Luka possessed a high storage capacity for mana, and he used less than 10% during the previous encounter with the wolf pack. Furthermore, ten minutes should be enough for the mage to recover completely. Thus, he wasn't too concerned about his magic power running out.
However, the class representative mistook his coolness for anger. She appreciated Luka's ability to keep everyone alive during the frantic battle. But his attitude grated on her because she, too, endured tremendous pressure keeping her eyes on Wickkuil and the other combatants. Terrwyn stormed away before she blurted out something she will regret.
[What's eating her?] Bel asked while observing the girl's behavior.
Luka ignored his familiar and continued his meditation. The mage recalled his encounters inside the Morninglory Dungeon so far and tried to guess what kind of challenges will appear next. Since each floor contained a different environment, Luka expected this pattern to hold.
When the time expired, he received a light tap on the back from Bel. Luka climbed back to his feet and rejoined the basic party formation.
The rangers habitually raised their heads and used the looming hill as their lodestone through the forest. Meanwhile, the protectors remained alert for signs of another ambush. The Elite Class tried its best to move silently. Consequently, the group traveled at a snail's pace of a mile per hour through the woodland.
As the class drew ever closer to the village, Luka activated his Spatial Sense more frequently and searched for wandering hill giants. Each monster stood about twenty feet tall. Although their size made giants easier to spot, he feared that they could hide their tracks and move silently to stalk prey, including the humans. Hence, Luka relied on his detection to prevent this scenario from playing out.
When nightfall arrived, Luka turned around and looked at Terrwyn. "Let's make camp here," he suggested.
The party leader reluctantly agreed. Terrwyn hoped to leave this dungeon level today. But the class encounter with the wolf pack made the students fearful of creating excessive noise during their trek through the woods. Thus, their collective speed decreased by more than half and derailed her schedule.
When Luka saw someone try to start a fire, he said, "No campfire!" The mage sent a gust of wind to put out the small flames. "The villagers will spot the fire and enter the forest to investigate," he warned.
"No campfire!" Terrwyn repeated and lent her support to Luka's order. The last thing she wanted was to engage in nighttime combat.
When the classmates began to set up their tents, Luka drew her aside. "I want to sneak into the village and poison their water supply. If this works, we could avoid fighting the residents altogether," he proposed.
Terrwyn's eyebrows arched. Her instinct as a knight clashed with her duties as the party leader. The Code of Knighthood required her to fight opponents honorably on the battlefield. Thus, the act of poisoning was abhorrent and against her personal beliefs. On the other hand, her responsibility as the class rep required Terrwyn to seek the safest method to defeat these hill giants.
Luka waited patiently for her decision because he appreciated her inner conflict. Although he could have gone out without telling anyone, Luka strongly believed in the chain of command. Following the hierarchy meant that he must inform the party leader of his plans and gain her permission before taking action.
"When do you wish to leave?" Terrwyn asked a few minutes later. She exhaled slowly and displayed her discomfort at this decision.
Luka pointed at the sky. "I plan to depart when it's completely dark."
"You can see in the dark?" the class representative asked in surprise.
"Something like that," the mage replied evasively. Luka could use the Night Vision spell. But since the scout kept his access to shadow magic a secret from the school, Luka couldn't disclose it to her.
She eyed Bel and Gripper and wrongly assumed that the two animals would guide him in the darkness. "If you awaken the giants accidentally," Terrwyn began.
"I won't lead them back to this base," he finished her thought.
The leader nodded in satisfaction. Terrwyn worried that Luka would lure the monsters to the sleeping party members. Since he wished to venture out by himself, Luka should take responsibility if anything went wrong during the mission.
"Well, I'm off." Luka followed his pets and departed. Once his subgroup was far away from the camp, he took his companions back into dimensional storage. The mage used Void Step to ascend to the sky, followed by Touch the Horizon to reach the village.
Luka activated his Spatial Sense to check the location of all the hill giants. He found seven in total resting inside crudely-built huts. Additionally, the scout discovered a giant hound guarding the entrance. Luka surveyed the vicinity for a well but couldn't find it. Hence, he couldn't follow his original plan to poison the water supply.
The intruder shifted to Plan B, which required him to assassinate the village residents in their sleep. Luka quietly approached the sleeping dog at the front gate. However, a sudden breeze carried his scent to the hound, and it suddenly awoke! Luka immediately used Spatial Blade to chop off the animal's head. But the dog barked once before he reached it!
The noise awoke a light sleeper, and the resident immediately ventured out to investigate!
Luka was hovering fifteen feet above the deceased hound. Unfortunately, the intruder's position was squarely within the twenty-foot giant's vantage point.
The villager yelled out as he tried to slap the human to the ground! Whoosh!
The spatial mage Blinked to permit the enormous palm to pass through his body. Then Luka cast Spatial Blade to decapitate his attacker.
However, the alarm roused the other villagers awake, and they started coming out.
Luka teleported behind a hut and hid from view. He decided to wait until the hill giants separated before targeting them one-by-one for assassination.
The monsters soon discovered the dead bodies and began a frantic search for the intruder. They stomped their bare feet, hoping to crush any hidden creatures. The darkness made it difficult for the hill giants to see. Thus, they relied on alternative means to flush out the attackers. When this tactic failed, the residents began to wander off in different directions.
Luka quietly waited while he tracked their movements with his magical detection. Then he teleported above each hill giant and beheaded him with Spatial Blade. Phiiiish! In one instance, the assassin stood too close to a corpse. Its heart continued to pump hot blood, which gushed out of the neck like a water fountain. The sticky liquid splashed all over Luka, but he didn't have time to clean up.
Luckily, the remaining two monsters were far away, and trees blocked their views. The mage relied on teleportation magic to draw nearer and then cast Spatial Blade to kill them. After he defeated the last one, Luka teleported back to the party base.
The watchers noticed someone approaching and held out their weapons in his direction.
"It's Luka," he said immediately and created a tiny Light Ball.
The guards were shocked to see Luka's body drenched in blood. "Are you okay?" Noram asked while visibly gulping.
The newcomer noticed the guard's discomfort and looked at his clothes. "I apologize for my unsightly state," Luka said and winced. The darkness made it impossible for him to check his appearance. The mage cast Cleanse on his body.
"What happened? Why were you in a bloody mess?" Terrwyn spoke up suddenly. She awoke from the bright light and saw Luka cast a spell to clean himself.
"A guard dog caught my scent and woke up everybody in the village. I hid while they searched for me. I waited until they separated and then killed them off individually. All the hill giants are dead," Luka explained.
The class representative rubbed her temple because she felt mixed emotions. Terrwyn wanted to scream at Luka for taking foolish risks. But she felt thankful for his bravery in facing those monsters alone. "Are you certain that you took out all the giants?" she asked.
"Yes, I'm sure," he nodd
ed. "There were seven hill giants plus the hound."
"In that case, we should move our camp to the village immediately. Can you create a Gate to take us there?" she asked.
Luka was surprised by the sudden request but nodded.
Terrwyn turned toward the guards and gave her order. "Wake everyone and tell them to pack up. We're using a portal to enter the village."
The two watchers immediately separated to carry out her command.
The Elite Class gathered within ten minutes.
Luka created a gate leading to the village. The two rangers immediately walked through the portal, followed by the entire party.
Chapter 66
Morninglory Dungeon (Part 7)
When the Elite Class entered the village, they were ankle-deep in a pool of blood! The students quickly lit torches to check their surroundings. They discovered a horrific scene of headless, gigantic bodies -- one laid flat on the ground while two knelt but remained upright. And further away, they saw a giant mutt with its torso bisected.
"How the hell did he kill them all?" someone muttered in disbelief. They couldn't imagine reaching the neck of a twenty-foot tall monster, much less cut off its head without resistance.
Several members puked upon seeing the aftermath of Luka's sneaky ambush against the hill giants.
The remaining students exchanged glances and silently agreed to avoid antagonizing Luka Heavensfell. If he could stealthily enter the village and kill these monsters, Luka could do the same against the students resting in their dorm rooms.
When Luka arrived, he slapped his forehead. "Sorry for the mess," he apologized and cast Cleanse several times to clean up the residential area's common grounds. However, the carcasses remained behind to testify what Luka had done previously.
Terrwyn looked around to survey the scene. Her objective was to find a suitable place for the party members to rest until daybreak. She pointed at a hut and said, "We should split up and take shelter in those things. Since hill giants lived in these huts, we should squeeze a few people into each one. But we also need to maintain a lookout for the last few hours of darkness. I will take volunteers."
Luka released Bel and Gripper. "You guys should take a slot for the night watch."
[Oh, fine!] The rabbit huffed. Bel felt annoyed with the irregularity in his periods of activity and rest. He preferred a regular schedule instead because Bel was a creature of habit.
Hoot! The gorilla pounded his chest. Gripper smelled a thick scent of blood, and he felt disappointed in missing the great battle. As a battle maniac, he desired to fight strong opponents.
The melee fighters all volunteered because they wanted to gain additional merits for student evaluations. After all, Luka defeated these powerful enemies by himself and took most of the points. Again. Since there weren't enough slots in the watch rotation, the students resorted to an impromptu game of rock-paper-scissors to settle this issue.
Luka slept with the other mages inside a hut. His housemates felt mixed emotions. On the one hand, they marveled at his dizzying array of talents. But they also felt threatened because his abilities far surpassed them. In effect, the mages turned into cheerleaders and bystanders during this field trip.
In particular, Kayne Crimson feared family pressure to pursue marriage with Luka. The Crimson House valued magical talent above all else, and he possessed more magic than anyone in her clan. Furthermore, Luka was the heir of a duke's house. A political marriage between the two would elevate the Crimson House as well. Thus, the girl secretly watched Luka's sleeping face while fantasizing about becoming his wife.
The next morning, the Elite Class ate a quiet breakfast and then gathered at the village square. The members assiduously ignored the dead bodies remaining in the courtyard.
Terrwyn made a headcount and confirmed that no one was missing. "Let's go up the hill!"
The two rangers led off and departed the village. The scent of death permeated the residence and scared off wolves and other predators that would usually attack the humans. Hence, the party didn't encounter any creatures as they trekked up a trail on the hill.
After a half-day of hiking, the group reached a hilltop. The students saw a flat surface covered with dirt. Six large stone columns stood in a circle on the field. At the center of this encirclement was a pool filled with a blackish liquid. A shimmering portal hovered over this mysterious body of water.
The students were wary of traps and remained on the trail. No one dared to enter the field until Luka gave his go-ahead.
The mage passed through the crowd of bystanders and stood near the edge of the platform. Luka activated his Spatial Sense but detected nothing unusual. However, his instinct insisted there was something special with the pillars, which had indecipherable runes etched on their surfaces. On a pure hunch, he threw a piece of rock inside the platform. Unexpectedly, the stone froze in mid-air!
Luka frowned as he threw more rocks into the circle. The investigator witnessed magical flashes transmitted by the runes and finally figured out the spell effects. He sighed loudly and made an announcement. "The stone columns contain a temporal field which freezes solid objects," Luka declared.
"How do we get rid of it?" Terrwyn asked impatiently. Today was the final day of the field trip, and she was desperate to reach the seventh floor of the dungeon.
Luka pointed at a pillar. "We have to knock them down," he explained.
"How?" Wickkuil asked. He assumed this task was more formidable than Luka suggested because Wickkuil would freeze like a statue if he stepped inside the magic field.
"We must figure out the boundaries of the temporal field. From the outside, we need to set off explosions to knock the columns out of alignment. Alternatively, we could also dig underground and pull down all the pillars. But that is probably more time-consuming than making explosions. A third method is to deface or scratch the runes and render them inoperable," Luka ran down his list of options patiently.
Kherherac raised his hand enthusiastically. "I'm carrying bombs! Let me try exploding them near the pillars!" he said excitedly.
"How many do you have?" the class rep inquired cautiously.
"Twenty."
Terrwyn turned around and stared at the stone pillars for a moment. "Luka, can you ferry Kherherac above the stasis field? He could set off the bombs near the columns."
"Sure," Luka nodded. He tossed a bunch of rocks in the air and aimed their landing spots near the columns. The mage watched in satisfaction as they froze above the large pillars and marked the temporal trap's boundary. He noted that the field extended a foot above the tip of each column.
The gadgeteer took out a bag containing his bombs. Each item was spherical and held a small dial. Kherherac looked at Luka and said, "Take me there."
The mage carried the smaller teen by his armpits and used Void Step to ascend in the air. Luka slowly brought his passenger to the closest stone pillar.
Kherherac turned the dial and dropped a bomb. After a few seconds, the device exploded right before it entered the stasis field. However, the ensuing explosion only caused the column to sway slightly. "Tch. I should detonate three bombs at once," he muttered unhappily. The gadgeteer tied three devices together with twine. "Luka, you should take us further up, or else we'll get caught in the explosion," he warned.
The mage quickly obeyed and pulled Kherherac higher. Luka stopped when he reached a distance of forty feet above the tip of the pillar.
"Thanks!" The passenger happily whistled as he turned all three dials. He dropped his package and watched the outcome.
KABOOM! The massive explosion flattened the stone column; it snapped at the base! However, the shockwave shook the two airborne students and hurt their internal organs! They each spat out blood, which collected in their mouths.
Luka cast a Light Cure on himself and then on Kherherac.
"At least it worked!" the thief grinned and revealed his bloodied teeth. "Onward to the next site!" he urged and pointed at the closest st
anding pillar.
Luka rolled his eyes and followed the navigator's instruction. When the mage tried to climb higher in the air, Kherherac yelled out, "Stop! Go back down!" Luka wished to move further away from the impact site, but he accepted the thief's demand and returned to the previous height.
Kherherac began to whistle as he carefully bound three bombs together. He twisted the dials and dropped his package. "Now take us up!" he urged.
Luka climbed as fast as possible. But the shockwave of the explosion still damaged his body. He healed his injuries and then treated his passenger. The duo knocked down all six pillars and then returned to the party.
"Good job," Terrwyn praised Kherherac. She turned toward Luka. "Do you need time to regenerate your magic? Or can we leave now?" the leader asked in a neutral tone of voice.
"I'm good to go," Luka replied. He realized she was anxious to enter the portal immediately and acquiesced to her wish.
"Great!" The party leader wasted no time in passing through the exit.
* * *
Luka sighed because he was alone again. Although the mage activated his Spatial Sense, he could not find any classmate within the range of his detection net. Perhaps Luka shouldn't have bothered -- since he was floating in outer space!
The student panicked for a moment because he worried his body would suffocate from a lack of oxygen. To his surprise, Luka discovered that a strange layer of film enveloped his figure. It was six inches thick and somehow converted the carbon dioxide Luka breathed out of his lungs into oxygen. As a child, Michael Bauer dreamed of becoming an astronaut and traveling in space. Now, he fulfilled this wish in his next life.
Luka closed his eyes and tried to absorb the magic essence in his environment. He discovered that it was rich in time, space, light, and darkness but lacking in the other four elements. Therefore, his fire, water, earth, and air magic would suffer a reduction in their effectiveness. Conversely, the non-elemental spells would be more powerful and faster to cast as well.
The Divine Summoner: Godson of Altima Page 54
