Elydes

Chapter 169 - Glorious Aftermath

How do I get out of here?

Kai fumbled in the dark. Slick with ichor, his hands slipped on the creature’s cold insides. He had lost one dagger when his water shield had worn out and left the full weight of the beast on him.

The gashes on his shoulder and leg became harder to ignore as the adrenaline of the fight wore off. A pungent smell pervaded his nose, and there was a sour taste in his mouth. Knowing he would just swallow more foul liquids, he had to force his lips shut and suppress the instinct to spit and vomit.

Where are the jaws of this thing?

His skin was stinging with the acids that came up when the sea serpent tried to retch him out. He was lost in the layers of flesh, muscles and organs. How many minutes had passed since his last breath of oxygen? Ten, fifteen, more? His lungs burned, and he wasn’t helped by the blood loss.

I’m not going to die suffocated by a stinking dead beast.

Mana was running dangerously low, a trickle of Empower allowed him to hold on. He had to get out before the side effects of the enhancing elixirs hit him. If he passed out, chances were he wouldn't wake up again.

I’ve won the fight. Not even Fate can be this cruel.

His remaining dagger scraped the inner layer of the serpent’s skin. A faint light pierced the tough scales, promising salvation. Close and unreachable. The awkward position made it hard to properly leverage his blade.

C’mon, just a little m—

He pushed everything he had into Empower to pierce the tough hide. With a metallic clank, the dagger snapped in half.

Shit, no, no, no! This can’t be happening.

Desperate, Kai discarded the useless blade and tried to open a way with his fingers. His nails broke against the tough scales of the beast. The edges of his vision were getting blurry, and his mind hazy.

Keep your cool, you can do this.

Kai stopped his flailing, panicking was the worst thing you could do underwater, a waste of oxygen and energy. This was just a very murky pool. The long body of the beast offered two directions. With his limbs growing heavier each second, he couldn’t afford to hesitate. He delved into the dark.

Pushing aside another fold of flesh, a beautiful ray of light pierced the rotten abyss. Hope broke his thin control, and Kai dove for it with desperation. The glow brightened, his hands gripped the gap of his prison and pulled him out.

He emerged from one of the cuts on the midsection of the serpent, blinded by the sudden light. He didn’t need his eyes to heave for breath, air filled his lungs, sweet and fresh despite the taint of ichor.

Kai hauled his body free from the cursed serpent, immensely grateful for whatever had inflicted the wound. Bent over the sand, he had no time to enjoy his freedom, he convulsed and vomited his guts out till there was nothing remaining. The taste of his own bile was a welcome improvement.

Spirits, next time I ask for a sign, give me something smaller and less gross.

The sun warmed his hunched back. Kai cleaned his hands on the pale sand before attempting to do the same with his face. The beast must have found its way out of the tower trying to squash the bug in its throat.

He thought he heard people shouting, but he was too tired to make sense of those familiar voices. He needed quiet to rest, the beach was nice and inviting. Kai lay on the sand admiring the beautiful blue sky over the ruins. The bony pinnacles reached for the clouds, fading as his vision turned dark.

***

Pain returned him to wakefulness. Kai pushed his eyelids open, spotting the familiar ivory ceiling of the towers. His head was pounding, clouded by a veil of fog, but it was nothing compared to the state of his body. If someone had offered him to fall down three flights of stairs instead, he would have taken the deal.

Is this our camp?

He failed to turn his head. Gravity weighed on his body like an unmovable boulder, flexing a single digit was a herculean effort.

Judging by his sorry state, it couldn’t have been more than an hour or two. The side effects of the boosting elixirs compounded with the strain and wounds of the battle. For each extra attribute the potions had squeezed out of him, he would pay ten times longer.

“Blessed spirits! You’re awake.”

Steps echoed closer. Kai squeezed his eyes to focus on the blurry figure hovering over him.

“We were worried you suffered an internal injury. I wanted to bring you to a healer, but carrying you to town would have risked worsening your wounds.” Lou watched him, his usual calm breached by conflicting expressions that Kai couldn’t distinguish in his dazed state. “Flynn knew where to find your potions, so we decided it was better to wait. Few healers could do better and none of them are near Grey Quarry.”

He wanted to reassure him he was fine. His lips parted, but he only managed a low groan.

Spirits, I feel like I’ve just been chewed and spit out by a giant beast.

Careful fingers touched his shoulder. “It’s okay, you’re safe. Your wounds aren’t too deep, but you’ve lost a lot of blood. You need rest, try not to move or you’ll risk reopening your stitches.” The teen brought a cup of water and held his head to help him gulp. The pause gave Kai time to catch up to the deluge of words.

Already guilty for the situation, he acquiesced to his demands, though he might have managed to move with the help of Empower. The worst of his states was due to the aftermath of the enhancing elixirs, and Lou was right, rest was the only remedy.

“I’ll come back to check on you in a few minutes.” After making sure he didn’t need anything, Lou disappeared from his field of view. The teenager hadn’t said anything, but many questions crowded his face.

How the fuck am I going to explain all this? Oh, you know, a huge snake came out of nowhere and tried to eat me. No, it’s just a coincidence it happened while I was alone in the ruins. The sword you found? It was laying around, I’ve no idea where it came from either.

It might be a blessing he couldn’t move or speak. Lou was no fool, and Kai could use the time to decide on his version of events. Improvisation offered him a sea of possibilities. Honesty and deception wove together. He delved into them, trying to decipher the best course of action.

Most of it depended on how much Lou had already deduced. A Yellow tier beast in the archipelago was no small thing. If Kai tried to deny everything, the teen might decide to inform the Republic. That had to be avoided at all costs.

All my preparations… How did it end up like this? I should have known you can’t control Fate.

Flexing his fingers then arms and legs, Kai gradually regained control of his body. He rested alone on the lower floors of their tower. They must have brought him there to move him as little as possible. Distraught, Kai noticed the pending notification. He could use some good news.

*Ding*

New Feat: Yellow Hunter - Through your cunning and planning, you’ve defeated a wounded Yellow Sea Serpent before fourteen. A feat most would consider impossible at your current grade. You are awarded: +3 Favor!

Risk and reward always come hand in hand.

As Moui had told him, gaining feats became harder the older he got. Kai had done the easy pickings, now every milestone was a deadly trial unto itself.

It gave me the same Favor of the blessings from the Great Spirits.

If ordinary people had to go through such dangers for the same gains, he had starkly underestimated the boons Kahali and Yatei bestowed upon him. Only the milestones for his race improvement surpassed them, but those required years of strenuous efforts.

I’ll forgive you for sending me an overgrown snake, though I’d like a warning next time.

General Skills:

Mana Sense (lv80>84)

Mana Manipulation (lv70>72)

Empower (lv66>70)

Inspect (lv59>63)

Blessed Swimmer (lv45>47)

Water Magic (lv46>49)

Alchemy (lv46>47)

Runes (lv44>47)

Nature Magic (lv39>40)

Swordsmanship – Advanced (lv30)

Herbology – Advanced (lv36>37)

Attuned Meditation (lv17>19)

Improvisation (lv12>15)

Hallowed Intuition (lv5>8)

Nothing like risking his neck to improve his skills. In less than an hour, he had made progress that would have otherwise taken months. Hallowed Intuition had benefited the most. It was incredibly hard to train a skill that required him to get in danger to work.

Breaking through the interference of the Fulcrum must have been a challenge. If only it didn’t need a threat that meant certain death… And finally…

*Ding*

Profession XP (Domain): 1251

It was the highest amount he had ever gained in a week, and it would have been higher still if he possessed a fighting profession. Mana Child’s domain was knowledge and training, he got no direct bonus for defeating a beast except for the extreme use of mana skills.

Alas, the pleasant distractions couldn’t last forever. A different kind of disturbance hopped in through the window.

Took you longer than I thought.

Flynn landed with barely a crunch on the floor. His attempts at stealth were made vain by his stumble when he noticed Kai was watching him. “How’re you doing? Lou told me you were awake.”

His face was another tapestry of emotions, though this time Kai had the Mind to sieve through them. Relief, worry and guilt.

“You know it’s not your fault, right?” Kai cut to the chase, glad to have an easy problem to solve. “I’ll be perfectly fine by tomorrow.”

A week tops.

His friend looked in every direction but his, each step a calculated decision as if he was hanging over a cliff and not a plain solid floor. “I was the one who insisted on using that thing again.”

“And I agreed, knowing the risks. We needed to test it sooner or later.” Kai gave him a crooked grin. “Do you truly think you can make me do something I don’t want?”

Flynn bit his lip before allowing a reluctant smile to appear. “Maybe not, but I should have been here to help you.”

“Well, that one was my idea, don’t try to take credit for it. Neither of us knew this would happen.” Kai avoided mentioning that his presence would have been a hindrance against the sea serpent.

Flynn didn’t look entirely convinced by the argument but still sat cross-legged beside him. “And what happened exactly? That snake was huge. You’d have to sail a day into the ocean to encounter something similar.”

Wouldn’t I like to know?

“I don’t think it came from the sea.”

“Where else? From underground? I’m pretty sure you’d have to dig almost as deep. Beasts don’t just pop out of nowhere.”

Kai pursed his lips. Now that he had to say it out loud, he knew it would sound crazy, but it was the only possible answer. “I think it did.”

“What do you mean?”

“It appeared out of nowhere, literally.” He had been there when it happened, and his memories were clear enough. One moment there was nothing, the next the colossal beast was there. Chewing his cheek, he added. “I think it was teleported here.”

Flynn gave him a long look, trying to spot the sign of a joke. “I thought your disc only affected chances of unlikely events that were possible.”

“I think that still holds true.” Kai couldn't blame him for his skepticism. Outside the estate, he had never heard mention of any other kind of spatial magic. Well, besides expanded storages. “Pass me that cup.”

“This? Why?” Flynn gave him the empty metallic glass, looking even more confused.

“Give me a minute and pay attention.” Kai closed his eyes to sift through his mana veins. Even gathering the elemental motes was a chore, and that didn’t begin to scratch the problems with Space magic.

He never had any issue imagining water or plants moving and changing, but how do you visualize space bending? It wasn’t something humans could perceive. He had a little more success compressing the distance between two points, though that wouldn’t make for a very impressive demonstration.

Focus.

Kai closed his hands around the object, trying to recall the trick Dora showed him. The cup was small and sturdy, made for travel. Taking ten breaths to visualize his intentions as clearly as possible, he let the spell loose.

With a pop of air, two-thirds of the cup disappeared from his hands and a ringing clutter of pieces fell a meter away.

Here goes a month of motes.

“Damned ancestors!” Flynn jolted to his feet with wide eyes. “You didn’t tell me you could do that.”

“Well, I didn’t do much. I’m not good with spatial spells.” Kai offered him the part he had failed to teleport, waving it before his nose to show it was harmless—a clean cut of the glass's lower part. The sight tickled something in his memory.

It could be how the snake got injured…

Flynn accepted the slice of metal and poked the pile of metallic shavings with his foot. As his caution melted away, fear turned into fascination. “You were trying to destroy it, right?” He fished out a dozen of the bigger pieces to fit them back together.

“No.”

“Oh, well, it’s not that bad. I could piece them together if you give me a couple hours and a lot of glue.”

I feel so much better.

Kai glanced at the pile of scraps. Most fragments of metal were smaller than his thumbnail, but there wasn’t much metallic dust. “It was one of my best attempts. Anyway, there are better mages than me out there.”

“So, you’re saying that some sloppy archmage could have teleported the big snake here by accident?” Flynn continued to play the puzzle game.

“I don’t think it was someone.”

“You mean…”

“The sea serpent appeared inside a chamber of the ruins where mana was acting weird, that can’t be a coincidence,” Kai explained. “I think we should add ‘mysterious ruins’ to the list of hazardous places to avoid.”

He had gone fishing for strange events in the remnants of a race he didn’t understand, and this was the result. Not one of his smartest choices, or maybe it was given that he survived. Space Magic was the cause of the accident, no doubt, but that still didn’t answer the how.

If the Fulcrum only increased the odds, it might have happened before… Is it just this Vastaire site that is special or are there others? It must be something linked with the towers even if I found no runes…

Lou’s return put an abrupt end to his speculations. “I’m glad you’re feeling better, but you shouldn’t exert yourself.” His eyes fell on the pile of metal scraps. “Is that my cup?”

“Huh, maybe…” Kai smiled. It was time to see how deep he had dug his grave.