I strengthened my hold on my Suns, before lifting my hand and casting another directly above the Dark Magic Vein. It was still many meters away from the vein itself, but I’d give the undead no choice but to face the light.
When the space in the dungeon had been halved by my Suns, some of the undead tried to make a run for it. Most aimed for the space between the shining globes, but some of the highest level monsters walked right through them.
My Laser ability flared, piercing the skeletons and zombies as they fled. Few made it past my Suns, but since there were thousands of undead, even a small percentage meant that there were hundreds of them.
I pinpointed a skeletal giant that walked right through the center of one of my Suns and struck it in the spine with Laser. I’d been watching him because it was level 5,132, and quite literally an undead titan. Casting Forced Learn, my perception pierced into it as sharply as my light and I became aware of the monster’s existence. Just like the Lich, there was mana holding its body together, and a Dark Magic Orb, much larger than any I’d been able to create, floating inside its skull. Laser battered it from the outside, allowing me to watch the creature’s internal reaction. I watched as mana gathered like a shield to protect its back, but it was stretched thin for it was already defending against the onslaught from my Artificial Suns.
Cutting Forced Learn, I knew what I needed to do. With three times the mana in a focused beam, I fired Laser again higher on its spine. It struck far enough away from where its defense was the strongest that my attack drilled right through it. Its head fell from its shoulders as it died.
My perceptions returned to it as it did, and new insights filled me. I’d save my popups for later. They were a reward that could wait. If I let my excitement take over, great masses of experience could escape. That was something I could never allow.
Time Crawl gripped the world, and all was calm. I picked my targets quickly. As more high-level monsters collapsed, I transformed my left hand back to its human form and almost in desperation I grabbed another handful of Minor Light Orbs from my inventory. Much of what I’d been carrying I’d taken from it and left with my group at the entrance to the dungeon because my Solar Mage Form lessened the amount I could hold. There was still enough left of my physical being that carrying the orbs was no burden.
It was hard to tell the difference between madness and glee as I executed numerous monsters many times my level. I’d learned early on that a person’s level didn’t always tell the full story, but it was nice to know that my level was finally starting to catch up to my true ability. I didn’t have enough hands to add my incoming stats to Wisdom, so I summoned my skeletal tail to do it for me.
Not one escaped—and there wasn’t a single Light Mana Orb that I didn’t spend on the endeavor. Twenty-seven orbs were lost in the exercise. Only my own core survived, but I would have happily devoured it to accomplish what I did that day.
After I’d cut down all that tried to escape, the rest of them crowded around the Dark Mana Vein. The weakest ones that had survived up to that point were some of the closest to the vein. When I saw that none of the remaining ones had any intention of trying to flee past my Suns, I began channeling excess mana into the Artificial Sun over the vein and had it descend.
A bolt of purple lightning leaped from the vein and struck the Sun above it, but my spell remained. Seeing the vein’s response, the weakest mobs gave up and threw their bodies into the vein itself. Like a hungry slug, lightning struck followed by liquid mana, engulfing the creatures as they entered its inner orbit.
As much as possible, I observed everything. I confirmed I was receiving experience as the mobs sacrificed themselves, but such petty things quickly drifted from my mind. Forced Learn didn’t work on the Dark Magic Vein, but it did work inside the vein’s orbit. It was there that Aether and mana coexisted. As the vein swallowed the creatures who were compatible with its Dark nature, they were absorbed into the pillar but were broken like glass under many metric tons of pressure.
I learned from it, and I learned from the creatures as they died, but after its luster wore off, I watched as the vein attacked my Artificial Sun. It may have not been attacking as much as it was a natural phenomenon. The bolts of Dark Magic did little against the Artificial Sun, and I understood why. This specific spell didn’t have much of the life force aspect of Light Magic, but the physical. The biggest mystery was that this Dark Magic wasn’t having much of a reaction with my Solar Aspect Light Magic, but my magic was greatly affecting the undead. So it wasn’t just the life aspect that harmed them as I knew all too well from my time in the Head Mistress’s Dungeon, but the Solar Aspect was just as detrimental.
When it was all over, I sat in darkness at the foot of the Dark Magic Vein. I was in my human form but had enough sanity left to cover myself with my skeletal armor. My body was shaking, and I wasn’t sure why. There were many possibilities. My mind was aghast by the things I had learned. It was almost too much to process, but the fact that I was succeeding at understanding so much of it made it even more terrifying. How could so much happen in a single battle—so much progress? It had been the perfect storm.
I’d been looking to advance and level up, but not like this. My first thought was that it was unfair, but I quickly took that thought back. No, the truth of the matter was that the Head Mistress had chosen well. I was the perfect weapon against the vampires, as long as I attacked first. The moment I was ambushed from behind, or there was a Vampire Mage that could weather my Light Magic storm, I would be extinguished as easily as I’d slain these undead armies.
In moments when my mind found snippets of clarity, I’d glance up at the vein and wonder if unlocking Dark Magic as my First School would gift me a shield against certain death.
Joy and fear contested inside of me as savagely as Light Magic would against Dark. Months of power leveling had happened in an instant. I’d been able to see what Solar Mage was capable of. Vampire’s Might had soared past level 83 and ranked up in a few monstrous casts. I’d been able to annihilate thousands of monsters many times stronger than me. I also knew that, if caught unaware, a Dark Mage much weaker than me could kill me easily. My Blue Magic would help. I knew that it would. But I’d never seen such exorbitant devastation. I’d never felt so powerful, nor so vulnerable, as I did as I sat there in the dark.
A person’s level in the Underworld only went so far. It was the mastery of elements that truly ruled all.
I knew the others were there behind me. They’d been there waiting for over an hour already and Travis had looted much of the room including the countless orbs with Queen Degima. I wanted to celebrate, but I couldn’t stop the tremors or the overload on my mind. Healing didn’t help, for I was healthier than I’d ever been. Shamash would discern it was time soon enough and help me to set things in order. There was much that we needed to discuss.
Chapter 20 – Advanced Control
I was wrong about Shamash approaching me first, although I heard his voice encouraging my friend to come. Travis sat down to my left and, at first, he didn’t speak. I was able to pull myself from my experience overload long enough to glance at him. He’d changed. The firmness of his jaw and the depth of focus behind his eyes seemed foreign—strengthened with wisdom. Not the Wisdom that you manipulate on a character sheet. He’d always had a way of cutting to the heart of a situation. When he spoke, that hadn’t changed. “We’re really going to do this, aren’t we?”
“We must,” I replied.
He gave a definitive nod. “Then, this might not be the best time, but I need something from you.”
“Name it.”
“Shamash has given me a lot to think about and I’ve made a decision. I’m going to bring Intelligence and Wisdom to 1,000 to get the most out of Metal. It should also give me an edge when controlling my Werewolf Form. What I need from you is for you to place a core inside me.”
“You do remember that it will be more difficult for you because you don’t have any specif
ic spells to help you draw mana out of one, right?”
“I do. It will take me longer to master, but it’s the path to the most power. I don’t really have another choice. Please.”
“Of course I will,” I said, no longer looking at him but watching small ripples in the Dark Magic Vein. I wondered if it knew I was the one responsible for delivering it so much new mana. “It will take a minute. Stay still.”
I heard Travis thank me as my strands of life aspect Light Mana emerged from my eyes and hands. There was no reason to delay, so I plunged into my friend and the Light Mana that permeated his entire system revealed to me every secret of his internal being. I hadn’t checked his stats, but I immediately saw that he had misspoken. He wasn’t going to increase his Intelligence and Wisdom to 1,000, he already had. Just how many levels had he received?
Finding the safe location to create an orb near his navel, I began the process of Core Creation. In the beginning, it had taken all of my concentration to create a single orb, but now it was little more than tracing the lines. I wasn’t content with just giving him an unflawed core. This was something that would help him, and possibly save his life—or help him save others.
I drew the strand of mana as tight as I could, packing it tight against the sides of the strands that came before it. The pressure I placed on the delicate strands pushed them to the breaking point, but instead of breaking, they helped to reinforce one another as they spun into a perfect spiral. It added a degree of difficulty, or at least it would have once. Instead of struggling against it, I fell into a focused trance. Theory and action met together, and I felt the harmony between the two.
You have created a Flawless Intermediate Core!
It was appropriate that my first Intermediate Core was given to a friend. If I’d just created it as an orb, I would’ve likely used Vampire’s Might to just absorb it and not appreciated it for what it was.
“Thank you,” he said, getting to his feet. He reached down and grabbed my shoulder in gratitude before leaving me.
As he left I cast Creation Observation to get a clear picture of what had become of my friend.
Travis
Level: 1,461
Attributes
Strength: 1,008
Dexterity: 3,989
Constitution: 1,014
Intelligence: 1,001
Wisdom: 1,002
I examined his level and stats for a quick moment, before dismissing them. I’d expected as much. In approximately 200 levels he’d reach 10,000 in Dexterity when his Werewolf Form doubled his physical stats. It surprised me that I was feeling such relief at seeing his advancement. He’d chosen the longer path instead of going straight for 10,000 Dexterity, but he was right. In the long run, he had no choice.
I turned to my own core and had two options. One, I could just absorb it and create another one, but that seemed inappropriate, like I was being unthankful for the help my core had provided me. In actuality, it had done little more than help me train my core exercises, but that was an essential step.
Finding it was far easier than without a core because I was already encircling it with mana. Activating Core Creation gave me access to the core and all its strands. I first displaced its stored energy and loosened it. I too had a decision to make. An Advanced Core wasn’t so far out of my reach that I thought it was impossible to create one now. I had my theories and was pretty sure I was correct. Unlike most of my magic, Core Creation didn’t care as much about your Rank as it did your skill. It would reveal more about higher level cores as I ranked up, but if I was capable enough now, a Master’s Core probably wasn’t out of my reach. The question I pondered was, should I? I believed the answer was no. I needed to take this slow because mana refinement was as much art as anything else. I wasn’t proficient enough and I needed Succubi’s Caress to rank up before I’d be able to draw enough from my core anyways. That settled it.
Just like spinning a top, I drew the outer strand of my core tight and began to wind it up strand by strand with the same additional pressure needed to compress its spiral. When I reached the heart of the core, its strand came to an end and I supplied it additional mana to extend the strand as far as I needed. With its spiral complete, its mana storage took its place and I added the mana that an Intermediate Core needed.
So much had changed from a single battle.
The distraction had brought me back to the present and I came to my feet. I hadn’t even taken my full prize from defeating the undead armies and yet my human body hummed with power.
Turning to the others, I addressed them. “You’ve removed the monster cores?”
“A few hundred of them,” Travis replied. “It will probably take a few days to get at all of them.”
“You fear absorbing them?” Shamash said, floating to the forefront of the group to hover a few feet from me.
I wasn’t sure if I should nod or shake my head. “Yeah. I don’t think I can handle that much additional mana.”
“You took a good first step today, but you still have far to go. Do not fear. Vampire’s Might ranked up?”
“It’s Advanced Rank now.”
“It’s now possible for you to absorb orbs of other schools, but the further an orb is from your natural alignment, the harder it will be to absorb. You’ll find these Dark Orbs still cost you more mana to absorb than they’ll provide you. Especially the more advanced ones, which are much more difficult. But this is a perfect opportunity for something else.”
“And that is?”
“Training Vampire’s Might and Succubi’s Caress. I also believe you have a few new tools to play with, yes?”
I was suddenly feeling self-conscious, so I turned to the others. Travis offered me an encouraging smirk and Queen Degima, she... Well, she had a slight bow to her head and wouldn’t look me in the eye.
I answered Shamash. “Many. There’s also a conversation we need to have. I think I’ve decided on which First School I want to pursue first.”
“Good, but it can wait. First, gather the orbs and Devour the zombies as you go. That will take care of two things at once. It will also prepare their skeletons so that you can have your pick.”
“You know?”
The lich chortled like an old man also struggling to breathe. “Some paths are well-trodden, and others are entirely unique. Blue Magic Necromancy is much sought after by those who don’t choose Dark Magic as one of their main schools. Few are so well known, but don’t let that inhibit you from developing it. For now, one step at a time. Handle these evident steps first, then we will tackle the mysterious paths of unveined magic. Don’t forget to practice your cycling on your new core either. Now go.”
***
There was wisdom in delaying our conversation, even if I wasn’t thrilled about it. I had so much—too much—that I was dealing with right now. The longer I took, the longer it would be before we could move on. Travis needed his first school of magic and we needed to get back into range of Richard’s communication skills. Being unable to share what had happened with Aeris was the worst part. Travis’s company kept me sane, but Aeris kept me grounded. It may sound like the same thing, but it was like treating the symptoms of an illness instead of treating the illness itself. Staying alive and staying healthy were not the same.
Travis and Degima took the skeletons while I handled the zombies. There was no clean way to remove the orbs from inside the undead beast and humanoid creatures. With help from Laser and my tail, I stayed mostly untainted except for the occasional spray of blood that traveled further than I thought possible. This would have been great practice if I was training to be a surgeon or crime scene investigator.
One by one I Devoured the flesh and blood of the mobs. Even though I’d Drained numerous zombies in the past, the natural undead were different than summoned ones. Vampire’s Might had also ranked up, making it even more proficient. By the time I was done, even the level 5,000 zombies were no longer giving me any additional stats. It should have been earth-sha
ttering, but too much had happened for me to feel much.
+1,173 Str
+731 Dex
+1,339 Con
+99 Int
+89 Wis
I’d expected more, but I knew draining stats would ultimately be limited. Lilith had left Lord Darius’s blood and flesh alone, choosing to only absorb his core. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, that could mean only one thing. Eventually, I’d Drain so many of each creature that there would be no more benefit to continuing. I might have been beginning to understand why the Head Mistress had chosen to kidnap us in the first place. Still, I was far from being that jaded. My journey had only begun.
We’d officially gone from seeing orbs as rare and precious to swimming in them. There were so many it would have been difficult to make room for them all. The opportunity they granted couldn’t be underestimated. I was also aware of the opportunity I was missing. If my mana refinement ability was more advanced and my Vampire’s Might and Succubi’s Caress abilities were at the highest rank, the piles of orbs in front of me held enough mana for me to truly kill Mistress Nava once and for all. The hunger to carry out such a sentence upon her startled me. I didn’t realize I was capable of hating someone as much as I hated her.
One Minor Dark Orb at a time, I began absorbing them with Vampire’s Might. The process was strenuous. It took many times the amount of mana to deconstruct each one and then convert the Dark Mana to Light. I didn’t expect it to be so costly since Vampire’s Might didn’t have the same problem when converting blood into stats.
To speed it up, I decided to pump my Intelligence up to 5,050 so that my 11x Master Mind Buff pushed it to 10,000. I wasn’t quite sure why I’d been holding back except for some strange desire inside of me to adhere to Lilith’s original counsel. My Intelligence and Wisdom based bonuses had merged into a single mastery when my Wisdom surpassed 10,000 which was now my permanent status. With Intelligence also surpassing 10,000, not much seemingly changed—except where it mattered.
Underworld - Vampire Gate: A LitRPG Series Page 16