by Dakota Krout
It took three weeks, but he did it. Just shy of his thirtieth anniversary in Murder World, Luke tricked the last Phantom into attacking him while he was ‘weak and defenseless’. When it popped like a bubble, Luke received the message he had been waiting for. He had waited years, decades, and it was finally here.
Zone Five cleared! Congratulations for setting a new record clear time for Zone five! New record: 17 years, 4 months, 18 days! Now people following in your footsteps have something to strive for! Hidden achievement: Defeat more than 1,100 total Phantoms (10% more than needed)! 1,000 Potentia gained!
Tutorial complete! New record for tutorial: 29 years, 11 months, 30 days! no bonus is allotted, as the estimated time to completion for the tutorial was five years, three months. Every aspect of yourself should have been challenged during this tutorial, if you feel that you have not been sufficiently challenged, please contact -ERROR-.
Scanning... no class trainer found. Your reward has increased! As you managed to complete the tutorial without assistance, you have become the default class trainer! As the class trainer, you are allowed to change the name of various sections of this dimension, such as the Zones and Zone defenders. As an example, you have titled this plane as ‘Murder World’, and that is now the official title of this entire dimension!
“Hold on... I am the only person to ever get through this, and the big reward that I get for it is that I get to provide naming conventions?” Luke tried again, unsuccessfully, to tear the Sigil out of his forehead. The only thing that stopped him from trying harder was the next message that appeared.
Quest complete! Go to the boundary of the sixth Zone to collect your reward.
Luke started walking, hoping against hope that this would be his ticket out of this terrible blue abyss. Then again, even if he left for a short while, he would be back to search for Cookie. Until he had her safe in his hands, there was no way that he would ever be able to rest properly.
Soon enough, the boundary of the sixth Zone came into sight. Unlike every time he had ever seen it before, there was no shimmering barrier blocking him from crossing. As he drew closer, a small rumble caught his attention. In the distance, a line had appeared in the ground, and water was flowing down it. He followed the stream, and found a stone plinth; which began to rise out of the ground in front of him as water flowed into it. “Another bonus? Is this what I get for totally clearing each Zone? Well, that's handy.”
There was a single hole on the plinth, and as Luke walked over to it, his Sigil projected words above it.
Add as many skill pearls as you would like. Final reward is based on total and quality of pearls added, clear time, and achievements gained within the tutorial.
Luke looked at the solitary small hole, and sighed deeply. He opened his goat hide canteen and started putting pearls into the hole one by one. One, a dozen, fifty, one hundred, and finally a total of two hundred ninety-seven skill pearls between the ranks of one and four were pushed into the hole. “No funnel. Seriously? I had to line all of these up individually?”
Would you like to add any more?
“No.”
Processing… please allow up to three to five business days for new Skill Pearl to be created based on the criteria!
“Are you messing with me?” Luke dropped all of his defense, pouring fifty percent of his mana into each of his Battering Ram knuckles. His hands began to glow a brilliant blue, with a depth of power that began shaking the air around it. Just before he lashed out, a single skill pearl was pushed to the surface of the plinth.
As there are no other requirements on the system, the skill pearl was generated in record time! This is a custom skill pearl, and it is very unlikely that you will ever find one like this again! It has been configured specifically to your person; don't let your friends have it!
“Other requirements on the system, my gluteus maximus. It didn't take you any time, you were just afraid of work!” Luke snarled as he snatched the pearl and threw it down his gullet. “How can an entire plane of existence be lazy?”
Skill gained: Open Up. (T6) Level 9. 0/11,500 to tier 7!
Effect 1: You have gained the abilities to open a small crack between dimensions. By punching into a weak point in the world, you are able to tear through enough to pass between the worlds. Total mana needed to open a small crack: 1,000-10n, where n = skill level.
Bonus 1, at range: You are able to clearly and easily see weak points in the world.
Effect 2: You are now able to reuse weak points in the world at a much-reduced rate. Each time you use the same weak point, the mana cost will be reduced by 50%, to a minimum of 25% mana cost.
Bonus 2, Multitarget: No longer are you making a momentary flicker in the weave, you are able to invest extra Mana into the opening to create a stable portal that other people will be able to travel through. Time that the portal will remain open: 60 seconds per 100-n mana.
Effect 3: You are now able to break down the barrier to other worlds in order to enter them. In order to do so, a portal must have been made to that world and closed within at a maximum of 24+n hours.
Bonus 3, AoE: by injecting your Mana into a portal, you can either subvert it to your control, redirect it to [Murder World], or directly close it. Cost: 100-10n mana. Caution: If the person who has created the portal is maintaining control of it, your willpower will clash against their charisma.
“It is my way home!” Luke's eyes welled up with tears, but only for a bare moment before the Sigil on his forehead re-centered him. “I can see my father… his name is… my mother! Sister? I can't… remember them? How long has it been since I thought of them? Are they even still alive? It has been thirty years! Will they even remember me?”
Luke looked around, and found that right at the edge of the Zone there was a vertical shimmering field. “So, you are a weak spot between the worlds? Imma punch you.”
It has been exactly 30 years since you entered Murder World!
“Yeah, cool, thank you for the information.” Luke snorted as he poured Mana into his newfound skill. He lashed out and punched the weak space, and a small crack appeared for just a brief instant.
*Chime*!
Connection to main enchantment block re-established! System clock updated! Skill forcefully deactivated!
“What in the actual abyss just happened?” He tried once more to invoke his new skill, however, every time he attempted to do so, it was forcefully deactivated. “Sigil, you had better explain yourself!”
System clock shows that the order of the Archmage is still in effect! Two and a half years of training time has been allotted for new Initiates; they are not allowed to leave their designated worlds until the required time has passed!
“Not enough time? Not enough time?” Luke was flabbergasted by this information; he simply could not understand what the Sigil was telling him. “How much more time do I have to be here? How much time has passed out there?”
System clock has shown that two base-world years have passed! Assessing current differences between system clock and personal clock... Calculating… Congratulations! You have entered a world with the highest time dilation on record! With a 15x time dilation, you have six months of base-world time, or seven-and-a-half years subjective time remaining, until your training is considered complete!
After reading the information, Luke felt something inside of him break, something that the desperately chiming Sigil on his forehead was unable to prevent or fix.
He closed his mouth. He turned. He walked into Zone six.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Just outside the small town of Woodswright, where a defensive Fortress had just been completed, a portal appeared and a man walked out of seemingly nowhere. He scanned the overgrown path, specifically at the trees that seemed to stretch endlessly in all directions; then lightly crouched, jumping into the air and searching around. Satisfied that he was in the correct location and there were no actual threats within at least fifty kilometers, he reached into the air
and plucked a string of mana.
“I, Archmage Don, hereby declare training complete. All surviving members of the Initiate group are to return here within twenty-four hours of this world.” He paused and grimaced at the next words that were required to be said. “I authorize the Sigils of the Kingdom to use deadly force upon refusal of this order.”
Master Don waved his hand, and the trees in the area were ripped to shreds. the wood chips flew into the air, congregating into a series of small buildings. A book appeared behind him; a Grimoire as tall as he was that exuded a deathly aura. If any base human had been in the area to see the book, their mind might have been permanently warped from the mere sight of it. He reached out a hand, lightly backhanding the air. The book vanished, and the space that he had touched blossomed into a portal. People began flooding out of the opening; mostly support staff that was present to tend to the needs of the returning Initiates.
Healers, Warriors, Quartermasters with huge amounts of food and gear, and finally some people exuding a Presence that could nearly rival Master Don's. He nodded at them as they stepped forward, “Generals.”
“Archmage, it is good to see you back among the living.” One of the Generals stepped forward, bowing lightly before taking a step back. “That you are back so late… have you succeeded? Have you found… an inheritor?”
There was no change of expression on Master Don's face, nothing to betray the fury that still boiled behind his facade of calm and control. “Perhaps. Perhaps. We will find out soon.”
Over the course of the day, the portal changed colors. Each time it did so, multiple people streamed out of the distortion. More often than not, there were deep wounds, malnutrition, or other small issues that needed to be tended, which the support staff efficiently cared for. Twelve hours passed, and the portal shifted colors once more, this time to a coloration that had been seen several times already. Only one person sauntered out, the Apprentice of the Archmage.
Master Don merely nodded, and his words were cold. “Taylor, it is good to see that you survived. I hope that you found that the path you followed was the correct one. The terms of our deal will be honored.”
Unlike the other people that had stepped out of the portal, there was not a hair out of place on Taylor. She wore a bright white robe with purple and black etching, and the robe itself had a beautifully crafted hood that she lowered to show her face. Taylor slipped into a full courtly bow, “Archmage, a pleasure as always! It seems I have won the bet, and we will be doing things my way from here on. Indeed, I believe that you will find only positive changes since our last meeting. Of course, if I ever find a way to reduce you to ashes without damaging the Kingdom or myself, I will not hesitate.”
“But of course! I would have it no other way. Keep in mind that I will kill you in a heartbeat should you fail,” Master Don replied, turning his eyes back to the portal dismissively. The people around them recoiled sharply; this was not a normal interaction, especially not for a master-apprentice relationship. Several of them had seen the Archmage destroy small towns over a threat that was half as credible as this one. “An Archmage must be prepared, at all times, forever. If I slip, I deserve what is coming to me. I look forward to the next stage in your training… Archmage-in-Waiting Taylor.”
“Pardon me, My Lady. If you could step over here with me, we will update your Sigil and your credentials.” A man bowed to Taylor and swept a hand toward a wooden building. “Pardon the repetition if you already know this information, but all Initiates who have passed to the full rank are granted a military position of Captain, and the Noble equivalent title of Baron.”
Taylor's eyes traced over the man, and she nodded before following him. “Thank you, Lieutenant. Your assistance is greatly appreciated.”
They walked to the small building where another Mage was waiting for them, this one a specialized Enchanter. He gestured toward a seat, and Taylor gracefully took it. “Might I have your name, surname if you were a noble before your initiation, and class name.”
“Taylor Woodswright. Specialized Mage, Namer.” Taylor's answer was concise, clear, cold. There was nothing wrong with what she was saying, no insult that could be garnered, but still the man across the table became furious.
“Namer? How dare you claim to have power on par with the Archmage?” Balls of light began appearing in the air around the Enchanter, and he barely stopped himself from attacking. A long beat passed, he looked at Taylor consideringly… when a leer appeared on his face. “I will forgive this insult, and even ‘forget’ to report it; on the small condition that-”
The shocked lieutenant was barely able to think the words, ‘this man is an idiot’, before Taylor reacted and the Enchanter’s words were choked off. The air around his throat constricted; he blinked and found that a spike of Earth, Fire, and Ice were rotating around his head. Very, very close. So close in fact, that the tips of each spike drew blood as they circled around; leaving red-weeping trails as they passed.
Taylor leaned forward, clearly not having had to move in order to get the spells to enact her will. “Let me try this one more time. I am Taylor Woodswright. Specialized Mage, Namer. Only Apprentice of Master Mage Donec Arriperent, and presumptive Archmage. Would you now like to finish your job, or should I get someone to come in here, clean up whatever mess is left of you, and have them do the job?”
She left the small building moments later, the Sigil on her forehead shining and in a new configuration: a single book with a border of mystical runes in a circle around it. Taylor was now proudly wearing the symbol of the Namers; though over the next few minutes it faded until only silvery lines remained on her forehead, instead of the shining symbol of her Order.
As Taylor exited, there was another shift in the portal: it began growing a deep green, with flecks of golden light. A strange sense of joy filled everyone in the area, and the few remaining trees started shaking as if a strong wind were blowing through them. Seeds and small plants burst into flowering; all as a thin man stepped out of the bright green portal.
The lightly-tanned man had long black hair that curled into beautiful waves. His shining hazel eyes swept over the area, and everyone caught in the glance felt their hearts beat faster. He took a step onto the ground, and flowers erupted upward to curl around his deer-hide boots and brush against his wolf fur-lined robes. The gnarled staff in his hand bore leaves and flowers on it as well, but a closer look revealed thorns with glistening fluids at their tips.
Everyone that had been gathered near the area ran over and began cheering as Andre returned to the Kingdom. The Archmage approached and personally shook his hand, pumping it up and down with great enthusiasm. However, the portal did not immediately close. A massive Cave Bear began forcing its way out of the space, which prompted the security team to raise their weapons and shout a warning.
Andre simply looked behind him and patted the bear on the head, stupefying everyone watching and turning the fear into laughter. “Fear not, my friends! Arthur is a comrade of mine, the creature that allowed me to reach the Second Circle several years ago! While he is not tame, so long as you do not approach him or myself aggressively, he will leave you alone.”
After looking around the area and ensuring that Andre was safe, the bear gave him a fierce lick and shimmied backward into the portal; which closed behind it, leaving no trace of the animalistic presence.
Very few people understood exactly what Andre had meant, but they all seemed to appreciate his open and caring attitude. Something deep inside them exulted that their Druid was worried about them? He made sure to allay their fears? What a shining example! As for those who had understood exactly what he meant, they were taken aback, but very pleased by his progress. There would be no one attempting to stifle his progress; in fact, only by increasing his power would the Kingdom become more powerful as a whole.
It was an interesting situation for Taylor as she watched her childhood friend walk into the small building for processing, then emerge with his Si
gil showcasing the symbol of the Archdruid. In an instant, he had transformed from an Initiate into someone with technically as much or more political power as the Archmage. However, the current Archmage was clearly more directly powerful, and Andre knew better than to overstep himself.
The two of them vanished for a talk, and it seemed during that time Andre was able to convince Master Don to levitate him a few hundred feet into the air. A few moments later, a halo of energy was released by Andre, a ring of red-flecked green Mana that expanded… expanded… expanded. Andre finally descended to the ground, and as his feet touched down, the overgrown path was suddenly repaired and covered with tight-knit vines that somehow improved the quality of the path and made it into an actual road.
The trees around them seemed healthier, and the blooming flower effect spread as far as the eye could see. Taylor took advantage of the moment and decided to reintroduce herself to her old friend. Quietly walking over, she jabbed her finger into the ribs on his back.
“No!” Andre bellowed as he spasmed from the prod, “What have I told you about doing-? Wait! Taylor!”
The young Archdruid whipped around and yanked her into a bear hug that his companion Arthur would have been impressed by. “Taylor! I've missed you so much! How are you? Tell me everything! Where is Zed? Did he get here before us? Oh! Where is Luke? I bet he became something really cool! Did you see what world he was sent to before you left?”
“You still bruise like a peach, huh?” Not really wanting to answer his questions, Taylor deflected and simply smiled at him. “How in the world did you lose muscle by leveling up?”
“How dare you.” Master Don called over, casually offended by her cavalier attitude toward ‘leveling’. “It is Ascending, blast it!”
“Ignore him,” Taylor dismissed the Archmage’s correction easily, causing the people within hearing distance to blanch with fear. “He gets cranky. Probably hasn't eaten, or maybe he only killed one member of a family, instead of getting all nine generations or something. Really hard to get a read on what sets him off.”
