The First Archmage

(Gavin)

Oh, right. There's a difference in the time of day between where Kade is and where the headquarters is. You need to stop forgetting shit like that, Gavin. The sun's beginning to set, and it looks like they're preparing dinner right now. Some sort of feast.

Though the giant boar they're cooking here looks decent. It's not on the level of the Demon Boar Kade's team took out, but is still quite large, standing roughly fourteen feet in height. Some of the Fairies are preparing the sides of fruits and vegetables and desserts, a few of them having drafted Kemmel into helping them.

"Nice boar," I say as I approach Eli. "How was it taken down?"

"Lyari managed it on his own," Eli answers. "He went hunting, and after a few hours, contacted us through the Paired Mirror we were using, asking for help bringing his kill back."

"Where is the Elf now?"

"Cleaning up," he answers. "More recruits?"

"Indeed," I nod, waving the half-dozen Adventurers over. "These six come from our newest outpost, which rests on an island off the continent the majority of the Fairies come live on."

He looks unsure about that.

"I trust the person I have in charge of it," I assure him. "It's an old acquaintance of mine, and another magician, who's recently reached the Third Tier of his Class. Where is the Divine Brat?"

"Vanished about six hours ago," he laughs. "As soon as you were gone, he started acting up. He'd calm down every time you showed up."

"Yeah," I laugh. "Ryan told me about it. He mentioned he kept having to run around to try and contain him. By the way – tomorrow, I want you and your brother to meet me at my house. I'll need Ryan as well, and Tristan, if he wants to, though I think the ancient wizard wants to continue to study the things in the Tower."

Tristan is more of a scholar than anything, and prefers studying magics and ancient things, so I suppose it makes sense that he'd rather study than participate in running the Order.

"Alright," he says.

For the next few hours, we enjoy the feast that's set out, then those of us who sleep at night head to bed.

Gavin? Nies wakes me up very early in the morning.

"Yes?" I do my best to not be grumpy with him.

Christopher's preparing to travel to your world, he tells me. He's using his connection to you as a basis for the travel. And this isn't 'cause you made me a new shrine and gave me lots of treats.

His presence fades from my mind, and I Teleport to Oberon, startling him during his breakfast.

"Alright, Fairy King," I say. "Ready for vengeance?"

"Your father's coming?"

"Christopher will be here soon," I confirm. "Want to be above the forest when arrives?"

"Yes," he stands, extending his wings.

"I can get us there faster," I say.

I walk over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder, then Teleport us to two thousand feet above the canopy, only the massive Yggdrasil itself standing above us.

Moments after we appear here, Christopher does as well.

"Hello, so-" he begins.

"It's me, fucker!" Oberon snarls, and Christopher's gaze turns to Oberon, his eyes widening.

Then he attacks, only to find the powerful World Warrior of Eisnar easily deflecting it while simultaneously casting spells and wielding Spirits.

Christopher may have grown more powerful, but Oberon is not to be taken lightly, especially not while under Yggdrasil's canopy. I Teleport a safe distance away, watching the fight as Christopher attempts to evade Oberon's fury. He attempts to escape the shade of the World Tree, but fails, finding a barrier of wind blocking his path, one strong enough that he can't power through it, yet subtle enough he cannot see it unless he's touching it.

I sense him attempting to bend space to escape, and quickly put an end to that with a manipulation of Void and Aether.

In the end, his stolen Stats aren't enough to take out the furious Fairy King, and he falls, his corpse covered in scrapes, burns, acid burns, lacerations, holes, and more. Several parts of him were even turned to stone.

Oberon then calmly flies down and catches the corpse, slinging it across his shoulder before looking at me.

"I'll be taking care of this," he salutes to me. "Thank you, Archmage."

"You're welcome, Oberon," I say. "Enjoy… whatever you're going to do with that."

"Have some fun," he says mysteriously, then flies back towards his palace.

I smile, wondering what kind of fun the Fairies are going to have with the corpse of their enemy, then pause, looking to my right.

"Tulmis?" I ask. "Are you aware that there's a Natural Rift that's been hovering around thirty feet to my right for the last eight minutes?"

About ten seconds later, the Natural Rift seals up, fading away.

Thanks, the Rift Wolf's voice forms in my head. We weren't aware of that one yet.

"I figured," I say. "I remember it being mentioned that it takes longer to deal with Natural Rifts due to them being different from the more common Rifts."

Alright, he responds. See you around, Gavin.

"Hey, Tulmis?" I ask, and he doesn't respond. "You never tried stopping me from burning myself through with Stats and such."

You could take it, he responds. Advancing your Species increases your threshold, remember? You weren't doing anything that would cause issues, and you need the powers you have – and then some – if you wish for a chance against that Dragon.

"You know about it?"

Naturally, he responds. It's one of the most powerful Elder Dragons in existence. We've had no doubt that you will, eventually, encounter it. Eisnar is your world, so no doubt, once you're more than confident you are powerful enough, you would go after it to erase such a dangerous threat to all.

"I've been told I'll be killed by a Dragon's breath within the next couple of years," I say. "That implies I'm not strong enough when I face it. Just how powerful is it?"

Immensely, he answers. It is older than nearly all of us, and being a Dragon, it has rights and privileges we do not. There are a rare few that are not Divine Beings themselves that can slay that particular one. It may be impossible for you to accomplish in the next two years, if Nahor is to be believed about the timeframe, but there is a chance that you truly can become more powerful than that Dragon.

"How?" I ask, looking at the forest below me.

Perhaps more Fairies might wish to join the Order?

Secondary Species, he answers.

"Secondary Species?" I echo.

Indeed, he answers. In addition to that, the First Five do not count for Subspecies Slots. You can have, at most, nine total Subspecies. You won't gain more through your Secondary or Third Species. In other words, you can still take on two more Subspecies, and you can also take on the Dekami and Dirsoor Subspecies.

"Wouldn't I need to befriend one of the powerful leaders of one of those?" I ask. "Unless the errand bitch that used to keep interfering with my life counts as one of those?"

I do not, he chuckles. And gaining access to our Subspecies is a fair bit different.

Makes sense.

Maybe some Elemental Fairies? Maybe I should see if there are any Fire Fairies who'd like to come to the Order's headquarters with me and join it fully there.

"So how do they become available?"

Interaction, he responds. Which is why I stopped interfering in your life for awhile. Had I continued to do so – even though there wasn't really a reason to anymore, once you Advanced your Species to the Second Tier, thus increasing your capability to possess power – then you would have gained access to Dirsoor immediately, due to our interactions previously.

"I gained Access to the Void Mage's just by him greeting me," I say.

Yeah, you did, he chuckles. That was because it also counts if we consider you a friend. Or at least, one of the leaders of our people, and considering that he responded to you being a friend, that was enough for it to trigger the activation.

"Okay," I say. "So I can take on two more Subspecies now, and probably see if there are any more powerful ones than Enlightened ones to take on, to boost my power further. How do I gain access to Secondary and Third Species?"

Four Subspecies maxed-out, he responds. Then completing a true Tier I Dungeon. The true Dungeon Ranking relies on more than just Class. What you knew as a Tier II Dungeon was actually still a Tier I – it was a Tier I-I-II.

"Tier I-I-II?" I ask.

Indeed, he responds. The first number is representative of which sequence of Species you are. You are currently in your First Sequence, that is, your Primary Species. The second number is representative of your Species Tier. The third, your first Primary Class's Tier. You can perform any Dungeon at or below your sequence. So for you, that would, technically, be I-IV-IV.

"Technically?" I ask.

Where do the Flame Fairies live, anyway? This is a forest.

Technically, he repeats. Once you reach Tier I-IV at maximum Species Level, you become "True". In other words, you're a "True Tier I". This enables you to access any Tier I Dungeon. It ignores the Tier of your Primary Class, on the off-chance that you aren't at Tier IV of it yet.

"Is that even possible, once you're a Tier IV Species at max?" I ask.

Yes, he answers. It's quite possible. That aside, once you reach True Tier I, you can enter any Tier I Dungeon, period. It also allows you to challenge a True Tier I Dungeon, making them visible and accessible to you.

"So challenging one is how to acquire my Secondary Species?"

Yes and no, he responds. When you reach one, place your hand on the portal's frame, then focus and pull up a hud. All True Tier I can do that for the True Tier I Dungeons – this hud allows you to perform the Trial of the Tier I Species. Attempting it can kill you – but if you succeed, you may select any Enlightened Species you can take on as a Subspecies to be your Secondary Species, and bring it all the way up to maximum – thus becoming a True Tier II. True Tier III is the ultimate peak of existence an Enlightened can be.

"In other words," I say. "It's something I can probably manage pretty easily.

No, he responds. In fact, you would need to rely heavily upon your versatile set of magics to complete it, and that's for the chance at victory.

That makes it sound like an absurd being such as myself could actually die in one.

"What do you mean?"

Is there a desert around here? Actually, no, they probably wouldn't reside there. Maybe a volcano or two?

The Trials scale to you, he responds. They are always a life-or-death ordeal. It's unique to Enlightened, and provides the only hope one has to take on a being of the First Five that has become as powerful as one such as the Elder Dragon you are destined to die against. It takes into account your Bloodline's Level, your Species, your Classes, and all of your Subspecies. Any Trial of the Tier I Species would factor those into account and challenge you absolutely. It would know about your absurd, nigh-impossible Regeneration and account for that. It would know about your affinity for magics, your Contracts with Spirits for their Gifts, your wide array of Skills. Taking on more Subspecies would not benefit you for it.

In fact, he pauses for a moment. It's actually best that you don't.

"Why?"

I can't sense any volcanoes, though. Maybe they're out of my range? The mountains surrounding the Fairy Forest are a fair distance away, considering how vast the forest below is.

Remember why I locked your Resources when you were younger?

"Ah," I say. "I'm nearing the limit of what amount of Stats I can have without complications?"

Indeed, he responds. In fact, it's only due to your Tier IV Species that you can handle it. Advancing a Species increases the threshold. Once you start working on your Secondary Species and getting it up there, that threshold will increase yet again, though it might not be safe unless you get to Tier III Species or Tier IV on that one to really take on more.

"Understood," I say. "Where can I find one of these Dungeons?"

And Flame Fairies. I want to find one of those, too. Maybe I'll just Teleport all over the Fairy Kingdom until I find some. Or Oberon could direct me? That would be a lot simpler.

You probably should have thought of that first, Gavin.