Moans of pain echoed from the healers’ tents, soldiers shouted orders and hurried to their tasks. Kai stood still amidst the whirlwind of activity, too busy glaring a hole in the back of one particular officer.
There must be a skill to make looks kill.
He could almost taste the smugness as Makyn strode back to the ruins. After confirming their deal, the man had accompanied him back to camp without another word, but Kai knew he was internally gloating.
This was just a momentary setback. A small loss in a larger war.
If I ditch the ring, he’ll lose his leverage over me.
Revealing he was an enhancement higher than he showed wasn’t the end of the world. Cloaking enchantments were widespread, and the older he got, the less Orange ★★★ meant. No one could see his progress toward Yellow, and having a profession would be seen as an unfortunate curiosity by most.
To think I considered him a good porter. Spirits, I need some good news.
*Ding*
Profession XP (Domain): 1434
Name: Kai Tylenn Race: Human ★★★ – 73,800 > 129,472 / 300,000 XP Profession: Mana Child lv 6>8 – 5,900 / 11,000 XP
Body stats Strength: 21>22 Dexterity: 23>24 Constitution: 25>26 Mind: 35>37 (29+8) Spirit: 42>46 (34+12) Perception: 26>27 (23+4) Favor: 37>38
Mhmm, that’s better.
It had already been an eventful week before he got tangled in his second spatial anomaly. While Mana Child wasn’t a fighting profession, nothing pushed his magic skills like fighting for his life.
I still want to punch that soldier, but I didn’t lose much by not killing the toad. I didn’t have enough Water mana anyway.
And to think his reserves would be a third without his profession. Kai couldn’t regret his choice. He fiddled with the silver band on his finger. The problem was different - Makyn had got him good.
If he buried the ring or used Valela to hide it, there was always the chance something went wrong. More importantly, he would give up one of his greatest assets. He’d have been donzo against the wyrmling without his sword—or Makyn's intervention.
He’s still a jerk.
Kai could carry a blade for safety from now on, but the spatial closet also contained a store of potions, tools and other weapons. He’d rather face the challenges head-on than cripple himself. And that obnoxious deal reassured him he wouldn't get robbed.
Let’s wrap up this mess. I need a nap.
He downed a potion to heal his body from overcharging Empower. Valela had openly announced her intentions to meet him, it would be strange if he didn’t go. She wasn’t hard to find, he followed the stream of blue uniforms to a blue tent. Despite the relatively modest design and size, the shiny fabric woven with runes stood out like a mana pearl in the low tide.
I wonder if it has a shower…
No one gave him a second glance till a gnarly woman barred his path with a spear. Her severe eyes narrowed on him. “You!”
“I…?”
Do we know each other?
He was spared the embarrassment of answering when Lou pushed aside the flap of the tent. “Let him through, Ferla. Valela asked him to come.”
How could I forget the friendly bodyguard who hid in the Shadows? How have you been?
Kai moved the pointy stick away from his nose and flashed a grin. The woman didn’t reciprocate. He was pulled inside the tent before he got the chance to win her over with his friendly banter.
“We’re all a bit tense after what happened today and are looking to tighten security.” Lou sealed the entrance behind him. “You can talk freely, the tent is warded against eavesdropping. Ferla blames herself for not coming to the ruins, even if it wasn’t her decision.”
“Yeah— Oh…” Kai took in the interior. A bowl of fruit and tarts sat on a gilded table. Even the air smelled better, without the sweat and blood of the camp. There was no shower in sight, though half the space was hidden behind a curtain going from the ceiling to the embroidered carpets on the floor. “How much does it cost to buy one?”
“I’m not sure, it was a gift. Father insisted I take it since I’m representing the council.” Valela sat behind a little desk, going through some documents with a maid. “She’s Nalia, I trust her with my life.”
“It’s neat.” Definitely better than his accommodation. He smiled at Nalia, who replied with a disapproving frown, turning back to her work.
Did I lose my touch? Or do I have something in my teeth?
“Did everything go well with that officer?”
“Hmm… yes.”
Valela met his gaze. “I can get you back to Higharbor if he threatened you or…” she glanced at his enchanted accessories. “I’ll do my best to help.”
Kai fought the impulse to cover the ring. “It’s really fine. We just had a nice chat, he won’t be a problem.” He was too embarrassed to go into details. “Do you need anything else? I’m really tired.”
“One last thing,” Valela pulled a black sheet of paper and a pen. “I need your signed testimony of today's events. Do you know how to make one?”
“Yeah…”
“Good, I’ve made you a draft, so our stories fit.” She pulled five papers covered in writing front and back. “I skipped over your exact abilities. Just stick to the facts and add any detail you’re willing to share. Also, memorize it in case the military questions you.”
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
“Yes, ma’am.” Kai meant it to be teasing, but Valela just nodded and went back to her work. Lou gave him a sympathetic look. He stoically guarded the entrance like he expected an assassin to strike in at any moment.
This is going to be fun.
Kai got to work, matching his version with Valela’s. It was like being back in school. He put down his signature to turn in his assignment, then he bolted from the tent before she could grade him.
Valela and Lou hadn’t inquired about his spatial artifact, though they must have put together something. Not asking which item held the enchantment to reassure him of their intentions.
Props to them, I wouldn’t have resisted the curiosity.
He had one last thing to check before he could take a nap. The notification that had been dismissed during the fight was pinging in the corner of his vision.
*Ding*
Nature Magic has reached lv50, requisite for the first milestone met, congratulations!
~~~
A downpour battered the camp, thunder broke the monotonous patter. An appropriate end to an already cursed day.
The damp and cold air crept into her study, four walls of cast stone and a window veiled with privacy runes. Both crafts had been executed with middling skill. It was a constant struggle to stretch her two hundred gold budget over a month.
Aryanne always despised the snooty officers who refused a job on the frontier. No one could achieve anything noteworthy without getting their hands dirty. But being stuck in a dirt cube on a backwater rock made her rethink some choices.
Pull yourself together. If mother did it, so can you.
She tugged her hair into a tight bun on the back of her head. There was a reason why she would climb the ranks faster than her peers. She was going to do whatever it took to succeed and leave this mana-starved archipelago.
The cold crystal light on the desk made the room look even bleaker. The only ‘luxury’ she allowed herself was a black leather chair from Higharbor. Rummaging in her spatial bag, she took out a bottle of moonfire and poured herself a glass. The bitter liquor burned her throat, spreading warmth and tranquility.
Let’s sort this mess.
The final list just came in: twenty-nine injured, seven dead and two missing—which meant more bodies to be found under the rubble. Because, naturally , it had to be a blackstone terragon on top of everything. A C-rank species with innate magic abilities that could crack the towers.
No one could have predicted the appearance of three beasts, but that wouldn’t stop the commander from laying the blame at her feet. Confirming the origin of the phenomenon wasn’t enough to justify the loss of these many resources.
Aryanne checked the names, hoping she hadn’t lost anyone too valuable. The worst losses were a half-step yellow sergeant and two mana researchers who ran straight into the maw of the terragon.
Heartless Moons above!
She downed the remaining liquor and threw the glass with enough Strength that only sparkly dust reached the floor. She would bash their heads in if they weren’t already dead. They were investigating the appearance of yellow beasts, what did they expect to happen running into a mana anomaly?
At least the dirt mages had the sense to flee when they noticed the disturbance and brought the diggers with them. It was probably to protect their useless lives more than wisdom, but cowardice had its uses.
Even second-circle half-mages were difficult to replace here. And the loss of half her mana research team on Kawei was going to be a significant setback.
Patience, I’ll do without them. It’s not like they’ve achieved much of anything.
Aryanne flipped through the preliminary report. Among the wounded, nine would require extensive leave and four were too crippled to continue their service. They didn’t have enough contribution credits to afford regenerative healing, and none of the soldiers here could pay out of pocket. They’d get an early retirement, or a desk job if they were lucky.
Cut your losses and move on.
She had to reassess her plans given the new information. The headquarters would need to reinforce the troops quarantining the Vastaire sites and update the engagement protocols.
Aryanne drafted the orders as her mind analyzed the situation. Was the appearance of multiple beasts an exception, or the herald of what was to come? The local garrison wouldn’t have enough personnel to cover the sites if the threats kept increasing in number. They’d be forced to pull back.
Or maybe not…
Her lips curved into a thin smile, never stopping to write. The governor and council had tried to impose their guards for months. Why not put them to good use? She could turn an inconvenience into a meat shield and gain more time.
She’d lose some control over the minor sites, but it was a necessary risk. As long as she uncovered the anomaly, it wouldn’t matter.
Captain Seryne stamped the seal over her signature at the end of the document, her pen tapping on the desk. Her instincts had been right - the ruins were better than an untapped vein of mana gems. In truth, she might have underestimated the scale.
The creatures weren’t artificial lifeforms or constructs, they were flesh beings coming from somewhere. The question was how many there were, how many the ruins could summon at a time, and how many more the archipelago could shoulder before the mainland intervened.
If she reported the potential value to the central command, they might send professionals in a day and crack the mystery in a week. They'd also take over the operation and the rewards.
I’d be lucky to get a transfer off to some second-rate location.
Why should she share her efforts when she took all the risks? The garrison commander was too proud to request reinforcements, and the governor too jealous of his power to invite a larger military presence on the islands. Neither of them would tip off the mainland till the archipelago burst up in flames. She had to crack the case before it reached that point.
With proof of a spatial anomaly linked to the ruins, she could focus the entire garrison on a solid lead. There was no way three teleportations hadn’t left some clue. She had to figure this out no matter what.
As she finished drafting the new orders, a familiar presence approached the door with two crisp knocks. “Come in.” The words left her mouth by habit before she remembered the shattered glass and the bottle of moonfire on the desk. The door swung open—too late to remedy—, she stilled her hands from any guilty jolt.
A captain can’t be expected to renounce every comfort.
Makyn strode inside dripping like a wet cat, not that she had carpets to worry about. He made no comment when his boots crunched on the glass dust, saluting with stoic discipline. “I’m here to report, ma’am.”
“At rest sergeant, your shift was over half an hour ago.” She gestured to the blue bottle of moonfire—there was nothing to hide. “Do you care for a glass? It has been a hard day for everyone.”
“I don’t drink, ma’am.”
How surprising.
“Take a seat. Do you have new information?”
“The clean-up crews have finished searching the site and collected the carcasses to be examined. There were no signs to indicate a fourth beast. The last two soldiers have also been found and confirmed dead. They’re awaiting your instructions on how to dispose of the bodies.”
“Hmm… Organize them to be buried in Eastwin when the barges come, unless they’ve set up different dispositions.” It would kill morale to have a cemetery within sight of the camp. While writing a will was mandatory, privates rarely went further. Maybe the researchers had paid to be cremated and shipped back home.
“Yes, ma’am.” His pale blue eyes observed her impassively. “I’ll find some mages to preserve the remains till the transportation arrives.”
“As long as it doesn’t get in the way of their other duties. Their loss is a tragedy, but we can't spare more resources at this critical juncture. The safety of the territory will be at risk if the situation worsens. Did the teams find any clue to the origin of the anomaly?”
“None so far, ma’am. The mana cloud has dispersed, and the site has returned to standard levels with no detectable changes. It’s possible we’ll uncover more tomorrow. The researchers were hesitant to return to the site after the attack, and the storm didn’t help.”
Scared of some water and their shadows.
She had been trapped in her office dealing with the fallout, and they had found an excuse to slack off. “They can rest for today.” Since she was too late to intervene. “But we can’t let our losses be for nothing. Every person with some expertise will search the ruins from dawn till dusk starting tomorrow. We need to figure out what causes the anomalies before the trail goes cold.”
“I’ll inform the officers, ma’am.”
She tidied up the documents on her desk. “Do we have any mage skilled in spatial magic? Maybe as a secondary discipline or personal interest.” The Mana researchers had studied spatial theory at the academy. It was why she had picked them for her team, though she was beginning to suspect ‘studied’ meant they read a couple books and understood a word in ten.
And two of them had to get themselves killed.
“Not that they’ve made known, ma’am. I can make some inquiry in case we missed someone.”
“Do it, and send the same request to the other teams.” It was a long shot, anyone with a passing ability in spatial magic would put it on top of their qualifications. She had scoured every file in the central archive and the five researchers were the best she found.
It was possible the blue tunics had been hiding someone, though not likely. Space experts were in demand even on the mainland, why would one bother to sail to the archipelago for work?
The commander might be able to pull some strings if I sell it to him correctly. He loves playing the knight in adamantine armor.
“There is also something else, ma’am,” Makyn continued. “As you know, Valela Hightide was visiting the ruins during the accident and was nearly killed by the acid toad. It appears one of our teams delayed providing help.”
Gods, and how did they even manage to fail?
She rubbed her temples. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ve cross-referenced the witnesses, and the stories didn’t add up. The team captain claimed he was waiting for reinforcements to engage the beast and didn’t notice the girl was in danger. I’m working to confirm his intentions.”
“That won’t be necessary.” She’d rather maintain plausible deniability. Most officers were aware of the tensions between the military and political wings, but the truth didn’t matter. The council would use any excuse to increase their influence on the investigation. While that girl was a thorn in her side, her death would invite a dagger.
This time it works in my favor.
“We’ll accept the help of the governor guarding the ruins to ensure this doesn’t happen again.” Seryne smiled, she could see the gears turning in Makyn’s head—perhaps he was too smart. “Is there anything else?”
The soldier nodded with a glimmer of satisfaction. “I’ve secured Kai Tylenn’s cooperation going forward as requested. There won’t be any more problems of insubordination.”
Better than nothing, I can’t forsake even kids here. Maybe he’ll be worth the hassle.
She didn’t care to know if Makyn had threatened him with a knife or won his trust with a cookie. “Good job, sergeant. We’ll need to use every piece available to prevent the loss of more lives."