System Scribe Academy Book 1 - Chapters 46,47,48,49,50 (Patreon)

Chapter 46

Understanding Travel Powers

Ethan learned a very important lesson about jumping travel powers: mid-air control. When the upward arch of his jump ended, and the descent began, the wind hit him hard. It sent him tumbling through the sky, forcing him to scream the entire way. He tumbled end-over-end and there was only one saving grace of the entire ordeal. As his robes whipped around him, the scribe saw how far he had jumped. The bay rushed up to meet him, not as fast as it should’ve been coming, but enough to scare the hell out of him.

With a great splash, Ethan impacted the surface of the bay. Although it didn’t hurt at all, the resulting plunging in a too-cold pool of water drove the water from his lungs. The scribe surfaced a moment later, padding among the waves and gasping for air. Clearing the water from his eyes, he looked around for any sign of hope.

“That’s the fourth one this week!” A hoarse voice called from somewhere.

Ethan searched around, finding a small single-masted boat coming directly for him. It moved under oar power, cutting a clean path through the waves that could only be possible by magical enhancement. The face of a haggard sailor greeted him, leaning over the ship’s side to smile a crooked grin.

“Need a ride back to shore?” the old sailor asked.

“Please,” Ethan begged, grasping at the ship’s side, but finding on cutting barnacles for his efforts. Soon a rope ladder fell down the side, and he grasped on tightly. The crew of the ship brought him aboard, dumping him onto the deck and laughing before tossing a blanket over him. He was shivering, his heart hammering from the ordeal. “Thanks.”

“So, what was it?” the old sailor with a bushy beard asked, helping Ethan get wrapped in the blanket. “Flying spell too far out of your reach? Teleportation? Damn! You’re a first-year? Boy is too big for his britches.”

“Take caution when mixing magic,” Ethan said, shivering even harder. “And always test spells at low mana first.”

The sailors roared with laughter. “I don’t know a thing about magic, but that’s okay! Let’s get you to shore.”

***

Ethan hadn’t expected to fail so completely with his travel power. But he also didn’t expect to take swigs of grog at the dock with a bunch of sailors. After they ferried him back to shore, he tossed them a few coins for their efforts. After that, the booze came out and he couldn’t remove himself from the situation quickly enough. It helped him calm down to learn that it was a rite of passage for students at Gale House to end up in the bay when testing their travel powers.

It was the natural inclination of a person to aim for the bay when they were trying not to die when testing those powers. So the sailors had created a game where they waited for students to plunge into the waters. It was moderately lucrative, so long as a rich student fell in, and completely entertaining.

“There’s another!” one sailor shouted, pointing out to the bay. “Looks like Old John got that one, though.”

“As fun as this has been, I’ve gotta go,” Ethan said. The sun had already set, and the nightlife of an upcoming weekend had ignited a fire of activity in the city. “Once again, thanks for the help. I owe you guys.”

“Ya already paid!” they shouted, once again bursting into laughter.

“Yeah… Well, wanna see something really stupid?”

The sailors all shared a look. “Of course!”

Ethan chuckled, looking back toward the cottage. It was up a hill, so he estimated the amount of mana it would take to get there. He put in a fraction of the mana he had originally flooded into his Agility Ring, taking a single step before jumping. The sailors hooted with excitement as they watched the scribe zip off into the air. He could hear them all the way to the arc of his jump, before the wind rushed over his face and drowned out all the sounds of the world.

This time, his jump was modest and brought him close enough to the property. The downward arc was much easier to control this time. Ethan felt the Agility Ring pulse, and he did ungraceful windmills with his arms to remain upright. The scribe landed in a neighbor’s garden, his feet hitting the ground without making much of a sound. The impact was almost nothing, only providing a minor shock that ran up his legs.

“Now that was much better,” Ethan said, angling himself toward his house and taking another jump. This one was perfectly calculated, bringing him right to the cottage’s front door.

Ethan entered the house, shedding his clothes near the entrance and rushing to his room. After getting some clothes, he jumped in the shower in the bathroom. The warm water was a welcome reprieve from the chill. He didn’t remember the water of the bay being so cold when he had his beach day, but the warm water of his shower helped scour that memory clean.

“You almost died, didn’t you?” Avalara asked, appearing in the bathroom.

Ethan yelped, grabbing for a towel and covering his unmentionables.

“I don’t care about your mortal parts.” She rolled her eyes, turning around to save his modesty. “There. Is that better?”

Ethan narrowed his eyes on her. “I guess.”

“So, how was it?”

Ethan got back to cleaning the saltwater from his body. His Vigor Ring likely would’ve taken care of it in a moment, but he needed that hot water. “It wasn’t as bad as expected. I landed in the bay, so that was lucky. I’m not sure how much landing on the ground would’ve hurt… Guess the spell was still active, so I would’ve been alive.”

“Fascinating. So, you combined two spells together?” Avalara tried to pretend like she wasn’t interested, but no matter how heavy she slathered the disinterest in her voice, Ethan could hear how her tone shifted.

“That’s right.” Ethan ran his fingers through his hair, removing a clump of seaweed. “A gravity spell and a haste spell set on the concept of Agility. The result was a travel power that… kinda works. I think the problem is the angle. I need to learn how to kick off at a tighter angle so I don’t go as high.”

“Makes sense. You’d want horizontal momentum, rather than vertical… I smelled the flavor of your magic as you departed. I’ll admit how interesting it was.”

“You were a mage before you died, weren’t you?” Ethan asked. He couldn’t help himself. Maybe some of Gale House’s inquisitive nature was amplifying his already curious mind.

“You’re a curious one, aren’t you?” Avalara asked. “Perhaps one day… But not today. I need to clean up after Barry.”

Ethan knew not to question it. A ghost was his housemaid now and he wouldn’t question it. But Avalara’s story was interesting, he just knew it. She was hiding something important, or biding her time to do something. Sure, the scribe could cut her tethers from the house, but the way he understood it, she would simply bind to another seed-based building in the world. That was a confusing set of circumstances he wasn’t experienced in dealing with. There was no way the library had books on the topic.

Instead, Ethan would need to find the information himself. Even if he had to write the rules, he’d make sure the nice ghost lady got the end she deserved. Since it was hard not to think of her as anything but a mothering figure, he thought she deserved that much.

While sleep might have been tempting, the only thing Ethan could think of other than his ghost maid was his new power. Adjusting the angle and mana imbued in the Agility Ring would work, he was certain of it.

“I’m gonna go jump around, be back later!” Ethan shouted, heading out the door.

“Don’t stay out too late!” Avalara shouted back.

Ethan paused at the threshold, snorting a laugh. Yeah, she was a mom when she was alive. No doubt.

Doing things right this time, Ethan started with the smallest possible drop he could manage. He was getting better at his fine control of mana but still put perhaps too much into his first jump. He put what he suspected was a drop into his Agility ring and then jumped at a forward angle by starting at a jog. The scribe sailed through the air, clearing over the brush and landing in the neighbor’s yard awkwardly. After sneaking over a low stone wall and dusting himself off, he assessed the small jump. It had gone better than his first try, propelling him forward rather than up, so a bit of a run was necessary.

After a few more tests, Ethan thought he had a decent idea of how much mana made him go, a certain distance that was kind of like testing out how far you could jump when you were a kid. After a while, the innate sense of the distance you could clear became second nature, and he soon aimed his sights on somewhere more distant. The scribe had heard before that it could take a day to go from one end of Gale House City to the other, and that was because of its sprawling size and maze-like streets. Although there were avenues dedicated to cardinal directions, they broke often, resulting in a winding path that was likely to get a person lost as easily as it would lead them to their destination.

Set against the starry sky was the line of buildings that represented the classrooms he had yet to visit. Ethan rolled his shoulders and decided on the correct amount of mana and the proper angle to either clear them or get on a roof in one go. He took a few tentative steps before breaking into a sprint. Then he applied the appropriate amount of mana to his ring and took off. As he cut through the air on the upward arc, he nodded with approval. A smile spread across his face as the downward arc began, the wind rushing over his face and bringing tears to his eyes.

“I feel like a superhero.” Ethan chuckled to himself, picking another roof to jump to before taking off again.

Repeated uses of his Agility Ring would be great for that ring’s development. Ethan jumped from building to building, finally taking the largest jump he had made until that point as he angled himself toward the protective wall surrounding the academy grounds. He cut through the air, barely reaching the apex of the jump before his feet alighted on the battlements. The guard on station nearby yelped with surprise.

“No teleporting to the defensive wall.” The guard wasn’t even wearing a helmet. His aged features were barely visible under the light of a nearby crystal lantern.

“I didn’t teleport. I jumped.”

“Jumping, teleporting, flying, hopping, skipping, doesn’t matter. Off my wall. Tonight’s been weird enough already.”

Ethan offered a sly smile, picking his next jump and taking off. He could hear the sound of cursing behind him but ignored it. He found his way through the city, picking roofs and landing on them without causing any damage. His gravity took care of that. Even when he kicked off, if he looked behind himself, he couldn’t see any damage to the wooden tiles. Before long, a view of the farmlands came into view from the distance. They were bathed in the glow of many stars in the sky, and the scribe was surprised to see how much he could see in this darkness. He landed in the town center of the very same adventuring town he had teleported to before. The teleporter might have been instant, but he had made the journey with his power in about half an hour.

How fast was that?

There was no way to calculate the speed. Not unless he had a stopwatch and the exact width of Galehouse City. One thing was certain: the ruins he wanted to visit couldn’t evade him. They were now just a hop, skip, and jump away.

Chapter 47

Barry Will Raise an Army

Gale House City was only one of seven within the Tariat Academy. The entire region was named for the academy, and it encompassed an area estimated to be about the size of Great Britain, give or take. It was hard to draw conclusions when the main means of transport was teleportation. Roads hadn't even appeared between the various houses. Apparently, they had relied on the portals from the start. But that didn't mean that the prevalence of cities springing up between those places was low. There were many small towns that had risen and fallen just as quickly.

Those smaller towns and proto-cities had been connected to one another via crude, hard-packed dirt roads. There were quite a few still active on the western coast of the region, but they primarily used shipping lanes to ferry goods from place to place. It was just easier that way. The ruins Ethan had singled out was once called Stone Valley, a city named for the region. Although the name seemed unimaginative, the valley it occupied was rich in a mana-infused stone that was useful for building stuff.

Such an intense accumulation of mana had resulted in an abundance of anomalies. The scribe intended to spend his entire break out there, studying those anomalies and gathering energy for his rings.

"Are you sure you've packed everything?" Avalara darted around the room trying to find more dried rations for Ethan to take along.

“And a giant spellbook provided by Amelia. And toilet paper, apparently.” Ethan groaned as he looked at his heavy pack. It was a good thing he had tested his travel power. Thankfully, it also applied to a limited amount of things he carried on his body.

“I suppose you’re as ready as you’ll ever be. Sure you can’t take along someone to guard you?” Avalara had already brought this problem up.

"I want to do this alone, but I know you, Barry, and Amelia were all concerned, so I had Luna scouted out for me. Although there were some monsters there, they were weak, and she killed them all. She also reported that there were more anomalies since the last time the anomalous materials group went to check it out, which is perfect for me.”

“Remember: if you’re gone for more than the agreed time, Barry will raise an army to save you,” Avalara warned. “You know he’s serious, too.”

Ethan had everything he needed to succeed on his little mission. Instead of spending his time relaxing during the break, he was going to push as hard as he could to increase his capabilities. More than anything, he wanted to be a good scribe. Maybe not for the pleasure of the system but for his own personal curiosity. He had determined this was the best way to do it a while ago. So long as the anomalies within Stone Valley were within rank, he would have no problems.

The fastest way to reach the valley was to first take a portal to an adventuring outpost south of Fangbrand House. That was the house dedicated to martial pursuits within the Tariat Academy, and a place Ethan wanted to visit one day. But he didn’t have time to work on his Strength and Endurance Ring right now, instead taking the portal and arriving in an environment he had prepared for. It was slightly colder than Gale House, but not by much.

Ethan adjusted his cloak, and hoisted the pack higher up on his back. He wasn’t sure if he had needed the full tent, but Avalara had insisted.

Before jumping across the countryside like an over-eager jackrabbit, Ethan stomped into the local pub and greased the barman for some information. It wasn't difficult. After slipping him a few coins, he even had a full map of the region, including a big red X where Stone Valley was located. It wouldn't take long at all to get there, and the scribe had questioned his decision to make this a multiple-day affair. If his trip through Gale House Academy using his travel power was anything to go by, he would arrive there in under an hour.

Ethan began his journey shortly after that, finding that his assumption about quick travel was immediately wrong. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop was one thing, but navigating through a heavily forested area was another. A wall of trees was his first obstacle. The scribe thought he could simply jump over the entire thing, but as he sailed through the air, slowly reaching the apex of his arc, he realized there was no way he could clear the entire obstacle. When the downward arc came, he flailed in the air, panicking as he desperately tried to steer to a stable-looking treetop.

What came next was an end-over-end tumbling from the top of a hundred-foot tree to the ground. Each impact was dulled by the effects of his agility ring, but it wasn't pleasant. When Ethan finally slammed into the ground below, he stayed there for quite some time, biting his lip and imagining how much worse it could have gone if he hadn't had the effect of negative gravity keeping him safe.

"That's a problem," Ethan said. He looked up to the dense canopy of trees above him. Even if he jumped straight up, there was no way he could clear the canopy without crashing into the limbs. He didn't suspect that he would be so lucky the next time. After double-checking that nothing was broken, he had a seat at the base of a tree. “This is why you have friends smarter than you.”

The book Amelia had given him was a hand-bound, hand-copied tome she had constructed herself. It was filled with spells she thought might be useful for his journey. There was just about everything within his casting range in here, and even a few things that weren't. Ethan picked out a few spells that might be of use to him, but he was unfamiliar with the schools of magic. He emulated the X-13 system and added one to his repertoire before inspecting it.

[Lesser Airwall]

Emulated Rank 1 Spell (X-13)

Description:

Create a wall of air, blocking objects and allowing you to stand for up to 5 seconds.

Effect:

Blocks minor attacks for up to 5 seconds, depending on the amount of mana imbued.

Allows the user to stand atop the wall for up to 5 seconds, depending on the amount of mana imbued.

It was hard not to wonder if Amelia had put this spell in the book with his new travel power in mind. It was obvious to see how he could use this so long as he could time it right. Otherwise, he could see himself missing an air platform entirely and still plummeting to the ground. While it sucked giving up the barrier spell, Ethan created a System Sigil for the Lesser Airwall and slotted it into his Affinity Ring. He inspected the resulting spell, understanding that once he got to the ruined city, he would add another slot to his ring.

[Lesser System Platform]

Affinity Ring Ability

Generated By:

Lesser Airwall (X-13, Mage, Rank 1)

Description:

Creates a platform of system-based energy, allowing the caster to stand for up to 10 seconds.

Effect:

Allows the user to stand atop the platform for up to 10 seconds, depending on the mana imbued.

Can block some very minor attacks. Attacks not blocked will be reduced in damage. Lasts up to 10 seconds, depending on the mana imbued.

Ethan had done more than just adapt the Airwall spell to his ring. The spell itself had lost its element entirely, but as he thought about it, he realized that was exactly what had happened with the barrier spell. It stopped being aligned with barrier magic and was instead a system-based barrier. He wouldn't complain, though. He considered this the superior version of the spell for his purposes. But now it was time to practice.

Switching between adding mana to one ring and then to the other was far more challenging than Ethan had anticipated. This was part of his lacking fine control that he still needed to practice. In the crowded forest, he would jump up in the air under his own power and then summon the platform below him to practice. A shimmering field of energy would appear about 10 feet by 10 feet, and then he would land on it. Even without the anti-gravity assistance, his landing seemed relatively soft.

Then it was only a matter of practicing switching between the platform and his jumping power. Ethan jumped straight up with only about a drop of his mana and then summoned a platform below him. The amount of strain on his mana was great though, forcing him back down to the ground to rest. He couldn't help but think that this was like flying with extra steps and smiled to himself as he drew mana into his soul. He would need to take frequent breaks with this technique, but it removed the need for favorable terrain.

Ethan rolled his shoulders as he looked straight up. His soul was brimming with mana, and he was ready to get working again. He estimated the amount of mana he would need to reach the boughs of the trees and then injected that amount into his agility ring. He jumped straight up, and only when he reached the top of the arc did he look down and command the platform to appear. The familiar field of energy shimmered below him, and he landed softly. Now near the branches, he could pick a spot where he would only pass through leaves. He jumped again, easily clearing it and coming out above the canopy, only to land on another System Platform.

“Now for the hard part,” Ethan said, coiling back. He took a jogging step, shooting off the platform and into the sky.

The technique was far easier than Ethan had expected. He had a few false starts where he nearly missed the platform, and the 10 seconds he was given to get ready to go to the next one was not nearly enough. But soon he was skimming the tops of the trees, summoning platforms, and jumping again. He only took breaks, dipping below the canopy and resting on the forest floor to regain his mana. Despite his initial estimation of an hour, this technique took him nearly four hours of arduous platforms and jumping.

Ethan landed on a rise, finally clearing the forest and gaining his first view of the Stone Valley region. His breath caught in his throat. “Someone needs to rename this place.”

Whoever had originally named the place got one thing right. It was notable for a series of valleys that seemed to stretch far into the distance, but the scribe couldn't tell what was within those valleys. A heavy mist had settled there, blanketing it in impenetrable fog. Only occasionally could he see the rise of a pointed landmass here or there, representing various hills or distant mountains. He took a seat on that rise, withdrawing dried fruit from his pack and placing one piece into his mouth. He chewed idly as he took in the scene.

Even from his vantage point, he could feel the potent magic. It felt like nothing he had experienced back at Gale House. The magic year was untamed, as though it was the intermingling of many different things in one place. Ethan imagined an unmanaged wildlife area back on Earth. Whatever grew there, grew there, and nobody bothered keeping it in check. And with information scarce on the area, he couldn't even begin to guess where to start. The city itself was somewhere below, nestled in the walls of the valley or perhaps near the distant mountain. One thing was for certain: from here on out, he was going to proceed with caution. One wrong step could lead to him finding himself in the middle of a dangerous anomaly.

“No sense wasting daylight,” Ethan said, getting back to his feet. He looked down, picking the first spot he would visit in Stone Valley. It was Saturday, and he had plenty of time to explore.

Chapter 48

Cool Story

The first thing Ethan discovered about the valley was that it hadn't been inhabited in quite some time. There might have been some evidence of civilization down in the heavily forested valley, but things like timber had long since rotted away. What was left behind was the shell of what few stone structures existed. They stood as markers to homes and businesses gone for who knows how long.

After he had descended into the fog, Ethan began searching for anomalies only to be surprised that he couldn't really find any. Instead, he continued walking in the general direction the city was supposed to be located in. There might not have been anything for him to fix, but the sights were something else. The area was mostly untouched. There were signs that adventurers had been through here. Campfires were represented by rings of stone set against cliff walls or discarded items, but nothing major.

As night would fall soon enough, Ethan decided it was best to set up his camp. In the morning, he could make a better plan. At least the tent he had been forced to buy was easy enough to erect. It was a long, oiled tarp that compacted down smaller than it should have when folded in the right way. He set it up with the provided ropes, using two saplings as his poles. He then started a small cook fire in a similar ring of stones he had seen from the wayward adventurers.

The sounds of insects calling echoed in the distance, but no other animals could be heard. If Ethan strained his ears enough, he thought he heard the distant sound of something moving through the forest. It was impossible to tell if he was just hearing things. With Luna's promise that she had cleared the entire area for his solo adventure, he was confident he was safe. Yet, there was that lingering thought that something was there. As he couldn't sleep, he withdrew one of the tomes he had been gifted and began perusing the pages. Amelia really did go all out with her preparation.

Just as Ethan was nodding off next to the crackling fire, he heard a sound too loud to be from the distant forest. His plan to evade being killed by monsters was the same method he had used to reach the area. He was going to jump straight up in the air, create a platform, and then flee as quickly as he could. He was prepared, coiled on the spot as his eyes narrowed. In the darkness before him, the fog had rolled in heavier since he had nodded off and the sun had set. A darkened figure appeared, sauntering as though they belonged there.

Thread emerged from the fog and Ethan breathed a sigh of relief. While he wasn't certain of the masked person's intentions, he figured they weren't hostile and allowed himself to relax. "You might want to give me a better warning next time." The scribe fell back into a seated position, holding his hands out to warm them by the fire. "I was about to flee."

“To where and why?” Thread approached the fire, taking a seat and wrapping her thick tail around her midsection. It was a similar pattern as the fur he could see on her ears. The impenetrable sockets of the mask locked onto the fire.

"Far away and to get away from you. Although I'm sure you have some way of finding me. How do you keep finding me by the way? We're in the middle of nowhere.”

“Space is like this.” Thread held her hands out, pushing her palms together. And that’s all the explanation she gave him.

"Are you lost or confused or something? The way you talk makes it seem like you're not even sure where you are.” Ethan wasn't sure why he wanted to grill the masked cat lady about this. More than anything, he wanted to know what her motives were, but he doubted she would tell him. Despite the fright he got when Thread had emerged from the fog, he had to admit that it was nice to see a familiar face, or mask, so far from civilization. As much as he wanted to do his little solo adventure, that loneliness was crushing.

“Oh, confused? Yes. Very. Lost? Not so much.”

“Cool story. So, you want some food?”

“No. I think… No, we’re not breaking the rules, we’re shortening time-tables. She said that, right?” Thread looked at Ethan as though he should know.

“Uh, right. Sounds good.”

“I’ll adjust. It’ll take some time.” Thread nodded emphatically. She looked around, snatching up a stick and etching something into the dirt. Ethan watched curiously, but didn’t interrupt. When she was done, she stood. Her masked face scanned the area, and she nodded. Then, without warning, she turned away and dashed into the fog.

Ethan released a heavy sigh, standing from his uncomfortable position on the ground to see what she had done. Written in the dirt was a series of symbols. The scribe was so used to encountering strange writing that his instinct was to pull out some spare parchment and a pen and copy them. He shook his head, bringing the parchment over to the light of the fire so he could get a better look.

There were a few things to take away from Thread’s appearance. She really wasn’t supposed to be here, and was aware of some kind of time-frame events should happen. Why would predicting future events be outside the scope of magical beings? Assuming she wasn’t supposed to spread the information, but a time-table was involved, Ethan would eventually find these symbols and someone might be mad if he had them.

Rubbing his face and groaning, Ethan settled in by the fire. Sleeping outside wasn’t going to be fun. It would be a lot less fun if Thread came to bother him in the night. But something told him the masked woman wouldn’t be back anytime soon. Both times she had come to him, she was confused. Could he assume the information she spouted was accurate? Absolutely not. Would he record whatever scrawl she wanted to impart onto the dirt? Sure.

“Don’t let the weird masked person get to you,” Ethan told himself. “Fix what you can fix right in front of yourself first. Then we’ll worry about whatever Thread wrote.”

***

Ethan walked through the valley the next morning. He hadn’t slept very well, but that was only due to the hard surface he had been forced to sleep on. He wasn’t disturbed by any creatures, monsters or others, while he slept. Instead, it was the constant poking a rock into his back and the fire that seemed to go out every few hours. A few hours after sunrise, he walked through the foggy valley, head swiveling and eyes squinting to find anything interesting.

When he finally detected an anomaly, it was nothing special. A small wooden object, notable for having not rotted away while everything else made of wood had been removed completely, rested amongst stone debris. After identifying the error, Ethan stood back with his hands on his hips. He had expected fields of swords, or magic that could rip the flesh from bones. He hadn’t expected to see a wooden bear that sometimes floated a little bit.

Was this really all the valley had to offer?

Even with the disappointing first find, Ethan continued his way through the valley. He was quick to realize that walking his way through the entire thing would consume the week he had available to his mission. Instead, he used the jumping technique to cover the distance, realizing after only a few hours of searching that the mountain-like feature he had seen before was the place where the actual city was. He determined this by observing how the density of population seemed to increase the closer he got.

The jumping technique brought him to the edge of a cliff overlooking the convergence of several valleys, a geological feature Ethan wasn’t sure was natural. He peered through the fog, spotting areas set inside of the mountain-like area where the cliff had been made sheer and structures built within. As was his new mantra, the scribe waited and watched for a while, taking in all the various magical energies before making a move down there.

“And what is that?” Ethan asked, sniffing at the air.

The scent of a campfire had wafted over his hiding spot, driven by a wind coming from the southeast. The momentary distraction was short-lived. Ethan felt his heart stop beating in his chest. Adrenaline dumped into his system, forcing his body into motion. He hit the ground, pressing his chest against the dirt and the stones below, his eyes wide in fear. Through sheer instinct, he sent a mental command to slot his barrier spell into his Affinity Ring.

The scribe had only caught a glimpse of it. A pair of massive wings beat, driving away the fog within the valley. It let out an ear-piercing roar that drove him further in the dirt. Ethan listened and waited, the sound of the creature growing more distant by the moment. He realized he hadn’t been breathing, and sucked in a breath that came complete with particles of dirt. Rolling to his back, he coughed with two hands pressed against his face in an attempt to muffle the sound.

In time, his coughing stopped, but he remained there on the ground. The image of the creature was still in his head. It had a pair of massive wings with a long, scaly body, and four legs. When it flew, its tail whipped with a terrible grace. Ethan couldn’t deny what he was thinking. It was a dragon. A massive one with white scales and eyes that darted across the valley as though it were searching for something.

Ethan tried to keep his thoughts positive. He found what he was looking for, and even from a distance, he could feel a scatter of interesting anomalies down below. It wasn’t power that the anomalies radiated, but an interesting kind of energy the scribe didn’t yet understand. It was almost as if they were more pure than the ones he had worked on before.

Luna claimed she had swept the entire valley, so what did that mean? The dragon might’ve been a temporary resident here, or was in the habit of coming and going as it pleased. It was best to wait it out, staying put for at least a few hours so he could be sure the giant freaking dragon was gone. When it came to massive fantasy reptiles, it was best to be cautious.

The hour that passed was painful. Not because Ethan had his face pressed into the dirt, but because he feared the dragon returning without warning. When he was certain everything was safe, he pushed himself to a kneeling position and got a better look at the area below. He could jump down with ease, but worked his way along the edge of the cliff to get a better angle. He got a sniff of an unfamiliar energy wafting up from the valley below. There were so many different energies that it would take him a few days to catalogue them all.

Once the adrenaline from the dragon wore off he had the sense to check his pack for supplies before heading down for the investigating phase of his trip. Although the city built into the mountain was his goal, he hoped for some interesting stuff in the general area. After confirming he had more than enough supplies for the trip, he shouldered his pack and adjusted the straps.

Ethan didn’t hear the man approach. He didn’t even hear the blade whistling through the air. His double-layered barrier sprung up on its own, trapping the blade in the air as he whipped around to spot a man holding a sword the size of himself.

“Oh! Thought you were a goblin,” the man said with a nervous chuckle.

“You’re an idiot,” a woman said, stepping from the brush with a sigh.

Chapter 49

Sybil and Gideon

The burly guy that had swung the sword dropped the weapon, holding his hands up in apology. He looked a lot like a human to Ethan, except for some key features. His dull brown-orange skin was the first thing that set him apart, then it was his seven-foot height. Last was his blazing orange eyes and the pair of tusks jutting up from his bottom lip. He had a head of braided hair and some pretty decent looking armor. Both him and his female companion had academy badges pinned to their chests, but the scribe didn’t need to read them to figure out which house they were from.

“Gideon Dragonkeen, third year, fourth rank, Fangbrand House,” the man said, bowing deeply. “I had no idea anyone was here, least of all anyone from Gale House.”

The woman rolled her eyes. She was a much more reasonable height with slightly pointed ears. Ethan figured she was an elf of some kind with dark black hair cut short and green eyes that glittered with recognition. “Sybiln Fen, third year, fourth rank, Duskthorn House, blah, blah blah. Sorry my idiot betrothed almost killed you.”

“Again, my deepest apologies,” Gideon said, bowing deeply. “I had no intention of following through with a killing blow.”

“That’s fine.” Ethan shook his head. It wasn’t fine, but he was happy to see some adventurers out here. “Ethan Walsh, first year, first rank, Gale House.”

“First year?” Sybil asked.

“First rank?” Gideon asked, barking a laugh. “Man, you’ve got some balls on you.”

Ethan smiled at that. He was only first rank in name. He suspected he was somewhere near the power of someone in the middle of Rank 2, but it was hard to say. He only had defensive and utility spells, so it wasn’t as though he could test his strength against others. Although, if the way he blocked that strike was anything to go by, he could fight at a higher average than someone else who had attended the academy for as long as he had.

The scribe cleared his throat. “So, how about that dragon? Didn’t expect to see that.”

“Holy hells.” Gideon’s eyes went wide. “You came all the way out here without knowing about Mister Flame Blast?”

“No, but I can guess what he does from the name.”

Sybil shook her head. “You have a death wish if you’ve come out this far without preparing. Knowledge is power on the battlefield.”

“Hmmm.” Ethan finally allowed his barrier to drop for now, looking down to the valley below. “How safe is the valley itself, and how long until Mr Flame Beast comes back?”

“Flame Blast,” Gideon corrected. “A few days. Maybe a week. He’s always gone long enough for us to get and get out. But you gotta know the right path to take. There’s an old trail over here. We can be down in a half-hour. You’re welcome to come along.”

“As for the valley?” Sybil shrugged. “The center is totally cleared. Heading toward the city, you’ll run into fields of magic that might rip you apart if you’re not careful.”

“We’re camping in a nearby house, so feel free to share our fire.” Gideon thrust his chest out, thumping a fist on his chest. “We’re taking out the dungeon.”

“We’re running it. No guarantees we will clear it and destroy the core.”

Ethan snapped his fingers. “That’s what I felt earlier… Okay. I’ll see you guys down in the valley.”

Ethan slotted his Lesser System Platform ability, and waved at the pair. While they were nice, this was a solo trip. Sharing a camp was one thing, but he wanted to forge his own path forward. One jump forward and he was sailing down toward the valley below. Both Sybil and Gideon watched him go, both their mouths hanging open.

“See, I told you we should’ve hired a mage.” Sybil grumbled, folding her arms.

“My darling, you’re free to spend the scratch if you’ve got it. I, on the other hand, prefer to take the more challenging route! To adventure!”

Sybil stood there, glaring at her love. She rolled her eyes when the smile hanging on his face didn’t fade. “To adventure,” she said with exactly no enthusiasm.

***

The convergence of the valleys must have once been a great meeting place. In places along the ground, under the shadow of that mountain, were both the ruins of old stone buildings and jutting hewn stones that must have once been the pavement of this great square. Ethan whistled, taking in the majesty of the place. Compared to the small towns he had read about, this was once a mighty city. Now it rested in ruin, although the scribe doubted it was at peace.

Even at a few hundred paces away, he could feel the energy of anomalies. Weird ones he had never sensed before, like the fields of blades he had been warned about. Caution was required before he moved forward, so he skirted the edge of the great square, the walk taking at least a half-hour before he paused near the southeastern valley at the foot of the mountain. Within a cluster of buildings were several anomalies. He took a seat and focused on the systems within.

“Now that’s one impressive spell!” Gideon’s voice boomed, breaking Ethan from his concentration.

The scribe stowed his pen away, looking up to smile at the pair. Gideon stood there, one hand on his hip and the other holding the handle of his massive sword. Sybil stood behind him, looking faintly amused.

“Took you guys long enough.” Ethan rose to his feet, gesturing to the cluster of anomalies. “I’m guessing you have these things mapped out.”

“That’s right.” Sybil gained a twinkle in her eyes. “I can draw you a map. 500 coins.”

“Steep price. I’m good.” Ethan gestured to the ground where the pair of them stood. “Guessing you mapped them out manually, since you don’t know you’re standing on one.”

Both Gideon and Sybil jumped back, the tusked dude in the armor swinging his weapon out. He narrowed his eyes on Ethan a moment later. “I still have my skin. Therefore, you’re pulling a prank.”

“No.” Ethan stretched out, cracking his neck. “That’s just a harmless Wind Node. Compared to that one over there… which… I don’t know what it does.”

Sybil had a look on her face that said she was ready to stab Ethan in the face. “That one puts your insides on the outside.”

“Woah, hold on.” Gideon closed his eyes tight. “Issy says I have what can be described as ‘little to no brainpower,’ so this might take me a second.”

Sybil relaxed her posture, a smile plastered on her face. “He’ll get it. Just give him a second.”

Gideon snapped his fingers, pointing at Ethan. “You can see the murder things!”

“There he goes. Finally got it,” Sybil said, clapping. “Typical wizard behavior. Here’s the deal, mage. Help us get into the vault, and we’ll make sure you don’t get eaten by a dragon, stabbed by goblins, or otherwise dismembered by the nasty things that live around here.”

Ethan smiled, giving them a nod. Although he had hoped for this, he didn’t know how it would play out exactly. Sybil and Gideon were treasure hunters of some kind. It made sense that people would come here looking for riches, knowledge, or something else of value. The high density of anomalies meant they couldn’t get in too deeply without running into trouble, and the dragon… Well, the dragon just added a big old middle finger to the mix.

“Sounds good,” Ethan said, reaching out to shake anyone’s hand. Gideon was the first to jump to it, almost dropping his sword as he grasped the scribe’s hand. “Must’ve been rough for you guys to get here. I’m sure you’re tired from the trip. Do you have a place you normally stay?”

“Straight to business, huh?” Gideon nodded his approval. “That’s right. But Sibby has to do some scouting of the entryways into the city. You wanna help with that, or camp?”

“I’ll be of more use with her.” Ethan nodded at Sybil. Truth was, he didn’t want to waste much time. This scavenging crew was nice, but he had to identify the most useful anomalies and get to work on them.

“Let’s do it!” Gideon shouted, stomping his foot. “I’m gonna make such a great camp.”

Ethan left with Sybil, eventually pulling his pen out so he could focus on the anomalies better. She noticed that, but was kind enough not to say anything. Which was good, since the only thing the scribe could focus on was the mountain looming before them. The closer he got, the more he could see. He could see an entrance etched into the sheer wall.

"Walk in my steps.” Sybil turned her attention to an open field before the entrance to the underground city.  

Ethan nodded, watching as the woman plotted an exact path through the area. He narrowed his eyes, focusing on her system and wondering exactly what ability she was using. A small amount of mana was releasing from her body, so it was clear something was going on. But the problem was that she was quite a few ranks higher than him, and getting his emulation to work on somebody so far out of his range was still impossible. 

What ability is that? Ethan asked, focusing on tracing the path she created in the dirt.  

"It's called Danger Sense. This is the reason why we were able to get through many of these traps. I can feel when I’m close to something dangerous, and the feeling gets more intense until I can see what would harm me.”

So basically the pair had lucked their way through the field of anomalies and used that luck to pilfer the city. Ethan wasn't opposed to the process. If anything, he was impressed that somebody had used an ability that wasn't meant to become an anomaly detector to do exactly that. He couldn't keep the smile from his face as they finally approached the main entrance.  

The scale of the main gate was nauseating. Ethan's head tilted back as he looked at the massive metal construction. It was set directly into the face of a sheer cliff and had at some point, no doubt, swung on hinges with ease. But now, there was only the narrowest gap that would allow them entrance into the underground city. It was hard not to wonder what would happen if it swung closed while they were inside. 

But Sybil seemed quite happy with the turn of events. She nodded at him as a broad smile painted her face, "We're in luck. Doesn't seem as though any of these have shifted. You said you had a knack for them, right? Maybe we can finally get into the vault." 

"You'll have to show me exactly where it is. You're calling these things traps, but most of them are what us mages call elemental fonts. They produce a specifically aligned energy that creates an effect. So, for example, if you had a Gravity Font, it would create energy that either increased or decreased gravity in the area. A lot of these just seem to be extremely specialized and dangerous.”

Sibyl turned, nodding at the giant gate. "It's actually not far. I've got some stuff to check inside along the way, so you're welcome to join me."  

Ethan agreed. He and Sibyl worked their way into the massive city. As expected, the entrance was equally large. There was an enormous hallway that ran as far as he could see. The rogue produced a flying orb that created a glowing light to illuminate the entire area. Then she began her dance again, avoiding anomalies that, at this point, the scribe could plainly see. 

But the vault wasn't in the main room. It was off one of the side passages that provided a tight squeeze. It was difficult navigating around the anomalies, and Ethan did his best to pick up on their flavor and make a mental record of each. When they turned another corner, only a few more turns from the vault according to Sybil, Ethan stopped in his tracks.

“What are you stopping for? We’re almost there.”

Ethan looked up to the frame of a large stone door. He dug in his robes, withdrawing a piece of parchment from his pocket. A frown hung on his face.

“We can’t open this one. Doesn’t matter what combination we try, it won’t budge. Now, let’s get going.”

Sibyl headed off, just a few more turns from the vault, leaving Ethan behind. He stuffed the combination to the door back in his pocket and followed closely behind.

Chapter 50

Mana Siphon

One disappointing fact about traveling with people who had interesting abilities was that Ethan couldn't steal them. Both Gideon and Sybil were too high in rank for him to emulate their systems, but that didn't mean he couldn't come away with some interesting spells. The area was littered with anomalies. They ranged in rank from the negatives to Rank 5. That was the scariest one the scribe had seen, and he made a mental note to never see the thing again, not until he could properly handle it, anyway.

The entire point of this trip was to study these anomalies and perhaps come away with an interesting artifact or two. Ethan would be lying if he hadn't thought about his unique power being incredibly useful for navigating the ruins, but finding a group of scavengers who already had a tried-and-true method had mostly dashed those dreams. That didn't mean the trip was useless. First on his priority list was to gather as many spells as he could by studying the anomalies. Second was to expand as many of his rings as possible, getting at least his affinity and mind to accept two slots.

Fortunately, the work Sybil and Gideon did was a solo-endeavor. It would take Ethan a few days to solve the anomaly by the ‘vault,’ which gave him a lot of time to single out some others for him to clear.

Although spending time outside the sheltered city felt dangerous, Ethan couldn't deny that the scenic forest around him was soothing. The valley provided shade most of the day, meaning it was typically chilly. He sat by a fire, warming his hands outside a ruined house and contemplating the anomaly. One thing that would have bothered him about being so far from modern amenities was the lack of a bath. Fortunately, he could simply trickle some mana into his Vigor ring and clean himself.

Taking a slow breath, Ethan pushed the mana from his soul into his Mind Ring. It shifted uncomfortably, as though it was ready to make the same change his Agility Ring had. Although it wasn't quite as arduous as when he had worked on the last ring, it was still difficult to get it to accept the second slot. Eventually, the scribe's eyes snapped open as the ring underwent its evolution. A painful sensation radiated in his chest, starting at the center of his soul and spreading out to touch the various channels that ran through his body. It stung. As though the entire system was reforging itself, he eventually gasped and the pain went away in an instant. 

A message appeared.

[System Expanded]

You have created another slot for your Mind Ring. Adding a spell, skill, ability, etc to this slot will create a combination of the two entries.

“One more to go,” Ethan said, taking a steadying breath.

Sometime between when he started and when he finally finished creating the slot for his affinity ring, his temporary companions returned. Ethan didn't even notice when they showed up, too deep in his focus to break away. When the last ring finished its change, the scribe could feel the differences in his soul. It was as though thousands of tiny threads now spread between him and various points of magic in the world.

“Woah. What in the hells was that?” Gideon asked.

Both Gideon and Sybil were sitting nearby, tilting their heads to the side as they attempted to figure out what strange technique Ethan had been using. He offered them a sheepish smile and shook his head. "Just working on understanding some things, and now I'm not slacking on the vault. That one's just going to take me a minute. The magic is fairly complex."

"We understand that these things take time," Sybil said, bowing her head toward him. “Not as though you're getting paid for this. Wait, should we pay him?”

“Well, damn. If you say ‘should we pay him,’ I feel like we gotta pay him.” Gideon threw his hands in the air.

"I don't care either way." Ethan shrugged, turning his attention back to his rings. Now he just needed to find a decent combination for the two he had unlocked and make some efforts to increase the breadth of his other rings. Those would be much more difficult.

It made the most sense to add something that helped him get more mana to his mind ring. So he started with that one. It would be the easiest to approach. Currently, he had two that worked well with it: the Mana Filter and Mana Breathing abilities. Now, why not combine them? Ethan slotted one into each, and watched as the ring did its magical thing. It shone with power, lights flickering across the surface before shooting into the thread connecting the two abilities. When it was done, he inspected the resulting synergy ability.

[Lesser Mana Siphon]

Mind Ring Synergy Ability

Generated By:

Mana Filter, Mana Breathing

Description:

Turn your soul into a siphon, allowing you to draw in massive amounts of mana from the air. This ability costs no mana to maintain, but requires focus.

Effect:

Focus your mind to draw in massive amounts of mana. This mana is automatically processed to match your soul’s mana type.

You may designate a target to use this ability on, draining it of mana.

On the surface, one might think that this was an inferior version of mana breathing, but even knew better. All he had to do was focus on the eco-drain mana from the air. It would also be converted to system-based mana, which made things even easier. But that wasn't the crowning jewel of this ability. It was his ability to drain mana from a target. If it worked how he thought it worked, this would make dealing with anomalies a lot easier. He might even be able to neuter those that he deemed more dangerous. There was likely still a problem with the difference in rank, but he would figure that out later.

Unfortunately, Ethan didn't have anything he thought would be useful for his affinity ring. The synergy between the platform ability and barrier was likely minimal, so instead, he just kept his useful barrier for now. He would find a different combination later. For now, he inspected his attribute ring, read out the screen, and was delighted to see a lot more information displayed there. It also revealed a hint as to what he should do next to improve his system.

[Attribute Rings]

Strength 1

Agility 2 (System Leap)

Dexterity 1

Vigor 1 (Clean Body)

Endurance 1

Affinity 2 (Lesser System barrier)

Mind 2 (Lesser Mana Siphon)

At first, Ethan had thought about making his rings stronger by increasing how big they were horizontally and vertically. But now that he had attached two slots to a few of his rings, he thought of it more as increasing the capacity for horizontal expansion. How would he deal with vertical expansion? There was a lot to consider with that, but he had an idea. The raw mana required would be massive.

Ethan was snapped out of his meditative musings when Gideon jumped to his feet, sniffing at the air. Sybil remained still for only a few moments before her eyes went wide. She was quick to kick dirt over the fire, grabbing her small pack and nodding at him.

"Into the city," her voice was curt and tinged with more than a few drops of fear.

No matter what the situation, Ethan didn't need to be told twice. He scooped up his pack, throwing it over one arm before following behind the duo. They were far quicker than him, but a few well-placed jumps helped him catch up with them. He cycled between tossing drops of mana into his agility ring and jumping 20 feet at a time. He skipped along the ground until the entire group tumbled through the large entrance to the city. They then pressed their backs against the massive metal door and listened.

“She’s back early,” Sybil grumbled. “Why is she back early?”

Ethan poked his head out for only a moment and saw a dark shape against the sky in the distance. He then heard the sound of the dragon's roar and was quick to pull himself back into safety. He didn't even like staying behind the doors. That wasn't enough metal or rock between him and the dragon. Without waiting for prompting, he headed deeper into the complex, finding one of the side passages that was curiously devoid of anomalies. The other two joined him, each with a different level of concern on their faces. 

Gideon looked only slightly concerned, sporting what was closer to a amused smile. "Well, that could have gone better."

Sybil's level of concern was much higher. She chewed at her fingernails, biting her lip and looking around as though she were a rat stuck in a cage. "I'm not exactly sure how screwed we are, but I think we're pretty high up there. How long do you think she’s going to stay this time?"

Gideon shrugged. "Who knows? We have plenty of food, don't we? We could even start rationing."

The underground city rumbled, signaling that the dragon had landed atop it. It was back at its perch, and the scribe wasn't sure what that meant for them exactly. He pushed down all that nervous energy and looked at the problem logically. He still had a lot of work to do here with the anomalies. Before he left, he needed to enter the password to the strange room he had seen before. Going outside was just a luxury. It was nice to see the sun, but it wasn't required. He could wait out the dragon if it took a day, a week, or a month. He was fine with it so long as he got some more research done.

He would rather be late for classes than eaten by a dragon.

***

Ethan worked on the anomalies for three days before he made a breakthrough with any of them. He had targeted those that would give him the best spells that synergized with his affinity ring. His entire kit was geared to provide defensive magic with the addition of the System Leap ability that included extreme mobility. But that mobility came at a cost. He had to give up his entire affinity ring in order to use that ability to its fullest.

The only option there was then to assume that he would not be moving around while under attack or to find something else to suit his needs. The options were to change out his travel power or use another attribute to key off of and create another floating platform in the air.

Letting out a steady breath, Ethan smiled as a familiar message finally appeared.

[Redirecting Wind Anomaly Repaired]

You have repaired an anomaly known to the Grand System. Please continue to resolve anomalies.

Reward:

Increased breadth and depth of one Attribute Ring of your choice.

25 coins.

It wasn't the exact spell that Ethan wanted, and the synergies didn't look great, but it was nice to clear another anomaly out. And who knows, since he had to go through and learn the associated spell from the wind font, it was possible the redirect wind spell would come in use later. Instead, he moved off to finish an anomaly that had been the most curious of any he had seen so far.

There was a strange anomaly that, when Ethan entered it, he felt centered, as if everything around him was focused on him. He had discovered that this anomaly wasn't hostile yesterday. It was in an obscure hallway behind a few other anomalies that would certainly shred him to pieces if he were to carelessly wander into them. Figuring out the secrets to fixing this anomaly was very difficult. At first, he thought it was some kind of gravity magic, but eventually, he learned that it was instead something like a control sigil.

With the last few pieces in his mind, he solved the anomaly. He then inspected the associated spell, brows knitting as he read the confusing description.

[Target Focus Component (Centered)]

Emulated Rank 1 Component (X-13)

Description:

Acts as a central focus component.

Effect:

NONE

“Well, what does that mean?” Ethan asked with a huff.