walked into a trap because I got careless. Thinking back now, Pretty Boy was acting strangely from the moment we were assigned the mission, before that too. He displayed clear signs of visual discomfort when mixing with the group while we passed through no-man¡¯s-land, repeatedly fidgeted with a set of pistols I suspect had communication crystals hidden within, and he always asked more questions about my scouting and anti-detection measures than I should have answered.¡±


    Old Man Silver frowns, leaning forward and taking a sip from his own drink.


    ¡°That sounds obvious in hindsight...¡± he trails off, leaving her to read his meaning herself.


    ¡°Yes, and it should have been obvious at the time too. I was overconfident and made a mistake. I won¡¯t repeat it. Simple,¡± she declares firmly, clenching her mechanical fist. ¡°I¡¯ll build a team I can trust, and I¡¯ve already started working on more contingency plans for if I¡¯m surprised again.¡±


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re okay with that, I won¡¯t press any further. I know the loss of a team can be trying.¡±


    He flashes her a small smile before nodding to her hand.


    ¡°While that looks incredible, I know an Elder who can regenerate it instead if you want.¡±


    ¡°No, thank you. I...¡± She lifts the limb, rolling her fingers over each other smoothly. ¡°Quite like it.¡±


    A light mist of purple mana seeps from her twisting fingers, forming into a thick coin of metal, twice the width of New Denntimo¡¯s usual currency and shining with a dull silver hue. Emily holds the coin between her thumb and forefinger, squeezing them together and bending the coin in half with a single steady motion.


    Before her audience can react, her hand twitches and the fixed blade protrudes from her palm, rocketing to full extension. The folded coin splinters in half, flying out and tumbling to the floor with a light thud.


    ¡°And it certainly won¡¯t decrease my lethality.¡±


    Old Man Silver lets out an impressed whistle as his eyes trace the thin edge of the long blade.


    ¡°Impressive. How is it connected? I¡¯ve never seen such a well-articulated prosthetic.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, that isn¡¯t a technical detail I can share. Just a small personal quirk,¡± Emily responds with a wink, unwilling to elaborate for now.


    ¡°I see... Anyway, what about this dungeon then? I¡¯ve never heard of one forming when a mana vein is destroyed before.¡±


    ¡°Me neither, but I¡¯m guessing it has something to do with how long that oasis has existed for. I have a running theory on time, mana, and consciousness, but I need more data to finish it.¡±


    ¡°You believe mana veins can become conscious?¡± Silver asks with a disbelieving chuckle, finishing his cup and standing up to collect the boiling kettle from where it¡¯s hanging over the burning fireplace.


    ¡°I believe it¡¯s a possibility.¡± Emily shrugs, not mentioning the dungeon¡¯s communication with her system.


    Silver refills both their cups before sitting back down.


    ¡°So, Everette Dennal?¡± he says with a knowing grin. ¡°What did you think?¡±


    ¡°Waste of mana,¡± she replies without a change in expression, causing Silver to chuckle softly to himself. ¡°I was focused on ending him as quickly as possible for fear of fighting a fourth circle mage without most of my weapons, but he barely put up any resistance. It was disappointingly easy.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, not something most could say,¡± Silver says, pulling a set of papers from a drawer and tossing them over his desk.


    Emily scans over the scattered sheets, seeing countless names marked against several mercenary companies and the Defence Force.


    ¡°That¡¯s his list of confirmed kills in the war so far.¡±


    She blinks in surprise but nods a moment later.


    He was still a fourth circle mage. Even if he was unprepared to fight me.


    ¡°Well, I say so far, but you¡¯ve put a stop to him now, something we¡¯ve struggled to find a chance to do for years. Thank you. Both for that and successfully completing your mission despite the setbacks. I have increased your contribution, but that isn¡¯t an appropriate reward on its own. Is there anything specific you would like?¡±


    ¡°Actually, there are a few things.¡± Emily nods. ¡°I have an apprentice I¡¯ll be taking on any jobs I take from now on. I¡¯d like to sign him up and administer his entrance test myself. I need to make sure he hasn¡¯t been slacking on physical training since I last saw him.¡±


    ¡°It can be easily done. You don¡¯t even need to use any contribution for that. Just bring him in and ask at the reception, I¡¯ll make sure they know you¡¯re permitted to test him.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. In that case, do you know of any spare mana veins? I want to build a factory.¡±

 Chapter 173 – Pod

    A week later, Podrick follows Emily through the front doors of the Silver Moon Mercenary Headquarters as she walks purposefully towards an empty counter. He chases after her, his gaze scanning the room and the countless pairs of eyes following them.


    ¡°Savage Moon?¡± he mutters in a questioning tone, picking up on several whispered conversations at the tables they pass.


    ¡°Not my choice,¡± Emily replies with a dismissive shrug. ¡°It stuck after I broke a few bones sparring on my first outpost deployment.¡±


    ¡°I think it fits.¡±


    She glances over at the grinning boy beside her and decides not to respond, turning her focus to the waiting receptionist before them.


    I guess I am a little violent.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m here to sign him up and administer his entrance test,¡± she says to the man waiting with his hands politely folded in front of his waist, gesturing to Podrick with her metal thumb and watching the man try to school his surprise.


    ¡°Of course, Miss Emily,¡± the clerk says with a small bow of his head, turning to pull a registration form from a set of drawers behind him. ¡°Is he an awakened applicant?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she lies.


    ¡°In that case.¡± The man turns back around and hands Podrick a sheet of paper and a pen. ¡°Please fill out this form.¡±


    Podrick nods and starts covering the page with his details as the receptionist retrieves another sheet to hand to Emily.


    ¡°This covers the basic entrance requirements. Please just test and mark his results against this, before giving your rank recommendation in the box at the top and handing both forms back to a member of our staff to process.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Emily says, taking the sheet and reading over the basic tests, ignoring any related to magic.


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure to help.¡±


    Emily taps Podrick on the shoulder before leading him over to an empty table to finish filling out his form.


    ¡°There you go,¡± he says proudly after a minute, placing his pen down and handing the sheet to Emily to check.


    Codename: Pod. Moderate hand-to-hand combat and shooting ability, light scouting... I guess his alarms count. Sixteen?


    ¡°When¡¯d you turn sixteen?¡± she asks without looking up.


    ¡°About a month after we separated: nineteenth of the fourth.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± Emily hums in thought, tucking the forms into the remade utility belt around her waist and standing up.


    She doesn¡¯t need to say a word as Podrick slips out of his seat to follow her further into the building.


    ¡°So,¡± Emily says as they pass through the double doors Muscle Mountain led her through for her own evaluation, glancing at her companion with a raised brow. ¡°Pod?¡±


    He meets her gaze before looking away and scratching his head sheepishly.


    ¡°It¡¯s what everyone on Calypso called me, and I couldn¡¯t think of anything better.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Emily reassures him, leading him into the shooting range. ¡°Better than something stupid like Pretty Boy.¡±


    They only have to pass three training groups to set up in an empty lane. Emily wraps the entire thing in a silencing barrier to remove the sound of irregular gunfire from the nearby mercenaries before turning to face her eager apprentice.


    ¡°Prove those aren¡¯t just for show,¡± she commands, gesturing to the pistols at his hips with her head.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Pod grins, turning to face the targets.


    His hands drift down to sit on the polished wooden handles of his revolvers as he shuts his eyes and takes a deep breath.


    His eyes snap open and he draws a weapon, firing a shot in almost the same instant. The hammer of the gun in his right hand slams home, releasing a bullet that sails down the range and embeds itself into the head of a dummy target.


    A crackle of machina bursts from his skin, wrapping around the end of the hammer and pulling it back as his other hand draws.


    A second shot rings out, thudding into another target dummy¡¯s throat as the first hammer clicks back into place and the attached cylinder rotates the spent casing out of the way.


    Emily watches his movements closely as he adjusts and fires, aiming one hand at a time but switching fast enough it wouldn¡¯t be noticeable to a normal person.


    He fires twelve shots and hits twelve targets, aiming for their heads, throats, and chests, before popping the cylinders on his guns and dropping the empty casings to the floor. Pod crosses the revolvers in the small of his back and uses a spark of his machina to open the ammo pouch waiting there, pulling a new set of bullets into place with a few tendrils of energy.


    ¡°Your machina control has improved a lot.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Pod beams, going to holster his guns and pausing when Emily gestures for them.


    ¡°And your shooting would definitely qualify you for high-rank shooting ability, so you were modest there,¡± she says, taking the guns out of his hands and running her thumbs along the grips as she turns to the targets. ¡°However, that¡¯s only because their standards for shooting are... human. We can be so much more.¡±


    Emily tilts her arms, lining up her first shots before squeezing both triggers in sync. A single crack rings out as both guns kick.


    She relaxes her wrists, letting the recoil guide her hands towards their next targets. The hammers on both revolvers click back into place, and in an instant, a second crack sounds as two more bullets flash between the barrels and the target dummies.


    Her arms cross and her wrists spin with unnatural speed and precision, lining up two more shots that kick the guns back towards their original places.


    Three more shots ring out, the first and last trigger pull coming so close together that Pod struggles to follow them, and Emily¡¯s arms flick out to her sides. The cylinders to the guns pop open, scattering spent casings as she pulls twelve fresh bullets from the pouch on Pod¡¯s back with a crackle of machina.


    ¡°Just because you¡¯re using two guns, doesn¡¯t mean you have to handle them separately. Your method will work fine for you, especially when you ascend and gain more threads to use, but you should train your parallel processing sooner rather than later if you can.¡±


    She hands the revolvers back to him as he distractedly stares down range, trying to burn her display into his memory.


    ¡°As for the rest... Well, that seems like it was enough for now,¡± Emily says with an approving nod, turning around and removing the sound barrier around them. ¡°Come on, physical combat next.¡±


    Pod doesn¡¯t respond, trapped in his own mind as Emily leads him to the environmental training hall. He only snaps out of it when Emily takes his spear from her belt and tosses it to him. He looks up in shock and catches the bronze and silver metal rod before it can hit the floor.


    ¡°Careful!¡± he gasps in panic, checking on the weapon head and sighing in relief when he sees it hasn¡¯t gone off.


    ¡°Pay attention,¡± she responds with a cold tone that immediately calls him to attention.


    He looks up and sees Emily standing with her right arm behind her back. Her left is held out with the blade he made extending from her palm, and she¡¯s staring at him with a calm, predatory glare that sends a shiver down his spine.


    ¡°You know the drill,¡± Emily says, raising her blade and dropping into a comfortable stance. ¡°Come at me like your life depends upon it.¡±


    Taking her words as a cue, Pod springs forward, grasping the shaft of his spear and sweeping it towards her face without hesitation.


    ¡°Good!¡±


    Emily slips her blade past the bulky head of his weapon, catching the shaft and using the contact to harmlessly redirect the swing over her head. The spear keeps spinning, maintaining its momentum and sending the butt of the weapon arcing towards Emily¡¯s chin.


    She meets the metal pole with her metal elbow, not even flinching at the impact as Pod winces from the vibrations running up his arms. He quickly withdraws his weapon and rolls backwards as Emily slashes where he once stood, rising to his feet before slowly circling her, watching for an opening.


    Emily slips back into a relaxed stance, not bothering to follow him with her gaze even as he passes behind her.


    Pod takes the only chance he can see, thrusting his spear forward in a sudden jab the moment he leaves her peripheral vision, but her left arm extends out backwards, flexing the wrong way at the elbow. The blade in her hand once again hits the spear¡¯s shaft, sending Pod¡¯s thrust into empty space.


    This time, instead of slashing at him, Emily retracts the blade from her palm and grabs the shaft of his spear.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Pod mutters, abandoning his weapon and leaping back.


    ¡°You¡¯ve made an interesting weapon here,¡± Emily says, turning to face him as she raises the spear over her shoulder in a throwing motion. ¡°But you need a way to refill the explosive tip on the fly if you want to use it in a fight like this. Then you can use it as a distraction, not just as a finisher.¡±


    Her arm buzzes with machina, the internal pistons firing at nearly full force, whipping the limb forward and sending the spear out in a blur. Pod dives aside the moment she starts moving, but the spearhead slams into the dirt in front of him before he¡¯s clear, activating its internal detonator. The buried head of the spear explodes, releasing a spray of sand and smoke, and sending Pod and the weapon tumbling in opposite directions.


    ¡°See,¡± Emily calls after him, relaxing her stance and walking over. ¡°If you hit the floor around me with a few of those, I would have been forced to take you a little more seriously.¡±


    She stops above the boy lying on his back covered in sand with his trousers lightly scorched and his hair ruffled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± he grumbles, wincing as he pushes himself off the floor.


    Emily offers him a hand and pulls him to his feet before turning to collect his spear. She lifts it from where it rolled after the explosion, finding the head slightly blackened but otherwise unharmed, with barely any visible wear, even around the vents that release the explosive payload.


    ¡°It¡¯s smart though,¡± she says, tucking the weapon back into her belt and making a mental note to make Pod his own spatial item later. ¡°I do like the design.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Pod grins, brushing the sand from his top. ¡°Did I pass the combat test?¡±


    ¡°Your spearmanship is shoddy at best,¡± she responds, making him flinch at the poor evaluation. ¡°But you haven¡¯t had time to adjust to that weapon yet, and your basics are solid, so I¡¯ll pass you for their standards.¡±


    Pod breathes a sigh of relief, relaxing before she continues.


    ¡°You need more practice though.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± He nods without complaint.


    As Emily turns to leave the training hall, she notices a small group of four mercenaries approaching them.


    ¡°Hello there,¡± their leader, a short woman with a pair of daggers at her waist, says, greeting Emily with a respectful bow of her head. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help but hear you mention a lack of practice. Would you be interested in a spar with another spearman?¡±


    The woman steps aside, gesturing to a lanky man standing a little behind her with a steel spear clasped in his grip.


    Emily¡¯s evaluating gaze scans the group, not detecting a trace of mana coming from any of them except the woman speaking.


    ¡°That would be very useful, thank you,¡± Emily replies with a polite smile before turning to face Pod.


    She pulls out his spear and places it back into his hand as the smile vanishes from her face like it never existed.


    ¡°You¡¯re allowed to take three hits,¡± she whispers quietly enough for only him to hear, patting him on the shoulder. ¡°Any more and we do combat drills tonight.¡±


    A shiver runs down Pod¡¯s spine, but he steps up to face his new sparring partner regardless.


    ***


    That evening, Emily gives in to a request from Pod. They head to a small pub at the far end of Merc Street with the squad they met earlier to thank them for their time and to celebrate Pod successfully joining the company as a D rank mercenary.


    Emily buys everyone a round of drinks before settling down with them in a private booth tucked into the corner of the dimly lit bar, sipping from a glass containing a mix of several mild magical poisons.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re both weaponsmiths?¡± Beanpole, the spearman of the group, asks Pod, his cheeks flushed red as he sips from the glass of ale in his hand.


    ¡°Mechanics,¡± Pod corrects proudly, taking a swig from his matching glass. ¡°We make a lot more than just weapons.¡±


    ¡°Still,¡± Flying Dagger, the leader of the small group, mumbles, sipping her ale. ¡°It¡¯s weird to think The Savage Moon makes things.¡±


    Emily doesn¡¯t respond to the nickname, quietly sipping her drink and tasting an earthy blend of plant-based ingredients.


    The venom bombs I had in Ashdon were nicer.


    The conversation continues around Emily without her input as Pod questions the group on their own names, listening to the others recounting the tale of the party that got Flying Dagger hers when she drunkenly threw one of her blades at a captain of the Defence Force.


    The unawakened mercenaries end up slumped over the table less than an hour later, with Flying Dagger barely holding on as she tries to drag her friends to their feet. Pod laughs at them, sipping on the magical concoction he switched to after his fourth beer of the night with a deep flush colouring his cheeks.


    ¡°Hey, Pod,¡± Emily calls to the boy softly, drawing his attention away from the fumbling drunks.


    ¡°Yes?¡± he responds while meeting her eyes and doing his best to suppress his giggles as Flying Dagger trips over and falls face-first onto Beanpole¡¯s back.


    ¡°Why do you want to follow me?¡±


    He tilts his head in confusion, as if he doesn¡¯t understand the simple question.


    ¡°Since you met me, I¡¯ve been violent, unstable, and dismissive. If I were in your place, I¡¯d never trust me, let alone try to sell myself to me in return for some teaching.¡±


    Pod crinkles his face in deep thought for a moment before shrugging and downing the rest of his drink.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. You don¡¯t seem that bad to me.¡±


    She raises a brow, finishing her matching glass before setting it down on the table.


    ¡°I mean, sure, you¡¯re a bit violent and unstable. But I wouldn¡¯t really call you dismissive? Even when I asked you to make me a mage out of nowhere, you took the time to point out what was wrong with my request. That¡¯s nice!¡± Pod grins, flashing her his teeth as he works hard not to slur his words.


    ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve never felt like you actually want to hurt me... I trust my heart... mum always told me to... she likes you too...¡±


    He completely brushed over the instability and violence...


    ¡°Psycho,¡± Emily mutters under her breath as Pod yawns, shutting his eyes and letting his head rock back as he slips into incoherent mumbling.


    He never sees the small smile that cracks Emily¡¯s cold mask as she stands up and slips an arm under his to carry him back to the workshop.

 Chapter 174 – Moving Again

    ¡°Whereabouts are you heading off to then?¡± Earnie asks as Emily sweeps the last of her scattered tools into her belt, leaving the workshop work surfaces empty for the first time in weeks.


    ¡°The shores north of Valum,¡± she responds, glancing over to check on Pod as he adjusts the straps of the sleek new bag that she made him with integrated spatial storage.


    ¡°That¡¯s an odd choice. Why the shores? One of my best iron suppliers is situated just south of Valum, surely that¡¯s better?¡±


    ¡°Your iron supplier won¡¯t have what I need to set up my factory. Though, if you¡¯re willing to put me in contact with your suppliers, I would be interested in placing a bulk order for some materials.¡±


    ¡°It can be easily done. Will you be able to receive messages sent to Valum?¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Emily says, reaching into her belt and producing a palm-sized rectangle of metal and glass.


    The centre of the rectangle is a blank glass panel etched with faint, glowing purple lines, wrapped within a polished silver metal casing. The edges of the panel are lit by a soft light deep within the metal casing, and Earnie turns it in his hands when Emily gives it to him, trying to peer through the glass into the light.


    ¡°This is a new communicator,¡± she explains, tapping the panel in his hand with a spark of mana and causing her name to appear at the top of the glass pane in glowing purple lettering. ¡°It will allow you to call anyone in your contacts list by tapping on their name. It only works within the borders of New Denntimo for now.¡±


    ¡°I-¡°


    ¡°Can¡¯t use magic to add people like that,¡± Emily cuts him off. ¡°I know. You can do what I just did by simply tapping your communicator to another matching piece. I¡¯ve given Old Man Silver one already, so you can go add him when we¡¯re gone.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Earnie says with a grateful nod, holding the tablet out for Pod to tap with his own. ¡°You¡¯ll have to let me know when you¡¯re set up. I want to get a look at what you can do with a little more space before I keel over.¡±


    Concern flickers across Pod¡¯s face, but Emily doesn¡¯t bat an eye at the old man¡¯s comment.


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll give you a tour sometime,¡± she says, leading Pod towards the door. ¡°Just don¡¯t die before I call. The experience may change your life.¡±


    ***


    On a train humming along beneath the city towards the docks, Pod looks over at Emily sitting motionless with her eyes shut.


    ¡°Yes?¡± she asks without opening them, sensing the curiosity burning in the boy¡¯s gaze.


    He hesitates for a moment, not surprised he was noticed but questioning his own judgment.


    ¡°Are you planning on awakening Earnie?¡±


    ¡°What makes you think that?¡± Emily asks in turn, opening her single blue eye to stare back at him.


    ¡°What you said before we left. That a tour may change his life.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± she urges, watching the cogs tick in the boy¡¯s mind as he grows more confident in his deduction.


    ¡°He was talking about his life ending soon, and you only said survive till then, as if the visit was the answer,¡± he continues, rocking back and forth in his seat. ¡°The only way I can think you could increase his lifespan would be magic or an awakening, but Old Man Silver likes him too much to not already have tried the magical solutions. Therefore, you must be considering awakening him, right?¡±


    ¡°Very good,¡± Emily praises with a nod. ¡°However, while you got the correct answer, your logic was flawed. Just because Old Man Silver can¡¯t save him with magic, doesn¡¯t mean it would be out of my ability.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re still planning on awakening him?¡±


    ¡°Yes. For... certain reasons, I believe it¡¯s in my best interests to leave an awakened mechanic behind on this planet when I leave. And, since you plan on following me now, I need to choose someone else for that.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Pod says, blinking in surprise and scratching his head awkwardly. ¡°Sorry?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be.¡± Emily waves off his concern, shutting her eye again to focus on the twisting Spellweave where she¡¯s trying to weaponize the spatial destabilisation runes from Blink. ¡°It will give me a chance to gather some data on awakenings in older subjects.¡±


    Sensing the conversation is over, Pod settles into meditation beside Emily and the rest of the ride passes in comfortable silence. They both rise from their seats like clockwork the moment the hum of the vehicle¡¯s engine dies out at their stop, where they leave the underground to skim through the open-air hangars being loaded and unloaded with goods and people.


    ¡°Which bay?¡± Emily asks Pod, having left the transport arrangements to him to handle.


    ¡°C-5,¡± he responds, looking down the long, packed corridor towards a large doorway with the letter C marked above it.


    They slip through the crowd with ease, entering a narrower hallway lined with bays starting from zero. It¡¯s quieter than the passage behind them, with only a few people hanging around watching the main entry, waiting for people.


    Emily¡¯s gaze quickly locks onto bay five, where she spots a familiar figure leaning against the doorframe, smoking from a small pipe.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d pick up bad habits when I brought you here,¡± she calls out after glancing at the smug boy beside her.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t help myself,¡± Anton says back, grinning as they approach. ¡°They have such high-quality leaves here.¡±


    Emily rolls her eyes and accepts a handshake from the man, catching the scent of magical herbs mixed into his pipe. His eyes drift towards her mechanical limb in the process, but he doesn¡¯t comment despite the concern flashing across his face.


    ¡°It smells like you¡¯re spending good money on it.¡±


    ¡°Bah, it¡¯s not that bad,¡± Anton waves off her comment, looking up and turning to lead her into the hangar. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for my smoking for weeks with this short trip, and you¡¯re barely paying better than our normal trading would.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I hear business has been good,¡± Emily replies, following him in and casting her gaze over Calypso¡¯s familiar contours.


    ¡°In no small part thanks to your upgrades. She¡¯s the fastest of her size in the game!¡±


    They pass Ash and an unfamiliar man adjusting one of the ship¡¯s landing gears and move to the steps up. Anton calls out to inform everyone outside the ship of their coming departure before vanishing inside with Emily and Pod.


    ¡°So, what are you heading towards Valum for? Mercenary work?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m looking to set up a factory,¡± Emily corrects.


    ¡°Are you going to start selling your creations?¡± Anton asks with an interested smile.


    ¡°Some of them, yes. Speaking of, I¡¯m going to need help delivering my goods if you¡¯d be interested in a contract.¡±


    ***


    Late at night the next day, after a relatively uneventful flight with only a short break to wait out a swathe of unstable winds, Calypso floats through the chilling evening breeze above a sprawling city below.


    Unlike Liberte, where all structures are formed from sand and stone, Valum¡¯s buildings are mostly wooden, with only a few stone warehouses lining the border of the desert. The majority of the settlement sits opposite the storage and open-air docks over rolling grassland, and the densely packed civilisation breaks apart the further the city spreads from the stark border between biomes, splitting up into dozens of sprawling fields filled with crops.


    Pod knocks on the door to Emily¡¯s room as the ship starts to float down towards an empty landing bay, pulling her attention away from the view of the landscape visible through the eyes of a new scout latched to the ship¡¯s hull.


    ¡°Yes?¡± she calls, disabling the floating ward behind the door.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be on the ground in a few minutes,¡± Pod responds, opening the door and slipping in. ¡°Are we setting out straight away?¡±


    ¡°It should take us a few hours moving at a moderate pace to reach the coast. We leave now and arrive at daybreak.¡±


    Emily rises from her meditative pose, pulling her protective ward into her belt with a wave of mana and glancing at her status with a fleeting, dissatisfied scowl.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    [Attributes:] Strength 20 (28), Dexterity 67 (73), Agility 56 (59), Vitality 17 (20), Intelligence 141>142


    _____


    My cultivation has slowed considerably. It took almost a month to gain a single point this time, and it only feels like it¡¯s getting harder. I¡¯ll refine my remaining aquacillis fruits soon, but I¡¯ll have to remember to integrate a mana-gathering array in my main working area to aid my passive improvement, or else I¡¯m looking at a few more years at third circle.


    They head towards the ship¡¯s main exit and find a few crew members waiting to depart, most of them the unfamiliar newbies hired after Emily separated from the ship. Pod starts a conversation with some of them, but Emily waits in silence until Anton¡¯s steps echo down the corridor.


    ¡°You¡¯re eager to leave,¡± he says as he spots Emily leaning against the wall beside the door. ¡°What should we do about-¡°


    Emily produces a communication tablet and tosses it to him, giving him the same brief explanation she gave Earnie.


    ¡°Only within New Denntimo¡¯s borders, for now?¡± Anton asks with a raised brow.


    ¡°I plan on setting up a relay using the mana vein where I¡¯m planning to put my factory,¡± Emily explains as the ship¡¯s landing gears touch down, and a shudder passes through it. ¡°The enchantment on these communicators will allow them to bounce their signals through larger relay nodes. I¡¯ll set up another node when I return to Modo to extend their range over the sea.¡±


    ¡°Incredible,¡± he mutters in response, staring at the magical device in his hands. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever really understand it, but magic sure is handy.¡±


    Anton flips the exit lever and the door swings open as the steps fold out. Emily summons a small bundle of gold coins from her belt to pay him as she and Pod step out first.


    A small, midnight-black bird detaches from the bottom of Calypso and flutters over to land on Emily¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Call me when you know what you need taken where,¡± Anton calls after them before they can step onto the dimly lit path leading towards the main city. ¡°And good luck!¡±


    Emily waves back over her shoulder as Pod spins beside her to walk backwards, waving goodbye to his crew with a beaming grin.


    ***


    After reaching the edge of the docks and passing through a small checkpoint to enter the city proper, Emily pulls Pod into a dark alley just off the main street.


    The boy doesn¡¯t question her, watching with intrigue as she pauses to pull several objects from her belt.


    Emily takes out a wind crystal, a thick chunk of bloody meat from a wind-attribute amerax, and a delicate black and silver engraving knife.


    A buzz of machina sticks the knife to her left forearm, leaving her hands free to manipulate her ingredients. She uses the left to crush the crystal between her fingers, gathering the resulting dust with a wave of mana, and the right to guide the disassembly of the meat.


    First, several fine blades of wind split the hunk into smaller pieces, exposing the bones running through it. Then, streams of water shoot from her fingers, clinging to the bones and forcibly working their way through the meat, breaking the flesh holding the bones in place.


    The watery whips retract, pulling out over a dozen white shards which Emily places into her left palm to crush into a powder. As her mechanical hand crunches effortlessly through bone, she releases another wave of mana from her right hand, twisting it into a matrix of sea-blue runes wrapped around the remaining flesh.


    The spell pulses, and within a few seconds all of the blood in the meat is pulled out into the open air before gathering in a small orb above her waiting palm.


    She sends the stripped meat back into her belt and mixes the powdered crystal, bone, and blood together. They combine into a thick, pale pink paste which Emily separates into two equal chunks before forming them into the shape of a horseshoe with an inverted cross between the prongs.


    Next, she casts Forgemaster and wraps the soft forms in cocoons of pressure and heat, glancing over at Pod and noticing his curiosity as she waits for the mix to set.


    ¡°This is an alchemical method I read about being used by mages on the Lerus Isles,¡± she explains. ¡°By using the blood, bone, and magic of a beast, they create destructible charms to temporarily give themselves attributes of their chosen animal. It¡¯s fascinating, but I¡¯m less interested in the physical mutations, so I¡¯m going to carve a stabilising array to try to control it.¡±


    ¡°Cool. What are you trying to do with them now?¡±


    ¡°Increase our speed. The buff given by these should last around six hours if I¡¯ve made them right.¡±


    Emily unwinds the tightly bound magical threads, exposing the two off-white bone charms emitting a faint green glow.


    She grabs them both and rolls the engraving knife down her arm into her palm before deftly cutting away the excess material and tracing the surfaces of the odd shapes with esoteric lettering.


    After a few minutes, she puts the knife away and holds out one of the completed charms to Pod. She throws hers into the ground, smashing it at her feet, and he copies.


    They¡¯re both wrapped in chaotic gales released by the charms, and, after a moment, the twisting winds shrink down to surround their legs.


    ¡°Woah,¡± Pod exclaims, bouncing from side to side and looking down, marvelling at how light he feels as he practically floats with each hop.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Emily murmurs in satisfaction, feeling not a single unwanted change occurring within her body. ¡°Follow me.¡±


    She turns towards the wall and kicks off the ground, rising halfway to the roof in a single bound and kicking off the bare wall to clear the rest of the gap. Pod runs sideways instead, gaining a little speed before he leaps into the wall and kicks off several times to scale his way to the roof.


    Emily doesn¡¯t watch, leaping to the next roof with a calm stride and landing without a sound before she pauses to look back. As her eyes land on the edge of the roof where she climbed up, Pod shoots past her, not even sparing her a glance as he races to gain some ground.


    She smirks, turning to watch him go as he glances over his shoulder three roofs down, grinning with triumph.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you want to compete with me for speed,¡± Emily hums with machina, watching Pod¡¯s shoulders flinch as her words tickle the back of his neck despite the distance separating them.


    Without a single extra spell, Emily vanishes from the spot, leaving a few small cracks in the wooden frame of the building she was standing on as she shoots past Pod, appearing five buildings ahead of him while looking completely stationary, her hands held behind her back as she stares back at him.


    ¡°Keep up.¡±


    She vanishes again, leaving only a needle-thin, buzzing trail of lightning in her wake for her apprentice to follow.

 Chapter 175 – Cliff Carving

    The sun peeks over the south-eastern horizon behind Emily and Pod, chasing away the night and bathing the sprawling sand and grass on either side of them with light. The dry air gains a salty tang as they run through the early-morning light, and the faint sound of crashing waves grows closer until it''s loud enough to fill the air.


    A tint of blue creeps over the horizon, but it¡¯s not until they drive their heels in and come to a grinding halt at the edge of a looming cliff that they get an unhindered view of the rolling ocean.


    ¡°Woah,¡± Pod exclaims in awe, leaning out to peer down the sheer rockface at the jagged rocks and white-water hundreds of metres below. ¡°This is where we¡¯re setting up?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± Emily confirms with a nod, scanning her gaze over the cliffs and rapidly adding the location¡¯s details into the designs for her base.


    She spots a few wild beasts breaching the surf and struggling against each other, but she barely pays them any attention as she focuses on her magical senses, reaching out feelers into the cliff face. She doesn¡¯t find the thrumming pulse she¡¯s looking for immediately, but she does feel a faint call from far below.


    ¡°Wait here,¡± Emily instructs before stepping over the edge and plummeting towards the rocks below.


    Her range of magical influence drops with her, allowing her to get closer and closer to the source.


    Almost.


    Runes flood from her skin and form into the twisting magic circle of Air Walk, catching her only a few metres from the churning water¡¯s surface.


    There!


    Her senses brush against a powerful, beating pulse of magic running through the rock tens of metres below the surface.


    If I create a central gathering array there and connect it to a heating chamber above... Add some intake vents with some wheels for extra kinetic generation... I can recycle some of the residual mana from that to heat a working room here...


    Emily takes a few steps back, her cortex buzzing with ideas as her eyes flicker over the exposed cliff face, observing the layered composites of different rock types formed into a beautiful mosaic of black and grey.


    After a few minutes, she kicks off the nearby surf, shooting back up to land on the cliffs beside Pod.


    ¡°I found the mana vein, but it¡¯s deep beneath the cliff,¡± she says, pouring out mana to form into a several-metre magic circle for a modified form of Earthen Detection.


    The spell sends out several pulses of earthen mana, which return a dense feed of data from the ground.


    ¡°We¡¯ll reinforce the upper layers so I can cut away a space to use as our workshop while we expand. Here, take these and deploy them a few hundred metres back from the edge.¡±


    Emily tosses Pod four prepared anchors, thick arm-sized pikes of metal with several earth crystals in their cores and runes coating their surfaces.


    As he turns and scrambles away to drive the spikes into the ground for her, two in the sand and two in the dirt, Emily steps back out into thin air, floating away from the cliff. She lowers herself to midway down the wall before drawing a few more anchors from her belt and driving one into the rock.


    It sinks into the stone with surprising ease until only a fist worth of material is left above the surface, where it locks into place and begins seeping earthen mana into the ground.


    She moves along the sheer face, driving in several more anchors before returning to their perch on the edge to scan the rock again.


    Podrick jogs back over, his speed still boosted by the slowly fading winds wrapped around his legs, as Emily nods in satisfaction.


    ¡°That should be enough for now, but they¡¯ll need ten minutes to finish connecting,¡± she says, dropping down to sit with her legs hanging over the edge as her plans are torn apart and rebuilt over and over again in her cortex, refining her future workspace.


    Pod drops down beside her, swinging his bag into his lap and pulling out a small, portable crystal-lit stove. Emily hands him the amerax meat she strained while making their speed charms without moving her gaze from the horizon, and he carefully splits it into strips before frying them up in a prepared blend of spices and oil.


    They eat their breakfast in silence, and by the time Emily wipes the dirty pan clean with a spell, the anchors have finished their work.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to start cutting material away from the cliff face,¡± she says, untying the empty drawstring pouches tied to her belt and placing them in Pod¡¯s lap. ¡°Separate and store anything I move up here into these for now. It¡¯ll mostly be stone, but I have a use for it later.¡±


    He nods as Emily pushes herself over the edge of the cliff, dropping halfway down before she stops herself this time. She turns to the flat stone surface and opens her virtual notebook, overlaying her factory designs onto the world before her and tracing the shimmering boundary visible only to her, marking where the first workshop should go.


    She floats to one of the rectangular slot¡¯s corners and raises both hands, pouring out a steady stream of mana to form into a glistening silver magic circle. The dense mana gathers in the centre of the spell, twisting and solidifying into a sleek metal pike two arms long.


    Emily draws her left arm back as the magic circle disperses, leaving enough mana in the conjured construct to keep it active for ten minutes. Two more magic circles spin to life around her, one earth-based spell wrapping the length of the metal pike while a twisting matrix of air runes curls around her metal muscles.


    She takes a breath and thrusts her arm forward, driving her palm into the base of the spike as both magic circles pulse in sync with the hit. An intense vibration starts in her shoulder, sending an unpleasant rumbling through her flesh before it moves down into her mechanical arm. It shoots into the connected spike as its tip starts to cut through the stone wall, growing in intensity as it moves across its length.


    The moment the vibrations reach the tip of the spike, the earthen magic circle wrapping it bursts, and the spike vanishes into the cliff, carving a deep hole and causing the rockface to shake enough to dislodge several chunks of stone, sending them tumbling into the choppy surf below.


    Emily nods in satisfaction, feeling the metal rod sitting in the earth over a hundred metres away, undamaged. She moves down to the next closest corner of the rectangular window and repeats the process, burying another rod in the cliff.


    The shaking is a little worse this time, with visible cracks forming from the two narrow holes and working their way across the exposed rockface to connect. As planned, not a single crack appears outside her intended work area.


    The third spike widens the cracks, and the fourth starts a deep rumbling reminiscent of an approaching sandworm.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Emily hears Pod cry faintly from above as a large, overhanging shelf of the cliff shears off and drops towards her.


    She raises her hands, releasing a flood of raw, earth-attributed mana to cushion the falling mass. It takes over two thousand points, almost as much as it cost to form and bury her excavation markers, but she kills its momentum and slowly pushes it back up to land on solid ground beside Pod.


    ¡°Well, that was inefficient,¡± she mutters in dissatisfaction, turning her attention back to the slot she¡¯s attempting to cut from the cliff.


    Emily places a hand to the stone, tracing her fingers along the faint cracks as she casts Earthen Detection again to check on the structural damage she has dealt so far.


    A few microfractures appear to have spread outside the intended cutting area halfway through... those anchors on the surface weren¡¯t enough to control it fully. I¡¯ll have to reinforce the walls a bit more as I go, but I should have enough mana to do this in one go.


    She moves to the centre of the damaged area, trailing her hand along the cracks as she steps across thin air. She plants her feet and draws her left arm back again, leaving her right pressed against the wall.


    She shuts her eyes, releasing another wave of earthen mana that stretches to the edge of her active control over a hundred metres away. The energy spreads out, seeping into the rock surrounding her working area without a fancy spell to control it, reinforcing the earth with her iron will.


    A twisting brown magic circle forms around her cocked left arm, with sparkling flecks of green streaking through the densely packed runes.


    Emily takes a sharp breath before slamming her fist home into the wall.


    The cliff shakes, drawing another cry from Pod far above, but nothing else falls on her. The wall craters inwards as the hair-thin cracks are torn open, widening to the width of up to a finger in places.


    Chunks of stone fall away around her, but Emily doesn¡¯t pay the small loss of material any mind as her gaze settles on her left bicep. The skin around her arm¡¯s connecting cuff is torn and bleeding, with several strips of muscle visibly disconnected from the bone.


    ¡°Shit,¡± she mutters with a frown, using her right hand to wrap the wound with Bandage. ¡°I need to control that impact better. This spell¡¯s brutal.¡±


    Ignoring her injury, Emily turns her gaze back to the hollowed-out wall. She steps into the cavity, standing on a thin ledge of rock and casting Earthen Detection again.


    The scan reveals that the serious damage only spreads a dozen metres into the rock, with the majority of her marked space still tightly bound together by the weight of the earth above it.


    Five more hits should do it. I¡¯ll need to start moving rubble after two more though.


    She draws back her fist again and continues casting Tremoring Blow, this time taking care to weave an extra layer of protection into the spell, blocking the intense vibrations it generates from leaving her mechanical limb.


    Her alloy knuckles impact the cracked wall, pulverising the stone as they hit and sending another echoing shockwave through the rubble before her and into the rock behind, growing the opening again.


    Her bicep complains with a jolt of pain but, other than slowing her healing a bit, the backlash has no effect.


    Emily drives her fist into the wall a third time, once again pouring thousands of points worth of mana into a controlled vibration humming through the ground.


    The rock before her turns to dust, and she steps back to survey the damage, ignoring the slight feeling of exertion caused by emptying half of her mana reserve so quickly.


    A quarter of that hit was wasted creating useless dust.


    She turns to face the ocean, pausing for a moment to admire the rolling view of nothing but water and sky stretching across the horizon before she steps out and kicks off the air, propelling herself back up towards Pod.


    He¡¯s hard at work despite the tremors, driving metal wedges into a hunk of stone with a sledgehammer, breaking off chunks of rock big enough to fit through the wide mouths of the pouches she gave him.


    ¡°I should have made an explosive hammer, not a spear,¡± he complains with a grunt as she lands beside him, gritting his teeth and swinging the hammer over his head.


    ¡°You can still make one if you want,¡± Emily says, reaching out with her right hand to take the hammer from his grip after his swing lands. ¡°We¡¯re going to have a lot of material to move.¡±


    He watches with a frown as she lifts the hefty hammer in one hand before slamming it down on the large rock, shattering it into big pieces with brute strength alone.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s just not fair,¡± Pod grumbles, moving to pick up the fragmented stones before Emily sweeps them into his bags with a wave of spatial mana.


    ¡°As much as I¡¯d like to do that for all of it, I barely have enough mana to finish the excavation right now,¡± Emily explains, gesturing towards the cliff¡¯s edge with her head. ¡°Come on, I need help down there.¡±


    Pod follows her to the edge, reaching over his shoulder into his bag to dig around for one of his creations. Emily notices and chooses not to help him, stepping over the edge and falling back down to the skeleton of her workshop.


    She looks up after landing and sees Pod jamming a metal anchor between two large rocks jutting over the edge of the cliff. He clips the end of his recently created ascender to a metal loop at his waist before looking down and making eye contact with her.


    With a deep breath and a confident grin, Pod leaps into the air, pressing one of the buttons on the mechanical gearbox attached to him and pouring machina into it. His cable extends with a whir, letting him skip down the rock face towards her while letting out excited yips each time he kicks off to swing through the open air.


    ¡°That was amazing!¡± he cheers happily as he touches down beside her.


    He starts to absent-mindedly tug on his cable, trying to dislodge his anchor, while observing the wide slot cut into the cliff, filled with loose stone.


    ¡°Leave that,¡± Emily says, reaching over and unclipping his ascender from him, leaving it hanging loosely from the cable fixed above them. ¡°You can use it if you want to go up later.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Pod nods, staring at rubble-filled crater formed by Emily¡¯s fist. ¡°You want me to start cleaning this?¡±


    ¡°Yep. It should be broken up enough for you to store everything within at least ten metres. After that, you¡¯ll probably need to start breaking things up a bit more.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    The boy immediately starts pulling chunks of rock from the wall, inspecting them before dropping them into the appropriate storage pouch.


    ¡°I¡¯m going deeper,¡± Emily lets him know.


    She lifts her hands and pours out spatial mana, pushing the purple mist into the cracks in the wall and forming it into a narrow corridor tunnelling through the loose earth. Once the mist reaches hard-packed rock again, she retracts it, pulling a wave of rubble into her belt in one go, taking another hefty chunk from her mana reserves.


    I should make some machines or focused spells to help with excavation. The mana vein should help here, but this is burning way too much power.


    A few more tasks are added to her mental backlog as she vanishes into the narrow tunnel, lit only by the glowing mana seeping from her skin before spreading out to reinforce the growing cave¡¯s walls.

 Chapter 176 – Gather, Contain, Attribute, Distribute

    ¡°Okay, you can stop now,¡± Emily calls out as her eyes snap open, revealing the rolling sea stretching out before her, lit by the midday sun.


    She slowly pushes herself off the ground where she was meditating and turns away from the opening, facing the main cavern where Pod is in the middle of clearing space.


    ¡°You¡¯re done?¡± the boy asks, turning to look at her.


    She doesn¡¯t respond, reaching out and releasing a dense flood of purple mist in response.


    Pod sighs with relief and walks over, holding out the storage pouches for her as she controls her mana. Emily wraps the loose rubble and draws it into the pouches, quickly draining her freshly regenerated mana reserve.


    She finishes clearing the large pieces of rubble just before her mana drops below ten thousand points and switches to casting a spell. A strong gust of wind sweeps through the chamber, blowing away the remaining loose stone and dirt, leaving the room bare.


    ¡°Magic isn¡¯t fair,¡± Pod grumbles beside her, his eyes roaming the cavernous space that she has cleared in seconds, comparing it to the small section he cleared with several hours of hard labour.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be able to do this with machines soon,¡± Emily reassures him, reaching into her belt with mana and pulling out a large workbench. ¡°In fact, they should be much better for large-scale excavation. Besides, it¡¯s less a case of less magic is unfair, and more that I am. A normal third circle spatial mage would have collapsed before clearing even a quarter of this space.¡±


    ¡°Wait, really?¡± Pod questions, frowning with doubt.


    ¡°Yep.¡± Emily nods, setting up more of the machines they made in Liberte, forming a temporary workshop almost as well-equipped as Earnie¡¯s. ¡°The method I¡¯m using to collect items into spatial storages is an incredibly crude solution with raw, attributed mana. I¡¯m simply pouring out spatial mana and manually using it to grab hold of anything I want. I need to track every single item I pick up separately. The volume I¡¯ve just moved would fry most mage¡¯s brains, and it burns through mana to use it outside of my body like that without a spell to control it.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you just make a spell to do it for you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but that takes more time and requires finding the right runes. My spatial affinity isn¡¯t great, and I don¡¯t have many spells or runes related to it, so it¡¯s not worth the effort for a task I can normally afford to burn a little mana for.¡±


    Pod hums in understanding, moving to help Emily connect the cables from the Steam Source to the other tools she¡¯s producing from storage.


    ¡°Once you¡¯re done with this,¡± Emily says, dropping the last drill press from her belt into place and pulling out a sheet of paper and a pen to draw a set of blueprints, ¡°start working on these pieces for me. I¡¯m going to need plenty of duplicates of each, so pick whichever interests you most and get to work.¡±


    After filling both sides of the paper with ink, Emily takes one of the drawstring material pouches and empties it into the others with a wave of mana. She then restocks it from her belt with the metals Pod will need and hands it to him with the blueprints.


    ¡°This will keep you busy until I get back,¡± she says before stepping away from the open entrance that¡¯s letting in the sea breeze, heading towards the far wall of the dark, empty cave.


    ¡°Wait, where are you going?¡± Pod calls before she can step into the shadows.


    ¡°We came here for a mana vein, right? Well, I¡¯m going to tap into it. If it goes well, I should be able to speed up the next step of my designs.¡±


    Emily reaches the far, roughly cut wall and crouches down, pressing both hands to the floor.


    She pours out earth mana, casting multiple spells and stretching her senses down in a straight chute. She hardens its walls and softens the middle until the stone resembles a thick sludge.


    The surface ripples as Emily heats the bottom of the chute, forming a small pocket of hot air that slowly forces up the liquid stone like magma bubbling from a volcano. The stone gathers above the forming hole, so she tears it away in chunks, shaping it into small orbs before dispersing the mana that¡¯s moulding them and letting them solidify again.


    Once the chute is clear, she steps into it, sliding down with her boots bracing against the wall to control her fall. As she sinks lower, she can feel the tingling of mana on her skin getting stronger and stronger, and the walls of the last few metres of her chute glow with faint, glowing blue and brown streaks.


    Emily sets her flesh palm flat against the wall, shutting her eyes and extending her senses towards the thrumming sea of mana flowing beneath her.


    The vein is stable if a little weak... No response to my connection yet, so it doesn¡¯t seem to have formed a consciousness. There¡¯s a mild affinity for earth and water, but that should be fine.


    Slowly, she releases a stream of raw mana, pushing it into the glowing veins in the wall and using it to draw in the natural mana flowing past. Her energy mixes with the natural mana, twisting it to her intent.


    The vein¡¯s mana resists her control, but Emily doesn¡¯t rush, slowly spreading her influence inch by inch as a few beads of sweat roll down her forehead. It takes a few hours and drains her mana to the point where she has to convert some machina to keep going, but eventually, she has hold of a large volume, matching the chamber far above in dimensions.


    Her eyes snap open, staring at the wall now glowing with an intense brown hue.


    ¡°Break,¡± she whispers, pouring out her intent.


    The earth shudders, and the image in Emily¡¯s mind becomes a reality as a thin crack spreads horizontally, perfectly cutting her chosen space in half.


    ¡°Part.¡±


    The cliff quakes and the earth opens up as the two separated sides move apart ever so slowly. Emily grits her teeth, feeling the rock fighting against her as more machina flows out of her, turning to mana the moment it leaves her skin.


    ¡°Compress.¡±


    The forming roof, floor, and walls start to fold in on themselves, darkening in tone as the glowing veins grow thicker, only reinforcing the space further.


    ¡°Hold!¡±


    She releases a final pulse before cutting her connection and collapsing to her knees, panting in exhaustion.


    A wave of light spreads from her position, rippling over the new chamber¡¯s surfaces and freezing them in place.


    ¡°Haha, it worked!¡± Emily pants, excitement bubbling up for a few moments as she looks around the perfectly smooth room lit by the glow of mana. ¡°It''s crude compared to an actual elemental connection, and exhausted my stamina way too fast, but it¡¯s something.¡±


    She stands up after a few seconds and walks into the centre of the room, breathing in and tasting mana in the air.


    Gathering, condensing, attributing, and distributing. This chamber can be used for the first two, but attribution needs to be performed at the point of use unless we want to lose all efficiency.


    Her foot taps in place as she opens the Spellweave, drawing the start of a massive array.


    Hmm, distribution needs to be handled here unless I want every array I connect to to require mana collection runes. I¡¯ll add a few extraction points, but I¡¯ll need to isolate them from outside influence.


    The sound of her foot hitting the floor fills the room for hours on end as Emily remains rooted in place, her mind lost in her designs.


    After a full day has passed, Emily¡¯s left arm twitches with a flicker of machina and The Clock activates, sending her back to the moment her foot started bouncing. It takes a few more resets before she is finally still.


    A small frown creases her brow, but it vanishes a moment later.


    This may not work since I still need to account for the vein¡¯s existing affinities, but I don¡¯t have any data to base those adjustments on yet. I¡¯ll just have to try it.


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t take more than a day anyway,¡± she mutters, reaching into her belt for her array engraving staff before pausing, realising it was one of the items lost with her original utility belt. ¡°Tsk.¡±


    Changing plans, she turns back to the chute connecting to the chamber above, climbing up to rejoin Pod and her tools.


    ***


    With a new staff in hand, Emily slips back into the mana-charged chamber.


    The new staff is made from a rich mahogany, just like its forebearer, with a matching silver metal spike attached to the bottom. However, unlike the last, this staff¡¯s handle is adorned with six magic crystals, one from each of the common elements.


    She sets to work carving runes into the floor, walls, and ceiling of the chamber, tracing patterns along the glowing, mana-charged streaks and integrating them into the array. It takes several hours just to cover the floor, but the pale blue lines she carves hold strong, releasing a steady glow of mana with no sign of fading yet thanks to the extra power from the added crystals.


    As the last line of her artwork is cut into the roof, Emily braces and prepares to activate The Clock like the twitch of a muscle.


    The massive array pulses, flooding the room with light as every surface glistens. However, a moment later, the light vanishes as quickly as it came, snuffed out like a candle in a storm.


    No large explosion or raging torrent of mana hits her, so Emily relaxes her caution, turning her head and scanning the room to find the point where the array failed.


    It failed at... gathering? Why?


    Her teeth clack against her metal thumb and she winces, lowering the hand she didn¡¯t even notice she was raising to bite.


    ¡°Actually, no, that makes sense,¡± she mutters to herself, pacing back and forth. ¡°I¡¯m only targeting raw mana, but this chamber itself is saturated with earth and water. The array didn¡¯t have enough strength to draw unattributed mana past the existing elements.¡±


    Emily shuts her eyes and falls back into the Spellweave, tearing apart the array and starting again.


    ***


    After a few resets, Emily finishes the array again. This time, after the bright activation pulse fills her vision, she feels dense, unstable mana threatening to burst from the array.


    Emily immediately activates The Clock as the far corner of the room bursts with a violent shudder. A crackling wave of mana erupts from the explosion, moving fast enough to nearly swallow her whole in the fraction of a second it takes for time to grind to a halt.


    Unfortunately, her head isn¡¯t facing the explosion, so she doesn¡¯t see the churning mana or the exact point where the array failed.


    ¡°Tsk,¡± Emily clicks her tongue as she arrives in the past, looking down at the staff in her hands and the bare, glowing floor below her. ¡°At least I know which direction to look in for the problem.¡±


    She once again carves the same gathering array across the walls, finishing in the same place but turned a hundred and eighty degrees so she can watch it fail.


    The expected build-up of mana comes, and she activates The Clock, timing it just right so the world stops around her just as the explosion happens. Ignoring the bright light still glaring back at her, Emily¡¯s able to see the dense cluster of runes that deform, melting together into a distorted puddle on the floor that releases a visible mass of mana.


    It¡¯s a beautiful sight, a twisted pale blue mist filled with swirling shards of stone and water, but the chill it sends down Emily¡¯s spine warns her against messing with it.


    Those runes were for condensing...


    She blinks and arrives in the past again, immediately starting to pace as her body is released from the hold of time.


    ¡°I fixed the gathering stage to draw in both elemental and raw mana... then stored them without any differentiation,¡± Emily rolls her eyes at her mistake. ¡°I can¡¯t compress conflicting mana types without control. Earth and water should balance each other out well though, so maybe I don¡¯t have to waste energy stripping back the attributes if I work out the correct mixing ratio.¡±


    ***


    Finally, after five more resets and two more explosive failed tests, the array activates without detonating.


    The initial overwhelming glow dims, and the room hums with energy as Emily checks for any weaknesses in her work.


    ¡°Holding stable,¡± she mutters, waiting for a few moments as nothing else happens. ¡°Now for the first option of distribution.¡±


    She walks to the centre of the room and crouches, placing a hand to the cluster of runes waiting there with The Clock only a thought away. A quick injection of mana activates the runes at her feet along with six similar clusters spaced evenly around the walls.


    They twist in a frighteningly familiar manner, blending together into six glowing circles of mana, four of them the warm blue of raw mana, one brown, and one deep blue, representing earth and water respectively. Unlike the last time the runes shifted, the mist of mana that leaks from the walls doesn¡¯t come with an explosion.


    Instead, it diffuses to slowly fill the space, saturating the air with energy that flows into Emily¡¯s lungs and seeps through her skin, boosting her Technomancer¡¯s Breath.


    ¡°Better than The Dome by miles,¡± she whispers with momentary glee, reaching out with her metal hand and swiping it through the stable mist, watching it slip between her fingers as it continues to grow denser.

 Chapter 177 – Forming Infrastructure

    Emily rises from the dark chute connecting to the array chamber, brimming with energy.


    At a glance, she sees the cliff¡¯s long shadow, cast by the mid-morning sun, stretching out across the ocean. Pod is standing in the dim light near the window to the outside world, diligently using a press to form a piece of metal.


    Emily approaches him, turning to inspect the stacked-up rows of identical metal rotor blades he has laid out for her in the cavern¡¯s open space.


    Bending down, she brushes her fingers against the curved metal fins, sending a tingling buzz of machina across their surfaces. She nods in satisfaction before sweeping most of them into her belt, keeping a few out to make some small corrections to.


    ¡°Pay extra attention to the angle when you connect them,¡± Emily reminds her apprentice, pulling his attention away from the work in his hands as his head snaps over suddenly. ¡°They need to be uniform.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± He nods enthusiastically. ¡°Have you finished your array?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Emily replies, noticing the faint bags below Pod¡¯s eyes despite his attempt to seem alert. ¡°Do you need to sleep?¡±


    ¡°N-¡° he begins to deny, reaching for another machine to continue his work, but freezes as he meets Emily¡¯s emotionless gaze, swallowing his words. ¡°Yes, probably. I¡¯ve been awake for a few days now.¡±


    ¡°Follow me then,¡± Emily says without a change in expression, gesturing for Pod to join her as she heads back towards the chamber connecting tunnel. ¡°I want to test if extended mana exposure has any beneficial effects on you.¡±


    They step up to the hole in the ground, and Emily lifts them both with a gust of wind, lowering them slowly into the dark recess. They sink towards the glowing light far below their feet, and Pod begins squirming uncomfortably as they get close.


    ¡°It feels... sticky?¡± he mumbles with a mixture of curiosity and disgust.


    ¡°In what way?¡±


    ¡°Like wading through mud. It¡¯s not p-¡° he cuts off his explanation as the narrow tunnel suddenly opens up into a vast chamber with walls covered in glowing sigils.


    ¡°Go on,¡± Emily urges, standing with her back to the rest of the room as the boy lifts a hand to wave through the faintly glistening vapour filling the space.


    ¡°It¡¯s not painful, but it¡¯s not comfortable,¡± he finishes quietly, his eyes drifting between the sparkling patterns forming in the air around his fingers.


    She nods and notes down his observations, gesturing towards the room with a sweeping motion.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Meditate for a bit before you go to sleep and keep note of anything interesting.¡±


    As he nods in response, she lifts herself up and into the dark tunnel out.


    Instead of rising to the workshop again, Emily pauses a short distance above the gathering array, placing a hand on the wall and using Earthen Detection to check the position of the nearby ocean. She slowly slides up the wall until she¡¯s in line with the seabed below the sheer cliff, where the water churns most violently against the uneven rocks.


    She freezes in place, halting the floating platform of air beneath her feet as she reaches into her belt and pulls out a new artefact, one she created overnight, to utilise the raw earthen mana waiting for her in the array below.


    The artefact takes the form of a hand-sized silver-grey metal prong, traced with runes and a few distinct cracks, mounted to a rectangular baseplate with several earthen magic crystals fixed to its surface.


    Emily places the spiked end of the prong to the wall before charging the metal, purely gathered from the hands of iron-clawed moles, with mana and sliding it into the earth with little resistance. She activates the artefact, watching as the prong embedded in the wall breaks into four pieces and slides through the stone, drawing the boundaries of a new space to be created.


    The plate fixed in place before her pulses and begins glowing as a faint stream of brown mist drifts up the tunnel from below, feeding into it.


    The wall starts to recede, sinking back and splitting as the stone turns to a thick sludge that presses towards the walls and ceiling of a forming cavern.


    When the space is half-way complete, with smooth surfaces spreading out tens of metres from the initial chute, the glowing metal plate loses its lustre, and the five magic crystals fixed to it shatter, crumbling into a dull, lightless dust.


    ¡°Tsk,¡± Emily clicks her tongue, approaching the magical tool and using a brush to clean the empty sockets. ¡°Ten earth crystals per chamber. It¡¯s a shame I can¡¯t use greater crystals properly yet. They¡¯d survive this mana-load without breaking.¡±


    She slots a fresh set of crystals into place and lets the terraformer continue, this time following it as the room¡¯s walls creep back, keeping a hand pressed to the metal plate so she can channel her mana through it, controlling the shape of the space as it approaches the sea. She narrows the chamber into a rising slope at the end, stopping only a few inches before she would break through to the water waiting outside.


    Turning back, her gaze scans over the dark, empty hall, and more precise plans start to form in her mind.


    ¡°I¡¯ll prepare the chambers above first, then I can start on the partition in here,¡± she mutters to herself, pulling the terraformer from the wall and striding away with purpose.


    ***


    A few days after starting to build her cliffside factory, Emily decides to start feeding the cursed tooth again. Every day, she sets aside a small portion of time to sit in the mouth of the cave, shooting down at any creatures daring enough to peek above the surf.


    A few weeks slip by, and the dull hum of an approaching airship pulls Emily and Pod away from their work. Pod sets down the wiring he was twisting together, and Emily tucks the Whisper back into her belt, lifting Mensacus from her lap and gently brushing her flesh fingers across the smooth casing of his seal before tucking him away.


    She stands up, pushing off from the metal plating wrapped around the border of the empty window, and steps out into the air. Pod grabs onto his hanging ascender and rises up to join her in watching Calypso float down towards the ground.


    The ship touches down, and Anton alights with Angela close behind.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Emily greets them with a wave, approaching the base of the vessel¡¯s stairs.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Anton and Angela respond in sync before the ship¡¯s captain continues alone. ¡°Our cargo holds are completely full. Where do you want everything?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that,¡± Emily responds with a dismissive wave. ¡°There isn¡¯t a way to get Calypso into my workshop yet, so I¡¯ll move everything down myself.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re sure.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of,¡± Angela cuts in as they head towards the rear of the ship where a cargo hatch is being lowered. ¡°Where is this workshop? You¡¯ve already had more than a month, but I don¡¯t see anything here yet.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all below our feet,¡± Pod eagerly explains. ¡°We¡¯ve been working on the core infrastructure for the factory before we start any surface structures.¡±


    ¡°What kind of core infrastructure do you need that can¡¯t be done above ground?¡±


    ¡°Same things as most normal factories. Though, we¡¯ve also got a mana vein connection and electricity.¡±


    ¡°Most normal factories?¡± Angela questions, meeting Anton¡¯s gaze and finding equal amounts of confusion looking back. ¡°The hell do normal factories need?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, right,¡± Pod chuckles, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. ¡°Steam, water, and fuel. Normally, you need steam accessible anywhere within your working space to power most of your machines, so you want it in place before you start trying to set up a production line. At least, that was Earnie¡¯s advice. Anyway, in our case, we also had electrical set-up as an extra requirement, but that sort of got fixed in the process of dealing with the rest.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I was meaning to ask about that too.¡± Angela tilts her head, looking to Emily for clarity. ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°Electricity: the flow of charge,¡± she responds lightly, watching the woman¡¯s brow crease deepen as she pulls out a small, battery-powered lightning fork to demonstrate. ¡°It¡¯s not something you¡¯ll have heard of before, since I coined the term, but it looks a little like tamed lightning, and we can use it in place of steam to power our machines.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± Angela hums in response, staring at the electricity leaping between the fork¡¯s prongs with interest but not pushing for a more detailed explanation.


    The ground shudders slightly as Calypso¡¯s cargo bay touches down, so Emily tosses the trinket to Angela and heads up the metal ramp into the belly of the ship, where crates are stacked from floor to ceiling around them. Ash appears at the top of the slope, greeting Emily and Pod with a nod as they approach.


    ¡°You can replace steam?¡± they ask as they get close, having overheard the conversation outside.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a far more efficient energy source.¡± Emily gestures to Angela messing with the crackling, hand-held stun gun. ¡°Would you like to have a little look at the generators? I could show you how they work if you¡¯d like.¡±


    ¡°Yes please, I¡¯d love that.¡±


    Emily nods and turns her attention to the ship¡¯s cargo. She holds out a hand to Pod, and he passes her a few empty spatial pouches.


    She sweeps through the room with her mana, checking the contents of the crates and finding kilos of metal and crystal. With a satisfied hum, she pulls everything into the pouches before turning to Anton.


    ¡°Which holds have the rest?¡± she asks, leading the group out into the ship¡¯s corridor.


    ¡°One through four,¡± Anton answers quickly, pointing helpfully towards the indicated stores. ¡°Only five and six have fuel and food at the moment.¡±


    They pass through the cargo holds one by one, collecting all the resources Emily exchanged for her Silver Moon contribution with a call to Old Man Silver, including a sizable collection of preserved materials from an assortment of dead plants and beasts.


    After clearing the ship of her delivery, Emily counts out a hefty chunk of gold coins from her belt to pay Anton before offering the members of the crew she¡¯s friendly with a visit to her main workshop.


    ***


    ¡°He¡¯s taking a nap. Looks like it¡¯s just us,¡± Angela calls out as she walks down the ship¡¯s stairs, returning to the group after checking if Tony wants to join them.


    Emily puts away the small coil of wire and magnets she was using to explain electrical generation to Ash before turning on her heel and walking towards the cliff¡¯s edge.


    ¡°Follow us then,¡± she says as Pod falls into step beside her. ¡°We haven¡¯t connected the workshop to the surface yet, so I¡¯ll have to lift you all down.¡±


    ¡°Lift us? Are you gonna throw us over your shoulder or something?¡± Angela asks with a chuckle and a grin, mock-flexing her muscles.


    ¡°I could,¡± Emily responds, glancing over with a raised brow. ¡°But why would I need to do that?¡±


    She raises her metal hand and clicks her fingers with a sharp crack. A swirling gust of wind bursts from her body, carrying with it a twisting matrix of runes that wraps around Anton, Angela, and Ash, lifting them off their feet.


    ¡°Woah!¡± Anton exclaims, losing his balance and tipping sideways as he loses contact with the ground.


    He spins in place, doing a full rotation before returning to an upright position and stabilising himself with his arms extended.


    ¡°This is amazing!¡±


    Angela and Ash both murmur their agreement, using a few nearby rocks jutting from the cliff to move themselves around, playing with the new sensation of weightlessness.


    Pod sets up his climbing gear and leaps over the edge as they adjust, so Emily steps out into thin air and pulls her passengers after her.


    Their excitement noticeably dampens as they float out over a sheer drop over the violent waters below with no control, but all three of them quickly shake off their momentary vertigo to enjoy the experience. As Emily guides them through the gaping metal maw cut into the exposed rock face, their eyes roam the bare metal surfaces where seamless sheets of steel have been fused together to give the entire cavern a glistening sheen.


    ¡°This plating is incredibly well done. How did you mount it?¡± Ash asks, bending down to tap their knuckles on the ground as Emily sets them all down and releases her spell.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be disappointed. It was magic,¡± Emily replies, tossing up an orb of light to illuminate the space in place of the empty slots cut into the ceiling, waiting for lights to be installed. ¡°Since none of the metalwork is structural, I simply mixed and spread a thin layer of alloy before hardening it into place in one go.¡±


    ¡°How unfair,¡± they respond wistfully, standing up.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been saying,¡± Pod grumbles under his breath before flinching and reaching for one of the revolvers at his waist.


    He whips the gun to bear, using the reinforced metal barrel to deflect the screwdriver flying towards his shoulder, sending the tool clattering to the floor harmlessly.


    The members of Calypso¡¯s crew stare in silent disbelief as Emily lowers the mechanical arm that moved faster than they could follow, their gazes bouncing between her and her apprentice with looks of concern and confusion.


    ¡°Haha, right. No complaining about your cheating magic,¡± Pod says, collecting the screwdriver and tossing it back.


    ¡°You almost took his head off for agreeing with me?¡± Ash questions in disbelief.


    ¡°I almost poked him with a screwdriver for breaking one of my instructions,¡± Emily corrects them, moving deeper into the room and away from the machines gathered by the cave¡¯s mouth. ¡°He knew what would happen when he said that. Besides, even if he didn¡¯t, it¡¯s good training for his reflexes. I expect him to dodge bullets eventually: a few thrown tools are a small step to start with.¡±


    The visitors exchange dubious glances at Emily¡¯s teaching methods, but Pod skips over and falls into step beside her again, turning to reassure his old crew with a beaming grin, resting his hands on the handles of his holstered weapons.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I just have to make sure not to mention her cheating magic.¡±


    Emily¡¯s right arm moves this time, and the crack of gunfire echoes off the confined metal walls as a bullet sends her swipe wide. The three merchants following them flinch back and cover their ears as Emily¡¯s fist snaps shut and her arm sails over Pod¡¯s head.


    The boy¡¯s grin widens as he feels the wind from her glancing blow ruffle his hair, staring at his old crewmates¡¯ fallen jaws.


    ¡°And she won¡¯t do things like that.¡±


    Emily opens her clenched fist, dropping a crushed bullet to the floor with a clink before massaging the fresh red spot in her palm where it hit.


    Pod spins back around, reholstering the gun he fired from his hip and hopping to match Emily¡¯s stride since she didn¡¯t pause for his display.


    ¡°Happy?¡± she asks quietly, glancing over at the boy¡¯s gleeful expression.


    ¡°Very,¡± he nods before stepping out ahead of them and hurrying over to operate the elevator winch fixed to the ceiling above the chute to the lower chambers.


    ¡°We¡¯ll start at the lowest level,¡± Emily explains to their visitors, stepping onto the distinct circular plate of black metal plugging the path down and gesturing for them to do the same. ¡°The mana vein connection chamber.¡±


    Pod presses one of the buttons on the winch¡¯s body, starting the machine¡¯s light whir of motion before he joins them on the sinking platform connected to the end of the cable. It drops below the surface, revealing more metal-plated walls all the way down.


    They pass a few closed, heavy metal doors, but the elevator doesn¡¯t stop until it drops into the open room covered in runic engravings and filled with a mist of mana at the bottom.


    Anton, Angela, and Ash all look around the glowing markings with interest, noticing the odd pressure pushing against their motions like being under the sea, but none of them understands what they¡¯re seeing. After a minute of looking around and waving their arms through the mist, Anton pulls at the collar of his overalls, gasping a little before wiping sweat from his brow.


    ¡°Is it just me, or is it really hot in here?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s hard to breathe.¡± Ash nods in agreement.


    ¡°That will be the mana density,¡± Emily explains. ¡°It¡¯s not harmful to you unawakened folk, but your body needs to adjust to the exposure. Like with high altitude.¡±


    ¡°Also,¡± Pod cuts in, dabbing at his brow and pulling his sleeve away, stained with a few faint drops of sweat. ¡°It¡¯s kind of hot in here. It wasn¡¯t yesterday. What did you do?¡±


    Emily raises a brow before focusing on her magical perception.


    ¡°I modified the array in the heating chamber above us and...¡±


    She notices a faint stream of fire-attributed mana slipping down the chute from a door close above, so thin it¡¯s being absorbed into her skin by her passive energy circulation before she can feel a temperature change.


    ¡°Left a small leak,¡± she finishes her thought, sending a stream of machina up to activate the winch as she leads them back onto the elevator. ¡°Let¡¯s go fix that.¡±