Published at 16th of February 2024 2:22 pm

Chapter 65. Journeyman Mage

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“What happened?” Annabelle demanded when the party reassembled outside of the rift. She appeared disheveled and manhandled. “You were supposed to find the Rift Lord and then return to us.”

“It was the explosion.” Nox felt terrible about lying. He almost always disliked the aftermath of following through with one of Lillin’s insane plans. It always required deceiving the people closest to him. “We snuck past a bunch of Asura guard posts and made it to the big temple beyond the trees. It was the Rift Lord’s home.”

“The explosion made them rush to their lord’s aid,” Lillin added. “We had no choice but to flee into the temple and collapse the entrance. That stirred the boss and—” She looked at Nox and smiled. “This one’s insane arrows took care of it.”

“A journeyman and an apprentice taking on a Rift Lord?” Wilson raised an eyebrow. “I can’t tell if you two are more powerful than you let on or just mad and insanely lucky.”

“Why not both?” Lillin asked. That, too, was a lie. Nox’s explosive growth only occurred after Lillin devoured the Rift Lord’s heart. Unlike her last big meal, it was almost a morsel of almost pure essence. The changes had come much sooner than last time. “Also. Nox broke through to journeyman on our way to the temple.”

“What?!” Annabelle exclaimed. “I didn’t know you were that close!”

Nox Ratra

Journeyman

Crystalize Essence | Essence Shaping

19/76 | 2/23

“Kris and I theorize my mana system and circuits are making up for the ears of stagnation,” Nox replied. “The Sigil of Immunity’s latest upgrade has been healing the mana burn in my arms. It could be that that played a role too.” Nox pulled down his sleeve, revealing the still intact temporary tattoos. “There are these beauties as well. Whenever I’m in a mana-rich environment like the academy’s rooftops or in a rift, my absorption rate multiplies. Safely feeding the energy to my star is challenging, though.”

“We got this for you.” Lillin pulled out two giant glass cylinders from inside her dimensional pocket. The Rift Lord’s head and one of his intact arms floated in them. She placed them on the ground in front of Michelle and Ernest. “The Rift Lord’s third eye had an energy beam attack. We were hoping you’d get some use out of it.”

“Thank you,” Michelle stated. She knelt in front of the head and studied it closely. “I can’t wait to cut him open.”

“I’m not happy about this,” Ernest said. “No matter the circumstances, facing the Rift Lord alone was reckless and stupid. It's how I ended up how I am.”

“We wouldn’t have done it if we had a choice,” Lillin said. Then she opened another dimensional pocket and retrieved heavy gold bangles, necklaces, rings, and bric-a-brac from within. She also produced a couple of daggers, talwars, and maces planted with mana gems. “We found all of this hidden under the Rift Lord’s throne. I reckon we can get a good bit of coin for all of this.”

“We also found a few goodies in the garrison,” Annabelle said.

Ernest fished a handful of chests out of his pocket. He placed them on the floor and dispelled his spell. They multiplied in size until each container came up to Nox’s waist.

“There appear to be a handful of artifacts in there, but it might be for the best if we get them analyzed by a professional.” Annabelle kicked the closest chest. “My Danger Sense isn’t going off, but the spell wasn’t designed for appraisal. There might be some hidden effect that will rear its head after a period of use or when unknown conditions are met.”

Nox couldn’t resist. He opened the chests and studied their contents. They contained weapons, tools, and various trinkets. Even if none of them had any valuable enchantments, he guessed they’d fetch at least a couple of thousand gold coins. He could either pay off the next semester’s tuition or do half and invest the rest in Noxian Brews.

Not all delves would result in such hefty profits. More than often, they’d have nothing to show but monster parts or other materials. Most of their earnings would come from material requests, bounties, or clearance rewards. Nox needed a sustainable source of income. He made up his mind. At least half of their profits would go toward new equipment and, if possible, a shopfront. Having a space to display and sell goods would come with more overhead costs but, hopefully, greater profits.

Wilson’s suspicions appeared to multiply after the expedition. The party stayed on deck after boarding the Wedge. He sat near the bow, and his eyes never left Nox and Lillin. Nox didn’t blame the man. A pair of new journeymen practitioners defeating a Rift Lord without major injuries probably sounded alien.

Lillin had grown a new arm outside of the biomass in her storage. The Rift Lord’s finger bones replaced the missing parts of her skeleton. It would take a while before they fused and the nerves regrew. So, Nox had her wear a glove and not use the arm to avoid too much suspicion.

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They mainly told the truth. The Rift Lord never left his throne and only attacked with crimson lightning. However, they downplayed the scope of the creature’s attacks. Nox told them about how he disabled and defeated the cat using his alchemical brews and then distracted the Rift Lord with his best arrows. Lillin fibbed about, pouring all of her mana into a devastating Gravity Spiral to destroy half the Rift Lord’s arms and torso, ending its life.

Not everyone appeared convinced, but they didn’t question further or argue. The rest of the party—including Wilson—seemed too exhausted to interrogate the pair or probe for details. Annabelle’s storytelling pauses and corrections suggested they had faced more resistance than she claimed. She caused the explosion by triggering all of the essence glass projectiles Nox had given her. They caused a collapse, burying most of the asuras and cracking open their vault.

Eventually, Annabelle dozed off, and when Nox left her to stretch his legs, Wilson took the seat next to her. He watched the party like a hawk. It felt as if his eyes would bore holes in his back.

“How’re you feeling?” He asked Lillin.

“Powerful,” she answered, whipping out her manameter.

Lillin Grey

Journeyman

Spatial Shaping | Gravity | Gravity Manipulation

101/101 | 57/57 | 17/17

“Wow.” Nox’s eyes widened. “You’re not that far from adept. I almost feel cheated. It feels like my portion of the benefits should’ve been greater.”

“You know I have zero control over what you get except for the final bit when our contract ends. It comes down to how compatible you are with the boss’s essence. I imagine the lightning doesn’t go well with your Slow. Or maybe there is more to come. We’ll only know after I’m done digesting.”

“I’m not complaining,” Nox said. “It would’ve taken me months to get to journeyman alone. I can’t wait to start on my next planet.”

“Can we have a word?” Michelle asked, interrupting their conversation. She approached the pair with Ernest in close pursuit.

“Of course,” Nox said. “Was there something wrong with the parts we got you?”

“No. They’re perfect.” Blood and gore painted Ernest’s leather armor and cape. Shallow lacerations marked the exposed bits of his face. No redness or sludge leaked from them. They expanded and contracted as he spoke, exposing the dark wriggly flesh underneath. Michelle hadn’t yet found the opportunity to stitch it closed.

“If you’re worried about Wilson, Nox already had a word with him and Annabelle,” Lillin replied. “She promises he’ll be discreet and won’t report your secret to Lord Oakheart. He comes across the reliable sort.”

“That’s not it either,” Michelle said. “We want to discuss you, Lillin. More specifically, what you are.”

“I’m no different from your brother,” Lillin replied. “You don’t need further details.”

“So we were right. You’re not—” Michelle hesitantly glanced at her brother. “—not completely human?”

“That’s true. Certain events in our past forced me to become more. Will that be a problem for you?”

“No,” Ernest replied. “We were truthful and expect the same from you. What are your objectives? What do you want?”

“We want to create a dungeon that can coexist with mankind,” Nox replied. “Dungeons are a valuable source of resources and strength. It's the gods that pollute the world with their essence and let their minions flood the countryside at every opportunity.”

“Dungeons run by monsters and liches don’t do the same,” Lillin said. “They’re happy just to survive and maintain a stable ecosystem. As long as they occasionally get an infusion of mana—whether it be delvers or criminals—they cause no harm to nearby settlements. We’d like to destroy the gods and hand their domains to entities that will benefit humankind.”

“I wasn’t expecting an immediate and thought-out response,” Michelle said. “That doesn’t sound like the worst thing ever. Aren’t there entities in the Imperium doing the same?”

“They’re zealots and cultists hiding in plain sight,” Nox replied. “They serve their gods, not the betterment of humankind. We want coexistence, not a shadow war where people end up unknowing slaves to some divine power.”

It wasn’t a complete lie. Nox had wrestled with the idea of letting Lillin rule an existence he hated for a long time. However, as he grew older and studied different dungeons, he came to realize that not all of them were bad. Some benefited the world.

Soil from incredibly fertile dungeons brought blight-plagued farmland back to life. Mineral and metal veins in mountainous dungeons regenerated, giving the expanding populations the necessary resources to build infrastructure and defend themselves against magical beasts. Flora, only found in the arcane domains, had grown essential for medicine which kept the population alive.

Nox saw the value in some dungeons, but they were almost exclusively domains stolen from a god by a lich or an intelligent magical beast. In a handful of instances, the lesser entities had started one themselves. After sixteen years with Lillin, he trusted her to become one such Dungeon Lord. She had mimic urges and appetites, but their relationship and her friendship with Pudge proved that she didn’t consider all humans food. Lillin occasionally grew curious, but she knew how to contain herself.

“Thank you for your candor,” Ernest said. “I don’t think you’re telling us everything, but we’ll keep your secret. Just don’t go challenging bosses and lords alone.”

“Will you cover my back while I devour them?” Lillin asked.

“We will,” Michelle answered. “The path to mankind’s freedom and victory isn’t lined with flowers and song. There are necessary steps that must be taken in the dark. As long as you’re no threat to us and do harm to innocents, we’ll be your friend.”

The pair said their peace and disappeared below deck. Nox sighed, lying down on the wooden floor. He watched the white clouds passing overhead. Michelle and Ernest knowing wasn’t the worst of things. The pair lived an existence not too different from Nox and Lillin’s relationship. The Beaufort siblings didn’t know the details of the strange relationship, and he believed they also hadn’t told the party everything about their circumstances. Bonds forged over secrets were more powerful than those born of love and friendship. Even if things soured, the four would hesitate to turn on each other. After all, mutually assured destruction was a threat everyone feared.

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