The Dive: Birth of a Hero

by Justin Miller

  Casting a smirk at me, Denise decided to explain before I had the chance. “Jin decided that he’s too much of a cheat right now. So, he’s going to weaken himself, in order to become even more of a cheat later. Until then, we’re on bodyguard duty. Assuming our power doesn’t get dragged down with his.”

  “W-wait, that could happen? Won’t we be in trouble if we get weaker here?” Cynthia’s eyes nervously dart around the area, as if the smallest shadow could jump out and eat her the moment she was weakened.

  Deciding to speak up before Denise can send her into a panic attack, I reassured her that there was almost no chance of that happening. She wasn’t at all comfortable with the almost, but I didn’t want to admit that there was at least a small possibility. Though with her build, even if she completely lost a few talents to make up the level difference, she’d still be able to take on monsters around this area.

  “I’ll start meditating on the new magic while we’re on the road today. With any luck, I should have it by lunch.” Given my current knowledge of magic, as well as the truth of this world, I didn’t anticipate it being that difficult to merge the different types of magic into the image I had.

  First thing’s first. Last time I down-leveled, it took away the points I hadn’t spent yet. Better take care of that this time before it becomes an issue. Since I had seventy-five points left over from last night’s discovery, I went ahead and spent them. This was especially important now, because my intelligence was at nine hundred and ninety-one. With those last nine points, I hit the one thousand threshold, and was awarded accordingly.

  Your Intelligence has increased to 1000, you will be granted a new Intelligence-related Talent based on your current abilities and style of activity.

  New Talent Unlocked!

  Scholar 10 has been converted to Hidden Intellect 2

  Well, I thought I was awarded, but losing eight levels meant that I lost forty of the remaining points that I hadn’t spent yet! Thankfully, this confirmed my suspicions about ‘hidden’ stat talents. And I did not lose any of my Scholar skills either, which led me to believe that I wouldn’t be losing the skills I had right now after I combined my magic talents.

  “What’s wrong, Jin? You look like you just ate something bitter…” Before I knew it, Cynthia was standing in front of me with a curious expression.

  Oh! I just leveled down, I can see if it had an effect on them or not! Without a moment to waste, I opened up the stat screens for Cynthia and Denise, to compare to myself.

  Name: Denise

  Race: ???

  Title: Innkeeper, Beastmaster, Undying

  Fame: 30

  Gild: ∞

  Level: 375

  Health: 1975

  Mana: 0

  Strength: 300

  Agility: 1001 + 350

  Endurance: 385

  Wisdom: 40

  Intelligence: 30

  Luck: 7

  Attack: 175 + 755/260

  Defense: 15 + 876

  Talents: Archery 40, Reflex 35, Speed 35, Chef 15, Tracking 20, Light Armor 27, Taming 20(+4), Hawk Eyes 40, Swordsmanship 30, Sailing 10, Regeneration 25(+2), Shadow Walker 20(+2), Stealth 33, Dagger Mastery 25

  Title Bonus: +4 Taming, +2 Regeneration/Shadow Walker

  Name: Cynthia

  Race: Human

  Title: Hard Worker

  Fame: 40

  Gild: ∞

  Level: 375

  Health: 5250+1575

  Mana: 0

  Strength: 500+750

  Agility: 375

  Endurance: 1040

  Wisdom: 20

  Intelligence: 30+3

  Luck: 40

  Attack: 45 + 1005

  Defense: 135+712(+169)

  Talents: Swordsmanship 36, Shield 32, Heavy Armor 37, Hidden Strength 30, Hammer Mastery 40, Fortified Health 30, Blacksmith 40, Spear 30, Dual Wield 30, Guardian 20, Scholar 10, Hand to Hand 22, Magical Devices 18

  Title Bonuses: +10 all stats, +20 Luck

  Equipment Bonus: +20% Defense, +50% Health Recovery

  Okay, that’s good, they’re both coming along quite nicely. I smiled to myself, seeing that each of them had a stat at the one thousand mark as well. Two for Cynthia if the bonus from her Hidden Strength is counted. Now for mine...

  Name: Jin

  Race: Human

  Title: Mage, Emissary of the Underworld, Ritualist, Arcane Savant

  Fame: 1720

  Level: 367

  Gild: ∞

  Soul: 893

  Health: 1050

  Mana: 6844+850

  Strength: 60

  Agility: 200

  Endurance: 200

  Wisdom: 526+20

  Intelligence: 1000+100

  Luck: 10

  Attack: 10 + 52

  Defense: 10 + 150

  Talents: Magical Talent 32(+2), Magical Knowledge 30(+2), Navigation 9, Nature Magic 31, Summoning Magic 22, Runescript 15, Discovery 4, Divination 9, Enchanting 30, Infernal Magic 30, Arcane Marksman 19, Sailing 11, Mana Pool 16, Mana Recovery 17, Origin Magic 27, Axe Mastery 2, Carpentry 15, Staff Mastery 9, Arcane Staff 7, Aura 17, Hidden Intellect 2, Barrier Magic 5, Gravity Magic 8

  Title Bonuses: +2 Int/Wis, +400 Mana, +2 Magical Talent/Knowledge, +50% Mana Recovery

  Equipment bonuses: +20 Int/Wis, +750 Mana, +50% Mana Recovery, Elemental Resistance +5%, Magic xp gain +15%

  I breathed out a sigh of relief, seeing that my level was indeed lower than the women’s. “Okay, so there isn’t a danger of you two losing any power. You just probably won’t be able to get any more until I catch up…”

  Denise chuckled, having expected that outcome, while Cynthia let out a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness…”

  After a quick meal, the three of us loaded onto the wagon, ready to start our day. If I want to get this right, I don’t have the luxury of paying attention to my surroundings for a bit… Once Cynthia got off for the first fight of the day, I crossed my legs and entered a meditative state, using it to clear my mind and focus on what I wanted to create. From my current roster of powers, every system or domain of magic has a part to play in creating this.

  First, my Aura has to be considered as the foundation for my new domain. With it, I would be able to carry my spells to any area that my mana can reach. I should also be capable of forming runes within my aura to create spell effects that way.

  Secondly, my Enchanting plays a large role in this as well. The synergy between Aura and Enchanting should allow for me to imbue my aura into objects or creatures within my range, allowing for greater control. With my Enchanting, I should also be able to grant my aura new abilities as well.

  Next up, Nature Magic, another pillar of the new domain. Combining Nature Magic with my Aura should, theoretically, allow me to control all of the elements within my aura. This is an incredibly useful power, as it would combine the abilities of multiple elementals into one.

  One by one, I imagined the synergistic qualities of my nine fields of magic, slowly merging them in my mind. While doing so, I kept in mind the final result I wanted to achieve, and took myself back towards my revelation regarding mana in this world. Mana is information. Runes are code. Mages are the programmers. Use what I have to control the flow of information, and let the world bend to my will.

  Every now and then, I would feel a slight rocking sensation in the wagon, and a loud noise would invade my calm mind. It was obvious that the other two were fighting, but from the duration of the noises, it didn’t seem like the fights were lasting very long. Good… this gives me time to focus on what I’m doing.

  I couldn’t help but lose track of time, switching from the merging of the practical abilities of the different types of magic to combining the theory. Again, Aura was the base. It was the single most important part of this combination, because it gave me the flexibility and control that I needed. Everything else was used to enhance the Aura to a terrifying degree.

  I sat on that wagon for what must have been hours,
combing through the various theories I knew of for all of my magic fields. It wasn’t until I was finished with the very last one, Divination, that I received any sign of a reward. Once I heard the message appear in front of me, I felt both fear and excitement. Whatever awaited me would shape what I was capable of doing in the future.

  New Domain has been created. Please name your new Domain.

  Well, that was not quite what I was expecting. Stop with all the suspense! I had determined the name for this domain, assuming it didn’t already have one, back in the Library when the idea first came to me.

  Nature Magic 31, Summoning Magic 22, Divination 9, Enchanting 30, Infernal Magic 30, Origin Magic 27, Aura 17, Barrier Magic 5, and Gravity Magic 8 have been converted into Dominion 10

  New Talent Unlocked!

  Dominion - The signature ability of the rare species of demons known as Runelords, this talent allows its user to freely control mana to use practically any form of magic or spell, potentially ones they would not normally know! If the caster attempts to cast a spell outside of their normal abilities, they have a chance to succeed based on the level of Dominion. From now on, all new schools of magic will automatically be absorbed into Dominion.

  Quest Completed!

  Domain Creation

  Due to your insights into the arcane truths of this world, and your vast collection of magic, you have created a new domain!

  This is not a unique domain, as there have been reports of beings with similar power in the past. Currently, there are 0 other practitioners of the Dominion domain.

  Reward: +500 Fame, Dominion Domain, Alternate Quest Path

  Alternate quest path..? Seeing the description of Dominion, I didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. On the one hand, it was everything I hoped for and more. However, now I was nearly a hundred and seventy levels below the others, and there was no way for me to learn new schools of magic to make up the difference.

  Quest Updated!

  Path of the Archmage -> Path of Dominion

  Following in the footsteps of the very first Archmage, you have learned his greatest power, the power of Dominion. By mastering this, he was known as an Archmage. Will you be able to do the same?

  Requirements: Reach Dominion 30

  Rewards: Archmage title

  Oh… so that’s the alternate quest path. Well, I had to admit that this was a huge improvement over the previous requirements. Now it was simply a matter of getting twenty levels in Dominion, rather than mastering another two dozen spells. Looking over my character sheet, my face instantly paled when I saw that my level was now a mere 198. Thankfully, my stats hadn’t been touched, and neither had the levels of the two girls.

  Speaking of the two girls, now that I was out of my trance, I could hear the sounds of fighting. Turning around, I saw that there were two Earthen Worms blocking the path, and the two of them were trying to deal with the problem themselves. Cynthia was wielding a giant hammer with lightning patterns carved into its head, while Denise was using her agility to dodge left and right while firing explosive arrows.

  All in all, the battle wasn’t going that well for them. Even just a small distraction could tip the scales in their favor, though, and I was good at distracting! I quickly got up off the wagon, moving over to stand next to Midnight. “Okay.. here goes nothing.” I flexed my mana as I would any muscle, and my aura came pouring out of me like never before, swarming all around me and spreading outwards.

  “Very nice… Okay, let’s take care of you, first…” Since Cynthia had a handle on one of the worms, I made the other my target. As soon as my aura poured over it, I felt a surge of possibilities. I could potentially attack this creature from any angle, giving it minimal chance to dodge. There was something even better than I wanted to do, however, which would also allow me to do a few tests.

  “Hellfire.” I could almost see the runes stretching out from my fingertips, circling through my mana to surround the targeted worm. Once in place, the runes activated, immediately encasing the entire creature in Hellfire. There was an annoyed shrill of pain as it struggled to extinguish the flames, before turning its attention to me.

  Oh right.. my spells aren’t as strong anymore. I chuckled slightly at the realization that I was still out of my league. Instead, I focused to try and activate a spell I didn’t have, trying to take advantage of the powers of Dominion. If it worked, the magic of Oblivion would tear the creature apart, whether or not I was higher level.

  Spell Failed!

  Quickly starting to see what the problem is here! Well, if I can’t overcome it with technique, brute force is a suitable alternative! “Wind Blade!” Before the worm completed its charge, I focused my mana in front of me to create a massive blade of wind to launch at it. Sadly, this wasn’t nearly as powerful as when I was a master of Nature magic, but I still had my skill level in the Wind Blade spell, allowing me to inflict substantial damage.

  With the monster distracted by my Wind Blade, I took to the skies with the method I learned to fly with my aura. I was quickly learning how much weaker I had gotten lately, but there was still one thing that had not diminished, my mana pool. Relieved to find that the Artifact World still functioned properly, I equipped my two Magi Guns and stayed out of the Earthen Worm’s reach.

  Off to the side of the creature, I caught Denise sending me a glare more deadly than any of the spells I had launched so far. I’m not useless! I charged a little over a thousand mana into each gun, working two different spells in them as well. In the left, I was preparing a Spark Bolt, while in the right I was trying to create another unique effect.

  This time, luck seemed to be on my side. After a small lightning bolt shot out and grabbed the attention of the Earthen Worm, a circle of runes appeared in front of the gun on my right. From this circle launched a blade of pure light, striking down into the Earthen Worm and piercing through its body.

  With great effort, I raised my hand, causing the blade of light to rise as well, cleanly cutting through the worm’s body until a large section falls off. With the worm’s head practically split in two, it gave only a few last screams before falling to the ground with a dull thud. Looking over, I saw that the other worm was already in pieces, with Cynthia standing atop it and looking at me.

  Dominion has increased to 11

  Damn… I just got in the way, didn’t I? I let out a sigh, lowering myself down to the ground to collect my punishment. Before I could even finish landing, Denise had appeared directly in front of me.

  “So, that’s your new magic, huh?” Despite the speed at which she had rushed over, her foot was tapping the ground impatiently, an eyebrow raised questioningly to me.

  “Uh… yeah. I just now managed to complete it. Didn’t think that it would make so much of a difference…”

  Denise sighed, shaking her head. “You’ve really got to be more careful, Jin. The spells you used didn’t give us a chance to back you up, and left you completely vulnerable if they failed. If you hadn’t been able to fly up out of the way, I’m not sure you would have been safe in that fight.”

  Cynthia walked up as well, her armor and hammer disappearing into the Artifact World. “She’s… well… she’s right. We’ve got to protect you until you are strong enough to take care of these guys again… right?”

  At that time, Denise smirked, seeming to pounce on an opportunity to exploit my ego. Well, I mean… if I had an ego. “Exactly! Besides, once you master this new magic, taking on two or three of those guys will be a piece of cake to you.”

  “Oh.. ah… right. Sorry..” Okay, fine, I do have a bit of an ego. I can’t help it! Denise just giggles, raising a hand up to cover her mouth before I continue. “I’ll back off from the big fights like that, but I still need to get more experience in order to master this power. I’ll still want to help with the smaller fights, like if we come across any more Wind Wolves or smaller foxes.”

  Denise and Cynthia both nodded their heads, accepting my compromise. “Okay. In the meantime,
why don’t you get back in the wagon and experiment. I’ll take over guard duty for a while.”

  Cynthia smiled to Denise briefly, before moving to join me in the wagon. Honestly, it felt more like the redheaded girl was babysitting me to make sure I behaved.

  So, how do I level up Dominion without fighting experience? I know from before that knowledge is just as useful to level up magic as combat is, so what can I learn about it? Once I got in the wagon, I brought my hands into my lap and focused my aura to create a variety of effects. First, simple things like strength reinforcement or color changing, and then I moved on to gradually more complicated spells. Of course, I was making sure to only perform effects I didn’t already have.