by John Gold
One of our own
Shroud of darkness
Gifts
Meeting deferred
My clothing gives me an interesting effect: nobody knows my real name, though I have no clue how I managed to give myself the name LJ. But as long as I have pants and a shirt on, I’m okay throwing the rest out. The name switch works then. Also, I have to make sure I know where the island is in case I decide to go back.
Fifteen hundred free attribute points is quite the haul. I’ve turned out to be a highly-developed life and space mage with a little fire thrown in for good measure. My perception is so good, too, that I’m starting to sense beings from the highest layer in the astral—those who have just recently died or who were just summoned. I even have empathy, though that’s the same as my ability to evaluate my opponents, probably a hidden skill encouraged by heightened sensitivity.
Oh, that’s good news, as well! All my derivative skills, with the exception of my speed, have been boosted through the ceiling by my achievements. It’s a shame I didn’t work on them earlier—they’d be much higher right now.
I’d really like to just sit and think, but I need a calmer environment for that. What do I know for sure? What can I do now? I’m twenty years and two months old. It’s been five and a half years since the battle at Airis Castle. All my things are at Clover, including the rings that can tell me about my parents. Femida isn’t replying or can’t reply. To log out of the game and recover, I need the permission of my doctor. The trial for the Hunters is in forty-one days. Wait, twenty years old? I can pick up a class without needing anybody’s permission.
First things first: I need to get a class, find Femida, and work out a way to get to the Gray Lands. Also, I need to figure out a way to kill Leon. I’m going to kill that beast with my own two hands, and it’s going to be especially cruel. I’ll kill them all! I’m going to destroy everything they hold dear, take away everything that they love and value, and cut them off from their dreams.
My hands shake. First, I need to get my health right, otherwise I won’t be able to avenge anyone. There’s obviously something wrong with my head—the somatic reaction to strong emotions is too acute.
I’m going to head to the nearest Academy of Magic. There’s just forty thousand left in my wallet, so I’m going to have to be sparing with my money or find a way to make more. But this look of mine has to go. The cat costume attracts too much attention.
It takes me an hour to get out of the sewer system. I find my way into the oldest section, probably built in a different era, and find it full of ghosts. Happily, I’m their kind of person—the ability I picked up in the Styx works great. Nobody touches me. Sometimes, I see whole city streets with signs of flooding, as new layers were apparently built over the top of old ones when that happened. I use Light Magic in those places to see the beauty of times gone by. The light from my magic lantern shines brightly, as if happy it’s being used again after the long break. I’m happy, too. Sometimes, I feel tears building up in my eyes. It’s been a long time, and I’m just as alone as these deserted streets. But everything comes to an end, the flooded blocks and ghosts run out, and I’m back in the usual city. This is a new step for me. I’m going to get out, I’m going to survive, and I’m going to take what’s mine.
Climbing out of a manhole, I find myself in the trading quarter. There are carts, shops, and players riding mounts all around me. On a pile of trash, I find a piece of cloth that will work as a cloak.
I basically don’t have any money, so I have to conserve it, though I’m not worried—this is the second time I’ve had everything taken from me. Ultimately, I only pick up a few simple things I wouldn’t mind losing. I’m a normal kid from the slums in my torn pants, gray, patched shirt, and straw hat to keep the slush off my head. My face is streaked with sweat and dirt. Gloves and shoes both come with wealth, so I have to say no there. The less attention I draw, the better.
I’m able to buy it all at the local flea market, the kind they have on the outskirts of all the big cities. The taste of fresh milk reminds me of my parents and the breakfasts we used to have. Mama would make fish soup; father would smoke out on the porch. Everything at the market reminds me of the home I no longer have. It reminds me of the poor hut I loved, of the taste of simple food, of the great things in the world like the love of your parents, the people who accepted me the way I am.
Time to keep going! I need my family! And I’m prepared to sacrifice all the gods if that’s what it takes for me to reach my goal.
Even with how much I was skimping on my clothes, I shelled out for the best map with all the capital outskirts detailed. Two thousand gold is nothing, especially now that I have information about the top level of the sewer system.
The Academy of Magic takes up a whole walled-off quarter in the eastern part of the city. There are living quarters, training grounds, lecture halls, a library, an administrative building, and lots more. There’s an analogous quarter in the west for the military arts. The description markers tell me that warriors with all different classes study there, and that they feature several obstacle courses. The port is in the south; the emperor’s palace is in the north.
After the war with the undead, several new races were unlocked. The different governments also started building consulates in each other’s capitals to foster the relationships between the races in case of another worldwide war.
Twenty minutes walking quickly along the dirty streets of Kkhor, and I find myself looking up at the towers of the mage quarter. The guards throw a casual glance at my clothes and say nothing, though their satisfied faces tell me that they see far more than just a usual player. There’s a reason they put them at the gate! It’s always nice to see professionals with skills like that. For just a second, I pause by one of them, and he instantly tenses up. After salutary smiles, I find out that they’re master swordsmen—the little hitch in my step was just as much a test for them as their once-over was a test for me. The world of the strong is a league of winners! The guards and I trade friendly grins. I’m going to have to drop by for a visit and see how they work up to that mastery.
I head on another ten meters before stopping. LJ taught me to look at life differently—the cat was able to appreciate valuable things, which was why he lived the way he did. Azami only came because he thought the cat worthy of being a god after checking his qualities, belief, and thoughts. “Prayers are gestures of the heart. In the heart, feelings take form. In the heart, feelings bear fruit.” He said so much in those little phrases, said exactly what he wanted to say. I take a bow and mean it from the bottom of my heart. There’s nobody in front of me; the bow is meant for the magic that has let me do so much. It’s my prayer to the strength that will take form and allow me to reach my goal. And I will pray to that strength no matter how crazy that sounds.
The administration building is to the left of the entrance to the mages’ quarter. There’s a person sitting at the counter who looks like a kolobok rolled up in a life mage’s mantle. He’s short, he has a large stomach, and his arms are stubby. His bald head sparkles, catching my eye as I walk in the door. You’d be forgiven for thinking he was a saint if you saw him from the doorway at noon with the sun beaming off his dome.
“Good afternoon! I’d like to pick up a mage class. Who should I talk to?”
The kolobok’s glance slips to my clothes, and he smiles. I like the emotions he is expressing—far from looking down on me, he views me impassively regardless of the way I look.
“I recommend starting by listening to an introductory lesson on the general theory of magic. They’re given in the large lecture hall, in the building across the way, at six in the evening. Afterward, if you’re sure of your choice, you can speak directly with the instructor mage for the specialty you pick or just ask the lecturer for the class.”
With two hours left until the start of the lecture, I decide to walk around the quarter. All the roads, the houses, and the plants are infused with magic. The build
ings are reinforced with it, the amount of strength spent on them is considerable. The walls also sport magic paint that glimmers in the dark. The effect is shared by the stones used to pave the road as well as the signs on every door, meaning that the whole area lightly shines in the dark. You always know where to go.
There are quite a few players around. Most of them are mages bedecked with jewels and bright clothing, though there are also some master swordsmen wearing light armor. They’re killer mages, an elite class you need an invitation for. You can tell who they are by the obsidian dagger in their belt.
The lecture is held in a well-lit auditorium. There are about thirty people there, from new to high-level players. The latter are presumably rerollers there to try again with the mage class. I sit down at the last desk in a spot where nobody can see me. With my advanced perception I can see the dust on the far wall, not to mention the speaker stepping up to the podium.
“Good evening, my friends. Today’s lecture is going to be on the general theory of magic. Many of you, I imagine, are already practicing mages here to pick your specialty and decide how you want to develop. So, let’s begin.”
For the first time in my years of playing the game, I see players using a pen and paper. Most of the time, nobody needs anything more than the chat and video recording programs.
“There are nine primary magic elements: Light, Dark, Fire, Air, Land, Water, Life, Mind, and Space. Some researchers think you can add a tenth: divine energy, or prana. For now, we’re going to talk in depth about each of those elements. Light fills space with magic energy, creating the matter within it to light up, as well. In large concentrations, it can be used as a combat spell. In small concentrations over a large area, it can be used to drive the dark out of that space—purification or sanctification. It is one of the strongest first elementals for fighting, and a favorite among the divinities. The primary element Dark stands in contrast to it.” The lecturer creates a spear of darkness and brandishes it. “Its magic sucks energy out of spaces, resulting in emptiness, and it’s that emptiness that does damage to mental bodies. If we think back to the resent demon attack on a city right here on our continent, they used Dark Magic due to the fact that we don’t have much magic energy in our world. Creating emptiness was simpler for them than making their usual spells. It’s all about the biological foundation of each creature—that’s the Inferno for demons, fed with the auras of different kinds of suffering and an overwhelming amount of energy. They try to use Fire Magic in the Inferno world, preferring Dark Magic in ours. Dark has a poor reputation thanks to its association with necromancy, blood magic, malefism, and chimerology. You will receive an introductory course on how to defend against Dark Magic while here at the academy.”
There were several people in the auditorium wearing dark clothing, and they all get up and head for the exits. The speaker waits for them to go.
“Well, we’ll just wish those gentlemen good luck in their search. The elementals are Earth, Water, Air, and Fire. Earth Magic can be offensive or defensive. It, for example, is what’s used to reinforce building walls.” The speaker hurls his spear of darkness at the wall, though it isn’t so much as scratched. “Stone armor, all kinds of shields, and boulders are all Earth Magic. And mages who can control it are highly valued! There’s always some war or other going on, and somebody has to repair buildings and protect them from being destroyed. There are also spells that change the composition of soil: swamp, quagmire, pound of sand, and stone, for example.”
A water whip and an ice arrow appear in the speaker’s hands.
“Mages who lay siege to fortresses love Water Magic. They can send water or fog down on their enemies, or even freeze the water under their feet. Water shields are best for neutralizing all kinds of Fire Magic.”
The speaker summons the Fire and Air elementals.
“All elemental mages use these elementals to protect themselves against close-combat enemies. Fire is preferred by battle mages for its universality, what with fire balls, flames, fire walls, fire storms, and fire spears. Seven out of every ten of you will become fire mages,” the professor laughs. “But let’s not talk about that. The Air elemental can be just as destructive as Fire Magic. For example, take wind blade, air fist, air hammer, hovering, tornadoes, lightning, air stream, and the very rare tray sphere. There are other spells, too, like silence, air cocoon, heavy bell…”
Some of the people there perk up. One red-haired guy even raises his hand and asks a question.
“What was that one about the tray sphere? Why is it so rare?”
“Well, put it this way. If I were to take all the air in this room and compress it until it was the size of my fist,” the lecturer replies, walking over to the guy and showing him his clenched fist, “and then let it go…” A light breeze hits the student. “If I did that, the shock wave would be incredibly powerful, often powerful enough to kill me, too. It’s kind of like a fire ball, only a hundred times more powerful and does area damage. The tray sphere is also called the last strike occasionally, at least, when the mage is prepared to die.”
“Why can’t you just throw the sphere at your opponent and hide?”
“The sphere is only stable when it’s within your aura. As soon as it leaves, it explodes.”
The guy fell silent, and I wondered what would happen if the attack used the air in the whole building, and not just the auditorium. A new note about boosting my physical damage and learning that tray sphere appears in my memory… Last strike? We’ll see about that.
Then, we move on to the three most interesting primary elements.
“Life Magic lets you heal all living things. For the elementals, you need to recharge your energy or heal using Mind Magic. Life Magic just stimulates natural processes and closes wounds, creating an aura of life at low concentrations and targeted healing at high concentrations. Druids also use this magic to stimulate plant growth. Often times, Life Magic is chosen by fist fighters.” The other students’ faces express their confusion, while I know exactly what he’s talking about. “That’s because life mages use their strength to increase their physical strength. Just imagine that the damage you do with your fist can be multiplied by ten—you break bones, tear muscles and ligaments, burst blood vessels. That can all happen when you amplify your body by a factor of ten, but, at the same time, your body heals itself. Fighters like that spend mana along with their survivability.”
A deathly quiet fell over the room. Everyone was thinking about the benefits of choosing the path of a light mage, although a second later, that turned to remembering how mages become mages because they like fighting at range.
“Do master swordsmen do that, too?”
“No, they improve their reactions and stamina, their joint mobility, how well their ligaments work, and their overall agility. The maximum they can squeeze out is double agility and strength. The other changes are harder to calculate.”
“Thanks.”
“After the general course on magic theory, there will be a lecture in this auditorium on body modification for mages. Anyone who would like to listen in is welcome to stay. But in the meantime, let’s keep going. I already mentioned what Life Magic can do in battle and for healing, so let’s move on to Mind Magic. This is where we work with the mental body. Everything in the astral, lifting and placing curses and buffs, finding people, working with spirits, and much more.” I perk up when he mentions finding people. “Let me just tell you that life mages who modify their bodies need to be equally proficient with both their physical body and their mental body. Mind mages are also used to create familiars, spirit totems, and other similar things. But don’t think that mind mages just have a support role—they have mental spears, stunning, and spirit shields, and they can summon spirits and do other things to kill.”
The redhead interrupts again. He’s showing off for the girl next to him—I can see them making eyes at each other. No, she’s just using him!
“Could you talk about familiars?”
“Interrupt me one more time, and you’ll find out the answer at the next seminar. Familiars are the topic of lectures given on Tuesdays by Vaziri Anu, the director of the mind mage department. He teaches them.”
“I’m sorry.” The girl’s embarrassment and grateful glance were a worthy reward for the kid.
I catch myself noticing that I’m thinking very differently. Occasionally, when I look at a girl, I feel a sexual attraction, but a couple of seconds later it turns to apathy and indifference.
That behavior is characteristic of patients with artificially corrected hormonal fields. A passage from one of the medical books I’ve read pops into my mind. Sure, just like other adult men, I have sexual needs, though the med capsule artificially corrects them, something I appreciate. I have no idea how my damaged brain would react to emotional surges and experiences like that.
I’ve been tapping my fingers on the desk throughout the whole lecture—my nerves haven’t recovered, and I’m constantly on edge. Buds have appeared on my desk, about to open. The same is happening with my bench.
Reflexively, I’m constantly using Life Magic. The habit, which I’ve had ever since the Hashan Desert, is to constantly heal myself, though I’m currently “healing” the wooden table and bench. The worst part is that I can’t control it any more than I can control how my heart beats. Instead, I quickly pluck the leaves and cast a shield on the bench for me to sit on. Who would have thought that my habit of always healing myself would lead to this?
The speaker continues.
“Finally, we have Space Magic, the most important magic art.” A murmur breaks out. “Oh, don’t be so surprised. Mages don’t have much health, so they use magic shields. But you won’t live long if your shield is broken. Because of that, all mages make sure they work on their Space Magic skills. Those include invisibility, all kinds of magic shields, teleportation, dwarf hammer, force hammer, telekinesis, ghost weapon, armor, and much more. Just don’t think that you can teleport to anywhere on the continent whenever you want. First of all, it takes ten seconds to set up the port. Second, the distance is limited by your skills. The default is one kilometer, and each level lets you port another hundred meters. And with that, our lecture has come to a close. Anyone who would like to get a mage class can come on up, or, if your skills are high enough, you can find the instructor for your specialty. Just check the list on the way out for their names and room numbers.”