Chapter 760: Thief (1/2)

Ilea stood within the prison, spheres of barriers all around, magic flowing from the distant walls of the grand hall, entirely empty beside the streams of magic set within straight lines of dark metal, orange red light pulsing with the energy, all of it powering the moving rings of steel and potent barriers.

An automated trap? Or perhaps an invitation? She smiled to herself as she continued looking at the patterns, soon realizing that they weren’t quite as mesmerizing as the Meadow’s, though still impressive. It would take some time for her to get through. Far from an impossible task. Question is, do I want to?

A rematch with Vor Elentir was not something she had planned for the day but she wouldn’t say no either. If only to find out if and how much the being had held back the last time they had met. She cracked her shoulders and knuckles, trying to find anything besides the space magic patterns to focus on, to get an edge. If nothing would show up, she would simply have to escape, though not after setting a gate location within this realm. Already she set one down within the sphere, though she didn’t plan to leave it in there.

Her attention shifted when she perceived an incoming teleportation spell. Not through her cut off domain but her awareness of space itself. She didn’t react immediately, not about to offer too much knowledge about her own abilities. Still she was focused on the patterns, impressive but not manually created. Finally, she moved her eyes to the being now floating about five meters away from the barriers.

A near three meter body, links of metal joined together near seamlessly, faint glowing white light the only indicator of their existence. A line of four vertical white eyes took in the winged being covered in layers of ash. Its four arms were joined behind their back, two legs, torso, and shoulders broader than similar beings Ilea had seen before. A cloth of white fabric covered most of its body, wrung around its form with intricate patterns. Eight spheres of steel orbited the being in a slow moving pattern, its head shaped like a medieval knight’s, two horns of steel curved up from its temples, going behind its head and finally down towards its neck.

She looked at it now, slightly tilting her head to the side, both flying in a casual manner. “Hi. Impressive trap.”

“Peculiar. The goal was to find out which item an intruder would choose, but you took all of them. A faint relation…” the Ascended spoke with a deep voice, pausing for a moment. “Relation to the Azarinth, though their Order is no more. A remnant perhaps, looking to find the Azarinth Star? You have succeeded, thought at a great cost. Who are you?”

Ilea crossed her arms. “I’m not with the Azarinth Order. And I don’t know if I should introduce myself to someone who keeps me locked in twelve layers of barriers,” she said and moved closer, touching the first one. The magic sizzled slightly. Azarinth Star? One of the items?

[Metal Mage – lvl ????]

The Ascended was just above level one thousand, at least according to Veteran.

He moved one of his four hands to his chin. “Precautions, I’m sure you understand. Those who would find what you have sought have not arrived here on accident. A human, I believe? Though one of your level… a rarity, to be sure. Perhaps I will entertain you.

“I am the keeper of this sanctum, Ker Velor. Welcome to Kohr, though you seem far too calm for any of this to be entirely unknown,” the Ascended spoke. “Perhaps we were not destined to be enemies, if you truly are not part of the Azarinth Order.”

“I’ve met and been attacked by one of your kind before,” Ilea said.

“Yes, though you should not be surprised, if you seek and intrude facilities that are not your own. Your kind has a tendency to be rather disrespectful of the belongings of others, though it would be hypocritical of me to claim I was different. Which item have you sought? And who are you?” he spoke.

Safest bet might be the Fae. No way can he do anything to that monstrosity.

“Speak, I have no patience for the games of your kind,” said Ker Velor.

“The Heart,” Ilea said. “I’m reclaiming it for a friend,” she said, neither lying nor telling the truth. She would certainly ask Violence about it, and return it if it belonged to them.

“Azarinth magic… and yet you come for the Heart of Verivyen. Your realm has changed indeed, so quickly do your species move, adapt, evolve. And still you fall prey to such obvious traps, flocking to the light like simple creatures. You have only answered one question,” he said.

“Some call me Lilith,” she said, guessing that with her description and his correct guess at her species, he would find out about her quickly if he inquired in Elos. “Why do you set traps for long past enemies?”

The Ascended considered for a few seconds. “You know more than most, though with your power, it is not a surprise. And yet you are still bound to flesh. It was… not entirely disappointing to meet you, Lilith, but I’m afraid I have no time to waste on your person. Your death shall be quick,” he spoke and bowed in a respectful manner.

The rings started spinning faster, magic gathering all around as the Ascended watched with its four eyes.

Ilea did the same. She had figured out the patterns by now but Nes had talked so much about Ascended magic, she really wanted to find out what all the fuss was about. Looking up, she could see the spell glowing, more energy flowing into it as the rings kept spinning. Her enhanced perception let her gauge the spell. Impressive, surely, but mostly light and heat, two of her higher resistances. She would survive.

The rings stopped, now all of them aligned and aimed downward, runes shining on their edges before the bright sphere of light hanging twenty meters above burst into a beam of concentrated heat, flowing through the barriers without issue. For one second the entire hall lit up, the stone platform within the spheres gone in an instant.

Between the rings floated a smoking human, flesh burnt and blackened, stripped in parts to the bone. Her body and ash reformed in mere moments, dissolved wings reappearing in turn. “Not bad. Can you turn it up a little?”

‘ding’ ‘Light Magic Resistance reaches 3rd lvl 7’

Ker Velor remained quiet, summoning a small device and what looked like a pen before he started writing something down. “I’m busy. But I suppose data is data,” he murmured the latter bit. “And yes, that was thirty percent. What most monsters at a level of one thousand one hundred can manage if they’ve matured. How did it feel?” He looked up, his pen ready.

Ilea looked at his eyes. “I don’t feel pain.”

“Yes. Of course. Even those who remain in imperfect forms have ways to adapt. Let’s try seventy percent,” he said.

Ilea put a finger to her mouth and looked at the barriers. “It does sound fun, but I don’t like being caged.” She teleported out and in front of the being when the room lit up again. That one she would not have survived as easily. Point taken Nes.

This time the Ascended reacted, spreading his arms as his tools vanished. “A space mage… the Heart… of course.” He flew backwards. “You are part Fae then? Or evolved to imitate their kind?” His eyes glowed a little brighter. “You would prevent my magic? In my domain?” He sounded confused more than anything.

“Oh, you wanted to teleport?” Ilea asked, flying around him in a lazy manner. “Mad, now that the fly in your trap escaped?”

He looked up and followed her form with his eyes, arms stretched out and at the ready. “I am intrigued, human. You show promise. Perhaps…” He slammed two hands together, the grip of space magic crashing into her.

Ilea felt her eyes nearly burst, healing them as she rolled her shoulders. “Please,” she said and charged her own space manipulation, focusing on his form before she squeezed.

The Ascended shook for a split second. He recovered just as quickly and again he clapped, just once this time. “Marvelous. Truly! Show me more, Lilith!” he spoke in an excited voice now, several hundred spheres of steel materializing around him, each one surrounded by a strange red glow.

Ilea watched the projectiles swarm her from all around but she simply let them come, her mantle now erupting in white flame. She could feel the blood magic before the first projectiles hit, the impact creating a shock wave before two dozen more struck her flying form. Blood magic erupted from the touch, seeping into her armor and flesh before rupturing her form. She found the effort a nuisance more than anything. She waved her hand, using fabric tear to move away the closest spheres. Already they stopped coming.

“Feedback on Blood Magic. I have not encountered such in centuries. You have survived a great deal, human. On purpose perhaps? Or due to your likely Azarinth magic?” the Ascended asked, raising one arm. “Will this give you pause?”

Ilea raised her own arm, a beam of near white energy and heat lashing out at the flying being.