“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Finn replied in a dry voice.
“Anytime!” Julia offered. “But you do need to get moving.” She gestured at the token in his hand. “Time is almost up.”
Finn grimaced and turned back to the courtyard, eyeing the circular stone podium in the center, dozens of novices lounging around the platform.
“Good luck,” Julia called from behind him. When Finn turned to look at her, she had already disappeared – returning to wherever she went when she wasn’t busy nagging him and acting as his bodyguard.
With a sigh, he started marching toward the dais. There was no sense in dragging this out. He soon spotted another mage with a similar symbol standing on the stone platform and swiping at the air, likely reviewing her notifications. Finn slowed his steps, taking some time to inspect his opponent carefully. Knowledge was power, after all.
The woman looked to be in her mid-twenties, long brown hair flowing down her back. In lieu of robes, she wore light leather and cloth armor, and a rapier was strapped to her waist. After his time spent sparring with Julia, Finn was also able to pick out a few hidden sheaths tucked away beneath her armor.
Experienced mage. Unknown affinity, he surmised. The gear indicated that the woman had points to spare and her choice of equipment was smart. Quite a few of the novices had dropped the habit of wearing robes that loudly announced their affinity.
Probably because it was stupid as hell.
“Hey there,” Finn said in greeting. “Looks like we got matched. The name’s Finn,” he said, offering a hand.
The woman glanced down at his token to confirm their symbol matched before accepting his grip. “Kat. You ready to do this thing?”
Finn saw no hesitation in her eyes at the mention of his name. Usually, that was enough to make his opponent nervous. Instead, she simply inventoried his equipment, arching an eyebrow as she saw that Finn was still wearing the original gear that the guild had given him. He idly wondered at Kat’s rank, although he made it a habit not to check the leaderboards. That information tended to be more distracting than helpful.
“Yep, let’s go,” Finn replied, offering his token.
Without ceremony, Kat touched her mark to his and the world soon dissolved around them as the sunlight and sand bled away into darkness.
***
The world abruptly popped back into focus, and Finn found himself standing in a dense forest. Thick tree trunks lingered around him, the trees spaced only a few yards apart. Visibility was an issue, and Finn could barely see more than a dozen or so feet in a straight line. To make matters worse, the sunlight had also been filtered out by a thick canopy of leaves far overhead, creating an artificial gloom.
Fireball may reveal my location, Finn thought to himself as he slunk against a tree, putting his back to the rough bark. The environment could be just as much of a challenge as his opponent. It was always a wildcard since the scenery changed with every duel. Not to mention that the local wildlife had made an appearance on more than one occasion. He had gotten attacked by some sort of acid-spitting snake last time.
He glanced at the AI hovering over his shoulder. The burning ball of flame created a similar problem. He quickly dismissed Daniel. The element of surprise was more important than the AI’s ability to warn Finn of danger.
Moving slowly and keeping his voice low, Finn’s fingers wound through the gestures to summon Magma Armor. The hot, protective substance soon coated his right arm. Out of an abundance of caution, he summoned a second shield along his left arm. Luckily, the faintly glowing armor didn’t give off much light.
Finn held his breath – waiting.
This was always the worst part.
The beginning of a duel could be chaotic. Finn didn’t know his opponent’s affinity, and so he couldn’t anticipate how she would attack. If he could survive the initial engagement or get the jump on her, his chances of winning climbed drastically. He had found that patience and caution were helpful virtues, although the way his fire mana hummed in his veins often made it difficult to sit still. His fingers twitched, and he had to forcefully resist the urge to summon a Fireball.
As the seconds ticked past, nothing happened.
Finn could only make out the occasional faint chirp among the branches overhead – no telltale crack of wood or rustle of leaves giving away his opponent’s position. From experience, he expected that Kat was within 20-30 yards of his location, likely hidden behind another tree trunk and waiting for him to make the first move.
Finn chewed on his lip for a moment in thought. Under other circumstances, he might have simply stepped out from behind the tree, knowing that he could survive the first strike. It was amazing how terrible some players were at combat. He’d encountered quite a few that actually stood in place and shouted the names of their spells as they cast them. However, something about this opponent urged Finn to be more cautious.
He eyed a nearby tree, his UI flickering and changing. He had made a few improvements to his mod after his discussion with Brutus. A small translucent circle now ran along the ground, tracing his control range. He could cast about 12 feet away right now, which was usually enough to get a jump on his opponent from behind with his typical combo – assuming he managed to get close first.
This time, he had another idea.
Finn dropped the channel on his right hand, beginning to cast another spell. A moment later, a Fireball flared to life – except the orb hovered beside another tree, as though Finn were hidden behind the trunk.
Then he waited.
A rustle of leaves was the only warning he received before a massive bolt of lightning arced through the air, slamming against the ground beside the trunk. Tendrils of electricity speared through the air, lashing at the nearby bark and vegetation. Amid the gloom, the brilliant light left Finn momentarily blinded.
Air mage. Likely three spells, he thought as he blinked rapidly and rubbed at his eyes. Lightning Bolt, Lightning Nova, and Blink.
As his vision began to clear, Finn saw that the decoy tree had been charred black, but the ground and surrounding plants had absorbed most of the damage. That told him a few things. His opponent was smart. She had struck beside the tree, hoping to catch Finn in the arc of electricity. She was also close. Bilel’s notebook had explained that it was difficult to aim a Lightning Bolt the farther it traveled.
He felt a surge of excitement, his mana responding to the challenge. He hadn’t fought many air mages, and this person seemed competent. It was all he could do to remain standing there calmly, allowing his vision to fully recover and re-adjust to the low-light conditions.
A few seconds later, Finn peeked out from the trunk and saw Kat hovering behind a tree, her body only partially concealed by the trunk. She caught sight of him at the same time, their eyes meeting and a frown tugging at her lips.
Then there was no time for careful reflection.
Kat dashed out from behind the tree, but instead of running away, she darted directly toward Finn. Acting quickly, he began casting another Fireball, keeping it hovering beside him and waiting for Kat to get close.
When she was only a dozen or so feet away, Finn hurled his Fireball. Instead of trying to dodge, Kat’s form suddenly blurred, her outline glowing with yellow energy. Then she disappeared, reappearing a few feet away from Finn. She immediately yanked her rapier free and stabbed forward in a single fluid motion.
He backpedaled and released his second spell.
The Fireball that Finn had formed behind Kat raced toward her. Yet she turned her head at the last second, barely catching sight of the Fireball. She abruptly blurred again, flashing away.
Which left Finn in the line of fire of his own spell…
He grimaced, raising his arm and feeling the wave of heat wash over him, his armor cracking slightly under the blow.
“Clever,” Finn muttered to himself.
Finn didn’t often encounter Kat’s style of fighting. With the rapier, he knew she couldn’t
channel a spell. That meant she must have started casting the second Blink as soon as she teleported. At least, he assumed that was the case since he didn’t know how she could have anticipated his second Fireball.
“That’s a neat trick. I bet it usually works, doesn’t it?” Kat taunted, now standing more than a dozen or so feet away, her sword raised, and her free hand poised to cast another spell.
She watched Finn with an appraising expression. “Although, I’m curious how you pulled it off. You would have needed to channel two spells. And why aren’t you using a staff or wand?”
Finn didn’t answer. His mind was racing as he tried to decide how to proceed. She was right, normally that one-two combo worked. But now that she was aware of the trick, she wasn’t going to fall for it a second time. Even worse, Kat’s loadout was perfect for her affinity. As an air mage, she didn’t really need to channel. Her spells were typically one-off casts. It meant that she was going to be fast and dangerous. She could teleport into melee and stab him, or teleport away and blast him with Lightning Bolts.
At least, until she ran out of mana.
A conventional mage using a staff would likely struggle against Kat’s combat style. She could pressure them from a distance, wait for them to cast, and then teleport into melee. Finn abruptly realized that there was nothing for it – he was going to have to give up his secret if he wanted to win this.
His fingers immediately began moving, summoning two Fireballs, the orbs floating nearby as his fingers continued to channel his mana. The Magma Armor along one arm was cracked but still intact, and the other hadn’t been damaged yet. He could worry about repairing the shields in between casting Fireballs.
Kat’s eyes widened in surprise as she watched Finn. “How are you—”
Finn didn’t wait for her to finish. He sprinted forward, trying to close the distance between them and keep Kat inside his control range. The air mage reacted quickly, her fingers twining through a rapid-fire series of gestures as lightning began to crackle around her.
As the Lightning Bolt completed, Finn darted behind a nearby tree and squeezed his eyes shut. The bolt smashed into the wood on the other side but left him unharmed. Finn couldn’t afford to take a direct hit. From experience, he knew that his Magma Armor wouldn’t absorb all the damage. Some of the energy would arc around the shield, striking his chest and face.
Then Finn was moving again.
He darted out from behind the tree, throwing both Fireballs at the same time. One of his hands immediately began repairing his left shield, while the other remained free.
Kat saw the two bolts incoming and dodged behind a tree.
One of the Fireballs raced past Kat’s location, but the other arced in the air as Finn channeled his mana into it, curving around the trunk. He saw a flash of yellow, and Kat appeared only a few feet away. She had blinked out from behind cover to avoid his attack.
Kat stabbed at Finn, but he raised an arm, causing the blade to skitter along the molten armor. He dropped the channel on his shield, both hands summoning another Fireball as he moved away from his opponent to create some space. Kat saw the new Fireball flare to life, and she backpedaled, glaring at him and sweat shining on her forehead as she let her mana regen.
Finn sympathized. This was rough.
Even with his faster spellcasting, he was starting to realize he had a weakness. He might be able to cast faster, but that was just enough to keep pressure on Kat. He still had a few seconds of downtime after releasing both spells where he was forced to re-cast the Fireballs. Kat could use this window to dart forward and attack in melee. If Finn only used one Fireball, then Kat could simply pepper him from a distance by staying outside his control range where it was more difficult for him to aim.
To make matters worse, neither of them were using a considerable amount of mana, and they could use the environment to block attacks. Finn expected they were relatively even in terms of attrition.
Which meant he needed to take a risk if he was going to win this fight.
His fire mana surged in his veins as sudden inspiration struck him.
Finn initiated again, running toward Kat as his Fireballs hovered nearby. Kat hurled another blast of lightning at him, forcing Finn behind a tree and allowing her to widen the distance between them. She clearly wanted him to commit to an attack with both of his Fireballs before she struck. It was just a matter of waiting for that window when he needed to recast.
Finn realized that he would need to simulate that moment if his plan was going to work.
He darted out from behind the tree, sprinting toward Kat, and launching both Fireballs forward. Yet his hands kept moving, constantly channeling mana into each projectile as he kept careful track of his control range.
Kat dodged behind a tree, and Finn sent one orb whizzing past her location while he arced the other – just as he had before – tracing Kat’s movement. However, he’d never stopped running, and this time, he was still within range.
Kat blinked forward, and Finn automatically raised his arm, expecting the attack. The blade glanced off his shield. Yet he didn’t anticipate her next move, his eyes widening as he saw lightning crackling between her fingers.
Oh shit, Finn thought, just barely raising his arms and squeezing his eyes shut.
Lightning slammed into his forearms like a truck, lances of energy stabbing around his shields and leaving a burning trail of welts along his skin. Finn didn’t need to look at his UI to know his health had plummeted.
But he also wasn’t dead.
And his hands had never stopped moving.
The flaming missiles curved in the air, still well within his control range. Once he had corrected their trajectory, he dropped the channel on both Fireballs while simultaneously lowering his arms and stepping close. As he expected, Kat had to close her eyes to avoid blinding herself. He grabbed her by her sword arm to hold her in place, and his free hand started moving again.
She looked at him in shock, and he saw her hand move, trying to cast Blink.
She didn’t make it in time.
His two Fireballs struck Kat from behind, the force of the impact slamming her into his chest and interrupting her spell. She grunted in pain and tried to back away again – this time, more feebly. Yet Finn’s grip was like iron and the air around them was already beginning to heat up, shimmering and rippling as tendrils of flame wrapped around his body. His spell was almost complete.
Kat was able to look at him one last time.
Her eyes were round, and he saw fear there.
Then he finished casting Fire Nova.
A massive blast of flame rocketed away from Finn’s body. He was already holding his breath, having experienced firsthand how the fire made it difficult to breathe. He saw Kat’s clothing go up in flames first; her hair ignited, and her mouth opened in a wordless scream. And then there was only fire, orange and red crackling around him in a remorseless maelstrom.
The flames soon dwindled, and Finn released his grip. Kat’s charred corpse dropped to the ground with a dull thud, her limbs unmoving. Even with his mana flowing through his veins, Finn couldn’t bear to look at her, his eyes shifting instead to the red notifications flashing in his peripheral vision. He only had a hundred health left, and his mana was empty. That last attack had used everything he had.
If he had missed… Or if Kat hadn’t been overconfident…
He shook his head. It didn’t matter. He had won.
He kept repeating that thought as his mana fled him, exhaustion soon replacing the boiling energy that surged through his veins. Finally looking at the burnt remains of his opponent, a wave of disgust hit him. He couldn’t help the involuntary shudder as he saw the extent of the damage. Kat’s body was barely recognizable.
The reality of his situation was also finally settling over him. He might have won – if only barely. But his secret was out now.
Chapter 27 - Focused
The door to the training room slammed shut with an ominous
thump, the deadbolts sliding into place with the rattle of metal. Finn checked each of the locks, making sure that they were all intact.
The precautions were necessary with the way the attacks had continued to escalate. He had spent some time hunting through the abandoned northern wing of the guild and had eventually found an old can of grease. After a few minutes and a lot of cursing, he had finally managed to get the door working again – although the damn thing was nearly more rust than metal at this point and it let out a grating shriek every time he shouldered it closed.
Finn had been somewhat surprised that the warded room locked from the inside. However, based on Brutus’ original explanation, the room had likely been used to test new magical items. In that case, Finn suspected that the locking mechanism was a safety feature designed to prevent people from accidentally walking inside during an experiment.
Either way, it was safer to lock themselves in. He didn’t want to get ambushed while sparring with Julia or practicing his Mana Mastery and spells.
“I take it the duel didn’t go well?” Julia asked, throwing back her hood and observing the sour expression on Finn’s face.
“That’s one way to put it,” he replied, running a hand through his hair. Finn paced the room, feeling too anxious to sit still. “I had to use Multi-Casting in front of that air mage,” Finn muttered, half to himself.
“Finally!” Julia replied. He looked at her in surprise and was rewarded with an exasperated eye roll. “Were you having fun tricking a bunch of noobs and hitting them in the back of the head with your Fireballs? Now that the gloves are off, we can start having some real fun.”
Finn snorted skeptically. “That trick earned me a lot of points, and the duels didn’t last long. It’s probably going to be more challenging from here on out. You can bet that girl will tell the other players – and many of them already seem to be gunning for me.”
Julia waved a hand. “We both knew that wasn’t going to last forever. Plus, it was boooring. Now you’ll be forced to adapt,” she observed.
Awaken Online: Ember (Tarot #1) Page 28