A technomancer's journey in an apocalyptic world

"The basement is quite big though it looks like it is flooded as well."

Ryan let out a sigh upon hearing Michalina's words as he spoke, "So how do we deal with it."

Ylerias frowned as she spoke, "I will send light down there so everyone please try not to look directly onto my hands for a moment."

"Are you going to use magic?"

Ylerias nodded at Ryan's question before she spoke with her eyes wide, "You know Ryan, maybe I can teach you something."

Ryan could not help but send an eager look towards her as Michalina kept a close look at her lesson.

"Now stretch your dominant hand forward with your palm facing upwards, now close your eyes then begin to visualize a ball, a round ball, visualize it feel it, try thinking of the ball big enough to fit your palm, now think of it like it was made up of light and then channel your mana to it."

A few minutes later Ylerias gave a small clap as she spoke, "Good, you are doing well now invoke its name, the name of the spell is 'Light ball' remember it and if you have a problem with it, you can even create a chant that will help you to visualize it."

Ryan shouted out at the top of his voice, "Light Ball.", which was followed by a snort from Xuelong and another shout from Michalina.

"There is no need for you to shout out so loud Ryan, now open your eyes and see the result of your work."

As Xuleong's words reached his ears Ryan opened his eyes and was greeted by a small egg-shaped object that was glowing with as much intensity as a zero watt bulb does.

Ryan bit his lips as he spoke, "That is a bit underwhelming."

Ylerias smiled as she spoke, "This is the first time you are using this spell of course you need practice."

While Xuleong simply stared at Michalina who had a depressed look on her face as she kept on looking at her hand.

"My my seems like someone failed at using a Tier 0 spell."

Ylerias send a disapproving look towards Xuelong as she spoke, "From what I have noticed it is highly likely that she is a savant, as such spells like this must be very hard for her to use."

But, before anyone could say anything another notification flashed before his eyes.

*****

Spell: Light Ball (Tier-0)

Fragments acquired: (1/100)

Cost: Variable

Note: Use the spell many more times to learn to use it properly

Light Affinity… Gained (1%)

Light Resistance… Gained (1%)

*****

"Wah, it seems that I have to use a hundred times before I can safely say that I have managed to learn it, though it seems that I have gained Light affinity and resistance.", he looked towards Ylerias as he spoke, "What does that mean?"

"The higher the light affinity is the better your spells with light affinity will be, similarly the higher the resistance a person has the less damage he or she will receive from a particular elemental attack."

Ryan frowned as he spoke, "I see."

Ylerias looked down towards the basement as she spoke, "Though I would have to warn you that increasing the affinity as well as the resistance takes time and hard work, so you have to be patient and work diligently, now watch how I perform the spell."

She then extended than her right hand as she spoke, "Now I will give a demonstration on the spell, remember that for a spell to work we need good focus and perfect visualization for a spell to work with enough practice you become so acquainted that a spell can be used without even thinking too much as well as a much lower mana cost."

Ylerias took a deep breath as she spoke, "Light Ball"

A ball of light almost as big as a soccer ball appeared in her hand which she dropped through the hole in the ground, but compared to Ryan's it was many times brighter than his 'Light Ball', it was like comparing a zero watt bulb with a Halogen lamp.

The intensity was so great that Ryan was forced to cover his face with his hand to protect his eyes, Ylerias then dropped the ball as she spoke, "Light Ball is only used for illuminating an area, though in some cases to scare away some light-sensitive creature."

The ball reached the water level before it was completely submerged but it managed to illuminate the entire basement area giving them a nice view.

Suddenly a scraping sound was heard as an undead with bony protrusion all over its body peeked through the hole while it tried to grab the nearest person which happened to be Xuelong, who simply caught the undead's hand and pulled it upwards before Ylerias shot through its head killing it swiftly.

Xuelong looked at the creature before she spoke, "If there are more of them down there it would be troublesome."

Ylerias nodded as Xuleong suddenly stood up as she spoke, "But, no risk no gain.", that she jumped down through the hole as a large splash occurred.

Meanwhile, Ylerias simply looked at her with a slight look of disdain as she spoke out loud, "Such crass manner something that would never change always charging head first.", she then looked at the sibling as she spoke, "I hope you two would follow after us.", with that she followed after Xuelong.

Meanwhile, Ryan looked towards the Light Ball he had created, with a couple of weak splutter it vanished.

"Let us join them, sis."

With that, he touched the floor as a long ladder made up of chain appeared attached to it as Michalina spoke with an amused look on her face, "You are still carrying it."

Ryan simply nodded as he spoke, "It saved my life so many times, so how could I not carry it?"

By the time he had managed to climb down the other two apostles had already checked and found the basement to be empty.

Ylerias snooped around a bit before she spoke, "There were at least eight of them here, but it seems the one we had faced had killed and eaten them."

Michalina's eyes had been drawn towards a certain white powdery substance that lay on the table, he approached it and after taking a whip she spoke with distaste, "Drugs, the basement had drugs."

Ryan looked at the stuff with a curious look on his face before he spoke with awe, "We have stumbled upon a drug den."

He then went to touch the substance but was stopped by Michalina firmly grasping his hand as she spoke with a glare, "Touch it and I will complain mother, and I am no doubt she would love to tan your hide."

Ryan pouted as he spoke, "Hey I was just curious.", his face then morphed into a scowl as he spoke, "Let me finish this and then we can leave, I do not wish to stay with near my hip submerged in dirty water."

"Then try to find your next hidden stash fast."

"I know sister I know."

With that Ryan wade through the dirty water, his eyes moving and searching for any unusual movement, as he moved towards a darker part of the basement a Light Ball was chucked towards his direction by Ylerias.

Ryan had the sudden urge to turn towards Ylerias but he held himself, 'Do not turn, do not turn if I have learned something from all those horror movies is that the one who turns is the one who dies first.'

He moved towards a corner of the room where the door was kept slightly ajar, he raised his gun as he slowly pushed the door open, when all of a sudden a third Light Ball found its way into the room.

Ryan quickly took a look around inside the room, it was filled with few racks that seemed to have fallen over, a couple of small bags, that managed to speak out of the water and a few guns as well, but what drew his attention was the furthest corner of the room.

As he studied the room Michalina's voice came to his ears, "I am positive this is 'Star Dust', a very dangerous drug that boosts once performance to the extreme temporarily but then it slowly degrades the mental and physical capabilities, not to mention it is highly addictive because of the sense of euphoria it gives, long term consumption would leave you brain dead or cause death after excruciating pain because of multiple organ failure."

Xuelong looked towards Michalina as she spoke, "Never thought you to be the one who knew about drugs."

A humourless chuckle rose through Michalina's throat as she spoke, "When I had recently joined I had accidentally busted some high ranking ministers relative, which ended up having me gain a permanent back mark in my career, being tossed in unsavoury situations it was hell for me, the first year of my service was hell for me, if it were not for my Mother calling in some favours I would have died a long time ago."

"The country where we reside is a corrupt one, every country has a bit of corruption in them some small and some great, and our country leans towards the greater side, but enough of that come and take a look at this."

Ryan's words drew their attention as they stepped into the room as Michalina took a glance as she spoke with a huff, "This is a genuine drug dealers den."

A large smile formed on Ryan's face as he spoke, "Yup, it is and one of the items from my bucket list is complete."

Michalina sent a look of disbelief towards him as she spoke, "You wanted to visit a Drug Dealer's den."

As Ryan nodded with a smile Michalina palmed her face hard as she spoke, "I blame the media, I should not have let you watch those movies, or anime, as the real-life smugglers are nothing but filthy criminals that should be put down, not like their romanticized fictional counterparts."

Ryan simply raised his hand in surrender as he spoke, "Okay I understand, but can anyone tell me, what that thing over there is?"

Everyone's attention was drawn towards the corner of the room where Ryan had pointed off to, as Ylerias spoke with a gasp, "This is a nest, a God-forsaken nest."

Both the siblings gained a confused look on their faces as Ryan sent a question towards Ylerias's direction, "Sorry but can you elaborate on what is a nest?"

Xuelong's jaw tightens as she spoke, "Sometimes an undead gains enough intelligence that they start to form a nest, which is not unlike any other intelligent species, in other words, you can call it it's home."

Ylerias frowned as she spoke, "Also from the looks of it, the undead we killed was not the only one that has access down here, as bigger the nest the larger the number of undead that usually reside in it, and that thing is something akin to their stool that marks their territory."

Ryan froze his mouth open in horror as he whispered loud enough for anyone to hear him, "The thing I am searching is inside that large piece of… Ewww, I have to search through it… eww."

Xuelong placed a comforting hand on his shoulder as she spoke, "There is no need to worry Ryan we are here for you."

With an equally reassuring look Ylerias spoke with a nod, "Of course thick or thin we will have your back."

Ryan did not know why but those words had managed to move him almost to tears as he spoke with his eyes shining with unending gratitude, "You guys…"

Michalina simply patted him as she spoke, "Go ahead brother dive into the zombie poop mountain while we cheer from the side."

Ylerias gained a look of sorrow as she spoke, "We would have loved to help you directly but alas our hands are tied we would not want to accidentally fail you because we helped you."

As Michalina nodded Xuelong spoke, "While you deal with it, we will sure to find the exit out of this place, after all, it has to enter and exit from somewhere."

Ryan simply gawked at them before he spoke with his fist clenched and his body shaking with anger, "I hate you all give back my feelings of gratitude."

Michalina scowled towards him as she spoke, "Brother you asked us, ladies, to accompany you through this dirty water and now you want us to touch that filth.", she shook her head as she spoke with a disappointed tone, "Where did I go wrong in raising you? I thought I would be the perfect role model for you."

Ryan could take no longer as he flipped Michalina the bird before stomping towards the giant zombie poop, 'So, who should I deal with this.', as he neared the pile he choked from the smell when all of a sudden a bubble appeared covering his face, as he turned he was greeted by thumbs up from the Xuelong.

Ryan grumbled as he looked at the pile in front of him before his eyes widen wide, 'My sword, I can use it to poke through the pile and find the stash.'

With that thought in mind, he willed for his sword to appear in his hand, only for it to disappear as a new notification appeared.

*****

Warning: Host cannot use weapons granted by Divinity in such an atrocious manner.

Penalty: Gauntlets of Eternal forge sealed until the second stash has been recovered.

******

Ryan stared at the notification and did the only thing that his sensible mind could do, he shouted at the top of his voice, "Screw you Avtis."