Chapter 623: Arcane Power (1/2)
Chapter 623 Arcane Power
Ilea felt the power settle within her as she stood up, stumbling slightly as she took a deep breath. The weight change wasn’t substantial but she noticed it nonetheless. She could feel magic settling within her bones. Like some kind of enchantment, she thought, trying to see what had happened with her evolved Arcane Dominion spell. No way to pierce through myself. And my healing isn’t helping either. Everything is fine apparently.
She sighed and stretched, grabbing her ale with Displacement before she turned towards the stairs.
“Well? You’re going to leave us in the dark?” Feyrair asked.
Ilea glanced back and smiled. “There will be time to show everything off, but I think I’ll take a small break first.”
Kyrian cracked his neck. “I’ll go hunt in the meantime. I will match you in no time,” he said and gave her a thumbs up.
Isn’t that Fey talk?
The elf hissed, realizing he had let his curiosity get the better of him. “Take all the breaks you need. I won’t waste any time either,” he said and vanished with laughter.
Kyrian waited a few seconds before he sighed. “There he goes. Come get us when you’re ready.”
Ilea giggled. “That wasn’t necessary, Kyrian. But I do appreciate it.”
“I’m glad we made it,” he said, looking back at the large cavern. “Sure you don’t want to look through the rest?”
“Bunch of rub…,” Ilea started, looking at the chunks of stone left behind on an evened out section at the back of the cavern. I know those runes.
“Found something?” Kyrian asked.
What does that… it’s not the exact same but…
“Maybe. They’re all destroyed now anyway but the runes here. I found something similar below Ravenhall. Gates of some sort. Guess now it’s clear that they’re not Taleen creations,” she explained.
“I see. Krahen or Ascended maybe?” Kyrian suggested.
“Maybe. I’ll collect it all just in case,” Ilea said and used transfer for the first time. She felt the new addition to her spell, a part of her mind tugging. Had she wanted to, an explosion of arcane magic would’ve flashed out when she arrived near the stones.
She knelt down. Definitely the same runes. Does that mean there were Ascended down below Ravenhall? Taleen? Krahen? It has to be connected somehow.
A quick swipe with her ashen limbs summoned everything with runes into her necklace. Fifty units, ah well, won’t hold onto this stuff for too long.
“Nothing from the Terror?” she asked as she walked back, inspecting the scorched ground.
Kyrian shook his head. “It’s mace is still there.”
She rolled her eyes. “If anybody’s going to use that, it’s you.”
“I’ll have a look, but it doesn’t seem to be particularly special,” he said, his steel extending before it moved around the mace, pulling it closer.
“Can’t just move it with your magic?” Ilea asked.
“Too heavy. Only so much metal I can control effectively, and the flails and armor I have already fill most of that capacity,” he explained.
“Hmm, at least you can store it all within your ring,” she said.
“I’d rather be a creator like you two,” the metal mage said, glancing at Neiphato.
“Grass is always greener,” Ilea murmured, walking towards the exit. She grabbed the remains of the Azarinth healer as they returned, storing the corpse within her necklace.
Neiphato motioned to a nearby tunnel they had previously ignored. “That’s where the Taleen came from.”
“Figured,” Ilea said. “Even the great trap makers wanted to avoid the ones laid out here.”
The tunnel had been collapsed, thoroughly.
“I’ll leave this here for now,” Kyrian said. “As I mentioned, come get us when you’re done. And take your time. The gap has widened if anything.”
[Metal Mage – lvl 417]
And I only got three levels for that fight?
“I will, thanks,” Ilea said, watching the man fly out of the half collapsed entrance.
Neiphato glanced at her and smiled, hissing joyously. “Congratulations on your advancement, Ilea.”
“I appreciate it,” she said and sat down on one of the old benches, resummoning her ale.
[Wood Mage – lvl 342]
Coming along nicely too, young elf, she thought, taking a sip.
“Do you want company or someone to test with? Otherwise I will resume my hunting as well,” Neiphato said.
“I don’t, but thanks. I’ll get you all in an hour or so, have fun,” she said with a smile.
“You too,” Neiphato said with a brilliant smile before he too vanished.
She looked at the ale in her mug. Hmm… alone on a set of exotic isles with my three hot companions and a bunch of dangerous monsters. Maybe coming to Elos really was just an elaborate reality tv gig after all. I hope that Leviathan isn’t the camera man.
She ditched the bench and formed an ashen armchair, enjoying the ocean breeze coming into the hall as she relaxed for a moment. Hmm, maybe a test subject wouldn’t have been that stupid. Ah well, can check that out later.
First things first.
Ilea focused on one of her marks, all of them still very much visible when she thought of the spell. The new part came to her much like her skills usually worked, downright instinctual.
“Violence.” she sent.
A few moments passed, a gust of wind passing into the hall.
“Violence!” the answer came.
She grinned, their daily quota used up. But what more was there to say really?
The spell worked, Ilea even checking the hall to see if the little bugger wasn’t hiding somewhere, having followed her throughout her adventures. Alas, he wasn’t there. Just like telepathy. Feels the exact same.
So what’s the limit exactly?
For the next mark, she tried to use up the whole quota.
“I have transcended you old tree. Now bow before me!” she sent, finding the limit to be ten words.
The answer of course came immediately. “Lousy spell. Fit for imbecils. Go and evolve again. Monkey.”
Rude, she thought with a smile, giggling to herself before she drank from her ale. I can annoy it every day now! How glorious.
Hmm. Mark communication ten words per day now possible. Sent, Ilea. That should work.
She quickly sent it to everyone who had a mark and wasn’t on the isles.
“Noted, good luck on your journey!” Claire sent.
“Get out of my head, you monster,” spoke Walter.
“Understood. Sent, Dale,” the guard captain sent.
“Congratulations in order? Proud of you. Take care of Kyrian,” Trian answered.
“May the winds carry you. I hope you are alright,” Felicia sent.
“Useful tool. Hallowfort growth steady. Meadow helpful. Visit sometime. Catelyn,” sent the fox.
Elfie just sent an appreciative or congratulatory hiss. It remained unclear how many words exactly had been used for that.
“Will want to analyze that spell for enchantment. Iana,” the enchantress sent.
Of course, why don’t we just add telephones to the shit I fund in Elos.
The rest of her marks were her three companions whom she would inform later. So next thing… Core points. Meadow mentioned skill enhancements so I guess this is what I’ve been waiting for. But I should wait until I have all my evolutions, just in case there are requirements. Hmm… on the other hand, I might actually unlock new requirements having enhanced skills.
She thought about it for a moment before deciding not to spend any points yet. She would lose a lot of power even resetting one of her skills to the start of the third tier, power she could use against the monsters on these isles, in order to even get the other evolutions.
No reason to weaken myself now. I can train them up again after I get Kin and Faen to the next stage.
Standing up, she walked over to a stone wall. Mug in hand, she flicked the wall with her finger.
A wave of arcane energy flashed out, leaving a small crack.
Hmm.
Now let’s try with Archon Strike. Wave form.
Her finger hit the wall, an explosion of arcane energy wrecking through the stone, sending chunks to the side as a shock wave of air and mana expanded with thunderous cracks.
She looked at the crater with joy. Quite different to that initial spell down in the Azarinth temple.