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Chapter 254

  The mana in the air was continuously pulsing, but the steady rhythm didn’t change even after the few seconds they spent staring into each other eyes.

  ‘Probably waiting for a trigger…’ Sam mused as he took in the situation while at the same time trying to discover what the hell the man did to himself.

  It was clearly a blood magic-fueled transformation, but aside from giving his enemy more power and increased defenses, he had no idea what it did. Whenever he directed his mana senses at the giant muscled monster all he got was a well of blood magic gushing up and then falling down, collecting in a pool where it would be launched into the air again.

  ‘Sometimes…the devs are a little much…’ thought Sam as he tried to ignore the disgusting image.

  However, before he could make a decision about how to handle it, the player doing his best rage monster expression took the decision out of his hands.

  THUMP

  THUMP THUMP

  THUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMP

  The monster began running at him, his heavy steps sending up small clouds of dust as his face turned into an amalgamation of sadistic glee and anger. Clearly, the amount of bounty on Sam’s head blinded the guy to everything else.

  Not that Sam could blame him. Tim kept him abreast of the happenings, and the number was already substantial and increasing every few days. Sadly, his known associates were already banned from taking the bounty, so there was no chance of them collecting with a friendly murder between friends.

  Thankfully, while the ritual or skill the player used distinctly increased their power, in exchange, it reduced their speed.

  Sam barely had to move to get out of the way of the powerful swing aiming to pulverize his head and upper torso. Bin lids would have been jealous of those mittens…

  As he kept dodging slightly, conserving energy and allowing his mana to recharge – those stone spells did a number on both his mana and armor spell – he had a wicked idea.

  “STAY FUCKING STILL YOU!” the player roared as Sam dodged once more. “I’M NOT LEAVING WITHOUT TAKING YOUR HEAD!” Then the monster grinned. “And if you flee, I’ll just kill those sweet nuns! HAHAHA! YOU ARE TRAPPED HERE WITH ME!”

  Sam tilted his head to the side, looked directly into the man’s bloodshot eyes, and smiled. Then he raised his sword, the edge and most importantly the tip of the weapon, glowing with a mix of green and blue mana.

  Wind to increase the cutting force to the maximum, and the clean-type mana to see if his idea had merit.

  It was at the same time his opponent realized that they had access to magic of their own.

  The player parading as a hulking beast raised a muscled and veiny leg and slammed it down.

  “STONE PRISON!!”

  Instantly, a line of stone began rupturing out of the ground, originating from where the foot touched the ground, charging toward Sam.

  He simply launched himself forward, aiming his sword right at the elbow of the monster, intending to cut it off. However, his enemy still had their wits about them and managed to step to the side enough that he only nicked the skin.

  To his complete lack of surprise, the player in monster skin didn’t bleed. However, he got much angrier.

  “HAH! That’s all the great Solar can do?” came the mocking laughter from the guy. “Wait until the guys see the recordings!”

  Sam just continued to smile, his attention on the minuscule amount of clean-type mana he left in the monster’s bloodstream.

  The monster beat his chest twice and continued to laugh. “COME ON! DO YOUR BEST YOU NOOB!”

  Sam shook his head a little. ‘A little success and it instantly goes to their head… We are clearly not playing the same game…’

  Reaching out with his mana, he suddenly activated the rune tablets he scattered, just as his opponent was lowering his hands after their masculine expression of imagined superiority. Chains made of pure mana sprang forward, instantly latching onto the big body of his enemy, quickly winding around the biceps and thighs the diameter of a small tree, immobilizing him.

  This caused the healers behind his heavily damaged shield to cheer while his opponent hissed.

  Not wanting to waste the opportunity, he launched himself forward, intending to cut a more substantial wound on the humongous body, but to his and the healer’s dismay the giant man just flexed once and the chains shattered while the runic tablets crumbled into dust.

  Sam had to do some in-air maneuvers with the aid of wind mana to avoid the fist heading for his head and the spike of stone aiming for his posterior. Even then, he managed another small nick, injecting his own mana.

  And that’s how the next minute was spent. The roided-out player used all of his earth magic and improved body to throw everything at Sam including one kitchen sink quickly fashioned by some stray debris.

  That earned the other guy a thumbs up from Sam.

  They were enemies, but even he could appreciate a callback to the oldies…

  By the time he managed to create seven small nicks on the body, focusing on seven small pockets of mana he was straining to hold everything together. His mana was low, and he was exhausted but in turn, his opponent was also panting heavily, using only their body to attack him the last few times they exchanged moves as their mana regeneration was nowhere near Sam’s. Plus, he suspected that their new form had some other penalties aside from a decrease in speed.

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  Once again, he cursed his lack of big guns. If he had at least one ultimate-type spell or something approaching that he could have ended the fight ages ago.

  ‘Because, of course, I had to be smart and focus on utility spells…’ he grumbled to himself. ‘As soon as this shit is finished, I’m getting a fucking orbital laser…’

  Holding all those pieces of mana was a pain in the ass and really strained his control, but in the end, his bigger mana capacity won out as his opponent leaned forward, gulping for air in the dust (and debris) filled ruins of the once pristine corridor.

  “You…ugh…fucking….uh…cheat…” he spat out between great breaths. Then he grinned. “But it doesn’t matter! Even if you kill me, the ritual cannot be stopped!”

  Sam nodded, expecting as much, and threw out one more set of runic plates. These ones were much more high-quality. Made from very expensive materials, so Sam hoped they would do their jobs.

  Then with a last strain, he activated them, creating a bubble of magic around the exhausted player in the monster’s body. Then with a click of his finger, he channeled all his remaining mana into those small motes inside the monster’s body.

  The monster’s body went rigid instantly, the areas around the nicks quickly drying up and beginning to flake away as the redness started to vanish. His enemy looked up at the sky and let out a silent scream as Sam clicked his finger once more.

  WHUMP

  And then, the inside of the bubble was painted solid, though disgusting, red.

  Unfortunately, it wasn’t the end.

  As the blood dripped down from the frictionless walls, he saw it gather in the middle where the body used to be, where now stood a red spirit, in the shape of the original body of the player who was looking around in glee.

  “Man, Solar! You’re awesome, but so fucked!” he declared with a shit-eating grin. “This spell grants me invincibility until the ritual finishes. It doesn’t matter if you kill my body.”

  Sam nodded and grunted with a little admiration. That was indeed a useful spell.

  “The sink was a nice touch!”

  “Thanks, I practiced a lot!”

  For a long moment, they stared at each other before the guy let out a sigh. “Boy, you really are a bore. Name’s GrindHog!” he introduced himself.

  Sam nodded again, but his attention was on the spirit and the pooling mana that seemed to be multiplying quickly, filling up the crater that was left behind by the explosion.

  He tried his cleaning mana a few times but it simply slid off the spirit who was just watching him happily.

  “Not going to work! We made sure that the ritual couldn’t be interrupted!” came the unhelpful explanation from GrindHog.

  Sam was about to try something with runes when he heard a yell.

  “Hey!”

  Turning around, he saw the healers in the protective dome watching the spirit with intense looks, and their leader, Asa, calling out to him with a determined look.

  With a wave of his hand, he deactivated the shield, allowing the healers to finally be free. They began to spread around, awkwardly climbing over all the debris he and his opponent created.

  With agility belying her age, Asa quickly arrived next to Sam.

  She stared at the spirit and sighed.

  “What happens when the ritual finishes?” she asked quietly.

  GrindHog just grinned and spread his see-through arms wide. “Explosion, baby! Originally, the death of the healers would have been the catalyst, but our death also works in a pinch.”

  “How big of an explosion?”

  The grin on GrindHog’s face widened even further, his eyes alight with enjoyment of the situation. “Let me put it this way, old lady. By the time we are finished, the sun is going to illuminate an entirely different landscape.”

  Sam watched silently, as Asa considered the words spoken before she nodded to herself.

  She turned toward Sam with hardened eyes. “Lower the shield, my friend. It is time to end this.”

  Sam looked over the gathering blood that was at least a few inches thick at the bottom of the shielded area and then back into Ara’s eyes.

  “I’m sorry…” he whispered before slowly lowering the shield around the spirit who was looking at them confusedly.

  “My grandchildren are worth it…” she answered, quiet enough that only Sam could hear it.

  “Sisters! Lend me your aid!” she called out, her voice strong, though Sam thought he could detect a little warbling at the end.

  “What the hell is happening?” GrindHog asked as he watched the other healers gather around Asa who simply went down on her knees, ignoring the dust mixed with bubbling blood that should have coagulated a long time ago as it began to soak into her robe.

  Sam saw them look at each other with confusion and indecision before one of them shook herself and stepped forward with confidence, the others following behind them.

  The healers all raised their hands and as one, their hands began to glow with the warmth of the sun. Soon, the same light spread to Asa. Which in turn caused the symbol on her robe to light up with the same light, bathing the area with the warmth of the morning sun.

  Soon the area was filled with the soft and soothing sound of a prayer, but instead of listening, Sam watched the player in the spirit body.

  “What the hell is happening? What is the old hag doing?”

  Sam thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. “There is only one thing that can counter the sacrifice of lives.”

  “What the hell are you on about?”

  “A life for a life.”

  “Huh?”

  “Selfless sacrifice against your selfish ones.”

  GrindHog snorted. “Yeah, but we sacrificed dozens. That’s just one frail old lady!”

  Sam’s eyes crinkled as the light of the sun kept increasing. “We shall see…”

  “Fuck you, Solar!”

  “Not my type, sorry…”

  As GrindHog began to verbally abuse them and wave his incorporeal arms at them ineffectually, Sam watched as the mana charged with the sun’s warmth clashed with the rotten and dank blood mana that had gathered during the fight.

  He watched it for a moment, he also raised his hand and began channeling his own mana toward Asa. It wasn’t much, as he was still almost empty after the fight, but he thought every little counted.

  As soon as his mana touched the older woman, she looked at him with a small smile and a tear fell from her eyes.

  For some reason, Sam felt compelled to follow that lone tear’s journey as it fell toward the ground. Then it splashed into the pool of blood under the woman, creating ripples.

  As the ripples spread, a gentle, delicate chime sounded. Its sound echoed all around them, drowning out the verbal diarrhea coming from GrindHog. Then, just as the monster’s body did so before, Asa’s body froze before she threw her head back and she roared one last sentence before the screaming started.

  “LET THE SUN CLEANSE YOU, ABOMINATION!”

  The scream bounced around as the light began to gather around her body. Her helpers weren’t that ‘lucky’. They were lit up with intense heat and light and before Sam could even blink, they were gone in a flash of light.

  Then light began to shine out of Asa’s eyes, and mouth, creating beams of sunlight that burned away the darkness.

  Sam watched as she slowly stood up, limbs trembling, robe flaking away into motes of gold, skin cracking with energy. For one last time, she turned toward him, nodded, and as he spied one last crystalline tear rolling down her cheek, she stepped forward with unsteady legs.

  GrindHog, in his spirit body, tried to move away, but he was bound to the location.

  He watched in fascination as Asa reached forward, touched the spirit body of GrindHog, and hugged him tightly.

  Then a flash and the sound of something enormous sizzling, not unlike cold water, falling on a rock that spent an entire day under the summer sun and he was flying backward.

  FWOOOOSH

  The only thing he could do was to use his remaining dregs of mana to cover himself in a shield and hope he landed somewhere safe.

  Or at least safe-ish…

  Owed bonus chapters: Three (3)

  Titles:

  [Apprentice: You are an apprentice learning under a master. Increased experience point gain in the key skill of the apprenticeship.]

  Magical Items:

  [Ring of Minor Health Regeneration: A small ring, made from subpar materials, with a low-quality magical gem. As long as the gem holds mana, it aids with health regeneration. Can hold 100 Mana Points, and regenerates 10 Health Points for every point of mana consumed. Current Mana: 100/100.]

  [High-quality Troll Leather Armor: Created by a journeyman crafter employed by your own company. They worked extra hard to make sure to return your goodwill. Excellent quality, given the materials and the crafter. Enchanted to decrease the sound it makes during movement, as well as has increased durability. Thanks to the substance it was impregnated with the troll leather it lacks its customary weakness to fire.]

  *Not actually bottomless.]

  [Ring of the Shadow Fang: Made from shadow metal and accented with white moon-silver, this ring allows the wearer to summon a dagger made from shadow. The strength of the dagger depends on the wearer’s shadow mana control. The distance the dagger can move from the wearer depends on the mana control of the individual.]

  Quests:

  Active quests:

  [Just walk in there!]

  [Prove yourself!]

  [Peaceful land, peaceful mind]

  [Deli-Very!]

  [Friendlessly into the depths!]

  Finished quests:

  [Monster Parade!]

  [Topping the tree!]

  [Reap what you sow!]

  [Seaside opportunity]

  [Another seaside opportunity]

  [The booty of mystery!]

  [Demonic demonstration!]

  [The Test of the Survivor!]

  [To the city you go!]

  [Eternal Vigilance!]

  [Returning Champion]

  [Volatile Valley]

  [Ride forward to be not killed in nasty ways!]

  [Location, location, location!]

  [Call to action!]

  Skills:

  Mana Skills:

  [Mana Body: Level 7/100 (21%) (Passive) Your mana permeates your body, enhancing and improving it. The better your control of your mana is, and the more mana you have, the bigger the effect is. For every 100 Mana Points, it grants you 1 Base Health gain. For every skill level, it increases the Health Regeneration by 0,1.]

  [Mana Shield: Level 99 (99%) Using mana, you can form a simple shell around yourself, which decreases the damage you take. Damage decrease depends on the amount of mana invested. For every unit of Mana invested in the spell, the shield will protect you from 9,9 (physical) damage.]

  [A/N: Currently: WIS: 55 / MAG: 50 = 1,1 --> +2,1 Mana Regeneration per skill level]

  [Mana Flux: Level 10/10 (MAX%) (Passive) The resonance between your skills is enough that if you cast more than one spell or use more than one skill at the same time, then they may induce each other. This induction allows your mana to gain a unique property. This property allows your spells to slip through magical shielding. Effectiveness depends on the strength differences between you and the target. Your spells gain 1% True Damage per skill level.

  [A/N: Currently: WIS: 55 / MAG: 50 = 1,1 --> +3,1 Mana Regeneration per skill level]

  Neutral Mage skills:

  [Mana Unraveling: Level 14/25 (19%) (Active) You can spot even the smallest imperfection in the weave of the mana. If your control is better than the one who wove the spell, then you can attack those imperfections and unravel the spell or magic in front of you.]

  [Spell Matrix: Level 40/100 (4%) (Passive) You mastered layering spells as very few have before. You can layer ( or connect any other way) together as many spells as you can. The cost of this action is increased by 5% (cumulative) for every two layers or spells.]

  [Solid Spell Foundation: Level 5/5 (MAX%) (Passive) Your foundation is solid and unshakeable. The stability of layered spells is increased.]

  [Mana Construct: Level 84/100 (22%) (Active/Passive) You can create mana constructs over your weapons. These constructs cannot be separated from your weapon. You have total control over their shape and size. For every level in the skill, the mana cost is decreased by 1% and the damage inflicted by the skill is increased by 1%]

  [Simplicity: Level 5/5 (MAX%) (Passive) The simpler your creations, the less mana it costs.]

  [Infusion: Level 5/5 (MAX%) (Passive) Infusing different mana types into your mana constructs becomes easier.]

  [Complexity: Level 1/5 (11%) (Passive) The complexity of your creations doesn’t detract from it. Usually, mana cost would rise when the complexity of your creation increases. For every level of this skill this increase in mana cost becomes less and less.]

  Elemental Mage Skills:

  Wind Mage skills:

  [Wind Blade III: Level 9/10 (99%) (Active) A spell that allows you to launch a blade of wind. The cutting power and speed of the blade are increased. You have greater control over its movement after creation. Allows you to slightly control its path after launching the wind blade.]

  [Wind Blade Storm: Level 6/10 (7%) (Active) A spell that unleashes a storm of wind blades around you. The damage of the released Wind Blades depends on the Wind Blade spell and your mastery over it.]

  [Wind Bullet III: Level 9/10 (99%) A spell that allows you to launch a bullet made of concentrated wind. You have excellent control over the projectile’s speed, size, and path.]

  [Wind Explosion: Level 3/10 (21%) A spell that allows you to create a singular bullet of wind mana, and then fire it, which will, upon impact, detonate. The strength of the detonation depends on the amount of wind mana channeled into the bullet and your mastery over the Wind Bullet spell!]

  [Wind Movement: 39/100 (19%) (Active) You can use your mastery over wind to move in any direction you wish. Your movement speed is increased significantly. This speed boost is increased by 1% for each skill level.]

  [Wind Edge III: Level 9/10 (99%) (Passive) A spell that allows you to enhance the edge of any bladed weapon you wield with the wind. Thanks to the spell, the speed of your strikes will greatly increase. The power and reach of the blade will be greatly increased further.]

  [Wind Affinity: Level 61/100 (17%) (Passive) You have a good affinity for the wind. Beings born of the wind will be more favorable to you. The cost of the Wind-type spells and skills is reduced and their power is increased by 0,5% for each skill level.]

  


      
  • Wind Flurry


  •   
  • Wind Bullet Barrage


  •   
  • Healing Wind


  •   
  • Wind Jump


  •   
  • Wind Drill


  •   
  • Wind Blade I-III


  •   
  • Wind Blade Storm


  •   
  • Wind Bullet I-III


  •   
  • Wind Explosion


  •   
  • Wind Movement


  •   
  • Wind Edge I-III!


  •   


  Utility skills:

  Companion skills:

  Shadow skills:

  (Shadow Cloak triggers this benefit.)]

  [Shadow Affinity: Level 30/100 (14%) (Passive) You have a good affinity with the shadows. Beings born of the shadows will be more favorable to you. The cost of the Shadow-type spells and skills is reduced and their power is increased by 0,5% for each skill level.]

  Physical skills:

  [Basic Armor Mastery: Level 91/100 (6%) (Passive) You learned the basics of wearing armor. Decreases the Stamina consumption slightly while wearing any kind of armor.]

  [Clean Armor: Level MAX (MAX%) (Passive) Your mana got used to a certain spell, so the waste mana radiating from you will, over time, permeate and clean your armor.]

  [Resistant Armor: Level 5/5 (MAX%) (Passive) Thanks to your practice, you can fully utilize everything that your armor provides, granting you increased resistance against the environment. Grants 2% increased environmental resistance per skill level. Environmental resistance protects against environmental effects only.]

  [Durable Armor: Level 0/5 (0%) (Passive) You learned how to roll with the punches. This includes knowing when your armor can take a hit and when it can’t. Increased durability for any armor you wear from incoming damage from non-environmental sources.]

  [Epic Breathing Technique: Level 9/10 (99%) (Passive) You breathe, and the world breathes with you. You move along your own rhythm. Decreases stamina consumption even more during any activity and further increases stamina regeneration when not in a fight. Gain +2 Stamina Regeneration for every skill level.]

  [Tranquil Heart: Level 11/100 (54%) (Passive) Your heart beats to the same rhythm as your body. It’s efficient and harmonious. You have an even easier time resisting mind-altering effects and a portion of of those effects are reflected back to the source. The portion is 1% per skill level. You also radiate an aura of tranquility that confers the resistance portion of the skill to your allies near you.]

  [Flow: Level 77/100 (9%) (Passive) Thanks to being a natural sensor, you can read the flow of the mana. Increases your stability and the bonuses any movement or martial art skill provides by 1% per level in the skill.]

  [Focused Flow: Level 5/5 (MAX%) (Passive) When focusing on any enemy beyond what is normal, your ability to read their flow becomes clearer and more precise.]

  [Controlled Flow: Level 5/5 (MAX%) (Passive) Your read of the flow is more controlled, allowing you to see the flow much better. Increases the flow visibility by 20% for every skill level.]

  [Immersed Flow: Level 0/5 (0%) (Passive) When you start reading the flow a counter starts. After every ten seconds, the effect of the Flow skill increases by 1% for each skill level. Maximum 600 seconds.]

  Parry: Level 24/100 (13%) (Passive) Decreases the stamina consumption of defensive weapon movements. It allows you to more efficiently and accurately parry incoming attacks. Decreases the damage of the blocked attack by 0,5% for each skill level at the moment of blocking.]

  [Cleansed Body: Level MAX (MAX%) (Passive) Your body has been cleansed of impurities, giving you a more charming aura. NPCs and players will treat you slightly differently depending on their tastes. Gives a flat increase of +3 to STR, AGI, END. You can upgrade this skill by further cleansing your body.]

  Resistance skills:

  General skills:

  [Dwarven Language: Level 5/10 (1%) (Passive) You managed to learn the basics of the Dwarven language.]

  [Elven Language: Level 7/10 (8%) (Passive) You managed to learn the basics of the Elven language.]

  [Dark Elven Language: Level 5/10 (1%) (Passive) You managed to learn the basics of the Dark Elven language.]

  [Sarkan Language: Level 3/10 (42%) (Passive) You managed to learn the basics of the Sarkan language.]

  Crafting skills:

  Pet skills:

  [Strong Jaw: Level Max (Passive) The jaw of the wolf is strengthened.]

  [Lucky Aura: Level Max (Passive) Those who are in the same party as the wolf receive a buff to their luck. It depends on their luck how big the increase is.]

  [Animalistic Mana Control: Level Max (Passive) The wolf controls the mana inside him based on animalistic instinct.]

  [Animalistic Shadow Control: Level Max (Passive) The wolf controls the shadows around him just as easily as it breathes.]

  [Shadow Spirit Body: Level Max (Passive) The body of the wolf is part shadows and part spirit, which makes it much more malleable.]

  [Shadow Strike: Level Max (Active/Passive) All attacks started from the shadows receive bonus damage, and the wolf can clad itself in shadows, making its entire body into a weapon, while striking at an enemy increasing its range of attack.]

  [Shadow Jump: Level 20/20 (MAX%) (Active) The wolf gains the capability to dive into your shadow and emerge from a different shadow. Range: 200 meters. Cooldown: 30 seconds.]

  [Shadow Dash: Level 20/20 (MAX%) (Active/Passive) Wherever the wolf steps, he can leave small pools of shadows that the wolf can use to jump into. When diving into the shadows, the wolf can travel at an even greater distance with his speed increased by 2% for each skill level.]

  [Shadow Claws: Level 20/20 (MAX%) (Active/Passive) Your companion’s claws are infused with the shadows. There is a low chance to leave behind shadow mana with each attack of their claws. Alternatively, they can actively increase this infusion of shadow mana and strike at their enemies with giant shadow claws.]

  [Shadow Bite: Level 20/20 (MAX%) (Active) Your companion enhances their bite with shadow mana, increasing the area and strength of the bite.]

  [Shadow Steed: Level 21/50 (3%) (Passive) Your companion has learned how to run while being ridden. Stamina consumption is decreased when being ridden and can carry bigger loads.]

  [Shadow Bleed: Level 41/50 (8%) (Passive) Your companion’s claw has been enhanced by a chaotic shadow field which rends the area where the claws strike, causing extra bleeding.]

  [Weakening Strike: Level 15/50 (21%) (Passive) Every strike of your companion's claw weakens the enemy's armor. The maximum stack of the effects is 3+1 per 5 skill level.]

  [Shadow Heal: Level 21/50 (37%) (Active) Your companion can absorb the shadows hiding them to heal itself.]

  [Runic Weapon: Level Max (Passive) The wolf’s claws and teeth are clad in runes that grant him a certain amount of ability to pierce through the impenetrable. Grants a 13% chance to do True Damage with the claws and teeth.]

  [Runic Strike: Level 20/20 (Active) Lucky gains the ability to channel mana into the runes of his claws and teeth to enhance the damage theydo. The damage type depends on the type of mana he channels into it. Current natures are available to use: no attribute, shadow, or spirit.]

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