36 Toward the Tower (2/2)

”You say this is based on Rainer's magic?” Theodore asked while staring at the Aura Blade around Gunthar's sword.

”Based yes, but compared to the original I am still far,” Gunthar spoke as the blade easily sliced through the cave wall. Hardly an ounce of force was placed upon the blade.

”I cannot even spar against such a thing! I fear for my sword. How did you create this in just the month or so you've been traveling with Rainer?”

”It took only a few days,” Rainer answered in between bites.

Theodore placed his hand on his son's shoulder, ”Impressive as always son; I cannot imagine where you can take this skill to in the future.”

The word future had only reminded Gunthar of his father's intention to die with the [Arch-Lich].

”Theodore, Kara had overheard your conversation on Unicorns the night before. Perhaps you can tell us what kind of place we can find them?” Rainer asked seeing the frozen stance of Gunthar.

”Ah, a good idea,” Theodore said walking over and sitting beside him, ”The Unicorn itself is a powerful creature of magic. But, that is not the biggest problem. They are oft found only in places where the land itself rejects others.”

Rainer nearly choked on his food, ”You mean like a land that weakens Aura and Magic?”

”Precisely…” Theodore responded. This was not common knowledge.

”Outside of the very Dungeon we gained this quest from, there is a place far north of it just like that.”

”Even if there is, there is no guarantee it has such creatures, and how would you even manage…”

”How else? I'm willing to bet my [Archon] class can learn a skill to resist the effect. And then with [Sleep Learning] I can gain the skill points to raise it.”

Theodore stood up and headed down the tunnel. He said nothing further on the subject. ”We should head forward. We know not the [Arch-Lich]'s methods. You should focus on gaining from the hidden library as quickly as possible. ”

Rainer stopped eating and put away the remaining food in his spatial ring, much to Kara's dismay who nearly bit his hand.

”You can eat on the way.”

The party moved forward, reaching the end of the caverns and entering a constructed tunnel. As they reached the end of the tunnel, Theodore explained to Gunthar where he needed to go and how to access the secret pathways. He gave some advice too, on how to blend in with the undead horde.

”Gunthar, first remove the magical construction the Fae had made for you. You shall blend in far better than with just the sword.”

Gunthar's skeletal face looked over to Kara and Rainer.

Rainer couldn't help but giggle as he turned around. Kara needed to be spun around by Rainer and explained the situation, eliciting her to join him in laughter.

”Even as an Undead, I have more proper modesty than you, Little Wolf. I imagine our neighbors are kept up quite late by your howls,” Kara's entire face turned red as she stopped giggling and Rainer's only went further.

Rainer soon finished and spoke to Gunthar before he left, ”Good Luck, Gunthar. No matter what, prioritize coming back to us. Even if you must bring back the whole city chasing you. Understand? No bullshit where you sacrifice yourself to the horde. Hell, lead them back to this thin tunnel and let's see them get through.”

Theodore grew surprised at Rainer's words. Even in his undead form Gunthar was treated as a companion, not a useful tool. Even still, he was only happy to see that his son may have a future.

Gunthar went up the stairs, off to go and gather what they needed. He took Rainer's spatial ring with him. Theodore was unable to go, given the variance of his undead form he was far more likely to stand out amidst the horde.

Rainer and Kara sat side by side against the tunnel wall. Theodore stood at the entrance before sitting across from them.

”So, tell me, how do a human and a demon get to love one another?”

”S-so the perverted side comes out once Gunthar has left!” Kara, still a bit embarrassed from Gunthar's earlier words, blurted out suddenly.

”He meant…in a relationship Kara,” Rainer barely managed to speak out.

Kara just hid her face as the other two talked after managing to stifle their laughter.

”Half-Demon would be more accurate,” He responded.

”Half-Demon….Half-Demon and an Archon…What kind of fable am I in? A ruler of magic and a ruler of demons. Fitting. Truly Fitting.”

”Ruler of demons?” Rainer responded confused.

”Ah? Perhaps the Demon race of your world varies greatly. My studies into the darker parts of the world extended beyond necromancy. The Demon Race, I've found, has a legend that the one to unite their scattered Lord and Princes would be a half-demon. Unbound by the rules, able to take on quests and enter dungeons,” He said moving his hands in a manner as to indicate the current situation Kara is in.

She, peeked out from her hands, listening, ”Born of Two-Classes. Unprecedented talent in Demonic Aura despite his….half nature.” Theodore paused on this, ”Pardon, Sir Wolf, I had taken thee for a lady.”

”I am a lady…” Kara retorted back completely surprised about the story. She had never heard of a legend of that kind, ”and I've never heard of any story like that.”

”It fits,” Rainer answered a bit grimly. Were it but one prince after a wife, Rainer had full confidence in dealing with it. Also was it with Luna, who he now knew only had a single faction of Fae after her, given what he had learned from his investigation. But if any part of this legend was true in his new world, then Kara meant a claim to the throne, rather than a new king.

He too remembered her story where men in her tribe were treated as superior.

And the Legend…it's so clear about it being a man that Theodore even assumed that Kara had to be a man despite quite clear evidence to the contrary.

He thought as he glanced at her chest earning him an annoyed glare given the recent statement.

”What are you checking for? I'd assume you know I am, in fact, a woman by now?” She then asked with a grin knowing he referred to something else, ”And what do you mean by it fits?”

”Your tribe…how strong exactly are you?” Rainer ignored her attempts given his worry.

”My mother, my grandmother, and two others are in their 2nd Class.”

”And is that something a Demon Prince would be willing to wantonly make an enemy of just for the small chance his heirs might also be half-demons? I won't deny it could be a matter of pride. Hell, it may very well be that. The powerful are not free from flights of lunacy.”

”Then...why wouldn't my mother tell me anything…”

”She may not have known. And that's, even more, evidence it may not be true in our world,” He said in part trying to convince himself, ”Why didn't anyone run away with you?”

”My mother said it was because my Half-Demon nature makes it hard to track me with the usual means. That any of my tribe going with me would only lead me to be found.”

”Apologies, I did not wish to bring such a conversation,” Theodore responded with his skeletal hand rubbing his head, ”And many apologies too you most lovely Lady Wolf for such an assumption, it was but a quick reaction.”

”It's alright…I mistook your words earlier too.”

”What was Gunthar like as a child?” Rainer then curiously asked, hoping he didn't step into the wrong direction.

Theodore paused for a moment before speaking, the tone of his voice alone let one believe he was smiling, ”He was a hardworking child, far more than any other. Often the issue with those of talent is they surpass their peers with little effort and therefore never work any harder, but not Gunthar. Competition did not exist for him. His peers were the legendary paladins who rose before him. His focus was indomitable. And even with his father later becoming a pariah,” He said a bit sadly before continuing in the previous mood, ”it did not affect his romantic prospects in the slightest.”

”Gunthar got around?”

”Not in the slightest!” Theodore roared out laughing, ”He had not a date nor a lady friend as far as I'd ever known. Whether he didn't realize their intentions or didn't care, I'd bet on the latter; he singularly focused on improving himself. I had even tried to set him up with a man, as I thought he was too shy to admit it himself, but no luck.”

Rainer listened on as Theodore talked about Gunthar's childhood. Most were simply stories, no different than most children, but he listened intently nonetheless. After a few hours, he got to a particularly interesting one.

”One time when Gunthar was 13, already stronger than many paladins twice his age, He had gotten locked in the basement of our mansion. I came home to find him hiding in a corner. A little rat faced him. It was not even a monster, but a common rat. He could slay it with his arms and legs tied behind his back as he was blindfolded! But the panic at which he ran to me, I was certain there was a true monster hiding somewhere in the basement!”

Rainer and Theodore shared a laugh as they heard another voice in the tunnel.

”I'm glad I could be of entertainment, Sorcerer. Luna can you assist me?” Gunthar replied having just returned, but the joy in his voice in seeing Theodore in such a mood couldn't be hidden.

Luna flew over to remake his clothes at his behest.

”Gunthar!” Kara jumped up, ”You're alright?”

”I am Little Wolf; I am glad at least one person is more concerned with my safety, then laughing at tales of my youth.”

Kara, of course, had no intention of telling him that she likely only wasn't laughing because she was half-asleep.

”How was it?” Rainer now asked in serious concern. He took a brief glance at a new sword by Gunthar's side.

[Sword of Piercing Aura: A sword enchanted to increase the power of one's Aura to the utmost. +9 Aura Control, +9 Aura Attunement.]

He too took a moment to look now at Theodore's own sword. One he had likely received from his 2nd Class Advancement.

[Sword of Heavenly Descent: A sword enchanted to increase the power of Aura attacks and the power of Light Magic. Offensive Aura Skills increased by 20%, Light Magic improved by 15%.]

”There was little issue. I saw one [Lich] from a distance, but he did not see me. I took the risk to suppress my Aura on spotting him, and it at the very least did not fail. The undead, in general, paid me little mind, and I stayed quite a distance from them,” He said while tossing the spatial ring to Rainer.

”I'm glad you're back safely.”

”I too, Sorcerer. After seeing the streets of my once majestic city in such a state, I can only hope what I have gathered will be of true use to you. I chose to head back after visiting the hidden library my father guided me to. I wanted to bring this back at least. I will head out again.”

”How was the library itself, is there a safe path for us to take?”

”No…I passed by some undead dangerously close. Had I not the same presence of undeath there is no doubt they would have attacked me and thereby alerted all. I could only take a third of what was at the hidden library; I focused on the Necromancy related subjects as much as I understood them.”

Rainer nodded his head as he took out tomes and journals to read them, only long enough, and accurately enough, so that he could retrieve them in [Sleep Learning]. The tomes varied widely, whether it was blood rituals to summon powerful wraiths, or basic necromancy arts to raise skeletal and ghoulish servants. He ignored the several that didn't seem to deal with Necromancy to save time, just in case.

”Rainer. Most of the Necromancy will be of little use without an undead of the [Arch-Lich]s to practice it on, but it will not hurt to read them over and be prepared for when such a situation occurs.”

Rainer agreed as he handed the spatial ring back to Gunthar.

”Luna put me to sleep,” He said as he laid down, prepared to learn any magic that he could without the presence of another living thing or soul. He knew the effect of leveling related magics had on manipulation skills, and he hoped any of the spells he learned could help him get one step closer to truly understanding Death Energy. Beyond all else, however, he wished to merge it with the Arcane.

Opening his eyes into the familiar void, Rainer first took out several tomes and journals collected on necromancy. The other tomes while drawing his interest greatly, were not his current focus. He quickly began paging through them ignoring anything that required a soul or a body. He too found some magic based on using one's own soul as a power source, but Rainer had no idea exactly how he was in this space.

His original thought, before knowledge of the soul existing from the very presence of Gunthar as an undead, was that only his mind was within here. But now, he wasn't sure. Was the soul he detected his own or a copy? He pondered as he focused in on himself and used [Soul Detection].

That left him with spells dealing directly with Death Energy as his focus for now. He did, however, spend his time reading through everything regarding necromancy. No spell here, dealing with necromancy, in any case, reached the fifth tier. Rainer understood too that a forbidden art would be far more difficult to research and grow properly. He did not discard the possibility that Gunthar left behind something of a stronger power in the hidden library.

He couldn't help but wonder whether the [Arch-Lich]'s ability in necromancy extended beyond the 4th Tier. It was true his undead were far more powerful than anything described in these tomes, but Rainer didn't know how much of that was because of the Mana-Well.

He did not, however, find anything like the magic he had been hit by.

He began with the simplest, [Deathbolt]. His own attempts at creating a similar bolt of Death were all but pointless. Even the most basic Death spell not involving the raising of undead was tier 3. A distinct difference between his other bolt spells.

After nearly an hour of attempts, Rainer stared at the ground. He had gone through stages of anger, depression and was now back in contemplation over what he could do differently. Every time the spell would backfire, using his mana as additional fuel, and he'd be left a corpse, only to refresh himself. He started to believe that perhaps the spell itself was a trap for any foolish enough to use it without the creator's permission.

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He carefully combed through the spell. Trying to find any part of it that could cause such a phenomenon. It was then he saw one of the runes for forming the bolt partially resembled the very runes he had already incorporated for Mana input and output. He recalled Theodore teaching him of how the Holy modifier was created.

The spell was not flawed; it was a trap. If one didn't know to alter this rune, the spell would continually draw more mana and insert the Deathly Aura into oneself, as a sort of beam. Normally, harmless for a member of the undead, other than draining painstakingly gathered mana before they canceled the spell, but fatal, or close to, for any other who tried to learn it.

It was a simple alteration, given his knowledge of Mana Input and Output of a far more complicated nature.

A concentrated mass of death formed above Rainer's palm, even holding it away from him caused himself harm. The spell itself took nearly 8 seconds to cast.

[Spell Gained: Deathbolt lvl 1/10]

[Deathbolt: Forms a compressed mass of the very essence of Death and Decay itself. The spell travels slowly yet erodes and corrupts powerfully.]

The spell shot forward. In its speed, it was less than that of a throw. Rainer's [Arcane Awakening] at 100%, and increased Mana and Death Energy poured in only altered its power, not its forward momentum.

Rainer knew that if such a thing hit him, he would not survive. His shield mode may not even protect him fully, given the lasting nature of the bolt. Though, of course, the spell had been greatly enhanced by him.

The spell began dissipating roughly 30 feet from him. He recalled the beam of death he fought against in the past. It had not even taken a noticeable amount of life from him even when it had affected him. And this was precisely the reason. It was not of Death Energy, but mostly of mana, he reasoned. To increase its speed and range, its very essence was sacrificed in return.

The [Lich], however, did not count on Rainer blocking the beam of Death Energy with his own magic so well.

He opened his [Arcane Sight] as he cast [Deathbolt]s repeatedly. He looked for anything that could give him a hint on mixing in the Arcane and making the magic his own. More importantly to make his grasp over death far surpass that of his foe.

He had found exactly what he searched for as he was jostled awake.

”Rainer!”

He shot up in a state of readiness, wondering if they had been found.

Instead, he was met with the returned Gunthar, who already had Luna remake his clothes, and a nervous Luna and Kara looking over him. He understood the situation right away from seeing his messages.

[Deathbolt has reached level 10]

[Reached the maximum proficiency of a Tier 3 spell: Rewarding 3 skill points.]

[Death Manipulation has reached level 6]

[Arcane Sight has reached level 3]

He had been in a trance once more.

”How long was I out?”

”14 hours. We were worried about it happening again, so we tried to wake you up, and it only worked now.”

Rainer rubbed his tired eyes but still couldn't stop his own grin.

”You figured something out?” Theodore asked not understanding why sleeping a few extra hours was such an issue. He, of course, did not know Rainer had in the past been in a similar state for far longer than that.

”I did. Gunthar, how was your second trip.”

”Far more fruitful. I believe I found a safe path toward one of the Mage Towers along with the tomes you asked for. This one, in particular, was a guild specializing in both Water and Light Magic. Rather all Towers dabbled in Light Magic to a degree. We may find something of use hidden there. It is a rare moment,” Gunthar said a bit sadly, ”for a Mage Tower to be without Mages as its guards,” He recollected himself as he spoke on, ”It seems most of the undead are focused on defense. The patrols throughout the city are not too frequent. This entrance is truly not known. The hidden library my father told me of, however, goes through several patrol paths. It is not a risk we should take until we are prepared to face being caught.”

”Then I'll look at what you brought, and we'll head out in a bit. Thankfully I didn't stay under too long; I don't feel too bad.”

He, however, desperately wished to enter [Sleep Learning] again to try out what he had learned. He could only hold himself back from trying in reality, knowing all too well how easily Death Energy could steal his life.