Chapter 296 - Rebellious phase (Patreon)

Darren warned me before to be careful approaching the Bastion. Apparently, some of its old defenses still work and are powerful enough to kill even higher-leveled monsters or humans. There is even a rumor that it once defended against a Veil Guardian. Yup, there are multiple Veil Guardians, and the one that kicked my ass is just one of many.

Well, before this floor ends, I will pay him a visit, so it's fine. I'm totally not pissed off, yup. I'm totally not bottling it under my [Focus].

I'm totally fine.

Anyway, [Focus] is totally the best skill.

I place another mana projectile and, with Vega in my hand, I jump to the side. A barrier I create deflects the attack, and I disrupt another one. Another presence can be felt from under my feet, and it gets closer, so I stomp, sending kinetic energy under my feet.

[You have defeated Corpseeater - lvl 99]

[You have defeated Corpseeater - lvl 89]

I slow down my manipulation so Vega can watch, and surround us both in my mana. It radiates gently around us, and I make sure to block it from hurting my disciple.

The mana I let out forms into the armor that is twice as tall as I am, lifting us in the air to be kept in where the chest of the armor is.

My mana mech that I didn't have an opportunity to show off. [Mana Domain] encompasses it, and [Mana Manipulation] controls it.

I don't even use [Infusion] as even this level is enough. I move us, and one of the arms swings and grabs the monster that spews an acid-like attack on it, slightly corroding the mana.

The signal is sent, and the hand closes, killing the monster.

[You have defeated Poisoneater - lvl 123]

Another poisonous attack lands on the chest of the armor but doesn't even pass to me and Vega. I move, and taking a few steps, I reach the monster that reminds me of a terribly mutated frog with six thin limbs.

The brave monster doesn't run. Either too proud or too dumb to do so, it keeps spewing its acid onto the armor, corroding bits of mana and creating some sort of vapor. It continues to do so even as I lift one of the legs, and the last attack of the monster hits the bottom of the feet of my armor.

Then I stomp on the monster. Blood splashing into the surroundings.

[You have defeated Poisoneater - lvl 113]

"Minion, if you ever do something similar to what this monster was just doing, I will be extremely disappointed."

"I'm not that dumb!" she complains immediately, and I dissolve the armor around us after blowing off the poisonous vapor with kinetic energy.

"So, what would you do?"

"I would run away! And then follow you. I would find the place where you sleep and eat."

Oh, nice, a classic. Killing a too-strong opponent in their sleep.

Vega continues, "If I were that monster I would use that poison to poison the master's food!"

Huh? That's a bit...

"Or I would use the poison while the master is bathing or examining a new item."

"Okay, okay, let's stop here."

"Sure!" the scary half-demon turns attention back to her heart and the mana stone in her hands.

I place another mana projectile nearby, making it the hundredth one that I placed.

As before, another annoying monster appears nearby, and as before, I curiously head to meet it. This monster is as tall as me, with long limbs, a thin body, and scaly skin. The head of the monster holds five eyes and a big mouth with pointy teeth.

[Skillreaver - lvl 152]

The creepy monster looks at me, all its eyes turned towards me. They are big and red with a vertical pupil in the middle.

I feel its mana reach toward me, trying to get through my mantle and even reaching towards my disciple.

Easily, I disrupt both attempts, but then, curious, I weaken my mantle.

Slowly, something touches me, and as I observe it, it searches for something. Clearly, it's the monster's skill.

Then the touch disappears, and the monster starts radiating mana, a blue armor surrounding it. Something akin to [Armament] I used to have before [Regalia].

Wordlessly, the monster charges at me, and before it takes two steps, I create a mana orb and shoot it at the monster. The orb pierces through the armor and the monster's head, exiting on the other side.

[You have defeated Skillreaver - lvl 152]

Nice, another douche kind of monster with copying skills.

Taking a few steps, I stop in front of the body and examine the monster for a while before just leaving it be and heading towards where the Bastion is. I try to stay covert, reducing my mana signature as much as I can while covering for my silly disciple as well. I even try to stay out of sight as much as possible, using the patch of forest to get closer.

Even though I knew the Bastion was massive, it feels even bigger from a closer distance. I already can see small figures of humans, mostly on the walls that surround the fallen Skyward Bastion.

Getting ready, I send a signal towards one of the mana projectiles I left behind, and it shoots towards the city.

It doesn't contain any energy; like the others, it's just slightly compressed mana.

As it flies through the air, I watch its trajectory, and when it reaches the Bastion, a small hexagonal piece of barrier appears and blocks it. It also causes a few of the guards to start looking around. The signal is sent into the area from somewhere in the middle of the city. It searches for mana signatures, and I avoid detection.

Then I activate five projectiles at once, all of them shooting towards the city. In the same way as before, a small hexagonal barrier as tall as me appears in front of each of the projectiles and blocks it, disappearing right after.

I see, so it's something similar to what Virelia had. A barrier with thousands of segments that activate only to block the attack. Not being activated all the time or all at once to save mana.

Twenty more projectiles shoot at once, and this time I observe with my trait as the projectiles touch something akin to a dense web of mana threads, triggering the barriers.

All of the projectiles get blocked again, and I notice a few humans hurriedly moving on the walls. They are shouting something, probably, and a few more detections are sent into the area.

I send 50 projectiles at once and watch as they clash against hexagonal barriers.

To be honest, it's a nice view as they light up one after another, often only for a split second to block the attack. This system is extremely accurate.

Even more humans appear on the wall, to my amusement, their movements showing panic and stress.

Damn, that only makes me want to continue.

I shoot three attacks. Each a second after another, all of them aiming at the same spot.

When they get directed, I release the rest of the projectiles, also directing them all at the same spot, and once again they get blocked. But this time, I notice that my attacks passed a bit closer to the city, but only minimally.

Three more detection waves wash over me, and like ants, dozens of humans get onto the walls, skills activated and searching for the attacker.

“They seem angry,” Vega seems to notice as well.

“It's fine,” I tell her as I watch them grouping up, getting ready to send small groups of scouts into the area, “Nina said they have items that allow them to enter the Bastion, so we have to lure some of them out.”

“Isn't master trying to be nicer? We could move closer and ask them to let us in and…”

“Minion, leave thinking to me.”

“I'm Vega, not minion. I think master just wanted to test the barrier they have and bully them but screwed up.”

“It's a scientifically confirmed fact that minions don't have the ability to think for themselves. That's why they should listen to their master.”

“That's not true! I know master wanted to be an asshole!”

“You are not allowed to use the word 'asshole' starting now, minion.”

“Asshole.”

What? Is she getting into a rebellious phase?

“Asshole.” She repeats.

“Do not…”

“Asshole asshole asshole.” Her red eyes seem to challenge me.

“Minion, you screwed up.”

“I'm Vega, the first disciple of Nathaniel Gwyn, my only master. I am not a minion! I will be calling master an asshole if the master continues calling me minion!”

That's it, this surely is the rebellious phase I heard so much about. But I think the little half-demon underestimates how petty I can be. Oh boy, she has no idea.

“Sure, minion, go ahead.” I highlight the word 'minion' strongly.

“Will do so, asshole master!” And the little red-eyed half-demon returns my gaze.

Both of us full of determination.

***

We spend a few hours going around the Bastion and waiting, yet even then no one leaves the fallen sky island.

My plan has failed, dang it.

I also straight up refuse to look at disciple of mine and force her to practice more. While waiting, I also push her into a fight against a few weaker monsters. Her kinetic barrier skill seems somewhat decent and works really similarly to my [Redistribution]. The disadvantage is that it works against physical attacks, so we are working on that.

There are multiple quests for me to fulfill. The first one being the floor quest.

Floor quest:
Rise and protect your disciple

Rewards:
???
Skill upgrade token
5000 Shards
100 stat points
Trait strengthening token

And plenty of side quests:

Side quest: Find out what happened to this world

Reward: 5000 shards

Side quest: Locate the mirror

Reward: ???

Side quest: Avoid the sleeping Calamity

Reward: Survival

Side quest: Find out what is the cause of high mana levels in the Valley

Reward: Mid-epic piece of equipment

Side quest: Reach the Bastion

Reward: Food and water supplies

Side quest: Reach level 250

Reward: Body upgrade

Maybe I can get more hints at what exactly happened. I have some ideas as I got plenty of hints in the Sanctuary, but for the system, it's not enough, so it will take a bit longer. The mirror is in the Valley, and I will deal with it after going there.

I will also try to avoid the sleeping Calamity. The first on the list is Veil Guardian. Some suspicious sleeping Calamity can wait.

Mid-epic equipment will be nice too. They cost around 5 thousand shards or more, so that's telling of how dangerous the Valley is. Maybe the sleeping Calamity is there?

As for the Bastion, looking at it from up closer, I really want to examine it. The same as the Sanctuary that was a bunker, it is a remnant of the past. Just something much less obsolete than the abandoned bunker. The circuits made of crystal covering the entire bottom of the fallen flying island interest me. Oh, and how many facilities can be there. Maybe even better ones for crafting and enchanting than before.

My hopes of sneaking in there failed. I wanted to use the items that allow people who live there to pass through the detection without triggering an attack, but they don't leave.

Sneaking inside on my own could be somewhat possible with my eyes and [Resonance], but after examining it for a while, I'm sure I would trigger a trap or two. I also don't think I would be able to sneak Vega in.

Even shooting a mana orb with an anchor placed on it won't work.

The Skyhold Bastion seems really advanced with plenty of surprises. Built by the Enchanter Guild that created the Veil long ago. Should we wait and hope they forget about the attack and then try to get in by the usual, but annoying way where a lot of people would piss me off?

Did I screw up slightly only because I didn't want to deal with people?

Nah, it's the extroverts who are wrong.

“Asshole's disciple, we will try to get inside in the usual way.”

“I'm not a minio…” she looks up to me, “what did you call me?”

“For every day I catch you not losing concentration and not stopping watching your surroundings, I will call you Vega for a day,” I tell her instead of answering.

Her big red eyes expand even more, and she gulps.

“In exchange, if you fail, I will call you minion, and you can't complain or call me an asshole,” I expand on it, “I mean, you can refuse if you think you will fail. I will understand if you are scared and don't believe in your…”

“I will do it!”

Ha, so easy to deal with! You are still way too young to compare to Nathaniel Gwyn!

“But if I catch master losing his concentration because of some inscription or item, you have to call me Vega and I can ask you for something!”

Huh?

I glance towards the Bastion which is most likely full of wonder and remember the times I lost an idea about my surroundings.

This can be a bit dangerous.

A smug smile appears on the face of the minion, “I will understand if master is scared.”

***

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