by John Gold
The city of the dead is a unique location for leveling-up. To survive in its extremely hostile environment, you need incredible endurance, lots of skill, and good strategies for attacking and defending. You don’t get loot, and the bots respawn really quickly. Oh, hey, my perception is almost up to 1000! The constant stress leaves me tired faster, so I start sleeping around ten hours a day. But the demigod class rank is practically cheating. Sure, even the idea of cheating is gone now that everything is virtual, but I can’t think of a better way to describe the advantage it gives me. With my auras of fire, light, dark, and storm, my magic energy manipulation and scaling advance quickly. In fact, Femida has been forced to hunt in a different part of the dead city lately just so that my auras and other spells don’t kill her. For example, my wind of death sweeps along in a cone ten meters wide. Charging it up six times over and increasing the area seven times simply levels whole regions. It’s a good thing the recharge time is about the same as the bots’ respawn time. My mana recharge speed is light years ahead of most players, but it still isn’t enough when I’m fully exploiting my magic energy manipulation skill.
I’m starting to rethink magic, the rules for using it, and the ways the different types interact with each other. They’re all linked, and there’s some kind of system or doctrine that encompasses them all. The thing is that the hierarchy governing the different types of magic has a huge impact on the end result. For example, my tree in Kurg was the result of combining different types of magic. Sure, I only used Life Magic, but there were the spirits that showed up on the last day, the magic-space eddies, and the creation of a discrete area with a stronger magic field. Everything was connected—the god, the astral, the mind, life, and space. They all have magic skills, but not spells. I’m not sure how to best use them or what the hierarchy even looks like.
Throughout the whole crazy time we spend in the city, we have one goal: as soon as either of us gets to Level 2500, we’re going to move on to the next stage. A month later, I hit that threshold—I’m at Level 2500, while Femida is at Level 2398. Yes, I’m a monster!
“Attribute window.”
Name: Sagie (Almark)
Level: 2500
Experience: 7460/24215620 (24208160 left until the next level)
Race: Human (demigod)
Class: Mage
Basic attributes
Strength: 1252
Agility: 4307
Stamina: 4897
Intellect: 26740
Available attribute points: 0
Additional attributes
Speed: 500
Survivability: 715
Derivative attributes
Physical damage: 626 (strength/2, but no less than 1)
Carrying capacity: 3130 kg (strength*10/4)
Overall strength: 64220 (stamina*10+15250 from tattoos)
Mana: 48165 (overall strength*0.75)
Health: 16055 (overall strength*0.25)
Health and mana restoration speed: 7150/minute (mana*2)
Running speed: 51 m/s (1+speed/10)
Defense: 5
Resistance
Physical damage: 15.27% (damage ignored: up to 81422/second)
Poison: 12.60% (damage ignored: up to 47368/second)
Fire: 35.62% (damage ignored: up to 1177204/second)
Electricity: 18.35% (damage ignored: up to 292021/second)
Mental damage: 50.00% (damage ignored: up to 12500000/second)
Cold: 16.52% (damage ignored: up to 120577/second)
Skills
Cooking: 264
Trap setting and disarming: 19
Archery: 252
Swimming: 306
Breath-holding: 343
Stealth: 251
Life Magic: 1000
Mind Magic: 277
Space Magic: 660
Earth Magic: 401
Water Magic: 303
Fire Magic: 622
Air Magic: 488
Light Magic: 450
Dark Magic: 601
Meditation: 577
Hand-to-hand combat: 118
Perception: 993
Necromancy: 251
Blood magic: 277
Chimerology: 250
Ritual magic: 272
Artifact creation: 254
Poison-making: 25
Ointment-making: 25
Metal reinforcing: 25
Wood reinforcing: 25
Body enhancement: 404
Swords and daggers: 177
Astral: 17
Magic vision: 48
Item identification: 1
Spell scaling: 688
Magic energy manipulation: 536
Abilities
Imp eye
Undecuple consciousness
One of our own
Shroud of darkness
Friend of the forest
Gifts
Meeting deferred
I’m especially happy about my skills. The last time I pushed myself like this, my Space Magic barely got to 500 in six months. Now, with the additional requirements I’m placing on it, I jumped more than another 100. And the other magic skills…
What would happen if I created a maximum meteor right now? The base 100000 damage would balloon to 50 million, and I’d have the expanded impact area and improved shock wave, too. I’d better not try that down here. What could be more idiotic than dying under a pile of rubble you caused with your own spell? Although, that’s another way I can kill targets who are immune to damage. I could take Ekron out like that. Her Petbe visage wouldn’t be enough to save her.
Femida doesn’t tell me which skills she’s working on. I’ve known her for quite a few years now, though I still don’t know how she thinks. What would someone who constantly analyzes their fighting work on? Which skills, techniques, personal area of growth, aspect of swordplay… She’s just as much a riddle as ever. She may be from Lunar, in which case her personal qualities would match what I’ve heard.
We leave the city of the dead and its ghostly light to enjoy some meat in the poor market district. It’s snowing, the food is hot, and the ground is cold and wet. We’re sitting on a dirty rag placed on the ground like a pair of homeless people trying to keep themselves warm on a cold winter day. Femida studies the people walking by, and I can sense that she’s happy.
“I figured out why you like being here. It’s a great place to eat, drink, live, and level-up.”
“Uh-oh, you started analyzing me.”
“Shut up or I’ll kill you!” Femida slurps another spoonful of the thick broth. “You feel at home here. Compared to other people, you’re incredibly distrustful, always expecting a trap, a knife in the back, even plain old getting poisoned. But here, with the poor people, you’re safe. They’re too simple and shortsighted to worry about hypocrisy and hidden motives—they’re not out for profit. All they want to do is survive. Really, the only thing they’re afraid of is the wrath of the gods, and that doesn’t bother you.”
“To pull a page from your book, everything the people do here is easy to predict, and there aren’t any critical or deadly threats. That’s why I feel at ease and safe. Yes, Fem, this is my home, and I’m happy to have one in every big city. Do you have a place like this?”
Femida thinks to herself. As usual, the answer needs to fit the understanding of the person she’s talking to—she always does her best to reply in terms that don’t exceed their competency.
“I’m different, not the same kind of person as you. My home can be everywhere and nowhere.”
Hm, so that’s what you think of me. I’m supposed to be able to get to the bottom of that kind of abstract thinking?
After eating, we head over to the Academy of Magic. If the gods are still expecting us, I have something for them.
Anri Diuval is sitting in the academy reception area with one of the many newcomers. We stand quietly by the stairs so that we can see him, while also avoiding the other people hanging around.
When the final
entrant leaves, the old man stretches, his back cracking. Sunlight floods in through the window, reflects off the top of his bald head, and filters its way to the surrounding walls. The Light Magic supervisor wipes the sweat off, suddenly realizing he isn’t alone. Noticing us, he smiles happily, though his emotions tell me he’s more tired than excited.
“Hi there, Anri. Still enjoying life?”
“Life among people is wonderful. Wouldn’t you say, my dear student?”
“You’re right. Could I rely on your help as my supervisor for Life Magic?”
Anri smiles and looks out of the window the light is coming in through.
“I will remain your supervisor for as long as you consider me such and do not break the rules of the academy.”
“I’d like to receive the abilities for my mastery ranks.”
Anri smiles and thinks to himself.
“I can let you choose them right now, though let me suggest that you wait until you earn the title of grandmaster. I’m positive you will be able to do what so few have done before you. Remember that the selection will be wider, and you’ll have access to stronger, better spells.”
I’m absolutely sure Anri isn’t stalling. There isn’t anyone invisible in the room, and I can’t see any spells or strong mages nearby, either. Did the archmage really get rid of them all?
“Thanks for the offer, though I’m afraid it’s going to be a while before I see you again. I have a very long and dangerous trip ahead of me, and any skill, spell, or ability I can get my hands on may be the one that saves my life.”
“That’s a smart choice, my dear student. I knew you’d make the right one. Okay, you have three abilities available to you right now, and you can select the same one twice if you’d like.”
Ability available: Patikrad’s method
Patikrad, a great healer, unlocked the ability to heal groups of up to five people 150% more effectively.
Effect: +50% effectiveness for Life Magic spells used on groups of up to five people
Accept: Yes/No
Ability available: Lazy bastard
The ogres had a legendary shaman named Grugal the Lazy who was famous for using the spirits of his totems and his pets to conduct magic energy. That let him heal up to five people at a time.
He didn’t even need to see the people he was healing. As long as one of his spirits or pets was nearby, he could heal them. He earned the second part of his epithet by using this ability poorly.
Effect: Pets and spirits can heal you and your allies. For group healing, you’ll need an area spell. All you have to do is give the command to the spirits.
Limitation: No more than five spirits at a distance of no more than 50 meters
Accept: Yes/No
Ability available: Mark of Samarus the Bloody
The elves in the Summer Forest have a legend about Samarus the Bloody. He was a druid who fought in hundreds of battles during the Global Turmoil, and it was only on his deathbed that he revealed his secret: he used a blood mark to pool his health with trees and boost his survivability. Of course, only the trees he grew himself agreed to share his fate.
Effect: Lets you combine your health with the trees you grow. Cannot be done with more than one tree, and the effect is only within and under the crown of that tree.
Accept: Yes/No
The mark of Samarus the Bloody is the only useful ability. It’s similar to my friend of the forest, only I don’t have to physically fuse with the tree. The others aren’t for me—I’m a solo player, and I don’t have a problem healing Fem.
By doubling up on that last ability, I boost the number of trees I can use to two.
Anri says that I made exactly the choice he expected me to.
“You, young man, are too similar to Samarus the Bloody. He was a life mage deep in his bones, and he only fought when someone attacked him or his lands. A quarter of the druid and plant-care spells we know were discovered after his death based on his notes. The elves try to hide that, but Life Magic specialists all know his work like the back of their hands. He never shared his spells with the schools, he was self-taught, and he achieved the highest level of mastery. It’s rare, but sometimes people appear who are so unique they can discover new spells.”
Anri tells us about the five-tome biography of Samarus’ life and a couple of Life Magic projects that were put together based on the great mage’s notes.
“You may be right. Hey, as a life mage apprentice, do I have access to chimerology books?”
He smiles, his every emotion screaming at me how incredibly happy he is. In fact, he laughs so hard that his robe starts bouncing around on his round stomach.
“You had access to them back when you were a scholar. But you aren’t a chimerologist, and you don’t want that class—what do you want with the books?”
“I’ve seen what battle chimerologists can do, what with their armor, pets, defense, attack, and body empowerment. I need to know who my enemies are and how I can fight back against them”
“That’s smart. There have been a lot of people asking about you the past couple days, young man.”
We leave the reception area and pick up the biography of Samarus the Bloody from the academy library. In order to check out the books on chimerology that I have my eye on, I have to sign for them and hand them a guarantee of equal value. I don’t have much choice but to part with a few tomes from my personal library of forbidden books.
I still owe Proximus, the supervisor of the Space Magic department, a report on the results of his magic space teleport.
The trim old man is just finishing up an introductory lecture. Our conversation takes place in the empty auditorium afterward, and I give him some advice I’m going to be following, as well, as I hand him my notes.
“You should burn these when you’re done reading them—people will try to kill you for knowing this. Proximus, this isn’t conjecture or random thoughts; I’m absolutely sure of everything on these papers. It’s a direct threat to the gods, the demigods, and the global security system. The spell ignores antiportal fields and lets you go anywhere in the world without leaving a trace.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” The mage grins and burns the papers right in front of me. “Let’s do this. When you tell me it’s safe to use the spell, I’ll publish it. I know who you are, and I know that you mean what you say. I want to live more than I want to be famous, so I’ll wait for you.”
There’s one more person at the academy who can give me the information I need: Vaziri Anu, the supervisor of the Mind Magic department. He can be found in a special academy building people say he hasn’t left in ten years. After a quick conversation and an attempt on his part to get a feel for me with the help of some spirits, we get down to brass tacks.
“I’ve gotten to the seventh and ninth layers of the astral.” The mage’s eyes widen. “Every time I’m there, I feel like there’s some kind of powerful being watching me. In the ninth layer, I saw creatures that I haven’t found a description for in any book, story, or bestiary. But whatever was watching me was much more powerful and in deeper layers.”
Vazari nods as though I’m confirming his suspicions.
“The tenth layer of the astral is blocked. When you get your astral skill up to 900, nothing will happen, although you should unlock access to that tenth layer. The strongest battle mages can use the spirits from the second layer. Everyone living in the layers deeper down just kill anyone who summons them—they’re much stronger. The spirits there are between level 1000 and Level 2000. Fifteen hundred years ago, this world was being ravaged by the last war of the wanderers, and that was when the tenth layer was blocked. You can feel what’s living there because you’re a wanderer. That may even be the key to the riddle.”
“What do the old chronicles say?”
“They were scrubbed so clean the gods themselves wouldn’t be able to tell you. There isn’t even a hint left.”
We have to leave via a window, from which we leap to the quart
er wall. From there, we make our way out of the city as a precaution. I’m done with Kkhor.
Femida laughs so hard she practically falls off the wall. Her modulating laughter even infects me—we’re alive, free, moving forward.
We get to the ocean and start walking along the bank. In just an hour, forty kilometers to the south of Kkhor, we find a magic-space eddy and get to the Sea of Madness on our first try. There’s an aura of death, and we have to kill twenty high-level bots as we head away from the bank and toward the source of the aura. Femida, packrat that she is, collects everything she can from them. I’m not worried—she’ll definitely share half the proceeds with me.
“Almark, are you sure this is a good place? I really don’t like this aura.”
“You’re just nervous about it because your resistance isn’t where it should be. The important part is that it’s constant! Once we get deeper down, we’ll have the continual physical damage, too. I’ll add electricity damage at some point.”
“You sure that’s not too much?”
“Keep talking, and I’ll paralyze you, too.”
“Okay, okay. You’re sure we’ll be okay though?”
“We’ll find out soon enough. Panacea! Maximum!”
This time, the island turns out much bigger, and Femida reacts faster. She leaps ten meters in the air using her amplification and lands on a firm bed of plants. The tumultuous growth continues for another ten minutes, and she has to keep jumping over and over again, doing her best not to get caught on any branches.
“What do you need a floating flowerbed for? The death aura will kill it.”
I look at the island, which is continuing to grow thanks to my aura of life. Thousands of plants thrash around in the water, there’s already a layer of fertile soil made entirely of leaves and roots, and my bare feet blend in with the root system.
“First, the aura isn’t really all that dangerous. When I was in Hell, the forest I grew reduced the damage and effects of the aura. You probably noticed that you felt a little less afraid of death. The island is self-sustaining, capable of healing the damage the aura does.”