by Colin Daumen
He quickly started to purge himself of all arcana and world energy. After all of his arcana left his body, Favian felt naked. This was one of the most vulnerable states a mage could ever put themselves into. A swordsman who focused on using world energy to improve their body would only need to purge themselves of all energy, however, their strong body was still present acting as a strong defense. Illusions worked in a way that they poisoned an individual's arcana, and all of the arcana circulating through their body. Some extremely high-level illusions could even encompass an individual's arcane core, and it could take years for the effects to be removed, trapping them inside an illusion for that amount of time. By then, the person would probably already be dead.
Favian's vision slowly started to get back into focus, but what was in front of him alarmed him even more than the effects of the previous illusion. He was standing in what seemed like a tundra, which pushed on endlessly in his vision. The sounds of waves crashing against rock filtered through his senses and the smell of salty water pervaded his nostrils.
He looked around but couldn't find Licht or Dunkel. What had seemed like an illusion at first, turned into something that transported him to another location. This time, at least, he knew that what was in front of him was real.
Chapter 32 - Island
*ROAR* *GRUNT* *ROAR*
Before Favian had time to gather his thoughts and analyze his situation, loud noises boomed nearby. Further inland there was a group of white boars sprinting towards Favian. Their tusks were blackened, whilst the boar who seemed to be leading them had one of their tusks broken off. Despite this, it gave off an even stronger aura than the rest.
"Great, just what I wanted," Favian mumbled as he readied himself for battle.
"OINK," four boars simultaneously screamed as they ran at Favian, hoping to trample him down with little resistance. The chief boar stood at the back with what looked to be some little piglets surrounding him.
Giving it a further inspection, Favian could see that the little piglets were suckling on the chief boar. It was at this moment that Favian understood what was going on. 'Shit, they are just being territorial.'
He'd correctly figured out that his teleportation had placed him right in the middle of the boar territory, and that he didn't need to fight them. He'd be able to win against them, but due to him being unable to use stealth to pick off his opponents one by one, it'd take a lot more energy than he was willing to use to take care of this situation. He wanted to stay in as good of a condition to find his companions. Also, he was sure that the boar leader was hiding the full extent of its strength, as it gave him a look as if saying 'I dare you to fight'.
'What do I do then? I really wish I could communicate with them,' he thought to himself.
The boars, however, didn't think of anything like Favian, they simply rushed towards him and attempted to fend off against the intruder. Every time a boar was close to hitting Favian, he would suddenly shift away from their vision with superhuman speed. The four boars tried to encircle him, but they were unable to keep him in one position.
'If only there weren't 20 more boars waiting around that chief, else I would've already run away by now,' he thought. The pressure the beasts were putting onto him was minuscule, but the real pressure came from the rest of the boars watching the fight. He knew that the moment he tried to run that he'd be targeted by those more powerful ones.
He wanted to use his Time Stop, but since he could only use it once a day, it was too precious to waste on something like this. He'd be able to search the whole area without intrusion, but Favian felt that he'd need to save it for something more important. After all, it would be better to use it to save himself and his teammates if such a situation ever occurred.
His shadow was also not too useful right now. He kept trying to distract all of the boars so that he could let his shadow leave the area unseen, and then teleport to it, but the chief boar had its sharp eyes peeled on it. This situation gave Favian huge insights into the downsides of his combat style. He was immensely powerful when he had the time to set up his battles but was lacking if he was caught off guard. Other classes like a Druid or Eldritch Knight would have been much better in a confrontation such as this, as they were more rounded in terms of offence and defense. He probably would have been able to bulldoze his way out if he'd chosen either of those.
The battle of dodging ensued for another ten minutes, with Favian weaving away from all the attacks thrown at him, whilst at the same time trying to move further away from the main group of boar. He did this very slowly, as he didn't want his enemies to know his plan. He could kill all of the boars attacking him, but he'd feel bad about it. For some reason, every part of his body and mind was telling him to absolutely not kill one.
Suddenly, one of the boars rushed towards Favian at a much higher speed than before. Favian dodged the attack with ease, but the boar wasn't as lucky. It couldn't stop its momentum as it rushed towards the cliff drop, where there was a huge drop into a sea. The rest of the beasts squealed as they saw the impending death of their relative.
Just as it was about to fall, Favian grabbed it by its tail, making sure it didn't fall to its death. He sustained a hit because of this action, but the hit wasn't powerful at all. It felt more like an ant's bite on his leg.
Favian pulled the beast back onto the mainland, which left all the others stunned. These beasts were a lot more intelligent than he had thought, and it seemed they had a host of emotions, as they stopped attacking him.
"Thank you, human. I shall apologize for my children's hot-headedness."
Favian looked in shock at the chieftain, who had just spoken. He knew that there were certain beasts that could talk, but they were such powerful existences that he'd never expect to find one at his level, or let alone live to tell the tale. At this point, he finally knew that if he'd killed any boar, he'd probably have died a swift death. The fact that the enemy was able to convince him that their power was lesser than it actually was freaked him out.
'System are you able to scan the chieftain without it noticing?' he asked.
[DING! Negative.] Elon replied.
The female chieftain looked at Favian in a softer light than before, and said, "No need to be so surprised young one. I've already told my clan to stand down."
"Th-Thank you," Favian replied. He was still scared to the core at how badly this situation could have gone. Had he not shown the slightest hint of compassion, then he'd probably be dead by now. "Can you tell me where I am right now?"
"The Island of Khepri is where you reside right now, hairless one. You must be far away from home," she said. She spoke her words slowly, but it felt like each syllable was filled with arcane energy.
"The Island of Khepri? But where exactly is that? Why haven't I heard about this place on Ortu Solis?" he questioned. He'd learned a lot about the geography of the continent, however, he'd never heard of this island before. There weren't many islands on the continent and could be counted on both hands.
"Ortu Solis?" the boar laughed when she heard this. "I haven't heard of that place in millennia. We are on the continent Luna, dear child. So you're from the lost land, that would explain your unusual magic."
'What the heck, a new continent? Can't fate just let me have some peace already. I mean, I did decide to explore the tomb but that's the system's fault. SYSTEM, why are you so annoying.'
[DING! The system cannot be held responsible for the actions of their host. Would you like the system to read out the terms and conditions to you?]
'What? No! Jesus Christ.'
Favian was deep in thought, trying to figure out what his next move was. The very first thing he knew he needed to do was to find Licht and Dunkel. He'd brought them into this mess, so he sure as hell needed to get them out of it, else he'd never be able to forgive himself for his impulsive behaviour.
'I was a damn medical student, why have I become so impulsive just because of some system,' he thought.
The
boar revealed her name to be Min. She knew everything there was to know about the island, and after Favian explained his predicament, she decided to help him out, as a sign of goodwill for his restraint earlier.
Despite Min saying they were on an island, the area it spanned was absolutely huge. It was more akin to a micronation than an island. The tundra turned into a swamp the further Favian ventured into the island, until all fauna receded into a sandy desert. The fact that he had the protection of someone as powerful as Min, for doing little to nothing, made Favian think about whether there truly was something like karma. 'Maybe good deeds will bring good outcomes for me.'
After 6 hours of moving at his top speed, Favian was brought to a large shrine, which stood in the middle of this desert. The shrine had a large picture of a golden scarab, with its wings open, painted onto it. The shrine was simply a large pillar that flew into the sky, stopping at about 30 meters.
"We are here. I shan't proceed further with you, for it is forbidden for someone of my power. I can give you one piece of advice, young one. You must free yourself from greed and temptation if you wish to find your friends. I hope to never see you again human, your kind isn't welcome in these lands," Min said, after which she sprinted away, back to her clan.
Chapter 33 - Island 2
Favian approached the shrine with care. He ordered his system to analyze any and every change in his surroundings. For something to exist which a sentient beast feared, meant that he needed to take extra precautions.
The pillar had multiple scarab carvings, which Favian was able to notice as he circled it. The golden luster given off by the object felt 'divine'. That was the only word he could use to describe it. There was no sign of any life in the surrounding kilometer of the shrine.
'It's like an oasis in a desert, but how do I get the water out of it?' he questioned. Min had been evasive whenever he asked about what he needed to do once they reached their destination. 'Seems like this is some part of a test. I'm sick and tired of tests damnit.'
Favian spent the next hour trying to get the altar to work. He tried numerous things, from rubbing it, to hitting it, to even licking it. None of those worked. He then tried to emit his arcana onto the altar, but that also didn't work.
"What the hell, why won't you just work already!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. Favian was anxious to get to his teammates, who he feared were in a dangerous situation because of him.
The anxiety ate at Favian, and thoughts about his friends' potential misfortune filled his mind. Favian hated himself at this moment and wished he'd just have died permanently on Earth instead of reincarnating onto this continent. If he hadn't been reincarnated, then Dunkel and Licht wouldn't be in their current situation. For all he knew, they were still stuck in an illusion on a different island far away, maybe even killed by some vicious beasts.
Favian curled up into a ball and cried his eyes out for what seemed like an eternity, after which a rage exploded within him. He snarled at the altar, his eyes becoming lumps of coal. With a shout, he smashed his fists against the golden pillar, again and again. 100 punches, 200 punches, 500 punches. He didn't stop until his fists were bloodied and mangled. They healed at a rapid pace, visible to the eye, but he still felt the immense pain.
'I need power,' a section of his mind whispered to him, asking him to abandon all reason and submit to chaos. Its voice was alluring, to say the least. Thoughts of domination and massacre pervaded his mind, and different voices each contributed a different point, each voice more charming than the next.
The voices warped into that of his mother's, the most alluring of all, before saying, 'Sweetie, you deserve all the riches you could imagine. You know that your mother wants nothing but the best for you, so just go for it. BECOME THE PARAGON OF DESTRUCTION!' The voice turned darker and more horrifying towards the back end of the sentence, snapping Favian out of his delirium.
He grabbed his head in pain and rolled around in the sand, trying to cope with the immense pressure bearing down on his brain. He kept thrashing around, screaming at the top of his lungs.
Suddenly, a majestic voice boomed from above, "Good. Very good, larva. You have passed the test, now focus on my voice, your pain shall be eased."
Favian's mind was drawn to the voice, it lifted him away from the dark trenches in his mind that should be closed off at all times. Slowly, he was able to reclaim his bearings. He looked around to find the voice that helped bring him back from the depths of insanity. It was easy to find the voice's originator. Stood atop the altar, was a human-like figure, with a scarab head.
The figure was shrouded in golden energy, and it took all of Favian's will to not submit to the lingering pressure to bow down or kowtow to this mysterious person. 'He's definitely strong. Had I not snapped out of his spell, then I'd probably have died an excruciating death,' he thought in fear, and shuddered at the prospect of it. Twice now, since he'd gotten on this island, Favian felt that he'd brushed close by death.
"You were able to fight off the demons present in all of your human kin. I applaud you for that, larva," the godly figure said.
"Who are you?" Favian asked.
"I am Khepri, owner of this island. Your question should be ‘how can I help you?’ shouldn't it human?" he said, every word striking fear into him, but also soothing Favian at the same time.
It was at this point that Favian realized that Khepri wasn't speaking through his mouth.
"You are right, Favian. I'm speaking directly into your soul." Khepri said. "Your friends are still safe right now, don't worry. They have their own task to complete, and so do you."
He then jumped down from the top of his altar, falling towards the ground in slow motion. Landing beside Favian, Khepri raised the youth's head, and patted away the dust accumulated on his garments.
"There was a prophecy foretold many millennia ago. That a human from a distant land would vanquish the great evil that is the pantheon. You needn't worry yet, for it is too soon for you to tackle this challenge. When the time is nigh you will know, for the blood moon will soak the lands crimson. When that day comes, you will know what to do," Khepri said.
"Before I send you away, take this. You will need to protect this with your life, or else we will all be doomed."
Favian was handed a large golden egg, which was covered in scales of three different colors; purple, yellow and black. The object was giving off a dense, strong aura. It at first acted hostile towards Favian's own arcana, but adapted to it after a while.
[DING! Quest 'The Tomb of the Pharaoh 1' has been completed. 25,000 experience has been rewarded. The host has received the legendary reward 'Legendary Beast Egg'. It is advised that the host finds a way to mask the egg's aura soon, as others will covet this treasure greatly.]
'Wait, that's the end of this quest?' Favian thought in surprise. 'System, why have I gotten so much experience and a legendary reward for barely doing anything?'
[DING! Host completed the quest in the most efficient manner. The quest experience is directly related to its difficulty, and the host faced three extremely difficult trials but was able to pass them with ease. Trial 1 was to figure out which braziers to extinguish, which required the host to pay close attention to detail once inside the tomb. Trial 2 was to navigate around Min's clan, again, the host did this in the best way possible. Trial 3 was to find Khepri and pass his test.
Also, the legendary beast egg will bring ruin to the host if he lets this information out into the open. The reward can therefore be said to have a balanced difficulty to outcome ratio]
'Huh, so I did everything almost perfectly? I definitely wouldn't have thought that. But now the difficult thing, how do I mask this egg's aura?' Favian was deep in thought for what felt like minutes, but only a couple seconds had passed since he'd been handed the egg by Khepri.
'System, purchase the function 'Spell creation'.' he said. This would allow Favian to create new spells based on his shadow magic, and the unknown magic type he hoped he would
learn in the future. Fortunately for him, it seemed that obtaining a second arcane core didn't override his ability to use the magic particle he was most suitable to study in, however, he still didn't know what it was, nor had he encountered it.
[DING! Spell creation has been purchased, 15,000 experience has been used up. The functionality of spell creation is limited only by the host's power level.]
Favian didn't wait for even a moment after purchasing this new function. He quickly created a spell he called 'Shadow Realm'. This spell allowed him to place any object into the shadow realm. 'Hopefully, this will protect you for now,' he thought. He wasn't 100% certain that this would allow him to hide the egg from the most powerful people, but at least it was better than nothing. He obviously couldn't place it into his spacial pouch as it couldn't store objects that were alive.
A current of shadow magic spread out from Favian's hand and engulfed the beast egg completely. It took only a couple of moments for the egg to completely disappear from the material plane. Favian was able to look at the shadow realm, which used his body as its storage, or more precisely, his shadow arcana core.
Khepri looked at the boy in front of him with a smile on his face. "I see you already have your own methods to protect the child. I pray for yours and the child's safety. Protect it with everything you have and we shall meet again in the future."
Chapter 34 - Attack 1
Shimmering golden light covered Favian's body, and after a quick movement of Khepri's hands, Favian was sent flying into the air at a terrific speed. He was flying through the air at the speed of a falling meteorite. A sonic boom sounded, and the golden energy encompassing Favian could be seen to have disappeared from existence along with him.