Chapter 32. Entities
H e usually didn’t allow himself to waste so much time on mere contemplation. However, this time Yar couldn’t resist his desires ... From the height of the tower, all this magical action seemed to be common for the Country of the Shadows and looked like an endless fairy-tale carnival.
“It’s a stunning unreality here,” Yar whispered quietly with aspiration, admiring the rapidly changing beauty of the underworld. He really did not want to leave and break away from this spectacle.
Now he could see the big colorful objects moving through the air in more detail. They turned out to be the huge buds of incredibly beautiful flowers, living some kind of completely incomprehensible life. Yar was momentarily stunned by what he saw. The flowers were huge and flew past him, surprising Yar with their appearance and also with their wonderful aromas.
“The flowers are similar to plant-like airships with a jet engine,” Yar whispered in awe, feeling that he had been doused with a stream of floral scent. A fragrant bud made a maneuver to avoid meeting with the walls of the tower and rushed somewhere further on its flowery journey.
Incredible! It seems that they themselves choose their direction of flight .
The giant bud was approaching him. The flower resembled a peony, but it seemed to be made from hot metal and, of course, it was huge. Completely stunned by what was happening, Yar saw the name of this luxuriously beautiful flower.
Air Fiery Elopus
He could only shrug and laugh softly.
The Shadows have already given it a name. Well, who, if not them, should give a name to everything in their own country? This wonderful flower had a stupefying smell! Oh, the System, there is a bit of metal in the odor .
The word ‘fiery’ made Yar think of bees.
He pondered, Why not? There are many plants, even fiery ones. The bees should enjoy it here. In extreme cases, they can even successfully use portals, so that won’t be a problem. I can always help them if something goes wrong! However, it seems to me that the bees will like being here.
“Ah, come on.” Yar opened the Sower’s bag and carefully, so as not to touch the seeds of the Daar tree, took out the Queen bee that remained curled up in a ball. He held it in his palms and waited. After a few seconds, its transparent wings slowly straightened up and began to tremble. At this time, the clan leader caught sight of something else happening.
Yar looked around. The sight of what was happening was completely different from the Queen bee. It was all he could do to stand and admire.
Now, these flowers were gently colliding, creating chains of the same light collisions. It was like some kind of collective game.
Flower billiards, damn it. Maybe they are pollinating this way? Who knows ? Yar supposed. During these collisions, a pure, harmonious high-frequency sound could be heard, merging into pleasant trills, like the ringing of very small bells.
A delusional thought came to mind. Maybe this is their collective language.
Suddenly the bee’s wings buzzed.
“Well, thank you system! It seems the bee is pleased. Maybe we will have our own magic honey,” Yar said with pleasure.
A few minutes later, he woke up two more Queens. Their reaction was the same—it was nice and encouraging.
The Guardian appeared and, having bowed, reported quickly, “Master, we’ve just received a request to open an Imperial portal. You have the right to postpone the decision.”
“By how much?” Yaroslav asked shortly.
“The maximum delay time is forty-eight hours, Master.”
Yar nodded and walked back and forth several times, pondering the information, weighing up all the pros and cons without haste.
“We’ll delay the answer to the last hour,” the man said firmly, studying the Guardian's magical structure. The clan leader found no flaws, probably for the first time observing such a balanced structure.
He thought , Maybe I should put in additional extensions and install the Monolith. Most likely, it would prove to be a very useful acquisition.
Yar set the spell that suited the Guardian superbly.
“Thank you, Master!” Aero said enthusiastically, his frown disappearing.
He immediately, on the spot, tried the spell on a stone wall assembled from large blocks. The Monolith worked perfectly. It was clear—the spell affected the fertile soil as the whole wall instantly turned into a different hard quality, becoming a strong, homogeneous rock. The Guardian pressed his hands to the monolith in admiration.
“Master, you are infinitely generous. Your Monolith spell is absolutely priceless.”
“Come on now, Aero, we’re friends.”
Hearing this, the Guardian collapsed to his knees, instantly having lost all his gloomy severity, asking with a tremor in his voice, “Master, would I be allowed to join your clan?”
“It’s necessary , Guardian. It is just necessary. Throw me an application to join the clan. Emergency work is waiting for us in the next two days …”
“Congratulations,” Yar said a minute later, and he heard very interesting words in reply.
“I’m very grateful, sir. I’m going to prove my usefulness to you with my work. What are your orders?”
Yar thought a little and tried to formulate the main direction of their work.
“We need to prepare for the meeting of these future ‘dear’ guests. It’s required that the palace hits them with its new greatness and wealth. However, we need to achieve maximum gain.
“Next, is the Magic Island. Think about how best to fit it into the palace’s environment. It is necessary to turn it into a good ‘setting’ for a large ‘diamond’. The Treasury is full of gold. You can spend as much as you need. If you want more money, just tell me.”
Yar continued to speak, and the Guardian smiled with pleasure.
“One more thing that is important: there are many enslaved entities in the palace. Choose the most useful for you. They will be the first to go to the revival.”
The Guardian stretched out at the string after such words. Aero said hurriedly and enthusiastically as if fearing that he couldn’t tell a word, “Master, I propose to resurrect personal instructors of the highest aristocracy in combat magic. Many of them were Archmages—unsurpassed specialists in their time.”
Yar became interested. “How many are there?”
“One hundred and twenty-six with the highest qualifications, and another two hundred and eighty-eight are very worthy specialists. They have lost a lot, but the main thing is that they have saved their qualifications—as well as their irrepressible desire to avenge their humiliation. They have a frantic desire to find bodies. Moreover, I suspect that many of them belong to the Shadow of the Moon clan.”
“This is a very sensible and timely proposal, Aero Guardian. Is there anything else to say?”
“There is, Master. The search for the hidden cache is taking place in the palace. They won’t find anything. Even you, Master, with your capabilities, will never succeed. There have been two caches since ancient times: a secret library collection and a treasure trove of artifacts. The elves have never been able to get close to them for thousands of years—despite their many attempts. There is also another cache—the White Branch Clan created it. Ten dark-elven wizards, initiating only two keys, sealed it. The first key is on Elate, and the second is here. The sly elves have remained here forever in the form of incorporeal entities. They were treacherously murdered with the help of the Soul Absorber.”
“Will you show me the caches?” Yar asked briefly.
“Of course,” the Guardian answered.
Yar slapped Aero on the shoulder in a friendly manner and contacted the head of the diversion groups.
“Uyu, stop looking for caches. I am waiting for you all on the parade ground. Urgently.”
Then the clan leader contacted Vey the Shamrock. The wizard was carefully studying the island, shamelessly forgetting about the library and the development of the charter of the future Univ
ersity of Magic.
“Vey, I’m waiting for you on the parade ground. I need you.”
“No, I can’t get out of here. There are as many unidentified magic crystals here as dust in a closet. Well, Yar, where did you bring us, you lucky favorite of the gods?”
Yar smiled.
Yeah, you say you can’t get out of there. But what about this?
He shrugged and said with a voiced tinged with regret, “Yeah, oh well. I guess it means that we will open this cache of ancient artifacts without you.”
Vey swore. At the same time, the wizard jumped out of the portal with a pickaxe in his hand. Apparently, he had questions.
“What the hell is going on here?”
Yar smiled.
“Be patient. By the way, I want to present you to the Guardian of the Palace, Aero Ryiri Gloomy. Guardian, this is my brother, Vey Row the Shamrock.”
The magician behaved strangely, he even coughed. The men shook hands, almost hugging each other.
“I didn’t think I would meet you again, Aero.”
“I was also very surprised when I saw you in full health and as a spy.”
Apparently, they knew each other before, Yar thought. He didn’t ask questions, deciding that it would be just a waste of time, and these two ancient wizards would deal with their past themselves.
Chapter 33. Caches
T he parade ground glistened and looked perfect. Only the sharp burning smell reminded all of the previous battle.
Uyu and the whole command of the Shadows were already on the parade ground, as well as Blacky and Gelic. The amorph reported in sadly as if full of guilt. For the first time, Yar did not see his eerie smile.
“Master, we’ve looked everywhere, but it’s nowhere to be found.”
Gelic was a pleasure to watch.
He would be handsome, if not for this buff—a broad smile from ear to ear.
“Friends, I want to introduce you to our new clerk of the Keeper of the Castle. His name is Aero Ryiri Gloomy.”
Yar, to be honest, was expecting a completely different reaction to his words. Geliс greeted the wizard by awarding him epaulets. Blacky sniffed the Guardian with interest.
However, the Shadows didn’t seem to hear Yar’s words. They stared hard at the entities in the center of the parade ground, clearly identifying that they belonged to the Moon Shadow Clan.
The Guardian instantly moved toward the ghosts, explaining something to them. Vey, not looking up from what was happening, gently pushed Yar in the shoulder.
“How did you manage that?” He nodded at the Guardian. “What kind of imba is it?”
“It’s the Intuitive Physical Shell Generator.”
Vey grinned and grunted.
“I suppose that it’s indescribable and bound by non-disclosure…”
“You are very perspicacious, dear rector,” Yar said quietly and received a painful poke in the side. However, he managed to detect the artifactor’s attentive gaze.
“Congratulations on the big leagues! Did the Guardian tell you the location of the artifacts?” Vey asked quietly, leaning toward Yar and glancing at the entities lined up in combat formation.
“Yeah.”
“Well done. But don’t get proud, nerd. You’re good at swords, and rather an original super-talented developer, but as a combat wizard, you are useless, like a curved arrow. Don’t think that I’m just teasing you; I offer you a duel to the red sector. Come on, finish here and let’s go and explore the artifacts.”
Being impressed, Yar called out to the Guardian.
“Aero, are they ready? Did you warn them about the pain?”
While looking at the Guardian, Yar understood his own stupidity. Aero seemed perplexed. What pain? The ghosts will be extremely happy just to feel it. They crave it.
Yar ordered the Guardian to step back and activated the spell, successfully covering all the exposed and standing entities, like ghostly pillars, with a generator. Simultaneously, Yar felt unwell. It seemed everything went smoothly, but he had to admit—he wouldn’t be able to cope with such a collective action outside of this palace. Rather, even the energy of the Star Key wouldn’t be enough, because even now the power of the Palace of Capture had halved in an instant.
Remembering that this magical action was an interesting but rather protracted process, Yar turned to Vey, who was watching the implementation of the spell with predatory interest.
“I have absolutely no doubt of your magical competence. I’m the witness of your power. But still, at least briefly, can you point out my flaws?”
Vey nodded, not looking up from the magical action unfolding before his eyes.
“Well, with pleasure,” the wizard said, screwing up his eyes. He looked and said, “I will tell you, bro, the following. An advanced combat wizard can use about fifty tempo spells in a duel, alternating them quickly. All your spells, with the exception of one or two, are completely useless for fast combat. They are not bulky. They are global and, accordingly, very slow. Yes, you can, for example, destroy the Black Altarum with all its contents from a distance. However, you won’t win a single purely magical duel with any of the mentors individually. Yes, you will destroy many of the opponents with your power swords or combat form, but, sorry, not with the help of your magic. Oddly enough, this is your weak side. So, let’s imagine that your ability for hand-to-hand combat and fencing was banned, what would you do in an unexpected attack?”
“I would…” Yar thought.
“That’s right, nothing. You will think while relying on your active defense spell or Lyan. Finally, the incredible healing blocks will work in case of emergency. Right?”
“I agree,” Yar answered quietly and with a measure of guilt.
“Mind that, you need to think and choose among the spells in order not to ruin yourself and your neighbors, and this is a waste of time. With such a developed one-sidedness, in one hundred cases out of a hundred, you will simply apply your skills of a swordsman and clock-stopper, using your incredible power only for some miserable three to five percent. However, magic can also be fast. What if you combine your abilities? Just imagine? I will tell you the truth as your brother—you have nothing at all for a real fight against a strong combat wizard. I mean your magical abilities. Only ‘The Archer of Darkness’ and ‘The Thunder Shield’ can be useful in combat. However, the first is a very good long-range weapon, while the second is a cumbersome active defense from which you almost cannot cause any damage to the enemy.”
“What about ‘The Scythe of Fury’?” Yar tried to challenge Vey’s categorical conclusions.
The wizard clattered his tongue and shrugged in response.
“Sorry, it is powerful, spectacular even, but it is suitable only to destroy zombies in wide, open spaces. How will you use this spell in a tunnel? For example, against the urlocks who are very fast and deft opponents. Or fighting together with the comrades. I repeat, in a real magical fight, such as against Altarum graduates, like Goh, they will turn you into ashes, not to mention the combat archmages or mentors of the Academy.”
“Well…” Yar said dejectedly. Vey asked a good question.
“Did you think everything would be easy? Get used to it! In the Higher League, they fight to cause great pain—in most cases to death! Hey, junior, you shouldn’t go down here,” Vey the Shamrock reassured him. “In my opinion, you have already jumped in way over your head. Don’t worry. You still have a few months before the entrance exams. I will teach you during this time and show you the right way.”
“Thank you!” Yar was delighted. “When do we start?”
“We won’t delay studying. Let’s begin after we fight with the elves. Why waste time? Now, go to your neophytes. As I understand it, we have a hurricane replenishment? Pretty decent soldiers for our Underground University have arrived.”
It was clear—the revived ghosts were standing in ranks. They were smiling wildly with a touch of fear, studying their bodies as they breathed. Oh, how they breathed!
They seemed afraid that the air was about to end. The Guardian had foreseen everything, providing all the elves with a black uniform. The noisy process of dressing and cheerful talking swept over the elves. It turned out that simple everyday activities could bring joy and pleasure. In this lively mess, Yar pondered the next function of the system. He was surprised to see that all of the resurrected elves were already listed in the Midnighters Clan.
I wonder if it happened systemically, or was it an intuitive adjustment of the spell itself? Most likely, the second, Yar assumed.
He went to the elves and froze in admiration. Muscular bodies, strange pretentious magical tattoos, and amazing stats flashed before his eyes. Sometimes magical vision snatched alternatively developed systems, on which he wanted to hold his eyes and study to understand the principle of their workings.
“Well!” Yar addressed the new replenishment.
“Don’t bend the knee, I’m not the altar. We live in justice, amicably, and according to the principle: you might die yourself, but you should always help a comrade. Get acquainted with everyone, and study the place today. Soon, you will receive full equipment, allowance, and location. You enter the service of the newly formed squad of the Ancients under the direction of Vey Row the Shamrock.” Yar pointed to the slightly bewildered wizard.
“Yes, Master,” the new-formed squad of living elves rumbled.
“Leil, Uyu, you need to form several squads and send them to do a full-scale cartographic survey of the area. Let them level up and have fun. Nothing threatens us here. Uyu, introduce the newly adopted elves in the course of the case. That’s all.”
“Yes, Master,” Uyu replied loudly.
So, they started to work—the head of the diversion groups gave orders with an archery-like speed.
“Gelic, Blacky, define the boundaries of this world, and note all the interesting phenomena. You have no more than thirty hours to do so.”
Blacky poked its forehead at Yar’s chest, and the friends disappeared with the speed of lightning. Yar had little time to feel their unbridled joy at the opportunity to run freely.
Dark Legacy Page 18