Divine Mage

by L Travern

  "What does 'treat him well' means?" He asked.

  Her smile faltered a little. "I'm not sure. But it goes well with my own Vision that ordered me to protect you, see? I'm sure there was no error on that!" She said excitedly.

  "Error?"

  "Nothing," she said hurriedly.

  Matthew's curiosity was picked, but he wasn't close enough to her yet. He could force her to speak, but there was no urgency in finding more about the Temple of Time and his prophecy. Soon enough, he would be out of the reaches of both the Temple and the Crusade alike. Then, he would have more than enough time to talk and try to figure things out.

  After breakfast, they resumed their journey.

  * * *

  "This is a good place," Matthew said as soon as they reached the first open area of their travel. It was a flat land without narrow walls. The rock gave way to earth and low vegetation, with a single overgrown trail amidst it. The area around the plane went up and down, making it hard to see what was beyond the immediate area.

  "A good place for what, young master?" Sara asked.

  "Training and baiting. You both get to it." He turned to Helina. "How far can your Mana Sense go in this terrain?"

  Mana could go through the earth, but it was costly. Mana Sense, much like his own Omnisense, was most commonly used as a blanket to cover the surface, plus the air up to some height. It was like a thick blanket that could feel whatever it touched.

  But just like a blanket, if there were toys in the bed, it would either fail to touch the mattress – thus creating blind spots in the Mana Sense, which was stupid –, or it would end up covering a smaller radius because of the rough surface.

  "Two hundred legs," she said.

  Matthew frowned. "What? Explain." That was way too low. An Eminence should have one thousand legs – or one kilometer – of coverage on a clean surface. How could her Mana Sense's range be of two hundred meters?

  "If I go further than this and enter some powerful beast's territory, it could take offense and attack us," she explained.

  "We want to offend them. Extend it to your maximum range for now. Let me know when we get company."

  "Herald, this..." She said with uncertainty. "One doesn't simply provoke beasts in Death's Shadow Mountains."

  "Good thing we're six, then."

  "That's not what I meant."

  "I know," he said. "I also know I'm not in the habit of repeating myself. Do as I say."

  She frowned. "Herald... As much as I admire you... I was ordered to protect you, not obey you."

  He smiled. "You're not telling me something, girl. You pay me respect one time, but then says I'm just a minor character from some obscure prophecy. You call me the Herald of Time – which, let me tell you, is not some minor title, especially when coming from people like you who worship Time –, but when I tell you to do something, you say you're not supposed to obey me. Your actions and your words are at odds with each other."

  "I don't know what you're talking about," she said.

  Matthew stepped closer to her. "You kneeled before me, girl. You don't do this when you met someone who was prophesied. You get excited, yes. You might even hug me, or jump in happiness, or shed tears of joy, but not kneel. Now, I don't care too much about your secrets, not enough to disrespect your privacy. But don't you fucking take me for an idiot." He used a simple spell and started floating, putting his eyes to her eye level.

  She paled a little. "I was told to protect you-"

  "I can take an obedient liar with me," he said, interrupting her, "but I won't take a useless one, no matter how good your intentions may be. Obey me, or get the hell away from here."

  He was starting her training already. Following someone without agreeing on conditions beforehand was stupid. Lying to someone stronger than yourself without the ability to do it well enough was akin to suicide.

  She had been too pampered as the Youngest from the Prophetesses; it was time to teach her worldly wisdom. Her obeying him was just a welcome plus.

  * * *

  Helina was completely lost, she simply didn't understand just what was going on.

  Where had that conversation come from?

  When did he notice her lying to him?

  More importantly, why was he doing that?

  No one had ever treated her like that. Even in the Temple, when she was being punished, people would do so with the proper decorum befitting a Youngest.

  "Well?" He asked after some time of silence.

  His face was stern, and as he floated in front of her, she felt she liked him more when she could look down on him.

  She felt conflicted. On one hand, the Herald of Time was supposed to bring humanity victory against the demons, but on the other hand, he was just a Champion for now, and she had been ordered by Time to protect him – no matter what he said, she just knew Time was sentient.

  But his ultimatum... Obey him or leave? Leave where? She was in the middle of the Wyvern Pass! They had lucked out for not being attacked the day before, but she had no hope of surviving if she walked alone.

  Wasn't he being too unreasonable? Too overbearing?

  "Why?" She asked. "Why are you doing this?"

  He smiled in a wicked way. "Isn't it obvious? Because I can."

  She shook her head intensely. "I don't believe it." Her voice was full of doubt. "You won't expel me in such a dangerous place."

  His smile widened, but his eyes were cold. "Will you bet your life on that, girl?"

  Her heart beat furiously. Would she bet her life on a boy she barely knew caring about her? He might have a glorious future in front of him, but all heroes had dark histories in their past. No one was born perfect.

  Could she chance becoming just a footnote of a dark past in the Herald of Time's glorious history?

  She couldn't get a grasp of her feelings. There was fear, there was regret, there was unwillingness. She felt like a trapped animal being forced to do whatever his new human owner wanted, like a powerless kid who wanted to struggle against her parents' orders, but knew she shouldn't.

  She could try to rebel, yes, but could she deal with the consequences of doing so?

  Her shoulders fell, her head lowered. She extended her Mana Sense as ordered, and said only one word. "Done."

  Never before in her life had she felt so impotent.

  * * *

  Matthew felt a bit of pity for her, but it was better for her to face reality in a controlled environment than deal with people who really wanted to take advantage of her.

  "Good," he said and landed on the ground. "Let me know if we're attacked. We'll stay here until tomorrow."

  "Why are you doing all of this?" Shadow One asked. "I thought you were going to the White Sea to get better equipment."

  "I am, but Mark is about to become a One-Star Warrior. Both him and Sara need the training, and what better training environment is there than a place filled with beasts, but with an Ascender at disposal to protect us?"

  Shadow One would be gone soon enough if he had it his way. Why not take advantage of her while he could though?

  Before she could reply, the sound of bones breaking could be heard together with a grunt of pain.

  Chapter 39 - A Test

  Chapter 39 - A Test

  They turned to look at the source of the sound: Mark. He was in horse stance, having just broken through to the One Star level.

  Mages had it easier; they could slowly build up each of their Physical attributes and painlessly level up, be it as mages or warriors. Those without the Mage gene though had to do it the hard way. All three of Mark's body attributes – strength, speed, and resistance – had just improved at the same time. The stress on his body was so great it broke his bones and torn his flesh for a moment before they were regenerated by mana.

  He was healed quickly, while his bones, muscles, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, joints, tissues, and everything else also improved, becoming a better conduit for mana.

  Meanwhile, impurities
were also forced from his body. Excess fat and toxins were expelled through his skin, creating a kind of black goo layer over him.

  It took a few seconds, and then it was done. He had become a One-Star Warrior.

  "Congratulations," Matthew said with a smile, as he cleaned the man with a spell.

  Mark bowed. "Thank you, young master!"

  "Attack incoming!" Helina suddenly said before Matthew could reply. "Five... Ten... Twenty... Fifty-two beasts coming from the north!"

  "Finally," Matthew said. "How strong are they?"

  "Twenty of them are Five Stars beasts, thirty are Champions, and two are Eminences," she said with a trembling voice. That was a power to be reckoned with.

  "That's almost tailor-made," Matthew replied without worry. "Seems like there's an intelligent power controlling them, and it's only sending a probationary force to test us. Sara, you're the vanguard. Mark, you fight whatever beasts you can.

  "Helina, you take care of Sara and Mark. Protect them if you think anything will go wrong. We're fighting a defensive battle, guys. Focus on your battle awareness, and on staying alive while doing the most damage you can. I'll be ready to defend you if something happens, but then, you'll have failed my test."

  "Test?" Sara asked, surprised.

  "Of course. Fighting for what you want with your own hands is the way of the universe, and I won't spoil you. As long as you keep proving your worth, I'll keep teaching you. Fail me enough times, and I'll send you back to Firestar."

  They said nothing, which displeased Matthew a bit. Later, he would have to remember them when to speak 'Yes, young master!' He only forgave them because they were anxious due to the sudden pressure placed on them.

  Shadow One just crossed her arms and watched everything in amusement. As an Ascender, she would have no trouble killing all fifty-two of the incoming beasts, but she didn't seem intent on doing so.

  As for Lo, he had unveiled interest in what was going on, looking at everything and everyone with clear curiosity on his eyes.

  * * *

  Sara was controlling herself not to tremble. She had felt so proud when she became the youngest Champion in the history of the Valdian family, but since she started this travel, she felt nothing but worthless.

  The family had only seven Eminences, but Eminences seemed to grow like cabbages wherever Matthew went, trying to kill him as if it was the most common thing in the world. They even had two Eminences in the group, a Prophetess and a Crusader!

  And now, her, a mere Champion, was supposed to hold herself when fighting against two Eminences and thirty Champions, with only a One-Star Warrior to support her? And Matthew called it a test?

  To make things worse, beasts were usually stronger than humans on the same level. It wasn't any difference in their attributes, but that they had better control of their power and innate abilities that were hard to predict.

  At least the Prophetess was supposed to help, but only if things got out of control. And if everything went to hell, the young master himself would intervene.

  She focused on controlling her nerves, telling herself repeatedly that the young master could save her no matter what happened.

  * * *

  Mark had no idea how he could help in a fight against beasts that were, at the very least, at the Five Stars level. But he would stay sharp and look for an opportunity.

  He willed his spear out of his spatial ring and gave it a good look.

  Item Check

  Name: Blue Diamond Spear

  Grade: Peak Mortal Item

  It still amazed him that he had been given a Peak Mortal Item back at Lamia, and a Blue Diamond Sword to boot! As an elite soldier of the Valdian family, he had had access to Lower Magical Items before, and even another Peak Mortal Item weapon, too. But Blue Diamond was the stuff of legends.

  Usually, the better the grade of a treasure, the more expensive it was. However, there were exceptions, and Peak Mortal Items made of Blue Diamond was one of them. They were as valuable as Higher Magical Items simply because weapons made of Blue Diamond were that great in cutting things, not to mention they had great resistance.

  If it wasn't for the fact that Blue Diamond couldn't be enchanted, it would surely be classified as something much better than a mere Superior resource.

  He wanted to test it, and if things went his way, it wouldn't be long before he got the chance!

  * * *

  Matthew watched disapprovingly as Sara just looked north without doing anything. Not asking Helina for more information on the incoming enemies, not using any scouting spell herself, not boosting hers or Mark's attributes, not casting protective spells, not even flying to get on an easily defensible position! She just stood there, waiting for his enemies to make the first move!

  Mark, on the other hand, crouched on an overgrown patch of grass close to Helina, one of the best places he could get to, really.

  Helina herself was doing okay. She cast a Mana Shield on Mark, that looked like a transparent blue-purple-violet bubble around him. She also took a white orb from her spatial ring and was channeling some mana through it, while she created traps all around the area.

  Those traps were small pockets of time mana that would slow down any being that touched them, a great choice for the situation.

  Besides time-slowing traps, she also filled her surroundings with ice and wind traps of multiple purposes, from hindering to killing. Those would be a danger for any unaware person, too, but Matthew approved it; awareness of one's surrounding was the basis of a battle, and if someone stepped on those traps, they had only themselves to blame.

  A few moments later, the beasts appeared.

  * * *

  The two Alphas had hated each other for their whole existences, but now, the Ancient had sent orders: kill the invaders.

  All bests in the mountains knew why the Ancient allowed some humans to go through the mountain, but not others: the Ancient's mate. Whenever she was around, he liked to impress her with carnage, but when she was gone, he just went to sleep.

  It was a waste. Both Alphas liked to send their pack at humans, it was a great way for warriors to prove their worth to the pack, but now, the Alphas themselves had come.

  Almost in unison, the two of them who had been leading the pack at the soft-skinned apes stopped and howled. Their fifty subordinates increased their speed onwards.

  * * *

  Matthew looked at the incoming tens of beasts. They looked like wolves made in hell: three pairs of yellow eyes, three rows of sharp teeth, three tails each. They had been named Triad Wolves for obvious reasons.

  The differences between them were in their size and pelt colors.

  The twenty Five-Star Beasts were two meters tall, with red pelt. They left fiery footprints onto whatever they stepped on, even solid rock. They were called Fire Triad Wolves.

  The thirty Champion Beasts were three meters tall, black striped red pelts. They also left footprints, but theirs burned in black fire. They were called Stripped Triad Wolves.

  And finally, the two Eminences were about five meters tall, their pelts were black, and they left no footprints at all where they walked upon, even if they did so on mud. They were Shadow Triad Wolves.

  Matthew was disappointed. He expected more of the probing beasts, but that was way too easy. Beasts were considered stronger than their human counterparts on the same level, except for elemental beasts. Those were vulnerable to elements opposite to theirs, enough that even a Champion like him would have no trouble fighting an Eminence if he used the right elements. It didn't mean he could easily kill them, but he would have no trouble defending himself from the Shadow Triad Wolves as long as he used spells based on the light element to do so – and his mana wasn't depleted.

  The two Eminences stopped running and howled. It made the fifty other wolves much more aggressive. They attacked as if they were seeing the tastiest meal of all.

  It was then that Sara surprised him.

  A moment after the howling,
she attacked. Her body turned into black smoke and shot forward at the Eminences. Her smoky self stopped a few meters away from the wolves, midair, and started shooting wind blades at them while moving around.

  Not bad, he thought. She had made herself immune to darkness spells and attacked the most powerful enemies. Sadly, that showed her narrow mindedness, for she had ignored the rest of the battlefield.

  In the end, she passed. This test was one for courage and technique. She had shown some measure of both.

  The attacking wolves didn't stop to try and help the Eminences. About half of them hit time traps and were slowed to a crawl, making them look like they were running in slow motion. Of the remaining half, ten went at Helina, only to freeze in place when they hit the invisible time bubble around her, and the other fifteen went at Matthew.

  He sneered and flew on the air high enough that no wolf would get to him.

  Most of them tried to jump at Matthew anyway, only to land awkwardly on the ground. Others opened their mouths and released fire streams at him, but he simply dodged without difficulty. A few of them went for Shadow One and only one at Lo.

  Matthew walked interested at the Stripped Triad Wolf going at the inept. He wanted to find out which secrets the man was hiding, but Mark let out an aggressive howl and Matthew had to check on the warrior.

  Mark had run behind one of the frozen wolves who had tried to get to Helina, stupidly yelling all the while, and thrust his spear with all his might but without any spearmanship. As soon as his spear made contact with the beast, the time freezing effect connected to it, and then, to him. He was also locked in place.