The Fifth Realm

by Michael Chatfield

“It is not something that we need to decide on now,” Aditya said.

  “Would it be a Vermire Central Auction house?” Lord Quan asked.

  “Vermire would only be another supporter, an equal partner,” Aditya said. “It is better to have more friends.”

  ***

  Lord Ryan Mills thought on what he had heard from Lord Aditya. He was one of the newer outpost lords. With his limited funds, he had not been able to participate in the auction even as the items had attracted his vision.

  He was jealous of Aditya. They had started their outposts at the same time. Now Lord Aditya talked to Old Lord Quan as if they were peers and the other lords listened to his words and placed weight with them.

  Mills walked through his quarters, his mind working. Clearly there were plenty of riches in Vermire. Mills wanted them badly, but getting them would be difficult.

  I will need outside help.

  He thought of Lady Sumi. Her beautiful face had captured him and seeing her vocal attack on Lord Aditya, it was clear they were fire and water—they could not be mixed.

  When we leave, I’ll have a message sent to her. There have to be others who would be against a merger. Even if I only get a few leftovers, if it works out then we would become the new overlords of Beast Mountain Range.

  Chapter: Showdown

  Gilly and George were at their full lengths, lazing around the outside of the sparring arena.

  Inside it, Erik and Rugrat checked their gear.

  Outside, there were people from the military and from the special teams watching them.

  Erik stretched and got warmed up.

  Rugrat checked his rifle, putting it together. He checked the magazine and loaded it.

  “You sure these things will work?” Erik tapped the formation that was strapped to his back.

  “I shot them a couple of times with rounds. Just adjusted them to our own defenses. Also, how did you become such a tank? Do you know how much I had to crank up your mana barrier to match your normal defense?” Rugrat complained.

  Erik just shrugged. “You ready yet?”

  “Sure.” Rugrat stood and cocked his new semi-auto rifle.

  Erik and Rugrat moved to opposite corners and Rugrat pulled out a coin.

  “When it hits the ground?”

  “Works,” Erik said.

  Rugrat threw the coin up and changed his stance.

  Erik looked at Rugrat, feeling the mana coursing through his body. He felt alive. It had been too long since he had fought.

  The coin hit the ground. Erik raced forward. He shot mana bullets out of his hand and the world turned to liquid.

  Rugrat fired his rifle, tracing out Erik’s line of advance. He opened his left hand underneath the rifle, firing out two large mana blasts to either side of Erik that would force him forward. He launched his grenade round right between them.

  Erik shot at the rounds and sped up. Each footstep broke the tiles beneath his feet. He fired out mana blasts, hitting those ahead of him, causing them to explode as he dove. He covered his head with his left arm that plowed through the floor, sending up tiles.

  He felt the rush of air overhead and he threw his left arm down. His strength was such the force tossed him to the side. He got his feet underneath him and started to run.

  Rugrat had already reloaded his rifle and was firing again.

  Erik dodged between rounds as Rugrat used a movement technique, shooting across the square and changed formation sockets on his rifle on the fly.

  As he ran, he dropped mana bolts on the ground but they didn’t explode.

  Erik fired at them, distracting and hurrying Rugrat.

  Rugrat fired at Erik as he got within a few feet. Erik turned his body; his chest, shoulder, and arm were hit as Rugrat formed a blade of mana. It was as substantial as if made from mana stone. Erik grabbed Rugrat’s armor.

  The two of them stopped, rounds hitting behind Erik.

  Rugrat was poised to slash or stab through Erik. Although Erik’s arm shook, there was so much mana contained within to set off a mana detonation.

  The two of them retracted their power.

  “I thought that you were focusing on that finger thing?” Rugrat asked.

  “Need more control for that. Don’t have it yet. Mana bolt mines—that’s pretty shitty to deal with,” Erik said.

  “Yeah, your speed is higher than I thought. Are you using a spell to enhance your speed?”

  “Nope, just higher strength. Gives explosive speed when changing directions.” Erik tapped his chest armor.

  “Ugh, you need to stop getting the cool toys.” Rugrat sighed.

  “Again?” Erik asked.

  “Sure. Want to do rifles, then mana techniques, then physical fighting, fighting on beasts, then everything together?” Rugrat asked.

  “These things can handle it?” Erik tapped the formation plate on his back.

  “Better than the fighting stage.” Rugrat looked over Erik’s shoulder at what was left of the stage.

  “We’ll just need to use stronger materials when rebuilding it.” Erik turned to Rugrat.

  They grinned at each other and laughed.

  “Charge up with a Mortal mana stone—should be good for a few more bouts,” Rugrat said.

  Erik and Rugrat had the same rifles as they faced off against each other. They lined up, looking at each other. Erik threw the coin this time.

  It hit the ground and Erik shot to the side. He shot his rifle one-handed, easily able to take the recoil. He fired out mana bolts with his left hand. Rounds struck his barrier as his hits struck Rugrat. Erik trapped Rugrat, who was just firing his rifle as a klaxon went off, declaring Rugrat as dead.

  Erik stopped attacking.

  “Your defense is too damn high,” Rugrat complained.

  “You put a lot of points into Agility, but not as many as me. With the extra strength, I could one-arm fire a fifty cal right now.”

  “These hit harder than fifty cals back on Earth.” Rugrat held up his rifle.

  “Mana technique time,” Erik said.

  They took corners and Rugrat tossed.

  Mana bolts and bullets were slower than the rifle rounds. Rugrat’s mana bullets were slower, but they were much more powerful and he increased their power by adding Explosive Shot and other spells layered on top.

  Erik used his mana bullets and shots before using Mana Detonation. He let out a yell as he threw his fists. Mana shot out of his hands like shotguns, clearing the area in front of him as he rushed forward.

  Rugrat went all-out, dodging and moving to get distance as he fired out mana bullets. He dropped mana bolts with his feet, making Erik have to travel around to get Rugrat. His mana pool was larger than it had been but it was nothing like the sea-like mana pool Rugrat controlled.

  Erik’s mana started to decline until he was swamped and the klaxon went off.

  “I think that using the Mana Detonation was smarter than using the mana bullets and mana bolts,” Rugrat said.

  Erik looked up at him, about to fire a crude remark back before he saw that Rugrat was serious.

  “You were using less power than mana bolts and bullets. It allowed you to advance. You’re stronger when you’re in close. Now, this simulation fight is good but in a fight you’ll have healing concoctions and can heal, suck up the damage, get in there and land a hit.”

  “Yeah, I need to learn more close-quarters fighting techniques. I have a rifle—when will I need it?” Erik then realized what he had said and how dumb it sounded. “I should learn some more fighting techniques.”

  “You and me both. In close, I’ve got my mana bullets and bolts. If I use them, then the splash damage could kill or injure me.”

  “You’re not that squishy yet,” Erik said.

  “In the higher realms, I might be. As you said, I have increased my mana, not my body. If I can increase my Body Cultivation, then my faster reactions will be a huge help,” Rugrat said.

  “Physical?” Erik asked.
<
br />   “Sure,” Rugrat said.

  Erik tossed the coin this time.

  They charged at each other. As Erik got closer, Rugrat grinned as mana formed around him, looking just like his mana blade.

  Erik was already extending his body to attack and had to stomp his foot, breaking up his attack as Rugrat jumped forward. His fists were covered in mana blade spikes.

  Erik dodged Rugrat’s attacks, trying to get in a rhythm. The other’s attacks were sure to damage him heavily if they connected.

  Sneaky damn redneck!

  Erik dropped back and sized up Rugrat, who was coming for him. Erik dodged to the side and threw a spin-kick. He focused his power into his foot as he did with the One Finger Beats Fist technique.

  It struck and hit Rugrat. Erik took damage from hitting the mana blade but it wasn’t as much damage as what he dealt on Rugrat.

  Rugrat let the mana covering disappear. “Damn, it is hard to keep that up,” Rugrat said, sweating.

  “It’s smart—though, on a battlefield, you’ll become a massive target.”

  “You hit like a damn mule,” Rugrat said.

  “Another?” Erik asked.

  They got onto George and Gilly and looked around.

  “We’ll have to expand the stage next time,” Rugrat said.

  “Or just go to the Battle Arena.” Erik patted Gilly’s neck and looked around the sparring area. They only had about twenty meters of distance between the two. On their mounts, it was a little cramped when thinking of how fast they could move.

  “Now that would be pretty fun.” Rugrat laughed. He leaned forward with his rifle across his legs as he absently scratched George’s neck too.

  “Shall we?” Erik asked.

  “Fine. Whose toss is it anyway?”

  “Yours, I think.” Erik threw the coin over.

  Rugrat caught it and tossed it into the air.

  Erik got lower, his body ready, and Gilly leaned forward, her eyes locked on George, whose wings shot out to either side, ready as well.

  Rugrat wrapped the sling of his rifle around his left forearm.

  The coin touched the ground.

  George’s wings beat down against the ground, causing dust to rush out from the broken floor.

  Erik threw out Mana Detonation punches as Rugrat’s rounds shot forward.

  Gilly let out a water jet in George’s path, causing him to drop down as he breathed fire back. Gilly smacked the ground with her tail, creating a wall to take the rounds Rugrat was firing and stop George’s breath. Erik jumped off her back and ran along the left side, hidden from Rugrat’s view a half second later. Gilly ran forward, throwing up a plume of dust; the wall parted for her and she let out a blast of water.

  George was already rising higher, his wings beating as he took the pause to gain altitude.

  Erik was struck by a round and Rugrat smiled. He saw through me? Gilly, I need steps. Using his bond to Gilly, Erik jumped to the side and up into the air as she smacked the ground, sending rocks flying, blocking Rugrat’s sight and George’s breath. She smacked a rock with her tail, sending shrapnel at the duo in the sky.

  Erik saw it all as he jumped up the rocks that shot up into the sky, using them as stepping-stones. The power he exerted on them sent them crashing into the ground as if meteors.

  Keep them penned in.

  Rugrat jumped off George and onto the rocks. George dropped and shot a blast of flame through the rocks, clearing a hole in them. The two had worked together perfectly. Rugrat fired through the opening, hitting Erik straight on.

  He sent out mana bullets and bolts as fast as possible, panicking. Come on, girl!

  Erik grinned as Gilly jumped up and bit at George; he clawed at her as the rocks around her turned into spears and shot at George.

  George’s klaxon went off and he reverted to his small form. Rugrat changed his point of aim to Gilly as he dropped to the ground with the falling rocks.

  Erik used Mana Detonation on his feet, charging forward as Gilly shot a blast of water at Rugrat. He dodged it as she came back down to the ground and fired repeatedly. Erik hit the ground, rolling and sliding, with his legs pumping underneath him. Gilly hit the ground and created a quick wall, but Rugrat destroyed it and hit her barrier a few more times. Her klaxon went off. Erik grabbed the repeater on his back and fired at Rugrat, pinning him into the corner of the arena. He circled around, so Rugrat had a hard time pinning him down as his barrier was destroyed and the klaxon went off.

  Erik stopped firing. Rugrat didn’t hear it and shot Erik, and Erik’s klaxon went off.

  Rugrat grinned and then looked at the klaxons. “Dammit!” His grin turned into a frustrated noise before he walked toward Erik. “If we had more room, we’d show you a real fight.”

  “Good work,” Erik said. The two of them bumped fists.

  Gilly looked up at the ceiling with a proud expression as George prowled and growled, returning to his full size. The two of them started to squabble.

  “You know, I hear that animals are much like their owners,” Erik said, seeing the two beasts.

  “Well, I know that George and I would love to have your help in increasing our cultivation and bloodline,” Rugrat said.

  The two headed off the stage as people who had come to watch talked with one another.

  “I’m not the only alchemist out there, there are plenty of Alvans that have made pills that could help out you and George,” Erik said.

  “Huh, I keep on forgetting that. Also, what are we going to do about the stage?” Rugrat asked pitching his voice lower.

  “Well, Matt helped to design the Battle Arena. Maybe he can do something here? Seems that we need some better materials,” Erik said in an equally quiet voice as they picked up their pace keeping their heads together, so it looked like they had something important to talk about.

  With a whistle and snap to Gilly and George, both returned to their smaller sizes and rested on their shoulders.

  “We need to get clipboards, less people would ask what we’re doing,” Rugrat muttered.

  “Works all the time,” Erik agreed.

  After escaping—uh, fleeing...hmm, leaving—the barracks in a much worse state than when they had first arrived, they headed to the manor to get cleaned up.

  “I’m going to go and check out the library, see if they’ve pulled up any more of those Expert-level techniques. I’ve checked out the ones we got in the Fifth Realm and although they’re interesting, I don’t think that they’re the ones that will help me progress,” Rugrat said.

  “I know what you’re saying. They seem close, but not well-suited. I’ve got a storage ring full of ingredients from Vuzgal that I still need to test and understand. I’m going to test out a few of the techniques and see what they do. Maybe I can piece them together into something new. I’ve still got to craft that Age Rejuvenation potion for Elder Lu’s wife,” Erik said.

  “Also, I think that we’ve kind of outgrown the mana bolts and bullets. They’re effective as a sneak attack, but their power-to-attack ratio is too low,” Rugrat said.

  “They work pretty good,” Erik said.

  “Fighting at the higher levels is more about augmentation than it is about one thing. Is it the stats of the weapon? Or is it your strength and your techniques that bring out the greatest strength of the weapon?” Rugrat asked.

  Erik didn’t need to say anything; they both knew the answer to that question.

  “That’s why most weapons are crafted for the fighter in the higher realms. Most of the gear we sell out of the Battle Arena can be modified to suit the user, which is why it sells well. In a competitive or life-and-death fight, would you prefer the rifle you’ve fought with for ten years or the newest best rifle that came out yesterday?” Rugrat asked.

  “Old, tried, and true—new one will probably jam after two rounds,” Erik said.

  Rugrat grinned. “True that. But you get what I mean.”

  “Yeah, using Mana Detonation with the force of
my blow behind it increases the strength of both. Mana bolts and bullets need much more mana to power them up to have the same effect against someone in the First Realm and in the Fourth Realm.”

  “Yeah, so I think you use weapons to close with the enemy, then techniques to beat the shit out of them,” Rugrat suggested helpfully.

  “And you can remain in your perch in the sky, safe as can be,” Erik said.

  “Supporting fire.” Rugrat clicked his tongue, closing his eye and raising the okay sign as if it were the scope of a rifle to his eye.

  “Aren’t Davin and Egbert heading to the Wood floor today?” Erik said suddenly, remembering.

  “I guess so?”

  ***

  “Now remember, no burning down everything that you see. Only burn and threaten the things that I tell you to burn and threaten,” Egbert said.

  Glosil and Yui looked at each other and then shrugged, looking back to the teleportation formation.

  Davin was there, pouting and his arms crossed, looking like the cutest damn Fire imp you ever did see.

  Egbert pinched his cheeks. As Davin tried to smack his hand away, Egbert was already walking away.

  “I told you to stop pinching my cheeks!” Davin complained, the air heating up around him.

  “Now, now, Davin, with your baby face and your pouting, it’s just too hilarious not to!”

  “You!” Davin started to heat up more and the air around him distorted.

  A spell formation appeared above him and dropped water on him, sizzling and turning the area around the teleportation formation humid.

  “Okay, so shall we?” Egbert said.

  Davin huffed but walked onto the formation next to Egbert.

  Egbert smiled and waved to Glosil and Yui, looking like a proud parent taking his kid who was throwing a temper tantrum off to their first day of school.

  The main floor disappeared and they were in a blacked-out wooded area.

  The trees started to creak and turn, looking like something out of one of Egbert’s horror romances.

  “That was a great read, cute and fearful Anabeth running through the haunted woods to get away from her attackers when she runs into the valiant Charles!” Egbert raised his one hand, striking a pose and holding his stomach as his voice turned deeper.